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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I didn’t even see that it was on that giant screen right behind me? Sometimes life is a dream https://t.co/f4ei2hJeOx
Nightingale debuted with All Elite Wrestling in May last year. She wrestled at ROH Death Before Dishonor earlier this year and defeated Allysin Kay.
Tony Khan tells me he believes @willowwrestles has improved a lot in the time he's known her, and says she works incredibly hard. He believes she can be a face of a women's division. He's excited about her growth, and sees her as a strong featured wrestler for #ROH or #AEW.
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.
Logan Paul is all set to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel on November 5. Though he realizes that The Tribal Chief won’t be the only problem he’d be dealing with at the show. The rest of The Bloodline will also be there to hinder his momentum. Logan will need any help he can to overcome the number’s game and he is teasing a very interesting solution to even the odds.
The YouTube star recently had a 1-on-1 interview with Ryan Satin. Among other things, he was asked about his brother and boxing star Jake Paul possibly crossing over into WWE someday. Replying to it, Logan claimed that it’s inevitable. Furthermore, he teased this crossover for the upcoming Saudi event, saying that he’s going to need his own bloodline to combat the bloodline of his opponent:
“Truthfully, I think it’s inevitable. I mean, I’m biased, but I think what we’re doing is incredibly exciting, at least for me personally. It is incredibly exciting. I often try to separate me as the entertainer and me as a consumer.” said Logan Paul, “If I were watching two brothers take over, and I use that word intentionally, take over two highly entertaining sports – boxing, and wrestling, in a way that has never been done before, my curiosity would be piqued.
He’s fighting Anderson Silva, one of the greatest combat sports fighters of all time, one week before I take on the Tribal Chief, the face of the WWE for the title in Saudi Arabia [at] Crown Jewel. It’s never happened before. It’s unreplicable. You can’t duplicate this. History is unfolding in front of your eyes live. People are gonna choose whether to tune in or not, and I’m urging you to tune in. Because you’re gonna want to watch this. We’re making history as we speak. I think Jake’s crossover into the WWE is inevitable. Bro, I need a bloodline. Roman got his. I got mine. Where he at?”
NXT presents Halloween Havoc this Saturday, October 22, live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network elsewhere. Here’s your match-by-match preview of the premiere live event (PLE) and the history of Halloween Havoc.
Halloween Havoc first aired in 1989 when World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was still associated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and would remain as such through the next event in 1990. The 1989 event featured Ric Flair teaming with Sting defeat The Great Muta and Terry Funk in a Thunderdome match with the late Bruno Sammartino as special guest referee.
From 1991 through 2000, Halloween Havoc was a staple pay-per-view (PPV) for WCW. Maybe the most memorable match from the 90s was Eddie Guerrero taking on a young luchador named Rey Misterio, Jr. in a Title vs. Mask match (1997) as Guerrero was the reigning WCW Cruiserweight Champion. The match is actually the first match you play in WWE 2K22’s Showcase mode that focuses on the career of the now Rey Mysterio.
However, after the purchase of WCW by Vince McMahon, Halloween Havoc was basically retired for two decades before NXT resurrected the show in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year it will be airing for the third consecutive year, now seemingly a staple PLE for WWE’s developmental brand.
Interestingly, while this will be the third straight year with the event, it will also be the third consecutive one that sees NXT in a vastly different place than a year prior. 2020 was still largely the NXT fans had come to expect; 2021’s event was the first PLE after the sudden and stark shift to 2.0. Now, NXT is a fusion of the two in its Black & Gold & White iteration.
Now, let’s move to the preview of this Saturday’s show.
Halloween Havoc 2022 Hosts: Shotzi and Quincy Elliott
As she did with the initial show under the NXT banner, Shotz will be the host of this weekend’s PLE as announced on this week’s episode. As she was speaking, she was interrupted by Xyon Quinn about being her co-host, who was then interrupted by Quincy Elliott. Shotzi said since they were going to have a match anyway, the winner would be her co-host. Elliott ended up defeating Quinn with a Banzai drop.
NXT has been gradually giving Elliott more television time and being placed as co-host seems to indicate that creative is happy with his development. While green in the ring, it is inarguable that Elliott knows his character and has mic skills that he can display as co-host with Shotzi, herself a bundle of energy.
Apollo Crews vs. Grayson Waller (Singles Match)
This feud finds its genesis in a match between the two on the August 30 episode of NXT. Waller attacked the left eye of Crews twice during the match, including when Crews had Waller set for his finisher, to escape with the victory and injure Crews.
NXT has aired a few vignettes from Crews in the six weeks since in the vigilante style that has become his signature. They included Crews narrating the vignettes while showing off his eye injury and, as shown above, a measure of payback on Waller.
During Waller’s match with Oro Mensah to qualify for the North American Championship ladder match, Waller was surprised by the “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” wheel that he used to set Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade in a “Weapons Wild” match. He then lost to Mensah and has been frantic in backstage interviews with McKenzie Mitchell. In fact, he was even interrupted on this week’s show by Chucky!
Crews’ character has been a bit stagnant since a return that garnered hope for a better push. With Waller clearly a part of the future of NXT and WWE, it makes sense for him to win here, but it’s also very possible the heel receives his comeuppance at the hands of Crews…and possibly a Chucky appearance?
Julius Creed vs. Damon Kemp (Ambulance Match, Brutus Creed’s NXT Career at Stake)
Quite possibly the longest story told heading into the PLE, this feud arose after Damon Kemp was revealed to be the one sowing dissension within Diamond Mine, coyly having the others blame Roderick Strong, before he sidelined Strong and turned on The Creed Brothers in the NXT Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way elimination match at Worlds Collide.
Kemp then purposely lost by disqualification to Brutus Creed in a singles match on NXT, whipping him with a chair upwards of 20 times. Julius, the elder brother, then challenged Kemp to a match, but Kemp would only agree if Brutus’ career were on the line. Brutus accepted before Julius could say anything, and the ambulance match was set.
In the weeks that followed the turn, NXT aired video of Kemp providing his justification for his actions, and his bland face act has turned into a better heel act. He deftly countered Julius’ barb that Kemp “isn’t even the best athlete in his family” (as the brother of Gable Stevenson) by laughing and asking Julius what he’s going to do when the second-best athlete in Kemp’s family defeats him.
Expect shenanigans from Brutus and possibly a miraculous return for Strong during the match. It seems highly unlikely that Brutus will be forced to leave NXT – many view Julius as the Montez Ford of the tag team – which may lead to a Triple H-Shawn Michaels finish from their unsanctioned match at SummerSlam 2002 where Michaels won with a jackknife cover, but Triple H laid him out immediately after the match.
In this case, Julius may shut the ambulance doors on Kemp only for them to shoot open for Kemp to launch an attack as Julius (and possibly Brutus) stand in victory.
Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade (Weapons Wild Match)
Another feud that was initiated by a turn, Perez and Jade have been essentially connected to each other since Perez’s debut in April and her eventual win the Women’s Breakout Tournament. She challenged for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship with her best friend, Jade, who had her own issues with Toxic Attraction at the time.
They won the Tag Team Championship, but Jade turned on Perez as Perez fought Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship. Since then, the two have been either at each other’s throats or thwarting the other’s attempts at moving up the card.
They meet Saturday in what will likely be a feud ender between the two for now. The story heading into Saturday is that Perez has been trying to find that “killer instinct” and be more aggressive, using weapons like Jade’s black kendo stick. Her hesitation has cost her over the past few months, but her recent losses to Meiko Satomura and Rhea Ripley have forced Perez to bring out more physicality.
Jade has played the part of the weasel heel, always seeking to find the path of least resistance. On NXT, she went for her kendo stick almost immediately when she realized her offense was having no effect on Raquel Rodriguez. Unfortunately for Jade, Rodriguez caught the kendo stick and beat her with it so while Jade won the match, she suffered, including being attacked from behind by Perez.
The winner of this match my indicate the winner of the Women’s Championship match. If Rose is set to retain, then it’s likely the face (Perez) wins. If Fyre is set to vanquish Rose, then it’s likely the heel (Jade) will win.
Carmelo Hayes (w/ Trick Williams) vs. Wes Lee vs. Oro Mensah vs. Von Wagner (w/Mr. Stone) vs. Nathan Frazer ( North American Championship Ladder Match)
The North American Championship ladder match has become one of NXT’s marquee matches, especially now that it seems like War Games has shifted to Rawand SmackDown. After all, the title was first awarded in a ladder match as Adam Cole became the inaugural champion at TakeOver: New Orleans in 2018 in a six-man ladder match.
The ladder match stems from Solo Sikoa having to relinquish the title a week after defeating the “A-Champ” Carmelo Hayes in a surprise appearance after helping Roman Reigns defeat Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle. In pre-recorded segment, Shawn Michaels forced Sikoa to vacate the championship and gave Hayes a bye from qualifying as the former champion, making him the first to qualify for the match.
Ensuing weeks would see qualifiers that were won by Wes Lee, Oro Mensah, and Von Wagner. The last spot was determined by the winner of the best-of-three series between Axiom and Nathan Frazer, with many calling their final match one of the best television matches of the year. Frazer qualified to round out the field.
This match may be the most chaotic on Saturday with all of the moving parts plus the speed and skills of those involved. Hayes winning again could be seen as a lateral move as he should be challenging for the NXT Men’s Championship or moved to Monday or Friday nights. Lee, Mensah, or Frazer winning could immensely boost their status if they follow the same playbook as Hayes, while Wagner winning would legitimize his push.
However, the North American Championship has traditionally (well, about as traditionally as four years can be) been held by those who have a faster, fluid style, so Wagner winning would both be a surprise and a shift. Sure, Keith Lee won it, too, but he’s cruiserweight in a heavyweight’s body.
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Alba Fyre
Speaking of women who have had their long-running issues with Toxic Attraction, Fyre has been targeting Rose for months, basically since her re-debut as Alba Fyre. Fyre has both been hampered by and has hampered Toxic Attraction. She finally receives her first one-on-one title match with Rose since her defeat to Rose in February when she was still Kay Lee Ray.
Rose has held the Women’s Championship for almost a calendar year as she defeated the then Raquel Gonzalez on October 26, 2021 at last year’s Halloween Havoc. Since then, she and Toxic Attraction have basically run the women’s division, though the tag team division has seen a recent rise outside of the stable. Rose, for her part, has retained her title without the help of her cronies on many occasions.
Fyre saw a name and gimmick change that has turned out well as she has seemingly embodied the Alby Fyre character, made even more menacing by the red bat with the flaming tip. Since her loss to Rose in February, Fyre has not lost a singles match with her only losses coming in multi-women and tag team matches.
Next Tuesday’s episode of NXT falls one day short of 365 days for Rose. Should she retain on Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her lose the title in a shocking way like Hayes to Sikoa. However, Fyre is a former NXT UK Women’s Champion and has the in-ring, promo, and character skills to be the Women’s Champion. Will Rose surpass a year, or will she be stopped just short by Fyre – or a mystery opponent on Tuesday?
NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh
Bron Breakker has won the Men’s Championship twice since the start of 2022, most recently winning it (and still holding it) on April 4 when the title was inexplicably defended on Raw as he defeated Dolph Ziggler. Breakker’s second run has been a mix with great matches against Gunther and Cameron Grimes mixed in with esoteric feuds against Joe Gacy and JD McDonagh, who unsuccessfully challenged Breakker in a singles match for the title.
Dragunov made a surprise debut in NXT on September 20, interrupting Breakker and McDonagh. Dragunov had issues with both men as the NXT UK Men’s Championship was unified with Breakker’s title though Dragunov never lost the former title. He had to relinquish it due to injury – suffered at hands of McDonagh when he was still Jordan Devlin.
The triple threat match was set, but things escalated between the three over the past two weeks. Last week, Dragunov hit his Torpedo finisher on Breakker because McDonagh dodged, and then Breakker drilled Dragunov with a crushing spear to end the show. This week’s edition of “The K.O. Show” saw things devolve quickly even after Kevin Owens warned the two faces they were playing right into McDonah’s mind games. The show ended with Dragunov standing tall with the Men’s Championship…only to be interrupted by Austin Theory.
Vic Joseph and the NXT Twitter account are heavily pushing the scenario that Theory may cash in his Money in the Bank contract this Saturday before, during, or after the triple threat match. If so, that would seem like a step down for Theory, though his character does seem like one who would, like Jade, look for the path of least resistance.
Should Theory’s appearance have been just a one-off to try and boost views for Saturday’s PLE, then Breakker or Dragunov should emerge victorious. Then again, with how Owens laid out that the two are doing exactly what McDonagh wants, the door is open to have McDonagh be the unlikely one to end Breakker’s second reign.
With six matches for Saturday’s Halloween Havoc, the show should be a tidy few hours with action-packed matches. Remember to watch Halloween Havoc this Saturday, October 22, at 8 pm ET on peacock.
Sasha Banks has racked up another impressive accolade to her resume. Earlier this year, Banks and former WWE Superstar Kalisto launched Premier Kanndela Labs, a brand that develops a variety of CBD (Cannabidiol) wellness products.
It has not taken long for Kanndela to be recognized for its medical benefits. Kandella just won the Industry Newcomer Award at the World CBD Awards in Barcelona, Spain.
Here’s a clip of their win, courtesy of Cannabis Health Magazine:
Mercedes and her company Kanndela winning Best Industry Newcomer at the World CBD Awards. ?
Sasha Banks shared her excitement on social media. She feels “so beyond blessed” to be part of the cannabis industry. She thanked the scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers and entrepreneurs who made the award possible and proclaimed, “Cannabis has changed my life.”
Sasha Banks (Mercedes Varnado) spoke with “Cannabis & Tech Today” Magazine over the summer and revealed that CBD helped her reduce her alcohol consumption and overcome depression and anxiety.
“Being a professional wrestler, it’s so draining,” she said. “It’s so, so hard. We’re never home. We’re always banged up and always hurt. And once I got introduced to CBD my life just fully, fully changed. I noticed that anxiety I would get, once I took CBD it all just dissipated. I started to feel like myself again.”
“Kanndela was designed with peak performance and homeostasis in mind. We are confident our groundbreaking product, combining nutrition with the power of phytocannabinoid extracts, is a game changer in both the CBD and wellness industries!”
WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker plans to showcase his wrestling ability at Halloween Havoc on Oct. 22.
Breakker will defend his title against Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh in a triple-threat match at Halloween Havoc. The champion already successfully retained the WWE NXT Championship against McDonagh at NXT Heatwave on Aug.16. However, McDonagh earned a second opportunity to compete for the title by defeating Tyler Bate on the Sep. 20 episode of NXT.
Dragunov inserted himself into contending for the title because he had vacated the now-defunct NXT United Kingdom Championship. Since he never lost the title in a match, Breakker decided to defend the title against McDonagh and Dragunov.
Both opponents have more ring experience than Breakker, but the champion plans to display some new moves this Saturday. In an interview with past “Get to Know” series guest The Black Announce Table Podcast, Breakker teased that fans will be surprised by what he does in his title match.
“I got some stuff up my sleeve for Halloween Havoc, let’s say that. I got some new things; I’m going to break out,” said Breakker. The champion continued, “…I would like to do some stuff that’s uh, we’ll say legacy moves. You guys are just going to have to watch the show and see.” He added that he is still early in his wrestling career and continuously attempting to improve.
(via WWE)
Bron Breakker Praises Halloween Havoc Opponents
Although they will be his opponents at Halloween Havoc, Breakker shared his admiration for McDonagh and Dragunov. In the interview, the champion revealed that he’s followed Dragunov for years.
“…Ilja is tough. He’s a really great competitor. I’ve known about him for years. I mean, I know how tough he is. I actually got to watch him and Gunther; I want to say it was Takeover 36. I’m not positive of that, but I got to watch him live, and he’s an animal, so it’s going to be a battle,” said Breakker.
The WWE NXT Champion credited McDonagh for making him a better sports entertainer.
“JD McDonagh has made me better. He’s made me a better sports entertainer, you know, just made me sharper. I think he’s a great performer. Both of them are great, so I’m excited. We’re going to tear the freaking house down, and I can’t wait,” said Breakker.
Breakker seems ready to defend his title at Halloween Havoc successfully. He will have his hands full against two opponents looking to win their first WWE NXT Championship. While preparing for McDonagh and Dragunov, Breakker may also have to worry about 2022 Money in the Bank Winner Austin Theory cashing in on him.
A new Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame is coming to fruition thanks to documentarian, Christopher Annino. The Hall of Fame will focus on a variety of women’s wrestling, including Olympic style, freestyle, and the NCAA.
Annino told SlamWrestling.net, “We debated on it for a long time and we’re going to call it the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame, so it’s not women’s pro wrestling. We also include in the actual Olympic style, freestyle, Olympic style, and obviously, anything to do with the NCAA right now, because women’s wrestling is starting to become a fairly big thing in the NCAA.”
They will be partnering with the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, NY. By partnering with the IPWHF, they will have a physical location for the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame. It will be at the MVP Arena. There will be plaques and a display area to showcase inductees.
Inaugural inductees for the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame
The inaugural class will be made up of various legends. The modern class will include two-time WWE Women’s Champion and former NWA Women’s Champion, Jazz. Rita Chatterton, who was WWF’s first woman referee will also be inducted.
Luna Vachon, Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, Marva Scott, Mildred Burke, Susan “Tex” Green, Beverly Shade, and the tag team of Donna Christanello and Toni Rose round out the inductees.
2004 Gold medalist Iryna Merleni will also be inducted. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) will be honored as well.
According to the website, the credentials for election are as follows:
-1800’s to 1910 Pre Radio Era
-1920’s-1950’s Radio Era
-1950’s to 1970’s Early TV Era
-1980’s to 2000 Modern TV Era
-2000’s-Present Internet Era
There will also be four categories: pioneer, amateur, professional, and non-wrestling.
On December 17, 2022, Jazz will be inducted during the Icons of Wrestling at the famed ECW Arena. Annino says that indications will likely happen at other places.
Sheamus battled Solo Sikoa tonight to begin WWE SmackDown. The Bloodline (besides Roman Reigns) and The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland and Butch) were ringside for the match.
The Celtic Warrior was in control of the match when Honorary Uce Sami Zayn hopped on the ring apron for a distraction. Sikoa capitalized and connected with the Spinning Solo Uranage for the pinfall victory.
After the match, The Bloodline continued the attack but one member may have taken things too far. Jey Uso grabbed a steel chair and bashed Sheamus’ arm several times against the steel steps.
Jey went on to attack Logan Paul against The Tribal Chief’s orders later on the show. Sami once again tried to stop him but it was too late. Logan Paul leveled Jey with one punch to send a message to Roman Reigns ahead of Crown Jewel.
After the attack by The Bloodline, Sheamus and The Brawling Brutes were interviewed backstage in a WWE Digital Exclusive. Sheamus was taken to a local medical facility, AKA a hospital, and The Brawling Brutes stopped for a brief interview.
Butch delivered a warning to The Bloodline and stated that “The Bloodline picked on the wrong bunch of lads”. Ridge Holland that this isn’t over and The Brawling Brutes walked away.
BREAKING: Due to the attack earlier tonight by #TheBloodline, @WWESheamus has a non-displaced fracture near his elbow and is still under observation. #SmackDown
The rivalry between The Bloodline and The Brawling Brutes is far from over. It was announced that Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn will battle Butch and Ridge Holland next week on WWE SmackDown. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will also return next week on the blue brand.
Two new bouts have officially been added to the upcoming WWE Crown Jewel Premium Live Event.
As announced on the October 21st edition of SmackDown, Drew McIntyre revealed that he will be taking on rival Karrion Kross in a steel cage match. Following their grueling match at Extreme Rules and McIntyre’s attack on Kross last week, the two will now settle the score inside the steel structure on Saturday, November 5th.
In addition, Braun Strowman appeared on SmackDown to confront Omos. Instead, Omos’ manager MVP emerged, warning Strowman to avoid his client. Strowman then challenged “The Nigerian Giant” to a match at Crown Jewel. Upon his subsequent arrival, Omos rattled “The Monster Among Men” after pushing him through the ring ropes.
Next, the two giants will clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in two weeks.
As of this writing, the updated lineup for Crown Jewel is as follows:
WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
The O.C. & AJ Styles vs. The Judgment Day
Omos vs. Braun Strowman
Steel Cage Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross
WWE SmackDown will air on FS1 next Friday, October 28th, with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns set to return.
AEW Rampage aired live this week from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The Acclaimed battled the Varsity Athletes in a Title vs. Trademark match. Hook defended the FTW Championship, Willow Nightingale signed with AEW, and Orange Cassidy defended the All-Atlantic Championship in the main event.
AEW Rampage Results
The Acclaimed def. Varsity Athletes (Title vs. Trademark)
Hook def. Ari Daivari to retain the FTW Championship
Willow Nightingale def. Leila Grey
Orange Cassidy def. Preston Vance & Rush in a Triple Threat match to retain the All-Atlantic Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
The Acclaimed Can Scissor Once Again
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) battled The Varsity Athletes (Tony Nese & Josh Woods) in a Title versus Trademark match. Mark Sterling had recently trademarks the term “scissoring” in regards to wrestling and The Acclaimed put the titles on the line in order to win it back.
Josh Woods tagged in and hit Bowens with a forearm to the face and followed it up with a knee strike. Tony tagged back in and hit a Neckbreaker for a two count. The Acclaimed battled back and Bowens knocked Woods to the outside with a flurry of strikes.
Max Caster tagged in as Bowens connected with a slam. Caster climbed to the top turnbuckle and delivered the Mic Drop Elbow Drop for the pinfall victory. After the match, Mark Sterling said he still has the contract but Billy Gunn snuck up from behind. The Acclaimed then stomped on Mark’s groin and Bowens followed it up with a Leg Drop. Billy Gunn ripped up the trademark and scissored with the champions.
FTW Champion Hook put the title on the line against Ari Daivari of the Trust Busters. Daivari offered Hook cash for the title but Hook wasn’t interested. Hook connected with an Exploder Suplex but the challenger battled back. Daivari stomped on Hook in the corner and followed it up with a lariat.
The butler distracted Hook and Daivari hit a Superkick for a near fall. Hook caught Daivari on the apron and dragged him back into the middle of the ring. Hook applied Redrum for the submission victory and retained the FTW Championship. Hook then got the butler in Redrum as well after the match.
Matt Hardy asked The Firm where Private Party was and Stokely Hathaway said they sent them to wrestling school. Stokely then informed Matt that he got him a match on AEW Dark on Monday night. Hardy then rapped and it was so bad that The Firm walked away in silence.
Willow Nightingale battled Leila Grey tonight on AEW Dynamite. Nightingale chased Grey around the ring and got distracted by Kiera Hogan. Kiera hit Willow with a cheap shot as Grey distracted the referee.
When Rampage returned from a break, Nightingale hit a boot to the face and followed it up with a Spinebuster for a two count. Willow followed it up with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. After the match, it was announced that Willow Nightingale has signed with All Elite Wrestling. Willow was supposed to face Penelope Ford tonight but she was not cleared due to an injury.
TBS Champion Jade Cargill made her way to the ring without her title because Nyla Rose stole it from her. Jade took a seat on a chair in the middle of the ring and gave Nyla ten seconds to bring her title back. Nyla, Marina Shafir, and Vickie Guerrero were shown driving away from Daily’s Place with the title. Jade sent The Baddies after them and continued to just sit and wait in the ring. Cargill started leveling security as the came down the entrance ramp.
Orange Cassidy Retained The All-Atlantic Championship
Orange Cassidy defended the All-Atlantic Championship against Rush and Preston Vance tonight in a Triple Threat match. Mark Henry interviewed the competitors before the match as usual. Brodie Lee Jr. (-1) accompanied Preston Vance (10) to the entrance ramp before the match.
Cassidy brought the title to the ring in a backpack. Danhausen was ringside for the match as well. Rush sent 10 into the barricade to start off the action as Jose the Assistant offered him some water.
Rush beat the hell out of Preston and choked him with a cable he found under the ring. He then choked Orange Cassidy as well and posed for the booing crowd. Preston battled back with some chops to the chest. Orange Cassidy went for a Suicide Dive but they caught him. Rush and Preston tried to slam Orange Cassidy through the table but it didn’t break. Rush then sent 10 through the table during the commercial break.
Newly crowned #AEW All-Atlantic Champion @orangecassidy makes his first title defense tonight!
When Rampage returned, Danhausen hit Jose the Assistant with a low blow. Rush leveled Cassidy and Danhausen to knock them out of the ring. Rush connected with an Exploder Suplex that launched Cassidy into the turnbuckle. Preston hit Rush with a series of Clotheslines and then a Spinebuster. Vance connected with a big Clothesline on Cassidy and went for the cover but Rush broke it up at two.
10 unloaded some chops in the corner of the ring but Rush shrugged them off. Rush started to rip away at Preston’s mask but turned around into an Orange Punch from the champion. Rush tumbled out of the ring as Cassidy rolled up Preston Vance for the pinfall victory. Orange Cassidy is still the All-Atlantic Champion. Rush pointed at Cassidy after the match as he posed with Danhausen in the ring.
Rampage went off the air with a message from Tony Khan to Brian Muster. He was AEW’s lead video engineer for the company and sadly passed away recently.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Logan Paul appeared during tonight’s show to address Roman Reigns ahead of their title match at WWE Crown Jewel. Bray Wyatt cut a promo and Damage CTRL defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships tonight as well.
SmackDown Results
Solo Sikoa def. Sheamus
Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville ended in a double count out
Damage CTRL def. Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
Rey Mysterio def. Ludwig Kaiser
Here are the takeaways from this week’s WWE SmackDown:
The Bloodline Brutally Attacked Sheamus
Sheamus battled Solo Sikoa tonight on SmackDown. The Bloodline (without Reigns & Heyman) and The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) were ringside for the match. Sheamus controlled the action early and connected with White Noise for a near fall.
Sikoa battled back and planted The Celtic Warrior with a Samoan Drop off the middle turnbuckle for a close near fall. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick but Sami distracted the official. The Brawling Brutes and The Usos then brawlwed outside the ring.
The Usos flipped the announce table onto The Brawling Brutes but turned around into a Flying Clothesline from Sheamus. Sami tripped Sheamus up once again and Sikoa capitalized with the Spinning Solo (Uranage) for the pinfall victory.
After the match, The Bloodline isolated Sheamus ringside and beat him down. Jey Uso bashed Sheamus several times with a steel chair until Zayn stopped him. It was announced that Sheamus suffered an injury during the attack. Sami and Solo will face Butch & Ridge Holland next week in a tag team match.
BREAKING: Due to the attack earlier tonight by #TheBloodline, @WWESheamus has a non-displaced fracture near his elbow and is still under observation. #SmackDown
Bray Wyatt cut a backstage promo with “Shatter” by Code Orange playing throughout the segment. Wyatt said he knows he has problems and gets chances that most people will not get. Bray claimed that he wanted fans to leave him the hell alone but he is glad that they didn’t because he needed out all of them to lift him up. Wyatt added that he is just a servant now and he goes where the circle take him.
WWE later dropped another QR code for Bray Wyatt and you can check that out here.
Liv Morgan battled Sonya Deville tonight and Sonya dominated the action early as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Liv lost it and bashed Sonya’s face off the steel steps over and over. She then slammed Sonya on the ring apron and the announce table. The match ended in a double count out but Liv wasn’t done. Morgan brought a bunch of steel chairs into the ring and connected with a Superplex on top of them. Morgan laughed like a maniac after the move.
Omos and Braun Strowman had a face-to-face on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Strowman called Omos out but MVP came to the ring alone. MVP said that Braun Strowman was always the biggest and the strongest until he found himself in the vicinity of the giant Omos.
MVP advised Braun to stay away from Omos because once the WWE Universe sees Strowman against Omos he will be exposed. Strowman said he didn’t want MVP’s advice and issued a challenge to Omos. MVP accepted the challenge for a match at WWE Crown Jewel and introduced Omos. The giant stood tall over Strowman and knocked Braun out of the ring to end the segment.
Karrion Kross Will Battle Drew McIntyre in a Steel Cage Match At WWE Crown Jewel
Drew McIntyre said he was called to WWE Headquarters last week after his attack on Karrion Kross in the parking lot. McIntyre announced that he will face Karrion Kross in a Steel Cage match at WWE Crown Jewel.
Dakota Kai & IYO SKY of Damage CTRL put the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Shotzi & Raquel Rodriguez tonight on WWE SmackDown. Shotzi and Raquel isolated Dakota in the ring to start off the match. Dakota tried to regroup on the outside but Raquel launched IYO on top of her. Shotzi climbed onto Raquel’s shoulders and hit a Crossbody onto Damage CTRL outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Raquel went for the cover but Kai kicked out at two. When SmackDown returned, Rodriguez unloaded some Clotheslines and planted IYO with a Fallaway Slam. Rodriguez delivered another one to Dakota and climbed to the middle turnbuckle.
IYO booted her down and hit an awesome Tornado DDT for a near fall. Damage CTRL isolated Shotzi in the ring and SKY hit her with a Moonsault for the pinfall victory. Damage CTRL are still the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey mocked the fans and said that she didn’t come back for them. Rousey added that she was going to have an Open Challenge tonight but will do it next week when she feels like it. Ronda ended the promo by saying that she’s going to get the hell out of Ohio.
"I didn't come back for them and I don't win for them."
Rey Mysterio battled Ludwig Kaiser of Imperium tonight on WWE SmackDown. . Rey will battle Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship in two weeks on SmackDown.
The action started off back and forth. Ludwig was in control following a commercial break but Mysterio battled back. Rey hit a Frankensteiner for a near fall.
The action spilled out of the ring and Rey paid tribute to Eddie Guerrero and pretended that Imperium hit him with a chair. The referee then ejected Imperium from the ringside area. Mysterio then took control and hit a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.
Logan Paul will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel on November 5th.
The 27-year-old cut a promo to end the show and got booed by the crowd. Logan mocked Roman Reigns for needing The Bloodline to do his bidding and poked fun at Sami Zayn’s appearance.
Logan wondered what would happen if he actually defeats Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel. Jey Uso attacked Logan Paul from behind, even though Sami claimed that Roman Reigns doesn’t want The Bloodline to go after Logan.
Jey hit Logan with a Superkick to the face and posed for the crowd. Uso followed it up with a Senton as the crowd booed. The Honorary Uce Sami Zayn showed up on the ring apron and said that The Tribal Chief doesn’t want this. Jey didn’t listen and Logan Paul decked Jey Uso with a right hand. Sami Zayn then stared at Logan in shock as he exited the ring.
Bray Wyatt made his shocking return to WWE at the conclusion of Extreme Rules. He arrived after Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match. The lights in the arena went out and an abandoned Firefly Fun House set was shown. The puppets then came to life in human form and a mysterious door appeared on the entrance ramp. Bray Wyatt opened the door and walked through as the WWE Universe went crazy.
WWE ran a teaser campaign leading up to the Premium Live Event. The company played the 1967 song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane randomly at live events and during commercial breaks. Several QR codes appeared that gave fans clues including a game of hangman. The question asked was “WHO KILLED THE WORLD?” and the answer was “YOU DID”.
Most fans figured that the QR codes were over now that Bray has returned to the company but another one appeared tonight on SmackDown. WWE was hyping up Logan Paul’s promo later tonight and a video for Bray appeared. The masked man said “never lie to the ones you love” in the video and you can check it out below.
A QR code appeared during the video and takes fans to another secret WWE website. This time the website has a psychiatric evaluation of Bray Wyatt. In the evaluation, Bray is stated to have “difficulty showing remorse or empathy”. It was also listed under “other” that Bray was “disregarding or violating the rights of others”. You can check out the full psychological evaluation of Bray Wyatt below.
AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa hasn’t appeared on television since before the All Out PPV.
Thunder Rosa announced in a backstage segment that she would be unable to compete at the PPV. Toni Storm went on to capture the Interim Women’s Championship and has recently taken a couple of shots at Rosa.
Toni recently spoke with Bleacher Report and said she’s the one here doing all the work and is getting tired of the “interim nonsense”. The 27-year-old debuted with All Elite Wrestling in March. Thunder Rosa defeated Britt Baker in a Steel Cage match at Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam to capture the title.
I guess my first thing would be to beat Thunder Rosa and stop this interim nonsense,” she said. “That’s kind of what’s been bothering me. I think that’s been bothering a lot of people because she’s still calling herself the AEW women’s world champion and I’m the one here every week doing the work.
AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa Responds to Toni Storm
Thunder Rosa recently responded to Toni’s comments during an appearance on Busted Open Radio. She told Toni to go complain to the booker (AEW President Tony Khan) if she has an issue. The 36-year-old added that she hopes to return to All Elite Wrestling in January. Rosa suggested that the AEW Interim Women’s Champion check out her updates on her YouTube page as well.
They haven’t given me a time yet when I’m coming back. I’m saying it’s January, and I hope it is January.
Again, if Toni Storm disagrees with what’s decided in the back, that’s not my problem. That is not my problem, Toni.
If you have something to ask, you can go on my YouTube and watch my YouTube videos I have posted every time I’m in a doctor’s office, showing you and explaining what’s going on with me.
News broke earlier this week that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque had tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he missed Monday Night Raw and NXT the following night.
WWE will present a live episode of SmackDown tonight, and fans have been wondering whether “The Game” will be back in time to run tonight’s show. PWinsider.com reports that Triple H “remains in WWE’s COVID-19 protocol” and will therefore be unable to be present at the show.
Health Update
(BT Sport)
Just like at Raw, Triple H continues to be in close contact with those helping creative in his absence.
Triple H is said to be feeling fine and is simply doing what’s required before he can return in person. The hope is that he will be able to come back to television next week, but that will depend on the test results. This would also mean that he will miss Saturday’s NXT Halloween Havoc special on Peacock.
This week’s SmackDown from Toledo, Ohio, will feature an appearance by Logan Paul as WWE continues to build to his Undisputed Universal Championship matchup with Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month.
Chris Jericho isn’t going anywhere, as the former AEW World Champion signed a new deal with All Elite Wrestling this week. That new deal will see him be under contract with the promotion through December 2025. It also will see Jericho take on additional responsibilities as a producer and creative advisor.
Jericho originally signed with AEW in January 2019, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with a two-year option reportedly for $3 million per year before AEW ever had a television deal.
Many, including Jericho, didn’t think he would work for another promotion besides WWE in America after two stints from 1999 until 2018.
WWE Interested in Jericho
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that there was an expectation within WWE that Jericho would go back after his initial deal with AEW expired. Those in WWE believed Jericho would have one final run in WWE and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the end to cap off a great career.
Jericho maintained a good relationship with former WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon over the years. The Painmaker told his former boss about the offer from AEW in 2019.
The new deal with AEW will keep him under contract until he’s 55 years old, which may make Jericho’s chances of one more WWE run appear slim. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Jericho received a raise that made his new deal “the biggest contract of his life.”
CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Championship in the main event of AEW All Out on September 5th.
He suffered a torn tricep during the match and is out of action while he recovers from surgery. Following the PPV, All Elite Wrestling held a media scrum and led off with the newly crowned AEW World Champion.
CM Punk went on a rant for the ages while AEW President Tony Khan was seated right next to him. Punk claimed that the company’s EVPs weren’t capable of running a Target, let alone a wrestling company.
After his rant, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks confronted CM Punk backstage and a brawl broke out. Ace Steel has been released from the company, CM Punk and The Elite were stripped of their titles and have not appeared on TV since All Out.
Will CM Punk Return to WWE?
(AEW)
It was reported earlier today by the Wrestling Observer that CM Punk is not likely to return to AEW and the company is working on a buyout for the former champion A non-compete clause appears to be the hold-up at the moment.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, sources within WWE believe that CM Punk would not have been brought back to the company with Vince McMahon at the helm, but that may not be the case with Triple H. A source told Fightful that Triple H wants to create compelling TV “more than anything” but can’t see WWE bringing CM Punk back on a full-time deal like he had in All Elite Wrestling.
However, if the money, creative and situation is right, Triple H’s regime can leave the door open for anything. It was also noted that Punk may not need to wrestle again if his contract gets bought out.
The report echoed previous sentiments that many within All Elite Wrestling do not want CM Punk back unless he makes serious amends for how he made the company look following All Out.
Matt Hardy recently celebrated 30 years in the pro wrestling business. While enjoying a career resurgence with his “Broken Matt” character that led him back to WWE briefly, he joined AEW.
He debuted during the “No Fans Era” with the Damascus character. It was one that struggled without live fans. Hardy’s heel character from IMPACT, “Big Money Matt”, came to AEW. He charged a “wee fee” for his services with Private Party, Butcher, Blade, and Bunny. His clients formed Hardy Family Offices (HFO) before merging with Andrade El Idolo to become AHFO. Private Party eventually turned on him.
For a few months, Jeff Hardy joined him in AEW. The pair teamed up for tag and trios matches. Their biggest match was the “Modern Dream Match” against the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing. Unfortunately, Jeff was arrested for a DUI a few weeks later.
Recently, Hardy has made amends with Private Party. There is the possibility that Hardy Party will make a run at Trios gold. Isiah Kassidy lost his match last week and per the stipulation, LFI now owns the contracts of the Hardy Party.
Matt Hardy discusses retirement
In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, he did a Q&A episode. He was asked when he retires, which company does he want to retire with.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I can see myself retiring with AEW. I love being here. I love the family feel that it has. And I just love the lack of horseshit and bullshit, it’s pretty much straight-forward. And Tony is really good at working with people and remembering they’re human beings, especially families, and allowing them to take time off and address issues there may be. He’s great with that and works around people’s schedules and whatnot. I love AEW. I’m very cool spending the rest of my career at AEW.”
“With that being said, I love WWE as well. I think it’s a big positive at HHH has taken over and has been in charge. I would imagine that it’s going to continue to change as it evolves over the next few years with him at the helm.”
He goes on to say that Michael “P.S.” Hayes has to be the one to induct the Hardy Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame when the time comes.
Despite having what was advertised as his retirement match, Ric Flair is still not closing the door on the idea of stepping back into the ring for one more match.
This past July, Flair partnered up with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo and faced Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in the main event of “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that Jim Crockett Promotions and Conrad Thompson presented.
During the match, Flair took some scary bumps and bled throughout it, which was something that he promised to do heading into the bout. Flair managed to finish without any serious injury.
Since then, Flair has teased getting back into the ring and regretting saying it would be his last match.
Ric Flair Not Ruling It Out
(via WWE)
While speaking to TMZ Sports, Flair was asked about returning to pro wrestling again and he made it clear that he does not rule out competing again.
“I don’t know,” Flair told us out in LA this week. “I’ve already promised [I was done] once. Right now, I’m not doing anything. But, never say never.”
The WWE Hall Of Famer responded to the recent comments made by Joe Rogan regarding his Figure Four Leglock submission finisher.
Ric Flair has responded to the recent comments made by popular podcaster and standup comedian Joe Rogan regarding his Figure Four Leglock submission finisher and threw out a challenge to him.
On a recent episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. The UFC commentator referred to the legendary move as “dumb” because the technique of the move doesn’t make sense when applied to real-life fighting.
Flair Fires Back
On Friday, in a post on Twitter, the legendary pro wrestler responded to Rogan and called for an appearance on his podcast so he could put him in the submission hold that helped him win many of his 16 world titles.
“@joerogan, You’re Getting A Lot Of Attention For Calling Me Out! The Only Way To Resolve This Is To Have Me On The Show. I’ll Put You In The Figure Four Leg Lock & We’ll See If You Can Take It! LFG! WOOOOO!”
Flair wrestled his final match at the “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that Jim Crockett Promotions and Conrad Thompson presented.
He teamed up with his son-in-law and AEW star Andrade El Idolo to beat Jeff Jarrett and AEW wrestler Jay Lethal in a tag team match.
A member of WWE’s roster could join the likes of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Booker T as King of the Ring next year.
The King of the Ring tournament began in 1985 with Don Muraco becoming the first King, with the first televised event seeing Bret Hart claim the crown in 1993.
WWE’s most recent King is Xavier Woods, who defeated Finn Balor at Crown Jewel 2021.
Good to be the King
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is considering bringing back the iconic tournament in 2023.
Rather than in recent years, when only the finals would be on a Premium Live Event, the reported plan is for there to be an official King of the Ring event.
WWE canceled the KOTR Pay-Per-View after 2002’s event reportedly due to drawing weak numbers.
Nowadays, Pay-Per-View buys are no longer the metric WWE uses to gauge a show’s success, as money is guaranteed by Peacock, allowing for more unique shows.
A Throne Fit for a Queen
In the report, it is also noted that WWE is looking to bring in a Queen of the Ring tournament as well.
In 2021, WWE held its first ‘Queen’s Crown Tournament,’ but avoided using the term ‘Queen of the Ring.’
At Crown Jewel that year, Zelina Vega, who’d returned to WWE months prior, defeated Doudrop to become the first Queen.
Vega defeated current AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm in the quarter-finals and future tag-team partner Carmella in the semis to advance.
Renee Paquette is widely regarded as one of the most likeable non-wrestling personalities in the world of professional wrestling. She made headlines when she debuted for AEW in October, making good on longstanding rumors she may one day join her real life husband Jon Moxley as well as a host of friends from her WWE days on this stage.
Paquette talked over what led to her decision and what it was like to make her first appearance on an episode of her podcast immediately after her debut. Amidst the conversation, Mean Gene Okerlund came up, and she briefly joked about starting her own hotline in the tradition of what the broadcaster did first for WWE, then for WCW back in the 1990s. Whether it was intended purely as a joke or not, the idea has potential.
Renee Paquette Tends To Get Compared Gene Okerlund
No one would ever mistake Renee Paquette for Gene Okerlund based on their physical appearances. However, the two have drawn a high number of comparisons based on the respective roles they’ve played in the wrestling industry, primarily working as backstage interviewers and hosts, in additional to forays into the commentary booth. Most specifically, there’s a relatively frequent assessment that Paquette is “the best backstage interviewer since Mean Gene.”
Paquette, to her credit, doesn’t shy away from the comparison or dispute her standing, but rather expressed in the podcast that she was flattered to be mentioned in the same breath as Okerlund. She even went so far as to reference that the two were able to work together on some projects for WWE, and that she enjoyed grabbing a bite to eat with him after work, describing him as a class act.
An Actual Mean Gene-Style Hotline Could Be a Great Nostalgia Play In The Short Term
Mean Gene Okerlund famously facilitated a hotline first for WWE, then for WCW. The gist was that he would tease major news or rumors on TV, inviting the viewer to call a 1-900 number that charged an initial fee, plus extra money for every minute the caller stayed on the line. Typically, there was a conscious design to keep the customer listening for a while to get more money out of them.
As Eric Bischoff has discussed on his 83 Weeks podcast, it was Okerlund, personally, who brought this business over to WCW, suggesting it as a revenue stream he knew well and could facilitate.
The idea of a hotline itself is pretty outdated in 2022. Just the same, AEW could bring back this concept—be it following the traditional model on the phone as more of a novelty Internet or app-based utility. The nostalgia-factor alone would probably draw some old school fans to call Renee for an inside scoop—throwing few dollars or a download at it for their entertainment.
AEW Could Switch From A Hotline To Something More Modern For Renee Paquette
While Renee Paquette running a fee-based hotline might be able to create some revenue and good will in the short term, the idea probably wouldn’t have much of a shelf life. The Internet and social media are so robust in their coverage of wrestling news and rumors nowadays that it’s hard to image many fans calling an old school hotline nowadays more than a handful of times.
Either after or instead of the hotline model, though, AEW might use similar branding for a more modernized take on the concept. Perhaps it would be a news source with a paywall like Fightful Select or the way The Wrestling Observer offers some of its content. AEW would, after all, have unique access to share news on this kind of platform about upcoming events or matchups, or taking control of news reporting about backstage happenings.
Paquette has already established herself as a highly skilled interviewer via not only her on-air wrestling efforts, but her podcast. Offering conversations, for example, with Tony Khan himself or other major figures from AEW could offer an additional incentive for fans to pay a modest fee to listen.
While wrestling fans by and large enjoy free content, it only seems fair for a promotion to take advantage where there’s a potential revenue stream the fans might clamor for. Renee Paquette is that rare figure in wrestling hardly any fans have anything negative to say about, and no one could blame AEW for cashing in with some variation of a hotline concept, taking advantage of Paquette’s personality and Mean Gene Okerlund nostalgia.
WWE may be looking for talent outside of their own company to follow the buzzards into Bray Wyatt’s rumored stable.
Wyatt returned to WWE at Extreme Rules 2022, 15 months after his controversial release under the previous regime.
At the time it was reported that Wyatt’s contract, estimated to be $3 million per year, and creative differences with then-CEO Vince McMahon, led to his release.
New Members
During his Extreme Rules return, characters from the Firefly Fun House appeared, portrayed by real people.
This has led to speculation of a stable, which has been dubbed by fans the ‘Wyatt-6,’ a nod to his Twitter handle ‘@Windham6.’
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that former Ring of Honor talent Vincent and Dutch have been considered to play two of the Wyatt characters.
Vincent, a record-setting four-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Champion, was with the promotion from 2012 to 2019.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 336lbs, Dutch is an imposing figure, and also a former ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion.
Both men were backstage during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Other Members
Vincent and Dutch may soon be part of the Wyatt-6 but other names have been rumored.
After being in a ‘dark place’ following her SmackDown Women’s Championship loss at Extreme Rules, Liv Morgan has been rumored to join.
Alexa Bliss is also rumored to join, playing into her past with Wyatt.
Bo Dallas is reported to be returning to WWE, and many expect him to align with his brother.
It is believed that Grayson Waller portrayed Mercy the Buzzard at Extreme Rules, while Joe Gacy has also teased involvement.
WWE did not offer any money and AEW did not request any money for the WWE Hall of Famer to appear.
Instead, Tony Khan requested that WWE make reference to AEW on the show, similar to acknowledging Impact Wrestling during Mickie James’ return in January this year.
James appeared in the WWE Women’s Royal Rumble despite being with Impact and the promotion’s Knockouts World Champion at the time.
After agreeing and disagreeing on whether to have Gunn appear, the Newsletter reports that a “last-minute” call was made for Gunn not to appear.
Gunn did not appear but Corey Graves referenced a DX member who now works in office supplies.
Graves’ reference was a nod to Gunn who has been scissoring with AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed this year.
Payback?
Billy Gunn didn’t appear for WWE during the DX reunion, but he has made a WWE appearance while with AEW.
In 2019, Gunn, mere months into his role as an AEW coach, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of DX.
During the event, Gunn joked that he couldn’t be fired from WWE, and Triple H responded that then-CEO Vince McMahon could buy the “p*ss-ant” AEW.
In the report, Dave Meltzer writes that he is surprised that WWE and AEW had any discussions about bringing Gunn in, given the frosty relationship between the two companies at this time.
