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.
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.
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.
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.
CM Punk’s days with AEW are seemingly coming to an end as the promotion is against the idea of bringing him back.
Punk, who debuted for AEW last year after a seven-year hiatus from wrestling, was suspended after the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight. The Chicago-Made wrestler was also stripped of the AEW World Championship and is believed to have thrown the first punch.
After All Out 2022, AEW President Tony Khan approved a third-party investigation into the fight and any possible legal ramifications.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that AEW are in talks to buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract for an undisclosed sum. Dave Meltzer writes that this suggests that Khan and other higher-ups do not intend to bring Punk back to TV.
Sentiment within AEW is said to be very anti-Punk, and sympathetic to Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW
A WWE Return?
If Punk is fired from AEW, then a return to WWE is possible, despite leaving on bad terms in January 2014.
Meltzer reports that there is an issue with the non-compete clause in Punk’s contract and AEW fear Punk joining WWE, likely the only promotion that can afford him.
WWE has been very negative about Punk in the past and did not sign the former World Champion when FOX pushed them to strike a deal.The belief is that signing Punk, even while he’s injured and won’t be able to wrestle for several months, would be a major coup for WWE.
Punk has been heavily critical of WWE and has not had any direct contact with the promotion. However, he is said to be good friends with Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman, both WWE employees. Neither Punk nor AEW responded to a request for comment.
Karl Anderson’s decision to choose WWE Crown Jewel 2022 over NJPW Battle Autumn has infuriated NJPW President Takami Ohbari.
Anderson, the reigning NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, returned to WWE earlier this month alongside Luke Gallows.
The duo will team up with AJ Styles to face the Judgment Day at Crown Jewel on November 5.
Double Booking
After his return to WWE, it was reported that Anderson was still booked for Battle Autumn, where he was set to defend against Hikuleo.
In an updated card, published after the Good Brothers returned to Raw, the match was still on the schedule, with many believing NJPW and WWE had reached a deal.
After his match at Crown Jewel was announced, Anderson took to Twitter, where he and Gallows said they will not be competing at Battle Autumn.
The show is also scheduled for November 5 and is will take place in Osaka, Japan, over 5,200 miles away from Crown Jewel’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Furious
Anderson and by proxy, Gallows, are off the Battle Autumn card, which hasn’t gone down well with New Japan’s higher ups.
In a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, company President Takami Ohbari stated that he was “furious,” but declined to comment further on the matter.
The report also noted that in early 2006, Brock Lesnar was forced to pull out a NJPW event, though in his case it was due to Visa issues.
Anderson’s decision to skip Battle Autum in favor of WWE Crown Jewel is the first instance of a “foreign fighter blatantly refusing to participate” at a pre-advertised show.
Bill Goldberg’s rise to the top of WWE after joining in 2003 was incredibly quick, but that wasn’t exactly what the promotion wanted.
After WCW folded in March 2001, Goldberg, one of the company’s few home-grown stars, would join WWE in March 2003.
Goldberg would interrupt The Rock, fresh off his WrestleMania XIX win over ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, culminating in a match at Backlash which Goldberg would win.
Not World Champion
In September 2003, Goldberg captured the World Heavyweight Championship, ending Triple H’s nine-month reign.
The match at Unforgiven saw Goldberg put his career on the line, and the title would change hands if Triple H was disqualified or counted out.
“I think at WCW I was the world champion for a while. WWE, I don’t think they ever wanted me to be the champion for more than like 10 minutes. Although I’m still in a contract, sorry guys.”
After retaining at that year’s Survivor Series against Triple H, Goldberg lost the title back to the Game at Armageddon, in a match that included Kane.
Goldberg Today
Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016, and has had two brief reigns as Universal Champion.
In 2017, Goldberg flattened Kevin Owens, before losing the title to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33.
In 2020, Goldberg defeated ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in a controversial title-change many criticised WWE over.
Like before, Goldberg’s reign would be short-lived as he’d lose the title at WrestleMania 36 to Braun Strowman, who replaced Roman Reigns.
On “The Business of the Business” podcast, GCW’s Brett Lauderdale, talks about a variety of topics from the situation between his promotion and AEW, what happened with Jon Moxley, and if he will return to the company.
GCW Fight Club took place in Atlantic City the weekend of October 8 and 9. Due to a change in some of the management and confusion over the calendar, the venue was double booked for the Saturday show. To make matters worse, Lauderdale wasn’t informed until it was too late to move the event to another date. This forced them to move the show outside on the pier.
399 days after beating Matt Cardona for the GCW World Championship, Jon Moxley dropped the title to Nick Gage in a Title vs. Career match. Mox was ambushed by Morrissey from The Firm and they cost him the title.
“One thing about Mox’s run– you know there’s people that wished he was at every show– but we have to be realistic here, this guy is one of the top stars of a weekly wrestling company and he’s not going to be able to make every show, he has commitments– real life and professional commitments that extend beyond GCW.
As I saw it, I loved having him as champion this entire time because it made it seem extra special every time he would come and every time he would have a match, put the title on the line. For me, it seemed like a bigger deal than had he been there every week or every show or once a month.”
Jon Moxley’s importance
Jon Moxley
“It was significant having him, for obvious reasons. He’s one of the biggest stars in the world. So to see him wearing our title belt, wearing GCW sweatshirts on TV, and doing crazy matches for us when he doesn’t have to do them, that’s obviously a big deal for GCW. It opens eyes, it takes us beyond the indie wrestling bubble and introduces new fans to us that we never would have known what GCW is.
And furthermore, when other AEW wrestlers or just top name, international talent, or even just top indie wrestlers, when they see Moxley willing to come do GCW, knowing that the guy doesn’t need the money — it’s not about a payday –when they see he does it because he wants to be there, obviously, it helps GCW’s credibility and helps our reputation amongst wrestlers and inside the business. Mox again, his contributions to GCW also extended beyond the ring.”
Lauderdale had no idea about Moxley’s new deal with AEW. He’s also had very little interaction with AEW directly over the years. “Booking Moxley, I never spoke to AEW. It was always just Mox and talking to him and him handling whatever needed to with AEW. But, yeah, I’m sure things are going to change now. I don’t think we’ll see him as frequently. But I do think we’ll see him again. I think if there comes a time when there’s somebody he wants to wrestle or show he wants to be a part of, I think he’ll be there. I think he’ll let me know, much the same way he’s let me know over the last 399 days. He’ll shoot me a text and say, ‘whattya coming up in this month or when are you going to be in this place?’ and that’s how it would often come together.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear from him again in a few months or six months or whatever. Sometime in the next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back again and stops in for another event. Again, he does have priorities and I don’t expect it, rather — I don’t know what the word is — I wouldn’t be surprised and I’ll continue to look at it as a bonus anytime he comes around.”
“He’s not doing it for the money. He does not need the money from indie wrestling companies. And I can’t pay him the amount of money, I can’t pay him close to what he probably gets paid on a weekly basis from AEW; nor would he ever expect that or ask for that. He’s just here because there’s a side of him that still loves indie wrestling. That’s where he came from and its part of his personality.
I think there’s a reason why he’s done so many shows for us and why he was cool with being our champion for over a year. That’s because I think he respects us and what we do and what we stand for. Again, Mox is a guy–even with his new contract — he is still a guy that calls a lot of his own shots and if he were ever to ask for a favor or permission for something, I can’t see Tony Khan saying ‘no’ forever. There’s always a time and a place and a reason that could make sense, so we’ll see.”
GCW’s relationship with AEW
(Photo: Jay Lee Photography)
When asked what his relationship is with AEW, Lauderdale replies, “to be honest, I don’t know what our relationship is with GCW. And I don’t mean that in a bad way or a good way. But again, I have very little interaction with AEW. So, I don’t know. In terms of AEW people being banned or barred from wrestling for GCW, I’m not sure that such an edicts exists and I would think that if that was a rule, I think I would know. But again, they don’t send me a weekly email or an update. So, I’m not sure. Everything is on a case-by-case basis. So, we’ll see. I think that we’re very fortunate and very grateful for all the times they have been gracious to allow their talent to come and work for us. Even if it is the end, even if we aren’t going to be seeing any of their people around anymore, it’s been good while it’s lasted. It’s helped our company a lot and I’m thankful, I’m grateful for that.”
Lauderdale said he’s read some “outrageous” comments about Mox, AEW, and GCW from people that think they know what happened. “The literal beginning of Mox in GCW is just him texting me at two in the morning or whatever, asking if we have show in this place or this date anytime soon and him just saying, ‘okay, cool. I’ll come do this or that. Like that’s literally the end of it. There is no talking to talent relations. There is no talking to Tony Khan. There is no talking to an agent. There is no this or that, its Moxley shows up and he wrestles the match and then goes home. That’s what it comes down to. There is not much more to it. There’s no seeking permission or getting rules or guidelines, it’s just that simple.”
Listen to Brett Lauderdale’s appearance on The Business of the Business, the official business podcast of SEScoops:
Darby Allin was one of the first unknown names that AEW helped bring the spotlight on during the company’s initial days. Only 26 years old at the time of his signing, Darby’s daredevil style of wrestling instantly attracted people and made him a star. Though despite his early success, the former TNT champion had his own struggles before being signed. Just like he does in the ring, he also made some crazy decisions in his life to improve his chance of success. This includes going homeless for a few years.
The AEW star was the most recent guest of Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast. During the interview, he recalled the time he went homeless during his early days of wrestling. The high-flying star explained that he wanted to give it his all:
“Yeah, that’s when I moved from Seattle to Atlanta. Because Seattle was the black hole of wrestling. There was no shows at the time. This was before Defy and everything, you couldn’t wrestle in the state. The commission wouldn’t let you have pro wrestling shows in the state. So we’d always have to go to Vancouver, Canada, or Oregon or something like that. I was like ‘I gotta do something. I gotta get out of here.’
I just didn’t have a comfort zone. I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I really want this to work out,’ But they don’t put everything into it. I wanted to look at myself in the mirror and be like, ‘Yo, you dedicated everything in this so you have no fucking excuse if you don’t make it.'”
‘Why The Hell Does It Smell Like Salmon?’: Darby Allin
Darby Allin later detailed the struggles he had to go through during his homeless days. He recalled living in his car and cooking food in the bathroom of a gym:
“When you don’t have the comfortability to sit down on the couch and be lazy and watch episodes of whatever. When you’re living in your car. Especially in Georgia, it was so hot in the summer. I would have to have like a strict bedtime so I got decent sleep before. Then I parked in this hotel parking garage.
It was connected to an Anytime Fitness and I got the Anytime fitness membership. Then I was just like, cooking all my food there at the George Foreman grill in the bathroom at like one in the morning. There would always [be] like one random guy that’s in there like ‘Why the hell does it smell like salmon in this fucking gym?’ Then I’d walk out like I didn’t know what he’s talking about. But it was fun.”
MJF has taken the professional wrestling world by storm and he’s just getting started. Maxwell became wildly popular after his “pipebomb” promo about AEW President Tony Khan on the Dynamite after Double or Nothing.
He had skipped an autograph signing leading up to the PPV and there were rumors he was going to no-show the PPV. Friedman ultimately did show up and got squashed by Wardlow. However, it was MJF that emerged as the bigger star following the PPV.
Here are 3 reasons MJF is already a generational talent:
The Mic Skills
MJF has a skill that most of today’s wrestlers do not possess, he can captivate an audience with his words.
Maxwell doesn’t just hold the audience’s attention when he speaks, he has them hanging on every word. He’s an old-school heel that will say whatever it takes to get his opponent off their game. MJF is also old-school in regard to his interviews. He rarely breaks character and is the same on Dynamite as he is on a podcast.
The rivalry between former AEW World Champion CM Punk and MJF culminated in a Dog Collar match at AEW Revolution. Punk emerged victorious in the match to even the record up at 1-1. Time will tell if we ever get to see the third match in the series.
MJF has made the claim that his feud with CM Punk will go down as one of the best of all time. Their promo at Dynamite: Thanksgiving in 2021 alone makes their rivalry a memorable one.
The Character
It is easy to dismiss MJF as a jerk or just another heel, but you aren’t paying attention if you do so. Friedman has referenced being bullied in the past for being Jewish, as well as hinting that he’s not the biggest fan of himself recently.
AEW Dynamite had a special Tuesday night edition of Dynamite this week. During the show, Tony Schiavone was set to interview Blackpool Combat Club’s William Regal. MJF quickly interrupted and brought up an email Regal sent him 7-years ago.
Max had tried out for WWE and Regal told him that he was too young, but to email updates on his work. Regal apparently scolded MJF in one of the emails and Max resented it. William mocked the 26-year-old, called him sunshine, and claimed that he’s had it easy in his career if he’s hung up on an email.
Following Hangman Page’s injury, MJF and Jon Moxley had an impromptu promo while William Regal was ringside. MJF announced that he will be cashing in his chip for a shot at the AEW World Championship at Full Gear. He added “for once in my miserable life, I’m going to earn it” as Regal grinned.
Thus, he’s not a complete vile character. There is a kernel of dignity somewhere within MJF’s character that fans get to see from time to time.
The Future
MJF may just have the brightest future of anybody in wrestling.
There was a brief moment when Austin Theory appeared to be on his way to the top of the industry, but the 25-year-old seemingly hasn’t won a match since capturing the Money in the Bank contract.
At 26, the future is incredibly bright for Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He’s established himself as an attraction, meaning he doesn’t get inside the squared circle often. However, whenever MJF does get in the ring he proves that he is one of the best wrestlers on the planet as well.
It is must-watch television when MJF delivers a promo. When MJF wrestles a match, it is must-watch television because you don’t get to see it often and you know it is going to be worth your time.
MJF’s epic rant at The Forum in Los Angeles following Double or Nothing, and his subsequent absence from AEW TV, has made him a massive star in the wrestling industry. It was a promo that only a qualified oratory exhibitionist like MJF could deliver. The following months without him only proved how much AEW needed him.
His return at AEW All Out was overshadowed by CM Punk’s rant and the brawl at the media scrum after the PPV. However, Max has gotten fans to talk about him and less about the controversy since All Out.
It sure looks like MJF will be capturing the AEW World Championship at Full Gear on November 19th. He will also likely be heading into the bidding war of 2024 as one of the biggest free agents the industry has ever seen. MJF is Salt of the Earth, better than you and you know it, and has set himself up to become a legend in the years to come.
5 Reasons MJF Should Win The AEW World Championship
Popular YouTuber, boxer, podcaster, and WWE Superstar Logan Paul is scheduled to battle Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5th.
The Tribal Chief will put the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line against Logan at the Premium Live Event. Roman Reigns has held the title for 778 days now and the 27-year-old will look to put an end to his title reign in a couple of weeks.
Logan Paul and The Bloodline held a press conference in Las Vegas last month to make the match official.
Roman Reigns Reacts to Logan Paul Training with Shawn Michaels
Logan Paul has only competed in two matches during his young WWE career. He teamed up with The Miz at WrestleMania 38 to battle Dominik and Rey Mysterio. The A-Lister and Logan picked up the victory but The Miz betrayed him after the match.
The Miz planted Logan with a Skull Crushing Finale at WrestleMania as the crowd cheered. Logan got his revenge a couple of months later at WWE SummerSlam. Logan defeated The Miz in a singles match and impressed the WWE Universe with his skills in the squared circle.
He is in for the match of his life at Crown Jewel against The Tribal Chief but appears to be taking the necessary steps in order to give himself a fighting chance. Logan took to Twitter today to share a photo of him training with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. The 27-year-old is in mid-flip in the photo seen below.
Ring of Honor will hold its next PPV event on December 10th. ROH Final Battle will live from the University of Texas at Arlington with a start time of 4 PM ET.
The Wednesday night wars were revisited this week, only this time it was on a Tuesday. AEW Dynamite aired on Tuesday night this week due to postseason baseball. Dynamite drew a larger audience and a bigger number in the key demographic in this week’s ratings war.
AEW President Tony Khan also spoke with Sports Illustrated recently and said that there will be “great news” soon about a weekly ROH TV show after the PPV.
We’ll have great news soon about Ring of Honor weekly shows,” Khan says. “The success of Death Before Dishonor on pay-per-view has ensured there will be more Ring of Honor pay-per-views.
Our goal is to have one more great pay-per-view for Ring of Honor in 2022 and then follow that up with a weekly show in 2023.
Tony Khan on the future of ROH via Sports Illustrated
WWE Planning Show The Same Day As ROH Final Battle
WWE reportedly is planning an event on the same day as ROH Final Battle. The company employed a similar strategy against AEW All Out weekend, with Clash at the Castle and an NXT event happening the same weekend.
In a new report from Fightful Select, NXT talent were informed that December 10th is the date internally scheduled for the next WWE NXT Premium Live Event.
The show is rumored to be related to the “Deadline” trademark recently filed by WWE but that has not been confirmed.
While the shows will be on the same day, the companies will not be going head-to-head. ROH Final Battle is scheduled to air in the afternoon, while the unnamed NXT event will be at night.
Fightful’s report also notes that the NXT PLE will likely be held in the Performance Center and is expected to be announced at the Halloween Havoc event this Saturday.
WWE NXT’s Arianna Grace has provided an injury update after getting surgery to repair a knee injury.
Gace first revealed on October 13th that she suffered the injury that needed surgery with the following message on Twitter:
“Hey you guys!!!! Sadly, I’m injured and will have surgery next week. I’m going to do all I can to recover properly and come back stronger so I can get back to doing what I love, performing for all of YOU! I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”
Gace later thanked fans and fellow wrestlers for their support and well wishes following her announcement.
Arianna Grace’s Road to Recovery
WWE
Grace later revealed on TikTok that she had surgery due to a torn ACL and meniscus in her knee. In another TikTok video, she noted that she would miss in-ring action for nine months. “The Iron Princess” announced today that she underwent successful surgery this past Tuesday.
“Hey guys, surgery went well. Now is the hard part. Really difficult to move or even use my crutches without excruciating pain. Hoping it gets better soon,” Grace wrote via Twitter.
Gace had a WWE tryout last December and signed with the company to start training at the Performance Center earlier this year. She worked the inaugural NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament but fell short to Nikkita Lyons in the opening round. Her last match happened at the October 4 NXT Level Up taping, where she teamed with Kiana James against Fallon Henley & Sol Ruca.
