The Royal Rumble is just weeks away. On Monday’s WWE Raw, Becky Lynch’s opponent was determined and we also learned about more entrants to the Men’s Rumble match.
Doudrop will challenge Big Time Becks for the Raw Women’s Championship at the Rumble. She won a triple threat match on Raw to earn the championship opportunity.
Lynch cost Belair the pinfall on Morgan before the champ tossed Bianca over the announce table. Doudrop hit a splash in the corner for the win. Lynch recently retained the title over Morgan on an episode of Raw and then again at the Day 1 PPV.
Also, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, and Big E were added to the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri.
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
Men’s Royal Rumble Match: competitors announced thus far – Johnny Knoxville, Dominik Mysterio, Rey Mysterio, Austin Theory, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, Sheamus, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, Big E,
Women’s Royal Rumble Match: competitors announced thus far – Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, Lita, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H, Shotzi, Natalya, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Tamina, Aliyah, Naomi, Shayna Baszler
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz and Maryse – Mixed Tag Team Match
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
The Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) are the new Raw Tag Team Champions as they beat RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) on Monday’s episode of Raw.
The finish saw Orton dodging a charge from Gable, who in the process was able to tag in Otis. This led to Gable blocking an RKO attempt and shoved Orton into Otis, who then pinned Orton with a forward slam.
Orton and Riddle won the titles from AJ Styles and Omos at SummerSlam back in August. They successfully defended the titles at Day 1 back on January 1, defeating The Street Profits. Their reign lasted for over 140 days
Last week on Raw, Alpha Academy defeated RK-Bro in a non-title match. In that match to earn this title match opportunity. The finish of that bout saw Otis pin Riddle after Riddle had attempted an RKO.
The story heading into the title change was Orton telling Riddle to tag him in when he was in trouble. He even went as far as writing it on Riddle’s hands in the gorilla position right before they went out for the match.
The forbidden door has flown off its hinges with the recent news of a WWE and IMPACT Wrestling crossover.
In the anticipation of the annual Royal Rumble event, WWE revealed some of the entrants in this years Women’s Royal Rumble match, including seven legends. Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool and Lita all make their exciting returns to the match on January 29th. In addition, Summer Rae returns to WWE for the first time since 2016. Most notably though, former WWE superstar and current IMPACT Knockouts World Champion, Mickie James, was amongst the announced entrants into the Royal Rumble.
Since her release from WWE last April, James has once again risen in the ranks of professional wrestling. Leading the charge in producing NWA’s first ever all-women’s pay-per-view Empowerrr, Mickie James has simultaneously catapulted her stock over the course of the last six months. After engaging in a high intensity feud with “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo, James re-captured the Knockouts Championship at IMPACT’s Bound For Glory in October. This marked the beginning of James’ fourth Knockouts Championship reign.
Since then, she’s defeated the likes of Madison Rayne, Mercedes Martinez, and Kiera Hogan, and remains undefeated in singles competiton since August. Most recently, James rekindled her spark with rival Deonna Purrazzo in a heated Texas Death Match, in which Purrazzo invoked her rematch clause for the Knockouts Championship. Mickie James would go on to once again defeat “The Virtuosa” at IMPACT’s Hard To Kill event, guaranteeing herself to walk into the WWE Royal Rumble as the Knockouts World Champion.
The addition of Mickie James to the Royal Rumble has sparked intriguing conversations as to what James’ exact role will be in the match. With the shocking addition of Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair as well, the wrestling community, and Mickie James herself, have seemingly started the campaign for these two decorated champions to finally meet one-on-one.
During Mickie James’ second run in WWE (2016-2021), “The Queen” and herself nearly evaded any interaction in a ring together. The two fierce competitors found themselves on separate brands, until the Superstar Shakeup of 2019. There, Flair and James were both assigned to Smackdown. Charlotte would assume a feud with her WrestleMania rival Becky Lynch, reclaiming the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank. The same night, Flair fell victim to a successful Money in the Bank cash-in from Bayley.
Meanwhile, Mickie James was kept off screen. She would return to live events in late May of 2019, facing off against a former Smackdown Women’s Champion, Carmella. However, her return to a WWE ring would be short lived, as she sustained an ACL injury while on the live event tour. Surgery would then keep James out of action for over a year, before she made her eventual on-screen return in August of 2020.
James would begin a short series of matches against the likes of Natalya, Zelina Vega, and Asuka on Monday Night RAW before suffering from a broken nose, and disappearing from television. Mickie James would then reemerge in the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, which ended up being her last match in WWE.
Entering the fray at #19, James joined the match with the likes of Bianca Belair, Naomi, and…Charlotte Flair (who entered at #15).
After James knocked down her opponents, she stood tall to be met eye-to-eye by Charlotte Flair. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time, baby,” she exclaimed to Flair, before the two engaged in a series of strikes. Flair would contribute a series of chops before the two respected competitors moved to the corner turnbuckle. James would retort with a slap before landing a hurricanrana on “The Queen”, sending her flying across the ring. Flair would quickly bounce back, tossing James through the ropes and onto apron, attempting to eliminate the six-time women’s champion.
This moment would be the only moment that these superstars would ever engage in the ring together in any capacity. Mickie James wants more though.
In a recent interview with Tru Heel Heat, James revealed that she wants more magic with the current Smackdown Women’s Champion:
“I still would want a moment with Charlotte because I never got it, that’s number one. That will always be…I really wanted to have that moment with her. I don’t know why it matters so much, I’m just like ‘God, we finally got that little moment in the Rumble,’ a little beat, and it was pretty awesome. My whole tenure there, the whole time I was back, we were never in the ring together until that moment, which is so crazy to me.”
Similarly, Charlotte Flair also declared two years ago that she’d like a true match with the current Knockouts Champion:
Mickie James and Charlotte Flair barely scratched the surface last year, but now, there is hope for that true moment between the two decorated champions.
Since the announcement of James’ presence in the Royal Rumble and the surprising addition of Charlotte Flair, James has seemingly set her sights on the Smackdown Women’s Champion.
In an intriguing move by WWE, Charlotte Flair announced herself as an entrant in this year’s Royal Rumble. This will mark the first time in the history of the Women’s Royal Rumble that a champion will enter their respective Rumble match. No formal explanation has been given, but perhaps if Flair wins this year’s Royal Rumble, she will hand select her WrestleMania opponent?
It’s a definite possibility.
On the other hand, Mickie James enters the 2022 Royal Rumble as the IMPACT Knockouts World Champion. Moreover, WWE acknowledged James as the Knockouts Champion when announcing her entry into the Royal Rumble. Though James is a certified WWE legend, never before has World Wrestling Entertainment crossed over with IMPACT Wrestling in an exciting headline like this. As of this writing, Mickie James and Charlotte Flair enter the Royal Rumble match as the only two singles champions. Besides that fact though, there is one other link between the two legendary superstars that could and should cause that dream one-on-one matchup.
Though the Flair and James have never engaged in action outside of the Royal Rumble, there is a huge story and date that has the power to spark this potential forbidden door match: March 26th, 2019.
For thirteen years, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus held the record the most women’s championship held by any competitors in WWE, with an outstanding seven reigns. In March of 2019, Charlotte Flair changed that. Defeating Asuka for the Smackdown Women’s Championship on an episode of Smackdown, Flair claimed her eighth women’s championship in the company. There, she cemented herself in WWE history with the most Women’s Championship reigns of all-time, now ahead of Stratus.
Upon her second return to WWE in 2016, Mickie James was one title shy of tying the record then held by Stratus. James found herself competing for various championships, including a six-pack challenge for the Smackdown Women’s Championship, an Elimination Chamber match for the RAW Women’s Championship, and against Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Title on two occassions. In every opportunity however, James fell short.
James would meet Trish Stratus in the 2018 Royal Rumble, as Stratus taunted James by holding up seven fingers in her face, symbolic of her historic seven championship reigns. From 2010 until 2018, Mickie James was always second behind Stratus in the WWE history books. Every appearance of James on WWE programming following her sixth championship win, raised the stakes of her potentially tying history with Trish Stratus. Unfortunately, Mickie James never reclaimed a championship in WWE following her sixth Women’s Championship victory at the 2010 Royal Rumble.
James would forever trail Trish Stratus by one reign in the history books for the record, until 2019. Charlotte Flair would be the one to surpass Stratus on March 26th, 2019, becoming the Smackdown Women’s Champion and solidifying her eighth title reign in WWE.
Charlotte Flair reached a feat that Mickie James failed to do in her collective nine years in WWE. That realization is the fuel Mickie James needs to use upon her return to WWE. If James was never going to break Stratus’ record, perhaps a grudge match with the woman who did might provide her character some closure.
Flair has already beaten Trist Stratus’ record, and beaten Stratus herself at SummerSlam 2019. Then again, Mickie James has also beaten Trish Stratus, in her WrestleMania debut in 2006, ironically on the same day as this year’s WrestleMania: April 2nd.
Charlotte Flair will forever have a leg up on James in terms of the history books, but James might finally have a chance to change her fate this year. The addition of Charlotte Flair and Mickie James to the Royal Rumble could possibly lead to an ultimate forbidden door collision: Champion vs Champion.
Mickie wants it. Charlotte wants it. Now, it’s up to WWE and IMPACT to capitalize on the momentum and buzz.
Royal Rumble entry placements for Flair and James are still unknown at this time, but the drawing value is undoubtedly there. It is an absolute MUST that these two formally meet this year.
NOW is the time to book Mickie James versus Charlotte Flair.
Jim Ross mentioned on Twitter Monday night that he suffered a black eye after falling while on his way to Charlotte, NC for the AEW Battle of the Belts special.
He also mentioned that he will provide a cancer recovery update on Tuesday. You can check out the photo here:
Ross has had similar incidents in the past as in 2014 blog post wrote said the following:
“I was treated for stroke-like symptoms for two days in the hospital in their stroke care unit. I don’t remember Tuesday morning whatsoever including driving myself to the OKC airport, my wife as in Vegas already as I had to stay behind and record a podcast, nor do I recall boarding the plane in OKC for Vegas. I presented Terry Taylor with a much deserved Iron Mike award at the CAC and have no memory of what I said. That’s scary. About a month ago I took a fall in our home that had me hitting my head on our wood floor but I no sold it and never mentioned it to my wife. I assumed that the loss of memory and lost days were a result of that. After enduring multiple MRI’s and numerous tests on my brain and heart it was determined that my prolonged use of Ambien as a sleep aid to combat my insomnia was the primary culprit of my issues. Ambien is a ‘temporary’ solution to insomnia but I have been taking it for years. Not good. The side affects of Ambien are scary, read about them, of which now I know. If you are taking it, I strongly suggest that you consult your physician. My meds have now been all adjusted and I am back on a healthy path of diet and exercise and, obviously, NO Ambien. The hallucinogenic issues with the drug are scary and I will never use that medication again.”
In 2018, Ross also took a bump as his face hit the concrete, which resulted in bruises on his face, including a black eye. Best wishes to the WWE Hall of Famer on a speedy recovery.
WWE has already announced several competitors for the Women’s Royal Rumble match including current and past stars. However, fans shouldn’t expect to see a lot of NXT talent used in the match.
The reason the promotion announced several legends for the bout in advance was a way to boost ticket sales. The company is also working on other surprises, but plan to limit how many people they use from NXT if at all.
Bryan Alvarez discussed this year’s match on Wrestling Observer Live. He was told that the company does not want to use many names from NXT this year. He did note that plans change all the time in WWE, but there are only a few spots left in the match.
The following women have been announced for the match: Nikki A.S.H., Rhea Ripley, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Zelina Vega, Carmella, Aliyah, Natalya, Naomi, Shotzi Blackheart, Shayna Baszler, Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Summer Rae.
Rae confirmed over the weekend that she was under the impression the legends would be a surprise. Fightful reported today that on Friday, WWE had the names list on the SmackDown script.
Jeff Jarrett feels there is absolutely room for more wrestling promotions to break through as something bigger than an indy fed.
There was a time when WWE was pretty much the only dog in town in the United States. TNA Wrestling was around but never really came close to taking a piece of WWE’s market share.
These days, things are a bit different. Not only is AEW striking while the iron is hot but there’s also more ways than ever for smaller and/or international promotions to monetize content. This is a big reason why Jarrett thinks there’s room for other companies to grow substantially.
Social Media & Wrestling
Jeff Jarrett was our guest this week on The Business of the Business, the official business podcast of SEScoops. Jarrett discussed how social media has been changing the game in the world of wrestling.
“To me, it’s really, really simple. It’s not a talent conversation, although it is a talent conversation. So, I say that with all due respect.
“But at the end of the day, when you look at the world of media/entertainment, just 10 years ago — and I don’t wanna say pre-social media because when we launched TNA there was no YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and all that.
“So, with social media the way it is in our — you know TikTok’s gonna be the most successful social media app and it really wasn’t even around 36 months ago. That’s fascinating to me.”
Jeff Jarrett: There’s Room For Number Four & Five
Jarrett went on to say that because there are more ways than ever to get content out globally, it opens the door for a promotion such as GCW to become something bigger than an independent promotion.
“From a business point of view, not only do I think there’s room for number three, I think there’s room for number four and five.
“I say that in that yes, United States has been, with all due respect to Japan and Mexico, we have been the exporters of content around the world. But you look at India, you look at South America, they are well aware of WWE and AEW.
“Matter of fact, folks in India, they’re still very aware of TNA and Impact and all that. So, when you look at things from a global perspective, 10 years ago you looked at, ‘How are we gonna make that Spike deal go from A to B to C?’
“That’s where the money was at. The money is not just driven by cable television [anymore].”
There was a time when Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes led the charge in bringing eyeballs to NJPW in terms of the global audience. With NJPW, the promotion has its own subscription service, which falls into what Jarrett is talking about as far as exposure goes.
More people than ever before are able to see Stardom, a women’s Japanese wrestling promotion thanks to its online streaming platform.
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There’s no love lost between Jim Cornette and AEW star Kenny Omega. The two had their latest online scrap this week, with Omega issuing an apology that was strongly rejected by the WWE Hall of Famer.
It started when Cornette took issue with being mentioned by Omega in a tweet that was directed at someone. Omega originally said in response to someone who asked him to disavow Marty Scurll:
“Will you bump up Corny’s oxygen so he can maybe get through a podcast without wheezing through every word? It’s harsh on the ears from what I hear.”
Cornette fired back: “not sure why Twinkletoes is referencing me in a completely unrelated conversation I’m not involved in, but he needs hobbies/attention. Hey dipshit, I’m not as harsh on the ears as your ballet routines are on people’s eyes, & I’m wheezing from laughing at your attempts to wrestle.”
Omega revealed that he has been dealing with the effects of COVID-19. He then apologized by writing: “Shouldn’t have brought up any breathing issue. I, as well as many friends/acquaintances in other sports, are suffering due to Covid after effects. Not sure if you’ll accept, but I do apologize.”
Will you bump up Corny’s oxygen so he can maybe get through a podcast without wheezing through every word? It’s harsh on the ears from what a I hear
Realizing he may have taken things too far, Omega walked back his remarks about Cornette’s labored breathing.
Shouldn’t have brought up any breathing issue. I, as well as many friends/acquaintances in other sports, are suffering due to Covid after effects. Not sure if you’ll accept, but I do apologize. https://t.co/V5hmDXPzig
On Tuesday morning, Jim Cornette reacted Omega’s apology. Cornette says he wants nothing to do with Omega and his phony brand of pro wrestling.
Piss off with your phony apology bullshit, turdblossom. I've never had COVID, I don't want to have ANY interaction with you and your phony wrestling, and I don't have any breathing issues except when you're on the air I refuse to breathe it.
Kurt Angle had a blast throughout his wrestling career but there were two things, in particular, that were trying.
Angle has established himself as a legend in the wrestling business. The Olympic gold medalist proved not only to be a special talent in the ring, but he was also tailor-made for the entertainment aspect of the business.
Angle is a WWE Hall of Famer but there was a time when he planned to make an early exit from wrestling.
Grand Opening, Grand Closing
(via WWE)
When Kurt Angle entered WWE back in 1998, he had no idea that he’d be in it for the long haul. He revealed on The Kurt Angle Show, that he hasn’t forgotten about a conversation he had with Al Snow during his rookie year.
“No I didn’t [think I’d be in the industry for long]. In fact, I thought I would only be in the business five years. That’s what I promised myself.
“I signed a five-year deal with WWE and I remember my rookie year I ran into Al Snow. He said, ‘Kurt, how long do you think you’ll be in the business?’ I said, ‘Al, five years. That’s it, I’m gonna make as much money as I can and get out.’
“He said, ‘No way brother. You’re gonna be stuck in it for life.’ I said, ‘There’s no way in hell,’ and guess what? I’m stuck in it for life [laughs].
“He was exactly right. I actually wrestled 15 years longer than I originally planned to wrestle and I’m still somewhat involved in the business.”
Kurt Angle Lists Two Difficult Aspects Of Wrestling
Angle went on to say that there were two rough parts about the business but they didn’t ruin his enjoyment.
“I’m gonna be honest, I love the business more than anything I’ve ever loved in my life besides my family. Even amateur wrestling, I love pro wrestling better than amateur wrestling.
“I had a passion for it. That’s why I became so good so quickly. I really enjoyed it. Every week I couldn’t wait to come to TV to see what I was gonna do that week. It was a lot of fun and I had a blast in my career, I really did.
“The only hard things about it were the travel and the injuries. Other than that, I enjoyed the heck out of it.”
In turn, fans enjoyed watching Angle do what he did best for many years. Angle left WWE back in 2006 to link up with TNA Wrestling. He returned to WWE in 2017 to finish off his in-ring career.
Angle is retired now. While he says he’s dealt with the lingering effects of wrestling in terms of injuries, he has said he’s keeping his body in shape just in case he gets that itch again.
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Sasha Banks will star in the opening video package for Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game, according to Variety.
What’s the connection between Sasha Banks and college football? The big game airs on ESPN, which is owned by owned by Disney. Sasha Banks appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian on the Disney+ streaming service.
Sasha Banks will appear as a futuristic superhero who sparks the start of the college football national championship using a piece of confetti from last year’s championship celebration.
You can watch the 2-minute video here:
She told Variety that she’s honored to be selected for this role. She loves the concept and had great things to say about everyone she worked with on the project.
“I feel like everybody who has been working on the set, and the whole team have been so incredible… to walk in and to just feel so welcome, and just to see everything, and I was just like, it was amazing,” said Banks.
Georgia and Alabama will collide at 8pm (Eastern), head-to-head with WWE Raw.
Sasha Banks is currently out of action due to a foot injury. WWE announced over the weekend that she’s expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Shinsuke Nakamura is currently dealing with a hand injury. This was revealed by his partner/guitarist Rick Boogs recently on the Out of Character podcast. Nakamura has been wrestling sparingly as of late. His last match was at a WWE live event on December 18th, 2021.
“We’ve only had a couple of tag matches together and he suffered a hand injury that has kept him out for close to two months now, it seems like. I’m looking forward to him being healthy and cleared so we can kick some tail,” Boogs said on the podcast.
“From there, down the road, we’ll branch off, but I’m in no rush with that. There is a new approach, pairing up the seasoned vets with new up and comers and it’s obviously for a reason. It helps get more exposure, TV time, valuable insight. I don’t think he’d be as willing to help me out if I wasn’t with him, Strong Style Shred. What’s his incentive to help me?”
The reigning Intercontinental Champion has Sami Zayn waiting in the wings for him. Zayn won a gauntlet match recently on Smackdown to earn a future IC title match. Zayn recently lost a singles match to Boogs on Smackdown after having been distracted by Zayn on the outside.
Nakamura won the Intercontinental title on August 13th last year from Apollo Crews. It is his second reign with the championship.
WWE RAW Superstar Liv Morgan recently discussed Mandy Rose returning to NXT and the former main roster Superstar’s run as NXT Women’s Champion.
Speaking on Robbie Fox’s “My Mom’s Basement” podcast, the former Riott Squad member said that Rose is doing a “phenomenal” job as Champion.
“I love, I absolutely love Mandy Rose as NXT Women’s Champion, I think she’s doing so phenomenal” Liv Morgan revealed.
“I think she has grown so much too, just in the last couple of months. Being put in this position of, you know, you’re like the ‘top b-tch’ you’re the ‘head b-tch in charge’. You know this is your division. And so, I think that this is cool, I enjoy watching it and it feels refreshing” Morgan added.
Liv Morgan vs Becky Lynch
Morgan is expected to be challenging for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship at the Royal Rumble event against Becky Lynch.
There is a chance however that the match could be changed, as the ending to their WWE Day 1 contest was botched and Lynch appeared to just get a clean pinfall win over Morgan rather than with her foot on the ropes, giving Morgan an out to get another match.
WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is set to make her return on WWE RAW tonight. The former RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion will be making her return to the company after leaving following the Extreme Rules 2021 PPV event, where she lost to Charlotte Flair.
Bliss left the company reportedly to get sinus surgery, although it was played off in the storyline that Bliss could no longer appear on WWE programming after the destruction of her doll, Lily.
The former Women’s Champion alluded to The Fiend-esque character that she was playing prior to her leaving the company returning tonight on RAW.
Alexa Bliss Tweets
“Dear Monday Night RAW,” Alexa Bliss tweeted. “Starting tonight…she’s officially YOUR problem now. Good luck.”
It’s not confirmed if Bliss is referring to Lily, herself, or a different character that she will be portraying when she returns. There’s also a chance that Bliss could be coming back alongside another current WWE Superstar or someone from NXT 2.0, but that remains to be seen.
The tweet from Bliss showed her in the same gimmick that she was portraying just before she left WWE programming, but this may of course be a rouse from the former Women’s Champion.
Dear Monday Night RAW, Starting tonight… she’s officially YOUR problem now. Good luck. ?? @WWEpic.twitter.com/oKEwib73lE
Mickie James could be bound for the WWE Hall of Fame, according to HOF talent and AEW broadcaster Mark Henry.
WWE turned a lot of heads in the wrestling industry on the Jan. 7 episode of SmackDown. The promotion announced participants in the women’s Royal Rumble match but one name, in particular, stood out from the pack.
Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James is among the legends returning for this year’s Royal Rumble. WWE has not shied away from the fact that she’s the Impact women’s champion.
Mickie James Hall of Fame?
While the talk with Mickie’s surprise WWE return has been centered around cross-promotion, Mark Henry is more intrigued at the thought of a Hall of Fame induction. Here’s what he said on Busted Open Radio.
When asked if Mickie James belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, Henry replied, “She does and without a doubt, she’s been one of the great women’s wrestlers of all time, wrestlers period. I mean, she got the job done.”
“She helped the business to be better and not many people can say that. Even if it’s not about the titles, which she held a lot of them, there’s no reason that she shouldn’t be put in the forefront and in the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame.”
Henry sees the Royal Rumble appearance as the perfect setup for James’ induction.
“I think this will be a great step,” he said.
Mickie recently had a successful title defense against Deonna Purrazzo in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard To Kill PPV. This means she is scheduled to make her Royal Rumble appearance as the Impact Knockouts Champion.
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AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker recently spoke on how important Tony Schiavone has been to her success. She was interviewed on the “In the Kliq” podcast when she made the below comments.
“I will never be able to thank him for how much he’s helped me in all aspects of my life. He’s one of my best friends,” Baker said of Schiavone.
“Anytime there’s anything going on, good, bad, you know, he’s one of the first I call, first I talk to when I’m excited or to vent about [something] but just how he helped me, especially early on with those promos.”
When AEW first started, Baker was being portrayed as a babyface. She started to really find her stride shortly after turning heel, however. Tony Schiavone played a big role in her early heel promos.
“When I first turned heel, I don’t know where I would be without him because it was — I was so nervous to be cutting these live promos as a bad guy, something I had never done before and I just always knew in the back of my head, ‘Hey, if anything goes wrong, I have Tony Schiavone here. Like, he’s pretty good at this. We’re gonna be okay.’ So just to have him there and along for the ride and just like this lasting friendship I have with him, I’m so thankful for.”
Baker, a noted Pittsburgh Steelers fan, seemed to have been stressed out last night when the Sunday Night football game almost ended in a tie, something that would have eliminated her Steelers from appearing in the playoffs.
Baker headlined AEW’s Battle for the Belts event on Saturday night. She faced and defeated the #1 contender to her title, Riho. Currently, there seems to be some dissension brewing with her and her ally, Jamie Hayter that could potentially lead to a storyline rivalry between the two as well.
Ruby Soho revealed in a recent interview that she is currently living with her former Riott Squad teammate, Sarah Logan. Soho is godparent to Logan’s child along with Viking Raider Erik. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Soho noted that she moved onto Logan’s farm in Ohio almost a year ago.
“I tell a lot of people often I want you to picture that exact opposite of the lifestyle that you think I would live and that’s the lifestyle that I live,” Soho said. “It was a pretty easy decision. I moved here in I believe February, probably closer to March of last year. I am godmother to Sarah’s son, Cash, and she asked me to be as much as part of his life as possible.”
Logan gave birth to her first child last February. She was in labor for 44 hours. The child is named Raymond Cash Rowe.
“I love that little boy to death and she is one of my best friends, so it was an easy choice and I was able to find this farm in the middle of nowhere and I was able to get horses and I have a place for my dogs to run around,” Soho continued.
Soho made it all the way to the finals of the TBS title tournament. She lost to Jade Cargill in the finals on AEW Dynamite last week. Soho and Logan were members of the Riott Squad together in WWE beginning on November 2nd, 2017. Logan was released from WWE in the summer of 2020. Soho was released by WWE in June of last year.
December’s Final Battle pay-per-view marked the end of an era for ROH. The company is currently on hiatus and top ROH stars have been released from their contracts. Some already appearing for other promotions.
Over the weekend, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham and ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C both wrestled for Impact Wrestling. An ROH faction invaded the Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. The group had a presence at the latest Impact TV tapings and is now going by the name Honor No more.
Ring of Honor officials have maintained the company is not shutting down. On Monday, the company announced its next live pay-per-view.
Ring of Honor Returns
ROH Supercard of Honor will take place Friday, April 1st from Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center.
The event takes place during WrestleMania 38 weekend, giving it a built-in audience of wrestling fans who are already in town.
Supercard of Honor has been a staple of the ROH calendar dating back to 2006.
HonorClub members will get first crack at tickets on Friday, January 21st. The general public on-sale will take place the following week, Friday January 28th.
SEScoops plans to send a live correspondent to this event, so stay tuned for more details on that.
W. Morrissey had a chance to become the Impact World Champion at Hard to Kill this weekend. He was in a triple threat match with champion Moose as well as Matt Cardona. Moose would retain, however.
During a recent interview with the Battleground Podcast, Morrissey spoke about wanting to become the face of Impact Wrestling.
“My number one goal is to become the face of the company. That’s my goal,” he said. “I was there last year to come in and slowly build towards that goal and to make an impact, no pun intended. But my goal for this year is to be the face of IMPACT wrestling. To be the guy, and that’s a goal I think I will achieve. I think it’s something I’m extremely capable of.”
Morrissey opted against providing any further details on his current contractual status with the company, however. He said that the deal he has with Impact is something that will stay between him and his family, Scott D’Amore, and the company.
“That’s between me and Scott D’amore, everybody at IMPACT, and everybody in my family, and everybody who’s going to be affected by it,” Morrissey responded. “You know, in terms of how long I’m there or what I’m making, that’s nobody’s business. That’s just my opinion. But yeah, I’m with IMPACT right now, and my goal is to be the face of the company.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxvVqo9dF0
H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.
Former WWE Superstar Taya Valkyrie is open to joining All Elite Wrestling.
Vaklyrie recently wrapped up a short run with WWE, where she portrayed the character Franky Monet in NXT. She was released by WWE back in November already has a number of appearances lined up in the weeks ahead.
During a virtual autograph signing for East Coast Autograph Auctions over the weekend, Valkyrie said “of course” she’s interested in joining AEW’s women’s division.
“Of course, I would go to AEW, she said. “They are doing something different, a lot of my peers and best friends, my brothers Fenix and Pentagon are over there. Why not? We’ll see what happens.”
Taya Valkyrie as Franky Monet in NXT (2021)
Taya Valkyrie’s Future
Taya Vaklyrie Valkyrie extensively in Mexico during the early part of her career. She worked for Impact Wrestling from 2017-2021 before a stint in NXT. She returned to AAA in December.
The sky is the limit for Taya Valkyrie in 2022. She is a veteran performer that would be an asset to any locker room she joined. We could see her back in Impact, or in AEW.
Over the weekend, Valkyrie expressed interest in working with AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.
The free agency market for women’s wrestling has never been deeper. Aside from the incredible talent on the independent scene, talent released by WWE in 2021 include Valkyrie, Toni Storm, Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox), Athena (Ember Moon), Nia Jax and Mia Yim.
Taya Valkyrie issued a lengthy statement after her WWE release that you can read here:
Former TNA President Dixie Carter is now the President of a Hemp and Cannabis company named Panda Biotech. The company operates out of Dallas, Texas. It is focussed on producing industrial hemp that can be used for a variety of purposes.
In an interview this summer, Carter spoke about Texas becoming an epicentre for industrial hemp.
“The truth is, Texas farmers are going to need a couple of years to learn how to best plant it. I think Texas farmers are the best in the world and will learn it quicker than anyone in the world,” Carter said in an interview with Times Record News.
“This is an opportunity for Texas to be kind of the epicenter of industrial hemp on a global basis,” Carter continued.
Carter continues to follow professional wrestling as evidenced by her social media posts. She commented on the recent passing of former TNA talent Jimmy Rave, and also posted in regards to Ring of Honor’s end of an era Final Battle PPV.
Carter served as the President of TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2017. She stepped down as President of the company when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased it in 2017. Ed Nordholm replaced her in the role.
Impact Wrestling held its latest round of television tapings on Sunday night from Dallas, TX at the The Factory at Deep Ellum. Charlie Haas made his Impact debut, but it did not go well.
The former WWE tag team champion interrupted a promo from Josh Alexander, who was staking his claim as #1 contender to Moose’s Impact World Championship.
Charlie Haas debuts for Impact Wrestling (Photo: Kurt Zamora)
Haas and Alexander fought later in the night, with Alexander getting the win. Unfortunately, Haas was injured during the match.
Charlie Haas Injured
After the match, the group of ROH wrestlers who appeared at Hard to Kill jumped both men. They were eventually run off by Chris Sabin, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath, Rhino and Eddie Edwards.
During the post-match angle, Charlie Haas exited the ring, crawled under the ring, was tended to by Impact Wrestling officials. He was eventually stretchered away.
This is the pic I took from #ringside He became sluggish during the match & came to an awkward end. Rolled outside & he was in no man’s land (concussed) & crawled under the ring. Action inside unaware & several landed on him during a spot. Bad scene l. pic.twitter.com/nDeiCB9I7l
Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose wants a match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Moose retained his title at Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. He beat Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey in a triple threat match.
Moose wins at Impact Hard to Kill 2022
Moose wants Roman Reigns
On Sunday, Moose referenced the “Forbidden Door” and said it’s time for the Wrestling God to cross paths with the Head of the Table. He tweeted:
“I Claim to be the Wrestling God. He claims to be The Head of the Table. With all this Forbidden Door talk….. what if …. @WWERomanReigns”
This is not the first time Moose has made it known he wants to work with Roman Reigns. On a recent episode of Impact TV, moose referenced the Tribal Chief.
The Impact world champion wrestling the WWE Universal Champion seems unlikely. However, it is possible.
Moose vs. Roman Reigns is unlikely, but two other champions from WWE and Impact could share a ring very soon Entrants for the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble include Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Former WWE Superstar Paige was trending on social media this weekend after WWE announced several legendary women are returning for the Royal Rumble.
The upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble will feature the Bella Twins, Lita, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and even Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James.
In response to seeing herself trending after WWE’s Royal Rumble announcements, Paige tweeted, “I tell ya what though, it does feel f*cking awesome to see so many people even after 4 years, miss me wrestling.”
Some of the industry’s top names replied to Paige’s tweet, including Natalya, Booker T, Alexa Bliss and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker.
Paige has been active on social media as of late. She has expressed gratitude and support to many of the people released by WWE, including William Regal, “Road Dogg” BG James and Nia Jax.
Paige retired 4 years ago due to the condition of her neck, but fans remain hopeful she will grace the ring again.
She hopes to wrestle again, despite the injuries that cut her career short. Her WWE contract runs through June 2022.
All Elite Wrestling taped next week’s AEW Dark on Saturday night after the Battle of the Belts special from Charlotte, North Carolina
Battle of the Belts was a 1-hour TV special, but fans in attendance got to see the rest of AEW’s champions compete in more than a dozen additional matches.
IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James retained her Championship in the main event of the Hard To Kill PPV event in Texas.
James defended the title against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch, with both women taking massive bumps throughout.
The finish saw Mickie hit her Mick Kick followed by the Mick-DT, gaining the 3 count and then burying Purrazzo underneath a broken table and chairs to stop her from answering the 10 count.
James now heads into the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month, being the first-ever reigning IMPACT Knockouts Champion to do so.
Mickie James WWE Royal Rumble
Mickie James will be joining the likes of Nikki and Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and Charlotte Flair in the 30-Woman match at the end of January.
The IMPACT Hard To Kill show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.
Here’s the full card for the event:
Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War
Ring of Honor stars Mike and Maria Bennett, Matt Taven, Vincent and PCO made their presence felt at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill.
The group appeared following the Hardcore War match on the PPV, attacking the team of Heath, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Rhino and Eddie Edwards. Heath had just won the match after Rhino hit a Gore on Karl Anderson.
The commentators referred to the situation as an invasion during the PPV broadcast, and it looks as though IMPACT will be running with somewhat of an invasion angle going forward.
ROH Invades IMPACT
Scott D’Amore was seen backstage in a segment following the attack, and he said that he would be “calling Baltimore to figure out what the hell is going on.”
When the broadcast came back to commentary, the duo questioned if Ring of Honor “sanctioned” the attack, so this might play into the storyline going forward.
ROH is currently on hiatus until April, so this could be part of the plan to keep the brand in fans’ minds ahead of the return date.
The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.
