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Paige Reacts to Trending After WWE Royal Rumble Announcements

Michael Reichlin
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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.

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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’s Future

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.

https://twitter.com/realpaigewwe/status/1432051493553664002?s=21

With her in-ring career on hold, Paige maintains a popular Twitch channel, where she streams herself playing video games.

You can check out Paige’s official Twitch channel at @SarayaOfficial.

Twitch Leak Includes Payouts For Adam Cole, Paige & Zelina Vega

(Spoilers) AEW Dark Tapings Results from After Battle of the Belts

Michael Reichlin
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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.

The following matches were taped for next week’s AEW Dark:

  • Capt. Shawn Dean defeated Leon Cross
  • Anthony Ogogo defeated Baron Black
  • Red Velvet defeated an unnamed opponent
  • The Gunn Club defeated T.I.N. & Patrick Scott.
  • Tay Conti & Anna Jay defeated the Renegade Twins
  • Orange Cassidy defeated JD Drake
  • Dante Martin defeated Aaron Solo
  • Eddie Kingston defeated Joey Janela
  • Thunder Rosa defeated Kacy Foxx
  • Powerhouse Hobbs defeated an unnamed opponent
  • Daniel Garcia defeated Fuego Del Sol
  • TBS Champion Jade Cargill defeated Skye Blue in a non-title “Eliminator” match
  • AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express defeated The Factory’s Nick Comoroto & QT Marshall in a non-title “Eliminator” match
  • AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam and Dark Order’s Alan Angels & Ten defeated Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy & Serpentico.

Mickie James Retains Knockouts Title at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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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.

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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

ROH Stars Invade IMPACT Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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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

IMPACT Invasion

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.

Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH World Championship at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor Champion Jonathan Gresham successfully defended his title at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event.

Gresham faced TNA/IMPACT and ROH legend Chris Sabin on the card, and both men put in a fantastic hard-hitting performance.

The ROH Champion will now be heading to the TERMINUS event to defend his title against another IMPACT Wrestling star, Josh Alexander.

Should Gresham be successful there too, he will likely be defending the title in the UK as part of the February 6th card for PROGRESS Wrestling.

Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH Title

The 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

AEW Battle Of The Belts Results: Three Title Matches, Interim TNT Champion Crowned

Robert Lentini
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AEW’s first Battle of the Belts special aired tonight on TNT live from the Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina. Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes battled for the Interim TNT Championship and Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Matt Sydal. Britt Baker put the AEW Women’s Championship on the line against Riho in the main event.

Battle of the Belts Results

  1. Sammy Guevara def. Dustin Rhodes to become the interim TNT Champion
  2. Ricky Starks def. Matt Sydal to retain the FTW Championship
  3. Britt Baker def. Riho via submission to retain the AEW Women’s Championship

Here are the takeaways from Battle of the Belts:

Sammy Guevara Is The Interim TNT Champion

Sammy Guevara faced Dustin Rhodes for the interim TNT Championship. The current TNT Champion, Cody Rhodes, missed the show due to COVID. Aubrey Edwards was the referee and Arn Anderson was in Dustin’s corner. Sammy dominated the match early and Dustin rolled out of the ring to regroup.

Guevara sent Dustin into the barricade and mocked Arn Anderson but doing the Glock taunt. Arn gave Sammy the middle finger and Dustin capitalized on the distraction with a few chops to the chest. Rhodes slammed Sammy’s knee into the steel steps and followed it up with a Piledriver on the floor outside the ring.

When Battle of the Belts returned, Rhodes sent Sammy to the corner and unloaded some punches to his face. Daniel Garcia was shown in the crowd as Sammy turned Dustin inside out with a Clothesline. Guevara knocked Dustin to the floor outside the ring and connected with a crazy springboard flip onto him.

Back in the ring, Dustin connected with a big Cross Rhodes and went for the cover but Guevara kicked out at two. Rhodes followed it up with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a near fall. Dustin climbed to the middle turnbuckle but Sammy caught him. Guevara connected with the GTH but Dustin kicked out at two.

Fuego Del Sol emerged from under the ring and set up a table. Arn chased Fuego off as Sammy & Dustin battled on the ring apron. Dustin put Sammy through the table with a Destroyer off the apron and rolled him back into the ring. Rhodes went for the cover but Sammy somehow kicked out and the match continued.

Dustin planted Sammy with two Cross Rhodes and then set up for a Tiger Driver. Sammy escaped and both hit a Clothesline at the same time. Dustin and Sammy slowly made their way back up and Rhodes hit some jabs. They traded roll-up attempts and Sammy was able to keep Dustin down for a three count. Sammy Guevara is the interim TNT Champion. Daniel Garcia hopped in the ring and attacked Sammy Guevara. Guevara will defend the interim TNT Championship against Daniel Garcia on Dynamite.

Ricky Starks Retained The FTW Title

Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Matt Sydal. Powerhouse Hobbs accompanied Starks to the ring. Sydal took Starks down and connected with a standing Moonsault for a two count. Ricky sent Matt to the corner and went for a Splash but Sydal countered with a kick to the face.

Starks fell out of the ring and Sydal followed him out there. Powerhouse Hobbs got in Sydal’s way as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break. When the show returned, Starks was in control and hit a Clothesline. Ricky followed it up with a Uranage and went for the cover but Sydal kicked out at two. Sydal booted Starks in the face and Ricky fell to the corner.

Sydal hit a Dropkick to the face and perched Starks up on the top turnbuckle. Sydal hit a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a slam for a near fall. Starks went for a Gutwrench Suplex but Sydal escaped. Matt climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a Meteora and went for the cover but Ricky got his foot on the bottom rope. Starks battled back and connected with the Roshambo for the pinfall victory. Ricky Starks is still the FTW Champion. Starks and Hobbs attacked Sydal after the match but Dante Martin made the save.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1479991151964966914?s=20

Britt Baker Retained The Women’s Title

Britt Baker defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Ruby Soho tonight in the main event of Battle of the Belts. Rebel and Jamie Hayter were ringside for the match. Riho got tripped up by Hayter and Baker capitalized with a shoulder tackle for a one count. Riho sent Baker across the ring with an Arm Drag and then to the outside with a Dropkick.

Riho climbed to the top rope and went for a Crossbody but Rebel got in the way. Riho hit Rebel with a Crossbody but Baker regrouped and hit a Slingblade on the floor outside the ring. Britt and Jamie brought out a table from under the ring and started setting it up. Riho knocked Baker down and then ran up the table like a ramp for a Dropkick on Hayter.

The action returned to the ring and Riho climbed to the top turnbuckle. Riho connected with a Dropkick that knocked the women’s champion to the corner. Britt tripped Riho up and stomped on her a few times against the turnbuckle. Baker and Jamie started arguing as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break.

When Battle of the Belts returned, Baker was in control and had Riho in a headlock in the middle of the ring. Riho escaped and hit Britt with a running knee to the face. Riho connected with a 619 and went for the cover but Baker kicked out at two. Riho applied a Half Crab but Britt was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold.

Riho climbed to the top rope but Rebel dragged Baker to the outside. Rebel laid on top of Baker and Riho hit her with a Double Stomp. Back in the ring, Riho went for a Double Stomp on Baker but Britt got out of the way. Britt hit an Air Raid Crash for a near fall and grabbed the glove but Rebel. Baker elbowed Riho in the face and Hayter dropped the title in the ring. Baker and Hayter traded strikes and eventually Rebel got kicked out. Baker got the Lockjaw applied for the submission victory and retained the AEW Women’s Championship. Hayter, Rebel, and Baker shared a group hug and celebrated as Battle of the Belts went off the air.

Trey Miguel Teases Appearance of MSK at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion Trey Miguel retained his X-Division Championship at the Hard To Kill PPV event, but that wasn’t the only headline-grabbing element of the match.

Miguel’s entrance seemed to allude to his former Rascalz stablemates, who now go by MSK in WWE’s NXT 2.0 brand. There were two individuals who stood next to Miguel on the entrance ramp, and they certainly looked similar to the NXT Superstars.

It’s an interesting development, as it was recently confirmed that Mickie James will be heading to WWE as part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match at the end of January.

Fans have now been wondering if there will be a ‘Forbidden Door’ type of deal between WWE and IMPACT.

Whilst we can’t confirm if that is the case at this time, it was clear that Miguel and IMPACT were alluding to his former stablemates, so they were at least trying to get the internet talking.

Trey Miguel Teases MSK

It will be interesting to see how IMPACT continues to tease this working relationship with WWE, as they have been known to push the boundaries in the past.

The Forbidden Door concept is still intriguing to fans, and the Ring of Honor World Championship was also defended on the Hard To Kill PPV event on Saturday night.

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

History-Making Main Event Revealed for IMPACT Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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The IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event has already begun, and it has been confirmed during the show that the IMPACT Knockouts match will be main eventing the broadcast.

This will be the first time in both TNA and IMPACT history that a Knockouts Championship match will be main eventing a PPV event.

Mickie James will be defending her IMPACT Knockouts Championship against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch.

This comes after it was revealed that Mickie James would be part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month.

Hard To Kill 2022 Main Event

The 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

Tasha Steelz Wins the Ultimate X Match at Hard To Kill 2022

Jake Skudder
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Tasha Steelz won the first-ever Knockout’s Ultimate X match at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill 2022 PPV event.

Alisha, Chelsea Green, IMPACT Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace, Lady Frost, Rosemary and Steelz all entered the historic match with a shot at the Knockouts Championship on the line.

There were some hellacious spots during the match, with Jordynnne Grace hitting what looked like a Sky High from the ropes by the X on Tasha Steelz. It really looked like it hurt the tailbones of both women but they continued.

Lady Frost also hit a massive moonsault from the top of the truss to the outside just minutes before Tasha Steelz would take the win.

Steelz will now go on to face either Mickie James or Deonna Purrazzo for the IMPACT Knockouts Championship. Those two women will compete later at Hard To Kill in a Texas Deathmatch for the title.

Hard To Kill 2022

The 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

Cody & Brandi Rhodes In Isolation With Family That Tested Positive For COVID-19

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes was scheduled to face Sammy Guevara in a TNT title match tonight on AEW Battle of the Belts. He will have to miss the show, however, due to being in isolation with family that have tested positive for COVID-19. His brother Dustin will face Guevara in an interim TNT title match instead.

Cody recently took to Instagram stories to comment on both him and Brandi Rhodes being in isolation.

“I appreciate everybody reaching out. Brandi and I are in isolation with family that have unfortunately tested positive for Covid. It’s been a scary time dealing with such a strong virus and the complications that can come with it. We are doing all we can to nurse and protect the family during this time. I will remain in quarantine as long as needed. Everyday is more encouraging. Thank you immensely for your support and respect for our privacy. Thank you to AEW for understanding and allowing me to be where I am needed today, and for still allowing the TNT Title to be represented. I look forward to being back soon. All the love in the world!”

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The updated lineup for tonight’s Battle for the Belts event includes Ricky Starks defending the FTW title against Matt Sydal. Britt Baker will still defend her title against Riho as scheduled. As previously mentioned, Dustin Rhodes will now face Sammy Guevara in a match for the interim TNT Championship.

Tom Hannifan Joins Impact As New Play-by-Play Announcer

Michael Reichlin
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Tom Hannifan is the new voice of Impact Wrestling. He officially joined the commentary table at Saturday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.

His former broadcasting partner Renee Paquette broke the news Saturday afternoon on Twitter. Impact soon followed up with confirmation.

Hannifan is Imapct’s new lead play-by-play announcer, replacing Matt Striker.

Tom Hannifan’s Road to Impact

Hannifan previously worked for WWE under the name Tom Phillips. They released him in May 2021 after about 9 years with the company.

Shortly thereafter, Hannifan spoke extensively about his time there. He credits Renee Paquette as being one of the people who took him under their wing and showed him the ropes while he got caught up to speed with WWE’s way of doing things.

Following his Impact Wrestling debut, Hannifan will join Renee Paquette on the next edition of her Oral Sessions podcast. That interview drops this coming Tuesday.

Below, you can check out Tom Hannifan’s in-depth interview talking about his WWE run, the hardest part of that job being overproduced there and much more.

Tom Phillips Talks WWE Release, Internal Competition, Adnan Virk

Sasha Banks to miss 6-8 weeks due to foot injury

Chris Stephens
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Sasha Banks had to be helped to the back on a January 2nd WWE Live event in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She suffered a foot injury during her match with Charlotte Flair on the show.

WWE took to social media recently to provide an update on Banks’ injury. She suffered a bruised calcaneus bone but nothing was broken. Her estimated timetable for return is 6-8 weeks.

“Sasha underwent an MRI and it was discovered she has a bruised calcaneus bone. She is at home recovering and undergoing physical therapy. She is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks,” reads a WWE press release.

Sasha Banks Injured At WWE Live Event

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The injury means that Sasha Banks will miss the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble match at the end of the month. She will likely be able to return in time for WrestleMania, however.

Shortly after news of the injury broke, Sasha took to Twitter to provide an update.

“I’m good. Thank you for the love always,” she Tweeted.

Banks also took to Twitter recently to comment on William Regal’s release from WWE.

“There would be no Sasha Banks if it wasn’t for @RealKingRegal thank you for giving me a chance and believing in me. Forever grateful,” she wrote.

Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

Chris Stephens
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Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James was announced as participating in the Royal Rumble last night on Smackdown. James was released by WWE in April of last year.

WWE acknowledged that James is the current Knockouts champion when announcing her participating in the Rumble. James will defend that title tonight at Hard to Kill against former champion Deonna Purrazzo, however.

Impact posted to their website about the news:

“WWE wanted it, Mickie wanted it and IMPACT Wrestling’s philosophy is always to work with other major promotions to create buzz for the fans,” said IMPACT’s Scott D’Amore. “Everything is signed and agreed with WWE and IMPACT Wrestling – the only question is whether or not Mickie will enter one of WWE’s most historic annual matches as the reigning Knockouts World Champion.”

“There’s never been a time like this for wrestling fans. In a 12 month period, IMPACT Wrestling has worked with NWA, AAA, New Japan, AEW and now WWE. IMPACT Wrestling is the nexus of the forbidden door era.”

Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

  • Impact World Championship
    Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
  • Knockouts Championship
    Texas Death Match
    Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
  • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
    Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
  • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
  • X-Division Championship
    Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
  • ROH Championship
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • 10-Man Hardcore War
    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)

More On Drew McIntyre’s Neck Injury

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has written Drew McIntyre off TV with the hopes that he could heal from his neck injury and be back in time for WrestleMania 38.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter talked about the former WWE champion recently and provided some minor updates on his condition.

According to him, McIntyre’s neck has been ‘bothering him for months’ and he would have required a ‘major surgery’ if nothing was done about it.

The officials hope that the damage is not too bad and this rest will help him be back in time for WrestleMania 38.

However, the plan is to have the neck looked at extensively. Nothing can be said about his future with certainty until Drew McIntyre has had his issues diagnosed properly.

Meltzer noted how the timing for this break was not in the favor of the officials because SmackDown has no other full-time top babyface.

Drew McIntyre competed most recently at the Day 1 PPV earlier this month. He defeated Madcap Moss in a singles match.

The match was followed by a backstage segment where the Scottish Warrior was attacked by Moss and Baron Corbin to write him off TV for the foreseeable future.

Drew McIntyre Shares Which Match He’d Go Back In Time To Witness Live

Natalya & Summer Rae Trade Shots Regarding The Royal Rumble

Chris Stephens
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Last night on WWE Smackdown, Summer Rae was announced as a participant in the Royal Rumble this year. Summer was released from WWE in the fall of 2017.

Natalya took to Twitter to say she was looking forward to facing her in the Royal Rumble later this month.

Summer Rae then appeared to not remember who Natalya is.

Natalya then reminded Summer of the below incident on Total Divas:

“Ohhhh yes, thank you for posting this now I remember. How could I forget Mrs Get off my Property,” Summer responded.

“I’m a 3 time world record holder, bitch. If you have any more correspondence, please reach out to my assistant. I’m super busy,” Natalya responded.

WWE revealed several names set for the Royal Rumble on last night’s Smackdown. These included multiple performers not on the current WWE roster. Mickie James, the Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, and Lita will all take part in the Rumble this year.

Earlier this year, Summer Rae commented on her relationship with Vince McMahon on the TWC Show.

“Oh, Vince loved me. I love it, I would walk my butt straight into Vince’s office all the time. Vince did not scare me at all. Mind you, you have to be respectful. I would never just walk in there. I would knock and then wait for hours and hours, but if I ever was having an issue or when I was thinking of leaving, I went and talked to him.”

Big Swole on Tony Khan’s Tweet: “I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even.”

Chris Stephens
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Following her departure from AEW, Big Swole recently commented about AEW having a lack of diversity. This led to AEW President Tony Khan responding on social media and writing “I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”

Swole returned to her Call In Show recently and spoke about her reaction to seeing Tony Khan’s Tweet.

“When I read the TK tweet, it was, not necessarily sent to me, but I got a text message saying, ‘Do not respond to him, it’s not worth it.’ At that time, I was already a little zooted because it was about to be New Year’s. I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot,”” Swole said.

“Overall, I’m very disappointed. A person with that pedigree should know how to respond in a way that doesn’t come off in the most negative way possible,” she continued.

“I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even. Embarrassed for the people that are there. I really couldn’t believe it. Did he even listen to the podcast? Obviously not because it went completely off the rails. You went completely to counting brown people. If was truly about counting brown people, I would be naming certain demographics.”

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1479553202764894214

H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Mark Henry Speaks On Big Swole and Tony Khan

Mark Henry recently spoke about this matter on Busted Open Radio. According to Henry, Tony Khan got a raw deal in this discussion on diversity.

“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.”

“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office,” Henry continued.

“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”

Mark Henry: Tony Khan Got A ‘Raw Deal’ In Diversity Discussion

Triple H’s Reaction To WWE Gutting His Version of NXT

Chris Stephens
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The NXT that Triple H spent years developing is no more. NXT 2.0 is a radical departure from his vision.

Stars like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and more are no longer with WWE. The management structure that Triple H spent years to build no longer exists. With William Regal, Samoa Joe and “Road Dogg” BG James and many others getting axed by WWE this week, the ’black and gold era’ of NXT is dead and buried.

Unsurprisingly, WWE’s decision to gut Triple H’s version of NXT are said to be quite upsetting to him, according to Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch.

Keller spoke about Triple H’s reaction to the latest cuts during a recent audio update behind the PWTorch VIP paywall site.

“I’ve talked with people who had said Triple H was building his team that he would bring with him to the main roster. And if his day came to run the main roster he wanted his group of people,” Keller said.

“At some point, it was thought that it would include William Regal and Gabe Sapolsky and Road Dogg and they’re gone.”

Keller added, “NXT just isn’t what it once was. I’ve heard just a little about Triple H’s reaction to all of this and nothing super reportable other than it sounds like he’s bummed out.”

In addition to the releases of Samoa Joe, Road Dogg, and William Regal, numerous others were let go. These include Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Scott Armstrong, Allison Danger, Hideki Suzuki and more. Reports are that morale backstage in NXT is at an all-time low.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcriptions.

Bron Breakker Comments On New Year’s Evil Entrance

Anutosh Bajpai
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Many see Bron Breakker’s raise as the new face of NXT as the official end of the indie era of the development brand. This symbolism was at its peak during the New Year’s Evil event, where Breakker destroyed the old NXT logo during his entrance.

The second-generation wrestling star recently had an interview with Fightful. Speaking of the unique entrance, the NXT champion revealed that he didn’t know about it beforehand. He found out about it when he showed up to the arena:

“Honestly, I don’t know. I just showed up and that’s what we were doing.” said Bron Breakker, “I have no idea. (I was thinking), ‘I hope nothing messes up’ (with the chains). It was cool. It was a cool thing for me to do.

The staff here at NXT, the creative staff is fantastic and always coming up with cool ideas and there are cool ways to make everybody further their character and their abilities. They do a fantastic job. It’s great.”

Talking about his goals, Bron Breakker said that he is a sports entertainer and he just wants to entertain the fans. The heavyweight star claimed that he loves the WWE universe and the fans.

The 24-year-old claimed that he just wants to show the fans that he belongs in WWE. According to him, he wants people to fall in love with his work.

Bron Breakker is “The Perfect Mold of Both Steiner Brothers”

Tommaso Ciampa And Pete Dunne Work SmackDown Dark Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa and former NXT UK champion Pete Dunne were both at this week’s episode of SmackDown.

The two competed in a dark match before the show went on air. The match was won by Ciampa and Dunne apparently got his old entrance music back for his appearance:

https://twitter.com/kylegilliard_/status/1479616431058821121

WWE officials have recently been evaluating talents for a main roster call up through dark matches before SmackDown and Raw.

People such as Austin Theory, Karrion Kross, Shotzi Blackheart, Xia Li among others have similarly competed in dark matches before being called up to the main roster.

Pete Dunne has wrestled only one televised match since the Team Black and Gold lost to Team 2.0 at the NXT Takeover: WarGames event last month.

Tommaso Ciampa similarly dropped the NXT title to Bron Breakker at New Year’s Evil and teased his departure from the brand with his post-match tweet.

All signs seem to be pointing towards these two former champions heading to the main roster sooner rather than later.

With the Royal Rumble coming up later this month, the only question that remains is whether WWE will confirm their main roster call up before that or use them as surprise entrances.

WWE SmackDown Results (1/7): Brock Lesnar & Roman Reigns, Street Fight, Mickie James

Original WrestleMania 38 Plans For WWE Championship

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

It’s a new year and we’re now on the road to WWE’s biggest premium live event of the year, WrestleMania.

Earlier this month, WWE presented the inaugural Day 1 event from Atlanta, GA. That show was thrown into disarray when it was announced that Roman Reigns contracted COVID-19 and would be unable to defend the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar in the main event. Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match and surprised everyone by ending Big E’s reign and walking out as champion.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the original plans for the WWE title match at Day 1 were for Seth Rollins to win the fatal four-way match and walk out as the champion. Dave Meltzer noted that the original plan was for the Architect to win the bout and defend the title at WrestleMania 38:

“The plan for that was originally Seth Rollins, likely against the winner of the Royal Rumble, with Big E the favorite, but Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley were also possibilities.”

WrestleMania 38

WWE still seems to be building towards a Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns match for WrestleMania, but the belief is that it won’t be a champion vs champion bout.

Meltzer added that the planned WWE championship match for the Show of Shows could still take place with the company taking a different direction to achieve that.

For those who don’t know, Brock Lesnar was originally scheduled to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal championship at Day 1. Big E was supposed to defend his WWE title in a fatal four-way.

Reigns ended up missing the event after testing positive for COVID. Lesnar was then added to the WWE championship match, and he walked out of the arena as the new champion.

Brock Lesnar Reportedly Refused To Face Jinder Mahal At Survivor Series 2017

Correction On Kairi Sane’s WWE Contract Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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The WWE contract of Kairi Sane has not expired yet and she is actually expected to become a free agent next month.

The Japanese star removed all references of the promotion from her social profile last month. Wrestling Observer had reported at the time that her contract with the company had expired already.

However, Dave Meltzer corrected this report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He now reports that Sane’s deal actually ends next month.

The female star was part of the WWE roster from 2016 to 2020. She left The US and returned to Japan to be with her husband back in July 2020. Though she has continued working for WWE as an ambassador.

WWE officials apparently want Kairi Sane to renew her contract and return to the US in a wrestling role but the former NXT star has refused the offer.

Kairi had teased an in-ring return recently. Reports suggest that Stardom is also interested in bringing the former Artist of Stardom champion back to the company. No word on if AEW has any interest in signing her

It’s likely that Kairi Sane’s contract forbids her to talk to other promotions. We should get a better idea about her future once her deal has officially expired.

Natalya Pens Column On Kairi Sane

Jake Atlas Comments on Injury Suffered During AEW Rampage

Ryan Droste
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New AEW signee Jake Atlas has commented on the knee injury he suffered during this week’s AEW Rampage. The match was taped on Wednesday night following AEW Dynamite in Newark, NJ; it aired for the first time on Friday night on TNT.

At the conclusion of the match, Atlas went to springboard off the top rope into the ring. He landed awkwardly on his knee, with the knee giving out under his weight. His opponent, Adam Cole, then went for a Panama Sunrise, but Atlas was unable to get to his feet for the move. Instead, Cole locked on a kneebar for a submission finish.

Following the airing of Rampage, Atlas commented on his injury via Twitter.

“I’m so freaking proud of that match. Thank you @AdamColePro for pushing me to give you ME. My knee will be just fine. Thank you guys for your concern. I won’t be gone long! #AEWRampage,” Atlas wrote.

https://twitter.com/JakeAtlasReal/status/1479654945074913281

Following the Rampage tapings, Atlas underwent an MRI and AEW officials were under the impression he would be alright in relatively short order. So far, that appears to be the case.

Atlas signed with AEW following his debut last week at the AEW Dark Elevation tapings in Jacksonville. Atlas defeated Serpentico in that bout. After his debut match, AEW President Tony Khan came out on the stage to shake his hand, which was symbolic of the fact that he was offered a contract.

Wednesday night was a rough nice for AEW when it comes to injuries. In the main event of Dynamite, Rey Fenix suffered a gruesome looking injury that was feared to be a broken arm in its immediate aftermath. However, luckily, it was revealed on Thursday that Fenix’s arm was not broken, making the injury not as serious as originally feared. AEW officials are currently expecting Fenix to be able to return within a few weeks.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Changes Announced To TNT Championship Match At Battle Of The Belts

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Cody Rhodes has been pulled from his scheduled title defense against Sammy Guevara at the upcoming Battle Of The Belts event due to a medical issue.

AEW announced during this week’s episode of Rampage that the current TNT champion has been pulled from the upcoming show because he is not medically cleared to compete.

The company confirmed that his brother Dustin Rhodes will be replacing Cody in the match against Guevara at Battle Of The Belts. The winner will be crowned the Interim TNT champion:

AEW did not provide any further detail on the matter. So it’s hard to say what’s the exact issue Cody is facing or how long he will be out of action.

This leaves the fate of the interim TNT champion in question as well. We will have to see when the winner of this match gets to face Cody Rhodes.

Dustin Rhodes has not wrestled a singles match since the October 23 episode of Dynamite. Bryan Danielson defeated him in the first round of the AEW title eliminator tournament during the show.

AEW Battle Of The Belts is the first of the four Saturday Night Specials the company will be producing this year. It will be taking place from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 8.

Tony Khan Confirms AEW Battle Of The Belts Length

AEW Rampage Results (1/7): Adam Cole vs. Jake Atlas, Cody Pulled From Battle Of The Belts

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage aired tonight on TNT. It was the final show before Battle of the Belts tomorrow night. Adam Cole battled the newly signed Jake Atlas. It was announced that Ricky Starks will defend the FTW Championship against Matt Sydal tomorrow night at Battle of the Belts.

Rampage Results

  1. Adam Cole def. Jake Atlas via submission
  2. Hook def. Aaron Solo via submission
  3. Riho & Ruby Soho def. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter
  4. Eddie Kingston, Santana, Ortiz def. Daniel Garcia & 2point0

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole def. Jake Atlas

Adam Cole faced Jake Atlas in the first match of the night. Cole and Atlas locked up in the middle of the ring to start the match off. Cole went for The Boom (Last Shot) early but Atlas dodged it. The action spilled to the outside and Cole launched Atlas into the ring post. Back in the ring, Cole connected with a Backstabber before applying a headlock as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Atlas took control and sent Cole to the outside. Jake connected with a dive through the ropes before the action returned to the ring. Atlas looked to have injured his knee during a springboard move. Cole was going to hit the Panama Sunrise but switched to a Knee Bar for the submission victory.

https://twitter.com/JakeAtlasReal/status/1479654945074913281?s=20
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1479652395491680259?s=20

Hook Tapped Out Aaron Solo

Hook faced Aaron Solo tonight on Rampage. Hook took Solo down and Aaron retreated to the ropes to regroup. QT Marshall grabbed Hook’s leg for a distraction and Solo took advantage with some strikes. Hook connected with a Russian Leg Sweep and followed it up with a Suplex. Hook then locked in the Redrum for the submission victory.

Riho & Ruby Soho Picked Up A Win

Ruby Soho & Riho faced AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter. Rebel was ringside for the math. Riho and Soho isolated Hayter in the corner but couldn’t put her away. Hayter escaped and tagged in the women’s champion. Rebel tripped up Ruby and Britt capitalized as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Soho was trapped in the ring as Hayter & Baker focused their attack on Ruby’s shoulder. Ruby connected with a Suplex and tagged in Riho. Riho booted Hayter in the face and went for the cover but Britt broke it up at the last moment.

Riho planted Hayter with a DDT for a two count and then made her way to the top turnbuckle. Baker shoved Riho off the turnbuckle and beat her down with Hayter. Jamie went for a strike but Riho ducked and she wound up hitting Britt by accident. Riho rolled Hayter up for the pinfall victory. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter shoved each other after the match but Rebel calmed them down. Britt Baker will defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Riho tomorrow night at Battle of the Belts.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1479659179417681920?s=20

Cody Rhodes Pulled From Battle of the Belts, Interim TNT Title Match Announced

It was announced that Cody was pulled from the TNT Championship match tomorrow night due to COVID protocol and that Dustin Rhodes will replace him. Dustin Rhodes will face Sammy Guevara for the “interim TNT Championship”.

Dan Lambert cut another promo tonight during Rampage. Lambert was backstage for this one and Men of the Year (Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky) were by his side. Lambert mocked Tony Khan’s booking and the interim TNT Championship match. Scorpio Sky claimed that he should have been given the title because he hasn’t been defeated in a long time. Ethan Page added that he will be watching tomorrow night.

Kingston, Santana, Ortiz def. Garcia & 2point0

Eddie Kingston, Santana, Ortiz faced 2point0 (Jeff Parker, Matt Lee) and Daniel Garcia in a No Disqualifications match. The match started out in a brawl on the entrance ramp and to the ringside area. Eddie sent Garcia into the barricade and grabbed a trash can. Kingston bashed Garcia over the head with the trash can and started choking him. Garcia battled back and shoved Kingston into the ring apron but Eddie responded with a Suplex on the floor. Santana & Ortiz followed it up with a Suplex of their own as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Garcia was going to work on Eddie Kingston’s leg. Santana & Ortiz delivered a Piledriver on top of a steel chair to Jeff Parker during the commercial break. Santana hit a Frog Splash but got powder thrown in his face by Matt Lee. Matt went for the cover but Ortiz broke it up at two. Lee planted Ortiz with a DDT as Daniel Garcia brought the bell into the ring.

Lee and Parker held Eddie Kingston up and Garcia bashed him over the head with the ring bell. Garcia went for the cover but Eddie Kingston kicked out at two and the match continued. 2point0 brought Kingston out of the ring and Suplexed him through the timekeeper’s table. Back in the ring, Santana & Ortiz beat Garcia down. Santana & Ortiz then hit Parker with a bunch of strikes and Santana leveled him with a lariat for the pinfall victory. Garcia and 2point0 attacked after the match but Jericho made the save to close the show.

WWE Royal Rumble: Reigns vs. Rollins Set, Stars Returning For Women’s Match

Andrew Ravens
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The SmackDown brand main event for the WWE Royal Rumble has been set as Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Title against Seth Rollins. 

After The Usos retained their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against The New Day on Friday’s SmackDown, Adam Pearce announced Reigns vs. Rollins. They then cut to Reigns’ dressing room where “The Big Dog” and Seth Rollins appeared. The show closed with Rollins laughing as he stood face to face with Reigns. 

Also, WWE announced several competitors for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match during a promo segment with Charlotte Flair. Mickie James, Nikki & Brie Bella, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, and Lita will be returning for the match. Flair also announced her entry into the bout. Finally, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H, Shotzi, Natalya, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Tamina, Aliyah, Naomi, and Shayna Baszler have been added. 

WWE acknowledged that James is the current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion as she is set to defend it against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas death match at Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view this Saturday. James was released by WWE during the April 2021 roster cuts.

WWE Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri from The Dome at America’s Center on Peacock. 

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley and Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse was previously announced for the show.

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