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Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar Set For WWE Royal Rumble

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As expected, Bobby Lashley is next in line to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens in a Fatal 4-Way Match with the winner becoming the number 1 contender was booked as the main event from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC.

It was a wild match with them brawling in the stands and backstage. Lashley pinned Owens with a spear. 

Just like it was previously reported, this match is going to take place at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri from The Dome. 

Big E vs. Rollins vs. Owens vs. Lashley was originally supposed to be the WWE Championship match at Day 1 this past Saturday night. However, the show had to be changed in a big way when Roman Reigns tested positive for COVID-19. Thus, he was pulled from his scheduled Universal Title match with Brock Lesnar at the event. Lesnar pinned Big E to win the WWE Championship.

WWE is still planning to continue the feud between Lesnar and Reigns despite Lesnar being moved internally to the Raw roster with the idea that he is a free agent as a way for him to appear on Friday Night SmackDown. 

Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman Reunite On WWE Raw

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Brock Lesnar has officially reunited with his advocate Paul Heyman on WWE television just 24 hours after he won the WWE Title. 

During Monday Night Raw, Heyman introduced Lesnar to kick off the show, which was the Day 1 fallout episode as Lesnar credited Heyman for pulling the strings to get him added to the WWE Championship match. This was after his match at Day 1 with Roman Reigns was nixed when the Universal Champion had to pull out due to him testing positive for COVID-19. Lesnar also gave Heyman credit for his “free agent” status in WWE. 

Lesnar defeated Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley in a fatal five-way match to win the WWE Championship in the headliner of the show. 

Lesnar called himself the real champion in WWE and mocked Reigns by telling the crowd to “acknowledge me.” Heyman took a shot at Reigns by saying that after only one week without him as Reigns’ special counsel, Reigns already has COVID.

Three weeks ago, Reigns fired Heyman as his special counsel after questioning Heyman’s loyalty during the main event segment on SmackDown then attacked him. WWE reportedly still has plans for Reigns vs. Lesnar despite “The Beast Incarnate” being on Raw. 

Chris Sabin Discusses ROH Championship match at Hard To Kill

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Impact Wrestling talent Chris Sabin is looking forward to challenging Jonathan Grisham for the ROH World Championship. The anticipated match will take place at Hard to Kill on January 8th.

The Sportster’s Denise Salcedo interviewed Sabin ahead of his match with Grisham. He shared that he didn’t know that Impact Wrestling booked the match until they announced it online. Salcedo mentioned that Sabin would join the likes of Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, and Eddie Edwards to win the ROH Championship and the Impact(Formerly TNA) World Heavyweight Championship. When asked what winning the ROH World Championship could mean for Sabin, he discussed how it adds to his career.

“…That’s something that you could always go back to and reference as some sort of history in wrestling that you made,” said Sabin. He continued, “…It’s not easy to really to do something new and solidify your name and on such a historic level like that by winning two world championships and two different companies like that. But yeah, it would mean a lot, and it would just, you know, add to my credentials of my career, and it was something I would be proud of.”

Chris Sabin Thoughts on Jonathan Gresham

In the interview, Sabin had positive things to say about his opponent. He praised Gresham’s work ethic and his style. Sabin also credited his opponent for being influential to other wrestlers.

“…I respect John a lot. I mean, he works really hard to be a unique talent just to be something different,” said Sabin. He explains, “Obviously, he works hard in the gym, he works hard when he’s training in the ring outside of wrestling, and you can just tell by his body of work. He’s just an amazing talent.”

https://twitter.com/TheJonGresham/status/1477808892071530501

Jonathan Gresham Title Defense

Sabin vs. Gresham for the ROH World Championship will be the first time an ROH champion will defend the title under Impact Wrestling. While it’s unclear who will win, Gresham is scheduled to defend the title at Terminus and The WRLD on GCW later this month. Regardless, Sabin will have the opportunity to make history when he challenges Gresham this Saturday.

Update on Ember Moon’s Future Following WWE Release

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Ember Moon will be a free agent in just a month’s time.

She posted a Tweet on Monday revealing that she will officially be a free agent in just 30 days.

So, what’s next for Ember Moon? She’s back to using the ring name Athena and her first post-WWE appearance has been announced.

Athena will be appearing at Baltimore Celebfest 3 on Sunday, February 6th.

The former NXT Women’s Champion and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion will be signing autographs at the event.

If you’re in the Baltimore area and want to meet Athena (fka Ember Moon) next month, head over to Eventbrite.com for ticket information.

Kurt Angle Shares Advice To Newcomers In Wrestling Industry

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Kurt Angle has some sound advice to those who are looking to make a name for themselves in wrestling.

The wrestling business could always use aspiring talent. No matter how many wrestlers come and go, there will always be a need for talent throughout various promotions.

A lot of wrestlers were inspired to get their start by stars such as Angle. One fan sought out the Olympic gold medalist’s advice.

Kurt Angle’s Wrestling 101

On an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle answered a fan’s request for advice on how to get noticed as a wrestler.

“Make sure that you got your psychology, how to put together a match, how to structure it. Make sure your bumping is sharp and your selling is phenomenal.

“What you need to do is when you have shows you need to record these matches and you can watch them over and over again and make yourself improve.

“Improve every week and get better and when you think you’re good enough, record these matches and send them to the WWE talent relations department.

“That’s how you get noticed. That’s where they have the tryouts for NXT. That’s where they pick the people that come down to try out for the company.”

Angle entered the WWE as a premier athlete given his amateur wrestling credentials. It didn’t take long for Angle to develop a personality that related to the fans and it lead to a legendary career.

Today, Angle is a retired WWE Hall of Famer.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

Bully Ray: D-Von Felt Ring Of Honor Was Beneath Him

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Bully Ray has looked back on the time D-Von felt he was above a run in ROH.

Bully and D-Von were a legendary tag team as The Dudley Boyz. They made their mark in ECW, WWE, and TNA Wrestling. Eventually, the team split apart and Bully found himself going solo in ROH.

Bully Ray Claims D-Von Wasn’t Sold On ROH

During an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray made quite the claim that D-Von felt ROH was beneath him.

“I’ll never forget the first day I was there. They asked me, ‘Hey man, what do you wanna do?’ I said, ‘I wanna work with The Briscoes.’

“That was the big deal for me, I wanted to work with The Briscoes. Me and D-Von when we had left the WWE for the second time actually had a deal in place from Ring of Honor to work with The Briscoes.

“It was supposed to be The Dudleyz vs. The Briscoes. D-Von felt that Ring of Honor was beneath him. I completely disagreed so we never got Dudleyz vs. Briscoes.

“I went there and I made sure I got to do something with them because I had a lot of respect for those two guys.”

Bully ended up winning the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Jay and Mark Briscoe. The Briscoes are heavily rumored to be making their way to AEW soon. The team has already been feuding with FTR.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

TNT Championship Rematch Set for AEW Battle of the Belts

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All Elite Wrestling has announced another championship match for Saturday night’s AEW Battle of the Belts special.

Sammy Guevara will get a rematch against Cody Rhodes after the American Nightmare captured the gold from the Spanish God last week.

AEW Battle of the Belts is a 1-hour special that airs this Saturday night on TNT. It’s part of a big week of programming for AEW, which kicks off with Dynamite’s move to TBS this Wednesday night.

AEW Battle of the Belts Card

The following matches are signed for AEW Battle of the Belts

  • TNT Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara
  • AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker vs. Riho

Expect to see at least one more match added to the card at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

Angelo Dawkins Shares His Dream Match for Wrestlemania 38

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The Street Profits Angelo Dawkins has shared his dream match for Wrestlemania 38. This year, the event occurs at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 2nd and 3rd.

Dawkins appeared on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, where he revealed his dream match. He wants to team with Montez Ford to challenge The New Day and The Usos in a three-way tag team match for the Raw and Smackdown Tag Team Championships. He also wants to show that The Street Profits are on the same level as both teams.

“…Us, me and Tez vs. The New Day vs. The Usos for all the marbles. Both tag team titles on the line,” said Dawkins. He explains, “We beat The New Day at Survivor Series. We have yet to beat the Usos. They probably have the best rivalry in tag team history, pretty much. New Day being dawned the greatest tag team ever in WWE history, and the Usos are right up there with them at the mountaintop, and we’re the new kids on the block that are still trying to find our way, but we scratch the surface because we beat The New Day, but now we have to beat the Usos, but if we beat them both, we’re right up there with them.”

Street Profits Waiting on Wrestlemania Moment

The Street Profits have yet to perform at Wrestlemania in front of a crowd. WWE didn’t have them on Wrestlemania 37 last year. They also won a tag team match against Angel Garza and Austin Theory at Wrestlemania 36 on April 5th, 2020. However, due to Covid-19, they wrestled to no audience. When asked by Satin if Dawkins was frustrated that The Street Profits weren’t at Wrestlemania 37, Dawkins said he wasn’t.

“…Everything happens for a reason. I’ve always prided myself for being a patient guy, and I got a feeling that we are going to be on this year’s Wrestlemania. If not, we’ll be on next year’s Wrestlemania. I’m just going to have that mindset, and patience has always been a key for me and Tez, and we’ve both like prided ourselves on that no matter what,” said Dawkins.

What’s Next for The Street Profits

The Street Profits lost a Raw Tag Team Championship match against RK-BRO at Day 1 on January 1st. The Usos also defeated The New Day to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships at Day 1. However, it doesn’t look like their rivalry is over. For Dawkins to have his dream match, The Street Profits will need to win the Raw Tag Team Championships. If that happens, the WWE could potentially have The Street Profits vs. The Usos vs. The New Day in a winner takes all match at Wrestlemania 38. It’s unclear if WWE has plans for The Street Profits, but Dawkins seems to have an exciting idea for fans.

Brock Lesnar Added To Raw Roster, But Will Remain a “Free Agent”

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Brock Lesnar shocked the world by capturing the WWE Championship once again at Saturday’s Day 1 pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA.

Lesnar was a late addition to the multi-man title match after his original opponent Roman Reigns tested positive for Covid-19 and was unable to compete.

lesnar champion 1
Brock Lesnar (Photo: WWE)

Brock Lesnar will remain a “free agent” in WWE storylines, according to a report at PWInsider.com. This means Lesnar could show up on Raw or SmackDown at any time. However, The Beast Incarnate has “officially shifted over to the Raw roster internally.”

The new WWE Champion will be on hand for tonight’s WWE Raw, which takes place from Greenville, South Carolina at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

As of this writing, the only match advertised for the show is United States Champion Damien Priest vs. Dolph Ziggler.

We can also expect fallout from Day 1, including Big E losing the WWE Championship, as well as early build for the Royal Rumble.

Odyssey Jones Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Social Media Post

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Omari Palmer, better known to wrestling fans as Odyssey Jones is being called out for having made a transphobic social media post recently.

Jones posted a picture to his Instagram stories of an article headline that reads, “A transgender ‘man’ who “gave birth” is outraged over nurses calling him ‘mom'” and added 3 laughing emojis to the post.

Jones has since set his Twitter account to private.

https://twitter.com/TransGraps/status/1477777824228462592
https://twitter.com/TransGraps/status/1477778322272800774

Odyssey Jones in WWE

Odyssey Jones
Odyssey Jones

Odyssey Jones, 27, has been with WWE since 2019. He previously played football for the Syracuse Orange.

In addition to wrestling on NXT, he worked a series of dark matches on the main roster in September and July of last year.

Earlier this year, Odyssey Jones was on Corey Graves’ After the Bell podcast and spoke about having been recruited to WWE by Mark Henry.

“Every year, Joe [Saladino] does a jiu jitsu symposium in New Jersey. For some reason, Mark Henry went one time,” Jones said.

“I don’t know what Mark Henry knows about jiu jitsu, but Mark Henry was there. They talked and exchanged contacts. Next thing you know, he was sending him pictures of me and him in the gym to Mark Henry. Next thing you know, I’m getting a call from Canyon (Ceman) contacting me for a tryout, and you know, the rest is history.”

Mickie James On WWE Rejecting Pitch For Storyline With Chelsea Green

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Mickie James has spoken previously about wanting to have worked an angle with Chelsea Green that mirrored the one she had with Trish Stratus leading up to WrestleMania 22. She recently spoke to Metro UK about what she felt when WWE decided not to go forward with the idea.

“Within the pitch of Chelsea Green on the way out, it would’ve been a perfect, magical re-circling way to build Chelsea and elevate her and make her a star as I was transitioning to find my foot into this other [backstage] role,” James said.

“For me, I felt like it was the perfect set of business but didn’t seem to hit on that level, and whatever. I don’t wanna say, “I get it” because I don’t get it.”

Green would have portrayed the stalker role similar to what James did in 2005/06 while James would have been in the Trish Stratus role.

“I know that that story would have been money and I know that would have ended up probably rivaling Trish and I’s angle, because it was going to mimmick and mirror it, but in a different capacity so well,” James continued.

Leading up to WrestleMania 22, James’ character was portrayed as something of a stalker for Trish Stratus. James won the WWE Women’s Championship from Stratus on the show, just months after making her debut with the company.

Both Chelsea Green and Mickie James were released earlier this year on April 15th, 2021. Green and James are both now with the NWA and Impact Wrestling.

Watch: Triple H Discusses WWE Recruiting College Athletes

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Paul “Triple H” Levesque has made his first public appearance since undergoing heart surgery following a ‘cardiac event’ back in September.

Triple H appeared on the New Year’s Day edition of NBC’s Nightly News broadcast to discuss WWE’s new NIL initiative to recruit collegiate athletes.

A new era for college sports is underway after the National Labor Relations Board authorized NCAA athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.

College sports are an $18 billion industry, so there are many new (and lucrative) opportunities for the athletes responsible for generating this money.

WWE’s NIL Program

WWE recently launched the NIL (“Next In Line”) program and signed 15 athletes they believe could be the Superstars of tomorrow.

Triple H Comments

Triple H is the Executive Vice President of WWE’s Global Talent Strategy & Development division. He has a big influence recruiting and developing these athletes.

“To allow college students to sort of monetize and utilize their name, image and likeness it’s opened up an avenue for us,” said Triple H. “This allows them to have that open door to earn money while in college.”

Recent WWE signee Joe Spivak, a football player at Northwestern University, was also interviewed for the segment.

Watch Triple H’s appearance on NBC’s Nightly News:

https://youtu.be/-BexsJl4MEU?t=964

Triple H spoke with Fast Company in December and had this to say about the WWE NIL program:

“We immediately saw it as an amazing recruiting tool for us because it allows us to show athletes a path to WWE, and engage with them in a way where they can learn more about it, we can learn more about them, all while working together, and finding out if it’s a good fit before they’re even finished college, and before they need to make any decisions about what they’re going to do in that next stage of their life.”

Tony Khan Comments On His New Year’s Resolutions For AEW

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Tony Khan was recently interviewed by CBS Sports. During the discussion, he spoke about what his new year’s resolutions for AEW are in 2022.

“To continue expanding,” Khan said. “We’ve got the Battle of the Belts, and the Owen Hart Cup, and so much more to come in 2022. We’ve developed the roster so much in the past year, more than I honestly had ever dreamed we could going into the year.”

“So I look forward to what’s ahead in 2022. What a year it was. Our four pay-per-views this year happened to be the four biggest pay-per-views we’ve ever done. Our top four box office shows of all time. The last two are the top two. We’ve ended up in an amazing place and it’s very exciting going into 2022.” 

When asked about what wrestlers he expects to have a big year in 2022, Khan mentioned Dante and Darius Martin.

“I think for a variety of reasons, there’s a number of people I’m excited to feature in the coming year,” Khan said. “For example, it was completely out of everyone’s control, but Darius Martin has been out injured and I think he’s tremendous. I would love to get him back soon and teaming with his brother, Dante. Dante has become a big star and I think they were tremendous as a tag team.”

Khan also spoke about the success AEW has seen over the last year on PPV and numerous other topics. The AEW President noted how the roster for his company has expanded well beyond what he dreamed it could have in the last year as well as Serena Deeb’s role as a producer backstage.

The full interview with Tony Khan can be heard in the player below:

The Miz Comments On How John Morrison Made Him A Better WWE Superstar

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John Morrison was released from WWE on November 18th, 2021. He had re-signed with the company in 2019 after having left in 2011. His tag team partner and run-in buddy, The Miz, recently spoke about Morrison during an appearance on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s podcast “Wrestling with Freddie”. During the discussion, The Miz spoke about how he feels Morrison made him a better WWE Superstar.

“If you want to be in the entertainment industry, you have to be a sponge and you have to be willing to fail. As much as you [Freddie Prinze Jr.] said I was the glue in Miz & Morrison, it’s not true. Morrison is such an out-of-the-box thinker. He would think of the oddest, weird things that aren’t supposed to work and then we would come together and make them work.

“We had such great chemistry, and he’s so smart and able, and willing, and we both push each other to be the best that we possibly can, so we’re both the glue in that. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. John pushes me to be the best Superstar I could possibly be and he always has.”

Morrison and Miz won the Smackdown tag-team championships from the New Day at Super Showdown on February 27th, 2020. They’d drop the titles back to New Day on an episode of Smackdown just less than two months later. In Morrison’s first run with the company, they won tag team gold twice as well. In 2008, they won the Slammy Award for best tag team of the year.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

Sasha Banks “Good” After Injury Scare at Live Event (Video)

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Sasha Banks says she’s fine after an injury scare at a WWE live event over the weekend.

Banks wrestled Charlotte Flair at Sunday’s house show from the Crown Coliseum Arena in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Mid-way through the match, Charlotte delivered a backbreaker to her longtime rival. Sasha Banks’ left ankle appeared to buckle as she landed.

She was helped to the backstage area by WWE officials, leaving fans to wonder if she’s the latest Superstar to go down with a health-related issue.

You can see video of the spot in question here:

Here is a zoomed-in look at the way she landed. Your ankle is definitely not supposed to bend like that.

https://twitter.com/uncrownedkingjj/status/1477834866645295104?s=21

Sasha Banks Update

Sasha Banks provided an update on her condition late Sunday night.

The Boss let her fans know she’s “good” and thanked everybody for their concern.

The Dudley Boyz React To The Usos Using The 3-D

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Last night on WWE’s Day 1 PPV from Atlanta, the Usos defeated the New Day after using a 3-D. The move was previously used by Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley. The Usos are referring to the move as the “1 and Done” or “1D”.

Bully Ray posted the following to social media:

To which the Usos responded with:

D-Von Dudley works as a producer in WWE. While he didn’t respond to Bully Ray’s Tweet, he did offer up his own praise for the Usos.

“Fantastic match between the Usos and the new day!!! Great way to end the match with a 3-D fantastic job boys …. Oh testify!!!!!” He wrote.

The Dudley Boyz were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018. They are former 9x WWE tag team champions, 1x WCW tag team champions (while in WWE), 1x NWA tag team champions (in TNA), 2x TNA tag team champions, and 8x ECW tag team champions.

The Usos are 7x WWE tag team champions. They also won the Slammy award in 2014 and 2015 for tag-team of the year. In 2017, they also won the Smackdown tag team champions vs RAW tag team champions match at Survivor Series against Cesaro and Sheamus.

Ridge Holland Suffers Broken Nose At Day 1

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Ridge Holland teamed with Sheamus to take on Ricochet and Cesaro on a pre-match show on the Day 1 PPV. Early in the match, Ricochet kicked Holland square in the nose while attempting an assisted 450 splash. Blood came pouring out of Holland’s nose. He quickly tagged out and was then attended to by trainers on the floor. He never returned to the match.

Despite not having a partner for the majority of the match, Sheamus picked up the victory for his team after hitting a Brogue Kick on Cesaro.

The broadcast team announced during the match that Holland had suffered a broken nose and would not return.

Real name Luke Menzies, Holland is a former professional Rugby League player. He started training for a wrestling career in 2016 and eventually signed with WWE in 2018. During the WWE Draft back in October, Holland was selected by Smackdown. He would later debut in November with Sheamus as his mentor.

The match on Day 1 was just his 4th televised match on the main roster. He was eliminated from a battle royal on the 11/26 Smackdown, he lost to Cesaro on the 11/26 Smackdown, and defeated Cesaro on the 12/17 Smackdown.

Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona Get Married

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Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green were officially married this weekend. Since the wedding did not appear on a wrestling show, it happened without incident and the two are now officially married. Numerous personalities from around the world of wrestling attended the event.

The couple announced their engagement in April of 2019, at the onset of the global pandemic. They have been dating since 2017.

Green and Cardona both perform for Impact Wrestling currently. In an angle on 12/17 show, Cardona accidentally hit Green with a chair shot while aiming for Moose. Cardona will challenge for the Impact World Championship against Moose and W. Morrissey on the Hard to Kill PPV.

Chelsea Green Talks WWE Release

Green was released from her WWE contract in April of this year. She later appeared on Busted Open Radio and spoke about her reaction.

“I had no clue,” Green said of her release. “My initial reaction was that I had no reaction and I just got down to business. I opened up my Pro Wrestling Tees store, then contacted Ring of HonorNWA, and Impact and stuff. But then later on, slowly as time has gone by, it’s been one of – I just think it was a missed opportunity.” 

Jeff Jarrett Appears On GCW PPV

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Jeff Jarrett made an unadvertised appearance on GCW’s Die For This PPV. Effy was in the ring when the lights went out. When the lights came back on there was a masked figure wearing a cowboy hat in the ring. The person then hit Effy with a guitar and took off the mask to reveal that it was Jeff Jarrett.

https://twitter.com/KVR216/status/1477467943835512839

Jarrett hasn’t wrestled an official match since the spring of 2019.

GCW Die For This PPV Results

The PPV emanated from the Carousel Room At Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It aired as a PPV on FITE TV.

  1. GCW Tag Team Championships
    The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) (c) defeated Alex Zayne & Blake Christian 
  2. Calvin Tankman defeated Yoya
  3. Joey Janela defeated Scotty 2 Hotty 
  4. GCW World Title #1 Contendership Rumble Match
    Homicide defeated AJ Gray and Allie Katch and Atticus Cogar and Billie Starkz and Colby Corino and Cole Radrick and Dante Leon and Dark Sheik and Effy and G-Raver and Grim Reefer and Homicide and Jack Cartwheel and Jimmy Lloyd and Jordan Oliver and Matthew Justice and Nick Wayne and Ninja Mack and PCO and Shane Mercer 
  5. GCW Ultraviolent Championship
    Alex Colon (c) defeated John Wayne Murdoch 

Kofi Kingston Reacts To Big E’s Title Loss

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Big E lost the WWE Championship last night at the Day 1 PPV in Atlanta. He was pinned by Brock Lesnar in a fatal 5-way match. Kofi Kingston also once lost the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar, he reacted to Big E’s title loss on social media.

Big E Win/Loss Record Since Winning The WWE Championship

Big E won the title on the September 13th, 2021 edition of WWE RAW. He defended the title 3x during his reign. 1x against Bobby Lashley (9/27), 1x against Drew McIntyre (10/21), 1x against Austin Theory (11/22).

In singles matches, Big E lost to Roman Reigns at Survivor Series, to Kevin Owens via DQ on the 11/29 RAW, and to Bobby Lashley on the 12/13 RAW. On the 9/20 RAW, he also lost a triple threat to Roman Reigns (with Bobby Lashley being the 3rd competitor). On that same night, he dropped a trios match to Reigns and the Usos along with Kofi and Woods.

In tag-team action, Big E also lost to the Usos via count-out along with Drew McIntyre on the 10/11 RAW. On the 11/15 RAW he teamed with RK-Bro and lost to Seth Rollins and the Usos.

In total, since winning the title on 9/13 Big E was 7-3-1 in singles matches (including 3 title defenses), 0-2 in multi-person matches (including at Day 1), and he was 6-3 in tag-team matches.

Drew McIntyre Injured, Written Off Television For Now

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Drew McIntyre was victorious on Saturday night at WWE Day 1 in Atlanta, defeating Madcap Moss in a match that went right around 10 minutes. Following the match, there was a backstage segment where McIntyre was attacked by Moss and Baron Corbin.

According to a report from PWInsider, the backstage attack was to write-off McIntyre from television for the time being while he undergoes testing on a neck injury that he has been working through for a few weeks.

Right now, it’s not known how severe his neck injury is or how much time he will miss. The hope is that it will be a short-term situation, but one WWE source told PWInsider that everything is “up in the air” right now. The company is trying to be pro-active with the situation by writing McIntyre off television to have testing done now. McIntyre was reportedly wearing a neck brace when he left the arena in Atlanta tonight.

WWE is running with the injury in storyline form as well, but the injury is reportedly very real.

Despite being injured, McIntyre has been working twice as hard lately. Literally. On some of the recent WWE live events, McIntyre has actually been working two matches on the shows. He was starting out the events tagging with Sheamus against the Usos, then later facing Sheamus in Street Fights on the same show after Sheamus turned on him in the tag matches.

McIntyre figures to be one of the top names on SmackDown for WrestleMania season should he be available and healthy. Coming out of Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship victory at Day 1, there are multiple directions the company could take with Roman Reigns.

Most are expecting Reigns vs. Lesnar soon after the match was cancelled at WWE Day 1 due to Reigns testing positive for COVID-19. If that match happens at the Royal Rumble or Saudi Arabia show in February, it could leave Reigns open for a match with someone other than Lesnar at WrestleMania (Lesnar vs. Lashley has been hinted at as a Mania match). McIntyre could be a possible Reigns opponent should he be available. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of other options for him on SmackDown given the lack of depth at the top of the card.

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.

WWE Day 1 Results: Brock Lesnar Wins WWE Title, Beth Phoenix Returns

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WWE Day 1 aired live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Universal Champion Roman Reigns was scheduled to defend the title against but Brock Lesnar but was pulled from the show due to testing positive for COVID-19. Brock Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match making it a Fatal 5-Way main event.

Day 1 Results

  1. Ridge Holland & Sheamus def. Cesaro & Ricochet (Kickoff Show)
  2. The Usos def. New Day to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
  3. Drew McIntyre def. Madcap Moss
  4. RK-Bro def. Street Profits to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships
  5. Edge def. The Miz
  6. Becky Lynch def. Liv Morgan to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
  7. Brock Lesnar def. Big E, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley in a Fatal 5-Way to become the new WWE Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Usos Retained In A Great Match With New Day

The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against New Day in the first match of the night. New Day isolated Jimmy Uso and controlled the beginning of the match. Kingston knocked Jey off the apron but Jimmy caught Kofi with an Enziguri. Jimmy distracted the referee and Jey hit a Clothesline outside the ring.

Jey tagged in and rolled Kingston back into the ring. Jey connected with a Body Slam and posed for the crowd as Kofi regrouped in the corner. Kingston battled back with a stomp and made his way to the corner. Jimmy tagged in and booted Woods off the apron and dragged Kingston back to the corner of the ring.

Jey booted Kingston in the midsection and got distracted with the crowd. Uso perched Kofi up on the top turnbuckle and set up for a Superplex but Kingston broke free. Kofi headbutted Jey off the turnbuckle and leaped into an awesome Tornado DDT. Woods hopped up on the apron and fired up the crowd as he pleaded for a tag.

King Woods and Jimmy Uso tagged in and Woods unloaded some strikes. Woods hit a big Clothesline on Jimmy and then delivered a Dropkick to Jey. Xavier connected with a Russian Leg Sweep and kipped up to a great reaction from the crowd. Woods hit a Michinoku Driver and went for the cover but Jimmy kicked out at two. Jey Uso leaped in front of a Dropkick and it allowed Jimmy to battle back.

Jimmy connected with an uppercut and followed it up with a corkscrew splash off the top for a close two count. Jey tagged in and The Usos circled Woods. The Usos hit a pop-up Samoan Drop but Woods somehow was able to kick out at the last moment. Jey had an intense look in his eyes as King Woods hobbled to his feet.

Jey and Woods traded forearms to the face in the middle of the ring. Woods got the better of the exchange and both superstars fell to the mat. Kofi Kingston tagged in and climbed to the top rope. Kofi hit a Crossbody and went for the cover but couldn’t put Jey Uso away.

Jimmy stuck his head through the ropes and Kofi smacked him with a Superkick to the face. Kingston followed it up with the Boom Drop on Jey and fired up the crowd. Kofi geared up in the corner and went for Trouble in Paradise but Jey countered into a beautiful Superkick. Jimmy quickly tagged in and hit a Splash off the top but Kingston wouldn’t stay down!

Jimmy hit Kingston with a chop block and applied a Half Crab in the middle of the ring. Kofi fought through the pain and crawled towards the bottom rope to break the hold. Jimmy brought Kofi to the corner and tagged in Jey Uso. Woods dragged Jimmy out of the ring and sent him into the steel steps. Kofi rolled up Jey for a near fall and followed it up with an SOS for another two count.

King Woods tagged in and climbed to the top rope. Kofi hit a Backbreaker and Woods hit a Knee Drop for a two count. Kingston tagged back and climbed to the top rope. Jey escaped and tagged in Jimmy before hitting Kofi with a boot to the face. The Usos hit Kofi with a couple Superkicks and climbed to the top rope. The Usos hit Kofi with two Splashes but Woods broke up the cover at two and the match continued.

The Usos and New Day had a brief stare down before trading punches. Jimmy leveled Woods with a Superkick and tagged back in. The Usos isolated Kofi and hit the 3D for the pinfall victory. The Usos are still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Madcap Moss & Happy Corbin Brutally Attacked Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre dominated the action early but the momentum turned after Happy Corbin provided a distraction. Madcap shoved McIntyre into the ring post and applied a submission hold in the ring. Madcap hit a Suplex but McIntyre shrugged it off and planted Moss with a Neckbreaker. Drew connected with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Madcap stumbled a bit but recovered and hit an impressive Fallaway Slam for a two count. McIntyre battled back with the Future Shock DDT but Moss kicked out at two. Drew then hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory.

Later on Day 1, Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss brutally attacked Drew McIntyre backstage. Madcap put Drew’s head in a chair and Corbin bashed him with a steel beam.

RK-Bro Retained The RAW Tag Titles

RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) tonight at Day 1. Migos accompanied RK-Bro to the ring. Riddle and Angelo Dawkins started off the action. Riddle went for a Headlock but Dawkins escaped and hit a shoulder tackle.

Montez Ford tagged in and hit Riddle with a Dropkick to the face. Ford went for a cover but Riddle kicked out at two. Montez brought Riddle back to the corner and tagged Dawkins back in. Riddle then tagged in Orton and Randy got a great reaction as he entered the ring.

Dawkins hit a slam and mocked Orton’s pose. Randy smirked and locked up with Angelo in the middle of the ring. Orton went for the RKO but Dawkins blocked it at the last moment. Montez tagged in and danced around as Orton stared at him. Orton and Ford locked up and Montez drove Randy to the turnbuckle.

Montez hit Orton with a chop to the chest but Orton responded with one of his own and Ford sold it like he got hit by a Bronco. Orton hit a Dropkick and went for the cover but Ford kicked out at two. Riddle tagged in and hit a corkscrew splash for a two count.

Dawkins tagged back in but Riddle greeted him with some kicks to the chest. Angelo hit the Silencer and both superstars fell to the mat. Ford tagged in and caught Riddle with a knee to the face and then a Splash for a two count. Street Profits isolated Riddle in the corner and took turns beating him down.

Orton finally tagged back in and hit Street Profits with a double DDT as Migos cheered him on next to the commentary table. Orton geared up for the RKO and started pounding the canvas as Montez got up. Randy went for it but Ford was ready and countered with an Enziguri. Dawkins hit Riddle with a Fallaway Slam but Riddle responded with a Ripcord Knee. Angelo fell out of the ring and Riddle set up for a Moonsault but Ford knocked him to the floor. Montez hit an incredible flip over the ring post onto the RAW Tag Team Champions on the floor outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Riddle tripped Ford up on the turnbuckle. Randy climbed to the middle turnbuckle and went for a Suplex but Montez held onto the ropes. Ford headbutted Randy to the canvas and went or a Splash but Orton got out of the way. Riddle got in the ring and lifted Ford up into a pop-up RKO from Orton for the pinfall victory. RK-Bro are still the RAW Tag Team Champions.

Beth Phoenix Evened The Odds, Edge def. The Miz

Edge faced The Miz tonight at Day 1. Maryse accompanied The Miz to the ring for the match. Edge came to the ring with the Brood theme music before it transitioned to Metalingus. The crowd was heavily behind Edge as the two superstars locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action.

Edge hit a couple Arm Drags and went for a Crossface but Miz escaped to the corner of the ring. Miz knocked Edge out of the ring and Maryse provided a distraction. Miz capitalized and shoved Edge into the ring post before rolling him back into the ring. The Miz climbed to the top rope and hit a double axe handle.

The Miz focused his attack on the knee/leg of Edge and applied a submission hold. Edge escaped and stumbled to the corner. Miz went for a leaping Clothesline but wound up landing crotch-first on the middle turnbuckle. Edge hit a slam and went for the cover but Miz kicked out at two.

Edge connected with a Uranage for another near fall. Miz planted Edge with a DDT and went for the cover but the Rated R Superstar kicked out. Miz hit the It Kicks as the Atlanta crowd chanted that he sucks. Miz got distracted and Edge rolled him up for a two count. Edge hit a Facebuster on the floor outside the ring and brought him back inside. Edge went for the pin but Miz kicked out at two.

The action spilled out of the ring again and Miz bounced Edge’s face off the apron. Miz slammed Edge’s head off the announce table several times before rolling into the ring to pose for the crowd. Miz went for the Skull Crushing Finale on the announce table but Edge countered into a slam onto the table.

Back in the ring, Edge climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a Crossbody for a two count. The Miz got Edge in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Edge sat up with crazy eyes and reversed the hold but Miz grabbed the bottom rope to break it up. The Miz rolled up Edge and used the ropes for leverage but the referee caught him. Miz celebrated as if he won the match anyway before complaining to the ref.

Edge dragged Miz to the mat and applied the Crossface in the middle of the ring. Miz crawled around but Edge kept the hold locked in. Miz tried to escape again but Edge held on. Maryse grabbed Miz’s foot and put it on the rope to break the hold. Edge and Miz then connected with a kick to the face at the same time and both men fell to the canvas.

Miz and Edge traded punches in the middle of the ring. Miz hit some kicks and then the running Clothesline in the corner. The Miz climbed to the top rope but Edge caught him with a jab to the face. Edge hit an Arm Drag and geared up in the corner. Edge went for the Spear but Miz leaped out of the way.

Maryse hit Edge over the head and Miz followed it up with the Skull Crushing Finale but Edge kicked out at two. Beth Phoenix showed up on the entrance ramp and marched towards the ring. Maryse scamped away but Beth chased after her. Maryse ran up the entrance ramp and Beth argued with Miz. Edge hit Miz with a Spear as he turned around and celebrated with Beth after the win.

Becky Lynch Retained The RAW Women’s Title

Becky Lynch defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Liv Morgan tonight at the “premier live event” (WWE’s new phrase for PPV). Lynch drove Liv to the ropes and slapped her in the face to begin the action. Morgan shrugged it off and sent Becky tumbling out of the ring. Morgan followed her out there and bounced the champion’s head off the announce table several times.

Liv went for a Suicide Dive but Becky caught her with a boot to the face. Becky went for the Manhandle Slam but Liv countered into an Arm Drag. The challenger followed it up with a running knee to the face and Dropkick to the back of the head. Liv stomped on Lynch several times before going for the cover but the champ kicked out at two. Liv went for the Dis-Arm-Her and then got Lynch in an Armbar. Becky got to the bottom rope to break the hold and rolled out of the ring to regroup.

Lynch booted Liv in the face and made her way to the top rope. Liv caught her and sent her to the canvas with a slam for a two count. Becky bashed Liv’s head into the turnbuckle and went for the cover but Morgan kicked out at two. Lynch couldn’t believe that Liv kicked out and had a look of concern on her face.

Becky booted Liv in the back and choked her against the ropes while talking some trash. Lynch hit a Leg Drop while Liv was caught up in the ropes but Morgan kicked out at two. Becky got frustrated again and started wildly swinging at Liv and shoving her face into the mat.

Lynch hit an Exploder Suplex and went for the cover but Liv kicked out at two. Becky barked at the referee to count faster before swatting at Liv. Lynch stomped on Morgan a few times but got distracted by the crowd booing her. Liv capitalized and bounced Becky’s face off the top turnbuckle.

Liv hit a Jawbreaker for a near fall and followed up with an overhead kick. Morgan hopped to middle turnbuckle and connected with a Dropkick but Becky kicked out at two. Becky went for an Armbar but Liv quickly countered into a roll-up for a two count.

Both superstars battled on the turnbuckle and Becky set up for a Superplex. Liv blocked it and hit an awesome Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a two count. Morgan and Becky traded roll-ups but both superstars kicked out. Liv hit another Dropkick off the middle turnbuckle but couldn’t go for the cover because Lynch rolled out of the ring. Liv hit a Suicide Dive and rolled the champion back inside. Lynch rolled out of the ring again and Liv chased after her.

Lynch bounced Liv’s face off the announce table several times and got back into the ring. Becky wanted to win via count-out but Morgan made it back into the ring in time and the match continued. Lynch stomped on Liv as she rolled into the ring before throwing her back to the floor. Becky followed her and it backfired as Morgan launched the champion into the steel steps.

Morgan returned the favor and stomped on Becky’s arm over and over while it was trapped in the steps. However, Lynch caught Liv with a kick to the face as the action returned to the ring. Becky climbed to the middle turnbuckle but Liv hit a slam into the Rings of Saturn. Lynch escaped by rolling Liv up for a two count. Liv went for the Oblivion but Becky held onto the ropes and hit the Manhandle Slam for the pinfall victory. It looked like Becky was supposed to get her feet on the bottom rope for leverage but was too far away. Instead, it was a clean finish and Becky Lynch is still the RAW Women’s Champion.

Brock Lesnar Captured The WWE Championship

Big E defended the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley in a Fatal 5-Way. Owens and Rollins went after Lesnar right away but Brock hit him with some German Suplexes. Big E and Lashley battled on the outside as Lesnar lifted Seth up for an F5. Owens broke it up and Brock hit him with another German Suplex.

WWE Champion Big E got into the ring and knocked Lesnar to the outside. Lashley bashed Big E into the ring post and then Speared Brock Lesnar through the barricade. Lashley hit Owens with a Neckbreaker and then lifted Seth up for a Suplex. Owens broke it up with a Superkick to Lashley. Rollins hit Brock with a Suicide Dive through the ropes and Owens followed it up with a Frog Splash off the ring apron.

Rollins & Owens grabbed the steel steps and bashed Bobby Lashley in the face. They did the same to Brock Lesnar before clearing off the announce table. Rollins and Owens went for a Suplex off the steps through the table but Lashley escaped. Big E showed up and planted Lashley through the announce table with a Uranage.

Kevin Owens leveled Big E with a Superkick and rolled the champion back into the ring. Owens and Rollins then delivered a DDT to Brock Lesnar on top of the steel steps. Big E hit Rollins with a Uranage but turned around into a pop-up Powerbomb from Owens for a near fall.

Owens climbed to the top rope and went for a Swanton but Big E got his knees up. Rollins flew out of nowhere with a Frog Splash on Big E for a two count and the match continued. Seth set up for the Stomp but Lesnar got back into the ring and hit the F5. Brock delivered an F5 to Big E and then another one to Kevin Owens. Lashley leveled Brock with a Spear and went for the cover but Brock kicked out at two.

Bobby got Brock in the Hurt Lock but Big E broke it up. Big E planted Lashley with the Big Ending and went for one on Brock but Lesnar escaped. Brock then planted Big E with the F5 for the pinfall victory. Brock Lesnar is the new WWE Champion.

Brock Lesnar Wins WWE Title At Day 1

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Big E made his first defense as WWE Champion in the new year when he took on Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens in a fatal 5-way match at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event. Lesnar was added to the bout after his planned Universal Title Match with Roman Reigns, who had to pull out due to testing positive for COVID-19, was nixed. 

It was a wild match. Lashley speared Lesnar through the barricade. Big E sent Lashley through the announce table. Lesnar hit a top of 4 F5’s in the match. The finish saw Big E with the Big Ending to Lashley. Lesnar with the F5 to Big E for the win to become the new WWE Champion. 

Originally, WWE announced that it would be a one-on-one match with Big E and Rollins. However, hours after announcing the match, Owens was added to the match after Rollins interfered in the Raw main event between Owens and Big E. 

Because Rollins attacked Owens, it gave “KO” the disqualification win. Because of the stipulation of the bout, Owens was added to the match and Rollins was seen frustrated in his heel ways. Rollins earned this title shot when he became the number one contender by winning a fatal four-way ladder match on Raw. Finn Balor, Owens, and Rey Mysterio were Rollins’ opponents in that number one contender’s match. Lashley was later added to the match after winning a gauntlet match on Raw. 

Big E has held the WWE Championship since cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Bobby Lashley this September.

Beth Phoenix Returns At WWE Day 1

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Beth Phoenix made her WWE return at the Day 1 pay-per-view event in order to help out her husband Edge during his match with The Miz.

Throughout the match, Miz had a lot of help from his wife Maryse at ringside. Near the end of the match, Maryse hit Edge with a bag that allowed Miz to score a close pinfall following a skull-crushing finale. When Maryse was arguing with the referee on the apron, Phoenix came out on the entrance ramp then chased off Maryse. 

Miz and Phoenix exchanged words as Edge recovered, which allowed Edge hit the spear and pinned Miz to win the match. Although not confirmed, there’s been plenty of speculation that WWE is headed towards booking a mixed tag team match between the two married couples. Now, the question is when and where it takes place. 

Phoenix had been an NXT commentator from 2019 until last month as she decided to step away from announcer duties with her last appearance was at NXT War Games.

After making his return to WWE TV following the company deciding on moving him from SmackDown to Raw, Edge has been feuding with Miz. When The Miz returned to WWE television, Maryse returned as well.

https://twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1477474077891780608

Becky Lynch Retains Raw Women’s Title At WWE Day 1

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Liv Morgan got her chance to step into the ring and challenge Becky Lynch for the WWE Raw Women’s Title a second time at the Day 1 pay-per-view event. 

The match featured Lynch in control early as she ragged dolled her around the ring until Morgan fought back including a drop kick off the middle rope. Morgan hit a spring board powerbomb for 2. Lynch won with her powerslam finisher. 

Their first match took place on the December 6th episode of Raw where Lynch retained the title against Morgan in the main event as she grabbed the bottom rope for extra leverage while pinning Morgan.

On the December 13th episode of Raw, Morgan interrupted Lynch and challenged her to a rematch. At first, Lynch denied cheating to win and that Morgan was an easy opponent. Also, Lynch thought Morgan should blame herself for not beating Lynch to it

Lynch eventually attacked her and trapped Morgan’s arm between the steel steps and the ring post and started stomping on it. Lynch then said if Morgan still wants that rematch then it came happened and it did. 

What are your thoughts on Becky Lynch retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.