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Kurt Angle Shares Advice To Newcomers In Wrestling Industry

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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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

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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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

Michael Reichlin
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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

Tyriece Simon
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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”

Michael Reichlin
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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.

Johnny Knoxville Says He Wants to Enter WWE Royal Rumble

Odyssey Jones Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Social Media Post

Chris Stephens
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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

Chris Stephens
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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

Michael Reichlin
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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.

WWE Unveils Inagrual NIL Class

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

Chris Stephens
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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

Chris Stephens
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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)

Michael Reichlin
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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

Chris Stephens
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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

Chris Stephens
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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

Chris Stephens
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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.

Impact Results (12/16): Chelsea Green Knocked Out By Chairshot During Contract Signing

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 Honor, NWA, 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.” 

Chelsea Green Was More Angry Than Sad Following WWE Release

Jeff Jarrett Appears On GCW PPV

Chris Stephens
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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

Chris Stephens
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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

Ryan Droste
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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

Robert Lentini
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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

Andrew Ravens
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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

Andrew Ravens
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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

Andrew Ravens
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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.

Roman Reigns Tests Positive For COVID-19, Pulled From WWE Day 1 Match

Andrew Ravens
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WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar was originally booked for the Day 1 pay-per-view event in Atlanta, Georgia, but that match has been scrapped due to “The Big Dog” testing positive for COVID-19. Ariel Helwani first reported that Reigns is battling the virus and he is vaccinated. 

WWE has since announced that Lesnar has been added to the WWE Title bout with WWE Champion Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley, now making it a fatal 5-way. 

Reigns issued the following statement on the situation: 

“I yearn to perform tonight at #WWEDay1 to defend my Universal Championship. However, unfortunately, earlier today I tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the proper protocols I am unable to compete as originally scheduled. I look forward to returning to action as soon as possible.”

It’s been reported that WWE plans for Lesnar and Reigns to have multiple matches during this latest installment of their feud. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, there was a concern for Reigns as he has beaten Leukemia and he is immunocompromised. Reigns has publicly talked about WWE taking extra precautions for him while he travels. We wish Reigns a speedy recovery during this time. 

Johnny Knoxville Says He Wants to Enter WWE Royal Rumble

Ryan Droste
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It didn’t take long for a new year to bring more celebrity involvement in the world of professional wrestling. Johnny Knoxville took to his Instagram page to declare he is getting ready to enter this year’s WWE Royal Rumble, which takes place at the end of this month in St. Louis, Missouri.

The star of Jackass and various movies, including The Dukes of Hazzard, published a video to proclaim his goal.

“Alright, it’s New Year’s Day and I’ve been thinking about all the things I want to do in 2022,” Knoxville says (h/t Wrestling Inc). “And of course, Jackass Forever comes out February 4th and I’m happy about that, but I want to do something else. Something big! That’s right, I want to make a run for the Rumble. I am talking about the WWE’s Royal Rumble. 30 men enter, one guy is left standing — that’s me.

“You know, I’ve seen the current list of WWE wrestlers, and frankly, I’m not impressed. They don’t have anyone big enough to throw me over the top rope! What, is ‘Little’ E or Roman ‘Ruins’ going to do it? Hah! And Vince McMahon, you’ve always been kind to us and I sincerely appreciate it, but I sincerely hope you are auditioning bigger, tougher talent for the 2022 Royal Rumble because I don’t want to hurt anyone! So, just like the shirt says, Johnny Knoxville — World Champ. Woohoo!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYMmdWGq5FL/

The caption of the Instagram video is similar but also calls out some of the Knoxville’s favorite wrestlers from over the years. He wrote:

“Happy New Year’s Day and love to everyone. I have a big announcement that I have been dying to get off of my chest. I spent a lot of times over the holiday thinking about how i wanted to start off my 2022, and I decided I want to do it kicking ass and taking names. And the best way to do that i feel is making a run for the Rumble, that’s right @WWE’s Royal Rumble.

“Training starts today, not that I will need a lot of it because I have seen the WWE’s current roster and it’s laughable to think anyone can throw me over the top rope,” Johnny wrote. “LAUGHABLE! I will be channeling my wrestling heroes like @therock, Abdullah the Butcher and the great Gorilla Monsoon. The way I’m looking at it I am giving myself a %100 chance of winning. What chance do you think I have? Sincerely, Johnny Knoxville, World Champ #roadtowrestlemania #royalrumble #wwe #jackassforever”

This year’s Royal Rumble wouldn’t be the first run-in with the wrestling business for Knoxville. He and some of his fellow Jackass stars were set for a match with Umaga at SummerSlam in 2007, but Knoxville eventually pulled out of that deal.

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 Staff Predictions

Michael Reichlin
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Happy New Year to our readers all around the world. 2022 is upon us and WWE isn’t wasting any time getting back to business.

Tonight, WWE presents the inaugural Day 1 pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena. The event streams live on Peacock and the WWE Network.

WWE Day 1 Matches

Here’s the final card for tonight’s PPV:

  • Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley
  • Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
  • SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
  • Edge vs. The Miz
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
  • Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro vs. The Street Profits
  • Cesaro & Ricochet vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland

Predictions

Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits

Andrew Ravens: I don’t see a title change here as Orton and Riddle have been a big part of Raw over the last few months. Clearly, the idea is for Orton to turn on Riddle at some point, but with WrestleMania just a few months away, it might be a little too soon to pull the trigger with Orton turning on Riddle. It will be a fun match, but Orton and Riddle retain. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Michael Reichlin: RK-Bro has been an entertaining act, but I think it has run it’s course. We are now on the road to WrestleMania and I could see WWE planting the seeds for an Orton vs. Riddle showdown at WrestleMania. RK-Bro will retain, but we’re going to start heading to the inevitable breakup. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Chris Stephens: There is a chance that RK-Bro starts to fall apart on the Day 1 PPV. It all depends on where WWE wants the team to be by the time WrestleMania rolls around. If the plan had always been to have Riddle vs Orton at Mania, then expect them to show some dissension here and drop the titles. We already saw Orton tease giving an RKO to Riddle on RAW this week, so they’ve reminded the audience that it could happen. It’s possible WWE sees value in keeping the team together, however, as they are one of if not the most entertaining things on RAW. Even if they did originally plan for Riddle vs Orton at Mania, the positive response the team has received since forming may have caused plans to change. I’m betting WWE decides there is a longer shelf life to RK-Bro then they originally thought. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Consensus: RK-Bro retains

Edge vs. The Miz

Michael Reichlin: Edge is in the final run of his WWE career, while The Miz will join the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend. Miz would benefit from a win more here, while Edge could help add some extra shine to the Awesome One in the lead-up to his induction. (Prediction: The Miz)

Chris Stepens: Edge should win this match. There is little reason to have Miz get a victory, there rarely is. Miz can be kept in major storylines without being kept strong at this point in his career. So can Edge, but I imagine they want to keep Edge strong for an angle at Mania, which is not that far away now. (Prediction: Edge)

Andrew Ravens: Here’s the easiest pick on the entire card as Edge will win the match. There’s a reason he’s such a big betting favorite. I think the match will be fine and credit to Miz for doing what he does best and that’s talking. The build has been quite fun and likely better than the match. (Prediction: Edge)

Consensus: Edge

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day

Andrew Ravens: These teams have wrestled so much and while it will be a good match, it’s gotten to the point where you have to move on. I just don’t think WWE is ready just yet based on advertisements for upcoming house shows. The New Day wins the titles here and the feud keeps moving forward. (Prediction: The New Day)

Chris Stephens: The Usos and New Day continue to have one of the longest rivalries in WWE’s tag-team division ever. Both are perennial champions that seem to always be in the title mix. I just don’t see New Day taking the belts off the Usos here. The angle just doesn’t seem big enough for it to culminate in a title change, at least not on this show. (Prediction: The Usos)

Michael Reichlin: These two teams work so well together, the real winner will be the fans. However, if I have to pick a winner between these four men, I give the edge to The New Day. (Prediction: The New Day)

Consensus: The New Day win the SmackDown tag team titles

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan

Andrew Ravens: Morgan doesn’t stand a chance here to win the title and everyone knows it, but she has gotten over with fans and management so here we are. I see Lynch retaining and then where WWE goes from here for the Royal Rumble remains to be seen. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)

Michael Reichlin: Liv Morgan is receiving the biggest push of her career. She will ultimately hold championship gold, but I think WWE will wait for a bigger stage to crown her champion. Becky Lynch is the established ratings draw, while Morgan is still finding her way in the championship scene. The Man will pull out a win here and show Liv Morgan that she’s not quite there yet. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)

Chris Stephens: This is one match I struggle to come up with a prediction for. I think it could go either way. On the one hand, Morgan has already tried and failed to win the title, so having her lose again seems pointless other than to try and get some heat on Becky, which just isn’t going to work and they likely see that now.

What I think could easily happen, is Becky attempts to use the ropes for leverage but her cheating attempts are somehow thwarted. Morgan then rolls her up, engages in some “justified cheating” of her own, or otherwise picks up a victory that Lynch’s character will be able to cry foul about. This would then allow for Becky to enter the Rumble, win it, and challenge Charlotte Flair at Mania.

Working against this theory is that Morgan vs Lynch did not do good television ratings when they headlined RAW a few weeks ago. I think Lynch dropping the title to Morgan and then moving on to challenge Flair is the long-term story they want, however. (Prediction: Liv Morgan)

Consensus: Becky Lynch retains

WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley

Andrew Ravens: With WWE adding so many stars to this match, a title change seems to be happening here with Big E able to recapture it at WrestleMania. The question that remains for me is who will be the next champion. Kevin Owens is someone that would make sense considering he just re-signed, but I am siding with Seth Rollins winning the title here. WWE loves heels and he hasn’t had a big title reign in a few years. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)

Michael Reichlin: Big E won the WWE Championship under less-than-honorable circumstances (cashing in Money in the Bank). It would really suck for him to lose the championship in a multi-man match that does not require the champion to be pinned or submitted. However, that scenario would also help Big E save face and make the argument that he was never beat for the title. Kevin Owens just re-signed with WWE and I could see the company putting the belt on him as a reward (Prediction: Kevin Owens)

Big E should retain here. Ultimately I believe this title is going to go back on Lashley at some point, especially now that he appears to be turning babyface. I just don’t think it’s going to happen here. Perhaps it’ll happen at the Rumble or perhaps at Mania, but not here. (Prediction: Big E)

Consensus: Split

Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Chris Stephens: There is a chance that Lesnar wins the title here, forcing Reigns to enter the Rumble and earn a rematch that would then take place at WrestleMania. I think the more likely scenario is that Paul Heyman’s firing is revealed to be a swerve and Heyman helps Reigns retain. Then Lesnar enters the Rumble, wins it, and earns a rematch against Reigns at Mania.  (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Andrew Ravens: This is going to be interesting to see what WWE does here. I see a no-contest or DQ finish as Reigns can’t beat Lesnar again and Lesnar isn’t likely to beat Reigns considering a third match is planned for WrestleMania. Perhaps Paul Heyman gets involved when Lesnar is just about to beat Reigns and that way Lesnar wins but not the title. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar via DQ)

Michael Reichlin: This is the feud that keeps on giving. Say what you want about long-running feuds, but these two always deliver. Roman Reigns is doing the best work of his career, while Lesnar has reinvented himself once again to show how diverse his skillset really is. I don’t see anybody on the horizon that is worthy of taking the title off Roman Reigns at this time, but I also don’t see Reigns dropping the belt just yet. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Consensus: Roman Reigns retains

There you have it. Hit up the comments section to share your own WWE Day 1 predictions!

WWE Day 1 Final Card, Live Coverage

Andrew Ravens
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The card for tonight’s (Saturday, January 1, 2022) WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event has been finalized.

The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia at the State Farm Arena that will air on the Peacock but it will most likely be WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. 

This show is a big deal for WWE President Nick Khan, who came up with this idea and wants it to feel big like other tentpole shows such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank instead of just another B-level pay-per-view event. 

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Saturday evening starting at 8 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

Final WWE Day 1 Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley – Fatal 4 Match
  • Edge vs. The Miz
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
  • Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits
  • Cesaro and Ricochet vs. Sheamus and Ridge Holland – Kickoff Show
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