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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

Cody Rhodes Reveals His Two Favorite AEW PPV Events

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Cody Rhodes has named his two favorite AEW PPVs.

As an active wrestler and an EVP of AEW, Cody has seen his share of promotional events. AEW doesn’t put on PPV shows regularly but when the promotion does, it’s usually met with high praise.

There are two PPVs, in particular, that stand out to Cody.

Cody Rhodes’ PPV Picks

  • cody dustin rhodes hug 1200x675 1
    (via AEW)

During an edition of FITE In Focus, Cody Rhodes was asked about any PPV that has stood out to him in the young history of AEW. He named Double Or Nothing from 2019 and All Out from 2021.

“I actually think it’s probably a really good sign that my favorite two PPVs, one of them I wasn’t on and that’s most recently All Out where Bryan Danielson joined us, Adam Cole joined us.

“That PPV and then of course, the one you mentioned, the original Double or Nothing. I know which PPV in my mind maybe I thought was softest.

“I’ve never thought a PPV we put out was weak by any means, especially bell to bell, but the original Double or Nothing that was a feeling like no other in that energy and what this was and what it could be in its constant evolution sense.

“And then to have three years later, All Out where big free agents, not just surprises but the bell to bell content of that show was significant and I think something for everybody.”

  • Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole
    Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole

The 2019 Double or Nothing show featured the instant classic between Cody and his brother Dustin. The show ended with the surprise AEW debut of Jon Moxley.

As for AEW All Out in 2021, that show had a fantastic steel cage tag team title match between Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks. Fans also got to witness CM Punk’s first match since 2014 as well as the AEW debuts of Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole.

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Booker T In Awe Of How Quickly Bianca Belair Has Improved

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Booker T has taken notice of how rapidly Bianca Belair upped her game.

Belair has established herself as the “EST” of WWE. Many were worried about Bianca after she suffered a 26-second loss to Becky Lynch at Summerslam back in August. The good news is, Bianca still has the fans by her side.

More recently, she had quite the moment on an episode of Monday Night Raw. On Dec. 20, Belair defeated Doudrop by hitting the K.O.D. The ending had fans in attendance jumping out of their seats.

Booker T Backs Bianca Belair

Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T reflected on the quick rise of Bianca Belair.

“I would say Bianca Belair, championship material, but more importantly most improved. I try not to put the carriage before the horse.

“Bianca is really, really good but I just do not want to put that pressure on her to be thinking like that when there again she’s good, she’s really, really good.

“As far as being ranked number one, I would give her that honor but it’s not just from a wrestling perspective. It’s how far Bianca Belair has come so quickly, so quickly.

“I mean she like rose out of the ashes to be a contender like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed and then go out and win. Not because of any other reason than she’s talented just like Rocky. So, yeah man give her the props.”

The co-host of the Hall of Fame podcast, Brad Gilmore, expressed his belief that Bianca is in for another Royal Rumble win and a WrestleMania showdown with Becky Lynch.

If that happens and she defeats Becky, then many WWE fans will feel the story will have come full circle.

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Jim Ross Gushes Over AEW Roster: ‘It’s A Booker’s Dream’

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jim Ross has high praise for the talent pool over at AEW.

JR joined AEW in 2019 six months before the debut episode of Dynamite. He’s been serving as the play-by-play ace of Dynamite. He’s usually joined by Tony Schiavone and Excalibur.

Jim Ross Is A Big Fan Of AEW’s Roster

On an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed the depth of AEW’s talent and how they’ve set a high bar.

“The product’s hot. AEW’s hotter than hell and Tony Khan just keeps building that deeper, talented roster.

“There’s no reason whatsoever to not have at least one or two great matches every week on Dynamite and/or Rampage. No reason.

“With this roster, it’s just a booker’s dream cause we got some studs here that can work and I just love to be around em’ and I wanna help document what they’re doing with my voice if I can and that’s the game plan.”

AEW has brought in a slew of talent in 2021. This includes the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole, reDRagon, Christian Cage, and more.

The company has also pushed its younger talent with the “Four Pillars,” which includes MJF, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. Darby and Sammy are former TNT Champions.

JR is grateful to be able to call the action once again. He had to step away for a brief time period as he was undergoing treatment for skin cancer. The good news is he’s now cancer-free and returned to the AEW booth for the Dec. 29 episode of Dynamite.

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Bully Ray Slams Fans Complaining About Brandi Rhodes’ ‘Black B*tch’ Line

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Bully Ray has gone off on social media dwellers whining about Brandi Rhodes’ recent one-liner.

On the Dec. 29 New Year’s Smash episode of AEW Dynamite, Brandi and Dan Lambert got into a verbal exchange. During the segment, Brandi referred to herself as a “black b*tch” which got some people on social media in a hissy fit.

Of course, many of these social media accounts were WWE stans. After all, the wrestling community on Twitter has become a cesspool of fanboys on both the WWE and AEW front.

Bully Ray has had enough of the “snowflake” Twitter warriors.

Bully Ray Defends Brandi Rhodes

Bully Ray is aware of the complaints on Twitter of Brandi’s line and he’s fed up. He obliterated the whiners during an episode of Busted Open Radio.

“And then I was reading on social media that people were having a problem that Brandi referred to herself, and I think I’m getting it right here, as a black b*tch? And then she takes her heels off and she’s ready to fight?

“And what’s wrong with that? It’s sports entertainment you f*cking snowflakes! Give me a break!”

A feud has now been sparked between the Rhodes family and Lambert’s crew. Lambert manages Ethan Page, who will be challenging Cody for the TNT Championship on the Dec. 31 episode of AEW Rampage.

This will be Cody’s first TNT title defense since capturing the gold a third time by defeating Sammy Guevara on the Christmas episode of Rampage.

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Impact Announces “Wrestler of the Year” & Other Award Winners

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling aired the second part of its “Best of 2021” specials last night. During the broadcast, the promotion also announced several year-end award winners.

On last week’s episode, Deonna Purrazzo was announced as the Knockout of the Year for the 2nd straight year. The Good Brothers also won the tag team of the year. Mickie James vs Deonna Purrazzo also won Knockouts match of the year.

On this week’s episode, it was revealed that Josh Alexander and TJP’s Ironman match back in June has won the 2021 Men’s Match of the Year award.

Josh Alexander was also announced as Impact’s Wrestler of the Year.

Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering have won the Impact Knockouts tag team of the year award.

Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

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

  • Impact World Championship
    Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
  • Knockouts Championship
    Texas Death Match
    Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
  • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
    Lady Frost vs Rachael Ellering vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
  • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
  • X-Division Championship
    Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
    The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)
  • ROH Championship
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • 10-Man Hardcore War
    Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)

Impact Announces Su Yung Is Pregnant

Chris Stephens
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Su Yung’s character is often addressed as “mother” by Brandi Lauren and Kimber Lee, but now she’s going to have a biological child to go along with her undead bridesmaids. On Impact Wrestling’s “Best of 2021 Part II” show last night, it was revealed that the former Knockouts Champion is pregnant.

Real name Vannarah Riggs, the 32-year-old has been married to Rich Swann since March of 2017. This will be their first child together. Riggs has not wrestled since the summer and it was revealed last night that their child is due in February.

Su Yung debuted in Impact Wrestling in 2018. Although she has spent much of her run as the undead bride character, she has two other alter-egos. “Susie” is the far more innocent and less violent version of her character. Then there is “Susan” who is something of a “Karen” and repeatedly reports things to management.

https://twitter.com/realsuyung/status/1476751046374477832

As of late in Impact, Brandi Lauren and Kimber Lee have both become minions of Yung. They have talked about “collecting souls for mother”. It seems this was perhaps a way to keep her character on television during her pregnancy.

She defeated Allie (aka the Bunny) in 2018 to win the Knockouts title for the first time. Yung briefly won the title for a second time in 2020 after defeating Deonna Purrazzo. She would then drop the title back to Purrazzo a few weeks later.

Big E: “It’s A Great Time For Black Men And Women In Our Industry”

Chris Stephens
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Big E says that right now is a boom period for Black wrestlers and Superstars in the industry. The WWE Champion was recently interviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and spoke about the array of Black talent currently in WWE.

“I think right now it’s just a great time for Black men and women in our industry,” Big E said. “We’re in a boom period because there is so much talent who are very good and happen to be Black whether it’s Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks or Bobby Lashley, who I won the title from. A couple of years ago, it was Kofi Kingston, my partner of seven years with New Day. They’re all richly deserving from what I’ve seen.”

“When you talk about inclusion or diversity, I think it’s important you’re not just putting people of color in these positions merely because they’re a person of color. When you look at Bianca, Sasha and Bobby, they’re all talented and unique and they just so happen to be Black.”

https://twitter.com/WWEBigE/status/1363866138577408001

Big E has also partnered up with journalist Andreas Hale to create a first of its kind 3D Animated series titled Our Heroes Rock! The show will explore Black history with some added elements of science fiction and hip hop. The aim of the series is to help children and young people learn some important, but often overlooked, parts of American history.

Big E will defend his WWE Championship tomorrow in Atlanta on the Day 1 PPV. He’ll face Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens in a fatal 4-way match.

The One Thing Mick Foley Believes Is Missing From Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
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A lot has changed in WWE since the Attitude Era. Everything that goes on TV is much more scripted. Different characters share a lot more traits than they did in the past. One example is that the heels are always looking for ways to win and they share the same tactics. Mick Foley believes the one thing that’s missing from WWE today, is a heel that just wants to hurt his opponent.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently sat down with AEW star Thunder Rosa. The two ate tacos and discussed all things pro wrestling. Foley was asked which wrestlers he would like to face if he was starting his wrestling career today. The hardcore legend unsurprisingly took the names of people such as Jon Moxley and Darby Allin:

“Assuming I was near the top of the game, I would have loved to wrestle Moxley. Bray Wyatt, in whatever incarnation he comes back, but I also loved wrestling the smaller guys who did the flying. Because although I could not work every style, I could adapt to just about any style. I could incorporate aspects of what anyone else did and then put my own personal stamp on it.

So coming out of the gate when Ricochet came into WWE. You need a great opening feud. I thought if I was that guy, in my prime with someone who can do anything, but is also small enough for me to come across as a power wrestler. I think we really could have made an impression. And there’ll be other guys like Darby Allin. If in my prime I could have got my hands on Darby Allin [that would have been so much fun].”

Mick Foley On What’s Missing From Wrestling

Mick Foley
Mick Foley

Mick Foley continued by talking about the current state of WWE and the wrestling world in general. He gave the example of Abdullah The Butcher and said the one thing that’s missing from wrestling today is heels that are not there to win matches but to hurt their opponents:

“The one thing I say sometimes it’s missing. This is I guess a knock on Mr. McMahon. He wants every heel to look like they’re trying to win at every moment. That’s great for some people. But Abdullah The Butcher didn’t go for covers. He looked like he was there to end your life. So sometimes what’s missing is that aspect that the babyface is not fighting for a win. He’s literally fighting for his life.

I think that’s one of the things that’s missing there.” said Foley, “It’s another one. You can’t overdo it. You can’t have five matches like that. But if you had one certifiable madman. I mean, I’d like to think that in my prime if I had a guy like Darby Allen. I’d be looking out and then there would be be tears falling as people feared for his life.”

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This article has been edited for clarity

Drew McIntyre Doesn’t Plan To Stop Wrestling Anytime Soon: “I’ll Be Here As Long As I Possibly Can”

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

From winning the Royal Rumble to main eventing WrestleMania and defeating Brock Lesnar for the world title, Drew McIntyre has achieved a lot of things in the last couple of years which is a goal for many wrestlers.

The former WWE champion made his wrestling debut in 2003 and he has been a part of the industry for almost 2 decades. However, even after this, he has no plans of hanging his boots anytime soon.

McIntyre was asked how long he plans to continue wrestling during a recent interview with Fansided. Replying to it, he claimed that he will be here as long as he can:

“I ain’t going anywhere, I’ll be here as long as I possibly can. I’m 36 years old, everybody thinks I am in my mid-40’s because I debuted when I was so young. I still have at least 10 years in me. Don’t count me out yet.”

Drew McIntyre was also inquired about a potential encounter with the Universal champion Roman Reigns and he claimed that it’s his eventual goal.

However, McIntyre mentioned how he lost a couple of big matches on Raw before moving to SmackDown. He explained that he wants to wait and build himself back up to the level where people start demanding the match.

Drew McIntyre working on a new signature move

Tony Khan On His Favorite Memory Of Brodie Lee

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December marks a full year since we lost Brodie Lee. The wrestling world came together to remember the late star on 1 year anniversary of his passing earlier this week. While the veteran competed for many promotions in his career, where he really got to shine was AEW. The promotion of Tony Khan put the spotlight on Lee from his very first appearance in the company and the wrestling star lived up to the hype.

Khan recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. He was asked if he has a favorite memory of the late star. The AEW president claimed that he has a lot of memories of the former champion that he cherishes:

“I have a lot of memories of Brodie Lee that I really cherish. At the beginning of the pandemic, the very first pandemic show was his debut in AEW. That was the first time Brodie appeared. He had no fans ringside when he had his first match at Daily’s Place, so it was a strange time. He became such a leader for us, and we really got to know each other when there weren’t many other people around.”

Tony Khan On Brodie Lee’s AEW Career

Brodie Lee with the TNT Championship
Brodie Lee with the TNT Championship

Tony Khan then remembered the time when Brodie Lee unsuccessfully challenged the then AEW champion Jon Moxley at the Double Or Nothing PPV in May 2020. Lee went on to win the TNT championship a few months later in August. According to Khan, he will always remember this time where he got to know the former WWE star:

“I ended up reaching out to Jon Moxley and saying it should be him and Brodie for the title at Double or Nothing. Mox loved the idea. We didn’t have a ton of time, only a few weeks, but we built to Mox and Brodie. We had a three-way call to talk ideas, and that was really a lot of fun. Then we made him TNT champion over the summer, and it was a great run. But I’ll really always remember that period during the pandemic when we really got to know each other.”

Apart from this, Tony Khan also talked about recent AEW signings including Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. He claimed that O’Reilly’s debut helps build more interest in AEW programming. You can check out his comments at this link.

Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup

Potential Reason Behind Toni Storm’s WWE Departure

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The WWE departure of Toni Storm has been a puzzling topic for fans, especially after it was reported that the former NXT UK star was the one who asked for her release.

There have been lots of theories going around as to why the former NXT UK women’s champion made the decision to leave the promotion despite her program with SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair.

Dave Meltzer recently provided some updates on the situation. On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, he said “As far as her reasons and why she left, the only thing I heard was burnout essentially.”

Meltzer couldn’t provide any further details on her release, so it’s hard to say what provisions the officials put on her while granting the request.

Toni Storm joined WWE in 2017 and she had a good run in NXT. Though she had recently opened up about her frustrations with the lack of opportunity after being called up to the main roster in July.

She worked the recent Live Event from Washington, DC. Charlotte Flair successfully defended the SmackDown women’s championship on the show in a triple threat match also involving Sasha Banks.

Storm flew herself home after the event and later asked for her release. Though reports suggest that her request had nothing to do with anything that happened at the event.

Toni Storm Discusses Her Main Roster Call Up, Vince McMahon

AEW Star Miro Dealing With An Injury (Report)

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It seems Miro’s inactivity on AEW TV boils down to an injury.

Fightful Select has reported that Miro has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Fans may have noticed that in his most recent matches, the Bulgarian bruiser had his leg taped up.

Miro hasn’t been seen in action since Nov. 13. He wrestled Bryan Danielson at the Full Gear PPV in a losing effort.

Miro was a last-minute replacement in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament after Jon Moxley was bowed out after entering an alcohol treatment program. He was able to defeat Orange Cassidy in the tourney before running into Danielson.

On the Dec. 25 episode of AEW Rampage, a video package aired of Miro having another discussion with his “God.”

“You didn’t cast me from heaven. You kept me from my home. I will return with no flaws. I will become champion to show your lack of power over me. You sit up there not because you feel power but because of your fear.

“Everyone is going to find out that redemption doesn’t come with a smile. It comes with a price. So unlike you, I will look them all in the eye. You will either feel the joy of my cruelty or the shame in yours. This is the Word of The Redeemer!”

Quote: Dan Lambert Is Really Good At What He Does

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One WWE and TNA Hall of Famer believes Dan Lambert always brings the goods as a heel.

Lambert has become quite a polarizing figure among the AEW audience. Some love him, others believe he generates go-away heat. Regardless of how you feel, few can deny that he’s been successful at getting people to despise him.

Bully Ray Sings Praises Of Dan Lambert

Bully Ray took to the Busted Open Radio show to express his belief that Dan Lambert is doing his job to perfection.

“They [wrestling fans] sit back and like, ‘No, we don’t wanna like Dan Lambert. We don’t accept Dan Lambert. We don’t like him.’

“Come on people. This guy is really good at what he does on the microphone. He’s got a flow to him.

“What he says digs deep. He stabs you, he twists a knife, and then he throws salt on it as he looks you in the eyes and lets you know that, ‘I’m Dan Lambert and I’m the one who’s got you.”

Lambert was most recently seen on the Dec. 29 New Year’s Smash episode of AEW Dynamite. He got into a verbal battle with Brandi Rhodes.

As most fans are aware, Cody and Brandi aren’t exactly well-received by the AEW audience these days. Bully praised Lambert for being able to get the fans at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida to cheer for Brandi.

Cody is set to put his TNT Championship on the line against Ethan Page on the Dec. 31 episode of AEW Rampage. Page is managed by Lambert.

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

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Former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has one match in mind that he would turn back the clock for to watch live.

McIntyre is one of WWE’s top stars but of course, he’s also a wrestling fan at heart. There is a slew of matches from different promotions that one could point to and watch back.

For McIntyre, one WWE classic is enough for him to want to go back in time to watch live.

Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart Is Drew McIntyre’s Pick

  • Stone Cold Bret Hart
    (via WWE)

During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, a fan asked Drew McIntyre which match he’d use a time machine for to see live.

McIntyre admitted it wasn’t an easy question to answer but his pick is Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13.

“Oh man, there’s too many. I was there for Shawn and Taker at Mania, which was amazing to watch live.

“I’ll go with Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13. That’s a match that I still watch to this day often and it stands the test of time, which not all matches do.

“Such unbelievable competitors, storytelling, and a double turn at the end. It was just a perfect, perfect match.”

That match took place back in March 1997 and is still talked about by those in the wrestling industry and fans.

From the blood dripping down Austin’s face, to him passing out rather than tapping to the Sharpshooter, and the double turn as Drew mentioned, this match has gone down in history as one for the ages.

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FTR Reveal Only Time They Had Second Thoughts About Wrestling

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FTR never wanted to quit the wrestling business but there was a time when they had some second thoughts.

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have been praised for their old-school style. While they are a team reminiscent of the 1980s, FTR can work well with just about anybody.

They’ve proven that with some sensational matches against the likes of The Lucha Bros, who are known for their fast-paced, high-flying style.

FTR has enjoyed success in WWE and AEW but there was a time when the two did have some things to consider when pursuing the wrestling industry.

FTR Discuss Early Considerations

The folks over at the Elite POV spoke to FTR and asked if at any moment they had doubts about their wrestling aspirations. Harwood admitted he didn’t think he’d ever get a fair chance.

“I just didn’t think I was ever gonna get an opportunity because of my stature and the sound of my voice and things like that. It just happened that William Regal came across one of my matches and I got a call and it’s just happenstance.

“But after we got the opportunity there was never ever a time I ever thought about — even the time we were most frustrated, never did I think of throwing in the towel.”

Wheeler then shared his experience and said there was a time when money was tight due to the sacrifices he had to make pursuing wrestling.

“I think for me maybe 2012-ish would be the only time here where I was like maybe — and I didn’t wanna give up on wrestling.

“I just wanted to start being a more responsible adult cause it wasn’t that I didn’t wanna keep wrestling and keep trying to pursue it but I wanted to stop feeling like I couldn’t provide my half of everything or that I couldn’t be relied on to be providing for myself.”

FTR has become a decorated tag team over the past seven years. They’ve won tag team gold for WWE and AEW. They are also the current AAA World Tag Team Champions.

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Sami Callihan Gives Update on Ankle Injury

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Impact Wrestling talent Sami Callihan shared an update on his injury and his return to professional wrestling. He is looking to return to Impact Wrestling before August 2022.

Callihan appeared on Busted Open on SiriusXM with Dave Legraca and Bully Ray to give his injury update. He suffered a broken ankle during an Impact Wrestling taping on September 18th. Callihan revealed that he is starting to walk without screws and preparing for his comeback in the interview.

“I got my screws out on December 23rd. I started taking my first steps a couple of days ago, and the Callihan ‘Death Machine’ is starting to lose weight. I’m starting to get stronger each and every day,” said Callihan. He continued, “…When I come back to Impact Wrestling, there’s going to be hell to pay for a lot of people.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jNW8GqBffI

Sami Callihan Wants to Wrestle Moose

Callihan made his intentions clear on who he wants to wrestle when he returns to Impact Wrestling. On Busted Open, he called a Moose and said he wanted to hurt Moose. He is responsible for breaking Callihan’s ankle in the storyline, and Moose is also the current Impact World Champion.

“…Fuck you, Moose. I don’t care if you are champion. I don’t care if you’re just being a dude on Impact Wrestling. When I come back to Impact Wrestling, I’m going to break your damn legs,” said Callihan.

Callihan also shared that he will not say when he will return to Impact Wrestling, as he likes the element of surprise. However, he is looking to return to Impact Wrestling before August 2022. Ray asked why Callihan had animosity towards Moose; Callihan explained that Moose tried to take his livelihood. Callihan also promises that he will return better and meaner than ever.

Moose Title Defense at Hard to Kill

Moose will defend his championship against Matt Cardona and W.Morrissey in a triple threat match at Hard to Kill on January 8th, 2022. If Moose were to retain his title, it could set up a match between himself and Callihan. However, it is still unclear how soon Callihan will be ready to return. Moose also has unfinished business with Josh Alexander if Impact Wrestling wants to have their rematch. Regardless, Callihan wants his revenge on Moose, whether for the championship or not.

Jay White Is Tired Of Being Asked When He’ll Appear In AEW

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NJPW star Jay White has had enough of the questions regarding a potential appearance on AEW TV.

There was a lot of hoopla surrounding Jay’s status this year. After failing to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 15, Jay cut a heavily praised promo during a press conference that led some to believe he may be done with NJPW.

Ultimately, it was revealed that Jay’s deal isn’t up and he ended up winning the NEVER Openweight Championship four months later.

Don’t Ask Jay White This Question

Chris Van Vliet got a chance to sit down with Jay White at the NJPW LA Dojo. During the interview, Jay went scorched earth on those who constantly ask him if he’ll be appearing on AEW Dynamite.

“They need to stop asking me about when I’m doing that because again like we just touched on, why would you wanna know in the first place anyway? Secondly, you think I’m really actually gonna tell you?

“And even if I do tell you, do you think I’m telling you the truth? If I tell you that I’m gonna be there this Wednesday, are you gonna believe me?

“If I tell you, ‘No, I’m not gonna be there this Wednesday,’ how do you know I’m telling the truth? That question gets me going as you can tell.”

Just for good measure, Jay was sure to drive the point home.

“Every single time, every interview, every signing, every appearance it’s, ‘When are we gonna see you here? Are you gonna do this?’ I’m not gonna f*cking tell you am I?”

This isn’t the first time Jay has gotten peeved over something AEW-related. During an interview with Fightful Select, Jay said he was none-too-pleased with false rumors claiming that he was in talks with AEW at one point this year.

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Chris Jericho Believes Bout With Nick Gage Derserved Five Star Rating

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho competed in his first-ever death match earlier this year against Nick Gage during the July 28 episode of Dynamite. The match was part of the five labors of Jericho storyline leading to his match against MJF at All Out. The bout created some controversy but it was overall well received by fans. The match received a 4-star rating from Dave Meltzer but Y2J believes that it was deserving of 5 stars.

Jericho opened up about the evolution of his Painmaker character on the latest episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast. Speaking of his fight with the hardcore star, the former AEW champion claimed that it was one of his favorite matches. He further explained that it deserved a 5-star rating:

“We did the match with Nick Gage and came up with all the cool spots that you saw. one of my favorite matches. You talk about a five-star match. I don’t know if there’s such thing as a five-star deathmatch. Of course, there should be and of course there is. In my opinion, it was a four and a half, five-star match. If I were ever doing an addendum to my List of Jericho book. I [will] put it in there as four and a half stars [or] five stars. I never had a full-fledged deathmatch before. I’ll never have a full-fledged deathmatch again. But that night, we had a great one,”

How Chris Jericho Came Up With The Ending To The DeathMatch

Chris Jericho won this match against the former GCW champion in a unique manner. The wrestling veteran used the mist to overcome the viciousness of his opponent and score the victory. During the episode, Chris explained how he came up with the idea to introduce mist in AEW and how Tony Khan reacted to it:

“I was thinking of something towards the end that can really turn the tide cause Nick was using the light tubes and all that other stuff. I thought well, ‘What if I blow mist? Haven’t seen any mist in years.’ Obviously [we] talked about The Great Muta earlier. That is a Great Muta classic, vintage trait. Tajiri did it in WWE for a while.

I thought this will be really cool if I do some sort of a mist. So I told Tony about it and he goes, ‘What color is it gonna be?’ And I said ‘It’s gonna be black.’ He’s like ‘Well that’s great because Muta used the black mist once in 1987 [it] is even worse than the green.'”

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Tony Khan Spoke To TNT About Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage Match

B-Fab Comments On Reports Of Top Dolla’s Backstage Heat In WWE

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Members of the Hit Row faction were part of the dozens of talents released by WWE this year. B-Fab was the first to be let go on November 4. The rest of the group was released 15 days later, only weeks after making their main roster debuts.

Though their release became a controversial topic when reports emerged of ‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis ‘rubbing people the wrong way’ leading to the departure of the group.

B-Fab responded to these talks during a recent K&S WrestleFest signing. She explained that people make up stories when they don’t know the truth:

“Here’s the thing, people will always say anything to make sense of when things happen even if it’s not true or they don’t know the details. Things like that. AJ is an amazing guy and is so smart. A huge wrestling fan, knows his stuff, very dedicated to the whole group.

We had a lot of idea for the group. AJ is a professional and a huge fan.” said B-Fab, “People just say things because they want to make sense about what happened, especially something unfortunate as this.”

Top Dolla has previously responded to the reports as well. He claimed that standing up for himself was considered wrong by WWE officials and that he had ‘plenty of stories’ about being disrespected himself.

Apart from this, B-Fab also confirmed that she had a 30-days non-compete clause while the rest of Hit Row has a 90-days non-compete clause after being upgraded to main roster contracts.

Update On Booking Plans For Hit Row Before Release

Thanks for Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Bron Breakker On Where The Idea For His Character Came From

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Bron Breakker has managed to impress a lot of people with his performance in a short amount of time. The powerhouse style of wrestling has helped the young star set himself apart from the older crop of NXT talents.

The 24-year-old recently had an interview with Yahoo Sports. He talked about things such as his experience of the NXT locker room and more.

When asked about his character, Breakker revealed that the idea for it came from his Football career. The former Fullback claimed that his character is based a lot on who he is in real life:

“The idea of Bron Breakker, the character, it’s a lot of who I am, there’s a lot of reality in it, the idea came from when I was playing football in college and a little bit in the pros, when I blocked people, I just wanted to break them in half.

That was my mentality. I was a hard-hitting guy who loved doing the dirty work. I thought that if I used to do it in football, I could build the character around it.”

Bron Breakker also talked about his future goals in WWE. He said that the obvious goal is to go to the main roster and perform.

The NXT star then explained that his long-term goal is to be on the card for a WrestleMania event and be a reliable talent for the company.

Sasha Banks Impressed By Bron Breakker: “What A Natural Gifted Talent”
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