Tay Conti has come forward to comment on her social media hiatus and respond to the people who have accused her for Sammy Guevara’s split with his fiancé.
The AEW star posted a statement on her Insta story earlier today where she mentioned how she had to take some time off of social media because she was reading unnecessary comments.
Conti noted how her personal life is nobody’s business and nobody has the right to harass her by creating false rumors about something that wasn’t her fault.
She ended the statement by thanking the people who have supported her through the ordeal. You can check out Tay Conti’s statement in the photo below:
Some people started accusing Tay Conti, who is a close friend of Guevara and regularly appears on his YouTube vlog.
This campaign against the female star led to her deactivating her Twitter account for a while. Sammy Guevara has since commented on the matter. He has also clarified that Conti had nothing to do with his breakup.
The Christmas Eve edition of WWE SmackDown was taped in the Allstate Arena in Chicago. Charlotte Flair put the SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Toni Storm. 12 superstars competed in a Gauntlet Match to determine the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship.
SmackDown Results
Charlotte Flair def. Toni Storm to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Sami Zayn won a 12 superstar Gauntlet Match to earn a shot at the IC Title
New Day & Drew McIntyre def. The Usos & Madcap Moss
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Paul Heyman Spoke About Being Fired By Roman Reigns
Paul Heyman was interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton to begin the show. Heyman said he told the truth to Reigns and Roman did not want to hear it publicly. Paul added that he got a Superman Punch because he told the truth. Kayla asked if he regretted telling the truth and Paul noted that it was his role as special counsel to tell the truth, and not just protect Roman.
Heyman said he tried to explain that to Reigns but when he came backstage all his belongings were removed from Reigns locker room and thrown into the hallway. Heyman added that he was supposed to protect the title and Reigns is the greatest Universal Champion of all time. However, Reigns needs to be protected from Brock Lesnar. Kayla asked Paul what he is going to do next and Heyman said it was too late to go to NXT and scout for another top talent. He said he put everything into being Reigns’ special counsel and now his career may be over.
Charlotte Flair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Toni Storm in the first match of the night. Toni connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover but the champion kicked out at two. Charlotte regrouped outside the ring before taking control as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Toni battled back and hit a Suplex followed by a Hip Attack in the corner. Storm connected with a German Suplex for a near fall. Charlotte hit the Moonsault, land on feet, Standing Moonsault sequence for a two count. Flair sent Storm out of the ring and chased after her.
Storm bounced Flair’s head off the ring post and the action returned to the ring. Charlotte rolled Toni up but grabbed the tights for leverage and the referee caught her. Flair countered into another cradle for the win and retained her SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Angel Garza and Mansoor started off the 12 Days of Christmas Gauntlet Match. 12 superstars battled to determine the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Angel quickly advanced after connecting with the Wing Clipper. Erik entered the match next and hit a Body Slam as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Erik was still in control but couldn’t put Garza away. Angel battled back and eliminated Erik after hitting another Wing Clipper. Shanky entered the Gauntlet Match and eliminated Garza right away with a Wasteland. Ivar knocked Shanky to the mat and hit a Splash off the top rope for the pinfall elimination.
Sheamus entered the match 6th and battled with Ivar. Ridge Holland was ringside for the match. Ivar hit a side Slam but the Celtic Warrior wouldn’t stay down. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick for the pinfall elimination. Drew Gulak entered the match 7th and immediately exited courtesy of a Brogue Kick from Sheamus.
Cesaro entered the match 8th and had medical tape on his injured ribs. Cesaro hit a Crossbody and beat Sheamus down in the corner. Ridge Holland distracted Cesaro and Sheamus capitalize with another Brogue Kick for the pinfall elimination. Ricochet entered the match and knocked Sheamus to the outside. Ricochet hit a beautiful Asai Moonsault onto Sheamus on the floor as SmackDown went to a break.
Sheamus hit the Irish Curse Backbreaker and applied a Headlock. Ricochet connected with a DDT and went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out at two. Ridge Holland tried to help but Sheamus wound up kneeing him in the face by mistake. Cesaro made his way back and beat Ridge down as Ricochet rolled Sheamus up for the elimination.
Jinder mahal entered the match and went right after Ricochet. Mahal went for the Khallas but Ricochet countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Sami Zayn was the 12th superstar in the Gauntlet Match. Ricochet hit a Frankensteiner and went for the cover but Sami kicked out. Ricochet went for a Dropkick but Sami dodged it and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Sami hit the Exploder Suplex and sent Ricochet into the turnbuckle.
Ricochet connected with a Superkick and followed it up with a Benadryller but Sami was able to kick out. Ricochet made his way to the top rope and went for a Shooting Star Press but Sami got his knees up. Sami hit an Exploder Suplex and then the Helluva Kick for the pinfall victory. Zayn has earned a match against Shinsuke Nakamura for the IC Title.
Drew McIntyre & New Day faced The Usos and Madcap Moss in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. Xavier Woods and Jey Uso started off the action and King Woods took control. Woods applied a Headlock and then an elbow to the face for a two count. Kingston tagged in and connected with kick to the face. Jimmy tagged in and The Usos isolated Kingston in the corner.
Drew McIntyre and Madcap Moss tagged in and traded punches. McIntyre hit the Future Shock DDT before a brawl broke out. Happy Corbin rushed in the ring during the chaos and hit McIntyre with a candy cane kendo stick. The Usos and New Day battled but the entrance ramp and into the Christmas trees as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Usos and Madcap Moss were in control. New Day battled back and Jey got dunked in eggnog. The action returned to the ring and Kofi hit the Boom Drop for a near fall. McIntyre hit a Neckbreaker and geared up for the Claymore but Corbin interfered again. Drew chased him around but Kofi joined in and cornered with the kendo stick. Corbin went to fight but Kingston dumped eggnog on him. Drew then hit the Claymore on Madcap Moss for the pinfall victory.
Since announcing his return to professional wrestling this past August with AEW, CM Punk has worked with several young stars. Rather than jumping right into the main event scene, the former world champion has been sharing the spotlight with both new faces and legends.
Speaking with ESPN’s SportsNation, Punk revealed which young AEW stars have impressed him the most and who he sees as future main event stars.
“There’s so many honestly,” CM Punk said when reflecting the roster (h/t Wrestling Inc.). “There’s so many guys. I think the future of AEW is in such good hands. Most of the younger guys that we have that we’re going to wind up spotlighting in the next five years or so are in their early 20’s. Britt Baker, Hook. I mean, everyone seems to love Hook and the guy’s had one match. I just think we take our time with our talents.
“AEW as a whole is still a baby. Two years old. And we’re going to be moving to TBS in the new year. That’s a big step. And just taking time and fostering the new talent instead of just kind of throwing them out there and having a sink or swim attitude, I think helps. Daniel Garcia is a guy that I think is phenomenal. Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks. I’ll forget so many people if I name them. I just think that the future is very, very bright.”
Punk also explained why he has chosen to work with young talent like Darby Allin, Hobbs, Garcia, and others.
“I think I could use my name, whatever value that has, and kind of highlight some of the guys while knocking off some ring rust and moving myself up the ladder. So for storyline purposes, it makes sense to me. And I always remember guys helping me and they were few and far between. I think more people should help more people and I’m just trying to do my best to do that.”
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Shawn Michaels recently commented on the NXT departures of Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, & Kyle O’Reilly. Now that they are gone, Michaels admits they are the reason he fell back in love with sports entertainment.
“We still keep in contact, but yeah it is bittersweet, those young men were a big part of my life, they were a lot of the reason that I sort of got back into this line of work,” Michaels said during an interview with Denise Salcedo. “I was happily retired.”
“When it came to Johnny, Tommaso, Adam, those guys, even way back, the Revival Boys, Shawn Spears who was Tye Dellinger at the time, all those young men sitting in a room with them; their passion, their excitement, their desire to be better was just hard not to love,” he continued.
In November of 2018, it was revealed that Michaels was now working as a writer and producer for NXT. This was shortly after he had returned for one match at the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
“They are the reason that I came back, and fell back in love with Sports Entertainment, with this line of work. As you’ve heard and everyone has numerous times, in NXT at the Performance Center, is where it’s still pure, it’s still all the reasons we get into it before it becomes business, and money and negotiations and things of that nature. To fast forward your question, I miss them.”
I’m still amazed that we were able to reunite @AdamColePro + @theBobbyFish + @KORcombat tonight on #AEWDynamite; it doesn’t seem like it should’ve been possible, still doesn’t feel real. The only reason it was possible was because of you great fans supporting @AEWonTNT! Thank you
Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish Unite In AEW
Adam Cole debuted for AEW this fall at the All Out PPV in Chicago. He aligned with the Young Bucks and they re-created their Super Kliq team. Then on this week’s Dynamite show from the Greensboro Coliseum, Kyle O’Reilly debuted for AEW as well. O’Reilly helped Adam Cole defeat Orange Cassidy. Then him, Cole, and Bobby Fish all left together, leaving the Young Bucks alone in the ring. After being at the top of NXT since 2017 as the Undisputed Era, they now appear to have re-aligned in AEW.
The full interview with Shawn Michaels can be heard in the player below:
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is teasing that 2022 could be the year he launches his biggest venture yet. While he’s not ready quite yet to announce what it is, he recently revealed in an interview with CNBC that he’s very excited about it.
“I’ll be entering a new industry I’m passionate about in 2022. 2 1/2 years of organizing around this launch with a smart, hungry, credentialed in the streets team. Could be my biggest yet, and I think you guys are gonna love it,” The Rock Tweeted.
CNBC also posted a clip of the Rock teasing the new venture during a recent interview. In the interview, he said that he’s entering a new industry and this venture could be his biggest one yet.
“As far as for 2022, I’m excited about 2022. I think we have some great partnerships, some great alignments. In the world of movies, we have Black Adam coming out, we have Super Pets coming out.
We have one venture, a new venture, I’m entering into a new industry, I won’t say what it is, but when we do I’ll come back and talk to you guys about it. It could be quite possibly my biggest one yet.”
Watch The Rock’s video message from CNBC here:
I’ll be entering a new industry I’m passionate about in 2022. 2 1/2 years of organizing around this launch with a smart, hungry, credentialed in the streets team. Could be my biggest yet, and I think you guys are gonna love it ??#cpg#sevenbuckscompanieshttps://t.co/vWvs9jzXTH
A mansion in Greenwich, CT mansion is up for sale. Purchased in 2014 for $11.84 million, the stately home is listed for a staggering $32 million.
Even in a hot market, if the seller gets anywhere near the asking price, this would be the real estate investment of a lifetime.
A real estate listing at Compass touts:
“Perched on 10 waterfront acres of lush grounds and mature landscaping, this architectural masterpiece is unrivaled in the juxtaposed design of hand-cut stone and modern design. A custom estate with unmatched luxury offering a lifestyle of comfort, sophistication, and security.”
The 23,700 square-foot home boasts 6 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, swimming pool, library, elevator and many other luxurious appointments.
View the real estate listing for this Greenwich mansion at Compass.com.
No female Superstar in the history of WWE has had the career that Natalya has. The 39-year-old has been with the company since 2007 and has had yet another milestone recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Natalya had previously been recognized for having had the most matches of any female WWE Superstar and the most PPV matches of any female WWE Superstar. Now, Guinness has confirmed that Natalya has more wins than any other female WWE Superstar in history. Her win total currently sits at 641.
She's made the most PPV appearances and had the most matches for a female in WWE history…
Natalya also helps train members of the WWE roster at her home where her and husband TJ Wilson have a ring set-up. She talked recently about how Liv Morgan has been training with her.
“I am proud of Liv because she has been training with us in the dungeon,” Natalya said. “She’s been training with us for over a year. I said to Liv, ‘it’s so cool to see.’ Because training isn’t once every six months. Training is being consistent every single week, on days that you’re tired.”
“She will get off the plane and come and train with me and my husband and a few of the other Superstars that come in and train with us. It’s a very special, elite group that come in and hone their craft,” Natalya continued.
Olympic Bronze-medal boxer and member of the AEW roster, Anthony Ogogo, reportedly has backstage heat due to his recent comments on Twitter. Following Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV earlier this month, Ogogo Tweeted comments directed at Jonathan Gresham.
“Super cute that @TheJonGresham was the last ever ROH champ, kinda reminds me when Hornswoggle was the last ever cruiserweight champ. Congrats kiddo,” Ogogo Tweeted.
The comment drew responses from Gresham’s wife Jordynne Grace as well as Hornswoggle.
According to a report from Fightful, Ogogo’s comments did not sit well with several members of the AEW roster. While several members of the roster were said to be upset, Ogogo’s heat is not believed to be substantial. One member of the roster stated that they believed Ogogo was trying to create an angle but by the time Grace had stated it was not a storyline, Ogogo had gone too far to go back.
Super cute that @TheJonGresham was the last ever ROH champ, kinda reminds me when Hornswoggle was the last ever cruiserweight champ. Congrats kiddo.
Jonathan Gresham took to Twitter to clarify that he was not working an angle with Ogogo.
“No it’s not an angle. It is not a gimmick. We are not working on this together. It is simply someone going into business for themselves. And legit taking shots at myself and my wife online. But please continue to support that kind of behavior as its seems to entertain you,” Gresham Tweeted.
When Wade Barrett left WWE in 2016, many expected him to return to the promotion sooner or later. Very few, however, thought that he would be returning as a full-time commentator for NXT. The former IC champion returned to the promotion in August 2020. He replaced Mauro Ranallo who was released by the officials. Barrett has been the lead commentator for the developmental brand ever since.
The former Nexus leader was the latest guest on Corey Graves’ After The Bell. Explaining why he took the commentator job, Barrett revealed that he was first given the opportunity by the late Dusty Rhodes. According to him, it was something that was always in the back of his mind:
“I left WWE in 2016. I’ve been with the company close to 10 years through developmental and all that stuff. I was really kind of burned out by 2016 and looking not only to step away from WWE but from the industry in general. So I kind of took a couple of years, went away, did some other things like acting, some TV hosting and slowly but surely as tends to be the case the love for sports entertainment wrestling, came back. [So] I started doing some independent things here and there.
Wade Barrett continued: “The one thing that I always knew I wanted to do when I got a little older, I didn’t want to be a coach. I didn’t want to be a trainer or set up my own training school, which a lot of guys do. I really wanted to be a commentator. When I was back in developmental in Florida Championship Wrestling in 2009, I was actually a commentator there under Dusty Rhodes. He decided to give me a shot at that and he really liked what I was doing. I was working with Byron Sexton who was the play-by-play guy, so I always knew, Okay, that’s in my back pocket. One day I [would] love doing that. I’d love to get back to it one day.”
Wade Barrett Explains How He Got Hired As A Commentator
Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett then explained how he got the position in NXT. Michael Cole first contacted him in the summer of 2020. The two sides talked for a while but a deal was not made. At first, Barrett was told that it was going to be a while before he can take up the position, but then things changed in a very WWE manner:
“Thankfully I got a call from Tom Phillips and Michael Cole back in summer 2020 saying ‘look, we’ve got a position opening up. We think you be great for it. We’ve seen what you’ve done before. We think you’re a good fit for the show. Are you interested?’ Two or three weeks after chatting with them, they’re like, ‘yeah you know, probably come back in about six months or something like that. It’s gonna be a little while.’ Then I got an emergency phone call from Michael Cole: ‘Hey, we need you in tomorrow. Can You get on a plane? We need you to start right now.’ [I went] ‘Okay, yeah, let’s do it.’ So, as is the case in WWE, things change very rapidly.”
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Impact Wrestling is finishing off 2021 by airing two “Best of 2021” episodes. Last night’s broadcast included some of the best matches of the year as well as the announcement of multiple award winners. More year-end award winners will be announced on next week’s episode.
The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) were named the promotion’s tag-team of the year.
Last year, Deonna Purrazzo won both the Knockout of the Year and Wrestler of the Year awards. She’s won the Knockouts of the Year award 2 years straight now. The Wrestler of the Year award will be announced next week.
In addition to the awards given out last night, a new match for the Hard to Kill PPV was also revealed. Trey Miguel will defend his X-Division Championship against Steve Maclin on the show.
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)
Pro wrestling legend Bret Hart was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame last week.
The Hitman was inducted by Chris Jericho. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also recorded a special video message and thanked Bret Hart for mentoring him early in his wrestling career.
Bret Hart has posted video of his induction to social media, which you can check out in the player below:
Bret Hart recently spoke to TSN about his induction. Hart talked about his in-ring style and what it was like growing up in the business.
“I gave 100 per cent in my matches all the time. There was something different about [my] matches. They were so real, and believable,” Hart told TSN. “My matches were an amazing blend of athletics and acting. You have to know from real pain in your life, what really hurts and how to sell something and make people feel your pain. I think I did that as good or better than any wrestler.
“I grew up in the business from the time I was a little kid, I was watching wrestling matches since I was five years old,” Hart continued. “When I became a wrestler I had a really good idea of how to entertain a wrestling fan like myself. I could bring the fan out of the wrestler, and when we’d go out there and perform it, the fans and the wrestler you worked with are so happy that you delivered this beautiful story.”
Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame Resume
Bret Hart
In addition to Canada’s Walk of Fame, Hart was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Oklahoma in 2006. The Hall of Fame and museum honors achievements in amateur wrestling. Hart won the city of Calgary wrestling championship in 1974.
For professional wrestling, Hart is in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame, Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame, Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, and he’s been inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame.
CM Punk took a 7-year hiatus from wrestling after quitting WWE before he made his triumphant return earlier this year. Though during his time away, he never took his hand off the pulse of the industry. He kept an eye on the up-and-coming talents. While many have criticized some of the storylines he has been a part of since his return, it appears that giving young talents the spotlight was always part of his plan.
The straight edge star recently appeared on ESPN SportsNation. He was asked why it was important for him to make his return in this capacity where he is working with a lot of younger talent. Answering it Punk explained that it’s about using his name to help the relatively unknown talents:
“Because very selfishly, it’s what I wanted to do. When you take seven years off of something that you’re pretty decent at and you’re priding yourself at having your finger on the pulse of everything. I think there’s an undercurrent and there’s a lot of young professional wrestlers out there that are probably better than a lot of people give them credit for. They just don’t have the spotlight. They don’t have anybody that’s saying, ‘Hey, look at this guy.’ Or they do but just not on a national level.
Punk continued, “I think I could use my name, whatever value that has, and kind of highlight some of the guys while knocking off some ring rust and moving myself up the ladder. So for storyline purposes, it makes sense to me. And I always remember guys helping me and they were few and far between. I think more people should help more people and I’m just trying to do my best to do that.”
Will We Get To See CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Adam Cole & Britt Baker?
CM Punk and AJ Lee
AEW is not very big on mixed tag matches but there is one match that many people want to see. The match of CM Punk & AJ Lee vs Adam Cole & Britt Baker is something that even Cole and Baker have shown interest in. Though when asked if we will get to see the bout, the former world champion said that he can’t promise that:
“That one I can’t promise you. She is doing her own thing. To be completely honest, I know her and if I said, ‘Hey, you want to do this wrestling match?’, and if she was all gung-ho to do it, I know she would want to get into stupid shape to do it, and I like her thick. So I don’t want to take that away from myself.”
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Gresham won the world title at the ROH Final Battle PPV earlier this month. Final Battle was ROH’s last show before their announced hiatus until April next year.
In the meantime, Jonathan has started defending the title in various promotions. His first successful defense was against AJ Gray at last Friday’s GCW Blood on The Hills.
Impact Hard To Kill Updated Match Card
This is the 8th announced match for the first Impact PPV of 2022. After the latest announcement, here is the updated match card for the show:
Impact World Championship Triple Threat Match: Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey vs. Moose
ROH World Championship Match: Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham
Knockouts Championship Texas Death Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mickie James
X Division Championship Match: Steve Maclin vs. Trey Miguel
Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood vs. The IInspiration
#1 Contender Ultimate X Match For Knockouts Championship: Chelsea Green vs. Lady Frost vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Rosemary vs. Rachael Ellering vs. Impact Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace
Hardcore War: Heath, Rhino, Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. Violence By Design & Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers
Singles Match: Jonah vs. Josh Alexander
Impact Hard To Kill will take place from The Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas on Saturday, January 8, 2022.
With stars such as CM Punk, Sting and Adam Cole in action and the big debut of Kyle O’Reilly, this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite managed to break through the barrier of 1 million viewers again.
The Holiday Bash edition of the show featuring the main event match of Punk, Sting, and Darby Allin taking on The Pinnacle drew 1.020 million viewers according to Showbuzz Daily.
President Tony Khan took on his Twitter to react to the ratings. He thanked the fans and noted how it was their highest number since October when Dynamite was temporarily moved to Saturday night for a few weeks:
Thank you everyone who watched #AEWDynamite Holiday Bash last night! It was our highest viewership since the October time-shift & a BIG win for our whole company + the @AEW fans! Dynamite (+21% 18-49, +8% overall) & #AEWRampage (+29% 18-49, +14% overall) both way up thanks to YOU
This is a 7.59% increase from last week’s Winter Is Coming special of Dynamite. The show featuring the Bryan Danielson vs Hangman Page world title match had drawn 948,000 viewers.
Dynamite also saw a big increase in the key demo. This week’s episode drew 0.37 ratings in the 18-49 demographic representing 480,000 viewers of the age group.
This is a significant 19.35% improvement over last week’s episode of the show. It had done a 0.31 rating, representing 398,000 viewers of the demographic.
This was a 31.61% improvement in the year-over-year ratings for Dynamite. The 2020 Holiday Bash special of the show had not gone up against NXT either.
Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross has shared his take on how Michael Cole was able to get noticed as a play-by-play guy.
JR was the voice of WWE for many years but Vince McMahon knew he’d need another PBP ace. Cole was groomed to not only keep things fresh but to also fill in whenever Ross would get sick.
Today, Cole is WWE’s top play-by-play commentator and Vince has relied on him for several years. More recently, he has been praised for his chemistry with color commentator Pat McAfee on SmackDown.
Jim Ross Talks Michael Cole’s Early Days
Taking to his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed how Michael Cole was able to get ahead early on in his career.
“He was always prepared and he writes notes that are minuscule. I couldn’t copy his homework if my life depended on it, so to speak.
“But he was always well-prepared, always had some notes, always had some information there that he could utilize, pull it out, use it pretty much anytime. The preparedness I thought was great.
“I’m not saying anything — his voice needed to continue to be cultivated but I thought he was a great student, great student of trying to learn how to become a good storyteller as a broadcaster in pro wrestling.”
While Cole has seemingly become a WWE mainstay, Jim Ross eventually made his way to AEW. He has been out of the booth due to skin cancer treatment but he will be making his return on the Dec. 29 episode of Dynamite.
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Ruby Soho thinks AEW fans can sense inauthenticity from miles away.
In pro wrestling, some of the best moments, storylines, characters, and matches come when the fans feel it to be genuine. It’s the reason why scripted promos and over-the-top gimmicks often get criticized.
Ruby has been received well by the fans of AEW and she has an idea as to why that’s the case.
Ruby Soho Praises AEW Fans
Ruby Soho is of the belief that AEW fans have allowed her to be authentic because otherwise, they wouldn’t accept her. She explained when being interviewed by Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald.
“Feeling like I am accepted for exactly the way that I am, and be able to be me and be the most authentic version of me. I think that’s one of the things that also makes AEW so special.
“That’s one of the reasons [why] our fans are as incredible as they are. They see all of the performers being the most authentic version of themselves. And I think that they relate to that. They connect with that.
“Because everybody knows when you’re trying to be something that you’re not people can tell. Especially our fans, they can tell. When you’re the most authentic version of yourself I think people connect with that even more and that’s why our fans are as incredible as they are.
“So being able to be that version of myself, unapologetically is really, really a great gift.”
In the same interview with Jim, Ruby said she feels there’s something truly special about AEW as a whole. She described the energy of the locker room as “intoxicating.”
Ruby also said that she feels motivated thanks to the energy of her peers. She also called Tony Khan the best “hype man.”
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O’Reilly made his surprise AEW debut on the Dec. 22 Holiday Bash episode of Dynamite. The former Undisputed Era member attacked Orange Cassidy during his match with Adam Cole. This allowed Cole to connect with The Boom for the three-count.
It appears O’Reilly did a heck of a job evading people in the backstage area before making his debut.
Mark Henry Unaware Of Kyle O’Reilly’s Presence
During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry praised Tony Khan for being able to snag Kyle O’Reilly after his WWE contract was up.
“Tony Khan continues to give the crowd what they want. And when I say crowd, not just the people in Greensboro but all of the fans of AEW.
“You get these little — it’s not even Christmas presents. It’s like a birthday, it’s a Wednesday gift. Every month it seems like there’s a surprise at AEW.
“Whether it’s a return from injury or a new wrestler that’s All Elite, something to that effect that gets everybody stirred up. Man, I feel like that’s the M.O. of AEW is never letting things get stale by mixing things up and last night was no different.”
Henry insisted that he never knew that O’Reilly was going to appear on Dynamite and never saw him before he made his way out.
“No, I know who he is. I never saw him all day. I’m a tell you, man they some super Secret Squirrel — they some kingsmen. They the Mission Impossible people. I don’t know what the hell is going on but they do a good job of keeping a secret.”
Some drama is already brewing between The Young Bucks and Cole over Bobby Fish and O’Reilly. Cole promised The Bucks a surprise but Matt and Nick Jackson weren’t exactly thrilled with what they saw.
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The AEW roster is stacked and growing by the month. While some may feel it’s time for the company to focus on the talent currently under contract, Eddie Kingston says you really can’t have too many big names in your company.
Kingston spoke to TalkSport this week and spoke about the pros and cons of having a locker room loaded with star power.
When asked if you have too many top talents, Kingston said, “No, because it makes everybody else step up. And if you don’t step up, you get left behind and that’s your fault. That’s not Punk’s fault. That’s not Bryan’s fault. That not whoever comes in fault.”
AEW signed a ton of people this year. CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Ruby Soho, Malakai Black and Andrade el Idolo are just some of the performers who became ‘All Elite’ in 2021.
Kingston continued, “When Bryan signed, when Punk signed and when Adam Cole signed I said ‘Alright, let’s go. Let’s see what you got.’ Because I know what I got. I know what I have to improve on. Let’s see what you got. I like it. I have a big chip on my shoulder.”
Visit TalkSport to check out the full interview with Eddie Kingston.
AEW Roster: A Team Effort
Adam Cole recently addressed this topic during an appearance on Barstool’s Rasslin’ podcast. Cole says he was very impressed how well everyone gets along behind the scenes.
“It very much feels like the ‘you’re one of us’ thing,” said Cole. “It very much feels like a team in every sense of the word. That was one of the more attractive things to me as well about AEW.”
Cole added that the veterans in AEW are excited to work with the young talent, and vice-versa.
“You look at the young crew of guys like Jungle Boy, Sammy, MJF, Darby, and you’re like, ‘Man, I could do some really, really cool stuff with these guys.’”
In an update to yesterday’s report concerning a COVID-19 outbreak at WWE, PWInsider has followed up their reporting by noting that even more talent and personnel tested positive throughout the day on Wednesday.
Several WWE talent confirmed that they were contacted and asked to take a COVID-19 test to confirm whether they were positive or negative in order to get ahead of the situation. That led to even more confirmed positive cases, with one source noting to PWInsider that there has been a “lot of running around” within the office.
WWE still plans to continue on with their holiday tour next week, though obviously none of the confirmed positive cases will be allowed to travel.
The belief internally is that WWE could not have done anything more to prevent this outbreak. Sources indicated that they are operating with the mentality that the company is going through the same thing that many sports leagues and Broadway are right now in regards to COVID-19 outbreaks. WWE talents are regularly tested before being allowed into venues.
There will likely be some shuffling of the cards planned for this upcoming tour. A source noted to PWInsider that under a worst case scenario, they could even bring some NXT talent on the road to fill-in the undercard of some of their live events.
A Busy WWE Schedule Over The Next Week
WWE’s Day 1 PPV in Atlanta is exactly 10 days from yesterday’s reporting on this outbreak. CDC guidance indicates that people generally shed the virus for 10 days after becoming symptomatic. The hope within WWE is that all talent will be cleared and still be able to perform at the PPV given the time frame they are working with.
It will be a busy week for WWE starting on Sunday, December 26, with WWE holding live events that day in Tampa (SmackDown brand at Amalie Arena) and New York City (Raw brand at Madison Square Garden). Raw on Monday night will emanate from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, while the SmackDown crew will be running the Amway Center in Orlando on Monday. Tuesday will see shows in Washington, D.C. (SmackDown) and Pittsburgh (Raw), and Wednesday the tours move on to Toronto (Raw) and Baltimore (SmackDown). The SmackDown crew wraps up Thursday in Buffalo (SmackDown). Next Friday night’s New Years Eve edition of SmackDown has already been taped, and the Day 1 PPV will be Saturday night in Atlanta.
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The second half of 2021 is a fascinating time to look at domestic pro wrestling attendance and live events outside of the WWE and AEW.
As promotions emerged with regular shows and tapings in what was thought to be the tail end of COVID-19 but in some parts of the country, it continues to be a major challenge and the Omicron variant was just around the corner
With a re-emergence of live events, this half year should serve as a baseline for future comparison as opposed to a comparison to a past that was very different.
Game Changer Wrestling emerged as the hottest live event draw for a promotion of its size
In tracking 22 events (one that was co-promoted with Black Label Pro), 11 shows were sellouts. The company promoted coast to coast and its 4 shows in the Los Angeles market were pre-sellouts as well as 2 shows in Detroit. The Detroit shows sold out early enough that the company booked a more ambitious venue in 2022, Harpos.
Two shows had reported attendances above 1,000: 7/24 in Atlantic City at the Showboat Hotel 1,200. 9/4 Hoffman Estates at the Grand Sports Arena 1,450.
The company also established regular touring swings in Texas (Houston, Dallas).
Outside of the confines of the period of this report, GCW has an advance sellout of 2,025 in the Hammerstein Ballroom on 1/23/22 to look forward to.
The NWA builds back
The 4 shot run of the NWA at the site of the historic Chase Hotel has to be considered a big win. The 73rd anniversary show on 8/29 was sold out at 856 tickets and the EMPOWER show on the 28th was nearly sold out at 843 tickets (98%). The two television tapings had a modest setup with 340 and 323 tickets distributed on the subsequent days.
The company co-promoted a show with Tried & True in Valor Hall in Oak Grove, KY on October 24th that drew 382 (88% capacity).
A multi-day swing in Atlanta included Hard Times 2 and a taping for the new Youtube program, NWA USA. The company was restricted in capacity of 90, with the ppv necessitating refunds to ticket holders beyond the 90 restriction. The NWA USA taping was reported as 70 in attendance.
New Japan’s drawing ability in the U.S. still a question mark
NJPW Strong Shwodown had a wild main event
New Japan ran 9 domestic shows in the U.S. during the second half of 2021.
The Torch at the LA Coliseum show on 8/14 distributed 99% of the tickets representing 2,240. This may have been the most tickets sold for a non WWE-AEW domestic event in 2021. The television taping in Long Beach, CA sold out with 114 tickets distributed plus General Admission.
The two shows in Garland, TX, a mid-market stronghold for AEW, did not yield good results for New Japan. The 9/25 distributed 903 tickets. It appears more than half the tickets were distributed the day of the show on 9/25, so one might consider if tickets were given away or there was a particularly effective late advertising campaign or significant walk up purchases. 9/26 distributed 841 tickets as of 5pm on the day of the show, significantly up from 443 tickets just a few days prior.
A swing through the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on 10/16 and 10/17 yielded 561 and 531, respectively, according to WrestleTix. The Observer and Cagematch listed around 700 for these shows.
A swing in California in November on 11/13 and 11/15, yielded 1,548 in San Jose and 858 in the Riverside Municipal Auditorium.
A small taping was done in the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles on 12/9. A total attendance was not available for the venue that can hold up to 1,200 but the 1st row and ‘lobby standing’ were sold out with a ‘waiting list’ appearing on the ticket sales page.
NEW continued to draw for big shows in warmer weather, celebrates anniversary
In the second half of 2021 (one a partnership with ICW), NEW drew over 1,000 for at least 2 shows, possibly 4.
On 7/9 in Rostaver, PA (co-promoted with ICW), the Post Gazette reported an attendance of 700, whereas the Observer listed 1,700.
A show in Eastwood Field in Niles, OH drew 1,978 and the Anniversary show in the Mid-Hudson Civic Center on 8/14 drew 1,518 (84% capacity). Due only to the promotion’s track record, the anniversary show may have been a modest disappointment in not selling out.
Two additional shows, one in Waterbury on 7/17 and one in Bethany on 9/11, had 260 and 205 tickets distributed.
The 4th quarter (October-December) is traditionally a less ambitious time for NEW. There were several shows in Bethany, CT, most notably 205 at the NEW Arena (representing 73% of the tickets put on sale).
On 10/2 in Danbury, I hand counted the ticket sales page to represent 610 tickets. However the Observer reported 1,210 fans and 1,174 paid- a number not achievable based on what I saw on the ticket map.
Ring of Honor struggles at the gate, cautiously runs some shows with fans and announces a reimaging
On 7/11, ROH ran in the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Area. The building was set up for social distancing and WrestleTix estimated a capacity of 700, with 419 in attendance. The Observer listed 1,200 in attendance.
ROH ran a double shot at the 2300 Arena on 8/20, 8/21 drawing 390, 482 according to WrestleTix. The Observer reported the same number for paid on 8/21 but that 550 were in attendance.
ROH has attempted to run Death Before Dishonor in Lakeland, FL but it was canceled for COVID reasons. A hand count showed that only about 150 tickets had been sold prior to the cancellation. ROH instead returned to the 2300 Arena and drew 372 on 9/12.
In the 4th quarter, the company returned to empty arena tapings outside of Final Battle. Prior to Final Battle, the company announced time off in 2022 to reimagine itself, released contracted wrestlers and announced a potential show over WrestleMania weekend in the Dallas market.
Final Battle in Baltimore, MD drew 1,620, a significant increase over July 11th’s 419 attendees. WrestleTix reported that Sinclair employees were offered up to 4 free tickets.
IMPACT & its modest wins
Impact World Champion Christian Cage
IMPACT remained in Nashville in the third quarter but allowed fans into Skyway Studios. Slammiversary was a quick sellout on 7/17 with 180 in attendance. A nice ‘win’ for the company.
The Observer reported that tapings on 7/18, 7/19 also had 180 in attendance but there was no distinction between the two tapings per day. My own check just prior showed that one could buy multiple tickets each day.
In the 4th quarter, IMPACT spent most of its time in Las Vegas. It ran a triple shot from October 23-25th with Bound for Glory reported as a sell out of 900 fans. Unconfirmed, I received a tweet that there was an advertisement for seat fillers/extras that night.
As of this writing, it appears that the 12/18 show at the Davis Arena in Louisville, KY will sell out its 137 seats (132 had been sold) and has General Admission seats also available.
MLW: Philly X3, shifts Dallas
In a show long rescheduled due to the pandemic, MLW was completely sold out at the 2300 Arena on 7/10/21. The Observer listed it as “the usual sellout number” – but the actual number was not available. Generally, the building’s maximum capacity is listed as 1,300 with a Battleground sellout in the venue listed as 900.
The show planned for Dallas on 9/11 was canceled for COVID reasons. It had distributed 508 of 512 reserved tickets plus GA prior to cancellation. The promotion will return to the city at least twice in 2022, this time at Gilleys.
The promotion ran the 2300 Arena two more times in the 4th quarter, with 550 on October 2nd and 675 on November 6th reported.
The co-promotion with THE CRASH took place outside the U.S. and is left out of this report.
Other shows drawing 1,000+
Outside of an unknown true attendance for HECHO En MEXICO (7/31 in Hidalgo, TX on 7/31), the following shows were reported as drawing 1,000+ for shows not already mentioned above:
Great Lakes Championship Wrestling in Waukesha, WI drew 2,100 at the Waukesha County Expo Center on 12/4
Mucha Lucha in Norcross, GA drew 1,500 at Espacio Discoteque on 10/10
WRESTLECADE in Winston-Salem, NC drew 1,200 in the Benton Convention Center on 11/26
PCW ULTRA in Wilmington, CA drew 1,000 at ILWU Memorial Hall on 10/23
Overall non-WWE/AEW Domestic Attendance Average
In tracking 188 shows, 84 (44%) were reported as sold out (or nearly).
There was an attendance available for 140 of the 188 shows, for an average of 395 in attendance per show.
Given that there were probably 10-15x shows domestically (depending on how quickly independent wrestling is emerging from the pandemic and running with fans), this is just a snapshot and shouldn’t be applied to any trend overall or meant in any way as a representative sample.
Additionally, Georgia Wrestling History provides several local results per week so there is a skewing based on the volume of small Georgia shows.
However, using the same methodology in future years may yield some interesting results.
Sourcing/Credit:
In addition to confidence in my own abilities to hand count ticket maps, credit is due to WrestleTix, The Wrestling Observer, Cagematch, PWInsider, The Wrestling Estate, Georgia Wrestling History and local media coverage in which attendance figures were provided.
Note: All information provided was to the best of my knowledge. Any factual errors are unintentional and will be corrected in future editions. Please reach out at any time with a concern or correction.
AEW taped Rampage Holiday Bash following Dynamite last night from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The show was headlined by a TNT title match between champion Sammy Guevara and Cody Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes defeated Sammy Guevara to win the TNT Championship for a 3rd time. Reports are that Rhodes used multiple Cross Rhodes and a pedigree to win the match.
The other 3 matches all had submission finishes.
Kris Statlander defeated “Legit” Leyla Hirsch via submission. In his second ever match, HOOK defeated Bear Bronson. Jungle Boy also defeated Isiah Kassidy from Private Party.
The TNT Championship has now changed hands 7x, with Rhodes being the only champion to hold the title more than once. His first run with the belt lasted 82 days and included 8 title defenses. Rhodes then dropped the title to Brodie Lee who defended it twice before dropping it back to Rhodes again. He would then drop the title to Darby Allin, who eventually lost it to Miro. Guevara then defeated Miro before dropping it back to Rhodes.
Next up for AEW will be a show in Jacksonville on December 29th. Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish will reunited to take on the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy. Jade Cargill will face Thunder Rosa in the second TBS Title Tournament semi-final. Eddie Kingston will also team with Santana and Ortiz to take on 2.0 and Daniel Garcia.
Ruby Soho has wrestled for many different companies in her career so far. The list includes promotions such as WWE, Stardom, Shimmer, and more. Though while she has been part of many different locker rooms, none can match the energy and vibe that is found in the AEW locker room, according to the female star herself.
Soho recently spoke to Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald. She compared the energy within the AEW locker room to other organizations and claimed that it has a very indie feeling to it:
“I have said before that AEW kind of has a very independent wrestling like underground vibe to it. It’s different than anything that I’ve ever been a part of. The energy within it is definitely kind of an indie wrestling vibe just because we’re all working together as a team to put together this amazing product. And we’re all just a bunch of misfits putting together this incredible show that are brought together by the love of wrestling,”
Ruby Soho and Tony Khan. Photo: Instinct Culture by Denise Salcedo
Ruby Soho made her AEW debut during the All Out PPV in September. In the short time since then, she has won a Casino Battle Royal and challenged for the AEW women’s world title. She is now competing in the TBS title tournament and reached the finals of it. When asked what her experience at the promotion has been like, Soho said that there is something very special about the place:
“There’s something very special about the place, about the energy that’s in the locker room. Like I said, we’re all just trying to prove that there’s something different out there in the world of professional wrestling and that’s what we’re delivering. So, it is an energy that is intoxicating and motivating. Then on top of that our boss, Tony Khan is probably the best hype man anybody could ask for. He’s just so excited about wrestling and so excited about his product and passionate about it. That energy is infectious throughout the rest of the locker room.”
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This week’s special Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite saw Sting team up with Darby Allin and CM Punk in the main event. They defeated the team of Maxwell Jacob Friedman and FTR of the Pinnacle.
Sting and Punk paid homage to one another with their face-paint and ring gear.
Ahead of this memorable bout, Sting spoke to Sports Illustrated and had glowing things to say about Punk.
“CM Punk, he’s truly amazing to me,” he began. “Hearing the crowd respond to him, it’s made me turn back the clock and think of all the different memorable reactions over the years to different wrestlers. I’ve especially been thinking about The Road Warriors. Animal was really big on that. He would say, ‘This guy got a huge pop, but it wasn’t a Road Warrior pop.’ That’s what Punk gets.”
Sting and CM Punk
Sting has wrestled alongside some of the biggest names in pro wrestling history. He’s worked with them all, yet still credits Punk for being a “remarkable” and “electrifying” performer.
“I had an idea of CM Punk’s greatness, but now I have experienced it,” Sting continued. “His appearances are so electrifying. He is remarkable, and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be in the ring with him and Darby as their tag team partner.”
Sting Retiring on His Terms
Sting also spoke about how fortunate he is to write this final chapter of his career on his terms.
“Not many people get to rewrite their final chapter, not at this level. I had great matches at the Greensboro Coliseum with Lex Luger, and now I get to do it with Darby and CM Punk against MJF and FTR. It’s a great way to end my career. The crowd, their appreciation makes me want to tear up. It’s almost as if they don’t want to say goodbye.”
Sting has a lot of great memories wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum. Back in 1988, he wrestled NWA Champion Ric Flair to a 45-minute time-limit draw at the first-ever Clash of the Champions. That show went head-to-head with WWE’s WrestleMania IV.
Matt Cardona has made independent wrestling his new home after being released by WWE. He’s having the time of his life traveling around and working for multiple promotions at the same time.
After being a WWE star for 15 years, it doesn’t look like he is interested in signing another exclusive contract anytime soon. During a recent interview with Barstool Wrestling, the Long Island Broski was asked if he’d ever signing an exclusive contract in wrestling again.
“I mean never say never but I’m having the time of my life right now, the time of my career,” he began. “Before this, 2011, when I did the YouTube show back in the day, that was my favorite year of my career. But fuck this year is number one. By far I’m having the time of my life. Making some money and being my own boss. I love it.”
Cardona continued, “Not only the creative freedom, but the freedom to just make my own schedule, do whatever I want to do. and it’s working. This wasn’t some master plan.”
Matt Cardona claimed that always ready is not just a catchphrase for him. It’s the way he lives his life. He is not one of those people who gets a lot of opportunities, but he is ready to seize the ones that come his way. Later in the interview, he explained how this mindset led to him making his Impact Wrestling debut at last year’s Hard To Kill PPV:
“The always ready. It’s not just a hashtag or gimmick. It’s the way I live my life and career. Some people not just in wrestling but in life, get handed opportunity after opportunity. I’m not one of them. I’m not complaining about that. They come few and far between. But when I get one, I better capitalize. I better make the most of it and that’s what the always ready is all about.
“It was last year at Hard To kill. I made my debut. [I] wasn’t scheduled to be on the show. The day before, someone from their talent relations texted me and said ‘hey, can you be at the Pay Per View tomorrow?’ I said ‘always ready.’ I literally had just shaved my entire body the night before and got a little confidence tan. But I was like, fuck, I say I’m always ready, [and] I better be. I better be fucking ready to go and I was. And I’ve been with impact, doing their shows ever since. I love impact. I love the opportunities that they give me. Now a year later on the anniversary of my debut going for the world title, it’s very special to me.”
It doesn’t appear Matt Cardona will slow down in 2022 either. He already has a few big shows coming his way in the first month of the year. Cardona is scheduled to challenge Moose for the Impact world title at Hard To Kill on January 8. The match will be a triple threat also involving W. Morrissey. He is booked for the GCW event in Hammerstein Ballroom on January 23 as well.
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