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Bianca Belair Earns WWE Raw Women’s Title Shot At WrestleMania

Andrew Ravens
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WWE upped the stakes for the women’s Elimination Chamber match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from the Jeddah SuperDome as Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Doudrop, and Nikki A.S.H. competed in the bout. The sixth participant, who had been previously unknown for weeks was revealed as Alexa Bliss. 

The stipulation of the match was the winner getting the next shot at the Raw Women’s Title. The bout started off with Nikki and Liv. Doudrop entered the match third. Rhea was in fourth. Rhea hit her finisher to Nikki for the first elimination. Bliss earned the fifth entry and last was Belair. Morgan went to the top rope, but Doudrop tossed her into the pod. Morgan eliminated Doudrop with a sunset flip powerbomb. Bliss hit twisted bliss to eliminate Morgan. Belair eliminated Rhea with her finisher. 

As a result of the win, she will challenge Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Title at WrestleMania 38 on either April 2 or 3. At the Elimination Chamber, Lynch faced off with Hall Of Famer Lita. 

In recent weeks, Morgan and Doudrop had both unsuccessfully challenged for Lynch’s title as  Doudrop got her title shot at the Royal Rumble by defeating Morgan and Belair in a number one contender’s match. In a heel move, Lynch interfered to prevent Belair from winning in that triple threat match. 

Roman Reigns Retains WWE Universal Title Over Goldberg At Elimination Chamber

Andrew Ravens
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In the last match on his current WWE deal, Goldberg challenged WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns for the title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event.

The match opened the main card. They brawled early until Goldberg caught him with a spear. When he went for the jackhammer, Reigns reversed it with a rock bottom-like move. After hitting the superman punch, Reigns went for the spear, but Goldberg caught him with one of his own. Reigns won with the guillotine choke and Goldberg passed out. 

The match was set up during the February 4th edition of SmackDown as Reigns and Paul Heyman celebrated their accomplishments at the Royal Rumble, which was costing Brock Lesnar the WWE Championship. 

The WWE Hall Of Famer came out and said that he acknowledged Reigns, but as his next victim. Goldberg told Reigns he wanted the Universal Championship match. That match was confirmed later in the show.

Of course. This match was originally scheduled for WrestleMania 36 back in 2020, but Reigns took time off due to the COVID-19 pandemic so WWE got Braun Strowman to face and beat Goldberg for the Universal title instead

Goldberg challenged for the WWE Championship at the 2021 Royal Rumble pay-per-view but lost to Drew McIntyre before losing to then-WWE Champion Bobby Lashley at the SummerSlam only to win the rematch when he previously competed at Crown Jewel where he beat Lashley. 

Reigns will make his next Universal Title defense against Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. As of this writing, Goldberg’s WWE future let alone his WrestleMania status is currently up in the air. 

Shane Strickland Says He Lost Motivation Following B-Fab’s Release

Chris Stephens
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Shane Strickland says he lost motivation for his main roster run in WWE following his Hit Row stablemate B-Fab’s release. He made the below comments during an appearance on the Wrestling Classic podcast.

“Truth be told, after Briana [Brandy] got let go, it kind of, for me, I kind of lost the interest anyway. I’m a person that’s 100 percent go or not so they’re not 100 percent behind me, it’s like, okay, I can’t be 100 percent behind this project,” Strickland said on the project.

It was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there is interest from AEW in bringing Strickland in. He’s also been booked on 2 shows for GCW in April. He made his NJPW recently by answering Jay White’s Open Challenge.

“WWE is gonna WWE,” Strickland continued. “They’re gonna do what they do. They have what they want and they’re happy with what they got. I’m not necessarily happy with what I’m noticing with the product change but they’re happy with it. It’s their money, it’s their product.”

The members of Hit Row will reunite on March 19th on a show for MCW.

H/T To WrestlingNewsCO for the above transcriptions.

Kenny Omega Comments On Cody Rhodes’ Departure From AEW

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega spoke about Cody Rhodes’ departure from AEW on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. During the discussion, Omega noted that perhaps Cody’s idea of what AEW would be was different from Tony Khan’s and different from what Omega and the Young Bucks envisioned.

“When this thing (AEW) first started, the most passionate person of our revolution, the most passionate person of creating an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, that was Cody. It was strange for him to just choose to up and walk away,” Omega said. “However, that being said, feelings change. The environment around you is ever-changing.”

Omega continued to say that he thinks Cody had a different vision for AEW than Tony, Omega, and the Young Bucks did.

“Maybe, in the end, we had the Bucks and their vision, my vision, and Cody’s vision. All of our visions are different. I would say mine was more similar to what the Bucks had envisioned and Cody’s was much different,” Omega continued.

Kenny Omega On Cody Rhodes’ Departure From AEW

Omega also said that he enjoys a good professional relationship with Cody. He’s not a guy he hangs out with on his off time, however. Omega also said that Cody was more prone to wanting to go to war with WWE, while the Young Bucks wanted to just present a different product.

“When Cody had his way of going about things, I wasn’t sure how to follow up with that, nor was I interested. There was Kenny doing his thing, the Bucks doing their thing, and the Codyverse over there, doing whatever it is that he does,” Omega continued.

Omega also mentioned that he heard Cody is on a flight to Saudi Arabia, perhaps to officially join WWE.

“I heard he’s (Cody Rhodes) on a flight to Saudi Arabia, if that makes him happy, that makes him happy. Again, the Bucks and I, we weren’t in this for the war. All the guys and gals in WWE doing their thing, always wishing for the best for those guys,” Omega continued.

Kenny Omega Gives Update On Return From Injury

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega was a guest on Wrestling Observer Radio recently and gave an update on his various injuries and potential return to the ring. According to Omega, he had originally hoped to be able to return in February. He noted that he ran into trouble booking appointments for treatments, however, and this caused his return to be pushed back.

“I was hoping to be back by February. It’s not looking that way anymore,” Omega said. “That’s not to say there was a huge snag or something that is terribly wrong, it’s not that. It’s just, trying to get appointments and things fixed.”

Omega noted that he is dealing with a hernia as well as knee and neck issues. Some of his training has been impacted as well by not being able to use his legs as much for cardio.

“The training is going well, once I’m able to try to get the knees fixed, get the neck fixed, the hernia, & all that stuff,” he continued. “Hopefully I’m able to move around much better than I was before & I look like a guy who was doing what he was doing 10 years ago.”a

He didn’t provide an updated timeline for his return, however. Omega hasn’t wrestled since dropping the AEW World Championship to Hangman Page at Full Gear back in November.

Update On How Much Longer Rey Fenix Will Stay On Shelf

Anutosh Bajpai
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Rey Fenix suffered an arm injury earlier this year. He was expected to return to action this month but it appears fans will have to wait some more before seeing him back.

Dave Meltzer provided some update on the AEW star in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He claimed that the high-flying star is a month away from returning.

Fenix suffered the injury during the main event of the January 5 episode of Dynamite. The Lucha Brothers defended the AEW tag team championships against Jurassic Express on the show.

Not only did the Mexican stars lost the bout, but the former Lucha Underground star also suffered the gruesome-looking arm injury. His arm bent the wrong way while taking a chokeslam through a table.

Rey Fenix thankfully did not break any bones. His arm was badly dislocated and initially, it was believed that he will be back in the ring by mid-February.

The latest report confirmed that the AEW star’s condition has improved and his arm is out of the sling. Though he is still expected to stay out of action until mid-March.

AAA is currently advertising Fenix & Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Dragon Lee and Dralistico for Saturday’s Rey de Reyes event but it’s likely to be changed into a singles match between Penta and Dralistico.

Tony Khan Teasing Massive Announcement: “This Would Be Pretty Big Deal In Pro Wrestling”

Tay Conti Reveals WWE Star She ‘Really Wants To Wrestle’

Anutosh Bajpai
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Asuka is one of the top female superstars of the current generation. Even AEW stars such as Tay Conti recognize this and have the desire to step in the ring with her.

The AEW star recently appeared on Highspots Virtual Gimmick Table. She discussed things such as wanting to win a championship in 2022 and more.

Speaking of people she would like to step in the ring with, Conti named Asuka alongside Serena Deeb as competitors she really wants to face:

“I really want to wrestle Asuka one day. She’s one of my favorites, I really want to wrestle her. But, if we can talk about AEW, I would say, I really wanna have Serena Deeb too.

Because she’s going crazy right now. Yeah, I wrestled her once,” said Tay Conti, “but I really need a rematch against her. So, I’m ready for it.”

The Brazilian star also talked about some of her matches which she is proud of. She mentioned how facing the current AEW women’s champion Britt Baker for the title was a special moment for her.

According to Conti, she was super nervous before this match which took place at the Full Gear PPV in 2021 and Baker was amazing to work with.

Tay Conti Talks WWE Refusal to Grant Her a Release

Possible Big Spoiler For Elimination Chamber

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE will be presenting the Elimination Chamber PPV from Saudi Arabia this Saturday. Latest reports suggest there is a big title change planned for the show.

According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Brock Lesnar is expected to win the WWE championship during the Saudi event from Jeddah.

Lesnar, who is the winner of the 2022 men’s Royal Rumble is set to face the Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38 in April.

If the Beast Incarnate does win the title at Elimination Chamber, it will set up the rumored champion vs. champion match for the Show Of Shows, which will likely headline night 2 of the PPV.

The current plan is for the match between the women’s Royal Rumble winner Ronda Rousey and SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair to headline night 1 of WrestleMania 38.

The report also noted that WWE officials see Austin Theory as a future world champion. Though they believe that he is not ready for the opportunity yet.

The Elimination Chamber PPV will see Bobby Lashley defending his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar and 4 other competitors including Theory, AJ Styles, Riddle and Seth Rollins.

Roman Reigns on the other hand, will be defending his Universal Championship in a one-on-one match against Goldberg at the show.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 Predictions

Tony Khan Teasing Massive Announcement: “This Would Be Pretty Big Deal In Pro Wrestling”

Anutosh Bajpai
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We are less than a week removed from the much-hyped AEW debut of Keith Lee, but Tony Khan is already hyping up another ‘massive’ announcement.

The AEW president teased it during his most recent appearance on Busted Open Radio. He was asked if there will be any big news coming out of Rampage tonight.

Replying to it, Khan claimed that he is working on something massive which would be a big deal in pro wrestling. Though he is not sure he will announce it tonight:

“There will be a lot of news in the week ahead. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by tonight but stay tuned in the week ahead. I’m working on something pretty big. It would be massive. I don’t know if it’s what anybody would expect it is or think it is but this would be a big deal in pro wrestling.

I’m looking forward to hopefully making it happen.” said Tony Khan, “Stay tuned. I hopefully will get it done and will have more to announce soon.”

There is no news on what this massive announcement could be. Rumors range from another big debut for the company to details on the Owen Hart cup tournament.

What do you think about Tony Khan teasing another massive announcement after Keith Lee’s debut? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tony Khan On WWE Releasing Keith Lee: “This Was The Moment I Dreamed About”

WWE SmackDown Results (2/18): Elimination Chamber Go-Home Show, New Champion

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown was taped from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. It was the final show before Elimination Chamber on Saturday. Roman Reigns & Goldberg met face-to-face before their Universal Championship match. Shinsuke Nakamura defended the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.

SmackDown Results

  1. Ricochet def. Sheamus
  2. Ivar def. Jey Uso via DQ
  3. Sami Zayn def. Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new Intercontinental Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Ronda Rousey Will Have One Arm Tied Behind Her Back At Elimination Chamber

The contract signing for the tag match between Ronda Rousey & Naomi versus Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville at Elimination Chamber began tonight’s show. Adam Pearce was in the ring and Deville made her way down the entrance ramp first. Sonya’s arm was still in a sling to sell the attack from Rousey.

Sonya went to sign the contract right away and Rousey joked that Deville forgot how to spell her name. Rousey spelled out “bitch” and this led to Sonya getting pissed off. Deville signed the contract and passed it to Flair. Charlotte signed it as Sonya told Naomi that this was her last change to back out of the match. Naomi shouted at Deville to stop stalling or she will use Sonya’s head as the pen.

Charlotte announced that Ronda Rousey will have to wrestle the match with one arm tied behind her back. Deville noted that Rousey said that to the WWE camera man last week. Rousey wasn’t bothered and quickly signed the contract. Naomi signed as well as Ronda told Deville that she is going to tap dance on her forehead. Rousey bashed Flair’s head on the table and Naomi booted Sonya in the face. Charlotte and Sonya retreated to end the segment.

Ricochet def. Sheamus

Ricochet battled Sheamus in the first match of the night. Ridge Holland was in Sheamus’ corner for the match. Ricochet hit a Dropkick and then a Sunset Flip for a near fall. Sheamus connected with a Backbreaker and followed it up with a Suplex. Ricochet went for a springboard Moonsault but the Celtic Warrior countered into a Fallaway Slam and posed in the ring as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Sheamus hit a Clothesline and then the 10 Beats of the Bodhran. Ricochet battled back with a DDT and an Elbow Drop for a two count. Ricochet hit the Moonsault this time for another near fall. Sheamus connected with an Alabama Slam for a two count. Ricochet connected with a Spanish Fly and then the Recoil for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Ridge Holland got into the ring to check on the Celtic Warrior but Sheamus was pissed off. The two superstars argued before Sheamus shoved Ridge to the canvas and exited.

Ivar def. Jey Uso via DQ

Ivar faced Jey Uso tonight on SmackDown. The Usos will be defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Viking Raiders at Elimination Chamber. Uso hit a Superkick and unloaded some punches in the corner. Ivar battled back with a Side Slam and went for a Crossbody but Jey dodged it. Ivar hit a Clothesline and climbed to the top rope. Ivar hit a Splash but Jimmy interfered to end the match in a DQ. Jimmy hit Ivar with the Viking Raiders head gear.

Drew McIntyre Warned Madcap Moss

Drew McIntyre came to the ring and spoke about winding up in the back of a police car a few years back at WrestleMania in New Orleans. McIntyre added that another cop let him out and he partied the night away. Drew said he’s been reflecting a lot about his career since Madcap Moss & Happy Corbin tried to take him out.

Footage of the attack was shown and McIntyre said he wanted to play it so he could remember how it felt when the doctor told him he wasn’t going to make it back. McIntyre said it is anything goes at Elimination Chamber and he could drown Madcap Moss in the Red Sea.

Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Moss made a Snap, Crackle, & Pop joke about McIntyre’s neck and Drew responded by telling Moss that he’s made a mistake by aligning himself with Happy Corbin. McIntyre added that the laughter will die at Elimination Chamber.

Sami Zayn Captured The Intercontinental Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura defended the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn tonight on SmackDown. Zayn avoided Shinsuke early until he could get him in a Headlock. Nakamura broke free and connected with an Enziguri. Nakamura followed it up with Good Vibrations and the running knee in the corner. Sami battled back and sent Nakamura to the floor outside the ring and sent him into the steel steps as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Sami had Nakamura in a Crossface but the champion escaped. Zayn connected with a Clothesline and went for the cover but Nakamura kicked out at two. Nakamura hit a Dropkick and sent Sami to the corner of the ring.

Shinsuke connected with the sliding German Suplex but Sami kicked out at two. Sami went for the Blue Thunder Bomb but Nakamura was able to block it. Zayn quickly hit a Michinoku Driver but couldn’t put Shinsuke away. Nakamura rolled out of the ring and Sami went for a dive but Shinsuke countered with a kick. Shinsuke went for the Kinshasa but wound up hitting the steel steps as SmackDown went to a break.

Back from the break, Nakamura hit a Kinshasa but Sami kicked out. Zayn hit the Blue Thunder Bomb but Nakamura kicked out and the match continued. Nakamura hit a roundhouse kick and set up for the Kinshasa but Sami got out of the ring. Sami bashed Nakamura’s knee into the ring post and then booted his knee. Zayn then rolled up Nakamura out of nowhere for the pinfall victory. Sami Zayn is the new Intercontinental Champion.

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1494864802472243209?s=20&t=FDBIOH6w6crGIfz7F_yZ1Q

Goldberg & Reigns Closed The Show

Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Goldberg met face-to-face one night before their title match at Elimination Chamber. Paul Heyman accompanied Reigns to the ring.

Heyman handed the Tribal Chief a microphone and Reigns told the crowd to acknowledge him. Reigns said “now celebrate me, wise man” and handed the microphone back to Heyman. Paul said it was the best part of his day and the fans don’t understand what is like to stand close to true greatness. Heyman added that he finds the experience “spiritually orgasmic”.

Paul poked fun at the Saints football team and the crowd booed. Heyman said that the 11th commandment on the island of relevancy is “thou shall not interrupt the wise man’s promo” as the New Orleans crowd the crowd chanted “Who Dat?” for the Saints. Goldberg’s theme hit and a security guard was shown knocking on his door.

Goldberg made his way to the ring and opted to drop the microphone instead of speaking to Reigns. Roman told Goldberg that this was his final chance to acknowledge him. Goldberg responded by saying “when it comes to the Universal Championship, I’m next”. Goldberg dropped the microphone again and had a stare down with Reigns to close the show.

AEW Revolution Updated Card: Page vs. Cole, Rosa vs. Baker Confirmed

Andrew Ravens
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AEW has announced two big matches for their upcoming Revolution pay-per-view event including the main event of “Hangman” Adam Page defending his AEW World Title against Adam Cole. 

Also booked for the show included Powerhouse Hobbs beating Dante Martin on Friday’s Rampage episode to earn a spot in the Face of the Revolution ladder match for a TNT Title shot and Thunder Rosa vs. AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker.

Cole, who is the top-ranked contender in the latest AEW rankings, confronted Hangman Page on the February 9 episode of AEW Dynamite then came face-to-face on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

Baker and Rosa faced off in an Unsanctioned Lights Out Match at St. Patrick’s Day Slam on March 11, 2021. Last Wednesday on Dynamite, Rosa defeated Mercedes Martinez

AEW Revolution Card

The AEW Revolution pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, March 6, 2022 from Orlando, Florida.

  • AEW World Heavyweight champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Adam Cole 
  • AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa
  • Dog collar match: CM Punk vs. MJF
  • Face of the Revolution ladder match for a TNT Title shot: Keith Lee vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs, vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express vs. TBD vs. TBD

AEW Rampage Results (2/18): Jay White In-Ring Debut, Qualifying Match, Adam Cole

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage was recorded this week from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium and had a special 7PM Eastern start time. Adam Cole battled Dark Order’s 10. Powerhouse Hobbs squared off against Dante Marin in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match Qualifier. Jay White made his AEW in-ring debut against Trent Beretta. Serena Deeb issued another 5 Minute Rookie Challenge this week as well.

Rampage Results

  1. Adam Cole def. 10
  2. Powerhouse Hobbs def. Dante Martin to qualify for the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match
  3. Serena Deeb def. Angelica Risk
  4. Jay White def. Trent Beretta

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole Picked Up A Win

Adam Cole battled 10 in the first match of the night. 10 controlled the action early and beat Cole down. 10 connected with a German Suplex and followed it up with some punches. Cole escaped and rolled out of the ring.

Cole got back in the ring and connected with a Neckbreaker. Cole went for a Suplex but 10 countered into a Suplex of his own. Adam knocked 10 to the outside and slammed his knee into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Cole continued to work on the injured knee and wrapped it around the ropes. 10 was able to escape but got a boot to the face as he hobbled to his feet. When Rampage returned from a break, 10 battled back with a Clothesline and then a Spinebuster.

Cole went for a Panama Sunrise but 10 countered into a big Back Body Drop. Cole again went for the Panama Sunrise but 10 hit him with a Spear this time around. 10 went for a Full Nelson but Cole reversed into a cradle for a two count.

10 went for the Full Nelson again but Cole hit a low blow without referee Aubrey Edwards catching it. Cole followed it up with The Boom for the pinfall victory. Cole celebrated with Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly after the match.

Powerhouse Hobbs Qualified For The Face of the Revolution Ladder Match

Powerhouse Hobbs faced Dante Marin in a qualifier for the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match. Hobbs attacked Dante before the bell rang and beat him down in the corner of the ring. The match officially started and Hobbs ran into a boot to the face from Dante.

Hobbs caught Dante but he escaped with a flurry of elbows to the face. Marin connected with a Dropkick that sent Hobbs tumbling out of the ring. Dante followed and Hobbs launched him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Powerhouse showed off his strength and launched Martin across the ring as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Hobbs got Dante in a Bear Hug but he was able to break free. Hobbs leveled Dante with a lariat for a near fall. Powerhouse pulled down the knee pad and went for a Knee Drop but Dante got out of the way at the last moment.

Dante went for a Clothesline but Powerhouse shrugged it off. Martin hit a springboard uppercut and knocked Hobbs off his feet. Hobbs rolled out of the ring to regroup but Dante caught him with a Splash.

Back in the ring, Dante made his way to the top rope and hit a Dropkick for a two count. Hobbs battled back and planted Dante with a big Spinebuster for the pinfall victory. Powerhouse Hobbs has qualified for the Face of the Revolution Ladder match at the PPV on March 6th. The winner of the ladder match earns a shot at the TNT Championship.

Serena Deeb def. Angelica Risk

Serena Deeb issued another 5 Minute Rookie Challenge tonight and Angelica Risk accepted. Deeb toyed with Risk to start off the action and took her down with ease. Deeb disrespectfully shoved her boot on Risk’s head and then launched her to the corner. Deeb connected with a Powerbomb and followed it up with the Serenity Lock for the submission victory.

Jay White def. Trent Beretta

Jay White made his AEW in-ring debut against Trent Beretta in the main event of this week’s episode of Rampage. Orange Cassidy was in Trent’s corner for the match. Mark Henry interviewed both wrestlers before the match. White started off the action in control and sent Trent to the turnbuckle. Trent battled back with some chops to the chest but Jay knocked him to the outside.

White targeted Trent’s neck and back by slamming it into the ring apron and the barricade. Trent hit a Clothesline and rolled Jay back in the ring. Jay caught Trent with a Suplex and Beretta fell to the floor as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Trent and Jay went back and forth. Trent sent White to the outside and connected with a Moonsault. Back in the ring, Jay connected with a Flatliner and followed it up with a German Suplex. Beretta battled back with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Jay kicked out at two.

Trent connected with a Half Nelson Suplex and followed it up with a running knee to the face but couldn’t keep Jay down for a three count. Trent set up for Strong Zero but White countered into the Blade Runner for the pinfall victory. Jay White and Orange Cassidy had a stare down before Jay left to close the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1494838654187061249?s=20&t=KIxfHdRJWr0AqMdcW1V43A
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1494839359266336769?s=20&t=KIxfHdRJWr0AqMdcW1V43A

Goldberg On Retirement: “I’ll Never Be Ready”

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Goldberg isn’t exactly eager to hang up his wrestling boots.

At the age of 55, Goldberg remains in marquee matches whenever he is called upon by WWE. He will be wrapping up his current WWE deal but one can’t rule out the possibility of him re-signing with the company.

Goldberg Isn’t Done Yet

During an appearance on WWE’s After The Bell podcast, Goldberg said he isn’t prepared to walk away from the wrestling industry (via Wrestle Purists).

“No. I’ll never be ready to be done. It’s something that…I can’t explain it. Once a warrior, always a warrior, you’ll never take it out of me”

During the height of the “Monday Night Wars,” Goldberg was a top star for WCW. His undefeated streak, dominant presence, and mystique led to fans gravitating towards him.

Fast forward to 2022 and Goldberg is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber. The match will take place inside the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia.

Most expect Reigns to defeat Goldberg and move on to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Whether or not Goldberg will be brought back for a WrestleMania appearance of his own remains to be seen.

SEScoops will keep you posted on Goldberg’s future.

What Time Does Elimination Chamber 2022 Start?

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Elimination Chamber takes place at a special time this Saturday, February 19th.

Most WWE premium live events take place in the evenings (in the United States). However, this is not your typical WWE show.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 starts at 12pm (ET) / 9am (PT).

In case you forget what time Elimination Chamber begins, you can always catch the show on-demand on Peacock (US) and on the WWE Network (international).

For more information, including the full match card and the latest news, visit our WWE Elimination Chamber event page.

Tony Khan Says Cody Rhodes Has “Something Else In The Works”

Chris Stephens
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Tony Khan was on Busted Open Radio today ahead of tonight’s episode of Rampage. During the discussion, he noted that he believes Cody Rhodes has something else in the works that led him to depart AEW.

“I wish them both really well and I appreciate everything they did here in their different roles in the company,” Khan said on the show. “It’s very sad and not something any of us wanted to happen, I think, but I believe that Cody’s got something else in the works, I’m not sure about that, but we’ll see. I’m sure they’re going to have great opportunities in wrestling and in life. You never know what’s going to happen in the future. I wish them the best and am very appreciative of everything they did here.”

Khan also said that he’s working on something big that will likely make headlines starting next week. He noted that it’s not something anyone will expect but it will be a big deal. The deal isn’t quite finalized, however, whatever it may be.

“There will be a lot of news in the week of ahead. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by tonight, but stay tuned in the week ahead, hopefully. I’m working on something pretty big. It would be massive. I don’t know if it’s what anybody would expect or think it is, but it would be a big deal in pro wrestling. I’m looking forward to hopefully making it happen. Stay tuned. I will hopefully get it done and have more to announce soon,” said Khan.

https://twitter.com/KhalafSammy/status/1494724164967616517

H/T to Fightful for the latter transcription.

Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae Welcome Birth Of Child

Chris Stephens
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Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae welcomed the birth of baby Quill today. It is the couple’s first child (aside from Austin Theory and Indi Hartwell). Judging by the comic books present in the photo they posted, their baby was named after Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, from the Guardians of the Galaxy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaH-0TRLxRI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Gargano also noted that LeRae and him attempted to induce labor by walking around a Disney theme park.

“I just wanna say how awe-inspiring @CandiceLeRae has been during this pregnancy.

We were walking around Disney trying to induce labor yesterday..

Stranger: Aw. When’s your due date?
Candice: Today
Stranger: ?

She’s the toughest person I know and is gonna be THE best Mom!”

Johnny Gargano is officially a free agent at the moment. His last match was in NXT 2.0 on December 5th at War Games. He recently commented on his sabbatical from pro-wrestling in an interview with Comicbook.com.

“I just wanted to completely break free of all that and refresh myself, and especially with a baby coming soon, I wanted to be in the best headspace I possibly could. Not only for Candice but also for the baby.”

Gargano is free to appear for other wrestling promotions at any time. It’s not clear when or where he intends to do that, however.

Gangrel To Debut for MLW at SuperFight from Charlotte (2/26)

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar Gangrel is headed to Major League Wrestling (MLW).

The Vampire Warrior has signed on to face Gnarls Garvin at MLW SuperFight, which takes place Saturday February 26th from Charlotte, North Carolina.

This will be a TV taping for MLW Fusion.

If you’re in the Charlotte area, tickets are still available at MLWLive.com.

MLW SuperFight Card

Here is the updated card for MLW SuperFight 2022:

  • World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. Davey Richards
  • Stairway to Hell Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • Von Erichs vs. Ricky & Kerry Morton
  • Grudge Match: nZo vs. KC Navarro
  • 4-Way for National Openweight Championship: Alex Kane (c) vs. Matt Cross vs. ACH vs. Calvin Tankman
  • Mixed Trios Match: Puma King, Octagon Jr., & Mystery Man vs. Arez, Gino Medina, & Mini Abismo Negro

Plus, Killer Kross arrives in MLW, a special appearance by Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and much more.

For more information, visit MLW.com.

Cody Rhodes Yet To Sign With WWE, Could Still Return To AEW

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes leaving AEW and returning to WWE is reportedly not yet a done deal. According to a report from Fightful, Rhodes has yet to sign with WWE and could still potentially return to the company. It is still expected that he will sign with WWE, however.

It was also noted that the 2nd season of “Rhodes to the Top” on TNT has not been cancelled. Filming for the season has already begun. Rhodes is also a judge on TBS’ “Go Big Show” as well.

Rhodes’ pending departure from AEW was also addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer noted that people close to the situation believe that Rhodes was given a big offer by WWE to return to the company. It is also believed that Tony Khan did have the option to renew Rhodes’ contract for 2 more years as part of the 3-year deal they signed in 2019. It is not clear why Khan neglected to do so, however.

“Some close to the situation believed he got such a big offer from WWE after becoming a free agent that he couldn’t turn it down. But there is still the unanswered question of why his contract wasn’t rolled over because legally Khan did have control to prevent this from happening,” Meltzer wrote.

“Both Khan and the Rhodes family had agreed not to comment on the reasons for the split,” he continued.

The Undertaker to be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

Michael Reichlin
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The Undertaker has been announced as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. The news was first reported by the New York Post.

The Undertaker made his WWE debut in November 1990. He would go on to become one of the most iconic performers in WWE history.

His final match took place at WrestleMania 36 in the critically-acclaimed cinematic Boneyard Match against AJ Styles.

He announced his retirement in 2020, capping off an incredible 30 year run.

The Dead Man will take his rightful place amongst the immortals Friday, April 1st during WrestleMania 38 weekend. The ceremony will air April 1st on Peacock.

For more on The Undertaker’s legendary career, visit WWE.com.

D-Von Dudley Undergoes Spinal Surgery

Chris Stephens
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D-Von Dudley recently posted to Instagram that he is recovering after having had spinal surgery. He had 3 vertebrae that needed to be fused and noted that the doctors found the damage to be greater than originally thought.

D-Von noted that he is a new man and is even able to beat his son in basketball now.

“But God is good and he the DOCTER said I am a new man. I can run, I can jump, I can beat my son Preston in basketball on the basketball court . LOL and racing him down the street lol, he thinks he can beat the old man,” D-Von wrote.

“They also had to shift my spine a little bit with a curve. Because it was a straight line. That was because of all the wrestling. Then again, all of it was because of wrestling.”

He also noted that he was told he cannot wrestle anymore. D-Von hasn’t wrestled since December of 2016.

“I was told I could not wrestle anymore because if I do I could do more damage to my back I would have to have surgery again on the upper part. That’s OK I didn’t have plans On going back in there anyway.I would be in the hospital From Tuesday to Friday from My understanding.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaCMX0EOHL8/

The 49-year-old was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. He is a 9x WWE Tag-team champion, 1x WCW tag team champion (in WWE), 2x TNA tag team champion, 1x NWA tag team champion, and 8x ECW tag team champion along with Bubba Ray Dudley.

Dustin Rhodes Vents About “Too Many Egos & Too Much BS”

Michael Reichlin
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Wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes has seen it all since his debut in 1988. On Thursday, he went on social media and vented about “too many egos” and “too much bullsh-t.”

It’s unclear exactly what he is referencing, but the timing is curious in light of his brother Cody’s shocking departure from All Elite Wrestling.

Rhodes warned about the need to keep your ego in check and focus on lifting other people up.

“Too many egos and too much bullshit,” said Rhodes. “Work hard, keep your nose out of trouble, lift other up instead of treating them as they’re below you. Do these things and succeed at anything. I’ll beat ego every time.”

Fans immediately began wondering if he was referencing backstage politics that may have been a factor in Cody’s decision to leave AEW. However, Dustin quickly set the record straight and let everybody know he couldn’t be happier working for Tony Khan.

Just a few minutes after the first tweet, Dustin Rhodes followed up with another tweet encouraging people to get on board with AEW. “We are ever growing and making big moves.”

“The Natural” has been with AEW since the company’s first pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in 2019. His all-time record in AEW is 32-14. He’s 0-1 so far this year.

Cody Rhodes Tells Fan To Keep Watching AEW

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes recently responded to a fan on Twitter and encouraged them to keep watching AEW. Rhodes has also re-branded his Twitter account back to “Cody Rhodes” after it had been “AEW Community Outreach” for some time.

The fan has since made their account private but they suggested they were not interested in watching AEW anymore now that Rhodes has left.

“I’d encourage you to still watch it – I was very lucky that my hard work led me to be that face, but I wasn’t alone Nick/Matt/Kenny/Chicken/Jericho/MJF/Hang were as well, and all the new girls and guys putting in a shift now as well Wrestling is thriving,” Rhodes Tweeted in response.

Rhodes’ departure from AEW was reported to have been due to concerns over his loss of booking power in the promotion. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated had the following to say regarding the reasons why Rhodes did not re-sign with AEW.

“While Rhodes was never intended to overstay his welcome in the world title picture, one key factor that led to this exit was losing all responsibilities involving booking. That is a role where (Tony) Khan, who is the head of creative, has taken full rein. Originally, Rhodes was part of that process. As great as Dusty Rhodes was as a performer, his contributions as a booker are an integral part of his legacy. For Rhodes, AEW represented another chance to pay homage to his father as a booker while also further cementing his own legacy. Losing that opportunity in AEW hurt Rhodes more than any loss he suffered in the ring,” Barrasso wrote.

Lio Rush’s MLW Return Date Announced

Chris Stephens
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Lio Rush is returning to Major League Wrestling. The promotion announced recently that he will return at Kings of the Coliseum held on May 13th from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1494493183040008204

Rush is a former World Middleweight Champion in the promotion. He won the title from Myron Reed in January of 2021. He then dropped it back to Reed in May of the same year.

Rush officially became a free agent earlier this week on February 14th after his AEW deal expired.

Coming Up In MLW

The next card for Major League Wrestling takes place February 26th, 2022 from Charlotte, NC in the Grady Cole Center. The following matches have been announced for the show.

  • MLW World Heavyweight Championship
    Alexander Hammerstone (c) vs Davey Richards
  • Stairway to Hell Match
    Mads Krugger vs Jacob Fatu
  • Killer Kross Returns
  • The Von Erichs vs Ricky & Kerry Morton
  • Ricky Steamboat serves as match-maker.
  • nZo vs KC Navarro
  • National Openweight Championship
    Alex Kane vs Calvin Tankman vs Matt Cross vs ACH
  • Gino Medina, Mini Abismo Negro, & Ares vs Puma King, Octagon Jr. & TBA

MLW will then be in Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas on March 31st and April 1st, with the latter being an Azteca Underground show.

Braun Strowman & EC3 Announce New Promotion, Say TV Deal Is Imminent

Chris Stephens
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EC3 has run 2 events on PPV under the name “Free The Narrative” but is now launching a new promotion along with Braun Strowman. Two live events have been booked for March including a show that is scheduled to be a TV special. The promotion says an announcement regarding a television deal is imminent.

The new promotion will be named CYN, standing for “Control Your Narrative”. Their first show will be on March 5th from Orlando. They will then tape a television special from Dallas on Thursday, March 31st before WrestleMania weekend.

In addition to EC3 and Braun Strowman, Killer Kross is signed on to the promotion as well. He will debut on the March 31st show. Matt Cardona, Moose, Matt Sydal, Marina Shafir, Matt Taven, and more have also signed on.

Ticket information is available here.

“Control Your Narrative (CYN) has found it’s “purpose” and is proud to announce “Awakening: Live”, a series of live events featuring combative PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING action and the real stories of those who choose to fight.

Headlined by “The Titan” Adam Scherr, ec3, the newly recruited Killer Kross, and other top names in the field of “sports and entertainment,” reads a description of the promotion.

Jake Atlas Provides Update Following Surgery For Torn ACL

Chris Stephens
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Jake Atlas has provided an update following the injury he suffered in a match against Adam Cole on January 5th. Although Atlas had originally hoped the injury was not severe, it turns out he suffered a torn ACL that required surgery.

“hi everyone! quick update :) My injury from my match with Adam Cole is, unfortunately, a torn ACL. I’m in good spirits, though. AEW has been extremely supportive throughout & surgery yesterday was a success. I’m disappointed that this occurred so soon after my return to wrestling & joining AEW, BUT I’m not going anywhere. I’m not quitting. I worked diligently with prehab before surgery & I look forward to getting straight to work on rehab now post-surgery so that I can get back in the ring as soon as possible & do what I do best.”

https://twitter.com/JakeAtlasReal/status/1494044856712409088

Typical recovery time for athletes to return to action after surgery for a torn ACL is 9 months or between 8 and 12 months.

The injury occurred in Atlas’ second match with the promotion. He debuted on AEW Dark: Elevation in a match taped on December 28th, 2021. Atlas defeated Serpentico on that show. He was released from his WWE contract last summer on August 6th, 2021.

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