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Lita Was In Talks With AEW For A Huge Match Prior to WWE Return

Ryan Droste
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Lita made her first appearance on WWE SmackDown in nearly 20 years on Friday night as part of the build to her in-ring return at the Royal Rumble in two weeks. However, Lita’s return to the ring was close to happening in a different wrestling company entirely.

Lita had conversations with AEW about a return to the ring in 2021, according to Fightful. However, the two sides were obviously unable to come to a deal.

The report notes that AEW laid out a story where Lita would feud with AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker. That feud would culminate in a match between the two at AEW All Out 2021 this past September in Chicago. However, Baker ended up working a match against Kris Statlander at that show when negotiations with Lita broke down.

Despite no deal being reached, Fightful reports that the negotiations between Lita and AEW were amicable and there’s a possibility of the two doing business in the future.

Lita has been cleared to work for WWE for over four years now. She has not been on their “no contact” list according to Fightful.

Lita’s last match was in October 2018. That was a 10-woman tag team match on WWE Monday Night Raw that saw Lita, Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya defeat The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan), Alicia Foxx and Mickie James.

As mentioned, Lita was recently announced as a participant in this year’s 30-woman WWE Royal Rumble match which will take place two weeks from this Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri. There’s a feeling that this may not be a one-off, and WWE leaned into that during Friday night’s SmackDown broadcast as Lita had a confrontation with Charlotte Flair.

If Lita sticks around after the Royal Rumble, who would you like to see her work against? Let us know in the comments section below!

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

AEW Rampage Results (1/14): Tag Title Match, Adam Cole vs. Trent Beretta

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage was taped from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) put the titles on the line against Dark Order’s John Silver & Alex Reynolds in this week’s main event. In addition the takeaways below, Jay Lethal confronted Ricky Starks at the announce table and challenged him to a match for the FTW Championship.

Rampage Results

  1. Adam Cole def. Trent Beretta
  2. Shawn Spears def. Adam Everett
  3. The Bunny, Penelope Ford, Nyla Rose def. Leyla Hirsch, Kris Statlander, Red Velvet
  4. Jurassic Express def. John Silver & Alex Reynolds to retain the AEW Tag Titles

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole def. Trent Beretta

Adam Cole faced Trent Beretta in the first match of the night. AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Young Bucks & Brandon Cutler, Chuck Taylor, Orange Cassidy, Wheeler Yuta, and Kris Statlander were all ringside for the match.

Trent controlled the action early and beat Adam down in the corner of the ring. Beretta knocked Cole out of the ring and made his way to the ring apron. Cole tripped him up and sent him to the floor.

Back in the ring, Cole connected with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Trent kicked out at two. Trent got out of the ring to regroup but Cole went after him. Cole set up for a Panama Sunrise but Trent countered into a Back Body Drop. Trent went for a Spear but Cole side-stepped it and Beretta crashed into the barricade as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Trent battled back and hit an avalanche Brainbuster. Trent took some time to go for the cover and Cole kicked out at two. Cole hit a Canadian Destroyer but Trent responded with Strong Zero. Trent went for the cover but Cole just got his foot on the rope at the last moment to brea up the pin. A brawl broke out ringside and Cole capitalized on the distraction with a low blow. Cole hit The Boom for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1482189458577444867?s=20

Shawn Spears Picked Up A Win

Shawn Spears faced Adam Everett on this week’s episode of Rampage. Spears mocked Everett and quickly hit the C4 for the pinfall victory. After the match, Spears cut a promo on CM Pun and said he isn’t the best in the world. Spears vowed to take Punk out next week on Dynamite and there will be no apologies. The crowd began to chant for Wardlow but Spears cut them off and called Wardlow a “one move wonder”. Wardlow wasn’t pleased with that line. Shawn added that CM Punk can’t hang anymore and he will show that on next week’s Dynamite.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1482191915697283073?s=20

Statlander & Hirsch Couldn’t Get On The Same Page

Kris Statlander, Leyla Hirsch, Red Velvet faced Penelope Ford, The Bunny, and Nyla Rose in a Trios Match. All of the entrances were skipped and Rampage just cut to them in the ring after a rap video from The Acclaimed. Caster poked fun at Sting & Darby Allin. The Acclaimed will battle Sting & Darby Allin on Dynamite next week.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1482192350554345474?s=20

Statlander and Rose were going to start off the action but Leyla tagged herself in. Nyla planted Leyla with a Belly to Belly Suplex and Statlander quickly tagged herself back into the match. The Bunny tagged in and Statlander greeted her with a headlock takedown. The Bunny escaped but Statlander caught her with a Powerslam for a near fall.

Red Velvet tagged in and beat The Bunny down some more before Leyla got back in the action. Statlander wanted a tag but Leyla again declined. Red Velvet tagged herself in but the arguing allowed The Bunny to escape. Nyla tagged in and beat Red Velvet down as Rampage went to a break.

Back from commercial, Statlander tagged in and battled with Penelope Ford. Kris took control and hit The Bunny with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Leyla tagged herself in again and they argued. The Bunny shoved Leyla and she knocked Statlander out of the ring. The Bunny then covered Leyla to end the match.

Jurassic Express Retained The AEW Tag Titles

Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against John Silver & Alex Reynolds in the main event. Mark Henry interviewed both teams before the match.

Luchasaurus hit Reynolds with a Body Slam and Jungle Boy followed it up with a springboard Senton off his shoulders. Dark Order battled back and sent Jungle Boy out of the ring. John Silver lifted Jungle Boy up for a Suplex and Reynolds hit him with a Suicide Dive as Rampage went to a final commercial break.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1482198455179173892?s=20

When Rampage returned, Dark Order had Jungle Boy isolated in the ring for a bit. Jungle Boy escaped and tagged in the big man. Luchasaurus sent Reynolds and Silver to opposite corners and delivered some Splashes. Luchasaurus went for a Chokeslam on Silver but Alex broke it up. Luchasaurus then delivered a Chokeslam to both Dark Order members at the same time.

Jungle Boy tagged back in and everyone brawled to the corner. This led to a Tower of Doom spot that sent all four wrestlers to the canvas. Jungle Boy sent Silver out of the ring and onto Evil Uno outside the ring. Jurassic Express isolated Reynolds and hit him with several slams. Jungle Boy took out John Silver with a dive and Luchasaurus covered Reynolds. Jurassic Express are still the AEW Tag Team Champions.

WWE SmackDown Results (1/14): Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins, Lita Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE. Lita made her first appearance on SmackDown in over 20 years. Seth Rollins confronted Roman Reigns ahead of their Universal Championship match at WWE Royal Rumble later this month.

SmackDown Results

  1. Viking Raiders def. Los Lotharios, Cesaro & Mansoor, Jinder Mahal & Shanky to become #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
  2. Aliyah def. Natalya
  3. Sheamus def. Ricochet
  4. Madcap Moss def. Kofi Kingston

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Viking Raiders Are #1 Contenders

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos kicked off the show and boasted about defeating the New Day. Jimmy and Jey introduced Los Lotharios, Cesaro & Mansoor, Jinder Mahal & Shanky, and Viking Raiders. Those four teams competed in a Fatal 4-Way to determine the #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The Usos joined commentary for the match.

Mansoor hit Humberto with an Atomic Drop and tagged in Cesaro. Erik tagged himself in and argued with Cesaro. Shanky tagged in and hit Erik with a Clothesline. Viking Raiders isolated Shanky in the corner and beat him down. Ivar tagged in and climbed to the top rope. Jinder knocked Erik out of the ring and punched Ivar in the face. Cesaro and Mahal teamed up and went for a Superplex. Erik got back in the ring for the Tower of Doom spot as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Cesaro hit a Samoan Drop and followed it up with a Clothesline to Garza. Ivar tagged in and Cesaro went for the Swing but Jinder Mahal broke it up. Mansoor connected with an Enziguri but Shanky sent him to the outside. Los Lotharios hit Mansoor with a Superkick and followed it up with a couple dives. Garza and Carrillo leveled Ivar with a Drop but the big man battled back. Viking Raiders then hit the Viking Experience for the pinfall victory.

Naomi and Sonya Deville had another conversation backstage to continue the storyline that began last September. Deville noted that it is cold in the office and Naomi said it is just like her heart. Naomi called Sonya a liar and Deville responded by threatening Naomi’s job. Sonya added that Naomi shows up like a main character but everyone knows she is just an extra. Deville warned Naomi to keeps her hands off her or she will be removed from the Royal Rumble. Adam Pearce arrived after Naomi walked away and also commented on the office being cold.

Nakamura & Boogs Attacked Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn announced that he will be in the Royal Rumble match this year and ranted about Johnny Knoxville. Sami then mocked Jackass with a segment called In-Zayn. He put on a helmet and had a couple people shove him towards a skate ramp in shopping cart. Sami kept stopping them before they would get close to the ramp and said he needed a breather.

Zayn got out of the shopping cart and got in the ring without doing the stunt. Rick Boogs showed up and flexed in front of Sami for a distraction. Shinsuke Nakamura leveled Sami with the Kinshasa and then Boogs slammed Sami onto the pad outside the ring.

Aliyah def. Natalya In Record Time

Aliyah faced Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Before the match Aliyah was interviewed backstage. Aliyah was nervous but wanted to put on a good showing against Natalya and try not to embarrass herself. Natalya showed up and told Aliyah that there is no shame in losing to her. Natalya bragged about being the Guiness Book of record and Aliyah seemed surprised that the book still existed. They both then made their way to the ring. Aliyah rolled Natalya up right away for the pinfall victory and set a record. The win in just over 3 seconds was Aliyah’s first singles victory on the main roster.

Lita Sent A Message To Charlotte Flair

Michael Cole interviewed WWE legend & Hall of Famer Lita tonight. Lita made her first SmackDown appearance in 20 years and will be in the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble. Cole brought up how today’s WWE superstars talk about how Lita inspired them and asked what her career highlight was. Lita noted that she was the first woman involved in ladder matches, winding up in the Hall of Fame, but has not had the opportunity to compete in the Royal Rumble. Lita added that she has one final run left in her and wanted to win it so she could main event WrestleMania.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair interrupted and strutted to the ring. Flair took the microphone away from Cole and he exited the ring as Lita gave him a pat on the back. Charlotte told Lita that she is entering the Royal Rumble as champion so she can pick her opponent at WrestleMania and vowed to throw Lita over the top rope to end “this fun little run” she’s talking about. Lita joked that it will be tough to throw Charlotte over the top rope with the giant head she has.

Flair brought up Lita’s friend Trish Stratus, and bragged about beating her. Charlotte claimed that she broke Trish and caused her to retire again. Flair suggested that she would do the same to Lita and smiled in her face. Lita faked a slam and Charlotte ducked. Lita then planted Charlotte with the Twist of Fate to end the segment.

Sheamus Picked Up A Win

Sheamus faced Ricochet this week on SmackDown. Ricochet took the Celtic Warrior down to start off the action and applied a Headlock. Sheamus escaped but Ricochet sent him out of the ring. Ricochet flipped onto Sheamus and rolled him back int he ring. Sheamus got out of the ring again and tripped Ricochet up on the apron. Sheamus catapulted Ricochet into the steel beam under the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Ricochet connected with a Crossbody and followed it up with some chops to Sheamus’ chest. Sheamus went for a pump kick but Ricochet got out of the way. Sheamus got tangled up on the ropes and Ricochet caught him with a springboard Moonsault for a near fall.

Ricochet went for a 450 Splash but Sheamus got out of the way. Ricochet landed on his feet but Sheamus planted him with the Irish Curse Backbreaker. Sheamus dragged Ricochet to the ropes and hit him with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran before Clotheslining him back into the ring.

Sheamus lifted Ricochet up in the Fireman’s Carry and climbed to the middle turnbuckle. Ricochet escaped and caught Sheamus with a few kicks to the face. Ricochet slammed Sheamus’ face off the ring post and connected with a Sunset Bomb for a near fall. Ricochet went for another springboard move but turned right into a Brogue Kick from Sheamus for the pinfall victory.

Deville and Naomi conversed again later on SmackDown. Sonya had told Naomi that she had the jacket on and that made her the boss earlier on the show and Sonya had now removed her jacket because the office was now apparently too hot. Naomi wanted to attack Sonya but Adam Pearce broke it up. Pearce was also jacket-less due to varying temperature in the room. Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair in a Championship Contenders match was announced for next week.

Madcap Moss Easily Defeated Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston came to the ring and announced that he will be in this year’s Royal Rumble. Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss interrupted and rolled footage from Day 1 of them attacking Drew McIntyre backstage. They continued to make lame jokes until Kofi interrupted them with fake laughter. Kingston then faced Madcap Moss in a singles match. Happy Corbin was ringside for the action. Kingston knocked Madcap to the outside and then took them both out with a Crossbody as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Kofi Kingston went for a Crossbody off the top but Madcap caught him. Kingston escaped and went for the SOS but Moss countered into a Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.

Reigns & Rollins Met Face-To-Face

Universal Champion Roman Reigns & Seth “Freakin” Rollins met face to face in the final segment of this week’s edition of SmackDown. Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble. Reigns told the crowd to acknowledge him and they booed him.

Rollins suggested that they do The Shield fist bump and Reigns declined. Seth spoke about the good old days and Reigns laughed in his face. Roman said he is god mode right now, he is the head of Seth’s table, and the provider around here. Reigns added that he is the greatest Universal Champion of all time without question.

Seth wondered if Roman can look in the mirror and honestly say he accomplished this by himself. Rollins claimed that he was holding his hand back in The Shield days and then Roman still needed The Bloodline to hold himself up. Rollins told Reigns that he created him and he can destroy him. Seth cackled into the microphone and danced around a little bit as Reigns smirked. Roman told Rollins that he is waste of his time and called him a clown.

Reigns noted that Seth doesn’t have the star power that he has and that he would have chosen Rollins’ wife (Becky LYnch) if he wanted to main event Royal Rumble with a mega star. The Usos tried to attack Rollins but Seth escaped at the last moment. The Usos chased him out there but Rollins avoided them and got back into the ring with Roman. Rollins stared at Reigns and got back out of the ring before The Usos count catch him. Seth laughed on the entrance ramp as Reigns was pissed off to close the show.

Renee Paquette Baffled By William Regal’s WWE Release

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Renee Paquette can’t believe that WWE has cut ties with William Regal.

On Jan. 5, Regal was among the list of NXT names who were released by the company. Regal joined the likes of Road Dogg, Scott Armstrong, and others. The following day, Samoa Joe was released.

Renee Paquette Reacts To WWE Cutting William Regal

Renee Paquette was a guest on an episode of Busted Open Radio. During the show, she expressed her disbelief at the fact that WWE has let go of Regal.

“I just can’t get over the fact that William Regal has been let go by WWE. It just kills me. I just can’t wrap my head around what the thought process was of not having William Regal be a part of any wrestling promotion.

“When you think of the respect that comes from William Regal you think of the history and the knowledge. Just all of the things that sum up William Regal as a wrestler, as a mentor, on the creative side, even having him in a GM position.

“He just brings so much to the table. You keep hearing about these releases and you see different names pop up. Samoa Joe is just another one that you’re like, ‘What is happening over here?’

“It’s upsetting, it’s really upsetting and it bums me out. I know William Regal will I’m sure land somewhere happily and be able to put his services to good use somewhere and I can’t wait to see what that is.

“Maybe he doesn’t, maybe he just wants to hang out. I don’t know what William Regal’s gonna do but I think someone that was just one of the cornerstones of NXT — maybe part of what’s happened here is looking at what those cornerstones are of what has been NXT as we move forward on NXT 2.0.”

Regal seemingly already has at least one other promotion that is interested in his services. Tommy Dreamer, who works behind the scenes with Impact Wrestling, said the door is open for Regal.

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Jon Moxley Returning at THE WRLD ON GCW on Jan. 23

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Jon Moxley is back. Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) has announced Mox is ready to handle business inside the ring again.

Moxley will put his GCW World Championship on the line against Homicide. The match will headline THE WRLD ON GCW, the company’s upcoming show from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City (Jan. 23).

This is encouraging news and hopefully means that Moxley’s health is in a better place than it was when he took a hiatus from wrestling back in November.

The WRLD ON GCW card also features:

  • Janela vs Cardona
  • Allie vs Ruby
  • Gresham vs Blake
  • Team Bandido vs Team Gringo

Jon Moxley’s Hiatus

Moxley has been away from the wrestling business as he checked himself into an alcohol treatment program. The announcement was made by AEW boss Tony Khan back in early November.

“Jon Moxley has allowed me to share with you that he is entering an inpatient alcohol treatment program,” Khan said. “Jon is a beloved member of the AEW family. We all stand with him and Renee, and all of his family and friends, as he shifts his focus to recovery.”

“Jon is making a very brave choice to get help, and we’re embracing his choice and supporting him however we can.”

The former AEW and WWE Champion had been promoting his book titled, “MOX.” He planned to go on tour but this matter was simply more important.

Lita Makes First WWE SmackDown Appearance in 20 Years

Ryan Droste
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Lita made her first appearance in nearly 20 years on WWE SmackDown on Friday night.

Michael Cole interviewed Lita in the ring and and talked about her being a trailblazer who broke through glass ceilings during her career. The fans chanted her name as Lita declared that she was “home.”

They brought up many of the female stars on the roster today who idolized Lita, and Cole asked her why she decided to come back for the Royal Rumble. Lita said that she did a lot during her career, was one of the first women to main event a Raw, wrestled in a cage and TLC match, but there was no women’s Rumble when she was wrestling full time (she did work the match in 2018). Lita said she’s back because she thinks she has one more run in her and wants to win the Rumble and go on to WrestleMania.

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair then made her entrance and came out to confront Lita. She took the microphone from Cole and said she’d do the interview. Charlotte declared she’d win the Rumble and choose her WrestleMania opponent. Lita came back by calling Charlotte “Tonya Harding” and asked her how she doesn’t fall down from her giant head, inciting chant from the crowd.

Charlotte talked about Trish Stratus, Lita’s best friend Charlotte said she retired Trish in 2019 and will do the same to Lita. Lita went to slap Trish, but stopped as Charlotte cowered away. Lita then hit a Twist of Fate on Charlotte to end the segment.

Earlier story prior to SmackDown.

A WWE Hall of Famer will make her return to SmackDown tonight as Lita has been announced for this evening’s show on FOX.

This will be the first time that Lita has appeared on SmackDown in nearly 20 years. Her last actual match on SmackDown occurred on March 19th, 2002, a tag team victory alongside Trish Stratus against Jazz and Ivory.

Lita’s last match was in October 2018. That was a 10-woman tag team match on WWE Monday Night Raw that saw Lita, Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya defeat The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan), Alicia Foxx and Mickie James.

Lita was recently announced as a participant in this year’s 30-woman WWE Royal Rumble match which will take place two weeks from this Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri.

Lita’s appearance on SmackDown tonight will tie-in to her return at the Royal Rumble as part of building up to that match.

Per WWE.com:

Last week, it was announced that WWE Hall of Famer Lita would be among the honored participants competing in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match for the opportunity to headline WrestleMania.

Now, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the groundbreaking four-time Women’s Champion is set to return to the blue brand. Don’t miss SmackDown tonight at 8/7 C on FOX.

WWE.com

Other Announcements for Tonight’s WWE SmackDown

In addition to Lita’s return to SmackDown tonight, the following segments have also been announced for the FOX broadcast:

  • A face-to-face between WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins
  • Aliyah will make her SmackDown singles debut in a match against Natalya.
  • Sami Zayn will debuts his new InZayn stunt show. He is trying to “out-Jackass” Johnny Knoxville

SEScoops will have full coverage of tonight’s SmackDown on FOX. Make sure to check back with us tonight for full results and analysis.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Elimination Chamber No More? WWE Looking at Changing the Name

Ryan Droste
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Earlier this week, a report surfaced that indicated WWE may be bringing back the Elimination Chamber match at their February 19th event in Saudi Arabia.

Almost immediately, sarcastic comments began to surface about the use of the match, with that kind of name, in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s poor record on human rights.

According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is looking at rebranding the Elimination Chamber as the WrestleMania Chamber. Nothing official has been decided of yet, and this plan could still be abandoned, but it is something under consideration.

“WWE is looking at rebranding the Elimination Chamber the ‘WrestleMania Chamber.’ Not official until it’s announced,” Meltzer wrote on Twitter.

There’s no information on whether or not the match’s next location, Saudi Arabia, is what started these discussions.

The name of the Elimination Chamber match has been a problem in other countries before. In 2010 and 2012, the match was advertised as “No Way Out” in Germany due to the history of the Holocaust and actual elimination (gas) chambers being used there during the World War 2 era. It has since been rebranded as “No Escape” there (that name was also used in 2011).

WWE held a men’s Elimination Chamber match in 2021. The last women’s Elimination Chamber match was in 2020. There’s no word on whether or not this year will feature both a men’s and women’s match.

The first Elimination Chamber match was held in 2002 at the Survivor Series. Shawn Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship in that match, his only world title victory during his post-2002 return to the ring era.

What’s your favorite Elimination Chamber match from the past? Let us know in the comments section below!

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Mickie James Explains How WWE Royal Rumble Appearance Came To Be

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James has detailed how her WWE Royal Rumble appearance is coming to fruition.

WWE turned a lot of heads by announcing Mickie for its upcoming Royal Rumble PPV. The company even acknowledged James as the Impact World Knockouts Champion.

WWE has acknowledged titles from other companies such as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but usually, that is only mentioned for a wrestler they’ve signed full-time.

Mickie James Talks Royal Rumble Appearance

  • Mickie James

Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Mickie James recalled her initial reaction to WWE’s offer.

“It was a few weeks ago and Scott [D’Amore] had called me first just to kind of see where I was at and if I was interested.

“I think immediately I was excited because I think about, historically this has never happened before for WWE to do this or to have anyone participate in the Rumble, especially to acknowledge the championship.

“It’s really cool and it just shows a different, I don’t know, amount of respect. I feel really great about it. Plus, I think in my mind the last thing most people bring up or talk about was on the other end of the spectrum with it [trash bag incident].

“So, it’s just cool not to have that be the thing or the last thing or whatever that is. So, I’m just so excited, honestly.”

Mickie then discussed how talks of showing up at the Royal Rumble came to be.

“I feel like Johnny [John Laurinaitis] reached out to Scott first just talk to him professionally because it is [different] companies. This never has really been done before by them.

“So, definitely they talked first to see if this was gonna be something [that could happen]. Impact worked together with WWE in the past for other things for when Flair went in the Hall of Fame and Christian Cage and all that stuff.

“So, it wasn’t unforeseen that it could possibly happen. I think that’s why Scott first reached out to me to see what my interest was and obviously we were all able to make that happen somehow.”

Mickie is still signed with Impact, so this will be a one-off at least for now. There’s been a lot of talk regarding WWE’s motives for working with Impact.

It’s been said that the company wasn’t comfortable throwing in its developmental talent from NXT 2.0 and instead wants to rely on proven veterans for the Rumble match.

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Tony Khan: There’s Nothing Official On The Briscoes To AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Tony Khan has broken his silence on The Briscoes.

It’s no secret that Mark and Jay Briscoe have become the hottest free agent tag team. The two were mainstays under Ring of Honor but the company has released all of its talent and is going through a hiatus.

A feud has been brewing between The Briscoes and AEW tag team FTR. The two teams even got into a confrontation at the ROH Final Battle PPV back in December.

Tony Khan On The Briscoes

Busted Open Radio host Dave LaGreca recently asked AEW boss Tony Khan if there’s any word on The Briscoes possible making their way to his company. Khan insisted that nothing has been made official.

“Well, it’s a great team, great history in Ring of Honor. No, I don’t [have anything official on The Briscoes]. We have a great roster right now.

“I think they’re a great team and definitely somebody to keep an eye on but no, nothing official on them. We debuted so many great wrestlers recently.

“You mentioned Mercedes Martinez and of course, we just saw the arrival of Brody King on Wednesday night. So, there’s a lot of exciting things and of course, we do have new world tag team champions Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, and there’s a ton of great teams lined up to challenge them.

“So, we’ll have to wait and see I guess. They’re a great team who I’ve followed for well over 15 years. Who am I kidding? Much longer than that and I think they’re great, great wrestlers.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Khan is just playing things up or if The Briscoes truly haven’t been in contact with AEW. With FTR and The Briscoes going back-and-forth, it seems inevitable that the two teams will share the ring.

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Hiroshi Tanahashi Re-Signs With NJPW

Chris Stephens
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Hiroshi Tanahashi has re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He announced the news recently on Twitter (translated):

“We have renewed the player contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I will do my best.”

Tanahashi is one of the most decorated champions in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is an 8x IWGP Heavyweight Champion, the most reigns of all-time. He’s defended the title 28 times and held it for 1396 combined days, both of those were records until surpassed by Kazuchika Okada.

Tanahashi is also a 3x winner of the G1 Climax tournament. He won the event in 2007, 2015, and 2018. Tanahashi is a 2x and current IWGP United States Champion. He’s also a 2x holder of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

The 45-year-old is coming off of having wrestled on all 3 nights of Wrestle Kingdom this year:

  • Night 1: Tanahashi wrestled in tag action along with Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi. They lost to the Bullet Club team of El Phantasmo, KENTA, and Taiji Ishimori.
  • Night 2: Tanahashi defeated KENTA to win the IWGP United States title.
  • Night 3: Tanahashi teamed with Kazuchika Okada and defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Keiji Muto.

Original Plans for the top WrestleMania 38 matches

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has had to shake up a number of matches they had originally planned for the upcoming WrestleMania 38 due to various factors. Dave Meltzer talked about the upcoming event on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed some matches which were originally planned for the show.

Meltzer reiterated that the original plan was for Brock Lesnar to face Roman Reigns at the Show Of Shows. According to him, Lesnar was supposed to walk into the AT&T Stadium as the champion. These plans obviously got affected when Roman Reigns missed the Day 1 PPV due to COVID.

Brock Lesnar was put into the WWE championship match as a result which he won. Reports suggest that the company is still building towards this bout for WrestleMania 38. We will have to see which one of these stars goes onto the PPV carrying the belt.

Seth Rollins was originally supposed to win the WWE championship and defend it at Mania. Big E was the front runner to be his opponent but it wasn’t set in stone. Now Bobby Lashley seems to be in the pole position to carry the title into the event.

On the women’s side, Charlotte Flair was expected to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks. This WrestleMania match is in jeopardy now because of Banks’ foot injury. It’s speculated that if Bayley comes back from her injury before The Boss, she may end up taking her place in the championship bout.

One match that doesn’t seem to have been affected is Becky Lynch defending her Raw Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair. The EST won the women’s Royal Rumble last year. So it would be interesting to see if she wins the Rumble second year in a row leading to this match.

Bobby Lashley Shares Excitement For Brock Lesnar Match: “He Has No Soul”

William Regal Offered a Role at Impact Wrestling

Rayan Sayyed
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Barely a week into the new year, William Regal was released from his WWE contract back on January 5, including several other members of NXT such as producers, writers, and office staff. This brought an end to Regal’s 22-year run with the company.

While we don’t know if Regal has a 90-day non-compete clause that active wrestlers have when they’re released. We don’t know where Regal may end up in the future but he already has an offer on the table for him. On Thursday’s Busted Open Radio, Tommy Dreamer revealed that he offered a spot to William Regal in Impact Wrestling.

“If you look at management, and you look at, let’s say, the New York Giants, their G.M. is retiring, and then there goes the head coach that he picked,” Dreamer said regarding Regal’s release.

“There goes everyone associated with that person. Triple H is no longer in charge, and everyone associated with him is gone. The only guy who’s remained is Shawn (Michaels), but Shawn was a Vince guy before he was a Triple H guy. Regal, the moment I heard (he was let go), I shot him a text and said, ‘If you want to be a commentator at Impact or if you want to be a General Manager figure, just let me know.’ He will have something when he chooses to.”

Regal’s WWE Release

WWE sent out a statement to select media members explaining the releases, stating, “With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center. We thank them for their many contributions throughout the years and wish them the best.”

Wrestling fans celebrate Regal’s technical style of wrestling, as well as his on-screen role as general manager of NXT which he began in July 2014. Inside the ring, he was two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time Hardcore Champion, a four-time European Champion, a four-time World Tag Team Champion, and the winner of the King of the Ring tournament in 2008. Regal made his first comments regarding his release from WWE, thanking the company.

“Thank you to @WWE for a wonderful 21 year run. You gave a lad who was happy and in wonderland wrestling on a carnival have a charmed life for 21 years. No complaints and please no one waste time replying as I won’t have a bad work said against the company. I will add that @WWE  saved my life in 1999 when they didn’t need to, kept my family fed and took me all around the world. You have my gratitude forever. You allowed me to live a charmed life.”

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcribed quote

Impact Results 1/13: Deonna Purrazzo Wins ROH Title

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling on 1/13 was the first show since the Hard to Kill PPV last weekend. It furthered the ROH invasion storyline and had Deonna Purrazzo vs Rok-C headlining.

Impact Results 1/13

  1. Laredo Kid defeated Chris Bey
  2. “Speedball” Mike Bailey defeated Jake Something
  3. Masha Slamovich defeated Vert Vixen
  4. JONAH defeated Raj Singh
  5. ROH Women’s World Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo defeated Rok-C

W. Morrissey Demands Title Shot….Doesn’t Get One

W. Morrissey cut an in-ring promo to start the show. He talked about having the match won at Hard to Kill but the referee was down and unable to count his pin on Moose. The Impact World Champion then appeared on the big screen and said he would defend his title tonight, just not against Morrissey.

ROH Invades, Attacks D’lo Brown

The ROH invaders led by the OKC, Vincent, PCO and Maria Kanellis invaded the ring area. They focussed their attack on D’lo Brown, setting him up on a table for PCO to come off the top rope and drive him through it. New Impact announcer, Tom Hanifan, reacted as if he was shell-shocked and scared for his own well-being during this.

Later in the show, Scott D’Amore revealed that he’d spoken with ROH management and confirmed that the invaders are not acting on behalf of Ring of Honor.

Laredo Kid Defeats Chris Bey

With D’lo Brown out, X-Division Champion Trey Miguel joined Haniflan for commentary here. Chris Bey came out by his lonesome as his Bullet Club stablemates all missed these tapings. That won’t be the case later this month when Jay White, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa are all scheduled for the shows in Florida.

Laredo Kid picked up the victory with a top rope Spanish Fly and then later motioned to Miguel as if he wants a shot at the X-Division title.

“Speedball” Mike Bailey Improves To 2-0 In Impact Wrestling

After debuting on the Hard to Kill pre-show, Mike Bailey picked up a win in his first Impact television match. He defeated Jake Something with a flipping double-knee to the back from the top-rope called “Ultima Weapon”. Ace Austin was on commentary during this, having been in the multi-person match won by Bailey at Hard to Kill.

Masha Slamovich Also Improves To 2-0 In Impact Wrestling

Another wrestler improved to 2-0 on Impact Wrestling this week. Russia’s Masha Slamovich stormed through Vert Vixen quickly, finishing her off with a driver for the win. Commentary played up that Slamovich could be a big deal in the Knockouts division moving forward.

As Slamovich was heading to the back, Josh Alexander’s music hit. As Alexander passed Slamovich on the entrance ramp, he gave her a little nod of respect.

Charlie Haas Confronts Josh Alexander

Josh Alexander cut a promo about his victory over JONAH at Hard to Kill and how it was just another obstacle on his path to regaining the World Championship from Moose. Another obstacle then hit his path, however. Charlie Haas’ music and intro package played and he came to the ring to confront Alexander. Haas talked about how him and Alexander share the same passion for wrestling and then challenged him to a match. Alexander more or less said he’d wrestle Haas, but first he wants to go after his world title. Haas then struck Alexander, leading to a pull-apart brawl between the two.

Moose Defeats Zicky Dice In Seconds

Moose agreed to defend his title against Bryan Myers’ student, Zicky Dice. The champion didn’t even bother changing into wrestling gear for the match, evidently not seeing Dice as much of a threat. He then hit a uranage and pinned Dice within seconds of the match starting.

After the match, W. Morrissey came out to confront Moose but the champion high-tailed it out of there. Morrissey took out his frustrations on the Learning Tree’s VSK and Dice.

JONAH Makes Short Work Of Raj Singh

JONAH got back in the win column this week with a quick squash of Raj Singh. Singh got on the microphone and said he wanted competition but Scott D’Amore came out and gave him a little bit more than he bargained for. JONAH won with his big splash off the top.

Jon Gresham and Steve Maclin Backstage Altercation

ROH World Champion Jon Gresham was being interviewed backstage when Steve Maclin confronted him. Maclin accused him of being part of the ROH invasion. A challenge was then made from Gresham for an ROH World Title match next week.

Deonna Purrazzo Wins ROH Title, Attacked By ROH Invaders

Deonna Purrazzo won the ROH Women’s Title and defended her AAA Reina de Reinas Championship by making Rok-C submit in this week’s main event. Rok-C had Purrazzo in the Rok-lock but the Virtuosa transitioned to a Fujiwara Armbar and eventually the Venus de Milo to get the submission.

After the win, the ROH invaders (who are not representing ROH) hit the ring. Matt Rehwoldt attempted to help Purrazzo but he got taken out. Rich Swann and Willie Mack came out to help but they were taken out as well and the ROH invaders stood tall to end the show.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Scheduled for next week:

  • ROH World Championship
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs Steve Maclin
  • Tasha Steelz vs Chelsea Green
  • Doc Gallows & Joe Doering vs Heath & Rhino
  • Josh Alexander vs Charlie Haas

New Ring of Honor Champion Crowned on Impact Wrestling

Rayan Sayyed
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Deonna Purrazzo has become a double champion once again on last night’s Impact Wrestling.

“The Virtuosa” who is also the AAA Reina de Reinas Champion, faced Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion Rok-C. The match was a title vs. title match, with Purrazzo putting her Reina de Reinas Championship on the line against Rok-C.

The match was impressive and physical, and it ended when Deonna Purrazzo forced Rok-C to submit by applying the Venus de Milo armbar. Purrazzo had just participated in a Texas Death Match at Hard To Kill, where her opponent, Mickie James, defeated her. Purrazzo still performed impressively on Impact Wrestling after the brutal match.

Related: Deonna Purrazzo on Mickie James Royal Rumble Announcement

Purrazzo’s after-match celebrations didn’t last long as Maria Kanellis along with a group of other ROH talent confronted her. Kanellis let the new champion know that she will take her titles. Help arrived from Impact but the ROH talent laid waste to them as Purrazzo got out of the ring as the battle began.

Deonna Purrazzo is a two-time Impact Knockouts Champion, however, this is her first ROH title reign. She dropped the Knockouts title to Mickie James at Bound for Glory in October and as previously mentioned, was unsuccessful in winning it back at Hard To Kill on Saturday.

Rok-C held the title for 119 days after winning it in a 15-woman single-elimination tournament Death Before Dishonor XVIII to become the inaugural champion.

Bobby Lashley Shares Excitement For Brock Lesnar Match: “He Has No Soul”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Brock Lesnar has played a number of characters in his career but when he gets inside the ring, the WWE champion plays only one role – The Beast Incarnate. Lesnar is known to decimate his opponents whoever they are. While a lot of other stars are afraid of him because of this quality, Bobby Lashley actually gets excited by it.

The All-Mighty recently made an appearance on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast, ahead of his Royal Rumble encounter with Brock. Lashley claimed that the former UFC star ‘does not have a soul’. Though according to him, it’s the quality that excites him for his upcoming clash with the current champion:

“When you stand in front of somebody, you look them in their eyes, you can read their soul. Every time when I looked at him and we locked eyes for a little bit, I said, this son of a gun does not have a soul. Brock doesn’t have a soul.” said Bobby Lashley, “Brock can go out there and snap you, break your back and him and his little security guard in Paul [Heyman] walk out like it was no big deal. It’s just another paycheck.

He has no soul. And that’s what excites me. That excites me. Being in a ring with somebody like that, that’s really not gonna break. He’s not going to crumble. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t care if he hurts you. He doesn’t care If you hurt him. He knows how to fight. He’s big. He’s scary. I love all these things. If you’re a fighter in the challenge, that’s the challenge you want. I welcome that.”

Bobby Lashley won a fatal four way match defeating Kevin Owens, Big E, and Seth Rollins on Raw. As a result, he will now get his long-awaited wish of challenging Brock Lesnar for his WWE championship. This match will take place at the upcoming Royal Rumble event from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri on January 30.

Bobby Lashley: I Don’t Think WWE Has Any Serious Competition

WWE’s Lawyer Responds To MLW Lawsuit

Chris Stephens
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Earlier this week, it was revealed that MLW has filed suit against WWE. The claim in the lawsuit is that WWE actively sought to prevent MLW from securing a deal with the Tubi streaming service and put pressure on VICE TV to stop working with the company as well.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt responded to questions regarding the lawsuit. He noted that WWE had not been officially served with it at that time, however.

“I have not seen the full lawsuit since WWE has not been served,” McDevitt is quoted as having said earlier this week.

“If Tubi breached, then sue Tubi,” McDevitt continued. “As to Vice, WWE has no commercial relationship with them or for that matter any of the other dozens of content distribution entities with whom MLW could do a deal with if they had a commercially viable product. They put a show on Vice, if my memory serves me correctly after one of the Dark Side shows and lost most of the audience. I think I read they got 40,000 viewers. No wonder Vice did no further deal.”

Court Bauer released a statement earlier this week in regards to his company’s lawsuit filed against WWE.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.” 

MLW Sues WWE: MLW CEO Says “Anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

Bayley Teasing Royal Rumble Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bayley has been out of action for a while but the former women’s champion is now teasing her return, that too at the upcoming Royal Rumble event.

The official Twitter account of The Bump recently made a post asking people whether broadcast personality Kayla Braxton should enter the upcoming battle royal.

Bayley used this opportunity to take a shot at the WWE star. She claimed that if Kayla entered the Royal Rumble match, she would make her return just to throw her out:

“If she does, then I am without a doubt making my return just to throw her out so far she lands on Michael Coles dumb face”

– Bayley on Twitter

The former SmackDown women’s champion has been out of action since June last year. Bayley tore her ACL during a training match at the Performance Center.

Bayley had provided an update on her health during an Instagram Q&A last month. She said that she was doing great. While she didn’t provide an exact timetable for her return, Royal Rumble seems an ideal destination for her comeback.

The former champion became a free agent after not being chosen by Raw or SmackDown during the most recent drafts. Now it would be interesting to see if we witness her return at the PPV later this month.

Bayley Names Wrestlers From AEW & NXT She’d Like To Face

Mark Henry On Transitioning From WWE To AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Mark Henry spent the majority of his wrestling career in WWE. He made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 24 for the brand then known as WWF. He went on to have a Hall Of Fame worthy career with the promotion. Henry only left the company last year, when he made his debut for AEW. Though according to the former world champion, this transition was not very hard for him because the crowds are the same everywhere.

The World’s Strongest Man recently had an interview with The Hot FM’s Danny Ocean. He was asked if the transition from WWE to AEW was a big one. Replying to it, the former WWE star claimed that the companies change but the love for professional wrestling remains the same:

“Not at all. The crowd is the crowd. The fans are the fans. The product is the product, the names change, the companies change, but the love for professional wrestling supersedes the company name.” said Mark Henry, “It just so happens that Tony Khan and the AEW brand, we want to do well by the fans.

We want to do well by the crowds. We want them to have input. We want to please them” continued Henry, “Because ultimately they are the ones buying the tickets.  When you go to a nice restaurant, and you walk in, you don’t just wait for somebody to come up and say, ‘Hey, here you go. This is what you get.’ You want, what you want. And we try to give that.”

Mark Henry currently works as a commentator and coach for AEW. Though he has been vocal about wanting a retirement match in the promotion. It would be interesting to see when exactly does that match take place.

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Mark Henry: Tony Khan Got A ‘Raw Deal’ In Diversity Discussion

Liv Morgan Reveals Her Dream WrestleMania Scenario

Anutosh Bajpai
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With the WrestleMania season being just around the corner, WWE superstars have started talking about their ambitions for the biggest wrestling show of the year. This includes Liv Morgan who has yet to win a championship in WWE. Her ideal WrestleMania scenario is winning her first-ever title at the grandest stage of them all.

Morgan recently had an interview with Barstool Wrestling. In the interview that took place before this week’s episode of Raw, the female star was asked about her dream WrestleMania scenario. Replying to it Liv, who competed in a triple threat #1 contender match at the red branded show on Monday, said that she would either like to win her first title at the show of shows or defend it:

“This is a hard question because I want to say that my ideal situation is that I win my first ever title on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania. But in my mind, I’m like, ‘I’m going into this triple threat match for number one contendership for a title match at the Royal Rumble.’

So I am like ‘I’ve gotta walk into this match thinking I’m gonna win. So that I can go into Royal Rumble and win.’ And if I do win, then that kind of changes the stakes of my dream WrestleMania scenario. But I’d also love to be a defending champion at WrestleMania.”

Liv Morgan Wants Her Journey To Culminate At WrestleMania

Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan mentioned how winning the championship at Mania would be a cool culmination of her journey. She also unsurprisingly revealed Becky Lynch as her choice of opponent for either of the scenarios:

“So I think those are my two ideal scenarios, either win the title, off of Becky at WrestleMania. My first-ever title on the grandest stage of them all, which is such a cool culmination of this journey that I’ve had of trying and losing and trying and losing and trying and losing and finally getting the big one when it means the most.

But I kind of want to think bigger than that. So I would like to go into WrestleMania [as a] champ and maybe Becky wants a rematch if I didn’t give her one already. Those are my two dream scenarios. I’m either gonna be champ or I’m gonna be defending champ and win and just have the best WrestleMania ever.”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Liv Morgan has been training in Natalya’s “Dungeon”

King Xavier Woods Reveals Injury, Will Be Out Until February

Ryan Droste
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Xavier Woods of The New Day revealed on G4’s Attack of the Show that he is dealing with a leg injury suffered during a tag team match on WWE SmackDown last week.

During last Friday’s broadcast, Woods teamed with Kofi Kingston to take on the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Usos, in a Street Fight. The Usos were victorious and Woods tore his Plantaris muscle beneath his calf in the process.

Woods revealed that the injury occurred when he delivered a Tornado DDT to Jey Uso. Woods is expected to miss between four and six weeks of action due to the injury, meaning he would miss the Royal Rumble and also possibly the Saudi Arabia event in mid-February.

Despite suffering the injury in the middle of the match, Woods was able to carry through until the finish. He took a Samoan Drop moments after hurting his leg on the Tornado DDT.

Woods discusses the injury in this video at the 24:45 mark.

WWE has not officially commented on the injury. The Royal Rumble takes place two weeks from now in St. Louis, Missouri. The next event in Saudi Arabia is on Saturday, February 19th. The Rumble is three weeks from when the injury first occurred, making a Woods appearance in that match all the more unlikely.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Jim Ross Defends Triple H’s WWE Booking

Ryan Droste
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As Triple H rose to the top of WWE in the early 200s, a criticism often heard were allegations that Hunter’s spot on the card had as much to do with his relationship with Stephanie McMahon as his own talents.

On this week’s episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross addressed those allegations head on.

“Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” Jim Ross said of politics being behind Triple H’s booking. “It’s better for this conversation to say, ‘oh yeah man, it blew up the locker room and you’ve never seen any controversy like this, it was not horrible’. No, sorry, let’s rewind that one. I knew he was going to be a star and if you couldn’t figure that out, you were just being unobjective and being a typical paranoid wrestler.

“He was going to take some spots because he was willing to put in the work to see that, that got done. Some of his mannerisms and how he navigated the political waters were not universally accepted by a lot of guys that Triple H’s power base affected.”

Ross went on to discuss why he felt Triple H was a great heel and one of the best workers in the business.

“He was a great heel and he ended up being an excellent worker. Anybody, If people don’t like Paul Levesque’s work, it’s because of politics. You can’t tell me he was a bad worker, that’s b*******. C’mon, If you don’t like him, say you don’t like him. He always had great potential because he was always going to be prepared and educated and I always thought he had great abilities. Some of his best matches were as that heel, that continued to advance and grow,” Ross said.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.

ECW Legend: I Think Brody King Will Do Well In AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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One ECW legend feels that Brody King can have success in AEW.

It had been speculated that Brody would eventually make his way to AEW. After all, Brody is Malakai’s tag team partner in PWG, where the two hold tag team gold. Back in December, Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net reported that Brody had signed with AEW.

It all came to fruition on the Jan. 12 episode of AEW Dynamite. Brody made his AEW debut, attacking Penta El Zero Miedo and The Varsity Blondes on behalf of Malakai Black.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1481452869626826752

Tommy Dreamer Vouches For Brody King

Taking to the Busted Open Radio show, Tommy Dreamer expressed his belief that Brody King will fit right in with the AEW roster.

“Of course, big fan of Brody. We’ve had him on the show. Big fan of him personally. I think he will do well in AEW. He looks like he’s gotten himself in even better shape.

“I know he used to be kinda heavy then he got super leaned out, now it looks like he’s filling out. You heard the reaction. The place knows who he is, the place reacted.

“One of the better reactions for the crowd in Raleigh last night. But I liked it, I like him coming there.

“I don’t know if [Malakai] Black needed anybody to help him or kinda can — I always look at when you bring somebody into a company it’s because they just need a change and I don’t think [Malakai] Black needed a change yet but it’ll be interesting to see what devastation these guys can do.”

Time will tell if Brody and Malakai eventually set their sights on the AEW World Tag Team Championships. For now, it seems they’re content wreaking havoc on The Varsity Blondes.

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

Deonna Purrazzo on Mickie James Royal Rumble Announcement

Tyriece Simon
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Impact Wrestling talent Deonna Purrazzo has shared her thoughts on Knockouts Champion Mickie James Royal Rumble announcement. The Royal Rumble takes place on January 29th.

Purrazzo appeared on Instinct Culture with Denise Salcedo to discuss how she learned of James entering the Royal Rumble match. WWE revealed the shocking news of James’s participation during Friday Night Smackdown last week. The announcement also created more intrigue for her Texas Deathmatch with Purrazzo at Hard to Kill on January 8th for the Impact Knockouts Championship.

When speaking on the WWE reveal, Purrazzo shared that it surprised her.

“I was equally as surprised, I think, as the entire wrestling world. I didn’t know that was going to happen, and I actually just got to my hotel room in Dallas, and Steve(Maclin) put on Smackdown, and there was that announcement, and I was like, oh, um interesting, okay,” said Purrazzo. She explained, “…WWE has kind of a closed-door policy with playing with others and to hear that I think was like the first time in history that they mainly acknowledge other companies like that.”

She also discussed the importance of WWE acknowledging Impact Wrestling.

“…I feel like we don’t get all the credit that we’re deserved and people kind of, you know, let things that happened in the past reflect their opinions on what we are doing now, and it was kind of like a really big thing for us,” said Purrazzo. She also noted that WWE sharing the news first concerned her because they were the main event of Hard to Kill, and they didn’t want new fans to think James WWE’s involvement was the reason. However, she believes that the news created more anticipation for their match.

The WWE Return of Mickie James

James will make her return to WWE after the company released her last April. The WWE sent her personal belongings that she left in a trash bag to her to make matters worse. James spoke about the incident in an interview with Chris Van Vliet. SEScoop’s Chris Stephens transcribed the interview.

“I took it then as they think I am trash,” she continued. “I was with the company for four years, and they think I am trash. All these thoughts were running through my head. If you are already broken, they can be devastating. I am thinking about all of that and all the people who also got released beside me. I see my name on the bag, and it defines which bag is in which box. I’m thinking about the girls, and they wouldn’t say anything because you don’t want to mess up an opportunity for the future. But this Mickie James don’t give a sh*t. I am super grateful for my career and my ability; I couldn’t do it without WWE.”

It seems both James and WWE have settled their differences. James will make history as the first active Impact Knockout Champion to compete in the Royal Rumble.

John Cena Doesn’t Watch AEW, Happy To See Competition

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

John Cena may not take the time to watch AEW but he does realize the importance of competition.

Many consider Cena to be a WWE mainstay. While Cena has transitioned into the world of Hollywood, he’ll still attend a WWE event whenever he’s free to do so. “The Doctor of Thuganomics” knows that AEW exists and feels it benefits everyone in the wrestling industry.

John Cena On AEW & Competition

John Cena made an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast and he revealed that he hasn’t been watching AEW TV (h/t Comicbook.com).

“I haven’t watched AEW.”

With that said, he explained why AEW’s existence is a good thing for WWE or any other promotion.

“Competition brings out the best in us. For all time, going out there as a performer, I wanted to do the best I could possibly do and set the tone for wanting to be the best show between Raw and SmackDown and certainly have eyes on the segments I was on. I was fueled by a sense of internal competition. Not knowing what it’s like now to be in a market with a lot of different options, there are a lot of places to watch sports entertainment. That would only, for me, fuel me even more to be the best I can be.”

There was a time when WWE had its NXT brand go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite. AEW consistently had better ratings so WWE moved NXT to a different night and gutted HHH’s vision of the brand.

WWE is well-established and has been around for decades. It is still successful today. The company brings in a lot of money thanks to deals with the likes of FOX, USA Network, and Saudi Arabia.

Still, it’s good for wrestlers in the United States to know that WWE isn’t the only company. AEW’s existence also benefits top wrestlers who want to test free agency. Now, popular stars nearing the end of their contracts in either promotion can potentially start a bidding war.

Tammy Sytch (Sunny) Arrested For Weapons Possession & Terroristic Threats

Chris Stephens
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WWE Hall-of-Famer Sunny (aka Tammy Sytch) has been arrested again. This time the charges are weapons possession and issuing terroristic threats.

The arrest occurred Thursday morning in New Jersey. Sytch is once again in Monmouth County Correctional Institution. She has previously been housed in the detention center for 1-year from June of 2020 to June of 2021 on DUI charges.

Sytch has been charged with 2 counts of possessing an illegal weapon. According to a report from TMZ, the weapon does not appear to be a firearm. Sytch was also charged with one count of issuing a terroristic threat.

New Jersey law refers to a third degree terroristic threat as follows:

“A person is guilty of a crime of the third degree if he threatens to commit any crime of violence with the purpose to terrorize another or to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation, or otherwise to cause serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience.”

It’s not clear at this time what Sytch threatened to do.

For the weapons charge she faces up to 3.5 years in prison. The terroristic threats charge is of a lower degree and therefor only carries a maximum of 1-year in jail.

Other reports on Tammy Sytch being arrested:

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