Corey Graves can step inside the squared circle once again if he chooses to do so.
There was a time when Graves was a rising prospect in WWE. He showed great promise on the NXT brand, even capturing tag team gold with Neville, who is known as PAC outside of WWE.
Things took a turn for Graves as he was experiencing issues due to concussions. On the pre-show of NXT TakeOver: R Evolution back in Dec. 2014, he announced his in-ring retirement.
Corey Graves Cleared
Corey Graves has been cleared to return to the ring by WWE doctors, according to Fightful. Corey had been on a strict “no contact” list within the company but he is no longer on that list.
Graves has had immense success as a color commentator. He’s become somewhat of a leader in the booth as many have credited him with helping carry the Raw broadcast team consisting of Jimmy Smith and Byron Saxton.
AEW has extended Tony Schiavone’s contract. The promotion picked up an option to extend the deal by 2-years after it was originally set to expire this year. He is now under contract with the promotion until mid-2024. Schiavone originally signed with the company in August of 2019. He revealed the news on a recent episode of his “What Happened When” podcast.
In addition to providing commentary on AEW broadcasts, Schiavone also co-hosts the AEW Unrestricted podcast with Aubrey Edwards. Schiavone also frequently hosts “Road to” and “Control Center” videos on AEW’s YouTube channel.
Someone else who is likely happy that Schiavone is committed to AEW for the next 3.5 years is AEW Women’s World Champion, Britt Baker. Baker recently appear on the “In The Kliq” podcast and spoke about how important Schiavone has been to her success.
“I will never be able to thank him for how much he’s helped me in all aspects of my life. He’s one of my best friends,” Baker said of Schiavone.
“Anytime there’s anything going on, good, bad, you know, he’s one of the first I call, first I talk to when I’m excited or to vent about [something] but just how he helped me, especially early on with those promos.”
Wardlow’s winning streak will be put to the test tonight on AEW Dynamite. The big man will take on CM Punk, as a service to his employer, MJF.
According to WrestleVotes, Wardlow has caught the attention of WWE officials. The company is interested in signing him away from AEW, if and when he becomes a free agent.
“With his biggest match to date happening later tonight, I can confirm, without hesitation, that WWE will be extremely interested in luring Wardlow away from AEW when his contract is due. There are several people within World Wrestling Entertainment that LOVE his potential,” WrestleVotes Tweeted.
Mr. Mayhem’s storyline employer, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, is also on WWE’s radar. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently said executives at both Fox and USA were interested in WWE signing MJF.
”It almost worked the corporate side of stuff on USA and even Fox,” said Zarian of MJF mentioning a bidding war for him in 2024. “It perked their ears like ‘hey, this guy is really good. Is his contract ending in 2024? Is that true? There have been conversations and I know WWE is very interested in him.”
Wardlow’s Alliance with MJF Won’t Last Forever
Wardlow is the hired gun of MJF, in AEW storylines. Over the past several months, AEW has teased that Wardlow is getting fed up with MJF and may break off on his own at some point.
During a recent appearance on Busted Open, Wardlow said his agreement with MJF won’t last forever.
“MJF and I, we strictly have a business relationship,” said Wardlow. “That’s all it’s ever been, that’s all it ever will be.
“He pays me to make sure his jaw isn’t wired shut and thus far, his win record and the fact that he’s still talking his sh*t every week I think I’ve done pretty well at my job. However, that contract isn’t forever and the way he treats people, we’ll see what the future holds with that.”
Do you think Wardlow is a better fit for AEW or WWE? Let us know in the comments.
Wendy Choo woke up in time to make her in-ring debut under a new gimmick on NXT 2.0 last night. Her rather unique new persona seems to have captured the interest of many fans.
Wendy Choo is the former Karen Q and the former 1000-year-old woman, Mei Ying. Evidently, performing as her former gimmick really tuckered her out some. In recent weeks, Choo had been shown in backstage segments in pajamas and looking as though she just woke up from a long nap.
Choo made her in-ring debut last night, teaming with Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta. Her team defeated Amari Miller, Kacy Catanzaro, and Kayden Carter.
Early in the match, Choo appeared to curl up in the corner and rest on a pillow while on the ring apron. When she was tagged in, however, Choo perked up a little and hit a series of suplexes. Then later in the match she appeared to lay down and take a little nap in the ring while she was the legal competitor. Vic Joseph noted that she might be playing possum, however, and sure enough when Miller went to attack her, Choo kicked her off. She then tagged out to Pirotta who delivered a facebuster and then Hartwell tagged in and hit her springboard elbow drop for the win.
Bill Goldberg played defensive tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs during his college career. The school just won their first national championship in over 40 years by defeating Alabama on Monday night.
Goldberg recently spoke to TMZ Sports about the victory.
“I would say the entire Bulldog nation is – I don’t want to say stunned by any stretch of imagination – but we’re pinching ourselves coming to the realization that the curse is freaking broken,” Goldberg said.
“I have heard from people that I have not heard from in 30 years in the past 24 hours,” he continued.
“It’s a breathe of fresh air, it truly is, I’m exhausted.”
Goldberg was also asked about his son, who is currently playing high school baseball and football, and if he would like to see him play at Georgia.
“He’s got 2 more years of high school and his complete goal, his #1 goal, is to be a Georgia Bulldog,” Goldberg responded.
He continued to say that his job as a parent is to support his kids pursuing their dreams. Goldberg said that was only the case provided his son doesn’t want to go to Florida. If that happened he’d have to put his son up for adoption, Goldberg said.
Goldberg was also asked about his son going into professional wrestling.
“If that is a path that he would like to follow then we’d be behind him 100%.”
The recent mass talent releases have put WWE in a bad light and they have been a big topic of discussion among fans. People have been guessing what could be the reason for it, and there are many who believe that Vince McMahon might be gearing up to sell the promotion. Though as often is the case, John Cena has different outlook of the whole situation and the reasoning behind it.
The Cenation Leader gave his thoughts on the mass layoff during an interview with The Rich Eisen Show. Cena first mentioned how regular cuts used to be the norm when he was starting in the company and according to him, it creates stakes for the development talents. He then discussed how the promotion had been on a spree of defensive hiring in recent years:
“I’m not thinking for the WWE, this is just me posing a different perspective, I think a lot of it might have been defensive hiring because there was and still is a giant boom in sports entertainment. People are absorbing this content and people are making a name for themselves outside the WWE, it’s no longer a one stop shop.”
“It Actually Has To Do Very Little With The Profit Or Loss Margin”
John Cena
A big point of criticism for WWE has been the massive profits they have been touting while also laying off people due to budget cuts. John Cena explained that it actually has to do very little with the profit or loss margin. It’s just the strategy the company is going with:
“There is only so many spots and only so much program. I understand, from a business standpoint, the amount of releases that had to happen if the company justifies, ‘this is the move we’re making, we want to carry less talent,’ it has very little to do with profit-loss margin. If the company strategy is to run on a lean roster, it doesn’t matter, you run on a lean roster.”
Later the 16-time world champion mentioned how this is a touchy subject. He said that his heart goes out to everybody who has to get the sad news. Cena also recalled how he was in the building when the company fired Stone Cold Steve Austin. According to him, the incident shot through him like a canon. After that, he always ran with the perspective that if they could release Austin, he could get fired anytime too.
You can check out his comments in detail in the video below:
Oh, you didn’t know? The New Age Outlaws may be gearing up to ride once again.
The Outlaws are one of the most decorated tag teams in WWE history. “Road Dogg” BG James and “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn were icons of the Attitude Era. They’re both WWE Hall of Famers as part of the legendary DX faction.
Road Dogg James was released from WWE last week, paving the way for a reunion with his old partner. Interestingly, just days after Roadd Dogg’s release, Billy Gunn has taken steps to trademark their team name.
Last Friday, January 7th, Kipp Sopp (Billy Gunn) filed the paperwork to trademark the name, “The New Age Outlaws.”
According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the name would be used for merchandise and wrestling ‘entertainment services.’ The attorney of record is Michael E. Dockins.
This trademark filing does not mean the New Age Outlaws will be tearing up AEW’s tag team division anytime soon. However, the NAO intellectual property is valuable.
The duo could probably make a killing doing autograph signings and selling merchandise using the Outlaws moniker. Now you know!
WWE recently confirmed a number of big entrances for the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble match and among them were none other than The Bella Twins.
The twins had been talking about a potential return for a while. On the latest episode of their The Bellas Podcast, the sisters opened up about WWE finally confirming their comeback for the upcoming battle royal.
The sisters first discussed how their return was announced in advance instead of being kept a secret. Brie mentioned that it makes sense business-wise and then suggested that there could still be some surprise appearances:
“My guess is, there will still be surprises, but I have no idea. Is it a comeback? The greatest thing about WWE and big pay-per-views like the Royal Rumble is you can come back for one great night and have fun.”
Nikki Bella had been very open about her health issues prior to this announcement. During the episode, she revealed that she was cleared over the holidays:
“I officially got cleared. I think everyone remembers from Total Bellas, when we had the first women’s Royal Rumble, there were a lot of rules on me. Those are the same.
When we were in Phoenix, I went in and saw my surgeon. They scanned me, I did MRI, scans on my brain, my neck, everything you can think of, they did.”
Apart from the Bella Twins, WWE has confirmed entries such as Summer Rae, Kelly Kelly, Lita, Michelle McCool, and the Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James for the upcoming event.
After being bound to a WWE contract for almost 2 years, Killer Kross is on his way to becoming a free agent once again. Once his 90 days non-compete clause expires, he will be able to do whatever he wants. It appears that the former NXT star is not only interested in returning to wrestling but he will be dabbling his feet into other forms of entertainment as well.
The former NXT champion was asked what’s next for him during his recent interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. Replying to it, Kross claimed that being bound to a pre-determined script for so long has made him hungry to create new things:
“I realized that I like to create. I’ve been somewhat aware of this but I like to create things. I like to create music. I like to paint. I love professional wrestling. I love to create stories for people. I love to create stuff like short films.” said Killer Kross, “That’s something I like to do. So, anything within that field is probably gonna be of interest to me.
And how do I say this? Being bound to a script or the ideas of others and then being released from that, has really made me very hungry to create even more.” Kross continued, “So I’m feeling very motivated, very inspired, and very creative to express that. So wherever those opportunities may arise, whether it’s with music or television or movies, definitely going back to wrestling. I’m gonna be there. I’ll be very engaged.”
Killer Kross also talked about his lackluster main roster debut. He explained that the way he was brought up was a big red flag for him and he knew that it was only a matter of time before his release. You can check out his comments here.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
CM Punk has once again blasted the people who chase celebrities for autographs in airports during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The AEW star shared his frustrations with such people in a tweet telling them that they need to stop frequenting airports to get things signed.
This tweet prompted a fan to post a GIF of CM Punk during his AEW debut in Chicago last year where he is seen jumping into the crowd.
The straight edge star responded to this tweet as well. He explained that the audience at the show had to show proof of vaccination to get entry into the arena:
“Sure is me, you c–t. At a show. Post vax, pre omicron, had to show proof of vax to gain entrance. NOT STALKING ANYONE AT AN AIRPORT OR A HOTEL. How stupid are you?”
Still in a pandemic. If you’re waiting at an airport to get stuff signed, you need to stop doing that shit.
Sure is me, you cunt. At a show. Post vax, pre omicron, had to show proof of vax to gain entrance. NOT STALKING ANYONE AT AN AIRPORT OR A HOTEL. How stupid are you? https://t.co/5mEseS94kR
This isn’t the first time CM Punk has targeted the fans for this type of behaviour in public places. He previously called out the autograph chasers during his infamous 2011 pipebobm promo.
He said “At five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face so you can get an autograph and try to sell it on eBay because you’re too lazy to go get a real job.”
Punk is scheduled to face Wardlow in a one-on-one match during this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC.
We’re just a few weeks away from this year’s edition of the WWE Royal Rumble. Both the men’s and women’s Rumble matches will have large implications on the direction of this year’s two-night edition of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, TX.
The Royal Rumble traditionally marks the beginning of WrestleMania season, and now we have our first clues as to who has the best chance of walking out of Texas with a WrestleMania championship opportunity on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Though the betting odds aren’t infallible, they have historically given us somewhat of an idea of where the company is leaning when it comes to victors.
According to BetOnline, here are the initial odds for the mens’ Rumble:
Big E 7/2
Brock Lesnar 4/1
Drew McIntyre 15/2
Roman Reigns 10/1
AJ Styles 12/1
The Rock 12/1
Omos 14/1
Bobby Lashley 16/1
Seth Rollins 18/1
Finn Balor 20/1
Damian Priest 22/1
Austin Theory 25/1
Edge 25/1
John Cena 25/1
Kevin Owens 25/1
Randy Orton 25/1
Riddle 25/1
Braun Strowman 33/1
Bray Wyatt 40/1
Sami Zayn 40/1
Samoa Joe 40/1
Sheamus 40/1
Walter 40/1
Xavier Woods 40/1
Bron Breakker 50/1
Cesaro 50/1
Gable Steveson 50/1
Tommaso Ciampa 50/1
Apollo Crews 66/1
Happy Corbin 66/1
Pete Dunne 66/1
Rey Mysterio 66/1
Ricochet 66/1
Shinsuke Nakamura 66/1
Johnny Gargano 80/1
Angelo Dawkins 100/1
Dominik Mysterio 100/1
Johnny Knoxville 100/1
Mick Foley 100/1
Montez Ford 100/1
Shane McMahon 100/1
Steve Austin 100/1
The Undertaker 100/1
Vince McMahon 250/1
The odds are very close for both Lesnar and Big E as the favorites. The BetOnline website gives both men an identical +350 odds at winning.
Bianca Belair. Image credit: WWE.com
On the women’s side, here are the Royal Rumble odds. Bianca Belair is currently favored to win the match for the second year in a row.
Bianca Belair 4/1
Bayley 9/2
Rhea Ripley 8/1
Sahsa Banks 8/1
Alexa Bliss 9/1
Raquel Gonzalez 10/1
Charlotte Flair 12/1
Paige 14/1
Asuka 16/1
Liv Morgan 16/1
Io Shirai 20/1
Shayna Baszler 20/1
Mandy Rose 33/1
Carmella 40/1
Shotzi 40/1
Sonya Deville 40/1
Trish Stratus 50/1
Beth Phoenix 66/1
Dakota Kai 66/1
Kay Lee Ray 66/1
Lacey Evans 66/1
Lita 66/1
Mickie James 66/1
Natalya 66/1
Nikki A.S.H. 66/1
Queen Zelina 66/1
Aliyah 80/1
Brie Bella 80/1
Nikki Bella 80/1
Maryse 80/1
Candice LeRae 100/1
Dana Brooke 100/1
Kacy Catanzaro 100/1
Kelly Kelly 100/1
Michelle McCool 100/1
Tamina 100/1
Stephanie McMahon 250/1
Summer Rae 250/1
According to reports, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns is still the working plan as the biggest match of WrestleMania 38, though it’s not clear how we will get there as of yet. Lesnar is slated to defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley at the Royal Rumble, while Reigns will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Seth Rollins.
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.
Killer Kross had the most unusual main roster debut for a former NXT champion. Not only did WWE not promote his arrival in advance but he also lost his first match after his official callup. According to the now-former WWE star, this was a big red flag for him and he knew that he was going to be released by the company sooner or later.
The former NXT star recently appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. When asked if he had any idea that he was going to be released, Kross explained that his debut itself was a red flag for him. He knew that it was a sign of bad things to come:
“Yeah, I thought for sure I was getting released. Because I knew that the segments weren’t getting over. It was very obvious to me. A smart enough fan watching, being able to read between the lines, could see what was happening.” said Killer Kross, “I just knew it was gonna be a matter of time.
One of the big things for me and it might not be a big thing in general for other people to see, [was the] snap reaction of being debuted on the main show, without any sort of vignette or any sort of notice.” Kross continued, “It was just sort of out of nowhere. There was no next week he’s gonna be here or nothing. So I thought that was weird. It was intuitively a red flag. I thought that was unusual. And I thought that was a sign of bad things to come.”
In 2020, Killer Kross had the option to sign with either WWE or AEW. During the talk, he also revealed why he preferred to join the Vince McMahon-owned company than the one run by Tony Khan. You can check out his comments on the matter here.
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Bron Breakker has captured his first title in WWE and he’s received the custom plate treatment.
Breakker challenged Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT gold back in October. The title match headlined Halloween Havoc. It wasn’t Breakker’s night as he was pinned by Ciampa in his first attempt at the championship.
WWE has posted a video of custom plates being applied to Bron Breakker’s NXT Championship. Take a look at the craftsmanship.
WWE seems determined to change everything about the NXT brand. Don’t be surprised to see an entirely new NXT Championship belt introduced in the months ahead.
The January 11, 2021 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Santos Escobar def. Xyon Quinn
Cameron Grimes def. Damon Kemp.
Malik Blade and Edris Enofe defeated Harland and Joe Gacy
Tony D’Angelo def. Pete Dunne.
Wendy Choo, Persia Pirotta & Indi Hartwell def. Amari Miller, Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro.
Solo Sikoa vs. Boa goes to a double countout.
AJ Styles def. Grayson Waller
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller
AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller was the biggest match to be booked on this show.
These two stars have been feuding with each other for several weeks after Waller called out AJ. They’ve been trading words ever since then. Last week, AJ wanted to fight Waller right then, but Waller said he would have to wait until this show. They did a brawl with AJ standing tall.
The match was the main event and they worked hard. AJ hit an outside forearm shot. Waller hit a springboard elbow drop for 2. AJ went for the forearm shot finisher and hit it for the win. Post-match, LA Knight made his return after being taken out by Waller in the parking lot a few weeks ago. Knight attacked him and laid out Waller.
Tony D’Angelo vs. Pete Dunne in a Crowbar On A Pole Match was booked.
This feud stems from a match that took place three weeks ago, where Dunne defeated D’Angelo. Post-match, D’Angelo attacked Dunne and, with a crowbar, attacked Dunne’s fingers.
Both guys worked hard and it was the typical, one guy goes up to get the weapon then taken down. Eventually, Tony got it, but Dunne quickly grabbed it from him. A chair was brought into play, but Dunne caught him with a triangle choke. Tony hit him in the face with the crowbar, which broke, for the win.
Santos Escobar vs. Xyon Quinn with the stipulation that Elektra Lopez will leave with the winner went down.
Ever since Lopez showed up in NXT, she has been aligned with Escobar, but since losing the Cruiserweight Title, Escobar has been bumped down the card.
This was the first match of the night. At the end, Lopez distracted Xyon and then kicked him in the nuts that led to Escobar hitting his finisher for the win.
New NXT Champion Bron Breakker appeared on this show just one week after beating Tommaso Ciampa to win the NXT Title. So what did he say?
Breakker cut a promo where he got mixed reactions. He thanked Ciampa and put him over for being a great wrestler and an outstanding person. He brought up Ciampa showing respect to Bron’s father after the match. He said that there are no days off in NXT and they perform every week for the fans. Bron said that anyone who wants to challenge him, he’s already put in the work and did more than them because he’s the champ. He plans to prove why he earned the title every week. Bron then went to the back. Short and to the point.
Major League Wrestling has filed a lawsuit against the WWE.
MLW claims that the WWE is continuingly interfering with their business prospects and contracts. Courthouse news was able to obtain the full lawsuit statement. The lawsuit alleges that the WWE attempted to prevent Vice TV from working with MLW in early 2021.
It also claims that a former WWE executive called Vice TV to tell them that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was “pissed” that Vice TV started airing MLW programs and wanted them to stop working with MLW. The Wrap’s Tim Baysinger and Tony Maglio report that the former WWE Executive is Susan Levinson.
I can tell you this MLW/Tubi deal fell apart at the absolute last hour https://t.co/n7ACqQQ30f
The report also says that MLW claims WWE prevented MLW from getting a deal with the streaming service Tubi. According to the MLW, the failure to secure a deal with Tubi resulted in “substantial losses” like not reaching a broader fan base and event cancellations. It also states that the failed deal caused a MLW 40% drop in tickets sales. MLW CEO Court Bauer spoke out against the WWE in a press release. Baysinger and Maglio transcribed Bauer statement.
“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 Deal with Vice TV
MLW signed its deal with Vice TV on April 19, 2021. Based on the lawsuit, it’s unclear if MLW alleges that WWE requested Vice TV to stop working with them before the deal. However, the lawsuit says that a Vice TV Executive responded that “WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation.” The lawsuit also states that Levinson couldn’t control McMahon from interfering with MLW and Vice TV’s relationship.
What’s Next for WWE and MLW
The WWE has responded to the MLW lawsuit. Baysinger and Maglio received a statement from WWE Spokesperson that believes MLW claims have no merit. The spokesperson also shared WWE will defend itself against MLW. MLW seeks compensation for losses they suffered due to WWE interference and wants to prevent future interferences. It’s unclear when MLW and WWE will go to court or if they will settle.
Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White will be making his way back to Impact Wrestling.
“Switchblade” made quite a splash on the Impact brand during his most recent stay. He was able to snag Chris Bey for the Bullet Club stable. With that said, there has been some tension between Jay and BC members Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa over the direction of the faction.
Jay will have to wait to settle things on that front but for now, he’ll be reunited with the man he recruited.
Jay White Continues ‘New Era’ In Impact
Impact Wrestling has announced that Jay White is returning to the promotion on Jan. 21. He will also attend the Jan. 22 tapings. Both set of tapings will be held inside the Charles Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.
The Television Trucks of #IMPACTonAXSTV come to Fort Lauderdale January 21-22 and so does @JayWhiteNZ!
Things are rosy between NJPW and Impact once again. The two had been in cahoots before with NJPW sending Young Lions off on excursion to TNA. In return, some TNA stars appeared at NJPW events such as Wrestle Kingdom.
The relationship soured over time as NJPW reportedly didn’t trust how TNA was using its talent. After a regime change on Impact’s part, the two sides are working together again.
WWE superstar John Cena has acted as a babyface for most of his career. However, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon contemplated making him a heel.
Cena went on Smackdown Announcer Pat McAfee’s show to promote the upcoming show Peacemaker. During the interview, McAfee asked Cena about the challenges of working in WWE as a babyface for so many years and when did Cena know he’d pursue acting.
Cena admitted that being a babyface for so long is a challenge but embraces it. He also reveals that McMahon almost turned him into a heel in his feud with The Rock for Wrestlemania 28 on April 1, 2012.
“…In playing a character that, like I said, a character of virtue. A character that started as a generic wrestler and then morphed into this hip hop persona and then morphed into this character of virtue, to play the same character for a long time that’s a challenge, said Cena.”
He continued, “…I remember Vince toyed with the idea of possibly turning me heel for The Rock 1 in Miami. And I told him, hey, no problem, 100 percent I’ll do it, but just remember that we’re so deep into this point, we can’t do and then jump back because we’ll be sunk at both ends. So if we do it, I’ll have to be the opposite of virtue. I have to be pure evil, and we have to go all in.”
More on John Cena Almost Turning Heel
WWE fans in the past had wanted Cena not be a babyface. Former WWE writer Kevin Eck also shared with Pro Wrestling Torch’s Wade Keller that the company almost turned Cena. However, the company never made the change.
During the interview, Cena pinpointed the conversation he had with McMahon during his feud with The Rock being the deciding factor as to why he never turned heel. While fans never got to see Cena change character, he believes it led to great opportunities.
“…From a believability standpoint, people always see me in uniform. Go figure that, said Cena wearing the Peacemaker costume.
He continued, “If you didn’t see me in a suit in WWE, you saw me ballcap, t-shirt, jean shorts, sneakers, you saw me in uniform. I want people to know that what they see is somebody they can relate to. He (Vince) decided against it and it’s at that point he was like ‘Listen I don’t think we’re ever going to do it.’ So that’s me getting okay you have the luxury of playing this character, but you’re always are going to play this character. Which was great, because it got me to dive into nuances that kind of spawned the creation of like the Firefly Funhouse match, were like yo what if I went on a meta-experience through all of my flaws and through all like my timeline, so you know you can do stuff like that.”
Unfortunately for WWE fans, it seems we’ll never get to see Cena as a heel. However, Cena being a babyface did create moments like his match with Bray Wyatt and his feud with Roman Reigns. In the end, it seems WWE may have made the right decision.
Fans can expect to see at least two more former WWE stars make a return to work the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
According to PWInsider, former Superstars Cameron and Melina are booked to be surprises for the bout. There are currently 11 spots available in the match and with these names added, WWE will have to fill 9 more spots.
Melina worked for WWE from 2004 through 2011 where she was a two-time Divas Champion and a three-time Women’s Champion. There was some talk of her returning to the company in September 2020, but she confirmed a few months later that while the two sides did have a discussion, they couldn’t come to an agreement. She was last seen on WWE TV on January 4, 2021 at WWE Raw Legends Night.
Cameron was under contract from 2011-2016. She did wrestle a match for AEW in 2020.
The following women have been announced for the match: Nikki A.S.H., Rhea Ripley, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Zelina Vega, Carmella, Aliyah, Natalya, Naomi, Shotzi Blackheart, Shayna Baszler, Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Summer Rae.
The fourth voyage for Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea will have to wait another year.
In a statement released on Tuesday, it was revealed that the March 2022 cruise has been pushed back until 2023. Among the factors listed as rationale for the decision were a quick turnaround time from the cruise that just took place in October, as well as the continued spread of Covid-19 and the state of the world currently.
The fourth cruise is now scheduled for February 2nd through February 6th, 2023. The official statement on the cruise postponement reads as follows:
“Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea is an incredibly special event and that is because of our amazing cruisers!” the statement read. “Since announcing the event during the Triple Whammy in late October 2021 and gearing up to set sail in March 2022, we’ve heard overwhelming feedback from the Rager at Sea family. Members of this awesome community would love to attend but are unable to due to the current environment and the quick turnaround between cruises.
“After compiling feedback and researching the options, we have made the decision to postpone the Four Leaf Clover to 2023. The Four Leaf Clover will now sail February 2-6, 2023 aboard Norwegian Pearl from Miami, Florida to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. We’ll spend the day on our very own private island (a new destination for the Rager at Sea!) where the beach is steps away, the food is free, and any purchased drink packages will be honored!”
Of course, numerous wrestling stars have been part of Jericho’s cruise in the past. The second cruise in January 2020 featured a taping of AEW Dynamite on the ship itself. Reviews among fans and attendees of the previous Jericho cruises have generally been very positive.
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Killer Kross has given his reason for picking WWE over AEW.
Towards the end of 2019 going into 2020, Kross became the hottest free agent in pro wrestling. Reports surfaced claiming that WWE, AEW, and NJPW were all interested in signing Kross.
WWE ended up winning the sweepstakes and Kross put pen to paper in early 2020. Given his size and talent, many felt Kross was a shoo-in for a top spot on WWE’s main roster. Before 2021 could come to a close, Kross was out of a job.
Why Killer Kross Choose WWE Over AEW
(via WWE)
Chris Van Vliet got a chance to speak with Killer Kross, who had a simple explanation as to why he signed with WWE instead of AEW. It boils down to the childhood dream.
“Well, I feel like there’s a lot of people out there who are gonna relate to this and there’s a lot of people who are not gonna relate to this. But I wanna be honest with you.
“I was honest with you last time. I knew since I was a little kid when I was watching this on TV that I could be there and I could do this and perform at the highest level. I knew that since I was a little kid and little kids think they know everything.
“So, it’s hard for your parents and your family and your friends to really get behind statements and these ideas that you have as a child because they wanna steer you in the right direction. They don’t wanna burst your bubble but as time went on, nobody in my family was ever doing anything like this.
“… It just seemed like such a foreign idea to get involved with that but to me, it wasn’t. I’m telling you, man I felt something here as a kid that told me that I could do it. It was the first thing I ever watched was WWF/WWE and part of me always wanted to be there.”
Kross was released back in November and he’s currently waiting for his 90-day non-compete clause to wrap up. Kross is expected to be a free agent on Feb. 2, so he’ll be free to sign with any promotion that wants to scoop him up.
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Impact Wrestling made history at Hard to Kill on January 8th with the first Women’s Ultimate X match. According to the winner, Tasha Steelz, she had to push for the match to happen.
Steelz appeared on Busted Open on SiriusXM with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray to discuss her win and how the Women’s Ultimate X match happened. She shared that her win on January 8th is one of the biggest accomplishments in her professional wrestling career. The win earned Steelz an Impact Knockout Championship opportunity for a later date. She also revealed she and Jordynne Grace had to repeatedly pitch the match to Executive Vice President Scott D. Amore last year.
“…This is something that a lot of people weren’t expecting us, women, to do, said Steelz. She continued, “…I believe since last year like Jordynne Grace and I, we were bugging the hell out of Scott. We were just backstage, like, we can do it, we can do it, we can do it. I know we can do it. Slammiversary, we saw that structure go up for the guys, and we climbed up there ourselves, and we were like, Scott, we can do this.” Steelz believes that Amore had to see Grace and her climb the structure to accept the idea. However, once Amore saw Steelz climb, he began to think about when the Women’s Ultimate X match could happen.
An emotional weekend for @IMPACTWRESTLING#HardToKlll This photo sums it up. Ultimate X is special! Our KOs are special! Every member of our team in front or behind the camera is special! We make MAGIC!!!
Impact Wrestling fans were excited to see the historic match at Hard to Kill, and the anticipation added pressure for the wrestlers to perform well in the match. The company also decided to have the Women’s Ultimate X match start the Hard to Kill event. With the spotlight on the wrestlers, some fans felt that the match exceeded expectations and proved that female wrestlers could participate in an Ultimate X match. After the match, Steelz says all participants were happy with the match.
“…After it was all said and done, the emotions came out of all of us. I mean, we were all backstage just bawling our eyes out. You know me. I’m a thug. I don’t like to cry, but I couldn’t help it, said Steelz. She continued, “It’s just one of those things where like I said, there were people kind of doubting that we wouldn’t be able to do it and that we did do it and no one got seriously injured. No one got seriously hurt, and we put our bodies on the line, and we accomplished the match, and we got all the chants. We got the Holy ish chants, we got the this is awesome chants, and it just ran through us. It was just something backstage, like that emotion we just grouped hugged and said we did it.”
Later in the night, Mickie James defeated Deonna Purrazzo to retain her Impact Knockout Championship. James will also compete in the WWE Royal Rumble on January 29th. It’s unclear when Impact will have Steelz challenge James for the title. However, she’s looking forward to getting her opportunity and taking the championship away from James.
Bully Ray believes that veterans will be crucial to the success of the WWE women’s Royal Rumble match.
We’re in January, which means another Royal Rumble event is around the corner. It is the first stop on the road to WrestleMania. WWE turned a lot of heads by announcing most of the women’s Royal Rumble participants ahead of time.
Fans were happy and surprised to see the likes of Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James and Lita revealed for the Royal Rumble match. Veterans such as those two could be the key to giving the younger talent a boost.
Bully Ray Thinks WWE Should Lean On Vets
Bully Ray is well aware of the importance of elevating homegrown stars. Taking to Busted Open Radio, he explained how the veterans in the women’s Royal Rumble can make talent such as Bianca Belair look good.
“If I’m the WWE, if I’m a producer on this match and I know I have — we just mentioned Mickie and Lita. Should Mickie or Lita win the women’s Royal Rumble? No, it has to be one of the homegrown talents.
“It has to be one of the women there but what are Mickie James and Lita that a lot of the younger women in the WWE are not? And some of the older women also. They’re leaders, they’re leaders in that ring.
“I’m leaving a Lita and a Mickie James in there with a Bianca Belair and a Liv Morgan deep into the Rumble so that the fans are completely invested. I’m sure there are gonna be plenty of fans there who would love to see a Mickie James win, love to see a Lita win just as much as they’d like to see a Bianca Belair or a Liv Morgan.
“Leave the veterans in with the young talent.
“Keep it wide open where anything can happen but allow those veteran women to help guide the younger women deep into the rumble, so it just doesn’t look like a big choreographed battle royale as opposed to a true fight to throw that other woman over the top rope and get your shot at the women’s world champion at WrestleMania.”
This year’s Royal Rumble event will take place on Jan. 29. It’ll be held inside The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Here are the 19 participants announced for the women’s Royal Rumble match thus far.
Rhea Ripley
Nikki A.S.H.
Dana Brooke
Carmella
Queen Zelina
Tamina
Shotzi
Natalya
Aliyah
Naomi
Shayna Baszler
Charlotte Flair
Nikki Bella
Brie Bella
Lita
Michelle McCool
Kelly Kelly
Summer Rae
Mickie James
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It appears that the recent visual overhaul was only the beginning of the end for the old NXT, not only from a presentation viewpoint but from how the brand operates behind the scene as well. PWinsider is reporting that the officials have made some big changes to the creative approach for the development brand and its creative team is no longer operating independently.
During Triple H’s time as the head of the brand, NXT’s creative team had been ‘autonomous’ in nature. It operated as a separate bubble within the promotion. However, the creative bench has been informed that at least for now they will be reporting to Bruce Prichard and Christine Lubrano, similar to how the teams for Raw and SmackDown operate.
With the departure of Road Dogg, Johnny Russo is now said to be leading the creative team under the supervision of Prichard and Lubrano. Russo has been with WWE since 2011. He has worked on the Raw and SmackDown creative teams. He was promoted to the role of Senior Creative Writer/Producer in 2018. Johnny Russo has been working on the NXT creative since 2019 and he was apparently made the head writer in July 2020.
Dewey Foley, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley also remains a part of the NXT creative team. He has been overseeing the 205 Live brand for some time now. This comes after the promotion released a number of key personnel last week that were integral part of Triple H’s NXT team, including William Regal and Samoa Joe.
Dustin Rhodes plays an important role backstage working as a coach with AEW’s women’s division. He recently sat down with Renee Paquette on “Throwing Down” and spoke about wanting to help the division get to a point where they are having multiple matches each episode of Dynamite and Rampage.
“I want to get them to where they have two matches on Dynamite or Rampage,” Rhodes said. “It’s not fair, but we’re getting there and making leaps and bounds. The female talent coming in are very athletic and in some cases they are just as good, if not better, than some of the guys, and that’s awesome.”
“I want them to get to the level that all the guys are at,” Rhodes continued. “They deserve that. Sometimes, it’s not fair that they don’t get those chances and now they are starting to get those chances.”
“They are not there yet, but they’re getting there, and they want it now. When I teach them how to do something and they do it and you see this smile on their face, that’s the payoff for me,” Rhodes said.
On last week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, the TBS tournament final match between Ruby Soho and Jade Cargill was the highest rated segment. It beat out even the AEW World Championship match between Hangman Page and Bryan Danielson.
Confirmed: Jade Cargill vs Ruby Soho 1,048,000 Viewers & 583,000 in 18-49
?#AEWDynamite's PEAK in 18-49, Men 18-49, Men 18-34 & Men 35-49?
"I am the one that will make these nobodies stop flipping through their channel just to see my fine ass" -Jade Cargill#AEWonTBSpic.twitter.com/YlzUsRDCou
Cargill defeated Soho to win the inaugural TBS Championship. She is still undefeated in her AEW career. This week on AEW Dynamite, the scheduled match in the women’s division sees Hikaru Shida take on Serena Deeb. Shida leads the head-to-head series between the two 2-1.
Big E lost the WWE Championship on the Day 1 PPV to Brock Lesnar. He originally won the title from Bobby Lashley on the September 13th edition of WWE RAW. Big E recently spoke to Sports Illustrated and admitted he was a little disappointed in how his title run went and ended.
“I wanted it to be a five-course meal, and it was more of an appetizer,” Big E said. “I’m overly critical of my work to begin with, so I wouldn’t say I was happy with it. My hope was to knock it out of the park, and I fell a bit short. So it’s motivating to start that climb back.”
“I love being myself and being entertaining, but you can’t go from dropping a world championship to saying everything is golden. This title meant a lot to me, and it meant to a lot of people, too. My focus is clawing back to that spot.”
Big E continued to say he had never been given a finish for the fatal 4-way match he was scheduled to have at Day 1. He also didn’t hear about Roman Reigns being removed from the show until that afternoon.
Big E continued to say he was disappointed that his title run ended in the way that it did.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed to see it end that way,” Big E continued. “And it’s not anything against Brock. Brock is a very special athlete, human and performer. There is no shame in losing to Brock Lesnar.”
In total, Big E held the WWE Championship for 110 days. He defended it successfully a total of 3x against Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Austin Theory. On WWE RAW last night, Big E was defeated by Seth Rollins.
