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Update On If AJ Styles Is Now A Babyface Or Still A Heel

Chris Stephens
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As recently as December 26th, AJ Styles was a heel. He was a heel in his match against Omos on the Madison Square Garden live event the night after Christmas. On that show, he faked as though Omos had hit him with a chair and then won via disqualification. Last night on RAW, however, Styles appeared to be acting as a babyface. He even faced and defeated a heel in Apollo Crews.

According to a report from PW Insider, Styles is now a babyface.

“Going forward in WWE storylines, AJ Styles is now a babyface according to several WWE sources,” wrote Mike Johnson.

Omos is reportedly still a heel. This despite their breakup last week on RAW seemingly putting him in the babyface role between the two.

Omos was not on RAW last night from Detroit. He reportedly traveled to Detroit but was sent home earlier in the day and not backstage once the show began. On the show last night, Styles called out Omos but got Apollo Crews instead. He then defeated the former United States Champion in singles action.

Styles and Omos won the RAW tag-team championships at WrestleMania 37. They then lost them to the current champions, RK-Bro, at SummerSlam.

Shawn Michaels Comments On New Role With NXT

Chris Stephens
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Shawn Michaels recently discussed his new role in NXT during an interview with Denise Salcedo. Previously, Michaels had been in a coaching role for the brand. Since Triple H has been absent, however, Michaels has stepped up and is now involved more on the television and creative side of things.

“I’ve now stepped out of the physical coaching aspect and into the Vice President of Talent Development and focusing more on television, the live show, and creative,” Michaels said. “The talent pool has gotten very big. To me, the biggest advantage of all of that is the freshness, the newness. When I went from a tag team to a single competitor, I wasn’t given a cookie-cutter ‘this is your character, this is what you’re gonna do.’ “

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1475587299282927626

Shawn Michaels On Helping Characters Evolve In NXT

Michaels continued to talk about needing some time to find his “Heartbreak Kid” character and how in NXT they work to allow characters to evolve. He also spoke about working in collaboration with new talent to find out who they are.

“I was able to have some time to find ‘The Heartbreak Kid.’ I didn’t know who he was at the time but I had an opportunity to evolve this character and make it mine,” he continued. “That’s the one thing we’re allowed to do now with these new athletes coming in, is have time to sit down, to talk with them, to find out who they are, to get their insight, it really is a collaboration.”

The full interview with Michaels can be seen in the player below:

NXT will be live tonight from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. 2 matches have been officially confirmed for the show. Cora Jade & Raquel Gonzalez will team up to take on the Toxic Attraction team of Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne. Also tonight, Dexter Lumis and Grayson Waller will meet in singles action.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup

Chris Stephens
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AEW recently revealed that the Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place this May and conclude at the Double or Nothing PPV in Las Vegas. Tony Khan was recently interviewed by PW Insider and spoke about the tournaments, his relationship with Dr. Martha Hart, and more.

“I have so much respect for Dr. Martha Hart. She is a principled woman and cares so much about making sure the legacy of Owen Hart is treated with integrity. Integrity is something that is essential to AEW. I believe in personal integrity and try to maintain it in relationships. We’ve built a really strong relationship with Martha based on that,” Khan said.

Tony Khan Comments On Having The Tournament Conclude At Double or Nothing

Khan would continue to say that numerous factors went into when the tournament would be held. Some of this had to do with Hart’s teaching schedule in Canada and when she would be available to participate. They had considered the Revolution PPV in February but ultimately the decision was made to have the tournaments conclude at Double or Nothing.

“Talking to her about how the legacy of Owen would be treated, I told her we would make it a top priority to make sure we would do something that would have great impact on the fans, but also where she could participate,” Khan said.

“She’s a teacher in Canada and with her teaching schedule, we looked at AEW events. Double or Nothing is one of the most important shows we have, it’s where the company began, and it’s very fitting that on the three-year anniversary of our first AEW show, we will crown Owen Hart (Cup) winners.”

Khan continued to speak about the decision to have both men’s and women’s winners fo the tournament. For Khan, the idea is that the Owen will be treated like other major tournaments in sports.

“I discussed it with Martha and I thought it would be cool to treat the Owen like other prestigious cups in sports. For example, Wimbledon, there is a men’s and women’s winner. Martha thought this was excellent and was in favor of it.”

Killer Kross Doesn’t Regret WWE Run: “I Learned So Much”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Killer Kross was one of the victims of the lack of coordination between NXT and main roster officials. Many believed that he had all the tools for a successful career on Raw and his unique gimmick would help him stand out. Fans were outraged when he was repackaged upon his call-up. It was evident from his debut loss against Jeff Hardy that the main roster officials did not understand his character at all. The point was proven further when both Kross and Scarlett were released from their WWE contracts after a lackluster run in November.

However, even after the poor treatment on the main roster, the former NXT champion is not bitter about his WWE run as a whole. He talked about it during his most recent appearance on Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette. Killer Kross mentioned that he got to learn a lot during his WWE tenure. He claimed that he would have gone through with it, if he had known how his run would pan out:

“This may shock a lot of people but like I said, I like to look at the glass half full. If someone had presented a crystal ball and said, ‘This is how your career is gonna go [in] WWE and by the end of it, this is what’s gonna happen. There is nothing you can do about it. Would you like to go? Or would you just say skip this period?’ I would honestly have gone. Because I learned so much. And I grew as a person and especially with what was going on in the world at that time like it served many purposes in a greater aspect of either mentally, physically, spiritually.”

Killer Kross On One Thing He Would Change About His Main Roster Run

Killer Kross
Killer Kross

Killer Kross was asked about the one thing he would change about his WWE run. Replying to it, the former champion mentioned how fans were already fantasy booking the NXT version of his character against main roster stars. He explained that he would have kept the gimmick when he moved to the main roster:

“If I could have done something differently, I mean, very simply put, I would have attempted to maintain continuity at what we’re doing in NXT. And taken that to the main roster because fans were already fantasy booking us to be walking down the aisle of WrestleMania.

The fans were telling the company what they wanted to see. And so the matches were there. The tickets could have been sold. If we just listened to what people were telling them that they wanted. This would have been super easy in my opinion. If we could have done things differently, that’s what I would have done.”

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

What’s next for Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux?

Killer Kross & Scarlett Comment On Their WWE Departures

Chris Stephens
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Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux were two of the more surprising releases in WWE this year. Kross had been built up as a huge star in NXT but when he hit the main roster, things changed. Scarlett was removed from his act, he was repackaged and given a helmet with no explanation. Then they were both just released.

Kross and Scarlett were guests recently on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette. During the discussion, both Kross and Scarlett spoke about trading in creative freedom for financial stability when they signed with WWE. Kross says his intuition knew something was off after he first lost to Jeff Hardy on RAW, however. He noted that he was given no notice when their planned 10-minute match was cut short by 9.5 minutes.

“I do my entrance and get out there,” Kross said of his first match with Hardy. “The ref comes to me and goes, ‘Hey, your 10 minute match is down to 90 seconds.’ First time we’re working on television, we don’t really know each other in the ring, our rhythm, they come back from commercial and I’m trying not to laugh.”

Kross continued to say that he was worried about where things were going after that match.

“Part of this business is doing what you are told,” he continued. “My intuition was telling me that everything was off and felt wrong and I felt something bad coming four months before it happened, but everyone I talked to was like, ‘No, everyone loves you. There are no problems,’ but I felt it coming. I tried to, as professionally polite as I could, talk to people in the chain of command and be a good sport.” 

https://twitter.com/realKILLERkross/status/1475645435356270594

Kross became further concerned when he was given an email regarding the repackaging of his character. He was given something of an updated “Demolition” style gimmick, complete with a helmet and all. Kross said he knew the look would not get over in 2021.

“I got an email with what it was supposed to look like,” Kross said of his repackaging. “Apparently, the music was supposed to change, the entrance was supposed to change, and it was supposed to be an enhanced version. When I saw the picture of it, I showed it to [Scarlett] and I just started laughing.”

Scarlett would continue to say that despite what happened, they knew what they were getting into with WWE. They were trading in creative freedom for financial stability.

“We were also ready, when we signed up for WWE, we were trading creative freedom to finally be able to have a steady income,” she said.

We tried to take that perspective no matter what. ‘It’s not our money, no matter what, we’re going to make the best of whatever it is,'” Scarlett continued.

H/T To Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Update On Omos Missing RAW

Chris Stephens
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Omos was scheduled to face AJ Styles on last night’s RAW from Detroit. The match didn’t happen, however. Instead, Styles faced and defeated Apollo Crews. According to a report from PW Insider, Omos did travel to Detroit for the show.

Omos was not backstage as RAW was taking place, however. Rather, he had been sent home earlier in the day. No reason was given for his absence on television and it is not clear what led to him being sent home. Omos had previously performed on WWE’s live event in Madison Square Garden on December 26th.

WWE has had numerous Superstars out of action as of late. The speculation is that these absences are due to health and safety protocols regarding COVID-19 but that cannot be confirmed. Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Bobby Lashley, Big E, and Roman Reigns all missed WWE live events recently. Lynch, Rollins, Belair, Lashley, and Big E were not in person on last night’s RAW broadcast but did send in videos. Kevin Owens was not pulled from the recent live events, however, and is the one person from the 4-way match at Day 1 who was live on RAW last night.

Omos has been on the main roster a little over a year, mainly associating with AJ Styles. The duo are former RAW tag-team champions. Omos also won the 25-man battle royal at Survivor Series this year.

Toni Storm On Lack Of Opportunity After Main Roster Call Up, What She Learned During Pandemic

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE announced back in July that Toni Storm was going to be called up to the main roster. She was confirmed to be a part of the SmackDown brand via a vignette during the July 9 episode. However, it turned out to be one of those cases where the officials had no clear plans for the NXT star. She made her in-ring debut beating Zelina Vega during the July 23 episode of the show and disappeared from TV for a couple of weeks after that. This trend continued in the following months and Storm had wrestled only three matches on SmackDown before the Survivor Series PPV in November.

The former NXT UK women’s champion opened up about the time during her recent appearance on Out Of Character podcast. She admitted that sitting in catering doing nothing was not a good feeling:

“It’s the worst cause you just don’t know. Obviously, wrestling [can be] so unpredictable. Next week you could be main eventing and winning a title and everything could be happening or nothing. You don’t know. This is show business at the end of the day. It’s a topsy turvy industry.

When you’re sat in catering, it’s not a good feeling. Just sitting there waiting for your shot. Waiting for your big break. Waiting to show everyone what you’ve worked your life to be good at. I just sat there [asking] ‘When am I next? What’s happening?’ Now [when] stuff starts happening, I’m still like, ‘what’s going on?’ Oh, my God. What is my life?”

Toni Storm On What She Learned During The Pandemic

Toni Storm
Toni Storm

Toni Storm also talked about the pandemic and the lockdown everyone was forced to endure. She admitted that being alone was not a good experience. Though finding a silver lining in the situation, Storm claimed that the ordeal gave her time to know herself a little better. It was a good time to focus on herself. Storm claimed that she learned about what she wanted from life:

“I got to know myself a little more. You know what I mean? I got to know real Toni a little bit because it’s been just years of constant, just being Toni Storm. Just traveling all around, working all around. Just doing this constantly. Then I was kind of forced to be alone and locked away. I was in North of England when it happened and by myself. I was given so much time. I was alone so much.

At first, I hated it. And then I really started to enjoy it and [started to] know more about me and was more in touch with myself. It was a good opportunity to like, learn more about who I am and what I want out of life. And so, in that sense, that was the positivity there. I mean, it still sucked. There was no enjoyment. That was just like the worst but it was a good time to really focus on who I am as a person. I think everyone needs that from time to time.”

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

Toni Storm Discusses Her Main Roster Call Up, Vince McMahon

Jimmy Yang Gone From WWE After Tryout As A Producer

Chris Stephens
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In late-October, Jimmy Yang started working as a producer in WWE on a tryout basis. According to Yang, WWE decided against using him full time.

Yang’s pro career started in 1999 in WCW. He was cast as one of the Jung Dragons in the promotion’s cruiserweight division. After WWE purchased WCW, Yang was assigned to the Heartland Wrestling Association developmental territory but then released in January of 2002.

He would spend 2002-03 with TNA Wrestling before re-signing with WWE in September of 2003. He was again released in 2005. Yang then had a brief run with Ring of Honor before once again signing with WWE in 2006. He would adopt the gimmick of Jimmy “Wang” Yang and compete in the company’s cruiserweight division. Yang was then released again in April of 2010. Following his last stint in WWE as a wrestler, Yang worked on the independent scene for several years and returned to TNA Wrestling briefly in 2011.

He has several jobs in the Cincinatti area. He runs a wrestling school called Pro Training, LLC. Yang operates a party bus business as well and his own pest control company called “Jimmy’s Pest Control”.

Toni Storm Discusses Her Main Roster Call Up, Vince McMahon

Anutosh Bajpai
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Toni Storm is living the dream of becoming a WWE superstar and competing around the world. After spending almost 4 years in development, the female star has finally become part of the SmackDown roster. Not only that but she has been engaged in a feud with one of the biggest female stars of the industry in Charlotte Flair.

The former NXT star recently appeared on Out Of Character with Ryan Satin and discussed her journey till now. Talking about her main roster call-up, Storm recalled how she first got called in for a few dark matches. Though according to her, she tried not to get too excited about it:

“So I was just cruising along in NXT, minding my own business and I got called in for a few dark matches. I didn’t think too much of it. [I] didn’t want to get too excited. Because every time you are like ‘oooo’ and [it] never works out. So I just went along with it.  [I] did a few dark matches. [and] did my best. Next thing I know I’m on SmackDown. It’s been a crazy ride ever since. My whole life has changed. I’m a different person. I am a whole different being.”

Toni Storm On If She Has Talked To Vince McMahon

Toni Storm
Toni Storm

Toni Storm’s main roster call-up finally became official when WWE aired a vignette for the same during the July 9 episode of SmackDown this year. Even then, the SmackDown star didn’t want to get her hopes up. When asked how she reacted to the news, Storm said that she didn’t know what to do:

“I didn’t really know what to do. I just kind of fluffed around like, ‘oh, I don’t want to talk about it in case it doesn’t happen.’ To be honest I didn’t really say much. I was just [like], ‘Yeah this might be happening. I don’t know if it is. We’ll see.’ [I] just I didn’t get my hopes up or anything. [Because] this is like the ultimate goal. My life goal. My life dream. So hearing about [It] I was like ‘oh yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.’ And then I turned up to work next week and was like. ‘Oh, okay. Yeah, it’s happening.'”

The former NXT UK women’s champion has been a part of the main roster for close to six months now. Though she is still adjusting to her new life and the people she gets to work with. Toni Storm was asked if she has talked to Vince McMahon about what he wants from her character. She replied by saying that they have only had a few chats:

“We’ve only had a few chats so far. We haven’t had a chance to really get to know each other yet, but I’m sure if I can keep doing a good job and slap the taste out of that girl’s (Charlotte Flair) mouth. Then maybe there’ll be some longer chats.”

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

Kurt Angle on Jeff Hardy: “He Needs to Look Himself in the Mirror”

Ryan Droste
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Jeff Hardy’s exit from WWE recently is something that WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle can relate to.

Angle famously dealt with substance abuse problems throughout his career before turning things around. Hardy’s exit from WWE earlier this month was rumored to have stemmed from substance abuse issues, which is something he has also struggled with throughout the years. WWE even worked that real life situation into a storyline feud that Hardy had with Sheamus just last year.

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle commented on Hardy’s current situation.

“I’ve been through it, I think Jeff needs to look himself in the mirror and see what he wants to do,” Angle said. “Does he want to change or does he want to stay the same? I personally think he does need help but that’s something that he needs to deal with inside himself. He needs to realize what’s important in his life, is it the stuff or is it his family and his job? It really comes down to Jeff making the decision on his own.”

Hardy was sent home from a WWE live tour on December 5th. This followed an incident at a show in Texas on December 4th where Hardy walked out through the crowd during the middle of a tag team match. He was subsequently released from the company on December 9th.

Of course, Hardy and Angle are far from stranger. Their careers in WWE overlapped for many years, and they also had a significant in-ring feud while with TNA Wrestling. The majority of their matches together actually happened with TNA.

Since his WWE release, Hardy has stayed in the public spotlight. He announced a meet and greet tour right after his release. Matt Hardy has also defended his brother, stating that WWE may have jumped the gun in releasing him.

“Before anyone rushes to judgment, obviously they [WWE] drug tested him after all this stuff, wait until you hear the results of that and when that comes back clean then hopefully people will feel better about it,” Matt said. “They [WWE] felt like they were backed into a corner because of his [Jeff’s] history. Even though they may have jumped the gun with this a little bit, they made a decision and it is what it is.”

He continued, “Jeff is in the best place I’ve seen him in a very long time. As far as the details of what went down on that evening, and in that match, I’ve talked with Jeff, I feel good about everything he said and that’s Jeff’s story to share. And he told me he will when he’s ready to.”

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.

WWE RAW Results (12/27): The Miz & Maryse Renew Vows, Eric Bischoff Appears

Robert Lentini
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This week’s episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE Day 1 this Saturday night. The Miz & Maryse renewed their wedding vows at the end of the show. Eric Bischoff appeared on RAW tonight and officiated the ceremony.

RAW Results

  1. Riddle def. Chad Gable
  2. Randy Orton def. Otis
  3. Dana Brooke & Reggie def. Tamina & R-Truth
  4. Street Profits def. The Mysterios to earn a shot at the RAW Tag Titles at Day 1
  5. AJ Styles def. Apollo Crews
  6. Kevin Owens def. Cedric Alexander
  7. Damian Priest vs. Dolph Ziggler ended in a disqualification

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Riddle def. Chad Gable

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro made their way to the ring to begin the show. Riddle had a Christmas card and welcomed everyone to the final RAW of 2021. Orton said he wanted to focus on beating Otis tonight and then successfully defending the tag titles at Day 1 against either Street Profits or the Mysterios. Alpha Academy interrupted and Gable said Orton is no match for Otis. They vowed to take the tag titles from RK-Bro down the line as well. Gable and Riddle then battled in the first match of the night.

Gable controlled the action early and planted Riddle with a Suplex. Gable went for a Moonsault but Riddle countered into a Triangle submission.Gable escaped into an Ankle Lock but Riddle escaped. Riddle caught Gable with a knee to the face and then the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. After the match, Otis leveled Riddle with a shoulder tackle. Otis will face Randy Orton next.

Randy Orton def. Otis

Otis slammed Orton to the mat and hit him with a headbutt. Otis droves shoulder into Orton’s midsection and went for a Body Slam. Randy escaped and went for the RKO but Otis blocked it and shoved Orton out of the ring. Otis chased after him and wound up running into the steel steps.

Orton rolled back in the ring and booted Otis in the face while he was in the ropes. Randy hit the draping DDT as Riddle celebrated outside the ring. Otis battled back and climbed to the middle turnbuckle. Otis went for a Splash but Orton got out of the way. Randy hit the RKO for the pinfall victory. Riddle and Orton shared a hug after the match and Orton joked about hitting him with an RKO.

Dana Brooke & Reggie Picked Up A Win

24/7 Champion Dana Brooke & Reggie faced Tamina & R-Truth tonight on RAW. R-Truth controlled the action and tagged in Tamina. She hit Reggie with a Superkick and Dana tagged in. R-Truth tagged himself in and wound up getting rolled up by Reggie. After the match, Tamina tried to Clothesline Truth but he avoided it.

RK-Bro Will Defend The RAW Tag Titles Against The Street Profits At Day 1

Street Profits faced Dominik & Rey Mysterio tonight on RAW. The winners of the match will face RK-Bro for the RAW Tag Team Championships at Day 1 this Saturday. RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro were shown watching backstage throughout the match.

The Mysterios isolated Montez Ford in the ring and hit him with a Russian Leg Sweep. Dominik went for the cover but Montez kicked out at two. Rey sent Montez to the apron and hit him with a Dropkick. Dominik hit Montez with a Sunset Flip Bomb into the barricade and Rey connected with a Splash on Angelo as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Rey set up for the 619 but Dawkins countered with an elbow to the face for a near fall. Mysterio connected with a Tornado DDT but Ford broke up the cover at two. Dominik hit Ford with a Neckbreaker but then got knocked out of the ring. Angelo hit the Silencer and tagged in Ford.

Montez hit a Frog Splash and went for the cover but Rey kicked out at two. Dominik flipped onto Dawkins outside the ring as Rey connected with a 619 on Ford. Dominik hit a Splash but Montez somehow kicked out. Street Profits launched Rey out of the ring and hit Dominik with a Blockbuster for the pinfall victory. Street Profits will face RK-Bro for the RAW Tag Team Championships at Day 1.

AJ Styles def. Apollo Crews

AJ Styles came to the ring and wondered where Omos was because they were supposed to have a match tonight. Styles poked fun at Omos some more before Grayson Waller was shown in the crowd. AJ told Waller to come into the ring and Grayson did so with a microphone. Grayson hyped up NXT and said you can see the “Grayson Waller Effect” on Tuesday nights. Styles offered to give Grayson a tour before laying him out with a Phenomenal Forearm.

Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez then made their way to the entrance ramp. Crews said that they are a united front, unlike Styles & Omos. Azeez challenged Styles to a fight and AJ accepted as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, it was Apollo Crews versus Styles with Commander Azeez outside the ring.

Crews controlled the action early and taunted Styles while beating him down. AJ battled back and connected with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Crews hit a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Styles kicked out at two. Styles climbed up to the middle turnbuckle and hit an inverted DDT on Crews. AJ set up for the Phenomenal Forerarm but Azeez dragged Crews to the apron.

Apollo capitalized with a Death Valley Driver on the apron but Styles somehow kicked out at two and the match continued. Crews went for a Superplex but AJ blocked it. AJ connected with the Styles Clash for the pinfall victory. After the match, Styles hit Commander Azeez with he Phenomenal Forearm.

Kevin Owens Picked Up A Win

Kevin Owens kicked off the final hour of RAW and boasted about main eventing Madison Square Garden last night. Owens claimed that the whole world will rejoice when he wins the title at Day 1. Kevin noted that he’s the only person in the title match that is here tonight and at Day 1 the WWE Universe will finally have a champion they can be proud of. MVP interrupted and told Owens that he made a mistake by Powerbombing Lashley on the apron last week and he will realize that when he is in the Hurt Lock at Day 1. Cedric and Shelton Benjamin joined the party and it led to a match between Cedric and Owens. Kevin got the pinfall victory after connecting with the Stunner.

Damian Priest Attacked Ziggler

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Dolph Ziggler. The action started out back and forth. When RAW returned from a commercial break, Dolph hit a Fameasser and went for the cover but Priest kicked out at two. Ziggler unloaded some punches and taunted the Untied States Champion as he stumbled to his feet.

Priest hit some punches off his own and followed it up with a spinning kick to the face. Damian hit a Splash in the corner and then the Broken Arrow for a two count. Dolph hit an elbow to the face and rolled Damian up for a two count.

Ziggler planted Damian with a DDT and went for the cover but the champion powered out at the last moment. Damian got fired up and unloaded some strikes. Priest bashed Ziggler down in the corner until the referee called for the DQ. Ziggler rolled to the outside but Damian followed him out there. Priest hit the Reckoning to end the segment.

Edge Gave Miz & Maryse A Brood Bath

Eric Bischoff made his way to the ring at the end of tonight’s RAW. Bischoff said it was great to be back in a WWE ring for such an amazing moment as we are about to see. Eric stated that we honor and respect the sanctity of marriage in this industry and introduced The Miz.

Miz was wearing a white suit and shook hands with Bischoff. The Miz was booed out of the building but he cleverly reacted as if they were cheering him. Miz thanked Eric for officiating the ceremony and said he was a visionary. Maryse told Miz that he will show the world at Day 1 that he’s a way better superstar than Edge. Miz mocked the fans for willingly living in Detroit and cheering for the Lions. The Miz read his vows in French and Maryse kept correcting him. Miz asked MAryse to continue to be his wife and the crowd booed. Miz told them to shut up and Maryse shouted “yes I will!”.

The Miz and Maryse were about to kiss when Edge’s theme hit. Edge got a great reaction as he entered the ring. Edge told Bischoff that it was good to him and claimed that he was not here to ruin anything. He told Miz that he is going to beat his ass at Day 1.

The Miz told Edge that he wanted him to have a front row seat to show him what true love looks like. They shared a kiss and Edge responded by saying he was going to embarrass them tonight. Edge started looking around the ring and Miz got paranoid. Edge joked that he was just messing with Miz and then the lights turned red. Black liquid poured on Miz, Maryse, and Bischoff as The Brood theme played to end the show.

WWE Day 1 Updated Card: New Title Match Announced

Andrew Ravens
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A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Day 1 PPV. On Monday’s episode of Raw, The Mysterios vs. The Street Profits in the finals of the RK-Bronament took place. 

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins beat Rey and Dominik Mysterio to become the new #1 contenders for the Raw Tag Team Titles. Now, The Street Profits will challenge Randy Orton and Riddle for the titles at the first PPV event of 2022. 

WWE presents the Day 1 pay-per-view event on Saturday, January 1, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia at the State Farm Arena that will air on Peacock. WWE could be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. With WWE dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, some wrestlers could be pulled from their matches at the event. 

Updated WWE Day 1 Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley – Fatal 4 Match
  • Edge vs. The Miz
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
  • Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits

Vince McMahon Among Top Executives Not Backstage At WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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Several major executives are absent backstage for Monday’s episode of WWE Raw in Detroit, MI. Pwinsider.com reports Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, Kevin Dunn, Michael Hayes, and Adam Pearce are not at the show from the Little Caesars Arena.

John Laurinaitis and Ed Koskey are running things backstage. Triple H is usually in charge if McMahon isn’t at the show, but he’s been away for months after suffering a cardiac situation. 

WWE has been dealing with the ripple effects of the COVID-19 outbreak within the company among talent, staff, and employees over the last week. Several producers are out so WWE is working with a limited staff.

As previously reported, several wrestlers were pulled from Sunday’s house shows in Tampa in New York City. Some talent has been pulled due to them testing positive for the virus while others are on the sidelines because they’ve been in contact with someone who has the virus. 

WWE has yet to announce changes to the Day 1 PPV card this Saturday, but it’s possible although the company is said to be remaining hopeful the show will go on as planned.

Rey Mysterio Explains Why WWE Didn’t Sign Him Immediately After WCW Folded

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Rey Mysterio has detailed what the holdup was in getting signed with WWE.

When WCW was bought by WWE back in March 2001, it left many wrestlers wondering what their future would hold.

Many stars such as Booker T and DDP seemed to be sure locks for WWE contracts, while stars such as Goldberg and Kevin Nash stood at home collecting massive checks.

For Mysterio, WWE wasn’t willing to buy out his contract right away. The company did however keep its promise.

WWE Keeps Promise To Rey Mysterio

Appearing on The Kurt Angle Show, Rey Mysterio offered an explanation as to why he wasn’t a member of the WWE roster until 2002.

“So, when the company was bought out I was told right off the bat that they were interested in me but they wanted me to let my WCW contract run out. Once it ended, we would sit down and do business.

“I thought that it was a nice way of saying, ‘We’re not interested,’ because a lot of contracts were bought out. Chavo’s, Booker’s, a lot of guys. So, again I’m thinking, ‘Is Vince really gonna open up the doors for me because he doesn’t believe in small guys?’

“I would hear that sometimes from Nash, from Hall but I never lost hope and sure enough when that contract expired JR reached out and said, ‘Okay, we’re ready to do business,’ and that’s when I signed. So, they kept their word.”

The WCW contract did allow for Mysterio to take international bookings as he waited for the deal to expire. He competed in Mexico under the CMLL banner before taking some independent dates and then signing with WWE.

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

Tommy Dreamer Shares His Top Male & Female Wrestlers Of 2021

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Tommy Dreamer has unveiled his picks for the top male and female wrestlers of 2021.

Wrestling fans had plenty to smile about this year. Fans eventually were back in arenas at full force in the United States and we saw plenty of fantastic matches and moments.

Whether you’re a fan of WWE, AEW, NJPW, Stardom, Impact, AAA, or the indies, you were likely satisfied at least a few times.

Tommy Dreamer’s Number One Picks

On an episode of Busted Open Radio, Tommy Dreamer made a top 10 list for the men and women of wrestling in 2021. His top pick on the female side is Becky Lynch, who he gave the nod to over Mickie James.

“My number one on the top 10 women is ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch. Another person who came back unexpectedly, had a child, is in amazing shape and, I feel even though she’s a way better babyface than as a heel, is still thriving in the role that is given to her.

“I had big debate over Mickie and Becky but Becky is on a larger scale so that’s where I came with my top 10.”

Dreamer admitted that he had one heck of a time making his top choice on the men’s side. Ultimately, it was down to Kenny Omega and Roman Reigns.

“My number one is Kenny Omega. Why? Because he held three titles for three different companies and was a drawing factor on PPVs and a drawing factor in attendance for three different companies.

“Not only was he killing it on the microphone, not only was he killing it in the ring, he did it for three different companies and he too was banged up.”

Who is your pick for the top male and female wrestlers of 2021? Let us know in the comments!

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

WWE No Longer Requiring COVID-19 Testing For Talent

Andrew Ravens
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WWE started dealing with the latest COVID-19 outbreak last week that impacted their house shows beginning on Sunday night. Fightful Select is reporting that WWE has informed talent that COVID-19 testing is no longer required.

The Performance Center talent was informed of the news this past weekend while WWE main roster talent was told through an email. It is not known if there is a vaccination qualifier to that or not. NXT talent had been getting tested twice a week while main roster talent had only been tested once a week. 

WWE’s show at Madison Square Garden on Sunday had both main events changed as most of the wrestlers in the matches were removed. This included  Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins in a triple threat match for the WWE title being changed to a cage match between  Owens and Edge. 

A match between Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Title never took place. Roman Reigns ended up being pulled from the house show in Tampa, Florida. 

A number of WWE producers are not at Raw due to COVID-19 protocols. WWE is remaining hopeful to keep the original Day 1 card in place ahead of Saturday’s show. 

Indie Wrestler & Deathmatch Specialist Markus Crane Dies At 33

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The wrestling world has lost Markus Crane.

Early this morning (Dec. 27, 2021), Freelance Wrestling announced that Crane had died. No cause of death has been revealed at this time.

Crane competed for the likes of GCW, Big Japan, and FREEDOMS. He was based in Illinois.

Back in late 2019, Crane had to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a near-fatal brain issue. Doctors discovered an infection in Crane’s skull and he had to have a piece of his skull removed.

Not only did Crane survive but he eventually made his return to the ring. He defeated Kit Osbourne back in April in a short match. Crane had been training for a full-time comeback.

GCW issued the following statement on Crane’s passing.

“With sadness, GCW mourns the loss of Markus Crane. As a performer, Markus embodied the spirit of GCW. He was an underdog and an outlaw. He was fearless in the ring and determined to succeed against the odds. He played a major role in GCW’s early success and was part of the heart and soul of our roster from day one.

“Markus was passionate about GCW and Deathmatch Wrestling. We were proud to have him represent GCW at Korauken Hall during our inaugural tour of Japan.
In 2019, Markus suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took his life. We were all inspired but not surprised as he made a miraculous recovery and worked tirelessly to make his eventual return to the ring.

“Most recently, Markus returned home to his family with a commitment to focusing his energy towards a healthier lifestyle. He had celebrated a series of milestones in his sobriety which he was proud to show off and left us all excited for his future.

“As a friend, Markus was caring and loyal. He was quick to smile, or bring a smile to your face. We were all lucky to know him.

“Rest in Peace, Markus.

“We will miss you.”

Here are some reactions from the rest of the wrestling world.

https://twitter.com/theleemoriarty/status/1475494551678767106

We at SEScoops send our condolences to the family and friends of Markus Crane.

WWE Raw Preview: Styles vs. Omos, Miz & Maryse Renew Wedding Vows

Michael Reichlin
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Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from Detroit, Michigan at the Little Caesars Arena.

This will be a unique broadcast due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak that is plaguing not only the WWE & NXT locker rooms, but also members of WWE’s production staff.

Raw Preview

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WWE is advertising the following items tonight’s Raw, the “go-home” show ahead of Saturday’s WWE Day 1 pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA:

  • The Miz and Maryse will renew their wedding vows.
  • Damian Priest defends the United States championship against former champion, Dolph Ziggler.
  • Finn Balor battles Austin Theory.
  • The Mysterios will face the Street Profits in the finals of the “RK-Bronament”
  • Plus, former Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos will clash.

Check out this article for more on what WWE has planned for AJ Styles and Omos in the months ahead:

AJ Styes & Omos Split: Backstage News on WWE’s plans

Roman Reigns Pulled From WWE Live Event In Tampa Bay

Chris Stephens
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Roman Reigns was pulled from last night’s WWE live event in Tampa Bay. Reigns had been scheduled to team with the Usos and take on Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston in the main event.

Reigns being pulled from the Tampa show comes on the heels of Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Big E, Bobby Lashley, and Seth Rollins all missing the Madison Square Garden house show the same night. Not everyone who missed the shows will have tested positive for COVID, however. Seth Rollins may have announced he tested positive, and Dave Meltzer has seemingly confirmed that to be the case.

WWE Tampa Bay Live Event Results 12/26:

  • Kofi Kingston defeated Sami Zayn
  • Xia Li defeated Shotzi
  • Ridge Holland defeated Mansoor
  • Smackdown Tag Team Titles: The Usos (c) defeated Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
  • Cesaro & Ricochet defeated Los Lotharios vs The Viking Raiders in a triple threat.
  • Happy Corbin defeated Rick Boogz
  • Smackdown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) defeated Sasha Banks
  • Tampa Street Fight: Drew McIntyre defeated Sheamus

WWE’s RAW show tonight from Detroit has several announced matches, none of which feature talent removed from the holiday live event tour.

  • The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. The Mysterios (Dominik Mysterio & Rey Mysterio)
  • AJ Styles vs. Omos
  • Finn Balor vs. Austin Theory
  • Randy Orton vs. Otis
  • United States Championship: Damian Priest (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

WWE MSG Live Event Results, Lineup Changes Due To Outbreak

Chris Stephens
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The lineup to last night’s WWE live event in Madison Square Garden underwent several changes. The planned main event was Big E defending the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens. Becky Lynch was also supposed to defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair. Neither of those two matches ended up happening and of the above-mentioned names, only Kevin Owens appeared on the show.

An announcement was made before the show that several talent would not appear but it was not specified who. Edge then made an unadvertised appearance and started the show saying he got the call a couple of days ago to be apart of the card. This brought out Kevin Owens and they set the stage for them headlining the show.

  1. Finn Balor defeated T-BAR
  2. Alpha Academy defeated The Dirty Dawgs
  3. NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) defeated Pete Dunne
  4. Natalya defeated Nikki ASH
  5. Rhea Ripley defeated Natalya
  6. RAW Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro (c) defeated The Mysterios and Street Profits in a triple threat match.
  7. United States Championship: Damian Priest (c) defeated The Miz
  8. AJ Styles defeated Omos via disqualification (Styles pretended as though Omos had hit him with a chair and the referee fell for it).
  9. Steel Cage Match: Edge defeated Kevin Owens.

Miz came out during the match to attack Edge and further their rivalry. Damian Priest would come out and make the save, however and Edge hit a spear on Miz.

https://twitter.com/vXmichaels/status/1475301571982467080

Ric Flair Says He Sees Himself In MJF

Chris Stephens
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Ric Flair spent some time on his Wooo Nation podcast recently speaking about Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Some comparisons were made between MJF and Roddy Piper during the show. According to Flair, however, he sees more of himself in Friedman than Piper.

“I’m not taking away from Roddy, Roddy didn’t brag about his clothes and stuff like that,” Flair said. “This kid, what makes him different is he’s talking about the material things and he implies that he has the material things that other people don’t have and that really pisses people off, especially when it’s true.”

Flair continued to praise MJF’s work as a heel. He noted that being a “bad guy” in the way MJF is means not signing autographs for fans. It also means keeping up the character in public.

“If I saw that kid signing an autograph at the parking lot of the building, I’d never talk to him again,” Flair continued. “He’s so damn good at what he’s doing and it really catches my attention but I’ve seen so many guys in this business who go out and be a heel on TV, then they’re out in the parking lot signing autographs.”

“I used to walk through the airport with Hunter and we would say ‘Bad guys don’t sign.’ Standard answer: ‘bad boys don’t sign.’ “

MJF headlined last week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. The show took place in one of Flair’s old stomping grounds, the Greensboro Coliseum. MJF’s team with FTR was defeated by Sting, CM Punk, and Darby Allin.

The full podcast can be viewed in the player below:

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

Top WWE Stars Pulled From MSG Event Amid Covid-19 Outbreak

Ryan Droste
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WWE is making some major changes to tonight’s live events in New York City and Tampa, all while the company continues to deal with a Covid-19 outbreak with their performers and staff. While we can’t say for certain that the changes are due to the outbreak, four big names are not present tonight at Madison Square Garden who were advertised previously, and further changes are also being made to the main event tonight in Tampa.

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins vs. Big E in a triple threat steel cage match and Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch in a steel cage match were advertised for the MSG show tonight. According to PWInsider, Rollins, Lynch, Big E, and Belair are not at the show. The report notes that Edge is now being brought in for the show as a replacement, and he is now scheduled to work a match on the show. Natalya will also now be appearing.

Madison Square Garden did announce this afternoon that an NXT title match between Tommaso Ciampa and Pete Dunne has been added to the show. However, it should be noted that that match has previously been planned for the Raw tour this week.

The PWInsider report also notes that changes are in store for the WWE live event in Tampa tonight as well. The advertised main event there has been Roman Reigns and The Usos vs. Drew McIntyre and The New Day. Plus, a women’s match featuring Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks in a Street Fight. We’re not aware of what changes are set to be made as of right now.

WWE’s ticket sales for the MSG show tonight in particular have been disappointing, with the live attendance looking to be WWE’s lowest at the venue since 2004. As of this afternoon, only about 51% of the tickets had been distributed based on the setup for the show. Post-Christmas shows at the Garden have typically been hot tickets in years past.

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

WWE COVID-19 Outbreak Update, More Cases Confirmed, Holiday Tour Plans

Sammy Guevara Comments on Losing the AEW TNT Title

Ryan Droste
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Sammy Guevara’s AEW TNT Championship reign came to end last night on AEW Rampage: Holiday Bash (taped Wednesday night in Greensboro). Guevara lost the title to Cody Rhodes, making Rhodes a three-time TNT Champion in the process.

Guevara won the title from Miro back on September 29th of this year on AEW Dynamite, making his reign a grand total of 84 days. It’s fair to say that most expected the reign to last even longer, and Guevara dropping the title at this point was a bit of a surprise as it seemed like his run had a bit of juice left.

Guevara took to Twitter to comment on his loss, writing, “What a beautiful life, 11 years of Blood, Sweat & Scars got me here. The ups and the downs, I wouldn’t change a thing. It wasn’t my night but it doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be. The journey continues.”

Guevara kicked out of the Cross Rhodes at one point during the match on Rampage. He followed that up with a GTH and 450 Splash attempt, but Cody got his knees up. Rhodes then hit two Cross Rhodes and a Tiger Drive to earn the pinfall. He was presented the TNT title belt by David Crockett after the match.

Rhodes definitely received a mixed reaction to the victory by the crowd in Greensboro. It will be interesting to see which direction his character continues to take and whether or not Cody finally considers a full heel turn moving forward.

After the match, Rhodes got on the mic and made a comment to live the crowd about having “a feeling” in his “heel,” teasing a possible turn. He was then confronted by Team Taz member Hook, who came out and slapped Rhodes, teasing a possible program between the two.

What do you think is next for Sammy Guevara? Which direction do you think the Cody Rhodes character should go? 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.

Bianca Belair On What She Is Looking Forward To In 2022

Anutosh Bajpai
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2021 was a strange year for Bianca Belair. From winning her first championship in WWE at WrestleMania 37 to losing the title in a disheartening manner at SummerSlam, the year brought a lot of surprises for the female star. The former champion recently had an interview with Milwaukee Record. She talked about things such as her time in NXT and more.

When asked about the upcoming year and what she is looking forward to the most, Bianca claimed that despite the downfalls, 2021 was an amazing year for her. She then said that she would like to win the SmackDown women’s championship back:

“2021 was an amazing year, you know. So amazing that even through my downfalls in 2021, it’s just that I’ve had so many successes that my momentum has been able to just keep going and it’s been amazing.

I just want to continue to carry that momentum into 2022. What I can say, I think that one thing that can make 2022 really just top 2021, not even top 2021, but just make it all just come full circle is to eventually get back my title from Becky Lynch. So that’s really what I’m looking forward to in 2022.”

She was also asked if there is anyone in particular in NXT that helped her become who she is and the EST took the name of Sara Amato, better known by her ring name Sara Del Rey. Apart from this, Bianca Belair talked about her decision to open up about her mental health issues, celebrating Christmas in WWE, and more.

Bianca Belair On Her Thoughts On NXT 2.0

The Bella Twins On Why They Briefly Left WWE In 2012

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Bella Twins have been with WWE for the most part since they signed with the company in 2007, except for a brief period. The sisters left WWE back in April 2012 for a while before returning to the organization almost a year later in March 2013.

During their recent appearance on Wrestling with Freddie, the former champions talked about the dark days of women’s wrestling and more. They also explained the reasoning for their sudden departure from the promotion back in the day.

Nikki Bella explained that The Bella Twins had signed a 5-year contract with WWE when they first got into the company. Their contracts were coming up and they weren’t happy with how women were being treated in the promotion:

“Our five years were coming up. I remember at that point; Brie and I just did not like how women were treated in WWE. Two-minute matches but were allowed ten minutes on live events. While we were working hard on live events, we were never allowed a showcase on TV and our stories didn’t have depth and we just weren’t treated right.”

The Bella Twins On Why They Refused To Re-Sign

The former Diva’s champion continued by saying that they tried to remind the officials about their contracts but they couldn’t get a response. The duo ultimately decided to stop reminding the company. The officials finally reached out to them when their contract had already expired and the female stars decided not to renew them:

“They were like ‘we’ll give you these stories,’ and I was like, you couldn’t even have a conversation with me. I remember we’d just had this conversation and I said ‘we’re leaving.’ They still probably thought Brie and I were going to sign after the show or that week, they kept calling. Literally, when we left RAW in Chicago, after the championship match, we left and that was it.”

Nikki Bella defeated Beth Phoenix to win the Diva’s championship during the April 23, 2012 episode of Raw. Her contract expired the day after the championship win. Nikki dropped the title to Layla the following Sunday at Extreme Rules after The Bella Twins informed the officials of their decision. They had a rematch for the title on the Raw after the PPV and the twins left the company after that show

The Bella Twins Recall the Dark Days of Women’s Wrestling in WWE

H/t to WrestlingInc for the transcribed quotes

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