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WWE Surveying Fans For Feedback On NXT 2.0

Chris Stephens
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WWE has sent out a survey to many of their email subscribers recently asking for feedback on the NXT 2.0 brand. According to a report from PW Insider, the survey asks fans if they watched the old NXT and what they think of the new brand re-launch.

Fans were asked to rate how much they enjoy or do not enjoy the following on NXT 2.0:

  • Outcomes of the matches
  • Look and aesthetic of the show
  • Quality of wrestling
  • Variety of stars featured
  • Providing unexpected moments
  • Storylines
  • Quality of the matches
  • Level of excitement
  • Whether it was entertaining from start to finish
  • Athleticism of the stars
  • Length of the show
  • Entertainment value of the show

Fans were also asked if they agree or disagree with several statements including:

  • This show has many unique and exciting characters.
  • I enjoy the athleticism of the wrestling talent on the show.
  • Character development is believable.
  • The wrestling talent has creative freedom to speak their minds.
  • Promos feel natural and not too scripted.
  • The show does a good job in developing newer wrestling talent.
  • This show is one of my favorites among all professional wrestling shows.
  • Most segments on the show feel necessary to watch.
  • I can count on seeing at least some big or important moments.
  • Match outcomes feel meaningful.
  • Storylines are consistently engaging.
  • The show offers an amount of humor that appeals to me.
  • I share content or talk about this show with my friends or other fans.
  • Rivalries and match-ups on this show are consistently entertaining.

Fan Vote To Determine Participants In War Games Advantage Ladder Match

NXT is building to the upcoming War Games PPV on December 5th. WWE.com is holding a fan vote to determine which members of the men’s teams square off in a ladder match to determine which team gains the War Games advantage.

NXT War Games 2021 Lineup:

  • Women’s War Games Match
    Raquel González, Io Shirai, Cora Jade, and Kay Lee Rayvs. Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne)
  • Men’s War Games Match
    Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo
  • NXT Cruiserweight Championship
    Roderick Strong (c) vs Joe Gacy
  • Hair vs Hair
    Cameron Grimes vs Duke Hudson
  • NXT Tag Team Championships
    Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner or Legado Del Fantasma(Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza)

Japanese Wrestling Legend Making Boxing Debut in December

Jake Skudder
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Japanese pro wrestling legend Naomichi Marufuji will be making his boxing debut in December 2021.

PWInsider Elite has reported that the Pro Wrestling NOAH great will be taking to the ring in an exhibition bout just before the holidays.

“Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji is set to make his boxing debut at Kameda Promotion’s 3150 Fight Vol. 1 event on December 16 in Osaka” PWInsider reported.

“Marufuji will face comedian Takayuki Kinoshita in an exhibition bout with two two-minute rounds.”

It is not confirmed at this time if Marufuji will be competing in further boxing events, although at this point it does appear to be a one-off.

It is also not confirmed if fans outside of Japan will be able to see the boxing exhibition. We expect that FITE will be getting the PPV rights, should they be available for the Thursday December 16 event from Osaka.

Check out the announcement tweet from Pro Wrestling NOAH below:

Kane Says That Steve Austin Getting Over was Almost an ‘Accident’

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Kane recently appeared on The Doug Collins Podcast. The Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee discussed several topics during the interview, including what it was like to be in WWF at the time when Stone Cold Steve Austin was flourishing and the Attitude Era had begun.

“I was there when Austin took off” Kane began. “That was kind of an accident, I don’t think that anyone ever expected that he would achieve what he did.

“You look at Rock and you could tell early on that Vince [McMahon] thought that Dwayne had whatever it took to go all the way, right? When you think professional wrestler and you watch Steve, he’s an old-school professional wrestler, right?

Kane on Steve Austin getting over

“That’s not necessarily a recipe for success with the way that Vince was taking things” Kane continued. “But Steve was able to take it and he was the right person at the right time and had the right character at the right time, and was able to tap into that, ‘everybody hates their boss and wants to give their boss a Stone Cold Stunner,’ and he did it.

“Of course, a lot of that is down to Vince too” Kane added, praising the WWE Chairman. “He played the antagonist and did really well. But, nevertheless, that whole thing, I don’t think anybody would have ever predicted in 1996 or whatever that within a couple of years Stone Cold Steve Austin would be right where Hulk Hogan was, or is, as one of the true icons of the sport.

“We all knew that Dwayne was going to do tremendous things, just because he’s naturally talented and so gifted” Kane concluded.

Edge Returning On Raw, Lesnar Returning On Smackdown

Chris Stephens
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WWE is bringing back Edge to RAW and Brock Lesnar to Smackdown this week. Edge’s return to RAW was announced during Friday’s Smackdown broadcast. It was also revealed on Smackdown that Brock Lesnar’s storyline suspension has been lifted and he will be on next week’s show.

Also announced for this week’s RAW is a non-title match between Big E and Kevin Owens. Also, Finn Balor will face Seth Rollins on the show. Nothing other than Brock Lesnar’s return has been announced for Smackdown thus far.

WWE and AEW Ticket Sales In the UBS Arena

RAW next week will take place in the UBS Arena in Long Island, NY. As of this writing, 5,075 tickets to the show have been distributed.

WWE has also been offering 2-for-1 deals to the event. Meanwhile, AEW’s show in the same arena on December 8th has sold 8, 573 tickets.

Next week’s Smackdown will be held in the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. While nothing has been announced other than Lesnar’s return, Sami Zayn has qualified for a Universal Championship shot. He won a battle royal on this Friday’s show. It appeared as though Jeff Hardy had won the match, but Zayn had never been officially eliminated. He returned and eliminated Hardy.

Bryan Danielson Excited to Work with CM Punk in AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Bryan Danielson is eager to work with CM Punk in AEW, whether they are tag team partners or opponents.

The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and discussed the possibility of teaming with Punk against the Young Bucks or FTR.

“Yeah I mean, I think both of those are really exciting to me,” he began. “You also mentioned 2 teams that I would love to do a serious program with not just a one-off thing.”

Danielson knows people want to see him and Punk joining forces to battle AEW’s top tag teams. However, he’s also interested in working against the Chicago made cult hero. Danielson and Punk never got a chance to clash on a big stage like WrestleMania. In AEW, that could become a very real possibility.

“Who better to team with than Punk,” Bryan continued. “Although, you know I always thought and said this even when I was in WWE. It felt to me like Punk and I were destined to do a WrestleMania match together and then it never happened. It felt like, man, it’s so perfect and it makes so much sense that we would have this WrestleMania match against each other, but it never happened.”

Who is the Best in the World?

CM Punk Bryan Danielson WWE

It’s been years since Danielson and Punk shared a ring. Sooner or later, they may have to determine who is the Best in the World once and for all.

“Given the time of how long it’s been since we’ve been in a ring against each other or even as a tag-team, like now I feel like when we do it, it’ll be big and big in a different way,” he added.”

“That’s something I look forward to, I also like the idea of us battling each other over who the real ‘Best in the World’ is, I think that sounds like a lot of fun.”

Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:

Silas Young Talks CM Punk’s Masked Appearance On His Indy Show In 2019

Chris Stephens
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In 2019, ROH’s Silas Young booked an indy event at the Knights Of Columbus Hall in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is widely believed that a masked CM Punk did a run-in on the show.

It was the last event held in the venue as it was later torn down. Young reached out to several wrestlers who had history in the building about coming in for the last ever show there. Young recently spoke to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful about the event and the wrestler who performed a run-in under a mask that night.

“I started reaching out to guys that had wrestled there over the years and wanted to bring back guys from years past,” Young said.

“I reached out to Ace Steel because he’s an amazing wrestler, good dude, and it all snowballed together with Ace and Dave Prazak being on the show and I think Punk might have done a jiu-jitsu tournament in West Dallas, which is where that show was being run earlier in the day.” 

“Someone came up to me in the locker room and was like, ‘Hey, they want to do something in the match and Punk is going to do a run-in in a mask or something.’ I said, ‘Yeah, whatever they want to do, do it.’ What am I going to say, ‘No, Punk can’t get on the show?”

Numerous people associated with the show and fans in attendance that night posted to social media. Many seemed to believe it was CM Punk under a mask who had made a run-in. Footage of the run-in are available in the social media posts below:

Maven Says He Met With Triple H Before The Pandemic

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Maven is claiming that he met with Triple H about a potential WWE return in a non-wrestling capacity before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.

The retired wrestling star recently appeared on That 90s Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as the rumors of him being considered for Evolution and more.

Speaking of his meeting with the game, Maven explained that he was discussing the potential of doing some announcing stuff before America shut down:

“Before the world was shut down before the pandemic, I actually travelled to Orlando and met with Hunter [Triple H] and with Albert [Matt Bloom] who is running the developmental down there now.

And I was talking to them about maybe doing some announcing stuff.” said Maven, “And I did that, and I went there, on March 11th of 2020. And if you remember, in America that’s the day America shutdown.”

The 45-year-old also discussed the possibility of making an in-ring return. He said that he never wants to turn his back on the idea.

Maven explained that his love for the business is never going to leave. He would definitely entertain any opportunity to return to wrestling in any capacity.

H/t to ewrestlingnews.com for the transcribed quotes

Jeff Hardy Recalls Being Mad At Vince McMahon After WrestleMania 25 Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jeff Hardy has been part of many memorable WrestleMania matches. One of them was when he faced his brother Matt Hardy in a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 25. Though as it turns out, Jeff wasn’t really happy with the bout immediately afterward and he was mad at everyone including Vince McMahon.

The charismatic enigma opened up about it during his appearance on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. He revealed that they had to cut a lot of spots from the bout because of timing issues:

“We got cut a lot of time off that match. I’ll never forget this. And I was so upset because we had to cut out several spots. I was so passionate and upset. We didn’t get to do it in front of that crowd. And that was one time me and Vince did have a conversation after that.

[I] think he kind of liked it. He saw how mad I was because I was like throwing stuff [and I was like] ‘can’t believe we didn’t get do that stuff we wanted to do.’ We did plenty. More than enough. But still the passion within me really ignited that night after the match. I was really upset.”

Jeff Hardy On What It’s Like Facing His Brother

Jeff Hardy Matt Hardy WrestleMania 35
Jeff Hardy faced Matt Hardy at WrestleMania 25

Steve Austin also asked Jeff Hardy how it is working with his brother as an opponent. Replying to it, the former world champion said that Matt is his favorite person to hit the swanton bomb on. He also explained that getting the opportunity to face his brother on the grandest stage of them all was a dream come true:

“I was asked this recently. Who’s your favorite person to hit the twist to fate on? I was like – ‘my brother.’ Because when we are teaming, he hits that twist of fate for me to hit that swanton bomb. So, when he’s been a butthole, like he can be. I love to hit him with it and then follow up with the swanton. It’s awesome man. Brother vs. brother. Dream come true.”

Though while the match was a success, Hardy’s career went downhill from there. He was released from his WWE contract the same year. He was then arrested only two weeks after his WWE release. Jeff explained that at that point he felt that his life was over and he would never be able to return to WWE after that.

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

Jeff Hardy wants to revive Willow via Bob Ross & The Fiend

Recent Photo of Hulk Hogan Shows Him Looking Slimmer Than Ever (Photo)

Chris Stephens
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Hulk Hogan recently posted an updated photo to his Facebook page. The Hulkster is looking slimmer and trimmer than ever, it appears. Hogan claims he now weighs the same as he did when he was in 9th grade.

“Back to my 9th grade weight 275lbs brother HH,” he wrote on Facebook.

During an interview with Hollywood Raw, Brooke Hogan recently noted that her father has had a lot of surgeries but one recently seems to have him in good health.

“We counted how many surgeries he’s had in the last 10 years and I think we’re at 25,” Brooke said. “So he’s had both shoulders scoped and he had his whole bicep and everything tied up in his shoulder last year.”

“So yeah, he’s had so many surgeries. He’s done a ton, but this last one that he just had finally was like the winning ticket, so right now he’s feeling great. He’s working out two hours in the gym every day, he’s still chugging along,” Brooke continued.

Hulk Hogan appeared at WrestleMania with WWE earlier this year. He hosted the 2-night event along with Titus O’Neil. Hogan was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a second time in the Class of 2020 along with members of the New World Order.

WWE Discloses Separation Agreement With Former CFO

Chris Stephens
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WWE has disclosed details of its agreement separation with former CFO Kristina Salen. Financial settlement terms were made public in a recent SEC filing.

Salen will receive $413,000 for forfeited restricted stock units. She will also receive her incentive bonus for 2021 which is determined by the company’s Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The bonus is currently estimated at $431, 2000. She will also receive her base salary and health insurance coverage for a period of 12 months.

Salen was the company’s Chief Financial Officer from August 2020 until November of this year. Prior to joining WWE, she had been the CFO for Etsy.

“On November 23, 2021, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a separation agreement with Kristina Salen, formerly the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, in connection with her previously announced departure from the Company,” the filing reads.

Following her departure from WWE, Salen wrote on her LinkedIn page:

“Today I’m tagging out at WWE. I started at WWE in the midst of the global pandemic and I am proud of what I accomplished with Vince McMahon’s leadership and the tremendous team. We returned to live event touring, exceeded expectations, raised guidance for 2021 and laid a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to WWE’s continued success in and out of the ring!”

Kristina Salen Departs As WWE’s Chief Financial Officer

Bryan Danielson Felt Like He Was Going To Die At WrestleMania

Michael Reichlin
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Bryan Danielson has had a crazy year. Today, he’s the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship. It’s hard to believe that he was main eventing WrestleMania 37 just a few months ago.

The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and opened up about the tail end of his WWE career.

Bryan tells Justin Dhillon and Danial Ali that WrestleMania was a bizarre experience that he’s still trying to make sense of.

“The WrestleMania moment was just weird, I really honestly didn’t feel like I belonged in that triple threat match with Roman and Edge,” he said. “I thought the story was strong enough on its own for it to be just them.”

Bryan Danielson Felt Like Dying at WrestleMania

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Bryan Danielson’s WWE contract was set to expire shortly after WrestleMania. He knew he’d be taking time off from WWE, if not leaving the company entirely.

He wanted to work with someone like Jey Uso at WrestleMania. He would have preferred to put over a younger star in his final big appearance, but WWE management had other plans.

Vince McMahon felt he was best used as the third man in the Reigns vs. Edge main event, so that’s how things played out.

Bryan Danielson recalls feeling empty at WrestleMania. “When I walked out for the match at WrestleMania, it felt so empty,” he said. “Fans were cheering and all that kind of stuff. When I wrestle, I feel everything.

He questioned if that empty feeling was a premonition that he was about to die.

“What I remember most about that match is just feeling empty and thinking ‘Oh man, I legitimately felt like am I gonna die.”

– Bryan Danielson

You can listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations below.

Rhea Ripley Comments On Nikki Cross Survivor Series Snub

Chris Stephens
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Rhea Ripley was on Team RAW at the Survivor Series this year. At the time, she was one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions along with Nikki ASH. They have since lost the belts to Carmella and Queen Zelina, however. Nikki was not on the Team RAW Survivor Series team. Rhea Ripley recently commented to Sportskeeda that she felt the snub was a little disrespectful.

“I think I am more disappointed than Nikki is because she’s such a positive person,” Ripley said about Nikki not being on the Survivor Series team. “Yes, I know she’s upset. But I am very upset for her because I know that she’s worked so incredibly hard for everything that she’s accomplished. She’s been in this business for a lot longer than I have.”

“To not have her on the team is a little bit disrespectful,” Ripley continued. “To have one half of your Tag Team Champions on the team and not the other half, it seems a little bit silly to me. We obviously work well enough together to be champions, so why not half Nikki on the team with us? I think we could really make some magic. I’m just disappointed, I really am.”

Ripley and Nikki won the WWE Women’s tag-team titles on the September 20th, 2021 edition of WWE Raw from Natalya and Tamina. It was the 3rd time Nikki has held the titles, as she twice won the belts along with Alexa Bliss as “Bliss Cross.” Ripley and Nikki would hold the belts for 63 days before dropping them to Queen Zelina and Carmella on the November 22nd edition of RAW. Nikki is the only wrestler to hold the titles 3 times.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

Jeff Hardy Opens Up About 2009 Arrest: “I Thought My Life Was Over”

Anutosh Bajpai
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The career of Jeff Hardy has been a roller coaster ride. The charismatic enigma has been to the top of the mountain but he has also seen the rock bottom due to his struggles with addiction. One such moment that really opened his eyes was Hardy’s arrest in 2009 for illegally ordering controlled prescription pills. Jeff had been released by WWE only a couple of weeks earlier after failing his second drug test.

The WWE star opened up about the time during his recent appearance on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. The high-flying star admitted that he felt like his life was over when the SWAT team came busting in his house to arrest him:

“I was ordering pills illegally in the mail [and] got busted. SWAT team comes into my house, me and my wife and our little dog. I was busted. I got busted for getting pills illegally. I thought my life was over. [I] went to jail that weekend. It was a mind-blowing experience. I was terrified. I thought my life was over. That was the time that really scared me straight.

When I realized that ‘okay, things might be okay. This might not be the end of my life. As long as I get clean and I do what I need to be doing and staying clean and staying out of trouble. Things are going to be alright.’ And that led to 2010 man. My wife gave birth to our first daughter, and then five years later to our second daughter. But yeah, leaving WWE where I was, and then it was like, oh my god, total rock bottom.”

Jeff Hardy Thought He Would Never Go Back To WWE

Jeff Hardy world title
Jeff Hardy had won the world title a couple of months before his release

When Stone Cold asked Jeff Hardy what it felt like when the cops came in to arrest him, the former world champion said that it was a terrifying experience. The wrestling veteran recalled how he thought he would never be able to return to WWE after that. Though according to him, the whole experience made him a better person overall:

“Oh my god. It’s terrifying when you’re looking at it [with] your wife beside you. Handcuffed, face down to the floor. I wrote a song about it called rebellious. It’s about that fear.  All those cops in there. It was terrifying. It was completely surreal. But again, overall, in the big picture of everything, [it has] made me a better human being. They were huge mistakes. I was like, ‘I’m probably never going to go back to WWE, they can never trust me again, after all this.’ Even though if I’m doing good in this other wrestling world, I just didn’t know.”

Jeff Hardy was sentenced to ten days in jail and 30 months of probation for the incident along with a hefty fine. After his WWE release, Hardy returned to TNA and went on to have a significant run with the promotion. Thankfully, the 2009 incident didn’t close the doors for his WWE return completely. After getting clean, Jeff alongside his brother Matt Hardy made his triumphant return to WWE during WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

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

AEW Rampage Results (11/26): Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia, Riho Earns Title Shot

Robert Lentini
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This week’s episode of AEW Rampage featured Eddie Kingston versus Daniel Garcia in the main event. Riho battled Britt Baker and earned a title match if she could defeat the AEW Women’s Champion. In addition to the takeaways below, FTR challenged Lucha Bros to a 2 out of 3 Falls match for the AEW Tag Team Championships and the match was made official for next week’s Rampage.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464434563095175173?s=20

Rampage Results (11/26)

  1. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish def. Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta
  2. Riho def. Britt Baker to earn a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship
  3. Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Cole & Fish Picked Up A Win, Tony Nese Debut Match Announced For Next Week

Adam Cole & Bobby Fish squared off against Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta in the first contest of the night. Fish and Yuta locked up to start off the action. Wheeler brought Bobby to the mat and controlled the action early. Orange Cassidy and Adam Cole tagged in and traded poses for the crowd.

Cole and Cassidy go back and forth before Wheeler tagged back in. Cole beat Wheeler Yuta down in the corner and tagged in Bobby Fish. Bobby continued the beatdown and tagged Cole back in. Cole connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Cole booted Orange off the apron and continued to beat the hell out of poor Wheeler Yuta. Wheeler finally battled back and took Fish & Cole down with a Dropkick off the top turnbuckle.. Cassidy tagged in and put his hands in his pockets. Orange hit the lazy kicks and a few Suicide Dives. Cole had enough and sent Cassidy into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Bobby brought Wheeler up top and hit a Falcon Arrow for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464433029808599043?s=20

After the match, Tony Schiavone interviewed Tony Nese backstage. Nese said he wanted to have his debut match against Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship and Sammy Guevara showed up. Sammy accepted the match for next week’s Rampage.

Riho Earned A Title Match Against Britt Baker

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker battled Riho in a Black Friday Deal match. If Riho could pin the champion, she would earn a future title shot against her. Riho started off the match by showing off her quickness and controlling the match as Baker couldn’t keep up with her. Britt got frustrated and rolled out of the ring to regroup with Rebel. Riho took the opportunity to climb to the top turnbuckle and leaped onto both of them with a Crossbody. Baker battled back and the action returned to the ring. Britt bounced Riho’s face off the top turnbuckle several times and then stomped her to the mat as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Britt was still in control and sent Riho flying into the turnbuckle with a Suplex. Baker set up for an Air Raid Crash but Riho countered into a snap Dragon Suplex. Britt kicked out of a cover and took back control of the match. Britt hit the Air Raid Crash but couldn’t put Riho away. Riho connected with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Riho climbed to the top rope and hit the Double Stomp but Baker somehow kicked out at the last moment. Riho stayed on the attack and rolled Baker up for the pinfall victory. Riho now has a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464437966345052165?s=20

Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia

Eddie Kingston battled Daniel Garcia in the main event of this week’s Rampage. 2point0 was in Garcia’s corner for the match. Mark Henry interviewed the wrestlers before the match. Eddie went right after Daniel Garcia and beat the hell out of him to start off the action. Garcia got out of the ring to regroup and then quickly made his way back to the ring. Kingston hit a Knee Drop but grabbed his knee after the move. Garcia went after the injured knee and Kingston started biting Garcia as Rampage went to a commercial.

Back from the break, Garcia was in control and focusing his attack on Kingston’s knee. Garcia brought Kingston to the canvas and applied a Knee Bar. Kingston screamed in agony but battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Eddie hobbled to his feet and somehow managed to hit a Powerbomb. Garcia recovered and was able to get the Knee Bar applied again before hitting Kingston with several punches.

Kingston and Garcia then traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Kingston got the better of the exchange and went for the Backfist to the Future but Garcia ducked. Kingston went for it again and connected for the pinfall victory. After the match, 2point0 attacked Eddie Kingston but Chris Jericho made the save. Jericho sent 2point0 out of the ring to close the show.

WWE SmackDown Results (11/26): Battle Royal, Update On Brock Lesnar’s Suspension

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the Greensboro Coliseum in NC. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Survivor Series. Several superstars competed in a Black Friday Invitation Battle Royal to determine Roman Reigns’ next challenger for the Universal Championship. It was announced when Brock Lesnar will be returning during tonight’s episode as well.

SmackDown Results (11/26)

  1. Drew McIntyre & Jeff Hardy def. Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss
  2. Cesaro def. Ridge Holland
  3. Angel def. Boogs
  4. Naomi & Sasha Banks def. Natalya & Shayna Baszler
  5. Sami Zayn won the Black Friday Battle Royal & earned a shot at the Universal Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Roman Reigns Addressed The Crowd

Kayla Braxton kicked off the show and spoke about rumors that Brock Lesnar’s suspension was going to end early but was quickly interrupted by Roman Reigns’ entrance theme. Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring with Paul Heyman. Kayla brought up rumors about Brock Lesnar and Heyman took the microphone away from her. Heyman said that they don’t do rumors on the Island of Relevancy.

Heyman told Kayla that she paraded around here like a reporter with breaking news about Brock Lesnar’s suspension when in reality, she just wants to come out here and get spotlight for herself with rumors. Paul mocked the crowd for booing and said nobody in the audience has any right to judge any of them. Heyman suggested that Braxton come out here with facts next time she is in the presence of Roman Reigns.

Paul claimed that Kayla was living her life through an Instagram filter and there is no filter to be a legit journalist. Heyman told her to leave the ring as a “we want Brock!” chant broke out in the crowd. Reigns said that rumors give losers false hope and that everyone is a loser around here compared to him. Roman added that Brock Lesnar is the number one loser around here.

Reigns said that Big E is a loser as well after he smashed him at Survivor Series. Roman joked about the Battle Royal later tonight to determine the #1 contender and vowed to smash whoever wins. Reigns said “when my days are done around here, which could be sooner than later, the whole world will acknowledge me”.

Heyman later confronted Kayla Braxton backstage and said that Brock Lesnar got himself suspended. Paul added that he is pushing for Braxton to get fired if she doesn’t get confirmation or denial about Lesnar’s return by the end of the night.

Kayla caught up with Adam Pearce backstage and asked him about Lesnar’s suspension and highlights were shown of Lesnar beating him down. Pearce claimed that there have been no changes to his indefinite suspension and he would be shocked if that suspension is lifted any time soon.

McIntyre & Hardy Picked Up A Win

Jeff Hardy & Drew McIntyre faced Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss in the first match of the night. Hardy and Corbin started off the action. Jeff hit Corbin with a Dropkick but Happy battled back with a jab to the face. Madcap tagged in and leveled Jeff with a shoulder tackle. Hardy hit an Armdrag and tagged in McIntyre.

Drew leveled Madcap with an elbow to the face and sent him to the corner. McIntyre hit a Clothesline and tagged Hardy back in. Jeff sent Madcap Moss out of the ring and hit him with a Dropkick. Hardy leaped off the apron and hit Happy Corbin with a flying Clothesline. Madcap Moss came out of nowhere and hit Hardy with a Clothesline over the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Corbin and Moss had Jeff isolated in the corner. Madcap and Jeff connected with a Clothesline at the same time and both superstars crashed to the canvas. McIntyre and Corbin tagged in and Drew connected with a Clothesline of his own. McIntyre hit Madcap with a Neckbreaker and then delivered one to Corbin.

McIntyre set up for the Claymore but Madcap distracted him. Corbin capitalized and hit Deep Six for a two count. Corbin and Hardy awkwardly battled in the corner before McIntyre Clotheslined Corbin to the floor. McIntyre hit Madcap with the Claymore and tagged in Hardy. Jeff climbed to the top rope and hit a Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Cesaro def. Ridge Holland

Ridge Holland made his main roster in-ring debut against Cesaro tonight. Sheamus accompanied Ridge Holland to the ring and joined commentary for the match. Cesaro sent Ridge to the corner and hit him with some punches to the face. Cesaro got distracted with Sheamus and Ridge capitalized. Ridge sent Cesaro across the ring with a Back Body Drop and drove Cesaro tot he corner. Holland leveled Cesaro with a Clothesline for a two count.

Ridge hit a Suplex for another two count before applying a submission hold. Cesaro broke free but Holland slammed him to the mat. Holland started trash talking and it backfired. Cesaro rolled up Ridge for the pinfall victory and got out of the ring before Sheamus could attack him.

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville had a conversation with Drew McIntyre backstage. McIntyre said he expected to be in the Battle Royal tonight but they didn’t confirm it.

Angel def. Boogs

Rick Boogs faced Angel this week on SmackDown. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and Humberto were ringside. Angel sent Boogs out of the ring and tried to slam him on top of the food table. Boogs escaped and the action continued in the ring. Angel applied a Headlock but Boogs battled free. Boogs hit a Powerslam and posed in the ring.

Boogs deadlifted Angel and threw him to the mat. Boogs knocked Humberto off the ring apron and planted Angel with a Powerbomb for a two count. Humberto hopped on a table and started playing Boogs’ guitar for a distraction. Shinsuke broke it up by putting Humbert through the table but Angel was able to capitalize. Angel connected with the Wing Clipper for the pinfall victory.

Charlotte Embarrassed Toni Storm

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair came to the ring to begin the 2nd hour of SmackDown. Michael Cole got in the ring and said that Charlotte must be disappointed about her loss to Becky Lynch at Survivor Series. Charlotte complained about the poor officiating and noted that Lynch could only win by cheating. Flair added that all that match proved is that she is the better woman.

Toni Storm interrupted and joined Flair in the ring. Toni wanted a fight and Flair said that was cute. Charlotte claimed to barely know who Toni was and that she is on a different level than Storm. Flair went for a Clothesline but Toni ducked. Storm sent Charlotte out of the ring and went after her. Charlotte threw a pie on Storm and then smooshed one on her face before leaving.

Naomi & Sasha Banks def. Baszler & Natalya

Natayla & Shayna Baszler faced Naomi & Sasha Banks tonight. Shayna and Natalya controlled the match early and isolated Naomi in the corner. Sonya Deville joined commentary for the match. Naomi battled back and delivered a Dropkick to Natalya’s face. Natalya slammed Naomi on the floor outside the ring and tagged in Baszler. Shayna kneed Naomi in the face and rolled her back into the ring. Shayna went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Sasha broke it up with a Backstabber as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Naomi was still trapped in the ring and Shayna had her in a submission hold. Baszler stomped on Naomi’s ankle and dragged her to the corner. Natalya tagged in and hit a Suplex for a one count. Natalya got Naomi in a Headlock as Sasha Banks pleaded for a tag. Naomi finally battled back and went for a tag but Shayna knocked Banks off the apron. Sasha sent Shayna into the barricade and hit a Meteora. Natalya hit Naomi with a Clothesline for a two count. Naomi rolled to the apron but Natalya dragged her back into the ring for a slam. Naomi then rolled back to the apron and hit a Sunset Flip into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Naomi stared at Shayna after the match as the authority figure applauded.

Sami Zayn Won The Battle Royal, Brock Lesnar Returns Next Week

The Black Friday Invitational Battle Royal main vented this week’s SmackDown. The winner of the Battle Royal will get a future shot at the Universal Championship. Before the bell rang, Drew McIntyre rushed the ring with a sword because he was not a part of the match. Adam Pearce came down to the ring and McIntyre told him to make him leave as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, McIntyre was gone and the Battle Royal was under way. Drew Gulak was eliminated quickly and Mace followed. Madcap made it seem like he was going to eliminate Corbin but it was just a prank. Happy Corbin eliminated Madcap Moss and the two shared a laugh about it as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Sami tried to form an alliance with Sheamus when SmackDown returned. Sheamus wasn’t interested and beat him down in the corner. Angel eliminated Boogs but then got sent over the top rope by Ivar. Viking Raiders then eliminated Humberto as well. Viking Raiders sent Sami Zayn to the outside and battled with Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior eliminated them both but turned around into a Crossbody from Ricochet. Ricochet hit Jeff Hardy with a Dropkick but Corbin caught him with a Clothesline.

Corbin sent Ricochet to the apron but he escaped and hit a Dropkick. Sheamus hit Ricochet with the Brogue Kick and eliminated him. Sheamus tried to eliminate Happy Corbin but he held onto the ropes. Jeff Hardy hit a couple Splashes but Sheamus exploded out of the corner with a Clothesline. Hardy connected with Whisper in the Wind and then hit the Twist of Fate on Corbin.

Sheamus and Corbin teamed up and tried to get Hardy over the top rope. Corbin changed his mind and sent Sheamus over the top rope. Hardy then eliminated Corbin but Sami Zayn got back into the ring as he had not been thrown over the top rope by the Viking Raiders. Sami eliminated Hardy to win the Battle Royal. Kayla Braxton got on the microphone and was about to interview Sami but instead announced that Brock Lesnar would be returning next week. SmackDown went off the air with Reigns and Heyman reacting to the news that The Beast will be returning.

Alexa Bliss Posts Cryptic Response To Fan Regarding Her WWE Status

Andrew Ravens
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It’s looking like Alexa Bliss won’t be back in action before the end of this year. 

Bliss responded to a fan who was asking her when she will return to the ring. She wrote, “Need time to heal” in addition to a black heart emoji. The message implies that she’s not ready to return to the ring.

Back in September at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, she was written off television. At the time, it was reported that she was scheduled to undergo sinus surgery with no timeframe for her return known. 

Her last match came against Charlotte Flair. Before she took time off, WWE did give out some hints that Bliss might revert to her previous character before she aligned with Bray Wyatt. 

However, since that time, there have been no hints of Bliss returning anytime soon. With the Royal Rumble taking place at the beginning of the new year, it’s possible WWE wants to wait to bring her back until then as a surprise in the women’s Royal Rumble match, which would get a big reaction in front of a large crowd.

Xavier Woods Confirms He Was Reacting To WWE Cuts In G4 Video

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Xavier Woods admits that the video of him excusing himself from the G4 live stream was indeed a reaction to the WWE releases.

On Nov. 18, WWE released eight more talents, bringing the total number of on-air talent cuts to over 80 for the calendar year.

Included in that list were the remaining members of Hit Row, John Morrison, Tegan Nox, Drake Maverick, Shane Thorne, and Jaxson Ryker.

Xavier Woods Saddened By WWE Releases

A clip quickly surfaced online of Woods looking at his phone during a G4 live stream. The 2021 King of The Ring winner then got up from the couch and walked off.

Xavier Woods had some good friends on that cut list. During an interview with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport, Woods confirmed it was a reaction to the releases.

“Yeah, it sucks dude. It sucks cause those people are my friends and some of those guys didn’t even get a chance to have a match on TV. So, it always sucks hearing that news.

“I saw that floating around too, somebody sent it to me and I legit actually didn’t take a second cause I knew we still had an hour left of the live stream.

“That is my job, I have to do my job but I also have to check on my friends and make sure that people are okay. And I’m not trying to say like, ‘Me, me,’ like no, it’s just, obviously, it happens.

“It’s a job, it happens everywhere but it doesn’t make it suck any less when you’re not working with your friends anymore.”

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Thunder Rosa Praises Recent AEW Women’s Match

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Thunder Rosa has heaped praise on a TBS Title Tournament match.

Rosa has advanced to the semifinals of the tourney. She did so by defeating Jamie Hayter on the Nov. 24 episode of AEW Dynamite. Rosa is now due to meet Jade Cargill.

Thunder Rosa Impressed By This Match

A quarterfinal match between Nyla Rose and Hikaru Shida aired live on Nov. 17. Nyla picked up the win with assists from her manager Vickie Guerrero and Serena Deeb.

Speaking to Dave LaGreca and Tommy Dreamer on Busted Open Radio, Thunder Rosa said she was highly invested in Nyla vs. Shida throughout.

“One of the matches that I saw recently was Shida and Nyla. I know they’ve wrestled so many times but when it was over I was like, ‘This is exactly what I wanna watch on TV all the time.’

“The level of intensity, the storytelling, like all that kind of stuff to me was really really good.”

On the Full Gear Buy-In show, Rosa teamed with Shida to take on Nyla and Hayter. Thunder said she knew the match delivered while she was performing.

“And then when we get the Buy-In, I was extremely nervous cause opening matches are so important cause that sets the tone for the whole entire show.

“When I was there and we were all going at it I was like, ‘Holy crap this is good. This is a good feeling. We got the people and this is it. We are engaging our fans and they’re believing in what we’re doing in the women’s division.'”

Thunder Rosa is in an interesting spot. While she’d probably be considered the favorite to win the TBS Title in most cases, many believe she’s primed to eventually take the AEW Women’s Championship from Britt Baker.

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

SEScoops Partners With The Business Of The Business Podcast

Michael Reichlin
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SEScoops is proud to announce we’ve partnered with The Business of the Business podcast.

In addition to our coverage of mainstream wrestling news, we’re always looking to enhance our content by putting a spotlight on niche aspects of this industry we all love.

Hosts Jon Poz and Lavie Margolin have done a terrific job establishing The Business of the Business as one of the leading podcasts about the financial side of pro wrestling.

We think this is a great fit for the site and hope you’ll sample the show, which features a guest appearance from “Webmaster” Mike.

Episode 52 looks at ticket sales figures and other financial news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, ROH, GCW, and much more.

Subscribe to The Business of the Business podcast

Listen to “Episode 52 – 1 Year Anniversary” on Spreaker.

Kofi Kingston’s Family Welcomes Birth Of Baby Girl

Chris Stephens
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Kofi Kingston is the proud father of a new baby girl.

The former WWE Champion announced the news on social media on Friday. Kingston announced his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lotus Selene Sarkodie-Mensah.

This is the third child for Kofi Kingston and wife Kori Campfield, who have been married since 2021.

Here are some photos of the happy family:

Kofi Kingston on why New Day are the Greatest Team in WWE History

Kingston noted recently on the Into the Danger Zone with Chris Denker podcast, that he believes New Day is the greatest team in WWE history.

“We’ve just been able to do a lot of things that are groundbreaking,” Kingston said. “I haven’t even gotten into our accolades. The longest reigning tag-team champions, 11 times. I look at all that stuff, and not that you compare yourself to anybody else, but being a group that never had the desire to turn on one another.”

He continued to say that when one member of the group accomplishes something, they all have.

“Woods is the King, I’m the King. E is the WWE Champion, I’m the WWE Champion. We have that actual mentality of all for one and one for all. From all of those perspectives, I can’t think of another group that embodies most of those things, let alone all of those things, like we do. On top of it, WWE.com voted us the greatest tag-team/faction of all time anyway, so it’s official.”

Kofi Kingston On Why New Day Is The Greatest Team In WWE History

Paul Heyman: “The Next Goal For Roman Reigns Is Clear”

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Paul Heyman believes the path for Roman Reigns is obvious.

The popular opinion is that Reigns is the best thing going in WWE. His character shifted from being what many considered to be a corny and limited babyface to a no-nonsense heel who oozes stardom.

Reigns has beaten every contender thrown his way since capturing the WWE Universal Championship back in Aug. 2020. The question is, what is there left for Roman to do?

Next Goal For Roman Reigns

Paul Heyman serves as the “Special Counsel” to Roman Reigns. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Heyman discussed what the “Tribal Chief” is targeting next.

“The next goal for Roman Reigns is clear, and that is to be better tomorrow than he is today. His goal is to be better in two weeks than he is next week, to make next week’s SmackDown better than this week, and to make the SmackDown that airs in three weeks better than it is in two weeks.

“Roman Reigns continues to set a pace and achieve levels that no one in WWE has ever or will ever achieve. The world has the privilege and joy of watching it unfold every Friday on SmackDown.”

Reigns has held the WWE Universal Championship for over 450 days. It is the longest reign in the title’s history.

Reigns is fresh off a non-title champion vs. champion match at WWE Survivor Series. Reigns went one-on-one with WWE Champion Big E. The “Head of the Table” ended up pinning Big E.

Tony Khan Comments On Possible Bidding War For MJF In 2024

Chris Stephens
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During a recent promo, MJF noted that he is going to cause a bidding war to occur in 2024 when his AEW contract is up. AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on Busted Open Radio and noted that he was aware MJF was going to make those statements and he’s also prepared to engage in such a bidding war.

“Yes, I knew he was going to say that, he’s been saying it for a long time,” Khan said on the show. “I have no problem with it. I signed him to a five year contract two years ago, he has three years left. I’m totally fine. There may be a bidding war in 2024, I’m fine with that.”

Khan continued to say during the conversation that anyone who signs with WWE these days is only signing a temporary arrangement, not a real contract.

“Anyone who signs a contract (with WWE) these days, is not signing a real contract. It’s a temporary arrangement. People who come wrestle with me, a lot of these people are frankly lifers and they know that,” Khan said.

Tony Khan: Anyone Signing With WWE Is Not Signing A Real Contract

“There is a lot more security with a contract here. I can’t say I’m going to extend every contract or bring every person back, but I also haven’t been doing mass layoffs,” Khan continued.  

Young Bucks Sign New Long-Term Contracts With AEW

Chris Stephens
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Matt & Nick Jackson have signed new contracts with AEW. News that the Young Bucks have signed new long-term deals with the company was reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Regarding the Young Bucks, Dave Melter wrote that they did “sign a new contract which will keep them with the company through at least 2026.”

Update: It has since been revealed that their current contracts have only been extended until 2024.

The Young Bucks are also EVPs with AEW as well. Their signing with the company in early 2019 was one of the catalysts of the promotion starting.

The Young Bucks hold the record for the longest reign with the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Their 302 day reign lasted from Full Gear 2020 until All Out 2021. They are tied for the most title defenses as well with 9. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page also successfully defended the titles 9 times.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the Young Bucks commented on what it is like to have Adam Cole in the AEW locker room.

“I can’t fully express the happiness I currently have, sharing a ring with Adam Cole again,” Matt Jackson said. “His positivity and energy had really helped the morale in our locker room. I haven’t stopped smiling since he showed up. When he arrived, it felt like we finally found that missing piece of the puzzle. The whole gang is finally back together. We hadn’t worked together in five years, but the chemistry was still there. The dude is a star and getting some of the biggest reactions I’ve ever heard.”

The Young Bucks Comment On Having Adam Cole In The AEW Locker Room

Cody Rhodes Deactivates Twitter, Then Gives It To AEW Community Outreach Team

Chris Stephens
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Earlier this month, Cody Rhodes deactivated his Twitter account @CodyRhodes. The account has since been reactivated but with some changes. The name now listed on the account is “AEW Community Outreach”.

Several people on social media have noted that Rhodes took to Instagram stories to say that his Twitter account will be given to the AEW Community Outreach Team.

“I know folks were upset I deactivated my Twitter – but I’ve decided to lend those followers and transition the account to The AEW COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM! Good people doing good things for each other. Happy Thanksgiving!”

It’s possible Rhodes decided to leave Twitter in response to negativity from fans. That is just speculation, however. Rhodes has been receiving a negative reaction from fans as of late which was clear in Chicago on Wednesday night. The live crowd in the Wintrust Arena booed Cody throughout his main event match. When Rhodes tossed his weight belt into the crowd, the person who caught it ended up throwing it back. After the show went off the air, Rhodes teased exiting through the “heel” tunnel on the left as well. More on what happened with Cody and the live crowd in Chicago is available in the link below:

Brandi Rhodes & Aubrey Edwards Comment On Fan Throwing Cody’s Belt Back

See How Wrestlers Celebrated Thanksgiving

Chris Stephens
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Several wrestlers have posted to social media to show how they celebrated Thanksgiving recently. We’ve curated some of the best posts below.

John Cena’s posted a special message for Thanksgiving:

“Gratitude has found its way to the core of my being. Today, many will give thanks and might even express what it is they are thankful for. Challenge yourself to do this more than once a year. It could greatly affect perspective.”

Jerry Lawler showed off the turkey he devoured:

“I’m thankful for my family, friends and fans. I love my job and I couldn’t I ask for more. Although there is days I can’t move, I’m tired and I feel I can’t keep going I have to remind myself that I’m blessed and I wouldn’t live my life any other way!” wrote Thunder Rosa.

DDP sent out a video greeting for Thanksgiving:

Matt Hardy posted a video of his family’s celebrations:

Brian Pillman Jr. showed off some of the Pillman family’s celebrations:

Mia Him showed off some of her cooking:

As per usual, Dax Harwood is thankful when he has a Bret Hart match on TV:

Jeff Jarrett posted the following:

Eric Bischoff showed off the bird he had for Thanksgiving:

Brandi Rhodes showed off her setup for Thanksgiving as well:

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