Sheamus has joined team SmackDown as the final member of the group to face team Raw in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match.
Last week’s episode of the blue branded show saw Sami Zayn losing his spot in the team after being defeated by Jeff Hardy in a one-on-one match.
The officials then held a fatal four-way match among Cesaro, Jinder Mahal, Sheamus, and Ricochet on this week’s show to determine who will join the blue team for Survivor Series on Sunday.
The Celtic warrior won this match after interference from his friend and the newest SmackDown roster member Ridge Holland.
Updated Survivor Series Match Card
A total of 6 matches have been confirmed for the PPV that will see stars from the two premier brands colliding with each other. Here is the updated card for the show:
Singles Match: WWE champion Big E vs. Universal champion Roman Reigns
Singles Match: Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair
Tag Team Match: Raw tag team champions RK-Bro vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
Singles Match: US champion Damian Priest vs. IC champion Shinsuke Nakamura
Men’s Elimination Match: Team Raw (Bobby Lashley, Austin Theory, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, King Xavier Woods, Happy Baron Corbin, Sheamus)
Women’s Elimination Match: Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Queen Zelina Vega, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shotzi, Natalya, Shayna Baszler, Toni Storm)
Survivor Series 2021 will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on this Sunday, November 21.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the XL Center in Hartford, CT. It was the final show before WWE Survivor Series this Sunday night. King Woods confronted Roman Reigns tonight and there was a Fatal 4-Way to determine the final superstar on the men’s team for Survivor Series.
SmackDown Results (11/19)
Sheamus def. Cesaro, Ricochet, Jinder Mahal in a Fatal 4-Way to earn a spot on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series
Natalya & Shayna Baszler def. Naomi & Aliyah
Jeff Hardy def. Madcap Moss
Sasha Banks def. Shotzi via submission
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Roman Reigns Destroyed King Woods’ Crown
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos kicked off the show and boasted about sending a message to WWE Champion Big E on RAW. The Usos vowed to do the same to RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro at Survivor Series. The Usos introduced Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Roman and Paul Heyman then made their way to the ring. Reigns took a look at the throne and the crown he stole from King of the Ring winner Xavier Woods last week. Heyman said he is so overwhelmed with emotion and this has been in the works all week for the Tribal Chief.
Heyman stated that there is nobody in the history of WWE that deserves to be crowned king more than Roman Reigns. Paul added that he knows in his heart that everyone here tonight that the distinction of “king” surely doesn’t belong to Xavier Woods and it sure as hell will never belong to Brock Lesnar. Heyman said that the “Tribal King” will smash Big E at Survivor Series.
Reigns didn’t seemed thrilled with what Heyman was saying and asked for the microphone. Roman wondered who had this idea and Paul discretely pointed at The Usos. Reigns stated that he doesn’t care about this stuff and doesn’t need it to be acknowledged. Roman asked the crowd to acknowledge him and a very loud mixed reaction broke out.
Roman claimed that he only took the crown last week because he can. King Woods interrupted and told Reigns that those things belong to him but they do not make a king. Woods said that a king is someone that is here to do good for the WWE Universe. Xavier added that if Reigns were a king, he would have looked him in the eyes tonight so they could settle this. Woods referred to The Usos as the wet bandits, and challenged Reigns to fight him alone.
Reigns told The Usos to start breaking the scepter and then the throne. Jey went to break the crown but Reigns stopped him Roman asked Woods again if the crown doesn’t mean anything to him and put it on the mat. Reigns went to stomp on it and Woods rushed the ring. The Usos beat him down as Reigns smirked. Roman told Woods that he is the only king around here and stomped on his crown. Reigns smiled and posed with The Usos to end the segment.
Ricochet, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Jinder Mahal battled in a Fatal 4-Way to determine the final member of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Sheamus leveled Cesaro before beating down Ricochet in the corner. Shanky was ringside and cheered on Mahal as he threw Ricochet to the ring apron. Mahal set up Ricochet in the ropes and Sheamus delivered the 10 Beats. Mahal rolled up Sheamus from behind for a near fall and then the two traded punches.
Sheamus took control and delivered the 10 Beats of the Bodhran to Mahal. Cesaro went for the Swing but Sheamus booted him away. Ricochet hit Sheamus with a Dropkick and sent Cesaro out of the ring. Ricochet did a ridiculous springboard flip off the top rope and posed on top of the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Cesaro & Ricochet were battling on the turnbuckle while Mahal & Sheamus were battling on another. Sheamus planted Mahal with a Superplex and Ricochet sent Cesaro to the canvas with a Hurricanrana off the top turnbuckle. Ricochet hit Sheamus with a DDT and went for the cover but Mahal broke it up at two. Jinder hit Ricochet with a Gutbuster but Cesaro quickly hit him with the Swing. Cesaro applied the Sharpshooter to Jinder but he reached the bottom rope after Shanky shoved it towards him.
Ricochet hit Shanky with a Dropkick and followed it up with an Enziguri to Cesaro. Ricochet hit the Recoil on Mahal and made his way to the top rope. Ricochet hit a 450 Splash but Sheamus immediately leveled him with a Brogue Kick. Sheamus went for the cover but Cesaro broke it up at two.
Cesaro hit Sheamus with an uppercut and then went for the Neutralizer but Ridge Holland ran ringside for a distraction. Ride tried to hit Cesaro but he ducked. Cesaro knocked Ridge off the apron but turned around into a Brogue Kick for the pinfall victory. Shamus celebrated with Ridge Holland after the victory. Sheamus is the final member of the men’s team for SmackDown at Survivor Series.
Sheamus and Ridge were interviewed backstage. Sheamus noted that Ridge believes in him and he is the reason Holland wanted to be a WWE superstar. Sheamus pretended to cry and then laughed. Holland told Sheamus that if it weren’t from him, he’d still be fighting bums on the streets in England. Sheamus put on his goofy hat and said “Ridge, to the bar we go”.
Natalya & Baszler Picked Up A Win After A Fast Count
Aliyah & Naomi faced Natalya & Shayna Baszler tonight on SmackDown. Natalya and Naomi started off the action and traded punches. Aliyah hit an Arm Drag and sent Natalya to the turnbuckle. Aliyah connected with a Hurricanrana and tagged in Shayna. Naomi tagged in and Shayna got her in a Headlock. Naomi escaped hit the Rear View. Baszler threw Naomi to the mat and Natalya covered her. The referee did a very fast three count and ran away. The crooked referee asked Sonya Deville if she did a good job and Sonya pretended like she didn’t know who she was.
"That was the fasted count I've ever seen in my life." – @PatMcAfeeShow
Jeff Hardy faced Madcap Moss this week on SmackDown. Happy Corbin was ringside for the match. Before the bell, Hardy said he will have someone in his corner as well and McIntyre made his way to the ring in his wrestling gear. Madcap beat Jeff down to begin the match. Jeff battled back and set up for the Swanton Bomb but Corbin hopped on the ring apron. McIntyre threw Corbin over the announce table and Jeff rolled up Madcap for the pinfall victory. After the match, McIntyre hit Corbin with the Claymore and Hardy hit Madcap Moss with the Swanton Bomb.
Shinsuke Nakamura battled Angel tonight. Humberto Carrillo and Rick Boogs were ringside for the match. Nakamura controlled the match early and connected with a series of kicks. Humberto tried to interfere but Boogs slammed him on the floor. Shinsuke then hit Angel with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory. After the match, Humberto got in a cheap shot on Nakamura and left with Angel. Nakamura will battle Damian Priest this Sunday at Survivor Series.
Sasha Banks and Shotzi argued backstage before their match backstage. Sonya Deville separated them and Banks made her entrance as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Banks got Shotzi in a Headlock to start off the action. Shotzi escaped and slammed Banks to the mat. Sasha hopped up and hit Shotzi with a chop and then an Arm Drag.
Shotzi grabbed Sasha by the hair and Banks returned the favor. Shotzi booted Sasha in the face but Banks shrugged it off and hit Three Amigos. Sasha made her way to the top rope but Shotzi rolled out of the way. Shotzi kneed Banks in the face and went for a Dropkick but Banks avoided it. Shotzi dodged a Meteora and launched Sasha into the steel steps. Shotzi trapped Banks’ hand in the steps and stomped on it several times before the action returned to the ring.
Shotzi went for the cover but Banks kicked out at two. Sasha knocked Shotzi out of the ring and connected with the Meteora this time as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Shotzi hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Sasha kicked out at two.
Sasha bashed Shotzi into the turnbuckle and hit her with Double Knees. Banks climbed to the top rope and connected with a Meteora for a two count. Shotzi slammed Sasha’s shoulder into the ring post and Banks fell out of the ring. Shotzi rolled her back inside and climbed to the top turnbuckle.
Shotzi hit the diving Senton but couldn’t go for the cover because Sasha rolled out of the ring. Sasha got back into the ring and was able to get Shotzi in the Bank Statement for the submission victory. Sonya Deville came to the entrance ramp and wanted the two superstars to shake hands after the match so they would be on the same page going into Survivor Series. Sasha shook Shotzi’s hand before hitting her with the Backstabber.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Toni Storm backstage tonight. Toni noted that she got to be on Team NXT a couple years ago but was an outsider. Storm is excited to be on Team SmackDown and claimed that Charlotte was going to lose to Becky Lynch on Sunday. Toni said that she wants her title match and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair showed up.
She says two years ago she got to be on Team NXT as an outsider but now she gets to be in the thick of it on Team SmackDown and she’s excited. We get footage of her challenging Charlotte Flair last week and getting turned down. She says that Charlotte’s gonna come gunning for her guns a-blazing when she loses to Becky Lynch on Sunday, and she’s ready for her to try and take it all out on her, because all she wants is her title match. Charlotte Flair interrupted and told Toni that she will give her a match, but she doesn’t deserve a title shot yet. Flair added that she will do the same thing to Toni that she will do to Becky Lynch this Sunday at Survivor Series.
King Woods made his way to the ring for a confrontation with Roman Reigns at the end of this week’s SmackDown. Woods said that he was here in the ring to find out if Roman Reigns is a man. Woods noted that he hit Reigns with the Limit Breaker Elbow Drop last week and had the match won until The Usos interfered. King Woods claimed that the Tribal Chief cannot beat him on his own and challenge Reigns to prove him wrong.
Reigns came to the entrance ramp with Paul Heyman and waited for The Usos. Jimmy and Jey were then thrown onto the entrance ramp and WWE Champion Big E’s music hit. Big E battled with Reigns and beat him down. The Usos rushed the ring but Woods and Big E were ready. Big E hit the Big Ending and then Woods flipped onto The Usos outside the ring. Roman hit Big E with the Superman Punch but Big E battled back. Roman Reigns rolled out of the ring and retreated to end the show. Reigns and Big E will square off this Sunday at Survivor Series.
“WWE offered me a contract [for] great money. Money is gonna make a lot of your problems go away but at the end of the day, money won’t make you happy.
“So I wanted to work where I felt that I fit in more and I would be happy. If I went to WWE I wouldn’t be able to do a random indie booking if I wanted to if I was off that weekend or something.”
Cobb ended up signing a full-time deal with NJPW and he says he has no regrets.
“I love Japan. The culture is amazing out there and the style of wrestling I definitely feel like I fit better in. And I felt at the time that New Japan was gonna be my home and it is my home.
“That’s not to take away from other companies that offered me contracts but because I am with New Japan and with this ‘forbidden door’ I’m still able to pop in AEW or Ring Of Honor or MLW or Impact if the time’s right.
“I felt like I made the right choice.”
NJPW definitely seems to be rewarding Cobb for his choice. Time will tell if the promotion eventually gives him a solid title run, whether it’s the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship or even the world title.
Cobb is a former NEVER Openweight Champion. He only held the title for 27 days and that was before he went full-time with NJPW.
Bobby Lashley thinks competition exists for WWE but he doesn’t find any of it to be serious.
Much has been made about the “war” between WWE and AEW. Some dismiss the notion that AEW is a true threat to WWE, while others believe one promotion is on the rise while the other is declining.
Regardless of how you feel about the situation, many agree that the wrestling business is more fun because of it.
Bobby Lashley On WWE vs. AEW
During an interview with DAZN, Bobby Lashley talked about AEW’s emergence. The former WWE Champion is happy to see it but feels the company he calls home isn’t exactly worried.
“I think it’s great right now. I think there’s a lot of competition.
“I think we’re doing some big things, and we’re moving into a big season for us, with some big news coming around. I think that it’s a good time to be a wrestling fan, and it’s a good time for a wrestler with a good time to step up for everyone.
“Everybody always says competition is good. I don’t think really we have any serious competition.
“But the fans like it, the fans like the fact that there are other things going on that forces us to step up.”
Lashley is gearing up for the traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series tag team match on Nov. 21. He will be teaming with Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and Austin Theory representing Team Raw.
They’ll be going up against Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, Jeff Hardy, Baron Corbin, and a mystery partner).
Triple H has been seen publicly for the first time since his health issue was revealed.
Back in September, WWE announced that its EVP of Global Talent Strategy & Development suffered a cardiac event. The company said that Triple H’s episode was caused by a “genetic heart issue.”
At the time, WWE noted that Triple H is expected to make a full recovery.
Triple H, Vince & Stephanie Visit the New WWE HQ
TikTok user danielledesma410 has posted footage of “The Game” walking around the new WWE HQ, which is being worked on.
It’s a welcoming sight for wrestling fans to see Triple H moving around after his health scare. Shawn Michaels has been filling in for HHH in the backstage role for NXT 2.0.
Back in October, “HBK” told Sports Illustrated that filling Hunter’s shoes is impossible.
“Trying to step in and fill his role is impossible to do. Everybody here misses him unbelievably, especially me. But I always go back to this—everything in real life takes precedence over everything else. This was a situation where my best friend needed my help and needed me to step in, so I look at this as an opportunity, in a small way, to thank him for everything he did for me earlier in my career.”
It was reported that WWE talent was asked not to contact Hunter about any business dealings while he was recovering. Of course, sending him well wishes was welcomed.
Top Dolla was among the names cut from WWE’s roster yesterday. He wasted little time recording and posting a track about it.
Some of the lyrics to the track are below:
“They gave me 90 days pay and Ima take that / And I’m still taking over the game, no take backs”
“In 90 days, I’m everywhere / Tell ya favorite promotion that you want me there
I’m trynna take my talents all across the land and over to Japan just because I know I can
And if you’re AEW, ROH, IMPACT, New Japan, NWA, PWG, MLW, DDT, All Japan, [GCW and more] and you see me as somebody you trynna get on the dotted line / 89 days from now, I can sign”
B-Fab was the first from Hit Row to get released. She was cut from the roster earlier this month. Yesterday, the rest of the faction was released as well.
Top Dolla only had 7 matches in WWE. 2 on the main roster and 5 in NXT. The former NFL player and Army veteran defeated Cedric Alexander in Smackdown dark match on October 1st. He then teamed with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and defeated Daniel Williams & Dustin Lawyer on the October 22nd Smackdown. Hit Row looked to have just begun a rivalry with Jinder Mahal and Shanky on Smackdown before their release.
Johnny Gargano’s deal with WWE is said to be up on December 3rd, 2021. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, WWE has made a strong offer to keep him in the company.
“Johnny Gargano has not signed a new contract, but WWE is pushing very hard for him to do so and evidently made a very strong offer for him to stay here for a long time,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Kyle O’Reilly’s deal with the company is also believed to expire around the same time as Gargano’s. There is no news on if WWE has made a strong offer to keep him as well.
Gargano and O’Reilly worked a dark match before Smackdown recently:
Gargano has been with the company since 2015. He is a former NXT Champion, 3x North American Champion, 1x NXT Tag Team Champion and the first Triple Crown winner in NXT history. He has been a major player in NXT his entire tenure with the company.
Gargano was also awarded the “Feud of the Year” award twice back-to-back from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. In 2018, his feud with Tommaso Ciampa won the award. Then in 2019, his feud with Adam Cole did the same.
Kenny Omega thinks that the biggest difference of the wrestling fandom in America compared to Japan is the social media interactions.
The Cleaner stopped by the office of naprapath Dr. Beau Hightower to get himself in a better shape for his Full Gear match against Hangman Page before the PPV this past Saturday. The now-former AEW champion had a detailed conversation about things such as developing his persona, being a fan of anime, and more while getting the adjustments.
Omega spent over half a decade in Japan rebuilding his character after some failed stints in America. He has been reintroduced to the wider American audience in the past couple of years ever since AEW started putting out a weekly show on national television.
When asked what’s the biggest difference he has noticed in the fandom of Japan and America, Kenny Omega said that the major difference is the social media interaction with fans.
“I would say the major difference is social media interactions. I find that by far and away native English speakers are much more volatile online. You just don’t get that [in Japan]. At the very least, even at the most basic level, I would say a [Japanese] wrestling fan respects the effort wrestlers put in. Whereas in America or the UK or sometimes Canada or whatever, you know, people want us to die.
They want us to get injured. They want us to be retired. They want us to be out of work and I hear it hundreds of times a day. And if I wasn’t kind of numb to it, I don’t know. I feel like I might be in a real terrible mental place. That’s why I worry for other people who may not be in similar shoes and may not be used to that.”
“Fans Feels Like They Are Fighting The War”: Kenny Omega
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (Photo: AEW)
Discussing the mentality behind the negative reactions of fans, Kenny Omega explained that people believe they are fighting the war alongside their favorite team. Though it’s not something the wrestlers or the companies want them to do:
“The fans feel like they’re fighting the war alongside their favorite team and so they feel like they’re doing their due diligence. And what they’re actually doing is probably not what anyone really wishes them to do.”
Kenny Omega dropped the AEW world championship to Hangman Page during the Full Gear PPV. This culminated one of the longest-running storylines of the company. The former IWGP champion has since confirmed that he is taking a break from AEW programming to heal from his various injuries. While an exact timetable for his return is not known, he is expected to stay out of action for at least a few months.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with a H/T for the transcription.
Impact Wrestling on 11/18 was the go-home show for Saturday’s Turning Point event. The main event featured Josh Alexander going one-on-one with Minoru Suzuki.
Quick Results:
Brian Myers defeated Sam Beale (BTI)
Steve Maclin defeated Laredo Kid
The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) defeated The Undead Bridesmaids (Kimber Lee & Brandi Lauren)
Doc Gallows defeated Hikuleo
The Demon & Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) defeated Johnny Swinger, Hernandez & Fallah Bahh
Josh Alexander defeated Minoru Suzuki
Rich Swann and Willie Mack Rescue Sam Beale From Post-Match Attack
Brian Myers defeated his former protege, Sam Beale, on Before the Impact this week. He then kept up the attack after the match, delivering chair shots to his fallen opponent. Rich Swann and Willie Mack ran out to stop the beat down from going even further, however. Later in the show, Swann challenged Myers to a match this weekend at Turning Point.
Steve Maclin Qualifies For X-Division Title Match At Turning Point
The stipulation for this match was that if Maclin could defeat the Laredo Kid then he would be added to the X-Division championship match at Turning Point. And that’s exactly what happened. Maclin hit a spear followed by the Mayhem for All and got the 3-count. This means at Turning Point, Trey Miguel will defend his title against both Maclin and Laredo Kid.
Ace Austin Accepts Chris Sabin’s Challenge For A Rematch At Turning Point
Ever since Ace Austin defeated Chris Sabin, he’s been wearing a “I Beat Chris Sabin” t-shirt backstage. Sabin said if Austin really is the future of this company that he should accept his challenge for a rematch at Turning Point, and this time not have to resort to cheating to win. Austin accepted the challenge and a brawl broke out between them. Madman Fulton charged at Sabin, but Sabin moved out of the way and ended up locking the big man in a fridge.
Decay Continue To Haunt The Iinspiration Ahead of Turning Point Title Rematch
Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay defeated the Undead Bridesmaids this week but got quite a scare after their victory. Rosemary and Havok came out along with Crazzy Steve and Taurus and surrounded the Knockouts tag team champions. Instead of assaulting them ahead of the title match, however, Decay just wanted to send a message. They surrounded the scared champs and took their title belts, holding them up symbolically in front of them. We’ll see if Decay’s mind games pay off for them Saturday at Turning Point.
Chelsea Green Is Ready For Turning Point, W. Morrissey Challenges Matt Cardona
Chelsea Green was interviewed in the back about her upcoming match with Jordynne Grace for the Digital Media Championship at Turning Point. They were interrupted by W. Morrissey, however, who told Matt Cardona he’s not going to be getting an Impact World title shot soon because Morrissey is going to get in his way. A match between the two has since been confirmed for Turning Point.
Moose Assaults Eddie Edwards, Title Match Made A Full Metal Mayhem Match At Turning Point
Moose attacked Eddie Edwards ahead of their title match at Turning Point. Moose used chairs and set up a table but Edwards ended up getting the advantage in the brawl. He brought out a ladder and with Moose positioned on the table he looked to dive off of it and onto the champion. Moose scurried away in time, however. Later in the back, Scott D’Amore told Moose his title match with Edwards at Turning Point will now be contested as a Full Metal Mayhem match.
Doc Gallows Picks Up Win Over HIKULEO Ahead of Turning Point Tag Title Clash
At Turning Point, The Good Brothers will defend the Impact World Tag Team titles against Bullet Club’s Chris Bey and HIKULEO. This week, the two big men went one on one. After a gruelling match, Karl Anderson got up on the ring apron and distracted the ref. This allowed Gallows to rake the eyes and hit HIKULEO with his finisher. Will it be this kind of veteran craftiness that will help the Good Brothers retain at Turning Point? Or will Bullet Club leave with the belts?
Deonna Purrazzo Is Not Enthusiastic About Doing Interviews Right Now
Former Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo didn’t give much insight into what she’s been up to since losing her title to Mickie James. She told Gia Miller she was just taking part in the interview because she was contractually obligated. As for what is next for the Virtuosa, everyone will just have to wait and see.
Johnny Swinger just can’t catch a break these days. First his underground casino is shut down when Impact moves to Las Vegas, and now he’s pitted in a match against the Demon and Decay. Swinger teamed with Fallah Bah and Hernandez. Demon made Swinger submit to pick up the win for his team.
In a dream match, Josh Alexander defeated Minoru Suzuki in the main event this week. After an intense and physical matchup, Alexander countered Suzuki’s Goth-style pile driver into a back body drop and then hit his C4 for the victory. Josh Alexander celebrated his victory with his wife watching in the crowd to end the show.
Turning Point Lineup
Impact World Championship Moose (c) vs Eddie Edwards
Knockouts World Championship Mickie James (c) vs Mercedes Martinez
Knockouts World Tag Team Championships The Iinspiration (Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee) (c) vs Decay (Rosemary & Havok)
Impact World Tag Team Championships The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) (c) vs. Bullet Club (Chris Bey and Hikuleo)
X-Division Championship Trey Miguel (c) vs Laredo Kid vs Steve Maclin
Digital Media Championship Jordynne Grace (c) vs Chelsea Green
W. Morrissey vs Eddie Edwards
Ace Austin vs Chris Sabin
Heath and Rhino vs. Violent By Design (Eric Young and Joe Doering)
Rich Swann vs Brian Myers
Decay (Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus) vs FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson)
WWE superstar Montez Ford has shared his thoughts on possibly being a singles star. Ford is in a tag team with Angelo Dawkins as The Street Profits.
Ford and his wife Bianca Belair appeared on Cheap Heat with Pete Rosenberg yesterday. Rosenberg asked Ford about the possibility of pursuing a singles career in WWE.
Ford says he wants to focus on his tag team career, but he does have bigger aspirations down the line. After he takes the Street Profits to greatness with Angelo Dawkins, he hopes to fulfill his childhood dream of getting “the big title.”
“The crazy thing is that me and Dawks actually don’t even really speak about it, Cause you know at the current time, we are in a tag team,” said Ford. ‘Like, that’s our goal for right now. Be the greatest tag team of all time and win the tag team championship. But ever since I was a little kid, like the big title, that’s what I wanted.”
You can listen to the full episode in the player embedded below:
Montez Ford Singles Future
Rosenberg’s question isn’t the first time someone asked Ford about being a singles star. Last year Comicbook questioned him about going solo. While he’s not against being a singles wrestler, Ford seems to believe that a WWE Draft splitting up The Street Profits is the only way.
“If myself and Dawkins were to get drafted and go separate ways, it would definitely be one of those situations where like, he’ll support me and be all for it and vice versa,” Ford said. He continued, “It’s one of those things where we’ll just be supportive, man. So yeah, it’d be definitely one of those things that we’d be supportive and be excited about.”
WWE reportedly considered splitting up The Street Profits during this year’s WWE Draft. However, WWE decided to keep the team together on Monday Night Raw. It seems that WWE also sees potential in Ford as a singles star. While that could be true, Ford remains concentrated on the success of The Street Profits. He also is ready for a career change if given the opportunity.
Xavier Woods is hoping to use his new gig on the rebooted G4 network to stage on-screen reunions with wrestlers unaffiliated with WWE.
Woods, Adam Cole, Tyler Breeze, and Cesaro previously streamed as Da Party. The group unofficially disbanded when Adam Cole left WWE and signed with AEW.
The King of WWE is now teasing that G4 would be a great place to reunite Da Party. We could also see other talent from outside WWE on that program.
“Being linked to WWE where anything can happen, G4 would be a great place to interact with other wrestling talent from anywhere,” Woods said to Cinema Blend recently.
Non-WWE Talent on Xavier Woods’ G4 Show
WWE will be producing Woods’ show on the G4 network.
“I’m hoping that it is a means to create more content with more people that you normally wouldn’t see us creating content with.”
“I’m not sure the ins and outs of things like that, but I am definitely hoping that we see a little bit of [holds up Adam Cole t-shirt]…some of that. So if we can re-link up with some Da Party stuff, that’d be great.”
Perhaps an avid gamer like Kenny Omega could show up Woods’ show.
Wrestling fans just got done witnessing a wave of cuts that saw 18 performers lose their jobs. Among the names included were Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Franky Monet, and Ember Moon.
While many considered some of those releases to be puzzling, the latest string of roster cuts is sure to turn some heads as well.
WWE has released eight more wrestlers, including John Morrison and the remaining members of the ill fated Hit Row faction. The company had just cut ties with B-Fab, the first sign that trouble might be brewing.
Hit Row was seen as a refreshing act in NXT. The group certainly appeared to light a spark under Isaiah Scott, who had been floundering on the brand. They were called up to the main roster only for all members to be cut in short order.
John Morrison was in line for a feud with his former tag team partner The Miz. Once Miz was off WWE TV to compete in Dancing With The Stars, Morrison was seen on Main Event.
Tegan Nox had a rough break due to injuries but she finally got her chance on the main roster. She was paired with Shotzi Blackheart but the two split following the WWE Draft.
Xavier Woods was filming a show on G4 when he received word of the talent releases. Here is his live reaction.
Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.
“Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.”
With the latest wave of cuts, WWE has now brought the total number of released performers to 79 for the calendar year.
Storm hasn’t been featured consistently in WWE since joining the main roster. Before joining the main roster, WWE promoted Storm as a newcomer to the Smackdown brand. She made her Smackdown debut on July 23rd when she defeated Zelina Vega. However, WWE didn’t feature Storm afterward except for occasional backstage segments.
She returned to competition in a loss to Vega in the first round of the Queen’s Crown Tournament on October 8th. WWE hasn’t used Storm on Smackdown since her loss to Vega. Despite winning her match on November 11th, Deville decided to take Aliyah off of Team Smackdown. It’s unclear if Deville or WWE will explain why Storm is replacing Aliyah on the team.
Survivor Series Updated Card
The WWE has confirmed six matches for Survivor Series. The main event of the Survivor Series seems to be WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a non-title match. The WWE could also have Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Smackdown’s Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair as the main event. Both Lynch and Flair have generated attention towards their match due to their issues.
WWE hasn’t confirmed if they plan to add more matches. For Storm, Survivor Series will be an opportunity to show that WWE could utilize her more on the main roster.
Drew McIntyre has a suggestion for the final member of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series.
McIntyre will be representing SmackDown, his new home following the WWE Draft, this Sunday night (Nov. 21). The former WWE Champion will team with Xavier Woods, Jeff Hardy, Baron Corbin, and a mystery partner.
Team Raw will feature Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and Austin Theory.
Drew McIntyre Wants Sheamus On Team SmackDown
(via WWE)
During a chat with Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer on Busted Open Radio, Drew McIntyre said Sheamus would be his pick as the mystery partner.
“I have some suggestions of who I’d like as a fifth member. You know, personally, he’s not been on TV for a while.
“If I was gonna suggest anybody, it’s the guy that I’m at odds with right now, I’ve known forever. I always make the same joke cause it’s true, we traveled Europe and I was 19 and he was 43 at the time [laughs].
“He hits harder than anybody in WWE and us together on the same team will strike fear into any opponent, and that’d be Sheamus I would put in there.
“He’s the kind of guy when some of our opponents see my name on the card or Sheamus’ name across from em’ they’re like, ‘Oh my god, we gotta get in there with those guys? They’re gonna beat the crap out of us.’
“Both of us together will strike the fear in Raw, lead us to victory, and then afterwards we’ll probably fight each other and end up drinking some pints but I would suggest Sheamus.”
WWE Survivor Series will be taking place inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Fans will get to witness WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns go one-on-one with WWE Champion Big E.
Plus, Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch will collide with SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte. There will also be a women’s traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series tag team match.
AEW play-by-play ace Jim Ross thinks it’s in Kenny Omega’s best interest to take as much time off as he needs.
Omega is coming off an unsuccessful AEW World Heavyweight Title defense. He ended up losing the gold to Hangman Page at Full Gear.
Reports surfaced saying that Kenny Omega is injured. The Best Bout Machine is expected to be off television through early 2022.
Jim Ross Advises Kenny Omega To Heal Fully
Jim Ross has seen a slew of talent go down with injuries. During an episode of his Grilling JR Podcast, Ross said he hopes Omega doesn’t rush things.
“Adam had the night that he needed, the performance more specifically that he needed. Give a lot of credit to Kenny Omega. Omega’s body is battered, he’s got bad shoulders.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do if I were him and I’m sure Tony Khan is feeling somewhat the same way, you’ve got to get the guys some rest, he’s got to heal a bit.
“Quite frankly that’s not a bad thing because he lost the title, now he can not go invisible but be less prominent on the shows as a wrestler and more as a personality until he’s more healthy.
“Kenny Omega deserves a hell of a lot of credit for making that match with Adam as good as it was. I think Kenny just elevated [Page], he made sure the transition from himself to Hangman Page was spot on and it was. I really enjoyed their outing.”
Omega is currently scheduled to put his AAA Mega Championship on the line against Hijo del Vikingo on Dec. 4. There is no word on whether or not he can do the match.
2021 has been AEW’s best year on PPV in its short existence. According to Wrestlenomics, AEW Full Gear did the second best buyrate in company history behind only All Out, which featured CM Punk’s first match in 7 years. It is estimated to have done 145,000 buys.
“Sales of 145,000 buys worldwide for Full Gear would mean about $7 million in pay-per-view revenue before AEW’s split with distributors. If the average split to AEW is about 45%, then AEW would take about $3 million in pay-per-view revenue.”
All Out 2021 is estimated to have done 205,000 PPV buys, the most in company history. AEW Double or Nothing did approximately 134,000 buys this spring according to the Wrestling Observer. However, Wrestlenomics has that number as closer to 115,000. Revolution this February featuring the exploding barbed-wire death match drew an estimated 125,000 buys.
$4 million is to AEW, after splitting sales with PPV carriers. The event likely grossed more than $6 million in PPV revenue for AEW and PPV carriers combined. $7 million when adding AEW’s ticket and venue merchandise sales for the event. https://t.co/LHqCz4LZn0
Based on these numbers, it seems AEW’s PPV audience has grown significantly in 2021. The four biggest PPVs in company history have all taken place this year.
Ric Flair has spent the majority of his life in and around the squared circle and the Hall Of Famer is willing to end it inside it as well. The 72-year-old talked about the potential of one more match on the latest episode of his Wooo Nation Uncensored podcast.
He was asked if he thinks he can get inside the ring one more time. Replying to it Flair claimed that he is in better shape now than he was during his final match for WCW on the March 26, 2001 episode of Nitro:
“Most assuredly, and a lot of conversation. That talk hasn’t happened, but could I do it? Absolutely. I’m in better shape now than I was when Sting and I wrestled the last match on Nitro.”
Flair previously teased getting physical in WWE before the 2019 Crown Jewel event. Though the spot ended up getting nixed by Vince McMahon and a team of superstars represented him instead. Talking about it, Ric Flair said that he understands why the company didn’t let him do anything, but claimed that he would rather die in the ring:
“WWE won’t let me do anything, even though I’m released. I understand, they have so much liability and I told them I would sign anything, but nobody wants me to die on their watch. I’d rather die in the ring. If I have to go. I’d rather not jump off the 19th floor or spend another 31 days in the ICU.”
Ric Flair hasn’t wrestled a full match for a decade. His last match coincidentally was also against Sting which took place during an episode of Impact Wrestling in September 2011. With him being out of his WWE contract now, it would be interesting to see if the wrestling veteran tries to pursue one final in-ring encounter before calling it a career.
2K Games have rolled out the “Hit List” trailer for WWE 2K22 and it’s a doozy.
The last mainline WWE game released by 2K Games was widely panned. Following the split from developer Yuke’s, 2K turned to Visual Concepts for WWE 2K20. It was a buggy disaster and forced WWE 2K21 to be skipped.
WWE 2K22 is once again being developed by Visual Concepts but the 2K team insists that a massive overhauled is coming. The publisher wants to get back in the good graces of gamers.
WWE 2K22: New Features
2K Games has released a trailer revealing the new features and innovations for the upcoming WWE title. The publisher has confirmed the return of GM Mode.
Here’s what you can expect.
Redesigned Gameplay Engine: The most important change in WWE 2K22 is in the engine itself. Visual Concepts redesigned the gameplay and animation engine from the ground up to make every dive, kickout, and finisher feel as real as if players were sitting ringside at WrestleMania. As soon as players pick up the controller, they’ll feel the difference.
New Controls: The updated and incredibly intuitive control scheme hits different this year. Configured to ensure that players have more control over every move, in every situation, WWE 2K22 is easy to pick up and play, while still allowing for high-skill expression.
Stunning Graphics: Simply put, WWE 2K22 boasts the best-ever graphics of the WWE 2K franchise. Scanning and animations are executed using the same industry-leading process as Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K franchise, and the team overhauled lighting and relit the game from the ground up.
Immersive Presentation: The most dynamic entry in the series to date will take players out of the crowd and into the ring, creating an authentic WWE feeling throughout the game.
New WWE 2K Showcase: Players can take a walk down memory lane and relive a legendary WWE Superstar’s most iconic matches and moments.
MyGM: Players will draft superstars, book matches, manage contracts, and prove they have what it takes to run the most successful brand in sports-entertainment.
MyFACTION: In a franchise-first, the all-new MyFACTION puts players in control of building a legendary faction that rivals the iconic nWo. Players will collect, manage, and upgrade Superstars, with weekly events and regular updates.
MyRISE: An opportunity for players to experience the journey of a WWE Superstar from the humble beginnings of a Rookie, followed by the fanfare as a Superstar, and then immortalized as a Legend. New storylines will be available for both male and female MyPLAYERs.
Universe Mode: Universe Mode returns, offering players more control than ever before over brands, PPVs, match results, rivalries, and much more.
Creation Suite: The Creation Suite is back and better than ever. Players can be themselves or someone/something entirely different, with all sorts of wild options and fantasy elements, then step into the ring at anytime and anywhere in the world.
WWE 2K22 is slated to be released in March 2022. Platforms haven’t been announced but since the trailer appeared on the official Xbox YouTube channel, it’s pretty much a given that it’ll appear on an Xbox console.
Fans can pretty much count on a PS5 and/or PS4 release as well. Whether or not it’ll make its way to PC as recent titles have remains to be seen.
WWE 2K22 may very well be 2K Games’ last shot with WWE. Earlier this year, Sports Gamers Online reported that the relationship between 2K Games and WWE has been strained due to the delay in releasing 2K22.
In an update to this article, the WWE 2K22 Roster has since been released.
CM Punk and Adam Page came out for a segment after AEW finished taping last night from Norfolk, Virginia.
Punk and Hangman were in the ring, when Punk requested that the champ sing, “Cowboy Songs.” The fans weren’t super enthusiastic about songs being sung about “West Virginia” however. In response, Page changed the lyrics slightly.
Video of this was posted to YouTube in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nKcO4GwGKg
AEW also taped Rampage following the conclusion of Dynamite last night. That show will air on Friday night. Matches confirmed for Friday’s show include:
Darby Allin vs. Billy Gunn
Adam Cole & Bobby Fish vs. Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus
Jade Cargill vs. Red Velvet (TBS Title Tournament match)
Here’s another video of the singing that took place after Wednesday’s Dynamite from Norfolk, Virginia:
Announced for next week’s episode of Dynamite from Chicago include Bryan Danielson facing Colt Cabana, a TBS title tournament quarterfinal featuring Thunder Rosa vs. Jamie Hayter, and The Lucha Bros, Cody Rhodes and PAC vs. FTR, Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black.
That was one of my favorite #AEWDynamite episodes ever, thank you to all of the wrestling fans, wrestlers, & staff who made tonight possible! See you on Friday Night at 10pm ET/9pm CT for a HUGE #AEWRampage on TNT + next Wednesday for Thanksgiving Eve Dynamite LIVE from Chicago!
CM Punk’s return to Chicago next week should also be interesting. On Dynamite last night, Punk confronted Maxwell Jacob Friedman leading to a “Holy S**t” chant from the live crowd. Punk didn’t say a thing, however, he just walked out on MJF after he offered a handshake.
Ric Flair says that WWE is erasing his legacy. He also says that the company has not returned two title belts which belong to him.
Flair says he’s asked the company twice to return the belts but his requests have apparently fallen on deaf ears. He wrote on Instagram,
“Speaking Of Legacies, WWE Has Decided To Erase Mine. That’s All Good, However, These Two Belts Are My Legacy, And I Would Like Them Returned! I’ve Asked Twice, Apparently Falling On Deaf Ears! I’m Assuming That Next Week On Ric Flair WOOOOO Nation Uncensored I’ll Have To Explain In Detail! WOOOOO!”
Flair put out the following Tweet recently regarding the upcoming match at Survivor Series between his daughter Charlotte and Becky Lynch.
I Think I’m Going To Have To Make The Trip Personally To See You Beat The Piss Out Of @MsCharlotteWWE! I Don’t Think So Sister, The Man, Big Time Becks, Or Whatever You Call Yourself. There’s Not Enough Choreography In The Business To Save You @BeckyLynchWWE. ???
Lync then responded to Flair while appearing on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.
“It’s really sad, because this is a legend at one point, Ric Flair is now jealous of me, it’s cool for me, he’s now using me to get clout to promote whatever he has going on because he’s dug himself into a hole with other things,” Lynch said.
Flair then responded to Lynch’s comments by noting that he gave up his trademark claim on “The Man” so that WWE could allow Lynch to use it.
So Disappointed! I Did This Out Of Respect For You @BeckyLynchWWE! It Made You Millions & Made Me Nothing. After 40 Years Of Being The Man… The Company Doesn’t Own It, And Neither Do You! I’ll Always Be The Man! Ask Your Husband. pic.twitter.com/VjeyyMElG3
Mercedes Martinez recently celebrated her 21-year wrestling anniversary and finds herself in the midst of the IMPACT Zone after emerging victorious in a competitive tournament at Knockouts Knockdown last month. As the winner of this tournament, Martinez earned herself a future Knockouts Championship opportunity.
Martinez is now scheduled to challenge for the Knockouts Championship against Mickie James, who captured the title last month at Bound For Glory. The two legends will meet this Saturday, November 20th at Impact Wrestling‘s Turning Point PPV.
Ahead of this championship match, SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay caught up with “The Latina Sensation” to discuss her 21-year wrestling journey, future goals she’d like to accomplish, respect for Mickie James, and much more.
The full interview with Mercedes Martinez can be viewed below.
Her 21-Year Wrestling Journey
Martinez expressed thoughts on her 21-year wrestling journey.
“Twenty one years, it amazes me that I actually got to twenty one years because a few years back, I didn’t want to do wrestling anymore due to injuries. But here I am still living the dream,” she noted.
“You know, when I look back at everything that I’ve done, you know, I like to always think that I’ve done it my way, and I’m very proud of how I did my career and the choices that I’ve made and the decisions that I’ve made,” Martinez continued. “It’s not that it’s been hard or anything, it’s just been very different compared to others. And you know, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
“For me to still be doing wrestling, you know, with close to forty one because tomorrow is my birthday, it’s just–I’m in awe to know that I can still be doing this almost 21 years later, and just in my mind, it’s almost like I didn’t even think I would become a professional wrestler. But here I am, just living the dream. So it’s very humbling.”
Career Goals
Martinez also noted that she still has some goals she’d like to accomplish:
“Oh, the biggest goal is to become a champion, you know, in a major promotion. And in fact, right now is going for the gold coming at a turning point with Mickie James. And you know, my thought is, I’m going to go really like headstrong and really just go in there and just prove my worth and show that I can carry a promotion.”
She continued, “You know, all you got to do is give me a shot and you know, that’s the biggest goal. It doesn’t matter where I’m at, but impact right now is where I’m at, and I just want to take it to the next level and bring everybody up with me. That’s really what I want to do, and that’s my first biggest goal right now.”
Respect for Mickie James, Jazz, Beth Phoenix & More
Mercedes Martinez (Photo: Impact Wrestling)
Mercedes Martinez heads into Turning Point against a fierce competitor in Mickie James, whom she faced once before. Despite the brewing tension on IMPACT programming, Martinez expressed a high level of respect towards her Turning Point opponent, Mickie James, and fellow wrestlers Lexie Fyfe, Jazz, and Beth Phoenix.
“I think throughout my career there have been so many females that have helped me, whether it was personally or professionally, you know, just to name a few would be like Lexi Fyfe. She was one who is still around in my life, who has helped me from me being a rookie to now that I still asked for advice in matches. And hey, you know, ‘is this match great’ or, you know, just feedback. And even in my personal life, you know, she’s a great friend.
Jazz
“You have Jazz who has been with me since the beginning of my career, who I modeled my style towards to based on our trainers, who has been–she has been an influence, like when I say role model, that’s someone who I admire so much because she’s done things her way and broke the mold of, you know, female wrestling and just didn’t look like everybody else.
She was just someone different and stuck to her guns. And that’s something that I always want to do. Stick to your guns, stick to your moves, and do things your way to pave the way for those that want to do things your way. And you know, that’s someone else who I really, really admire.”
Beth Phoenix
“Beth Phoenix, who you know, I’ve spoken to on many occasions and wrestled….she broke the mold. You know, she’s another one.”
Mickie James
“Mickie James, you know, I know I’m wrestling her, but the respect is there. We’ve been on the independent scene. We wrestled on the independent scene and now here we are going on national TV to again break down the mold of everything that we worked hard for. And you know, those are just some of the names that I look, you know, that has been influential in my career that I look at and say, ‘Hey, they broke the mold and they did things their way.’ That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.
I want to be that person to show female wrestlers or anybody that you can be different in any profession that you want to do, and you can break the mold and break those barriers and do things your way and be proud of the way you did it, because there’s going to be others that come after you that are going to model their careers based on you and hopefully break more barriers. That’s really all I want to ever do.”
IMPACT Wrestling presents Turning Point on Saturday, November 20th from Las Vegas at 10pm est / 7pm pst.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
Kenny Omega announced on Dynamite that he’s taking time away from AEW. The former AEW World Champion told the Elite, “I feel like there is things I gotta fix and there is things I gotta change and I can’t do it here.”
Omega has been working through multiple injuries over the past few months. He’s set to undergo multiple surgeries, according to the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“He has a lot of different issues, knee, shoulder, abdominal hernia that he’s been working through,” said Dave Meltzer. “There’s others too. He’ll be getting multiple surgeries, most likely. “Everything is kind of to be determined.”
Meltzer added, “I guess the idea is to try to get as many of these things taken care of at the same time but that’s a lot of body parts to rehab at the same time.”
The man once known as the Belt Collector is now down to just one championship. Omega is advertised to defend his AAA Mega Championship against El Vikingo on December 4th. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to fulfill this obligation.
When will Kenny Omega return?
Kenny Omega (Photo: Scott Lesh)
Kenny Omega will be out of action through the end of 2021. The exact timeline is unknown. He hasn’t gone under the knife just yet, but there’s hope within AEW that he’ll return by February 2022.
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross commented on Omega’s condition on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Ross said it’s crucial that top talent get time to rest up and heal. Omega dropping the title to Hangman Page is the perfect opportunity to rotate him out of storylines so he can focus on his health.
If you use any of the above quotes please credit Wrestling Observer Radio with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.
Ruby Soho is living her dream in AEW and she is finally in a place where she can express herself freely. This journey started with her incredible debut during the All Out PPV where she entered the Casino Battle Royal as the joker. Fans started chanting her name even before her music hit. This incredible reception helped her stand out and made her arrival a memorable moment in a show that also featured debuts of people like Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson.
The female star talked about the day of her debut on the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted. She said that it was one of the best days of her life:
“It’s probably one of the best days of my life if I am being honest. It was super emotional; I went on such a rollercoaster that day. I was just on sensory overload for the entirety of the day. Obviously, there was a lot of anticipation. There’s a lot of stuff I was thinking about and hoping it would go perfectly and also realising it’s wrestling and nothing ever goes the way you think it’s going to go.
Leading up to that moment I was really nervous and I wanted everything to go the way that would make Tony happy and obviously I hadn’t gone by this name at that time and I was wondering if they would be receptive to that and they would be receptive to me, the new kid on the block.”
Ruby Soho discussed how she was put in an important role as the joker in her debut match for the promotion. She recalled getting emotional backstage when the fans started chanting her name and almost cried. The AEW star then revealed the reaction of Tony Khan to the fired-up crowd that made the moment even better:
“I was the joker, such a important role in that match and I was hoping that I could live up to the role that it was. So, when they started chanting my name before I ever came out, it was so emotional. I remember looking at everybody that was near the stairs and almost crying. And I was like ‘ok pull it together Ruby, I gotta go wrestle, I gotta go do stuff.’
My favorite part that I will remember forever is Tony Khan from behind the screen as soon as he hears it, goes ‘let’s goooo.’ Screams at the top of his lungs. It was awesome. I was like ‘he’s my boss and he is so behind me right now. and he is happy already and that makes me happy.'”
Ruby Soho has already made a spot for herself on the AEW roster since her arrival. In the short time, she has challenged for the AEW women’s world championship already. Soho is currently participating in the TBS championship tournament where she is scheduled to face Kris Statlander in the quarterfinals.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with a H/T for the transcription.
While the Rock has shut down the rumor that he’ll be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania next year, the hope is that the match will still take place at some point.
Reigns addressed the potential matchup this week during an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. When asked if he’s interested in wrestling his cousin, the Tribal Chief gave a straight-forward response.
“I would, yes, I don’t know if he wants it,” Reigns said. “That’s kind of something we do in our family as far as sports entertainment, professional wrestling, WWE. This is our platform, this is our family business.”
He added, “I fought one of my cousins, the Usos, Jey Uso, about a year ago. Where better to solve problems than the squared circle?”
Reigns also said he hadn’t heard any rumors that the Rock would be at Survivor Series this weekend. The event marks 25 years since Rocky Maivia’s 1996 WWE debut.
Watch Roman Reigns’ appearance on The Tonight show here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9MlxJZXW_c
Roman Reigns and The Rock
The Rock recently stated that the dream match will not be taking place at next year’s WrestleMania.
“There is no truth to that right now, possibly down the road we will see,” Rock said to Andrew Freund of Dish Nation. “We stay very close, myself and Roman Reigns, and I’m very happy and very proud of the work that he’s doing.”
Roman Reigns and The Rock wrestling each other at WrestleMania 38 looks unlikely. There’s always WrestleMania 39, which takes place from Los Angeles in 2023.
