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Paul Heyman Names WWE Star Who He Thinks Is Future Of Women’s Division

Andrew Ravens
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Paul Heyman is a big fan of Bianca Belair and during a recent episode of WWE Talking Smack, he shared his take about “the EST of WWE.” 

Heyman co-hosted the show alongside Kayla Braxton and Belair was a guest on the show that aired Saturday morning on the WWE Network. This is where Heyman let her know how much he respects what she can bring to the future of WWE.

“I would be remiss if I don’t also let Bianca know, and I think she knows this quite well, You’re the future of the women’s division and [future is] a word that is thrown around here a lot, but you are. You are an athlete with amazing credentials. 

You bring those credentials and that credibility to WWE. What you do is truly worthy of the tagline ‘the EST of WWE.’ I am in awe of the magnitude of your talent. You know, my feelings about The Street Profits. Those same feelings of admiration are bestowed upon you as well and I think that you know that.”

WWE called up Belair from NXT to Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania 36. This was during Heyman’s tenure as executive director of RAW. Since that time, Heyman is no longer in this role as he was replaced by Bruce Prichard. 

During this year’s Draft, Belair was moved over to Friday Night SmackDown from Monday Night RAW in the 2020 WWE Draft. She has picked up victories.

Bianca Belair On When She Found Out About Her WrestleMania Debut

The Godfather Talks BSK Reunion At Survivor Series

Chris Stephens
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Survivor Series 2020 was billed as the Undertaker’s “Final Farewell” and many legends from the past were there to help celebrate. One of The Undertaker’s longtime friends in the business, “The Godfather” Charles Wright, was amongst them. Godfather spoke to SI.com recently about the reunion Taker’s “Bone Street Krew” had at the show.

“When WWE invited me to the Survivor Series tribute for Mark, I texted him right away and said, ‘Let’s do a BSK reunion,’” said Wright. “We paid homage to Mark Calaway and the phenom that he created with The Undertaker.”

The reunion took place Saturday night before the Survivor Series. No food was served, only whiskey and beer. Other attendees included Savio Vega, Rikishi, Phineas Godwinn, and Mark Henry.

“For that one night, the past came back to life,” Wright continued. “If you didn’t know any better, it felt like it was 20 years ago. We told stories, we hugged, we cried—and we put Timmy White to bed, just like we used to back in the day.”

Godfather continued to talk about what Taker did for others during his career.

“Mark is honest, he respects the business and he never forgets about his friends,” said Wright. “He changed the business, especially for big men. He’s one of a kind.”

The full interview with Charles Wright can be read here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CH669wTp7kQ/

Liv Morgan Says First Riott Squad Incarnation Was Disbanded Too Quickly

Chris Stephens
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On Sunday, the documentary “Liv Forever” will air on the WWE Network. 26-year-old Liv Morgan first signed with WWE in 2014. As of late, she is back together with her old Riott Squad partner, Ruby Riott. Morgan spoke to the Asbury Park Press about feeling as though the first incarnation of the Riott Squad was broken up too early.

“The first time The Riott Squad was around I feel like we disbanded before we were ready. We were just hitting our stride and then it was taken away,” Morgan said. “And so to have the opportunity again, Ruby and I kind of feel like we have a chance to re-write history and to create whatever we want.”

The Riott Squad debuted on the main roster in November of 2017. In the spring of 2019, Morgan moved from RAW to Smackdown, breaking up the team for a period. This spring, Sarah Logan was released from the company. Liv and Ruby began teaming with each other again this summer.

“And so we can go at it this time around doing everything that we wished we could have the first time. And so we’re not taking it lightly at all. We know this might be the last time, and so we are completely focused and have our sights set on becoming the next WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and we just know we have to make the most of it.”

The full interview with Morgan can be read here.

Impact Wrestling Filming Multiple Endings At Recent Tapings

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has reportedly been trying to keep their options as open as possible lately concerning its storylines. According to a report from Fightful Select, the promotion has been filming multiple endings to matches recently. This gives the promotion some options if a wrestler leaves the promotion after the tapings but before their match airs. Impact can then decide which wrestler will be shown winning the match closer to when the show airs.

In addition to different endings to matches being taped, segments were also reportedly filmed multiple times using different wrestlers. This was done in case one or more of the wrestlers used in the scenes depart the company.

Impact has run into problems in this area over the last year. At Bound For Glory, the promotion was left with few options as to how they could handle Kylie Rae not facing Deonna Purrazzo on the show. They also were left scrambling earlier this year when Michael Elgin, Dave Crist, and Joey Ryan were all alleged to have committed acts as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.

Impact may have multiple wrestlers leaving the company soon too as well. All 3 members of the Rascalz recently departed. Both Ethan Page and Taya Valkyrie reportedly have contracts that expire soon as well.

Kevin Nash Starring In Pandemic-Themed Movie “COVID-19 Invasion”

Chris Stephens
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Kevin Nash has performed in many films and TV shows throughout his acting career. He has a starring role in the film “COVID-19 Invasion” which is currently in post-production. No release date has been confirmed as of yet for the film.

A description of the film reads “Chinese bats invade America. It’s up to Navy Seal Team Six to stop them.” Few details other than that are available.

Micah Lyons wrote and directed the film. The film had an estimated budget of $3 million and was filmed in Longview, Texas. IMDB’s page for the film is here.

Nash is also featured in the recently released “Chick Fight” film. Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin, and Kevin Connolly all appear in the movie as well. His other IMDB credits include Magic Mike XXL, John Wick, Magic Mike, Rock of Ages, Monster Brawl, The Longest Yard, The Punisher, and of course, 1992’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze when he played the role of Super Shredder.

Nash recently took part in an interview with the Miami Herald and spoke about how wrestling and Hollywood have overlapped through the years.

“(Sylvester Stallone) was really the first one to open the door. Wrestling was still the red-headed stepchild. I don’t think it was until (the Rock), everything he did with opening number one at the box office, Dwayne is the one that really has made it sheik to be a pro wrestler or ex-pro wrestler and be in this field. A guy like Dave Bautista, he’s a lead but he also does smart things. He did the role in Blade Runner. He reads the script and realizes that the character is intricate to the story.”

Rick Steiner’s Son Receives WWE Tryout

Chris Stephens
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Bronson Rechsteiner, the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner, received a WWE tryout recently. Rechsteiner was signed to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year but was cut from the team during training camp. His WWE tryout was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

“Bronson Rechsteiner, the son of Rick Steiner, who was a college football star running back at Kennesaw State University, but didn’t make the NFL, had a recent tryout,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Rechsteiner spoke with SI.com shortly after signing with the Ravens. He was asked about potentially following in his father’s footsteps by taking up a career in wrestling.

“I’m open to it,” said Rechsteiner about a career in pro-wrestling. “But I know wrestling will always be there for me. It’s always been my dream to carry the family’s legacy in professional sports, and I’m staying focused on taking football as far as I can.”

Scott Steiner had a run with Impact Wrestling recently. He collapsed backstage at a set of tapings earlier this year and had to be taken to hospital. Steiner would later cut a promo about the experience and added some “Steiner Math” to it.

“As I was sitting in the hospital bed, the doctor came up to me and said ‘the procedure that happened to you, normally you only have 80 percent chance of winning…of getting out of the bed…of living’ I said doc, every time I step in the ring I have a 140 and two-thirds chance of winning. What do you think my chances are of jumping out of this bed? So this goes to all my freaks in Jasper, Alabama. Big Poppa Pump is your hookup! Holla if you hear me!”

More of Steiner’s comments can be read in the link below:

Plans To Demolish Historic Wrestling Venue “On Hold” Until After Pandemic

Chris Stephens
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The venue for WrestleMania VI, WrestleMania 18, and the most-attended episode of Monday Night RAW ever might be getting demolished in the not too distant future. A report from Toronto’s Globe and Mail recently stated that plans are in place to demolish the Roger’s Center (formerly known as SkyDome).

67,678 attended WrestleMania VI (Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan) in the venue. 68,237 fans also attended WrestleMania X-8 (Hogan vs Rock, Jericho vs Triple H) at Skydome. A record 41,432 fans attended a special Saturday night version of RAW on February 13th, 1999 inside Skydome as well.

Rogers Communications, however, stated that any plans to demolish the famous venue have been put on hold. This is due to the pandemic.

“Prior to the pandemic, we were exploring options for the stadium but through this year our primary focus has been keeping our customers connected and employees safe, so there is no update on the Rogers Centre to share at this time.”
– Andrew Garas, director of communications at Rogers.

wmvi
WrestleMania VI: April 1, 1990 at Toronto’s Skydome

The original report stated that the plans were to demolish the building and build a new stadium on the property. Condo buildings and a shopping center would also be built. The new stadium would have a real grass field for Toronto Blue Jays baseball games. The Blue Jays played their home games in Buffalo this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

WWE typically runs shows at the Scotiabank Arena (formerly Air Canada Center) in Toronto nowadays. The venue is home to the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs. WWE presented SummerSlam weekend and 4 straight nights of events from the venue last summer.

Mike Bennett Calls Leaving ROH ‘Biggest Mistake’ Of His Life

Anutosh Bajpai
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Mike Bennett ended his long run with ROH back in 2015 to explore the wrestling world and according to the former champion; it was the ‘biggest mistake of his life’ professionally.

The former WWE star recently appeared on Trending With Taven, which is a new ROH show hosted by Matt Taven where he talked about things like his return to ROH and more.

While discussing his departure from the promotion in 2015, Bennett claimed that leaving Ring Of Honor was the biggest mistake of his professional life:

“What happened five years ago, professionally was the biggest mistake of my life. Hands down. Without a doubt, that was the biggest mistake of my life.

Personally, I had to do it. I had to find out who I was as a man. I had to go prove that Mike Bennett on his own could be Mike Bennett on his own. But hindsight’s always 20/20, and you look back, and you go, ‘What were you thinking? Why?’ I had everything I wanted right here.”

Later in the interview, the former Impact star explained how he has changed since then and he said that he doesn’t take things for granted anymore.

Mike Bennett joined ROH in 2008 and had a good run but he left the promotion in 2015 after his contract expired. He tried making his name in promotions such as Impact Wrestling and WWE after his release before eventually returning to ROH earlier this month.

Cezar Bononi Reveals How Much He Was Making In NXT As A Development Talent

Anutosh Bajpai
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Cezar Bononi looked to have a bright future ahead after being named “Future Star of NXT” at the 2017 NXT Year-End Awards but he failed to become a regular for the brand and was released from the promotion this past April.

During a recent interview with Dan Matha’s Spark in the Dark, the former WWE star talked about his time in the company and he opened up about the hardships he had to face while being signed to the promotion.

Bononi who moved to US from Brazil first discussed how hard it was for him to adopt this change and he then revealed how little he was making in NXT:

“It took a long time for them to help me out a little bit.’Hey, here’s a raise.’ It took me almost two years. I was getting $600 (a week) for like six months and when I finally got paid off, it felt like a raise because I was getting $750. ‘Oh good, I can buy a TV, but I cannot get cable.’ It was hard at the beginning, but it helped build my character even more,”

The problems for Cezar Bononi didn’t end there as he was on a P1 visa and after getting released from WWE, he had only 30 days to decide if he wanted to apply for a different visa or return to his home country.

He revealed that he had tried to apply for a green card but WWE officials did not show any interest in helping him out. You can check out his full interview in the video below:

James Ellsworth Provides Update On Gillberg’s Health

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star James Ellsworth has provided an update on his friend and fellow former WWE star Gillberg after he suffered a heart attack earlier this week.

Ellsworth took on his Twitter on Thursday to provide an update on his Friend’s condition and he revealed that Gillberg, real name Duane Gill is out of ICU after suffering the heart attack on Wednesday:

“Hey everyone, Happy Thanksgiving. I just got off the phone with the wife of Duane Gill, also known as Gillberg; she wanted to let everyone know what’s going on with Duane. He had a heart attack yesterday. But he is doing good now and just got out of ICU.”

Ellsworth also said that the former Light Heavyweight Champion is expected to be back home soon and start the transition to return to his normal self:

“Please send your prayers to Gillberg and his family at this time. We hope he will be home soon and back to his normal, funny, goofy self. Take care, guys and God bless you all. Stay safe.”

Gillberg, whose character was a parody of WCW’s Goldberg was a popular jobber from the Attitude Era who had a couple of stints with WWE in the 90s.

He has made sporadic appearances for the promotion since 2003 and he seemingly retired from active competition in February earlier this year.

Backstage News On Impact Talent Testing Positive For Coronavirus, How Wrestlers Feel About Lack Of Testing

Anutosh Bajpai
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Impact Wrestling is the latest wrestling promotion to be affected by Covid-19. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a wrestler who was involved at their latest television tapings has tested positive for the virus.

While the report does not reveal the identify of the talent who has fallen ill, Impact had to instruct several other people to get tested due to exposure. The Observer report states that some wrestlers were upset they were not told about the situation by management and heard about it instead via people talking about it backstage.

Any infection is a serious situation, but Impact has been pretty lucky up until this point to not have any other reported infections. The company does not perform Covid tests on site, but simply checks temperatures. One wrestler expressed that management is being irresponsible, since Impact is the only major promotion not doing proper Covid testing.

The latest set of tapings is expected to carry the company to the Hard To Kill PPV in January so they have time to test the stars that may have come in contact with the person who came positive.

It would be interesting to see if this positive test changes the company’s approach towards coronavirus testing and if we see an increase in safety measures for the next set of tapings.

Chris Jericho On Why WWE Comedy Does Not Work

Anutosh Bajpai
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While Chris Jericho is often praised for his mic work, he is also an incredible actor and his skills such as his unmatchable comic timing have helped him in staying relevant in the wrestling business for so long.

During his recent appearance on the Keeping It 100 podcast, the former AEW champion talked about a number of things and he also gave his opinion on why the comedy in WWE does not work nowadays.

Jericho explained that his view of comedy is that you should always play it straight because when you try to be funny, it never really turns out that way:

“My view of comedy is you always play it straight, WWE comedy is d–k and fart jokes. That’s why a lot of it doesn’t work well.

Don’t try to be funny. Because when you try to be funny it’s never funny. And that’s been my attitude with all these segments.”

Chris Jericho also talked about the process of putting together a show in AEW and he admitted that there are times when some details slip through the cracks since they do not have writers at the show.

Apart from this, the former World Champion talked about things like drug use in wrestling nowadays compared to older times. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Liv Morgan On Having WWE Cameras Around For Ups And Downs

Anutosh Bajpai
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Being famous in any field means that you have to give up your privacy and you are constantly being followed by people and cameras doesn’t matter where you are or what you are feeling.

Liv Morgan got a taste of it during the filming of her Liv Forever documentary which chronicles a rough period of time in the female star’s career in 2019, right after the breakup of the Riott Squad.

The WWE star talked about this experience during her recent interview with The Asbury Park Press where she said that having cameras around during the ups and downs almost felt like therapy:

“As it went on, it almost felt like therapy, every week I would go meet with the awesome crew I was working with and they’re going to talk to me about my life. It ended up being way more real and raw than I thought.”

The Riott Squad consisting of Ruby Riott,  Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their debut on the main roster in November 2017 and the group stayed together for a couple of years.

However, in the 2019 Superstar Shakeup, Liv Morgan was moved to the SmackDown brand while her partners remained on Raw, effectively breaking the group up.

The Liv Forever documentary chronicles this time in the former NXT star’s career and it will premiere on WWE Network this Sunday. You can check out the trailer for it below:

WWE SmackDown Results (11/27): Kevin Owens & Roman Reigns, Zayn vs. Bryan

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Survivor Series. Jey Uso battled Kevin Owens as Roman Reigns watched from backstage in this week’s main event.

SmackDown Results (11/27)

  1. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode def. Street Profits (non-title match)
  2. Sami Zayn def. Daniel Bryan via countout
  3. Bianca Belair def. Natalya
  4. Murphy def. King Corbin
  5. Kevin Owens def. Jey Uso via DQ

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Roman Reigns Had Strong Words For Jey Uso

Jey Uso kicked off the show and said that everyone is talking about The Undertaker but they should be talking about Roman Reigns defeating Drew McIntyre at Survivor Series.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman then made their way to the ring. Reigns said “play it” and footage of Team SmackDown losing to Team RAW at Survivor Series was shown. Footage of Reigns telling Jey to go find his brother and get out of the arena at Survivor Series was also aired. Jey interfered in the match between McIntyre and Reigns at the PPV.

Reigns told Jey that he didn’t need help with Drew McIntyre and asked why he thought Team SmackDown lost at Survivor Series. Reigns suggested that they didn’t listen to Jey because they do not respect him. Roman said that if he is not the head of the table, they must think he is some wannabe bitch in the locker room begging for Thanksgiving leftovers.

Roman asked Jey if he looked at him like some bitch in the locker room because that is how he is making him feel through his failures. Reigns added that he doesn’t like how Jey is making him feel to end the promo.

Otis was scheduled to face King Corbin tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, Jey Uso beat the hell out of him with a steel chair in response to what Reigns said to him.

Ziggler & Roode Pinned The Tag Team Champs

Street Profits faced Ziggler & Roode tonight on SmackDown. Roode and Ziggler controlled the action early and isolated Ford in the ring. Ziggler went for a Splash but missed and hit the turnbuckle. Dawkins tagged in and leveled Roode with an elbow to the face.

Angelo planted Ziggler with a Neckbreaker and followed it up with a Spinebuster to Roode. Montez tagged in and hit the Frog Splash but Ziggler broke up the cover. Roode then rolled up Ford for the pinfall victory.

Zayn Won Via Countout

Sami Zayn squared off against Daniel Bryan tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, Sami Zayn cut a promo about how Thanksgiving is a terrible holiday because it celebrates the atrocities carried out against Native American people. Zayn boasted about defeating Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania and claimed that Bryan has done nothing to earn this match. Sami added that WWE is trying to sabotage him and then Bryan’s theme hit.

Bryan and Zayn locked up to start the match. Daniel bent Sami’s fingers back and then stomped on his elbow. Sami rolled to the ropes to buy himself some time before locking up with Bryan again. Daniel brought Zayn to the canvas and locked in a submission hold. Sami broke free but Bryan caught him with a Dropkick for a two count.

Zayn sent Bryan out of the ring to buy himself some more time. Sami stomped on Bryan as he entered the ring and then threw him back to the outside. Zayn bounced Bryan’s face off the barricade and rolled him back into the ring. Sami climbed to the top rope but Bryan crotched him on the turnbuckle. Bryan knocked Zayn out of the ring with a Dropkick and Bryan climbed to the top rope. Daniel went for a Crossbody but Zayn dodged it and Bryan crashed into the barricade as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Sami tried to cover Bryan three times in a row but Daniel kicked out every time. Bryan hit a Dropkick in the corner of the ring and perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Daniel sent Zayn across the ring with a Hurricanrana for a near fall.

Zayn rolled out of the ring and to the apron but Daniel followed him. Sami poked Bryan in the eye and delivered an awesome Brainbuster to Daniel on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Sami connected with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Daniel locked in an Armbar in the middle of the ring and then transitioned into the Yes Lock.

Sami got his foot on the bottom rope to break up the hold and once again rolled out of the ring. Daniel hit Sami with a Suicide Dive and brought the Intercontinental Champion back in the ring. Zayn rolled out of the ring again and Bryan hit him with another Suicide Dive.

Zayn ran up the entrance ramp and made his way backstage. Bryan chased after him and then Sami ran back to the ring to beat the count as Bryan was counted out. Jey Uso attacked Bryan backstage until Kevin Owens made the save.

Kevin Owens then confronted Jey and Roman backstage. Owens told Reigns that for someone that values family so much he sure treats his like trash. Reigns told Jey that Owens does not look at him with fear and he needs to fix that.

Bianca Belair Picked Up A Win

Natalya faced Bianca Belair tonight and Bayley joined commentary for the match. Natalya rolled up Belair for a two count and then sent Belair to the corner. Bianca escaped and went for a Spear but wound up crashing into the ring post. Natalya applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring but Belair countered into a roll-up for a two count.

Belair slammed Natalya’s head off the turnbuckle and unloaded several strikes to her midsection. Bianca sent Natalya out of the ring and Belair followed her out there. Bianca tried to punch Natalya but she ducked and caught Bayley in the face. Natalya capitalized and brought Belair back into the ring. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Bianca shoved her off onto Bayley on the apron. Bianca then rolled up Natalya for the pinfall victory.

The Mysterio Family Helped Murphy Beat Corbin

King Corbin squared off against Murphy on this week’s SmackDown. Aalyah, Dominik, and Rey Mysterio were in Murphy’s corner for the match. Corbin started off the match in control and sent Murphy crashing into the turnbuckle. Corbin went for his patented slide out of the ring Clothesline but Aalyah got in the way. Murphy capitalized on the distracted and sent Corbin into the steps. Back in the ring, Corbin connected with Deep Six but Rey distracted the referee when Corbin went for the cover.

Corbin sent Murphy into the corner and went for a Splash but Murphy dodged it. Dominik then tripped up Corbin and Murphy capitalized with a knee to the face. Murphy went for the cover and Dominik shoved Corbin’s foot off the ropes and the referee counted to three.

After the match, Corbin demanded a microphone. Corbin said this was outrageous and called the Mysterio family a bunch of spineless cowards. King Corbin demanded a rematch against Murphy next week and vowed to be prepared.

Sasha Banks Got Some Revenge On Carmella

Carmella cut a backstage promo tonight and claimed that she used to cater to the WWE Universe like Sasha Banks. Carmella claimed that she called the shots now and snapped her fingers. A hand appeared carrying a glass of champagne but it was revealed to be Sasha. Banks launched the drink in Carmella’s face and beat her down until WWE officials broke it up.

Kevin Owens Sent A Message To Roman Reigns

Kevin Owens battled Jey Uso in the main event. Owens controlled the action early and Jey rolled out of the ring to regroup. Owens followed him to the outside and sent him crashing into the barricade. Back in the ring, Owens stomped on Jey and then beat him down some more in the corner as Reigns and Heyman watched backstage.

The action spilled out of the ring again and Jey sent Owens into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Owens connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Senton. Owens then launched Jey into the ring post and then hit him with a Superkick that sent Jey over the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Owens was still in control and went for a cover but Jey kicked out at two. Jey battled back and connected with an Armbreaker. Jey focused his attack on Owens’ arm and stomped on it several times. Owens booted Jey in the face and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Owens lit up Jey’s chest with a couple chops and went for the Pop-Up Powerbomb but his arm gave out. Jey capitalized with a Superkick for a near fall. Jey Uso climbed to the top rope but Kevin caught him with a punch to the face. Jey headbutted Owens’ injured arm and went for the Uso Splash but Kevin got his knees up. Owens then hit a Neckbreaker for a two count.

Jey launched Owens into the ring post and then grabbed a steel chair from under the ring. Jey hit Owens across the back with the chair and the match ended in a DQ. Uso continued to hit Owens with the chair as Heyman watched Reigns watch Jey Uso backstage. Owens booted Jey in the midsection and followed it up with a Stunner as Reigns had a disappointed look on his face.

Kevin Owens then grabbed a steel chair and hit Jey several times. Owens shouted “are you watching Roman? Where are you? This is happening to your family because of you”. Owens added that he doesn’t fear Roman Reigns and hit him a few more times with the chair.

Heyman put his head in his hands as Reigns watched on. Owens said “Roman, you got a problem with me? Come say it to my face.” Kevin hopped on the announce desk and said he is the head of this table. Owens then hit Jey with another Stunner and took a seat at the head of the announce table. Kevin said “I’ll be waiting” as the camera zoomed in on Reigns to close the show.

Opinion: Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan put on the match of the night but Paul Heyman just staring at Roman Reigns was my favorite part of the show. Reigns has so much power over his stable that Heyman only reacts when Roman wants him to. Overall, this week’s episode of SmackDown was a solid show.

Details On WWE Piping In Crowd Noise At The ThunderDome

Andrew Ravens
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WWE came up with the idea for its ThunderDome set up over the summer and has been running shows from the Amway Center since August. 

The set up gives company officials the ability to use piped-in crowd noise. Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that this is something that WWE has been doing a lot lately. 

Per the report, using recorded crowd noise has been used for every match as of late. It was noted that WWE has always wanted complete control of the crowd noise.

The reason for this is due to it making it appear as if every Superstar they want to get over is over with the fans. On the flip side, those who the company doesn’t want over then they won’t have crowd noise. As a result, this makes it easier to control the narratives.

Although WWE has control over the crowd noise, they still have to deal with visual reactions from fans in the virtual crowd. People still have the chance to give thumbs up or thumbs down among other reactions that are visible. 

Starting December 11th, WWE be moving its ThunderDome setup to Tropicana Field

Details On How Available Vince McMahon Has Been At WWE Shows

Details On How Available Vince McMahon Has Been At WWE Shows

Andrew Ravens
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WWE had to make various changes to its business due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that includes the attendance of Vince McMahon at shows. 

Fightful Select reported today that the WWE Chairman was “stowed away in his office” on most days when they were at the WWE Performance Center. When they signed a deal with the Amway Center and created the ThunderDome, things changed. 

Per the report, McMahon is likely to be sitting in the Gorilla Position a lot more now at SmackDown shows. This wasn’t something that he had been doing while at the Performance Center. 

Before the pandemic, McMahon would attend more SmackDown shows compared to RAW events. However, he did cut back on his travel schedule several months ago. 

Kevin Owens was the person to bring awareness to the WWE Chairman several months ago that people working TV tapings had relaxed on wearing masks and social distancing. This and in addition to positive COVID tests, WWE was forced to do actual COVID testing. 

WWE will be moving from the Amway Center to the Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay starting on December 11th where they’ll be staying for several months until baseball season starts. 

Jon Moxley On WWE Superstars Being Independent Contractors, Why He’s Frugal With Money

Eric Bischoff Says Hulk Hogan Netflix Biopic “Not A Done Deal”

Michael Reichlin
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Eric Bischoff has provided an update on Netflix biopic about the life of wrestling legend and longtime friend, Hulk Hogan. Bischoff confirms his involvement in the project, but insists it is “not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination.”

During a discussion with Christy Olson on After 83 Weeks, Bischoff says media coverage about the Hulk Hogan caught them off-guard. He considers the project “in development” but there has been no casting and no production scheduled. He admits, if Netflix had given the Hogan movie the green light, he’d already be out shopping for a new truck.

“The information about this movie was never supposed to make the press,” Bischoff said. “The project is still technically in development, meaning it’s not scheduled for production. There’s no casting going on. There’s no scheduling going on. It’s still in, I would say, the late stages of development. So it’s not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. I wish it was, because I’d be out looking for a new truck. But it’s not.”

Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) is in discussions to portray Hogan. He’s expressed excitement about the project, but there has been no official announcement from Netflix that it is moving past the preliminary stages. Even Hemsworth’s involvement seems uncertain at this point, despite his own public comments expressing excitement to portray Hogan and learn more about the ‘fascinating’ world of pro wrestling.

Earlier this week, Hulk Hogan tweeted photos of himself and Chris Hemsworth, joking that Hemsworth is “already there” with his physique.

Bischoff added that the bulk of his involvement as a consultant on the film was in the “early, early, early phases.” Director Todd Philips and writer Scott Silver have been linked to the movie. Bischoff says “the packaging” of their involvement makes it easier to attract an A-list star like Chris Hemsworth.

“That’s called packaging, and I think the packaging is what got this movie off the ground,” he said. “That took place two years ago.”

With the Hulk Hogan Netflix project in limbo, Eric Bischoff cites the Covid pandemic as the big holdup. He thinks that it will remain on ice until the world gets back to normal

“The biggest holdup right now folks, is Covid. This is a big movie, by the way. It’s a wrestling based movie. So guess what you need to have in a wrestling based movie—a crowd! Where are you going to do that? You can’t even have ten people at your house for Thanksgiving right now. So until that part of it is figured out, it’s likely that this project is going to stay kind of right where it is, which is really far down the line.”

He finished up with some optimism, adding, “I don’t want to sound like it’s not going to happen. It’s going to happen.”

Watch the rest of Eric Bischoff’s Q&A on the latest After 83 Weeks with Christy Olson in the YouTube player embedded below:

https://youtu.be/VIwCfgiV7LE

Wrestling Trademarks: Human Suplex Machine, John Morrison’s Slamtown & More

Michael Reichlin
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A search of the United States Patent & Trademark Office database reveals several new wrestling-related trademarks filed this week.

Here are some of the latest trademark filings from earlier this week:

  • AEW star Red Velvet (Stephanie Cardona) filed to trademark her ring name on 11/22.
  • Taz (Peter Senerchia) filed for his moniker, The Human Suplex Machine on 11/22. The news of the HSM trademark comes just days after Taz’s son, Tyler Senerchia, trademarked the name “Hook” and appeared on this week’s AEW Dynamite using that name.
  • John Morrison (John Hennigan) filed to trademark SLAMTOWN on 11/23. The primary use for the SLAMTOWN mark is for, “Providing sports information in the field of wrestling.”

Kenny Omega Thought He’d Have To Retire In 2015

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega has revealed he thought he would have to retire from pro wrestling in 2015. Omega shared how he had been suffering from a “terrible herniation” in his neck months prior to Bullet Club turning on AJ Styles in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. This injury forced him to ask for time away from the ring for the first time in his career.

“I lost all power on the right side of my body and I thought that that was it. I thought that I was going to have to wrap it up and maybe I was already sort of winding down,” Omega told Fightful.

He continued, “I was able luckily enough to to turn it around. I think one of the greatest things I can ever ask for is being able to decide what time that is. It’d be great if I could, but unfortunately, as wrestlers, and doing what we do, we sometimes don’t have the ability to choose.”

Omega stressed how an in-ring career can be taken from a wrestler in a heartbeat. This awareness is why he’s so eager to “dip my fingers and toes as much as I as long as I can.”

Kenny Omega’s Outside Interests

Kenny Omega explained how he’s making an active choice to only take on responsibilities he would enjoy outside of the ring. Omega believes by doing so, there will never be a “dull moment” for him.

He then highlighted his investment in video games, anime, bodybuilding, and fitness as personal interests away from pro wrestling.

“I just want to make sure that if for some reason something happens in the ring, or outside of it, or whatever, you never know what’s going to happen, that I exit without regrets.”

Omega admitted he couldn’t put a number on how long he may be an active in-ring performer. He added that he didn’t want to continue until he couldn’t compete anymore. He hopes to be aware of when the time to step away arrives.

Until then, however, he promised to “burn the candle on both ends and go out in a blaze of glory rather than just kind of hang around in a ring longer than I should.”

Kenny Omega competes for the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley on next week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Winter is Coming.

Bayley: It ‘Kills Me’ That Peyton Royce ‘Hasn’t Had That Spotlight Yet’

Steve Russell
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Former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley has praised former IIconics member Peyton Royce. During an interview with the Table Talk podcast, Bayley shared how she’s “always seen something” in Royce. She added how the Raw Superstar simply hasn’t “had that spotlight yet” to stand out.

Bayley explained how both Peyton Royce and Billie Kay lived with her when they first moved to America. She shared how it was difficult for them to find a place to live at first or even get a car. Bayley noted how she actually knew Kay already but had yet to meet Royce at the time.

“I didn’t know Peyton at all but she was awesome and super sweet. Once I saw her get in the ring, I was like, wow dude, you’re incredible,” Bayley stated. “I’ve always had an eye for her. She just hasn’t had the time to show that even when IIconics were the Tag Team Champions. She just hasn’t had that spotlight yet. It kills me that she hasn’t had that yet.”

Bayley also discussed her heel turn. She admitted it was “hard to switch” from her happy, bubbly character to the angrier, more sullen version she currently portrays.

“[…] it’s just as hard to try to change my whole personality and just be mad all the time and to find reasons to be angry,” Bayley explained. “[…] It was definitely hard to switch. It was definitely harder than I thought it was going to be. But now it is so much fun. I think I’ve found my niche where I can find a piece of my personality in it and use that to make this bigger.”

Bayley competed during last Sunday’s Survivor Series event. She participated as a member of Team SmackDown. Team Raw would eventually win the Traditional 5-on-5 elimination matchup. Lana would be Raw’s sole survivor.

Sasha Banks Dreams Of Being A General Manager, Teases Future Projects Outside WWE

Steve Russell
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WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks has shared what her future ambitions look like, both in and outside of pro wrestling.

When asked what could be next for “The Boss” during an interview with Stephanie Chase, Banks explained how she’d love to be a WWE shareholder. Furthermore, she dreams of being a general manager.

“To be a shareholder in the WWE, maybe take over Vince’s job. [It] is a dream of mine to be a general manager, make billions. There’s just so much more to do,” Banks said. “In WWE, you can absolutely be anything and everything, so my goals are not stopping here just because I’m the Grand Slam Champion.”

Banks also discussed the possibility of a clothing line or getting into music in the future. She admitted she could see “all of that” happening before revealing she has numerous plans lined up.

“I have plans for many incredible big things for myself. I’m really excited for the future,” Banks shared. “I’ve been stopping non-stop since 2020 to accomplish all my dreams that I’ve had since I was a little girl. So wrestling’s not the only thing, but you can expect all of that in the future, yes.”

Sasha Banks competed during last Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. She faced off against Raw Women’s Champion Asuka in a Champion vs. Champion bout that she eventually won.

Booker T Reflects On His Friendship With The Undertaker

Steve Russell
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Following The Undertaker’s ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has looked back on his friendship with “The Dead Man.” 

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T shared how, although he was a similar age to The Undertaker and both men are from Texas, he “looked at Taker a little bit different from the rest of the boys in the locker room” when he first came into the then-WWF.

He explained how he couldn’t help but look at him differently because he was The Undertaker. Booker T added how “everyone else” also looked at him differently because of who he was and what he had accomplished.

It’s a respect that Booker T was adamant he give to “The Phenom.” 

“I made sure when I came in the WWF, WWE now, that I wasn’t coming in saying, hey, I’m here. It wasn’t anything like that. I said I’m going to come in here and make this thing work out. Taker was the first guy to come up to me and say, ‘Take it all in. It’s WrestleMania. It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Just slow it down and have some fun out there.'”

Booker T revealed that The Undertaker was the first person to invite him into the TV locker room. He explained how only eight people were in there, but he was chosen to join them. Despite ‘Taker’s invitation, however, Booker T declined the offer.

“I didn’t take it upon myself to dress in the TV locker room. I made sure I dressed in the locker room with all the boys and there were probably 30 plus guys in there,” Booker T explained. “He was gracious enough to see something in me as well. I thought that was pretty cool.”

He continued, “But to watch him the way he came up and the way he did it, not just with one guy or two guys. The Undertaker did it with every guy on the roster. He put Maven over. People don’t remember that kind of stuff. People don’t see that kind of stuff. They don’t understand. It’s like the wind. They can feel it but they can’t touch it.”

Booker T then noted how fans don’t get to see many Superstars celebrate 30-year careers. He acknowledged how people may work for 20 years in the industry; however, they wouldn’t consistently perform in the way The Undertaker did.

He added how modern Superstars should “pick the brain” of The Undertaker and experienced Superstars like him. Booker T argued they should be focused on asking critical questions about longevity as wrestling “is not about how fast you do it.”

Eric Bischoff Explains Why He ‘Always Hated’ The Abyss Character

Steve Russell
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Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recalled his time in TNA during a recent episode of his podcast 83 Weeks. He and Conrad Thompson discussed TNA’s 2010 Bound For Glory pay-per-view.  

During the episode, Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on Abyss, describing him as a wonderful human being who was “stuck on this Mick Foley ripoff character.” It was a gimmick Bischoff confessed he always hated.

“Abyss is a wonderful human being. He is an amazingly talented guy but he was stuck on this Mick Foley ripoff character. I always hated that character, I couldn’t stand it when I was in TNA,” Bischoff said. “I couldn’t wait to get Abyss out of the Abyss character and get him into the Chris Park character which he did a phenomenal job at.”

Abyss competed against Rob Van Dam in a Monster’s Ball match on the card. Despite the match stipulations intending to, in theory, favor Abyss, Van Dam would emerge victorious from their bout.

In 2019, Chris Parks, who portrayed Abyss in TNA, signed a contract with WWE. He currently works for the company as a producer. He made his on-screen debut during the August 14 episode of SmackDown, appearing as AJ Styles’ statistician during Styles’ feud with Jeff Hardy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD66lvuBrXY

The Young Bucks Talk Mick Foley’s Influence on Their New Book

Jake Skudder
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The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The AEW Tag Team Champions discussed a number of topics during their time on the show; these included their time in IMPACT, changing their working style and writing their new autobiography.

Matt Jackson would start by saying how much of an influence Mick Foley’s ‘Have a Nice Day’ book was when he was younger. “Ever since I was a kid I remember reading Mick Foley’s Have a Nice Day. It was when I was a freshman, I think it was in my language arts class?”

The Young Bucks on Autobiography

“Miss Mira, for some reason she had that book on her bookshelf” Matt Jackson would continue. “I picked it up, I read it and I fell in love with it. I remember telling myself at the end like ‘man if I ever have a career worth writing about that would be so cool!’ So it was always a dream of mine to write a book.”

Jackson would then describe how they were contacted by Harper Collins, one of the major global publishers. “We got an offer from from HarperCollins publishing, which is one of the biggest in the world. When HarperCollins calls? You pick up, you know? At the time Nick and I were going through a really strange thing in our career, like a kind of a fork in the road.”

Matt Jackson would then say how the timing of the book coincided with the Young Bucks getting an offer from WWE. “There was the big decision to be made, whether or not we’re gonna go to WWE or if we’re gonna start this new thing (AEW). And I remember thinking to myself like ‘this is worth documenting’ and we do have a really interesting story. It’s a story that is kind of different than all the other wrestling books you’ve probably read from the the Attitude Era guys.”

“I think we have a unique story” Matt Jackson continued. “We were the first guys from the independent ‘boom’ era that have really had a chance to write our story. I was going to say put pen to paper but it wasn’t even been to paper! It was literally all written on our iPhones in between business trips and in hotel rooms and while I was at the bus stop waiting for my daughter to get picked up from school. We were literally writing this thing while we were opening up AEW so it was really terrible timing, actually.”

Have you read The Young Bucks’ new book? Let us know in the comments

The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks

Jon Moxley On WWE Superstars Being Independent Contractors, Why He’s Frugal With Money

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling World Champion Jon Moxley has shared his thoughts on how WWE considers its talent to be independent contractors. He stressed how WWE’s terminology “is not true.” Moxley broached the issue while appearing on the debut episode of Renee Young’s new podcast, Oral Sessions.

“When I was doing my taxes in WWE, because you’re an independent contractor – which is not true – you’re a fu–ing employee,” Moxley explained. “So, you have to pay your taxes. In the developmental first couple of years, I didn’t make that much money. I was able to do them myself on TurboTax.”

When Jon Moxley first began to earn a lot of money in WWE, he confessed the tax situation became confusing. He sought out the help of an accountant and a financial advisor who asked what he wanted to do with the money. Aware that “this could all end tomorrow,” Moxley wanted to save as much as he could. That way, he’d be covered in case anything happened.

“That was my plan when I just started to make a little money in WWE. I was going to hoard it and save it because this could end at any moment,” Moxley said. “Went up, and had really nice, long run. Went over five years, but I still have that same mentality. I don’t ever want to depend on anyone else for a paycheck if that was the case.”

Moxley added how he still doesn’t like to spend money. Despite all his success, Moxley maintains a savings mindset that sees him continue to be frugal with his earnings instead of suddenly becoming something he’s not.

Jon Moxley is set to defend his AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega. The two clash on the December 2 episode of AEW Dynamite, entitled AEW Winter is Coming.

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