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Victim In 1980s Ring Boy Scandal Passes Away, Family Blames WWE

Chris Stephens
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Tom Cole, the victim at the center of the 1980s “ring boy scandal” in WWE has passed away. The death has been ruled a suicide. Our sincerest condolences go out to the Cole family and Tom’s brother Lee.

Lee Cole put out a statement on Twitter over the weekend. He addresses WWE directly in his post.

“My brother Tom Committed suicide a couple of hours ago. Vince Mc Mahon and his wife Linda let child molesters into their companies years ago and did everything possible to cover up what they did to my brother. I hope you can sleep good at night Vince. Our family suffers. Thank U,” he Tweeted.

Wresting journalist, David Bixenspan, has been Tweeting about this.

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1360412279762800640
https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1360421481155600385

In keeping with ethical guidelines on the reporting of suicide, further details regarding the cause of death have not been posted. Suicide prevention lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. More information on warning signs as well as additional helpful information can be found here.

Lee Cole’s YouTube video talking about the 1980s ring boy scandal and his brother Tom is below:

The ring boy scandal was covered on an episode of the Donahue show in 1992.

An anonymous source spoke to Business Insider about what happened with the ring boy scandal in the 1980s.

“The boys that the company hired to put up the ring and so forth, were being … had by some of the folks who were in the wrestling ops side of things. And it was just generally known, by everybody, that it was going on.”

They also note that the McMahons “clearly knew what was going on, but really did nothing to stop it…. There was not a damn thing we could do about it.”

NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day Results: Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Robert Lentini
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NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day aired from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando. Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in the main event. Eli Drake (LA Knight) showed up during the Kickoff Show before the PPV. The finals of the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament took place during NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day as well.

NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day Results

  1. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai def. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon to win the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
  2. Johnny Gargano def. Kushida to retain the NXT North American Championship
  3. MSK def. Grizzled Young Veterans to win the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
  4. Io Shirai def. Toni Storm & Mercedez Martinez to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
  5. Finn Balor def. Pete Dunne to retain the NXT Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Kai & Gonzalez Won The Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez faced Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in the finals of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Shotzi went for a Sleeper Hold but Raquel threw her to the canvas. Ember tagged in and went for a Waist Lock but Gonzalez shoved her away. Gonzalez connected with a Sidewalk Slam and Blackheard tagged herself back in.

Raquel launched Moon out of the ring and slammed Shotzi to the canvas for a near fall. Kai tagged in and Shotzi trapped her in a Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring. Dakota battled through the pain and was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Ember tagged in and hit a Splash for a two count.

Blackheart tagged in and locked in a Half Crab in the middle of the ring. Ember tagged in and continued to work on Dakota’s knee by applying a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Gonzalez tagged back in and sent Ember Moon flying across the ring with a Fallaway Slam.

Dakota Kai connected with a Flying Clothesline off the top rope and went for the cover but Shotzi broke it up at two. Gonzalez brought Shotzi out of the ring and Powerbombed her into the barricade. Gonzalez went for a Clothesline but Moon ducked and Raquel leveled Dakota Kai.

Ember made her way to the top rope and hit Gonzalez with the Eclipse and went for the cover but Dakota distracted the referee. Moon leveled Raquel with a Dropkick and tagged in Blackheart. Kai tagged in as well and Shotzi hit a Gutbuster for a two count. Raquel tagged back and walked into an Enziguri from Shotzi. Gonzalez and Blackheart then battled on the top turnbuckle. Shotzi connected with Sliced Bread and went for the cover but Kai broke it up.

Blackheart took out Kai with a Suicide Dive and tagged in Ember Moon. Moon hit a Codebreaker for a near fall and then went back to the top rope. Shotzi lifted Dakota up in the Electric Chair and Moon hit a Crossbody. Ember Dropkicked Gonzalez into the steel steps and rolled her back into the ring. Kai booted Ember in the face and tagged back in.

Kai hit Shotzi with the Chiropractor for another near fall. Raquel launched Ember Moon onto the entrance ramp and then off the stage. Back in the ring, Shotzi hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Gonzalez kicked out at two. Shotzi sent Gonzalez out of the ring and then sent Dakota on top of her with a Back Body Drop. Raquel tossed Dakota onto Shotzi for a Splash and then planted Shotzi with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai are the winners of the first women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Gargano Retained In A Great Match With Kushida

Johnny Gargano defended the NXT North American CHampionship against Kushida tonight at Vengeance Day. Kushida brought Gargano down to the canvas and applied a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring. Gargano escaped and but Kushida quickly took him back down with a Headlock. Gargano sent Kushida out of the ring and threw him into the steel steps.

Kushida connected with a Suplex on the floor and then rolled Gargano inside the ring. Kushida hit Gargano with a Dropkick to the left arm and then slammed it on the mat several times. Gargano battled back and planted Kushida with a Neckbreaker. Johnny regrouped and then applied another Headlock to Kushida in the middle of the ring.

Kushida escaped the Headlock and applied an Octopus stretch. Gargano and Kushida traded roll-ups before hitting each other with a Clothesline at the same time. Kushida connected with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out at the last moment.

Gargano climbed to the top rope but Kushida caught him with a boot to the face. Kushida joined Gargano on the turnbuckle and went for a Superplex but Johnny countered into a Suplex of his own. Gargano followed it up with a DDT for another two count. Kushida and Gargano traded punches and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Kushida applied the Hoverboard Lock but Gargano was able to escape. Kushida Suplexed Johnny into the turnbuckle and then locked in an Armbar in the middle of the ring. Gargano was able to get his boot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Gargano brought Kushida out of the ring and threw him into the barricade.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1361116825585651712?s=20

Kushida hit Gargano in the left arm but Johnny responded by slamming Kushida’s neck into the top rope. Gargano planted Kushida with the One Final Beat DDT on the entrance ramp and rolled the challenger back inside the ring. Gargano hit the One Final Beat for a 2nd time for the pinfall victory. Johnny Gargano is still the NXT North American Champion.

MSK Won The Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee) faced Grizzled Young Veterans (Zach Gibson & James Drake) in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Nash Carter sent James Drake into the turnbuckle and hit him with an elbow to the face. Wes lee tagged in and hit Drake with a Bronco Buster in the corner of the ring. Gibson tagged in and walked into a Hurricanrana from Wes Lee.

Lee flipped onto the Grizzled Young Veterans outside the ring. Nash Carter followed it up with a Crossbody onto James Drake but turned around into a Clothesline from Gibson. Back in the ring, Zach planted Carter with a Neckbreaker and tagged in Drake. James applied a Headlock to Carter in the middle of the ring.

Nash escaped but Drake caught him with an elbow to the face for a near fall. Wes Lee tagged in and planted James Drake with a Suplex. Drake battled back and trapped Wes Lee in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Grizzled Young Veterans went for Doomsday Device but Wes Lee countered into a roll-up for a two count.

Nash Carter tagged in and hit a Swanton on Drake. Wes Lee flipped onto Drake as well but James kicked out at two. Gibson lifted Wes Lee up in the Electric Chair and then Carter hit him with a Suicide Dive. MSK hit Grizzled Young Veterans with double Superkicks and then Wes Lee flipped onto Carter for the pinfall victory. MSK won the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Io Shirai Retained The NXT Women’s Championship

Io Shirai defended the NXT Women’s Championship against Mercedes Martinez & Toni Storm in a Triple Threat match. Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez started off back and forth before the NXT Women’s Champion hit them both with a Dropkick. Io applied a Headlock to Storm and then Martinez got Io in a Sleeper Hold at the same time.

Mercedes launched Io across the ring and then went for a boot to the face but the NXT Women’s Champion got out of the way. Shirai hit the 619 and then the action spilled out of the ring. Martinez planted Toni with a DDT on the floor as Io Shirai climbed up part of the stage. Io leaped and took out Martinez and Storm outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Martinez planted Toni with a Fisherman’s Suplex for a near fall. Toni hit a headbutt and followed it up with Storm Zero but somehow Mercedes kicked out at two. Storm made her way to the top rope and hit a Flying Headbutt. Toni went for the cover but Io came out of nowhere with a Moonsault to break up the cover. Shirai then pinned Martinez for the victory and retained the NXT Women’s Championship.

Finn Balor Retained, Adam Cole Betrayed Kyle O’Reilly

Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne in the main event of TakeOver: Vengeance Day. Dunne and Balor locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action. Finn locked in an Armbar but Dunne battled to his feet. Pete escaped and the two superstars circled each other before locking up again.

Dunne hit Balor with a headbutt to his recently broken jaw and started bending back Finn’s fingers. Balor battled back and wrestled Dunne down to the canvas. Pete got the NXT Champion in an Armbar and bent Balor’s fingers back while maintaining the hold. Dunne connected with an Enziguri but Balor responded with a massive Clothesline for a near fall.

Finn unloaded several strikes to the back of Dunne’s head and applied a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Dunne escaped the hold but the NXT Champion beat him down in the corner of the ring. Balor and Dunne traded chops to the chest and then kicks to the face.

Pete Dunne caught Balor and stomped on his face a few times. Dunne followed it up with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Balor was able to kick out at the last moment. Dunne stomped on Balor’s fingers but Finn responded with a boot to Pete’s injured knee. Balor connected with a Backstabber and then a Dropkick.

Balor made his way to the top rope and went for the Coup de Grace but Dunne countered into a Triangle submission in the middle of the ring. Finn was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold but the NXT Champion also passed out in the process. Pete tried to drag Balor to his feet but he collapsed against the ropes.

Dunne shrugged his shoulders and stomped on Balor’s face. Dunne went for the Bitter End but Balor escaped. Finn went for the 1916 but Dunne blocked it. Balor applied an Abdominal Stretch but Pete broke the hold by snapping back Finn’s fingers. Dunne then hit the Bitter End and went for the cover but Balor kicked out at two.

Pete went for a Powerbomb but Balor was able to counter into a DDT. Balor went for a Dropkick but Dunne was ready and hit an Enziguri. Balor escaped the Bitter End again and hit a reverse DDT for a two count. Dunne once again grabbed onto Finn’s fingers and snapped them back. Balor responded with a stomp on Dunne’s back and ripped out Pete’s mouth guard. Finn hit a Dropkick to the face and then hit the Coup de Grace. Balor didn’t go for the cover and planted Dunne with the 1916 for the pinfall victory. Finn Balor is still the NXT Champion.

After the match, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan attacked Balor on the entrance ramp. Burch and Lorcan threw Balor into the ring and Dunne joined in on the attack. Undisputed Era rushed the ring and made the save as Lorcan, Burch, and Dunne retreated. Adam Cole then hit Finn Balor with a Superkick out of nowhere and Kyle O’Reilly started arguing with him. Cole leveled Kyle O’Reilly with a Superkick as well and then left the ring. Roderick Strong looked at Finn and Kyle laying on the canvas and then back at Adam Cole on the entrance ramp as TakeOver went off the air.

Opinion: Every single match tonight delivered in my opinion. My only complaint is that I wish the NXT Women’s Championship Triple Threat match was given about ten more minutes. Overall, NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day was a terrific professional wrestling show. There weren’t any gimmick matches or superstars shooting fireballs. It was simply 2.5 hours of everyone giving it their all and beating the hell out of each other.

Finn Balor Retains NXT Title, Adam Cole Turns On Kyle O’Reilly

Andrew Ravens
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After a tough battle, Finn Balor has walked out of the latest special for the black and yellow brand as the top champion. 

Balor made his latest title defense against Pete Dunne at the WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day event The match had a slow build with a lot of grappling and selling by Balor. Things picked up and they traded moves and near falls.  

In the end, Balor connected with a double foot stomp off the top rope then hit 1916 to successfully retain the NXT Title. Post-match, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan attacked Balor until Undisputed Era ran down to make the save. Kyle O’Reilly offered his hand to Balor, who answered and they shook hands. Adam Cole took out Balor with a superkick then one to Kyle O’Reilly. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1361136164472840192

On the February 3rd edition of NXT, Balor and Dunne took part in a segment that was interrupted by men’s Royal Rumble winner Edge, which led to him doing a promo about how he’s allowed to challenge any champion in the company. He put them over for being two of the best and said he’d be watching their match at TakeOver.

He noted that if he hasn’t decided which title he’ll be challenging for at WrestleMania then he would be watching this match closely and the outcome may make him decide his choice. 

WrestleVotes reported last week that WWE officials have talked about the title being defended on one of the nights of WrestleMania 37. Those talks have not been finalized and there’s no word yet on the competitors in the match.

Io Shirai Retains Women’s Title At WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day

Andrew Ravens
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Io Shirai was successful in her latest title defense of the NXT Women’s Title. 

She did so at Sunday’s WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day event when she beat Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm in a Triple Threat Match. 

The match saw a brawling style with everyone trying to get their spots in. A typical three-way. At one point, Storm was going to do a spot with the announce table, but it broke by itself as she was clearing it. After Storm hit a headbutt off the top rope to Martinez, Io hit a moonsault onto them and pinned Martinez for the win. 

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1361130466691194891

On the January 27th edition of NXT, Shirai, Storm, and Martinez took part in a three-way brawl with it ending seeing  Storm standing tall and holding up the title. Last month, Martinez made her return to NXT by attacking Shirai, who had been challenged by Storm and went to the ring to call her out. However, Martinez took her out by throwing her into the announce table.

Although Storm & Martinez teamed together in the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, they were quickly eliminated by Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter in the first round. This was done thanks to Shirai attacking Martinez during the match.

What are your thoughts on Io Shirai retaining the NXT Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

MSK Crowned 2021 Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Winners

Andrew Ravens
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The 2021 men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is in the books as the final two teams battled it out for the trophy. 

At NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) took on MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) in the finals of the tournament.

The match saw a chaotic style with the babyfaces selling throughout it until they made their comeback. The match broke down into a spot fest until MSK hit their finisher to Gibson for the victory. 

As a result, they’ve received the Dusty Cup and a shot at Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch’s NXT Tag Team titles.

The semi-finals were held last week on NXT, which saw The Grizzled Young Veterans defeat Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher while MSK advanced to the finals by defeating Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde 

The Grizzled Young Veterans had defeated Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel) in the first round of the tournament then Kushida & Leon Ruff in the quarterfinals. On the flip side, MSK defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott & Jake Atlas in the first round before they beat Drake Maverick & Killian Dain in the quarterfinals.

MSK Wins 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

MSK, who are former Rascalz members Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, made their promotional debut in this year’s tournament while this marked the second straight year The Grizzled Young Veterans worked the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Last year, they lost to Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne in the finals of the tournament.

Past winners include:

  • 2015: Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
  • 2016: The Authors of Pain
  • 2018: The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly)
  • 2019: Aleister Black and Ricochet
  • 2020: The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne)

Johnny Gargano Keeps North American Title At WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day

Andrew Ravens
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The first title match Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida was a memorable one. 

As seen at Sunday’s (February 14, 2021) WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day event in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center on the WWE Network, Gargano defended the North American Title against Kushida. 

The match saw them work a slow grappling pace as Gargano was working over the left arm of his opponent. They would do a submission spot then into a flurry of spots then slow things down again. They both worked over each other’s left arm and tried to make the other submit. Gargano hit his finisher for the win. 

On the February 3rd edition of NXT, Gargano was informed of this match, but at first, he didn’t believe the news and went to question NXT General Manager William Regal about it. When he walked in, Kushida was in Regal’s office, and this led to Gargano attacking him. However, Kushida got the better of their brawl before it was broken up.

WWE holds the fallout episode from this show of NXT on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if WWE continues this feud or goes in a different direction. Either way, they put on one heck of a match that delivered. 

Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez Win First-Ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Andrew Ravens
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Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are the winners of the first-ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

It happened when they took on Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day special. The match, which opened the show, saw both teams have moments where they dominated until the other team made a hot tag and comeback.

The finish was Gonzalez tossing Blackheart off the top rope and hitting her finisher for the win. 

Blackheart and Moon advanced to the finals by scoring a win over Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell last week on NXT. Before that, they beat Marina Shafir and Zoey Stark in the first round of the women’s Dusty Classic. 

On the flip side, Kai and Gonzalez defeated Aliyah and Jessi Kamea in the first round of the tournament and Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter in the semifinals.

As a result of this win, they got the Dusty Cup and a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, which are currently held by  Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler. The titles can be defended on WWE’s main roster brands and in NXT.

The Dusty Rhodes tag team classic tournament was established in 2015 as a tribute to the legendary pro wrestler. 

Eli Drake Debuts At NXT Takeover, Now Known As ‘LA Knight’

Andrew Ravens
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Eli Drake is headed to WWE. The former Impact Wrestling and NWA star signed over the weekend and is joining the NXT brand.

The man formerly known as Eli Drake is now going by the name LA Knight. He was introduced to the WWE Universe at Sunday’s NXT Takeover: Vengeance pay-per-view.

Following his debut on WWE programming, LA Knight is rumored to be part of the next class of WWE Performance Center recruits. They begin training on February 23rd. 

He had originally been under contract with WWE several years ago as he worked under the NXT banner from October 2013 through May 2014. He was released by the company and later signed with Impact Wrestling in February 2015.

During his run with Impact, he held the World Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles. He was positioned as an upper card talent throughout his run. Impact announced in April 2019 that they had terminated Drake from his contract two months before it was slated to expire.

He moved on and signed with the NWA. In 2019, he would become the first person announced as signing an exclusive deal with the NWA, which went on hiatus last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Taya Valkyrie Signs With WWE, Headed To NXT (Report)

Chris Stephens
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The NXT Women’s division is about to get a major player. According to a report from PW Insider, Taya Valkyrie has signed with WWE and will be headed to the NXT brand. Taya had been with Impact Wrestling from 2017 to the end of 2020. She was a focal point in the promotion throughout her entire run.

Prior to ending up in Impact Wrestling, Taya Valkyrie was a big star in Mexico with AAA. She is a multi-time Reina de Reinas Champion (a title she still holds) and was part of the Perros del Mal faction. She also performed in Lucha Underground from 2016-18.

Valkyrie trained with Lance Storm at the Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is originally from Victoria, BC, Canada.

Taya had the longest single-reign in Impact Knockouts Championship history during her run with the company. She was voted Knockout of the year in the promotion in 2019. In storyline, her run with the promotion came to an end when she was arrested for the shooting and attempted murder of John E. Bravo.

Taya recently spoke to HighSpots about possible future match-ups in either AEW or WWE.

“Well, I really enjoy both products” Taya Valkyrie began. “Obviously, I’m a wrestling fan, always have been. There’s a lot of people that get into wrestling [that] are wrestling fans, surprise, and honestly, I don’t know what’s gonna happen next for me because as a lot of people don’t realize is that I have been signed for about eight-and-a-half years from AAA into Lucha Underground into IMPACT.” 

PROGRESS World Title Match Airing on WWE Network This Weekend

Jake Skudder
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It was recently revealed that PROGRESS Wrestling will be returning as of next weekend. WWE recently confirmed via Twitter that Chapter 104: Natural Progression will be airing on the WWE Network Saturday 20th February at 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. GMT.

The main theme of the show surrounds the Natural Progression Series tournament; however there are other bouts that will be featured on the night as well. One of the bigger matches now confirmed involve the PROGRESS Unified World Champion, Cara Noir.

PROGRESS World Championship

PROGRESS confirmed that the ‘Black Swan’ Cara Noir will be defending his Championship against Dan Moloney. The company confirmed the following via Twitter: “after NPS6 @drillamoloney has unfinished business with PROGRESS World Champion @Cara_Noir. Will Dan destroy the dream return of the Black Swan? Chapter 104: Natural Progression airs 20th February 3pm ET / 8pm GMT on Demand PROGRESS & WWE network.”

Dan Moloney was previously a competitor in the NXT UK promotion, although he was quietly released after a short run in the company. Moloney was one of the standout stars of the United Kingdom scene in 2019, and he looks to bring back that momentum when he returns to in-ring action next weekend.

PROGRESS Champion Cara Noir was also one of the huge success stories prior to the pandemic. This included a major bout against AEW star PAC, which you can check out here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the company have been unable to run shows for almost a year. The last Chapter event 103: Beer Snake City took place on 23rd February 2020.

Pat McAfee Responds To Triple H, Addresses WWE Future

Jake Skudder
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Former NFL kicker and one time NXT performer Pat McAfee recently addressed his future with WWE. Speaking on his Pat McAfee Show podcast, the man who looked extremely impressive in his debut against Adam Cole last year discussed where he goes from here with the company.

NXT head Triple H recently addressed Pat McAfee’s status in WWE during a recent media call. “Pat’s limitations are…he’s a busy guy,” Triple H said. “Pat is one of the most successful… I hate to put a title on what he does because I feel like it’s limiting to him, but like you say… podcaster, media personality, sports world personality… almost every weekend that I look online during football season Pat seems to be trending on the weekends. His coverage of football, his association with FanDuel, just everything that he does.”

Pat McAfee on NXT/WWE Return

“I was talked about in the wrestling community yesterday by Triple H, actually, about my future plans. It was interesting,” McAfee began on the Pat McAfee Show. “I mean, all very nice things he said there, but me learning about being written off TV did happen live on the air. He’s a very nice man, Mr. H, for everything he said. He did say, basically, like, ‘Pat has been very busy. Kind of a fat a– right now. He’s going to have to get back into shape,’ basically is what he said. And then maybe we’ll think about something.”

“I’ve not heard anything, by the way,” McAfee continued. “Have not heard anything. No ideas. But I do believe the first step would be to have the diet match the amount of conditioning I’ve been doing in the Oculus. And when that happens, look out.”

There’s currently no confirmation on when or where Pat McAfee will return to WWE or NXT programming.

h/t to 411Mania for the transcription

Finn Balor Wants More Cross-Promotion in Wrestling

Jake Skudder
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WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke on the concept of ‘cross-promoting’ multiple pro wrestling companies. 2021 has already been a big year for promotions outside of WWE; with NJPW, AEW, IMPACT and AAA all seemingly looking to trade talent over 2021 (at least).

Speaking to Bleacher Report’s Graham Matthews, Balor said “I know there’s a lot of cross-brand work going on, which is something I’ve been an advocate for for years. I don’t feel like we should be limited to what our contract says or what company we work for.”

“I feel like wrestling on the whole can be better if we all worked together” Finn Balor continued. “So if that means me going to Japan or me going to Europe or me going to Mexico? I’m down to do that. I’m all for the open-border policy, not just between countries but companies as well.”

With All Elite Wrestling dominating the Wednesday Night ratings most weeks? It may be time for NXT to pursue other options to generate more buzz around the brand. NXT/WWE have worked with other promotions in the past, with the likes of Hideo Itami (now in NJPW) going to Pro Wrestling NOAH for an appearance. WWE also has strong links with the likes of PROGRESS, ICW, OTT, EVOLVE and wXw; although these are of course not on the level of an IMPACT, AEW or NJPW.

The only other major promotions that WWE seemingly could work with are CMLL, AJPW, NOAH or Ring of Honor; although it would be extremely unlikely, especially in ROH’s case, as they are owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in their own right.

Whilst Finn Balor does make an intriguing point, there’s probably a very slim chance that WWE will operate with other major promotions going forward.

Sammy Guevara Reportedly Rejected Planned Storyline In Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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0

Sammy Guevara was reportedly sent home from the recent Impact tapings in Nashville. According to a report from Slam Wrestling, Guevara rejected a storyline that would have seen the 27-year-old debut in the promotion.

Chris Jericho is said to have come up with an idea for Guevara to appear in Impact Wrestling. This would take place after he quit the Inner Circle on Dynamite. Guevara, however, is said to have contacted Impact directly with complaints about the creative direction. Impact then contacted Jericho and Tony Khan about Guevara’s comments. It’s not known what Guevara’s complaints were or what he said to Impact.

It doesn’t appear as though Jericho was happy about whatever Guevara said to Impact, however. Jericho is then said to have reached out to his longtime friend, Don Callis, about “banning Guevara” from the premises. Jericho is then believed to have sent Guevara a text instructing him to head home and not attend the tapings in Nashville.

*Update*

The issue was covered recently on an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“AEW and Impact are still working together. From an AEW standpoint, there’s not any heat on Sammy for what he did. From the Impact side, I’m sure there is. That’s just what the deal is,” said Dave Meltzer.

There had been speculation amongst fans online that Guevara could turn up in Impact Wrestling. Evidently, there were plans for this to happen at one point.

At the conclusion of last night’s No Surrender broadcast, Impact announced that NJPW Juice Robinson and David Finlay are coming to the promotion. Private Party and Matt Hardy have been in Impact for the last month. Kenny Omega frequently appeared on the show throughout December and January.

Huge Name Joining NJPW/IMPACT/AEW Partnership

Jake Skudder
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It was revealed during last night’s IMPACT No Surrender event that Juice Robinson and David Finlay would be heading to the promotion this week. Alongside KENTA, that makes three mainstay NJPW stars that have appeared on both AEW/IMPACT programming over the past few weeks.

It’s now common knowledge that All Elite and IMPACT have a working relationship; this began on-screen at the December 2nd ‘Winter Is Coming’ episode of AEW Dynamite. Kenny Omega and Don Callis aligned at the end of that show and Omega began appearing on IMPACT television.

It does appear however that there’s even more to come. Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that NJPW star Kazuchika Okada will be part of the ongoing partnerships between NJPW, AEW and IMPACT. Meltzer also noted that he does not know where Okada will be appearing first; but he stated that he is coming to either AEW or IMPACT.

Kazuchika Okada in TNA

This is another interesting wrinkle in the ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline that seems to be engulfing the major promotions outside of WWE. When Okada was originally in the TNA promotion back in 2010-2011. Whilst there Okada was used as a lower card performer, with a ‘Kato’ gimmick from The Green Hornet.

The way that Kazuchika Okada was used by TNA was so appalling that NJPW cut all ties with the promotion shortly after, vowing never to work with Total Nonstop Action again. Reportedly in 2017, representatives of the now IMPACT Wrestling spoke to New Japan officials. Members of the IMPACT team actually apologised for the way Okada was used earlier in the decade. It’s likely that the people who apologised weren’t even involved in his booking at that time.

If Kazuchika Okada were to make an appearance at an AEW or IMPACT show? It could be a huge power move for all involved. Okada is classed as one of the greatest IWGP Heavyweight Champions in history; there’s plenty of dream match scenarios that could occur if the ‘Rainmaker’ comes to the United States.

NJPW’s Juice Robinson & David Finlay Headed To Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Doors between professional wrestling organizations are being opened and walked through with increased frequency lately. As announced on last night’s No Surrender event, NJPW’s Juice Robinson and David Finlay are headed to Impact Wrestling.

At the conclusion of last night’s broadcast on Impact Plus, a video promoting the debut of Juice and Finlay in Impact was shown.

Impact has also announced that both Juice and Finlay will be on the show Tuesday night.

Collectively known as “Fin Juice,” the pair are former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. They also won the World Tag League tournament in 2019. Robinson is also a former 2x IWGP United States Champion.

Don Callis On Juice Robinson

Don Callis had previously expressed that Juice Robinson was someone he would like to bring into his promotion. On an episode of his old “Killin the Town” podcast in 2018, Callis had the following to say about Juice.

“Juice is a tremendous performer with unlimited likeability and unlimited charisma,” Callis said. “He definitely is a rock star.”

“I really like him a lot,” Callis continued. “He’s a guy you build a company around.”

In the same interview from nearly 3 years ago, Callis made some prophetic statements.

“I agree with a lot of the conjecture online that talks about the fact that there are walls being broken down in the business right now,” Callis said. “I might just be the guy holding the hammer.”

Japan Bracket For AEW Women’s Title-Eliminator Tournament Revealed

Chris Stephens
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AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida took to Twitter recently to announce the Japan side of AEW’s women’s title-eliminator tournament brackets. Shida will call the action for the tournament matches hosted in Japan as well.

Women’s Title Eliminator Tournament Japan Bracket:

  1. Yuka Sakazaki vs Mei Surunga (February 15th, 2021 Show on YouTube)
  2. Veny vs Emi Sakura (February 15th, 2021 Show on YouTube)
  3. Maki Itoh vs Ryo Mizunami (February 15th, 2021 Show on YouTube)
  4. Aja Kong vs Rin Kadokura (February 15th, 2021 Show on YouTube)
  5. Quarter-Final: Winner #1 vs Winner #2 (Date TBD)
  6. Quarter-Final: Winner #3 vs Winner #4 (Date TBD)
  7. Semi-Final: Winner #5 vs Winner #6
  8. The winner will then face the winner of the American side of the bracket in the tournament finals.

In a series of Tweets, Shida introduced some of the competitors that will take part in the Japanese half of the tournament:

https://twitter.com/kaelanramos/status/1360316819949707264?s=12
https://twitter.com/KaelanRamos/status/1359921196440178691
https://twitter.com/KaelanRamos/status/1359936542609985546

The American side of the bracket is as follows:

  1. Thunder Rosa defeated Leyla Hirsch (2/10/21)
  2. Serena Deeb vs Riho
  3. Tay Conti vs Nyla Rose
  4. Britt Baker vs Anna Jay
  5. Quarter-Final: Winner #1 vs Winner #2
  6. Quarter-Final: Winner #3 vs Winner #4
  7. Semi-Final Winner #5 vs Winner #6
  8. The winner will then face the winner of the Japanese side of the bracket in the tournament finals.

Vince McMahon & Macho Man’s Characters On “Young Rock” Revealed

Chris Stephens
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Young Rock debuts this week on NBC and wrestling fans will likely be pleased to know that two iconic personalities from the industry will be portrayed on the show. The Rock took to social media recently to reveal who will be playing the roles of Vince McMahon and “Macho Man” Randy Savage on the show.

Randy Savage, played by Kevin Makely:

Image

Vince McMahon, played by Adam Ray:

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Kevin Makely’s IMDB credits include Badland and Zeroville. Adam Ray was the voice of Slimer in the 2016 version of Ghostbusters. He was also a cast member on the 2016 reboot of MadTV.

Young Rock Additional Cast

More cast:

  • Joseph Lee Anderson – Rocky Johnson
  • Brett Azar – The Iron Sheik
  • Robert Crayton – Warren Sapp
  • Matthew Willig – Andre the Giant
Image
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The Rock talks about Young Rock

After the show was announced, Rock posted a video to social media where he spoke about the show.

“We’re going to find the Rock wreaking havoc in the streets of Hawaii getting arrested,” Johnson said in the above video. “We were forced to leave the island and move to all places, Nashville, Tennessee. Those were the years that were very formative and helped shape me. The confluence of wild personalities that came in and out of my life during these times are just fascinating.”

The Rock also recently discussed Young Rock on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon:

Young Rock on NBC

Young Rock premieres Tuesday, February 16th on NBC. Here’s the official premise:

“As Dwayne Johnson runs for president in 2032, he takes a comedic look back at his extraordinary life through the outrageous stories of his family and youth that shaped him into the man he is today. He explores his childhood years living amid influential wrestling icons while his dad rose to fame in the business, his rebellious teenage years attending high school in Pennsylvania, and his football years teamed up with powerhouse players at the University of Miami. In his telling, Johnson explains that while his experiences have been larger than life, he remains a down-to-earth guy who still relates to the American people.

Young Rock key art

WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Final Card, Live Coverage

Andrew Ravens
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The card for tonight’s (Sunday, February 14, 2021) WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day event has been finalized.

The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center and will air on the WWE Network. This special will likely be headlined by WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne. 

This show marks the first special for the yellow brand in 2021, which features a stacked lineup. There are a total of five matches booked for this show with three of them being championship matches.

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special later tonight. The betting odds can be found here.

WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Card

  • WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne
  • WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Toni Storm – Triple Threat Match
  • WWE NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida
  • MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter)  vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) – Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals Match
  • Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez – Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals Match

What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that WWE is presenting to their fans? Sound off in the comment section.

CM Punk Talks Edge Winning Men’s 2021 Royal Rumble Match

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and UFC fighter CM Punk took to Twitter to answer fan questions recently. One of the questions posed to the Straight Edge Superstar surrounded Edge and his return to WWE.

Edge of course won the Men’s Royal Rumble match just under 2 weeks ago. The Rated R Superstar entered the match at the #1 slot and went on to outlast all 29 other Superstars to win the match.

CM Punk on Edge

When asked by a fan how he feels about Edge returning; Punk responded by saying that he is extremely happy that Edge gets to have his ‘second act’ in pro wrestling. “Super stoked for him to get a second act. And jealous of his abs.”

CM Punk has been outspoken on his criticism, and praise, of WWE Superstars since he joined the now sporadic WWE Backstage show in 2019.

Before Edge returned to WWE, it was probably more likely that Punk would return. Edge had to retire from in-ring competition following WrestleMania 27, with the then World Heavyweight Champion having extreme neck issues meaning that he could no longer wrestle. The prospect of CM Punk returning to pro wrestling gets dimmer and dimmer as the years roll on, but with the likes of Edge returning at such a high level it’s always worth saying ‘never say never.’

With the idea of CM Punk returning to the ring, it’s also worth mentioning that Punk recently mentioned 5 stars from AEW that he would be interested in facing if he ever returned to the ring. “I see five guys that have potential” Punk stated. “Hobbs, Darbs, Pillman, Starks, Jungle Boy. And that’s not to say there are others, but those guys stick out.”

Would you like to see CM Punk return to WWE or AEW? Let us know in the comments

Bully Ray: I’d Like To See Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the WWE Championship on the show. Ray was discussing the WrestleMania main event situation, with the odds on Edge deciding to face Roman Reigns at the show of shows this April.

With the Universal Championship match seemingly set, Bully Ray stated who he would like to see challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 37. “Based on story, and what I’ve seen lately? I would love to see Sheamus versus Drew. I really would” Bully Ray began on Busted Open.

Bully Ray on Sheamus

Bully Ray then said how he’s concerned that Sheamus hasn’t hit the point of ‘main eventing’ a WrestleMania. “I just don’t think Sheamus…I don’t think Sheamus’ star has risen since he’s come back to the point of WrestleMania main event.”

“And I wish I did not have to say that” Bully Ray continued. “Because Sheamus is/has been so damn good and I could make an argument for him being the MVP of the WWE for a long time now; at least during the COVID era, with his matches and his promos and everything they’ve handed him. I’m just not sure if that’s a WrestleMania marquee main event [Sheamus vs McIntyre].”

Would you like to see Sheamus take on Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments

PROGRESS Wrestling Returning on WWE Network Next Week

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling has confirmed that the promotion will be returning next week. WWE recently confirmed via Twitter that Chapter 104: Natural Progression will be airing on the WWE Network Saturday 20th February at 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. GMT.

The show will take the format of the Natural Progression Series tournament. The NPS has always been a hugely important part of PROGRESS’ long history; with talents winning the tournament going on to not only become massive stars in the UK but globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the company have been unable to run shows for almost a year. The last Chapter event 103: Beer Snake City took place on 23rd February 2020.

PROGRESS Natural Progression Series

The eight competitors in NPS7 include:

  • Kid Lykos II
  • Elijah
  • Big Guns Joe
  • Man Like Dereiss
  • Luke Jacobs
  • Ethan Allen
  • “The Kid Without Fear” Danny Black
  • “The Nigerian Kaiju” Warren Banks

The following week on February 27, WWE Network will be premiering Chapter 105: Bring The Thunder. This show will see the first ever Women’s Thunderb*stard match take place in the promotion.

PROGRESS sent out the following in anticipation of the return:

Chapter 104: Natural Progression is…you guessed it, the return of NPS and features all four of the quarter-final matches. Now more than ever there is incredible talent itching to make a name for themselves, and it only seemed fitting to mark the return of PROGRESS Wrestling with the best of British Wrestling today. Watch the trailer for NPS here.

Chapter 105: Bring The Thunder will follow on Saturday February 27th and we are proud to say the main event will be the first ever female Thunderb*stard match as well as having the conclusion of the Natural Progress Series 7.

Eric Bischoff On Wanting To Sign Jim Ross To TNA In 2011

Chris Stephens
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Eric Bischoff recently spent some time on his podcast discussing the commentary team in TNA during his tenure with the organization from 2010 to 2014. According to Bischoff, he wanted to hire Jim Ross to work for TNA in 2011.

Conrad Thompson asked Bischoff on the show what he thought of the commentary team of Mike Tenay and Taz that was in TNA at the time.

“I loved them both individually, I think they are both incredibly talented,” Bischoff said about the team. “I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again, and I’ll probably keep saying it until the day I can no longer say it. You’ve got two guys doing color. There was no play-by-play and I think that doesn’t serve the product.”

Bischoff continued to say that Mike Tenay was great at color commentary but did not know how to do play-by-play.

“To me as a producer, it was a huge, glaring, blackhole and a void in the product.”

Bischoff then said that it was the reason why he tried to get Jim Ross to TNA in 2011.

“It’s one of the reasons why I was instrumental in supporting Jim Ross coming to TNA,” he continued. “I was the one who supplied Dixie Carter with Jim Ross’ phone number to get that ball rolling. I knew we needed a good play-by-play guy with Taz in order to complete the story, complete the package.”

Ross never did sign with TNA. He continued to be employed by WWE at the time up until being fired in 2013.

Bischoff’s comments can be heard in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE4nZ0uWXxI

Backstage News On Cameron Grimes’ New Gimmick

Chris Stephens
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Cameron Grimes returned to WWE NXT this week. He pulled up to the Capitol Wrestling Center in an expensive car and began tossing handfuls of cash around. According to comments made recently on Figure Four Daily, Grimes really did come into some money through the recent Reddit/Wall Street Bets controversy. He perhaps didn’t make as much as his on-screen persona seems to have, however, but still did pretty good.

“Cameron Grimes was injured, was taken off TV, they were going to reintroduce him,” Bryan Alvarez said on the show. “During this time, I presume Cameron Grimes was f***ing around on Reddit.”

“Cameron Grimes bought a whole bunch of AMC (the movie theatre, not Gamestop). He bought it at a very low price. I’m talking like $15 a share and then he sold it for like $350 a share.”

“So in fact, he made a s**t tonne of money off the whole Gamestop deal. Now, he didn’t make enough money to be Elon Musk. But he literally made probably easy 5 figures.”

Grimes is encouraging his followers to join him on his expedition to the moon, by downloading the Robinhood app.

He also revealed that he tossed out over $36,000 in cash during his segment on Wednesday night.

Kacy Catanzaro Releases Statement On Backlash For Lack Of Social Distancing

Chris Stephens
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WWE NXT’s Kacy Catanzaro has released a statement in response to backlash she has been receiving as a result of social media posts and videos that show her not adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Dressed in a “Baby Yoda” t-shirt, Catanzaro had the following to say:

“I know that people are concerned that I was at a restaurant over the weekend. I want everyone to know that I hear you and I appreciate the concern.”

Catanzaro then explained that in Florida restaurants are open for indoor dining up to a certain capacity.

“Here where I live in Florida, restaurants are open to a certain capacity. We wear a mask when we go in, when we leave, really anytime that we aren’t sitting down at our table we have to have a mask but when we are sitting down to eat or drink, we are allowed to take our masks off, and I know that that’s the part that people saw that people were upset with.”

People online have been sharing videos such as the one below:

Kacy Catanzaro Statement On Following COVID-19 Protocols and Guidelines

“I’m sorry for anybody that is upset. I understand your concern and I want you to know that I do care about the safety of others around me, and myself, and I follow all of the protocol.”

“Luckily for me, with work we get tested at least once per week if not twice sometimes,” she continued.

She continued to say that she does follow guidelines and does wear a mask.

“Everywhere that we have to, I wear my mask. I’m sorry that this moment made people think otherwise but I just want you all to know that I hear you, I appreciate the concern, I’m looking out for the safety of others around me as well as trying to take care of myself the best I can, and I wish the best for everybody else.”

Her statement can be viewed in the Tweet below:

https://twitter.com/KacyCatanzaro/status/1360385941718921223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1360385941718921223%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewrestlingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwwe-nxt-star-issues-statement-on-being-seen-at-restaurant-with-no-covid-19-mask-on

Kacy and her tag-team partner did dawn masks for the below charity event:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLNdMygjTCv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7SRFNDvGB/

Paige Featured In Music Video From Falling In Reverse

Chris Stephens
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WWE’s Paige stars in a new music video from Falling in Reverse released yesterday. Paige has been in a relationship with the group’s singer, Ronnie Radke, since 2018. The video is for the group’s newest single “I’m Not A Vampire (Revamped).” 

Paige took to her social media accounts to promote the music video.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1360257819321143299

Paige also noted that she will be hosting pre-show events for two shows the band will be performing in April from an undisclosed location.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1360372100502982658

“This is absolutely beautiful! Check out my friends amazing work! Raya you looked incredible and did so well, Ronnie killed it with those pipes. Visuals on point. Just epic all around!” Tweeted Zelina Vega.

Back in November, an obsessed fan was arrested at Paige’s home.

“Scariest thing ever. He told us symbols led him to us. But Ronnie got him in a hold until police got there. Wtf is wrong with people… thank god Ronnie is around to protect our house. Jesus,” she Tweeted about the incident.

Also in November, Paige was on the “Grown Ass Women” podcast and spoke about having been a victim of abuse in a previous relationship.

“In the end, it becomes a cycle. Eventually, something is happening to you every day,” Paige said.  “You could be trapped in a room for 6-7 hours, getting your ass beat every couple of minutes. And he’s doing all these crazy things to you.”

“I never thought that I’d be put in that position in my life, just cause of the way I was brought up,” Paige continued. “It happens to even the most strongest people and you should never feel bad about it.”

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