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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.”

CM Punk Pays Tribute To Harley Race With New Tattoo

Chris Stephens
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CM Punk has gotten a new tattoo to honor the late Harley Race. The artist posted images of the tattoo on his official Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLNdNJ-n6gn/?utm_source=ig_embed

Race passed away from lung cancer on August 1st, 2019. A few months after his death, Punk spoke to Sportsnet about getting a tattoo to honor him.

“The Harley Race tattoo is in motion, so to speak,” Punk said during the interview. He also mentioned a tattoo he has honoring the late Mitsuharu Misawa.

“Harley was a big piece of my career whether people realize it or not,” Punk continued. “He’s somebody who deserves to be memorialized.”

CM Punk Harley Race Stories

Bruce Prichard once revealed that CM Punk actually took a shot of alcohol once to celebrate Harley Race’s birthday. Prichard told the story on an episode of his podcast.

“Everybody got shots for Harley’s birthday. Now Punk doesn’t drink, don’t do drugs, but he took a shot out of respect for Harley Race,” Prichard said on his podcast. “And he goes, ‘you know, Harley asked me to do it, one shot’s not gonna kill me. I’m not gonna go get hammered, I took a shot out of respect for Harley Race.’ and for whatever reason, I just thought that was cool.”

Gauntlet Match With Elimination Chamber Prize Announced For Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Having only one week to build up the announced Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship next Sunday, WWE is taking the Gauntlet route.

The company has announced that all six of the chamber match participants Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, The Miz, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy and Sheamus will be competing in a gauntlet match at this Monday’s episode of Raw.

The winner of this competition will get the advantage of entering the Elimination Chamber match last. Though the company has not announced the order of superstars for this gauntlet match.

Shane McMahon made his return to WWE programming during this week’s episode of Raw and he announced the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title during the opening segment of the show.

A second cage match was then announced on SmackDown. After Roman Reigns refused to put his title on the line inside the chamber, a match to determine his next challenger was announced.

The company announced that Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, King Corbin and Sami Zayn will all be competing in SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber match next Sunday.

The winner of the bout will then face the Universal Champion Roman Reigns for his title on the same night and it would be interesting to see who ends up challenging the Tribal Chief for his title.

WWE Reportedly Signs Indie Star Christian Casanova

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has signed the current Limitless Wrestling world champion Christian Casanova to a contract, according to reports from Fightful select.

The Indie star made his wrestling debut in 2014 and he has made his name in the Northeast independent scenes since then. Since his first match, he has wrestled for promotions such as Beyond Wrestling, GCW, EVOLVE, and even ROH

He has been on the company’s radar for a while. Now that the officials look to be hiring again after halting new signings during the coronavirus pandemic, they have finally made the move on Casanova.

He is not the only star who has signed with the company recently and reports have revealed that the officials have also signed Parker Boudreaux sometimes in the last few weeks.

For those who don’t know, Boudreaux is a former football player who bears a strong resemblance to Brock Lesnar. Some have even dubbed the young star as ‘the next big thing’ for WWE which is the moniker the promotion used for Lesnar during his early days.

There is no word yet on when Christian Casanova or Parker Boudreaux will start with the company but it’s likely that they will officially announce their signings once they have enough stars for the next Performance Center class.

WWE SmackDown Results (2/12): Seth Rollins Returns, Elimination Chamber Qualifying Matches

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. Seth Rollins returned to SmackDown tonight and there were two tag team qualifying matches for Elimination Chamber during the show.

SmackDown Results (2/12)

  1. King Corbin & Sami Zayn def. Rey Mysterio & Dominik to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match
  2. Big E def. Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ to retain the IC Title
  3. Bayley def. Liv Morgan
  4. Street Profits def. Otis & Chad Gable
  5. Daniel Bryan & Cesaro def. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Reigns Will Defend The Title Against The Winner Of The Elimination Chamber Match

Universal Champion Roman Reigns came down to the ring with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman to begin this week’s show. Adam Pearce was already standing in the corner waiting for them. Roman told Pearce that he doesn’t have any authority over him and that he’s not waiting for him. Reigns brought up Edge and claimed that the Rated R Superstar was nervous last week because he knows what will happen to him at WrestleMania if he challenges him.

Reigns said that he will beat Edge so bad that he will have to be put on a Legends contract. Roman claimed that Edge won’t pick him because he is scared and vowed to hold onto the Universal Championship for as long as he wants it. Pearce said he has had this contract for a week but Heyman insisted he do it this way. Adam announced that the contract states that Reigns will defend the Universal Championship inside Elimination Chamber, just like McIntyre is putting the WWE Championship on the line in the chamber.

Paul said Roman’s contract doesn’t say he has to defend the title at the PPV but not inside the chamber. Heyman suggested that the superstar who wins the Elimination Chamber match will get a title shot on the same night. Paul noted that Pearce wasn’t happy about it and asked what the hell is he going to do about it. Heyman joked that last year’s WrestleMania was the lowest attended mania of all time because Reigns wasn’t there. Pearce said that there will be some qualifying matches tonight but Jey Uso and Kevin Owens do not need to qualify and are already in the Elimination Chamber match. Reigns got in Adam’s face and Paul slowly pulled him away.

King Corbin & Sami Zayn Qualified For The Elimination Chamber Match

Pearce and Sonya Deville then had a conversation backstage. Deville suggested a tag team qualifying match where the winners will qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. Sonya announced that Rey Mysterio & Dominik will face Sami Zayn & King Corbin next in a qualifying match. Before the match, Sami brought his documentary crew to the entrance ramp and claimed that management helped Big E steel his Intercontinental Championship. Zayn added that he shouldn’t have to earn his way into the Elimination Chamber and said he was grateful his documentary crew is keeping their eyes on the WWE official.

Rey knocked Zayn off the apron and then sent Corbin to the corner to start off the action. Mysterio connected with a Dropkick and went for 619 but Sami tripped him up. Dominik came out of nowhere and leveled Sami with a Suicide Dive. Rey then sent King Corbin flying out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Zayn and Dominik were battling in the ring. Dominik hit a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Dominik connected with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Sami was able to kick out at two. Dominik hit Sami with a Senton and knocked Corbin off the ring apron. Sami rolled up Dominik for a two count and followed it up with the Blue Thunder Bomb for another near fall.

Dominik planted Sami with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Corbin broke it up at two. Mysterio hit Corbin with a Senton and Rey and Dominik delivered a double 619. Back in the ring, Sami hit Dominik with an Exploder Suplex and then the Helluva Kick for the pinfall victory. King Corbin and Sami Zayn have qualified for the Elimination Chamber match.

Apollo Crews Attacked Big E

Intercontinental Champion Big E came to the ring and brought up retaining over Sami Zayn & Apollo Crews last week. Big E said that he vowed to be a fighting champion and was quickly interrupted by Apollo Crews. Apollo claimed that he can read Big E and knows he is out here to issue an Open Challenge for the Intercontinental Championship and accepted the challenge. Big E wanted to defend the title against anyone besides Apollo Crews because he already ad his chance. Big E told Crews to go back to catering and collect his little paycheck. Crews told Big E that he is not going to the back and will keep coming at Big E until he has the title.

Shinsuke Nakamura’s music hit and he accepted the Open Challenge and Apollo Crews was ringside for the match. Big E leveled Nakamura with a shoulder tackle and dragged him to the ring apron. Big E hit a Splash and went for the cover but Nakamura kicked out at two. Apollo Crews hopped on the ring apron and Big E chased him off. Shinsuke capitalized on the distraction with with a knee to the face.

Nakamura draped Big E across the top turnbuckle and hit a running knee to the midsection. Shinsuke leaped off the middle turnbuckle and hit a kick to Big E’s face for a two count. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa but Big E countered into a Uranage for a near fall. Big E was about to hit the Big Ending but Apollo Crews interfered and hit a Dropkick to end the match in a DQ.

Seth Rollins Returned

Seth Rollins made his return tonight and the locker room surrounded the ring during his entrance. Rollins was once again using the The Second Coming (Burn It Down) entrance music.

Rollins said it feels good to be back in the ThunderDome and back in the ring. Seth stated a lot has changed since he sacrificed himself at Survivor Series and he is the thing that has changed the most. Rollins noted that he has recently become a parent for the first time and is the proud father of a perfect baby girl.

Rollins claimed that change has given him a new vision and he sees some of the most talented performers in the industry surrounding the ring. Seth wondered where he would fit in on SmackDown and referred to himself as a great leader that will take SmackDown to new heights. Rollins claimed that he can be everyone’s leader, father, and mentor. Several superstars started leaving as Rollins said “all you have to do is embrace the vision”.

Cesaro was the only superstar still there but wound up leaving Seth alone as well. Rollins went after Cesaro on the entrance ramp and hit him with a chop block to the knee. Rollins unloaded on Cesaro and shouted that he will never live up to his potential without him.

Bayley def. Liv Morgan

Bayley squared off against Liv Morgan tonight on SmackDown. Ruby Riott was ringside for the match. Liv hit a Dropkick but Bayley shrugged it off and sent her to the corner. Bayley went for a Clothesline but Liv ducked and sent Bayley into the ropes. Liv delivered another Dropkick off the middle turnbuckle and went for the cover but Bayley was able to kick out at two. Natalya and Tamina were shown watching the match backstage as Liv went for a Splash off the steel steps but wound up launching herself into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Bayley went for the cover but Liv kicked out at two. Bayley connected with a Shoulderbreaker for a two count and Liv battled back with a Codebreaker for a near fall. Billie Kay showed up and tried to apologize to Ruby Riott. Bayley capitalized on the distraction and raked Liv Morgan’s eyes. Bayley planted Liv Morgan with the Rose Plant for the pinfall victory.

Street Profits Picked Up A Win

Street Profits faced Chad Gable & Otis in a tag team match. Chad Gable and Angelo Dawkins started off the match and traded Arm Drags. Montez Ford tagged in and Gable greeted him with a slam for a two count. Gable hit another Arm Drag and then applied an Armbar in the middle of the ring. Montez escaped and tagged Angelo Dawkins back in. Dawkins applied a Headlock but Chad broke free.

Otis tagged in and leveled Dawkins with a shoulder tackle. Otis followed it up with the Catepillar Elbow Drop and Gable demanded to be tagged in. Otis went for a Clothesline but Ford sent him out of the ring. Montez tagged in as Dawkins hit the Anointment. Montez connected with the Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

Banks & Belair Beat Down The Women’s Tag Team Champions

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks came to the ring and said everyone is talking about Bianca Belair and her decision. Banks claimed that Bianca was like a “big little sister” and that she wants to face her at WrestleMania. Bianca Belair interrupted and claimed that she liked Sasha Banks as well but she is not the boss of her. Belair added that it is her time and she is enjoying every second of it.

Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler joined the party and Jax wondered how Banks and Belair can fit in the same ring with their giant egos. Shayna and Nia boasted about winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Royal Rumble and wondered why nobody is talking about them. Sasha rolled footage of Nia and Shayna losing on RAW and then Belair rolled footage of the now infamous “my hole” comment from Nia Jax after missing a Leg Drop on the apron. Nia got pissed off and tried to attack Belair but she was ready. Sasha and Bianca then tripped up Nia and she fell ass-first onto the apron again. Sasha and Bianca then took out Baszler in the ring.

Cesaro & Daniel Bryan Qualified For The Elimination Chamber Match

Daniel Bryan & Cesaro battled SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode in the main event. The winners of the match qualified for the Elimination Chamber match. Bryan and Cesaro dominated the action early and isolated Ziggler in the corner.

Ziggler battled back and tagged in Robert Roode. Cesaro hit Roode with an uppercut and tagged in Daniel Bryan. Bryan hit Roode with a knee to the face and some Yes Kicks. Bryan went for the Yes Lock but Roode was able to get to the bottom rope to prevent the hold.

Bryan sent Roode out of the ring and went for a Suicide Dive but accidentally hit Cesaro. Sami Zayn and King Corbin came down to the entrance ramp as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Ziggler had Bryan in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Ziggler brought Daniel to the corner and tagged in Roode.

Robert stomped Daniel Bryan to the canvas in the corner and then Ziggler caught him with a cheap shot as Roode distracted the official. Roode planted Bryan with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Bryan was able to kick out at the last moment. Cesaro finally was able to tag back in and whipped Ziggler into the turnbuckle.

Cesaro hit a massive uppercut and went for the cover but Ziggler kicked out at two. Ziggler hit Cesaro with a Fameasser for a two count. Cesaro hit a Backbreaker and then locked in the Sharpshooter on Ziggler in the middle of the ring. Dolph quickly tapped out and Cesaro & Bryan have qualified for the Elimination Chamber match.

After the match, Jey Uso attacked Cesaro from behind and him with a steel chair. King Corbin and Sami Zayn beat Daniel Bryan down before Kevin Owens rushed the ring. Owens hit Corbin, Bryan, Cesaro, and Jey Uso with a Stunner as Roman Reigns watched on. Owens shouted that he is coming for Roman Reigns and is not going away to close the show.

Second Elimination Chamber Match Confirmed, Roman Reigns To Face Winner

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has confirmed a big match featuring SmackDown stars for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event. 

The company had been advertising a blockbuster announcement by Paul Heyman and Universal Champion Roman Reigns for this show. That happened as Adam Pearce was trying to get Reigns to defend the Universal Title against several stars at this show. 

Unlike Raw’s WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, Reigns will just have one opponent instead of five. “The Big Dog” will defend the title against the winner of the Elimination Chamber Match immediately on the same night. 

Those in the Chamber match will be Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan, and Cesaro.

Over the last few months, Reigns had been feuding with Owens. Their first match took place at the TLC pay-per-view event while the rematch took place on the December 24th edition of SmackDown inside a Steel Cage, and their third bout was a Last Man Standing Match at last month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. Reigns won all three matches. 

It had been previously reported that WWE didn’t have plans to feature an Elimination Chamber Match with women. Thus, speculation shifted towards Reigns and the Universal Title, which turned out to be the case. 

WWE presents the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event on Sunday, February 21, 2021 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Betting Odds

Andrew Ravens
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The final betting odds have been released for the WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day

The card for the show that takes place this Sunday appears to be finalized as only 5 matches have been announced. It’s possible that a sixth match is added whether that be on the main card or pre-show. 

So far, three titles are on the line, but none are expected to change hands. Some of the more notable odds include MSK being favored to win the Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. There isn’t a favorite for the women’s tournament just yet. 

WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Odds

As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of the show this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds:

  • WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor (-400) vs Pete Dunne (+275)
  • WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai (-225) vs Toni Storm (+300) vs Mercedes Martinez (+500) – Triple Threat Match
  • WWE NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano (-225) vs Kushida (+165)
  • MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) -200 vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) +150 – Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals Match
  • Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon (-120) vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez (-120) – Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals Match

WWE Employees Upset After Major Meeting

Andrew Ravens
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WWE held a meeting on Friday that didn’t go so well. 

It was reported by Fightful Select a major meeting took place today where many employees were told that they would not be provided promotions, bonuses, or raises. The meeting ended with several employees upset.

Per the report, it was said those who attended the meeting left with low morale. Employees from production, the WWE offices and other departments were involved. However, this was not a talent or wrestler meeting.

As it stands right now, there’s no word yet on why WWE isn’t providing pay raises or bonuses. This comes at a time where the company recently announced record financial results for 2020.

Overall revenue for 2020 was at $974.2 million, which represents an increase of 1% although the revenue for the fourth quarter was down 26% to $238.2 million. 

In the press release, Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon touted how WWE has continued to produce live content in new ways amid the COVID-19 pandemic and not live touring. 

On February 5th, Vince, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Kevin Dunn, and WWE President Nick Khan increased the amount of WWE stock that they own. This came days after WWE reported their 2020 financials.

Davey Boy Smith Jr Confirms Talks With WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Davey Boy Smith Jr is currently on the free-agent market, but that could be changing soon as he has confirmed having talks with WWE regarding a return to the company.

It’s been reported that various promotions including AEW and WWE are interested in signing him after he finished up with MLW in December. The son of the late “British Bulldog” recently spoke to Metro UK. During it, he talked about having talks with WWE. 

“There’s been quite a bit of interest and a little bit of back and forth talk with myself and the company.” Smith stated. “I think that the plan – or what they were hoping – was for me to come to NXT UK. But unfortunately, right now because of Covid, those doors are kind of locked, we’ll see.”

He noted that there’s been interest from WWE about him going to NXT as he already lives in Tampa. At this time, they’re talking, but he’s trying to feel things out. 

‘We’re discussing and talking. I can’t exactly say anything for sure, but there’ve been talks.”

Smith also mentioned how there are other places he could sign with, but pointed out how he’s supposed to induct his father into the WWE Hall of Famer and the best decision may be to go back to WWE no matter which brand he ends up on. However, it’s just not any decision to make.

CM Punk Names 5 AEW Stars That Stand Out & Have Potential

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has his eye on a few of All Elite Wrestling’s top young stars.

On Friday afternoon, Punk held an #AskPunk Q&A session on Twitter. Unsurprisingly, he was asked about AEW. User @HEELPags wrote, “What current wrestler in AEW would he most like to work with IF he ever came back?”

CM Punk named five AEW wrestlers that he sees having potential. Whether this means ‘potential’ to work with, or ‘potential’ to have successful careers, is open to interpretation. He named:

  • Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz
  • AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin
  • Brian Pillman, Jr. of the Varsity Blonds
  • Ricky Starks of Team Taz
  • Jungle Boy

These are great picks, as all 5 men are extraordinarily talented with bright futures.

CM Punk recently celebrated 7-Years since leaving WWE. He will soon appear in the pro wrestling series Heels, starring Stephen Amell, on the Starz premium cable network.

Related News:

Jim Ross Comments On WWE Changing Its Cannabis Policy In 2008

Chris Stephens
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Jim Ross spent some time recently on his “Grillin JR” podcast discussing changes to WWE’s cannabis policy in 2008.

“I’m not advocating yay or nay. I’m 420-friendly in my personal life. It works for me when done correctly. People are going to make a big deal out of this. I’m sure it’ll be a clickbait thing,” JR said. “I’d rather have a talent go to his room or her room and smoke a joint, get some room service, watch a movie, as opposed to be out gallivanting around.”

Conrad Thompson noted on the show that in 2008 the policy was changed so that testing positive for cannabis was not counted as a wellness violation. Additionally, testing would only occur once per year. The fine for a positive test was made $1000.

“I think marijuana should be legal and it should be taxed and it should create new money,” he continued.

“Look at how the NFL does it, they don’t discourage it,” JR continued. “They say they do, they have to say they do but if they did they would have a much more stringent testing program.”

Jim Ross’ comments on WWE’s cannabis policy can be heard in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i9vREKSj_A

Update On Planned Matches For Elimination Chamber

Chris Stephens
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We are just 9 days away from WWE’s Elimination Chamber 2021 PPV. Only 3 matches have been announced for the show thus far. According to a recent update from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, there is still one main event match yet to be announced. A second Elimination Chamber match, this one for Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship, is evidently being planned for the show.

“The main events as things stood on 2/11 was to be two men’s Chamber matches for the two key WWE titles,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Drew McIntyre will face Sheamus, Miz, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton and AJ Styles in the first Chamber match. An Elimination Chamber match featuring Roman Reigns defending the Universal title is also in the works.

“At press time there was to be a Smackdown match with Roman Reigns defending the title. We don’t know the participants, other than Kevin Owens is an obvious one.”

Top names that could be included in a Smackdown men’s Elimination Chamber match include:

  • Daniel Bryan
  • Cesaro
  • Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Otis
  • King Corbin
  • Rey Mysterio
  • Dominik Mysterio
  • Seth Rollins
  • Sami Zayn
  • Kevin Owens

The following matches are already confirmed for the event:

  • WWE Championship
    Elimination Chamber
    Drew McIntyre (c) vs vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. The Miz
  • RAW Women’s Championship
    Asuka (c) vs Lacey Evans w/ Ric Flair
  • United States Championship
    Bobby Lashley (c) vs Keith Lee vs Matt Riddle

Jon Moxley Comments On Wrestling Minoru Suzuki

Chris Stephens
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A little over a year ago, Jon Moxley faced Minoru Suzuki at NJPW’s New Beginning in Osaka. Moxley successfully defended his IWGP United States Championship in the match. In a recent interview, Moxley talked about what the match meant to him.

“I just never thought our paths would cross, you know?” Moxley said about Suzuki. He continued to say that wrestling Suzuki was a dream of his.

“It’s one of those things that it’s cool to be able to manifest your dreams,” he continued to say about facing Suzuki.

He then spoke about the similarities between him and Suzuki.

“We both know exactly who we are,” Moxley said. “That was a thing in 2019 coming into New Japan and around the world – especially in New Japan, you know it’s a different style – (I) definitely didn’t want to come in here and try to pretend to be something that I’m not.”

“When you’re really comfortable in your own skin, you have complete freedom in the ring to do whatever you want. I think, me and him, and a lot of people are like that. We know exactly who we are and what we do and that’s what we bring every time.”

“It’s all about the moment and conflict of the fight and the struggle. That’s where the magic happens,” he continued.

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

Boxer Anthony Joshua: “I’m Gonna Do WWE”

Chris Stephens
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Boxer Anthony Joshua is expected to fight Tyson Fury later this year. As it turns out, Joshua shares the same WWE ambitions that his upcoming opponent has. Much like Fury has wrestled in WWE, Joshua said in a recent interview that he would like to do the same.

“I’m gonna do WWE because that’s what Muhammad Ali did, so I’m going to do WWE,” Joshua said to Alternative Sport.

Muhammad Ali has a long history with WWE. He was the guest referee in the main event of the first-ever WrestleMania. His shoot-style match with Antonio Inoki in 1976 was also one of the first events Vince McMahon Jr. ever promoted. Vince sold tickets to a closed-circuit viewing of the fight.

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

Tyson Fury Sends Message To Anthony Joshua

With a match between the two pending, Tyson Fury sent a message to Joshua recently in an interview with The Sun. According to Fury, he’s got the edge in a fight between the two.

 “I’ve got a bigger heart, tougher, mentally and physically stronger,” he said in the interview.

“I punch harder, everything’s in my favor,” he continued. “When I take it to them, they can’t deal with it. It’s like wrestling a T-Rex. They can’t win. I’m indestructible.

Kevin Owens On Talent Having To “Prove Their Worth” To WWE Brass

Staff
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Kevin Owens is one of the big names on the SmackDown roster at the moment. Even though some have felt he was being sidelined by WWE, his current rivalry with Roman Reigns has put him back in the limelight.

They have been going back and forth ever since. Some fans are complaining about the monotony of the feud, but it has produced some of the best matches of KO in his entire career. The two started feuding when Kevin Owens stood up to the ‘Head of the Table’ back in December. He then challenged him for the Universal Championship at TLC.

Following that, the two had a cage match and then another brutal ‘Last Man Standing’ match at the Royal Rumble. KO failed to secure a win on any of the occasions, thanks to help from Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. But the matches meant a great deal to him for a different reason.

Kevin Owens on Proving Your Worth

Kevin Owens spoke to FOX Sports about the significance of his rivalry with Roman Reigns. Owens says it’s been necessary to “prove his worth” to the WWE Universe as well as management.

“In a way, I never really felt like I had to show it to people, because I feel people know by now.” said KO. “But the nature of our industry and the way things work, and the amount of very talented people we have on the roster, just makes for an environment where you constantly have to prove your worth. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, right?”

Vince McMahon Kevin Owens 1 1
Kevin Owens claims it is hard to impress WWE backstage

Kevin Owens continued, “People within the industry or the company take things for granted. I think after all the years I have put in, and I am one of many… I am not just saying this about myself… but when the shows go on, the people in charge just go ‘Oh, they are gonna have a good match’. They take it for granted. They know it’s gonna be a good match, or they’re gonna be able to tell the story great, or they’re gonna be able to deliver this promo great.”

“It becomes almost as if it is expected of us, because that’s what we do. So then, it’s like… ‘Of course they had a good match’, so it’s not special. So, once in a while you have to have these special performances, that are a bit above than what you usually deliver, even if what you usually deliver is good.”

“Obviously, this story with Roman, was a big opportunity for me to do that again. And I think we accomplished it.”

AEW Files To Trademark “Forbidden Door” and “Forbidden Portal”

Chris Stephens
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All Elite Wrestling has filed two new trademarks possibly related to a working agreement between AEW and NJPW as well as other promotions. The US Patent and Trademark Office website show filings by AEW on February 8th, 2021 for the terms “Forbidden Portal” and “Forbidden Door.” Tony Khan has been using both terms as of late to describe talent from AEW, NJPW, and Impact appearing on each other’s programs.

Both filings are listed as being for: “Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing series featuring wrestling provided through a global computer network.”

The Forbidden Door

AEW President Tony Khan referred to himself as the “Forbidden Door” in his latest paid ad on Tuesday’s episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV.

“I just had to open myself, and that comes from being here with you IMPACT Wrestling! Doing these paid ads, I’ve learned so much about myself. I’ve opened myself up to new experiences, and look at all the great things that have happened. We did a great rating for Dynamite this week with IMPACT people there. We had people from New Japan, who knows who is going to be there next week?”

The opening of the “forbidden door” has led to NJPW’s KENTA being on Dynamite for the last two weeks. Impact’s Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows are also regularly on Dynamite now. Jon Moxley will face KENTA on New Japan Strong later this month. Additionally, Matt Hardy and Private Party are now regularly appearing on Impact Wrestling as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxBvL88SkR4

Trailer For John Cena’s ‘Wipeout’ Coming To TBS April 1st (Video)

Michael Reichlin
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John Cena and Nicole Byer are hosts for Wipeout, an obstacle course game show premiering on TBS Thursday, April 1st.

TBS has posted released an updated synopsis for the show, along with the official trailer.

“Hosted by multifaceted megastar John Cena and Nicole Byer, with Camille Kostek serving as field host, the all-new 20-hour series takes viewers on a white-knuckle ride, featuring new course elements that will push contestants’ athleticism, endurance and determination to even greater extremes as they fight to win the grand cash prize.

The new season of Wipeout will feature new format twists and elements that will push the athleticism and willpower of each contestant pairing to even greater extremes, all while delivering more than a few epic fails. Each game has been designed into three rounds and now features a jaw-dropping, three-stage, obstacle course consisting of multiple strategy and decision points designed to test the stamina of the competitors. The series’ iconic big balls also make a return, bringing many laughs and surprises along the way for fans.”

John Cena has two inspirational books coming out in April. You can pre-order them both on Amazon:

Watch the Wipeout official trailer:

Finn Balor’s Broken Jaw Still Causing Him Pain & Complications

Michael Reichlin
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NXT Champion Finn Balor spoke to the New York Post to promote NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day, which airs live this Sunday on the WWE Network. Balor spoke about defending the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne, recovering from a broken jaw and more.

Balor feels like he’s working on ‘a little different frequency’ lately, when talking about his ring work. He says NXT matches feel like real fights, which is the way he was trained to wrestle in the UK.

“It’s something that kind of suits my style more,” Balor said. “I feel like maybe I was guilty of trying to please too many people at once and not really please myself in the past with some of my performances and I’ve gone back to what I really like in the ring, which is kind of like scrappy, gritty, mat wrestling, not too much high flying, not too much outside the ring and really get back to basics. That’s really what I’ve been focusing on is going back to.”

WWE presents a very specific type of wrestling on Raw and SmackDown. The wrestlers have to be hyper-aware of the fact that they are on television, play to the camera and strive for that “fight forever” moment. NXT is more of a “back to basics” style. Finn Balor says he made a conscious effort to get back to his technical roots and he feels more comfortable.

Finn Balor
NXT Champion Finn Balor

Finn Balor on His Perfect Opponent

Balor defends the NXT Championship against Pete Dunne this Sunday at NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day. Balor says Pete Dunne is a great matchup for him, but he considers everyone his perfect opponent.

“I’ll find a way or I’ll work around regardless of their style, whether it’s Damian Priest who has a very distinct style, Gargano has a distinct style, Matt Riddle, Timothy Thatcher who has a completely different style and we tore it up. I feel like for me the real challenge has been being able to adapt and kind of swim in the current of these guys’ different styles.”

Pete’s style is kind of very similar to where I’m at right now in the ring. So I think it’s either gonna be a clash or it’s gonna complement each other (laughs). So I don’t how the match is gonna look. It could either be great or it could be terrible. But Pete is someone who I’ve respected in the ring for a long time.”

Lasting Effects of his Broken Jaw

Finn Balor says he’s still dealing with the lasting effects of breaking his jaw last year. He is still in pain, grinds his teeth a lot and is very reluctant to take any strikes to the face.

“One thing that still hasn’t come back is the feeling in my bottom lip,” said Balor “It’s still numb. It’s like I’ve been to the dentist and you get that shot. Pretty much my bottom lip down to my chin I’ve still got no feeling, but the doctors are a little hopeful that might come back in a couple of months. They say nerves take a little longer to heal. Sometimes you’ll see me out there now if I’m doing a promo licking my bottom lip more or I’ll be rubbing it a little bit. It still feels like there’s Novocain in there and it’s numb.”

Finn Balor Broken Jaw
Finn Balor fractured his jaw in October 2020

Finally, Finn Balor discussed the possibility of defending the NXT Championship at WrestleMania. It sounds like a cool idea, but NXT typically holds Takeover events during WrestleMania. If it means that the NXT Championship match would have to take place at WrestleMania instead of Takeover, he’d rather not do that.

“Once we’re protecting the NXT brand without having it diluted by the big show at WrestleMania it’s something I’d be willing to do. If there’s the possibility of defending the title back to back nights, TakeOver and WrestleMania, then I’m all for it.”

Butch Reed’s Family Attributes Death To COVID-19

Chris Stephens
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Butch Reed passed away at 66-years-old on February 5th. His cause of death has been reported as being due to heart complications but his family has told Fox News 4 that they attribute his death to COVID-19, which they said he tested positive for around January 12th, 2021. He then suffered two heart attacks later in the month.

“It’s like a dream,” Reed’s sister, Joyce Reed Crittenden said.

“He’s going to be missed. He’s much-loved. I’m just glad I had him as long as I did,” Butch’s son, Bryan Reed said.

His younger brother Ronald also spoke about Butch during the interview.

“For me, I guess him being a brother, I didn’t pay too much attention to it because he was always great to me, because I was always looking t him on the football field or something. He’s always been great to me,” Ronald Reed said. 

Reed was actively following current wrestling before his death. Most notably, he seemed to be a fan of Will Hobbs, as well as the Hurt Business.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJKnkmSJzSD/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJHdESJVda/

“Nearly one-fourth of those hospitalized with COVID-19 have been diagnosed with cardiovascular complications, which have been shown to contribute to roughly 40% of all COVID-19-related deaths,” reads a section from the American Heart Association’s website.

“It is much safer if having symptoms that could represent heart attack or stroke, to come into the emergency department than to try to ride it out at home,” said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, chief of the division of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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