Home Blog Page 985

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

Michael Reichlin
-
0

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
-
0

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.

Triple H On Velveteen Dream’s Absence, Pat McAfee’s Future With WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Velveteen Dream hasn’t been seen on NXT programming since his match with Adam Cole in December and Triple H was recently asked about his status.

The Game held a media conference call ahead of the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day which is scheduled to take place this Sunday, on February 14.

During the call, the former World Champion was asked about Dream, who has been a controversial figure since he was accused of inappropriate behavior with minors, and Triple H said that he has nothing to add:

“There’s really nothing to add with Velveteen Dream. We’ve gone over it a million times. Status update – he’s still training. He had a little bit of a physical thing here for a bit. But, still there, still with us, still PC, still training, still on the roster.”

Triple H has previously claimed that the company has looked into the accusations about the 25 year old star and they have moved on from the controversy because they didn’t find anything.

Triple H On The Status Of Pat McAfee

The King Of Kings also provided an update on the status of Pat McAfee and explained that the former NFL player is just taking a break from his busy routine:

“He’s a busy dude. We’ve been talking about it. He had said, ‘Look, give me a moment to breathe when the Super Bowl is over.’

He just got married not that long ago. He’s like, if I don’t take a breath for a minute after this Super Bowl, I might not be married for much longer. My words, not his. I think he just needed to take a breather.”

McAfee has been away from WWE programming since December as well and he hasn’t been seen on NXT TV since his team lost the WarGames match to Undisputed Era.

Carlito On Why He Returned To WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Carlito made his return to WWE during the Royal Rumble PPV after staying away from the company for more than a decade following his release in 2010.

After his surprise return during the PPV, the former Intercontinental Champion joined Corey Graves for his After The Bell podcast where he talked about his release from the company, his time away and more.

Discussing the reason for his return to the promotion, Carlito said that he came back because he didn’t like the way things ended in his last run:

“[I came back because] I just didn’t like the way things ended. I didn’t expect it to take 10 years to get back but at least if I came back once, I just wanted to leave a better taste in someone’s mouth.

Bury the hatchet; everything is on the up and up, happy to be back and happy to be around.” claimed Carlito, “If that was my last time, I was glad to finally get a chance to come back and end things on better terms.”

Carlito On His WWE Future

When asked about his future with the promotion, the former champion claimed that he doesn’t know what the future holds for him and he would love to be back if the conditions are right:

“As of now I don’t know, we’ll see what the future holds, I don’t know, if the conditions are right I’d love to be back. That was always my goal, was to go away, take a breather and come back.”

Previous reports have suggested that the company is looking to hire Carlito as a backstage producer and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up having an on screen run as well.

Former WWE Star Rusty Brooks Passes Away At 63

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Former WWE star Rusty Brooks, who wrestled for the company during the mid 80s has passed away at the age of 63, as reported by PWinsider.

Real name Kurt Koski, the wrestling veteran had been dealing with some health issues recently. He also underwent a surgery a few weeks ago, though the exact cause of his death is not known.

Brooks started his wrestling career in 1982 and he went on to wrestle for many North American promotions such as International World Class Championship Wrestling (IWCCW), Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

He was signed by WWE to a contract only two years after his wrestling debut and the heavyweight star had matches against the likes of André the Giant and Ricky Steamboat during his time with the promotion.

Rusty even had a match with the then WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan on national television before being released by the company in 1985. He made a brief return to the company in 1988 and continued wrestling in the independent circuit before eventually retiring from active competition in 2013.

We at SEScoops send our deepest condolence to the family and friends of Rusty Brooks.

Keith Lee & Mia Yim Engaged To Be Married

Michael Reichlin
-
0

WWE Superstars Keith Lee and Mia Yim are engaged to be married.

Yim announced the news on social media Thursday afternoon. She posted a photo of them together, including a look at the engagement ring. She included the caption, “I said yes. Mr. & Mrs. Lee”

Mia Yim has been out of action since recently testing positive for Covid-19. She announced her diagnosis prior to the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Keith Lee was off television for about three weeks and missed the Rumble out of precaution. He returned to WWE this week on Raw. He will be compete at Elimination Chamber later this month.

SEScoops extends our congratulations to Keith Lee and Mia Yim!

AEW Dynamite & NXT Both Down Against Impeachment Coverage

Michael Reichlin
-
0

TV ratings are in for for the February 10th editions of AEW Dynamite and NXT. Both shows were “in the mud” this week due to extensive news coverage of former US President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. 19 of the top 20 shows on cable were cable news on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Here’s the Wednesday Night War breakdown for February 10th, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • AEW: 741,000 viewers, 0.29 rating, 21st in demo
  • NXT: 558,000 viewers, 0.12 rating, 62nd in demo

AEW was down 12.2% in viewership and 9.4% in the A18-49 demo. NXT was down 8.52% in viewership and 20% in the demo.

If there is a silver lining to be found, AEW Dynamite was the #2 non-news program on cable, behind only Challenge on MTV. They outdrew the NBA’s Lakers vs. Thunder game, which was competitive and went into overtime (Lakers won 114-113).

You can check out our Results and Takeaways from both shows here:

Braun Strowman Announces He’s Dealing With Bloodstream Infection

Michael Reichlin
-
0

WWE Superstar Braun Strowman reveals he’s been dealing with a scary medical episode over the past week.

The 6-foot-8 montser posted some videos on his Instagram story detailing the situation.

Strowman says he got “really sick” over the weekend. He developed some sort of infection that entered his blood stream, which can be very dangerous. He’s been taking antibiotics, but admits, “it’s been awful.”

He has dropped about 15 pounds this week, but feels like he’s gained 50 pounds of water weight. He complained about his joints being swollen and is itching to get back to training.

Thankfully, doctors have told him the antibiotics are working and he is feeling a little better.

Strowman just returned to WWE television in late January after being out since November due to a leg injury.

SEScoops wishes Braun Strowman a speedy recovery.

Update On Joey Ryan’s Lawsuits Against His Accusers

Chris Stephens
-
0

Joey Ryan has launched several lawsuits against multiple of his accusers from the #SpeakingOut movement last summer. He still has other ongoing lawsuits against other accusers, however. He also has active suits against Impact Wrestling and another person who spoke out against him online.

In an update to this story, according to documents obtained by HeelByNature, 3 of Joey Ryan’s lawsuits against female accusers have been dismissed. The cases were dismissed without prejudice, however, meaning Ryan has the option to re-file. The judge dismissed this case due to Ryan’s legal team missing a February 5th deadline to file additional information.

“The OSC required not only the POS, but also either Defendant’s response to the Complaint or Plaintiff’s Application for the Clerk to Enter Default. Plaintiff has not adequately responded to the OSC. It is well-established that a district court has authority to dismiss a plaintiff’s action due to her failure to prosecute and/or to comply with court orders,” reads a section of the documents. “Accordingly, the action is DISMISSED without prejudice.”

A judge recently awarded Ryan a default judgment against another one of his accusers. This was due to the accuser not responding to the lawsuit in time. He has an ongoing lawsuit against former ROH Wrestler, Pelle Primeau as well. Several GoFundMe accounts have been set up for people dealing with legal expenses. Primeau’s can be found here or in the below Tweet:

Ryan Nemeth has said he left Bar Wrestling due to the actions of the promotion’s owner.

Joey Ryan has responded to some shots taken against him online recently:

https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1359605658522316801
https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1355343505191657473

Tama Tonga Says AEW-NJPW “Forbidden Door” Is Not Wide Open

Chris Stephens
-
0

Tama Tonga recently addressed Kenny Omega and the Bullet Club reunion angle in AEW and Impact. Tonga was on his “Tama’s Island” podcast and addressed the angle as well as KENTA showing up on Dynamite last week.

“I was so surprised, I didn’t no nothing, I didn’t know anything,” Tonga said about KENTA showing up on Dynamite.

“KENTA is there for one reason and one reason only, Moxley,” Tonga continued.

“That US title belt belongs to KENTA. That’s the only reason that he’s there.”

Tonga then continued to say he doesn’t believe reports about a working agreement between AEW and NJPW having been reached.

“That sounds like a lot of horses**t to me, man,” Tonga said about a “forbidden door” being opened.

“Is the door wide open? Hell no, the door is not wide open. Is it cracked open? Maybe, maybe this can be something but is it open? Hell, no.”

Tama would continue to say that the situation with Moxley and travel restrictions due to the pandemic are what led to the current situation with AEW and NJPW. He would say the situation could lead to the two organizations working together in the future, however.

“Can this lead to the door opening more? Yes, it’s like building trust.”

https://twitter.com/TamasIsland/status/1359500730114138117

Backstage Update on WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy has been missing from WWE programming over the past couple of months. Murphy has been side-lined ever since the Mysterio Family had positive COVID-19 results back in December. Buddy Murphy had to quarantine himself as he was heavily involved on WWE programming with the Mysterio family; specifically in an angle with Aalyah, Rey Mysterio’s daughter.

The whole Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy and Mysterio family storyline was moved over to SmackDown during last year’s WWE Draft. Since then the angle appears to have been dropped. Both Rollins and the aforementioned Buddy Murphy needed to take time away from WWE for separate reasons. Seth Rollins’ partner Becky Lynch gave birth to their first child Roux at the end of December 2020.

Fightful Select confirmed that Buddy Murphy was listed as an ‘alternate’ for the Royal Rumble show just over a week ago. RAW Superstar Cedric Alexander was also listed as an alternate for the Men’s Rumble match.

Two names that were not listed as alternates were Montez Ford and Andrade. Ford was backstage at the show supporting his wife Bianca Belair as she went on to win the Women’s Royal Rumble match. Fightful also reported that Andrade’s backstage status was unknown; and that he wasn’t listed as an alternate in the Royal Rumble match itself.

There’s currently no confirmation on when WWE plans to bring Buddy Murphy back to television. The angle featuring himself and Aalyah Mysterio has not been mentioned for some time on WWE programming, so it may have fallen to the wayside. Several WWE fans were not happy with the ongoing love story between the two; with Aalyah being only 19 years old whilst Buddy Murphy was 31.

Don Callis Addresses Complaints From NJPW Bullet Club Members

Chris Stephens
-
0

Following the main event of last night’s AEW Dynamite, Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers spoke about recent comments made by NJPW Bullet Club members, Jay White and Tama Tonga.

“I actually feel bad because they’re our brothers over there,” Callis said.

“The bottom line is when the 3 brothers here left the Bullet Club, it was actually a good thing because it created opportunity for some mid-card guys to move up the chain and fly the flag.”

Callis then compared it to a baseball fantasy camp.

“I think we’ve done something really good here, this is a nice thing that we’ve done. We’ve created opportunity here. Those guys are good guys but you don’t replace Michael Jordan.”

Callis then pretended not to know who the NJPW Bullet Club members are.

“I think the Bullet Club guys in Japan are great, I’m not familiar with what the names are just yet but they are flying the flag so I’d like to put a stop to all these bad feelings.”

Callis then encouraged fans to purchase Bullet Club merchandise to help the faction out.

“I’d like to encourage all the fans out there, please buy the merch. Let’s get them back in the top-40 on Pro Wrestling Tees.”

The full segment can be viewed below:

MLW Fusion (2/10): Lio Rush Becomes Double Champion

Chris Stephens
-
0

MLW Fusion 2/10 featured a title vs title match between MLW World Middleweight Champion Lio Rush and AAA Cruiserweight Champion, Laredo Kid. The full show is available in the player below.

MLW Fusion 2/10 Quick Results:

  1. ACH defeated Brian Pillman Jr.
  2. Calvin Tankman defeated Zenshi
  3. Daivari & Simon Gotch vs Jordan Oliver & Myron Reed – No Contest
  4. MLW Middleweight Championship vs AAA Cruiserweight Championship
    Lio Rush (MLW Middleweight Champion) defeated Laredo Kid (AAA Cruiserweight Champion)
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359656897545142273

ACH Defeats Brian Pillman Jr. Despite Injury

ACH came into his match against Brian Pillman Jr. with taped ribs due to the recent attack by Team Filthy and his title match against Contra Unit’s Jacob Fatu. Not long after the match began, Team Filthy sauntered out to get a closer view. The finish of the match came when ACH kicked Pillman in the face as he was on the top turnbuckle and followed that up with a brainbuster for the win.

Team Filthy attacked after the match but ACH was saved by The Von Erich brothers. ACH then played up the Texas roots of him and the Von Erichs as a reason for their alliance. ACH & The Von Erichs versus Team Filthy could be in the works.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359664195688558594

Savio Vega Will Not Sell IWA, Will Face Mil Muertes In Aztec Jungle Fight

Last week, Salina de la Renta offered to purchase a controlling interest in Savio Vega’s IWA promotion in Puerto Rico. Vega said this week that the promotion is not for sale. Later in the show, Salina says turning down Promociones Dorado was not an option. Next week, Vega will be made a sacrifice to the new temple, Salina continued, when he faces Mil Muertes in an Aztec Jungle Fight!

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359660168993153031

Calvin Tankman Defeats Zenshi

Calvin Tankman is moving up the rankings in MLW fast and he helped his cause this week with a win over Zenshi. This was the second time the two have fought, and while Zenshi got in some offense, it was Tankman who came out with the W once again after delivering a Tankman Driver for the win.

MLW Top-10 Rankings via Pro Wrestling Illustrated

MLW announced updated top-10 rankings this week as well.

MLW World Champion: Jacob Fatu (Contra Unit)

  1. Alexander Hammerstone (National Openweight Champion) (Dynasty)
  2. Tom Lawlor (2020 Opera Cup Winner) (Team Filthy)
  3. Low Ki
  4. Lio Rush (MLW Middleweight Champion)
  5. Mads Krugger (Contra Unit)
  6. Richard Holliday (Caribbean Champion) (Dynasty)
  7. Mil Muertes (Azteca Underground)
  8. Myron Reed (Injustice)
  9. Daivari (Contra Unit)
  10. Laredo Kid
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359662937271656448

Contra Unit Attacks Injustice

We were supposed to get a tag-team match between Simon Gotch & Daivari versus Injustice this week but the match was thrown out. As Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed were making their way to the ring, they were both attacked from behind by Jacob Fatu. This allowed Contra Unit a 3-on-2 advantage. Despite this, Injustice got the advantage after Myron Reed dove on top of the faction and Injustice then delivered a double team cutter move on Fatu. Jordan Oliver has been saying he’s coming for the MLW World Championship and he might get his wish soon.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359663943942369283

Next Week On Filthy Island

Next week on Fusion, MLW heads to Filthy Island. This “Fyre Festival” type situation may have seen all its sponsors pull out, but this week several matches were confirmed for the event.

  • Dominic Garrini vs Mauna Loa
  • King Mo vs Low-Ki
  • Aztec Jungle Fight
    Mil Muertes vs Savio Vega
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1359665202145411075

Lio Rush Wins AAA Cruiserweight Championship

It was clear early in this match that Lio Rush was going to wrestle a heavy heel style. Laredo Kid had to chase after him as he continuously bailed to the outside.

Near the end of the match, Laredo Kid looked as though he had injured Lio’s knee. He had him in a modified figure four by Rush was able to get to the ropes. The finish of the match came shortly after when Laredo Kid missed a senton and Lio Rush followed that up with a springboard stunner followed by the Final Hour frog splash for the win.

The show came to a close as Lio Rush celebrated with both his championships in the ring.

Cody Rhodes Injured On AEW Dynamite, Arn Anderson Praises Lee Johnson

Chris Stephens
-
0

Cody Rhodes may have suffered a shoulder injury on Dynamite last night. Rhodes was favoring his shoulder during his tag match with Lee Johnson against Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi.

The injury could be just storyline-driven, however, and the reason for Johnson appearing to step-up and get the win for his team. Nightmare Family coach Arn Anderson discussed the interview on “Coach’s Corner” after AEW Dynamite.

“Cody dinged his shoulder up pretty early on,” Anderson said. It looked like the injury occurred as Rhodes landed after a suplex from Bononi. “It handicapped him for the last half of the match,” he continued. “He did fight through it and Lee Johnson now is going to take the flag and stick it right in the middle of the ring.”

Arn Anderson on Lee Johnson

Arn Anderson then continued to talk about Johnson, who picked up his first win on Dynamite.

“Back when this pandemic started and a lot of the talent couldn’t be here, and they couldn’t travel, that kid was the first one here just asking for a chance. Then you started to see this kid’s got talent,” Anderson said.

“I’m going to spend some time with Lee Johnson. I’m going to devout some time and some knowledge to Lee Johnson. Remember that name, because you are going to be hearing it again and again.”

You can watch Arn Anderson’s Coaches Corner segment below:

Eric Bischoff Says AEW Has Flatlined

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff returned for his 83 weeks podcast and during the latest episode of the show, he made some interesting comments about the current state of AEW.

The former SmackDown Executive Director was talking about Chris Jericho’s comments about TNA in 2011 where Y2J had called the company out for not believing in themselves and wasting their resources.

Bischoff said that these comments could come back to haunt the former AEW Champion in future because his company has flatlined in the past year:

“I think it’s going to come back to bite him in the ass is what I think, AEW last week they did about 800,000 viewers, they opened the door with 1.5 million viewers and haven’t been able to crack 1 million since or if they have it’s been only on 1 or 2 occasions. They’ve essentially flatlined at 7 or 800,000 viewers on average for the last year and a half.

“That’s an observation that could, unless something turns around in the next 18 months, come back to haunt someone like Chris.” said Eric Bischoff, “Quite frankly, AEW has flatlined and it’s been that way essentially for a year.”

The former WCW official continued to say that it’s easy to talk about a business you are not in. He mentioned how Chris Jericho had never run a business when he made the statement and he was making them from a position of a talent.

What do you think about Eric Bischoff’s comments about the current state of AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Kevin Owens On Botched Royal Rumble Spot

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The Royal Rumble match between Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns had many interesting spots, though one of them didn’t go as planned.

The handcuff botch during the match became a talking point among fans after the show and the former NXT champion recently discussed the spot during his interview on The Jake Asman Show.

Owens stayed in character during the interview and when asked about the spot, he claimed that he has never been cheated by a referee in this way before:

“I’ve never been cheated by a referee that way before, he [Reigns] brought handcuffs, I handcuffed him to something and I thought I had him, I really did have him. Some screw-ups from the referees and here I am, sitting in my car without the Universal Championship.”

For those who don’t know, the Last Man Standing match between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens at Royal Rumble 2021 featured a spot where Owens handcuffed his opponent to a metal structure.

The Universal Champion couldn’t get out of it in time so he knocked out the referee who had already reached a nine-count. Reigns then called in Paul Heyman for help as a second referee came out and restarted the count.

However, Heyman had some trouble with the cuffs. The second referee stopped the count when it became clear that Paul would not be able to free Roman in time and this botch became a point of discussion among fans after the show.

AEW Announces Signing Of Nightmare Family Member Lee Johnson

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

AEW has officially announced the signing of indie star Lee Johnson after the high flying star picked up his first victory in the company during this week’s episode of Dynamite.

The announcement was made by President Tony Khan himself, who mentioned how Cody Rhodes was the one who first recommended his name in April and how the indie star has worked hard since then:

Lee Johnson has wrestled a number of matches for AEW in the past year and the former indie star has competed against talents such as Rey Fenix, Colt Cabana, Eddie Kingston and more in recent months.

This week’s episode of Dynamite then saw the Nightmare Family member teaming with his mentor Cody Rhodes to take on the team of “Pretty” Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi.

Johnson actually picked up the victory for his team in this bout. Lee got the hot tag during the match and he hit a cutter on Avalon as soon as he got in the ring.

His pin attempt was broken up by Cezar Bononi but Bononi got taken out by Cody Rhodes. Johnson then avoided a double knee from Avalon and rolled him up for the win. This was Lee Johnson’s first victory in AEW.

WWE NXT Results (2/10): Dusty Rhodes Classic Bouts, Kushida vs. Theory

Andrew Ravens
-
0

The February 10, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • MSK def. Legado Del Fantasma
  • Xia Li def. Cora Jade.
  • Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon def. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
  • KUSHIDA def. Austin Theory via DQ
  • Grizzled Young Veterans def. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher 

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Kushida vs. Austin Theory

pjimage 2021 02 10T170651.122

Kushida vs. Austin Theory in a singles match took place. 

This came after Theory had announced on his Twitter account that he would be facing Kushida in a singles match on the show to get revenge on Kushida, who is supposed to challenge Johnny Gargano for the North American Title at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.  In this same tweet, it was revealed that Gargano was out of the contest. 

Gargano couldn’t walk due to a broken arm. Yes, that was the storyline. He cut a promo about how when Kushida attacked him, he suffered a broken arm last week. He was in a wheelchair and said that he has four fractures in his arm. He said that he’s a power walker so he can’t use his arms to walk. He thinks William Regal should suspend Kushida for doing so. As he was talking, he was using his arm.

Regal came out and said that Gargano has been cleared to work. He told Gargano to stop this act. Regal pointed out how Gargano was using his arm and that it was the wrong x-ray. Regal told him that he could forfeit the title if he can’t wrestle. Kushida appeared and attacked Theory then they had a tug of war over the title, which resulted in Gargano holding onto the title. 

This match was booked later on. It ended in a DQ when Gargano attacked Kushida. Theory was pulled from under the ring by Dexter Lumis. Kushida stood tall in the ring after putting in a submission on Gargano while Lumis locked in his submission on Theory. 

Finn Balor – Pete Dunne Feud

pjimage 2021 02 10T170646.380

Finn Balor is slated to make his next title defense as the NXT Champion against Pete Dunne in the main event of Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day special. 

WWE advertised that they would do a face-to-face segment on this show. Instead, a video package aired and they saved the staredown for the last seconds of the show.

This was the go-home edition of NXT for this special so it would’ve been nice to have the main event stars actually do a final build. However, some could make the case that the build to this match has been done quite well.

Cameron Grimes Returns

pjimage 2021 02 10T170644.246

Cameron Grimes made his return. He showed up in a fancy car then did a promo while in a suit. He talked about finding video games and walked into GameStop and bought their stock. Thus, he got rich. Then he invested in dog coins. He said now he has power and wrestles when he wants to do so. 

Grimes worked his previous match against Timothy Thatcher on the December 9th episode of NXT. He had taken part in a Strap Match with Dexter Lumis at the NXT TakeOver: WarGames special.

Grimes underwent surgery in December, but at the time, it was not reported as to why he had to undergo the knife. Dave Meltzer later reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the belief was it was for minor arthroscopic knee surgery.

Semi-Final Match 

pjimage 2021 02 10T170637.011

Semifinal match in the men’s Dusty Classic featuring Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) took place. 

WWE saved this for the main event spot. Ciampa sold his neck throughout the match. Ciampa eventually came to the rescue by getting the hot tag and cleared house. However, that didn’t last long as he ended up eating the pinfall when the heels hit their finishers. 

As a result of this win, they’ll face MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter)  in the finals of the tournament, which will take place at the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day special. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1359697425087217666

Another Semi-Final Match 

pjimage 2021 02 10T170640.792

A semifinal match in the men’s Dusty Classic featuring MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) taking on Legado Del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde. This was the opening contest, which was a wise choice. 

They did some near falls before the commercial break, but even after, the pace didn’t stop. Those who hate spot after spot, then you wouldn’t like this match. Instead, it was a blitzing pace. The finish saw MSK hit their finisher on Wilde for the win. 

They’ll face Grizzled Young Veterans in the finals of the tournament, which will take place at the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day special.

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon

pjimage 2021 02 10T170634.471

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell will also face Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a women’s Dusty Classic semifinal match. 

Somehow, Blackheart had been cut over her left eye and was bleeding pretty good. The heels dominated most of the match. Blackheart pinned Hartwell to pick up the hard-fought victory when Moon hit her finisher to LeRae and Blackheart took out both heels with a backsplash off the top rope. Indie tried to save LeRae from the top rope move, but it backfired. 

Now, these ladies will face Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez in the finals of the tournament, which will take place at the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day special. Regal announced after the match that the winners of this match will also become the new #1 contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. 

AEW Dynamite Results (2/10): Jon Moxley & Kenta, Sammy Guevara Quits Inner Circle

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. It was announced that the Young Bucks will defend their AEW Tag Team Championships against Santana & Ortiz next week.

Dynamite Results (2/11)

  1. Darby Allin def. Joey Janela to retain the TNT Championship
  2. Cody & Lee Johnson def. Cezar Bononi & Peter Avalon
  3. Pac def. Ryan Nemeth via submission
  4. Jericho & MJF def. The Acclaimed
  5. Thunder Rosa eliminated Leyla Hirsch from the women’s tournament
  6. Kenta & Kenny Omega def. Jon Moxley & Lance Archer

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Darby Allin Retained

Darby Allin defended the TNT Championship against Joey Janela in the first match of the night. Allin and Janela started off the match by trading submission holds. Janela caught Darby with an elbow to the face but the TNT Champion responded with a Dropkick that knocked Joey to the ring apron.

Janela lifted Allin up for a Suplex but just dropped him face first on the apron. Joey followed it up with a Suicide Dive and then a cover for a near fall back inside the ring. Janela bounced Darby’s face off the top rope but Allin battled back with another Dropkick. Darby went for a submission hold but Joey was able to reach the ropes right away.

Allin booted the bottom rope into Joey’s face but Janela shrugged it off and connected with a German Suplex. Joey followed it up with a kick to the face and then an awesome Piledriver for a near fall. Allin slammed Joey to the canvas and made his way to the top rope. Allin connected with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory and retained the TNT Championship.

Cody & Lee Johnson Picked Up A Win

Cody and Lee Johnson faced Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi tonight on Dynamite. Arn Anderson was ringside for the match. Cody beat Peter down to start off the match and then tagged in Lee Johnson. Peter Avalon worked his way to the corner and tagged in Cezar. He leveled Lee with a shoulder tackle before tagging Avalon back in. Lee leveled Peter with a Dropkick and Avalon cowardly retreated to the corner. Cezar tagged in and went for a Powerbomb but Lee countered into a Jawbreaker.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Lee leaped over the top rope and landed on Bononi outside the ring. Back in the ring, Lee Johnson hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Cezar kicked out at two. Cody brawled with Cezar as Lee Johnson rolled up Avalon for the win. It was the first victory in AEW for Lee Johnson. Tony Schiavone interviewed Lee Johnson after the match and got emotional about ending his 0-29. Lee thanked Cody, Arn, Dustin, Brandi, and his other trainers after the win.

Matt Hardy Got Hangman Page To Sign A Contract

Dasha interviewed Hangman Page during tonight’s show. Matt Hardy immediately interrupted and said that they were special together. Hardy told Hangman that he rented out a bar and that the tab is on him. Hangman said he was going to get ready and stumbled upon Dark Order. John Silver told Hangman “maybe I will catch you on the flip” and was embarrassed after saying that. Matt Hardy offered a deal to Hangman Page while he was hammered and he signed it.

PAC Tapped Out Ryan Nemeth

Pac squared off against Ryan Nemeth tonight on Dynamite. Rey Fenix was ringside for the match. Pac started off the match in control and connected with a Suplex. Pac made his way to the top rope and leveled Nemeth with a Dropkick. Nemeth planted Pac with a DDT but could not got for the cover because Pac was able to roll out of the ring. Pac beat Ryan down int he corner of the ring and then made his way to the top rope. Pac hit the Black Arrow and transitioned into the Brutalizer for the submission victory.

Sammy Guevara Quit Inner Circle

MJF and Sammy Guevara argued backstage during tonight’s Dynamite. MJF accused Sammy of wanting to be the leader of Inner Circle. Sammy thought MJF was filming him with his phone and whipped it off the wall. Sammy then punched MJF in the ribs and MJF came down to the ring with them comically taped for the tag team match against The Acclaimed.

MJF rolled out of the ring to sell the rib injury and Jericho tagged in. Max Caster leveled Jericho with a shoulder tackle and tagged in Anthony Bowens. Jericho retreated to the corner and tagged in MJF. Bowens slammed MJF on his ribs and went for the cover but MJF was able to kick out at two.

When Dynamite returned from a break, MJF and Jericho had Caster isolated in the corner. Caster connected with an Arm Drag and crawled across the ring to tag in Bowens. Jericho tagged in and Bowens greeted him with a Dropkick. Caster tagged back in and Jericho connected with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Sammy Guevara came down to the ring and Jericho asked what the problem was. Sammy said that he told Jericho on December 9th that if one more thing happens with MJF, he is done. Sammy told Jericho that he was done with Inner Circle and dropped the microphone. Alex Marvez then caught up with Sammy as he was leaving Daily’s Place and he said “I need a break from this place”.

Team Taz Kidnapped Darby Allin

Tony Schiavone interviewed Sting once again tonight. Team Taz immediately interrupted from the jumbotron and revealed they had essentially kidnapped Darby Allin. The TNT Champion was in a body bag and was dragged from the back of their truck. Sting stormed off as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

Thunder Rosa Eliminated Leyla Hirsch

Leyla Hirsch faced Thunder Rosa in the first round of the Women’s World Championship Eliminator tournament. Thunder Rosa connected with a Senton and went for the cover but Hirsch was able to kick out at two. Hirsch showed off her power and trapped Thunder Rosa in a waist lock. Thunder Rosa escaped but Leyla sent her out of the ring with a Headscissors takedown. Leyla connected with a Suicide Dive and then applied an Armbar in the ring.

When Dynamite returned from a commercial break, Thunder Rosa was back in control and hit a Dropkick for a near fall. Hirsch planted Thunder Rosa wth a German Suplex and went for another one but Thunder Rosa sent her into the turnbuckle. Leyla hopped up to the middle rope and hit a Crossbody for a two count. Thunder Rosa hit a running knee to the face and went for the cover but Leyla powered out at two. Thunder Rosa went for a Piledriver but Leyla escaped and locked in an Armbreaker. Thunder Rosa planted Leyla with an Atomic Drop and then a slam for the pinfall victory.

Omega & Kenta def. Moxley & Archer

Kenny Omega & Kenta faced Jon Moxley & Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere tag team match in this week’s main event.

Kenta bashed Moxley in the face with the IWGP briefcase to start the action off. Kenta launched the briefcase into Lance Archer’s face and then Omega slammed him to the canvas. Kenta and Kenny Omega then battled over who gets to stomp the hell out of Jon Moxley. They came to a mutual agreement and both took turns beating him down in the corner.

Archer exploded out of the corner and leveled Omega with a shoulder tackle as Moxley dropped Kenta with a Clothesline. Archer lifted Omega up for a Powerbomb but the AEW Champion escaped and sent Lance tumbling out of the ring. Moxley and Kenta then got in each other’s face and traded punches.

Moxley set up for a Paradigm Shift but Kenny broke it up by bashing Jon over the head with a trash can. Omega then hit a Moonsault with the trash can off the top rope. Omega held up the trash can and Kenta Dropkicked it into Moxley’s face for a two count.

Lance Archer brought a ladder into the ring and bash Omega & Kenta with it. Archer set up the ladder against the turnbuckle in the corner as the crowd in Daily’s Place chanted “this is awesome!”. Archer slammed Omega on top of the ladder as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, the action had spilled into the crowd and Kenta hit Peter Avalon with the GTS. Lance Archer then Chokeslammed Kenny Omega through a table for a near fall. Moxley slammed Kenta into the barricade and followed it up with boot to the face for a two count.

Kenta and Moxley then battled into the catering area/ kitchen in Daily’s Place. Kenta locked in a submission on top of a steel table but Archer broke it up. Moxley started throwing around potatoes and then action returned to the ringside area. Moxley beat Omega down with a kendo stick but Omega was able to connect with a V-Trigger that knocked Jon out of the ring.

https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1359697458821963778?s=20

Archer and Kenta battled on the entrance ramp as Omega hit Jon with another V-Trigger. Archer told the commentators to leave and tried to Powerbomb Kenta through the announce table. Kenta escaped and hit a massive Double Stomp on Moxley on a table below. Lance Archer started walking towards Omega and the AEW Champion grabbed a kendo stick.

Omega swung but Archer ripped away the kendo stick and broke it in half. Lance planted Omega with a big Chokeslam and followed it up with a springboard Moonsault for a two count. Archer went for Blackout but Impact Tag Team Champions Good Brothers came down to the ring. Archer booted Kenta in the face but Karl Anderson attacked him from behind.

Omega was about to hit Jake Roberts with a V-Trigger but Moxley broke it up with a barbed wire bat. Kenta hit Moxley with the GTS and then a low blow to Archer. Good Brothers planted Archer with the Magic Killer and Omega followed it up with the V-Trigger. Good Brothers then helped Omega hit Archer with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Jon Moxley will defend the IWGP US Title against Kenta on February 26 at New Beginning USA 2021.

NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day: Updated Card For Sunday (2/14)

Andrew Ravens
-
0

The card is set for WWE’s next NXT Takeover special, Vengeance Day. Following this week’s episode of NXT on USA, we now know who will compete in the finals of the Men’s and Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments.

On NXT, three matches part of the tournaments took place. First up, is the women’s tournament, which will see Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon face Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez in the finals. The babyface went over Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell in the semifinals. 

The men’s tournament will see The Grizzled Young Veterans face MSK in the finals as on this show, Zack Gibson and James Drake beat Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher to advance. 

NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Card

WWE presents NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day this Sunday, February 14th from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. The event airs live on the WWE Network.

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

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Impact Launching ‘Before The Impact’ Kickoff Show On AXS TV

Michael Reichlin
-
0


A new one-hour weekly TV show from IMPACT Wrestling – BEFORE THE IMPACT – will debut next Tuesday, February 16, on AXS TV, it was announced last night.

‘BTI’ will air at 7pm ET/4pm PT every Tuesday night on AXS TV® as a lead-in to the action-packed flagship IMPACT! show which airs at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

Nashville-based sportscaster Jon Burton will be BTI’s host. The NewsChannel5 anchor will be joined by reporters Gia Miller and Josh Mathews.

Mathews, who also serves as BTI’s senior producer, said: “BTI will feature in-depth previews of the biggest matches, exclusive interviews with IMPACT Wrestling stars, behind-the-scenes access you won’t see anywhere else and an exclusive match each week.”

BTI will feature exclusive news on the pro-wrestling industry from insider George Iceman – the “Iceman’s Intel” segment is expected to be a highlight of BTI.  

“BEFORE THE IMPACT will be IMPACT Wrestling’s version of a pregame show,” said IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore. “Fans have been asking for more IMPACT action on AXS TV and we’re excited to debut a new show and format with BTI.”

The premiere installment of BEFORE THE IMPACT will feature a collision between Team XXXL and the recently reformed, new-look Decay.

Ryan Nemeth On What Led To His AEW Debut

Chris Stephens
-
0

“Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth picked up a win over Marko Stunt on AEW Dark last night. He is scheduled to take on PAC on tonight’s show. Nemeth recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet about how he ended up working in Jacksonville. He noted that he has a lot of friends from his time in NXT that are now in AEW including the Huber family.

“Being there is kind of like a huge reunion,” Nemeth said about AEW. “I have so many friends from NXT or other parts of wrestling. Walking in the locker room felt like home. I went to AEW to see Amanda Huber (the late Jon Huber/Brodie Lee’s wife) because I knew there was going to be a birthday for Brodie Jr, I thought I would surprise her and say happy birthday, I used to babysit him in Tampa.”

“I wanted to say hi to her, I also secretly had my gear with me. They asked me “since you’re here do you want to wrestle?” And I said sure. I think it went well, I blacked out but I think I won (laughs). I was honored to debut on Dynamite. It felt great to be back in the ring. During shutdown I have been doing a lot of wrestling but not in front of a live crowd. It’s been a lot of stunt work or coordinating for TV shows. AEW are super into promoting creativity, very motivational and positive environment.”

Ryan Nemeth On His Older Brother, Dolph Ziggler

Nemeth’s older brother, Dolph Ziggler, has been jokingly ribbing him online about his time in AEW. He spoke about his relationship with Dolph during the interview as well.

“We grew up wrestling for the same school together. But I will say I’ve spent my entire wrestling career looking and dressing the exact opposite of him. He had blond hair, I dyed mine black. He wore pants, I wore shorts. No matter what I do, for a decade, any time I’m in a match, the Internet says I’m a carbon copy of him. But we’ve had pretty different lives.”

Ryan Nemeth On Sexual Assault In Wrestling

https://twitter.com/HotYoungBriley/status/1355627734479773698

Nemeth has been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement. His upcoming movie “Heel” deals with sexual assault in pro-wrestling.

“The plot of the film deals with sexual assault in the world of indie wrestling. It comes from a very real place. I was ambushed with stories about assault. That’s why I took a break from wrestling. It was really close to home for me. I can’t speak on behalf of these people. Legally, imagine the trouble I would be in if I did speak on behalf of victims. But I can use art to encourage conversations about these things. I love wrestling and the people in it but there are some bad eggs that do bad things and get away with it. There is not one solution to it, but it’s one that I can try to help with. I would love it to expand to a feature or a series.”

You can view the full interview in the player below:

John Cena Responds To The Undertaker’s “Soft” Comments

Chris Stephens
-
0

The Undertaker recently ruffled some feathers when he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and referred to today’s pro wrestlers as “soft” compared to his generation. During a recent interview with Forbes, John Cena weighed in on the controversy.

John Cena’s WWE career spanned nearly two decades, so he also saw the industry change dramatically during that time. Cena tells Alfred Konuwa that today’s product isn’t soft, but it’s certainly different than previous eras. “I may have a bit of disagreement with Undertaker’s word choice because I don’t think it’s soft, I think it’s different.”

Cena came up during the Ruthless Aggression era. This era was toned down from the Attitude Era, but far edgier than what we see today. He recalls “Stone Cold” Steve Austin making an appearance after WWE went PG and having a difficult time adapting.

“I remember one of the first time Steve Austin came back during the height of the PG era, and he was just befuddled,” said Cena. “Because Steve Austin goes out there and runs it. And if he gets stuck, he can curse, he can throw up some middle fingers, he can ask for a beer…but we took away three of the biggest clubs that he can hit with and told him to go out there and be himself. And he came back shaking his head and said ‘I don’t know how you do this!’ But if he had enough time, he’s a great performer, he could get used to it.”

Ever the company, man, Cena gave a glowing review of today’s WWE product. “What do I think of the WWE product right now? I love it!” Cena continued. “I think it’s bold, it’s forcing people to take chances.”

John Cena On WWE’s Current Marquee Stars

Cena would continue to talk about how Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, and Drew McIntyre are 3 marquee names in the company right now.

“Now you have Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks can be in that conversation, but it’s not what I said it was in 2020. It’s not a scattered fragment of Super Friends. WWE has just refocused, re-shifted and now is consolidating on marquee stars. They have their marquee stars, and going forward they will have their big names. As far as those names being larger than life, the enormity of their impact is up to the individuals themselves.” 

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

AEW Rankings Report 2/10: Chris Jericho & MJF Now #1 Ranked Tag Team

Chris Stephens
-
0

AEW has released new top-5 rankings for its men’s, women’s, and tag-team divisions. There was movement in all 3 divisions this week. Red Velvet moved into the top spot in her division and Jericho and MJF are now the top-ranked tag-team contenders.

AEW Men’s Singles Rankings

AEW World Champion: Kenny Omega (1-0) 
TNT Champion: Darby Allin (1-0)

  1. Jon Moxley (1-0) 
  2. Cody Rhodes (2-0)
  3. PAC (2-0) (+2)
  4. Rey Fenix (3-1) (-1)
  5. Miro (2-0) (-1)

#3 PAC moved up 2 spots in the rankings this week. That drops #4 Fenix and #5 Miro down one spot each. In addition to picking up a singles win on Dark last week, PAC was in the main event of Dynamite last week where his team with #4 Fenix and #1 Moxley was defeated by AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and the Impact tag-team champions, The Good Brothers.

Tonight on Dynamite, #2 Cody Rhodes will team with Lee Johnson against Peter Avalon and Cezar Bononi. World Champion Kenny Omega will team with KENTA against #1 Jon Moxley and unranked Lance Archer.

Screen Shot 2021 02 10 at 1.29.58 PM

AEW Women’s Singles Rankings

AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (1-0) 

  1. Red Velvet (4-0) (+1)
  2. Britt Baker (3-0) (+1)
  3. Serena Deeb (2-0) (-2)
  4. Tay Conti (4-1) (+1)
  5. Thunder Rosa (2-1) (-1)

There has been a lot of movement in the women’s rankings the last two weeks. This week #3 Serena Deeb dropped 3 spots due to Baker and Red Velvet each moving up. #1 Red Velvet was victorious on Dark last week and is gearing up for her feud with Jade Cargill.

#2 Britt Baker moved up one spot after her victory over #5 Thunder Rosa on Dynamite. The two had been in the #3 and #4 spots respectively last week.

The title-eliminator tournament kicks off on Dynamite tonight as we get closer to determining Hikaru Shida’s next challenger.

Screen Shot 2021 02 10 at 1.30.07 PM

AEW Tag Team Rankings

AEW Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (0-0)

  1. Chris Jericho & Maxwell Jacob Friedman (2-0) (+2)
  2. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (1-0) (-1)
  3. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) (2-0) (-1)
  4. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) (3-0) 
  5. Santana & Ortiz (3-1)

After winning last week’s battle royal, Jericho and MJF are now the #1 contenders to the Young Bucks titles. That drops #2 FTR and #3 Jurassic Express down one spot each.

Tonight on Dynamite, #1 MJF and Jericho will face #4 the Acclaimed.

Screen Shot 2021 02 10 at 1.30.16 PM

Britt Baker Wants To Lead AEW’s Women’s Division To More TV Time

Chris Stephens
-
0

Britt Baker was the first female athlete signed by AEW. She will also be participating in the women’s title-eliminator tournament upcoming on Dynamite. Baker spoke to the Bleacher Report recently about wanting to be the one to lead AEW’s women’s divisions to more TV time and potential main event matches.

“I just want to help lead the women’s division to more TV time and the main event eventually,” Baker said.  “We’re getting there, but this is a business, and we need to stay strong. For a long time, the women’s segments weren’t doing well, but now we are getting to a point where the fans want more women’s matches.”

Recently, Baker has been hosting “The Waiting Room” segments on Dark and Dynamite. She also talked about those segments during the interview.

“That was Cody [Rhodes] who came up with the idea for the show,” Baker said. “Him and Tony [Khan] developed the whole concept of it, what we will talk about, and the opening monologue. Reba is ridiculously funny, and we just flow together. It’s a lot of fun because we have a lot of freedom with it while we advance storylines.”

Baker continued to talk about Rebel’s involvement in the segments.

“When we did a vignette in my office, they [AEW] were trying to limit the travel as much as possible. She was a makeup artist for AEW, and we are really good friends. It was Cody’s idea to use her as the makeup artist who gets bullied, and it was just so good that we had to keep Reba around. I don’t want to share the spotlight with anybody. It’s all about me, but Reba is there to have my back.”

Baker addresses several other subjects during the interview including her upcoming action figure, working with Tony Schiavone and more.

1...984985986...3,403Page 985 of 3,403