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Kofi Kingston Details Recent Jaw Injury, Getting Teeth Knocked out

Chris Stephens
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Kofi Kingston hasn’t wrestled since the January 4th, 2021 edition of WWE RAW. He missed last week’s show due to a broken jaw. On the most recent edition of the New Day “Feel the Power” podcast, Kingston detailed when and how he suffered the injury.

“I got kneed in the face by Cedric Alexander like 3 weeks ago and a couple of my teeth chipped. It was all fine, it was cool and the point of impact was just real sore. I thought ‘okay it’s a bruise or whatever.’ The next week we actually had like a 6-man match and everything was fine, a little pain but not terrible”

The day after New Day lost the RAW tag-team titles to the Hurt Business at WWE TLC, Kingston Tweeted out the following:

Kofi Kingston Jaw Injury

Kingston would continue to say that his jaw just didn’t feel right in the weeks and matches that followed.

“Then the next week when we had our match — right before we went out, it just kept feeling like it was just loose,” Kingston continued.

“As soon as we get out there to the ring, I’m moving around and now I’m feeling it kind of like come out of place and just feel like it wasn’t set in. And I feel like if the fans were there, I wouldn’t have felt that. Like throughout the whole entire match, anytime something would happen, I would get hit or whatever, I’ll grab my jaw. And I’m like, the entire match thinking about it the whole time.”

Kingston also mentioned he’s not sure if he would have noticed the injury had there been fans in the arena.

“I’ve been not necessarily injured but been hurt in a match and you feel the adrenaline of a crowd and it makes you will your way through it.  It changes the whole dynamic of how we do what we do and the approach.”

Nick Aldis Talks About Being A Traveling World Champion, NWA Update

Michael Reichlin
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NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis takes a lot of pride in being a ‘traveling champion.’ He’s not satisfied with his lack of recent title defenses and is looking ahead to 2021.

The National Treasure recently spoke with Wrestling Headlines about the significance of the NWA title. Aldis recalls taking bookings around the world when he first became champion. His willingness to defend the title in other promotions all around the world strengthened the legacy of the prize.

“You could tell that the momentum was there because right away all of those promoters were contacting me and going, ‘Can we make it an NWA title match?’ … We have a unique opportunity here because just as luck would have it I happened to have bookings in Europe, Australia, and across the states. We have a unique opportunity here to re-establish the folklore of the traveling world champion. The real world champion.”

Nick Aldis is proud that former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Tim Storm was elevated by his title reign. He remembers fans telling him that they fell in love with Tim Storm and saw him as being on the same level of himself and Cody Rhodes.

“I took great pride in that,” said Aldis. “I’m business. I want people to work with who generate interest and sell tickets for a pay per view. I don’t like the fact that I haven’t defended the title much lately. I don’t need to be champion forever…I just wanna be in the most important thing.”

The NWA in 2021

The National Wrestling Alliance is looking to regain its footing and build some momentum in 2021.

Billy Corgan recently exercised an option to keep Nick Aldis under contract with the NWA for one more year. Nick Aldis told Konnan and the Keepin’ It 100 podcast, “I truly believe in what we’re doing with the product and I wouldn’t walk away from it because we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we could accomplish.”

The NWA went on hiatus last year partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve partnered with UWN to produce new content, including the NWA Shockwave series on YouTube.

We’ve seen NWA performers on AEW programming in recent months, including NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb and Thunder Rosa. Deeb appeared on The Hashtag Show last month and said she believes the NWA will be holding TV tapings soon.

“For the foreseeable future, I’m really excited,” said deeb. “The NWA is probably starting back up again with some tapings in January or early next year. My intention as champion is to defend it all over the world. I would love to be a platform to showcase other women. The possibilities are endless.”

WWE Raw Preview (1/18): Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss, Randy Orton Speaks

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to the ThunderDome tonight with an all-new live edition of Raw from St. Petersburg, FL.

Here’s what’s advertised for this week’s show:

  • Alexa Bliss faces Raw Women’s Champion Asuka in a non-title match.
  • Randy Orton will address the WWE Universe after Alexa Bliss attacked him with a fireball last week.
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WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair mentioned on his Facebook page that he at Raw, so expect the latest chapter in his storyline with Lacey Evans and daughter Charlotte Flair.

Plus, we’ll get more hype for the WWE Royal Rumble, which takes place in less than two weeks. Expect to see more entrants announced for the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches.

Join us here later tonight for our WWE Raw Results and Takeaways feature right after the show goes off the air.

Asuka tweeted the following ahead of her match against Alexa Bliss. Asuka says she’s not scared of Bliss or “her monster.”

https://twitter.com/WWEAsuka/status/1350931325486772231

Jim Ross Comments On Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart Feud in 98

Chris Stephens
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After the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997, Owen Hart returned to the WWF and looked as though he was going to enter a long-term program with Shawn Michaels. It didn’t work out that way, however. Owen and Shawn’s feud never seemed to take off and eventually, Owen and Triple H began feuding over the European Championship leading to WrestleMania 14.

On a recent episode of Grillin Jr, the topic of Owen Hart and Shawn Michaels’ abbreviated program in 1998 was brought up. Conrad Thompson mentioned that some rumors hold that Triple H and HBK quashed the idea of Shawn working with Owen. JR believes that while that might be true, it’s also the case that Vince McMahon didn’t have full faith in Owen.

“Could it have happened? Of course, it could have happened,” JR responded when asked if Triple H and HBK quashed the idea of Owen feuding with Shawn. “Can I confirm that it definitely happened? No, I cannot. I don’t know the answer.”

“I don’t know if there was as much confidence in Vince’s eyes in Owen because of the perception that Owen didn’t have this animal magnetism that Bret possessed.”

“So maybe Vince’s lack of total confidence in Owen affected that decision making. Owen was another guy just like Shawn, you knew that bell-to-bell, nobody was going to be better. Owen Hart was a great worker but maybe he didn’t have that zest of charisma to the level that Bret had and that is what he was being compared to. That was obviously not that fair, but that’s the only thing I can think of, Conrad.”

“Maybe Shawn and Hunter just wanted to get away from the Hart thing. They rode that horse a long time. I don’t know, I don’t have the answer to that scenario, I wish I did.”

A clip of JR talking with Conrad Thompson about the Owen Hart vs Shawn Michaels feud in 1998 is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAq2YlD1-xQ

Eric Bischoff On Brock Lesnar Beating Kofi Kingston In 7 Seconds

Chris Stephens
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On the first edition of WWE Smackdown to air on Fox in 2019, Brock Lesnar defeated Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship in just 7 seconds. Many fans were disappointed with how Kofi’s title reign came to an end. Eric Bischoff was the Executive Director of Smackdown when the title change took place. He spent some time recently on the 83 Weeks Podcast talking about Lesnar’s quick victory over the former champion.

“Brock is Brock as a character, Brock’s character is Brock’s character. He eats people, he eats big people, he eats tough people,” Bischoff said on the show.

Bischoff continued to talk about the the size-difference between Brock and Kofi and how that played into what happened in their match.

“Kofi is my size, granted he’s in shape. But Kofi is maybe 200lbs, 210lbs, 220lbs-guy, whatever it is. Is there a story that would be remotely believable that would allow Kofi in this match to be in there and mix it up with a guy like Brock, in a believable way, that would have allowed him to maybe hold onto that underdog status?”

“What could Kofi have done in the body of that match that would have been believable and allow Kofi’s fans to hold onto some hope that he might find a way to overcome Brock Lesnar? I challenge people to think of it.”

Eric Bischoff on Brock Lesnar vs Kofi Kingston

Bischoff believes that WWE made the inevitable problem of ending a popular champion’s title reign worse by having it end in such a short match.

“People were hot that Brock ate Kofi in the manner in which he ate him and spit him out. They were hot, and I understand that. But what else could you do that would have been believable?”

“So I think it was destined to failure from the beginning to the end. It was a mistake. But I think that mistake was exacerbated by the fact that they did it so quickly.”

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVT83n8PFR4

Britt Baker: “Everything Cody Gets Involved In Turns Into The Cody Rhodes Project!”

Jake Skudder
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AEW Women’s division star Dr Britt Baker recently appeared on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast. The pro wrestler/dentist talked a number of topics whilst on the show, including her Waiting Room segments.

The Waiting Room was originally only used as a segment on AEW Dark, but this past week was the first time it was brought to AEW Dynamite. The segment featured Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill, furthering the storyline involving the aforementioned pair, Shaq and Brandi Rhodes.

Baker would discuss how Cody Rhodes was influential in bringing the concept to life, and how he’s now ‘hands off’ with it.

Britt Baker on The Waiting Room

“When we first started, I obviously met with Cody [Rhodes] and Tony [Khan] to make sure we had the the vision down, that we’re on the same page with what we wanted to do” Baker began on the Sunday Night’s Main Event show.

Britt Baker then described how the segment is used to help get ‘other storylines over.’ The Waiting Room has a Barber Shop or Piper’s Pit vibe, with a full set created to backdrop the action. “Essentially, it’s just a great platform to get other storylines over, to get people who maybe don’t get to talk as much.”

“[It was for] people who don’t get to talk as much on Dynamite or Dark” Baker continued. “Give them the mic let’s, you know, see what they can do.” Baker then finished by saying how as the segment has progressed Cody Rhodes has had less and less involvement in it. “Cody, as of now? Has very little to no involvement in it. Because once Cody Rhodes gets involved, it turns into Cody Rhodes project! And I’m sick of that (laughs)! So, now? It’s my baby.”

Knockouts Tag Team Champions Call Out AEW & Tony Khan

Chris Stephens
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Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz, collectively now known as Fire & Flava, won the Knockouts tag team championships at Hard to Kill. After the show, cameras caught up with the new champions celebrating. The video was posted to Impact’s social media accounts and features Hogan and Steelz calling out AEW and Tony Khan.

“We said it from the beginning, Fire & Flava is the team not to F with,” Steelz said in the video. “And Tony Khan, you want to talk about better tag-teams in AEW? What you think about the Knockouts tag-team in Impact. This is how you crown tournament champions, not participation medals.”

“2021 and the next years to come, Fire & Flava is it baby,” Hogan added.

Fire & Flava defeated The Sea Stars, Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie, and Havok & Neveah in an 8-team single-elimination tournament to win the belts.

Steelz comment about participation medals is in regard to the AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup held last year. The tournament was won by Diamante and Ivelisse, who have responded to Fire & Flava’s comments as well.

Diamante, who previously wrestled in Impact as a member of LAX, congratulated her partner, Kiera Hogan, on her win at Hard to Kill, however.

Sareee Headed To WWE After Announcing Final Joshi Match

Chris Stephens
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Joshi wrestler Sareee is on her way to WWE. The 24-year-old signed with the promotion in February of 2020 but has been unable to report to the Performance Center due to the ongoing global pandemic. She is considered a standout star on the Joshi scene.

Sareee sent out a Tweet confirming that her upcoming match for the SEAdLINNNG promotion on the 22nd will be her last bout before moving to the United States. She is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center after she does so.

In August, it was reported by Tokyo Sports that WWE would allow Sareee to continue to wrestle in Japan while she waits out the travel band.

Like many Joshi wrestlers, Sareee got her start at an early age. She was just 15 when she began performing for the World Woman Wrestling Pro Diana promotion. Sareee is a 2x World Champion with the company and a 1x tag-team champion.

Sareee spoke about moving to the United States and starting with WWE in the below video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgQJKXsbWwY&feature=emb_logo

“WWE is handling my schedule to move to the States. Their initial plan was for me to be training over there already but look at the circumstances around the world… maybe best when the vaccine is developed rather than re-debuting with worries. I want to show my solid wrestling live without any anxieties.”

Blue Demon Jr. Running For Mayor In Mexico City Municipality

Staff
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Luchador Blue Demon Jr. is running for political office. He seems to become mayor of the Mexico City municipality, Gustavo A. Madero.

During a recent interview with Mexican TV personality Gustavo Adolfo Infante, Blue Demon Jr. spoke about his candidacy.

“My party is called Redes Sociales Progresistas (Progressive Social Network). I am trying to become mayor of the GAM. There is Tinieblas for Venustiano Carranza and Carístico for Cuauhtémoc,” said Blue Demon Jr.

The former NWA World Heavyweight Champion also said that if elected as the mayor, he is going to focus on matters like education, security, and economics.

rock demon

Blue Demon Jr. in Politics

It is forbidden in Lucha Libre culture to reveal one’s real name and face to the public under any circumstance. Honoring his heritage, Blue Demon Jr. hopes to run for mayor without taking off his mask or revealing his identity. He explained that he would only have to identify himself in front of the authorities and not to the public.

Blue Demon Jr. is not the first masked wrestler to run for office masked. Masanori Murakawa of Japan, better known as The Great Sasuke, became the first masked wrestler to serve in politics. He was elected as the legislator of Iwate Prefectural Assembly.

Blue Demon Jr. is the ‘adopted’ son of legendary Luchador Blue Demon. He was the first Mexican and only the second masked wrestler to win the NWA Championship. After an initial stint with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide from 1996 to 2001, he returned to the promotion in 2013. He still wrestles there on occasion.

He was asked if he’ll be able to balance politics with his wrestling career. “I will try to balance everything, in a way that does not affect,” said Blue Demon Jr. “I am independent and I own my time. I can schedule struggles and certain things, but I do believe that it gives me time.”

Mark Henry Says Ryback Should Apologize To The Wrestling Industry, Ryback Responds

Chris Stephens
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Mark Henry has taken offense to former WWE Superstar Ryback’s lack of respect for the wrestling business. During a recent episode of Busted Open, Henry said that many of Ryback’s peers found him difficult to work with and unsafe in the ring.

“A lot of his peers looked at him as difficult, a lot of his peers looked at him as dangerous,” Mark Henry said on the show.

Henry also took offense to Ryback stating that wrestling championships are just “props.”

Henry takes pride in his accomplishments in pro wrestling and defended the value of titles.

“The championship is the championship, it’s not a prop and he’s wrong,” said Henry. “I’ve been a world champion in 3 sports and I consider pro-wrestling one of those. Ryback can’t take away what I achieved. You are wrong. Every wrestler that sees your face should walk up to you and say ‘hey, you’re an asshole.’ And I hope you know how to fight for real because you know and I know, there’s a lot of people that would whoop your ass.”

Henry finished by saying, “You owe the wrestling industry an apology. If you don’t, I think that pro-wrestlers all over the world should never give you respect.”

You can listen to Mark Henry’s comments about Ryback in the audio player embedded below:

Ryback Responds To Mark Henry

Ryback has since responded to Mark Henry’s comments with a series of Tweets posted last night.

https://twitter.com/Ryback/status/1351029848014249984
https://twitter.com/Ryback/status/1351032569459048450
https://twitter.com/Ryback/status/1351034260308840452
https://twitter.com/Ryback/status/1351075800896970752

Ethan Page Rips Into IMPACT For Karate Man Presentation

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling held their Hard To Kill PPV event this past weekend. One of the featured ‘matches’ on the card saw Ethan Page face ‘Karate Man,’ an alter ego of Page that was originally created on YouTube and brought to television.

Ethan Page had already left the company before the PPV aired, so he did not hold back in stating his thoughts on the Mortal Kombat inspired video at all. “I’m going to take a full blown break from social media,” Page noted in on social media. “I’ll be staying active on my personal Patreon as much as I can & probably in this group too cuz I love the fig life & u guys. Xoxox.”

“But man, last night sucked” Page continued, talking about the segment. “I’m so embarrassed with how IMPACT! lazily edited that segment last night & forced it to be a joke. I felt the thought of the same guys fighting eachother was comedy enough & the more serious we took it the better the reaction would be. But cuz I left the company, they lied to my face & just did what they wanted the whole time. I’m sorry if any of my fans paid for that PPV & felt cheated. I honestly feel the free version I gave away was made with more love, care & attention to detail.”

The actual presentation from IMPACT had Ethan Page appear in front of a green screen and cut cheesy lines. Whilst the spectacle had humorous moments, Page was absolutely livid that he didn’t even get a look at the footage before it aired.

karate finale

Ethan Page’s Departure from Impact

“Sadly I had no control over the creative or the final product” Page then continued. “The editor refused to send it to me before hand, so I saw it live with you guys & was surrounded by family. [They were] all scratching their heads at that high school project level delivery on a PPV. I pray ppl know I didn’t edit that hot garbage. I actually begged IMPACT! Not to even have Karate man on tv. I only wanted it for my YouTube channel. But, we don’t write the shows. We just get the scripts & do our best. Idk what else to say. Breaks my heart this company refuses to respect its talent or it’s fan base on a regularly basis.”

Did you see the Hard To Kill PPV? Did you enjoy the Karate Man vs Ethan Page segment? Let us know in the comments

Jim Ross On His Pitch Which Convinced Shawn Michaels To Come Out Of Retirement In 2002

Anutosh Bajpai
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Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement in 2002 is one of the most unbelievable wrestling returns of all time. Broadcasting legend Jim Ross reveals that he was one of the people who convinced HBK to lace up the boots once again.

JR discussed Michaels’ comeback during a recent Royal Rumble themed episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Michaels had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career up until WrestleMania 14. Sadly, he was forced out of the ring due to a debilitating back injury. Towards the end of his run, Michaels was admittedly difficult to deal with. According to Jim Ross, he told the Heartbreak Kid that his legacy deserved better than how he was remembered in 1998.

“My pitch to Shawn was always that you can’t allow your legacy to end this way,” said Ross. “You have put a bad taste in peoples mouth, whether inadvertently or premeditatedly. I don’t know and I don’t really care. Right now, the perception of you is not so positive.”

Jim Ross recalls telling Shawn Michaels that he was up there with Ric Flair as one of the greatest pro wrestlers ever. He owed it to himself and the fans to make things right.

“For a guy that’s considered to be, along with Ric Flair, the two greatest in ring performers of all time, that’s just not right,” Ross recalls telling Michaels. “It’s not right for you or your fans.”

Shawn Michaels’ back was in bad shape for some time, but was worsened at the 1998 Royal Rumble during a match with The Undertaker. After dropping the WWE Championship to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania, he closed the book on what was thankfully only the first half of his storied career.

Michaels made sporadic non-wrestling appearances for WWE over the next several years. He made a full-time return to the ring in 2002. He wrested a full-time schedule until 2010. That run included classic matches against the likes of Triple H, Kurt Angle, John Cena and of course, The Undertaker.

Sheamus On His Favorite Royal Rumble Of All Time

Anutosh Bajpai
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Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated PPVs of the year and Sheamus, who won the iconic battle royal at the show in 2012, is also excited for the PPV.

The former world champion recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump where he talked about things like having both great and embarrassing moments at the show and more.

During the interview, Sheamus also revealed his favorite Royal Rumble event. He recalled watching the confrontation between Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior as a kid from the PPV in 1990:

“Uh, I think for me as a kid, the biggest moment for me was the Royal Rumble in 1990, I remember I snuck downstairs and watched it – I recorded it – and watched Hulk Hogan win it all but then he and Ultimate Warrior went at it. I remember that was an unbelievable moment ’cause I was a huge Warrior fan because of his intensity.

I liked the energy he brought to the ring.” said Sheamus “There was a lot of electricity about him. It was such a surreal moment. You didn’t really see two good guys go at it like that, you know? They both had such a high profile in the company. So, it was crazy.”

The Celtic Warrior also talked about winning the Royal Rumble match himself in 2012 and claimed that he is the kind of person who gets his adrenaline going after every show.

So winning the Royal Rumble was a pretty surreal moment for him and it was a bucket list item for the former champion. You can check out his full interview in the The Bump episode below:

Nikki Bella Praises Sasha Banks: “She’s a Show Stopper!”

Staff
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Even though Brie and Nikki Bella have not competed in the ring since 2018, they remain a fan of wrestling. They are often full of praises for other superstars, either on their own podcast on on someone else’s.

Recently speaking to Ashley Graham on Pretty Big Deal podcast, Nikki Bella heaped praise on the current SmackDown Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks.

“I’ve always called it about Sasha Banks. Since the day she debuted, even right before she debuted. She has it all, what you look at in a WWE superstar,” Nikki Bella said. “She’s an incredible wrestler and an entertaining superstar. The minute she hits the ramp and comes through the curtain, you’re just locked in on her. Bianca Belair, she’s beautiful, fun to watch, and the most athletic human-being I’ve ever seen in my life. She’s a show stopper.”

Nikki Bella: It’d be a lot of fun to be on creative

Nikki Bella also said that she would be interested in joining the backstage creative team in WWE. She would like to do for the women what Daniel Bryan does for the men, she added.

“Brie’s husband [Daniel Bryan] is part of the creative team and works a lot with Vince McMahon on the creative stuff. I’ve always thought, in the back of my head, ‘I would really like to do that for the women.’ I’ve lived it as a WWE superstar, but I’m also a fan. I know what the people and I know how to get the best out of each woman because I know them. It’d be a lot of fun to be on creative,” Nikki Bella commented.

Brie Bella also chipped with a few good words for NXT superstar Rhea Ripley. Brie said that she was surprised Rhea Ripley was not called up to main roster yet and praised her previous storyline with Charlotte Flair, which she felt should have been a headliner.

“Same with Rhea Ripley. I’m actually bummed she’s not on the main roster yet because she constantly puts out great matches. Her look is incredible, she’s presence going to the ring. She’s still in NXT, which is great for NXT, but she should have been on the main roster years ago. Especially her storyline with Charlotte. I was like, ‘That’s someone who should be headlining Raw,’ Brie Bella shared.

Other female superstars Brie and Nikki Bella thought highly of were Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, and Bianca Belair.

Adam Cole Says NXT Is The Main Roster, “No Debate. End Of Story.”

Michael Reichlin
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Adam Cole is the latest NXT star to declare that WWE’s ‘black and gold’ brand is on par with Raw and SmackDown.

The former NXT Champion commented on Undisputed Era and the NXT brand on social media late Saturday night. Cole is the leader of Undisputed Era, the faction also comprised of Kyle O’Reily, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish.

The foursome has been a dominant force in NXT since they were first established in the summer of 2017. At one point, they held all the brand’s top titles, including the NXT Championship, the North American and Tag Team Championships.

Undisputed Era cleaned up at the 2020 NXT Year-End Awards. Members won Male Competitor of the Year (Adam Cole), Tag Team of the Year (All members), Match of the Year (O’Reilly vs. Finn Balor at TakOver 31) and Rivalry of the Year (Cole vs. Pat McAfee)

Adam Cole says the Undisputed Era’s reign of success will continue in 2021. He tweeted, “#UndisputedERA has run @WWENXT since we’ve arrived…2021 will be no different. Enjoy the ride boys & girls.”

undisputed era

“NXT Is The Main Roster”

A fan on Twitter told Adam Cole that he should advance to the ‘main roster’ in 2021, implying that he should join Raw or SmackDown. Cole replied by saying that NXT is the main roster, “No debate. End of story.”

This is an idea that has been pushed by many people in NXT, including Triple H. During a recent appearance on WWE’s digital series The Bump, he said that Finn Balor returning to NXT full-time established the brand as the ‘main roster.’

WWE Hall Of Fame: Plans For 2021 Ceremony & Inductees

Michael Reichlin
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The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is one of the highlights of the annual pro wrestling calendar. Last year’s event was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WrestleMania 36 was moved from a football stadium to the Performance Center and the 2020 HOF ceremony was scrapped entirely.

Over the weekend, WWE made some major announcements regarding the next three WrestleMania events. It was revealed that this year’s WrestleMania 37 will take place over two nights at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL. From there, WrestleMania will hit Dallas, TX and Los Angeles, California in 2022 and 2023. More details on those announcements can be found here:

WWE Hall of Fame 2021

WWE has yet to address the status of the 2021 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but Dave Meltzer addressed the situation on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. 

While a limited number of fans will be able to attend WrestleMania 37, the current plan is for the 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony to be held virtually. Meltzer stated, “The last I heard was to hold a WWE Hall Of Fame virtually without fans, but that could change. That might be tough.”

uk tourist measles wwe hall of fame new orleans

We also expect last year’s class of inductees to be honored this year. The well-rounded class includes:

  • Batista
  • The nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman)
  • The Bella Twins, Brie and Nikki
  • John Bradshaw Layfield (‘JBL’)
  • “Jushin” Thunder Liger

We will provide an update whenever WWE makes an official announcement regarding the 2021 Hall of Fame.

20191207 HOF Group 2 51dc40a2ba8f873b92129790f543be9e

Nyla Rose Off Dynamite This Week Due to COVID-19 Protocols

Chris Stephens
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Nyla Rose was scheduled to face Leyla Hirsch on the upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite. She’s been forced off the show after an immediate family member tested positive for COVID-19, however.

Rose released a statement on Twitter explaining her situation:

“I’ve found out that an immediate family members has tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, I’ve been directly exposed,” wrote Rose.

“As per safety protocol I will be isolating/self quarantine for the next 14 days. Why do I mention this? Because of the seriousness of the situation and the timeline for quarantine, this will affect this weekend’s Virtual Meet & Greet with Damage 365 promotions and prevent me from competing against Leyla Hirsch this coming Wednesday on Dynamite.”

“I’m very sorry to anyone that was looking forward to these events but keeping everyone as safe as possible must be priority at this time. Thank you for understanding. Stay Safe everyone. Please social distance and Mask up.”

Nyla Rose finished 2020 with a 14-2 record in AEW singles matches. Her only losses were both to Hikaru Shida. She lost to Shida at Double or Nothing to drop the AEW Women’s Championship. Shida then successfully defended the title against Rose at Full Gear in November. Rose has only wrestled on Dark since dropping the match to Shida at Full Gear.

Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Wear Bullet Club Branding At Hard to Kill

Chris Stephens
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When Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows walked to the ring last night at Hard to Kill, they were each wearing Bullet Club branding.

Karl Anderson wore a Bullet Club hoodie to the ring, Gallows’ gear was all decked out in Bullet Club logos and Kenny Omega wore a limited edition Bullet Club Halloween t-shirt as well. The commentary team never referred to them as Bullet Club, however.

Omega and the Good Brothers defeated the team of Rich Swann, Chris Sabin, and Moose on the show. Moose was replacing Alex Shelley, who was pulled from the event in the days leading up to it.

Fans on social media took notice of Omega and the Good Brothers rocking Bullet Club merchandise during their entrances.

https://twitter.com/KhalafSammy/status/1350646775175131136
https://twitter.com/riversinthedust/status/1350664935513194497

The Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has been critical of the faction’s reunion in AEW and Impact. He believes only the wrestler still in NJPW are true members of the faction. Tonga posted the following last night:

“At this point, it’s only BulletClub when the Tongans are in it. Anything else is just guys that wished they were back in BulletClub,” Tonga Tweeted.

Karl Anderson is one of the 4 founding members of the faction along with Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, and Prince Devitt. Gallows joined later in 2013. Omega wouldn’t join until 2014 as a junior heavyweight.

Chris Bey Talks Interest From AEW To Sign Him

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling X Division star Chris Bey recently spoke to Fightful. The former X Division Champion discussed a number of topics during the show, including how AEW was previously interested in signing him.

“So, with everybody that’s been talking to me over the last year like, ‘Man, AEW was interested in you. Why didn’t you go there?’” Chris Bey begin the interview. “Now it’s looking like I don’t even have to have made that decision to still make it happen, you know?”

Chris Bey then discussed how he could potentially work for AEW, but under the IMPACT banner as part of the ongoing ‘invasion’ storyline with Kenny Omega.

“For me, it’d be even better if I can do it wearing the IMPACT! banner and holding the IMPACT! flag while I do it, you know? I think it’s just going to set up some dream match scenarios. If this keeps going in the direction it’s going in we can provide history for the fans that we possibly look back to for the foreseeable future of our business and be like, ‘Man, that’s when things really changed in this industry.’ This could be the start of something.”

Chris Bey appeared at IMPACT’s Hard To Kill PPV this weekend. He was part of the triple threat match for the X Division title, where Manik/TJP would take the win after rolling up Rohit Raju.

Backstage Update on Matt Cardona’s IMPACT Wrestling Status

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE and AEW performer Matt Cardona appeared in shock fashion on IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard To Kill event last night. The Major Brother would appear during the show to face Ace Austin in an un-advertised match that took place during the event.

The match would end when Madman Fulton interfered and Cardona would win via DQ. Matt Striker on commentary would not confirm if Matt Cardona had signed with the company; or if it was a one-night only appearance. Cardona however would look as if he was there to stay. The former Zack Ryder made gestures after the match as if IMPACT was going to be his new home.

PWInsider recently reported that Matt Cardona is scheduled to appear at the IMPACT tapings that will be taking place this week. Reportedly the company are looking to film a number of weeks of television, meaning that Cardona could be on AXS TV going forward for some time.

Cardona tweeted following the show to say thanks to Scott D’Amore. “I needed tonight. Thanks @ScottDAmore for the opportunity. Thanks @IMPACTWRESTLING, thanks to all my fans! I’m #AlwayzReady…I’m #HardToKill…and I’m NOT DONE with @The_Ace_Austin & @FultonWorld!”

Matt Cardona last appeared on television for All Elite Wrestling. Cardona signed a short term deal with AEW and he fulfilled those dates last year before moving on. With the ongoing feud between elements of IMPACT and AEW it will be interesting to see if the former Zack Ryder will be inserted into the storyline.

Bully Ray: “AEW Has Glaring Issues That NXT Doesn’t”

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the ongoing ‘Wednesday Night War’ between AEW and NXT. For many months AEW has been beating NXT in the rating; with this past week seeing a gulf in difference, particularly in the 18-49 demographic.

Bully Ray pointed out that whilst AEW is the better drawing show? Ray believes that NXT has the better in-ring action and it is a ‘crisper’ and more ‘polished’ style of pro wrestling.

“It’s hard for me to come on the show, and I don’t want to do this, first and foremost, I don’t look to come on the show and point out holes in the game or the negatives” Bully Ray began on Busted Open.

“Honestly, I just want to come on talk positive about pro wrestling, and tell everybody what a great job everybody did. When I watch NXT? I don’t see glaring issues, like I see maybe with AEW. But the work in the ring is solid, it’s tight [in NXT]. Nine times out of 10? It makes psychological sense. The physicality is there.”

Shifting his focus to AEW, Bully Ray sees some ‘glaring’ issues that might be holding the company back.

“A lot of times? You watch AEW and you know, guys and gals are missing stuff. It can get a little indie-rific at times, whereas the NXT product is a lot more polished and the work rate is extremely tight.”

However you feel about Bully Ray’s comments about AEW’s in-ring product, there’s no question that what they’re doing is working. AEW regularly draws higher viewership and greater fan interest than NXT.

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you believe that NXT’s in-ring product is superior to that of AEW? Let us know in the comments

IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill Results (1/16)

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling held their Hard To Kill 2021 event tonight. The main event of the card was once of the most anticipated bouts of the past couple of months; Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers would team up to take on; IMPACT Champion Rich Swann, Chris Sabin and TNA Champion Moose.

The scheduled main event was originally supposed to see Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers take on Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. Unfortunately, MCMG member Alex Shelley was unable to appear and therefore had to be pulled from the match. Rich Swann’s longtime rival Moose was then added to the match.

Here’s the quick results from IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard To Kill 2021:

  • Kenny Omega, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs Rich Swann, Chris Sabin and Moose. – Kenny Omega took the win for his team after hitting the One Winged Angel on Rich Swann
  • Barbed Wire Massacre: Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan – Eddie Edwards took the win after hitting the Emerald Flowsion on a barbed wired covered chair
  • The Karate Man vs Ethan Page – Karate Man took the win after he pulled Ethan Page’s heart out of his chest, seemingly killing him
  • IMPACT Knockout Championship Match: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie – Deonna Purrazzo took the win via submission to retain her IMPACT Knockouts Championship
  • IMPACT X Division Championship Match: Chris Bey vs Manik (c) vs Rohit Raju – Manik (TJP) took the win after rolling up Raju. Rohit Raju pulled Manik’s mask off during the match to reveal TJP with facepaint. The commentary team pretended at first it wasn’t him
  • Ace Austin vs Matt Cardona – Matt Cardona took the win via DQ when Madman Fulton interfered
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan vs Havok and Nevaeh – Kiera Hogan took the win for her team to win the Knockouts Tag Team Championships. Gail Kim and Madison Rayne appeared after the match to present the newly re-introduced belts to the Champions
  • Eric Young, Joe Doering and Deanor vs Tommy Dreamer, Rhino and Cousin Jake – Eric Young took the win for the newly named Violent By Design after hitting a Piledriver on Cousin Jake. Moments before Eric Young had been dropped onto thumbtacks.
  • Rosemary and Crazzy Steve v.s Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb with a K – Rosemary and Crazzy Steve took the win after spewing mist on their opponents. Crazzy Steve hit a tornado DDT on Kaleb to gain the pinfall
  • Brian Myers vs Josh Alexander – Brian Myers took the win after hitting a Lariat

The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.

Hard to Kill Videos

Impact Wrestling has updated the following videos from Hard to Kill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaN835CK67k

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

Matt Cardona Debuts At IMPACT Hard To Kill (Video)

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling presented Hard To Kill Saturday night on pay-per-view. During the show the X Division Championship would be defended in a triple threat match with Chris Bey and Rohit Raju challenging Manik for the Championship.

Before the match, Ace Austin would appear and demand that he be added to the match, making it a fatal four way. Company Executive Scott D’Amore would appear and tell Austin that he wouldn’t be getting a shot in the X Title match, but he would be facing a man who was Alwayz Ready…Matt Cardona.

The match would end when Madman Fulton interfered and Cardona would win via DQ. Matt Striker on commentary would not confirm if Matt Cardona had signed with the company or if it was a one-night only appearance. Cardona however would look as if he was there to stay, making gestures after the match as if IMPACT was going to be his new home.

Matt Cardona last appeared on television for All Elite Wrestling. With the ongoing feud between elements of IMPACT and AEW it will be interesting to see if the former Zack Ryder will be inserted into the storyline.

The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.

Watch Matt Cardona’s Impact debut here:

WrestleMania Set For Tampa Bay (2021), Dallas (2022) and Los Angeles (2023)

Michael Reichlin
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WWE has announced upcoming dates and locations for WrestleMania, from 2021-23:

  • Tampa Bay: WrestleMania 37, Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium
  • Arlington/Dallas: WrestleMania 38, Sunday, April 3, 2022 at AT&T Stadium
  • Inglewood/Los Angeles: WrestleMania 39, Sunday, April 2, 2023 at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park

“Florida is excited to welcome back WrestleMania to Tampa in April at Raymond James Stadium. Florida has continued to work with professional sports and entertainment to safely operate while generating revenue and protecting jobs. WrestleMania will bring tens of millions of dollars to the Tampa area and we look forward to hosting more sporting and entertainment events in Florida this year,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“The opportunity for Tampa Bay to host WrestleMania in April is, in true WWE fashion, the perfect comeback story and marks a clear indication that our beautiful city is poised to bounce back stronger than ever. We can’t wait to once again showcase all that team Tampa Bay has to offer,” added Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

“We are elated for WrestleMania’s return to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium and look forward to building upon the success from 2016 when more than 101,000 fans were in attendance for WrestleMania 32,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams.

“The City of Inglewood looks forward to the opportunity to host WrestleMania in 2023 and celebrates the deferral of this year’s event to Tampa Bay so they can have their rightful WrestleMania moment. Our time will come,” said Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr.

“On behalf of everyone at WWE, we thank Governor DeSantis, Mayor Castor, Mayor Williams and Mayor Butts for their graciousness and flexibility in what was a collaborative effort to bring the next three WrestleManias to these iconic stadiums in their world-class cities,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO.  

In coordination with local partners and government officials, WWE will announce ticket availability and safety protocols for WrestleMania 37 in the coming weeks. Information on additional WrestleMania Week events is forthcoming.

Madison Rayne Confirms Retirement From Impact Wrestling

Jake Skudder
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Former Knockouts Champion and Knockouts Tag Team Champion Madison Rayne confirmed her retirement this evening. The former member of The Beautiful People stable confirmed as such on the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill pre-show panel.

Madison Rayne was part of the IMPACT commentary team until tonight’s broadcast alongside Josh Matthews. It was recently confirmed that Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown will be taking commentary duties going forward for the promotion.

It is unknown at this time if the switch in commentary prompted the retirement announcement; or whether Rayne made it clear that she wanted to leave before the change was introduced.

An emotional Madison Rayne told fans during the pre-show for Hard To Kill that after 12 years with the company and wrestling over 3 different decades? That it was time for her to go home.

Madison Rayne’s accomplishments in IMPACT/TNA include being a 5-time Knockouts champion. Rayne was also Knockouts Tag Team Champion on 2 occasions; once with Lacey Von Erich and once with Gail Kim. Rayne would also be crowned Queen of The Knockouts in 2014.

Rayne tweeted shortly after Hard To Kill started, referencing the new commentary team of D’Lo Brown and Matt Striker. Madison would write “I already love this team!!”

The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.

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