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Jay White Update: Tony Schiavone Throws Cold Water On Him Joining AEW

Michael Reichlin
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We have an update on Jay White’s status, courtesy of AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone.

Switchblade has been in the news as of late. He recently competed at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15. He challenged Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World & Intercontinental Championships, but came up short. A despondent Jay White announced after the event that he was leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling. He bemoaned, “I will never be appreciated like I should be” before stating that it might be time to take his talents elsewhere. “I am not going to do this anymore.. maybe my time would be better spent some place else.”

It has been rumored that Jay White’s contract with New Japan is expiring soon. If this was the case, he could test the waters by negotiating with other promotions.

During Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite post-show, Tony Schiavone was asked about the possibility of AEW signing Jay White. Schiavone revealed this is unlikely. He thinks Jay White is committed to NJPW longterm.

“I don’t think so,” Schiavone responded to a fan question. “I think he’s pretty much locked into what he’s doing there.”

Dave Meltzer on recently stated on Wrestling Observer Radio that AEW was interested in signing Jay White when the company launched in 2018. White reportedly told AEW executives that he had several years left on his NJPW contract.

For what it’s worth, Jay White’s profile has been pulled from the NJPW Website.

At only 28 years old, Jay White is one of the top pro wrestlers in the world. He would certainly be a top free agent, if he did leave New Japan. For now, it appears he is staying put for the foreseeable future.

MLW Fusion Results (1/13): Los Parks Win Tag Titles, Mil Muertes Debuts

Chris Stephens
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Salina de la Renta served as executive producer for this week’s edition of MLW Fusion. She booked the Von Erichs in a title match and stacked the decks in favor of the challenging Los Parks team. Salina also introduced former Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes to the league.

You can watch the full episode in the player below:

MLW Fusion 1/13 Quick Results

  1. Low-Ki defeated Budd Heavy via referee stoppage
  2. Mil Muertes defeated Brian Pillman Jr.
  3. MLW World Tag Team Championships
    Los Parks defeated The Von Erichs (c) – New Champions

Here are 7 key takeaways from MLW Fusion 1/13:

Low-Ki Makes Short Work of Budd Heavy

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1349617998630449153

Low-Ki needed just 8 seconds to defeat Budd Heavy this week. The bell rang, Low-Ki charged at his opponent and drilled him in the face. Budd Heavy went down and Budd Heavy never got back up again. The ref called for the bell. After the match, Low-Ki had a few words for American Top Team to the camera. King Mo and Dan Lambert have been saying that Low-Ki shouldn’t even be cleared to compete but the former MLW World Champion seems to be gunning for revenge on team.

Konnan Is Missing & There Is Concern For His Well-Being

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1349509785692073984

It was noted this week on commentary that nobody has heard from Konnan in days. Salina de la Renta has been promising to get revenge on Konnan for weeks after he revealed that Salina aided Contra Unit in the coup attempt at the MLW head offices this spring. She ordered a video tape be played of her in San Diego delivering a message to Konnan. In the video, Salina seems to imply that Konnan is no longer alive, perhaps having come face to face with the “Man of 1000 Deaths” Mil Muertes. Salina implied that Konnan’s only legacy left to wrestling will be that he was the one who forced her to summon Muertes and bring him into MLW.

Mil Muertes Destroys Brian Pillman Jr.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1349649960241930240

Brian Pillman Jr. pulled off a “Rick Rude” last night. He was on both MLW Fusion and AEW Dynamite. He ran into stiff competition on both shows, however. There was nothing Pillman could do against Muertes here. All of his chops and strikes failed to register on Salina’s new monster. Muertes fired back with chops and strikes of his own, several clotheslines, a power slam, and finally his Straight To Hell (flat-liner) finish for the win. Muertes, under the control of Salina, could run complete rough shot over the entire league.

MLW Strikes Up Deal With IWA Puerto Rico, Richard Holliday Comments

MLW has partnerships with promotions in many of wrestling’s top hot spots, like Japan and Mexico. They’ve now added IWA Puerto Rico to the mix. The league announced the alliance this week on Fusion.

Puerto Rican wrestling icon, Savio Vega, had his Caribbean Championship stolen by Richard Holliday before the shutdown. Holliday said this week that he’s upset that neither MLW nor IWA give him the proper recognition of being the Caribbean Champion. He invited the actual champion to face him in the ring.

MLW Top-10

The MLW top-10 rankings brought to you by Pro Wrestling Illustrated were announced on this week’s show. They are as follows:

MLW World Champion: Jacob Fatu (Contra Unit)

  1. Alexander Hammerstone (National Openweight Champion) (Dynasty)
  2. Tom Lawlor (Opera Cup Winner)
  3. Low-Ki
  4. LA Park (Promociones Dorado)
  5. Lio Rush
  6. Richard Holliday (Dynasty)
  7. Mads Krugger (Contra Unit)
  8. Myron Reed (Injustice)
  9. ACH
  10. Laredo Kid

 Promociones Dorado Sold?

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1349585786514120704

Salina de la Renta was having a great time all night long as she produced this week’s episode. Then before the main event, Rich Bocchini informed her that he just heard Promociones Dorado had been sold. Salina tried to no-sell this but the confusion and anger was evident on her face. She stormed off the set.

It was later revealed that Salina’s organization has been sold to Azteca Underground Inc. An update on MLW.com reads as follows:

“MLW.com can confirm Promociones Dorado is now a subsidiary of Azteca Underground, Inc., a California based company. However, details remain unclear beyond this.” 

Los Parks Win MLW World Tag Team Championships From The Von Erichs

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1349518623396782080

Salina de la Renta could not have stacked the deck any more in favor of Los Parks in this match. Longtime Von Erich rival, Tom Lawlor, was chosen as the special guest referee and he made no secret of the fact he was trying to help Los Parks win. There were numerous incidents of him trying to fast count the Von Erichs and delivering slow counts whenever one of the brothers would try to pin a Park.

It looked like the Von Erichs had the match won after an Iron Claw Slam but Salina came in the ring and sprayed mace in the eye of Ross. As Marshall was checking on him, LA Park speared him out of the ring. LA Park Jr. then came up from under the ring and joined his father and brother in attacking the Von Erichs. This allowed LA Park to hit a spear on Ross as well. Lawlor, who had tumbled out of the ring, finally got back inside and delivered a fast count on Ross and awarded the victory and the titles to Los Parks.

The Good Brothers On Losing Their Confidence In WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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A lot of former WWE stars have said that their run with the company resulted in a loss of passion and confidence for them and The Good Brothers shared their similar experiences recently.

The team of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows were recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated where they opened up about their time with the company and more.

During the interview, Anderson said that he hates to admit the fact that there was a point in WWE when they had lost their confidence:

“I hate to admit this, but I think there was a point in WWE where we had a loss of confidence, but I can promise you that the confidence is back.

We needed to get out of that environment to remind ourselves who we really are and what we can be. Right now, we’re on top of our game. It feels that way to us, and hopefully, it shows.”

Though later in the interview, Doc Gallows said that the Good Brothers don’t have any sour grapes about their time with the company before joking about not getting Slammy Awards for their participation in the Boneyard match:

“We don’t have any sour grapes about WWE, except that they forgot to mail us our Slammy Award for Match of the Year, maybe the mail is slow. I’m still waiting on that. But we’re focused on right now.”

Apart from this, the Good Brothers also discussed their reunion with the Elite on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite and said that it felt good to do it in front of a live crowd. You can check out their full interview at this link.

Kurt Angle Says His TNA Career Was Better Than WWE Stint

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kurt Angle started his professional wrestling career in WWE in 1998 and the Olympic Gold Medallist achieved a lot of success in the company including half a dozen world title reigns.

However his WWE run came to an abrupt end in 2006 when the former champion asked for his release from the promotion due to health reasons.

After quitting WWE, Angle joined TNA and during his recent appearance on Wrestling Perspective podcast, Kurt claimed that his TNA career was better than his run with WWE:

“I actually had a better career there,” said Angle. “I hate to admit it because WWE was the big company, but I got better. I was only in the business six and a half years when I switched to TNA, and that was the prime of my career.

I mean, my matches with Samoa Joe, Sting, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, all those guys, and I had a really great career there, “said Kurt Angle, “As much as I love WWE, that was so much better.”

The former Raw General Manager went on to say that there is a part of him that wishes that he would have stayed in WWE during those years because there were more eyes on WWE’s product.

Would you put Kurt Angle’s TNA run above his stint with WWE? Do let us know your thoughts on the claims made by the former world champion.

Tony Schiavone Confirms Erick Rowan’s AEW Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tony Schiavone confirmed on the latest Dynamite post show that former WWE star Erick Rowan is not part of the AEW roster just yet.

The AEW commentator was asked if fans can expect to see the former Wyatt Family member in action again.

Replying to it, Schiavone said that his appearance was only for the tribute show though he did not rule out the possibility of Rowan returning to the company in future:

“I believe Erick’s appearance only came on that tribute show to his former tag team partner. Then again, I say that but who knows? He might show up tomorrow,”

Erick Rowan made a surprise appearance during the Brodie Lee Celebration Of Life episode of Dynamite to pay tribute to his former tag team partner.

The former WWE star was released from his contract in April earlier last year as part of the company’s coronavirus budget cuts alongside several other stars.

Many of the released stars such as Miro and The Good Brothers have since signed new contracts with different promotions but Erick Rowan remains a free agent.

Now it would be interesting to see if the indie star makes any more appearances for AEW in future and which company he eventually joins as a full time star.

Update: Sonny Kiss Is Not Injured

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Sonny Kiss has clarified a report that he is currently out of action due to injury.

The story about a potential injury began circulating late Wednesday night. During the AEW Dynamite post-show, Tony Schiavone was asked by a fan about Sonny Kiss’ whereabouts. Schiavone replied, “He’s been injured; I’ve seen him in the training room. So he’s been banged up. I’ve seen him in the gym but he’s just not able to perform. He is a tremendous athlete.”

On Thursday afternoon, Sonny Kiss set the record straight on social media:

Sonny Kiss signed an AEW contract back in February 2019. He made his debut at the company’s inaugural Double or Nothing PPV in May and has been a part of the AEW roster ever since.

Kiss last competed during the December 22 episode of AEW Dark where he was defeated by Miro. His last Dynamite appearance came on October 21 when he competed in a match against Kenny Omega.

AJ Styles Talks About Competing For WCW In 2001

Anutosh Bajpai
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AJ Styles wrestled for many well known promotions across the globe before eventually signing with WWE in 2016 and the list includes a forgotten run with WCW as well.

The former WWE Champion was paired with Air Paris in a team called Air Raid and the two had one match for the promotion as part of WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship tournament right before the company folded.

During his recent appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Styles opened up about his experience of competing in the promotion and revealed that he actually had a contract with the company:

“I knew I had a contract. So, I knew I was going to be coming back for a few more matches, Now, I didn’t know that WCW was going to go out of business. That sucked for me. But, it is what it is, and it happened for a reason.

I wasn’t ready to be in WCW. And I’m sure as heck was not ready to be in WWE.” said AJ Styles, “So, I’m glad things happened the way they did. I’m happy for the experience, but the timing wasn’t right.”

Later in the interview, the former TNA star also talked about his WWE debut and how the company had hidden him before Royal Rumble in order to try and stop the leaks about his debut.

WWE will be releasing a new episode of the WWE Untold featuring the story of AJ Styles’ Royal Rumble debut on WWE Network this Sunday at 9 AM EST.

MSK, Formerly The Rascalz, Debut In NXT (Video)

Anutosh Bajpai
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MSK has arrived in NXT. The tag team formerly known as The Rascalz made their in ring debuts on Wednesday’s NXT TV.

Earlier in the day, WWE released the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament brackets. Among the 16 teams listed was MSK, a team that we had yet to meet. As expected, it was the Rascalz. The men formerly known as Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz are now using the ring names Wes Lee and Nash Carter.

MSK defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Jake Atlas in the first round of the tournament.

MSK in WWE NXT

The two high flying stars signed with WWE back in December. Though the third member of the Impact Wrestling stable Trey Miguel did not sign with the promotion at the time and it was reported that he was still weighing his options.

This wasn’t the only match of the tournament that took place during tonight’s episode of NXT and The Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Ever-Rise to advance in the first round of Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic as well.

MSK will now be face the winners of the match between Kushida & Leon Ruff and The Way in the second round.

You can check out video of MSK’s NXT debut below:

AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash (Night 2) Results: Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage, Kenny Omega & Good Brothers

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash (Night 2) aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Darby Allin defended the TNT Championship against Brian Cage in the main event.

New Year’s Smash (Night 2) Results:

  1. PAC def. Eddie Kingston
  2. Miro def. Chuck Taylor
  3. Kenny Omega & Good Brothers def. Varsity Blondes & Danny Limelight
  4. FTR def. Jurassic Express
  5. Serena Deeb def. Tay Conti to retain the NWA Women’s Championship
  6. Darby Allin def. Brian Cage to retain the TNT Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

PAC def. Eddie Kingston

Pac squared off against Eddie Kingston in the first match of the night. Pac quickly knocked Kingston out of the ring and launched him into the barricade. Pentagon, Fenix, The Blade, and The Butcher argued outside the ring as Pac brought Kingston to the corner. Pac booted Eddie in the face and made his way up to the top rope. Pac connected with a Dropkick that knocked Kingston to the canvas.

Kingston caught Pac with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a Knee Drop off the middle turnbuckle. Eddie booted Pac out of the ring and The Bunny dug her nails into Pac’s face. Eddie planted Pac with a Suplex on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kingston connected with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Pac kicked out at one.

Pac hit Kingston with a release German Suplex and regrouped near the ropes. Pac booted Kingston in the chest three times and Eddie fell to the mat. Kingston got up and hit Pac with a Belly to Back Suplex for a near fall. Pac perched Kingston up on the top turnbuckle and connected with a Superplex for a two count.

Pac hit an uppercut but Kingston responded with a Clothesline for a near fall. Kingston went for a DDT but Pac held onto the ropes. Pac then hit the Black Arrow for the pinfall victory. After the match, Pac locked in the Brutalizer on Kingston before Butcher and Blade got into the ring. Lance Archer hit the ring and sent Butcher, Blade, and Kingston retreating.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1349525995699769348?s=20

Chuck Taylor Has To Be Miro’s Butler

Chuck Taylor battled Miro tonight on Dynamite. Orange Cassidy, Kip Sabian, and Penelope Ford were ringside for the match. Chuck dominated early and sent Miro out of the ring with a Clothesline. Chuck sent Miro into the barricade a couple of times before flipping onto him. Taylor sent Miro into the barricade again and then into the steel ring post. Taylor hit a Double Stomp off the ring apron before the action returned to the ring.

Kip Sabian leveled Orange Cassidy but turned around into a kick to the face from Chuck. Miro capitalized on the distraction and planted Chuck Taylor with a Samoan Drop. Miro connected with a Splash and then a big kick to the face. Miro locked in the Game Over in the middle of the ring and Chuck tapped out. Chuck Taylor now has to be Miro’s butler as a result of the loss.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1349528015345217542?s=20

Inner Circle Announced Their Resolutions

Inner Circle came to the ring to announce their New Year resolutions. Jake Hager shouted “championships yeah!”. MJF said that he wanted to grow his bond with the fellas in the ring and get rid of fat people. Jericho said that this is the year that he is going to win the AEW Tag Team Championships with MJF.

Santana interrupted and said that he hand picked them to be the tag team in Inner Circle. Sammy Guevara interrupted and called Jericho is a tag team slut. Guevara brought up Le Sex Gods, and Jericho teaming with Hager and now MJF. MJF said that all Chris is trying to do is his job and Guevara shouted “shut up!”. Jericho suggested a three way match next week to determine who is the official tag team of Inner Circle. MJF stated that no matter what happens they are still family.

“The Elite” Picked Up A Win

AEW Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis made their way to the ring. Callis said that this was too special of a night to leave it in the hands of Justin Roberts and made it seem like he was going to introduce the Young Bucks but introduced the GOod Brothers instead. Omega, Gallows, and Anderson then faced Varsity Blondes and Danny Limelight. The Young Bucks were shown pissed off with Tony Khan backstage.

Danny Limelight booted Omega in the head and followed it up with a Dropkick to the chest. Gallows tagged in and connected with a Clothesline. Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison Clotheslined Gallows out of the ring. Pillman hit Omega with a chop to the chest and brought him to the corner.

Limelight tagged in and Omega hit him with a couple jabs to the face. Gallows hit Danny with a cheap shot and Kenny capitalized with a Bulldog. Anderson tagged in and unloaded some punches to Danny’s face before knocking Griff of the apron. When Dynamite returned from a break, Omega hit Danny with a chop to the chest.

Danny hit Omega with a Hurricanrana and tried to tag out but Omega prevented it. Limelight went for an Enziguri but Kenny ducked it. Omega went for a Snap Dragon Suplex but Limelight landed on his feet. Garrison and Anderson tagged in and Varsity Blondes connected with a Neckbreaker off the top for a near fall. Anderson hit Garrison with a running kick to the face and went for the cover but Griff was able to kick out at two. Gallows and Anderson planted Limelight with the Magic Killer for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Jon Moxley’s music hit and he made his way down the steps of Daily’s Place. Moxley hopped in the ring but the numbers game caught up to him. Omega and the Good Brothers beat Moxley down in the corner until the Lucha Bros broke it up. Omega and Moxley traded punches in the middle of the ring until the locker room rushed the ring to break up the fight. Moxley hit a Suicide Dive onto everyone and rolled Kenny into the ring. The Young Bucks showed up and Lucha Bros them with Superkicks. A massive brawl broke out and AEW Champion & Don Callis retreated backstage.

Thunder Rosa Will Face Britt Baker At Beach Break

Britt Baker and Reba hosted the first episode of “The Waiting Room” on Dynamite. Baker said that everyone in the crowd has a present under their seat but there was nothing there. Baker laughed at the crowd before welcoming Cody Rhodes as the first guess.

Baker joked that Cody’s baby will probably have an action figure before her. Britt interrupted Cody right before he was about to speak and introduced Jade Cargill. Jade ripped the microphone away from Cody and said that nobody gives a damn that Brandi is pregnant. Cargill said that she wants an opponent and will beat Brandi’s ass if she ever returns. Red Velvet got in Jade’s face and slapped her. Jade responded with a massive slap and a brawl broke out.

The women’s locker room broke it up as Britt filmed the fight with her phone. Baker then rolled footage of her getting Thunder Rosa in the Lockjaw. Thunder Rosa interrupted from a webcam and told Baker that she is going to have to wrestle her but Tony Khan wants it to have a big stage. Thunder Rosa announced that Baker will face her at Beach Break on February 3rd.

FTR def. Jurassic Express

Jurassic Express faced FTR tonight on Dynamite. Dax beat Marko Stunt down in the corner of the ring to start off the match. Marko hit Harwood with a smack to the face and Dax responded with a Suplex. Cash Wheeler tagged in and slammed Stunt to the canvas.

Jungle Boy tagged in and connected with an Atomic Drop on Wheeler. Stunt sent Harwood out of the ring with a Hurricanrana and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Jungle Boy then Moonsaulted onto FTR as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Marko rolled up Harwood for a near fall. Tully dragged Stunt out of the ring and threw him into the ring post. FTR sent Jungle Boy into the barricade and hit Marko with the Big Rig for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1349543505136398336?s=20

Serena Deeb Retained

Serena Deeb defended the NWA Women’s Championship against Tay Conti tonight on Dynamite. Anna Jay was in Conti’s conrner for the match. Deeb and Conti locked up in the middle of the rig to start off the action. Conti brought Deeb to the canvas and applied a Heel Hook.

Deeb escaped and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Serena leveled Conti with a shoulder tackle and rolled up Tay for a two count. Conti hit Deeb with a kick to the face that sent the NWA Women’s Champion out of the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Deeb had Conti in the Stretch Muffler submission but Tay was able to reach the ropes. Deeb went for the Serenity Lock but Conti blocked it. Serena hit a Gutbuster and followed it up with the Deeb-Tox for the pinfall victory. Serena Deeb is still the NWA Women’s Championship.

Darby Allin Retained The TNT Championship

Darby Allin defended the TNT Championship against Brian Cage in the main event of this week’s show. Taz joined commentary for the match. Taz said that Tony Khan limited it to two members of Team Taz ringside tonight. Allin went right after Cage and hit him with a Dropkick. Darby followed it up with a Suicide Dive outside the ring and went for another one but Cage countered into a Suplex on the floor outside the ring. Cage then threw Darby Allin about ten feet and through a table next to the barricade.

Cage lifted Darby up for a Suplex and walked up the steel steps before hurling Allin into the ring. With blood pouring down his face, the TNT Champion pulled himself to his feet in the corner of the ring. Cage immediately hit him with a Splash and then a release German Suplex. Brian Cage reigned down punches to Darby’s face as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Brian Cage was still in control and hit Allin with another Suplex for a one count. Ricky Starks couldn’t believe that Darby kicked out at one. Cage Powerbombed Darby three times in a row as Taz laughed on commentary. Darby gave Cage the middle finger and Cage responded with a Powerbomb on the entrance ramp.

Darby flipped off Cage once again and Brian brought him into the ring with a Superplex. Cage went for a cover but Darby kicked out at one again. Brian set up the steps next to the ring but Allin caught him with a Dropkick. Cage held onto the ropes but Darby bit his head. Cage fell onto the steel steps and Allin quickly hit him with the Coffin Drop.

Back in the ring, Darby went for another Coffin Drop but Cage caught him. Allin bit Cage and then tied up Brian’s legs with his belt. Darby unloaded some punches but Cage quickly broke free. Allin planted Brian Cage with Code Red and went for the cover but Cage kicked out at two. Darby hit Cage with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Double Stomp. Hook hopped up on the apron and Starks hit Allin with a cheap shot. The lights went out and Sting hit Ricky with the baseball bat a couple times. Brian Cage brought Darby up to the top rope but Allin hit the Crucifix Bomb for the pinfall victory. Darby Allin is still the TNT Champion.

Opinion: Allin and Cage had a very good match and it is about time that Sting actually did something besides make an entrance on Dynamite. Overall, Night 2 of New Year’s Smash was a solid show. PAC and Kingston started off the show on a high note and it ended the same way. I thought Serena Deeb and Tay Conti put on a good title match as well.

WWE NXT Results (1/13): Dusty Rhodes Classic Matches, Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis

Andrew Ravens
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The January 13, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Candice LaRae def. Shotzi Blackheart
  • The Grizzled Young Veterans def. Ever-Rise
  • Johnny Gargano def. Dexter Lumis
  • MSK def. Jake Atlas and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
  • Xia Li def. Jobber
  • Undisputed Era def. Breezango

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis

pjimage 2021 01 13T133737.285

Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis took place in the second hour of the show. 

There were a few instances of Austin Theory getting involved and the referee didn’t do anything about it. Lumis hit a suplex to Theory, which allowed Gargano to roll him up for the win. 

Post-match, Lumis locked in his submission hold on Theory only for Gargano to attack him from behind. Kushida ran out to make the save and told Gargano that he was coming after the NXT North American Title. 

Lumis was the host of NXT New Year’s Evil last Wednesday. After Blackheart and Kushida interrupted a celebration for Gargano breaking his title defense curse, Lumis made a mixed tag team match where Kushida & Blackheart defeated Gargano & LeRae.

Gargano broke his title defense curse by retaining the North American Championship against Leon Ruff on NXT two weeks ago.

Candice LaRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

pjimage 2021 01 13T133746.284

Candice LaRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart served as the opening contest of this show. 

The match was good and that’s as expected due to LeRae’s abilities. She dominated most of the match, but Blackheart made a babyface comeback towards the end of the contest. The end of the match saw Blackheart got distracted by Indie Heartwell, and allowed LeRae to hit a neck breaker off the top rope. 

Blackheart and LeRae were the captains for the women’s WarGames match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames last month. It turned out that LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm defeated Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in that contest. 

Based on the finish of this match, it appears the feud will continue. 

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match

pjimage 2021 01 13T133742.409

Undisputed Era (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong) vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) in a first round match as part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament took place. 

This was the main event and these four guys put on a heck of a match. Pete Dunne attacked Kyle O’Reilly at ringside. This concerned Cole and he got super kicked in the face by Breeze. Finn Balor later came out to take out Dunne. Moments later, Cole connected with a superkick of his own to Fandango for the win. 

Obviously, Cole and Strong are the favorites to win the match as they won the tournament in 2018. Breezango was pushed quite a bit last year by management including a run with the NXT Tag Team Titles. However, they still remain a comedy act. 

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match

pjimage 2021 01 13T133739.422

The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) vs. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel) in a first round match as part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament took place. 

The match was short, but exactly what you would’ve expected. GYV has advanced to the second round of the tournament. 

Grizzled Young Veterans have been featured on TV in the past while WWE has held off on really putting Ever-Rise in a showcase match where they went over strong. 

MSK Tag Team Debut

pjimage 2021 01 13T202338.849

MSK turned out to be the new name for Desmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz, formerly known as The Rascalz in Impact Wrestling. 

Xavier and Wentz recently signed with WWE while the third member of the faction, Trey Miguel, hasn’t signed with any promotion just yet. The new MSK logo is similar to the logo used for The Rascalz in Impact, which led to speculation heading into the show that the former Impact stars could be this mystery group. 

Nash Carter and Wes Lee, their new names, took on Jake Atlas and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in the first round of the Dusty Classic. It was a spot fest. MSK went over with their finisher. 

The Prince Speaks

pjimage 2021 01 13T193143.940

Finn Balor had successfully retained the WWE NXT Title over Kyle O’Reilly in the main event of last week’s show. 

On Wednesday’s edition, WWE had him come out to the ring for a promo. He said that he’s still the champion and praised Kyle for being great, but noted that he’s not on his level. He said that Kyle got put down for a second time, but this time, it’s Kyle eating his meals through a straw. 

He said that he put a target on his chest for a reason and told anyone who plans to come after him next to know that they stopped making the cloth that he’s cut from. This led to Pete Dunne walking out with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Dunne said that Balor shouldn’t question what’s next. He said that he knew it would always come down to both of them. He said that Balor is the poster boy for UK wrestling and that’s only because he didn’t take it from him yet. 

He said that he wasn’t waiting in line anymore. A brawl broke out. O’Reilly eventually ran out to make the save but was attacked. Roderick Strong and Adam Cole also came out to clear the ring. 

Ricochet’s WWE Contract To Expire Soon (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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0

Ricochet could become the next high-profile talent to enter the free agency market.

The 32-year-old high flyer signed with WWE in 2018. It’s believed he signed a 3-year deal, which has lead to speculation about his future over the past several months. Fast forward to January 2021 and Ricochet might have some tough decisions to make about his future.

Bryan Alvarez addressed the situation this week on Wrestling Observer Live. Alvarez does not believe Ricochet has re-signed with WWE. This does not mean that Ricochet is definitely leaving WWE, but this is a developing story we’ll be covering.

Ricochet’s WWE run has been unremarkable to say the least. Sadly, his story is a familiar one. After an impressive career wrestling around the world and tearing up the independent scene, he signed with WWE and had a solid run in NXT before floundering on the main roster. Last year, he was saddled with a “Losing Streak” storyline, which always goes over so well.

In recent weeks, Ricochet has been wrestling on WWE Main Event with occasional appearances on WWE Raw.

WWE was offering big money contracts to talent up until year ago to prevent them from signing with AEW. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there were drastic cost-cutting measures. Dozens of wrestlers were let go last year and WWE’s offers to talent have been far less lucrative.

  • Mark Henry Calls Out Ricochet: “I Want Him To Get Fired Up!”

WWE Recently Passed On Signing RUSH

Andrew Ravens
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It turns out that WWE had a chance to sign a big free agent in RUSH, but decided against doing so. 

The company recently passed on signing ROH World Champion, according to a new report by Wrestling Inc. Per the report, WWE passed on signing RUSH because his asking price was too high. The top champion in Ring of Honor was represented by AAA during the negotiations.

WWE reportedly made an offer that was lower than expected. It is believed that “ROH has either re-signed RUSH or that they have come to terms on a new deal.”

Back in January 2019, ROH had confirmed that they sign him to a deal where he would later become the top star for them and ended up winning his first ROH World Heavyweight Title by beating Matt Taven that September at the Death Before Dishonor XVII PPV pay-per-view.

He was last seen in action for ROH at the Final Battle pay-per-view event last month when he successfully retained the title over Brody King. The finish of that match saw RUSH’s brother, Dragon Lee, and his father, La Bestia del Ring, get involved to help him get the victory. 

It’s been reported over the last few months that WWE has been offering not only contracted talent, but also unsigned wrestler lower deals than they did in the past due to the budget cuts made related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New NXT Tag Team ‘MSK’ To Debut In Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament

Michael Reichlin
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0

A new tag team named “MSK” will debut for NXT in the upcoming Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament.

SEScoops readers know that WWE recently filed to trademark the name MSK. On Wednesday, WWE released the complete Dusty Classic tournament brackets. Among the 16 teams included in the tournament: MSK.

According to sources, MSK is the name WWE will use for Desmonz Xavier and Zachary Wentz, formerly known as The Rascalz in Impact Wrestling. Xavier and Wentz are among the latest class of WWE Performance Center recruits.

Update: MSK, Formerly The Rascalz, Debut In NXT (Video)

The Dusty Classic kicks off tonight with two opening round matches: The Undisputed Era vs. Breezango and Ever-Rise vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans. MSK will face Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Jake Atlas in a first round match that is expected to take place over the next two weeks.

A tweet sent out by WWE indicates that we may find out the identities of MSK on tonight’s episode of NXT TV.

WWE Planning Tribute To Martin Luther King Jr. On RAW

Chris Stephens
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This Monday will be Martin Luther King Day in the United States. WWE has announced a special tribute will air on RAW for the civil rights icon. The company has released a special tribute video package that will air on the show.

Every year around Martin Luther King Day, Vince McMahon reiterates that he considers MLK to be his hero. Every year, these comments tend to draw a wide range of reactions amongst people in the wrestling world.

Below is Vince McMahon’s post about Martin Luther King from last year:

https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon/status/1219325764182605824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1219325764182605824%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fwwe%2Fwwe-chairman-vince-mcmahon-reveals-his-hero-on-twitter

Two years ago in 2019, Vince McMahon Tweeted out the following near Martin Luther King day:

This drew a reaction from former WWE wrestler, Gail Kim. The most decorated Knockout in Impact history posted the following about Vince’s love for MLK.

VKM also had a similar post about MLK from 2018:

Vince also referred to Martin Luther King as his hero in this post from 2017:

Last summer, Stephanie McMahon also Tweeted about Martin Luther King.

“I love and support my Black friends and colleagues. To everyone who has ever felt the impact and fear of racial injustice, I will use my voice for you,” Stephanie Tweeted along with a quote from MLK.

NXT Preview: Gargano & LaRae In Action, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Kicks Off

Michael Reichlin
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0

WWE returns to the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight with an all-new episode of NXT on the USA Network.

NXT will feature the start of the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. First Round matches scheduled for tonight’s broadcast include:

  • Adam Cole & Roderick Strong of the Unisputed Era vs. Breezango
  • Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) take on Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)

Earlier today, WWE released the full brackets for the Dusty Classic tournament. You can check those out here.

We’ll also see members of The Way in action:

  • NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis
  • Candice LaRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Check back later tonight for our NXT Results & Takeaways feature.

Erick Redbeard Reveals New Tattoo Honoring Brodie Lee

Chris Stephens
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0

Erick Redbeard, aka Erick Rowan, recently revealed a new tattoo he got to honor the passing of his friend and former tag-team partner, Brodie Lee. The two were formerly known as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt Family and also performed together in WWE as the Bludgeon Brothers.

The Bludgeon Brothers held the Smackdown tag-team championships from April 2018 until that August. The duo were also former NXT tag-team champions as members of the Wyatt Family.

Rowan appeared on the AEW Tribute to the Life of Mr. Brodie Lee show two weeks ago. He held up a sign that said “Goodbye for now my brother, see you down the road.”

After he was released from WWE, Rowan spoke about possibly reuniting with Brodie Lee in AEW.

“I’m not really sure how to answer that question because I’m not used to him being the leader, I’ll have to watch a little bit more of his stuff. Yeah, I’d love to lock back up with Brodie and get back together, but there’s a place and a time for it, you know? Now just might not be the right time.”

Brodie Lee also commented on what he felt was next for Rowan in an interview exclusive to SEScoops.com:

“I think Erick Rowan is almost tailor-made for a Japan run. I don’t know if we’ll ever find each other over there because that would be pretty cool. Or if we’ll find each other in AEW, who knows? I think there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for these guys.”

Rich Swann Open To Impact & AEW World Title Unification Match With Kenny Omega

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling World Champion Rich Swan is gearing up for one of the biggest matches of his life. This Saturday night, Impact presents Hard to Kill live on pay-per-view. Swann will team with the Motor City Machine Guns against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Gallows & Anderson).

Swann appeared on Wrestling Epicenter this week and spoke to host James Walsh about the significance of this match. The full interview is embedded here, with highlights below.

Rich Swann is currently the top dog in Impact Wrestling, but it almost didn’t happen. He suffered a wave of injuries last year that almost forced him into retirement.

“It was excruciating, it was painful, it was something that I wouldn’t ever wish on my worst enemy,” said Swann. “I broke my leg, my fibula, my ankle… Everything in my ankle, my foot… And then, not only that, my back. My lower back was broken. You know, I was told that I probably would never wrestle again let alone walk the same way again. That was just another something that I had to overcome.”

Thanks to exhaustive physical therapy, he eventually trained himself back into fighting shape. Swann captured the Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory 2020. He says “the crown is heavy on the head” because so many legends before him have held that title. It means the world to him that he’s the leader of a company that has such a rich history.

Impact Working With AEW

Impact Wrestling’s working relationship is one of the hottest angles in pro wrestling. As Impact World Champion, Swann is one of the key players involved in the inter-promotional conflict. He feels that the two companies working together is “awesome” for the business and for fans.

Last week, we saw The Good Brothers crash AEW Dynamite and come tot he aid of Kenny Omega. The Young Bucks joined in and the group embraced in what appeared to be a reunion of former Bullet Club members. Swann says he’s not surprised at what we saw. He feels that it was just a matter of time before the Bullet Club members threw up the Too Sweet symbol and showed their true colors. Even though he’ll be standing across the ring from Omega and the Good Brothers this Saturday night, he can’t help but admit that it’s cool to see them together again.

super elite

Don Callis has been claiming that Kenny Omega is the “real” world champion, which has to be seen as a slight to people like Rich Swann. When asked how he feels about this, Swann said he does not let it get under his skin.

“No, it doesn’t get under my skin because I know what I had to do to win the World Heavyweight Championship,” said Swann. “So, for someone to say that they’re the “real” world champion, guess what? You are the real world champion… in AEW! Maybe thanks to the tactics that he used with Don Callis, don’t forget to mention! I did it the old fashioned way – With heart, determination, and the power of love of professional wrestling. If you look at our wins, if you compare those two, who is the real World Champion?”

AEW World Chamion Kenny Omega has made it known that he is on the hunt for more titles. Would Rich Swann be interested in a match to unify the AEW and Impact World titles?

“I’m from Baltimore, Maryland.” said Swann. “I’m not afraid to step into the ring with no man. I fear no man and I only fear one thing. The thing is, that is not one thing that I would ever fear. If he (Kenny Omega) wanted to step into the ring and do a Unification… We’ve it. We’ve seen seen him go into Mexico and he beat Loredo Kid in AAA. Do I think he could come into my house and do what he did there? I don’t know. Time will tell.”

With just days until Impact’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view, Rich Swann says he and the Motor City Machine Guns are ready with “a whole lot of ammunition and we’re ready to unload.”

Order Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill now at FITE.TV.

Impact Announces New Commentary Team, Josh Mathews To Work Behind The Scenes

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling has just announced a change to their commentary team. Longtime commentator, Josh Mathews, has been promoted to a behind-the-scenes role and will be leaving the commentary booth. Similarly, Madison Rayne will be leaving the commentary booth to begin a career outside the world of wrestling. In their place will be the new commentary team of Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown.

Josh Mathews will now serve as senior producer for all of Impact’s weekly shows and PPVs. He was quoted in a press release announcing the change.

“My play-by-play career has spanned nearly 20 years – from WrestleMania to Bound For Glory to incredible moments from IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV,” Mathews said. “Producing will allow me to have a bigger role in the overall production of our weekly show, PPVs and IMPACT+ Specials.”
 
“This transition has been a great process, Matt and D’Lo are bringing a fresh energy and are ready to go.  It was a special year in 2020, and both Madison Rayne and I will always be grateful for the opportunity and look forward to these exciting changes.”

Matt Striker has been working on Xplosion for the promotion as of late. Previously, Striker has worked on commentary for WWE, Lucha Underground, and AAA.

“I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It is a love that unites so many people,” Striker said. “Pro wrestling is a sport and I want to be mindful to call it as such. I’ve learned and grown so much since I began, and I thank the fans – and the critics – for that.”

“It is not lost on me the opportunity that is before me – I can once again lend my voice to the sport that I love. In doing so, I’m poised to describe, analyze, and witness the most advanced athletes the sport has ever seen. I am excited, nervous, thankful, and humbled. I cannot wait to get out there. You will always be able hear the fan in me.”

D’Lo Brown was also quoted on his new role as color commentator for Impact.

“I’m humbled to follow the IMPACT broadcasting path of Don West and Mike Tenay, and most recently Don Callis, Madison Rayne and certainly Josh Mathews.  I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity.  I know there are big shoes to fill, but Striker and I will do our best.”

The new commentary team will debut this Saturday at Hard to Kill. Last night’s Impact Wrestling, will be the last for the Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne team.

Nikki Bella Says She Wants To Work In Creative For WWE

Chris Stephens
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The Bella Twins were recently guests on “Pretty Big Deal with Ashley Graham.” During the discussion, Nikki Bella said she’s interested in possibly working in WWE creative, something her brother-in-law, Daniel Bryan has been doing more of as of late.

“Brie’s husband is a part of the creative team and works a lot with Vince McMahon on creative stuff and I’ve always thought in the back of my head, I would really like to do that for the women,” Nikki said on the show. “I’ve lived it as a WWE Superstar but also am a fan. So, I feel like I know what the people want and then I know how to get the best out of each woman because I know them. It would be a lot of fun to be on creative.”

Brie Bella then spoke about her husband Daniel Bryan’s work on WWE’s creative team.

“What’s cool is my husband works with very well-trained writers who have come from TV shows that have done great but with their writing skills with my husband’s wrestling ability and his experience, they really come up with some great stuff.”

Nikki would continue to talk about how Daniel Bryan helps the writers understand basic wrestling booking ideas.

The Bellas previously teased a return to WWE in November as well.

The conversation about the Bellas wanting to work in WWE creative begins around the 14:55 mark of the podcast.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ92v5TMHn1/

Impact Results (1/12): Hard To Kill Go-Home Show

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling on January 12th, 2021 was the go-home show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV event. Karl Anderson faced Rich Swann in a non-title match in the main event.

Impact Wrestling Quick Results 1/12:

  1. Kimber Lee defeated Taya Valkyrie
  2. Chris Bey & Rohit Raju defeated Manik & Suicide
  3. Deaner defeated Tommy Dreamer via DQ
  4. Rosemary defeated Tenille Dashwood
  5. Moose defeated Matthew Palmer
  6. Rich Swann defeated Karl Anderson

Below are 8 key takeaways from the show:

Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Brawl With Rich Swann & MCMGs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1KoeKz58Oo

During the show this week, Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and the Good Brothers were shown regularly from their luxury bus outside the venue. This week, the faction was preparing for Karl Anderson’s 1-on-1 non-title match with Impact World Champion, Rich Swann. Neither the Motor City Machine Guns nor Bullet Club would be allowed ringside.

Anderson spent much of the match working on his opponent’s arm. It’s possible this injury may potentially play into the match at Hard to Kill as well. The champion fought through adversity, however, and countered the Gun Stun into a pinning combination for the win.

After the match, Omega and Gallows attacked the Motor City Machine Guns in their dressing room while Don Callis watched on. Swann arrived to help but Anderson wasn’t far behind. These two teams are heading into Hard to Kill with some built up animosity.

“Susan” Helps Kimber Lee Defeat Taya Valkyrie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUbQyCc7ro8

This was seemingly a warm-up match for Taya as she is scheduled to challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title at Hard to Kill. Taya looked to have the match won with a double-knee strike in the corner but Purrazzo put Kimber Lee’s foot on the ropes during the pin attempt. Rosemary then chased the KO champ up the ramp but this brought out “Susan” Su Yung’s newest alter-ego. Susan working alongside Purrazzo and Kimber Lee distracted Taya, allowing Kimber Lee to score the pin on a roll-up. Will Susan be on-hand to help Purrazzo retain at Hard to Kill?

Moose Gets Revenge On Matthew Palmer

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

Last week, Moose was unable to defeat former security guard, Matthew Palmer, in under 3 seconds. This week, Moose again needed longer than 3-minutes to beat his opponent, but he did eventually do so. The referee called a halt to the match as Moose was laying elbows into his unresponsive opponent.

We saw at Genesis, that Moose’s victory over Willie Mack was enough to earn him a future title shot at Rich Swann. It’s not clear when exactly that match will take place, but it’s coming and it’s something Moose has been preparing for.

Eric Young’s Faction Gets Ready To Go Old School At Hard To Kill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8bxm3PyfqI

Eric Young, Joe Doering, & Deaner will face Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, and Cousin Jake in an old school rules match at Hard to Kill. This week, Deaner took on Tommy Dreamer in singles action. Cousin Jake is still all torn up about Cody Deaner joining Eric Young’s faction. He again tried to talk some sense into his former partner but to no avail. Eventually, Jake grew frustrated with Deaner and attacked him while he was on the ring apron, leading to the disqualification.

Things broke down into a brawl after the match. Both Rhino and Joe Doering, who had been sent to the back during the match, returned and brawled as well. The segment ended with Eric Young delivering a vicious piledriver to Dreamer.

Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament Finals Preview

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

After an 8-team single elimination tournament, we are down to two teams. Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz will face Havok & Neveah in the finals at Hard to Kill. It’s the most established teams in the tournament facing off in the finals. We saw a sit-down face-to-face interview between the two teams this week. Steelz and Hogan had plenty to say but their opponents sat silent. Finally, Havok & Neveah got up and pushed their opponents up against the walls to let them know they will do their talking in the ring on Saturday.

Chris Bey Picks Up Momentum Ahead Of Hard To Kill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYGNOVrhdI

The X-Division Championship picture continued this week as Manik & Suicide teamed up to face Chris Bey and Rohit Raju. Raju seems obsessed with unmasking Manik to prove that he is TJP but this might be to his detriment. Bey seems much more focussed on the task at-hand, which is likely why he was able to walk away with the victory this week. Bey hit the Art Of Finesse on Suicide for the win. There will be nobody under the Suicide mask at Hard to Kill, however, when Manik defends against Bey and Raju in a triple threat match.

Decay Reunite Against Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb

Tenille Dashwood’s personal photographer, Kaleb with a K (Caleb Konley) got involved often during this match. He tripped Rosemary’s foot as she came off the ropes and he sprayed hairspray in her eyes. Fortunately for Rosemary, an old ally appeared to even up the odds. Crazzy Steve and Rosemary are former members of Decay, and evidently, their bond still runs strong. Steve chased Kaleb away from ringside. This allowed Rosemary to spray hairspray in the eyes of Tenille Dashwood and then hit a spear for the win. A match between the former members of Decay and Dashwood and Kaleb has now been scheduled for Hard to Kill.

Hard To Kill Lineup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42aaPBHpzYQ

Here is the scheduled lineup for Saturday’s Hard to Kill:

  • Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championships (Tournament Finals)
    Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs Havok & Neveah
  • Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
  • Barbed Wire Massacre
    Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards
  • Old School Rules
    Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering vs Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, & Cousin Jake
  • X-Division Championship
    Manik (c) vs Chris Bey vs Rohit Raju
  • The Karate Man vs Ethan Page
  • Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Rosemary & Crazzy Steve

Bully Ray Calls Out Charlotte Flair ‘Haters’ on Social Media

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair. Bully Ray would claim that Charlotte is “one of the greatest women’s performers ever” and that he finds it ridiculous that certain fans slam her online.

“You’re always gonna have people on social media, who think that they understand or know what’s going on in that ring” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “[Think they know] what makes a great talent. What does make great talent? Charlotte Flair is top of the food chain, all time when it comes to women’s wrestling. All time, all time.”

Bully Ray on Charlotte Flair

“She’s possibly in the top three females of all time” Bully Ray continued. “It’s not even up for debate. That’s a cold hard fact. And to sit there on social media and to talk crap about Charlotte? ‘Oh, she’s only in that spot because her father.’ I mean, how old is that one? Because OF COURSE if she didn’t have the last name Flair? She wouldn’t be as athletic as she is, she wouldn’t look as good as she does. She wouldn’t have the gear that she does…just stop it already!”

Bully Ray finished by calling out the detrimental fans online by saying “you look completely foolish and ignorant.” Ray added “if you take the social media and start bashing one of the greatest wrestlers of all time? You look foolish and ignorant.”

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Charlotte Flair is one of the greatest performers ever? Let us know in the comments

Eddie Kingston Talks NJPW and AJPW Stars He Wants To Face

Jake Skudder
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AEW’s Eddie Kingston recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. The ‘Mad King’ would discuss a number of topics on the show, including his current relationship, appearing overseas and tribute to his long-time friend Brodie Lee.

When Paquette asked Kingston what else he wanted to accomplish in his career, he would reply emphatically, saying NJPW. “Of course New Japan, but there has to be certain guys” Eddie Kingston would state.

Eddie Kingston on NJPW

“I want to get in there with [Hiroshi] Tanahashi, he is number one” Kingston continued. “Stone Cold Steve Austin is my favourite American wrestler, and to me Tanahashi is the Stone Cold Steve Austin of New Japan. He saved that company.”

Kingston also confirmed that he wants to appear for other promotions in Japan. “I want to step into an All Japan Pro Wrestling ring, because I love All Japan Pro Wrestling. Especially the 90s with the four pillars: [Akira] Taue, [Toshiaki] Kawada, [Mitsuharu] Misawa, and my personal favourite of all time Kenta Kobashi.”

Kingston finished by naming the All Japan Pro Wrestling legend that he desperately wants to face. “But I NEED this” Kingston stated, “I NEED me versus Jun Akiyama, that would be the cap on everything.”

All Japan aside, it’s interesting that Eddie Kingston notes his want to face Hiroshi Tanahashi. There have been rumors and rumbling since Harold Meij left New Japan regarding a potential collaboration between AEW and NJPW. Reportedly, Meij was not on good terms with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega; meaning that the link up between the two brands was highly unlikely. There are however several AEW performers who appear in NJPW, such as Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley.

Do you want to see Eddie Kingston appear in New Japan? Let us know in the comments

AEW New Year’s Smash: Updated Preview For Night 2

Michael Reichlin
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AEW Dynamite is back tonight on TNT with Night 2 of the New Year’s Smash.

Last week, we saw a Bullet Club reunion, Kenny Omega defending the AEW World Championship against Rey Fenix, a solid match between Wardlow and Jake Hager, a special appearance by Snoop Dogg and much more. (Full Recap)

The second chapter of New Year’s Smash is shaping up to be another barnburner. The following matches are set for the show:

  • AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Brian Cage
  • The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) will be in action
  • “The Bastard” PAC vs. Eddie Kingston
  • “The Best Man” Miro vs. Chuckie T
  • FTR vs. Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt of Jurassic Express.
  • NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb defends against Tay Conti
  • The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) will be in action

We will also see Cody Rhodes appear on “The Waiting Room” with Britt Baker and the Inner Circle will reveal their New Year’s Resolution.

Check back tonight for our AEW Dynamite results and takeaways.

Chris Jericho Reveals He Had COVID-19 In September

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho recently spent some time talking about the ongoing global pandemic on his Talk is Jericho podcast. His guest was Dr. Alex Patel, an ICU doctor working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. During the discussion, Jericho revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 in September.

The former WWE & AEW World Champion says he did not experience any symptoms of the virus, but still quarantined for 10 days to protect his loved ones.

“I haven’t really told anyone this but I tested positive back in maybe September and I had zero symptoms” Jericho said on the show. “I had my 10 days in isolation and stayed away from everybody.”

Jericho added that he was very surprised to learn he had COVID-19 when he took a routine test.

“I didn’t even know that I had it, I went and got a test just in general. It was one of the ones where they said you’re positive and I was like ‘Really? Are you serious?’ I had nothing, I didn’t have a headache, I didn’t have a cough.”

Chris Jericho’s band “Fozzy” played the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the month prior on August 9th. The event has been labeled a “Super Spreader” event by some.

“Once I did have it, and it wasn’t a false positive because I took 3 different tests and they were all positive, but now I have the antibodies,” Jericho continued.

Earlier this week, Nick Jason of The Young Bucks reveals he recently was bed-ridden with COVID-19 (also in September).

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is currently out of action due to the virus. He is still scheduled to compete at the WWE Royal Rumble on January 31st.

WWE legend Mick Foley is also currently recovering from COVID-19 and urges fans to take it very seriously.

Jim Cornette Says That Johnny Gargano Should Be a Coach, Not An On-Screen Performer

Jake Skudder
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0

Former NWA commentator and outspoken pro wrestling personality Jim Cornette recently discussed Johnny Gargano and his role on NXT television.

Cornette was reviewing the most recent episode of NXT during the Drive Thru podcast. During the show, Cornette would make some comments towards Gargano and his wife Candice LaRae. Jim Cornette has made it clear in the past that he finds Gargano boring, bland and not the right fit for WWE television.

“I can’t explain putting these f*cking two on the show constantly” Cornette began on the Drive Thru. “I mean, even if he’s a good…her (Candice LaRae) aside? She’s just a run of the mill girl wrestler, who gives a sh*t? But he technically is a good performer.”

“Sure if it wouldn’t be for his size, his lack of personality and his obnoxiously phoney interview style and everything else about him he’d be great” Jim Cornette continued. “Give him a contract and make him a trainer, you know? He can do all the moves. Let him do motion capture for the video game.”

Jim Cornette would then finish by saying emphatically that Gargano should be taken off of NXT television. “He can do all the moves but this guy is not a television personality that anybody wants to f*cking see. The only people that want to see it are the people that want to see moves.”

Overall, Cornette appears to be far more favourable of talent in NXT than that of AEW. Every week Cornette will praise the likes of Damian Priest, but he will also lambast NXT for pushing the ‘generic’ performers he sees, such as Gargano.

Do you agree with Jim Cornette’s opinion of Johnny Gargano? Do you think that Gargano will have a good run on the ‘main roster’ if he ever gets called up full time? Let us know in the comments

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