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WWE Superstar Spectacle: Details On Special Event Airing In India

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced a Superstar Spectacle special for the Indian audience. It will be airing on the Republic Day in the country as part of their strategy to expand its operations in India.

Superstar Spectacle will be taped at WWE Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida at around 21 January. The event is scheduled to air on Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 3 on the Indian Republic Day on Tuesday, January 26 at 8 PM local time.

The Superstar Spectacle is expected to be 90 minutes to two-hour-long show and it will features commentaries in both English and Hindi languages.

The previous plans were for the show to be taped across several days and edit it together to make one show but it’s now expected to be taped in one day.

The local advertising for the Superstar Spectacle is built around the Indian stars of the WWE roster including names such as Jinder Mahal, NXT star Kavita Devi and tag teams Indus Sher and The Bollywood Boys.

The show is expected to feature a number of Indian NXT trainees as well and the company has filed a trademark for names Giant Zanjeer, Dilsher Shanky and Guru Raaj for their Indian recruits.

WWE has confirmed the upcoming special with a official announcement on their website and provided some more detail on the show:

“WWE Superstar Spectacle, an unprecedented two-hour television special event for India featuring WWE’s Indian performers alongside Superstars from Raw, SmackDown and NXT, will premiere exclusively on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony MAX on India’s Republic Day, Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. IST, with commentary available in both English and Hindi.

The unique showcase of Indian-inspired action will emanate from the state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome and incorporate stunning elements of traditional and contemporary Indian culture among epic matches featuring WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, AJ Styles, Bayley, The New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Natalya, Ricochet and many more plus an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

“We love the passion and support from the huge WWE Universe in India, so we’ve teamed up with SPN, the exclusive home of WWE in India, to surprise our fans with an incredible event to kick off 2021,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. “WWE Superstar Spectacle will be an epic event with electrifying matches featuring some of the biggest names in WWE along with our incredible Indian performers, plus thrilling and authentic Indian-inspired entertainment.”

“WWE has consistently featured among the top watched sports properties in India over the years,” said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India. “We are excited about presenting WWE Superstar Spectacle to WWE fans and viewers in India on Republic Day which will showcase and celebrate the best of the next generation Indian talent in WWE.”

With matches announced in the coming weeks, WWE fans can look forward to witnessing appearances by 10 Indian WWE talent, including:

  • WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal, the first WWE Champion of Indian descent.
  • The Bollywood Boyz, WWE Superstars Samir and Sunil Singh.
  • The first all-Indian tag team in WWE, Indus Sher, featuring Rinku and Saurav.
  • NXT Superstar Jeet Rama.
  • Kavita Devi, the first Indian woman to sign a WWE contract.
  • The Great Khali trainees Giant Zanjeer (7ft 2in, 340 pounds) and Dilsher Shanky (7ft, 310 pounds).
  • Guru Raaj, the first Indian-born high-flyer in WWE.

The arrival of WWE Superstar Spectacle comes at a time when WWE’s popularity in India continues to increase. WWE is one of the most-watched sports properties in India, and India ranks No. 1 for WWE YouTube consumption and No. 1 in WWE Facebook followers. In addition, WWE has been actively recruiting elite athletes and performers from the country. In 2019, WWE hosted its largest tryout in history, where more than 70 top athletes from India showcased their abilities in Mumbai and four Indian recruits were selected to train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, U.S.

Follow WWE social channels for all the latest updates on WWE Superstar Spectacle.”

Big E On Getting His First World Title Opportunity In WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE superstar Big E has never received a world title opportunity and he is ready to win the Royal Rumble PPV and get his first shot at the world title.

The Intercontinental Champion recently had an interview with Stuart Osborne of Dayton 24/7 Now where he talked about the upcoming PPV and more.

Discussing a potential opportunity to win the Universal Championship after winning the Royal Rumble match, Big E said that he is looking forward to his first world title opportunity:

“You know, I’ve never had a world title match, a world title opportunity. This would be my very first one, so I’m looking forward to that,”

The New Day member also opened up about his singles run and Big E said that he wants to see how much he can do as a singles competitor:

“I want to see how much I can do as a singles competitor. A lot of people have had these high hopes for me, which I really appreciate,”

It was reported last year that WWE officials were high on Big E and they are planning a singles push for the former NXT champion in future.

Since then, the company has broken up his pairing with the New Day by drafting them onto different brands and Big E also recently won the intercontinental championship by defeating Sami Zayn.

Ridge Holland Provides Update On His Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE NXT Superstar Ridge Holland has made his first comments since being put out of the action due to a leg injury he suffered during the October 7 episode of NXT last month.

The heavyweight star was recently interviewed by Alex McCarthy of Talk Sport where he opened up about his injury and provided updates on his recovery.

Holland first provided some details on the damage he suffered revealing that his left leg was fractured and he dislocated his kneecap in his right leg:

“On my left leg I fractured and dislocated my ankle and then on my right leg, I dislocated the kneecap and ruptured my patella tendons. Kind of a buy one get one free on injuries! But, it’s coming on well. The WWE medical staff are top-notch and they’ve got me well on the road to recovery.”

When asked about a potential timeline for his recovery, Ridge Holland mentioned that it’s still early to say anything for certain but the doctors have given an initial timeline of six to nine months:

“It’s early days yet, but the doctor has said six to nine months, so I’m just taking it day-by-day and see how the knee and ankle feels.

If I look too far in the future I’ll probably take my focus on what needs to be done today. So yeah, we’ll see how it goes,”

Apart from this, Ridge Holland also spoke positively of the WWE management for taking care of him after his injury and revealed the influence William Regal has had on him.

T-Bar Claims ‘Teenage Virgin’ Sammy Guevara Stole His Finisher, AEW Stars Fire Back

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Retribution’s T-BAR has accused a current AEW star of stealing his finisher.

The former NXT star took on Twitter earlier today and made an interesting tweet, claiming that “some little teenage virgin on AEW” stole his finisher four years ago. He wrote, “Some little teenage virgin on AEW stole my finisher like four years ago after we did a show together. I’d steal something from his move set but it’s all just @KingRicochet moves.”

T-BAR did not mention any names in the since-deleted tweet, the post invoked a response from Sammy Guevara who claimed that the move known as Feast Your Eyes belongs to indie wrestler Matt Demorest.

You can view the two finishers here:

Sammy Guevara fired back at the Retribution member saying that he is just trying to get the move to be seen by fans because the Raw star is never on TV.

AEW star Dax Harwood also joined in on the conversation by replying to Guevara and called T-BAR “an idiot” who is lucky to even be in the wrestling business.

T-Bar later referenced a controversial joke Guevara made about Sasha Banks in 2016, which AEW suspended him for last year when they resurfaced. He wrote, “Someone tell panda kid I had a singles match on TV last night, and I didn’t steal the move from some backyarder, I thought of it in a professional wrestling ring with @Kill4nova. Try being creative sometime, instead of, oh I don’t know, making jokes about rape.”

He also responded Dax Harwood’s tweet, writing, “I could never understand what your problem was with me. I was always polite to you. Complimented your matches. I think you hated my style? So weird. Hope all is well, you usually seem like a nice enough dude.”

T-Bar eventually decided to delete the tweets related to this conversation and said the whole argument was dumb. “You know what, everyone is right. This is a dumb argument and I’m deleting my contributions to it.”

Mick Foley Provides Health Update After Positive Coronavirus Test

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley has provided some update on his health to concerned fans after confirming a positive COVID-19 test earlier this month.

The former world champion took on his Twitter and made a couple of tweets in reply to the fans asking about his health after he announced the news of his positive test.

Foley noted that his health isn’t too bad but he is getting fatigued too easily and his head feels a little cloudy. The former hardcore champion also requested the fans to take the pandemic seriously:

“Many of you have been asking how I’m feeling after my positive COVID test. All in all, not too bad – but I get fatigued very easily, and my head still feels a little cloudy. PLEASE take this pandemic seriously – the daily death count is staggeringly high..and climbing.”

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1349155275283066880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mick Foley got COVID-19 after holding a virtual autograph signing on December 12. He met with a couple of people in an isolated room for the signing and one of them later tested positive for the virus.

The former WWE star has been quarantining himself since the autograph signing and as of today, he has been isolating himself for over a month.

SEScoops wishes Mick Foley a full and speedy recovery.

Don Callis On Why Kota Ibushi Is Not In Kenny Omega’s League

Michael Reichlin
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Don Callis says nobody is on Kenny Omega’s level, including his “onetime close friend” and former partner, Kota Ibushi.

The former Golden Lovers partners sit atop the wrestling world with championship gold to prove their worth. Omega is the reigning AEW World Champion and the AAA Mega champion. Ibushi was the big winner coming out of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 by winning and defending the IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental titles.

“The Invisible Hand” recently spoke with Talk Sport about Omega’s success. He says Ibushi was a good friend of Kenny Omega “at one point.” He knows Ibushi is a great wrestler. But he’s not the best.

“Kenny Omega is still the best wrestler in the world and number two isn’t close,” said Callis “Whether it’s [Impact World Champion] Rich Swann or Kota Ibushi, you’re getting in the ring with Kenny Omega, a generational, once in a lifetime performer.”

Callis thinks that no matter how good of a wrestler Kota Ibushi is, he exists in a bubble. Ibushi hasn’t tested himself around the world like Kenny Omega has.

“What makes Kenny great isn’t just the athleticism, it’s his next level thinking. Kota Ibushi thinks in the IWGP bubble. It’s all he knows and all he’s ever known. In order for Kota Ibushi to truly evolve into the Kota Ibushi he can be, he needs to get on an airplane. He needs to come from Japan and defend that title around the world like Kenny Omega does.”

omega ibushi

The Problem With Kota Ibushi…

Don Callis honed in on what he believes to be, “the problem” with Kota Ibushi. Naturally, Callis will promote his guy and is protective of how Kenny Omega is perceived.

“The problem with Kota Ibushi has never been a lack of ability, it’s been a lack of imagination,” he began. “But Kota is very much like the wrestling fans we spoke about, he has a limited world view. He has been a great friend of Kenny’s in the past, the reality is, sometimes as we move through our lives we have to shed friends like we shed dead skin cells. What once worked in a friendship or relationship no longer works for us, so we move on.”

Callis finished by teasing that he and Kenny Omega have plans that most of us are thinking ‘too small’ to comprehend. “A lot of people would love to see Kenny and Kota Ibushi reunite, but that’s very small-minded thinking and it is what it is. People get excited about their dream matches.”

Head over to Talk Sport to check out their full interview with Don Callis.

WWE Raw Ratings Drop Against College Football Championship Game (1/11)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.819 million viewers with a 0.55 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. Last week’s show did 2.128 million viewers with a 0.68 rating.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 2.024 million viewers and a 0.62 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.802 million viewers and a 0.53 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.632 million viewers and a 0.51 rating.

This episode was expected to drop for two reasons. The first being that last week’s show featured Legends Night and it worked at the time as it was the best ratings the show has done since the August 24th show that did over 2 million viewers.

WWE brought back the likes of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair for a one week boost. The other reason for the decline was due to it going up against the college football championship game between Ohio State and Alabama on ESPN that did 18 million viewers. 

WWE had advertised Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre in a non-title match, but the WWE Champion tested positive for COVID-19 and the match was pulled. The company ended up getting Triple H to fight for a few minutes in the main event. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.120 million viewers. This is up from the 2.013 million viewers on FS1 that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.56 rating in the 18-49 demos, up from the 0.53 rating as previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.003 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 1.915 million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.036 million viewers while hour two did 1.969 million viewers. The show did 1.996 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 1.834  million viewers two weeks ago.

NJPW The New Beginning: Full Cards Announced For Nagoya & Hiroshima

Michael Reichlin
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With Wrestle Kingdom 15 and New Year’s Dash!! in the books, we look ahead to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s next big events, The New Beginning.

You can visit the NPJW website for the Road to The New Beginning tour dates. The New Beginning takes place over three nights from two cities (Nagoya and Hiroshima) NJPW has announced the lineups for all three shows and there’s a lot to get excited about. All three shows will stream on NJPW World.

New Japan’s top champions will be in action, including IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi. The full lineups are below.

The New Beginning in Nagoya (1/30)

  • Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NEVER Openweight Championship)
  • Satoshi Kojima vs. Will Ospreay
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Great-O-Khan
  • Kota Ibushi, Tomoaki Honma, SHO, and Master Wato vs. SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI
  • Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano vs. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi

The New Beginning in Hiroshima (Night 1: 2/10)

  • Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. SHO (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (c) vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (IWGP Tag Team Championship)
  • Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma vs. SANADA and Tetsuya Naito
  • Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo
  • BUSHI vs. Master Wato
  • Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura, and Gabriel Kidd

NJPW The New Beginning in Hiroshima (Night Two: 2/11)

  • Kota Ibushi (c) vs. SANADA (IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships)
  • Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Jado
  • Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano vs. EVIL and Dick Togo
  • Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI vs. Tomoaki Honma, SHO, and Master Wato
  • Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo
  • Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura, and Gabriel Kidd

Cody Rhodes Wants To Face Sting One-on-One In AEW

Staff
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It is a dream of Cody Rhodes to stand across the ring from Sting, his favorite wrestler and childhood hero.

Sting returned to wrestling at AEW Dynamite in December and has signed a multi-year deal with the company. At 61 years of age, he is not expected to perform as a full-time wrestler. However, he is expected to wrestle in some capacity. Among the wrestlers Sting has interacted with since joining AEW, Cody Rhodes is one.

Sting has a long and decorated history with the late Dusty Rhodes. It seems like he would share some storyline in the future with Cody as well.

In an interview with Daniel Trainer earlier this week to promote AEW Dynamite, Cody Rhodes talked about Sting and discussed the possibility of a singles match with Sting. Rhodes admitted that Sting was his favorite wrestler growing up, along with the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels.

“It’s no secret that Sting was my favorite wrestler,” Cody began. “I had Sting in WCW and Shawn [Michaels] in WWF. But really I wasn’t supposed to watch WWF. So, Sting was everything. I got to see him live so often and I got to see the connection he had. I honestly am scared to answer that. Obviously, as a wrestler, to stand across the ring from your hero is everyone’s dream, to share that field. So, yes, I would love and envision that.”

Sting Dusty Rhodes
Sting & Dusty Rhodes

Cody Rhodes vs. Sting

In order for a match against Sting to occur, Cody Rhodes would have to put his fandom on hold and focus on Sting as a competitor. He understands this dynamic and responsibility that would come with sharing a ring with Sting.

“When you put yourself in that position, you’re no longer a fan. You’re now out to outperform them, out to beat them, however you look at wrestling. You are opposite of them. You are their dance partner, their competition. You’re all these things. That is a big responsibility and that is also just scary, especially if you’re somebody like me who loves the memory and the legacy of wrestlers. I never want them to feel like they have to carry on. Their memories carry on enough as they get older.”

He noted that Sting appears to be moving around quite well for a legend with over three decades in pro wrestling.

Cody Rhodes is waiting for Sting’s current storyline with Darby Allin to run its course and see how that unfolds. After that, the fans might get one or more matches between the two, if ‘Sting has his eyes on him as much as he does on Sting’.

Other topics discussed in the interview include Brodie Lee and AEW’s tribute, including Amanda Huber’s involvement with that show. To read a full transcript of the discussion, visit Daniel Trainer’s blog.

Jim Ross On Why Vince McMahon Didn’t Want To Sign Randy Orton

Chris Stephens
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Jim Ross recently spent some time on his “Grillin JR” podcast talking about the time WWE hired Randy Orton. According to JR, Orton was someone he had to convince Vince McMahon to hire. This was due to Vince being hesitant to sign the 3rd generation Superstar on account of his dishonorable discharge from the US Marines.

“Believe it or not, he was somewhat a controversial hire for us,” Ross said on the show regarding Orton. “Vince was the problem child that went to military school and Randy was the problem child that went to the Marines and got dishonorably discharged.”

“That was an issue for Vince?” Conrad Thompson asked.

“Big time,” JR responded.

“I said ‘Vince, you got a second chance, so why not this kid? He’s only a 3rd generation performer and both his father and his grandfather were outstanding in-ring guys.”

Orton wrestled Triple H in the main event of last night’s RAW. He was originally scheduled to face Drew McIntyre.

According to a report from TMZ, Orton spent 38 days in a military prison as a result of multiple incidents of going AWOL.

Orton’s history with the Marines came up again in 2012 when he was removed from the Marine 3 WWE film project. A WWE representative told TMZ that Orton’s removal was due to his past with the organization.

“WWE demonstrated poor judgment in signing Randy Orton for the 3rd installment of the film,” the statement reads. “Despite Randy’s popularity, the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film.”

Kota Ibushi Continues Pushing to Unite IWGP Heavyweight & IC Titles

Chris Stephens
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Kota Ibushi holds both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. The belts have been defended together since Tetsuya Naito won them at Wrestle Kingdom in 2020. Ibushi reiterated to NJPW1972.com recently, however, that he wants to unify the two title belts.

“I said this after the match on the fifth, but I want to put it out there again. I want to take these two belts and unify them,” Ibushi said. “This isn’t something I take lightly. I have a big connection with this Intercontinental belt. And the Heavyweight Championship is the top prize in NJPW. But that said, I still want to make these two things into one.”

“Last year, these belts were defended together, right? One belt didn’t change hands without the other. So if we take these two and make them one belt, that makes you the strongest and the best, all in one. Maybe not everyone can see it right now, but there’s no doubt in my mind, it’d make for something awesome. I have a big plan for this. So I’ll say it again, on the record. I want these two belts to be one.”

Ibushi would continue to say that he wants this change to happen as soon as possible. Ideally, it would happen before his scheduled title defence against SANADA on February 11th, 2021.

“Splitting the two back up would be confusing, so I think it’s really better to just have one. Maybe it might be different, a new design, perhaps, but that’s what I want to do here,” Ibushi continued.

NJPW is currently preparing for its New Beginning tour. The big events will be held January 30th in Nagoya, and February 10th and 11th in Hiroshima.

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Update On WWE Talents Not On RAW Last Night

Chris Stephens
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WWE is reportedly dealing with multiple cases of COVID-19 on its main roster at the moment. Drew McIntyre announced yesterday that he has tested positive for the virus but he is the only confirmed case thus far.

According to a report from PW Insider, the below talents were not on RAW last night but were backstage at the show.

  • Cedric Alexander.
  • Asuka.
  • Shelton Benjamin.
  • Nikki Cross.
  • Humberto Carrillo.
  • Ricochet.

Additionally, Angel Garza was not used on last night’s show but was on RAW Talk after the show and wrestled on the Main Event tapings. Humberto Carrillo also wrestled on the main event tapings.

Peyton Royce wasn’t on the show last night either and is not listed as having been backstage. She has been in a program with Lacey Evans as her unwanted tag-team partner as of late.

Kofi Kingston wasn’t on the show. It was announced that he is dealing with an injury.

WWE’s COVID situation was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio:

“There was one on Smackdown, who did miss Smackdown, was scheduled on the show, and taken off. There is one who is a big star who just returned from COVID,” said Dave Meltzer. “Then there is another one in NXT, and there are probably others and there are probably others that will be kept out due to contact tracing, I’m going to guess.”

Ric Flair Aligns With Lacey Evans, Turns On Daughter Charlotte

Chris Stephens
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Ric Flair and Lacey Evans now appear to be aligned on WWE RAW. For 2 weeks straight, Flair has cost his daughter matches against Evans.

2 weeks ago on RAW, Flair costs Charlotte and Asuka a match against Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans by “accidentally” tripping up Charlotte. Then last night on RAW, Flair put Lacey Evans’ foot on the rope during a pin attempt and notified the referee. Charlotte then tried to suplex Evans into the ring but was again tripped by her father. Evans landed on top of Charlotte and as the referee was counting, Ric Flair held down his daughter’s leg so that she couldn’t kick out.

Flair and Evans then left together celebrating. Lacey Evans has since posted the below Tweets:

While Ric may have turned on Charlotte last night on RAW, he still considers his daughter the best women’s wrestler of all time. Flair recently told CBS Sports that Charlotte is better than any female wrestler ever.

“She’s the best woman on the roster, but she’s the best woman of all time,” Flair said of his daughter. “I’ve been in the business 49 years. Give me an example of who you think is better. You can’t.”

Update On WWE’s COVID-19 Outbreak

Chris Stephens
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WWE is reportedly dealing with multiple cases of COVID-19 at the moment. The situation was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“There’s at least 4, including Drew McIntyre, WWE wrestlers that I’m aware of that have or just got over COVID,” said Dave Meltzer. “There may be more. Those are only the names I know.”

WWE has only gone public with Drew McIntyre’s diagnosis, but COVID-19 is currently impacting SmackDown and NXT as well.

There was one on Smackdown, who did miss Smackdown, was scheduled on the show, and taken off. There is one who is a big star who just returned from COVID. Then there is another one in NXT, and there are probably others and there are probably others that will be kept out due to contact tracing, I’m going to guess.”

Due to the current situation, WWE was forced to work with a greatly reduced crew at Monday’s Raw. The whole show was rewritten and Triple H wrestled his first cable television match in years.

“The show was obviously very much a skeleton show, you could see by people working multiple matches and a lot of talent that you’d expect to be on the show was not there. The RAW show had to be completely re-done.”

Drew McIntyre noted on last night’s RAW broadcast that he is one of the lucky ones to not be dealing with any symptoms.

“Mild symptoms, actually. I know what he said, but it’s mild symptoms,” Meltzer said regarding McIntyre’s health.

Impact Preview: Swann vs. Anderson, Hard To Kill

Michael Reichlin
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0

Impact Wrestling returns to AXS TV tonight for the “go home” show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.

The big angle headed into the PPV is AEW World Champion Kenny Omega aligning with Impact World Tag Team Champions, the Good Brothers. The trio will battle Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. The Bullet Club alums have gotten the upper hand in recent weeks, so you can be sure Swann & the Machine Guns are looking to make a statement.

Impact has confirmed that Kenny Omega and Don Callis will appear in the Impact Zone tonight.

The following matches are advertised for Impact on AXS TV:

  • Impact World Champion Rich Swann vs. “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson
  • Tenille Dashwood vs. Rosemary
  • Kimber Lee vs. Taya Valkyrie
  • Cody Deaner vs. Tommy Dreamer

Check back Wednesday morning for our Impact on AXS TV takeaways feature.

Order Impact Wrestling: Hard To Kill now at FITE.TV.

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Anthem And Jeff Jarrett Reach Settlement In GFW Lawsuit

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Jeff Jarrett and Anthem, the parent company of the current Impact Wrestling have finally reached a settlement in their trademark case, according to Law 360.

While the terms of the settlement between the two parties were not disclosed, a brief filing with the court told the judge that both the parties will be submitting a joint request for dismissal:

“The terms of the settlement are met, and unless any party objects, they will submit a joint request for dismissal of the claims and counterclaims in the case by no later than Oct 1, 2022.”

Impact Wrestling had originally announced a merger with Jarrett’s GFW back in April 2017 and they started rebranding their programming using the GFW logo and theme in June.

However, the merger was short lived as the company severed their ties with GFW in October and returned to the Impact Wrestling name which they have utilised ever since.

Then in August 2018, Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Anthem claiming that the company violated state and federal trademark infringes by continuing to use footage of GFW Amped.

Anthem officials filed a countersuit against Jeff Jarrett in 2019, arguing that Jerrett and GWE granted them a licence to the GFW name and related assets.

R Truth Opens Up About His Struggles After WWE Release In 2002

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The wrestling career of R Truth started on a high note as he got signed to WWE in 1999, only a couple years after making his debut in the wrestling industry.

However, the former champion couldn’t cash in on the opportunity and he had to rebuild himself after getting released from the promotion in 2002.

Truth opened up about the struggles he had to endure after getting released by the company during his latest interview with Sports Illustrated and he revealed that there were times when he thought of quitting the business altogether:

“There have been times I was ready to quit; It’s hard to be your best when you don’t believe in yourself. There were times when I felt I wasn’t good enough, times when I didn’t think I had a shot of making it.”

Though thankfully, the former United States Champion continued to work hard and R Truth explained how he stayed motivated through his struggles:

“I remember telling myself, ‘I’m not going to quit,’ That’s why I’m at where I am right now. Everything I went through back then, it helped make me stronger. It helped me find different emotions.”

R Truth had runs with promotions such as TNA and NWA after his WWE release. He was re-signed by the company back in 2008 and the former Hardcore Champion has been a part of the WWE roster ever since.

Tyson Kidd On What Would Be His Dream Retirement Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Tyson Kidd never got a proper closure to his in-ring career and a lot of fans believe that the former champion deserves a retirement match.

The WWE producer opened up about his current role with the company on his recent interview on the Angle podcast and revealed that he has also thought about a potential retirement match.

Kidd first mentioned how he had thought about competing in a match such as Royal Rumble porior to his retirement before putting the idea to rest. He then went on to reveal his dream retirement match:

“In terms of an actual match, would it be me vs. Cesaro or me vs. Harry or me, Cesaro, and Harry in a match against The New Day? Right as I got hurt, I saw Jason Jordan and Chad Gable started hitting their strides and I thought of what great matches we could have. I think Gable is so good.”

Tyson Kidd suffered a neck injury during a dark match with Samoa Joe on Raw back in 2015 which turned out to be a career-ending blow for the former wrestler.

He has since taken a backstage role in WWE as a producer. Kidd has had a hand in producing many of the memorable women’s matches in recent times.

Candice Michelle On Romantic Storyline With Vince McMahon

Anutosh Bajpai
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Candice Michelle’s storyline romance with Mr McMahon got the female star reorganization early in her run with WWE after signing with the company in 2004.

The former women’s champion recently had an interview with WrestlingInc, where she talked about her WWE career in detail and also opened up about the angle with the Boss.

Michelle was asked about the storyline where she had to kiss Vince McMahon on a few occasions, and she admitted that it was awkward but said that she considered it a part of her job:

“I remember it was awkward,” Michelle said. “I do think there was like two, maybe three, I don’t quite remember to be honest. But also it was how it was back then. I remember it just kind of trickled down from girl to girl. Everybody kind of went through that. Even though it’s awkward to do, it was just part of my job.

There was no intimacy, we didn’t think of it like we’re actresses and we’re going to win an Emmy nomination or something.” said Michelle, “We’re young and we’re dumb and we’re innocent, and we’re happy to be working. That’s just part of it.”

The former champion also recalled her pudding match with Melina back in 2007 during the One Night Stand PPV and she called it the worst match of her life.

Apart from this, Candice Michelle talked about her run with the women’s championship and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

WWE RAW Results (1/11): Triple H vs. Randy Orton, Alexa Bliss Attacks

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in Tropicana Field. It was announced earlier today that WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19. McIntyre addressed his diagnosis during tonight’s broadcast.

RAW Results (1/11)

  1. Lacey Evans def. Charlotte Flair
  2. Jaxson Ryker def. Jeff Hardy
  3. Jeff Hardy def. Elias
  4. Keith Lee & Sheamus def. The Miz & John Morrison
  5. Keith Lee def. Sheamus
  6. T-Bar def. Xavier Woods
  7. Lashley def. Riddle via submission to retain the US Title
  8. Riddle def. MVP via DQ
  9. AJ Styles def. Drew Gulak
  10. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler def. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke
  11. Triple H vs. Randy Orton ended in a no contest

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Randy Orton Challenged Triple H

WWE COO Triple H kicked off this week’s episode of RAW. Randy Orton immediately interrupted and said that the office decided to show up because Drew McIntyre couldn’t. Orton got in the ring and suggested that Triple H hand him the WWE Championship.

Triple H told Orton to win the Royal Rumble if he wants the WWE Championship. Triple H said that he wasn’t afraid of Orton and it has been impressive watching Randy over the past year. He added that he watched Orton burn The Fiend and claimed that he doesn’t know if he was ever more proud of him than in that moment.

Triple H got in Orton’s face and said he doesn’t understand him kicking legends in the head or humiliating them in front of the world. He said that Orton is not a legend, but is nothing but a no good prick.

Orton asked Triple H if The Game was still in there and suggested a good old fashioned fight tonight in the ring. Triple H declined and told Orton that there was no benefit in it for him. Randy said that Triple H must not have been able to retrieve his balls from Stephanie McMahon’s purse. Triple H punched Orton in the face and Randy laughed. Orton said “I guess that means yes” to end the segment.

Triple H later accepted the challenge for a fight in a backstage promo. Triple H accepted the challenge on the behalf of every legend that Orton has disrespected and paved the way for them.

Ric Flair Cost Charlotte The Match

Charlotte Flair squared off against Lacey Evans in the first match of the night. Before the match, Lacey Evans dedicated the bout to Ric Flair. Flair and Evans locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Charlotte rolled up Evans for a one count and followed it up with a slam.

Charlotte connected with a flurry of chops that knocked Lacey to the canvas. Flair hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Evans was able to kick out at two. Charlotte went for the Figure Four but Evans reached the bottom rope. Lacey rolled out of the ring and Ric Flair’s music hit.

Ric made his way down the entrance ramp and stood ringside as Lacey beat Charlotte down in the corner of the ring. Charlotte battled back and hit a slam. Charlotte stared at her father before booting Evans in the face. Flair connected with a Clothesline and then an Exploder Suplex. Charlotte hit the Natural Selection and went to cover Lacey but Ric Flair put Evans’ foot on the rope. Ric Flair then tripped up Charlotte and Evans pinned her.

Jeff Hardy def. Elias

Jeff Hardy faced Jaxson Ryker tonight on RAW and Elias joined commentary for the match. Ryker slammed Jeff’s face into the top rope several times as Elias explained that he injured his thumb playing guitar and that is why he couldn’t compete tonight. Jeff took control the match and Elias hopped up for a distraction. Jaxson Ryker capitalized and rolled up Jeff for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Jeff Hardy challenged Elias to a match and he accepted as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Elias was in control and dominated the first few minutes of the match. Jeff eventually battled back and planted Elias with the Twist of Fate. Hardy followed it up with the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Keith Lee & Sheamus Picked Up A Win

Sheamus and Keith Lee teamed up to face The Miz & John Morrison to begin the 2nd hour of this week’s RAW. Sheamus and Morrison started off the match. Morrison tackled Sheamus to the mat but the Celtic Warrior got right up and tagged in Keith Lee. Keith slammed Morrison the canvas and went for the cover but John kicked out at two.

The Miz tagged in and walked into an elbow to the face from Keith Lee. Keith knocked Miz out of the ring and launched Morrison on top of him. Sheamus tagged in and hit a double Clothesline off the apron. Back in the ring, Keith and Morrison tagged back in and battled in the corner. Lee hit a massive Splash and the turnbuckle popped off as RAW went to a commercial break.

Sheamus sent Miz into the turnbuckle and knocked Morrison off the apron. Miz caught Sheamus with a DDT and went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out at one. The Miz and Morrison isolated Sheamus in the corner and took turns beating him down. Sheamus tried to get to the corner to tag out but Morrison dragged him back to the middle of the ring and applied a Headlock.

The Miz tagged in and applied a Headlock of his own. Sheamus escaped and planted Miz with the Irish Curse Backbreaker. Keith Lee and Morrison tagged in and Keith hit a series of shoulder tackles. Keith hit Miz and Morrison with a Splash and then planted John with a massive Powerslam.

Keith hit Miz with Grizzly Magnum before tossing him out of the ring. Morrison hit Lee with a Pele Kick and went for a Crossbody but Keith swatted him away. Sheamus tagged himself in and hit Morrison with the Brogue Kick for the pinfall victory.

Keith Lee def. Sheamus

Keith Lee and Sheamus apparently started arguing during the commercial break and it led to a match between them. Keith knocked Sheamus to the apron and hit him with a headbutt. Keith followed it up with several chops but Sheamus battled back with a Dropkick.

Sheamus controlled the action for the next few minutes and brought Keith to the canvas with a submission hold. Keith escaped and the two superstars battled on the turnbuckle. Sheamus connected with a Flying Clothesline and then a knee to the face for a two count. Sheamus locked in another submission hold but Keith countered into a Powerbomb. Keith Lee followed it up with the Spirit Bomb for the pinfall victory.

Drew McIntyre Accepted Goldberg’s Challenge

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre to Goldberg’s challenge for a title match at Royal Rumble tonight. McIntyre said it was a dream scenario last week to defend his title in front of all the legends last week. Drew added that he didn’t get a chance to thank them because Goldberg interrupted.

McIntyre said he was a little bit star struck when Goldberg made his way to the ring. Drew stated “never meet your heroes because they will let you down” and that Goldberg let him down. McIntyre claimed Goldberg only challenged him because he has never been able to capture the WWE Championship in his career. McIntyre vowed to teach Goldberg a lesson of respect at Royal Rumble.

T-Bar Dominated Xavier Woods

Xavier Woods faced T-Bar tonight on RAW. RETRIBUTION was ringside for the match. T-Bar controlled the action early and absolutely leveled Woods with a Clothesline for a two count. Woods booted T-Bar in the face and followed it up with some chops to his chest. Xavier climbed to the top rope and connected with a Dropkick that knocked T-Bar out of the ring. RETRIBUTION distracted Woods and T-Bar capitalized by slamming Xavier into the top rope. T-Bar then hit a GTS for the pinfall victory.

Lashley Tapped Out Riddle

Bobby Lashley defended the United States Championship against Riddle to begin the 3rd hour of RAW. MVP was ringside for the match. Lashley attacked Riddle before the bell rang and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Lashley hit Riddle with a Clothesline and then the match officially began.

Riddle was busted open at the mouth and Lashley sent him flying out of the ring. Riddle shoved Lashley into the ring post and rolled back in the ring. Riddle hit Lashley with a knee to the face and followed it up with the Floating Bro outside the ring. Back in the ring, Riddle went for a Crossbody but Lashley caught him with a slam. Lashley then quickly applied the Hurt Lock and Riddle tapped out. Lashley is still the United States Champion. After the match, Riddle challenged MVP to a match and MVP accepted.

MVP wrestled in a suit and hit Riddle with a knee to the face to start off the action. MVP followed it up with the Ballin’ Elbow for a two count. Riddle hit MVP with some jabs to the midsection and followed it up with a kick to the back of the head. Riddle hti MVP with an elbow to the face and then a knee strike. Riddle booted Lashley in the face and climbed to the top rope. Riddle hit the Floating Bro but Lashley got into the ring and hit Riddle with a Spear to end the match in a DQ. MVP and Lashley beat Riddle down to end the segment.

AJ Styles def. Drew Gulak

Drew Gulak faced AJ Styles tonight on RAW. If Drew Gulak won the match, he would be allowed to enter the Royal Rumble. Gulak dominated the action early and hit a Tiger Driver for a two count. Drew went for a Superplex but AJ was able to escape. Styles connected with a Pele Kick and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Styles threw Gulak out of the ring and Omos stood next to Drew and stared at him. AJ brought Gulak back into the ring and hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory.

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler Picked Up A Win

Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke faced Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler tonight. Mandy Rose and Shayna locked up to start off the action. Rose booted Shayna away and tagged in Dana Brooke. Dana applied a Headlock but Shayna escaped and tagged in Nia. Jax leveled Dana with a shoulder tackle and then launched her across the ring.

Dana connected with a Jawbreaker and Shayna tagged in. Dana sent Shayna to the apron and tagged in Mandy Rose. Mandy leveled Shayna with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Flapjack. Mandy hit Shayna with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Nia dragged her out of the ring. Jax tagged in and planted Mandy with a Samoan Drop.

Dana Brooke broke up the cover and turned around into a Backbreaker from Baszler. Shayna tagged herself in and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch on Mandy for the submission victory.

Alexa Bliss Shot A Fireball At Orton

Triple H faced Randy Orton in a fight in this week’s main event. Orton got into the ring and Triple H greeted him with a punch to the face. Orton booted Triple H in the head and followed it up with an uppercut. Triple H rolled out of the ring to regroup and Orton followed him out there.

Triple H sent Orton into the steel steps but Randy responded with a poke to the eye. Orton tried to slam Triple H onto the announce table but The Game blocked it. Triple H then slammed Orton on top of the table and rolled him back into the ring. Triple H grabbed the sledgehammer from under the ring and slowly made his way up the steel steps.

The lights in the arena began to go out as Triple H brought the sledgehammer into the ring. Triple H raised the sledgehammer and it was on fire all of the sudden. The lights went completely out and Triple H was gone. A slowed down version of the Firefly Fun House theme played and Alexa Bliss appeared in the corner. Alexa shot a fireball into Randy’s eyes and Orton stumbled around the ring to end the show.

Opinion: Alexa Bliss shooting a fireball was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh. This storyline has been one of the only entertaining parts of RAW and that was no different tonight. Triple H returning to the ring for a few minutes couldn’t save this episode of RAW. I was looking forward to the US Championship match only to see Lashley beat Riddle with ease. There were several filler matches on this show and I’m just hoping RAW can somehow get better next week.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Recalls Conversations With Jon Huber

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin recently had an interview with The Wrap where he opened up about the recent passing of Jon Huber aka Luke Harper. The former AEW star passed away due to some non-COVID related lung issues last month and his sudden death shook the wrestling world.

Talking about the unfortunate turn of events, Steve Austin said that he just couldn’t believe it and he then recalled his conversations with the former Wyatt Family member when he was still in WWE:

“I just absolutely couldn’t believe it because the guy was a tremendous hand in the business, but he was a sweetheart of a guy,” Austin said. “When he was in WWE, we would talk every now and then on the phone just about his character and what he was doing.

And then we stopped talking and he kept going and he finally ended up in AEW. And I didn’t know his real name from his WWE name.” said Stone Cold, “And I was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy is so young.’ And then I didn’t know what had happened.”

The former world champion continued by saying that Huber’s passing is an absolute tragedy because he was a guy who everybody in the business loved.

Stone Cold Steve Austin also recalled a conversation he had with a “very close” friend who “has done very well” in pro wrestling business about the passing of Huber. You can check out his full interview at this link.

Triple H Fights Randy Orton In WWE Raw Main Event

Andrew Ravens
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Triple H kicked off Monday’s episode of WWE Raw to do a promo in the ring. This was done to create buzz around the show following the news that WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19 and had to pull out of his non-title match with Randy Orton on the same episode. 

This segment saw Triple H welcome everyone to the show before being interrupted by Orton, who said the office decided to show up because McIntyre couldn’t. Orton asked him whether he will rule that he will enter the Royal Rumble Match last or hand him the WWE Title. Triple H wasn’t interested in doing either. Triple H brought up Orton’s history with attacking and talking down to various legends over the past few months. Triple H called him a prick for doing so. 

Orton challenged him to a fight and Triple H said no because there’s no benefit to him. Orton threw a jab at Stephanie McMahon for having Triple H’s balls and she wasn’t there for him to get them. Triple H punched him then accepted the challenge. 

Triple H fought Orton in the main event of the show. It started with six minutes left in the show. They brawled around the ring with no referee. Triple H grabbed a sledgehammer then as the lights started to go out, it was put on fire and then Triple H disappeared. Alexa Bliss showed up and threw a fireball in the face of Orton to end the show. 

There had been a rumor earlier in the day of this happening. It turns out that the future WWE Hall of Famer hadn’t worked a match on Raw since 2016 when he went over Dolph Ziggler in a singles match. 

Since 2010, Triple H has greatly reduced his in-ring schedule. He worked 9 matches in 2016, 14 in 2017, 4 in 2018, and 4 in 2019. 

Before this match on Raw, the latest contest that Triple H competed in was in June 2019 when he teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Robert Roode & Samoa Joe in a tag team match.

Kofi Kingston Dealing With Jaw Injury

Andrew Ravens
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It turns out that the reason why Kofi Kingston didn’t appear on Monday’s episode of Raw is due to him dealing with a real jaw injury. 

WWE announced the injury as a way to explain why he wasn’t on the show, which featured Xavier Woods losing to T-Bar. WWE claimed that he’s dealing with a broken jaw.

While he is dealing with a jaw injury, it appears to not be broken as he recently spoke about it in a video shared on his Instagram account. 

“I gotta apologize because I feel like I’m talking out of the side of my mouth and I’m dealing with a jaw injury right now. My mouth is only closing on one side and if I sound kind of funny, that’s why. Ordinarily, I do a lot of imitations, impersonations, and impressions but I’m not doing that right now. I’m talking funny trying to figure this situation out.”

There’s still no word yet on how or when he suffered the injury, but it could’ve happened at the WWE TLC pay-per-view when he and Woods dropped the Raw Tag Team Titles to The Hurt Business.

Kingston mentioned on Twitter after the show that he had lost two teeth during the contest. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJ6gc0wJ_he/?utm_source=ig_embed

Drew McIntyre Addresses Positive COVID-19 Test On WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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WWE delivered on its promise that Drew McIntyre would speak about his COVID-19 diagnosis on Monday’s episode of Raw. 

News that the WWE Champion tested positive for the virus came out on Monday when WWE confirmed it in a statement on its website. At the time, WWE noted that he was in quarantine after finding out. Originally, he was supposed to take on Randy Orton in a non-title match on this show, but that was scrapped. 

McIntyre recorded a message via his phone that aired on the show where he talked about how he is one of the fortunate ones to not have any symptoms, but assured that COVID is not something to take lightly.

He said that people shouldn’t think they can’t catch it because they can. He noted that the only way to stop the virus is by working together and pleaded fans to follow social distancing guidelines as well as wearing masks. 

McIntyre just defended the WWE Title over Keith Lee in the main event of last week’s episode of Raw, which was billed as Legends Night. After the match, Goldberg came out and confronted McIntyre. Eventually, the WWE Hall of Famer challenged him to a title match at the upcoming Royal Rumble show then shoved McIntyre down to close the show. 

There’s no word yet on whether McIntyre’s COVID-19 diagnosis will impact plans for him to wrestle Goldberg at this pay-per-view event on January 31, 2021.

Steve Austin On Paul Heyman-Roman Reigns Pairing: “That’s Such a Great Package”

Andrew Ravens
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Even though Steve Austin hasn’t wrestled for nearly two decades, he’s kept in tune with WWE programming. 

The WWE Hall of Famer recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote “Straight Up Steve Austin” season two premiere on the USA Network.

During the interview, he spoke about the pairing of Paul Heyman and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. 

“That’s such a great package. They compliment each other so well,” Austin said. “Roman can work his ass off. He’s always been very solid in the ring, but now there’s this bond and this chemistry between Roman and Paul. That’s what Paul Heyman does. He makes anybody he’s with that much better.”

Austin recalled it happening for him as well with Heyman. He noted that if you want to suspend your disbelief, but you can’t because Reigns gets help from Heyman with his knowledge. He called the presentation and chemistry as these two stars together look and sound like money. 

Heyman serves as the legal counsel for Reigns on WWE television and has been doing so since August when Reigns turned heel after his surprise return at SummerSlam. 

Roman Reigns Receives Unexpected WWE Royal Rumble Opponent

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