SEScoops

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • WWE NXT 2.0 Results (1/18): WALTER vs. Strong, Memorial Service

    The January 18, 2022 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

    WWE NXT Results 

    •  
    • Grayson Waller defeated Dexter Lumis
    • The Creed Brothers defeated Briggs and Jensen to advance to the semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. 
    • Dante Chen vs. Guru Raj ended in an apparent no-contest.
    • Ivy Nile defeated Kay Lee Ray
    • Malik Blade and Edris Enofe defeated Legado Del Fantasma 
    • Dakota Kai defeated Yulisa Leon 
    • WALTER defeated Roderick Strong

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    LA Knight Opens

    \"\"

    LA Knight came out to the ring while looking for Grayson Waller, who attacked him a few weeks ago. Knight returned last week after Waller had lost to AJ Styles in the headliner. 

    LA said week after week the fans chant that Waller sucks, but one sound haunts him and that’s LA Knight. LA called him out and so came Waller, who acted like he was going to fight him, but didn’t. Instead, Waller revealed that he has a restraining order against him and Knight can’t get closer than 50 feet from him. Knight said that Waller doesn’t have an order against Dexter Lumis, who came out from under the ring. Knight told Waller that he can either face Knight or Lumis. 

    This set up Lumis vs. Waller. The finish saw Saurav come out to attack Lumis that led to Waller hitting his finisher for the win. 

    Dusty Rhodes Classic Match

    \"\"

    Legado Del Fantasma vs. Malik Blae & Edris Enofe in a Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament first-round match took place with the winners of this bout taking on the winners of MSK-Jacket Time. 

    There was some outside inference by Santos Escobar, who was taken out by Bron Breakker. Earlier in the night, Santos said he was coming after Bron. The finish was a roll up. 

    Dusty Rhodes Classic Match

    \"\"

    The Diamond Mine\’s Julius & Brutus Creed vs. Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen in a Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament first-round match took place with the winners of this bout taking on Grizzled Young Veterans-Chase & Hayward. 

    They went all out in this match with it looking like Josh and Brooks were about to go over until The Creed Brothers hit their finisher on Briggs. 

    Memorial Service

    \"\"

    Tony D’Angelo hosted a memorial service for Pete Dunne. D’Angelo defeated Dunne in a Crowbar On A Pole match last Tuesday night. 

    WALTER is now stateside after having his NXT UK farewell match when he defeated Nathan Frazer on the NXT UK episode that aired last Thursday.

    Tony was in the ring with a casket and said it’s time to move onto better things. He said it’s time for him to get some gold and he has his eyes set on the North American Title. Carmelo Hayes came out with Trick Williams. Williams said they thought they were boyz. Tony said he’s already got boyz and it’s nothing personal, but just business. Williams said his boyz look like Vic Joseph.

    Hayes said he promises Tony will have his own service and it will be a closed casket. Cameron Grimes came out and said Tony will have to wait at the end of the line. Hayes threw out the idea of Tony vs. Grimes and he would get the winner. Grimes smashed a big photo of Pete Dunne over the head of Tony to end the segment. 

    Main Event

    \"\"

    WALTER vs. Roderick Strong was saved for the headliner. 

    WALTER vs. Roderick Strong was saved for the headliner. 

    Last week, WWE set this with a video of Bivens talking about how The Creed Brothers will win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic before beating Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner for the NXT Tag Team Titles. To take things even further, Biven called the champs “a bunch of b**ches.” This didn’t sit well with WALTER so he confronted Bivens and Strong stepped in before telling him that he is the only NXT star not afraid of him. As a result, we got a match. 

    The bout was hard-hitting with WALTER getting the majority of the offense. WALTER with back-to-back powerbombs for the win. Post-match, Imperium beatdown Strong until the creed Brothers came out for a brawl to close the show. 

  • Sheamus Isn\’t A Fan Of WWE Announcing Royal Rumble Surprises In Advance

    Sheamus is currently one of 15 competitors that have been announced thus far for the men\’s Royal Rumble match. As for the women’s bout, 21 competitors have been announced. 

    Both matches will feature active wrestlers, legends, and returning stars. For the women’s match, WWE announced several returning stars in advance instead of them being surprises. 

    This is something the longtime WWE star isn’t a fan of and talked about it during an interview with Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport.

    \”I know this year, they\’ve announced a lot of contestants for the women\’s Royal Rumble. I like the fact that they just show up. I\’m not a huge fan of telling people who is going to be in there. I think the men\’s one is a bit more secretive. They\’ve announced like ten people who are on the active roster. On the women\’s side, there are a lot of girls coming back. It shows how much they\’ve missed the product and missed being in the ring.”

    Sheamus also gave some insight into the information the wrestlers know going into the match. 

    \”We all know our numbers and when we\’re going out. I\’m not going to spoil the match for anybody. What we do is entertainment, I don\’t like taking that away or pulling back the curtain. All I\’ll say is, we know what our numbers are and what we have to do in there. Everyone knows their number, but they won\’t find what number they are pretty much until two or three hours before the show. There has been a couple that have been really close on where we\’re at coming out to the ring. That can be a little stressful, especially if you\’re new. Now, I\’ve been there 12 years, it doesn\’t bother me at all.\”

    This year will mark the ninth time he has competed in the event. It will also be the ten-year anniversary of Sheamus\’ Royal Rumble victory as he won the 2012 Royal Rumble by last eliminating Chris Jericho.

  • WWE Interested In Signing Rok-C

    WWE is looking to restock their roster after a series of releases with those who took part in recent tryouts. Several people participated in the latest tryouts including names like Monster Factory project Notorious Mimi and former ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C. 

    Although in the past, WWE has passed on signing talent that they deem too young, it appears there could be an exception. Per Fightful, there was a significant push within the company to have Rok-C signed.

    Even before she had the tryout, some people thought the company should make her an offer. 

    The latest tryouts were so big that WWE  bussed the tryout competitors in and gave Performance Center trainees several days off.

    One source at the Performance Center noted that Rok-C\’s main event match with Deonna Purrazzo in Impact Wrestling was evidence of the hiring being a \”no-brainer.” However, this same person mentioned that they thought Wheeler Yuta was also a no-brainer last year, and he didn\’t get hired.

    Rok-C is slated to debut for MLW at Blood & Thunder on January 21st from Dallas, Texas.  As previously reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, ROH doesn’t expect for her to be back when they resume shows in April after going on hiatus.

  • WWE NXT 2.0 Results (1/11): Styles vs. Waller, Crowbar On A Pole Match

    The January 11, 2021 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

    WWE NXT Results 

    • Santos Escobar def. Xyon Quinn
    • Cameron Grimes def. Damon Kemp.
    • Malik Blade and Edris Enofe defeated Harland and Joe Gacy
    • Tony D\’Angelo def. Pete Dunne.
    • Wendy Choo, Persia Pirotta & Indi Hartwell def. Amari Miller, Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro.
    • Solo Sikoa vs. Boa goes to a double countout.
    • AJ Styles def. Grayson Waller

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller

    \"\"

    AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller was the biggest match to be booked on this show. 

    These two stars have been feuding with each other for several weeks after Waller called out AJ. They’ve been trading words ever since then. Last week, AJ wanted to fight Waller right then, but Waller said he would have to wait until this show. They did a brawl with AJ standing tall. 

    The match was the main event and they worked hard. AJ hit an outside forearm shot. Waller hit a springboard elbow drop for 2. AJ went for the forearm shot finisher and hit it for the win. Post-match, LA Knight made his return after being taken out by Waller in the parking lot a few weeks ago. Knight attacked him and laid out Waller. 

    Crowbar On A Pole Match

    \"\"

    Tony D’Angelo vs. Pete Dunne in a Crowbar On A Pole Match was booked. 

    This feud stems from a match that took place three weeks ago, where Dunne defeated D’Angelo. Post-match, D’Angelo attacked Dunne and, with a crowbar, attacked Dunne’s fingers.

    Both guys worked hard and it was the typical, one guy goes up to get the weapon then taken down. Eventually, Tony got it, but Dunne quickly grabbed it from him. A chair was brought into play, but Dunne caught him with a triangle choke. Tony hit him in the face with the crowbar, which broke, for the win. 

    Who Gets Lopez?

    \"\"

    Santos Escobar vs. Xyon Quinn with the stipulation that Elektra Lopez will leave with the winner went down. 

    Ever since Lopez showed up in NXT, she has been aligned with Escobar, but since losing the Cruiserweight Title, Escobar has been bumped down the card. 

    This was the first match of the night. At the end, Lopez distracted Xyon and then kicked him in the nuts that led to Escobar hitting his finisher for the win. 

    Bron Breakker Talks

    \"\"

    New NXT Champion Bron Breakker appeared on this show just one week after beating Tommaso Ciampa to win the NXT Title. So what did he say?

    Breakker cut a promo where he got mixed reactions. He thanked Ciampa and put him over for being a great wrestler and an outstanding person. He brought up Ciampa showing respect to Bron’s father after the match. He said that there are no days off in NXT and they perform every week for the fans. Bron said that anyone who wants to challenge him, he’s already put in the work and did more than them because he’s the champ. He plans to prove why he earned the title every week. Bron then went to the back. Short and to the point. 

  • Two More Former WWE Stars Returning For Women’s Royal Rumble

    Fans can expect to see at least two more former WWE stars make a return to work the Women’s Royal Rumble match. 

    According to PWInsider, former Superstars Cameron and Melina are booked to be surprises for the bout. There are currently 11 spots available in the match and with these names added, WWE will have to fill 9 more spots. 

    As previously reported, WWE does not want to bring in too many NXT wrestlers for the match so that could mean even more former stars are coming in. 

    Melina worked for WWE from 2004 through 2011 where she was a two-time Divas Champion and a three-time Women’s Champion. There was some talk of her returning to the company in September 2020, but she confirmed a few months later that while the two sides did have a discussion, they couldn’t come to an agreement. She was last seen on WWE TV on January 4, 2021 at WWE Raw Legends Night.

    Cameron was under contract from 2011-2016. She did wrestle a match for AEW in 2020. 

    The following women have been announced for the match: Nikki A.S.H., Rhea Ripley, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Zelina Vega, Carmella, Aliyah, Natalya, Naomi, Shotzi Blackheart, Shayna Baszler, Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Summer Rae.

  • Royal Rumble Update: Becky Lynch’s Opponent Determined, More Entrants

    The Royal Rumble is just weeks away. On Monday\’s WWE Raw, Becky Lynch\’s opponent was determined and we also learned about more entrants to the Men\’s Rumble match.

    Doudrop will challenge Big Time Becks for the Raw Women\’s Championship at the Rumble. She won a triple threat match on Raw to earn the championship opportunity.

    Lynch cost Belair the pinfall on Morgan before the champ tossed Bianca over the announce table. Doudrop hit a splash in the corner for the win. Lynch recently retained the title over Morgan on an episode of Raw and then again at the Day 1 PPV. 

    Also, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, and Big E were added to the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

    WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri.

    Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card

    Men’s Royal Rumble Match: competitors announced thus far – Johnny Knoxville, Dominik Mysterio, Rey Mysterio, Austin Theory, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, Sheamus, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, Big E, 

    Women’s Royal Rumble Match: competitors announced thus far – Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, Lita, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H, Shotzi, Natalya, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Tamina, Aliyah, Naomi, Shayna Baszler

    WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

    Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz and Maryse – Mixed Tag Team Match

    WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

    WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Doudrop

  • Alpha Academy Win WWE Raw Tag Team Titles

    The Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) are the new Raw Tag Team Champions as they beat RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) on Monday’s episode of Raw. 

    The finish saw Orton dodging a charge from Gable, who in the process was able to tag in Otis. This led to Gable blocking an RKO attempt and shoved Orton into Otis, who then pinned Orton with a forward slam.

    Orton and Riddle won the titles from  AJ Styles and Omos at SummerSlam back in August. They successfully defended the titles at Day 1 back on January 1, defeating The Street Profits. Their reign lasted for over 140 days

    Last week on Raw, Alpha Academy defeated RK-Bro in a non-title match. In that match to earn this title match opportunity. The finish of that bout saw Otis pin Riddle after Riddle had attempted an RKO. 

    The story heading into the title change was Orton telling Riddle to tag him in when he was in trouble. He even went as far as writing it on Riddle’s hands in the gorilla position right before they went out for the match. 

  • Jim Ross Suffers Nasty Black Eye After Falling (Photo)

    Jim Ross mentioned on Twitter Monday night that he suffered a black eye after falling while on his way to Charlotte, NC for the AEW Battle of the Belts special.

    He also mentioned that he will provide a cancer recovery update on Tuesday. You can check out the photo here: 

    Ross has had similar incidents in the past as in 2014 blog post wrote said the following:

    “I was treated for stroke-like symptoms for two days in the hospital in their stroke care unit. I don’t remember Tuesday morning whatsoever including driving myself to the OKC airport, my wife as in Vegas already as I had to stay behind and record a podcast, nor do I recall boarding the plane in OKC for Vegas. I presented Terry Taylor with a much deserved Iron Mike award at the CAC and have no memory of what I said. That’s scary. About a month ago I took a fall in our home that had me hitting my head on our wood floor but I no sold it and never mentioned it to my wife. I assumed that the loss of memory and lost days were a result of that. After enduring multiple MRI’s and numerous tests on my brain and heart it was determined that my prolonged use of Ambien as a sleep aid to combat my insomnia was the primary culprit of my issues. Ambien is a ‘temporary’ solution to insomnia but I have been taking it for years. Not good. The side affects of Ambien are scary, read about them, of which now I know. If you are taking it, I strongly suggest that you consult your physician. My meds have now been all adjusted and I am back on a healthy path of diet and exercise and, obviously, NO Ambien. The hallucinogenic issues with the drug are scary and I will never use that medication again.”

    In 2018, Ross also took a bump as his face hit the concrete, which resulted in bruises on his face, including a black eye. Best wishes to the WWE Hall of Famer on a speedy recovery.

  • Report: WWE Doesn’t Want To Use A Lot Of NXT Talent In Women’s Royal Rumble Match

    WWE has already announced several competitors for the Women’s Royal Rumble match including current and past stars. However, fans shouldn’t expect to see a lot of NXT talent used in the match. 

    The reason the promotion announced several legends for the bout in advance was a way to boost ticket sales. The company is also working on other surprises, but plan to limit how many people they use from NXT if at all. 

    Bryan Alvarez discussed this year’s match on Wrestling Observer Live. He was told that the company does not want to use many names from NXT this year. He did note that plans change all the time in WWE, but there are only a few spots left in the match. 

    The following women have been announced for the match: Nikki A.S.H., Rhea Ripley, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Zelina Vega, Carmella, Aliyah, Natalya, Naomi, Shotzi Blackheart, Shayna Baszler, Charlotte Flair, Mickie James, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Lita, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Summer Rae.

    Rae confirmed over the weekend that she was under the impression the legends would be a surprise. Fightful reported today that on Friday, WWE had the names list on the SmackDown script.

  • Jim Cornette Rejects Kenny Omega\’s Apology: \”Piss Off\”

    There\’s no love lost between Jim Cornette and AEW star Kenny Omega. The two had their latest online scrap this week, with Omega issuing an apology that was strongly rejected by the WWE Hall of Famer.

    It started when Cornette took issue with being mentioned by Omega in a tweet that was directed at someone. Omega originally said in response to someone who asked him to disavow Marty Scurll: 

    “Will you bump up Corny’s oxygen so he can maybe get through a podcast without wheezing through every word? It’s harsh on the ears from what I hear.”

    Cornette fired back: “not sure why Twinkletoes is referencing me in a completely unrelated conversation I\’m not involved in, but he needs hobbies/attention. Hey dipshit, I\’m not as harsh on the ears as your ballet routines are on people\’s eyes, & I\’m wheezing from laughing at your attempts to wrestle.”

    Omega revealed that he has been dealing with the effects of COVID-19. He then apologized by writing: “Shouldn’t have brought up any breathing issue. I, as well as many friends/acquaintances in other sports, are suffering due to Covid after effects. Not sure if you’ll accept, but I do apologize.”

    Realizing he may have taken things too far, Omega walked back his remarks about Cornette\’s labored breathing.

    On Tuesday morning, Jim Cornette reacted Omega\’s apology. Cornette says he wants nothing to do with Omega and his phony brand of pro wrestling.

  • WWE Royal Rumble: Reigns vs. Rollins Set, Stars Returning For Women’s Match

    The SmackDown brand main event for the WWE Royal Rumble has been set as Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Title against Seth Rollins. 

    After The Usos retained their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against The New Day on Friday’s SmackDown, Adam Pearce announced Reigns vs. Rollins. They then cut to Reigns’ dressing room where “The Big Dog” and Seth Rollins appeared. The show closed with Rollins laughing as he stood face to face with Reigns. 

    Also, WWE announced several competitors for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match during a promo segment with Charlotte Flair. Mickie James, Nikki & Brie Bella, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae, and Lita will be returning for the match. Flair also announced her entry into the bout. Finally, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H, Shotzi, Natalya, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Tamina, Aliyah, Naomi, and Shayna Baszler have been added. 

    WWE acknowledged that James is the current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion as she is set to defend it against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas death match at Impact Wrestling\’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view this Saturday. James was released by WWE during the April 2021 roster cuts.

    WWE Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri from The Dome at America’s Center on Peacock. 

    WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley and Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse was previously announced for the show.

  • William Regal Issues Statement On His WWE Release

    William Regal has made his first comments regarding the decision made earlier this week by WWE management to release him alongside several other talent and staff that had been working at the Performance Center.

    The former NXT General Manager issued the following statement on his Twitter account Friday night: 

    “Thank you to @WWE for a wonderful 21 year run. You gave a lad who was happy and in wonderland wrestling on a carnival have a charmed life for 21 years. No complaints and please no one waste time replying as I won’t have a bad work said against the company.

    I will add that @WWE  saved my life in 1999 when they didn’t need to, kept my family fed and took me all around the world. You have my gratitude forever. You allowed me to live a charmed life.”

    During his in-ring run with the company in 2000, he was a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time Hardcore Champion, a four-time European Champion, a four-time World Tag Team Champion, and the 2008 King of the Ring winner. 

    In July 2014, Regal was given the on-screen role of the General Manager of NXT, which lasted through 2021 In addition to his on-screen work, Regal worked behind the scenes in NXT and as an independent scene scout.

  • WWE Talent & Staff Worried About Future Of NXT

    The recent cuts made by WWE earlier this week were mostly people that were hired by Triple H, which comes at a time where he is no longer running things backstage in NXT due to his cardiac event in September. Shawn Michaels has been running things backstage since that time. 

    Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that talent and staff are depressed and many are wondering about the future of the brand following the cuts. 

    People like William Regal, Road Dogg, Scott Armstrong, Samoa Joe, and Timothy Thatcher were all let go this week. Regal’s firing hit many people hard, which was evident by how many people spoke highly of him on social media. 

    He had a lot of relationships with wrestlers as he was an independent scene scout for WWE in addition to his behind-the-scenes role. Meltzer added that some of the biggest names in the business to this day still go to Real for advice and with the company not focusing on signing indy talent, that is likely the reason why Regal was let go.

    WWE has shifted towards recruiting athletes then training them to be wrestlers in addition to saying away from older and smaller wrestlers in favor of younger and bigger stars. 

  • Bron Breakker Wins WWE NXT Title At New Year’s Evil

    For the second time, Tommaso Ciampa defended the WWE NXT Title against Bron Breakker as the rematch took place in the main event of Tuesday’s WWE NXT that had the special New Year’s Evil name. 

    The match featured Bron hitting some power moves early on. Ciampa hit an outside dive then went into the ring where he got a sleeper hold locked in before Bron dumped him. Ciampa was bleeding from his right temple. Bron hit a spinebuster to Ciampa through the announce table. 

    The finish was when Bron locked in the Steiner Recliner for the win to become the new NXT Champion. 

    https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1478563988795502599

    WWE officially announced the match when Ciampa called out Breakker and predicted that the young star would ask for a championship opportunity. The vet told Breakker that he hopes he doesn’t drown again because he doesn’t think Bron is ready to be a champion in his NXT. Bron told Ciampa that there was blood in the water and he’s the shark was coming to feast.

    Their first match took place at the Halloween Havoc special edition of NXT where Ciampa beat Breakker to retain the title, which was a surprise as many people including oddsmakers thought it was Bron’s night. 

    They later were part of the men’s WarGames match in November where the rookies went over the veterans. With Ciampa dropping the title, it will lead to speculation that he could be headed to the main roster whether that’s on Raw or SmackDown. 

    What are your thoughts on Bron winning the NXT Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

  • WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Results (1/4): Three Title Matches

    The January 4, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center with the New Year’s Evil name. 

    WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Results

    • Carmelo Hayes def. Roderick Strong to unify the titles
    • Wes Lee, Nash Carter & Riddle def. Imperium (WALTER, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner).
    • Mandy Rose def. Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez to retain Women’s Title
    • Bron Breakker def. Tommaso Ciampa to win NXT Title

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    Time To Chat Again

    \"\"

    AJ Styles confronted Grayson Waller once again after the two stars have traded words in the past. Styles has appeared on NXT before while Waller has shown up on Raw. 

    So what happened this time? AJ came out to the ring and cut a promo about when he first signed with WWE, he didn’t go to NXT, but rather was on the main roster. He said that there is something special about NXT. AJ put over the great fans and said he doesn’t care what the name of the show is, it’s the passion that makes NXT what it is. He said that he’d be damned if he will allow someone take it away from the fans. He said that there is always going to be someone like Waller who thinks he is better than everyone. Waller came out and said that AJ is trying to hide from his loss to Omos. Waller said that AJ doesn’t mean that he really wanted to start in NXT instead of starting on the main roster. Waller said that AJ lost last night because he was thinking about Waller. He said he’s living in AJ’s head rent free. AJ wanted a match tonight. Waller turned it down, but wanted it next week in the main event of NXT. AJ accepted and Waller tried to attack, but AJ punched him. They brawled until AJ got the better of him and Waller retreated. 

    Rematch

    \"\"

    WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breaker took place in the main event. 

    Their first title match took place at Halloween Havoc in October where Ciampa retained the title. They later met in the men’s WarGames match where Breakker pinned Ciampa. Since then, they’ve traded words and it led to them sharing the ring one more time. 

    The match saw Bron hit some powerslams right out of the gate. Ciampa hit a corkscrew dive to take out Bron. Back in the ring, they went back and forth. Bron with a spinebuster then a standing moonsault. Bron caught Ciampa with a spear. Ciampa was bleeding from his right temple. Bron hit a spinebuster to Ciampa through the announce table. Bron with a powerslam for 2 as Ciampa grabbed the rope. Bron with a bulldog then locked in the Steiner Recliner for the win to become the new NXT Champion. 

    Triple Threat Match

    \"\"

    WWE NXT Women\’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Raquel Gonzalez vs. Cora Jade in a Triple Threat Match took place. 

    Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women\’s Championship at Halloween Havoc with the help from the returning Dakota Kai. Raquel defeated Dakota in a street fight on December 21st and then called out Rose for a title match, but Jade came out citing her victory over Rose a few weeks ago as a reason why she should get a title shot. 

    Rose appeared on the big screen and stated she would take them both on in a three-way. igi Dolin and Jacy Jayne then attacked the babyfaces. 

    The match was in the second hour. Rose tried to leave ringside, but was stopped by Raquel. Once in the ring, Rose hit a codebreaker then talked trash to Raquel. Raquel hit her finisher to Rose for 2 as Jade broke up the pin attempt with a dive. Jade tossed Raquel to the floor then Rose rolled up Jade for the win. 

    https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1478554041768677378

    Time To Unify

    \"\"

    WWE NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes and WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong battled in a Title vs. Title Unification match.

    The match opened the show. Hayes was in control early in the match, but missed a dive off the top rope and Strong caught him with a knee strike for a near fall. Hayes did a splash fly off the top rope for a near fall. Hayes hit his leg drop finisher off the top rope for the win. 

    WWE introduced the North American Championship a few years ago with many wrestlers holding the title including Johnny Gargano with three separate title reigns. 

    Ironically, 7 of the 11 former Champions are no longer with WWE with the 4 still there including Damian Priest, Ricochet, and Strong and Hayes. The NXT Cruiserweight Championship has been around since 2016 where at first, it was exclusive to Monday Night Raw in addition to a live episode of 205 Live every week. In recent times, the title has been only inclusive to NXT as 205 Live is a second platform to the NXT brand. 

    https://twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1478538136066088962

    Six-Man Tag Team Match

    \"\"

    Riddle and MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee) vs. Imperium (WALTER, Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) went down. 

    This feud came about when Matt Riddle became the Shaman for MSK although original plans called for Jeff Hardy to be in this role, but his WWE release nixed those plans. 

    Last week on NXT, Carter and Lee called out  Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) for the NXT Tag Team Titles . WALTER and Riddle both appeared on the big screen where WALTER insulted MSK. Riddle issued the six-man tag challenge to Imperium. 

    The match was in the middle of the show with the heels controlling the majority of the match. Riddle got the hot tag and cleaned house. He hit an outside dive to take out the heels. Riddle even hit a german suplex to WALTER. MSK hit a powerslam move to Fabian before Riddle hit an RKO to Marcel for the win. 

    https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1478546803687624709
    https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1478547682733998083

  • Mandy Rose Retains WWE NXT Women’s Title At New Year’s Evil

    The odds were against Mandy Rose in storyline when she put the WWE NXT Women\’s Championship on the line during Tuesday’s New Year’s Evil special against Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez. 

    The match took place in the second hour. After the babyfaces worked together, they turned on each other. Rose tried to leave ringside, but Raquel stopped her. Rose rolled up Jade for the win and to retain her title. 

    https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1478554041768677378

    Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc with the help of Dakota Kai. Jade, Raquel, and Rose have all been feuding with each other the past several weeks. 

    On last Tuesday’s show, a tag team match with Gonzalez and Jade teaming against Toxic Attraction\’s Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne was supposed to take place. Instead, Rose announced  Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai would replace her girls to take on Raquel and Jade with the winning team being her opponents at New Year’s Evil. Clearly, plans didn’t change. 

    What are your thoughts on Mandy Rose retaining the NXT Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

  • Carmelo Hayes Wins Unification Match At WWE NXT New Year’s Evil

    It was the end of an era in NXT as WWE decided to unify the Cruiserweight and North American Titles when North American Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong took place at New Year’s Evil. 

    The match opened the show and it was a back and forth match. Hayes hit his leg drop finisher off the top rope for the win. 

    https://twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1478538136066088962

    Strong won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship from Kushida this September while Hayes beat Isaiah \”Swerve\” Scott to win the North American Title in October. Dave Meltzer noted on the last month\’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that he had heard WWE might be getting rid of the title and renaming it the All-Inclusive Championship. 

    Hayes agreed to the match after being challenged by Strong as both stars have been calling themselves the real champion in NXT. WWE had a contract signing to make the match official last week on NXT that was hosted by NXT announcer Wade Barrett.

    The North American Title was first introduced in April 2018 and won by Adam Cole. There had been 13 champions in the original history of the title. The Cruiserweight Title was back in 2016 with TJ Perkins being the first champion. There had been 19 champions in the history of the title since WWE brought back the division. 

  • Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar Set For WWE Royal Rumble

    As expected, Bobby Lashley is next in line to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title. 

    On Monday’s episode of Raw, Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens in a Fatal 4-Way Match with the winner becoming the number 1 contender was booked as the main event from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC.

    It was a wild match with them brawling in the stands and backstage. Lashley pinned Owens with a spear. 

    Just like it was previously reported, this match is going to take place at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 29, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri from The Dome. 

    Big E vs. Rollins vs. Owens vs. Lashley was originally supposed to be the WWE Championship match at Day 1 this past Saturday night. However, the show had to be changed in a big way when Roman Reigns tested positive for COVID-19. Thus, he was pulled from his scheduled Universal Title match with Brock Lesnar at the event. Lesnar pinned Big E to win the WWE Championship.

    WWE is still planning to continue the feud between Lesnar and Reigns despite Lesnar being moved internally to the Raw roster with the idea that he is a free agent as a way for him to appear on Friday Night SmackDown. 

  • Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman Reunite On WWE Raw

    Brock Lesnar has officially reunited with his advocate Paul Heyman on WWE television just 24 hours after he won the WWE Title. 

    During Monday Night Raw, Heyman introduced Lesnar to kick off the show, which was the Day 1 fallout episode as Lesnar credited Heyman for pulling the strings to get him added to the WWE Championship match. This was after his match at Day 1 with Roman Reigns was nixed when the Universal Champion had to pull out due to him testing positive for COVID-19. Lesnar also gave Heyman credit for his \”free agent\” status in WWE. 

    Lesnar defeated Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley in a fatal five-way match to win the WWE Championship in the headliner of the show. 

    Lesnar called himself the real champion in WWE and mocked Reigns by telling the crowd to \”acknowledge me.\” Heyman took a shot at Reigns by saying that after only one week without him as Reigns’ special counsel, Reigns already has COVID.

    Three weeks ago, Reigns fired Heyman as his special counsel after questioning Heyman\’s loyalty during the main event segment on SmackDown then attacked him. WWE reportedly still has plans for Reigns vs. Lesnar despite \”The Beast Incarnate\” being on Raw. 

  • Brock Lesnar Wins WWE Title At Day 1

    Big E made his first defense as WWE Champion in the new year when he took on Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens in a fatal 5-way match at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event. Lesnar was added to the bout after his planned Universal Title Match with Roman Reigns, who had to pull out due to testing positive for COVID-19, was nixed. 

    It was a wild match. Lashley speared Lesnar through the barricade. Big E sent Lashley through the announce table. Lesnar hit a top of 4 F5’s in the match. The finish saw Big E with the Big Ending to Lashley. Lesnar with the F5 to Big E for the win to become the new WWE Champion. 

    Originally, WWE announced that it would be a one-on-one match with Big E and Rollins. However, hours after announcing the match, Owens was added to the match after Rollins interfered in the Raw main event between Owens and Big E. 

    Because Rollins attacked Owens, it gave “KO” the disqualification win. Because of the stipulation of the bout, Owens was added to the match and Rollins was seen frustrated in his heel ways. Rollins earned this title shot when he became the number one contender by winning a fatal four-way ladder match on Raw. Finn Balor, Owens, and Rey Mysterio were Rollins\’ opponents in that number one contender\’s match. Lashley was later added to the match after winning a gauntlet match on Raw. 

    Big E has held the WWE Championship since cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Bobby Lashley this September.

  • Beth Phoenix Returns At WWE Day 1

    Beth Phoenix made her WWE return at the Day 1 pay-per-view event in order to help out her husband Edge during his match with The Miz.

    Throughout the match, Miz had a lot of help from his wife Maryse at ringside. Near the end of the match, Maryse hit Edge with a bag that allowed Miz to score a close pinfall following a skull-crushing finale. When Maryse was arguing with the referee on the apron, Phoenix came out on the entrance ramp then chased off Maryse. 

    Miz and Phoenix exchanged words as Edge recovered, which allowed Edge hit the spear and pinned Miz to win the match. Although not confirmed, there’s been plenty of speculation that WWE is headed towards booking a mixed tag team match between the two married couples. Now, the question is when and where it takes place. 

    Phoenix had been an NXT commentator from 2019 until last month as she decided to step away from announcer duties with her last appearance was at NXT War Games.

    After making his return to WWE TV following the company deciding on moving him from SmackDown to Raw, Edge has been feuding with Miz. When The Miz returned to WWE television, Maryse returned as well.

    https://twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1477474077891780608

  • Becky Lynch Retains Raw Women’s Title At WWE Day 1

    Liv Morgan got her chance to step into the ring and challenge Becky Lynch for the WWE Raw Women’s Title a second time at the Day 1 pay-per-view event. 

    The match featured Lynch in control early as she ragged dolled her around the ring until Morgan fought back including a drop kick off the middle rope. Morgan hit a spring board powerbomb for 2. Lynch won with her powerslam finisher. 

    Their first match took place on the December 6th episode of Raw where Lynch retained the title against Morgan in the main event as she grabbed the bottom rope for extra leverage while pinning Morgan.

    On the December 13th episode of Raw, Morgan interrupted Lynch and challenged her to a rematch. At first, Lynch denied cheating to win and that Morgan was an easy opponent. Also, Lynch thought Morgan should blame herself for not beating Lynch to it

    Lynch eventually attacked her and trapped Morgan\’s arm between the steel steps and the ring post and started stomping on it. Lynch then said if Morgan still wants that rematch then it came happened and it did. 

    What are your thoughts on Becky Lynch retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

  • Roman Reigns Tests Positive For COVID-19, Pulled From WWE Day 1 Match

    WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar was originally booked for the Day 1 pay-per-view event in Atlanta, Georgia, but that match has been scrapped due to “The Big Dog” testing positive for COVID-19. Ariel Helwani first reported that Reigns is battling the virus and he is vaccinated. 

    WWE has since announced that Lesnar has been added to the WWE Title bout with WWE Champion Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley, now making it a fatal 5-way. 

    Reigns issued the following statement on the situation: 

    “I yearn to perform tonight at #WWEDay1 to defend my Universal Championship. However, unfortunately, earlier today I tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the proper protocols I am unable to compete as originally scheduled. I look forward to returning to action as soon as possible.”

    It’s been reported that WWE plans for Lesnar and Reigns to have multiple matches during this latest installment of their feud. 

    When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, there was a concern for Reigns as he has beaten Leukemia and he is immunocompromised. Reigns has publicly talked about WWE taking extra precautions for him while he travels. We wish Reigns a speedy recovery during this time. 

  • WWE Day 1 Final Card, Live Coverage

    The card for tonight\’s (Saturday, January 1, 2022) WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event has been finalized.

    The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia at the State Farm Arena that will air on the Peacock but it will most likely be WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. 

    This show is a big deal for WWE President Nick Khan, who came up with this idea and wants it to feel big like other tentpole shows such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank instead of just another B-level pay-per-view event. 

    As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Saturday evening starting at 8 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

    Final WWE Day 1 Card

    • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
    • WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley – Fatal 4 Match
    • Edge vs. The Miz
    • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
    • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
    • Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre
    • WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
    • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits
    • Cesaro and Ricochet vs. Sheamus and Ridge Holland – Kickoff Show

  • WWE NXT 2.0 Results (12/28): Contract Signing, Grayson Waller Speaks

    The December 28, 2021 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

    WWE NXT Results 

    • Grayson Waller def. Odyssey Jones.
    • Harland (w/Joe Gacy) def. Andre Chase via referee\’s decision.
    • Tiffany Stratton def. Fallon Henley.
    • Solo Sikoa def. Santos Escobar.
    • Von Wagner def. Malik Blade.
    •  Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez def. Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    Grayson Waller Kicks Things Off

    \"\"

    Grayson Waller started the show with a promo in the ring after having a promo segment with AJ Styles on last week’s show. Waller also appeared on Monday’s episode of Raw to continue the feud. 

    Waller talked about how he wants to give AJ a proper send off and said Styles’ entrance song is the top 5 worst of all time. He said that he was supposed to wrestle Dexter Lumis, but that’s not happening so he will take care of who steps up. That was Odyssey Jones. 

    The finish saw Jones be sent into an exposed turnbuckle before Waller hit his finisher to win a fun match. Post-match, Styles appeared on the big screen and said he will be at NXT New Year\’s Evil.

    Brian Kendrick Doesn\’t Return To In-Ring Action

    \"\"

    Brian Kendrick was supposed to work his first match in over a year against Harland. The match was set up two weeks ago when Harland threw Kendrick down a flight of stairs. Last week, Harland and Joe Gacy cut a promos saying that Kendrick owed Harland an apology and only had himself to blame for the attack. Later in the show, Kendrick stated that if Harland wants his apology, he can get it from him in the ring.

    Kendrick didn’t come out. Gacy said that Kendrick is afraid to admit he was the problem and in the wrong. Andre Chase came out said at his university, they don’t accept negatives, but turn them into positives. Gacy said Harland was in Chase university, but was expelled. Chase was the new opponent and got destroyed by Harland. 

    Tag Team Match

    \"\"

    WWE had a tag team match  with Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade teaming against Toxic Attraction\’s Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. This comes one week from Gonzalez and Jade challenging Mandy Rose for the NXT Women\’s Championship in a triple threat match at New Year\’s Evil on January 4. 

    There was a backstage segment with Rose announcing she was giving her girls the night off with Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai replacing them to take on Raquel and Cora with the winning team being her opponents at New Year’s Evil. 

    The match served as the main event and it was back and forth. Raquel pulled Jade off Ray because she wanted the pin fall. Jade ended up rolling up Ray for the win. 

    Contract Signing

    \"\"

    There was a contract signing  for the North American and Cruiserweight Championship unification match at New Year\’s Evil as North American Champion Carmelo Hayes will face Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong in that bout.

    Wade Barrett hosted the contract signing. Strong pretended to not be able to understand Hayes and Trick Williams. Strong promised to kick his ass. Trick said he’s never been outnumbered. Bivens tried to translate. Hayes told Strong to not play with him or he would put him on a t-shirt. He said he will take the Cruiserweight Title from Strong next week. Strong next week, they will have life changing experiences. For him, it will be when he becomes another champion and for Hayes, he will be carried out and be known as Humble Hayes. 

    Williams ended up being put through a table.

    The Callout

    \"\"

    MSK came out to the ring to confront NXT Tag Team Champions Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel of Imperium. MSK cut a promo about how they found Riddle, who appeared on the big screen. Riddle said he’s going to be there in a higher power way and there’s one thing left to do and that’s to challenge Imperium for the straps. 

    Imperium said MSK can talk all they want, but they need to understand that they will never be able to touch them. Imperium said the titles will stay with the best tag team the division has ever seen and the titles belong to them. WALTER appeared on the big screen and called MSK a disgrace. He said MSK doesn’t deserve a title match, but only a beat down. Riddle came back on the screen. Riddle challenged WALTER and Imperium to a six-man tag team match alongside MSK. WALTER accepted.