SEScoops

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • WWE NXT Results (1/24): Women’s Championship Summit, Title Match

    The January 24, 2023 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

    WWE NXT Results 

    • Tiffany Stratton def. Indi Hartwell
    • JD McDonagh def. Andre Chase.
    • Kiana James & Fallon Henley (w/ Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs) def. Diamond Mine\’s Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley
    • Creed Brothers (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed) def. Drew Gulak & Hank Walker
    • Elektra Lopez def. Wendy Choo
    • NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Sol Ruca and Alba Fyre

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    More Build 

    \"\"

    NXT Champion Bron Breakker will defend his title against Grayson Waller at Vengeance Day next month. So what did WWE do to further build to the event?

    Waller came out and talked trash about how he could smell a dog coming. He wanted to make another viral moment. Bron could be seen pushing his way through security guards. Him and Waller got into a brawl before being separated by wrestlers. Waller sent him through the barricade. 

    NXT Women’s Tag Team Title Match

    \"\"

    NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter vs. Alba Fyre in a 2-on-1 match was booked. 

    The champions intervened to stop Isla Dawn from attacking the referee with a baseball bat after she cost Fyre a match against Sol Ruca last week. But instead of calming her down, Fyre ended up challenging the champions to a match. 

    Sol Ruca was revealed as Fyre’s partner. The match was the headliner. The champions went over. Post-match, Kiana James and Fallon Henley appeared to challenge the champs to a match at Vengeance Day. 

    Thea Hail Award Ceremony

    \"\"

    A Thea Hail award ceremony was booked after she picked up a win over Valentina Feroz on last week’s show. Elektra Lopez came out prior to the finish of the match and handed Feroz a pair of brass knuckles, but Feroz refused to use the weapon. The distraction ultimately cost her the match.

    Andre Chase was dressed up in graduation attire. Chase stated that Hail showed courage and confidence last week. He awarded a plaque to Hail for getting her first win. Hail said she loves the fan and the student section. 

    JD McDonaugh came out to mock the segment. JD said that when you hang around Chase U, a win is a big deal considering their record. He said that they’re losers and to get out of his ring. Chase challenges him to a fight then attacked JD. 

    Vengeance Day Women’s Championship Summit

    \"\"

    A Vengeance Day summit between new Women\’s Champion Roxanne Perez, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne took place. Perez, Lyra Valkaria, defeated Toxic Attraction on last Tuesday’s show.

    Dolin and Jayne argued to start it off. Jayne said that she dragged Dolin to success. Dolin mocked her for throwing up before matches. Dolin said Perez will be the shortest reigning NXT Women’s Champion in history. They all said they would win. Dolin and Jayne then attacked Perez. They put her through a table and stood tall with the title to close the show. 

  • Nikki Bella Addresses The Bella Twins Not Appearing on WWE Raw 30

    The Bella Twins (Nikki & Brie Bella) were initially advertised weeks ago to appear at WWE Raw XXX on Monday night. 

    They weren\’t advertised the week before the event and didn\’t show up at the event. While speaking on Instagram Live, Nikki explained why they didn\’t appear on the show. It all came down to them being booked from Monday through Thursday with Artem Chigvintsev on a busy media schedule to promote the premiere of “Nikki Bella Says I Do” on Thursday night. She stated that it\’s a WWE-owned show, and that’s why there were so many trailers for it during Raw. 

    “We were hoping, I think it was weeks ago, we were talking about going to Raw. They said they had nothing for us. We were booked on media on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and then there was maybe an idea. Our whole team, including WWE and everyone else, had booked us for Monday in New York. Whatever you see of stuff, all of a sudden, stories change; that\’s to clean up and throw it on people, nope. We had all these commitments per the company we work for and everyone else. I know people like to throw it on people, but I\’m not going to let that happen,\” she said.

    #WWEWomenDeserveBetter

    After the show, Nikki and Brie spoke on Instagram, noting the lack of women\’s clips on Raw 30. Becky Lynch and Bayley were scheduled to compete in a cage match on the show, but the match was cut short due to the opening segment going long. The hashtag \”WWEWomenDeserveBetter\” began trending after the show.

    Nikki said she loves the fans for sticking up for the women and said it wasn’t about them for bringing this up. Instead, it’s about the women of the past to the ones in the company now. 

    “I understand why so many people are upset, especially our fans when it\’s something like Raw 30.”

    Nikki noted that people have their own memories and come from various eras. 

    “I love that you\’re doing the hashtag, and you\’re going to see a lot of narratives play because people have to protect themselves and you\’re going to get a lot of women blamed and people calling them crybabies. No, we put in just as much effort and work. All those women do, all of them, from every era. Not just women, men too.\”

    “WWE Women Deserve Better” – Fans Revolt After Raw 30 Special

    H/T to Figtful for the transcription

  • AEW Star’s Deal Set to Expire Soon, Possible WWE Interest

    ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Brian Cage is about to become a free agent. 

    A new report from Fightful Select notes that Cage’s AEW contract is set to expire in a matter of weeks. That could change at any time if an extension is reached.

    Cage originally signed his AEW contract in 2020 when he joined the promotion, and it was a two-year deal. However, his option year was picked up by AEW. At that time, word going around was that Cage was pleasantly surprised as he didn’t expect to have his option year picked up because he had been off TV for almost one year.

    WWE Interest?

    The report noted there have been feelers within WWE to gauge the company’s interest in possibly bringing Cage in. As of this writing, it remains to be seen whether either side has an interest.

    While away from AEW, he had been working for Warrior Wrestling, XPW, and other indie promotions. Cage has received internal praise for his work since returning to AEW TV in September. 

    Cage is currently on a four-match winning streak in AEW as Cage has picked up wins over Schaff, Carl Randers, and Willie Mack before beating Mack again on last week’s Rampage episode.

    This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite will feature Cage vs. Bryan Danielson in singles action.

  • Former WWE Writer Reveals Who Was Originally Planned to Win 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble

    Bianca Belair went on to win the 2021 30-Woman Royal Rumble match and headlined WWE WrestleMania 37 with Sasha Banks. This came one year after she was called up to the main roster from NXT. 

    For the past nine months, Belair has been the Raw Women’s Champion. Belair\’s rise was discussed on the Public Enemies Podcast by former WWE writer Chris Dunn. 

    This is where the original plan for the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble match was revealed. 

    Original Winner

    He revealed that Charlotte Flair was penciled in to win the match. The finish had been practiced, and Flair was going to go over. Belair was going to be eliminated midway through the match. However, fellow writer Ryan Ward presented his case to Vince McMahon about why Belair should win instead of Flair. 

    “I was in a Tampa Hotel room and we were watching some sort of football game and an assistant had just left the Royal Rumble (2021) night-before meeting and they changed the finish and Charlotte [Flair] was going to go over and they rehearsed Charlotte going over and Bianca [Belair] was going to get eliminated like midway through the match and it got changed to Bianca going over and I think a lot of people voiced it but this guy, Ryan Ward, he’s been there for like 14 years, he was [John] Cena’s writer and probably, for my money, I think has had the biggest hand in the women’s revolution. 

    He was lead writer in the golden days of NXT with Kevin [Owens] and Sami [Zayn] and The Four Horsewomen, all that stuff. From my understanding, what I heard, he kind of said something to Vince [McMahon] to the effect of, ‘Vince, if you look at the Royal Rumble tomorrow, you have Edge winning and Charlotte winning. We’re not making any new stars’ and I think that really resonated and Bianca was on such a roll where it kind of made sense and she also had to, again, right after that match, really nail that post-match promo and she did it and she was just awesome and great.”

    Belair will make her next title defense at the Royal Rumble against Alexa Bliss this Saturday. 

    H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription

  • New Footage of the NXT Brawl at WWE Performance Center

    WWE did an angle on Monday at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, with Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller. 

    Breakker retained his WWE NXT Title over Waller a few weeks ago at New Year’s Evil via count out. They will run it back at NXT Vengeance Day next month inside of a steel cage at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    The angle was first seen when Miss Indiana USA Alexis Lete posted a video on her Instagram Stories in what was supposed to be a clip about what she\’s been learning while training to become a WWE Superstar. At the end of the clip, you can see a bunch of other trainers and wrestlers swarm Breakker and Waller to try to break things up.

    Another View

    An alternate view of the fight can be seen below, where Breakker was throwing hands after taking down Waller. 

    A match or two will likely be added with the event a week away, but the current lineup features four matches. The other bouts previously announced for the show include NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne, NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly, and NXT North American Champion Wes Lee vs. Dijak.

  • Details on Darby Allin Filming a Pilot for His New Show

    AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin has given some new details on his television show as he finished filming the pilot for the series.

    The show was announced last year as it replaced “Rhodes to the Top,” which had aired on TNT but was put to an end once Cody and Brandi Rhodes left the company. 

    TNT contacted D Allin about his own TV show, which he discussed when speaking with Tony Hawk and Jason Ellis ‘Hawk vs Wolf Podcast’. Allin mentioned that a pilot for his television show has been filmed and that he wore a dog’s shock collar while trying to skateboard during the filming. 

    Due to his interests outside of the ring of doing various stunts, there has been speculation the show may be like the “Jackass” franchise, where he puts his body on the line.

    The Show

    “I was wearing one (electric shock collar) when we were filming the pilot for my TV show and we were trying to do some skating with the shock collar and stuff like that and I was like, this is impossible. I couldn’t imagine putting that on a dog. Crazy.”

    Allin won the TNT Title for a second time to kick off the year and has made three successful defenses against the likes of Mike Bennett, Juice Robinson, and KUSHIDA. Darby’s next scheduled defense is against Buddy Matthews this Wednesday. 

    H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription

  • WWE Had to Make Big Change to Raw XXX After Segment Went Long

    WWE loaded up the Raw 30 anniversary show on Monday night with several big matches and legends. 

    One of the matches promoted for the show was a Steel Cage match between Bayley and Becky Lynch. WWE had a lot more planned, but the company had to call an audible, according to a new report.

    The Original Plan

    Fightful Select reports that the entrances and the match were scheduled for two segments. Instead, they had to cut things short because of the opening segment with The Bloodline running long. 

    The Trial of Sami Zayn opened the show with Roman Reigns telling Zayn that he would have to pass his final test this Saturday at the Royal Rumble when “The Tribal Chief” defended his Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Kevin Owens. 

    The report also noted that several segments had to be trimmed, but the most affected thing on Raw was Bayley vs. Lynch. 

    As noted, WWE nixed a Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony on this show because  Afa and Sika weren’t ready to make the trip, and Rikishi was sick, so WWE nixed the entire segment.

  • The Undertaker Returns as “American Bad Ass” During WWE Raw XXX Segment

    The Undertaker made his return to WWE television, but wasn’t portraying his Deadman character. Instead, he brought a fan-favorite gimmick for a segment on WWE Raw XXX to help celebrate the 30 anniversary of the show. 

    The Undertaker underwent a gimmick change in 2000 when he ditched his Deadman persona for something that was more in line with his real-life personality and called the gimmick “The American Bad Ass.”

    On Raw, The Undertaker brought back the gimmick when he interrupted LA Knight’s promo at the Wells Fargo Center. He helped Bray Wyatt lay out Knight before telling him something. 

    The Moment

    WrestleVotes shared this interesting story about Wyatt and Taker as they had a match at WrestleMania 31 in 2015 where Taker went over. 

    “Feels like a good time to tweet this, following their match at WrestleMania 31 Undertaker told Vince in the post match embrace to “take care of him” in reference to Bray. Regardless of what happen in the interim, Taker has always been a huge Wyatt supporter. It showed just now.”

  • WWE Made Steve Austin a Huge Money Offer for Match With Roman Reigns

    Although WWE didn’t get their dream match between The Rock and Roman Reigns, the company has tried to make another major match happen. This time it features Steve Austin. 

    As previously reported, The Rock indicated that he wouldn’t be in ring shape in time for the match at WrestleMania 39 in April. The company knew about this for a while. 

    Fightful Select reports that a pitch was made internally for a \”huge opponent\” for Austin, and that was Reigns. The report noted, at the very least, Austin\’s camp was approached with the possibility of it happening, which was said to have been for \”enormous\” money. 

    Past Talks

    Last summer, it was reported that Austin was approached with a deal that wasn\’t as appealing from a financial standpoint. After speaking with those in WWE, they claimed they hadn’t heard back on whether the most recent offer was accepted. One source indicated that another \”big name\” was offered in the months prior.

    It was previously reported by WrestlingNews.co in December that the internal plans for top WrestleMania title matches called for Drew McIntyre/Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins one night and TBD/Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns another night. 

    Austin came out of retirement last year for a match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. 

  • Top Warner Bros. Discovery Executive Has \”Huge Respect\” for the AEW Audience

    Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group, has given respect to the fanbase of AEW. 

    AEW airs two weekly television shows on networks owned by the company, with Dynamite on Wednesday nights on TBS and Rampage on Friday nights on TNT. They also air quarterly specials titled, Battle of the Belts, which air on TNT with the last two being broadcasted live after Rampage. 

    Kathleen Finch’s Comments

    Speaking candidly during a Deadline-moderated keynote at the Realscreen conference in Austin, Texas, Finch noted that they find sports and sitcoms work well on the Turner networks. 

    Finch discussed AEW while talking about the company\’s concerns about Dana White\’s Power Slap show after his New Year\’s Eve debacle where he was seen on video slapping his wife. 

    “This is an experiment. The goal is, we are making shows for our fans, that’s who we work for. Fans of wrestling have a lot of overlap with the fans of this and it’s huge on social media so the idea really is, if we can take something that’s huge on social, bring it to a linear audience giving the fans what they want. This may surprise you to know that I did not know much about wrestling before I took this job. I know, I seem like a wrestling fan, but I’m not. But I did have to learn a lot about the audience. A lot of families that watch [wrestling], I was very surprised to learn this. I have huge respect for this audience. AEW wrestling airs on two of our networks, TNT and TBS — on both nights it kills. Finding something that speaks to that audience, that would be gold.\”

    AEW’s TV rights deal will expire in 2024 with talks expected to happen this year. 

  • Pitched Idea for Bray Wyatt and The Undertaker on WWE Raw XXX

    On Monday, WWE will celebrate the 30 anniversary of Raw from Philadelphia with a loaded card and several former stars expected to appear. 

    Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Booker T, and more will be there. The Undertaker is also slated to attend, although his wife, Michelle McCool, revealed on Twitter that she wasn’t called. 

    The Idea

    WWE might have some big plans for Taker and one of its biggest stars, Bray Wyatt. Fightful Select reported today, \”There were pitches for Undertaker to be involved with a Bray Wyatt/LA Knight segment.”

    Taker and Wyatt had shared the ring before as The Undertaker went over the fan favorite in a singles match at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, one year after Brock Lesnar snapped Taker’s undefeated WrestleMania winning streak. 

    The report noted, \”Despite his look on the poster, The Undertaker’s traditional gear was sent to the show.” Thus, Taker could again be portraying his Deadman gimmick on this show. 

    Raw 30 will also serve as the go-home episode before the 2023 Royal Rumble event this Saturday, where Wyatt and LA Knight are slated to meet in the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match in the Alamodome.

  • WWE 2K23 to Feature Cena\’s The Prototype, Batista\’s Leviathan and OVW-Era Lesnar & Orton

    More details regarding WWE‘s upcoming 2K23 video game that was officially announced on Monday morning. 

    Before the game’s official reveal, John Cena had teased his potential involvement on his Instagram by sharing a blank cover of the game. He will be the game\’s cover star and its three different editions – Standard, Deluxe, and Icon. 

    Pre-order for WWE 2K23 is now available before the game’s official launch on March 17th. By shelling out the money now, it will grant fans three-day early access starting March 14th.

    The Hype

    It was touted that “WWE 2K23 features several franchise advancements, including a unique new take on the 2K Showcase, the WWE 2K introduction of the fan-favorite WarGames, and expansions to several marquee game modes.”

    Fans can also look forward to the “Incredibly realistic graphics, animations, camera angles and lighting, plus accessible controls and a new optional pinning mechanic will add to the highly immersive experience.”

    The Icon Edition will be available for $119.99 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. It will feature something special to celebrate 20 years of John Cena’s WWE career, the Ruthless Aggression Pack. It will feature John Cena’s early “Prototype” character and “Leviathan” Batista, developmental rookie versions of Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. 

    These are some of the biggest names in recent memory that WWE has developed from its rookie system in OVW at the time. Shelton Benjamin was also part of this star-studded class. 

    Game Details

    • 2K Showcase Starring John Cena: Conquering John Cena in the ring is an accolade few Superstars can claim. In an unprecedented twist on the 2K Showcase, players will step into the boots of several of Cena’s toughest competitors with one goal in mind: defeat the man who will “Never Give Up.” Spanning his 20-year WWE career and narrated by Cena himself, this interactive sports entertainment documentary uses 2K’s unique Slingshot Tech for a seamless transition from gameplay to live-action footage to bring pivotal moments in each match to life.
    • WarGames: The fan-favorite, chaotic and action-packed WarGames makes its debut in WWE 2K23 and delivers heart-pounding 3v3 and 4v4 single player or multiplayer mayhem inside two side-by-side rings, surrounded by a double steel cage.
    • MyGM: Now featuring more GMs to choose from – or a player’s own custom GM creation – as well as additional show options, multiple seasons, expanded match cards, and more match types for up to four players. Players draft a roster, manage budgets, sign free agents, choose various match types, arena locations, production elements and more, with the goal of beating a rival GM in weekly ratings battles.
    • MyFACTION: Now featuring online multiplayer action, the team-building mode in which players collect, manage, and upgrade an array of WWE Superstars and Legends to create their ultimate four-person factions returns. Players can now take their faction online and compete for global dominance, or compete in Weekly Towers and Faction Wars, while new themed card packs and goals roll out regularly throughout the year**.
    • MyRISE: Aspiring Superstars walk through the curtain for their WWE debut in MyRISE and shape their career with the decisions made along the way. Featuring distinct men’s and women’s division storylines and the ability to import custom created Superstars, players journey from the humble beginnings of a rookie, to being immortalized as a WWE Legend.
    • Universe: The ultimate WWE Universe sandbox that puts players in charge of their own version of WWE, from Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events! Updates to Universe include a reworked story system and more.
    • Creation Suite: A signature feature of the WWE 2K franchise, the creation suite returns with cross-platform community creations, including the ability to design custom Superstars, GMs, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships and more. Custom arenas are now playable online, and advanced customization has been added to created entrances.

    Additional confirmed playable characters: Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan (Hollywood Hogan), Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley.

    https://s46315.p1736.sites.pressdns.com/news/john-cena-unveiled-as-wwe-2k23-cover-star-details-on-release/

  • WWE Has Discussed Bringing Back Former Tag Team

    Two more WWE stars could be making a return to the company as WWE has had internal discussions about bringing back Akam and Rezar, collectively known as the Authors of Pain or AOP.  The news comes courtesy of Fightful Select.

    \"AOP\"
    Authors of Pain

    The report noted that bringing back the tag team has been at least discussed. AoP was integral to the NXT Black and Gold brand before being called up to WWE Raw. They were pushed as a monster team, some even comparing them to the legendary Road Warriors. 

    Paul Ellering Returning?

    The possibility of their longtime, original manager Paul Ellering was also discussed, as he managed them during their NXT run before being abandoned on the main roster. 

    Since the split, they’ve stayed close and got his blessing to name themselves Legion of Pain outside WWE. There had been rumors Ellering didn\’t want to do the main roster travel with AOP, which he\’s refuted in past interviews. 

    AOP hasn’t wrestled in nearly three years but remain young, as both are still under 30 years old. In 2020, WWE released them, and AOP was out of the wrestling business, besides their ill-fated promotion attempts with WES in 2022.

  • Details on WWE Royal Rumble Meetings, Ronda Rousey’s Status for The Show

    WWE is just over a week away from this year’s Royal Rumble, and the company has been discussing the event in recent meetings. 

    Fightful Select reports that while several veterans have contacted WWE about making Royal Rumble appearances, WWE was said to have been leaning out of that in some cases in favor of what they call \”non-traditional surprises.\” 

    It’s unclear what that meant. Creative and producers were soliciting pitches for such a thing. In 2022, WWE was adamant about leaning out of NXT names appearing in the match.

    Ronda Rousey’s Status

    The report did note that as of last week, Ronda Rousey wasn\’t planned for the Royal Rumble PPV when she lost the title. She dropped the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Charlotte Flair on the December 30 edition of SmackDown. 

    Until December, Rousey was scheduled for the show in a singles match.

    Fightful was told that “WWE was very confident in their women\’s roster as is with the hires and call-ups over the last year, and how it would play into the Royal Rumble match.”

    WWE needed to call in several veterans for last year’s match because of mass talent releases, causing a depleted roster. 

    Longtime indie wrestler Jason Cade has been brought in to help with the Royal Rumble while TJ Wilson will be on hand, leading the charge unlike last year as he wasn’t around. WWE had to bring in Fit Finlay to help.

  • Update on Plans for The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles

    WWE has changed how they book their Tag Team Champions as  The Usos are touted as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. However, they’ve always been the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Champions. 

    Instead of defending the titles separately, they defend both titles. The same goes for Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who holds both the WWE Title and Universal Championship.

    WWE booked The Usos’ next title defense for Raw 30 this Monday. However, the company made sure to note they will defend the Raw Tag Team Titles against Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest instead of noting they will defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.

    The Idea

    Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that having The Usos defend the titles separately again is a call from Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

    “The idea right now on the tag team front is that there are two sets of belts. The Usos are champions, but the Raw and Smackdown belts are different. This is a new Paul Levesque move and it does allow the Usos to lose one set of belts and keep the other. It was explained to me that the hope is it makes fans think it’s more likely somebody beats them for one set of belts.”

    The Usos do not have a match lined up yet for the Royal Rumble next Saturday. 

  • Two Big Names Confirmed for WWE Raw 30 Anniversary Show

    WWE has added two new names to the list of legends slated to appear on the Raw 30 anniversary show this coming Monday. 

    WWE.com now lists that Hulk Hogan and Triple H will be appearing at Raw\’s 30th anniversary episode that takes place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Monday. 

    It will be Hogan\’s first appearance on WWE TV since co-hosting WrestleMania 37 in 2021. WWE updated its advertisement to reflect Hogan appearance on the show: 

    The Announcement

    \”The historic Raw 30 celebration will feature a slew of WWE Legends including The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, X-Pac, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Jerry \’The King\’ Lawler, Teddy Long, Ron Simmons, and Kurt Angle,\” WWE wrote. \”Be a part of history on Raw 30, next Monday at 8/7 C on USA.\”

    This episode of Raw is also the go-home show for the Royal Rumble that takes place next Saturday. 

    Updated WWE Raw 30 Anniversary Card

    • United States Champion Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley
    • Raw Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio)
    • Becky Lynch vs. Bayley – Steel Cage Match
    • Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
    • WWE legends to appear

  • Thunder Rosa is Going Back on The Road With AEW

    Thunder Rosa has provided another update on her status with AEW. 

    The former AEW Women’s Champion has been sidelined with a back injury since August. She announced at the time that she would have to step away from in-ring competition as a result, leading to the creation of an Interim AEW Women\’s Championship. 

    This interim title later became the undisputed AEW Women\’s Championship due to Rosa\’s extended absence. Toni Storm was named the Women’s Champion before she dropped the title to Jamie Hatier. 

    Showing Face

    While speaking on Busted Open Radio, she said she would be back on the road with AEW soon. However, she doesn’t know when she will wrestle again. Her plan is to \’show face\’ and be around backstage again while she gears up for an in-ring return.

    \”It\’s going to be nice to be around everyone and see how things unfold,\” she said.

    The previous update on her in-ring status was last month when Rosa said she was lifting again but wasn\’t ready to train in the ring and take bumps.

  • Venue for This Week\’s WWE SmackDown Was Recently Evacuated

    The venue, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, set to hold Friday’s (January 20) WWE SmackDown event, had to be evacuated on Thursday night (January 19).

    This is according to the Detroit News, which noted the Little Caesars Arena was evacuated after an ammonia leak in the building. It happened around 3:15 pm in the arena’s basement. 

    Detroit Fire Department chief of community relations and public information officer James Harris stated that two men near the leak suffered chemical burns. They were transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital with minor injuries.

    Statement

    Firefighters, medics, and a hazmat specialist responded at the time. Harris shared the following statement to the press:

    “The leak was contained by us. Little Caesars Arena did their due diligence. They went into action, and the situation will be mitigated shortly.”

    Other details, including the cause of the leak, were shared. WWE is expected to move forward with SmackDown. They’ve previously announced two things for the show: Here’s the announced lineup for the episode:

    – Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens meet for a contract signing 

    – Drew McIntyre & Sheamus vs Viking Raiders – SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament First-Round

  • D-Von Dudley Announces His WWE Departure

    D-Von Dudley, real name Devon Hughes, has announced that he is no longer with WWE. 

    Following a run with Bubba Ray Dudley from 2015-2016 in WWE, D-Von retired from in-ring action to start working as a producer for WWE and later as an NXT trainer. 

    As part of The Dudley Boyz tag team, he wrestled for ECW from 1995 to 1999 and WWE from 1999 to 2005 as D-Von Dudley and Reverend D-Von. He performed for TNA from 2005 to 2014 as Brother Devon and Devon.

    He labeled the departure a mutual decision and thanked Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, and Stephanie McMahon. You can read his statement below: 

    The Statement

    “The company (WWE) and I have decided to parted ways, and feel this is the best Decision for all parties it’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with the young talent when bubba as well as everyone over in NXT. As well as working with some of the best producers in the world. would mike to thank Vince , Paul (HHH), Stephanie, and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the Opportunity that was given. I’m very excited to see where God brings me next, Oh my brother……. TESTIFY!!!!”

    His sons Terrence and Tyrell have worked on the AEW YouTube shows and on the independent wrestling scene. He had publicly hoped to have them join NXT one day to wrestle.

  • Reason Why WWE Announced Cody Rhodes’ Return in Advance of Royal Rumble

    Cody Rhodes will return to the ring at the WWE Royal Rumble event. WWE confirmed the news on Monday’s Raw, where they aired a video package showing Cody\’s rehab since suffering a torn pec several months ago. 

    In the video, Rhodes stated that he plans to become a World Champion in WWE. The first step in that direction is by winning the men’s Royal Rumble match. 

    WWE has been airing these types of videos since last month. Many people were surprised to see the company make the announcement instead of saving his return as a surprise. 

    The Reason

    WrestleVotes reported today that WWE knew everyone was expecting to see him return at the event, and they’re more than pleased with other surprises they have so they decided to announce it.

    “Asked a source the reasoning behind Cody’s Rumble return being announced as opposed to a surprise…Source said it’s twofold, one being that nearly everyone expected it to happen already & two, source states they are “more than pleased” w/ the other surprises that are lined up.”

    GUNTHER, Austin Theory, Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, and Rey Mysterio are the other names confirmed for the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match. 

  • Tony Khan Addresses FTR\’s AEW Status

    Dax Harwood of FTR recently announced that he and partner Cash Wheeler have been given time off from AEW and won’t be appearing on television for a few months as they weigh out their options ahead of their contracts expiring in April. 

    Harwood has floated the idea of the tag team working exclusively on the independent scene for the rest of that year even though they have plenty of options, whether that is to sign with AEW, go full-time in NJPW or return to WWE now that Triple H is running WWE\’s booking.

    AEW President Tony Khan appeared on the In the Kliq podcast to address FTR\’s futures with the company. Prior to their hiatus, the Top Guys lost five consecutive tag team matches to drop the ROH, IWGP and AAA World Tag Team Championships. 

    Tony Khan on FTR

    \”Well, I do hope to see FTR back,\” said Khan. \”They need some time to recover from what was one of the most intense years of wrestling any team has ever done. The schedule they went through, all of the different places they worked — they worked all over and won championships all over the world.”

    Khan put them over for working all over the world, including the US, London, Japan, and in Mexico. He also praised them for their performance in the dog collar match at ROH Final Battle against The Briscoes.

    \”That was, to me, one of the most savage, barbaric wrestling matches I\’ve ever seen, and that was for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship. That was following a lot of other crazy matches for FTR.

    So, I think, for those guys, we want to see them back in AEW and want to see them heal up and come back at 100%. We\’re really looking forward to that, hopefully. I think they\’re a great team, and we\’d love to have them back.\”

    h/t: Fightful

  • GUNTHER on Potential Brock Lesnar Match: “I Would Gladly Take It”

    GUNTHER has continued to be pushed as a top star on the main roster that he had been in WWE NXT UK and NXT. 

    GUNTHER is the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, having held the title for over 200 days. His most recent title defense came when he defeated Braun Strowman on the January 13 episode of WWE SmackDown.

    GUNTHER would welcome a match with Brock Lesnar, something he discussed while speaking with Tim Battle & Eli on the Battleground Podcast.\”

    GUNTHER on the Match

    \”Yeah, definitely. To get the opportunity to prove myself in that scenario would be fantastic. When I started as a wrestler and got back into wrestling, I always watched Brock\’s matches because they are fantastic, they stand out right away. There is nobody like him. I always like those characters. Most of the people doing this who are successful, there is no copy of them. He\’s always been a great wrestler, and from when I grew older in my career, I was able to analyze the work and understand the psychology and stuff. You can tell he\’s one of the best to ever do it. If I get a chance to get in the ring with him, I would gladly take it.\”

    Lesnar hasn\’t wrestled since WWE Crown Jewel 2022 when he defeated Bobby Lashley. GUNTHER may have his wish granted by Triple H if WWE stays with its internal plans for him at an upcoming event. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription

  • Roman Reigns Breaks GUNTHER’s Impressive WWE Record as Champion

    Roman Reigns has added yet another milestone to his impressive run on top as the  Undisputed Universal Champion.

    At Payback 2020, Reigns became the Universal Champion when he beat Bray Wyatt and Brown Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match.

    He later scored a victory over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 last year. Reigns became the first star to hold both the WWE and Universal Championships simultaneously.

    The Stat

    Wrestling Stats & Info on Twitter noted that Reigns has now been the Universal Champion for 871 days, surpassing GUNTHER’s 870-day NXT UK Title reign.

    “Today, @WWERomanReigns’s active reign as Universal Champion (2020-Present) reaches 871 days, surpassing @Gunther_AUT’s NXT UK Title reign (2019-2021) for the longest single/consecutive championship reign in the entire @WWE Universe in the last 35+ years. #HeadOfTheTable.”

    Throughout his time as the Universal Champion, Reigns has defended it against some of the biggest names in the company, including John Cena. Reigns will make his next defense as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion against Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble next weekend. This is a rematch from the 2021 event where Reigns won their Last Man Standing Match. 

    GUNTHER is currently the Intercontinental Champion and is slated to work the 30-Man Royal Rumble match.

  • Longtime Indie Talent to Help With The WWE Royal Rumble

    WWE is bringing in an outside name to help with this year’s Royal Rumble event, and that’s Jason Cade. 

    Fightful Select reported today that the indie wrestler will be working as a producer for the company, specifically in helping produce the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match next week. 

    The report noted that WWE Producer Tyson Kidd was said to be instrumental in helping Cade come in, as Kidd usually produces women’s matches in the company, including the Royal Rumble match. 

    Jason Cade’s Background

    Cade has trained alongside Kidd and Natalya in the past. Last month, Cade noted on Instagram that he was leaving Orlando to move to Los Angeles so that he can pursue his dreams.

    Cade hasn’t wrestled for quite a while after breaking into the business in August 2012 after training under Norman Smiley, who currently works at the WWE Performance Center. 

    Throughout his in-ring career, Cade has worked for numerous promotions over the years, such as CZW, EVOLVE, GCW, GFW, Impact Wrestling, MLW, Lucha Underground, PWG, ROH, WWN Live, and others.

    In 2020, Cade worked two WWE matches where he lost to Aleister Black (Malakai Black) on the March 30, 2020, Raw episode, then lost to Ariya Daivari as a part of his $10,000 Challenge on the September 18, 2020 edition of WWE 205 Live. 

    He also worked two matches for AEW that same year as current AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy defeated him on the May 12, 2020 edition of AEW Dark, and Marko Stunt on the May 19, 2020 edition of Dark.

  • William Regal Addresses What He Didn\’t Like About His AEW Run

    William Regal now serves as WWE Vice President of Global Talent Relations following his departure from AEW earlier this month. 

    Regal spent the majority of 2022 under the banner of AEW where he worked as the manager for the Blackpool Combat Club. 

    His AEW debut came at AEW Revolution last March, where he helped bring Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson together before recruiting Wheeler Yuta to their ranks. Claudio Castagnoli followed suit in the months after, and the Blackpool Combat Club was a force. 

    While speaking on Distraction Pieces Podcast, Regal noted that he felt his final moments in AEW were too focused on himself as he turned on Moxley to help MJF beat him for the AEW World Heavyweight Title at Full Gear in November. 

    His AEW Tenure

    \”In the last months of AEW, it was getting far too much about me. It should have been about the talent I was with, not about me,\” Regal said (h/t Fightful). \”I\’m quite happy being in the background. I\’ve had my run. I couldn\’t have had a better last few months as far as TV and doing that, but I didn\’t go there with that intention. The intention was to do something different, and it started off the way it did, but I didn\’t expect it to end up being this thing that it was for the last seven months where I just became talent. I went there with a different plan because I was asked to go there to help out in a different capacity, and that never transpired.\”

    Regal wanted to return to WWE to be with his son in NXT, who wrestles under the Charlie Dempsey name. 

    Regal\’s WWE return cannot appear on television until 2024, something he’s okay with after his run in AEW. He noted he’s happy not to be in the spotlight. He thinks it shouldn’t be about him but rather the active in-ring talent.