Michael Cole may have bitten off more than he can chew with a recent remark he made about Rhea Ripley.
The 26-year-old grappler from Adelaide, Australia is one of the most feared Superstars in WWE – and we\’re not just talking about the women\’s division. Ripley\’s career was growing stagnant earlier this year, and she even spoke about the need to get herself back on track. She did just that earlier this year when she joined the Judgment Day faction, which also includes Finn Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
The group has been feuding with AJ Styles and The OC. The Judgment Day has gotten the upper hand in this gang warfare so far, with OC leader stating that Ripley is the reason the group has been so dominant.
At WWE\’s recent Crown Jewel premium live event, announcer Michael Cole said that someone needs to kick Ripley\’s ass. That didn\’t go over so well with Ripley. She\’s letting Cole know comments like that won\’t be tolerated and has since challenge him to a fight.
On Saturday morning, Ripley wrote on Twitter, \”Fight me @Michael Cole\”
Doin\’t expect to see Cole take her up on this challenge. However, one thing is for sure. You can\’t just run your mouth about the Judgment Day\’s toughest member.
The OC recently brought in Mia Yim to feud with Ripley as part of this ongoing feud.
CM Punk returned to the airwaves Thursday night for Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC).
Punk has been doing commentary for CFFC since November 2018. The former AEW World Champion hasn\’t made any public appearances since September\’s explosive AEW All Out pay-per-view, but he was back cageside alongside MMA journalist John Morgan for CFFC 114.
Morgan posted a photo alongside his broadcasting partner, which you can see below:
CFFC 114 takes place from Tampa, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The main event features Blake Smith vs. Kendly St. Louis. The 13-fight card streams on UFC Fight Pass.
“ive missed the fight but tonight im not gonna do that” tears rolled down my face pic.twitter.com/Hho8looH5f
R-Truth says he\’s on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery to repair a torn quad tendon.
The veteran Superstar suffered the injury during a match on WWE NXT earlier this month. During a match against Grayson Waller, Truth went for a Flip Dive over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Unfortunately, his knee clipped the rope and he had an ugly landing. He was unable to continue the match, so Waller was declared the winner and Truth was helped backstage by medical staff.
Truth, a 54-time WWE 24/7 Champion, has been keeping fans apprised of his situation on social media. Earlier this week, he checked in to thank fans for their support and half-joked that he might document the whole injury and recovery for a future documentary.
On Thursday, Truth revealed that his surgery was a success. He wrote on Twitter, \”I really really appreciate the support and love im receiving from all of you!! I can’t say thank you enough??, Surgery went well, stay tuned.. #whatitis\”
If theres one thing we know about R-Truth: he\’s got heart. The fact that he is still competing at such a high level at 50 years old shows that he puts in the work.
A torn quad tendon typically takes about 4 months to heal, so he\’ll be out of action for the remainder of 2022.
SEScoops wishes R-Truth a full and speedy recovery.
Chris Jericho wants to bring his Painmaker character to the big screen. Jericho believes his serial killer-inspired alter ego can hugely successful outside of pro wrestling.
AEW\’s Inaugural World Champion recently appeared on Howie Mandel Does Stuff. During a discussion about super heroes, Jericho said The Painmaker has a comic book in the works and has a rich backstory that could put it on the level of super heroes like Batman, Superman and Spider-Man.
\”The idea is to make it into a movie at some point. That\’s my overall goal. We\’re just writing and illustrating the graphic novel now.\”
– Chris Jericho
The Painmaker Lore
\”So the idea is The Painmaker is an intergalactic former serial killer. He\’s changed his life, and he\’s not a serial killer anymore, but now he travels the galaxy hunting down other serial killers in different galaxies, different planets.\”
Jericho further explained what makes the character tick, and likened it to the character Dexter Morgan from the Showtime series Dexter. He\’s already brainstorming ideas for a big love interest storyline.
\”What if The Painmaker falls in love and can\’t help himself, and he has to kill the one he loves?!\” Jericho questioned. \”Who knows? The possibilities are endless.\”
The Painmaker first appeared in New Japan Pro Wrestling during Jericho\’s feud with The Rainmaker Kazuchika Okada. He\’s since appeared in AEW on several occasions.
WWE broadcaster Pat McAfee is gearing up to become a father next year.
McAfee is currently on hiatus from WWE while he focuses on his role with ESPN College GameDay. He also hosts the wildly popular Pat McAfee Show.
On Wednesday, McAfee\’s wife Samantha announced they are expecting their first child together in May 2023. The couple has been public about their parenthood journey, which has not been easy. They\’ve endured two miscarriages and began IVF treatments back in July.
Samantha knows how difficult the journey can be, but hopes that sharing their story will bring hope to other couples who have traveled the same road.
“For those of you who haven’t followed along with our parenthood journey, we have lost two pregnancies, I almost lost my life both times with internal bleeding, resulting in losing both of my Fallopian tubes which has caused us to not be able to conceive naturally,” she wrote. She went on to expand on this big announcement.
In July, we started our IVF journey. It’s hard to put into words what all comes with IVF. It is physically demanding and emotionally challenging for the both of us. Pumping my body with so many hormones, the anxiety, the hope, truly being a human science project. Also despite my many tattoos, I absolutely hate needles so getting shots everyday (sometimes 3 in one day) was not easy on me or for Patrick to have to cause pain to me. I would like to believe IVF has made our relationship stronger.
Dear women and couples trying and battling, I hope this isn’t a trigger but rather serves as hope. Hope that you too can over come the battle of infertility. You will be parents! And remember that after a storm, a rainbow can occur.\”
Pat and Samantha McAfee were married in August 2020. Samantha is the founder and president of Fur The Brand, a non-profit that provides support and financial assistance to families whose pet faces a cancer diagnosis requiring veterinary care in which they are unable to afford.
It\’s not easy being a WWE Superstar and constantly being on the road. Countless performers have spoken about the difficulty of living out of a suitcase and the never-ending slew of airports, rental cars and hotels. Aside from the grueling schedule, talent also has to make time for exercise and eating healthy.
John Cena was the consummate professional during his time as an active member of the WWE roster. When you consider Cena\’s charitable work with organizations like Make-a-Wish, it\’s even more impressive that he was on top of the industry for as long as he was.
Cena carried WWE on his back throughout the TV-PG era, but even he faced challenges keeping up with the lifestyle.
Former WWE Superstar René Duprée worked alongside Cena in for several years in the mid-2000\’s. According to Duprée, Cena regularly battled food poisoning and got \”violently ill\” at times.
Travel Woes
Duprée discussed Cena\’s situation on the latest episode of his Cafe de Rene podcast.
“A guy that got food poisoning a lot was John Cena. The fact that he always ate so clean that anytime he’d have like some sort of undercooked meat or some type of weird spice, he would get like violently ill.\”
– Renee Dupree on John Cena
Cena\’s WWE career has been winding down in recent years. He\’s been more focused on Hollywood than pro wrestling as of late, but he hasn\’t wrestled his last match. He\’s spoken about wanting to wrestle again and might be back on WWE television in early 2023…
We are currently on the road to WWE Survivor Series, which takes place in less than 3 weeks on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Attention will then turn to January\’s Royal Rumble event, but planning is already well-underway for WrestleMania 39.
Looking back over a year ago, there\’s been speculation that the main event of next year\’s WrestleMania will be Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Each man has spoken publicly about this hypothetical match-up, as has WWE\’s Chief Content Officer and Head of Creative, Triple H.
Related: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania would do blockbuster business for WWE, but there is a big complication that could prevent it from happening. The Rock is the biggest star in the Hollywood. He\’s also a successful entrepreneur, with multiple ongoing ventures including Project Rock Apparel, Teremana Tequila and the XFL, just to name a few.
The match could happen, but the odds are probably less than 50/50 at this point. Rock\’s schedule is the biggest issue, but WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair thinks there\’s another factor that could hold things up.
Flair Comments on Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania
On the latest episode of his To Be The Man podcast, Flair says there are major creative considerations to take into account. If The Rock does return for a retirement against Reigns, it makes sense that the part-time special attraction would \’do business\’ one last time.
Flair says that it would not make sense for The Rock to win the championship from Reigns, because he\’ll never be a full-time wrestler again. He\’s also not so sure The Rock wants to come back only to lose.
“I don’t think it’s a given that the Rock is going to do it. As much as he might respect Roman, I’m sure they do, all those guys. It’s a brotherhood like no other. I don’t think The Rock would come back and do a favor. Why would he? Tomorrow morning, what, he goes back to his acting career with a loss? I don’t think so. I don’t see that happening.\”
– Ric Flair
The Other Option
There are ways around this predicament, including Reigns dropping the title before WrestleMania. If The Rock does not return next year, Flair likes the idea of Cody Rhodes facing Reigns at the biggest show of a the year, a match that many fans see as the most likely alternative to Rock vs. Reigns.
\”I’ve said before, if The Rock happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, I would like it to be Cody Rhodes… I thought those matches that Cody had with Seth Rollins were off the hook. Seth really did a good job getting him over.”
Rhodes has been sidelined since suffering a pectoral tear earlier this year. His most recent match took place at Hell in a Cell on June 5th. Since then, he\’s undergone surgery to repair the injury. Earlier this month, Rhodes said his physical therapy is \”fn\’ awful. He\’s a tough guy, but admits he regularly screams and even sheds a tear during the sessions.
Logan Paul is wasting no time getting back to training after suffering serious injuries during his match against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel.
Paul came up short against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, but impressed everybody with his athleticism and charisma. He\’s already being compared to Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey, two people who stunned fans with their ability to pick up the sport of pro wrestling so quickly. Not to take anything away from the 27-year-old, but it certainly helps when you\’re training with all-time greats like Shawn Michaels.
Logan Paul Injury Update
The Maverick revealed on social media that he tore his meniscus, MCL & potentially ACL halfway through the match with Reigns. He\’ll be out of the ring for some time while he recovers, but Paul is already back in the gym rehabbing.
He\’s expected to miss 6-8 months of action, which means he most likely won\’t be able to compete at WrestleMania 39 in April. This is a big setback for WWE, because there\’s been talk of the Paul brothers, Logan and Jake, teaming up together at a future event.
Injuries are a part of wrestling, but Paul is showing guts and determination once again. He\’s already eyeing a return to WWE and is wasting no time getting started on the road to recovery.
On Tuesday, Paul posted a video on Instagram of himself at the Sports Rehab LA facility in Encino, California. He included a caption on the video that reads, \”I\’ll be back in no time.\”
AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone wants to see AEW do more to utilize Renee Paquette.
Schiavone spoke about his new colleague on the latest episode of his What Happened When podcast. During an \’Ask Tony Anything\’ round of Q&A, Schiavone spoke very highly of Paquette. He\’s thrilled to have her on board as part of the team. She is a polished performer, the consummate professional and is so good that she makes other peoples\’ jobs easier.
Paquette debuted on the first-ever AEW Dynamite in Canada, over two years after departing WWE where she worked as Renee Young.
“She’s wonderful. She’s such a pro, she is so good on camera, at what she does and it prevents me from running backstage 100 times now, too. I’m just really, really thrilled about us having her, and hopefully we use her more.\”
– Tony Schiavone on Renee Paquette
Paquette recently joined All Elite Wrestling nearly two years after leaving WWE. During that time, she became a mother, released a cook book and worked on several other projects outside of wrestling.
She performed several functions during her extended run with WWE. She conducted backstage interviews, hosted television and digital shows and was was the first full-time female announcer on Monday Night Raw for a short period of time.
On a recent episode of her own podcast, The Sessions, Paquette said she\’s not really interested in calling matches in AEW, but did not rule that out entirely.
Capable broadcasters can make a huge difference on the overall product of a wrestling show. Paquette has only been with AEW for a few weeks, but Schiavone is already convinced she\’s been an important addition to the team.
\”She looks so great on camera,\” he continued. \”She’s so cool, one of our best hires in a long long time, she really is.\”
WWE is going \”XXX\” for the 30th Anniversary of Monday Night Raw.
The longest running episodic series in cable television history premiered on January 11, 1993 from The Manhattan Center in New York City. Over 1,500 episodes later, we\’re coming up on yet another huge milestone for WWE\’s flagship show.
Former WWE boss Vince McMahon was reportedly considering bringing Raw back to the Manhattan Center for the 30th anniversary, but the company decided to go in another direction.
WWE will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Raw on Monday, January 23rd from Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center. Tickets for the event go on sale next Friday, November 18th.
WWE typically goes all-out with the Raw celebration shows and this should be no exception. Expect to see guest appearances from legends and other surprises on this episode, which will be the \’go home\’ show before the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble.
Wrestling isn’t ballet, as they say. Despite years of experience and countless hours of training, injuries are an unavoidable aspect of the sport. On Monday, WWE veteran Natalya revealed that she’s undergone surgery to repair a “dislocated nose” (nasal fracture).
Natalya’s injury occurred on last week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was actually taped a week prior. After a match that saw her lose to Shayna Bazsler, Bazsler blasted Natalya with a knee to the face that busted her open.
Fans on social media speculated about the legitimacy of the spot. It sure looked like Natalya was legitimately injured, but WWE Superstars are experts at making safe spots look dangerous.
#SmackDown I wouldn’t be surprised if Natalya’s nose is broken after that knee ????
I doubt it was deliberate (like some are saying) and Shayna Bazsler just put too much force behind it ?????????????????????????#SmackDownonFoxpic.twitter.com/GKA4MUG953
— Jamie “The Contagion Of Madness” Holmes ???? (@JamiePrestigio1) November 5, 2022
The broken nose led to a lot of discomfort and breathing difficulty. Natalya noted on Twitter that she can finally breathe again after doctors “moved her dislocated nose back to the center of her face” where it belongs. Ouch.
She added that she loves the shape of her nose and is happy this procedure won’t affect its appearance.
SEScoops wishes Natalya a speedy recovery.
We moved my dislocated nose back to the center of my face where it belongs!! I love the shape of my nose and it will stay the same, thank goodness! Can finally breathe again? Pain is beauty! LFG! ? pic.twitter.com/V6zZTivjHQ
WWE has been force to rethink its plans for one of the company\’s top ongoing storylines.
Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley have been feuding on television for almost a year. The rivalry has been underway for far longer than that, as Lashley has been calling out The Beast Incarnate since 2017.
The two heavyweights have now wrestled twice in a WWE ring. Lashley defeated Lesnar for the WWE Champion at January\’s Royal Rumble. Lesnar scored a victory over Lashley at Crown Jewel. It was a heated contest that could have gone either way.
Plans for Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
With each man holding a win over the other, fans are wondering when we\’ll see the rubber match. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE planned for the 3rd fight to go down at the WWE Day 1 premium live event originally scheduled for January 1st from Atlanta, GA.
That show has since been canceled. WWE will host a non-televised live event from Atlanta during Christmas week, but the next Day 1 event won\’t be happening any time soon.
It remains to be seen if/when WWE will pull the trigger on a third match between Lesnar and Lashley. The split results of first two matches raises the stakes next time around.
WWE\’s next premium live event will be the Survivor Series, followed by the 2023 Royal Rumble. Survivor Series could be an ideal setting for Lesnar vs. Lashley 3, but that depends what else WWE had in store for Lesnar in the months ahead.
We\’ll see if WWE is still interested in telling the final chapter of the Lesnar vs. Lashley feud, or if Lesnar transitions to a higher-profile WrestleMania program early next year.
WWE Co-Chief Executive Officer & Director Nick Khan has signed a new long-term contract with the company.
Khan put pen to paper back on October 19, According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The deal runs through August 5, 2025.
The terms of the new agreement include a base salary of $1,350,000 per year, but there are several more components to his compensation package. Khan will also receive stock grants of $3,575,000 per year and has an annual target bonus of an additional $2,160,000.
Nick Khan
Khan received $15 million in stock when he first joined WWE in 2020 as company President. He quickly became one of the most powerful players in the entire industry, and now serves as Co-CEO along with Stephanie McMahon.
Nick Khan has helped lead WWE during a very prosperous time and is credited with helping the company secure various lucrative business deals. WWE stock was around $45/share when he joined the company over two years ago. Today, it\’s priced around $75, a very healthy 66% increase. The stock is up 50.24% year-to-date, as of this writing.
WWE\’s Executive Team
WWE\’s executive team has undergone a significant shakeup over the past few years, with high-profile departures including Vince McMahon, and former co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson.
The following is an updated look at WWE\’s executive structure, as of November 4, 2022:
Tonight\’s edition of WWE SmackDown takes place from St. Louis, Missouri at the Enterprise Center. This show was taped last week, because the WWE crew is currently in Saudi Arabia for Saturday\’s Crown Jewel premium live event.
SmackDown will focus on the final build to Crown Jewel. Next week, we\’ll begin the road to WWE\’s next Premium Live Event, January\’s Royal Rumble.
Here\’s a preview for what to expect on SmackDown, followed by a link to the Spoiler Results:
The main event will see Gunther defending the Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio.
Former SmackDown Women\’s champion Liv Morgan faces Sonya Deville in a No-DQ match to open the show.
LA Knight faces Ricochet
Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya
Braun Strowman will be in action against 5 \’enhancement\’ wrestlers.
Plus, we\’ll see appearances by by Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos, The New Day, Ridge Holland and Butch, MVP and more.
Logan Paul looks to do the impossible this weekend at WWE Crown Jewel. The social media influencer turned boxer turned wrestler challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in less than 24 hours.
Paul has proven to be a natural inside squared circle. He possesses the winning formula of athleticism and charisma that has led countless performers to legendary status.
WWE signing Logan Paul to a multi-year contract in June 2022 seems like a stroke of genius. According to Paul Heyman, he\’s been pushing the company to get in business with Paul for years.
Heyman appeared on the latest episode of WWE\’s After The Bell podcast. The Special Counsel to The Tribal Chief tells Corey Graves new co-host Kevin Patrick that he wanted to procure Paul\’s services back in 2019, when he served as the Executive Director of Monday Night Raw.
This Is Global Publicity
“When I was executive director of RAW, I had pitched Logan Paul to Vince McMahon to get involved in a scenario that would ultimately culminate in a SummerSlam or Survivor Series or a Royal Rumble match,\” said Heyman.
Say what you want about the the Paul brothers, they\’ve made a dramatic impact on the world of professional boxing and prize fighting. Heyman saw this disruption coming a mile away and felt that WWE should get in on the axction.
\”So, I had seen the Paul brothers disrupting the boxing industry from the very beginning when they got involved. I mean, they just came in at such a level and with so much fanfare. This is a no brainer to the Tribal Chief, and it’s a no brainer to his Special Counsel.\”
Heyman, a master promoter and opportunist, saw the Paul brothers\’ massive audience that could be leveraged to bring additional exposure to WWE and The Bloodline.
\”This is global publicity,\” he added. \”This is a chance to take Logan Paul’s audience and put those eyeballs on WWE, and more importantly, on Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman and the Bloodline. Of course, the desire is to retain as many eyeballs as possible because we’re trying to seduce them with our brand of entertainment.”
Becky Lynch is crossing over to the universe of Young Rock, the hit show about the life of pro wrestler turned Hollywood megastar Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson.
Friday night\’s Season 3 premiere, titled The People Need you, takes place in 1985 during the lead-up to the first WrestleMania event. Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Vince McMahon, Lou Albano, Liberace ans Cyndi Lauper will also be depicted.
The episode synopsis reads, \”After losing the election, Dwayne Johnson is ready to withdraw from politics. In 1985, Rocky Johnson learns there’s consequences to crossing Vince McMahon.\”
On Thursday morning, Dwayne Johnson provided a \’first look\’ at Becky Lynch as Cyndi Lauper on Young Rock.
The Rock says he was present for Becky\’s audition for the role, and \”We were all very impressed at her high level commitment as an actor to become Cyndi Lauper.\”
Becky Lynch is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE. This appearance on Young Rock is not her first time testing the waters in Hollywood. She\’s already appeared on a 2020 episode of the show Billions as well as the 2021 Paramount+ movie, Rumble.
The Man has been off WWE television sinceSummerSlam, when she suffered a separated shoulder during her match against Bianca Belair. Lynch was written out of storylines the next night on Raw due to a vicious attack from Damage CTRL.
Young Rock returns this Friday 8:30 PM EST on NBC.
Logan Paul has a date with destiny this Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel. With only two pro wrestling matches under his belt, Paul looks to do the impossible. He\’ll challenge Roman Reigns for a chance at becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and become the industry\’s new top dog.
Make no mistake about it, Paul is a heavy underdog in this match. According to BetOnline, Paul\’s odds currently stand at +1000, with Reigns a -5000 favorite to retain. That said, the bigger the risk, the bigger reward.
The social media influencer turned pro wrestler will put his physical wellbeing on the line when he steps in the ring against his most dangerous opponent to date. Paul has looked impressive thus far, displaying athleticism and charisma far beyond his experience level.
Paul has provided a first look at the vest he will wear to the ring at Crown Jewel. He\’s keeping the signature black and yellow colors we saw at WrestleMania and SummerSlam, but this time he\’ll be showing off his \’guns.\’
Check out Logan Paul\’s \”Maverick Paul\” entrance gear for WWE Crown Jewel, courtesy of his Instagram story:
Freddie Prinze Jr. is so impressed with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, he thinks it would be a travesty if MJF does not walk out of Full Gear as the new AEW World Champion.
Prinze, a Hollywood star and former WWE writer, hosts the popular Wrestling With Freddie podcast. He\’s been singing MJF\’s praises for a long time now, but kicks the gushing into an even higher gear on this week\’s show.
“It’s MJF, and everybody else is after that. The stories this kid is telling at 26 years old are unbelievable. I mean, it’s so good.\”
– Freddie Prinze Jr. on MJF
MJF has walked a fine line between hero and villain since he returned to AEW in September at the company\’s All Out pay-per-view. He\’s arguably the best pure heel in the business, but fans have been warming up to the Long Island native. His storylines are drawn largely from personal experiences and has somehow evolved to be relatable, a hallmark trait of babyface characters.
\”Everything is based in reality,\” Prinze continued. \”He’s not a heel or a babyface. He is Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and he is completely unique to everyone else in this business right now. Nobody can touch him. Watch what this kid does.”
MJF\’s Golden Opportunity at Full Gear
MJF won the Casino Ladder Match at All Out to earn the right to challenge for the AEW World Championship anytime he chooses. A heel might \’cash in\’ that opportunity when the champion is vulnerable, perhaps after a grueling match. However, MJF said he wants to fight Jon Moxley when he\’s 100%, so there are no excuses when he\’s crowned the youngest AEW World champion in history.
Prinze can hardly contain himself when he proclaims, \”I am in young with this young man\” and says he is certain that MJF defeat Moxley at Full Gear.
“I don’t know how they’re going to end this story, but he has a match with the AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, he said \”So, I am certain MJF beats Jon Moxley at the pay-per-view. But I am in love with this young man. This dude is awesome. I will blow smoke up his a** every single week on this podcast.”
Listen to the latest episode of the Wrestling with Freddie podcast:
Former AEW star Joey Janela says AEW Dark has turned into a \”stale ass\” show that does \”nothing for anyone\” anymore.
Janela currently wrestles for GCW, but has some opinions about the way Tony Khan is booking the Dark. Janela claims short squash matches are \”pointless bullshit for the sake of it\” and a waste of everybody\’s time.
Ironically, Janela\’s rant about AEW Dark came while he was complimenting an AEW Dark match between Rey Fenix and AR Fox.
While referencing the Fenix vs. Fox match, Janela said, \”This is what Dark should be, all around competitive action packed sprints, and maybe a one longer type storyline based match weekly,\” before unloading his thoughts on what Dark has become since he left AEW.
\”What that show does is nothing for anyone anymore, tbh it’s stale ass! Squash matches do nothing for anyone in 2022, especially on a YouTube show. No one wants to watch fucking squash matches on YouTube in 2022, I understand if you’re introducing a new wrestler on tv then I’m all for squash matches. This is the reason for talent degression doing nothing but pointless bullshit for the sake of it.\”
Joey Janela on AEW utilizing squash matches
Janela says whenever he worked with enhancement talent, he\’s made a point of having the matches be 60/40 or 50/50. He considers himself a big wrestling fan and he wouldn\’t want to waste people\’s time or degrade his own in-ring abilities through squash matches.
Discussion: Do squash matches serve a purpose in 2022? Can they be an effective tool for establishing new talent, or are they really a waste of everyone\’s time?
A new trademark application filing indicates WWE will be launching a new event in the coming months. Last Friday, October 28, World Wrestling Entertainment applied to trademark the term QUEEN OF THE RING.
According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the usage for the phrase will cover \”Wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered through broadcast media including television\” as well as merchandise and other related uses.
We\’re already in November and WWE\’s premium live events calendar is set for the remainder of the year, but WWE fans can expect to see the crown a King and Queen of the Ring in 2023.
Searching for a Queen
(WWE)
WWE has crowned many \’Kings of the Ring\’ over the years, but never a Queen of the Ring. We\’ve had Sensational Queen Sherri and Queen Sharmell, but they were crowned by association to their royal male counterparts.
WWE held the inaugural Queen\’s Crown tournament last year. Zelina Vega was crowned the winner at Crown Jewel in October 2021. She reigned as Queen Zelina until May 2022, when she was forced out of action due to an injury that required surgery. Vega recently returned to WWE television (without the Queen gimmick) and now leads the Legado Del Fantasma faction on the SmackDown brand.
The King and Queen honors have helped breathe life into various mid-card acts over the years. The news of a Queen of the Ring tournament comes amid buzz that WWE is looking to hold another all-women\’s Evolution premium live event next year as well.
Another WWE Superstar is set to undergo a name change, but this is one that most fans will appreciate.
WWE has a penchant for shortening wrestler names, a practice that appears to be on its way out since Triple H took over as the head of creative. We\’ve also seen countless NXT stars saddled with cringeworthy generic monikers that are straight out of the Superstar Name Generator 3000.
Over the past several weeks, WWE has run vignettes on NXT television depicting a shadowy figure burning a Retribution mask and letting fans know that his \’second coming\’ is imminent.
The Return of Donovan Dijak
T-BAR of the defunct Retribution faction is now listed as Donovan Dijak on WWE\’s internal roster, according to a report at PWInsider. Dijak used this name early in his wrestling career, including in Ring of Honor. He wrestled as Chris Dijak and Dominik Dijakovic in NXT before he was repackaged for the short-lived Retribution angle.
Triple H is said to be a strong proponent of Donovan Dijak, so he should fare well upon his return to WWE\’s developmental brand. His most recent match for WWE took place on the September 5th edition of Main Event.
Dijak\’s Superstar Profile at the WWE website still lists him as T-Bar, but expect to see that change in the coming weeks when he officially returns as his old persona.
WWE has released 5 wrestlers from the NXT developmental brand. The following people are no longer with the company as of Tuesday morning, according to PWInsider:
Bodhi Hayward
Sloane Jacobs
Erica Yan
Damaris Griffin
Ru Feng
Bodhi Hayward (Brady Booker) had recently been featured as part of the Chase U faction. Sloan Jacobs competed in the recent 2022 Women\’s Breakout Tournament.
All of today\’s released performers have appeared on recent episodes of the NXT Level Up digital series.
We will update this article if there are any more WWE releases.
We have another indication that Sasha Banks is on her way back to WWE.
Banks (and Naomi) have been off television since May 2022, when the former Women\’s Tag Team Champions walked out of a Raw TV taping due to mounting creative differences with the company. The team was suspended indefinitely due to their conduct.
Since then, there have been conflicting reports about Banks and Naomi\’s contractual status. WWE name-dropped Banks on commentary during the recent WWE Extreme Rules premium live event, which many saw as a sign that tensions are easing between the two sides.
Banks attended Sunday\’s WWE non-televised live event from Mexico City, Mexico on Sunday, October 30th, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. The Boss was there as a special guest and reportedly met with WWE officials, but did not appear in front of the live crowd.
Mexican wrestler Mamba served as a \’tour guide\’ of sorts for Banks and Bayley in Mexico over the weekend, according to Superluchas. Here\’s a photo of them together:
A lot has transpired in the 5 months since Banks\’ last WWE TV appearance, most notably the dramatic departure of Vince McMahon. Since Triple H took over the reigns of WWE, we\’ve heard nothing but great things from talent about backstage morale. We\’ve also seen the returns of various popular wrestlers who were released by McMahon, including Bray Wyatt, Johnny Gargano, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross and countless others.
All of these dynamics bode well for another dramatic WWE return from Sasha Banks. Especially with WrestleMania season right around the corner, the company will want all hands on deck after the upcoming holiday season.
The XFL football league will feature 8 teams when it returns in 2023. On Monday, the league announced the 8 team names, host cities, head coaches and home stadiums. They also revealed the official logos for each team.
The XFL Draft takes place next month, with kickoff scheduled for Feb. 18, 2023, the weekend after the NFL\’s Super Bowl LVII.
\”Countless hours of creative sessions and collaboration went into bringing these team brands to life,\” the league\’s chairwoman and owner, Dany Garcia, said in a statement.
\”Each team’s identity represents the fabric of their local community while also embodying the XFL’s vision and ethos: they are authentic, dynamic, modern, and unapologetically bold.\”
Wrestling fans \”up north\” have reason to celebrate. Hot off the heels of a record-breaking Canadian tour, WWE is bringing a premium live event to Canada early next year.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 is scheduled to take place Saturday, February 18 from Montreal, Québec, Canada at the Bell Centre. In addition to Elimination Chamber, Montreal will also host Friday Night SmackDown the previous night.
Elimination Chamber 2023 marks the first WWE premium live event from Montreal in 14 years.
Tickets for Elimination Chamber and Friday Night SmackDown will be available beginning Friday, December 2 at 10 AM ET. For more information, visit WWE.com.
WWE\’s New PLE Strategy for 2023
The news of WWE bringing next year\’s Elimination Chamber to Canada aligns with recent reports about the company\’s new approach to premium live events (sort of).
Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline recently sent out a tweet to his \’Super Followers\’ noting that WWE will be holding more International events next year. That aspect of the report checks out. Alvarez noted that WWE will be holding fewer \”gimmick\” events. Elimination Chamber is considered a gimmick event, so we\’ll have to see how the handles other shows like Hell in a Cell, TLC and Extreme Rules.
The first PLE of 203 will be the Royal Rumble on January 28 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. WWE Day 1, which was originally scheduled for January 1, has been scrapped.
For more on the major changes coming to WWE\’s premium live events next year, visit:
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