Author: Mike Reichlin

Sasha Banks says she\’s fine after an injury scare at a WWE live event over the weekend.

Banks wrestled Charlotte Flair at Sunday\’s house show from the Crown Coliseum Arena in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Mid-way through the match, Charlotte delivered a backbreaker to her longtime rival. Sasha Banks\’ left ankle appeared to buckle as she landed.

She was helped to the backstage area by WWE officials, leaving fans to wonder if she\’s the latest Superstar to go down with a health-related issue.

You can see video of the spot in question here:

This could have been the spot? Looks like her leg is under pic.twitter.com/nFPme5bsh0

— #UltiMoné 1??3??beltzMoné (@MikeDesorbo1) January 3, 2022

Here is a zoomed-in look at the way she landed. Your ankle is definitely not supposed to bend like that.

https://twitter.com/uncrownedkingjj/status/1477834866645295104?s=21

Sasha Banks Update

Sasha Banks provided an update on her condition late Sunday night.

The Boss let her fans know she\’s \”good\” and thanked everybody for their concern.

I’m good ??
Thank you for the love always. ?

— Último Moné (@MercedesVarnado) January 3, 2022

Happy New Year to our readers all around the world. 2022 is upon us and WWE isn\’t wasting any time getting back to business.

Tonight, WWE presents the inaugural Day 1 pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena. The event streams live on Peacock and the WWE Network.

WWE Day 1 Matches

Here\’s the final card for tonight\’s PPV:

• Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
• WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley
• Raw Women\’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
• SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
• Edge vs. The Miz
• Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
• Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro vs. The Street Profits
• Cesaro & Ricochet vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland

• WWE Day 1 Betting Odds

Predictions

Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits

Andrew Ravens: I don’t see a title change here as Orton and Riddle have been a big part of Raw over the last few months. Clearly, the idea is for Orton to turn on Riddle at some point, but with WrestleMania just a few months away, it might be a little too soon to pull the trigger with Orton turning on Riddle. It will be a fun match, but Orton and Riddle retain. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Michael Reichlin: RK-Bro has been an entertaining act, but I think it has run it\’s course. We are now on the road to WrestleMania and I could see WWE planting the seeds for an Orton vs. Riddle showdown at WrestleMania. RK-Bro will retain, but we\’re going to start heading to the inevitable breakup. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Chris Stephens: There is a chance that RK-Bro starts to fall apart on the Day 1 PPV. It all depends on where WWE wants the team to be by the time WrestleMania rolls around. If the plan had always been to have Riddle vs Orton at Mania, then expect them to show some dissension here and drop the titles. We already saw Orton tease giving an RKO to Riddle on RAW this week, so they’ve reminded the audience that it could happen. It’s possible WWE sees value in keeping the team together, however, as they are one of if not the most entertaining things on RAW. Even if they did originally plan for Riddle vs Orton at Mania, the positive response the team has received since forming may have caused plans to change. I’m betting WWE decides there is a longer shelf life to RK-Bro then they originally thought. (Prediction: RK-Bro)

Consensus: RK-Bro retains

Edge vs. The Miz

Michael Reichlin: Edge is in the final run of his WWE career, while The Miz will join the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend. Miz would benefit from a win more here, while Edge could help add some extra shine to the Awesome One in the lead-up to his induction. (Prediction: The Miz)

Chris Stepens: Edge should win this match. There is little reason to have Miz get a victory, there rarely is. Miz can be kept in major storylines without being kept strong at this point in his career. So can Edge, but I imagine they want to keep Edge strong for an angle at Mania, which is not that far away now. (Prediction: Edge)

Andrew Ravens: Here’s the easiest pick on the entire card as Edge will win the match. There’s a reason he’s such a big betting favorite. I think the match will be fine and credit to Miz for doing what he does best and that’s talking. The build has been quite fun and likely better than the match. (Prediction: Edge)

Consensus: Edge

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day

Andrew Ravens: These teams have wrestled so much and while it will be a good match, it’s gotten to the point where you have to move on. I just don’t think WWE is ready just yet based on advertisements for upcoming house shows. The New Day wins the titles here and the feud keeps moving forward. (Prediction: The New Day)

Chris Stephens: The Usos and New Day continue to have one of the longest rivalries in WWE’s tag-team division ever. Both are perennial champions that seem to always be in the title mix. I just don’t see New Day taking the belts off the Usos here. The angle just doesn’t seem big enough for it to culminate in a title change, at least not on this show. (Prediction: The Usos)

Michael Reichlin: These two teams work so well together, the real winner will be the fans. However, if I have to pick a winner between these four men, I give the edge to The New Day. (Prediction: The New Day)

Consensus: The New Day win the SmackDown tag team titles

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan

Andrew Ravens: Morgan doesn’t stand a chance here to win the title and everyone knows it, but she has gotten over with fans and management so here we are. I see Lynch retaining and then where WWE goes from here for the Royal Rumble remains to be seen. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)

Michael Reichlin: Liv Morgan is receiving the biggest push of her career. She will ultimately hold championship gold, but I think WWE will wait for a bigger stage to crown her champion. Becky Lynch is the established ratings draw, while Morgan is still finding her way in the championship scene. The Man will pull out a win here and show Liv Morgan that she\’s not quite there yet. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)

Chris Stephens: This is one match I struggle to come up with a prediction for. I think it could go either way. On the one hand, Morgan has already tried and failed to win the title, so having her lose again seems pointless other than to try and get some heat on Becky, which just isn’t going to work and they likely see that now.

What I think could easily happen, is Becky attempts to use the ropes for leverage but her cheating attempts are somehow thwarted. Morgan then rolls her up, engages in some “justified cheating” of her own, or otherwise picks up a victory that Lynch’s character will be able to cry foul about. This would then allow for Becky to enter the Rumble, win it, and challenge Charlotte Flair at Mania.

Working against this theory is that Morgan vs Lynch did not do good television ratings when they headlined RAW a few weeks ago. I think Lynch dropping the title to Morgan and then moving on to challenge Flair is the long-term story they want, however. (Prediction: Liv Morgan)

Consensus: Becky Lynch retains

WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley

Andrew Ravens: With WWE adding so many stars to this match, a title change seems to be happening here with Big E able to recapture it at WrestleMania. The question that remains for me is who will be the next champion. Kevin Owens is someone that would make sense considering he just re-signed, but I am siding with Seth Rollins winning the title here. WWE loves heels and he hasn’t had a big title reign in a few years. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)

Michael Reichlin: Big E won the WWE Championship under less-than-honorable circumstances (cashing in Money in the Bank). It would really suck for him to lose the championship in a multi-man match that does not require the champion to be pinned or submitted. However, that scenario would also help Big E save face and make the argument that he was never beat for the title. Kevin Owens just re-signed with WWE and I could see the company putting the belt on him as a reward (Prediction: Kevin Owens)

Big E should retain here. Ultimately I believe this title is going to go back on Lashley at some point, especially now that he appears to be turning babyface. I just don’t think it’s going to happen here. Perhaps it’ll happen at the Rumble or perhaps at Mania, but not here. (Prediction: Big E)

Consensus: Split

Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Chris Stephens: There is a chance that Lesnar wins the title here, forcing Reigns to enter the Rumble and earn a rematch that would then take place at WrestleMania. I think the more likely scenario is that Paul Heyman’s firing is revealed to be a swerve and Heyman helps Reigns retain. Then Lesnar enters the Rumble, wins it, and earns a rematch against Reigns at Mania.  (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Andrew Ravens: This is going to be interesting to see what WWE does here. I see a no-contest or DQ finish as Reigns can’t beat Lesnar again and Lesnar isn’t likely to beat Reigns considering a third match is planned for WrestleMania. Perhaps Paul Heyman gets involved when Lesnar is just about to beat Reigns and that way Lesnar wins but not the title. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar via DQ)

Michael Reichlin: This is the feud that keeps on giving. Say what you want about long-running feuds, but these two always deliver. Roman Reigns is doing the best work of his career, while Lesnar has reinvented himself once again to show how diverse his skillset really is. I don\’t see anybody on the horizon that is worthy of taking the title off Roman Reigns at this time, but I also don\’t see Reigns dropping the belt just yet. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)

Consensus: Roman Reigns retains

There you have it. Hit up the comments section to share your own WWE Day 1 predictions!

Tonight\’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from Detroit, Michigan at the Little Caesars Arena.

This will be a unique broadcast due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak that is plaguing not only the WWE & NXT locker rooms, but also members of WWE\’s production staff.

WWE opened up more rows in the upper deck tonight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI for Raw. 426 tickets remain. Minimally it will be the biggest crowd for Raw in 2 months & has a shot at surpassing the Houston show and being the biggest in nearly 4 months. They're above 8K. pic.twitter.com/B95Gp6HwMZ

— WrestleTix (@WrestleTix) December 27, 2021

Raw Preview

WWE is advertising the following items tonight\’s Raw, the \”go-home\” show ahead of Saturday\’s WWE Day 1 pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA:

• The Miz and Maryse will renew their wedding vows.

• Damian Priest defends the United States championship against former champion, Dolph Ziggler.

• Finn Balor battles Austin Theory.

• The Mysterios will face the Street Profits in the finals of the \”RK-Bronament\”

• Plus, former Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos will clash.

Check out this article for more on what WWE has planned for AJ Styles and Omos in the months ahead:

AJ Styes & Omos Split: Backstage News on WWE’s plans

A mansion in Greenwich, CT mansion is up for sale. Purchased in 2014 for $11.84 million, the stately home is listed for a staggering $32 million.

Even in a hot market, if the seller gets anywhere near the asking price, this would be the real estate investment of a lifetime.

A real estate listing at Compass touts:

\”Perched on 10 waterfront acres of lush grounds and mature landscaping, this architectural masterpiece is unrivaled in the juxtaposed design of hand-cut stone and modern design. A custom estate with unmatched luxury offering a lifestyle of comfort, sophistication, and security.\”

The 23,700 square-foot home boasts 6 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, swimming pool, library, elevator and many other luxurious appointments.

View the real estate listing for this Greenwich mansion at Compass.com.

The Bella Twins are two of the most accomplished women in pro wrestling history. According to Nikki and Brie, they may have never made it to the WWE Hall of Fame if not for Freddie Prinze Jr.

The Bellas are the latest guests on FPJ\’s latest Wrestling With Freddie podcast. During their discussion, Brie recalls that it was Prinze who kept pushing WWE officials to call them up from Florida Championship Wrestling.

“We do give you a lot of credit, because we were down in FCW for so long and they were like, ‘We just don’t know what to do with twins.’\” said Brie. \”We’re like, ‘Seems like it writes itself.’ It was your ideas that you kept pushing that I think it made people in the company see there was something special.\”

Brie recalls training at [former developmental territory] Florida Championship Wrestling and growing frustrated because WWE couldn\’t figure out what to do with them.

Things did not get much better once they made it to the main roster and wrestled as \”Divas.\” After five years on WWE TV, they were ready to leave because they were not happy with the way women were being portrayed on television.

\”We did a five-year contract, we were on TV for five years and our five years was coming up,\” said Brie. \”I remember at that point, we didn’t like how women were treated in WWE. The two minute matches, but we were allowed to have 10 minutes at live events. What we were working on at live events, we could never showcase on TV and our stories didn’t have depth.\”

‘There needs to be a massive change here, this is not good.\’

Nikki recalls that morale amongst the female wrestlers was at an all-time low during the early 2010\’s.

\”We needed to find a way to be treated like the men and treated equally,\” she said. \”That’s what we wanted for the women. We wanted to empower the women. We were about everyone. ‘Who are we getting over today? What’s the story?’ We never worried about getting our shit in. We just wanted everything to be good and for people to be happy.\”

Nikki Bella describes morale as \”miserable\” and hopeless during the lowest points of women\’s wrestling in WWE.

\”The locker room was becoming so miserable, because girls were working so hard on live events and getting to Raw or SmackDown and being so disappointed. They were losing their will and their hope. We were like, ‘there needs to be a massive change here, this is not good.\’”

Total Divas

Brie feels that the Total Divas reality show (2013) was a huge turning point for WWE\’s perception of women\’s wrestlers.

“Vince is about putting asses in seats,\” she said. \”He cares about money. The one thing Total Divas did was it showed Vince that people were coming to the shows to see women. It was more than just men. It started being young girls and women buying tickets just to see the Total Divas.\”

Years later, WWE ultimately embraced the \’Women\’s Revolution.\’ Athleticism and wrestling ability are valued over bikinis and pillow fighting. Women\’s wrestling has come a long way since the Bella Twins\’ days in Florida Championship Wrestling. They were a big part of that revolution and credit Freddie Prinze Jr. with helping get it started.

Listen to The Bella Twins on Wrestling with Freedie:

H/T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is looking to beef up his move set just in time for WrestleMania season.

McIntyre has been with WWE on-and-off since around 2007. You don\’t get career longevity like that without constantly improving yourself.

The Scottish SmackDown star recently spoke with The Daily Record about the ongoing effort to stay in shape, refine his character and stay relevant.

Prior to re-signing with WWE in 2017, McIntyre said he didn\’t like what he saw in the mirror. He had a deep conversation with his wife and realized he wasn\’t giving his all, in terms of his training. He cut back on his drinking and got himself into the best shape of his life.

\”I needed to look like I could beat up Brock Lesnar,\” McIntyre recalls. \”I didn’t believe it, so I started putting in the work like crazy and eating properly.\”

McIntyre has an incredible physique. He\’s learned what works and what doesn\’t. Of course, it\’s important for him to put in serious hours at the gym. However, he believes it\’s \”100% true\” that staying in shape is mostly about diet, not training.

We are less than four months out from WrestleMania 38. WrestleMania season is about to kick into high gear and Drew McIntyre is already working on improving his move-set. In fact, he\’s working on a new move that he hopes will bring him another championship in 2022.

“I’m really proud my headbutt is know as the Glasgow Kiss,\” he said. \”Now, the world knows about the Glasgow kiss. I’m working on a new one when I threw the guy across the ring. Thinking I might call it the Highland Fling.\”

Visit the Daily Record to read their full interview with Drew McIntyre.

Drew McIntyre is scheduled to face Madcapp Moss at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view on January 1st from Atlanta, GA.

Drew McIntyre Recalls Hilarious Hotel Story Involving The Undertaker

WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment is packed with photos, telling the story of the WWE Championship from Buddy Rogers in 1963 to present day. The book is now on sale at Amazon:

Here is the official synopsis:

Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Rick Flair, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley are just a few of the 50-plus Superstars who\’ve body slammed their opponents, thrilled countless millions of wresting fans, and lofted the WWE Championship belt in triumph over the WWE\’s legendary 60-year history.

And now, mixing everything from the Spinebuster and Lionsault to the Stomach Claw and Rock Bottom, WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment goes to the mat for WWE fans, exploring the changing face of the WWE Championship through its beloved wrestlers and their epic battles in the ring. 

Hundreds of action photos and posed portraits capture the most memorable moments and personalities in WWE history. Among the greatest matches revisited are: 

• WrestleMania VI\’s Ultimate Challenge between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior
• Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart\’s Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII
• Hulk Hogan’s famous Slam Heard ‘round the World against André the Giant at WrestleMania 3.
• Triple H and Cactus Jack\’s Street Fight at Royal Rumble 2000. 

Author Jeremy Brown takes a \”raw\” look at the WWE Championship by breaking down each WWE era in chronological order:

• Early Years – 1967-1980s
• The Golden Era – 1980s to early 1990s
• New Generation — Early 1980s to mid-1990s
• Attitude Era – Mid-1990s to early 2000s
• Reality Era – 2014 to 2016
• The New Era – 2016 to the present 

WWE Championship: The Greatest Title in Sports Entertainment is the perfect gift for WWE uber-fans and wrestling newcomers alike.

The Undertaker participated in a rapid-fire Q&A session on TikTok over the weekend.

The Dead Man answered a bunch of questions, including his toughest opponent and his favorite current WWE Superstar, on the WWE TikTok account.

Here are some highlights, followed by a video embed of The Undertaker answering the questions.

Who is The Undertaker\’s favorite current WWE Superstar?

Answer: Edge

Who was The Undertaker\’s toughest opponent?

Answer: Yokozuna

Which wrestler does he wish he could have worked with?

Answer: Andre the Giant

Who is The Undertaker\’s favorite professional athlete?

Answer: Tyron Smith of the Dallas Cowboys

Who has the best ring gear in WWE?

Answer: Rey Mysterio

Who has the best ring entrance?

Answer: Drew McIntyre

What did The Undertaker think when he retired?

Answer: \”It\’s over.\”

• The Undertaker Was ‘Livid’ With One WWE Angle

Watch The Undertaker\’s TikTok Q&A:

@wwe

We sat @undertaker down for a rapid-fire Q&A! #WWE #SportsTikTok

? original sound – WWE

Johnny Gargano is now a free agent after turning down strong offers to remain with WWE.

We have some additional information regarding his final weeks with the company and what may be next for the former NXT Champion.

Johnny Gargano did not arrive at his decision to leave WWE easily, according to sources close to the situation. WWE made a strong offer to keep him from leaving, as they did with Adam Cole.

After 6 years, Gargano achieved everything there was to achieve in NXT. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that he would most likely remain in NXT had he stayed. He’d no longer be a main event star, but would be used to elevate younger talent.

Hell of a run..

Thank you all. ??#JohnnyTakeOver pic.twitter.com/VowS6CEHSg

— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) December 6, 2021

At 34 years old, Gargano still has a lot left in the tank and might see better opportunity for himself elsewhere.

Johnny Gargano recently signed a short-term contract extension to get him through WarGames. Since his contract simply expired and he was not released, there is no non-compete clause. He could show up anywhere at any time.

WWE gave Gargano a warm sendoff on this week’s episode of NXT TV. He is legitimately leaving on very good terms and the door is still open for them to work together in the future.

While unlikely, it’s entirely possible that Gargano does re-sign with WWE. Entering free agency gives him the legal green light to field offers from other companies, such as AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and also the independents.

Allowing his contract to expire is certainly not a promising sign that he’ll stay with WWE. However, if the offers he receives – and he will receive offers – do not exceed WWE’s best offer, anything is possible.

Five new Johnny Gargano t-shirts have been added to Pro Wrestling Tees.

"You will never fail if you bet on yourself"

I can't thank you all enough for the love and support you have shown me these past few days. I hope you continue to follow me on this next part of my journey! ??https://t.co/MAqsnbRVc1 pic.twitter.com/xZek8HKymc

— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) December 10, 2021

Wherever he winds up, Johnny Gargano should be extremely proud of the body of work he produced in NXT. It really was a hell of a run.

Watch Shawn Michaels Greeting Johnny Gargano And Kyle O’Reilly After NXT