Former WWE Superstar Karrion Kross has a new project in the works.
WWE released Kross on November 4th. Despite excelling in WWE\’s developmental system, the former NXT Champion floundered on the main roster due to lackluster booking.
Since his release, he\’s back to using the name Killer Kross. He\’s also been posting teaser videos on social media, as seen below.
Killer Kross\’ New Project
Killer Kross (real name Kevin Kesar) has landed a leading role in an upcoming action film, according to Fightful. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2022.
As of this writing, no further details are available. However, an action movie seems to be a great fit for the 6-foot-4, 265-pounder.
Kross does have some acting experience. He previously co-starred in the 12-episode series, Before the Dark (2013-2014).
Scarlett Bordeaux Comments
Kross’ significant other, former WWE Superstar Scarlett, has confirmed that he’s landed a “really big” movie role.
During a recent appearance on The Asylum Facebook show, she said they’re both keeping busy with different projects.
“Kross just got a really big movie role. I’m [securing] photoshoots for magazines, stuff like that. So, we’re enjoying not being tied down anything right now.”
As for their future plans in wrestling, she added, “Anything’s on the table. Let’s put it that way.”
Here’s my current signing schedule for December! Can’t wait to see you all! ????? pic.twitter.com/5fr3u0MTCc
All Elite Wrestling has announced details of the company’s first pay-per-view event of 2022, AEW Revolution.
AEW holds four PPV events each year: Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out and Full Gear. Double or Nothing has historically been held in Las Vegas, while every All Out haas taken place from Chicago.
AEW Revolution 2022 comes to fans live on Sunday, March 6th from Orlando, Florida at the Addition Fi Arena.
AEW is going “all out” by making this a weekend-long event, including a Friday night Rampage taping and the first-ever AEW Revolution Fan Fest on Saturday, March 6th.
Tickets for AEW Revolution weekend go on sale next Friday, December 17th at AEWTix.com. Limited combo offers will be available, for fans looking to attend more than one of the weekend’s events.
Hometown hero Maxwell Jacob Friedman addressed the Long Island crowd after Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite and Rampage tapings.
After the Rampage taping wrapped up, AEW President Tony Khan came out to thank the crowd for sticking around late night. He then introduced MJF, who came out to Billy Joel’s classic song, My Life.
MJF called Tony Khan his “best friend” but once again joked that TK will have to cough up a lot of money to re-sign him in 2024 when his contract expires.
He then took some shots at CM Punk, saying he “f**king sucks” and so does the city of Chicago. MJF said Long Island is the “most magical place in the world” and he’s living his dream by competing on this big stage in front of his friends and family.
MJF Addresses AEW fans on Long Island
You can check out video sof MJF addressing the Long Island crowd in the tweets embedded below:
Wrestling legend Blackjack Lanza (Jack Lanza) has passed away. He was 86 years old.
Jim Ross announced the news on social media on Tuesday afternoon.
Lanza was one half of the popular Blackjacks tag team, along with the late Blackjack Mulligan. They wrestled all of the world during the 1960\’s and 70\’s.
They team championship gold in WWE (the World Wide Wrestling Federation), American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Association.
After he retired from active competition, Blackjack Lanza transitioned to a role behind the scenes in WW. He worked as the head road agent during the 1990\’s at the height of the Attitude Era.
Lanza and Mulligan were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
SEScoops sends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the great Blackjack Lanza.
Blackjack Lanza Remembered
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jack Lanza. He was a man’s man, respected and beloved by all. He worked for and loved WWE for many years. His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten.
Our hearts go out to the family and friends of WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Lanza. Jack Lanza was a man’s man, respected and beloved by all. He loved and worked for WWE for many years. His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/4wpq9E1Ypo
Very saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Lanza. Had the pleasure of watching him as a young(er) fan, and the privilege to get to know as a friend! #RIPBlackjackLanza
RIP to the legendary Blackjack Lanza…he had a great run as a wrestler then as an agent in WWF for many years…also he was Bobby Heenan's first big act as a manager pic.twitter.com/z7DhB0oe6p
To recap, Jeff Hardy appeared at Saturday night\’s WWE live event from Edinburg, Texas. During the main event, he teamed with Xavier Woods and Drew McIntyre to face The Bloodline (Roman Reigns & The Usos). Hardy appeared \’sluggish\’ during the match and actually left the ringside area with the bout still in progress.
https://youtu.be/9WD9T1Rofgc
The word going around backstage is that Jeff Hardy was sent home by WWE officials.
Jeff Hardy did not appear at Sunday’s WWE live event from American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX and was replaced by Rey Mysterio.
Matt Hardy updates Jeff\’s Condition
During a Monday afternoon Twitch stream, Matt made his first public comments about the situation.
Matt did not want to say much on his brother\’s behalf, but assured fans that he spoke with Jeff earlier in the day. He thinks Jeff will be fine, but said it’s not his business and believes Jeff will speak for himself if and when he chooses to do so.
“He is at home and he’s okay,” said Matt. ”It’s not my business. It’s not my story to tell or explain, and besides that, I wouldn’t be able to do it justice anyway because it’s not from my perspective. So, I love my brother and I just want my brother to be okay and healthy. That’s pretty much it.”
\”Jeff is okay. He\’ doing fine. All is good. If there\’s any information to be given out, I\’m sure he will himself. He\’s good, though.\”
Maxwell Jacob Friedman spoke with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate on Monday\’s edition of Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha on Sirius XM.
MJF was there to promote Wednesday\’s AEW Dynamite from the UBS Arena on Long Island, NY. Renee introduced him as one of the 4 pillars of AEW and one of the best sh*t talkers in all of professional wrestling. MJF called the introduction \”mid\” and proceeded to introduce himself in typical MJF fashion.
When asked how it feels to have an AEW event in his home town, MJF says it feels great. Long Island is his home, it\’s where the best people live and it\’s the most magical place in the world. If you live there, you know MJF. He expects a huge ovation on Wednesday and wrestling fans will finally get to see how he should be treated everywhere.
On Wednesday, he expects to win his third consecutive Dynamite Diamond Ring battle royal. Unlike CM Punk, he won\’t struggle to win.
Long Island Homecoming
MJF said that when he\’s on the road, there\’s oddly a perception that he\’s not a good guy. In reality, he\’s salt of the earth and the fine people of Long Island understand that. He can\’t wait to have a packed arena of fans chanting his name.
MJF called his mother a disgusting skank and a huge glory hog, if we\’re being honest. Everything is always about her. You\’d think it\’s enough for her to say that she raised a god. She always wants more and it\’s disheartening.
Does MJF have any haters on Long Island? It might come as a shock, but in his hometown, he\’s known as a hometown hero. People call him, \”The King of Long Island.\” No issues here, but he has issues when he leaves and has to deal with the poors and the fats.
MJF celebrated Hanukkah alone this year with his cat, Piper. He chose to not spend time with his family, because they just want this autograph so they can sell it on eBay.
When asked if he has a lot of friends, he said the Pinnacle are his friends. Shawn Spears, FTR, great guys. \”Wardlow? Ehh. But the rest of em? Love them.\”
His Beef With CM Punk
MJF explained that he\’s got beef with CM Punk because Punk disrespected him. He tried to be respectful. He offered Punk his hand to shake. He tried his best. Not many people can say CM Punk offered to shake their hand. Instead of being a man, Punk walked away and snubbed him. He believes Punk should be shaking his hand for making him relevant again.
CM Punk recently said that Britt Baker should replace MJF as one of the Four Pillars of AEW. Baker\’s significant other Adam Cole recently did an interview and said he\’ll sock MJF in the face if he talks about her again.
\”All respect to the Boom Boy,\” MJF said of Adam Cole. \”You know, Adam, Adam\’s a great, great guy. I don\’t have a problem with Adam. My problem is with Punk.\”
MJF says Punk doesn\’t care about younger talent. He\’s working with up and comers to steal their spotlight. Punk needs the rub from MJF, but he\’s not so sure that Punk has earned that respect.
Miesha Tate asked MJF about CM Punk\’s short-lived UFC career. MJF actually gave Punk some credit for venturing outside pro wrestling. You won\’t see MJF fighting in an MMA cage. \”God bless him, he went for it. but if he\’s in the ring with me, the same outcome will happen. He\’ll be left a bloody mess.\”
MJF on The Miz
CM Punk recently compared MJF to a low-rent version of WWE Superstar The Miz. Renee asked MJF what he thinks about The Miz.
\”The Miz is a tremendous, tremendous performer,\” he said. He then made the distinction, \”I am a professional wrestler.\”
When Renee said she\’s a big Miz fan, MJF replied, \”How could you not be? The guy is gold on the stick. In the ring, very solid too. If I\’m being completely fair here, I\’m not talking shit – it\’s just factual. There are no holes in my game. And that is not a jab at Miz. Miz is great. But he\’s not me.\”
MJF said guys like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk and Kenny Omega are great, but they\’re all lacking something. There\’s nothing that MJF can\’t do.
MJF grew tired of the \”softball\” questions and told Renee to give him something good. She asked what it\’s going to look like when his AEW contract expires in 2024.
MJF said there\’s a lot of intruiging match-ups for him outside of AEW. A lot of people want to see him wrestle guys like The Miz, Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns. They might get their wish, if Tony Khan doesn\’t shell out the right type of cash. He told people to expect the greatest bidding war in the history of our sport.
Catch AEW Dynamite this Wednesday night on TNT and listen to Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha Monday afternoons on Sirius XM.
SEScoops has learned Will Ospreay is no longer scheduled to debut for Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Back in October, MLW announced Ospreay would be coming in some time this fall. Unfortunately, Ospreay’s MLW debut was not meant to be.
We reached out to the self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Champion, who confirmed to us that the deal is off.
We have some additional details on why the booking fell through. According to a well-placed source, MLW’s working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling ended in mid-November.
MLW informed NJPW it was now also working with All Japan, which didn’t sit well with them. New Japan works with NOAH, but not All Japan.
Will Ospreay has commented on his status with MLW. In a tweet sent out on Tuesday, Big Match Billy says he does hope to eventually work with MLW.
Lads MLW will happen. Just not when it was meant too.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of talent available on the free agent market to help MLW keep its roster fresh with top-tier talent. The company recently announced an Open Door policy for free agents. The first high-profile name to utilize this policy is reigning ROH Women’s Champion Rok-c, who is set to make her MLW debut next month.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen several big names teasing involvement with MLW. Braun Strowman has been teasing a match with MLW World Champion Hammerstone.
Former MLW World champ Shane ”Swerve” Strickland, soon to be a free agent, was also among the many wrestlers to take notice of the Open Door policy on social media.
MLW’s next live event, Blood & Thunder, is scheduled for Friday, January 21st from Dallas, Texas. Tickets are now available at Eventbrite.
The National Wrestling Alliance presents NWA Hard Times 2 on Saturday, December 4th from GPB Studios in Atlanta, GA. The event will stream on FITE pay-per-view.
NWA President Billy Corgan has announced the complete lineup for this historic event. In addition to the full match card, there are also a few newsworthy items to report:
The NWA is bringing back the Junior Heavyweight championship, a title that was first introduced in 1945.
The Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships will be defended on the show
Mick Foley will be in attendance as a special guest
The following is the complete match card for NWA Hard Times 2:
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Trevor Murdoch vs. Mike Knox
NWA Women\’s World Champion Kamille vs. Melina
NWA Television Champion Tyrus vs. Cyon in a No Time Limit, No DQ match. Pope will serve as the special guest referee.
Nick Aldis vs. Thom Latimer in a Grudge Match.
NWA National Champion Chris Adonis vs. Judais with James Mitchell
World Tag Team Champions La Rebellion vs. The End
Women\’s World Tag Champions The Hex vs. vs. Kylie Rae & Tootie Lynn vs. Natalia Markova & Lady Frost [Update: Lady Frost has been pulled from the PPV.]
Mickie James vs. Kiera Hogan
Colby Corino vs. Doug Williams
Austin Aries vs. Rhett Titus (Junior Heavyweight Qualifying Match)
12-Man NWA Junior Heavyweight Qualifying Gauntlet for the returning NWA Junior Heavyweight Title.
ROH World Tag Team Champions OGK vs. Aron Stevens & Kratos
Plus, there will be a special appearance by hardcore legend Mick Foley and an in-ring tribute to women\’s wrestling legend, Jazz.
If you\’re in the Atlanta area, tickets are still on sale for Hard Times 2 at Eventbrite.
The high-flying Superstar has garnered a lot of attention since debuting for NXT back in June. Since then, he\’s won the NXT Breakout Tournament and captured the coveted North American championship.
Hayes appeared on The War Report podcast this week to discuss his plans to elevate NXT 2.0, his friendship with Trick Williams and more.
When asked who he wants to work with on the main roster, Carmelo Hayes set his sights on the biggest dog in the yard.
\”Roman,\” he said. \”I feel like that\’s the only answer. I feel like, go big or go home. It\’s Roman, bro.\”
Carmelo Hayes on Roman Reigns
Co-host Justin says that it seems like Roman Reigns is a mythical figure within the WWE locker room. Everyone looks at him as the gold standard for success. He asked Hayes if that\’s true, and he agreed.
\”Yeah, that\’s true, bro. He\’s that guy, for real. I met him when I did SmackDown. He\’s that guy. He\’s that guy who you should want to wrestle, because he\’s the big money guy. If you think about it, big match, big moments. He\’s that guy.\”
For Carmelo Hayes, it makes sense that he\’d want to challenge the biggest star in WWE. For Roman Reigns, it\’s another example that being the best means you\’ve often got a target on your back. You can\’t take your foot off the gas peddle, because there\’s always someone young and hungry wanting your spot.
Listen to Carmelo Hayes\’ appearance on The War Room podcast:
Wrestling great turned Hollywood kingpin Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson says Ric Flair will always be, \”The Man.\”
Earlier this week, The Rock named his Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. The People\’s Champ named Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Ric Flair, with The Undertaker, Pat Patterson and Jackie Fargo in a 3-way tie for the 4th and final spot.
Ric Flair\’s public image has taken a beating in recent months ever since the Plane Ride from Hell episode of Dark Side of the Ring. The Rock is a well-respected figure, so an endorsement from him goes a long way.
Flair tweeted a photo of himself with a young Rock from 1984 to show his appreciation. He wrote, \”There\’s no bigger word in the world than the word respect! You looked up to me as a kid, and I continuously look up to you! WOOOOOO!\”
The Rock says he\’ll always have respect for Ric Flair, who has been one of his heroes for decades. He added that Flair was \”The Man\” back in 1984 and always will be.
Respect, always brother. You, Dusty my dad, Muraco, Hawk, Animal, Piper, all you guys were my heroes. This pic was taken in 1984 ~ in Vegas at the NWA annual convention. I was pimply faced 12 year old with an afro and you were (and will always be) “The Man”. #woohttps://t.co/xVAX4wVROb
Beth Phoenix is ending her run as a commentator for NXT. Her final show as a full-time broadcaster for the brand will be this Sunday at WarGames.
The WWE Hall of Famer announced her decision on Thursday. Phoenix says she is stepping away to spend more time with her family. She and WWE Superstar Edge have two children together.
\”Ahead of WarGames, I wanted to share that this Sunday will be my final night in NXT,\” she wrote. \”While I will remain a part of WWE, I have made the choice to step away from the weekly broadcast booth to spend more time with my family.\”
Phoenix says it was not an easy decision to step away from the NXT commentary table. She\’s been with the brand for over three years and has called the action on 135 episodes of NXT TV.
\”I\’m incredibly proud of the brand.\”
– Beth Phoenix
She thanked many people who have helped her in NXT, including Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Nigel McGuiness, Tom Phillips, Mauro Ranallo, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Michael Cole and more.
\”NXT will always be a part of me and Auntie Betty will always be a part of NXT,\” she added. \”Leave the porch light on for me!\”
Ric Flair says a wrestling promoter based out of Israel offered him a chance to get back in the ring against Sammy Guevara.
During the latest episode of his WOOOOO! Nation Uncensored podcast, the Nature Boy says he\’s open to lacing up the boots once again.
However, he doesn\’t work cheap. Flair told his co-host Mark Madden his asking price is a hundred grand.
\”$100,000 and two first-class tickets, I\’m there.\”
– Ric Flair
Ric Flair isn\’t flying halfway around the world on a handshake. He would also require 50% of the payday up-front. He added, \”50-percent down, 50-percent after I beat Sammy.\”
Flair called Sammy Guevara a \”great\” talent who could carry him to a 15-20 minute match. He\’s still in the gym training, just in case.
“WWE won’t let me do anything, even though I’m released,\” he said. \”I understand, they have so much liability and I told them I would sign anything, but nobody wants me to die on their watch. I’d rather die in the ring. If I have to go. I’d rather not jump off the 19th floor or spend another 31 days in the ICU.”
Flair tweeted the following on Monday morning that if he\’s going to die, it\’s going to be \”next to his hot wife\” or in the ring next to Sammy Guevara.
The reigning AEW TNT Champion replied, \”Wrestling God vs. Spanish God\”
Bryan Danielson has worn a plain white t-shirt during many of his AEW television appearances.
According to the American Dragon, there\’s a reason for this unassuming gear. During a recent appearance on the Casual Conversations podcast, Danielson said he is generally not in favor of selling merchandise to his fans.
“So AEW came up with a very nice American Dragon Is Back t-shirt,\” he began.\” I think one of the things that has confused their merchandising people and also confused the WWE merchandising people is that I don’t wanna sell people things.\”
The Steve Jobs of AEW
Danielson likened his plain white t-shirt to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs always wearing a black turtleneck shirt.
\”So, it’s a choice,\” he continued. \”It also makes my life simpler, in the sense of like I don’t have to worry what I’m going to wear to TV, right, so a white shirt and some joggers.\”
\”There’s Steve Jobs, who was infamous for he would just do the black turtleneck and he didn’t have to worry. I don’t wanna waste my time thinking about what I’m going to wear.\”
It\’s convenient for Daniel Bryan to just throw on a white t-shirt and not have to worry about styling an outfit for himself. However, he stated once again that his love for the environment makes it difficult for him to play merchandise pitch-man to his fans.
\”Anyways, there’s a certain aspect of that but part of my service is this idea of how we can benefit the planet and all that kind of stuff. One of the things that is hard for me is to sell people stuff.\”
Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:
Bryan Danielson is eager to work with CM Punk in AEW, whether they are tag team partners or opponents.
The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and discussed the possibility of teaming with Punk against the Young Bucks or FTR.
\”Yeah I mean, I think both of those are really exciting to me,\” he began. \”You also mentioned 2 teams that I would love to do a serious program with not just a one-off thing.\”
Danielson knows people want to see him and Punk joining forces to battle AEW\’s top tag teams. However, he\’s also interested in working against the Chicago made cult hero. Danielson and Punk never got a chance to clash on a big stage like WrestleMania. In AEW, that could become a very real possibility.
\”Who better to team with than Punk,\” Bryan continued. \”Although, you know I always thought and said this even when I was in WWE. It felt to me like Punk and I were destined to do a WrestleMania match together and then it never happened. It felt like, man, it’s so perfect and it makes so much sense that we would have this WrestleMania match against each other, but it never happened.”
Who is the Best in the World?
It\’s been years since Danielson and Punk shared a ring. Sooner or later, they may have to determine who is the Best in the World once and for all.
\”Given the time of how long it’s been since we’ve been in a ring against each other or even as a tag-team, like now I feel like when we do it, it’ll be big and big in a different way,\” he added.\”
\”That’s something I look forward to, I also like the idea of us battling each other over who the real \’Best in the World\’ is, I think that sounds like a lot of fun.\”
Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:
Bryan Danielson has had a crazy year. Today, he\’s the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship. It\’s hard to believe that he was main eventing WrestleMania 37 just a few months ago.
The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and opened up about the tail end of his WWE career.
Bryan tells Justin Dhillon and Danial Ali that WrestleMania was a bizarre experience that he\’s still trying to make sense of.
\”The WrestleMania moment was just weird, I really honestly didn’t feel like I belonged in that triple threat match with Roman and Edge,\” he said. \”I thought the story was strong enough on its own for it to be just them.\”
Bryan Danielson Felt Like Dying at WrestleMania
Bryan Danielson\’s WWE contract was set to expire shortly after WrestleMania. He knew he\’d be taking time off from WWE, if not leaving the company entirely.
He wanted to work with someone like Jey Uso at WrestleMania. He would have preferred to put over a younger star in his final big appearance, but WWE management had other plans.
Vince McMahon felt he was best used as the third man in the Reigns vs. Edge main event, so that\’s how things played out.
Bryan Danielson recalls feeling empty at WrestleMania. \”When I walked out for the match at WrestleMania, it felt so empty,\” he said. \”Fans were cheering and all that kind of stuff. When I wrestle, I feel everything.
He questioned if that empty feeling was a premonition that he was about to die.
\”What I remember most about that match is just feeling empty and thinking \’Oh man, I legitimately felt like am I gonna die.\”
– Bryan Danielson
You can listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations below.
SEScoops is proud to announce we\’ve partnered with The Business of the Business podcast.
In addition to our coverage of mainstream wrestling news, we\’re always looking to enhance our content by putting a spotlight on niche aspects of this industry we all love.
Hosts Jon Poz and Lavie Margolin have done a terrific job establishing The Business of the Business as one of the leading podcasts about the financial side of pro wrestling.
We think this is a great fit for the site and hope you\’ll sample the show, which features a guest appearance from \”Webmaster\” Mike.
Episode 52 looks at ticket sales figures and other financial news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, ROH, GCW, and much more.
Shayna Baszler is looking to reboot her WWE career.
Baszler had a very successful run in NXT, including two reigns as NXT Women\’s Champion. She joined the main roster in February 2020. She spent the next year and a half teaming with Nia Jax on the Raw brand. They won the Women\’s Tag titles twice.
A lot has changed over the past couple months. Baszler and Jax broke up. Baszler was drafted to the SmackDown brand and Jax was released by WWE.
The 41-year-old former UFC fighter awaits a new chapter ahead. She\’s ready for a restart and discussed what she has left to accomplish in WWE.
“I mean, I’ve been on Raw the whole time I’ve been here,\” she tells Sportskeeda. \”So, going over to SmackDown, there’s a new locker room and there’s a whole crop of new talent, and on top of like things personally in my career. I’m not in a tag team now. I’ve been in a tag team for a while, so it’s a good way to look at it is that it’s a restart.”
Shayna Baszler\’s Goals in WWE
The former Horsewoman admits that she naturally has sights on the SmackDown women\’s championship. Aside from that, she\’s really looking to re-establish how dangerous she can be for any opponent on the blue brand.
\”Obviously, the title is always a goal for anyone that is in this business. But I really just want to, like we talked about, it’s a restart,\” said Baszler. \”So I just want to reestablish the fact that it’s a dangerous time to be in the ring with me.\”
\”I hadn’t been on a tag team really before. Now that I’m stepping away from that, so to speak, it’s a good time to remind people what I’m about. And maybe even some people that didn’t see my NXT run to just even introduce them to what I’ve been about.\”
She once again mentioned wanting to win the SmackDown women\’s title, but that\’s not her top priority. More than anything, she\’s looking to cement her legacy
\”Obviously, the title is at the top of the picture. But really it’s about stamping my mark and letting people know what I’m about.\”
Wrestling fans who were in attendance for Wednesday\’s AEW Dynamite were treated to some post-show shenanigans after the cameras stopped rolling.
Following the Dynamite and Rampage tapings, AEW President Tony Khan and CM Punk came out to the ring. Punk had Britt Baker\’s red \”leather\” jacket with him, which actually fit better than you might expect.
Punk thanked the Chicago crowd for coming out and once again being one of AEW\’s most vocal and rowdy fanbases.
They announced that AEW will return to Chicago on Wednesday, February 2nd for another live edition of Dynamite. Tickets for that show go on sale this Saturday.
CM Punk said it\’s still surreal to be able to perform in front of the best wrestling fans on earth.
\”The only thing I can really say that means the most is from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much,\” said Punk. \”It’s still surreal and still very, very good to be in front of the best professional wrestling fans in the world.”
Check out this ringside footage of the post-show happenings, courtesy of super-fan Brock Lesnar Guy:
The road to War Games continues tonight on NXT 2.0. It\’s sure to be an eventful broadcast, with three of the brand\’s top champions in action. However, fans should pay close attention to the North American Championship match.
North American champion Carmelo Hayes will put his gold on the line against Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunne. The finish of this triple threat match could say a lot about Gargano\’s future with WWE.
Johnny Wrestling\’s WWE contract is set to expire in just a matter of weeks. The expiration date is believed to be December 3rd. He recently removed all NXT references from his Twitter account. This fueled speculation that Gargano will test his value on the free agency market.
In this week\’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE has \”made a very strong offer\” to keep Gargano with the company for \”a very long time.\”
Tonight\’s triple threat match will speak volumes about his standing with the company. If Gargano wins the title, that would be a strong indication he has re-signed.
If Carmelo Hayes retains, or if Pete Dunne walks away as champion, it\’s safe to say Gargano\’s long-term future with WWE remains questionable at best.
NXT Preview (11/23)
Here\’s the full lineup for tonight\’s WWE NXT 2.0 on the USA Network:
North American Champion Carmelo Hayes defends against Pete Dunne and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grayson Waller (Non-Title Match)
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade (Non-Title Match)
Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta vs. Kayden Carter and Kacy
The show featured some strong in-ring action, a lot of love for The Rock and the mysterious case of Mr. McMahon\’s missing Cleopatra egg. Check out our complete Survivor Series results to catch up on everything you may have missed.
Here are some backstage news items coming out of Survivor Series:
Match Order
Some major changes were made to the match card late Sunday evening. The original plans called for Roman Reigns vs. Big E to open the pay-per-view and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair match to serve as the main event. Those matches were switched, with the women\’s match opening and Reigns vs. Big E closing out the night.
This swap also resulted in other matches being shuffled, specifically the men\’s and women\’s 5-on-5 matches.
Timing
A lot of work goes into the pacing of WWE productions. Pay-per-views might seem like marathon viewing sessions at times, but the company typically has a hard stop-time planned out in advance.
As the night progressed, WWE officials felt things were running long and there was some concern that the main event might have to be cut short. The men\’s 5-on-5 elimination match probably got more time than it needed. In the end, Survivor Series went off the air when it was intended to, so it\’s possible some time was taken from the Reigns vs. Big E match.
Who produced each match?
The following people were in charge of producing the matches at Survivor Series (via PWInsider):
Joseph Park (Abyss) produced the Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest match.
Tyson Kidd produced the Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair match
Shawn Daivari, Adam Pearce and Shane Helms produced the Men’s Survivor Series match
Shane Helms produced the The Usos vs. RK-Bro match
Tyson Kidd and Pat Buck produced the Women’s Survivor Series match
Michael Hayes produced the Roman Reigns vs. Big E. main event
TV Executives Backstage
In addition to members of WWE\’s executive team (including Vince, Stephanie and Nick Khan), there were also several entertainment industry bigwigs on hand for Survivor Series.
Executives from NBCUniversal and FOX were at the show. Additionally, there were some important people from Netflix there as well. The Rock\’s Netflix movie \’Red Notice\’ was a top sponsor of the show.
Crowd Fatigue
We spoke with a few people who were in the building for Survivor Series. The general feeling is that the crowd started off hot, but the commercial spots, video packages and long ring introductions negatively affected the overall pacing of the show.
How many fans were in attendance?
During the Survivor Series broadcast, Michael Cole announced there were 15,120 fans in attendance at the Barclays Center.
It\’s no secret that WWE exaggerates these figures. According to Wrestletix, the venue was configured to accommodate almost 12,0000 fans. Approximately 11,200 tickets for the event, which is still a great turnout.
Roman Reigns is looking to follow in The Rock\’s footsteps and crossover from pro wrestling to the silver screen.
Reigns appeared on the Michael Kay Show this week to promote WWE Survivor Series. When asked about the possibility of an acting career, the Tribal Chief sounds all about it.
\”We’ll have to see,\” Reigns began. \”I think there’s going to be some moves made here pretty soon. There’s always these speculations, these contract talks. All that pushing, that’s my business. People who can dive deep enough, I’m sure they can uncover enough stones to figure out the timeframe, but that’s something I definitely want to dabble in, I want to gain more experience, and I want to use these tools that I’ve learned.\”
Reigns says WWE has done right by him, and he appreciates that. He feels the company has given him so many blessings and opportunities over the years.
Roman Reigns has an eye on Hollywood
The 36-year-old Universal Champion knows he can\’t wrestle forever. He\’s picked up a lot of skills in WWE that he knows will help him in other areas when he decides it\’s time to hang up his boots.
Luckily, there\’s already a blueprint that awaits him, thanks to people like The Rock and John Cena.
\”This is a young man’s game, Reigns continued. \”You can’t fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition, where you can connect and create new, fresh, evolved content for your fan base and your supporters. I think I have the ability to do that.\”
\”At the end of the day, it’s about getting into that game, being thrown into that fire and seeing how you do. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown in the deep end, and if that’s what happens in Hollywood, I’m looking to swim.\”
Reigns has already dabbled in acting. He appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Wrong Missy (2020).
You can listen to Roman Reigns\’ appearance on the Michael Kay Show podcast in the player embedded below:
Jaxson Ryker was one of 8 WWE Superstars released last week. As of this writing, WWE has released over 80 people this calendar year.
After taking a few days to process his WWE departure, Ryker issued a brief statement on Twitter about his future.
Ryker\’s fans can rest assured that they haven\’t seen the last of him. The former Forgotten Son says he\’s excited for his future.
He plans to wrestle on the independent scene (eventually) and is back to using the ring name Gunner.
He thanked WWE for \”5 years of fun\” and expressed gratitude for the love and memories he picked up along the way.
Ryker also cited the bible verse Romans 8:28, which reads: \”And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.\”
Natalya hit a big milestone on Friday\’s episode of SmackDown. The second generation Superstar picked up her 500th career win in WWE.
Natalya teamed up with Shayna Baszler on the show to defeat Naomi and Aliyah. The finish was a bit controversial, due to a fast referee count, but a win is a win.
WWE caught up with the winners backstage after the match. When Baszler mentioned that this was Natalya\’s 500th career win, she said the achievement solidifies her as the \”greatest of all time.\”
You can see footage of the backstage segment here:
Natalya and Baszler will represent Team Smackdown in the 5-on-5 women\’s elimination match at Survivor Series. Check out our official Survivor Series Predictions.
Natalya is not the only WWE Superstar making history this weekend. Randy Orton will also etch his name in the history books Sunday night at the pay-per-view.
Welcome to our WWE Survivor Series predictions. The event takes place this Sunday from Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center. It streams live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network, internationally.
SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Ella Jay and Robert Lentini are here to break down each match and give their predictions for who will survive.
Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. United States Champion Damian Priest
Andrew Ravens: A battle of champions that not a lot of people care about aside from Nakamura’s ring entrance thanks to Pat McAfee and Rick Boogs. Priest has been slowly but steadily pushed since his alliance with Bad Bunny earlier this year when he\’s on TV. Nakamura can lose and it won’t hurt him. (Prediction: Damian Priest)
Robert Lentini: The United States Championship should be a stepping stone for Damien Priest. The time for WWE to push Nakamura came and went when he won the Royal Rumble in 2018. Damian Priest is 39 and I’d like to think he picks up the win on Sunday and starts moving up the card in short order. (Prediction: Damian Priest)
Ella Jay: Priest will continue his solid run as United States Champion by defeating Nakamura here. Excited to see if Rick Boogs will play any deciding factor in this matchup. (Prediction: Damien Priest)
Consensus: Damien Priest (3-0)
Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
Robert Lentini: Randy Orton and Riddle are the perfect “can they coexist?!” tag team. Riddle has been getting pinned routinely and it is only a matter of time before this team falls apart. The Usos isolate Riddle and win the match. After the bell, Orton will tease an RKO on Riddle but changes his mind. Orton won’t hesitate once RK-Bro drop the tag titles. (Prediction: The Usos)
Ella Jay: This match may mark the beginning of the dissension of RK-Bro, with Riddle possible turning on Orton, but The Usos will begin some momentum for Team Smackdown with this victory. (Prediction: The Usos)
Andrew Ravens: The Usos have been put in an interesting place on the card as Roman Reigns is their leader and the alliance keeps them in the main event scene, but they do drop defeats quite often. If Vince McMahon is going for, putting smiles on the faces of fans, then the babyfaces go over and I can absolutely see that happening here. (Prediction: Randy Orton and Matt Riddle)
Consensus: The Usos (2-1)
Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shayna Bazler, Shotzi Blackheart, Natalya, and TBA) vs. Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Zelina Vega)
Ella Jay: Banks and Shotzi’s animosity may cause a huge elimination for their team, and allow team RAW to capture the victory. Liv Morgan will continue her momentum as one of the sole survivors, alongside Bianca Belair. Asuka perhaps will be the final addition to team Smackdown. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Andrew Ravens: An okay match on paper and for the sake of all fans, let’s hope they lean heavy on the good workers and it turns out to be a pretty decent match. I see SmackDown going over with Belair and Ripley standing as the last two for their team and sweeping the competition. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
Robert Lentini: There are multiple superstars on both brands that could attack their teammates at any moment during this match. I’m sure that will happen but ultimately Bianca Belair will lead Team RAW to victory in impressive fashion. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Consensus: Team Raw (2-1)
Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Theory, and Bobby Lashley) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Xavier Woods, TBA, and Baron Corbin)
Andrew Ravens: Obviously, the outcome of this match doesn’t matter but how they get to the finish is the interesting part. Last year, Team Raw swept the men’s team and on paper aside from Drew McIntyre, WWE’s second biggest male star, SmackDown doesn’t have a lot of credible talent. I see another clean sweep with McIntyre being the last to fall against the odds. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Ella Jay: Expecting a few shocking early eliminations here, perhaps King Woods unleashes fury onto Bobby Lashley and rolls him up early?? Smackdown may fall in numbers then, with Hardy and McIntyre being the final two for the blue brand. Overall, RAW will likely take this victory with Balor and Rollins (or possibly just Rollins himself) as the sole survivor(s). No idea who Smackdown’s last member could be. Kofi Kingston? (Prediction: Team Raw)
Robert Lentini: Team RAW has the much better team on paper. However, Seth Rollins is far more concerned with being #1 contender and a future shot at the WWE Championship. Kevin Owens also has issues with WWE Champion Big E and seems to think everyone against him. Team SmackDown will win as a result of Team RAW imploding towards the end of the match. Drew McIntyre will be the last man standing for Team SmackDown. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
Consensus: Team Raw (2-1)
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair
Ella Jay: My biggest question mark, as I don’t see either talent going over or losing cleanly here. Becky Lynch has been fairly protected since returning to in-ring competition, while Charlotte Flair has also dominated since recapturing singles gold. The bitter rivalry will be on full display between these two competitors, with the action ensuing outside the ring perhaps, resulting in a double count-out possibly. (Prediction: DRAW via Double Countout)
Robert Lentini: This match has created the most buzz with rumors of Lynch & Flair having a falling out in real life. My prediction is that the crowd will be incredibly loud for this one and Charlotte will get the win. Becky Lynch can explain the loss away in a promo on RAW the following night and continue her feud with Liv Morgan. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair)
Andrew Ravens: A match that we have seen before and without the backstage drama that played out last month with no footage, it all comes down to speculation about whether the match will be smooth or not. These are two pros at the top of their games so that’s not a real possibility. Flair should eat the loss here because she will be fine with it in storyline, but when it comes to Flair, we all know the company likes to protect her so I have Flair going over. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair)
Consensus: Charlotte Flair (2-0-1)
WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Andrew Ravens: A main event with not much buzz and clear outcome with Reigns going over. Big E didn’t have a long enough title reign or even built up to where he is now in the last two weeks to be a credible threat to beat “The Big Dog.” I can see some outside interference with The New Day and The Usos to further the program that has been playing out on SmackDown. Either way, Reigns wins. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Robert Lentini: Big E will hold his own against The Tribal Chief but ultimately will fall short. The Usos or Kevin Owens could interfere and help Reigns. Brock Lesnar could show up during or after the match and attack Roman. Either way, Roman Reigns is the biggest star in the professional wrestling business right now and there’s no reason to hand him a loss. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Ella Jay: Much love to Big E, but Roman Reigns has absolutely been unstoppable this year. Even though this is a non-title matchup, Reigns will look to dominate and earn a second win for Team Smackdown here. The Bloodline may end up securing the only wins for the blue brand. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Consensus: Roman Reigns (3-0)
There you have it. We want to know what you think about our Survivor Series predictions, as well as your own. Hit up the comments section and let us know.
Edge undergoes a rigorous self-care routine in order to remain an active in-ring competitor at 48 years old.
The Rated R Superstar and his wife Beth Phoenix appeared on Tuesday\’s edition of Busted Open Radio on Sirius XM. The Hall of Fame couple spoke with hosts Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray about a wide variety of topics.
Phoenix discussed NXT 2.0, her new music career, and the heated rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.
Edge talked about the second chapter of his in-ring career. The Rated R Superstar was forced into retirement in 2011 due to a neck injury. He made a surprise return in 2020. He\’s learned some important lessons along the way.
\”You know, what I think I’ve learned is that the self-care and recuperation just takes longer,\” said Edge. \”So before, when you can do it every night, that’s not the case anymore.\”
\”Now, you know, after a match and I’m like, ‘Okay, I feel great. Maybe I could do one more the next day,’ but that’s pretty rare. It’s usually a good two-to-three weeks until I’m like, ‘Okay, all right. I think everything’s knocked out of my system.’\”
Edge\’s Wellness Routine
Edge explained that he has to undergo an extensive routine of recovery exercises to remain an active competitor. Cryotherapy, ice baths and yoga are just a few things he does to keep his body feeling good.
\”The cryotherapy I did, the sauna, I did cold plunges, I stretched, I did yoga, I did massage, all of those things that I never did before. Now they’re a necessity.”
You can listen to Beth Phoenix and Edge\’s appearance on Busted Open Radio in the player embedded below:
![\"Killer](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/killer-kross.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/12/image-1-1200x675.png\")
![\"\"/](\"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDfrofXX0AUf8jV?format=jpg&name=small\")
![\"MJF](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/punk-mjf.jpg\")
![\"Carmelo](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/12/carmelo-hayes-1.jpg\")
![\"CM](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/cm-punk-daniel-bryan-2.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/EyvhAC5XIAEaPrV.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/xcbdfhdf43ffsdgd.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/2nxt-3.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FESOf1jWYAUL-t4.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FESRwWTXEAA7-S8-1.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FESDnIbXwAQqGLK.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FESJU-CWQAUCysN.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FETwLCIXoAAUGMG.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/11/FESRwWUWYAAHqpw.jpg\")