Braun Strowman and Ricochet were opponents on this week\’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX, but proved to be formidable allies after the show.
During the show, Ricochet got a huge win over Strowman to advance to the finals of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament.
Ricochet, representing the United States, will face Santos Escobar (Mexico) in the finals on next week\’s show, with the winner earning a title match against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.
After SmackDown
Ricochet\’s win over Strowman was far from clean, as GUNTHER and Imperium were at ringside and ensured that Braun did not win the match.
After the match, Imperium attacked Strowman, and while at first conflicted, Ricochet made the save on the man he had previously beaten.
Once SmackDown went off the air, Braun and Ricochet teamed up to face Imperium\’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.
Despite their differences on TV, Strowman and Ricochet got the win to send the crowd home happy.
Strowman\’s loss came as a shock to some fans, but it may have been more than just WWE\’s creative plans that caused this booking decision.
After losing to Ricochet, his first loss since returning to WWE in early September, fans online speculated that this was a punishment for the former Universal Champion.
Strowman earned considerable heat with fans and wrestlers after his \’flippy floppy\’ comments on Twitter, in which he mocked indie wrestling and wrestlers.
It has been reported that while Strowman has been nothing but good at WWE events \’Social Media Braun\’ has proven to be a problem for WWE\’s higher-ups.
Fans of Arianna Grace will have to keep on waiting for the second-generation Superstar, who isn\’t expected to return until the spring of next year.
Grace, real name Bianca Carelli, signed with WWE in February 2022, and received the Grace name in April of this year.
Last month, Grace suffered an injury, which was later reported to be a torn ACL.
Recovery
Grace isn\’t just a WWE Superstar, but is a second-generation Superstar, as she is the daughter of Santino Marella.
Speaking to Fightful, the ex-Intercontinental Champion said that Grace will be sidelined for the remainder of this year, and they are hopeful for a spring return.
Marella added that he is also fine with his daughter not using the Marella name, as he wants her to carve her own path in WWE, without being compared to him.
The Marella surname is actually a tribute to Gorilla Monsoon (Robert James Marella) who worked for decades in wrestling before his passing in 1999.
Santino Marella is excited for his daughter to get back in the ring, but don\’t expect to see the pair in mixed-tag team action.
In the same interview, Santino said that while he remains active in the ring, his days as a wrestler are behind him as far as a career goes.
Marella is open to working as a producer or color commentator but said he wants to raise his children and is worried about the risk of injury.
Santino made his main roster debut in 2007, being pulled from the crowd as a \’fan\’ and defeating then-Intercontinental Champion Umaga, albeit thanks to Bobby Lashley.
Sami Zayn was confident that his work in the Bloodline would go well, but even he has been blown away by just how popular it has been.
Zayn has been aligned with the faction for months now and was crowned the Honorary Uce on SmackDown last month by Roman Reigns.
Tomorrow night, Zayn and the rest of the Bloodline will enter WarGames against the Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens.
5 Funniest Moments of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline in WWE
Strange Beginnings
Prior to becoming an official member, Zayn had been trying to worm his way into the group for months.
Speaking on After the Bell, Zayn explained how at first glimpse, the idea of a Syrian-Canadian being part of the Anoa\’I wrestling dynasty must seem odd.
\”It\’s not something you predict ahead of time. It\’s not something that you want to see or would think would make sense. But in the execution [it has worked.]
\”The concept is a bit strange. All the Bloodline is a family, and here\’s this person who is clearly not family. The whole thing doesn\’t make sense on paper. But it\’s the perfect example of when things work in execution more than they do on paper.\”
\”All the Bloodline is a family, and here\’s this person who is clearly not family.\”
Sami Zayn on his role with The Bloodline.
The Execution
On paper, Sami Zayn in the Bloodline shouldn\’t work, but not only has it worked, but it has become arguably the most popular act in WWE today.
Zayn admitted that the execution of the idea has proven to be the difference maker, and it\’s not the first time that a strange idea has been pulled off by the right person.
\”There are so many things that I think you could say the same about. The easiest one that we often fall back to, just as an example: the People\’s Elbow. If you wrote down \’Rock comes up with a new move called the People\’s Elbow, where he stands over the guy and does this,\’ it doesn\’t read like something that\’s going to become iconic.\”
\”It\’s the execution. It\’s the performer, the time, and the place, and all these variables that make it magic and make it special.\”
Sami Zayn.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1 in 2020, Triple H, the first recipient of the People\’s Elbow, said that The Rock invented the move as a way to make his opponents crack up and break character.
Exceeding Expectations
Sami Zayn spent years as a lovable underdog babyface, but it is perhaps his role as the heelish Honorary Uce, that has proven to be his most popular work.
When asked, Zayn said he was confident in his own abilities, but he could not predict just how \’over\’ his role in the Bloodline has been.
\”I\’m not entirely surprised at the success of the segments that we\’ve done, but it has still exceeded my expectations.\”
\”I knew it would be good, but I didn\’t think that fans would take to it the way they have.\”
Sami Zayn.
Zayn has proven to be so popular, that fans were chanting for him in Saudi Arabia, despite Sami not attending any Saudi shows due to his Syrian heritage.
LA Knight may be impressing fans with his actions on SmackDown, but he isn\’t destined to hold the Money in the Bank briefcase just yet.
Knight was called up to the main roster in April this year, originally as Max Dupri, the heel manager of the Maximum Male Models.
Ditching the name in favor of his NXT moniker, Knight recently began a feud with Bray Wyatt.
Money in the Bank
Recently, it was rumored that Knight has been penciled in to win the Men\’s 2023 Money in the Bank Ladder match, earning himself a future World Champion.
Knight is rumored to be a favorite of WWE\’s Head of Creative and Talent Triple H, but this hasn\’t guaranteed him the briefcase.
One source within WWE who spoke to Fightful Select said that while they like Knight, there are no plans for him to win Money in the Bank at this time.
The source added that there are no \”definitive plans across the board for months down the line,\” never mind picking a specific person to win the briefcase.
It was also said that Knight winning the Men\’s contract next year could happen, as he is a \”great performer\” but nothing has been confirmed or even discussed yet.
Austin Theory
Austin Theory is the most recent holder of the Men\’s Money in the Bank contract but failed in his cash-in on U.S. Champion Seth Rollins.
Speaking to Fightful, the source added that if WWE really wanted Knight to hold the briefcase, it would have been easy for Theory to lose his contract to the former Million Dollar Champion.
Since losing his match with Rollins, a much more serious Theory has attacked the U.S. Champion, and both he and Bobby Lashley will challenge for the title at WWE Survivor Series WarGames.
WWE\’s Premium Live Event calendar is expected to undergo a major overhaul next year, as part of the promotion\’s new regime.
Since Vince McMahon\’s retirement, Triple H has been appointed as both head of Creative, replacing McMahon, and head of Talent Relations, replacing John Laurinaitis.
The Game\’s tenure in the roles has seen multiple ex-Superstars brought back and remove rules on certain \’banned\’ terms.
Premium Live Events
Last month, it was reported that WWE\’s annual Hell in a Cell event is \”completely dead,\” as part of Triple H\’s plan to scrap stipulation events.
Instead, high-profile stipulations will be used when the storyline demands, an idea that has gone down well with fans.
There have been rumors that WWE could also scrap the annual Money in the Bank event, and would likely host the two ladder matches on each night of WrestleMania.
Fightful Select asked several members of creative and higher-ups in WWE, who said that the idea of scrapping Money in the Bank as an event hasn\’t come across their desks as of yet.
The report added that the idea of ending the Premium Live Event, which has been a staple since 2010 \”isn\’t impossible.\”
Other Shows
Even if WWE Money in the Bank is safe, many Premium Live Events may not be as lucky.
Starting in 2009, WWE introduced several stipulation-based Premium Live Events which may now face the ax.
Elimination Chamber is likely to go, as, like Hell in a Cell, it is a stipulation close to the heart of Triple H.
Not only did the Game compete in the first three Chamber matches, but he also won the second one in Summerslam 2003.
Other events that could go include WWE TLC and WWE Extreme Rules.
Ric Flair is excited to see how he is portrayed in \’Iron Claw,\’ the much-anticipated biopic about the lives of the Von Erich wrestling family.
The patriarch of the family, Fritz Von Erich, would not only be a wrestler but have six children, five of whom would enter the wrestling business themselves.
To this day, the Von Erich family is still involved with wrestling, with Marshall and Ross Von Erich competing for MLW.
Flair
During the 1980s, Ric Flair would prove to be one of the most fierce rivals of Kerry Von Erich, and the two battled several times over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
The two would often wrestle to a 60-Minute time-limit draw, and it has been confirmed that Flair will be portrayed in the movie by actor Aaron Dean Eisenberg.
On the latest To Be The Man podcast, Flair was asked what he makes to Eisenberg, best known for his role in TV\’s \’Public Morals.\’
“I don’t know much about him, but I know they called me to talk to him on the phone and I was traveling and never got to talk to him, so I haven’t met and I haven’t talked to him.
\”But I’ll tell you this, if they do an accurate depiction of what the Von Erich family went through, this is going to be one of the greatest stories ever told in wrestling history because there was so much damn history with that family.”
Iron Claw
Iron Claw is the latest major project from A24, the independent film-making studio behind The Lighthouse, The Green Knight, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The film will also feature Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman, Extremely Wicked) as Kevin Von Erich, one of Fritz\’ children.
AEW World Champion MJF has been cast as Lance Von Erich, who was not a real Von Erich but a wrestler who portrayed a cousin of the family.
The casting of MJF is an interesting choice, given that Lance was not known for being a good wrestler, had little charisma, and struggled on the mic.
How long can a champion be a champion if they don\’t defend their championship?
This year has seen AEW plagued with several prominent injuries, including to two of the promotion\’s champions.
In June, then-AEW World Champion CM Punk announced his injury, and an Interim AEW World Championship was later won by Jon Moxley.
In September, then-AEW Women\’s World Champion Thunder Rosa announced her injury, and the Interim AEW Women\’s World title was won by Toni Storm.
Time Limit
During last night\’s AEW Dynamite, it was announced that Thunder Rosa had agreed to relinquish her AEW Women\’s World Championship.
This makes Jamie Hayter (who dethroned Storm at Ful Gear) the Undisputed AEW Women\’s World Champion, despite Punk never vacating his title.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained the unofficial time frame to determine when a title will be vacated, or when an interim champion will be crowned.
\”I think that’s kind of unofficially the mentality that if it’s a few months we’ll do the interim title, if it’s like six months, it’s too long.\”
Dave Meltzer.
Storm\’s Official Reign
It was at All Out that Toni Storm captured the Interim AEW Women\’s World Champion, but the records have now been changed.
During Dynamite, it was confirmed by commentary that with Rosa vacating the title, that has retroactively altered Storm\’s reign.
Now, Toni Storm is recognized as an official AEW Women\’s World Champion and not an interim holder of the title.
With Storm\’s official reign beginning at All Out, it is unclear if the September event is recognized as when Rosa\’s reign ended, or if it officially ended this week.
Scrypts has, at last, arrived in WWE NXT, but the inspiration for the character comes from one of the promotion\’s most problematic fans.
For weeks, voice messages left at WWE\’s Performance Center teased the arrival of Scrypts, a seemingly anarchist threat vowing to destroy NXT as we know it.
On this week\’s episode, Scrypts made his in-ring debut, defeating Guru Raaj.
Stalker
In 2015, Armando Montalvo was arrested and shot outside WWE\’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and charged with trespassing.
Prior to his arrest, Montalvo had showed up at the center and would make a scene, often smearing feces on the side of the building.
Speaking on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Montalvo proved to be somewhat of an inspiration for the Scrypts character.
\”Do you remember the real stalker who was defecating on the premises and doing all that crazy stuff and he was arrested multiple times? That was the gimmick that inspired [Scrypts.] that idiot inspired a gimmick that’s out there doing flips.”
Dave Meltzer.
In 2018, WWE was granted a permanent order of protection, after Montalvo made posts on social media that were perceived to be threats against the company and talent.
Despite this, Montalvo remains active on social media, often tagging WWE personnel in posts.
While Scrypts has (thankfully!) not smeared feces on the Performance Center, the wrestler did graffiti his name on the PC in one of his promo vignettes.
Scrypts
Despite wearing a mask, many have identified Scrypts as four-time former WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie.
Originally Carmella\’s sommelier Reginald, Reggie got \’engaged\’ to Dana Brooke earlier this year, and the ceremony took place on the April 18, episode of Raw.
After Reggie pinned Brooke during the ceremony to win the 24/7 title, the two \’divorced\’ in his final appearance before debuting as Scrypts.
AEW\’s Saraya went to drastic measures to ensure her debut for the promotion would not be leaked online.
The British wrestler made her debut for AEW at the Grand Slam: Dynamite in September of this year, mere months after her contract with WWE expired.
At Full Gear, Saraya, now medically cleared, had her first match in five years, defeating Britt Baker.
Hiding
Saraya\’s debut came as a shock to fans, as there had been no leaks or even reports that she was considering joining the promotion.
Speaking on the latest AEW Unrestricted, the former Paige recalled making sure that nobody would find out, saying she had to hide in a tech closet to avoid being seen.
“There was no toilet in there. There was no AC in there. There’s no mirrors. I was just like sweating, but I was like, ‘This is gonna be so worth it!’”
Saraya.
It has since been reported that WWE\’s new regime did make an attempt to bring her back, even offering her the chance to wrestle again.
Working with Renee
Part of Saraya\’s decision to join AEW stemmed from being able to work with her former colleagues again, as AEW is home to several ex-WWE talent.
During her tenure on WWE Backstage, the former Divas Champion worked with Renee Paquette, who joined AEW last month.
Speaking about the Canadian broadcaster, Saraya expressed her excitement to work with Paquette again.
“We’re all like bouncing ideas off each other, and she comes up with such good lines for my promo and for backstages. It’s like a whole unit.”
Saraya.
Like Saraya, WWE made an attempt to rehire Paquette under the new regime, the broadcaster has confirmed.
CM Punk didn\’t appear on this week\’s AEW Dynamite, but his presence was certainly felt on Tony Khan\’s latest episode on TBS.
Punk has been missing from AEW programming since All Out, due to the backstage fight that took place after the September Pay-Per-View.
With the third-party investigation into the matter concluded, the Elite have been brought back to TV, but it is believed that Punk\’s days with AEW are coming to an end.
Dynamite
This week\’s AEW Dynamite saw the Elite face AEW Trios Champions Death Triangle in the second match of their best-of-seven series.
Throughout the match, the Elite made reference to Punk and what happened at All Out.
At one point, Kenny Omega bit Pac\’s arm, referencing Punk\’s trainer Ace Steel biting his arm during the All Out brawl.
Later in the match, Omega would also use the GTS, while Matt Jackson would deliberately fail to hit a Buckshot Lariat, a move Punk messed up during his All Out bout with Jon Moxley.
The Death Triangle would win on Dynamite, going 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
The Response
The Elite made plenty of references to Punk, despite Kenny Omega\’s recent comments that people should move on from All Out.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said these digs did not go unnoticed by Punk\’s camp.
\”Man, I know that there are people close to cm punk. Boy were they not happy with that six-man tag.\”
Dave Meltzer.
Punk has not publicly commented on this week\’s AEW Dynamite at this time.
It has been reported that many in AEW have refused to work with the former World Champion again if he is brought back.
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill is a wrestler unlike any other in the industry today, according to ex-WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr.
Cargill, who previously tried out for WWE, joined AEW in November 2020 and had her debut match in March 2021.
Teaming with Shaquille O\’Neal to defeat Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet in her debut, Cargill remains unpinned and unsubmitted in AEW.
The Loss
In January of this year, Cargill added another impressive accolade to her young career, capturing the AEW TBS Championship.
At Full Gear, Cargill retained against Nyla Rose, and regained the championship title that Rose had stolen weeks earlier.
Speaking about Cargill on the latest episode of Wrestling with Freddie, the actor/wrestling pundit spoke about when Cargill\’s first loss should happen.
\”I really hope they give her a meaningful storyline, and I guess maybe, you save it until she loses [the AEW TBS Title.] And then it\’s sort of her story of redemption. Maybe that\’s what they\’re waiting on.\”
The Unicorn
Prinze is a big fan of Cargill but is not a big fan of the booking she has received in AEW.
Speaking about the booking of the AEW TBS Champion, Prinze argued that Jade needs to be treated differently given how she is different from others on the roster.
Maybe some of y\’all have enjoyed the storylines for her. But I just think when you have a unicorn you have to treat that beast differently than any other.
\”Lions and tigers and bears are cool, but a Unicorn, a Minotaur, a Cerberus. They\’re magic, and they\’re treated that way in the stories I read as a kid. And that\’s what Jade is, she\’s a Unicorn.\”
\”When you have a unicorn you have to treat that beast differently than any other.\”
Freddie Prinze Jr. on Jade Cargill.
Cargill and the Baddies have recently been at odds with rapper Bow Wow, with some expecting a match between the two down the line.
This week\’s AEW Dynamite may have been in CM Punk\’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, but not everyone in the Windy City is a fan of the former World Champion.
Punk hasn\’t appeared for AEW since All Out, and was suspended after the show for his role in the backstage fight.
With the investigation into the matter concluded, it is believed that Punk\’s time with the company is finished, with reports that AEW are seeking to buy out his contract.
Dynamite Chants
Even before this week\’s Dynamite began, the Elite were expecting a feisty crowd, as the Young Bucks\’ Twitter profile reflected.
Sure enough, the crowd was full of chants during the Elite\’s match with AEW Trios Champions Death Triangles, as chants of \”F*** The Elite!\” were heard when Omega and the Bucks were on offense.
Becky Lynch is getting in fighting shape, ahead of her rumored return to WWE programming on this Friday\’s SmackDown.
Lynch last competed at Summerslam 2022, marking a year since her return from pregnancy, where she unsuccessfully challenged Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair.
The Man suffered a shoulder injury during the title match, which has kept her on the shelf ever since.
Training
Lynch hasn\’t competed on WWE TV in close to four months, but the former champion remains in impressive physical condition.
In one of her Instagram stories, Lynch shared that she was in Ireland at the time, and has been training at The Edge Gym with trainer James Swann.
The Return
Lynch may have been in her native Ireland this week, but she is expected to be in Providence, Rhode Island tomorrow night.
WWE has confirmed that the fifth woman for Team Bianca ahead of this Saturday\’s Survivor Series WarGames event will be revealed on tomorrow\’s SmackDown.
It has been reported that Lynch will be the final woman in the WarGames match, and will team with Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Mia Yim.
The group will go up against Team Damage, consisting of Damage CTRL\’s Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY, as well as Nikki Cross and the Judgment Day\’s Rhea Ripley.
This Saturday\’s Premium Live Event will mark the first use of WarGames on the main roster, after previously featuring the iconic wrestling match type at WWE NXT events.
Talent from four of the biggest promotions in the world will come together for Wrestle Kingdom.
The show, scheduled for January 4, 2023, will be the seventeenth Wrestle Kingdom event, New Japan\’s biggest annual event.
Next year\’s show will mark the first time since 2019 that Wrestle Kingdom will take place on one day.
Karl Anderson
Earlier this week, it was reported that WWE Raw Superstar Karl Anderson will defend his NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the World Tag League/Super Junior Tag League finals on Wednesday, December 14.
Anderson was previously scheduled to defend his title at NJPW Battle Autumn but instead competed at WWE Crown Jewel, which took place the same day.
In an update from Fightful Select, it is reported that NJPW and WWE have agreed that next month won\’t be Anderson\’s last match in Japan, and that he will work the Tokyo Dome.
Sources who spoke to Fightful said Gallows and Anderson have \”always been penciled in\” to compete at Wrestle Kingdom, despite reports of tension.
Gallows and Anderson had committed to working these dates for New Japan before their WWE returns in October and before leaving Impact Wrestling in August.
The Four
Having (at least) two WWE Superstars compete at Wrestle Kingdom is a huge deal, but just part of a stacked show.
Of course, New Japan\’s own talent will be competing at the show, but so will names from AEW and Stardom.
AEW\’s Kenny Omega will challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay.
KAIRI, who recently became the first IWGP Women\’s Champion, will defend her title against fellow STARDOM wrestler Tam Nakano.
Road Dogg Jesse James is WWE\’s Senior Vice President of Live Events but is remorseful for taking the role from Jeff Jarrett.
In May of this year, Jarrett was rehired by WWE for the role and would appear on screen in July as a special guest referee at Summerslam 2022.
Mere weeks after officiating The Usos vs. The Street Profits, Jarrett was released from the company, and Road Dogg served as his replacement.
Sorry
Before being appointed WWE\’s Senior VP of Live Events, Road Dogg worked for years as a producer and writer for WWE.
Speaking on the latest episode of \’Oh You Didn\’t Know,\’ the New Age Outlaw addressed his time backstage, and how names can be cut for seemingly no reason.
\”Look, you can be doing your job, and one day someone not like it, and the next day you\’re not there.\”
Road Dogg Jesse James.
When James\’ co-host Conrad Thompson joked that Jarrett used the same line after losing the SVP role, Road Dogg saw the funny side but was apologetic.
\”[Laughs] Bless his heart, I\’m so sorry. It hurts me when you say that. But I bet it hurts him a hell of a lot more. [Laughs] I\’m so sorry Jeff.\”
Road Dogg Jesse James.
Jeff Jarrett is All-Elite
Jarrett\’s return to WWE was short-lived but the \’Chosen One\’ has bounced back nicely.
On the November 2, 2022, Dynamite, Jarrett debuted for AEW, his first televised appearance for a wrestling show on TBS since the final WCW Monday Nitro in March 2001.
At AEW Full Gear, Double-J made his AEW in-ring debut, teaming with Jay Lethal against Sting and Darby Allin in a losing effort.
Damian Priest has proven himself in WWE as part of NXT and the main roster and has seemingly caught the eye of Hollywood.
Priest debuted on the main roster as part of the 2021 Men\’s Royal Rumble match and captured the United States Championship at Summerslam that same year.
Earlier this year, Priest turned heel and aligned himself with The Judgment Day, which consists of himself, Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, and Dominik Mysterio.
Damian Priest – King of Talokan
Earlier this month, Marvel Studios released Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a sequel to the 2018 film Black Panther.
Fightful Select reports that Priest was asked by Marvel to read for the role of Namor, the primary antagonist of the film.
The iconic Marvel antihero made his comic-book debut in Marvel Comics #1 back in October 1939.
The report adds that Priest was also considered for a role as one of the other \”featured members\” of Namor\’s kingdom, the Talokan.
Priest has no official acting credits to his name, and it is unclear whether he attended the line reading.
The Judgment Day member does not appear in the film, with Namor instead being played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta.
Wrestling and Comic Books
Priest is not the latest high-profile name to join the MCU, but the world of wrestling and Comic Book movies are linked.
In Marvel\’s Cinematic Universe, Batista has made several appearances as Drax the Destroyer, part of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
\’Macho Man\’ Randy Savage played Bonesaw McGraw in the 2002 Spider-Man film, while NJPW/WCW name Tyler Mane would play Sabertooth in the 2000 X-Men film.
For DC Comics, The Rock wowed audiences earlier this year with his work as Black Adam, while John Cena plays Peacemaker in 2021\’s The Suicide Squad and the HBO Peacemaker series.
WWE Survivor Series WarGames will be watched live and in person by The Undertaker, PW Insider reports.
This Saturday will mark the latest Survivor Series event, and the first since 1994 not to happen on a Sunday.
The report adds that the Phenom\’s wife Michelle McCool will also be in attendance for the event.
It is noted that the duo will be backstage, and it is not specified whether an on-screen appearance could happen.
The Undertaker famously debuted at Survivor Series 1990 as part of Ted DiBiase\’s Million Dollar Team.
Who Won\’t be There?
The Undertaker and McCool will be at Survivor Series WarGames, but not every big star will be in town.
In the report, PW Insider adds that there is no confirmation on whether Sasha Banks, Naomi, or Charlotte Flair will be at the event.
All three women have been missing from WWE TV since May, with Banks and Naomi absent due to being suspended following their May 16, Raw walkout.
Flair has been missing since losing the SmackDown Women\’s Championship at WrestleMania Backlash.
While all three would be fine additions to Team Bianca, it is believed that the fifth woman for the Women\’s War Games match will be someone else. Click here to find out.
Survivor Series WarGames
This Saturday will mark WWE\’s annual Survivor Series event, which for the first time ever, will use WarGames matches.
Undertaker and McCool have a stacked show to enjoy, including two WarGames matches.
SmackDown Women\’s Champion Ronda Rousey will defend against Shotzi, while Finn Balor will take on AJ Styles.
As confirmed on Raw, U.S. Champion Seth Rollins will defend against Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory.
The \”egos\” of certain Superstars in WWE squandered the much-anticipated dream match between WWE\’s Four Horsewomen and the Four Horsewomen in MMA.
In May 2018, Marina Shafir signed with WWE, alongside fellow MMA alum Jessamyn Duke.
Aiding Shayna Baszler in NXT, the trio was considered part of the Four Horsewomen of MMA, alongside Ronda Rousey.
Egos
For years, WWE fans hoped on an eight-woman tag match, which would have pitted the Four Horsewomen of MMA against Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Bayley.
Of course, the match never happened, and on the latest episode of The Sessions, Shafir gave her reason why.
\”Egos were at play. I\’ve learned that there are too many f***ing cooks in the kitchen sometimes. In more ways than one.\”
Shafir didn\’t name which Superstar had an ego that stopped the match happening, but didn\’t hold back when addressing WWE\’s Four Horsewomen of wrestling.
\”I just feel like professional wrestling was a little more exclusive back in the day. It wasn\’t about politicking. It was really just about showing respect and not kissing ass.\”
Transition
Before coming to WWE, Shafir made her name in MMA, and formerly competed for Invicta Fighting Championships in the women\’s featherweight division.
Shafir\’s last fight would come in 2015, three years before signing with WWE, and the Moldovan wrestler had an interesting analogy for knowing she needed to fight again.
\”You know that feeling when you need to go pee? I felt like I needed to f***ing pee but I couldn\’t go. It just felt like I had this internal pressure to go [and wrestle] and I couldn\’t do it.\”
Shafir would only have six sanctioned matches for WWE before her release in the summer of last year.
Release
Shafir hadn\’t competed on WWE programming in close to half a year by the time of her release, but this was something the wrestler was trying to change.
On the show, Shafir said that she was constantly trying to prove herself to WWE, which proved to be difficult given she wasn\’t being booked.
\”I was in the best shape of my life [when I got released.] And it threw me through a loop, because I consistently asked for more pressure… Just use me. There was something going on with Jess and Shayna was doing her own thing. Use me. Give me that experience, I\’m not afraid of failure.
\”You see the great ones. They\’ve been put in those positions for a reason, because they have failed, and they then learned.\”
Bad First Start
For many WWE Superstars, their early days with WWE will see them get endorsed by Triple H, who has shaken hands with countless wrestlers to welcome them to the company.
Shafir never got such a photo, which remains a sticking point for the Moldovan fighter all these years later.
\”I felt like I never got a proper introduction. I can f***ing talk about this now. You know the photos, when you get signed to NXT with Triple H and he\’s shaking the hand? I never got that photo. And that just sat with me. I wanted that f***ing photo. It meant a lot to me.\”
\”I wanted that f***ing photo. It meant a lot to me.\”
Marina Shafir on not getting the WWE welcome photo with Triple H.
Since her release, Shafir has since joined AEW, where she has challenged for both the Women\’s World title and TBS title, but won neither championship.
AEW President Tony Khan is adamant that CM Punk did not force or pressure him to remove Colt From AEW TV, but the wrestlers aren\’t buying it.
After Punk\’s arrival to the promotion in August 2021, Cabana, once Punk\’s best friend, stopped appearing on Dynamite and Rampage.
Earlier this month, Cabana had his first AEW TV match in close to a year, unsuccessfully challenging Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho.
Doubt
Given that Cabana\’s return came amid reports that AEW will release Punk, it\’s not surprising that many believe he only vanished from TV because of Punk.
Speaking at the Full Gear media scrum, Khan denied that Punk requested Cabana\’s removal, saying he \”never asked for that.\”
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer said that many in AEW are skeptical of Khan\’s claim.
\”CM Punk is, and he’s always been, very adamant that he had nothing to do with it. Tony said that Punk has had nothing to do with it… that story is not going to change publicly one way or the other.
\”The skepticism, and it’s vehement from a lot of people, as far as the skepticism of that story. So it’s not like that thing has been settled in the eyes of, I can’t say all the talent, but a lot of the talent [are skeptical.]\”
\”A lot of the talent [are skeptical.]\”
Dave Meltzer on AEW\’s roster doubting Tony Khan saying CM Punk did not influence him.
“Even today, I just got something that was just like, ‘Can’t you just see? Isn’t it obvious?’ It’s not like they’re speculating, they believe that they know the story. That’s basically that, I’m sure that one will never go away.”
Plans
After Cabana\’s return, it was reported that his appearance was a \’morale booster\’ for the AEW roster following what transpired at AEW All Out.
Unfortunately for Khan, Colt\’s appearance on Dynamite has made things worse with Punk who remains adamant that he did not influence Khan.
At this time, it is believed that Punk is still under contract, with merchandise of his being sold by AEW within the past week.
Fresh off her title defense at AEW Full Gear, TBS Champion Jade Cargill has confronted popular rapper Bow Wow.
Footage from Pierre Pope’s Instagram Story shows Cargill, Grey and Hogan yelling at the rapper who was meeting fans at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.
Before things could get physical, security quickly escorted Cargill, Keira Hogan and Leila Grey, away from the rapper.
In October of this year, Bow Wow said that he\’d love to get a spot on the All Elite Wrestling roster, and hopes Tony Khan will make it happen.
On Twitter, the rapper and Cargill have taken shots at each other, as seen in the tweets below.
Yo @Jade_Cargill so you was at the same arena yesterday that im playing tonight and skipped outta town so fast. I wanted to see that slow ass kick in person. Oh im sorry.. good morning
You not even a REAL champ. I got 50,000$ you wont make it to 50-0 you gone have to go have that meeting with hubby. Being you brag about his wallet and not YOURS! ? https://t.co/K7ikjsKVx3
For as long as mankind (no, not Mick Foley) has been around, the human race has sought to see into the future.
Who wouldn\’t benefit from knowing what life would bring them? To know what pitfalls they could avoid down the line with a simple change to their present.
At one time, believers turned to the stars to see the future, while in the Middle Ages, the locations and number of holes in a block of cheese would be used to foretell coming events.
These days, WWE fans can look to Video Games to predict the future, with some gaming moments coming true in the real world.
Here are five times WWE Video Games predicted the future.
5: The Return of ECW
Rob Van Dam as the WWE Champion, which he deemed the ECW title, months before the real Van Dam would do the same.
While it was named SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006, the game, like others in the series, was released months before its cover year, and in fact came out in late 2005.
The second game of the SVR series saw a story mode where Rob Van Dam captured the WWE Championship, which just so happened to coincide with a soft relaunch of ECW.
Sounds familiar, doesn\’t it?
Mere months after the game\’s release, RVD would win the Money in the Bank contract, and cash in on John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 to become WWE Champion.
While the game was not 100% accurate, as it included an RVD heel turn and failed to predict his real-life arrest for drug possession, the game got very close to what\’d happen months later.
4: The Women\’s Royal Rumble
Mickie James winning the Women\’s Royal Rumble, eight years before the real first-ever Women\’s Rumble took place.
In 2018, Asuka made history by winning the first-ever Women\’s Royal Rumble, which was followed by the immediate debut of Ronda Rousey.
Since then, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Rousey herself have won the Women\’s Rumble, but so has Mickie James.
Well, kinda.
In SVR 2010, Mickie James\’s storyline on the Road to WrestleMania introduced the Women\’s Royal Rumble, which the player, James, would have to win.
As if the Women\’s Rumble being predicted eight years early isn\’t spooky enough, but James enters the in-game Rumble pretty late and did so in the real first Rumble, where she was #26.
Mickie returned to WWE this year to compete in the Women\’s Royal Rumble, and while the Impact Wrestling star didn\’t win, she does have a pseudo-historic win to her name.
The Women\’s Revolution
Stephanie McMahon was WWE\’s top heel in SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007 for trying to stop women from being exploited.
In 2015, after years of seeing their \’Divas\’ as little more than eye candy with muscles, WWE began making a deliberate effort to take Women\’s Wrestling more seriously.
This has proven to be a fantastic move for WWE, with some of the best matches each year coming from their women\’s division, but this could have been much earlier.
In SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007\’s Raw story mode, after a match between Candice Michelle and Mickie James, Lita attacks both women, on the orders of Stephanie McMahon.
From the ramp, Stephanie declares that it is time for women\’s wrestling to be treated more seriously, and that women will no longer be seen in WWE as mere sex objects.
But since this is 2007, she gets massive boos from the crowd. Ugh!
Yes, when Stephanie McMahon (or at least her in-game alter ego) called for WWE to tidy up the more risque actions of their Divas, she became the top heel, alongside Lita, and for some reason, Kurt Angle.
What follows is the entire WWE Divas roster (sans Lita) rallying behind your character, fighting against women\’s wrestling being focused on wrestling and not sex appeal.
A bizarre storyline in hindsight, it also gave fans arguably the most bizarre line in any wrestling video game.
\”If Stephanie had her way, all of the Divas would be wearing burkas and a veil, as if the Taliban was running the show.\”
Trish Stratus (WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007.)
DX Reunited
Evolution reunited in SmackDown Vs. Raw 2009, over five years after the iconic group did the same for real in 2014.
For Shawn Michaels\’ Road to WrestleMania in SVR 2009, HBK was livid at the idea that Triple H would break up DX and reunite with Evolution.
In-game, DX was riding high, but Randy Orton had been trying to goad the Game back to Evolution, which also included Batista.
Sure enough, this happened in 2014, over five years after the game\’s release, and the similarities did not stop there.
Not only did Evolution reunite in the game like in real life, but in both instances, Ric Flair was nowhere to be seen.
Flair was on his way out of WWE when SVR 09 launched in late 2008, while for 2014, his focus was on his daughter Charlotte.
WWF Has Attitude in 1994
A ringside monitor featured the WWF Attitude \’scratch\’ logo in WWF Raw, years before the Attitude Era.
The history of WWE has often been broken down by fans as \’eras\’ and for many, none was better than the Attitude Era.
Raw was certainly at its most popular during this period, with millions of fans tuning in each week and seeing the iconic WWF scratch logo.
Except, this logo was used years before the company found its attitude.
Eagle-eyed fans who played WWF Raw on the SNES/Genesis will have spotted that at commentary, a monitor can be seen emblazoned with the WWF Attitude \’scratch\’ logo.
It\’s ironic that this game came out during the height of the New Generation era, full of colorful characters and silly personalities: a far cry from the gritty attitude of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and others.
Perhaps someone in WWF\’s gaming department had been working on bringing in attitude for years before it actually happened, but whatever the case, this game proved a sign of what was going to come.
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill retained her title at last weekend\’s Full Gear Pay-Per-View, and Freddie Prinze Jr. couldn\’t be happier.
In the third match of the night (sixth if you include the Full Gear Zero Hour Pre-Show) Cargill retained against Nyla Rose defeating the ex-AEW Women\’s World Champion in eight minutes.
A month prior to the match, Rose had stolen the AEW TBS title and had taunted the undefeated Cargill on social media.
Ridiculous
While many fans found Rose\’s antics with the TBS Championship to be hilarious, Freddie Prinze Jr. hasn\’t been among them.
On the latest episode of Wrestling With Freddie, the ex-WWE writer blasted the storyline, calling it \”week after week after week of nonsense.\”
\”I\’m very excited to see this stupid, ridiculous storyline between Nyla Rose and Jade Cargill finally get squashed and put to bed… In what world of combat sports would one fighter be able to steal the title of another one and not have to give it back. This is the most ridiculous storyline.\”
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Prinze insisted that his criticism is not at Cargill or Rose, who he considers impressive wrestlers, but the storyline itself.
Fantasy Booking
As an ex-WWE writer, Prinze knows all about booking decisions and gave his suggestion for the storyline.
If he was writing for AEW, Prinze would have had Rose steal the title, and Cargill complain to AEW President Tony Khan.
Khan would have forced Rose to hand the title over almost immediately after stealing it or risk losing her job with the promotion.
Brandi Rhodes may be part of the wrestling business, but she has no plans to get back in the ring at this time.
Rhodes began her career in wrestling in WWE as ring announcer Eden Stiles, but left the promotion in 2016.
Since then, Rhodes has appeared for Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling and AEW, the latter of whom she left in February of this year.
Getting Back in the Ring
While Cody Rhodes would return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, his wife hasn\’t appeared with him on TV yet.
The former AEW Chief Brand Officer\’s most recent match saw her defeat KiLynn King on the January 26, 2022 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation.
Speaking to Steve Fall of Ten Count, Rhodes didn\’t rule out wrestling again, but it\’s not her number one concern.
\”I’m the one that’s very big in the family on not saying absolutes. As we know, my husband likes to say absolutes and then life happens. I’m not going to say absolutes, but I will say, right now, it’s not in my plan.\”
Brandi Rhodes
Right now, Brandi\’s focus is on her husband, and his quest to become a WWE World Champion and fulfill a promise made to his late father.
Being a Mom
In June of last year, the Rhodes\’ became parents to daughter Liberty Iris Runnels, the first child for the couple.
Speaking more about her decision not to return to wrestling yet, Brandi admitted that any return to the road would prove to be a detriment to her daughter.
\”When I look at life in wrestling, there\’s the inevitable travel and it\’s a choice that you have to make that you\’re going to travel with your child or not. Then if I were to travel with my child, I\’m taking her away from some of the environments that she\’s used to now and that I\’m seeing her thrive in. So I won\’t say no, it\’s not going to happen. But I will say that right now, it\’s not front of mind for me.”
\”If I were to travel with my child, I\’m taking her away from some of the environments that she\’s used\”\”
Brandi Rhodes.
Cody\’s Recovery
In June of this year, Cody Rhodes suffered a torn pectoral but fought through the pain to compete at WWE Hell in a Cell.
Rhodes is eager to return as soon as he can, something his wife knows all too well.
\”He needs to wrestle. It\’s in his blood. It\’s part of his makeup. But now, he\’s been great through all of this. All of the work that he\’s been doing to get back has been really good.\”
\”He doesn\’t look like anything happened which is crazy because he had major surgery. So he looks like the same Cody to me. The muscle mass is all there, you know, he looks ready to me, but I\’m not a doctor.\”
Despite a WWE report in June saying Cody would be off for nine months, meaning he\’d return by March 2023, many consider the American Nightmare a favorite in the men\’s Royal Rumble match next January.
The Cleaner of AEW and the Aerial Assassin will at last lock horns in singles action at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January 2023.
Kenny Omega appeared via video promo at Sunday\’s NJPW X STARDOM Historic X-Over event to challenge Will Ospreay following Ospreay\’s successful IWGP United States Heavyweight title defense.
Responding, Ospreay accepted the challenge, claiming he has kept the heartbeat of NJPW going strong.
Omega Vs. Ospreay
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will mark Kenny Omega\’s first match for NJPW since Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January 2019.
Fightful Select reports that talks between Omega and NJPW began over the summer, but the match was far from finalized.
Those close to the situation said that the deal for Omega to wrestle for New Japan was only finalized within the last two or three weeks.
Omega\’s suspension from AEW following the All Out brawl did not end talks of a match with Ospreay but it \”certainly slowed things down.\”
Both men have teased the match for some time, with Ospreay using Omega\’s One-Winged Angel at a Rev Pro show earlier this year, and forcing his opponent to kick out.
Rocky Romero
Omega Vs. Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight title is a bona fide huge match, and fans have Rocky Romero to thank.
Romero is said to have played a huge role in getting the match approved, and he is said to have been a huge factor in New Japan\’s global expansion in recent years.
Fightful\’s report adds that Romero has worked tirelessly to maintain New Japan\’s positive relationships with numerous companies
At one point, Romero was said to be in frequent contact with AEW Owner Tony Khan to make deals happen.
Some AEW wrestlers may be getting a little too friendly with management if a recent tweet from Colten Gunn is to be believed.
Gunn made his debut for All Elite Wrestling in June 2020, accompanying his father Billy Gunn but would not wrestle until the November 11, 2020, edition of AEW Dynamite.
In August of this year, Colten and his brother Austin turned on their Hall of Fame Father and are now part of The Firm.
Schmoozing
Despite being members of the AEW roster for over two years now, the Gunn Club are yet to hold tag-team gold.
When Austin Gunn took to Twitter to claim Jungle Boy Jack Perry wants to be a Gunn, the former AEW World Tag Champion fired back, saying he prefers being booked on Pay-Per-View.
This got a response from Colten, who argued that he and Austin would also get better bookings if they were up until 6 AM with AEW\’s EVPs the Young Bucks.
While Colten did not directly state that Jungle Boy is someone who is schmoozing with the higher-ups, it is certainly the impression he gave.
Jungle Boy competed at AEW\’s most recent Full Gear Pay-Per-View, defeating his former tag team partner Luchasaurus in a Steel Cage match.
Jungle Boy
Joining AEW right at the beginning in 2019, it wouldn\’t be until January 2020 that Jungle Boy would obtain his first win in the company.
Winning the AEW World Tag Titles in January of this year, Jurassic Express would lose the titles at June\’s AEW Dynamite: Road Rager special and Christian Cage would turn on Jungle Boy.
Cage would recruit Luchasaurus in their feud, and the former WWE World Champion defeated Perry in seconds at September\’s All Out Pay-Per-View.
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