The creatures from the Firefly Fun House arrived at last night\’s WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Premium Live Event, thanks to the work of artist Jason Baker.
On the show, Bray Wyatt made his long-awaited return to WWE, debuting a new mask in the closing moments of the show to a thunderous ovation from fans in Philadelphia.
Wyatt had been released in 2021, a controversial decision that was reportedly over his high-dollar contract and creative differences with then-CEO Vince McMahon.
The Fun House Friends
During Wyatt\’s return, performers dressed as members of the Firefly Fun House appeared in person at the Wells Fargo Center.
Mercy the Buzzard, Abby the Witch, Huskus the Pig Boy, The Fiend and Ramblin\’ Rabbit all appeared as part of Wyatt\’s monumental return.
Jason Baker
Special effects artist Jason Baker showed off his latest work in a backstage photo posted on Twitter. Wyatt\’s big return fell on Baker\’s 40th birthday, making the night even more special.
Baker, a protege of horror movie effects legend Tom Savini, is no stranger to working with Wyatt, having created the mask and props for The Fiend in 2019.
Daniel Cormier was blown away by the Fight Pit match that headlined last night\’s WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Premium Live Event.
In the main event of the show, the Fight Pit made its debut on the main roster, as Matt Riddle got a victory over Seth Rollins. This marked Riddle\’s first win in the Fight Pit, and the third match to take place in the cage overall. Part of the selling point of this week\’s Fight Pit was Daniel Cormier, who served as the guest referee for the match.
Speaking to the returning Cathey Kelly after the show, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion expressed his respect for both Riddle and Rollins.
\”It was amazing. Those guys fought. You knew that a rivalry like that needed an ending like that. Something very true. Something that could not be questioned and Matt Riddle got it done. It was tremendous being inside the Fight Pit.\”
– Daniel Cormier
Cormier, who retired from professional fighting in 2020, was also asked about an altercation between himself and Rollins during the match but believes that this wasn\’t a sign of biased officiating.
\”I had to put him in his place because he\’s been disrespectful. He grabbed me while I was checking on Matt Riddle. But I said I would be fair. I thought that I was that tonight. I came here to do a job and I think I did that job to the best of my abilities.\”
Cormier\’s appearance at Extreme Rules was reported to have been a one-off appearance for WWE, but both sides remain open to working together again in the future.
WWE Extreme Rules 2022 saw some of the promotion\’s biggest stars, but not everybody behind the scenes made it on to the show.
Last night\’s Premium Live Event saw in-ring appearances by Edge, as well as an appearance by fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.
The show is most notable for the return of Bray Wyatt, 15 months after his controversial release from WWE in July of last year.
NXT in Philadelphia
Not every wrestler backstage at Extreme Rules 2022 was fortunate enough to make it on the card.
Bodyslam.net reports that Nikkita Lyons was backstage at Extreme Rules, but obviously did not appear on the show.
Lyons had been scheduled to make her WWE main roster debut during the recent Women\’s Tag Team Championship tournament, teaming with Zoey Stark, but was pulled over medical reasons.
Sources who spoke to Bodyslam added that reigning NXT Champion Bronn Breakker was also backstage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Breakker appeared on WWE\’s main roster earlier this year, and dethroned Dolph Ziggler on the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw to begin his second (and current) NXT title reign.
Call-Ups
While not always the case, NXT talent being backstage at a WWE main roster event is usually the sign of an imminent call-up.
In Breakker\’s case, this is the latest tease of a call-up, as even before his Raw appearances earlier this year, there were talks of arriving on the main roster.
There have been reports about Breakker being \’fast-tracked\’ to the main roster, with WWE believing he has already proven himself capable in NXT.
Impact Wrestling is returning to Atlanta, Georgia next January for its annual Hard to Kill event.
During last night\’s Bound For Glory Pay Per View, it was announced that Hard To Kill will be held at Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 13.
This will be the first time Hard to Kill will take place in Georgia, after previously being hosted in Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Hard to Kill
Despite being the newest Pay Per View event for the company, Hard to Kill has become one of the big four shows that Impact hosts each year.
The inaugural event in 2020 saw Tessa Blanchard capture the Impact World Championship from Sami Callihan, the first (and to date only) woman to win the title.
2021\’s event took place without live fans due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and saw Rich Swann, Chris Sabin, and Moose face AEW\’s Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers.
Last year\’s event saw then-Knockouts World Champion Mickie James retain against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Death Match, the first all-female main event.
Main Event?
No matches have been confirmed for Hard to Kill 2023, but we may already know what will headline the event.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley had been without a contract for quite some time prior to re-signing with the company this week.
In a statement, AEW confirmed that Moxley is now under a new five-year contract with the company, and will also serve as a mentor and coach in addition to his on-screen role.
AEW President Tony Khan praised Moxley in the statement, for being \”on the best run of his already legendary career.\”
Not Under Contract
Moxley\’s new five-year deal will keep him in AEW for a long time yet, but he had been a free agent recently.
Sources who spoke to Fightful Select within AEW claimed that Moxley had been working without a contract, but did not specify for how long.
When Fightful asked about Moxley\’s status prior to re-signing, they were told it was \”quite a situation.\”
Tony Khan had made it clear that re-signing Moxley was a priority, given the amount of time and money the promotion has invested in him.
Exclusivity?
In the statement, it was noted that Moxley will wrestle exclusively for AEW, but will be able to compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling, who AEW has a working relationship with.
The statement did not specify Moxley\’s status for other promotions, including DEFY Wrestling or Game Changer Wrestling.
Fightful\’s report notes that AEW wouldn\’t comment on what his new deal means for his status with any of those companies.
Moxley, the reigning GCW World Champion will face Nick Gage in a title vs. career match later today.
Former WWE Superstar Sarah Logan\’s return to WWE is imminent according to a vignette that played out on this week\’s SmackDown.
During the episode, which served as the brand\’s season premiere, a \’Valhalla Awaits\’ segment was played which featured Logan.
While she was part of the segment, Logan\’s face wasn\’t shown on camera.
According to a report from Fightful, several more segments are being produced to re-introduce Logan to the fans.
Sarah Logan
Logan\’s first WWE appearance came in 2014 as the on-screen make-up artist for The Miz, an ironic role considering she does not enjoy wearing make-up.
After being signed, Logan would have sporadic appearances in the ring before becoming part of the Riott Squad in 2017.
When the group dissolved in 2019, would bounce around several feuds which she would lose prior to her release.
Logan after WWE
Sarah Logan was released as part of the April 15, 2020, releases, the first of what would become two years of mass releases, explained by WWE as budget cuts.
Weeks after her release, she and husband Raymond (Viking Raider Erik) announced they were expecting their first child, and Raymond Jr. was born in February 2021.
In June 2020, Logan said she was taken an extended hiatus from wrestling, but would make a one-night return to WWE as part of this year\’s Women\’s Royal Rumble match.
Since then, she has had two matches for Control Your Narrative, winning at their May 13, event in Cleveland and their May 14, event in Detroit.
Following her release, Logan has maintained a very positive relationship with the company and has had several people within WWE go to bat for her.
Matt Riddle has no problem with Seth Rollins airing some of the Original Bro\’s \’dirty laundry\’ to millions of WWE fans each week.
Rollins and Riddle have been feuding for months, with Seth making reference to Riddle\’s recent divorce.
Riddle\’s now ex-wife Lisa divorced the WWE Superstar in March 2022, when Matt admitted to having a consensual affair with wrestler Candy Cartwright, who accused Riddle of sexual assault.
Therapy
It was during the August 29, 2022 Raw, that Rollins brought up Riddle\’s divorce, saying that Lisa \”took your kids and they don\’t want to see your b*tch a** anymore.\”
Speaking on the latest After the Bell, Riddle explained why referencing his real-life situation has been a blessing in disguise.
\”I think he [Rollins] realizes what I bring to the table. What I\’m willing to do to get reactions from the crowd. You know, when we go personal, we talk about things we probably shouldn\’t be talking about. But I\’m like, bro, I don\’t care. I do pay child support. Things are rough for me. And for me, I honestly see this as more of a therapeutic thing because anybody who knows me knows what I\’m going through.
\”I do pay child support. Things are rough for me… I honestly see this as more of a therapeutic thing.\”
Matt Riddle on personal feud with Seth Rollins.
\”[People] are like \’I can\’t believe. If he would have said that to me. If I was going through that.\’ Everybody who\’s been in that spot, in that moment, can relate.\”
Making it Real
Riddle\’s willingness to bring up real-life situations has made his feud with Rollins a highlight of Raw in this post-Vince McMahon era.
Speaking about his feud with Rollins, Riddle said that making things seem real is incredibly important to him.
\”I want people to relate. Everybody can relate to being the smaller brother or friend who just wants to be cool and have the other brother like him. That\’s me and Randy. With Seth, it\’s just two guys who don\’t like each other and Seth has talked some crap that he shouldn\’t have been talking.
\”For me, the more real it is, the easier it is and the better it is. And that\’s what makes me working with Seth so good. Because he\’s the same way. He likes to go all in.
Riddle and Rollins will face at tomorrow night in the Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules 2022, with special guest referee Daniel Cormier.
WWE is pulling out all the stops for tonight\’s episode of SmackDown on FOX, which will serve as the season premiere of the blue brand.
Tonight\’s episode will air from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Vega\’s Return
Ahead of tonight\’s SmackDown, Zelina Vega was spotted at Boston Airport, fueling speculation of an appearance.
PW Insider has confirmed that Vega is written into tonight\’s plans and is sporting a new blond look.
The former WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champion hasn\’t appeared on TV since the April 11, 2022, episode of Monday Night Raw, where she faced Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair.
Not long after, Vega required surgery, which has kept her out of action since then.
Despite her surgery, Vega has still made a handful of appearances off WWE TV, including appearing at San Diego Comic-Con for the WWE Mattel panel.
Vega returned to WWE last year, after being released minutes after expressing support for unionization.
Since returning, she has held the Women\’s Tag Titles with Carmella and won the first-ever Queen\’s Cup tournament.
Tonight\’s SmackDown
Tonight\’s season premiere of SmackDown will also be the final episode before this Saturday\’s WWE Extreme Rules premium live event.
It has been confirmed that Solo Sikoa, accompanied by Sami Zayn will face Ricochet.
Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER will defend against Sheamus in a rematch from their instant classic from WWE Clash at the Castle.
Roman Reigns will come face to face with Logan Paul ahead of their Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at Crown Jewel.
Jimmy Smith will no longer be calling the action on Monday Night Raw, something that the former commentator learned by complete accident.
Yesterday, WWE changed the commentary teams across Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, as part of the season premieres for each show.
Not long after news broke, Smith confirmed that he has left WWE.
Triple H\’s Accident
Fans were surprised to see the changes be announced, first by Variety and later confirmed by WWE, but Smith wasn\’t taken aback.
Speaking on Unlocking the Cage, Smith said how a comment by Triple H earlier this week was all it took to learn of his fate (via ComicBook.)
\”Triple H accidentally told me before the show Monday. He screwed up and told me [about the commentary changes]. He didn\’t mean to.\”
After speaking with Riddle and coming up with a good line for the Fight Pit at this weekend\’s Extreme Rules event, Smith wanted to get it checked by Triple H.
\”I go to Triple H. Triple H standing there, I go, \’Hey, I just talked to Riddle and he gave me this line about how he out-wrestled Jon Jones twice\’ and Triple H goes, \’Okay, cool. Give that note to Cole.\’
\”Triple H accidentally told me before the show Monday. He screwed up and told me.\”
Jimmy Smith
\”I went, why would I have to give that note to Cole if I\’m calling the match on Saturday? Oh. I\’m not calling the match on Saturday. Oh, I\’m probably fired. In about two seconds, my brain went, that\’s so – okay… and I was like, all right. So I knew basically the whole show on Monday night that I wasn\’t coming back.\”
Changes
With Smith gone, the new commentary team on Raw will see Corey Graves team with Kevin Patrick.
On SmackDown, Michael Cole will call the action with Wade Barrett, who is joining from NXT.
WWE NXT will be called by Vic Joseph and Booker T, who has done commentary for SmackDown and Raw in the past.
Bobby Fish is set to get back in the ring next month, but as a boxer and not a professional wrestler.
Fish, a former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion, was released from the company in August 2021 as part of changes made to the brand ahead of the launch of NXT 2.0.
In October that same year, Fish signed with AEW where he reunited with Kyle O\’Reilly & Adam Cole, but parted ways in August this year.
Boxing
Fish may be best known as a wrestler, but he is set to make his boxing debut in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Fightful were the first to report that Fish will be participating in the Global Titans Fight Series, which was later confirmed on Twitter.
In a tweet, the promotion announced that Fish will face Ghanain fighter Boating Prempeh in a match at the Coca-Cola Arena on November 13.
?? Bobby Fish vs. Boateng Prempeh ??@thebobbyfish makes the transition and bold leap from pro wrestling to boxing, debuting against Ghanaian Boateng Prempeh.
— Global Titans Fight Series (@GlobalTitansFS) October 6, 2022
Fighting Background
Fish may be a wrestler, but like many wrestler, he comes from a background in Mixed Martial Arts.
The former NXT Tag Champion was trained by Jerrick Jones at Albany Boxing, and made his kickboxing professional debut in January 2010.
In his first fight, Fish competed for the Cage Wars organization in Albany, New York and defeated Justin Pierpoint by TKO.
Fish won in the third round after Pierpoint suffered a broken nose at the end of the second.
More recently, Fish offered to fight CM Punk (who briefly competed in the UFC) after Punk said during the All Out media scrum \”you have a f*g problem with me, take it up with me.\”
The landscape of WWE has changed dramatically across all three of the company\’s brands, at least at the commentary desk.
This week, WWE will begin their \’season premiere\’ week of programming, starting with tomorrow night\’s SmackDown on FOX. Next week\’s Raw and NXT will also serve as the season premieres of the red and gold brand.
The following three shows of WWE programming will be stacked for the season premieres and will feature brand-new commentary teams.
Wrestle Votes were the first to report that changes were expected to Raw\’s commentary team before more information was provided by Variety. Their report, later confirmed by WWE, announced that the company is returning to two-person commentary teams across all three of its brands.
Smackdown
For tomorrow night\’s SmackDown, Michael Cole and Wade Barrett will be calling the action, with the former Intercontinental Champion moving from NXT.
Raw
Next week\’s Raw will see Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves behind the table, with Patrick being promoted as a full-time member of the Raw commentary team.
The Irish announcer had previously served as a backstage interviewer and provided commentary on the July 24, 2022, Raw.
Byron Saxton, who had been on commentary for Raw, has been moved to a role as an onscreen interviewer.
NXT
For NXT, the new commentary team will see Vic Joseph returning to the role, now working with Booker T.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer has previously served as a commentator for Raw and SmackDown, and regularly makes appearances on kick-off show panels.
Premium Live Events
For major WWE events such as WWE Premium Live Events, Cole and Graves will be the commentary team.
Daniel Cormier\’s impending WWE debut would likely not have transpired if not for the actions of Seth Rollins.
Cormier will be at this Saturday\’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event and officiate the Fight Pit match between Rollins and Matt Riddle.
A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cormier retired from the Octagon in August 2020 at the UFC 252 event.
Talking to Rollins
Cormier had teased joining WWE in 2018, when he had a confrontation with Brock Lesnar, but nothing came of it at the time.
Speaking with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi, Cormier said that it was Rollins who began talks about him making an appearance (via Fightful.)
\”It wasn\’t really from the people in charge. It was Seth Rollins, he texted me goes, \’Real life-fighting in the fight pit and we may be in the market for a special guest referee, would you have any interest in it?\’
\”So I said, Yeah, I\’d be interested in doing it. I think that it\’s fun. I think that what you guys have done has been a pleasure to watch.\”
Rollins Vs. Riddle will be the first Fight Pit match on WWE\’s main roster, after the stipulation was used twice in NXT.
Daniel Cormier: WWE Superstar?
While Cormier is set to be the special guest referee at Extreme Rules, many expect that this is a stepping stone into an in-ring career.
Fans have pointed out that Ken Shamrock, a fellow legend of UFC, also debuted in the WWE (then WWF) in 1997 as a guest referee.
Shamrock officiated the Bret \’Hitman\’ Hart vs. \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin I-Quit match from WrestleMania 13, before transitioning into a role as a wrestler.
Andrade El Idolo has advised others to show respect to him following the backstage fight at this week\’s AEW Dynamite tapings.
During the taping, the former NXT Champion fought with Sammy Guevara, resulting in Andrade being sent home from the show.
Andrade had been scheduled to face Preston \’10\’ Vance of the Dark Order in a career vs. mask match on this Friday\’s Rampage, but the match has been canceled.
The Fight
While reports are still coming in, the belief is that Andrade began the fight with Guevara, and had been waiting for him.
El Idolo reportedly threw up to three punches at the former TNT Champion, who did not fight back.
Guevara\’s decision to not fight is why he was allowed to stay at the show and headlined Dynamite later that night.
Taking to Twitter, El Idolo seemingly referenced the fight with his advice to others.
This most recent tweet is the latest move by El Idolo on social media who has used Twitter to tease leaving AEW.
Last week, Andrade began using the hashtag #FreeElIdolo, seemingly expressing a desire to get out of Tony Khan\’s promotion.
El Idolo has also liked tweets from fans who believe he should leave AEW and would fare better back in WWE, where he worked from 2015 to 2021.
The AEW star has also shared frustrations with his booking in the company and retweeted fans who call out Tony Khan for not using him more, especially last week when Hurricane Ian forced multiple stars to miss Dynamite.
The fight backstage was the culmination of recent comments by both men, with Andrade claiming in an interview that Guevara complained about being hit too hard.
In response, Guevara claimed that Andrade was being dishonest, and said that El Idolo should go back to WWE, something the former Superstar has teased.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that AEW spoke to both men prior to the show.
\”Tuesday night, they were talked to. Both of them. And they were told \’no fighting.\’ Andrade was told \’if this is your idea [to try and get fired from AEW] you\’re not going to get fired if you fight. But you will be sent home. Andrade said \’don\’t worry, there\’s not going to be a fight. There\’s going to be no fighting.\’ This was Tuesday night.
\”Sammy was the same thing. \’Nothing is going to happen.\’ They had security there. Everybody was warned ahead of time.\”
Conflicting Reports
While most reports have stated that Andrade started the fight, some have suggested that he was goaded into an altercation by Guevara.
On his show, Meltzer gave his most accurate interpretation of events from a source he \”totally trusts\” within the company.
\”Everybody was waiting. Andrade was waiting in the hallway. He got two punches in before things were broken up. Sammy didn\’t fight back. Obviously if you watch the show [last night\’s AEW Dynamite] the punches didn\’t leave a mark. So they weren\’t solid punches but he did throw two punches and then it was broken up right away and then Andrade was sent home.\”
Bryan Alverez also refuted initial reports that the two had traded blows, clarifying that Guevara did not fight back.
\”The story that was not on TMZ but I heard from multiple people was that in fact Sammy did not throw any punches. One person did say that Andrade spun him around and Sammy shoved him and then Andrade punched him. The other stories were that Andrade just punched him. And that Sammy did not fight back.\”
What\’s next?
Both Meltzer and Alverez agreed that if Guevara had fought as some believed, he would also have been sent home as per AEW\’s warning.
Instead, Guevara headlined AEW Dynamite\’s three-year anniversary, as he and Chris Jericho defeated ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia and Bryan Danielson.
AEW President Tony Khan has not commented publicly on the fight at this time.
Since then, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer has teased coming back for one last match, recently celebrating his 50th anniversary in wrestling saying he\’ll never retire.
Regrets
Flair has yet to wrestle since his retirement, and the Nature Boy doesn\’t believe he\’ll step back in the ring.
With Ricky Steamboat set to return to the ring next month, Flair has said he feels \”inspired\” to wrestle again.
Speaking on his To Be The Man podcast, Flair admitted that he wishes that his bout in July wasn’t presented as a retirement match (via WrestleTalk.)
\”[When asked if he has any immediate plans to wrestle.] None. When I say it inspires me to want to do it again [I won\’t.] It’s not that I couldn’t, I will stand by this, I wish I hadn’t said it was my last match. But I don’t want to disappoint a bunch of fans by doing it again. But I got myself into good shape.\”
\”I wish I hadn’t said it was my last match.\”
Ric Flair on his retirement match in July.
Long Term
Flair does not have any immediate plans to wrestle again and believes that any more matches would be a genuine health risk.
With that said, the Nature Boy said that age should not be a factor in people living their lives to the fullest.
“I feel like as long as you’re healthy you want to do and you should do what you want to do when you get to an age.\”
AEW President Tony Khan has said that his shots at WWE is part of a \”corporate philosophy\” from his higher-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Since launching in 2019, Khan and AEW\’s roster have never shied away from making reference to WWE.
These digs have been met with a mixed response from audiences, many of whom believe Khan should focus more on his own product.
Challenger Brand
While AEW has proven to be popular with fans, the company still comes up second in almost all metrics to WWE.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Khan addressed whether he considers WWE to be competition, and spoke about a book handed to him from his bosses.
\”I\’ve said it before, I consider all wrestling as competition. Some people ask me why I\’ll talk about other wrestling companies, especially WWE, and I\’ll tell you. It was literally a book handed to me over three years ago before the launch of [AEW] Dynamite by Warner Media at the time before it was Warner Bros. Discovery.
\”It was telling me what our place [was] already because Dynamite hadn\’t launched, but we had carved out a space in the Pay Per View business.
\”It was literally a book handed to me over three years ago before the launch of [AEW] Dynamite.\”
Tony Khan on the inspiration for his digs at WWE.
\”They handed me a book. It was [about] how to be a challenger brand. This is what you are. A challenger brand I learned then, three years ago, is not the industry leader, but it is also not a niche brand. It is not that. It is a big company. It is Pepsi [to Coca-Cola.] It is Burger King [to McDonald\’s.]
Khan went on to explain that while challenger brands are not the number one industry leader around, their underdog role makes it easier to cultivate a loyal, passionate fanbase, which AEW has.
Taking Aim
Tony Khan is comfortable in his role as a challenger brand, and is using the tricks of the trade to get ahead.
Using his Burger King analogy, Khan explained how taking aim at the industry leader is part of what being a challenger brand.
\”What will get Burger King marketing? What is Burger King marketing? Basically a lot of it is \’hey McDonalds sucks guys.\’
\”So for AEW, it\’s just part of what we are. We\’re a challenger brand. There\’s no reason to pretend we\’re not. That\’s what you are. Embrace it. So it is literally a corporate philosophy handed down on high to me by my boss [Warner Bros. Discovery.]
Earlier this year, Khan faced backlash for his tweet, praising himself as the longest-tenuring wrestling CEO, following the retirement of Vince McMahon amid sexual harassment allegations.
The WWE Universe will once again walk through hell, fire, and brimstone as they prepare to celebrate a quarter-century of the Hall of Famer Kane.
This month marks 25 years since Kane\’s debut in WWE, infamously appearing at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood event, during the inaugural Hell in a Cell match.
Prior to this, Glenn Jacobs, the man under the mask, had competed on WWF programming as evil dentist Isaac Yankem, as well as the fake Diesel.
Celebration
With today marking 25 years exactly since Kane\’s debut, it was fitting that WWE made their announcement today.
In a statement, the promotion addressed Kane\’s first appearance, costing his brother The Undertaker, and his feuds with stars such as \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin and Triple H.
WWE will be celebrating the legacy of the Devil\’s Favorite Demon in the coming weeks with Kane-themed Top 10 videos and WWE PLaylist.
Throwback videos featuring classic Kane moments will also be shared, and fans are encouraged to join in using the hashtag #Kane25.
Kane: A Retrospective
Possibly WWE\’s most successful example of a \’monster\’ Kane has been one of the company\’s most successful stars.
Less than a year into his run, Kane won the WWF Title (admittedly for one day) but would have longer reigns as ECW and World Heavyweight Champion.
In 2001\’s Royal Rumble match, Kane set a record with eleven eliminations, a record that would last until 2014 when Roman Reigns broke this streak.
In 2021, Kane, now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Eddie Edwards is immensely proud to be the longest-tenuring wrestler competing for Impact Wrestling.
Edwards joined the promotion in 2014 alongside Davey Richards as The Wolves, mere weeks after making a one-off appearance in WWE NXT.
Since then, Edwards has become a triple-crown champion for Impact and is the leader of the Honor No More faction.
The Veteran
Joining Impact, then TNA Wrestling in 2014, Edwards is the longest full-time wrestler still with the company.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, the former Impact World Champion addressed this milestone.
\”Impact has treated me with nothing but respect. A relationship with respect goes both ways. That\’s the best type of relationship and I\’m proud to be a member of impact I\’m proud to be the longest-tenured roster member at this point and I want to keep it going until the wheels fall off.\”
Bound for Glory
Edwards has been with Impact longer than anyone, but is yet to headline the promotion\’s biggest Pay Per View event: Bound for Glory.
That changes this Friday when he\’ll challenge Impact World Champion Josh Alexander in the main event of Bound for Glory 2022.
Speaking about the title match, Edwards said it means the world that Impact has faith in him to headline their biggest night.
\”It\’s been the staple. It\’s our biggest event of the year and to be able to do it with the main event with the world title on the line against Josh Alexander it\’s kind of it\’s like the perfect storm.
\”it\’s kind of it\’s like the perfect storm.\”
Eddie Edwards on his upcoming Impact World Championship match at Bound for Glory.
\”The company obviously believes in Josh, that\’s clear and that\’s for good reason. But they give me a shot here in the main event and I plan on going out there and do what I do best.\”
Edwards is already a two-time former Impact World Champion, having defeated Bobby Lashley in 2016 and won a five-way match in 2020.
Something for Everyone
While Impact was once considered the biggest opposition to WWE, that title now belongs to AEW.
The wrestling scene now has more promotions than ever before, with the NWA, MLW, GCW and others trying to find their place.
Speaking about what sets Impact apart, Edwards encouraged fans to tune in to Bound for Glory, where they\’ll be something for everyone.
\”You\’re going to find something that you love that\’s gonna hook you. Whether it\’s the Knockouts. It\’s tag team wrestling. It\’s hardcore craziness or it\’s the main event Josh against Eddie Edwards, there\’s gonna be something for everybody.\”
Roster Changes
As Impact\’s veteran, Edwards has seen plenty of changes made to the company.
Several stars have left over the years, with many finding success in WWE, AEW or other promotions.
Edwards said that he doesn\’t feel bad about anyone doing what he feels is the right decision for them.
\”People are going to come and go. That\’s how professional wrestling is. You know, business is business and people make their own decisions as to what they need for their lives and I\’ve always respected that. So some people will come and some people will go but the mainstay will be me representing impact to the best of my ability.\”
Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory 2022 will take place at the Washington Avenue Armory, at Albany, New York.
At WrestleMania 38, Roman Reigns unified the WWE and Universal Championships, defeating Brock Lesnar in the Night Two main event.
The title unification came just over eight years after WWE had unified the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships (TLC 2013,) which was 12 years after unifying the WWF and WCW titles (Vengeance 2001.)
From the moment the title-unification match was announced this year, the response was mixed, to say the least.
Even some in the industry have expressed displeasure with the decision, including Drew McIntyre
Now, six months (and one day) later, we ask: did WWE do the right thing?
The Good
On paper, WWE\’s decision to unify the titles makes a lot of sense.
AEW, the NWA, Impact Wrestling, and virtually every other promotion in the world have one singular top championship which all wrestlers aspire to win.
While WWE boasts a roster arguably bigger than any other company, the idea of a singular World Champion remains the same.
It\’s hard to say that a wrestler represents the very best in your company when there\’s someone who gets the same praise on the other brand.
With his victory, Reigns became WWE\’s sole champion and settled once and for all who the more dominant star is.
Sure, Reigns had been dominant, entering WrestleMania on day 581 of his Universal title reign, but Lesnar had always been considered just as big a star, if not bigger.
Very rarely can there be two top stars of an era.
We also can\’t fault WWE for wanting a high-profile match at WrestleMania, which this certainly was.
An argument can be made that the unification was necessary, to add some much-needed stakes to Lesnar and Reigns\’ third WrestleMania outing.
Fans had seen the Beast and the Tribal Chief battle plenty of times before, almost always for a World title, so nothing new would have been created with a third performance.
Instead, the unification gave WWE something new to promote, and seven years into their feud, new was needed.
Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar had fought for one World Championship at two WrestleManias already before this year.
The Bad
If WWE\’s decision to unify the titles made sense on paper, it didn\’t work in terms of the fall-out.
Not long after his win, Reigns would compete far less for WWE, and it would be confirmed that his new contract with the company would mean far fewer appearances.
In September, Reigns had just one televised match, and had zero in August, hardly the figures of a champion.
And yet, WWE had invested so much in Reigns by that point, that taking the title off him was impossible.
Now, fans have to wait months to see title defenses from the Tribal Chief, leaving a disgruntled viewing audience.
Sure, the Bloodline has been awesome, but as social media is proving, the collective patience of fans is wearing thin.
Reigns\’ sole televised match in September saw him defeat Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.
It\’s not just audiences who aren\’t pleased with the prospect of the one title, as folks at the USA Network are said to be unhappy.
We can hardly blame them. Reigns is, after all, a SmackDown Superstar first, and on TV, he makes far more appearances for Team Blue.
Reigns on Raw does happen (and will next week) but it is much rarer with the USA Network losing one of their biggest features, the WWE Championship, and getting a handful of appearances in return.
Seth Rollins has stepped up as arguably the biggest star regularly on Raw, but that\’s only because Reigns rarely appears on the red brand.
If the USA Network is unhappy, then we imagine the roster themselves aren\’t too thrilled either.
Sure, the idea of two World Champions both being the \’top guy\’ may not have made sense, but it gave some names a chance to shine.
Can you imagine that Daniel Bryan, Christian Cage or Mark Henry would have been given the opportunity to be World Champion, had WWE only had one title in 2011?
All of these stars were deserving of title reigns but at a time where John Cena and CM Punk were dominating the WWE title picture, it\’s far more likely that the likes of Cage, Bryan and Henry would have been coming up short at best.
Would a Daniel Bryan World title win still happened in 2011, if there was only one World Championship?
The Future
WWE has one Undisputed Universal Champion at this time, but it may not have one for long.
Not long after Reigns\’ April victory, it was reported that WWE had plans to introduce a new, second World title.
There\’s no word on whether that plan is still the case, but it was reported more recently that WWE is working on new title designs, including for their richest prize.
However, it wouldn\’t be just one championship belt to represent the Undisputed WWE Universal title, but two belts like we have currently, implying that the titles could be separated once again.
We can\’t forget a recent report that WWE finds the Reigns situation \’complex\’, wanting two World title matches at WrestleMania 39, but are against Reigns taking a loss before then.
Was it Right?
Ultimately, none of us have the decision power to unify or deunify WWE\’s titles.
In April, that power rested solely with Vince McMahon, but rests in the arms of the likes of Triple H, Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon.
But was it right? The majority of people seem to think no, and that a second World title is only fitting for a WWE roster this size.
Will Reigns carry on as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for much longer, only time will tell, but from what\’s been reported, the unification of April 2022 was a huge moment WWE will praise as \’history-making\’ that they are eager to undo.
Montez Ford\’s injury as seen on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw may not be as legitimate as first believed.
On Raw, Ford and Angelo Dawkins appeared in a segment with The Usos and revealed Ford\’s injury.
Jey Uso warned Ford that saying something disrespectful would result in his other foot in a boot, and the camera panned down to show Ford right foot in a walking boot.
The Street Profits last competed on the September 24, WWE Live event in Vancouver, where the former Tag Team Champions defeated Alpha Academy.
The Boot
WWE has not publicly confirmed what kind of injury Ford is dealing with.
In an update from Fightful Select, it was reported that it is unclear backstage whether this injury is legitimate or for the show.
It was noted that WWE\’s props department was tasked with sourcing a walking boot for Ford, instead of the company\’s medical team.
If legitimate, no report has come out regarding when Ford suffered this alleged injury or how long he will be out of action for.
What\’s next?
If this injury to Ford is for programming and nothing else, then it does beg the question: what\’s next for the Street Profits?
On Raw, Angelo Dawkins had a rare singles outing, with the former SmackDown Tag Team Champion losing to the Bloodline\’s Solo Sikoa.
Next week\’s Monday Night Raw will be the season premiere of the red brand, and feature the entire Bloodline, including Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Fee has had a prolific career outside of the wrestling industry.
On his official LinkedIn, Fee touts his experience as a horror writer for Marvel, having worked with the comic giant with some of their most popular characters.
Fee has written for Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the Avengers just to name a few.
He also was a head writer on multiple Disney shows, including 100 episodes of Disney XD\’s top-rated series PLAYER SELECT.
Fee also produced content for Will Smith\’s \’The Fresh Prince Reunion\’ and was a producer on The Ellen Show.
He has also served as a creative consultant for Netflix.
His new role in WWE will see him report to Bruce Prichard and maintain consistency across all WWE brands for long-term storytelling.
The White Rabbit?
Fee\’s hiring to WWE comes at a very interesting time given his connection to Bray Wyatt.
Fightful Select reports that Fee pitched a movie related to The Fiend last year, which is said to have resonated well with WWE\’s higher-ups.
The project had the possibility of being green-lit, before Wyatt\’s release in July 2021 ended any plans for a \’The Fiend\’ film.
Fee is known for being a longtime fan of pro wrestling and sources within WWE said that he is very familiar with the product.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has become the latest person to acknowledge the role that Sheamus has been on as of late.
The veteran WWE Superstar has received praise for his work in recent years, especially after being a key player during the company\’s pandemic era of programming.
On Twitter, Mick Foley acknowledged the year Sheamus has been having, calling it \”banger after banger after banger.
This got a response from Sheamus himself, who added one more \’banger\’ for good measure.
Sheamus certainly has been on a role as of late, feuding with his best friend Drew McIntyre last year.
Not long after, Sheamus would have a lengthy run as U.S. Champion, and has had criticially praised work with Ridge Holland and Butch this year.
At WrestleMania: Sunday, Sheamus and Holland defeated the New Day\’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
Sheamus\’ match at Clash at the Castle against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has also been praised, earning five stars from Dave Meltzer for his match at Clash at the Castle.
The match marks the first five-star match of Sheamus\’ career.
Sheamus: Grand Slam Champion?
In his 13 years since joining the main-roster, Sheamus has accomplished ALMOST everything there is.
Mere months after his debut, the Celtic Warrior became WWE Champion, the third-quickest rise from debut to World Champion (behind Ric Flair and Brock Lesnar.)
Sheamus would capture the United States Champion in 2011, and would win his first of several tag titles in 2016.
Right now, the Intercontinental Championship is the only title alluding the Celtic Warrior.
After unsuccessfully challenging at WWE Clash at the Castle, Sheamus will challenge GUNTHER on this Friday\’s SmackDown.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has honored the life and legacy of Antonio Inoki, making him the lifetime chairman of the promotion.
Inoki founded the promotion in 1972 and remained on as the owner until 2005 when he sold a 51.5% controlling share of the company to Yuke\’s.
Inoki died last week at the age of 79 after a battle with systemic transthyretin amyloidosis.
Lifetime Chairman
In a statement on New Japan\’s website, it was confirmed that Inoki has been dubbed the honorary lifetime chairman of the promotion.
This declaration was made while Inoki was alive on September 1, 2022, and was due to be publicly announced on October 10.
The announcement cannot take place as previously planned due to Inoki passing, but in the statement, New Japan vowed to follow Inoki\’s wishes.
\”In accordance with Mr. Inoki’s wishes, all of us at New Japan Pro-Wrestling will continue to move forward and lead the professional wrestling world to the utmost of our abilities.\”
Inoki Out of the Ring
Antonio Inoki may be best known to wrestling fans as the founder of NJPW and first IWGP Heavyweight Champion but he did much more outside the ring.
Following in his father\’s footsteps, Inoki entered politics in 1989, when he was elected into Japan\’s House of Councillors as a representative of his Sports and Peace Party.
In 1990, Inoki negotiated with Saddam Hussein, for the release of Japanese hostages before the outbreak of the Gulf War.
A series of scandals ended Inoki\’s political career in 1995, but he would return to politics in Japan\’s Upper House as an MP from 2013 to 2019.
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