It’s about time isn’t it? Matt Hardy took a loss to Bray Wyatt this past Monday on RAW and he rather unequivocally used his ‘delete’ gesture, heavily hinting that ‘Broken’ Matt would FINALLY be making his way to WWE…

Sadly the WWE does not have an unblemished record when it comes to using ‘gimmicks’ and intellectual property brought in from elsewhere in the pro wrestling world. With such a lengthy absence of the ludicrous and creative character the WWE has the opportunity to truly redesign ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy and bring his broken brilliance to a bigger audience but…there are certain elements of the character that MUST be retained if it is going to work, here are 3 of them:

The Hardy Family

One of the most intriguing parts of Matt’s TNA portrayal of the ‘Broken’ character was the inclusion of his wife Reby, his son Maxel and his father in law Señor Benjamin. These personalities truly took on a life of their own and only added to the lunacy of Matt’s character arc, each adding to the cult like status that Matt and his brother Jeff were cultivating. Maxel recently appeared at the Starrcade event and many believe that WWE will be allowing Matt to work alongside his son as the upcoming storyline progresses…whether Reby and Señor Benjamin will be making appearances remains to be seen, and that’s not even mentioning Vanguard 1…

The Backstage Vignettes

Final Deletion was undoubtably one of the most absurd, creatively dynamic and groundbreaking moments in the history of not just TNA but pro wrestling as a whole. The production style, the overblown scripting and hyperbolic performances of Matt gave viewers a completely different perspective on what professional wrestling actually was and could be. It can’t be disputed that TNA’s Jeremy Borash had a major hand in the presentation of Final Deletion and the subsequent ‘special attractions’ centred around the Hardys but ultimately it was the direction of Matt that gave life to the characters, with a WWE production crew and a budget that likely engulfs anything previously he could easily reinterpret this style in a new, vibrant and exciting way.

The Right Opponent

Bray Wyatt (via Instagram @WWE)

When Matt first made the turn into his ‘Broken’ persona he had a fitting opponent in his brother Jeff Hardy. Interestingly feuds between the two siblings had never quite hit the right note and this was the first time that a Hardy Boys feud had garnered real traction and built intrigue in a genuine way. That being said Matt Hardy will need the ideal opponent to unleash his new persona on the WWE Universe. I believe that Bray Wyatt should be that opponent.

Before Matt reappeared in WWE I truly felt that Wyatt vs Hardy would be a dream bout, the two characters have a unique spin on the traditional pro wrestling fare and with their creative juices flowing surely they could break boundaries and present something completely different for the WWE fans? Wyatt has already taken part in some unique match types this year, his House of Horrors match against Randy Orton did not appeal in the way WWE would have hoped but with Matt’s direction and a new lease of life for the Wyatt character could they breathe life into both superstars and lift both up out of the quagmire of the mid card?

Are you excited for the return of ‘Broken’ Matt? Let us know in the comments

Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is not happy with his friend Mojo Rawley for turning on Zack Ryder Tuesday night.

After losing to the Bludgeon Brothers on Smackdown, Mojo attacked his former partner from behind.

Hey @MojoRawleyWWE,

About that stunt you pulled on @ZackRyder last night. Yeah, don't try it again.

Thanks,@RobGronkowski pic.twitter.com/yfSnVFHQ2K

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) November 30, 2017

Earlier this year, Gronk helped Mojo win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal:

Ring of Honor has announced a new match for their upcoming Final Battle PPV (pay-per-view) event. ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks & Hangman Page will defend their titles against Flip Gordon, Dragon Lee & Titan.

Ring of Honor holds their Final Battle pay-per-view event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Friday, December 15th. Here is the updated card:

— ROH World Title Match: Cody Rhodes © vs. Dalton Castle

— Singles Match: Jay Lethal vs. Marty Scurll

— ROH Tag Team Title Match: Motor City Machine Guns © vs. Best Friends

— Four Corners ROH World TV Title Match: Kenny King © Shane Taylor vs. Silas Young vs. Punishment Martinez

— ROH Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: The Young Bucks & Hangman Pag vs. Flip Gordon, Dragon Lee & Titan

Original plans to have WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defend his title against Finn Balor are no more. Vince McMahon doesn’t seem to think “The Demon King” is over enough for a clash with “The Beast.” The bout was originally slated to take place at January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV), but now WWE must find a new opponent for Lesnar to take on at the event.

Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plans for Lesnar’s Rumble appearance are currently up in the air but there has been talk that he could be working a non-title match at the event. There are reportedly various reasons why Vince doesn’t want Brock vs. Braun Strowman again, and as of this past week the plan is to still eventually have Lesnar take on Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34.

Reigns is currently the WWE Intercontinental Champion but it’s expected that he drops the title before “The Show Of Shows,” however, nothing is official. With usual frontrunners to take on Lesnar such as Balor, Reigns, Strowman and Samoa Joe likely out of the running, the possibilities for Lesnar are very thin. Lesnar is confirmed to be a part of the event but it’s not necessarily a given that he defends his title.

Various suggestions have been made in regards to Lesnar’s involvement at the Royal Rumble, but we should have a better idea of WWE’s plans come December 18th on Monday Night RAW – which is Lesnar’s next scheduled TV appearance for the company.

• Lio Rush removed WWE/NXT references from his Twitter profile
• Rush did not work Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings, which run through late December
• Remains under contract, per PWInsider

NXT star Lio Rush received a wave of negative attention on Twitter in late October after a tweet about Emma’s WWE release backfired spectacularly. In response to the news of Emma’s release (following two competitive matches with Asuka), Rush tweeted, “I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka ??”

Rush was slammed on social media by many of his peers and later followed up with a half-hearted apology. He has not been seen on NXT TV since and his status with the company remains in question. On Wednesday night, he made several changes to his Twitter account that have some fans wondering if he’ll be returning at all.

In addition to removing all references to WWE and NXT from his Twitter bio, Lio Rush also changed his hometown from Orlando (where the WWE Performance Center is located) to Baltimore. He has since tweeted:

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/936045547311501312

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/936224192646787072

Despite this social media activity, Lio Rush remains under contract with WWE, according to PWInsider. It will be interesting to see how this young man’s career progresses after these recent issues.

Prior to joining WWE, the 23-year-old high flyer has wrestled for promotions such as Ring Of Honor and Combat Zone Wrestling. Lio Rush was signed to NXT back in July and was engaged in a brief feud with his former tag team partner, Velveteen Dream.

Former ring announcer for Evolve and independent organizations, Heather Lynn, is stating that she dealt with sexual harassment and misconduct while working in the wrestling industry.

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/935986859729149952

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936002527602110464

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936003398616436737

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936016429358440449

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936099062578851840

Lynn clarified that her claims are not about long-time booker Gabe Sapolsky.

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936102284785864704

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936239512698740736

Lynn also was sure to state that Dave Prazak from Shimmer is also not who she is referring to.

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936250922879082496

She opted not to deny some other names, however.

https://twitter.com/heatherlynn1024/status/936241641958068225

This week on Smackdown, Jinder Mahal turned on the Singh brothers after they lost a handicap match to AJ Styles.

PW Insider is reporting that the decision has been made to replace the Singh brothers as Jinder’s run-in buddies. No information is currently available regarding if WWE plans to move the brothers to 205 Live or who will be replacing them on Smackdown.

WWE Tour of India

The timing of the Singh Brothers being written off of Smackdown is interesting considering WWE runs their India Super-Show a week from Saturday. It’s possible an angle involving Jinder and the Singh brothers is furthered on that show.

Anthem Sports and Entertainment have changed their stance on wrestlers using their Impact gimmicks after leaving the promotion.

The company issued the following statement to Sports Illustrated recently:

“We have seen the character development and will be interested to see where they take the concept. Our new talent agreements all incorporate language that allow talent to continue to use their IMPACT persona after they leave the company. We are working with our legal team to amend our existing agreements to extend this to all of our current and former talent.”

“Broken” Matt Hardy

Several theories are going around regarding why Anthem may have changed their tune on this one. The company took a PR hit during negotiations with the Hardyz in the spring and most likely are hoping to repair some of that damage. Matt Hardy also provided new information to the USPTO recently which may have strengthened his case. Hardy also has an Intellectual Property rights lawyer working for him.

– During the latest edition of The Ross Report Podcast, Jim Ross interviewed his former commentary partner Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. When asked who was the most difficult celebrity to deal with at WrestleMania, Lawler took the name of Aretha Franklin:

“Aretha Franklin is still alive. Remember what a pain in the butt she was at WrestleMania that year? Oh my gosh! Way passed her glory days, but still the biggest diva that we’d ever seen. Very high maintenance, Aretha Franklin.”

– As noted before yesterday was the first night of the final NXT Tapings of this year. After the tapings, Triple H sent out the following tweet, commenting on the final NXT Tapings of 2017:

The last @FullSail taping of 2017
…AND the first taping of a new chapter in @WWENXT’s history.#WeAreNXT
@AndradeCienWWE @Zelina_VegaWWE pic.twitter.com/gnizBueaiX

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 29, 2017

You can check out the complete spoiler results for NXT tapings from last night including a title change here.

The Rock is on the cover of Ebony‘s December 2017 edition and he also took part in the featured interview for the Magazine. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:

Avoiding stereotypes of Hollywood:

“It was the desire to make it. I never wanted to be evicted again. Making it means I could buy my mom and dad, God willing, a house because they had never lived in a house before. When you are trying to make it and you are trying to figure life out —work/life balances and what you want to become—a lot of times, we can fall into a mindset of, this was done before me like this; therefore, this is the model I have to follow. The same thing happened to me when I came to Hollywood. At that time, there was no blueprint for someone like me. There was no blueprint for a half-Black, half-Samoan pro wrestler who was a big boy. At that time, the guys who had the careers I wanted to have were Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Will Smith. They were the biggest stars on the planet. I was told, “You have to be in this box.” That box would be, “You can’t talk about wrestling anymore. Let’s transition from the moniker ‘The Rock’ to Dwayne Johnson. Let’s not go to the gym as much, even though you love it and it’s your daily anchor. Let’s make sure you are not in tank tops when doing photo shoots.”

How he would define power:

“When I was a kid, I used to measure power by money. In my head, I always interpreted power as money. If I had money then, I could become powerful… These days, as I’ve gotten to my fourth level of life and as I experience life, divorce, death, ups and downs, I define power in two ways: the bond I have with my family and the love I have with my family. I’ve achieved this greater level of love, of what I call to powerfully love somebody. I heard that years ago, and I didn’t know what it meant. My interpretation of what it means to powerfully love somebody is to be able to love somebody with restriction, to not be fearful of being vulnerable, to accept people with everything that they are. Their good. Their bad. Their warts. Everything they come with. Accept it. Embrace it. That’s that real powerful loving place. I didn’t know what that meant until a little later in life, but I understand what that means now. The other way I would define power is by influence. You don’t have to be famous. You don’t have to be rich. Just have the ability to influence someone in a positive way.”

What he wants his legacy to be:

“I think when it’s all said and done, the dust is settled and you are looking at the sunset as you’re riding off, [it’s] in the spirit of, I was able to use my influence in a positive way and make a real impact and help people make a real impact. That’s the responsibility I feel I have.”

Quotes via WrestleZone

Former WWE Star Cody Rhodes recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated while promoting Northeast Wrestling’s Holiday Havoc event in Waterbury, Connecticut this Friday. Below are few highlights from his interview:

His recent comments about wanting to face Daniel Bryan:

“I’m the son of the ‘American Dream’. Of course I’m a dreamer. My dad had no fear. As a promoter and businessman, he had no fear. I’m 32 and entering the prime of my career, so why would I be afraid? I’ve found these friends and businessmen in the Bucks, and I believe the business cannot continue to go on the path it’s going. It has to continue to change, and there have to be people who are going to change it. I really can’t claim to be any of that until we fill this joint up, but I am not afraid of what we are about to do.”

On racism and confederate flag controversy:

“It bothers me, but even surprises me when racism pops up. I had a fan tweet to tell me he’d been a fan for a long time, but he had the Confederate flag as his profile picture. I said, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to get rid of that,’ and he did, but what surprised me about that interaction was the amount of apologists who defended what the Confederate flag actually stood for. That always surprises me–that there are still apologists, essentially, for racism. We don’t need to be educating people on the Confederate flag, it just needs to be gone. In Germany, there are not swastikas on every corner. That part of their past is history and they’ve progressed. I’m always shocked when I see apologists for racism, which has no place. We’re all in this together. Why would we ever divide?”

Bullet Club’s Raw invasion:

“It made a bigger impact than we imagined it was going to have, I actually got in the car with my wife, Marty, and Hangman [Page] right after, and I said, ‘Just so you know, this is going to change a bunch of stuff.’ Marty was like, ‘No, I don’t think anything will come of it,’ but then the amount of stuff that came out of it, which is public with a cease and desist, and there were a lot of entertained fans and pro-WWE fans who were disappointed.”

You can check out Cody’s comments about wanting to face Daniel Bryan here.

Impact Wrestling star Alberto El Patron took part in a media conference call on Wednesday afternoon. During the call, spoke about his wrestling career winding down and his unhappiness with certain aspects of the business.

While he’s enjoyed worldwide fame for over a decade and claims to love “real” wrestling fans, “keyboard warriors” and “the dark side of the business” have led him to start thinking about hanging up his boots.

Fans of Alberto El Patron need not worry, because he’s not retiring anytime soon. He said he plans to wrestle throughout 2018 and is considering 2019 as the year for his ‘retirement tour.’

Alberto recently returned to Impact Wrestling at Bound For Glory after an indefinite suspension related to a now-settled domestic dispute with WWE Superstar Paige.

Discussion: What are your thoughts on Del Rio’s contributions to the professional wrestling business? Where would you like to see him wrestle on his pending retirement tour?

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently did an interview with Sporting News to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Foley discussed reliving his infamous Hell In A Cell match during his 20th Anniversary tour, realizing how big of a deal the match was, and the writing process behind his book “Saint Mick.” You can check out the highlights here:

Reliving his Hell In A Cell match on stage during his 20th Anniversary tour:

“The first time I watched the infamous Hell in a Cell match in its entirety in many years is because my children wanted to see it. I realized upon watching that match in its entirety that, all these years later, it really packs an emotional wallop. And for years, I kind of tried to distance myself from that match and instead, almost 20 years after the fact, I’m embracing it and looking forward to reliving it on stage at 20 North American stops in the spring of 2018.”

Realizing how big of a deal the match was:

“I’d say at the five-year mark when it was still a daily question, I realized that it had an impact. At the 10-year mark, you started having children who weren’t even born when it took place who were familiar with it. Especially now that the WWE Network reaches a whole new generation, it’s not unusual to have 50 percent of the audience who were born after that match took place but who are, nonetheless, aware of it.

“There are kids out there who say it’s their favorite match despite the fact that they can see really good matches on a weekly basis and great matches on a monthly basis.”

The writing process behind his book:

“When I started the writing process, I realized that I was kind of going to some dark, really personal places. I had to describe the need for this iconic figure in my life before you could realize how fulfilling it was. And I realized it was, by far, my most personal book and in some ways it was a love letter not only to my own childhood, but, to my younger children, in particular and the joy we had shared in celebrating Christmas’ together, traditions, and also the arrival of Santa Claus into our lives.

“I think people are enjoying it but there’s still part of me that kind of wishes I’d just published 100 copies and handed them out to friends and family.”

As we’ve noted before, WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A for iPlay America in Freehold, New Jersey. During the event Angle was asked about teaming up with The Shield (Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose) at Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) earlier this year. Initially the PPV’s main event was slated to feature the reuniting of The Shield, but unfortunately a viral outbreak of the mumps in the WWE locker room affected “The Big Dog” and he was pulled from the card.

After a quick physical was concluded, Angle was cleared to return to the WWE ring for the first time in 11 years and was subbed in for Reigns. The trio downed the team of The Miz, The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro), Kane, and Braun Strowman. Here’s what Angle had to say about teaming with Rollins and Ambrose:

“I didn’t expect that to be my first wrestling match, and with a faction that popular. They’re one of the most popular factions of all time, they’ve done an incredible job. Ever since they came up from NXT they’ve been legendary so it was an honor for me.

“Obviously Roman Reigns was out and they needed somebody to fill in the spot, and Mr. McMahon thought Kurt Angle would fill that spot. It was awesome, I had a lot of fun that night. I didn’t have to do much in my first match, but it was really cool. When you saw me walk out, you kind of saw the ‘fanboy’ look on my face. Seth [Rollins] and Dean [Ambrose] were serious, and here I am, going [*imitates a goofy grin*]

“It was a lot of fun, and it was a complete honor.”

It looks like former WBA, WBO, IBO, and lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury wants a piece of “The Rattlesnake.” Metro.uk reports that Fury told The Gazette in a recent interview that he’s gunning for a match with WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 34 next year.

Fury has promised to fight three times inside the boxing ring next year, but has a long road ahead of him in regards to getting back into fighting shape, and is currently without a boxing license. He hasn’t competed inside the squared circle since November of 2015, but it looks like he’d like a crack at the professional wrestling against Austin:

– John Cena is currently overseas doing promotional work for his new animated film “Ferdinand.” “The Leader Of The Cenation” is currently in Dubai after visiting Australia  earlier in the week, and posted the following on Twitter:

Read some #Ferdinand, played some Cricket (poorly) and had a great time the past few days in Sydney until the teacher took attendance in class and I was marked absent… U?C????? pic.twitter.com/stIOqDeKoW

— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 29, 2017

Thank you Australia time to head to Dubai @FerdinandMovie #NeverGiveUp pic.twitter.com/QcML114YrN

— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 29, 2017

– WWE UK star Wolfgang has been cleared to return to action after suffering an injury during the company’s European tour earlier this month. He worked the WWE NXT tapings earlier tonight from Full Sail University.

Former ECW and WWE star Tommy Dreamer was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc. to discuss a variety of professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Dreamer was asked for his thoughts on Matt Hardy’s “Broken” gimmick, and whether or not he believes it could be successful in WWE.

Reports surfaced earlier today indicating that Matt Hardy will finally be able to use a similar version of his alter ego that captivated the professional wrestling world in 2016, without using the “Broken” reference. Here’s what Dreamer had to say on the matter:

“You think about one year ago, Matt Hardy was probably the hottest wrestler out there He was probably the last good thing to watch on TNA, and I’m not saying that as a slight to TNA, but he was unique, he was different, he was a character,” Dreamer said. “How he tweeted, how he did everything was in full ‘Deletion’ mode and I used Matt all the time.

“We had an unwritten contract of, ‘Hey I have shows, you’re booked on them unless someone’s gonna pay you more money.’ Matt was, just like me, killing it all over wrestling every weekend on the indies. But he was the hottest character, and if they give him that freedom and let him be him with that, he’ll become one of the hottest stars they have again.

“When Matt and Jeff came back, it was awesome, I love Matt and Jeff,” Dreamer said. “You can’t look at them how WWE is viewing them as a retro act, and yes they were hot and they’re ladder match was awesome, [but] you can’t [say], ‘Oh they’re here to get the younger guys over.’ They still have a lot of gas left in the tank as performers… I could just see WWE profiting from merchandise and ‘Delete’ signs, you name it. They give him the ball and Matt will deliver it.”

You can read Dreamer’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.

Former WWE Champion and IMPACT Wrestling star Alberto Del Rio recently took part in a conference call to answer a variety of professional wrestling topics. Del Rio discussed Paige’s return to WWE, and his controversial promo from Bound For Glory. You can check out the highlights here:

Paige returning to WWE TV: 

“It’s fantastic, it was just about time. I used to say this all the time, people forget that she had neck surgery, screws behind her neck,” El Patron said. “That’s the reason why she was out of the business and it takes time to recover from something like that and then she started working really hard for her big comeback, and now she’s there. She’s doing what she has been doing since the beginning of her career in WWE. She’s killing it, she’s doing a fantastic job. I said it before and I’ll say it again, she has all the potential to be the most successful Diva of all time. We have to give her time.”

His controversial promo at Bound For Glory: 

“Part of it was the storyline, part of it was completely real. Everybody knows about the suspension,” he said. “The company and I talked about this and we decided it was the right thing to do at the moment because when the whole drama happened, we didn’t have the right evidence to prove to the audience, the sponsors, the TV networks that I didn’t do absolutely anything. So, in order to protect the company, the wrestlers in the company and all the people working for it, we decided to do that.”

Thanks to Will Henderson (@willh94) for texting us the following WWE NXT TV spoilers from tonight’s tapings at Full Sail University:

There will be 4 qualifying matches to advance to a Fatal 4 Way to determine the new #1 contender to NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas tonight. Other matches announced before the tapings are Ruby Riot vs. Sonya Deville in a No DQ match, Tyler Bate vs. WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne plus Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. NXT Tag Team Champions SAnitY.

December 6th Episode:

* It’s announced that Drew McIntyre cannot compete for the title at “Takeover: Philly” and that there will be 4 qualifying matches leading to a Fatal 4 Way to determine a new #1 contender. New NXT Champion Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega are out. Zelina demands we rise for our new champion. Everyone, including the announcer, stands. Andrade says he told us all he would be champion. Andrade makes fun of Drew being hurt and says he is gone for a long time. Andrade cuts a promo in Spanish to his next contender

* Killian Dain defeated Trent Seven to advance to the Fatal 4 Way #1 Contenders match. Trent tries to attack at the start, but Dain overpowers him. Dain hits the running crossbody for 2. Trent hits the rainmaker clothesline for 2. Killian hits the running senton and the middle rope splash for the win

* Sonya Deville defeated Ruby Riott in a No Holds Barred match. Sonya locks the ankle lock in on Ruby early, but Ruby gets to the ropes and necks Sonya on them to break the hold. Stiff strikes from Sonya. Back and forth strikes. Ruby hits a suicide dive on Sonya. Sonya catches Ruby in a gogoplata-like hold as she comes back into the ring and Ruby passes out in the hold, forcing the referee to call for the bell

* Johnny Gargano defeated Kassius Ohno to advance to the Fatal 4 Way. Incredible match. Huge dueling Johnny Wrestling/Kassius Ohno chants before they lockup and throughout the match. They shake hands in response. Nice chain wrestling to start. Gargano goes for the middle rope spear, but Ohno catches him, ties him up in the ropes and hits a brutal elbow to knock Johnny outside. Ohno is playing the aggressive big man. Ohno with more brutal shots at ringside. Gargano tries to fight out of the corner, but Ohno nails a boot to the face for the near fall. Gargano fights back after getting his knees up on the running senton and gets the middle rope spear for a 2 count. Gargano hits a suicide dive into a tornado DDT on the ramp. Ohno hits the cyclone kick but Gargano kicks out. Ohno hits a boot on the ropes and an elbow to the back of the head, but Gargano kicks out again. Gargano blocks the rolling elbow with a series of superkicks, then turns a tilt-a-whirl into the GargaNo Escape for the win. “That was awesome” chant after the match, and the two show respect

December 13th Episode:

* Lars Sullivan defeated Roderick Strong to advance to the Fatal 4 Way. Roddy runs at Lars to start but to no avail. Lars dominates. Roddy turns the tide and tangles Lars up in the ropes and hits a series of elbows to knock him out of the ring. Roddy hits a superplex off the top but Lars kicks out at 1. Lars hits a big clothesline. Roddy hits the Angle Slam for a nearfall. Lars hits a pop-up power slam and the Freak Accident for the win

* NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon defeated Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay) in a non-title match. Ember gets the upperhand to start, and hits a dive off the top rope to the outside onto the Iconic Duo. Billie grabs her ankle getting back in the ring and Peyton applies a submission in the ropes. Ember takes control back. Nice series of reversals. Peyton gets a nearfall. Ember ducks a spin kick and gets Peyton into a powerbomb position, but Peyton holds the ropes. Ember kicks Peyton’s leg out from under her and hits the Eclipse for the win. After the match Billie hits the ring and boots Ember in the face. The Iconic Duo hit their double team knee move, when Nikki Cross runs in out of the crowd for the save. Nikki spies the Women’s Title laying in the ring and teases attacking Ember, but instead runs the ropes crazily before running back out into the crowd

* NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Fabian Aichner in a non-title match. Andrade nails a dropkick at the bell, but Fabian hits a tilt-a-whirl slam and then his springboard dive to the outside and a springboard tornado DDT. Andrade with a hard chop. Fabian hits a rough powerbomb. Fabian goes up top but Zelina distracts him. Andrade knocks him outside, throws him into the stairs, and rolls him back hit to hit El Idolo for the win

* Aleister Black defeated Adam Cole to advance to the Fatal 4 Way. Good match. Mat wrestling to start. Cole locks in a crossface but Black gets to the ropes. Cole jaw jacks and Aleister unloads with strikes. Cole rolls out of the ring to avoid the Black Mass and necks him on the ropes. Black hits a kick to the head as Cole jumps off the top rope for a 2. Aleister catches Cole’s foot and hits a big kick. He lifts Cole up for the Black Mass and Cole starts yelling for him to do it and Aleister nails Black Mass for the win

* The Authors of Pain defeated Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch. Lorcan and Burch are affectionately known as Ones & Twos by the audience. They unload with chops and uppercuts before the AoP just destroy them. Super Collider and Last Chapter for the squash win

December 20th Episode:

* The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) defeated SAnitY (Killian Dain & Eric Young) to win the NXT Tag Team Titles. Killian starts for SAnitY as Fish and O’Reilly try to take him down. Dain tags in Young and he takes control. Fish takes out Young behind the referee’s back and Undisputed Era go to work isolating him. Fish with a suplex for 2. Bobby and Kyle keep tagging in and out attacking EY. EY rebounds with a swinging neckbreaker. EY fends off both Undisputed Era and gets a hot tag to Dain. Dain runs wild. Dain hits the corner dropkick/senton combo and his power slam onto both guys for a nearfall. Adam Cole runs out and crotches EY on his elbow attempt. Nikki Cross runs out and hits a crossbody on Cole and unloads with punches to Cole until refs pull her off. Cole reverses a powerslam by Dain on the outside and pushes him into the ringpost. EY hits a dive onto Cole but gets hit with Total Elimination when he rolls back into the ring and Undisputed Era pick up the win to become new champs

* Ember Moon defeated Sonya Deville to retain the NXT Women’s Title. They did not do the title match introductions, which was weird. Okay back and forth match. Some very tough looking spots for both ladies. Crowd was not into this at all following the title change. Ember hits a springboard dropkick and an absolutely brutal running elbow into the corner, then hits the Eclipse for the win

After the match, Kairi Sane’s music hits. She comes out and signals she wants the title, when Shayna Baszler comes up behind Kairi and chokes her out on the stage while Ember looks on

* Pete Dunne defeated Tyler Bate to retain the WWE UK Title. Another great match. Good mat wrestling and limb work to start. Good back and forth as they trade 2 counts. Dunne with a tough forearm. Bate stomps Dunne’s arm on the stairs, but Dunne responds by suplexing him off the stairs to the floor. They trade chops. Dunne stomps on Bates hand and Tyler has to pop his finger back into place. Pete goes back after the arm. Tyler with a nice overhead belly to belly suplex. Tyler hits the cartwheel kick and goes for the Tyler Driver, but Dunne reverses it into an armbar. Tyler deadlifts him with one arm into a powerbomb but Pete holds on. Bate lifts him again and puts him between the ropes and slingshots him. Tyler does the airplane spin spot but adds a third rotation at a faster speed. Bate is bleeding from his ear. Tyler hits a deadlift fisherman from the apron into the ring for a nearfall. Dunne ducks a kick and hits Bitter End but Tyler kicks out. Dunne turns Bate inside out with a clothesline. They go from seated to standing trading strikes. Pete rolls out of the ring and they trade strikes on the apron until Tyler hits the cartwheel kick on it. Dunne knocks Bate out of midair with a forearm and hits a suplex powerbomb for a near fall. Tyler keeps Dunne from taking a count out by hitting a plancha, then hits the Tyler Driver 97 for a nearfall. Bate goes to the top rope, and hits spiral tap to Dunne’s back but only gets 2. Tyler goes for a backdrop off the top rope, but Pete lands on his feet and hits Bitter End for the pin

* The Street Profits defeated two unnamed enhancement talents. Quick squash. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins win with the spinebuster/frogsplash combo. After the match, The Profits go into the crowd to celebrate and cut a promo from the top of the bleachers, saying in 2017 they came, they saw, and in 2018, they’ll conquer. They run down AoP, SAnitY, and Undisputed Era and say in 2018, they’re coming for the belts

* They filmed a new episode crowd chant intro, but it seems they’re filming randomly tonight

* Johnny Gargano defeated Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, and Aleister Black to become #1 Contender to the NXT Title. Lars catches Black on a corner moonsault and slams him into the apron, then catches Gargano on a dive and does the same, but Killian does a suicide dive and wipes out Lars. Lars throws Dain into the steps. Aleister kicks him up the ramp, but gets tossed off the stage. Lars then tosses Gargano onto Black. Lars tries to powerbomb Gargano through the announce table but Gargano grabs the set scaffold and holds on. Gargano kicks Lars and gets him on the table. Killian runs and dives off the stage and through Lars on the table. We get a great few minutes in the ring with Black squaring off against Gargano and the crowd goes nuts, until Dain comes back and cleans house. Black and Gargano powerbomb Dain off the ropes and while all three are down, Lars returns to the ring. Dain and Lars square off and we’ve got a hoss fight on our hands. Dain is bleeding from his elbow. Black returns to the ring and goes nuts. Black hits the Black Mass on Lars but Undisputed Era comes down and attacks Aleister. Cole lays out Black, then Gargano hits a suicide dive to Cole. Johnny sidesteps Lars who runs into the steps, then hurricanranas Dain into Lars. Johnny then hits his jumping DDT on Aleister and scores the pinfall. Huge pop for the win. Fun match. Gargano goes into the crowd to celebrate to end the tapings

Johnny Gargano will challenge NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas in the main event of NXT’s next Takeover special, which takes place on Saturday, January 27th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia during WWE Royal Rumble weekend.

Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings featured a segment with Almas, which will air next Wednesday night, where he announced that Drew McIntyre will be unable to compete for his rematch at Takeover. A series of qualifying matches were held to build to a Fatal 4 Way with the winner becoming the new #1 contender.

Killian Dain defeated Trent Seven and Johnny Gargano defeated Kassius Ohno in matches that should air on the December 6th episode. Lars Sullivan defeated Roderick Strong and Aleister Black defeated Adam Cole in matches that should air on December 13th. A Fatal 4 Way then took place, which should air on December 20th, that saw Gargano defeat Dain, Sullivan and Black to become the new #1 contender.

Takeover will be Gargano’s first shot at the NXT Title.

New NXT Tag Team Champions were crowned at Wednesday night’s TV tapings from Full Sail University (Full Spoilers).

Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era are your new champs after defeating Eric Young & Killian Dain of SAnitY. The match, which saw interference from Adam Cole, should air on the December 20th episode.

This is the first title reign for O’Reilly and Fish in NXT. SAnitY won the titles back on August 19th at the “Takeover: Brooklyn III” event with a win over The Authors of Pain.

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/936050906503831553

Street Profits vs Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss

Dawkins and Moss started off the match. Moss shoved Dawkins and then rolled out of the ring and had a conversation with Sabbatelli. Moss got back in the ring and leveled Dawkins with a shoulder tackle. Moss followed it up with a Body Slam and started to trash talk Dawkins.

Dawkins connected with a shoulder tackle and a slam of his own and then tagged in Montez Ford. Montez locked in a Headlock but Sabbatelli was able to tag himself in. Sabbatelli connected with a Crossbody and then started barking at the crowd. Ford got back up and hit Sabbatelli with a Dropkick. Moss sprinted in the ring and the Street Profits knocked him back out of the ring with a Clothesline and posed in the ring as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Ford booted Moss on the ring apron but Sabbatelli connected with a forearm that knocked Ford to the floor outside the ring. Sabbatelli brought Ford back into the ring and hit him with a flurry of right hands. Sabbatelli once again got distracted by the crowd for a moment but still launched Ford into the corner.

Moss was tagged in and he hit a Splash onto Ford in the corner. Moss stood over Ford and started dancing like the Street Profits. Moss hit Ford with a right hand and started taunting Dawkins on the ring apron. Moss connected with an elbow for a two count and then punched Ford in the face a few times.

Moss applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring and the crowd started chanting “lets go Profits!”. Ford slowly powered to his feet and connected with a couple of punches to Moss’ ribs. Ford tried to leap across the ring to tag in Dawkins but Moss blocked him and sent him to the corner. Moss charged at Ford in the corner but missed and slammed into the ring post.

Sabbatelli and Dawkins were tagged in and Dawkins planted Tino with a Bulldog. Dawkins connected with a Splash to both Moss and Sabbatelli. Dawkins leveled Sabbatelli with a right hand and went for the cover but Moss broke it up. Dawkins launched Moss out of the ring and went for a roll-up on Tino but Sabbatelli kicked out.

Moss hit Dawkins with a forearm and then Tino went for the cover. Moss tried to hold Dawkins’ feet down so he couldn’t kick out but the referee caught him. Ford booted Moss in the face from the ring apron and then the Street Profits teamed up on Sabbattelli. Dawkins slammed Tino to the mat and then Ford hit a Splash off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

Winners: Street Profits

The #StreetProfits @MontezFordWWE & @AngeloDawkins celebrate IN STYLE after another win over @riddickMoss and @TinoSabbatelli on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/MpwHE03ci0

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2017

Mark Andrews stated that he was teaming up with Pete Dunne tonight under one condition. Andrews said that if they win, he will become the #1 contender for the UK Championship. Dunne and Andrews will face Trent Seven and Tyler Bate later tonight.

.@MAndrewsJunior isn't interested in friendship… he's interested in winning alongside @PeteDunneYxB in order to earn a #UKChampionship opportunity! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/apoveOKkOs

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 30, 2017

Kairi Sane vs Peyton Royce

Billie Kay accompanied Peyton Royce down to the ring for this match. Royce connected with a forearm that knocked Sane to the mat to start off the match. Royce planted Sane with a Hip Toss and went for another one but Sane reversed it into a roll-up for a two count. Sane connected with a Dropkick for a two count.

Billie Kay distracted Sane and Royce connected with a spinning kick for another two count. Royce went for a Suplex but Sane countered into another roll-up and Royce kicked out at two as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Royce was in control and had Sane in a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.

Sane broke free but Royce knocked back to the canvas with a kick. Royce launched Sane into the corner and charged at her but Sane ducked and Royce bounced off the turnbuckle. Sane connected with a Spear and both Superstars fell to the mat. Both Superstars got back up and Royce went for a punch but Sane blocked it and hit a Blockbuster.

Sane then marched to the corner of the ring and connected with a sliding forearm as Royce was leaning against the bottom turnbuckle. Kairi leaped off the top rope but Royce got out of the way and hit a running knee for a two count. Sane knocked Royce to the mat and beat her down with a series of stomps. Billie Kay hopped up onto the ring apron but Sane quickly knocked her to the floor with an elbow to the face. Sane then climbed to the top rope and hit the Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Kairi Sane

The elbow of @KairiSaneWWE leads her to yet another victory on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/jpa0oggJCS

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 30, 2017

Ruby Riott versus Sonya Deville in a No Holds Barred match was announced for next week’s episode of NXT.

We've got three words for you: NO. HOLDS. BARRED. @SonyaDevilleWWE and @RubyRiotWWE will go to war next week on #WWENXT, only on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/ICUR5ryZfo

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 30, 2017

There will also be a celebration for new NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas next week.

A new chapter in #WWENXT will begin with a Championship Celebration for #NXTChampion @AndradeCienWWE and his business manager @Zelina_VegaWWE, NEXT WEEK! pic.twitter.com/5fvsV97Xeg

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) November 30, 2017

Tyler Bate & Trent Seven vs Pete Dunne & Mark Andrews

Bate and Dunne started off the match as the crowd chanted “UK!”. Dunne wrestled Bate to the mat but Bate escaped and both Superstars got back to their feet and stared at each other. Dunne pretended that he was going to tag in Andrews but instead turned around and clocked Bate in the face. Dunne then did tag in Andrews and Bate greeted him with a Dropkick.

Bate connected with an uppercut and tagged in Trent Seven. Bate leaped off of Seven’s shoulders and hit a Senton Bomb. Seven went for the cover but Andrews kicked out at two. Andrews connected with a Dropkick for a two count and then locked in an Arm Bar on Seven. Dunne tagged himself in and started twisting Seven’s fingers.

Seven hit a chop and then a DDT for a two count. Dunne elbowed Seven in the face and tagged in Andrews. The referee didn’t see the tag and prevented Andrews from getting the ring. Seven was distracted by this and Dunne leveled him with a Clothesline as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Andrews was tagged in and he locked in the Arm Bar again on Seven. Andrews launched Seven to the corner and tried to leap onto him but Seven caught him. Dunne tagged himself in and planted Seven with a Backstabber for a two count. Dunne stomped on Seven’s shoulder as he screamed in pain. Dunne then hit Double Knees into Seven’s lower back.

Andrews tagged back in for a moment but Dunne slapped Andrews in the back to tag himself back into the match. Dunne booted Seven in the face and stared at Andrews on the ring apron. Seven leveled Dunne with the Seven Stars Lariat and crawled across the ring to tag in Tyler Bate.

Bate connected with a series of uppercuts and then planted Dunne with an Exploder Suplex. Bate hit a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count. Andrews tagged back in and hit a Double Stomp onto Bate’s midsection. Andrews charged at Bate in the corner but Tyler blocked it and kneed Andrews in the chest. Both Superstars were on the top rope and Dunne tagged himself in.

Andrews hit a Frankensteiner on Bate and Dunne caught Bate in midair and planted him with a Powerbomb in an absolutely ridiculous sequence. The crowd chanted “fight forever” as Dunne and Bate traded shots in the ring. Seven was tagged in and he connected with a Suplex. Bate was quickly tagged back into the match.

Dunne hit an Enziguri to Seven that knocked him out of the ring. Bate lifted Dunne in the air and Andrews tagged himself in. Bate planted Dunne with a German Suplex and Andrews connected with a Splash off the top rope for a two count. Bate lifted Andrews up onto his shoulders and spun around several times. Dunne tagged himself back in and went for a roll-up but Bate kicked out at two. Bate hit a massive Clothesline and followed it up with the Tyler Driver 97 for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Dunne attacked Mark Andrews from behind and knocked him to the canvas with a forearm to the back of his head. Dunne went to walk backstage but sprinted back into the ring and hit Andrews with the Bitter End as NXT went off the air.

Winners: Tyler Bate & Trent Seven

He may have been on the losing end of this match, but #UKChampion @PeteDunneYxB was STILL determined to be the one standing tall! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/BCRt8FVaZV

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 30, 2017

Shawn Michaels, the Miz, and Becky Lynch are filming “The Marine 6” at the moment. Miz recently lost the Intercontinental championship and WWE created a storyline injury for Lynch to explain her absence.

The crew is only on their 3rd day of filming but already Lynch has managed to get under Miz and HBK’s skin.

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/935853836400578565

Acting Credits for Miz, HBK, and Lynch

The Miz has been in:

• The Real World (TV Series)
• The Marine 3,4, and 5.
• Scooby-Doo and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
• Supernatural (TV Series)
• Santa’s Little Helper, Sirens (TV Series)
• Christmas Bounty
• Pair of Kings (TV Series)
• and also has numerous credits for his time in WWE.

Shawn Michaels has been in:

• Avengers of Justice: Farce Wars (post-production)
• Pure Country Pure Heart
• The Resurrection of Gavin Stone
• South Beach (TV Series)
• Pacific Blue (TV Series)
• Baywatch (TV Series)
• And numerous credits from his work in WWE

Becky Lynch has been in:

• Vikings (TV Series) – stunt work

Becky Lynch graduated with a degree in theatre from the Dublin Institute of Technology and has attended acting classes at the Gaiety School of Acting. She is also said to have been involved with many community theatre projects in Ireland.

Since returning at WrestleMania earlier this year, Matt Hardy has been teasing that the WWE Universe might soon be introduced to his “Broken” alter ego. With brother Jeff out of action until early 2018 due to injury, Matt has been ramping up the references to his ‘primal passenger.’ A new incarnation of ‘Broken’ Matt will emerge in the near future, but with some notable changes.

My physical contact with Bray Wyatt on #RAW seems to have TRIGGERED & AWAKENED my PRIMAL PASSENGER. https://t.co/IBeryV4mQZ

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) November 28, 2017

Sports Illustrated reports that WWE is finally pulling the trigger on a new character for Matt Hardy. The new character will be similar to the one which captured the attention of the entire wrestling world in 2016, but the WWE version will not be labeled “Broken.”

The Hardy family’s legal battle with Impact Wrestling and Anthem is well-documented, with some colorful aspects playing out on social media throughout this year. That dispute may be settled. Ed Nordholm, Anthem’s Executive Vice President, tells Sports Illustrated that the company is laying the groundwork to allow Matt and Jeff Hardy to use aspects of their “IMPACT persons” in WWE.

Nordholm told Justin Barrasso of SI, “We have seen the character development and will be interested to see where they take the concept. Our new talent agreements all incorporate language that allow talent to continue to use their IMPACT persona after they leave the company. We are working with our legal team to amend our existing agreements to extend this to all of our current and former talent.”

This is great news for all involved parties. With the legal dispute over the ‘Broken Universe’  seemingly behind them, Matt can focus on channeling his creativity in a new direction and developing his ‘primal passenger’ for a whole new audience.

The #GreatWar is merely beginning on this plane identified as @WWE. I must recruit LOYAL Soldiers from around the planet of Earth to join me as I battle in a DOMAIN overflowing with DARKNESS & DEMONS.

Our Platoon has much to do.

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) November 29, 2017

Fomer Smackdown women’s champion, Naomi, has suffered a separated shoulder, cervical strain, and facial contusions as a result of her match last night. The storyline injury most likely means she will not be on Smackdown for a period.

During the 6-person match, Sarah Logan gave Naomi a slingshot into the steel steps.

BREAKING: @NaomiWWE sustained a separated shoulder, cervical strain and facial contusions at the hands of The #RiottSquad last night on #SDLive. pic.twitter.com/iI1WeNvMSz

— WWE (@WWE) November 29, 2017

Smackdown Women’s Division

Naomi is the 2nd recent babyface in her division to be taking a sabbatical. Becky Lynch was also recently injured by the Riott Squad to explain her absence while she films the Marine 6.