ROH Star Rhett Titus recently had an interview with Interactive Wrestling Radio where he clarified his previous comments about hating to train under Daniel Bryan among other things. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:

On saying that he hated training under Bryan during an old interview:

“That was from an interview I did when I was younger. Going from training with (Austin) Aries to Brian Danielson was a bit of a change. Aries was a more laid back trainer. He said, “I’m not here to be your personal trainer. I’m here to be your wrestling trainer.” I thought that was very cool. Aries was a little more laid back, if you were a few minutes late, don’t worry about it. Bryan, on the other hand, everyday before practice we had to do tons of hindu squats, tons of push ups, tons of everything. And then, we’d learn a little bit of wrestling. I respect wrestling, obviously, and having to pay your dues. I would push myself in the gym and then would have to come and do all these extra squats. Especially on leg day, that was killing me! Bryan was also very strict. Practice would start at 5 O’Clock! I was coming from work at that time. It was about an hour and a half from work. If I missed one traffic light, I was going to be late. If I was late, I would always have to do extra squats, extra push ups, extra run the ropes. Extra everything! I remember one day (laughs) I was running a little late. “Ah man, I don’t think I’m gonna make it!” So, I put my boots on in the car. I pulled up to the school at 4:58. I went running upstairs in the school and at 4:59 with about 10 seconds to spare, I hopped into the ring. He was like, “Made it on time?” So, we started. And, Bryan was like, “Who the hell dragged mud into my ring?” Everyone was looking at the bottom of their feet and no one had mud. I look at the bottom of my feet and, of course… I’m the one with mud. So, I had to do extra squats, extra push ups, extra run the ropes… Even though I was on time! (laughs) I came to grips with the idea that I was going to have to do a little bit more than everyone else. In the end, it made me appreciate everything a little bit more. If you ever see me and I’m being hard on a young guy, you know why!”

Daniel teasing an ROH return:

“As someone who was a big Bryan Danielson fan and a big Daniel Bryan fan prior to him being my trainer, I would love to see him wrestle again. As someone who works for Ring of Honor, I think we would do great business with him coming back. But, as someone who has known him and as a friend, if he’s not 100% and healthy and is going to put himself at risk, I wouldn’t want him to do that. There is life after wrestling. He’s got a baby now and a wife and other things he’s got to consider. But, if he’s good to go and if he feels he’s good to go… Hey! I’d love to have him back!”

His thoughts on Women Of Honor:

“The Women of Honor always go out there and give it their all. I think sometimes there’s not time. But, I think going forward, in 2018, they’re going to be a lot more focussed on because, to be honest, the Women of Honor draw the best YouTube numbers. That’s a big thing you’ve got to look at. If they’re drawing this many people on YouTube, almost triple regular Ring of Honor promos, that is something that should be focussed on in the future. I hope they do get the opportunity because all those girls, they work really hard. They really deserve it!”

Quotes via 411Mania

It was reported last month that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were kicked off WWE’s recent European tour. The reason for them being sent home was the pair not feeding for the New Day at the end of their Smackdown segment.

The most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that the backstage heat on Kevin Owens is now gone but the same can’t be said for Zayn. Unfortunately, that was all the report said.

“It appears that all the controversy regarding Owens from when he and Zayn were sent home is gone, but the same isn’t the case of Zayn”. – Wrestling Observer (no further comment was made)

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Backstage Heat

The Observer did not make further comment or provide any reasons for why Zayn might still have heat and not Owens.

Unfortunately, the update from the Observer creates more questions than it answers.

One of the most exciting things coming out of WWE Programming this week was the surprise debut of five female NXT Stars on both Raw and SmackDown Live.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, it was Vince McMahon’s call to bring these five women to the main roster because the Boss felt that the Women’s Division on both the shows had gone stale.

McMahon made the decision shortly after Mae Young Classic wrapped up so we can say that their arrival was well planned and it wasn’t a last minute call.

Many believe that their debut is part of a long-term plan leading to a Women’s Royal Rumble match. While a Women’s Rumble could still take place, the site notes that currently, they haven’t heard anything about it.

For those who don’t know, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville made their debut on Raw, led by a returning Paige this week and similarly Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan and Ruby Riot made their debut on SmackDown Live.

Former UFC Super-Fight and WWE Intercontinental champion, Ken Shamrock, can’t understand why WWE won’t bring him back.

The 53-year-old recently appeared on the Wrestledelphia podcast and the topic of a possible WWE return was brought up.

Ken Shamrock WWE Return Possibility 

Asked if he felt WWE will ever bring him back, here is what Shamrock had to say:

“I doubt it. I’ve been saying this for years.” Shamrock stated on the show.

“I’m not understanding that with everybody that I’ve seen come back – Kurt Angle, The Rock – how isn’t Ken Shamrock there?

“If anybody makes sense in coming back and doing something with those guys coming back, there is no other better person than myself.”

You can listen to the full interview via the player below:

Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella, had some words on Twitter for recent NXT call-up, Liv Morgan.

Their dispute may stem from when they trained together in WWE developmental.

I can’t say I don’t like their attitude. But let me give you a piece of advice. Stay??Away?? From?? Me.

And my gear drawer…. #SDLive

— Mella Is Money ? (@CarmellaWWE) November 22, 2017

DONT ?? TELL ?? ME ?? WHAT?? TO?? DO??

and your gear drawer seems to have all my stuff in it. https://t.co/XR8NKiECGg

— LIV Morgan (@YaOnlyLivvOnce) November 22, 2017

Dang, I didn’t realize you could even see my tweets. ? Guess you finally unblocked me. https://t.co/jKO0cMws6i

— Mella Is Money ? (@CarmellaWWE) November 22, 2017

Do Carmella and Liv Morgan Not Like Each Other?

Carmella and Liv Morgan would have spent 2 years training with each other in NXT, so they will have history, we just don’t know what kind exactly. Carmella was in developmental from 2013 until being called up in 2016. Liv Morgan was in developmental from 2014 until debuting on Smackdown this week.

Carmella stating that Liv had her blocked on Twitter implies heat fans were never aware of which would indicate this as a shoot, though that could be exactly why it was said. Perhaps they really do have a beef over borrowed or stolen ring gear from their time in developmental or perhaps they are just working an angle.

They have never had a singles match against one another but tagged together on 3 occasions on NXT live tours. They also were on opposite 6-person teams for matches on the SummerSlam house show tour in August.

– WWE has apparently dropped the first name of both Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. They have removed their first names from WWE.com’s official roster page and it won’t be a surprise if they are only referred by their surnames in future.

Both Harper and Rowan re-debuted on SmackDown live this week as the Bludgeon Brothers. They defeated the Hype Bros in their debut match.

– WWE has a new pole on their site asking fans who they want to be the next opponent of the Beast Brock Lesnar. As of this writing, the former Universal Champion Finn Balor is leading the pole with 29% vote share.

Braun Strowman is in the second position with 25% votes followed by Triple H and Roman Reigns having 13% and 10% votes respectively. It’s interesting to note here that according to a recent report, the company has scrapped the planned match between Balor and Lesnar because Mr. McMahon thinks that Finn is not ‘over enough’.

Ruby Riot vs Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville made her main roster debut on RAW this past Monday as a part of Paige’s entourage. Ruby Riot also debuted on the main roster last night during SmackDown. Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan attacked Becky Lynch, Naomi, Natalya and Charlotte last night during SmackDown.

The match started out back and forth. Deville got the upper-hand and attacked Riot’s knee as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Deville was still in control and had Riot trapped in the corner. Riot attempted a roll-up but Deville kicked out and then planted Riot with a Spinebuster for a two count.

ATTENTION WOMEN OF #RAW: @SonyaDevilleWWE was #BornToFight! Case and point… #WWENXT @RubyRiotWWE pic.twitter.com/jjBiJbDQWU

— WWE (@WWE) November 23, 2017

Deville connected with a roundhouse kick to Riot’s midsection and then went for the cover but Riot kicked out at two. Riot connected with an elbow but Deville knocked her to the ring apron. Riot leaped back into the ring and planted Deville with a DDT and both Superstars fell to the canvas.

Now, THIS is how you start a RIOT! #WWENXT @RubyRiotWWE @SonyaDevilleWWE pic.twitter.com/yW4CdIIb3r

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 23, 2017

Ruby hit a series of chops and then followed it up with three Clotheslines in a row. Riot followed it up with an STO and a Senton for a two count. Deville knocked Riot to the mat with a knee and followed it up with a Shining Wizard. Sonya applied the Triangle Arm Bar and then transitioned into an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring.

Riot slowly made her way towards the bottom rope and broke the hold. Deville flipped out at the referee and took her focus off of Ruby Riot. Ruby then hit a roundhouse kick for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Ruby Riot

RISE and RIOT!

@RubyRiotWWE picks up the victory against @SonyaDevilleWWE on @WWENXT, only on @WWENetwork! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/I2ABIeOwzz

— WWE (@WWE) November 23, 2017

Lars Sullivan was interviewed following his victory over Kassius Ohno at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Sullivan challenged anyone to step in his way and they to will be destroyed by his hands only.

Ember Moon was interviewed after capturing the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver WarGames. Moon said that this was a dream come true for her and that all her hard finally work paid off.

Drew McIntyre was interviewed after losing his NXT Championship and also suffering an injury at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. McIntyre said that he knowns his injury isn’t good and that he won’t know how long he will be out until he talks to his doctor. McIntyre vowed to return and reclaim his NXT Championship.

Moss and Sabbatelli versus Street Profits was announced for next week. Kairi Sane versus Peyton Royce was also announced for next week’s episode of NXT.

NEXT WEEK: The #StreetProfits @MontezFordWWE and @AngeloDawkins take on @riddickMoss and @TinoSabbatelli! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/QFtbl4k4g3

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 23, 2017

ALSO NEXT WEEK: The #PiratePrincess @KairiSaneWWE will go one-on-one with The #Iconic @WWEPeytonRoyce on #WWENXT, only on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/ldewnoLg4e

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) November 23, 2017

UK Championship: Pete Dunne (c) vs Johnny Gargano

The #BruiserWeight is READY… @PeteDunneYxB defends his #UKTitle NEXT on @WWENetwork! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/cBe1SG0nvo

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) November 23, 2017

Dueling “Johnny Wrestling!” and “Bruiserweight!” chants echoed throughout the crowd in Houston as the match started. Dunne connected with a big time punch and followed it up with a chop. Gargano hit a Dropkick that knocked Dunne out of the ring. Gargano followed it up with a Cannonball off the ring apron onto Dunne outside the ring.

Gargano went for a Tornado DDT off the ring apron but Dunne reversed it into a Suplex of his own and Gargano crashed off the ring apron as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Dunne was still in control and stomped on Gargano’s fingers in the ring. Gargano Suplexed Dunne into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a chop.

#JohnnyWrestling vs. #TheBruiserWeight… THIS is WRESTLING!!! #WWENXT #UKTitle @PeteDunneYxB @JohnnyGargano @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/Q651hxTDnb

— WWE (@WWE) November 23, 2017

Gargano connected with a slingshot Spear from the ring apron for a two count. Dunne rolled out of the ring and Gargano leaped onto him and planted Dunne with a DDT outside the ring. The action returned to the ring and Gargano went for another slingshot DDT but Dunne caught him and slammed Gargano to the canvas for a two count. The crowd chanted  “NXT!” as Dunne made his way back to his feet.

Dunne lifted Gargano up but Johnny countered it into a DDT. Johnny then applied the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring. Dunne took out his mouthguard and started biting Gargano’s fingers until he broke the hold. Dunne went for the Bitter End but Gargano reversed it into a roll-up for a two count. Dunne hit an Enziguri but Gargano bounced off the ropes and leveled Dunne with a Clothesline.

Speaking of signature @PeteDunneYxB… #WWENXT #UKTitle @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/e4eGT2oqJo

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 23, 2017

The crowd chanted “this is awesome” as Gargano had Dunne’s mouthguard in his hand. Gargano grinned and then connected with a Superkick to Dunne’s face for a two count. Dunne and Gargano traded punches in the middle of the ring. Dunne threw Gargano to the ring apron. Gargano tried to leap onto Dunne from the apron but Dunne caught him with a forearm to the face. Dunne then connected with the Bitter End for the pinfall victory.

Winner & Still UK Champion: Pete Dunne

It's a #BitterEnd for @JohnnyGargano as the #BruiserWeight @PeteDunneYxB RETAINS the #UKTitle! #AndStill #WWENXT @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/1cUg9qTMZw

— WWE (@WWE) November 23, 2017

– There is a rumor going around that WWE has instructed ring announcer Greg Hamilton to stop adding a pause after he says, “one fall” during his match introductions. Even though the “one fall” bit has become a staple of his routine, the belief is that WWE officials only want the ring announcers focusing on getting the wrestlers over, not themselves.

– After pinning John Cena at Survivor Series during the RAW vs. SmackDown team elimination match, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle is teasing a potential singles match with the 16-time world champion.

Responding to a photo of Angle and Cena from Survivor Series with the caption, “Things always come full circle,” Angle tweeted:

“Full circle. Nobody can deny these two are among the very best. Question is, will it occur again in a one on one??? We will see. @JohnCena https://t.co/zxBBzhofz4

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) November 21, 2017

– Earlier this week, Dave Meltzer reported that Vince McMahon decided to scrap the planned Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor match at the Royal Rumble because Balor is not ‘over’ enough to be a believable challenger to Lesnar.

Balor tweeted the following on Wednesday, emphasizing the letters O-V-E-R in “forever.”

#BálorClub
•fOreVER• pic.twitter.com/OmS5hFsJOf

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) November 22, 2017

WWE Studios has announced that The Miz, Shawn Michaels and Becky Lynch will star in the upcoming film, “The Marine 6: Close Quarters.”

WWE® STUDIOS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS TO PARTNER ON THE MARINE 6: CLOSE QUARTERS

Starring WWE Superstars The Miz® and Becky Lynch™, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels®

Burbank, Calif. (November 22, 2017) – WWE Studios and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) today announced that the two studios will partner again to release the upcoming action film The Marine 6: Close Quarters, directed by James Nunn (The Marine 5: Battleground, Eliminators). The film will feature WWE Superstars The Miz and Becky Lynch, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, and is set to begin production on Monday, November 27 in London.

When Jake Carter (The Miz) and fellow Marine Luke Trapper (Shawn Michaels) stumble upon a kidnapped girl being held prisoner by a dangerous gang of international criminals, they find themselves in the crosshairs as they try to save the girl and bring her kidnappers to justice.

“The Marine series continues to deliver action-packed entertainment to our fans, and we are excited to partner again with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and director James Nunn to bring The Marine 6: Close Quarters to a global audience” said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios. “The motion picture debut of the talented Becky Lynch and the addition of Shawn Michaels to the series, alongside The Miz, is sure to bring the excitement and action to the next level.”

The film is written by Craig Walendziak.

WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated while at the Play Fair toy convention in New York City. Here are the highlights.

Who he would face in his first match back:

“It depends on whether WWE clears me to wrestle,” said Bryan. “That will change my opponent.”

AJ Styles:

“One of my favorite guys to watch at WWE is AJ Styles,” said Bryan. “So, on the WWE stage, I would like to wrestle AJ Styles, only because I wrestled John Cena before.”

One person he never was able to wrestle:

“I was really disappointed I never got to wrestle Shawn Michaels,” said Bryan. “He trained me and that was the one match I never got to have.”

Winning the WWE Title:

“I spent ten years honing my craft all around the world, then WWE hired me, they fired me, and hired me again,” said Bryan. “The climb to the top of being champion for me was very long, but it was rewarding. I loved being champion, I thought it was the coolest thing. “The only thing that wasn’t cool was traveling with the championship title through TSA. Once they see the belt, it’s the same kind of thing as before when they’ll say, ‘You’re a wrestling champion?’ At least I had the title to prove it, that part was very validating.”

– As seen on SmackDown Live last night Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their surprise main roster debut. They first attacked Naomi and Becky Lynch in a backstage segment and later interfered in the Women’s Championship match between Charlotte and Natalya as well.

After the show, several stars reacted to these events on Twitter. Below are some of the reactions from the stars involved in the incident:

You didn’t think I was gonna let you girls on #Raw have all the fun, did you? Time to start a #Riot. #SDLive pic.twitter.com/97CHW6Fhny

— Ruby Soho (@realrubysoho) November 22, 2017

This backwoods girl is in front of all your TV's now. #SDLive #Wildling

— Sarah Rowe (@WWEValhalla) November 22, 2017

Ya Only get one opportunity to make a first impression ? #SDLiv

— LIV Morgan (@YaOnlyLivvOnce) November 22, 2017

Ruby Tuesday I mean @RubyRiotWWE @YaOnlyLivvOnce @sarahloganwwe I hope you can take a beating as good as you give 1 pay back is a mutha #feeltheglow #sdlive

— Trinity (@TheTrinity_Fatu) November 22, 2017

Silly little kittens. Playing around.
You got away with it this time but don’t you EVER. EVER. interrupt one of my title matches ever again. #SDLive

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) November 22, 2017

I’m all about making an impression.
I know you want everyone to chant your name…
But anyone who thinks a sneak attack from BEHIND is going to get you to the FRONT of the division will bow down soon enough. #Respect #SDLive

— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) November 22, 2017

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/933183380409274369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

– As noted before, WWE announced that Jinder Mahal will be facing Triple H at the upcoming Live Event in India on December 9th. Below is a video Mahal posted on Twitter, hyping his upcoming bout with the Game:

The biggest match in Indian history is set. So @TripleH … are YOU ready? @WWEIndia pic.twitter.com/yOXkMfolkm

— The Maharaja (@RajTheMaharaja) November 22, 2017

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista recently did an interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross on his podcast, The Ross Report. During the interview “The Animal” discussed not being ready for the push he received early in his career with WWE, when he finally came into his own, and being upset with WWE that his WrestleMania 23 match with The Undertaker didn’t close the show. Here are the highlights:

Not being ready for his WWE push:

“There [were] a few people that believed in me and there [were] a few people that just didn’t know what the hell to make of me. And sometimes, I didn’t know what the hell to make of myself. I tell people I got into [pro] wrestling for all the wrong reasons. I was desperate, man. I was going on 30 [years old] and I didn’t have a dime to my name and I just didn’t know what to do with myself. I was somewhat of an athlete and I had somewhat of a look. I had some athletic capability, so I gave it a shot. And then, once I did, I just fell in love with it. I was obsessed with it, but often times, I found myself lost. I didn’t know what to do with myself, who to be. It was a big puzzle I was trying to figure out.

“Even when I moved up in WWE, I wasn’t ready. It took me a long time to figure out things. I just kind of… I just kept putting my best foot forward and kind of tried to show people I was working hard and that I really wanted it, but I was still trying to figure out that puzzle of being very much an introvert and it wasn’t easy. A lot of times, people took me the wrong way, so, no, it definitely wasn’t easy and I have to be the first to say I wasn’t ready.”

Coming into his own around his WrestleMania 23 match with The Undertaker:

“It was weird because by the time I came in for my first run with Take, going into WrestleMania 23, I believe it was, I was really starting to come into my own. And I think that match we had at WrestleMania was when I actually felt like I had really come into my own and I could really carry my own weight. I didn’t feel like people were carrying me through matches anymore or building me. It was actually that time that I could start to build other guys. That was that time when I felt like the company’s investment in me had paid off, that I was really going to start making some money for them, serious money for them.”

Being upset with WWE that his match with The Undertaker didn’t close WrestleMania:

“I was really upset that we weren’t the main event. I just felt like we should have been. We deserved to be. We set some milestones with that and I know with the exchange of title and everything, it was just more significant of a match. And I also just felt like Take deserved that to be the main event and should’ve gone on last. So I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. It was [John] Cena/ Shawn [Michaels], I believe. And I just didn’t.. I felt like we got robbed of that top spot and we should’ve had it. And I felt like our match speaks for itself. I think we had the match of the night. And I just felt like Taker should have been the last thing that people saw that night, so I had a chip on my shoulder and I was a little bent out of shape that we didn’t.

“It was just a special night. It was the first time [Undertaker] held that particular title. And I still feel like we should’ve [closed the show]. Again, I say our match speaks for itself. I believe personally that we stole the show that night. I’ll just kind of leave it at that.”

You can listen to Batista’s interview on The Ross Report by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

WWE will hold 14 pay-per-views in 2018, down from 16 this year.

There are some notable changes to the PPV schedule. In addition to the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series, next year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view will also be a co-branded event featuring Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown.

We know a lot of fans will be upset about this, but Great Balls of Fire has been removed from the calendar. No Mercy is also No More. Additionally, several shows are moving to different months and will be presented by a different brand than in 2017.

Overall, the schedule calls for 5 co-branded events, 5 RAW shows and 4 SmackDown shows. Here is the updated WWE PPV Calendar for 2018, courtesy of Dave Scherer:

With Money in the Bank featuring Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown, it will be interesting to see how the MITB matches are handled. This year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view was a SmackDown show and saw the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank match. Four MITB matches (RAW Men’s & Women’s, SmackDown Men’s & Women’s) seems excessive, so a more likely scenario would be Superstars from both brands competing in two MITB matches (Men’s & Women’s).

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kenny Omega recently did an interview with WSVN-TV Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Cleaner” discussed WWE telling he and The Bullet Club to stop using the “Too Sweet” gesture, and of course his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Chris Jericho. You can check out the highlights from the interview here:

WWE trying to ‘cripple’ The Bullet Club by banning them from using the “Too Sweet” gesture:

“We don’t need Too Sweet. We never did. They think that by taking away Too Sweet they’ve crippled us somehow. Like ‘Oh, we’re really sticking it to them, now they’re not going to sell any merchandise.’ It’s not the case. We couldn’t care less.”

His Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Chris Jericho:

“It’s a match that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and I don’t mean particularly Chris Jericho, I just mean something of that magnitude. If I couldn’t be in the main event, which I couldn’t this year, I still wanted the chance to steal the show. I still wanted the chance to be the match that was talked about. So Chris Jericho has given me just that opportunity and together I really hope we can make even more headlines before the show and even after the show.”

– As we’ve previously reported, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be defending his title against Jinder Mahal in the main event of WWE’s Clash Of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) next month in December. “The Phenomenal One” took to Twitter to react to the news:

Being a champion isn’t a one day job. You can’t take shortcuts to be the man.
So you and your mini Maharajas better be ready for #WWEClash…

….for a forearm to the face.

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) November 22, 2017

– The Gobbledy Gooker returned to WWE TV last night on WWE 205 Live during a segment with WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore and more. WWE posted a video of the Gooker, who is played by Drew Gulak, giving tips for a better Thanksgiving:

Since returning from a viral infection, Roman Reigns has been on a roll. After reuniting with his Shield brothers at Survivor Series and defeating The New Day, Reigns became a Grand Slam Champion the following night on RAW when he captured the Intercontinental Championship from 7-time IC Champion The Miz.

Love him or hate him, I think it was a smart move to put the Intercontinental Championship on Reigns at this time. Here are 3 reasons why:

The Miz Had To Legitimately Lose.

The Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Seth Rollins onto a chair on WWE RAW 7/17/17. (Photo Credit: WWE.com)

It has come to light that The Miz will be taking time away from the ring to focus on his acting career as he’ll be working on a new movie.  The main point is that he won’t be around to continue a feud. Therefore, the superstar to take on the Intercontinental Championship needed to be able to legitimately defeat The Miz, as well as The Miztourage or, in this case, Shaemus and Cesaro.

Rollins and Ambrose did not interfere with the match, they just reacted to the actions of The Bar who distracted Roman to allow The Miz enough time to secure his Skull Crushing Finale; this had the added benefit of allowing WWE and Reigns to keep his face persona.

Roman also needed to show that he had the ability to kick out of a pin after Miz’s finishing move, and for it to be believable.  During his title reign, The Miz has used The Skull Crushing Finale to good affect, which usually results in a secured pin.  To give the Intercontinental Championship a clean and fresh start, the superstar to win it from The Miz needed to legitimately and believably defeat The Miz after a Skull Crushing Finale.

There aren’t many faces on the RAW roster, other than Reigns, who would be able to do this.

What Would You Do With Roman Reigns Otherwise?

Roman Reigns (Photo Credit: WWE.com)

Let’s pretend for a moment that Roman wasn’t pushed and set up to win the Intercontinental Championship, and assume that he’s still scheduled/predicted to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34.  Who does he work with until then?  Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Bray Wyatt, Kane?  Strowman and Joe vs Roman has been done, and Bray Wyatt just can’t win a match at the moment.  Kane could work as a revenge plot for his brother The Undertaker, but Kane and Strowman are currently in a feud together and I’m not sure I’d want to see Kane vs Roman Reigns anyway.

The other option would be to give Roman a shot at Lesnar, but Roman needs to earn that back again as he has dropped down the pecking order since being away.  This would also clash with the projected timeline working up towards the major showdown between these 2 at WrestleMania.

Perhaps he could get involved in the tag-team championship as a member of The Shield?  Except there’s an unfinished feud between The Bar and Reigns’ other Shield partners – Rollins and Ambrose.  It would appear awkward and mismatched to now bring Roman Reigns in as a tag-team champion, especially when Rollins and Ambrose were the founding members that caused this particular reunion.

Without the Intercontinental Championship, Roman wouldn’t be adding anything to the company.  As one of their main figureheads in the ring, he needs a strong purpose and direction, as does The Intercontinental Championship.

Looking After The Future Of The Intercontinental Championship.

The past year has seen The Miz and Dean Ambrose hold the Intercontinental Championship.  While it could be described as stable, some may say that it has been stale, boring and predictable, without competition in recent months.  Dean Ambrose would rely on disqualification to win, while The Miz would rely on outside help from his wife Maryse, or The Miztourage.  Roman Reigns offers a fresh start for the title, which would rely on power and skill rather than alternative/easy ways to win matches.

So although Samoa Joe feuded with Roman Reigns in the last year, and I’ve said that it would be old, adding the IC title now gives value to a new confrontation.  Suddenly The Intercontinental Championship isn’t being fought over among the mid-card.

Throw Finn Balor and Jason Jordan into the mix and there’s a Fatal 4-Way match at the Royal Rumble where Roman doesn’t need to be defeated to lose the championship.  Jason Jordan would then be perfect to open the title back up to the mid-card.

If the title was given to another Superstar, it risks floating around and becoming irrelevant; and with Brock Lesnar not always present, the Intercontinental Championship needs to remain relevant and held by a consistent superstar.  What is Roman Reigns other than consistent?

It is important to remember that Roman Reigns won’t be the last Intercontinental Champion.  In 2001 and 2002 there were 21 Intercontinental Championship reigns.  There have been 9 In the last 2 years.  Roman will come and go, but for now he acts as a solid platform and gateway for the future of the Intercontinental Championship.

Also, let’s remember that Roman has had other titles, and lost all of them.  Therefore he can be beaten, even if WWE make sure that it appears he can’t.

This Saturday, WWE returns to the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina for Starrcade. An official Starrcade event hasn’t been held since 2000. That show was main event’ed by Scott Steiner defending the WCW title against Sid Vicious.

Ric Flair has now been confirmed to be in attendance on Saturday, as will a host of other legendary stars. Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat and the Rock N Roll Express are also expected to be in attendance as will both Hardy brothers.

WWE Starrcade Lineup

With the final episode of Smackdown before the event completed, here is the updated card for Saturday:

WWE Championship Steel Cage Match
AJ Styles (c) vs. Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Women’s Championship Steel Cage Match
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Natalya

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
The Usos (c) vs. The New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

United States Championship Match
Baron Corbin (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Grudge Match
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler

Dustin Rhodes vs. Dash Wilder

*The show will not air on the WWE Network.

2 Superstars who recently made their main roster debuts will face each other tonight on NXT.

Sonya Deville made her Raw debut on Monday along with Mandy Rose. Tonight, she will face Ruby Riot, who made her main roster debut last night on Smackdown.

Ruby Riot vs. Sonya Deville

Matches for tonight’s NXT were taped from the Toyota Center in Houston this weekend.

Neither Deville nor Riot qualified for the Fatal 4-Way match at Takeover to determine a new NXT women’s champion. They had each been in a triple threat qualifying match which was won by Ember Moon. Recent backstage segments on NXT have shown Deville blaming Riot for the results of that match. Their score gets settled tonight.

WWE has announced they will be running a 10-day UK tour in May, featuring episodes of both Raw and Smackdown.

The tour will run from May 9th to May 18th and will stop in London’s O2 Arena for both Raw and Smackdown on the 14th and 15th.

WWE May UK Tour

“Tickets for all shows are available starting Wednesday, 9 a.m. local time, at www.bookingsdirect.com. (For Dublin, Ireland, go to www.ticketmaster.ie.)

Wednesday, 9 May: Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England

Thursday, 10 May: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Friday, 11 May: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland

Monday, 14 May: Raw at O2 Arena, London, England

Tuesday, 15 May: SmackDown LIVE at O2 Arena, London, England

Tuesday, 15 May: Genting Arena, Birmingham, England

Wednesday, 16 May: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England

Thursday, 17 May: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England

Friday, 18 May: FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield, England”

For the 2nd time in 2 nights, 3 NXT call-ups made their mark in the women’s division. On Raw, Paige brought in Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville as back-up and now on Smackdown Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan have done the same.

Here is some background info on Smackdown’s newest call-ups:

Ruby Riot:

Formerly known as Heidi Lovelace on the independents, Riot has been with WWE since January. The 26-year-old raced through the developmental system in under a year.

Real name Dori Prange, the Michigan native had been touring with independent promotions, such as Chikara, as recently as last December. She has also competed with Shine, Stardom, and Ohio Valley Wrestling (where she was trained).

In her final match for the popular Hamilton-based independent last December, Alpha-1, Riot delivered an emotional farewell speech.

Sarah Logan:

Real name, Sarah Bridges, Logan is better known to independent wrestling fans as “Crazy” Mary Dobson. She made a name for herself in all the top indies which feature female performers until being signed by WWE last fall.

Logan was signed a few months before Riot but rarely made appearances on NXT. She has wrestled a lot on NXT live events, usually losing to wrestlers featured more prominently on NXT’s programming.

In this summer’s Mae Young Classic, Logan was eliminated in the 1st round by Mia Yim. Riot and Logan had been teaming together on the most recent NXT live tour.

Liv Morgan:

Liv Morgan took a rather odd route to WWE…

Liv Morgan and Enzo Amore both worked for Hooters at one time. 2 years after he was signed to WWE in 2012, Enzo is said to have introduced Liv to Joe Defranco, who owns a gym in New Jersey and is close friends with Triple H.

Morgan, who had been a lifelong wrestling fan growing up, excelled at the gym and was signed to a WWE contract in 2014. Enzo and Liv were an item at one point, but Morgan indicated on social media earlier this year that she is single.

The 23-year old didn’t wrestle before being signed to WWE. Her first match was in 2015 and her tag-team partner was Charlotte Flair.

– We noted before how the Bludgeon Brothers finally made their debut during last night’s episode of SmackDown Live. After this the former Wyatt Family Leader Bray Wyatt reacted to their debut via the following tweet:

Harper. Rowan. #BLUDGEONBROTHERS! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/xMyS7khJLG

— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2017

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/933153363885281281

– After SmackDown Live and 205 Live went off air last night, WWE Champion AJ Styles teamed up with Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura to face and defeat the team of Jinder Mahal, Rusev, and The United States Champion Baron Corbin.

Former WWE Superstar John Morrison recently spoke to Brandon Kravitz on Open Mike on 96.9 The Game. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:

Working on Netflix’s Glow:

“GLOW was rad. First of all, it was one of the first names in wrestling I’ve had where I wasn’t using ‘John’ and one of the coolest names I’ve had, Salty ‘The Sack’ Johnson, was my name for GLOW. The whole cast and crew on GLOW was super dope; Marc Maron, Alison Brie, I also got to work with Marty Elias, the referee from Lucha Underground and Chavo Guerrero, who is getting more and more into doing a lot of stunt coordinating work in television. It was a real pleasure being on set. Jenji [Kohan], Carly [Mensch] and Liz [Flahive] the show creators and writers, really set a precedent for that show to have a really friendly tone. Everyone had a good time on set and I think it came across (to me) when I was watching the show. Me and Taya [Valkyrie] binged the entire season in two days. We loved it.”

Why he really left WWE:

“Really I left because I wanted more creative autonomy. At the end of my contract I got offered another deal to sign for another 3-5 years, and I wanted to take off to start doing some TV and film. Really, I left, ultimately to make a film like ‘Boone The Bounty Hunter’. I didn’t realize that ‘Boone The Bounty Hunter’ was the the movie I was going to put all of my time into and make when I left, but it’s why I left because I wanted to have some more control over my own time, and to be able to think about who I want to spend my time with and what I was spending time doing. I’ve been really happy knowing that everything’s worked out…”

How this is a good time to be outside of WWE:

“Wrestling is big time right now. MLW, December 7th [Never Say Never live event in Florida] is an example of another hot promotion right now that will be a really cool place for me to go work, and for fans to go see top notch wrestling. Lucha Underground season 4 was renewed, Impact Wrestling is happening. I’ve been involved in all of these new, really cool alternatives to WWE. It’s a really good time, I think, to be outside of [WWE], and like you said [WWE] has been number one for a long time, but if you’re not there, now’s the time where it’s possible to have good matches with hot crowds and have a good time as a professional wrestler with some more control over your own time.”

Quotes via WrestleZone

On this week’s episode of 205 Live, WWE confirmed that NXT competitor Hideo Itami is getting ‘called up’ to the main roster and will be joining the Cruiserweight division soon.

Are. You. READY?! @HideoItami #205Live pic.twitter.com/0J5v6wZMAQ

— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2017

Itami’s NXT run has been plagued by injuries. He’s lost a handful of singles matches since returning to the ring back in March of this year. His last big match came at NXT “Takeover: Brooklyn III” in August, a loss to Aleister Black.

Hideo Itami commented on the news of him joining 205 live. He tweeted, “Show Me RESPECT.” You can check out the Hideo Itami 205 Live “coming soon” promo here:

Former WWE Superstar Kamala (James Harris) had been on life support after undergoing emergency surgery this past weekend in Oxford, Mississippi. Kamala’s stepdaughter Juanita James noted that he was showing signs of improvement the morning after surgery. She then noted this afternoon that the WWE Legend is “doing much better” and “off the ventilator.” Kamala is still not talking but he’s alert, according to James.

WWE’s website covered Kamala’s condition with the following announcement:

WWE Legend Kamala undergoes emergency surgery

WWE.com will continue to monitor this story and will provide more updates as they become available.

Below is the latest post from James:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1945412992389851&set=a.1458044844460004.1073741827.100007635078953&type=3&permPage=1

– The tension between The Hype Bros is back, as seen in this new SmackDown Fallout video from tonight. Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder argued backstage after their loss to Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, who returned as The Bludgeon Brothers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF48BRJ1xfE?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

– Next week’s WWE SmackDown in Lexington, Kentucky will feature Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens plus The Singh Brothers vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. Next Tuesday’s show will also see the return of The Fashion Files with Breezango.

– As noted, WWE NXT Superstars Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their main roster debuts on tonight’s SmackDown by destroying Naomi and Becky Lynch backstage. They later interfered in the SmackDown Women’s Title match between Natalya and champion Charlotte Flair, as seen below. The segment ended with the three taking out Natalya and Flair, then standing tall.

.@YaOnlyLivvOnce, @RubyRiotWWE, and @SarahLoganWWE claim another victim… #SDLive pic.twitter.com/BrTNpzgFt4

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 22, 2017

…AND ANOTHER! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/8CDKPvZ12r

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 22, 2017

These women are making sure the @WWE Universe knows their names… #SDLive @RubyRiotWWE @YaOnlyLivvOnce @SarahLoganWWE pic.twitter.com/UER3fZBUYd

— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2017