Street Profits vs Kris Starr & Riley Apex

Ford and Dawkins won this match with ease after Ford connected with a Frog Splash. It was a squash match. After their victory, the Street Profits went into the crowd and dissed the Authors of Pain, the Undisputed Era and SAnitY. They then vowed to capture the NXT Tag Team Championships in 2018.

Winners: Street Profits

The #StreetProfits don't care if you're The #AuthorsOfPain, #SAnitY, or even The #UndisputedERA…@AngeloDawkins & @MontezFordWWE are ready to CONQUER 2018! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/TIa98KlGti

— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2017

NXT Women’s Championship: Ember Moon (c) vs Sonya Deville

Deville controlled the match early and tried to lock in a Knee Bar but Moon escaped. Moon connected with an Arm Drag and then the two Superstars traded shots in the ring. Moon hit a Dropkick that knocked Sonya out of the ring. Ember launched off the ring apron and connected with with a Cannonball as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Sonya Deville was back in control of the match. Deville locked in a Bear Hug while Moon was on the canvas. Ember broke free and sent Deville into the corner. Moon connected with a big springboard Dropkick and then quickly hit The Eclipse for the pinfall victory.

Winner & Still NXT Women’s Champion: Ember Moon

Kairi Sane came down to the entrance ramp with her spyglass. Sane looked at Ember’s title and Moon seemed up for the challenge. Shayna Baszler then appeared out of nowhere from behind Sane and choked her out. Officials rushed to the entrance ramp to break it up.

OH MY GOODNESS! @QoSBaszler just showed up to make a STATEMENT to both @KairiSaneWWE AND #WWENXT #WomensChampion @WWEEmberMoon! pic.twitter.com/FQfjtiseME

— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2017

Paul Ellering cut a promo about the history of Authors of Pain. Rezar and Akam were shown pissed off behind him. Ellering stated that the Undisputed Era will not write their next chapter and that Cole, Fish and O’Reilly are on borrowed time.

A direct message to The #UndisputedERA…

"We are the judge, the jury, and the executioner…and YOU are on borrowed time!" – @PaulElleringWWE#WWENXT #AOP pic.twitter.com/LgrojaolbJ

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 28, 2017

Christy St. Cloud interviewed NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon backstage. Moon was asked about what happened tonight and Moon stated that she knew she would have a target on her back once she won the title. Moon insisted that she was ready for whoever wants to challenge her and noted that she didn’t care if it was Baszler or Sane.

#WWENXT #WomensChampion @WWEEmberMoon is making it perfectly clear to @QoSBaszler @KairiSaneWWE and the rest of the @WWENXT Women's division…

She's NOT hard to find! pic.twitter.com/JXSC2egIPL

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 28, 2017

Fatal 4-Way To Determine The #1 Contender For NXT Championship: Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano vs Killian Dain vs Lars Sullivan

The match started out with a bang and Black knocked the gigantic Lars Sullivan out of the ring. Black connected with a kick on Dain and went for a Moonsault but was caught and launched to the ring apron. Gargano attempted a Moonsault as well and suffered the same fate. Dain connected with a Suicide Dive onto Sullivan as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Dain was beating the hell out of Johnny Gargano in the corner. Sullivan tossed Aleister Black into the announcer’s area and then casually threw Gargano on top of him. Sullivan cleared off the announce table and tried to Powerbomb Gargano but Johnny escaped.

Black and Gargano formed a brief alliance and slammed Lars through the announce table. Dain tried to leap onto them but Black and Gargano got out of the way and Dain landed on Sullivan and the table crumbled. The action returned to the ring with Black and Gargano. Black connected with a kick but Johnny quickly locked in the Gargano Escape. Dain hit them both with a Senton and the hold was broken.

Gargano and Black formed another brief alliance and Powerbombed Dain off the top rope. Sullivan woke up from his slumber as the rest of the Superstars were laid out in the ring. Sullivan launched Black out of the ring and hit Gargano with the Freak Accident. Dain broke it up. Sullivan and Dain battled for a bit before Aleister got into the ring and hit Black Mass on Sullivan. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly ran to the ring and grabbed Black. Aleister took them down but Adam Cole made his way to the ring.

Black tried to knee Cole but missed and hit the ring apron. Adam Cole then delivered a Neckbreaker to Black outside the ring. Gargano leaped onto Cole and  rolled Aleister Black back into the ring. Gargano connected with a massive DDT to the beaten down Aleister Black for the pinfall victory. The crowd went nuts when Gargano won the match. Gargano will now face Andrade “Cien” Almas at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th for the NXT Championship.

Winner & #1 Contender For The NXT Championship: Johnny Gargano

"The Cinderella story of 2017 has happened!"@JohnnyGargano will challenge @AndradeCienWWE for the #WWENXT Championship! pic.twitter.com/sJXCHipz5w

— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2017

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9bzrCasau0?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Johnny Gargano became the new #1 contender to WWE NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas by winning a Fatal 4 Way on the final NXT episode of 2018. The other match participants were Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain and Aleister Black. Sullivan and Black remain undefeated in singles action.

Gargano will get his first big title shot at NXT “Takeover: Philly” during Royal Rumble weekend on January 27th. No other matches have been announced for Takeover as of this writing.

Above is video from tonight’s Fatal 4 Way and below is WWE’s announcement on Gargano vs. Almas:

NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano has gone from a struggling singles career to one victory away from becoming the NXT Champion. Johnny Wrestling’s NXT underdog story will reach its dramatic climax on Saturday, Jan. 27, at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia when he challenges Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship.

Considering Gargano represents NXT’s version of Rocky Balboa, a true underdog who has come out of nowhere to find himself in a huge title showdown, there may not be a better city to host this matchup than Philadelphia, the city that was famously the backdrop for the “Rocky” movie franchise.

Gargano was never even supposed to be involved in the series of matches to determine Almas’ challenger in the first place. Yet, after learning of an injury to Velveteen Dream, General Manager William Regal inserted the talented Gargano into the fray. The former NXT Tag Team Champion — who had stumbled mightily since transitioning to singles competition — went on to defeat the highly acclaimed Kassius Ohno in a Qualifying Match before overcoming Killian Dain, Aleister Black and Lars Sullivan in a No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match. That’s a Knockout Artist, two monsters and a previously undefeated Superstar, for those keeping count.

Before Gargano can claim the NXT Title, he must defeat the red-hot Almas, a Superstar who has similarly gone from a struggling singles career to the top of NXT. Almas’ career resurgence can be traced in part to the arrival of his business manager Zelina Vega, who has helped El Idolo focus and, at times, even offered a helping hand.

This title match won’t be the first time these two competitors have met, with Gargano coming out on the losing side in their previous two battles. However, both clashes included timely interference from Vega. Will Almas’ fiery manager make her presence felt in this title contest? And if so, can Gargano not only overcome the extremely dangerous Almas, but also Vega’s distractions to become the new NXT Champion?

See who prevails in this storied showodwn for the NXT Championship when Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano battle at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.

WWE held a live event tonight in Uniondale, New York. Paige teamed up with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to face Bayley, Sasha Banks and Mickie James. During the match, Paige took a kick from Sasha Banks and the match had to be stopped.

Paige injured during match at #WWEUniondale. Scary moment as stretcher brought out. This was a shoot, not a part of the show. #WWELI #WWE pic.twitter.com/6LRYqoiOfE

— Nick Hirshon (@nickhirshon) December 28, 2017

Really bad injury to Paige at #WWEUniondale. Stretcher is coming out. Match stopped. pic.twitter.com/leI0Kfzgfq

— Kyle Lewis (@KeepItFiveStar) December 28, 2017

A stretcher was initially brought down to the ring but Paige wound up walking backstage with the help from doctors as seen in the photo below.

Feel better @RealPaigeWWE #WWEUniondale pic.twitter.com/Cq8l3CR76u

— Amy C (@thisgrlisonfire) December 28, 2017

Paige recently made her WWE return after a neck injury and formed the group Absolution with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Absolution has been dominating on RAW and has a ton of momentum heading into the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match next month.

We will post any updates when they become available.

Ring Of Honor Television Champion Silas Young recently spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated on a number of professional wrestling topics. Young talked about going from a recovering heroin addict to ROH TV Champion, his son’s reaction to his victory, and the kind of champion he expects to be. The highlights can be found below:

Going from a recovering heroin addict to ROH TV Champ:

“There are certain situations in life that are character-building, and I feel like that was one of those moments in my life,” said Young. “Sometimes, the battles with yourself are the hardest battles, and that goes for a lot of people. Our own worst enemies are often ourselves, so it takes a lot of mental checking-in-with-yourself–almost giving yourself a daily mental pep talk–because our biggest opponent is our self.”

His son’s reaction to his victory:

“My son, who just turned nine years old, was running around the house with the belt,” said Young. “Then my wife and I celebrated over breakfast.”

The kind of champion he expects to be:

“I want to take this title and run with it,” said Young. “It’s a hard task to accomplish, but I want to raise the Ring of Honor World Television title and elevate it higher than it’s ever been. I also want to live up to it; what the title means, the standards former champions have set, and surpass it. I’m up for the challenge.”

Former WWE Universal Champion and United States Champion Kevin Owens recently spoke to MLive.com to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “KO” discussed not caring about being booed or cheered by crowds, wanting to wrestle Shawn Michaels, and if he’d let his kids wrestle. The highlights can be seen below:

Not caring if he is booed or cheered by a crowd:

“I just try to listen to strong reaction. To me the best reaction is a mix of both boos and cheers. John Cena and Roman Reigns get insane reactions where half the crowd loves them and half the crowd despises them. When you’re in the ring waiting for your opponent, whether it’s John or Roman, you get hit by this crazy noise. It’s people almost competing with each other. The guy who’s booing one of them is trying to be louder than the guy cheering. It makes for a special atmosphere. That’s really what I’m striving for.”

Wishing he could’ve wrestled Shawn Michaels:

“Michaels is the reason I became a wrestler in the first place. I saw him when I was 11. I was a scrawny kid at the time. People thought I was 7 or 8. So to see the smallest guy on the show be the best guy on the show really spoke to me. I said if he can do it, I can do it. Now I get to share different pieces of his wisdom with him when he comes to a show here or there. I try to sit as close to him as I can and listen to him and discuss wrestling, family and life. It’s so great to talk about those things with someone I look up to so much. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to have been in the ring with him.”

If he’d let his kids become wrestlers:

“I don’t hope for it, but if they want to then they’re more than welcome. I have no preference. I just want them to be happy. I always pursued this dream, but for the first 7 years that I was a wrestler, I worked at a gas station part time. I finished high school, but still needed a job to make money to live on. I was lucky enough to have the boss to give me time off I needed to wrestle. I think you can be happy doing whatever you want in life as long as it fulfills you can you get something out of it.”

Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Flip Gordon recently spoke to Marc Madison of The Wrestling News Hub Magazine to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Gordon compared independent wrestling promotions’ wrestling style compared to major promotions, his match with NXT star Oney Locran, and who he’d match up well with in ROH. Here are the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bGmLjiKOEM

Independent wrestling promotions’ in-ring style compared to major promotions’:

“My take on it is, you have to do a lot to get your name out there and get noticed. That is how you are getting booked more. If people don’t know who you are, they aren’t going to book you. You have to do something to get your name out there, and once you get your name out there then you start learning how to work. You start working with better guys, and that is when you are going to start learning how to work. Obviously, you are not going to know everything about how to work when you start wrestling.

“Talent just has to get the buzz around them, and that is what a lot of guys do, get their name out there and do crazy sh-t, boom, boom, boom. A quick highlight reel so they can share it. That’s what I do. For the first six months to a year, I did the craziest things I could think of to get me a lot of buzz. I put it in a highlight video to help build a lot of attention, and that helped me a lot when it came to bookings, and I started traveling.”

His match with NXT talent Oney Locran:

“May 6th, 2015. He was one of the best on the indies that I wrestled against. It was only a couple of months before he was picked up. It was crazy, and I think about this match like it was yesterday. I can’t remember everything that happened in the match, but I do remember I learned so much from that one match with him because of how much of a professional he was.

“I had no business being in the ring with him. He definitely took care of me and taught me so much that I still remember to this day. There are little things from that match that I still learn from because of him. It was really cool. He taught me things from a selling point and listening to the crowd.”

Who he’d match up well with in ROH:

“I think Shane Taylor and I would have a good match. I think it would be different, and I think it would be more difficult, but I think it would be a good match. It would be a different kind of story that we would be telling in the ring. I am not going to be able to do all my moves on him. I would have to think differently. It just wouldn’t be your typical Flip Gordon match. I think that it would be a cool story to tell because it would be different. I also think it would give me an opportunity to show people that I am not just a high flier that I am well-rounded in the ring.”

IMPACT Wrestling star Alberto El Patron (a.k.a. Alberto Del Rio) recently did an interview with The Orlando Sentinel to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. El Patron discussed feeling at home while working at IMPACT, portraying a heel as a professional wrestler, and possibly retiring soon. Here are the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqsAYnQ73xc

Feeling at home while working with IMPACT Wrestling:

“I know in a spot like the one Impact gave to Alberto, I need to live my life in a certain way. When you’re asked to carry a company, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do, certain things you have to do, and I didn’t.

“I enjoy Impact so much because some places, if they see you down, they won’t be good enough to come take your hand and help you with what you’re going through. I really appreciated that.”

Portraying a heel:

“I love being a heel. I don’t like being a babyface and a good guy. But it’s not always about what we want, it’s what the fans want. [Before] this last storyline, they liked me. You can’t force the audience, though, if they want to boo or they want to cheer. Right now, I’m really having fun — I’m working as a bad guy, doing all the heel things, but still getting cheered by most of the fans. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Retiring soon:

“Alberto will continue to do this for two years, then start to think about retirement. I’m not tired of the business, or the fans, or the ring — what I don’t like is what goes on behind the curtain. When I went to Impact, I started to feel like I got my passion back. So I’ll wrestle in 2018, then maybe 2019 I’ll start to think about a farewell tour.”

SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair recently did an interview with Fox News to promote her new book, “Second Nature,” and talked about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Flair talked about the characterization of her Charlotte Flair persona, understanding her father now that she herself is a WWE Superstar, redefining women’s wrestling, and more. You can check out the highlights here:

Who is Charlotte Flair?

“Charlotte Flair is continuing her father’s legacy, but paving her own, and she’s opening the door for women all over the world to be superstars in a male dominated industry.”

What’s something about your dad [Ric Flair] you understand now that you’re a WWE superstar yourself? 

“When I look back, I just wish I could have been more understanding in 2008 when he retired, because I just couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t just walk away from the job….But now being apart of the company [WWE] and understanding what it’s like to be in the main event, to feel the rush of the crowd…that’s what he did for his entire life and I understand now why he couldn’t walk away. Now I see why [but] in 2008 I couldn’t understand and I just gave him a hard time and we just went separate ways. But it was a growing process for both of us.”

How has it felt to redefine women’s wrestling? 

“I think because I’m in it, it’s really hard to take myself out of the bubble and see how much we’ve accomplished as a whole. Even now when you look at posters or how many storylines the women have just from three years ago, it’s mind boggling to think that we’ve made such an impact in such a short amount of time. But the future with the Mae Young Classic, where women all over the world competing in one tournament that’s solely just women, that goes to show that who knows how that’s going to translate eventually on the main roster.”

Kenny Omega recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics including his upcoming match against Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 next month. Here are the highlights:

Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE run:

“I’m happy for the response that he’s getting, of course, and all of us in New Japan knew when he left that he was going to get over with his charisma. But when I see Nakamura in WWE, it’s hard for me to say he’s done anything compelling in-ring since he’s been there, which is a shame. It will just take the one right story and the one right moment and then people will be captivated by everything that he does. Right now, he hasn’t had that.”

“Even to another degree, everything in WWE is super over-booked. Some people in WWE even need the steps and their footing in the ring choreographed. They have to pace their breathing before they even go through with a match in the ring. When you’re used to dealing with people who need that match management, who need to have that much choreography in their matches before they go out there and perform, then when a guy like Nakamura–who is this new age ‘strong style,’ and a lot of that is based off emotion and feeling and fighting spirit–wrestles someone who needs marks on the ring so that he can get his footing right with a set of instructions, that’s where Nakamura’s style gets lost in translation. Everything starts to come across as soulless, if that makes any sense.”

His match with Chris Jericho at WrestleKingdom 12:

“I really want this match to be a wake-up call to New Japan and WWE. This match is going to open up a lot of eyes, and it’s going to invoke a feeling you’ve never felt when watching a wrestling match. It’s a clash of unique worlds, and the match we’re going to show with aggression, violence, and disdain is going to evoke a new kind of emotion from people watching.”

– Two matches have been officially confirmed for the first SmackDown Live of 2018 next week. First, Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable will take on The Usos for the SmackDown Live Tag Team Titles after defeating The New Day and Rusev & Aiden English in a Triple Threat No. 1-contender’s match last night.

#SDLive #TagTeamChampions @WWEUsos will be tasked with defending their titles against @WWEGable and @Sheltyb803… NEXT WEEK! pic.twitter.com/rGXYi09cBT

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Also, The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Breezango has been confirmed after The Ascension challenged The Bludgeon Brothers on Breezango’s behalf.

– On last night’s SmackDown Live former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defeated Tye Dillinger to advance to the second round of the United States Championship Tournament. WWE posted the following video of Mahal backstage in which he claims he’ll bring class, dignity and diversity to the United States Title:

Shortly after last night’s SmackDown Live from Chicago went off air, a dark match main event took place in the form of a Six-Man Tag Team match between the teams of Jinder Mahal, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura & AJ Styles. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan served as the Special Guest Referee.

The team of Orton, Nakamura & Styles won the match to send the Chicago crowd home happy. At one point in the match, Bryan helped “The Viper” hit the RKO on Zayn to set up a Kinshasa from Nakamura for the win. Check it out here:

https://twitter.com/IHeartCrosby/status/945899345949462528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fdaniel-bryan-randy-orton-sami-zayn%2F

– WWE held a live event from Madison Square Garden last night, and after his match against Kane, Braun Strowman celebrated in the ring by using Hulk Hogan’s mannerisms. Check out a photo here:

– Hideo Itami has used the GTS as his finishing maneuver for quite some time on WWE TV, however, after a recent incident in his match with Brian Kendrick on RAW this past Monday, there’s speculation the company could be banning the move. On 205 Live last night Itami defeated Jack Gallagher using a new finisher – Neville’s Rings Of Saturn.

This feeds the speculation that WWE could be shelving the move. With Itami now using the Rings Of Saturn there’s also speculation that Neville won’t be coming back to the company. We’ll keep you updated.

Cruiserweight competitor Brian Kendrick will be out of action for approximately two months with a broken nose and broken orbital bone.

The injury occurred on Monday’s RAW when Hideo Itami delivered a brutal Go To Sleep on the former Cruiserweight champion. The knee shattered several bones in Kendrick’s face.

WWE.com has provided an update on Kendrick’s condition, noting that the nose break is “minimal” and the orbital bone fracture thankfully will not require surgery.

NJPW co-booker, Jado, recently took part in an interview with NJPW1972.com. Jado and Jericho teamed together on occasion early in Jericho’s career.

Jado Interview Highlights

— So, Chris Jericho has made a huge impact in New Japan. You and he go way back..

Jado: Right. We first met in Mexico so.. it must be about 26 years now.

— Would Jericho have been in Mexico with Ultimo Dragon at that time?

Jado: No, no. I was over in Mexico as a freelancer and had a match with Jericho. Then I went to W*ING but he stayed in Mexico. Then it was around 1994 and WAR that Dragon brought Jericho to Japan.

— After all that time, on November 5, Jericho appeared on the big screen in Osaka. How did seeing that video message make you feel?

Jado: It was a huge shock, and not just to Japanese wrestling, but the whole world. I mean, here’s this guy that unified the WCW and WWE heavyweight belts… do you know what the most important thing in wrestling is?

–What?

Jado: It’s timing. Just the combination of absolute best time and absolute best place to do something nobody would think possible. Jericho, with the influence he has on the wrestling world, and Omega. This year it couldn’t happen; Omega was with Okada. 2019 maybe they couldn’t do it. Jericho just has a great sense of timing, of knowing ‘2018 is the time to do this’.

— You mentioned timing. Do you think Jericho’s wild, unpredictable side is another special talent of his?

Jado: Right. Jericho’s always been a hungry guy. And he really feels right now that he needs to face Omega. He said it himself, it’s Alpha versus Omega. He’s put together such a huge match for the worldwide audience.

— You and Jericho seem to get along well on Twitter, too..

Jado: (laughs) Well, he’s absolutely an old friend.

— Do you and he ever talk on a personal level?

Jado: Well, I think if we want to we can.

“— Did he get in touch with you when he showed up in Osaka?

Jado: No, not really. If he came to me it would be ‘shall we go out for dinner’? That kind of thing. He’s the same way. But when he was touring Japan with WWE, we’d definitely meet up. Once a year or so.

— When he was in Japan for WWE, you’d always tweet out a photo with you and he going for dinner. Did you ever talk much about what was happening in New Japan over those dinners?

Jado: Not in much detail; he didn’t have a clear vision of coming to wrestle here at the time. But he was pretty clued in. He’d know Okada was champion, ask about Tanahashi and if he was hurt or not. These days you can find out about all sorts of things online pretty easily, so he’s definitely keeping up I think.

— His antenna is always working, so to speak.

Jado: That’s Jericho. I think his radar picked up that Kenny’s doing big things and that they’re from the same hometown of Winnipeg, so he decided something had to happen.

— The ‘big superstar’ Jericho being a challenger is an interesting situation.

Jado: Again, I thought that it’s really like him, to have the intuition to choose Kenny who’s on such a rise. And he did it on NJPW World so the whole world could see. He wanted to send that message, ‘I’m number one in Canada, and I’m number one in the world’.”

The full interview can be read here.

Bobby Roode recently appeared as a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast and spoke candidly about TNA and WWE.

The 40-year-old was signed to WWE in 2016 and was called up to the main roster earlier this year.

Bobby Roode Interview Highlights

On WWE:

“For me, the WWE was always the ultimate. In sports entertainment this is the place to be if you want to make a name for yourself you have to get to this company and be put on this stage. It’s everything I thought it would be, to be honest with you.”

“Being around not only the guys in the lockerrom but the guys behind the scenes, the office, the production people, everything is so top notch and outweighs everything I’d ever experienced in my career before I got here.”

On His TNA/Impact Career:

“I have zero regrets in my career, i really have zero regrets. I was treated very well. I just came to a point in my career where I was at a company for over 12 years, I felt i did everything i could possibly do there…

I was doing well, I was supporting my family, I had zero complaints but it came to a point where it was like… I’m going to go to work for 6 days and then I’m going to sit home for 2 months… ”

“That’s not what I got in the business for, I got into the buinsess to be on the road.”

“I was starting to lose a passion for the buisness I’ve always loved” “It got to the pint in my career at the other company where i was like ‘I don’t love it anymore’.

“Fortunately for me, I got an opportunity and it’s been great”

the full show can be listened to here.

As noted before, Alberto El Patron was recently a guest on Keeping It 100 with Konnan where among other things he also talked openly about his second WWE run. Below are some more highlights from his interview:

Difference between his early pay in Indies and when he joined WWE:

“Well, of course, the first WrestleMania I was in I was like, damn, this is cool. I was always making good money in Mexico after my run in Japan, and MMA companies, but when I started in Mexico I was making $80; that was my salary because my dad didn’t want to put everything on a silver plate for me, he wanted me to work for my stuff, I’m the one going to the promoters and negotiating. My dad never went there and made it easy for me, so in the beginning I was making $80, so driving in a bus for 10 hours to go to Monterrey, and 10 hours back, and then I earned my airplane tickets and I earned more money, so I was doing good. I was also doing good in Japan, but nothing compared to that WrestleMania check.”

Why the company brought him back in 2015:

“To be honest it’s because, and this came from Triple H himself and Johnny Ace; apparently Vince [McMahon] was mad after a TV taping because he didn’t feel that the heels were being real heels. You know nowadays heels want to be cheered and be cooled, but in those days when a heel was a badass and ass-kicker, those days are gone,” he said. “Nowadays, everyone wants to be cheered and wants thousands of followers on social media. They are afraid of heat that the business can give them, so McMahon wasn’t happy, and believe it or not Triple H agreed to it, so he said, let’s do it. He mentioned how I was doing great things on the independent circuit and Lucha Underground and how I was in phenomenal shape. After a while of negotiations, I ended up going back.”

WWE calling him the night before his return and how they made him:

“They called me a night before Hell in a Cell; they called me for weeks on it, I said that they needed to pay me, and that I was doing fantastic on the independent circuit. For someone like me, who has a name in Mexico, and for the name that the WWE gave me, no matter what, WWE made me. They gave me a name and gave me an opportunity, The haters were say that I talk crap about WWE; yeah, I talk crap about the things I don’t like, but I also put the mover on things that are real. The reality is that they made me and they made me go from a national icon to an international icon, and because of that I did fantastic when I was not in the company. Long story short, they asked me if I can come back to the company the next night, I said I could, and I ended up signing a contract at 2-3 in the morning; sending everything via fax, and the next day I was there for my big comeback.”

The League Of Nations stable and how none of its members wanted to be a part of it:

“WrestleMania was around the corner, and they said that we have these guys [Barrett, Rusev, Sheamus, Del Rio] and were like, let’s put them together and do something. None of us wanted to work as a team, or be on a team. Everybody was just not happy by doing that, and we talked to the boss and ended up splitting,” he said. “You know, because they showed me the way, they opened my eyes and I was just being home one day per week, I asked myself if it was really worth it, and I said that I didn’t think so. I remembered when I was free and enjoying my family and my time, I said to myself that I was going to leave. I talked to WWE and they were like, no, just hold on, we are going to bring you back to the Champion Del Rio, the badass Del Rio, but that didn’t happen.”

You can check out some more highlights from El Patron’s appearance including him talking about his relationship with Paige here.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Sami Zayn recently announced his “Sami 4 Syria” charitable efforts reached a milestone on December 25th.

You guys did it! You raised 5k over the course of Christmas Day for #SamiForSyria, which I will match, dollar for dollar.

That is 10k in ONE DAY to help provide medical aid to those stuck in Syria!

We are not powerless.
When we come together, so much is possible.
Thank you all!

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) December 26, 2017

Zayn had previously Tweeted he would be matching all donations made on Christmas Day, with $5K being raised by fans and another $5K being matched by him.

Sami 4 Syria

His fundraising efforts are to supply mobile medical clinics in parts of Syria.

[vimeo 225255732 w=640 h=360]

“Woken” Matt Hardy debuted new ring entrance music at WWE’s house show in Madison Square Garden last night.

Several fans tweeted or otherwise posted his entrance:

They actually gave matt the piano sick!! #WWEMSG @MATTHARDYBRAND pic.twitter.com/rYhMjY09qi

— Miles (@miles_struble) December 27, 2017

Hardy had recently teased using an all-piano theme for his character as he had done in TNA Wrestling.

https://twitter.com/MATTHARDYBRAND/status/945891352155447296

WWE Madison Square Garden House Show Results

• WWE Cruiserweight Title
  Enzo Amore (c) defeated Kalisto
• Apollo Crews, Goldust, Heath Slater, Rhyno & Titus O’Neil defeated Curt Hawkins, Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) & The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)
• Asuka & Dana Brooke defeated Alexa Bliss & Nia Jax
• Braun Strowman defeated Kane by DQ
• Matt Hardy defeated Bray Wyatt
• Absolution (Mandy Rose, Paige & Sonya Deville) defeated Bayley, Mickie James & Sasha Banks
• WWE RAW Tag Team Title Steel Cage 
  Jason Jordan & Seth Rollins (c) defeated Cesaro & Sheamus
• Samoa Joe defeated Finn Balor
• WWE Intercontinental Title 
  Roman Reigns (c) defeats John Cena

WWE has released the following video, in which Dasha Fuentes confirmed that The Former Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick suffered a broken nose and a broken orbital bone during his match at this week’s Raw:

Brian wrestled against Hideo Itami during the show and he suffered the damage after taking a GTS from the Japanese Wrestling Star. No word yet on how long he will stay out of action but we’ll keep you posted.

– SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan returned to ring once again to play the role of a special guest referee in a 6 Men Tag Team Dark Main Event after this week’s SmackDown Live and 205 Live went off air.

The match saw the WWE Champion AJ Styles teaming up with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat the team of Jinder Mahal and Best Friends Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Daniel also reportedly did the Too Sweet gesture with Styles after the match which received a big pop from the crowd.

Report via WrestlingInc

WWE SmackDown aired live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL on 12/26/17. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:

Gable & Benjamin Earned Another Shot At The Titles

SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown and made his way down to the ring as the Chicago crowd chanted “yes!”. Bryan rolled footage of Dolph Ziggler’s speech last week in which he left his United States Championship in the ring and walked away. Bryan said that he has been trying to contact Dolph all week but Ziggler has not responded. Daniel claimed that due to Dolph’s actions last week, it appears that Ziggler has relinquished his title. Bryan said that Ziggler was one of the all-time greats and wished him well. Bryan then announced a tournament to crown a new United States Champion.

Bryan announced Baron Corbin versus Bobby Roode as a first round matchup. Gable and Benjamin interrupted and asked what Bryan was going to do about the tag title situation. The crowd broke out in a “Rusev Day!” chant. Bryan brought up Gable and Benjamin just having an oppurtunity at Clash of Champions. Gable and Benjamin complained about it being a Fatal 4-Way and another “Rusev Day!” chant broke out.

Aiden English and Rusev then came down to the entrance ramp and a third “Rusev Day!” chant broke out. English then sang a tune about deserving to face The Usos for the titles. New Day joined the party to a great reaction from the crowd. New Day started throwing pancakes into the crowd and Chicago chanted “New Day rocks!”. Woods claimed that the other teams are out here wasting his time. Big E called Shelton Benjamin “old Jason Jordan” and noted that they were the team that was pinned by The Usos at Clash of Champions. New Day added that they pinned English and Rusev last week.

Rusev shouted “shut up!” as New Day was dancing with Daniel Bryan. Another “Rusev Day!” chant broke out in the crowd. Rusev asked if Bryan had to ask his mommy Shane McMahon to announce the #1 contenders. Bryan stated he could make this decision on his own and announced a Triple Threat match and the winners will face The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

The Usos joined commentary for the match. Woods, Gable and English started off the match in the ring. Woods and Gable got into a shoving match while English stood in the corner. Gable bumped into Rusev and Rusev shouted at him. A brawl broke out outside the ring between Big E, Rusev and Benjamin. Woods Clotheslined English out of the ring and then leaped onto everyone. Woods brought English back into the ring and kneed him in the face for a two count.

Big E was tagged in and he Powerbombed Woods onto English’s chest for a two count. Woods climbed to the top rope but Rusev shoved him to the floor. Gable planted both English and Big E with a German Suplex at the same time and unsuccessfully tried to pin them both. Benjamin was tagged in and he and Gable stomped on Big E in the corner.

Benjamin connected with a Suplex to Big E for another two count. Rusev was tagged in to a big ovation from the crowd. Rusev stomped on Big E in the corner but Gable tossed Rusev out of the ring. Benjamin and Gable kneed Big E in the face for a two count. English was tagged back in and started beating down Big E in the corner with Chad Gable. Big E launched out of the corner and connected with a double Clothesline to English and Gable.

Woods got back into the match and launched English into the ropes and Dropkicked him in the back. Woods booted Gable in the face and leveled him with a Clothesline. Xavier hit a rolling elbow to English’s face and went for the cover but Gable broke it up. Benjamin was tagged back in and launched English into Rusev’s midsection. Shelton connected with a Spinebuster to English and tagged Gable back in.

Chad Suplexed Woods but turned around right into a boot to the face courtesy of Aiden English. Rusev was tagged back in and he leveled both Woods and Gable with kicks as the crowd erupted. Rusev then leveled Benjamin and Big E with kicks and the crowd chanted “Rusev Day!” once again. Gable caught Rusev on the apron and English tagged back in. Gable planted Rusev with a German Suplex and then Woods hit a Dropkick off the top rope to English for a two count.

Big E tagged back in and slammed Gable into Woods’ knees for a Backstabber for a two count. Woods tagged in and climbed to the top rope but jumped into a knee from Benjamin. Gable followed it up with a ridiculous Moonsault onto Woods for a two count. Shelton tagged in but was dropped with a boot from English. Woods planted Gable with a DDT and English slammed Woods to the canvas and went for the cover but Benjamin broke it up.

Benjamin perched English up on the top rope and Gable joined them there. Benjamin and Gable went for a Superplex but Rusev planted them both with a Powerbomb off the top and English was able to hold onto the ropes. English connected with a Frog Splash off the top rope onto Gable for a two count. Rusev tagged back in and stomped on Gable’s back. Rusev booted Woods in the side of the head and Xavier fell right beside Gable. Rusev placed Woods on top of Gable and then locked in the Accolade on them both at the same time. Benjamin booted Rusev in the face to break the hold and the crowd booed.

Behold…the SUPER ACCOLADE by @RusevBUL! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/Zbk3BThf8L

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Benjamin then tagged in and knocked English off the ring apron. Big E tagged in as well and Speared Benjamin off the ring apron to the floor outside the ring. Big E brought Benjamin back in the ring and went for the Big Ending but Shelton escaped. Benjamin kneed Big E in the face on the top rope. Benjamin lifted Big E onto his shoulders and Gable leaped onto Big E and slammed him to the canvas for the pinfall victory. Gable and Benjamin are the new #1 contenders and have earned another shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships next week on SmackDown.

A win over The @WWEUsos last week…
and another WIN tonight for @WWEGable and @Sheltyb803!

Next time they meet Jimmy & Jey, it'll be for the #SDLive #TagTeamTitles NEXT WEEK! pic.twitter.com/fznSIQyxED

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

SmackDown’s tag division has some serious momentum right now. Aiden English and Rusev are very popular and should be in the tag title picture in the near future. Gable and Benjamin deserve another shot at The Usos and I cannot wait to see it next week on SmackDown. Tonight’s SmackDown opened with a bang and it is great to see tag team wrestling back in a big way on Tuesday nights. The Bludgeon Brothers dismantled Breezango once again tonight. The Ascension came to Breezango’s rescue and brought them backstage.

The Ascension then said that Breezango were challenging the Bludgeon Brothers once again next week. Breeze and Fandango wanted no part of another match but Konnor and Viktor took it out of their hands. It is only a matter of time before The Bludgeon Brothers find themselves in the title picture as well.

#TheAscension just spared #Breezango from further ANNIHILATION at the hands of The #BludgeonBrothers!#SDLive @KonnorWWE @ViktorRiseWWE pic.twitter.com/k18Eaf4owT

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan Are Still Not On The Same Page

SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan was shown after the match and Shane McMahon showed up. Shane brought up Daniel Bryan comparing him to his father last week and Shane admitted that he was upset by it. Shane said that Vince can be a mean SOB, but has built this empire by himself. Shane said that his father has redefined this business and that he is father. Bryan stated that Shane is throwing his weight around like his father used to. Shane accused Bryan of throwing his weight around with the United States Championship and claimed that Bobby Roode and Corbin deserve to have another shot at the title.

Bryan said that this is the land of the opportunity and wanted to grant that opportunity to multiple Superstars. Shane complained about Bryan not banning Sami Zayn from ringside during the match. Shane added that people in the back are claiming that Daniel is showing favoritism towards Zayn and Owens. Bryan said that he wanted to end the year with Owens versus Styles because it would be a great match. Shane simply responded with an “okay” and then the two stared at each other for a moment before the segmented ended.

From the newly announced #USTitle Tournament to tonight's main event… #SDLive Commissioner @shanemcmahon has a few questions for GM @WWEDanielBryan. pic.twitter.com/mHzjftvwAl

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

I have no idea what this storyline is leading to, but I am enjoying the ride. It is hard not to side with Daniel Bryan here, even though Zayn and Owens have been out of control on SmackDown. Shane is letting personal issues with Owens & Zayn get to head and is losing sight of what SmackDown is supposed to be, the land of opportunity. Daniel will clearly stop at nothing to protect that vision and things seemed destined to come to a head in the near future between the SmackDown GM and Commissioner.

The Riott Squad Retreated Again

Ruby Riott faced Naomi tonight on SmackDown. Last week, Naomi announced that she will be in the women’s Royal Rumble and tonight Ruby Riott announced the same. Logan and Morgan accompanied Riott to the ring for the match. Ruby started out in control but Naomi responded with a boot to the face.

Liv Morgan hopped on the ring apron and Naomi clocked her in the face. Sarah Logan did the same and Naomi knocked her down as well. Riott used the distraction to her advantage and booted Naomi in the back of the leg. Ruby then connected with the Riott Kick for the pinfall victory.

After the match, the Riott Squad attacked Naomi. SmackDown Women’s Charlotte sprinted to the ring and leveled Logan with a Clothesline. Charlotte Speared Ruby and then attacked Liv Morgan. The numbers game caught up to Charlotte and the Riott Squad picked her apart. The Riott Squad threw Charlotte out of the ring and then posed in the ring as the crowd booed.

Natalya, Tamina, Lana and Carmella then came down to the ring and hopped up on the ring apron. They then got into the ring with the Riott Squad and stared at them. The Riott Squad retreated as Natalya, Tamina, Lana and Carmella stared at them. They then got out of the ring and attacked the Riott Squad on the entrance ramp. Riott, Morgan and Logan were able to escape and run up the entrance ramp.

The numbers game was just TOO MUCH for @NaomiWWE to deal with as @RubyRiotWWE picks up the huge victory on #SDLive! pic.twitter.com/uzYuzW7X7A

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

These women may not agree on much… but they ALL believed that The #RiottSquad needed a taste of their own medicine tonight on #SDLive! pic.twitter.com/36iHwra21i

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Ruby Riott picked up the victory tonight, but once again the Riott Squad looked vulnerable. The Riott Squad will be outnumbered in the women’s Royal Rumble as they have done nothing but make enemies every Tuesday night on SmackDown.

Bobby Roode & Jinder Mahal Advanced In US Title Tournament

Bobby Roode faced Baron Corbin in the first round of the United States Championship tournament tonight on SmackDown. Roode locked in a Headlock to start off the match as the crowd chanted “Bobby Roode!”. Corbin broke free but Roode knocked him to the mat with a couple of strikes. Corbin rolled out of the ring to regroup and then got back in and was greeted with a punch to the face. Roode planted Corbin with a Neckbreaker for one count.

Corbin took control of the match and targeted Roode’s abdomen with his attack. Corbin drove his shoulder into Roode’s midsection a few times in the corner and then leveled Bobby with a right hand. Roode connected with a couple of chops but was quickly planted with a Side Slam from Corbin for a two count. Corbin wrapped his arms around Roode’s midsection and tried to squeeze the life out of Roode.

Bobby battled to his feet but Corbin casually tossed him out of the ring. Roode got back up to the ring apron but was knocked to the floor by a forearm from Corbin. Baron rolled out of the ring and connected with a massive Clothesline outside the ring. The action returned to the ring for a moment but Roode knocked him out of the ring. Corbin quickly got back in but was immediately knocked back out via a Clothesline from Roode. Bobby then leaped off the ring apron and hit a Clothesline.

Roode and Corbin returned to the ring with Roode in control. Roode hit a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Corbin responded with a jab to the midsection and then launched Roode into the ring post. Roode connected with a Spinebuster and then geared up for the Glorious DDT. Corbin blocked it and planted Roode with the Deep Six for a two count.

Corbin and Roode battled on the turnbuckle. Roode headbutted Corbin to the canvas and went for a Clothesline but Corbin caught him. Corbin went for a Chokeslam but Roode escaped into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.

A GLORIOUS victory for @REALBobbyRoode as he advances to the SEMI-FINALS of the #USTitle tournament! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/5XV3VNsXSn

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Jinder Mahal faced Tye Dillinger in the first round of the United States Championship tournament tonight on SmackDown. Mahal controlled the match early as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Dillinger battled back and knocked Mahal to the corner of the ring and stomped on him. Tye took down his knee pad and went for the Tye Breaker but Jinder blocked it. Dillinger climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody but Mahal rolled through for a cover. Dillinger kicked out at two but Mahal connected with a Gutbuster for another two count.

Dillinger hit a DDT on Mahal and went for the cover but Jinder kicked out at the last moment. Tye bashed Mahal in the face with a couple of rights but Mahal escaped and hit Dillinger in the back of the exposed knee. Mahal then planted Dillinger with the Khallas for the pinfall victory. Jinder Mahal joins Bobby Roode in advancing to the second round of the United States Championship tournament.

The #Khallas CONNECTS, and that's all she wrote as @JinderMahal defeats @WWEDillinger to advance in the #USTitle tournament! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/cC3R6tu9T3

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

Dolph Ziggler could come back and screw up this entire tournament before it is over. Corbin has a legitimate reason to be pissed off, as he didn’t receive his automatic rematch for the title. Mahal would make much more sense as the United States Champion than the WWE Champion.

Owens & Zayn Got The Better Of Shane McMahon Again

WWE Champion AJ Styles was interviewed backstage. AJ was asked about Shane McMahon accusing Bryan of playing favorites and Styles claimed that he didn’t care about that. Styles said that it was fine if Owens wanted to have Zayn in his corner. Styles stated that things wont be handed to Owens as long he is on the same brand as AJ. Styles claimed that Owens is going to outwork him tonight in their match and that is not going to happen. AJ stated that SmackDown will still be the house that AJ Styles built in 2018.

Kevin Owens was backstage with Sami Zayn and had a bottle of champagne. Owens was interviewed and stated that he is not going to pop the bottle of champagne until he defeats AJ Styles tonight. Owens added that the last time he faced Styles, Shane McMahon was the special guest referee. Owens claimed that Shane did everything he could to make sure he lost that match. Owens called Zayn his guardian angel and noted that he will be by his side tonight. Kevin added that he is better than phenomenal and stated that nobody in Chicago is invited to their special celebration tonight.

Renee Young then interviewed Randy Orton backstage. Orton stated that he has been dealing with everyone’s issues except for his own. Orton said that he was looking to the future and officially announced that he is entering the Royal Rumble match. Shinsuke Nakamura showed up behind Orton and said that he was going to be in the Royal Rumble match as well.

It appears @RandyOrton and @ShinsukeN BOTH just officially entered the 2018 #RoyalRumble match! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/tfzW7TOoMS

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 27, 2017

WWE Champion AJ Styles faced Kevin Owens in the main event of this week’s episode of SmackDown. Guardian angel Sami Zayn accompanied Kevin Owens to the ring. Styles connected with a Dropkick right when the match started and then bounced Owens’ head off the turnbuckle a few times. AJ locked in the Calf Crusher but Owens quickly grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Owens rolled out of the ring and AJ followed him out there and booted him in the back of the leg. Sami shouted at the referee as Styles brought Owens back into the ring.

Owens hobbled towards the ropes but AJ grabbed Owens’ leg. Owens used his power to boot Styles out of the ring and AJ crashed hard to the floor. Owens got out of the ring and leveled Styles. Sami Zayn hopped around in excitement as Owens brought AJ back into the ring and hit a Senton for a two count. Owens kneed AJ in the back and applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.

AJ battled to his feet and connected with a flurry of strikes. Owens dropped Styles with an elbow for a two count as SmackDown went for a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Owens was still in control of the match and had AJ in a Chin Lock. AJ broke free but Owens connected with a boot to the face for a two count.

Owens applied the Chin Lock once again as the crowd started to chant “AJ Styles!”. AJ battled to his feet and hit a couple of elbow shots to Owens’ midsection. AJ hit a Flapjack out of nowhere and Owens slammed face-first into the canvas. AJ missed with a Moonsault and Owens hit a Clothesline for a two count. Owens delivered a Neckbreaker and slammed AJ’s neck into his knee for another two count.

Owens charged at AJ but Styles countered into a Michinoku Driver. Styles and Owens traded jabs in the ring and AJ got the upper-hand and decked Owens with a Clothesline. AJ followed it up with a forearm and both Superstars fell to the canvas. AJ was the first up and went for the Styles Clash but Owens escaped for a moment. AJ caught Owens with a Pele Kick and both Superstars returned to the canvas.

Sami Zayn paced around the ring in frustration as AJ was the first Superstar to his feet again. AJ went for teh Phenomenal Forearm but Owens caught him and hit a Gutbuster to Styles. Owens hit an Elbow Drop off the second rope for a two count. Styles connected with a Powerbomb for a two count and Owens rolled out of the ring.

Styles connected with a Crossbody to Zayn on the outside of the ring. AJ then slammed Owens’ face into the ring post and threw Owens into the ring. Sami Zayn leaped onto the ring apron and distracted Styles. Owens hit a Superkick to AJ but Styles somehow kicked out at two. Shane McMahon then came down to the ring and instructed the referee to throw Sami Zayn out from ringside. Styles rolled up Owens in the ring but the referee was distracted. AJ looked up in confusion and Owens rolled up Styles for the pinfall victory.

Shane McMahon was pissed off on the entrance ramp and AJ couldn’t believe what just happened in the ring. Styles walked towards Shane and then stopped to stare at him. Owens and Zayn celebrated in the ring as Shane McMahon looked on in frustration. SmackDown went off the air with Owens and Zayn once again getting the better of the SmackDown Commissioner.

#SDLive Commissioner @shanemcmahon has had enough…@SamiZayn is OUTTA HERE! #StylesvsOwens pic.twitter.com/CwjvSujyVx

— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2017

We know one man who is NOT happy with #SDLive Commissioner @shanemcmahon, and it's @WWE Champion @AJStylesOrg… #StylesvsOwens pic.twitter.com/8rYlE5HhUP

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 27, 2017

Shane McMahon once again got involved in a situation that had nothing to do with him. He has no pissed off AJ Styles in his never-ending quest to conquer Owens and Zayn. Shane simply attempted to do the right thing tonight and remove Sami Zayn from ringside. However, it was clearly on his mind earlier tonight when he complained to Daniel Bryan that Zayn wasn’t banned from the match. Owens and Zayn are clearly in his head and the SmackDown Commissioner inadvertently cost the WWE Champion a match. Styles still doesn’t have an opponent for Royal Rumble, so it will interesting to see where this storyline leads over the next few weeks.

After capturing the United States Championship at WWE’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view, Dolph Ziggler left the title in the ring, effectively vacating it. On Tuesday’s SmackDown Live, General Manager Daniel Bryan said he’s been trying to reach Ziggler to no avail. As a result, a tournament will be held to crown a new champion.

We noted before that Ziggler was scheduled to be off upcoming SmackDown TV tapings to sell the mystery storyline but he would still be working WWE live events. No word yet on if he will be working as champion now that the tournament has been announced.

Stay tuned for updates on the tournament when we get a look at the brackets and info regarding when the finals will take place.

Below you can watch Daniel Bryan’s US Title Tournament announcement as well as clips from two first round matches:

First Round Tournament Match
Bobby Roode vs. Baron Corbin

First Round Tournament Match
Tye Dillinger vs. Jinder Mahal

The December 26th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL.

– Tom Phillips welcomes us to the Allstate Arena for the final SmackDown of 2017. He’s joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.

– SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring to kick off the show. Bryan talks about Dolph Ziggler seeming to leave the company, and says they now need to move forward with the vacated U.S. Championship. Bryan says they’ll be doing a U.S. Title tournament, and then Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable come out to interrupt. They say that’s great about the U.S. Title, but they want to know about the Tag Team Titles. Rusev and Aiden English come out to interrupt, and English sings on the way down to the ring. They say everyone knows what comes on December 26th – Rusev Day. The New Day comes out to interrupt next. They say everyone is wasting their time, because the true #1 contenders for the Tag Titles should be The New Day. Big E calls Shelton the “old Jason Jordan,” and continues to state their case for being the #1 contenders. Bryan books a triple tag team match between the three groups, and that takes place right now. Before the bell, Tag Team Champs The Usos come out to the ring.

– The New Day vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs. Rusev Day: Big E and Xavier are representing The New Day in this one. This one spills out to ringisde early one, where Xavier hits a suicide dive onto his opponents. Back in the ring, Big E powerbombs his own partner Woods onto English for a two count. Gable comes in and hits a German suplex on both Rusev and English, then Gable and Shelton beat on Big E in the corner. They continue to work over Big E, then English comes in and continues the assault on Big E. Rusev gets the tag and cleans house until Gable comes in and suplexes him. English and Xavier go at it now, then Gable and Shelton double team Rusev. Gable goes for a German on Aiden, but Aiden blocks it by latching onto Xavier. Xavier hits a tornado DDT on Gable, then English slams Woods for a two count. Gable and Benjamin go for a superplex on English, but Rusev powerbombs them down and English follows up with a frogsplash on Gable for a two count. Rusev boots Xavier in the face, then lays him on Gable and locks them both in the Accolade. Shelton breaks it up and decks English. Big E spears Shelton to the outside through the ropes. Back in the ring, Shelton hits a knee to the face on Big E, then Gable tags in. Shelton and Gable hit a variation of the Doomsday Device for the three count on Big E.

Winners & new #1 contenders for the Tag Titles: Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable

– Shane McMahon confronts Daniel Bryan backstage and says he took offense of Bryan’s comment last week that Shane was turning into his dad. Shane says Daniel has to give Vince his due to building this business brick by brick and redefined this business. Shane says Baron Corbin has a legitimate gripe for being in line for the U.S. Title, and suggests Corbin vs. Bobby Roode makes sense for the U.S. Title. Bryan says SmackDown is the land of opportunity, and he wanted to give the shot to many superstars. Shane also questions AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens tonight in a non-title match, because they know Sami Zayn will run in. Shane says Owens and Zayn don’t deserve the opportunity, and Bryan is showing favoritism towards those two. Bryan says Styles vs. Owens was one of the biggest rivalries of 2017, so why not give them another match to end the year. Shane says “OK,” and they have an awkward stare-down.

– We see a pre-taped segment where The Ascension informs The Fashion Police that they got them a rematch with the Bludgeon Brothers tonight.

– Luke Harper & Eric Rowan vs. Tyler Breeze & Fandango: Harper hits a side suplex on Fandango early on, while Rowan beats down Breeze at ringside. Back in the ring, Harper slaps Rowan across the face then whips Rowan into Breeze in the corner. They hit a double team sit-out powerbomb on Breeze, but decline to pin him for the finish. Harper knocks Fandango off the apron, and Rowan beats him down on the floor. The Ascension runs in and the ref calls for the bell.

Winners via DQ: Tyler Breeze and Fandango

– The Ascension immediately leaves the ring and they haul the Fashion Police to the back.

– We see a backstage interview where The Ascension says they were happy to help their best friends, the Fashion Police. They say what the Bludgeon Brothers did isn’t fair, and so that’s why their best friends are challenging them to another rematch. Breezango looks disappointed at the news.

– The Riott Squad is out next and Ruby Riott has a singles match.

– Ruby Riott vs. Naomi: Ruby takes over off the opening bell, but Naomi quickly comes bakc with a springboard kick to the face. Liv Morgan gets on the apron for the distraction and Naomi knocks her off, then Sarah gets on the other apron and Naomi knocks her off. Ruby takes advantage of the distraction by kicking Naomi’s knee out, then kicking her in the face for the three count.

Winner: Ruby Riott

– After the match, the other SmackDown women come out to confront the Riott Squad, and the Squad leaves. Tamina, Carmella, Lana, and Natalya chase the Squad all the way up the ramp to the back.

– WWE Champion AJ Styles does an interview in the back where he discusses his plan for tonight. Styles says Owens will have to outwork, outsmart, and out-hustle him, and that’s not going to happen.

– Bobby Roode vs. Baron Corbin: This is the first match in the tournament to crown a new U.S. Champion. The opening bell sounds and Roode knocks Corbin down and sends him out to ringside early on. Corbin takes a breather before coming back in. Roode continues to take the fight to Corbin and hits a neckbreaker. They fall back out to ringside and Corbin throws Roode into the guard rail. Back in the ring, Corbin continues beating on Roode. They throws Roode back out to ringside and decks him with a clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, Roode comes back with a forearm shot and then clotheslines Corbin back outside. Roode hits a flying clothesline off the apron, then takes Corbin back in. Roode hits a blockbuster off the middle rope on Corbin for a two count. Corbin goes for the Deep Six, but Roode escapes and hits a spinebuster. Roode goes for the DDT, but Corbin escapes and hits the Deep Six on Roode. They fight up to the turnbuckle, then back down to the mat where Roode catches Corbin in a roll-up for the three count.

Winner: Bobby Roode

– Jinder Mahal vs. Tye Dillinger: The Singh Brothers give Jinder his ring introduction, and this one is the next match in the U.S. Title tournament. Jinder takes the fight to Tye right off the opening bell and gets him in a front face lock. Jinder beats down Tye in the corner until Tye fires back with a boot and some chops. Tye stomps a mud hole in Jinder in the corner. Jinder comes back with a gutbuster. Jinder appears to be bleeding from the mouth now. Tye comes back with some strikes, but Jinder shuts him down with a shot to the knee. Jinder follows up with the Khallas for the three count.

Winner: Jinder Mahal

– Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are backstage with a bottle of champagne that they plan to pop after Owens beats AJ. Owens trashes Shane a bit, and says he has a vendetta against him. He says he’s better than “phenomenal,” he’s Kevin Owens.

– Randy Orton does an interview backstage where he says he’s been dealing with everyone else’s issues except for his own. He says now he’s worrying about himself and looking into the future. He announces he’s officially entering the Royal Rumble match, and then Shinsuke Nakamura interrupts. Nakamura says good idea, “let’s rumble.”

– AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens: This one is a non-title match. AJ backs Owens into the corner off the opening bell and puts the boots to him. Owens drops AJ but AJ comes right back with a hurricanrana. AJ puts Owens in the Calf Crusher but Owens quickly reaches the bottom rope. The fight spills outside and AJ is briefly distracted by Zayn before Owens drops him with a clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, Owens hits a senton bomb for a two count then locks AJ in a headlock. AJ comes back with a big facebuster, and both men are down. AJ picks up Owens and Owens drops him with a clothesline. Owens follows up with a neckbreaker for a two count. AJ answers with a fireman’s neckbreaker, and both men are down again. They get up and trade shots to the face until AJ tees off with a series of strikes to Owens’ face. AJ looks for a Styles Clash but Owens escapes, so AJ hits him with a Pele kick instead. Owens comes back with a gutbuster and an elbow off the top for a close two count. Owens takes AJ up top, but AJ pulls him down and hits a spinning fireman’s carry slam. Styles knocks Zayn outside and then he hits a suicide dive on him. AJ pushes Owens into the ring post, then throws him back in the ring. Zayn gets on the apron for a distraction, and Owens hits a superkick on Styles for a two count. Shane McMahon comes down and orders Sami Zayn to be removed from ringside. The ref ejects Sami, and Owens gets mad. AJ rolls up Owens in a Small Package, but the ref was distracted by Zayn and Shane. AJ gets up and yells at the ref, then Owens rolls up AJ from behind to steal the three count.

Winner: Kevin Owens

– Owens celebrates with Zayn at ringside, as Shane and AJ both look pissed off and SmackDown goes off the air.

TMZ has an interview up with former WWE star Torrie Wilson in which they discuss the rumored return of the XFL.

Torrie claimed that if there was ever a time to start up a football league, now would be the time. She mentioned that she had actually just been discussing how the NFL has been declining in viewership due to the controversy surrounding the National Anthem and players kneeling. Torrie stated that “a smart man like Vince McMahon would swoop in” and take some of the fans currently protesting the NFL.

When asked wether or not she believes Vince could be successful a second time around, Torrie believes that he has learned a lot of lessons from his first failed run with the XFL and could produce a much better product than before. She also said she is all in for an XFL return and would love to be a part of it if Vince McMahon called her up.

Torrie said she’d like to be a head cheerleader or a referee – and is even willing to go to “ref school”:

“I’ll be the head cheerleader. Yeah, or ref. I could be a ref. I can go to ref school.”

Ring Of Honor (ROH) star and WAGS Atlanta star Brandi Rhodes was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc. to talk about a variety of topics. You can read the highlights from the interview here:

If Cody Rhodes will be appearing on WAGS Atlanta:

“Yes, I’m going to say, but again, he and I, and everyone on that show, our schedules were killer. I had people texting me all the time from other cast members saying; where are you? We haven’t seen you in a while,” she said. “Same with Cody; this summer he was just so busy. He was at the peak of busyness. He was in Japan, he’s here, and there, so we caught him for how much that we could. A lot of the story of us is grounded in each other because we spent so much time together, so you will definitely see Cody, which I hope you will see a lot of him, but we will just have to see what they come up with.”

How she and Cody began dating:

“We started dating randomly. I had been there for a minute, and Cody hadn’t really shown much interest in me at all, so it wasn’t something that I had thought about, and then all of a sudden, he became extremely fascinated with me, where he would go out of his way to make a strange joke that I wasn’t sure if I would get or not, and he would just surround himself around me all the time, and then finally, some of the girls would say that they are sure he is into me and that he likes me, just being coy about it,” she said.

“Finally he started asking me to come hang out with him and I said no many times because it’s a work environment and I was new at the time and was not looking to rock the boat by getting into this romance, but all along I definitely did want to go out with him. I was very into him, but it took a while. It probably took around a month for me to go out with him, and after that the rest is as they say history because I feel that we ended up spending everyday together after that; everyday that we could. It just naturally happened, and it was one of those things where we were on the road all the time. People say it all the time, you are with these people more than you are with your family so a lot of times they do become your family.”

Having aspirations beyond what WWE was allowing her to do:

“It was definitely difficult to be on the road a lot and being in a relationship with him. To me, it was a big change because we moved to Atlanta, which I had never lived there before, and didn’t have many friends. Some of my career goals and what I was trying to do, he didn’t really understand that. It is funny that you grow up fundamentally different, but it’s funny with the tie in to WAGS Atlanta because the women on this show, they are the epitome of what is considered to be a ‘WAG,’ which is a wife, or major supporting figure, so a lot of these girls don’t have jobs,” she explained. “Some of them have children and some of them don’t.

“A lot of their sole purpose is to make their man comfortable, which I believe is a very southern thing, because it’s something that I can’t do it. It is not in me and I don’t understand it. It is a lot to learn, and unique, but it is commonplace here in Atlanta where the man takes care of things and the woman becomes a homemaker, and later on in the relationship, a mother, which isn’t the things that I ever considered. I think Cody thought that I would want that for my life since he grew up in that, but that is just not me. I like to make my own money, and I like to go my own way, and get excited about various opportunities and ventures, so it wasn’t something that I could have done for very long.”

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

– WWE.com reports that Roman Reigns has been fined $5,000 for shoving referee John Cone during his title defense against Samoa Joe on Raw last night. Reigns was disqualified as a result of the shove:

Roman Reigns receives $5,000 fine for shoving official on Raw

“Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns has been fined $5,000 for shoving referee John Cone during his title defense against Samoa Joe on Raw last night, WWE.com can confirm.

“The incident occurred after Reigns backed Joe into the corner of the ring and continued to attack him past the official’s count. When Cone attempted to intercede, Reigns shoved him aside to continue his attack. The champion was subsequently disqualified, though he kept his title as a result of champion’s advantage.”

– On next Monday’s New Year’s edition of Monday Night RAW, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore will defend his title against Cedric Alexander. Alexander Tweeted out the following regarding his Cruiserweight title shot:

https://twitter.com/CedricAlexander/status/945502173366013952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw