The New Year’s Eve edition of RAW was taped last Friday night at the Little Caesars arena in Detroit, MI. Here are 4 takeaways from the show:

Drew McIntyre Brutally Beat Down Dolph Ziggler

Drew McIntyre faced Dolph Ziggler in a Steel Cage match tonight on RAW. McIntyre started off the match in control and planted Ziggler with a Suplex. McIntyre tried to escape out of the cage but Ziggler dragged him back inside the ring.

Dolph connected with the Fameasser and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out at two. Ziggler climbed to the top of the cage but McIntyre caught up to him and hit a giant Superplex.

McIntyre launched Ziggler face-first into the steel cage and began taunting him. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag out of nowhere and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out at the last second. Dolph went for a Superkick but McIntyre countered with an awesome Claymore Kick. McIntyre followed that up with an even better Claymore Kick for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Ziggler shouted at McIntyre “is that all you got?”. McIntyre grabbed a steel chair and returned to the ring to beat him down. Drew placed the chair on Ziggler’s head and delivered another devastating Claymore Kick.

McIntyre then cut a promo and vowed to win the Royal Rumble and become Universal Champion. Drew returned to the ring once again and hit Ziggler with a fourth Claymore Kick.

SOMEBODY STOP HIM.#RAW #SteelCage @DMcIntyreWWE pic.twitter.com/N5zMFHBUOx

— WWE (@WWE) January 1, 2019

This would have been a great match to have at TLC, instead of on a pre-taped episode of RAW that hardly anyone is going to watch. I’m hoping we get to see McIntyre become Universal Champion in 2019.

Triple H Challenged Seth Rollins To Be More Aggressive

Seth Rollins came down to the ring and announced that he wanted his rematch for the Intercontinental Championship right now. Triple H interrupted and came down to the ring to confront Rollins.

Triple H stated that nothing is going to be handed to anyone anymore and that there will be no more automatic rematches. Triple H told Rollins that he is not getting his rematch tonight and added that he is not sure Seth deserves a rematch.

Triple H said that he believed that Rollins was going to be the face of RAW after he beat him at WrestleMania. Rollins shouted that he has been carrying RAW for the past year while Brock Lesnar was up in the mountains or doing whatever the hell he does. Triple H said he wants Seth to become ruthless once again, starting tonight when he faces Bobby Lashley.

Rollins lost to Lashley via DQ after striking him with a steel chair. Seth then beat the hell out of Lio Rush with the steel chair and hit him with The Stomp.

Hey, @TripleH…

Remember the KINGSLAYER?! @WWERollins is showing NO mercy tonight. #RAW pic.twitter.com/lKEmtVr9DM

— WWE (@WWE) January 1, 2019

Seth Rollins absolutely did carry RAW in 2018 and he is likely in for an epic 2019 as well. There have been rumors that Rollins will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Rollins has taken a few shots at Lesnar during his promos and he slipped another one during tonight’s promo. I always become disinterested when Bobby Lashley is involved in a match on RAW, but at least the ending to this match was interesting.

Dean Ambrose Retained The IC Title

Shane McMahon announced a “Fresh Start Battle Royal” would take place on tonight’s show. The winner of the Battle Royal would get a shot at the Intercontinental Championship tonight. Finn Balor, Zack Ryder, Titus O’Neil, Curt Hawkins, Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, Mojo Rawley, Konnor, Viktor, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, No Way Jose, and Baron Corbin competed in the match.

Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin were the final two Superstars in the Battle Royal. Crews connected with an Enziguri that sent Corbin tumbling over the top rope and to the floor. Crews battled Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship later on the show.

Is @WWEApollo about to close out 2018 right?! #RAW #ICTitle pic.twitter.com/Agj4AEiUpL

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 1, 2019

Crews controlled the majority of the match but could not find a way to keep Ambrose down for a three count. Crews connected with a Crossbody off the top rope and followed it up with a Shooting Star Press but Ambrose was able to kick out at two.

Crews then hit Ambrose with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Ambrose grabbed the bottom rope to break up the pinfall. Apollo went for a Frog Splash but Dean got out of the way at the last second. Ambrose quickly planted Crews with the Dirty Deeds to retain the title.

.@WWEApollo is on a ROLL against @TheDeanAmbrose in the #ICTitle Match on #Raw! pic.twitter.com/O1FNEFVlQ6

— WWE (@WWE) January 1, 2019

Crews had a good match tonight against Ambrose, but it is hard to believe this is going to lead to something for Crews going forward. Apollo has the in-ring talent to be a star in WWE, he is just not a good promo at all and has never resonated with the crowd. I felt the same way about Cesaro and was excited when he was briefly paired with Paul Heyman. I’d like to see Crews team up with a Superstar (not named Titus O’Neil) to form a legit team or be given a manager to get him over.

EXCLUSIVE: He may have lost, but @WWEApollo is feeling AMAZING after his #ICTitle Match on #Raw! pic.twitter.com/HDVBQaKyWc

— WWE (@WWE) January 1, 2019

Rousey & Natalya Picked Up A Win

Natalya was interviewed backstage during RAW about her loss against Ronda Rousey last week. Tamina and Nia Jax showed up and attacked Natalya. Tamina and Jax then faced Ronda Rousey and Natalya in the main event of this week’s RAW. Rousey and Natalya controlled the match early and knocked Tamina and Jax to the outside. Ronda made her way to the top rope and took them out with a Crossbody.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079947998635925505

Jax and Tamina isolated Natalya in the ring and took turns beating her down for a few minutes. Natalya finally was able to escape and tag Ronda Rousey into the match. Rousey went for a forearm to the face but Nia countered by lifting Ronda up and dropping her face-first to the canvas for a two count.

Nia went for the Samoan Drop off the second rope but Rousey broke free and escaped back to the mat. Tamina quickly tagged in and hit Ronda with a Superkick for a two count. Ronda locked in the Arm Bar but Nia broke it up with a Leg Drop. Natalya knocked Jax out of the ring as Tamina went up to the top rope for a Splash. Rousey got her knees up and then locked in the Arm Bar again for the submission victory.

It is indeed a HAPPY NEW YEAR for @RondaRousey & @NatbyNature TONIGHT! #RAW pic.twitter.com/7t7cnlrL22

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) January 1, 2019

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will be returning to RAW next week, as well as Braun Strowman. Alexa Bliss will be hosting a segment with Ronda Rousey and John Cena will appear on the show as well.The Revival is getting another shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships next week too. As for tonight’s show, it wasn’t anything special but that is to be expected for a holiday show. I’m hoping we start seeing better shows, starting next week, as WWE builds towards Royal Rumble and then WrestleMania.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079950853623156736

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079950502912245760

We are just days away from Wrestle Kingdom 13 inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. The main event of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year will be Kenny Omega versus Hiroshi Tanahashi. The two took part in an official contract signing which was live-streamed on the promotion’s YouTube channel earlier today.

Omega addressed his rivalry with Tanahashi when it was his turn to speak.

“From what I’ve heard now, there are over 30% of you that are from foreign countries,” Omega said in English.

Omega has been saying his style of pro-wrestling is more appealing to an international audience than Tanahashi’s is.

“There may even be more of you that speak English,” he continued. “That’s just wonderful. That is the entire point of this main event coming up in Tokyo Dome.”

Unbelievable! Hundreds of thousands of fans have come for the live contract signing for @KennyOmegamanX vs @tanahashi1_100!!

Check it out now for FREE!

NJPW official YouTube: https://t.co/AUz6V6zous

NJPW World: https://t.co/Qr7TwyC71N#njpw #njwk13 pic.twitter.com/qX9YfRcInE

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 31, 2018

“On January 4th, we have our biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom,” Omega continued. “If you guys aren’t going to watch it, I urge you please give it a try. Believe it or not, I’m the best in the world at doing this thing, and you may actually like it.”

NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of Tanahashi’s comments.

Tanahashi ‘I’ve given it my all my entire career, but on January 4 I’ll fight harder than I ever have in my life’ #njwk13

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 31, 2018

You can watch the press conference in its entirety below:

https://youtu.be/mNiSh9OpMX4?t=683

Update: ALL ELITE WRESTLING is officially announced.

Previously: The Elite is set to make a major announcement in a matter of hours. What do Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and the rest of the gang have in store for us in 2019? After months of hints and an ambitious campaign to #ChangeTheWorld, a new episode of Being The Elite should set the record straight once and for all.

Fans on social media have been wondering exactly when to expect this big announcement. Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks clarified that the “very special” episode of Being The Elite drops January 1st, 2019 at Midnight PST / 3AM EST.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1079898649365078017

We hope to get an article up soon after the new episode of Being The Elite is released. The Elite has vowed to stick together in 2019, wherever that may take them. Cody and The Young Bucks have finished up with Ring of Honor and will be featured prominently at Friday’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view from Tokyo.

Whether it’s the official announcement of All Elite Wrestling, another All In event or something else entirely, The Elite has once again commanded the attention of wrestling fans worldwide.

Head over to the Being The Elite Youtube channel and Subscribe if you don’t already. 

I’m SO excited ? https://t.co/Okb6dTsqvZ

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) January 1, 2019

Jason David Frank, best known as the Green Power Ranger of the popular 1990’s action TV series Power Rangers, will be getting into the ring soon.

Over the weeken, Frank appeared ringside at a show for the Laredo Wrestling Alliance, a Texas-based independent promotion. As seen below, he got into an angle with “Mr. Studtacular” Brysin Scott.

The Laredo Morning Times, a local news outlet, covered the story and got quotes from JDF and Laredo Wrestling Alliance Owner Rey Chavarria. Chavarria confirmed that the former television star will be making in-ring debut soon.

“The Green Ranger is wrestling for the first time in LWA,” Chavarria stated. “Just listen to that over again. Laredo isn’t known for that. Now it’s going to be known for the home of LWA and where Jason David Frank made his wrestling debut.”

Jason David Frank credited CM Punk & RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey for his interest in transitioning into pro wrestling.

“I’ve always been interested in stepping into a wrestling ring,” he said. “I don’t do this stuff. I do MMA. Just to learn this stuff is cool. I went to WWE, but just to see this passion in these fighters, everyone is hungry and everyone wants to be the best they can. I like that.”

We’ll provide an update when the date of JDF’s first pro wrestling match is announced.

Discussion: What do you think about the ‘Green Power Ranger’ becoming a pro wrestler? 

We recently spoke to new Ring of Honor star Mark Haskins. The former PROGRESS World Champion recently signed to the company and is looking to start 2019 in a big way. The UK star has been a huge part of the revival in the UK/European scene and earlier this year appeared at PROGRESS ‘Hello Wembley’ against Matt Riddle.

This was the second time that we’ve managed to speak to Mark, we would like to thank him again for his time. Here’s the full interview:

Interview

SEScoops: You’ve now officially signed with Ring of Honor. This isn’t the first time that you’ve performed for the company but now you’re under contract. Had this been in the pipeline since your successful performances at the International Cup?

Mark Haskins: Yeah pretty much. After the match with Jay Lethal at York Hall they asked if I’d be interested in working together more and I jumped at the opportunity.

Potential Opponents?

SEScoops: I’m sure there’s many stars in ROH that you have your sights set on, are there any names that you’re gunning for from the get go?

Mark Haskins: Flip Gordon is great, I love being in the ring with him. Jay Lethal is another awesome performer who’s always a joy to be in there with. ROH have a lot of great talent and I’d love to mix things up with some fresh matches in 2019. I’m ready for new matches and different dynamics, I’m rolling in to ROH the best I can be and ready to go.

SEScoops: ROH and New Japan have such a close working relationship. You were previously in Dragon Gate but would you like to return to Japan to represent ROH in NJPW?

Mark Haskins: Sure.

MSG

SEScoops: With New Japan in mind…there’s a big Madison Square Garden event coming up next year. If you could face anyone in NJPW in that famous arena next year who would you pick?

Mark Haskins: Okada. There was a point in time where we were both signed to TNA and we’d be at tapings where they had nothing for us. We’d just hang out backstage with the Machine Guns and have nothing to do. It would be cool to show everyone the opportunities they missed out on. I’m so happy to see him go on to become the mega star he is and show everyone what they wasted by not utilising him.

SEScoops: Vicky Haskins has been such an intrinsic part of your character and presentation over the past few years, will she be joining you in ROH?

Mark Haskins: Oh come on guys, as if I’m going to give away any spoilers. You gotta watch the show see how things unfold and find out for yourselves.

Check out our first interview with Mark here.

As 2018 winds to a close, so too does one of the most eventful years in pro-wrestling history. 2019 could be even more significant, however.

The Young Bucks have been counting down until the new year during recent episodes of Being the Elite. The Bucks are currently in Tokyo preparing for Wrestle Kingdom 13. Matt Jackson recently sent out the following:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1079735824789397504

On December 26th, Matt Jackson tweeted out the following, which has led to speculation the group plans to unveil or announce something as the clock strikes zero on 2018:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1078198514763522049

The Elite Announcement At 12 AM Tonight?

It’s possible the timer that has been prominently displayed on recent episodes of Being the Elite is simply counting down until the faction are all officially free agents. Another possibility, however, is that they plan to release a special episode of Being the Elite tonight.

Cody Teases New Promotion/Wrestling Revolution

On last week’s episode of Being the Elite, Cody spoke about how the fans have given him the confidence to do what they are about to do next year.

“I know a lot of people think what we’re getting ready to do is a big gamble. Some people think it’s very stupid but I’m not filled with false-hope,” Cody said on the episode. “You the fans have given me real hope and that’s what it takes for a revolution.”

Bianca Belair recently took to Twitter to make fun of her rival Shayna Baszler. Belair will be facing Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship after she earned the opportunity by winning a fatal four-way match on NXT.

Shayna had recently tweeted a picture saying “UFC IS FAKE” during UFC 232.

#UFC232 pic.twitter.com/vIz7L5zQV9

— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) December 30, 2018

UFC 232 featured a match between Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes and Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg. Nunes won the match and became the Featherweight Champion, making her the first person to hold two championships from different divisions.

These two women also happen to be Shayna’s opponents in the past in UFC, where she lost her matches against them. Bianca took this opportunity to get into Baszler’s head by mocking her losses in the UFC:

Awww stop it Shayna
I just watched the women that y'all ran away from…

BUT

I will do their work for them at #NXTTakeover Phoenix https://t.co/C090Wht9XN

— Bianca Belair (@BiancaBelairWWE) December 30, 2018

Shayna responded with asking Belair how many fights she has been a part of:

Ran away? I’ve literally been in the cage w/both of them. How many fights do you have again? https://t.co/joHJXMYaqK

— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) December 30, 2018

This continued until another former MMA fighter Jessamyn Duke came in:

…If this counts… then you got me.
I apologize.

See you in Phoenix#NXTakeover pic.twitter.com/mQavfCu5Km

— Bianca Belair (@BiancaBelairWWE) December 30, 2018

Only those who have never stepped foot in a cage or a ring think there is shame in a loss. On Jan. 26 Shayna is going to educate you on the difference. #NXTTakeOver

— Jessamyn Duke (@jessamynduke) December 30, 2018

Shayna Baszler will be meeting face-to-face with Bianca Belair in the ring at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26 from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The match up will be interesting to see after all that heated talk between the two. Make sure to check out SEScoops for the coverage.

Recently, WWE posted a message highlighting female wrestler moments from 2018. The pictures featured six female superstars, all of them white.

Nia Jax took an issue with WWE not including any minorities and posted a short but strong response to the picture by tweeting out the hashtag ‘#WeHereToo’ and a few emoji of representing women of color.

https://twitter.com/NiaJaxWWE/status/1079177655273119744

Nia Jax was one of the three Raw Women’s Champions that were crowned in 2018. The other two being Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey. Jax, a woman of color, was not featured in the tweet.

As for SmackDown, there were four champions this year: Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Asuka, the minority. Asuka was also not featured in the tweet.

2018 has been a groundbreaking year for women’s revolution in the WWE as we witnessed a lot of ‘firsts’ happening in the company. Female superstars were featured in main events, had their own pay-per-views, with amazing matches. Nia Jax’s tweet has instilled a notion that WWE is still lacking with promoting racial equality somewhere. Do you agree with Nia’s views? Let us know in the comments below.

Marty Scurll’s “Villain Enterprises” have begun their journey to the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. The group’s first official match was recently announced. They will take on Silas Young and the Briscoes at Honor Reigns Supreme on January 13th. ROH released footage from their recent set of television tapings where Scurll debut the new faction.

ROH Honor Reigns Supreme – January 13th, 2019 in Concord, NC

• ROH World Championship
  Jay Lethal (c) vs Dalton Castle
• Women of Honor World Championship
  Kelly Klein (c) vs Jenny Rose
• ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships
  The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan, & Vinny Marseglia) Vs. Shane “Hurricane” Helms, Luchasaurus, & Delirious
• Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO, and Brody King) vs Silas Young and Mark & Jay Briscoe

The event will air live on Honor Club for subscribers.

Streaming LIVE for #HonorClub!
Sun Jan 13 – 7e/4p – #ROHHRS – #ROHConcord@MartyScurll @Brodyxking @PCOisNotHuman vs@lastrealmanROH @jaybriscoe84 @SussexCoChicken

Get your tickets now: https://t.co/ATK9E1DRv8
Info: https://t.co/TOrKIDipL7 pic.twitter.com/pzpeiJMP2l

— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) December 31, 2018

Marty Scurll will continue with Ring of Honor until at least the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. ROH COO, Joe Koff, spoke about the promotion’s talent roster on a recent episode of the WINCLY podcast.

“We have no shortage of talent which is why ROH is so exciting to me and we always deliver a product, we wrestle a brand,” Koff said. “We wrestle a style. Regardless of who’s wrestling that brand or style, the fans’ expectations have always been met.”

Kazuchika Okada has spent much of 2018 dealing with “Switchblade” Jay White. First, the New Zealander joined CHAOS but then defected and joined Bullet Club at King of Pro Wrestling in October.

Now, Okada will face Jay White in a special grudge match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. Okada spoke to NJPW1972.com about facing the 26-year-old upstart.

“I feel that Jay White is the toughest foreigner in New Japan right now,” Okada said. “I really do. Tougher than Jericho, tougher than Omega.”

“It’s more than potential,” Okada continued. “I think he’s the toughest right now. The world might not know it yet, but they just might after he faces me January 4th.”

Kazuchika Okada On NJPW in 2019

Not that Okada is looking past his test at Wrestle Kingdom 13 but he’s also looking toward the future. Okada spoke about NJPW’s many lofty plans for the upcoming year as well.

“It’s full on for sure. MSG is coming up and we’re tearing it up overseas too,” Okada continued. “But I think we need to do our thing in Japan and make sure neither side is neglected. If we’re doing well in Japan, we’ll do well internationally as well, and the other way, guys killing it in the US are making the fans in Japan proud. ‘The NJPW we love so much managed to sell out Madison Square Garden’. I think there’s all sorts of ways we can blow fans away.”

You can read the full interview here.

WWE Superstar John Cena recently was interviewed on his Facebook page, where he talked about his WWE return and revealed that he is not currently associated with any brand in the company.

Cena said that he was busy recently with filming in China and promoting his film Bumblebee all around the world from Berlin to Hong Kong. WWE is cool with him being involved with other projects and not being able to give time to the company due to his busy schedule.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to shoot my next project in Vancouver on January 20th and they said, ‘Well, you’ve been working hard. Why don’t you just take a month to breathe and then do this movie and show up after the movie’s done?’ I said, ‘I could do that or I could come back to WWE.’ So, starting December 26th at Madison Square Garden, I was able to return to a WWE ring…” John Cena said in the interview.

Cena also said that he has no brand allegiance and that he has made a promise to the WWE Universe that he will not leave the WWE:

“I have no brand allegiance…it’s gonna be RAW and the week after that it will be RAW and as soon as RAW is done I’ll head to Canada and hopefully start something else, but I made a promise to the WWE Universe that I would never leave. And I know it’s really difficult to understand because I’m not there every week and it truly breaks my heart, but there are some wonderful opportunities and with those opportunities come more acceptance from the world of what we do here in WWE and if you listen to anything I say to anyone, first and foremost is what I do here because what I do here is what I love and I’m so very proud that WWE.”

John Cena was one of the three names announced for the first Raw of 2019. It is not known what kind of role Cena will have in the WWE in the future and how frequently he will appear given that he is busy with filming. However, WWE had announced which dates Cena will be working in the next month.

Check out the full John Cena interview here.

h/t to WrestleZone for the transcription.

A controversial angle played out this week on MLW: Fusion. Just two weeks after the company presented its first live special, MLW Champion, Low-Ki, assaulted Konnan with a shank (homemade knife often used in prisons) to close out this week’s episode.

53-year-old Konnan was challenging Low-Ki for the title but the match disintegrated into a series of run-ins early. The match was eventually declared a non-contest after numerous members of Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado attacked Konnan.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1079153812189995008

Low-Ki then stabbed Konnan in the back with the shank. The incident takes place in the closing moments of the MLW Fusion episode below:

MLW To Add Women’s Division

In other MLW news, Court Bauer announced the promotion will be adding more women to the roster in 2019. Plans are also in place to introduce a title for the division.

“Yes! It’s very important part of the next phase to me,” Bauer said when addressing a potential women’s division on Twitter. “Just saw the first wave of designs for a women’s title… but before we can talk about that I want to hear from everyone who we should be looking at for the division.”

MLW Fusion airs Friday nights on BeIN Sports. Full episodes of Fusion are uploaded to YouTube on Saturday evenings.

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne has said that he has finished wrapping up dates in the British independent wrestling scene.

Dunne and Tyler Bate had a match on the PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 92: Unboxing event, where Dunne defeated Tyler. After the match Dunne tweeted out a picture of him with Tyler Bate saying that this was his last match in the independent scene.

“Finished my time on the British independent scene tonight,” wrote Dunne. “Closing out a week that saw me in New York, Germany, Spain and London. 13 years that I wouldn’t change for anything, on to the next chapter.”

Finished my time on the British independent scene tonight. Closing out a week that saw me in New York, Germany, Spain and London. 13 years that I wouldn’t change for anything, on to the next chapter ? pic.twitter.com/ATDcN1fUVA

— ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) December 30, 2018

Drake Maverick, the 205 Live General Manager also tweeted out a message congratulating all the British wrestlers who have done their independent dates. He wrote, “Congratulations to the British wrestlers who wrapped up their final independent dates today. Very happy for you all. Enjoy what the future brings!”

https://twitter.com/WWEMaverick/status/1079527937597161472

PROGRESS Wrestling promoter Jim Smallman also tweeted out a message thanking Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate for their contributions in PROGRESS and the British wrestling circuit.

Thank you @PeteDunneYxB
Thank you @Tyler_Bate

For everything you’ve done in @ThisIs_Progress and for British wrestling in general.

The sky is the limit for you both.
Scary how talented you both are.

(I will not miss being flicked with towels and having coats thrown at me)

— Jim Smallman – ????????? (@jimsmallman) December 30, 2018

There is no news on whether Dunne and Tyler will be working exclusively for WWE, but we will keep you updated when more information comes out.

Meanwhile, in the WWE, Pete Dunne is set to defend his WWE United Kingdom Championship against Joe Coffey at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool on 12 January from the Empress Ballroom. Make sure to check out SEScoops for coverage.

Chris Jericho was in attendance at Sunday’s Minnesota Vikings NFL game. In a post to Instagram, Jericho made sure to thank Jacksonville Jaguars executive for the tickets.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsBlF0pFVSF/

Chris Jericho and All Elite Wrestling

Jericho’s name has been linked to Tony Khan since our world exclusive back in October regarding the upstart wrestling promotion in the works, now known as All Elite Wrestling.

In an interview with Drew Dalby this fall, Jericho spoke about the rumors of Tony Khan starting his own promotion. In typical Jericho fashion, he managed to avoid saying much.

“Is Tony Khan opening his own company? I’ve heard nothing that says he’s not, and of course, WWE is WWE and I have a 20-year history there,” Jericho said when discussing his options for 2019. “I could walk in the door tomorrow and know exactly what to do to get a reaction.”

“So it’s exciting for me to know there’s options,” he continued. “I can go anywhere and not have to worry about anything. The fact that we did the cruise with six guys (Alpha Club vs. Bullet Club), none of us under contract and able to sell out a cruise with it. It really makes all of us top contenders as to ‘who’s going to go where?’”

PROGRESS held their annual ‘Unboxing’ event last night at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London. The card and performers for the show are always kept secret right up until they appear on the entrance ramp. One of the biggest bits of news from the night saw Jordynne Grace become the new PROGRESS Women’s Champion.

You're god damn right AND NEW PROGRESS WOMEN'S CHAMPION, @JordynneGrace. #Unboxing. pic.twitter.com/3zhHXk30Zn

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) December 30, 2018

The world travelled star signed for IMPACT this year and debuted back in October. Grace defeated now former champion Jinny to take the title. Jinny is one of the Superstars signed to WWE’s NXT UK division. Whilst it is not yet known if Jinny will be returning several other high profile UK performers including Pete Dunne have confirmed that they are leaving the British independent scene.

Jinny was/is one of the centerpieces of PROGRESS’ Women’s division, if she has indeed left the company to be focused solely on NXT UK then that is a big loss, but a big gain for WWE. Jinny lost a ‘Loser leaves town’ match for Pro Wrestling: EVE earlier this month, again with the idea that she would not longer be featured with the company.

The ‘Fashionista’ has not yet made any public comment on Twitter regarding the loss.

Dana White commented on Brock Lesnar’s ability to negotiate between WWE and UFC recently. The UFC President made the comments during the post-fight press conference from UFC 232.

White was asked if Brock Lesnar is still in the title picture in UFC’s heavyweight division.

“So, we were talking about it (Lesnar coming back) and then he ended up signing a new deal with WWE,” White said.

Then Dana White commented on what he believes has been taking place between Brock Lesnar and WWE during recent contract negotiations.

“What I think happens is, he’s in a very unique position because he can play this thing between UFC and WWE,” White continued. “They get right down to the wire and I think Vince (McMahon) throws so much money at him that he says ‘Alright, I’ll do it again’ because (the UFC) is here for him no matter what. When he’s ready, he can come in here and fight and he’s going to make a s**t load of money here too. So, it makes sense, I’m assuming that’s what’s going on.”

White continued to say he won’t be waiting for Lesnar in terms of his match-making moving forward specifically concerning Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Lesnar confronted Cormier inside the octagon after the UFC heavyweight champion won his last fight. Similarly, Jones called out Lesnar after his UFC 214 victory but instead called out Cormier after his win over Alexander Gustafsson on Saturday.

WWE.com has unveiled their top 25 matches of the year. As always there will be some controversy here.

Topping the list was Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair from Evolution.

WWE Top 25 Matches Of 2018

1. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair — SmackDown Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match (WWE Evolution)

2. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa — Chicago Street Fight (NXT TakeOver: Chicago)

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan — Champion vs. Champion Match (Survivor Series)

4. Moustache Mountain vs. The Undisputed ERA — NXT Tag Team Championship Match (NXT, July 11)

5. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz — Intercontinental Championship Match (Backlash)

6. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins — Raw Tag Team Championship Match (Hell in a Cell)

7. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny Gargano — NXT Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)

8. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Bálor vs. Braun Strowman vs. Elias — Gauntlet Match (Raw, Feb. 19)

9. Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon & Triple H (WrestleMania 34)

10. The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day —SmackDown Tag Team Championship No Disqualification Match (SmackDown LIVE, Aug. 22)

11. Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole —NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match (NXT, Oct. 10)

12. Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane — NXT Women’s Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn)

13. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka — SmackDown Women’s Championship Triple Threat Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match (WWE TLC)

14. Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy — No Disqualification Match (205 Live, July 3)

15.  Roman Reigns vs. Finn Bálor — Universal Championship Match (Raw, Aug. 20)

16.  Meiko Satomura vs. Mercedes Martinez (Mae Young Classic, Round 2)

17. Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy — WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match (205 Live, May 29)

18. Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz (SummerSlam)

19. Ricochet vs. Adam Cole vs. The Velveteen Dream vs. EC3 vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain — NXT North American Championship Ladder Match (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

20. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura — WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match (Money in the Bank)

21. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe — Intercontinental Championship Match (Raw, Jan. 1)

22. Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy (205 Live, April 3)

23. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: Chicago)

24.  Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura — Champion vs. Champion Match (Survivor Series)

25.  “Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt — The Ultimate Deletion (Raw, March 19)

Seth Rollins plans to open a coffee shop soon. The location will be in the same building of his wrestling school, the Black and Brave Wrestling Academy in Davenport, Iowa.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsA8fxABJSO/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=144oafzswrg4e

Seth Rollins On His Wrestling Academy

Media for the Illinois Quad Cities area ran an article on Rollins’ wrestling school in 2016. He described the Black and Brave Wrestling Academy as “a nice punch in the gut with physical fitness.”

“I think it’s a great avenue for people to get their feet wet in the independents before jumping into the WWE,” Rollins continued.

Rollins also described how rehabbing his ACL injury played a role in helping him create the school.

“I spent some of my rehab in Birmingham, Ala., some of it at Plaza Physical Therapy in Davenport. But, it was nice to have the school in session during the time I was off to be around the industry without having to be a huge part of it,” Rollins said. “I had my own space to do my own thing when I wanted to. It was nice to have home time to be able to sleep in my own bed and cook my own breakfast and do Quad-Cities things.”

Sean “X-Pac” Waltman revealed his choices for the best matches of 2018 on a recent episode of X-Pac 12360.

Waltman selected a match under the WWE banner, as well as a bout from the biggest independent show of the year, and his choices may raise eyebrows.

For his WWE choice, Waltman selected a contest from the most recent NXT TakeOver event, a show that Waltman watched the majority of from the gorilla position backstage.

“Maybe because it’s fresh on my mind, but Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black, in WWE.”

As for his non-WWE choice, Waltman went with an instant classic from “All In”.

“I can also tell you, Marty Scurll and Kazuchika Okada from All In,” Waltman said. “An amazing match.”

With most major promotions having their own streaming services, and with WWE churning out so much content, Waltman admits that his choices were just two of many valid selections that fans can readily access.

“In 2018, going into 2019, there are so many great matches out there, so many guys and ladies for people to like,” Waltman said.

Waltman went on to answer questions on a wide range of subjects on the special Q & A episode of X-Pac 12360. The entire episode is available below.

What are your picks for best matches of 2018?

WWE Network will be adding an intriguing bout to the ‘Hidden Gems’ section next week. WWE Network News reported that Kota Ibushi vs. Bobby Roode will be added to the streaming service. The match will be added on January 3rd, a day before New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom show. Ibushi will of course be defending his NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom against Will Ospreay.

The bout took place during an NXT House Show in 2016. The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California hosted the match on October 30th, 2016. The video is listed as being 22 minutes and 16 seconds long, so it could well be a decent match. A triple threat match featuring Shinsuke Nakamura will also be added next Thursday. Nakamura defended his then NXT Championship against Samoa Joe and Eric Young.

Here’s the full lineup of matches that will be added next week:

• Antonio Inoki vs. Larry Sharpe (Showdown at Shea, August 9, 1980)
• Jerry Lawler & Greg Gagne vs. Riki Choshu & Mr. Saito (AWA, May 14, 1988)
• Sting vs. The Great Muta (WCW Power Hour, September 1, 1989)
• Shinjiro Otani vs. Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship (WCW Worldwide, May 18, 1996)

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is making his in-ring return next month. The 53 year-old will be returning to action for his Reality of Wrestling promotion.

ROW Heavyweight Champion Rex Andrews had issued a challenge to Booker at the Christmas Chaos 8 event, which he accepted. The two will face each other next month at the promotion’s event titled “The Last Stand” which will take place on 19 January. More details on that show can be found at the Reality of Wrestling website.

Booker T’s wife (and former WWE personality) Sharmell also posted a video of him in the ring with Rex at ROW.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Br_njaEFCWb/?utm_source=ig_embed

The last match Booker T was involved in was at the Preston City Wrestling promotion, where he defeated Lionheart at the SpringSlam event in April of 2016. Booker had also won the ROW Tag Team Title with Stevie Ray in February of 2015. As for the WWE, Booker T hasn’t wrestled any matches for the company since 2012, and his last televised singles match being against Cody Rhodes in December of 2011.

#BREAKING @BookerT5x has accepted @rexandrews challenge at @TheOfficialROW! https://t.co/7axLafGfci

— Brad Gilmore (@bradgilmore) December 30, 2018

EVOLVE has announced which opponent Johnny Gargano will be facing at the upcoming EVOLVE 119 event.

The company took to Twitter to announce that Gargano will be participating in a tag team match where he will team up with AR Fox.

“We just signed it, so let’s just announce it….WWN Icons of Johnny Gargano & AR Fox vs. WWN New Generation of EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs#EVOLVE119 – Jan. 18th – Brooklyn, NY,” wrote the company on their official Twitter account.

We just signed it, so let's just announce it….

WWN Icons of Johnny Gargano & AR Fox vs. WWN New Generation of EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs#EVOLVE119 – Jan. 18th – Brooklyn, NY

Tix & Info At https://t.co/o7TFTqsTIV

— EVOLVE Wrestling (@WWNEVOLVE) December 30, 2018

The match is set to take place on 18 January at the Saint Finbar Catholic Church Gym in Brooklyn, New York. EVOLVE 120 will be held the next night on 20 January, where Gargano will be facing EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a non-title match.

Johnny Gargano has quite some history with the EVOLVE promotion as he worked there from 2009 to 2016. He teamed up with Drew McIntyre to win the Tag Team Championship as well as the Tag Team Championship Tournament in 2016 during his time in the promotion.

Tessa Blanchard Awarded Female Wrestler of the Year

Tessa Blanchard has been announced the winner of the 2018 Apter Chat Female Wrestler Of The Year award. She received the plaque on a recent episode of Impact Wrestling, where she said that she was honored to gain the award.

“Thank you guys so much. This is such an honor. You’ve known me since the beginning, Bill. Thank you so much,” Blanchard said. “Guys thank you so much, but I deserve this. I am the 2018 Women’s Wrestler of the Year, not only for The Apter Chat, but for all of wrestling.”

.@apter1wrestling presents @Tess_Blanchard with the @TheApterChat 2018 Female Wrestler of the Year award. #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/S0MQPXG5Gm

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) December 28, 2018

Shayna Baszler Tweets “UFC Is Fake” Photo

Former MMA fighter and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler took to Twitter recently to tweet out a picture of a fan holding a sign in a WWE event which reads “UFC IS FAKE.” Baszler also added the #UFC232 caption to the picture, referring to the recent UFC 232 event that just took place last night.
Shayna has tweeted similar statements in the past whenever a UFC event is taking place.

#UFC232 pic.twitter.com/vIz7L5zQV9

— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) December 30, 2018

New Japan Pro Wrestling recently interviewed Jay White for the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 13 event where he was in character, obviously, and looked back on his 2018 and explained the difference between being a member of the Bullet Club faction and CHAOS.

Jay was asked by the interviewer whether meeting Bad Luck Fale was the reason he joined Bullet Club. Jay said that the history between him and Fale made it easier to work together. “It made a lot easier for us to talk about and come up with what we did at King of Pro-Wrestling. You know, none of this was because of that, but it certainly made it a lot easier because we knew each other prior to coming to New Japan.”

Next, Jay was asked which group he prefers the most. According to him, Bullet Club is more comfortable as there were a lot of conflicting ideas in CHAOS:

“The way Okada thought things should be done conflicted with how I thought things should be done. In BULLET CLUB, we are all on the same page. We showed that in our matches. I don’t think we’ve lost, I have never lost to anybody especially on the last tour. 7 win in a row against Okada and Tanahashi that shows we are on the same page. There’s no conflicting idea. Before, in CHAOS things were falling apart. You had Yoshi-Hashi getting hit verbally by myself and Okada getting hit sometimes in matches, people colliding. We were on the different page. I had to go through the whole G1 CLIMAX tour in those tag matches having YOH just not listen so he kept paying the price every single time. He just needed to listen to me. BULLET CLUB doesn’t need to be told like CHAOS guys did because we are on the same page, we have the same ideas so everything happens very naturally and easily.”

Jay White’s History With Bullet Club And CHAOS

Jay White had made his return to NJPW in 2017 at the Power Struggle event and teased that he will be joining Bullet Club before betraying Kenny Omega and aligning himself with CHAOS.

After losing by the hands of Hiroshi Tanahashi at King of Pro Wrestling in October, White attacked Tanahashi with the help of Jado and Gedo. When Kazuchika Okada tried to interfere, he was also attacked in what turned out to be a set up by White and associates to deflect into the Bullet Club.

On December 22, Jay White was named the new leader of the Bullet Club faction.