WWE Legend The Undertaker has opened up about his relationship with Vince McMahon. “The Dead Man” spoke about their friendship with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the first episode of Austin’s new WWE Network show, Broken Skull Sessions. 

He explained how their original relationship was strictly professional. His loyalty to Vince McMahon and WWE over time, however, helped it to evolve into a good friendship, one based on trust and creativity.

“[The Undertaker character] was originally his creative vision, but he gave me a lot of creative liberty with it,” ‘Taker said. “He trusted me when I felt like I needed to turn into the American Bad Ass. He obviously must have felt it too. We’ve butted heads and things have been rough, but at the end of the day, our passion is the same. We want to put out the best product possible.”

With the wealth of knowledge and experience under his belt, it’s not surprising that The Undertaker developed into a locker room leader. ‘Taker admitted that role “just kind of happened.” When asked by Austin why he never jumped away from WWE, The Undertaker stressed how he felt loyalty to Vince because of the opportunity he presented to him.

“I never forgot who gave me my first opportunity, and that was Vince. It’s probably not the most sound business decision,” Undertaker said, “but that’s who I am and if that ship went down I was going to go down with him. But I knew eventually it would turn.”

In a recent episode of Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service, All Elite Wrestling’s Jungle Boy opened up about being an extra in another wrestling promotion. His statement naturally suggested he was referring to WWE. He recalled the feedback the company gave him and also shared how he initially hated the ring name Jungle Boy. 

“I did some extra work somewhere else,” Jungle Boy said, hinting at WWE. “And they basically told me, they were like, ‘look,’ they were like, ‘if you put on 30 lbs. or whatever, we will give you a job, but the way it is, it’s not going to happen.’ And I was just so bummed.”

He continued, “I was like, ‘it bums me out that that’s the one thing that it gets hung up on because I know what I can do and I can do a bunch of stuff, but I think there are a bunch of guys who are way bigger than me who are not nearly as good and it’s silly to me to get so hung up on that.”

Jungle Boy confessed how, when he first heard “Jungle Boy,” he felt it was the dumbest name he had ever heard. He stated how a random announcer came up with the name after seeing him soaking wet and “kind of crouching like a monkey” before a show. Crediting the crouch to Conor McGregor, he adopted the same animalistic stance and was attributed the nickname. He reflected on how people liked it, so he went along with it, admitting that the name changed everything for him. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

WWE Superstar Mike Kanellis has explained why he recently requested his release from WWE. 

Speaking with The Smarks & Stripes podcast, Kanellis discussed his reasoning behind his decision. He noted that his choice to ask the promotion was a personal choice, not one based off of any sort of issue with the company itself.

“For me, it was all personal,” Kanellis stated. “It had nothing to do with the company. Since the minute I got to WWE, they’ve treated me great; they’ve treated my wife great; they’ve treated my daughter great. They’ve treated me great. When I came out and said that I had an addiction, there was no negativity from anybody – it was just constant support.”

He explained how, after getting clean and maintaining his sobriety through hard work and dedication, all he wanted to do was work. “I feel like I could go and have my best matches right now and it’s extremely difficult when there [are] so many people on the roster and you just don’t get that opportunity.”

“I’ll Go Wherever That Opportunity Exists”

Kanellis stressed that he isn’t “mad,” he is just hungry for the chance to perform to the level he knows he can compete at. 

“I just want to work and I just want to work a lot,” he shared. “I want to be able to go home and tell my daughter that ‘daddy put in the time, daddy put in the effort,’ and it’s incredibly difficult for me to go on social media and preach that you have to work hard,’ ‘you have to work your ass off,’ and then not do it myself. And so, I’m a worker and I’ve always been a worker. And I’m at a point where I just want to work, and work, and work. And I’ll go wherever that opportunity exists.”

He understands how saturated the industry currently is with top-level talent, especially within WWE. Naturally, Kanellis doesn’t hope anybody gets hurt in order to open up a spot—but he does want to be ready in case a chance does present itself. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would probably feature on a lot of fans’ Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. But who would “The Great One” choose for his own personal monument?

B/R Wrestling pitched an open question to wrestling fans on Twitter, asking who might adorn their personal lists. They accompanied their initial tweet with an image featuring “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, The Rock, The Undertaker and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Johnson would later reply with his own list, based off the performers overall impact and drawing power during their prime. For him, that included Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Gorgeous George or Bruno Sammartino and Steve Austin.

“*I made an edit after thinking about the wrestling star’s impact and drawing power during their respective runs. Thanks for the carve out and always a cool debate. I’d go with/ Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Gorgeous George/Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin ?? #WrestlingsMtRushmore”

These lists are obviously subjective, but Johnson did take some time to respond to fan questions or comments after sharing. When one follower mentioned how Andre the Giant wasn’t getting any attention, Johnson replied, contrasting Andre with WWE Legend The Undertaker and noting that they “sit at a table for only two.”

It turns out that former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore appears to have genuine issues with New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Tama Tonga.

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Amore opened up about his problems with Bullet Club’s “Bad Boy.” He stated how it all stems from Tonga figuratively taking food off his plate.

Tonga was one of the men involved during Amore and Big Cass’ run-in during the ROH/NJPW co-promoted G1 Supercard show back in April. Amore and Cass would jump the barrier following a tag team match involving The Guerrillas of Destiny. The teams were allegedly not aware that they would do this, causing confusion amongst wrestlers and fans worldwide.

“I’m Going To Walk Up To You And Put My Hands Up”

“There’s a guy, Tama Tonga, who took food off my plate, so if I ever saw him out in public, same thing with Joey [Janela],” Amore said, referring to his altercation with Janela at a blink-182 concert.

He continued, “I’m going to walk up to you and put my hands up. The difference is I don’t think Tama’s going to walk away and I don’t give a damn because if you book him on the same thing as me, you ain’t getting me because that’s his doing. If you’re going to blackball me, Tama Tonga, the ‘gatekeeper’ of New Japan [Pro-Wrestling], throw a hissy fit, got upset, he got worked just like everybody else did that day, that’s what we love about pro wrestling.”

“Now, if you’re not in on it and you get upset about it, and you have the nerve to throw shade at my name, who didn’t do anything to you, except take spotlight from you, alright, that’s all I did. If you have a problem with getting over, that ain’t my problem. That ain’t my problem.”

Amore confessed that, although he isn’t completely tuned into the pro wrestling business at the moment, he has watched a few AEW matches. He also made sure to watch Finn Balor vs Brock Lesnar. He noted that he still has a foot in the industry, teasing he could have something planned for the future.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has given his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to the WWE Universe, courtesy of his analyst role on WWE Backstage.

Speaking on the State of Combat podcast, Austin stated that he doesn’t know if Punk’s inclusion on the show will ultimately lead to anything more. He noted that all anyone can do at this time is speculate over Punk’s interest in an in-ring return. Regardless, he stressed how great it is to have Punk doing business with WWE.

“Just the fact that he returned to be doing business with WWE I love because I know they split up on bad terms and now they are back in business together, CM Punk was a lights-out pro wrestler; great promos, great work, great talent, so to have him back into the fold obviously they ironed whatever they needed to iron out and both sides are happy.”

He continued, “It’s great to have CM Punk back in the pro wrestling/sports entertainment business. I think it’s a breath of fresh air because the guy brings in a great perspective, great insights, great opinion on all things sports entertainment.”

Competition

When asked if he thinks wrestling is entering another mainstream, pop-cultural boom, Austin brought up the competition between AEW and NXT. He noted that he believes in competition, stressing that “I think competition is outstanding and I loved it when we were competing in WCW.”

He continued, “AEW is doing their own thing, so I’m not sure if you have turned on YouTube lately and checked out NWA Powerrr with that studio-style wrestling. That is pretty fresh and entertaining to see, but I love competition. I love the fact that NXT is on USA Network and not just WWE Network.”

As far as Austin is concerned, he loves that so many alternative promotions are now available for wrestlers and that there are opportunities for everybody to make money and push each other.

Austin’s new show The Broken Skull Sessions is now available for streaming on the WWE Network. His first guest on the new show was WWE Legend, The Undertaker.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Erik and Ivar, collectively known as The Viking Raiders, were recent guests on WWE’s podcast, After The Bell. During the course of their conversation with host Corey Graves, Erik opened up about their attempts to convince Vince McMahon to allow them to change their team name after discovering WWE wanted to call them The Viking Experience.

“We knew at this point we weren’t going to be Hanson and Rowe. The primary focus was The Viking Experience,” Erik revealed. “We caught Vince as he was going somewhere else and we pleaded our case about the name. It sounded like a Disney name and there were 10 names we gave him. The last one we gave him was Viking Raiders and he kind of paused on that one. He said they would introduce us as Viking Experience and if they didn’t feel it they would rename us to something else.” 

The RAW Tag Team Champions mentioned Vince McMahon’s alleged love for the TV show Vikings. Because of this affinity for Viking culture, one that is reflected in the team’s outfits and armor, Erik felt confident about their position and hopeful about the name change. He noted how when they first came into NXT, Viking Raiders was one of the first names they pitched.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

WWE Hall of Famer Sean “X-Pac” Waltman has shared his thoughts on last Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event. On a recent episode of his podcast, X-Pac 12360, he praised Matt Riddle versus Finn Balor. He also shared who he believed to be the stand out Superstars from the night.

“You can’t just bring everybody over and just beat everybody and just to try and say our NXT guys are on the same level,” Waltman said. “It’s Finn Balor if you’re gonna lose a match, Finn Balor is just fine to lose a match to, I don’t really think this f—s with Matt’s momentum or anything.”

He continued, “They had a great match and I am ready for more of Balor and Matt Riddle. That’s what makes you care about the match, like okay, none of these guys can really afford to lose. It was hard to call, I had no idea, no idea which way they were gonna go with that. I guess if I had to put money on it honestly I would have said, okay they’re going to out Balor over, because I think they are trying to get him ready for Adam Cole, maybe?”

“Those Two Are Overnight Sensations”

For him, there were two notable stand out talents from all the action of WarGames: Keith Lee and Rhea Ripley.

“Keith Lee really stood out to me in this match he did a lot of really cool stuff in the match and it fit. To me of this recent last couple of weeks, Rhea Ripley and Keith Lee are the big winners, the biggest winners, everyone’s a winner, but to me those two are overnight sensations.”

He detailed how, in his opinion, the WWE Universe “buy her” when it comes to her intensity and character. Waltman reflected on being in attendance for a Live Event and remembered the pop she received, saying “she got the biggest pop of anyone on the entire show and it wasn’t even close, it was insane.”

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn has recently been accompanying current Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Zayn acts as Nakamura’s hype man, often assisting the champion in his matches. In a recent interview with DC 101, Zayn spoke about the importance of representation in pro wrestling. He also noted how the modern product is doing good work in breaking stereotypes.

“For me personally, it’s one of the things I love about this generation,” Zayn said. “Shinsuke’s gimmick doesn’t revolve around him being Japanese. Like me, being Arab, I’m not coming out with a turban or acting the way the Iron Sheik acted. I’m a performer who happens to be Arabian.”

Zayn then pointed to Finn Balor and Mustafa Ali as other examples of Superstars breaking through without relying on antiquated stereotypes. He believes that this new mentality helps to root all of WWE’s Superstars and characters in a relatable reality, ultimately creating more compelling storylines.

“Finn Balor, he’s an Irishman and it’s not like he comes out with a box of lucky charms or waving an Irish flag talking with a funny accent to be Irish. It’s just a lot more rooted in reality of who we actually are and not playing this caricature or this stereotype of our background. So, I applaud Mustafa Ali for that for trying to break that. It’s something I have been interested in as well.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

AEW Dynamite aired live from the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to the takeaways below, Best Friends defeated Lucha Brothers tonight.

Here are 6 takeaways from the show:

SCU Brawled With Inner Circle During Jericho’s Celebration

Soul Train Jones (Virgil) introduced Chris Jericho for his Thanksgiving celebration.

Jericho announced that his own line of champagne and brought the rest of Inner Circle down to the ring. Sammy Guevara gave him a poster of them two hugging. Santana and Ortiz gave Jericho a gift basket and Chris said that this was the greatest night of his life. Jake Hager presented a goat for Jericho named Jerigoat.

Chris’s dad Ted Irvine was in a Rangers jersey and was revealed as one of the presents. Ted boasted about beating the Blackhawks all the time and that they were all wimps. Ted then gave Inner Circle custom Rangers jerseys and the crowd loudly chanted “Rangers suck!”.

Justin Roberts read a thank you from the AEW executives and Jericho claimed that he didn’t like Justin’s tone. Jericho and Inner Circle then beat Roberts down but SCU made the save dressed as members of the marching band.

There were some funny moments during this segment but it dragged on too long. Also, AEW once again had audio issues during this segment and that is something that needs to be resolved.

Bea Priestley & Emi Sakura Picked Up A Win

Bea Priestley & Emi Sakura battled Hikaru Shida & Kris Statlander tonight on Dynamite. Statlander Moonsaulted onto Priestley to start off the match and then Dropkicked Emi to the outside.

Shida grabbed a chair from under the ring and hit Sakura with a running knee. Bea attacked Sakura from behind and beat her down as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Sakura connected with a Dropkick on Priestley in the corner of the ring. Bea connected with a German Suplex but Hikaru battled back with a knee to the face.

Emi and Kris tagged in and Statlander hit a boot to the face. Sakura battled back and hit a Backbreaker for a near fall. Emi went for a Moonsault but Statlander got out of the way. Shida planted Priestley with a Falcon Arrow and Kris planted Emi with a Facebuster for a two count. Statlander hit a Michinoku Driver but Priestley broke up the cover. Emi hit Kris with her mic stand while the referee wasn’t looking and rolled her up for the victory.

The Butcher & The Blade Debuted With Allie

Cody battled Matt Knicks tonight on Dynamite. Knicks targeted Cody’s ribs in the beginning of the match but Cody shrugged it off and hit a Cutter. Cody then quickly locked in the Figure Four for the quick submission victory.

After the match, Cody called out MJF but The Butcher and The Blade popped out from under the ring. Butcher and Blade attacked Cody and beat him down. Allie then popped out from under the ring and posed with Butcher and Blade.

The crowd had no idea what was going on and were completely dead for this segment. I’ve enjoyed pretty much every episode of Dynamite so far but the first hour of this show was been a mess.

Kenny Omega Defeated PAC

Kenny Omega faced PAC tonight on Dynamite. Omega dominated the match early and connected with a Snap German Suplex. Kenny followed it up with a Buckle Bomb and went for the cover but PAC kicked out at two.

PAC battled back and hit a Moonsault outside the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Omega connected with a Fisherman’s Buster for a two count.

PAC planted Kenny with a Falcon Arrow off the top rope and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two. PAC went for the Black Arrow but Omega got out of the way at the last moment. Omega hit PAC with the V-Trigger and then was able to roll him up for the pinfall victory.

MJF Won The Dynamite Diamond

MJF faced Hangman Page for the Dynamite Diamond ring tonight on the show. Wardlow was in MJF’s corner for the match. It was announced that it will be an annual match for the Dynamite Diamond ring.

Hangman knocked MJF out of the ring and went out after him but Wardlow got in his face. Page went around him and continued to beat MJF as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Hangman hit MJF with a Moonsault outside the ring. Back in the ring, Page set up for the Buckshot Lariat but MJF pulled the referee in the way. MJF poked Hangman in the eye but Page was able to hit a Lariat for a near fall.

Page hit the Buckshot Lariat and went for the cover but Wardlow put MJF’s foot on the bottom rope. Wardlow then hit Hangman with a cheap shot and MJF capitalized by hitting the worst Cross Rhodes I’ve ever seen for the pinfall victory.

Diamond Dallas Page then came down to the ring to present the Dynamite Diamond. MJF put on the ring as the crowd chanted “a**hole!”. DDP told MJF that some of his actions have been very disappointing to him but tonight he is the man. DDP added that since he is the bigger man, he will congratulate MJF like a man. MJF took out his gum and put it in DDP’s hand. DDP got in MJF’s face but Wardlow got in the way. A brawl broke out for a moment but security quickly broke it up as Dynamite went to a break.

Chris Jericho Retained & Jon Moxley Appeared In The Crowd

Chris Jericho defended the AEW Championship against Scorpio Sky in the main event of this week’s show. Scorpio Sky hit Jericho with an elbow to the face to start off the match.

Sky connected with a Dropkick and then bounced Jericho’s face off the top turnbuckle. Jericho leveled Scorpio Sky with a Dropkick that sent him tumbling out of the ring as Dynamite went to a break.

Scorpio Sky hit a Cutter when Dynamite returned for a near fall. Jericho locked in the Lion Tamer but Scorpio was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Jericho started arguing with referee Aubrey Edwards and Sky capitalized with another Cutter.

Jake Hager ran down to the ring and hopped on the apron. Sky knocked him to the floor and turned around into a Clothesline from Jericho. Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels rushed the ring and brawled with Hager.

Jericho tried to hit Scorpio with the title but Sky got out of the way and hit the TKO for a two count. Scorpio Sky connected with an Enziguri and went for the cover but Jericho was able to kick out at two.

Chris Jericho hit the Codebreaker for another two count. Jericho went for the Judas Effect but Scorpio countered into a backslide for a two count. Jericho once again locked in the Lion Tamer in the center of the ring and Scorpio Sky quickly tapped out.After the match, Jericho applied the Lion Tamer once again but Jon Moxley’s music hit. Jon stared at Jericho from the crowd to close the show.

The ending to tonight’s Dynamite was good. Jericho and Scorpio Sky had an entertaining match and I’m excited for a feud between Jericho and Moxley. The story line wont revolve around a potted plant and lead to a ridiculous Ambrose Asylum match this time around.

Overall, I thought this was just a subpar episode of Dynamite. The audio issues during the opening promo simply cannot happen. The Butcher and The Blade debut wasn’t done well at all. Excalibur shouted their names as if everyone should know them while the crowd sat in silence. I’ve complained about WWE having the same matches over and over again, so it would be disingenuous not to point out that we’ve seen PAC versus Omega enough by now. There is plenty to like about AEW but they still have a lot of room to improve.

The Undisputed Era Retain NXT Tag Team Championships

WWE booked a title match that saw NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) defend their titles against Keith Lee & Dominik Dijakovic in one of the top matches on the show that delivered despite high expectations. This served as the opening contest. 

During the match, Fish suffered a possible knee injury and was replaced by Roderick Strong. In the end, The Undisputed Era retained the titles. 

This match was expected due to them being part of the building of the main event of NXT’s latest special that aired on WWE’s streaming service. 

Tommaso Ciampa, Donovan Dijak, Keith Lee and Kevin Owens beat The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) at Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames III event from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on the WWE Network.

Mansoor Wrestles

WWE actually booked Manoor in a match on NXT television. 

It happened in this show nearly at the end of the first hour when he beat Shane Throne in a singles match. It was a fine match that featured solid in-ring work. 

At the WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium on the WWE Network last month, Mansoor beat Cesaro in a singles match. 

For those who may have forgotten, Mansoor won the first-ever 50-Man Battle Royal at WWE Super ShowDown in June.

While Mansoor has worked several NXT live events, the company hasn’t done much with him on television. Although this was a squash match, it could be on the path of WWE not just using Mansoor on television but a potential push. 

Dakota Kai Takes On Candice LeRae

WWE booked a singles match between Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai at the top of the second hour. 

These ladies put in hard work and delivered a pretty good match. It ended via DQ when Kai hit LeRae with a knee brace. After the match, Kai continued the attack on LeRae until Rhea Ripley ran out to make the save. 

This match came after NXT TakeOver: WarGames III event when Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim, Tegan Nox & Candice LeRae beat Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray to win the WarGames match. 

There was a heel turn during the match as Kai attacked Nox in the holding cell, which marked her heel turn. 

WWE hyped this as LeRae defending Knox because of the heel turn by Kai. It looks like Knox will eventually get her revenge on Kai down the line. 

Lio Rush Retains NXT Cruiserweight Championship

Lio Rush successfully retained the NXT Cruiserweight Championship in his latest title defense as champion on this show when he beat Akira Tozawa in the squared circle. 

It was a fun match just as you would expect the work to be from these two guys and a match that the fans ate up.

It’s such a notable difference between WWE airing these types of matches at Full Sail compared to bigger arenas whether that be at pay-per-view events or after SmackDown TV events. 

While the match was fun, from a booking standpoint, it didn’t make much sense considering that Tozawa didn’t do anything to earn it. 

Rush just beat Tozawa and Kalisto in a triple threat match at Sunday’s (November 24, 2019) WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena on the WWE Network. 

It will be interesting to see who is the next challenger for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

Finn Balor vs. Tommaso Ciampa Headline

In a match that didn’t get hyped up, WWE booked one of their biggest matches that can in Finn Balor vs. Tommaso Ciampa. 

This match was set up in the opening segment when Tommaso Ciampa, Donovan Dijak, and Keith Lee were in the ring while The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) were on the stage. 

After an exchange of words, Balor came out where Ciampa talked about his desire to get the NXT Title back and for Balor, who is a prince, to meet his king. 

Luckily, since WWE does overruns with NXT, this match did get some time, which was nice. It was a television match and with these two guys, give them 30-minutes on a TakeOver special, it would be a classic match. Balor went over in the contest. 

For the last month, WWE has been hyping that Ciampa is for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship. Of course, WWE could go in a different direction Balor being the next guy to challenge for the title but WWE typically doesn’t book heel vs. heel matches, especially for the main title. 

Balor laid out Cole to end the show. 

It appears that Bobby Fish has suffered an injury. 

Fish and Kyle O’Reilly defended their NXT Tag Team Titles against Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on the USA Network. This served as the opening match of the show. 

The match went a few minutes until they had to take a commercial break. There is speculation that the injury happened when Lee had tossed the champions out of the ring onto each other at ringside. 

WWE NXT Results & Live Coverage (11/27)

When the show came back from break, it was mentioned on commentary that NXT General Manager William Regal had ordered Strong to fill in for Fish, due to medical reasons. 

Strong replaced Fish with the titles still being on the line. The announcers later noted that Lee had injured Fish. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on Fish’s exact injury. 

Fish suffered a jaw injury during a match at the set of NXT TV tapings back in June while working a match.

The injury happened when Velveteen Dream did a quebrada and it looked like his knee connected with Fish’s nose, but it was actually a jaw injury. As a result, Fish’s eye started to swell shut during the match.

AEW World Champion Chris Jericho and Stephen Amell, star of the CW superhero series Arrow, are selling sparkling wine. 

Jericho announced the news on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite and later, All Elite Wrestling issued a press release with additional details. Jericho is teaming up with Amell, who founded Nocking Point Wines. 

“I’ve been working non-stop over the last few months to deliver a product that’s as classic and as great as I am….and I have,” said Chris Jericho. “After you get a taste of A Little Bit of the Bubbly, normal wine, beer and even vodka will taste like swill. This is pretty much the GOAT of adult beverages. You’re welcome.” 

“It’s Jericho. It’s AEW. It’s A Little Bit of the Bubbly,” said Stephen Amell. “I’m marking out.” 

A Little Bit of the Bubbly is a sparkling Riesling produced exclusively by Nocking Point Wines. It was announced that fans can buy the product when pre-sales begin Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 8 pm ET. 

Chris Jericho Says NXT Is Minor League, Talks Vince McMahon’s Genius Move Against AEW

All pre-orders will ship Dec. 9-10-11. Fans can order packs of two ($46), three ($69), six ($138) or 12 bottles ($276) at www.LittleBitoftheBubbly.com. 

This product comes after Jericho made the “A Little Bit of the Bubbly” catchphrase extremely popular with fans that ended up going viral. Jericho said the catchphrase after he beat Adam Page at the All Out pay-per-view event in his post-match celebration for winning the first AEW World Championship.

The November 27th, 2019 edition of WWE’s NXT on USA Network took place at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.

– This week’s broadcast opens up with a video package looking at some of the highlights from Takeover: Wargames four nights ago.

– The show kicks off with the entire NXT roster coming out to the ring to celebrate their victory over RAW and SmackDown at Survivor Series. The Undisputed Era comes out to interrupt the celebration, and Adam Cole asks what’s wrong with all of them. He says The Undisputed Era is the only reason NXT was successful at Survivor Series. Cole says none of you “are NXT,” but The Undisputed Era is. Cole says while they are all celebrating, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly are preparing to defend their Tag Titles tonight. Cole starts talking about the prophecy of the Undisputed Era, but then Ciampa interrupts from the ring. Ciampa says everyone sees what’s going on except for Cole. Ciampa says this is the end of the Undisputed Era, and Ciampa is now focused on getting “Goldy” back from Cole. Ciampa says there’s nothing standing in his way now. Finn Balor comes out to interrupt. Balor says he’s standing in Ciampa’s way. Ciampa tells Balor that he’s a prince who just met his king, and he wants a match with Balor. Lee gets on the mic now and says he’s confident Ciampa would beat Balor, but now it’s time for Kyle and Bobby to get in the ring for their Tag Team Title match.

'Sup, fam?

Time to CELEBRATE!#WeAreNXT #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/godB1etVQe

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 28, 2019

– Tom Phillips is on commentary tonight, filling in for Mauro Ranallo.

– Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong (c) vs. Keith Lee & Dominik Dijakovic: Lee starts off strong and throws both Fish and O’Reilly out to ringside. Fish appears to be selling a knee injury, and he is pulled from the match. Roderick Strong will be filling in. Back in the ring, Lee and Dijakovic control the pace for the next several minutes. Dijakovic picks up Lee and slams him down on top of O’Reilly for the double team. Strong and O’Reilly are finally able to get the upper hand on Dijakovic after a double team, and Strong starts working over Dijakovic’s knee. Kyle tags in now and continues the offense on Dominik. Kyle goes over and slaps Lee on the apron, and Dominik takes the opportunity to fight back. Lee gets the hot tag and cleans house. Strong and O’Reilly try to double team Lee, but Lee grabs them and gives them both a double suplex. Both Era members roll out to ringside for a breather. On Lee’s way out of the ring, Strong takes out Lee’s knee. O’Reilly hits a running kick on Lee, then takes him back in the ring. Strong is the legal man and he looks for a diving headbutt off the top, but he misses. O’Reilly comes flying off the top, but Lee headbutts him. Dominik gets the tag and starts working over Strong in the corner. Dijakovic drops Strong with a lariat. Strong starts fighting back with a shot to Dijakovic’s knee, then O’Reilly tags in. O’Reilly looks for a triangle choke on Dijakovic. Dijakovic lifts up O’Reilly to turn it into a powerbomb. Strong tries to break it up, but Dijakovic grabs Strong by the neck. Dijakovic simultaneously delivers a sit-out powerbomb to O’Reilly and a chokeslam to Strong. Dijakovic beats on Strong and O’Reilly in the corner, then he picks up Strong on his shoulders. O’Reilly has tagged himself in, and he takes Dijakovic down to the mat then hits some kicks. O’Reilly and Strong roll outside to regroup, but Lee runs out and clotheslines Strong. Lee and Strong manage to take down Lee on the floor, but then Dijakovic goes flying over the top rope with a dive on the Era members. Back in the ring, Dijakovic hits a double chokeslam on Strong and O’Reilly. Dijakovic is slow to pin due to selling a knee injury. Adam Cole starts running down the ramp, but Lee charges and hits a Pounce on Cole that sends him crashing into some plants sitting in the crowd. Dijakovic is looking at Cole, and the distraction leads to O’Reilly and Strong double teaming Dijakovic for the three count.

Winners & still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Undisputed Era

The #Thanksgiving feast has begun early, people.

FEAST.
YOUR.
EYES.@DijakovicWWE #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wvXiZ7K7ey

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 28, 2019

– We go to replays as Strong, O’Reilly and Cole make their exits with the Tag Title belts.

– Candice LeRae is backstage for an interview. She says she’s sick of hearing about Dakota Kai, and Kai’s going to get what she has coming to her.

– Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa are shown in their locker rooms warming up for their Cruiserweight Title match tonight.

– Shane Throne vs. Mansoor: They lock up off the opening bell and they trade holds and takedowns in the opening moments. They trade chops to the chest now and Mansoor gets the upper hand. Mansoor rolls him up for two, then hits a standing moonsault for another two count. Mansoor dropkicks Thorne out of the ring. Mansoor looks for a suicide dive, but Thorne catches him and suplexes Mansoor on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Thorne follows up with strikes and a shoulder lock. Mansoor fights back, but Thorne drops him with another suplex for a two count. Mansoor fires back with some kicks and Thorne falls back out to ringside. Mansoor connects with a dive at ringside now, then takes him back in the ring for a Blockbuster. Mansoor pins for the three count.

Winner: Mansoor

– Up next: Candice Lerae vs. Dakota Kai

– Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai: Candice starts off fired up and laying into Kai. Kai turns it around and starts beating down Candice now. Kai hits a big boot to the face on the apron, then slams Candice’s face into the apron. Kai hits another big boot on the apron, then takes Candice back in the ring. Candice starts fighting back and targeting Kai’s knee, but Kai puts her down with a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. They fight out to the apron, and Candice hits a German Suplex on Kai where it looks like they slip off the apron and just clip the corner of the apron. Back in the ring, Candice hits a Tornado DDT off the middle rope for a two count. Kai fights back with a headbutt and a big boot. Kai misses a shot and Candice connects with a knee strike to the head. Both women are down now, then they fight up the turnbuckle. Candice looks for a sunset flip powerbomb, and she hits it despite Kai trying to use the knee brace she hung on the turnbuckle as a weapon. Candice looks for a moonsault, but Kai rolls out of the way. Kai comes back with a slam for a two count. Kai looks for a powerbomb, but Candice reverses it and puts Kai in the Gargano Escape. Kai breaks free and rolls out to ringside. Candice looks for a dive, but Kai nails her in the head with a knee brace. The ref calls for the DQ.

Winner via DQ: Candice LeRae

– Kair beats down LeRae at ringside after the match. Kai grabs a steel chair and talks Candice, but then Rhea Ripley runs out for the save. Rhea kicks the chair away and chases off Kai.

– Tommaso Ciampa is backstage for an interview about his match with Finn Balor tonight. Ciampa says whether he calls himself the Demon or the Prince, he knows exactly who Finn Balor is. Ciampa says it was himself and not Balor who made Goldy into the most prestigious Title in sports entertainment. He says tonight he’s going to get Balor out of his way.

– Back from the commercial break, we go to a video package looking at Cameron Grimes.

– Lio Rush (c) vs. Akira Tozawa Rush’s Cruiserweight Title is on the line in this one. Rush scores lots of big offense in the opening moments of this one, and sends Tozawa out to ringside. Back in the ring, Tozawa starts to mount some offense and they end up colliding with a double bicycle kick in the middle of the ring. They fight out to the apron where Tozawa connects with a kick, then he gives rush a German suplex from the apron down to the ringside floor. This prompts a “Holy Sh–” chant from the fans. Back in the ring, Lio fights back and connects with a series of kicks on the challenger. Lio springboards off the ropes, but Tozawa catches him with a German suplex. Tozawa hits another suplex and turns it into a pin for a two count. Tozawa goes up top and looks for the senton bomb, but the Champion gets his knees up to block it. Rush goes up top and hits the Final Hour. Rush goes back up top and hits the Final Hour again fo the three count.

Winner & still Cruiserweight Champion: Lio Rush

????????????????????@TozawaAkira @itsLioRush #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/NKNvWDD3dK

— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2019

– We go backstage for an interview with Finn Balor. Balor says he’s already taken out Gargano and Riddle, and now it’s time for Ciampa to meet the Prince.

– Xia Li vs. Vanessa Borne: Borne starts off strong and beats down Li in the opening moments. Li finally fights back and she drops Borne with a powerbomb. Shayna Baszler and the Horsewomen come down the stage to interrupt. Li sees them coming, but still hits a kick on Borne. Li pins for the three count after a short match.

Winner: Xia Li

– Shayna, Shafir and Duke hit the ring. Li tries to fight them off, and they brawl back and forth. Li connects with a spinning heel kick on Baszler. Li takes out Duke, then Baszler takes out Li with a clothesline. They beat down Li, then Shayna gets on the mic. Shayna takes issue with everyone trying to take credit for what happened at Survivor Series, because no one had a weekend like her. Rhea Ripley comes out to interrupt. Shayna and the Horsewomen retreat, but Rhea says she has something to say to Shayna’s face. Shayna comes back up on the apron, and Rhea walks over to the ropes so they are face to face. Rhea says she beat Shayna and will do it again, but now she wants it to be for the NXT Women’s Championship. Shayna says the reality is that when they face off, Rhea will be tapping or napping like the rest of them. Rhea says they should do it right now then. Shayna walks off and heads to the back.

– Still to come: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Finn Balor

– The broadcast team sends us to a video package looking at Killian Dane vs. Damien Priest vs. Pete Dunne from Takeover: WarGames, including footage of Priest being treated for injured ribs after the match. Priest and Dain are booked for a singles match next week.

– Tommaso Ciampa vs. Finn Balor: The opening bell sounds, and Ciampa and Balor trade strikes and takedowns to start off. Balor applies a side headlock, but Ciampa backs him into the turnbuckle for some punishment. Ciampa sends Balor off the ropes for an elbow to the face, then he follows up with a vertical suplex for a two count. Ciampa misses on a sunset flip, and Balor fires back with a dropkick. Balor sends Ciampa out to ringside, then dropkicks him through the ropes to the back of the head. Balor and Ciampa go back and forth on the floor now, until Ciampa slingshots Balor face-first into the ring post. Back in the ring, Ciampa and Balor trade strikes again. Balor misses a shot and gets dropped on the corner, then Ciampa knees him in the face out to the floor. Back in the ring, another running knee strike from Ciampa for a two count. Ciampa connects with some loud chops to the chest on Balor now. Ciampa puts the boots to Balor in the corner, then Ciampa removes his own knee pads. Ciampa charges, but Balor hops up and intercepts him with a Sling Blade. Balor dumps Ciampa outside, then rolls out with him. Balor runs around the ring and dropkicks Ciampa into the fan barricade. Balor looks for a DDT on the ramp, but Ciampa reverses it into a suplex, and both men are down now. Back in the ring, Ciampa knees Balor in the face, then hits the powerbomb backbreaker for a two count. Balor tackles Ciampa and stomps on him, then hits a running dropkick. Balor climbs up top, but Ciampa meets him there. Ciampa gives Balor the Air Raid Crash from the top for another two count. Ciampa yells that this is for Johnny, then he walks over to Balor. Adam Cole runs out and hops on the apron, and the distraction leads to Balor rolling up Ciampa for a two count. Cole left his Title belt on the apron, and Balor grabs it to try to use it as a weapon. Balor ends up giving Ciampa an inverted DDT on the Title belt for a two count. The ref throws the belt out of the ring, and on the opposite side of the ring Cole hits a cheap shot on Ciampa. Balor follows up with the 1916 for the three count.

Winner: Finn Balor

The champ wants to have a say in this one! @AdamColePro #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/oCM4PDRr8v

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 28, 2019

– We go to replays as Balor gets to his feet and smiles at Cole. Cole gets in the ring and stands next to Balor, looking down at Ciampa. Balor surprises Cole with a kick to the face, and Cole is down. Balor leaves with Ciampa and Cole both laying in the ring. Balor heads to the back and NXT goes off the air.

The viewership numbers are in for the latest episode of WWE Backstage, a weekly talk show.

The show that aired on FS1 at 11pm ET drew 121,000 viewers. This is a drop of 33% from last week’s 180,000 viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily. 

The episode ranked #125 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.05 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is a decrease from last week’s show that ranked #104 with a 0.10 rating. Last week’s show marked the first time that it made the Cable Top 150.

Ryback Discusses CM Punk Joining WWE Backstage, Possible In-Ring Return

FOX made it known on Monday that Punk would not be appearing on this week’s episode for fans who were wondering. However, Triple H was the featured guest but was not in-studio in Los Angeles as he called in live from the WWE Performance Center.

The official premiere of the show did 49,000 viewers with a 0.02 rating while the November 12th episode did 100,000 viewers.

This week’s episode of RAW that featured the main event of Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins, drew an average of 2.109 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.127 million viewers. 

This was despite the fact that it was the post-Survivor Series episode of RAW, which has historically received a bump in viewership from interested fans. 

In an update to the ongoing story involving Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves, it is now being reported that Graves’ Tweets had been planned as part of the ongoing brand warfare storyline taking place over Survivor Series weekend.

According to a report from Pro Wrestling Sheet, Graves’ Tweets were to be brought up by his commentary partners during Survivor Series.

“According to sources, Corey wrote those tweets to play into the brand warfare element of Survivor Series and the SmackDown announcer planned to bring them up on commentary in a joking manner when he was joined by Mauro at the desk the following day,” wrote Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet and FS1’s WWE Backstage.

Ranallo did not work the Survivor Series event and is not expected to be at the commentary desk for tonight’s NXT either.

Corey Graves commented on the matter on his “WWE: After the Bell” podcast released today:

“Before we go any further, on a personal note, I need to address something,” Graves said on the show. “This past Saturday, during the TakeOver: War Games event, I sent out a Tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show.”

• Corey Graves Apologizes For Tweet Critical of Mauro Ranallo

“It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things and it was never meant to offend, or disrespect or disparage anybody, that was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply, that was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody any undue stress, especially a co-worker, so I apologize.”

Kevin Owens was a guest on the most recent episode of Corey Graves’ new podcast “WWE After the Bell.” During the interview, Owens detailed how he began using the stunner as a finish as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin’s reaction when he asked him if he could begin using the move.

“I had a conversation with (Steve Austin) years ago actually,” Owens said when Graves asked him if he spoke to Austin regarding using the move. “I want to say it was in 2016. This is the thing, people were doing the stunner – you know, you’d have the odd guy do the stunner in a random match as just something they were doing and that was it, nobody was using it as a trademark but I had seen guys use a stunner here and there but not to the extent that I felt it should be used.”

Owens continued to talk about how when he asked Austin about it, Austin was happy because Owens wanted to use the move as his finisher.

“I went to Steve and I asked him if I could use it and he was very happy that I asked him, you know me giving him the respect of it, but more than anything he was happy that somebody asked him because he’s like ‘you want to use it as your finisher?’ I’m like ‘yes.’ He’s like ‘God, it’s about time, I can’t believe nobody’s tried this yet.'”

Owens would continue to say it took a while for him to be allowed to use the move. He also mentioned sneaking it into a match with Roman Reigns before receiving permission from management to use the move. This part of the conversation between Owens and Graves can be viewed in the player below:

Corey Graves has issued an apology for a recent Tweet critical of Mauro Ranallo’s commentary work on the NXT Takeover: WarGames show. Graves kicks off this week’s episode of his podcast “WWE After the Bell” by addressing the controversy.

“Before we go any further, on a personal note, I need to address something,” Graves said on the show. “This past Saturday, during the TakeOver: War Games event, I sent out a Tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show.”

“It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things and it was never meant to offend, or disrespect or disparage anybody, that was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply, that was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody any undue stress, especially a co-worker, so I apologize.”

It has since been reported that Mauro Ranallo will not be back on NXT tonight from Full Sail University. Ranallo’s status for upcoming NXT shows is currently unknown.

• Mauro Ranallo Will Not Return For This Week’s NXT (Report)

Impact Wrestling traveled back to the early 1980s on AXS TV this week. The promotion took a break from building to the Hard to Kill PPV on January 12th to present a throwback old-school show.

It wasn’t even Impact Wrestling which presented this show, it was actually the Impact Provincial Wrestling Federation. Not only was there a throwback look and feel to the show, but the wrestlers all also adopted 80s themed gimmicks as well.

Here are 9 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 11/26:

Downtown Daddy Brown Sends Julian Cumberbun Out Of The Territory

• IPWF TV Championship
  Loser Leaves Town
  Downtown Daddy Brown defeated Julian Cumberbun (c) – New Champion

IPWF TV champion Julian Cumberbun was accompanied by Sonny Sanders, the tennis racket-wielding manager known for making controversial statements (and also seemed to bear a resemblance to Sami Callihan) for this match. Cumberbun would try every devious tactic in the book during this match, even attempting to flee the match by pretending to be a member of the crowd watching the show.

Despite the interference from Sanders and Cumberbun’s tactics, Brown was able to roll up his opponent to not only win the title but send his rival out of the territory. The babyfaces from IPWF would hoist Downtown Daddy Brown on their shoulders to end the show.

The Rough Riders Cut Promo, Win Big, Party At The Marriott

• The Rough Riders (Blanche Ardmore, Mildred Moore, Georgia Cobb & Lady Bird Johnston) defeated Ray Strack, Tim Burr, Jim Nasium & Bill Ding

These jet-flying, kiss-stealing, aviator-shade wearing badasses love to kick ass and party at the Marriott. Before their 8-person tag match this week, the Rough Riders cut a promo which likely made most viewers hope it’s not the last time they see this intimidating faction.

The Rough Riders did have some tough competition on this night. A foursome of wrestlers who somewhat resembled Josh Alexander and the Rascalz all seemed to have descriptive ring names. Lumberjack Tim Burr, Phys-Ed teacher Jim Nasium, construction worker Bill Ding, and racecar driver Ray Strack provided the opposition for the Rough Riders and all of them were amazingly committed to their gimmicks (some serious laugh out loud stuff). Tim Burr would even break out a move never before seen in this time period in an attempt to gain the advantage on the Riders:

Previously, only single ax handles had been seen in the sport. Despite Tim Burr’s offensive innovation, the Rough Riders would pick up the win before bringing the party back to the Marriott.

Blanche Ardmore (Tessa Blanchard) Invents The DDT

The Double Ax Handle wasn’t the only wrestling move invented during the 8-person tag match this week. Blanche Ardmore, who bears a striking resemblance to Tessa Blanchard, won the match by delivering a new move to Ray Strack.

Color commentator Sexton Hardcastle (Edge’s old independent wrestling name played by Don Callis) noted that the move, which involves the person being dropped on their head, was as dangerous as eating the pesticide DDT or something, and thus we learned how the move got its name.

Johnny Swinger Is Killing The Business

• Johnny Swinger defeated Buck Gunderson

One wrestler who didn’t adopt a new gimmick for this show was Johnny Swinger, who has been stuck in the 80s since debuting with Impact Wrestling. While normally on the show, Swinger is too old school for modern wrestling standards, in the early 80s, he was a flashy innovator whose approach to the business angered those who favored a more old-school approach.

Sexton Hardcastle spent the whole matching ripping Swinger for his new-school approach. When Impact travels back to the current time period, however, Swinger is going to have to deal with an angry Ken Shamrock.

The Evil Soviets Attack After Blindfold Match

• Cowboy Colt McCoy defeated Gama Singh

On a previous not-actually-existent episode of IPWF, Gama Singh burned Cowboy Colt McCoy (Eddie Edwards) with a fireball. As a result, IPWF management booked Singh vs McCoy in a blindfold match this week.

After McCoy would overcome Singh’s attempt to cheat during the match, he won with a neckbreaker. After the match, McCoy was cutting a promo for the working man when he was attacked by Sergei and Bruiser, the evil Soviet Russians.

Muscles McGhee Embarrasses The $300,000 Man

The $300,000 man has so much money that giving away $3000 to anyone who can slam Kongo Kong is mere chump-change to him even if its life-changing money to someone else.

When Kongo Kong attacked Mr. Atlantis, however, Muscles McGhee, the Canadian Strongman, made the save. Cage slammed Kongo Kong and celebrated with the Maple Leaf to end the segment.

Jazzy Fitbody Rejects Hitmaker Sebastian Baker

• Jazzy Fitbody defeated Agnus Beerheart

The popular babyface Jazzy Fitbody used all of her aerobic exercise routines to gain an advantage on her opponent this week. She defeated Agnus Beerheart with a splash from the second rope.

Hitmaker Sebastien Baker wanted Jazzy Fitbody to sign a contract with him after the match. She signed the contract but then quickly hit Baker low and ripped it up. Fitbody then Jazzercised her way to the back to end the segment.

DJ 2 Large Invades The Cock Pit With Captain Joystick and Miss Milehigh

We saw highlights of DJ 2 Large vs Captain Joystick from a previous episode of IPWF. Joystick seemed to have the advantage but DJ 2 Large then seemed to mount a comeback after putting his RUN DMC-styled hat on. After his hat was in place, 2 Large his a “Platinum Discus” lariat for the win.

Following this, DJ 2 Large appeared on an episode of Captain Joystick’s talk show segment, “the Cock Pit.”

Back To Modern Times Next Week

Impact Wrestling is back to modern times next week. Here is what has been booked for the show:

• Brian Cage vs Eddie Edwards
• ODB Returns
• Rob Van Dam speaks
• The Rascalz vs Ace Austin & Reno Scum

Impact Wrestling 11/26 Quick Results:

1. Rip Rayzor defeated Rapid Delivery Pete
2. The Hard Workers defeated Excessive Force
3. Johnny Swinger defeated Buck Gunderson
4. Jazzy Fitbody defeated Agnus Beerhart
5. The Rough Riders (Blanche Ardmore, Mildred Moore, Georgia Cobb & Lady Bird Johnston) def Ray Strack, Tim Burr, Jim Nasium & Bill Ding
6. DJ 2 Large defeated Captain Joystick (Last Week)
7. Blindfold Match
   Cowboy Colt McCoy defeated Gama Singh
8. IPWF TV Championship
   Loser Leaves Town
   Downtown Daddy Brown defeated Julian Cumberbun (c) – New Champion

The fallout from NXT TakeOver: WarGames III is here for the talent. Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of NXT. 

Now that Survivor Series and the interbrand battle between NXT and WWE’s two flagship shows are done, the focus on storylines and feuds in NXT can resume. 

WWE is stacking this show with two title matches due to them being in a war with AEW (All Elite Wrestling). NXT will also look to win two straight weeks in the ratings. 

NXT Staying At Full Sail University Through March 2020

The company is building up this show around NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) will be defending their titles against Keith Lee & Dominik Dijakovic

WWE holds this show in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

• Will Dakota Kai explain her shocking actions at TakeOver: WarGames?
• Is Tommaso Ciampa’s hunt for the NXT Championship back on?
• NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) will defend their titles against Keith Lee & Dominik Dijakovic
• Akira Tozawa will challenge for Lio Rush’s NXT Cruiserweight Championship

As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for NXT. 

Join us here later tonight for WWE NXT Live Results and our post-show NXT Takeaways feature.

NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano has shared a post on social media highlighting the influence he has taken from Alex Shelley. The message stated how, over the course of 13 years, Shelley has been instrumental in helping Gargano become the wrestler he is today. For him, Shelley’s fingerprints aren’t only present in his in-ring style, but his entire generations.

Gargano uploaded a photo with the post that showcased how long the two have known each other. The top is a blurry photo from years past, while the bottom photo sees the two wrestlers posing together in front of a WWE Performance Center banner.

“2006 to 2019 I can safely say that I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am today if it wasn’t for this guy.. Alex Shelley’s fingerprints are all over the style of my generation.. He’s inspired a large number guys you watch on TV every week. Great to see him at the @WWEPC last month!”

As noted in Gargano’s tweet, Shelley recently did a guest coaching stint at the WWE PC last month. When it comes to in-ring competition, Shelley wrestled for Ring of Honor earlier in the year. He competed against Matt Taven in a ROH World Championship match at ROH’s Summer Supercard event.

Former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins has once again brought up his interest in facing CM Punk.

During an interview with 103.5 KISS FM, Rollins addressed how the WWE Universe has been chanting for CM Punk during shows, ever since his surprise introduction on WWE Backstage.

“You know, I’ve been a little disheartened thus far but I know Chicago will be the exception,” Rollins stated. “I figured that after the last two weeks of what I’ve been saying on Twitter and what he’s been saying back to me that I’d get these chants you’ve mentioned. But they just haven’t happened and in Boston, not a peep.”

He continued, “I was very sad. I was very upset. People were so excited for him to be back. I guess not. I guess they still want to say, ‘Burn it Down.’… Let him know you want to see him on RAW. Let him know you want to see him in a ring. Let him know you don’t want to see him behind a desk hiding in Los Angeles.”

When asked if the two had ever competed in the past, Rollins confirmed they had. Despite this, he is aware they have both grown and evolved, noting a match between them now would be drastically different to the one from six years ago.

Whereas Punk teases the audience by saying “Never say never,” Rollins only wants to know one thing: “When?”

• Vince McMahon Furious Seth Rollins Mentioned CM Punk on RAW

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

This week’s special edition of AEW Dynamite takes place from Chicago’s Sears Center, site of the historic All In pay-per-view. It feels like we say this every week, but once again, we’re looking at an absolutely stacked card for this broadcast.

The following matches are confirmed for AEW Dynamite:

• AEW World Champion Chris Jericho will defend against Scorpio Sky, who is one half of AEW Tag Team Champions SoCal Uncensored.

• Kenny Omega will face PAC in a rematch from their war at AEW All Out.

• MJF battles Adam “Hangman” Page for the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring, which will be presented to the winner by Diamond Dallas Page.

• Cody Rhodes returns to action against an opponent TBA.

In to these matches, there will be a special Thanksgiving Thank You “Celebrashon” for Le Champion Chris Jericho. The Inner Circle leader has been demanding a ‘thank you’ for being the man solely responsible for AEW’s success.

Join us here Wednesday night for our AEW Dynamite Takeaways!

New WWE United States Champion Rey Mysterio has addressed his title victory from this past episode of Monday Night RAW. The win came following a combination of his 619 into an RKO, courtesy of Randy Orton. Mysterio followed up with a splash to AJ Styles, securing the one, two, three that crowned him the new champion.

Both Mysterio and Orton have since addressed Orton’s help in the match. Orton wrote the following on Twitter, “@reymysterio congrats on the #USTitle win. Also, you’re welcome. You owe me one briz.”

Mysterio would retweet a message from WWE that included the final moments of his RAW match. He admitted that he couldn’t take sole credit for his victory, telling Orton that he owed him one.

“After my adrenaline rush has gone down for the night, I have to admit I can’t take all the credit for tonight’s win on the [US Flag Emoji] Tittle. I have much respect for the #RKO!! @RandyOrton, I owe you one!! #Respect”

Mysterio participated in a Fatal 4 Way match earlier in the night to earn the right to compete against Styles. He defeated Randy Orton, Ricochet and Drew McIntyre for the opportunity. This match to determine a new number one contender came about after The OC attacked Styles’ original challenger, Humberto Carillo.

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has spent the last few years coaching at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. His role has also seen him positioned as an instrumental part of the black-and-gold brand, helping to train up and coming NXT talent into true Superstars.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Michaels reflected on his role within WWE, stating how his time in the ring has come to an end. For him, it’s all about cultivating the next generation of stars.

“I’d rather stay behind the scenes and let the stars of tomorrow take their rightful place,” Michaels said. “My time has come and gone. This is all about them. NXT is wrestling at its best. We’re going to continue on that track, and that’s showing people the best talent in WWE, which is in NXT.”

Some of NXT’s most notable names include Adam Cole, Shayna Baszler and Keith Lee. To Michaels, they all deliver in every match he has seen them in.

“They deliver every single time they’re out there,” said Michaels. “All three of them all embrace and adapt to big situations. I’ve never seen one of them not look cool, calm or collected when they go out into high impact, highly visible matches. There hasn’t been a time for any of them where the situation was too big or got the better of them, and that gives us a great deal of confidence moving forward. These are all big-time performers.”

He noted how, when he first accepted the role in 2016, he wasn’t sure about what the job might entail. Once he began interacting with the Superstars, however, the role simply got a hold of him. Their hunger to prove themselves helped reinvigorate his passion and desire to be involved in the pro wrestling industry.