Archive for December, 2019

WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results & Live Coverage (12/20)

The December 20th, 2019 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

– We open up with a video package looking at TLC, and the match between Bray Wyatt and The Miz, featuring Daniel Bryan.

– Michael Cole welcomes us to the Barclays Center, and then Daniel Bryan’s music hits and Bryan comes out to kick off tonight’s show. Bryan gets in the ring, and he’s got a mic. Bryan says it’s great to be back in Brooklyn. He says everyone is asking where he’s been, and he says he doesn’t know. He just remembers The Fiend ripping off his hair and beard, and when he came to and looked in the mirror, his “Daniel Bryan brand” was gone. Now he is himself, and the real him showed up at TLC and kicked Bray’s ass. Bryan says that Wyatt succeeded in changing him, but now he is going to change Wyatt too. Bryan wants to test Wyatt’s claim that he has trained himself not to feel pain, right here and now in the ring. The Miz comes out instead. The Miz says he needs the match with Wyatt first to defend his family. Baron Corbin comes out to interrupt next. Corbin makes fun of Wyatt messing with Miz, and says that Bryan looks like Baby Yoda now. Corbin says Bryan’s only “brand” is failure. Corbin says he isn’t a failure, because he’s done things like defeat Kurt Angle in his farewell match, win King Of The Ring, and beat up Roman Reigns at TLC. Corbin says their personal issues with The Fiend don’t matter, because Corbin is next in line for Wyatt’s Title belt. Corbin says Miz and Bryan have failed as WWE Superstars and as fathers. Miz and Bryan surround Corbin, but then Dolph Ziggler sneaks up and attacks them from behind. Corbin hits the End Of Days on Bryan.

– Back from the break, Cole and Corey Graves inform us that The Miz and Daniel Bryan have been booked in a tag match against Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin tonight.

– We see a bunch of Christmas stuff set up all over the ringside area and stage for tonight’s “Miracle On 24th Street Fight.”

– Heavy Machinery is backstage for an interview. Tucker and Otis say their loss last week was because Cesaro hurt Otis’ feeling by smashing his baked ham. Mandy Rose walks in and says she drew Otis in the WWE secret Santa. She says she saw what happened last week, so she gives Otis a baked ham. She kisses Otis on the cheek, then Heavy Machinery heads out for their match.

Heavy Machinery vs. The Revival: Otis puts his baked ham on the announce table at ringside before the match. This one is a no DQ “Miracle On 24th Street Fight.” The opening bell sounds and the two teams immediately start going at it. The Revival hit some kicks early on, but then Heavy Machinery drops them with back body drops. They clear the ring, still wearing Santa jackets. The Revival fights back at ringside and they turn it around. They give Tucker a facebuster into the announce table. The Revival grabs Christmas cookies from a table at ringside and smashes them in Otis’ face. They throw some of the fake Christmas gifts at Otis and Tucker, then they set up a table. The Revival looks for a double suplex into the table, but Otis breaks it up. Otis drops both Revival members, then he puts Wilder on the table. Otis gets on the apron, but Dawson blasts him with a fire extinguisher. The Revival gives Otis a powerbomb off the apron through the table at ringside. The Revival beats on Tucker for several moments now. Tucker fights back with a suplex on the ramp, but The Revival is able to keep him down. They throw Tucker over the announce table, and the baked ham goes down too. Otis gets back to his feet just in time to see Dawson pick up the ham and smash it on the ground. Otis hulks up and picks up Dawson by the throat. Wilder hits Otis with a giant candy cane, and Otis drops Dawson, then throws Wilder into a Christmas tree display. Back in the ring, Otis hits a back body drop and a t-bone suplex on Dawson. Otis goes out to ringside now, and he’s looking for something. Otis gets a black bag from under the ring, as if it were full of thumbtacks, but when Otis dumps it out it’s all a bunch of pieces of Lego. Otis picks up Dawson and slams him into the Lego, and the crowd pops big for this. Otis picks up both Dawson and Wilder now for an electric chair drop and fallaway slam combo. Otis then hits The Caterpillar on Dawson. Tucker gets back in the ring and they hit The Compactor on Dawson for the three count.

Winners: Heavy Machinery

– Tucker gives Otis his ham off the floor and they head to the back. Otis licks the ham.

– Dana Brooke is shown backstage warming up.

– Otis approaches Mandy backstage with the ham. He apologizes for the ham getting ruined, and says he shouldn’t have brought it out there. Mandy gives Otis a hug, but then realizes she is covered in sweat and her outfit is ruined, and she’s not happy.

– The Revival is back up in the ring now, and they complain about all the garbage around the ring, and they don’t mean the fans. They say this isn’t the kind of wrestling they represent, and they don’t represent the world of “sports entertainment.” Elias interrupts with his guitar on the stage. Elias sings a song telling The Revival to go away, and says his grandma saw a Revival match and now she’s on life support. Elias says if they want to be top guys, they need to make a big change like Caitlyn Jenner.

– We see Braun Strowman backstage in his locker room. Sami Zayn walks in and says he drew Braun’s name in the secret Santa, and he starts bugging Braun. Braun stands up, then Cesaro and Nakamura walk in. Sami says he just wants to get Braun a gift. Braun says he wants a shot at Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship. Sami says that’s a great idea, but Nakamura and Cesaro are already booked tonight, in a tag match with The New Day.

Sonya Deville vs. Carmella: The opening bell sounds and they trade strikes fairly evenly in the opening moments. Carmella takes control and hits a facebuster. Shortly after, she puts Sonya in the Code Of Silence. Sonya taps out after a short match.

Winner Carmella

– The New Day comes out while Carmella is on her way out and they dance on the stage.

Big E & Kofi Kingston vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura: Sami Zayn is at ringside. Kofi and Nakamura start off in this one. The opening bell sounds and Nakamura knocks Big E off the apron early on. Nakamura and Kofi trade strikes now and Kofi takes control. Cesaro tags in for the double team on Kofi for a two count. Cesaro and Nakamura control the match until Big E finally gets the tag and starts cleaning house. Big E hits some suplexes, then the running splash on Nakamura. Nakamura fights back with some strikes, but Big E shuts him down with a side suplex. Cesaro breaks up the pin attempt, then Kofi takes out Cesaro. Kofi hits a suicide dive on Cesaro at ringside now. Sami causes a distraction on the apron, and Nakamura hits several kicks on Big E. Nakamura dumps Big E out to ringside, and Cesaro hits a lariat on him. Nakamura hits a running knee on Big E on the apron now, then throws him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Nakamura and Cesaro take turns working over Big E, until Kofi finally gets the hot tag. Kofi cleans house and dumps both opponents out to ringside, then hits a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Kofi hits a flying crossbody on Cesaro for a two count. Meanwhile, Nakamura drops Big E at ringside. Back in the ring, Cesaro drops Kofi and gives him The Swing, then a double stomp for a two count. Kofi starts fighting back and they scramble on the mat. Kofi rolls up Cesaro for the three count out of nowhere.

Winners: The New Day

– After the match, Cesaro, Nakamura and Sami beat down The New Day. Braun Strowman comes out for the save to beat down Nakamura, Cesaro and Sami. Sami ends up pulling Nakamura down from Braun’s shoulders to save him from a running powerslam, and they retreat from ringside.

– The Miz approaches Daniel Bryan in his dressing room and they briefly exchange words about their Tag match tonight.

Dana Brooke vs. Bayley: Sasha Banks is at ringside for this non-Title match. Bayley starts off strong, but Dana finally fights back and connects with a kick. Bayley grabs the hair to throw Dana down. Bayley hits a running knee strike, then stomps a mud hole in Dana in the corner. Bayley misses a shot and Brooke drops her, then goes up top and hits a swanton bomb for a two count. Dana hits a clothesline, then throws Bayley in the corner. Dana hits a handspring elbow in the corner, then a running shoulder tackle for a two count. Dana misses a shot and Bayley drops her into the turnbuckle. Bayley follows up with a facebuster for the three count.

Winner: Bayley

– After the match, Bayley and Sasha yell at Dana Brooke until Lacey Evans comes out. Sasha and Bayley retreat, then Lacey gets on the mic and asks where they’re going and she calls out Sasha for a match.

– New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia is shown sitting at ringside.

Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks: This match was made official over the commercial break. Dana and Bayley are at ringside. Sasha starts off strong and keeps Lacey grounded after a running knee strike. Lacey fights back with a big boot and a some knee strikes. They fight out to ringside now, and Bayley causes a distraction leading to Sasha dropping Lacey. Sasha attacks Lacey in front of her family sitting in the front row. The ref calls for the bell due to count out. Sasha and Lacey’s young daughter exchange words. Lacey fires up and beats down Sasha and Bayley until Dana and the referee pull her off of them.

Winner: Double count-out

– The Miz and Daniel Bryan are shown (separately) backstage heading towards the Gorilla position for their tag match.

The Miz & Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler & Baron Corbin: Miz and Bryan argue among each other early on, but they’re able to control the opening moments of this one. Bryan and Miz hit the “yes kicks” in tandem on both opponents. Bryan controls the next several moments, until he misses a shot and Corbin answers with the Deep Six out of nowhere. Corbin and Ziggler trade tags now and keep Bryan grounded. Bryan finally fights back with a big dropkick on Corbin, then Miz and Ziggler get the tags. Miz launches Ziggler into the corner then lays into him with kicks. Corbin runs in and Miz drops him, then he gives Ziggler a DDT. Miz pins, but Corbin breaks it up. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Corbin, but then Ziggler runs over and hits a tornado DDT on Miz. Ziggler misses a superkick, then Miz applies the Figure Four leg lock. Corbin tries to break it up, but Bryan intercepts him with a running knee to the face. Ziggler taps out to the Figure Four for the finish.

Winners: Daniel Bryan & The Miz

– Cole announces a triple threat match between The Miz, Daniel Bryan and Baron Corbin next week to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Title. After the match, the lights start going out and we hear Wyatt laughing over the speakers. SmackDown goes off the air with Bryan and Miz looking around for Wyatt.

AEW Revolution Sells Out In Less Than An Hour

AEW Revolution tickets are gone as the promotion sold out the show within an hour. 

All Elite Wrestling released tickets on Friday (December 20, 2019) at noon ET (11am CT/9am PT) at www.AEWTIX.com, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets started at $20 and ranged up to $150 face value.

AEW Revolution Sells Out

The promotion announced the news in a post on their official Twitter account. With such a demand, production seats will likely be made available so there is still a chance for some fans to get tickets.

“#AEWRevolution is SOLD OUT! You did it! You actually did! In less than an hour – #AEWRevolution is sold out! However! – keeping checking http://AEWTIX.COM between now and show date as we will try to open up seats once production’s set up is finalized!”

AEW Revolution will air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and is available for purchase via iN DEMAND cable operators, DirecTV, DISH Network and B/R Live. International fans can purchase the event at FITE.TV. The show takes place in Chicago, IL from the Sears Center.

This will mark the fourth PPV event in the history of the promotion and the first PPV of the new year. AEW officials have confirmed that they plan to hold PPV events in each quarter of the year. 

Promotion

AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, AEW World Tag Team Champions SCU, AEW Women’s World Champion Riho, Jon Moxley, Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Nyla Rose and Britt Baker are all scheduled to appear.

On AEW’s weekly television show, the promotion has been building up two programs that is believed to be planned for the Revolution pay-per-view event.

In the likely main event, Jon Moxley will likely challenge Chris Jericho for the AEW World Heavyweight Title. The other match is Cody Rhodes vs. MJF. 

Statistical Analysis: Finn Balor vs Adam Cole (WWE NXT – 12/18/19)

The final episode of NXT of 2019 opened with a huge match up seeing Finn Balor challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship. Balor had promised to make ‘his future his past’ and aimed to become the third two time NXT Champion. Whereas Adam Cole did not want to be the first member of Undisputed Era to no longer be draped in gold.

Finn Balor vs Adam Cole: The Match

The opening bout of NXT went just over 15 minutes, clocking in at 15:16. These 15+ minutes saw fast paced action amounting to 105 offensive manoeuvres being executed by the two competitors. This balances out at an average of 6.9 manoeuvres per minute.

The competitors often exchanged reversals or strikes jostling to get the better of each other. This meant that the match saw a total of 47 tide changes, a swift 3.1 per minute average.

Balor vs Cole: The Competitors

This was a highly contested match. The competitors were only separated by 6% in terms of total offence with Cole utilising more offence than Balor. This was mainly down to his submission time as Balor led in terms of strikes, grapples and dives.

Balor also has a superior strikedown rate emphasising the impact of his strikes and a better reversal rate proving he had done his homework.

Despite the stature of his opponent Cole still appeared the more confident of the two and showed a willingness to taunt his adversary. Additionally he wasn’t scared to bend the rules and this would prove decisive.

Interestingly, Balor was able to kick out of Cole’s Last Shot even as the match neared it’s end. Perhaps this is what prompted Balor to go for the 1916 after the Coupe De Grace. This may have been costly…

Balor vs Cole: The Margins of Victory

When we examine the flow of the offence that was dished out in this match we can see the extent to which Adam Cole’s grinding submission slowed down Finn Balor early on and gave Cole a way into the match.

We can also see how closely matched the two men were. If was rare that an offensive flurry from one man wasn’t immediately followed up by a matching offensive flurry from his opponent.

When we break the match into five minute chunks we see the full extent of the onslaught Adam Cole had to withstand to be in a position to hit that second Last Shot.

in the last third of the match Balor took control with his striking ability, achieving a series of Strikedowns and looked on course to pick up the with. However Adam Cole’s resilience kept him in the match long enough that he was able to pick up an under-handed victory when the opportunity arose.

WWE SmackDown Preview: Two Matches, TLC Fallout

With just hours until bell time, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown with a preview.

The TLC pay-per-view event is in the rearview heading into a new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.Three things have been announced for the show including two matches.

Matches

Most notably, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro in a non-title match as well as Dana Brooke vs. Bayley in a non-title match. 

Brooke and Bayley will have a rematch as Bayley beat Brooke in a singles match on last week’s episode of SmackDown.

On the flip side, The New Day is fresh off a successful title defense over The Revival in a Ladder Match at this past Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view event in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center

SmackDown Preview

WWE holds this show Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

  • The New Day vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
  • What’s next for Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt?
  • Dana Brooke vs. Bayley

WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. 

As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for SmackDown. It will be interesting to see where WWE goes from here with The Miz after he lost to Bray Wyatt in a non-title match at the TLC PPV show that served as a bridge for the Wyatt-Bryan feud that has started again.

Unlike Monday Night RAW next week, WWE will return to the air with next Friday’s episode of SmackDown with a new live show as it falls after Christmas. 

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

The Revival Reportedly Set To Be A Comedy Team

Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson might be set to become more of a comedy duo than a serious tag-team. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plans are in place to have the Revival become a spoof of a famous 80s tag-team, with Wilder’s tripping during his entrance recently being part of this direction.

“The booking plan on Smackdown is to turn The Revival into comedy characters,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “There are mixed feelings on this for obvious reasons and it still may get shot down, but the deal where Wilder tripped and fell during the ring entrance was supposed to be the start of it.”

The report continues to state that the comedy routine would be a spoof on the Fabulous Ones.

The Revival’s WWE Contract Situation

Earlier this year, the Revival reportedly turned down 5-year contracts with WWE. It had also been reported back in January that they had requested their releases from the company. Their contracts with the company are believed to be up in the next few months, likely around WrestleMania.

It had also been reported recently that Randy Orton pitched ideas to management about a faction involving him and the tag team.

Cody Rhodes Discusses AEW Long-Term Booking & Creative Process

Cody Rhodes is both an active performer in AEW and a company Executive Vice President. During a recent interview with Talk Sport, Cody discussed managing those two roles, as well as AEW’s creative process.

“I think that’s one of the beautiful things about being a pro wrestler who’s running a wrestling company is, we know the struggle, the journey,” Cody said. “It’s like OK, when do I literally throw my tights on and lace or zip my boots up? When do I smell blood in the water and start circulating as a performer and a competitor?”

Cody’s father, Dusty Rhodes, also spent years working as both an active performer and as a booker.

“I’ve been lucky to know what to do in that regard because I knew what my father did,” Cody continued. “But also, I got to see what people in WWE did who were on both sides of the coin, too.”

Cody Rhodes on AEW’s Creative Process

Tony Khan has the final say on AEW booking decisions. Cody also discussed what it’s been like working with him so far and AEW’s approach to long-term booking.

“Tony is the final verdict on everything. He doesn’t have to be though, because so much of what we’re doing we’ve planned eight months to a year out. A lot of it, we can just execute what we’ve got planned. He has the final say, he’s the owner. He’s the founder, it’s his money. But one of the most just amazing things about Tony is that he is a deeply, deeply connected fan.”

The full interview with Cody Rhodes from Talk Sport can be read here.

Update On Cain Velasquez’s Next WWE Appearance

Cain Velasquez last competed for WWE on a house show from Mexico City on November 30th, 2019. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Velasquez is expected back in WWE by the Royal Rumble.

“Cain Velasquez’s next booking is for the Royal Rumble show,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Velasquez’s last appearance on WWE programming was at the Crown Jewel PPV in Saudi Arabia. He challenged WWE Champion Brock Lesnar unsuccessfully on the show.

Cain Velasquez Discusses His Pro-Wrestling Future

Ahead of his WWE title match with Brock Lesnar, Velasquez and Rey Mysterio sat down with the New York Post. During the conversation, Velasquez commented on his potential future in pro-wrestling.

“I think in the future for me when I get a little more comfortable with this is to incorporate everything, everything that you can do in combat sports, the MMA, the WWE style of wrestling and also adding the lucha in there as well,” Velasquez said during the interview.

“For those who don’t know who he is, they will soon find out who he is because what he brought into the octagon every time he stepped in there is gonna be 10 times better when he gets in a WWE ring and faces Brock Lesnar for the first time,” Mysterio said of Cain.

Update On Ric Flair’s WWE Contract & Pending Free Agency

Ric Flair’s contract with WWE is reportedly set to expire in the coming days. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Flair’s WWE deal expires around the end of the year.

“Flair’s WWE deal expires right around the end of the year,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “He is friends with Tony Khan, to the degree that Khan was an invited guest to his wedding.”

The 70-year-old Flair has been with WWE since he left TNA Wrestling in 2012.

“I would expect WWE to make a good offer to keep him given they wouldn’t want him on the AEW television show,” Meltzer continued.

Ric Flair and WWE “The Man” Trademark Conflict

Back in September, Flair went public stating WWE needed to pay him to use “the Man” in reference to Becky Lynch’s character. He spoke to TMZ about the situation.

“I’m glad I’m having this opportunity to clear the air,” Flair says in the video. “When I first saw this go down in August of 2018, I thought ‘cool, the Man’ my gimmick versus my daughter, Charlotte. Ok, they started right after SummerSlam, I thought ‘cool’. I said ‘I’m going to make some money, it’s my trademark, they have it to use.’”

“I got my royalty statement, I sent them a text and their lawyer, who just has no respect for me whatsoever which is something I’m not going to deal with much longer, he said ‘you’re wrong, not even close,’” Flair continued. 

Justin Credible Compares AEW To ECW

Justin Credible recently took part in an interview with Chris Van Vliet and discussed comparisons between AEW and ECW. Credible is a former ECW World Champion and noted some similarities and differences between the two companies.

“They have that rebellious attitude,” Credible said of AEW. “There is a spirit to AEW, it’s catching on especially with millennials with that 18-48 demographic that’s so important. I do see some similarities.”

Credible then pointed out one difference he sees between the two promotions:

“The one thing that they don’t have, I’m not being critical, we had Paul Heyman and Paul was just a crazy, insane visionary and he just threw a bunch of s**t against he wall and whatever stuck stuck. I just think that they are finding their footing, their groove but yeah there are a lot of things that are very similar and they have a huge opportunity.”

Justin Credible Interview Highlights

Also during the interview, Credible hinted that he has some new opportunities in wrestling possibly developing.

“There’s a couple of things out there, I don’t want to get too specific, but in the wrestling universe that I’m looking at.”

Credible also spoken openly about his battles with drug and alcohol addiction during the interview.

“I was an opioid addict, heroin addict, I haven’t done that since 2011 but I have a problem with alcohol. Am I perfect? No. Do I drink every day? No. I’m trying, I’m working hard and it’s not very easy all the time.”

The full interview with Justin Credible can be viewed in the player below:

Stephanie McMahon On If WWE Can Move Away From PG Rating

Stephanie McMahon says WWE is still committed to presenting a family-friendly “PG” product, despite some recent edgy storylines

AEW has chosen to go with a TV-14 rating. Their rise has once again fueled the debate about whether or not WWE will break from their PG approach. During a recent interview with SportsKeeda, McMahon set the record straight.

WWE’s Chief Brand Officer was talking about the recent storyline between Lana and Rusev and she claimed that the company will remain PG, though there is room to push the envelope in some cases.

“Well, we’re still going to be PG, family friendly, but there is room to push the envelope in some cases,” she said. “In terms of the Lana-Bobby Lashley storyline, WWE is like a variety show. It is, at the end of the day, competition-based, but especially on RAW and SmackDown, you have more of those soap operatic storylines, and that’s why it’s been showcased on RAW.”

McMahon was also asked about NXT’s evolution into its own brand and which stars from the Black and Yellow brand she thinks can become the face of WWE in future. She named Keith Lee, Adam Cole and Rhea Ripley and also touted the stars from WWE’s NXT UK brand as well.

Visit Sportskeeda to check out their full interview with Stephanie McMahon.

Cody Rhodes On If They Pay Attention To NXT Programming

The beginning of Wednesday Night Wars has been one of the most significant events of 2019 and it has signalled the start of some of the most exciting times in pro wrestling business in the last few years.

During a recent interview with Talk Sport, Cody Rhodes talked about this in detail and gave his thoughts on things like Luke Harper’s WWE release, Marty Scurll’s future and more.

When asked about NXT and if they pay attention to what their competition is doing, the AEW official said that they are aware of the happenings of the show but they make sure they don’t have it on their monitors in the gorilla position at Dynamite:

“We’re aware [of what NXT do] more because we have friends in both locker rooms. We diligently make sure that we don’t have it on the monitor in go-position because, again, we’ve got to be more aware of the audience that’s watching on TNT. “

Cody Rhodes went on to mention how his dad Dusty Rhodes helped NXT in becoming its own brand and said that he has nothing but respect for what they are doing.

Cody Rhodes On The Ratings War Between Dynamite And NXT

One of the most talked-about aspects of this war is the TV ratings. Fans have actively been keeping an eye on the viewership numbers and comparing them with each other ever since both the shows premiered on TV.

Sharing his thoughts on the matter, the AEW Vice President said that the ratings almost matter more to the respective brands individually and it’s more of the fans who put them in contrast to each other:

“Obviously the ratings… they almost matter more to the respective brands individually. Warner Media and TNT, they’re looking at the ratings and the demographic, that P1 demo and how you’re doing there and then I’m assuming USA are doing the same for NXT, it’s more of the fans that put them in contrast to each other. “

Cody Rhodes continued by explaining how looking at the data reveals that there is not nearly as much cross over between the shows as you would think and both the shows have dedicated fan base.

Apart from this, Cody also talked about AEW coming to UK in 2020, the Money In The Bank match he was a part of in 2013 and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

The Street Profits Sign Contract Extension With WWE

WWE has announced that former NXT Tag Team Champions the Street Profits have agreed to multi-year contract extensions with the company.

This news was first announced on the latest episode of WWE Backstage and WWE has since released an official statement regarding it on their website as well.

Though the dynamic duo is not the only one to have signed a contract extension with the company in recent times and a number of stars have made similar announcements including the former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston.

Kingston had announced that he signed a new 5 years contract on the Feel The Power podcast and since then WWE has confirmed that all three members of the New Day have signed matching extensions.

With this announcement, all 5 of these talents join the list of stars who have signed contract extensions recently, including the likes of Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, The Miz, Paige, Lana and Nikki Cross.

The Street Profits, consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford first made their NXT debut in March 2016 but they didn’t adopt their current gimmicks until their return to NXT programming in August 2017.

They started appearing on Raw in backstage segments in July this year and the duo was officially drafted to the Red Brand during the drafts in October.

The New Day Signs Matching Contract Extension With WWE

Kofi Kingston had recently confirmed on Feel The Power podcast that he signed a new contract extension with WWE and now the company has announced that all three members of the New Day have done the same.

The promotion announced on their website that the trio of Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E have all agreed to ‘matching multi-year’ contract extensions:

“Kofi Kingston, Big E & Xavier Woods solidified a pact of identical length and compensation on their contracts to maintain equal status among the team.”

While the release did not confirm the length of their new deals, Kingston had said that he has signed a new 5 years long contract with the company.

So contracts of matching length will mean that all three members of New Day will be staying with the company at least until 2024.

Out of these three, Xavier Woods is recovering from an Achilles injury. There is no solid timetable for his return but it’s said that Woods can stay out of action for 6 months to a year depending on his recovery process.

On the other hand, both Kofi Kingston and Big E are currently holding the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and they are announced for a match against Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

Killer Kross Announced For MLW Debut Following Impact Release

Killer Kross was released from Impact Wrestling just yesterday and now his first appearance outside of the company has been announced in form of an MLW show.

The company took on their Twitter today and announced that Kross will be making his MLW debut during the Fightland event on February 1, 2020 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1207835272647467008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Killer Kross has made appearances for promotions such as Lucha Underground and AAA so far in his career but he is primarily known for his stint with Impact Wrestling.

He made his debut for the company in June 2018. The promotion had pushed him as one of their top stars since then and he had challenged for the Impact World title a couple of times.

Killer Kross, however, asked for his release from the company in May earlier this year and it was said that the heavyweight star was unhappy with his current pay and the creative direction of his character.

At the time, Impact Officials decided against giving him a release and the two sides continued negotiating a new deal as the expiry date for his original contract in December came close.

Impact had the option to roll his contract over for another year but the officials decided not to do so and earlier this week, they released a short statement confirming his release.

AEW Dynamite & NXT TV Viewership (12/18)

Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.

This week, NXT won in total viewers. It was close in every demographic group except Adults 50+, where NXT had a significant edge as they usually do.

Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

WWE NXT Viewership

NXT on the USA Network averaged 795,000 viewers, which is up from 778,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.27, up from 0.24 the previous week. 

The episode featured NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor in the opening match, Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain, Cameron Grimes vs. Kushida, Pete Dunne vs. Travis Banks, and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Rhea Ripley in the headliner. 

AEW Dynamite Viewership

AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 683,000 viewers, down from 778,000 the previous week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.25, down from 0.28. 

Dynamite saw Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs. The Lucha Bros, Chris Jericho vs. Jungle Boy, #1 Contender’s Match for Women’s Title between Kris Statlander and Britt Baker, Cody and Darby Allin vs. The Butcher and the Blade as well as SCU defending the AEW Tag Team Titles against The Young Bucks in the main event. 

This week’s episode of AEW and NXT marked the final head-to-head battle in viewership. NXT will air an episode next week, which falls on Christimas.

WWE has only announced two matches for the show on the USA Network. Lio Rush and Keith Lee will team up to face Damian Priest and WWE 205 Live Superstar Tony Nese as well as an Open Challenge from NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong.

On the flip side, AEW won’t air an episode on TNT due to the holiday.

Chris Jericho Compares Darby Allin To WWE Star

Chris Jericho has made an interesting comparison between AEW’s Darby Allin and WWE’s Jeff Hardy. 

The AEW World Heavyweight Champion did so during a recent appearance on the Keepin’ It 100 podcast where he spoke about a wide range of topics. 

Chris Jericho Compares Stars

Jericho, who is seen as a locker room leader for All Elite Wrestling due to his experience in the business, has picked up on the fan following that Allin has received. 

Jericho sees Allin like a younger version of Hardy due to him taking high-risk moves and also wearing facepaint during his matches. Jericho pointed out how people are starting to dress like Allin. 

“At first, you’re like, ‘who is this guy?’ Then I had him come down and attack me off the skateboard. Then we had the match where he had his hands tied behind his back and all that stuff. He did the crazy promo where he’s in a bodybag, getting crowd surfed at a punk rock show.”

Chris Jericho continued, “Then he has an amazing match with Moxley. He’s made. He went from nothing to a legit made star in less than two months. He wants it. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Hardy. He’s got an x-factor to him.”

Darby Allin’s History

Since the launch of AEW, Allin has put together some good matches with Cody Rhodes, Jon Moxley, and even Chris Jericho. 

Over the past few weeks, AEW has paired Allin with Rhodes on television. After this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite that saw them be tag team partners, they will now square off in a singles match. 

Allin will battle Rhodes on AEW Dynamite on January 1st from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL on TNT. This will mark the first episode of AEW’s weekly television show of the new year.

H/t Fightful for transcript

Roderick Strong Talks Undisputed Era and Teases ‘Getting More Gold’

WWE recently released the latest episode of the After The Bell podcast with host Corey Graves. During the show Graves interviewed current NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong. The pair discussed Strong’s career in WWE and his alignment with the Undisputed Era stable.

“It couldn’t be more perfect” – Roderick Strong

When asked about how he fits in the UE Roderick Strong stated “It couldn’t be more perfect. I mean it, I just love the fact that we we work so well together, we finish each other’s sentences. We’re always kind on the same vibe when it comes to what we’re trying to accomplish be it in a match, a promo segment or anything.”

“we’re actually killing it so let’s pat ourselves on the back a little bit”

Roderick Strong elaborated further, saying “it’s nice to just sit there and reflect sometimes about all the all the things we did prior to coming here. And then all the things we’re doing now and how we’re giving each other the opportunity to to just FEEL what we’re doing sometimes. You know it’s another surreal like situation where we talk sometimes. Like is this is really happening?”

“And we’re actually killing it so let’s pat ourselves on the back a little bit, but then let’s get to work. And now it’s just nice to have people that always push you. Sometimes it is what it is and maybe you’re having a rough day, but then you know when you see those guys there’s an accountability there too to be the performer you need to be on that day. You know to have three my best buds it couldn’t be better, honestly.”

“I think we capture more gold” – Roderick Strong on Undisputed Era in 2020

Graves also asked Strong what he envisioned seeing the Undisputed Era doing heading into 2020. Strong responded by saying “I think we capture more gold.” Corey was then quick to mention that this would mean the group leaving NXT (as they already hold all of the gold on the brand). Strong responded to this by saying “we [are going] to do whatever we want. What about 2020 we will set the rules and want to show up and do whatever we want whenever we want?”

You can check out the latest episode of After The Bell here.

Corey Graves Says That WWE Is “Rematched To Death”

WWE commentator and ‘After The Bell’ podcast host Corey Graves recently made some interesting comments with regards to rematches on WWE television.

“Rematched To Death”

In the opening segment of this week’s show Graves stated that “as far as the WWE landscape is concerned I am re matched to death, I tell you. What I mean it seems like week after week after week on RAW and SmackDown we see rematches ad nauseam.” Graves then elaborated further, saying that it isn’t the quality of performer in WWE that he has an issue with: “don’t get me wrong I’m not tired of seeing any of these superstars. But I am tired of seeing the same matches over and over and over again.”

“how many times in the past few months have we seen that match?” – Corey Graves

“Just off the top of my head we’ve seen the Viking Raiders, who I’m a huge fan of. And the OC, who I’m also a huge fan of. How many times in the past few months have we seen that match?” Corey Graves stated. “We saw it again at TLC. I went on Twitter two weeks ago to praise Humberto Carrillo vs Andrade because it was awesome. I am all for seeing more of it but that doesn’t mean in successive weeks. We saw it again on the TLC kickoff show. Yes it was awesome again and it appears after what went down on Monday Night RAW this week we’re going to see it AGAIN. Give me a little space I mean why do we need rematches all the time? Why can’t somebody just win and somebody just lose and move on?”

“We have so many superstars waiting to break out” – Corey Graves

Corey Graves also mentioned how the WWE roster is stacked and the potential for fresh match ups is at an all time high. “We have got a lot of talent on all of our rosters. We have so many superstars waiting to break out, waiting to shine and sometimes that can happen with different opponents.”

Corey Graves also mentioned the ‘automatic’ title rematches that have plagued WWE over the past couple of years. “We got rid of the automatic title rematches last year sometime. I get that you don’t necessarily need to headline to pay per views with the same match up. But why does not apply to the rest of the main roster shows?”

You can check out the latest episode of After The Bell here.

WWE Backstage Viewership Dips Below 100K Viewers

This week’s episode of WWE Backstage created a new record for low viewership and the show’s viewership numbers dropped below 100,000 for the first time since its premiere episode in November.

The show featured former Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon, and William Shatner as special guests but it only drew 95,000 viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily.

This is a 24% decline from last week’s episode of the show which featured the return of special analyst CM Punk and had drawn 127,000 viewers.

The episode featuring Punk had ranked #128 on the Cable Top 150 and drew 0.06 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This week’s episode, however, did not make it into the Top 150 and it pulled a 0.05 rating in the key demographic.

This is the second-lowest viewership for WWE Backstage since the official premiere of the WWE series back on November 5 which had drawn 49,000 viewers.

In comparison, the episode of Monday Night Raw the night before also saw a decline in viewership and the show only brought in 2.053 million viewers, down from 2.150 million viewers of the previous week.

Now it would be interesting to see if WWE takes any steps to improve the ratings of the show and if they bring in any special star next week to give the numbers a boost.

Stone Cold Steve Austin On Who He Thinks Will Be WWE’s Next Big Star

Former NXT Champion Andrade has been impressing a lot of people with his performance in recent times and it appears that Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of them.

The Texas Rattlesnake recently had an interview with Sports Illustrate while promoting his new Broken Skull Sessions podcast on WWE Network.

During the interview, Austin was asked who he thinks will be the next big star in WWE. Replying to it, the former World Champion said that right now, the right people are at the top and he then went on to praise the former NXT star:

“Right now, the people that are on top are the people that should be on top, but I called this two years ago watching his match when he did the favors for somebody that night, and I said, ‘Man, this Andrade kid is going to be a player one of these days.’

I think he’s proving that. He still has a ways to go, but it’s just tweaking that character,” Austin said of Andrade. “The kid’s a hell of a damn worker.”

Stone Cold then went on to explain what it takes to become a star in WWE saying that the people who have tremendous success either have a gimmick very close to their own self or it’s so far away that it cannot be missed.

Apart from this, Stone Cold Steve Austin also explained that wrestling is about establishing a relationship with the audience and it’s about how you make them feel. You can check out his full interview at this link.

5 Takeaways From AEW Dynamite (12/18)

AEW Dynamite aired live from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was the final episode of Dynamite in 2019. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

PAC Played Mind Games With Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega and Hangman Page battled the Lucha Brothers tonight on Dynamite. Omega and Hangman started off in control as the crowd chanted “cowboy sh*t!”. Page and Pentagon traded chops and then Omega hopped in the ring. Kenny and Hangman leveled the Lucha Brothers with a series of chops and then Omega tagged in.

Omega flipped onto Lucha Brothers outside the ring and took a jog up the entrance ramp as the crowd chanted “AEW!”. Hangman Page tagged in and Pentagon sent him to the apron. Fenix grabbed Page’s legs and Pentagon leveled him with a Superkick. Fenix hit Page with a Double Stomp and then Pentagon went for the cover but Omega broke it up.

Fenix took out Hangman ringside and followed it up with a Suicide Dive onto Omega outside the ring. Back in the ring, Fenix caught Kenny with a kick to the face but Omega shrugged it off and connected with a Powerbomb. Omega followed it up with a running knee to the face and both men fell to the canvas.

Pentagon ran into the ring and shoved Hangman off the apron and into the barricade. Fenix distracted referee Aubrey Edwards and Pentagon hit Omega with a cheap shot. Hangman tagged in and hit Fenix with a Fallaway Slam and followed it up with a Crossbody onto Pentagaon.

Hangman knocked Fenix to the outside and hit a Suicide Dive as another “cowboy sh*t!. Back in the ring, Page set up the Lucha Brothers in opposite corners and hit them with a couple of Splashes. Lucha Brothers took back control and isolated Hangman in the ring.

Page battled back and planted Pentagon with a Fallaway Slam off the second rope. Omega joined the party and Powerbombed Fenix onto Pentagaon in the corner. Omega hit Pentagon with a Spinebuster for a near fall. Pentagon battled back with a Slingblade but turned around into an elbow from Page.

Kenny planted Fenix with a Snap Dragon Suplex and hit Pentagon with a knee to the face. Omega held up Pentagon and Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Pentagon ducked and Page leveled Omega. Lucha Brothers then knocked Page to the outside and hit Omega with a Piledriver/Double Stomp for the pinfall victory.

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After the match, Hangman got back into the ring and started arguing. Kenny and Hangman started shoving each other when PAC appeared on the screen. PAC stated that it was time to remind Kenny exactly what he is capable of. PAC entered Michael Nakazawa’s (Kenny’s best friend) dressing room and Omega sprinted backstage as Dynamite went to a commercial break. During the break, the Lucha Brothers attacked Omega backstage until Hangman made the save. Hangman and Omega then went to Nakazawa’s dressing as Darby Allin was shown skateboarding.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207471636779282433?s=20

Darby Allin Earned His Rematch With Cody

The Butcher and The Blade (accompanied by The Bunny) battled Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin this week. Allin hit Butcher off the apron with a Dropkick and followed it up with an Arm Drag that sent Blade out of the ring.

Butcher and Cody tagged in and Bunny hopped on the apron for a distraction. Blade knocked Cody to the outside, tagged in, and rolled him back in. Butcher tagged in and hit a Leg Drop for a near fall as Dynamite went to a break.

Butcher hit Cody with a Fallaway Slam and Rhodes rolled out of the ring. The Bunny shoved Cody into the ring post as the referee was distracted. Back in the ring, Butcher applied an Arm Bar to Cody in the middle of the ring as Allin fired the crowd up.

Blade tagged in as the crowd chanted “we want Darby!”. Both Blade and Cody went for a Crossbody and both men crashed to the canvas. Allin and Butcher tagged in and Darby didn’t see it. Butcher capitalized with a massive Backbreaker and knocked Cody off the apron. Butcher locked in a Cloverleaf as Cody launched Blade into the steel steps.

Darby escaped and hit Butcher with a Stunner. Cody tagged back in and hit Cross Rhodes but Bunny hopped back up on the ring apron for another distraction. Blade tagged in and Cody sent him out of the ring. Cody and Allin hit dueling Suicide Dives onto Butcher and Blade outside the ring.

Cody brought Blade back in the ring and hit Butcher with a Disaster Kick on the apron. Allin hit the Coffin Drop on Butcher as Cody hit Blade with a Cutter for the pinfall victory. With the win, Darby Allin earned a rematch with Cody. Cody and Allin faced each other at Fyter Fest and the match ended in a draw.

This week’s episode of Dynamite started off with two solid tag matches. Omega, Page, and Lucha Brothers had a terrific match that lasted over twenty minutes. I’m looking forward to seeing the rematch between Darby and Cody.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207476517690843138?s=20

Jericho Couldn’t Put Jungle Boy Away

AEW Champion Chris Jericho faced Jungle Boy in a 10-minute challenge tonight on Dynamite. Jungle Boy’s family was in the front row for the match and Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt were ringside.

Jungle Boy rolled up Jericho for a one count and followed it up with a Dropkick. Jungle Boy hit Jericho with an Arm Drag and rolled up Chris for a two count. Jericho took control and hit Jungle Boy with a couple chops in the corner.

Jericho hit Jungle Boy with a Codebreaker and decided not to cover him. Jericho threw Jungle Boy to the outside and Jake Hager slammed him into the barricade. Luchasaurus and Jake started trading punches and Marko leaped off the apron but Hager knocked him out with a punch.

Aubrey Edwards kicked out Jurassic Express and Hager from ringside. Jungle Boy went for another roll-up but Le Champion kicked out at two. Jungle Boy hit Jericho with two Suicide Dives and flipped onto Jericho outside the ring. Back in the ring, Jungle Boy connected with a DDT for a near fall.

Jungle Boy connected with a Backstabber for another two count. Jericho went for the Lionsault but Jungle Boy got out of his way and hit a Lionsault of his own for a two count. Jericho leveled Jungle Boy with a Clothesline with three minutes remaining. Jericho hit a Powerbomb and locked in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring with a minute remaining. Jericho kept the hold applied the entire time but Jungle Boy didn’t tap out.

Jericho flipped out and demanded that the match go on for five more minutes. Jungle Boy hit a Hurricanrana for a near fall and Jericho rolled out of the ring. Jericho left the ring and grabbed the AEW Championship. Jericho raised the title and then went backstage.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207483587861385217?s=20

Tony Schiavone interviewed Jericho on the entrance ramp and brought Jericho saying that Jungle Boy couldn’t last ten minutes with him. Jericho shouted that he said Jungle Boy couldn’t beat him. Jericho stated that they have a giant surprise on the January 1st episode of Dynamite if he decides to join Inner Circle.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207485019150848003?s=20

I thought this was a great way to build Jungle Boy up. He lasted a full minute in the Walls of Jericho and didn’t give up. Moxley isn’t going to join Inner Circle so their confrontation on January 1st should be great.

Kris Statlander Earned A Shot At The AEW Women’s Championship

Kris Statlander squared off against Britt Baker on tonight’s show. The winner of the match will face Riho for the AEW Women’s Championship on January 1st. Baker went for the Lockjaw but Statlander countered into a roll-up for a two count. Britt connected with a Neckbreaker as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Baker went for the Lockjaw once again but Statlander escaped. Kris connected with a running knee and made her way to the top rope. Statlander hit a Dropkick and went for the cover but Baker kicked out at two.

Britt connected with a Slingblade for a near fall. Statlander planted Britt with a Falcon Arrow and both wrestlers were laid out on the canvas. Baker hit another Neckbreaker and went for a Superkick but Statlander blocked it. Britt then hit the Superkick and went for the Lockjaw again. Statlander blocked it again and hit the Big Bang Theory Piledriver for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Tony interviewed Kris Statlander and congratulated her on becoming the #1 contender. Kris poked Tony on the nose, because she has an alien gimmick and that is how their species communicate (I guess). Brandi interrupted and asked Kris if she was going to join Nightmare Collective. Statlander waved her finger to signal no and Brandi hit her with the spike of her heel.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207489436818313216?s=20

I hope AEW’s New Year resolution is to put more effort into their women’s division. They have some very talented performers and I’m looking forward to Statlander versus Riho on January 1st. I’d just like to see more promos and segments that explain who these wrestlers are on future episodes of Dynamite next year.

Nightmare Collective has an a great look and Awesome Kong’s entrance with Brandi emerging from behind her is excellent. However, the meaning behind Awesome Kong collecting hair as trophies hasn’t been explained and it seems like a lot of the women’s matches are booked as the cool down before the main event on Dynamite.

https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1207491010105753600?s=20

SCU Retained & Dark Order Showed Up To Close The Show

Photo Credit: @AEWrestling

SCU (Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian) defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) in the main event of this week’s show.

Matt hit Scorpio Sky with a shoulder tackle and sent him to the corner. Young Bucks knocked Scorpio to the outside and isolated Frankie in the middle of the ring. Matt and Nick hit a Powerbomb/Enzigui combo.

Frankie battled back with a Backstabber as Scorpio took out Nick Jackson outside the ring. Sky tagged in and leveled Matt with a Clothesline for a two count. Dueling chants for the Young Bucks and SCU broke out as Nick tagged into the match.

Nick hit a Hurricanrana and tagged Matt back in. Matt connected with an Elbow Drop for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Nick Jackson took out SCU with a Crossbody as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

Frankie hit Young Bucks with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Hurricanrana on Matt outside the ring. Scorpio Sky flipped onto the Young Bucks and then Frankie hit Matt with with a DDT. Scorpio tagged in and went for the cover but Matt kicked out at two.

Matt leveled Scorpio Sky and tagged Nick in. Nick went for a Crossbody but Sky caught him with a Cutter. Scorpio locked in a Sleeper but Matt broke it up. Scorpio Sky hit the TKO and tagged in Frankie. They then hit the SCU Later for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Dark Order’s creepers surrounded the ring and the lights went out. Evil Uno and Stu Grayson and stated that tonight was an initiation. Uno ordered the creepers to put them down and they attacked Young Bucks and SCU. Christopher Daniels rushed the ring but the numbers game caught up to them. Omega tried to help out but there were just too many creepers, including Alex Reynolds and John Silver.

Cody and Dustin rushed the ring but the creepers beat them down as well. Excalibur pointed out that Hangman Adam Page was nowhere to be found as the rest of the Elite was getting their ass kicked. Matt Jackson was bleeding from his mouth and Evil Uno grabbed a microphone. Uno told Matt that he would never doubt him again as the show went off the air.

Young Bucks versus SCU was a massive letdown. These two teams are capable of having a much better match than they had tonight. Dark Order has been running great video packages every week trying to recruit people at joindarkorder.com. However, this fell flat on its face and it resulted in a pretty terrible ending to the final episode of 2019.

I mentioned earlier that AEW’s New Year’s resolution should be to improve the women’s division. Another suggestion would be to stop ending every other show with a brawl of some sort. I feel like I’ve seen Cody sprinting down the entrance ramp with two minutes of Dynamite left far too much already. Dynamite was still a good show tonight and I look forward to watching the show every Wednesday. They definitely have some things to improve though and hopefully that begins on January 1st.

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https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1207496387975360512?s=20

5 Takeaways From WWE NXT (12/18)

It’s time to look at the takeaways from the December 18, 2019 episode of WWE NXT aired live from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Adam Cole Retains NXT Title

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

WWE NXT opened the show with a bang as Adam Cole made his latest title defense as NXT Champion against Finn Balor. 

WWE had announced earlier this week that the contest would open the show and it aired commercial-free.

Although I wasn’t a fan of it opening the show, letting the talents be able to go for a long amount of time and do it without worrying about commercials was the right call. 

This match had high expectations and made up for it as these guys put on a great match. With WWE pushing Balor so hard on NXT television since his return, there was speculation that WWE could put the title on Balor in this contest. 

It seems though that WWE is waiting for the next TakeOver special, which takes place in February, to potentially make a title change. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1207470111864438784

Johnny Gargano Returns

Johnny Gargano is back on WWE television as he made his return on this show that played into the finish of Cole vs. Balor. Gargano walking out distracted Balor and led to Cole getting the win. 

After the match, Gargano went after Balor, would seem to be what’s next for both stars. This was a good call by WWE officials as they needed to beat Balor yet try not to have him lose any momentum that he had by coming back to NXT. 

It was also cool to see them play Gargano’s injury into the storyline as Gargano has been out of action for a few weeks. 

Although not confirmed, I would assume that WWE would book a match between these two stars at the next TakeOver special in February. 

Damian Priest Battles Killian Dain 

WWE booked a match between the two big men on this show as it was Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain in a singles match. 

It was exactly what you would expect to see a match between these two stars. It was fine. Priest went over in the contest. 

The most notable thing about it was the fans chanting for Dain to shave his back hair despite the fact that he wears a cutoff t-shirt. 

WWE has been pushing these two guys pretty strong on television for the last few months. Whether we get a feud out of this contest remains to be seen. However, it’s pretty clear that WWE is invested in Dain and has been pushed him heavily. 

With WWE having a history of pushing big guys as a monster, I can see them doing something significant with him. 

Pete Dunne Showcases For Travis Banks

In what looked like it was going to be a one-sided and almost a squash match, WWE gave time to Travis Banks against Pete Dunne to showcase his skills. 

This match happened in the second hour of the show. Dunne went over in the contest with his finisher as he should have. 

It was hyped as a preview for the World Collide show. It was a back and forth hard-hitting bout between the two stars. 

Dunne had found a ton of success including a run as the NXT UK Champion before switching over to the NXT brand. Banks isn’t well known to the United States fans but after this performance, he will be remembered. 

The Worlds Collide show takes place on January 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center on the WWE Network. 

Rhea Ripley Wins NXT Women’s Championship

WWE close the show the right way as Shayna Bazler made her latest title defense as NXT Women’s Champion against Rhea Ripley.

This was the perfect way to close the show as this feud has been building up over the last few weeks and what a match did these two stars deliver to fans watching at home and in attendance. 

Ripley beat Baszler to win the NXT Women’s Championship, which marks the first time that she has held the gold. 

Baszler has been a longtime champion and arguably, the most dominant Women’s Champion since Asuka held the strap a few years ago. Baszler’s reign ends at 415 days, which is the second-longest in NXT history. That is a stat that she should be proud of. 

Now, it comes down to what’s next for her. Does she stay in NXT or move on to go to RAW or SmackDown.

What were your thoughts on the show presented by WWE?

Rhea Ripley Wins WWE NXT Women’s Title

Shayna Baszler has been dethroned by Rhea Ripley as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion. 

The contest served as the main event of the show with the title being on the line on Wednesday night on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

Ripley beat Baszler to win the NXT Women’s Title, which marks the first time that she has held the gold. Prior to this, Ripley had been competing under the NXT UK banner where she held the NXT UK Women’s Championship. 

Rhea Ripley Wins After Journey

This contest has been in the works for the past month. WWE set up this contest when Ripley was attacked by Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir on the December 4th episode of NXT. 

Ripley passed out in the Kirifuda Clutch. After the segment, Baszler granted Ripley her request for a title shot and was booked for the episode. 

This was a key match in the women’s division as Baszler has been a top champion since winning the title back at the Evolution pay-per-view event in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in October.

What are your thoughts on Rhea Ripley beating Shayna Baszler to win the NXT Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

SCU Retains AEW Tag Team Titles On Dynamite

The AEW Tag Team Champions SCU will remain on top of the division as they haven’t been dethroned by The Young Bucks because they retained the straps.

SCU beat Nick & Matt Jackson to keep the titles on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Corpus Christi, TX at the American Bank Center on TNT. 

The match ended suddenly, which appeared to catch the fans in attendance off guard. The people were quiet once the finish of the match happened and only a few people clapped for SCU retaining the straps.

The Young Bucks’ Journey

All Elite Wrestling set up this contest last week when The Young Bucks faced off against Santana and Ortiz in a brutal Texas Street Fight on AEW Dynamite. This also served as a #1 contenders match. 

As a result, it surpassed The Young Bucks to the #1 spot in the AEW tag team rankings and earned them this title match. 

SCU Continues To Retain Titles

SCU’s previous title defense came on the November 13th episode of Dynamite when Kazarian and Scorpio Sky beat AEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. 

SCU won the AEW Tag Team Titles when the promotion held the finals of the Tag Team Title Tournament on the October 30th episode of AEW Dynamite in Charleston, WV at the Charleston Coliseum. SoCal Uncensored beat The Lucha Bros to win the titles.

What are your thoughts on The Young Bucks not winning the AEW Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1207492919965339648

Sting Admits He Still Thinks About Match With The Undertaker

Sting has previously voiced his desire to wrestle The Undertaker but recently admitted that he thinks about the match every year. 

The 60-year-old Hall of Famer recently talked to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. This is where he noted that although he has come to terms with his retirement, he could still be brought out of it. 

He’s willing to come out of retirement. It just depends on it ending on his terms. Those terms would be a dream pitting Sting against The Undertaker at WrestleMania. 

“If there was a ’Taker situation at WrestleMania, I would listen to that phone call,” said Sting. “I could get in condition and I could pull it off.” 

Sting & The Undertaker

Sting knows that isn’t likely to happen and in fact, thinks his career is done. That just hasn’t stopped him from thinking about wrestling “The Deadman.” 

“I think my career is done. I still think about the ‘Taker situation every year, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

This has been a match that Sting has wanted to take part in for years now. Despite his feelings for it to happen, it never did.

The career of the WWE Hall of Famer came to an end at the 2015 Night of Champions PPV event. This is where he battled Seth Rollins. It marked his last match and end of his career after he suffered a neck injury after taking a powerbomb in the corner.