AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa has a long road back to the ring ahead of her as she continues to recover from her injury.
During the pre-All Out episode of AEW Dynamite, Rosa confirmed that she is injured, and will be unable to defend the Women’s World Championship.
Despite the injury, Rosa has remained champion, with an Interim AEW Women’s World Championship created in her absence, which is currently held by Toni Storm.
Recovery
Speaking during her latest vlog, Thunder Rosa discussed her recovery and the process she’s undergoing.
“I’m here at the South Texas Spine & Joint Institute with Dr. Kaiser. He is the one who helped me out, find out that I had a back injury. I’ll be coming here pretty often. I’ve been treated by him for over four years so he knows me very well.
“I just had my first treatment. It’s gonna be six weeks, just to start. I’m going to be here four times a week.”
Rosa added that not being on the road has already made a huge difference to her injured back.
“I’m doing my first physical therapy session today. This is after six weeks of being injured. Not traveling has actually made a huge difference.”
TripleMania
Thunder Rosa is keeping positive about her recovery, but it’s not just her bookings for AEW that have been effected.
AAA have confirmed that Rosa will not compete at Triplemania XXX: Mexico City on October 15.
Taya Valkyrie had previously been set to defend her Reina de Reinas Championship against Rosa but will now defend against NWA Women’s World Champion Kamille.
CM Punk going off at Colt Cabana and the AEW EVPs turned out to be the biggest story coming out of the All Out PPV. One of the strange things about Punk’s promo were the shots he tried to take at his former best friend.
Punk revealed some previously unknown details about his court case with Cabana. During the scrum, he also strangely mentioned that the wrestling star, real name Scott Colton shares a bank account with his mother.
While Colt Cabana hasn’t responded to his former friend’s rant directly, he did make a reference to it recently. During a Twitch stream, the AEW star noted that his brother also shares a bank account with their mother:
“My brother is the director of family guy, you can look up his name, he also shares a bank account with my mother.”
– Colt Cabana
Colt Cabana on Twitch: "My brother is the director of family guy, you can look up his name, he also shares a bank account with my mother."
We haven’t heard from CM Punk or The Elite since the media scrum and the locker room fight. The only update has been that both Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have been suspended from the promotion until the investigation is complete.
Punk has undergone surgery for a torn triceps in the meantime which means that he won’t be returning to the company anytime soon, if ever.
Kevin Owens has kept an eye on the up-and-coming talents in NXT, and he knows which stars he would call if he ever needs back up.
Owens and Johnny Gargano were both the guests of the latest episode of The Bump. During the episode, KO was asked which NXT stars he would like to work with if given a chance. Replying to it, Owens mentioned how the Creed Brothers have been under the leadership of Roderick Strong as part of The Diamond Mine:
“You know, there’s a lot of really good talent over there but right now I think the Creed brothers are kind of head and shoulders above everyone else, if I’m gonna be brutally honest.” said Kevin Owens, “I really love them. I love to be in the ring with them or you know if I ever need backup, they’re probably guys I would look to. They had great leadership for a while and clearly it did them some good. They’re thriving.”
Johnny Gargano then chimed in to offer some more praise to the former NXT Tag Team Champions. He noted that the Creed Brothers know ‘the trick’ to be successful in the wrestling business:
“Speaking just from one-on-one standpoint, they also have incredible minds and are open to learn and willing to listen. They generally wanna be good at this and that is the, that’s the trick right there [for being successful].”
You can check out the full Bump episode featuring Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano below:
The couple has been dating for at least the past 2 years. They started going out when Sabbatelli was still under a development contract in WWE.
Tino Sabbatelli was signed to a WWE contract from 2014 to 2020. He had a brief stint in AEW after his WWE release. WWE brought him back after this but he was released once again in 2021.
Mandy Rose on the other hand has been part of the WWE roster since 2015. She made her main roster debut in 2017 and joined Paige and Sonya Deville in a faction.
After 4 years on the main roster, Rose returned to the NXT brand in 2021. She formed a faction with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne dubbed as Toxic Attraction.
Mandy defeated Raquel González at Halloween Havoc in October last year to win the NXT women’s championship. This is her first title in the company.
The recent backstage drama has spiked people’s interest in the behind the scene happenings of AEW. Many stories have come out about how both CM Punk and The Elite handle things behind the scenes. Atleast for Anthony Henry, Punk has treated him well the couple of times they have interacted.
The wrestling star who primarily competes in AEW Dark recently had an interview with WrestlingInc. Speaking about the Straight Edge star, Henry noted that Punk has been nice to him:
“I have talked to Punk a couple of times; he was very nice to me. Actually, when I came in, he introduced himself to me. Which – very nice. That’s a rare thing that usually doesn’t happen. But he just walked up to me like, ‘Hi, I’m Phil.”
Anthony Henry stressed that he hasn’t had any in-depth conversations with Punk so far, but to him the former AEW champion has always seemed like a ‘cool guy.’
Apart from this, Henry also talked about the AEW locker room and compared it to his experience in WWE. He said that he felt the pressure of people judging you in Vince McMahon’s promotion. According to him, it’s not the case in AEW and here everybody wants everyone else to do well.
Logan Paul will be attempting to do the impossible at Crown Jewel when he challenges Roman Reigns for the Unified WWE Universal Championship.
One big problem the YouTube star will have to overcome if he wants to win the title is The Bloodline. Now it appears that he might not have to do it alone.
Logan’s brother Jake Paul recently replied to the announcement of this Crown Jewel match, and he noted that he might have to go to Saudi Arabia for this bout:
“Logan is the definition of anything is possible. 2 matches in WWE and he’s challenging for the belt. I might have to come to Saudi Arabia for this.”
Logan is the definition of anything is possible. 2 matches in WWE and he’s challenging for the belt. I might have to come to Saudi Arabia for this. https://t.co/fQkoSWIPTI
Apart from being a celebrity, Jake Paul is also a boxer. He has defeated opponents such as retired MMA star Ben Askren and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
There is no doubt that the rest of the Bloodline will accompany Roman Reigns for his match against Logan Paul at the Saudi show.
With Jake’s boxing background, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up joining the action to help even the odds and help his brother win the biggest prize in sports entertainment.
How do you feel about Logan Paul getting a shot at the undisputed title and his brother being at his side? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
AEW held their annual Revolution pay-per-view earlier this year from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando Florida, a show that saw CM Punk battle MJF in a dog-collar matchup, and “Hangman” Adam Page retain the AEW world title over Adam Cole in the main event.
The year prior AEW was running Revolution out of their home-base in Daily’s Place due to the COVID-19 outbreak. That event saw the first-ever Exploding Barbed-Wire deathmatch in the company’s history. Now it looks like AEW will be bringing the fourth ever Revolution to a place the promotion has never been since they launched in 2019.
Revolution 2023 Potentially Headed To San Francisco
According to Fightful Select, AEW is looking to run the Cow Palace in March for Revolution 2023. The venue is located in San Francisco, and is known in the pro-wrestling community.
However, the Cow Palace has not had a wrestling event at it since the 2019 NJPW G1 Special. WWE has not run the venue in over ten years so it could be good timing for AEW to try and claim it as the California market for pro-wrestling has always been strong.
AEW made their debut in California earlier this year with shows in Ontario and Los Angeles. AEW has yet to officially confirm Revolution’s location, nor will they until after their next annual pay-per-view, Full Gear.
Sheamus is arguably in the best stretch of his career. Each match he is competing in is turning out to be better than the last. His outings are receiving praise from fans and critics alike. The good news is that he isn’t planning to end this run anytime soon.
The Celtic Warrior recently spoke to Inside The Ropes. When asked how long he plans to continue wrestling, the former champion said that “I’m into this till the legs fall off.”
The interviewers mentioned how Sheamus came back from a career threatening injury in 2019 and he has achieved new heights since then. In response, the WWE star recalled how there was a time when people didn’t like his character. Now that people are enjoying his work, he plans to continue it for as long as possible:
“Well I hope so. There was a time there when I was a babyface when people were sick of looking at me back in 2012. The red headed ginger hair John Cena. They were calling me all this weird stuff.”
“As long as people get excited to see the Celtic Warrior go out there, I’ll just keep going as long as possible. I feel like I have got at least another 8 years in me.”
– Sheamus
Sheamus received his first 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer for his match with Gunther at Clash At The Castle. With no plans of stopping anytime soon, we can assume that this is only the first of many 5-star ratings to come for the former US champion.
The ‘wrestler’ promo between Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre a few weeks ago emphasized what WWE under Triple H will be all about. During the promo Owens declared himself as the prizefighter once again and McIntyre also claimed that he knows exactly who he is. The Scottish Warrior has since come out and admitted that the promo of Owens lit a fire under him.
Owens opened up about this promo and the credit McIntyre gave him afterward during his most recent appearance on The Bump. He noted how it seemed like Drew had lost himself in the last few years:
“What I told Drew that night, I felt that way about Drew for a long time.” said Kevin Owens, “I think he’s incredible in the ring but to me it seemed like he always tried to be something he’s not. I told him that right to his face and obviously that did something to him. Look he wants to credit me for it, I don’t want to take any credit.
I didn’t always feel that way. I thought Drew McIntyre, a few years ago, was tremendous. Then I don’t know something happened. I’m not sure what it is exactly but at one point, In the last few years, I felt like he just, I don’t know if he was more worried about coming across as a superstar, whatever it was, but I felt like he lost himself.”
‘Lot Of Respect For Drew’: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens then mentioned how the promo lit a fire under Drew McIntyre and he has been on an incredible run ever since:
“I told him that and obviously, as he just said, it lit something under him and I’m glad it did. I feel like since then, he has been on an incredible run. He came as close as it gets to winning that title. Probably should be champion now to be honest. I look forward to being in the ring with him again. I have a lot of respect for Drew, but sometimes you just got to get stuff off your chest when you have the chance.”
You can watch the full The Bump episode featuring Kevin Owens below:
Earlier this month, EC3 claimed that he had invited Clark, aka Velveteen Dream, to a house party while both men were in NXT.
EC3, a former four-time WWE 24/7 Champion claimed that he found Clark’s phone in the bathroom of his house, and had been recording guests urinating without their consent.
Clark has responded saying that though his phone was in the bathroom, it was not recording, and proved it by showing others his phone’s videos, as well as those that had been recently deleted.
Clark has also claimed that EC3 accused him of this due to the hedonistic Velveteen Dream character he played in NXT.
Thanks
While speaking on The Wrestling Outlaws show, EC3 claimed that WWE employees have reached out to him over his allegations against the problematic ex-Superstar (via Sportskeeda.)
“What else could I possibly even say or bother to address? It’s done. He recorded people trying to urinate in my bathroom. That’s the truth. You asked me a question regarding this man who I haven’t thought about in many years, and that story came to mind.
“WWE employees thanked me for telling that story out loud, so there is no thought of bringing him back to the company from those said employees.”
EC3 was reportedly deemed a ‘public relations nightmare’ prior to his WWE release.
Patrick Clark
Despite hopes of returning to WWE one day, that looks incredibly unlikely for Patrick Clark.
Ezekiel’s days as a WWE Superstar may have come to an end according to a report from PW Insider.
Ezekiel debuted in WWE on the post-WrestleMania 38 episode of Monday Night Raw, confronting Kevin Owens.
Owens accused the new Superstar of being Elias, Ezekiel’s older brother, a claim that ‘Zeke has consistently denied.
The End of Ezekiel
The Ezekiel character proved to be a hit with fans, but he hasn’t been seen in over a month on WWE TV.
Ezekiel’s last in-ring appearance was on the August 8, Raw, where he was power-bombed on the ring apron by Owens.
The following week, Ezekiel, Elias, and their father Ernie were all seen in a hospital segment alongside other members of the family.
According to Mike Johnson of PW Insider, Ezekiel has been delisted from WWE’s internal roster.
At this time, there are no reported plans for the character to return in any capacity.
The Return
Ezekiel’s time in WWE may have come to an end, but the opposite is the case for his brother Elias.
In the same report, it’s noted that Elias has been re-added to the company’s internal roster and is expected to be used as an in-ring performer again soon.
Elias hasn’t competed for WWE since the July 19, 2021, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he lost the Symphony of Destruction match to Jaxson Ryker.
After a lengthy hiatus and teased change in character, Elias returned to WWE programming earlier this year, appearing on-screen with his brother.
Chris Jericho will look to add another World Championship to his impressive collection when he faces ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli next week.
Castagnoli is in his first reign as champion, having dethroned Jonathan Gresham at the ROH Death Before Dishonor event this past July.
The match, scheduled for the Grand Slam Dynamite, was confirmed on last night’s AEW Rampage, and marks Jericho’s first shot at the ROH World Title.
Grand Slam Dynamite
Jericho Vs. Castagnoli will be a huge match and just part of a packed event.
The AEW Grand Slam Dynamite card so far is as follows:
ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli defends against Chris Jericho
AEW World Trios Champion PAC defends his AEW All-Atlantic Title against Orange Cassidy
AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Britt Baker, Athena and Serena Deeb in a Fatal 4 Way
AEW World Tag Team Champions Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland defend against The Acclaimed
Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Finals: Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley for the vacant AEW World Title
Ramage
In addition to Jericho Vs. Castagnoli, it was announced during last night’s Rampage that Darby Allin and Sting will face Brody King and Buddy Matthews next week.
The House of Black members attacked Allin last night following the former TNT Champion’s victory over Matt Hardy.
After the attack, King and Matthews challenged Sting and Allin to a No-Disqualification tag match with the duo accepted.
Last night’s Rampage also saw Eddie Kingston cut a promo on Sammy Guevara, and a match between the two being confirmed for Rampage.
A Rampage Golden Ticket Battle Royale will take place, with the winner getting a shot at the AEW World Championship.
The AEW Grand Slam Rampage card is as follows.
FTW Champion Hook and Action Bronson vs. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker
Sting and Darby Allin vs. Brody King and Buddy Matthews in a No DQ match
ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe and AEW TNT Champion Wardlow vs. Tony Nese and Josh Woods
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Diamante
Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara
Rampage Golden Ticket Battle Royale (winner receives a future shot at the AEW world title)
AEW Rampage aired tonight on TNT. The show was taped following Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite. In addition to the takeaways below, Eddie Kingston called out Sammy Guevara before their match next week.
Penelope Ford def. Willow Nightingale via submission
Ethan Page def. Danhausen
Samoa Joe def. Josh Woods to retain the ROH TV Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Darby Allin def. Matt Hardy, Match Announced For Next Week
Matt Hardy battled Darby Allin in the first match of the night. Hardy dominated the match early and launched Allin into the turnbuckle as Rampage went to a commercial break.
When Rampage returned, Allin rolled up Matt for a near fall. Darby connected with a Splash in the corner of the ring and grabbed his back in pain on impact. Matt connected with a Side Effect and went for the cover but Darby powered out at two. Matt hit a Powerbomb for another two count. Allin responded with the Last Supper for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Brody King attacked Matt Hardy and grabbed a microphone. Brody choked out Matt Hardy and challenged Darby and Sting to a match next week at Arthur Ashe. The lights went out and House of Black disappeared. House of Black (Brody King & Buddy Matthews) will face Sting and Darby next week.
Claudio Castagnoli Will Defend The ROH Championship Against Chris Jericho Next Week
Tony Schiavone interviewed ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta in the ring. Claudio told Wheeler that the best lessons in life are learned when you lose in reference to Daniel Garcia beating him for the ROH Pure Championship last week. Castagnoli said he’s not surprised that it will be two members of the Blackpool Combat Club will be fighting for the AEW Championship because iron sharpens iron.
Chris Jericho interrupted and the crowd chanted “you tapped out!”. Chris said that the Jericho Appreciation Society is the symbol of excellence in AEW. Jericho stated he is a 7-time world champion and he should be competing for the AEW Championship. Claudio started up another “you tapped out!” chant. Jericho listed off all of his championships in his career but noted he’s never been Ring of Honor Champion. Jericho challenged Claudio for the Ring of Honor Championship this Wednesday at Arthur Ashe. Claudio accepted the challenge and vowed to beat the hell out of Jericho.
Willow Nightingale battled Penelope Ford tonight on Rampage. Kip Sabian accompanied Penelope to the ring for the match. Willow controlled the action early and hit a Crossbody for a near fall. Penelope battled back with a few elbow strikes and then dodged a wild Crossbody attempt from Nightingale. Ford hit a Dropkick and followed it up with Double Knees to the midsection as Rampage went to a commercial break.
When Rampage returned, Willow went for a Clothesline but Penelope dodged it. Ford climbed to the top rope but Willow got out of the way. Nightgale leveled Ford with a big shoulder tackle for a two count. Ford hit a big boot and then applied a submission for the victory.
Hangman Adam Page Apologized To Dark Order, Battle Royal Set For Next Week
Hangman Adam Page and Dark Order were interviewed backstage. Page apologized for screwing up at Dark Order. They will all be competing in a Battle Royal next week to crown the #1 contender for the AEW Championship. Rush interrupted and vowed to eliminate “all their asses” to end the promo.
Next week on #AEWRampage, the Grand Slam Golden Ticket Battle Royal will take place where one man will win a shot at the #AEW World Title! Seems like the entire locker room has their eyes on that Golden Ticket!
Ethan Page battled Danhausen tonight on Rampage. Stokely Hathaway accompanied Ethan Page to the ring. Page knocked Danhausen to the mat and mocked his pose. Ethan delivered Ego’s Edge for the quick pinfall victory.
Samoa Joe defended the ROH TV Championship against Josh Woods in the main event of this week’s Rampage. Mark Henry interviewed both wrestlers in split screen before the match. Mark Sterling and Tony Nese accompanied Woods to the ring for the title match.
Joe went for a Neckbreaker but Woods blocked it. Josh and Samoa Joe traded forearms to the face in the middle of the ring. Woods unloaded some knee strikes but Joe dumped the challenger to the outside. Tony Nese got in a cheap shot while Mark Sterling distracted the referee. Josh applied an armbar as Rampage went to the final commercial break of the night.
When Rampage returned, Samoa Joe got Woods in the Coquina Clutch but Josh was able to escape. Joe hit an Atomic Drop, a big boot, and then a Senton for a near fall. Woods hit Joe with some uppercuts to his injured arm and sent Joe to the corner. The ROH TV Champion exploded out of the corner and hit a Powerslam for a two count.
Samoa Joe brought Woods to the corner and perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Joe set up for the Muscle Buster but Mark Sterling hopped on the apron. Woods capitalized with a knee to face and went for the cover but Joe kicked out at two. Josh drove Joe to the corner but the champ planted him with a Uranage. Samoa Joe followed it up with the Muscle Buster for the pinfall victory. Samoa Joe is still the ROH TV Champion.
Tony Nese and Josh Woods attacked after the match and beat Samoa Joe down in the corner. Mark Sterling grabbed the ROH TV Championship but Wardlow’s theme hit. The TNT Champion marched to the ring as Samoa Joe held onto Sterling. Wardlow set up to Powerbomb Mark Sterling but Tony Nese dragged him out of the ring. Wardlow and Samoa Joe stared at each other before toasting each other’s titles to close the show.
Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley will collide this Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the vacant AEW World Heavyweight Championship. And with that, Tony Khan has a big decision to make.
Not just because he’s crowning a new world champion. There’s more. Khan needs to add legitimacy back to a title which has seen very little stability in 2022 due to multiple injuries and a backstage brawl. This after the first three years of the company were spent with long championship reigns, each title switch coming with great fanfare.
Just look at the length of every AEW World Championship reign prior to CM Punk’s victory at Double or Nothing: Chris Jericho (182 days), Jon Moxley (277 days), Kenny Omega (346 days), and Adam Page (197 days).
In addition to solidifying the title’s credibility once more, the new champion will also play an important role in passing the baton to the next major star for the promotion — everyone assumes that MJF is the champion-in-waiting. But even with MJF hovering in the shadows, the new champion crowned on Wednesday night needs to be more than a transitional champion.
The champion-to-be will be adding stability back to a main event scene that has seen too much fluidity over the summer. And with that, there could be no better choices than Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.
But who on earth do you put over here? Both choices certainly have a lot of positives to them, leading to a lot of unpredictability heading into Wednesday’s broadcast. That’s what will make this such an interesting viewing experience.
That and the fact that Moxley and Danielson are two of the absolute best in the world right now and are sure to tear the house down.
(via AEW)
Jon Moxley as AEW Champion Again?
Moxley has been the hottest singles star in AEW for the last several months. He was a fantastic interim champion given the circumstances, and you almost hated to see him lose the title at All Out. However, the way the match was setup (with the quick victory over Punk on Dynamite) and with the PPV in Punk’s hometown, it was a move they had to make at the time. Really, it was the only logical result.
Of course, nobody could have foreseen what was about to happen backstage, nor could we predict that Punk would injure his left triceps and be out of action once again, this time for at least six months, after the match. Either way, the title was going to be vacated once again.
Now, you could move the title back to Moxley and make him AEW’s first three-time world champion. Nobody would have a problem with it given how great he’s been of late; well, except maybe Moxley since he was supposed to be going on vacation prior to the backstage fight in Chicago. But I digress…
AEW has clearly been setting up Moxley vs. MJF on television, and most expect that match to occur at Full Gear. Are they telegraphing the winner of the tournament in doing so?
Well, maybe not. Perhaps that will end up being a non-title match and you delay MJF using his “chip” for further down the line. Or maybe it comes sooner, more on that in a second.
If Moxley and MJF was for the title at Full Gear, you’ve got to figure that MJF wins. Do you want Moxley to have another short title reign? That’s a tough decision.
Bryan Danielson as AEW Champion for the First Time?
Danielson has become a living legend. It has become a near-indisputable fact that the American Dragon is one of the top ten in-ring workers of all time. The large majority of fans and his fellow wrestlers themselves seem to share this opinion, including Moxley who has stated on numerous occasions that he believes Bryan to be the greatest ever.
There’s no denying that Danielson holding the AEW World Championship would be well-deserved and a great moment. Similar to Moxley, you would hate for it to be in only a transitional spot, with a possible championship loss to MJF at Full Gear.
If Bryan captures the title and they do Moxley/MJF in a non-title situation at Full Gear, you give Bryan a six month or so run as champion, with an eventual loss to MJF at Revolution. Or you could do it earlier at Winter Is Coming in December, giving him a three month run; not great but better than the less than two month scenario that a loss at Full Gear would be.
There is risk in this scenario, though. As pointed out earlier, the AEW title has become a hot potato in recent months due to outside events. Bryan has already suffered an injury this year that kept him out of action for a significant period of time; you’d hate to see AEW lose their world champion once again for an extended period. And if it were to happen, please oh please, no interim champion this time.
While it is a risk, a Bryan title run would solidify the title again by putting the belt around the waist of arguably the most-respected performer of his generation. Yes, there’s inherit risk. But to me, the reward outweighs the risk.
Then again, there’s one more possibility…
MJF Walks Out of AEW Dynamite Grand Slam the World Champion
There’s a distinct possibility that MJF could walk out the world champion this Wednesday night. Don’t underestimate the shock value factor here as AEW could look to do something that could shock the audience, giving them some much-needed momentum after most in the industry feel WWE has seized the moment recently. This is the option that would make for the flashiest headlines, by far.
Plus, putting the title on your hottest young star could hardly be seen as a bad thing. And an MJF reign would almost certainly be lengthy, stabilizing the title once again, one of the most important aspects for the next champion.
So how does it happen? MJF could add himself to the match early in the show, informing the audience he’s cashing in “the chip” and making it a triple threat on short notice. In a triple threat scenario, he could defeat Bryan in order to build intrigue to a match with Moxley (“you never beat me”).
MJF could also pull a WWE Money In The Bank style moment by using his title shot immediately after the main event. Either way works, but one scenario avoids yet another short-term title change.
Either way, Tony Khan has a big decision to make. With television contract negotiations looming next year, the impact of how Wednesday night turns out could be felt for a very long time. It has the possibility of leading to some very hot television for the next several months at a time when the company very much needs it.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter @ryandroste.
More from Ryan: Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
This week’s episode of SmackDown featured some big developments including the first official tease for the Logan Paul vs. Roman Reigns match at Crown Jewel.
The main event of the show was an action-packed fatal four-way match that saw The Brawling Brutes defeating three other teams to become the new #1 contender for the Unified tag titles.
Though the action didn’t end here for the crowd in the Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, and they got to see another match after SmackDown went off air.
First Ronda Rousey who was part of the show early on came out to address the crowd. Natalya interfered and attacked Rousey from behind. The former UFC star, however, managed to get the upper hand at the end.
After this segment, Bobby Lashley came out to defend his title in a dark match at SmackDown. Mr. Money In The Bank Theory was his opponent.
Lashley successfully defended his title against the young star before his title defense on Monday. You can check out a video capturing both the segments below:
Triple H has been trying to bring relevancy back to the mid-card titles since taking over creative. Lashley has defended his title in a number of exciting matches in the past few weeks and in the spree, he will be facing Seth Rollins on Raw.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Solo Sikoa defended the NXT North American Championship tonight against Madcap Moss. Four teams competed in a Fatal 4-Way to determine the #1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
SmackDown Results
Ricochet def. Sami Zayn
Bayley def. Raquel Rodriguez
Solo Sikoa def. Madcap Moss to retain the NXT North American Championship
The Brawling Brutes def. Imperium, New Day, Hit Row in a Fatal 4-Way to become #1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Logan Paul Will Face Roman Reigns At Crown Jewel
Logan Paul kicked off this week’s show and made his way to the ring. It was announced today that Logan Paul will face Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel.
Paul Heyman, The Usos, Sami Zayn, and Solo Sikoa interrupted and cut a promo on Logan Paul. The Bloodline surrounded on the outside as Paul Heyman entered the ring. Paul said that if there was anyone from outside WWE that would be a Paul Heyman guy, it would be Logan Paul. Heyman complimented Logan Paul on holding his own against Floyd Mayweather and joked that Anderson Silva will not Jake Paul out.
Things got heated and Sami Zayn tried to cool things down. Sami suggested that Roman should have let him handle Logan Paul and Heyman exited the ring. Logan then knocked Sami down with a punch and exited as The Bloodline went after him. Logan Paul and Roman Reigns will have a press conference tomorrow afternoon in Las Vegas.
Sami Zayn faced Ricochet in a singles match tonight on SmackDown. Logan Paul and The Bloodline were ringside for the match. Zayn controlled the action early and hit a double axehandle off the top rope for a two count. Sami sent Ricochet to the outside as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Zayn climbed to the top turnbuckle but Ricochet hopped up there as well. Sami knocked him down and went for a Crossbody but Ricochet countered with a Dropkick. Ricochet connected with a Crossbody of his own for a near fall. Ricochet went for a Moonsault but Sami got his knees up.
Ricochet battled back and knocked The Honorary Uce to the canvas. Ricochet climbed to the top turnbuckle but Jimmy Uso hopped on the ring apron for a distraction. Sami capitalized with the Blue Thunder Bomb and went for the cover but Logan Paul distracted the referee. The extra time allowed Ricochet to kick out at two and Logan smirked ringside.
Zayn charged but Ricochet was ready and hit a Hurricanrana for a near fall. Ricochet knocked Uso off the ring apron again and booted Sami in the face. Zayn then hit a Suplex and went for the cover but Jey Uso slid into the ring and distracted the referee. This allowed Ricochet to kick out and Sami stared at Jey. Sami then got out of the ring and started trash talking with Jey outside the ring.
Ricochet capitalized and flipped onto them ringside. Ricochet climbed to the top rope and hit the Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory. Logan Paul celebrated in the ring with Ricochet after the match. Madcap Moss then ran into the ring with a steel chair and stood by Ricochet & Logan Paul’s side. The Bloodline retreated to end the segment.
Max and Maxxiine Dupri came to the ring to introduce the Maximum Male Models back to school collection. Mace and Mansoor posed on the entrance ramp with school supplies. Braun Strowman’s music hit and The Monster of All Monsters attacked. Strowman leveled Mace and Mansoor with a couple of shoulder tackles.
He launched Mansoor into the ring and hit him with a Powerbomb. Alpha Academy tried to attack but Braun fought them off. Braun went for a Running Powerslam on Gable but Otis broke it up. Otis hit Strowman with a Splash and planted him with a Powerslam of his own. Alpha Academy exited the ring to pose but Strowman sat right up. Braun Strowman versus Otis was later announced for next week’s SmackDown.
Bayley faced Raquel Rodriguez tonight on SmackDown. Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai & IYO SKY accompanied Bayley to the ring.
Raquel dominated early and Bayley got out of the ring to regroup. Rodriguez followed her out there and launched Dakota onto IYO SKY. Back in the ring, Raquel launched Bayley into the turnbuckle and connected with a slam for a two count. Bayley knocked Raquel out of the ring and then beat her down when she was in the ropes.
Rodriguez leveled The Role Model with a boot to the face and climbed up the turnbuckle. Damage CTRL helped Bayley up and she tied up Rodriguez in the ropes. Bayley delivered a knee strike on Raquel’s knee against the turnbuckle. She followed it up with a Dragon Screw for a near fall.
Bayley continued to focus her attack on Raquel’s knee with strikes in the corner. Bayley booted Raquel in the knee and followed it up with a lariat for a close near fall. Rodriguez responded with a headbutt and a big shoulder tackle. Raquel hit a Fallaway Slam and then followed it up with another one that sent Bayley flying across the ring. Raquel climbed up the turnbuckle but IYO provided a distraction.
Dakota got into the ring and Raquel slammed her on top of Bayley. Rodriguez climbed to the middle turnbuckle and hit a Splash. IYO interfered while the referee was distracted and Bayley capitalized with the Rose PLant for the pinfall victory. After the match, Damage CTRL attacked Raquel and stomped on her in the middle of the ring. Shotzi rushed the ring for the save and knocked Dakota down. Shotzi got in a shot on IYO before Damage CTRL retreated.
Liv Morgan Will Defend The Title Against Ronda Rousey In An Extreme Rules Match
Kayla Braxton interviewed Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan backstage this week on the blue brand. Ronda will battle Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules. Liv told Ronda that she’s the only person on the planet to beat her twice. Morgan added that nothing she can do can make Ronda Rousey respect her, so she will do what she’s always done and earn respect. Morgan suggested an Extreme Rules for the title at the Premium Live Event. Rousey accepted and said it was Liv’s funeral.
Drew McIntyre showed up and issued a challenge to Karrion Kross. McIntyre said that the only countdown Karrion needs to worry about is before the Claymore.
Opinion: Shouldn’t Drew McIntyre be more upset with Solo Sikoa for costing him his title match against Reigns instead of the guy that threw a water bottle at him during it? It was odd to see Solo make his entrance mere moments after Drew’s promo as if nothing had ever happened.
Solo Sikoa Retained The NXT North American Championship
Solo Sikoa defended the NXT North American Championship against Madcap Moss tonight. Sami Zayn accompanied Solo to the ring for the match. Solo hit an elbow to the face but Madcap responded with several knee strikes to the midsection. Moss hit a shoulder tackle and then Clotheslined Sikoa to the outside. Sami distracted Moss and Solo connected with a Clothesline of his own. Sikoa then launched Madcap into the barricade and rolled him back into the ring. Sikoa delivered a roundhouse kick for a two count.
Sikoa planted Moss with a Belly to Belly Suplex in the middle of the ring. Madcap battled back with some Clotheslines and a Spear in the corner. Moss connected with a Uranage and went for the cover but Sikoa powered out at two. Solo hit a Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Moss was able to kick out at two. Moss hit a Fallaway Slam and geared up in the corner but Sami pulled Sikoa out of the ring. Madcap chased Sami around the ring and Sikoa caught Moss with a Superkick. Solo followed it up with a Uranage for the pinfall victory. Solo Sikoa is still the NXT North American Champion.
The Brawling Brutes Earned A Shot At The Tag Titles Next Week
The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods), The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch, Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci) and Hit Row (AJ “Top Dolla” Francis, Ashante Adonis) competed in a Tag Team Fatal 4-Way in the main event. The winners of the match will earn a shot at The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
The match started out with a brawl as Sheamus and Intercontinental Champion Gunther stared at each other outside the ring. Woods flipped onto Brawling Brutes and Imperium. Kofi then did the same and New Day celebrated as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Vinci got Ridge Holland in an armbar. Ridge escaped and Giovanni hit him with an uppercut. Holland responded with a Suplex and Top Dolla tagged in. Top Dolla connected with a Suplex and tagged in Ashante Adonis. Ashante applied a headlock but Holland battled to his feet.
Kofi Kingston tagged in and locked up with Adonis. Kofi connected with a Clothesline and then a Leg Drop. Imperium took control and isolated Kofi in the corner. Ludwig posed on the turnbuckle as SmackDown went to the final commercial break of the night.
Back from the break, Ludwig and Vinci were still taking turns beating down Kofi. Kingston battled back and sent Ludwig out of the ring with a Back Body Drop. Woods and Vinci tagged in and Xavier unloaded several Clotheslines. Woods hit a Russian Leg Sweep on Vinci for a two count. Butch tagged in and knocked Hit Row off the ring apron with a couple of kicks. Butch then Moonsaulted off the ring apron and took out Imperium.
Butch hit Kofi with a knee to the face and delivered a kick to Adonis’ head. Top Dolla got into the ring and leveled Butch with a shoulder tackle. Top Dolla got both Butch and Kofi on his shoulders. He then caught Woods as well and sent them down with a big Powerslam. Ridge showed off his strength and hit an Alabama Slam on Top Dolla for a near fall. Woods and Adonis tagged in and traded punches.
Woods hit a Superkick and Kingston tagged into the match. Kofi hit Top Dolla with a Suicide Dive and climbed to the top rope. Kingston hit a Splash on Adonis for a two count. Woods hit Butch with a Crossbody outside the ring. Vince rolled up Kofi for a two count and then hit a Spinebuster. Imperium followed it up with an uppercut/Powerbomb combo. Ridge tagged in and threw Ludwig out of the ring. Holland then pinned Kingston for the victory. The Brawling Brutes have earned a title shot against The Usos next week on SmackDown.
The WWE Board of Directors has a couple of new members, as the company announced today through a press release.
Michelle McKenna and JoEllen Lyons Dillon have been named to the company’s Board of Directors, which now consists of 12 members.
Welcome to the Board
McKenna has experience working for Disney, Universal Studios, and the NFL while she currently serves on the Board of Directors for Ring Central. Dillion has worked for 30 years in the global business, M&A, and legal. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Viatris.
Following Vince McMahon’s resignation from WWE in July, Stephanie McMahon was named WWE’s chairwoman.
Before Vince’s departure, the Board of Directors was investigating Vince’s sexual misconduct scandal. In July, former ESPN executive Connor Schell also resigned from the WWE Board of Directors.
Here is the list of current members on the WWE Board of Directors:
Stephanie McMahon
Nick Khan
Paul “Triple H” Levesque
Steve Koonin (Chief Executive Officer, Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena)
Ignace Lahoud (Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas)
WWE is reportedly planning to book Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul for its Crown Jewel event.
On Friday, Dave Meltzer of F4Wonlinline.com reported that WWE is holding a press conference in Las Vegas this Saturday to announce the main event for its November 5 event with this planned match. It’s unclear whether Reigns will be defending his Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Paul or if it will be a non-title bout.
This report comes shortly after Paul was hyping on Twitter that he will make a massive announcement on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
Paul’s appearance on tonight’s SmackDown was set up by an exchange that happened after Reigns appeared on Paul’s Impaulsive podcast and noted on Twitter that Paul was talking trash about him as Paul said Reigns is the person in WWE who he wants to face.
“You put me against Roman Reigns right now, I think I would win,” Paul said. “Me vs. Roman Reigns one-on-one, that’s my match.”
Reigns told Paul Heyman to handle it, and then Triple H invited Paul to appear on SmackDown tonight. This led to speculation about a WWE building towards a potential match between Reigns and Paul, and that is the case.
This will be Paul’s first appearance on WWE programming since he defeated The Miz at SummerSlam.
WWE just announced 25 shows have been added to the company’s upcoming live events touring schedule. Tickets for these events, which run from November 18th through January 6th, go on sale next Friday, September 23rd.
Here is the schedule, sent in by WWE:
Friday, November 18: SmackDown®– XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Sunday, November 20: Sunday Stunner® – Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.
Friday, November 25: SmackDown – Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I.
Sunday, November 27: SuperShow Holiday Tour – Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, ME
Friday, December 2: SmackDown – KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Saturday, December 3: SuperShow Holiday Tour – Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y.
Sunday, December 4: SuperShow Holiday Tour – VSU Multipurpose Center in Petersburg, Va.
Monday, December 5: Raw® – Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
Friday, December 9: SmackDown – PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Saturday, December 10: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Mich.
Saturday, December 10: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling, W. Va.
Sunday, December 11: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Sunday, December 11: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, W. Va.
Monday, December 12: Raw – Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee
Friday, December 16: SmackDown – Allstate Arena in Chicago
Saturday, December 17: SuperShow Holiday Tour – Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill.
Sunday, December 18: SuperShow Holiday Tour – Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.
Monday, December 19: Raw – Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA
Monday, December 26: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
Wednesday, December 28: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland
Wednesday, December 28: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
Thursday, December 29: WWE Live Holiday Tour – FTX Arena in Miami
Friday, December 30: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario
Friday, December 30: SmackDown – Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Friday, January 6: SmackDown – FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
A couple months ago the pro-wrestling world was shocked to learn that Vince McMahon had decided to retire as the chairman of WWE, a move that many never thought would happen as McMahon’s impact on the industry had been felt dating back four decades.
In his place his son-in-law, WWE legend and former 14-time world champion Triple H had taken over as head of the creative division. The Game had shown his skill for booking in NXT over the years, with the “developmental” brand and their bi-monthly Takeover events being considered the most “can’t miss” shows under the WWE banner.
Since taking over Triple H has brought back a number of previously released talents, including Braun Strowan, IYO Sky, Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Hit Row, Johnny Gargano, and Dexter Lumis. There have also been reports that he is in talks with Bray Wyatt, but the Eater of Worlds has yet to make his WWE return.
A new report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed that Triple H is actually planning more surprises for WWE, ones that are apparently not being talked about in the wrestling community. It was noted that this was regarding more talents coming in, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t also be surprises business-wise.
One surprise that shocked fans this week was seeing NXT 2.0 tease a return to their old Black and Gold persona. 2.0 had become a much more colorful show since the brand got a remake last year. Stay tuned.
One thing that attracts a lot of people towards AEW is the creative control the promotion offers. The company does not employ any writers and people are allowed to write their own promos. According to Chris Jericho, it’s the one thing that he hated about working for WWE.
Y2J discussed a number of different topics on the latest Talk Is Jericho. Speaking about the difference between Vince McMahon and Tony Khan, Jericho explained how Khan has a clarity to his vision. He then mentioned that in WWE, it wasn’t Vince McMahon who he hated working with:
“The one thing in WWE was, a lot of times they’re like ‘Draw me a picture.’ [I’m like] ‘What would you like a picture of Vince?’ ‘A cow.’ ‘Okay.’ ‘Ugh, Make it a horse.’ ‘Uh, Okay,’ ‘Umm make a dragon.’ ‘Oh okay.’ With Tony it’s like ‘We need a dragon.’ It might be a green dragon. It might be a red dragon. It might be a fire dragon.” said Chris Jericho, “At least we know where we’re going with it.
I loved working with Vince, and I did work with Vince, but it’s writers [that I don’t like]. Every Sunday, the writer would call you and say, ‘Here’s what you’re doing this week.’ That to me is just like, ‘I f*cking don’t like that, man. I don’t want to be told what I’m doing.'”
Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) remains one of the top names on pro wrestling’s free agent market. Wrestling fans have wondered about his return since his shocking release from the company in July 2021.
WWE has brought back several former Superstars over the past several months. Ever since Triple H took over as head of talent relations and creative, we’ve seen the company re-sign performers including Braun Strowman, Johnny Gargano, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Karrion Kross and Hit Row.
Wyatt is a former World Champion, so it should come as no surprise that WWE has had talks with the Eater of Worlds about coming back into the fold. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, those talks stalled out, but the door is still open for the two sides to work together again.
“Regarding talk of Wyatt returning, there were talks in that direction. At one point, the talks stalled, but it was said it was not a dead issue. Talks with him outside WWE had also stalled in the past, as his asking price was well above what other companies were willing to pay.”
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter ( dated 9.19.22)
Bray Wyatt was one of the top earners during his time with WWE. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns make more money than anybody, but Wyatt was one of the highest paid full-time acts.
Since leaving WWE, he’s had talks with a few other wrestling promotions. Ultimately, we’ve heard he’s got a very high asking price that has prevented people like Tony Khan pulling the trigger on acquiring his services.
Wyatt has hinted on social media that his love for pro wrestling is alive and well. It’s probably only a matter of time before he’s back inside the squared circle.
Braun Strowman couldn’t hold back his emotions after his impactful return to WWE earlier this month.
The former WWE Universal Champion was released by WWE on June 2, 2021, as part of ‘budget cuts’ made in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strowman’s departure was notable given that he had been heavily featured on WWE programming, with his final match being a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania Backlash 2021.
Strowman’s return came at the expense of four tag teams, the Alpha Academy, Street Profits, Los Lotharios, and The New Day, who had been competing to determine the number one contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
In the days prior to Raw, it was reported that Strowman was set to return, the latest name to be rehired by WWE in the post-Vince McMahon era.
Emotions
Strowman may be the Monster Among Men, but the former Universal Champion was feeling heavily emotional over his return.
Speaking on After the Bell, Braun recalled his return after a year away from WWE.
“I don’t want to admit it because I’m supposed to be this big giant tough monster, I had to swallow back the emotions. It was really really hard to stay in character.”
Braun Strowman.
Strowman looked emotional during the early stages of his return, as seen in the image above.
The recently returned Superstar added that the emotional rush of returning still gets to him now, nearly two weeks after his comeback.
“I heard that roar, I heard the place come unglued. I just gave myself goosebumps thinking about it. I am home.”
Braun Strowman.
Behind the Curtain
Strowman was just about able to hold it together on TV, but couldn’t keep his emotions bottled up after the segment was finished.
“I cried when I came back through the curtain. Once I got away from everybody, I finally was able to absorb it and let it in.”
Braun Strowman on breaking down after WWE Raw return.
The former Universal Champion reiterated that he is ‘home’ and that “it’s good to be back.”
Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat will be lacing up his boots one more time after over a decade away from the ring.
Steamboat, considered one of the greatest of his generation, is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time Intercontinental Champion, among other accolades.
In 2009, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his long-time rival Ric Flair.
Returning to the Ring
Earlier this year, it was reported that Steamboat was going to face Ric Flair in the latter’s final match, but that didn’t happen.
On Twitter, the Big Time Wrestling promotion confirmed that The Dragon will wrestle as part of November 27, event at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This will be Ricky Steamboat’s first match since competing at the June 18, 2010 event for WWE’s then-developmental territory: Florida Championship Wrestling.
That event saw Steamboat team with his son Richie Steamboat to defeat Caylen Croft and Trent Barretta.
The Hall of Famer’s most recent singles match came in August 2009, when he defeated a rookie Drew McIntyre at a WWE Live event.
Life After the Ring
While Steamboat’s full-time days in the ring are long behind him, The Dragon remains active in various roles.
In 2012, Steamboat worked as a trainer for NXT (now WWE’s developmental program) and became an ambassador for the company the following year.
In his first televised appearance for TBS in 28 years, Steamboat served as the guest timekeeper on the August 17, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite.
