AJ Styles will be on the shelf for several months due to an injury he sustained at Thursday night’s Holiday Tour live event from Hershey, PA.

The Phenomenal One teamed with Karl Anderson and Mia Yim against Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley of Judgment Day. The OC picked up the win, but the big story coming out of the match was Styles’ injury. As seen below, the incident occurred during an ugly-looking over-the-top-rope spot. Styles can be seen being attended to by staff and was helped to the back by the referee and Anderson.

Broken Ankle

On Saturday, Styles confirmed he’s dealing with a broken ankle.

In a brief statement on Twitter, he assured fans he will not require surgery. The downside is that he’ll miss significant ring time.

“Just want to you guys to know that I’m ok. Broken ankle is what I’m dealing with. No surgery, this just takes some time to recover. This will be the longest I’ve ever been out of the ring. Thanks for the prayers and get well wishes.”

– AJ Styles

There’s no good time to get hurt, but right before the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season has to be the worst time of the year for something like this to happen.

Styles’ Future

AJ Styles shocked the world by signing with WWE and debuting at the 2016 Royal Rumble event, entering the Rumble match at #3.

Earlier this year, Styles spoke about his future, and said that he doesn’t have plans to wrestle anywhere other than WWE at this point in his career.

Styles has also expressed interest in working behind the scenes in WWE once his time in the ring is over but has said he is unsure if that is going to happen.

The Phenomenal One later specified that a role as a talent scout would be ideal for him.

We here at SEScoops are wishing the two-time former WWE Champion a speedy recovery.

• AJ Styles Clarifies Reports About His WWE Contract

The final WWE SmackDown of 2022 is in the books and it was an eventful show to say the least. John Cena wrestled his first and only match of the year. He and Kevin Owens picked up a win over The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. We also saw two surprise returns, including Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair, who stunned Ronda Rousey in an impromptu match to capture the SmackDown Women’s championship.

WWE looks to keep the momentum going with the first two shows of 2023. Several matches have been announced for these upcoming broadcasts, including two titles matches and a Royal Rumble qualifying match.

Starting next week, WWE’s focus shifts to the Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania 93.

SmackDown Preview: January 6, 2023

Two matches are set for next week’s SmackDown from Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum:

• Drew McIntyre and Sheamus challenge The Usos for the undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

• Plus, Ricochet battles Top Dolla in a Royal Rumble qualifying match.

Ronda Rousey, Liv Morgan and Karrion Kross are also advertised to appear. (Tickets)

SmackDown Preview: January 13, 2023

In two weeks, SmackDown heads to Green Bay, WI at the Resch Center.

• GUNTHER defends the Intercontinental championship against Braun Strowman

Ronda Rousey, The Usos, Liv Morgan and Sami Zayn are advertised to appear. (Tickets)

SEScoops will keep you updated as additional matches and segments are announced for these shows.

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW star Jeff Jarrett has reflected on the touching final conversation he had with Don West.

West, a staple of TNA Wrestling for years as a commentator, died yesterday after a battle with lymphoma.

Outside of wrestling, West came to fame as the host of the Shop at Home Network in the 1990s and hosted “The Sports Reporters” radio show in Nashville, TN from 2001 until 2008

Final Conversation

As a TNA veteran, West spent years working closely with Jarrett who founded the promotion in 2002.

On Twitter, Double-J reflected on learning of West’s death, saying it hurt, but it is a relief that Don is no longer in pain.

Jarrett spoke about the FaceTime chat the two had a few days ago, where he did most of the talking and had one final chance to tell him he loved him and he will see him again.

Tributes

Jeff Jarrett is hardly the only name from the world of professional wrestling to pay tribute to Mr. West.

Online tributes from Impact, the NWA, and AEW have been made, while former TNA World Heavyweight Champion called Don an “incredible man with so much energy.”

Christopher Daniels thanked west for the excitement he brought to calling his matches while reigning Impact World Champion Josh Alexander called West “the voice of TNA/Impact Wrestling.”

During last night’s WWE SmackDown, Michael Cole called West (who never worked for the company) “a man who made a true impact on the business.”

We at SEScoops would like to offer our condolences to West’s family, friends and those who knew him at this difficult time.

Dax Harwood has been especially busy as of late, competing for ROH, AEW, and AAA, but the FTR member is working hurt.

Harwood and Cash Wheeler recently competed at AAA’s Noches de Campeones event, losing the AAA World Tag Team Titles to Dragon Lee and Dralistico.

Post-match, Dragon Lee announced that he has signed with WWE and the titles have since been vacated.

Working Hurt

This title loss comes mere weeks after FTR was dethroned as Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions, losing to The Briscoes at ROH Final Battle.

Harwood is still banged up from the Double Dog Collar match and is working through the pain, Fightful Select reports.

Harwood was reportedly injured after being suplexed by Jay Briscoe onto a pile of steel chairs.

What’s Next for FTR?

There’s no rest for Harwood though, as he and Wheeler will be defending the IWGP World Tag Team Championships next week at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.

FTR, who won the titles at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door in June of this year, will defend against Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.)

In a previous report from Fightful, Harwood told the site that he believes his and Wheeler’s contracts with AEW expire in April of next year.

Harwood also suggested that the pair may take a year away from pro-wrestling, or possibly just work non-televised events.

Speaking on the final episode of the Gentleman Villain podcast this month, Harwood refuted claims that they complained backstage about their role in WWE, adding that they knew they’d stay “in the rut” if they remained with the promotion.

John Cena was in a particularly thankful mood after this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX wrapped up.

In the main event of the show, Cena teamed with Kevin Owens to defeat Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.

This marked Cena’s first match with WWE in 2022, and carries on the tradition of having at least one televised match for the promotion each year which began in 2002.

After the Show

Unhappy with their loss, the Bloodline attacked Cena and Owens once SmackDown went off the air.

In videos shared by fans who were in Tampa for the show, Zayn and the Usos can be seen beating down Owens and Cena, until Drew McIntyre and the Brawling Brutes make the save.

With the tides turned, Cena and Owens are able to make quick work of the remaining Bloodline members, with Zayn taking a stunner from Owens and AA from Cena.

After that, Cena spoke to the crowd in Tampa, and thanked the fans for coming to the show.

Addressing his 20-year record of having at least one match a year, Cena also thanked every WWE Superstar he’s been able to share the ring with.

Cena once again thanked the fans for giving him the gift of letting him step in the ring for the past two decades.

What’s Next for Big Match John?

John Cena’s 20-year record was nearly broken this year, but the 16-time WWE World Champion won’t have to worry about this in 2023.

It has been reported that the current plan for Cena at WrestleMania 39 is to face Logan Paul, who is currently recovering from his injury suffered at WWE Crown Jewel.

Paul told listeners of his ImPaulsive podcast earlier this year that he had pitched a match with Cena to WWE’s Head of Creative Triple H.

The competitors for the first-ever Pitch Black match scheduled for the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble have been revealed. 

On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, Bray Wyatt opened the show to apologize to the cameraman he attacked last week before he was quickly interrupted by LA Knight, who called Wyatt a fraud. Knight challenged him to a match at the upcoming premium live event. 

The Set Up

Wyatt accepted the bout before saying it was time to remind the world how cruel he could be. Before they could brawl, Uncle Howdy appeared, standing alongside Wyatt before hitting him with Sister Abigail. Knight quickly exited the ring.

WWE confirmed later in the broadcast that Wyatt vs. Knight would be a “Pitch Black Match,” though no details were given on what the match is, although they plugged the bout being sponsored by Mountain Dew with a graphic. 

This match will mark Wyatt’s first television match in WWE since his bout against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37.

WWE presents the Royal Rumble premium live event on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from San Antonio, Texas at the Alamodome that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.

John Cena made his in-ring return to WWE television on the December 30 edition of SmackDown by teaming with Kevin Owens to take on Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn in a tag team match. 

WWE set up the match on the December 16 edition of SmackDown as Owens needed to find a tag team partner for the bout, and Cena appeared on the big screen in a pre-taped promo where he confirmed he would team with “KO.” This match extended his streak of wrestling every year since his main roster debut in 2002.

The match served as the main event, although there was a commercial during it that kept the match short. There was a near fall, with Owens hitting a frog splash to Reigns. Cena mostly stayed on the apron before getting the hot tag. Owens pinned Zayn with the stunner. 

What’s Next?

After SmackDown went off the air, Cena was attacked by The Bloodline. This led to The Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre making the save. Cena cut a promo to thank the fans for their support over the past 20 years. When he found out that the last show of the year would be in Tampa and it is his only match of 2022 to extend the streak, he had to do it.

During Cena’s return on Raw for his 20th Anniversary celebration over the summer, he stated he wasn’t sure when he would wrestle again. 

Cena hadn’t been seen in action since SummerSlam 2021, when he came up short when challenging Reigns for the Universal Title. 

As previously reported, Cena is expected to work WrestleMania 39 in April, and as seen below, his reported opponent has been revealed. 

Charlotte Flair is back on WWE Friday Night SmackDown.

After Ronda Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship, Flair walked out with new music and a new look. 

Charlotte challenged Rousey for the title and despite the objections from Shayna Baszler, Rousey accepted. Rousey took a boot to the face before kicking out of the pin attempt. Flair hit the spear and she pinned Rousey to win the title. 

Where Has Charlotte Been?

Charlotte took time off from WWE after WrestleMania Backlash, where she dropped the SmackDown Women’s Title to Rousey in an I Quit Match. WWE noted that Flair had a fractured radius as a way to write her off television.

She took the time off to get married to Andrade El Idolo this past May when several wrestlers were in attendance, including Apollo Crews, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio, and Lina Fanene (Nia Jax). 

While off WWE television, Flair did appear in August on “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions” where she looked back on her WWE career.

The card for WWE WrestleMania 39 continues to come together as Ronda Rousey’s opponent at the upcoming event has been revealed, and it’s not Becky Lynch. 

WrestlingNews.co reports plans for the match between Lynch and Rousey have been scrapped. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio today that he was told the match is “not likely,” while another source told him that plans for it are “dead.”

Rousey’s Opponent

WrestlingNews.co’s report noted that Rousey is scheduled to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39. It’s unclear who Lynch will be facing at the show. 

According to WrestlingNews.co, the other planned matches for WrestleMania 39 include Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against The Rock or Cody Rhodes, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and Logan Paul vs. John Cena.

Rousey and Lynch headlined WrestleMania 35 in 2019 alongside Charlotte Flair, marking the first-ever female WrestleMania main event, before Rousey went on hiatus until she returned to the company earlier this year. 

WWE had reportedly been planning to do the match at WrestleMania 39 since shortly after WrestleMania 38. 

It looks like Logan Paul will be getting his wish of wrestling John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39. 

Paul earned plenty of praise following his match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel a few months ago. John Cena took notice as he shared a photo of Paul on his Instagram account with no caption. Later, Paul responded with the eyes emoji on Twitter of a tweet saying Cena was looking for a WrestleMania opponent.

Paul previously stated on his ImPAULsive podcast that he wanted a match with Cena and pitched the idea to Triple H. 

“After Crown Jewel, John Cena posted me on his Instagram and then I saw an article saying he’s looking for an opponent at WrestleMania. I favorited it, responded with the eyes. Truthfully, I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘Do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream match. WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”

WrestlingNews.co reports that Paul vs. Cena is planned for WrestleMania 39. 

Other Planned WrestleMania 39 Matches

• WWE Championship Match: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre
• WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. The Rock or Cody Rhodes
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

Barring any injuries, the matches listed above are very likely to happen as planned at the show that takes place in April. 

Beth Phoenix has addressed whether or not she plans on stepping into the professional wrestling ring again anytime soon.

Phoenix was recently a guest on Brandi Rhodes’ ‘2 Lies And 1 Truth’ podcast and was asked about whether or not she plans on wrestling again. Phoenix joked that retirement in professional wrestling doesn’t really exist, so she’s not closing the door on the possibility.

“Who knows these days? [Beth laughed when asked if she’ll be back in a wrestling ring] You know, I say this every single time, it’s the most cliché thing but never say never or like, retirement in wrestling isn’t a thing, right? It’s embarrassing to say I’m retired because it’s never true.”

Beth Phoenix signed with WWE back in 2004 and remained with the company until 2012. During her run she established herself as one of the powerhouses of the WWE’s women’s division. Her run resulted in three WWE Women’s Title wins, a Divas Championship, and a WWE Hall Of Fame induction in 2017.

Since, Phoenix has married fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Edge, as well as having done part-time commentary work for the company. She briefly returned to in-ring action as part of a Mixed Tag Team feud alongside Edge against The Miz and Maryse.

Phoenix was also briefly involved in Edge’s storyline against The Judgement Day on Monday Night RAW.

Quotes via POST Wrestling

Mike Tenay informed fans today that Don West passed away after battling lymphoma. He was 59 years old. 

West worked for TNA/Impact Wrestling from 2002 to 2012 as the color commentator alongside Tenay. He was also a great salesman and known for his hot deals on the TNA website. He returned to the company in 2017 for the Slammiversary XV pay-per-view event. 

West also worked for the Shop at Home Network and had a radio show in Nashville, Tennessee. Tenay tweeted the following: 

The Announcement

“Just heard from wife Terri that our brother @DonWestDeals will be spending New Years in heaven. Terri said D-Dub finally had to tap out from his match with lymphoma. We bonded as soon as we met, both as broadcast partners and friends. Years of great moments both on and off camera.”

West first revealed in June 2021 that he had been diagnosed with brain lymphoma.  West announced that after eight weeks of chemotherapy and 13 treatments of radiation, his cancer was in remission in September. Unfortunately, in December 2021, it was revealed that he was battling cancer for a second time.

A GoFundMe was previously set up to help West and his family with the medical bills. The wrestling world has already started to react to the news, as seen below: 

On behalf of SEScoops, we send our condolences to the Don West family. 

Kevin Owens wasn’t even sure he wanted to keep wrestling before making the decision to re-sign with WWE.

“KO” recently spoke to WrestleRant and revealed that, prior to re-signing with WWE in December of 2021, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to be in the ring anymore. Ultimately, Owens re-signed with WWE before his contract expired in January of 2022.

“Uh yeah by Christmas time last year I knew I was sticking around. But before that, I really had no idea. I didn’t even know, honestly I didn’t even know at that time if I still wanted to be in the ring.

“You know, not because I didn’t enjoy being in the ring anymore but everything was kind of up in the air. Then I made the decision to stay in WWE and I’m certainly glad I made it because like I said, just the year I’ve experienced things that I couldn’t have imagined.”

Owens seems to have seriously benefited from re-signing with WWE. He went on to headline Night One of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas against WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was Austin’s first official professional wrestling match in nearly 20 years.

Now, Owens is involved in, arguably, the biggest feud on WWE TV against The Bloodline. Having been with WWE since 2014, Kevin Owens has accomplished a significant amount. He’s a former NXT Champion, WWE Universal Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion, and a three-time United States Champion.

With WrestleMania season right around the corner, and given his involvement in the current Bloodline feud, it will be interesting to see what’s planned for Owens at this year’s “Show Of Shows.”

Quotes via EWN

William Regal is officially no longer under contract with All Elite Wrestling. The former leader of the Blackpool Combat Club wants people to know he truly enjoyed his time there and any reports to the contrary are incorrect.

Regal announced on Twitter that his contract officially expired on Thursday, December 29, 2022.

“Yesterday was my last official day with AEW. I’d like to thank Tony Khan, Megha and all the hard working crew.

Contrary to people who’ve never spoken to me or have their information from people who don’t know me or are trying to make themselves noticed, I had a lovely time working there and had a great time. Lots of talented Wrestlers, and lovely people to work for.

To my fellow BCC members, it was a special, albeit brief few months but it cemented our already strong friendship. To everyone there, thank you for welcoming me. Best wishes.”

Regal will be returning to work for WWE in early 2023. He’s expected to resume working at the Performance Center and the company’s developmental brand, NXT.

Regal previously served as the General Manager authority figure in NXT, but he’ll remain behind the scenes for the foreseeable future. The terms of his AEW release require this to be a non-televised role.

Bray Wyatt says he broke his finger at Thursday’s WWE live event from Miami, Florida, but he doesn’t seem to concerned about it.

WWE’s holiday tour wraps up tonight with a Raw-brand house show from Toronto. It was a successful week, in terms of ticket sales. Unfortunately, a couple stars suffered injuries.

We reported that AJ Styles suffered an ankle injury and now word has come out that Wyatt is dealing with his own health situation.

The former WWE Champion defeated Jinder Mahal Thursday night from Miami’s FTX Arena. After the match, Wyatt spent some time at ringside taking photos with fans and signing autographs. As seen below, Wyatt told Justin from Vlog Warriors that he broke a finger on his right hand during the match with Mahal.

Finger fractures take approximately three to four weeks recovery time. It sounds painful, but there’s a strong chance Wyatt will be able to avoid time away from the ring.

Bray Wyatt wrestled Jinder Mahal four times this week on WWE’s holiday tour. The result was the same each time, with Mahal getting in some early offense but Wyatt making a comeback and finishing him off with Sister Abigail.

Prior to this week, Wyatt had not competed since April 2021. After four consecutive wins over Mahal in NYC, Atlanta, Greensboro and Miami, Wyatt sets his sights back on LA Knight. The two have been feuding over the past several months since Wyatt’s return to WWE television.

Tyson Fury spent years establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in professional, and don’t expect him to look any weaker in WWE.

Fury debuted for WWE in 2019 and defeated Braun Strowman via count out at that year’s Crown Jewel event.

Fury was in attendance at WWE Clash at the Castle in September of this year and prevented then Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory from cashing in.

It was reported this month that WWE is eager to have Fury appear at next month’s Royal Rumble event and possibly work a match at WrestleMania 39.

Banned

WWE and Fury may be eager to work together, but that is easier said than done.

It has been claimed that Fury is banned from entering the United States due to alleged ties with suspected Irish Mafia boss Daniel Kinahan.

A “major WWE source” told Dave Meltzer that Fury’s alleged ban isn’t something being talked about backstage.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter adds that Fury could lose out on millions of dollars if he cannot make it to WWE’s event.

The Kinahan allegation prevented Fury’s younger brother Tommy Fury from entering the U.S. for a fight with Jake Paul earlier this year.

Tyson Fury has denied any involvement with Kinahan or his alleged activity.

Putting Stars Over

Tyson Fury in WWE may seem like a longshot at this time, but his working with the company would bring its own problems.

The same strong source claimed that Fury would be unwilling to put other talents over, or even look vulnerable if he was to compete.

The source questioned the sense of having Fury as a possible surprise name in the Men’s Rumble match, given the fortune WWE would pay him for mere minutes of in-ring action.

Monday Night Raw could be seeing a brand new championship in the new year, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

At WrestleMania 38 in April, Roman Reigns unified the WWE and Universal titles with a victory over Brock Lesnar.

Reigns has dominated as Universal Champion for 852 days and has been Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for 271 days.

New Championship

Not long after the titles were unified, it was reported that the USA Network was unhappy with the decision.

As a SmackDown-branded Superstar, Reigns makes far more appearances on SmackDown, often leaving Raw for weeks if not months without a World Champion.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that there is still a lot of talk about introducing a new title next year.

Meltzer added that the new title would be created for SmackDown if Reigns is drafted to te red brand.

There are still no details as to the championship’s name, design or when it will be introduced in 2023.

Inaugural Champion

Details are still scarce regarding plans for a new Raw Championship, but we may already know who will hold it.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the main event of WrestleMania 39: Saturday will see Seth Rollins defend against either Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre.

The report stated that this match would be for the WWE Championship.

The main event of WrestleMania 39: Sunday will see Reigns defend the Universal Championship against The Rock or Rhodes if the Brahma Bull is not available.

Rollins is the only Superstar to have a PLE win over Reigns since 2020, defeating the Tribal Chief by DQ at the 2022 Royal Rumble.

Several people were not present for Wednesday’s AEW television tapings from Denver, Colorado.

A deadly winter storm resulted in widespread travel issues across the United States this past week. WWE’s ongoing Holiday Tour has been described as a logistical mess, with the company hoping to prevent more problems at tonight’s SmackDown.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Britt Baker, Saraya and Eddie Kingston were among a group of performers who were unable to attend the latest Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite.

After Dynamite went off the air, AEW taped matches for Friday’s Rampage. The show will feature Orange Cassidy defending the All Atlantic Championship against Trent Baretta, Swerve Strickland vs. Wheeler Yuta and Jade Cargill vs. Kiera Hogan. We’ll also hear from Jon Mocxley, AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, Darby Allin and Sting.

Hall of Famer announcer Jim Ross will not be part of the broadcast, but it’s not due to any problems with his flights. AEW President Tony Khan gave JR the night off on Wednesday so he could attend the big Cheez-It Bowl game in Orlando, FL featuring Florida State vs. JR’s beloved Oklahoma Sooners.

The commentary team for Rampage will instead see Excalibur calling the action alongside Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight. JR will be back at the announcer’s desk next week for the first Rampage of 2023.

Bust out your trumpet and cleanest pair of ‘jorts’ because John Cena is back in action tonight on SmackDown.

Wrestling fans around the world haven’t seen Cena compete since SummerSlam 2021, when he unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.

His most recent match took place on September 10, 2021, after that night’s SmackDown went off the air. The 16-time world champion teamed up with The Mysterios to defeat The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and The Usos) from Madison Square Garden in NYC.

A new chapter will soon be written in Cena’s longstanding beef with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline. It’s the final SmackDown of the year and WWE is saying goodbye to 2022 in a big way.

Matches Confirmed for SmackDown

WWE has announced the following lineup for tonight’s SmackDown from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL:

• John Cena and Kevin Owens face The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.

• SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defends against Raquel Rodriguez.

• Solo Sikoa vs. Sheamus. These two heavyweights fought on the October 21, with Sikoa picking up the win.

• Lacey Evans returns to action. She last competed on November 11. WWE has been airing a series of military-themed vignettes building to her comeback.

Here’s a look back at the revelation that Cena is lacing up the boots to battle Roman Reigns once again:

FTR are no longer the AAA World Tag Team Champions and their time with the promotion has come to an end.

At the recent AAA Noche de Campeones, the team’s 438-day reign ended at the hands of Dragon Lee and Dralistico.

After the match, Lee announced that he has signed with WWE and the titles have since been vacated.

Finished

FTR’s title loss marks the end of their 438-day reign as champions, and also marks the end of their AAA run, Fightful Select has learned.

It is reported that the tag team is “finished up” with AAA for the time being, and had informed the promotion that they wanted to lose the titles by the end of the year.

Fightful noted that FTR’s reign has been surprising, given that they are AEW talents who have been working with AAA and NJPW.

AAA and NJPW do not have a working relationship akin to New Japan’s agreement with AEW.

What’s next?

It has been a difficult month for FTR, who in addition to losing the AAA World Tag Titles, lost the ROH World Tag Team Championships to The Briscoes at Final Battle.

The pair’s next title defense will be at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, where they will put the IWGP World Tag Team Titles on the line against Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi

Speaking to Fightful recently, Dax Harwood said he believes their contracts with All Elite Wrestling are up in the Spring and have considered wrestling off of national television for a while.

The wrestling world is in mourning after the passing of Bob ‘Doc’ Holliday, who spent years as a key promoter for WWE.

Friends and family of Holliday, who died aged 80, confirmed his passing to CTV News, saying it was after a battle with cancer.

Glenn Johnson, a friend of Holliday for 35 years, described him as an “amazing man.”

Bob ‘Doc’ Holliday in Wrestling

In an era where WWE relied on people in different towns to help promote and organize events, Holliday was a key player for the company.

The man known to many as ‘Doc’ would organize events for the promotion in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the hometown of former Superstar and current AEW star Chris Jericho.

Holliday’s role would see him book arenas, organize publicity for shows in local newspapers and on TV, set up interviews and  

In the November 2, 1986, Winnipeg Free Press, Holliday summed up his take on pro wrestling.

“What wrestling is, is a good time. People have always had a good time at wrestling. They can come to a match and yell and scream and get all their frustrations out and you can’t always do that at a football or baseball game.”

Bob ‘Doc’ Holliday.

In 2003, Holliday spoke about WWE, calling it “one of the greatest indoor shows in the world.”

Bob Holliday

Holliday had success behind the scenes in wrestling, but he was accomplished outside of the industry.

A reporter for the Winnipeg Sun for many years, Bob was tasked with the crime beat, and knew everyone from cops on homicide cases to the local division of the Hell’s Angels.

Earlier this month, Holliday was presented with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and is a member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

We here at SEScoops would like to offer our condolences to Bob’s friends, family and those who knew him at this sad time.

All Elite Wrestling is kicking off the new era of AEW Dynamite in a big way. On Thursday, Tony Khan announced a championship main event for next week’s broadcast: Darby Allin will challenge Samoa Joe for the AEW TNT Championship.

Allin is the longest-reigning TNT Champion in history. He defeated Cody Rhodes to win the title (AEW Dynamite, 7/11/20). He was champion for 186 days and had eight successful defenses before dropping the title to Miro (AEW Dynamite, 12/5/21).

Joe has been TNT Champion since Full Gear, when he won a 3-way match that involved Powerhouse Hobbs and former champion, Wardlow.

Allin and Joe wrestled earlier this month on Dynamite (December 7), with Joe putting Allin’s championship dreams to sleep via submission.

Wardlow got his rematch against Joe this past week on Dynamite, but came up short. After the match, Joe was confronted by Allin, setting up next week’ clash.

Allin and Sting will address the upcoming match against Joe on Friday’s edition of Rampage.

AEW Dynamite Preview (January 4, 2023)

Here’s the updated card for next week’s AEW Dynamite from Seattle, WA:

• Darby Allin challenges Samoa Joe for the TNT Championship
• Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks
• Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Nese

In addition to these matches, Dynamite will feature an all-new look, including a new set, graphics, music and lighting.

WWE made waves this week by signing Dragon Lee, but the company has even bigger plans for the new year.

Lee announced that he had signed with WWE this week, after he and Dralistico dethroned FTR as the AAA World Tag Team Champions.

Vacating the titles not long after, there is no word yet on when Lee is expected to make his WWE TV debut.

Standout

Dragon Lee is the first big signing for Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, who’s tenure as Head of Talent Relations has mainly seen him rehire former Superstars.

Wrestle Votes reports that WWE is hopeful that the signing of Dragon Lee is just the start of “standout” talent agreeing to a deal with the promotion.

It was also reported that Triple H and his team are expecting to land other high-quality names in early 2023.

Who’s Next?

There’s no shortage of standout talent that WWE could attempt to lock into a deal in the new year.

It has been reported that WWE is extremely interested in bringing in KC Navarro, who was reported to be at a tryout for the company recently.

Kylie Rae is another possibility, given that she competed at a WWE Main Event taping earlier this month under the name Briana Ray.

For returns, Chelsea Green is expected to be back with the company soon, and her return could spark her husband Matt Cardona to also make a comeback.

Perhaps the biggest possibility is CM Punk, given that the AEW star is reportedly seeking a buyout of his contract.

It sounds like WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin is the most likely of three big names that could be at WrestleMania 39 next year.

Austin wrestled his first match in 19 years back in April. He competed against Kevin Owens in an impromptu No Disqualification singles bout to close out Night One of WrestleMania 38. Austin ultimately won the bout in his home state of Texas.

It was his first match since his retirement match against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Austin lost that bout before walking off into a silent retirement. However, after his return match earlier this year, many have speculated if Austin could wrestle yet again as WrestleMania season approaches.

Austin is one of three big names speculated for WrestleMania 39 this April, including The Rock and John Cena. According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Austin is actually the surest of the three to appear at the event, with Cena and Rock listed as “probable.”

Meltzer noted that it’s ultimately a question of how Austin is feeling, and that “The Texas Rattlesnake” is going to do what he feels like doing. Since his return match against Owens, it was said that Austin was actually pleased with his performance in the matchup, likely leaving the door open for another return bout.

Perhaps that could very well happen this April in Los Angeles. Of course, the question then becomes – who would his opponent be? Let us know who you’d like Steve Austin to face off against in the comments below!

WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has nothing but great things to say about Triple H’s love for professional wrestling.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and was asked who he believes has a good mind for the professional wrestling industry. He didn’t hesitate to name former in-ring foe and current head of WWE creative Triple H.

“For me personally, Triple H. He’s always had it,” Kurt Angle said. “He’s not just from a wrestling standpoint, but from a creative standpoint, from a psychology standpoint, from a promo standpoint. Triple H is one guy that is so well-educated.

“He loves pro-wrestling like it’s his wife. Okay? He cherishes it, and he’s really good at it. He has a great mind for it. In the past, I would say somebody like Hulk Hogan, who was able to bring the fans in at a time when wrestling was not so hot, but Hulkamania actually made wrestling so much bigger.

“And he has a great mind for the business as well. I worked with Hulk Hogan, and he definitely is well educated with the wrestling aspect.”

After Vince McMahon was forced to step down as WWE CEO, and later retire as head of creative for the company, Triple H stepped in to fill the void of creative head for the professional wrestling juggernaut.

Since, “The Game” has made a multitude of changes that have been positively received for the most part. His love for the industry has certainly shined through on multiple occasions since assuming his new role.

Quotes via WrestleZone