D-Von Dudley believes Paul Heyman’s habit of doing everything on his own was one of the reasons for the downfall of the original ECW.

The Attitude Era star who worked extensively with both Vince McMahon and Heyman during his career talked about the difference between the two in a video on his new YouTube channel.

While discussing the things he didn’t like about both the bosses, D-Von noted that Paul did not like asking for help even when he knew that he needed it:

“Paul had so much responsibility on his hands, he trusted nobody. Even though he knew he needed help, he was still going to carry the load all by himself. He didn’t care. I think that’s what burned him out.

Probably one of the things that I feel that probably closed the doors of ECW. You got to have that help. You got to be able to put your pride aside and go ‘Hey I need help. Can you help do this? Can you help do that?'”

• D-Von Dudley: I Faced Racism As Soon As I Joined WWE

It Was My Home: D-Von Dudley

According to the wrestling veteran, this is one of the reason for the failures of the original ECW as Heyman burnt himself up while trying to keep the brand going:

“When you’re trying to live up to the hype that ECW created, it’s hard to keep doing it on a regular basis when you don’t have any help. So that was one of the things I wish Paul could have done because maybe the company would have been around, who knows.

But that’s one of the things that I feel that Paul basically I didn’t like about it. I wanted to see ECW survive because it was my home. It was my first home and it was sad to me when it was gone.”

Paul Heyman took over the creative of ECW in 1993. He became the sole owner of the company in 1995 and started it off on the path that changed the wrestling world. The promotion folded due to financial difficulties in 2001, however, as Heyman failed to secure a new TV deal for it before WWE bought it in 2003.

Adam Copeland has revealed his idea for a perfect retirement.

The former world champion recently had an interview with Stephen Brunt on Up Close. He talked about things such as Hurricane Helene devasting his local area, growing up in Toronto, and more.

When asked about a retirement match, Copeland who now goes by the name Cope claimed that it’s going to be a big decision for him. According to him, he’d love to give the rub to someone younger and cement their position as a main eventer:

“That’s going to be the big decision for me. Who do I get in there with last? I’d love to get in with a young person and just try and strap a rocket to him and go, okay, in my last match, what can I do to try and get someone set up, or at least another block in the foundation to set them up to be able to take it further and further and further.”

• Cope Says Fans Will Struggle with John Cena’s Retirement

I’m Thinking Maybe Two Years: Adam Copeland

The AEW star was then asked about the timetable for a potential retirement. He discussed missing more than 6 months of action last year after fracturing his tibia and claimed that it has extended his run:

“I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe two years, and being off with the broken leg is kind of extended that, right? So now this six months or whatever that I’ve been off it’s like okay I gotta tack that on now.”

Cope also noted that he doesn’t want to be that old guy who’s hanging on. He wants to work with someone who he feels can be the future of AEW and then call it a career.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran talked about how Bret Hart set up a great example for him by helping him early in his career and taught him the value of giving back to the business.

• Cope With It: Times Wrestlers Had Their Names Shortened

Christopher Daniels has named the match he will like to be remembered for.

The Fallen Angle wrestled in what is expected to be his final in-ring performance at Collision this Saturday. He took on Hangman Adam Page in a brutal street fight, putting over the former AEW Champion one last time.

Prior to this bout, Daniels appeared at the GalaxyCon event where he spoke to Copper Age Gold. The AEW Executive talked about things like his backstage job in the company, people coming to him for advice and more.

When asked which matches from his career he’d like to be remembered for, Christopher Daniels reflected on the classic encounter between him, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe from TNA Unbreakable 2005 which is now considered the standard for triple threat matches by many:

“Well, honestly, I was talking about this at one of the panels today. It’s almost 20 years old, but the three-way match with AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, it’s by far one of the most talked about matches that people come up to me and mention in my career.

Like by far, head and shoulders above everything else. That’s the match people talk about when they come to see me. So, I like to be remembered for a match like that with two guys like Joe and AJ who are two of the greatest wrestlers to ever walk the planet. It’s a big deal to me.”

• Tony Khan Thanks Christopher Daniels After Expected Final Match

Apart from this, Daniels also named his three-way match with Bryan Danielson and Low Ki at the ROH debut show and his ROH World title victory over Adam Cole at the company’s 15th Anniversary Show as the two other bouts he’d like to be remembered for.

During the interview, Daniels also noted that January 2025 marks 31 years of his wrestling debut. During this time, the 54-year-old has wrestled for almost all major promotions with Hall of Fame worthy runs in both TNA and ROH.

• Christopher Daniels On Never Winning The World Title In TNA

An unlikely name has come into Tony Khan’s defence amid the drama surrounding Rey Fenix’s AEW status following Penta’s WWE debut.

The discussion about AEW extending Fenix’s contract picked up again on Saturday after the high-flying star posted a picture of himself on social media. The former champion was seen wearing a straightjacket in the photo indicating that he was being ‘restrained’ by the company.

Former WWE star Tom Pestock better known to fans as Baron Corbin came in support of Khan over the issue. Responding to a post suggesting that Tony should let Rey Fenix out of his deal, Corbin claimed that you need to honor your contract:

“If you sign a contract, you honor it.  Would it have been okay if Tony didn’t pay him while he was hurt or out of action?  The answer is no bc Tony signed the contract as well. You can’t switch teams after getting what you want and signing the contract.”

Baron Corbin also responded to some other objections to his remarks in the thread suggesting that there might be more to the story of Fenix and AEW than people know.

The former WWE star’s comments actually align with what the AEW star himself has suggested in the past. He’s previously claimed that a ‘huge injustice’ has been done to him and that he’ll get the chance to speak the truth one day.

• Rey Fenix Backs ‘Most Accurate’ Report Of “Huge Injustice” in AEW

Wade Barrett has been confirmed as the fill-in for Pat McAfee for the January 20th Raw from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

ESPN announced earlier this week that McAfee will be a part of the broadcast team for the College Football National Championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, calling the action from inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Due to the ongoing drama over the Raw commentary position, fans wondered who will replace the former NFL star on the show. Barrett then revealed during the latest episode of SmackDown that he’ll be joining Michael Cole on Monday.

• Corey Graves In-Ring Return: From Commentary to Comeback?

WWE made changes to both Raw and Smackdown commentary teams to start off 2025. With McAfee’s return to the company, Michael Cole was put back with the Football star on Monday nights. The duo of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett who had been on the Red Brand were moved to Friday nights.

These changes left Cole’s existing partner Corey Graves in an awkward position. Despite being only behind the EVP in experience among the mentioned names, Graves was forced to return to NXT instead. The Savior of Misbehavior was visibly unhappy with what he considered a demotion.

He was taken off TV by the company after Corey took to social media to express his frustrations in now-deleted tweets. Graves’ status remains very much in the air since then with no updates on his return to TV.

WWE has announced a match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre for Monday’s episode of Raw as well as an appearance from JBL. The New Day are also expected to compete at the show but their opponents have not been confirmed.

• Jim Ross On Corey Graves: We Choose This Life

Chelsea Green has explained why traditional babyface and heel roles don’t work in 2025.

With fans becoming smarter about every aspect of the wrestling industry, it’s gotten much harder to sort talents into traditional babyface and heel roles. The modern era instead increasingly features babyfaces with split opinions of fans with heels that get cheered more and more.

The longest-reigning Women’s US Champion is an example of this change in dynamic. While she’s slotted into the role of a villain, her entertaining character and real-life story have led to her getting some of the biggest cheers on WWE shows in recent times. This popularity is the reason the company has chosen her as the Inaugural champion.

The WWE star was asked if she finds it hard to get cheered as a heel during a recent interview with The Law. Chelsea Green explained that for her, it’s harder to see the babyface against her not getting the reaction they deserve:

“So at first it wasn’t challenging. When I was paired with Sonya [Deville], I felt like it was good. As it evolved to more of like a comedy fun role and when they put me with Piper [Niven], that’s when it became a little more difficult. I’ve seen it get more difficult week by week. Now at this point, the fans are so smart. I’m sorry but you just cannot tell the fans how to react.

If they have found that they like somebody or that someone has worked hard and they’ve seen someone put blood sweat and tears into this industry, they’re just not going to boo you. I got a quick little boo when I said something about Piper the other day in my inauguration speech. I got a little boo so that was interesting.

I actually, I feel worse for my opponent. It’s not necessarily about me, it’s about my opponent not getting the reaction that they deserve as a babyface. That makes me feel uncomfortable. Because as a former babyface I wouldn’t want to be in that position.

So that’s where I struggle. That’s where I’ve kind of spoken to the writers ‘How can we write some things in that will rub maybe the crowd the wrong way and we can turn this in our favor.’ But at the end of the day the WWE universe and pro wrestling fans in general are, they’re just smart. They’re just smart and they want what they want. We gave them what they wanted and that was me as champion. So now I’m not sure how we take that back.”

• Chelsea Green Feels Safe, Supported & Equal In Triple H’s WWE

That’s Not What Fans Look Like: Chelsea Green

While discussing how hard it is to get a traditional babyface over in the modern era, Chelsea Green suggested that the entertaining heel-to-babyface route is the necessity of the time. She explained that fans today find it hard to cheer for a babyface they can’t relate to as opposed to the older times:

“They love an underdog story. Don’t we all? At the end of the day I’ve got to say like as a fan as well I don’t necessarily love to see this perfect human with a perfect body and perfect gear and a perfect speech go out and beat up a bad guy who actually isn’t perfect. There’s just like, there’s something kind of ‘blah’ about that.

So I think us seeing these turns from heels into baby faces – maybe that’s just the way we have to go you know. Maybe the bad guy are the perfectly groomed superhumans. Because that’s not what the fans look like. That’s not what the fans sit down and think ‘Oh I could be that guy’ That’s not realistic. Some of the people in WWE are superhuman.”

• Chelsea Green Open to Rematch With Penta In WWE: “Never Say Never”

AEW taped the January 18 ‘Maximum Carnage’ special of Collision from Cincinnati, Ohio this Thursday. The show featured several top stars such as Adam Page, Jon Moxley, and Kazuchika Okada in action. Below are the complete spoiler results for the episode:

Texas Death Match: Hangman Page def. Christopher Daniels: Weapons such as tables and barbed wire were involved and Daniels was left bloodied. Page pinned the former SCU member to pick up the victory.

Six Men Tag Team Match: Roderick Strong, Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly def. The Infantry & ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty

Tag Team Match: Brian Cage & Lance Archer defeated Top Flight – The duo of Action Andretti & Lio Rush showed up after the bell and attacked Top Flight following their loss.

Toni Storm Promo: Tony Schiavone interviewed the young rookie following her big win on Dynamite. She claimed that it was finally time for her to meet AEW Women’s Champion Mariah May ‘face to face.’

• AEW Rookie Toni Storm Wants To Be Just Like Her Idol Mariah May

The Acclaimed Promo Battle: Max Caster and Anthony Bowens went back and forth on mic. Bowens told Max that he is a ‘cocky piece of shit.’ He claimed that he had everything it takes to be an AEW World Champion. Billy Gunn came out to try and talk some sense but he got berated by Caster. Max claimed that Billy only attached himself to the team so people would chant his name again. Max then asked Bowens to choose between him and Billy and Bowens chose Billy. An angry Caster then announced that The Acclaimed were done before walking out.

Singles Match: Continental Crown Champion Kazuchika Okada def. Tomohiro Ishii

Singles Match: Dustin Rhodes def. Adam Priest

Singles Match: Julia Hart def. Harley Cameron.

12 Men Tag Team Match: Cope, Powerhouse Hobbs, The Outrunners & FTR def. The Death Riders & The Learning Tree – Hobbs was apparently attacked backstage before the match and he initially didn’t show up with his other teammates. The Death Riders tried to kidnap Cope but FTR thwarted their attempt. The two groups then brawled away from the ring leaving the rest of the participants on their own. Powerhouse Hobbs came out selling his leg in the end. He got the hot tag and pinned Bryan Keith with a spinebuster for the win.

Toni Storm says she wants to ‘follow in the footsteps’ of Mariah May.

The AEW rookie picked up the biggest win of her short career this past Wednesday on Dynamite. She won the Casino Gauntlet Match to earn the right to challenge for the AEW Women’s Title at Grand Slam in her home country of Australia.

The newest AEW star talked about her win and her upcoming match with the current champion Mariah May in an interview with The Takedown. Storm mentioned that she hasn’t gotten a chance to meet May backstage yet and admitted that she’s super intimidated by the former Stardom star:

“Best in the business today. She’s the real deal. I’m not gonna lie, I’m super intimidated. I hope I get an opportunity to show some respect. I hope she doesn’t think I’m rude for not coming and saying hello.

I’ve never really met a star so big before and I’m just such a huge fan of her work. I’ve seen stuff she’s done since Stardom. I mean, it’s just insane. I just wanna be like her. I wanna follow in her footsteps.”

• Mariah May Discusses Pressure of All In: London Match Against Toni Storm

While the “Rockstar” does not remember meeting May, ‘The Timeless’ Toni Storm has a long history with the current Women’s World champion. Mariah May made her AEW debut as a protege of the Golden Era star back in 2023 and she eventually turned on Toni to win her first title in the company.

It’d be interesting to see what length Storm goes to follow the footsteps of her idol and if the upcoming match helps her remember the forgotten past between the two.

Thunder Rosa got emotional talking about Penta’s WWE debut.

The masked star defeated Chad Gable in his debut match on this week’s episode of Raw. The wrestling star’s whole family was at the ringside for this moment and their emotion showed what the night meant for the 39-year-old.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WWE (@wwe)

Thunder Rosa who has worked with the high-flying star in multiple different companies talked about the whole thing on Busted Open Radio recently. The former AEW Women’s Champion first highlighted the struggles of both Penta and his brother Rey Fenix from a very early age:

“Penta’s been a friend of mine for a while. I got really close once he came to AEW, I’ve worked with him since Lucha Underground. So I’ve seen his rise to every platform that he’s worked. Seeing him with his family, like his daughters, I met his daughters, I hang out with his daughters, his wife. It was very special, because he started working.

And his place of birth, which is Ecatepec de Morelos, which is one of the most dangerous places in Mexico City. Him and his brother worked so hard from, you know, carrying things in Mercado De Abastos [Farmer’s market], five, six days a week. Then they were training, and they were getting paid, literally, they call it Luchadores Moleros, which is they get paid by a soda and a plate of food.”

• Bully Ray Impressed By Penta’s WWE Debut: ‘This Is How You Do It’

It Means A Lot: Thunder Rosa

Thunder Rosa herself got emotional discussing the importance of representation for the Hispanic community. She proclaimed that Penta’s debut is a proud moment for her:

“So just imagine that. That was like probably 20 years ago, when they both, both of them started. Seeing them how they have been able to transcend barriers in everything, because they both had to learn English at a older age.

Seeing what he said like it really got in my heart, because I’ve seen his struggles, and I sat with him and he’s all about business. He has a great influence in me, personally. I get a little emotional because at a time in where things are changing so quickly, seeing someone like that being an example of hard work takes you to places, and you will utilize every platform that you can to become successful, it means a lot.

Representation means everything. This is a beautiful moment for Hispanics in professional wrestling, because finally, we are seeing some change, and we’re seeing that they’re respecting our traditions and that we’re given a space where we can be ourselves. So that’s why I was so proud.”

• Rey Mysterio Endorses Penta After Debut In “True Home” WWE

John Cena has explained the importance of his super Cena run.

At the height of his WWE run, The Cenation leader was defeating opponents left and right. Despite not having a strong showing through the match John would end up winning all the major contests. A lot of the hardcore fans detested the fact that the end goal for any talents the company pushed at the time was to put over the 16-time world champion. Most of them got lost in the shuffle afterward as the creative didn’t really have any solid direction for them.

The wrestling veteran talked about this period of his career in a new interview with Collider while promoting his upcoming project What Drives You.

Being a 16-time world champion means Cena also lost the world title 16 times and he expressed the importance of his losses in elevating other talents and surprising fans. When asked which losses meant the most to him as a storyteller, John picked three from different periods of his career:

“Some of the ones that come to mind are certainly The Rock in Miami (at WrestleMania 28) was a fantastic loss; Kevin Owens’ debut (at Elimination Chamber 2015) was another great one that I thought was a really fun one; Rob Van Dam at Hammerstein Ballroom (at ECW One Night Stand in 2006). Anytime you can surprise people.”

• Chrissy Teigen Celebrates Daughter’s Birthday with John Cena Cake

Sometimes You Got To Win A Lot: John Cena

Whenever Cena defied the odds and picked up another big victory, hardcore fans took to social media to vent their frustrations. The phrase ‘Cena Wins LOL’ became a synonym to everything the fans hated about his run.

During the interview, the Peacemaker star admitted that this was one of the ‘biggest hang-ups’ of his career. Though John Cena explained that his wins were important because he was in it for the ‘long haul’ and it made his losses that much more impactful:

“The way you make those losses impactful is sometimes you’ve got to win, and sometimes you’ve got to win a lot. Any time you can pass energy on to somebody, that’s kind of the life cycle of the business.

You come in an unknown and, hopefully, you get the flywheel spinning, you create all this energy on your way out, you pay it forward, you pass it off.”

John Cena kicked off his retirement tour by announcing his Royal Rumble entry at Raw’s Netflix premiere. You can check out the reported WrestleMania 41 plans for the wrestling veteran here.

• John Cena Promises A “Little Sprinkle” of Every Era in Farewell Year

Bully Ray was very impressed by Penta’s WWE debut.

The company had originally teased the Luchador debuting in a tag team match with Rey Mysterio against New Day at Raw’s Netflix premiere. The officials, however, changed the plans at the last minute.

Putting him in a singles match against Chad Gable on the second week of Raw on Netflix instead allowed Penta’s debut to stand out. The change of plans paid out in the form of the whole segment becoming a huge viral topic on the internet.

The Hardcore Veteran discussed the effort WWE put in the former AEW star’s debut on the latest Busted Open. Bully Ray praised all aspects of Penta’s presentation, saying that the company captured lightning in a bottle with it:

“The way he was presented, the worst kept secret, the merchandise, having the masks ready to go. The entrance, the music, the pyro, the allowing him to take his time to get to the ring, the match time, the finish, the promo afterwards. The WWE told the entire world, ‘This is Penta. We’re giving him all the time he needs to get over on this night.’ WWE Universe, welcome Penta, Yada, Yada, Yada.

And oh, by the way, dear rest of the wrestling world, this is how it’s done. Do not underestimate the WWE telling the rest of the world, including one company in particular, this is how you do it. This is how you get somebody, right. This is how you help capture somebody’s lightning in a bottle in all aspects of their character, not just the moves.”

• Rey Mysterio Endorses Penta After Debut In “True Home” WWE

Bully Ray also said that Penta reminds him of both Rey Mysterio and LA Parka because he can not only do the high-flying moves but he is also a very entertaining star.

The ECW original wasn’t the only one who was impressed by Penta’s arrival. Both Rey Mysterio and Rey Fenix also praised his first showing in WWE. You can check out the latter’s reaction here.

It appears that the TNA-NXT partnership is about to resume.

2024 saw the two brands surprising the wrestling world with a lengthy partnership. This resulted in a number of big names crossing over the ‘Forbidden Door’ and making appearances at the other show, including talents such as Jordynne Grace, Joe Hendry, and Arianna Grace.

Things had cooled down in recent weeks however as WWE got busy trying to adjust to the new TV deals with all three of their brands finding new homes.

Though the latest episode of NXT signaled a change in this status, with a surprise on-screen appearance from the new TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich:

• Watch: Bayley Brawls Roxanne Perez In Surprise NXT Return

Slamovich won the title from Jordynne Grace at Bound For Glory in October. She was not only shown in the crowd during the January 14 show but the commentators also mentioned her upcoming title defence against Rosemary at TNA Genesis on January 19.

If past events are any indication, we can assume that Slamovich won’t be the only name to cross over and there will be more surprise appearances from both sides in coming times.

With the WWE Royal Rumble fast approaching, this appearance is sure to ignite rumors about potential TNA entries into the Rumble. It’d be interesting to see if any current TNA champions continue the tradition of Rumble appearances at the February 1 show.

• Shawn Michaels Hopes For “Long-Standing Relationship” Between NXT & TNA Wrestling

Bayley has returned to NXT.

The January 14 episode of the Black & Silver show featured Roxanne Perez in the main event. The former NXT Women’s Champion talked about her title loss to Giulia at last week’s episode of the show and claimed that NXT did not deserve her.

This is when Bayley’s music hit and the main roster star came out to confront the 23-year-old. She tried to advise Perez on her future but the developmental star said that she didn’t ask for advice.

The two women then went back and forth on the mic talking about Bayley’s achievements in NXT. Roxanne finally lost her cool when Bayley referenced Cora Jade helping her retain her title before. The NXT star ended up attacking the Horsewoman and the two stars brawled as the episode went off air.

• Bayley Aiming For WrestleMania Dream Match with Roxanne Perez

Bayley is set to challenge Tiffany Stratton for the Women’s Championship on this Friday’s SmackDown. After this bout was brought up in the promo today, it’s extremely likely that Perez will make her presence felt on the Blue Branded Show this week.

The announced ‘Transfer Window’ between all three of WWE’s brands is still open and it’d be interesting to see if this rivalry proves to be the catalyst for Perez’s move to the main roster.

Jeff Hardy has opened up about his father Gilbert Hardy’s mental struggles before his passing and how it affected him.

The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as his AEW run, reuniting with his brother Jeff Hardy in TNA, a WWE Hall of Fame induction, and more.

During the interview, Hardy also went into detail of his personal struggles in the years leading up to his infamous 2021 WWE release. Jeff revealed that he had been taking care of his ailing father who was battling severe depression. Despite the difficulties, the former world champion was determined to take care of his father after having lost his mother at a very young age:

“When I left WWE in 2021 my dad had been real sick. 2017, right after we went back to WWE at Mania, that was probably around the time that he felt good for the last time before he slipped back into this dark depression. But yeah, I’d been taking care of him, and it was just bad to where he did not want to be here.

He was ready to go. Our mom died at a young age; I was 10 when she passed away. So I’ve always told myself when he needs me, I’m going to take care of him. I just did everything I could to get him excited about life and all that stuff.”

• Jeff Hardy Talks Real-Life Problems Being Used In Wrestling Stories

It Just Got Out of Control: Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy’s father passed away at the age of 87 on January 6, 2021. This led to the Charismatic Enigma missing the WrestleMania 37 weekend where he was supposed to take part in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

According to Hardy, this is the period where his alcohol addiction became a serious problem again. It eventually led to Hardy unexpectedly walking out of a match during a house show in December that year, leading to his WWE release:

“So that’s definitely when my drinking got carried away during those times that I’ve never really talked about. The year 2021 is when I miss WrestleMania because my dad had just passed away. April 6, my wife’s birthday, is when my dad passed away, which was strange in itself. But yeah, it just got out of control and I needed something extreme to happen. It’s sad the way it worked out.”

Jeff Hardy mentioned how he was offered the option to go to rehab but he chose not to and got released by the company. The 47-year-old was then hired by AEW. Things didn’t change for him there either however as he got another DUI in June 2022, only three months after making his debut for Tony Khan’s promotion.

Many were expecting Hardy to get a legends run with his brother Matt Hardy in the company and the direction was hinted on AEW programming as well. The arrest however, derailed Jeff’s whole run with the promotion and he was never featured significantly by the company during the rest of his time there. 

Jeff admitted elsewhere in the interview that he let his brother Matt Hardy down with his AEW mishap. Though he claimed that their current TNA run feels like an opportunity to pay Matt back for his screw up to the fullest extent.

• Jeff Hardy Details Personal Struggles After 2022 DUI Arrest

LA Knight competed in a championship match after this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from SAP Center in San Jose, California went off air.

Hometown star Bayley was featured in the first dark match of the night after the show. She had multiple segments on the broadcast which included one where the former champion teamed up with Rhea Ripley to take out Nia Jax. Bayley then faced Jax in a singles match after the episode and picked up the victory.

Knight on the other hand faced Shinsuke Nakamura in a Survivor Series rematch for the US title. He did not manage to recapture the championship however and the match ended in a disqualification.

What Happened On Raw

The second Monday Night Raw episode on Netflix featured many noteworthy moments. Both Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins also declared their entry into Royal Rumble, joining names such as Roman Reigns and John Cena on the list of participants.

Damian Priest picked up a big victory over Finn Balor in the Street Fight main event, signalling the end of their feud. Dakota Kai on the other hand made history by becoming the first-ever Women’s Intercontinental Champion.

Arguably the biggest moment of the night, however, was the highly anticipated debut of Penta, who picked up a victory over Chad Gable in his first WWE match ever. You can check out Rey Fenix’s reaction to Penta’s debut here.

• WWE Raw Results: Lyra Valkyria Makes History, Penta Debuts

Very evil, very cute, Little Babyhausen is coming soon.

AEW and ROH star Danhausen has announced that he and his partner Lauren Jiles are expecting their first baby together. The wrestling star revealed the news with a post on Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danhausen (@danhausenad)

Danhausen married Lauren Jiles back in 2018. A Canadian burlesque dancer, Jiles is known professionally as Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière. The All Elite star is also the stepfather to Lauren’s daughter.

The Mystery of Danhausen

The 34-year-old is part of the list of AEW stars that have been used scarcely or been absent from TV outright without an explanation in recent months. Other names in the list include people such as Ricky Stark and Malakai Black.

He has not wrestled for AEW since the 2023 Worlds End PPV. It’s been almost a year since his last ROH match back in February 2024 as well.

Danhausen did make a brief surprise appearance at ROH’s Final Battle 2024 PPV last month. He helped Atlantis Jr. pick up a victory over Mansoor of MxM Collection.

Many expected the AEW star to start a feud with MxM Collection after this appearance but the lightweight star has gone missing from TV once again, leaving fans even more confused about his relationship with the promotion.

• Danhausen Ruins Christmas In Hilarious Video

The Wyatt Sicks have been moved to SmackDown as part of the transfer window to shake up the current rosters.

The company announced a ‘transfer window’ earlier last month that allows all three of their brands in SmackDown, Raw, and NXT to negotiate with each other and move stars around.

Karrion Kross then revealed perhaps the biggest move of the stretch so far during the January 13 episode of Raw. While talking to The Miz backstage, Kross revealed that the Wyatt Sicks have officially been moved to the SmackDown roster.

The group of Uncle Howdy aka Bo Dallas, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, & Nikki Cross made their official debut on Raw in June last year. They’ve been feuding with Kross’ Final Testament in recent months.

• Bo Dallas: Every Wyatt Sicks Idea Is A Bray Wyatt Original

The Wyatts are the first faction to move nights as part of the transfer window. Braun Strowman previously joined SmackDown as well while Logan Paul confirmed that he’ll be part of the Raw roster in its Netflix era.

A number of other top stars such as Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes have utilized the transfer window to appear on the opposite brands but their transfer has not been announced.

After multiple title changes at NXT New Year’s Evil, a number of developmental stars are also expected to be called up to the main roster soon. You can check out a list of our preferred trades here.

AEW has teased Brody King becoming the new leader of House of Black with a new segment featuring Adam Copeland on this week’s Collision.

The former WWE star, now going by just Cope in the company, had a rivalry with the AEW faction before his injury last year. He even had a singles match with King for the TNT Championship during the May 8, 2024 episode of Dynamite.

The two AEW stars shared the screen once again during the most recent TV tapings. Cope cut an interesting promo during this encounter, mentioning all the other members of the House of Black except for the group’s leader Malakai Black:

“We’ve been through a lot, but I hope you know that at the end of all of it, I respect you. I respect you [Julia]. I respect Buddy. I think you have the world of potential at your feet. I know what you bring to the table. Man, I felt it. I wanted us to be a group. But tell you what, it’s time for you to take the reins and run.”

Malakai Black has not been seen on AEW TV since the Full Gear PPV in November. The belief is that he’s finished up with the company and is just waiting for his contract to officially expire sometime in the next couple months.

This latest segment is another indication that the company is planning to move away from the former NXT Champion and we might see the group moving forward under the leadership of King instead.

• Malakai Black Announced For Rare Indie Appearance Amid WWE Speculations

Eric Bischoff believes Hulk Hogan’s Raw reception was due to his political leanings.

WWE presented the Raw on Netflix premiere this past Monday Night on January 6 from Inglewood, California. One of the unlikely talking points coming out of the show was Hulk Hogan getting booed out of the building by fans. The story was picked up by many mainstream outlets after the show.

The former WCW President gave his thoughts on the matter during the latest episode of 83 Weeks podcast. Bischoff first claimed that anyone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in the area would not think it to be a Democrat hub:

“You know, if you’re someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in California — particularly LA or San Francisco — you’ve heard all the stories about how liberal it is and all that.

But until you’ve been there and realize just how intensely liberal and Democrat California is, you might not think that that could possibly be the reason why Hulk got booed.”

• Samantha Irvin Recalls WWE Fans Booing Hulk Hogan During Breaks

You Can’t Be Shocked: Eric Bischoff

Eric Bischoff went on to explain that Hulk Hogan joining Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign was the reason for his reception at the show:

“But Hulk and Trump are kind of joined at the hip now, in the eyes of many. At least publicly, given Hulk’s involvement in — and of course, you’re gonna have some backlash in California. You can’t be shocked; you can’t be surprised. You could be disappointed, but you can’t be surprised.”

While Bischoff suggests otherwise, many people believe that Hogan’s past racially insensitive comments are the reason for the rejection of fans.

Hogan’s Raw return was to promote the company’s new partnership with his beer company and it was expected to lead to more appearances for the WWE Hall of Famer. With the unexpected reception for him however, the officials will now have to rethink their strategy with the former champion.

• Hulk Hogan Booed On RAW: Hulkster Reacts & Future Plans

NXT has crowned a couple of new #1 contenders for the brand’s top titles in the latest series of house shows following New Year’s Evil.

The latest NXT TV special on January 7 saw the start of a new era as both Oba Femi and Giulia became the new NXT Champion and NXT Women’s Champion respectively.

This show was followed by a January 10 House Show from Dade City where the Black & Silver brand held a Women’s Rumble match to determine the new #1 contender for the Women’s title.

The bout featured names such as Nikkita Lyons and Stephanie Vaquer but in the end, it was Lola Vice who outlasted all the other talents to earn a shot at Giulia’s title.

Vice wasn’t the only one who won a title shot at a non-televised event this week, however, and Eddy Thorpe also picked a battle royal victory during the January 11 Live Event from Jacksonville, Florida.

Thorpe was involved in the triple-threat match at New Year’s Evil where Femi won the NXT title. Eddy ended up hitting the reigning champion Trick Williams with a chair during the ending spot which allowed the Nigerian star to pick up the victory.

It’s unknown if the contenders will receive their title shots on TV. Though NXT under Shawn Michaels is known for experimenting with the formula. So it’s very likely that these results will be acknowledged at the upcoming episode of the show.

• Oba Femi Says There’s Going To Be Problems If ‘Uncle Dwyane’ Steals His Time Again

AEW star Anthony Bowens has been forced to miss the January 11 episode of Saturday Night Collision due to the wildfire disaster in California. Bowens, a Southern California resident, took to social media earlier today to provide an update on his status and well-being before the latest AEW show.

The former tag champion noted that he and his partner are having to evacuate their homes as a precautionary measure after the Paradise fires started moving towards their area. Though Bowens confirmed that his neighborhood is safe as of now. The AEW star also thanked the LA Fire Department for their continuous hard work:

• Anthony Bowens Pays Tribute To Sting With Throwback Photo

A group of fires has devasted the greater Los Angeles area since Tuesday this week. The Paradise Fire is the largest of the several blazes that have led to over 100,000 people evacuating their homes. WWE’s Cathy Kelley revealed earlier this week that she is one of the thousands who have been displaced.

The wildfires have destroyed over ten thousand structures and claimed as many as 16 lives per the latest reports. They have burned over 37,000 acres so far, an area bigger than the city of San Francisco. You can find a list of resources for affected residents as well as ways to help victims here.

Oba Femi says there’s going to be problems the next time ‘Uncle Dwyane’ tries to steal his spotlight.

The Nigerian star picked up the biggest win of his career during the New Year’s Evil special when he defeated Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe in a triple threat match for the NXT Championship. His big win however, was overshadowed a bit by the appearance of The Rock who ended up closing the night instead of the title match.

The new champion talked about his big victory during his most recent appearance on Busted Open Radio. During the interview, the hosts joked about The Rock stealing his time and asked Femi why he didn’t say anything.

The 26-year-old replied in a similar lighthearted manner explaining that he wasn’t even aware that his time was being stolen. The next time it happens however, Femi claimed that there’s going to be problems:

“At the moment the time was being stolen from me, I wasn’t even aware it was being stolen from me. Maybe if I knew, I would have gone up to him and been like, ‘Hey, Uncle Dwayne, what are you doing?’ I’ll let it slide this time. But the next time Uncle Dwayne comes in and steals time from me, there’s going to be problems.”

• Oba Femi Breaks Historic Ground With WWE NXT Title Win

Oba Femi was also asked about the ending of his title match where Trick Williams got hit in the face with a chair by Eddy Thorpe before getting powerbomed and pinned by the heavyweight star. The NXT Champion was asked if he’d be willing to give Trick a rematch for the title if he claimed that Femi didn’t get a clean win.

He explained that he wanted the title match to be a singles bout. It was Williams who suggested the idea for a triple threat so now he needs to go back in the line and earn his opportunity.

Jeff Jarrett says he has very little creative control in AEW.

The wrestling veteran revealed earlier this year that he has signed a contract extension with the promotion. Jarrett announced that this is his last deal in wrestling as an active competitor. He also expressed his desire to win gold one more time before he retires.

The AEW star appeared on The Bobby Bones Show after this announcement to talk about his career. He discussed things such as being a legacy act, the Owen Hart Cup Tournament, and more.

When asked how much control he has over his current role in AEW, Jeff Jarrett claimed that he has ‘no real input’ and he only gives out suggestions every now and then:

“Very little. Very little. That’s a bit of an adjustment, good and bad. I don’t have the responsibility. It is a full-time, non-stop, juggling act. I have little to no real input. A little piece here and there, but for the most part, it’s not my ball to wack.”

• Jeff Jarrett: ‘The Owen Hart Cup Has Helped Me Get Closure On His Passing’

Jarrett has declared that he is after singles gold in his last run and that he’ll be going after the AEW title. He competed in a Casino Gauntlet match at the latest episode of Dynamite to earn a shot at the championship but was unsuccessful in his quest.

The 57-year-old was confronted by MJF after this bout who offered to help Double J in his quest. MJF also revealed that Jeff only has a year to fulfil this goal. The Last Outlaw however, refused the offer from the former champion.

Dominik Mysterio has explained what it takes to be a good heel in wrestling in 2025.

The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with Busted Open where he talked about his heel run. Dirty Dom noted how he thought he was going to be in the best tag team with his father when he first entered the business.

However, the Judgment Day star noted that as a kid he always gravitated toward the heels of the industry. When he finally got a taste of being a villain himself it felt very natural to him.

The former North American Champion was then asked what makes a good heel in 2025. Dominik Mysterio explained that it’s all about the perception and said that you have to commit to the role fully to achieve success:

“Honestly, I think it’s all perception, right? I think it’s all perception of how the fans see you and how you kind of want to portray yourself. Because I don’t know, I feel like there’s bad guys that are heels that want to be cool heels. Want to do this stuff and still be cool. You gotta embrace being the heel. You got to embrace the boos.

You can’t just half-ass it. If you’re going to be a heel, you gotta be a heel. You can’t be mean to their parents. Then the kids come by and be like, ‘Oh, hi son, it’s your birthday?’ No kid, everybody’s got a birthday. You’re not special. That’s just what it is. I feel like some people just can’t, they can’t accept being rude to [kids]. No you gotta go 100% in.”

Dominik Mysterio accompanied Liv Morgan for her Women’s World Championship match at the most recent episode of Raw. Unfortunately for Morgan, Rhea Ripley managed to overcome the odds and take the title back from her at the show.

• Dominik Mysterio Was Robbed of His SummerSlam 05 Paycheck: All I Got Was One Bike

Malakai Black is set to become a free agent before WrestleMania 41 from Los Angeles according to latest reports.

There have been lots of rumors about the former NXT Champion’s future amid his AEW hiatus and many believed that he might already be done with Tony Khan’s promotion.

PWinsider recently provided an update on his situation however, noting that as of now, Black is still technically under an AEW deal. Though people within the company believe that he will not be returning to AEW programming and they expect him to become a free agent sometime in February or March.

• Malakai Black Announced For Rare Indie Appearance Amid WWE Speculations

Malakai Black was last seen on TV during the Full Gear PPV in November 2024. He teamed with Brody King for a fatal four-way tag team championship match but the duo were unsuccessful in their quest to win the title.

AEW hinted at Black’s faction member Buddy Matthews breaking away from the group and going on a singles run in 2025 during the most recent episode of Dynamite. The storyline only further suggests that the company is not factoring the former WWE star in their plans for the new year.

Known as Aleister Black in WWE, the 39-year-old was featured prominently in NXT under Triple H. Now that the game is running main roster creative, Black returning to the Endeavor-owned promotion seems like the most natural course of action if he does leave AEW.