The incredible WWE championship win of Big E on last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw not only created a positive buzz among fans but it apparently served as a huge morale booster for people in the locker room as well.

According to reports from PWinsider, there was a ‘huge uptick’ in morale among the talents present at last night’s show out of genuine excitement over the New Day member’s big win.

E is beloved by the locker room so his win over Bobby Lashley was seen as a huge deal. There were even some SmackDown talents who wished to be at the event for the night just to be part of the environment.

There were concerns over Lashley’s knee after the spot where he slammed Randy Orton through the table. Though the site reports that he was 100% fine.

The all-mighty did an excellent job selling his knee coming out of the spot. He received a lot of praise for his performance during his match with Orton and Big E as well.

There is no word yet on what the company is planning for Lashley after Raw. We will have to see when or if he gets a championship rematch against the new titleholder.

A new era begins tonight for NXT, WWE’s developmental brand. According to PWInsider, there is a great sense of unease in the locker room as the wrestlers learn what “NXT 2.0” will actually look like.

Talent was already on edge following the last round of releases. The feeling is that people who ‘did everything they were supposed to’ and received praise from coaches were still let go. This has led to trepidation and uncertainty as it relates to job security.

NXT has already undergone a dramatic overhaul in recent weeks. After losing the ratings war against AEW Dynamite, NXT moved to Tuesday nights. Viewership has been acceptable since the move, but the show failed to generate much momentum.

Earlier this month, news broke that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard would be taking over NXT, with Triple H and his team carrying out their vision and handling the day-to-day operations.

Triple H undergoing an emergency medical procedure only fueled concerns about NXT’s future. Then came a report by Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net about a new wave of NXT production cuts. He described NXT being down to a “skeleton crew.”

Samoa Joe relinquishing the NXT Championship late Sunday night was the latest curveball for WWE’s black and gold (rainbow?) brand.

Tonight’s NXT 2.0 launch will be interesting to watch, from multiple perspectives.

Wrestling legend Mickie James is a fierce advocate for women’s wrestling. She was the driving force behind the recent NWA EMPOWERRR all-women’s pay-per-view.

During a recent interview with Nashville’s SportsLine One, James spoke about all things women’s wrestling, including EMPOWERRR, WWE’s Women’s Revolution and more.

The multi-time Women’s Champion says she once pitched an all-women’s brand to WWE. However, it not meant to be.

“It was met with a lot of resistance and maybe not understanding of why I was fighting so hard.”

– Mickie James

Mickie James presented the concept to some ‘very important’ people in WWE. She thought the idea made a lot of sense, because it would provide content for the Network while utilizing the company’s vast women’s roster.

“I had very important conversations with very important people,” she said. “I said, ‘Hey, let’s do an all-women’s brand. We do 205 Live and all these other things. We need content for The Network.”

Mickie James went on to explain how the all-female brand could have been a place for female stars to find their voice and wrestle until they were ready for live television.

“We have an immense amount of talent, talent that isn’t necessarily getting used on television right now. This could be a wonderful place for them to grow.'”

WWE Not Interested

The veteran wrestler revealed that her pitch to WWE about an all-women’s brand was met with a lot of resistance.

“It was met with a lot of resistance and maybe not understanding of why I was fighting so hard. I wasn’t just fighting for me and I wasn’t the only one who posed this question or went to the well. When I realized that this was the fight that I was hanging my hat on, it was unfortunate that it didn’t happen the way I wanted to in that moment.”

Mickie James was released by WWE on April 15, 2021. NWA President Billy Corgan has stated that she is not under contract with the NWA.

James has not revealed her future plans as of this writing, but it will be interesting to see where she ends up next.

Check out our recent interview with Mickie James during the NWA EMPOWERRR weekend:

Big E finally reached the pinnacle of his professional wrestling career during tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. He cashed in the Money In The Bank contract to become the new WWE champion.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast provided some backstage update on this big title change. According to Zarian, WWE’s original plan called for Big E to cash in his Money In The Bank contract and become champion during the WWE Draft episode of Raw.

This year’s WWE Draft was scheduled to kick off on the August 30th episode of Raw. As announced during Monday’s Raw broadcast, the WWE Draft will begin on Friday, October 1st. It will conclude on Monday, October 4th.

There has been speculation regarding WWE’s decision to put the title on Big E at this time. In hindsight, the title change occurred later than expected (September 12th, instead of August 30th), yet 3 weeks before of the Draft.

At the end of the day, Big E is WWE Champion, regardless of the scheduling changes. Big E actually explained his reason for cashing in Money in the Bank when he did:

Big E as WWE Champion

As we approach the WWE Draft, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the New Day and which brand(s) the three members end up on.

With Big E as the new ‘top dog’ on Raw, many fans are hoping we’ll see New Day feud with Roman Reigns and his Bloodline faction. This would be an exciting program as we head into the fall season, so hopefully this does come to fruition.

Big E and Roman Reigns have been on a collision course dating back several years. The former NXT alums were previously at odds when the New Day clashed with Reigns’ former faction, The Shield.

Samoa Joe was originally going to make an appearance on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, per reports from Fightful select.

According to the site, the former NXT champion was scheduled to make an appearance on the red branded show to promote the relaunch of NXT:

“We’re not sure what Joe was scheduled to do or if he’ll remain on the program, but we were told it was in relation to promoting the relaunch of NXT on Tuesday night.”

WWE has been teasing the launch of a new version of NXT for this Tuesday with a revamped set, new logo, and a new direction for the brand in terms of storyline and character development.

Samoa Joe announced this past Sunday that he is relinquishing the NXT championship. He was informed by the WWE doctors that “certain injuries” will prevent him from wrestling anytime soon.

The company has since confirmed the plans for the vacant title. They have announced a fatal four-way match among Tommaso Ciampa, Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne and LA Knight for this week’s episode of the show to determine the new champion.

There is no word yet on how long Joe is expected to stay out of action. We’ll keep you posted about his status and future with the black and yellow brand.

Adam Cole becoming the AEW champion somewhere down the line after his incredible debut at All Out looks inevitable and Booker T is all for it. The WWE Hall Of Famer talked about the former Undisputed Era leader changing sides among other things on the latest episode of his Hall Of Fame podcast.

Discussing the prospect of Cole becoming the AEW world champion one day, T claimed that it will change the whole name of the gamet:

“If Adam Cole wins the AEW World Heavyweight Championship, it will change the whole name of the game, just because he’s that guy that a lot of people don’t think should be playing that role and that position. It would show the adversity of what AEW is all about.

Booker T On If Adam Cole Will Be Washed Out In AEW

Booker T also addressed the concerns that Adam Cole may get lost in the shuffle in AEW with stars such as CM Punk and Bryan Danielson being given priority. He claimed that it won’t be the case because of the way AEW handles their roster:

“I don’t think he’s going to get washed out. I think the way AEW works their talent, they’re trying to make everybody on the roster a star. I think that’s what the business has always been in the past,

Every wrestler in the 90s in the WWE came out of the curtain and they were a star. They brought somebody’s a** to a seat in that arena. That’s what I think AEW is trying to do, have all of their stars create as far as reaching to their fan base only.”

Adam Cole’s NXT contract expired last month. He made his AEW debut after the main event of All Out and immediately aligned himself with the Elite.

The list of accolades Kenny Omega has achieved this year now includes ranking #1 in the PWI 500 list for the second time after 2018. The AEW world champion sat down with PWI Editor-in-Chief Kevin McElvaney on the PWI Podcast to discuss this achievement and what it means for him.

During the interview, Omega discussed how his #1 ranking this year was different than 2018. He explained that he was playing to his strength during his time in NJPW. Kenny mentioned how that wasn’t the case this year. According to him, he didn’t run away with it this time because he doesn’t think he was #1 by far:

“I’ve really stepped outside of my own comfort zone, and not only that, but everyone else stepped up their game too. It’s fantastic that I don’t feel like, no matter how I look at it, I didn’t run away with it. I don’t think I was number one by far.

I think the best part about this year, especially, is you could have went in multiple directions and no one would be disappointed. I feel that, up until his unfortunate injury, number one could have been Will Ospreay. Number one could have easily been Shingo Takagi. Number one could have easily been Roman Reigns.”

Kenny Omega joined a coveted list when he was ranked #1 in the PWI 500 list for the second time. Prior to the current AEW world heavyweight champion, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena, and Seth Rollins have been the only stars to top the ranking more than once.

Big E completed his promise to the WWE Universe of cashing in the Money In The Bank contract and became the new WWE champion during tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. The new champion was joined by Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston in the ring shortly after his big win. The duo accompanied him for his backstage interview after the show was over as well.

Big E was asked how was feeling after the biggest night of his career. Replying to it, E said that he is feeling good before explaining how he feels like he has earned the title:

“I think the dream for anyone in any vocation of craft or anything is getting to [not only] do really cool things and get to the top of your craft but to do it with your best friends. I always tell this story because I never wanna forget. I will always remember the three of us just fighting to get on TV.

We have been able to do so many cool incredible things. I got to grow so much as a person, as a performer because of these guys. I could not have written a better career for myself. I am glad, in many ways that it took so long because it feels earned.” said Big E, “I am glad that I wasn’t handed things right away. That I had time to grow to do all the things that we had chance to do.”

The former NXT champion was also asked how he felt getting applause from everyone backstage after his big win. He said that it felt like the cherry on top after seeing the people who have pushed for him over the years to be there and tell him that it was a job well done. You can check out his interview below:

• WWE & AEW Stars React To Big E Winning WWE Title

Big E had announced before this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw that he is going to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the WWE championship match.

Sports Illustrated spoke to the New Day star before the show from TD Garden in Boston. When asked why he chose tonight for his cash in, the former IC champion discussed his connections to the area:

“Why not tonight? Why not the hometown of one Kofi Kingston? My sister lives here, my mom went to BC [Boston College] and Tufts [University]. Boston is a beautiful area, a beautiful town.” said E, “Why not here, why not now?,”

WWE also released a video of Sarah Schreiber talking to the heavyweight star backstage before the episode. He made similar comments in the video when asked why he decided to cash in his contract today and announce it in advance:

“Why not here, why not now? I believe in setting your intentions for the day.” said Big E, “I woke up, stretched, yawned, removed the coal from my eyes and said you know what? Let’s do it today.”

The championship match in the main event of Raw saw Bobby Lashley retaining his WWE title over Randy Orton with some help from MVP.

Big E completed his promise after the bout. He successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on the All-Mighty after the main event to become the new WWE champion.

While many WWE employees are afraid to confront Vince McMahon, Damian Priest is not one of them. The US champion actually claims his conversations with the boss to be very positive. The Archer of Infamy recently appeared on the Fightful podcast. He talked about things such as being a fan of archery in real life, owning more than one bow and arrow himself, and more.

When asked about his interactions with the chairman of the boards, Priest claimed that his conversations with Mr. McMahon have been positive so far:

“Positive to be honest. He knows what he wants for his show. He knows what he wants out of you. He’s been honest with me. He’ll tell me, ‘I need more of this, or I need more of that, or less of this.’ But, it’s always positive and he’ll explain to me why. So it’s like, ‘Oh, I get it.’

• Damian Priest Details Backstage Interaction With Goldberg At SummerSlam

‘He Has A Wat Of Speaking People’

The former NXT champion went on to claim that Mr. McMahon has a special way of speaking to people. According to Damian Priest, one shouldn’t be in WWE if they don’t understand what he is saying:

“He has a way of speaking to people that if you don’t get it after he talks to you, you shouldn’t be here. So my interactions with him have been very positive. He seems like he likes me, so that’s a good thing.”

Apart from this, Damian Priest also discussed how he likes going back to NXT so he can help the newcomers while also learning things from Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

Mark Henry making his AEW debut came as a big surprise to many because the former champion had spent all of his wrestling career in WWE until earlier this year. The world’s strongest man recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho podcast. Among other things, he also detailed the circumstances leading up to his WWE departure.

Henry has previously explained how he wanted to get an executive position in the company and help young talent. During the talk, he explained the efforts he made to try and convince the top brass that he deserved the job:

“I spent months putting together a two year plan of events. I was like, ‘What else can I do?’ I called and said, ‘I’m going to start looking for work because I know what I can do well, and I don’t feel like I’m valued in that capacity.’”

Mark Henry then recalled how the answer to his request came from John Laurinaitis instead of Vince McMahon. This is when he knew that it was time to leave:

“When I got the no, it didn’t come from Vince or Brad Blum, it came from Johnny, who is an employee. It’s not his place to tell me no. If the dude has got delegated to somebody that is not their job to tell me, then it’s over. You have to know when the door has been closed.”

Mark Henry made his last WWE appearance during the Raw Legends Night on January 4 where he was humiliated by Randy Orton. He made his AEW debut during the Double Or Nothing PPV in May.

• Mark Henry Says His Retirement Match Is ‘Definitely Gonna Happen In AEW’

While everyone expected Adam Cole to end up in AEW after his WWE contract expired, his new deal wasn’t made official until last minute according to latest reports.

According to reports from Fightful Select, the former NXT champion’s signing with Tony Khan’s promotion didn’t come as a surprise to people within WWE. Many within the company expected him to join the rival promotion.

The WWE officials were operating under the assumption that he was already as good as gone even before his contract expired. Though the people in the organization had nothing but positive things to say about the way Cole handled things on his way out.

The former NXT star had not told anyone in the Stamford-based corporation that he would be appearing at All Out. He was kept hidden before the PPV.

Another interesting tidbit is that Adam Cole’s AEW deal wasn’t made official until Sunday. Although people handling different aspects of his debut such as merchandise were informed about it ahead of time.

The former Undisputed Era leader made his surprise AEW debut at the All Out PPV on September 5. He first teased going against Kenny Omega and the others but has since turned heel and joined his friends of the Elite.

Moving the WWE championship match between Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton to Raw was apparently WWE officials’ response to AEW’s recent success.

Dave Meltzer talked about this change on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He explained how the big title match was moved to weekly television from the PPV event because WWE lost to AEW in 18-49 demo:

“They pulled the match because they lost in the ratings and they’re putting Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley, the pay-per-view main event on TV tomorrow night. Yea, that’s among the responses [to AEW]. I’m not surprised.”

Meltzer also mentioned how the original plans were for RK-Bro to defend the Raw tag team championship against Bobby Lashley and MVP. They spent last week’s episode of Raw building this match only for it to be changed.

Lashley and MVP had won a tag team turmoil match on Raw to earn the right to face the current Raw tag team champions this Monday. Randy Orton had been announced to challenge the All-Mighty for WWE championship at Extreme Rules.

While the latest episode of Monday Night Raw still garnered more viewers than Dynamite overall, AEW’s show was able to beat WWE’s red brand in the 18-49 demographic for the first time.

Reports suggested that the WWE officials held meetings after Dynamite’s victory over Raw. Now it has been confirmed that the title match was shifted from the PPV as a result of the TV ratings.

Deonna Purrazzo had such a bad experience during her run with WWE that the former NXT star had seriously considered quitting the wrestling business altogether after being released from the promotion. The Impact Knockouts champion recently appeared on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette. She talked about her wrestling career in detail including her time in NXT.

Opening up about how she felt upon her release from the promotion, Purrazzo said that she was emotionally drained. She revealed that she had started thinking about quitting the business to lead a normal life:

“I was just kind of emotionally drained from wrestling, that environment and that system just really didn’t work for me as a person. I was just very much, ‘this is such b******t! This is not what I love about wrestling.

When I was fired, I had contemplated going back to school a whole bunch.” said Deonna Purrazzo, “and I was like, ‘okay, I’m definitely going to go back to school.’ So I immediately sent in applications to different schools that were online, and I was like, ‘maybe I’ll just be a normal person again.’”

What Deonna Purrazzo Would Have Done After Quitting

The Impact wrestling star also talked about what she was planning for herself after her release. According to her, she had contemplated becoming a full-time teacher:

“I am really, just a big history buff. So when I was released in May, that was the first thing. ‘I’m going to go to school and I’m going to be a history teacher maybe!’”

Deonna Purrazzo was released from her WWE contract in April 2020, after wrestling only 16 televised matches in her two-year-long stint. The female star thankfully didn’t quit wrestling and she has since returned to Impact where she is in her second reign as the Impact Knockouts champion.

Becky Lynch is already one of the biggest stars in the pro wrestling industry but she is not satisfied with her position yet and she wants to be even bigger than the great one himself, The Rock.

The SmackDown women’s champion recently spoke to New York Daily. She talked about many things and also addressed the rumors that she was trying to break into movies before her pregnancy.

While she didn’t provide much detail, Lynch hinted that there are some projects ‘in the works’, before claiming that she wants to be even bigger than the people’s champion:

“I hope I can be bigger than The Rock and better than The Rock. The Rock is a good friend. The Rock is a great friend, but I’m on a different path and I’m different than The Rock and I’m not trying to be the next anybody. I’m the first Becky Lynch.”

Becky Lynch also commented on the reports about her character change after her return. She mentioned how everybody thinks she turned heel because of the way she defeated Bianca Belair at SummerSlam.

However, according to The Man, she doesn’t really understand the talk about being a heel. The current champion explained that she hasn’t changed and instead, she has just gotten smarter.

Former WWE NXT star Asher Hale made his AEW debut in his first match as a free agent after being released from the black and yellow brand earlier this year.

The star now going by the name Anthony Henry took part in the AEW Dark tapings over the weekend. He commented on his experience via Twitter and claimed that everything positive he had heard about the company was true:

“Ironic that my first show back, as a free agent, was for @AEW. Heard so, so many positive things about the company and how it was ran. Everything I heard was confirmed. Thank you!”

AEW Dark At Universal Studio

Henry faced Eddie Kingston in a singles match in the first AEW Dark tapings from the show’s new home in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Though Anthony was not able to win this match.

He wasn’t the only former NXT star to make an appearance on the show. Names such as Stallion Rogers, Anthony Greene, Adrian Jaoude, and Santana Garrett also competed during the tapings

Asher Hale was released from his NXT contract alongside several other stars last month on August 6. He was able to compete for AEW as NXT stars only have a 30-day non-compete clause.

AEW women’s champion Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa received a lot of praise for their lights-out unsanctioned match earlier this year. It appears AEW is looking to capitalize on that buzz with a rematch between the two.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the company officials are planning a ‘major’ rematch between these two female stars.

AEW has discussed various potential stipulations for this bout between Rosa and Baker. Discussion range from a cage match to a hair vs. hair match with the idea to build it as the biggest women’s match in the promotion’s history.

Though the rematch is not expected to take place anytime this year. Per the report, this mega rematch will likely take place sometime in early 2022.

• Ivelisse Places Blame On Thunder Rosa For Infamous AEW Match

Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker were the first female stars to main event AEW Dynamite when they competed in the unsanctioned lights out match during the St. Patrick’s Day Slam special of the show on March 17, 2021.

Their match was every bit as extreme as any other unsanctioned match in AEW history. The bout was universally praised and both the stars were given credit for breaking down sexist assumptions about women in hardcore matches.

The personal struggles of Jeff Hardy have been a topic of discussion among fans recently, even more so after WWE used his real-life issues into his feud with Sheamus. Though if the former world champion is to be believed, then he is not bothered by the publicity of his personal battles and instead it feels like therapy to him.

Hardy talked about this during a recent interview on Wrestling Inside the Ropes with James Stewart. He revealed that the officials asked him if he was comfortable with the storyline beforehand:

“It was just an idea. It all starts as an inkling, a concept, and then naturally, they ask if you’re comfortable with that, for me, all that stuff is like therapy. It’s like being honest with the world. The people that have pretty much provided me with an incredible living, you know, over the years, my fans, the WWE Universe.

I’m open minded to anything, and if I feel comfortable with it, I roll with it.” said Jeff Hardy, “I’ve never felt uncomfortable with anything they’ve ever pitched to me.”

The charismatic enigma then discussed the use of cinematic matches in recent times. He mentioned the Final Deletion and claimed that they had a lot of fun shooting that. Jeff also shared the idea of a cinematic match with The Usos. He said that it was one of his biggest dream matches and it’s one of the things he would still love to do.

• Jeff Hardy WWE Contract Update

Damian Priest picked up a big win at the SummerSlam PPV. He was not only congratulated by fans on his victory but by a couple of wrestling veterans as well.

The current US champion talked about defeating Sheamus for the title at the SummerSlam event during a recent interview with ViBe & Wrestling.

Priest revealed that Goldberg interacted with him backstage at the show after his victory and the former Universal champion congratulated him on his big win:

“Goldberg, the last time I saw him, he came to greet me when I won the championship. And before his match, he gave me a hug and congratulated me. He told me that he was happy for me and all that, and we did not know each other.”

Goldberg was not the only big name to congratulate Damian Priest at the event. He revealed that Edge also reached out to congratulate him and gave him a hug:

“Edge also congratulated me, and gave me a hug, and told me that he was happy for me. They are people that I saw on TV when I was young, and now, I have them there and they give me advice and help me. And it is incredible for me.”

Priest went on to say that he doesn’t know how he got to this place. Though he claimed that he is very happy to be able to share conversations with these legends.

Ruby Soho made her spectacular AEW debut during the All Out PPV last Sunday. According to the female star, the decision to sign with the company was not very difficult. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. She talked about things such as her journey in professional wrestling, and more.

Speaking of her time in WWE, Soho explained that she was able to experience a lot in the company and make lifelong friends. So she is grateful for her time there:

“I was able to experience a lot in WWE and make lifelong friends, so I’m very grateful for my time there, but that chapter is closed, And I knew there had to be a new place for me. This is a chance to experience a side of professional wrestling I haven’t experienced yet.”

Ruby Soho On Choosing AEW

Talking about her decision to choose AEW as her next destination, Ruby Soho revealed that she had been a fan of the promotion long before her WWE departure. According to her, she has started feeling like at home in AEW in the short time she has spent in the company:

“Choosing AEW wasn’t a difficult decision, I had been a fan of AEW long before I left WWE. I could sense there was something very special and very different about this company. Now that I’m here, I am beginning to realize it was the home I have always been searching for. This is where I belong.

Ruby Soho was released from her WWE contract back in June this year. After months of rumors, she finally made her AEW debut during the All Out PPV.

The return of Brock Lesnar has changed the dynamic of the Universal title picture to a great extent but Big E is not too worried about this change. The Money In The Bank holder appeared on the latest episode of Talking Smack. He was asked if The Beast’s return affects his plans for the championship contract he is holding.

Replying to it, E claimed that Brock Lesnar has reached a level of wealth where you do stuff because you are bored. Though he claimed that Lesnar’s return is not going to deter him from his plans:

“Well, the hair was a choice. It really was a choice, but I don’t have Brock money. You know, you get to a level of wealth where you just do stuff because you’re bored, I think he’s at that level of wealth. So congrats to him.” said Big E, “He’s still a very large and massive man, but that’s not going to deter me from my plans here.”

• Big E Says He Is Ready To Be The Face Of WWE

Brock Lesnar made his return to WWE programming during the SummerSlam PPV after over a year of absence. He confronted Roman Reigns upon his comeback. The Beast Incarnate then challenged the Universal champion for his title during the September 10 SmackDown. Reigns accepted this challenge but said that the match will take place after his bout with Finn Balor at Extreme Rules.

With the Survivor Series PPV being around the corner, people have started talking about their dream teams. Paul Heyman listed his own recently as well.

The former ECW owner recently had an interview with Josh Martinez from Z100. He talked about many things such as The Street Profits being one of the top tag teams currently and more.

Heyman also discussed the list of the guys he has managed in his career. When asked about his dream Survivor Series team of ‘Paul Heyman guys’, he named members of the Bloodline faction:

“Roman Reigns, The Usos and I will even through myself in there because I will never need to tag in. The three of them can handle any four beings on the face of the planet,”

Paul went on to credit Jimmy and Jey as the best tag team in the world today. Though he acknowledged The Street Profits, saying that after The Usos, they are the best tag team of the past 20 years.

Survivor Series this year will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21. There is no word yet on what The Bloodline or Brock Lesnar will be doing at the show.

• The Rock Expected To Appear At WWE Survivor Series

WWE chairman Vince McMahon was in attendance for the Super SmackDown from Madison Square Garden this Friday. He was running the show from the gorilla position, according to PWInsider.

President Nick Khan was in the arena as well. He was on the floor talking to fans all night. Both Khan and Stephanie McMahon also greeted fans before the show.

WWE officially announced a 14,425 sellout for the special SmackDown episode. Both Peter Rosenberg and author Keith Elliot Greenberg were in attendance for the show.

Edge was pretty emotional for his return to Madison Square Garden after many years. He got down on his knees and kissed the mat during the commercial break after his entrance and before the match with Seth Rollins.

Apart from the canceled women’s tag team match which got the company a lot of heat online, a Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch dark match was also advertised for SmackDown which didn’t take place.

There were three dark matches, however, that did take place during the night. The dark matches saw several Raw brand stars and John Cena competing in different matches before and after the show. You can check out a detailed report of the dark matches and watch videos of them here.

Kevin Owens has been hinting at leaving WWE when his contract expires. Latest reports suggest that Sami Zayn will get a chance to join him around the same time.

According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former NXT champion’s contract is set to expire before the end of this year as well.

While the exact date when Zayn’s contract ends is unknown, the news is still interesting considering his friendship with the Elite among others in AEW.

News about Kevin Owens’ contract expiring earlier than originally thought excited fans this week. The buzz started when Owens made and then quickly deleted a tweet teasing a reunion with some of the AEW stars.

Reports later revealed that Kevin’s deal expires in January next year instead of 2023 as originally believed. The Observer notes that the exact date for the expiry of his contract is January 31, 2022.

Now this new report about Sami Zayn makes things more interesting. It opens the door for another major acquisition for AEW after recent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.

Whether these two make the move or decide to stay with their current promotion will be revealed in future. This news is certainly expected to fuel the chatter about their future among fans in the coming times.

WWE nixed a tag team match from this week’s episode of SmackDown due to time restraints. People like Zelina Vega, Carmella, and Liv Morgan who were supposed to compete in this bout had later reacted to the news on Twitter.

When reports about this tag match being canceled from the Madison Square Garden show first came out, the name of the fourth participant for this bout was not known.

Now Post Wrestling’s John Pollock has provided some update on the situation. He revealed that Toni Storm was the wrestler originally scheduled to team with Liv Morgan for this SmackDown match.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley who has recently been very vocal about the company’s mistreatment of talents commented on this situation as well. He noted how it was unfortunate that Zelina Vega didn’t get to compete on the show:

For those who don’t know, WWE had dedicated the super SmackDown episode to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the 20th anniversary of the unfortunate incident.

Zelina Vega, who lost her father in the attack, was a big part of the promotion for this episode. Fans have since expressed their displeasure with the way WWE handled this situation and nixed her match.

Toni Storm made her official main roster debut during the July 23 episode of SmackDown. Though the former NXT UK women’s champion has not been seen on WWE programming since.