Matt Cardona is not signed to any wrestling promotion yet.
The 39-year-old made his surprise Ring of Honor debut during the December 5 episode. He immediately started working a program with the ROH Champion Chris Jericho, making many wonder if he had signed a deal with the promotion.
After Jericho made a surprise appearance at a recent GCW show to continue their rivalry, some people wondered if Cardona was actually under a GCW deal and the program between the two WWE alumni was a way for the two companies to mend fences.
Fightful Select is reporting, however, that Matt Cardona is not under contract with AEW or GCW. In case of the latter, the New Jersey-based promotion has not signed people to contracts with the exception of Nick Gage. When asked about his status directly, the Deathmatch King claimed “I’m signed to the major wrestling figure podcast.”
Cardona failed to defeat Jericho for the ROH title at the Final Battle PPV this Friday. He was seen on crutches after being helped to the back due to an ankle injury, but the indie star is hopeful that he’ll be ok.
As of this writing, it’s unknown if Cardona’s current stint will continue following the ROH PPV. Considering the buzz for the ROH title program he generated with Jericho, it seems likely that he’ll be booked again.
Chris Jericho believes AEW shows moving to smaller venues in 2025 will help the company’s growth and make the product hot again.
After spending most of 2024 battling with low ticket sales, Tony Khan hinted that they’ll be changing their strategy for 2025. During the Full Gear media scrum last month, the AEW president had said that he wanted to find markets and buildings ‘where it’s going to be packed and red hot.’
Chris Jericho was asked about Khan’s comments during a recent interview with Z100 New York. The current ROH World Champion was there to promote ROH’s Final Battle PPV from Hammerstein Ballroom and he explained that smaller venues that are packed with fans can change the entire vibe of the shows:
“I think the worst thing you could ever do is to kind of in any business overprice yourself or overextend yourself. We’re at a place where to go to some of the middle-size venues not in every city but in some of them, it’s a very smart move.
For many reasons but most importantly just the vibe of the fans. Like you want to put 10,000 people into an arena and if you can, you do. If you’re down to 5,000 but you go to a 4,000-seat arena, it increases demand.”
The wrestling veteran discussed how AEW has been the ‘cool promotion’ for the majority of its existence. Per Chris Jericho, creating demand with smaller venues can help them regain some of their lost charm:
“It just makes the show that much more exciting and it translates so much better on TV. So I think right now with all of the different choices that people have to buy tickets to go to shows, I think we’re smart to moving to some of these like you mentioned different sized venues.
Because it just makes it cooler and we have always had the cool factor in AEW, especially when we started and then going into the pandemic, coming out of the pandemic. I think one way is the supply and demand. If you have this many tickets for sale and they’re gone. It just makes the product hotter and you can just continue to grow.”
Chris Jericho successfully defended the ROH Championship against Matt Cardona at Final Battle but he was confronted by a returning star afterward. You can check out more about it here.
Nic Nemeth has explained why he decided to leave WWE.
The former Dolph Ziggler ended his 19-year tenure with the Endeavor-owned promotion in September 2023. Entering the independent circuit for the first time in his wrestling career, Nemeth has since made it a mission to prove that he can still be a top guy for any promotion in the world.
The current TNA World Heavyweight Champion spoke to Daily Star recently to promote the 2025 Genesis event. He discussed things such as the growth of TNA in 2024, the progression of his Genesis opponent Joe Hendry, and more.
When asked if leaving WWE has reignited his passion for wrestling, Nic Nemeth revealed that he had more than a year left on his deal with the company. The 44-year-old noted how he was being booked very rarely during the last couple years of his stint with the company and that he wanted to spend whatever prime years he had left to prove that he could still go:
“WWE was so great. I had a year and a half on my contract still, and I said, ‘Please.’ I go, ‘I’m not doing anything here. I’m just hanging out and doing cold five-minute matches.’ I said, ‘I don’t know how much longer I’m a believable world champion for any other company. I might have five more years, I might have two, I might have ten, I don’t know.’
But I go ‘Sitting here collecting a paycheck and working for five minutes a week is not helping WWE, and it sure as hell is not helping me.’ So luckily, they gave me the chance to get out of there because I had some time left on my contract.”
Nemeth said that he was still giving his full effort to whatever position WWE put him in. Now he is able to do a lot more of it as a center figure of TNA roster with a lot more opportunity to talk and then back his words up in the ring. The current TNA World Champion also claimed that he would have given up the title long ago if he felt he couldn’t back up what he was saying with his performance.
The former WWE star won the TNA title at Slammiversary in July and his reign stands at 154 days. Joe Hendry won a fatal four-way match at Final Resolution this month to become the #1 contender for Nemeth’s title.
Posted December 21st, 2024 in TNA. Tagged: Nic Nemeth.
Dax Harwood has explained why the upcoming Dynamite taping from Ashville is special.
The January 1 Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen special will mark the start of a new era for AEW. As part of their new TV deals, the show from Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, NC will be simulcasted on Max for the first time ever.
Harwood who hails from North Carolina himself explained why the taping is so special during a new interview with 3NTWrestling. He revealed that it’s the first entertainment show coming to the city after it was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The AEW star noted that Khan could have taken the show to a bigger city to make a better impression on first-time watchers but helping Ashville was a priority for him. He went on to reveal how the AEW President had previously helped the relief efforts for survivors of the natural disaster on their one request:
“A lot of people don’t know this, but Tony called. We talked to Tony, myself and Adam [Copeland]. We talked to Tony. He said, ‘What do you need from me?’ He had already donated a ton of money.
Adam said, ‘Well, we’ve got these Starlinks. These huge Starlinks that they’ve donated here. Elon Musk has donated here, but we don’t have the small Starlinks to go out into the woods, to go out to the top of the mountains, so we can find people and give them cell service. So we can communicate with.’
Tony without any hesitancy, if that’s even a word, he sent hundreds of Starlinks to Asheville, North Carolina, on his own dime. He made sure that that was something we were able to do to find people who were lost.”
Dax Harwood also noted how his tag team partner Cash Wheeler had also set up a GoFundMe and collected over $70,000 to help the relief efforts at the time. Harwood himself was on the ground helping people at the time of need as well. He and Adam Copeland were assisting FEMA workers with search and rescue.
FTR have challenged Death Riders to a fight at the upcoming Dynamite episode and teased that they won’t be coming alone. While Dax did not provide any update on his mystery partner during the talk, the tease coincides perfectly with reports of a former world champion’s imminent return.
Charlotte Flair has been out of action for a whole year now but the 13-time Women’s champion is inching closer to her return per latest updates.
The Queen previously posted photos of in-ring training session at Shawn Spears and Tyler Breeze’s Flatbacks wrestling school. She posted another such photo recently, thanking NXT’s Lainey Reed for helping her prepare for an in-ring return.
In a further update, PWinsider is reporting that Flair is ‘on the cusp of officially returning’ following her injury. Apart from the in-ring work, Charlotte has made trips to WWE HQ for a photoshoot and other logistics work in preparation for her comeback.
Charlotte Flair tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus in a match against Asuka at the tribute to the troops special of SmackDown on December 8, 2023.
This is the first time in her 12-year WWE run that the female star has had to stay out of action for more than a year. The hiatus also caused her to miss WrestleMania only the second time since being introduced to the main roster by Stephanie McMahon in 2015.
WWE has not set an official return date for the former champion but January 6 Netflix Raw premiere would be the perfect stage for Flair to make her comeback.
Scott Steiner has revealed that another member of the Steiner family is planning to join the wrestling business at the right time.
ESPN recently caught up with the wrestling veteran during the StaffDNA Cure Bowl game between Jacksonville State and Ohio Bobcats. Steiner along with WWE IC Champion Bron Breakker, was there to support his son, the Jacksonville State wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner.
The former WWE star was asked about the potential of his son following his footsteps and joining the wrestling business. Answering the question, Scott confirmed that Brock is indeed interested in joining the sports entertainment world:
“Yeah, that’s the plan. That’s what he wants to do, so, whatever makes him happy.”
When asked about the secret of success in the pro wrestling world, Scott Steiner explained that you have to be a genetic freak like himself:
“Be a genetic freak like myself. Takes a lot of work you know. I did it for like 25 years, so it takes a while. It’ll be good. He’s a Steiner, so that helps out. But, he’s a good athlete, so the sky’s the limit for him.”
Brock’s cousin and the current Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker also played football before joining WWE. While attending Georgia’s Kennesaw State University, he played for the Kennesaw State Owls. He also entered the NFL drafts after graduation before beginning his pro wrestling career in 2020.
Cody Rhodes has made his first public appearance since being brutally attacked by his former friend Kevin Owens at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The American Nightmare made an appearance at an event for Brandi Rhodes’ NakedMind Yoga & Pilates studio on Friday. Rhodes was seen wearing a neck brace and carrying the original WWE title in photos posted by fans:
For any WWE fans
Current Undisputed WWE Champion:
The American Nightmare & Atlanta’s very own — Cody Rhodes ?????@CodyRhodes
Rhodes had brought back the Winged Eagle belt for his title defense against Kevin Owens at the December 14 show. He retained the belt after delivering a Cross Rhodes to his opponent on a chair that Owens himself had introduced earlier in the bout.
Unhappy with the result, Owens attacked the WWE Champion after the show went off-air. He took Rhodes out with the banned package piledriver, leading to him being stretchered out of the arena.
Triple H confronted Kevin at the entrance ramp after this brutal attack but in the end, the former NXT Champion was able to leave the arena with the Winged Eagle belt.
Kevin Owens then infiltrated the WWE Raw on Netflix kickoff event earlier this week. Carrying the stolen belt, Owens declared himself the ‘true WWE Champion’ and vowed to defend the title at future shows.
Danhausen has returned to ROH TV after a lengthy unexplained absence.
ROH presented the Final Battle 2024 PPV from the Hammerstein Ballroom this Friday night, December 20. The opening match of the night saw Atlantis Jr. taking on Mansoor of MxM Collection.
Mason Madden was in Mansoor’s corner for this bout and throughout the match he continued to interfere on his partner’s behalf. After several such instances, however, a man with a Danhausen mask emerged from underneath the ring to confront Madden.
The mysterious figure removed his mask to reveal the face of Danhausen. He went on to deliver a dick punch to Madden, allowing Atlantis Jr. to pick up the victory. Mason tried to attack the winner after the bout but Danhausen made the save again, stuffing teeth into the MxM Collection star’s mouth:
Danhausen had been absent from both AEW and ROH programming for a long time without explanation. The 34-year-old last wrestled for AEW at the 2023 Worlds End PPV and his last ROH match came in February this year.
The very evil star had continued to be active in the independent scene, making his absence from the Tony Khan-produced shows even more puzzling.
Now that he has returned to Ring of Honor, the big question is if we’ll see him back on AEW TV as well or if he’ll continue being featured on the streaming show exclusively.
TNA X-Division Champion Moose has addressed the fake news that’s been going around about the Anthem-owned company the last few days.
The return of Tessa Blanchard to the company has garnered mixed reaction from fans and there have been all kind of rumors about how it has affected morale behind the scenes. Adding to the negativity was the rumor about the officials retiring the coveted X-Division title at the most recent TV tapings.
The current champion addressed both of these topics in a new X post calling them fake news. He urged the fans to tune in to AXS TV to find out the future of the TNA belt:
A lot of Fake News on Twitter.
1. X Division championship being retired
2. Bad morale in TNA locker room
Guys stop getting your news from twitter.
Regarding what’s going to happen to the X division championship tune in to @AXSTV Thursday at 8pm EST and order GENESIS…
The X Division championship was originally introduced back in October 2002 as a secondary title for the company. With names such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Kurt Angle being on the list of former champions, the title holds a special place in the history of the wrestling industry.
Tessa Blanchard exited TNA back in 2020 under mysterious circumstances. The company had terminated her contract and stripped her of the Impact World Title, resulting in all kind of rumors about her departure.
The former champion returned to the company during the Final Resolution PPV last week. She made a surprise appearance, targeting former Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace during her match with Rosemary.
‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio was robbed of his first big pay check by his own family.
The 20-year wrestling veteran recently detailed all the struggles of his childhood in an interview with No Contest Wrestling podcast. He mentioned how he had to grow up fending for himself on the hard streets of San Diego. Despite all the success of Rey Mysterio he only bought his son a BMW when Dom asked for a Mercedes.
His home life wasn’t any better and as per Dominik, his mother made him do hard labour like doing his own laundry without pay. Even when he went out and earned his keep, he never got to see any of that money:
“To make matters even worse when I did do stuff here in WWE for like SummerSlam and I ended up getting paid for that, I never knew where the money went. I need to talk to her about that.
I bought one bike and my mother said ‘Oh there goes your money’ and I said ‘I did three pay-per-views, how many weeks of TV and you’re telling me one bike is [it]…and I’m done?’ This wasn’t Toys R Us Prime. This was like a little off-the-rack bicycle. I’m pretty sure it still had the training wheels on.”
Dominik Mysterio made his official wrestling debut at the young age of 8 back in 2005. He was the center figure for the feud between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio leading to their famous SummerSlam ladder match.
Apart from this, Dirty Dom also talked about things such as his reaction to the passing of his real dad Eddie Guerrero, being CM Punk’s first match after his WWE return and more. You can check out the full SummerSlam match below:
Sami Zayn has revealed why the Johnny Knoxville match may be his favorite of all time.
The Honorary Uce recently spoke to The Five Star podcast to promote the upcoming Raw tapings from Charlotte NC on February 17. He discussed things such as reuniting with The Bloodline, what the Netflix move means for WWE and more.
When the topic of his favorite match came up, Sami Zayn noted how he has been lucky to have many great matches throughout his career. The one match that stands out to him, however, is the WrestleMania 38 encounter with the Jackass star because they were able to defy all expectations:
“I’ve had a lot of really great matches that I’m really proud of. The Knoxville one jumps out at me because for so many reasons, I think. For starters expectations were low. Anytime you can take people on that kind of ride when they’re not really expecting to be taken on that kind of ride. To me that’s all wrestling really is.
It’s like a ride. An emotional ride, a ride of different reactions. It’s going left and it turns right and it’s up and it’s down and the next thing you know you’re just caught up in it. It’s a great feeling to be caught up in it.”
Sami Zayn noted how they were able to put together a really entertaining match that got them a standing ovation from a lot of fans. He is particularly proud of this performance because he was the only pro wrestler involved in the bout:
“I think that’s the remarkable thing that we were able to do in that match is get people completely caught up in what we were doing. Particularly proud of it because Johnny Knoxville is not a wrestler.
He went out there and to his credit, as much as I don’t like to give him credit for anything, he went out there at age 50 and put 20 minutes in at WrestleMania and had people on their feet. There’s [not a lot of] people on Earth that can do that. He was part of that. So very proud of that match.”
Apart from this, Sami Zayn also mentioned his matches against AEW’s Pac and Claudio Castagnoli as some of his favorite outings.
Dominik Mysterio has reflected on the passing of Eddie Guerrero and what it means for him to have worked with the legend after entering the business himself.
The WWE star recently had an interview with No Contest Wrestling podcast. He discussed things such as his love for chicken nuggets, working with CM Punk, and more.
Coming from the legendary Mysterio family, Dirty Dom has been around wrestling all his life. When asked which was the first storyline that really broke his heart as a kid, the former NXT North American Champion recalled watching the tribute package for Eddie Guerrero after his passing:
“[Back in] ’05 when I was still young at the time but when Eddie passed and just seeing the community. I don’t remember showing emotion as a kid unless I was like physically hurt…cause never nothing really [bothered me]. I always kept to myself.
I remember when we were watching at home when Eddie had passed and the video package that they played with the Three Doors Down song. I just remember I started crying as a kid watching this and remembering him. Just what he had done with me and just everything that we had gone through in that angle. So I remember that as a wrestling fan that got me. Because I knew I wasn’t gonna see him again.”
The storyline between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio over the custody of Dom was one of the last feuds for the wrestling legend before his untimely passing. It was also the first time Dominik had gotten involved in a WWE angle.
Now that he has entered the business himself, the 27-year-old cherishes the time he got to spend with Guerrero even more. According to him, seeing Eddie’s work makes him realize how special the time was:
“Then now as an adult being in the business, it kind of sucks even more. Cause not only did I know him as a person and I got to be in the ring with him but I get to appreciate his work so much more now. Because it’s just…I’m living through it, trying to honor it. Looking at his matches and seeing how good he was, it just really…it makes me appreciate so much more the time I did get to spend with him.”
Dominik Mysterio is one of the wrestlers who continues to honor the legacy of Eddie Guerrero in various ways. This includes paying tribute through his gear and look as well as incorporating Eddie’s signature moves like the Three Amigos into his matches.
Matt Cardona says he is beyond proud of Chelsea Green.
The female star made history becoming the first-ever Women’s United States Champion at Saturday Night’s Main Event. This opportunity didn’t come easy for Green who had to work hard to get the recognition she deserved for years. She kept at it even after getting released from WWE once in 2021 and finally started becoming a fan favorite after returning to the company in 2023.
The Deathmatch King who married Chelsea Green in 2021, expressed his feelings on her big win in a new video. Matt Cardona said that he can’t put his feelings into words:
“Chelsea Green, new first ever women’s United States champion. Beyond proud of her. I can’t even put into words how proud of her I am. I wish I was there, Long Island. But I’m here, I’m working. She understands that.”
Cardona who has ample experience of the WWE system himself, highlighted the struggles of his wife through the years. He also thanked Green for paying tribute to his Zack Ryder character during the championship match with Michin:
“I saw this girl, like get rejected from WWE, had to beg for tryouts, then got a job, then got fired, and worked her ass off on the indies, then got back. So, she’s earned this. So, I’m beyond proud. And she wore like one-legged tights, Zack Ryder style. Did the Rough Ryder on Long Island. So, thanks babe, appreciate you.”
Chelsea Green has already declared herself the longest reigning Women’s US Champion and called out a big name to come challenge her. You can check out more about it here.
Jinder Mahal is not rushing to sign a new contract.
The former WWE star recently spoke to MuscleManMalcolm at WrestleCade. He discussed things such as his WWE title win, which talents he would like to face in 2025, his Waffle house order and more.
When asked if he’s open to signing a contract in wrestling, Mahal who goes by the name Raj Dhesi mentioned how he’s enjoying his time as an independent wrestler. He noted that he is not opposed to signing a new deal somewhere but the opportunity will have to be the right one:
“For the right opportunity, yes. Obviously, it’s wrestling business and we’re open for business. But all things have to be right. I don’t mind what I’m doing. I pick my own schedule, wrestle whoever I want. I’m open to do things outside of wrestling. Which is a big thing. But again, for the right opportunity, the right time, anything is possible.”
Speaking about the new WWE ID program, the Modern Day Maharaja said that he’s happy to see a program that can help young indie wrestlers get more opportunities:
“I’m really happy that WWE created the ID program. An opportunity for independent wrestlers to get some brand power with WWE. Help them pursue other opportunities and then one day end up in WWE. I think it’s a great initiative. I think it’s balances well with the NIL program.”
Mahal also talked about his 2018 feud with Roman Reigns and their match at Money In The Bank in Chicago. He revealed that WWE had considered the idea of making it a Punjabi Prison match.
Drew McIntyre is happy to have more places in wrestling where talents can make a living.
The Scottish Warrior returned to WWE during the December 2 Raw after going on a hiatus following the October 5 Hell In A Cell PPV. McIntyre has referred to the sacrifices he has made for his wrestling career in the promos he has cut since his return.
The former WWE Champion was asked for his thoughts on AEW during a recent TikTok live workout session. Drew McIntyre revealed that he spent his time off catching up on various wrestling promotions other than WWE.
“I’m happy to watch all wrestling, especially when I’m off. When I was out that three months, when one person called me the entire time I was out, that’s the time for me to catch up on everything. IMPACT, AEW, New Japan, the independents.”
So Many People Making Full Time Living: Drew McIntyre
When Drew McIntyre was released from his WWE contract following the 3MB stint in 2014, he had to rebuild himself from scratch. Starting off in IWC in Scotland, the wrestling veteran slowly re-established himself as a serious performer on smaller stages before getting a big break again.
The WWE star referenced this period of his career while discussing AEW and how it has provided a second chance to a lot of people that he didn’t get in 2014. He said that it’s great to see so many of his friends getting to make a full time living in other companies:
“I’m happy to see so many people I’m friends with making a full-time living. That wasn’t the case when I was fired in 2014 and reinvented what it meant to be a professional wrestler, using social media as I still do to this day at the top level.
It’s been going since 2014. To rebrand myself, to see how much the industry grew in those three years, and it led to so many places and so many people making a full-time living. It’s awesome.”
Drew McIntyre has reignited his feud with The OG Bloodline since returning to TV. After defeating Sami Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event, McIntyre proclaimed that there were ‘4 more’ opponents to go.
Tito Santana has opened up about the mistreatment of stars under the old WWE regime.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently had an interview with VOC Nation’s Wrestling with History podcast. He discussed things such as signing a new legends deal with the company, appearing at Saturday Night’s Main Event and more.
Discussing how the old management treated its stars, Santana claimed that they were not very nice. He noted how a lot of talents from their time went broke because of poor financial management:
“They weren’t very nice (to us). I’m doing ok, thank God. I had another career, and I didn’t blow my money away. But so many of my friends, you know, were just left in the dust… I gave Vince my notice – not too many people give Vince their notice – I gave Vince my notice in ’93.”
Tito Santana had three different runs with WWF through his active years. The longest of the three runs lasted from 1983 to 1993. During this time, he became the first Mexican American wrestler to win the Intercontinental Championship.
The wrestling veteran also wrestled in the opening match at the very first WrestleMania from MSG in 1985 where he defeated The Executioner.
Speaking about his time in the company, the 71 year old claimed that the officials should have paid them a lot more than what they got:
“Should Vince have done a lot more with Tito Santana? I feel like, yeah. But I could have also done a lot worse without Vince McMahon. I appreciate everything he did. I was there longer than anyone else…
I got there before Hulk in 1983, and I was there when he left…Him and I were the only ones that were there for Wrestlemania one through nine…I think we should have gotten paid more than what we did, especially for our merchandise.
This new company is paying us more than what the WWF was paying us. They could have taken (better) care of the boys, but I don’t really hold any grudges.”
Santana also revealed that the new WWE management had tried to bring him in for appearances on multiple occasions in the past but he had declined the offer.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena believes her upcoming match with Billie Starkz is going to close the ROH Final Battle 2024 PPV from Hammerstein Ballroom.
The two female stars have been involved in a long-running feud. The upcoming event will bring their storyline to a full circle as the Forever Champion first won her title at the same PPV in 2022. She also defended the championship against Starkz at the 2023 edition of the show.
Despite Chris Jericho defending the ROH Championship against Matt Cardona at the event, many fans believe that the female competitors have earned the right to headline the night.
Athena addressed the topic in a new interview with Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture. She claimed that her and Starkz will become the first female competitor for ROH to main event the legendary arena:
“I think we are going to be, me and minion 4,237 and 3 quarters or whatever she wants to be referred to now, I don’t really care, but we will be the first women to main event in Hammerstein as far as I know, as far as Ring Of Honor goes anyway. That could be a really cool moment, another history on the belt there.”
Tony Khan was also asked about the same during the Final Battle media call but the ROH owner only said that the show will have a ‘double main event.’
Apart from these two bouts, the upcoming ROH show will feature matches such as Jay Lethal vs. Q. T. Marshall, and The Sons of Texas vs. The Righteous. You can check out our predictions for the show here.
The company presented a special kickoff event for their upcoming streaming debut at the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The event featured a number of big names including Triple H, Rhea Ripley, Kevin Owens, Paul Heyman and more.
During a segment on the show, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce took the mic to introduce the newest member of his roster and out came none other than Logan Paul.
The YouTube star went on to cut a promo about being the best athlete present in the building and referenced Conor McGregor’s remarks about a potential match in India.
Paul also sent a message to the WWE roster saying ‘If you have something I want, I’m gonna take it.’ He ended the segment claiming that he’s a future World Champion.
The promo got an instant response from the defending World Champion of the Red Brand, Gunther during his own segment on the show.
The Ring General made it clear that Logan will have to earn his shot at the title and if he ever does so, the World Champ will “smack the stupid smirk off his face.”
Apart from this, WWE made a number of big announcements for Raw’s January 6 Netflix debut including the confirmation of a highly anticipated match as the main event. You can check out more about it here.
Tony Khan has revealed Matt Cardona helped put together Chris Jericho’s recent GCW appearance.
The Deathmatch King is set to challenge Y2J for the ROH title at the upcoming Final Battle event on December 20. After Cardona made multiple appearances on ROH TV to build the bout, Jericho returned the favor with an appearance at the December 15 GCW event. Wearing an AEW shirt, he interfered in the match between Matt and Effy, attacking both the indie stars.
The AEW President was asked about this appearance by Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone during the Final Battle media call. Tony Khan explained that Cardona helped put the whole thing together and he was happy to send Jericho:
“Matt helped put that together, Matt asked me about it, and obviously, I was happy to send Chris to promote the match that is happening on ROH as part of the double main event.
With Matt appearing there, and this being a title match, it made sense to do something to promote. It’s very much along the lines of things we’ve done with other matches along the ways over the years.”
This appearance comes as an interesting turn in the AEW-GCW relationship. When Ricky Starks was abruptly pulled from the GCW shows, many speculated that Effy’s comments about Shad Khan were the reason behind it.
With Tony Khan allowing Jericho to work with Effy during his GCW appearance, however, the question now is if the problem was on Starks’ end and if his promo about not being used in AEW was the reason for the action.
Booker T believes Tessa Blanchard deserves a second chance.
The former Champion made her surprise return to the company at the Final Resolution event last week. The comeback sparked mixed reactions from fans and even people behind the scenes were said to be surprised by this move from the TNA top brass.
The WWE Hall of Famer gave his opinion on the matter during his Hall of Fame podcast. Booker T said that people should be able to move on:
“Man, the thing is, I’ve already seen criticisms of Tessa Blanchard being back and people still wanting to try to cancel her. Man, y’all get off of it. The thing is, if something was said, if an apology was made and fences were mended, we should be able to move on.”
The wrestling veteran explained that everyone on social media thinks that they know what’s going on with talents but they really don’t. Booker T said that people should let Tessa resurrect her career:
“One thing about certain things, in the social media sphere, everybody know about it but don’t nobody really know what’s going on.
Everybody know about the story but don’t nobody know what’s going on. My thing is, guys, get off of all of this hate and let Tessa Blanchard hopefully try to resurrect her career and go out there and redo this thing all over again. Let’s just look at it as that, a redo.”
Blanchard attacked former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace during her return. She has since claimed that she is not signed to a contract with the company and her current goal is to get a match with Grace.
Mariah May felt the pressure of facing Toni Storm at All In: London 2024 but the duo was determined to prove that they deserved the opportunity.
The match against Storm was special for May on a lot of levels. Not only was it her first PPV match ever under the AEW banner, but it was also her first match in the UK in many, many years. Being the conclusion of a long-running angle with the timeless one, fans had high expectations from the bout as well.
The AEW Women’s Champion spoke about the match and her victory over Storm during a new interview with Niko Exxtra. She claimed that even though it was her rookie year in AEW, she knew that she had what it takes to become the face of the division:
“So I never actually had a pay-per-view match before. But obviously like I said I always knew, I know it’s my rookie year, but I always knew I could run this division and be the face.
So for me, it was like it was my first pay-per-view. It was also my first time wrestling in the UK for years, I think. Cuz I lived in Japan and wrestled there and I’ve been in America and Canada. So it was kind of my return. My whole family was there.
The only time they ever saw me wrestle was my debut which was I think like 80 people in a school gym. So it was a pretty cool come up to be like ‘Look I did it.’ So yeah, I think there’s definitely pressure.”
Mariah May noted how fans were also expecting them to deliver big on a card that featured many notable matches. All the pressure, however, only motivated them to do their best:
“I think there was pressure too because I knew how much people cared about this story and this match. I think I’m never one to say ‘Women should get more time because we’re women.’
I don’t believe that. I think if you are the best match on the card, you’re the most entertaining feud. We were getting millions of views online. I was like ‘I want to prove that we are the most entertaining characters.’ This was the feud that everybody cared about on such a strong card where we had Bryan Danielson might have retired. We had Mercedes Mone who’s a huge star that just joined us.
We had all these other factors. I wanted to prove that people underestimate us, Toni and I. But we were going to deliver the best. I think what we created Cinema is what I always say. I think there was definitely pressure but diamonds are made under pressure.”
Toni Storm took time off from AEW for a world tour after her loss to May. The former champion returned to the company last week, but with a twist. You can check out more about it here.
The main event of this week’s NXT between Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe ended in chaos and things didn’t improve even after the show went off air.
Williams defended the NXT Championship against Thorpe during the December 17 show after the latter faked an attack and convinced General Manager Ava to give him a shot at the title.
The ending of the championship match then saw Thorpe failing to get the pin after hitting Manifest Destiny on Trick, as he also knocked out the referee in the process. Williams recovered by the time the new referee approached and the match continued.
After some more offense from Thorpe, the NXT Champion hit the Trick Shot and he went for a pin of his own. The problem occurred when the other referee also recovered and simultaneously made the count in favor of Thorpe as Williams’ shoulder was also down.
What Happened After NXT
WWE posted the video of NXT GM Ava coming out to sort the situation followed by Shawn Michaels after the show went off air. Aca declared that Trick Williams was the retaining champion on account of all four shoulders being on the mat during the pinfall.
Thorpe was not happy with this decision and he continued arguing with the NXT official. In his frustration, the NXT star shoved Michaels, causing more referees to come out to contain him.
Williams then took matters into his own hands. Shoving Thorpe back into the ring, he delivered another Trick Shot. The NXT champion then stood tall, as both Ava and Michaels retreated through the stage.
This is the second time Michaels has been involved in a physical confrontation with Thorpe in recent weeks. Seeing how the events unfolded tonight, it doesn’t appear that the storyline is over just yet.
Jesse Ventura loved being part of the Saturday Night’s Main Event.
WWE decided to opt for the retro vibes when they revived Saturday Night’s Main Event as part of their new deal with NBC. Apart from using sets and costumes inspired by the classic shows, they also brought in legendary wrestler and broadcast personality Jesse Ventura to be a part of the event.
The former governor of Minnesota reflected on his experience at the event in a new post on his Substack. He claimed to have been truly honored to be back home and thanked his son for putting the wheels for it in motion:
“First of all it was truly an honor to come back home to the WWE. First off, I have to thank my son, Tyrel Ventura, for putting the wheels in motion last summer. It’s been such an incredible feeling to return to the place where my career essentially began or, more accurately, really took off from.”
Jesse Ventura was paired with Joe Tessitore as part of a special panel and he made multiple appearances during the event. The legendary wrestler was also on commentary for the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens.
Writing about the feeling behind the scenes, he praised the new WWE regime for creating a positive environment. He claimed that the difference in energy and vibe backstage was the biggest thing he noticed during his visit:
“You don’t feel a battle of egos like you often did back in my day. From the executive level to the locker room level you instead feel a very strong sense of teamwork and creativity. Everyone is running in the same direction. Fuelled by a desire to see everyone succeed, not just themselves.”
The wrestling veteran noted that this positive change speaks volumes about the leadership of Triple H, Nick Khan, and the rest of the management team. He concluded his post saying that he loved being backstage sharing stories and having a laugh with the new generation of talent.
This return was not a onetime thing. WWE has already announced the date for the next edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Ventura has confirmed that he’ll be appearing at the show set for early 2025.
The former US Champion was pulled from a scheduled appearance at Luken’s Wine and Spirits on Friday, December 27. In the statement announcing Braun Strowman as his replacement, the establishment had originally claimed that the WWE star was dealing with an injury.
Fightful Select is now reporting however that this is not the case. According to them, WWE has confirmed that LA Knight is not injured and he was actually never approved for this particular appearance.
It’s unknown why the false announcement was made but things seem to have been rectified since then. The wine store has since deleted their original tweet claiming Knight was injured and they’re now simply promoting The Monster Among Men for the upcoming session:
?? UPDATE: WWE Superstar Braun Strowman is joining us for the Meet & Greet Bottle Signing! ? Dec 27th, 10AM-12PM at Luekens Midtown.
? Get 2 bottles of Wheatley Vodka (1 signed). First 200 guests score a FREE Wheatley tee or hat! ?? Full details in on our Website! pic.twitter.com/YTEnDbBZgo
LA Knight lost the US Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura at the Survivor Series: WarGames event on November 30. This concluded his run with the title at 119 days.
He has since started a feud with Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline. Knight faced the self-proclaimed Tribal Chief in a match at the December 13 SmackDown but the bout ended in disqualification after Jacob Fatu and the rest of the faction got involved.
The SmackDown star is scheduled to go up against Bloodline again, this time in a six-man tag team match at the December 20 SmackDown. You can check out the spoiler results of the match and the rest of the show here.
Matt Riddle would have loved to finish his story with Randy Orton.
When the Superking of Bros was released from his WWE contract in September 2023, it also effectively ended his run with The Viper. Randy had been on the shelf due to a prolonged back injury at the time, so Riddle did not get an on-screen chance to explain the end of RK Bro.
During a recent interview with the Developmentally Speaking podcast, Matt Riddle discussed his tag team with the wrestling veteran and commented on the abrupt end of his WWE run. He noted how Orton had to take time off a lot during that period:
“I wish I would have been able to finish the run with Randy, with his injuries and then when we first started teaming up, he got COVID and was out for a couple months, he got it really bad. Then with the injuries, he’d have to take weeks off here and there. I was honestly waiting for him to come back.”
The former US Champion claimed that the run of RK Bro was a storyline he would have loved to finish in an on-screen capacity. Even if it was something as simple as Randy Orton turning heel and attacking him:
“The one that I really wanted to finish was RK-Bro. RK-Bro has some untied ends, some loose ends if you will. It’d be nice to finish that, even if it’s just me getting punted, whatever. It’d be nice to put a period at the end of it.”
Riddle noted that despite the way his WWE run ended, him and Randy are still friends. He said that the Legend Killer still texts him all the time and that’s good enough for him.