Although the build-up to the show was criticized for being lackluster, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in June 2022 ended up being one of the best PPVs of the year and did good business for the promotions.
A second Forbidden Door show has been speculated about, but a new report suggests Forbidden Door II could be set for 2023.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer was talking about AEW/ROH President Tony Khan’s recent pre-ROH Final Battle media call, particularly Khan’s claims that 2022 was AEW’s strongest year for PPV buys.
During the call, Khan was asked about the possibility of AEW adding more PPVs to their yearly rotation.
The Plan
Meltzer wrote: “When asked if he’d add more PPV shows, he didn’t give an answer but said that he wants to not do so many that they aren’t special, but that they just finished their best PPV year in their history, and the adding a fifth event worked out (the plan is for another Forbidden Door show coming year).”
Khan noted on the call that they would internally discuss the right number of PPV shows per year.
The 2022 event did over $5 million on pay-per-view after drawing over 100,000 buys and over $1 million in ticket sales. Jon Moxley became the interim AEW World Heavyweight Champion when he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event.
Sasha Banks and Bayley are slated to reunite next week.
Bayley announced via Instagram that Banks would be part of her charity stream on December 14 to benefit the Family Giving Tree. The two stars are former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and have been good friends for years as part of the WWE Four Horsewomen.
Banks walked out of WWE alongside Naomi due to creative differences. While WWE and Banks had talks regarding a return, it’s been reported that the talks have stalled due to money. She is reportedly set to attend NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Bayley’s Announcement
(via WWE)
“You’re welcomeeee!…. Because my 3rd guest joining me on IG live Dec 14 to benefit @familygivingtree is the one and only @themercedesvarnado. A main event of Wrestlemania, a star in The Mandalorian, killing the runways on Fashion weeks, co-owner of an award winning CBD company (@kanndelabs), and that’s all I’ll say for now because she’s gonna get a big head over this.
The best thing about having her on is that Mercedes asked ME to be a part of this interview to help spread the love.
Please join us next Wednesday, Dec. 14, as I’ll be hanging out with some amazing people. We can share some hot cocoa, answer some questions you may have, play games, and enter to win raffles! Click the link in my bio to see how you can contribute to @familygivingtree this year.”
Bayley is currently part of WWE Raw as a member of Damage CTRL alongside Dakota Kai & IYO SKY.
The final betting odds have been released for the WWE NXT Deadline.
The card for the show that takes place this Sunday appears to be finalized as only five matches have been announced.
So far, two normal NXT titles are on the line, but none are expected to change hands. Some of the more notable odds include Carmelo Hayes expected to win the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match, while Cora Jade is favored to win the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match.
Winners of these matches will receive a title match for the NXT women’s and Men’s top titles that are currently held by Mandy Rose and Bron Breakker.
WWE NXT Deadline Odds
As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of the show this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:
NXT Champion Bron Breakker -1250 vs. Apollo Crews +550
Carmelo Hayes -150 vs. JD McDonagh +250 vs. Grayson Waller+500 vs. Joe Gacy +300 vs. Axiom +900 – Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match
Zoey Stark +300 vs. Cora Jade +200 vs. Kiana James +1400 vs. Roxanne Perez -140 vs. Indi Hartwell +500 – Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match
NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly -250 vs. The New Day +170
Over the past few years, there has been a trademark dispute between WWE and Ric Flair over The Man’ nickname as Becky Lynch has used it on television.
Flair stated that he owns the trademark ‘To Be the Man’ as he filed for it in 2019 and was not in agreement with ‘The Man’ being trademarked for Lynch by WWE.
Flair spoke highly of Seth Rollins on Busted Open Radio when his name was mentioned. He did note that he thinks Rollins is mad at him over the trademark situation.
Flair revealed that Rollins ignored him at a recent signing with The Undertaker as Rollins walked past him and did not speak. He agrees that Rollins should take Lynch’s side in the situation.
On The Situation
“And Seth Rollins is a damn good worker. He’s mad at me because I’ve been up and down with his wife but I don’t really care. He ain’t me [Flair laughed]. I can say that. He’s good but he ain’t me. I got no problem with saying that. He walked right by me at an autograph session. I thought, you gotta be kidding me. Because of you and Becky [Lynch] and this ‘Man’ trademark, you’re gonna ignore me pal? Wow. I went, ‘Okay.’ I’m sitting by Taker, I said, ‘I guess I’m on timeout.’ I’m not mad at him. Everybody should take their wife’s side in any debate there is… It’s not worth it. You’re gonna take their side and I totally understand that and as long as that’s come and gone but that was a sensitive point for me.”
Flair stated that he has been saying the term since 1981, but it doesn’t matter to him anymore because he’s too happy to be upset with anybody else.
Flair also commented on Rollins’ program with Cody Rhodes and credited him for being unselfish.
Becky Lynch made her return to the ring at WWE Survivor Series, competing in the WarGames match, which marked her first bout since WWE SummerSlam when she suffered a separated shoulder against Bianca Belair.
At Survivor Series, Lynch scored the pinfall for her team (Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, & Mia Yim) against Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, & Nikki Cross. The finish saw her jump off the top of the cage and hit a leg drop onto SKY & Kai through a table.
Just because Lynch is back doesn’t mean she’s 100%. While speaking with The Verge, Lynch discussed her return to the ring.
Wrestling Through It
“Truth be told, my shoulder still isn’t feeling right. So to say I was nervous is probably a bit of an understatement. But once you get out there, once you get in front of the crowd and you feel that energy, then you forget everything else. There’s not another feeling like it.”
Lynch admitted the table spot was terrifying and painful, but she wanted something that fans could remember from the match.
“If I come back then I’ve got to put my body on the line and I can’t half-ass it because then I’m not The Man and I’m not the Becky Lynch that people paid to see. I had in my head that I wanted to flatten somebody, flatten some fools with the leg drop through the table. When the opportunity came up and it was time to go, well, then there’s nothing left to do but do it.”
Lynch wrestled earlier this week on Monday’s WWE Raw by competing in a triple threat match against Bliss and Cross.
Matt Riddle won’t be working some upcoming WWE events.
On this week’s episode of WWE Raw, Riddle was supposed to team with Elias to take on Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos. In an angle to open the show, Elias was taken out by The Bloodline backstage.
Riddle teamed with Kevin Owens instead on the show, but the babyface tag team came up short in challenging the champions. After the match, Solo Sikoa hit Riddle with the Asiatic spike and the Samoan Bulldozer (hip attack) in the corner of the ring.
These two moves were made famous by the late great Umaga. Solo performing them was a tribute to the former WWE star as it happened after what would have been Umaga’s 49th birthday.
Written Off
Riddle had a neck brace put on and was taken out on a stretcher, seemingly writing him off television.
Pwinsider.com reported today that Riddle has been pulled from working this weekend’s live events. There’s no word yet on why Riddle is off the road. It could be due to him dealing with an injury, asking for time off, or simply selling the storyline injuries from the attack.
WWE has not commented on Riddle’s status, and Riddle has not made any public comments since the Raw match.
Some fans are still holding out hope to see Ric Flair step back into the ring for one more match despite promising that he wrestled his last bout this past July when he teamed with Andrade El Idolo to beat Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal.
The 16-time world champion previously revealed that he’d been invited to be part of the 30th Anniversary of Monday Night Raw (“Raw is XXX”) on January 23 from Philadelphia, PA as well as the Royal Rumble five days later in San Antonio, TX.
Flair has gone on record noting that he wishes he didn’t say that his most recent match would be the last as he enjoyed the experience. There has been some speculation that Flair could come back to wrestle another match, and some even think it may happen in the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
The End
Flair’s son-in-law, Conrad Thompson, has ruled out Flair wrestling again.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but that’s clickbait,” Thompson told Wrestling Inc. “Anybody who actually listens to the podcast knows that he’s said that tongue-in-cheek, laughing. Even when he talked about the Rumble, he’s like ‘Somebody reported that I’m going to be at the Rumble. I’m not. I’m going to be at the 30th Anniversary ‘Raw.’ I am going to be in San Antonio, but I’m doing a signing for Fitterman. But I’ll bring my gear, I’ll bring my robe. Hell yeah, I’ll be number 30.’ It’s a joke. It’s not serious. He’s not really going to be in the Rumble, but I know that gets people talking and it gets people buzzing. But the reality is, Ric’s not going to wrestle again.”
‘Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair’, a new documentary about the life and career of Flair, will air on Peacock on December 26.
Indi Hartwell defeated Wendy Choo and Fallon Henley
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Final Build
Final Build
WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker will defend the title against Apollo Crews at NXT Deadline. So what did WWE do for the final build of this main event match?
They went on a fishing trip where they talked trash in a friendly way. That was it.
Charlie Dempsey, who is the son of William Regal, had a match with former security guard Hank Walker. Midway through the match, Drew Gulak appeared and watched on as Dempsey won his match. Post-match, Gulak walked away and was impressed with what he saw.
NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson) had a segment where they read a ‘Christmas story’. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) interrupted.
Woods and Kingston issued a challenge to Pretty Deadly with NXT Deadline. A brawl broke out with New Day standing tall. The match has been formally announced.
Waller roasted a fan about not being able to get laid then mocked Axion for wearing a turtleneck. He also roasted JD for being a garden gnome and Hayes for being a loser and an A-hole. JD said Hayes has been protected since he arrived in NXT. They all talked trash before getting into a brawl.
Wendy Choo vs. Fallon Henley vs. Indi Hartwell in a Iron Survivor Challenge wild card match took place.
The other competitors in the upcoming bout include Zoey Stark, Cora Jade, Kiana James, and Roxanne Perez.
The match served as the main event and saw Heartwell go over after Wendy hit a splash to Fallon and was tossed to the floor before Heartwell hit her in the back with a strike.
Tony D’Angelo returned to the ring when he took on Xyon Quin.
Stacks and D’Angelo met Dijak in the parking lot during last Tuesday’s NXT episode, and D’Angelo thanked him for what he had done to Wes Lee the previous week. It wasn’t for him, according to Dijak. Lee’s reign as champion is about to come to an end, according to D’Angelo, who claimed that he is now allowed to make his return.
The match saw Tony quickly take out Quinn with his finisher. Post-match, he called out Lee, who came out to the ring. Lee told him to wait until he is done with Dijak and then they can settle their business. Tony said that he doesn’t wait for anyone.
Dijak said that he plays by a different set of rules. He told Lee to keep his mind out of his way. He said neither of them will stop him from decimatingNXT.
In recent weeks, AEW and ROH owner Tony Khan has come under fire from some fans who feel that there has been too much focus put on the ROH brand with its titles and storylines.
Khan bought the promotion earlier this year and, despite not having a television deal in place for the brand, he has booked pay-per-view events for ROH and used its talent and championships on AEW programming.
“One thing I have tried to do…I think we only have three hours of AEW TV a week so I have tried to limit the Ring of Honor focus on Dynamite to mostly the Ring of Jericho and Chris Jericho, the ROH World Champion.”
Khan stated that he has tried to keep the other ROH Title matches on either AEW Rampage or Dark: Elevation. He found it “amusing” when he saw someone saying they thought there was too much ROH on Dynamite as he feels that having a variety of new ROH-aligned wrestlers has been, and will continue to be, good for ROH business.
According to Khan, they have made “good money” on the pay-per-views since he bought the promotion, and “frankly, (the money) has been in line with what I paid for the entire business.”
Saturday’s Final Battle is expected to garner some of their best numbers thanks to the main event of Jericho vs. Claudio Castagnoli, according to Khan.
ROH went on hiatus in 2021 after the Final Battle pay-per-view event, which opened the doors for many contracted wrestlers to sign up with promotions, including WWE, AEW, Impact Wrestling, NWA, and NJPW. AEW’s Tony Khan purchased the company earlier this year but didn’t bring everyone back.
Several former ROH stars are on WWE’s radar once again, as Vincent and Dutch were spotted in attendance at WWE NXT on Tuesday night.
It’s unclear why WWE brought the two stars to the show or whether they have signed with the promotion, but with them being in attendance, it would indicate that they’re close to signing if they haven’t done so already.
In October, it was reported that WWE had discussed having them part of Bray Wyatt’s rumored Wyatt 6 faction.
In Attendance
Former Impact Wrestling star KC Navarro was in attendance as well. As noted, Navarro attended the WWE tryouts earlier on Tuesday. Former Impact Wrestling star Kylie Rae attended the tryouts as well.
Vincent and Dutch are the former Ring of Honor World Six-Man Tag Team Champions, which they co-held alongside Matt Taven as part of The Kingdom. When the promotion went on hiatus, members of The Kingdom showed up in Impact Wrestling as part Honor No More.
WWE typically announces a new group of signees at once, so an announcement will likely come in the next few weeks about who has signed with the company.
Kevin Anton has joined the cast of A24’s “The Iron Claw,” a movie about the rise and fall of the Von Erich family.
He will portray legendary wrestler Harley Race. Anton recently appeared in Showtime’s seven-part limited series, “The Loudest Voice,” based on a bestselling book about Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News.
He will also be featured in the upcoming Amazon series, Dead Ringers, starring Rachel Weisz. Anton is represented by Stefanie Talent and Entertainment.
Rest of The Cast
Harley Race
Zac Efron (Kevin Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry), Harris Dickinson (David), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich), Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich), Aaron Dean Eisenberg (Ric Flair), AEW‘s MJF (Lance Von Erich) and Lily James in an unknown role make up the rest of the cast.
The film is written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Sean Durkin. A24 and Access Industries are co-financing the film. Producing alongside A24 are Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman. The Iron Claw began principal photography beginning in Louisiana in October.
Although no release date has been announced for the movie, production is currently underway, and the film will premiere sometime in 2023.
WWE is slated to return to India for the first time since 2017 next year.
It was previously reported that WWE has plans to run a show on a “grand scale” in Hyderabad, India, and would consist of “a mix of superstars, both Indian and international.”
As part of WWE’s deal with Sony Pictures Networks India, WWE previously held an Indian show, Superstar Spectacle, on January 22, 2021, that aired five days later to coincide with India’s Republic Day.
The Latest
Pwinsider.com provided an update on the show as the date of the show will be Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from the G.M.C. Balayogi Sports Complex, an indoor stadium in Hyderabad with a capacity of 5,000 people.
It’s expected to feature SmackDown talent mostly. It’s unclear whether WWE plans to air the show as a special on Peacock, tape it for the local market, or just have it as a house show.
The Superstar Spectacle special was billed as “a unique showcase of Indian-inspired action,” which also featured elements of Indian culture and was headlined by Drew McIntyre and The Indus Sher (Rinku and Saurav) defeating The Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh and Sunil Singh) and Jinder Mahal.
Richard Holliday has provided an update on his status as he is battling cancer.
While speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the MLW star revealed that he’s battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is halfway through chemotherapy.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Holliday. “You never expect this will happen to you. I took such pride in my health, so to get news like this was quite shocking.”
In June, he started experiencing a vicious bout of night sweats. His last match happened on June 23 when he challenged Alex Hammerstone for the MLW World Heavyweight Title in Falls Count Anywhere match at the MLW Fusion tapings.
The Details
Holliday recalled the match and noted he was taking Dayquil to try to get through every day. He said that he felt off, and when he got home, he was freezing and pale white when he left after a month.
In July, he experienced severe dizzy spells and went to the emergency room, where his iron and hemoglobin were dangerously low to the point doctors thought he was anemic. He began taking iron pills to counter that, but his levels continued to check.
“They checked if I had internal bleeding, which I didn’t, and then they ran a litany of tests and a scan of my body for a possible case of lymphoma in September. Those tests confirmed it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was earth-shattering, devastating. But I knew right then I needed to change my mindset. The mind powers the body, so I needed to stay positive. I was reassured by my doctor that I could beat this, and I believe I am going to beat this. My plan is not to lose to lymphoma; my plan is to inspire people. I’m going to come out of this stronger, and I’m going to let people know they can beat it, too.”
Holliday stated that he doesn’t know when he will return to the ring but is adamant that he will beat cancer as he can’t stop thinking about making a return to in-ring action.
WWE is holding talent tryouts at the Performance Center this week in Orlando, Florida, as the company looks to sign new talent and hopes to find its next breakout star.
The company also held a two-day tryout in Tampa, Florida, recently. The company has a new recruitment strategy to find talent as they scout former college athletes and established independent wrestlers.
Among those in attendance was Melanie Brzezenski, a bodybuilder from the University of Tampa, and former USF football player Darrien Grant.
Preparation
December 1, 2022, Bradenton, Florida, USA: Melanie Brzezinski, of Tampa, performs her group promo for judges during a WWE tryout event at the IMG Academy East Campus on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, in Bradenton. Bradenton USA – ZUMAs70_ 0195985803st Copyright: xJeffereexWoox
“I got a personal trainer back in July, and I said to him that I have one goal and one goal only,” Brzezenski told ABC Action News. “That is to get into the WWE.”
Brzezenski, who goes by “Rosie Ray,’’ applied six times to qualify for a tryout. She was offered a WWE developmental contract after trying out.
Former WWE Champion Big E helped evaluate the talent as he is still recovering from suffering a broken neck earlier this year.
“We’re putting them through the paces of rolling in the ring, hitting the ropes, doing the bumps, and see how they react, seeing how they learn day-to-day,” he said. “But also, we’re seeing them on the microphone, seeing how their promos are. That’s a huge part of it. That’s what we do is having these larger-than-life characters.”
Former AEW/Impact star Kylie Rae and former MLW talent K.C. Navarro are taking part in the tryout this week in Orlando, Florida.
When the COVID-19 pandemic happened in 2020, WWE held its events at the Performance Center as the world shut down.
WWE NXT has made the Performance Center its home since then, but it looks like the brand will be taken on the road for big events starting in February.
According to WrestleVotes, the “Vengeance Day” Premium Live Event will take place in Charlotte, NC. The Twitter account tweeted out the following:
Taking The Show on The Road
(WWE)
“Hearing some great news out of the PC this afternoon, source states NXT is returning to the road for their future Premium Live Events. Starting with “Vengeance Day” on February 4th from Charlotte, NC.”
It’s unclear the venue that the brand will use for the show, although it’s likely to be booked at a smaller venue. In October, Shawn Michaels, who oversees creative for the brand, stated that WWE had no plans to book large buildings like they had been a few years ago for TakeOver shows.
WWE will present its Deadline special this Saturday with the main event of NXT Champion Bron Breakker defending the belt against Apollo Crews.
The premiere date is set for the upcoming documentary on the life and career of Ric Flair.
Peacock announced that “Becoming Ric Flair” will premiere on December 26 on Peacock. The two-hour documentary is a partnership between WWE and Tom Rinaldi.
“Many stories have been told about The Nature Boy over the past 50 years,” said Flair, “I’m thrilled to have partnered with WWE and Peacock to produce the most accurate depiction of my life to date and hope audiences enjoy the ride. Woooo!”
Here’s the official trailer for Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair:
Flair has previously said the documentary would be better than his ESPN 30 For 30 documentary and that the “bullsh*t” from Dark Side of the Ring would be addressed.
Flair came under fire after the Dark Side of the Ring episode aired because of Flair’s alleged behavior towards a flight attendant Heidi Doyle on the trip. Flair was accused of taking his clothes off and forcing himself on her.
“16-time World Champion and 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is one of the most prolific and controversial superstars in professional wrestling history. Flair is a true American icon: from his famous “Woooo” that is still heard in stadiums and arenas throughout the US, to his influence on hip hop music.
At 73 years-old Flair remains a constant in American pop culture, but who is the real man behind the outrageous persona? Finally, Flair reveals all, opening up about his storied career, inside and outside of the ring, over the last 50 years.
Hulk Hogan, Mike Tyson, Post Malone, Stephen A. Smith, and Charlotte Flair are among those who join Flair in telling the tale of the man behind ‘The Man.’”
Flair and WWE parted ways in August 2021 after he requested his release.
Sasha Banks (Mercedes Varnado) has secured some interesting trademarks that provide some insight into her future plans. The trademarks were registered on behalf of her company, Soulnado, Inc., which was formed in August 2022.
The filings are clearly not WWE-related. The trademarks are listed for categories such as jewelry, decals, clothing, action figures, and entertainment services.
Performances by an Actor or Musician
Last week (December 1), she applied to trademark her real name, Mercedes Varnado.
The ‘Goods and Services’ usage description provides some interesting clues about what she’s planning for her professional career. There are some references to wrestling, but most of the description covers ‘live performances by an actor or musician.’
Entertainment services in the nature of live audio performances by an actor or musician;
Entertainment services in the nature of live visual and audio performances by an actor;
Entertainment services in the nature of live visual and audio performances by an actor or musician;
Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests;
Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer;
Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler, actor, and musician;
Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler, actor, and musician; Entertainment services, namely, providing music tours in the nature of live musical performances;
Last month, Banks posted a cryptic video that teased, “there’s going to be something so f***ing crazy coming” in the very near future.
Cain Velasquez’s run with Lucha Libre AAA is set to continue after wrestling this past weekend at AAA’s live event in Arizona while out of jail on a $1 million bail.
Velasquez requested permission for him to wrestle at the show because the event was held at his alma mater, Arizona State University. He had to take and pay for a law enforcement officer with him on the trip to make it happen.
In a trios bout, he teamed with Blue Demon Jr. and Pagano to defeat Gringo Loco, Sam Adonis & Taurus.
More Dates
Cain Velasquez
Wrestling Inc reports that the two sides are set to work together for further dates as Velasquez has reached a verbal agreement with the promotion where he is slated to do five shows with the option of wrestling at more beyond that.
It is a per-appearance agreement with no full-time deal yet agreed to, and Velasquez is “in the mix” to work their upcoming show in Carson, California, on WrestleMania weekend.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion/former WWE star is facing attempted murder charges stemming from a February incident. He allegedly chased down a man and fired a weapon into a truck that contained several people. In the vehicle was a man who allegedly sexually assaulted both his child and one of his relatives.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated officially announced that its PWI Tag Team 100 list has been finalized, and The Usos have been named the No. 1 tag team in the professional wrestling world for the year.
The list was expanded from 50 to 100 teams for 2022. This marks the first time The Usos earned the honor and the first time a WWE team was honored.
The award was first introduced in 2020, and over the past two years, it was won by AEW’s FTR and The Young Bucks. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) were ranked #1 in 2021, while The Usos were #4.
FTR had a strong argument to win the award again this year as they’re the current ROH, IWGP, and AAA Tag Team Champions. However, it’s hard to argue that the accomplishments Jimmy and Jey didn’t make them the best tag team in the world.
They unified the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships and broke The New Day’s record for the longest tag title reign in WWE history as they surpassed 500 consecutive days last week.
The Usos competed against the likes of RK-Bro (Matt Riddle & Randy Orton), The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins), The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods), and more while being part of The Bloodline alongside Roman Reigns during the evaluation period.
They defended the titles on Monday Night Raw against Matt Riddle and Kevin Owens.
Drew McIntyre has revealed that he is not medically qualified to compete at this week’s WWE SmackDown.
The former WWE Champion was slated to team with Sheamus to challenge the winners of the Undisputed Tag Team Championship match on tonight’s Raw between The Usos and Matt Riddle & Elias this Friday night on SmackDown.
The Announcement
He promised to return soon because he doesn’t like missing shows. However, he didn’t provide any specifics as to what the exact issue is. McIntyre wrote the following:
“Unfortunately I am medically disqualified to compete this Friday on #Smackdown. I don’t like to miss any shows as everybody knows but I promise I’ll be back soon.”
His last televised match was at Survivor Series in the Men’s WarGames match when the Bloodline (Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa) defeated McIntyre, Kevin Owens & The Brawling Brutes (Butch, Ridge Holland & Sheamus). His last match happened on November 27 in a six-man tag team match at a house show.
Shayna Baszler (w/Ronda Rousey) vs. Shotzi (w/Raquel Rodriguez) and Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration is still advertised for this week’s SmackDown from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
We wish the best to McIntyre and hope to see him back in the ring soon.
Unfortunately I am medically disqualified to compete this Friday on #Smackdown
I don’t like to miss any shows as everybody knows but I promise I’ll be back soon
AEW has been criticized for running the same markets every few months, but that will be changing next year. The reason for AEW having this past strategy was to save money on production cost for its weekly shows.
Except for the Dynamite show on January 11 from The Forum in Los Angeles, CA, AEW has announced new market dates for its 2023 touring schedule thus far.
For their remaining 2022 shows, the markets they are heading to haven’t had shows there since earlier this year. The last time they went to Cedar Park and San Antonio was in March while they last ran Garland in April 2022. They haven’t held a show in Broomfield since March 2020.
Here’s an updated look at AEW’s touring schedule through March 2023. Head over to AEWTix.com if you’re located in any of these markets and interested in attending
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: December 7 – H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX
AEW Dynamite and Rampage (Winter is Coming): December 14 – Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas
AEW Dynamite and Rampage (Holiday Bash): December 21 – Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: December 28 – 1STBANK Arena in Broomfield, CO
AEW Dynamite: January 4 – Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
AEW Rampage and Battle of the Belts: January 6 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: January 11 – The Forum in Los Angeles, CA
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: January 18 – Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: January 25 – Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: February 1 – Nutter Center in Dayton, OH
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: February 8 – El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, TX
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: February 15 – TBA
AEW Dynamite and Rampage: February 22 – Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
AEW Dynamite: March 1 – Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA
AEW Rampage: March 3 – Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA
AEW Revolution: March 5 – Chase Center in San Francisco, CA
Claudio Castagnoli has spoken about the reports regarding William Regal’s wrestling status as he is expected to leave AEW to make a return to WWE.
Castagnoli became a member of the Blackpool Combat Club at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door when he replaced Bryan Danielson against Zack Sabre Jr and made his promotional debut. Regal founded BCC alongside Jon Moxley and Danielson.
Regal is reportedly leaving AEW and returning to WWE as his AEW contract reportedly expired in December, where he will be working in a backstage role again.
“I mean, I guess we have to … we have to wait and see. You know, we’re still talking, I think we have to have a little group meeting to figure out what’s next, or if there’s a next. So yeah, I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
Claudio also talked about what it means to him to work with Regal since he arrived in AEW. He said he never stopped learning from Regal and he was the reason he got into WWE in the first place. He was also the man to end Regal’s in-ring career.
Claudio is set to challenge Chris Jericho for the ROH World Title at ROH Final Battle this Saturday.
Brock Lesnar was once interested in crossing the line to work for TNA Wrestling. This is according to Kurt Angle, who has been friends with him for years due to their amateur wrestling backgrounds and pro wrestling careers.
Throughout 2003, they had some classic matches over the WWE Title, including Lesnar winning the championship from Angle at WrestleMania 19.
In 2007, Angle wrestled Lesnar for one final time in a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. That could’ve been different if Lesnar got the money he wanted from TNA Wrestling.
The Talk
While speaking on the latest episode of his Kurt Angle Show podcast, Angle revealed that Lesnar reached out to him about potentially joining TNA Wrestling in 2007.
“Okay, Brock calls me. He’s not in WWE,” Kurt Angle recalls. “He says, ‘Listen, man, can you get me in TNA? —’ I probably shouldn’t even be saying this, but you know what, Brock doesn’t care. So he said, ‘Hey, what are you making?’ I told him what I was making and he said, ‘If you can get me that, I’ll come. I approached TNA, and they said, ‘No, we’re not going to give him that kind of money.”
Angle said that he thinks TNA was at the top of their budget and couldn’t give any more money out at the time. He stated the Carter Family funded the venture for a long time and when TNA started making their own money, it wasn’t enough for them to be able to afford Lesnar.
Angle added that “TNA would have lit up” if a deal could have been reached to bring in Lesnar.
Lesnar would not return to professional wrestling until 2012 when he returned to WWE on the WWE Raw after WrestleMania 28 as he focused on his MMA career.
Discussions happen all the time in WWE, but some make it to television, and others do not. When Vince McMahon was in charge of creative, some wild pitches were made, with some being approved by the former CEO and Chairman while others were not.
On Friday, it was reported that The Rock appearing in the WWE Royal Rumble “has been discussed within WWE.
Former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz, who worked for the company for over a decade in the early 2000s before going to work for The Rock at Seven Bucks Productions, commented on “discussions” about ideas he had during his time in the company. He shared them with the following post:
The Ideas
“Things “discussed” in my time at wwe: Vince having midlife crisis, growing beard, wearing Hawaiian shirts and singing Black Eyed Peas songs. Kaval being Undertakers secret long lost son. [John] Cena losing to Bray Wyatt via singing possessed child… wait, that one actually happened.”
Kaval is best known as Low Ki, who was in WWE from the end of 2008 to December 2010. He also found success in ROH and TNA Wrestling.
Wyatt defeated Cena thanks to singing children at WWE Extreme Rules 2014. Wyatt gave the following response:
WWE’s Robert Roode is on the road to recovery after undergoing neck fusion surgery
The former WWE NXT Champion posted photos after his surgery on Instagram, which he indicated was for fusion to his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae that was done in Birmingham, Alabama. He wrote the following on the surgery:
Roode’s Statement
“Big thank you to Dr. Andy Cordover and his amazing staff at @andrews_sports_medicine and St Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. C5/6 fusion is complete. Now the work begins. Recovery and Rehabilitation. Looking forward to the challenge. Thanks @deneane__17. You’re the best.”
In September, the veteran wrestler shared a picture of Southlake Orthopaedics in Birmingham, Alabama, and mentioned going home after what he believed was a successful trip. He also mentioned that he was suffering from an injury.
Roode expressed his thanks to Southlake and Andrew Sports Medicine, which typically performs surgery on injured WWE stars. He posted a picture in the post that indicated he had surgery, but he didn’t explain why he was going to the facility.
Since the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the April 1st episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Dallas, Texas, Roode has not competed and has not made an appearance on television. Before he left, Dolph Ziggler was paired with Roode on WWE television.
