In the last few days, there has been a lot of drama between NWA owner Billy Corgan and former World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, as Aldis announced on Sunday that he would be leaving NWA when his contract expires on January 1, 2023. 

NWA suspended Aldis for his comments despite him being scheduled to wrestle Odinson at NWA Hard Times 3. Aldis has been part of the National Wrestling Alliance since 2017, when Corgan purchased the company and helped get the promotion to where it is today. 

Billy Corgan Gives his Side

While appearing on Busted Open Radio, Corgan detailed his issues with Aldis.

“Nick Aldis and I entered into a business relationship five years ago where we bet on one another. That proved to be a good bet. He’s been the highest paid talent in the NWA the entire time, without question. He knows that. He’s had a lot of say, not only over the company but also with how he was booked. That’s transparent,” began Corgan. “Why is a man, who a week ago, emailed us to say, ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done, I’m going to kind of move on.’ ‘Cool.’ He gave his notice, privately, we didn’t do anything. Did we retaliate or leak some rumor? No, we didn’t say anything. We have shows booked, Nick is on the card. He’s doing interviews for the pay-per-view. Why is a guy, who is so disgruntled, doing interviews? We’re in business, right? A couple of days ago, he does a video where he says, ‘I’m opting out of my contract.’ He does it publicly. I wouldn’t do business that way, but it’s his choice. I didn’t like it, but okay, he’s leaving in 55 days. Do your business and go out the door. Hopefully, we’ll do business down the road. Then, he starts blasting the product. I want to remind everybody. Everything that he’s said, I’ve been hearing that stuff for years. It’s not like I heard it and got sensitive. Why in a pay-per-view week, with a talent who is leaving the company, does he decide to start blasting me and product, 55 days before he’s out and he can do whatever he wants to do? Why does he have to bury the locker room and the product? Again, I’ve heard all of this stuff privately for years. These are not new criticisms. He and I have battled about the product for years and he’s helped make the product better with those battles. This is not a sensitive reactionary thing. How do I, as the leader of this company, allow a key talent, the most highly visible talent in the company, up until he opens his mouth and tells people he’s leaving, blast the company? He’s still under contract and being paid. We don’t invite him. He’s still being paid, we didn’t take his money. I can’t have a guy like that show up because what message does that send to the locker room. There are a lot of people in the locker room not happy about this. They have to do their job. Why is the focus not on Matt Cardona, Tyrus, Trevor Murdoch, Kamille, KiLynn King, or Chelsea Green? The focus is on Nick Aldis, who is not on the show anymore. It’s not an animosity, it’s just, why are we doing this?”

Aldis apologized to fans after his suspension for not working the upcoming show and noted he intended to finish out his commitments ahead of his deal expiring.

Corgan talked about how he thought Aldis was attempting to create some publicity by saying he would be leaving when his contract expired.

When asked if there was tension before Aldis announced his departure, Corgan answered there wasn’t any, but he admitted that he wished he could have spoken to Nick beforehand.

How Things Have Changed

Corgan was certain that Aldis was using an angle throughout the entire interview. Tyrus took Aldis’ place in the NWA World Heavyweight Title match against Trevor Murdoch before moving it to NWA 74. The angle they were working on, according to Corgan, has changed to a shoot.

“He wasn’t happy with the way he was booked, he told me that, and we talked about that. He’s a top guy, he believes he’s a top guy, and he believes the company runs best when he’s in the top position. He was very clear about that. I told him, ‘I can’t build a company around one person.’ I have to get other people over to heat the company up. It can’t just be about you. If it’s just one guy, then it’s just the Nick Wrestling Alliance. He thinks guys in the locker room are hell of workers. He’s told me, ‘this guy is a great worker. This guy is great.’ Okay, so let me get these guys in position.”

Aldis said on social media that Corgan’s opinions about NWA EmPowerrr and the reasons he chose not to launch a second show were driven by his desire to depart the company. Corgan has commonly noted that he doesn’t think there is enough female talent to carry the show and raise it to the same level as the inaugural event. 

When Corgan decided to make Aldis the center of the NWA in 2017, he was warned of his attitude, which Corgan then explained.

Corgan continued by saying, “None of this needed to be public. We could have all these intense feelings and still be thinking what we’re thinking, but why is this in public? That’s my argument. Nick picked this fight. Now we’re in wrestling-land. What are we talking about? A talent running a non-wrestling angle angle. He picked the fight. Now he’s in a fight. I’m not a weakling. I’ve been in the public forum for 34 years. Nick wants to fight, let’s fight. That’s not a challenge. Do you hear me blasting Nick or spilling family secrets? No. I’m talking strictly on a business level. This is a stupid play. He will regret this play later. I believe it hurts his stock in the public. If he were talking about running this angle on someone else, I would say, ‘Don’t do it.’ Nick had a reputation before coming to NWA as a bit of a headache and a locker room problem. He’s just reinforcing a stereotype that he spent five years erasing. Why? It’s bad for business. It’s bad for Nick Aldis business. I hope none of this rubs off on Mickie and hopefully I can resolve my issues with Mickie down the road. The issues with Mickie were business, nothing personal. If she felt disrespected, she felt disrespected on a wrestling business level. I would never disrespect Mickie as a woman or talent. She’s a Hall of Famer.”

Corgan concluded by stating that he was not working from an angle and that everything was a shoot. 

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

WWE is again using JBL on television as Baron Corbin’s manager. In recent weeks, the WWE Hall of Famer has been doing promos on the behalf of Baron and calling him a wrestling god, a nickname he had when he was still wrestling.

This continued on Monday’s episode of Raw as JBL did a heel promo and Corbin beat Cedric Alexander in a quick match. 

In a post on Twitter, WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair called out WWE for using JBL while endorsing an anti-bullying program and knocked WWE for having JBL in the Hall Of Fame. Flair wrote the following: 

Ric Flair’s Tweet

“I Guess The Anti Bullying Program You So Heavily Endorsed Does Not Apply To Bradshaw!! Jason Roberts And Joey Styles!! What A Joke! And He’s In The HOF! Sad!”

For years, there have been stories from wrestlers and talent about JBL that have claimed he was a bully backstage in WWE by taking ribs/pranks too far that were not in good-nature.

Former ECW star The Blue Meanie accused him of taking hard shots at him during their brawl at an ECW One Night Stand show that left him bloodied and injured. Also, Justin Roberts accused JBL of being a bully in his book, while there were issues with former WWE announcer Mauro Ranallo when he paired with JBL on the SmackDown commentary team.

Joey Styles was bullied by JBL and punched him out as a result. This past July, Flair partnered up with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo and faced Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in the main event of “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend.

AEW star MJF is making his film debut in a pro-wrestling-related project, as he will be part of an upcoming biopic on The Von Erich family.

It was reported via Deadline today that MJF is joining the cast of “The Iron Claw.” The role that MJF will be playing hasn’t been revealed.

Sean Durkin is writing and directing the movie. The synopsis for the film notes that the movie “follows the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day.”

The Movie

Zac Efron (Kevin Von Erich), Harris Dickinson (David Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry Von Erich), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich), Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich), and Lily James are also part of the cast. 

A24 released a first-look picture of Efron in the ring as Kevin Von Erich on Monday. Marshall Von Erich, who wrestles for MLW and is one of Kevin Von Erich’s sons, previously commented on Efron playing his father by noting:

On November 19th, MJF will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Title in the main event of the Full Gear pay-per-view event.

FTR is set to wrestle at the Tokyo Dome for the first time ever for the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 event. 

Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) will be wrestling at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 as they’ll defend their IWGP Tag Team Titles at the event.

FTR’s History with NJPW

The AEW stars won the IWGP Tag Team titles by defeating Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan and Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero in a three-way match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door this June.

Since becoming the champions, FTR has retained against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) and Great-O-Khan & Cobb in their two title defenses. 

NJPW did an angle after NJPW Battle Autumn in Osaka last Saturday with FTR and Aussie Open as Aussie Open confronted FTR backstage, saying that they’re going to win NJPW’s World Tag League tournament and then go on to challenge FTR at Wrestle Kingdom.

This upcoming event is taking place at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. FTR wrestling at the event means they’ll miss that week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. It’s been previously reported that other AEW stars will also be working the show. 

The trend of WWE bringing in NXT stars to work episodes of Main Event at weekly Raw events has continued. 

At Monday’s Raw (November 7), a fan favorite NXT star made their main roster debut: Wendy Choo, also known as Karen Q and Mei Ying. 

Wendy in Action

The episode featured Wendy Choo going up against Tamina for an upcoming edition of Main Event that will air later this week. 

Since introducing the character, she has been a hit with the fans and gotten over with her character shedding their cheerful vibes from backstage to show off a more vicious side once the bell rings. 

Choo recently competed in a match against NXT’s long-reigning Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, but came up short in her title pursuits.

Another NXT star that worked Main Event was Xyon Quinn. This marked his main roster TV debut as he has previously worked a dark match on the main roster as he wrestled in a pandemic-era SmackDown match under a former name.

Carmelo Hayes and Von Wagner are just some of the NXT names that have been put in this spot for WWE officials to get a look at these stars on a bigger stage. 

Mia Yim is back in WWE as she returned to the company during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. 

Yim made a comeback as a member of The OC and the equalizer that AJ Styles had mentioned. WWE United States Champion Seth Rollins entered the ring to begin his open challenge.

The Judgment Day cut him off, and shortly after that, The OC entered the ring. A brawl broke out between the two factions as Yim emerged from the crowd and attacked Rhea Ripley, with The OC standing tall in the ring to end the segment. 

Mia Yim is Back

WWE released Yim in November 2021 after a run on WWE Raw as Reckoning, and in between, being swapped between brands without appearing anywhere. Yim didn’t wrestle any matches for 15 months while being sidelined by WWE and having her non-compete run out.

She spent five months with Impact Wrestling until parting ways with the promotion following their set of Bound For Glory tapings last month when she was free to wrestle once her non-compete clause expired.

WWE was reportedly interested in bringing back Yim after the expiration of her contract with Impact.  WWE recently welcomed Emma (Tenille Dashwood) back to the company after years of being away.

Chelsea Green has commented on a potential return to WWE, as it has been reported that WWE has discussed bringing Green back to the company.

While speaking with Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone, Green was asked about potentially signing an exclusive deal with a company. 

Before being called up in 2020, Green signed a contract with WWE in 2018 and wrestled on the NXT brand. She made her SmackDown debut on November 13 but fractured her wrist during a match. In April 2021, Green was subsequently let go in a round of layoffs.

Chelsea Green is Open to WWE Return

“I think that I wouldn’t go to AEW, and that’s just a reality for me. It’s not gonna happen. With WWE, I’m really glad that I left on good terms, although I was sad that I didn’t get to fulfill myself creatively as a wrestler. I still had a great relationship with Triple H. I had a great relationship with Vince, so I am really happy that I’m able to hold my head up high knowing there’s an opportunity for me to possibly go back if they decide it’s the time and the place. But this time would be different because I went into it the first time, and I was just so doe-eyed and naive, and just thought that I deserved to be listened to and deserved to be heard.

Now I realize it’s not always like that. And it’s not always wrestling. It just shows business. Acting is the same way. You’re not going to get everything that you ‘deserve’ or everything that you work for, and all you can do is just go in with a totally open mind and just let things happen. So if I did get the chance to go back, and if someone contacted me, I would absolutely have that conversation.”

Green continued by saying that, given the outcome of her first stint with WWE, she still had unfinished business. She said she would approach it differently this time, but the decision to return to WWE ultimately is a decision the company will have to make.

Green stressed that, even though she has enjoyed her independence on the open market, some of her will always wonder what may have been if she hadn’t left. She compared her situation with her husband, Matt Cardona, who worked for the company as Zack Ryder for a significant amount of time.

Many fans were surprised to see how Vince McMahon handled Karrion Kross’ WWE main roster run last year as he changed up Kross’ entrance and didn’t use Karrion’s wife Scarlett as his manager. 

He also booked Kross to be beaten in matches. They returned to WWE in August 2022 – less than a year after the company had released both stars.

They are just two of many former stars that have returned to the company since Triple H took over creative following the retirement of Vince McMahon.

How Did it Happen?

While speaking to The Sun, Kross explained how his relationship with Triple H helped lead to the couple’s comeback. 

He noted he stayed in touch with a lot of people in WWE after his release and viewed it as a good experience. 

“So every once in a while, we would check in on Hunter and see how he’s doing, just personal stuff – we never talked about work – and he would check in on us. One day he was wondering if we were around for a call. And then I think it was the week that you guys saw me on TV. I jumped on a call with Hunter and he proposed the concept of coming back. He said, ‘Would you guys like to come home?’ And we were like, ‘Of course we would’. And then you guys saw us two days later, we were on TV.”

“We’ve always had a good relationship with everyone. We loved our experience there. That bridge was never ever burned or damaged or anything like that. It was just a series of unfortunate events that led to where we’re at and we came full circle.”

Johnny Gargano, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, and Dakota Kai were just some of the names brought back after McMahon’s controversial retirement.

The possibility of the fourth season of Dark Side of the Ring on VICE TV looks to be more like a reality. 

The show is on pause while creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener work on Tales from the Territories, which also airs on the network. There’s still been no confirmation on Dark Side of the Ring coming back by the network, which has led to speculation that Dark Side of the Ring had been canceled after the third season.

The Update

Pwinsider.com reported today that the forthcoming season is forthcoming, but unknown when it will exactly air. Per the report, WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Duggan was recently interviewed by the DSOTR team for a future installment.

The series has been the most viewed Vice TV series in the cable network’s history. 

The series focuses on controversial subjects and events within the realm of professional wrestling. Subjects covered on the first season included  Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, The Montreal Screwjob, Bruiser BrodyVon Erich family, Gino Hernandez, and “The Fabulous Moolah” The Fabulous Moolah.

The second season had Chris & Nancy Benoit, & Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit double-murder & suicide, New Jack, WWF Brawl for All, Jimmy Snuka, Dino Bravo, David Schultz, Herb Abrams & UWF, The Road Warriors, and the Owen Hart accident. The third season covered Brian Pillman, Nick Gage, Collision in Korea, The Ultimate Warrior, Grizzly Smith, Jake Roberts, Sam Houston, & Rockin’ Robin Dynamite Kid, Plane Ride from Hell, Chris Kanyon, FMW, Johnny K-9, Luna Vachon, Rob Black & Xtreme Pro Wrestling, and the United States v. Vince McMahon.

Dave Bautista’s latest film, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” is over a month away from being made available.

The official trailer for the Netflix film was released today. The movie, which will also have a limited theatrical run, was written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also produced it with Ram Bergman. 

The Plot

The film will be released on December 23rd on Netflix. You can read the plot for the movie below: 

“Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.”

Bautista, Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Kate Hudson make up the cast. 

The first “Knives Out” movie came out in 2019 and was a major success as it grossed over $300 million on a $40 million budget. 

Netflix paid $469 million for the rights to two sequels written and directed by Johnson, with Craig reprising his role. This will be the first Knives Out movie that the former WWE Champion will be a part of. 

You can watch the entire trailer for the film here:

Lio Rush had an interesting run with AEW that started with his debut at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in 2021, which marked the first show to feature a full crowd at a wrestling event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His tenure with the promotion didn’t last long, as he became a free agent after his contract with AEW expired in February 2022. 

His contract expiring came after Rush spoke out on Twitter regarding a controversial tweet from AEW President Tony Khan on New Year’s Eve in 2021.

While speaking on the Say Less podcast, Rush was asked if he thought AEW knew what to do with him as a talent when the company employed him.

Lio Rush on his AEW Run

“Of course not. When I say things, I don’t wanna sound like it was breaking news because I feel like these things are so blatantly obvious. It’s like, yanno, he made it pretty clear to me, verbally, that when he was a fan of me, it was when I was in WWE and I was doing the manager stuff with Bobby [Lashley]. If that’s how he saw me, that’s the only light he sees me in… [then] that’s [probably what] he’s gonna shift me to be in that kind of role. Which I’m not, yanno… I’m so grateful for that time period [in WWE] because it taught me how to talk, it taught me how to present myself and build others up. No, I don’t think that [they] exactly knew what to do with me. That’s always a frustrating thing, but like you said when [I] say stuff it just gets f*cking blown up.”

Since he departed from AEW, Rush has dealt with various injuries. He returned to in-ring action in October and has since competed for promotions such as GCW, PWG, and MLW. Rush was recently announced for NJPW’s upcoming Super Junior Tag League.

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Logan Paul was not the man to dethrone Roman Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

The match that headlined the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event featured Paul doing some basic moves early before throwing a wild punch that missed. Paul hit a crossbody off the barricade for 2. Paul hit the Buckshot Lariat for a near fall. Paul with a springboard move, but Reigns punched him. Paul with an exploder power slam and later a blockbuster for 2. Paul with a superman punch to Reigns. 

Reigns failed to connect with the superman punch and Paul hit him with a big right hand then the superman punch of his own for a near fall. Paul filmed himself jumping off the top rope to put Reigns through the table. Jake Paul came out when The Usos attacked some of the guys from Impaulsive. He laid them out with right hands. 

Logan with a frog splash off the top rope to Reigns for a near fall. After taking out The Usos with an outside dive, once in the ring, Reigns hit the superman punch and the spear for the win. 

How we Got Here

WWE set up the match when there was an exchange that happened after Reigns appeared on Paul’s Impaulsive podcast and noted on Twitter that Paul was talking trash about him as Paul said Reigns is the person in WWE who he wants to face. Reigns told Paul Heyman to handle it, and then Triple H  invited Paul to appear on SmackDown.

WWE later held a press conference in Las Vegas to announce the main event for its November 5 event with this planned match. Paul trained with former WWE Cruiserweight Champions Shane Helms and Drew Gulak to prepare for the bout. 

The Usos retained their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles against The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) at Saturday’s Crown Jewel event, but Jey may have done so with an injury. 

Michael Cole stated on commentary that Jey believes he has a broken wrist and will get an MRI done on Monday. Cole said Jey suffered the potential injury while wrestling on WWE’s European tour this past week.

The finish of the tag team title match saw The Usos hitting a Super 1D on Butch to get the victory. WWE also further hyped The Usos defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles against The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) on next Friday’s episode of SmackDown. 

What’s on the Line

It will be an important match for The Usos as if they win, they will be poised to break The New Day’s record as the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history.

The leader of The Bloodline, Roman Reigns, defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Logan Paul in the main event of Crown Jewel. 

Hopefully, this injury is not as serious as it could be and won’t keep Jey from competing inside the squared circle. 

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair put her championship on the line once again against Bayley, but this time it was at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event from Saudi Arabia in a Last Woman Standing Match. 

The match was saved as the co-main event. Various weapons were used, including chairs, steel steps, and kendo sticks. Bayley smashed Belair with the steps while having her pinned up against the ring.

Bayley hit a belly-to-belly suplex on the stage then put her in an equipment crate, but Belair popped out. Bayley drove a golf cart out and they brawled on it. Belair powerbombed Bayley through a table. Belair trapped Bayley’s leg in a ladder that prevented Bayley from getting up and won the bout. 

History

Belair won the meeting between the two in a ladder match at Extreme Rules to retain her title.  Bayley defeated Belair in a non-title match on this week’s Raw after interference from Nikki Cross. 

The two stars have been feuding since late July at SummerSlam when Bayley made her return following Belair’s successful title defense over Becky Lynch. Bayley also revealed the debuting Damage Control stable. 

What are your thoughts on Bianca Belair retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Another indication that Sasha Banks and Naomi are on their way back to WWE was shown during Saturday’s Crown Jewel premium live event. 

There was a change made to the signature video that kicks off all WWE shows, as they are included in the intro. If you blinked, you might have missed it, but many fans on social media were quick to point it out right away, just as Crown Jewel was about to start.

The Rumors

This only adds fuel to the rumors that Banks and Naomi are returning soon after it was reported by WrestlingNews.co in August that an agreement was reached for both women to return. 

Several media outlets later reported that there were “hang-ups” in the talks between the company and the two stars. Banks is still under a WWE deal, but they were working on another contract because the current one was due to expire soon.

On Friday, Banks posted a cryptic video that teased something “crazy” happening soon after waiting for it over the past six months. 

Banks and Naomi walked out of a WWE Raw event in May due to creative differences, as WWE wanted Naomi to win a six-pack challenge on the show.

Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are once again the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions as they dethroned Alexa Bliss and Asuka. 

The title change happened at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event from Saudi Arabia. This was a rematch that saw Kai and SKY dominate the major of the match until Bliss got the hot tag and cleared house.

It looked like Bliss was on her way to retaining the titles, but Nikki Cross appeared from nowhere to hit a DDT from the top rope to Bliss, allowing Kai to pin her for the win. The referee didn’t see the outside interference because the referee was busy dealing with a brawl between Asuka and SKY. 

The First Title Change

Bliss and Asuka won the titles during this week’s Raw, in what was Asuka’s first televised match in close to two months. It marked an important milestone for Asuka and Bliss as it was both women’s third reign as Tag Champions (albeit with different partners) and the third partner for Asuka, who previously held gold with KAIRI and Charlotte Flair.

Kai and SKY were champions for 49 days before the title change happened on Monday’s Raw. 

What are your thoughts on Kai and SKY winning back the Women’s Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley squared off in the ring for the second time only in their careers. 

The match was booked at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event from Saudi Arabia. It opened the show and saw Lashley jump from behind. Lashley speared him through the barricade.

Lesnar with some german suplexes and even a near fall for an F5. It was mostly dominated by Lashley, who had him in The Hurt Lock submission hold, but Lesnar pushed off the turnbuckle and landed on Lashley for the pinfall win. 

Post-match, Lashley attacked Lesnar and put him in The Hurt Lock again. 

Their first match took place at the Royal Rumble in January, where Lashley beat “The Beast” for the WWE Title. 

However, Lashley lost the title at the Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia in February but was never pinned or submitted as WWE did an injury angle to get Lashley out of the match as he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Lesnar ended up winning the match and the title before losing it to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38 in a winner take all match.

Although Lashley previously called out Lesnar for a match at WrestleMania 39, the company decided to book the match at this event. 

WWE set up the match in early October when he appeared on WWE TV for the first time since SummerSlam where he lost to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, where he attacked Lesnar. 

Lesnar later appeared on Monday Night Raw, only for Lashley to call him out and they brawled, with Lashley gaining the upper hand after spearing Lesnar through a ringside barricade. They have eventually pulled apart after Lashley put Lesnar through the announcer’s table.

WWE Crown Jewel is quickly approaching and the planned match order has been revealed based on the internal production listing.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul will headline the show. To even things up, Logan’s brother, Jake, has been brought in for the show to be in the corner of Logan to make sure The Bloodline isn’t a factor in the finish of the match. 

There are a total of four title matches on this card. There are no titles expected to change hands, according to the final betting odds released. The event starts with the Kickoff show at 11 AM EST and the main card at 12 PM EST. 

WWE Crown Jewel Match Order

The current scheduled match order for WWE Crown Jewel this afternoon is as follows:

• Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar.
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss & Asuka vs. Dakota Kai & IYO SKY.
• Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre in a Steel Cage match.
• The Judgement Day vs. AJ Styles & Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows.
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes.
• WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley – Last Woman Standing Match.
• Bray Wyatt segment.
• WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman vs. Logan Paul with Jake Paul.

H/T: PWInsider

WWE has an interest in bringing back yet another wrestler as Triple H continues to look to shape the women’s division in his own way. 

Fightful Select reported today that WWE is interested in bringing Mia Yim back to the company. The report noted that while there’s no word yet on a potential start date, she’s expected to be brought back soon. 

WWE taped tonight’s SmackDown a week ago so that it won’t be then and not likely in Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel, but Monday’s Raw or next week’s SmackDown is possible. 

Mia Yim’s Journey

WWE released Yim in November 2021 after a run on WWE Raw as Reckoning, and in between, being swapped between brands without appearing anywhere. Yim didn’t wrestle any matches for 15 months while being sidelined by WWE and having her non-compete run out.

When she could wrestle again once her non-compete clause expired, she spent five months with Impact Wrestling before wrapping up with the company after their set of Bound For Glory tapings last month. 

Fightful was told that WWE was aware that her agreement with Impact was coming up and had an interest in anticipation of it. WWE brought Emma (Tenille Dashwood) back to the company after years of being away last week.

Steve Austin had his first match since 2003 at WrestleMania this year, closing night one against Kevin Owens in his home state of Texas. 

Many thought that this WrestleMania 38 bout was the end of Austin’s career, although that may not be the case. 

Steve Austin Open to Wrestle Again

While speaking with GiveMeSport’s Louis Dangoor, WrestleVotes noted that Austin was so elated with how things went in his WrestleMania 38 that the belief is he’d be open to doing it again.

“I know he had a wonderful time doing it last year in Dallas. He was happy. He was elated. Let’s say that the performance of the match, everything went so well, and people loved it so much, So I know he was thrilled to post WrestleMania. And I’d say he was open to doing it again.”

It should be noted that WrestleVotes did explain that they hadn’t heard that Austin will be involved at WrestleMania 39 next year or if he will be wrestling, but this is just the feeling that Austin would be open to the idea. 

Austin, one of the biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business, had not wrestled in 19 years as he decided to retire due to neck problems. That match came against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. 

R-Truth could be set for a significant stint on the shelf after the fan-favorite star was in action on Tuesday’s episode of WWE NXT when he faced Grayson Waller in the show’s opening match. 

Truth suffered an injury after he went for a Flip Dive over the top rope but didn’t clear it as his knee hit the rope. R-Truth was helped backstage by WWE’s medical team after WWE cut a commercial break, and Waller was declared the winner. 

The Injury

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that it is believed Truth suffered a quadriceps tear, but that hasn’t been confirmed just yet. This would ultimately be a serious injury that will keep him out of action for several months. 

This injury happened at a time when Truth had been featured more on TV by appearing on Monday Night Raw in a segment with Baron Corbin and JBL.

In addition to NXT and Raw, he has also been booked on Main Event in a new tag team with Shelton Benjamin by taking on Duke Hudson and Von Wagner. Unfortunately, though, Truth’s latest run on TV looks to be over.

Kevin Nash, Triple H, Vince McMahon, and others have all suffered quadriceps tears. In the cases of “The Game” and Nash, they were out of action for close to a year.

Ricky Starks has been added to the card for Friday’s AEW Rampage episode with the promise that fans will hear from him via a promo segment. 

This was a notable addition to the lineup as Starks has notably been absent from television as of late, with his last televised appearance being on AEW Dynamite on September 28.

Per Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestler Observer Newsletter, the reasoning behind Starks’ absence from TV has been somewhat explained.

Where Has Starks Been?

Meltzer wrote, “Ricky Starks hasn’t been in the ring for a few weeks due to something not wrestling related but he’ll be back on the show for a promo this week.”

Although no other details were given, it does clear up any speculation of Starks being injured. His return tonight is a step in the right direction for fans of Starks who wish to see him return to in-ring action.

Starks’ most recent prominent feud was with former tag partner, Powerhouse Hobbs, as Hobbs defeated Starks during AEW All Out on September 4 before their rematch during the Grand Slam edition of AEW Rampage that was billed as a ‘lights out’ match where he defeated Hobbs with a Roshambo securing the pin.

Other things confirmed for Rampage include a dream match between Orange Cassidy and NJPW’s Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW All Atlantic championship.

Dr. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter vs., Madison Rayne & Skye Blue and more names for Full Gear Eliminator Tournament will be announced.

For years, fans and Bobby Lashley had wanted to see him share the squared circle with Brock Lesnar under the WWE banner. 

That dream became a reality at WWE Royal Rumble 2022, where Lashley challenged Lesnar for the WWE Championship. Thanks to some interference from Roman Reigns, Lashley scored the win. 

Although they were booked in an Elimination Chamber Match the next month, it wasn’t what fans had hoped to see as Lashley was removed from the bout due to an injury. Lesnar ended up winning the WWE Title.

Fast forward to last month, WWE started the feud again and booked a rematch between the two stars at Crown Jewel.

Lashley on Lesnar

Speaking with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Lashley was asked to describe how he feels about the build to this bout compared to the first match. 

“I like the buildup because I think the buildup is really important because of what happened last time. There wasn’t that real resolution to anything except me pinning him. This time is going to be a lot more hype. I think that it’s not going to be the last time. I think that is so much more that Brock and I can actually get into. So I think that this feud is going to be a feud that’s going to keep going, and it’s going to keep looking different, and there is going to be a lot more involved with it.”

Lashley stated that Lesnar wants to fight and is the type of person that’s just going to let somebody beat him up two times in a row and then not even come to avenge it, so the feud will continue in his eyes.

WWE announced today in its third quarter 2022 earnings report that the investigation into alleged misconduct by Vince McMahon “is now complete, and the Special Committee has been disbanded.”

McMahon resigned from his duties as Chairman and CEO of WWE amid the WWE Board investigating him for alleged sexual misconduct and hush money.  The investigation cost WWE $19.4 million. 

WWE’s Statement

“As previously announced, a Special Committee of independent members of the Board of Directors was formed to investigate alleged misconduct by Vincent K. McMahon, the Company’s former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who resigned from all positions held with the Company on July 22, 2022 but remains a stockholder with a controlling interest, and another executive, who is also no longer with the Company. The Special Committee investigation is now complete and the Special Committee has been disbanded. Management is working with the Board to implement the recommendations of the Special Committee related to the investigation. For the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2022, the Company’s consolidated pre-tax results include the impact of $17.7 million and $19.4 million, respectively, associated with certain costs related to the investigation. Please see the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K/A and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q/A and Form 10-Q for further details and ongoing risks regarding this matter.”

The Wall Street Journal broke the news earlier this year about the WWE Board of Directors investigating McMahon over a $3 million settlement that McMahon had agreed to pay a former employee with whom he allegedly had an affair. McMahon allegedly paid them more than $12 million to four women formerly with the company to “suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.” WWE later found more payments that were made.

McMahon resigned from WWE as Chairman and CEO. Since Vince’s resignation, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have been named co-CEOs, while Triple H has been named Head of Creative.

It looks like AEW President Tony Khan has something special planned for the fans with tonight’s (November 2, 2022) edition of Dynamite that will have them talking after the show. 

On today’s Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that he was told on Tuesday about something big happening on tonight’s show, and he has heard similar things from other sources. He did note that he doesn’t know exactly what is happening but several people have told him that “something’s happening.”

Khan did appear on Busted Open Radio earlier in the day and previewed the show, but didn’t hint at any surprises for the show. The leading speculation will be about Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks returning to television because they were backstage last week after being suspended for the All Out Brawl with CM Punk. 

AEW Dynamite Card

• ROH Champion Chris Jericho defends against a former ROH Champion of any kind
• AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fenix and Luchasaurus
• TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Marina Shafir
• AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty in a title eliminator match
• Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal
• Saraya/Britt Baker interview with Renee Paquette
• The Acclaimed’s Daddy Ass Birthday Bash
• ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage