SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • The Rock Reveals His Mt. Rushmore Of Wrestling

    The Rock Reveals His Mt. Rushmore Of Wrestling

    The Rock recently responded to a Tweet from FITE.TV asking followers to name their Mt. Rushmore of wrestling. He referred to the question as one of his favorite debates.

    The Rock named Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Ric Flair as his top-3 and then he revealed a 3-way tie for the 4th spot between the Undertaker, Pat Patterson, and Jackie Fargo. He also said that on the back of the mountain is him and Dusty Rhodes dropping devastating elbows.

    The Rock Touts Success of Red Notice

    The Rock’s latest film, Red Notice, has broken the record as the most-watched film on Netflix. The film also stars Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot.

    How much of the film’s success can be attributed to the golden egg angle at Survivor Series and on RAW is unclear. The Rock was originally planned to be at Survivor Series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut. He was unable to be there, however, as the 2nd season of Young Rock is currently filming in Australia. This was addressed recently by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

    “Dwayne’s out of the country and can’t come back. They’re doing a movie and they can’t go back and forth because of quarantine. There was no way he could be at the show tonight,” said Dave Meltzer.

    Reason Why The Rock Couldn’t Appear At Survivor Series
  • Ric Flair Says AEW Should Sign Bray Wyatt

    Ric Flair Says AEW Should Sign Bray Wyatt

    Ric Flair released a new episode of his Woo Nation podcast today. During the discussion, Flair mentioned he believes AEW should sign Bray Wyatt.

    Mark Madden asked Flair if AEW was signing too many wrestlers and Flair took the opportunity to mention his belief that the promotion should sign Wyatt.

    “I most definitely would hire Bray Wyatt,” Flair said. “I’m a huge fan of his. The kid can work and talk and he comes up with some incredible ideas. I know you aren’t crazy about those gimmicks but when you think that he put the time and effort, those were his thought process. Plus, he’s legit, he’s a tough kid, he’s an amateur wrestler, played football at Troy.”

    “I’m just a big fan of his. I like his brother a lot too. You couldn’t find a handsomer more athletic guy. I think if I’m going to hire one more guy, I’d hire Bray Wyatt.”

    “The last guy I would have fired if I were Vince would have been Bray Wyatt. So, there must have been something there that I’m missing.”

    Regarding Bray Wyatt’s free agency, it was recently noted by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that he is absolutely not going to Impact Wrestling.

    The full podcast with Flair can be viewed in the player below:

  • Jim Ross Reveals He’s Going To Write Another Book

    Jim Ross Reveals He’s Going To Write Another Book

    Jim Ross is planning to write another book. He revealed this news on the latest edition of his Grillin JR podcast.

    In 2024, JR will celebrate 50 years in the wrestling business and publishers are interested in releasing another book to celebrate the anniversary.

    “I’m going to write another book, it looks like,” Ross said on the show.

    “We’ve been offered a deal from a couple of publishers about my 50 years in wrestling. I got in in ‘74, so it’s 2024, a couple of years. If I’m above ground, that’s what’s going to happen. That should be fun. I never stopped loving what I did.”

    Jim Ross’ Books

    Jim Ross has written three books to date. In 2003, he released “JR’s Cookbook” in association with WWE.

    In 2017, he released “Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling.”

    Last year, he released “Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond.”

    Health Update

    Good o’l JR will miss tonight’s broadcast of AEW Dynamite as he continues radiation treatment for skin cancer.

    Ross has been documenting his treatments on social media. Just today, he noted that he is ready to start day 3 of his 21-day treatment.

    He expects to return to AEW television at the December 29th edition of Dynamite from Jacksonville, FL.

    Once again, we wish Jim Ross the very best of luck with his health!

    H/T to WrestleNewsCO for the transcription.

  • Bryan Danielson Debuts New Masked Gimmick On AEW Dark (Allegedly)

    Bryan Danielson Debuts New Masked Gimmick On AEW Dark (Allegedly)

    Although this can’t be officially confirmed, it is believed that Bryan Danielson debuted a new masked gimmick on AEW Dark last night. The character Infinito made his AEW debut on the show wearing a black and gold full body suit with a mask. He defeated Ray Jaz in single’s competition.

    “Introducing first, from the infinite universe, from the beginning and end of time, weighing more than you could possibly imagine, Infinito!” The character was introduced as by Justin Roberts.

    Infinito and Jaz started the match off with some basic grappling. He then gained the advantage with a series of monkey flips. Infinito would later set up his opponent in what was referred to as the infinite airplane spin. While the move did not go on infinitely, it did go on for quite some time. After finally putting his opponent down, Infinito cradled him and got the 3-count. His official record is now 1-0.

    Cody Rhodes is also alleged to have dawned a mask and debuted as Fuego 2. This character has been teaming with Fuego del Sol in the tag-team Too Fast Too Fuego.

    Infinito appears to have been awarded an official AEW contract.

    The full episode of AEW Dark featuring the debut of Infinito can be viewed in the player below:

  • Eric Bischoff On If AEW Is Hoarding Talent

    Eric Bischoff On If AEW Is Hoarding Talent

    Eric Bischoff recently commented on if AEW is hoarding talent similar to what WCW is often alleged to have done during the Monday Night Wars. Bischoff was on his 83 Weeks podcast when he made the below comments.

    “One of the biggest criticisms that I got from the dirt sheet community led by Dave Meltzer was ‘he’s signed too many WWE guys. Got too many people on the roster. Not letting the young talent get a shot because it’s bloated with ex-WWE guys.’ Okay, guess what? Some of that was true and some of that I deserved. Is history repeating itself? I don’t know, maybe?”

    Bischoff continued to say he’s not aware of what Tony Khan’s strategy is regarding roster size. He would also say, however, that if there is no strategy, signing too many wrestlers could backfire.

    “That being said, if there is no strategy and if you’re simply loading up your roster for the sake of building a big roster because having a big roster is your measure of success, then yeah there’s a chance it could backfire.”

    Bischoff then continued to say that if you have a large roster but many wrestlers feel they are not being utilized enough, it could lead to disgruntled workers.

    “If you’re not using those people to the extent that they feel like they’re getting their part of that dream, then ultimately, you can have a challenge and that challenge can become malignant and dangerous.”

    Bischoff has been critical of AEW as of late. He has accused AEW President Tony Khan of manipulating data in order to make his promotion seem more competitive to WWE. More on that story is available in the link below:

    Eric Bischoff Claims Tony Khan Manipulates Ratings Data To Make AEW Appear Competitive

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • Trish Stratus To Host WWE Live Event In Toronto

    Trish Stratus To Host WWE Live Event In Toronto

    Trish Stratus is returning to WWE next month to host a live event from her hometown of Toronto. The show will emanate from the Coca-Cola Coliseum on Wednesday, December 29th.

    “Excited to step through that curtain and feel the energy of the WWE Universe one more time. Let’s do this Toronto!” Stratus wrote on her official website.

    The WWE Hall of Famer and 7x World Champion took to social media to officially announce she will be hosting the event.

    The event will be a RAW branded house show. Matches advertised on local WWE programming in the area include Big E defending the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley, and Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair for the RAW Women’s Championship. The RK-Bro team of Matt Riddle and Randy Orton are also advertised as being on the show.

    Stratus is also set to be a judge on Canada’s Got Talent along with Kardi and Lilly Singh. The season will begin airing next spring. The Toronto native is also promoting the movie “Christmas in the Rockies” which was released on DVD last week. Stratus plays the role of Marie Brown in the film.

    Stratus had her last ever match in Toronto at SummerSlam 2019. She was defeated by Charlotte Flair on the show.

  • ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C To Debut For MLW

    ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C To Debut For MLW

    ROH Women’s World Champion Rok-C is set to make her MLW debut on January 21st, 2022 at Blood and Thunder. The event is an MLW Fusion television taping from Gilley’s in Dallas, Texas. The 20-year-old has been training with Booker T since she was 16.

    “Known as “The Prodigy,” the 5’1? featherweight looks to make a statement in her home state of Texas when she steps foot in an MLW ring for the fist-time ever on January 21st,” reads an MLW press release.

    Rok-C won a tournament this year in ROH to win the ROH Women’s World Championship. She defeated Miranda Arize in the finals at Death Before Dishonor in September. Footage of her victory is below:

    MLW’s Open Door Policy For Free Agents

    MLW is touting that Rok-C will be the first to take part in the promotion’s new open-door policy as it concerns free agents. Last month, MLW revealed that a percentage of future events will feature wrestlers currently on the free agent market in addition to wrestlers signed to MLW contracts.

    “While the majority of MLW’s roster features contracted competitors, a percentage of each card will now feature free agents, ensuring exciting and unpredictable matchups,” reads an MLW press release. 

    More on MLW’s open door policy for free agents is available in the link below:

    MLW Announces “Open Door Policy” For Free Agents
  • John Morrison Responds To Being Referenced On WWE RAW

    John Morrison Responds To Being Referenced On WWE RAW

    John Morrison was released from WWE earlier this month and this was referenced last night on WWE Raw. Morrison’s former partner, The Miz, returned and was involved in a talking segment with Edge. During this interaction, Edge referenced that Miz had gone to perform on Dancing With The Stars and left his partner to get fired.

    “You use this to get notoriety for your next endeavor, for your next reality show, for your next dance competition while you leave your partners high and dry to get fired,” Edge said to Miz.

    Morrison issued the following response to this segment on social media.

    Edge also referenced Miz getting mentioned on AEW Dynamite last week. CM Punk referred to MJF as a “less famous version of The Miz” on the show.

    “You have people on other shows saying your name just to get a cheap reaction. You live rent-free in a lot of heads,” Edge said to Miz.

    There was another reference to released WWE talent on RAW last night as well. During a segment featuring Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch, Morgan appeared to blame Lynch and her big-money contract for the release of her former Riott Squad teammates.

    “You’re the reason why your friend is gone just like the reason why your big, fat greedy contract is the reason why MY friends are gone. How does it feel knowing you become everything you despised?”

  • CM Punk Match Announced For AEW Dynamite

    CM Punk Match Announced For AEW Dynamite

    AEW has announced another big match for Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

    CM Punk will be back in action against young up-and-comer Lee Moriarty.

    After their promo battle last week, Maxwell Jacob Friedman will likely be watching this match closely.

    CM Punk is excited at the prospect of mixing it up with Moriarty.

    CM Punk vs Lee Moriarty

    This will be Punk’s 8th match in AEW. He’s defeated Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, Matt Sydal, Bobby Fish, Eddie Kingston, and QT Marshall.

    As for Lee Moriarty, he’s 1-4 in singles matches in AEW. He’s defeated Nick Comoroto but lost to Bobby Fish, Daniel Garcia, Joey Janela, and Dante Martin.

    AEW Dynamite Preview (12/1/21)

    4 other matches have been confirmed for this week’s Dynamite.:

    • The TBS Title Tournament will continue with the final quarter-final match. Ruby Soho will face Kris Statlander with the winner moving on to face Jade Cargill in the semi-finals.
    • Bryan Danielson defeated Colt Cabana in front of Cabana’s hometown in Chicago last week. This week he will attempt to do the same thing to another member of the Dark Order. Alan “5” Angels, who is from the Atlanta area, will step up to the plate to face the American Dragon. AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page will likely be in attendance and have his eye on what happens here.

    After Andrade El Idolo, Malakai Black and FTR defeated Cody Rhodes & Death Triangle in the main event last week, Andrade and Rhodes will face off in an Atlanta street fight this week. This was set up after Dynamite went off the air last week when Andrade gave Rhodes a DDT on the floor outside the ring. Considering this show is in Rhodes’ hometown, it should be interesting to see what fan reaction he gets. He might even toss his weight belt into the crowd again.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1465556194781802500
    • Darby Allin & Sting will continue their rivalry with the Gunn Club this week. This started on Rampage a couple of weeks ago when Darby Allin defeated Billy Gunn in singles competition. After the match, the Gunn Club attacked both him and Sting. On Dynamite last week, Allin was able to attack Austin Gunn on the ramp but Billy & Colten bailed before him and Sting could get their hands on them. This week, it will be Sting and Darby Allin against Billy & Colten Gunn in tag-team action.
  • Guinness Book of World Records Recognizes Randy Orton & Natalya Achievements

    Guinness Book of World Records Recognizes Randy Orton & Natalya Achievements

    The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized the achievements of both Randy Orton and Natalya. Both Orton and Natalya achieved PPV milestones for the company at this year’s Survivor Series.

    In the case of Randy Orton, he broke the all-time record for most matches on WWE PPV when he wrestled in his 177th at Survivor Series. This topped Kane’s tally of 176. Natalya also set a record at Survivor Series, with her 68th PPV match, setting a record for women’s wrestlers in the company.

    “Randy Orton (USA), one half of the current WWE RAW Tag Team Champions alongside Riddle, is a third-generation superstar who made his wrestling debut in 2000,” reads Guinness’ description of Orton’s record. “Fast forward 21 years and he has appeared on a record-breaking 177 pay-per-view (PPV) events, surpassing the previous record for most WWE PPV appearances (male) held by Kane (USA).”

    “Natalya (Canada) has set the record for the most WWE PPV appearances (female)with 68 following her traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. Her team of Smackdown superstars lost to RAW’s,” reads a description of the record set by Natalya.

    Other female wrestlers with large PPV match tallies include Charlotte Flair (57), Trish Stratus (43), Sasha Banks (43), Becky Lynch (43), Bayley (42), Lita (23), and Chyna (20).

  • Rhodes To The Top Renewed For Second Season

    Rhodes To The Top Renewed For Second Season

    Brandi and Cody Rhodes’ “Rhodes to the Top” reality series has been renewed for a second season, according to a report from the Wrestling Observer. The first season consisted of 13 episodes and has a 48% approval rating currently on Rotten Tomatoes.

    The first season of the show averaged 360,000 viewers per episode and a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

    Episodes of the show are also available for viewing on TNT’s website here.

    “Rhodes to the Top will take viewers behind-the-scenes as the powerhouse couple manage their ever-busier lives inside and outside the ring, all the while surrounded by a colorful and often hilarious motley crew of wrestlers, family and friends who both support and test them at every turn. Married in 2013, Cody and Brandi have been on an unprecedented path to wrestling greatness, but will now face their newest and possibly biggest challenge yet,” reads a description of the show on TNT’s website.

    In an interview with the Wrap, Cody explained how the show peels back the curtain on the wrestling industry.

    “Me, being an old-school wrester, that was always so taboo and almost scary to really pull the curtain back that far,” Rhodes explained. “But it’s almost insulting the audience’s intelligence not to do it this day and age because we have such a hardcore fan, a super fan that makes up the base of who watches AEW.”

  • Nia Jax Says It’s “Highly Unlikely” That She’ll Wrestle Again

    Nia Jax Says It’s “Highly Unlikely” That She’ll Wrestle Again

    Nia Jax was released from WWE earlier this month. Shortly after her departure, Jax revealed that WWE released her while she was on a leave of absence to focus on her mental health.

    She recently updated her Twitter account and her personal website to reflect her birth name, Lina Fanene.

    Apparently some people took that as her having a new ring name for pro wrestling, but that’s not the case. The former WWE Superstar took to social media to set the record straight there.

    “Calm TF down trolls,” she wrote. She also revealed that it’s “highly unlikely” that we’ll see her back in a wrestling ring again.

    The 37-year-old Nia Jax joined WWE in 2014. During her time in the company, she won the RAW Women’s Championship once and the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles along with Shayna Baszler twice.

    Following her release from the company, Nia took to social media to release a statement.

    “It breaks my heart to be so abruptly let go, without consultation, when dealing with so much privately. I loved my career at WWE, I love the men and women I worked with, and I am going to need time to process this huge loss. I appreciate those people who have shown understanding and compassion during an incredibly difficult time.”

    Nia Jax Issues Statement Regarding WWE Release
  • Eric Bischoff On Why Goldberg Was Difficult To Deal With

    Eric Bischoff On Why Goldberg Was Difficult To Deal With

    Eric Bischoff recently named Bill Goldberg as a talent who was particularly difficult to deal with in WCW. On his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff commented on what it is about Goldberg that made him this way.

    “I think on a consistent basis; it would have been Bill Goldberg. Not necessarily in a bad way. Just that, Bill was a very intense person. Emotional, and didn’t have a lot of experience, and was pretty uncomfortable in a pro wrestling environment when he first got there,” Bischoff said.

    “So, as a result, you take someone who is an intense personality, a very intense personality, a bit of a perfectionist, who puts a lot of pressure on himself. But, also, lacking a lot of the comfort that comes with experience. You get a guy that’s a little hard to handle, or sometimes a lot hard to handle. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. That’s just a thing.”

    Goldberg made his WCW debut on the September 22, 1997 episode of Nitro. He defeated Hugh Morrus on that show and started his long undefeated streak. Goldberg would continuing winning matches until eventually defeating Hollywood Hogan in the Georgia Dome on July 6, 1998. His streak would eventually end at Starrcade 98 on December 27th, 1998. Kevin Nash pinned Goldberg after Scott Hall interfered and zapped him with a cattle prod.

    In addition to his WCW Championship reign, Goldberg is also a 2x WWE Universal Champion. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

    H/t to Sportskeeda for transcriptions.

  • Big E Says AEW Is Forcing WWE To Raise Its Game Up

    Big E Says AEW Is Forcing WWE To Raise Its Game Up

    Big E recently commented on how AEW has impacted the wrestling business. According to the WWE Champion, competition forces everyone to step their game up. During a recent interview with The Illuminerdi, Big E also said that having AEW around gives more wrestlers a place work if they don’t happen to fit with what WWE is looking for.

    “I know, from a fan perspective, a lot of people would prefer that I come in here and trash talk everyone in AEW and stir the pot,” Big E told . “But that’s not my style.”

    “I think it forces us to raise our game,” Big E continued. “If you watch their shows, and you see rabid fans/people losing their minds and people loving those shows. It should make us want to say, ‘Yo! We want to be dominating them, we want to step our game up, we want to put on the better show.’”

    Big E supports an alternative

    AEW has also provided a new place for talent to work while earning major league-level money. It also provides wrestlers with more leverage in contract negotiations with other companies.

    “I think it’s just also very good we have men and women who may not fit here in WWE, who may not want – whatever it is,” Big E explained. “But now they have a place they can go. And they can wrestle. They can make money, they can live their dream, they can be on TV, so I think it’s great.”

    The WWE Champion Big E will be in action tonight on WWE Raw. He’ll face Kevin Owens in a non-title match. His WWE Championship reign currently sits at 77 days. During his run, he has defended the title 3x (not including house shows). Big E has defeated Bobby Lashley in a steel cage on RAW, Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel, and most recently Austin Theory on last week’s edition of RAW.

    The full interview with Big E can be viewed in the player below:

  • Jaxson Ryker Comments On His WWE Release

    Jaxson Ryker Comments On His WWE Release

    Jaxson Ryker was among the names released from WWE earlier this month. He recently spoke about his WWE departure on the Wrestling For The Faith podcast.

    “I’m not bitter, I’m not angry and I’m not mad by any means,” Ryker said. “I had five fun years there where I got to do a lot of cool stuff. I got to travel all over the United States, wrestle in front of thousands of packed out stadiums and just had a really fun, good time with The Forgotten Sons, you know, doing the stuff with Elias leading up to the first live Raw that was in Dallas, Texas and had a good time but yeah, we came to terms on the end of my contract.”

    Ryker continued to say that he’s excited about what the future may hold.

    “I look forward to the future, what God’s gonna do, I think he’s got some cool doors that are gonna open up for me and let’s just see what happens.”

    Ryker, who wrestled as Gunner in TNA, said that his release from that company in 2015 was more of a devastating blow than being cut by WWE.

    “It’s not a front I’m putting on by any means because Lord knows 10 years ago, let’s see, I got released from TNA or IMPACT Wrestling in 2015 and it was more of a devastating blow,” Ryker continued. “I felt like and financially, I wasn’t as stable obviously but I guess it was my relationship with the Lord was not as strong then.”

    Jaxson Ryker Had Backstage Heat Leading Up To WWE Release

    According to a report from Fightful, Ryker had an “incredible amount of heat” backstage leading up to his release. This was due to comments he’d made regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and other issues. Mustafa Ali publicly responded to some of Ryker’s comments in the below Tweet:

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for transcriptions.

  • Adam Cole, Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, & Cesaro Tease Da Party Reunion

    Adam Cole, Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, & Cesaro Tease Da Party Reunion

    Adam Cole, Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze, and Cesaro are known to video game fans as Da Party. Their frequent gaming adventures were dealt a blow this year, however, after two members of the group left WWE. Tyler Breeze was released and Adam Cole signed with AEW after his WWE contract expired.

    Recently, members of Da Party have been teasing a reunion. They took to social media using the hashtags #DaParty and #DaPartyForever yesterday.

    Xavier Woods recently commented that a Da Party reunion could take place on his G4 show when it begins next year.

    “Being linked to WWE where anything can happen, G4 would be a great place to interact with other wrestling talent from anywhere,” Woods said to Cinema Blend recently. 

    “I’m hoping that it is a means to create more content with more people that you normally wouldn’t see us creating content with.”

    “I’m not sure the ins and outs of things like that, but I am definitely hoping that we see a little bit of [holds up Adam Cole t-shirt]…some of that. So if we can re-link up with some Da Party stuff, that’d be great.”

    WWE will be producing Woods’ show on the rebooted G4 network.

    Xavier Woods Hoping To Reunite with Kenny Omega & Adam Cole on G4
  • John Morrison Comments On WWE Release

    John Morrison Comments On WWE Release

    John Morrison was amongst the names cut from WWE’s roster this month. He recently took to social media to comment on his departure from the company.

    “I want you all to know how grateful I am for the support you gave me during this past run with WWE,” Morrison says in a video posted to Instagram. “I also want you to know that I did in fact receive a phone call from John Laurinaitis during which he told me that my services as a talent were no longer required by WWE. I didn’t even get a, ‘Best of luck on your future endeavors.’ I mean, if you’re gonna let me go, at least hit your catchphrase, right?”

    Morrison continued to talk about how during this run with WWE he got to see and work with people he hadn’t in 10 years. He also got to make new friends and work with some of the best production in the business. During his first run with WWE, Morrison says he learned that wrestling is about telling stories more than anything else, and he’s still got more of his story to go.

    “I happen to be a storyteller who takes a lot of pride in being able to do the flips, the tricks, the kicks and the hair whips but, those are just tools. The moves, the ropes, the ring, the mic, they are all just tools used by those who practice the art of professional wrestling to tell stories, and the great thing about being a storyteller is that when one chapter ends, another one begins.”

    Morrison’s full comments can be heard in the player below:

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CW1ikErPnnC/?utm_medium=copy_link

    Morrison returned to WWE in the fall of 2019 after having been gone since 2011. Prior to his WWE return, Morrison worked 2 years for Impact Wrestling where he won the promotion’s world title. He also worked on the Lucha Underground series, and won that promotion’s major championship as well.

    Transcriptions via POST Wrestling

  • Slick Returning To Wrestling To Sing “Jive Soul Bro” At Indy Event

    Slick Returning To Wrestling To Sing “Jive Soul Bro” At Indy Event

    “The Doctor of Style” Slick is returning to pro-wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer will be singing “Jive Soul Bro” live on a ISPW show December 10th in Butler, New Jersey. He will be the special guest on “The Winner’s Circle” a talking segment hosted by Andy Vineberg.

    ISPW issued a press release on Slick’s return to pro-wrestling.

    “ISPW Christmas Chaos will be highlighted by an extremely rare appearance by WWE Legend “The Doctor of Style” Slick, who will be appearing on “The Winner” Andy Vineberg’s talk show The Winner’s Circle. Slick promises to put everyone in the Christmas spirit by singing a special carol, but it will not be a Christmas song. The Doctor of Style will be performing his hit song Jive Soul Bro live at Christmas Chaos!!!!” The press release reads.

    Tickets for the show are available here.

    Also on the card will be Bull James taking on Danny Morrison (Danny Doring). Inagrual winner of Tough Enough, Maven, will be the special guest referee in the match. Crowbar will also face Homicide in the 2nd of a special double main event. Also in attendance for the show will be ISPW’s commissioner, Tito Santana.

    Both Slick and Tito Santana will be available for Meet and Greets before the show.

  • Update On AEW Looking To Re-Sign Talent With Expiring Contracts

    Update On AEW Looking To Re-Sign Talent With Expiring Contracts

    It was recently revealed that the Young Bucks have signed contract extensions with AEW that will take them into 2024. According to comments made by Wade Keller of PW Torch, some talent in the company with expiring contracts are wondering what type of deal they will get when their current contracts expire.

    “There are people I’ve talked to in AEW who are looking at their contracts and wondering what their deal is gonna be next time when their first deals come up,” Keller said. “And how much leverage they’re gonna have with WWE or New Japan or heck, GCW with their ticket sales these days or the indie scene as an option to book yourself. It’s gonna be interesting to watch.”

    With the Young Bucks now having re-signed, AEW reportedly wants to get the other 2 EVPs to re-sign as well. Keller continued to say that he’s heard Tony Khan wants to lock up Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega for more years as well.

    “I have heard the intent and the hope is that Cody and Kenny and Tony all come to deals,” Keller said. “There’s not signs that any of them want to leave or are disgruntled to the point that they shouldn’t be able to come to an extension but I don’t know the situation.”

    “Maybe Cody and Kenny already signed extensions and they kept it quiet. Actually, I’m pretty sure that hasn’t happened now that I think about it from people I’ve talked to. I think Cody and Kenny might be next in terms of signing extensions.”

    The Elite Sign With AEW

    Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks were all named EVPs of the company in addition to signing as talent in early 2019/late 2018. The promotion was officially announced on New Year’s Day in 2019. The announcement was made in a video posted to the “Being the Elite” YouTube channel. Hangman Page signed with AEW as a talent only. Then-Elite member Marty Scurll was still under contract to Ring of Honor and would eventually re-sign with that promotion before being officially released in early 2021.

    H/T To Wrestling Inc. for transcriptions.

  • Backstage Reaction to the CM Punk vs. MJF Segment from Dynamite

    Backstage Reaction to the CM Punk vs. MJF Segment from Dynamite

    Mark Henry recently revealed the backstage reaction to the CM Punk – MJF segment which kicked off Dynamite last week. According to Henry, the promo battle got a big reaction from the AEW roster.

    Henry also said that he had to walk out to the crowd to feel the live reaction as well.

    “I started off at the monitor. I’m sitting at the monitor. There’s 30 wrestlers sitting around that area, and everybody is popping,” Henry said on Busted Open Radio.

    “If you’re popping wrestlers, you’ve done something in your life. You won. I had to get up, walk out to the crowd to feel it because that’s why people go to wrestling. People go to wrestling because of how you feel, not because you just want to be entertained.”

    Live reaction to CM Punk vs. MJF

    Mark Henry continued to speak on the reaction from the live crowd inside Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

    “It felt like electricity moving my clothes one zinger to another one, one zinger back and forth. The city of Chicago, everybody that was there, will get to tell people for the rest of their lives, ‘I was at that show where CM Punk and MJF went toe to toe, a battle of wits, over 20 minutes, and not one punch connected.’ It was arguably the best verbal jousting that I’ve ever seen.”

    Amongst the many verbal shots that were taken in the promo was CM Punk referring to MJF as a “less famous version of The Miz.”

    MJF also took a shot at CM Punk’s short-lived UFC career.

    One of Punk’s lines that got a big reaction was when he said that the only way MJF will ever become the #1 guy is if Tony Khan has a daughter that he marries.

    AEW has posted the entire segment to YouTube. It is available in the player below:

    H/T to WrestlingNewsCO for transcriptions.

  • Nikki Bella Reveals The Promise She Made That Keeps Postponing Her Wedding

    Nikki Bella Reveals The Promise She Made That Keeps Postponing Her Wedding

    Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev became engaged in 2019. They welcomed their first child, Matteo, in July of 2020. Their wedding keeps getting pushed back, however. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Nikki revealed the promise she made that keeps delaying their nuptials.

    “The one promise I made [Chigvintsev] before we can plan is that his parents can attend,” she told ET. “And with where the world’s at right now, and trying to get two Russian parents into the country, it’s almost impossible. So the day I can get two visas is the day we will set our date and say, ‘I do.’ “

    Originally, Nikki had said they planned to get married around this Thanksgiving. She now feels that next year’s Thanksgiving is a more realistic target.

    “I think last year I said Thanksgiving, right? And I want to say next Thanksgiving,” she added. “I can’t believe it’s been a year, but I really do want to get married. I mean, selfishly, I just want to have that, like, one big day about me. I can’t wait for that and to wear that dress, but I do want to marry Artem.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuKRVYF6lX/?utm_medium=twitter

    Nikki was once engaged to John Cena, but the couple called off their engagement in 2018. She met Chigvintsev when they were partnered together on Dancing With The Stars in 2017. Nikki and Chigvintsev went public with their relationship in July of 2019 and became engaged later that year.

  • WWE Surveying Fans For Feedback On NXT 2.0

    WWE Surveying Fans For Feedback On NXT 2.0

    WWE has sent out a survey to many of their email subscribers recently asking for feedback on the NXT 2.0 brand. According to a report from PW Insider, the survey asks fans if they watched the old NXT and what they think of the new brand re-launch.

    Fans were asked to rate how much they enjoy or do not enjoy the following on NXT 2.0:

    • Outcomes of the matches
    • Look and aesthetic of the show
    • Quality of wrestling
    • Variety of stars featured
    • Providing unexpected moments
    • Storylines
    • Quality of the matches
    • Level of excitement
    • Whether it was entertaining from start to finish
    • Athleticism of the stars
    • Length of the show
    • Entertainment value of the show

    Fans were also asked if they agree or disagree with several statements including:

    • This show has many unique and exciting characters.
    • I enjoy the athleticism of the wrestling talent on the show.
    • Character development is believable.
    • The wrestling talent has creative freedom to speak their minds.
    • Promos feel natural and not too scripted.
    • The show does a good job in developing newer wrestling talent.
    • This show is one of my favorites among all professional wrestling shows.
    • Most segments on the show feel necessary to watch.
    • I can count on seeing at least some big or important moments.
    • Match outcomes feel meaningful.
    • Storylines are consistently engaging.
    • The show offers an amount of humor that appeals to me.
    • I share content or talk about this show with my friends or other fans.
    • Rivalries and match-ups on this show are consistently entertaining.

    Fan Vote To Determine Participants In War Games Advantage Ladder Match

    NXT is building to the upcoming War Games PPV on December 5th. WWE.com is holding a fan vote to determine which members of the men’s teams square off in a ladder match to determine which team gains the War Games advantage.

    NXT War Games 2021 Lineup:

    • Women’s War Games Match
      Raquel González, Io Shirai, Cora Jade, and Kay Lee Rayvs. Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne)
    • Men’s War Games Match
      Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo
    • NXT Cruiserweight Championship
      Roderick Strong (c) vs Joe Gacy
    • Hair vs Hair
      Cameron Grimes vs Duke Hudson
    • NXT Tag Team Championships
      Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner or Legado Del Fantasma(Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza)
  • Edge Returning On Raw, Lesnar Returning On Smackdown

    Edge Returning On Raw, Lesnar Returning On Smackdown

    WWE is bringing back Edge to RAW and Brock Lesnar to Smackdown this week. Edge’s return to RAW was announced during Friday’s Smackdown broadcast. It was also revealed on Smackdown that Brock Lesnar’s storyline suspension has been lifted and he will be on next week’s show.

    Also announced for this week’s RAW is a non-title match between Big E and Kevin Owens. Also, Finn Balor will face Seth Rollins on the show. Nothing other than Brock Lesnar’s return has been announced for Smackdown thus far.

    WWE and AEW Ticket Sales In the UBS Arena

    RAW next week will take place in the UBS Arena in Long Island, NY. As of this writing, 5,075 tickets to the show have been distributed.

    WWE has also been offering 2-for-1 deals to the event. Meanwhile, AEW’s show in the same arena on December 8th has sold 8, 573 tickets.

    Next week’s Smackdown will be held in the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. While nothing has been announced other than Lesnar’s return, Sami Zayn has qualified for a Universal Championship shot. He won a battle royal on this Friday’s show. It appeared as though Jeff Hardy had won the match, but Zayn had never been officially eliminated. He returned and eliminated Hardy.

  • Silas Young Talks CM Punk’s Masked Appearance On His Indy Show In 2019

    Silas Young Talks CM Punk’s Masked Appearance On His Indy Show In 2019

    In 2019, ROH’s Silas Young booked an indy event at the Knights Of Columbus Hall in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is widely believed that a masked CM Punk did a run-in on the show.

    It was the last event held in the venue as it was later torn down. Young reached out to several wrestlers who had history in the building about coming in for the last ever show there. Young recently spoke to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful about the event and the wrestler who performed a run-in under a mask that night.

    “I started reaching out to guys that had wrestled there over the years and wanted to bring back guys from years past,” Young said.

    “I reached out to Ace Steel because he’s an amazing wrestler, good dude, and it all snowballed together with Ace and Dave Prazak being on the show and I think Punk might have done a jiu-jitsu tournament in West Dallas, which is where that show was being run earlier in the day.” 

    “Someone came up to me in the locker room and was like, ‘Hey, they want to do something in the match and Punk is going to do a run-in in a mask or something.’ I said, ‘Yeah, whatever they want to do, do it.’ What am I going to say, ‘No, Punk can’t get on the show?”

    Numerous people associated with the show and fans in attendance that night posted to social media. Many seemed to believe it was CM Punk under a mask who had made a run-in. Footage of the run-in are available in the social media posts below:

  • Recent Photo of Hulk Hogan Shows Him Looking Slimmer Than Ever (Photo)

    Recent Photo of Hulk Hogan Shows Him Looking Slimmer Than Ever (Photo)

    Hulk Hogan recently posted an updated photo to his Facebook page. The Hulkster is looking slimmer and trimmer than ever, it appears. Hogan claims he now weighs the same as he did when he was in 9th grade.

    “Back to my 9th grade weight 275lbs brother HH,” he wrote on Facebook.

    During an interview with Hollywood Raw, Brooke Hogan recently noted that her father has had a lot of surgeries but one recently seems to have him in good health.

    “We counted how many surgeries he’s had in the last 10 years and I think we’re at 25,” Brooke said. “So he’s had both shoulders scoped and he had his whole bicep and everything tied up in his shoulder last year.”

    “So yeah, he’s had so many surgeries. He’s done a ton, but this last one that he just had finally was like the winning ticket, so right now he’s feeling great. He’s working out two hours in the gym every day, he’s still chugging along,” Brooke continued.

    Hulk Hogan appeared at WrestleMania with WWE earlier this year. He hosted the 2-night event along with Titus O’Neil. Hogan was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a second time in the Class of 2020 along with members of the New World Order.