Author Archive

Recent Call-Ups Face Each Other on NXT Tonight

2 Superstars who recently made their main roster debuts will face each other tonight on NXT.

Sonya Deville made her Raw debut on Monday along with Mandy Rose. Tonight, she will face Ruby Riot, who made her main roster debut last night on Smackdown.

Ruby Riot vs. Sonya Deville

Matches for tonight’s NXT were taped from the Toyota Center in Houston this weekend.

Neither Deville nor Riot qualified for the Fatal 4-Way match at Takeover to determine a new NXT women’s champion. They had each been in a triple threat qualifying match which was won by Ember Moon. Recent backstage segments on NXT have shown Deville blaming Riot for the results of that match. Their score gets settled tonight.

WWE Announces Next UK & Ireland Tour

WWE has announced they will be running a 10-day UK tour in May, featuring episodes of both Raw and Smackdown.

The tour will run from May 9th to May 18th and will stop in London’s O2 Arena for both Raw and Smackdown on the 14th and 15th.

WWE May UK Tour

“Tickets for all shows are available starting Wednesday, 9 a.m. local time, at www.bookingsdirect.com. (For Dublin, Ireland, go to www.ticketmaster.ie.)

Wednesday, 9 May: Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England

Thursday, 10 May: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Friday, 11 May: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland

Monday, 14 May: Raw at O2 Arena, London, England

Tuesday, 15 May: SmackDown LIVE at O2 Arena, London, England

Tuesday, 15 May: Genting Arena, Birmingham, England

Wednesday, 16 May: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England

Thursday, 17 May: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England

Friday, 18 May: FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield, England”

Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan: Info on Smackdown’s Newest Call-Ups

For the 2nd time in 2 nights, 3 NXT call-ups made their mark in the women’s division. On Raw, Paige brought in Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville as back-up and now on Smackdown Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan have done the same.

Here is some background info on Smackdown’s newest call-ups:

Ruby Riot:

Formerly known as Heidi Lovelace on the independents, Riot has been with WWE since January. The 26-year-old raced through the developmental system in under a year.

Real name Dori Prange, the Michigan native had been touring with independent promotions, such as Chikara, as recently as last December. She has also competed with Shine, Stardom, and Ohio Valley Wrestling (where she was trained).

In her final match for the popular Hamilton-based independent last December, Alpha-1, Riot delivered an emotional farewell speech.

Sarah Logan:

Real name, Sarah Bridges, Logan is better known to independent wrestling fans as “Crazy” Mary Dobson. She made a name for herself in all the top indies which feature female performers until being signed by WWE last fall.

Logan was signed a few months before Riot but rarely made appearances on NXT. She has wrestled a lot on NXT live events, usually losing to wrestlers featured more prominently on NXT’s programming.

In this summer’s Mae Young Classic, Logan was eliminated in the 1st round by Mia Yim. Riot and Logan had been teaming together on the most recent NXT live tour.

Liv Morgan:

 

Liv Morgan took a rather odd route to WWE…

Liv Morgan and Enzo Amore both worked for Hooters at one time. 2 years after he was signed to WWE in 2012, Enzo is said to have introduced Liv to Joe Defranco, who owns a gym in New Jersey and is close friends with Triple H.

Morgan, who had been a lifelong wrestling fan growing up, excelled at the gym and was signed to a WWE contract in 2014. Enzo and Liv were an item at one point, but Morgan indicated on social media earlier this year that she is single.

The 23-year old didn’t wrestle before being signed to WWE. Her first match was in 2015 and her tag-team partner was Charlotte Flair.

Where Has Bray Wyatt Been?

Bray Wyatt hasn’t won a match in WWE for over 2 months. That includes house show and dark match results. In total, Wyatt has dropped his last 18 matches straight. His last win was over Goldust in September on Raw.

It should also be noted that Wyatt hasn’t been on any of WWE’s live events in over a week, including Survivor Series and last night’s Raw. His last appearance for WWE was 8 days ago when he lost a single’s match to Jason Jordan on last week’s Raw. The following day he posted two ominous Tweets and has since gone silent on social media.

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/930515086636089349

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/930515905330720769

So, Where is Bray Wyatt?

When a wrestler goes on a long losing streak and/or loses to someone considered to be lower ranked (i.e Jason Jordan) it can mean many things: upcoming gimmick change, heel/face turn, or Vince has soured on them, though this is strictly speculation.

There has also been no indication WWE will be picking the Sister Abigail storyline up again anytime soon. The rivalry between Wyatt and Balor seemed to end when their PPV match was canceled due to Wyatt’s viral infection last month.

Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose: Info on Paige’s New Run-In Buddies

Last night on Raw, Paige returned and brought some backup with her. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose made their Raw debut and made it clear they are working with Paige.

Here is some background info on Paige’s new run-in buddies:

Sonya Deville:

Contrary to popular belief, 24-year-old Sonya Deville actually does have an MMA background. She has a 2-1 amateur MMA record and trained out of the Systems Training Center in Hawthorne, CA.

She also hosted the show “UFC AfterBuzz” show on AfterBuzz.tv which currently hosts Sean Waltman’s podcast.

Deville also has several acting credits to her name, including producing her own movie “the Honour” in 2013. The description of the movie is as follows:

“Christian Conservative Sarah discovers her daughter Judith is gay and in love with a Muslim Neighbor. Sarah will do anything to save the immoral soul of her daughter.”

Deville was discovered by WWE in 2015’s version of Tough Enough.

Mandy Rose:

Rose was also discovered in the 2015 edition of Tough Enough but her pre-WWE career was spent in the world of fitness modeling. This was also the route Rose’s idol, Trish Stratus, took to the WWE.

Earlier this year, a photo of Mandy Rose spread online which made many fans consider her Trish’s doppelganger. Even Trish commented the photo had her fooled:

The 26-year-old’s real name is Amanda Saccomanno and she is from Westchester County, New York though she has relocated near the Performance Center in Orlando.

Rose and Deville actually tagged together in their first NXT match. It was a 6-person match and their other partner was Alexa Bliss, whom they beat up last night in the back.

Rose has two official tour victories for the World Bodybuilding Fitness and Fashion organization from events in 2014.

Neither Rose nor Deville competed on the independents before being signed to WWE.

House of Hardcore Announces Next Live Show on Twitch

Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion will be returning to Twitch for another live show on December 2nd. Production problems plagued last Saturday’s broadcast but the entire show has not been put up for viewing-on-demand.

House of Hardcore 36 will air from Austin Aries’ hometown of Waukesha, WI. Aries cut a promo at HOH35 which was greeted with some heckling from the live crowd in Philadelphia this weekend.

House of Hardcore 36

Only 3 matches are announced thus far for the show:

  1. Al Snow & Swoggle vs. the Squad
  2. Candace Michelle vs. Lisa Von Marie (Michelle’s last match)
  3. Austin Aries vs. Joey Mercury

Corey Graves Responds To Vince Russo’s Criticism

Vince Russo was evidently not a fan of how the commentary team treated Jason Jordan on Raw last night. He had this to say on Twitter regarding it:

Early this morning/late last night, Graves responded with the following:

Vince Russo in 2017

Since parting with Impact Wrestling in 2014, Russo has been busy working on podcasts and online content. Additionally, he writes for the wrestling show “Rocky Mountain Pro” which appears on the FITE App.

Earlier this summer, Russo filed a restraining order against Jim Cornette.

Naomi’s Car Broken Into During Survivor Series

Not only did Naomi’s Smackdown team lose to the Raw women’s division last night, she also had her car broken into while the PPV was going on.

She posted the following to social media recently:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbuW7nAAcG7/?hl=en&taken-by=trinity_fatu

She did note her “glow” was left unstolen.

UPDATE: It appears “Elfomi” was taken during the break-in:

Heath Slater and the Ascension Have Car Broken Into Earlier This Year

Heath Slater and the Ascension also had their car broken into earlier this year. In February, Slater and the Ascension had their rental car broken into at a show in Oakland.

Just a month beforehand, AJ Styles had several belongings stolen from him while at an Arkansas live event.

That’s 5 Superstars who have had belongings stolen while working in one calendar year for WWE.

Kamala (James Harris) Reportedly on Life Support

According to a social media post from longtime wrestling reporter, Kevin Conlee, James Harris (aka Kamala) is on life support.

Screenshot 2017 11 20 15.46.17

Kamala/James Harris

Little is known at this point regarding Harris’ condition. Conlee is a longtime mainstay around the Memphis wrestling scene where Harris first started working his popular gimmick.

Harris had his left leg amputated in 2011 due to complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. His right leg was also amputated in 2012.

Tommy Dreamer Issues Challenge For Major Title Before HOH35

Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion aired a live free event from Saturday on Twitch. While production problems plagued the live broadcast, the event is now up for free on the site.

Before the show went to air, Billy Corgan’s NWA organization sent out notifications through their social media accounts that their champion, Tim Storm, was in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena. The segment did not appear during the House of Hardcore broadcast but did air through NWA’s social media accounts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnUQ9grmGYY

Billy Corgan’s Nation Wrestling Alliance

Dreamer let Billy know his NWA is always welcome in House of Hardcore and also issued a challenge to champion, Tim Storm for the title. Former challenger, Nick Aldis, also had something to say regarding receiving another title shot in the near future.

Billy Corgan’s purchase of the NWA came into effect on October 1st. The company has been busy releasing mini-documentaries on their YouTube channel and marketing Tim Storm.

Storm and the NWA have issued an open challenge to available talents for a shot at the title and the list of potential challengers appears to be growing rapidly.

Lucha Underground Offering Releases To Unhappy Talent

Lucha Underground will be offering a way out of the company for unhappy talent, according to Executive Producer Eric Van Wagenen on the Masks, Mats & Mayhem podcast.

Throughout 2017, popular junior heavyweight, Ricochet, has expressed unhappiness with the limitations his Lucha Underground contract places on him. While Ricochet is now contractually free of LU, at least a few currently contracted LU talents feel the same as Ricochet did.

LU is now offering any unhappy talents a release from their contract provided they come back to the show in order to be written off, drop titles, or otherwise film an explanation for their departure. You can listen to the full episode here:

Lucha Underground Season 4

News that contracted talent will be offered releases comes on the heels of news the company will also be relaxing the exclusivity clauses in their contracts and allowing talent to perform for other organizations.

Other changes expected to occur for season 4, include a reduced budget for backstage scenes and production.

Filming is expected to begin in early 2018 with May being a targetted airdate.

Title Match Announced for Smackdown

This week’s Smackdown will be headlined by AJ Styles defending his newly won WWE Championship against former champion, Jinder Mahal.

Last night at Survivor Series, Tom Phillips announced that Jinder will be cashing in his rematch clause on Tuesday night. This makes perfect sense for Jinder to do from a kayfabe perspective as Styles will only be 2 days removed from facing Brock Lesnar.

AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal II

Before Styles vs. Lesnar at Survivor Series last night, Jinder cut a pre-taped promo saying he was cheering for Styles because he is from Smackdown but is hoping Lesnar hurts Styles because he wants his title back.

Jinder and AJ have met in single’s action twice before. In May, Jinder defeated Styles on an episode of Smackdown and 2 weeks ago AJ defeated Jinder for the WWE title on the Smackdown from Manchester.

Mr. Anderson/Kennedy Has An Interesting New Job (Video)

Ken Anderson has an interesting new job, one that makes sense considering his old wrestling gimmick. Anderson’s new employer is Top Rank Boxing for ESPN, where he now serves as a ring announcer.

Check out video of Anderson announcing a fight result below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbYwYIEBN32/

Ken Anderson’s Recent Career

Despite his new job as a ring announcer, Anderson is still an active wrestler. He wrestled some matches in Europe back in September and challenged Marty Scurll for the ROH TV title back in April.

Anderson also co-owns and operates “the Academy” pro-wrestling school along with former WWE wrestler, Shawn Daivari.

Jennifer Hudson Files Restraining Order Against David Otunga

After 10 years of marriage, Jennifer Hudson has filed a restraining order against David Otunga.

Hudson’s representatives have told reporters the two have been in the process of ending their marriage for months. They are now locked in a custody battle for their 8-year-old son.

Hudson has recently been granted a restraining order against Otunga.

Hudson Files Restraining Order

Otunga’s lawyers have released the following statement regarding the restraining order:

“David Otunga has been trying to negotiate the terms of an amicable parenting agreement with Ms. Hudson for several weeks now. However, when it became apparent to Ms. Hudson that Mr. Otunga would be the parent granted residential care of the child, as a result of Mr. Otunga being the child’s primary caregiver while Ms. Hudson pursues her career all over the world, Ms. Hudson decided to file a meritless Petition for Order of Protection in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in the custody dispute.”

As a result of Mr. Otunga’s career in the WWE, Ms. Hudson felt that she could give an award-winning performance in court to portray herself as the victim.  Mr. Otunga has never abused or harassed Ms. Hudson or their son.”

Hudson’s representatives are saying the restraining order is in the best interest of the child involved.

The Rock’s Daughter Wants To Pursue Wrestling Career

16-year-old Simone Garcia Johnson will be serving as Hollywood Reporter’s “Golden Globes Ambassador” for the next year. Despite the inroads her father can provide for her in Hollywood, that is not where the teenager’s passion is.

“As much as I love and admire the film industry, I don’t see myself pursuing a career in it at the moment. I plan to study business in college — NYU, hopefully — and after graduating, I want to pursue wrestling and eventually transition into talent management.” She told the Hollywood Reporter.

So basically she wants to be her Dad in wrestling and then be her Dad on the show “Ballers”.

Johnson/Fatu/Anoa’ii Family Lineage

If Simone is able to make her dream a reality, she would be a 4th generation wrestler. The Rock, Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia are the generations ahead of her.

The Maivia’s are considered “blood brothers” of the Anoai’i family. Technically they do not share the same DNA, however. Under the blood brother relation, she would be considered cousins of the Usos and Samu and Manu.

Triple H Talks Changes to War Games Rules for Saturday

The War Games match on Saturday will not follow the traditional format completely. A few rules have been tweaked.

On a media call yesterday, Triple H clarified there will be no roof on top of the cage as there has been in previous matches in addition to rule-changes which had previously been announced.

Triple H on the War Games Match Having A Roof

On Rule Changes:

“Anytime that you’ve had 20 years between something, you have the opportunity to do it in a slightly modified way. Whether that’s making it better, which is hopefully what [we’ve done],” he said. “I’m not saying that there were things that needed to be fixed but there were things that there were some concerns about and we wanted to change those and tweak them up.”

On having 3 Teams:

“It worked for us in this 3-team scenario because of the way the storyline was written. When the opportunity came up to do WarGames, the storyline naturally fit with the three groups being in there.”

On not having a roof:

“We’re not going to have a roof,” he said. “I think it’s a little bit limiting, I think the style has changed. I’m not saying that anyone’s going to do it in this match, but I think going forward, I try to think about the future. Look, Arn Anderson wasn’t doing moonsaults off the top of a cage. This allows for there to be a little bit of a different opportunity there to do some things.”

On a side note, HHH had previously mentioned Vince McMahon did not like the idea of having a roof when he pitched it to him.

On keeping true to the War Games Concept

“I don’t think personally that we’ve changed the concept of what it is, there are some small tweaks but I think they work better in today’s generation than it did in the format that was originally used.”

Official War Games Rules for Saturday

WWE has published the official rules for Saturday’s War Games Event:

“The rules of the match are as follows:

  • The three-member teams of SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain), Undisputed ERA (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), and The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) & Roderick Strong will wage war inside a massive steel cage that surrounds TWO rings.
  • All three teams will be contained inside separate shark cages by the entranceway, with a member from each team (as chosen by his respective squad) starting the match.
  • After five minutes, the remaining members from one team will be released from their shark cage and allowed to enter the match.
  • When another three-minute period elapses, the remaining members from a second team are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
  • Following another three-minute period, the final team’s members are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
  • Once all three teams have entered the WarGames Match, a victory can be attained via pinfall or submission.”

Emma (Tenille Dashwood) Booking Fee Correction/Updated Report

Last week, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Emma’s negotiations with the Stardom promotion had fallen through. The report continued to say that Emma was asking for $2,000 per match and creative control in her contract.

This week the Newsletter issued an updated report.

Tenille Dashwood (Emma) Booking Fees

This week the Observer printed a much different report regarding Emma’s asking price. The updated report mentioned Emma’s asking price for North American independent promotions is $1500 and not $2,000. The 2k figure is for promotions outside of North America.

As for Emma requesting creative control in her contract, this appears to be somewhat disputed. The updated report states that Emma requires the ability to approve her opponent and the finish to her match but that this is also a standard request for top independent talent.

While Stardom is not a large promotion, it runs storylines and long-running angles which is different from standard independent promotions. It’s possible Emma’s management team was not aware of this and was giving the promotion Emma’s standard terms for an independent promotion.

Dashwood herself appears to be traveling a lot at the moment and is most likely not handling her own bookings.

Why the Updated Report?

The Wrestling Observer did not publish sources for either report but some assumptions can be made.

The first report mentioned that Stardom balked at Emma’s asking price which indicates the Observer was speaking to someone with negotiating abilities for the promotion. The second report sounds as though the Newsletter was spoken to by someone from Emma’s management team to clarify that her asking price was in-line with the current market. This is purely speculation, however.

This weekend Shimmer held a big set of tapings, which bodes well for the state of the women’s independent wrestling scene. Tenille Dashwood, aka Emma, will most likely find herself in the mix of that scene beginning in 2018.

Survivor Series 2018 Host City Announced

WWE will be returning to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 2018 version of the Survivor Series. The promotion broke the news earlier today.

This coming Sunday, the 2017 version of the event will be held in Houston, Texas. In 2015, the event was held in Toronto, ON.

Survivor Series Weekend in 2018

This weekend NXT Takeover: War Games and Survivor Series will both be held in Houston, as will the following night’s edition of Raw. On Tuesday, however, Smackdown will be held in Bossier City.

WWE’s press release regarding the 2018 edition of Survivor Series from Los Angeles will include the Smackdown Live! show on that Tuesday in addition to the other 3 events. Survivor Series 2016 was also a 4-day event in Toronto.

“WWE today announced that Los Angeles will host Survivor Series Weekend in 2018 with NXT TakeOver (Nov. 17), Survivor Series (Nov. 18), Monday Night Raw (Nov. 19) and SmackDown LIVE (Nov. 22) –- all taking place at STAPLES Center over four consecutive nights.

Additional details about these events, including ticket on sale information and travel packages, will be announced in early 2018. “

NWA Title Match Announced For This Weekend

Billy Corgan’s National Wrestling Alliance held their first NWA World Heavyweight championship match last weekend.

52-year-old champion, Tim Storm, barely defeated Nick Aldis to retain the title at an event from Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. He’ll be defending his championship again this weekend from Clarksville, TN.

NWA Open Call

Earlier this week, the NWA put out an open challenge for independent talent to challenge for Tim Storm’s championship. Several wrestlers, such as Michael Elgin and Joey Janella, threw their names in the hat.

Here is the video submitted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb5ZswbA9QM&feature=youtu.be

The challenger’s name is Jocephus Brody. He’s a nearly 300lbs man who once competed for Impact under the name Beauregard.

WWE United Kingdom Show Still Being Planned for 2018

WWE’s UK division is still getting their own television show. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has been telling their UK talent a weekly show is in the works for 2018.

WWE scouted for talent on their most recent European tour and also looked at potential buildings for tapings.

WWE United Kingdom Championship

At the moment, the WWE United Kingdom championship is defended on NXT and at selected shows. Pete Dunne has defended the belt for ICW in Scotland, and Tyler Bate once defended it on a show for Progress (at a show in Orlando).

Current champion, Pete Dunne, recently made his main roster debut in victorious fashion over Enzo Amore.

Lucha Underground Season 4 Details Revealed

Lucha Underground will be returning for their 4th season in 2018.

While the show remaining on air is positive, Dario Cueto’s promotion will be operating under a significantly reduced budget according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Changes to Lucha Underground

According to the report, Antonio Cue-Navarro and Alex Garcia played a large role in funding seasons 1-3 but were no longer willing to invest in the show. The El Rey Network is still behind the show, however, though their budget will not be reduced.

The show operating without the additional funding from Cue-Navarro and Garcia will mean a reduced budget for big names (i.e Rey Mysterio, Alberto El Patron) and expensive vignettes.

Some other points:

  • The belief is El Rey will commit to seasons 5 and 6 as well, airing in 2019 and 2020.
  • LuchaBlog.com reported that the performers will no longer be under exclusive contracts. This means they are free to perform for ROH, NJPW, NOAH, and Impact Wrestling.
  • Nothing is confirmed but the belief is tapings will begin in March with a projected air date for season 4 beginning in May.
  • The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that some talent were upset at the news as they are frustrated by the 7-season contracts and having not been paid since 2016, though it is unclear how many feel this way.
  • It is believed that Arolucha, the promotion involving the Harris Twins and Konnan, was hoping that Lucha Underground was done so they’d be able to scoop up the available talent.

James Ellsworth Released From WWE

James Ellsworth has been released by WWE, which wishes him the best in all of his future endeavors” Ellsworth had this to say about his year with WWE:

James Ellsworth’s WWE Career

James Ellsworth had one hell of a year with WWE. He made his first WWE television appearance back in July 2016, losing a squash match to Braun Strowman. The Monster Among Men was mowing through ‘local talents’ on a weekly basis back then, but something about Ellsworth endeared him to the WWE Universe. He was eventually signed to a WWE contract and became a regular character on the SmackDown brand.

He had a notable program with WWE Champion AJ Styles, even picking up a win over the champ in a non-title match (with some interference).  He was later paired up with Carmella and was instrumental in her winning the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

During WWE’s recent European tour, Ellsworth did a comedy angle that saw him getting beat down by the women of SmackDown Live.

https://twitter.com/coupdebanks/status/928413426287763456

Charlotte Flair Publishes Open Letter To Her Father

Last night on Smackdown, Charlotte Flair won the Smackdown Women’s championship in the city she was named after. Her father, Ric Flair, joined her on stage shortly after to share an emotional moment with her daughter.

Yesterday, Charlotte also published an open letter to her father.

Charlotte Flair’s Letter to Her Father

Charlotte’s letter was published in the Player’s Tribune and is available through this link. 

The text of her letter is below:

“Dear Dad,

It’s that moment when you appear from behind the curtain.

Every single night, before I perform, I think about what you told me. That the single most important part of any match is when you walk out onto the stage — and the crowd sees you for the first time.

“Whether it’s 50 people in an auditorium or 100,000 in a stadium,” you said. “The instant they see you, they can tell right away whether or not you really believe in yourself.”

I remember my first match, standing in the dark, listening to my heart racing. I knew the crowd was just waiting — not waiting for me, but waiting to judge the next person they saw emerge onto the stage. I knew my peers were watching on the monitor just a few feet away. I felt the walls closing in. I could barely breathe. It was like I had forgotten everything I had learned about wrestling up to that point.

People were going to think I was a fraud — that I was just trying to piggyback a career off of your name. I wasn’t Charlotte Flair yet. I was still just Ric Flair’s daughter. I feared the worst.

I mean, how could I really be prepared? How could anyone live up to the legacy of Ric Flair? The Nature Boy! The limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, etc. etc. — Ric Flair! One of the most decorated superstars in the history of sports entertainment. It was an impossible expectation to live up to.

In that moment, I actually feared that I wasn’t made for WWE. Quitting wasn’t an option … but how was I going to commit 100 percent when I was afraid of my own shadow?

I was nervous about the fans in the crowd. I was nervous about the Superstars in the back. But most of all, I was nervous about one very specific thought.

I couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing you.


I remember that first drive to Tampa. Nine hours in my Honda trying to convince myself I was making the right decision. It all happened so fast — I really had no idea what to expect when I signed a developmental contract with WWE. I certainly didn’t consider myself a WWE Superstar at that point.

I had always just been your daughter.

I was your biggest fan, but I never had dreams of having your life. That was your life … and that was Reid’s dream.

Then, over dinner at WrestleMania 28 one night in Miami, Reid convinced me to follow his dream with him.

I didn’t have to ask for your approval — because I already knew exactly how you’d respond. I knew you wouldn’t second-guess me.

As soon as I reported to NXT, though, I started second-guessing myself every step of the way.

“You’re not going to get any handouts for being Ric Flair’s kid.”

“You’re not going to get any handouts for being Ric Flair’s kid,” everyone kept saying before I got to Florida. But the last thing I wanted was to be carried anywhere because of my name.

You know I’ve never once regretted being “Ric Flair’s daughter.” But when you’re in a gym full of your peers … and you realize that some of them have spent their entire lives working for an opportunity to stand in that ring? Well, it doesn’t help if they think you’re only there because of your dad’s legacy.

One thing I always took pride in was being an athlete. And so physically, I felt like I could hold my own in WWE. But I quickly learned that life in WWE was much more than that. I remember those first days trying to figure out who my character was. I felt so out of place, always needing to explain myself, unsure and embarrassed in front of my peers.

Do I “woo” or not “woo”? If yes, how many times? If not, what should I do instead? I knew that I had a lot of work to do in developing this persona, so I used my athleticism to my advantage in the meantime. Every week kept getting more intense. I had to learn the basics very quickly, or else — regardless of what my last name was — I wouldn’t make it anywhere. I’d never been more nervous doing anything in my entire life.

Then one day, in one drill … there was a turning point. The “blow-up” drill. We were competing with the men that morning, and we were about halfway through — when I looked around, and I realized that I was holding my own. Suddenly, I was a little more confident. My athletic ability made up for the lack of belief in myself as a performer. Knowing I was earning respect for my hustle kept me in the game mentally for the moment.

“Okay,” I thought. “I can compete here. I just need to keep doing … that.”

Every day would be a challenge, but I’d always show up determined. Eventually, things started clicking.

All those years making me see a trainer, never missing a practice, and attending camps before summer vacation was paying off. It’s like you were grooming me since day one. I didn’t realize it at the time, but you were there for me every step of the way.


I remember sitting beside you at the first NXT pay-per-view.

It was the first time since Reid had passed that you and I sat in the crowd together. We watched an incredible women’s match and I remember when the camera turned to us, you were holding back tears. We still hadn’t gotten over what happened, but for a moment we realized that WWE was reuniting our family.

It was also the moment I realized I never wanted to be sidelined.

We both had no idea how much the landscape for women in WWE was about to change, but I was determined from that moment to be the best. The Four Horsewomen were about to be born. A name only granted by a Flair.

It wasn’t going to happen overnight — but the locker room began to feel a certain energy. We all wanted to push ourselves, and bring out the best in each other. We worked hard, and then we worked harder. And after a while, people really started to notice the women’s division. We started to steal the show in NXT and became the main event.

A few months later, I faced Natalya at my first-ever NXT pay-per-view. We were both absolutely determined to raise the bar — to show the world what this generation of WWE women were capable of.

Of course you had the best advice — and the hardest to hear: It’s one thing to get to the top, it’s another thing to stay there.

I won my first championship that night.

And of course you had the best advice — and the hardest to hear: It’s one thing to get to the top, it’s another thing to stay there.

I listened, but thought I had it all figured out. I felt like I had learned a lot by then … and by the time that Becky, Sasha and I debuted on Monday Night Raw, I pretty much thought I knew it all.

I should have known better.


The 2015 Survivor Series was in Atlanta — Flair Country, only a few hours from our hometown. I remember stepping out from behind that curtain.

And everyone was booing me.

I looked around the arena — I still remember the faces. They hated me. They hated me. And I had no idea why.

Then I thought about what you said. They can tell right away whether or not you really believe in yourself.

But I did! I believed in myself. I mean, I thought I did.

I finished the match, got back to my hotel … and started to wonder if maybe the company had gone with the wrong girl. I’d had so much success in NXT. How did I lose all of my confidence again overnight? What was different?

I called you to see if you could figure out what was wrong.

“What do you mean?!” You said, in disbelief. “Kid, you did great out there. You’re not doing anything wrong.”

“But didn’t you see the match? Dad — they hate me! They’re booing! I’m supposed to be the good guy! Why can’t the fans see how hard I’ve worked? Do they think I’m not good enough? Not pretty enough? Not … Flair enough?” Finally I had said what I was afraid of, most of all.

I was afraid that I couldn’t carry on our last name.

And that’s when your voice raised, just a little, like you were about to ground me.

You’re getting a reaction — that’s all that matters.” Click. You hung up because you knew that’s what I needed.

I sat back and I thought about everything. And I realized what you were trying to say: That if the crowd wasn’t going to like me, then I should give them a reason not to like me. That if this was going to be my last name, then I shouldn’t feel anxious about it — I should own it.

And right there, in that hotel room … I think that’s when I realized, for the first time, that I was truly ready. That I was truly my father’s daughter.

If the crowd wasn’t going to like me, then I should give them a reason not to like me.

That I was truly a Flair.

Every night, in that ring, I was going to be Charlotte Flair — and take whatever came with it, from that point forward. Whether I was booed or I was cheered … all I knew was, people were going to react when I was in the ring. And I was never going to doubt myself like that ever again.

Looking back, that phone call with you … it was probably the most important moment of my entire career.

It was the night that I stopped being a rookie — and started becoming the Queen.


So much has happened over the past few years — so much that I would have never thought was possible when I first moved to Florida in that Honda. Or when I first stood behind that curtain, my nerves racing, my mind second-guessing every move my body made. And I’m so glad — I’m so grateful — that you convinced me it was all in my head.

I’ve had the opportunity to hold multiple championships … main event pay-per-views … steal the show in front of 101,000 people … and be a part of the most revolutionary group of women to ever compete in WWE at the same time….

But my favorite part will always be the opportunity that we had to work together. From seeing your tears and your smile when I won my first WWE championship title … to seeing your even bigger smile every time you helped me “cheat” — thanks, dad — to retain the title … to seeing that look in your eyes when we’d walk back to the locker room, win or lose … I can’t think of anything that makes me happier.

It was truly an honor, to be able to work alongside you. It only made me want to work that much harder. To be that much better. And to be able to continue your legacy in the profession that you helped pioneer for almost 50 years.


“Know who you are when you go to bed at night.”

I think about you saying that every day when I’m on the road.

You knew your whole life that you were Ric Flair. That you were the Nature Boy. That you were the limousine-riding, jet-flying so-and-so who would go on to become a 16-time world champion — the only person to enter the WWE Hall of Fame on two separate occasions. Who even now, at the tender age of 68, would rather be standing in a ring than anywhere else on the planet. You knew.

But I never knew — not like you did. I was never quite as confident when I started out … and I was never totally sure, in those first few years, that I was doing the right thing. But no matter what, you were always there to support me. And everywhere we went, I mean everywhere we went — you would always tell people how proud you were that I was your daughter.

It hasn’t always been so easy for the two of us, of course. And at times, the truth is, it’s been very hard. But I’ll always be grateful for how you’ve been there for me, whenever I’ve really needed you. And I hope you know that your love and support has gone a long way toward making me the woman I am today.

As far as my career goes, if you’ve taught me anything, it’s that I’ve barely scratched the surface of what it could be. It’s still early in WWE’s Women’s Evolution — and I mean that in the best way possible. There’s still a lot of work to do. And there’s still a lot of history to make.

And I plan on being the one to make it.

I just hope that, when all is said and done, they say the same thing about me that they say about you:

Nobody could have done it better.

Thank you for everything, Dad. I love you as big as the sky.”

House of Hardcore 35 To Air Free On Twitch Live This Saturday

Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion announced a distribution deal with Twitch.TV last month. The promotion has released their first free weekly television show, which consisted mainly of highlights and background of current performers.

This weekend, however, House of Hardcore airs their 35th show live and free on Saturday. The card will take place at the famed 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

The promotion’s Twitch channel can be found here.

House of Hardcore 35 Lineup

“House of Hardcore returns home to the 2300 Arena on Saturday night November 18, 2017!  Doors open at 6pm, belltime at 8pm.

  • First Blood Match:
    Tommy Dreamer vs. Joey Mercury
  • Austin Aries returns with a live microphone!
  • Nick Aldis vs. Billy Gunn
  • The Luchasaurus makes his Philadelphia debut!
  • The Squad vs. Guido Maritato & Super Crazy (with Big Sal E. Graziano)
  • Matt Cross vs. Petey Williams
  • Mystery Three Way Dance: featuring 3 superstars making their HOH Philadelphia debut!
  • Plus MVP, Shane Douglas, Bull James, Hot Young Briley and more!

Be there in person or watch LIVE streaming on Twitch.tv/houseofhardcore!”

Triple H Names HIs Opponent For Abu Dhabi Tour; 2nd Show Announced

WWE may have canceled one of their planned two shows in India this December, but they have added a second show in Abu Dhabi to make up for it.

WWE will be holding back-to-back shows in the Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium on December 7th and 8th before heading to India for their planned Super-Show on the 9th.

Triple H has announced that he’ll be competing in Abu Dhabi – and his opponent will be none other than Roman Reigns.

Triple H vs. Roman Reigns

The match will come just one day before Triple H is scheduled to face Jinder Mahal in India.