Jey Uso was notably absent from the Royal Rumble on Sunday. He hasn’t wrestled on WWE programming since the January 15th edition of Smackdown, when he lost to Shinsuke Nakamura.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Uso’s absence is due to an undisclosed medical situation.

“Jey Uso was not there because of a medical reason,” said Dave Meltzer. He also continued to talk about some other changes that were made to the Rumble. “Otis was a last-minute decision. Angel Garza was going to be in and then he got pulled.”

There is currently no timetable for Jey Uso’s return to the ring. Back in October, Jey Uso spoke to Chris Van Vliet about his angle with Roman Reigns.

“We showing you real emotion, we showing you feeling. You can put the Fiend with Roman, you can put Seth Rollins with Roman, whoever, whatever, whatever top guy they got, put him with Roman, I guaran-damn-tee you, uce, they didn’t pull out emotion, they didn’t pull out real feeling, they didn’t pull out storytelling the way me and uce did that thing.”

Jey’s twin brother Jimmy is currently recovering from knee surgery. He was operated on last spring and was expected to be out for 6-to-9 months while recovering.

Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White returned to NJPW at yesterday’s Road to New Beginning event in Korakuen Hall. The promotion has recently published White’s backstage comments from the event where he takes a shot at recent “Bullet Club reunions” in other promotions.

“In case you forgot, in case there is any question to it, it’s still my era!” White said. “New Japan, across the world of pro-wrestling, it’s still my era. It is the real era!”

“I’m still Bullet Club, I’m real Bullet Club. This is real Bullet Club right here!” White continued. “We’re not a cheap ripoff trying to recreate the past to try and regain some relevance and doing corny reunions just so you can sell sh**ty t-shirts to you all but, of course, you all still buy them because you are you.”

“Let me tell you what real Bullet Club is about. It’s about change, it’s about moving forward, it’s about progression. It’s not about living in the past, it’s not about going backwards. So, what’s next for me? What am I progressing towards? You just saw, you just saw out there. Ishii, that’s who I’m moving towards.”

The official Young Bucks Twitter account responded to White’s comments.

“The original Bullet Club t-shirt design hadn’t been in the Top Sellers List for two years.. until the night we all decided to throw up Too Sweet again. You’re welcome,” the account Tweeted.

Footage of White returning at the February 1st Road to New Beginning event at Korakuen Hall can be seen in the player below. Backstage comments appear later in the same video.

Tyson Kidd’s final wrestling match took place a few weeks before his 35th birthday. He wrestled Samoa Joe in a dark match on RAW in the summer of 2015. During the bout, Kidd took a Muscle Buster from Joe that resulted in a career-ending spinal injury. According to comments he made recently in an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Kidd tried to get back in the ring for an appearance in the Royal Rumble but the idea was shot down by Vince McMahon.

“The truth is I won’t wrestle again,” Kidd said during the interview. “I tried doing one Royal Rumble. A lot of thought went into it but it got turned down and I’m not mad at it. It was kind of funny the way Vince laid it out to me he said ‘we can control everything that we can in our power but what if something happens? What if something we don’t control happens?'”

He would later mention some dates in his story which confirm this was the 2019 Royal Rumble in Phoenix he was referring to.

“I always had it in my head to at least approach (coming back),” he continued. “Take it day by day, see how I feel with my neck and stuff. I knew the secret with the Royal Rumble was I could do it and not have to take any bumps.”

“Bumping is the thing that stops me,” he continued.

A clip of Tyson Kidd talking with Chris Van Vliet is below:

WWE has hired Emmy-nominated producer Christine Lubrano as its new Senior Vice President, Creative Writing Operations. Lubrano has not worked in the wrestling industry previously but brings a wealth of experience in comedy to the table. In particular, she was heavily-involved in IFC’s cult-hit “Portlandia” starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

“In her new role, Lubrano will be charged with developing and leading a team of writers for WWE’s weekly flagship programs, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. She will oversee long-term planning for the Creative Writing team and manage its operations in collaboration with Executive Director, Bruce Prichard,” reads a WWE press release announcing her hiring.

Lubrano has also worked with Armisen and other SNL veterans on the documentary-spoof show “Documentary Now”. She was also an Executive Producer on the show “Maron” for IFC starring Marc Maron. Wrestling fans might know Maron best for his role on Netflix’s GLOW. Additionally, Lubrano was an Executive Producer for The Onion News Network, a satire news outlet, as well as for the TV series, Comedy Bang Bang. Lubrano was also a producer for the Canadian comedy sketch troupe, Baroness Von Sketch. She earned an Emmy nomination for her work on the documentary “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (the Lawyer’s Cut).”

In her new role, Lubrano will report to Brad Blum, WWE Executive Vice President, Operations.

John Cena has confirmed that he won’t be participating in WrestleMania this year. He spoke to SI.com recently and stated that there is “no mathematical way” he can make it to the event. This is due to him currently filming an HBO series in Canada.

“Currently, I’m in Vancouver shooting Peacemaker, the series for HBO Max,” Cena said. “Given the quarantine regulations, if I were to leave Canada, upon return I would have to quarantine for another two weeks. Essentially, that would shut production down. Strictly based on the letter of the law right now, there is no logistical way I can be there. We film now until July.”

John Cena also cracked a joke about how during his full-time career, he was critical of part-timers coming in for big shows. He hasn’t wrestled in WWE since last year’s WrestleMania.

“What a hypocritical situation,” he said. “I used to be very open about the fact that part-timers were just that, and here I am at 44 years old and I’ve become what I despise, as they say. That is kind of what it is.”

If John Cena does not appear at WWE WrestleMania 37, it will be the first WrestleMania he’s missed since WrestleMania 19 back in 2003 (he was on the preshow in a battle rap segment that year). Even recent WrestleManias where Cena did not wrestle (WrestleMania 32 and 35), he was still featured in a major segment.

John Cena In Super Bowl Ad

While Cena won’t be at Mania this year, he will be in a Super Bowl Ad for Mountain Dew a week from Sunday.

“A Super Bowl ad for me is a life-changing opportunity, and it’s also going to change someone’s life,” Cena says. “Mountain Dew Major Melon is really changing the perspective of advertising with this campaign, and I am really honored to be part of it. It’s a uniquely awesome flavor, Mountain Dew’s first new permanent flavor in over a decade, and it’s a brand that stands for passion.”

The full interview with John Cena can be read here.

Despite seemingly having quit the promotion at New Year’s Dash, Jay White is back with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He returned last night/this morning at the Road to New Beginning event in Korakuen Hall. White attacked Tomohiro Ishii after a match featuring his Bullet Club stablemates.

Shortly after White stated he was leaving NJPW, a report from the Super J-Cast stated that there was real concern he was leaving the company. There was also said to be interest from WWE in White.

According to comments made by Dave Meltzer, however, White was never leaving NJPW. He reportedly told AEW in 2018 that he signed a 7-year deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Tony Schiavone also poured cold water on the idea of White joining AEW. He expressed skepticism that White really was a free agent recently on an AEW Dynamite post-show.

“I don’t think so,” Schiavone responded to a fan question. “I think he’s pretty much locked into what he’s doing there.”

In storyline, White said after losing to Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom that New Year’s Dash would be his last show with NJPW.

“I am out here in Japan wasting my life away for what? During a global pandemic. I’m not going to do this anymore. If this is all it’s for, I’m not going to do it. If they wanna make me show up tomorrow…I’ll show up tomorrow if you want me to. But after that…that’s it. I’m done.”

Mia Yim has tested for COVID-19. The wrestler also known as Retribution member Reckoning says she tested positive for the first time this afternoon. In a statement issued on Twitter, she wrote:

“This morning at around 10:30am, I debunked a rumor stating I was positive with Covid. For that, I must make a statement. I have been getting tested every week for several months now, all have been negatives. I was negative last week, I got tested this afternoon less than an hour ago and it came back positive. Please respect my privacy. Please stay safe, wash your hands, and wear a mask. See you all soon!”

Evidently, there had been some rumors going around this morning that she had tested positive. This may have been a result of both her and Keith Lee having missed RAW lately. Reckoning hasn’t wrestled in WWE since December 28th on Main Event and Lee hasn’t wrestled since January 11th’s RAW.

Based on this news, it is likely that Yim will not participate in tomorrow’s WWE Royal Rumble. The news also makes it unlikely that Keith Lee will be on the show either. Neither Keith Lee nor Reckoning are currently advertised as participating in the event.

We will post an update when more details become available.

• WWE Royal Rumble Betting Odds For Sunday’s PPV

Ryan Nemeth wrestled Hangman Page on Dynamite this week. Nemeth is the younger brother of WWE’s Dolph Ziggler. The Nemeth brothers have been sharing a few interesting interactions on social media relating to Ryan’s AEW debut over the last few days.

It started when Dolph requested that people not watch his brother’s match:

Then when someone remarked to him that his brother “killed it” on Dynamite, Ziggler had the following response:

Ryan then took issue with Dolph Ziggler’s fans.

“I have no problem with you (even tho Mom & Dad play favorites) but I do have a problem with deranged Dolph Ziggler “fans” who are too stupid / mentally dense to know if they’re supposed to like me or hate me, stumbling over their own shoelaces to defend you. THAT is pathetic,” he Tweeted at his brother.

Ryan also noted that he will delete Twitter if he receives any more messages calling him “Baby Dolph.”

“If one more person calls me Baby Dolph I will delete this app from my phone,” Ryan Tweeted. “Not playing.”

Dolph then casually revealed when his contract is up.

Ryan also recently Tweeted out a link to a short film he did with his brother.

Dolph also posted this zinger directed at his younger brother:

Daniel Bryan stated in an interview back in October that he doesn’t plan on being a full-time wrestler much longer. During a recent interview with Solo Wrestling, however, Bryan clarified that he has no plans to retire. In fact, Bryan says he’s inspired by the likes of Jerry Lawler, Terry Funk, and Johnny Saint who continued to wrestle in their 60s and 70s.

“I’m still a full-time wrestler today but I don’t think I’ll be a full-time wrestler for much longer, but it’s weird because I’ve never considered the option of retirement,” Bryan said.

“I want to fight until I’m old, and when I say old, I mean very old. I love wrestling and have always been inspired by people like Jerry Lawler and Terry Funk, and even some European wrestlers like Jonny Saint, who was still fighting in his 60s and maybe 70s, and not because they needed the money or because of this or because of the other, they did it because they loved to do it.”

Bryan noted that as pro wrestlers get older, their in-ring styles inevitably change. He acknowledges, “I’m 50 I won’t be able to fight like I do now, and right now I can’t fight like I did when I was 25. You have to adapt and evolve.”

Daniel Bryan: “The Planet’s Champion”

Bryan also spoke to the BroBible recently and mentioned that his run as “The Planet’s Champion” was his favorite.

“Being ‘The Planet’s Champion’ was by far my favourite. It’s interesting because in WWE, my championship runs haven’t always gone very well! I won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 and then had to vacate with a neck injury.”

“I won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011 and lost it in eight seconds at WrestleMania 28. Those didn’t feel as special as when I was ‘The Planet’s Champion’ and a bad guy. I love the way it started.”

On recent episodes of MLW Fusion, Salina de la Renta has summoned former Lucha Underground Champion, Mil Muertes to the promotion. Salina’s faction, Promociones Dorado, has also recently been purchased by a mysterious organization known as, Azteca Underground. Lucha Underground characters appearing in MLW has led to much speculation regarding the nature of the relationship.

Former Lucha Underground head writer, Chris DeJoseph, briefly worked for MLW in 2019. DeJoseph was hired by MLW but left the company just one month later to rejoin WWE. DeJoseph was then fired by WWE 6 months later. He also worked on the WWE Creative Team from 2004-2010. MLW’s Court Bauer also would have worked with DeJoseph in WWE at the same. Bauer was on the WWE Creative Team from 2005 until 2007.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former creative lead for Lucha Underground recently made contact with MLW about coming back but was turned down. DeJoseph also recently interviewed with Impact Wrestling. “Chris DeJoseph recently had an interview to come in (to Impact Wrestling) as a writer. He had contact with MLW and he was turned down,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Update: SEScoops reached out to MLW to obtain clarification on this report. According to a high-ranking official, Chris DeJoseph had “no talks” with Chris DeJoseph and the Observer report is inaccurate.

Hiroshi Tanahashi is the new NEVER Openweight Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He defeated Shingo Takagi today at The New Beginning in Nagoya. Tanahashi becomes the 18th wrestler to ever win the title and begins the 32nd reign in the championship’s lineage.

Tanahashi was attacked by Great-O-Khan after the match, likely leading to a championship match between the two in the near future.

Shingo Takagi had re-gained the championship in November at Power Struggle. He defeated Minoru Suzuki, who had beat him for the belt at at Summer Struggle in August. Tomohirio Ishii and Hirooki Goto are the two most decorated former NEVER Openweight Champions. Ishii has won the title 5x, defended it 6x, and held it for a combined 462 days. Goto has won the title 5x, defended it 7x, and held it for a combined 424 days. Takagi has held the title 2x, defended it 4x, and held it for a combined 294 days. This is Tanahashi’s first reign with the title.

The New Beginning In Nagoya Results

1. Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano) defeated Bullet Club (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi)
2. Kota Ibushi, Master Wato, SHO & Tomoaki Honma defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA & Tetsuya Naito)
3. Great-O-Khan defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan
4. No DQ
   Will Ospreay defeated Satoshi Kojima 
5. NEVER Openweight Championship
   Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Shingo Takagi (c) – New Champion

Kota Ibushi recently took to his Twitter account to say that he wants “a competition between two companies that will change the entire industry.” Ibushi’s former tag-team partner, Kenny Omega, responded.

“I never forgot his challenge to me via YouTube in 2008. I wanted to make wrestling more popular. Now the shoe is on the other foot, but this is my chance to make an appeal. I want a competition between two companies that will change the entire industry. It needs a shot in the arm,” Ibushi Tweeted (translation via Michael Nakazawa.)

Omega then responded to Ibushi. Nakazawa again provided a translation of his comments.

“Oh, so the new God still has a soul after all… I’m touched. Already feeling lonely in the Kingdom I left for you? Shall I destroy it? Take my hand, we’ll build a new one,” Omega Tweeted (translations via Michael Nakazawa.)

Omega and Ibushi are collectively known as The Golden Lovers. They formed in DDT in early 2009.

Tama Tonga then replied to both Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi.

“You tried to destroy it once, but I got in the way. Now I’m coming for both of you heads,” he Tweeted (translations via Google Translate). “We understand everything. You are all lovers. I will break your heart.”

Jon Moxley made a surprise appearance on this week’s NJPW Strong. The reigning IWGP United States Champion confronted his #1 contender, KENTA. The Bullet Club’ star has been calling out Moxley since winning the New Japan US Cup tournament last summer.

The incident went down at the conclusion of this week’s NJPW Strong on New Japan World. Bullet Club members KENTA, El Phantasmo, and Hikuleo were in the ring. The lights went out and when they came back in, Jon Moxley appeared. Mox got rid of Hikuleo and ELP so that it was just him and KENTA in the ring together.

KENTA went for the Go To Sleep but Moxley countered into the Death Rider. Moxley then grabbed the microphone and said that borders would not stop him from facing KENTA.

“However we gotta get it done, we’ll get it done,” Moxley said.

You can see video of the confrontation here:

Up until this, Moxley had not been permitted to perform for NJPW in the United States due to his AEW contract. NJPW Strong is taped in Los Angeles, however, meaning AEW likely agreed to allow this to happen.

KENTA is the #1 Contender to Moxley’s IWGP United States Championship. He defended the right to face the champion next at Wrestle Kingdom by defeating Satoshi Kojima. Moxley won the title by defeating Lance Archer in a Texas Death Match at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in 2020.

The official AEW Twitter account took notice of the confrontation:

WWE announced 4 new signings today for its NXT UK brand. Amongst the signings is Bailey Matthews, son of NXT General Manager, William Regal. Matthews formerly wrestled under the name Joe Bailey and had at one point been training at the NJPW dojo.

“Ready to roar onto the scene and represent his hometown of Blackpool, England, Bailey Matthews is set to bring a unique style to NXT UK inspired by the likes of Johnny Saint, Billy Robinson and NXT General Manager William Regal,” reads a WWE description of Matthews. The company’s official press release makes no mention of Matthews being Regal’s son, however.

The other announced signings include Meiko Satomura, although her debut for NXT UK had been announced earlier this week.

Also signed was Tony Gill, who used to wrestle under the name Gursinder Singh as part of the Desi Hit Squad for Impact Wrestling. He is a graduate of Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy.

Metehan Kocabasoglu is a German wrestler with Turkish heritage. He is better known under the name Lucky Kid. The 27-year-old has wrestled with the WXW promotion.

Rampage Brown, Aleah James, Sha Samuels and Ben Carter all recently debuted for the NXT UK brand as well.

Hurricane Helms (aka Shane or Gregory Helms) wrestled AJ Styles on a match taped for WWF Jacked in 2002. The bout took place at the BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina, USA on January 21st, 2002.

A clip from the match was recently posted online and Hurricane commented on some backstage heat he got for it at the time.

“I did everything in my power to get AJ hired at a time when WWE didn’t know about him. Even got heat for letting an ‘unknown’ do too much. I knew he was good even back then. And now he’s one of the best in the world. Incredible journey,” Helms Tweeted.

AJ Styles replied to Hurricane’s comment. He noted that he heard Helms had gotten in trouble for using the vertebreaker during the match.

“Didn’t u get in trouble too for doing the vertebreaker? I’m pretty sure I was the last one to take it on TV,” Styles Tweeted in response.

“I got a ‘warning’ for that. I did it once or twice more before it got the official shutdown. Stevie Richards was the last one to take it on TV I believe. Justin Credible took a good one as well,” Helms replied.

There is no record of Styles and Helms having wrestled against each other before or after this match.

WWE filed a lawsuit in a Connecticut court against the US Citizen & Immigration Services on January 26th, 2021. Documents relating to the case are sealed to the public, however. While it is not known exactly what the lawsuit is in relation to, some speculation can be made.

Following President Joe Biden’s election and inauguration, he signed an executive order mandating that people traveling into the United States from other countries must self-quarantine upon arrival. This could potentially cause problems with WWE bringing in talent from other countries. It is not clear if this issue is what WWE’s lawsuit is pertaining to, however. The new rules for people traveling into the United States also include being able to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

As of this writing, documents relating to the lawsuit have not been served to the US Citizen & Immigration Services. The department will have 60 days to respond once they have been.

Some deadlines have been set for the lawsuit. Pretrial amended pleadings are due by March 27th, 2021. Discovery is due on July 28th, 2021.

Martine G. Cuomo is serving as WWE’s lawyer for the case. Cuomo has a background in corporate immigration law. She is a partner with the firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy.

Jungle Boy made Dax Harwood submit in a singles match on Dynamite this week. It was Jungle Boy’s first singles victory on AEW’s flagship show and Harwood’s first singles loss, as well.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was Harwood who pitched the match to Tony Khan with the idea being it would help turn Jungle Boy into a top babyface for the company.

“Harwood was the guy who put together the angle and presented it to Tony Khan with the goal of the angle to make Jungle Boy come out of it as a superstar babyface,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Harwood is certainly on to something. Both men looked great in the match, but Jungle Boy is the young prospect with unlimited upside. He’s been looking better during each outing. Working with ring savvy veterans like Dax Harwood will only help his progress.

Jungle Boy, Dax Harwood & Jim Ross React

Jungle Boy took to Twitter following the match to talk about its importance to his career. He tweeted:

“That was the biggest win of my career, and a match I will never forget. Dax Harwood, you are a son of a bitch, but thank you for bringing that out of me.”

Dax Harwood of FTR also commented on the match on Twitter:

“I’m a tag team wrestler. I’m upset about losing my first singles match in years, but my ultimate goal is to be AEW World TAG TEAM Champions. Maybe, in time, I’ll take that TNT belt & be a double champ, just like a certain Enforcer. Oh yeah, I have the best kicks in the business.”

Finally AEW broadcaster Jim Ross went out of his way to call Jungle Boy vs. Dax Harwood a “Beautiful pro wrestling match.” That’s high praise from JR, who is known to be critical from time to time.

AEW posted this video from the bout and awarded it the #1 Moment of the Week:

New Japan Pro Wrestling revealed at Wrestle Kingdom 15 that NJPW programming would soon be headed to the United States and United Kingdom. Details regarding what network they will be on was not revealed, however.

Unfortunately, it does not appear this deal is going to be a game-changer for NJPW. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, NJPW will not be on a major network.

“Obviously the TV deal still hasn’t been finalized although the announcement could come at any time when it is. I’ll just say that it’s not something people would consider major,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

NJPW commentators have made remarks on recent NJPW broadcasts about the color purple that many are taking as a hint regarding the new deal. The video announcing the pending deal was also tinted purple. A few networks feature purple: Pluto TV, Roku, Twitch, HBO Max.

Fans have been speculating about the purple tie-in on social media:

A new episode of NJPW Strong will air on New Japan World today. Lio Rush is scheduled to appear on the show for the first time. The lineup is below:

July 29th, 2021 New Japan Strong

1. Clark Connors vs The DKC
2. Rocky Romero vs Chris Dickinson
3. Lio Rush, TJP, & Fred Rosser vs Hikuleo, KENTA, and El Phantasmo

WWE announced a major deal this week. The WWE Network in the United States will be moving to NBC Universal’s Peacock streaming service in March. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the deal has been in the works for months.

WWE hired Nick Khan as President and Chief Revenue Officer in August. “The deal started in talks almost exactly after Khan took over as President of WWE,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “Nick Cordella, the Chief Revenue Officer at Peacock congratulated Khan on his new job the day it was announced, and in his next message, told him, ‘Let’s talk.'”

Khan replaced George Barrios and Michelle Wilson in his role as President and CRO. Barrios and Wilson had both played a major role in the development of the WWE Network. They were promoted to co-Presidents in 2018 and then let go in 2020.

Khan spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the deal. He noted that it will create new WWE fans by exposing the product to potential new consumers.

“As you said, if it is only on WWE Network and you are not a fan yet, why would you subscribe to that?” Khan said. “This gives a chance to win people over when it is right in front of them and the hope is there is a trickle down effect to Raw and SmackDown and ultimately to ticket sales, once that is happening again, merchandising, etc.”

WWE Network Employees Blind-Sided By Deal

A WWE employee who has worked on the WWE Network sent a statement to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. According to the comments by the [anonymous[ employee, WWE staff were blind-sided by the deal and fear for their jobs. A portion of the letter is below:

“Myself and my team were completely bulldozed by the press release about Peacock’s streaming rights to WWE Network in the U.S.,” noted a Wrestling Observer source within the WWE Network. “

“We just had an all employee meeting last week and there was zero indication that this would be happening. And while I’m here, I’ve also heard internally that they’re pointing the finger at social media for poor ratings.”

Kurt Angle has announced that “The Kurt Angle Show” podcast will debut on Westwood One on February 7th, 2021. He spoke to SI.com about the news.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun with this podcast and get into some great wrestling stories,” said Angle. “It’s true that I have a lot of stories to tell, and I won’t be holding back.”

Angle plans on being open about his past substance abuse issues on the show as well.

“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve been clean and sober for nearly eight years, and I want to help others,” Angle continued. “If I can help one person with this show, that will mean the world to me.”

Conrad Thompson, who hosts popular podcast with Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and Eric Bischoff, will be Angle’s co-host.

“It’s almost become a gag about that he won an Olympic gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck, but Kurt Angle wrestled that match, the main event of WrestleMania 19, with a broken neck,” Thompson says. “His decision to wrestle is one that he is still paying for today, and it started his dependency on prescription drugs. He goes into all of it, and fans are going to love hearing his stories. This is going to be a chance to really learn about the human element of this wrestling machine.”

WWE has officially announced that Meiko Satomura will be debuting for the NXT UK brand shortly. It was revealed in an article back in October that she was headed to England to begin work with WWE.

Satomura is expected to work as a player/coach for the brand.

Satomura competed in the 1st Mae Young Classic tournament, making it to the semi-finals before losing to Toni Storm.

Sasha Banks is likely happy with the news. Banks has said previously she would like to wrestle Satomura.

Pete Dunne also spoke about Satomura during a pre-Mae Young Classic interview.

“I’m a student of pro wrestling. I’ve always been a huge fan of Meiko Satomura so… I’d seen that she’d been added to the Mae Young Classic–I’m really excited for her. I think, especially this late in her career, it’s amazing she’s finally getting the chance to come to a platform like this, show the world what she can do.” Dunne said.

“Seeing her live, you’ll see what I mean. The aggression and the competitiveness she brings is something unique and like I said I’m excited for the world to see. I think it’s gonna be great to see how competitors deal with somebody with that level of experience that Meiko brings to the tournament. I think that’s what so unique about her; not only is she always wrestling a completely different style over in Japan, but she has that level of experience that’s hard to match right now with those superstars.”

Today is “Let’s Talk Day,” an annual tradition in support of mental health. It is run by Bell Canada, who own TSN, AEW’s Canadian broadcast partners.

Allie, known in AEW as The Bunny, recently opened up about her struggles with mental health as part of the Let’s Talk awareness campaign.” I try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to my mental health struggles,” she wrote. “I would be lying if I told you I didn’t feel ashamed at times or embarrassed to speak about them openly. If I’m being honest, I sometimes worry about what people will think.”

“But the truth is, I struggle. I will likely have to battle these issues for the rest of my life. I work at them EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. For those that are struggling, I am sorry. I know it isn’t easy. You are not alone.”

“Treatment for mental health issues should not be a luxury. There NEEDS to be better access for people who need help.”

Allie (Laura Dennis) began her pro wrestling training on her 18th birthday. She started her professional career in 2005. She worked in the Toronto indie scene under the name, Cherry Bomb. She wrestled for promotions such as Shimmer, Smash, and Shine before catching on with Impact in 2013. She was killed off in Impact storyline in 2019 and debuted for AEW later that year.

Allie on Mental Health

Allie also opened up about her mental health struggles last year on “Let’s Talk” day.

“I have struggled with and battled depression since my teens. I kept it a secret for a very long time. I smiled and laughed with my friends but inside I felt empty and alone,” Allie Tweeted last year.

“Like many people suffering with a mental health issue, I felt ashamed. It wasn’t until a close friend reached out and asked if I needed help. It was a hard thing for me to admit. I was too proud to ask but she asked for me and it saved my life.”

“Let’s show more kindness and understanding to our loved ones, friends and strangers. You have no idea what someone is fighting on the inside. Let’s break the stigma surrounding mental heath issues. You are not alone.”

#BellLetsTalk

Chris Jericho was featured in a PSA for “Let’s Talk” that was posted by AEW:

WWE’s Chelsea Green also spoke about her own struggles with mental health.

MLW Fusion featured the professional wrestling debut of former disgraced NBA official, Tim Donaghy. The man at the center of the 2007 NBA betting scandal was the official for the Caribbean Strap Match between Savio Vega and Richard Holliday. Needless to say, things weren’t entirely on the up and up.

The full show can be viewed in the player below.

MLW Fusion 1/27 Results:

1. AAA Cruiserweight Championship
   Laredo Kid (c) defeated Zenshi
2. TJP & Bu Ku Dao defeated Violence is Forever (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini)
3. Caribbean Championship
   Strap Match
   Richard Holliday defeated Savio Vega (c) – New Champion

Below are the key takeaways from MLW Fusion 1/27:

Laredo Kid Defends AAA Cruiserweight Championship, Sends Message to Lio Rush

We got a AAA championship defended in an MLW ring this week as Laredo Kid defended his Cruiserweight title against Zenshi. The champion was able to retain after landing a top-rope Spanish Fly for the 1-2-3. After the match, Laredo Kid cut a promo about wanting to be a double-champion. He made it clear that he’s gunning for Lio Rush and the MLW Middleweight title.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s top-10 MLW Rankings

New top-10 rankings via Pro Wrestling Illustrated were announced this week. It was also noted that LA Park was removed from the singles rankings as he will be focusing on just tag-team action for the time being.

MLW World Champion: Jacob Fatu (c) (Contra Unit)

1. Alexander Hammerstone (National Openweight Champion) (Dynasty)
2. Tom Lawlor (Opera Cup Winner) (Team Filthy)
3. Low-Ki
4. Lio Rush (MLW Middleweight Champion)
5. Mads Krugger (Contra Unit)
6. Richard Holliday (Dynasty)
7. Mil Muertes (Azteca Underground)
8. Myron Reed (Injustice)
9. Daivari (Contra Unit)
10. ACH

Tom Lawlor’s “Filthy Island” Financial Problems?

Tom Lawlor continues to deny that his Team Filthy had anything to do with the recent attack to ACH. It appears that sponsors for his Filthy Island are pulling out in the aftermath of the scandal, however. It was noted on commentary that this could be another Fyre Festival type situation.

TJP & Bu Ku Dao Earn Tag Title Shot

The Violence is Forever team of Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini took on Bu Ku Dao and his mentor TJP this week. It was announced that the winner will receive a tag title shot against Los Parks next week.

The finish of the match came when a double team attempt by VIF was countered, Dao hit a diving flatliner from the ropes and TJP hit a frog splash that allowed Dao to get the pin on Ku. Next week, it will be Los Parks defending the title against TJP and Bu Ku Dao.

Tim Donaghy Helps Richard Holliday Win Caribbean Championship

Richard Holliday has been in possession of Savio Vega’s Caribbean Championship title for many months, despite not being the rightful champion. He had the chance to win the title legitimately in this Caribbean Strap match, however.

It looked as though Vega had the match won. As he went to touch the fourth and final turnbuckle he needed, however, the referee got in the way. As Vega reached out for the buckle, all he could grab was the referee’s shirt. This then allowed Holliday to dive, reach the buckle, and win the match. The referee then exited the ring along with Holiday as Vega protested in the ring.

A close look at the referee revealed that this was Tim Donaghy, the referee who served time in prison as a result of his role in the 2007 NBA Betting Scandal. It was announced last year that Donaghy had signed with MLW, though his involvement in this match had not been promoted ahead of time.

Holliday and Donaghy were interviewed in the back where they denied anything controversial had happened. Savio Vega ran in as the show came to a close.

Coming Up In MLW

The following matches are upcoming in MLW:

Next Week:

• Balikli Brawl
  Mads Krugger vs Alexander Hammerstone
• MLW Tag Team Championships
  Los Parks (c) vs TJP & Bu Ku Dao

February 17th, 2021

• Filthy Island w/ Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy

36-year-old Moose is reportedly set to be a free agent in a few months. According to a report from Fightful Select, Moose’s Impact contract is up in June. In March of 2019, Impact announced Moose had signed a multi-year commitment to the promotion. It was noted in storyline, however, that Moose had recently signed a 2-year deal with the promotion.

Moose made his first appearance in the promotion in the summer of 2016. He held the Impact Grand Championship on 2 occasions and is currently the self-proclaimed TNA World Heavyweight Champion. A program pitting current Impact World Champion, Rich Swann, and Moose appears to be brewing, however. At Genesis recently, Swann revealed he’ll grant Moose a title shot after Moose had just defeated Willie Mack in an I Quit match.

Moose began his pro-wrestling career in 2012 after his NFL career ended. He played in 62 NFL games but was cut by the Rams in 2012. Moose then trained with Mr. Hughes to start his pro-wrestling career. He landed with Ring of Honor in 2012 and then with Global Force Wrestling in 2014. Moose was named the Rookie of the Year in 2015 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Moose wrestled in the 8-man tag-team main event on Impact Wrestling Tuesday night.

Amanda Huber is the latest guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The widow of Brodie Lee spoke to Aubrey Edwards and Tony Schiavone about the final months of his life.

On a Monday in mid-October, Jon was unable to continue his normal exercise routine on his Peloton bike due to not being able to catch his breath.

Amanda then said she checked his temperature and checked him for symptoms of COVID-19.

The following night (Tuesday in mid-October), he went to AEW and tested negative for COVID-19 but the doctor didn’t feel safe letting him in the bubble with his symptoms. Jon drove home instead.

Jon then quarantined in the home away from his wife and kids. He also developed a high fever but continued to test negative for COVID-19.

Jon said he felt like he had pneumonia but the doctors at the hospital thought he had bronchitis and allergies.

On Sunday, he went back to the hospital. His fever had gone away but his oxygen levels were very low. Jon’s oxygen was at 52, a normal person is at 100. He was then put on oxygen.

The doctors were convinced it was COVID but the tests kept coming back negative.

That Wednesday he was moved to the ICU because the doctors and nurses said they wanted to keep a better eye on him.

At this point, some people from AEW knew what was going on and reached out.

On October 31st, the doctors said they wanted to move Jon to another hospital. The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville was chosen. Jon needed to go on an ECMO machine.

While Amanda was preparing to go to Jacksonville and helping the kids with Halloween, she received word that Jon had crashed and was intubated.

Jon was put on an ECMO machine which was described to her as “dialysis for the lungs.”

Amanda praised the doctors and nurses quite a bit. She talked about taking medication and talking with a therapist to deal with the impacts on her mental health.

Amanda also praised the staff of AEW for how everything was handled. They told everyone at AEW but requested that they keep things quiet. At the time, they felt he would get better because he was showing signs of improvement. Amanda was worried that he would wake up and be upset that things had been published on the internet. Aubrey, Tony, and Amanda all expected the news to leak out and it didn’t.

More advanced tests for COVID-19 were tried and still came back negative.

Basically, doctors don’t know what happened but his lungs were very damaged. They think his high fever was attempting to fight off a lung infection and caused massive scarring of his lungs. She’s hopeful to learn more after an autopsy report.

Jon showed signs of improvement after getting to the Mayo Clinic. He was doing physical therapy and getting better.

November 14th is Amanda’s birthday, the nurses and hospital staff had a cake and banner for her to celebrate.

Jon wasn’t able to talk but things were looking up. In late November, he was taken off the ventilator and put on oxygen but things went very downhill from there.

Jon got worse and the doctors said he either needs a lung transplant or “end of life care.”

Doctors said Jon would not be able to continue wrestling after a lung transplant and would have been immunocompromised for life.

In mid-December, it was revealed that he had an infection in his lungs and things were not looking good.

Amanda then detailed just how much Brodie Jr. loves wrestling. He was having a rough time dealing with everything and said all he wanted for Christmas was for his Dad to come home. When asked what else he might want, Brodie Jr. said he wanted to go to AEW. Chris Jericho flew them on his private jet to an AEW Dynamite show while Amanda was waiting to hear about a possible transplant.

Jon was turned down for lung transplants. Amanda said she was worried this would be the answer due to the infections. They tried some other transplant centers but continued to get turned down.

The hospital called on December 24th to say they needed to start end of life care due to kidney and heart failure.

They tried to have a normal Christmas day. That night they drove to Jacksonville.

She called Cody Rhodes and Big E to ask if they would help tell Brodie Jr. that his father was going to pass away. Cody drove from Atlanta to get there to help and he also had the perspective of having lost his larger-than-life father as well. Cody, Shawn Spears, Peyton Royce, Tyler Breeze and Big E were also there on the day of Jon’s passing.

Due to COVID, there was no memorial service.

“His AEW Celebration of Life, that was his funeral,” Amanda said. “The outpouring of love from the wrestling community has been unreal. The amount of people from every corner of the wrestling world have reached out to me and had their stories about Jon. All of that has been kind of breathtaking.”

“I would have loved to have done a funeral but I can’t risk anybody else’s health. So, the AEW show that was put on that was his send-off, that was his funeral, and that was our saying goodbye to him. It was so beautiful.”

She also talked about how much fun -1 is having right now and having this connection with his Dad.

Amanda was very open, honest, and added humor to a very difficult and tragic story.