AEW star Saraya is proud of Sasha Banks for having the guts to walk out of WWE when she felt undervalued and mistreated.

Banks now a free agent for the first time in many years. WWE attempted to re-sign her to a new deal, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The Legit Boss will now embark on a new chapter in her storied career. Later this week, she’s expected to attend NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom pay-per-view from the Tokyo Dome and explore other opportunities in wrestling, the entertainment industry and beyond.

Saraya tells Alistair McGeorge of Metro.co.uk that she’s proud of her former colleague for taking her career into her own hands.

Sasha Banks is one of the rare attractions in pro wrestling who moves the needle, in terms of ‘butts in seats’ and merchandise sales. Her army of fans tune in and pay up to see her in action. We haven’t seen Banks on television since May 2022, so there is pent-up demand to see what she’ll will do next.

Banks is now in control of her own destiny. She’ll soon be wrestling in Japan, but maintains the flexibility to work wherever her schedule allows.

Saraya says whoever gets to work with Sasha Banks will be very lucky.” She “selfishly” admits that she hopes they cross paths again.

‘Wherever she ends up, I’m gonna be happy for her, and anyone that gets her is gonna be very, very lucky,” she said. “I just selfishly hope that I get to wrestle her one day,’ she admitted.

• Sasha Banks on Filming Her First Movie, Future Projects Outside of WWE

Austin Theory did not appear at Friday’s Raw-brand live event from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but wrestling fans can rest assured he’s not been bit by the injury bug.

Theory was set to defend the Unites States Championship against Seth Rollins in the Steel Cage main event. Finn Balor filled in for Theory, but Rollins got the victory. Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch both got involved in the match, which made for an interesting dynamic.

Shortly before the show, the building announced he would not be present. This is somewhat unusual, since typically it’s WWE that lets fans know about late changes like this (card subject to change).

A winter storm led to travel issues for a lot of WWE (and AEW) performers last week. Multiple stars were unable to make their scheduled dates, which led to rewrites and last-minute substations at TV and live events. It’s still unclear why Theory missed the Toronto Holiday Tour event, but we can thankfully rule out an injury.

Theory Says He’ll Be at Raw

Theory’s situation was addressed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Dave Meltzer, there’s no injury and there are no disciplinary ‘problems’ that would have prevented him from being there.

Ruling out those possibilities, Meltzer speculated there may have been a problem with Theory crossing the Canadian border, but that’s just a .. theory.

The good news is that Theory is healthy and says he’ll be at tonight’s WWE Raw from Nashville. He’s scheduled to defend the US title against Rollins and has a warning for The Architect. In a tweet sent out on Sunday, Theory says Rollins will truly know his place in the WWE when he puts him in the past.

WWE is in Nashville, Tennessee tonight for a live edition of Monday Night Raw from the Bridgestone Arena.

With the new year in full swing, our focus shifts to January 28 and the 2023 Royal Rumble premium live event.

Last week’s Raw was a “year in review” highlights episode, but the big news was a surprise appearance by Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare stated that he came back for “one thing” and one thing only, the WWE Championship. He did not explicitly state when fans can expect him back in action, but Rhodes’ return is imminent.

As of this writing, we know Raw will feature two championship matches. WWE is advertising the following matches for tonight:

• Seth Rollins challenges Austin Theory for the United States Championship

• Alexa Bliss challenges Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship

Here’s what else we can expect:

Bobby Lashley returned to action last week during the live events Holiday Tour. The Almighty had been serving a suspension handed down by Adam Pearce. The WWE website is listing Lashley as one of the Superstars who will be in Nashville, so there’s a strong chance he’ll be back on television this week.

We know the Royal Rumble will feature Men’s and Women’s Rumble matches. WWE is advertising a Rumble qualifier for Friday’s SmackDown, so we can expect to see qualifying matches on Raw as early as tonight as well.

The only other match set for the Rumble is the Pitch Black match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. Four weeks out, WWE will soon begin building a program for Roman Reigns and the Undisputed Universal Champion.

Wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat isn’t interested in making a cameo appearance at WWE’s upcoming Royal Rumble premium live event.

Steamboat is retired from active competition, but did lace up the boots in November for the first time in 12 years. At a special event for Big Time Wrestling, Steamboat teamed with FTR to defeat Nick Aldis, Jay Lethal and Brock Anderson in a 6-man tag match. The finish came when the three babyfaces simultaneously applied figure-four-leglocks to the heels.

Thanks, But No Thanks

During a recent conversation with Bill Apter for Wrestlebinge, Steamboat was asked about the possibility of entering the 2023 Men’s WWE Royal Rumble match.

He was flattered by the suggestion that he could be part of the Rumble, but doesn’t feel that he can perform at that level anymore. The multiple-time World champion told Apter, “Thanks, but no thanks!”

Steamboat knows the fans would probably go nuts for what would undoubtedly be a memorable Royal Rumble moment. The Rumble is one of the biggest wrestling events of the year and Steamboat admitted, “I think it’s too big of a stage for me.”

Steamboat vs. Jericho

Ricky Steamboat came out of retirement at WWE Backlash 2009 when he faced Chris Jericho. It was his first singles match since 1994. He tells Bill Apter that he is proud of that match and believes he had a ‘really good showing.’

The match against Jericho was the last time the fans got to see the real Ricky Steamboat. He felt around 70% of his former self that night, which was enough for him to carry his weight and leave people with a lasting memory of how great he once was.

The Dragon will turn 70 years old on February 28. After a successful outing during the tag match with FTR in November, it’s probably a good thing that he’s got the self-awareness to quit while he’s ahead.

WWE Superstar Montez Ford is getting ready to release a new album of hip hop music.

Ford (Kenneth Crawford) is one half of the popular Street Profits tag team, along with Angelo Dawkins. He’s also married to Raw Women’s champion Bianca Belair.

In the music world, he goes by King Tez. Earlier this week, he announced his first album ‘SYAD’ is coming in March 2023:

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King Tez LMTYO Mixtape

Last Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2022), King Tez released a mixtape titled LMTYO. You can listen to LMTYO by King Tez on Spotify.

The first single from that mixtape, Jingle It Babe, can be heard below.

SYAD is not the only project Montez Ford is working on for 2023. He and Bianca Belair will soon star in their own reality series on Hulu.

The final WWE SmackDown of 2022 is in the books and it was an eventful show to say the least. John Cena wrestled his first and only match of the year. He and Kevin Owens picked up a win over The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. We also saw two surprise returns, including Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair, who stunned Ronda Rousey in an impromptu match to capture the SmackDown Women’s championship.

WWE looks to keep the momentum going with the first two shows of 2023. Several matches have been announced for these upcoming broadcasts, including two titles matches and a Royal Rumble qualifying match.

Starting next week, WWE’s focus shifts to the Royal Rumble and the road to WrestleMania 93.

SmackDown Preview: January 6, 2023

Two matches are set for next week’s SmackDown from Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum:

• Drew McIntyre and Sheamus challenge The Usos for the undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

• Plus, Ricochet battles Top Dolla in a Royal Rumble qualifying match.

Ronda Rousey, Liv Morgan and Karrion Kross are also advertised to appear. (Tickets)

SmackDown Preview: January 13, 2023

In two weeks, SmackDown heads to Green Bay, WI at the Resch Center.

• GUNTHER defends the Intercontinental championship against Braun Strowman

Ronda Rousey, The Usos, Liv Morgan and Sami Zayn are advertised to appear. (Tickets)

SEScoops will keep you updated as additional matches and segments are announced for these shows.

William Regal is officially no longer under contract with All Elite Wrestling. The former leader of the Blackpool Combat Club wants people to know he truly enjoyed his time there and any reports to the contrary are incorrect.

Regal announced on Twitter that his contract officially expired on Thursday, December 29, 2022.

“Yesterday was my last official day with AEW. I’d like to thank Tony Khan, Megha and all the hard working crew.

Contrary to people who’ve never spoken to me or have their information from people who don’t know me or are trying to make themselves noticed, I had a lovely time working there and had a great time. Lots of talented Wrestlers, and lovely people to work for.

To my fellow BCC members, it was a special, albeit brief few months but it cemented our already strong friendship. To everyone there, thank you for welcoming me. Best wishes.”

Regal will be returning to work for WWE in early 2023. He’s expected to resume working at the Performance Center and the company’s developmental brand, NXT.

Regal previously served as the General Manager authority figure in NXT, but he’ll remain behind the scenes for the foreseeable future. The terms of his AEW release require this to be a non-televised role.

Bray Wyatt says he broke his finger at Thursday’s WWE live event from Miami, Florida, but he doesn’t seem to concerned about it.

WWE’s holiday tour wraps up tonight with a Raw-brand house show from Toronto. It was a successful week, in terms of ticket sales. Unfortunately, a couple stars suffered injuries.

We reported that AJ Styles suffered an ankle injury and now word has come out that Wyatt is dealing with his own health situation.

The former WWE Champion defeated Jinder Mahal Thursday night from Miami’s FTX Arena. After the match, Wyatt spent some time at ringside taking photos with fans and signing autographs. As seen below, Wyatt told Justin from Vlog Warriors that he broke a finger on his right hand during the match with Mahal.

Finger fractures take approximately three to four weeks recovery time. It sounds painful, but there’s a strong chance Wyatt will be able to avoid time away from the ring.

Bray Wyatt wrestled Jinder Mahal four times this week on WWE’s holiday tour. The result was the same each time, with Mahal getting in some early offense but Wyatt making a comeback and finishing him off with Sister Abigail.

Prior to this week, Wyatt had not competed since April 2021. After four consecutive wins over Mahal in NYC, Atlanta, Greensboro and Miami, Wyatt sets his sights back on LA Knight. The two have been feuding over the past several months since Wyatt’s return to WWE television.

Several people were not present for Wednesday’s AEW television tapings from Denver, Colorado.

A deadly winter storm resulted in widespread travel issues across the United States this past week. WWE’s ongoing Holiday Tour has been described as a logistical mess, with the company hoping to prevent more problems at tonight’s SmackDown.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Britt Baker, Saraya and Eddie Kingston were among a group of performers who were unable to attend the latest Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite.

After Dynamite went off the air, AEW taped matches for Friday’s Rampage. The show will feature Orange Cassidy defending the All Atlantic Championship against Trent Baretta, Swerve Strickland vs. Wheeler Yuta and Jade Cargill vs. Kiera Hogan. We’ll also hear from Jon Mocxley, AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, Darby Allin and Sting.

Hall of Famer announcer Jim Ross will not be part of the broadcast, but it’s not due to any problems with his flights. AEW President Tony Khan gave JR the night off on Wednesday so he could attend the big Cheez-It Bowl game in Orlando, FL featuring Florida State vs. JR’s beloved Oklahoma Sooners.

The commentary team for Rampage will instead see Excalibur calling the action alongside Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight. JR will be back at the announcer’s desk next week for the first Rampage of 2023.

Bust out your trumpet and cleanest pair of ‘jorts’ because John Cena is back in action tonight on SmackDown.

Wrestling fans around the world haven’t seen Cena compete since SummerSlam 2021, when he unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.

His most recent match took place on September 10, 2021, after that night’s SmackDown went off the air. The 16-time world champion teamed up with The Mysterios to defeat The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and The Usos) from Madison Square Garden in NYC.

A new chapter will soon be written in Cena’s longstanding beef with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline. It’s the final SmackDown of the year and WWE is saying goodbye to 2022 in a big way.

Matches Confirmed for SmackDown

WWE has announced the following lineup for tonight’s SmackDown from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL:

• John Cena and Kevin Owens face The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.

• SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defends against Raquel Rodriguez.

• Solo Sikoa vs. Sheamus. These two heavyweights fought on the October 21, with Sikoa picking up the win.

• Lacey Evans returns to action. She last competed on November 11. WWE has been airing a series of military-themed vignettes building to her comeback.

Here’s a look back at the revelation that Cena is lacing up the boots to battle Roman Reigns once again:

All Elite Wrestling is kicking off the new era of AEW Dynamite in a big way. On Thursday, Tony Khan announced a championship main event for next week’s broadcast: Darby Allin will challenge Samoa Joe for the AEW TNT Championship.

Allin is the longest-reigning TNT Champion in history. He defeated Cody Rhodes to win the title (AEW Dynamite, 7/11/20). He was champion for 186 days and had eight successful defenses before dropping the title to Miro (AEW Dynamite, 12/5/21).

Joe has been TNT Champion since Full Gear, when he won a 3-way match that involved Powerhouse Hobbs and former champion, Wardlow.

Allin and Joe wrestled earlier this month on Dynamite (December 7), with Joe putting Allin’s championship dreams to sleep via submission.

Wardlow got his rematch against Joe this past week on Dynamite, but came up short. After the match, Joe was confronted by Allin, setting up next week’ clash.

Allin and Sting will address the upcoming match against Joe on Friday’s edition of Rampage.

AEW Dynamite Preview (January 4, 2023)

Here’s the updated card for next week’s AEW Dynamite from Seattle, WA:

• Darby Allin challenges Samoa Joe for the TNT Championship
• Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Starks
• Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Nese

In addition to these matches, Dynamite will feature an all-new look, including a new set, graphics, music and lighting.

Bobby Lashley returned to action at Tuesday night’s WWE holiday tour live event from Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena.

The Almighty has been off television for the past few weeks. WWE is running a storyline that saw Adam Pearce ‘fire’ Lashley. WWE moved Lashley’s Superstar profile page to the Alumni section of the company website an in effort to convince fans this was a serious situation.

Pierce later released a video message, apologized to Lashley and stated that he will instead serve a suspension instead of outright losing his job.

Bobby Lashley Returns

At Tuesday’s WWE event from Atlanta, Omos came down to the ring for the second match on the card. As seen below, fans in attendance were surprised to see Lashley announced as his opponent.

The former WWE Champion got a huge pop from the Atlanta crowd and picked up a win over the Nigerian Giant. The company has yet to formally announce the end of his suspension, but expect to see him back on Raw as early as next week.

WWE Atlanta Results (12/27/22)

Here’s a quick rundown of the results from Tuesday night’s show:

• Becky Lynch vs. RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair ended in a No Contest when Bayley attacked them both. Lynch and Belair then joined forces to attack Bayley run her off.

• Bobby Lashley defeated Omos

• The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods) and Madcap Moss defeated Imperium (GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci)

• Karrion Kross defeated Drew Gulak

• Ricochet and Braun Strowman defeated The Usos via DQ after Sami Zayn interfered. Kevin Owens came out to confront Zayn, which led ot the match turning into a 6-man tag.

• Owens, Ricochet and Strowman defeated The Usos and Zayn after Owens hit a stunner on Zayn.

• Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro) defeated The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland)

• Bray Wyatt defeated Jinder Mahal

• Austin Theory retained the United States Championship against Seth Rollins in a Steel Cage match. Theory hit Rollins with a low blow to get the win.

Don’t expect to see Shawn Spears back in All Elite Wrestling any time soon.

The former Pinnacle member has only competed for AEW eight times this year. His record stands at 5-3. Spears made a surprise return back in October, when Dynamite and Rampage took place from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He and FTR picked up a victory in a six-man tag match against The Embassy’s Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage & Toa Liona.

A fan on Twitter asked Spears when he’ll be returning to AEW television. He replied:

“Don’t hold your breath… Not going there anytime soon.”

– Shawn Spears

Spears is married to former WWE Superstar Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce). The couple are expecting their first child together.

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Christmas is a time to gather with family and spread holiday cheer, but let’s be honest: presents are a big part of it.

WWE Superstar Xavier Woods showed off his Christmas 2022 gift on social media and you’d be hard pressed to find a better gift than what he received.

Woods is one half of the reigning NXT tag team champions, along with Kofi Kingston, as part of the New Day. He’s also a huge gamer. His wildly popular UpUpDownDown digital series boasts over 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube.

Woods Scores the Motherload

On Sunday afternoon, Woods revealed that he scored a monster haul of vintage video games.

More specifically, he was gifted the full North American N64 collection – containing every single game that was released (in North America) for the classic Nintendo 64 console. We’re talking Super Mario 64, WWF No Mercy, Golden Eye 007, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64 and a couple hundred others.

This collection is currently available for purchase on eBay, with the bundle of 296 (previously-played) games selling for a cool $29,999.99.

Woods promises to show off his new collection on an upcoming episode of UpUpDownDown. Whatever you got for the holidays this year, we can all agree that Woods made out like a champ.

Kurt Angle has worked with some of the most influential people in wrestling history. However, there’s one person who stands out to him as having the highest wrestling IQ.

Angle spoke about this topic and much more on the latest ‘Ask Kurt Anything’ edition of his Kurt Angle Show podcast.

Throughout his runs in WWE and TNA, the Olympic gold medalist collaborated with the likes of Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bruce Pritchard, Pat Patterson, Dixie Carter, Vince Russo and countless others.

They’ve all made immeasurable contributions to the industry, Angle is convinced one name surpasses them all.

Triple H’s Wrestling IQ

Kurt Angle says Triple H has a grasp on the wrestling business better than anybody he’s ever worked with. The Game is an all-time-great in-ring performer, but also understands the psychology, creative and business aspects of wrestling as well.

Angle says he previously may have named someone like Hulk Hogan, who was a master at drawing business and holding crowds in the palm of his hand.

He went out of his way to praise Hogan, who helped blast wrestling’s popularity into the stratosphere during the 1980’s expansion period. Nobody would argue against the fact that Hogan was a bigger star than Triple H as an active competitor and pop culture phenomenon.

However, the topic at hand is ‘highest wrestling IQ’ and best mind for the business, and Angle says Triple h is number one.

Ricky Starks finished 2022 strong and looks forward to keeping the momentum going in the new year. The 32-year-old from New Orleans has been feuding with Maxwell Jacob Friedman, AEW’s reigning world champion. Starks won a tournament to earn a shot at MJF at Winter is Coming. Friedman retained the title, but Starks has more than held is own on the mic and in the ring during this program.

‘Absolute’ recently spoke to Casual Conversations and discussed his goals for 2023. The main thing he’s looking for is overall satisfaction and fulfillment.

“My main goal for this year is to really carve out my own type of… I want to be so fulfilled in myself,” he said. “What I mean is, I want to be fulfilled creatively, I want to be fulfilled in the ring, on the mic.”

Starks continued by saying he wants to be spoken about in the same way as AEW’s main event players.

“I want to be fulfilled as a person, on this television show, that has stepped up and is now on another level and he should be talked with those other people on that level.”

Championship Dreams

As a former member of Team Taz, Starks previously held the FTW Championship. He just challenged for the AEW World Championship, but he’s yet to hold a sanctioned championship in the promotion. He wants to get back in the hunt for the TNT Championship currently held by Samoa Joe. “I would love to win the TNT Championship, if I don’t get to the AEW Championship first. Those are things I want to do.”

He also expressed an interest in an acting career, a path taken by many other pro wrestlers. Starks wants to be star in the entertainment world and won’t let anything get in his way.

“Stepping out of the wrestling stuff, I want to star in a TV show, I want to star in a movie,” he said. “These are things that I want, that I’m going to get, because I deserve it. I’m going to make sure that I get it. Regardless, nothing is going to stop me.” 

Wrestlers Pursuing Hollywood Careers

• “That’s Where She Wants To Go” – Becky Lynch’s Acting Career Heating Up
• MJF Having Meetings About Pursuing a Career in Acting
• The Miz Reveals Acting Advice From The Rock
• WWE Star Alexa Bliss Willing To Try Her Hand At Acting

Catch Ricky Starks’ appearance on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic:

Becky Lynch is one of the top Superstars in WWE, but she’s already starting to feel the pull from Hollywood.

Lynch is coming up on a decade with WWE. She joined NXT is 2013 and has been a member of the main roster since 2015. With six Women’s Championship reigns, her WWE career really took off in 2018 when she evolved into The Man, a no-nonsense character that allowed her true personality to shine through.

She became a mother in December 2020 and married fellow WWE star Seth Rollins the following summer. More recently, Lynch has been branching out into the world of acting.

She got rave reviews for her role on NBC’s Young Rock sitcom, where she portrayed inevitable WWE Hall of Famer, Cyndi Lauper. According to Rollins, Lynch’s acting career may take them both in an entirely new direction.

Becky Lynch’s Acting Career

During a recent interview with Iowa’s WQAD News, Rollins discussed Lynch’s burgeoning acting career and stated, “that’s where she wants to go.”

He added that their family may have to move ‘out west’ if she continues to land projects in the entertainment business, whether it’s television or movies.

Young Rock was not Lynch’s first taste of being on a set. According to IMDB, her acting credits include roles on the television show Billions (2020) and the movie Rumble (2021).

Lynch one of several WWE performers who is looking ahead to life after pro wrestling, with a strong interest in acting. Earlier this week, Liv Morgan named acting as part of her future plans.

Catch Seth Rollins’ full interview with Iowa ABC affiliate WQAD:

Jade Cargill is one of the most dominant competitors in All Elite Wrestling, but she’s in no rush to go after the AEW Women’s World Championship.

Cargill has been impressing wrestling fans since her in-ring debut on the March 3, 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite. She and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal defeated Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet that night. She’s left a trail of bodies in her wake ever since.

As the reigning AEW TBS Champion, she’s got the gold to back up her pride. She talks about running out of worthy competitors, but wants to continue on the same track she’s on for now.

On Friday, Cargill fielded questions from her fans on Twitter. When asked when we can expect to see her go after AEW’s top prize for female wrestlers, Cargill showed a rare glimpse of humility.

“I have to get warm,” she said. “I think everyone should be HAPPY and GRATEFUL they seen me in MY FIRST match EVER!”

Some very talented women have held the AEW Women’s World Championship, including Britt Baker, Thunder Rosa and reigning champion, Jamie Hayter. Cargill says, “Most of the women who have carried the main title have hundreds of matches. I’ve literally had ONLY 45 and 1 off grid match.”

“Let me take my time. U all KNOW I’m going to be great”

– Jade Cargill

Jade Cargill has been AEW TBS Champion since January 5, 2022 (approximately 350 days). She defeated Ruby Soho in the finals of a tournament to crown the inaugural champion. She maintains an undefeated record of 45-0, with an additional victory in an unsanctioned match.

At only 30 years old, Cargill could have a long career still ahead of her. She’s confident that she’ll reach the top of the mountain in AEW, but is sticking with what’s working by getting more experience.

Learn more about Jade Cargill from her recent appearance on AEW’s Hey! (EW) digital series:

Kevin Sullivan, All Elite Wrestling’s Vice President, Post Production, has provided a sneak peek at the visual overhaul that’s coming to AEW Dynamite.

AEW President Tony Khan recently confirmed Dynamite will have an all-new look starting January 4, 2023. During a conversation with SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman for TVInsider, Khan said, “This will affect the way people view AEW on Wednesdays and Fridays in terms of presentation with the set and the show with the same great action.”

On Saturday morning, Sullivan uploaded a video that gives us a first look of what to expect from the ‘new look’ of AEW’s flagship show.

In a message posted on Twitter, he says the AEW production team set out to create a new ‘brand identity’ for Dynamite. The new identity includes many elements, including a new stage (yet to be seen) and a new comprehensive set of ‘package elements.’

Dynamite and Rampage have kept a similar look since the shows premiered. In addition to the first week of January marking the new year, it’s also the one year anniversary of Dynamite’s move from TNT to TBS.

Sullivan says his team is thrilled to finally share their new, bold vision that he feels will help usher in a “new spirit” for the show.

He also revealed this project has been nine months in the making. He thanked Tony Khan, the team at Warner Bros. Discovery and AEW’s graphics team for making this vision a reality.

• AEW Hires Former WWE VP of Global Television Production

Santino Marella was a lovable comedy wrestler (portrayed by Anthony Carelli) who competed for WWE from 2007-2020. A new trademark filing indicates he could be headed to Impact Wrestling in the coming new year.

Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, parent company of Impact, recently secured a trademark for the name Santino Marella. According to the USPTO database, the live trademark was filed on December 19, 2022.

The ‘Goods and Services’ usage description includes:

• Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests;
• Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer;
• Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a a professional wrestler and sports entertainer;
• Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality;
• Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality;

WWE previously held the Santino Marella trademark, but let it expire in October 2021.

Santino’s daughter, Bianca Carelli, currently wrestles for WWE’s NXT brand as Arianna Grace.

Drew McIntyre will be unable to compete at next week’s WWE live event from Madison Square Garden.

WWE’s Live Holiday Tour continued this coming Monday, with eight shows scheduled between Christmas and New Year’s:

• New York, NY
• Columbus, Ohio
• Atlanta, GA
• Cleveland, OH
• Greensboro, NC
• Miami, FL
• Hershey, PA
• Toronto, ON

McIntyre is still advertised for MSG as of this writing, but a report at PWInsider states that he won’t be medically cleared in time.

McIntyre Dealing with an Injury

Drew McIntyre has been pulled from several appearances this month, including a tag title match on the December 9 edition of SmackDown on Fox. WWE noted at the time that he was ‘medically disqualified’ from competing.

It’s believed he’s dealing with an injury. McIntyre was optimistic he’d be back in time for the Christmas-week tour, but he won’t be there on Monday.

McIntyre’s most recent match took place nearly a month ago. He competed on November 27 at a non-televised SuperShow from Portland, Maine. He teamed with Kevin Owens & The Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland) to defeat The Usos, Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline.

Visit WWE.com for ticket information if you’re interested in attending any of the shows on the 2022 Live Holiday Tour.

Rich Swann will be wrestling under the Impact Wrestling banner for years to come.

Swann has been wrestling for Impact since June 2018. He’s held a lot of gold during this run, including the Impact World Championship, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, the X-Division title and the recently-introduced Digital Media championship.

The 31-year-old star from Baltimore, MD will have many more opportunities to add further accolades to his resume. During a conversation with Chris Van Vliet, Swann announced that he’s signed a new two-year contract with the organization. The deal will keep him part of the Impact family through the end of 2024.

Swann Comments on His Future

Swann tells CVV that his world has been ‘lighting up’ as of late. In addition to this new deal with Impact, he’s got a one-year-old baby boy (“Little Richard Jr.”) with fellow Impact star Su Yung.

He spoke very highly of Impact Wrestling, as well as the other stars on the roster.

Swann has dealt with a series of injuries, which have been difficult to work through. Thankfully, Impact was supportive through all of it.

“Unfortunately, I broke my back and my leg, my hip, my foot, everything on my right side was damn-near damaged,” said Swann. “I was told by doctors that I wouldn’t walk the same, let alone wrestle again.”

He’d go on to become Impact World Champion, an accomplishment and opportunity he’ll never forget. Swann feels that he’s doing the best work of his career and now has two more years to show the fans what he’s capable of.

Swann is scheduled to compete against Steve Maclin on this week’s edition of Impact TV.

The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is right around the corner.

Each year, WWE honors some of the greatest performers in wrestling history with this prestigious recognition. Since its inception nearly thirty years ago, the WWE Hall of Fame has seen 234 inductions, 124 individual inductees and 46 ‘legacy’ inductees. There are 12 people in the ‘Celebrity Wing’ of the WWE Hall of Fame, and 8 people have received the questionably-named Warrior Award.

There is no physical Hall of Fame building as of this writing, but that does not diminish the magnitude of this honor. Countless inductees have spoken about how meaningful it was to join the ranks of Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and more.

1993 WWE Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame was introduced in 1993. The first inductee intro the WWE Hall of Fame was Andre the Giant. He was inducted posthumously shortly after his passing on January 27, 1993.WWE did not hold a formal Hall of Fame induction ceremony until the following year.

Andre’s induction was announced on the March 22, 1993 edition of Monday Night Raw. Here is rare footage of the Andre the Giant Hall of Fame video package:

WWE has provided this playlist of Andre the Giant’s greatest moments:

Top Names not in the WWE Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame includes some of the greatest performers in pro wrestling history. However, there are some glaring omissions to the list of legends have received this honor.

We recently wrote about 5 big names who are surprisingly not members of the WWE Hall of Fame. You can check out that feature here:

(Stats via Wikipedia)

Wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows throughout his decades-long career.

It’s been a long and winding road, but he’s healthy and optimistic about the future. Roberts works for All Elite Wrestling and is getting ready to embark on a new role with the company: serving as an ambassador visiting hospitals and doing other community outreach initiatives.

• Jake Roberts Announces He’s Returning to AEW, No Longer Requires Oxygen Tank

Roberts was at rock bottom when Diamond Dallas Page took him in to his ‘Accountability Crib’ a decade ago. DDP helped Roberts get his life together in many ways.

On a special “Ask Jake Anything” edition of his Snake Pit podcast, Roberts looked back at a difficult period in his life and the importance of knowing fans appreciate him and his legacy.

Blown Away by Fan Support

A listener asked Roberts how it feels to receive so much love from his fans. He admits he didn’t feel very loved for a long time, but it was his work with DDP that opened his eyes to how much support he really had.

“Well, here’s the thing, I didn’t know it for so many years,” said Roberts. “I didn’t have a clue, didn’t know that the fans felt the way they do about me. Not until I was in the Accountability Crib and all the people raised money for me to have a surgery. I couldn’t believe it. It blew me away. I cried and cried over that, because I didn’t think anybody gave a shit about me.

Then, to hear all this love that was pouring out, man, it just it really freaked me out and that was probably part of my recovery, man. That was a big thing to happen in my life and my daughter was there when [it was] happening and she was blown away too.”

• Jake Roberts Reflects On AEW Debut “I Felt Like I Was At Home Again”

Smell The Roses

Roberts says it’s easy to lose touch with reality when you’re living a hard life of drugs and alcohol. You don’t realize there are people that love you and want you to do well. He cites his traumatic childhood as the source of this unhealthy outlook.

“Sometimes you just you’re running so hard through life,” Roberts continued. “You don’t take time to smell the roses or anything else. You’re just fighting till the next day, fighting till the next day, fighting till the next day and you don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you.”

“You don’t realize that people care and the people support you. People love you. That’s on me, because I was just, you know, I was a kid that was battered and bruised and abused and I couldn’t see how anybody would care about me. It was an enlightenment for sure. “

Thankfully, he now has a better perspective and is continuing to write the later chapters of his story on his own terms. Jake Roberts is a success story. The drive and determination that took him to the top of the wrestling world has brought him to where he is today. He’s a living testament that it’s never too late to turn yourself around.

NXT returns to the USA Network tonight for an all-new episode from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. This show was taped last week (December 14) due to the ongoing holiday season.

Here’s a preview for what to expect on NXT, followed by spoiler results:

• NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Briggs and Jensen

• NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs. Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne vs. Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley

• Zoey Stark vs. Nikkita Lyons

• Elektra Lopez vs. Indi Hartwell

• Apollo Crews returns

Ahead of tonight’s NXT broadcast, this video will catch you up on the big happenings from last week:

NXT Results (December 20, 2022)

• Carmelo Hayes defeated Axiom. The finish came when Trick Williams interfered. After the match, Axiom hit an Asai moonsault on Williams.

• Zoey Stark defeated Nikkita Lyons after Stark held on to the ropes for leverage.

• Kayden Carter & Katana Chance defeated Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley and Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin to retain the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles.

• Apollo Crews called out Carmelo Hayes and the two exchanged words.

• Elektra Lopez defeated Indi Hartwell

• The New Day defeated Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen to retain the NXT tag titles titles.

• The show closes with an angle involving Grayson Waller calling out Bron Breakker. Breakker made his way to the ring and delivered a spear on Waller, but got knocked out. Waller lifted up his jacket to reveal a metal plate on his chest, a throwback to the infamous WCW Nitro storyline involving Bret Hart and his least favorite wrestler, Goldberg.