All Elite Wrestling is back tonight with a live edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.
Here’s a preview for tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Washington D.C.:
Jon Moxley returns for the first time in nearly 3 months. Moxley took time off in November to enter an inpatient rehabilitation program for alcohol dependency.
AEW TNT Cody Rhodes returns to television. Cody has been away for several weeks as a precaution due to exposure to COVID-19.
CM Punk battles Shawn Spears in his ongoing quest to get his hands on MJF.
Britt Baker & Adam Cole vs. Kris Statlander & Orange Cassidy
The House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King) will face the Varsity Blonds.
Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Acclaimed
Serena Deeb vs. Skye Blue
AEW Dynamite Preview Videos
AEW has produced a few videos hyping this week’s Dynamite, a sign that we’re in for a big show:
Shayna Baszler wrestled in her home town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota over the weekend. She lost to Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match that also included Naomi.
The former NXT Women’s champion spoke with Argus Leader last week about her transition from MMA to pro wrestling.
Many paths require you to be passionate in order to succeed. With a sport as dangerous as mixed martial arts, it’s essential. Baszler recalls “falling out of love” with MMA during the tail end of her fighting career. This led her to pursue pro wrestling.
“I think my coach had recognized and I think, you know, in hindsight, I can admit it, I think I was falling out of love with MMA, I started losing fights I shouldn’t have. I didn’t feel scared anymore. You know what I mean? Like I just didn’t care as much as I did before, when I was younger in the sport.”
Realizing her passion for MMA was slipping away, she asked the UFC if she could take some pro wrestling dates while still under contract with them. They rejected her request, which led her coach to suggest she pursue wrestling full-time. He presented it to her as somewhat of a ‘reset.’
Shayna Baszler’s Transition to Wrestling
Bazsler made a seamless transition to the squared circle. She’s been successful in the highly-competitive world of WWE. In just a few years, she’s achieved some impressive milestones.
When asked about her favorite moments as a pro wrestler, she said her most memorable match was winning the NXT women’s championship for the first time.
Shayna Baszler wins the NXT Women’s Championship (WWE Evolution, October 2018)
However, she doesn’t rate that as her best or favorite match.
One of her favorite matches is when she lost that NXT Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley. She knows wrestling is all about storytelling and she was satisfied to lose the title as a heel to an up-and-coming babyface.
“I think on the flip side of that, I think when I lost the title to Rhea Ripley, that match is one of my favorite matches because the way we told the story and it’s so cool because I lose and the crowd, the fans are so happy that the bad guy lost and the good guy won that they stormed the ring.”
Shayna Baszler has excelled in MMA and pro wrestling. There are some similarities between the two sports, but also some stark differences. She has spoken in-depth about the challenges associated with being a former UFC fighter in WWE. You can read her thoughts on that subject right here:
Jon Moxley will return on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite on live TBS. It will be his first televised appearance in nearly 3 months.
Moxley stepped away from the spotlight in November. At the time, AEW boss Tony Khan announced that Mox would be entering an inpatient program for alcohol dependency.
“Jon Moxley has allowed me to share with you that he is entering an inpatient alcohol treatment program. Jon is a beloved member of the AEW family. We all stand with him and Renee, and all of his family and friends, as he shifts his focus to recovery.”
“Jon is making a very brave choice to get help, and we’re embracing his choice and supporting him however we can.”
Following his appearance on Dynamite, Moxley returns to the ring this weekend for Game Changer Wrestling. Moxley will defend the GCW championship against Homicide at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Moxley is not the only big return scheduled for Dynamite. “Free Agent” Cody Rhodes will also be on hand after taking several weeks off due to covid exposure.
Rhea Ripley is ready to steamroll all challengers at next weekend’s WWE Royal Rumble.
Ripley’s back is full of welts following this week’s WWE Raw. The Australian Superstar took a beating at the hands of her former friend and partner, Nikki ASH.
Ripley posted a photo of her battle scars early Monday morning. She defiantly wrote, “It’s hard to break someone that enjoys pain. Try again.”
AEW star Eddie Kingston will be out of action for the next several weeks due to an injury.
The hard hitting brawler from Yonkers, NY is out with a fractured orbital bone. Common symptoms of an orbital bone fracture include blurry, decreased or double vision.
Tony Khan announced Kingston is injured at Saturday’s AEW Dark tapings from Orlando, FL. Unable to wrestle, Kingston joined the commentary team, which should make for some entertaining viewing.
Eddie Kingston’s Recovery Time
Eddie Kingston is expected to be out of action for around three weeks, according to the Wrestling Observer. A mid-February return would give AEW enough time to weave him back into storylines ahead of Revolution on March 6th.
Kingston has a 2-0 record this year in AEW. He picked up wins in singles and trios matches. His most recent match was a winning effort against Joey Janela on the January 8th episode of AEW Dark .
It will be interesting to see if Eddie Kingston appears at Sunday’s Game Changer Wrestling’s The WRLD on GCW pay-per-view.
John Cena does not think he’s ready for fatherhood anytime soon.
The 16-time World Champion is currently doing the media rounds to promote Peacemaker, his new superhero series for HBO Max.
During an appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show, Cena spoke about the challenges that come with balancing his personal and professional lives.
John Cena has achieved a lot during his pro wrestling career. However, his most impressive accomplishment has taken place outside the ring. Cena holds the record with the Make-a-Wish Foundation for the most wishes granted – a staggering 650 as of this writing.
Barrymore told Cena that he would be the “world’s greatest father.” Cena is enjoying the married life with wife Shay Shariatzadeh, but he does not see parenthood in his future any time soon. He is so busy with his career that he’s not sure he’d be able to make the time commitment that parenthood requires.
“This is just my perspective, totally not qualified, but I think just because you might be good at something, for me, is not a strong enough reason to do that,” said Cena “You have to have passion for it. You have to have a fuel for it.”
He continued, “It’s like saying to someone, ‘Man, you know you are pretty good with your hands. You would be a great carpenter.’ But if I want to be an actor, I am going to be an actor. Just to say to somebody you have a great interaction with young people, that’s flattering.”
Cena says he’s really enjoying his life and can’t believe the incredible opportunities that have come his way. With great success comes a lot of work. Hard work. He finds it challenging to be a good husband and maintain connections with important people in his life. He does love the work he does with children, but does not feel it’s the right time to start a family.
You can watch John Cena on the Drew Barrymore Show here:
Strickland and the remaining members of Hit Row were released from WWE back on November 9th. The faction also included Top Dolla, Ashante Thee Adonis and B-Fab. They were a popular act in NXT, but a move to the main roster spelled the beginning of the end for them.
Since then, Swerve has been working on his new album, Tears. He released the following music video clip for the song Currency.
This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw takes place from Tulsa, Oklahoma at the BOK Center.
With less than two weeks until the Royal Rumble, WWE has announced the following segments for Raw:
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch will address her Royal Rumble challenger, Doudrop. Doudrop defeated Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan last week to earn the championship opportunity.
Bobby Lashley will have words for his Royal Rumble opponent, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. How will Lashley react to former Hurt Business partners Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin attacking him last week?
Finally, RK-Bro looks to bounce back after dropping the Raw tag team championships to Alpha Academy last week. Will Oron and Riddle continue teaming together, or go in separate directions?
It’s worth noting that Monday Night Raw will feature stiff competition from the NFL playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals will face the LA Rams. Don’t be surprised to see Raw viewership to take a big hit this week against the NFL game.
Jeff Hardy has made a handful of solo appearances since his WWE release. He currently wrapping up a ‘meet and greet’ tour.
Jeff Hardy is appearing at BIGS Sports in Sioux Falls, South Dakota – right down the road from tonight’s WWE live event.
The Hardy Boyz have not made any public appearances together since Matt’s release from WWE in March 2020. Jeff remained with the company until last month.
Matt and Jeff Hardy are 12-time tag team champions. Jeff’s WWE non-compete clause prohibits him from appearing for other wrestling organizations at this time. However, the brothers from Cameron, North Carolina are determined to team again.
On Saturday, Matt posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Jeff holding the ECW and WWE Championship titles. The caption reads, “Every Saturday until we reunite in the ring.”
Roman Reigns is officially the longest-reigning Universal Champion in WWE history.
Love him or hate him, you must acknowledge him. On Sunday, January 16, Reigns’ Universal title reign reached a record-breaking 504 days. He’s been champion since August 30, 2020.
Reigns has commented on his historic achievement. He wrote on Twitter:
“The greatest of this generation, the best to ever hold the #UniversalTitle. The numbers, the main events, the dominant performances… they don’t lie. 504 days and counting… #GOAT”
Roman Reigns Makes History
Reigns surpasses Brock Lesnar, who previously held the record at 503 days. Lesnar’s longest reign lasted from April 2, 2017 through August 19, 2018.
This is Reigns’ second run with the Universal title. His first reign lasted 63 days. In addition to being the longest-reigning Universal Champion, he’s also held title for more days in total than anybody else (567 days). He’s a 3-time WWE Champion and has competed in five WrestleMania main events.
Reigns’ next big title defense will take place at the Royal Rumble when he defends against Seth Rollins.
Former WWE Superstar Top Dolla says he would dominate in the XFL, if he decides to pursue a pro football career.
Top Dolla (AJ Francis) recently spoke with Muscle Man Malcolm about the possibility of restarting his football career. Prior to joining WWE, Francis played in the NFL from 2013-2018. The XFL returns in 2023, creating another opportunity for football players.
“I mean, let me say this, do I think that I could play in the XFL and dominate the XFL? Absolutely,” he said. “Go watch the tape. My last game in the NFL, I had six tackles as a nose guard. I would like to know the list of nose guards that have had six tackles in a game since I got out of the NFL. I guarantee you it’s not long.”
Football is a young man’s game. At 31 years old, Top Dolla knows he can’t take physical punishment like he did in his early 20’s.
“Let me just talk the actual facts of the situation. But, I’m also 31 years old and football is a young man’s game. So, could I do it? Yeah. Do I want to go back and have my body feel like when I was playing in the NFL? Not really, no.”
Unlike football players, pro wrestlers are able to wrestle into their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Top Dolla says football is a very different sport than wrestling.
“You got to realize, this is going to shock a lot of people, but wrestling ain’t real. Yeah you take bumps, and yeah, you do hurt, but compared to 40 plays against a 300-pound man who’s trying to kill me every play as I’m trying to kill him, it’s not the same. It’s not even close to the same. It’s different levels of body movement aching pain.”
Top Dolla is 6’5″ and 350 pounds. He usually wrestlers against much smaller people, which limits the abuse his body had to take.
“It was easier for me than it is for a lot of guys in the industry because a lot of guys are not my size so they got to take 15 bumps in a match,” he said. “… It was easy for me, but not everybody is that lucky because not everybody is the same size.”
Oh, you didn’t know? The New Age Outlaws may be gearing up to ride once again.
The Outlaws are one of the most decorated tag teams in WWE history. “Road Dogg” BG James and “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn were icons of the Attitude Era. They’re both WWE Hall of Famers as part of the legendary DX faction.
Road Dogg James was released from WWE last week, paving the way for a reunion with his old partner. Interestingly, just days after Roadd Dogg’s release, Billy Gunn has taken steps to trademark their team name.
Last Friday, January 7th, Kipp Sopp (Billy Gunn) filed the paperwork to trademark the name, “The New Age Outlaws.”
According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the name would be used for merchandise and wrestling ‘entertainment services.’ The attorney of record is Michael E. Dockins.
This trademark filing does not mean the New Age Outlaws will be tearing up AEW’s tag team division anytime soon. However, the NAO intellectual property is valuable.
The duo could probably make a killing doing autograph signings and selling merchandise using the Outlaws moniker. Now you know!
Rok-C is one of the top prospects in all of women’s wrestling. At 20 years old, she has already won championships and drawn attention from the industry’s top promotions.
Rok-C is the Ring of Honor Women’s Champion. She was just named the ROH Women’s Wrestler of the Year. However, is not expected to be affiliated with the company for much longer. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Following an appearance at Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view, she dropped the ROH women’s title to Deonna Purrazzo the following night at Impact’s latest round of TV tapings. This got people questioning what’s next for the Laredo, Texas native.
On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez commented on Rok-C’s future. “I was told that, not 100% she’s going anywhere, but they [ROH] are expecting that she’s probably going to end up going somewhere. Therefore, she’s no longer champion,” said Alvarez.
Last weekend, she competed for New Texas Pro Wrestling and received a big sendoff from the fans of her hometown promotion. This typically indicates a wrestler is moving on to the next chapter of their career.
Not often do you get your flowers on your journey in this business
We don’t know the future, nor are we confirming anything but we will forever be grateful for @TheRokC_ and her impact with us
Thank you Carla, you deserve the world, and you’re destined to be one of the best.? pic.twitter.com/s0EgE97sHZ
Rok-C recently had a WWE tryout at the Performance Center in Orlando.
She’ll debut for MLW later this month at Blood & Thunder on January 21st from Dallas, Texas. After that, she could go anywhere.
This is completely speculative, but what better way to make a splash in WWE than to appear in the Women’s Royal Rumble match just one week later? Rok-C is talented beyond her years and would fit in perfectly at NXT 2.0.
Posted January 11th, 2022 in ROH, News. Tagged: Rok-C.
Sasha Banks will star in the opening video package for Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game, according to Variety.
What’s the connection between Sasha Banks and college football? The big game airs on ESPN, which is owned by owned by Disney. Sasha Banks appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian on the Disney+ streaming service.
Sasha Banks will appear as a futuristic superhero who sparks the start of the college football national championship using a piece of confetti from last year’s championship celebration.
You can watch the 2-minute video here:
She told Variety that she’s honored to be selected for this role. She loves the concept and had great things to say about everyone she worked with on the project.
“I feel like everybody who has been working on the set, and the whole team have been so incredible… to walk in and to just feel so welcome, and just to see everything, and I was just like, it was amazing,” said Banks.
Georgia and Alabama will collide at 8pm (Eastern), head-to-head with WWE Raw.
Sasha Banks is currently out of action due to a foot injury. WWE announced over the weekend that she’s expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
December’s Final Battle pay-per-view marked the end of an era for ROH. The company is currently on hiatus and top ROH stars have been released from their contracts. Some already appearing for other promotions.
Over the weekend, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham and ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C both wrestled for Impact Wrestling. An ROH faction invaded the Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. The group had a presence at the latest Impact TV tapings and is now going by the name Honor No more.
Ring of Honor officials have maintained the company is not shutting down. On Monday, the company announced its next live pay-per-view.
Ring of Honor Returns
ROH Supercard of Honor will take place Friday, April 1st from Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center.
The event takes place during WrestleMania 38 weekend, giving it a built-in audience of wrestling fans who are already in town.
Supercard of Honor has been a staple of the ROH calendar dating back to 2006.
HonorClub members will get first crack at tickets on Friday, January 21st. The general public on-sale will take place the following week, Friday January 28th.
SEScoops plans to send a live correspondent to this event, so stay tuned for more details on that.
Former WWE Superstar Taya Valkyrie is open to joining All Elite Wrestling.
Vaklyrie recently wrapped up a short run with WWE, where she portrayed the character Franky Monet in NXT. She was released by WWE back in November already has a number of appearances lined up in the weeks ahead.
During a virtual autograph signing for East Coast Autograph Auctions over the weekend, Valkyrie said “of course” she’s interested in joining AEW’s women’s division.
“Of course, I would go to AEW, she said. “They are doing something different, a lot of my peers and best friends, my brothers Fenix and Pentagon are over there. Why not? We’ll see what happens.”
Taya Valkyrie as Franky Monet in NXT (2021)
Taya Valkyrie’s Future
Taya Vaklyrie Valkyrie extensively in Mexico during the early part of her career. She worked for Impact Wrestling from 2017-2021 before a stint in NXT. She returned to AAA in December.
The sky is the limit for Taya Valkyrie in 2022. She is a veteran performer that would be an asset to any locker room she joined. We could see her back in Impact, or in AEW.
Over the weekend, Valkyrie expressed interest in working with AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.
The free agency market for women’s wrestling has never been deeper. Aside from the incredible talent on the independent scene, talent released by WWE in 2021 include Valkyrie, Toni Storm, Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox), Athena (Ember Moon), Nia Jax and Mia Yim.
Taya Valkyrie issued a lengthy statement after her WWE release that you can read here:
Impact Wrestling held its latest round of television tapings on Sunday night from Dallas, TX at the The Factory at Deep Ellum. Charlie Haas made his Impact debut, but it did not go well.
The former WWE tag team champion interrupted a promo from Josh Alexander, who was staking his claim as #1 contender to Moose’s Impact World Championship.
Charlie Haas debuts for Impact Wrestling (Photo: Kurt Zamora)
Haas and Alexander fought later in the night, with Alexander getting the win. Unfortunately, Haas was injured during the match.
Charlie Haas Injured
After the match, the group of ROH wrestlers who appeared at Hard to Kill jumped both men. They were eventually run off by Chris Sabin, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath, Rhino and Eddie Edwards.
During the post-match angle, Charlie Haas exited the ring, crawled under the ring, was tended to by Impact Wrestling officials. He was eventually stretchered away.
This is the pic I took from #ringside He became sluggish during the match & came to an awkward end. Rolled outside & he was in no man’s land (concussed) & crawled under the ring. Action inside unaware & several landed on him during a spot. Bad scene l. pic.twitter.com/nDeiCB9I7l
Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose wants a match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Moose retained his title at Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. He beat Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey in a triple threat match.
Moose wins at Impact Hard to Kill 2022
Moose wants Roman Reigns
On Sunday, Moose referenced the “Forbidden Door” and said it’s time for the Wrestling God to cross paths with the Head of the Table. He tweeted:
“I Claim to be the Wrestling God. He claims to be The Head of the Table. With all this Forbidden Door talk….. what if …. @WWERomanReigns”
This is not the first time Moose has made it known he wants to work with Roman Reigns. On a recent episode of Impact TV, moose referenced the Tribal Chief.
The Impact world champion wrestling the WWE Universal Champion seems unlikely. However, it is possible.
Moose vs. Roman Reigns is unlikely, but two other champions from WWE and Impact could share a ring very soon Entrants for the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble include Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Former WWE Superstar Paige was trending on social media this weekend after WWE announced several legendary women are returning for the Royal Rumble.
The upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble will feature the Bella Twins, Lita, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and even Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James.
In response to seeing herself trending after WWE’s Royal Rumble announcements, Paige tweeted, “I tell ya what though, it does feel f*cking awesome to see so many people even after 4 years, miss me wrestling.”
Some of the industry’s top names replied to Paige’s tweet, including Natalya, Booker T, Alexa Bliss and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker.
Paige has been active on social media as of late. She has expressed gratitude and support to many of the people released by WWE, including William Regal, “Road Dogg” BG James and Nia Jax.
Paige retired 4 years ago due to the condition of her neck, but fans remain hopeful she will grace the ring again.
She hopes to wrestle again, despite the injuries that cut her career short. Her WWE contract runs through June 2022.
All Elite Wrestling taped next week’s AEW Dark on Saturday night after the Battle of the Belts special from Charlotte, North Carolina
Battle of the Belts was a 1-hour TV special, but fans in attendance got to see the rest of AEW’s champions compete in more than a dozen additional matches.
Hannifan previously worked for WWE under the name Tom Phillips. They released him in May 2021 after about 9 years with the company.
Shortly thereafter, Hannifan spoke extensively about his time there. He credits Renee Paquette as being one of the people who took him under their wing and showed him the ropes while he got caught up to speed with WWE’s way of doing things.
Following his Impact Wrestling debut, Hannifan will join Renee Paquette on the next edition of her Oral Sessions podcast. That interview drops this coming Tuesday.
Below, you can check out Tom Hannifan’s in-depth interview talking about his WWE run, the hardest part of that job being overproduced there and much more.
Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish are undisputedly one of the most dominant forces in pro wrestling over the past several years.
The dangerous trio has reunited in All Elite Wrestling. We’ve seen O’Reilly and Fish resume using their ReDragon moniker in AEW, but the faction has yet to receive an official name.
“Undisputed Era” is intellectual property of WWE. However, a new trademark filing by AEW reveals what is likely their new name.
AEW filed a trademark application for the name “Paragon” on January 3rd, along with a logo we’re sure to see on licensed merchandise in the near future.
The word paragon means, “a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.”
We’ve heard the word paragon used on AEW television in recent weeks, another clue that
