Wrestling great turned Hollywood kingpin Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says Ric Flair will always be, “The Man.”
Earlier this week, The Rock named his Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. The People’s Champ named Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Ric Flair, with The Undertaker, Pat Patterson and Jackie Fargo in a 3-way tie for the 4th and final spot.
Ric Flair’s public image has taken a beating in recent months ever since the Plane Ride from Hell episode of Dark Side of the Ring. The Rock is a well-respected figure, so an endorsement from him goes a long way.
Flair tweeted a photo of himself with a young Rock from 1984 to show his appreciation. He wrote, “There’s no bigger word in the world than the word respect! You looked up to me as a kid, and I continuously look up to you! WOOOOOO!”
The Rock says he’ll always have respect for Ric Flair, who has been one of his heroes for decades. He added that Flair was “The Man” back in 1984 and always will be.
Respect, always brother. You, Dusty my dad, Muraco, Hawk, Animal, Piper, all you guys were my heroes. This pic was taken in 1984 ~ in Vegas at the NWA annual convention. I was pimply faced 12 year old with an afro and you were (and will always be) “The Man”. #woohttps://t.co/xVAX4wVROb
Beth Phoenix is ending her run as a commentator for NXT. Her final show as a full-time broadcaster for the brand will be this Sunday at WarGames.
The WWE Hall of Famer announced her decision on Thursday. Phoenix says she is stepping away to spend more time with her family. She and WWE Superstar Edge have two children together.
“Ahead of WarGames, I wanted to share that this Sunday will be my final night in NXT,” she wrote. “While I will remain a part of WWE, I have made the choice to step away from the weekly broadcast booth to spend more time with my family.”
Phoenix says it was not an easy decision to step away from the NXT commentary table. She’s been with the brand for over three years and has called the action on 135 episodes of NXT TV.
“I’m incredibly proud of the brand.”
– Beth Phoenix
She thanked many people who have helped her in NXT, including Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Nigel McGuiness, Tom Phillips, Mauro Ranallo, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Michael Cole and more.
“NXT will always be a part of me and Auntie Betty will always be a part of NXT,” she added. “Leave the porch light on for me!”
Ric Flair says a wrestling promoter based out of Israel offered him a chance to get back in the ring against Sammy Guevara.
During the latest episode of his WOOOOO! Nation Uncensored podcast, the Nature Boy says he’s open to lacing up the boots once again.
However, he doesn’t work cheap. Flair told his co-host Mark Madden his asking price is a hundred grand.
“$100,000 and two first-class tickets, I’m there.”
– Ric Flair
Ric Flair isn’t flying halfway around the world on a handshake. He would also require 50% of the payday up-front. He added, “50-percent down, 50-percent after I beat Sammy.”
Flair called Sammy Guevara a “great” talent who could carry him to a 15-20 minute match. He’s still in the gym training, just in case.
“WWE won’t let me do anything, even though I’m released,” he said. “I understand, they have so much liability and I told them I would sign anything, but nobody wants me to die on their watch. I’d rather die in the ring. If I have to go. I’d rather not jump off the 19th floor or spend another 31 days in the ICU.”
Flair tweeted the following on Monday morning that if he’s going to die, it’s going to be “next to his hot wife” or in the ring next to Sammy Guevara.
The reigning AEW TNT Champion replied, “Wrestling God vs. Spanish God”
Bryan Danielson has worn a plain white t-shirt during many of his AEW television appearances.
According to the American Dragon, there’s a reason for this unassuming gear. During a recent appearance on the Casual Conversations podcast, Danielson said he is generally not in favor of selling merchandise to his fans.
“So AEW came up with a very nice American Dragon Is Back t-shirt,” he began.” I think one of the things that has confused their merchandising people and also confused the WWE merchandising people is that I don’t wanna sell people things.”
The Steve Jobs of AEW
Danielson likened his plain white t-shirt to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs always wearing a black turtleneck shirt.
“So, it’s a choice,” he continued. “It also makes my life simpler, in the sense of like I don’t have to worry what I’m going to wear to TV, right, so a white shirt and some joggers.”
“There’s Steve Jobs, who was infamous for he would just do the black turtleneck and he didn’t have to worry. I don’t wanna waste my time thinking about what I’m going to wear.”
It’s convenient for Daniel Bryan to just throw on a white t-shirt and not have to worry about styling an outfit for himself. However, he stated once again that his love for the environment makes it difficult for him to play merchandise pitch-man to his fans.
“Anyways, there’s a certain aspect of that but part of my service is this idea of how we can benefit the planet and all that kind of stuff. One of the things that is hard for me is to sell people stuff.”
Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:
Bryan Danielson is eager to work with CM Punk in AEW, whether they are tag team partners or opponents.
The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and discussed the possibility of teaming with Punk against the Young Bucks or FTR.
“Yeah I mean, I think both of those are really exciting to me,” he began. “You also mentioned 2 teams that I would love to do a serious program with not just a one-off thing.”
Danielson knows people want to see him and Punk joining forces to battle AEW’s top tag teams. However, he’s also interested in working against the Chicago made cult hero. Danielson and Punk never got a chance to clash on a big stage like WrestleMania. In AEW, that could become a very real possibility.
“Who better to team with than Punk,” Bryan continued. “Although, you know I always thought and said this even when I was in WWE. It felt to me like Punk and I were destined to do a WrestleMania match together and then it never happened. It felt like, man, it’s so perfect and it makes so much sense that we would have this WrestleMania match against each other, but it never happened.”
Who is the Best in the World?
It’s been years since Danielson and Punk shared a ring. Sooner or later, they may have to determine who is the Best in the World once and for all.
“Given the time of how long it’s been since we’ve been in a ring against each other or even as a tag-team, like now I feel like when we do it, it’ll be big and big in a different way,” he added.”
“That’s something I look forward to, I also like the idea of us battling each other over who the real ‘Best in the World’ is, I think that sounds like a lot of fun.”
Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:
Bryan Danielson has had a crazy year. Today, he’s the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship. It’s hard to believe that he was main eventing WrestleMania 37 just a few months ago.
The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and opened up about the tail end of his WWE career.
Bryan tells Justin Dhillon and Danial Ali that WrestleMania was a bizarre experience that he’s still trying to make sense of.
“The WrestleMania moment was just weird, I really honestly didn’t feel like I belonged in that triple threat match with Roman and Edge,” he said. “I thought the story was strong enough on its own for it to be just them.”
Bryan Danielson Felt Like Dying at WrestleMania
Bryan Danielson’s WWE contract was set to expire shortly after WrestleMania. He knew he’d be taking time off from WWE, if not leaving the company entirely.
He wanted to work with someone like Jey Uso at WrestleMania. He would have preferred to put over a younger star in his final big appearance, but WWE management had other plans.
Vince McMahon felt he was best used as the third man in the Reigns vs. Edge main event, so that’s how things played out.
Bryan Danielson recalls feeling empty at WrestleMania. “When I walked out for the match at WrestleMania, it felt so empty,” he said. “Fans were cheering and all that kind of stuff. When I wrestle, I feel everything.
He questioned if that empty feeling was a premonition that he was about to die.
“What I remember most about that match is just feeling empty and thinking ‘Oh man, I legitimately felt like am I gonna die.”
– Bryan Danielson
You can listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations below.
SEScoops is proud to announce we’ve partnered with The Business of the Business podcast.
In addition to our coverage of mainstream wrestling news, we’re always looking to enhance our content by putting a spotlight on niche aspects of this industry we all love.
Hosts Jon Poz and Lavie Margolin have done a terrific job establishing The Business of the Business as one of the leading podcasts about the financial side of pro wrestling.
We think this is a great fit for the site and hope you’ll sample the show, which features a guest appearance from “Webmaster” Mike.
Episode 52 looks at ticket sales figures and other financial news from WWE, AEW, NJPW, ROH, GCW, and much more.
Shayna Baszler is looking to reboot her WWE career.
Baszler had a very successful run in NXT, including two reigns as NXT Women’s Champion. She joined the main roster in February 2020. She spent the next year and a half teaming with Nia Jax on the Raw brand. They won the Women’s Tag titles twice.
A lot has changed over the past couple months. Baszler and Jax broke up. Baszler was drafted to the SmackDown brand and Jax was released by WWE.
The 41-year-old former UFC fighter awaits a new chapter ahead. She’s ready for a restart and discussed what she has left to accomplish in WWE.
“I mean, I’ve been on Raw the whole time I’ve been here,” she tells Sportskeeda. “So, going over to SmackDown, there’s a new locker room and there’s a whole crop of new talent, and on top of like things personally in my career. I’m not in a tag team now. I’ve been in a tag team for a while, so it’s a good way to look at it is that it’s a restart.”
Shayna Baszler’s Goals in WWE
The former Horsewoman admits that she naturally has sights on the SmackDown women’s championship. Aside from that, she’s really looking to re-establish how dangerous she can be for any opponent on the blue brand.
“Obviously, the title is always a goal for anyone that is in this business. But I really just want to, like we talked about, it’s a restart,” said Baszler. “So I just want to reestablish the fact that it’s a dangerous time to be in the ring with me.”
“I hadn’t been on a tag team really before. Now that I’m stepping away from that, so to speak, it’s a good time to remind people what I’m about. And maybe even some people that didn’t see my NXT run to just even introduce them to what I’ve been about.”
She once again mentioned wanting to win the SmackDown women’s title, but that’s not her top priority. More than anything, she’s looking to cement her legacy
“Obviously, the title is at the top of the picture. But really it’s about stamping my mark and letting people know what I’m about.”
Wrestling fans who were in attendance for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite were treated to some post-show shenanigans after the cameras stopped rolling.
Following the Dynamite and Rampage tapings, AEW President Tony Khan and CM Punk came out to the ring. Punk had Britt Baker’s red “leather” jacket with him, which actually fit better than you might expect.
Punk thanked the Chicago crowd for coming out and once again being one of AEW’s most vocal and rowdy fanbases.
They announced that AEW will return to Chicago on Wednesday, February 2nd for another live edition of Dynamite. Tickets for that show go on sale this Saturday.
CM Punk said it’s still surreal to be able to perform in front of the best wrestling fans on earth.
“The only thing I can really say that means the most is from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much,” said Punk. “It’s still surreal and still very, very good to be in front of the best professional wrestling fans in the world.”
Check out this ringside footage of the post-show happenings, courtesy of super-fan Brock Lesnar Guy:
The road to War Games continues tonight on NXT 2.0. It’s sure to be an eventful broadcast, with three of the brand’s top champions in action. However, fans should pay close attention to the North American Championship match.
North American champion Carmelo Hayes will put his gold on the line against Johnny Gargano and Pete Dunne. The finish of this triple threat match could say a lot about Gargano’s future with WWE.
Johnny Wrestling’s WWE contract is set to expire in just a matter of weeks. The expiration date is believed to be December 3rd. He recently removed all NXT references from his Twitter account. This fueled speculation that Gargano will test his value on the free agency market.
In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that WWE has “made a very strong offer” to keep Gargano with the company for “a very long time.”
Tonight’s triple threat match will speak volumes about his standing with the company. If Gargano wins the title, that would be a strong indication he has re-signed.
If Carmelo Hayes retains, or if Pete Dunne walks away as champion, it’s safe to say Gargano’s long-term future with WWE remains questionable at best.
NXT Preview (11/23)
Here’s the full lineup for tonight’s WWE NXT 2.0 on the USA Network:
North American Champion Carmelo Hayes defends against Pete Dunne and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grayson Waller (Non-Title Match)
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade (Non-Title Match)
Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta vs. Kayden Carter and Kacy
The show featured some strong in-ring action, a lot of love for The Rock and the mysterious case of Mr. McMahon’s missing Cleopatra egg. Check out our complete Survivor Series results to catch up on everything you may have missed.
Here are some backstage news items coming out of Survivor Series:
Match Order
Some major changes were made to the match card late Sunday evening. The original plans called for Roman Reigns vs. Big E to open the pay-per-view and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair match to serve as the main event. Those matches were switched, with the women’s match opening and Reigns vs. Big E closing out the night.
This swap also resulted in other matches being shuffled, specifically the men’s and women’s 5-on-5 matches.
Timing
A lot of work goes into the pacing of WWE productions. Pay-per-views might seem like marathon viewing sessions at times, but the company typically has a hard stop-time planned out in advance.
As the night progressed, WWE officials felt things were running long and there was some concern that the main event might have to be cut short. The men’s 5-on-5 elimination match probably got more time than it needed. In the end, Survivor Series went off the air when it was intended to, so it’s possible some time was taken from the Reigns vs. Big E match.
Who produced each match?
The following people were in charge of producing the matches at Survivor Series (via PWInsider):
Joseph Park (Abyss) produced the Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest match.
Tyson Kidd produced the Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair match
Shawn Daivari, Adam Pearce and Shane Helms produced the Men’s Survivor Series match
Shane Helms produced the The Usos vs. RK-Bro match
Tyson Kidd and Pat Buck produced the Women’s Survivor Series match
Michael Hayes produced the Roman Reigns vs. Big E. main event
TV Executives Backstage
In addition to members of WWE’s executive team (including Vince, Stephanie and Nick Khan), there were also several entertainment industry bigwigs on hand for Survivor Series.
Executives from NBCUniversal and FOX were at the show. Additionally, there were some important people from Netflix there as well. The Rock’s Netflix movie ‘Red Notice’ was a top sponsor of the show.
Crowd Fatigue
We spoke with a few people who were in the building for Survivor Series. The general feeling is that the crowd started off hot, but the commercial spots, video packages and long ring introductions negatively affected the overall pacing of the show.
How many fans were in attendance?
During the Survivor Series broadcast, Michael Cole announced there were 15,120 fans in attendance at the Barclays Center.
It’s no secret that WWE exaggerates these figures. According to Wrestletix, the venue was configured to accommodate almost 12,0000 fans. Approximately 11,200 tickets for the event, which is still a great turnout.
Roman Reigns is looking to follow in The Rock’s footsteps and crossover from pro wrestling to the silver screen.
Reigns appeared on the Michael Kay Show this week to promote WWE Survivor Series. When asked about the possibility of an acting career, the Tribal Chief sounds all about it.
“We’ll have to see,” Reigns began. “I think there’s going to be some moves made here pretty soon. There’s always these speculations, these contract talks. All that pushing, that’s my business. People who can dive deep enough, I’m sure they can uncover enough stones to figure out the timeframe, but that’s something I definitely want to dabble in, I want to gain more experience, and I want to use these tools that I’ve learned.”
Reigns says WWE has done right by him, and he appreciates that. He feels the company has given him so many blessings and opportunities over the years.
Roman Reigns has an eye on Hollywood
The 36-year-old Universal Champion knows he can’t wrestle forever. He’s picked up a lot of skills in WWE that he knows will help him in other areas when he decides it’s time to hang up his boots.
Luckily, there’s already a blueprint that awaits him, thanks to people like The Rock and John Cena.
“This is a young man’s game, Reigns continued. “You can’t fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition, where you can connect and create new, fresh, evolved content for your fan base and your supporters. I think I have the ability to do that.”
“At the end of the day, it’s about getting into that game, being thrown into that fire and seeing how you do. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown in the deep end, and if that’s what happens in Hollywood, I’m looking to swim.”
Reigns has already dabbled in acting. He appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Wrong Missy (2020).
You can listen to Roman Reigns’ appearance on the Michael Kay Show podcast in the player embedded below:
Jaxson Ryker was one of 8 WWE Superstars released last week. As of this writing, WWE has released over 80 people this calendar year.
After taking a few days to process his WWE departure, Ryker issued a brief statement on Twitter about his future.
Ryker’s fans can rest assured that they haven’t seen the last of him. The former Forgotten Son says he’s excited for his future.
He plans to wrestle on the independent scene (eventually) and is back to using the ring name Gunner.
He thanked WWE for “5 years of fun” and expressed gratitude for the love and memories he picked up along the way.
Ryker also cited the bible verse Romans 8:28, which reads: “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”
Natalya hit a big milestone on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. The second generation Superstar picked up her 500th career win in WWE.
Natalya teamed up with Shayna Baszler on the show to defeat Naomi and Aliyah. The finish was a bit controversial, due to a fast referee count, but a win is a win.
WWE caught up with the winners backstage after the match. When Baszler mentioned that this was Natalya’s 500th career win, she said the achievement solidifies her as the “greatest of all time.”
You can see footage of the backstage segment here:
Natalya and Baszler will represent Team Smackdown in the 5-on-5 women’s elimination match at Survivor Series. Check out our official Survivor Series Predictions.
Natalya is not the only WWE Superstar making history this weekend. Randy Orton will also etch his name in the history books Sunday night at the pay-per-view.
Welcome to our WWE Survivor Series predictions. The event takes place this Sunday from Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center. It streams live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network, internationally.
SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Ella Jay and Robert Lentini are here to break down each match and give their predictions for who will survive.
Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. United States Champion Damian Priest
Andrew Ravens: A battle of champions that not a lot of people care about aside from Nakamura’s ring entrance thanks to Pat McAfee and Rick Boogs. Priest has been slowly but steadily pushed since his alliance with Bad Bunny earlier this year when he’s on TV. Nakamura can lose and it won’t hurt him. (Prediction: Damian Priest)
Robert Lentini: The United States Championship should be a stepping stone for Damien Priest. The time for WWE to push Nakamura came and went when he won the Royal Rumble in 2018. Damian Priest is 39 and I’d like to think he picks up the win on Sunday and starts moving up the card in short order. (Prediction: Damian Priest)
Ella Jay: Priest will continue his solid run as United States Champion by defeating Nakamura here. Excited to see if Rick Boogs will play any deciding factor in this matchup. (Prediction: Damien Priest)
Consensus: Damien Priest (3-0)
Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
Robert Lentini: Randy Orton and Riddle are the perfect “can they coexist?!” tag team. Riddle has been getting pinned routinely and it is only a matter of time before this team falls apart. The Usos isolate Riddle and win the match. After the bell, Orton will tease an RKO on Riddle but changes his mind. Orton won’t hesitate once RK-Bro drop the tag titles. (Prediction: The Usos)
Ella Jay: This match may mark the beginning of the dissension of RK-Bro, with Riddle possible turning on Orton, but The Usos will begin some momentum for Team Smackdown with this victory. (Prediction: The Usos)
Andrew Ravens: The Usos have been put in an interesting place on the card as Roman Reigns is their leader and the alliance keeps them in the main event scene, but they do drop defeats quite often. If Vince McMahon is going for, putting smiles on the faces of fans, then the babyfaces go over and I can absolutely see that happening here. (Prediction: Randy Orton and Matt Riddle)
Consensus: The Usos (2-1)
Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shayna Bazler, Shotzi Blackheart, Natalya, and TBA) vs. Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Zelina Vega)
Ella Jay: Banks and Shotzi’s animosity may cause a huge elimination for their team, and allow team RAW to capture the victory. Liv Morgan will continue her momentum as one of the sole survivors, alongside Bianca Belair. Asuka perhaps will be the final addition to team Smackdown. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Andrew Ravens: An okay match on paper and for the sake of all fans, let’s hope they lean heavy on the good workers and it turns out to be a pretty decent match. I see SmackDown going over with Belair and Ripley standing as the last two for their team and sweeping the competition. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
Robert Lentini: There are multiple superstars on both brands that could attack their teammates at any moment during this match. I’m sure that will happen but ultimately Bianca Belair will lead Team RAW to victory in impressive fashion. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Consensus: Team Raw (2-1)
Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Theory, and Bobby Lashley) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Xavier Woods, TBA, and Baron Corbin)
Andrew Ravens: Obviously, the outcome of this match doesn’t matter but how they get to the finish is the interesting part. Last year, Team Raw swept the men’s team and on paper aside from Drew McIntyre, WWE’s second biggest male star, SmackDown doesn’t have a lot of credible talent. I see another clean sweep with McIntyre being the last to fall against the odds. (Prediction: Team Raw)
Ella Jay: Expecting a few shocking early eliminations here, perhaps King Woods unleashes fury onto Bobby Lashley and rolls him up early?? Smackdown may fall in numbers then, with Hardy and McIntyre being the final two for the blue brand. Overall, RAW will likely take this victory with Balor and Rollins (or possibly just Rollins himself) as the sole survivor(s). No idea who Smackdown’s last member could be. Kofi Kingston? (Prediction: Team Raw)
Robert Lentini: Team RAW has the much better team on paper. However, Seth Rollins is far more concerned with being #1 contender and a future shot at the WWE Championship. Kevin Owens also has issues with WWE Champion Big E and seems to think everyone against him. Team SmackDown will win as a result of Team RAW imploding towards the end of the match. Drew McIntyre will be the last man standing for Team SmackDown. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
Consensus: Team Raw (2-1)
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair
Ella Jay: My biggest question mark, as I don’t see either talent going over or losing cleanly here. Becky Lynch has been fairly protected since returning to in-ring competition, while Charlotte Flair has also dominated since recapturing singles gold. The bitter rivalry will be on full display between these two competitors, with the action ensuing outside the ring perhaps, resulting in a double count-out possibly. (Prediction: DRAW via Double Countout)
Robert Lentini: This match has created the most buzz with rumors of Lynch & Flair having a falling out in real life. My prediction is that the crowd will be incredibly loud for this one and Charlotte will get the win. Becky Lynch can explain the loss away in a promo on RAW the following night and continue her feud with Liv Morgan. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair)
Andrew Ravens: A match that we have seen before and without the backstage drama that played out last month with no footage, it all comes down to speculation about whether the match will be smooth or not. These are two pros at the top of their games so that’s not a real possibility. Flair should eat the loss here because she will be fine with it in storyline, but when it comes to Flair, we all know the company likes to protect her so I have Flair going over. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair)
Consensus: Charlotte Flair (2-0-1)
WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Andrew Ravens: A main event with not much buzz and clear outcome with Reigns going over. Big E didn’t have a long enough title reign or even built up to where he is now in the last two weeks to be a credible threat to beat “The Big Dog.” I can see some outside interference with The New Day and The Usos to further the program that has been playing out on SmackDown. Either way, Reigns wins. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Robert Lentini: Big E will hold his own against The Tribal Chief but ultimately will fall short. The Usos or Kevin Owens could interfere and help Reigns. Brock Lesnar could show up during or after the match and attack Roman. Either way, Roman Reigns is the biggest star in the professional wrestling business right now and there’s no reason to hand him a loss. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Ella Jay: Much love to Big E, but Roman Reigns has absolutely been unstoppable this year. Even though this is a non-title matchup, Reigns will look to dominate and earn a second win for Team Smackdown here. The Bloodline may end up securing the only wins for the blue brand. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Consensus: Roman Reigns (3-0)
There you have it. We want to know what you think about our Survivor Series predictions, as well as your own. Hit up the comments section and let us know.
Edge undergoes a rigorous self-care routine in order to remain an active in-ring competitor at 48 years old.
The Rated R Superstar and his wife Beth Phoenix appeared on Tuesday’s edition of Busted Open Radio on Sirius XM. The Hall of Fame couple spoke with hosts Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray about a wide variety of topics.
Phoenix discussed NXT 2.0, her new music career, and the heated rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.
Edge talked about the second chapter of his in-ring career. The Rated R Superstar was forced into retirement in 2011 due to a neck injury. He made a surprise return in 2020. He’s learned some important lessons along the way.
“You know, what I think I’ve learned is that the self-care and recuperation just takes longer,” said Edge. “So before, when you can do it every night, that’s not the case anymore.”
“Now, you know, after a match and I’m like, ‘Okay, I feel great. Maybe I could do one more the next day,’ but that’s pretty rare. It’s usually a good two-to-three weeks until I’m like, ‘Okay, all right. I think everything’s knocked out of my system.’”
Edge’s Wellness Routine
Edge explained that he has to undergo an extensive routine of recovery exercises to remain an active competitor. Cryotherapy, ice baths and yoga are just a few things he does to keep his body feeling good.
“The cryotherapy I did, the sauna, I did cold plunges, I stretched, I did yoga, I did massage, all of those things that I never did before. Now they’re a necessity.”
You can listen to Beth Phoenix and Edge’s appearance on Busted Open Radio in the player embedded below:
We are just days away from the opening of the new UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for this Friday, November 19th.
The New York metropolitan area’s newest sports and entertainment venue is a $1.1 billion facility located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park. The venue holds up to 19,000 people for concerts and over 17,000 for NHL hockey games.
Both WWE and AEW will be running shows at the UBS Arena in its first month of operations. WWE Raw will be held there on Monday, November 29th and AEW Dynamite follows on Wednesday, December 8th.
WWE vs. AEW at UBS Arena
New York City has long been a stronghold territory for WWE. AEW recently shifted the balance of power in the area with the remarkable success of Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium. That special edition of Dynamite sold more tickets than any New York wrestling event in decades.
As soon as it became apparent WWE and AEW would be running the same venue within the span of 10 days, fans were interested in seeing how ticket sales compared. It did not take long to realize this was not going to be a close competition.
With just weeks to go, AEW Dynamite has nearly doubled the ticket sales of WWE Raw. Here are the latest ticket sales numbers, courtesy of WrestleTix:
WWE Raw on 11/29 has sold 4,764 tickets out of 7,462 that were put on sale (64%).
AEW Dynamite on 12/8 has sold 8,368 tickets out of 10,449 that were put on sale (80%).
WWE configuring the building for less than 7,500 fans, while AEW is set up to accommodate nearly 10,500 fans, indicates that WWE saw problems from the outset.
Both companies have run various promotions in an effort to boost ticket sales. No matter how you slice it, it’s hard to view this as anything but a win for AEW.
The record-setting success at Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe stadium in September and out-selling WWE Raw at the UBS Arena builds a strong case that AEW is now the top wrestling promotion in this major market.
Below are updated looks at the seating cart for both events. Blue indicates ‘primary market’ tickets still available, while pink indicates re-sale tickets.
WWE Raw at UBS Arena: Seating Chart (as of 11/15/21)
AEW Dynamite at UBS Arena: Seating Chart (as of 11/15/21)
Ric Flair isn’t sold on the idea that CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have done much for AEW thus far.
The Nature Boy has a new podcast launching this week, Ric Flair Wooooo Nation Uncensored. Each week, Flair and former WCW commentator Mark Madden will take a deep dive into his career and current events in the world of pro wrestling.
In a teaser clip to promote the premiere episode, Flair and Madden discuss Punk and Danielson’s impact on AEW business since joining the company in August/September.
Madden acknowledges that Punk and Danielson certainly stars by any definition of the word. However, he asked Flair, what have they contributed to AEW?
“Well, if I’m looking at the ratings, I don’t know what they’ve contributed.”
– Ric Flair on CM Punk and Bryan Danielson’s impact on AEW
It’s a television business
Pro wrestling is business largely driven by television ratings and rights fees. Flair says Punk and Bryan have had successful careers, but so far, they’ve failed to deliver for AEW where it counts.
“Well, if I’m looking at the ratings, I don’t know what they’ve contributed,” said Flair. “Yeah, certainly, as you said, they’re both big stars in the business. Both have had a lot of success, but I don’t know how to answer that question, because all you can do, as we do with football or any other show, is look at the ratings.”
Flair continued, “To me, that show should never do less than 1.1 million. If they get there once, and bring in all this talent, and go back, then there’s something wrong.”
AEW viewership has been sliding in recent weeks. After a nice stretch of time with Dynamite drawing over 1 million viewers in the overnight numbers, the show has been below that level for the past several weeks. The dip coincides with Dynamite being preempted several times in October.
Despite television viewership faltering, Tony Khan has been adamant that CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have made a significant impact on AEW’s business.
During an interview with Robbie Fox for Barstool Sports last month, Khan revealed AEW has seen half a dozen metrics increase since Punk and Danielson’s arrivals.
“I’d say since Punk came in, before Bryan, and now with Bryan, we’ve seen at least six business metrics go up,” said Khan. “We’ve had our all-time record for pay-per-view. Those digital numbers, live event attendance – all-time highs. We were already, before the pandemic, the number one attended wrestling company in the world.”
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan participated in a media call on Thursday afternoon to promote Saturday’s AEW Full Gear pay-per-view.
Here are some highlights from the Q&A. The questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Full Gear has a stacked card with 10 matches. Is this the ideal length for an AEW PPV? (Chris Mueller, Bleacher Report)
TK: They’ve received great reviews for their quarterly pay-per-views. He really likes the format and length they’ve been working with: a 4-hour main card, plus a Buy-In kickoff show featuring a match or two. This has been working really well for them and expects it to continue this way.
Q: Why is now the right time to pull the trigger on Hangman Page? (Jon Alba, AdFreeShows)
TK: They’ve talked about homemade stars – Hangman is the epitome of a homemade star. He had some exposure before AEW, but not on national television. He’s blossomed in AEW from the beginning. The fans have been along for the ride and seen him grow. He was one of the challengers to determine the first AEW World Champion. Today, it’s a different company and Hangman Page is a different person. Page and Omega have something special between them. They had great chemistry as a team and you could tell they’d be great rivals. Khan picked up some character elements from Being the Elite, including Hangman’s drinking. People are ready to see him rise up from the lowest lows and conquer his biggest obstacle yet.
Q: Will we see an AEW pay-per-view from California or the Pacific / Mountain time zones in the near future? (Jonathan Hood – ESPN Chicago)
TK: Double or Nothing will take place from Las Vegas once again next year. There’s a good chance AEW will bring Dynamite and Rampage to the west coast round that time.
Q: Is AEW interested in acquiring the ROH video library, or signing ROH talent that is being released from their contracts? (Sean Ross Sapp, Fightful)
TK: Ring of Honor has a lot of great stuff in their library and some very talented performers that have worked for them this year. “We’ll see what happens on the business side.” He said to stay tuned to AEW. He’s good friends with many people in ROH.
Q: Any plans for AEW to present an All-Women’s event? (Ella Jay, SEScoops)
TK: AEW has made great strides with building their women’s division and featuring women prominently on television and pay-per-views.
When the NWA presented their all women’s pay-per-view, he provided them with a lot of that talent and paid them to wrestle for the NWA. The highest paid wrestlers on that show were sent and paid by him. He doesn’t think the NWA did a great job acknowledging that. He feels like he picked up the tab for everybody at dinner and nobody thanked him.
Q: Could we see Bray Wyatt in AEW? (Nick Hausman, WrestlingInc)
TK: He likes Windham a lot, but has never spoken to him about joining AEW. He thinks Windham is a wonderful person and a great talent.
Q: Will AEW Dynamite have a new look when it moves to TBS in January 2022?(Sebastian Diaz, Over the Top Rope)
TK: The great wrestling that people have come to expect from AEW will remain the same. As for show’s presentation – the staging, the graphics, the music – fans can expect some tweaks. He said, “It will be fun!” and if he hears that fans don’t like the changes, they will go back to the current look.
He said to expect less “time shifting” (preemptions) on TBS and plugged the “Battle of the Belts” special that will air Saturday, January 8th on TNT.
Q: When will the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament take place? (Russ Weakland, Hollywood Life)
TK: Fans can expect some big news shortly after Full Gear. There’s so much going on with the PPV, he doesn’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet regarding the Owen tournament. The Owen will be a big prize in AEW. They have some interesting announcements coming at next week’s Dynamite or Rampage. They have “something fun planned” that everyone will really enjoy.
Q: When Eddie Kingston first joined AEW, could he envision what Kingston’s contributions would be? (Mark Madison, Pro Wrestling Post)
TK: Yes, pretty quickly. He didn’t know Eddie before he answered Cody’s TNT Championship Open Challenge, but they connected immediately. They’re now close friends.
Q: Will AEW continue taping Dark from Universal Studios? (Jim Varsalone, Miami Herald)
TK: Yes, they plan to continue taping from Universal Studios, when they can and when it makes sense. On weeks where they have live Rampage tapings (like this week), they tape Dark before Rampage.
Q: Are there plans to keep Dante Martin & Lio Rush as a tag team? (Bill Prichard, WrestleZone)
TK: It’s a story. Without saying too much about where things are going, he’s enjoying the pairing. He worked closely with them on their Dynamite match this week. He sees a lot in Lio Rush and actively recruited him to come out of retirement.
Q: How is the relationship with NJPW? Could we see AEW talent at Wrestle Kingdom in January? (Samantha Shipman, DailyDDT)
TK: “It’s a great relationship.” It was rocky when AEW first launched, but things have smoothed over. Enjoys working together and they talk on a regular basis. Expect more talent sharing in the months ahead.
Former WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) is gearing up for his feature film debut.
Special makeup effects artist Jason Baker spoke to Alistair McGeorge of Metro.co.uk this week and provided the first details about this project.
“He’s a phenomenal collaborator, he’s become a really good friend, and we’re actually – you’re the first person that we’re publicly telling about. We’re starting a film at the end of the month.”
Baker worked closely with Windham Rotunda on his infamous WWE character, The Fiend. The two were spotted in Los Angeles just a few weeks ago.
The untitled horror film will begin filming later this month in Tennessee.
“It’s a feature film and it’s something really new and different,” said Baker. “I’d say probably the best way to describe it is Ichi the Killer meets Xanadu.”
Windham Rotunda knows a thing or two about horror. Bray Wyatt, The Fiend and the Firefly Funhouse were dark characters that had a lot more backstory to dig into. WWE owns all that intellectual property, so wrestling fans should not expect this horror film to have anything to do with the Bray Wyatt character.
“We’re not using any of that – we’re going in a completely different direction, a whole new thing. It should be fun. Hopefully fans of horror and fans of Windham like it!”
All Elite Wrestling has released the first line of AEW wrestling buddies featuring Cody Rhodes and AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.
The official LJN Wrestling Buddy Plush dolls stand at 18” and feature recorded sounds from the actual wrestlers. They’re powered by two AA batteries, included with purchase.
AEW Wrestling Buddies are now available exclusively at Amazon.com for $24.99.
ROWDY! Features Real AEW wrestling stars’ voices and sound effects!
INTERACTIVE! Buddies know when they’ve been pinned and when they’ve beaten the pin!
BIG! The plush is 18” of Beat ‘Em Up Fun!
AEW fans, pro-wrestling fans, toy collectors, and toy enthusiasts will love the details and game of the new AEW Wrestling Buddies, The Official LJN Wrestling Buddy Plush!
Cody Rhodes
Kenny Omega
AEW Wrestling Buddies
The AEW wrestling buddies were first unveiled at the Double or Nothing fan fest earlier this year.
In addition to Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega, the first line also includes buddies for Darby Allin and Luchasaurus. The Darby Allin and Luchasaurus buddies are not yet available. They are expected to go on sale in mid-December.
Seth Rollins often plays a smarmy, grating heel on television, but former WWE producer Lance Storm says that image couldn’t be farther from the man he knows.
Storm recently took part in a Q&A session for Figure 4 Daily and said Rollins is a total professional who is a pleasure to work with behind the scenes.
“I can’t say enough good things about Seth Rollins.”
“I produced a lot of segments with Seth,” said Storm. “A lot of times with Seth, it was me and Michael Hayes. It was at the time where Seth was a big frickin’ part of the show.”
“You get the Seth Rollins segment, and it’s like, ok, he has two backstage segments, he has an in-ring promo, then he has a promo before his match. The dude has like eight segments. He’s running full tilt all day and very easy to work with.”
Multitasking with a great attitude
Seth Rollins
Things can get chaotic on days when WWE is taping television. Scripts are rewritten and talent is getting pulled in 10 different directions. Everyone is multitasking and Lance Storm says virtually nobody could handle the pressure like Rollins.
“There’s times where he’s doing so much that he’s going out there and still doesn’t know a lot of key elements, and it’s like, ‘I’ll talk to you on the headset, go out there’, and he gets the job done. He was incredibly great to work with.”
In addition to his ability to multitask, Storm also praised Rollins for being agreeable when other wrestlers might not be.
“No matter how much crap you threw at that dude, he could catch it with one hand and keep it juggling while he was doing everything else. Being able to do that, and then also having that vision that if we disagree, it’s not me vs him. We’re both trying to get the product out there on time and good. He was incredibly great and easy to deal with.”
Storm went on and on about Rollins’ ability to manage multiple tasks while maintaining a great attitude.
“So, a guy like that, that can both multitask, be humble enough to take advice when it’s given, and smart enough to also do so much and do it so well, he was again, of all the guys I had to produce there, I can’t say enough good things about Seth Rollins.”
The Cheap Heat wrestling podcast has joined forces with The Ringer, the sports brand founded by Bill Simmons.
Cheap Heat is a weekly podcast focused on all things professional wrestling. The show is hosted by WWE broadcaster Peter Rosenberg and “Stat Guy” Greg Hyde.
With this jump from ESPN to The Ringer, Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg will once again be affiliated with former Cheap Heat co-host David Shoemaker. Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide host the Masked Man Show, another Ringer wrestling podcast.
Legendary pro wrestler Angelo Mosca Sr. passed away on Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 84 years old.
“King Kong” Mosca was a top heel in the World Wrestling Federation during the early 1980’s. He feuded with WWF Champion Bob Backlund as well as Pat Patterson.
His wife Helen posted the following on her Facebook Page over the weekend:
“It is with great sadness that the family of Angelo Mosca announce his passing on November 6, 2021, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s,” she wrote.
“Angelo was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather as well as friend to so many. Angelo was 84 years old. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time. More details will be shared when arrangements have been made.”
Mosca is considered a Canadian sports icon. In addition to his pro wrestling career, he is a Hall of Fame football player. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
