WWE has posted some backstage videos of Superstars reacting to their wins at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.
Charlotte made a surprise return at TLC as Asuka’s tag team partner. They defeated Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler to capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. The women are now discussing possibilities for their team name. “Empress Queen” and “The Royal Team” were suggested. You can see their reactions below.
Sasha Banks reacts after defending her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Carmela.
Drew McIntyre says he feels fortunate about leaving TLC as WWE Champion. He fended off AJ Styles and The Miz in a tables, ladders and chairs match. It was originally scheduled to be a singles match, but The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to make it a 3-way.
Finally, The Hurt Business shows off their new Raw Tag Team Championships. They defeated the New Day.
Posted December 21st, 2020 in News, WWE. Tagged: WWE TLC.
Raw Superstar Charlotte Flair returned to WWE at Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view from the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg, Florida. Charlotte made a surprise appearance as Asuka’s tag team partner against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
Charlotte and Asuka were victorious in the title match. With Charlotte’s return at WWE TLC, she and Asuka are the new Raw Women’s tag team champions.
As a result of this win, Charlotte is now a a Grant Slam Champion in WWE. She has won the Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Championships. She has also won the Women’s tag titles, as well as the Royal Rumble.
WWE posted this photos Charlotte Asuka backstage at TLC after their big win:
The 10-time WWE women’s champion has been out of action for several months. Her last television appearance occurred on the June 22nd episode of Raw. After wrestling against Asuka, Charlotte was attacked by Nia Jax. WWE ran an injury angle to write her off television.
During her time away from WWE, she revealed on social media that she underwent a cosmetic surgical procedure:
“The surgery is cosmetic to fix an issue from a prior surgery,” she said. “I’ll be back when I’m ready. The body will be rested, and the mind still focused on legacy. Focused on this job. Focused on being better. Always being better.”
Charlotte Flair also did some acting during hiatus WWE hiatus. She and Alexa Bliss recently filmed an episode for the ‘Punky Brewster’ reboot that will air on the NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service.
Charlotte Flair at WWE TLC
Earlier this week, Lana suffered an injury of her own at the hands (and feet) of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. As a result, Lana was pulled from the TLC pay-per-view. This left Asuka without a partner in the women’s tag team championship match. Asuka probably could take on the champions by herself, but had Charlotte Flair as a replacement for Lana.
A return at TLC puts her back on the “chess board” as WWE looks ahead to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It remains to be seen if Charlotte will team with Asuka for just one match at TLC, or if they will remain a tag team.
Kenny Omega’s first AEW World Championship defense will take place on Wednesday, December 30th on the final AEW Dynamite of the year. The bout will headline the first New Year’s Smash special event, which spans two consecutive weeks.
Omega battled Joey Janela in a no-disqualification match on this week’s Dynamite. Following Omega’s win, Death Triangle hit the stage. PAC said Omega had unfinished business, since Fenix had to withdraw from the recent World Title Eliminator Tournament due to injury.
Rey Fenix (Photo: AEW)
PAC argued that since Omega never beat Fenix, he can’t legitimately claim the AEW World Championship. Don Callis said that wrestlers don’t get to book their own title matches. PAC said that wasn’t an issue, because AEW President Tony Khan already sanctioned the match for 12/30.
Kenny Omega and Rey Fenix have history. In addition to being the reigning AEW World Champion, Omega also holds the AAA Mega championship. He defeated Fenix for that prize in October 2019.
AEW is closing out 2020 in a big way. The next three weeks of AEW Dynamite will be special holiday-themed shows. Here’s the announced schedule:
December 23rd: AEW presents Holiday Bash. This one airs late-night after the Celtics vs. Bucks NBA game on TNT.
December 30th: New Year’s Smash (Night 1): The main event will see Kenny Omega vs. Rey Fenix for ‘big platinum.’ Le Champion Chris Jericho will be on commentary.
January 6th: New Year’s Smash (Night 2): WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg will be on commentary for the first Dynamite of the new year.
Expect to see AEW load up the January 6th show, which goes head-to-head with the NXT New Year’s Evil special.
Congratulations @TheBrandiRhodes and @CodyRhodes!!! Thank you so much for making the wonderful announcement tonight on #AEWDynamite that you’re expecting a new baby!
This is the second pregnancy announcement on AEW Dynamite in less than a month. Just a few weeks ago, Jon Moxley dropped the bombshell that he has a ‘pregnant wife at home’ during a promo video that aired on AEW’s flagship show.
Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson is teasing an appearance at tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
Anderson is one half of the Good Brothers, the Impact Wrestling world tag team champions. Gallows & Anderson reunited with former Bullet Club partner Kenny Omega last night on Impact’s TV show
Omega, Gallows & Anderson will main event next month’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view against Impact World Champion Rich Swann & the Motor City Machine guns.
Ahead of Wednesday’s live AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, Anderson sent out the following teaser on social media.
The December 15th edition of Impact averaged 177,00 viewers and a 0.04 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The show finished 143rd on cable for the night. This data comes courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com.
This was the second week of Impact to feature an appearance by AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis. The show-closing angle saw Omega align himself with former Bullet Club partners, the Good Brothers. Omega will team with Gallows and Anderson at the upcoming Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
By comparison, last week’s Impact had 221,000 viewers and did a 0.08 rating. Two weeks ago, prior to the start of the AEW-Impact angle, Impact had 166,000 viewers.
The next two weeks of Impact during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weeks will be “best of” shows.
Major League Wrestling returns tonight with a new episode of MLW Fusion.
This week’s show will feature the return of National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone, two debuts, the continuation of MLW’s Opera Cup tournament and more. The following items are announced:
Thank you to everyone supporting #AEWDynamite in 2020! We did our biggest rating of the year last week & we’re back Live tomorrow night with a huge show, #AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela in a No DQ title eliminator, @Sting will be here & a card full of big matches! pic.twitter.com/CyTknCU8bc
NXT returns to the USA Network tonight from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. NXT will feature a #1 contender’s match, a ‘dream match’ between two of WWE’s best female wrestlers and the in-ring return of a former NXT Champion.
#1 Contender’s Match: Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly. The winner faces NXT Champion Finn Balor at NXT’s New Year’s Evil special on Wednesday, January 6th.
Grude Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm
Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) returns to action for the first time since surrendering the NXT Championship due to injury.
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano teams with Austin Theory against Leon Ruff and Kushida.
Below, you can check out WWE’s promo video hyping the show.
Join us here tonight for our NXT Results & Takeaways.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will reunite with Gallows and Anderson at the upcoming Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The reunited Bullet Club partners will face AEW World Champion Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine Guns in a 3-on-3 match.
The match was made at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling. Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine guns brawled with the Good Brothers backstage when Kenny Omega entered the fray and aligned with his longtime friends.
The match is significant on several fronts. Kenny Omega makes his in-ring debut for Impact. It features a realignment of the Bullet Club. Most significantly, we will see world champions from rival companies competing.
Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill takes place Saturday, January 16th, 2021.
AEW President Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone of the What Happened When podcast returned to Impact Wrestling with another paid advertisement this week.
Both Tony’s took shots at Impact and ‘public access’ channel AXS TV. Khan is glad to purchase time during Impact and addressed the Kenny Omega and Don Callis situation. He welcomed both men to Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite on TNT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4f4yE15IA8
Impact Wrestling executives Scott D’Amore and Don Callis reacted to the ad spot. D’Amore and Khan exchanged trash talk. ‘The Invisible Hand’ thanked Khan for generating revenue for Impact.
Ethan Page and Josh Alexander, collectively known as The North, are 2-time Impact Wrestling World Tag Team champions. It’s rumored that Ethan Page is leaving Impact Wrestling when his contract expires at the end of December. Alexander’s deal runs for several more months.
Impact booked Ethan Page to have a “mental breakdown” this past Saturday at Final Resolution. After losing his match to Karl Anderson, Page had a ‘mental breakdown’ and got into an argument with Josh Alexander. The angle fueled speculation that Page is leaving Impact, casting more doubt on the team’s future.
Ethan Page appeared on The Push podcast this week to address the situation. Page says The North was created before they teamed together in Impact Wrestling. They’ve invested in each other, they are best friends in real life and nobody will dictate if they break up.
“If you think for one F’N second that we’re going to let Impact dictate whether we break up, or we don’t, or whatever you’re out of your damn mind,” said Paige.
“I’m telling you guys. Everyone watched Final Resolution, and everyone saw my mental breakdown, whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m telling you guys that no matter which way this goes The North are not splitting.”
He continued, “Wherever I land in 2021, we are not breaking up. That’s my best friend in real life. That’s my best friend on screen. So, that’s not something that I’m willing to toy with to make a couple dollars in the entertainment industry.”
Page reiterated that whatever happens in the years to come, The North is the best tag team int he world. He believes there is still plenty for them to do. It doesn’t matter if they’re known as The North or get rebranded elsewhere. “This is a forever friendship and the friendship is tied to the tag team.”
Charlotte Flair will be a guest on the upcoming second season of Straight Up Steve Austin on the USA Network.
On Straight Up, Stone Cold and his celebrity guests get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. There’s no studio and no cue cards – just ‘good old-fashioned American fun.’
Straight Up Steve Austin: Season Two premieres Monday, January 11th following WWE Raw. Below, you can view the trailer featuring season two guests Charlotte Flair, Brett Favre, Ice-T, Steve-O, Tiffany Haddish and more.
Charlotte Flair is not scheduled to compete at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.
Impact Wrestling returns to tonight on AXS TV. The company looks to capitalize on the success of last week’s show, which saw Impact’s highest viewership in years.
Tonight’s broadcast will see:
Karl Anderson vs. Chris Sabin in singles action. Impact has teased possible involvement between Karl Anderson and Kenny Omega.
X-Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Bey.
Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament: Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs. Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary (Second round match).
Plus, we will see the return of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega with Don Callis. Omega and Callis made an impact last week. The Invisible Hand is teasing that if fans thought last week was shocking, just wait until they see what’s in store tonight.
Raw Superstar Lana has been pulled from Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.
During Monday’s WWE Raw, Lana defeated Nia Jax in singles action. After the match, she was attacked by Shayna Baszler and Jax. Jax hit Lana with several leg drops on the blonde beauty, while Baszler stomped on her arm.
According to WWE storylines, Lana was taken to a “local medical facility.” Doctors ruled that she sustained extensive injuries during the attack and has been deemed unable to compete at WWE TLC.
As a result, Asuka will have to find a new tag team partner against Women’s tag team champions, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
Lana recently posted an a video on social media explaining her need to prove herself by becoming a champion at WWE TLC:
Renee Paquette appeared on the Getting Over podcast this week. The former WWE broadcaster spoke in-depth about her WWE career, Talking Smack, her relationship with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, pregnancy and much more.
Paquette made history in 2018 when she became the first woman to have a full-time job as commentator of WWE Raw. She joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves to form a 3-person team. Unfortunately, the gig did not last long. By October of the following year, she was moved to SmackDown as a “special contributor.”
When asked about her historic achievement, Paquette said she had a good rapport with Cole and Graves. She cites a “lack of trust” as one of the reasons things did not work out.
“It’s not for a lack of rapport with them, obviously, but once we got into that environment, it felt very elbows up,” she said. “I had to fight for my time on air there. I think that was a lack of trust from other people.”
She added that Cole and Graves did not need a third wheel. Many times, they covered most of what there was to be said before she could provide input.
“The other thing I felt was really difficult for me was being the third person on a broadcast. I’m used to being the first person on a broadcast. Even to be second is one thing. Once it got to the third and Cole and Graves – they never needed a third person. They just fill that time, so when I would jump in there, it’s like, ‘Fuck, they already said all the things.’”
Renee Paquette said there are so many talented people in WWE, but their rigid structure prohibits the performers from showing what they can really do.
Vince McMahon is known for tearing up scripts at television tapings hours before shows are set to go live on the air. Renee said she actually liked when things got changed at the last minute, because it broke up the robotic nature of over-scripting.
“Sometimes, a written script is fucking great,” she said. “Sometimes, something that’s not written is fucking great.”
You can listen to Renee Paquette on the Getting Over podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.
Priscilla Kelly is the latest guest on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me podcast. They spoke about the effort for women’s wrestling to be treated equally to men’s.
Kelly worked for AEW briefly this year, but was not signed to a long-term deal. She revealed to Vickie Guerrero that AEW discussed bringing her in as the wife of reigning TNT Champion Darby Allin. They were in fact married at the time, but divorced over the summer.
“The thought was thrown around for me to be put with Darby in AEW,” Kelly began. “Maybe like, ‘You come in, and you’ll be the wife and then like you get kicked in the face, and he then gets mad or something.’ There was a lot of ideas thrown around.”
She explained that being portrayed as “Darby Allin’s wife” would define her down and strip away her individuality. She explained to people in AEW that she could come in, do a “wife spot” and that could eventually lead to her wrestling matches. However, she had a problem with that.
“If I come in and I’m introduced as Darby’s wife, I’m forever by the fans gonna be known as just as his wife. And then from there on out, everything I do in the ring or on a promo is gonna be heavily, heavily compared to him.”
She did not want to be become “the Robin to Darby Allin’s Batman” and thus decided against the opportunity.
Priscilla Kelly is currently wrestling for Major League Wrestling (MLW), but is working on a per-appearance basis and considers herself a “free agent.”
Kenny Omega defeated Laredo Kid at Saturday night’s TripleMania XXVIII event to retain the AAA Mega Championship.
Omega briefly spoke to the media backstage after the show. When asked who will be the next victim of The Cleaner, he named Vikingo. Omega said Vikingo is very good, he’s earned his respect, but is he good enough to be a champion? Maybe he’d like to find out. He teased, “I’ll be waiting.”
You can watch Kenny Omega’s challenge to Vikingo below:
In addition to holding AAA’s Mega Championship, Kenny Omega is also the reigning AEW World Champion. He’s been at the forefront of AEW’s new working relationship with Impact Wrestling.
Omega will appear on Tuesday’s Impact along with Don Callis. It looks like Omega is being positioned as a “belt collector” of sorts, so it’s probably only a matter of time before he crosses paths with Impact World Champion Rich Swan.
MJF has been one of AEW’s breakout performers since the promotion’s launch last year. The 24-year-old prodigy from Long Island, NY holds his own in the ring, but it’s his work on the microphone that has pundits comparing him to some of the best talkers in wrestling history.
MJF recently appeared on MMA Fighting’s What the Heck podcast. He displayed his trademark confidence when asked about comparisons to two of the UFC’s best trash talkers, Conor McGregor and Colby Covington.
“I think it’s cute in comparison to me,” he began. “It’s laughable, but I think they’re great in the world of MMA. If either of those two guys came into the world of AEW, they would be in a lot of trouble. They’d get absolutely verbally bent over, if you know what I mean.”
MJF acknowledged that McGregor and Covington are entertaining, but things would get ugly if they ever tested him on the mic.
“For what they do, I really enjoy what Conor McGregor did in the UFC. Colby Covington is somebody who understands how to get a reaction out of a crowd, whether positive or negative. And yeah, I enjoy what both of them did. But could they spar with me? No, absolutely not. That would not be good. I don’t think that would be good for anybody, honestly. It would be uncomfortable.”
What Got MJF Into Wrestling?
MJF revealed the match that got him ‘instantly hooked’ on pro wrestling was The Undertaker and Mankind’s Hell in a Cell match from WWE King of the Ring (1998).
Years later, he attended WWE Survivor Series 2002 from Madison Square Garden. When he saw Shawn Michaels win the first-ever Elimination Chamber match, he knew he wanted to be a pro wrestler.
“I remember Shawn Michaels won the match, and he was a bloody mess with his weird haircut. He hit the pose, and I just looked to my left and looked to my right and everybody was standing and screaming and yelling and crying. I just remember tugging my dad on the arm and saying, ‘Yeah I can do that.’ So, that’s where we’re at now, and I was right.”
MJF also spoke in-depth about AEW, why he believes we are currently in a “golden era” of wrestling and his love of being a heel.
“I love, love, love making people lay down in bed at night, put their head on their pillow, and go, ‘God, I hate that guy. I better tune in next week.’ And that’s that… You’re not being held back in AEW. Nobody is handing me a script in AEW because they know if they did, I’d chew it up and spit it in their face. That’s what All Elite Wrestling is – we’re all going out there and doing our thing, and we’re doing what we think the sport of professional wrestling is supposed to be.”
Deonna Purrazzo retained the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship at Saturday night’s Final Resolution event. Earlier this week, she spoke with Wrestling Epicenter about the current storyline with Don Callis & Kenny Omega, her plans for 2021 and much more.
Impact Wrestling viewership spiked this week on AXS TV, thanks in part to the involvement of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. Purrazzo said Tuesday’s show was “definitely eye-opening” and thinks the entire wrestling industry is shifting. She thinks that AEW working with Impact Wrestling presents some exciting opportunities for the months ahead.
“I think it is amazing when people are able to put aside their differences, whatever they are, to work towards a common goal,” she began. “I don’t know what this is leading to. I don’t know what Kenny Omega and Don Callis have planned as far as cross-promotion or whatever it is. But, I’m real excited to see what is going to happen in the near future.”
Many fans believe that Impact Wrestling has one of the strongest women’s divisions anywhere. Naturally, as the champion of that division, Deonna Purrazzo agrees.
“Head to toe, there is not one woman on the roster that I do not want to be in the ring with,” she said. “There is not one person who I don’t think brings something different to the table. I speak about it all the time. I can’t tell you how incredible I think our women’s division, the Knockouts division, is.”
She also commented on the downsides of social media, including trolls who body shame female wrestlers. “There was one person who tweeted to me that I needed to lose 30 pounds and do some squats,” she revealed.
“That struck me because I was a little girl that grew up wanting to be a wrestler in a time where women’s wrestlers were size 0 models and they weren’t real women who came in a variety of sizes and shapes. For me, 30 pounds is a lot of weight! I’m not unrealistic with myself. I’ve been through the ringer with anxiety and depression and reclaiming my emotional health and my mental health this year. All of those things contribute to what your physical health looks like.”
Impact Wrestling held Final Resolution 2020 Saturday night on Impact Plus. Here are the quick results:It features three championship matches.
Tommy Dreamer defeated Larry D in an “Old School Results” match. Per the stipulation, Larry D must go to jail for the attempted murder of John E. Bravo.
Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb defeated Alisha & Eddie Edwards.
Hernandez defeated Fallah Bahh. Kiera Hogan was the guest referee and Tasha Steelz served as guest ring announcer.
Eric Young (w/ Joe Doering) defeated Rhino. After the match, The Deaners confronted Young. Cody Deaner turns on his partner and family Cousin Jake.
Manik defeated Rohit Rajuto capture the X Division Championship.
Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo w/ Kimber Lee retained against Rosemary w/ Taya Valkyrie.
Kenny Omega & Don Callis invited Karl Anderson on to their luxury bus. Omega and Callis said Anderson should be able to defeat Ethan Page very quickly. They encouraged him to bring out his inner “Machine Gun.”
Karl Anderson defeated Ethan Page w/ Josh Alexander. As a result, The North will not get another title shot against the Good Brothers. After the match, it appeared that Page and Alexander broke up.
Rich Swann defeated Chris Bey to retain the Impact Wrestling World Championship. After the match, Moose handed the Impact title to Swann and the two had a stare down.
Impact posted a bunch of videos from the pay-per-view to the Impact YouTube channel. You can see some highlights below:
The Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix) defeated Myzteziz Jr. & Octagon Jr. and Rey Escorpion & El Texano Jr. to retain the AAA World Tag Team championships.
Lady Shani won the Copa Triplemania
Monster Clown, Psycho Clown, & Murder Clown defeated LA Park, Hijo de LA Park, & Blue Demon Jr.
Terror Púrpura & Venenoide defeated Aracno & Leyenda Americana (Marvel Luche Libre)
Kenny Omega defeated Laredo Kid to retain the AAA Mega Title
Pagano defeated Chessman in a Hair vs. Hair Match
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recaps the top two matches:
Actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister, better known to wrestling fans as Zeus, has passed away. He was 62. According to TMZ, his cause of death is unknown at this time.
Zeus had roles in many television shows and movies throughout his decades long career. His movie credits include Friday, The Fifth Element, Jackie Brown, Little Nicky of course, and the 1989 movie starring Hulk Hogan, No Holds Barred.
Zeus had a run with WWE in 1989 that saw him work as a monster heel aligned with Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase against Hulk Hogan. He competed at SummerSlam and Survivor Series that year. He had a short stint in WCW in 1996, where he also worked against Hogan.
SEScoops extends our condolences to the family and friends of Tommy “Tiny” Lister.
Impact Wrestling has announced a staggering audience for this week’s episode of IMPACT! on AXS TV. According to a press release sent in to SEScoops.com:
“More than 750,000 fans tuned in to AXS TV on December 8 or have logged on to official streams to witness the historic, industry-shaking episode.”
Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore credits the crossover storyline with All Elite Wrestling. “The intrigue of what Kenny Omega and Don Callis were going to do on IMPACT! on AXS TV powered a huge night for us,” he said.
According to Nielsen, 244,342 people tuned into the live broadcast and the replay later in the evening. The Twitch peaked at 55,396 viewers and averaged 42,953 viewers for the two-hour show. Encore presentations on Facebook and YouTube added 68,918 and 268,414 viewers respectively to the television audience.
A clip of Josh Matthews interviewing Kenny Omega and Don Callis has racked up more than 197,242 views on Facebook, 342,000 views on YouTube, 146,000 views on Instagram and 219,000 views on Twitter.
D’Amore explained the math behind Impact calculating more than 750,000 people tuned in to this week’s show. “It is hard to compare apples and oranges, and some digital media provide better watch-data than others, but we feel confident over 750,000 U.S.-based fans watched the episode in the first 24-hours and 1-million fans have clicked on the various highlights we’ve put out on social media.”
When asked if Kenny Omega will be back on Impact next week, D’Amore said, “Don Callis alluded to this being years in the making; paradigm’s don’t shift in one night. See you on Tuesday.”
You can watch the full episode of this week’s IMPACT! on AXS TV here:
