Storm hasn’t been featured consistently in WWE since joining the main roster. Before joining the main roster, WWE promoted Storm as a newcomer to the Smackdown brand. She made her Smackdown debut on July 23rd when she defeated Zelina Vega. However, WWE didn’t feature Storm afterward except for occasional backstage segments.
She returned to competition in a loss to Vega in the first round of the Queen’s Crown Tournament on October 8th. WWE hasn’t used Storm on Smackdown since her loss to Vega. Despite winning her match on November 11th, Deville decided to take Aliyah off of Team Smackdown. It’s unclear if Deville or WWE will explain why Storm is replacing Aliyah on the team.
Survivor Series Updated Card
The WWE has confirmed six matches for Survivor Series. The main event of the Survivor Series seems to be WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a non-title match. The WWE could also have Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Smackdown’s Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair as the main event. Both Lynch and Flair have generated attention towards their match due to their issues.
WWE hasn’t confirmed if they plan to add more matches. For Storm, Survivor Series will be an opportunity to show that WWE could utilize her more on the main roster.
WWE superstar Jeff Hardy has shared that he owns his theme song “No More Words.”
Hardy appeared on BT Sport’s The Run-in to detail his deal with WWE. Hardy re-signed with the company last year. He revealed that the contract length is two years, and WWE gave Hardy ownership of his current theme song.
“…When I re-signed, I was like okay, I’ll sign for two more years as long as I can get my own theme back from 08 or 09, called No More Words,” said Hardy. He shared that he learned that WWE owned the song in negotiations.
He brought the song back at Monday Night Raw on July 19th, when he wrestled Karrion Kross. During the interview, Hardy shared bringing the theme back and the reaction. “…The first night in front of a live audience, I got it back,” said Hardy. He continued, “…It was so powerful, man, and I think they realize okay yeah that was a good decision.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QABqJc1a5w
Jeff Hardy Contract Length
Hardy has one more year left on his contract. By the time his deal is over with WWE, he will be 45 years old. It is unclear if Hardy is interested in re-signing with the company when his contract is up. Matt Hardy has expressed interest in wanting to see his brother in All Elite Wrestling.
Some WWE fans have criticized the company use of Hardy. In September, WWE used Hardy in a segment with the 24/7 championship. Last year, he also suggested to BT Sports that he’d love to have a character change by being his alter ego Willow. It’s unclear if he has pitched the idea to WWE.
“Years ago, I would be Jeff Hardy, and then I’d be this guy Willow and Willow is my go-to wrestling persona. So, man, and that’s another dream of mine that I would like to do before I’m done, to bring Willow into the WWE Universe and see what happens,” Hardy said.
Hardy is a member of Team Smackdown for the elimination tag team match at Survivor Series on November 21st. While fans may be unhappy with WWE’s use of Hardy, re-signing with the company gave him his theme back. For now, it seems Hardy is happy with the decision.
All Elite Wrestling Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros successfully defended their championship against FTR at Full Gear. However, the match didn’t go as planned, according to Fightful Select.
AEW President Tony Khan shared after Full Gear that Dax Harwood received an injury. Fightful Select reports that Ray Fenix hurt Harwood ten minutes into the title match. The report also shares that AEW planned for Harwood to factor into the storyline that he was the legal man at the end of the match
“Fightful Select was told by AEW sources that Dax Harwood was either knocked out or nearly knocked out about ten minutes into the match by Rey Fenix and was sidelined for a good portion of the remainder of the match,” said the report.
It is unclear what move caused the injury to Harwood. The report also shares that Fenix is known to work stiff and didn’t check up on Harwood after the match. Khan also didn’t share an update on Hardwood after the event.
“Rey Fenix has been known to work stiff in the past, and some talent on the roster took issue with him not checking up on Harwood after the match, said the report. It continues, “We’re told this wasn’t considered major heat, but the talent we spoke to said it was common courtesy to check-in.”
The injury to Harwood is unfortunate for FTR, as they have a history of dealing with injuries. On July 30th, Wheeler suffered an arm injury in a tag team match against Santana and Ortiz. The injury kept FTR from competing in AEW until they made their return on September 1st.
AEW didn’t advertise the team for this Wednesday episode of AEW Dynamite. AAA is promoting a AAA World Tag Team Championship match between the current champions FTR and the Lucha Bros. for December 4th. However, it is unclear if the team will have to take time off from wrestling.
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega could be looking at some time away from the ring, depending on his results from his upcoming medical evaluation.
Omega will get checked out by AEW doctors on Wednesday, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer. The report states that Omega has been dealing with nagging injuries for several months. Despite his ailments, Omega has been competing at the highest levels of in-ring competition.
Josh Nason of the Wrestling Observer recapped Meltzer’s report and contributed the following quotes.
“Meltzer said Omega has been dealing with various injuries for several months but was determined to see the Hangman Page storyline come to completion, which it did this past Saturday at Full Gear as he lost the title to Page,” said Nason.
The results will determine if he would take time off from wrestling. “Omega was going to take some time off at some point but chose not to as he wanted to continue the storyline.”
Meltzer reported in June that Omega was suffering from injuries. However, he continued to work through his issues.
“Omega is hurting pretty badly between slicing up his hand and needing seven stitches when he delivered the fourth belt shot on Pac in the three-way, said Meltzer. He continued to detail Omega’s injuries, “… a deep bone bruise near his tailbone, the normal wear and tear on his knees and an athletic hernia.”
It’s unclear if Omega has suffered other injuries since June. He contemplated taking time off from wrestling before, but his medical evaluation may force him out of action.
WWE Champion Big E is not happy with WWE separating the New Day. However, he is trying to make the best of the situation and is wishing for their success.
TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy interviewed Big E and asked him about WWE splitting up the New Day. The group separated for the second time, with Big E going to Monday Night Raw, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods going to Friday Night Smackdown. The champion shared that he wished WWE had kept the group together.
McCarthy transcribed the following quotes.
“It’s always disappointing. I will say, I think the last year of being on SmackDown while they were on RAW did help me grow as a wrestler and a performer,” said Big E. He continued, “There are some benefits, but really I’m just trying to find the silver lining of it all – it still sucks.”
He also shared that while he’s disappointed, he wants Woods and Kingston to have opportunities. “But at the same time, I want to make sure I’m not standing in the way of those guys growing or putting us in a situation where they’re just running out there for my matches and being my cheerleaders, I don’t think that would be best for them. So we’re all trying to make the best of it,” said Big E.
WWE Motivation Behind New Day Split
The WWE has slowly pushed Big E to become a successful singles wrestler over the last year. However, this came at the expense of separating the New Day. In the 2020 WWE Draft, the company moved Big E to Smackdown, and the other group members went to Raw. Big E had success on the Smackdown brand, winning the Intercontinental Championship and Money in the Bank.
He became the WWE Champion when he defeated Bobby Lashley at Raw on September 13th. The win also helped reunite the New Day on Raw. However, this year WWE Draft separated the group once again. In the interview, Big E confirmed that he knew ahead of time they were splitting the group again.
“We got some heads up, so we knew it was coming, and I wasn’t shocked,” said Big E. He continued, “I was hoping, though, that we’d be on the same brand, and they could have done their own thing, and I could have done mine.”
While the group isn’t together, they haven’t broken up or had internal disputes. The WWE could bring the New Day back together. However, it seems the company wants Big E to stand alone as a singles superstar.
WWE superstar Bobby Lashley gave his perspective on being WWE Champion and dropping the title to Big E.
TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy interviewed Lashley and asked him if he was proud of his time as the WWE Champion. He held the championship for six months. Lashley expressed gratitude for the opportunity and praised his former opponents.
Mccarthy transcribed the following quotes.
“Yes, I think it was one [a reign to be proud of]. Especially who I got to defend it against and who I won it off. Man, Miz is great,” said Lashley. He continued, “Defending at ‘Mania against Drew. Everyone was like ‘how is it going to go, what are they going to do?’ And then me and Drew tore down the house. I think it’s just given me the legitimacy that I’ve wanted.”
Bobby Lashley Reign as WWE Champion
Lashley defeated The Miz in a LumberJack match for the WWE Championship at Monday Night Raw on March 1st. After his win, WWE had Lashley defend his title against Drew McIntyre at Wrestlemania 37 on April 10th. Most WWE fans were surprised by Lashley successfully retaining his title at the event. However, WWE wanted to push him as a dominant champion. His reign as champion ended when Big E defeated him at Raw on September 13th.
When asked about his feeling about losing the title to Big E, Lashley seems happy about it. He shared that it was great to drop the championship to Big E and that he wanted to help other WWE talent succeed.
“It felt great to drop it to Big E. There’s a few guys who just need a push, and during my time as champion, I was trying to help out a lot of guys,” said Lashley. He explained, “Like Riddle and [Xavier] Woods, look what they’ve done afterwards. It helped elevate them, and that’s what I tried to do.” He also shared his time when he first came to WWE and the people that helped him.
“When I came back, I wanted the title, but I wanted to be that guy. When I started out, I had Booker T, Big Show, JBL, Undertaker, Finlay, and all these guys that wanted to work with me and help me, said Lashley. He continued, “It’s all about respect, and that’s what I want to do with a lot of these young guys coming up. We have some superstars coming up, some of the guys in NXT too, that have got it.”
Lashley attempted to regain the WWE Championship at Raw on September 27th but was unsuccessful. It seems WWE is keeping him out of the title picture for now. He took some time off WWE TV after his loss to Goldberg at Crown Jewel on October 21st. However, he made his return at Raw on Monday by defeating Dominick Mysterio. As a result, he took Mysterio’s place as a member of Team Raw in the elimination tag team match at Survivor Series on November 21st.
Lynch didn’t confirm that an incident took place. However, she did acknowledge that they were not on good terms.
“I don’t know, man, we don’t talk anymore. We don’t talk,” said Lynch. All I’ll say is, the locker room needs a hero sometimes, and sometimes somebody has to be that hero. I’m all right being that hero. That’s all I’ll say on that matter.”
On this week's SI MEDIA PODCAST, I asked WWE superstar Becky Lynch about a recent backstage incident with Charlotte Flair and their real-life heat. Lynch did not pull any punches. https://t.co/A6BAlsrEmOpic.twitter.com/zo8zFwyWLT
Becky Lynch Unable to Trust Charlotte Flair Currently
She tried to avoid commenting more on her relationship with Flair. However, Traina asked her how she deals with working with someone with whom she has a problematic relationship within the ring. She wrestles Flair at Survivor Series on November 21st at the Barcley Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Lynch discussed how wrestlers have to trust each other in the ring and work together to entertain their audience.
“…When you have two people that are wanting to work together to make magic, then you make magic, said Lynch. She continued, “Sometimes when there is hostility when you can’t trust the person, then you never know what’s going to happen. And you always have to be on guard. It’s like a game of chess.”
Traina asked if she currently trusts Flair and if they were friends. Lynch responded by saying that she doesn’t trust her.
At one point, they were best friends. It’s unclear why or when their relationship became problematic. Flair hasn’t responded to reports of their relationship status.
Both wrestlers will have to work together through their problems in less than two weeks.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa revealed that professional wrestling legend Rick Steiner was going to appear at Halloween Havoc on October 26th. Steiner is the father of Bron Breaker, whose real name is Bronson Rechsteiner.
TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy interviewed Ciampa about his current status in NXT 2.0. McCarthy asked about working with Bron Breaker. Ciampa replied to McCarthy that his father wanted to appear at the event. However, Steiner pulled out of the event at the last minute. He successfully defended the NXT Championship against Bron Breaker at Halloween Havoc.
McCarthy transcribed the following quote.
“So, he was meant to be at Halloween Havoc,” Ciampa started. “He pulled out last minute. Maybe because I retained, but I won’t say that’s why [laughs]. I would love to be friends with him.” However, Steiner hasn’t confirmed that he was going to be at Halloween Havoc.
Tommaso Ciampa Second Reign as NXT Champion
Ciampa became the two-time NXT Champion when he won the fatal four-way championship match on September 14th. NXT 2.0 immediately put him in a feud with Breaker afterward. While he lost at Halloween Havoc, Breaker teased in last week’s NXT 2.0 episode that the rivalry wasn’t over.
New Contenders for the NXT Champion
NXT 2.0 has introduced new contenders to go against Ciampa. Along with Breaker, Carmelo Hayes also teased a feud with the NXT Champion. Longtime rival Johnny Gargano on the same episode also indicated a match with Ciampa may be near. However, Ciampa already has his eyes on another new potential contender. In the interview, McCarthy asked Ciampa what new NXT talent he wanted to work with next. Ciampa responded by saying Solo Sikoa.
“If I could pick anybody, it would be the third Uso, Solo Sikoa. I like his catchphrase, Street King of the Island. That vignette said star to me, said Ciampa. He continued, “When I watch him come out and the way he carries himself, he looks like a star. I think if I can work with him, I can pull a greatness out of him that would turn a lot of heads. It would be amazing.”
It’s unclear whom Ciampa will defend his championship against next. Although it seems he is ready to take on all challengers.
WWE superstar Drew McIntyre believes that Roman Reigns is the best wrestler in professional wrestling today. While he wants to challenge Reigns, McIntyre also feels that now isn’t the time.
In an interview with Sky Sports’ Anton Toloui, McIntyre discussed the possibility of working with Reigns soon. McIntyre feels WWE fans want to see him and Reigns in a feud. He also thinks Reigns is the number one wrestler in the industry.
“He’s on fire. There’s nobody close to him in the entire wrestling industry, said McIntyre. He continued “…That’s why everyone keeps saying to me It’s Drew and Roman that’s obviously what’s going to happen. I’m sure it’s inevitably going to happen, but I don’t want it to happen right now.” He explained that he wants to continue to win matches and build up to an eventual feud with Reigns.
Drew McIntrye Move to Smackdown
McIntyre made his return to Smackdown after the WWE Draft on October 1st. He made his WWE debut on Smackdown in 2007. However, his first stint was unsuccessful, which resulted in WWE releasing McIntyre in 2014. Since his return to WWE in 2017, he has only competed on NXT and Raw.
DAZN’s Steven Muehlhausen interviewed McIntyre before the draft and asked if he believes his return to Smackdown brings his career full circle. McIntyre agreed and said, “I really do think that’d be the case. I’m very proud of everything I was able to do on Raw especially being champion at the height of the pandemic and leading the charge but at the same time working hard for everyone else to make sure everybody was entertained during those difficult times and be a leader, said McIntyre. He continued, “But if I did end up on Smackdown for me personally, there is unfinished business, so that could be very interesting.”
He is not involved with a feud right now. However, McIntyre will represent smackdown in the elimination tag team match at Survivor Series 2021. While it seems WWE fans will wait to see McIntyre in a feud with Reigns, he feels the wait will be worth it.
WWE Smackdown Announcer Michael Cole revealed today that he has 65 percent hearing loss.
He appeared on The Pat McAfee Show with Pat McAfee to discuss sports. After a commercial break, McAfee joked with Cole about being deaf, and Cole acknowledged that he had lost partial hearing. He and McAfee also briefly discussed if his hearing loss resulted from his career in WWE or years as a news reporter before WWE.
“…I’m actually like 65 percent hearing loss, said Cole. He continued, “But that’s why they make these special in-ear pieces that go under my headsets on air, so I can actually hear.”
Michael Cole on The Pat McAfee Show
His appearance on The Pat McAfee Show gave a different look at Cole that Wrestling fans don’t see in WWE. Dressed in a Sweatsuit and flip-flops, he discussed his love for New York sports teams, particularly the New York Jets. He also spoke candidly about his career in the WWE and how he presently deals with the workload.
He discussed the challenge of covering Monday Night Raw, Smackdown, Pay-Per-Views, and NXT. Last year, WWE also promoted Cole to Vice President of Announcing. While he completed his tasks, Cole admitted that it was overwhelming for him. Now Cole focuses on Smackdown and PPV’s while also helping other announcers at their job. However, he shared that he has trouble keeping track of what’s going on in the WWE.
“…I don’t remember last Friday night. Until tomorrow when I can actually sit down and review what happened on the show last week,” said Cole. He explained that he has so much happening during the week, he’ll review last week’s Smackdown hours before a new episode.
Next June, it will be Cole’s 25th year as a WWE Announcer. He shared that his goal is to make it to 25 years with the company regarding his future. He also wants to help other announcers grow in their roles.
“June will be 25 years on the air here. I want to make 25 years because I don’t think there is anybody at least in our line of work that’s been on the air for 52 weeks a year for 25 straight years,” said Cole.
It’s unclear what Cole will do after next year’s anniversary. For now, He wants to be the best announcer he can be, even with his hearing loss.
The Public Enemies Podcast is adding a different style in covering professional wrestling than other podcasts. Unlike some of their peers, the podcast brings more awareness to black professional wrestlers that other podcasters may have overlooked.
In 2018, Jorodd “Gram” Philips had an idea to create a wrestling podcast that was different from others. His goal was to cover professional wrestling in a fun way by providing honest critique and casual dialogue. Philips also wanted to bring more awareness to black professional wrestlers. Joined by CJ “Jizzle” Beal, Philips created the Public Enemies Podcast. In an interview with Public Enemies Podcast, Philips discussed how the podcast got started.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQqT2qPLcv/
“…I wanted to do it in a way where it was just like Barbershop talk. Just a couple of friends talking back and forth just we would do at a SuperBowl party, or forth of July barbeque or whatever the situation may be, said Philips. He continued, “I wanted to be where it’s kind of lax. The kind of situation where we can make it fun again, but also make it fun for us.”
Philips also shared his surprise at how many wrestling podcasts when he started the Public Enemies Podcast. However, he knew that he wanted his podcast to be unique from other content creators.
After three years of finding their voice, the podcast has found its stride. The Public Enemies Podcast added Benjamin Haden to the group in 2020, who helped grow their social media platforms. Today, the podcast is growing its popularity and is gaining success.
What makes Public Enemies Unique
An episode of the Public Enemies Podcast is different from other content creators. One way that makes the group unique is that they give their own honest opinion, especially regarding mistreated black athletes. For example, the podcast commented on the first anniversary of Kenny Omega’s quick win over Sonny Kiss. While Omega went on to find success afterward, the podcast questioned what did it do for Kiss.
Remember a year when Kenny Omega beat Sonny Kiss in 30 seconds and everyone said “Wait to see how it plays out. It’s gonna go somewhere”?? Yeah, where did that lead to exactly? pic.twitter.com/k33hRIkRBi
Haden spoke about the lack of awareness for how All Elite Wrestling treated Kiss after losing to Omega. He shared that he gets frustrated when fans claim it’s long-term storytelling when a black wrestler or minority takes a loss. While some pro wrestling content creators moved on, the Public Enemies Podcast wants to highlight issues like Kiss’s career in AEW.
“Last year, I was talking on about on my personal page, and everybody was in the replies and tweets like you just have to wait. This is what I hate about wrestling fans. You’re never patient. You’re all so shortsighted. I promise you it’s going to go somewhere, and so I thought about that yesterday. I was like; it’s been a whole year, said Haden. He continued, “And like nothing has happened, and I feel like I don’t like it when we are put on the back burner. And just like told you to have to wait your time, because like, we don’t want to wait anymore.”
While the podcast has fun covering pro wrestling, they are also not afraid to discuss issues that wrestling fans may not like. However, the Public Enemies Podcast strongly believes in spreading awareness of the matters and are not afraid to say what they feel to pro wrestling fans.
Future Plans for the Podcast
The Public Enemies Podcast is not resting on its laurels. The podcast has more followers than ever and is getting more recognition from other media outlets and wrestlers. However, Philips still sees more room for the podcast to grow. He wants to do more than recap wrestling events and has teased that the group will do more interviews soon.
“We are working right now on bringing back our interview series behind enemy lines,” said Philips. He explained further, “We started that earlier this year. We only did like two interviews, but we have like so many things confirmed in the can as far as the list of people we want to talk to.”
Philips also shared that the Public Enemies Podcast is considering doing extra content for Patreon. However, it’s unclear what the additional content will be. Regardless the podcast looks to continue to their success and be different from their peers.
After months of silence, former WWE Commentator Adnan Virk shared his experience working for WWE. The company released Virk on May 25th.
Virk appeared on the Couch Potato Diary with Peter Klein to discuss his career with WWE. He shared that he was a Professional Wrestling fan as a kid but stopped watching when he got older. He was excited about working for WWE. However, catching up to the current product was too challenging to overcome.
“…I think the biggest challenge for me was that it’s hard to be really well versed in the sport when you’re trying to catch a freight train that’s already going 100mph,” said Virk.
Adnan Virk Career in WWE
The WWE signed Virk on April 12th. In Virk’s 45 day career in WWE, he received criticism from fans and wrestling personalities for his work. Although it did come as a surprise that WWE released Virk 45 days after signing him. AEW Commentator Jim Ross shared on the Dan Le Betard Show that WWE misused and got rid of Virk too quickly.
“Adnan got put on TV in a very unique product before he was ready, from a product knowledge standpoint,” said Ross. “Wrestling fans today, with social media and all the information flow, they have a great sense of what they like and what might be wrong. He’s a solid broadcaster, and they rushed to judgment too quick.”
Thanks to @WWE for a wonderful opportunity. The weekly travel along with my other jobs was a grind for me and my family. Am grateful to everyone with the company especially @WWEGraves and @ByronSaxton for being such fantastic teammates. https://t.co/lrP0fCAMXz
However, Virk knew himself that a long-term career in WWE wasn’t possible. He admitted to Klein that the travel and being away from his family was an issue. “…I really did not like the travel, said Virk. He continued, “I knew that I would not be able to do it for 52 weeks a year, for two years.”
Virk remains thankful for the opportunity he had with WWE. Although, he believes that he couldn’t handle the play-by-play commentary for the company at the time. He also praised Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, and Vince McMahon for their work ethic and help. Virk is currently working for the MLB Network.
AAA Tag Team Champions FTR will appear at the Lucha Libre AAA taping in Mexico without Tully Blanchard as their manager.
Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer reports that Vickie Guerrero will act as FTR’s manager on the November 4th AAA taping. It is unclear why Blanchard will not manage the team for the show.
Meltzer also shared that AAA wants FTR in a tag title match against The Lucha Bros and Dragon Lee & Dralistico. The promotion intends to have the match take place at Triplemania Regia On December 4th. However, AAA hasn’t confirmed the match will happen.
FTR is in an ongoing feud with the AEW Tag Team Champions, the Lucha Bros. The rivalry started when Andrade El Idolo challenged the Lucha Bros. to defend the AAA Tag Team Championship against his “masked friends.” Idolo’s friends were FTR in disguise, and they defeated The Lucha Bros at AEW Dynamite on October 16th. On October 27th, The Lucha Bros. challenged the FTR to an AEW Tag Team title match at Full Gear on November 13th.
AEW Full Gear 2021 Card
Besides the AEW Tag Team Championship match, AEW announced two confirmed matches for the Full Gear card. The World Title Eliminator Tournament will also take place at Full Gear. However, it’s unclear who will be in the finals. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will defend the title against Hangman Adam Page in the main event. Page earned the title opportunity after winning the Casino Battle Royal at AEW Dynamite on October 6th. The other match confirmed that AEW is advertising is Tayconti will challenge AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.
It’s unclear if FTR’s AAA Tag Team Championship will also be on the line in their match against the Lucha Bros at Full Gear. However, FTR will have the opportunity to claim both the AAA and AEW Tag Team Championship in two weeks.
Rey Mysterio’s daughter Aalyah is considering a career in professional wrestling.
The master of the 619 was just interviewed by Scott Fishman for TV Insider. During the discussion, Mysterio revealed that Aalyah is thinking about following in his footsteps.
He supports the idea of her wrestling, but he urged her not to give up on her education.
“Not too long ago, she asked, ‘Dad, what would you say if I wanted to step in the ring?’ I said, ‘As long as you don’t leave your career behind. She wants to join the medical field.”
He continued, “As long as she does that and tries wrestling as a second option, I don’t mind. She always had the curiosity to take a bump, hit the ropes. I said, whenever you want to try it, let me know. I think it’s in the back of her mind. She is very dedicated to her school and education. I’m proud of that right now.”
Aalyah Mysterio in WWE
Aalyah has appeared several times in WWE as a kid and most notably last year. The WWE involved her in the feud with her brother Dominick and Seth Rollins. Aalyah was also in a brief on-screen relationship with Buddy Murphy during the rivalry as well. However, the WWE decided to take her off WWE TV after the feud with Dominick and Rollins ended.
Back in May, Mysterio told Alex McCarthy (TalkSport) that she hadn’t talked to him about becoming a professional wrestler.
“She hasn’t asked the question, but it’s funny you asked me that because my wife, she asked me a couple of days ago, she goes, ‘What would you say if your daughter came at you and said, Dad, I want to become a wrestler?’ I said, ‘I would be the first one to train her, just like I did with Dom!’ She said, ‘No, you wouldn’t,’” said Mysterio. However, he had the same stance: while he would support her, he wanted her to focus on medical school.
Aalyah has gained interest in professional wrestling, but it’s unclear how serious she is to commit. However, it seems she hasn’t closed the door to follow in her father’s footsteps.
Impact World Champion Moose has his first championship defense set for Impact’s next Pay Per View, Turning Point, on November 20th.
Impact Wrestling is currently taping episodes of their show at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada. A Fan uploaded clips on Twitter from yesterday’s tapings that revealed the number one contender for the Impact World Championship.
Spoiler for Number One Contender for Impact Title
A triple threat match between Matt Cardona, W. Morrissey, and Eddie Edwards happened during the tapings. Edwards won the match by pinning Cardona and became the number one contender to face Moose at Turning Point. Edwards will try to become a two-time Impact World Champion with a win over Moose.
Edwards becoming the number one contender at Turning Point raises the question of what Impact Wrestling is doing with Josh Alexander. Alexander seemed to be Impact’s next babyface champion after defeating Christian Cage at Bound for Glory on October 23rd. However, Moose would defeat Alexander shortly after to win the title. Fans watching the event questioned Impact’s motive for taking the championship away from Alexander. It now seems that Alexander won’t be getting a rematch for the title anytime soon.
While Alexander is not in the title picture, Impact Wrestling promoted that he’d face Minoru Suzuki during the tapings. It is unclear what Alexander will do at Turning Point or when he will get his rematch.
Another match that is Impact Wrestling teased during the tapings was Mickie James vs. Mercedes Martinez for the Impact Women’s Championship. Martinez challenged James to a title match at Turning Point. However, the match has not been made official by Impact Wrestling. The promotion will air the taped episodes for several weeks, starting this Thursday.
MMA legend Junior Dos Santos is excited to have his professional wrestling debut at Friday’s AEW Rampage.
The Miami Herald, Jim Varsallone, spoke with him about getting involved with AEW. Dos Santos credited American Top Team Founder Dan Lambert’s help and shared that he fell in love with pro wrestling.
“Dan Lambert invited us to go for the show because he was doing some participation. Then I accepted to go. Once I get there I saw how amazing this show was,” said Dos Santos. He also praised the talent in AEW and the fans, which made him want to compete in AEW.
Junior Dos Santos AEW Debut
Dos Santos is thrilled to begin his pro wrestling career. JDS makes his pro wrestling debut on AEW Rampage when he teams with the Men of the Year (Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky) to challenge the Inner Circle’s Chris Jericho, Jake Hager and Sammy Guevara.
Before coming to AEW, Dos Santos didn’t have pro wrestling experience. However, he has been learning from Lambert, Page, Sky, and Major League Wrestling talent King Mo in preparation for his debut.
“…I’ve been having some really good advice from Dan Lambert, who is also a big fan of pro wrestling and got a lot of experience on this. And also, King Mo has a lot of experience on this as well. He’s been showing some good things about that, said Dos Santos. He continued, “Also, Sky and Ethan, they are also helping me with that. Man, I can tell you I will be more than ready to put on a great show for everybody.”
He confirmed during the interview that this match would not be his last. He also believes other fighters may appear at AEW.
“…If you go to the gym and ask the guys, do you want to go to pro wrestling and go do something in pro wrestling, most of them would say yes. Because they can see how excited I am,” said Dos Santos.
At AEW Rampage, Dos Santos will prove he can have a successful career in pro wrestling. While it is an unfamiliar challenge, it seems he is enjoying his new career opportunity.
AEW star Brian Cage has shared his thoughts on working with Team Taz and his time as the FTW champion. The Machine appeared on Dynamite Download this week and discussed his feud with his former faction.
Cage says he’s ready to move on from the rivalry and admits that he didn’t love working with Taz when he was a member of the group. When asked by host Sean Downey if he felt misused during his time with Team Taz, Cage gave his honest opinion.
“…I’ve said it to you, I was like look Taz you don’t really care about me. You don’t really care about how I’m being looked at or represented,” said Cage. He continued, “You just care about how it makes you look. You just trying to live vicariously through me and that’s why you gave me the FTW title.”
Brian Cage Rivalry with Team Taz
Cage made his AEW debut on May 23, 2020, at AEW Double or Nothing after winning the Casino Ladder match with Taz as his manager. On July 8, 2020, Taz gave Cage the FTW Championship, which Taz made famous. However, Cage felt he didn’t need it.
“…The FTW title too, which I never asked for Obviously. It was just gifted to me,” said Cage. While being appreciative, he also shared he was indifferent to being the FTW champion.
“…We never really did that much with it. It was cool, I was indifferent on the whole thing. And obviously how it all ended, how I lost it and, everything else it exactly doesn’t sit well with me,” said, Cage.
Cage lost the FTW championship to Ricky Starks this year on the July 14th episode of AEW Dynamite. Team Taz turned on Cage, which led to him feuding with the group. During their time together, Cage shared that his issues with Taz affected other members of the group.
He shared that he and Taz would critique each other, which led to disagreements. “…I don’t want to say we were butting heads, but it wasn’t working out and then it kind of fell through with everyone else,” said Cage.
While he didn’t have issues with Will Hobbs or Hook, he admitted that disagreements with Taz led to issues with Starks. “…I didn’t really butt that many heads with Will or Hook actually. It was more with Ricky trying to steal the spotlight and Taz kind of trying to live vicariously through me said,” Cage.
What’s Next for Cage
The feud with Team Taz seemed to have ended at AEW Rampage on October 8th. Starks defeated Cage in a rematch for the FTW Championship. While Cage is ready to move on from the feud, he doesn’t know what AEW has planned for him. He also made a case for him being the number one contender for the AEW World Championship, if Adam Page defeats Kenny Omega at Full Gear.
Regardless of AEW’s plans, Cage is looking forward to a fresh start after dealing with Team Taz.
All Elite Wrestling talent Lio Rush has shared that his relationship with Mark Henry has improved.
In an interview with Oral Sessions’ Renee Paquette, Rush revealed that he and Henry had resolved issues. While they might disagree on certain things in pro wrestling, Rush says he has a cordial relationship with Henry.
“…Me and Mark Henry relationship is super cordial now,” said Rush. He praised the working environment at AEW and thought it would be foolish for them to continue to have issues with each other. He continued, “I think it came down to two very strong personalities and two very different eras of wrestling, and I think we just kind of like agree to disagree, and we are about to be working together now.”
The problems between Rush and Henry began during Rush’s career in WWE. In 2019, Rush was unhappy with how the company was treating him. He felt WWE didn’t financially compensate him for his work. At the time, he was working with Bobby Lashley as a manager and wanted more money.
“My issue is the fact that I haven’t been on meet & greets with Bobby, haven’t been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them,” said Rush. He also shared that he struggled to pay for his hotel and travel because he wasn’t making enough money.
On May 2, 2019, Henry criticized Rush for spending too much money. “If you can’t pay for a rental car, you can’t pay for a hotel with the money that you’re making every week; then you need to change the way you’re spending. You can’t blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that’s your problem,” Henry said. He also said, “Back in my day, they would’ve told him, ‘Lio, Bobby shouldn’t have to drive. He shouldn’t have to carry his bag.’ Yokozuna was my responsibility.”
Henry’s comments led to differences between the two that’s lasted for a year. On May 14, 2020, Rush reflected on what Henry said the previous year. He also claimed that Henry’s actions exemplify African Americans tearing down other African Americans from succeeding. Henry took exception to Rush’s comments and threatened legal action.
From Rush’s comments on the Oral Sessions’, he and Henry are on better terms. In AEW, both men look to have a fresh start and forget about past issues.
All Elite Wrestling talent Lio Rush is opening up about what led to him announce his retirement from pro wrestling earlier this year.
Rush appeared on Excuse Me: The Vickie Guerrero Show to discuss his road from WWE’s NXT brand to AEW. During their discussion, Rush shared that AEW President Tony Khan offered him a contract after his debut at AEW Double or Nothing on May 9th. Unfortunately, he sustained separated AC joint that night. The injury, coupled with personal and financial issues, led him to consider leaving pro wrestling entirely.
“… I was doing a lot of stuff with New Japan. I just finished up with MLW and Triple-A. It was a lot,” Rush admitted. “I was also going through a lot of personal things during that time too. Part of that was financial because of the huge hit that me and my family took with being released from WWE and trying to find consistent work without being under contract.”
The WWE released Rush in April of 2020. After being released by WWE, Rush also contemplated retiring from pro wrestling. However, he wrestled for independent promotions and focused on his music career for the remainder of 2020. Rush caught the attention of MLW this year and made his debut on January 6th.
Rush defeated Myron Reed for the MLW Middleweight Championship in his MLW debut. The following month, he defeated Laredo Kid to win the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. He also made appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling during this time. His work in MLW and NJPW helped Rush gain the attention of wrestling fans and AEW.
Lio Rush (@TheLionelGreen) has hit it big in business and now he's after a wealth of success in #AEWpic.twitter.com/sbE4ScPHSE
Rush made his debut as the Joker in the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing. His performance at Double or Nothing earned Rush a contract offer. However, he abruptly announced his retirement after thinking about how his career was affecting his family life.
The time-off from wrestling helped Rush focus on his music career to help with his family finances. It also helped Rush spend more time with his family.
“…For me, I never really got that opportunity to be the dad that I’ve always wanted to be because I kind of got pushed in the wrestling world, like pretty quickly,” said Rush. He continued, “That was around the time I had my first son, and then when I had my second son, I was with the WWE. So I definitely wasn’t at home as I wanted to be. Again, with being released from WWE and having to work during the pandemic, now I have to work twice as hard, twice as much to try to make up for the money that I need to make for me and my family.” He planned to retire after finishing the remaining dates with NJPW once he recovered from his injury.
Rush was able to avoid surgery with stem cell treatment. On August 2nd, Rush announced that he could compete again. He made his return to NJPW at NJPW Resurgence on August 15th. Since NJPW Resurgence, Rush has made appearances on several NJPW events.
On September 29th, Rush made his return to AEW on AEW Dynamite. The following week, he appeared on AEW Dynamite, offering advice to Dante Martin. It’s unclear when Rush signed a contract with AEW. However, Rush seems to be giving his pro wrestling career another chance.
All Elite Wrestling talent Chris Jericho calls AEW President Tony Khan a genius for running Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jericho appeared on Reinvented with Jen Eckhart and discussed AEW’s first show in New York City. Eckhart asked him what it was like wrestling at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 22nd. Jericho shared that he enjoyed the experience and praised Khan for hosting an event in that venue.
“It was unbelievable. There is a little bit of genius on Tony Khan’s part because everyone was talking about the Garden in NYC, Madison Square Garden,” said Jericho. He continued, “What people don’t understand is to play the Garden is very expensive for one. So you don’t really make money when you’re at the Garden. You just do it because it’s MSG.”
Khan Decision to Host AEW at Arthur Ashe Stadium
AEW became the first wrestling company to have an event at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Khan called their NYC debut event AEW Grand Slam, promoting a live AEW Dynamite show and a taped AEW Rampage show for September 24th. However, fans attending the event were able to watch the four-hour event on September 22nd. AEW Grand Slam was so successful that Khan wants to run Arthur Ashe annually.
In the interview, Jericho explained what made the stadium unique and thought it was better than MSG. “…The moment I went in there, I was like, oh my gosh. This place is amazing. It’s better than the Garden,” said Jericho. He continued, “…The seats go straight up in the air, so all the noise comes right down into the ring. People are just kind of just over top of you, and it was just really cool to see this place. I was going this atmosphere is off the charts crazy. We don’t need to go to the Garden now because we’ve created a new place for us.”
He suggests other wrestling companies may be trying to run an event at Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, Jericho also believes that the stadium will always be the home for AEW in professional wrestling.
AEW will make its return to New York on December 8th. It will be AEW’s first event in Long Island, NY, at the UBS Arena. Both AEW Dynamite and Rampage will be taking place at the venue.
All Elite Wrestling talent Scorpio Sky thinks MMA fighter Jorge Masvidal has a future in pro wrestling.
The Miami Herald Jim Varsallone spoke with Sky about working alongside Dan Lambert and American Top Team fighters. Sky shared that Masvidal could do it when asked about whom he thinks could make the transition to pro wrestling.
“Jorge Masvidal, he is a pro wrestler. He can do it. He gets it. I kind of talk to him a little bit; even in the fight game is a fan favorite,” said Sky. He continues, He got a little bit of character, he got a lot of swag, and he kicks ass. So that’s what you want.”
He also adds that Paige Van Zant and Junior Dos Santos could have a bright future in pro wrestling.
ATT Fighters Transitioning to Pro Wrestling
Fighters from ATT have been making appearances on AEW alongside ATT Founder Dan Lambert. He made his AEW debut with Jorge Masvidal and UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes on the July 7th episode of AEW Dynamite. Lambert did a promo criticizing AEW fans, and Lance Archer attacked Lance Archer during the episode. Since then, Lambert and ATT fighters like Masvidal joined sides with Sky and Ethan Page’s tag team called Men of the Year.
The Men of the Year and Dan Lambert are currently feuding with Chris Jericho and Jake Hager. The group defeated Jericho and Hager at AEW Rampage Grand Slam on September 25th. The match ended after Sky rolled up Hager for the pin. After the match, ATT fighters, including Masvidal, Dos Santos, and Van Zant, also attacked the losing team.
AEW Reportedly Happy with ATT
ATT fighters and Lambert are reportedly well-liked behind the scenes in AEW. While Sky praised Masvidal and Van Zant, Dos Santos seems to be the stand-out fighter. “…Someone else that might surprise you is Junior Dos Santos. I think he is a wrestling fan and didn’t even know it. He’s been having a lot of fun with us,” said Sky. He also jokingly warned AEW World Champion Kenny Omega that Dos Santos would fight for the title one day.
It’s unclear if Masvidal or other ATT fighters will compete in AEW. However, it seems they have another career in pro wrestling ready for them.
WWE superstar Drew McIntyre expressed his enthusiasm for joining Friday Night Smackdown ahead of the WWE Draft.
McIntyre spoke to DAZN’s Steven Muelhausen before the WWE Draft on October 1st. In the interview, McIntyre didn’t know which WWE brand he would be on. However, he shared that he feels he still had something to prove on the Smackdown brand.
Muhlhausen transcribed the following quotes. He asked McIntyre what brand he preferred joining. McIntyre responded by saying, “I’ve thought about this a lot this past week. When I returned to WWE, I returned to NXT initially but then Monday Night Raw, and over the past three years, Raw has been my home.”
He continued, “Finally achieved my dreams, my goals when I became WWE Champion. I became the face of the brand. I have achieved so much, and Raw feels like home, so I can’t imagine not being part of Raw. At the same time, sometimes it’s cool to get a fresh coat of paint to get a change of scenery. I debuted on SmackDown in 2007 and re-debuted in 2009 with the “Chosen One” stuff. I have some unfinished business, so realistically I’ll be happy wherever.”
Drew McIntyre Drafted to Smackdown
WWE drafted McIntyre to Smackdown on Night one of the WWE Draft. WWE seemed to have had McIntyre planned for the Smackdown move for some time. The company advertised that he’d wrestle WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on the October 1st Smackdown.
McIntyre makes his return exclusively to Smackdown for the first time since his return to WWE. The company released him in 2014. He returned to WWE in 2017 and has only competed on NXT and Raw since.
When asked if he felt going to Smackdown would make the WWE come back full circle, he agreed. “I really do think that’d be the case. I’m very proud of everything I was able to do on Raw especially being champion at the height of the pandemic and leading the charge but at the same time working hard for everyone else to make sure everybody was entertained during those difficult times and be a leader, said McIntyre. He continued, “But if I did end up on Smackdown for me personally, there is unfinished business, so that could be very interesting. I’m torn right now.”
Did WWE Spoil WWE Championship Match
The draft moves will not go into effect until after WWE Crown Jewel on October 21st. He challenged WWE Champion Big E for the title at the October 21st event on yesterday’s episode of Monday Night Raw. While anything can happen, WWE may have spoiled the match results with McIntyre’s move to Smackdown. However, a win over Big E would mean that the WWE Championship would go the blue brand.
All Elite Wrestling Women’s Champion Britt Baker confirms that WWE had an interest in signing her.
Baker appeared on Throwing Down with Renee Paquette & Miesha Tate to share WWE inquired about her AEW contract. She reveals that WWE spoke with her boyfriend Adam Cole to let Baker know they wanted to sign her. However, Baker had no interest in leaving AEW.
“…You know, It’s no secret since he’s (Cole) already said it by now. Cat’s out of the bag. I’m not going to get in trouble. That WWE was definitely poking the bear a little bit through him recently when I was still signed with AEW,” said Baker. She continues, “…Without teetering the line of contract tampering. They definitely let me know that they had interest in me, but it wasn’t a mutual thing.”
Britt Baker Picking AEW Over WWE
Cole revealed that WWE tried to inquire about Baker’s contract situation when he left the company for AEW on September 5th. Before his departure, Cole shared that WWE wanted to keep Cole and sign Baker. However, those discussions didn’t go any further.
Baker re-signed with AEW to a long-term contract between August and September. She revealed on the September 1st episode of AEW Dynamite that she re-signed to AEW. However, she didn’t share when precisely she signed the new AEW contract. It’s also unclear when her new contract will expire.
Baker has also publicly shared at Planet Comic-Con that she has no interest in wrestling for another promotion. “I’m not going anywhere because I’m in the hottest professional wrestling company on the planet. I don’t need to go anywhere. They can come here, and that’s fine, but I have no desire to go anywhere because they can all come to us,” said Baker. Although things can change, Baker has expressed her happiness with AEW and plans to stay with the company for the foreseeable future.
NXT 2.0 Cruiserweight Champion Rodderick Strong says his wife, former MMA fighter Marina Shafir, was originally slated to be part of his Diamond Mine faction.
In an interview with Meep Meep Podcast host Ryan Rainbro, Strong revealed that he had Diamond Mine rash guards made for Shafir. He also confirmed that NXT originally wanted both Shafir and Arturo Ruas were going to be in the faction.
“…It was sad because I got my wife one and Adrian(Arturo Ruas) one and it didn’t end up working out,” Strong said. He continued, “Things happened the way they did, but at least it’s something they can remember and use.”
Diamond Mine Faction Members
The faction Diamond Mine had gone through changes even before debuting on June 22nd. As revealed by Strong, NXT planned for Shafir, and Ruas to be in the group. However, WWE released Shafir and Ruas on June 25th.
While Shafir hasn’t spoken about it, Ruas confirmed that he was going to be in the faction. In an interview with Wrestling Inc Managing Editor Nick Hausman, Ruas shared NXT wanted him in the group after he recovered from bicep surgery.
“… I got cleared, and everything started to run again,” said Ruas. He continued, “That’s where Diamond Mine came up. It would be a group of legit fighters with legit backgrounds.” Both Shafir and Ruas are still free agents.
The Diamond Mine faction debuted with Strong, Tyler Rust, Hachiman, and Malcolm Bivens as the manager. Rust exited the group after WWE released him on August 6th. Since Rust’s release, Diamond Mine gained three new members.
The Faction Successful Start
The Diamond Mine has been featured prominently in NXT 2.0 weekly for the last two months. Strong defeated Kushida for the NXT 2.0 Cruiserweight Championship on the September 21st episode. In this week’s NXT 2.0 episode, He successfully defended the title against Grayson Waller. The other members of the group, The Creed Brothers, Hachiman, and Ivynile have yet to lose a match.
Call-ups from NXT 2.0 could end up playing a role in the upcoming WWE Draft.
Mat Men Podcast co-host Andrew Zarian reports that he heard NXT 2.0 would be involved in the draft. However, WWE hasn’t officially confirmed the report. The WWE draft will start on October 1st on Friday Night Smackdown. It will also conclude on Monday Night Raw on October 4th.
“Hearing that NXT will be involved in the draft,” said Zarian. He continues, “Expect a few call-ups.”
NXT 2.0 Call Ups
NXT 2.0 is in the process of introducing new talent to its roster. However, the brand also has talent that has been on the roster for several years. WWE could bring several NXT veterans to the main roster to create opportunities for newer talent.
Ad-Free Shows’ Jon Alba reports that faction Hit Row could be in the draft. However, he clarifies that WWE hasn’t decided yet if they will leave the developmental brand and that plans can change.
“Hit Row is one of the names being discussed for a main roster call-up from #WWENXT for the #WWE Draft, I’m told,” said Alba. He continues, Whether it ultimately gets the call will remain to be seen, obviously, but @AndrewZarian reports NXT will be involved in the draft.”
While Hit Row formed four months ago, the leader Isaiah “Swerve” Scott has been with the brand for two years. Scott is also the current NXT North American Champion. Hit Row is in a feud with Legado Del Fantasma, which doesn’t seem to be ending soon. It’s unclear if Hit Row does get drafted if they would still appear on NXT 2.0 to finish the feud.
