Knight shared on Twitter on December 19 that he had been in the United States for the month and was traveling with AEW. In the tweet, he spoke highly of the company and the backstage environment and thanked Khan for giving him the opportunity. This caught fans’ attention, but it was unclear when he would wrestle for the company.
The following day, he posted a photo of himself and Saraya standing at the entrance ramp for AEW Dynamite hours before the show. On Twitter, The Franchise Sports’s Sean Thurmond shared that Knight faced Peter Avalon in a taped match before the episode. The photo Thurmond shared of Knight and Avalon in action showed them wrestling for a ROH. It was also noted that the debuting talent won the match.
It’s unclear if it will be shown on a future episode of ROH on Honor Club. That said, Saraya got her wish, and Knight was able to showcase his skills in front of an AEW and ROH audience.
After making his debut and getting a win, it’s possible Knight could be making more appearances for either AEW or ROH.
What’s Next For Zak Knight?
Knight revealed that he will travel from December 28 until January 21, 2024. He has a Visa to work in the U.S. and Canada and posted on Twitter on December 10 that he is accepting bookings for January.
While he is the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance Champion, Knight is looking to explore his options next year. It’s possible that Khan could book Knight for more appearances, as his availability seems open for now.
For Saraya, she’ll likely want to see the AEW President give her brother more chances and potentially make him “All Elite” in 2024.
The wrestling business seemingly has many talents, reaching new deals or preparing to explore free agency. Recently, it was reported by Fightful Select that Charlotte Flair signed an extension with WWE that would make her the highest-paid female talent in the company’s history.
While free agency is looking for lucrative deals, it seems that former WWE talent Mercedes Moné (FKA Sasha Banks) has her number for what it would take for someone to sign her.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp shared on Twitter that the talk within the wrestling industry is that Moné’s asking price is higher than the deal that Flair received from WWE. It’s worth noting that the asking price would be negotiated and isn’t definitive of what she could get to sign. However, if true, it does share what Moné values herself in the wrestling business.
Could WWE Bring Mercedes Moné(Sasha Banks) Back To The Company
While AEW could strike a deal with Moné, it seems that WWE is also a candidate. Heading into 2024, WWE has been looking to re-sign talent and is also interested in signing stars who are free agents.
Moné could be on WWE’s radar as they look at their options to strengthen their already impressive roster. SEScoops’ own Aaron Varble shared exclusively on December 11 with sources within WWE that there have been no contract talks between the company and Moné in the last 30 days. However, that could change as the WWE has begun locking down talent with new deals and looking forward to 2024.
It’s unclear if Moné will ultimately return to WWE, but it seems she is looking for an incredible deal for whoever is interested.
On tonight’s All Elite Wrestling Dynamite episode, WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross will return. The news of his comeback was announced by AEW Commentator Tony Schiavone on the AEW Control Center, previewing tonight’s episode. Ross has been away dealing with health issues, notably healing a wound following radiation treatment for skin cancer.
The December 20 episode of AEW Dynamite will occur at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is notable as fans will know that Ross is a proud Oklahoma native and could be part of why he is returning to the show. It’s unclear if he will be a part of the commentary team for the entire show, but it seems likely to be possible.
Regarding health issues, Ross shared on the December 7 episode of his podcast Grilling JR that he made positive changes during his break. He noted that he has stopped drinking, and he has seen weight loss due to the adjustment.
When speaking about the decision to quit drinking, he admitted that it was a needed change to get healthier.
SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo transcribed the following quotes.
“My goal is to get healthy, and drinking was not working well with my meds, my diabetes medication … it was a conflict of interest, so to speak, because I want to get healthier and these meds gotta work and I was diluting their strength by drinking so I hung it up.”
The news of Ross’s life changes and return on tonight’s AEW Dynamite is excellent news for fans who have wanted to see his presence on TV. The hope is that the positive lifestyle changes will help him stay healthy and more involved with AEW.
Although it is unclear where his future lies with the company.
Ross is represented by wrestling agent Barry Bloom, who has helped current AEW superstars reach lucrative deals with the company. While Khan and Ross are both interested in “JR” staying in AEW, it’s unknown what the negotiation process and terms of the deal could look like.
For now, Ross and the AEW fanbase will welcome his comeback and hope to see more of him heading into 2024.
This year, All Elite Wrestling superstar Swerve Strickland has become one of the breakout talents on the roster. He’s been featured on AEW TV and involved in big matches, notably against his rival “Hangman” Adam Page. That said, Strickland is looking to have a better year in 2024.
Strickland spoke with Jacksonville, Florida’s News Reporter Scott Johnson on Going Ringside about his plans for the new year. He shared that he’s looking to become an AEW World Champion and believes he could have been the champion if given the opportunity.
“…I said middle of this year, if I would’ve gotten the opportunities that Hangman Page would’ve gotten my first year, I would have been the first African American AEW world champion. And I do believe that. I can still do that. That is the only thing on my mind right now,” said Strickland.
While some fans may take Strickland’s confidence lightly, he has quickly become a superstar that AEW could decide to put the world title on. He’s coming off of the biggest rivalry of his career and won a highly praised Texas Deathmatch over Page at AEW Full Gear on November 18.
Strickland’s recent success and presence could give the company a reason to make him a title challenger in 2024. Currently, he is participating in the round-robin Continental Classic tournament. The winner of the tourney will become the inaugural AEW Triple Crown Champion. He has nine points in the Gold League division of the tournament and is in an excellent position to make it to the semi-finals. However, he needs to win his next match.
Preview Of Swerve Strickland vs. RUSH On AEW Dynamite
In tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Strickland will take on RUSH in a Gold League matchup. RUSH has been eliminated from the tournament but likely wants to end the round with a big win.
For Strickland, a win over RUSH advances him to the Continental Classic Semi-Finals on the December 27 episode of AEW Dynamite. If he was to lose, he would have to hope that White, who is tied with him, is defeated by Jon Moxley. The former AEW World Champion is the current leader in the Gold League with 12 points and already has a spot in the next round.
Both matchups will occur on tonight, so fans will want to tune in to see who will advance.
All Elite Wrestling fans are looking forward to witnessing Sting’s last match of his legendary career. On November 29, it was announced that Sting’s retirement match would occur at AEW Revolution on March 3, 2024, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, NC. Although tickets went on sale to the general public on December 15, the event is doing very well.
WrestleTix reported on December 17 that AEW Revolution has sold over 11,807 tickets and that the venue is set up for an attendance of 12,717. It’s reported that a little over 900 tickets are left, and on Ticketmaster, the lowest ticket price is currently $35.
AEW Revolution Sun • Mar 03, 2024 • 7:00 PM Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NC
Available Tickets => 910 Current Setup => 12,717 Tickets Distributed => 11,807
+365 since yesterday's update. Continued movement for Sting's final match. Take note of the section that… pic.twitter.com/c9s21xDPCF
Although WrestleTix may have an estimated setup for the event, it is possible to open more seating. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex can hold over an attendance of 22,000.
The report shares that AEW has blocked off behind and the side of where the entrance will be set up. If more tickets are sold for the event, AEW could decide to make changes to accommodate more seating. It’s important to note that AEW hasn’t announced any matches for the show, except that Sting will have his final match. Despite not having an opponent yet, fans are very interested in being in attendance to see Sting compete in the legendary venue.
The Importance Of Sting Finishing His Last Match At The Greensboro Coliseum
“The Icon” ending his career in the Greensboro Coliseum is fitting, as it was where he had his legendary match against Ric Flair. Sting faced “Nature Boy” to a time-limit draw at the NWA Clash Of The Champions on March 27, 1988. Although he lost, it was one of the highlight matches of Sting’s career.
Over 35 years later, Sting may have Flair in his corner to face an unknown opponent. AEW hasn’t shared who “The Icon” will challenge but is making a point to share that Sting has not been beaten since joining the company.
Regardless of the opponent, AEW fans are showing their support for Sting and are looking forward to seeing him put the face paint on for the last time.
AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a Hall of Famer at just 27 years old. On Monday, Dec. 18, the wrestling champion best known as MJF was inducted into The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York at the Suffolk Y JCC.
MJF’s Induction Speech for the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
When accepting his induction, MJF spoke about his pride in his religion and the significance of being honored by the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He encouraged children to chase after their dreams no matter what and to never listen to people who doubt them.
“I’m so proud to be a Jew. Growing up, there was not a lot of people to look up to, as far as it went to the professional wrestling landscape,” said MJF.
He added that he did look up to the likes of Paul Heyman and Goldberg, who are also Jewish. However, he joked that Heyman wasn’t an athlete and the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion never discussed being Jewish on TV and just made “Growling noises.”
He added, “…So it’s really important to me that there’s going to be a crop of kids that are going to have somebody that they get to look up to.”
Friedman joins his family member in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, NFL player Benny Friedman.
MJF Year In Wrestling
It has been a memorable year for MJF, as he has held the AEW World Championship throughout 2023. He won the title by defeating Jon Moxley at AEW Full Gear on November 19, 2022. While fans weren’t sure what to expect from him as a champion, MJF has had one of the best reigns in the company’s history.
He’s successfully defended the title in high-profile matches against Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and Kenny Omega. The AEW World Champion also had the honor of main eventing the company’s biggest event, AEW All In, on August 27 in a sold-out crowd in Wembley Stadium in London, England.
MJF defends the AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe at AEW World’s End on December 30 from Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum.
The latest achievement of getting inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame is another great highlight for MJF this year.
Posted December 18th, 2023 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
Bandido has had a challenging year, as his career is put on hold in All Elite Wrestling. He is currently dealing with a wrist injury. However, he has shared that he recently underwent another surgery.
The AEW talent started dealing with visa issues this year, making him inactive for the company until the Spring. Bandido returned to the company on the April 26 episode of AEW Dynamite to take on Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship.
Bandido Makes Entrance For AEW
The return made fans hope he would be a featured talent on the roster. Unfortunately, he broke his wrist on June 16 in a match against Konosuke Takeshita at AEW Rampage. He shared the news of his injury on Facebook and that he would need surgery.
On December 16, Bandido shared on social media that the surgery was a success and thanked his supporters, notably AEW President Tony Khan. He didn’t share his timetable for a return to action, but he expressed gratitude for what Khan did for him.
“… A very special mention
@TonyKhan for all the attentions that he’ve had to me and my family THANK YOU VERY MUCH,” wrote Bandido.
2nd surgery was successfull In first place a wanna say thank you to God for always keep with me! To @AEW workers and fans!! who always support me!! and in a very special mention @TonyKhan for all the attentions that he’ve had to me and my family THANK YOU VERY MUCH pic.twitter.com/mC1knyAHJ9
It’s unclear when Bandido will start rehab, but he’s likely to want to ensure he can fully recover before wrestling again.
The expectancy to recover from a broken wrist is estimated to be between 6-8 weeks after surgery, according to Angela M. Bell, MD, who shared her medical advice for Medical News Today. Bandido could start the rehab process soon and look to regain strength in his hand for the next two months. After dealing with two surgeries on his wrist, he may take his time coming back and possibly return by April.
Regardless, Bandido is on the road to recovery and will likely want to be at 100 percent ready to make an impact in AEW next year.
Posted December 17th, 2023 in AEW, News. Tagged: Bandido.
All Elite Wrestling superstar MJF is having the best year of his career. He started the year as the AEW World Champion and may potentially hold the title heading into 2024. MJF has also received acclaim for his matches against Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and Kenny Omega.
While MJF has achieved accolades in wrestling, he will soon be honored by the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
The AEW World Champion shared on social media a poster announcing that he will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on December 18. MJF is open about his religion and has also been referenced in AEW, notably the MJF Re-Bar Mitzvah segment.
In the post on Twitter, MJF said that getting inducted was “An incredible honor.” The induction ceremony will occur at Suffolk YJCC in Commack, New York. It’s unclear if the event will be recorded or streamed live. However, the poster shared that fans can attend the ceremony.
The event is interesting as MJF prepares for his upcoming title defense against Samoa Joe in a rematch at AEW Worlds Collide on December 30.
His last appearance for the company was on the December 6 episode of AEW Dynamite. The company did an angle where he was taken out backstage by “The Devil.” Since his attack, he hasn’t been seen on TV.
He is still slated to defend his title against Joe at the upcoming pay-per-view, but it’s unclear if he will appear ahead of the event. He’s currently not advertised for the December 20 episode of AEW Dynamite, but it’s possible that could change.
Although it’s unclear when he’ll appear for AEW, fans can see MJF get inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame next week.
Posted December 17th, 2023 in AEW, News. Tagged: MJF.
Popular independent wrestling promotion Limitless Wrestling returned for their final event of the year on December 16. One of the featured matches had Channing Thomas defending his Limitless World Championship against Ace Romero in the main event.
The event marked Thomas’s first title defense for the promotion since winning it at Limitless Vacationland Cup on August 26. The match was scheduled to be a typical title match. However, the champion attacked Romero with a steel chair and busted him open before the match could start. Romero recovered, and the title bout was changed to a No Disqualification match.
Despite being hurt early, Romero rallied and was close to defeating Thomas. Luckily for the champion, Sidney Bakabella was in his corner and aided Thomas in defeating Romero.
Another match on the card featured MSP(Aiden Aggro & The DangerKid) taking on Above The Rest (Gabriel Skye & Tristen Thai) in a two out of three falls match. They were in a feud for a few months as they tried to prove who was the better team.
MSP was able to get the first pin in the match, but they couldn’t maintain control over Above The Rest. Skye and Thai earned two back-to-back pinfalls to win the match and end the feud.
Limitless Force Of Nature occurred at the Yarmouth Amvets venue in Yarmouth, Maine. The event went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
Limitless Force Of Nature Match Card Results
Anthony Greene def. TJ Crawford
JT Dunn def. Ricky Smokes
LSG & Ava Everett def. Love, Doug & Gabby Forza
Dezmond Cole def. Ortiz
Above The Rest (Gabriel Skye & Tristen Thai){2} def. MSP (Aiden Aggro & The DangerKid){1}-Two Out Of Three Falls Tag Team Match
(C) Channing Thomas with Sidney Bakabella def. Ace Romero to retain the Limitless World Championship in a No DQ Match
Independent wrestling promotion Expect The Unexpected returned after a two-month break with an exciting match card. In the main event, Key To The East Champion Marcus Mathers defended his title against his rival Ken Broadway in a Deathmatch.
ETU had built towards their main event for a few months, dating back to when Mathers won his championship. He won the title by defeating Masha Slamovich and Broadway in a three-way elimination match at ETU Summer Madness on July 30. After the match, Broadway made his intentions clear that he wanted another title opportunity.
The feud continued when Broadway and his faction Killionaires Club (J Boujii & PB Smooth) defeated Mathers, Austin Luke & Dyln McKay at ETU Nostalgia, Ultra on September 23. After the loss, Mathers made the Deathmatch against Broadway official for the Key To The East Championship for ETU Just Gettin’ Warm.
In the main event of the show, both Mathers and Broadway tested their limits as they tried to do whatever it took to win. The finish came when Mathers landed a Gotch Piledriver on a stack of steel chairs for the win.
After the match, Broadway shared that Mathers earned his respect, and they shook hands to seemingly end their rivalry.
Another match on the card had IWTV Independent Tag Team Champions Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King) successfully defending their titles against High Flying Star Machines (Bojack & Diego Hill).
High Flying Star Machines hoped to pull off the upset, but Waller and King proved why they are one of the best tag teams in wrestling today.
ETU Just Gettin’ Warm occurred at The Heart Ballroom in Newark, New Jersey. The event went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
?SHOW DAY?
LIVE from the Heart Ballroom. Today at 3pm we celebrate TWO YEARS of ETU Wrestling!!!
Brayden Toon def. Steve Peña, Adonis Stone & Yoya- Four Corners Match
Janai Kai def. Christina Marie
Killionaires Club (J Boujii & PB Smooth) def. The Shook Crew (Bobby Orlando & Bryce Donovan)
Jimmy Lloyd def. BK Westbrook
(C) Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King) def. The High Flying Star Machines (Bojack & Diego Hill) to retain the IWTV Independent Wrestling Tag Team Championship
Rickey Shane Page def. John Wayne Murdoch-ETU Key To The East Title #1 Contendership Match
Kushida def. Brandon Kirk
(C) Marcus Mathers def. Ken Broadway to retain the ETU Key To The East Championship in a Deathmatch
Wrestling fans are looking forward to seeing The Iron Claw on December 22, which is a biographical film based on the lives of The Von Erich family. Early reviews of the film have praised it, and it currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes with 52 reviews. One of the notable things that critics have praised about the movie has been Zac Efron’s performance as Kevin Von Erich.
In the film’s early stages, it became evident how much Efron took it seriously. He shocked fans when photos were taken of him on the set in incredible shape to play his role. Efron has looked in shape for past roles, but he noticeably put on more muscle than he ever had for a movie. This sparked more intrigue in the film, as it showed how dedicated Efron and other actors like Jeremy Allen White were to play members of the Von Erich family.
Zac Efron’s scene in The Iron Claw
In an interview with The Variety, Efron shared how he got physically prepared for the role and is a perfectionist. This made him obsessed with getting in shape for the movie.
The Variety’s Daniel D’Addario transcribed the following quotes.
“That necessity to be perfect — it became an obsession,” said Efron. He added, “It was a singular focus for months. And your life goes out the window during prep.”
It’s noted that Efron worked out for portions of a day and gained 15 pounds of muscle in the early stages of preparing for his role.
More on Zac Efron Getting In Shape For Kevin Von Erich
While fans were surprised by Efron’s transformation for the film, co-stars also were impressed with his commitment. White joked during his appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show on November 28 that he didn’t want to stand near Efron to avoid comparison on their conditioning for The Iron Claw.
When speaking on his training style, Efron shared that after he gained 15 pounds of muscle, he focused on bodybuilding.
“…I was able to incorporate old-school body-building and Olympic lifting and really achieved that specific look of pro wrestlers, which was really hard,” said Efron.
The work seemed to have paid off as his incredible condition added to his acting for most critics. His performance in the film has also created chatter from people who saw the film that he could be up for an Oscar next year.
SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo will have a review of the film coming soon!
Next year will be a new beginning for Impact Wrestling as they set for another rebrand. The company has decided to revert to TNA Wrestling, with the change being official for their next pay-per-view, TNA Hard To Kill, on January 13, 2024. While preparing for the launch of the new brand, TNA Wrestling has started to re-sign talent on their roster.
Soon-to-be TNA Wrestling announced on December 13 that they had officially signed Kushida to a deal. The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion has made appearances for Impact Wrestling throughout 2023 while also being able to compete in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He’ll still be able to appear for NJPW but will be an official member of the TNA roster.
After reaching a deal with Kushida, TNA has followed up by announcing on Twitter they have re-signed Eddie Edwards. The former Impact World Champion spoke with PWInsider to confirm he signed an agreement before his contract expires.
Eddie Edwards Re-signing Announced BY TNA Wrestling
PWInsider Mike Johnson transcribed the following quotes.
“…I don’t think my fans and friends are very much surprised that I’m sticking around, because everybody knows, how I feel about this company. I think especially right now with the momentum that we have with TNA coming back and all that excitement. For me, it was a no-brainer, and I’m very happy to be here and continue being here as long as I’m able to,” said Edwards.
Edwards has been with the company since 2014 and has been in a featured role on TV. The decision to re-sign him ahead of his contract expiration is interesting, as they hope to lure another talent to be a part of their rebrand.
Notable Impact Wrestling Talent Will Be Testing Free Agency
The company has done a great job of re-signing talent to stay ahead of 2024. Some notable wrestlers they reached a new deal with in 2023 were Moose, Jordynne Grace, and PCO. Ahead of relaunching TNA Wrestling, the company has kept most of its roster the same for next year. However, former Impact Knockouts World Champion Deonna Purrazzo may not re-sign.
Purrazzo’s contract with the current Impact Wrestling is expected to expire by January 2024. Fightful Select reported on December 7 that she is prepared to test free agency. However, there is also a possibility that she can reach a new agreement with TNA before her contract expires. It’s worth noting PCO was expected to leave, but the company was able to come to terms on a new deal.
It’s unclear what Purrazzo will decide, but it seems TNA keep its roster intact for the next few years.
On December 10, New Japan Pro Wrestling concluded the final day of their annual tag tournament. In the main event, IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) faced Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo).
It was an interesting road to the finals for the tag champions, who had two losses in the early stages of the tournament. Their first match was a loss to Guerrillas Of Destiny, which made fans wonder how far they would go in the World Tag League. However, Bishamon turned it around, won four matches, and had a time-limit draw to reach the semi-finals. They went on to defeat BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd) to get the finals which gave them extra confidence.
NJPW World Tag League 2023 Day 16 Bishamon vs. Guerrillas Of Destiny
To make their comeback in the tournament complete, they avenged their loss to G.O.D in the finals.
Another match on the card had Tetsuya Naito teaming with his faction Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) and Zandokan Jr. to defeat Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura).
NJPW World Tag League 2023 Day 16 occurred at the Grand Messe Kumamoto in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan. To watch the event, you must subscribe to NJPW World, which costs around $10.
NJPW World Tag League 2023 Day 16 Match Card Results
Pre-Show
Oleg Boltin & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Asosan & Kodai Nozaki- Frontier Zone Tag Team Match
Main Card
Atlantis Jr., Master Wato & Soberano Jr. def. TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)-Six-Man Tag Team Match
Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer), Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata def. BULLET CLUB (Alex Coughlin, Bad Luck Fale, Gabe Kidd & Jack Bonza)-Eight-Man Tag Team Match
United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Jeff Cobb) def. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano), Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima-Eight-Man Tag Team Match
House Of Torture (Dick Togo & SHO) def. Shota Umino & Tiger Mask
House Of Torture (EVIL, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Kaito Kiyomiya, Ryohei Oiwa & Tomoaki Honma-Six-Man Tag Team Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada def. Gates Of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr. def. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)-Ten-Man Tag Team Match
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) def. Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) in the finals of the World Tag League 2023
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr. def. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)
Game Changer Wrestling returned with an intriguing card for the second Highest In the Room live event. One of the featured matchups had GCW World Champion Blake Christian defending his title against Starboy Charlie.
The GCW World Champion came into the match motivated to defend his title for the 27th time. His last successful defense was against Little Guido at GCW What Is Your Choice on December 3. Christian has had an incredible run this year in the promotion, and it looks like he could end 2023 with it still around his waist.
GCW Highest In The Room 2 Blake Christian vs. Starboy Charlie
“The Denim Dragon” tried his best to pull off the upset victory, including nearly winning with a Piledriver. However, Christian was able to bounce back in the match and land a Curb Stomp on Charlie for the win.
Another match on the card featured All Elite Wrestling superstar Andrade El Idolo taking on Joey Janela in his GCW debut. El Idolo won the match with a Figure Four Leg Lock.
GCW Highest In The Room 2 occurred at the Ukrainian Culture Center in Los Angeles, California. The event streams live on FITE TV with a subscription to FITE+ for $7.99.
*SATURDAY*
Starboy Charlie challenges Blake Christian for the GCW Title at #GCWHighest in LA!
+ Andrade v Janela Maki Death Kill v Johnny/Taya VIF v Masha/Rina Cardona/SDL/Jimmy v Macizos Santana v South Joe v Wreck SGB v SPS
On December 9, Freelance Wrestling held their last event of 2023 with four championship matches. One of the featured matches on the card had IWTV Independent Tag Team Champions Miracle Generation (Kylon King & Dustin Waller) defending their titles against Davey Bang and August Matthews.
The tag champions were looking to hold their gold heading into 2024. They’ve had a challenging ten months, having successfully defended their titles 19 times. Miracle Generation’s last championship match victory was against Swipe Right (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) at Beyond Wrestling’s Wrestling Open on November 30.
Freelance Wrestling Three Counts At Freelance Miracle Generation vs. Bang & Mathews
King and Waller aimed to reach 20 title defenses and were successful. Bang and Matthews presented a formidable challenge as both teams wrestled at a fast pace. Ultimately, the champions were able to outmaneuver their opponents to get the win.
Another match on the card featured Freelance World Champion Storm Grayson putting his title on the line against Sandra Moone. The challenger tried to become the second female to win the title. However, Grayson proved to be too much.
The champion had control for most of the match, but Moone had moments where it looked like she could pull off the upset. The finish came when Grayson landed the V Trigger on Moone against the ropes for the pin.
Freelance 3 Counts At Freelance occurred at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois. The event went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
Independent wrestling promotion Dreamwave Wrestling held their Good As Gold event on December 9, featuring four title matches. One of the matches had El Hijo Del Vikingo put the Dreamwave Alternative Championship on the line in a 4 Man Scramble Match.
After a few months of no defense, Vikingo was motivated to retain his championship for the final Dreamwave card of the year. His last successful defense was in a Four Way Match against Alex Shelley, Flamita, and Gringo Loco at Dreamwave Those Summer Nights on August 5. On the card, Vikingo found himself facing three opponents again with Jack Cartwheel, Stephen Wolf, and Gringo Loco for the title.
In what could be the best match of the night, Vikingo was able to successfully defend his title. The finish came when the champion landed a 630 Senton to pin Wolf.
Dreamwave Wrestling Good As Gold Brittnie Brooks vs. Zamaya
Another exciting match on the card had Dreamwave Women’s Champion Brittnie Brooks defending her title against Zamaya. Brooks was coming off a tough matchup against Masha Slamovich at Dreamwave Uprising on December 8. After retaining her title, Brooks was attacked by Zayda Steel and Maggie Lee. As the “heels” stood over the champion with her title, Zamaya also appeared to pose with the Dreamwave Women’s Championship.
Looking to make a statement, Brooks had a decisive win over Zamaya. After the match, Lee came out to confront the champion, which could set up a match at the next Dreamwave event.
Sreamwave Good As Gold occurred at Knights Of Columbus Hall in LaSalle, Illinois. It went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
Dreamwave Wrestling Good As Gold 4 Man Scramble
Dreamwave Good As Gold Match Card Results
(Match Card Is Subject To Change)
Connor Hopkins wins Good As Gold Rumble Match
J-Rod def. Hyan
(C) Wasted Youth (Dyln McKay & Marcus Mathers) def. Zeke Zshe Enterprises LLC (J Fowler & Victor Iniestra) to retain the Interim Dreamwave Tag Team Championship
ACTION Wrestling returned on December 8 with an exciting card featuring a mixture of wrestlers from the independent wrestling scene and major promotions. In the main event, ACTION Champion Adam Priest put his title on the line in a three-way match against Alex Kane and Krule.
Priest aimed to defend his championship for the 11th time successfully. His last title defense was against Brandon Kirk at ACTION Bus Barn Brawl on November 10. On an impressive run as champion, Priest hoped to enter 2024 with his title and achieve a full year as champion on January 20, 2024. However, taking on two different opponents proved to be difficult.
In the three-way match, Kane was able to get the win after Krule landed a Full Nelson Facebuster on Priest. “The Suplex Assassin” speared Kruger to take him out of the ring and pinned Priest.
The event ended with Kane holding the Major League Wrestling Heavyweight Championship and the ACTION Championship as he exited the venue.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Billie Starkz vs. Daniel Makabe
Another match on the card featured an intergender match between All Elite Wrestling talent Billie Starkz and Daniel Makabe. Starkz is set to challenge Athena for the Ring Of Honor Women’s Championship at ROH Final Battle on December 15.
In the match, Makabe focused on the legs of Starkz to control the match. However, Starkz was able to rally back in the match and landed a Swanton Bomb for the win.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 occurred at the Roger Spencer Community Center in Tyrone, Georgia. It went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Adam Priest vs. Alex Kane vs. Krule
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Match Card Results
Diego Hill def. Landon Hale
Rachel Armstrong def. Deity
Bojack def. Austin Luke
Squatting Dragons (Erron Wade & Kody Manhorn) def. BK Westbrook & Ella Envy
Billie Starkz def. Daniel Makabe
Rico Gonzalez def. TJ Crawford
Channing Thomas def. Bobby Flaco
Alex Kane def. (C) Adam Priest & Krule to Win the ACTION Championship in a Three-Way Match
Independent wrestling promotion Dreamwave Wrestling had its first all-female show on December 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in LaSalle, Illinois. In the main event, Impact Wrestling star Masha Slamovich challenged Brittnie Brooks for the Dreamwave Women’s Championship.
Brooks faced a difficult challenge in her first title defense as she took on one-half of the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions(alongside Killer Kelly). She won the Dreamwave Women’s Championship by defeating Zayda Steel at Dreamwave Follow Your Hart on October 14.
Dreamwave Uprising Brittnie Brooks vs. Masha Slamovich
Since her title win, Brooks has stayed relatively inactive in her wrestling career. She’s had four matches in which she has been on the losing side. However, she turned it around with a big win over Slamovich to retain the Dreamwave Women’s Championship.
Another match on the card featured a matchup between Miyu Yamashita and Shazza McKenzie. Yamashita was coming into tonight’s contest with momentum after defeating Demi Exo at Major League Wrestling One Shot on December 7 for the Princess Of Princess Championship. While Yamashita went into the match with extra confidence, McKenzie was motivated to get the win.
New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 13 at the Item Ehime in Ehime, Japan.
The main event had Will Ospreay take on his United Empire faction member Mark Davis in the second round of the New Japan Cup. In the co-main event, EVIL competed against Jeff Cobb. The winner of Ospreay vs. Davis and EVIL vs. Cobb will face each other in the next round of the New Japan Cup on March 17.
NJPW streamed their event live on NJPW World at 6:00 AM ET/3:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
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A new report has provided an update on former NXT talent Sarray’s exit from WWE.
Sarray signed with the company in 2020 to join the NXT roster. Unfortunately, her WWE career was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She competed in Japan during that time and also won the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Tag Championship with her partner Yoshiko on Nov. 27, 2020, against Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto). Sarray and Yoshiko dropped the titles to Nanae Takahashi & Arisa Nakajima on Jan. 22, 2021. After losing the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Tag Championship, Sarray would come to the United States and debut in NXT on April. 20, 2021.
While Sarray came to the company with chances for new opportunities, WWE had difficulty featuring her on the show. She competed in NXT when they shifted to NXT 2.0, which started five months after her debut. During that time, NXT 2.0 began to focus on featuring newer talent like Cora Jade, Elektra Lopez, and Lash Legend, with other established NXT talents like Mandy Rose, Raquel Gonzales, and Kay Lee Ray. Sarray got lost in the shuffle and spent less time on NXT TV. Her last match was against Mandy Rose at NXT 2.0 on Aug. 2, 2022.
After three years, Tokyo Sports reported that Sarray had left the WWE after her contract expired, and she would return to Japan to continue her professional wrestling career. She is expected to hold a press conference on March. 13 in Japan to announce her plans.
Sarray faced Lash Legend during the December 17 episode of 205 Live
Update on Sarray Leaving WWE
Since Tokyo Sports revealed that she had left WWE, fans were curious about what went wrong with her career in NXT. Fightful Select reported that they were told that “…the beginning of the end was actually early in 2022 when many of her biggest supporters were let go from NXT.”
The report continued, “…Sources within the brand said that she never factored into a consistent or major creative fashion after that. We’re told by the spring of 2022 that the writing was on the wall. William Regal’s departure was one that many pointed to as a turning point. Those who frequent the Performance Center said that she hadn’t been around in “ages” and weren’t given any answers when they’d ask about her.” The report shared that it’s acknowledged within WWE that she was given bad creative.
Despite her career in WWE, the report shared that she liked working with up-and-coming talent, including her brief feud with Tiffany Stratton. According to the report, people working in the Performance Center have positive things to say about Sarray.
She will have a match on May. 16 at the Sareee-ISM event at Shinjuku Face in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan.
Posted March 13th, 2023 in WWE, News. Tagged: Sareee.
New Japan Pro Wrestling continued its second round of the New Japan Cup on March 12 at the Shiga Pref. Cultural Industry Community House Event Hall in Shimotara Maibara, Shiga, Japan. SEScoops has the results from the event down below!
The main event had Hirooki Goto take on Kyle Fletcher in the tournament’s second round. Fletcher defeated Goto’s tag team partner Yoshi-Hashi to advance in the New Japan Cup on March 10. Goto wanted revenge for his partner as both aimed to move to the next round. The co-main event featured another New Japan Cup second-round match between Never Openweight Champion Tama Tonga and Aaron Henare.
The event went live on NJPW World at 4:00 AM ET/1:00 AM PT. However, to watch the New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
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A new report from PWInsider claims that a former Impact Knockouts Champion has wrapped up with the company and is now a free agent.
Spoiler on Former Knockouts Champion
The report shared that former Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie has left Impact Wrestling and will be with a new promotion.
“Taya Valkyrie has finished up with Impact Wrestling as of their TV tapings in Las Vegas. As we noted at the time, Taya was not signed to Impact, and the word is that she is believed to be signing elsewhere,” said the report.
On the March 8 episode of AEW Dynamite, TBS Champion Jade Cargill issued an open challenge to a Canadian opponent for next week’s episode. It’s worth acknowledging that Valkyrie is Canadian, which makes sense for her to accept the challenge. AEW hasn’t revealed if she is signed with the company. However, based on her history with WWE, AEW seems to be where she could sign, especially if it happens soon.
Where do you think Valkyrie will sign, and are you excited about her becoming a free agent?
New Japan Pro Wrestling had its second day of the New Japan Cup tournament on March 6 at the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. March 6 marks the 51st anniversary of the first NJPW event.
The main event had IWGP Tag Team Champions Yoshi-Hashi, and Hirooki Goto defend their titles against Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. The event also had two New Japan Cup tournament matches, with David Finlay taking on Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Uno facing Yujiro Takahashi.
The event went live on NJPW World for free at 4:30 AM ET/1:30 AM PT. However, to watch more of NJPW’s New Japan Cup, fans must subscribe to their service, which is $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
Game Changer Wrestling held its event, Ransom, on March 5 at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The card featured a steel cage match between Allie Katch and Charles Manson. They have been in a feud for several months, and this match could be the final confrontation. GCW: Ransom also had the promotion’s debut of The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley), who challenged Los Macizos(Ciclope & Miedo Extremo) for the GCW Tag Team Championship.
The event went live on FITE for their subscription service, FITE+, for free. Fans wanting to watch the card must pay $7.99 to subscribe. Yesterday, GCW had their event GCW: Holy Smokes, which is available on video on demand for subscribers.
Check back here to catch the live results updates.
*TODAY – 4PM!*
ALLIE KATCH and CHARLES MASON settle the score inside a Steel Cage at #GCWRansom!
Plus: Bailey v Parker Macizos v MCMG Jordan v Blake Maki/Rina/Veny v Wreck/Billie/Janai Masha v JWM Joey v Kirk +more
Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner & 1 Called Manders) vs. Young Dumb N Broke (Ellis Taylor & Charlie Tiger) vs. Bang Bros (August Mathews & Davey Bang) vs. Wasted Youths (Marcus Mathers & Dylin McKay) ended in a no contest
New Japan Pro Wrestling held the start of this year’s New Japan Cup tournament on March 5 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The main event had Sanada taking on Taichi to determine who would advance in the New Japan Cup. Last year, Zack Sabre Jr. was the talent who won the annual tournament. Another match on the card had Tetsuya Naito taking on El Phantasmo in the opening round of this year’s tournament.
The event went live on NJPW World and is available on replay, but fans must have a subscription. An NJPW World subscription costs $9.99 in the United States.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
