Rosenberg asked the Awesome One what he thinks about MJF. Miz praised the Island loudmouth and believes that he’s not an imitation of anybody.
“I don’t think he wants to be The Miz, to be honest,” said The Miz. “I don’t think any superstar, no matter what company you’re in, wants to be the next this person. You want to be an original,”
He also believes there are comparisons, but every wrestler strives to be an original.
“I don’t think he wants to be the next Miz, I think he wants to be the first him, and honestly, I say he’s doing a great job at it.”
The Miz also praised MJF for what he’s accomplished at just 25 years old.
Listen to The Miz on the latest episode of Cheap Heat:
What’s Next for MJF
MJF is currently in a feud with CM Punk. The rivalry started two months ago, but AEW hasn’t put them in a singles match against each other. However, last night on AEW Dynamite, the company finally booked them in a match for next week.
AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, takes place on March 6th at the Additional Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. This match seemed destined to be a PPV attraction, but Punk vs. MJF will go down on TBS in just a matter of days.
Chris Jericho is a modern-day wrestling legend. He is now in a position to demand and get a feud if he wants to but it wasn’t always the case.
The former AEW champion recently made an appearance on Wrestling with Freddie podcast. He first discussed his excitement for a match with Eddie Kingston.
Jericho then revealed the two names he wanted a match against. The 51-year-old claimed that he wanted to face the pair of Owen Hart and Bret Hart but the circumstances were never right for it:
“The two that I have that never did happen, and they’re brothers and they’re from the same part of the country, as I am, was Bret Hart and Owen Hart, I never had a chance to work with either one of them.
When I made up my mind to leave WCW in 99, and come to WWE, if you gave me a list of 10 reasons, Owen Hart would be one of the probably 10 reasons.” explained Chris Jericho, “Owen passed away before that could happen.”
Y2J continued his explanation mentioning how Bret Hart was in WCW at the same time as him but he was never allowed to get to that level in the promotion.
He claimed that he would have had great chemistry with both the stars because of the way he was trained and because they came from a certain area of the country.
Cody Rhodes has been the center of many news stories recently after it was reported that the AEW star was working with the company without a contract. The American Nightmare defended his TNT championship against Sammy Guevara on the Beach Break special of Dynamite this week. He, unfortunately, lost the bout.
An emotional Rhodes was interviewed backstage after his loss and he told a story about his father Dusty Rhodes. He claimed that he has never felt more at home than in AEW, before addressing the elephant in the room:
“There are so many elephants in the room. This is an insane week in wrestling. People think that the Sean Ross story is BS, it’s not. I’m working here without a contract. I’m not even on payroll anymore. I’m working here on a handshake deal. That is 100% legitimate, I swear on Pharaoh’s life,”
Cody Rhodes noted how he is usually slow in getting his rematches but teased that he ‘won’t be so slow’ on getting a rematch for the title this time around. The now former TNT champion also mentioned how he helped bring Sammy Guevara to AEW and said that he is proud of the young star.
You can check out Rhodes’ comments in the video below:
There are wrestlers who like to feel the atmosphere of an arena and build a match or a promo based on how the crowd is reacting. Then there are talents who meticulously plan out every little detail for anything they do well ahead of time. Malakai Black is a star that belongs to the latter category.
The AEW star had an interview with Barstool Rassling. He discussed how every aspect of his character has a deeper meaning and claimed what we saw during his NXT days was a collaboration between him and Triple H. When asked how things have changed since joining AEW, Black detailed how Tony Khan provides freedom to his stars:
“Tony is a ‘do whatever, you want, but run it by me and maybe I’ve got some ideas [guy]’, and he does have good ideas.” said Malakai Black, “Tony and me have sat down on numerous occasions and kind of like, you know, thought about some ideas or like, I’ll tell him something and then he’s like, ‘hey, maybe we should do this.’
Because it’s always good to get perspective on the outside from someone else. Because sometimes you have an idea that in your head is very streamlined and then someone else kind of brings an element [hearing which] you go ‘Oh, that works way better.’ That’s the kind of relationship that I have with Tony.”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
One of the biggest differences between WWE and AEW is how they treat their stars behind the scenes. Chris Jericho believes AEW’s treatment is ‘a million times better’ than his former employers.
Y2J recently appeared on Wrestling with Freddie podcast. He discussed things such as the younger AEW talents, staying relevant after 30 years in the business and more.
Talking about the difference in how AEW and WWE treat their employees, Chris Jericho explained that the Khan family know how to take care of their talent because of their sports background:
“AEW’s treatment is a million times better than WWE’s ever was because the Khan family are owners of sports teams, so, they come at it from a sports standpoint.
I never had hotels and cars provided ever. Never ever in the thirty years of working in the States.” said Chris Jericho, “If I did a one-off or something, they’d never take care of that. AEW does.”
Former WWE Tag Team Champion Bully Ray made headlines last week when he commented on Jon Moxley’s return to AEW Dynamite. Bully Ray said that he wished that Moxley had apologized to the fans for the time that he missed from the ring while attending rehab for his struggles with alcohol.
Bully Ray was largely panned for these comments by wrestlers, fans, and pundits alike. During an interview with SI Media Podcast, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns commented on the situation.
“I didn’t actually see the take from Bubba, but I’ve seen some of the responses to it,” Reigns said (h/t Wrestling Inc). “And I look at it kind of in both perspectives. I understand what Bubba is saying only because I’ve been in these systems and worked for, you know, a billion-dollar promotion and entertainment company, being WWE. And Bubba has too and these are some of the mindsets of kind of the direction that you can handle some of these situations because, at the end of the day, we are performers. We’re entertainers and we want to be there for our fanbase.
“I mean, we continued through a pandemic, you know what I mean? Obviously, it’s a business and you know, we’re all trying to make a living. But that’s what makes our product special. For pretty much any promotion, there’s no season it, you know? So we try to give our fanbase as much as we can.”
Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose – The Shield
However, Reigns went on to defend his former Shield partner.
“So I can see where he’s [Bully] coming from, but I think in this day and age, there’s not like too much kayfabe,” Reigns said. “I might be one of the most kayfabe performers out there. There’s so many cracks to see through, the blinds to see into backstage now and there’s so many people getting rumors and info and breaking this news and stuff like that. But I think in this day and age, especially with, you know, how much awareness there is for mental health and taking care of yourself and prioritizing you.”
He continued, “I don’t think he owes anyone an apology. I think the fact that he was responsible enough to do what needed to be done and also not shy away from it to help other people. You rarely talk about those people that are just, 100% inspired and motivated by what Mox did and having that brutal honesty with themselves and everyone else for the matter.
“I don’t think he owes anyone an apology, I see where Bubba could be coming from, in a very corporate mindset of, you know prioritizing our fans. But at the end of the day, we do so much for these fans. We don’t deliver the mail, it don’t feel good to do what we do. And obviously, it’s a choice, but it’s not like they’re just giving their money to us and we’re not doing anything. It’s a service and we’re performing that service.”
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
After months of teasing, the former ROH star finally made his debut during this week’s Beach Break special of AEW Dynamite from Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
The main event of the show saw Adam Cole facing Orange Cassidy in a Lights Out match which was contested all over the arena.
Cassidy got the first offense in the match but Cole quickly took the control of the bout. He dropped OC spine first onto the steel barricade.
The former Undisputed Era leader then tried to pull a chair from the ring apron but it appeared to be stuck. As Cole finally got the chair out, Danhausen came out of the apron with it.
The very nice, very evil star got a huge pop from the crowd and he shocked Cole. Though the debuting talent didn’t interfere in the bout and he simply walked away.
The match continued and after interference from a number of stars, Orange Cassidy managed to pin the former NXT champion for the win.
After the show went off the air, Tony Khan took on his Twitter. With the usual graphic, he confirmed that Danhausen has signed with All Elite Wrestling.
Before coming to AEW, the high-flying star has wrestled for promotions such as ROH and Full Impact Pro. He has been trained by Jimmy Jacobs and Truth Martini.
Despite fan expectations and rumors that swirled on Wednesday, former WWE NXT star Johnny Gargano did not appear this week on AEW Dynamite in Cleveland, Ohio.
There was an expectation among some that Johnny Wrestling might appear due to the show emanating from his hometown. The latest from Fightful Select is that Gargano has had talks with AEW, but no agreement in place with at this time.
However, whether or not a formal contract proposal or timetable for a debut has been presented could not be confirmed.
Gargano and his wife, fellow wrestling star Candice LeRae, are expecting their first child very soon. The word is that Gargano has made it clear that at this point, he is concentrating all of his efforts on helping his wife in any way that he can as they prepare for the child’s birth. His pending father life is currently outranking wrestler life when it comes to his thought process as of now.
For the time being, Gargano will remain outside of wrestling until he experiences the birth of his child. At that point, he will decide on a timetable for his return to the ring. When that will happen and where it will happen is not certain as of now.
Gargano Heard The Rumors (and Chants)
Johnny Gargano
Gargano noted on Twitter at the conclusion of AEW Dynamite that he heard the chants during the show and rumors that were present throughout the day and night on Wednesday.
I heard you and you have no idea how much it means to me that you're excited to see me back at it.
It's scary to step away because your insecurities say "they'll forget about you".. but you haven't forgotten and I promise that I will make it up to you asap. #JohnnyWrestling ?
“I heard you and you have no idea how much it means to me that you’re excited to see me back at it. It’s scary to step away because your insecurities say ‘they’ll forget about you’.. but you haven’t forgotten and I promise that I will make it up to you asap,” Gargano wrote.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Sammy Guevara has been upgraded from interim to undisputed status.
Going into the Jan. 26 Beach Break episode of Dynamite, Guevara was the interim AEW TNT Champion. Cody Rhodes was the main titleholder but something had to give on this night.
Wardlow has been on MJF’s side from his start in AEW but things haven’t been so good between these two Pinnacle members recently.
The company has been teasing a potential feud between these two talents for a while and the heavyweight star is not denying the possibility either.
During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Wardlow discussed how MJF loves adjusting his contract. He admitted that it has started to get under his skin:
“He loves adjusting my contract. He seems to make changes to it weekly, which is starting to get under my skin a little bit. But we’ve been together for two years, he pays me to watch his back. So, you know, that’s technically my job.”
Wardlow said that he will continue to do his job but on the question of a potential match with the Pinnacle leader, he claimed that his contract with MJF isn’t forever:
“So I will continue to do so as long as I’m under contract to do so. Because that’s my job. I do my job, and I do it well. But who knows what happens? I know that contract isn’t forever. So who knows what will happen down the road.”
MJF is currently feuding with CM Punk. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the culmination of the feud leads to the end of his association with Wardlow as well.
Now that his WWE contract has officially expired, Johnny Gargano is free to show up anywhere he wants to wrestle the people of his choice. He is certainly not backing away from naming the people he wants to get in the ring with. There are a couple of top AEW stars he seems to have his sight set on at the moment.
During a recent Twitch stream, Gargano offered his thoughts on the former AEW champion Kenny Omega. He said “I think Kenny Omega is one of, if not the, best wrestler in the world currently. I know that it is a legitimate dream match for a lot of people, me and Kenny, and it is definitely a dream match for me too.”
Gargano was later asked if he watched the Hangman Page vs Bryan Danielson AEW world championship match from the Winter Is Coming special of Dynamite. He replied positively before claiming that Danielson is the best wrestler in the world:
“I did. It was fantastic. They’re both amazingly talented and I wrestled Bryan twice on the Indies, both times for AIW in Cleveland. I [have] said time and time again that he’s the best wrestler in the world. I know I say a lot of people are one of the best wrestlers in the world. I truly believe that Bryan is the best wrestler in the world.”
Johnny Gargano Wants Rematch Against Bryan Danielson
Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano continued by saying that he can’t explain why he thinks Bryan is the best wrestler in the world. He claimed that you have to step in the ring with the former world champion to know, before expressing the desire of doing so himself:
“The guy for my personal opinion just because I have been in the ring with him. So, I kind of know from experience, I don’t know how to explain it or say why he’s the best wrestler in the world. You just got to be in there with him and you just know, like, you just know. Bryan is the best and it’s a shame that we never got a chance to have entangled in the last couple years but hopefully at some point down the line that can happen.”
Johnny Gargano ended his six years long stint with WWE earlier this month. He let his deal expire and chose not to re-sign with the promotion. His last bout was the WarGames match between Team Black and Gold and Team 2.0. The belief is that he will take some time off to be with his wife until the birth of their first child in February before making a decision about his future.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for the transcription
An AEW star says he nearly walked out of Stadium Stampede with one less finger.
The main event of Double or Nothing back in May 2021 featured a Stadium Stampede match between Inner Circle and The Pinnacle. A stipulation was in place and had Inner Circle lost the match, they would’ve disbanded.
Ultimately, Inner Circle won the match, which meant Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, and Proud N’ Powerful got to remain a faction.
Entrance Almost Led To Severed Finger
During an interview with Digital Spy, Ortiz of Proud N’ Powerful said that he nearly severed a finger during Inner Circle’s special entrance.
“I wasn’t wearing gloves. So when I jumped, out of instinct I grabbed the rope in front of me. But you have this carabiner hooked up and it’s like this thick metal carabiner, so with the slack of me getting pulled up, it cut my finger.
“So I actually wrestled the rest of Stadium Stampede with a bandage around my finger and it cut pretty deep – it left a scar.
“But I was like, ‘Man if I would have grabbed it differently my finger would have just went flying off but I would have had no choice but to do the entrance because it was one take, that’s it. But yeah, luckily I didn’t lose my finger.”
The entrance made for quite a visual, although many watching live were instantly concerned for the safety of the performers.
Luckily, nothing serious went down and all fingers remained intact.
Proud and Powerful shared that they also wanted to go their separate ways and believed that the group had accomplished all they could.
“…I just felt like we had done so much, and we have proven to be very successful at being the group and stuff, I just felt like it was it was time for all of us to, like you said, go our separate ways and start establishing our own selves and whatever we’re going to continue doing and stuff like that and then maybe eventually later down the line we could bring it back together for a major moment and rock and roll again,” said Santana.
Ortiz also believes that while the Inner Circle members have separate feuds sometimes, he likes the option to go back to being a faction.
WIll the Inner Circle Break Up Soon
The current storyline with the Inner Circle seems to be setting up disbanding. Eddie Kingston remarked that Proud and Powerful could be AEW Tag Team Champions if they weren’t with the Inner Circle. Both Santana and Ortiz walked away from Jericho during a backstage segment showing that they were having issues. In the interview with Chase, Proud and Powerful acknowledge that AEW could break up the faction soon, but it’s still speculative.
After praising her husband, Paquette responded to Ray’s critique about her husband’s return and that he believes that Moxley should’ve apologized to fans for taking time off. She didn’t want to address Ray’s comments, but she felt that Ray crossed the line talking about her husband.
“…The Bully Ray thing, I saw it all over my Twitter, and I was like, do I even address this? But it’s like that thing. People can talk sh*t about me all day long, whatever it’s fine. You talk sh*t about my husband. You talk sh*t about my family that becomes more personal for me,” said Paquette.
She said it also bothered her because she had a good relationship with Ray. Moxley appeared at Northeast Wrestling Wrestlefest 26 on January 22nd, which Ray also attended. However, it’s unclear if they have spoken to each other.
More on Paquette Response to Bully Ray Comments
Ray comment’s about Moxley, which bothered both wrestlers and fans. His SiriusXM Busted Open show co-worker Mark Henry also criticized Ray’s remarks about Moxley. While Ray has yet to apologize, Paquette is not expecting one. She also addressed Moxley’s decision to deal with his issues and that the wrestling business has a troubled history with wrestlers that suffered or died from addiction issues.
“…He wanted Jon to apologize to the fans, and it’s like yeah, he took time off to take care of himself. Him being there and having longevity in this business is plenty. The guy’s already put his body through the wringer with the job that he does,” said Paquette. She continued, “…Three months is also nothing in the scope of what wrestling is and also the scope of his life. Three months is nothing. So for him to go and do the things that he needed to do for himself, for our family, for our daughter, that’s for us. That’s for us, that’s not for anybody else, and I can not be more proud of him for doing that.”
“In a business that is so notorious with addiction issues, we’ve seen the untimely passing of so many wrestlers. It has been a thing that has affected the business for such a long time. It’s a stigma that comes with the business, so the fact that Jon is one of those guys in the spot that he is in, and he’s going against the grain and doing the things that he needs to do, I think, speaks volumes to the fans,” said Paquette.
Paquette made it clear that this is not an angle or a storyline. She also shared that Moxley wasn’t aware of Ray’s comments until she told him.
DDP knows what it’s like to work with Vince McMahon and Tony Khan.
Diamond Dallas Page, a former three-time WCW Champion, once worked under the WWE banner and has made multiple appearances for AEW. Knowing both McMahon and Khan, DDP has laid out what makes the billionaires special.
DDP On McMahon & Khan
Speaking to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, DDP dished out on the switch that Vince McMahon can flip at a moment’s notice.
“I think Vince is himself always. He can be the sweetest, most caring person and he can be that ruthless son of a b*tch [laughs].”
As for Tony Khan, DDP said that the AEW is as kind of a person as they come.
“Tony Khan is the most gracious, nicest — and I know a couple billionaires but he’s the most gracious, nicest guy.”
With that said, the former WCW star says fans shouldn’t be fooled in regards to who truly runs AEW TV.
“I’ve been there a number of times and he’s just very respectful. He knows it’s his show. What you’re watching is his sh*t. Cody has something to do with it and the other boys, Jericho and Kenny and those guys and The Bucks they’ve got something to do with it but it’s Tony’s f*cking show. Make no mistake about it.”
There was a report that Khan took over the reins of AEW’s creative direction following a heavily panned closing segment of Dynamite involving The Dark Order back in late 2019. Khan later confirmed that report.
McMahon has run the WWE empire for decades after his father handed him the keys to the kingdom. AEW is still new in the wrestling business, having only started in 2019.
McMahon is known for having a strong hand in the creative process and reportedly having scripts rewritten quite often.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
The feud between MJF and Wardlow has been simmering for a couple of years now. The two on-screen partners have been building up to a split for pretty much the entire duration of AEW — one of the longest term stories that the company has told.
That split seems to finally be coming sooner rather than later. We saw MJF cost Wardlow a match against CM Punk on Dynamite two weeks ago, and with Dynamite taking place in Wardlow’s hometown of Cleveland this week, many are wondering if we could see that split finally take place.
MJF continues to build up heat for that eventual turn, most recently Sunday afternoon on Twitter.
MJF took it upon himself to wish a Happy Birthday to Will Hobbs in a way that read like a shot to Wardlow.
“Happy birthday to the best big man in AEW by a country mile,” MJF wrote.
One can’t overstate just how well the build has been to the eventual moment when the turn for Wardlow against MJF takes place. The crowd is sure to give it a massive reaction, especially if it occurs in his hometown this week. Everyone involved in the story has built Wardlow up into a cool character with an unstoppable feel around him, including Punk in the match two weeks ago. Of course, MJF, the top heel in AEW and arguably the entire business, has played his role perfectly in the build throughout.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
One night after wrestling his first match for AEW in nearly three months on Rampage, Jon Moxley was back at it on Saturday night for Northeast Wrestling.
Moxley made a surprise appearance as part of Northeast Wrestling Wrestlefest 26 in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was a replacement for Jay Lethal. Moxley ended up wrestling, and defeating, Channing Thomas.
Check out some images from the event below courtesy of Twitter.
Moxley is in New York for Sunday night’s GCW PPV event at the Hammerstein Ballroom. At that show, titled The Wrld on GCW, Moxley will defend the GCW Heavyweight Championship against Homicide.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Mark Henry isn’t on board with Bully Ray’s recent take on Jon Moxley’s return promo.
Moxley was expected to make it to the finals of an AEW World Heavyweight Championship tournament. He likely would’ve gone one-on-one with Bryan Danielson. “MOX” ended up withdrawing from the tournament to enter an alcohol treatment program.
Jon Moxley Returns, Bully Ray Criticizes
Jon Moxley made his return on the Jan. 19 episode of Dynamite. Outside of one heckler who got verbally eviscerated by “MOX,” the crowd stood in silence to hear what Jon had to say. Moxley fired up the supportive fans and talked about how everyone has internal scars that they should be proud of.
Bully Ray took to Busted Open Radio to express his belief that Moxley was missing an apology in the speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy7H5V7KulY
“I would have liked to have heard just a little bit of accountability from Jon. I understand the whole demons thing and we always use the word demons as a creative word to get around the real issues.
“Whether it’s an alcohol issue, whether it’s a drug issue. In Tommy’s case, it’s an eating issue. Everybody has some kind of ‘demon’ that they have to get around.
“So, okay we have our ‘demons.’ These demons got the best of Jon for a time period where he had to step away from AEW. I would’ve liked to have heard him say a bit of an apology to the AEW fans.”
Mark Henry Comes To MOX’s Defense
Mark Henry, who works with Bully Ray on Busted Open, doesn’t agree with his colleague on the “MOX” promo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHVOP6wvCEE
“I have to disagree with our contemporary Bully Ray. He didn’t owe anybody an apology.”
Moxley was back in the ring on the Jan. 21 episode of Rampage. He defeated Ethan Page to get the show started. After the match, he had a staredown with Bryan Danielson.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article. Thanks to Putting You Over for the videos.
In a Tweet he posted this morning, Lio Rush has announced that he will become a free agent next month. He noted that his contract with AEW will expire on February 14th, 2022 and he’ll become a free agent after that.
The last time Rush wrestled on AEW programming was the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal on the December 8th, 2021 episode of Dynamite. He had also been involved in an angle where he had been mentoring Dante Martin. Team Taz seemingly then recruited Dante only for him to turn on them during the December 8th battle royal.
Rush recently appeared on a Fightful podcast, and noted that he considers himself something of a “lone wolf.”
“I will say this, and this is no secret, but this is just me pointing out the obvious. I’m a lone wolf. I go where I want. I like putting things on my resume. I like working in a lot of different places. I like wrestling anybody and everybody.”
“We’ve seen that ever since I left WWE. I’ve been in AAA, MLW, AEW, and New Japan. It’s (my independence) very important for my mental stability. I never really liked being stuck in one spot, especially if I don’t have control over that. I am on a deal with AEW. I’m also on a deal with New Japan. I’m also doing my own things back at home, so it’s pretty open ended and it’s just exciting.”
H/T To WrestlingNewsCO for the above transcriptions.
AEW is adding a couple “really strong female members” to its roster in the near future.
Serena Deeb appeared on the Reese Waters Show earlier this week. During the appearance, she hinted that some new faces are headed to AEW TV.
”I don’t know if I can say names yet, it we’ve just picked up a couple of really strong female members to the roster.”
– Serena Deeb
Especially with the introduction of the new TBS Championship held by Jade Cargill, it’s a great time to add some depth to the women’s division.
As for who will is joining AEW, there are a number of extremely talent women who are not ‘All Elite’ just yet. Possible additions to AEW in the weeks and months ahead include:
Athena (Ember Moon)
Mia Yim
Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox)
Toni Storm
Taya Valkyrie
Marina Shafir
Visit Audacy.com to check out the Reese Waters Show.
Ric Flair believes that CM Punk would benefit from not giving his opponents a lot of offense in the midst of a program.
Punk is currently feuding with MJF on AEW TV. The two have traded barbs for weeks but the match doesn’t have an official date.
Some have questioned the booking of Punk’s matches in AEW. He’s given a lot of offense to his opposition, something MJF has used in storyline claiming Punk is struggling against guys he should be dominating.
Many were critical of Punk’s match with MJF’s bodyguard Wardlow on the Jan. 12 episode of Dynamite. Wardlow basically dismantled Punk before being pinned by a fluke roll-up.
At the end of the match, the attention was more on Wardlow than it was on Punk, who still hasn’t had his match with MJF.
Ric Flair On CM Punk Giving Too Much
Taking to his WOOOOO Nation UNCENSORED podcast, Ric Flair expressed his belief that CM Punk shouldn’t be as generous in his matches when he needs to build a feud.
“If Punk is arguably their top star, I would always just keep him — he’s already proved that he can work his ass off, right?
“I would always keep him in matches on TV where he took more of the match going into an angle like he is right now with the other guy. Considering that he’s gonna have to get up, make a promo with MJF and all that I just would’ve shortened it up.
“I think he’s being overgenerous. That doesn’t make him a bad guy. That would’ve been my style forever too but I just think he’s going into this big program he doesn’t need to be quite as generous.”
Wardlow splitting from MJF has been a story that’s been brewing for quite a while. While many feel Wardlow is destined to be a star, many also believe the momentum of Punk vs. MJF has been squandered.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
There will be no RPG Vice reunion on tonight’s episode of Rampage. Rocky Romero revealed on social media that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off the show. Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta) were scheduled to face Matt & Nick Jackson the Young Bucks.
“Sorry everyone… Gonna have push back the RPG Vice reunion. COVID got me. Currently I’m feeling very mild symptoms. I’m vaxed and boosted so should kick right out of this!!” Romero posted on Twitter.
Sorry everyone… Gonna have push back the RPG Vice reunion. COVID got me. Currently I’m feeling very mild symptoms. I’m vaxed and boosted so should kick right out of this!!
— ROCKY ROMERO?? ?? ?? ??“Chico El Luchador” (@azucarRoc) January 21, 2022
As of this writing, it is not clear if a replacement match will take place on the show or if Romero will be replaced by a member of the Best Friends in the match.
Other matches scheduled for tonight’s Rampage from Washington include:
TBS Championship Jade Cargill (c) vs Anna Jay
Jon Moxley vs Ethan Page
Seprentico vs HOOK
Then scheduled for next week’s edition of Dynamite from Cleveland:
Lights Out Match Adam Cole vs Orange Cassidy
TNT Championship Ladder Match Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Sammy Guevara
Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet
2point0 (Jeff Parker & Matt Lee) & Daniel Garcia vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Ortiz & Santana)
The last time that Beretta and Romero wrestled together in a 2-on-2 tag team match was the January 30th, 2019 NJPW in the USA show in Los Angeles. They lost to David Finlay & Tracy Williams that night.
The Interesting History of the Lockjaw/Mandible Claw
Interestingly enough, Dr. Britt Baker DMD is not the first doctor to use this move in wrestling. The move is a variation of “The Mandibular Nerve Pinch” used by osteopathic physician-turned-wrestler Sam Sheppard in the 1960s. Sheppard was the subject of the 1993 movie “The Fugitive”. He was accused and later exonerated of having murdered his wife in a high-profile case. Sheppard later capitalized on the publicity of his case and became a professional wrestler.
As he was a doctor, he used the Mandibular Nerve Pinch and the claim was that his medical knowledge allowed him to know all the sensitive nerves in the mouth. Perhaps it is Britt Baker’s dentistry knowledge that allows her to effectively deliver the move as well.
The man who popularized the "Mandible Claw":Dr.Sam Sheppard.Sheppard wrestled in 1969-70 after being acquitted of murder in 1964 pic.twitter.com/QRBfpH040z
Mick Foley would later adopt and popularize the move when he became Mankind in WWE.
The inventor of the mandible claw, “Killer” Sam Sheppard was born on this day in 1923. A neurosurgeon convicted of murdering his wife, Sheppard became a pro wrestler after being released from prison. He was the inspiration for TV series & film, The Fugitive. #ProWrestlingpic.twitter.com/PI6zrvsBqJ
Britt Baker would later speak to Chris Van Vliet about what led to her using the move.
“It was in the [Casino Battle Royale] where I had the idea of eliminating, I think Shazza [McKenzie], with the Mandible Claw over the top. I remember asking Tony [Khan] and he’s like, ‘Why wouldn’t you use the Mandible Claw? You’re a dentist. That’s great.’ Then I had the idea of using the modified Rings of Saturn while grabbing on. It was Excalibur who came up with the name. I started doing it and everyone’s first instinct are the buzzword dental words like root canal.”
Jim Ross has been making use of wheelchairs whenever he has to move around airports.
JR is the voice of AEW. He serves as the play-by-play ace for Dynamite every Wednesday night. There was a brief period where Ross had to step away from the booth due to radiation treatments but now he’s cancer-free and back to work.
Jim Ross On Using Wheelchairs
Jim Ross had skin cancer on his ankle and the radiation treatments were quite painful for the legend. During an episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said traveling hasn’t been fun as his ankle continues to heal.
“I’ve had to tolerate a lot of pain and flying is the sh*ts. We all gotta be careful. When I go to get on the plane I make sure I got plenty of salve on my burn and that I have it wrapped and protected, but boy it’s a pain in the ass to fly.”
The pain is bad enough to where JR has used wheelchairs at the airport to take a load off.
“You know what I’ve been doing, Conrad? People are gonna probably laugh at me and some of them seen me go through the airports. I’ve been ordering a wheelchair.
“Well, walking is a killer, kills it. So, I’ve been getting a wheelchair at the airport on both ends. They pick me up, my driver picks me up here at home, takes me to the airport where I meet my wheelchair guy.”
Ross says that his ankle has been doing much better over the past week. JR also joked that his “wheelchair guy” is quite fond of him thanks to his generous tipping.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
Rey Fenix and Eddie Kingston are currently on the shelf due to injuries. According to a recent update from the Wrestling Observer, AEW is hoping to have them both back by mid-February.
In the case of Eddie Kingston, he suffered a broken orbital bone recently. It’s not clear how or when Kingston suffered the injury, however. Tony Khan revealed the news at the most recent AEW Dark tapings in Orlando. Kingston is expected back in roughly 3 weeks.
As for Rey Fenix, he suffered a nasty-looking arm injury in the Lucha Bros title loss to Jurassic Express on January 5th. After being chokeslammed through a table by Luchasaurus, Fenix’s arm bent the wrong way. Tests would reveal it was just badly dislocated, however, and he did not suffer a break. AEW is expecting him back in mid-February as well.
Kingston is involved in a budding rivalry with Chris Jericho that also involves Santana and Ortiz. Last night on Dynamite, Santana & Ortiz seemed to agree with sentiment Kingston had expressed about Jericho being the reason they aren’t the AEW tag team champions.
“Hopeful for mid-February. So not out as long as we perhaps feared when we first saw the injury,"
Fenix is involved in an angle with Death Triangle and the House of Black at the moment. PAC sent a video message to Malakai Black and Brody King this week that implied the injuries he suffered from Black’s mist have healed and he will be coming back soon.
