Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) put the WWE NXT Tag Team Titles against The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston) at Saturday’s WWE NXT Deadline.
Prince and Kingston had a twerk off. Woods got a tag and did some springboard spots with Kingston. Woods with a headkick then a spring board DDT for 2. Both teams did the Eddie Guerrero spot with the title and all four stars were down on the ground. Kingston connected with a double foot stomp off the top rope to Prince for the win to become the NEW champions.
WWE set up this bout during this past Tuesday’s episode of NXT when Pretty Deadly were in the ring reading their version of A Christmas Story. Once they were done reading their poem, The New Day came out as they wanted to challenge them to a match.
The two teams eventually got into a braw. The New Day gained the upper hand after putting Christmas presents on top of Pretty Deadly’s heads and superkicking them off the apron and to the floor.
At Worlds Collide in September, Pretty Deadly defeated the Creed Brothers, Gallus and Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Elimination Match to unify the NXT and NXT UK Tag Team Championships.
Zoey Stark vs. Cora Jade vs. Kiana James vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Indi Hartwell competed in the first-ever Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match at Saturday’s WWE NXT Deadline.
The way the match was five stars competed in the match that would last 25 minutes where they would battle each other and the clock. Two stars started the match and every five minutes a new star entered the bout until all five were in the ring.
The goal was to have the most falls (pinfalls, submission, DQ) by the time the clock hits 25 minutes. Each fall a star earned they get one penalty while if a star lost a fall then they had to enter a penalty box for 90 seconds.
The match opened the show and Stark and Perez started things off. James was the third star in the bout. Stark hit a superkick on Perez for the first fall. The fourth star was Jade.
Jade rolled up James for a pinfall before Hartwell hit a big boot to Perez for a pinfall.Perez rolled up Stark for a pinfall. There were a lot of dives to the floor. Perez with a sunset flip powerbomb to Jade for a pinfall. Perez won the match with two falls.
Those in New Japan Pro Wrestling only found out about Sasha Banks’ impending Wrestle Kingdom appearance when they read the news online.
This week, it was reported that Banks will be attending the January 4, 2023, event, but it is unclear if she will be competing, appearing on-screen, or just being present at the show.
Banks has been suspended from WWE programming since May after she and Naomi walked out of an episode of Raw over a creative dispute.
In the Dark
Banks’ involvement with New Japan is huge news given that she remains under contract with WWE.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that everyone he spoke to in New Japan was not told that the Boss would be at the show.
“There’s nobody there that knew anything about it… including some big insiders.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer added that the winner of the IWGP Women’s Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom between champion KAIRI and challenger Tam Nakano will have their next title defense in San Jose.
Next Stop, AEW?
Banks could be competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling soon enough, but many have speculated whether AEW is next on her list.
Fightful Select reported this week that some in Tony Khan’s promotion believe Banks at Wrestle Kingdom is a sign that her WWE contract is up.
One source who wished to remain anonymous said they believe bringing Banks in could turn around AEW’s dwindling ratings compared to previous years.
Some have suggested that Banks could be Saraya’s mystery partner for her January 11, tag match against AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker.
It was Banks’ kick that would cause the neck injury that cost Saraya nearly five years of in-ring action.
Wrestling fans aren’t always very welcoming of outside celebrities that cross over to the wrestling world. However, in recent times, we have seen a number of people breaking through and earning the respect of the fans. One such performer is Logan Paul and Shawn Michaels believes that his drive to actually be good at the sport is the reason behind his success.
The Heartbreak Kid recently appeared on Notsam Wrestling podcast. During the interview, he was asked what has helped Logan Paul gain the respect of the community. The former world champion explained that the YouTube star understands the psychology of the fans and he is ready to put in the work:
“He’s just got such a real drive. He understands. He’s a bright kid.” said Shawn Michaels, “He understands [that] ‘I’m an outsider. They’re gonna take me this way. I’ve got no problem earning my stripes. The best way I could do that is to be good at this. I will give it the time and the effort.’ Even in the midst of an extremely busy schedule.
He’s got a lot going on in his life. He’s another person again, I guess you could arguably say he doesn’t need to be choosing to do this. But he is and he has a great deal of respect for it. I think that’s what really helps as well.”
Logan Paul made his wrestling debut at WrestleMania 38 and he has wrestled only three matches since then. Though he has managed to impress people with his performance. Paul’s match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel has especially helped him gain the respect of the WWE Universe.
You can check out Shawn Michaels’ full interview below:
Bray Wyatt may be a mysterious, enigmatic figure on WWE TV, but the former Universal Champion recently broke character to speak about his uncle.
Earlier this month, Barry Windham suffered a heart attack when traveling through the Atlanta airport and was later transported to an intensive care unit.
This week, it was reported by Mika Rotunda, Windham’s niece and sister of Bray, that the wrestling legend has been stabilized and out of the ICU.
Wyatt’s Message
Taking to Instagram, Wyatt spoke about his uncle, who is the namesake for his real name Windham Rotunda.
In the video, Wyatt thanked a “random citizen” who delivered CPR to Windham before EMTs were able to get to him.
“I want to thank one specific man, Michael Todd Lalic, who was there, a random citizen, and he gave him CPR in there throughout that entire time before everyone else and the EMTs can get to him, and he stayed with him, and he’s the reason that we have Barry still, he’s alive, he’s with us. “
Bray Wyatt.
Wyatt added that his uncle has given his life to professional wrestling, and spoke about his sister’s GoFundMe page to help cover medical bills.
“My sister set up a GoFundMe in his name and not obligated to share, no one is obligated to share anything. But if you could, that would be incredibly helpful. “
WWE has given its biggest tease yet that Cody Rhodes will be back in time for WrestleMania 39, incorporating the American Nightmare in a commercial shoot for the event.
Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April of this year, 46 days after announcing his departure from All Elite Wrestling.
The American Nightmare would defeat Seth Rollins at the show of shows and would pick up wins over the Architect at WrestleMania Backlash and WWE Hell in a Cell.
The Commercial
Hours prior to Hell in a Cell, Rhodes suffered a torn pectoral muscle which has kept the former AEW TNT Champion on the shelf ever since.
On Thursday of this week, WWE filmed a commercial for WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, which featured The Miz wrestling Rhodes, Fightful Select reports.
They add that while this may not have been Cody himself, it was “at least someone dressed up exactly like him.”
WWE fully expects to have Cody Rhodes back in time for WrestleMania, which a source who spoke to Fightful said was never really in doubt.
Fightful was told that Maryse was supposed to be in attendance as well, though they aren’t sure if it was for a specific commercial spot or just to be there with her husband.
The Royal Rumble
When Cody went down with his injury, WWE reported that he would be out for nine months, giving him a March 2023 return date.
Immediately, fans were suspicious, and many believe that Rhodes will return as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match, and is a favorite to win.
It was reported this week that WWE is considering having Roman Reigns defend the WWE and Universal Championships separately at WrestleMania 39, with Rhodes being one of his opponents.
In his emotional promo on the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw, Rhodes vowed to become WWE Champion to fulfill a promise to his late father.
The story of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline is one of the top acts of not only WWE but the wrestling world right now. The Miz believes that he is the ‘Michael Scott’ of WWE because a show can easily be built around him.
The former WWE champion recently joined Brian Baumgartner for his Off The Beat podcast. Baumgartner is known for his role of Kevin Malone in the Office series. He asked the WWE star which characters from the series he would compare himself to. The Miz mentioned how he would want to be Michael Scott but it doesn’t fit his life:
“I’d wanna be Michael Scott, to be honest. But here’s the thing though, I can’t be Michael Scott. Because I feel like I’m Jim [Halpert]. Because on Miz and Mrs, which is my reality show on the USA Network, I do the Jim look to the camera almost every episode.
The reason I do that – so I love what Greg Daniels in all your interviews with all the different characters, the crew, the cast, you know, from your makeup people, the casting directors, I loved all those interviews to hear the insights of reasonings on why. I believe the reason that Jim would look at the camera is because it’s so absurd that someone needs to bring reality to this. ‘Is this really happening?’ kind of look, and Jim would always have that look.
‘I Have To Give That Jim Look’: The Miz
The Miz continued the explanation saying that absurd things happen in his day-to-day life so he relates to Jim more. As for Michael Scott, the former IC champion compared him to none other than Sami Zayn:
“So in my reality show, if something so absurd is happening, and trust me, in my real day to day life, absurd things happen that you won’t believe is happening, but it really is. So I have to give that Jim look to the camera to show ‘I’m in on this with you. I know this is ridiculous, but it’s really funny.’ So I kind of stole that from the office because I love the show so much. So I would say I’m Jim.
Michael Scott is the lead. Every story can revolve around him, right? So I would say gosh, it’d have to be like Roman Reigns or a John Cena. Granted it’s not the comedy aspect of [the character], it’s not the airhead aspect of it. I wouldn’t call him airhead but you know what I’m talking about like, he’s just so absurd. So I would say as a lead actor, you’d have to have like a Cena or Roman Reigns as your Michael Scott. But with the comedy aspect, I mean Sami Zayn is doing some really funny stuff in WWE. The whole show can revolve around his character, so he could also be that Michael Scott.”
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle celebrated his 54th birthday on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
The Olympic gold medalist recently appeared on an episode of RAW from Pittsburgh and shared some milk with the Street Profits after they defeated Alpha Academy. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown also aired from Angle’s hometown of Pittsburgh and Kurt was at the show to celebrate with the WWE Universe.
Angle had a party backstage throughout the show and had a family reunion with his storyline son, Jason Jordan. Jason presented Angle with a card and the two shared a hug backstage. Gable Steveson was also with Angle for most of the show.
At the conclusion of WWE SmackDown, Kurt Angle made his way to the ring alone to celebrate with the crowd. There was a giant cake already set up in the ring and Alpha Academy interrupted. They were not on Angle’s guest list for the backstage party and they got revenge by bulling the WWE legend out of the ring.
Gable Steveson made the save in a milk truck and Kurt spayed Otis and Chad Gable down to end this week’s edition of SmackDown.
After WWE SmackDown went off the air, Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration continued with Triple H, Rey Mysterio and the SmackDown locker room in the ring.
Kurt addressed the crowd and told them to have a great night. Rey Mysterio grabbed the microphone and said that Angle’s night isn’t over yet. Mysterio joked that no matter what, Kurt Angle will always suck before leading the WWE Universe to sing him a happy birthday. Triple H then posed with Kurt Angle on the entrance ramp.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle appeared on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown to celebrate his 54th birthday.
SmackDown aired live from the PPG Paints Arena in Angle’s hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kurt held a party throughout the show backstage and seemingly everyone could get in besides Alpha Academy.
At the end of the show, Kurt told fellow Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson that he was going to head to the ring alone. Angle made his way to the ring where there was a giant cake already set up for him.
Alpha Academy immediately interrupted and Chad scolded Angle for not inviting them to his birthday party. Gable added that if Kurt doesn’t get out of the ring he’s going to suffer another broken neck.
Kurt exited the ring but stopped on the entrance ramp. Gable Steveson showed up in a milk truck and they started throwing milk cartons at Alpha Academy. Angle then sprayed Otis and Chad with the hose and posed with Gable Steveston to close the show.
After SmackDown went off the air, Triple H took to Twitter and posted a photo with Kurt Angle. The Game said they had to bring back the milk truck for his birthday.
Kurt Angle also reunited with his long-lost son, Jason Jordan, during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Jason presented his storyline father with a greatest dad greeting card and they shared a hug backstage.
The Usos were supposed to defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Elias and Matt Riddle on WWE RAW, but The Bloodline attacked Elias before the match.
Kevin Owens was announced as Elias’ replacement in the match but The Usos still picked up the win this past Monday. After the match, Solo Sikoa brutally beat Matt Riddle down and he was stretchered out of the arena.
During the tag title match tonight on WWE SmackDown, Michael Cole announced that Matt Riddle is expected to be out of action for six weeks due to the attack from Solo Sikoa this past Monday night.
Michael Cole says Matt Riddle is expected to be out of action for six weeks after Solo Sikoa’s attack on him from RAW. #SmackDown
Sami Zayn is Set for a Big Night Next Week on SmackDown
The Usos successfully defended the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships for the second time this week to kick off this week’s episode of SmackDown.
Jimmy and Jey were initially supposed to defend the titles against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre tonight on the blue brand. McIntyre announced that he was not medically cleared and Butch was his replacement. The Usos defeated The Brawling Brutes to retain the titles. After the match, Jey had a conversation with Sami Zayn backstage.
Jey told Sami that he should trim up his beard and look nice for Roman Reigns’ return next week. Uso said it will be a big night for Sami Zayn next Friday after he led The Bloodline to victory at Survivor Series WarGames.
Hmmm next Friday is going to be a big night for @SamiZayn?
WWE is looking to line up its next reality show after finding success with past series such as Tough Enough, Total Divas, Miz & Mrs, and Total Bellas.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE is in talks with E! about a new reality show.
Meltzer said, “they are looking for legitimate wrestling couples, so some upcoming signings could relate to that if the project is finalized.”
Meltzer noted that Matt Cardona’s name was mentioned as a possibility because of Chelsea Green’s expected return to WWE. Green’s husband, Cardona, previously wrestled under the Zack Ryder name in WWE before he was released in April 2020.
Past Success
Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green
Cardona completely reinvented himself when he started working on the indies. He also found success in Impact Wrestling, NWA, GCW and other promotions over the past two years. Cardona is set to challenge for the NWA World title at the company’s unannounced next pay-per-view.
WWE and E! have worked together on several different projects over the years. Total Divas ran for more than six years, from July 2013 to December 2019, before doing the Total Bellas spinoff, which ran from October 2016 through January 2021.
WWE announced they are working on a Bianca Belair/Montez Ford show for Hulu last month.
John Cena will come home to WWE for the second time this year. He was on RAW in June to celebrate his 20th anniversary in the company. He will be appearing on the final SmackDown of the year. The show will be live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL on December 30.
According to Variety, the announcements of Cena’s return will begin airing in a few weeks. No further details are known at this time.
John Cena at WrestleMania 39
There’s been speculation that Cena will wrestle at WrestleMania 39. The “Show of Shows” will take place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2, 2023.
Shawn Michaels was part of many iconic moments during his wrestling career. From achieving his boyhood dream to his matches with The Undertaker, HBK always knew how to bring out the emotion from the crowd and create a lasting memory. One such moment people still remember to this day is his WrestleMania XXIV match against Ric Flair. Michaels defeated Ric to end his WWE career and the ending of the bout is considered one of the most iconic moments in the history of the business.
The former world champion recently appeared on Notsam Wrestling podcast. Among other things he also talked about this match and revealed that he actually came up with the plans for this bout in the middle of the night:
“That particular match was something that came to me in the middle of the night. I woke up out of sleep. I think it was like two o’clock in the morning, [I] got up out of bed, and then just went to the table and started writing. Then I’m coming down to the end of it. Those thoughts that are in my head and of course, like a movie [I get] a little teardrop. I’m like ‘Oh my goodness. Is this too like namby pamby?’
I mean, wrestling audience, they can be tough. I just thought, ‘oh, I don’t know.’ But again, because it was so emotional for me because I knew where Ric was at that time, and I knew how important it was to him. It was genuinely important to me because it was important to him.”
‘It Was My Chance’: Shawn Michaels
The WWE Hall of Famer explained that even though he wasn’t sure about the crowd reaction, he decided to share the idea for the ending. Shawn Michaels revealed how Ric Flair reacted to it and who was the person who helped him perfect it:
“I wanted this to be really unbelievably special for him. It’s my chance for him to say of all the great matches he’s had, my best one was with Shawn Michaels. At whatever age he was at that time 56 or something. So there were a number of reasons I wanted it to go well, but then you’re looking at this ending and it’s like, sounds like a love story and that may not really go over well with a tough crowd. But I kept it.
I presented that to Michael Hayes and Ric when we got there to WrestleMania. Ric just patted me on the leg and goes ‘Thank you.’ and I was still waiting, like, does that thank you [mean] it’s good or is that [not]? Then I ask Michael and he’s the one that helps. Now he starts to think about framing it and making it what it turned out to be.”
You can check out Shawn Michaels’ full interview below:
Sasha Banks and Bayley are slated to reunite next week.
Bayley announced via Instagram that Banks would be part of her charity stream on December 14 to benefit the Family Giving Tree. The two stars are former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and have been good friends for years as part of the WWE Four Horsewomen.
Banks walked out of WWE alongside Naomi due to creative differences. While WWE and Banks had talks regarding a return, it’s been reported that the talks have stalled due to money. She is reportedly set to attend NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Bayley’s Announcement
(via WWE)
“You’re welcomeeee!…. Because my 3rd guest joining me on IG live Dec 14 to benefit @familygivingtree is the one and only @themercedesvarnado. A main event of Wrestlemania, a star in The Mandalorian, killing the runways on Fashion weeks, co-owner of an award winning CBD company (@kanndelabs), and that’s all I’ll say for now because she’s gonna get a big head over this.
The best thing about having her on is that Mercedes asked ME to be a part of this interview to help spread the love.
Please join us next Wednesday, Dec. 14, as I’ll be hanging out with some amazing people. We can share some hot cocoa, answer some questions you may have, play games, and enter to win raffles! Click the link in my bio to see how you can contribute to @familygivingtree this year.”
Bayley is currently part of WWE Raw as a member of Damage CTRL alongside Dakota Kai & IYO SKY.
‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ Saturday and Sunday, April 1 & 2 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. We’re still aboutfour months out, but planning is already underway for WWE’s biggest premium live event of 2023.
Nothing is set in stone at this stage. Several factors will determine WrestleMania’s top programs, most notably Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s availability. WWE is not expected to finalize WrestleMania plans until mid-January, in the lead-up to the Royal Rumble.
That said, it’s still interesting to see what’s being considered. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there are two main ideas in play for WrestleMania.
It goes without saying that WrestleMania will be built around the promotion’s marquee attraction, Roman Reigns. WWE is so high on the Tribal Chief’s drawing power that he could be called upon to pull ‘double duty’ and headline both nights.
There’s no guarantee that things will play out this way, however:
“One of the things talked about internally in WWE is for Reigns to wrestle both nights at Mania, with the working ideas being Cody Rhodes and Dwayne Johnson.
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Two World Titles
In addition to those matches, WWE has renewed discussions about splitting up Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The main benefit of a singular champion is that fans have no question about the best wrestler in WWE. When you have multiple world champions, that distinction becomes diluted.
The drawback is that it’s difficult for one man to appear on both Raw and SmackDown. The world championship is a draw, and you can be sure WWE’s television partners (Fox and USA Network) both want a world champion on their shows.
WWE will pull out all the stops to ensure WrestleMania 39 is a commercial success. Here are some of our recent articles about
The Miz is one of those WWE superstars that doesn’t just stay confined to the wrestling business. He was a reality star even before stepping foot in WWE. The former world champion has continued to make a name outside of the wrestling business even after becoming a WWE superstar and bringing new eyes to the product with different ventures. One such venture where he has found great success is his acting career and it appears that some advice from The Rock helped him with it.
The A Lister recently appeared on Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner. He talked about things such as his time before WWE, how he got started in wrestling and more. Discussing his start in the movie business, The Miz recalled how he asked The Rock for advice right before his very first shoot:
“I texted him and said, ‘Hey man, I’m about to start my first movie, getting ready to do my first scene. Is there any advice you can give me’” recalled The Miz, “He called me.
He was like, ‘Dude, the best thing that I could tell you and help you out with is just be natural, and it’s gonna sound so easy and so weird, but once you get there, there’s gonna be three or four cameras, you’re gonna have to hit a spot that you can’t look at, you can’t look at the spot. You have to be normal and natural. It’s action and you have to just make it feel [real].’ It was great advice. Because sometimes you see in acting, you’ll see a robotic kind of portrayal. I didn’t want to do that.”
Ricochet’s pushes may have been stop-and-start, but there’s no denying the high-flyer’s ability in the ring.
After establishing himself on the independents, Ricochet signed with WWE in January 2018 and debuted for NXT as part of the front-row at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia that same month.
The One and Only is the first (and to date, only) person to hold the NXT North American Championship, Raw’s United States Championship and SmackDown’s Intercontinental Championship.
Complete
While Ricochet has had the occasional push in WWE, he is part of a stacked roster, and often finds himself being overlooked for other stars.
Speaking on the latest episode of WWE After the Bell, Ricochet wasn’t afraid to tout his accomplishments and called himself the most complete name on the roster.
“You look at your Austin Theorys and you look at all these guys who look the part as the complete all-around package. But when you get me in there, there is really no one as complete as me.
“there is really no one as complete as me.”
Ricochet.
“I know I’m not as strong as Bobby Lashley, but I can still squat 400-plus pounds. I’m probably not as fast as some of these guys, but I’m just as fast if not faster than almost everybody else. If you’re looking for a complete package, especially in that ring. Don’t look any further than Ricochet.”
Mental Games
Because he is often overlooked, Ricochet can go weeks, or even months, sat backstage in catering.
Speaking about waiting to be used, Ricochet explained how getting in your own head can often prove to be as difficult as anything in the ring.
“There’s always a physical game that you have to play, and then there’s a mental game you have to play. That’s with any business, with any high-class thing you’re trying to do. Going out there and doing the actual matches and all the physical parts of it, of course, that’s going to be work.
“But a lot of it is backstage. It’s biding the right time, it’s waiting for your moment, your opportunity. Or in some cases, creating your moment. Creating your opportunity. Asking the right people. That’s also work, because it’s taxing on your mind, because you get to thinking about your past, and your future. It’s a lot of mental exhaustion sometimes.”
Ricochet recently won the WWE SmackDown World Cup Tournament, defeating Mustafa Ali and Braun Strowman before beating Santos Escobar in the finals.
The One and Only will challenge Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who won the title from Ricochet in June, on tonight’s SmackDown.
The Miz has had a career in WWE that few wrestlers could only dream of, but that was never the original plan.
Debuting as part of 2004’s Tough Enough, the future two-time WWE Grand Slam winner would come second, losing out to Daniel Puder.
In 2006, The Miz was introduced as the host of WWE Friday Night SmackDown but would quickly transition into a wrestling role.
Commentary
One of Miz’s talents that has made him such a versatile asset to WWE is his ability to cut a promo.
Speaking to Off the Beat, Miz explained that WWE recognized his talents on the microphone, but initially had no plans for him to wrestle.
“They were like, ‘You impressed us so much that maybe there is something for you here.’ They brought me up to Connecticut to commentate. Joey Styles brought me up with Todd Grisham and Michael Cole, they brought me up and I had to do a take of commentating. They told me, ‘we might bring you in as a commentator or interviewer.’”
“‘We might bring you in as a commentator or interviewer.’”
WWE’s reaction to The Miz impressing them in 2004.
The A-Lister added that after pleading his case, saying he wanted to be bigger than The Rock and Hulk Hogan, WWE allowed him a developmental deal.
Decisions
Now under a developmental deal, Miz reported to Deep South Wrestling, the promotion’s training facility at the time.
Speaking about his experience in DSW, the WWE Superstar said that he quickly realized that being under contract was no guarantee of being successful.
“They didn’t think I was going to be much of anything, to be honest, you could kind of tell, ‘let’s see what we got here.’ They gave me this developmental contract and I was like, ‘I’m making more than this doing Real World and The Challenge. I’m not taking a pay cut to do this.’ I had to think about that.”
Miz added that he would eventually realize the importance of taking one step back in order to take two steps forward.
The A-Lister would become the first DSW Heavyweight Champion under WWE, winning a tournament and besting Mike Knox in the finals.
It was reported earlier today that Sasha Banks is heading to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year.
Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported that Mercedes Varnado (Banks) is reportedly set to appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.
“While it is unknown whether Varnado will be appearing before the live crowd, we are told that NJPW is bringing Varnado in to the event.”
According to a new report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW talent is excited about the possibility of The Boss coming to All Elite Wrestling.
AEW aired a segment on Rampage to set up a tag team match between Britt Baker & AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter versus Saraya & a mystery tag team partner for the January 11th episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles.
Sasha Banks has been rumored to be the mystery superstar a couple of times now. Many fans hoped that she would be the final superstar on Team Bianca at Survivor Series WarGames in her hometown but it was Becky Lynch instead. Now some fans and AEW talent are hoping that she’s Saraya’s partner on January 11th.
Fightful spoke with several AEW talent after the news earlier today about Mercedes reportedly appearing at Wrestle Kingdom. One source told Fightul that Sasha Banks joining AEW would be huge and referred to her as a potential anchor of the women’s division. The source added that Sasha Banks joining AEW would kickstart interest in the company and help viewership “significantly”.
The Boss will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Barmegeddon on January 2nd, 2023. The celebrity game show airs after WWE Raw on the USA Network.
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE during the May 16th edition of Raw. Sasha recently teased that the date she has been waiting for is coming and “something crazy” is going to happen.
NXT star Apollo Crews recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of CM Punk returning to WWE after his time in All Elite Wrestling appears to be coming to an end.
Former AEW Champion CM Punk is reportedly “ready to move on” but the hold-up is on AEW’s side. CM Punk recently posted an image from his WWE days on Instagram to fuel rumors he is returning to the promotion he has routinely disparaged after his exit in 2014.
Speaking with Nick Hausman of Wrestling Inc., Apollo shared his thoughts on CM Punk potentially returning to WWE in the future.
It’s not that I wouldn’t be happy or I wouldn’t be upset — I don’t know if I’d really feel any kind of way, honestly. It’s nothing against him personally or anything, but I don’t know…I think I’d just kind of be neutral with it. But again, extremely talented individual and only time will tell, right?
Apollo Crews will challenge Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship this Saturday night at NXT Deadline. During the interview, Crews vowed to defeat Breakker at the premium live event and become the new NXT Champion.
Saturday, “NXT” Champion. You’re looking at the new one! Saturday, Deadline 8:00 PM on Peacock. You can stream it live. Hey, I’m telling you, you guys, it’s not a game. Apollo Crews, new “NXT” Champion. Bron Breakker, like I said, I have nothing but love for you, and yeah, I’ll see you Saturday.
Apollo returned to NXT in June and claimed that he left too soon in 2016 and was back to correct history. He teamed with The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa to defeat former NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes and Grayson Waller in his first match back in NXT on June 7th.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H met former 24/7 Champion Bad Bunny for lunch today in Los Angeles.
Bad Bunny first appeared in WWE at Royal Rumble 2021 and performed his song “Booker T”, while the two-time Hall of Famer was standing on the entrance ramp with him.
He formed a tag team with Damian Priest and they defeated The Miz and John Morrison at Night 1 of WrestleMania 37. Bad Bunny captured the WWE 24/7 Championship from Akira Tozawa on the February 15th edition of the red brand.
He relinquished the title to R-Truth 28 days later in exchange for Stone Cold memorabilia. The 24/7 Championship has since been thrown in the trash by Nikki Cross and officially retired. Bad Bunny was impressive in the ring during his short time with the company and it will be interesting to see if he returns down the line.
The Game took to Twitter today and shared a photo with the popular musician. Triple H noted that Bad Bunny is so famous that he can just fly in for a lunch and leave.
@sanbenito is such a big star that when he drops in to have lunch… he just lands his plane in downtown L.A., eats and then takes off… #RockStarLife
Speaking at the Clash at the Castle press conference following the premium live event, Triple H noted that he was going to have a conversation with Bad Bunny very soon.
A little bit of a spoiler. He and I are gonna have a conversation very, very soon. It’s already scheduled. We’re gonna go and see what’s available. [He’s The] biggest music star in the world. So let’s go.
Over the past few years, there has been a trademark dispute between WWE and Ric Flair over The Man’ nickname as Becky Lynch has used it on television.
Flair stated that he owns the trademark ‘To Be the Man’ as he filed for it in 2019 and was not in agreement with ‘The Man’ being trademarked for Lynch by WWE.
Flair spoke highly of Seth Rollins on Busted Open Radio when his name was mentioned. He did note that he thinks Rollins is mad at him over the trademark situation.
Flair revealed that Rollins ignored him at a recent signing with The Undertaker as Rollins walked past him and did not speak. He agrees that Rollins should take Lynch’s side in the situation.
On The Situation
“And Seth Rollins is a damn good worker. He’s mad at me because I’ve been up and down with his wife but I don’t really care. He ain’t me [Flair laughed]. I can say that. He’s good but he ain’t me. I got no problem with saying that. He walked right by me at an autograph session. I thought, you gotta be kidding me. Because of you and Becky [Lynch] and this ‘Man’ trademark, you’re gonna ignore me pal? Wow. I went, ‘Okay.’ I’m sitting by Taker, I said, ‘I guess I’m on timeout.’ I’m not mad at him. Everybody should take their wife’s side in any debate there is… It’s not worth it. You’re gonna take their side and I totally understand that and as long as that’s come and gone but that was a sensitive point for me.”
Flair stated that he has been saying the term since 1981, but it doesn’t matter to him anymore because he’s too happy to be upset with anybody else.
Flair also commented on Rollins’ program with Cody Rhodes and credited him for being unselfish.
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks is reportedly headed to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom.
The Legit Boss is reportedly headed to Wrestle Kingdom 17, which takes place Wednesday, January 4 from the Tokyo Dome. The news was first reported by Mike Johnson of PWInsider and is based on several sources close to the situation.
“While it is unknown whether Varnado will be appearing before the live crowd, we are told that NJPW is bringing Varnado in to the event.”
Banks, real name Mercedes Varnado, has been playing something of a will-they/won’t-they with WWE ever since she and Naomi (Trinity Fatu) walked out of WWE, leaving the WWE Women Tag Team Titles on a desk (or, in the trash, if WWE hyberbole is to be believed).
Recently, Varnado has filed a number of trademarks related to her given and former name, including ‘Mercedes Mone’, Mone’ talks, Bank Mone’, and Statement Maker.
Back on October 16, Varnado whet wrestling fans’ appetites by teasing a match with Kairi Sane, the reigning (and inaugural) IWGP Women’s Champion.
The Statements Don’t Lie
Varnado is a multi-time WWE Women’s Champion, winning the WWE Raw Women’s Championship, the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship, the NXT Women’s Championship, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship (which, if WWE is to be believed, she ate a spaghetti dinner off of and then threw it off a mountain).
It’s unknown how, in fact, Varnado was actually able to walk out of her contract without any penalties or fines. It’s also unknown if she’ll actually be wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom, or simply making an appearance. Either way Varnado in any company is sure to make an impact (please dear God don’t let it be IMPACT).
Stay tuned to SEScoops as we provide updates on this developing story.
Since making the announcement, the former World Champion admits that his phone has been ringing nonstop with offers to wrestle. He even revealed that WWE has made offers themselves, but the circumstances just weren’t right at the time.
He did, however, note that he could be interested in doing a match for one of WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows. In regards to potentially competing in January’s Royal Rumble match, Booker T seems very interested, and is simply waiting on the call.
“I will be checking the mail everyday all the way up until that day, because if I get an invitation I’m definitely going to execute it, I’m definitely going to be there and I’m going to be prepared to be in the middle of the ring if that happens.
“But no, nobody’s talked to me or anything like that about being in the Rumble. I don’t have any itches to scratch or anything like that, but hey man, I’m always down.”
This year’s Royal Rumble event will take place from San Antonio, Texas, Booker’s home state. His presence would certainly be an electric one, as the Texas native is a six-time World Champion.
Vince McMahon may have once had big plans for Veer Mahaan, but right now, WWE is just trying to keep him from being injured.
After months of video vignettes, Mahaan made his Monday Night Raw debut on the post-WrestleMania 38 episode, attacking Rey and Dominik Mysterio.
Despite McMahon once believing he could be WWE’s next top monster heel, it has been months since Mahaan competed on the red brand.
Injury
In the wake of the change of management, Mahaan has been moved to WWE NXT, but hasn’t competed in weeks.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that Veer is currently dealing with a minor injury.
“Veer is injured, a very minor injury, but they’re still not letting him wrestle… Anybody else in this world would wrestle with this kind of injury. It’s like a broken finger or something, which people do work through all the time.”
Dave Meltzer.
The India show
This week, PW Insider reported that WWE will be hosting an event in India next month, marking the promotion’s return to the sub-continent in six years.
Meltzer explained that WWE doesn’t want to risk Veer or his tag-team partner getting injured, as they will play a huge role in the show’s appeal.
“They’re trying to protect him because Veer and Sanga have to be healthy for that India show that’s built all around them in mid-January and a lot of money is involved. So, they can’t risk him being hurt to miss that show.”
Dave Meltzer.
Despite both Veer and Sanga competing in NXT, the show will reportedly be a SmackDown branded event.
So far, no matches or talent have been confirmed for the show by WWE themselves.
