Monday Night Raw. For three decades, the red brand has welcomed wrestling fans every Monday night, with hours upon hours of action.

Tonight, WWE celebrates three decades of the red brand, and we’ve created a timeline of some essential viewing from Raw’s three decades of history.

Mr. Perfect Vs. Ric Flair (January 25, 1993)

On the third episode ever, Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair delivered a must-see match for any wrestling fan worth their salt. Perfect’s trademark Perfect-plex would secure Hennig the victory in this Loser Leaves WWF match and it’d be eight years before fans saw the Nature Boy again.

WWF Champion Bret Hart Vs. The 1-2-3 Kid (July 11, 1994)
The man fans would later know as X-Pac, Sean Waltman was the WWF’s resident underdog, but that didn’t stop him from pushing the Hitman to the limit, in what Jim Ross would call one of the greatest matches he’d ever seen.

Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (March 27, 1995)
A rematch from their WrestleMania X epic, the Hart brothers once again proved to be wrestling royalty with this No Holds Barred collision. On this occasion, it’d be Owen who would lose, tapping to his brother’s Sharpshooter, and Bret’s reluctance to break the hold would give fans a glimpse to a darker side of the Hitman.

The Undertaker Vs. Mankind (December 9, 1996)

Over a year and a half before their Hell in a Cell classic at King of the Ring 1998, Mankind and the Phenom gave fans a taste of what was to come in 1996. Meeting in No Holds Barred, the Undertaker emerged victorious, and even a random appearance by The Executioner post-match couldn’t spoil this forgotten classic.

Owen Hart Vs. The British Bulldog (March 3, 1997)

Brothers-in-law and the WWF Tag Champions, these connections didn’t stop Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith fighting tooth and nail to become the first European Champion. Fittingly taking place in Europe (Berlin, Germany to be exact) it was Bulldog who made history with a reversed roll-up.

WWF Champion Kane Vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (June 28, 1998)
One night after winning the very-first First Blood match, new WWF Champion Kane accepted a challenge for a rematch from Stone Cold. Kane’s reign may have ended after just one day, but he and the Rattlesnake had one of the greatest title matches in Raw history.

WWF Champion The Rock Vs. Mankind (January 4, 1999)
The same day as the Fingerpoke of doom which drove a nail in the coffin of WCW, Mick Foley’s dream culminated on Raw with his WWF title win. Throw in the talented Rock, DX and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and this match certainly put ‘butts in seats.’

WWF Champion Triple H Vs. Chris Jericho (April 17, 2000)

A controversial finish saw Chris Jericho become WWF Champion less than a year into his tenure with the company. The decision would not stand for long, but it was an epic night that showed Jericho knew how to play the Game.

WWF World Tag Team Champions ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin & Triple H Vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit (May 21, 2001)

The infamous match where Triple H suffered his first quad tear, this bout may not be for the squeamish, but the four men put on an excellent match. The fact that Triple H toughened it out and completed the match after the tear makes this an all time classic.

WWE Undisputed Champion The Undertaker Vs. Jeff Hardy (June 1, 2002)

Meeting in Hardy’s speciality, the Ladder match, it was the Deadman who was at a disadvantage on this night. That didn’t stop the American Badass from retaining, but it was Hardy who left with the respect of the Phenom and the fans.

World Heavyweight Champion Triple H Vs. Kane (June 23, 2003)
For years, fans wondered what Kane looked like under his mask, and on this fateful 2003 night, they got the answer. In this mask vs. title match, Triple H left with all the prizes, and it’d be RVD who’d feel Kane’s wrath post-match inside MSG.

Shelton Benjamin Vs. Triple H (March 29, 2004)
Mere days after being drafted to Raw, established tag-team wrestler Shelton Benjamin looked to make a huge first impression by facing Triple H. Fresh off losing the World Championship at WrestleMania 20, fans expected the Game to win, but it was all about the Benjamins on this night.

John Cena, Hulk Hogan & Shawn Michaels Vs. Christian, Chris Jericho & Tyson Tomko (June 27, 2005)

Our only six-man-tag match on this list, this match is worth viewing for the dream-team of Hogan, Michaels, and Cena. The three generations of top guys made for an epic main event trio in 2005.

WWE Champion Rob Van Dam Vs. Edge Vs. John Cena (July 3, 2006)

Oh RVD! It was all going so well for Mr. PPV until he was pulled over by police and arrested. Van Dam’s brief reign as WWE Champion ended on this night, but at least fans got to see an epic triple threat and a title change on Raw.

WWE Champion John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels (April 23, 2007)
John Cena’s third must-see match in a row (not bad for a guy who apparently can’t wrestle.) This non-title match started like any other, but as the match went on, fans knew this was special. A rematch from WrestleMania 23, Michaels got the win over Cena after close to an hour, proving Sweet Chin Music can come from nowhere.

Jeff Hardy Vs. Umaga (January 7, 2008)

The first Raw of 2007 would help set the tone for a huge year as two of the red brand’s most talented stars faced off in a cage. The ever-popular Hardy’s dive off the top of the cage would seal the deal and somehow make Jeff even more beloved by fans.

Chris Jericho & The Big Show Vs. Triple H & Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker & John Cena (November 16, 2009)

A match with six of WWE’s biggest ever Superstars, it was fitting that this bout happened inside Madison Square Garden. Cena and the Deadman may have gotten the win, but the post-match Tombstone on Big Match John proved that the Phenom was not there to make friends.

WWE Champion The Miz Vs. Jerry Lawler (November 30, 2010)

Meeting in a TLC match of all things, this bout seemed on paper to be the creation of a WWE 2K game gone wrong. Instead, Lawler held his own against the Miz in this title match, and would’ve won if not for Michael Cole. Not bad for the King, who had turned 60 just one day before the match.

Rey Mysterio Vs. The Miz (July 25, 2011)
Sure, Rey winning the vacant WWE Championship wasn’t a long reign, as he would lose the title to John Cena later in the show, but he and Miz put on a worthy title match and gave the fans a feel-good moment with one of WWE’s most beloved Superstars.

CM Punk Vs. Daniel Bryan (February 28, 2012)

A meeting of the WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion, this would have meant a lot no matter who was in the ring. The fact that this was two guys who had been told they’d never make it in WWE was the icing on the cake. Oh, and the match is great too!

John Cena Vs. CM Punk (February 25, 2013)

CM Punk’s reign as WWE Champion being ended by a part-timer irked fans for valid reasons, but his quest to regain the title gave us this fantastic match. Fans were wowed to see a piledriver on WWE TV in 2013, and though Punk didn’t earn a title match, this was a fitting epilogue on his epic reign.

Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns Vs. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (March 3, 2014)

Like their match at Elimination Chamber (which received ‘this is awesome’ chants before a single punch was thrown) The Shield Vs. the Wyatts II lived up to lofty expectations. After teases of dissension, this match proved the Hounds of Justice were stronger than ever, if only for a few more months…

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins Vs. Neville (August 3, 2015)

Responding to John Cena’s U.S. title open challenge, Seth Rollins laid out an open challenge of his own. While Neville (now PAC) didn’t leave with the gold, the gasp of excitement when fans thought he’d won with the Red Arrow makes this match worth seeing.

WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Sasha Banks (July 25, 2016)

The first Monday Night Raw of the post-draft era, fans were treated to seeing Sasha Banks capture the WWE Women’s Championship from the Queen. Banks was massively popular with fans at the time, and her win was a sign that she had arrived on the main roster.

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Bayley (February 13, 2017)

If Sasha Banks was popular at the time of her title win the prior year, then Bayley was a supernova of over with her 2017 victory. Dispatching of Dana Brooke at ringside, Bayley’s win would be the feel-good moment of the year.

‘Woken’ Matt Hardy Vs. Bray Wyatt (March 19, 2018)

At a tine when WWE was arguably it’s most stale, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt shook things up with the Ultimate Deletion. A drone, a lake and reincarnation and a cameo by Reby Hardy makes this one of the most bizarre, but must-see matches in Raw history.

Rey Mysterio Vs. Cesaro (May 13, 2019)

No titles were needed in this instant classic, which with no gold and no stipulation, has gone overlooked by fans. From the high-flying of Rey to Cesaro’s incredible counters, this match is just one whole match of highlights.

WWE Champion Randy Orton Vs. Drew McIntyre (November 16, 2020)

Drew McIntyre’s emotional return to WWE culminated with his WrestleMania 36 WWE Title win, albeit in front of zero fans. McIntyre carried WWE through unprecedented times, and was rewarded with his second title win on Raw in the Thunderdome. Here’s hoping he one day gets that big win in front of a real crowd.

Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor Vs. Kevin Owens Vs. Rey Mysterio (October 25, 2021)

A fatal-four-way ladder match? On Raw?! Yes please! Four of WWE’s most popular stars in recent years met in a truly stacked main event. Not only did the right person win (but we won’t spoil who) everybody had their chance to shine in this ladder match.

Raw Tag Team Champions Chad Gable & Otis Vs. Randy Orton & Matt Riddle Vs. Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins (March 7, 2022)

Not just a fantastic match in 2022, but this may hold the distinction as the best Raw opener ever! Three incredibly over teams showing just how good a Raw tag team division can be. RK-Bro’s victory and regaining the Raw Tag Titles was the perfect call!

Today, Brock Lesnar is both one of the most famous and most credible wrestlers in the world. Yes, he’s an eleven-time world champion and two-time WWE Royal Rumble winner, but his combat credentials go much deeper for a successful career in amateur wrestling that included an NCAA Division I Heavyweight Championship, as well as his past as a UFC Heavyweight Champion.

After main eventing WrestleManias, ending The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania, and so much more, it can be difficult to remember a time when Lesnar was a relative unknown. In 2002, the WWE machine got behind Lesnar like no talent before or since as he enjoyed a monster rookie year.

For most wrestlers winning the King of the Ring tournament marks a career highlight. For The Beast, it was just one milestone, often forgotten because he accomplished several bigger things in his first year in the business, not to mention his storied career to follow.

Brock Lesnar Defeated Four Established Stars To Win WWE King Of The Ring

Before the King of the Ring tournament, Brock Lesnar had already established himself as a force in WWE. His first appearances saw him decimate mid-card talents like Spike Dudley, Maven, and Al Snow in impromptu run ins, and his first major feud saw him single-handedly dispose of The Hardy Boyz. Winning the King of the Ring, however, marked Lesnar’s first formal accolade of his WWE career.

Lesnar won a tournament qualifying match on Raw, beating veteran Bubba Ray Dudley in under five minutes, and then handily defeated former WCW Champion Booker T in the quarterfinals to win his way onto the King of the Ring PPV. From there, Lesnar beat fellow big man Test and, most impressively at the time, Rob Van Dam in the tournament final. These victories shored up Lesnar as more than just another big guy who got an impressive debut, but rather someone WWE was positioning as a legit main eventer.

Brock Lesnar’s King Of The Ring Run Was Intended To Be Even More Epic

Three out of the four men Brock Lesnar beat in his King of the Ring run would go on to win world championships and wind up in the WWE Hall of Fame. That’s an impressive run for anyone. However, the plans were for Lesnar to pull off an even more shocking and noteworthy victory in his qualifying match.

Indeed, Lesnar’s first obstacle to qualify for the tournament was supposed to be Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin has discussed the matter at length, including on his podcast and WWE’s documentary Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time.

The match was presented an already discontented Rattlesnake at the relative last minute. He has consistently suggested he was fine with putting over Lesnar, but if he were to do so, it should have been in a heavily promoted PPV match, not a free TV bout that would damage Austin’s credibility without doing major business for WWE or even Lesnar himself.

Austin infamously walked out from WWE over this creative impasse—a choice that remains polarizing to this day. It’s nonetheless interesting imagine if Lesnar’s accomplishments in his first months had also included beating this additional all-time legend of the business.

Brock Lesnar’s King Of The Ring Run Was One Plot Point In A Sensational Summer

Though Brock Lesnar did not get to defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin on his road to becoming King of the Ring, The Beast did defeat two of the three other names that tend to come up most often in conversations of the biggest draws in WWE history. After winning the crown, it didn’t take long for Lesnar to be positioned as the number one contender to the WWE Championship.

Yes, The Next Big Thing officially lost to Rob Van Dam at the following month’s PPV, Vengeance, via disqualification. He bounced back, though, a couple weeks later when he not only defeated, but decimated Hulk Hogan in a match on SmackDown that saw Lesnar render him unconscious with a bear hug.

From there, Lesnar achieved new heights, becoming the youngest WWE Champion of all time—a record that still stands—when he beat The Rock in decisive fashion in the main event of SummerSlam.

WWE hardly ever pushes anyone the way they did Brock Lesnar over the summer of 2002. On one hand, one could read that as a knock on the company for not getting behind any stars like they did The Next Big Thing, but there’s also a legitimate case that Lesnar’s potential was truly unique and that he’s made good on it across two decades to follow.

Vince McMahon’s blunt force return to the executive chair of World Wrestling Entertainment’s board was inevitable. Outside a criminal conviction and Vince being put in prison, he was always coming back from the hush fund scandal.

The bump in the stock price over the last two working days shouldn’t fool anyone – McMahon doesn’t care about their best interests, and what he wants often conflicts with his own best interest. McMahon’s payoffs for various affairs with female employees had to be documented and accounted for with the Securities and Exchange Commission after he left WWE in the summer. Criminal allegations against McMahon for sexual assault have gone back to the 1980s, including various Non-Disclosure Agreements that former WWE employees have signed. As of now, four women have said McMahon forced them to perform oral sex on them. One worked at a tanning salon in Boca Raton, Fla., and had filed a report. The other – which had came to light recently in early December – accused him of assaulting a spa manager at a resort in San Diego in 2011. The other two – in 1986, and the other in the mid 2000s – came from former employees.

McMahon’s return was always going to happen. He wasn’t going to let the his own sordid and horrid past keep him from doing what he wants with his wrestling company. That the company had turned its ratings and creative fortunes around under Nick Khan, his daughter Stephanie and his son-in-law Paul Levesque – who replaced McMahon in creative – probably infuriated him. His assurances of not disrupting the current management team are absurd – he will likely take over creative as soon as he possibly can. Even if this costs them a chance at booking The Rock for a feud against Roman Reigns, or any more appearances from John Cena.

There’s no other reason for these board moves by him if he wasn’t going to otherwise. McMahon told the board and management he only plans to be there to initiate a sale for the company, something he would have to be there to do anyway. In fact, when McMahon was investigated and kicked out last summer, the board said they would include McMahon on any negotations for media rights or a sale, and said he would be integral and needed voice – especially since he owns most of the company’s stock.

McMahon’s stock position guarantees he’s part and partial to any media or sale talks, so his return is obviously not linked to that.

What McMahon wants is to not to, “eat his cake and have it, too,” he wants to sell his cake and still eat it. He wants a buyer that will let him run the day to day operations of the company – after giving him several billion dollars for the company.

WWE Sale

WWE has been exploring a potential sale since the early-to-mid 2010s. Peak interest began in 2016 when Ultimate Fighting Championship sold for a surprising $4 billion. Also part of that deal, then president Dana White (who didn’t own the company, but had breathed life back into it during the early 2000s and made it a massive success in the following years), stayed on board to continue managing the company.

For years, that made the magic number for a WWE sale $4 billion, if not more. That UFC is now a more valuable product doesn’t matter, to McMahon its about his ego, and that was the number he wanted for a sale at the time, though it wasn’t official. The best time to sell the company was in 2018 when it had negotiated new TV and multi-media deals with Viacom and FOX. WWE later negotiated with Viacom to add the WWE Network streaming service to the Peacock app, handing over years of content.

McMahon said he believes this time – coinciding with their 2024 media rights negotiation – is the time to sell, which is ironic given this was what wrestling business insiders had said after WWE completed its last deal. The company’s seemingly bulletproof profitability – especially after trifling and morally questionable cost-cutting during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 – has only grown.

Alex Sherman of CNBC.com said if a sale occurs, it would most likely happen in the next three-to-six months. Sherman said WWE’s market cap is around $6 billion after the bump its stock took after news of a sale hit the news. This is the number various sources said WWE is looking to get. The company hired JPMorgan Chase to advise, though how much advising they’ll be allowed is another question. Sherman said a sale would likely have major strings attached from McMahon’s side.

McMahon’s potential buyers will have one particular string that would be too much – McMahon himself. Likely any deal would include keeping him with the company as president and creative head. Levesque’s ratings success over the past six months put a huge dent into the fantasy that only McMahon can make a major pro wrestling company into a multi-media success, a legend that Tony Khan and All-Elite Wrestling have already chopped down over the last three years. For years, many debated if anyone other than McMahon could run he company, and that question was answered. McMahon could have sold the company at numerous times during the last several years, now he’s counting on the expense of rights deals to push media companies into just purchasing his company whole.

Potential Buyers

Who would buy WWE? There would be numerous interested companies from all over the world – some more likely than others.

NBC Universal

Comcast and its parent company – NBC Universal – would be the likely top destination for WWE. The two companies have a relationship back to the 1980s and the first Saturday Night’s Main Event. WWE programming has also been on NBCU owned USA Network for the same period of time, outside one contract in the 2000s when WWE was on Spike TV. McMahon has relationships with NBCU that have lasted decades. WWE Network content also is on its Peacock streaming network. NBCU is already paying billions to air WWE programming – why not buy the whole thing? The biggest concern for NBCU would be losing thousands of hours of WWE programming if its bought by a competitor. Live sports and wrestling have maintained their ratings better than traditional scripted TV – even most reality TV.

WarnerDiscovery

AEW fans would go into a panic if WarnerDiscovery bought AEW, but it’s highly doubtful the company would fold or would leave major cable TV. AEW was negotiating with Showtime before it aired its first episode of Dynamite on TNT or made an official announcement of its existence. With the company’s solid ratings and with a rights deal that would be much more affordable and more “bank for the buck” than a deal with WWE, AEW would have suitors. New Japan Pro Wrestling had interests from several major media companies when it began probing for a US TV deal last year – including ESPN – but was locked out of landing in many spots because of its TV deal in Japan.

Warner missed out on WWE during the last negotiations in 2018. This is one reason the network became home to AEW. WWE Network would also be a major content addition to HBO MAX. But it also comes to costs, something WarnerDiscovery has been slashing as well as its own content on its streaming platform. WWE Network content comes with many residuals to be paid, something that WarnerDiscovery is trying to shed on its own content.

FOX

WWE would be a major pickup for FOX for various reasons. The company already airs Smackdown on its major OTA network on Friday nights. A purchase would be a massive boost to its streaming applications across the board and take away a certified hit show from its NBCU competitor. Not to mention the PPV’s that would also be a huge streaming driver for FOX.

Disney

Disney has the strongest content library in the game, not to mention he numerous networks it owns. It’s biggest competitor is NBCU. Grabbing WWE would be a major get for Disney, which could add Raw and Smackdown to ESPN easily with the Disney+ app building up its massive library with another huge purchase of content, like it did with the purchase of FOX’s movie studios in 2019. Sherman said returning CEO Bob Iger is always looking to make an IP slash and taking WWE from NBCU would also be a bit of a get back for Iger, who purchased FOX after NBCU drove the cost up tens of millions.

The Saudis

The controversial relationship between WWE and Saudi Arabia has also been a profitable one. WWE has made more money off its shows in Saudi Arabia then in any of its other endeavours, including every single WrestleMania. Saudi’s PIF hedge fund told Front Office Sports its interested in buying the company from McMahon. It would likely be the company most comfortable with McMahon maintaining a presence on screen and off.

PIF also has the cash – about $620 billion in cash, according to Front Office Sports – and has already dipped its toe into American sports with its LIV Golf tour, which drew away several stars from the PGA. The hedge fund also owns Premier League’s Newcastle United.

The sale would be a PR nightmare, not that McMahon would mind. Some of his own wrestlers won’t work its events in Saudi Arabia, something that has been an issue with stockholders. There’s also the Saudi government holding WWE’s roster virtual hostage at an airport aboard a plane a couple years ago.

The biggest problem for PIF – where do you broadcast it? The potential PR fallout may not be worth WWE’s big ratings for US streamers and media companies.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

What can be said about this man that hasn’t already been said?

While his contributions to the world of wrestling and sports cannot be understated, to many, he is a cutthroat business mogul who will ruin lives to get his way.

In the ring, McMahon holds shocking victories over the likes of The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Bobby Lashley and even John Cena.

But for as compelling (often in a car-wreck-esque way) as McMahon’s matches can be, they’re nothing compared to his work out of the ring.

McMahon has proven himself to be a fighter, and here are Vince’s biggest wins that took place out of the ring.

5: Survivor Series Triumphs over WarGames

In 1987, WWE introduced their new November Pay-Per-View, Survivor Series, following the success of WrestleMania 3.

The November date was picked as it was a good middle-ground between WrestleManias 3 and 4, but that wasn’t the only reason.

The same night as Survivor Series, the NWA were hosting their own major event of the year ‘Starrcade’ and this led McMahon to launch into an attack.

In what McMahon himself has called nothing more than a direct threat, the then-WWF Chairman informed Pay-Per-View providers that if they aired Starrcade, then they would be banned from hosting WrestleMania 4 and all future WWF events.

Almost every Pay-Per-View provider relented, and only a handful aired Starrcade, in what would be a very special Thanksgiving night for the McMahon family.

4: WrestleMania

Today, WrestleMania is an internationally known name and hosts the very top names in wrestling and entertainment.

There’s a reason why WrestleMania tickets sell out so fast, but in 1985, the show was McMahon’s biggest gamble.

Realising that times were changing, McMahon invested heavily in the concept of Pay-Per-View, and if urban legends are to be believed, even put his house down as collateral for the show.

Had WrestleMania 1 flopped, the WWF would have struggled to recover, and McMahon would have forever been tarnished as the man who tried and failed to force change.

Instead, WrestleMania 1 was a hit, and would add fuel to McMahon’s burning desire to do better, and it wasn’t long until other companies followed suit.

3: Ending the War

From the moment Lex Luger appeared on the first WCW Nitro in 1995, the Monday Night Wars were on.

The war saw McMahon and the WWF face the greatest competition they’d ever faced, and for a while, things looked bleak.

As Eric Bischoff will remind anyone within ear shot, WCW Monday Nitro demolished WWF Raw 83 weeks in a row, and there was a time when McMahon’s baby looked sunk.

A dramatic change of storytelling (complete with a new Attitude) would turn the tide, and thanks to inept heads at WCW, the war would end on March 26, 2001, with McMahon the victor.

As Paul Heyman on commentary called out “they say that Alexander the Great sat on a rock and cried, for he had no more world left to conquer” McMahon proved to be the conqueror of pro wrestling, buying out his competition.

2: The Steroid Scandal

During the 80s, WWF Superstars were larger than life, but to many, names like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and countless others were too large.

In November 1993, McMahon was indicted in a federal court and was accused of approving and distributing steroids to his roster.

McMahon temporarily ceded control of WWF operations to his wife Linda, and was looking at serious prison time if convicted.

McMahon’s saving grace would ironically come from a wrestler who played a prisoner, as Kevin ‘Nailz’ Wacholz testified that McMahon ordered him to use steroids.

That may sound like bad news for McMahon on the surface, but when Wacholz made it clear he was an unreliable and hostile witness, his credibility, and the credibility of the claims, were called into question.

In July 1994, a jury acquitted McMahon of all charges, proving that even the federal government can’t stop Vincent K. McMahon.

1: The Second Coming of Vince McMahon

To paraphrase the late jazz singer Dinah Washington, what a difference a week makes.

This time last week, fans knew that McMahon was hopeful to return, but few believed it would happen.

After all, WWE has been doing so well without McMahon’s iron grip on production, that it just seemed to make no sense for him to return.

Yet, here we are.

There was a time when fans thought McMahon would never retire, and when he did, thought he’d never return, and hell has frozen over for the second time in six months.

Whether McMahon’s claim of merely being there to oversee a sale of WWE is genuine or not, McMahon is back on the board, in arguably the biggest win of his career.

Everybody loves a title change, right? The joy of seeing history being made, and another name being added to a litany of champions.

For wrestlers, title victories mean that long after their careers are over, long after their lives are over, what they achieved will live on in the annals of history.

But for some wrestlers, their title changes were not meant to be, and while they had the joy of winning, they also felt the pain of having that win taken away.

With Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal almost becoming AEW World Tag Team Champions this week, we’re looking back at six times titles changed hands, but then didn’t.

The Rocket’s Reign Fizzles Out

Bret Hart is considered one of the greatest WWF Champions of all time, but despite an impressive career of his own, his younger brother Owen would never win the gold.

Well, not officially at least, as during the August 17, 1994 taping of WWF Superstars, Owen defeated his big brother to capture the gold.

The problem for the Rocket though, is that Jim Neidhart had been caught interfering on his behalf, and the match was restarted.

In another excellent collision between the two, Bret would defeat Owen to retain his title, but the image of the Rocket with the title remains an epic sight.

Y2J Plays the Game

Chris Jericho’s arrival in the WWF in 1999 was a huge deal, and it wasn’t long before one of WCW’s most popular stars was hanging with the top guys.

On the April 17, 2000 episode of Raw is War, Jericho’s insulted Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, and was able to goad Triple H into putting his WWF title on the line.

With the hired APA holding DX at bay, Jericho was able to get the win over the Game, thanks to a fast count from Earl Hebner.

Hebner had been bullied by DX for weeks, but even he knew the decision couldn’t stand, and Jericho would have to hand back the title.

With this stricken from the record, Jericho would have to wait until late 2001 until he became the WWF Undisputed title, a title he’d ironically lose to Triple H.

The Miz Goes Over the Limit

Last year saw The Miz become a two-time WWE Champion, and while his reign was short, it was a long-time coming for fans of the A-Lister.

After losing the WWE title in 2011 to John Cena, Miz tried to win it back, and in a shocking turn of events, his I-Quit match with Cena saw Big Match John utter those two words.

As Miz celebrated, his NXT protege Alex Riley dropped an item, revealed to be a recording of Cena saying those words, and the jig was up.

With the match restarted, Cena made Miz quit for real, and the Marine star would wait a long time before he earned his real second WWE Championship.

The Wrong Rope Break

When you think of tag teams who never held gold in the WWF, few teams are more celebrated than The Rockers.

The pairing of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty would wow fans with their high-flying skills, and on one fateful night, would even win the WWF World Tag Team Titles.

During an October 1990 taping for Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Rockers dethroned the Hart Foundation in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match.

The ring-rope breaking mid-match did not stop the action, but it was this rope break that would cost them dearly.

Unsatisfied with the match because of the rope, WWF higher-ups planned for it to be re-taped, but that never happened.

Explaining rumors of a phantom title change, WWF President Jack Tunney reversed the decision because the broken ring rope meant the bout was partially contested in an unfair environment, and on this occasion, it was Shawn getting screwed out of a title that was back in the hands of Bret Hart.

Inoki Makes History

When Antonio Inoki died last October, fans reflected on his incredible career, which included a reign as WWWF Champion.

Unlike others on this list though, Inoki’s title win was not immediately reversed and would come in November 1979, with a win over Bob Backlund.

A title rematch between the two went to a no-content, and the decision was made to strip Inoki of the title.

Backlund would defeat Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match to fill the vacancy, but the title controversy was never acknowledged, and fans at the time wouldn’t learn about Inoki’s win until years later.

Dusty’s Dream is Shattered

We couldn’t have an article like this without the namesake of the ‘Dusty Finish:’ The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.

As a booker, Rhodes often used the trope of the face seemingly winning only to heel come out on top, but at Starrcade 1985, Rhodes got a taste of his own medicine.

The show’s main event, which pitted Rhodes against NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was a match for the ages, and one that saw Rhodes win the gold.

It wasn’t until the next WCW show that the elated fans learned the truth that Flair was still champion, as referee Tommy Young had been knocked out during the title match, and that since the first ref was down, the pinfall wasn’t official.

Flair regained the gold in a crushing moment for the American Dream, as the master of the Dusty finish got a taste of his own medicine.

The roller coaster year that AEW had in 2022 has come to a close.

Riding high from their 2021 ending, AEW went into 2022 with tons of momentum. Hangman Page was crowned the AEW World Champion, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling, and Bryan Danielson was delivering high quality pro wrestling matches on a weekly basis.

2022 gave AEW multiple new world champions, backstage controversy, and a fresh slate to close the year out. 2023 promises to bring more exciting storylines and matches that the promotion has hung its hat on since their inception in 2019.

Here are five of the most anticipated matches for AEW in 2023.

Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page

The parallels between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page are aplenty.

Both are former AEW World Champions, tough as nails, recently sober (in kayfabe for Hangman), and fathers to toddlers. On top of this, they were also across the ring from each other on the third-ever AEW Dynamite episode — a tag match where Kenny Omega and Page defeated PAC and Moxley.

Fast forward to 2021 as Hangman Page returned from paternity leave to win the Casino Ladder Match on October 6th for a shot at the AEW World Title. He battled with Jon Moxley on top of the ladder, ultimately knocking him off to secure the casino chip and title match.

October 18th, 2022. Jon Moxley knocked Hangman Page out with a lariat, giving him a concussion in the process, and retained his AEW World Championship in brutal fashion. Page has been seeking revenge ever since.

Grudges make tremendous bouts. This one is sure to be physical and likely with a lot at stake in the AEW main event picture moving forward.

Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter

The irresistible force meets the immovable object.

A Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter match isn’t on the horizon for the early portion of 2023, but can you imagine if these two squared off? The athleticism and physicality in this bout would be tough to match on the women’s side of AEW.

Jade Cargill is currently the AEW TBS Champion and undefeated in the promotion. Jamie Hayter is the AEW Women’s Champion and on the biggest run of her career. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that these two women meet up in 2023.

It also would likely be for one of the championships that these women hold present day. The larger question would be: Which of these women will lose first this year? Both look to be poised for long title runs, and Jade Cargill has held the TBS title for nearly a calendar year already.

One way or another, look for the two most dominant women of last year to continue on their paths in 2023. Let’s speak this mammoth dream match into fruition as we look forward to the continued growth of Jade Cargill and Jamie Hayter this year.

MJF vs. Eddie Kingston

MJF is the current AEW World Champion. Can you picture a feud with fellow New Yorker Eddie Kingston?

Long Island vs. Yonkers. A cake eating, trust funded character vs. a man from the inner city with the street savvy to match. The contrast in how each man portrays themselves would build immense anticipation.

Then we move on to their exploits on the microphone. The promos alone between MJF and Eddie Kingston would make this a feud of the year candidate without physically interacting. Two of the very best talkers in pro wrestling, on top of their ability to make you feel something every time they talk or wrestle. Their styles and mouths sell themselves.

To go a step further, let’s book MJF vs. Eddie Kingston in September at the AEW Grand Slam show — which will resonate from Flushing Meadows, New York. Could you imagine the crowd responses and magic that would take place at that event?

Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson

Speaking of AEW Grand Slam, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson wrestled to a 30-minute draw in September of 2021 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The bout was lauded as a match of the year contender. Since then, fans have been salivating over the thought of their eventual rematch.

Omega would take nine months off to heal from injury after losing his AEW World Title in November of 2021. When he returned in August, his focus moved towards the AEW Trios Titles with his Elite running mates, The Young Bucks.

Danielson would eventually wrestle for the AEW World Championship twice in two months, includingwrestling to a 60-minute draw with Hangman Page. He would lose the return title bout on Dynamite in January 2022.

This is a rematch that doesn’t need a championship at stake for it to be another match of the year quality affair. The larger question is: Could they one-up what the two of them put together in their first AEW encounter?

The Elite vs. CM Punk and FTR

This is the biggest boom or bust match on this list. A lot of it hinges on CM Punk rebuilding trust with AEW management and most importantly, the locker room.

Yet the opportunity presents itself for AEW to do the biggest piece of business in company history if Punk returns. The storyline sells itself. The Young Bucks and FTR are the two most decorated tag teams outside of the WWE promotion in the world today.

Both teams have each won a match against the other. You proceed to add Kenny Omega and CM Punk to this equation, two of the biggest presences in pro wrestling worldwide, fresh off a backstage encounter marred with controversy.

It was rumored over the summer that CM Punk and FTR were going to team up quite a bit, all while Punk was AEW World Champion. A match with The Elite at some point in time would’ve brought the house down — now you add personal stakes to it.

Only the parties involved in “The Brawl Out at All Out” know what really happened. If those damages can be repaired (with a lot of money on the line, they should be), the fans are in for one of the largest showdowns in professional wrestling this century.

Six men with chips on their shoulders to tear the house down and prove superiority in AEW would be at stake. If this is not the most anticipated match in AEW for 2023, it will only be due to the lack of cooperation on behalf of both parties’ sides to set it up.

2022 has been a wild year in wrestling, not just because staples of the industry like Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis have become a thing of the past.

This year has also seen an influx of young talent reach the forefront of wrestling and poise themselves as the top names of the future.

While some of these stars were wrestling before this year, 2022 has been a pivotal year for everyone involved, and here are our top five breakout wrestlers of this year.

5: Wheeler Yuta

The induction of Wheeler Yuta into the Blackpool Combat Club was a fantastic creative decision earlier this year, and a lesson on how to make a new name with established stars.

This time last year, sure, some wrestling fans would be aware of Yuta, but it his inclusion with the BCC that has turned him into one of the most exciting prospects in all of wrestling.

Now in his second reign as Ring of Honor Pure Champion, Yuta has also represented AEW in NJPW’s 29th Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and the future looks extremely bright for the young star.

4: Bron Breakker

Our reigning NXT Champion, it’s incredible to think that Bron Breakker has only been with WWE for slightly over a year.

In such a small amount of time, Breakker has become one of the biggest stars the gold brand has ever produced, thanks in part to his family connections as a Steiner.

But Bron isn’t just a tribute act to his father and brother, and has shown endless ability and charisma, so it’s hardly surprising that we see reports of WWE wanting to fast-track him to the main roster.

3: Hook

What started off as a meme among fans, Hook has become one of the most popular names in AEW, all without having to do much.

The 23-year-old FTW Champion, Hook’s presence screams ‘star’ and his ability in the ring (complete with suplexes inspired by his father Taz) have only added to his starpower.

In short, Hook has all the tools to be a top name in wrestling, and when you consider his young age, the second-generation wrestler has oodles of time to make that goal happen.

2: Roxanne Perez

Roxanne Perez started this year as the first-ever ROH Women’s World Champion, and short of a monumental upset, will end it as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion.

Throw in a reign as NXT Women’s Tag Champion, Perez is proving herself each week, not just as a star of today, but as a top babyface for years down the line.

The 21-year-old former Rok-C is a babyface that fans naturally want to cheer (something that is a slight rarity in these modern times) and expect many more accolades, titles and moments in her future.

1: Logan Paul

Logan Paul was once society’s public enemy number one, but it’s safe to say that he has found something of a home in WWE.

After a mixed response to his WWE debut last year, Paul stepped into the ring as a wrestler for the first time at WrestleMania 38, and exceeded expectations.

Paul’s impressive WrestleMania outing has been followed up with more impressive performances at Summerslam and Crown Jewel, and the Maverick has won over even his harshest of critics.

Rumors of Paul’s imminent return aren’t being met with disgust or outrage, but rather excitement and intrigue, as the YouTuber has proven he belongs in professional wrestling.

Shelton Benjamin is known for his athleticism and is a wrestler who performs impressively every time he is in the ring. Today marks the 20-year anniversary of his WWE debut. His first television appearance took place on December 26, 2002.

The company released a video to commemorate this moment, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry talking about The Gold Standard’s career and impact.

“Shelton, I mean, I can remember him coming in the door. It doesn’t seem like that long ago,” WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels said in the video. “And now it’s 20 years.” Michaels even called his match with Benjamin from Raw in May 2005 “one of the best matches” of his career.

“20 years, that’s almost impossible,” said Kurt Angle about Benjamin’s debut. “I didn’t make it 20 years. Shelton Benjamin did, and I give him a lot of credit for that. He is a tough dude to be able to do what he does.”

“I used to watch Shelton when I wanted to be here,” said Kofi Kingston. “When I was growing up, Shelton Benjamin was the guy that was like, ‘Man, look at all these athletic moves, look at all these manoeuvres, man.’ I think I can do maybe some of those.” Kingston added that it was Benjamin that made him believe that it was possible for him to be in WWE and bring his athleticism to the ring in a similar way.

20 years, Its true, it’s damn true . Happy anniversary @RealKurtAngle @CharlieHaas @HeymanHustle https://t.co/9kvOQ2wa0J

— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) December 23, 2022

20 Years of Shelton Benjamin

Even Matt Hardy recently said that things would be different if Benjamin had debuted today.

Shelton Benjamin debuted in WWE in 2002, after signing a contract in 2000 and getting placed in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). His first televised match on the SmackDown brand took place in 2003.

Benjamin made a name for himself as soon as he started performing in WWE. His skills as an athlete and performer were quickly recognised, and he became known for his sharp moveset in the ring.

Benjamin joined forces with Charlie Haas to be known together as “The World’s Greatest Tag Team.” They won the WWE Tag Team Championship on two occasions and put on some of the most entertaining tag team matches in WWE.

Benjamin also shined as a solo act, as he won the Intercontinental Championship thrice and was a mainstay in the upper midcard for many years. He was also the 24/7 Championship three times and the United States Championship once. Benjamin returned to the tag team division and won the Raw Tag Team Championship with Cedric Alexander.

“The Gold Standard” has put on some great matches in the WWE, and it doesn’t look like there’s any stopping him. Benjamin has clearly left a significant impact on the wrestling industry as one of the all-time greats, thanks in large part to his natural talent, dedication to improving his craft, and willingness to mentor and assist fellow wrestlers.

You can check out the video commemorating Shelton Benjamin’s career below:

Well, today’s the big day. After weeks of counting down, Christmas Day is finally upon us.

This day will see countless people around the world open presents, and as we all know, WWE is no stranger to embracing the Holiday spirit

Here are five of the best Holiday moments to curl up in a warm blanket and watch this festive season.

5: A Christmas Carol starring ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper

We all have our favorite renditions of Charles Dickens’ classic tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ which tells the story of a wicked man who turns good when he learns about the meaning of Christmas.

Some people see the Muppets Christmas Carol as the best, while others like my father herald Alastair Sim’s 1951 portrayal of Ebeneezer Scrooge as the best telling of the story.

Well on December 20^th, 1985, the WWF gave their own rendition of A Christmas Carol, this one starring none other than ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.

Unquestionably the biggest heel of the year, that week’s episode of Tuesday Night Titans saw Piper visited by three spirits, eager to teach the Hot Rod to change his wicked ways.

Unlike Scrooge though, Piper learned no lessons, and would instead vow to be more wicked after his ghostly visitations.

It would be another two years before Piper turned face and become one of the most beloved good guys of all time, and by 1989, he’d be the one defending Christmas from Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan.

4: A Very Merry D-X-Mas

Forming in 1997, D-Generation X would establish themselves as a counterculture, anti-authority group, much to the chagrin of WWF Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter.

After making an ass out of the company, Triple H and Shawn Michaels would go one step further, exposing their buttocks to spell out a festive message, all while Chyna was in the ring with them.

To counteract, Slaughter booked a gift of a main event: Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H for HBK’s European title.

After teasing dissension for the rest of the show, the pair ‘fought’ in the ring, but to call this a match is a stretch.

Triple H “powered” Michaels to the mat out of collar and elbow tie-up, then comically ran the ropes before delivering a big splash that didn’t make contact.

One pinfall later and the Game was the new European Champion, while the two friends celebrated their very fake match.

Sure, it may have devalued the European title somewhat, but DX got one over on Commissioner Slaughter in an iconic festive moment.

3: The Arrival of Xanta Claus

We all know the story of Santa Claus: the rosy-cheeked, bearded legend who lives at the North Pole, and judges whether people have been naughty or nice.

Well after a career of humiliating others, Ted DiBiase was definitely on the naughty list, and proved just how bad he could be in 1995.

Interrupting a segment with Savio Vega and ‘Santa,’ DiBiase proved everybody has a price for him, as Mr. Claus attacked Vega.

With that, DiBiase introduced the wrestling world to Xanta Claus, the polar opposite (quite literally) of Jolly ol’ Saint Nick.

Xanta Claus (played by future ECW staple Balls Mahoney) would not last long, and while the angle is incredibly goofy, it goes to show that anything can happen in the WWE.

2: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin Stuns Santa Claus

WWE has hosted plenty of festive shows over the years, but the December 22, 1997, episode of Raw remains arguably the best holiday edition of the red brand ever produced.

Airing from Worcester, Massachusetts, the show was dripping in festive cheer, but the most iconic moment came from good ol’ ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.

After a fake Santa Claus mocked a young boy, Austin made the save, stomping to the ring in that way only the Bionic Redneck can.

Berating the evil Santa, Austin dropped the not-so-jolly Saint Nick in what has become an iconic Christmas moment.

For all of Austin’s badassery, the segment showed that Austin still had a heart, cementing why it was okay to cheer this foul-mouthed, beer-swilling S.O.B.

Stunning the fake Santa proved that you could never quite predict what the Rattlesnake was going to do, and this unpredictability would be just part of what would launch Austin into mega-stardom the following year.

1: Tribute to the Troops

For most of us, the holidays are a time to be with family and loved ones, surrounded by presents, food, and warmth.

For those serving in the armed forces though, they don’t get to enjoy such luxuries, but WWE attempted to bring some festive cheer to those on duty.

In 2003, WWE introduced Tribute to Troops, an event that has become an annual display of support and appreciation for those who are risking their lives for their country.

The brainchild of John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, the show still carries on to this day, though takes place back in the U.S. instead of being in the Middle East as it was originally.

Nevertheless, this small token of appreciation goes a long way, and with the show taking place every December, there are plenty of seasonal festivities to enjoy each year at Tribute to the Troops.

It’s safe to say that 2022 has been one of the wildest years in the history of WWE.

From mass releases to the shock retirement of Vince McMahon, this is a year that none of us will ever, ever forget.

But with 2022 drawing to a close, attention turns to 2023, and a whole new year of matches to look forward to.

Here are five of the most anticipated matches of WWE in the new year.

5: Brock Lesnar Vs. GUNTHER

Can you say PHYSICAL?!

In 2022, there are few names in WWE who have made an impact quite like our reigning Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.

Debuting on the main roster earlier this year, the Austrian powerhouse wasted no time in winning his title from Ricochet, a title he has held for over 200 days.

It was reported recently that right now, WWE’s plan for WrestleMania 39 is for GUNTHER to face Brock Lesnar, in what could be the most hard hitting match we’ve seen in decades.

GUNTHER’s in-ring strength has never been in doubt, while Lesnar is a once in a lifetime athlete who’s 2022 has shown he still has a love for wrestling.

Whether the title is on the line or not, GUNTHER Vs. Lesnar has all the markings of an instant classic, and a match fans are eager to see.

4: Bray Wyatt’s First Match Back

At Extreme Rules, WWE’s excellent White Rabbit build paid off with the return of Bray Wyatt, fifteen months after his controversial release from the company.

Since then, Wyatt has feuded with LA Knight, though his attentions seem to be more focused on the presence of the mysterious Uncle Howdy.

For all of Wyatt’s talk and promos though, Bray is yet to wrestle, something that has not gone unnoticed by fans.

It has been rumored that Wyatt will face Knight in a ‘Pitch Black’ match at the Royal Rumble, though whatever the rules are for said match is unclear.

I guess you could say that with the Pitch Black match, we’re ‘in the dark!’ (I crack myself up.)

While Bray returned with all the momentum in the world, it does feel like some of the shine has come off, and WWE needs to pull the trigger on a match for him soon.

Wyatt’s first match back is hotly anticipated, if nothing else than fans want to see what he can do in the ring as this new character, and we can only imagine his match will come in 2023.

3: Edge’s Final Match

It’s hard to believe that next month will be the third anniversary of Edge’s startling return to wrestling.

In April 2011, fans (and Edge himself) had resigned themselves to the fact that his career was over, tragically cut short by neck issues.

This year has seen Edge compete six times, a slight dip from the ten matches in 2021, but next year may see his final match.

After competing in his native Toronto earlier this year, Edge strongly implied that he will be retiring the next time WWE comes to Canada, which is expected for mid-2023.

If so, then we are not long away from Edge’s final match, and hopefully WWE will give it the build and gravitas it deserves.

Edge’s return to wrestling has been nothing short of miraculous, but the Rated-R Superstar now has the chance to end his in-ring career again, this time on his own terms.

2: Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes

From the moment Cody Rhodes’ platform was raised at WrestleMania 38, this was a match fans anticipated.

The idea of Rhodes Vs. Reigns was cemented the following night when the American Nightmare spoke about his WWE return, and his desire to become World Champion.

Sure, Rhodes’ injury may have delayed those plans, but it is clear that Cody is destined to hold gold soon.

With rumors of Rhodes returning as part of the Men’s Rumble match, a match he is a favorite among many to win, a match with Reigns seems a matter of when, not if.

But this match will resonate for another reason. It will be WWE’s top star against someone for years considered the face of AEW.

The fact that Cody is in WWE now at all remains mind-blowing, and him facing Reigns has the substance to be an all-time great story, even if there’s one more for the Tribal Chief that fans are anticipating even more…

1: The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns

The People’s Champion Vs. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

The Brahma Bull Vs. The Tribal Chief.

The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns.

Not since The Rock Vs. John Cena in 2012 has there been this level of excitement for a match, one that WWE has yet to confirm.

Both Reigns and Rock have teased for years that a match between them could happen, but never has it seemed more likely.

From Reigns being at his very best, to Rock’s movie filming schedule being suspiciously free for the first quarter of the year, all the signs are pointing to this match finally happening.

The Rock, now 50 years old, is not the spring chicken he once was, and if not next year, than this match, nor any other match with him, may never happen.

If WWE wants The Rock Vs. Reigns, then 2023 is the time, in what would be the biggest fight we’ve seen in years.

It was in 2015 when I covered the WWE Tough Enough reality show competition. Among the hopefuls I spoke to over the weeks was a driven fitness model with big dreams named Amanda Saccomanno. She certainly turned heads as a blond bombshell, but beneath the surface, it became apparent there was so much more than an attractive aesthetic.  

The future Mandy Rose won over viewers and judges with her dedication and athletic ability. Comparisons were made early on, that WWE may have the next Trish Stratus in the wings. There was also a relatability as the native New Yorker opened up about what the opportunity meant to her and her family. The Miz, a judge on the series, saw the makings of a future superstar, and at one point, saved her from elimination. 

Rose ultimately couldn’t overtake fan favorites Sara Lee and Josh Bredl who would win Tough Enough and receive the contracts. The setback only fueled her motivation. “I’m going to come back and pursue getting into NXT and getting a developmental contract because this is what I want to do,” she told me at the time. Adding. “I’m not going to give up on this. I already have my foot in the door. I’m just going to keep going.”

Coaches and management ultimately signed the impressive prospect to a contract. Rose continued to flourish in developmental and NXT, alongside fellow Tough Enough alum Daria Berenato. The best friends quickly found themselves on the main roster, joining Paige in the group Absolution.

Rose and the renamed Sonya Deville benefited getting the rub from a top-tier former women’s champion. Rose was thrown in the deep end on a number of occasions early on with Deville as a team called Fire and Desire and solo. She started developing a reputation for being someone who could run with the ball when given the opportunity. 

Her first real story she got to sink her teeth into was a heated rivalry with Naomi. Rose made it personal when she played mind games using Naomi’s husband Jimmy Uso. During the Royal Rumble, the “Golden Goddess” turned heads lasting more than 25 minutes in the battle royal.

In 2019, we also saw a true tale of WWE’s beauty and the beast that unfolded between Rose and a loveable blockhead in Otis. The two captured the hearts and imaginations of fans each week. The audience felt a real connection to the couple. Rather than Rose ending up with the proverbial big man on campus in Dolph Ziggler, she was instead drawn to the blue collar personality. Unfortunately, we never got that “Macho Man” Randy Savage/Elizabeth wedding I wanted to see at SummerSlam. 

Besties eventually turned bitter enemies with Rose and Deville on opposite ends. They both upped their level of intensity, taking each other up to another level in the process. Deville became a regular fixture as a WWE official. Meanwhile Rose surprisingly returned to NXT. This was at a time when the black & gold brand was set to undergo a major shift. A refocus to developing young and emerging talent.

When someone from Raw or SmackDown makes the move “down” to NXT, there was a perception of a demotion. Not to Rose. She approached the relocation as an opportunity for reinvention. The familiar face came in hot, literally and figuratively, right out of the gate with a new look (brown hair!). Beyond just inserting herself right into the NXT women’s championship mix, she formed Toxic Attraction with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. The devious trio became a dominating force in the 2.0 era of NXT. 

Within a matter of months, Rose secured the women’s title while Dolin and Jayne took home the tag championship. The leader of Toxic Attraction upped her game and grew stronger with every successful title defense. Rose’s reign ultimately lasted a remarkable 417 days before dropping the strap to Roxanne Perez. 

Yes, Rose had the money look. That can be a blessing and a curse given the track record of those before her. There are those flashes in the pan who depend solely on how they look on camera. Then there are others including Rose, who much like Trish Stratus, had to work that much harder to be taken seriously as an in-ring performer. Rose earned respect the old-fashioned way over the course of a lengthy reign at the top. 

Someone who also had an entrepreneurial eye. She would become a popular attraction on social media, started a fitness app “Fit with Mandy,” and formed the donut enthusiastic business Damandyz Donutz with Deville. Among her other projects was also started a FanTime account, providing exclusive subscription content for those who sign up. Content reportedly on there got a little too hot and heavy for WWE’s liking. A shocking release came on December 14,  less than 24 hours after losing to Perez. 

Regardless of the circumstances of her exit and where you stand on the whole ordeal, nobody can deny what Rose accomplished. She came a long way from running the ropes and participating in fitness challenges on Tough Enough. Whatever Rose decides to do next, she is in a good place. Someone with built-in equity, a dedicated fan base, and an impressive body of work in WWE. The ball is in Rose’s court. I’m sure promoters from major companies and conventions would want to get this soon-to-be big-time free agent in the marketplace. 

This isn’t the end. The bloom hasn’t fallen off this Rose. Who knows what’s next? I would never rule out a WWE return down the road, too. We’ve seen it countless times. But whatever the superstar alum decides to do, she’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Though WWE’s retelling of wrestling history has not been too kind to the legacy of WCW, there are certain undeniable truths from that time. One of them is that 1997 was a white-hot year for the promotion.

The New World Order caught fire in 1996 and rode high into 1997 as WCW continued to tell a wide range of stories with one of the deepest rosters in pro wrestling history. Starrcade 1997 looked to be a crowning achievement with a star-studded PPV card that had enormous buzz around it.

Kevin Nash and The Giant would have a big man war. Larry Zbyszko and Eric Bischoff would blow off their heated non-wrestler feud in a novelty match. Most importantly, Sting was set to blow off a year and a half long angle with Hollywood Hogan.

The fact that WCW signed Bret Hart immediately before this PPV should have been a crowning achievement that added more momentum going into 1998. However, there’s a real argument that it instead sabotaged the biggest event in company history and foretold WCW’s demise.

Bret Hart’s Involvement Contributed To Sting Vs. Hollywood Hogan Unraveling

There’s no two ways about it—the Starrcade 1997 main event match between Sting and Hollywood Hogan was a mess. Fans had waited through the launch of the nWo, Sting’s transition to his Crow persona that haunted WCW from the rafters, and Hogan’s reign of terror over the company. By Starrcade, the stage was set to pay it all off with Sting as the prodigal son, returning to the ring to take the title.

A variety of factors contributed to the match’s failings. Eric Bischoff infamously claimed that Sting didn’t show up ready—claiming that his failure to get a tan was just one sign he wasn’t in the right mental or physical place to become “the guy.” Something went wrong on a re-planned finish, too. Whether Sting or referee Nick Patrick were more at fault, Hogan won clean and decisively only for Bret Hart to nonsensically demand the match be restarted and officiate the do-over ending.

The execution certainly got botched, but even if it hadn’t, the idea of an unjust finish before Hart had to restart things (on dubious authority) was a huge mistake to muddy the waters of Sting having his crowning moment. The match should have been kept simple and straightforward to give fans the most satisfying moment possible, after which they could’ve allowed Hogan to get his heat back one way or another in the weeks to follow.

Bret Hart’s Involvement Hurt Larry Zbyszko Vs. Eric Bischoff Too

The story of Eric Bischoff vs. Larry Zbyszko at Starrcade 1997 should have been very simple and straightforward. This was a retired wrestler vs. non-wrestler match, which offered some intrigue and made reasonable sense in its creative context. It should’ve come down to Bischoff maybe getting in a shot or two, but mostly the Living Legend putting him in his place in a five-minute squash.

Instead, Bischoff mostly dominated with special referee Bret Hart seeming to help him at every turn. Finally, Bischoff went too far, using a steel plate to bolster a knockout kick at which point The Hitman nonsensically switched allegiances, beating up Bischoff and his corner man, Scott Hall. Finally, Hart proclaimed Zbyszko the winner by disqualification to put the confusing, ill-conceived farce of a match out of its misery.

How Bret Hart Should Have Been Used At WCW Starrcade 1997

There are two main ways in which Bret Hart may have been put to his best use at Starrcade. One would have been the delayed gratification of him simply having a presence, maybe cutting a short promo or coming out to celebrate with Sting to close the show to make his presence known without altering the course of the night.

Another option would’ve been to book Hart into a one-on-one match built to highlight his wrestling acumen and star power without distracting from the rest of the show. WCW had such a deep roster of fresh opponents for The Hitman who weren’t booked for the event like Booker T, Juventud Guerrera, or Chavo Guerrero.

Having Hart mix it up with one of these under-appreciated talents—making them look good before he submitted them with the Sharpshooter in a formula he’d used opposite mid-carders like Hakushi and Jean-Pierre Lafitte in WWE for years earlier —could’ve highlighted what Hart does best alongside the prestige of being able to say the event featured Hart’s debut match for WCW.

Signing Bret Hart should’ve marked a crowning Monday Night War moment for WCW as they welcomed a hot star who was arguably the most talented in ring performer in the world at that moment. Instead, he became a distraction, misused to the extreme in ways that neither he, nor WCW on the whole ever fully recovered from.

Roman Reigns’ dominance in WWE seemingly has no end in sight. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has become unstoppable with The Bloodline by his side and it would take the right set of circumstances for The Tribal Chief to be defeated.

Reigns successfully defended the title against Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, Riddle, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and Seth Rollins this year. The Head of the Table has gone through the best of the best to stay on top of the company.

.@WWERomanReigns: King of the Trash Talk! pic.twitter.com/OoglMLZRZ4

— WWE (@WWE) August 30, 2022

Here are five superstars that could potentially become Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in 2023:

#5. Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa is The Enforcer of The Bloodline and a man of few words. However, he recently showed what he is capable of with a brutal attack on Matt Riddle on WWE RAW. It will take someone special to topple The Tribal Chief and perhaps Sikoa is equipped to do.

He mainly uses the Spinning Solo (Uranage) as his finisher but has recently introduced the Samoan Spike to his moveset. His uncle, Umaga, used the move and Solo paid tribute to him several times during his attack on Riddle. Roman Reigns seems to like having Solo by his side and will make for an easy target if Sikoa ever decides to go after the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Solo Sikoa's face says "Yep… That's me. You're probably wondering how I got in here." pic.twitter.com/1vNxaB2fdO

— Humble Wrestling (@WrestlingHumble) December 10, 2022

#4. The Rock

The Rock has been rumored to return to WWE for some time now and challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

WrestleMania 39 is in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, a perfect venue for the match as The Rock has become one of the most popular actors on the planet following his wrestling career.

The Great One could return to try and humble his cousin, while The Tribal Chief may view The Rock as inferior at this point. A match of this magnitude may not need the title due to the star power involved, but it would make the match even bigger Roman’s historic title reign was on the line as well.

Roman has the power to tell WWE Official Adam Pearce that The Rock doesn’t deserve a title shot based on his name. It would make for a great story if The People’s Champion won the Royal Rumble to earn a title shot and conquered The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 39.

Roman Reigns and the Rock explain what Uce means! Enjoy! See ya pic.twitter.com/b81a84Olt1

— 𝐻𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓎 ⸜❤︎⸝‍ (@_RomansLegacy) December 5, 2022

#3. Austin Theory

Austin Theory has had a bizarre 2022, and it looked like it was going to be back to square one for the 26-year-old. He won the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match as a surprise entrant and fans immediately rejected it. Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon gave Theory his stamp of approval but it didn’t resonate with fans.

Vince and Theory had a series of awkward backstage conversations, including the former chairman just taking away his first name because he didn’t like Stone Cold Steve Austin. After Vince McMahon resigned in July, it appeared that Triple H and the new regime were not sold on Austin Theory at all.

He couldn’t buy a win on television, and his cash-in attempt at Clash at the Castle was foiled by Tyson Theory punching him from the crowd. Theory then decided to cash in on the United States Championship and it backfired. He is one of the few superstars that have a failed cash-in attempt on his resume but has quickly overcome it. Austin captured the US Title for the 2nd time at Survivor Series and time will tell if he goes after the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship next year.

Who's Your Daddy! Chants lead to Roman Reigns Warning Austin Theory " If he Keeps Messing Up the Tribal Chief is going to be his Daddy". Rough night for theory 🤣🤣🤣#WWERaw #AcknowledgeMe pic.twitter.com/jiSNpWdkDY

— Spartaprimez (@Spartaprime) July 26, 2022

#2. Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes has made it known that he has returned to WWE to go after “the big one”. The former AEW EVP boxed himself into a corner in All Elite Wrestling by saying he will never challenge for the AEW World Championship if he lost to Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing 2020.

The American Nightmare wound up losing the match after MJF threw in the towel for him. Maxwell showed his true colors and hit Rhodes with a low blow after the match as well. There are two things keeping Cody Rhodes from going after Roman Reigns at the moment, injury and his rivalry with Seth Rollins.

Cody returned to WWE as Vince McMahon’s handpicked opponent for Rollins at WrestleMania 38. Rhodes defeated Rollins at the biggest event of the year, and went on to defeat him two more times in 2022. Unfortunately, Cody tore his pectoral muscle training for their third bout at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022.

He wrestled the match anyway with the injury, and revealed his severely bruised chest at the premium live event. The American Nightmare will likely have to finish his feud with Seth Rollins when he returns, as Seth attacked him with a sledgehammer on the RAW after HIAC to write Cody off TV. If Rhodes is able to get the fans as invested in him as they were in June, he should be in line to challenge Roman Reigns next year.

.@CodyRhodes in two-minutes sells his match with Rollins, plus highlights the sheer importance of wins and losses.

This is great stuff. pic.twitter.com/jjwo9jXkgn

— Wrestle Features (@WrestleFeatures) May 3, 2022

#1. Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn has spent the majority of 2022 trying to earn the respect of Roman Reigns and the rest of The Bloodline. Roman has quickly grown found of The Honorary Uce but it took some time for Jey Uso to come around.

At WWE Survivor Series WarGames, Sami proved his worth to The Bloodline. On the SmackDown before the premium live event, Kevin Owens attempted to warn Sami that The Bloodline will eventually turn their back on him and he should betray them first. The Honorary Uce was unaware that Jey Uso was listening in on the conversation and lied to his face when he was asked if he had spoken to anyone.

Roman Reigns confronted Sami Zayn about the lie during Survivor Series and Sami admitted everything. He claimed he was simply trying to protect The Usos because they had a big match in the main event to determine which team got the advantage at WarGames.

Zayn went on to guide The Bloodline to victory at WWE Survivor Series. He booted his old pal Kevin Owens in the groin and followed it up with the Helluva Kick. In a selfless act, The Honorary Uce stepped aside to allow Jey Uso to hit KO with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. Sami is now set to team up with Roman Reigns against Kevin Owens and John Cena on the final episode of SmackDown of the year.

If Sami continues to earn the trust of The Tribal Chief, he can perhaps finally begin to destroy The Bloodline from within. Zayn’s plan to reach the top of the company may come to fruition in 2023.

"WE dominated #WarGames!"@WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @WWESoloSikoa@SamiZayn #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/1YbmuT5tLO

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 17, 2022

3 Ways Sami Zayn Could Destroy The Bloodline

When 2022 first started, everything was looking up for All Elite Wrestling. CM Punk was involved in an epic rivalry against MJF, free agents were swarming to the promotion, and it appeared that the company was well on its way to becoming must-watch television every week.

• 10 Best AEW Moments of 2022

Lack of accountability, direction, and leadership has exposed all of AEW’s flaws this year, and hopefully, 2022 will be the company’s reference point as to what not to do moving forward.

Here are the 10 biggest mistakes made by All Elite Wrestling in 2022:

#10. The Unfortunate Debut of Satnam Singh

Samoa Joe captured the ROH TV Championship on the April 13th edition of Dynamite. Joe defeated Minoru Suzuki in a physical match in the main event to capture the title. After the match, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal appeared on the entrance ramp with a present. They opened it and revealed Jay Lethal’s middle finger.

The lights then went out and Satnam Singh made his debut. The giant beat Joe down but his arrival did not generate the reaction AEW was hoping for. Chants of “who are you?!” echoed throughout the arena and AEW fans immediately rejected Satnam. He has become more of a background figure in the faction, as Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett appear to be entering a feud with AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed.

#9. Too Many Titles/ Interim Champions

One of the biggest gripes wrestling fans currently have with All Elite Wrestling is the absurd amount of titles in the promotion. Even with the surplus of championships, outside titles like the Regina Di Wave title are randomly defended within the promotion.

AEW set a precedent with CM Punk with Interim Champions that completely undermined Toni Storm’s title reign. The interim label made her seem like a temporary champion for the entire reign and hopefully, she will get another one to rectify that in the future.

The All-Atlantic Championship was the breaking point for many fans. Orange Cassidy has done his best to make the title relevant on Rampage but it still feels like an unnecessary title, as many think of the TNT Championship as the secondary title in the company.

#8. Lack of Transparency Regarding AEW Fight Forever

AEW Fight Forever was advertised to be released in 2022 all year until it became obvious that the video game wasn’t ready to be on shelves.

Fight Forever’s release date was pushed back until February 2023 in November, but there was just a very loud silence surrounding the game for months until finally a trailer was recently posted. Time will tell if the game delivers when it is released, but it is hard to feel confident that it will at the moment.

#7. Too Many Factions

Factions are great in wrestling. The leader of the group is usually a charismatic performer that helps elevate the talent around him. The Jericho Appreciation Society might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s little doubt that Chris has the ability to lead his own group and help other talents.

However, throwing talent together and slapping a name on them doesn’t mean anything. What has Private Party gotten out of being a part of the Hardy Family Office? Is Cole Karter getting more of a reaction now that he is in The Factory with QT Marshall?

The factions have to be interesting themselves for it to equate to fan interest. Otherwise, it is just a collection of wrestlers interacting with each other in segments nobody cares about.

#6. Too Much Ring of Honor

AEW President Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor in March of this year. Nine months later, there is no TV deal for the promotion and he’s asking fans to sign up for Honor Club for ten bucks a month.

Even with that subscription, fans would still have to shell out $40 for the PPV as it will not appear on Honor Club until 90 days after it airs live. Chris Jericho became the ROH Champion by defeating Claudio Castagnoli and his reign came to an on December 10th at Final Battle.

From the outside looking in, it sure looks like he was made the ROH Champion to try and orchestrate a TV deal for the brand and it didn’t work out. Hopefully, there are big things in the promotion in the future, but there was far too much ROH involvement on Dynamite for asking fans to subscribe to Honor Club to be the end goal.

#5. The William Regal Situation

William Regal played a massive part in MJF becoming AEW World Champion and then left the company. It was a bizarre series of events and left many fans wondering why Regal played such a prominent part in the storyline when management knew he was on his way out.

Tony Khan did the right thing in letting Regal return to WWE after the regime change. It was just bizarre that he became the most prominent he had been as a television character on AEW TV as he was on the way out of the company.

#4. Lack of Focus on the Women’s Division

The women’s division in AEW is very talented but it just hasn’t clicked yet. Toni Storm was a big signing for All Elite Wrestling but her title reign was underwhelming. Jade Cargill is undefeated as TBS Champion but the promotion has struggled to find viable opponents or interesting feuds for her.

Jade’s feud against Nyla Rose for Full Gear was quite forgettable. The match at the PPV was fine, but the build to get us there was not. The talent is there, it remains to be seen if the creative writing will be in 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaYATCXcJ0

#3. Lack of Focus on Rampage

AEW Rampage became the most missable wrestling show on television this year. Rarely did anything of note happen in AEW on Friday nights during 2022. The show often features main events with wrestlers that are on the main event level and has a pacing issue.

There’s no time for anything to breathe on Rampage and there often is far too much crammed into an episode. It appears that AEW President Tony Khan has a renewed focus on Rampage following its recent record-low ratings and it will be interesting to see if AEW is relevant on Friday nights next year.

#2. Letting Cody Rhodes Leave

The American Nightmare returned to WWE as former CEO Vince McMahon’s selection for Seth Rollins’ opponent at WrestleMania 38. Cody Rhodes got an incredible reaction upon his return to WWE and became even more popular as the weeks went on. His promos connected with the WWE Universe and he seems destined to become champion one day.

Cody’s run in All Elite Wrestling had a bizarre ending. He took himself out of AEW World Championship contention by saying he would never get another title shot while he was in management if he lost to Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019. Cody lost after MJF threw in the towel for him and hit Rhodes with a low blow after the match.

Rhodes then found himself disconnect from the AEW audience, sometimes booed relentlessly during his promos. A change of scenery was likely what Cody needed, but his presence is still missed in AEW. There aren’t too many that can cut a promo like The American Nightmare and consistently deliver in the ring at the same time.

#1. Lack of Leadership

There have been too many instances of AEW talent burying each other, burying their boss, brawling, and just general dysfunction this year in the company. CM Punk’s rant following AEW All Out was egregious, but it was also allowed to get to that point. There were stories about issues backstage for months but nothing was resolved. Talented wrestlers like Miro and Andrade have become disgruntled and were poorly used in the promotion from the day they signed.

It is a difficult task to manage all of the egos in the locker room but it has to be done by somebody. If everyone is just looking out for themselves in AEW, they will become the alternative to Impact rather than WWE in the years ahead.

The days are getting darker. The winds are getting colder and that can only mean one thing.

The Holidays are coming!

Each year, WWE makes sure to air a Holiday episode, complete with Christmas trees and other sights associated with the most wonderful time of the year.

Countless Superstars and personalities have donned the iconic red and white suit of Santa Claus himself, but not all did so with the best of intentions.

Here are five Santas from wrestling who will be getting coal in their stocking this Christmas.

5: Damien Sandow

For Damien Sandow, 2013 could be best described as a ‘mixed year.’ 

After winning the SmackDown Money in the Bank contract, Sandow seemed on the cusp of becoming World Heavyweight Champion, but failed in his cash-in attempt on John Cena.

By December, Sandow had fallen down the card dramatically and played the role of ‘evil Santa’ on the December 23, Raw.

Facing off against the World’s Strongest Santa Mark Henry, Sandow had little chance, and what started as a promising year for the intellectual ended on a dud.

4: Bubba Ray Dudley

For much of the Invasion storyline, Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley were key players in the Alliance and would hold the WWF and WCW World Tag Team Titles.

Even after the Alliance was defeated, the Dudleys remained, and Bubba would don the iconic red suit for the Christmas Eve Raw.

Facing off against SanTa-jiri, Bubba earned himself on the naughty list with his heel antics throughout the match.

To their credit, both men would put on an entertaining match despite their costumes, and Bubba even used some Santa-themed taunts to rile the crowd. 

In the end, Tajiri’s mist (festive red of course!) would give the Japanese Buzzsaw the win in a highly-entertaining match.

3: Bobby Heenan

Rightly considered one of the greatest heel managers in wrestling history, Bobby Heenan earned himself a spot on the naughty list countless times with his actions.

On Christmas Day in 1989, Heenan took to Prime Time Wrestling for what he called his ‘Santa Claus Shoot,’ in which he declared to the world that Kris Kringle isn’t real.

No doubt breaking the hearts of children watching, Heenan’s rant was cut short by Roddy Piper, who told the kids Santas is real, and pushed and prodded the famed manager.

Heenan, in typical fashion, tried to talk his way out of being beaten up by Piper, and we imagine that The Brain got coal in his stocking the next year.

Of course, this Santa suit wouldn’t be the only costume Heenan would don on-screen, but his other, more iconic outfit, would be that of a weasel.

2: Xanta Claus

For In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings, Santa Claus took a break from a busy December to appear for the World Wrestling Federation, handing out presents with Savio Vega.

Confronting Million Dollar Men Ted DiBiase in the ring, it seemed the numbers were in the good guys’ favor until the unthinkable happened.

Santa Claus sold out!

Attacking Vega and aligning with DiBiase, the man was now Xanta Claus (hailing from the South Pole,) a pretender to the role who had been paid off by DiBiase.

Xanta’s one and only match would come on the Superstars of Wrestling show on December 19, defeating Scott Taylor, but the character would last a few weeks after Christmas.

Years later, Xanta would return to WWE, but under his more recognizable name as Balls Mahoney, and his actions showed that everyone has a price for the Million Dollar Man.

1: John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield

Like Damien Sandow at the start of this list, 2005 was not the best year for John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield.

In April, his ten-month-long reign as WWE Champion ended at the hands of John Cena, ushering in Cena’s rise to the top of wrestling, and the Texan would fail to regain the gold.

That December, JBL donned a camouflaged Santa outfit for that year’s Tribute to the Troops in Baghdad, and berated the troops for the

Complaining about having to use a porta-potty for his rosy backside and the lack of Dom Perignon for his reindeer, and even threatened to cancel Christmas.

JBL’s Santa didn’t stop there, threatening to cancel all holidays (even Bastille Day!) but his plans were thwarted by WWE’s resident Santa, Mick Foley.

Facing off in a match to determine the true Santa of WWE, Foley got the win with a literal bag of tricks and Mr. Socko.

JBL’s berating of the troops was certainly not becoming of Jolly Ol’ St. Nick, and when you consider his actions as a character (and his history of hazing and bullying) JBL has a lifetime spot on the naughty list.

2022 was quite arguably the most tumultuous year in WWE history. Most notably, the unthinkable happened when Vince McMahon announced his retirement. While Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan took on shared responsibility as the co-CEOs at the tip-top of WWE, an even more immediate impact felt by fans saw Triple H take the reins of both creative and talent relations.

Helmsley’s presence was felt in a series of surprise returns from late summer through the fall. Moreover, Survivor Series saw the emergence of the first ever War Games matches on the WWE main roster after decades of the company owning that intellectual property. That’s not to mention the choice not to run a December PPV, not to mention canceling the Day 1 New Year’s show.

Between Triple H’s sensibilities as a wrestling traditionalist and the changes to the PPV calendar, the question arises—should WWE bring back Starrcade, the former flagship annual PPV of WCW?

The History Of Starrcade

Starrcade predates WrestleMania, with its first iteration going down in 1983, and immediately establishing itself as a truly top tier annual event. Over the years, the event saw main events like Harley Race vs. Ric Flair and Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes, as well as legendary undercard attractions like the Dog Collar Match between Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine and the I Quit Match between Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard. Later, Flair would represent tradition against monster heel Big Van Vader, and the year-and-a-half-plus Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan angle would come to a head at Starrcade 1997. Starrcade also infamously played host to the end of Goldberg’s streak at the hands of Kevin Nash, as well as the end of Bret Hart’s full-time wrestling career when Goldberg gave him a stiff kick to the head.

While Eric Bischoff has, on his podcast 83 Weeks, denied that he viewed Starrcade as the biggest show of the year (alternately putting more weight on Halloween Havoc and Bash at the Beach), the consensus among fans still placed Starrcade as The Grandaddy of Them All. As the longest continual running PPV under the NWA and WCW banner, it certainly earned its place in history.

WWE Has Revisited Starrcade

WWE actually has promoted its own Starrcade-branded events. Starrcade was a SmackDown house show in November 2017. The company did broadcast this show via the WWE Network in 2018 and 2019, but it was contextualized as more of a novelty show—largely inconsequential to ongoing storylines—than a proper PPV-style event.

Indeed, WWE seemed mostly concerned with tapping into nostalgia. In 2017, Goldust shed his garb and signature entrance music in favor of returning to his old school WCW gimmick as The Natural to callback to not only his own earlier WCW performances, but his family’s—and specifically his father’s—history with the event. Moreover, the 2017 edition emanated from WCW stronghold, Greensboro, North Carolina, and 2019’s happened in Duluth, Georgia, another area favored WCW and Jim Crockett Promotions.

A New Vision For Starrcade

Triple H finally bringing War Games to the WWE main roster seems to bespeak his commitment to wrestling history and his own past enjoyment of the traditional style Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, and others were historically known for. Reviving Starrcade would be a natural extension of representing that aesthetic.

More than a specially promoted house show or quietly marketed WWE Network special, though, the Starrcade brand deserves to be recognized with a proper PPV event. The PPV calendar is already crowded, and it seems The Game means to be more critical about promoting fewer events more soundly. Nonetheless, running Starrcade, particularly in its traditional spot around the holidays (it originally happened in November, then moved to December to not conflict with Survivor Series) would be a powerful way of tapping into old school wrestling nostalgia at a time of year when the general public is already predisposed to feeling nostalgic.

To offer Starrcade a distinctive identity, it would only make sense to focus on tapping into the past. WWE is no stranger to bringing back part-time legends to work matches here and there. Additionally, they could conceivably could tap into some of the ethos of another WCW PPV, Slamboree, by focusing its new vision of Starrcade on legends past returning to work matches with each other, or with current talents. There have been rumblings about WWE seeking to move its Hall of Fame proceedings away from WrestleMania weekend, given how crowded the two-night structure of the event has made the weekend. Starrcade’s history as a premium event and this focus on nostalgia could make it fitting new home for when inductions would happen.

The future of the Starrcade brand is unclear. The nostalgia-based smaller events WWE ran from 2017 to 2019 served a niche audience and casually took advantage of the intellectual property at WWE’s disposal. Like so many things, Starrcade’s continuity was disrupted by the pandemic in 2020. As the world continues to settle back into  sense of normalcy, there’s a real opportunity for WWE relaunch this event under a new vision.

The Montreal Screwjob was 25 years ago last month. Looking back on the event, after reading and hearing about it for over two decades, I can say the biggest victim was pro wrestling fans.

That’s a rough roll considering all that happened to Bret Hart following Survivor Series 1997. But the Screwjob cemented the idea that pro wrestling fans had to take sides on every piece of news, roster move, show review, ratings news, locker room or wrestler depending on how they lean as a fan.

Wrestling has always been about two opposing sides in the ring, but the concept has been carried far beyond that outside of it. While social media, Reddit and the major companies are always trying to manipulate fans into thinking one thing or another, the truth is it’s fine to not have an opinion on something. This may be a new concept to those who suffer through the asylum that is Twitter, but it’s an actual legit position to have.

The Screwjob was such a shock to the business, it took well over a decade for the creative side of the wrestling to recover. Both the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) and World Championship Wrestling couldn’t escape the moment. The Screwjob finish was a favorite for every booker from Vince Russo to Vince McMahon, to Joe and his local backyard fed. Ten years after the Screwjob, when Hart made his on-screen return to WWE TV in 2010, the only fan or industry employee who was over it was Hart himself.

Fans also began to judge the Screwjob based on their fandom, not on their opinion of the event. Some of the criticisms aimed at Hart were legit. Yes, he had a creative control clause in his contract, but if he just lost, then the entire event doesn’t happen. At the same time, Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels had pushed Hart to a breaking point as far as pride, and Hart did have contingencies to handover the belt that made sense. The biggest criticism should be laid at the feet of McMahon, who had a history of leaving titles on wrestlers who weren’t under contract or whose contracts were about to expire.

Fans viewed Hart through two lenses – his diehard fans along with WCW fans saw him as the victim of McMahon’s failure to manage his roster properly. If he didn’t want Hart with the company, why give him a 20-year contract a year earlier. Why keep he belt on him after you tell him you plan to release him. These are great questions, but their validity – in 1997 and even now – depended much on who you were cheering for as a fan.

WWF fans believed Hart forced McMahon to take the belt off him by any means possible. Hart was constantly harangued online in the late 90s and early 2000s by the the WWF-loyal online wrestling fanbase. Even after his brother, Owen, died in a WWF ring in 1999, fans still hammered Hart as a bad guy in the event, even claiming he was bitter over the Screwjob after dealing with the biggest tragedy of his life, one of many he dealt with in the immediate years following the end of his WWF career.

Why a figure like Hart became such a divisive figure was by design. Despite the supposed death of kayfabe, wrestling is always about two sides and its the default for wrestlers, fans and even owners. Witness how smoothly WWE has managed to slip away from Vince McMahon’s history with certain members of wrestling media and fans, with little to no questions asked about his serial sexual harassment and allegations of assault, payoffs and an investigation that would still scandalize any other company.

All Out Fallout

The most obvious and bizarre example of the bi-polar affectations of wrestling fans – the press conference from hell following All Out. Fans began lining up behind Punk and the Elite almost immediately, depending on who they preferred as a fan. Egging this on are veteran wrestlers and personalities and their podcasts, who are throwing heat like Aroldis Chapman in an effort to stay relevant and to stay in the black with clicks and advertisers.

After a two-and-a-half month suspension, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson returned two weeks ago. After failing to trademark “Wayward Sons,” the group still used the Kansas hit as their entrance music along with an intro that combined clock graphics.

“Carry On My Wayward Son” was a song the Young Bucks had used as entrance music back to their days in their backyard. Their dad, a longtime musician and rock keyboardist with a taste for 70s rock, was obviously an influence on his kids.

The idea that the song is a shot at CM Punk, who is out with an injury and has been threatening legal action while requesting a buyout of his contract, has been floating since The Elite returned to AEW TV two weeks ago. But is there really anything there? More obvious was Omega using Punk’s finisher during its Trios match in front of a hostile Chicago crowd last week, even biting PAC (referencing the bite Omega suffered from former AEW producer Ace Steel).

Not everything is about Punk, whether he or his fans believe that or not, and not everything is more than just getting heat from the crowd. But it’s another case of fans taking sides based on their fandom and not on the evidence or what’s out there. There’s a case to make that Punk had a right to be upset and unhappy with AEW creative, or that he felt threatened when AEW legal, the Elite and others came into his locker room.

There’s also a case to be made The Elite and Adam Page are the victims of Punk going into business for himself in a way that should have had him fired on the spot. Many people in AEW believed Punk should have been fired or his promo burying Page when he returned to AEW TV after his heel injury.

In other words, these issues are complicated. And pro wrestling isn’t the only subject where people fall into rows – anyone who made the mistake of bringing up politics at Thanksgiving this past weekend, or sports, or religion … need I go on?

But wrestling and the cult-like sensibilities it creates are leave its fans more susceptible than other areas. Given how internet heavy wrestling media and how important it is as far as news and fan discourse, the chances of getting dragged into one camp or the other is even worse, despite whatever nuanced information is available.

What’s brutal about this attitude is how poisonous it is for fans. It wears fans out and makes following the sport a job, not fun. Pro wrestling should be more enjoyable – online and off. Doing that is in the power of fans. Watch who you are following. Look for people who are smart on Twitter, not echoing what you’re saying. Or worse, the fans/stans who populate social media and bring nothing to the discussion but noise.

Thanksgiving and the surrounding days have a long, storied history in pro wrestling. Jim Crockett Promotions wasn’t the first wrestling promotion to recognize the potential in family’s flocking to an arena or turning on the television together after a turkey dinner, but they did capitalize in a big way, promoting Starrcade on an annual basis, starting in 1983.

Before that, WWE promoted Bruno Sammartino vs. Stan Hansen in Madison Square Garden over the holiday, and a famed wrestler vs. boxer match pitting Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali was another Turkey Day draw. WWE changed the game in 1987, though, with Survivor Series. The PPV became the Thanksgiving standard, happening on the holiday itself or the night before, before settling into position on a weekend in close proximity to it, where it remains to this cay.

The implications of this choice included WCW shuffling Starrcade to December as WWE dominated the fledgling PPV market. There have remained no shortage of Thanksgiving themed matches in wrestling history, though, many of which have nothing to do with WWE’s signature event.

Samoa Joe Vs. AJ Styles Vs. Chris Sabin In A Turkey Bowl Match, 2007

In its early years, Impact Wrestling broadcasted on Thursday nights. Having to put on a TV show Thanksgiving night each year wasn’t necessarily enticing, given the volume of prospective viewers traveling or tied up with their families for the holiday. Nonetheless, they made the most of the situation by starting a tradition: The Turkey Bowl.

Turkey Bowl episodes were built around qualifying matches, culminating in the Turkey Bowl Match in the main event. The stakes were low and objectively silly, but there was nonetheless some holiday spirit emblematic in a match with the stipulation that the person who suffered the fall to lose the match would have to face the humiliation of donning a turkey suit afterward. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Sabin is a pretty electrifying lineup for a three-way match, and the men delivered a fun bout. Joe picked up the victory, and it was Styles who wound up dressed like a turkey.

The Rock Vs. William Regal For Thanksgiving Pride, 2000

As one of WWE’s most famous British heels, it’s little wonder William Regal would take up against the Thanksgiving spirit in the heat of the Attitude Era. A Thanksgiving episode of SmackDown saw him rain on the parade of his roster mates as they enjoyed a turkey dinner backstage, bashing the US and the premise of why the Pilgrims left England to settle in America.

The Rock took up for American tradition, laying a verbal beatdown on Regal that set up a match between the two later on. Against a backdrop of the newly heel Rikishi haunting The Great One from the stage, Rock beat Regal soundly, ultimately submitting him with a Sharpshooter.

Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, And Melina Vs.LayCool And Jillian Hall In A Mayflower Melee Match, 2009

The year was 2009, and a combination of sensitivity to indigenous cultures and respect for women probably meant WWE should have known better than to have booked the Mayflower Melee. Despite these factors, the company saw fit to book a Pilgrims vs. “Indians” match, in which the six women involved wore sexy versions of costumes appropriate to the holiday.

At least WWE did have the sense to book the wrestlers representing indigenous people as the babyfaces and to have them pick up victory. Melina pinned hall to secure the win, and to have an altercation with The Gobbledy Gooker (Maryse was in the costume) post-match.

New Day Vs. The Big Show And The Bar In A Thanksgiving Feast Fight, 2018

At the height of tensions between New Day and the short-lived three-man group of The Big Show, Sheamus, and Cesaro, the two units squared off in a Thanksgiving Feast Fight. The match saw New Day clad in Pilgrim costumes and contrived spots in which Big Show went through a banquet table full of Thanksgiving food, and later Kofi Kingston used a turkey-assisted double axehandle to drive Sheamus through another. Big E ultimately hit The Celtic Warrior with a turkey to the face to secure the pin for his team.

The match was as silly as it sounds, though at least the men in volved were talented and New Day in particular was nothing if not equipped to deliver in a comedic situation.

Ivory Vs. Jacqueline In A Gravy Bowl Match, 1999

The most famous version of the Gravy Bowl Match occurred in 2001, with Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler battling in the overtly sexualized equivalent to mud wrestling with the Women’s Championship on the line. The match actually originated two years earlier, though on a Thanksgiving SmackDown episode in which Jacqueline faced off with Ivory.

While this context was quite as overtly played for sexual content, the gimmick still was what it was, and certainly underserved the two tough, talented women involved. Nonetheless, it stayed mercifully short at just a little over a minute before Jacqueline picked up the pin with a DDT.

Titus O’Neil Vs. The Great Khali In A Food Eating Contest, 2013

In 2013, WWE let go of any pretense about staging a serious wrestling match in having heavyweights Titus O’Neil and The Great Khali simply compete in a food eating contest on SmackDown. Both men gorged themselves on Thanksgiving foods as other Superstars cheered them on. O’Neil was declared the victor after Khali fell asleep, presumably in a food coma.

O’Neil wasn’t exactly rewarded for this victory, instead given the task of facing Cesaro in the ring. Cesaro hit his signature Swing on O’Neil, after which Darren Young caused a disqualification. The match seemed mostly designed to get to its punchline—a food-stuffed and now dizzy O’Neil puking into color commentator JBL’s cowboy hat at ringside.

Thanksgiving themed matches in wrestling are rarely classics. However, they do have their place in providing some light-hearted entertainment in observance of the holiday, particularly for a smaller fans who probably aren’t looking for anything too serious after celebrating the holiday, and perhaps watching the shows with their families.

For as long as mankind (no, not Mick Foley) has been around, the human race has sought to see into the future.

Who wouldn’t benefit from knowing what life would bring them? To know what pitfalls they could avoid down the line with a simple change to their present.

At one time, believers turned to the stars to see the future, while in the Middle Ages, the locations and number of holes in a block of cheese would be used to foretell coming events.

These days, WWE fans can look to Video Games to predict the future, with some gaming moments coming true in the real world.

Here are five times WWE Video Games predicted the future.

5: The Return of ECW

While it was named SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006, the game, like others in the series, was released months before its cover year, and in fact came out in late 2005.

The second game of the SVR series saw a story mode where Rob Van Dam captured the WWE Championship, which just so happened to coincide with a soft relaunch of ECW.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Mere months after the game’s release, RVD would win the Money in the Bank contract, and cash in on John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 to become WWE Champion.

While the game was not 100% accurate, as it included an RVD heel turn and failed to predict his real-life arrest for drug possession, the game got very close to what’d happen months later.

4: The Women’s Royal Rumble

In 2018, Asuka made history by winning the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, which was followed by the immediate debut of Ronda Rousey.

Since then, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Rousey herself have won the Women’s Rumble, but so has Mickie James.

Well, kinda.

In SVR 2010, Mickie James’s storyline on the Road to WrestleMania introduced the Women’s Royal Rumble, which the player, James, would have to win.

As if the Women’s Rumble being predicted eight years early isn’t spooky enough, but James enters the in-game Rumble pretty late and did so in the real first Rumble, where she was #26.

Mickie returned to WWE this year to compete in the Women’s Royal Rumble, and while the Impact Wrestling star didn’t win, she does have a pseudo-historic win to her name.

The Women’s Revolution

In 2015, after years of seeing their ‘Divas’ as little more than eye candy with muscles, WWE began making a deliberate effort to take Women’s Wrestling more seriously.

This has proven to be a fantastic move for WWE, with some of the best matches each year coming from their women’s division, but this could have been much earlier.

In SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007’s Raw story mode, after a match between Candice Michelle and Mickie James, Lita attacks both women, on the orders of Stephanie McMahon.

From the ramp, Stephanie declares that it is time for women’s wrestling to be treated more seriously, and that women will no longer be seen in WWE as mere sex objects.

But since this is 2007, she gets massive boos from the crowd. Ugh!

Yes, when Stephanie McMahon (or at least her in-game alter ego) called for WWE to tidy up the more risque actions of their Divas, she became the top heel, alongside Lita, and for some reason, Kurt Angle.

What follows is the entire WWE Divas roster (sans Lita) rallying behind your character, fighting against women’s wrestling being focused on wrestling and not sex appeal.

A bizarre storyline in hindsight, it also gave fans arguably the most bizarre line in any wrestling video game.

“If Stephanie had her way, all of the Divas would be wearing burkas and a veil, as if the Taliban was running the show.”

Trish Stratus (WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007.)

DX Reunited

For Shawn Michaels’ Road to WrestleMania in SVR 2009, HBK was livid at the idea that Triple H would break up DX and reunite with Evolution.

In-game, DX was riding high, but Randy Orton had been trying to goad the Game back to Evolution, which also included Batista.

Sure enough, this happened in 2014, over five years after the game’s release, and the similarities did not stop there.

Not only did Evolution reunite in the game like in real life, but in both instances, Ric Flair was nowhere to be seen.

Flair was on his way out of WWE when SVR 09 launched in late 2008, while for 2014, his focus was on his daughter Charlotte.

WWF Has Attitude in 1994

The history of WWE has often been broken down by fans as ‘eras’ and for many, none was better than the Attitude Era.

Raw was certainly at its most popular during this period, with millions of fans tuning in each week and seeing the iconic WWF scratch logo.

Except, this logo was used years before the company found its attitude.

Eagle-eyed fans who played WWF Raw on the SNES/Genesis will have spotted that at commentary, a monitor can be seen emblazoned with the WWF Attitude ‘scratch’ logo.

It’s ironic that this game came out during the height of the New Generation era, full of colorful characters and silly personalities: a far cry from the gritty attitude of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and others.

Perhaps someone in WWF’s gaming department had been working on bringing in attitude for years before it actually happened, but whatever the case, this game proved a sign of what was going to come.

I remember going to the grocery store as a child and seeing the flyers for independent pro wrestling shows taking place in the neighborhood gym or flea market. Sporadically, there would be a few names from WWE, WCW, or ECW I would recognize. These events would draw anywhere between a hundred to hundreds most of the time. The majority of the wrestlers who appeared regularly would stay local or within the state. It was pretty status-quo. 

The same formula has been used over the decades, but in recent times something happened. Promotions across the country and worldwide now draw thousands despite not having traditional major network clearance or exposure on weekly television. They’re even breaking attendance records to the point where “independent” is no longer a dirty word. 

And the reason for this uptick can be traced to a number of factors. Among them is the talent, who have become their own advocates. They’ve built their own brands, had hand in creating unique eye-catching merchandise, and smartly promoted themselves through platforms across social media. There are countless tools for a performer at their disposal, and many utilize them well. Then there are the companies themselves who have invested in presentation. Little things can make all the difference. You don’t necessarily have to be a millionaire or billionaire to produce a good product for viewers. 

Perhaps, the major reason for this boom period within the indie world is fans have the accessibility to consume content in so many ways. They become invested as a result. Streaming services like Independent Wrestling TV and FITE TV emerged as important resources, revenue generators, and game changers for a company. Speaking of which, what  Brett Lauderdale has done with Game Changer Wrestling is nothing short of remarkable. Their shows often trend on Twitter thanks to a dedicated fanbase that has been likened to ECW during its early days. GCW’s The Collective, a mobilization of companies and talent from all over, is a staple during WrestleMania weekend.

There have been a number of landmark events that have shown the power of independent wrestling on a grand scale. I think back to the excitement for All In, a major investment in time and resources by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks. Yes, Ring of Honor backed the vision, but this was still a rolling of the dice that extended more than a response to a Dave Meltzer bet.

Renting out a major venue and counting on fans to really get behind something different. The one-off paid off with more than 11,000 fans packing the Sears Centre to witness the historic pay-per-view. A true demonstration of what could be accomplished if the pro wrestling community can come together. Of course, we know the success of All In setting the stage for what would become All Elite Wrestling. 

Then there was Ric Flair’s Last Match, promoted under the podcasting/Starcast convention kingpin Conrad Thompson, who dusted off Jim Crockett Promotions trademark for the occasion. A lively crowd of nearly 7,000 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium saw an assemblage of stars join the “Nature Boy” for another draw. All In and Ric Flair’s Last Match ended up being the highest-grossing North American indie shows of this modern era. Not to mention the global reach. 

COVID could have easily taken down the indie scene, but instead, promoters got creative to keep the show going. They hosted events in outdoor spots like fields and parking lots. Just this year F1RST Wrestling brought its Saturday Night Nitro to the Mall of America. And this is not even considering all the great things going on in countries globally. It’s an exciting time for pro wrestling in general, but the possibilities are endless in the indie space as well. No longer do you have to be signed by a major company to be considered successful in the industry. 

What is your favorite independent promotion? Tweet me @smFISHMAN.

On Thanksgiving night, November 22, 2001, WWE broadcasted a pretaped episode of SmackDown. The show featured a star-studded main event with The Rock teaming up with Rob Van Dam against Chris Jericho and The Dudley Boyz, not to mention a Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker match and  Edge vs. Christian for the Intercontinental Championship in the undercard.

The most memorable part of the card, however, was a Gravy Bowl Match pitting Trish Stratus against Stacy Keibler.

Trish Stratus Vs. Stacy Keibler Wasn’t The First Gravy Bowl Match

The Gravy Bowl Match was little more complicated than it sounded—a match pitting two women in a pit full of what was ostensibly gravy, for what looked an awful lot like a mud wrestling match. The popularity and sex appeal of Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler made their Gravy Bowl Match instantly the most iconic iteration of the match. They weren’t the originators, though.

The dubious honor of kicking off the Gravy Bowl Match gimmick goes to Jacqueline and Ivory. Though Trish Stratus would grow into being a highly skilled in-ring performer, she was only starting to get there in late 2001. By contrast, Jacqueline and Ivory were about as legit as it got in the women’s ranks, both tough, highly skilled veteran performers who were more clearly above this gimmick in 1999. Nonetheless, they worked a one-minute match, with Jacqueline getting better of it.

A Food Fight Preceded The Match

When Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler clashed for their Gravy Bowl Match, they were less than a week removed from Survivor Series 2001, where WWE conclusively won its war against The Alliance. Stratus vs. Keibler felt like a bit of a coda. Though the action of the Invasion angle had clearly focused on the male performers, Stratus was a clear cut WWE talent whereas Keibler was one of the more consistently featured talents to come over from WCW and remain locked into her heel role with them for those first months under WWE contract.

The action got started with a food fight. Keibler made her entrance first and seated herself at a banquet table of Thanksgiving foods beside the Gravy Bowl. Stratus made her entrance second, wearing the Women’s Championship she’d picked up at the PPV. They both wore dresses and seemed set to eat before Keibler got things started, throwing a handful of mashed potatoes at Stratus and laughing at her. Sttratus got up close and personal, dumping gravy on Keibler’s head before a back and forth exchange covered them both in food, culminating in Stratus sling-shotting Keibler into the gravy to get the match properly started.

Trish Stratus Picked Up The Submission Victory

The action of The Gravy Bowl Match wasn’t all that technically impressive as the two struggled against each other with little rhyme or reason, alternately throwing the other down or dunking her head beneath the surface of the gravy as the momentum switched back and forth. Finally, Stratus hit something like and Alabama Slam, en route to applying a hold somewhere between a chin lock and camel clutch to make Keibler tap out.

In the aftermath, Keibler played the sore loser, kicking gravy up out of the bowl, before climbing out, complaining to the ref, and shoving him into the gravy. Meanwhile, Stratus celebrated on the entrance ramp, raising her title overhead.

There’s little doubt that the Gravy Bowl Match between Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus was designed to make the most of each woman’s sex appeal with a provocative match that left both women sopping wet, with the justification that the bout celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday spirit. Stratus commented on the match explicitly years later in a visit to Lillian Garcia’s podcast, and how it felt like a non-sequitur after the women’s division and Stratus personally had gained significant momentum at the time. She complained about it to trainer Fit Finlay at the time.

Nonetheless, with the benefit of hindsight, Stratus reflected on it as little more than a speed bump. She would go on to assemble a more than Hall of Fame-worthy career, earning the respect of wrestling fans around the world in a boom period for women’s division over a decade before the so-called Women’s Revolution.

When you look back at some of MJF’s best matches in AEW, you realize that the guy can absolutely go in the squared circle. His arrogance, dishonor and despicable nature as a heel overshadow that he has had some of the most underrated and best matches in the short history of AEW.

MJF has become one of, if not the most compelling characters in AEW. You may think of him as strictly a master on the microphone. Yet MJF is also one of the best in-ring performers on a roster that is stocked full of them.

MJF has an opportunity this Saturday night at the Full Gear pay-per-view to win the AEW World Championship as he goes head-to-head with current champion Jon Moxley. In the process of that, he also can add on to his rolodex of best matches in the promotion.

• 5 Reasons MJF Should Win The AEW Championship

That being said, we are going to take a look back at MJF’s best matches thus far in AEW.

MJF vs. Jungle Boy (Double Or Nothing 2020)

A pandemic era, AEW in-ring beauty. MJF and Jungle Boy had one match prior to this encounter at a Dynamite event on February 12, 2020. Just three months later, two of the four proclaimed “Pillars” of AEW would square off once again in front of their peers in the audience on pay-per-view.

MJF had just broken through with an upset win over his mentor, Cody Rhodes, at AEW Revolution. The feud itself was designed to catapult Maxwell Jacob Friedman to a new level, which indeed it did. His follow up feud with Jungle Boy offered up a different dynamic.

You witnessed a glimpse of the bright future that MJF and Jungle Boy both have in front of them. A clash between a more methodical, heel style performer and an electric, vibrant babyface. The two young men put on a more modern style wrestling clinic which brought out MJF’s underrated in-ring skills. He would emerge victorious in this wonderful pro wrestling match.

Something tells me this will be a featured rivalry moving down the line for AEW in the distant future.

MJF vs. Sammy Guevara (Dynamite, June 30, 2021)

We move from one match between two of AEW’s four pillars to another exciting contest. The feud between MJF and Sammy Guevara had started long before this bout came to be. When MJF had Chris Jericho at AEW Full Gear 2020, the stipulation was he would become a member of The Inner Circle.

Sammy Guevara was skeptical of MJF and his motives as a new member of the group, and rightfully so. When The Inner Circle were about to kick MJF out of the group, he flipped the switch and formed The Pinnacle in one of the best segments in AEW Dynamite history.

This match was almost four months after MJF formed his new group, and you got to see a fantastic story told in the ring. Much like Jungle Boy before him, Guevara’s athleticism was a perfect contrast in style to MJF’s technical and grappling approach.

A magnificent display of one upmanship between the two rivals as MJF would prevail without outside interference from The Pinnacle.

MJF vs. Darby Allin (Full Gear 2021)

It’s a testament to AEW that the first three matches on this list involve all four pillars of the young company. In this bout, MJF would go head-to-head with the most unorthodox pillar of the bunch in Darby Allin.

Darby and his reckless style mix incredibly well with the aforementioned skills of MJF, as this match opened up the 2021 rendition of Full Gear. The two men put on a performance that was very difficult to top on this night in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The mind games that the two men played throughout their feud played a significant role in how well the story in the ring on this night was told. The car crash style that Darby Allin brought to the table turned into an incredible wrestling match, which suits MJF’s liking.

Max called his shot saying he would win this bout with a headlock takeover (aided by his Dynamite diamond ring, which he used to knock Darby out beforehand). None the less, this match arguably stole the show on a night where Hangman Page finally won the AEW World title.

MJF vs. CM Punk (Dynamite, February 2, 2022)

MJF and CM Punk are two of the most polarizing figures in the pro wrestling world over the last 20 years.

The psychological warfare and mic battles that took place between the two men were the most incredible storytelling and entertaining television in AEW’s short company history.

The story arc started with MJF attempting to throw-around his microphone superiority and all-around prowess in AEW. He once idolized CM Punk as a teenager. Now, he said that he saw Punk as a threat to his territory at the top of the card.

Punk meanwhile has been a professor of psychology throughout his career and combatted MJF’s nooks and crannies better than any opponent before him.

This match took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, giving him a distinct advantage over the younger prodigy. MJF on this night wasn’t rattled. He pinned Punk not once, but twice, after referee Bryce Remsburg found a piece of tape which MJF used to help put Punk to sleep the first time.

The storytelling was masterful once again as MJF cheated both times to defeat Punk. It warranted a rematch where CM Punk would have the opportunity to get a measure of revenge against his hated rival.

MJF vs. CM Punk (Revolution 2022)

The follow up to MJF vs CM Punk’s TV thriller was another month of fantastic promos and psychological warfare which led to Punk demanding a stipulation in their next encounter on pay-per-view.

MJF threw one more log into the metaphorical fire to create a barricade to avoid giving Punk a rematch. He gave Punk the option to choose any partner of his choosing outside of Darby Allin and Sting to defeat FTR, the other two members of the Pinnacle.

Punk chose Jon Moxley and they defeated FTR in a phenomenal tag team match on Dynamite. Punk tapped into wrestling history to choose the stakes for this bout at AEW Revolution. Channeling “Roddy Piper in Portland,” he made the match a dog collar affair, one that Piper (another of MJF’s heroes) had taken part in against Greg Valentine at Starrcade 1983.

Wrestling fans were treated to a brutal affair. The stage was set minutes before as MJF came out to Punk’s “Cult Of Personality” theme music. Punk would follow up with his Ring Of Honor theme, “Miseria Cantare.” A homage to his previous dog collar match in ROH with Raven.

MJF and CM Punk would go on to have one of the most memorable PPV matches in AEW history. The blood shed, emotions and hatred were at a fever pitch on this night.

Wardlow would play a part in this bout as well. He finally turned on MJF as he left his Dynamite diamond ring for Punk to use as he knocked out MJF with it. Add a GTS to the blow and Punk gained a measure of revenge on his fallen opponent.

Jesse Velasquez is the host of the Wrestling Unplugged and Undeniable podcast, available on Apple and Spotify.

AEW All Out aired on September 4th and was an entertaining show, albeit far too long. However, the disastrous media scrum that followed the PPV has painted the company in a bad light. As the days pass, it becomes more ridiculous when you think about it and the company will hopefully follow up with an event fans rave about.

• 5 Best Moments of CM Punk’s AEW Career

Here are a few reasons why All Elite Wrestling needs to provide a show people will remember for the right reasons on November 19th:

AEW Needs to Show the Audience They’ve Learned from Their Mistakes

AEW has a chance to right the wrongs of All Out and shorten the absurd length of their PPV events this Saturday at Full Gear. Tony Khan appears to waiver in and out from listening to fan suggestions for his product.

Dear @AEW & @TonyKhan #AEW

I personally think the lighting was so much better in 2019 than it is now or am I wrong?
Feels like it’s evolving backward. Hope you can fix that?

P.S ITS WEDNESDAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS ? #AEWDynamite #GrandSlam #AEWGrandSlam pic.twitter.com/fkMvMdphNa

— AEWBlog (@AEW_Blog) September 21, 2022

He thanked the fans for the suggestion, only to back to the previous lighting shortly after. One can only hope he listened to the exhausted fans in attendance by the time the main event between CM Punk and Jon Moxley went on.

• AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview

The production has consistently been criticized, but often times the messenger wasn’t the best. Road Dogg was clearly angling for a job at AEW, but wound up replacing Jeff Jarrett in WWE as the Senior Vice President of Live Events. Double J has since been hired by All Elite Wrestling in a similar backstage role, as well as an on-screen character.

“The production of the show, not how you produce and execute the creative, but the production of the show is horrible.”

Road Dogg did make some valid points about AEW’s production, though. There are times when it is excellent, and times when the viewer is left scratching their head. For example, Samoa Joe turned on Wardlow last week on Dynamite and attacked him. The camera angle made it pretty obvious that it was going to happen, but that is not the issue.

Somehow, AEW managed to cut away at the precise moment Samoa Joe attacked Wardlow and had to roll it in a replay. It is hard to figure out how that managed to happen when the attack was the entire point of the segment, but it did and they deserve criticism for it. AEW Full Gear needs to be a well-produced PPV that allows the viewers to actually experience the moments as they happen this Saturday night.

What a message @Ringofhonor World TV Champion @SamoaJoe just sent to TNT Champion @RealWardlow, as #Powerhouse @truewilliehobbs looks on!

It’s #AEWDynamite LIVE on @TBSNetwork! pic.twitter.com/CXttUEL0DI

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 10, 2022

The Women’s Division Needs to Show Signs of Life

From the outside looking in, the situation regarding the AEW Women’s Championship makes zero sense. Thunder Rosa isn’t exactly CM Punk, so it is head-scratching why she needs to remain champion for months with an injury. She’s an incredible in-ring talent, but they had her rush an injury announcement in a backstage segment and then she vanished. If she was that vital to the TV show, wouldn’t she still be on it like Britt Baker was during her injury?

We’ve gotten some explanation from the AEW Women’s Champion on Busted Open Radio following AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm’s comments. Thunder Rosa said she hopes to return around January and suggested that Toni speak to those in power backstage who made the decision.

They haven’t given me a time yet when I’m coming back. I’m saying it’s January, and I hope it is January.

Again, if Toni Storm disagrees with what’s decided in the back, that’s not my problem. That is not my problem, Toni.

Toni Storm versus Jamie Hayter should be an interesting matchup, but it is still just to determine the Interim Champion. Storm should be thriving as the champion but instead that weird and unnecessary label has made her whole reign feel less than.

The situation with the TBS Championship is just poor booking. Jade Cargill is a star but this storyline hasn’t done her any favors. Nyla stole the TBS Championship and is billed as the “TBS Champion” for the show. Time will tell if the TBS Champion versus the “TBS Champion” will captivate the audience at the Prudential Center.

While the build to the title matches has been lackluster at best, there is one match that could potentially give AEW fans hope that this division will finally find its footing. The talent has always been there, but quality booking has been hard to find as late.

Saraya will make her long-awaited return to the ring at Full Gear against Britt Baker. The two had a great segment on last week’s Dynamite and the crowd popped when Saraya announced she was cleared to return to the ring. Baker and Saraya putting on a quality match at the PPV would be huge for the division, especially if both title matches overcome their build and deliver as well.

AEW Needs a New Champion to Get Fans Excited for the Future Again

It is Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s world and we are all living in it. The 26-year-old has vaulted to the top of the roster by simply not being there. Fans got to watch AEW World Champion CM Punk say that he is “not in the business of stepping on each other’s d**ks”, only to hit a Coup de Grace on the collective d**ks of his coworkers at the All Out media scrum.

The AEW World Champion opted to air his dirty laundry minutes after winning the title in his hometown. It was supposed to be the beginning of his second title run (without a single title defense) but he was suspended following the brawl with The Elite. Punk was also injured during the title match and likely would have had to relinquish the title anyway.

MJF’s hiatus began after his incredible “pipebomb” promo on the Dynamite following Double or Nothing. He called Tony Khan a “f***ing mark” during the promo and blasted him for hiring ex-WWE guys that according to MJF, couldn’t lace his boots. CM Punk hobbled down the entrance ramp after the promo in an effort to confront MJF.

He had broken his foot earlier in the show and would need to step away just a few days after defeating Hangman Page to win the title. MJF scampered through the crowd and wasn’t seen again until the conclusion of All Out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh_-rrvh39E

CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of All Out to capture the AEW World Championship for the 2nd time. A man in a devil’s mask was gifted the Casino Ladder match to begin the show after Stokely Hathaway’s The Firm faction beat everybody down. It was revealed to be MJF and he confronted Punk at the conclusion of the PPV. MJF got a thunderous reaction but it was soon to be overshadowed by Punk’s even louder rant.

Jon Moxley cut one of the better promos of his career on the Dynamite after the PPV. Mox said that winners always want the ball and went on to defeat Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam to win the title again. He’s become the heart and soul of the company, but it is time to drop the belt.

• 5 Reasons MJF Should Win the AEW World Championship

MJF has already convinced many fans that he is a generational talent, and the time is now to make him the face of All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan made a bunch of signings looking for his franchise player but the truth is he’s been there all along.

With a truly-historic 2022 coming to an end, the wrestling world is looking ahead to 2023, and what will happen over the next 12 months.

With January approaching, WrestleMania season is drawing near, and with WrestleMania comes the Hall of Fame.

Many of wrestling’s biggest stars have already received the nod, but not everyone and these are some of the huge names yet to go in.

5: The Great Muta

Right now, the Great Muta is on his retirement tour, after a truly iconic career in wrestling.

Considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time, Muta has held gold with AJPW, NJPW, WCW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH, among others.

Away from titles, Muta has been an inspiration for so many wrestlers, yet a WWE Hall of Fame induction continues to allude the legend.

On January 1, Muta will compete against WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura, in a rare example of WWE allowing one of their stars to compete elsewhere.

Could a Hall of Fame induction have been part of the deal for Nakamura? Perhaps, but whether that happens or not, Muta is worthy of the induction.

4: Owen Hart

It’s nothing short of a crime that for many wrestling fans (and non-fans alike) Owen Hart will be best known for his final moments.

Hart’s tragic passing at the Over the Edge 1999 event has forever cast a shadow on a career certainly worthy of the Hall of Fame.

In this instance, it is Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, who has rejected calls from WWE (and fans) to induct her husband, holding the company responsible for his death.

While Martha has been more open to wrestling this year, even appearing for AEW at their Double or Nothing Pay-Per-View, a relationship with WWE remains non-existent, so don’t expect to see the Rocket receive the nod next year.

3: Batista

When Batista broke into the wrestling business, it came at a time of his life when many would be considering winding up their careers.

Undeterred, the Animal not only became a wrestler but a six-time WWE World Champion, along with a handful of Tag title reigns.

Unlike many on this list, we know that Batista will be inducted, as he was announced in 2020, but pulled out due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s understandable, the Animal was worthy of headlining the ceremony, and the 2020/2021 dual induction would not have been right.

With The Undertaker headlining this year’s Hall of Fame, expect Batista to receive the long-awaited honors next year.

2: The Rock

The Bramha Bull. The People’s Champion. The Great One. The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.

Whatever you call him, Dwayne Johnson should be called a WWE Hall of Famer.

Frankly, it’s baffling he’s not already been given the nod, and we can only imagine one reason for why either he’s said no, or WWE has refused to put him in.

Either Rock, WWE, or both, believe he’s not done in the ring.

It’s hardly a secret that WWE wants the Great One back, with many predicting the long-awaited match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

Will that match happen? At this time it’s difficult to say, but one thing we know for sure is that Dwayne Johnson is Hall of Fame bound.

1: Vince McMahon

When fans think of the biggest star in wrestling, they may conjure names like Hulk Hogan, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, John Cena or even Roman Reigns.

Well none of these names would have reached the heights they soared to without Vince McMahon.

Of course, a McMahon induction is problematic, thanks in part to his controversial exit from WWE in July over allegations of misconduct.

As wrestling fans have made clear, they don’t forget. Just ask Hulk Hogan and the chilly reception he received at WrestleMania 37 in his home state of Florida.

There is perhaps no bigger name in wrestling who is more deserving than any induction than Vince McMahon, but whether it will ever happen is another matter entirely.

AEW Star Attends WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Friday Night

The Usos defeated New Day tonight on WWE SmackDown and are just a couple of days away from becoming the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history. Jimmy and Jey seem unbeatable at the moment and on top of that, they have The Bloodline in their corner.

• Best Moments of The Usos’ Historic Tag Title Reign in WWE

It will be a tall task for any tag team on RAW or SmackDown to dethrone The Usos. Here are a few teams that may be able to accomplish that goal in the near future:

#3. RK-Bro

Randy Orton and Matt Riddle formed an unlikely bond in WWE. For whatever reason, the pairing worked and RK-Bro was a wildly entertaining duo. Randy Orton and Riddle battled Jimmy and Jey in a Tag Title Unification match on the May 20th episode of WWE SmackDown.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was ringside for the match and wound up getting involved. Riddle and Jey Uso were battling on the top turnbuckle when Roman hopped on the ring apron. The Tribal Chief held onto Jey as Matt went for a Superplex. Riddle crashed to the canvas and Jey was able to capitalize on the interference with a Frog Splash to unify the titles.

It was Orton’s last appearance on the show as he has been out of action with a concerning back injury. Hopefully, The Viper is able to come back to WWE in the near future and reunite with the Original Bro on RAW. Riddle won his rivalry with Seth Rollins and defeated The Visionary at Extreme Rules.

However, Seth Rollins has already become United States Champion since the Fight Pit match last month. Riddle is still hovering around the tag title division and teamed up with New Day on this past Monday’s episode of RAW in a loss to The Bloodline. RK-Bro versus The Usos would be a great match at next year’s WrestleMania in Hollywood.

#2. The Viking Raiders

Erik and Ivar of the Viking Raiders have had one of the strangest main roster runs for a tag team in recent memory. They were known as the War Raiders in NXT and were a dominant tag team to be taken seriously.

They debuted on the main roster on the April 19th edition of RAW as “The Viking Experience”, a ridiculous name that never caught on with fans. Erik and Ivar now use the name for their finishing move.

After having their names changed to The Viking Raiders, they captured the RAW Tag Team Championships from Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler on WWE RAW on October 14, 2019. Their title reign lasted 98 days before dropping them to Seth Rollins and former WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy.

The team then went downhill fast and turned into a comedy act. They entered a feud with the Street Profits that was more focused on playing basketball against each other and trying to make fans laugh rather than get invested in the tag team division.

It appears that the Viking Raiders are about to receive another reset in WWE, this time with Sarah Logan by their side. Erik and Sarah are married and she has been featured in a couple of vignettes on SmackDown. The former Riott Squad member was released in 2020. If the Viking Raiders are able to finally recapture what made them a great team in NXT on the main roster, they could pose a legitimate threat to the title reign of The Usos.

#1. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

The underlying tension within The Bloodline is certainly going to boil over at some point. Jey Uso let his true feelings about Sami Zayn be known to the WWE Universe on a recent edition of SmackDown. He noted that he doesn’t like Sami’s hair, face, or anything about him. The tag champion added that Sami can’t be part of The Bloodline when he isn’t blood.

The Honorary Uce asked for peace and pointed out that Roman Reigns asked them to work out their differences. Jey shouted that he doesn’t give a damn what the Tribal Chief said and instantly regretted it. Roman threatened to make Sami a full-blown Uce and rename him “Sami Uso” if Jey doesn’t get his head right. Zayn calmed everything down by saying Jey hasn’t been feeling very “Ucey” lately.

Triple H and WWE reportedly had plans for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to team up but they were put on hold due to the incredible popularity of the Honorary Uce at the moment. KO approached Sami backstage while he was wearing an Honorary Uce shirt recently and told him that he needs a new shirt.

There will come a time when The Bloodline will turn its back on Sami Zayn and boot him out of the group. It would be awesome to see Sami’s old friend Kevin Owens show up and fight by his side. KO main-evented WrestleMania against Stone Cold Steve Austin and has done very little of note since.

He was involved in a goofy storyline with Ezekiel before disappearing from WWE TV. The Game thinks highly of KO as he quite literally handed him the Universal Championship back in the day, so one has to believe it is only a matter of time before the Prizefighter returns to the product in an impactful way.

Does @SamiZayn need a new shirt? ?#SmackDown @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/XN0aNhWxbL

— WWE (@WWE) October 7, 2022