Welcome to Monday Primer, our Monday morning feature that lays out what’s on tap for the week ahead in the world of professional wrestling. Get caught-up on what’s trending and what to expect from the world’s top wrestling promotions.
Here are some of the top stories in wrestling we’re tracking as we start the week:
CM Punk’s Decision
Fresh off an appearance on SmackDown and NXT last week, CM Punk returns to Raw tonight to make a decision on his future brand as a “free agent.”
With Orton having signed with SmackDown recently, it would be stunning for Punk to choose anything other than Raw. Well, and also because he’s going to be on Raw to announce his decision. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s got this storyline with Seth Rollins that seems destined for a title match at either the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
AEW Continental Classic Rolls On
AEW’s Continental Classic continues to be a bright spot for the promotion, with a stellar edition of Collision (and Rampage) closing last week. This week’s edition of Dynamite includes one particularly spicy matchup, as Swerve Strickland takes on Jon Moxley in the Gold League.
Brody King, Bryan Danielson, and Andrade El Idolo are currently tied at the top of the Blue League with 6 points each. Swerve and Moxley are tied at the top of the Gold League with 9 points each, making this Wednesday’s match between them very noteworthy.
Charlotte Flair Injury
Charlotte Flair appeared to tweak her knee during a match on Friday night SmackDown with Asuka.
Since that time, it’s been reported that Flair has been pulled from all live events this week. It’s not known to what extent she is injured, though obviously it is severe enough for her to take some time off. We will keep monitoring the story closely.
Kazuchika Okada’s Future
One of the biggest wrestling stars of this generation in Japan, Kazuchika Okada, will reportedly become a free agent in early 2024 and will test the waters when it comes to negotiating with both WWE and AEW.
Okada has been announced to appear at TNA Snake Eyes, though we don’t know anything more about his future beyond that. Some have been speculating about a possible Royal Rumble appearance, though there’s nothing more than rumors to report on that front.
Whatever Okada chooses, whether it is coming to the U.S. or staying put in NJPW, will have ramifications for both AEW and WWE moving forward.
SEScoops Live Shows This Week
The SEScoops Podcast, hosted by SEScoops Managing Editor Zack Heydorn and Tyler Sage, airs live Tuesday night on YouTube. Join the show live or catch it via your favorite podcasting platform afterward.
Top Rope Nation, hosted by SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste, Justin Joynt, and Jesse Velasquez, airs live Thursday night on YouTube. Join the show live or catch it via your favorite podcasting platform afterward.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google News to stay up to date.
Monday Primer for December 11 – December 16
Monday (December 11)
WWE Raw: CM Punk chooses which brand to sign with. Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Rhea Ripley vs. Maxxine Dupri (Non-Title Match), Becky Lynch will call out Nia Jax.
Tuesday (December 12)
NXT: Deadline Fallout. Men’s Breakout tournament begins. Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak and The Meta-Four vs. Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen & Fallon Henley.
The SEScoops Podcast airs live on the SEScoops YouTube channel at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Wednesday (December 13)
AEW Dynamite (Winter Is Coming): The Continental Classic includes Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley, Jay White vs. Mark Briscoe, Rush vs. Jay Lethal, Samoa Joe speaks, Ruby Soho vs. Riho, Hangman Adam Page vs. Roderick Strong, the Golden Jets speak, and the Von Erichs return to Dallas.
Thursday (December 14)
Impact Wrestling: Final Resolution fallout.
MLW Fusion: Airs on the MLW YouTube Channel.
Top Rope Nation airs live on the SEScoops YouTube channel at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.
Friday (December 15)
WWE SmackDown: Nothing announced as of press time.
ROH Final Battle: AEW Women’s Title: Athena (c) vs. Billie Starkz, Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor, Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page, Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson) vs. Mark Briscoe and FTR.
AEW Rampage: Nothing announced as of press time.
Saturday (December 16)
AEW Collision: Nothing announced as of press time.
