WrestlingNews.com

WWE Seizing Talent Cameo Accounts; Talent Reach Out To Politician, AEW/NJPW Partnership Likely, Jericho vs. Tyson Nearly Headlined PPV, Roman Reigns Heel Faction?, NXT’s Big Move, Leader Of Retribution Revealed, Raw Star Out Indefinitely, Ridge Holland Injured, Big AEW Title Change, Samoa Joe’s In-Ring Future, Alberto Del Rio Indicted On Disturbing Charges

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Welcome to the WrestlingNews.com Insider Weekly Newsletter!

This week’s issue, Issue No. 13, includes news from Saturday, October 3, 2020 to Friday, October 9, 2020. Stories were written by Richard Gray, CJ Blaze and Subroto Mookherjee with final editing done by Richard for clarity. Exclusive behind-the-scenes information was added, with content exclusive to WNC Insider Members.

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– WWE News
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WWE News

– WWE will be taking ownership of WWE Superstars’ Twitch and Cameo accounts in a matter of four weeks. Vince McMahon made the role so that Superstars would leave third party sites.

Some WWE Superstars have already left Cameo, such as Roderick Strong and Scarlet. According to Wrestling Inc, WWE has incorporated some especially harsh rules when it came to Cameo. The company is having Superstars sign over their Cameo accounts along with their Twitch accounts.

It is mandatory for Superstars to affirm that WWE is their “authorized representation,” requiring them to authorize all payments they get from Cameo to WWE. It was also said that Cameo will not be “made a party in any dispute between the talent and WWE.”

Despite being allowed to have their Cameo accounts, the company can pull authorization for Superstars to have their Cameo account whenever they desire. The money Superstars earn from Cameo will also be deducted from their downside guarantees.

– Kyle O’Reilly won the NXT Eliminator Gauntlet match two weeks ago. He earned the right to challenge Finn Balor for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver this Sunday. He spent a long time away from WWE television before all this.

O’Reilly spoke to the New York Post, where he discussed the reason for his long absence from NXT television. He revealed that he has Type 1 diabetes and that is what stopped him from attending NXT tapings for so long. He could not afford to risk it as his condition made him more susceptible to getting the COVID-19 virus. He was forced to stay at home during those “weird months” out of a “weird year.”

As for everybody, it’s been a weird few months, it’s been a weird year. At first, when this whole thing broke out it was scary for the reasons like you said, health being a huge part of that. As we learned more about what going on, I became more confident. As time progressed, I started chomping at the bit to return. You could only do so many garage workouts in a day to keep the cabin fever away.

After a while, I was ready to come back. The company had my health in their best interest. They weren’t going to risk anything with me. Once the opportunity finally came around to come back, all the precautions had been taken and continue to be taken. I felt confident and yeah, it was a long few months. I was ready to come back a lot sooner, but that’s the way things work out and I’m glad to be finally back.

– Former US Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang has been a vocal critic of WWE classifying their talent as independent contractors, speaking out recently when it was learned WWE was restricting the way talent can use third party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo.

In one of the bigger stories of the week, WWE gave talent until Friday to end business relationships with third parties. If they do not comply, they will be fined, suspended or released. They also informed talent they will be taking over talent Twitch accounts in four weeks.

Apparently new contracts will have to be signed that include Twitch. Per WrestlingINC.com, in the new agreements, talent affirm WWE is their authorized representative. They authorize Cameo to make all payments and any other compensations to WWE. Cameo will not be made a party in any dispute between the talent and WWE. The authorization can be cancelled at any time only if the account is cancelled.

Talent is said to be livid over the decision, with some reaching out to Andrew Yang. Yang went public with the matter.

Yang tweeted, “Hearing from talent that WWE is forcing performers to sign new contracts that include twitch. Streaming on twitch will become a work obligation and if talent doesn’t stream they will forego earnings, be suspended or face penalties. Doesn’t sound like independent contractors.”

– Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against Jey Uso in a Hell in a Cell match at the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 25. This match comes after Jey Uso beat AJ Styles on SmackDown before Reigns accepted the challenge for a rematch. Reigns went over Uso in the main event of Clash of Champions last week. While this is the first and only match confirmed for the event so far, WWE is expected to add Sasha Banks vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a Hell in a Cell match as well.

– WWE left the Performance Center and made their way to the Amway Center and their ThunderDome. The company has since produced content in the ThunderDome, which fans certainly have appreciated. However, it seems the company will be exiting the Amway Center after October in order to have actual live crowds in attendance again.

On 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff discussed WWE leaving the ThunderDome. He is concerned that live fans will not be able to provide the same level of energy which was possible in the  ThunderDome. He said that due to social distancing and everyone having to wear a mask, the same energy will be not there in an outdoor venue.

It is likely WWE will not have to worry much regarding masks for the live crowd if they move to Florida. Due to the phase three reopening plan by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, no fines will be incurred if one does not wear a mask.

– Roman Reigns is the Universal Champion and has been dominant in his role as a heel champion. It seems he might be getting some followers soon.

Roman Reigns will be defending his title against Jey Uso again at WWE Hell In A Cell this month. However, the company could be adding a stipulation to the match that would further up the stakes.

Several reports have suggested that WWE might be considering a storyline where Reigns would be the leader of a heel faction. Jimmy and Jey Uso are expected to be members of the team. Jimmy is currently on the shelf due to injury and is likely to make an in-ring return next year.

It was also said that the Hell In A Cell match will be “another chapter” in the story between Reigns and his cousins. It will be interesting to see how the story progresses.

– WWE announced during NXT TakeOver 31 that Shotzi Blackheart will host a special Halloween Havoc edition of NXT on Wednesday, October 28.

This will be the first Halloween Havoc event in NXT’s history, and the first since WCW’s pay-per-view in 2000.

– WWE is moving NXT to the new Capitol Wrestling Center beginning with tonight’s Takeover 31, as previously reported here on WrestlingNews.com.

Takeover 31 features live fans, comprised of talent, their friends and family and some very lucky fans. The redesigned Performance Center includes video boards that incorporates the virtual fans.

There was talk of moving NXT to the ThunderDome but the decision was made to move bot NXT and 205 Live to the rebranded WWE Performance Center to help isolate potential COVID-19 outbreaks from Raw and SmackDown. Full Sail University has students back on campus so WWE did not want to have their staff being exposed to more people than needed. WWE had been running a closed set with their NXT tapings, which kept Full Sail students from “shadowing” the NXT crew.

Triple H discussed the debut of the Capitol Wrestling Center in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

We have complete results from Takeover 31 online at this link.

– Former WWE star Jack Gallagher broke his silence on Twitter on Sunday for the first time since being released in June following sexual assault accusations.

In his statement, Gallagher revealed that he contacted WWE management after he was called out for an incident that happened on New Year’s Eve in 2014. WWE then terminated his contract due to “a breach of the company ethics policy.”

Below is Gallagher’s statement in its entirety, followed by the original Tweet:

“Following an allegation made in June 2020 as part of the #SpeakingOut movement, I was released from my contract with the WWE. I didn’t release a statement then because it didn’t feel the right thing to do at the time. I have now taken the time to process what has happened and would like to respond.

“In 2014, at a New Year’s Eve party, I met a young woman and my behaviour towards her was inappropriate. As this party was nearly six years ago and I had drunk quite a larger amount of alcohol that night, unfortunately, I do not recollect what happened. I wish to make it clear that drinking is not an excuse for my behaviour that night. I want to express my deepest regrets, and I am genuinely sorry for the upset that I have caused.

“Following these allegation, I proactively contacted the Head of WWE Talent Relations to take responsibility for my actions, as I was aware that the woman who made the allegations and I had both attended the same New Year’s Eve party. I was then informed that this would be a breach of the company ethics policy, and this is what led to my release form my contract with the WWE.

“This isolated incident is not reflective of my behaviour and attitude towards women. As a man, I know I can do better, and with the support of my wife, I have taken the time over the last few months to understand what I can do. But this is not about me, but about the women that come forward as part of the #SpeakingOut movement. I will continue to support women and this movement to the best of my ability.”

– NXT’s women’s division is receiving a boost.

After Io Shirai defeated Candice LeRae at TakeOver 31, Toni Storm appeared via satellite to warn the champion that she is officially back in NXT. Storm has spent most of her WWE career in NXT UK, and she beat Shirai in the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic.

Following Storm’s promo, Ember Moon emerged as the advertised mystery person with an updated look and gimmick. Moon has been on the shelf for a year following an ankle injury. This will be her second NXT run after she headed to the main roster in 2018.

Click here for complete TakeOver 31 results and stay tuned to WrestlingNews.com for the latest NXT updates.

– Ridge Holland is preparing to be prominently featured on NXT TV going forward.

NXT TakeOver 31 ended with NXT Champion Finn Balor defeating Kyle O’Reilly. After the match, Ridge Holland appeared at ringside to dump Adam Cole’s body in front of the ring. The remaining Undisputed Era members ran out to check on Cole as Holland walked away.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1312929377194311681

Holland was receiving a push in NXT UK before the pandemic. He was then moved to NXT in July to compete in qualifying matches for the North American Championship Ladder Match. Just this past week, Holland dominated Cameron Grimes.

– At NXT TakeOver 31, KUSHIDA faced off against Velveteen Dream in singles competition. It was an intense match from start to finish, as both Superstars were determined to pull off the victory.

Ultimately, it was KUSHIDA who won the match. He won via submission. Following the match, he seemingly turned heel. It seems he displayed a more aggressive side to him that was never seen before in NXT.

KUSHIDA went after Dream and destroyed him. He refused to stop the vicious attack on Dream as the commentary team acknowledged the change in his demeanor.

– Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. It was a match fans had been looking forward to for a long time. It certainly delivered. The match was a very physical affair.

Balor successfully retained his title but it seems they both got battered and bruised following the match. During the post TakeOver conference, Triple H revealed both Balor and O’Reilly were undergoing medical evaluation. Now it seems WWE has officially provided an update on the two Superstars.

According to the official statement, Balor was taken to a local medical facility, where he was given CAT Scans in order to determine whether he had any facial injuries. O’Reilly was also evaluated for possible injuries, but details were not disclosed.

Injury update on Finn Bálor and Kyle O’Reilly

The main event of NXT TakeOver 31 was a brutal, hard-hitting battle for the NXT Championship between Finn Bálor and Undisputed ERA’s Kyle O’Reilly. In the aftermath of the grueling main event, it has become evident that both Superstars are worse for wear.

O’Reilly has a number of broken teeth as a result of the fight with The Prince, WWE.com has learned. O’Reilly is also being evaluated for additional injuries.

WWE.com can also report that Bálor has been taken to a local medical facility for CAT scans to determine if he suffered potential facial fractures in his successful title defense.

– Velveteen Dream has been surrounded in controversy following the #SpeakingOut allegations made against him months ago. He was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Since his NXT return, fans demanded he be fired from the company and that also took place during NXT TakeOver 31.

During a Q&A session ahead of NXT TakeOver 31, Triple H discussed Velveteen Dream’s professional setbacks, attributing it to his immaturity.

“Coming off of what was a bit of a rough year for Velveteen Dream. Reorganizing himself, you know? Dream is one of those young guys that still hasn’t quite found his way yet of who he wants to be. I think sometimes that weighs on him. His immaturity in his life presents itself in his professional life and makes it difficult for him sometimes.”

Triple H had previously dismissed the allegations made against Dream, saying that the investigation led to nothing as there was “nothing there.”

“We’ve talked about this, we’ve said our piece on it and I understand people’s positions on it and their feelings of something that they seeing with the accusations online,” Triple H said. “So, I feel like there’s nothing more that needs to be said on it again. That’s it.”

– At NXT TakeOver 31, Damian Priest faced Johnny Gargano in a singles match, where his NXT North American Championship was on the line. He was able to retain his title by defeating Gargano in a very physical battle.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Melter went into details regarding Damian Priest and Gargano’s roles in the match. Meltzer revealed WWE considers Priest as someone who has a lot of potential and Gargano’s job was to help him reach his potential. The match took place as planned, with Gargano putting over Priest and making him look like a star.

It was also noted that NXT is “doing the right thing” with Damian Priest currently. However, due to WWE’s track record of booking top NXT Superstars very poorly in the main roster, there is still a lot of skepticism whether or not Priest will be a true star in the company.

– Finn Balor defended his NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. The two had a highly physical match with many hard-hitting shots. In the end, Balor ended up retaining his title. However, it seems both Superstars might have suffered injuries during the match.

WWE officially released a statement where they said both Balor and O’Reilly were undergoing medical evaluation at a local medical facility. O’Reilly seemingly got his face busted, but it seems Balor might have suffered an injury to his jaw. Due to this, the match ended earlier than it was originally planned.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer mentioned it was not revealed how many minutes they “had to shave off,” but the match ended earlier due to Balor getting injured.

– Former WWE producer Sarah Stock was arrested Sunday in Evansville, Indiana.

She was charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting law enforcement. All are misdemeanor charges. Stock will go before a judge this afternoon for an initial hearing but was released following her arrest.

Stock, 41, is a well known professional wrestler from all around the world. She worked for TNA Wrestling from 2009-2013. WWE brought her in as a guest trainer in 2015 and ended up hiring her. She was furloughed with many other employees in April and officially released last month.

Below is a screen capture of the charges:

– The second half of Miz and Mrs. season two will premiere on Thursday, November 12 at 10 PM ET on the USA Network.

WWE released the following promotional blurb for the series starring The Miz and Maryse:

“A lot has changed for the Mizanin family, as Miz and Maryse welcomed their second daughter and experienced the joys and challenges of becoming parents of two. Also, with a newly-retired, fan-favorite grandfather, George, taking advantage of an available guest room, there’s never a dull moment in the Mizanin house.”

The series debuted after SmackDown on Tuesday nights when Smackdown was on the USA Network. The first half of season two premiered in January with episodes airing after NXT on Wednesday nights.

Now, the series will air without a WWE program lead-in.

– Drew McIntyre will defend the WWE Championship against Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match at the pay-per-view later this month. The match was made official on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. It is expected to be the program blow-off between McIntyre and Orton, which began for SummerSlam.

– Mustafa Ali is the leader of Retribution.

The faction returned to WWE Monday Night Raw on this week’s episode after being held off last week due to COVID-19 concerns. Ali was booked in a singles match against MVP. The match only went on for a couple of minutes before Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley joined MVP in the ring. The lights flickered and Retribution emerged. Ali instructed T-Bar and Mace to attack The Hurt Business.

Samoa Joe wondered how long Ali has been part of the faction. Byron Saxton suggested he has been the mastermind behind Retribution all along.

Ali debuted on Raw in July but had been reserved to WWE Main Event. The pairing in the faction fits his character arc, with Mick Foley going public with his disdain for Ali’s booking.

He continued to push the narrative into September that he could “do it all,” despite not being used on Raw.

– Wade Barrett returned to WWE after many years away from the company. However, he signed a contract to work as a commentator on NXT instead of being a wrestler.

Barrett spoke to Digital Spy, where the topic of an in-ring return came up. He said that if he did make an in-ring return, he would be “chasing the sunset” of his active career. He could not win WWE Championship during his previous run in WWE, so he would like to accomplish that. If he is given that opportunity, then he might lace up his boots once again.

In truth if I was to come back as a full-time in-ring guy, I really would be chasing the sunset of my career. I don’t think there’s that many more years left in me. So the question is, what would I want to achieve?

The only thing I didn’t achieve in WWE that I always wanted to achieve was to become the WWE Champion, and that title is now held by an old friend of mine, Drew McIntyre. So taking him on for that title is something that certainly might tempt me back for a match or two.”

Anything is possible in professional wrestling, so we will have to see if he returns to the squared circle one day.

– Robert Roode returned to Monday Night RAW last week, where he challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. While he was unable to win the match, he certainly impressed fans with his showing.

He had been absent from WWE television for seven months prior to his return. Roode spoke to TV Insider, where he talked about his absence from the company. It was related to the COVID-19 pandemic as he was stuck in Canada due to travel bans. While it was a difficult time for Roode to sit at home for so long, it made him even more passionate for his return.

“I had a lot of free time on my hands. The travel ban made it difficult for me to get to work every week, [so] I’ve been a fan. I’ve been sitting at home on my couch watching WWE Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and catching some NXT here and there. It was a long layoff, around seven months. [There was] a lot of downtime to heal up physically and mentally and [a lot of] just wanting to get back to work. Thankfully, last week was my opportunity.”

“It was definitely different. I’ve been in this business for more than 20 years. This is the longest period of time I’ve been off and at home. When your lifestyle is like this for 15, 20 years, it’s a hard adjustment. In a way, it was enjoyable to not live out of a suitcase and get to spend time with family. [But] the circumstances [were] different this time with the pandemic and being forced to stay home. It wasn’t because of injury. The first couple of months, I definitely missed doing what I’m used to doing every week. This business is in my blood. It’s a passion. You miss the camaraderie, the schedule and life on the road, in a weird way. I’m happy to be back.”

For the time being, it seems the company could be planning a RAW Tag Team Title match for him at Hell In A Cell.

– Jazz is a veteran in the world of professional wrestling, as she is a champion in both WWE and NWA. She had a long career in the business but now it seems it has come to an end.

The former WWE Superstar spoke to Chris Van Vliet, where she officially announced to the world that she will be hanging up her boots. She initially planned on doing a 2020 retirement tour, but owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, that could not happen.

“Honestly, I just had my last match this past Sunday. I am done in the ring. I was going to do a whole tour in 2020 but with pandemic happening, that screwed everything up. I’ve been having issues with my knees and my back and a lot more issues physically, mentally and emotionally. That’s why I had to forfeit the NWA title. I have two beautiful daughters and I have to focus on them right now.”

Jazz had to retire due to all the wear and tear her body went through over the years. This is apparently the reason she is no longer the NWA Women’s Champion despite not losing the title in a match.

– Eric Young was one of many Superstars released from WWE back on April 15th. He was simply not used well on the main roster. It seems there were plans for him after WrestleMania, but they no longer took place.

Young spoke to David Penzar on Sitting Ringside, where he discussed his release from WWE. He said he was surprised he was not released earlier in the pandemic. He was not being allowed to work and made a lucrative amount of money for doing nothing. So it came as no surprise when he saw that he was released.

There were possible plans to bring Young back to NXT. Apparently, Triple H said the plans would take place after WrestleMania. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans were dropped.

Since then, Eric Young made his return to Impact Wrestling and is now their World Champion.

– Riddick Moss was absent from WWE television for a long time. He stayed at home owing to his brother having cystic fibrosis, so he could not risk going out to the ring and contracting the COVID-19 virus. It seems Moss himself has been going through his own issues for a while now.

Moss made a post on Instagram, revealing that he has had a torn ACL for over two months. Despite that, he continues to compete in the ring but now it has started to cause him bigger issues.

“Over the past 2 months, Riddick Moss has gone undefeated in both #RawUnderground and the #WWEThunderdome, showing elite power, speed, agility, and explosion. While training, I’ve squatted 500, deadlifted 600, and broad jumped over 10’.

I have done all of this with a torn ACL.

When you have such high expectations for yourself, it’s hard to exceed them. But damn… even I was impressed with Riddy Mo on this one. 100% real talk, I don’t know of anyone else who could’ve done all of this. I am everything I’ve said I am – best athlete in the industry, Baddest MoFo on the Show, and a true Outlier. It speaks to my unmatched training, world-class athleticism, and extraordinary toughness. In other words, it’s a testament to the Riddick Regimen. And if you didn’t already believe in the Regimen, just wait til you see THIS comeback.”

Ross did not mention whether he needs surgery in order to improve his condition. We will have to see when the WWE Superstar makes his return.

– WWE has named Erika Nardini from Barstool Sports to its Board of Directors.

It is the company’s third woman to be named to their board and she is a big name. Nardini served as the first CEO of Barstool Sports in 2016 following tenures with established tech companies such as Microsoft and Yahoo.

WWE will hope her experience with growing a company geared towards young males will help them in the same area. The company issued the following press release, which features a quote from Vince McMahon:

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Erika Nardini, CEO of Barstool Sports, has been elected to its Board of Directors.

“Erika is a seasoned executive with a tremendous track record of building businesses, developing experiences, and engaging different audiences across the media ecosystem,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Her entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen and understanding of today’s consumers will serve as a perfect addition to our Board of Directors.”

Nardini was named Barstool Sports’ first CEO in 2016 and since that time the company has experienced tremendous brand and business growth as one of the fastest-growing lifestyle brands on the internet, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. During her tenure at Barstool Sports, Nardini has launched more than 35 brands, including breakout franchises in sports, entertainment, female lifestyle, business and sports betting. She also spearheaded the development of more than 1,500 social accounts, a top channel on SiriusXM and the #1 selling flavored vodka in North America, Pink Whitney.

Earlier this year, Nardini launched a strategic partnership with casino operator Penn National Gaming, valuing the company at $450 million. In September 2020, Barstool Sports and Penn National Gaming launched the Barstool Sportsbook.

Prior to joining Barstool Sports, Nardini held c-suite and leading roles at media platforms such as Microsoft, AOL, Demand Media and Yahoo! She also was part of two early stage start-ups in the fashion and music industry and sits on the advisory boards of the Premiere Lacrosse League and Food52.

– Erik of The Viking Raiders went under the knife on Tuesday.

The former Raw Tag Team Champion shared on social media that he finally had hardware removed from his arm following his 2014 motorcycle accident. He has been working through the pain and limitations ever since.

Erik’s tag team partner Ivar had surgery last month for a cervical injury that occurred in an eight-man tag team match. Erik had been competing in singles action as of late on Raw, Raw Underground, and Main Event.

– Robert Roode made his return to WWE television following a seven-month hiatus. He was unable to travel from Canada owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent travel bans. He returned to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, where he was unable to win the match.

Roode recently spoke to Comic Book, where he talked about his WWE return. A possible return to NXT was also mentioned during the conversation. He revealed that he was open to a return if it made sense.

He said NXT was a great place where he was allowed to establish himself to the WWE Universe.

“NXT was a great spot for me. When I first came to WWE, I was able to be a part of that brand early on, and do my part and try to really grow that brand, and had the opportunity to be their champion, and to be on top, and to main event TakeOvers.”

“That was just a great experience and the brand itself has now grown even larger. So wherever the job takes me, I’m going to be there and I’m going to do everything I can to be a guy that the brand can lean on, and to be in the mix, and to take every opportunity that is given to me and make the best of it. So whether that’s on Raw, whether that’s on SmackDown, or whether that’s on NXT, I’m going to do everything I can to stand out and to work my way towards being a champion again.”

– NXT TakeOver 31 ended this past Sunday and it featured several great matches and memorable moments. However, it seems a few Superstars suffered injuries during the event. Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly were given medical evaluations. Now it seems two more Superstars have been added to the injury list.

WWE officially announced that Adam Cole suffered an injury following the horrific attack during the end of the TakeOver event. He was attacked by Ridge Holland and it was said that he suffered broken ribs and contusions.

Velveteen Dream also suffered an injury during his match against KUSHIDA. It was said he suffered a fractured wrist. No timetable has been provided for their returns.

Here is WWE’s official announcement below:

Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream are both listed as injured following the events of NXT TakeOver 31, WWE.com has learned. Cole suffered broken ribs and contusions due to an apparent attack suffered at the hands of powerful newcomer Ridge Holland. Holland dropped Cole’s limp body at ringside following the conclusion of the NXT Championship main event between Finn Bálor and Kyle O’Reilly, prompting his fellow Undisputed ERA members to call for immediate medical attention.

Velveteen Dream, meanwhile, suffered a fractured wrist after facing Kushida at TakeOver 31. Kushida forced Dream to submit to the Hoverboard Lock and then continued the onslaught after the bell, armbarring Dream until officials interjected. Despite the injury, Dream is medically cleared as tolerated.

These injuries are on top of the previously reported injuries incurred by Bálor and O’Reilly during their intense and acclaimed title bout. Get updates on both Superstars’ condition this Wednesday on NXT on USA.

– WWE paired up Andrade and Angel Garza a while ago. They were being managed by Zelina Vega and it seemed they were bound to find success. However, it seems their time as a tag team might be over as Zelina Vega has left managing them.

According to a report by PW Insider, the team of Andrade and Angel Garza have split up and it will be reflected on WWE television soon.

“We are told the Andrade and Angel Garza tag team is no more going forward.”

Zelina Vega is currently focusing on her singles career. It is likely the two will have a feud following them splitting up. With the WWE Draft taking place next week, it is likely that one of them will be drafted to Friday Night Smackdown.

– Damien Sandow won the Money In The Bank briefcase in 2013. However, he was unable to successfully cash in his briefcase in order to win a World Title. Fans are still upset over this decision and it seems Sandow is as well.

Sandow spoke to Wrestling Inc, where he discussed his cash-in attempt. He was unhappy regarding the decision, but a member of the McMahon family explained to him that they were against Monday Night Football and the World Series at the same time. So they required something to give a huge boost to ratings.

“Yeah, I wasn’t happy about it, but I talked to a very high-ranking official, not Vince, but in the family. And pretty much, ‘look, we’re going up against Monday Night Football and the World Series. We need this. You have three segments.’ OK, so I knew what I had to do. In the long term, I was frustrated, but in the immediate, I had to worry about going on TV and get the ratings up, and we did. Point-blank, we did, and to me, it was past that what they did because you come back, everyone’s hugging you, saying what a great job you did and then two weeks later, there’s nothing for you. That was just like, ‘OK, whatever.’”

“So yeah, I was a little bit upset about it, but then you’re dressing up as someone new every week. I said, OK, you know what, if this is what I’m going to do, they usually give guys that and guys do it as a punishment. I’m like no, if I’m going to be Davy Crockett, you’re going to give me Davy Crockett music, and if I’m going to be an interpretive dancer, go get me a onesie flesh-colored leotard. Let’s do it right. So that is the way Damien Mizdow happened.”

Following this, he became Damien Mizdow which become very popular with fans.

– Before Kurt Angle joined WWE, he had options elsewhere and this included UFC. There was a chance he would have worked there, but that did not happen.

Angle spoke to PW Insider, where he revealed he was offered a 10-fight deal with UFC for a very low amount of pay in 1997. He was offered $15,000 a fight, which was far too low for him at that stage of his career. This is why he declined the offer and looked elsewhere, eventually ending up in WWE.

Angle considered UFC again later on, but it simply did not work out. So he continued working in professional wrestling.

“I got a deal from UFC in ’97 and it was so bad, and the crazy thing is it was the most they ever paid anyone, or offered anyone, it was a 10 fight deal for $150,000 so it was 15 grand a fight. There was no way in hell I was going to do that. But that was back then before Dana White and they were trying to keep it afloat so I went the WWE route but I kept my eyes on UFC and in 2003 I was really considering going over there. I started training at the Pittsburgh Fight Club, I was really debating doing MMA and I broke my neck again so that was the second time, first time was before the Olympics, second time was in 2003.”

“When I healed from that broken neck and I had the surgery and I healed, I lost a lot of strength in my arms, and I lost a lot of size in my arms, I’ll give you a good example, I did that thing in Tough Enough with that kid, those kids, one kid was Puder, and he got my arm, there was nothing I can do. I was in no condition to be in that position.”

“At the time I couldn’t do 3 push ups. I was so weak and I wasn’t sure why they wanted me to do it but I went ahead through with it. And when I did that, I realized – OK, you are where you need to be – in the WWE. You love this business, you don’t have to go off and fight and try and be UFC Champion, because that time passed you [laughs], so I did revisit it in 2006, and Dana White flew me out there and we got a deal structured and he was great, he was an awesome individual, he offered me great money, and I just signed with TNA and I had to make a decision, Dana said “You can’t do both,” because I was going to try and do both, I was going to TNA part time and UFC, and I just signed a deal with Dixie and I didn’t want to let her down, so I stuck with TNA but I’m glad I did it because I wouldn’t have done very well.”

“I was only lying to myself if I thought I was going to be able to compete at that level with the way my neck was and keep my mind, I broke my neck 3 more times after 2003 so it was even that much worse. I mean right now, my arms are 14 inches – they used to be 19. I have atrophy in my hands, my forearms, my arms, my shoulders – it’s gotten really bad, so I’m just trying to stay in shape and I can no longer gain size. I’m going to be an average looking person and I’m OK with that, I just want to look in shape and feel good and that’s it, but there was no chance of me competing in UFC especially after I broke my neck in 2003.”

– The Rock has been working hard in preparing for his role as Black Adam while the film was had yet to begin shooting. Plans finally began for the film. However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems shooting for the film has been delayed.

Dwayne Johnson was set to act as Shazam’s arch-nemesis and anti-hero in the film. It was initially scheduled to release in December 2021. However, it has now become “undated.”

Quite a few new films were postponed as well, including Dune, The Matrix, Batman and more. While there is no official status on when the movie will begin shooting, it has not been cancelled.

– After months of rumored signings, WWE officially announced the newest batch of Performance Center recruits. Eight new talent have signed with several being former EVOLVE stars.

Below is dot com‘s post in its entirety:

A new class of recruits has reported for training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The group can count among their ranks independent wrestling standouts and an NCAA All-American wrestler.

Brandi Pawelek, known on the independents as Brandi Lauren, is an exciting competitor who has stepped in the ring for promotions like EVOLVE and SHINE.

Camron Rogers is a 6-foot-1 Texan who competes under the name Curt Stallion. Rogers broke out in 2019 in EVOLVE Wrestling, where he battled the likes of SmackDown Superstar Matt Riddle and NXT Superstars Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis and Mansoor.

Anthony Greene is a flamboyant Massachusetts native and standout grappler from EVOLVE Wrestling. The 26-year-old stood toe-to-toe with NXT Tag Team Champion Tyler Breeze in EVOLVE, as well as many of his fellow recruits from this class.

Dartanyon Ruffin, better known as Leon Ruff, is a former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion. The energetic 24-year-old has competed on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live in recent months, going up against the likes of Sheamus, Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa and Legado del Fantasma.

Joseph Ruby is a 6-foot, 249-pound powerhouse from New Jersey. Competing as Joe Gacy, he’s a former three-time Combat Zone Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and EVOLVE Tag Team Champion.

Joshua Bruns is an imposing figure, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 268 pounds. As Josh Briggs, he’s been the EVOLVE Champion and battled the likes of NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER, Matt Riddle, John Morrison and Raw Tag Team Champion Angelo Dawkins.

Jacob Kasper is a 25-year-old amateur wrestling standout from Lexington, Ohio. Kasper wrestled at Duke University, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American and won the 2018 ACC heavyweight championship. He also placed in the 2016 Olympic trials.

Jake Clemons of Ohio is a referee who has officiated matches on Monday Night Raw, as well as for promotions like EVOLVE and AIW.

For more information on the WWE Performance Center, visit WWEPerformanceCenter.com.

– Ridge Holland was stretchered out on this week’s WWE NXT in wake of an apparent leg injury.

After Holland defeated Danny Burch, he proceeded to brawl with Oney Lorcan. When Holland went to catch one of them flying out of the ring, his leg gave out and was injured in the process.

Holland was in the midst of a major push in storylines after taking out Adam Cole at TakeOver 31. Stay tuned for the latest on Holland’s condition.

– Renee Young parted ways with WWE following SummerSlam. However, it seems she will be making a special appearance for an assignment.

WWE will have a special SmackDown kick-off show before the October 16th episode next week. The show will begin at  7:30, where the hosts will be Renee Young and Booker T. This is in celebration of Smackdown being affiliated with FOX for two years.

Young revealed a while ago that while she is not working with WWE, she is still working with FOX. This would explain why she is returning for the two-year anniversary special.

– WWE will be taking over the Twitch and Cameo accounts of WWE Superstars in less than four weeks. This decision was met with a lot of backlash, but many Superstars have already started to comply with the rules.

AJ Styles recently spoke during his own Twitch stream regarding WWE’s decision to take ownership of the accounts. He revealed he came to know of this online just like everyone else did. He was disappointed in the company.

Styles explained that the Superstars do not earn millions from their Twitch accounts. Twitch allows them to interact with fans, which the COVID-19 pandemic took away. He wants to let fans know how it is not all “doom and gloom.”

“Nobody is on here making millions on Twitch. We are not pro gamers. That’s not what is happening. I feel like, for us, it’s an opportunity to do what we love – play video games and interact with our fans. It’s a chance to appreciate you guys appreciating us – that’s basically what’s going on. Especially with what’s going on in the world. We don’t get to see you guys anymore unless you’re on the video screen in the ThunderDome.”

“We don’t get to see you; we don’t get to talk to you; we don’t get to do much. This is the next best thing. I don’t know what they’re hoping to get out of this. The communication has not been as great as we’d like. There’s a lot of us who are all on the same page – we’ve talked to each other. We’re facing the same thing. It’s all doom and gloom or, ‘Oh, that’s all they want.’ I feel like this is an opportunity for me and my channel to say, ‘This is what’s really going on’ and debunk some stupid rumors that are going on.”

– Finn Balor defended the NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. He was able to retain his title. However, he suffered an injury during the match.

He suffered a jaw injury. Generally, an injury of that nature takes six to eight weeks to recover from, but it seems his injury might not be as severe as expected.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Finn Balor’s jaw is legitimately broken in two places and it is not inaccurate news. However, the belief is that it is not as bad as it seems.

Their claim was that when the swelling reduces, they will get to know the true severity of the injury. It was said that if the company was aware Balor would be out for a long time, he would have to relinquish the title like the previous champion Killer Kross had to.

– The WWE Draft is set to begin on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and will continue on next week’s episode of Monday Night Raw on the USA Network.

On Thursday, WWE released the official draft rules here on dot com. Of note, NXT is nowhere in the rules and Retribution can be drafted as a group.

  • Over 60 Male Superstars, Female Superstars and Tag Teams have been placed into the 2020 WWE Draft.
  • More than 20 Superstars are eligible to be drafted on Friday night and more than 30 Superstars are eligible to be drafted on Monday night.
  • Due to the length of each show, for every two picks that SmackDown selects, Raw will get three picks.
  • Tag Teams will count as one pick unless FOX or USA Network, in conjunction with WWE Officials, wants to pick one Superstar from the team.
  • Any undrafted Superstars will immediately be declared free agents and able to sign with the brand of their choosing.

WWE Superstars have been split into eligible pools for the Friday and Monday episodes of the WWE Draft. Here is the breakdown of who is available for selection each night:

FRIDAY
Asuka
Sasha Banks
Bianca Belair
Dana Brooke
Humberto Carrillo
Elias
Angel Garza
Drew Gulak
Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker)
The Hurt Business (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and MVP)
Mickie James
Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado)
Drew McIntyre
Murphy
Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Naomi
The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
Roman Reigns
Ricochet
Seth Rollins
Mandy Rose
Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
Shorty G
AJ Styles
Jey Uso

MONDAY
Andrade
Bayley
Aleister Black
Alexa Bliss
Daniel Bryan
Carmella
King Corbin
Apollo Crews
Nikki Cross
Dabba-Kato
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode
Erik (of The Viking Raiders)
Lacey Evans
Charlotte Flair
Jeff Hardy
Billie Kay
Lana
Keith Lee
The Miz & John Morrison
Riddick Moss
Natalya
Titus O’Neil
Randy Orton
Kevin Owens
R-Truth
RETRIBUTION (Mustafa Ali, T-BAR, MACE, SLAPJACK, RECKONING & RETALIATION)
Matt Riddle
The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan)
Peyton Royce
Arturo Ruas
Sheamus
Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Braun Strowman
Tamina
Akira Tozawa
Zelina Vega
Bray Wyatt
Sami Zayn

Don’t miss this WWE Draft on Friday, Oct. 9 at 8/7 C on FOX and Monday, Oct. 12 at 8/7 C on USA Network to see where your favorite Superstars are headed.

– Mickie James revealed on GAW TV Episode 21 on YouTube that she recently suffered a broken nose while wrestling on Raw. As a result, she will be out of action for a couple of weeks.

“So, [I] legit broke my nose in a match, and now I can’t wrestle for a couple weeks. Unfortunately that sucks… It wasn’t severe. It wasn’t like my nose was blasted across my face. It was more like a curve and I can’t breath out the one side and I’ll be honest, I thought it was gonna be a lot more painful, to get it fixed. It was more like pressure to get it fixed. It honestly feels like I have this sinus pressure headache, kind of allergy for the last couple of weeks. My nose was dislocated in a way that my cartilage was dislocated away from my nasal cavity so they had to relocate it back.”

James recently challenged Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship and also took a loss to Zelina Vega.

– Marty Jannetty has been a major subject of controversy for a while now. Several of his stories have made headlines. Now it seems he shared a new incident in his life on Facebook.

In his Facebook post, Jannetty revealed he was apparently blindsided by an individual outside the JFK Airport in New York City. He was taken to Jamaica Medical Center following the assault. He also wondered why he did not get as much attention as Breanna Taylor and it seems he has yet to retrieve his phone.

Dude, where is my phone?..NYC, they jumped me and took me to the hospital(Jamaica Medical Center) I was in front of JFK airport trying to go home..they jumped me from behind..I locked one of them up((arms stiff waving at heaven) when you in NYC and get jumped from behind, you probably getting robbed…the Dr apologized, said mistaken identity..I liked him, was very nice to me..my boiy Nicholas Masci came back and got me to the airport..but..dude where’s my phone??PS- why Breanna Taylor got all that attention on mistaken identity?? I got NONE..is it because I’m white???

He also recently added to his story of seemingly murdering a man who attempted to sexually assault him when he was 13 years old.

– Samoa Joe has not competed inside a WWE ring in quite a while. This is because he has suffered injuries in quick succession. He suffered a concussion last time and was pulled from any in-ring work. Since then he has been a part of the commentary team.

Joe spoke to the Wilde On podcast, where he discussed his current status in WWE. While he is certainly enjoying his time on commentary, he is not finished being an active in-ring competitor.

“Right now I’m enjoying commentary on Raw. It’s been a fun challenge. Obviously, I’m not done in the ring by no means. I think right now I’m exploring things. Aside from that, I’m doing voice acting which is fun and very cool. It’s a very enjoyable thing. I have a project coming up with Warner Brothers.  I’m very fortunate and I’m very happy that I’m doing the things I’m doing right now.”

WWE does not treat concussions lightly and it is likely Joe will not be cleared for an in-ring return for a long time. Till then, fans will get to see his work as a commentator on the main roster.

– The Rock is arguably the most popular actor in Hollywood and now it seems he has reached a new milestone on Instagram. He is now the most-followed man in the US.

According to an article by Deadline, it was revealed The Rock has achieved the milestone of 200 Million followers on Instagram.

He took to Instagram and commented on his new milestone, where thanked fans and was humbled by the “tidal wave” of support that he received.

“Lesson I learned, as I just surged past 200 MILLION FOLLOWERS [surprised emoji] [folded hands emoji] [muscle flex emoji] [shot glass emoji] Here’s what I’ve learned these past few weeks and maybe, you can find value in this take away and apply it to your own life. Always speak your truth. And when you do speak your truth – do your best to speak with dignity, compassion, respect, poise and empathy. Even when the conversations get uncomfortable – when you approach with respect and care – on the other side of discomfort – is clarity and progress. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for giving me the space to speak my truth. You have my word, I’ll always do my best to speak my truth with dignity, respect, empathy and GRATITUDE. That’s my lesson I’ve learned. And the result of speaking my truth is I was just informed, I’ve surged past and blown by 200 MILLION FOLLOWERS on Instagram and over 300 MILLION FOLLOWERS across all platforms – officially becoming/

– Matt Riddle filed a lawsuit against his #SpeakingOut movement accuser Candy Cartwright. Now it seems she has filed a lawsuit herself against Riddle, WWE and others.

According to recent court filings, Samantha Tavel(Candy Cartwright) filed a lawsuit against Matt Riddle, WWE, Gabe Sapolsky, and EVOLVE Wrestling with the Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois.

She is asking for $10 million from each defendant. She is represented by Hale & Monico’s John Chwarynski Jr. They are seeking damages from emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and other related expenditures.

According to the lawsuit, Matt Riddle allegedly sexually assaulted Tavel in April 2017 in the parking lot following an EVOLVE show. It was also alleged that Riddle gloated of his actions with EVOLVE’s owner Gave Sapolsky and two others from WWE who “tacitly approved” of the sexual misconduct.

It was also mentioned that Riddle allegedly forced Tavel to perform oral sex on him on May 19th, 2018. It was claimed that this was done in front of other members of the EVOLVE roster when they were on a bus, going towards a Summit, Illinois event, which was the site of EVOLVE 104.

The lawsuit also alleged that Tavel had bookings with WWE and EVOLVE around January 31st, 2020. Riddle coerced her into performing sexual acts against her well, as he allegedly threatened she would lose her bookings if she did not comply with his demand. When she refused to do as Riddle said, he allegedly told WWE and EVOLVE to stop booking her. It was also said that she had “issues with talent” in order to prevent her from getting booked for shows.

– Alberto Del Rio continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. He was previously arrested on sexual assault charges back in May.

According to a report by PW Insider, Alberto Del Rio will appear before the court. The court has listed his charges as aggravated kidnapping in the first degree. He could be spending several years in prison as the maximum sentence for such a charge is 99 years, with a minimum of 5 years and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

If the charge is reduced to second degree, then he could be jailed from 2 to 20 years and/or a $10,000 fine.

In Texas, a conviction for aggravated kidnapping, if punishable in the first degree could result in a a prison sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years or life imprisonment and/or a fine up to $10,000.  However, if the accused can prove they released the alleged victim voluntarily, they could only be convicted of aggravated kidnapping in the second degree, which could result in a prison sentence ranging from two to 20 years and/or a fine up to $10,000.

News4sanantonio.com gave a detailed account of what transpired.

“Police said Rodriguez Chucuan [Del Rio] then tied the woman’s hands with boxing straps, put a sock in her mouth and sexually assaulted her for several hours, using various objects. According to investigators, he also punched her in the back during the assault, causing visible injuries. The victim told detectives she does not remember much after he placed his hand around her throat.”

– Ridge Holland suffered a left ankle dislocation and fracture, a patellar dislocation and a ruptured patellar tendon. He underwent surgery on Thursday.

The update was provided in the latest NXT Injury Report by Matt Camp. It is embedded in the video above.

We reported here on WrestlingNews.com, Holland was stretchered out on this week’s WWE NXT with the injuries. After Holland defeated Danny Burch, he proceeded to brawl with Oney Lorcan. When Holland went to catch one of them flying out of the ring, his leg gave out and was injured in the process.

Holland was in the midst of a major push in storylines after taking out Adam Cole at TakeOver 31.

AEW News

– MJF has established himself as one of the top stars in All Elite Wrestling. He also has several talents he could feud against in the company, but it seems he is also interested in wrestlers from outside the company.

MJF recently took part in a Twitter Q&A. There, he told fans to use #ImABigDumbMark in order to ask him questions. He was asked several questions, but he responded to only five.

Among the questions, he was asked by a fan which wrestler he wants to face outside of AEW. He replied by simply saying:  “#BetterThanYou vs #BayBay”

However, he seemingly deleted his tweet. It will be interesting to see if the two ever square off in the ring one day.

– As previously reported, Harold Meji gave his resignation from his post as the President & CEO of New Japan Pro Wrestling. With his departure, it seems a future partnership between NJPW and All Elite Wrestling could become a reality.

According to a report by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the talents in NJPW did not have anything good to say regarding Meji’s business sense when it came to professional wrestling. Despite being very successful in other businesses, professional wrestling is an entirely different entity.

One NJPW Star was said to have called Meji “an idiot” when it came to understanding the inner workings of professional wrestling. Now it seems a partnership between NJPW and AEW is likely.

“No idea (regarding opening up the business relationship with Meij out),” said one of AEW’s top names. “We want to. But he (Meij) was an idiot when it came to understanding the business. Hopefully things will change now.”

AEW stars such as Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have permission to work matches in NJPW while working for AEW. Moxley is the IWGP United States Champion but he has not been able to go to Japan to defend the title due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Benjamin Carter drew a lot of attention to himself owing to his performances on the AEW Dark. However, he recently revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 and has been on absent from AEW since then. It seems several companies are interested in him.

According to a report by Fightful Select, “multiple companies” have shown interest in signing Benjamin Carter to a contract. So it seems AEW is not the only major company that wants to work with him.

It was not revealed which promotions have shown interest in him. It was said that Carter has received “at least contact from NXT.” It seems Impact Wrestling also talked to him. It was also not revealed how his talks with other companies have fared. He is still a free agent for the time being, but that might change in the future.

Carter started his wrestling career in the Game Changer Wrestling scene. It will certainly be interesting to see where he ends up.

– Chris Jericho and Orange Cassidy had a trinity of matches, which fans and wrestlers alike have praised. Jericho put over Cassidy in the series, with the third match being the Mimosa Mayhem match at AEW All Out.

However, that match might not have taken place if the company were to go with original plans. During his Saturday Night Special, Chris Jericho revealed the original plans for AEW All Out.

He said that he was going to face Mike Tyson at AEW All Out. However, due to Tyson having a match against Roy Jones Jr, it did not take place. Jericho also added the Mimosa Mayhem match was going to be the second match instead of the third, but that was changed.

While Tyson’s match against Jones Jr was postponed to November of this year, it was not enough for him to compete at All Out.

– For a long time now fans have been wondering whether All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling would agree to a partnership. Earlier, it was unlikely the two would work together. As reported earlier, Harold Meiji’s departure from NJPW made it possible for a partnership. Now there is more positive news for a future partnership.

Tony Khan gave a comment to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter regarding Meiji’s departure from NJPW. While they are unsure what to expect, it seems the ”forbidden door” might finally open.
“I’m not sure yet. But my initial gut feeling is it could be good.”
It was also noted that some NJPW Stars believed Meiji had no business sense when it came to professional wrestling.

– Thunder Rosa is the NWA Women’s World Champion and has been working in AEW for a while as well. She also spent time working in Lucha Underground, but it seems her time there was far from ideal.

Rosa spoke to Wrestling Inc, where she revealed how Lucha Underground’s presentation of her hurt her career. She explained she was aware her contract was going to be for five seasons. However, with Lucha Underground stopping after four seasons, she and other wrestlers landed in a difficult predicament.
“Listen, contracts are tricky. If you don’t have a lawyer or you’re too cheap to pay a lawyer, you’re screwed. I signed that contract knowing that I was locked in for five seasons. The problem was when some of us were not getting work in other places. And we were asking for work and they’re not giving us work, and then when we’re trying to get out so we can get work, they’re like, ‘no, you cannot work.’”

“So it was very frustrating that a year and a half, like literally, I have to bust my ass getting paid $100-$150 to make a living because I couldn’t f*cking do anything on TV. Sorry for my language, but I’m gonna be open and honest about it. It was very hard.”
She also revealed that she would have been working in WWE had Lucha Underground allowed her to be Thunder Rosa, instead of Kobra Moon.
“You know, I said this, we signed the contract because we wanted an opportunity. A lot of us were hungry. A lot of us were new. We just wanted to be seen. We wanted that stage for us to, like, to get to the next level, which for me, didn’t pan out because I was wearing a mask. If I had been Thunder Rosa in Lucha Underground, I’d probably be in WWE by now.”

– Ever since Dustin Rhodes made his way to AEW, he has been part of many memorable matches and segments for the promotion. His career has been undergoing a resurgence since he joined the promotion.

Rhodes spoke to Wrestle Zone, where he went into detail regarding his passion for the world of professional wrestling. He revealed that he makes sure to work hard every day so that he stays in shape. He does not compete in the ring without making sure he is prepared.

He admitted there was a time where he would not have cared as much, but that is in the past now as he is far more focused. He is also not afraid to tell someone to work harder if they are seen not giving it their all.

“I’m gonna make that clear right now, as much as sometimes I can get barely get out of bed or whatever, it’s a lot of ice, a lot of therapy a lot of rehabbing my knees and things to keep me going every week and do it because I love to do it and I love to do it for the fans because the fans deserve our wrestling, the very best that we can give so I will never go out there and do something half-assed and I don’t believe that I have too many times in my career.”

“Maybe in my drug-induced years I might have not given a shit, but it just does not happen. My work ethic is so out there and up there man, it’s strong. If I don’t see somebody working as hard I’m gonna say something, you know? It’s what they need to do.”

Rhodes is also a coach in AEW and continues to use his experience in the business to train the newer generation of talents in the company.

– Kurt Angle retired from in-ring competition at WrestleMania 35, where he competed against King Corbin. He lost his final match. He was then fired on April 15th of this year along with over a hundred other employees.

He is now free to take any bookings that come his way and it seems that is what happened. He has been booked to make an appearance for Chris Jericho’s Rock n Wrestling Rager At Sea 3: Triple Whammy.

The original date for the Jericho Cruise was postponed to October 2021. The new dates have been revealed to be October 21st to 25th next year.

Come join me onboard of Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N Wrestling Rager at Sea: Triple Whammy Oct 21-25, 2021…. Miami to Grand Bahama Island. It’s gonna be a blast! Go to http://ChrisJerichoCruise.com to book your trip! #itstrue @jericho_cruise

– Cody defeated Brodie Lee in a Dog Collar match on this week’s AEW Dynamite to win back the TNT Championship. Cody wants to defend against Orange Cassidy next.

– Adam Page, Wardlow, and Colt Cabana are now confirmed for the eight-man number one contender’s tournament. They join Kenny Omega, Jungle Boy, and Rey Fenix. Two spots remain open.

– Next week’s Dynamite Anniversary show will now feature the following matches:

  • Miro & Kip Sabian in action
  • Best Friends vs. FTR (c) for the AEW Tag Team Championship
  • Orange Cassidy vs. Cody (c) for the AEW TNT Championship
  • Lance Archer vs. Jon Moxley (c) for the AEW World Championship

– An 8-man tournament will be held by All Elite Wrestling which will decide who will be the new the #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship. The finals will be taking place at AEW Full Gear on November 7th. On this week’s AEW Dynamite, three more competitors were named.

Last week the company had announced Kenny Omega, Jungle Boy and Fenix for the tournament. With three more names announced, only two more wrestlers will be participating.

The three new participants announced were Colt Cabana, Wardlow, and Hangman Adama Page. The brackets have yet to be revealed.

Omega cut a promo after the announcement, saying he has won every tournament in the world and referenced Adam Page as just being a “tag team wrestler.” It seems the two will likely clash soon enough.

– Brodie Lee is coming off of a 46-day reign as AEW TNT Champion after losing it back to Cody Rhodes on this week’s Dynamite.

The now-former champion recently revealed on the AEW Unrestricted podcast that he didn’t think he was originally supposed to win the title when the feud started.

“I believe that the original plan was for me to not become TNT Champion. I don’t know much, I’m not privy into the ins and outs, the nuts and bolts of it all, probably because I don’t want to be because if I have a thought in my head, I’ll quickly become married to it and then if something changes, I go insane. I try not to know too much and I kind of just live in the moment. I learned my lesson the hard way over many, many years, so I try to stay level-headed and not get too much information and receive things as they are presented to me. The match itself was presented to me like a week or two before it even happened, so I just wanted to train and look the part and do whatever is asked of me.”

Cody ended up taking some time off to film a new reality competition show that will soon premiere on TBS. Cody is now back full-time to reign as champion once again. It remains to be seen what’s in store for Lee as the leader of The Dark Order.

Impact News

– Rohit Raju will defend his X-Division Championship at Bound For Glory in a six-way scramble against Trey Miguel, TJP, Chris Bey, Willie Mack, and Jordynne Grace.

Scott D’Amore made the match official after Grace pinned Raju in an open challenge on this week’s Impact. Raju has also battled the other men in recent weeks, narrowly escaping with his reign in tact.

Below is the updated Bound For Glory card for Oct. 24:

Impact World Championship Match
– Eric Young (c) vs. Rich Swann

Impact Knockouts Championship Match
– Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs. Kylie Rae

Four-Way Impact Tag Team Championship Match
– Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. The North vs. The Good Brothers vs. Ace Austin & Madman Fulton

Impact X-Division Championship Six-Way Scramble
– Rohit Raju (c) vs. Trey Miguel vs. TJP vs. Chris Bey vs. Willie Mack vs. Jordynne Grace

We’ll have complete Bound For Glory coverage right here at WrestlingNews.com.

Ratings News

– This week’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown garnered 2.043 million viewers on FOX in the overnight numbers. That is down from the 2.110 million viewers the show did in the final number last week. This week’s show drew 2.105 million viewers in the first hour and 1.980 million viewers in the second hour. SmackDown had significant competition, including the NBA Finals on ABC, which drew 4.46 million viewers.

– WWE Friday Night SmackDown did 2.155 million viewers for Fox last week. That is up from the 2.043 million viewers the show did in the overnight numbers that came out on Saturday. Last week’s show was up from the 2.110 million viewers the show did in the week prior. Fox did not win any demographics due to competition from the NBA Finals airing on ABC. The game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat did 6.069 million viewers for ABC.

– This week’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw garnered 1.686 million viewers on the USA Network. Viewership was down from the 1.822 million viewers the show averaged last week. The show did hours of 1.791 million viewers, 1.666 million viewers and 1.601 million viewers. Raw finished sixth, seventh and eighth in the 18-49 cable demographic for the night. Raw was up against significant competition, with two NFL games and two MLB playoff games.

– Viewership numbers for both Dynamite and NXT suffered this week against the Vice Presidential Debate.

This week’s WWE NXT drew 639,000 viewers on the USA Network. This is down from last week’s 732,000. The show ranked No. 56 in the 18-49 demographic with a 0.16 rating.

This week’s AEW Dynamite did 752,000 viewers on TNT. This is down from last week’s 866,000 viewers. The show ranked No. 19 in the 18-49 demographic with a 0.31 rating.

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