Month: December 2023

Sami Zayn Set To Take Time Off From WWE

During the WWE RAW episode from this past Monday night, Drew McIntyre scored a win in a singles match against Sami Zayn, who suffered a storyline knee injury.

Following the match, McIntyre targeted Zayn’s knee in a backstage attack.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Zayn is taking time off. 

“I don’t have it confirmed Zayn will be off for a while due to that, but do know that he had asked for time off recently and was granted it but wasn’t told when that would begin past he was not scheduled for 12/28 show in Laval, Quebec that would normally be built around him as that was during the scheduled break although it is possible they could have him do that show,” Meltzer wrote.

Source: eWn

Impact Wrestling Streaming Service Reportedly To Undergo Changes

Impact Wrestling will soon be rebranded as TNA Wrestling, and the promotion has also announced changes to their streaming platform. The promotion has revealed that their Impact Plus streaming platform will now be known as TNA+, and the new streaming service will be costlier than before. 

The monthly subscription, which was priced at $7.99 will now cost $9.99, while the yearly subscription rates have increased from $71.99 to $95.99 a year. Impact has announced that the new TNA+ subscription will include access to the entire TNA+ library, and subscribers will also be able to watch Bound For Glory, Slammiversary, Hard To Kill, and Rebellion pay-per-views. The move from Impact Plus to TNA+ will take place on December 14, 2023.

Impact Wrestling will be reverting back to its former name, TNA, at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view on January 13, 2024. This change will occur almost eight years after the company adopted the Impact Wrestling name. The reported reason for returning to the TNA name was that a substantial segment of the fanbase continues to associate Impact with the TNA name. Additionally, the decision is rumored to have been influenced by the fact that the promotion experienced its peak years under the TNA moniker.

Following next year’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view, the newly-rebranded TNA Wrestling will hold the Snake Eyes TV tapings, which will feature two of NJPW’s biggest stars, Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s Braun Strowman Injury Update

WWE star Braun Strowman has been out of action since May 1 with a neck injury — one that eventually required Strowman to get cervical spinal fusion surgery. It’s been some time since there was an update on Strowman’s status, but during a recent interview with India’s News18, the former WWE Universal Champion let fans know where things stand regarding his injury rehab.

“I did my five-month check-up and got medically cleared to start lifting weights,” Strowman said. “I lost 35 pounds just sitting around for eight weeks because I wasn’t eating like I normally do since I wasn’t lifting. … So now we’re trying to put the weight back on. The goal for 2024 is to continue this. … I go back after the first year to have another check-up and then get back in the ring, getting back into shape, and then getting back to passing these hands out.”

While he was asked about a possible appearance at next month’s WWE Royal Rumble, the timeline Strowman offered makes it unlikely that he’ll be making his in-ring return anytime soon. In the meantime, it seems he’ll continue to rehab his neck and work on getting his body ready to wrestle again.

Though he isn’t able to wrestle, the performer did note that he has been cleared to travel, allowing him to do promotional duties for the company. Strowman also acknowledged that he may have to make some changes to his wrestling style following his latest injury once he does make his return, but doesn’t anticipate too much of a difference.

“I’ll be a little more cautious thinking because now that I have some hardware and stuff like that,” Strowman continued. “But at the end of the day, I don’t know, I’m crazy. I’ve worked around the injuries. As I said earlier, my left leg is 15% paralyzed and it has been my entire career. I don’t make excuses. I get it done.”

After being released by WWE in June 2021, Strowman returned last year on an episode of “WWE Raw,” marking the start of his second run with the company. Before his injury, Strowman seemed to be carving out a role as a tag team performer alongside Ricochet. With the high-flyer coming off an injury of his own, it remains possible that the two reunite sometime in 2024.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Update On Contract Status Of Impact Wrestling’s Deonna Purrazzo

Another major free agent is on the horizon, with former Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo the latest star to enter free agency soon. 

According to a report from “Fightful Select,” Purrazzo will become a free agent on January 1. As per the report, no deal with Impact has been reached and one of the reasons is because Purrazzo is looking to explore her options with other promotions. Her last date with the promotion is this weekend’s Impact Wrestling Final Resolution tapings in Canada.

Sources that spoke with “Fightful” revealed there are no issues between Purrazzo and Impact Wrestling and the door is open for her return. While there were graphics of her for the Impact to TNA Wrestling name change, she won’t be signing a contract anytime soon because of her interest in exploring her free agency.

Purrazzo joined Impact Wrestling in 2020 after WWE released her in the summer of 2020, which ended her two-year stint with the company. In her time with Impact, she held the Knockouts title three times and was also the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion. Purrazzo also became the champion of other promotions while under contract with Impact. She was the ROH Women’s Champion for 115 days, losing the title on the May 4, 2022 episode of “AEW Dynamite” to Mercedes Martinez, and was the AAA Reina de Reinas Champion for 252 days.

Earlier this year, Purrazzo stated that she would be open to a return to WWE despite her first run leaving her with a bitter taste.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH TV Preview 12/7/2023

ROH will air a new episode of its weekly television show tonight at 7 pm ET on HonorClub. 

You can sign up for the streaming service here. Below is the lineup for the show: 

  • Survival of the Fittest TV Title Eliminator Match: Kyle Fletcher vs. Gravity
  • Survival of the Fittest TV Title Eliminator Match: Josh Woods vs. Lee Johnson
  • Survival of the Fittest TV Title Eliminator Match: Lee Moriarty vs. Tracy Williams
  • The Butcher & The Blade vs. The Boys (Brandon & Brent)
  • Billie Starkz vs. Dani Mo
  • Tony Nese and Ethan Page signed the contract for their eventual rubber match

MLW One Shot 12/7/2023 (Card)

MLW is in New York City on Thursday night for an event titled One Shot, airing live on FITE+. Here is the final card:

FITE+ CARD

World Heavyweight Championship
Alex Kane (champion) vs. Matt Cardona (with Saint Laurent)

Satoshi Kojima vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (with Saint Laurent)

CMLL World Historic Welterweight & MLW World Middleweight Title Fight
Rocky Romero (champion, presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Máscara Dorada

World Featherweight Title Fight
Janai Kai (champion, presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Maki Itoh

National Openweight Title Fight
Rickey Shane Page (champion) vs. Jimmy Lloyd

TJPW Princess of Princess Championship
Miyu Yamashita (champion) vs. “God Queen” Delmi Exo

BEIN SPORTS TV BOUTS

Jacob Fatu vs. Alex Hammerstone (promoted by Saint Laurent)

Matthew Justice vs. Josh Bishop (promoted by Saint Laurent)

Intergender Match
Salina de la Renta vs. Ichiban

Tony Deppen vs. Kevin Blackwood

Wasted Youth vs Mane Event vs. Griffin McCoy & TJ Crawford

6-Way Scramble Match
AKIRA vs. Love, Doug vs. Nolo Kitano vs. Alec Price vs. J Boujii vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin

Tiara James vs Zayda vs. Notorious Mimi

Impact Wrestling Preview 12/7/2023

Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV is all-new. Inter-promotional showdown with Lucha Libre AAA from Monterrey, Mexico. 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders

Here are the matches that have been announced for the show:

  • The Motor City Machine Guns and El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Trey Miguel and Los Vipers.
  • X-Division Champion Chris Sabin and Knockouts World Champion Trinity vs. Chik Tormenta & Dinamico.
  • Moose and Toxin vs. Josh Alexander and Octagon Jr.

Major Update On Kyle O’Reilly’s AEW Status 18 Months After Neck Injury

It’s been more than a year and a half since wrestling fans last saw Kyle O’Reilly in the ring. The AEW star has been inactive as he recovers from neck fusion surgery, and with no news on his condition for months, it seemed a safe bet he would go all of 2023 without making an appearance on AEW TV. But with less than a month left in the year, a positive update has finally come along.

Fightful Select reports that O’Reilly has recently been backstage at AEW tapings, and that there has been talk of O’Reilly returning to TV, though no timetable was given for when. This is a stark contrast to the previous update O’Reilly gave earlier this year when the former reDragon member did not indicate a potential return was imminent.

O’Reilly debuted in AEW two years ago this month after his contract with WWE expired, immediately aligning with former Undisputed Era teammates Adam Cole and Bobby Fish. The trio would form the Undisputed Elite with the Young Bucks, but the group was short-lived after both O’Reilly and Cole were put on the shelf with injuries, while Fish left AEW after his contract expired. O’Reilly’s last wrestled on June 8, 2022, while he last appeared on AEW TV on August 3.

The news of O’Reilly’s potential return comes as AEW World Champion MJF, himself a close friend of Cole, has been targeted by a group of unidentified men led by a mysterious man in a devil mask, though O’Reilly himself has drawn little speculation as the potential “devil.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Video: WWE Alum Dwayne Johnson Surprises 21 Make-A-Wish Kids At Universal Studios

Pro wrestling and the Make-A-Wish Foundation have always been closely connected, with top stars like John Cena having granted over 650 wishes in 21 years. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has also been heavily involved with the organization, including donating over $100,000 to them just last year. Recently, he set out to top that by granting not one, but many wishes all in one day.

“The Today Show” posted on X a 4-minute video detailing Johnson’s meeting with 21 Make-A-Wish kids at Universal Studios Hollywood. Johnson would surprise all the kids, and their families, during the Universal Studios backlot tour, and proceeded to serve as the tour guide. All told Johnson would go well over the one hour he was supposed to spend with the kids and their families, ultimately spending 5 hours interacting with everyone. As Johnson explained to “Today’s” Jacob Soboroff, Make-A-Wish has always been something dear to him, ever since his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, granted the first New Jersey Make-A-Wish in 1983.

“This little boy, Bobby, I’ll never forget it, his last wish was to meet my dad,” Johnson said. “It puts things into perspective for you right away.” When asked why Johnson had put so much energy into his involvement with Make-A-Wish, when he could realistically work with any charity in the world, an emotional Johnson pointed to how helpful and meaningful moments like this were to those going through something difficult. “These are kids,” Johnson said. “And the cards that they are dealt, they didn’t ask for it, but they’re playing these hands the best they can. These kids are so strong.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 12/6/2023

AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.

  • AEW TNT Championship: Christian Cage (c) vs. Adam Copeland
  • AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Skye Blue
  • MJF and Samoa Joe vs. The Devil’s Masked Men
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Jay White vs. Jay Lethal
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Jon Moxley vs. RUSH
  • Continental Classic Gold League Match: Swerve Strickland vs. Mark Briscoe