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:
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.
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 will air live tonight on TBS from the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.
WWE “NXT” Superstar Cora Jade could be making her WWE return this Saturday at the Deadline premium live event. According to “PWInsider,” there were reportedly talks about her return during this past week’s “NXT” taping.
If the former “NXT” Women’s Tag Team Champion does make her return on December 9, this will be the first time since she “cleaned” out of her locker on the August 1 episode of “NXT.” Her last in-ring match was a loss to former WWE Superstar Dana Brooke in a Kendo Stick match on the July 25 episode of “NXT,” which ended their summer-long feud.
This past October, Jade was asked on social media when she would return to the developmental brand. Her blunt response was to stop asking her because “it sucks there.” When she first said she was leaving the brand, there were rumors that she was going to join the main roster, which didn’t turn out to be true.
Things are a little different since Jade was last seen on television; at the time the “NXT” Women’s Champion was Tiffany Stratton, while Lyra Valkyria now holds the belt, having won the title from Becky Lynch at Halloween Havoc. In her two-year tenure with WWE, Jade has won one title — the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Roxanne Perez.
Jade, who signed with WWE in January 2021, made her WWE in-ring debut on the January 20 taped episode of “WWE 205 Live.” Her “NXT” in-ring debut came about a month later on the February 10 episode of “NXT,” where she lost to Xia Li.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
The injury bug has once again bitten “WWE NXT,” this time taking out NXT North American Number One Contender Wes Lee. Lee announced on last night’s “WWE NXT” that he has an injury that will require treatment and he will be unable to compete for the foreseeable future. It was later announced that he would be out of action for eight to 12 months.
This left NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio without an opponent for the upcoming Deadline PLE on December 9. Mysterio initially gloated about this fact, until his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio interrupted to announce that his ne’er do well son would still be competing at the event in Bridgeport, CT against former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Dragon Lee.
Dragon Lee and Dominik previously feuded over the title in August, with Mysterio coming out on top. Before that Dragon Lee had been a stalwart of the North American Title division. Dragon Lee last competed at WWE Survivor Series: War Games, where he defended the honor of Carlito in a match against Santos Escobar, in which Escobar was the victor, having seemingly graduated to the main roster after a top-notch showing on the developmental brand.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
There’s never a dull moment behind the curtain at AEW. Among the many happenings are alleged backstage fights, wrestlers publicly speaking out about their booking, poor ticket sales, and key staff and performers departing the promotion. On the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio,” longtime wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer said he had received “a lot of negativity” from people in and around AEW. He feels that a lot of the issues stem from Saturday’s “AEW Collision” taping in Erie, Pennsylvania, which drew a very low crowd.
It was pointed out that despite the reported negativity, Tony Khan’s promotion is grossing more money than it has ever done before. It’s said that AEW will finish 2023 grossing between $170-$175 million, which is up 67% from 2022. That could increase even further next year with the company’s television rights up for renewal. The organization is also set to return to Wembley Stadium next summer for All In, with this year’s inaugural event grossing over $10 million in revenue. Meltzer added that there were “economic aspects” of the promotion that looked favorable, but there is still somewhat of a negative perception behind the scenes.
Following the announcement last week by wrestler and backstage contributor QT Marshall that he was leaving AEW due to the company moving in a different direction, it was reported yesterday that AEW VP of Post Production Kevin Sullivan had been let go. Meltzer noted there were “a lot of people” who were not happy about that decision, and he believes that’s why there’s currently negativity behind the scenes.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Tonight’s WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Performance Center on the USA Network:
Former wrestler, manager, and booker Dutch Mantell, best known to WWE fans as Zeb Colter, is apparently dealing with significant health issues. On Monday, Mantell announced via Facebook that he’s going to be hospitalized “for a while” and that his daughter, Amanda, is taking care of him in his time of need. Mantell did not elaborate on his specific health issues, only noting that he’s “been very sick” lately.
“OK guys, here’s for those who’ve been looking for me,” Mantell wrote. “Let me catch everybody up. In a nutshell, I’ve been very sick. There are packages missing and parcels that I’ve misplaced…but guys, I’ll make it good. Just give me time. I’m praying every day for everybody’s safety. For me personally, I’ve been admitted to a hospital here in Lutz where I’ll be for a while. I request everybody honor my family’s respect to have our own private thoughts. I will respond to all of you privately…and thank you for for patience. My daughter Amanda has been with me helping me.”
During his wrestling career, Mantell enjoyed success in NWA territories such as Continental Wrestling Association and Mid-South Wrestling, capturing the CWA Heavyweight Championship on three occasions and the Mid-South Television Championship once.
Mantell also captured various tag titles with partners such as Koko B. Ware, David Schultz, and Austin Idol. Mantell first moved to a non-wrestling role as a color commentator for “WCW Worldwide” and later for Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling. In subsequent years, Mantell managed various stables and wrestlers across promotions, with his most famous stint coming as the manager for former WWE Champion Jack Swagger.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
This week’s “WWE SmackDown” promises to be a star-studded show, with Randy Orton now an official member of the blue brand, while CM Punk will be making his first “SmackDown” appearance in nine years. However, it appears that another former WWE Champion is also expected to turn up, as AJ Styles is set to return to television on Friday, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio.”
Styles was originally supposed to be back on television a couple weeks ago, but those plans ended up being scrapped. However, Styles is now back in the mix, with the veteran star returning just in time to kickstart the Road to WrestleMania. The “Phenomenal One” has been out of action since the start of September, written off after he was attacked backstage. That took him out of the Fastlane tag team match where he was originally set to team with John Cena, eventually being replaced by LA Knight.
Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso were the men responsible for his attack, therefore Styles could end up plugged back into that storyline working against The Bloodline, but that is unknown. Roman Reigns currently doesn’t have an opponent for the upcoming Royal Rumble, and while Orton has been discussed for that role, the creative team is also considering other ideas — possibly opening the door for Styles. It remains to be seen if Styles’ return will also lead to The Good Brothers coming back, which could help with the numbers game against The Bloodline. However, Luke Gallows has been on the sidelines after getting his knee scoped, so it will likely depend on his recovery.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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