Author: John Bass

Impact Wrestling Preview 1/6/22

It’s the last stop before Hard To Kill on an all-new, jam-packed edition of IMPACT! this Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders!

* Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mercedes Martinez

* Jonah vs. Jake Something

* The Knockouts Division will make history once again when they compete in the high-flying, high-wire spectacle known as Ultimate X for the very first time at Hard To Kill. But who will gain momentum heading into this Saturday’s monumental matchup? Find out when Tasha Steelz, Lady Frost and Chelsea Green battle IMPACT Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace, Rachael Ellering and Rosemary in 6-Knockout tag team action

* With Hardcore War on the horizon at Hard To Kill, a match to determine the all-important numbers advantage will take place this Thursday on IMPACT! when IMPACT World Tag Team Champion Karl Anderson battles Heath. 

* Masha Slamovich makes her highly-anticipated arrival

* Ace Austin and Madman Fulton vs. Johnny Swinger and Hernandez

* Your night begins Before the IMPACT this Thursday at 7/6c on AXS TV and 7:30pm ET on YouTube, featuring an exclusive singles match between Raj Singh and Juice Robinson of FinJuice! 

Jake Atlas To Undergo MRI Following Injury During AEW Rampage Match

During his match with Adam Cole for AEW Rampage, Jake Atlas suffered a knee injury. This was only his second match with the company. The former WWE NXT star was able to get through and finish the contest.

On the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, the match between Cole and Jake Atlas was set up during a backstage segment. Cole challenged Atlas and it was later announced that the match would be happening this Friday on Rampage. AEW taped the episode of Rampage following Wednesday’s live episode of Dynamite.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez discussed the knee injury that Jake Atlas suffered during the match against Cole. Alvarez noted that the AEW star will require an MRI to check the severity of the issue. However, one positive is that Alvarez was told it is possible Atlas is going to be okay, although that remains to be seen.

It was mentioned that Atlas was hurting badly within the match, and he couldn’t stand up to take the Panama Sunrise finisher. Dave Meltzer also added that the injury came from a kick to the knee.

Atlas had originally debuted for the company at the AEW Dark tapings on Tuesday, December 28. He competed against Serpentico during that night, picking up the victory in what was a tryout for him. Atlas was subsequently signed by the company, and his match against Cole was his main television debut.

Jake Atlas wasn’t the only wrestler to suffer an injury on the AEW roster this week. During the main event of AEW Dynamite, Rey Fenix was also injured after he was chokeslammed through a table by Luchasaurus. The former AEW Tag Team Champion landed awkwardly on his arm. The severity of that injury is not yet known.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Rey Fenix Injured On AEW Dynamite

Rey Fenix was rushed to the hospital after suffering an injury during tonight’s AEW Dynamite, according to PWInsider.

The report noted that internal belief within AEW is that Fenix “likely dislocated his elbow.” It was further noted that a dislocated elbow “would be a blessing” given how bad Fenix’s injury looked in real time.

Fenix suffered the injury when he went through a table courtesy of a Luchasaurus chokeslam. As seen in the video below, Fenix grabbed his left arm and called for help immediately after the spot.

The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) would eventually defeat The Lucha Brothers to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championships.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Says XFL Training Camps Will Kick Off On Jan. 4, 2023

The XFL hype train is gaining some steam with the arrival of 2022.

At the end of December, XFL Part-Owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teased that updates on teams and broadcast partners would be coming soon. Now with the new year, the new XFL is looking forward to the year-out date of the launch of training camps.

“I can tell you that the XFL player will be the hardest and hungriest players in the room,” Johnson said.

“One year from today. In exactly 365 days we will kick off our official 2023 XFL training camps. I’m so excited about this. I know you guys are excited too. All month long this month, our team of XFL executives are out there scouting the next great players. And I can tell you this, as an XFL owner and a man who has proudly put these calloused, dinosaur hands in the dirt all for the the love of football.. I can tell you that the XFL player will be the hardest and hungriest players in the room,” Johnson said in a video posted to Instagram and seen by nearly 2 million people as of Tuesday night. So football nation, we are building this for you. The XFL is watching all for the love of football.”

The XFL folded in 2020 with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the league was sold to a group that includes Johnson, and businesswoman Dany Garcia.

Source: ksdk.com

William Regal, Road Dogg And Others Released By WWE

WWE has made some more releases at the NXT brand. Those released include, Road Dogg, William Regal, Scott Armstrong, Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Diamond Mine’s Hideki Suzuki, Cathy Carino aka Allison Danger, Gabe Sapolsky and a few other people working behind the scenes in NXT.

WWE has issued a statement to Fightful in the wake of the releases as more and more names are added to the list. “With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center,” the statement reads. This comes after New Year’s Evil, the first NXT show of 2022 and one that marked more change for the brand as Bron Breakker won the NXT Title.

According to people close to the situation in NXT and at the Performance Center, the cuts are a continued attempt to remove everyone at the PC hired by Triple H. The biggest giveaway in that regard is the release of Road Dogg who has been close with The Game ever since the pair were in D-Generation X together.

Despite technically being under the employ of WWE since 2000, Regal was also brought into NXT and the PC in 2014 by Triple H. The former commissioner has worked closely with The Cerebral Assassin ever since, helping him to recruit talent for the NXT UK Title tournament which would eventually become the NXT UK brand. Wrestlers who worked under Regal have been sharing messages about the now-former NXT GM ever since the news broke.

The plot really does keep thickening in NXT and WWE as a whole when it comes to the company’s future. The role of Triple H, in particular, remains shrouded in mystery. The Game has been off TV and pretty much off work since he underwent surgery for a cardiac event a few months ago. While there is no reason to believe Triple H will be leaving the company, speculation will be more rife than ever before following the news above.

Sources: Fightful and TheSportster

Nick Aldis Re-Signs With NWA, NWA Powerrr Returning To YouTube

Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis revealed on Busted Open that he has re-signed with the promotion. Aldis has been with the company since 2017, and during a recent interview with Wrestling Inc., he discussed what he enjoys about the promotion.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed in my time with the NWA was the ability to breathe new life into things which have a tremendous amount of history and tradition attached to them, but haven’t always been celebrated in that respect,” Aldis told us. “They were always things people talked about in the past tense.”

NWA President William Corgan also announced today the addition of two more pay-per-views, bringing the 2022 schedule up to six events. The company will be including all PPV events in a brand new annual “All Access” plan, which launches today. A new Saturday morning show, NWA USA, will air free on YouTube before becoming available as replays via the NWA “All Access” plan on FITE. The NWA USA season starts this Saturday, January 8th and will revive the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship as an extended tournament and a title.

“With the NWA coming off our biggest and most successful year of this modern era, I can’t express just how thrilled I am to make this newest offering to fans via NWA All Access,” NWA President William Corgan said. “And to that, we will work that much more to exceed expectations. Which is what makes the inherent savings in this annual package so exciting. Because we as an organization really believe this new model will change the game for us; all whilst rewarding our most loyal and ardent fans with more shows and more PPV events.”

The “All Access” Pass–Annual Plan will cost $49.99 and will get fans all six of NWA’s live and scheduled PPV events for 2022. All Access Pass holders, whether monthly or annual, will continue to watch NWA POWERRR first, each Tuesday at 6:05 ET. Exclusive specials such as the docu-series Ten Pounds of Gold will be available only with “All Access” plans.

NWA and FITE have also partnered to put NWA POWERRR shows on YouTube free on Friday nights at 6:05 PM ET. NWA USA will debut on YouTube on Saturday mornings at 12:05 AM ET, before moving to FITE for NWA “All Access” members on Sunday nights.

“Most wrestlers and wrestling fans grew up watching Saturday morning matches with classic promotions like NWA,” said Nick Aldis. “We wanted to bring back that joyful state of being and indoctrinate impressionable young minds into the National Wrestling Alliance.”
We guarantee that this fresh and exciting addition to the brand’s quickly growing slate of programming will be can’t miss.

You can get more details and subscribe at FITE TV by clicking here.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 1/5/22, Young Bucks And Brandon Cutler Covid-19 Situation

The first AEW Dynamite of 2022 will take place tonight from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This will also be the TBS premiere for the show.

* Malakai Black vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

* MJF will be in action

* Jade Cargill vs. Ruby Soho to crown the first-ever AEW TBS Champion

* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros defend against Jurassic Express

* AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page defends against Bryan Danielson

Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks revealed via Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Jackson’s stablemate Brandon Cutler is also dealing with the virus.

According to Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer, both Jackson and Cutler got the virus and since Nick Jackson was in close proximity with them less than 18 hours ago, he was deemed a close contact. Therefore, all three men will be missing tonight’s AEW Dynamite premiere on TBS, and won’t be back on TV until they are cleared.

All three wrestlers are believed to be at home in California and didn’t travel to Newark, NJ, for tonight’s show. The report added that it’s unknown when their positive tests came in, but it was not Tuesday.

Freddie Prinze Jr. Says WWE Offered To Sell “The Whole Product” To FOX

On this week’s Wrestling with Freddie podcast, Freddie Prinze Jr. was joined by Macaulay Culkin, as they delved into the world of WWE.

Culkin stated that he believes that WWE has lost focus of their product, as they are preparing to sell the company with current restructurings going on within. Freddie Prinze Jr. was quick to respond to reveal that WWE had previously offered to sell to FOX.

“I haven’t said this before, but I’ll say it now because it has been long enough,” Prinze Jr. began. “I was talking to a dude who was interviewing to be their COO, or they wanted to interview. They ended up going with Nick Khan, he had passed but he wanted to talk to me about the company. So we were just talking about the brand and all this, and he goes ‘yeah, they wanted us to buy the whole product.’ He’s an exec at FOX. He goes ‘they wanted us to buy the whole brand but the number they wanted wasn’t a number we were going to pay, so we licensed SmackDown instead.’”

Freddie Prinze Jr. and Macaulay Culkin highlighted particular flaws they felt WWE currently had. This included the revamping of the NXT brand. Prinze Jr. believes the brand went from “the most watchable brand in the whole company, to the most unwatchable in the space of a week.”

The pair were also critical about the way WWE handled Karrion Kross’ call up to the main roster by altering his character with a new look. Prinze Jr. said he felt bad for the former NXT Champion.

“When he came out [On RAW], in like the porno dungeon mask, and the red suspenders, I literally felt bad for the guy. I didn’t even know him. I reached out to a wrestler that I do know, who I happened to know was on the road with him, and I was ‘Yo man, give that dude a hug for me!’” Prinze Jr. said.

Source: Wrestling Inc. credit to Wrestling with Freddie podcast

Booker T Comments On His Impending Return To In-Ring Action

It was confirmed this week that Booker T will be returning to the ring for his Reality Of Wrestling promotion. During his latest Hall Of Fame podcast, Booker himself discussed the situation, likening his current role when he returns to the ring as that of a player-coach.

“Player-coach baby. I’ll coach it from the outside and, hey, I’m putting myself in the game. Go in and score 30,” he added. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s about letting these young guys get a ‘rub.’ Get a rub and let them see exactly what it takes from an inside perspective.”

Booker T will be teaming with Gaspar Hernandez  and the match will be taking place on January 22 in Canton, Texas. He believes it is all about on-the-job training and also spoke about the future of his tag team partner.

“I mean, on-the-job training, baby,” Booker T said about the situation. “It’s about learning this thing the proper way. A straight line is the direction that Gaspar Hernandez is going. Do you feel me?”

Booker T is taking his return to wrestling seriously. He has not been in the ring since February of 2020, where he competed for Reality Of Wrestling as well. However, the Hall Of Famer has been getting ready to get back, by spending time inside of the gym in order to get ready.

“I just finished working out in the gym. I am getting prepared, I am getting ready,” the Hall Of Famer claimed. “To go out there and do something special, the first time that it has never been done. Player-coach, Booker T, Gaspar Hernandez, Canton, Texas. It’s going to be good.”

Source: Wrestling Inc. credit to Hall Of Fame podcast

Rick Steiner Appears With Bron Breakker After WWE NXT New Year’s Evil

The legendary Rick Steiner watched from ringside as his son Bron Breakker defeated Tommaso Ciampa for the WWE NXT Title in the main event of last night’s NXT New Year’s Evil event.

As seen in the photos and videos below, Steiner cheered his son on throughout the match, and then joined him in the ring for the post-match celebration after NXT went off the air.

Steiner was also greeted by Ciampa after the match. While Steiner was still in the crowd, Ciampa went over and shared a moment of respect with the former World Tag Team Champion, former WCW World Television Champion and former WCW United States Champion.

Breakker had noted in previous interviews that his father was supposed to be in the crowd for his first title match against Ciampa, back at Halloween Havoc in October, but he wasn’t there. There was no sign of Breakker’s legendary uncle, Scott Steiner, at tonight’s show.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

For full results from last night’s WWE NXT New Year’s Evil click HERE – Wrestling INC