Tonight’s WWE RAW will be the special Legends Night edition of the show, featuring more build for the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
The following Hall of Famers and Legends are advertised for tonight’s special episode: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Big Show, Boogeyman, Booker T, Candice Michelle, Carlito, Eve Torres, Hillbilly Jim, Hulk Hogan, IRS (Irwin R. Schyster), Ivory, Jacqueline, Jeff Jarrett, Jimmy Hart, Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, Melina, Michael “PS” Hayes, Mickie James, Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Tatanka, Torrie Wilson.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley revealed on Twitter Friday evening that he has tested positive for COVID-19 after participating in a virtual signing last month.
Foley noted in his video post he has been under quarantine for the last 18 days in a hotel room.
Foley said in his video post that there were two men in the room with him. Both men wore masks. However, Foley said he took his mask off to help with the signing. He said that it was later that night one of the men experienced symptoms. Foley went on to say that he waited the required five days before he went to get tested.
He said in his post that his symptoms include body aches, loss of smell, affected hearing, and being easily fatigued. He especially noted that the worst part of this is missing out on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with his family.
He asked that everyone people take the coronavirus very seriously, to mask up, social distance and look out for one another.
You can check out Foley’s entire Twitter video post below:
AEW President & CEO Tony Khan released the following statement on social media about Lee’s passing.
I’m devastated by the loss of Jon Huber, known to fans as Mr. Brodie Lee, formerly Luke Harper. Jon was a great man. His family came first, his loving wife Amanda & their sons Brodie + Nolan. He loved wrestling & was great at it, he loved you fans. Please keep him in your hearts.
WWE has released the following statement about Lee’s passing:
WWE is saddened to learn that Jon Huber, known to WWE fans as Luke Harper, passed away today at age 41.
Known as both Luke Harper and Brodie Lee in the ring, Huber found success in every stop of his sports-entertainment career, as his soft spoken yet imposing presence helped him create countless awe-inspiring moments in the ring. After a highly decorated run on the independent circuit, Harper debuted in NXT as a menacing enforcer for The Wyatt Family. Harper had a dominant tag team run with Rowan that would lay the groundwork for future championship success.
As a member of The Wyatt Family, he engaged in heated rivalries with the likes of Kane, Daniel Bryan, The Shield, John Cena and The Usos. After being set free from the family, Harper authored an impressive singles run that culminated with him defeating Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. Harper & Rowan later comprised The Bludgeon Brothers and embarked on a path of destruction that was highlighted by a SmackDown Tag Team Title victory in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 34.
WWE extends its condolences to Huber’s family, friends and fans.
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephaine McMahon also wrote a tribute to Brodie Lee on social media.
The Road to TLC will continue with tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX episode.
WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s show – King Baron Corbin vs. Murphy. This will be a rematch from last week’s show, which saw interference from The Mysterio Family, on Murphy’s behalf.
WWE has also announced that tonight’s show will see WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns deliver a message to Kevin Owens over last week’s brutal attack to Jey Uso. It’s believed that Owens vs. Reigns will be confirmed for TLC soon.
SmackDown should also see some of the midcard feuds continue for TLC, including Big E vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn.
Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will be the go-home show for Sunday’s “Takeover: WarGames 2020” event.
WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s show. Shotzi Blackheart will face Raquel Gonzalez in a Ladder Match to determine which team gets the WarGames advantage in the women’s match.
Tonight’s show will also see the reveal of the final member of Team Shotzi Blackheart. The team currently features Shotzi, Ember Moon and Rhea Ripley. Candice LeRae is teaming with Gonzalez, Dakota Kai and Toni Storm.
WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson has passed away at the age of 79.
The inaugural WWE Intercontinental Champion had recently battled cancer. Tony Marinaro noted on Twitter that Patterson passed away in a Miami hospital this morning.
Born Pierre Clemont, Patterson started his career in the late ’50s and is famed for being the first openly gay WWF star. His career spanned more than six decades, most recently winning WWE’s 24/7 Championship in 2019.
As part of Vince McMahon’s most trusted circle throughout his wrestling career, Patterson is credited with the creation and format of the famed Royal Rumble match, a fan-favorite and staple of WWE’s yearly programming for more than 30 years.
Alongside Gerald Brisco, Patterson regained fame during the WWF “Attitude Era” as one of McMahon’s villainous on-screen henchmen, often playing into nefarious schemes and storylines to help prop up the evil McMahon. He’s often credited with helping boost McMahon’s character into another stratosphere.
Long heralded for his ability to spot and cultivate talent and his influential mind for the business, Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 and is widely considered one of the greatest minds in wrestling history. Serving as wrestler, commentator, on-screen crony and behind-the-scenes mastermind, Patterson touched all four posts in wrestling.
“In a career spanning six decades, the renaissance man left an indelible mark on the industry in the ring, on the microphone and behind the scenes,” WWE said in a statement.
Below is WWE’s statement:
WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson passes away
WWE is saddened to learn that Pat Patterson has passed away at the age of 79.
A true trailblazer of the industry, Patterson was linked to many “firsts” in sports-entertainment throughout his storied career, including the first-ever Intercontinental Title reign and the creation of the Royal Rumble Match. In a career spanning six decades, the renaissance man left an indelible mark on the industry in the ring, on the microphone and behind the scenes.
Patterson began his career in 1958 in his native Canada before becoming a fixture in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. After winning the AWA Tag Team Championship with Ray Stevens in 1978, Patterson moved on to WWE. Under the tutelage of The Grand Wizard, Patterson made an immediate impact and became the first Intercontinental Champion in September 1979. Patterson’s most legendary WWE rivalry was undoubtedly his war with Sgt. Slaughter, which captivated the WWE Universe with Boot Camp Matches and a brutal Alley Fight at Madison Square Garden.
Shortly before his in-ring retirement in 1984, Patterson joined Mr. McMahon as a color commentator. Even after hanging up his boots, Patterson was far from finished reimagining the possibilities of the sports-entertainment industry. In 1988, Patterson brought one of the ring’s most groundbreaking ideas to life by creating the original format for the Royal Rumble Match.
Patterson returned to the ring during WWE’s electric “Attitude Era,” creating many memorable moments alongside Gerald Brisco as one of Mr. McMahon’s hilarious “Stooges.” Patterson even pinned Crash Holly to claim the Hardcore Title. For all his efforts, Pat Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 by Bret Hart.
In his 25-plus years in WWE, Patterson was synonymous with making history. From the Intercontinental Title to the Royal Rumble Match and beyond, his name will forever be revered in WWE lore. This amazing legacy was captured in Patterson’s 2016 autobiography, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, a moving chronicle about his life both inside and out of the ring.
WWE extends its condolences to Patterson’s family and friends.
The wrestling world mourns the loss of the iconic Patterson:
I can not express how crushed I feel right now with the loss of Pat Patterson. A true member of my family, mentor and dear friend. I love you Pat. God speed. pic.twitter.com/FdaAFnsw8m
So sad to hear Pat Patterson has passed away at 79. WWE’s first openly gay star, Pat was a trailblazer. The first IC champ, the inventor of the Royal Rumble, a big part of the Mr. McMahon character success in the 90s, and a masterful wrestling mind for talents backstage #RIPPatpic.twitter.com/uj0tjY6vAm
No words can describe what he gave to us. His body as an in-ring performer, his mind as a storyteller, and his spirit as a beloved member of our large @WWE family. I will miss him for so many reasons… it’s never goodbye, it’s see ya down the road. Love you, Pat. Abooze
#RIPPatPatterson I’m deeply grateful to have grown up with @wwe Hall of Famer, the first-ever Intercontinental Champion, the father of the #RoyalRumble and the first openly gay wrestler of his generation. Thank you for teaching me how to not take it all so seriously. Abooze ❤️
So sad to hear of the passing of @wwe legend Pat Patterson. One of the greatest minds in the business and just an all around great guy. I will miss him and his karaoke! RIP my friend. You are a hero to many! pic.twitter.com/WXFwJ1fjkO
With all the access we have to entertainers’ on-stage and off-stage personas, sometimes it’s hard to differentiate the two. For Shotzi Blackheart, her off-stage identity was focused solely on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory when she revealed the childhood trauma she received from her uncle. In her interview, the daredevil of NXT revealed to the wrestling community for the very first time that for five years during her adolescence, she was a victim of sexual abuse. In order to let her past wounds heal, she mentioned how important it is for victims to talk about hardships like the ones she endured.
“I had a pretty rough childhood, to be honest,” Blackheart said with hesitation. “I bounced around from like, my mom’s to my dad’s and to my friend’s house at a real young age. I dealt with a lot of sexual abuse for like, years. When I finally came out about it – I came out to my middle school counselor – [my uncle] went to jail. He’s still in jail now. But when I came out about it, some of my family didn’t believe me. But my dad really helped me through it, and so did musical theater. That’s why I liked performing so much – it was a big outlet for me. That was my therapy.”
Blackheart hopes that her story will inspire fans, colleagues, and others to reach out to her in the future.
“I know that so many girls deal with this; it’s like a crazy amount. I encourage girls to come to me and talk about it because I’m so open with it,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Once she told her father what had happened to her, Blackheart channeled her troubles through musical theater, something she was pursuing for a while prior to her big break in WWE last year.
“I had to do a lot of therapy afterward,” she admitted. “I found like, a really awesome therapist, so that helped a lot. And like I said, performing was always just like therapy in itself. I think I always chased it, so I think wrestling is therapy for me too. I just need it.”
In high school, Blackheart found herself in another traumatic situation when she was sexually abused by someone else. After she came out about her abuse, classmates of hers began bullying her, which caused her to change schools during the beginning of her freshman year. Because of this, she decided to focus on her relationship with herself and her love for musical theater.
“I had fun in school, except for high school. High school was the worst. I was raped in high school during my freshman year,” she revealed. “I told my best friend and she got me to come out about it, and everyone at school did not believe me. They just labeled me as a slut. They’d say, ‘She’s lying, she’s a skank.’
“I’d come to school, and after one period, I would get bullied so much that I would just run back home. So like, I had to change high schools halfway through my freshman year. I told myself that I didn’t want friends, I just wanted musical theater.”
Now that she’s found ways to channel a more positive outlook towards her future, she is hopeful that she can become an inspiration to many like her idol, the former five-time WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James. When asked what her dream match would be in WWE, she said it would be a main event match with James.
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it,” she first mentioned. “Hmm, I mean, main event WrestleMania would be really awesome. Like, Mickie James! I’m obsessed with Mickie James. She’s the coolest!”
You can watch Shotzi Blackheart’s full interview here.
Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Lilian Garcia -Chasing Glory
