WWE SmackDown Preview 1/7/22

The first WWE SmackDown on FOX of 2022 will take place tonight from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

A Confrontation of Champions: WWE Champion Brock Lesnar comes face-to-face with Universal Champion Roman Reigns

It’s believed that the first blue brand participant for the WWE Royal Rumble will be revealed on tonight’s show. Austin Theory, The Street Profits and The Mysterios were confirmed for the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match on this week’s RAW.

Sami Zayn is due for a title shot against WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and it’s possible that there will be an update on that feud tonight.

Tonight’s show will feature more fallout from WWE Day 1, and build for the Royal Rumble.

NJPW Returning To AXS TV With New Weekly Series

New Japan Pro-Wrestling returns to AXS TV later this month with a weekly one-hour series that will air on Thursday nights at 10 p.m.

The new deal with AXS TV’s owner, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, was announced during the broadcast of Night 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on Tuesday. New Japan had a weekly series on AXS TV from 2015-2019.

The new agreement gives AXS TV the option to re-air those past broadcasts. AXS TV will begin airing select episodes from New Japan’s first run on the network beginning on January 20. That episode will feature the IWGP United States Championship match between Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho from Wrestle Kingdom 12. New episodes will begin airing on March 3.

The agreement also puts New Japan’s weekly series on Anthem’s Fight Network. The network is available in Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

New Japan’s new timeslot on AXS TV provides it with Impact Wrestling as a lead-in. Impact’s flagship show airs Thursday nights from 8-10 p.m.

New Japan and Impact Wrestling have been working together and sharing talent over recent months. The working agreement has brought Jay White, Minoru Suzuki, Juice Robinson, David Finlay, El Phantasmo, and other New Japan stars onto Impact’s broadcasts.

Impact wrestlers including Moose and Josh Alexander have appeared on recent New Japan shows. And Impact’s Chris Bey landed a spot in Bullet Club last summer after accepting an invitation from Jay White.

“There is a great deal of support and synergy between the two companies, and we could not be more proud to have them back on AXS TV as they prepare to celebrate an incredible milestone in NJPW history,” Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore said in a news release. “We are excited to continue to build on our growing relationship with NJPW, and look forward to seeing what new opportunities arise from this partnership in the future.”

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1478299030652583939

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW To Announce Battle Of The Belts Change Due To Medical Issue

AEW is scheduled to announce a change to the card for Saturday’s Battle of The Belts event.

AEW noted on Twitter last night that a change has been made to the Battle of The Belts card due to medical protocol. No other details were provided, but the match change will be announced during tonight’s taped Rampage episode on TNT.

AEW only has two matches announced for the one-hour Battle of The Belts event as of this writing – Riho vs. AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker, and Sammy Guevara vs. AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes.

Regarding the change, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that word from AEW says everyone is OK, but one match had to be changed due to a late medical issue, believed to be related to COVID-19, but not confirmed yet. Rhodes was reportedly not in Newark, NJ for Wednesday’s Dynamite TBS premiere, but there’s no word yet on if his Battle of The Belts match is being changed.

Rhodes did post a pro-vaccine message to his Instagram Stories on Thursday morning, writing, “Please get vaccinated – if not for yourself, for the young kids/babies who can’t defend themselves as easily from Covid”

AEW Battle of The Belts will air this Saturday on TNT at 8pm ET, live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC. The local start time is 7pm ET, indicating that they may tape other matches before the show.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Samoa Joe Released By WWE

On Thursday, WWE released former NXT Champion Samoa Joe from his contract.

Following the news of his release, Samoa Joe issued a statement on social media that you can read below:

This is the second time WWE has released Samoa Joe over the past nine months. He was also let go from the company on Apr. 15 of last year, but WWE wound up bringing him back on a new deal. Samoa Joe returned to television as William Regal’s “Special Enforcer”.

He would go on to claim the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver 36. Joe defeated Karrion Kross that night. Kross was among the company’s round of cuts in early November. In WWE, Joe won the NXT Championship three times and the United States Championship on two occasions. In 2015, he and Finn Balor teamed up to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

WWE has released several NXT wrestlers and employees since Wednesday. This included the stunning release of NXT mainstay William Regal, Scott Armstrong and WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg. Wrestlers Hideki Suzuki, Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch and Allison Danger were also released.

NXT talent contracts usually consist of 30-day non-compete clauses, and the clauses for main roster talents are traditionally for 90 days. It’s unclear how long Samoa Joe’s non-compete clause is for, but the well-respected wrestling legend shouldn’t have any problems finding a new home. Impact Wrestling could very well look to bring him back, and it obviously wouldn’t be a surprise if AEW made a play for the 42-year-old.

Various injuries unfortunately sidelined Samoa Joe for long periods of time in WWE after he joined the main roster in 2017. Still, Joe had high popularity among the fans and is an elite in-ring worker. Simply put, he should have had at least one world championship reign on the main roster, but WWE often failed to fully maximize his star power and potential. There’s little doubt that Samoa Joe will enjoy great success in his next stop.

Source: TheSportster

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.