Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will take place from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL with fallout from TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series.
Corey Graves opened this week’s WWE After The Bell podcast with an apology for the comments he made about Mauro Ranallo on Twitter over the weekend.
“What’s up, everybody? Welcome to After The Bell, I am Corey Graves,” he said, opening the show. “A ton to get to this week as we do every week but before we go any further, on a personal note, I needed to address something. This past Saturday, during the ‘Takeover: WarGames’ event, I sent out a tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show. It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things, and it was never meant to offend or disrespect or disparage anybody. That was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply. That was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody undue stress, especially a co-worker. So, I apologize.”
Graves revealed that he watched Takeover and tweeted from his hotel room.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Mauro Ranallo will not be calling this week’s WWE NXT episode, according to a new report from John Pollock of POST Wrestling.
Mauro was set to call some of the NXT matches at Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, but he apparently took the day off after deleting his Twitter account over a pair of tweets made by WWE SmackDown announcer Corey Graves. It was reported that sources close to WWE and close to Mauro all believed that he would be back to work for Wednesday’s NXT TV taping from the NXT Arena at Full Sail Live in Winter Park, FL. It was also said that things were alright between Mauro and WWE. Now, word is that Ranallo will not be working this week’s episode.
It was noted that there has been communication over the past few days between Mauro and WWE officials, but the decision was made that he would not be returning to work this week. There’s still no word yet on if Mauro will return to the show next week.
For those who missed it, Graves took to Twitter on Saturday night and referenced how Mauro was talking over Nigel McGuinness and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix during “Takeover: WarGames 2019” commentary, something some fans were also saying on Twitter.
He wrote, “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer. #NXTTakeoverWarGames”
Another fan commented on the number of Chicago hip-hop references Mauro made. Graves responded, “Far, far too many.”
Mauro, who has been open about his mental health issues, deleted his Twitter account the next day. It was reported by Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com that Mauro did show up to the Allstate Arena on Survivor Series Sunday, along with friend Frank Shamrock, who stood up for him on Twitter in a tweet to Graves. There’s no word yet on what happened at the arena on Sunday, but Mauro did not work the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Michael Cole noted on commentary that Mauro was so excited and passionate at Takeover the night before, that he blew his voice out. It was also noted that Mauro would be back for NXT TV.
Stay tuned for updates on Mauro’s WWE status and when he might return to work.
Below are the original tweets from Graves:
https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198414519556562944
Source: Wrestling Inc.
The following matches were taped for tonight’s AEW Dark episode on YouTube:
* “The Librarian” Leva Bates vs. Awesome Kong w/Brandi Rhodes
* Big Swole vs. Shanna
* Trent vs. Pentagon Jr.
* AAA Mega Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Jack Evans
Last night on Raw, Seth Rollins took some shots at CM Punk in the opening segment of the show. When the crowd chanted Punk’s name during Seth’s opening address to the roster, he stated Punk just wants to sit behind a desk in Los Angeles and talk about change.
“I tried to get [Punk] here, I’m sorry,” Rollins said, while the crowd chanted for Punk. “He didn’t wanna show up. He wants to sit behind a desk in Los Angeles and talk about a change that he’s too afraid to make himself.”
There is no deal in place for a Punk vs. Rollins match as of now. According to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Vince McMahon was reportedly furious that Rollins mentioned Punk.
Meltzer pointed out it is a rule that you shouldn’t push an idea of match if you can’t deliver on it. In 2015, McMahon was upset at the ending of a Steve Austin Podcast episode with Paul Heyman, because they teased an Austin vs. Brock Lesnar match that was not in the works.
Rollins has called Punk out multiple times recently on social media. Punk responded to Rollins on last week’s episode of WWE Backstage, stating, “Seth needs to stop tweeting and realize sometimes it’s better to be viewed at as the fool and shut your mouth, or open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
Later on the show while cutting a promo on Tom Arnold, Punk insinuated that Rollins was using him to stay relevant. During an interview with 101 WKQX in Chicago last week, Rollins responded to Punk and once again invited him to face him.
“The funny thing is, for me, from a guy telling me I need to look for relevancy, here’s someone who has been in the doldrums for the past few years because he got his butt kicked in the Octagon, so bad that he didn’t want to show his face anywhere,” Rollins said. “Now he shows back up on a WWE TV show, called WWE Backstage. You can say it’s a FS1 show all you want, which it is, and you might be paid by FOX, but that show doesn’t exist without our company. The company you left 5 years ago. So, say whatever you want, play it however you want. That’s what Punk always does.
“But at the end of the day, if he wants to come on our show and run his mouth about me and a company he’s had no part of for the last 5 years, then of course I’m going to stand up for us. This is a place that has given me everything that I’ve ever wanted in my life. Not only me, but it’s provided a living for my family, for people that I love, that I care about. Of course I’m going to have its back. I’m not going to let you push it around, and push me around, and act like you’re so cool. You couldn’t bust a cherry in a fruit fight, dude. I want to make some money – so, if CM Punk wants to talk all the smack in the world, I’ve invited him a million times now to come to my ring, to my domain, on live television. Where you can’t hide behind anything, no desk in LA. Come, let’s do this thing, man. Let’s fight, let’s fight it out like men.”
While speaking to Wrestling Inc. at the NXT Takeover post-event press conference on Saturday night, Triple H admitted that despite Punk appearing on WWE Backstage, a Punk return to WWE is a “long, long way.”
“I have not spoken to him,” Triple H admitted. “To be honest, we have not had that conversation. I know he’s working for FOX and it’s a bit of an arm’s length from us. All of this stuff is baby steps, when people want something so bad, it’s like they’re saying, ‘So you’re saying there’s a chance.’ That’s the moment of time that we’re in.
“Be happy that he’s on WWE Backstage and doing something with the business again. The rest of it, I’ve said it a million times, never say never. But that’s a long, long way. I know when you say that, people say, ‘they’re working us!’ Because there’s nothing that you can say that will make people think otherwise, it is what it is.”
Punk is an occasional analyst on WWE Backstage on FS1 on Tuesday nights. Punk will not be on tonight’s episode, which features Triple H.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Matt Hardy returned to WWE TV last night on RAW. He lost to Buddy Murphy in singles action.
Murphy dominated the match and easily won, which was a setup for his post-match angle with Aleister Black. Murphy called out Black for a fight but Black got the upperhand and sent him packing.
Matt has been out of regular action since brother Jeff Hardy went down with a knee injury after WrestleMania 35, when they were forced to drop the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Matt did work the big 50-Man Battle Royal at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia this past June.
There’s no word yet on if Matt will be a regular on RAW, but he is still listed on the SmackDown roster as of this writing. This was Matt’s first red brand match of 2019.
Matt took to Twitter after the loss and thanked fans for the support, noting that he is going through a “confusing period of life” these days.
“Thanks for all the love from around the world regarding my #RAW appearance tonight.. I AM GRATEFUL. I’m going through a tough, confusing period of life right now & I appreciate your support,” Matt wrote, also sharing a link to the third episode of his ‘Free The Delete” series on YouTube.
Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Allstate Arena near Chicago, IL with fallout from the Survivor Series pay-per-view.
As of this writing, WWE has yet to post their official RAW Preview.
WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s RAW – Humberto Carrillo vs. WWE United States Champion AJ Styles, with the title on the line.
Last night, NXT Champion Shayna Baszler defeated Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in the main event of WWE’s Survivor Series PPV.
The match was a big test for Baszler, as WWE has had eyes on her for a while. While the win was praised by many, the match was not.
During the bout, fans chanted boring or were just quiet. According to WrestleVotes, Vince McMahon himself did not like the main event.
https://twitter.com/WrestleVotes/status/1198961558157697027
After the bout, Becky attacked Baszler, closing the show with her putting Baszler through a table. It’s not known if anything will come of it in the near future, as Triple H told the media last week that the brand split would be more defined following Sunday’s pay-per-view.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Mauro Ranallo missed Sunday’s WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view due to some tweets made by SmackDown color commentator Corey Graves.
Ranallo deleted his Twitter account after Graves tweeted during Saturday’s NXT Takeover: WarGames event that Ranallo did not allow fellow commentators Beth Phoenix or Nigel McGuinness to talk enough, writing, “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.” The tweet is still live.
Graves responded to another Twitter user asking how many Chicago rap references Ranallo had made, to which Graves replied, “Far, far too many.”
According to the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reports that Ranallo has not quit WWE. Everything is said to be fine between Ranallo and WWE, and from Ranallo’s side, he will be back on commentary this Wednesday for NXT.
To explain Graves’ absence from the Survivor Series, Michael Cole mentioned during the show that Ranallo was so passionate about Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event that he blew his voice out.
Cole ended up replacing Ranallo and calling the bout between Adam Cole and Pete Dunne for the NXT Championship. According to Meltzer, WWE was not happy with Graves, although he ended up on commentary later in the night.
https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198414519556562944
https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198428291251810304
Source: Wrestling Inc.
(Kickoff) Tag Team Battle Royal: The OC, The Revival, The Forgotten Sons, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, The Street Profits, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, Breezango, Lucha House Party, Imperium, Heavy Machinery –
Winners: Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler
(Kickoff) NXT Cruiserweight Championship: (C) Lio Rush vs. Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa –
Winner: Lio Rush
(Kickoff) NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders –
Winners: The Viking Raiders
Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team RAW (Charlotte Flair (Captain), Asuka, Kairi Sane, Natalya and Sarah Logan) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks (Captain), Carmella, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, and Nikki Cross vs. Team NXT (Rhea Ripley (Captain), Toni Storm, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair and Io Shirai –
Winners: Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae)
Video shown of how Kevin Owens joined Team Ciampa at the NXT “Takeover: WarGames” event last night. Owens is backstage now when Seth Rollins walks up. Owens asks if he has something to say or not. Rollins says everyone saw last night how Owens had a big moment with Team NXT. Rollins goes on and says he hates to ask but considering Owens’ history, he needs to know where Owens’ loyalty is tonight – Team RAW or Team NXT. Owens says last night was about what The Undisputed Era did to him. He admits he has a strong connection to NXT but NXT doesn’t need him, and RAW desperately does. Owens tells Rollins not to worry because he’s Team RAW tonight. Owens says Rollins questioning his loyalty and history is funny. Owens brings up Rollins turning on The Shield and then walks off.
United States Champion AJ Styles vs. NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong vs. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura –
Winner: Roderick Strong
NXT Championship: (C) Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne –
Winner: Adam Cole
Universal Championship: (C) “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan –
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team RAW (Seth Rollins (Captain), Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and Ricochet) vs. Team SmackDown (Roman Reigns (Captain), Shorty G, King Corbin, Mustafa Ali, and Braun Strowman) vs. Team NXT (Captain Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Matt Riddle, Damian Priest, WWE UK Champion WALTER) –
Winners: Team SmackDown (Roman Reigns)
WWE Championship – No Holds Barred – No DQ: (C) Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio –
Winner: Brock Lesnar
RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler –
Winner: Shayna Baszler
After the match, Baszler takes her title and sits up in the middle of the ring as her music hits. We go to replays. Bayley rolls over and tries to recover. Baszler has her arm raised by the referee as the graphic shows that the night ended with 1 (RAW) – 4 (NXT) – 2 (SmackDown). Baszler exits the ring and stands on top of the announce table, posing and looking down at Lynch, who is still laid out. Baszler turns to leave the announce table but Lynch jumps up and knocks her down. Lynch drives Baszler onto the German announce table as fans start chanting for her. Becky jumps off the top of the barrier and puts Baszler through the table now. Becky stands tall and says something about this being her show. Lynch’s music hits as she stands tall. We go to more replays. The 2019 WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view goes off the air with Lynch raising her title and talking trash while standing on top of the announce table.
