The first Raw of 2020 will feature the WWE champion Brock Lesnar making his first appearance since the Survivor Series. With the Royal Rumble now quickly approaching, the champ will be in the house over the next few Raws to see who will be facing him in Houston.
Apart from Brock’s appearance, WWE has already announced two matches for tonight’s broadcast. The United States title will be on the line as Andrade defends against Rey Mysterio while a triple threat tag team match for the Raw Tag Team titles will also take place with The Viking Raiders taking on The O.C. and The Street Profits.
Raw will no longer have NFL competition until fall so viewership should be back up a little bit compared to the last couple of months.
The Hart family name is back in the news this week although not for a good reason.
The Calgary Herald is reporting that Alexandra Hart, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hit Man” Hart abruptly closed her Hart Healthy Food restaurant just before Christmas, leaving employees missing thousands of dollars in wages. The restaurant was open for just three months.
The newspaper has comments from some of the former employees of the restaurant, one of which said that Hart knew weeks before they closed that they didn’t have enough money, yet she let them work full-time despite having no ability to pay them.
Now, some of the employees have filed reports with the labour board after the 31-year-old Hart stopped communication with her former staff.
The restaurant was described as a “farm to table experience with fast food convenience,” although the only thing fast about it was the time it took to permanently close!
USA Network wrapped up 2019 as the #1 cable entertainment network in the P18-49 demo for the third consecutive year and the P25-54 demo for the second consecutive year.
The success is mainly attributed to WWE’s Monday Night Raw which is why NBCUniversal paid over a billion dollars to keep the show on the network for the next five years. Raw was the #1 cable entertainment program on Mondays as well as the #1 most social primetime series in all of television.
Stone Cold’s Straight Up Steve Austin also got a shoutout in the press release as the #1 new unscripted cable series for men (18-49, 25-54).
“The wins solidified USA as a #1 Network in Prime for 14 consecutive years,” the press release said.
AEW will be running Denver for the first time in March with a show taking place at the 1STBANK Center, technically located in Broomfield, Colorado. The 1STBANK Center is a 6,500-seater multi-purpose arena, close to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and is one of those smaller arenas that AEW seem to be booking a lot lately.
The March 11 show will be in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Maverik Center. The Maverick Center is double in size of the 1STBANK Center, an arena that holds 12,600 seats. It’s also not technically located in SLC but rather in West Valley City, but AEW is marketing the show as being in Salt Lake City.
Tickets for the March 4 and March 11 Dynamite shows go on sale this Friday, January 10 at 10AM MST at AEWTix.com. Tickets start from $20 each.
With a career spanning over three decades, the world of professional wrestling said goodbye to Jushin Thunder Liger today in his last appearance at NJPW’s New Year Dash. Liger had his final match on Sunday at Wrestle Kingdom 14 and a memorable retirement segment during today’s show.
Born Keiichi Yamada in 1964, he was given the gimmick in 1989, a character based on the anime television series of the same name. Having participated in over 4,000 matches throughout his 36-year career, Liger is one of the most recognizable names in the history of professional wrestling and an icon in his homeland of Japan.
Liger wrestled for multiple promotions throughout his career including All Star Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, WWE, WCW, Ring of Honor, TNA, and other independent promotions, but remained loyal to New Japan Pro Wrestling where he was the longest-serving employee.
In WWE, he only had one match and that came under the NXT banner in 2015 where he wrestled Tyler Breeze at the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. In WCW, he had a few more matches than that, wrestling for the Atlanta-based promotion between 1991 and 1992 and then 1995 and 1999. Liger also had a few matches under TNA/Impact Wrestling, making his debut for them at the Bound For Glory 2005 pay-per-view losing to Samoa Joe and then went on to have a few more PPV matches during the following year.
Liger’s title reigns are too many to count, including 22 which came in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is regarded as one of the best high-flyers this industry has ever seen. AEW and Impact Wrestling saluted Liger with #ThankYouLiger tweets while WWE sent flowers for his retirement ceremony.
Tessa Blanchard was named the Impact Wrestler of the Year during a special episode of Impact Wrestling this past weekend on AXS TV. She is the first woman to ever win this Impact award.
Blanchard and last year’s winner, Sami Callihan, were also awarded the Impact Match of the Year for their historic intergender match at Slammiversary 2019 in July. The two will meet again later this week at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view where Blanchard will challenge for the Impact World title currently held by Callihan.
In the other awards, Taya Valkyrie won the Knockout of the Year, The North won the Tag Team of the Year, Rich Swann won the X-Division Star of the Year, Sami Callihan winning the Impact World title on AXS TV debut won the Moment of the Year, Tessa Blanchard’s Magnum move won the Finishing Move of the Year, and Willie Mack was the One to Watch in 2020.
Do you like going fast while feeling the wind blowing through your hair? Enjoy being outdoors and surrounded by nature in the crisp, cold winter sunshine? If you said yes to both those questions, then going on a ski trip might be for you. You’re not alone either: an estimated 9.2 million individuals went skiing at some point in 2018.
With so many people taking an interest in this exhilarating activity, it’s essential that newcomers to it are prepared and well equipped. This should allow them to make the most of this experience. If you’re a newbie and are looking to make the most of your great ski adventure, here are the most important things to consider:
Layer Your Clothing
While the idea of skiing seems enticing from the start, the reality is that you will be outdoors and exposed to the elements. In many cases, you will be skiing in the middle of snowfall, and the spray from your skiing is likely to go every which way. All this means one thing: you are probably going to get wet, and in the same way, you are probably going to feel pretty cold.
Keep the elements at bay by layering on your clothing. At least three layers are necessary to keep you warm, dry, and comfortable. The outermost layer should be a watertight shell, such as a Bogner jacket, to keep out any external moisture, which is crucial to staying warm in a snowy environment.
The inner layers are your insulation layers. Pack as many as you need to stay comfortable, but remember that you need to be able to move freely as well. Try not to wear anything too bulky.
Finally, the layer closest to your skin should be a breathable fabric that wicks away moisture and sweat from your skin. Remember that skiing is going to require you to exert yourself, and you’re likely to sweat quite a bit while on the slopes. You’ll need a breathable fabric close to your skin so that your sweat doesn’t weigh you down or cause a rash in sensitive areas.
Get the Right Equipment
Aside from wearing the right clothing, skiers can benefit from bringing the right equipment to the slopes. If this is your first time, you don’t need to buy your skis or ski poles, but for your comfort, you might want to get your ski goggles and gloves. Most ski resorts will have these on hand for rent, but the idea of wearing gloves or goggles that someone else sweated into disgusts some people.
You will most likely be outdoors throughout your ski trip, so bring a backpack and fill it with items you’ll need while outside. A thermos with a warm beverage, some snacks, and other personal items are excellent additions to this personal care pack. Also, don’t forget to bring sunblock and lip balm. Many people underestimate the effects of being in the sun all day while on the slopes. The truth is, your face is likely exposed to more sunlight than usual because of the light bouncing off the white snow. This results in chapped, sunburned skin after a day on the slopes.
These are just a few recommendations for making the most of your ski adventure. Prepare well, and you’ll feel that winter wind whipping through your hair as you coast down a mountain in no time.
Stone Cold Steve Austin will go one-on-one again with the Big Red Machine Kane, but this time it will be sitting across each other in another installment of Broken Skull Sessions.
Kane, who now serves as the Mayor of Knoxville, is one of the most longest-serving WWE employees and without a doubt has a Hall of Fame career. His full-time work with WWE has pretty much ended as Jacobs now dedicates his life to politics.
The third episode of Broken Skull Sessions, which is taped at Austin’s ranch in Los Angeles, will air immediately following the conclusion of NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II on Sunday, January 12.
AEW World champion Chris Jericho got his first victory at Wrestle Kingdom today when he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Jericho carried the AEW World title with him as the stipulation of this match was that if Tanahashi wins, he would get an AEW title shot in the future. But those dreams were dashed after Jericho made Tanahashi tap out after he locked him in the Liontamer.
In the post-match conference, Jericho indicated that he wants the two companies to work together in the future. “The forbidden door is closed, but I don’t think it needs to be closed,” Jericho told the media.
AEW and NJPW don’t have a working relationship, something that fans are eagerly hoping for. Two of AEW’s biggest stars – Jericho and Moxley – both have deals in their contract that allows them to wrestle for NJPW outside the United States.
WWE’s Raw Women champion Becky Lynch will be in Las Vegas on January 8 appearing at the WWE booth at CES.
CES – the super popular Consumer Electronics Show – is a yearly gathering in Las Vegas, taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center between January 7 and January 10. The WWE booth will be at the Aria hotel rather than at the Convention Center as several hotels on the strip hold several other events during the four-day event.
Lynch will be there taking photos with fans from 2:30PM to 4:30PM. A CES badge is required for entry.
WWE launched the WWE Network at CES in 2014 at the Wynn Hotel, with a presentation featuring Vince McMahon and many of the top WWE Superstars. Last year, WWE Co-President George Barrios and WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon both appeared at CES to talk about the company.
AEW World champion Chris Jericho will be wrestling on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 14 tomorrow night in Tokyo, airing very early in the morning in the United States.
Jericho will be taking on Hiroshi Tanahashi and if Tanahashi wins, he will get an AEW title shot in the future. This is Jericho’s third match in a row at Wrestle Kingdom but he has an awful record so far, losing both his previous matches. It will be interesting to see if Jericho is allowed to walk down the aisle with his AEW title considering the two companies have no official working relationship. Considering that the title shot is on the line, one would assume that would be a yes.
Both Jericho and Moxley have stipulations in their AEW deal that allows them to wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling outside North America.
Friday Night Smackdown drew a total of 2,418,000 for the first episode of 2020, off hours 2,467,000 viewers in the first and 2,369,000 viewers in the second hour. The show drew a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographic and got beat by Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I. and 20/20. In terms of viewership, Smackdown only beat The CW. Raw beat Smackdown in the ratings for the first time since the beginning of October, getting a few thousand viewers more. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
It was a night of many returns on Smackdown yesterday as former WWE champion Sheamus also made his presence felt.
The Celtic Warrior has been out of action since April 2019 after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a condition which puts pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine and an injury which most often occurs in the lower back and the neck.
The Irish star is back to his old look and took out Chad Gable with the Brogue Kick after fans thought he came out to save him from a double team by The Revival. Sheamus’ return has been hyped for the past couple of weeks on Smackdown, with the 41-year-old looking as good as ever.
AEW’s Jon Moxley is once again the IWGP United States champion after he defeated Lance Archer earlier today in a Texas death match at Wrestle Kingdom 14.
The finish came after Moxley hit a Death Rider through the tables outside and Archer failed to respond after the count of ten. The only way to win was either through submission or a ten count knockout. Moxley will now defend the title against Juice Robinson on tomorrow’s second night of Wrestle Kingdom.
This is Moxley’s second reign as IWGP United States champion after he won the title from Juice Robinson in July of last year at the Best of the Super Juniors finals at the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. But in October of last year the title was declared vacant by NJPW after Moxley was unable to travel to Japan for the King of Pro Wrestling event due to typhoon Hagibis which has wrecked havoc in the country. Archer eventually won the vacant title from Robinson.
Chris Jericho will also wrestle tomorrow on the show.
Former WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella and former Dancing With The Stars pro Artem Chigvintsev are officially engaged. The news came from Artem’s Twitter account who posted two photos of them together with the text, “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. So excited for what’s to come I love you more then anything and thank you for saying Yes.”
Nikki officially broke off her engagement with John Cena in the Summer of 2018 just over a year after Cena proposed to her in front of thousands of people at WrestleMania. People close to Nikki said that she called off the wedding after Cena once again had a U-turn over having children. Cena then went on the TODAY show and said he was ready to be the father of her children but it was a little too late.
Bella was a competitor on Dancing With The Stars in late 2017 and was paired up with Chigvintsev. After she was eliminated from the competition in week seven, there were rumors that the two were a little bit more than just dancing partners even though Nikki was still in a relationship with Cena at the time. Nikki and Artem then came out publicly with their relationship last year.
This will be the second marriage for Nikki, who married her high school sweetheart at the age of 20, a marriage which was annulled three years later. The Russian-American dancer was married once, to his dancing partner Giselle Peacock, from 2004 to 2005. He then dated with dancer Kara Tointon and Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba. His last partner was actress Torrey DeVitto, who plays a doctor on the NBC medical drama Chicago Med.
Excited for 2020 and the next decade with you @artemchigvintse ❤️ I said yes in France in November! We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year! N pic.twitter.com/jtPUwJsOpj
Former Impact champion John Morrison appeared on Smackdown yesterday, his first WWE televised appearance since 2011.
Morrison signed a new multi-year deal with WWE and was expected to start imminently. His appearance came after Cathy Kelley went to the locker room of The Miz to ask some questions as to why he attacked Kofi Kingston. After Kelley knocked on the door, it was Morrison who opened the door and not The Miz. “The Miz doesn’t have anything to say tonight,” Morrison said, as he closed the door again.
Morrison and The Miz formed a tag team in the WWE between 2007 and 2009 and they won the tag team titles twice. Interesting enough, the duo split in 2009 after Miz lost a match to Kofi Kingston after Morrison accidentally got Miz disqualified, giving Raw a draft pick. The pick was The Miz and Miz attacked Morrison, who was later drafted to Smackdown.
The Usos made their return on Smackdown on FOX last night, their first appearance on WWE television since late July.
With Daniel Bryan out after an attack by The Fiend, King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler continued their two-on-one attack on Reigns, cuffing him to the ropes and just when they were going to pour dog food on Reigns again, The Usos theme song kicked in. They met Ziggler with a double super kick on the entrance ramp and then delivered another one to Corbin in the ring. Both sporting shorter hair, the two then helped their cousin Roman Reigns up as Smackdown went off the air.
The twins were last seen on WWE TV on the July 29 episode of Raw, four days after after Jimmy got arrested for a DUI. He was found not guilty by a jury last month. Jimmy’s wife Naomi was also taken off TV for a much needed break as well.
AEW’s Jon Moxley will return to the NJPW ring today as he faces Lance Archer on night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14.
Moxley’s match versus Archer is for the IWGP United States title, a title which Moxley held before vacating it because he couldn’t travel to Japan a few months ago. This will be a Texas death match and a winner can only be decided by a ten count knockout or by submission. During his indie days, Moxley was known for his many death matches and his match against Kenny Omega at Full Gear in November brought back some of those memories.
This will be his first participation at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW’s version of WrestleMania. Moxley’s wife, WWE’s Renee Young, has also traveled to Japan to see her husband wrestle live.
Two matches have been announced for tonight’s first Smackdown of 2020 on FOX.
The first match announced was a triple threat women’s tag team match featuring Bayley and Sasha Banks versus Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs Dana Brooke and Lacey Evans and then later in the day WWE also announced that Roman Reigns will be teaming up with Daniel Bryan to take on Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin.
No other segments have been announced yet for the broadcast which will take place from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
With no Monday Night Football as competition until later this year, Monday Night Raw is expected to get some of its viewership back which might lead to Smackdown losing the most-watched WWE show title it has kept since moving to FOX.
WWE has hired 35-year-old video game journalist and producer Daniel Ryckert to work behind-the-scenes on the WWE Podcast Network as a producer.
“Throughout my life, my two biggest passions have always been video games and wrestling. I was so fortunate to make a living working in one of those industries, and now it’s time to try the other. Starting Monday, I’ll be producing podcasts both in-house and on the road for WWE,” Ryckert wrote on Twitter. Ryckert will be working on both After The Bell and The New Day: Feel the Power podcasts.
Ryckert was recently employed by CBS Interactive where he appeared on the Giant Bombcast and Giant Beastcast podcast. He previously was senior associate editor at GameStop’s Game Informer magazine.
