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Ludwig Kaiser makes surprise appearance at wXw event in Germany

By
Colin Vassallo
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Ludwig Kaiser returned to his home country of Germany and made a surprise appearance at the wXw event in Hamburg.

“Hamburg’s own son has returned,” screamed the commentator as Ludwig Kaiser’s name appeared on the big screen with fans going absolutely bananas.

Kaiser interrupted the wXw Unified champion Peter Tihanyi after his match, with fans chanting “Holy shit.” This is not the first time that Kaiser has appeared for wXw since joining WWE.

The WWE star is a former wXw Unified champion himself in the promotion he wrestled for five years before joining WWE.

The Costco Guys bring the boom, and loud cheers, at Full Gear

By
Colin Vassallo
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AEW logo

The Costco Guys arrived in AEW and they received some of the loudest pops of the night!

Big Boom AJ, Big Justice, and The Rizzler were clear favorites at Full Gear last night, with AJ getting the win over QT Marshall during the Zero Hour broadcast.

Apart from getting huge ovations from the crowd, the action came to a climax when 12-year-old Big Justice, hit a perfectly-timed spear on QT Marshall, who sold it like he just got speared by Goldberg. The fans had lost it by that point and Big Boom AJ, a former indie wrestler himself, hit the Boom power bomb as the crowd chanted along with the pinfall.

Eight-year-old Rizzler was the special guest time keeper and also got a huge ovation when he was introduced. He celebrated with the father and son duo after the match.

Full Gear 2024 pay-per-view results

By
Colin Vassallo
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Here are the results from the Full Gear 2024 pay-per-view which took place live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

ZERO HOUR: Anna Jay defeated Deonna Purrazzo; Buddy Matthews defeated Dante Martin, Komander, and The Beast Mortos in a four-way match; “Big Boom!” AJ defeated QT Marshall.

PPV: Private Party defeated The Outrunners, Kings of the Black Throne, and The Acclaimed in a four-way tag team match to retain the AEW Tag Team titles; MJF defeated Roderick Strong; Mercedes Mone defeated Kris Statlander to retain the AEW TBS title; Jay White defeated “Hangman” Adam Page; Kyle Fletcher defeated Will Ospreay; Daniel Garcia defeated Jack Perry to become the new AEW TNT champion; Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ricochet to retain the AEW International title; Bobby Lashley defeated Swerve Strickland; Jon Moxley defeated Orange Cassidy to retain the AEW World title.

Jade Cargill out of WarGames and women’s U.S. title tournament

By
Colin Vassallo
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Jade Cargill will not be participating in the women’s WarGames match next week after she was taken out by a mysterious assailant(s) on Smackdown last night.

Cargill was shown lying on the hood of a car with a broken windshield during the Belair vs Davenport vs Green triple threat match in the women’s United States title tournament, forcing Bianca to abandon the match to go check on her tag team partner.

The former AEW TBS champion was also supposed to be part of this tournament in a match versus Piper Niven and Michin set for next week, but will not do the match either.

Cargill’s replacements – both for the title tournament and the WarGames match – will be revealed on next week’s episode of Smackdown which was taped last night following the conclusion of the live broadcast.

The taping was done to give everyone time off with their families for Thanksgiving.

Gigo Dolin returns to action after eight months out

By
Colin Vassallo
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Gigi Dolin

Gigi Dolin returned to action at an NXT non-televised live event yesterday, her first time in the ring since March.

Dolin suffered a torn ACL eight months ago and has been out of action ever since.

In her first match back, Dolin defeated Cora Jade at the Lakeland, Florida live event.

The former Toxic Attraction member was feuding with Arianna Grace before she got injured.

Full Gear 2024 live on pay-per-view tonight

By
Colin Vassallo
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Live tonight from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, AEW presents Full Gear 2024 on pay-per-view. The full card is as follows:

PPV: Jon Moxley vs Orange Cassidy for the AEW World title; Konosuke Takeshita vs Ricochet for the AEW International title; Mercedes Mone vs Kris Statlander for the AEW TBS title; Private Party vs The Outrunners vs Kings of the Black Throne vs The Acclaimed in a four-way tag team match for the AEW Tag Team titles; Jack Perry vs Daniel Garcia for the AEW TNT title; MJF vs Roderick Strong; Jay White vs “Hangman” Adam Page; Swerve Strickland vs Bobby Lashley; Will Ospreay vs Kyle Fletcher.

ZERO HOUR: “Big Boom!” AJ vs QT Marshall; Deonna Purrazzo vs Anna Jay; Dante Martin vs The Beast Mortos vs Komander vs Buddy Matthews in a four-way match.

The Zero Hour show will start at 7PM ET and it will air on AEW’s social media properties. The pay-per-view kicks off an hour later and it airs on Triller TV, YouTube, and PPV.COM while International fans can get the show through Triller.

Kenny Omega returning to the ring at Wrestle Dynasty

By
Colin Vassallo
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling officially announced that Kenny Omega will be wrestling at the Wrestle Dynasty show on January 5 at the Tokyo Dome.

The former AEW and IWGP Heavyweight champion will be taking on Gabe Kidd on the show after Omega issued a challenge and Kidd accepted.

This will be Omega’s first match since December 2023 as this year he had to battle a severe case of diverticulitis which sent him to the sidelines, ultimately requiring surgery to repair the problem.

Omega has not appeared on AEW television since May where he was taken out by The Elite.

Wrestle Dynasty is an NJPW-produced show which will also feature AEW, ROH, CMLL, and Stardom. It’s the Japanese version of AEW’s Forbidden Door.

Chelsea Green moves on in the WWE Women’s United States title tournament

By
Colin Vassallo
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The second Superstar moving forward in the WWE Women’s United States title tournament is Chelsea Green.

Green was victorious in the triple threat match on Smackdown last night against Bianca Belair and Blair Davenport. During the match, a video showing Jade Cargill taken out on a car’s windshield was enough to distract Bianca Belair and get her out of the match to go attend to her tag team partner.

Green will now face Bayley in the next round.

Cargill was supposed to wrestle in her qualifying match next week against Michin and Piper Niven but will now be replaced by another opponent. The other match remaining in the first round is Naomi vs Tiffany Stratton vs Elektra Lopez.

Paul Heyman returns, brings CM Punk to WarGames

By
Colin Vassallo
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Just when things looked bleak and the original Bloodline were going to take on the new Bloodline in a 4 vs 5 encounter at WarGames, Wiseman Paul Heyman made a surprise return on Smackdown and called in a favor, a huge favor:

CM Punk.

Heyman came out to the top of stage to a stunned Reigns but an excited audience, and said that he was put through a table so his math might be off a little bit, but this four vs five thing won’t happen and now that he’s here, it will be five vs five. Heyman pointed to the back and Cult of Personality hit the speakers and the fans went absolutely batshit crazy.

Punk walked out taping his fist and as soon as he hit the ring he went straight after Bronson Reed. The rest of the Bloodline attacked each other and the faces cleared the ring. Reigns and Punk were left solo and then they were attacked again but they both hit a combo of a spear and GTS in perfect sync as fans chanted “This is awesome.”

The two then had a face-to-face as a proud Heyman stood in the background with a grin on his face. Reigns asked Punk what is he doing here but Punk said that he was there for him, pointing at Heyman.

Punk is a “Paul Heyman Guy” and Heyman managed Punk years ago in WWE during his long stint as WWE champion.

Rhodes, Rollins, Lynch attend Moana 2 premiere with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

By
Colin Vassallo
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The world premiere of Disney’s Moana 2 was held last night at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Kapolei, Hawaii and featured the appearance of some top WWE Superstars.

Of course, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of the lead voices in the movie, was in attendance along with his wife, children, oldest daughter NXT General Manager Ava, and mother Ata Johnson.

Also joining the Johnsons in Hawaii were the Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes, his wife Brandi, and daughter Liberty, along with Seth Rollins, his wife Becky Lynch, and daughter Roux. Rhodes carried the WWE title with him to the premiere as well.

The Moana 2 movie will be released in the United States on November 27 and is expected to have one of the biggest Thanksgiving weekend openings ever.

You can see some of the photos from the premiere below.

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WWE Network shutting down worldwide on January 1, 2025

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE Network

WWE sent an e-mail to all WWE Network subscribers around the world announcing that the service would be shut down on January 1, 2025.

The e-mail states that after January 1, Netflix will become the exclusive home of WWE in the area and the streaming service will bring WWE’s content all to one place, including weekly shows, Monday Night RAW, SmackDown and NXT, plus premium live events, many of WWE’s top moments, along with historic PLEs and select programming.

“If you are already a Netflix subscriber, you’re all set. If you are not a Netflix subscriber, you will need to subscribe so you don’t miss a moment. We can’t wait for you to experience WWE on Netflix this January,” the e-mail concludes.

Not everything which is on the WWE Network is being ported to Netflix and many shows will be making their way back to the vaults, perhaps to be used at a later time.

WWE Network launched in February 2014 in the United States and then later around the world featuring most of the WWE video library for just $9.99 a month including all the pay-per-views at the time. The service never reached enough subscribers to make money and the most subscribers it had was just over 2 million around WrestleMania time.

WWE stopped the Network in the United States when Peacock took over in a five-year deal worth $1 billion in 2021. The service remained in most parts of the world where WWE did not bundle their Network with TV agreements.

McMahon’s cabinet nomination gives WWE Ring Boys lawsuit extra publicity

By
Colin Vassallo
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Linda McMahon’s proposed nomination for Secretary of Education has brought unwanted attention to the recent Ring Boys lawsuit, with CNN covering the story on its front page today.

McMahon is named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit along with Vince McMahon and WWE. Linda worked with the company when the allegations happened from the mid-80s.

Linda’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, called all the allegations against her client false.

“This civil lawsuit based upon thirty-plus year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” Brevetti told CNN. “Ms. McMahon will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit and without doubt ultimately succeed.”

Brevetti also repeated the fact that Linda and Vince McMahon are separated, no longer together, and have been “apart for some time.”

Vince McMahon’s attorney Jessica Rosenberg and WWE did not respond to CNN’s request for comments at time of publication.

The Ring Boys story was originally reported by the New York Post in 1992 and it was about ring announcer Mel Phillips hiring underage ring boys to help set up and take down the ring, traveling across state lines and staying in hotel rooms with the boys.

WWE fired Phillips in 1988 and he eventually passed away in 2012. The company were sued by three different ring boys in the past, one of whom, Tom Cole, committed suicide in 2021 at the age of 50.

TNA to hold its Holiday Toy & Food Drive next month in Atlanta

By
Colin Vassallo
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TNA logo

TNA announced that in conjunction with the final TNA Wrestling shows of 2024, they will hold the annual Holiday Toy & Food Drive, set for December 13-14 at the Final Resolution live event on Friday night and the Impact TV taping on Saturday night, both held at Center Stage.

All fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy as TNA partners with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, which distributes toys to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity created in 1991.

In addition, TNA is partnering with Zaban Paradies Center in Atlanta that works to empower couples, families and individuals facing homelessness to reach self-sufficiency. Fans are asked to donate non-perishable food items and/or toiletries, such as shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors and more.

For tickets to both TNA shows in Atlanta, including Final Resolution, go to: https://www.ticketmaster.com/tna-wrestling-tickets/artist/1008830.

Khan says “thousands” of tickets sold from Grand Slam: Australia

By
Colin Vassallo
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The upcoming Grand Slam: Australia show has kinda taken a back seat and certainly you don’t hear AEW boasting about it too much online, unlike previous stadium shows.

AEW President Tony Khan was asked about the show yesterday during his Full Gear media call with wrestling reporters where he said that the company already sold “thousands” of tickets for the show, but failed short in giving any real update.

The Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane holds over 50,000 fans but judging from the seating chart online, the “thousands” of tickets sold as said by Khan could be in the low thousands and the event could very well be in trouble since it’s set for February.

Khan did say that due to the time difference between Brisbane and the United States, it would be hard to sell this on pay-per-view and hinted that the show could be just a Max special.

The usual outlets who do ticket number estimates have also failed to compile a preliminary count on ticket sales, furthermore suggesting that the show is struggling in sales.

Tickets are available from Ticketek.

Netflix starts WWE marketing online

By
Colin Vassallo
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The big Netflix marketing machine has started promoting WWE on its social media channels, with the company dropping their first video teaser this morning.

“You can’t fake this,” the video shows, as it transitions from fans and podcasters reacting to spots to WWE Superstars doing their thing in the ring.

Those featured are Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, John Cena, The Rock, Tiffany Stratton, Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, Trick Williams, Drew McIntyre, Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso, and others.

The video has the song Pure Water by Mustard and Migos as its soundtrack.

International Netflix accounts also hyped WWE’s arrival with a similar, yet slightly different video and description, as International fans will get more than just Raw.

“Weekly episodes of RAW, SmackDown and NXT. All Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania and Royal Rumble. Select programming and historic PLEs from the archive. Everything in one place, all on your existing plan,” says the description of the video.

Netflix announced a 10-year deal with WWE in January of this year with the company getting $5 billion over the course of the decade. Netflix has the option to opt out after five years.

Dynamite rating for 11/20/2024

By
Colin Vassallo
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Dynamite logo

The Full Gear go-home episode of Dynamite drew 640,000 viewers, down 26,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.20 rating in 18-49, down 0.02 and was #4 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

CM Punk joins the cast of Revival TV series

By
Colin Vassallo
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Variety is reporting that WWE Superstar CM Punk has joined the cast of Revival, a SyFy horror series which is currently being filmed in New Brunswick, Canada.

This will be Punk’s first TV series role since his stint on the Heels drama, which was canceled after the second season by STARZ.

Revival is based on the Image Comics series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton and will also feature Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, Andy McQueen, and Steven Ogg as part of the cast.

No details on what character Punk will play have been revealed.

Kylie Rae gets WWE ID deal

By
Colin Vassallo
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Perhaps the most familiar name to get a WWE ID deal was revealed yesterday and it’s none other than Kylie Rae.

Rae was presented with the surprise contract at an event by Freelance Wrestling after a match she had just participated in. An emotional Rae cried in the middle of the ring as she got a standing ovation from the crowd and a “you deserve it” chant.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. But sometimes life gives us another chance. Thank you @WWEID, feeling blessed,” she wrote on X later.

Rae, who was with AEW when the company launched in 2019, departed the company under questionable circumstances after she requested her release. Rae has openly described battling with mental health but recently returned to the indies.

Gabe Sapolsky, who’s acting as one of the talent scouts for this WWE ID program, wrote on X that Rae is currently the best worker on the indies.

She becomes the 17th person under the WWE ID program.

Double WWE television tapings set for holidays

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE logo

WWE will be giving its Superstars and crew some much-deserved off time during the holidays, with a few TV shows scheduled to be taped in advance.

Tonight’s Smackdown will also have a taping for next week’s show which will air on November 29 to allow everyone to spend Thanksgiving with their respective families rather than on the road.

The December 13 Smackdown will also have the December 20 episode filmed immediately after due to Christmas holidays while the December 16 episode of Raw will feature the December 23 episode tapings following its conclusion for the same reason.

The new management has prioritized family time since taking over and changes to TV schedules allows everyone to spend quality time with their respective loved ones before embarking on the yearly holiday tour which starts on December 26.

Tickets for Raw Netflix premiere on sale this morning

By
Colin Vassallo
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Raw

Tickets for the WWE Raw debut on Netflix on Monday, January 6 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California go on sale to the general public today.

The pre-sale, which kicked off two days ago, had some pretty expensive prices, with the cheapest tickets at $228.95 for the last row in the bleachers. Ringside seats designated as platinum tickets are a whopping $4,807 each. Most of the tickets are priced in the $300-$400 range.

It’s unclear how much tickets were moved during the pre-sale although the seating chart remains relatively full of available seats, and with those prices, it’s not surprising.

For more information, go to Ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be released at 10AM PT. If you want to get the pre-sale, use codes NETFLIX or UNIVERSE to unlock tickets.

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