Smackdown drew 1,418,000 viewers last week, up 40,000 viewers from the previous episode. This is the second least-watched episode of Smackdown of 2024. In 18-49, Smackdown had a 0.43 rating, up 0.01 from last week and was #1 on cable television for the night and #2 in all of television, beating everything else on network except for MLB World Series game 1 on FOX which drew nearly 15 million viewers. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
AJ Styles says he turned down TNA Hall of Fame spot and not WWE
In a post on social media replying to fans, former WWE champion AJ Styles revealed it was his choice to turn down the TNA Hall of Fame induction, and not WWE as previously reported.
“I’m still an active wrestler…I hope,” Styles said. “I made the decision not to go into the TNA HOF, not WWE.”
Styles said that he appreciates TNA but he does not want to go into any Hall of Fames as long as he’s still active.
“My choice,” he concluded.
Styles is currently out injured with a foot injury, an injury he suffered during Smackdown earlier this month in a match against Carmelo Hayes.
WWE ID developmental program for indie wrestlers and schools launched
WWE today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind developmental program designed to provide up-and-coming independent wrestlers a pathway to a potential career in WWE. The program will be called WWE ID, short for WWE Independent Development.
“WWE ID is the latest in our efforts to identify and support the journey of up-and-coming wrestlers, in turn raising the profile of and strengthening the independent wrestling ecosystem,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
Following the 2021 launch of WWE’s NIL program, WWE ID has been constructed to support independent wrestling prospects and wrestling schools with world-class training, development and mentorship.
Under the program, WWE will provide prominent independent wrestling schools with the WWE ID official designation, with the goal of providing new trainees and existing talent at these select institutions with enhanced developmental opportunities. Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling (Houston), Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Factory (Atlanta), Seth Rollins’ Black and Brave Academy (Davenport, Iowa), Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center (Concord, N.H.) and KnokX Pro Academy (Los Angeles) are the first WWE ID independent wrestling schools to earn the official designation.
Additionally, WWE ID will identify top independent wrestling prospects with an official WWE ID “prospect” designation and support their developmental journey by providing financial opportunity and assisting with training, mentorship and development, including access to world-class facilities, best-in-class ring training, athletic trainers and more. WWE ID will give fans the opportunity to follow the paths of these standout prospects on the independent wrestling scene through curated, behind-the-scenes content, as well as highlights and matches showcased across WWE’s social platforms.
To learn more about WWE ID and WWE’s recruiting process, please visit recruit.wwe.com.
Undertaker’s 1 deadMAN SHOW returning for three dates in December
Undertaker’s 1 deadMAN SHOW is returning for three dates in December across three of Texas’ biggest cities: Dallas, Houston, and Austin.
The first show will be on December 13 at The Factory in Deep Ellum in Dallas. It will be followed by a show at 713 Music Hall in Houston on December 14, and then the final date at Emo’s Austin in Austin on December 15.
Tickets go on pre-sale on Thursday, October 31 and a general sale on Friday, November 1 at 10AM CT.
The last 1 deadMAN SHOW was held in Cleveland at The Agora during SummerSlam weekend.
Chris Bey suffers serious injury at TNA TV tapings
Former TNA Tag Team champion Chris Bey suffered a serious injury on Sunday at the TNA Impact television tapings in Detroit and was stretchered out of the arena.
The injury, which resulted in EMTs putting Bey in a neck brace, was serious enough that multiple news outlets are reporting that he had to undergo surgery, but details are scarce at the moment.
Bey and his tag team partner Ace Austin were in the main event of the second set of tapings, wrestling the new TNA Tag Team champions The Hardys. The tapings ended prematurely due to the incident, with many TNA stars asking for prayers for Bey on social media.
WWE turns down TNA’s request to induct AJ Styles into its Hall of Fame
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting through his Select service that TNA Wrestling approached WWE to induct AJ Styles into the TNA Hall of Fame this year, a request which was denied by the company, at least for now.
Sapp says no specific reason was given although TNA sources believe the reason it was turned down is because of Styles’ current injury and perhaps future storyline plans.
Styles worked for TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2014 and was an integral part of the company since its early days, winning every title imaginable in the promotion including being a two-time TNA champion and three-time NWA champion when the NWA World title was TNA’s main belt.
The former WWE champion suffered a foot injury on the October 4 episode of Smackdown in his first WWE match since June. It’s unclear how long Styles will be out for at this point.
Hulk Hogan appears at President Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden
Hulk Hogan returned to Madison Square Garden last night, not for a wrestling show, but to be part of President Donald Trump’s event ahead of the U.S. presidential election next week.
Hogan came out with his red and yellow Hulkamania shirt and bandana, red and yellow feather boa, and waving an American flag to what sounded a remix of his WWE theme song Real American.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer had trouble ripping his tank top though as he had two on top of each other and grabbed both by mistake rather than the top one which was pre-ripped to make it easier to take off.
Hogan then made a five-minute speech to the “Trumpamaniacs” at the jam-packed Madison Square Garden, at one point saying, “I don’t see no stinkin’ Nazis in here. I don’t see no stinkin’ domestic terrorists in here. The only thing I see in here are a bunch of hard-working men and women that are real Americans, brother!”
Hulk also made an appearance and a speech several weeks ago at the Republican National Convention where Trump was confirmed as the candidate for the party.
.@HulkHogan is in THE HOUSE! #MSGRally #MAGA pic.twitter.com/ukBJqASrTz
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@DanScavino) October 27, 2024
Hulk Hogan at Trump’s MSG rally: “I don’t see no stinkin’ Nazis in here. I don’t see no stinkin’ domestic terrorists in here. The only thing I see in here are a bunch of hard-working men and women that are real Americans, brother.” pic.twitter.com/ZVdvtVZS5q
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 27, 2024
Bubba Ray Dudley gets involved at NXT Halloween Havoc, saves Trick Williams
WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley saved NXT champion Trick Williams last night after the main event of Halloween Havoc.
Williams successfully defeated Ethan Page on the show but then was attacked by Ridge Holland, who earlier destroyed Andre Chase in an Ambulance match.
With Holland and Page double teaming the NXT champion, Bubba Ray came out and cleaned house, evening up the odds for the champion.
Bubba Ray Dudley’s involvement will lead to something for next week as NXT tapes its show from the 2300 Arena, formerly known as the ECW Arena in Philadelphia as it goes head-to-head with AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, November 6.
Dudley served as an analyst throughout the broadcast with his broadcast partner Dave LaGreca of Busted Open Radio. Earlier in the show, Holland confronted Dudley twice, first during the pre-show and then after he won the match.
Wrestling in 2024: what is still to come?
This year has brought WWE and wrestling fans in general a lot of excitement, as well as plenty of surprises. Numerous events and dozens of matches have taken place and yet the fans want more. And who can blame them? It is entertainment at its finest and a great time all around for anyone involved. Whether a pay-per-view or a premium live event, wrestling always has a lot to offer. Wrestling betting is also a thing and you should check it out if you are a fan. In this article, we talk about the 2024 season so far as well as what is still to come in October and November.
What Happened So Far?
In the most recent event, Bad Blood 2024 on October 5, CM Punk defeated Drew McIntyre and won a bloody Hell In A Cell match. Also, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes beat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu after a spectacular Jimmy Uso assist. Finally, none other than The Rock himself, the legend of wrestling, returned to stare down Reigns and Rhodes.
Before that, to end the summer wrestling schedule, we had the Bash in Berlin event on August 31. It was the first WWE major show in Germany, hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in the capital. Gunther defeated Randy Orton and retained the heavyweight title while Cody Rhodes retained his championship with a win over Kevin Owens.
Before that, in the SummerSlam 2024 on August 3, the Cleveland Browns stadium featured a Cody Rhodes match where he retained his title over Solo Sikoa with a Roman Reigns assist. Gunther defeated Damian Priest and won the heavyweight championship. Nia Jax beat Bayley and won the women’s title.
NXT Halloween Havoc
The next WWE premium live event is scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2024. It will be held in the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and feature a Halloween-themed concept. There will be 5 matches in total with three featuring current champions. The matches are Trick Williams versus Ethan Page, Tony D’Angelo versus Oba Femi, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade versus Fiulia and Stephanie Vaquer, Andre Chase versus Ridge Holland, and finally, Kelani Jordan versus Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, or Jazmyn Nyx.
WWE Crown Jewel
Taking place on Saturday, November 2, the show takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the Mohammad Abdo Arena. The 6th event in this series is another pay-per-view and live-streaming event for wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown divisions. There will be 6 matches in total full of current champions. Gunther, the World Heavyweight Champion of Raw, faces Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion of SmackDown. Liv Morgan, Women’s World Champion of Raw, fights SmackDown’s WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax.
Then there are two more singles matches, Seth Rollings versus Bronson Reed and Randy Orton versus Kevin Owens. A Triple threat match is also scheduled between LA Knight, Andrade, and Carmelo Hayes. Finishing things off is a fatal four-way tag team between Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair versus Damage CTRL versus Meta-Four versus Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.
WWE Survivor Series: WarGames
The final big event in 2024 is going to be the 38th annual Survivor Series: WarGames. On Saturday, November 30, Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada hosts this spectacle. Fights have not yet been announced but some superstars have been revealed. This event will feature Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley, and Liv Morgan.
2025 Schedule So Far
For the upcoming 2025 season, we have so far been informed about 3 PPV and PLE events. On February 1, there will be a Royal Rumble at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. On April 19 and April 20, WrestleMania 41 takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Allegiant Stadium. On August 2 and 3, the new edition of SummerSlam is scheduled at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Dawn Marie returning to the ECW Arena next week for NXT
An ECW legend is returning to the ECW Arena next week as Dawn Marie will serve as the special guest referee for a match between Lola Vice and Jaida Parker.
The match, announced by NXT General Manager Ava, will be contested under hardcore rules and that required the services of someone who is pretty used to the extreme environment of the 2300 Arena.
The 53-year-old worked for ECW between 1998 and 2001, managing Lance Storm and Justin Credible, better known as The Impact Players. Marie moved to WWE in 2002 where she stayed there for three years.
Ric Flair comments on the passing of his 24-year-old stepson
Wendy Barlow’s son, Sebastian Kidder, who was also Ric Flair’s stepson, passed away at 24 years of age this past weekend after a suicide. TMZ reported the news yesterday.
Flair, who just recently separated from Barlow, issued a long statement on social media, saying that spent hours wondering what to say after he heard the news.
“I can only imagine what Wendy & Paul are going through having lost a son approximately the same age in 2013,” Flair wrote. “I know the pain of your loss will be with you the rest of your life. I still every day of my life think about Reid as you will continue to think about Sebastian.”
Flair said that he blamed himself for his son’s death after he made Reid his best friend rather than being a good parent, but Sebastian’s parents can’t blame themselves for his death.
“I’m so thankful for the time I had with Sebastian. I have so many great memories & bonding time with him as he grew up,” Flair continued. “He stood tall by his mother along with the whole family – Sophia, Paris, and Summer, while I was dying.”
Flair urged Wendy to stay strong and let nothing deter her from all her successful endeavors she has in place in the future.
Halloween Havoc 2024 results
Here are the results from last night’s NXT Halloween Havoc 2024 event which took place live from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Tony D’Angelo defeated Oba Femi in a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match to retain the NXT North American title; Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia defeated Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade; Ridge Holland defeated Andre Chase in an Ambulance match; Fallon Henley defeated Kelani Jordan in a Gauntlet match to become the new NXT Women’s North American champion; Trick Williams defeated Ethan Page in a Devil’s Playground match to retain the NXT title.
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh at OTT’s Tenth Year Anniversary event
The WWE World Tag Team champions, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day made a rare indie appearance last night in Dublin, Ireland.
The two took part in OTT’s Tenth Year Anniversary event at the National Stadium and defeated Matthew Smyth and Sean Guinness of The Social Elite in front of a packed crowd.
Both are OTT alumni and received a massive ovation when they were introduced for the main event match, with the crowd even singing along to The Judgment Day’s theme song The Other Side, performed by Alter Bridge.
Former WWE Superstars Big Damo and Rene Dupree were also part of the show in the other main event, with Big Damo retaining the OTT World title.
Crowd Sings Judgment Days' JD McDonagh and Finn Balor's Theme Song as they make their return to OTT Wrestling in Ireland
byu/Matt_Lightning1 inSquaredCircle
Willow Nightingale suffers concussion at CMLL show
AEW star Willow Nightingale suffered a concussion on Friday during the CMLL show at Arena Mexico and has been pulled out of the other weekend shows she was supposed to be part of.
Nightingale missed last night’s show at Arena Coliseo and will not be featured in tonight’s Arena Mexico event as advertised after CMLL made the announcement following her injury.
CMLL said that in line with concussion protocols established by both CMLL and AEW, Nightingale must fully recover before stepping back in the ring. Last night, Zeuxis took her place while for tonight, Persephone will replace her.
The former TBS champion was part of Team World in the 20-woman elimination tag team match on Friday night.
Halloween Havoc 2024 live on Peacock and WWE Network tonight
Live from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, WWE presents NXT Halloween Havoc 2024 on Peacock and WWE Network. The full card is as follows:
Trick Williams vs Ethan Page in a Devil’s Playground match for the NXT title; Tony D’Angelo vs Oba Femi in a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match for the NXT North American title; Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade vs Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer; Andre Chase vs Ridge Holland in an Ambulance match; Kelani Jordan vs Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, or Jazmyn Nyx in a Spinner’s Choice match for the NXT Women’s North American title.
NXT Halloween Havoc will start streaming at 7PM ET.
AEW trademarks three Max-related names ahead of start on streaming service
With AEW soon making its debut on the Max streaming service in the United States, the company has filed three trademark applications for AEW WrestleMax, AEW Max Month, and WrestleMax with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All three have an application date of October 25 with All Elite Wrestling LLC listed as the owner.
The applications were filed under the goods and services of entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances, production, programs, and events which are distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media.
Dynamite and Collision will be simulcast live on Max starting from January 2025 so a cable subscription will not be required to watch the shows as long as you have a Max subscription. AEW pay-per-views will also come to Max sometime next year at a discounted price for those who purchase them on that system.
TNA announces Genesis pay-per-view for January 2025
TNA announced that their first pay-per-view of 2025 will be Genesis and will take place on Sunday, January 19 live from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.
This is a change since TNA has for the past several years started the year with the Hard To Kill pay-per-view. The Genesis name has not been used since 2021.
The company will also hold a very rare live episode of Impact on Thursday, January 23 from the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas. A round of TV tapings will also be held the following day on Friday in the same location.
Tickets for all shows mentioned go on sale on Friday, November 15 at 10AM ET at tnawrestling.com.
Samantha Irvin on quitting WWE: “I don’t like announcing”
Responding to messages on social media after she announced her departure from WWE, Samantha Irvin revealed that she does not like announcing and her announcing gig was only supposed to be her way in WWE.
“I wanted to manage, maybe even become general manager one day,” Irvin commented. “But WWE saw no other future for me besides announcer. I love watching the action but I don’t love being an announcer.”
Irvin also said that thanks to her millionaire husband, she doesn’t have to do a job she doesn’t like anymore.
Fans were shocked this past Monday when Irvin announced via a post on social media that she was quitting WWE effective immediately. WWE brought back Lilian Garcia full time as Raw ring announcer to replace her.
Bound for Glory 2024 pay-per-view results
Here are the results from last night’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view which took place from Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan.
PRE-SHOW: Ash by Elegance and Heather by Elegance defeated Xia Brookside and Brinley Reece; Frankie Kazarian won the 20-person Intergender Call Your Shot Gauntlet to receive a contract for a championship match of their choosing.
PPV: Mike Bailey defeated El Hijo del Vikingo to retain the TNA X Division title; Spitfire defeated Rosemary and Wendy Choo to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles; Josh Alexander defeated Steve Maclin; PCO defeated Matt Cardona in a Monster’s Ball match to retain the TNA Digital Media title; Mike Santana defeated Moose; Masha Slamovich defeated Jordynne Grace to become the new TNA Knockouts champion; Nic Nemeth defeated Joe Hendry to retain the TNA World title with Frankie Kazarian as the special guest referee; The Hardys defeated The System and ABC in a three-way Full Metal Mayhem match to become the new TNA Tag Team champions.
Maria Kanellis remains in hospital after mass removal surgery
Maria Kanellis, who underwent surgery to remove a mass from her adrenal gland a few days ago, is still stuck in hospital after she was originally set to be discharged the next day of her surgery.
Kanellis went under the knife on October 24 and her husband said that she was being kept overnight for observation before being allowed to go home, but in a social media post today, Kanellis revealed she is still in hospital.
She said that she is suffering from nausea and headaches when standing up and it could be a blood pressure issue so doctors will keep her at least for another night.
“The surgery went well and my bloodwork looks good. We should have the biopsy results in 7-10 days to figure out exactly what the mass was,” she noted, praising the staff at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.