NXT Live Coverage And Results – January 4, 2022 (New Year’s Evil)

NXT Date: January 4, 2022 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett It’s a big night as we have New Year’s Evil featuring the main event of NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defending against Bron Breakker. That’s big enough, but we also have a triple threat match for the Women’s Title and AJ Styles confronting Grayson Waller. Not wrestling mind you, but confronting him. Let’s get to it. The opening video looks at the beginning of the new year with a focus on the card. Then we get to Breakker vs. Ciampa, when the video shifts into evil. North American Title/Cruiserweight Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Roderick Strong Title for title, with Trick Williams and Diamond Mine here too. They fight over a lockup to start until Strong grabs an armbar to take over. Back up and Hayes scores with a dropkick to stagger Strong for a change. Strong tries to take him down but Hayes nips up and scores with an enziguri. With that not working, Strong chops him har..

Wrestling Legend Announces One Night Return To The Ring

One more time? Retirements in wrestling are not quite the same thing as retirements in other sports. You don’t often see mainstream athletes returning to play after several years off, as there isn’t exactly a way to participate in one game. Wrestling is different though, as there is always a way for someone to come back to the ring for a one off match. That is what another legend is planning to do. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. has announced that he will be returning to the ring for a tag team exhibition match at a Realty of Wrestling event in Canton, Texas on January 22. Booker will be teaming with Gaspar Hernandez to face Garza and Dexx. Since retiring from the ring in 2012, Booker has wrestled four matches, three of which have been for Reality of Wrestling. In a video announcing the match, Booker talked about wanting to be a player/coach giving his students on the job training. ?? BREAKING NEWS ?? Booker T returns to the ring on Saturday, January 22nd to team with his protégé Gaspa..

Another Former WWE Wrestler Officially Signs With AEW

Another one on the list. The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works as there is now a second major promotion where wrestlers can find work. That is a great change after so many years of WWE dominance, as you can only get so far with one company. Now a wrestler who was with WWE just last year has found a new home and it might be a better fit. AEW has announced that former NXT star Jake Atlas has officially signed with the company. This comes after Atlas made an appearance on AEW Dark: Elevation last month. Atlas is a former NXT star who was in August 2021. He had wrestled a match at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonored event before taking a hiatus from the wrestling industry. The AEW match was his first in over three months. Congratulations on winning your tryout match last night, Jake Atlas! What a great @AEW debut, and now @kennymarquez, I’ll see you Tomorrow night in Newark at the debut of #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork! Safe travels, and… Welcome to the team! #J..

Jeff Hardy Was Planned For NXT Run In A Very Specific Role

There was a plan. The WWE roster has undergone a variety of changes in the last year and a half, but not all of the moves have been the same. There have been a lot that came in groups, but there have also been some individual moves. One of the bigger departures took place last month, and it seems that there was another move in mind for him before he was let go. Last month, Jeff Hardy was released from WWE following an incident where he walked out of a match at a live event. According to Fightful Select, Hardy was the original plan for the Shaman in NXT and would have served as the mentor to MSK. The role eventually went to Riddle, who will be teaming with MSK in a six man tag this week on NXT. It is not clear if Hardy would have taken part in the match. That could have been very interesting. Check out what could have been and what was: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: Hardy as..

Update On WWE Title Plans For WrestleMania 38

It’s about that time. We are rapidly approaching WrestleMania 38 but as usual, WWE has several events to cover before we get to that point. WWE already presented one pay per view event this year with Day One, which featured a rather surprising title change in the main event. The result changes a good bit about WWE, but those changes might not be lasting. Brock Lesnar won the WWE Title in the main event of Day One, following Roman Reigns’ announcement that he had tested positive for Coronavirus. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the title change will not have an impact on the plans for the WWE Title match at WrestleMania. It is not clear what that match will be, but the road to the match will be different. A match between Lesnar and Reigns is still planned for the event as well. It should be an interesting WrestleMania. Check out how we are heading down the road: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, cl..

205 Live Results – December 31, 2021

205 Live Date: December 31, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph It’s the very final WWE show of the year and since I’m not sure there really is a Best Of for the new 205 Live, we’re getting a regular show. Normally I would say there won’t be much of an audience for this given the time and date, but would it be that much different than the regular show? Let’s get to it. Edris Enofe vs. Guru Raaj Enofe flips out of a wristlock to start as we hear about Raaj missing a long time due to an injury. Raaj takes hm down by the arm but Enofe is back up with a standing hurricanrana. A nice fisherman’s suplex gets two on Raaj but he is right back with a monkey flip for the save. Enofe hits a middle rope elbow to the face for two more before planting Raaj with a spinebuster. A shooting star press, with Enofe taking his time in completing the rotation, finishes Raaj at 4:54. Result: Edris Enofe b. Guru Raaj – Shooting star press (4:..

REVIEW: New Blood Rising: Yes, It Can Get Worse

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? New Blood Rising Date: August 13, 2000 Location: Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Attendance: 6,614 Commentators: Scott Hudson, Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden I’m really not sure what to say about this one. It’s borderline legendary in how horrible it is due to the levels of Russo pumped into it with one match in particular. I’ve seen this show a few times before and every time I watch it I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There’s no way around this so let’s get to it. First and foremost: is there..

WWE Star Returning After Long Absence, Though Not Right Away

Welcome back? There are a few ways to bring a wrestler back into the fold and some of them are more conventional than others. One of the most important factors is whether or not the fans are going to know if someone is coming back, which can open a few doors in either direction. This time the fans do know, but it is still a fairly unique way to bring a wrestler back. This week on Monday Night Raw, WWE announced the return of Alexa Bliss, or at least the beginning of her return. Next week, we will see part of Bliss’ return to Monday Night Raw, though there is no word on when she will return to the ring. Bliss has not been seen since Extreme Rules, when Charlotte destroyed Bliss’ Lily doll after she defeated Bliss in a match for the Raw Women’s Title. Bliss can do a lot of things. Check out what she can do when she is around: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m glad that Bliss ..

Backstage Reaction To Big E.’s WWE Title Reign, How Some Tried To Make Improvements

They don’t seem happy. There are a lot of championships in the wrestling world but few have the history of the WWE Title. The championship has been around for about sixty years now and some of the biggest names in the history of wrestling have held it. Being champion can still mean a lot, but there is something lost when a title reign does not go so well. That seems to have been the case as of late, but some wrestlers do not seem to blame the former champ. At WWE Day One, Brock Lesnar won a fatal five way match to win the WWE Title, ending Big E.’s reign without pinning him. According to Fightful Select, there were some backstage in WWE who felt that Big E. was booked inconsistently as champion. There were some who who went “above and beyond” in an attempt to make Big E.’s television segments as logical as possible. Big E. took part in a #1 contenders match on this week’s Monday Night Raw, which was won by Bobby Lashley. Big E. did have a rocky time as champion. Check out what he did..

Several New Names Added To Men’s Royal Rumble Match

The next of many. We are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble and that means it is time to start putting some names on some lists. The Royal Rumble requires sixth names to fill in the show’s two namesake matches and that can take some time. It makes sense to get on these things in a hurry, and that is what WWE was doing in a big way this week. This week’s edition of Monday Night Raw saw five new names added to the Men’s Royal Rumble match. Over the course of the show, the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) and the Mysterios (Rey and Dominik) announced their entries in the match. Later, Vince McMahon added Austin Theory. This comes after Johnny Knoxville announced his own entry last weekend. The Royal Rumble takes place on January 29. Those are some talented stars. Check out who is joining the Royal Rumble: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind ..

What Was (And Still May Be) Planned For Drew McIntyre When He Returns

There was an idea in place. Wrestling storylines can take many forms, but at some point there has to be a match to pay the things off. That needs to be set up as delicately as possible, which is not always the easiest thing to do. There are also occasions where a story can be set up, but ultimately falls through for one reason or another. That was almost the case recently. Over the weekend, Drew McIntyre was written off of WWE television thanks to an attack by Happy Corbin at Day One. The attack was a way to get McIntyre out of storylines as he is dealing with neck issues. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is planning for a Roman Reigns vs. McIntyre match, which is still the idea despite McIntyre’s injury. There is no word on when McIntyre is expected back on television. McIntyre vs. Reigns does sound awesome. Check out the two of them facing each other and more: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vide..

Major Grudge Match Set For WWE Royal Rumble

That’s the next step. There area lot of wrestling matches throughout any given show, but oftentimes, a match is not the end of a story. Sometimes the end of one match is designed to set up the next step in a story, which might involve even more people than in the first match. That is the case again, as a feud is getting even more personal than it was at the start. Earlier this month at WWE Day One, Edge defeated Miz in a grudge match. Miz’s wife Maryse attempted to interfered, but Edge’s wife Beth Phoenix made a surprise return and chased her off, allowing Edge to win. This week on Monday Night Raw, Edge and Phoenix interrupted Miz and Maryse to challenge them to a mixed tag team match. Miz accepted, and the match has been set for the Royal Rumble on January 29. This should be big. Check out how we got here and the fallout: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I don’t think this i..

WWE Championship Match Set For Royal Rumble 2022

Bring on the Beast. Tonight on Raw, the original Fatal 4-way match from Day 1 took place, in order to determine who the new No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship would be. The winner of that match would earn the right to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at the 2022 Royal Rumble. In the end, Bobby Lashley defeated Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Big E to earn the opportunity. Check out the highlights from Day 1 that led to this match: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: A true clash of the titans is set for Royal Rumble! Newly crowned WWE Champion Brock Lesnar will go head-to-head with Bobby Lashley. After Universal Champion Roman Reigns was unable to compete at WWE Day 1 due to COVID protocols, the intimidating Lesnar insisted he be added to the WWE Championship Match at the inaugural Premium Live Event. Out of the furious free-for-all of the Fatal 5-Way, The Beast overcame Lashley, Big E, Seth “Freakin’” Rollins and Kevin Owens to claim the WWE T..

Monday Night Raw Live Coverage And Results – January 3, 2021

Monday Night Raw Date: January 3, 2022 Location: Bon Secours Wellness Center, Greenville, South Carolina Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton It’s the show after Day One and since it’s WWE, Brock Lesnar has now somehow become WWE Champion. Lesnar has been added to the fatal four way after his scheduled match with Roman Reigns was canceled due to Reigns testing positive for the Coronavirus. That means it’s time for a new direction so let’s get to it. We open with a recap of Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Title on Saturday night. Opening sequence. We run down the card. The lights go out and a rather happy looking Paul Heyman is in the ring. As an advocate, Heyman would like to introduce us to his client: the new WWE Champion, BROCK LESNAR! Here is Lesnar, who throws some steps in the ring so he can stand up and send good wishes to Roman Reigns. Lesnar: “Now, South Carolina, acknowledge me!” He thanks Heyman for all of his efforts to make the title win possible on Satu..

Triple H Gave Hit Row Something Very Special During Their Time In WWE

It isn’t something that everyone gets. WWE is still the biggest and most powerful wrestling company in the world today, but there are some things that are not the most popular among some fans. One such thing is the amount of releases that have taken place over the last few years. Now one of the released wrestlers has revealed something rather surprising about her time with the company. Former NXT star B-Fab took part in a virtual signing with K&S WrestleFest where she spoke about her time in WWE. One thing that B-Fab mentioned was she and the rest of her Hit Row stable had been granted total creative freedom by Triple H for everything they said, even down to their theme song. Triple H would occasionally try to keep their ideas from getting too big, but the promos and statements were all written by Hit Row themselves. B-Fab and the rest of Hit Row were all released from WWE in November, with B-Fab being let go separately from the rest of the team. Hit Row was pretty awesome in their t..

WATCH: Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison From WrestleMania 37 Night 1

Don’t mess with the rabbit. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which they show the full match between Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison From WrestleMania 37 Night 1. You can see the match in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: Priest looked to start the match until The Awesome One taunted Bad Bunny, asking the recording star if he was scared. Not one to back down, Bunny tagged into the match and caught Miz with two right hands, then tackled the former WWE Champion to the canvas. The Miz looked embarrassed after Bad Bunny sent him flying to the outside with an arm drag. Bad Bunny showed impressive skill, whether it was a La Magistral cradle or a flying headscissors that sent JoMo for a ride. But Miz & Morrison quickly turned the tables on Bunny after Morrison caught him with an elbow in the corner, then Miz cheapshotted him from the apron behind the referee’s back. The Awesome One and The Guru of Greatne..

Next For The Man? WWE’s WrestleMania 38 Plans For Becky Lynch

Run it back? We are about ready to start the Road to WrestleMania 38 and that means the card should be at least mostly set. While it might not be made public just yet, WWE needs t know what they are doing for their biggest event of the year. It seems that they do have a few ideas set, and now we might know one of the more important matches planned for the show. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, a title match between Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair is likely for WrestleMania 38. The match would be a rematch from Summerslam 2021, when Lynch returned and beat Belair in an impromptu SmackDown Women’s Title match in less than thirty seconds. Lynch has since swapped the SmackDown Women’s Title for the Raw version. It worked before. Check out some of the Lynch vs. Belair feud: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is a bit of a surprise, but without changing s..

Here’s What’s Next For Brock Lesnar And The WWE Title

That’s up next. With about three months to go before WrestleMania 38, it is time for WWE to start getting things ready for the biggest show of the year. That can make for some tricky decisions, as the show needs to be as good as it possibly can. This includes making the right decisions when it comes to title matches, and now we might have an idea of the next turn that will be taken. Brock Lesnar won the WWE Title at Day One, winning a fatal five way match also involving Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley and Big E. Lesnar and Lashley interacted during the match, with Lashley spearing him through the barricade and putting him in the Hurt Lock. According to F4WOnline.com, the plan is to have Lashley be the first challenger to Lesnar’s title, though there is no word on when the match might take place. This could be a fight. Check out the two in action together and apart: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vi..

AEW Wrestlers Respond To Tony Khan’s Controversial Comments

It was going to get people talking. AEW has been a complete game changer in the wrestling world and that has been a good thing. The company is led by President Tony Khan, who has been a force in wrestling since he entered the industry. However, like everyone else, Khan is going to have some controversial moments. That was the case last week and now we are seeing the response. Late last week, former AEW star Big Swole spoke about some of her issues with the company on her Swole Nation podcast. Several over her comments criticized AEW’s lack of diversity in management positions and in prominent roles on television. Khan responded, listing off people of color in the company and saying that he let Swole go because he did not think her wrestling abilities were good enough. Several AEW wrestlers have since responded, with a mixture of positive and negative reactions. Here are some of the responses to Khan’s comments, including Lio Rush, who has since had a conversation with Khan: If nobody..

Jon Moxley’s Return Match Seems To Be Set

Welcome back. Wrestling is in a different world in modern times, as there is more content available than ever before. A fan can see almost any wrestling from anywhere in the world and it is amazing to have so much out there. Above all else, it can be great to see something special, and now we are going to be seeing something that is more important than most regular matches. Back in November, AEW’s Jon Moxley entered a rehabilitation center for issues with alcohol abuse and has not appeared for any wrestling promotion since. Over the weekend, Homicide won the Game Changer Wrestling Do Or Die Rumble, earning a GCW World Title shot against Moxley. Game Changer Wrestling has since announced that the match will take place on January 23 in New York City. There is no word on when he will be returning to AEW. It will be great to have Moxley back. Check out some of his time in AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vid..