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NXT
Date: January 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph
We’re done with New Year’s Evil and now all roads lead to Vengeance Day in about two and a half weeks. The show will feature Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Grayson Waller in a cage match but we’re going to need more than that. There is a lot of potential for the rest of the show though and we should hear more this week. Let’s get to it.
Opening recap, featuring all of the returns and surprises.
Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes vs. Axiom/Apollo Crews Williams works on Axiom’s arm to start and then runs him over for a bonus. A pop up right hand puts Axiom down again and it’s off to Hayes. An enziguri gets Axiom out of trouble though and it’s Crews coming in to clean house. Hayes gets knocked to the floor so Crews tosses Axiom onto both villains as we take a break.
Back with Axiom and Hayes clotheslining each other but it’ snot enough to get back over to Crews..

That’s a long, long time. We are in a time of change in WWE and there are all kinds of pieces moving at once. That can make it difficult to keep track of what is going on, but it is clear that this is not the same WWE that we have known for a long time. This includes names leaving, and now another not so familiar name is leaving the company after a quarter century.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Now, Now: Here Is What John Cena May Be Doing At WrestleMania 39
According to Fightful Select, Adam Hopkins, Vice President of Communications, has left WWE. Hopkins started with the company back in 1997 and has held a variety of jobs, including Manager of Media Relations, Director of Communications, Public Relations Coordinator and several others. There is no word on why Hopkins left. According to PWInsider, Hopkins’ departure has shocked those in the company, with the general response being described as “WTF”. One source said it would be like Howard Finkel leaving WWE.
There have been some others t..

They have a plan for him. We are almost to the Road To WrestleMania and that means it is time to start setting up the show’s major matches. WrestleMania matches and stories need more time to develop than your regular shows and with about two and a half months before the show, the clock is starting to tick. Now it seems that WWE knows where they are going with one of its biggest names ever.
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According to Wrestling Observer Radio, “it looks like” John Cena will face Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39. This is said to have been the plan “way, way back”. Cena and Theory interacted when Cena appeared on Monday Night Raw in June 2022 and have also reportedly filmed an additional segment to air at some point in the future. Cena has also been rumored for a match against Logan Paul. There is no word on when Cena will return to WWE TV.
This has potential. Check out the two of them together, pl..

It’s less wrestling. The WWE Network was an absolute game changer for wrestling fans. For the first time ever, fans were able to see almost every major WWE event in history for a relatively cheap price. It meant there was more content available to fans and more was added at a regular basis. However, that might not be the case anymore, at least for certain wrestling programming.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: You’re Up: Royal Rumble Described As “All Hands On Deck”, What That Means
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, a WWE source says that independent wrestling content will be discontinued on Peacock. This comes after various shows events are listed as leaving in a few days. Shows that seem to be leaving include ICW, Progress and Evolve, though it is not clear if all of them will be leaving permanently. A wXw event is set to premiere this coming Sunday.
A WWE source indicated to Fightful that they'll be discontinuing indie content on the WWE Network. https://t.co/DwMvG4msM2
— Sean..

It’s that big of a deal. WWE runs several annual events, but some of them are among their most important of the year. These shows are known among fans as some of the most prominent names on the wrestling calendar and it means a lot to appear on one of them. Another one is coming up and this year it sounds like it is going to be even bigger than usual.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Two Times: Injured WWE Star Forced To Undergo Second Surgery During Recovery
On January 28, WWE will be presenting the 2023 Royal Rumble. According to PWInsider.com, the show is being described as “all hands on deck”. This means all wrestlers and talents will be brought in, even if they are not working at the Royal Rumble. They could be taking part in media appearances or working on something for Peacock. This could include NIL talents who have not made televised appearances as of yet.
The Royal Rumble has some surprising moments. Check out some shocks from the show:
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We have some incredibly tragic news to report tonight as ROH superstar and one half of the current tag team champions, Jay Briscoe, as has passed away at the age of 38.
According to a report from the Delaware State Police Department, Briscoe, whose real name is Jamin Pugh, was involved in a fatal car accident around 5:30 PM local time in Laurel, Delaware. The news was later confirmed by the local ABC affiliate, WMDT.
ROH owner Tony Khan commented on the situation via Twitter:
Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today. Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We’ll do whatever we can to support his family. Rest In Peace Jamin
Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today.
Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We'll do whateve..

Yes again. Injuries are one of the most complicated things in wrestling as you never know when someone is going to be put on the shelf for any amount of time. The injuries can result in a long recovery time and some of them often have complications on top of that. Unfortunately that is the case again as a WWE star who was already on the shelf had to deal with another issue.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He Has To Pass: WWE Legend Announces He Will Not Be At Raw XXX Despite Being Rumored
Back in November, R-Truth injured his knee during a match in NXT. R-Truth recently participated in a live stream, revealing that he had to undergo a second surgery due to an infection. While R-Truth said that the second surgery set him back, he expects to be back in the ring sooner than expected. There is no word on when R-Truth, who turns 51 on January 19, will be back in the ring.
R-Truth is a different kind of star. Check out what he can do in WWE:
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He’ll catch you next time. Next week, WWE is presenting its Raw XXX special, honoring thirty years of Monday Night Raw being on the air. This is quite the occasion and WWE is going to bring in a variety of stars and legends who have played a part in the show’s legacy. However, one name who was scheduled for the show is not going to make it, though he does have a good reason.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It’s Complicated: Speculation Over Bray Wyatt’s WrestleMania Plans, Why He Could Be A Problem
WWE legend Tatanka has announced that he will not be appearing at Raw XXX despite being scheduled for the show. Tatanka said that while WWE contacted him five weeks ago, his son’s wrestling team qualified for the state tournament and he will be attending the competition instead of coming to the show. Tatanka wrestled for WWE in two stints, from 1991-1996 and 2005-2007, while making various one off appearances since.
Even though @WWE contacted me 5 weeks ago, I will not be attending the 30th Annive..

That’s an idea. We are rapidly approaching WrestleMania 39 and that means it is time fpr WWE to start getting ready for their biggest event of the year. They need to figure out what all of their top names are going to be doing, which is easier said than done in some cases. Now WWE is having a bit of an issue figuring out what to do with one of its stars, as there might be a bit of a problem.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Injured WWE Star Starts “MASSIVE COMEBACK” After Nine Month Absence
During a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that he believes Bray Wyatt will face Uncle Howdy at WrestleMania 39. Meltzer said that while Wyatt is popular and sells merchandise, top stars “probably want to avoid him” because of “his history with top guys”. Last week Wyatt said that he was Howdy, though Howdy appeared this week on Monday Night Raw. There is no word from WWE on what Wyatt will be doing at the show. Note that this is Meltzer’s opinion and not to be taken as a ..

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 16, 2023
Location: Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick
We’re less than two weeks away from the Royal Rumble and also quite possibly on the second straight week of doing very little because the show is up against a huge football game. The Royal Rumble is in less than two weeks and odds are that we’ll be seeing some more names announced for the namesake matches. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here are the Usos and Solo Sikoa for a chat. They’re here in our city but need to address what happened on Smackdown. Kevin Owens needs to learn that you can’t be a problem for Roman Reigns. Speaking of Reigns, there is something big planned for next week’s Raw XXX. Every generation of the Bloodline will be joining together for an acknowledgment ceremony, plus they’ll beat Judgment Day.
Cue Judgment Day, with Rhea Ripley saying they run Raw and Finn Balor saying they ran through the tag division and are now the #1 co..

He’s getting ready. Injuries are one of the worst things that can happen to a wrestler as you never want to see someone put on the shelf. There are all different kinds of injuries as well, with some putting a wrestler out for a few weeks and others taking months if not longer. Unfortunately the latter took place last year, but a star is already on his way back to the ring.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: That’s Big: WWE Presents Stacked Lineup For Raw XXX
At WrestleMania 38, Rick Boogs severely injured his knee in a tag match where he teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura against the Usos. Boogs tore his patella tendon and had to undergo surgery to repair the damage. In recent days, Boogs has posted a series of videos showing him training, with the first titled “Start Of A MASSIVE Comeback”. There is no word on when Boogs will be able to get back in the ring.
He’s looking ready. Check out Boogs’ insane training:
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What could have been. Celebrities have been around wrestling for years and it makes all the sense in the world. The idea is that the celebrity’s fans will come over to watch the wrestling events, or at least give the promotion some mainstream publicity for working with a celebrity. Sometimes there are flaws in the stories though and that seems to have taken place again.
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AEW has presented a feud between Jade Cargill and her Baddies and rapper Bow Wow on and off over the last few months. This included the team going to a Bow Wow concert and being thrown out, plus a pre-taped video from Bow Wow appearing on AEW Dynamite. However, in an interview with Bootleg Kev, Cargill suggested that the story is over. Cargill said “I don’t know what happened with it. Something was supposed to happen, it didn’t happen, and we moved on from the situation.” There is no word on if Bow Wow wil..