WWE's Zoey Stark will have a chance to become WWE Women's World Champion at Survivor Series WarGames, and it would be a brilliant way to cap off a stellar 2023 for the Monday Night Raw superstar. Part of that run on WWE Raw found Stark alongside WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, and the two would become a force to be reckoned with after Stratus turned on Becky Lynch. That would lead to a match between Stratus and Lynch that ended with Lynch leaving the winner, and things got even worse for Stratus after Stark ended their alliance with a Z-360. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Stark about her storyline with Stratus, and Stark hopes to one day complete that storyline with the Hall of Famer.

When asked how it was working with Stratus, Stark had nothing but great things to say. "Great. She has taught me so much within the short amount of time that we were really working together. I really do hope at some point down the line that her and I get to finish our story," Stark said. "We didn't really get that opportunity after me giving her the Z-360 to continue on of doing a singles match between the two of us. Hopefully, fingers crossed that sometime down the road, we get to do that."

"She's such a cool human being. She's helped me out so much and even just on Monday Night Raw in general, when she's at home doing her own thing, working on her own shows, she'll take the time out of her day to talk with me on the phone if I needed any sort of advice," Stark said. "She's a mentor really to me now."

In addition to working alongside Stratus, Stark has wrestled at the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, and Crown Jewel, and has been a fixture on Raw, including a main event match against Becky Lynch. Stark could never have predicted her journey on the main roster, but she's been determined to make every opportunity count, and so far she has done just that.

When asked if any of this has been surprising, Stark said, "I mean, really all of it. They've been giving me a lot of opportunities here and I feel like I've been knocking them out of the park with every single one that they've given me. Getting to work alongside Trish and Becky, main eventing Raw with Becky, doing Money in the Bank, getting to do a Royal Rumble. I mean, there's so many things within the first six months, even really through the year, to where it is just crazy that they keep giving me opportunity after opportunity, so I'm doing something right," Stark said.

As for Ripley, Stark is ready to bring her down to ground level at Survivor Series, even if Ripley has complimented Stark on her rise on Raw and skills in the ring. "Yeah, for sure. Rhea Ripley, she's been dominating. She's one of the top girls that we have on WWE, so to hear that is amazing and she's right. I made a name for myself very quickly to where I am now, becoming one of the top girls, but none of that's lost on me," Stark said. "She's still holding a Title that I want. She could compliment me all day long, but I want that title." You can find the full card for Survivor Series WarGames below.

Survivor Series WarGames:

• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz
• Men's WarGames Match: Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre vs Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jet Uso, Sami Zayn, and Randy Orton.
• Women's WarGames Match: Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Bayley, Kairi Sane, and Asuka) vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch
• Carlito vs Santos Escobar

WWE Survivor Series WarGames kicks off at 8 PM EST and will stream live on Peacock.

Are you excited for Survivor Series WarGames? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Zoey Stark's accomplishments since joining Monday Night Raw several months ago are insanely impressive, and the WWE superstar shows no signs of slowing down. After taking down some of Raw's best, Stark will have a shot at the WWE World Championship at Survivor Series WarGames, but to make that happen she will have to go through Rhea Ripley. That's no easy feat, but Stark is up for the challenge and is looking forward to bringing Mami down a few pegs. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Stark about her upcoming battle against Ripley as well as how her heel turn in NXT set the stage for the stellar run she's had so far on Raw.

Speaking of Monday Night Raw, Stark and Ripley traded some shots on the mic last week, but Ripley also paid Stark several compliments. That included Ripley saying that Stark reminded the Champion of herself, and while Stark is willing to take the praise, it doesn't change anything once that bell rings.

"Yeah, for sure. Rhea Ripley, she's been dominating. She's one of the top girls that we have on WWE, so to hear that is amazing and she's right. I made a name for myself very quickly to where I am now, becoming one of the top girls, but none of that's lost on me," Stark said. "She's still holding a Title that I want. She could compliment me all day long, but I want that title."

While Ripley is the Champ, Stark feels Ripley is letting her eyes drift from the prize. "She needs to come down a few pegs, so I'm happy to be the one to put her in her place," Stark said. "She really thinks she runs the Raw Women's Division. Yeah, she might hold that Title, but she doesn't run it. She's too worried about the boys instead of that Title."

Stark is looking to take one more step in an already impressive ascent on the main roster. Stark was drafted from NXT by Monday Night Raw in the WWE Draft, and since then she's quickly made an impact. Stark teamed up with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus in a big program against Becky Lynch and then turned on Stratus at the end of that feud. Now she's in the Title mix, and when I asked what surprised her about her path on the main roster, Stark says it kind of all did.

"I mean, really all of it. They've been giving me a lot of opportunities here and I feel like I've been knocking them out of the park with every single one that they've given me," Stark said. "Getting to work alongside Trish and Becky, main eventing Raw with Becky, doing Money in the Bank, getting to do a Royal Rumble. I mean, there's so many things within the first six months, even really through the year, to where it is just crazy that they keep giving me opportunity after opportunity, so I'm doing something right," Stark said.

For those who watched Stark in NXT, it seemed like something really clicked when she turned heel after returning from injury, and Stark agrees. "No, I definitely do feel that way and I feel like part of it's because when you're a babyface, it's like sitting there, the white meat babyface sitting there smiling, high-fiving the fans and everything," Stark said. "You can't say anything that you really want to say and you've got to be the nice girl. When you turn heel, you're more free to do whatever you want, to where I could be really more myself of like, I'm not going to play this game. I'm not going to be part of this bulls***. I'm going to do whatever I want to do. So I definitely think it was a big switch with me being a heel."

While Stark reveals she did mention being a heel at one point, the whole turn happened organically, and would ultimately benefit both her and Nikkita Lyons.

"It happened organically. I did mention about me being a heel when I was on my way back from my injury. It's like it might be fun to be able to do a little bit of this, but we were so far away from it where it didn't really matter," Stark said. "Just started to put ideas together and sending them off to creative. Obviously, they had me come back as a face, but when we started working with Nikkita a little bit, that's when it started to show that I was going to turn more of the heel route, so I was super excited for that."

A feud would then take place between Stark and Lyons, and when I said it felt like the move benefited both stars, Stark said, "Yeah, I feel like it helped us both grow as far as characters." Stark will have the chance to add some Title gold around her waist at Survivor Series, and you can find the full card below.

Survivor Series WarGames:

• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz
• Men's WarGames Match: Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre vs Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jet Uso, Sami Zayn, and Randy Orton.
• Women's WarGames Match: Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Bayley, Kairi Sane, and Asuka) vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch
• Carlito vs Santos Escobar

WWE Survivor Series WarGames kicks off at 8 PM EST and will stream live on Peacock.

Are you excited for Survivor Series WarGames? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

All Elite Wrestling is looking to deliver one of the biggest and best tournaments in professional wrestling with its newly announced Continental Classic. Taking pages out of New Japan's iconic G1 Climax, the AEW Continental Classic is a round-robin tournament that sees 12 of the company's best competitors compete through the end of 2023 in hopes of winning the inaugural competition. On Wednesday's Thanksgiving edition of Dynamite, the Continental Classic officially kicked off with three great matches.

The 12 competitors in the AEW Continental Classic were split into two groups: the Gold League and the Blue League. Each competitor will face all of the other wrestlers in their league during the group stage, earning three points for a win and one point for a draw (occurring if the 20-minute time limit is reached without a victor). Wednesday's Dynamite began the action with three Gold League matches, giving three men a leg-up on their competition.

The first match saw Swerve Strickland -- coming off a memorable and unthinkably violent match against Adam Page at Full Gear -- take on Jay Lethal. Continuing his hot streak, Strickland won the match and picked up the first three points of the tournament. Later in the episode, Jay White rebounded from his Full Gear main event defeat to beat RUSH and pick up three points of his own.

The final Continental Classic of Wednesday's Dynamite saw former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley take on Mark Briscoe, in perhaps one of the most anticipated matches of the Gold League. It was the first time the two beloved wrestlers met in a one-on-one match. While the fight itself likely lived up to the expectations of fans, Moxley ended up getting the pin and taking taking a share of the lead in the Gold League.

Those six wrestlers make up the entire Gold League in the AEW Continental Classic. The Blue League includes Eddie Kingston, Bryan Danielson, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Castagnoli, Brody King, and Andrade El Idolo.

In addition to winning the Continental Classic Championship, the last man standing at the end of the tournament will also take home two other titles. Eddie Kingston announced at Full Gear that he was putting up his Ring of Honor World Championship and NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship as part of the tournament. That will make the Continental Classic's victor a "Triple Crown Champion" that ties together AEW, ROH, and NJPW.

AEW Full Gear Results

The start of the inaugural Continental Classic comes on the heels of Saturday's Full Gear pay-per-view event, which saw MJF defend his World Championship against Jay White and Swerve Strickland defeat "Hangman" Adam Page in one of the most shocking matches in AEW history. You can check out the full results below.

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) def. Jay White

• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page

• Will Ospreay signs with AEW

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

Christian Cage had a lot to say during tonight's AEW Dynamite, but it wasn't just to the crowd (though there was plenty of that as well). Cage brought out Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne to the ring, and he had some changes he wanted to make after some recent losses. Cage would tell Luchasaurus that his name reminded him of losing, and so from now on he would be his finisher, Killswitch. This is a reference to his finisher in WWE, which was called the Killswitch, but he had a new title for Wayne too. He knighted Wayne as The Prodigy Nick Wayne, but Wayne's mother wasn't thrilled with her son being aligned with Cage.

That led to some back and forth between the two, with Cage insulting her continuously and telling her he was a better dad to Wayne than his own father. Cage told her to leave the ring, but Luchasaurus got between them. Cage yelled at Luchasaurus and the crowd cheered him on to turn on Cage, but then Cage pushed Luchasaurus and he ran into her, knocking her down accidentally.

.@Christian4Peeps
has "rechristened" his children#AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/rvstDxqBDG

-- AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) November 23, 2023

That's when Cage ordered Wayne to get a chair and bring it to him, and while Cage teased he was going to use it, he then gave the chair to Luchasaurus to use on her instead. Luchasaurus was trying to figure out what to do, but then Adam Copeland's music hit and he came to make the save.

Copeland took the chair and hit Wayne with it, and while he had Cage cornered, Luchasaurus dragged Cage out of the ring to keep him from getting hit. Copeland then hit Wayne again with the chair, making the save and making a statement against his former best friend. As for Luchasaurus, the turn is coming sooner than later, so perhaps we'll finally see it at Worlds End.

In an interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, Copeland spoke about the possibility of going out with his favorite partner and real-life friend Christian.

"If we could end this together, that's the dream," Copeland said. "I sat down with my girls and I'm like, 'Okay, so what does dad do, girls?' What do I do? I laid out the scenarios for them. Lyric said it and then Ruby agreed, 'Go be with Uncle Jay and have fun.' That doesn't mean that I'm not having fun in other places, but they know the most fun I'm going to have is with my best friend of the last 40 years."

"I didn't know immediately, but I thought that's where I wanted to go. I really thought that working with Jay again was what I wanted to do and how I pictured it in a perfect world. (My wife) Beth said, 'What's your perfect world? 'I was like, 'My perfect world is that I end my career with Jay.' So suddenly that perfect world looked like it could be there. It's tough to pass that up," Copeland said.

We'll have to wait and see what's next for Copeland and Cage, but odds are they will have a reunion as teammates before their runs in AEW are done.

What did you think of Cage's comments and changes to Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

This week may be all about Thanksgiving, but wrestling fans are celebrating Christmas early as Orange Cassidy delivered his jolliest impression of Old Saint Nick. The AEW International Champion made his way to the to the ring on Wednesday night, set to compete in a trios tag team match alongside Hook and Shibata. Before the match, however, Cassidy revealed that he had a Thanksgiving surprise for everyone. That surprise, as it turns out, was the return of Danhausen, who has been sidelined with an injury since March.

Danhausen, the very nice and very evil fan-favorite, has been teasing a comeback for some time now. Vignettes featuring Danhausen's face, set to music many recognize from Halloween III: Season of the Witch, have been playing in various episodes of Dynamite over the last couple of months. The beloved star has also made multiple social media posts alluding to his return. Wednesday night's new episode of Dynamite finally saw him back on AEW television.

Fans will still wonder when Danhausen returns to in-ring action. His Dynamite return saw him support Cassidy's team against a trio of former Jericho Appreciation Society members. At one point, Danhausen pulled out Jake Hager's infamous purple bucket hat and put it on, taunting Hager. When Hager left the ring to get it back, Danhausen cursed him on the spot, giving Orange Cassidy time to attack, shifting the tide of the match once again.

AEW Full Gear Results

Danhausen's return comes on the heels of Saturday's Full Gear pay-per-view event, which saw MJF defend his World Championship against Jay White and Swerve Strickland defeat "Hangman" Adam Page in one of the most shocking matches in AEW history. You can check out the full results below.

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) def. Jay White

• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page

• Will Ospreay signs with AEW

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

After a thrilling victory against the odds at AEW: Full Gear, AEW World Champion MJF and his Ring of Honor Tag Team Champion partner Adam Cole came to the ring to give an update during tonight's episode of Dynamite. Unfortunately, the news wasn't that great for Cole, who revealed that he isn't anywhere close to being able to return to the ring, though he did promise he was doing everything he could to get back there. Both men were then confronted by the mysterious Devil on the TV screen but were then confronted in person by Samoa Joe, who was looking to collect on his deal with MJF. While MJF initially scoffed, the Champ did come around, and now Joe will face MJF at Worlds End for the Title.

MJF first addressed his match against Jay White at Full Gear. "Now, I just beat Jay White and your boy was rocking only one leg. I learned in those minutes that you are one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. However, nobody is on the level of the devil. Now now, you are looking at the AEW World Champion with the most successful Title defenses of all time. The youngest of all time. The youngest reigning of all time. And we can all agree, sometimes I can be a little bit too humble," MJF said. "So what do you think Chicago, have I earned the right to toot my own horn a little bit tonight? You're looking at the greatest AEW World Champion of all time!"

We're not gonna get in the way of @The_MJF complementing himself... we couldn't if we tried#AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/KCaKNspGf1

-- AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) November 23, 2023

Cole said, "I mean this from the bottom of my heart. It's also great that me and my friend Max are still your Ring of Honor Champions bay bay, with some help from Samoa Joe. With the good news comes the bad news. You all know my ankle is in bad shape. I'm not even close to being able to walk yet nonetheless wrestle again, but you have my promise I'm going to work every single day to return to AEW and do what I love to do."

.@SamoaJoe wants NO excuses at #AEWWorldsEnd#AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/bmixGelOZa

-- AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) November 23, 2023

Cole expressed concern for MJF due to all the people gunning for him, including the masked Devil. MJF cut him off there, saying "that man didn't want no competition. To the man behind that mask I'm going to find you and the hell I send you too is going to feel like heaven."

Then the Devil laughed on a video screen, but the video quickly shut off. Afterwards, out came Samoa Joe, though those two things were probably not related. Joe had a deal in place with MJF for helping him out at Full Gear, and he was likely coming to collect.

"It seems we have a lot of concerned faces in this ring right now," Joe said. "This is a time for celebration. Two massive victories in a weekend. You go out there and face all odds despite your less adequate friend not being able to defend you, and you stand here today as AEW Champion. Earlier in the night, MJF you went out there with one Samoa Joe and defended the ROH Tag Titles and started your night out right, for the simple price of giving me your AEW Championship rematch. So I've come to Chicago to make sure that honorable men honor their deals."

MJF then insulted Joe's breath and said he had thought long and hard about the deal and had come out with a reasonable response. "My response to your rematch request is as follows", and MJF's response was muted, but then Joe went to choke him against the ropes. Cole intervened and said he would talk to him. Cole said he couldn't do this, and that the old MJF would say that, but not the new MJF and his best friend. Cole said his matches with Joe were always difficult, but he said he needed to do it anyway, saying that the crowd loves him because when he says something is going to happen it will happen. "Max, be a man of your word," Cole said.

MJF then said he would give him the rematch tonight before delivering a shot at CM Punk. MJF said, "You know what Joe, you want me to face me here? Wouldn't be the first Ring of Honor legend I beat here at Chicago...twice!"

"Absolutely not. No no no, I'm the bad guy. Let's discuss what's going to happen here. You're going to complain that I wasn't 100%, boo hoo hoo. No Max, you see, I want the best version of you. I want the fully healed Max. So I say by Worlds End, you should be ready to defend that Title," Joe said

MJF accepted, and now MJF will face Joe at Worlds End, though it remains to be seen what role the masked Devil will have on things.

Are you excited for the match? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

While the Bella Twins ended their full-time wrestling careers on good terms with WWE, the two sides have had a bit of a falling out in the years since. The bad blood began earlier this year in the lead-up to the WWE Monday Night Raw 30th anniversary special. Both Nikki and Brie were originally advertised for Raw is XXX but were pulled from advertising just days before the show went down. Nikki responded to the change on social media, revealing that WWE told her and Brie that "they had nothing for [them]." When Raw is XXX eventually took place, Nikki criticized the show for its lack of female matches and segments.

Nikki Bella Responds to WWE Raw Snub

WWE's relationship with the Bella Twins has seemingly not improved.

This past Monday on WWE Monday Night Raw, promotion for fellow USA Network program Barmageddon aired. Announcer Michael Cole spoke about the drinking game show but neglected to mention that Nikki Bella is one of its hosts.

"It's sad. There's obviously a lot of things I could say about that. I think more than anything it's disappointing," Nikki, who now goes by "Nikki Garcia" professionally due to WWE owning her ring name's trademark. "I worked there for 16 years and I helped paved the way for them. Not only that, they've always been family to me. Walking away, for me, it wasn't malicious. I'm at a point in my life and I wanted to do things without hearing the word 'no' and it was just strictly business."

Nikki last wrestled for WWE as an entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble Match back in January 2022. Herself and sister Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame nine months earlier ahead of WWE WrestleMania 37.

"Maybe there were some personal things that happened over the years that also pushed me toward that but I think more than anything it's disappointing because I don't see it happening with the men," Nikki continued. "For some reason with the women who are outspoken and we've seen this with the women in the past, they just want to ban us. I think it's sad because we all look at it as family and so, okay, they don't want to say my name. That's fine. Hey, Barmageddon got a shout out."

New episodes of Barmageddon air on Mondays at 11 PM ET, immediately following WWE Monday Night Raw.

All Elite Wrestling is debuting its own iteration of the squared circle's most historic tournament. Earlier this month, AEW President Tony Khan announced the AEW Continental Classic, a round-robin tournament that will stretch throughout the end of 2023 and culminate at AEW Worlds End on December 30th. The AEW Continental Classic is essentially AEW's answer to New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax, a summer-based tourney that has been around for decades. Many wrestlers consider just competing in the G1 to be an honor, and a select few AEW stars like Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi have G1 tournament wins to their r?sum?s.

AEW upped the stakes of the AEW Continental Classic this past weekend at AEW Full Gear when Eddie Kingston entered himself into the tournament. Kingston, who currently holds both the NJPW STRONG Openweight and Ring of Honor World Championships, revealed he will be putting both of his titles on the line in every one of his tournament matches. Khan followed that up by announcing the tournament winner would be crowned AEW Continental Champion, which alongside the NJPW and ROH titles on the line would make the victor a "Triple Crown Champion" that officially ties all three companies together.

Full List of AEW Continental Classic Tournament Participants

The AEW Continental Classic is here.

AEW President Tony Khan joined AEW announcer Tony Schiavone and Eddie Kingston (NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, ROH Champion) on AEW's social channels for the "AEW Continental Classic Selection Special," revealing the full list of the tournament's 12 participants.

Blue League

• Eddie Kingston
• Bryan Danielson
• Daniel Garcia
• Claudio Castagnoli
• Brody King
• Andrade El Idolo

Gold League

• Mark Briscoe
• Jon Moxley
• Swerve Strickland
• RUSH
• Jay Lethal
• Jay White

AEW also announced that all tournament matches will have a 20 minute time limit with no one allowed at ringside. Competitors receive three points for a win and one point for a draw.

The AEW Continental Classic kicks off tonight on AEW Dynamite, which goes down at 8 PM ET on TBS with three matches. RUSH faces Jay White, Jon Moxley takes on Mark Briscoe, and Swerve Strickland battles Jay Lethal.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) def. Jay White

• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page

• Will Ospreay signs with AEW

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

Austin and Colten Gunn are far from a nostalgia act. The second-generation stars are the sons of WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn, and while they do subtly pay homage to their father in some ways, The Gunns have blossomed into their own. Much of that is thanks to Bullet Club Gold, AEW's spin-off faction of the historic New Japan Pro Wrestling stable. The Gunns linked up with Jay White and Juice Robinson earlier this year and have donned the black and gold ever since. In a company inundated with factions, the bang bang gang have stood out amongst the rest thanks to their charisma, match quality, and perhaps most crucially, their branding.

The Gunns Remastered DX's Catchphrase For Bullet Club Gold

Among that branding includes a cornucopia of catchphrases. Top-shelf gunslingers. High-rolling with the bang bang gang. And if you're not down with that, we got two words for ya: suck it guns up.

That prompt was made famous by Billy Gunn in D-Generation X. While crowds have been trained to respond one way, The Gunns have successfully remastered it in Bullet Club Gold's image.

"The other catchphrase sucked and the guy who said it sucks," Austin Gunn told ComicBook.com. "What the bang bang gang does is we take something that wasn't cool and we make it cool, because we are actually cool. We don't force it down people's throats. We're cool in general. We don't have to prove it. We know we're cool."

Adding a fresh coat of paint is a recurring theme with Bullet Club Gold. Before this spin-off made its way to AEW, many fans felt the faction was on life support, as it had lost a significant amount of the magic it once had when stars like Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and Kenny Omega were leading it. The mainline Bullet Club in NJPW is currently in its biggest reset yet, with David Finlay leading multiple new recruits like Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, and Alex Coughlin.

"The Bullet Club, you add 'Gold' to the end of it, now it's cool because we're in it," Austin continued. "You take that catchphrase that sucked before, I'll take it over from here kid. We just made it cool again. We're taking everything that you give to us and we just make it cool. That's it."

AEW Dynamite returns tonight at 8 PM ET on TBS.

LA Knight has arrived. The self-proclaimed megastar has been on WWE's main roster since mid-2022, but 2023 has proved to be his career year. After nearly two decades on the independent circuit and a quick WWE developmental cameo in 2013, Knight found his way back to WWE in 2021. He would spend just over one year wrestling on NXT before making his way to the main roster, infamously repackaged as a male model manager named Max Dupri. Despite woes that Knight would ultimately be released before getting the chance to showcase his full potential, Knight was given the green light to be himself on WWE TV in Fall 2022, taking that proverbial ball and sprinting with it.

Triple H Praises LA Knight

The Game recognizes game.

Speaking to Greg & The Morning Buzz, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque praised LA Knight's persistence, recalling how he "kept grinding" despite all the setbacks he suffered throughout his career.

"I look at LA Knight right now. He's been in this business for a long time. I knew him in the very beginning," Triple H recalled. "He was in NXT early in the system. He'll admit this, a lot to his own doing, he caused himself to not be in it, but he kept grinding, kept grinding, kept grinding. And here now, he is sort of running towards the end of his career and all of a sudden, he's making it and becoming a big deal."

At 41 years old, Knight is no spring chicken, but he also has showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

"Hopefully, he can capitalize on that, and we can, but you never know, and you keep those doors open and you see what's going to resonate," Triple H continued. "Nobody has perfect vision around the corner. You just keep grinding and doing what you do and hopefully success comes."

WWE Survivor Series goes down this Saturday, November 25th at 8 PM ET and will stream live on Peacock. You can check out the announced card below...

WWE Survivor Series 2023 Card

• War Games: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre
• War Games: Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (WWE Women's Champion Iyo Sky, Bayley, Asuka, Kairi Sane)
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. The Miz
• WWE Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark
• Carlito vs. Santos Escobar

AEW Full Gear is now in the rear view. What is traditionally AEW's final pay-per-view event of the calendar year went down this past Saturday, significantly shifting the All Elite landscape in the process. AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman was able to leave the Kia Forum with his title reign still intact while Toni Storm and Julia Hart collected the AEW Women's and AEW TBS Championships, respectively. While tonight's AEW Dynamite promises to deal with the fallout from AEW Full Gear, AEW has no time to waste as it looks ahead to its next pay-per-view, AEW Worlds End, which will close AEW's 2023 on December 30th.

AEW Continental Classic Begins

AEW's latest tournament is set to kick off on AEW Dynamite. Tony Khan announced the AEW Continental Classic earlier this month, a round-robin showcase that is essentially AEW's answer to New Japan Pro Wrestling's historic G1 Climax. Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo, and Mark Briscoe have been announced so far.

NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion and Ring of Honor Champion Eddie Kingston also declared himself for the AEW Continental Classic, revealing that he will be putting both of his championships on the line in each of his matches. Khan followed up Kingston's announcement by revealing the ultimate winner of the AEW Continental Classic would walk away as a "Triple Crown Champion."

Tonight, AEW Dynamite will see at least one AEW Continental Classic match go down. The remaining eight participants in the AEW Continental Classic will be revealed at 1 PM ET today during a "selection special" that will stream on AEW's social channels.

Christian Cage's "Rechristening"

The AEW TNT Champion is ready to remold Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus in his image. Following their loss to Adam Copeland, Sting, and Darby Allin at AEW Full Gear, Christian Cage is set to "rechristen" his stablemates in The Patriarchy.

AEW Dynamite goes down at 8 PM ET tonight on TBS.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) def. Jay White
  
• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue
  
• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page
  
• Will Ospreay signs with AEW
  
• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks
  
• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne
  
• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)
  
• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley
  
• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
  
• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns
  
• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal
  
• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews
  

The main event of tonight's WWE NXT was for the NXT Women's Championship, with Lyra Valkyria's first Title defense pitting her against Xia Li. The match was actually supposed to take place earlier in the night, but when Valkyria's entrance began, Xia ran out and attacked her before she could even make it to the ring. Valkyria wasn't feeling great afterwards, but she was intent on defending her Title, and she was on fire when she hit the ring. Xia Li would weather the storm and take control for a while, but Valkyria was ever resilient and kept countering Xia's submissions. Valkyria was able to connect with a big-time roundhouse kick and powerslam combo, and that was enough to get the pin and the win.

Valkyria came straight into the ring and gave the referee her Championship to get things started, and Valkyria hit Li with a number of knee shots and punches to the head. Xia got back into it with a big stomp and then a boot to the neck of the Champ, and she stayed on Valkyria and kept working on the neck and head against the ropes. Valkyria dodged a move and then hit a powerful crossbody, and then a hip toss was followed by a dropkick, causing Xia to roll out of the ring.

.@Real_Valkyria is on a mission tonight ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/lBY4GklnT7

-- WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2023

Lyra's dropkick through the ropes knocked Xia to the floor, and then once back in the ring Valkyria went up top but was yanked off the ropes by Xia, causing the Champ's head to knock into the turnbuckle hard. Xia kept up the heat on the Champion, attacking her on the ring apron and connecting with a knee strike to the head.

.@XiaWWE is doing WHATEVER it takes to take down @Real_Valkyria ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/DWcEyMfVJM

-- WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2023

Xia stomped on Valkyria in the corner back in the ring and then delivered a few more punches before hitting a suplex into a cover, but Valkyria quickly kicked out. Xia grounded the Champion with a hold before slamming her down to the mat, and at this point, Xia was clearly in control. Valkyria tried to break the hold with punches but it didn't work the first time. It did work the second time, but Xia hit a neckbreaker and went for the cover again, though Valkyuria kicked out.

Xia kept the Champ down again with a submission, but Valkyria got to her feet and slammed Xia down. A big kick followed and then Lyra delivered two more. A third resulted in a counter from Xia into another submission, but Valkyria was able to shift the position and escape. More kicks and a punch to the stomach followed, but Xia clubbed Lyra in the back. Then Valkyria almost pinned Xia but Xia came right back with a kick to the stomach.

Xia lifted Valkyria on her shoulders and spun the Champ around into a slam and a cover, but Valkyria was able to kick out. Xia lifted Lyra for a vertical suplex, but Lyra countered. The Champ caught Xia's kick and then hit a huge suplex, giving Valkyria a moment to breathe. Valkyria and Xia traded punches, but then Valkyria hit a flurry of them before hitting a huge enzuigiri. Xia countered a cover into a submission, but Valkyria shifted her weight and went for a pin. Xia kicked out but then Valkyria hit a roundhouse kick and lifted Xia for a slam and that was it for Xia. Valkyria is still the NXT Women's Champion.

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE NXT got things started with a match for the NXT Heritage Cup, pitting the current Champion Noam Dar against Alpha Academy's Chad Gable. In a rare occurrence, Meta-Four didn't have a numbers advantage against Gable, as Alpha Academy was at ringside with him. That didn't keep Mensah from interfering to steal a fall, and throughout the match, Dar would take cheap shots at Gable when the referee wasn't looking. In fact, that would become the story of the match, but despite those hiccups, Gable would tie the match at 1 fall. Then Gable got Dar to tap, but it occurred right after the bell, and the rules state the Cup doesn't transfer to someone new if there's a tie. The win was stolen from Gable, but Alpha Academy still had Meta-Four running by the match's end.

Dar tested the waters with a kick to Gable's shins but Gable took command with a wrist lock. Gable did some stretches and reversed Dar's hold, and then Gable reversed another move and locked Dar's neck up. Dar was able to apply a hold of his own but Gable countered that and went for the wrist again.

WHAT ARE WE DOING REF???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/0DbNfzSczR

-- WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2023

Gable countered two more moves from Dar and then Dar went for a hold as the clock counted down. Gable got out of the hold and sweep-kicked Dar into an Ankle Lock, but Dar got to the ropes. Then Gable let Dar go as the clock ended round 1. Dar came out with more aggression in round 2, kicking and hitting Gable in the face, but Gable went right back at him and knocked him down with ease into a cover, though Dark kicked out.

???

Sorry @OroMensah_wwe and @lashlegendwwe, but NO ONE disrespects #AlphaAcademy!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/h80awCo3CX

-- WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2023

Gable kept avoiding Dar's offense and hit a slick suplex into a cover, but Dar kicked out. Dar connected with a series of kicks but Gable hit one of his own to Dar's face before locking Dar's arm in an armbar over the ropes. Gable slammed Dar into the ring post but Mensah got a hit in and the referee didn't see it, so Dar got a cover and the first fall.

In round 3, Gable lifted Dar with ease and threw him across the ring. Then Gable flipped Dar's leg around and stomped on him before focusing more on the leg. Gable kept targeting the leg, but Dar bought himself some time by launching Gable over the ropes to the floor. Dar slammed Gable into the announce table and then went for his eyes before hitting several knees to the stomach and chest of Gable. Dar went for a cover, but Gable kicked out.

Gable came back with chops to the chest and then Dar went for a quick cover, but Gable kicked out. Dar went up top but Gable caught him with a slap to the face. Gable hit a superplex on Dar but then Dar tried to roll up Gable. A cover didn't happen before the round ended though. Round 4 featured more back and forth between the two and at one point Dar had Gable in a submission but Gable was able to get to his feet. Then Gable tried to pin Dar but ate a knee to the face. Gable still kicked out of the cover though, and the two punched each other as the bell hit.

Round 5 began and Gable came out with a huge kick followed by a suplex into a cover and got it, timing the match at 1 fall apiece. Round 6 had Dar being the aggressor again, but his cover attempt didn't end with a pinball. Gable hit a brainbuster on Dar, but Dar got back in it with a back elbow to the face of Gable. Gable caught Dar's kick and got the Ankle Lock on but Dar threw him into the ring post. Gable went to hit a suplex but Dar rolled through it. Gable hit a DDT into a cover but Dar kicked out.

Gable went up top but caught Dar's feet and went for the ankle lock again, and this time he got it. Dar flipped Gable around but Gable kept it locked in. Then Gable had it locked in again and Dar tapped, but the bell had just hit before he tapped. Unfortunately, the rules state that if there's a tie, the Cup does not change hands, and so Dar is still the Heritage Cup Champion. After the match, Legend pushed Duper and Mensah got thrown out of the ring by Otis. Then Dupri slapped Legend in Otis' arms, and that caused Legend to run out of the ring and join the rest of the group.

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE is no longer the end all be all. The global leader in sports-entertainment remains at the top of the professional wrestling industry, but the days of it holding a monopoly over all things squared circle are long gone. The mid-2010s saw the likes of Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling reach unprecedented heights all while the entire United Kingdom independent circuit thrived. The launch of All Elite Wrestling in 2019 gave WWE its biggest competition since WCW closed its doors in 2001, giving a global and televised platform to hundreds. Even for those not on a big promotion's payroll, indie standouts like Matt Cardona have proved that talent can make a massive bag strictly working freelance dates.

Gunther Had Doubts About Ever Going to WWE

That independent option powered one of WWE's biggest stars for years.

Before joining WWE in 2019, Gunther dominated the independent circuit as WALTER, competing regularly in promotions like Germany's wXw and the United Kingdom's PROGRESS Wrestling.

"It was never my big dream to go [to WWE]. I think I was more passionate to wrestle for All-Japan at some point as like a big dream than being with WWE. My goal was always I want to make a living off of being a professional wrestler. That was always my goal," Gunther told Chris Van Vliet. "I want to make this my profession because I know some about it now, I have a passion for it, and I don't want to work a job that bores the hell out of me. I always wanted to make it a profession. When I achieved that, that was already something unheard of. When I became a full-time wrestler, I had to be self-employed basically. I think at that time, I was the only person in Germany that was a wrestler by profession."

That aforementioned British indie boom was something WWE wanted in on. WWE launched the WWE UK Championship Tournament in 2017, a bracket comprised of the UK's top independent stars. While the eventual NXT UK brand would sign its competitors to contracts, the initial WWE expansion into the UK allowed talent to still wrestle wherever they'd like.

"The indies changed big time. It was before COVID, there was such a big boom in the indie scene in England especially, but all in the states as well," Gunther reflected. "WWE decided to open the doors to the independent wrestling world and also to Europe so that brought up a lot more possibilities obviously."

Gunther defends his WWE Intercontinental Championship against The Miz this Saturday, November 25th at WWE Survivor Series.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is still AEW World Champion, but at what cost? The self-proclaimed generational talent went into AEW Full Gear with a personal vendetta against challenger Jay White. Leading into the pay-per-view, White and Bullet Club Gold swiped the AEW World Title, parading around AEW TV with the prize despite not being the actual champion. Austin and Colten Gunn of BCG weren't keen on just playing a supporting role to White in the main event, as they also put MJF in their scopes when they challenged him for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles on the pre-show. While MJF was able to retain the tag titles thanks to some one-off back-up from Samoa Joe, The Gunns attacked him after the match, putting his status in the show's main event world title match in doubt. MJF would return in time for the headlining bout and defeat White, retaining his AEW World Title in the process.

MJF Legitimately Injured at AEW Full Gear

The Gunns' attack was part of the storyline, but that awkward dive landing was not.

Late into the AEW Full Gear main event, MJF took to the skies to hit an elbow drop to the outside on Jay White. Following his victory, MJF spoke at the AEW Full Gear press conference and alluded to having hurt his hip during the match.

According to WrestlePurists, that elbow drop spot is where MJF's suffered his legitimate hip injury. MJF had to have "his hip popped back in" after the match ended. While the hip is the main focus, it was added that MJF's shoulder is also giving him issues following the pay-per-view.

Even though he is banged up right now, MJF is not expected to miss any television time. That said, he is expected to be limited to a "non-wrestling capacity" for the foreseeable future until AEW Worlds End.

MJF's presence at AEW Worlds End is crucial. Everything known about the new pay-per-view thus far indicates that it is being built around MJF, as it is set to take place in his hometown of Long Island, NY and goes down on December 30th, just over 24 hours before his AEW contract is set to expire. MJF has been teasing his upcoming free agency for well over two years now, and it appears AEW is keen on turning those hints into a storyline.

More details about MJF's future will likely arrive this Wednesday, November 22nd when AEW Dynamite airs at 8 PM ET on TBS.

Drew McIntyre has a new attitude. After weeks of frustrations with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and temptations from The Judgment Day, the Scottish Warrior aligned with WWE Monday Night Raw's top heel faction going into their headlining War Games match at WWE Survivor Series. This turn represents McIntyre's first time working as a bad guy since Summer 2019. Back then, McIntyre served as a heavy for Dolph Ziggler and later backed up Shane McMahon. McIntyre's embracing of the dark side has been something fans have clamored for for a while, as many fans believed he had more to offer with a persona shift.

WWE Hall of Famer Anticipates Drew McIntyre's Heel Run

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff is one of those aforementioned fans looking forward to Drew McIntyre's new villainous role.

"I do," Bischoff said on 83 Weeks when asked if he believes McIntyre's turn will freshen him up. "I've always been a fan of Drew's, [including in] his initial run with WWE. Then he was let go. I was on a couple independent shows with him in the UK. Just a classy guy, and a great performer."

McIntyre's babyface run kicked off with guns blazing, winning the Men's Royal Rumble Match in January 2020. He parlayed that momentum into strong reactions on WWE Monday Night Raw in the subsequent weeks, but was forced to reach his biggest milestones in front of empty arenas due to the pandemic. His entire reign as WWE Champion occurred in crowd-less venues, and while fans at home praised his title reign, there was no way of knowing how in-person arenas would react to him.

"Perhaps like Ronda Rousey previously in WWE, he may not have been cast in the best role as a babyface," Bischoff said. "I'm anxious to see what he's capable of as a heel. Let's be honest, as much as I respect him and like him, he never really connected as that babyface champion. He had some things against him. I know it was [during the] COVID era, [didn't have] the crowd reaction to kind of help put you up over the top and give you the credibility that a champion should have. That's just bad timing. But I'm looking forward to seeing him in that heel role because he's a phenomenal performer, he's got the right look, he's got the voice, he's physical. He can perform in the ring. Maybe a fresh paint of coat will do him justice."

McIntyre competes alongside The Judgment Day inside War Games this Saturday, November 25th at WWE Survivor Series.

Gunther has known nothing but domination since signing with WWE in January 2019. Then going by WALTER, the Ring General arrived in NXT UK and immediately set his sights on NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne, WWE's longest-reigning titleholder of the 21st century up until that point. Three months later, Gunther was christened as NXT UK Champion and embarked on his own record-setting reign of 870 days. While he would lose the prize in August 2021, Gunther had gold once again less than a year later when he defeated Ricochet to become WWE Intercontinental Champion in June 2022.

Gunther Attributes Intercontinental Title Reign to Great Matches

Long may the Ring General reign.

Gunther is still in the middle of his run as WWE Intercontinental Champion, widening the gap between himself and previous longest-reigning titleholder The Honky Tonk Man. As of this writing, Gunther has held the title for 528 days and counting, a sizable jump from The Honky Tonk Man's 454-day reign. While the statistics make it undeniable, Gunther ultimately attributes the greatness of this reign to the matches he has put on along the way.

"The work and performances that I put into my reign is what makes my reign special. That basically sums it up," Gunther told Under The Ring. "It's one of the most prestigious titles that has lost a lot of steam in the last years."

The WWE Intercontinental Title is one of WWE's most complicated prizes. The championship's early lineage is historic, with WWE Hall of Famers like Shawn Michaels and Ultimate Warrior holding it right before they became full-blown world champion main-eventers. Modern talent like The Miz and Seth Rollins brought back some of that prestige to the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the 2010s, but its momentum fluctuated in between.

"On one hand, it's on management to decide how prominent the title should feature. On the other hand, it's on the champion to put in the performances that forces management to represent the title prominently," Gunther continued. "I'm very proud of the work I've put into it. I'm still in the middle of it. A lot of records have been broken along the way. The status it has right now and what makes it special is because I'm the champion and I've put the work in."

Gunther defends the WWE Intercontinental Title against The Miz this Saturday, November 25th at WWE Survivor Series.

Randy Orton is back. This past Monday on WWE Monday Night Raw, Cody Rhodes closed the show by responding to The Judgment Day's numbers advantage going into their War Games match at WWE Survivor Series by noting his squad does indeed have a fifth member. This mystery man is someone Rhodes says he has a "legacy" with, alluding to the fact that he formerly worked with Orton in the late 2000s stable of the same name. While Rhodes did not specifically drop Orton's name, WWE followed up the tease by including the Apex Predator on the WWE Survivor Series main event's graphic, confirming that Orton is indeed the fifth man.

Randy Orton's Upcoming Return Ends Wild Evolution Streak

When The Viper slithers into the double steel cage on Saturday, he will end one of the craziest streaks in recent wrestling memory.

Randy Orton has not wrestled since May 2022 as he was put on the shelf to undergo surgery for some nagging back issues. This was not a sudden injury but rather the result of wear and tear over the course of Orton's two-decade long career, one which has seen him land on his back multiple times per match, especially considering his RKO finisher involves a hefty back bump. There was some concern that Orton's 20 years of RKOs had caught up to him, as reports indicated that he was advised to retire. After 18 months of recovery, it appears that Orton is good to go once again.

Two months after Orton went out of action, Ric Flair came out of retirement to wrestle one final time, teaming with son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to take on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal at the one-off pay-per-view Ric Flair's Last Match. With Batista retiring in April 2019 and Triple H leaving his boots in the ring at WWE WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, this meant that out of all members of Evolution, the 74-year-old Flair had the most recent match.

Evolution was a stable led by Triple H that included Flair, Batista and Orton. The faction dominated WWE Monday Night Raw in the early 2000s, accomplishing the rare feat of holding all of one brand's gold in 2003. A Flair-less version Evolution would get back together in 2014 to feud with The Shield and had another reunion on WWE SmackDown 1000 in Fall 2018.

WWE Survivor Series goes down on Saturday, November 25th, streaming live on Peacock.

The one and only Randy Orton is finally making his way back to WWE. The former WWE Champion has been sidelined since last year with a back injury, and fans have been wondering if/when they'd see him back in the ring. Now, after the latest episode of Monday Night RAW, we know the answer. Orton will be returning to WWE TV this Saturday for Survivor Series: WarGames.

Saturday's Survivor Series: WarGames event will see the Judgement Day and Drew McIntyre take on a group of popular RAW Superstars inside a double steel cage. With McIntyre joining Judgement Day's team, the group of Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn suddenly found themselves needing a fifth teammate.

A segment during RAW saw the group of men deliberating who should join them at WarGames. Zayn referenced that their fifth could come from either RAW or SmackDown, obviously alluding to his best friend and longtime tag team partner Kevin Owens. That caused Seth to chime in and say he had allies as well. Finally, Rhodes put the conversation to an end by saying he was going to call "an old friend," leading many to fans to believe that Orton was on his way back.

At the end of the episode, after McIntyre beat Uso to give the Judgement Day the WarGames advantage, Rhodes announced that Randy Orton was officially joining the team as its fifth member.

Orton has been sidelined since May 2022, when he competed in a tag team match with former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle. The Apex Predator had needed back surgery and finally stepped away from the ring to get it taken care of. Back in September, Orton was seen at the WWE Performance Center, causing rumors of a potential return.

Seth Rollins Injury Won't Affect Current Run

At Survivor Series, Orton will be working alongside World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who has been on a phenomenal run since winning the title.

Earlier this year, Rollins revealed that he's been dealing with a back injury for a few years now, one that will eventually require surgery. However, Rollins hasn't been worried about that injury changing anything for his current run in WWE. It's been a big part of the story as of late, but he is still promising to be a fighting champion.

"It is what it is. All of us have something," Rollins said on The Bump. "We've all got some sort of nagging injury, we've all got something that's pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That's just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I've been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back.

"So even though Shinsuke's the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I'll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who's concerned. I'm gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," he continued.

Miz makes it known right off the bat that he doesn't appreciate Gunther's lack of respect toward him. Gunther doesn't respect him because he's an entertainer but that only irritates Miz even more. He looked up to wrestlers like "Macho Man" Randy Savage when he was younger and that him being an "entertainer" helped elevate the Intercontinental title when he was holding it.

"Little Mike Mizanin. Some little weirdo that got bullied in high school because he idolized all those heroes that you just named," Gunther teased. "And when you graduated high school, you pursued a career to become a WWE Superstar and you finally get to meet all of your heroes. They bullied you to make you understand you do not belong in this sport," he continued. "It's the truth. So, here we are. 20 years later and things haven't changed. You still do not belong in this sport. You still do not belong in my ring. The only place you belong is behind that guardrail over there will all those other weirdos that are just like you."

Gunther punches the eight-time Intercontinental Champion and pushes him around to provoke a reaction. Miz is clearly reluctant to fight back but he quickly decides he's had enough and starts firing back with punches of his own. Gunther eventually gets him down on his knees as he attempts a chokehold but Miz plays possum, firing off some offense of his own by kicking his leg backward and issuing a low blow to the champion instead. In classic Miz fashion, while Gunther is clutching himself, he stands up to straighten out his suit. He then stalks Gunther around the ring as the crowd cheers and he lays him out with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz grabs the Intercontinental Championship and holds it high above Gunther and the ring.

Gunther has held the Intercontinental Championship for a record breaking 529 days and counting, making him the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in company history. In September, Gunther officially passed The Honky Tonk Man's record of 454 days. As aforementioned, Miz is an eight-time Intercontinental champion, with his most recent reign being in 2018, where he defeated Roman Reigns that January but lost it in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 34.

Ahead of the women's WarGames match at Survivor Series this weekend, the women couldn't wait until Saturday to get their hands on each other.

On the Survivor Series go-home episode of Monday Night RAW, Becky Lynch and Xia Li fought a hard contest with NXT Women's Champion Lyra Valkyrie in the crowd. Soon after Lynch won the match with a Manhandle Slam, Damage CTRL invaded RAW in an attempt to catch the former seven-time champion off guard. Lynch came prepared as well because soon after Charlotte Flair and Shotzi stopped them in their tracks as Bianca Belair came to the aid as the leader of her team. The groups then engaged in a chaotic battle, further adding to the excitement of their big match this weekend.

On SmackDown last week, Belair and her team were desperate to find a fourth member because Damage CTRL kept attacking anyone who tried to join their opponents' side. Eventually, Flair would declare she had to make a "phone call" going on to phone one of her former four horsewomen, Becky Lynch. Lynch would then ignore the calls from her former best friend but soon enough she reluctantly answers to see what she wants. Flair uses her gifts of persuasion to somehow win Lynch over, agreeing to join them at Survivor Series. This weekend's WarGames match marks the first time the two decorated champions will be on the same side since 2021. On the same episode, Asuka allied herself with Damage CTRL when Bayley got on her knees and presented her with a Damage CTRL t-shirt, celebrating with the group.

WWE recently revealed a collaboration with chip brand Ruffles that allows fans a unique opportunity to vote in a poll to determine which team (Damage CTRL or Team Bianca) will get the advantage of entering WarGames first.

RAW IS WARGAMES!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/VHVvpVcd1F

-- WWE (@WWE) November 21, 2023

WWE Survivor Series WarGames Card:

• Men's WarGames: Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh) vs. Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's WarGames: Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, Asuka) vs. Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Shotzi
• Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. The Miz

Survivor Series takes place on Nov. 25 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena. The Premium Live Event will stream live on Peacock in the U.S. and the WWE Network everywhere else.

During last week's episode of Monday Night RAW, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso seemed poised to win back their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships, but they fell short of victory thanks to Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior interfered with the match and took out Jey Uso, getting some revenge for everything the Bloodline cost him over the years. Shortly after his attack, McIntyre revealed he was in some kind of agreement with Rhea Ripley and the Judgement Day.

This week, RAW opened with McIntyre in the ring, addressing his betrayal of supposed allies Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins. He told the crowd that he didn't do anything out of character, and that if they really knew him they'd know exactly what he was up to. McIntyre made it clear that this was all about Jey Uso, and his need to get revenge on the former Bloodline member for costing him the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.

He went on to explain that he wasn't part of the Judgement Day, but that he would be fighting alongside them at Survivor Series: WarGames this weekend. McIntyre is the fifth member of the Judgement Day's team, a spot he agreed to because he said Rhea Ripley offered him something that no one else in WWE could: "Jey Uso in a steel cage."

Is Drew McIntyre in the Judgement Day?

McInytre made it clear he's not a member of the Judgement Day, but he and Ripley have been making some deals behind the scenes for several weeks now. Last month, a sly backstage camera made it look as though Ripley may have also cut some kind of deal with the Scottish Warrior.

During a recent episode of RAW, Seth Rollins and McIntyre exchanged words regarding their Crown Jewel title match. A couple of shady statements from Rollins about McIntyre's intentions caused the Scottish Warrior to ask more direct questions of his opponent. Rollins called for the video team to roll footage of a conversation between Adam Pearce and Richochet backstage.

On the surface, the footage seemed like nothing but a simple conversation. However, zooming in on the footage caused everyone in the crowd to see McIntyre and Ripley speaking out of earshot of anyone else on the roster.

The results of Survivor Series this weekend could offer a lot of clarity into the nature of McIntyre's real relationship with Ripley and the Judgement Day. Could he eventually join them? Or will this really be a one-off partnership?

WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler expressed wanting to work with two top STARDOM talent, Guilia and Utami Hayashishita, in an interview with Tokyo Sports. Baszler competed in Joshi promotion STARDOM from 2015 to 2017 where she faced the likes of current AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm, WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY (Io Shirai), Mayu Iwatani, and Deonna Purrazzo, to name a few. "I'm looking at [competitors] who I think might be my opponents someday. I'm interested in Giulia, and Utami [Hayashishita] uses a technique named after me called Shocking Baisler," Baszler said. "She has been to the jiu-jitsu and catch wrestling classes I teach, and I taught her that move."

In the same interview, Baszler noted that Japan holds a special place in her heart, so if and when she is ever to return to wrestle, she's a much different competitor than she was six years ago. "I think it's time for me to connect the dots. Japan is the place that recognized me as a professional wrestler, and I think I have a chance to come back as a complete person."

One of the most dominant women in WWE, after Baszler defeated Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam in Detroit this past summer, she went onto win three straight matches. After suffering a loss to Rhea Ripley in a title match, Baszler entered the women's fatal five-way at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. She put on a great effort with the likes of Zoey Stark, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, and Ripley, four equally dominant women in the division. After suffering the most damage, Baszler was ultimately pinned by the champion.

Is a Crossover Between WWE and STARDOM Imminent?

At that same Premium Live Event, Kairi Sane returned to the company after leaving three years ago to compete in Japan, including STARDOM. She has now joined forces with Damage CTRL, reuniting with Sky, her best friend who she shares a tethered history with. STARDOM's AZM also recently commented on a potential crossover with WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling/STARDOM. She would love to get "overseas experience" and points to Sane, and Sky, who she has teamed with in Queen's Quest, a STARDOM wrestling stable. "In the past, when we teamed up, I was so anxious to not embarrass IYO-san, but now I stand confidently both by her side and across her," AZM stated. "But first, I'm going to win this belt (NJPW STRONG Women's Title) and show IYO-san just how big I've become!" (Transcription and translation by Himanshu Doi).

Whether or not this will lead to some sort of crossover remains to be seen, but under Triple H's authority, it would seem that there is at least a conscious effort to right the wrongs of how Joshi wrestlers have been treated in western wrestling in the past.

WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio is coming to Cartoon Network Latin America with a brand new animated series, and now fans have gotten to see the first real look of it in motion with the first trailer for Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad (Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness)! It was first announced back in 2021 that Rey Mysterio was teaming up with Cartoon Network Latin America on an exclusive new animated action series with animation produced by Mexican studio, ?Viva Calavera!. Although it was previously teased to release in 2022, a new update has been given to fans who have been waiting to see the new Cartoon Network series in action.

Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad will be running for ten episodes when it finally premieres, and Cartoon Network Latin America has revealed the first real trailer for the new animated series where they also confirmed that it's going to be coming "soon" to Cartoon Network Latin America and Max Latin America. This trailer also shows off the new series in motion and teases the kinds of big fights that Mysterio will be taking on in a whole new level than seen with in-ring action. Check it out below.

?Una leyenda como nunca antes lo hab?as visto! ??

Rey Mysterio vs La Oscuridad llega MUY PRONTO a #CartoonNetwork y @hbomaxla pic.twitter.com/gGb0xw2BK4

-- Cartoon Network LA (@CartoonLA) November 20, 2023

WWE's Rey Mysterio is Coming to Cartoon Network

Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad will be releasing "soon" with Cartoon Network Latin America and Max Latin America, but it's yet to be revealed whether or not fans in other territories will be able to check out the new animated series as well. Jaime Jim?nez Ri?n, Vice President of Content and Original Production, WarnerMedia Kids & Family, Latin America, said the following when the series was first announced, "We are very excited to be able to share with Cartoon Network and Rey Mysterio fans more details and color of this incredible production made in Mexico. We are confident that you will enjoy the surprises we have in store and that the show will meet all your expectations."

As for what to expect from the new series Cartoon Network Latin America teases it as such, "Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad tells the story of Oscar, a wrestling fan, who will team up with his idol, Rey Mysterio, to face supernatural beings and fight against the forces of evil; villains from the world of wrestling and characters from Mexican traditions and the world of fantasy. Behind these extraordinary opponents is Uroboros , an evil fighter who uses dark forces that he does not fully understand. Rey Mysterio and Oscar must work together and do their best to defend the city and themselves from his evil plans."

What do you think of this look at Rey Mysterio's new Cartoon Network series? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

After their match at All Elite Wrestling's Full Gear PPV against best friend Kenny Omega and longtime rival Chris Jericho which spelled further dissension amongst The Elite, the Young Bucks announce they are done with their iconic youtube series Being The Elite. In recent weeks, the Young Bucks have been at odds with Omega who has found an ally in one of his greatest rivals, Jericho. The Jackson brothers desperately want to get back to doing "Elite" things as a group but with The Golden Jets now set up with a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships, there seems to be no end in sight.

Sources close to Matt and Nick are telling me that they have officially finished up with Being The Elite. pic.twitter.com/4o7HWV0fKw

-- Brandon Cutler (@BranCutler) November 20, 2023

What is Being The Elite?

Being The Elite is a weekly YouTube series created in 2016 by AEW's Elite members -- Hangman Adam Page, Kenny Omega, and Matt and Nick Jackson -- that first began with lifestyle vlog content with their friends and family. Along the way, the series started incorporating their beloved vlog style clips, skits, pranks, and ways for wrestlers to further their storylines that aren't being featured on AEW Dynamite, AEW Rampage, or AEW Collision. The channel has amassed over half a million subscribers and over 360 episodes. Other than a brief hiatus that began last September and lasted until that November due to their suspension, Being The Elite has consistently uploaded weekly content for its fans across the globe.

In recent weeks, the Being The Elite YouTube has ceased uploading full-length episodes completely, opting instead for skits with Ryan Nemeth, Colt Cabana, and some brief content with the Jackson brothers. Brandon Cutler, their long-time friend and AEW wrestler who helps run the channel, has also been uploading his tag team matches with Cabana in full. Matt Jackson, the elder of the Young Bucks, recently took to Instagram to announce that Cutler would be their mouthpiece on social media from here on out. Fans have largely been left in the dark for the past month while begging for answers about where the new episodes are.

Over the weekend, Cutler revealed that the decorated veteran tag team would be stepping away from wrestling for the time being. This afternoon, instead of a new episode which would typically release at noon, Cutler announced that the brothers are abandoning the YouTube series for the first time in over seven years. In recent months The Young Bucks have been candid about the future of Being The Elite, including on the Swerve City Podcast. "The first few years, four or five years, we never missed a Monday," Matt said."Actually, at the time, it would even come out sometimes on weekend but it was always out every single week. Still 'til this day we don't really miss weeks and we've been doing this for seven or eight years." Nick also chimed in, joking that he's tried to put a stop to it several times over the years. "At this point I've tried to end it so many times. I get burnt out just trying to come up with ideas for it every week. But you know what? It's worth it. The fans like it."

The injury bug continues to plague All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan's young company has seen a number of its top stars miss extended time due to physical setbacks over the years, most notably in 2022 when main-eventers Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and CM Punk all went on the shelf simultaneously. While AEW is relatively healthy today, some remain absent from television as they continue their road to recoveries. Former AEW Women's Champion Thunder Rosa has been out of action since Fall 2022. Kyle O'Reilly has been rehabbing for over one year. Marq Quen's undisclosed injury has made Private Party a solo act since this time last year.

Another AEW Star Injured, Out Until 2024

One of AEW's most prominent stars is joining the injured list.

As reported by Fightful Select, Juice Robinson is out of action with a back injury. It's unclear as to when Robinson suffered the injury. His last match was on the November 1st edition of AEW Dynamite when he and his Bullet Club Gold stablemates defeated AEW World Champion MJF and AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed in an eight-man tag match. Robinson will require surgery and is expected to be "done in the ring" for the rest of the year. There is optimism that Robinson won't have "an extremely drawn out absence" as long as his recovery goes as planned.

Robinson first debuted in AEW in September 2022 and officially put pen to paper with the company that December. His AEW run picked up right where his momentum in New Japan Pro Wrestling left off. Robinson spent seven years in the Far East, successfully reinventing himself after requesting his release from WWE NXT. In New Japan, Robinson is a former three-time IWGP United States Champion and has one IWGP Tag Team Title run to his name alongside former partner David Finlay.

Since Jay White officially joined AEW this past spring, Robinson has been a staple of weekly programming. Robinson and White continue to represent New Japan's Bullet Club in AEW, forming their own spin-off of historic gaijin faction, Bullet Club Gold. Robinson and White have since added Austin and Colten Gunn to their ranks. For the past two months, Bullet Club Gold has been involved in AEW's headlining storyline, feuding with MJF over the AEW World Championship. MJF successfully retained that prize this past Saturday when he defeated White at AEW Full Gear.

While The Gunns got involved in the match, Robinson was nowhere to be seen. He was last seen on this past week's AEW Rampage when he brawled with MJF. That skirmish, which saw MJF get the upper hand, is being used as a way of writing Robinson off of television.

AEW Dynamite returns this Wednesday at 8 PM ET on TBS.

The ComicBook Nation Crew Reviews The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and talk to DC's Tim Sheridan about his new comic series Alan Scott: The Green Lantern!

PLUS: MCU Casting is ramping up with Pedro Pascal joining Fantastic Four and Invincible's Steven Yeun playing Sentry??? There's also talk about Netflix's new series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the MonsterVerse continuing with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and predictions for AEW's Full Gear event!

ComicBook Reviews The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

If you're a fan of The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is going to transport you back to Panem with great ease. The film is daring, engaging, tense, and even occasionally funny. It's no easy feat to make a prequel that's just as good, if not better, than the films that came before. However, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes manages to outshine both Mockingjay films while giving The Hunger Games and Catching Fire a run for their money. Not only is The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes faithful to the book, but it showcases one of the best casts of the year. If you have any affection for this franchise, you won't want to miss the newest installment on the big screen.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

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Maxwell Jacob Friedman has made his contract status a major trait of his persona. First teasing it back in Fall 2021, MJF began making "the bidding war of 2024" one of his various catchphrases, alluding to the fact that both AEW and WWE would be throwing millions his way in an effort to retain, or gain, his services. This looming free agency reached a fever pitch on the June 1st, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite when MJF cut a scathing "pipebomb" promo, blasting AEW President Tony Khan for paying "all the ex-WWE guys" the money that he believes he is worth.

MJF's teases about his future continued throughout 2022 as he would make nods to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque and WWE CEO Nick Khan on AEW TV. With MJF's contract set to expire on January 1st, 2024, a day that is just over one month away, it's become surprising that his "bidding war" teases have actually gotten less frequent.

Report: MJF Quietly Re-Signs With AEW

That might be because there is nothing to tease.

As reported by Haus of Wrestling, several WWE sources are under the impression that MJF has "quietly re-signed" with AEW. One higher-up WWE source went as far to say that MJF and WWE have had "zero talks," adding that the looming free agency period is a "false narrative." The internal belief at WWE is that MJF is on AEW's books into 2027.

Regardless of what's fact and what's fiction, it appears that AEW is keen on executing the long-teased "bidding war" storyline with MJF. The company is running a new pay-per-view event next month entitled AEW Worlds End. The show takes place on December 30th, just over 24 hours before MJF's contract would expire, and will emanate from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY, MJF's hometown.

The pieces at play strongly resemble WWE Money in the Bank 2011, a pay-per-view event that was built around CM Punk challenging for the WWE Championship in his hometown of Chicago on the eve of his contract's expiration. AEW has reversed the roles here, as MJF currently reigns as AEW World Champion.

Once upon a time, there might have been a plan to actually include Punk himself in this storyline. MJF and Punk had what many regard to be AEW's best feud in Spring 2022. A rematch with the AEW Title on the line was teased at the end of AEW All Out 2022, but an ill-timed injury and backstage controversy for Punk prevented that from happening. Earlier this summer, Punk began proclaiming himself to be the "real world champion" while exclusively competing on AEW Collision, a move that was expected to result in a culminating unification match with MJF. Punk was fired by AEW this past September following an incident at AEW ALL IN: London.

Swerve Strickland has arrived. The former NXT North American Champion joined All Elite Wrestling back in March 2022, signing his contract at AEW Revolution. His first couple of months saw him form an impromptu tag team with Keith Lee, a partnership that led to the duo capturing the AEW World Tag Team Championships that summer. After losing the straps and going their separate ways, Swerve began fronting Mogul Affiliates, a new faction that initially struggled to find its footing. Upon merging with Ring of Honor's The Embassy, the new-look Mogul Embassy began to gain momentum with Swerve firmly in the driver's seat.

That momentum is currently at a fever pitch thanks to Swerve's rivalry with "Hangman" Adam Page. Swerve began targeting Hangman in the lead up to AEW WrestleDream, taking exception with what he perceived to be the former AEW World Champion's recent complacency. While he secured a pinfall victory over Hangman at that pay-per-view, Swerve's career-defining victory was this past weekend when he defeated Hangman in what many are calling the greatest death match of all time at AEW Full Gear.

Swerve Strickland Embraces His Villainous Role

The Mogul is all about being the bad guy.

Swerve Strickland is no stranger to playing a heel inside the squared circle, but his recent run has revved up the sinister to a new level. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Swerve says he only sees himself and AEW TNT Champion Christian Cage as the ones embracing the evil.

"For the guys in our position that are like me, competing in that realm, is just myself and Christian," Swerve said. "That's another legend that's been doing this for 30 years. I'm in a really good spot right now. Once again, I say I'm a new face of that role of villain, that face of evil in a sense. You don't really see guys that look like me in that position rank that high, and especially in this industry, it's very unique."

Swerve's persona is not the only thing that has evolved. The former AEW Tag Team Champion has noticeably bulked up in 2023, which was a calculated change he made this past spring.

"I went with a personal trainer of mine that I really just stumbled upon, just mutual friends of ours in the gym, and I told him my target weight. He was like, 'Oh man, I can get you there in six months.' Sure enough, he got me there within three," Swerve said. "It was literally thousands of reps. It was exhausting. It was strenuous.

"It got to a point where I'm now able to bench 315 pounds, and I've never been able to get over 200. It was just constant work, getting to the gym where I didn't want to. It was just a lot of sacrifice and moving my time around and knowing how much I wanted to dedicate to my physique, and to my personal trainer who I don't want to let down. I went from 199 pounds in March, which was Revolution to Double or Nothing, I was 225."

AEW returns to television this Wednesday with AEW Dynamite on TBS at 8 PM ET.

Kurt Angle has gone down as one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of combat sports. The Pennsylvania native famously won a gold medal (with a broken freakin' neck) in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games. Years later, Angle took his talents from the mat to the squared circle, joining the World Wrestling Federation in a move that kicked off a professional wrestling career that spanned two decades. Angle won world titles, headlined WWE WrestleMania, and cemented himself as a weekly highlight of WWE programming. His WWE run was only half of his career too, as Angle took his talents to TNA in 2006 and embarked on another historic run.

While that TNA run was met with much fanfare, it did prevent Angle from adding another combat sport to his r?sum?: mixed martial arts.

Kurt Angle "Definitely" Would Have Joined UFC

In an alternate timeline, the Olympic gold medalist tested his luck inside the octagon.

Speaking to The True Geordie, Kurt Angle revealed that he "definitely" would have joined UFC if the money was right upon their initial conversations.

"I don't know if I would have been champion, but I definitely would have joined the UFC. I would have signed with them," Angle said. "They contacted me in 1996, right after the Olympics. They offered me a 10-fight deal for $150,000. That's $15,000 a fight. What it is now today, these guys are getting $16-18 million a fight on pay-per-view now. I passed on it, and I started wrestling in 1998 with WWE."

Once UFC began to reach a wider audience, Angle started getting the itch.

"By 2000, UFC started becoming mainstream. I was like, man, I'd love to do that. Literally half a year later, I broke my neck again, and that was it," Angle continued. "When I broke my neck again, I lost all my strength in my arms. I lost feeling in my hands. To this day, I have no feeling in my pinky fingers and my pointer fingers. There was no way, even though I entertained it in 2006."

"Entertained it" is a bit of an understatement, as Angle directly contacted UFC President Dana White about coming in, which led to plans for him to star on The Ultimate Fighter being set in motion.

" I went to Dana White in 2006 and said, 'Hey, I'm ready.' He offered me a deal. He wanted me to be on The Ultimate Fighter with Kimbo Slice," Angle said. "I said, 'Dana, those guys don't get paid to be on that show.' He said, 'Don't worry, I'll pay you a substantial amount of money just to be on it. I'll take care of you.' I was getting ready to do it, and I ended up signing with TNA a week prior."

That TNA deal ultimately ended Angle's UFC career before it could officially start.

"I thought that I could do both, which was crazy, it was stupid. TNA was gonna give me a part-time contract, so I figured I could train UFC as well," Angle added. "So I told Dana, 'I just signed with TNA. Can I do both?' He said, 'No, you can't do both.' I said, 'Dana, I have to respect this contract I have with TNA. I'll come back to you if my contract expires in a decent amount of time and I'm still at an age that you want me, I'll come back to you.'"

All Elite Wrestling is debuting its own iteration of wrestling's most famous tournament. Since 1991, New Japan Pro Wrestling has hosted the G1 Climax, a round robin tournament that spans the summer and decides the man that will challenge for the IWGP World Championship at that upcoming January's NJPW Wrestle Kingdom. Hall of Famers like Andre the Giant and Antonio Inoki won early iterations of the G1 while modern greats such as Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura put themselves on the map with victories in the 2000s. AEW's Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi both have G1 Climax wins to their r?sum?s.

While AEW is no stranger to tournaments, the upcoming AEW Continental Classic promises to be unlike any bracket the company has done before. Going in round robin style, the AEW Continental Classic is essentially AEW's answer to the G1, pitting 12 of its top stars against one another in singles matches until the finals culminate at December's AEW Worlds End.

New AEW Tournament to Crown Triple Crown Champion

The stakes for the AEW Continental Classic just tripled.

During AEW Full Gear this past Saturday, Eddie Kingston declared himself for the upcoming round robin tournament. Kingston, who currently reigns as Ring of Honor World Champion and NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, announced that he will be putting both of his titles on the line in every one of his AEW Continental Classic matches.

Beyond that, it was announced that the winner of the AEW Continental Classic will be crowned AEW Continental Champion. With three total championships up for grabs throughout the tournament, AEW commentary labeled the eventual winner as being a new "Triple Crown Champion." While past double (and triple) champions have been split between the different promotions that they reign in, this new "Triple Crown Champion" is being advertised as someone who will tie AEW, NJPW and ROH together.

"The Continental Classic starts this week, Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve on #AEWDynamite! 12 fighters, no interference, nobody at ringside," AEW President Tony Khan tweeted regarding the tournament. "The winner becomes AEW Continental Champion + ROH World Champion + NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, a new Triple Crown Champion at Worlds End!"

As of this writing, four wrestlers have declared for the AEW Continental Classic...

• Bryan Danielson
• Andrade El Idolo
• Mark Briscoe
• Eddie Kingston

More participants are expected to be announced on AEW programming this week.

The AEW Continental Classic kicks off this Wednesday, November 22nd when AEW Dynamite goes live on TBS at 8 PM ET.

The main event of AEW: Full Gear had a still-injured Adam Cole standing in for MJF, who was hurt earlier in the night and taken to the hospital. MJF returned in an ambulance in time for the match, but he was bandaged around his leg and quad and clearly hurt. White would taunt MJF and Cole throughout the match and kept attacking the hurt leg of MJF. Cole would try and help MJF multiple times, but they would almost backfire every time. Luckily Cole did get one attempt to land by giving MJF his ring, and he would use it to knock out the interfering Gunns and White while the referee wasn't looking. It was enough to get him the win and reunite him with his Title, so the era of MJF will continue, which Samoa Joe is quite happy about.

Early on in the match, it was all Jay White, who just tortured MJF by attacking his leg over and over. White kept taunting Cole as well, throwing things at him and threatening to punch him. Despite MJF's injury, the Champ kept getting up and hitting White with surprise offense, including a damaging mule kick out of nowhere. At one point MJF finally got some momentum and threw White outside of the ring towards the announce table. MJF threw White on the table and it shattered without much effort. Then MJF went up top and came down with a high elbow drop on White's ribs, and it was straight onto the floor since the table had already been shattered.

Jay White has MJF in the figure-four!

Is this the beginning of the end for The Champ?

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@The_MJF | @JayWhiteNZ pic.twitter.com/SDvAtzUmWL

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

MJF got White into the ring before the count, but White targeted the hurt leg of MJF once again, slamming it against the ropes. Then White tied up MJF in the ropes and delivered a chop to the chest before going up top and trying to tear off the bandage around MJF's leg. MJF got up though and threw White off before he could finish the job and then he got to his feet. Unfortunately, White hit the leg again and knocked MJF down before slamming MJF to the mat off the top rope into a cover, but MJF kicked out.

Adam Cole has the Dynamite Diamond Ring!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@The_MJF | @JayWhiteNZ | @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/tYe6AQDO6X

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

White delivered some chops to the Champ but MJF wasn't backing down. The two stars exchanged slams and MJF then ate a suplex. White set up for the finisher but MJF reversed and rolled White up. White countered and then MJF countered again. MJF then hit the tombstone pile driver on White but couldn't cover due to the pain in his leg. MJF kept the momentum going though, setting White up for a Heatseeker, but White countered and threw him to the mat.

MJF then ran full speed at White and jumped over the rope to hit a cutter onto the floor, and both men were down. MJF then pulled White into the ring to break the count and then pinned White but the challenger kicked out. MJF pulled his knee pad and sleeve down to get some life back in the leg, but he wasn't able to put any weight on it after multiple tries. MJF told the doctor to go away and slammed the mat.

MJF will now be the #AEW World Champion for an entire calendar year AND he finally has the Triple-B back!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!

? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@The_MJF | @AdamColePro pic.twitter.com/YSJbYjjmqa

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

White went right at the leg and knee with dragon screws, and then White went for the submission and spit at Cole. The submission was locked in, and Cole had a towel in his hand to throw in for MJF. MJF was screaming at him not to, and White kept the move locked in. MJF got close to the bottom rope to break it and then he tried to reverse the hold, and he finally did. The pressure was on Jay White now, and while he did get free, Cole had his Title to hit White. Then White caught it and hit MJF with the Title without the referee seeing it. White tried to pin MJF, but MJF kicked out.

White then tried to pull the leg of MJF but he backed into the referee and it knocked him out. MJF had new energy and Cole tried to hand him the ring. White then put the ring on in front of Cole and taunted him. White kissed the ring and went to punch MJF with it but got hit by MJF with a massive low blow. MJF put the ring on and hit the Gunns with the ring. MJF dodged the blade runner and hit White with the ring, getting rid of it before the referee saw him. MJF then got the pin and the win. Cole got in the ring to celebrate with his friend, and MJF got his Title back.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) def. Jay White
• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue
• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page
• Will Ospreay signs with AEW
• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks
• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne
• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)
• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley
• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns
• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal
• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The drama within The Elite continues. Like all families, the faction that helped start All Elite Wrestling has gone through significant growing pains over the years. The once indestructible trio of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were first divided towards the end of their collective run in New Japan Pro Wrestling, falling on opposite sides of the Bullet Club civil war. These three, along with Hangman Page, would get on the same page come AEW's launch in 2019, but Hangman's personal woes would drive a further wedge between the four. Omega and the Bucks would come together to dominate AEW as The Elite throughout 2021, but the group went their separate ways when Omega was shelved with nagging injuries for nearly a year.

Come August 2022, Omega had returned, reuniting with the Bucks to become the inaugural AEW World Trios Champions. Even after losing the titles in their second reign this past March, The Elite remained alongside one another in faction warfare with Blackpool Combat Club. After winning that feud, Omega turned his attention to his former manager Don Callis, a man that had also made enemies with Chris Jericho. This led to Omega and Jericho, two former rivals, teaming together, a move that rattled the Bucks.

Omega and Jericho Defeat the Young Bucks

Bad blood is brewing within The Elite.

Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega defeated the Young Bucks at AEW Full Gear in a hard-hitting, back and forth affair. Despite insisting that it would be a friendly competition, Matt and Nick Jackson did not take the loss lightly, throwing a temper tantrum at ringside. The brothers tore apart the barricade, threw objects at commentary, and repeatedly slammed chairs against the ring posts.

What a counter by the Golden Jets!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@KennyOmegamanX | @IAmJericho | @youngbucks pic.twitter.com/WDDvKZwZTn

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

The Golden Jets win, & The Young Bucks are having a temper tantrum!

??? #AEWFullGear pic.twitter.com/KFli7HoKJ7

-- ?Wholesome Kam? (@TheKamDreesen) November 19, 2023

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Full Gear.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) OR Adam Cole vs. Jay White

• AEW TBS Championship: Julia Hart def. Kris Statlander and Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: Swerve Strickland def. "Hangman" Adam Page

• Will Ospreay signs with AEW

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho def. Young Bucks

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) def. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

The TBS Championship was on the line at AEW: Full Gear, and TBS Champion Kris Statlander was going to have her hands full with not one opponent, but two. Statlander would defend her Title from Sky Blue and House of Black's Julia Hart, and Statlander would look to make a statement right from the start. It seemed like things were handily in control early, but then there seemed to be an alliance forming between Blue and Hart...until Hart turned on Blue and attacked her. Statlander would look to take back control but every time she had things locked down Hart or Blue would pull victory out of her grasp, and the final nail in that coffin was Hart, who knocked Statlander away and stole the pin of Blue right from her hands. Julia Hart is the new AEW TBS Champion.

Early on Blue was knocked down and came face to face with Hart in the corner. Statlander suplexed Blue and then went to do the same to Hart, but Blue cut it off. Blue and Statlander met face to face and Blue slapped her in the face. Statlander slapped back but then Blue hit a big knee strike followed by a second one. That let Hart kick Statlander and knock Statlander to the floor.

#AndNEW!!!

A NEW TBS Champion has been crowned at #AEWFullGear: #HouseOfBlack's @TheJuliaHart! pic.twitter.com/PvN0Ftsqo6

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Hart collided with Statlander and then Blue twisted Statlander with a hurricanrana. Both stars tried to lift Statlander, but Statlander suplexed both onto the floor. Both stars superkicked Statlander and then Blue and Hart walked slowly towards each other and met in the center of the ring. Blue then offered her hand out to Hart and Hart shook it, but then brought Blue in and clotheslined her before slamming her head against the mat.

Blue then returned the favor and slammed Hart down, hitting with her a flurry of punches before knocking her around with a big kick. Statlander hit a back suplex on Blue and then drove Hart into the corner. Statlander then threw Blue into that same corner and collided with Hart. Statlander kept up the pace, slamming Blue down into a cover, but Hart broke it up with a senton. Blue was back on her feet but Hart caught her and tried to choke her. Blue countered and then Blue hit a neckbreaker on Statlander only to get hit with a back elbow by Hart. All three stars were on the mat, but Hart got to her feet first. Hart knocked Blue back and then hit a Lariat on Statlander. Hart went up top but Blue caught her and hit the superkick right to Hart's face.

Statlander then hit a lariat on Blue and a powerbomb on Hart into a cover, but Hart kicked out. Blue was up top and went for a hurricanrana, but Statlander caught her and slammed her down face first. Statlander went up top but Hart pushed her off the top and sent her hard to the floor. Hart then went up and hit a moonsault on Blue and went for a cover, but Statlander pulled Hart out of the ring to prevent it.

Hart charged forward and Statlander slammed Hart down hard on the floor. Then Blue hit a huge kick to the head and hit a mother kick to Statlander's head in the ring. Statlander caught Blue and then went for a move but Blue rolled her up. Statlander kicked out and then Blue caught the Champion with a Code Blue, but Statlander kicked out.

Hart prevented a move from Blue and then hit Statlander with a Lariat. Then she went off the Heartless Lock on Blue, but Statlander suplexed Hart and broke it up. Statlander hit another one on Blue and then another on Hart. One more for Blue followed, but Blue tried to cover her. Statlander kicked out and then hit Saturday Night Fever. Hart broke it up and then covered Blue, and got the pin and the Win. Hart is now your TBS Champion.

Will Ospreay was set to be professional wrestling's hottest free agent in 2024. The current IWGP United States Champion has been on the radar of many western promotions for years, impressing during his early years on the independent scene due to his unique move-set and viral matches against fellow high-flyers. WWE would court Ospreay for its Cruiserweight Classic tournament in Summer 2016, but Ospreay ultimately declined in favor of taking his talents to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Over the next seven years, the Aerial Assassin would accomplish everything under the rising sun related to the junior division and eventually bulked up to become an NJPW heavyweight, a change that led to him capturing the IWGP World Championship.

Ospreay's success reached a fever pitch in 2023, as he continued to add gold to his r?sum?. This past June, Ospreay defeated Kenny Omega to win the aforementioned IWGP United States Title, and he parlayed that victory's momentum to wins over Kazuchika Okada and Chris Jericho later in the summer. All of this furthered the London native's stock, as just about every wrestling company has expressed interest in becoming Ospreay's exclusive home come next year.

Will Ospreay Signs With AEW

The Aerial Assassin is #AllElite.

Will Ospreay officially put pen to paper with AEW on AEW Full Gear, revealing himself as AEW President Tony Khan's mystery "blockbuster signing."

While the only other company that could match AEW's finances is WWE, Khan's promotion offers something that Vince McMahon land does not: freedom of schedule. AEW has allowed its roster to compete on both the independent circuit and for partners Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and NJPW.

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A post shared by Liam Crowley (@liamtcrowley)

That said, Ospreay told ComicBook.com in October that he is keen on narrowing his focus on one company going forward.

"I really would just like to harken in on just one promotion. I think I've proven my point in terms of going out there and taking on the world's best and coming out on top and doing it almost consistently now," Ospreay said. "There hasn't been, as of recent memory, anybody that's done that. I don't work for any of these companies, I work solely for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and I keep getting brought out over my talent and my merit of testing if I am really the best in the world. For me to be in that conversation, it is extremely gratifying because it does come a lot from just hard work."

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Full Gear.

A new Women's Champion was crowned at AEW Full Gear, with "Timeless" Toni Storm defeating the former champion Hikaru Shida. Toni Storm has undergone a character evolution lately, taking on her "Timeless" persona, which harkens back to old Hollywood black-and-white movies and blonde bombshells. Storm and Shida have been friends, allies, and even competitors, but now all of that is in the past as Storm has her eyes set on recapturing the AEW Women's World Championship.

"Timeless" Toni Storm made her way to the ring with Luther to face the champion Hikaru Shida. Storm did her best to muddy up the matchup, with Luther also getting in Shida's line of fire when she brought out a kendo stick. There were plenty of shenanigans to be found, however, with Storm securing the victory by cheating with a metal tray snuck in her wrestling tights. Storm even got greeted by Mariah May after her victory, receiving a bouquet of flowers.

Mariah May is giving the new #AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm her flowers!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@shidahikaru | @MariahMayx pic.twitter.com/ijEIv2FG2h

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Hikaru Shida with a kendo stick to Luther on the outside!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@shidahikaru | #ToniStorm pic.twitter.com/qhUqWWrW7S

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) OR Adam Cole vs. Jay White

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. Young Bucks

• AEW Women's Championship: "Timeless" Toni Storm def. Hikaru Shida (c)

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

AEW Full Gear officially kicked off with the Trios matchup of Sting, Darby Allin, and the "Rated R" Superstar Adam Copeland up against Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Luchasaurus. A seventh participant decided to join the festivities when "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair made his way down to the ring as well to support Sting, who was wrestling his final match in Los Angeles. As a wrestling fan, you couldn't ask for a better kickoff to the highly-anticipated show. By the time the match was over, Sting, Allin, and Copeland reigned supreme over Cage, Wayne, and Luchasaurus.

It was a back-and-forth bout that saw Darby Allin take some of his signature high spots, including a vicious chokeslam outside the ring by Luchasaurus. The crowd was left wondering if Allin's ribs and back were broken in half, but the match continued as fans waited for the confrontation between former best friends Christian Cage and Adam Copeland.

Luchasaurus with a PUNISHING chokeslam!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@RatedRCope | @Sting | @DarbyAllin | @Christian4Peeps | @thenickwayne | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/TU5yEN0uXJ

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Cage & Copeland face to face!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@RatedRCope | @Sting | @DarbyAllin | @Christian4Peeps | @thenickwayne | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/Io1agnU8ht

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Christian Cage abandons team at AEW Full Gear

The reason Sting, Darby Allin, and Adam Copeland won at AEW Full Gear is all because of Christian Cage. The dastardly Cage took his cheap shots wherever he could slip them in, but when it came down to the final moments of the match, he chose to leave his teammates Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus behind. After securing the victory, the crowd at The Kia Forum in the City of Angels gave Sting a standing ovation for his final appearance in the venue.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) OR Adam Cole vs. Jay White

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm

• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. Young Bucks

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

For several weeks now, the biggest match on the AEW Full Gear 2023 card has been the show's main event: "Switchblade" Jay White challenging Maxwell Jacob Friedman for the AEW World Championship. The build to their highly anticipated bout has been a focal point of Dynamite shows, with White even stealing the title belt from MJF and carrying it to every appearance. This is the match people have been waiting for, but it now appears as though there's a chance MJF may not be participating.

In fact, the "official" update from All Elite Wrestling is that MJF isn't going to be part of the match. The update from AEW commentary revealed that Adam Cole, MJF's best friend, will be taking on White for the AEW World Championship, due to an injury sustained by MJF earlier in the evening.

In the Full Gear: Zero Hour pre-show, MJF fought the Gunns to defend the ROH Tag Team Championships, with Samoa Joe stepping in for the injured Adam Cole. After MJF and Samoa Joe got the win, the Gunns attacked MJF, injuring his leg with a chair in the process. MJF was swiftly taken to an ambulance, telling best friend Adam Cole not to let anyone take his title.

While the injury is clearly part of the plan for AEW, the story itself is potentially leading to a Friedman-less main event. White was brought out early in Full Gear and it was announced MJF was too injured to compete in the championship fight. Just as White was going to be announced as the new AEW World Champion, Adam Cole entered to stop it from happening. He said that, if Max couldn't defend the title, he would defend it in his place, despite the injury that has him on crutches.

The most likely scenario is that MJF comes back in some form or fashion. Whether that means he competes in the match or perhaps faces the winner, it would be a massive surprise not to see MJF fight at all. However, the possibility can't be ruled out completely.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) OR Adam Cole vs. Jay White

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jon Moxley

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm

• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. Young Bucks

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

Orange Cassidy's toughest test yet continues to haunt him. Leading into AEW All Out, Jon Moxley began hunting the king of sloth style. This was a significant shift for Mr. Freshly Squeezed, as Cassidy was normally relegated to comedy matches in his early AEW career. Upon defeating Pac for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship (AEW International Championship) in Fall 2022, Cassidy began to flex his work-rate ability, putting on weekly belters against the most agile competitors on the AEW roster. Moxley's style of relentless violence put Cassidy through the ringer at AEW All Out in September, and despite a valiant effort, Cassidy ultimately came up short.

Just weeks later, a mid-match injury to Moxley led to him losing the AEW International Title to Rey Fenix. Fenix then dropped the strap shortly after to Cassidy, beginning Cassidy's second reign with the belt. Heading into AEW Full Gear, Moxley became the No.1 Contender, bringing these two back to square one.

AEW Full Gear: Orange Cassidy Defeats Jon Moxley

Orange Cassidy has avenged his biggest loss.

The AEW International Champion successfully defended his title against Jon Moxley tonight at AEW Full Gear. This continues Cassidy's second reign with the strap, as he had just won it back only a couple of weeks ago. His record-breaking first reign initially ended at AEW All Out when Moxley beat him.

Cassidy and Moxley battled in another hard-hitting affair. Mox was busted open in the early stages, giving Cassidy a slight edge. The crowd was split between the two competitors, with dueling "Let's go Moxley! Freshly squeezed!" chants in the late stages. Moxley taunted Cassidy by doing his signature sloth kicks, but Cassidy was able to capitalize in the end, sending him into the exposed turnbuckle. A trio of Orange Punches weren't enough to keep Mox down, but a fourth plus a Beach Break gave Cassidy the 1-2-3.

You can check out highlights from the bout below...

The Master of DEATH JITSU, Jon Moxley, makes his way to the ring!

Can he become a 2-Time #AEW International Champion tonight in LA?

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@JonMoxley | @WheelerYuta pic.twitter.com/qX7MNeP4pQ

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Orange hit Mox with THREE Orange Punches and he still won't stay down!!!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@OrangeCassidy | @JonMoxley pic.twitter.com/d3yFz7dThj

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Mox is toying with Orange Cassidy in front of a divided LA crowd!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@OrangeCassidy | @JonMoxley pic.twitter.com/OL9kkmV1Oy

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Full Gear.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) OR Adam Cole vs. Jay White

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm

• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. Young Bucks

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) def. Jon Moxley

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland def. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been friendless for the majority of his AEW career. The self-proclaimed devil has been known for his snake-like mannerisms, using talent around him to get what he wants. That changed this past summer when he was forced to unite with Adam Cole in the AEW Blind Eliminator Tag Tournament. Despite that partnership being mandated, MJF and Cole developed a genuine bond, resulting in them eventually capturing the Ring of Honor Tag Titles together. While they still reign with those straps to this day, an ankle injury to Cole has forced MJF to defend the gold on his own.

MJF and Samoa Joe Retain ROH Tag Titles, Adam Cole Returns

MJF and Adam Cole are still ROH Tag Champions, but at what cost?

Samoa Joe joined forces with MJF on AEW Full Gear: Zero Hour to defend the ROH Tag Titles in exchange for a future AEW World Championship match. While things looked dire in the late stages, Adam Cole's music hit, leading to the Panama City Playboy returning to live AEW programming for the first time in two months. This distraction was enough to lead to a submission victory over The Gunns.

The Gunns @theaustingunn & @coltengunn with a blindsided attack to the #AEW World Champion @The_MJF post-match on Zero Hour!

Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
? https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
? https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
? https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr pic.twitter.com/WjlO4wUGn9

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023

MJF has been taken by ambulance after an attack after his title defense, what will happen to his world title match later tonight... ? #AEWFullGear pic.twitter.com/Yiyb17pwfU

-- WrestlingINC.com (@WrestlingInc) November 19, 2023

After the bell, Austin and Colten brutally attacked MJF, and the injured Cole was unable to intervene. Joe had already left the ring. This led to MJF being stretchered out of the arena and loaded into an ambulance, with uncertainty surrounding his status in the AEW World Championship match against Jay White that is currently scheduled to main event AEW Full Gear.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Full Gear.

AEW Full Gear 2023 Results

• AEW World Championship: MJF (c) vs. Jay White

• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jon Moxley

• AEW World Tag Team Championships - Ladder Match: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne

• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm

• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne

• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. Young Bucks

• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (c) def. The Gunns

• Zero Hour - ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Jay Lethal

• Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli def. Buddy Matthews

With one last episode of TV left before AEW: Full Gear, AEW World Champion MJF was running out of time to find a Tag Team partner for his Title defense. With Adam Cole sidelined with an injury, MJF was on the hunt for a partner to help defend the ROH World Tag Team Championships at Full Gear against The Gunns, but so far he hadn't been able to find one. Towards the end of AEW Rampage, MJF was cornered by Bullet Club Gold and The Gunns, but then Samoa Joe ran out to make the save and run them off. Joe would then extend his hand so MJF could accept his help at Full Gear and therefore his deal for a Title shot in return, and after some hesitation, MJF finally shook his hand and accepted the offer.

On the previous episode of ROH, Joe relinquished the ROH World Television Championship so he could focus on going after MJF's AEW World Championship. Over the past few weeks, Joe had extended an offer to MJF that he would help him and be his partner if he was guaranteed a rematch for the AEW World Championship, but MJF hadn't accepted that offer yet.

SAMOA JOE HITS THE RING TO SAVE MJF!

Watch #AEWRampage LIVE on TNT!@The_MJF | @SamoaJoe pic.twitter.com/zm9FIttMWO

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 18, 2023

Despite MJF not accepting ahead of time, Joe ran in for the save tonight, but he wasn't backing away from the deal. MJF was in a difficult place, as he was out of options and facing big odds against the combined strength of The Gunns and Bullet Club Gold, so he agreed. Now the two will battle it out together against The Gunns at Full Gear to attempt to retain the ROH Tag Team Championships.

It's official!@SamoaJoe will now team up with #AEW World Champion @The_MJF to defend the @RingOfHonor World Tag Team Titles against #TheGunns @coltengunn & @theaustingunn at #AEWFullGear ZERO HOUR LIVE tomorrow at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT!

? https://t.co/1e6KRRzXhA pic.twitter.com/uX6jYCjLE1

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 18, 2023

That match will be held during Zero Hour, but MJF has another huge task ahead of him later in the show. MJF will battle it out with Jay White for the AEW World Championship, a Title that White has been running around with ever since Bullet Club Gold stole it from MJF. If MJF retains, he will face Samoa Joe next, but if White wins, he's under no obligation to uphold MJF's deal with Joe. That could lead to Joe being around just to make sure things are fair during MJF's match, but we'll have to wait and see.

As for Joe's previous Title, ROH will hold a 6-Way Survival of the Fittest match at Final Battle and will hold eliminator matches to determine who will be the six people competing for the Title. Before Final Battle though is Full Gear, and you can find the full card for Full Gear below.

AEW FULL GEAR CARD

• AEW World Championship: MJF (C) vs. Jay White
• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Jon Moxley
• AEW World Tag Team Championships: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (C) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne
• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm
• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (C) vs. Julia Hart vs. Red Velvet OR Skye Blue
• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. The Young Bucks
• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and Samoa Joe (C) vs. The Gunns
• Zero Hour - Buddy Matthews vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Are you excited for Full Gear, and will MJF and Joe be able to beat The Gunns? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Tony Khan has been teasing a big signing for AEW: Full Gear this weekend, but it appears that he had another big signing to reveal during last night's Ring of Honor tapings. It was previously reported that former UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey was backstage for the AEW Collision and AEW Rampage tapings, but she didn't appear during either show. That all changed when the ROH tapings began, as Rousey would hit the ring and officially make her ROH debut. Rousey would join her friend Marina Shafir in a battle against ROH Women's Champion Athena and her minion Billie Starkz (via Drainmaker), and it seems that Rousey could also end up having a big match at Final Battle.

Rousey debuted to her Joan Jett music too, and she would team with Shafir in a rematch of their match at Wrestling Revolver's Unreal event. During that last match, Athena and Starkz would get the last laugh after Athena hit Rousey with the Title, causing a no-contest.

RONDA ROUSEY JUST MADE HER RING OF HONOR DEBUT ON THE TAPINGS THAT'S HAPPENING AFTER RAMPAGE.

Yep, looks like it's gonna be Athena vs Ronda at Final Battle.pic.twitter.com/6STJDdXLHe

-- Drainmaker ? ? (@DrainBamager) November 18, 2023

This time things ended differently, as Athena once again tried to hit Rousey with the Championship but that was interrupted. While Athena did hit Rousey with the Eclipse, the pin attempt didn't count, as Athena wasn't the legal competitor. That led to Rousey locking in the armbar on Starkz and getting the tap out, giving Rousey and Shafir the win.

Things don't seem to be wrapping up with this story though, as after the match Rousey taunted Athena with the Championship. This could be setting up for a match at ROH Final Battle, which takes place at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX on December 15th. Athena has been a dominant Champion in ROH, and this would certainly be a headline grabber for the pay-per-view if it happens.

After Rousey debuted, Khan hyped up the event on Twitter, writing, "Justified "Holy s***!" chants for @ringofhonor with ROH Women's World Champion @AthenaPalmer_FG + her minion @BillieStarkz vs @MarinaShafir + her handpicked partner!"

So far there's only one match announced for the Final Battle card, which is tied to the ROH World TV Championship. Samoa Joe vacated the Title to shift his focus to the AEW World Championship, which is currently held by MJF. To determine a new ROH World TV Champ, Khan announced the 6-Way Survivor of the Fittest match. A series of eliminator matches will determine the six competitors in the match,, and the match itself will be held at Final Battle to crown a new Champion.

Joe held the ROH World TV Championship for an impressive 574 days. That is the new record for the Title, surpassing Jay Lethal's 567-day reign. Dragon Lee is third on the list with 469 days, and Matt Taven (287 days) and Eddie Edwards (280 days) round out the top 5. Before Final Battle, there is AEW: Full Gear, and you can find the full card for that below.

AEW FULL GEAR CARD

• AEW World Championship: MJF (C) vs. Jay White
• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Jon Moxley
• AEW World Tag Team Championships: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (C) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne
• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm
• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (C) vs. Julia Hart vs. Red Velvet OR Skye Blue
• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. The Young Bucks
• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and TBD (C) vs. The Gunns
• Zero Hour - Buddy Matthews vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Are you excited for Full Gear, and will House of Black leave with Championship Gold? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The card for AEW Full Gear was mostly set coming into this week's episodes of AEW Collision and AEW Rampage, but there was still one more match to be revealed for the anticipated pay-per-view. The setup took place during Collision, where Blackpool Combat Club's Claudio Castagnoli issued a challenge to House of Black's Buddy Matthews. After some goading by Castagnoli (including a shot at Matthews' ability to accept a match without approval from Malakai Black), Matthews accepted, and the two will battle one-on-one on Zero Hour, which will be streamed free of charge ahead of the main Full Gear pay-per-view.

Castagnoli stood in the ring and issued the challenge to Buddy, and he just had to take one more jab at Matthews and the House of Black while he did. Castagnoli said, "So what do you say, if it's you and me...unless, you have to go back and ask Malakai for approval first, I understand."

Tomorrow Night, Sat. 11/18#AEWFullGear Zero Hour
Los Angeles @thekiaforum
7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT@SNM_Buddy vs @ClaudioCSRO

The challenge was accepted; tomorrow night at Full Gear, free worldwide on Zero Hour, it will be House of Black vs BCC:
Buddy vs Claudio TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/lKdCCoO6Bq

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) November 18, 2023

You could tell that annoyed Matthews, and Castagnoli kept prodding, saying, "So what do you say Buddy, if you're man enough. You and me right here tomorrow at Full Gear." The crowd was clearly into it, and it didn't take long for Tony Khan to make the match official for Zero Hour. Knowing those two and what they are capable of, it should be a great match, and you can find Khan's official post below.

"Tomorrow Night, Sat. 11/18 #AEWFullGear Zero Hour Los Angeles @thekiaforum 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT @SNM_Buddy vs @ClaudioCSRO The challenge was accepted; tomorrow night at Full Gear, free worldwide on Zero Hour, it will be House of Black vs BCC: Buddy vs Claudio TOMORROW!"

With Matthews accepting the challenge, the entire House of Black will be in action at Full Gear. Black and Brody King will be competing against LFI, FTR, and Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Championships, while Julia Hart will be competing against Sky Blue and Kris Statlander for the TBS Championship. There's a chance that House of Black leaves Full Gear with three Titles and a win against BCC, and that would be quite the night for the fearsome faction.

AEW FULL GEAR CARD

• AEW World Championship: MJF (C) vs. Jay White
• AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Jon Moxley
• AEW World Tag Team Championships: Ricky Starks and Big Bill (C) vs. La Facci?n Ingobernable vs. FTR vs. Kings of the Black Throne
• AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm
• AEW TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (C) vs. Julia Hart vs. Red Velvet OR Skye Blue
• Texas Death Match: "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
• Sting, Darby Allin and Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne
• Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho vs. The Young Bucks
• Zero Hour - ROH Tag Team Championships: MJF and TBD (C) vs. The Gunns
• Zero Hour - Buddy Matthews vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Are you excited for Full Gear, and will House of Black leave with Championship Gold? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE got tonight's SmackDown started with new and improved Damage CTRL, which now includes Kairi Sane and Asuka, but Damage CTRL would have a role to play throughout the entire episode. That's because during their segment IYO SKY revealed that the group was going to compete at Survivor Series in the Women's War Games match, and they would be facing Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Shotzi, but that team needed one more member. They would search for one the entire night, but Damage CTRl kept taking them out one by one, and that led to the final reveal that The Man Becky Lynch would take that spot and compete at War Games.

Early on in the episode Belair, Shotzi, and Flari all met to try and figure out who would be their fourth, and Belair told Flair that she might know someone who could take that spot. Flair said she would think about it, and Belair would go out and try to recruit a fourth member, starting with Michin. Michin would say yes and shake hands with Belair, but later on, Damage CTRL attacked her to keep that from happening.

The MAN is here!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/81Tm4OwoaP

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 18, 2023

Belair would then meet with Zelina Vega, and she seemed to agree to take that spot too. Unfortunately, the same thing happened to Vega, as Damage CTRL would roll through backstage like a tornado and take her out. That caused Belair to push Flair to make a call, and Flair did make that call but wasn't sure if it would end up working out.

The group had to head to the ring and tell Aldis who the person would be, Flair teased the call she made by saying "I know a thing or two about turning on a best friend, and there's a thin line between love and hate. If we're going to war, there's only one person I want on our side."

Damage CTRL's music hit and the whole group came out to gloat. Bayley said Flair was bluffing because they had already taken out everyone that would possibly team up with Flair, Shotzi, and Belair, and the group headed to the ring to surround them. That's when the crowd started to get loud and react, and running up to join the babyface group was The Man Becky Lynch. Then a big brawl started and took things out to the floor and all over, and now Damage CTRL will have an even fight on their hands at Survivor Series.

WWE Survivor Series War Games Card:

• Men's War Games Match: Judgement Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's War Games Match: Damage CTRL's Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch
• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz
• Carlito vs Santos Escobar

Are you excited for the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE has given The LWO's fallout from last week's SmackDown a big spotlight during tonight's episode, and the fallout is going to continue into WWE Survivor Series. Santos Escobar shocked the WWE Universe when he turned on Rey Mysterio last week, and tonight Escobar addressed the fans and his former LWO teammates. We say former because by the end of his promo it was clear he was cutting ties with the group he held bring back, but The LWO isn't done with him. WWE revealed that Carlito is looking to exact some payback at Survivor Series, where he will face Escobar one-on-one.

It was a huge deal when Carlito made his WWE return to help the LWO at Backlash, and then he returned at Fastlane to help the group once more, but this time he was back on a more permanent basis. Things didn't stay rosy long though, as last week Mysterio went to cut a promo on Logan Paul but was interrupted by Carlito. Carlito then revealed that it was Santos who left the brass knuckles for Paul on the steps during that match, and Escobar left in a huff.

?| Carlito v Santos Escobar is officially set for next weeks #SurvivorSeries!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/A1qQG87jut

-- Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) November 18, 2023

It seems though that Carlito was telling the truth, as later in the night Escobar let Carlito be attacked and then turned on Rey, slamming his leg between the ring and the steel steps. Rey would then have to undergo knee surgery, and tonight Escobar delivered a promo revealing why he turned on Rey.

"Like most of you, especially the little ones right there, my hero, Rey Mysterio," Escobar said. "I partnered and modeled everything in my career based off of Rey Mysterio, and it was my wish, still a wish, that the next generation would see me the way I used to see Rey Mysterio. You became a father figure to me, and you made me feel at home. But after last week I realized that he was right. Everything he said about you, down to a tee, Dominik was right."

"Now let's think about it for a second. I deserved to be the United States Champion, and who became the champion? I wanted to rebuild the LWO, and who took over and brought in new members? Members like Carlito. We were supposed to be like this, familia! Right! But what did you do? You sided with an outsider like Carlito over me? You know what Rey, I know you're watching from your hospital bed right now. All this pain you're suffering right now, I hope it reminds you of how I felt when you betrayed me," Escobar said.

"And you! You're gonna like this one more. You thought I was going to come out here and apologize. I apologize for not doing more damage. And Rey, this one, from the bottom of my heart, I hope the surgery didn't go well. I hope you catch an infection, and you have to amputate your leg. I hope you never come back! You're nothing but selfish no good outright trash. That's what you are," Escobar said.

Later Santos would attack his former teammates and split off from The LWO, and now we'll see how things play out in the next chapter of this ongoing story at Survivor Series.

WWE Survivor Series War Games Card:

• Men's War Games Match: Judgement Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's War Games Match: Damage CTRL's Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and TBD
• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz
• Carlito vs Santos Escobar

Are you excited for the match? Let us know in the comments and as alway you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

H/T WrestleOps

Last week's WWE SmackDown featured a shocking set of events between The LWO, specifically Rey Mysterio and Santos Escboar, as by the end of the segment Escobar had turned on his longtime idol and mentor. Since then Mysterio revealed that he had to have knee surgery and would be out for some time, but he was planning on getting payback. Tonight's SmackDown brought Escboar back to the ring to explain his actions, and he wasn't apologizing in the least. In fact, Escobar went in on Rey, telling the crowd that Dominik was right and telling the fans that he hoped the surgery didn't go well. He would then be confronted by the rest of the LWO and would turn on his former tag team partners, severing his ties to The LWO.

Escobar got booed a lot when he tried to talk in the ring, but he eventually got things going. "There's something I need to say and get off my chest. You know this, there's an expression that says ...alright here's the expression. You all know it. Never meet your heroes. You know I come from a rich Lucha Libre tradition, and my family, all had been labeled heroes," Escobar said.

Santos isn't holding back!@EscobarWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/kokLz27LQP

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 18, 2023

"Like most of you, especially the little ones right there, my hero, Rey Mysterio," Escobar said. "I partnered and modeled everything in my career based off of Rey Mysterio, and it was my wish, still a wish, that the next generation would see me the way I used to see Rey Mysterio." The crowd booed even louder at this point, and Escobar said "You became a father figure to me, and you made me feel at home. But after last week I realized that he was right. Everything he said about you, down to a tee, Dominik was right."

Let's face it, @EscobarWWE had that coming!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZyjT1gcGPn

-- WWE (@WWE) November 18, 2023

"Now let's think about it for a second. I deserved to be the United States Champion, and who became the champion? I wanted to rebuild the LWO, and who took over and brought in new members? Members like Carlito. We were supposed to be like this, familia! Right! But what did you do? You sided with an outsider like Carlito over me? You know what Rey, I know you're watching from your hospital bed right now. All this pain you're suffering right now, I hope it reminds you of how I felt when you betrayed me," Escobar said.

"And you! You're gonna like this one more. You thought I was going to come out here and apologize. I apologize for not doing more damage. And Rey, this one, from the bottom of my heart, I hope the surgery didn't go well. I hope you catch an infection, and you have to amputate your leg. I hope you never come back! You're nothing but selfish no good outright trash. That's what you are," Escobar said.

Vega came out to the ring and confronted Escobar. They argued in the ring and Escobar said we're done, which then led to Vega slapping him in the face. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro came out to join Vega and Escobar said, "Oh isn't that cute. Joaquin, Raul, you're going to side with her over me? I made you! You only exist because I allow you to exist."

Then they came to the ring to confront Escobar, and he gave them a choice. Both of them sided with Vega, and Escobar told them to go and leave. Then he attacked them in the ring and that brought Carlito out, who ran Escobar away from the ring.

WWE Survivor Series War Games Card:

• Men's War Games Match: Judgement Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's War Games Match: Damage CTRL's Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and TBD
• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz

What did you think of Escobar's promo? Let us know in the comments and as alway you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

One of last week's key storylines on WWE SmackDown involved Santos Escobar turning on LWO leader and mentor Rey Mysterio, and many did not take that act lightly. In addition to the other members of the LWO, there were others who had an issue with Escobar's actions, including Dragon Lee, and Lee then asked Nick Aldis for an opportunity to avenge Mysterio. Aldis couldn't book that yet, but he did want to showcase Lee alongside a Superstar from NXT, and that turned out to be Axiom, who made his SmackDown debut in a match against Lee.

Aldis told Lee that he had been doing incredibly well on SmackDown so far, and he wanted to showcase Lee in a match against Axiom tonight. Axiom and Lee have battled it out before in NXT, but never in front of a SmackDown crowd. WWE then made it a big deal too, putting together a video package of Axiom's highlights and talking about why he wears the mask and other aspects of his career on commentary.

???#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/qihQDCmdRC

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 18, 2023

Lee and Axiom would go on to have an exciting match as expected, with several near falls for both stars. The crowd quickly started to get behind Axiom and Lee as the match went on, and the bigger spots went over well, even drawing this is awesome chants. It's a good sign for both superstars, as Lee is still early on in his SmackDown tenure and this is Axiom's first time on SmackDown TV.

Lee would win the match, but both stars looked strong. It remains to be seen whether Axiom will return to SmackDown in a more permanent fashion as Lee did earlier this year, or if this was a way to showcase Axiom and NXT in a tie-in to a continuing storyline.

Lee's move up to SmackDown was unexpected at the time, as there wasn't a formal announcement for Lee joining the main roster. WWE was clearly impressed with his matches in NXT, and he was quietly promoted to SmackDown full-time, delivering impressive matches against Dominik Mysterio and Austin Theory. Since then he's been a fixture on SmackDown, and that will only continue.

WWE Survivor Series War Games Card:

• Men's War Games Match: Judgement Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's War Games Match: Damage CTRL's Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and TBD
• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as alway you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE Survivor Series is just over a week away, and one of the biggest matches on the card solidified during tonight's opening segment on WWE SmackDown. After last week's surprise alliance between Damage CTRL and Asuka, the powerhouse group came out to the ring and addressed their status. Bayley would officially make Asuka a member of the group, and then IYO SKY revealed that the group was going to battle it out with Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Shotzi in a War Games match at Survivor Series, though they would have to find one more member of the team to make it an even four on four.

After Damage CTRL got in the ring, SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka would all have a laugh at something that Bayley couldn't understand, though she did her best to try and go along with it. Dakota Kai put her mind at ease, telling her they were saying that Asuka isn't actually part of the group officially yet.

Someone check on that kid! ?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ULDsy2r79o

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 18, 2023

Bayley then did the honors, getting down on one knee with a Damage CTRL shirt and saying, "Asuka, will you join Damage CTRL? We'll put you on the shirts I swear!" After a moment or two, Asuka grabbed the shirt and celebrated, but before things went further, Kai revealed that SKY did say one other thing.

Did somebody say ...... #WarGames?!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/VaanBGvh5i

-- WWE (@WWE) November 18, 2023

Kai revealed that SKY had the new and improved Damage CTRL set to battle it out in the Women's War Games match, and Bayley quickly pivoted and agreed that it was a great idea. It was then revealed that the group would face Shotzi, Belair, and Flair, but there was one more member that needed to be added to the team to make those teams even.

Shotzi didn't wait however to get things started, as she jumped up on the turnbuckle and attacked Damage CTRL. Then Belair and Flair both ran down to the ring and jumped in the fray, but soon the numbers game overwhelmed them, and Damage CTRL cleared the ring.

In a later backstage segment, Belair and Flair tried to calm Shotzi down, and they said the group would get their receipt at Survivor Series. Belair then told Flair they needed a fourth member and that Flair knew someone who might be able to help. Flair said she'd think about it, and then Nick Aldis came into the picture to tell them he needed that fourth member of the team before the end of tonight's episode.

WWE Survivor Series War Games Card:

• Men's War Games Match: Judgement Day's Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn
• Women's War Games Match: Damage CTRL's Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Asuka vs Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and TBD
• Women's World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Zoey Stark
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (C) vs The Miz

Are you excited for the match at War Games? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The wrestling world is still grieving for one of the profession's most creative minds in Windham Rotunda, known in WWE as Bray Wyatt, after his sudden passing in August. To honor Rotunda's legacy, the Rotunda family and WWE have launched a commemorative merchandise collection, which features over a dozen new designs themed after Wyatt, The Fiend, Uncle Howdy, and more of his iconic creations. The new collection will honor his legacy and will benefit Rotunda and his wife Joseann 'JoJo' Offerman's four kids Knash, Hyrie, Cadyn, and Kendyl. The collection features shirts, plaques, masks, and more, and you can find the full collection here.

In an interview with Forbes, Windham's father Mike Rotunda spoke about the collection and the impact Windham left on both the wrestling business and wrestling fans. Rotunda is happy that WWE is helping to keep his son's spirit alive.

"I go do some autograph signings here and there and I've had so many people come up to my table supporting Windham with firefly shirts and guys with tattoos on their arms," said Mike Rotunda, a five-time WWE tag team champion and WWE Hall of Famer. "It's pretty cool. This is helpful, what WWE is doing to keep that spirit alive among the WWE Universe which will in turn keep Windham's characters alive in their minds. It's awesome what they're doing."

"Especially for Knash and Hyrie, this is important," Rotunda said. "Kendyl and Cadyn know who their dad is because they're a little older, but you don't remember everything when you're 3 or 4 years old. With the stuff WWE is putting out there, they'll be able to look back and see exactly who their dad was. It's awesome that they're going to get a chance to relive some of their moments that their dad did."

Mike also spoke about what made Windham happiest, and that was always time with his family. "We have a lot of family outings and Windham loved a bunch of kids running around, a bunch of dogs," Rotunda said. "He loved the chaos and the loudness. That was really what made him happy.

"He was the kind of person that would stop for somebody he didn't even know and have a 10-minute conversation with them and make the person feel better about themselves. I've had so many people come up to me and tell me that. That's Windham. He was a very unselfish person and it gave him joy to help people out and to make them feel like they were something. That was his gift," Rotunda said.

You can check out the full collection right there.