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Another week has gone by in the world of professional wrestling and it was as happening as ever!
Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, and Bray Wyatt are some of the big names that feature on the latest weekly assembly of news stories.
A potential WWE departure, a stolen title, new alliances, interesting interactions between stars, a superstar suffering a major health scare; we have it all this week. Let's get down to business without any further ado.
#12. Clash of Champions match card updates
Clash of Champions is just under a week away and the WWE has already shaped up the potential final card for the PPV. The match card currently has 11 confirmed matches, with a few of them being added in the week that passed by.
WWE announced the Women's Tag Team Titles match which would see Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross put the titles on the line against Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose.
The Cruiserweight title match was also changed to a Triple Threat match, with Lince Dorado being added to the mix.
Here's how the card looks:
- WWE Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman
- WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton
- WWE RAW Women's Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks
- WWE SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte
- WWE King of the Ring Finals Match
- WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
- WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode
- WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. The Revival
- WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado
- Roman Reigns vs. Rowan
#11. Carmella underwent a major health scare recently
Former SmackDown Women's Champion Carmella has been involved in one the most entertaining acts on TV for the past few months, as her alliance with R-Truth and the ensuing shenanigans with the 24/7 title have consistently garnered positive reactions.
Carmella, though, has not been by Truth's side in recent weeks and that has forced a lot of fans to wonder about her current status.
Carmella took to Instagram to reveal that she recently suffered a major health scare and used the opportunity to spend some time with her loved ones and boyfriend Corey Graves. She also went off social media and recharged her batteries before her impending return. Here's what Carmella wrote on Instagram:
I recently had a health scare that shook my world. I was super apprehensive (still am) to post about it because I’m not looking for any sort of sympathy. Instead, I wanted to share what this past month has taught me. You might find my perception to be trivial and unimportant, but these are my thoughts. - For the first time in six years I was forced to slow down. I’ve never had an injury with time off or anything of the sort since I started with WWE. I was able to slow down for a few weeks and just be. It opened my mind and my eyes to the world I didn’t notice for six years and allowed me to be present instead of worrying about the next thing on my to do list. - I took a break from social media and it really allowed me to live in the moment and see what was right in front of me.I had conversations with people I would have normally never seen because my head would be buried in my phone. More importantly, social media is not real.
The fact that I at one point or another would get bothered by a few crass comments made by presumptuous ill mannered trolls makes me laugh now. It’s all so insignificant at the end of the day. Do these trolls care about my health and well being? Are they the ones who will be there for me when shit hits the fan? Hell no. So why would I care what people on an app in my phone have to say about me? ✌🏼 - I spent time with the most important people in my life. In a world where I’m constantly on the road, I rarely get more than a few hours with those who matter most to me. I’m grateful I was able to spend so much time with my sister and my parents who are my world.
I was also constantly laughing with my boyfriend who is the most supportive man on the planet. I truly don’t know what I would do without him. 🖤 -Things can and will go wrong, regardless of how healthy your lifestyle is. It’s important to feed our bodies with happy thoughts, clean and healthy foods and all of the positive vibes. - Let’s all try to be a little better as humans. Everyone we meet is going through SOMETHING. Be nice. Life is short. Hug your family, laugh more, let the little things go, buy the shoes and drink the wine. 😉
#10. Shawn Spears says he was pigeonholed in the WWE
WWE never capitalized on the popularity of the Perfect 10 gimmick during Shawn Spears(FKA Tye Dillinger)'s time in the WWE. He never got out of the lower mid-card and it all ended with the 38-year-old Superstar leaving the company to join AEW.
Spears is now a full-time member of the All Elite Wrestling roster and recently put on a solid match against Cody at the All Out PPV.
Spears was interviewed by Muscle and Fitness magazine, and the former WWE Superstar opened up about his time in the WWE.
While he took pride in working in all kinds of environments, Spears claimed that he was pigeonholed during his stint in Vince McMahon's promotion. He always stepped up when the company needed his services, however, and despite his reliability, he never broke through the proverbial glass ceiling.
"I take great pride in being able to work with anybody," Spears said. "Whether it be a brand-new talent, whether it be someone who has been in wrestling for four or five years or even 15 to 20, I take pride in being able to cover the spectrum when it comes down to match preparation and execution. But that can also pigeonhole you, and I was pigeonholed for quite a long time. On one hand, I was very reliable when they (WWE) needed something done. I was there and I got it done, but at the same time, I couldn't break through the glass ceiling that seemed to be placed over my head. Now, that has changed." H/t Credit: Fightful
#9. AEW Full Gear
All Elite Wrestling confirmed during All Out that their next PPV event will be called AEW Full Gear, which is slated to take place at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on November 9th.
The company has so far announced two matches for the show: Chris Jericho will defend the AEW World Championship against Cody and Jon Moxley will finally take on Kenny Omega in a match that was originally scheduled for All Out.
The card, is, however, subject to change as Jericho is scheduled to defend the title on AEW TV before the PPV. During an interview with IGN, Cody explained how his match against Jericho may not even come to fruition as there is still a month to go that could alter the existing scenario.
"This is one of the positive uses of 'card subject to change,'" Cody said. "I'm coming off a win over Dustin, one of the best of all time, and coming off a win over Shawn Spears, who's an absolute stud. Those were two huge wins. So me going for the title makes all the sense in the world. But it may not end up being me versus Chris Jericho. Because Chris Jericho still has a title defense before that in Philadelphia. And it may not be me if I take a loss to Sammy Guevara on the premiere episode. I think Chris Jericho is probably going to get through his first title defense, but if he doesn't we're going to stick to our word about win/loss records being a deciding factor. It's really about the data and who has the best record." H/t Credit:
Unlike other AEW shows, Full Gear didn't sell out on the first day of its ticket sales opening and as of this writing, there are still tickets that are up for grabs.
#8. Sin Cara may be returning to action soon
Yes, Sin Cara is still with WWE. The company has organized a live event for November 29th that will take place at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. Sin Cara is an El Paso native and it's a no-brainer to have him at the show.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion took to Twitter and commented on the event by saying "it's time".
Cara last wrestled at the 50-man Battle Royal at WWE Super Showdown in June and has since been kept away from TV. He has, however, done his bit for the company promoting events and engaging in community-related activities in the US and Mexico.
#7. Ricochet comments on Kacy Catanzaro's departure
NXT Superstar Kacy Catanzaro's possible departure has been in the headlines for the past few days and we're still awaiting an official statement from the Superstar regarding her future.
Catanzaro's boyfriend Ricochet gave an update on his better half's WWE status during an interview with Sports Illustrated. The former United States Champion said that Catanzaro was not injured nor has she retired from in-ring competition.
When asked whether she'd wrestle again, Ricochet claimed he didn't know anything about that before stating that he knows Kacy wants to have kids and that she isn't sure about being on the road for a long time.
"She's still with the company. She's not retired at all and she's not injured. It's a tough sport and we're all hurting, but there is nothing wrong with her.
I don't know. She's very family-oriented and she wants kids, so she doesn't know if being on the road so much is for her. For me, I'm already too deep—I'm on the road all the time. She loves wrestling and she loves it here, and she's so good at it, so it's a very tough decision for her." H/t Credit: Cagesideseats
#6. Undertaker responds to Edge's Instagram in the most non-Undertaker way possible!
It's been a treat to see The Undertaker portray his real side ever since his arrival on all the popular social media websites. The living legend is finally been given the chance to break kayfabe and it's refreshing to witness.
Edge recently posted a photo on Instagram of his two young daughters getting ready for their first day in school. The Rated-R dad was there to support his daughters and posted an adorable post.
The Undertaker responded to the post and stated that the most important thing was for Edge to be there to witness the special moment. Undertaker is such a softie!
#5. Becky Lynch calls out Stephanie McMahon for a match
More feuds are happening on Twitter than on WWE programming.
Stephanie McMahon recently tweeted out the "This is SportsCenter” commercial series that also features Becky Lynch. The Man responded to McMahon's tweet by seemingly calling her out for a potential match.
Stephanie McMahon responded and claimed that the Raw Women's Champion is focussing on the wrong boss before going on to wish her luck the upcoming Clash of Champions match.
Stephanie McMahon and Becky Lynch have some history and while a majority of the fans may not be too thrilled with the potential match-up, it is a contest that can sell. The match can preferably feature at Evolution 2, which has been discussed backstage in WWE. This is all speculation at the moment and this could all end up being just a Twitter tease and nothing more.
#4. Bray Wyatt teases a new alliance
The Fiend has taken over WWE and we absolutely love it. Bray Wyatt's twisted new alter ego is a special attraction that has an affinity for beating down legends and just being downright horrifying.
Wyatt is all set to challenge for the WWE Universal Championship at Hell in a Cell and he could have a big role to play in the title match between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman at Clash of Champions.
While Wyatt is tearing it up on TV, he is also one of the most active Superstars on Twitter, where he potentially rekindled an old alliance with an interesting tweet.
Erick Rowan made a huge statement this past week on SmackDown when he took out both Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan to end the show. Rowan put out a tweet after the show stating that he isn't held down by the strings anymore.
Wyatt commented on the tweet and called for Rowan to come back home.
Was this a teaser of a possible reunion between the former Wyatt Family members? It could be or maybe not!
The botched mystery attacker angle aside, Rowan is in line for a singles push and will take on The Big Dog at Clash of Champions. He could also debut some new in-ring gear. As for Bray Wyatt, the former WWE Champion has been at his cryptic best on social media.
#3. Matt Hardy is tired of being benched
He may not get TV time of late but Matt Hardy is one of those Superstars who manages to keep himself in the limelight on social media.
During an interaction with a fan on Twitter, Hardy stated that he intends to kickass in the ring rather than warming the benches.
Thanks, Sam. Appreciate that. I can’t say I disagree with you. For the few years I have left as an in-ring performer, I wanna kick ass & contribute to the industry-not sit on the bench.
At 44 years old, Hardy may not have much left in the tank despite getting in brilliant physical shape after recuperating from a host of injuries.
The 11-time Tag Team Champion revealed on the Cheap Heat podcast that he would love to end his WWE run with the 'Broken' Matt Hardy character,
One thing I would like to do, I would like to finish up my run in WWE as ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy. I think there is a lot of money in ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy, I think it’s different. I think it’s very 2019, I think a great example of that right now is the Firefly Fun House with Bray.
#2. Ric Flair threatening legal action against WWE
The Nature Boy Ric Flair is just not happy with WWE using the term 'The Man'.
The 16-time World Champion thinks he should be paid for WWE using his trademarked phrase. If they refuse to do so, the legend is not afraid to take legal action against the company.
"I’m glad that I’m having this opportunity to clear the air. When I first saw this [‘The Man’ Becky Lynch] thing go down in August 2018, I thought, ‘Cool, ‘The Man’ – my gimmick – versus my daughter, Charlotte.’ Okay, that’s the day it started, right after SummerSlam. I thought, cool. I said, "I’m going to make some money; it’s my trademark and they have it to use.’ I’ve been saying it’s [been mine] since 1981.
So I got my worded statement, I sent [WWE’s lawyer] a text and the lawyer, who just has no respect for me whatsoever which is something I’m not going to deal with much longer, he said, ‘You’re wrong. It’s not even close.’ I said, ‘It’s not even close?’ So, boom, I sent him another text, he didn’t respond. So I had my lawyer call him and he blew off my lawyer. This is all in 2018 or in January of ’19."
It was also revealed that Charlotte Flair is 'mad' at her iconic father's stance on the issue. Flair also clarified that he has no beef with Becky Lynch.
"It’s funny, my daughter is so mad at me because I filed, not even understanding that it’s not Becky. I have no beef with Becky. But here’s the deal: when I almost died two years ago, one person stayed by me the whole time for 31 days in ICU, 12 days while I was dying on a respirator, and I’m going to take care of her and her family, and my family that has taken care of me, no matter what.
I don’t care what WWE thinks of me personally; I know they love me, but obviously, they have lost respect for me. If I don’t win, and even if I won, Becky can have [The Man] all day long. I’m glad! But I want the company to pay me for it because I’m going to take care of my family. I am going to be ‘The Man’, and if I don’t get it, you know what my tombstone will say? ‘He died trying to be The Man’." H/t Credit: WrestlingInc
Becky Lynch also commented on the situation by saying, "All I can say about Ric is, I like Ric. He's been a good friend to me over the years. We'll see what happens with that."
Here's everything you need to know about Flair's war against the WWE.
#1. Chris Jericho, the stolen AEW World title and a little bit of the bubbly!
We end this week's round-up with the biggest and most amusing story to have happened in recent months.
Chris Jericho won the AEW World title at All Out. He then lost it while dining out at the Longhorn Steakhouse. He reportedly left the belt in the Limo and a 'Worldwide manhunt' - as stated by Jericho - was launched to retrieve the stolen belt.
The Tallahassee Police Department finally found the belt on Wednesday last week. And in case you're wondering, this was certainly not part of any script. It actually happened!
Jericho also single-handedly managed to turn this into a darn good storyline. The Genuis of Jericho. Enjoy it, maaaaaaaaaaaan!
Also, 'a little bit of the bubbly' memes have taken the internet by storm. We'll leave you with an epic compilation of the best clips and vines.
And while you're at it, check out the 7 ridiculous catchphrases that Chris Jericho turned into the best lines e-e-e-ver!
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