A crazy WWE TNA theory.
A big debut at New Japan’s WrestleKingdom!
And my review of AEW Dynamite.
I’m Oli Davis, and this is the WrestleTalk News.
Today, January 4th 2024 is Wrestle Kingdom 18, which has just started as I’m recording
this, but will probably be finished by the time you’re watching it.
So here’s something for you, viewer from the future:
Wow, Bryan Danielson vs Okada is match of the year already.
Wow, Will Ospreay vs Jon Moxley vs David Finlay is match of the year already.
Wow, is match of the year already.
But I did get to see one thing - the shock debut of Nic Nemeth, aka the former Dolph
Ziggler from WWE.
Nemeth was released from WWE in September 2023, meaning his 90 day non-compete clause
expired in late December.
As part of the IWGP Tag Team Winner Takes All match between Bishamon and Guerrillas
of Destiny, Nic Nemeth along with his brother Ryan Nemeth from AEW showed up in the crowd
to watch the match and were very prominently featured on camera.
Aside from the WWE-affiliated FCW and OVW, this is the first time Ziggler has appeared
in a wrestling promotion that isn’t WWE.
Perhaps with New Japan’s working relationship with AEW we could even soon see Ziggler…
on Ring of Honor television.
What would you want to see Ziggler do in New Japan?
Let me know in the comments!
Think it can’t get any crazier than Dolph Ziggler to New Japan confirmed?
Well, according to some parts of the interwebs: What’s Quad H doing in the IMPACT Zone?
Ahead of IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view, or should I say ‘Premium Live
Event’, on Saturday 13th January, several fan theories are speculating that the soon-to-be-rebranded
TNA is set to start working with WWE.
The speculationamania seemed to begin when TNA called Hard to Kill a Premium Live Event
rather than a pay-per-view in a new trailer for the show.
This is WWE-specific name, with all other major wrestling promotions still calling their
pay-per-views, well, pay-per-views.
Fans treated that as a smoking gun to connect their own bullet holes.
In early December, it was announced that IMPACT would be relaunching their subscription streaming
service as the TNA+ app - which lets people watch the library of TNA and Impact shows,
with the higher tier granting access to their four major PPV, sorry, PLE shows a year.
And the company they’re partnering with to launch this app?
Endeavor Streaming, a subsidiary of Endeavor.
The same Endeavor that owns TKO, and by extension, WWE.
The TNA+ app is set to be relaunched on the 5th January, the day after another bit of
TOTALLY UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE - WWE’s much hyped announcement.
Triple H is set to make an announcement today, January 4th, as part of WWE’s Preview Special
- which some have connected to the TNA+ relaunch and the PLE name usage that it will be to
with TNA and WWE starting a working relationship.
TNA to WWE confirmed.
This comes hot on the heels of NXT’s Charlie Dempsey being allowed to compete at All Japan
to challenge Katsuhiko Nakajima for his Triple Crown Championship on January 3rd.
It seems WWE is trying to play nice with other promotions around the world.
TNA to WWE double confirmed.
There’s also the report that current Knockouts Champion Trinity, known in WWE as Naomi, could
be returning to the promotion soon, with Fightful Select writing WWE expect her back when her
TNA contract expires, which is soon, though it’s unclear if this would be after TNA’s
next PPV, PLE, Hard to Kill on January 13th, or after.
Which means we could very well be seeing Naomi in the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Perhaps it could even be while holding TNA’s Knockouts belt, like Mickie James did in 2022.
TNA to WWE triple confirmed!
Unfortunately PWInsider then has to come along with all their ‘facts’ to report that
Triple H’s Preview Special announcement isn’t about TNA and WWE working together,
and there’s “absolutely nothing to the connection”.
Which is exactly what they told me about CM Punk to WWE!
But I knew, I knew!
Now it’s time for my review of the first AEW Dynamite of 2024… in about five minutes.
The New Year opened on our new world champion.
Just not technically in the New Year, as it was a promo filmed on Saturday 30th December
2023 following Worlds End.
Samoa Joe looks great with the title belt, and threatened if anyone tries to take it
from him, he’ll take everything they love - just like he did to MJF.
I would’ve preferred Joe to be on the actual show, though, to kick off AEW in 2024 in the
biggest way possible.
Thankfully, we got a very good follow-up from the other thing that happened at the end of
Worlds End: Adam Cole’s heel promo.
This was a completely revamped Cole from the start.
Production played his beloved Here Comes the Boom entrance music, before stopping it to
debut a new heel remix.
How am I going to chant Boom and Bay-Bay to this cadence like I love to?
He didn’t start with his ‘Who’s Ready For Storytime’ catchphrase.
And the tron awesome just read ‘Undisputed’ - because this faction is now a combination
of all your favourite Undisputed Era and Kingdom members.
Cole, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Wardlow.
Where’s the lie?
Cole explained he’s not the bad guy here.
As soon as MJF didn’t need Cole anymore, Max would’ve turned on him.
He just beat him to the punch.
I really like this motivation.
Originally, MJF and Cole had trust issues with everyone.
Max overcame that, but Adam wasn’t able to conquer his own demons, thus inheriting
the Devil moniker from MJF.
To me, that doesn’t negate Cole and Max’s friendship that I emotionally invested so
much into over the last half year, which I would’ve felt a bit cheated by.
Perhaps Cole really did value MJF, but his own insecurities got the better of him.
A great story I can’t wait to get into… in about 8 months time.
Because Cole is very injured right now, it’s up to the rest of the Undisputed Kingdom to
back up his threat.
Strong will be going for the International title, and Wardlow will work his way up to
the World title, where he’ll do the right thing and forfeit the belt for Cole.
Which Wardlow reacted to with this facial expression.
Essentially the kid at the back of the class going ‘yeah right, miss, I’m definitely
going to do that homework.’
Roddy saw it.
I reckon that’s a longterm build to another Undisputed Era wrestler to replace Wardlow
down the line…
Where’s the lie?
In an unexpected awesome babyface positioning for Bullet Club Gold, Jay White of all people
interrupted to say he loves what they did to MJF, but he didn’t much appreciate being
the collateral damage.
They were joined by The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass to chase off the Undisputed Kingdom - who
were protected in escape by protecting Cole, as Doctor Sampson screamed he isn’t medically
cleared.
Having even AEW’s most typically heel faction in the Gang Bang Gang annoyed with the Undipsuted
Kingdom, to me, got the new group even more over.
The first match of 2024 saw Orange Cassidy defend his International Championship in a
spirited match against Dante Martin.
Cassidy did his roll away from the drop zone spot, so Martin impressively springboarded
with added airtime (although not Joaquin Wilde levels of airtime) for a splash.
Cassidy retained with the Orange Punch.
Then Mark Kwen made his return from 13 months out due to injury, reuniting Private Party
with Isiash ‘oh’ Cassidy.
They put everyone in the tag division on notice, even the Hardys.
It’s great to see them back, and it really added to the golden era Dynamite feel of this
episode.
Speaking of the tag titles, House of Black accepted FTR’s match for Collision, where
if the House wins, Dax and Cash should disown their wife and child and join Malakai Black.
Wow, things really escalated quickly.
Mariah May won her debut match against Queen Aminata next.
It was oddly structured, as most of the shine was on Aminata’s brief comeback, when this
should have been a showcase for May’s heel persona.
But I think we were all a bit confused whether she was Toni Storm’s downtrodden babyface,
or a heel sidekick.
Thankfully that was more than cleared up in the post-match interview, where she dumped
on your local hometown.
This brought out your local hometown wrestler Deonna Purazzo, declaring she is All In, and
telling May to tell Storm that she will find her.
Mariah had a great reply, saying: “I’m not the messenger, so tell her yourself, bitch”.
They brawled and Purazzo stood tall.
Deonna is such a good wrestler.
I’m just concerned about the follow-up here, because I’ve seen many women get added to
AEW where their first feud is to lose to the champion, from which they don’t recover
*cough* Taya Valkyrie facing Jade Cargill *cough*.
Christian maintained he’s held the TNT title for 200 days in a great in-ring promo, which
isn’t totally inaccurate when you lose and win it back in the same night.
He thanked Mother Wayne, he thanked the apple of his eye Nick, but, turning to Killswitch,
he mostly thanked the guy who sealed the deal, who put the last nail in the coffin of Adam
Copeland…
himself!
It was expertly worked at getting the crowd to chant for Luchasaurus.
Saraya seems to have a scheme with Harley Cameron backstage.
Takeshita beat Darby Allin in a fantastic match of the night, where I think I only counted
two different moves: knees, or German Suplexes.
It’s like Kenny Omega blended with Brock Lesnar.
But every single execution of those moves was excellent.
A sick jumping knee to Darby’s bullet dive.
Three rolling German suplexes down the ramp.
And a top rope German Suplex and knee to win.
Takeshita and Hobbs challenged Sting and Darby to a match next week.
After a brilliant tournament with the likes of Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland
and Jay White, we got a four way to decide who will challenge first for Eddie Kington’s
Triple Crown Championship - Trent, Brian Cage, Brian Keith and Vikingo.
I get new year, new me, but AEW have presented these four guys as total undercarders, and
it was a significant step down from the star power of the C2.
Trent won, and he’ll be facing Eddie on Collision.
The main event had the two breakout stars from the C2 - Swerve Strickland vs Daniel
Garcia.
They had a really good match, with Swerve somehow managing to work heel by being super
over with the crowd.
But arguably the best spot didn’t even involve him - as Garcia and Prince Nana did the Rock/Hogan
WrestleMania X8 spot to set up a dance off.
Garcia was put over very strongly in defeat, kicking out of the House Call Kick and the
Swerve Stomp, getting a great near fall for himself off Swerve’s disbelief.
But Strickland won with a JML Driver.
Swerve went to shake Garcia’s hand in the post-match, but Nana low blowed him instead.
Which set up the year’s first big angle.
Hangman Page had already stormed around backstage with fire in his eyes saying he wants to beat
someone up, having just returned from being attacked by the Devil goons.
So he ran down to the ring for a big pull apart brawl with Swerve, rekindling one of
the best feuds of 2023.
Strickland had previously said how he’ll be coming for the World Championship earlier
in the night, so perhaps this will be our No. 1 contenders match for Revolution.
AEW Dynamite is 85%.
Watch us countdown the 10 greatest wrestling themes of all time by clicking the video on
the left.