Here's your wrestling news for September 29th 2021
And your headlines for today include
Several NXT Superstars Getting Called Up For 2021 WWE Draft!
WWE Lied To Fox In The Past About Draft Plans!
Why Randy Orton Missed WWE RAW Revealed!
Edge vs Seth Rollins III Likely Set For Crown Jewel In Saudi Arabia!
Backstage News On WWE Wanting To Change Adam Cole’s Look!
WWE Opens Up About Placing City Name On Banned Words List!
WWE Announces Eva Marie Injury Update From RAW!
Brodie Lee Documentary Premiering Tonight In Rochester!
Tony Khan Announces AEW Dynamite Will Be Dedicated To Memory Of Brodie Lee!
Kiera Hogan Signs Contract With AEW! And More!
We’re kicking off today with the upcoming draft, as both RAW and SmackDown will change dramatically in the coming week, but it won’t be
just the main-roster that gets affected. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer reported that “many people” from NXT 2.0 are set to
be called up as part of the 2021 draft, saying that the colourful brand will be a quote “significant part of it.”
It’s strange that NXT 2.0 is about to get it’s roster cut, given that they only just debuted a bunch of new names as part of their revamp.
Bron Breakker and others are likely to stay in NXT, as they are seen as the future of the brand, but like almost all plans for this year’s
draft, anything and everything could change between now and this Friday’s SmackDown.
WWE famously doesn’t tell the Superstars where they’ll be heading, as they like to get an organic reaction that makes for great TV, but the WWE
can’t exactly keep their TV network partners in the dark as well. After all, FOX and the USA Network have paid
lot for WWE programming, and on his show, Dave Meltzer noted that both networks are being told things that are kept hidden from
the talent: “I was told today, that USA and FOX do know a few things like the key guys. The key guys
are decided, nothing else is decided. Everything can change.” WWE wants to shake-up their rosters to provide
new matches and stories, but also keep both network partners happy at the same time, and time will tell if WWE can achieve this
delicate balancing act this Friday and on next week’s RAW.
WWE’s network partners may know which top stars will be on which shows, but like Meltzer said, everything can change between now
and Friday. Vince McMahon and changing plans go hand- in-hand at this point, and even FOX and the
USA Network aren’t safe from the Chairman of the Board. During Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alverez
recalled the 2019 draft, which took place mere days after SmackDown moved to FOX, and how the Network had been promised
certain Superstars for the blue brand. He said: “They actually aired Fox commercials with certain Superstars, I believe Charlotte might have
been one of them, I forget the others, but the point is that Fox was sure they were getting certain talents, because they were told by WWE
that they were getting them. Then Vince changed the plan and they did the draft and then they didn’t give it to them.”
Instead of SmackDown, Charlotte was drafted to RAW in the 2019 shake-up, and has stayed on the red show ever since.
The only way to know for certain who’s going where is to watch the draft this Friday and next Monday, but with reports that WWE’s
relationship with FOX is already strained, the company would be foolish to deceive their network partners again
On this week’s RAW, AJ Styles had another incredible match with Riddle, and after being beaten, the Original Bro was given a post-match
attack by Omos. Randy Orton didn’t make the save for his RAW Tag Team title partner, nor did he appear at all
during the three-hour show, in what’s becoming a strange trend for the Viper. It turns out that RK-Bro were meant to compete
at a house show this past weekend, but despite being advertised, Orton didn’t make that event either.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed the RAW Tag Champion’s absences, saying “there’s something up” with the Legend
Killer. It’s been reported that Orton had a personal family matter to attend to, which explains why
he hasn’t been around for the past few days. Orton missed the house show, wasn’t at Extreme Rules and was missing from RAW too,
and whatever family matter is keeping the Viper away, we hope it isn’t anything too serious.
SmackDown news now, as this Friday won’t just be the first-night of the 2021 draft, but will also see the return of Edge, in his first
appearance since being curb stomped by Seth Rollins. Rollins and Edge have one win each in their
feud, and fans won’t be waiting long to see the rubber match between the two former WWE World Champions.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that the plan is for Edge-Rollins 3 to take place at Crown Jewel, in what’ll be
another high-profile match on the card. So far, the only match confirmed is the Universal title match between Roman Reigns
Brock Lesnar, but Goldberg Vs. Bobby Lashley is also expected to be on the show. After a year and a half away, WWE is doing all
they can to keep their Saudi Arabian interests happy, and that means having the huge rubber match between Rollins and Edge next month at
Crown Jewel.
WWE Champion Big E is also expected to compete at Crown Jewel, and will no-doubt get a huge pop from the Saudi audience, as fans are digging his
world title reign so far. Big E had two title matches on this week’s RAW, as his first match with Bobby Lashley ended
in a no-contest, before the Champ retained later on in a steel cage match. With his programme with the Almighty seemingly
done, Big E is looking for a new challenger, and we may be in store for some Phenomenal matches if the Champion gets his way.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Big E said he loved the idea of feuding with AJ Styles next, and praised the Phenomenal One as
one of the best of this generation, even before he came to WWE. Styles last held the WWE Championship in November
2018, and has been feuding in the tag-team division for the past year, but if his and Omos’ storyline with RK-Bro wraps up soon, AJ
AJ may soon be getting a shot at becoming a three-time WWE Champion.
Earlier this month, Adam Cole debuted for AEW, mere days after he left WWE following his short -term contract expiring.
One proposed plan for Cole was that his main- roster call-up would be as the manager of Keith Lee, but siding with the man who ended his NXT
title reign wasn’t all WWE had store It’s been previously reported that WWE wated to change his name, as they didn’t want fans
to connect him to Michael Cole, and according to Fightful, the company also wanted to cut Cole’s hair short as part of his main-roster transformation
The Undisputed Era alum made it clear that his hair was off the table, and by the time the final ideas came to Cole, a new look wasn’t mentioned
as part of WWE’s plan. Sources in WWE have praised Cole for being transparent about what he liked and didn’t like
about the main-roster plans for him, which he ultimately rejected in favour of AEW. Now, Cole can be seen on Dynamite and Rampage
and fans will get to see him, and his long hair in tact when he faces Jungle Boy on tonight’s Dynamite.
Last week, WWE’s RAW rolled through Raleigh, North Carolina, but there was no mention of the city by name during the three-hour broadcast.
Not long after the show, it was reported that Raleigh is on the list of banned words that on- screen talent can’t mention, because WWE
believes the city isn’t a ‘prestigious’ name to feature on TV. As you’d expect, fans in the North Carolina state
capital weren’t happy about this, but when a newspaper in Raleigh tried to do a story about WWE’s ban, they received a surprising
response from WWE, as Dave Meltzer explained o n his show: “They call up WWE and ask ‘is it true that you told
the announcers that they aren’t allowed to use the word Raleigh?’ They’re like, ‘IT IS NOT TRUE!’… They were on for three hours and
never said it once and they mention the name of the city they’re in multiple times in every show. Common sense, yes they were not allowed to use the word
Raleigh.” Meltzer added that even during Big E’s entrance, the WWE Champion didn’t reference Raleigh by name,
and that the area was called ‘North Carolina State’ throughout the show. Meltzer isn’t buying WWE’s claim for one second,
and insists that the name is banned, but whatever the case, we’ll have to hear how WWE describes the cities they’re in from now on
One person who gets booed no matter where the show goes is Eva Marie, who appeared on this week’s RAW, a decision she’d quickly regret
when she became the latest victim of Shayna Baszler. Attacked by the Queen of Spades, WWE has
given an update on the former Total Divas star, saying that Marie is being treated for a possible dislocated shoulder.
There’s no word on when she, or Nia Jax, who Baszler attacked last week, will return to the ring, but the Queen of Spades is ripping through
the RAW Women’s division, Superstar by Superstar.
Last December, Brodie Lee sadly passed, and the wrestling world has been mourning his loss ever since.
WWE fans chanted Brofie’s name during Big E’s WWE title celebration, and AEW have gone to great lengths to take care of the Exalted One’s
family. Brodie Lee was a beloved person in wrestling, and this week, Wrestle Vision released a
three-hour documentary about his life and career. The doc premiered in Brodie’s home town,
of Rochester, New York, at the Movies 10 theatre on West Henrietta Road. Both CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have said
AEW’s treatment of the Brodie Lee situation helped convince them to join the company, as the Exalted One’s memory lives on for countless
fans and colleagues.
Brodie Lee meant a lot to those who work in AEW, as well as the entire wrestling world, and it’s a shame that he can’t be at tonight’s Dynamite in
his hometown of Rochester, New York. On Twitter, Tony Khan has said that tonight’s Dynamite will be dedicated to the memory
of the former TNT Champion, in what is a fitting tribute to a man who meant so much to so many people.
And we’re ending today with Kiera Hogan, who has become the newest member of the AEW roster.
During AEW Dark this week, Excalibur revealed that Hogan has signed a deal with AEW, and the former Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion
will fit right in with the AEW locker-room. When Ringside News asked their sources, they said that Hogan is well-liked in the AEW
locker-room, and given her relationship with AEW’s Diamante, it took her no time to get adjusted.
Hogan had been appearing for AEW on a per- appearance deal, but now that she’s officially All-Elite, we’ll be seeing plenty more of her
in the company.