Here's your wrestling news for September 16th, 2022.
And we're kicking off today with WWE and when Vince McMohan
retired earlier this year, it came after a series of
explosive allegations against the former chairman who had
been accused of relationships and misconduct with employees.
Given the nature of the claims.
Many fans thought we'd seen the last of Vince
McMohan, but that may no longer be the case.
That's according to the us son who note that WWE co CEO, Stephanie
McMahon, wants to induct her father into the WWE hall of fame next
year and give him a proper sendoff McMohan may be a controversial
figure to say the least, but he is still one of, if not, the
most influential person in professional wrestling history and
had a very unceremonious end to his career on and off screen.
With that said WWE are well aware that any
celebration of Vince would spark a potential backlash.
As the things he's been accused of
are still fresh in the minds of fans.
Some have also questioned if next year is too soon
as an induction would also mean a WrestleMania 39
appearance and likely a hostile response from the crowd.
Vince McMohan may have walked down the aisle to no chance
in hell countless times, but there is a chance that he
will have one more WrestleMania appearance, despite the
scandal that brought an end to his four decades on top of
the wrestling world on this week's NXT 2.0, it was announced
that the show will be going back to its black and gold roots.
And then change fans have been hoping to see for the past year.
One change that's been confirmed is
the return of NXT takeover specials.
The next of which will be NXT Halloween havoc.
Next month, WWE hasn't publicly confirmed any matches
for the show, but the main event was confirmed
during the taping for upcoming episodes of NXT.
So this is your official spoiler warning.
During the taping for the episode that'll air on September
27th, a segment with NXT champion Bron breaker included.
Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonough with a triple threat match being
arranged for Halloween havoc with breakers title on the line.
The segment also confirms that Ilja Dragunov a former NXT UK
champion will be sticking with the company in NXT after the UK
division closed its stores and almost cut the entire roster.
The numbers will be stacked against the champion.
So we'll have to see if Halloween havoc is a trick or treat for
Bron breakers' reign on top of NXT last month, Patrick Clark,
formerly known as Velveteen dream was arrested, not once, but
twice Clark was arrested first for an alleged battery at a gym and
was arrested a second time for violating a preexisting probation.
Now we know more as PW insider reports that this probation came
about because Clark was arrested back in November, 2021 Florida's
Alamonte Springs Police department, who charged him with
possession of cocaine use or possession of drug paraphernalia,
destroying, altering, or concealing physical evidence and
having no lamps or illuminating devices in his vehicle.
In April, his lawyer's attorney arranged a plea
agreement that resulted in a 12 month probation
sentence, which he violated with his battery arrest.
It was also reported that Clark was incarcerated for 25 days due
to his probation violation and was released this past Tuesday.
Not only that, but at the time of his probation in
April Clark also agreed to a $213 fine for court costs
and was ordered to serve 25 hours of community service.
Given that Clark has pled not guilty
to the much more recent battery charge.
The former NXT superstar isn't done with the legal system yet, but it
remains to be seen if he has any better luck keeping out of a cell.
Now, after the backstage fight at AEW all out, Kenny omega,
the young bucks, cm, punk, and a steel were all removed from
programming and they weren't the only ones who got in trouble.
Michael Nakazawa pat buck, Christopher Daniels and Brandon
Cutler were also suspended despite trying to break up the fight.
But their suspensions ended this week in an update from Fightfu
lit's explained that AEW did not plan on suspending these
people for long, but it was instead done preliminarily and for
precautionary reasons, until more information came to light.
Once investigators knew for certain that these four men
didn't cause any harm during the fight, then it was decided
that their actions didn't merit any further punishment.
Pat buck was backstage for this week's dynamite while
Daniels, and Nakazawa have been traveling to Japan
to work matches for AEW at the Tokyo games show.
As for the bucks and omega.
There's no telling when they'll be back while punk and
steel may not be back at all, but we'll have to wait
until the investigation is concluded to know for sure.
One name who is suspended for a much different reason is Jeff
Hardy, who hasn't been seen in months due to his recent DUI arrest.
It's been three months since the former world
champion was arrested and charged with drunk driving.
And if convicted could face a maximum punishment of up
to five years in prison, Jeff is currently undergoing
rehab for his drinking and on his extreme life podcast.
Matt Hardy gave an update on his little brother.
We're getting close to the point where we meet the new Jeff
and we figure out his future and what he ends up doing.
I'm pretty excited because I feel like his mentality is
that he knows he has to make changes and do what's right.
And I feel like he's at the point where he will this time
around Jeff certainly does have to change as Tony Khan
has said that while he supports the former WWE
champion, this is his first and last chance in AEW.
Should Jeff have another incident like this.
He'll not only be gone from AEW but will likely
struggle to find work in another promotion.
So here's hoping Hardy is changing.
Like his brother says this week, WWE raw drew 1.7, 1 million viewers,
a sharp decline from previous weeks, which surpassed over 2 million.
WWE has been averaging over 2 million viewers for the red brand ever
since triple H came to power as head of creative and head of talent.
But this week setback, isn't a cause for concern that's
according to those within WWE who told fightful WWE
isn't worried considering that the show went up against
the season premiere of the NFL, as well as the EMMY's*.
In fact WWE suspected that the show would dip even further
thinking that the show would fall below 1.7 million.
So this week's result is pretty good.
All things considered with that said WWE is doing all they can to
bounce back for next week, including a United States title match
between Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins booked for the September 19th.
WWE has for years struggled to get fans, to tune in to the red brand.
And while this week was a sharp decline, the promotion
isn't too worried about the figures over to SmackDown.
Now, as tonight's show, we'll see WWE build towards extreme rules,
but the blue brand will have a special guest on hand on Twitter.
The official WWE account confirmed that Logan Paul
will be on the show in his first appearance for
WWE since summer slam where he defeated the MIZ.
During a recent episode of Paul's impulsive podcast, he spoke to Roman
Reigns and expressed his desire to face the tribal chief leading to
triple H, booking him for tonight's show the response to this hasn't
exactly been great is on social media fans have been furious at that
the prospect of a Reigns Paul confrontation and the idea that Logan
Paul May soon have an undisputed WWE universal championship match.
If, so the match will likely be at crown jewel
WWE's next Saudi event in November as rains is
not scheduled to be at next month's extreme rules.
Paul remains undefeated since signing with WWE earlier this year.
And it'll be interesting to see what he and
Reigns do during tonight's edition of SmackDown.
Now see, CM Punk hasn't been seen in AEW for almost two
weeks and his future with the promotion remains unclear.
Well, we know punk won't be wrestling anytime soon due to his injury,
it remains to be seen if he'll be back at all, or if Tony Khan will
cut ties with him following his comments on the all out post show.
And for the fight, a lot has been said about punk
since what happened and on his wrestling with Freddie
podcast, former WWE writer, Freddie prince Jr.
Also weighed in.
Prince spoke about how well punk has a philosophy.
He wants to teach the younger wrestlers.
It's not easy to do so, especially when you're getting injured,
it's hard for that younger generation to buy into your philosophy.
They're like he's talking about us working and gonna get hurt, and
he's heard every match he's in punk's first AEW world title reign.
Didn't go as planned due to injury.
And his second ended due to both his current
injury and his comments and the fight.
At 43 years old punk is hardly a young
man anymore, and his body knows that.
So if he does return the two time former AEW world
champion, we'll have to reflect long and hard over his
style in the ring to many people, age is just a number and
one person who's ready to get back in the ring is Ricky.
The dragon Steamboat, the WWE hall of Famer hasn't wrestled
in 12 years, but that will soon all change this November.
It's been announced that Steamboat will return to the Dorton
Arena in Raleigh North Carolina on Sunday, November 27th, likely
in a tag team bout for big time wrestling in a statement, BTW
co-owner Steve Perkins praised the dragon as one of the greatest
of all time and announced the tickets are already on sale.
Steamboat's last match was on June 18th, 2010 at an FCW
WWE developmental event where he teamed with his son,
Richie Steamboat against Trent Beretta and Caylen Croft.
But now the dragon will be getting back in the ring.
One more time.
We've got more from SmackDown now, as we know that Logan Paul will
be on tonight's episode, but he's not the only surprise in store.
That's according to PW insider, who report that
damage control will also be on the show and have
been added to the creative plans for SmackDown.
WWE have not announced damage control for the show though,
the stable are allowed to appear on both raw and SmackDown.
Following EO sky and Dakota kai winning
the WWE women's tag team titles.
During this week's raw.
From the looks of it.
WWE also has plans for Bailey to square off
against raw women's champion, Bianca Belair soon.
But before that the role model and her crew
have business to attend to on tonight's show.
And we're ending today with more from AEW as this week's dynamite saw
Brian Danielson get one step closer to becoming AEW world champion
defeating Chris Jericho in the semifinals of the ongoing tournament.
Dynamite ended with a tense face off between Danielson
and John Moxley, who he'll face in the finals next week
in a meeting of the Blackpool combat club, after dynamite
went off the air Danielson took his time getting to the
back, selling the physicality of the match with Jericho.
The American dragon also stopped by the AEW world
title that was at ringside and picked up the
championship belt to a huge pop from the crowd.
Fans live at dynamite loved, seeing Brian Danielson with the AEW
world championship, but he'll have his work cut out next week.
If he wants to be the promotions true
champion against a very game Moxley.