Swerve Strickland’s Emotional Tribute To Bray Wyatt During AEW Full Gear Revealed; November 20th Wrestling News Round-Up

MJF may currently be in the middle of a surprising babyface run but he still had some fire left in him to direct towards on former WWE Champion.

While receiving chiropractic adjustment from Dr. Beau Hightower, MJF was asked about wrestlers going into acting. The World Champion stated that there is a stigma down to Hulk Hogan’s previous performances, naming the Hall of Famer as not just the worst wrestler turned actor but the worst actor of all time:

 “I think a lot of the time, when people look at wrestlers going into acting, because Hulk Hogan did such a sh*t job. He did, let’s be honest, probably one of the worst actors of all time. People were so hesitant of letting pro wrestlers into acting. Thanks to trailblazers like Cena, Rock, and Batista, absolutely massacring it every single time they are on screen, and killing it.

It’s pretty cool and unique now because when they look at wrestlers, they understand now that what we do is really difficult and it takes a lot of charisma, charm, and athleticism. So does being the top draw in Hollywood. I think it’s a pretty easy transition, I shouldn’t say that. It’s an easy transition if you’re capable of being a top guy in my sport. It’s easier. If you’re somebody that struggles in front of the red light and you’re just a really good grappler (it’s harder),”

[h/t Fightful]

Ahead of this weekend’s WWE Survivor Series PLE, WWE has counted down the 25 greatest wins in the PPV’s history.

Check it out below!

If you were hoping to see Roman Reigns at WWE’s Bash in Berlin PLE next year…then we might have some bad news.

Back in October, WWE announced a Premium Live Event would be taking place in Berlin Germany in August 2024.

Following the initial announcement, WWE revealed that SmackDown would also be taking place live in Germany the night before Bash In Berlin and that pre-sale tickets would be announced in a matter of days.

However, while European fans are excited about the upcoming show, something else has has got people concerned.

A graphic accompanied the press release that announced the pre-sale date for SmackDown and Bash In Berlin tickets featuring multiple Superstars. Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Bobby Lashley, Jimmy Uso, Rey Mysterio and LA Knight are advertised for SmackDown and Gunther, Bianca Belair, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley and Drew McIntyre are all advertised for the Premium Live Event.

While the card is always subject to change, as of the time of writing it appears that Berlin will not get the chance to acknowledge their Tribal Chief.

Ronda Rousey shocked the world once again when she made her AEW x ROH debut last week.

But, according to one WWE Hall of Famer that doesn’t change the face that ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’ might just be a touch ‘overrated.’

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff analysed Rousey’s time within the squared circle on 83 Weeks. Bischoff stated that Rousey’s UFC accomplishments are to be celebrated but were not that impactful in WWE once the appeal of Rousey being a professional wrestler had worn off:

“Eh, I think she’s….I don’t want to say [she’s] overrated, but I think in terms of the professional wrestling industry, she’s overrated. Obviously very accomplished mixed martial artists, very accomplished in judo. Phenomenal athlete, but she never clicked for me in WWE despite a push from the gods. She got an amazing push, but there was something lacking with her, and she never clicked with me. I don’t think she really clicked with the audience. Not long after she first arrived. I think the shine kind of wore off the star pretty quickly, and I never got the feeling that she was really serious about the industry.”

Bischoff continued, stating that Rousey would not be the name on a show that would make a difference when it came to media rights negotiations:

“I just don’t think she’s as big a name as people sometimes think she is. I don’t think she’d matter to a buyer. I don’t think there’s going to be a media buyer out there or a programming buyer out there, or an executive that’s going, ‘Oh, wait a minute, you got Ronda Rousey. I wasn’t too sure about this deal, but now I really want to do it.’ I don’t see that.” [h/t WrestlingNewsCo]

Do you agree with Eric Bischoff? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Cody Rhodes spoke exclusively to Inside The Ropes about that infamous promo on Raw where Stephanie was shut down by the legendary Dusty Rhodes!

Sammy Guevara has not competed for AEW since AEW WrestleDream on October 1st but according to those close to him a return could be nearing.

Speaking with MuscleManMalcolm, Guevara’s close friend and former AEW star Fuego Del Sol stated that he is in regular contact with Guevara and expects an impactful return sooner rather than later:

“Yeah, me and Sam, we talk every day. He’s legitimately one of my best friends and a lot of times we don’t even talk wrestling, we talk about all the other crazy stuff in the world going on. He is feeling a lot better and his return is imminent. I definitely thought he was gonna be on Dynamite recently in that 8-Man Street Fight. However, he wasn’t back yet, but I know he wants to come back in a major way. So we’ll see where the tide takes him,”

You can read the full report on Sammy Guevara’s AEW status, here.

Vince McMahon isn’t always known for being the most calming of bosses and when you mess up on the ‘grandest stage of them all’ you can expect fireworks.

Something former Hardcore Champion Maven found out the hard way.

You can hear the breakdown of Maven’s WrestleMania mishap in the video below!

First We Feast has shared another hilarious video featuring AEW talent.

This time Saraya, AEW Women’s Champion at the time of filming, and Chris Jericho swap their favourite snacks in a battle of Canada and the UK.

Check it out!

Following Santos Escobar’s shock heel turn it looks like some new faces could be heading to SmackDown!

Last week on SmackDown, Santos Escobar shockingly turned on Rey Mysterio.

The move stemmed from a disagreement between Escobar and Carlito over the former’s seemingly accidental role in helping Logan Paul defeat Mysterio for the United States Championship at WWE Crown Jewel.

With Rey Mysterio seemingly out of action for the next few months, it looks as though Escobar will be looking to recruit others to his cause before finally confronting his former friend.

Dave Meltzer reports on Wrestling Observer Radio that one idea WWE has for the program is to reintroduce NXT’s Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo to the main roster as allies of the newly-heel Escobar. Meltzer added that earlier this year, the company also considered calling the two up to have them join Latino World Order with Mysterio.

You can read a full breakdown of this report, here.

The Young Bucks are set for a major attitude adjustment following their loss at AEW Full Gear.

Recently, former Elite associate Brandon Cutler would take to social media to reveal that The Young Bucks are set to take some time away from wrestling.

A new report has revealed the cause of this ‘time away’ and what AEW fans can expect from The Young Bucks in the near future.

As reported by Fightful Select, the update by Cutler along with the recent change in attitude is linked to a full heel turn. It is also noted that they won’t be alone in this next phase as Cutler is expected to turn heel with them and will be a spokesperson for the tag team in the next few weeks.

In regards to the rumours that there is more to this, Fightful Select continues to say that relations between The Bucks and AEW are fine and the altered format of Being The Elite is factored into the overall change in presentation. Furthermore, the brief removal of EVP status from the roster page was nothing more than a mistake and was quickly rectified.

You can read more on The Young Buck’s AEW future, here.

Ahead of this weekend’s WWE Survivor Series PPV, WWE is live streaming 24/7 showing full matches from Survivor Series in years past.

Check it out below!

AEW Full Gear is in the books for another year and it has left fans divided.

Some fans have praised the in-ring quality in show particularly in the Tag Team Championship ladder match and the Texas Deathmatch where as others felt severely let down and even confused by the shows main event.

However, one match in particular has been dubbed a “f*cking masterpiece” by none other than Dustin Rhodes himself.

Writing on social media, Rhodes would heap praise on the brutal Texas Deathmatch between ‘Hangman’ Adam Page and Swerve Strickland.

Taking to Twitter, Rhodes writes:

“That was one of the greatest matches @AEW has had since it’s inception.

Great job #Hangman and @swerveconfident FUCKING MASTERPIECE! #aew #FullGear”

Do you agree with Dustin Rhodes? Do you think the Texas Deathmatch at AEW Full Gear was a masterpiece? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Nick Bollea, son of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, has been arrested in Florida according to a new report.

TMZ has reported that Bollea was arrested at 4 am on Saturday, November 18 in Clearwater, FL. Hogan, 33, was booked by police officers on the suspicion of a DUI and it was noted that Hogan allegedly refused to submit a sobriety test.

It is furthermore stated that the exact circumstances that led to law enforcement needing to intervene are still unknown.

This is not the first time Nick has found himself in trouble with the police, back in 2007 he crashed his car, once again in Clearwater, FL. Following an investigation by the authorities, Hogan was found to be driving recklessly and underage drinking and was sentenced in November 2007 for 8 months. Hogan’s friend John Graziano was also in the car during the 2007 crash and suffered life-altering brain injuries as a result, requiring constant care.

You can read a full breakdown on the arrest, here.

Following Vince McMahon’s initial departure from the WWE several high profile changes have occurred.

This includes front of camera changes including the use of the term ‘wrestler’ and re-hiring of several former WWE Superstars but also behind the scenes changes to WWE creative and planning.

Well the changes don’t look to be stopping any time soon as WWE looks set to make another major change to their presentation.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, WWE could be set to change the theme song for Monday Night Raw and could debut as early as this week.

The report notes that the theme, replacing the current song ‘Greatness’ that has been in use since November 2021, is likely to be produced by WWE’s in house music team Def Rebel.

Def Rebel currently produce several WWE theme songs alongside the current SmackDown theme ‘Nobody Better Than Me.’

SmackDown is set for a historic first when the WWE brings SmackDown to Berlin in 2024 the day before they present the highly anticipated ‘Bash in Berlin’ Premium Live Event.

WWE has released the following press release revealing that SmackDown will come to Berlin for the first time event on Friday, August 30th, 2024.

SMACKDOWN® HEADED TO THE MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA
THE NIGHT BEFORE BASH IN BERLIN®

Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin will host SmackDown on Friday, August 30, 2024 ahead of Bash In Berlin on Saturday, August 31, 2024

Presale Combo Tickets Available Tuesday, November 28

STAMFORD, Conn., November 20, 2023 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that due to the incredible early pre-registration response for Bash in Berlin – the first-ever major WWE Premium Live Event to be held in Germany – SmackDown will also emanate from the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, the night before on Friday, August 30, 2024,This marks the first time ever that SmackDown will broadcast from Germany.Presales for combo tickets will be begin on Tuesday, November 28, at 10am CET.

Fans can register now to receive an exclusive presale offer by visiting: https://www.wwe.com/bash-in-berlin-presale.General public onsale for SmackDown and Bash In Berlin will be available on Thursday, November 30, at 10am CET at www.ticketmaster.de.

SmackDown and Bash In Berlin Priority Pass ticket packages are available now from On Location, offering fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise and more.

To learn more about Priority Passes, please visit onlocationexp.com/bashinberlin.

Additional information will be announced in the coming weeks.

To learn more please visit www.wwe.com or wwe.livenation.de.

Last Saturday AEW Full Gear stole headlines for it’s brutal Texas Deathmatch and it’s divisive main event.

However, it was not the only wrestling show that weekend.

Over in Jonesboro, Arkansas, WWE hosted ‘WWE Sunday Stunner’ at live event at the First National Bank Arena and during that show an eight month streak came to an end.

During the show Iyo Sky retained her WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, Cameron Grimes & Dragon Lee defeated Pretty Deadly and Ridge Holland defeated Karrion Kross.

The later of which represented end of a near eight month streak.

Prior to the show Ridge Holland had not won a WWE singles match in eight months with his last singles victory coming against Cruz Del Toro in May earlier this year.

This year the former Luke Menzies currently posses a 46.5% win rate with 20 wins, 22 losses and 1 draw in 2023 so far.

This is the best win rate of any ‘Brawling Brute’ with Sheamus sitting at 36.2% and Butch sitting at 43.9%.

For context Cody Rhodes possesses the best win rate of any full time active roster member in the WWE with a mammoth 94.8% win rate in 2023 so far, losing just 5 of his 96 matches this year.

Swerve Strickland and Adam Page’s Texas Death Match at AEW Full Gear will be remembered for its brutality and it’s overall divisiveness.

However, for Swerve the match will hold another much more emotional meaning.

Taking to Instagram, the former AEW Tag Team Champion would reveal that his ring gear during the show was tribute to the late, great Bray Wyatt who passed away earlier this year.

Swerve would share a photo of his black and red striped ring gear from AEW Full Gear alongside a photo of Bray Wyatt as The Fiend in the very same gear alongside the simple caption “RIP Bray Wyatt.”

You can check out the post on Swerve Strickland’s Instagram, here, for the next 24 hours.

Good Afternoon!

I hope everyone is doing well and had a great weekend!

I am just back from a much needed week off, so I am feeling refreshed, recharged and ready to bring you all the exciting news coming out of AEW Full Gear today.

I will be with you from 12pm to 6pm BST (7am – 1pm ET) covering all the biggest stories from WWE, AEW, NJPW, IMPACT and more.

We will be kicking things off today with the biggest stories from the last 24 hours including:

• Swerve Strickland pays tribute to Bray Wyatt during AEW Full Gear.
• The latest update on The Young Bucks’ AEW status following hiatus announcement.
• AEW Full Gear match dubbed “a f*cking masterpiece.”
• Hulk Hogan‘s son arrested, facing charges.
• Tony Khan calls for critics to put their money where their “f*cking mouth” is during AEW Full Gear press conference.
• Logan Paul reveals his ambitious wrestling goals, aiming to imitate two WWE Hall of Famers.
• Dijak calls for several NXT stars to be given more opportunities in WWE.
• WWE SmackDown set for first time international event.