Davey return update, Cena gets another movie part, post-Raw dark match, another WWE video library, WWE interested in women for tournament, new 205 Live signing, ROH shows announced, TNA audience, why Stephanie wasn't at Raw, Raw cameos, and Questions on HHH screwing The Shield, Ellsworth's push vs. NXT alumni, Goldberg's biggest squash, and even more on how WWE booked Brock vs. Goldberg

Davey Richards is advertised as wrestling on December 3, so he could easily be back in the ring at TNA's next tapings in January. I'm curious how he'll fit into things. Competing against Eddie Edwards would seem to be a given, even if it's a face-face feud. Richards has said 2017 will be his last year as a wrestler, so TNA should make the most of him while he's still active.

John Cena has taken another feature film role. There's no word of when he'll be taping, but certainly it seems he'll be even less of a full-timer in 2017. He's certainly earned a life after wrestling. I just hope WWE's prepared to transition to a time where he's more of a Chris Jericho or Undertaker kind of presence.

Roman Reigns beat Kevin Owens a second time after Raw in the dark match. It's time to start speculating where those two will fit into things in WM33 season, and whom will be Universal Champion once that event's over. I'd think Owens/Zayn, Owens/Balor, and Balor/Rollins would all be possibilities, but we're far enough out to where a number of things can change between now and then.

WWE is acquiring the library of the Heartland Wrestling Association, which was their first developmental territory. The deal involves all episodes of the HWA TV show in Ohio other than the Brian Pillman Memorial Shows. Those are still owned by Pillman's estate. I don't know what kind of audience those shows will have on their own, but I would definitely think they could use footage to show early days of superstars.

WWE is interested in a number of female talents for the upcoming women's tournament in the vein of the CWC. Names under consideration include Heidi Lovelace, Kimber Lee, Nixon Newell, Cheree Crowley (Evie), Deonna Purrazzo, and Rachael Ellering. Purrazzo and Ellering have both appeared on NXT a number of times. I'd like to see Thea Trinidad (Rosita from TNA), Tessa Blanchard, and Santana Garrett involved, too. The series is currently expected to begin before WM33.

WWE has signed Mustafa Ali to join 205 Live as a regular. They're scooping up quite a few cruiserweights. If I'm someone like Lio Rush, ACH, or an X-Division star, I'm getting my resume ready to send their way.

ROH has announced a February 3 show in San Antonio, Texas, and a February 4 show in Dallas, Texas. Cody will be part of both events.

TNA's audience was only 165,000 for Thanksgiving. I expect that's just a one-week dip for the holiday.

Vince McMahon promoted the debut of 205 Live. The passing of the torch to the next generation continues. Vince isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but he's definitely cognizant of the fact he won't be able to run the company forever. So, people like Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are getting more responsibilities so they get practice for steering the ship on their own someday.

Stephanie McMahon missed Raw due to being in China on WWE's behalf. With her role as chief brand officer, representing the company is more important than being an on-screen authority figure.

Montana Black and Zane Riley were in the Sheamus/Cesaro fight on Raw. Tessa Blanachard made a cameo, too.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think that will set up HHH vs. Rollins at WM33.

2. I don't really see the connection.The fact so many people from NXT are on the main roster at all is a sign WWE is confident they're ready for that level. Only so many people can be "pushed" at one time. A lot of people are going to end up being supporting members of the cast instead of in starring roles.

3. It'd be hard to argue otherwise! BIG decisive win for Goldberg.

4. I would think the test failure has blown over by now. They had a chance to punish him at Summerslam and they didn't. This was all about milking Goldberg's return for big matches at the Rumble and WM33. I think we're in for Goldberg/Brock III at Mania and presumably Taker vs. Cena.

5. I think it was primarily just to do a big, shocking finish rather than concerns Goldberg can't "go." We'll almost certainly see more from Goldberg in the Rumble and at WM33. While he's not the man he was 20 years ago, he's not THAT fragile.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 11/29/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.

WM33 corporate partner, NXT preview, Corgan-TNA lawsuit officially wrapped up, next Takeover announced, Flair note, another post-PPV Talking Smack, DDP DVD coming, WWE cancels web show, and Questions on Steph's character, Roode's NXT work, HHH booking the cruisers vs. Vince, why 205 Live exists and why WWE booked Brock to lose

WWE has announced Snickers will partner with them for WM33. So, we'll be seeing a lot of Snickers content when that event approaches, and likely during the event itself.

Tomorrow's edition of NXT will feature:
- Asuka in action
- Eric Young vs. No Way Jose
- Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger

Billy Corgan's lawsuit against TNA has been officially announced as settled. It's unknown if Corgan's civil lawsuit against TNA executives continues at this time. At any rate, at least the two sides can put this behind them and focus on what's best for the wrestlers in 2017.

Anthem Media is expected to announce their purchase of majority ownership of TNA soon. I assume more details of how the company will operate going forward will follow. 2017 is going to be an important year for TNA.

NXT Takeover:San Antonio has been officially announced for the night before Royal Rumble 2016. This had been expected for some time. I hope they get a big house.

Ric Flair appearing on Raw was a late decision. That was a great moment for Sasha Banks.

"Talking Smack" will follow TLC. I expect that will become the norm for Smackdown PPVs.

Diamond Dallas Page's healthy lifestyle will be the focus of a three-disc DVD by WWE in March. That's great! I'm glad he's helped so many people.

WWE Superstars has been replaced by 205 Live. Superstars will no longer be airing new episodes. WWE Main Event will continue and will be taped on Mondays going forward. I generally enjoy Superstars, but it was a show they were just making due to international agreements. 205 Live is almost definitely a hotter property than the lame-duck show.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. You know, I think the argument can be made she's playing a heel who wants to be seen as a face. As in, she'll make big, crowd-pleasing announcements when she's in the ring, but she'll browbeat people backstage.

2. He's definitely rejuvenated! Hopefully some other names will get a fresh start in NXT as we move forward.

3. It's worth noting HHH gets to book the cruisers in their own show. He doesn't have to worry about a segment being bumped for a longer talking segment from main eventers or 15 other angles competing for time. That's going to be key for the show succeeding. It's not just the cruiserweight "division" of a larger roster. It's its own bubble.

4. Not at all! It's a case of Network fans demanding more cruiserweight content. Vince wouldn't give the OK for the show just because "he doesn't know how to book cruiserweights," "it failed on Raw," etc.

5. The goal is to make more money from Brock and Goldberg colliding at the Rumble and WM33. They've got big arenas to fill at those shows, and they need the firepower. It can definitely be argued it was short-sighted, but that's their reasoning. They also assert the "fluke" loss didn't hurt Brock, since that's how so many MMA bouts end.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 11/18/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

WWE live event notes and Questions on the price of FloSlam, the more shocking Brock result, Demolition in the HoF, giving WWE a chance, and overexposing Ellsworth

Bob Backlund accompanied Darren Young at Raw live events this weekend. Darren and Golden Truth beat Titus O'Neil and the Shining Stars.

James Ellsworth worked as the guest timekeeper for street fights between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose on Smackdown live events this weekend. 

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. To each their own! I do think FloSlam is going to need to offer more or charge less if they're going to be competitive with WWE and NJPW, but that's much easier said than done. Those two companies have the resources to be able to offer so much content so cheaply. FloSports presumably doesn't.

2. The Streak. No contest. That had been built up for more than two decades and no one really saw it coming. Brock's loss was a big shock, but Brock beating Taker was one of the biggest shocks in the history of the business.

3. I think they're mainly mentioning Demolition in the sense of them soon being surpassed by New Day. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the reason New Day is so successful right now is just to bury Demolition due to the lawsuit. Hopefully the two sides reconcile down the line, because that group absolutely belongs in the HoF with Ax included.

4. That's such a subjective thing. I think it's definitely worth checking out what things look like now, but I wouldn't expect things to be completely different from less than a year ago.

5. They want to strike while the iron's hot and make the most of him before people move on like they did with Zack Ryder, Fandango, and Adam Rose.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Superstars Reax - 11/26/16, Cody wins title, Ellsworth on the road, cruisers set for 205 Live, Network gift cards across the pond, and Questions on Shane getting involved in Brock vs. Goldberg, refs in the HoF, WWC as the last territory, and what happens to LU if there's no Season 4

- Superstars:
- Cara vs. Mahal:
Fine action to start.

Mahal makes basic offense effective. That's refreshing in a world with so many flips and dives.

Cara can really move.

Good for what it was, i.e. an unimportant match to fill time and warm the crowd up.

- Bo vs. Axel:
More fine action.

Basic stuff, but I don't think there's really anything wrong with that.

This is going well enough.

And now things are heating up nicely!

I'm liking where this is headed.

Fine match!

Cody is the new GFW NEX*GEN Champion following WrestleCade 2016. Sonjay Dutt had been champion for almost a year. Interestingly, Cody's older than the current top GFW Champion despite holding the "young up-and-comers" title. Anyway, presumably Cody's going to be defending that championship regularly and working on the indie scene more regularly/longer that we initially thought. No word on if we'll see him back in TNA; he'll start working ROH shortly.

James Ellsworth has begun working live events for WWE. They put him right to work after winning that contract, huh?

Tozawa, Gran Metalik, and The Bollywood Boys are all scheduled for this week's debut episode of 205 Live. I'm excited to see all of them again. Hopefully Jack Gallagher will be back on TV soon, too.

WWE Network gift cards are now available in Great Britain and Ireland. That's good news for that audience!

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. All signs are the match went off exactly as planned. Neither Shane nor Goldberg getting hurt changed that.

Nothing to add to 2.

3. I was going to say the Hebners, but I trust his picks.

4. Indeed you could and some have.

5. It's possible they do live events, but I wouldn't think that would last long with no TV show to support it.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Gulak-EVOLVE update, more Story Time, Cesaro snubbed?, and a Question on the fan reaction to pushing Goldberg and Brock

Drew Gulak is scheduled for an EVOLVE show on December 11. That's likely his final match there before becoming a full-time WWE performer. I'm excited to see more of him!

A new episode of WWE Story Time will follow Monday's Raw. Definitely funnier than Camp WWE.

Cesaro tweeted about not being on the poster for WWE's return to Switzerland in May. Gotta grab that brass ring, brother. My guess is WWE had a standard list of people they were putting in ads and just didn't include Cesaro since he isn't in any other posters. It does seem like a big oversight, though.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to really add to anything from 1 to 4.

5. Taker's given a lot to WWF for decades. Goldberg pretty much came in for a big payday and beat one of the most pushed wrestlers ever. As for Brock's win at WM30, there's a similar belief he's just in the business for the money and WWE should have rewarded a younger, hungry talent with a big push instead.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Goldberg-Brock notes, legends set for Impact, more big WWE town takeovers in the works, more CTE plaintiffs, possible Rumble plans, Ibushi-WWE update, more on Goldberg, Tyson pulled from Total Divas, Interview with Show, and Questions on putting old secondary shows on the Network, Goldberg as WWE Champion, Balor returning, Goldberg and Brock's short match, Taker-Shane 2 at WM33, and why people still watch ECW

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar went off as planned. There wasn't any change to the booking due to Goldberg being injured. The idea was to present Goldberg as the spectacle he was in 1998. A quick match sets up a longer future match. If they went ahead and did a long-ish match at Survivor Series, they'd be selling essentially the same thing for the next battle.

- The plan is likely to have Goldberg and Brock in the Rumble and set up another match at WM33. Goldberg is said to be open to working as many dates as WWE is willing to pay him a big sum for. I don't think he's under a Brock kind of deal as much as a per-date situation. Either way, I hope they're spending their money on those two well because it looks like they're going to be two of the focal points for at least the next few months.

The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) will be appearing on Total Nonstop Deletion on December 15. They still work pretty regularly at 60 and 58. That show should really be something else.

It's highly expected WWE's Big Four PPV weekends will be preceded by Takeover events and followed by Raw and Smackdown TV tapings in the same market. So, cities would get four straight night of WWE events by hosting the Rumble, Summerslam, or Survivor Series, and five straight nights for hosting Wrestlemania (including the Hall of Fame ceremony).

Too Cold Scorpio, Johnny Jeter of the Spirit Squad, Chad Dick, and Sylvano Sousa have joined the group of wrestlers suing WWE for CTE-related reasons.

WWE is considering The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles for Royal Rumble, possibly leading to a WWE Championship match between Taker and Cena at WM33. That would be HUGE, but I don't think it needs the title. Maybe do AJ vs. Rumble winner Balor for the title and still do Taker vs. Cena? Using Taker, Brock, Goldberg, HHH, and Cena as five of the top six names at the show (Rollins presumably being number six) is something of a concern considering their schedules. That could easily be the last match for Taker and Goldberg, and Brock and HHH only work a few big PPVs, too. Who's going to be seen as at their level in the years to come if WWE keeps telling us the older part-time names are the most important people in the company?

Kota Ibushi is willing to work for WWE more, but does not want to sign an exclusive deal as he wants to continue working the Japanese scene. Hey, if he can make good money and have a good life working that route, that's great! I'd definitely like to see him more in WWE, though. I assume he'll end up on some Takeover specials or something in 2017. Ibushi specifically mentioned wanting to work with Nakamura before Shinsuke joins the main roster. That would work fine at the Takeover before either the Rumble or WM33.

WWE is working on a WWE 24 special on Goldberg's return. They need to ride that for pretty much all its worth, because he's only got so many more big money matches in him at 49.

Tyson Kidd will not be on future episodes of "Total Divas." I wouldn't be shocked if he pretty much waits out his contract. It certainly doesn't look like we'll see him in a WWE ring again.

Big Show discussed losing weight, WM33, and more. Glad to see he's in better shape. He's left quite the legacy. He's definitely left his mark on the business and deserves to be able to go out at WM33.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can see them putting more old content up, but shows like Raw, Smackdown, and Thunder take precedent over those shows. They'll definitely do more on the original content end going forward. Ultimately, they'll make decisions based on what they think will get more subscribers. Something like Story Time or Table for 3 could have a bigger potential audience than, say, Velocity.

2. What they just said. I see very little chance he becomes champion, especially at WM33. That event could very well be his last match period. I don't see him doing anything more than a Brock/Sting/Taker schedule.

3. No real update on that end. I'd love to see him in the Rumble (especially if he wins), but it's a little early to have an idea of whether that will happen. It's possible he comes back in February and wins a title shot there if he doesn't return that night.

4. WWE did give fans a lot of action that night to hopefully make up for the short main event. I definitely see why people who paid a lot to attend the show are upset, though. Maybe WM33 will give us the longer match fans hoped for.

5. Taker vs. Cena is more likely. Unless Cena's on the shelf again come WM33, I think they're going to go with that match. It's possible it even becomes a title vs. career match; there's plenty of time to set something big up for what may or may not be Taker's last match.

6. Pretty much that. They're milking that nostalgia dollar as long as people will pay!

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH and Impact Wrestling Reax - 11/24/16

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's ROH and Impact Wrestling.

Conor-WWE update, Smackdown audience, Kentucky paves way for WWE to return, Final Battle additions and changes, and Questions on the effects of Goldberg vs. Brock

Conor McGregor's agent is willing to entertain offers from WWE should any such offer come about. He's definitely someone to look to use at WM33. He's a heat MAGNET.

Tuesday's Smackdown drew 2.51 million, so they kept some of the boost from the 900th episode of Smackdown and presumably the fallout from Survivor Series. We'll see how having Taker around more often will affect things going forward.

Kentucky has repealed their rule regarding stopping wrestling matches due to bleeding with the goal of bringing more events to the state. WWE is already speaking to venues in the state regarding bringing televised events for the first time since 2010.

ROH Final Battle additions and changes:
- Colt Cabana vs. Dalton Castle
- Lio Rush/Jay White/KUSHIDA vs. The Kingdom for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
- Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay vs. Bobby Fish vs. Dragon Lee for the ROH Television Championship
- The Motor City Machine Guns and Donovan Dijak are also listed as appearing on the show, but no official matches have been announced for them yet.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's entirely possible that while people were interested in the fallout, they were content to find out via social media, watching the show at another time, etc. Seemingly the audience that did show an increase of interest is not the audience that sits down and watches Raw on TV as it airs.

2. We'll see. If Goldberg leads to more money from the Rumble and presumably WM33, maybe not. It's tough to really know since they can't go back in time and try a different option. I'd like to see someone like Nakamura or Joe get a win over Brock, but getting someone over as a big deal beyond the hardcore audience is a lot easier said than done.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and Main Event Reax - 11/23/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT and Main Event.

Legends in WWE 2K17, title matches set for 205 Live and Raw, Rumble DVD preview, Network deal with Crunchyroll, Raw audience, what happened after Smackdown, and Questions on Nikki being pushed before Becky, Taker working more, Takeover, Vader in the HoF, and Bryan's retirement on Total Bellas

WWE 2K17's legends pack has launched, featuring Eddie Guerrero, Brutus Beefcake, Tatanka, Greg Valentine, and Sycho Sid. I would pop so hard for Gobbledy Gooker releasing on Thanksgiving. 

The first episode of 205 Live will be headlined by Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight Championship. Maybe we'll start seeing Tozawa, Gallagher, etc. there soon.

Raw will feature Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women's Championship and New Day vs. The Club for the Raw Tag Team Championship.

The upcoming Royal Rumble DVD has a preview out. It's definitely one of my favorite matches each year. I'm glad they have it.

WWE Network is now available alongside Crunchyroll for three months at the price of $19.98. That's an INSANE deal. WWE is really going all out to get people to try the Network and ultimately subscribe. It's a good move reaching out to other audiences that might have crossover.

Raw's audience Monday was about three million even. Not a big boost for the fallout from Survivor Series, which should be at least a little concerning. There are a lot of factors at play here, and it's going to be a long, tough slog getting bigger numbers.

After Smackdown, Dean Ambrose and James Ellsworth celebrated Ellsworth's win. The night ended with Ambrose and Kane beating Bray and Harper. Orton had the night off, which WWE did a good job of covering for.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think it's a stretch to say Total Bellas is a bigger priority than the Smackdown Women's Championship. So, Nikki's considered the star to focus on. I hope for WWE's sake she stays healthy and active given how prominent she is for Smackdown.

2. I wholly expect him to work Royal Rumble in Texas, whether that's in the match itself or going for the WWE Championship for possibly the last time. I would think he'll be something of a regular from the start of Rumble season through WM33. We'll see how things look after that.

3. I suspect this is a plug disguised as a question, but it was definitely a great show all around! 

4. I really, really hope so. 2017 would be the perfect time to put him in. I hope he beats his expected prognosis either way.

5. The emotions involved were/are definitely real. 

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Reax - 11/22/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Brock/Goldberg fallout, NXT preview, HoFer at Survivor Series, ROH sells London out, Fish update, UK names added to Final Battle, Shane feeling Survivor Series, ECW release on Network, and Questions on how WWE booked Brock vs. Goldberg

Most of the WWE locker room was shocked at the ending of Brock vs. Goldberg, as the booking was kept from almost everyone. They weren't the only ones shocked! I think part of why WWE booked the match that way was to get people talking. They succeeded in that, but ultimately it will be a matter of if that leads to more business for the company.

Taped for this week's NXT:
- Eric Young vs. No Way Jose
- Rich Swann vs. Kona Reeves
- Liv Morgan/Aliyah/Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay/Peyton Royce/Daria

Trish Stratus was backstage at Survivor Series. There were reports WWE wanted her to face Asuka at Takeover, given it being Trish's hometown market.

ROH's show in London drew a sellout with 1,100 fans. That's great news!

Bobby Fish left ROH's UK tour due to a family emergency. I wish him and his family well and hope he's able to get back to action soon.

Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay will be added to Final Battle, presumably in the TV Title picture. I assume Dragon Lee is in that hunt, too, but who knows at this point!

Brock Lesnar was never scheduled for Raw. He left Toronto shortly after Survivor Series. I'm curious when we'll see him again. In the Rumble match to eliminate Goldberg, maybe?

Shane McMahon was legitimately hurt at Survivor Series from the massive spear he took. He was pulled from the match because he was seemingly out on his feet. 

The "OMG: ECW's Most Controversial Moments" special is now available on WWE Network. It was going to be a DVD release, but was pulled earlier this year. I hope it does well for them!

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Not a lot! Brock went down faster than C.M. Punk vs. Mickey Gall.

2. Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Goldberg scored a quick upset. He more or less caught Brock by surprise. Don't jump to conclusions about anyone being "buried" or anything. It's entirely possible Brock gets his win back at WM33 in a longer match.

3. The argument is Goldberg might draw more for the Rumble and WM33 after the big win. I do think it means less now if, say, Roman or Rollins beats Brock clean, but I understand what they were trying to do.

4. That would still look like a possible fluke. Followup would be key there, too. I'd definitely like to see someone like Joe or Nakamura get a key win over Brock.

5. We'll see what it leads to for both men. Come, say, Summerslam when Goldberg is probably truly done, we'll have a better idea of whether it was a good move. As for Dave's answer, Goldberg is a bigger draw than any NXT name. Dirtsheet readers are one audience, but fans from the earlier eras MIGHT come back due to Goldberg being pushed. Those fans don't know Samoa Joe or Shinsuke Nakamura, so pushing those names wouldn't appeal to them.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 11/21/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Interview with Natalya, Foley promotes Survivor Series, Fish misses ROH show, ROH attendance note, another ROH title change, Cody's match at Final Battle set, producer returns, and Questions on Raw vs. Smackdown, Taker not working Survivor Series, changing characters from NXT, promotions working together, and the AMAs

Natalya talked about WWE's different women's divisions and more:
- I'm glad WWE is getting more behind the women. They have a lot to give.

- Smart answer about taking any opportunity she's given. WWE likes that kind of attitude.

- Natalya's great at the PR role. I can see her being associated with WWE for quite a while, like Lita is now.

- Smackdown is definitely the underdog division with no Charlotte, Sasha, or Bayley.

Mick Foley appeared in Toronto's Santa parade before Survivor Series. He's a BIG Christmas fan.

Bobby Fish missed the final date of ROH's UK tour due to "unforeseen circumstances." At least we know it's not health-related. I hope everything's going well with the now-former TV Champion and we'll see him again at Final Battle.

ROH's Leicester show in the UK drew around 600-650 fans. Was that a success, given the costs of running there?

Marty Scurll defeated Will Ospreay to become the new ROH TV Champion after Ospreay won the title the previous night. I'm REALLY curious what ends up happening to the title situation at Final Battle. Scurll vs. Ospreay vs. Lee (vs. Fish)?

Cody (Rhodes) vs. Jay Lethal is official for Final Battle. I expect we'll see a good number of big matches for Cody in ROH.

Jamie Noble has returned to working backstage for WWE. That's good news. I hope things are going well for him.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It happens in other sports (and real life) all the time. That person you like is now on a different team? They're the enemy! Hell, families killed each other in the U.S. Civil War. That said, I think WWE did a pretty good job not having everyone be best friends at Survivor Series.

2. OK, I'm totally going to make a stretch for this one. Either Taker's not "back" until the fallout of Survivor Series, or Shane doesn't want to potentially upset a man who put him through hell at WM32 by forcing him into a match with so little notice. Or maybe Shane was so cocky or confident he didn't think he needed Taker? Or they already had a plan together and he didn't want to risk it? There are some potential explanations there.

3. It's something of a case of the WWE writers not being the ones who cultivated her in NXT. I think it's like someone new coming on a script that's already been started and not getting the characters just right because they want to take it in a different direction. That's kind of how things happen sometimes.

4. It really depends on the situation. If NJPW has been building someone as an absolute unbeatable monster, they want them to be booked similarly in ROH. Some names they're a little more lenient on. It's a surprise promotions are able to work together at all given how complicated it could be.

5. That could definitely be it!

More wrestling tomorrow.

Survivor Series Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's WWE special event.

Superstars Reax - 11/19/16, Ellsworth confirms future, WWEmojis are here, Emma on surgery, ROH attendance, bonus ECW special clip, and Questions on TNA paying Corgan, Mero in the Hall, TNA live events, Goldberg's status, the biggest Survivor Series moment, and Hogan on the Goldbergs

- Titus vs. Axel:
Nice basic action to start.

I'm liking the physicality here. It's not complicated or fancy, but it's believable and effective. That's what's most important!

I love that stupid dog bark so much.

This is going pretty well.

I liked Titus blocking the Perfectplex since that could very well be the end.

Good ending.

- Darren vs. Mahal: 
Nice start. Even though this match has no meaning, they're selling it like it does matter.

Nice technical action.

Young's really impressive. I kind of wish he was coming up through NXT now, because he might get a good shot at things instead of just meandering on Superstars.

This is picking up nicely.

I'm enjoying this for what it is.

Both men really working hard. 

Not bad at all!

James Ellsworth confirmed at an indie show that he has signed a full-time deal with WWE. He'll finish up the dates he's already signed for ahead of going on the road for WWE. I'm curious how he'll fit into things.

WWE has released an emoji app, and it's as amazing as it sounds.

Emma discussed her recovery from surgery. I'm ready to see her back in the ring!

ROH drew 700 fans for their live event in Liverpool. For a show with local stars Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll as well as the Young Bucks, Adam Cole, The Addiction, The Briscoes, and Jay Lethal, I don't know if that's a good number. This tour has been pushed as a big deal for some time.

WWE posted a bonus clip of the Authentic Untold History of ECW on the change from Eastern Championship Wrestling. It should be a pretty interesting look back at the company.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm guessing it's a case where the two sides have agreed to terms but those terms haven't been fulfilled yet. I would think Anthem will pay him shortly if they haven't already.

2. I'd like to see it happen given his turn into a motivational speaker. He could be a good ambassador for turning your life away from drugs, etc.

3. They want to! They might run India before they do any domestic dates, but it's definitely something Anthem wants TNA to do again.

4. I think he's going to go through with the match unless a doctor pulls him from it. This is one of the biggest nights of his life; he's not going to miss it unless he has no other choice.

5. Considering we're still talking about it nearly 20 years later, that's got to be it.

6. I suppose it depends on what other ideas they have/how well the other wrestling episode did.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Takeover: Toronto Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT special event.

Survivor Series preview

Read on for my ideas on booking tonight's WWE Network special event.

Nese sets out final indie dates, what will go last at Survivor Series, Interviews with Heyman/Foley/Charlotte/Lawler/Cass, WM33 press, ECW special coming this week, classic content and Raws on Network, TNA audience, new Network show coming after the Series, ROH title changes hands, and Questions on how WWE will book Raw vs. Smackdown, Taker vs. Shane, LU Season 4, celebrities at WWE events, and WWE at the Macy's Day parade

Tony Nese has announced he's finishing up his indie dates with a NYWC show on November 26 and two HOH shows on December 3 and December 16.

The plan on Friday was for Lesnar vs. Goldberg to close Survivor Series. They might have some real tough acts to follow. That combined with the fact neither of them will likely compete at Roadblock has me questioning this move.

Paul Heyman discussed Survivor Series:
- The argument can be made Brock should win in two minutes considering his opponent is nearly 50 and hasn't wrestled in more than a decade. I think that would leave a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, though.

- Honestly, I liked Brock vs. Goldberg OK. It would have been better if the crowd didn't mercilessly bury both of them and they were motivated to go out with a bang.

- I hope they do make up for their WMXX match!

- Brock/Goldberg 3 at either the Rumble or WM33 is a possibility if Bill comes out of the Series intact.

- Heyman kayfabing this interview as heel manager is awesome.

Mick Foley previewed Survivor Series:
- Very glad to see he's lost so much weight, by the way.

- I think we take for granted someone will go through a table. It takes some mass along with force to break it, though. It's not as easy for Sasha as it is for, say, Seth Rollins (who's hardly big himself).

- I'm very glad WWE is staying away from political commentary this year because there's more than enough discussion of that elsewhere.

Charlotte also talked before this weekend's big PPV:
- Charlotte vs. Mickie or Charlotte vs. Trish at WM33 would be pretty great.

- Good for her to have some separation between Charlotte and Ashley. It can be dangerous to get too involved in your work life.

Charlotte also got press for being part of the WM33 party.

The "Authentic Untold Story of ECW" with Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, the Dudley Boyz, and Tazz will air on WWE Network after Raw. Is there really anything left to say about a company that went out of business 15 years ago? What could possibly be left untold at this point!?

WWE has added another episode of Prime Time Wrestling to the Network, so we could be in for a big drop of classic content soon.

Jerry Lawler discussed The Rock leaving Memphis for WWE 20 years ago:
- Lawler's one of the biggest and most important names in wrestling history, far beyond his commentary career.

- USWA was developmental before there was developmental!

- Being in charge of an affiliated promotion like USWA or OVW has historically led to headaches due to dealing with WWE's sudden decisions of how to use a talent from there.

- A future WWE game needs to include Flex Kavana as a character. I'd pop for him wrestling in that gimmick at CHIKARA or something. It will never happen, but it's funny to think about.

- Working different crowds in different towns is very important.

- I think in general having a talent's gimmick not be "more famous wrestler's relative" is the right move to see if they're good enough to make it beyond name association.

TNA's audience this was was 336,000, pretty much in line with what they normally do. It'll be interesting to see what things look like for them viewership-wise in 2017 with whatever changes they'll make.

WWE Network is adding Raw episodes from 2010.

Big Cass was profiled by Fox Sports. I can see him as Universal Champion before too much longer. He could easily win MITB in 2017 or 2018. Glad he did get a degree so he has something to fall back on.

WWE's animated Story Time will debut after Survivor Series. That looks pretty funny.

Will Ospreay defeated Bobby Fish in England to become the new ROH TV Champion. Ospreay recently signed with the company and this was his first match there. As of this writing, it's unknown how this will affect the lineup for Final Battle. Fish was scheduled to defend the championship against Dragon Lee that night.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think one team will win, but there will be a case of two team members not getting along or something leading to a loss so it's not so much one side won as the other side couldn't work together effectively.

2. I wouldn't be totally shocked. We'll see how Survivor Series ends.

3. There continue to be rumblings filming will start in January or February, but nothing official. I believe at one point there were rumors of them filming S4 in November, but obviously that didn't end up happening.

4. A lot of them are fans or with people who are fans!

5. I assume it's not cost-effective for promotion.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Takeover: Toronto preview

Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's NXT special event.

Survivor Series '17 announced, Ellsworth joining WWE soon?, Tajiri working NXT, Colby joining NJPW, NXT attendance note, guest referee at NXT, and Questions on announcing Survivor Series '17 so early, NXT not selling out, Shane O'Mark?, more Taker, the Stud Stable, and double standards with Joey

Survivor Series 2017 will be in Houston, preceded by a Takeover special and followed by Raw and Smackdown in the same venue. This will be the 30th anniversary of the event. It will also be the 20th anniversary of the infamous Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels match in Montreal; I'm very glad they're not playing off that by having next year's event up North.

- WWE put out a press release on the announcement.

James Ellsworth is finishing up accepting independent dates, which almost definitely means he's in the process of being signed by WWE. I hope he has a good run and makes the most of a big opportunity.

Tajiri is advertised as teaming with Tozawa against #DIY at an NXT show in Japan on December 3. WWE will film footage for the Network at the event. Cool to see Tajiri get to compete again.

Colby Corino will be joining NJPW in January. I wouldn't assume this means anything one way or another regarding his father. I am curious how much ROH will use Colby going forward. We haven't really seen him in a while.

Roughly 1500 people attended NXT's show in Boston. Not a bad number by any means but the venue seated a lot more.

Darryl Sharma, a coach at Santino's school in Canada, worked as a referee at the Orlando party for WM33 going on sale. So that's pretty cool.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They intend it to be a really big event for the 30th anniversary of the show.

2. They could be growing too much too quickly as far as the number of shows they're doing. Doing 1,500 or so is nothing to scoff at; trying to fill much more than that is only happening on special occasions.

3. I don't think they would. He was having a good moment with his kids. Heck, a lot of the roster marks out for NXT, too.

4. It looks like we will be seeing him more. I wouldn't assume we'll see him every week, but I definitely think we'll see him again before the end of the year. And maybe even at TLC?

5. Pretty funny to think of Foley as a stud.

6. There's nothing inherently misogynistic about men vs. women matches. It's all in how it's presented.

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH and Impact Wrestling Reax - 11/17/16

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's ROH and Impact Wrestling.

WM32 draws huge for Dallas, Taker joins Smackdown roster, Interview with Goldberg, Nikki, Cara exiled, ECW alumni at Smackdown, post-Smackdown reunion footage, Nese-WWE deal footage, NXT guests, new multi-year deal for WWE in Germany, Takeover attendance update, Foley appearing on indie show, O'Reilly to miss time, TNA seeking head of advertising, top part-timers advertised for WM33, Kentucky makes changes, Ellsworth update, WWE gets rights to cruiser name, and Questions on Brock's work ethic, Hulk's health issues, Corgan selling to WWE, Shane replacing Corbin, and Quackenbush's reaction to Styles

Wrestlemania 32 week generated an absolutely astounding $170 million for the Dallas area. With AXXESS, the Hall of Fame, Takeover, and Raw, that's a lot of days to stay in a local hotel and a lot of days to hire people to work out at the venues.

The Undertaker is expected to work on Smackdown on a more regular basis on the road to Wrestlemania 33. That's definitely big for the show. I really hope it leads to Taker vs. AJ at the Rumble and Taker vs. Cena at WM33.

Goldberg indicated Survivor Series is likely his last match, as he's been on a grueling physical regimen preparing for it that has taken its toll on him. I expect a match with Brock will leave him pretty battered, but at least he'll be able to say he came back. If he does work the Rumble and/or WM33, consider it a bonus.

Nikki Bella chipped a tooth during Smackdown. It's a physical business!

Sin Cara wasn't allowed in the main locker room at Raw due to his recent incidents. I hope he gets what he needs in order to stay out of physical confrontations going forward.

Taz, Tommy Dreamer, and the Dudleys were backstage at Smackdown to film something ECW-related for the WWE Network. Taz discussed returning to the company on his show.

WWE released footage of the Kane/Undertaker reunion after Smackdown.

WWE also posted footage of Tony Nese getting a WWE contract at EVOLVE this weekend.

Smackdown drew 2.73 million viewers for The Undertaker's return and Cutting Edge on the 900th episode. That's quite the boost from what the show has generally been doing.

Shane McMahon and Pete Gas were sitting ringside at an NXT live event in New York City. Shane danced with No Way Jose after the opener.

WWE has announced a multi-year deal with SKY Deutschland to air Raw, Smackdown, and PPVs in Germany. Great news for WWE and their fans there.

Takeover: Toronto has sold around 11,000 tickets. That's nothing to scoff at by any means.

Mick Foley will appear via satellite at Sunday's ICW show. He had booked himself for that show at one point, but is needed for Survivor Series.

Kyle O'Reilly will be unable to work ROH's UK tour due to a medical issue preventing him from being able to fly. He's an important part of the company right now, so hopefully he ends up OK.

TNA is looking to hire someone with experience selling advertising as they begin to rebuild the brand under Anthem.

The Rock and Undertaker are being advertised for WM33. With the show being in Florida, I can see a big push for Rock appearing.

Kentucky has changed regulations on wrestling in order to get promotions to do more business there. We'll see if it pays off; they definitely want more big shows from WWE.

James Ellsworth is still accepting indie bookings, so he hasn't been signed by WWE yet. I guess they're hesitant in case he fizzles out like Adam Rose, Fandango, and other fads.

WWE now has the rights to Lince Dorado. CHIKARA came up with the character, so WWE had to purchase those rights.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE's willing to continue paying him, so it's not stealing. If they weren't happy with the results, they're presumably free to release him.

2. Brother, the Hulkster has put asses in seats for at least 1858 matches, jack. That's a lot of leg drops. It's not the move as much as how many times he did it.

3. With Corgan being paid back, he no longer has any potential for ownership in TNA. He's out of the picture going forward. I don't really see why WWE would purchase a partial stake, because then theoretically they'd have to have a bidding war with Anthem Media for the rest of it. I expect they're going to wait to see how things turn out with Anthem. If there's another opportunity to buy TNA at some point, I'm sure they'll be interested in making a move.

4. They hope curious casual fans will watch to see Shane. I don't see any way Corbin would have made that kind of mark on subscription numbers.

5. Quackenbush didn't say anything negative about Styles. Dave's the one being dramatic here. The controversy isn't about Styles; The Styles incident is just the straw that broke the camel's back. Fans want wrestling to be an escape from negative comments so many of them have to deal with outside of those shows.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and Main Event Reax - 11/16/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT and Main Event.

Vader facing heart problems, Rusev's grandmother passes, WWE reaching out to former Network subscribers, Interviews with Goldberg/Magnum, Pitch Perfect star to get action figures, TND taping, Raw audience, SD900 on social media, Dolph Q&A, former ECW names open wrestling school, big reunion after SD, and Questions on forgiving Joey, how Trump's election affects WWE, ROH on-demand, and WWE courting Rousey

Vader got some depressing news from heart doctors recently. I hope the legend proves them wrong and has many healthy years ahead of him.

Rusev's grandmother passed away recently. That likely explains why Rusev and Lana were not on Raw. Deep condolences to the family. 

WWE Network has issued former subscribers promotional offers to get the Network free through the end of January. That's one hell of a deal! Don West would blush at that special!

JR talked to Goldberg about his return. Survivor Series is a really big night for the former WCW Champion. 

Stephanie McMahon reached out to Pitch Perfect's Skylar Astin after he gave an interview about losing his wrestling action figure collection. WWE is all about PR moves like that now. I wouldn't be surprised to see Skylar as a guest host or something at some point if WWE can swing it.

Magnum TA discussed his new documentary. Inspiring words; I'm glad he's doing well. I do miss wrestlers who did more fights than choreography. We still see some of that, which is good. I think you need some of each kind of style in a good promotion.

TNA has begun filming Total Nonstop Deletion. Taping will last several days. That should be quite the show.

Raw this week drew 2.88 million viewers. If the post-PPV show doesn't crack three million, there's cause for concern.

Triple H, Vince McMahon, and The Rock put over the 900th episode of Smackdown. Someone needs to make a collection of backstage Vince stories.

Nikolai Volkoff used Kickstarter to fund an autobiographical comic book. Should be interesting!

Dolph Ziggler did a Q&A. I'm surprised he lost the IC Title and might not be involved with Survivor Series. I wonder what that means for him doing forward.

Former WWF and ECW name Tony Devito and ECW name John Diamond have opened a wrestling school in Florida. Hopefully they produce some talented students.

The Undertaker and Kane had a live reunion after Smackdown went off the air. They did the Brothers of Destruction fist raise before heading backstage. That's pretty cool.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I have. He owned up to his mistake and made amends. As long as he stays on the straight and narrow going forward, I'm not going to hold a grudge. To err is human. As for why there's an outrage, it's because people have been so burned out by people essentially getting away with those types of comments. Joey's mistake happened at a volatile time in politics. That really worked against him.

2. I didn't think of that. It's certainly possible. The McMahons have been close to Trump for quite some time. 

3. No word on that kind of thing. I would think that would be a Sinclair call, and they've got a lot on their plate beyond ROH.

4. If he doesn't, Stephanie or HHH almost definitely will.

5. NO. I think the last thing they want to do is tie themselves to such a controversial candidate. What Vince and Linda do as individuals is one thing, but the company promoting him is a whole different level. It could get them a lot of backlash.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Reax - 11/15/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Joey addresses EVOLVE incident, more promotions drop Joey, WWE punishes Cara, Interview with Mickie, Nese on WWE deal, Flairs book coming soon, more cruisers offered contracts, new 205 Live logo, another NXT date, Survivor Series collection uploaded, Corino update, new WWE trademark, NXT female advertised for upcoming Raw live event, and Questions on my favorite wrestling memory, VKM firing Dunn, putting 205 Live after SD, the next wave of NXT women pushes, and Goldberg vs. Brock

Joey Styles released an open letter in response to his departure from EVOLVE. In short, he "gets" what he did was wrong and did everything he could to make sure it didn't offend anyone or negatively affect the company. I would like to applaud Joey for owning up to what he did.

- Gabe Sapolsky confirmed why Styles' remark got him in hot water.

- CHIKARA has also parted ways with Joey Styles, and followed up by instituted a zero-tolerance policy for misogynistic, racist, and/or homophobic speech. From the sounds of things, that would include fan behavior. I can definitely sympathize with Quackenbush's desire to rid wrestling culture of those elements. There's plenty of that to be found outside of wrestling, so he's trying to make the show an escape for those affected.

- Beyond Wrestling has also pulled Joey Styles from future events. I expect it will be a while before Styles is given a live mic at a wrestling show.

Sin Cara was not allowed to be on WWE's corporate charter flight following his incident in the UK with Chris Jericho. I hope this is the end of physical incidents involving the former Hunico.

Mickie James talked about returning to the ring for WWE and more:
- I'm very glad she's getting at least one last match for WWE. I'd be fine with her competing for one of the women's championships at WM33. The problem would be not overshadowing Smackdown if she ends up with the Raw title match.

- There are plenty of young and/or unsigned talents WWE can utilize, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a place for some talented veterans like Mickie.

- Charlotte vs. Mickie at the Rumble or WM33 would be good. WWE clearly wants to build Charlotte as the top female athlete they have.

- NXT has absolutely been a boon for WWE and for wrestling fans for what it's brought to the table.

Tony Nese posted about receiving a WWE contract. This is pretty big for him, and for a lot of other cruiserweights who have joined the roster lately.

A Ric Flair/Charlotte book is in the works. Wow, they're REALLY pushing her as something big. I agree she's very good, but is it too soon to put this big of a rocket on her?

The Bollywood Boyz have officially been offered WWE contracts as part of appearing on 205 Live and will be moving to Florida from Canada. The pair are currently the GFW Tag Team Champions, so the company will presumably declare new champions soon.

WWE has released a new logo for 205 Live. It's still quite ugly, but that's at least a step up from the previous design.

Triple H has announced a December 15 show for NXT in California. Next month will be busy for the brand!

WWE Network has added a "subscriber's choice" collection for favorite Survivor Series matches.

Steve Corino has been announced as calling NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4, so he'll at least be with ROH through then. WWE talked to him after his recent work as a guest coach, leading to speculation he'll end up joining the performance center on a more regular basis in 2017.

WWE has filed for a trademark for "Earn The Day" for clothing purposes. I'm guessing that would be for merchandise celebrating New Day breaking Demolition's WWE Tag Team Championship record.

Liv Morgan is advertised for Raw's December 28 live event in Brooklyn, New York. I'd be very surprised if WWE called her up with so little experience, so I expect this is just a cameo since she's from the area.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I've got to go with my first live event experience when I was nine years old. It didn't matter that we had to use binoculars to get a good view of what was going on in the ring and none of the wrestlers could possibly hear my chants. I was part of a fun experience and I didn't have to worry about anything other than whether Mankind would survive a cage match with Kane, Undertaker, and Stone Cold.

2. I don't know that they're best friends, but either way, I don't see him ever firing Dunn. For better or worse, Dunn has shaped the look and feel of WWE into the way Vince wants it to look and feel. He almost definitely has a job there as long as Vince does unless he wants to retire or something.

3. I don't expect the entire Smackdown audience to stay and watch the cruisers, but hopefully a good deal of them do.

4. I expect Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, and Ember Moon to be in line to face Asuka after Takeover. I agree Santana and Tessa would be good signings to NXT, as would Deonna Purrazzo.

5. As was said, this match is pretty much just a spectacle to draw in fans who aren't necessarily watching to see Rollins, Owens, etc. Hardcore fans have already made up their mind regarding the Network. WWE is trying to reach people who don't follow dirtsheets, watch NXT, etc. As for booking it, they can do the whole story of "this is Goldberg's last match. He's doing it for his family. It means the world to him" so he stands a chance. And there will be PLENTY of opportunities for the full-time names to headline shows given how many PPVs WWE will be producing in the brand split era. I don't see much to worry about here.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 11/14/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

More on Joey-EVOLVE, WWE chocolate bars, Summer Rae update, Nese gets WWE deal, ROH name at EVOLVE seminar, and Questions on booking Raw vs. Smackdown, shooting at the Impact Zone, AJ Lee's in-ring future, what if Hulk never went to WWE, and how I got started in wrestling

Joey Styles had been instructed not to reference politics before his controversial EVOLVE promo. EVOLVE head Gabe Sapolsky didn't want anyone bringing the subject up, as the show was to be an escape for those watching. Styles accompanied Timothy Thatcher to the emergency room after the show, remaining with him until he was released the next morning.

WWE-themed chocolate is now available at FYE. That might be one of the craziest things I've ever heard. I would have popped so hard for Sheamus white chocolate, but instead they got several kinds of milk chocolate.

Summer Rae talked about her injuries. I hope things get sorted out for her soon. She was drafted to Raw, but has not appeared there yet.

William Regal presented Tony Nese with a WWE contract at an EVOLVE event this weekend. Regal eased further signings. We'll see.

Lio Rush was at EVOLVE's training seminar this weekend as he lives in the area. He could end up working there in 2017 if he doesn't re-sign with ROH.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE will definitely need to be careful in how they present the two brands at the PPV. I'm split on Shane competing at the show, since it does seem to suggest Smackdown doesn't have five main eventers at Raw's level when Cena's not there.

2. I imagine a lot of it has to do with it being easier to get a better shot of things when they play to that angle of the venue. With everything in wrestling being about having cool MOVES that can be replayed/made into GIFs, dangerous physical spots are the norm.

3. AJ's officially retired, so we might not see her wrestle again, period. I would think her book's release would be post-WWE contract since the company isn't publishing the book.

4. I don't see anyone succeeding at the same level Hulk did. All the stars aligned for Hogan, Vince, Piper, etc. to take things to the next level. I suppose he might have tried to keep Backlund as top face, but that's pure guesswork.

5. My dad was flipping through channels in 1998 and I caught Edge spearing someone. The rest is pretty much history on that front. I started discussing wrestling online in a Yahoo mail fan club sometime in 2004 (which seems forever ago now). I started this blog to combat some of the narratives that were being pushed - exaggerations of how evil/incompetent Management and Creative are, that kind of stuff. I also know a LOT of news happens in a day and it's really hard to keep up with it one headline at a time, so I do a daily post.

More wrestling tomorrow.

XFL Take 2?, Linda update, Lots of WWE in Spain in 2017, cruisers offered WWE deals, Paige appears at indie show, Corino on WWEPC stint, Joey out of EVOLVE, more join CTE lawsuit, and Questions on Cena returning, WWE's history with MMA, WWF Magazine predicting angles, Breeze's place on the card, and WWE getting the Memphis library

Vince McMahon and the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones have discussed a "minor league" NFL, although nothing concrete has been planned at this time. That would be an interesting endeavor. I'm curious how WWE shareholders would react to such an investment after how the XFL turned out.

Linda McMahon is in talks to join the Trump presidential administration, so it doesn't seem likely she'll be returning to working for WWE anytime soon.

WWE is planning to run five shows in Spain in 2017 across two tours, one in May and one in November. That's good news. I wonder if NXT will head there next year, too.

Drew Gulak and Tony Nese have been offered full-time WWE deals as part of the ongoing expansion of the cruiserweight division with the "205 Live" show. Both men are very talented. YOU DESERVE IT *clap clap. clap clap clap.* and so on...

Paige appeared at an indie event this weekend, watching a match from ringside before returning to the back. Alberto El Patron competed later in the night. She remains under contract to WWE under her second Wellness suspension, but I don't think it's a stretch to think she's reconsidering her future with the company.

Steve Corino discussed his recent work as a guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center. That could become a more regular thing in 2017 should Corino not sign a new contract with ROH.

Joey Styles is no longer part of EVOLVE after making reference to Donald Trump's widely-disseminated comments to Billy Bush during an event this weekend. Styles' comments were not approved ahead of time. Styles' line has been removed from replays. For his part, Joey apologized backstage on his way out of the arena. With EVOLVE's relationship with WWE and the new streaming deal with FloSports, they don't want to cause any controversy on that level.

Ashley Massaro, Perry Saturn, and the family of Balls Mahoney have joined the big CTE lawsuit brought about by Vito and Evan Singleton. Additionally, Massaro is alleging WWE covered up a sexual assault she experienced during an overseas tour. Whether that lawsuit will go the same way as the recently dismissed one will be known soon enough.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Cena is set for WWE's Madison Square Garden show on December 26. I would expect him to be back in time for Royal Rumble hype and WM33 season.

2. Only loosely related, but there was a pitch to sign Kimbo Slice somewhere in 2003-2005. That could have been interesting. Kimbo vs. Brock? Kimbo vs. Goldberg?

3. I definitely think some of those ideas ended up being picked up and utilized. With WCW lighting a fire under them, WWF was willing to look "outside the box" for ideas.

4. I like Breeze, but he was something of a big fish in a small pond in NXT. He's good, but I can't say I'd push him above where he is now.

5. Unfortunately, I bet some shows were taped over or are otherwise unusable.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Superstars Reax - 11/11/16, Big WWE lawsuit dismissed, Tributes back on Network, Best Friends on live Talk is Jericho, Reigns leaves WWE tour, WOH departure, another ROH name on the way out?, UK names officially joining ROH, HHH conference call, Corgan and TNA settle issues, WWE promotes EVOLVE shows, JR book update, Cutting Edge guests, TNA audience, and Questions on magazines disappearing, Goldberg's future, more libraries for WWE, and who should have been WWE Champion

- Superstars:
- Neville vs. Titus:
Good start to establish Titus as the bully.

I like Titus shutting Neville down. He doesn't need to be fancy to be dominant.

Titus' arrogance is great.

I'm liking this.

That was pretty good for what it needed to be. We didn't get to see all of Neville's MOVES, but they told a nice story.

- Bo vs. Darren:
Ahhh I love Bo. He's such a goof.

Bo's doing more for his character in this match than we've seen from Neville in months.

Darren's a solid talent. I wonder how he'd do somewhere like ROH where he'd get to do more wrestling than "sports entertaining."

Darren's pretty impressive here. He's got the technical part of wrestling down well.

I like the chicken wing being sold like death.

Nice fire from Darren.

That was pretty good!

A Connecticut court has thrown out the lawsuit brought against WWE by the families of the former Viscera and Doink the Clown, and went so far as to call out the attorney responsible for filing the lawsuits for the unprofessional manner in which the case was put together. They were very close to sanctioning him for his "misleading, deceptive, and baseless allegations." They had to spend a lot of time and resources to comb through a ridiculously long filing with little potential merit. They have every right to be pissed, and the taxpayers of Connecticut should be pretty upset at this as well.

WWE's Tribute to the Troops collection has returned to the Network with every special from 2003 through 2015.

Kevin Owens will be replacing AJ Styles on Chris Jericho's live Talk is Jericho podcast on November 20 due to a last-minute change in Styles' WWE schedule. That should be a pretty fun edition of the show.

Roman Reigns has left WWE's European tour due to a family matter that required him to return home to the U.S.. Big Cass will replace him in facing Rusev on the rest of the tour. I hope things work out for the U.S. Champion.

Veda Scott has left ROH after giving notice last week. That's a little surprising since the company was starting to do more with the women's division. I'm curious what that means for her future.

There's speculation Lio Rush will be finishing up in ROH in early 2017, as he's taking outside bookings for that time frame. Do people still care about him or have they moved on to another young flippy guy?

UK stars Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay have officially signed deals with ROH. The company should get them for Final Battle if they can.

Triple H did a conference call to promote Takeover: Toronto:
- The "consolation prize" reference is to WWE being unable to get Trish Stratus for the show. I'm more than OK with Mickie facing Asuka, and hope Mickie becomes a trainer if they're not going to use her in the ring more.

- There's definitely a LOT of WWE content out there now.

- People being able to watch the shows they want when they want is a big deal. Things are going to move more and more in that direction in the years to come, but TV isn't going away just yet.

- Doing NXT every week live would be a big expense. Unless it would really increase viewership and subscribers, I don't see any reason to rush into doing it.

- So HBK hasn't replaced Bloom, but he'll be helping out in Orlando.

- Part of what makes NXT great is talents generally don't have time to get stale with being called up, new names coming in, etc.

Billy Corgan and Anthem/TNA have settled their legal issues. That's presumably good news, as now everyone involved can move on. Hopefully this leads to TNA finally being able to get out of some of the muck they're in.

- Anthem commented on the settlement. We'll get more in the way of specifics next week. Anthem will likely not comment further, as they'll focus on what the future holds for TNA. That's likely the right move.

WWE put over this weekend's EVOLVE events, teasing Tony Nese or Drew Gulak could appear on Raw with the EVOLVE Championship. That would be pretty interesting. I can't even say surprising at this point given the changes we've seen in WWE lately.

Jim Ross' autobiography, fittingly named Slobberknocker, is due out in fall 2017. I can't wait to read about pet coons, government mules, and a LOT of insight into the wrestling business.

Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Shane McMahon, Dean Ambrose, and AJ Styles will be the guests on Tuesday's Cutting Edge for the 900th episode of Smackdown. That makes sense. Hopefully there's some levity with James Ellsworth instead of just "we're going to beat Raw and show how great The Blue Brand is, then beat each other."

Impact Wrestling drew 319,000 viewers this week, down a bit from previous weeks. Anthem has their work cut out for them revitalizing the TNA brand in 2017.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Magazines still exist in something of a niche market.

2. It will depend on how Survivor Series goes. If there's potential for him to do something else after that, I'm sure the two sides will consider it. I would think Royal Rumble and WM33 would be options for further big matches. As for outside of the ring, I can see him being added to AXXESS and Comic Cons and that kind of thing.

3. I'm sure they're always looking. It's not out of the question to see them license the ROH library if they think people will watch it.

4 is specific to them, so nothing to add there.

5. Piper's the go-to answer here. I would have liked to have seen Christian, Wade Barrett, or Mark Henry get that honor in more recent times.

More wrestling tomorrow.

XFL doc debut set, WM33 party next week, NXT appearances at UCF basketball opener, more on Regal at EVOLVE show, Interviews with Graves/Taz/Schiavone/Bloom, Total Nonstop Deletion date set, Network section returning, and Questions on NJPW World, TNA losing its UK deal, 205 Live vs. the CWC, Dixie staying on in TNA, and Punk's future

ESPN's XFL documentary will debut on February 2. Vince McMahon and Dick Ebersol were among those interviewed.

WWE will have a Wrestlemania on-sale party on Thursday November 17 with appearances by Booker T., Renee Young, Charlotte, Cesaro, Titus O'Neil, Big Cass, Neville, and Alexa Bliss. There will also be an NXT card at the party featuring:
- TJ Perkins vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas
- Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss vs. Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic
- Sarah Bridges (formerly Crazy Mary Dobson) vs. Macey Estrella
- Dan Matha vs. Patrick Clark

Monday is NXT "Knight" at Orlando's CFE Arena as UCF kicks off its basketball season. Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, The Revival, #DIY, No Way Jose, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce are all advertised as being in attendance.

William Regal will appear as part of the live portion of Sunday's EVOLVE event, with the tease that he's "on assignment." It's cool WWE is using its talents for appearances like that to help out a place that's essentially a breeding ground for future talents.

Corey Graves discussed his commentary career. He's been tremendous in the role:
- Introducing a whole lot of new names at once is often a difficult endeavor. There are lessons to be learned with how the cruiserweight division was introduced.

- Taker on Superstar Ink would be AMAZING.

- His banter is often really entertaining.

Taz talked about storytelling in professional wrestling, which he invented and everyone else ripped off from him.

Total Nonstop Deletion will air on December 15. Whether this will be the last new episode of 2016 is currently unknown.

Tony Schiavone was recently interviewed. I'm glad he's got a non-wrestling gig. Some people aren't so lucky after their time in the business is up.

WWE Network's Tribute to the Troops section will be returning soon, at least temporarily.

Matt Bloom (Tensai/Albert) discussed his work training people in NXT. He's had quite the varied career (from giant hoss to dancing fool, from WWE to Japan), so I think there's a lot for him to pass on.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's basically NJPW Network.

2. It's worth noting TNA has said they're looking at other options in the UK as far as a TV partner. We'll see whether that bears fruit or not. The Challenge deal was one of their top three sources of revenue; it's really going to affect things if TNA can't replace that.

3. I would be surprised if things don't change a little bit for the bigger audience the show will be getting. It's a bold move trying to make something that worked for a few hundred fans at Full Sail work for the larger WWE Universe.

4. That, basically. TNA's in something of a limbo right now as far as Anthem's investment goes: it's expected to go through but hasn't been completed yet.

5. There's really been no word on what's next for him, inside of UFC or out of it. To the best of my knowledge, he's still under contract there.

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH and Impact Wrestling Reax - 11/10/16

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's ROH and Impact Wrestling.

Big Show back on the road, big change ahead for cruisers?, top EVOLVE name re-signs, HBK-WWEPC update, Smackdown audience, another four-hour PPV coming?, Taker-NBA note, Survivor Series sells out, HoFer injured, TNA and ROH contracts coming up, Anthem closing in on TNA investment, WWE Network staff update, Sin Cara update, WWE names being signed?, more Takeover matches, and Questions on how the cruisers are presented, cruisers headlining a PPV, Dixie's reasoning, Storm regretting re-signing with TNA, and booking Rousey in WWE

Big Show has returned to the road for Raw as part of their European tour. This was Show's first set of live events in two months, and he hasn't been on TV in four months. Braun Strowman defeated him in a bodyslam challenge, then the two fought afterward. Show delivered a chokeslam to end the segment. I wouldn't be surprised to see Show vs. Strowman if Show's ready to be a more full-time guy for the time being. The build to WM33 isn't too far off, so I don't expect him to remain off TV for much longer.

Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship was added to Survivor Series during Smackdown. Should Kalisto win, the entire division will shift to the Smackdown brand. With the 205 Live show to soon begin airing after Smackdown, that would make sense logistically.

Matt Riddle has signed a new multi-year contract with WWN/EVOLVE, so he's out of reach for ROH and TNA. WWE/NXT could certainly make use of him if they wanted to, but his prominent pro-marijuana stance could keep them from doing so.

Kevin Nash referred to Shawn Michaels as the new head of the WWE Performance Center in a recent interview. Having an elite performer like him in that role is great news for those training there, and for the future of the business.

Smackdown's audience this week was 1.92 million for a non-live show on election night.

Royal Rumble could be expanded, as its start time live has been moved up 45 minutes.

While The Undertaker was at the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA championship ceremony, LeBron James didn't meet with him because he felt it was a case of WWE trying to get positive press. The Cavaliers were responsible for Undertaker and Dana Warrior being invited for the ceremony. Taker vs. LeBron at WM33 would be a HUGE draw. WWE needs to get on that.

Survivor Series has legitimately sold out. Hopefully Takeover and Raw do as well.

Vader was in a very bad car accident this week. I wish the legend a speedy recovery.

Drew Galloway's TNA contract is up soon. I'm sure the company will be looking to keep him. He's a great player to have on-board for any promotion.

War Machine, Kenny King, and BJ Whitmer's ROH contracts are also coming up around December 31. NXT, TNA, etc. should keep an eye on those names.

The Anthem-TNA deal is expected to be official within the next 30 days. It's a pretty big to-do.

Many members of WWE's home video department have been moved to other departments, generally working on the Network. That makes sense, given their shifting priorities.

WWE had tryouts on November 8 featuring a number of top European talent, including Pete Dunne.

Sin Cara was originally going to be sent home following his altercation with Chris Jericho, but was sent to the Smackdown tour instead.

Baron Corbin being removed from the Smackdown Survivor Series team was not due to a real injury. It was just an angle to put Shane on the team. It's an interesting direction.

James Ellsworth will likely be signed to WWE soon. I wish him the best; he's getting a shot a lot of others haven't.

Ariya Daivari has been signed for the 205 Live series. WWE's dedication to smaller wrestlers has been inspiring.

Added to Takeover: Toronto:
- The Revival vs. #DIY in a two-out-of-three falls match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
- TM-61 vs. the Authors of Pain with Paul Ellering suspended above the ring in a shark cage in the finals of the Dusty Classic.
-- The latter is a pretty clever callback to The Last Battle of Atlanta

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.We're pretty early into things. Unless they're going to have a feud outside of a one-on-one title match feud, they can really only focus on two people at once without things being cluttered. A really wonder if they interpreted what's popular on the indies/outside WWE as "just throw a bunch of small people together and have them do moves. None of the wins and losses matter because everyone knows it's fake and just wants to chant 'This is awesome'." That's certainly how things come across at times.

2. As was implied, they'd have to produce a feud worthy of headlining a PPV. I think it's more likely we see a tag team feud headline a show first, which I wouldn't assume will happen soon either.

3. I'm going with preservation of herself and her team as her motivation. The way things are with Anthem in charge, she remains on and still gets paid. The same goes for her husband and for other members of TNA management. If Corgan took over, it's entirely possible he would have dismissed a lot of the current hierarchy.

4. He signed to TNA for a lot more than he was offered for NXT. As long as he's getting paid that amount, he's probably not too upset.

5. Is Ronda still seen as a badass? Is she still a draw? I'm out of the MMA loop. If she is, they can go the Brock route to some degree. If she isn't, I think they can protect her while still going the route of "she's used to winning quickly. This is a whole different ballgame" kind of thing.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and Main Event Reax - 11/9/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT and Main Event.

Eva return update, WWE hiring more members of Creative, Interview with Roode, Raw vs. Smackdown debate, Tozawa joining WWEPC soon, another Network collection, more on ROH moving UK show, ACH-ROH update, ROH tournament coming, another ROH show announced, Anthem-TNA correction, Edge on next week's Smackdown, TNA responds to production lawsuit, ROH name at WWEPC, TNA Network coming?, TNA on the road?, TNA Creative update, Raw audience, Rhyno election note, and Questions on forgiving Hogan, Rock at Survivor Series, Roode on Smackdown, and TNA losing international deals

Eva Marie is on set for a new movie. I could definitely see her going into acting full-time if that picks up.

WWE is seeking more writers. You'd think they would understand at some point why so many people have short tenures, but clearly they're going to keep going.

Bobby Roode discussed leaving TNA for WWE and more:
- I'm glad some TNA names are getting a shot to do well in WWE. Guys like Roode and Young have been busting their asses for years.

- I think a lot of people get burned out working with the same people in the same place. Of course, there were other issues, too.

A "State of WWE" debate/Network special featuring the authority figures of Raw and Smackdown will air after Raw next week. At least they're not doing it during Raw.

Tozawa is set to join the WWEPC this week. He'll be part of the cruiserweight division as well as 205 Live.

A Goldberg collection has been added to the WWE Network. It's hard to be excited for who's next if you haven't seen who came before.

ROH changed the venue of their London show due to a timing issue with the local government.

ACH is taking bookings independently, so it's believed he's been released from his ROH contract. It's possible the two sides still work together on a per-date basis.

ROH has booked the following matches in a "Decade of Excellence" tournament on December 4 in Philadelphia. Each competitor worked for ROH 10 years ago:
- Mark Briscoe vs. Christopher Daniels
- Colt Cabana vs. Alex Shelley
- Jay Lethal vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
- BJ Whitmer vs. Jay Briscoe

ROH will have a show in Columbus, Ohio on February 12.

Anthem Media has not officially purchased a majority stake in TNA yet, in conflict with further reports (including my own). They are still examining the company's business situation, and seemingly waiting for an agreement/settlement of some sort with Billy Corgan. They are still expected to invest in the company.

Edge will host The Cutting Edge on next week's 900th episode of Smackdown. I really hope he has James Ellsworth as his guest, or at least Ellsworth is involved.

TNA and its Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead responded to the lawsuit against them by Audience of One Productions, disputing owing them more than $200,000 and asking for the suit to be thrown out. I'm curious as to whether Anthem has entertained the idea of a settlement in order to stop the drain of money to fight it. Some speculate Anthem is just hoping for TNA to go under so they can monetize the video library without having to fund the company continuing operations.

ROH's Steve Corino recently worked as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center. With Corino's ROH deal coming up soon, speculation is heating up about his future.

TNA is considering launching its own online service in the line of WWE Network or NJPW World. It's worth looking into if it will draw money.

TNA is looking into doing live events once Anthem's capital helps them out. That's good news for the people there who want more work and more pay. Could we see TNA make a comeback after all?

- It's believed a tour in India in conjunction with Sony Six would be a priority. TNA's deal with that channel is their biggest source of revenue.

TNA's creative team is currently John "Big" Gaburick, Matt Conway, and Madison Rayne. They are looking to add to that team given the departures of Dave Lagana and Billy Corgan. I wonder if someone like Al Snow or Shane Helms would be interested in contributing at that level?

Raw's audience Monday was 2.77 million, up a bit from the previous week. Viewership under three million is definitely "the new normal."

Rhyno did not win his government race, so that won't affect him as a wrestler. I would have marked for a #GoreTheVote campaign.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's not for me to forgive him because his remarks were not about me or my race. He has to make amends with those his remarks targeted.

2. I don't see it happening unless he pushes for it. He's one of the biggest stars on the planet; it's his choice.

3. I definitely think he can make it at that level if they want to use him. I think Joe should get the nod before him, though, based on how long he's been there and how much he's done on the brand already.

4. Only if they have something better lined up, which I'll believe when/if we see it.

5. That's been said, but there's no word on the deal being in danger. They REALLY don't want to lose that deal on top of the UK deal.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Reax - 11/8/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

NJPW name change, Superstars get physical backstage, NXT moves Australian dates, Metalik update, NXT taping set, TNA main event, book updates, ROH tryout set, WWE cancels Q&A event, ROH changes venue for UK show, IC Title match set for Survivor Series, SD execs on Raw next week, and Questions on why crowds aren't rowdy anymore, ROH to Challenge, Goldberg vs. Brock, talents losing in their home market, and whether Anthem can save TNA

At least in NJPW, Kamaitachi is now known as Hiromu Takahashi. Whether he'll use that name in ROH going forward should be evident before long.

Chris Jericho and Sin Cara had a physical incident of some sort in the UK. Jericho responded to reports of biting Sin Cara after being punched by him. I hope whatever the issue is has been settled and both men are moving on to contribute in the workplace. Although the important question here is how it escalated to that level in the first place.

NXT moved their December 14 show to December 7 and their December 15 show to December 5. So, the NZ dates were canceled and the Australia dates were moved.

Gran Metalik will finish his Mexican dates this week ahead of starting in WWE full-time. It'll be good to see him again. 

NXT will tape at Full Sail on November 30 to follow up on Takeover: Toronto.

Eddie Edwards vs. Eli Drake for the TNA World Championship is headlining Impact Wrestling this week. This is Drake cashing in Bound For Gold.

Pete Gas' book is set to be released February 14, 2017. Should be an interesting read.

AJ Lee's book is due April 7, 2017. That one could REALLY be big.

ROH has a tryout camp for January 28 and 29 in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Delirious, Kevin Kelly, Todd Sinclair, the Briscoes, Christopher Daniels, Brutal Bob Evans, Cheeseburger and Will Ferrara will be on-hand as part of the seminar. Day One is superkicks; Day Two is flips and dives. The entry fee includes "this is awesome" chants and inflated star ratings. 

WWE's Q&A event with Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Bill Apter set for next month has been canceled after previously being postponed. That would have been a good Network special.

Justin Roberts' autobiography is due out in April. Tommy Dreamer wrote the foreword. I like Roberts, but wonder how much of a market there will be for that book.

ROH has moved its November 20 London show to a different venue. More on this tomorrow.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship is official for Survivor Series. Zayn winning and going to Smackdown would be interesting, but I imagine they want to do Zayn vs. Owens for the Universal Championship at WM33.

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan will be on next week's Raw as part of the final sell for Survivor Series.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The Monday Night War was must-see, destination TV. If you didn't watch Raw or Nitro, you were going to miss out because people would be talking about it the next day. Now, there's not the sense of urgency of how WWF or WCW will pull ahead and try to top each other, so that doesn't inspire fans to be so riled up for "their side." Also, keep in mind, today's tapings are LONG. By the time Raw's main event rolls around, the crowd has sat through matches for Superstars, a dark match, and 2 1/2 hours of the show. Movies are shorter than that for a reason; the crowd gets burned out easily. And, of course, WWE markets to a younger audience now.

2. It's worth looking into if Challenge still wants to feature wrestling content! ROH can make some gains at TNA's expense in the months to come if they play their cards right.

3. I really don't see Goldberg getting decimated, and I also don't see Brock going down without a fight. So, I expect Shane will get involved to protect Brock from doing a clean job, or attack him after the match or something. Unless they're going to pretend Summerslam never happened.

4. The only explanation I've heard is having a talent "pay their dues," "remain humble," etc. The business is carny like that.

5. It'll depend on what changes Anthem makes. This is a chance at a "stay of execution," so to speak, but the company's running out of appeals. We'll see how things shake out as they prepare for their first TV tapings of 2017.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 11/7/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

NJPW legend working Final Battle, Hulk-WWE update, NXT cancels NZ shows, and Questions on leaving TNA, Hollywood Hogan in WWE, booking Charlotte vs. Sasha, booking Hawkins, and unifying titles

Jushin "Thunder" Liger will compete at ROH Final Battle against an opponent to be determined. The legend keeps on giving; he'll be 52 once that show comes about.

Brooke Hogan discussed Hulk potentially returning to WWE. I'll believe it when I see it!

NXT's shows on December 5 and December 6 in New Zealand have been canceled. They're still scheduled to run Japan and Australia. Hopefully the NXT fans there will get to see live action at some point.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There are a few caveats here. One is that TNA is a better deal for some of these talents than they can get elsewhere, either due to the push they're getting or the schedule, etc. So they don't want to risk their current status in starting over somewhere else, especially if they're older. It's really easy for us on the outside to tell people to jump, and certainly some people who have jumped have done well, but those on the inside have put a lot of time and a lot of effort to get what they are now. You can argue it's illogical and that you'd have jumped a long time ago, but it's something people go through all the time.

2. It'd be weird for him to come back in that role, at least immediately. I would mark for him coming back and buying people off with his Gawker settlement money, though.

3. We'll see how things go for Charlotte and Sasha going forward. I wouldn't be shocked to see Charlotte his 16 title reigns between Raw and Smackdown before she retires, but that says more about the brand split and how much TV WWE needs to fill than anything else.

4. I didn't expect Hawkins to be anything above a Main Event/Superstars jobber. If anything, I'm surprised he got the hype he did. It's not like he's become a top-tier level guy in the past two-and-a-half years.

5. I wouldn't assume that, but we'll see what ends up happening. It would be a surprise to see them drop titles.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Superstars Reax - 11/5/16, more Smackdown on the Network, NXT+WWE live event notes, Balor return set?, another WWE UK tour set, more Collections, and Questions on Angle at the Rumble, ROH potentially losing top names, how Anthem will change TNA, Corgan's Twitter rant, Lagana leaving TNA, and Breezango

- Superstars:
- Alicia vs. Dana:
Nice start. Dana's not the best technical wrestler, but she has aggression and makes good use of her size and power.

Good story with Dana being ruthless in working Alicia over.

See, no one gets a submission with a chin lock, but it wears your opponent down and makes them fight for breath. 

Alicia's pretty impressive.

Fine enough. Nice to see Alicia get a win for once.

- Jinder vs. Axel:
Decent action going on here.

I'm liking the back-and-forth.

This is good enough for a completely meaningless filler match.

Both men are technically sound.

More wearing down via chin locks.

Good counter to the knee drops.

Hey, Axel got a win!!

WWE Network is continuing to add Smackdown episodes from 2004 and 2005. The massive video library continues to grow online.

At an NXT live event in Florida:
- Peyton Royce teamed with Danielle Kamela against Liv Morgan and Ember Moon. No Billie Kay, which is odd.

- Big Damo cut a promo.

- Buddy Murphy teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura and Tye Dillinger to beat Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Sawyer Fulton of Sanity. They keep trying with Murphy. I hope he can become something.

Finn Balor is being advertised for WWE Roadblock next month. I'd be very, very surprised to see him back in the ring that night, but he could announce a return for the Rumble.

WWE has announced a Raw and Smackdown tour of the UK from May 7 through May 12.

WWE Network is adding an Austin vs. McMahon, Part II collection Monday as well as one on Randy Savage. I'm glad Savage is in the Hall of Fame.

Randy Orton teamed with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper at this weekend's Smackdown live event in the UK.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It will depend on what shape they think he's in, how badly they want to fill the arena, etc. I'd think having such a big venue to fill would play in his favor, but there hasn't been any movement toward signing him yet.

2. Yeah, things are about to get real for ROH. NJPW is interested in reDRagon, and I wouldn't be shocked in the least if WWE, TNA, and LU are all keeping an eye on all involved as well. ROH could really be hurting with the potential losses of so many names coming up.

3. The initial story was they're going to run things pretty cheaply, only doing three or four sets of tapings a year. What other changes they'll make will become evident in the months to come. Dixie's still around, but in a less important role. Anthem and Aroluxe will be making the big decisions instead of her.

4. Mike has a pretty good point, but I think Anthem handled things appropriately from a PR standpoint. They made a statement, then went about promoting their content.

5. Some will interpret it as him getting out before whatever changes TNA will make to the creative process. I highly doubt Lagana would have the kind of freedom he had with Corgan on-board.

6. They're on Main Event and Superstars a good deal, as well as live events. They're pretty low on the totem pole on Smackdown.

More wrestling tomorrow.