Interviews with DDP/Patricia Arquette/Edge/Foley, Ohio promotion changing venues, Itami's future, new Chamber team, new title gets press, SDL stars update, Impact and MLW coordinating during WM weekend, NWA name working at ROH, a lot of ROH matches, Shamrock back in the ring, Haskins hurt, SDL audience, new Hidden Gems, and NJPW-California note

Diamond Dallas Page is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.

Patricia Arquette discussed David's wrestling return. He's getting pretty good press from it.

Ohio's Rockstar Pro Wrestling is changing locations.

Hideo Itami will be returning to Japan once his release goes through, which is expected to be soon. He will be subject to the standard 90-day no-compete clause.

Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose will team in the women's Elimination Chamber match February 17. I'm curious how they'll do.

Daniel Bryan's new championship was covered by BBC. Bryan's doing some of the best work of his WWE career now. I'm glad he's back, and I'm glad he's heel.

- Wildcat Belts made the title.

AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy are announced for Smackdown Live's May 10 event in Finland. Both men have contracts coming due before then, but there's no sign either man is leaving.

Impact Wrestling and MLW are coordinating talent on April 4 so workers can appear on both promotions' shows that day. Impact has announced a Twitch special with WrestlePro that night following MLW's TV taping.

NWA's Dave Lagana taped footage at ROH's Texas events for their Pinnacle series. He might take over producing all their vignettes. That could definitely be big for both sides.

ROH has announced the following matches:
-- For February 9's TV taping in Florida:
- Jeff Cobb vs. Silas Young for the Television Championship
- The Kingdom vs. Villain Enterprises for the Six-Man Tag Team Championship
- Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Rocky Romero

-- For February 10's HonorClub event in Florida:
- Jeff Cobb vs. Rocky Romero for the Television Championship (if Cobb retains the previous night)
- Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, and Rush vs. The Kingdom
- Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Colt Cabana
- PCO vs. Mark Briscoe
- Kelly Klein vs. Mayu Iwatani for the WOH Championship
- Brody King vs. Jay Briscoe

- Willie Mack vs. Kenny King vs. Silas Young vs. Marty Scurll in a survival match

- Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad

Ken Shamrock will face Tom Lawlor tonight in Georgia. Other than two matches in November in Australia, this is his first match since 2009.

Edge appeared on Inside The Ropes. The 2005 Royal Rumble's conclusion was legendary.

Mark Haskins partially tore a calf muscle recently. He still intends to work ROH's events next weekend.

Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers Tuesday night, virtually identical to the previous week despite following one of the biggest WWE events of the year. The lack of a Royal Rumble boost is concerning. That was a pretty major show.

WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Razor Ramon vs. El Matador in a dark match from WWF in 1992.
- Konnan as Relampago vs. The Mercenary in a dark match from WWF in 1992.

Mick Foley discussed the original Halftime Heat. One of my all-time favorite matches.

NJPW's January 31 California event closed with Juice Robinson apologizing for Japanese wrestlers not being able to appear on the show due to visa issues.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and ROH Reax - 1/30/19

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

Raw star injured, former WWE Champion leaving after WM35, NJPW name done, Impact names done, WM35 title match official, indie name teasing retiring, Fast Lane matches, WWE works with veterans, MLW release, another injured name at WWEPC, injured star at Raw, Vader book coming, Brooke Hogan appearance, Impact tryouts, Halftime Heat plans, another WWE producer, NXT referees at SDL, WWE stock endorsed, Raw audience, SDL dark matches, Andre DVD coming, another NXT name working EVOLVE, 205 Live name done, and Questions on Ciampa and Black post-NXT, Ronda losing to Becky, Takeover miscues, and shilling for WWE

Ember Moon will undergo shoulder surgery following an injury at Royal Rumble. That's unfortunate. I hope she's able to reach new heights when she returns.

Dean Ambrose's WWE contract expires after WrestleMania, and he's given notice that he will not sign a new deal. He had been offered a five-year, seven-figure contract.

- Raw was the finish of his feud with Seth Rollins, but Dean should still be working through April. Ambrose leaving is pretty significant given what he's accomplished in the company, and him coming back after notable injuries. I'm curious where he goes from here, and what his departure will mean (if anything) for Renee Young. At 33, he could still have a long career ahead of him if he wants that. Of course, if he's burned out, he might want to go in a different direction.

- WWE officially confirmed the story, which is a little surprising. Obviously a lot of people were talking about the story, but I didn't expect them to broadcast it. We'll see if WWE puts anything interesting together for his final few months.

KUSHIDA said goodbye to NJPW at their January 29 show, after a non-title loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi. He's expected to sign with NXT as soon as he's contractually available.

Matt Sydal's Impact contract has expired, and the company has moved him to the Alumni section of their website. I expect him to move on to bigger things once he recovers from surgery.

- Caleb Konley has also been moved to the Alumni section of the website. His contract expires March 1, but this signals they won't be using him before then. Notably, they also added Austin Aries, Diamante, Bhupinder Singh, Gursinder Singh, and Vikas Kumar to the Alumni section of the website, so none of them are expected back, either.

- Matt Sydal officially had surgery January 29.

Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins has been officially announced for WrestleMania. We'll see how committed WWE is to change when that match happens.

Eddie Kingston is considering retiring within a year. If he doesn't get signed somewhere by age 38, it probably is time to explore other opportunities.

WWE Fast Lane is currently advertising:
- Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship
- Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
- Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship
-- I definitely wouldn't expect that lineup to be set in stone.

Dana Warrior, Lacey Evans, and NXT stars visited veterans before Royal Rumble. WWE does a lot of good charity work.

MLW has released Sammy Guevara. He's getting regular work in Japan, so it's likely a manner of him choosing to focus there.

Goldust is working out at the WWE Performance Center, on the road to returning from double knee surgery. Amazing that he's still going at 49.

Tye Dillinger was at Raw, but not used.

Vader's son has opened a merchandise store ahead of an autobiography for Vader coming out in March.

Brooke Hogan will appear at The Big Event in New York, her first wrestling convention.

Impact is holding a tryout at Future Stars of Wrestling on February 14 for wrestlers, managers, referees, and ring announcers leading into the next nights' TV tapings. Scott D'Amore will be there. Obviously they'd love to pick up some new talent from that endeavor.

Halftime Heat is planned to be live from the WWE Performance Center so there will be no spoilers. That will be interesting.

WWE has also hired Shawn Daivari as a producer. I'm curious if he'll work with Ariya.

NXT referees Drake Wuertz and D.A. Brewer were backstage at Smackdown Live. No word on why.

WWE stock was endorsed by Yahoo! Finance.

Raw drew 2.70 million viewers to follow Royal Rumble. WWE was smart to make it such a newsworthy show.

Before Smackdown Live, Naomi defeated Lacey Evans.

HBO's Andre the Giant DVD will be released in May, along with some extras from WWE. That's cool.

Ricochet is booked for EVOLVE on March 15 in Massachusetts and March 16 in New York. NXT is really doing a lot for EVOLVE.

WWE released a segment that didn't air on Raw. I'm surprised they don't miss more in the moment like that.

After Smackdown Live, Asuka defeated Charlotte Flair to successfully defend her championship. I'm very curious what Asuka's doing in the next few months after tapping out Becky Lynch.

Hideo Itami has finished up with WWE after asking for his release from the company. He has already changed his social media profiles to his previous name of KENTA. I hope he's able to deliver on a major stage again after a mostly uneventful WWE tenure.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He's got the ability to be a big player, but moving from NXT to Raw or Smackdown Live is a very big step. The comparison I often make is going from being a top college sports player to playing in a professional setting. He's going to be competing for TV time with people who have been doing what Vince wants them to do for years, and in front of a pretty different audience. There's a whole set of challenges there. But he's excelled in NXT. If that work can be channeled, he can be a major part of things.

2. OK so The Undertaker has ten inches and ninety pounds on Black. Brock has seventy pounds on him. I love Aleister and think he can also excel, but Vince can be reluctant to get behind wrestlers who aren't over 250 lbs. I doubt Vince is a fan of the tattoos and piercings, either. It's unfortunate, but he's got perception to beat just as Ciampa does. Obviously Aleister and Ciampa are amazing talents, but can they appeal to soccer moms and Little Jimmys?

3. The obvious caveat here is BRRRRROCK LLLLEEEEEESSSSSNNNNARRRRRRRRRRR but Ronda can't come back every few months if she's pregnant. I think there's a really good chance Becky wins, but I wouldn't rule out Ronda signing an extension to Summerslam and Vince thinking it would mean more if Ronda held the title longer. At least Becky isn't facing the fan resentment Roman was.

4.a. I think Kairi was mostly overwhelmed at the support. She speaks English pretty well; she just understandably has an accent. I could also see her being shy and humble.

4.b. Sam Roberts was WAY off and I'm shocked he went the way he did. WWE paid him to be a hype man, more or less. Even if Sam Roberts the person feels Bianca isn't good, Sam Roberts the WWE personality was there to at the very least present her as having a chance. It drew attention away from the workers and deflated the hype for Belair. By all means he can hate Bianca or any other wrestler on Twitter or wherever, but this was a WWE-produced show and he knew that going in. WWE needs to think twice about using him in the future if he's not there to play along, and I say that as someone who respects his work.

5. Basically that person saw the vast number of Bella and New Day videos and assumed PWInsider was shilling for WWE instead of presenting the large amount of content those names produce/appear on.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 1/29/19

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

NXT name hurt?, Hornswoggle update, Lana update, assorted WWE press, top UFC name at WWEPC, Dolph notes, new WWE producers, and Questions on WWE doing shows without women, getting WWE to change with the new TV deals, sending WWE a message, dropping a men's tag title, and production for small promotions

Velveteen Dream was wearing a neck brace at Royal Rumble. We'll see if he's still able to work the next NXT taping and Halftime Heat.

Hornswoggle's Royal Rumble appearance was a one-time deal.

Lana is uninjured after her Royal Rumble angle.

Zelina Vega promoted "Fighting With My Family" with Latina Magazine. She's going places.

Stephanie McMahon, Seth Rollins, and Sasha Banks visited Make-A-Wish headquarters before Raw.

Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins "invaded" Dolph Ziggler's comedy show. I'm curious how his show is doing for non-wrestling fans.

UFC's Cris Cyborg was at the WWE Performance Center. That's going to get people talking!

Dolph Ziggler was not at Raw following Royal Rumble. It's certainly possible that was a last-minute final appearance before his hiatus. Time will tell.

Hurricane Helms and Sonjay Dutt began work as producers at Raw. Helms is something of a surprise given how regularly he still wrestled, including appearing for ROH a few weeks back. It's possible WWE scooped him up so AEW wouldn't, although certainly they're going to make use of him and he brings a lot of experience to the table.

- Jeff Jarrett has also joined WWE as a producer in addition to his on-air role. It's great to see him back in the fold with a full-time job after a tumultuous number of years since initially leaving Impact. It's unknown what this means for the future of Global Force.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It would depend on what else was on the show in the women's place. I'm sure WWE could put on significant stories without the women, but it would be a big waste to not feature some of their most polished and promising acts.

2. That's not technically a question, but it's certainly at least partially true. They're getting far more for TV than they are for live event revenue. However, NBCU and Fox are paying for the TV shows to get a certain number of viewers, so watching something else could spark changes.

3. One way to send something of a message is to vocally and financially support certain talents who are doing things you like, to make it clear you're paying to see them, not necessarily others.

4. I maintain there's a deep enough men's roster for each show to have one tag team division, while that's not true for the number of women employed. It's nothing to do with "women getting special treatment."

5. It's easier (and cheaper) said than done!

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 1/28/19

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

Interviews with Xavier/Dolph/Nia, Reigns-Hollywood update, interesting name not at Rumble, Becky vs. Rock?, Lars statement, NXT match during halftime, and Questions on Abyss in the Rumble, Horsewomen at WM35, why the Bellas and New Day get so much press, Supercard visa issues, and Rock winning the Rumble

Xavier Woods spoke before Royal Rumble. Good to see him hit that moment where he took charge of his destiny. More wrestlers could benefit from that.

Dolph Ziggler discussed WWE and AEW. He did a great job working people (myself included) before his Rumble appearance. Unless they came to terms late?

Roman Reigns has taken Hollywood representation, so he's seeking out further roles. I hope he's able to return to the ring at some point after all he's been through to get to where he was when he left.

Mike Kanellis was not backstage at Royal Rumble despite Maria competing in the women's match. He is still, as of this writing, under WWE contract. It's very interesting she's being used when he isn't.

Nia Jax discussed the Becky Lynch punch and more. She can be a significant figure with WWE in the ring and doing PR.

Becky Lynch discussed facing The Rock. I'm glad Rock is endorsing the current generation. It'd be tricky to do that match, though, without Rock looking like a heel for facing a woman half his size. That would understandably make people uncomfortable.

Lars Sullivan has made his Twitter account private following a statement about his status:
"There has been a lot of speculation about Lars recently. It's true, he went missing several weeks ago and I was just able to contact him this morning. Lars wants everyone to know he is in a good place, and is sorry to everyone he's disappointed.

Best, WC"

- I really hope the best for Lars. Being gone this long has gotten people worried. 

Halftime Heat is returning, with WWE Network airing DIY and Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, and Ricochet during halftime of the Super Bowl. Shawn Michaels will be on commentary. That's pretty clever. I definitely look forward to that match. 

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Ehhhh. It would have been out of place. They'd have to explain who he was and he would only be there for the one match.

2. I don't like it. If you're going to the Horsewomen angle, save it for Raw. Close Mania with the focus on Becky's win and Ronda being conflicted. Plus, what the heck do you do for all the time Ronda's out? Having the others face off would water down the eventual four-on-four match. I think you can have the two sides compete at some point, but let Shayna get established on Raw or Smackdown Live first, while Marina and Jessamyn continue to train in NXT. No need to jump the gun.

3. Well that was harsh! As was said, those names put out a lot of content on their respective channels, and also get a good amount of press outside of wrestling. So, they pop up on the site a lot. If Heath Slater starts a brand as popular as those two, he'll be featured as well.

4. It's certainly possible. I hope for their sake they get things straightened out.

5. I would have been SHOCKED to see that. Talk about out of nowhere. They would have been crazy to have had Rock and not advertised him.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Royal Rumble Reax

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

Main Event Reax - 1/26/19, British women profiled, Charlotte helps military, more Club trademarks, Bella promotion, Interview with Paige, possible Rumble surprises in town, Rumble tickets released, English soccer star honors Foley, Rumble hype, Elite names show up at NEW, Takeover entrance note, what happened after Takeover, HHH conference call, Swagger's MMA debut, and Questions on the OGz in WWE or ROH, Omega at Double or Nothing rally, Kenzo post-WWE, three hours of SDL, Sting's religious DVD, and WWE HQ

-- Main Event:
- Rezar vs. Breeze:
I was wondering what they'd do with Rezar and Drake with Akam hurt.

Fun so far.

I liked that!

- Jose vs. Mojo:
Fine start.

I'm impressed with Jose here.

That was pretty good for the time it had.

BBC's The One Show covered British women's wrestling history. Good to see that kind of exposure for the workers there.

Charlotte Flair was part of assisting a military family in Arizona.

Luke Gallows has further trademarked "Big LG," "Good Brothers," and "Good Brother," while he and Karl Anderson have jointly trademarked "Talk'n Shop." This would allow those workers to use those names and phrases outside of WWE.

The Bella Twins were on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as Good Morning America to promote "Total Bellas."

Paige discussed potentially returning to the ring and more. I don't expect it to happen.

Royal Rumble could feature the following names in the men's match, as they're on the road for WWE:
- Big Show
- Tye Dillinger
- Rowan
- Kurt Angle
- Sin Cara

- Additionally, Hornswoggle is expected to be at the event.

Sasha Banks and Bayley did a live Q&A before Royal Rumble.

Royal Rumble had some floor seats released late as production was finalized.

Mick Foley was honored by an English soccer player using Mr. Socko. Amazing other than the no-sell from his teammate!

Becky Lynch spoke to MLB's Cody Decker before Royal Rumble.

Cody and Hangman Page appeared at NEW's January 26 event in Connecticut to hype AEW.

War Raiders' Takeover entrance featured Sarah Logan as one of the Vikings. She recently married Rowe. That's cool!

After Takeover went off the air, a brawl broke out with Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole, Aleister Black, and Ricochet. I like how this all fit together. Could we see an Elimination Chamber match WM35 weekend? That would definitely be a big challenge to G1 Supercard.

Triple H did a conference call after Takeover, covered here:
- Hmmm. I don't know if NXT's quite big enough for a women's tag team title. It's notable the other title is between two brands' rosters.

- I definitely expect more from tag teams in WWE in response to AEW opportunities.

- I do think it's something of a problem the NXT audience can't expect the talent to be handled well on Raw and Smackdown Live. WWE needs to throw down the gauntlet and say that if talent aren't excelling on those rosters, there are a lot of hungry talents in NXT who want those spots. Of course, they also need to throw down the gauntlet backstage and make sure they use hot, over talent in a way that makes money. WWE has access to an incredible depth of talent. If the audience is dropping, it can hardly be blamed on the people who have spent time showing they can draw crowds and sell merch.

The former Jack Swagger won his Bellator debut. R-Truth performed his entrance, but unfortunately didn't try to throw Swagger's opponent over the top of the cage as the last Rumble entrant.

Bianca Belair clapped back at Sam Roberts after Takeover. He was pretty harsh.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think so. There's a reason their matches were kept pretty short in Impact and they weren't signed to longer deals. Hernandez is about to turn 46 and Homicide's closing in on 42. If WWE or ROH wanted them as wrestlers, they could have been scooped up years ago.

2. That would be a great way to get tickets moving and for him to reveal his next steps.

3. After WWE, he worked in Mexico before working in Japan. He's gotten a lot of bookings after his less-than-stellar WWE run.

4. Slim to none unless they move the show to 7 p.m. I would be SHOCKED to see them move their 10 p.m. newscasts. Those have been in existence a long time.

5. I guess they figured WWE wouldn't take them to court over it. They weren't trying to sell a WCW DVD as much as a DVD about a WCW star, so there was hypothetically some leeway. Of course this was also long before WWE did much with their WCW library.

6. It's worth noting the building is largely an office building rather than a big wrestling site. It's a place where people work 9-5 and they don't do tours.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Takeover: Phoenix Reax

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

Road to Supercard Houston Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's HonorClub event.

Royal Rumble preview

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

Podcast notes, AEW teases talent announcements, Rumble hype, new WWE album, NXT show promoted, new Network content, Impact corporate hires, Taker convention appearance set, Club trademarks, ROH additions, Reigns joins Rock movie, WWE casting reality show, Cena joining Netflix project, Taz talks comics, and Questions on Rumble travel problems, Swagger in Bellator, Dream leaving WWE, Tough Enough competitor in Impact or ROH, and Bellas in the Rumble

Jay White is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.

Brandi Rhodes teased new AEW women's signings at the upcoming Double or Nothing party. That would be a good move to continue to build buzz.

Finn Balor is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.

Royal Rumble AXXESS featured a Shane McMahon Q&A session.

Finn Balor talked to the New York Post. Interesting thoughts on The Demon.

Daniel Bryan spoke to the local ABC affiliate before Royal Rumble.

WWE has released a new theme song collection, Uncaged VII, on streaming platforms.

NXT's February 9 Massachusetts show was promoted.

WWE Chronicle with Paige will debut after Takeover: Phoenix.

Impact has two new corporate hires who will focus on sponsorships and ad deals. Shelley West and Christopher Ledwith have been hired by Anthem. That's good.

The Undertaker has been announced for a Texas convention appearance on March 23.

Daniel Bryan spoke to ESPN about concussions and more:
- It's great to see AJ vs. Bryan on this big of a stage.

- I like him not wanting to coast on past work.

- His promos have been AMAZING.

WWE recreated their 1991 Royal Rumble poster with current stars. That's really, really cool.

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have independently trademarked "Karl Anderson" and "Machine Gun" along with "Doc Gallows," respectively. That would allow them to use those names outside of WWE. Obviously they'd be on the radar for AEW.

ROH has added Zack Sabre, Jr. and Rocky Romero to their February 9 TV taping and February 10 HonorClub event. Good to see.

Ronda Rousey discussed her future and more. It's amazing to think she might be finishing up her on-screen life at 32, especially as good as she is.

Roman Reigns is joining The Rock in a "Fast & Furious" spinoff movie, with Reigns playing Rock's brother. That's big. I hope that bodes well for Reigns' future.

- Roman responded to joining the project. I'm glad he's doing well.

WWE is casting a reality series to find a future female superstar. I expect this to be in the line of "Total Divas" rather than, say, The Mae Young Classic. If it gets eyeballs on WWE TV, it's worth a shot.

John Cena is joining a Netflix project featuring Jason Bateman. His profile's really growing.

Taz discussed facing Marvel characters. Pretty interesting.

"The Edge and Christian Show" will debut a new episode after Raw.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It looks like everything's set.

2. I think he's got a decent shot given his age and background.

3. Not anytime soon! He's still part of NXT and making all planned appearances.

4. I don't see it. It doesn't look like she's wrestled since 2002. If either side wanted to make an offer, they could have done so a LONG time before now. There are other people who are more fitting prospects in 2019.

5. Given all the press they're doing for "Total Bellas," there's a chance it happens.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Impact Wrestling Reax

Rad on for my take on last night's edition of Impact Wrestling.

Road to Supercard Houston Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's HonorClub event.

Takeover: Phoenix preview

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

Ronda finishing as a wrestler soon?, possible Cena-WM plans, Cena-Rumble update, Braun cleared, more on Dolph-WWE, NJPW tour attendance note, WWE signing has farewell, more on Raw drop, top CMLL name being recruited, Crash working with Chinese promotion, NJPW announces U.S. tour, U.S. shutdown prevents NJPW travel, WWE interested in another WOS name, more on WWE signing Impact names, AEW plans, Revival planning non-WWE future, Hardys-WWE update, WWE back in Australia soon, UK talent to NXT U.S., more NXT signings, Raw name has surgery, Andrade plans, more Hidden Gems, PAC to Wrestlecon, Impact opening, Bella promotion, Cole's EVOLVE opponents, Rumble hype, injured WWE name set for Rumble+TV, Worlds Collide streaming, SDL audience, Rush booked for ROH dates, NEW cancels event, AEW signing, AEW party announced, NXT live event notes, and Questions on Kharma returning to WWE, S.D. Jones, Impact dropping Lockdown, and Hidden Gems not being Hidden

Ronda Rousey was reported to be finishing her WWE commitments at WrestleMania, as she looks to start a family. She could remain for another PPV to get a rematch for the Raw Women's Championship and finish up her current angle. That would be a major change for WWE, since she's been such a focal point.

- WWE responded to the report, indicating she's still under contract through WrestleMania 37. It's entirely possible she remains as an ambassador to the company after finishing her in-ring work and/or returns after giving birth.

John Cena vs. Lars Sullivan is being considered for WrestleMania, should Lars be able to return for that. That would definitely elevate the newcomer.

- Cena may not have been planned for the Rumble at all, but just announced to sell tickets and set up a return program with Drew McIntyre (initially Lars Sullivan). Certainly in kayfabe injuries happen, but WWE intentionally fleecing fans isn't going to sit well.

Braun Strowman has been cleared to wrestle again, so he could easily appear in the Royal Rumble.

Dolph Ziggler might have been considered to become a WWE producer. As much as he can still deliver in the ring, that's a surprising idea. I wouldn't blame him for seeing what other offers out there.

NJPW's Fantastica Mania tour with CMLL had seven sellouts in eight shows. That's very impressive.

Trevor Lee worked his final PWG show, losing to Jeff Cobb in the main event and cutting a farewell promo.

Raw's audience Monday featured the greatest audience drop by percentage in series history.

Dragon Lee is being recruited by WWE, NJPW, and ROH. It's believed he'll be joining Rush in ROH.

- Lee had to pull out of indie dates due to his visa not being renewed in time for him to continue working in the U.S.

The Crash in Mexico is working with OWE from China. OWE is also working with AEW.

NJPW announced the cards for their upcoming U.S. tour, notably not featuring any Japanese talent due to the U.S. government shutdown leading to visas not being approved. Jushin Liger, Tomohiro Ishii, Yuji Nagata, and Hirooki Goto were all set to work the tour. Here are the cards for January 30, February 1, and February 2. That's a real disappointment after the big shows they've done previously; it could sour U.S. fans to the expanding brand.

WWE is also seeking WOS' Bea Priestley, the current women's champion there. NXT UK could really be expanding when WOS deals expire.

Abyss was not working under Impact contract, but was part of the office staff. Sonjay Dutt was one of the writers for Impact. It's believed they'll be doing backstage work in NXT, and neither were hired as wrestlers.

AEW is looking to build itself on talents who haven't gotten major U.S. exposure. We'll see how that goes.

AEW names are looking to do surprise indie appearances as they set up for important AEW shows. Good to see them helping out places where people are still cutting their teeth.

The Revival are looking to use the name "Forever The Revival" outside of WWE, as they've recently trademarked that name. If they do leave the company, it will be interesting to see if they'd be able to reference their WWE team name. If not, they could just call themselves FTR, which they've also trademarked.

The Hardys are expected to stay with WWE for another year. Their current deals run through WrestleMania with an option to extend the deal through WrestleMania 36 with a pay increase, so it's looking like that will take effect.

WWE is putting together an Australian tour later in 2019, following the success of Super Show-Down.

UK-based Ilja Dragunov is expected to join NXT rather than NXT UK. I'm curious how that came about.

NXT's February class is expected to include ACH, Rachael Evers, Sam Shaw, Karen Q, and Elliot Sexton.

Akam of AOP recently had knee surgery. He's expected back in mid-March. That would be part of why they lost the title.

Andrade is being considered as a babyface, working alongside Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara. That's an interesting change of pace.

WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Over The Top Tag Team Turmoil from AWA in 1984
- New Year's Bunkhouse Brawl from UWF in 1987
- 12-man Texas Roundup match from USWA in 1991
- Grand Royale from FCW in 2011
-- There's something of a Royal Rumble preview theme there.

PAC has been announced for WrestleCon, where he'll compete at multiple events. Good to see him getting to work after so long being benched in WWE.

Impact released the opening for tonight's show.

The Bella Twins were on BUILD Series to promote their show, as well as TMZ Sports and Access Hollywood. Notably, they're not advertised for the women's Royal Rumble.

Adam Cole will face Shane Strickland at EVOLVE 121 and Darby Allin at EVOLVE 122.

Daniel Bryan spoke to Newsweek before Royal Rumble. Interesting look at what he does.

Tye Dillinger is booked for the Royal Rumble and the following nights' TV tapings, so he could be incorporated into things again soon. 

WWE will stream the entire Worlds Collide tournament on February 2 on both WWE Network and their social media platforms. I suppose putting it on social media is a way to get fans to subscribe to see those names more regularly.

Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers Tuesday night, virtually identical to last week's episode.

Rush has been announced for ROH's February 9 TV taping and February 10 HonorClub event, his first dates as a regular, contracted member of the roster.

NEW canceled their January 25 New York event due to an issue with local permits. Tickets will be honored for the January 26 Connecticut event as well as the March return to the city. I'm glad they made good for the issue.

WWE live-streamed Royal Rumble matches on social media platforms today to promote Sunday's show.

Apollo Crews and Natalya appeared at an NBA game to promote Royal Rumble.

AEW has confirmed the signing of Jungle Boy.

AEW will hold a Double or Nothing party at the event's venue on February 7. I would expect some further announcements there.

Velveteen Dream is working this weekend's events as advertised following his Twitter comments.

Tyler Bate worked NXT's January 24 event in California, defeating Adam Cole. NXT does a great job incorporating names from other rosters on their shows.

Rey Mysterio made a surprise appearance at NXT's January 24 event in California, attacking Kona Reeves after Reeves took shots at Rey's hometown.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. She's seemingly moved on from taking wrestling bookings in order to focus on acting.

2. I could certainly see him getting in the legacy wing.

3. That's an interesting tenure...

4. They haven't done Lockdown since 2016, and the last time it was a PPV was 2014. Seemingly they feel the gimmick has run its course.

5. In some sense it's an excuse to showcase material that isn't necessarily as popular or noteworthy as other material they have, although if there's notable viewership for certain content, WWE will use that as an indication to feature more of similar work.

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH Road to Supercard Dallas Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Honorclub event.

EVOLVE signings, NXT name done with EVOLVE, Interviews with Finn/Ronda/Aldis/HHH/Booker, AEW trademark, HoFer endorses The Man, Sabin injury update, NXT UK taping at AXXESS, Raw audience, Taker meets Impact stars, UFC name challenges Cena, WWE signs Impact producers, Rumble weekend notes, more HonorClub matches, and Questions on the McMahons sabotaging WWE TV, Becky's merch sales, Impact's future, Brock retaining, and rating Ronda

EVOLVE has signed Curt Stallion to a contract, so he will be a regular going forward.

NXT/NXT UK's Fabian Aichner is done with EVOLVE due to getting consistent work for those brands.

Finn Balor talked before Royal Rumble:
- I'm glad John Cena is endorsing up-and-coming stars. The 40-and-over names aren't going to be able to carry the company but so much.

- It could definitely benefit Finn to speak to Vince more, to show that he wants opportunities and such.

- I would be VERY surprised to see WrestleMania in the UK any time soon.

AEW has trademarked "Change the Universe" for wrestling and merchandise purposes, so that will be another slogan for T-shirts and the like.

Mick Foley endorsed Becky Lynch. He probably doesn't want to get roasted.

Ronda Rousey talked to Kevin Hart about WWE and more. She's really opened doors for WWE publicity.

Nick Aldis promoted NWA on a Virginia morning show.

Chris Sabin will miss eight months to a year after surgery for his torn ACL. That's a really rough situation after going through similar tears years back.

Triple H did a conference call to promote Takeover: Phoenix, covered here:
- Interesting comments about Dream.

- Ooooooh. Confirmation they didn't want to run Takeover against Supercard. I think fans appreciate it.

- Yeah you know WWE is going to do everything they can to outperform AEW.

- It will be interesting to see which talents go to which Performance Center.

- NXT has definitely developed some stellar talents. As always, they're prepared to deliver in the ring and perform well in front of the NXT audience, but making it on Raw or Smackdown Live means a different set of skills they won't necessarily pick up at the Performance Center.

- NXT UK running a regular schedule in a smaller market is going to be a challenge.

- WWE is showing some surprising moves these days that would have been deemed unsafe in the past.

- I fully expect more NXT callups after WM35. The group announced in December were a combination of somewhat mid-level names and people who had already peaked in NXT. They're saving other names for bigger moments.

NXT UK will tape three episodes at Royal Rumble AXXESS. That will be special. It's good to see those names get opportunities.

Raw drew 2.46 million viewers Monday night, notably down from last week's 2.72 million. Interestingly, the show's first hour drew 2.84 million before dropping to 2.40 million and 2.14 million for the latter two hours. That's a very significant number of people who started watching the show but didn't finish.

The Undertaker met with Eli Drake and Taya Valkyrie at a convention in Nevada. Taker fits with Pursuit's audience perfectly (his character, not so much).

AJ Styles recently appeared on political show "Louder with Crowder." Wrestling was not discussed.

Booker T. discussed returning to the ring and more. He's really done a lot for the business since his in-ring days.

UFC Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo called out John Cena. Despite the huge size difference, that could be a lot of fun in WWE.

WWE has signed Abyss and Sonjay Dutt from Impact, where both were working behind-the-scenes. It's expected they will take on similar roles backstage in NXT. Tommy Dreamer and Konnan will replace them on Impact's creative team.

Royal Rumble will have an exclusive MLB-themed T-shirt. That's pretty cool.

- The venue will also have a special burger. Literally what the hell.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will have a VIP signing at Royal Rumble AXXESS. You KNOW they're going to get dozens of people telling them whom to push, etc.

Royal Rumble AXXESS VIP sessions for Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre have been canceled. That's a little surprising.

ROH's January 25 HonorClub event has added:
- Kelly Klein vs. Sumie Sakai for the Women of Honor Championship
- Bandido vs. Rocky Romero

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely don't think the McMahons intentionally drove fans away from the shows just so they could put themselves back on TV. I don't know how they originally intended to end Corbin's run as GM, but I don't think it was going to involve making the McMahons regulars. Especially since they liked Paige as GM and want her front and center to promote her movie.

2. That's definitely a great sign! It could be a case of them not being prepared for a female star, and particularly Becky, to be over as much and as long as she has, but surely she's beating expectations.

3. There's no indication they're shutting down anytime soon, though certainly their TV situation in the U.S. is pretty poor right now and it doesn't look like it's going to improve in the near future. Of course, they're also really being "lapped" by other companies as far as talent and personnel choosing to work elsewhere. That doesn't bode well for them being a thriving company going forward.

4. I believe he'll be Universal Champion. WWE specifically put Finn Balor there because they didn't want Braun to lose another title match, so I think Brock's retaining.

5. Amazing. I can't think of a single "rookie" who's achieved what she's achieved in at least 15 years.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and ROH Reax - 1/23/19

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

STARDOM name booked for ROH, new ROH matches, Dream goes private, Elite merch returning to Hot Topic, SDL star becomes commentator, new WWE merch partner, three NXT signings, Impact expands Mexican deal, MLW gets a sponsor, Dreamer discusses AEW, WWE backstage notes, former Impact name passes, WWE reveals Rumble announcers/panelists, another WWE name at PC, Flip injury update, Dalishus returns, Stephanie on ESPN, Ronda goes in on Sasha, Lisowski memorial update, Worlds Collide replacement, Rumble Kickoff matches, SDL dark matches, and Questions on fans respecting tributes, WWE not promoting stars in movies, putting Raw and SDL on the Network sooner, who's in charge on WWE TV, Shane-Miz, and WWE roster crowding

STARDOM's Mayu Iwatani has been announced for ROH's February 9 TV taping and February 10 HonorClub event in Florida. She's definitely an asset for the WOH division.

ROH's January 25 HonorClub event has added Jay Lethal vs. Vinny Marseglia for the ROH World Championship. Marseglia is replacing the injured Chris Sabin.

ROH's January 26 HonorClub event has added Marty Scurll vs. either Mark Haskins or Jonathan Gresham. Whichever man doesn't advance in Tag Wars will be his opponent.

Velveteen Dream has made his Twitter account private after his recent tweet about knowing his worth. He's currently scheduled for Royal Rumble AXXESS' Worlds Collide tournament, but not listed for either Takeover:Phoenix or Royal Rumble itself.

The Elite is getting merchandise in select Hot Topic stores. If the shirts sell well, they will be sold in more locations. It will be very interesting to see how their merch does vs. NJPW's.

Aiden English has joined 205 Live as a "guest commentator" through WrestleMania. That could be a good career transition for him given his lack of momentum as a wrestler.

WWE announced New Era Cap as a partner. The company will create hats for WWE beginning in April.

NXT has officially signed 3.0 and Nick Comoroto. 3.0 has appeared on Raw and NXT previously, but not under that name. They've been working in the business since 2003. Comoroto has appeared for both ROH and EVOLVE, but not regularly.

Impact has announced a more comprehensive Mexican TV deal that will add the company's PPV events. Impact has seen success in Mexico lately.

MLW announced GoDaddy as a sponsor, with incorporation beginning during next Saturday's live episode. It will be interesting to see if an MLW personality ends up in a commercial for the service, as Candice Michelle did years back.

Tommy Dreamer discussed AEW on Busted Open Radio. I fully think he could end up part of the project, behind-the-scenes and/or on-screen given his appearance at All In.

Rowan was backstage at Smackdown Live, though Harper was not. WWE could have been evaluating Rowan to see where they're going next with him.

Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis were notably absent from Smackdown Live/205 Live. At this time both remain with WWE.

Impact personality Belladonna passed away at 40. That's a sad turn of events.

WWE revealed the announcers and panelists for Royal Rumble. That's a LOT of names shifting around. They must have a lot they want to get over during the Rumble matches to have four names at the booth.

Dolph Ziggler was not at Raw after working this weekend's live events. There is still no solid confirmation of him moving on from WWE at the end of the month.

Sin Cara recently worked out at the WWE Performance Center. He could work with Rey Mysterio when he returns to the ring.

Flip Gordon is confirmed to have torn his right MCL at January 13's HonorClub event. It's believed he will return for G1 Supercard. I'm curious how he'll fit into things on that event.

Vik Dalishus was profiled ahead of returning to the ring more than a year after an awful leg injury.

Stephanie McMahon narrated a Special Olympics special for ESPN. That's a big charity for WWE.

Ronda Rousey "shot" on Sasha Banks on Instagram. That was pretty stiff!

Reggie "Da Crusher" Lisowski will be honored with a memorial in Wisconsin come June. That's pretty cool.

Otis Dozovic has been replaced in the Worlds Collide tournament. Shane Thorne will have his spot instead. With Otis no longer being part of NXT, that makes sense. Thorne is kind of an odd pick to replace him, though. How about Punishment Martinez?

Royal Rumble's Kickoff Show will feature:
- Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE United States Championship
- Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Heavy Machinery defeated The Colons before Smackdown Live, while Asuka retained her Smackdown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch after 205 Live.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm honestly not sure what this is asking.

2. Thankfully the audience doesn't try to get themselves over during those moments. It helps that tributes usually start the show, so the crowd isn't riled up yet.

3. Those aren't WWE Studios productions!

4. NBCU and FOX don't want that to be an attractive option for viewers. They want people to watch Raw and Smackdown Live as they air, with every single commercial!

5.a. The McMahons set the matches, rather than delegating to those incompetent GMs who tanked the ratings with their poor decisions.

b. There's speculation they wanted to do Shane vs. Miz right after Crown Jewel, but instead have moved it down the line (likely WrestleMania), so they're filling time before the turn. We'll see.

c. I definitely think that's part of the problem. Triple H has hired a LOT of talents, and there's only so much room to feature them all when wrestlers are seemingly having longer careers on Raw and Smackdown Live. WWE used to have a day every so often when they'd cut a dozen or so wrestlers, but now talents are generally making it through their deals. And, of course, WWE is relying on certain top names as long as they can, so talents can only make it so high.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 1/22/19

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

Gargano EVOLVE speech online, new ROH event matches, Interviews with Murphy/Finn, MLB player has wrestling wedding, Dutt has rough flight, Dream teases not appearing, another star at WWEPC, WWE live event mishap, WWE book coming, WWE announces Alberta return, former WWE name on Netflix show, live event press, Cena "questionable" for Rumble, Omega documentary update, Alexa return set, and Questions on Ivelisse-WWE, blaming Corbin for Raw's drop, Demon Finn vs. Brock, Brock's next opponent, and Nigel wrestling again

Johnny Gargano's EVOLVE 120 speech was uploaded. He did a great job putting the promotion and its stars over.

ROH's January 25 Honorclub event has added:
- Matt Taven vs. Jonathan Gresham
- Jeff Cobb vs. Dalton Castle vs. Bandido vs. Rocky Romero in a Proving Ground Survival match.

Buddy Murphy is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.

MLB player Josh Reddick had a wrestling-themed wedding. That's AMAZING.

Sonjay Dutt missed an independent appearance due to his flight being delayed due to a medical emergency. That was a ROUGH journey. United needs to take steps to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Velveteen Dream tweeted a message about not appearing or performing until he and WWE can come to an agreement on "his worth." Whether this is a storyline or another attempt to get attention is unknown. Hopefully it means he appears in the Royal Rumble after all he's showcased in NXT, and is on the short list to move to Raw or Smackdown Live after WrestleMania.

Harper recently trained at the WWE Performance Center en route to returning to the ring.

WWE had a ring rope break during Smackdown Live's Monday night live event. They did complete the show as scheduled.

"WWE's Greatest Rivalries" book will release on March 5. I'm curious what they'll choose to feature.

Finn Balor has said he will not be "The Demon" at Royal Rumble. WWE could set up a rematch at WrestleMania where the Demon emerges if they wanted to, but I don't see it happening.

WWE has announced a return to Alberta following the city of Edmonton banning combat sports in 2017 following the death of a boxer there. WWE was made exempt. I'm glad they're able to return to the area.

The former Vladimir Kozlov was recently on The Punisher. Good to see him getting work after wrestling.

Raw's Friday night live event got local press.

John Cena may not wrestle in the Royal Rumble due to a reported injury. Cena was not present at Raw. We'll see what comes of that; it would be disappointing if WWE advertised him for the match when they knew he wasn't able to make the date. 

Kenny Omega's Canadian documentary is debuting March 27 on TSN. The description called him "the most famous wrestler you've never heard of." TSN laying major shade on NJPW despite the show airing on Fight Network there. 

Alexa Bliss will return to the ring in the women's Royal Rumble match. We'll see if she's a regular after that or if this is something of a trial run. I'm glad she's able to get physical again. 

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. She's been a regular in Lucha Underground, though she recently publicly asked for her release, so it's possible we do see her end up somewhere more prominent soon.

2. Raw's ratings definitely dropped with Corbin being featured more prominently. He was front and center during some particularly poorly-viewed episodes. That said, I think a lot of fans were pretty fed up with the show's direction beforehand and using him more just pushed them over the edge to not watching. The "firing" was partially a way to show fans they weren't going to use him quite as much going forward, though of course he's still on the show regularly.

3. They've previously mentioned Finn becoming The Demon is basically allowing a malevolent presence to take over him. Sure, it's more powerful, but it's tough on him mentally, etc. Obviously the gimmick's on the fantastical side. And I fully expect him to lose, so it's probably better for him to do so "as himself."

4. Honestly I don't see Brock defending the title again until WrestleMania. There's a chance they put Ambrose in a triple threat with Rollins and Lesnar then given the Seth/Dean history, but I really don't see them doing Dean vs. Brock one-on-one.

5. He's got a secure job not putting his health on the line. There's no reason for him to risk that trying to rock the boat.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 1/21/19

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

Vintage Network content added, Interview with DDP, another SDL match, women's Rumble entrants, Matt Hardy teases return, WWE live event notes, and Questions on how WWE uploads to the Network, title match entrants in the Rumble, AJ as a free agent, and boycotting WWE to inspire change

WWE Network has added WWF Superstars episodes from April 18, 1992 through the end of that year. I expect more will come in the weeks to come.

Diamond Dallas Page discussed his new book on The Drew Marshall Show.

Added to Smackdown Live:
- The Miz vs. Cesaro. Each man will have his partner in his corner.

Announced for the women's Royal Rumble:
- Charlotte Flair
- Naomi
- Tamina
- The IIconics
- Dana Brooke
- Lana
- Nia Jax
- Nikki Cross

Matt Hardy once more teased returning to WWE soon, adding he has been physically cleared to get back in the ring. Depending on how his injury affected his contract, he could be able to join AEW in a few months. I'm curious if he'd make another jump for the new venture.

The Usos returned to action as a team on Smackdown Live's January 20 event, competing in a triple threat match for the Tag Team Championship. The Bar retained in a match that also featured New Day. Notably, Jey worked with Aiden English in a singles match earlier this weekend while Jimmy did not work the show.

Kurt Angle did not work Raw's January 20 live event after a surprise appearance earlier in the weekend. Apollo Crews defeated Baron Corbin in his place, which is pretty crazy when Kurt lost to Corbin at the beginning of the loop.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE has a lot of technology available in their trucks. They've got a pretty sophisticated operation.

2. Not in front of the camera!

3. I like the idea that they're so focused on their title match that they don't also enter such a chaotic match. Honestly after going all out with a champion, what are their chances in the Rumble? I'm fine with the occasional spot of the loser entering the match, but it shouldn't be a rule.

4. I'm under the impression his WWE deal ends after WrestleMania. I'm under the impression he initially wanted to end his career in WWE given the bigger paychecks without the in-ring demands, but maybe he's willing to help AEW out given some of the contracts they're willing to offer. Time will tell.

5. I mean it's not like fans aren't already doing that. WWE's fortunate NBCU and FOX need content for their networks, because TV rights are far and away what's making the company a success. I do think if AEW, NJPW, etc. pull in business that shows there is an audience for an alternative to WWE, he'll make some changes. Of course that would mean them doing more than a few shows here and there in the U.S. Also of note is Vince needing to focus on the XFL. That can open the door for others to have more leeway with how the product is booked and presented.

- Another thing to add is that when WWE does let Triple H and Stephanie do things their way, fans need to support those ideas. If WWE draws big numbers for NXT, NXT UK, 205 Live, the Mae Young Classic, etc., Triple H and Stephanie will have ammunition to show Vince their vision can make him money. As long as those things remain somewhat niche, Vince is going to write them off as not capable of outdrawing Raw and Smackdown Live.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Main Event Reax - 1/19/19, Interviews with Sandow/Toni Storm, more on Impact-Ontario, planned WWE collection dropped, Strickland-MLW update, MLW profiled, WWE workouts, WWE TV matches, another WOS title change, EVOLVE+SDL event notes, and Questions on AEW's first champion, cruisers live vs. taped, King Kong Bundy, Hogan on Raw, and ECW Arena's changes

-- Main Event:
- Streak update:
Curt Hawkins is 0-255 going into this match. Of course, if Breeze scores the pin, that still counts as a win!

- Ryder/Jose vs. Hawkins/Breeze:
I like the heel teamwork.

Whoa. Didn't expect Curt to pull out a split-legged moonsault.

This is nice!

Cool ending. 

- Dana/Ember vs. Alicia/Mickie:

Fine work so far.

Good to see Dana showcased for once.

Not bad at all!

The former Damien Sandow discussed leaving WWE and more on The Two Man Power Trip. Here are highlights.

Impact's April PPV will be in Ontario, and will not be Lockdown. They can use the Redemption name again if they'd like.

WWE Network is no longer advertising the "Power of Love" collection that was going to be hosted by Mike and Maria Kanellis. Naturally that's going to spark further speculation one or both of them are leaving soon. No word on that being the case yet.

Shane Strickland has finished up with MLW. He's expected to join NXT soon. I'd think Rumble weekend would be a good time for him to show himself.

MLW's Latin focus was profiled. Unfortunately Rush won't be part of their growth going forward.

Toni Storm spoke to the Hindustan Times. I hope she and Rhea do make it to Raw and Smackdown Live at some point.

ESPN covered WWE workouts.

Raw has announced Ronda Rousey and Natalya vs. Bayley and Sasha Banks. That's pretty cool.

Smackdown Live has announced:
- Samoa Joe vs. Mustafa Ali
- Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio in a two-out-of-three falls match
- Vince McMahon hosting a face-to-face between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles

Viper lost her newly won WOS women's championship to Bea Priestley during the company's January 19 live event. So, barring any more surprises, Viper and Kay Lee Ray are free to join NXT UK without WOS needing to scramble to declare a new champion for whatever they're doing after this tour.

At EVOLVE 120:
- Montez Ford defeated Eddie Kingston
- Angelo Dawkins lost to Josh Briggs
- Fabian Aichner lost to Darby Allin
- Johnny Gargano defeated Austin Theory in a non-title match

At Smackdown Live's January 19 live event in South Dakota:
- Shelton Benjamin, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows defeated Aiden English and two members of SAnitY (it's not clear which two). Again Shelton's seemingly a face out of nowhere.
- Aiden English then lost again to Jey Uso. Jimmy Uso was not on the card.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The current tease is Hangman Page vs. PAC to determine that. I'd think Page would take it, since PAC already has commitments in Dragon Gate.

2. If WWE wanted to, they could go live before Smackdown Live, but that would be in front of a smaller crowd. I think the problem here is the Smackdown Live audience isn't invested in 205 Live. Ideally once that crowd saw those names in action, they'd start following the brand. It's notable the fans who come for the likes of AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Samoa Joe aren't into talents who work a similar style to what got those names on the map in the first place. It's something WWE needs to take a look at as they try to make smaller wrestlers stars.

3. I'm a little surprised we haven't seen him on WWE TV in some capacity. They surely know he's out there!

4. I personally see it as part of WWE easing fans back into accepting Hogan as part of the company again. If they can still make money off Hogan merch in 2019, they're going to try to make it happen, brother.

5. That venue has seen a LOT of wrestling in its many incarnations.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NJPW name to XFL?, assorted wrestling press, Interviews with Cody/Moon/Bucks/Hogan/Thunder/WOW head/Devi/Sasha, more ROH matches, 90s WWF name returning, Flair speaking event, another WWE return set, ROH re-signs tag competitor, Rush-ROH update, Maria on release rumors, new Network content, EVOLVE/Raw/NXT event notes, WOS title change, and Questions on ROH streaming on Sinclair, WOW being taped, Eva leaving WWE, Benoit in WWE books, and what makes a good Rumble

NJPW's Tanga Loa teased playing in the XFL. That's a news story I would have never seen coming five years ago. Loa wrestled in WWE as Camacho.

Mick Foley closed down his Instagram account. As with any promotional vehicle, if it's not worth the time investment to fully make use of it, there's no sense using social media just to use it.

Diamond Dallas Page promoted his new book on Coast to Coast Radio.

Cody talked to ESPN about AEW:
- There are definitely underutilized current wrestlers who could add to wrestlers we haven't seen before in AEW.

- History is definitely repeating itself with a Runnels booking a rival to Vince McMahon.

- I'm very interested to see how AEW will treat talent differently from other groups.

- I really hope they don't go overboard with the wins/losses/rankings thing. That can get in the way of good wrestling stories.

- I love the charity idea. He's swinging for the fences.

Sasha Banks is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.

Ember Moon was on Busted Open Radio. I appreciate the show putting those names over. It's great to see a bigger variety of women being used in wrestling these days.

ROH's January 24 HonorClub event has added:
- Jeff Cobb vs. NJPW trainee Clark Connors
- Juice Robinson and David Finlay vs. NJPW trainees Alex Coughlin and Karl Fredericks in Round One of Tag Wars

ROH's January 25 HonorClub event has added:
- Coast 2 Coast vs. Cheeseburger and Eli Isom in Round One of Tag Wars
- The Bouncers vs. The Boys in Round One of Tag Wars
- Colt Cabana and Willie Mack vs. Kenny King and a partner of his choosing in Round One of Tag Wars. This confirms Mack isn't signed to an Impact contract.
- The Briscoes, Shane Taylor, and Silas Young vs. Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Mark Haskins, and Tracy Williams
- Villain Enterprises vs. NJPW trainees Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors.

The Young Bucks discussed AEW and more:
- I agree there was nothing else for them to accomplish in ROH. That's true of a good number of talents out there, and I hope AEW gives opportunities for fresh directions.

- Wrestling would be in a very different place if the Bucks had quit.

- It's WAY too early to discuss AEW as a WWE competitor as far as yearly revenue and the like, but they will definitely be seeking the same talents and fans.

- It's great to see the Bucks speak highly of the WWE experience, etc. instead of burying the company.

- Certainly television isn't the force it was even ten years ago, but there's still a LOT of money and a lot of eyeballs there. It's still the most important barometer of a successful wrestling company.

Mantaur will work Joey Janela's WrestleMania weekend event. I love this kind of craziness.

Ric Flair and Jimmy Hart will do a speaking event in Georgia on February 16. That should be wild.

Hulk Hogan spoke to People magazine about returning to WWE. I love how he still pitched a match after saying he can't wrestle anymore.

Tye Dillinger is expected to return to WWE in a few weeks. There was speculation he was retiring after a recent Twitter post.

Shaheem Ali has officially signed a new ROH deal, so we'll be seeing more of Coast 2 Coast going forward.

Rush will begin at ROH once his work visa is approved. I'd expect him to be a top name there given the process of signing him.

Bandido has his first ROH T-shirt available.

Thunder Rosa discussed becoming a U.S. citizen. That will certainly open doors for her.

Maria Kanellis addressed rumors of her asking for her WWE release. I intentionally didn't cover these rumors because they hadn't been substantiated. Stories like this are why wrestling journalism has such a bad name.

Minor league hockey team the Milwaukee Admirals will feature Jim Ross, Jeff Jarrett, Al Snow, and Gail Kim on January 26. That's pretty cool.

New Jersey's Horror Con and Film Festival will feature Jake Roberts and Velvet Sky from March 29 through March 31.

Albuquerque Comic Con will feature Kane, Goldust, and Lita this weekend.

Jim Ross' latest podcast has WOW's David McLane and Tessa Blanchard.

WOW's Jeanie Buss promoted the venture.

Alexa Bliss will be signing at Royal Rumble AXXESS.

WWE is doing a Royal Rumble AXXESS sweepstakes.

NXT's Kavita Devi spoke to The Asian Age.

Sasha Banks discussed Ronda Rousey and Bayley. I'm glad Trish and Lita helped them out like that.

Bret Hart has launched a Pro Wrestling Tees store.

Edge and Christian's WWE Network show will have a new episode after Raw.

"WWE 24:WrestleMania 34" will debut after Royal Rumble.

At EVOLVE 119:
- Fabian Aichner defeated Darby Allin
- The Street Profits defeated The Skulk to retain the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship
- Johnny Gargano and AR Fox defeated Austin Theory and Josh Briggs in the main event. Gargano was attacked by Theory after the match, with Theory teasing replacing Johnny at Takeover: Phoenix.

Kay Lee Ray lost the WOS Women's Championship to Viper at WOS' January 18 live event. Ray was of course recently in the crowd at NXT UK Takeover, and is almost certainly heading in once her WOS commitments in. What's interesting is Viper is also being discussed as joining NXT UK. We'll see how the rest of the tour plays out.

At Raw's January 18 live event in Texas:
- Dolph Ziggler worked the show, losing in a triple threat to Finn Balor. Drew McIntyre was also involved. So, if he is leaving at the end of the month, he's at least being used for some final dates.
- Kurt Angle made a surprise appearance, losing to Baron Corbin. I can't say I saw that result coming!

At NXT's January 18 live event in Florida:
- Marina Shafir worked her first live event since December 9. She teamed with Shayna Baszler in a four-team elimination match. Kairi Sane and Io Shirai won. The other teams were Aliyah/Vanessa Borne and Mia Yim/Xia Li.
- Ricochet and Kacy Catanzaro defeated Rhea Ripley and Shane Thorne, so those pairings could make their way to NXT TV.
- Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza lost to Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish in an NXT Tag Team Championship match. That's notable both for Carrillo recently switching to 205 Live and for Strong and Fish teaming to defend the championship.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That feels like a missed opportunity on Sinclair's part. It would benefit ROH to have their weekly show there.

2. That's probably for the best given the experience level of a lot of those involved and the costs of going live each week compared to taping multiple episodes at a time.

3. Eva was seemingly just hired for reality shows and the like. It was clear she wasn't going to be one of their best wrestlers, so it was something of a matter of time before she was either exclusively used in a non-wrestling role or released.

4. He hasn't been erased from WWE history, since you can still see him on WWE Network and such. They just, wisely, don't do anything to promote him or sell any match compilations. That's one of few instances they acknowledge his existence.

5. Generally my favorite Rumbles involve some of the following: surprise/unexpected entrants, combinations of workers we don't normally get to see, good workers lasting a significant amount of time, someone racking up multiple eliminations, some comedy spots, and things that "break the formula" like someone bringing in weapons/brawling outside the ring/cutting promos while the clock winds down.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Impact Wrestling Reax - 1/18/19

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling.

More on Rush-ROH, More on Finn replacing Braun, AAA looking to broadcast in English online, AAA-MSG update, more on WK13 success, more on KUSHIDA leaving NJPW, Hiromu update, MLW signings, MLW changing contract structure, WWE offering bigger contracts, Severn induction, UFC name to debut in the ring, WOS replaying, Impact taping attendance notes, more on Y2J-AEW, AEW interested in indie star, WWE team asks for release, WWE uses Impact+ROH footage, Owens plans, WWEPC seeking football players, Kai injured, Elite appear at California show, former WWE world champ possibly leaving, 205 Live name seeking release, former WWE name address addiction, assorted WWE press, new Hidden Gems, Carrillo brand update, more names to 205 Live?, MLW signs international deal, Ronda in major game, new Takeover match, Angle's niece kidnapped, Impact opening, Impact Twitch special delayed, WWE financial results coming, Sydal surgery, and NXT name back in action

Rush's ROH contract is for one year, as is Bandido's. Part of ROH getting Rush was due to the NJPW-CMLL-ROH relationship, where NJPW didn't want Rush signing to rival MLW. ROH continues to have things fall in their laps due to the NJPW relationship.

- MLW was offering a substantial contract to Rush to be a major player inside and outside the ring.

- It's believed ROH is looking to expand their Latin presence. CMLL would obviously be an important part of that.

- MLW is dropping CMLL talents as a result of the situation, as they don't want to feature talents who could turn right around and sign to ROH.

Finn Balor replacing Braun Strowman was held off significantly because it was felt Brock vs. Braun would be a bigger draw.

AAA is looking to add an English Twitch channel. That could certainly add to their U.S. audience.

AAA is reportedly still looking to run MSG at some point after previous plans fell through. We'll see if it happens, and how well it draws if they do run there.

Wrestle Kingdom 13 was the most successful non-WrestleMania live gate in the world since 1998, with the possible exception of Super Show-Down. That's incredible!

KUSHIDA was interested in turning heel in NJPW, but wasn't given the opportunity. He finishes there at the end of the month.

Hiromu Takahashi is expected to be able to return to the ring at some point, but it's not in the works currently.

MLW has signed Jacob Fatu and Alexander Hammerstone. LU's Rey Horus is expected to become a regular in the promotion, as well. Fatu is the son of The Tonga Kid.

MLW is looking to do three-year contracts that aren't exclusive but allow MLW to get first priority on bookings.

WWE is willing to spend significantly more for talent contracts as other players have shown they can make assets of wrestlers and pay them well. With their new TV deals coming, they have a lot more money to invest in talent.

Dan Severn will be inducted into Michigan's National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019.

UFC's Frank Mir will wrestle on April 4 for Josh Barnett's promotion. That should be interesting. Companies are having to get innovative to draw fans on a loaded WrestleMania weekend.

WOS' first season will replay beginning this weekend in order to boost ticket sales for the upcoming live event tour.

Impact's January 11 and January 12 TV tapings in Mexico drew around 1,300 fans each. That's significantly higher than their last tour there. They should definitely consider running there more given their attendance problems in the U.S. and Canada.

Chris Jericho will be focusing on AEW, but still able to work NJPW dates when they don't conflict with AEW dates. This includes NJPW shows outside of Japan.

AEW are interested in Jungle Boy, the son of Luke Perry.

The Revival have asked out of their WWE contracts, but have not been granted releases. They clearly want to join AEW. We'll see where things go.

WWE made deals with Impact and ROH to show footage for the Nigel McGuinness documentary.

Kevin Owens is now expected to return after WrestleMania, although he will likely be cleared to wrestle before then.

The WWE Performance Center will have football players try out in April. I hope they get some good signings there.

Dakota Kai underwent surgery for a torn ACL. She could miss six months or so. That's unfortunate; she was just getting momentum in NXT. I hope she can become a star when she returns.

The Elite appeared at a California indie event on January 16. They didn't have a match, but did get physical with Eric Young, Johnny Yuma, and Kevin Martenson after the trio lost to SoCal Uncensored.

Dolph Ziggler could be leaving WWE at the end of the month. He has dropped his WWE ring name from social media and is about to begin a comedy tour. Whether he'd move on from wrestling entirely is unknown.

Mike Kanellis is believed to have asked for his release from WWE, but was not granted it. He has been notably absent from 205 Live lately. Some believe he wants to return to ROH, where he notably left in 2015 before moving to Impact (which he also left after two years).

The former Adam Rose thanked WWE for helping him become and remain sober. I hope things are improving for him.

WWE honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

University of Miami football players recreated WWE moves. Funny stuff.

WWE 2K's Million Dollar Challenge will no longer accept entrants after January 31.

WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- A 20-man battle royal from AWA in 1984
- Hanson vs. Brian Black from a 2005 Raw dark match
- Tommaso Ciampa vs. Hanson from Velocity in 2005
- Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jamin Olivencia from OVW in 2007
-- Amazing to think Ciampa could have come up in WWE during that time

Humberto Carrillo has been returned to WWE's Worlds Collide event as a member of 205 Live,, so his move from NXT is official. I'm curious where Raul Mendoza goes from here, since they had been a team.

205 Live could see at least one additional roster member following Carrillo joining the brand.

MLW Fusion will air in Israel on Ego TV beginning Tuesday. The series is really expanding!

Ronda Rousey will appear on Kevin Hart's digital series next week. We'll see if Becky and/or Sasha and/or Nia and/or Charlotte and/or Alexa bring this up in a promo.

- Ronda will also be voicing Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11. That's pretty cool!

- A press release on the Mortal Kombat 11 role was issued.

Takeover: Phoenix has added Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno after this week's NXT. I'd be surprised to see Ohno pushed over Riddle.

Kurt Angle's niece was recently kidnapped. That's absolutely horrible. I'm glad she's safe now.

Impact released the opening for tonight's episode.

Impact's next Twitch special is being broadcast on a 24-hour delay. I assume that's so they can post-produce it.

WWE will report its 2018 financial results on February 7. WWE's stockholders will be taking notes.

Matt Sydal will be undergoing surgery on his knee. It's expected he'll miss two to three months. Hopefully he's got a long career ahead of him at just shy of 36.

Brennan Williams has returned to NXT live events after an eye injury on January 4. He defeated Shane Thorne in Florida on January 17.

More wrestling tomorrow.

WOS gets international distribution, new title match at Rumble, WWE name shortened, podcast notes, assorted WWE press, Interviews with Charlotte/Kofi/Corgan+Aldis, NXT UK correction, post-WM SDL matches, Impact planning more dates, Sonjay honored, Impact World Title at indie show, WWE team cleared, ROH faction profiled, Rumble challengers pulled from Rumbles, WWE Network content updates, NXT UK name working ICW, another live Fusion, Brock trains college athletes, ROH matches set, SDL audience, Bruno book to be re-released, and Questions on the women's tag title, Ibushi-WWE, the Braun/Brock angle, Truth as NWA Champion, and making wrestling believable

WOS has announced international TV distribution, specifically India, Africa, and Poland. A U.S. announcement is believed to be coming soon. There remains no confirmation of a second season ahead of upcoming live events.

Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship is set for Royal Rumble 2019.

Andrade "Cien" Almas will now just be known as Andrade. I can understand thinking his name was too long, but that's just silly.

Shane Helms' podcast has returned on Hipcast.

WWE stock was praised by Motley Fool.

Charlotte Flair spoke to Sky Sports. She could definitely be a top name at WrestleMania.

Chris Jericho's latest podcast discusses joining AEW and more. Notably, he claims Impact Wrestling and WWE both made offers to sign him in recent months.

NXT UK did end up airing a new episode yesterday, after originally one wasn't listed as scheduled.

Smackdown Live's April 9 TV taping is advertising:
- Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship
- The Bar vs. Shane McMahon and The Miz for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
-- As always, plans can change between now and then, especially with this show following WrestleMania.

Impact is set to return to Ontario in April, likely for their next PPV.

Impact is looking to run Pennsylvania and Illinois in 2019.

Sonjay Dutt will be inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame on February 2.

The Impact World Championship will be defended in Alpha-1 Wrestling in Ontario on February 3 as Johnny Impact faces MJF and Ethan Page in a triple threat match.

The Bludgeon Brothers have been cleared to return to the ring. They could be back as soon as this weekend's live events. I can't help but think they'll face Shane McMahon and The Miz.

ROH showed their new faction, Lifeblood. Juice Robinson will lead the group, with Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams, David Finlay, and Tenille Dashwood filling it out. I can't help but think ROH threw them all together as the easiest way to incorporate them into storylines. I'm excited to see new names, but that just feels lazy.

Finn Balor and Sasha Banks have been pulled from the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches due to challenging for championships on that show.

WWE Network completed its "Match of the Year" compilation for 2018, and added a lot of short form content from their YouTube page.

Kofi Kingston discussed his former Jamaican character and more. New Day would have gone down a VERY different path without the silly turn it took.

Yahoo! Finance covered Mixed Match Challenge's success. Pretty fascinating.

NXT UK's Wolfgang is working ICW's February 24 event. Good to see WWE helping out the promotion that produced him.

MLW Fusion will be live February 2 for a one-hour special. MLW and BeIN Sports are really working well together. That's often key for a show's success.

Billy Corgan and Nick Aldis discussed the Crockett Cup returning. Hopefully that's a success for NWA.

Brock Lesnar trained Minnesota amateur wrestlers. That's pretty cool!

ROH's January 24 event has added:
- PCO and Brody King vs. TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia in Tag Wars Round One
- Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham vs. Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams in Tag Wars Round One
- Matt Taven vs. Rocky Romero
- Bandido vs. Silas Young
- Marty Scurll vs. Rhett Titus
- Madison Rayne vs. Holidead
- The Briscoes and Shane Taylor vs. Dalton Castle and The Boys

Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers Tuesday night.

Stephanie McMahon will be on Facebook's first U.S. podcast. Her profile continues to grow in the business world.

Bruno Sammartino's autobiography will be re-released with new material reflecting his passing and legacy. Good to see the legend honored.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There will be one women's tag team championship across Raw and Smackdown Live, in reflection of the size of the women's roster compared to the men's roster. Not everything's about "special treatment."

2. Absolutely! They were pushing hard to sign him, and he could have been a focal point of 205 Live if he signed. Zack Sabre, Jr. could similarly have been in that spot if he signed a deal.

3. Some of it was Braun not being cleared to get physical with Brock. As such, they weren't going to be able to actually confront each other. I think it did hurt Braun to be used like that.

4. Truth should absolutely be honored for that milestone. It definitely was "the" NWA Championship, although obviously that didn't mean as much in 2002 as it did in 1982. Truth can definitely be more than a comedy character, but it's probably easier for his body for him to do dance breaks!

5. Wrestling can certainly have matches that look like real contests/fights if things are built and worked in that manner, but if fans want 37 superkicks, the Bucks are wise to cash those checks!

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and ROH Reax - 1/16/19

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

Impact preview, why Finn replaced Braun, Lars update, Owens note, more on Nigel, another NXT road trip, Batista and Titus meet, new main roster star gets new shirt, more vintage WWF content coming to Network, top LU name becomes free agent, ROH injury updates, another injured name at WWEPC, LU name wants out, ROH signs top international star, Raw audience, SDL dark matches, and a Question on AEW vs. ROH

Impact Wrestling Friday night has advertised:
- Allie vs. Jordynne Grace
- LAX vs. Dave Crist and Jake Crist
- Eddie Edwards vs. Ethan Page

Finn Balor replaced Braun Strowman at Royal Rumble because WWE didn't want Braun to lose to Brock Lesnar again, even if Braun were to be cleared to wrestle at the show. WWE also felt Finn vs. Brock would be a better story and better match. That definitely sounds like they intend to keep Brock as champion going into WrestleMania, but as always they could change course.

Lars Sullivan was not booked for TV this week after not appearing at last week's tapings as scheduled. He is still part of WWE.

Kevin Owens has lost significant weight as he prepares to return to WWE TV. That sounds good!

WWE had been working on their Nigel McGuinness documentary since at least July 2018.

NXT has announced shows for:
- December 28 and March 2 in Ohio
- March 1 in Pennsylvania
- March 3 in Michigan

Dave Batista and Titus O'Neil were at the Aretha Franklin Grammy tribute.

Nikki Cross has a new WWE shirt in line with her appearing on Raw and/or Smackdown Live.

WWF Superstars episodes from 1992 will begin coming to WWE Network Monday.

Shane Strickland has announced himself as a free agent, meaning he's no longer under Lucha Underground contract. He's expected to join NXT once he completes the independent dates he had previously booked. He had been in a contractual limbo for some time.

ROH updated the status of two injured stars:
- Chris Sabin is believed to have torn an ACL at Saturday's TV taping, which could mean more than six months before he returns to the ring. Notably, his ROH contract is almost up, so he might not be coming back to wrestle there.

- Flip Gordon is believed to have sprained his MCL at Sunday's Honor Club event. He is set to miss four weeks pending an MRI, which will take him out of Tag Wars. Colt Cabana will have to get a new partner; I'm curious who will take Flip's place.

Fandango recently worked out at the WWE Performance Center, so he's being evaluated for an in-ring return alongside other names.

Nigel McGuinness promoted his previous, self-made documentary. I'm glad to see him finally getting to work for WWE.

Ivelisse Velez publicly asked for LU to release her, with Joey Ryan echoing her claim. LU could be coming apart if they don't make some changes.

Rush has signed an exclusive ROH contract. He can continue to work CMLL, but no other U.S. promotions. That's pretty significant for ROH given

- Rush has been pulled from MLW's April 4 event due to this new deal. Pentagon Jr. will replace him against LA Park II that night.

Raw drew 2.72 million viewers Monday night, as football seasons have ended. That's the highest audience level since September, so the McMahons can breathe a little more easily.

Before Smackdown Live:
- EC3 defeated Aiden English
- Heavy Machinery defeated Primo and Epico

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. AEW is basically in competition with everyone. Obviously AEW and ROH would both benefit using names signed to the other company, but I don't know if that's in the works. Each side is already trying to lock down talents so the other can't get them. We'll see what it means for the two companies going forward. I'm VERY curious how G1 Supercard does now that fans know it's not All In 2.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 1/15/19

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

Revival/Maria Twitter feud, Cena's Mexican cousin returns, Interview with Natalya, Rumble ticket sale, WOW debut lineup, WWE donates to Civil Rights museum, WWE looking over Vince biopic script, WWE Network changing providers, injured names at WWEPC, MLW signings, ROH signings, ROH producer update, Corgan at ROH TV, Lawler signs new deal, Tag Wars participants, and Questions on WWE podcasts, WWE's "new direction," AEW changing what Vince does, and AEW's status

Dash Wilder took a shot at Matt Taven for using The Revival's finisher, which Maria Kanellis chastised Dash for. Dash then responded. It's not out of the realm of possibility we see the two teams clash at some point given the speculation of The Revival heading to AEW.

Juan Cena met the Lucha House Party. "Juan" appeared on live events after John Cena's "firing" during the Nexus angle, but sadly never appeared on TV.

Natalya spoke before Raw. Notably, she said she expects Chyna to go into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point. I imagine it will happen at some point, even if it's part of a DX group induction.

Royal Rumble had a two-for-one flash sale Monday. With trying to fill a stadium, I see why they're looking to get more seats accounted for!

WOW's debut episode Friday will feature:
- Santana Garrett vs. Jungle Grrrl
- The Beast vs. Stephy Slays
- Abilene Maverick vs. Fire

WWE donated $10,000 to the National Civil Rights Museum. That's awesome.

WWE executives are looking over a new draft of the Vince McMahon biopic. The project is very much still active.

WWE Network has switched streaming providers to Endeavor. It looks like WWE's planning for something new with the service.

Sin Cara recently worked out at the WWE Performance Center as part of preparing to return to the ring. I'm curious what he'll do when he's cleared.

- Sami Zayn also recently worked out there. It looks like WWE's seeing who might be able to return during the Royal Rumble.

MLW has signed CZW Champion Mance Werner as well as The Almighty Sheik (formerly Joey Machete). They're picking up names left and right.

ROH has signed PJ Black and Tracy Williams. I'm glad to see Black in a regular role again.

The former Joey Mercury has returned as an ROH producer after the case against him was dismissed.

Bully Ray worked as a producer for ROH this weekend, so he's still very much a part of things after Final Battle.

Billy Corgan was backstage at ROH's Saturday TV taping. That makes sense with the NWA Championship on the line then.

Jerry Lawler has signed a new two-year WWE contract. He will be on commentary during the men's Royal Rumble this year. Lawler and Vince McMahon go a LONG way back, so he's pretty much got secure employment as long as he wants it.

ROH has announced the participants in Tag Wars later this month:
- Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham
- PCO and Brody King
- Juice Robinson and David Finlay
- TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia
- Colt Cabana and Flip Gordon (if Flip is able to compete)
- Coast 2 Coast
- Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams
- The Bouncers
- Kenny King and a partner of his choosing
- Cheeseburger and Eli Isom
- The Boys
- Karl Fredericks and Alex Coughlin of NJPW's California dojo

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They've played around with some similar concepts in video form. I could see them doing more in that direction on a higher tier, but I think it would mainly be like "WWE Now" and "Bring It To The Table" rather than something someone would make independently.

2. Given how many fans have talked about wanting to see Attitude Era 2.0, I'd think they'd like those moves! If fans want to see more like NXT, the Mae Young Classic, etc., they need to show they'll support that style and those wrestlers on Raw or Smackdown Live.

3. If AEW draws similar (or better) numbers to Raw or Smackdown Live, WWE might change things. Vince essentially needs to be shown that a style other than what he does can be successful at the level WWE is, especially if it draws fans away from what he does.

4. We are seeing names we hadn't seen as much (or at all) before the announcement, so progress has been made. I always say WWE didn't get where they are overnight, and they're not going to be able to change things but so much at a time. The big test will be WrestleMania season. How many part-timers will be prominent?

5. More shows are planned after Double or Nothing, and they're working on a TV deal. Kenny Omega is under NJPW contract through January 31 and can't legally do anything with any other group until February 1. However, it's expected he's going to AEW.

More wrestling tomorrow.