Professional wrestling is constantly evolving, and it is important to find the right time to clear up stories to set up new angles for the future. WWE and All...
CM Punk and Jon Moxley battled for the Undisputed AEW World Championship in the main event of Wednesday's Dynamite, leaving some to wonder why the company...
Jon Moxley Defeats CM Punk in AEW World Title Unification Match on Dynamite
Aug 25, 2022
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: Jon Moxley in the ring during the AEW Dynamite - Beach Break taping on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
All Elite Wrestling interim world champion Jon Moxley defeated AEW world champion CM Punk in an AEW World Championship unification match on Wednesday night's episode of Dynamite to officially become the first-ever two-time AEW world champion.
Moxley celebrated the victory in the crowd, while Punk had to be helped to the back.
The undisputed #AEW World Champion Jon Moxley celebrates, while a heartbroken CM Punk is helped out of the arena. Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/aQZxAPOlM4
The path to the unification bout began shortly after Punk beat "Hangman" Adam Page for the AEW world title at Double or Nothing in May. Punk suffered an injury either during or some time after the match, forcing him to take some time off.
Five days after Double or Nothing, Punk announced he was going on the shelf, but he noted that AEW president Tony Khan would not allow him to vacate the AEW World Championship. Instead, an interim champion would be determined.
On a subsequent episode of Dynamite, a battle royal was held, with the winner going on to face Moxley in the main event. Kyle O'Reilly was victorious in the battle royal, but he fell to Mox.
Then, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto faced each other in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the winner would then clash with Moxley at Forbidden Door for the AEW interim world title.
Tanahashi defeated Goto and gave Mox a run for his money at Forbidden Door, but it was Moxley who prevailed and added an interim AEW world title to a resume that already included holding the AEW World Championship.
On the Aug. 10 episode of Dynamite, Moxley put the interim title on the line against Chris Jericho, who was the wrestler he defeated to win the AEW World Championship in 2020.
After Moxley retained, the Jericho Appreciation Society attacked him, which led to Punk making his anticipated return by fending off Jericho and his goons.
Punk and Moxley are two of the most popular wrestlers in AEW and pro wrestling as a whole, meaning the fanbase was somewhat torn on who to support leading up to their clash.
Regardless, there was palpable excitement since Punk is arguably the face of AEW, and there was undoubtedly something missing from the product while he was gone.
Punk's status as AEW's top guy took a hit on Dynamite, however, as Moxley scored the victory and officially signaled the beginning of his second reign as the undisputed AEW world champion.
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Kenny Omega's Return Foreshadows His Next Few Months on AEW Dynamite
Aug 19, 2022
Kenny Omega is back. Thatâs right. The Best Bout Machine made his long-awaited return on Wednesday's Dynamite to join The Young Bucks in the first round of the AEW World Trios Championship tournament.
The crowd greeted him with a warm welcome as he entered the Charleston Coliseum to compete in his first match in 277 days. It was a stark difference from the last time we saw the once-megalomaniacal champion, but the All Elite Wrestling fans clearly missed him.
It didnât take long to realize The Cleaner wasnât the same man who stood atop the company as its longest-reigning flagbearer, though.
The 38-year-old stepped out onto the stage for the first time since November 2021 with a familiar pose and accompanying pyro. However, he was sporting a shoulder brace and compression shirt under his ring jacket.
This was unfamiliar territory for his longtime fans. His hiatus to deal with several nagging injuries marked his longest time away from the squared circle in his entire career. Sure, we all expected him to show some rust or diminished athleticism. Instead, one of the most highly touted wrestlers of this generation looked human again.
It was a far cry from the conqueror who showed at Double or Nothing last year draped in world championship gold. Nevertheless, all of the collective title defenses and his record-setting 346-day reign as AEW world champion had taken their toll on him.
The price was high, but Omega accepted the challenge. Now heâs back to reunite with his best friends and make history again. Can he rise to the occasion, or will it take him more time than expected to return to form?
The Grueling Journey Back to Glory
During Wednesday nightâs main event, the Canadian looked a step slower than usual, and his opponents targeted his surgically repaired shoulder throughout the match. He also failed to hit his trademark rolling fireman's carry and moonsault in the corner.
Regardless, Matt and Nick Jackson picked up the slack, and the trio looked as fluid at times as they were during their run with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In the end, Omega landed a brutal V Trigger and secured the win with his One-Winged Angel.
The two-time NEVER Openweight six-man tag team champions have the most experience together, making them the early favorites to win this tournament. Still, it will be bitter work for The Elite with a stacked field ahead of them.
Omega looked gassed as he addressed the Charleston, South Carolina crowd after the match. During his closing promo, he and Don Callis didnât gloat about his win like they did many times in 2021.
Instead, he spoke candidly. The Cleaner admitted he questioned whether he could return to AEW and compete at a high level again. He even said it would be a while before he would be able to challenge for a singles title again.
âThis very much is a work in progress, and Iâm very glad that all of you are joining me on this journey,â he said as the crowd cheered.
Again, this is quite a shift for Omega considering his run last year. Nonetheless, he immediately warned the audience that doesnât make him a âgood guy.â
His physical limitations may have humbled him a bit, but his mission statement remains the same. His vow to give his best effort wasnât greedy or self-serving like his conquests before he left. No, this seemed more like the celebrated in-ring competitor Bryan Danielson came looking for following All Out 2021.
It may take some time for The Best Bout Machine, who produced a classic Dynamite with The American Dragon, to return.
However, the fighting spirit is there, and it will be a treat to watch him grow stronger throughout the AEW World Trios Championship tournament.
The Missing Piece
Ever since the founding member of All Elite Wrestling made the trek to the United States, he has fought an uphill battle to establish himself for a new fanbase.
NJPW fans know how great he is, but mainstream fans didnât see his acclaimed matches with the best the Japanese promotion had to offer. So, they didnât understand the hype.
It was quite the undertaking for Omega as he struggled during his first year in his new home. In 2020, he made a massive impact as one-half of the AEW world tag team champions and eventually claimed the companyâs top prize. But some of his biggest detractors still didnât see what made him so special.
Watching him stand at the top of the industry as a decorated star probably didnât connect with some viewers. His attempt to find out if he still has it in the final leg of his career could. This story could be some of his most engaging material with AEW to date.
Itâs hard to tell someone who didnât experience his greatness how talented Omega is when so many fans already put him on a pedestal.
This is a clean slate for some viewers. To that end, his empathetic push to recover and regain his confidence over the next few months could finally be the missing piece for them.
WWE Rumors: NXT vs. NXT UK Event to Happen on the Same Day as AEW All Out
Aug 18, 2022
WWE is reportedly planning to hold an NXT vs. NXT UK supershow on Sept. 4, which is the same day as AEW's All Out pay-per-view.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE sent promotional material to some fans indicating that an NXT premium live event will be held on Sept. 4 with NXT vs. NXT UK branding.
It was initially reported by Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan) last month that an NXT event would be held on the same day as All Out, although the potential NXT UK tie-in wasn't mentioned at that time.
The groundwork was seemingly laid for NXT vs. NXT UK on Tuesday's episode of NXT, as NXT UK stars such as Gallus, Blair Davenport and NXT UK champion Tyler Bate appeared on the show.
Gallus attacked Diamond Mine and laid down a challenge to NXT UK tag team champions Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, Davenport confronted Indi Hartwell backstage, and Bate confronted NXT champion Bron Breakker in the ring after Breakker retained his title over JD McDonagh in the main event.
If the NXT vs. NXT UK show happens, it will be the first of its kind since WWE Worlds Collide took place the same weekend as the Royal Rumble in 2020.
On that show, NXT and NXT UK wrestlers took part in a battle for supremacy, and it was headlined by Imperium vs. Undisputed Era.
This time around, it seems likely that Breakker and Bate will headline the show, given how NXT went off the air this week.
WWE hasn't yet confirmed the event, and it isn't clear where it will take place, but logic suggests it could be held in the United Kingdom since WWE Clash at the Castle will occur in Cardiff, Wales, on Sept. 3.
Also, since AEW All Out has an 8 p.m. start time on Sept. 4, doing an NXT show in the UK would allow WWE to have it earlier in the day, so as not to conflict with AEW.
If WWE doesn't announce it beforehand, it stands to reason that next week's episode of NXT could be when the show is made official, as there will be plenty of fallout from the appearance of multiple NXT UK stars on this week's episode.
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Daniel Garcia scored the biggest victory of his young career by defeating Bryan Danielson via referee stoppage on the July 27 episode of AEW Dynamite....
The Rock Talks Shield Attack; Becky Lynch Injury Update; WWE Rumors on Brandi Rhodes
Aug 17, 2022
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 23: Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appears at the Warner Brothers panel promoting his upcoming film "Black Adam" at 2022 Comic-Con International Day 3 at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
The Rock Tells Story About Getting Attacked By The Shield
During a discussion with former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz and current WWE Superstars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch on Instagram Live on Tuesday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson told a story about a memorable WWE segment in 2013.
The Rock recalled getting triple powerbombed by The Shield, which was comprised of Rollins, Dean Ambrose and his real-life cousin Roman Reigns. As a result of the attack, The Rock ended up bleeding out of his mouth.
The Rock on when The Shield triple powerbombed him and Roman and Sethâs reaction to it đ pic.twitter.com/LAWIDjcF9D
While talking about the confrontation, which occurred on the final episode of Raw before the 2013 Royal Rumble, The Rock remembered a humorous interaction that occurred (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News):
"You know what was really cool? When The Shield attacked me before WrestleMania and powerbombed me, and I remember Seth ⌠I was on Roman's shoulders. He threw me down so hard on that mat. Busted my blood vessels, blood started coming out of my mouth. Roman looked down and was like, 'You okay, Uso?' ... And as far as I can answer, Seth was like, 'Who gives a s--t,' and walks away."
Rollins noted that he didn't specifically remember saying that, but noted that a lot of things happen in the heat of the moment. Both he and The Rock had a laugh about it nonetheless.
The Rock went on to beat CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2013 before dropping it to John Cena at WrestleMania 29.
That marked The Rock's final true match in WWE, although there has been plenty of speculation regarding him getting back in the ring, perhaps as soon as WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, next year.
If that happens, it is widely expected that The Rock would face Reigns since Reigns is the face of WWE and has a built-in angle, as he and The Rock are family.
The Rock is one of the biggest stars in the world regardless of genre, so a match between him and Reigns at WrestleMania would unquestionably garner WWE a ton of mainstream attention.
Lynch Provides Positive Update on Shoulder Injury
Becky Lynch is remaining upbeat amid her recovery from a shoulder injury suffered during her loss to Raw women's champion Bianca Belair at SummerSlam last month.
Speaking to The Rock on Instagram Live (h/t Manik Aftab of ThirstyForNews.com), Lynch gave an encouraging update, saying: "It's healing up real quick, I'm feeling strong, I'm feeling good!"
Lynch appeared on the Raw after SummerSlam with her arm in a sling, and she was written off television when she was attacked backstage by the newly formed stable of Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
WWE subsequently announced that she had a separated shoulder, which would keep her out for "several months."
No concrete timeframe was given for Lynch's return, so it is anyone's guess when The Man will be in action.
Triple H has seemingly placed extra emphasis on the women's division since taking over as head of WWE creative, and he would surely love to have one of the biggest female stars in wrestling at his disposal in Lynch.
At the same time, WWE isn't lacking for talent in the women's division, so it can afford to take a cautious approach with Lynch if need be.
Until she returns, the likes of Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Kai and Sky are more than capable of doing the heavy lifting on Raw.
Getting Lynch back by Survivor Series in November would provide WWE with a huge boost, but if that isn't possible, saving her for a surprise return in the Royal Rumble in January would perhaps be the best course of action.
Brandi Rhodes Possibly Training for In-Ring Return
Brandi Rhodes has reportedly been getting in some work at the WWE Performance Center, perhaps in preparation for an in-ring return.
According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, Rhodes wrestled at an in-house live event at the Performance Center on Friday. Johnson noted that NXT regularly holds in-house shows that are closed to the public in order to help developmental talent improve.
Fightful Select (h/t Andre Porter of Ringside News), confirmed the report and noted that Rhodes had been seen working out at the Performance Center previously as well.
Neither Fightful nor PWInsider.com was able to confirm that Rhodes signed a contract with WWE, but PWInsider.com reported that she is not listed on NXT's internal roster.
Rhodes was in AEW with her husband, Cody Rhodes, from its inception until they both left the company last year.
Brandi both wrestled and served as Cody's manager in AEW, although she stopped wrestling once she got pregnant in 2020 and only had a handful of matches after giving birth.
Cody returned to WWE in April as a surprise opponent at WrestleMania 38, and he beat Rollins in two additional pay-per-view matches, however, he is currently on the shelf with a torn pectoral muscle.
Brandi has not appeared on WWE programming with Cody, and it isn't known if there are any plans to pair them up once Cody returns from injury.
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