The Bloodline and the Judgement Day haven't been working together for very long, but their partnership is already paying dividends for at least one of the stables involved. Finn Balor and Damian Priest of the Judgement Day lost the Undisputed Tag Team Championships at WWE Fastlane to the newly formed pair of Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. They got their rematch on the season premiere of Monday Night RAW and almost took a second loss, but some interference from a new ally helped them take back the titles.

Just when it seemed like Jey Uso was ready to make one final move to retain the Undisputed Tag Team Championships, his twin brother Jimmy Uso came out of nowhere to put a stop to the victory while the referee's back was turned. Jimmy took his brother out with a kick to the face, which resulted in Jey getting pinned and the Judgement Day taking the titles back.

Thanks to Jimmy Uso, @ArcherofInfamy & @FinnBalor regain their #TagTitles on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/3SJRQLbU0v

-- WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023

Once again, every member of Judgement Day has a championship to their name. Balor and Priest share the Undisputed Tag Team Championships, with the latter also carrying the Money in the Bank Briefcase. Dominik Mysterio won back the NXT North American Championship recently, while Rhea Ripley remains the WWE Women's World Champion.

Another Partner for the Judgement Day

While the Judgement Day hasn't added any new members in quite a while, the group has been using their resources in the WWE Locker Room and making some calls to get help when needed. They made a very public pact with the Paul Heyman and the Bloodline. Operating in the shadows, Rhea Ripley may have also cut some kind of deal with the Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre.

During Monday's new episode of RAW, Rollins and McIntyre exchanged words regarding their upcoming title bout. A couple of shady statements from Rollins about McIntyre's intentions caused the Scottish Warrior to ask more direct questions of his opponent. Rollins called for the video team to roll footage of a conversation between Adam Pearce and Richochet backstage.

Did @DMcIntyreWWE just get BUSTED?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QvGpNwgHuc

-- WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023

On the surface, the footage seemed like nothing but a simple conversation. However, zooming in on the footage caused everyone in the crowd to see McIntyre and Ripley speaking out of earshot of anyone else on the roster.

If McIntyre is working with Ripley, we don't know just yet how he will end up helping the Bloodline. He is actively keeping them from cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Rollins, so Rhea Ripley must have something else in mind.

It's very clear that WWE has some big plans for new signing Jade Cargill. After debuting at WWE Fastlane a little over a week ago, Cargill has come face-to-face with two of the biggest names in the WWE Women's Division. At the season premiere of SmackDown this past Friday night, Cargill confronted Charlotte Flair. Now, on the premiere of Monday Night Raw, Cargill shared the screen with The Man, NXT Women's Champion Becky Lynch.

Over the past few weeks, Lynch has been met with a horde of challengers for her NXT Women's Championship. Indi Hartwell and Xia Li both confronted Lynch about a championship match on Monday night. After they both left, Cargill entered the frame and provided Lynch with another potential challenger.

Welcome to #WWERaw, @Jade_Cargill! pic.twitter.com/aJ0i4iShxw

-- WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023

Cargill didn't outright say she wanted to fight Lynch for the Championship, but she did make a hint. Lynch responded by simply telling her to "get in line."

Jade Cargill's WWE Aspirations

Speaking to Sports Illustrated after the WWE signing was made official, Cargill revealed that she one day wants to headline the biggest show in professional wrestling: WWE's WrestleMania.

"I understand what I'm here for," Cargill said. "I want to capture gold and I want to headline WrestleMania, but none of that is handed out. I want to work to create those phenomenal moments. I want to have marquee matches, I want to get people talking, and I want to create something bigger than myself."

Tony Khan on Jade Cargill's AEW Exit

Jade Cargill ultimately made the decision to sign with WWE, but AEW's Tony Khan did try his best to keep her in the company. Speaking after the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view, Khan opened up about Cargill's departure.

"I was surprised because to be honest. I came up to a number that was higher than her original ask. I don't know what I would have had to do at that point. I was a little surprised," Khan said. "I did really hope that Jade would be back. I think I tried to handle it, when we were down to the nitty gritty and we were down to the final couple of weeks and we still hadn't agreed to something.

"It was at the point where I said, 'if you aren't going to stay, I'm going to give you the best possible exit.' I have only good things to say about Jade. I really enjoyed working with her. She was a great part of AEW, she is always welcome here, I tried to give her the best possible send off I could."

Are you excited to see what WWE has in store for Jade Cargill? Let us know in the comments!

After setting his match with Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at Crown Jewel, Drew McIntyre kept Damian Priest from cashing in his Money in the Bank opportunity on the current champ. One week later, on the season premiere of Monday Night RAW, de facto Judgement Day leader Rhea Ripley told Priest not to retaliate against McIntyre, preaching patience instead. The two incidents seemed unrelated, but some behind-the-scenes footage unearthed by Rollins suggests Ripley and McIntyre may have something else going on.

During Monday's new episode of RAW, Rollins and McIntyre exchanged words regarding their upcoming title bout. A couple of shady statements from Rollins about McIntyre's intentions caused the Scottish Warrior to ask more direct questions of his opponent. Rollins called for the video team to roll footage of a conversation between Adam Pearce and Richochet backstage.

On the surface, the footage seemed like nothing but a simple conversation. However, zooming in on the footage caused everyone in the crowd to see McIntyre and Ripley speaking out of earshot of anyone else on the roster. Take a look!

Did @DMcIntyreWWE just get BUSTED?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QvGpNwgHuc

-- WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023

Rollins obviously brought this up to McIntyre, and he denied it had anything to do with the Championship. That said, it makes some earlier comments from Ripley even more suspect. She told the rest of the Judgement Day that she had an important phone call and was "taking care of Judgement Day business." One could assume this had to do with the group's partnership with the Bloodline, but now there are potentially even more deals in the works for Ripley and the Judgement Day.

As for McIntyre, this would be a much more surprising move. He wants a shot at Rollins' title, and certainly wants to beat a healthy champion in order to put the gold around his own waist. Working with Ripley would keep his shot intact, but what could he be bringing to the table that would benefit her stable?

Seth Rollins Injury Won't Affect Current Run

Earlier this year, Rollins revealed that he's been dealing with a back injury for a few years now, one that will eventually require surgery. However, Rollins hasn't been worried about that injury changing anything for his current run in WWE. It's been a big part of the story as of late, but he is still promising to be a fighting champion.

"It is what it is. All of us have something," Rollins said on The Bump last month. "We've all got some sort of nagging injury, we've all got something that's pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That's just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I've been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back.

"So even though Shinsuke's the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I'll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who's concerned. I'm gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," he continued.

When Jey Uso arrived on Monday Night RAW as the Red Brand's newest Superstar, WWE fans everywhere held their breath as they waited for the other shoe to drop. Jey Uso's arrival came with the promise that another Superstar of a similar talent level would be making their way to SmackDown as part of the trade. Last Friday night, on the season premiere of WWE SmackDown, new general manager Nick Aldis that Kevin Owens had been moved to the Blue Brand.

Unfortunately for Sami Zayn, this move has left him without a friend and tag-team partner on Monday nights. Zayn opened the season premiere of Monday Night RAW by talking to the crowd and addressing Owens' departure from the brand. It should come as no surprise that, despite being excited to have his old pal Jey Uso with him on the Blue Brand, Zayn is furious about his forced tag-team breakup.

Zayn began by saying how strange it was to come out in front of the RAW crowd without Owens by his side. He also admitted that he has a lot of conflicting feelings about Jey Uso having everything he used to have since moving to RAW. Uso has a buddy in Cody Rhodes, as well as the Undisputed WWE Tag-Team Championships. Zayn used to have both, but now he has neither.

TFW your best friend moves away#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/REodVO2LFO

-- WWE (@WWE) October 17, 2023

The bright side for Zayn is that this move will give him the chance to stand on his own and really compete as a singles talent. He made note of this while talking to the crowd, saying that people will finally get to see what he's made of. This puts World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins on notice, as Sami Zayn took an opportunity during the promo to say that he's a "World Heavyweight Championship-caliber" talent.

Sami Zayn and Jey Uso

Zayn made it clear that he's aware Uso's arrival is the reason he no longer has Owens at his side. After the promo, Uso ran into the ring to have Zayn's back when the Judgement Day tried to surround him. The altercation was stopped before it started, but it left Zayn conflicted.

Backstage, Zayn and Uso had a chance to talk. Zayn admitted that he wasn't sure how to feel about his friend having everything he just lost, which clearly hurt Uso's feelings, because he has had Zayn's back no matter what. Fortunately, the two longtime pals hugged it out after being honest about their feelings.

What do you think the future will hold for Sami Zayn and "Main Event" Jey Uso? Do you think Zayn will make a play for Seth Rollins' World Heavyweight Championship? Let us know in the comments!

Logan Paul wants to be a champion in WWE. The social media superstar made his in-ring WWE debut back in April 2022, teaming with The Miz to defeat Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WWE WrestleMania 38. Since that initial tag match, Paul has thrown himself into the deep end, wrestling high-profile singles matches on WWE's biggest premium live events. He holds one-on-one W's over The Miz and Ricochet, competed in both the Men's Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank matches, and has headlined a premium live event with Roman Reigns. While he has accomplished all this in just over one year in the industry, Paul has yet to cement realize his biggest goal: hold WWE gold.

Shortly after re-signing with WWE this past April, Paul emphasized that the main reason he wants to continue wrestling is because he believes he can be champion. He came up short in his lone title opportunity so far against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel 2022, but his next shot at gold may be just a couple of weeks away.

Logan Paul's WWE TV Return Announced

The Maverick will be on WWE SmackDown.

As announced on The MMA Hour, WWE United States Champion Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul will come face-to-face this Friday, October 20th on the blue brand. This follows up on Paul's post-match interview comments this past weekend. After defeating Dillon Danis in a boxing bout, Paul called out Mysterio, noting that he's coming for his star-spangled prize.

Paul has not been seen on WWE TV since WWE SummerSlam. There, he defeated Ricochet in the Detroit-based premium live event's opening match.

"It's also a goal of mine to get WWE championships," Paul said in a recent interview. "I didn't just come to partake, I came to take over - and you don't do that if you're hopping in and out of the sport. We got to find time to box and time to wrestle and they've been very accommodating."

Following his victory over Danis, Paul has no immediate future plans in the boxing ring. This WWE return will likely set up a match against Mysterio at WWE Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 4th.

WWE SmackDown airs this Friday, October 20th at 8 PM ET on FOX.

The season premiere of WWE SmackDown seemingly served as an early teaser trailer For WWE WrestleMania 40. The blue brand broadcast featured two brief, silent standoffs: Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns standing opposite Cody Rhodes and top prospect Jade Cargill confronting the most decorated women's champion of all-time, Charlotte Flair. While Reigns and Rhodes would be a rematch, Jade vs. Charlotte is a first-time-ever bout that fans have dreamt of for years. Charlotte and Jade have shown respect to one another on social media when they were in separate companies, but now that they share a locker room, it appears that it will be all business moving forward.

Ric Flair Responds to Charlotte's Stand-Off With Jade Cargill

Speaking to ComicBook.com at New York Comic Con while promoting his upcoming eBay collectible items, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair weighed in on daughter Charlotte Flair's recent confrontation with Jade Cargill on WWE SmackDown.

"Anything she does is money. If I give you my thoughts on it, she'll get mad because she doesn't like me talking about it. But I mean, you heard the crowd," Flair said. "Sometimes, it's meant to happen. I don't know whether Jade is gonna spend some time at NXT or not. I'm not sure. As a father's standpoint, as a wrestling fan, Jade don't want nothing to do with The Queen."

As Flair alluded to, Jade's permanent home within WWE is uncertain. She has made three televised appearances now, showing face at WWE Fastlane, WWE NXT, and now WWE SmackDown. Early reports indicated that she would call Monday Night Raw home, but recent television points to any of WWE's three brands being a possibility.

If Jade vs. Charlotte were to go down at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April, it's unclear as to if it would be a standard singles bout or a title match. Neither woman is a champion right now, but Charlotte is always an arm's length away from gold. The Queen has held a women's title on the main roster 13 times and has two NXT Women's Championship reigns to boot. If her black and gold title reigns are counted towards her overall world title count, that makes Charlotte a 15-time champion, one reign shy of tying her father's record.

"I know," Flair responded when ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley noted that Charlotte is coming for that record-breaking 17 title wins. "She hates me saying it, but it's the greatest thing the company could do."

Dillon Danis has announced that he's appealing the result of his fight with Logan Paul on The Prime Card over the weekend, which saw the former disqualified and lose to the Internet personality. If you saw the fight live, you will know it was a dull affair. The fight went the full six rounds with obviously no KOs. There weren't even any knock downs. Danis hardly connected with any punches and while Paul was connecting, it was never with the needed accuracy or power.

That said, the whole fight Danis verbally and physically trolled Paul, and this all came to a head when Danis went for what looked like a guillotine choke, which of course was always a long shot considering Danis was wearing boxing gloves, making grappling near impossible. It didn't work, but the fight soon devolved into chaos with Logan Paul's security flooding the ring alongside the venue's security

Before the fireworks though, there was moment in early round six where one of Logan Paul's alleged security guards stepped into the ring, which is technically a violation. But so is doing a takedown mid-fight. Also, this is an exhibition match. All of this is to say, it's unlikely Danis will win his appeal, but there is a case to be made.

There was multiple offenses I'll be submitting my appeal to the commission today. https://t.co/C4rvgx5MOc

-- Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) October 16, 2023

If anything comes from this, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. But so there has been no response from Logan Paul or match officials. It's worth noting that while Danis says he's submitting an appeal to the commission, this is different than actually doing it. So far, Danis has not confirmed he's submitted anything. As for what will happen if he wins his appeal, it's unclear. Danis was DQ'ed, but it was after these alleged incidents. Still, both would probably be DQ'ed, which would mean the fight would effectively be a draw.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think. Should Logan Paul have been disqualified for this? If so, should Danis be awarded his appeal?

Like most sports these days, professional wrestlers have a life in the business after their in-ring careers are over. Former competitors have transitioned to backstage producer roles for decades, and upon the launch of the WWE Performance Center in 2013, dozens of coaching and advising roles opened up for ex-wrestlers. WWE's current backstage team is largely made up of talent from yesteryear including Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bobby Roode, Abyss, Molly Holly, Steve Corino, Fit Finlay, and dozens more. Some stars like Matt Bloom and Michael Hayes embraced producing roles once they were ready to retire from the ring while others like Tyson Kidd and Jason Jordan were more or less forced into those positions following career-ending injuries.

For WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, producing was a byproduct of both. After returning to the company in 2017, Kurt Angle was elected into the WWE Hall of Fame and became an on-screen authority figure shortly after. It was long professed that Angle would eventually wrestle for WWE again, but that return match wouldn't come for many months. By the time he was active again, Angle's health gave him roughly just one year of part-time matches. He would retire after losing to Baron Corbin at WWE WrestleMania 35 and become a backstage producer for the next year before being released in April 2020.

Kurt Angle's Frustration With WWE Producer Job

The Olympic Gold Medalist wanted to compete.

"I'd rather wrestle, but that wasn't going to happen," Kurt Angle said on his Kurt Angle Show podcast, reflecting on his time as a WWE producer. "I wasn't that into my job. I was a producer. I was killing time. I knew that if they were going to do cuts, I would be the first one let go because they were paying me a lot of money, more money than other producers. I knew that if they were going to do cuts and they were going to let go of someone, I'd be the first. I didn't put much into it, I really didn't. I should have been a lot more passionate about it."

Angle's retirement is largely panned by fans, as many felt his career did not end on the high note it could have. Much of that was due to his retirement match itself, as many, including Angle himself, pushed for John Cena to be his final opponent. In the years since, Angle has briefly flirted with wrestling once more but has always come back to the conclusion that his body cannot do it anymore.

After months of anticipation, MF & DAZN: X Series 10 - The Prime Card finally happened tonight. Headlining the event were two fights: Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis and KSI vs Tommy Fury. While the former received more attention in the build up thanks to Danis' viral trash talking run on X, it was the latter that wrapped the event as the final fight. And where Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis was an obvious victory for the former, the latter, KSI vs Tommy Fury, was a tight affair.

Both fights went all six rounds, but where Logan Paul cruised, comfortably winning five of the six, if not all six, KSI vs. Tommy Fury was very close. KSI came out strong and won the first two rounds, and Tommy Fury received a point deduction in the process of these two rounds. As a result, KSI was hypothetically up 3-0 going into the final four rounds, but that's when Fury found his footing and started to insert himself into the fight. And it appears the judges thought he took the final four rounds. Whatever the case, however the judges reached their majority decision, it was a controversial decision. Judging by X and other social media platforms, KSI won. To this end, "robbed" has been trending on X ever since the decision was revealed.

That was at best a draw..

But I will tell you this KSI did not lose that fight.

Which imo is a WIN for KSI. Not one he'll accept because his mentality far about moral victories.

KSI made a believer out of me today.

-- Wade Plem (@WadePlem) October 14, 2023

no way y'all robbed my nigga ksi kmt

-- Speed? (@ishowspeedsui) October 14, 2023

Boxing literally had to give Tommy Fury the win so he wouldn't lose his family that's wild

-- Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) October 14, 2023

Only thing that got robbed is his hair line

It's okay KSI me too it's gonna be okay bubba

-- Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 14, 2023

!! Eddie Hearn INSISTS KSI beat Tommy Fury ???? pic.twitter.com/HjANmlSNDK

-- IFN (@IfnBoxing) October 14, 2023

Bro...

Where do I even start. I feel like crying, I'm devastated and angry at the fact the fact they've just robbed a man that's worked hard and actually won the fight.

But no, they chose to rob JJ and give Tommy the decision.

?

-- The Fan ?? (@thefan763922) October 14, 2023

Naturally, KSI is in agreement. The first time the mic was handed to the YouTuber, he immediately called the fight a robbery, noting Fury was only given the decision because is the established boxer.

"It's a robbery bro. How many jabs did he land," said KSI face to face with Tommy Fury. "How many jabs did you land. You didn't get hardly any shots off. And you got a point of as well... You weren't landing. Looking at your face, look at your eyes, look at you."

KSI calls for a rematch after claiming he was robbed vs Tommy Fury ?

(via @DAZNBoxing) pic.twitter.com/tDNOiKoZbr

-- Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 14, 2023

As always, feel free to weigh in and let us know what you think. Do you agree with the Internet and KSI? Was the later robbed in his fight against Tommy Fury or did Fury do enough to edge out his majority decision?

Rounding out the Prime Card, Tommy Fury and KSI went six rounds as the headliner of the event ended in a decision in the favor of the former. The fight was close, and saw Fury even receive a point deduction. As a result before the verdict was given many were predicting a draw or even a KSI win, but the judges ruled in the favor of Fury. Unlike the Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis fight, which saw the former cruise to victory over the later, X and other social media platforms are divided over the verdict, with many going as far as to call it a "robbery." Suffice to say, it should perhaps come as no surprise that KSI felt the same way the first time the mic was given to him.

"It's a robbery bro. How many jabs did he land," said KSI face to face with Tommy Fury. "How many jabs did you land. You didn't get hardly any shots off. And you got a point of as well... You weren't landing. Looking at your face, look at your eyes, look at you."

KSI continued, suggesting Tommy Fury only won because he is the boxer, compared to KSI, who is a YouTuber that boxes. In other words, KSI suggests the decision was given to protect the sanctity of professional boxing, though there's a debate to be had of just how much Fury is a professional boxer. Whatever the case, KSI is wrong about how many punches were landed. Fury landed 39 of 159 punches, while KSI landed 38 of 124.

KSI calls for a rematch after claiming he was robbed vs Tommy Fury ?

(via @DAZNBoxing) pic.twitter.com/tDNOiKoZbr

-- Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 14, 2023

So, will KSI get his rematch? Well, if the bag is there he very well could be. There's no one left in the influencer boxing scene for Tommy Fury to fight, so unless he turns his focus to carving out a professional boxing career, a KSI rematch may be his only option. That said, he has suggested he would be interested in fighting Logan Paul, to complete his journey in influencer boxing. However, considering Logan Paul lost to KSI himself, it's hard to imagine that fight happening.

As for KSI, the big remaining fighting in influencer boxing is he vs Jake Paul. And now that both have narrowly lost to Tommy Fury, the stage is set for the two to meet in the ring, especially with Jake Paul lacking obvious opponents. If KSI does get his rematch though, Jake Paul will be waiting a while.

WWE SmackDown's season premiere was full of big moments thanks to the return of Roman Reigns and Triple H's big announcements, but it also featured the SmackDown of Jade Cargill. WWE's newest high-profile signing made her blue brand debut tonight, and it came in the form of a backstage segment with Triple H, Nick Aldis, and The Queen herself Charlotte Flair. Aldis was speaking with Flair when Triple introduced Cargill to her, and it didn't take long before the seeds of a rivalry were apparent. WWE teased a feud between Cargill and Flair could be in the cards, and hopefully, that comes to fruition in the future.

Flair turned around from her conversation with Aldis and Jade was standing there alongside Triple H. Triple H started to introduce them but Flair already knew who Jade was. Flair said "It's nice to meet you", and Jade responded, "It's my pleasure." Flair then said, "Oh, it will be" before walking away. Cargill was a little shocked, and Triple H looked like it went about as expected.

DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN??? ??@MsCharlotteWWE @Jade_Cargill #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/zvCuunaxro

-- WWE (@WWE) October 14, 2023

This is certainly teasing a rivalry between the two at some point, though it remains to be seen if Cargill if will be on SmackDown to make that happen against Flair. It's been reported that Cargill is expected to be part of the Monday Night Raw roster, but that has yet to be confirmed by WWE, who is bringing Cargill to every show and every event, including Fastlane, NXT, and now SmackDown.

With Monday Night Raw's premiere happening next Monday, you can bet that Cargill will be making an appearance, and perhaps that is when it will be revealed which show she will call home. So far Flair is the only superstar she's come to face to face with, as at Fastlane she spoke to Triple H, and on NXT she was greeted by Shawn Michaels. On Raw, she will likely run into someone like Becky Lynch or Rhea Ripley if WWE follows the pattern set tonight.

Raw's Women's Division could use a boost, as life events and injuries have taken stars like Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, and Carmella off the board for a while. That said, there are a number of compelling feuds for Cargill involving the SmackDown Women's Division as well, including Flair, Bayley, and Bianca Belair whenever she makes a return to TV.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the former AEW star revealed her primary goals in WWE, and it's all about getting WrestleMania and putting some Championship gold around her waist. She isn't taking that lightly though, and she knows she will have to earn it.

"I understand what I'm here for. I want to capture gold and I want to headline WrestleMania, but none of that is handed out," Cargill said. "I want to work to create those phenomenal moments. I want to have marquee matches, I want to get people talking, and I want to create something bigger than myself."

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso issued an open challenge for their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships ahead of tonight's SmackDown, and it was Austin Theory and Grayson Waller who answered the call. Theory and Waller got off to a solid start by isolating Jey from Rhodes and getting in some cheap shots without the referee noticing, but eventually, Rhodes and Jey were able to turn the tables and get the win. As they celebrated the win leaving the ring though, they were confronted by Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso, and then Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman joined them. That led to an intense staredown between Reigns and Rhodes that had to be broken up by the new GM Nick Aldis, and this very well seems to be teasing the much-anticipated rematch between Reigns and Rhodes down the line.

At the start of the match, Uso and Waller were in the ring first, and after a headbutt, Uso threw Waller out of the ring. Theory made a hidden tag and then attacked Jey in the ring, but Jey came back with big strikes. Waller chimed in but Jey knocked him back, only to get thrown into the corner post by Theory.

Is there more to the story? @WWERomanReigns ? @CodyRhodes #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/VbprTtEu6B

-- WWE (@WWE) October 14, 2023

Theory kept Jey down in the corner, stomping on him and then letting Waller get some hits in when the referee wasn't looking. Waller tagged in and kept Jey grounded, kicking him and slowing the pace down as he kept Jey away from Rhodes. Jey reversed a move and kicked Waller on the side of the head, giving Jey some much-needed space.

Jey and Waller both made tags to Rhodes and Theory, and Rhodes was red hot, knocking Theory around with shoulder tackles and a slam before hitting a disaster kick on Theory. Rhodes then threw Waller out of the ring and avoided Waller's signature move before hitting a slam of his own. Theory then lifted Rhodes and dug his knee into Rhodes' back, but then Jey broke up a pin attempt.

Jey then knocked Theory down and set up Rhodes for the one knee, and once that connected, Jey dove into Waller on the outside. Rhodes set up for the Cross Rhodes and got it before going for the cover. Rhodes would get the 3 count and the win, retaining their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.

Cody and Jey made their way up the ramp but were then confronted by Roman's music, and out came Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. Then Roman came out and stood face to face with Rhodes, with both glaring at each other before they were all separated by Nick Aldis. This very much seemed to tease an eventual rematch between Reigns and Rhodes, and fans are gearing up for what could be the big finish to the story.

What did you think of the segment and the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

After Bayley and Zelina Vega threw down in the ring, it was time for Triple H to make his appearance on the WWE SmackDown season premiere. The Game hit the ring and had a number of big reveals to share. Triple H was excited to tell Adam Pearce that he was getting a big promotion, announcing Pearce as the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw. Triple H then revealed that there would also be a General Manager of SmackDown, and that would be Nick Aldis, making his WWE TV debut. The surprises weren't done though, as Aldis revealed who would be the Raw Superstar moving to SmackDown for the Jey Uso trade, and that ended up being Kevin Owens.

The crowd cheered for Triple H as he went to the ring, and he started things off by saying, "I gotta tell you, there's a big part of me that misses that. It is electric in here tonight. I don't know what it is, whether it's this time of the year. Hell, it is October, which means we just came out of an incredibly successful Fastlane and are on our way to Crown Jewel and Survivor Series, and it all starts right here tonight on the season premiere of SmackDown!"

NO WAY!!! ?@FightOwensFight has been drafted to #SmackDown!!!

Blue looks great on you, Kevin Owens! ???#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/sETiEZFNqA

-- WWE (@WWE) October 14, 2023

"Now, I came out here tonight to call attention to one of the unsung heroes of WWE. He's in the ring with me right now and he doesn't know why I asked him out here. Not only did he have an incredibly successful career as an in-ring performer, but Adam Pearce over the past three years as a WWE official has done an incredible job doing a very thankless job. He has managed the Superstars of Raw and SmackDown. He has overseen both shows and he has done an incredible job and of that Adam, I say thank you," Triple H said.

"And with that in mind. That job is incredibly difficult and is no job that one person should do alone. So with that, I'm very happy to tell you that you will no longer be doing it alone, and I am happy to tell you that you are getting a promotion. As of right now, Adam Pearce is now the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw. Which leads me to who will be the General Manager of Smackdown," Triple H said.

That's when Dominic Mysterio's music hit and he got a chorus of boos from the crowd. Mysterio said "Fastlane was not a tremendous success. The Judgement Day got screwed out of their Tag Team Titles. Like I said, the Judement Day got screwed out off their Tag Team Titles." The crowd hit with louder boos, and Mysterio raised his voice but the crowd just got louder.

Triple H said, "Wow, first of all, wow. I always thought they were pumping in that noise. I didn't realize how loud it was when you were actually out here. Not a lot of people know this about me but I have a history as a lip reader and I believe you were saying something about the injustice of the Tag Team Championships. Well here's the thing Dominik. You're yelling at the wrong people. The is the GM of Monday Night Raw. You need to be talking to the General Manager of SmackDown So let me bring him out here, Mr. Nick Aldis."

Aldis said, "Well first of all I'd like to thank WWE for the opportunity of a lifetime, the number one wrestling show today, SmackDown. And Adam, I look forward to some healthy competition between our two brands. And Dom, good to meet you. I'm a fan... of your dad."

"I'm going to cut to the chase, you know about a month ago Cody Rhodes was instrumental in a deal that took Jey Uso to Raw. In exchange, a Raw superstar must come to SmackDown. As my first official act, I'd like to introduce SmackDown's newest superstar right now," Aldis said.

That's when Kevin Owens came out, revealing he was the new SmackDown superstar. Owens then hit Mysterio with a Stunner and knocked him out of the ring, and Roman Reigns was none too happy about Owens being back in the fold.

What did you think of Aldis and Owens coming to SmackDown? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

John Cena kicked off tonight's season premiere of WWE SmackDown, and the crowd was ready. Cena hit the ring and introduced the show, but quickly the focus shifted to a returning Roman Reigns, who has been away from SmackDown for a while. Noticeably absent was Jimmy Uso, who came back to the Bloodline after the falling out during Reigns' absence. Reigns came face to face with Cena in the ring, but Cena threw a curveball at the Tribal Chief, removing himself from challenging Reigns. Cena did however bring in another challenger, and that would be LA Knight, who finally came face to face with Reigns, beginning a feud that will likely result in a match for the Title at some point down the line.

After Reigns got to the ring, he asked for the microphone and said, "John boy. Hollywood. If you gonna open my show, you better do it the right way. Tulsa... acknowledge me!" More Cena chants broke out from the crowd. Reigns said, "You chant for a coward. The man only showed up because I took my leave. And then he had the audacity to come back and convince people to call him the greatest of all time. Now let's be honest here John, you already know who the GOAT is. It's the Tribal Chief. Roman Reigns! But we've run into this before and we've handled it, so we're going to do it again. Leave, or we're going to make you leave."

"Now let's be honest here, John... you already know who the GOAT is."??@WWERomanReigns @JohnCena #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/edhXWOgaUD

-- WWE (@WWE) October 14, 2023

Cena said, "Lot of energy here tonight. Lot of anticipation for what's about to happen. WWE's always unpredictable. With SmackDown you can never tell, and with Roman Reigns and John Cena in the same ring, well, who knows what's next? I'm about to throw you a curveball. Not here to challenge you. I'm here to acknowledge you. 1138 days you've held that Championship, and in my mind no matter what an announcer says, that is the greatest accomplishment of all time, and it is earned. I am not here to challenge you tonight, because I haven't earned it. But I do know someone who has."

THERE IS NO STOPPING LA KNIGHT! ??@RealLAKnight has made himself VERY clear. He is ready for @WWERomanReigns and the rest of #TheBloodline! YEAH!!!!! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/RyWy7kWfE7

-- WWE (@WWE) October 14, 2023

That kicked off LA Knight's music, and the crowd erupted. Reigns' face was confused and intrigued at Knight's entrance, as Knight's ascent hit another gear while Reigns was away. The crowd was hyped for Knight, and Reigns became more and more confused.

"Let me talk to ya! You pissing your pants yet? You're Roman, right? You're the head of the table, right? Yeah! You're the Tribal Chief, right? You're a defending Champion, right? Nah nah! I'll tell you what you are. Right now you're a man standing in my way. Oh my God, I'm sorry man. I didn't even introduce myself," Knight said. "While you've been sitting at home on the couch for the last month and a half and you wear that Gold Title around your waist, some things have changed a little bit. Tell him whose game this is!"

"Alright, I'm very proud of ya. I gave you a couple of months and they say your name now," Reigns said. "But let's be honest here. Over 1100 days as Champ. I've done things you can never understand in this business. Who the hell do you think you are standing in my ring right now?"

"Talking like that is a good way to get you referred to in the past tense," Knight said. "I'll put it like this. I'm the fastest-rising star in SmackDown history. I'm the man who marched right in here and..." Knight was cut off by Jimmy Uso, who came in and attacked Knight, but Knight threw him out of the ring. Reigns didn't know what to make of Jimmy Uso, and he wasn't happy with the reaction to Knight either. At that point, Reigns told Sikoa to forget about Cena and to hammer Knight. Sikoa then told Knight they would have a match tonight. Knight welcomed the match and told Sikoa he could come get stomped out, and the Bloodline headed backstage.

What did you think of the introduction to SmackDown? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The season premiere of WWE SmackDown will take place tonight on FOX, and a new report reveals that fans will see a big debut during the episode. According to PWInsider, former NWA World Champion Nick Aldis will be making his WWE debut tonight, and it is said he will be an Authority figure on the brand moving forward. Aldis has been working in a producer role with WWE, but this will be the first time he's appearing on WWE TV. It's unclear how long he's been signed with WWE since leaving Impact Wrestling, but it seems from now on SmackDown will have a new key figure in the mix. Thankfully we don't have to wait much longer to wait before we get a first look at Aldis' new role.

What's also unclear is what this means for Adam Pearce. Pearce has been the de-facto authority figure on both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown ever since Sonya Neville left the role to return to in-ring action. Pearce is now the one getting matches approved or approving matches himself and is often dealing with everyone backstage in some capacity.

If Aldis is stepping into an authority role, perhaps this means that Pearce will focus on Raw and not have to split time with both shows, though there could also be some sort of storyline with Pearce and Aldis moving forward.

Tonight's season premiere is pretty loaded, though the biggest event of the night is the long-awaited return of Roman Reigns. Reigns hasn't appeared on SmackDown for quite some time, and in his absence, the Bloodline has gone through some rocky terrain. Jimmy Uso was bounced from the Bloodline but is now part of it once more, though that wasn't something directly approved by the Tribal Chief. Jimmy has also taken booking matches and saying yes to decisions in his own hands, and Paul Heyman has surely filled Reigns in on what's transpired.

Also during his time away Jey Uso has moved to Monday Night Raw and has since become one half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions alongside Cody Rhodes, which occurred at WWE Fastlane. How Reigns will react to the former Bloodline member holding Title gold remains to be seen, especially since Jey and Cody will be holding an open challenge during tonight's episode.

John Cena is also slated for the show, as is Triple H, who will likely kick off the show. That could be where Aldis makes his debut, but that remains to be seen. There will also be Pretty Deadly's return to action after weeks sidelined by injury, and that's in addition to whatever is next for IYO SKY after her successful Title defense at Fastlane.

Perhaps this is also where we get a return from Bianca Belair, who has been off TV ever since SummerSlam. That's when Belair defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair to win the WWE Women's Championship, but SKY would cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Belair to become the new Champion. Belair could make her return and look for an actual match against SKY, since she didn't have one with her to lose the Title, though WWE could save Belair's return for a premium live event.

Are you excited for Aldis' WWE debut? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Fan favorite WWE Superstar Carlito made his welcome return at Fastlane to help Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar, and now WWE has officially added him to the active roster. According to previous reports, Carlito has actually been signed by WWE for a while now but didn't make his actual return to TV until Fastlane. The good news is that he is set to be featured on TV moving forward, as WWE has added Carlito to the official roster on WWE.com, and Carlito will join the LWO on SmackDown.

Carlito initially made his return to WWE at Backlash, providing reinforcements to the LWO against Judgement Day. Bad Bunny, Carlito, and Savio Vega would all join the fray during Backlash, and shortly afterwards it was reported that WWE had brought Carlito back into the fold. It's not known why it took till now for Carlito to return to TV, but now that he's here, SmackDown fans can expect to see more of him moving forward.

Judgement Day has continued to feud with the LWO over the past few weeks, and on the most recent episode of SmackDown Judgement Day partnered up with The Bloodline to attack John Cena and LA Knight. They would get some help from Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso, and that would lead to their matches at Fastlane, where Rhodes and Jey took down Finn Balor and Damian Priest to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.

As for The LWO, we'll have to wait and see what happens next for the group. In the meantime, you can find Carlito's official WWE bio below.

"Son of legendary competitor Carlos Colon, Carlito emerged in WWE in October 2004 as an exceptionally opinionated Superstar who projected a smooth demeanor. Armed with an apple in hand, The Southpaw from San Juan wasn't afraid to unload a mouthful of apple and spit it into your face if you were not cool in his eyes. That said, Carlito also had the ability to unload a serious arsenal onto any opposition at the drop of hat.

Carlito made headlines on his very first night on SmackDown when he defeated John Cena for the United States Championship. He would go on to capture the Intercontinental Title and unify the WWE and World Tag Team Titles alongside his brother Primo at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

Reemerging in WWE at Backlash 2023, Carlito made an especially "cool" return to help Bad Bunny overcome Damian Priest in an unforgettable San Juan Street Fight. Carlito exploded back onto the scene at WWE Fastlane by joining forces with Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar to defeat Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits in a Six-Man Tag Team Match."

What do you want to see next for Carlito and the LWO? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Heels's showrunner is teasing some possible Season 3 storylines if they can find a new home for the show. Mike O'Malley talked to EW about what's next for Jack after that wild end to Season 2. He's in a pretty rough spot physically, and probably emotionally, after an injury like that. In fact, that development had a lot of Heels fans upset that they wouldn't see the direct continuation to Jack's storyline. Starz decided to cancel the series and it's currently looking for another home. Now, getting the boot used to be much more dire than right now. A comprehensive list of all the shows "saved" within the last year would be too long to compile here. So, maybe one day fans can look back at this weird period as they're getting ready for Heels Season 3.

"Listen, he's going to have to deal with the aftermath of that injury. Put it this way: He's not getting up and saying, 'Oh, I just got a booboo.' Or, 'I really wanted Ace to win, and that was the way I got over on Charlie Gully.' He is at that moment significantly injured," O'Malley said in the interview. "And the extent of what that injury is, we don't know. We're not about to go Friday Night Lights with this thing, because Stephen Amell is the star of our show, and the story is going to be about how there's something for him to work through."

Will Heels Find Another Network For Season 3?

O'Malley also talked to EW about the show's hunt for a new home. When the call with the bad with the bad news came, he was already expecting it. "I really do think it's going to have a life someplace else," the showrunner said of Heels's chances on the open-market. "We did not intend, nor do we intend, for [the season 2 finale] to be the last episode of the show." There is reason for optimism around the former Starz program. Stephen Amell continues to be a draw on television. Just a few weeks ago, people were calling for a boycott of the network because of what went down with Heels.

"Yeah, we are actively doing it right now. And some of the actors are still under contract. Obviously, the [writers'] strike just ended," O'Malley offered. "I couldn't have any conversations about this [until now], and granted, they just told me on Friday. But not only are we trying to [find a new network], I really believe the Starz executives when they say they want to see a future for the show too, because they did invest a lot in the show... I really do think it's going to have a life someplace else."

Stephen Amell's Hopes For Season 3

Before the second season started rolling on Starz, Stephen Amell told ComicBook.com that he had high hopes for the most recent outing. The star speculated on how things could progress in the future. "I remember reading the first script and going like, 'Okay, how is Jack going to deal with this?' He's had this massive success, but then he gets out of the ring and he he has nothing to show for it," Amell explained to us. "Sure, they've got some money and they can pay some of their bills, but he comes home to an empty house. It's in that moment that things start to change."

He added, "It's just all laid out there in front of him: what you're doing isn't working. So he just stops and he goes, 'Okay, it's not working. We're going to try and figure it out.' He has no idea how he's going to figure it out, but he's going to listen to people around him and ask for help and at the very least recognize that what his dad did broke him. He's got to himself back together."

Do you want Heels Season 3? Let us know down in the comments!

It's been quite some time since the wrestling world saw WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite go head-to-head, which is partly why last night's showdown was so noteworthy. It was also noteworthy because both WWE and AEW stacked the deck with anticipated cards and appearances, and now the numbers for the night are officially in. Wrestlenomics is reporting that NXT emerged as the victor in viewership and the P18-49 demo with 921,000 viewers and a 0.30 rating in the demo against AEW's 609,000 viewers and 0.26 rating. You can view all the numbers and stats below for the night.

Dynamite dropped from last week's 800,000 viewers and also saw a slight drop in the demo from 0.28. NXT saw a move up from last week's 857,000 viewers and saw a sizable jump in the demo from last week's rating of 0.22. Both shows ended up having portions that were commercial-free, and both included Title matches amongst their cards.

WWE NXT last night on USA Network
921,000 viewers
P18-49 rating: 0.30

AEW Dynamite last night on TBS:
609,000 viewers
P18-49 rating: 0.26 pic.twitter.com/Pr0jhVixeU

-- Wrestlenomics (@wrestlenomics) October 11, 2023

Dynamite's card included a Number One Contender's Match for the TNT Championship between Bryan Danielson and Swerve Strickland, as well as a match for the AEW International Championship between Rey Fenix and Orange Cassidy (who was stepping in for Jon Moxley). The Women's World Championship was also up for grabs in a match between Saraya and Hikaru Shida, and few expected two new Champions to emerge from the episode.

That's exactly what happened though, as Cassidy reclaimed the AEW International Championship, while Shida also reclaimed the Women's World Championship from Saraya. Meanwhile, in NXT, there was only one Title match, which was revealed by guest GM Cody Rhodes. The match would be for the NXT Championship and would be between Ilja Dragunov and Dominik Mysterio, but Rhodes didn't want another Judgement Day interference win, so he brought in LA Knight to serve as special referee.

Judgement Day did indeed try to turn things their way, with Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor trying to get involved, but Knight kept them at bay, allowing Dragunov to take down Mysterio and retain his NXT Championship. In addition to Rhodes and Knight, NXT included appearances from Asuka, Jade Cargill, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, Paul Heyman, Tegan Nox, and The Undertaker throughout the night.

It also included some intriguing setups and threads for down the line, but that's another article for another time. As it stands, Tuesday was a fun night of wrestling across the board, whether you're a fan of NXT or AEW. That said, this doesn't look to become a regular thing, though with Raw and NXT still up for grabs as far as TV deals, perhaps we could see more face-offs down the line if NXT ever changes nights again.

What did you think of last night's NXT and Dynamite? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The tragedy of the Von Erichs is coming to the big screen. Director Sean Durkin got moving on this project in 2022, bringing in Zac Efron to star and A24 to finance and distribute. Titled The Iron Claw, this wrestling biopic is set to tell the tale of the Von Erichs, a legendary family of wrestlers that dominated the territory scene in the 20th century. The rest of 2022 was dedicated to rounding out the ensemble, which acquired the services of talents like Jeremy Allen White and Lily James, and commencing production, as principal photography kicked off in October of that year.

The Iron Claw Debuts First Trailer

Sons. Brothers. Champions.

As revealed by A24, The Iron Claw has debuted its first trailer. The film showcases the Von Erich family -- four siblings and their legendary father -- who transformed the wrestling industry.

You can watch the trailer below...

This first teaser comes one week after The Iron Claw shared its first poster, which features five members of the Von Erich family, including Zac Efron's Kevin Von Erich and Jeremy Allen White's Kerry Von Erich, embracing inside a wrestling ring.

Multiple AEW Stars Appearing in The Iron Claw

Beyond the top-billed talent that were transformed into wrestlers for this film, The Iron Claw has a couple of notable names making the opposite leap.

AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman is making his feature film debut in The Iron Claw. MJF plays Lance Von Erich, a fictional member of the Von Erich family, as he is only related to the historic pedigree in kayfabe.

Former AEW manager and WWE titleholder Chavo Guerrero Jr. plays The Sheik. Chavo is no stranger to the world of Hollywood as he has helped train actors for the squared circle in wrestling-based projects like NBC's Young Rock and Netflix's GLOW. The Sheik is one of the more legendary names from wrestling history and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

AEW star Ryan Nemeth is also among the ensemble as Gino Hernandez. Hernandez is known for winning various championships in the NWA throughout his wrestling career. This is Nemeth's biggest project to date, but he has dabbled in feature film throughout his professional career. His brother, former WWE star Dolph Ziggler, has appeared in a WWE Studios production before, 2016's Countdown.

The Iron Claw hits theaters on December 22nd.

Earlier tonight WWE NXT Guest General Manager Cody Rhodes didn't wait too long to start making decisions, and his first one involved the NXT Championship. After some back and forth between Ilja Dragunov and Dominik Mysterio, Rhodes made a match between the two for the NXT Championship official for later in the night. Mysterio would have Rhea Ripley at ringside, but Rhodes evened the odds by having LA Knight be the guest referee, and it would come in handy. At one point Finn Balor and JD McDonagh came out to try and help Mysterio, and Ripley tried to help too, but LA Knight helped balance the scales and cleared them out of the ring. That led to Dragunov being able to get the fair win, retaining his NXT Championship.

Dragunov and Mysterio locked up but Dragunov slammed Mysterio down immediately to the mat. Dragunov then flipped Mysterio again to the mat, and then Dragunov slammed Mysterio into the corner turnbuckle. Mysterio went for a chin lock but Dragunov threw Mysterio over his shoulder yet again. Mysterio charged into Dragunov a few times in the corner but Draguniov chopped Mysterio several times and looked in control.

This match just turned into CHAOS ???#NXTChampionship #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/3DiMKNzgcp

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Mysterio would turn the tables though, and would find ways to knock the Champion to the ground. Mysterio stayed on the Champ, stomping on him and not allowing him to gain any momentum. Dragunov would keep coming back, but Mysterio managed to halt his offense every time. Dragunov couldn't be held off for long though, and eventually, the Champion was able to get back into the match.

Message. Sent.

Challengers are coming from every which way for @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR... ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/nmOoKDCgL3

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Dragunov avoided being thrown out of the ring and came back with a monster clothesline, knocking Mysterio to the mat. Then Dragunov got Mysterio in the corner for multiple chops, and then a snap suplex followed. Dragunov didn't let go either, and the Champ hit another snap suplex.

Mysterio reached for Ripley but couldn't make the connection, and that's when Dragunov lifted Mysterio for what seemed like an eternity and slammed the challenger down. Mysterio came back with a monster chop of his own, but this looked to only enrage Dragunov, who hit Mysterio with multiple forearm shots and then hit a ridiculous number of chops that knocked Mysterio to the ground.

Mysterio went for the 619 but missed, and then Draaguniov missed as well. Mysterio went for the 619 again and this time he connected with it. Dragunov got back on his feet soon though and met Mysterio up top, and a superplex followed. Dragunov geared up for his finisher but Mysterio moved out of the ring to break things up. When the Champion followed, Mysterio pounced and brought down the Champ awkwardly on the ropes. Mysterio went back in but Dragunov knocked him to the mat and hit an H-Bomb, leaving the challenger floored.

Dragunoiv heard up again in the corner, but then Finn Balor came out and LA Knight knocked them down. Then JD McDonagh rushed the ring, but Knight hit him with a slam and threw him out. Ripley then went to hit Dragunov with her World Championship, but Trick Williams pulled her off the ring and caught her in his arms. Ripley was confused but by the time she got back to the ring Dragunov had knocked Mysterio to the mat and covered him for the win, retaining his NXT Championship.

While the night was full of surprises, WWE NXT had one last big reveal on the list to close out tonight's loaded episode. Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes faced each other for the first time outside of a premium live event, and they had Paul Heyman and John Cena in their corners respectively. The match was as thrilling as always, but then Cena would keep Breakker from hurting Hayes with the steel steps. That led to Solo Sikoa attacking Cena, and after Hayes' big win, it was The Undertaker making his shocking return to WWE as the American Badass, where he hit Breakker with a chokeslam and a message.

Breakker and Hayes circled each other and Breakker charged in first, but Hayes evaded. Hayes hit with strikes but Breakker pushed him away and then got hit on the side of the head with a kick. Hayes went for a crossbody but Breakker caught him and slammed him down. Breakker delivered some punches and then slammed his shoulder into Hayes in the corner.

What is going on?!@undertaker just took out @bronbreakkerwwe ???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wVIxiX4grv

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Breakker knocked Hayes down and then lifted Hayes up on his shoulders, but Hayes escaped and then hit a stunning springboard neckbreaker. Hayes knocked Breakker out of the ring and then kicked Breakker in the chest before hitting a leg drop. Hayes went for the cover but Breakker kicked out.

OH MY GOD IT'S THE UNDERTAKER!!!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/0v4UQ329Ou

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Hayes hit another crossbody and knocked Breakker to the mat before locking in a hold. Breakker then got back on his feet and cut Hayes off in the middle of the ring, following it up by putting pressure on Hayes' neck before taunting Cena at ringside. Hayes came back with chops but Breakker then sent Hayes flying into a cover attempt. Hayes kicked out, but Breakker then put pressure on Hayes' shoulder and back.

Breakker slammed Hayes into the corner, but Hayes avoided the charge. The two stars exchanged strikes and punches as they made their way to the top rope, and Breakker would pull down Hayes' neck onto the turnbuckle. Breakker was back in the ring and he slammed down Hayes before going for a pin, but Hayes kicked out. Breakker then slammed his shoulder into Hayes after bouncing off the ropes, a move that stunned Heyman. Breakker then launched Hayes into the air, and Hayes slammed to the mat hard as Bron Breakker sucks chants broke out.

Breakker hit Hayes with an array of punches and strikes, and then Breakker lifted Hayes on his shoulders and brought Hayes down on double knees. Heyman was clearly impressed and Cena was worried for Hayes, and then Breakker slammed down Hayes two more times before taunting Cena again.

Breakker ate a huge superkick to the head though, and Cena rallied Hayes before Hayes hit a clothesline on Breakker. Hayes then reversed a move from Breakker into a slam and a cover, but Breakker got his shoulder up at the last second. Hayes went up top and he was joined by Breakker, and then Breakker brought him down with a facebuster into a cover, but Hayes kicked out of the pin.

Breakker missed Hayes and hit the stele post, but Breakker caught Hayes after Nothing but Net and went for the cover. Somehow thought Hayes kicked out, and he rolled outside to get some space. Breakker followed though and grabbed some steel steps. Then Cena broke it up and grabbed the steps from Breakker, but Solo Sikoa showed up and attacked Cena. They would then head to the back with their brawl.

Hayes' Nothing but Net followed on Breakker, and that was it, as Hayes got the pin and the win. After his celebration though, Breakker speared Hayes and wanted a microphone. Breakker said "win or lose, there's only one badass in all of WWE, and that's when The Undertaker's music hit.

The American Badass himself came out and then got in Breakker's face. Breakker took some shots at Undertaker, calling him an old timer, and Undertaker grabbed a microphone. "Now Bron, I've been watching you for a long time. And one day you are going to be a very special talent," Undertaker said. "It's just one thing. It ain't today."

Undertaker picked up Breakker and hit him with a chokeslam. Then Undertaker picked up the microphone and told Breakker "Young fella, I'm going to give you some advice. There's always an older, bigger, better, badass waiting around the corner. You just met the baddest of em all." Then Undertaker celebrated with Hayes as NXT closed out.

Adam Copeland is All Elite. The wrestler formerly known as Edge made his AEW debut at AEW WrestleDream earlier this month, confronting former tag team partner and longtime friend Christian Cage. The following week on AEW Dynamite, Copeland made his AEW intentions clear: he wants to end his career alongside Christian by having one last tag team run together. The current AEW TNT Champion did not exactly embrace this offer, telling Copeland to "go f--k [himself]" live on air. This laid the groundwork for a feud between Copeland and Christian which was set to begin with the Rated-R Superstar taking on Christian's right hand of destruction, Luchasaurus, on AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday.

Adam Copeland Wins AEW Debut

Adam Copeland is off to a hot start.

The Rated-R Superstar made his AEW in-ring debut on AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday in a victorious effort over Luchasaurus. His heavyweight opponent got the better of him from the jump, as Luchasaurus was dominant in the early stretches thanks to ongoing outside interference from Nick Wayne.

Copeland strung together some momentum in the late stages, landing a super-plex, but was unable to put Luchasaurus down for the count. A sneaky chair set up in the corner led to Copeland missing a spear and taking the weapon to the head but he was still able to kick out at two. Leaping from the ring apron and across the stacked ring steps, Copeland landed a spear on Luchasaurus to the outside to establish himself as in the driver's seat.

After some miscommunication from Christian and Nick Wayne, Luchasaurus was left prone to a spear, leading to Copeland securing the 1-2-3.

You can check out some of the highlights below...

The "Rated-R Superstar" Adam Copeland is running after Christian Cage but gets ambushed!

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@EdgeRatedR | @Christian4Peeps | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/AIkbAyOvnT

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 11, 2023

The Independence crowd is trying to get the Rated-R Superstar back into the match!

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@EdgeRatedR | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/yP4v4SoRhB

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 11, 2023

Gigantic Superplex by Adam Copeland!

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@EdgeRatedR | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/gpPTtsa17o

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 11, 2023

SPEAR!!!

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@EdgeRatedR | @luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/YsaXMCEAYg

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 11, 2023

Will Edge Retire From Wrestling in AEW?

Copeland's in-ring days will likely come to a close within Tony Khan's promotion.

"I think that's a very safe thing to say because I know how much work it's going to take to be able to pull it off," Copeland said in a recent interview. "I know that. I'm not in any way trying to fool myself into thinking I'm just going to trot through this whole thing. It's going to be hard. It's going to be a lot of hard work. I enjoy hard work. I always have. I'm also a realist and I understand that I'm not going to be able to maintain it for a super long time.

"If we could end this together, that's the dream," Copeland said of retiring with Christian Cage, real name Jay Reso. "I sat down with my girls and I'm like, 'Okay, so what does dad do, girls?' What do I do? I laid out the scenarios for them. Lyric said it and then Ruby agreed, 'Go be with Uncle Jay and have fun.' That doesn't mean that I'm not having fun in other places, but they know the most fun I'm going to have is with my best friend of the last 40 years."

The special "Title Tuesday" edition of AEW Dynamite has certainly lived up to its name. Not only have there been multiple matches on the card where a championship was up for grabs, two titles actually changed hands, going back to former champions. It started with Orange Cassidy, replacing an apparently injured Jon Moxley, defeating Ray Fenix to win back the AEW International Championship. An hour later, it was the AEW Women's World Championship changing hands.

Saraya won the women's title in London at AEW's All In event, but her reign didn't last long. She faced Hikaru Shida for that title on Tuesday night and, to the surprise of many, lost to the Ace. Shida won the match to become the first three-time Women's World Champion in AEW's history.

A big reason for Saraya's loss could be the loss of "Timeless" Toni Storm as part of her Outcasts crew. Ruby Soho attempted to spray Shida during the match, but the attempt was thwarted and Toni ran in to attack Ruby with her shoe. This kept Ruby Soho from being any sort of factor in the match, leaving Saraya without any ringside help. One on one, Shida took the opportunity to pin Saraya and win the title for the third time.

"New Era" of All Elite Wrestling

The month of October began with AEW WrestleDream, a pay-per-view dedicated to the late Antonio Inoki. Ahead of the event, Khan used a commercial to talk up WrestleDream, saying it would be the beginning of a "new era" for his company.

"Next Sunday, October 1, it'll be one of the greatest nights in wrestling, with every match capable of stealing the show and a card befitting the legacy of a kingdom that has touched every one of us," Khan said. "AEW and the world of pro wrestling will converge as the greatest champions and rivalries in this sport will take center stage live on pay-per-view. At AEW WrestleDream next Sunday, we will pay tribute to the dreamer who made this all possible, the late great Antonio Inoki, with an event one year in the making. You won't want to miss AEW WrestleDream as we'll end a chapter in wrestling history and begin a new era in AEW live on pay-per-view next Sunday night, October 1."

Tonight's episode of WWE NXT has been full of surprises, but one of the biggest happened late in the show. After names like Cody Rhodes, Asuka, John Cena, LA Knight, and Rhea Ripley all made appearances on NXT, it was thought that most of the surprises were done. NXT had other plans though, and after a segment involving Cena, Carmelo Hayes, and Trick Williams, a white SUV pulled up to the performance center. Out stepped none other than WWE's newest signing Jade Cargill, and she met Shawn Michaels outside to tease something for later in the show, and we can't wait to see what else NXT has up their sleeves.

Cargill initially made her debut at WWE Fastlane, though it was in a backstage segment with Triple H. The segment took place in the parking lot and some thought there might be more to it, but it ultimately ended up only being that segment, as Cargill didn't make an appearance at any other point during the premium live event.

Look who it is!!!

Welcome to #WWENXT, @Jade_Cargill ? pic.twitter.com/HQuKnvlajx

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Cargill hasn't made her in-ring debut yet for WWE, but WWE has rolled out quite the introduction for the former AEW star. Cargill has is set to be a big star in WWE, and in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Cargill revealed her WrestleMania goal as one of her biggest moving forward.

"I understand what I'm here for. I want to capture gold and I want to headline WrestleMania, but none of that is handed out," Cargill said. "I want to work to create those phenomenal moments. I want to have marquee matches, I want to get people talking, and I want to create something bigger than myself."

Cargill is the first official signing of the TKO era of WWE, and later in the interview she discussed that and what it means for her career in WWE. "That means I have even more to prove," Cargill said. "I'm going to show there is no one like me. I've proved everybody wrong my entire life. That's been my journey. I'm undeniable. Always bet on Jade. If people still don't like me, I bet you they still tune in."

Reports have stated that Cargill is set to be a superstar on Monday Night Raw, but that hasn't officially been confirmed. There is a big premium live event happening soon in Survivor Series, and if she were to have an in-ring debut, that is one possible place for it to happen. Whether it does or not remains to be seen, but for now the spotlight is on NXT and what Cargill has in store for this very stacked episode.

What do you want to see next from Cargill in WWE? Let us know in the comments!

WWE's very own Cody Rhodes got things started on tonight's WWE NXT, and it didn't take long to reveal his big announcement. Rhodes revealed that he would be the honorary NXT GM for tonight's episode, and not too long after Ilja Dragunov came to the ring to exchange some words with Rhodes. That would lead to an interruption from Dominik Mysterio, who took some jabs at Rhodes and Dragunov. Rhodes decided to put his new position to work and announced a match for the NXT Championship for tonight's main event between Dragunov and Mysterio, but he wasn't finished, as Rhodes then revealed LA Knight would be the special referee for the match.

After Rhodes was joined by Dragunov, the NXT Champion said, "This man, you. This man who brings this passion. You're a man who fights with a fire and pushes everything he does to the next level. And this is something I want to do like you. This is something I promise to do. I promise to push this brand to the next level with a fire that only the mad dragon can create."

Special guest GM @CodyRhodes already making big moves...@RealLAKnight steps in as guest referee for tonight's #NXTChampionship Match!

NXT Champion @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR vs. NXT North American Champion @DomMysterio35, tonight on @USANetwork. #WWENXT https://t.co/c3MFtvrTq1

-- Triple H (@TripleH) October 11, 2023

That's when Dominik Mysterio's music hit and Dom came out with Rhea Ripley. Dom said "You guys really out here patting each other on the back? The WWE universe is here to see the greatest superstar this brand has to offer, me! Ilja you, you may be the NXT Champion, but you don't compare to me, the one and only true Double AA Champion. So if you want to feel Cody's energy, why don't you ask him about his energy levels every time Judgment Day has left him laying."

Dragunov said, "Why am I not surprised at all when nobody in this entire arena wants to listen to the sound of your voice. By the way, my father used to work in a prison, so I know exactly how to turn a barking dog into a sweet little puppy."

"Did I hurt little Ilja? Why don't you put that NXT Championship on the line against me and prove if you are the man you say you are," Mysterio said. Rhodes then said, "What I'm hearing is that you're not willing to put your North American Championship on the line?"

Dragunov said, "Dom Dom listen, today is actually a day of celebration, and as a gift to myself, I couldn't imagine something better than eating a man like you alive in this ring. And Rhea, darling, I'm gonna smash your boy!"

Rhodes then made the match official. "I forgot, I am the special guest general manager, so guess what, that match for the NXT Championship is official," Rhodes said, "And here' the problem right? Knowing what I know about the Judgment Dya. The numbers game, this match needs a special guest referee. No no it's not me. Actually, the special guest is the hottest star in WWE, LA Knight!"

The AEW International Championship is in a state of flux. Orange Cassidy put the midcard prize on the map during his historic 326-day reign, defending it regularly in AEW Dynamite main events. His run came to an end at AEW All Out when Jon Moxley defeated him to capture the title. Moxley's reign would last just 17 days as he would drop the AEW International Championship to Rey Fenix at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in September. Moxley was scheduled to retain the gold in that bout, but a mid-match injury caused him to call an audible and take the loss to Fenix.

Fenix's unexpected run has also become a ticking time bomb of sorts. Fenix confirmed on social media that he is working through injuries right now but stressed that he will keep defending the AEW International Championship until the wheels fall off.

"The night I became champion, I left the arena with the championship in my hands and with an old injury bothering me again," Fenix wrote. "My first defense was painful, it did not allow the pain to stop me and continue until the fight was over."

Moxley was scheduled to get his rematch against Fenix on tonight's episode of AEW Dynamite but remains medically disqualified from competition. As a result, Orange Cassidy took his spot.

AEW International Championship

Orange Cassidy is once again AEW International Champion.

Fenix and Cassidy battled in the second quarter of tonight's AEW Dynamite. The match kicked off at a back and forth style, but Cassidy gained the advantage when the action spilled to the outside. Fenix got a slight upper hand and tried to set Cassidy up for a muscle buster, but was unable to execute the maneuver. Cassidy would hit a couple of DDTs for a near fall.

BACK-2-BACK DDTs!

Watch #AEWDynamite Title Tuesday LIVE on TBS!@ReyFenixMx | @orangecassidy pic.twitter.com/R8vlJrXJ1O

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 11, 2023

Every time momentum started to swing in Fenix's favor, injuries plagued him. Fenix constantly tended to his back, giving Cassidy an opening to land an Orange Punch for the 1-2-3.

Cassidy is the first person to hold the AEW International Championship on two separate occasions and he joins a short list of talent within AEW history to have multiple title reigns. Cody Rhodes, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Samoa Joe, and Wardlow are all multi-time AEW TNT Champions while Jon Moxley and CM Punk are the only men to hold the AEW World Title more than once.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for live coverage of AEW Dynamite.

Tonight's WWE NXT was a stacked affair, but one of the most anticipated matches on the card was the match between NXT's Roxanne Perez and SmackDown's Asuka. Fans knew these two superstars would put on a great show, and after a packed opening introduction featuring Cody Rhodes, Judgement Day, and Ilja Dragunov, Asuka and Perez wasted no time in getting the match started. Perez stood toe to toe with Asuka, absorbing her lethal offense and almost pinning her several times throughout the match. Asuka was able to connect with a brutal combo of strikes and kicks though, and after a painful-looking kick to the side of Perez's head, Asuka got the pin and the win on Perez, retaining her undefeated streak in NXT.

Before the match even started the match got some extra intrigue, as Shotzi appeared with her tank and then joined in on commentary. Perez and Asuka immediately linked up and exchanged holds, and they kept countering each other's moves to a standstill. Perez then knocked Asuka to the mat and out of the ring, but Asuka caught Perez with a punch when she started to dive through the ropes.

.@roxanne_wwe is taking it to @WWEAsuka ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Kp1ShB3G0t

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Asuka kept on the attack, knocking Perez into the corner and then sticking her boot on Perez's neck against the turnbuckle. Asuka pinned Perez's shoulder down but Perez got to her feet. Asuka quickly knocked her back down though and connected with stomps to the face.

Take that Kiana!@ShotziWWE helps out @roxanne_wwe by wiping out @kianajames_wwe ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/OaNWwhfALl

-- WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2023

Perez kept getting up and then she punched Asuka in the face several times before bouncing off the ropes and hitting a big dropkick. Perez brought Asuka down and caused her to roll out of the ring, and Perez then went for the dive again. This time she connected, knocking Asuka to the floor.

Perez hit Asuka with an uppercut and a kick to the side of the head. Perez joined Asuka on the top rope and then Perez hit a crossbody into a pin attempt, but Asuka kicked out. Perez hit Asuka with punches to the back of the head but Asuka countered and went for a cover, though Perez kicked out. Perez rolled up Asuka for a near fall but Asuka kicked out. Perez went for another roll-up and then went for another pin, but Asuka kicked out again.

That led to Asuka getting the Asuka Lock cinched in, but Perez escaped. Asuka hit a trio of kicks and finished it off with a kick to the side of the head before going for a cover, and she was able to get the pin and the win on Perez. That win keeps Asuka undefeated in NXT, and Asuka would pay respect to Perez before leaving the ring.

Kiana James then came in to attack Perez, but Shotzi came into the ring and came to Perez's defense, attacking James and knocking her to the floor. Shotzi then lifted up Perez's arms to celebrate the match.

What have you thought of NXT so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

There have been a bevy of reports and rumors surrounding CM Punk since his departure from AEW, and that's created somewhat of a rollercoaster saga. Much like in the days before Punk made his return to AEW, reports and rumors have suggested that the deal between Punk and WWE is nearing completion, which would theoretically lead to a debut at Survivor Series. A new report from Fightful Select puts the brakes on that thought, with sources high up in WWE saying that any reports of CM Punk signing with WWE are completely false.

In addition to saying any reports of CM Punk signing with WWE are false, those sources reportedly state that as of October 10th, the claim internally is that WWE is not in conversations with CM Punk about a comeback at all. The report states that several in the company wanted to make that clear for fans expecting to see him return at Survivor Series this year.

WWE sources are evidently adamant that as of now the two sides are not in talks. A source close to Punk told Fightful they believe earlier reports of Punk having feelers out to people within WWE about how a return should be approached were accurate, but nothing new on that front has been revealed.

You can understand some seeing this as a done deal, especially after the past few weeks. There have been several statements and references that could be construed as references to Punk, and the report addresses those as well. A higher-up source and a top WWE talent said that they're sure that most of those teases are not cleared beforehand, and might be people doing it themselves. The WWE talent also said they might even be doing it to get under CM Punk's skin.

Punk's time in AEW came to an end after an incident backstage at AEW All In: London between Punk and Jack Perry. Several were around for what happened, though Punk has never given his account of what happened. In a previous interview with The New York Post, Samoa Joe was asked about his view on the situation and what happened, and he didn't see it as intensely as others.

"That's up to whoever perceived it," Joe said when asked if the scene was as intense as other reports made it out to be. "I'm used to that environment. Those things don't seem very intense to me, but it could be something crazy intense to someone else. I wasn't really affected by the moment. I was more focused on getting the show back on track and getting us going because it was bell time."

"For the most part, I haven't read what's been portrayed," Joe said. "There's been so much said. I'm not the one to go out there and try to debunk everything. I know we had the initial incident. Everybody rallied. Everybody got together. Got their heads together and lined up and got ready to do the show and we went out there and we did the show. That really was the focus at that point in time. We got a massive show to do and we got fans out there rabid to see that happen. So it's important that we step up and do it and it's important that we did and I was proud to be a part of that."

Do you think we'll see Punk back in WWE? Let us know in the comments!

All Elite Wrestling and WWE do not like each other. That has been made apparent from the jump, with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque calling the upstart promotion a "piss-ant company" months before AEW debuted its first pay-per-view. AEW fired plenty of shots back over the next four years, regularly alluding to their competition in promos and in-ring segments. Alternatively, WWE has neglected to even acknowledge AEW's existence. While stars like MJF and Adam Copeland have emphasized that both rosters are rooting for one another, its evident that the higher-ups in each company do not want each other to succeed.

WWE Looks to Send a Message to AEW

The one-off Tuesday Night War represents something bigger.

According to a report from Haus of Wrestling, Tuesday's edition of WWE NXT is being supersized to send "a very clear example of how and why WWE is WWE, and why AEW has a long way to go." This WWE source believes AEW has been living in a "false reality" of being an industry leader due to their ratings wins over NXT, which serves as WWE's developmental brand.

AEW President Tony Khan responded to this report on Twitter with an image of two doors spray-painted with the words "BALD A--HOLE."

I have a message for them:

See you TONIGHT at a special Tuesday Night #AEWDynamite:
Title Fight Tuesday
At 8pm ET/7pm CT on @TBSNetwork
At least the first 30 Minutes Are Commercial-Free, + a big overrun TONIGHT! https://t.co/ZKVQVnlMnf pic.twitter.com/ruuc2k49kD

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 10, 2023

Regarding this ratings war happening on Khan's birthday, the report added that their WWE source made it sound like "WWE NXT is fine spoiling his party."

Bad blood between WWE and AEW goes beyond petty shots at one another. It was reported in 2022 that WWE had made contact with a number of AEW stars regarding their contracts.

"I've had a lot of wrestlers come to me and allege that WWE reached out to them to tamper with their contracts and ask them to break their contracts. I can't confirm that specifically. I can only tell you what the wrestlers have come to me and said," Khan said earlier this year. "But I've had multiple wrestlers and staff report that to me. It was very disturbing. I've had to go out and try to put on good shows, despite this alleged tampering and stuff like that, but frankly, I don't think it's stopped us because the quality of the product and the quality of the shows is at an all-time high right now. It's a real war between AEW and WWE. It's a real war between AEW and WWE, and the fans are interested in it."

WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite air at 8 PM ET tonight on USA Network and TBS, respectively.

All Elite Wrestling and WWE are going head-to-head. While AEW Dynamite vs. WWE NXT is nothing new, as the two rival broadcasts previously ran opposite from one another for well over one year, this one-off Tuesday match-up has a sense of emphasized stakes. Both AEW and WWE have made efforts to supersize their respective shows tonight, with Tony Khan's young promotion announcing multiple title matches while the Shawn Michaels-run white and gold gets visits from multiple Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown stars.

Winning this ratings battle yields nothing but bragging rights, but in the professional wrestling industry that might as well be considered currency.

AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday's Big Matches

Programming notes: AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday will have a 30-minute pre-show airing on AEW's YouTube channel. The first 30 minutes of the TBS broadcast will run commercial free and Warner Bros. Discovery has granted the show a 10-minute overrun after its scheduled end time of 10 PM ET.

How to watch: AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday airs at 8 PM ET on TBS.

Notable matches: AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday is being headlined by the in-ring debut of Adam Copeland. The wrestler formerly known as Edge left WWE in September in favor of joining AEW, making his debut for his new home at AEW WrestleDream earlier this month. Copeland faces Luchasaurus tonight.

Two championships are on the line as well. AEW International Champion Rey Fenix defends his title against Jon Moxley while AEW Women's Champion Saraya puts her gold up for grabs against Hikaru Shida. Moxley goes into his match as the favorite, as he only lost the title to Fenix in September due to an unexpected injury. Fenix is also working hurt right now and many believe his reign is on borrowed time.

Beyond that, Swerve Strickland battles Bryan Danielson for the first time ever in an AEW TNT Championship No.1 Contender's Match while Jay White faces "Hangman" Adam Page in a high-profile singles clash.

Possible surprises: Speculation has run wild on Mercedes Mon? joining AEW since she was shown on-screen during AEW ALL IN: London. Considering the former Sasha Banks has history with Saraya, there's a possibility that 10-minute overrun is being used to lead to a surprise appearance from Mon? following the AEW Women's Title match.

WWE NXT's Stacked Lineup

Programming notes: WWE NXT's first 30 minutes on USA Network will run commercial free.

How to watch: WWE NXT airs at 8 PM ET on USA Network.

Notable matches: WWE NXT will feature the third match between Carmelo Hayes and Bron Breakker. These two titans of the white and gold era of NXT have headlined two premium live events against one another and are each a former NXT Champion. The stakes for this third bout have been raised, as Hayes will have John Cena in his corner while Breakker is backed by Paul Heyman.

Roxanne Perez will take on Asuka in singles action. This will be Asuka's first match in NXT since 2019. She previously spent two years in NXT where she reigned as NXT Women's Champion for a record 522 days. Asuka never lost a match in NXT.

Outside of matches, WWE NXT will feature Cody Rhodes making a major announcement.

Possible surprises: The Undertaker has been teased in recent commercials for WWE NXT, as his iconic "gong" sound has closed ads. Look for Taker to pop up in some capacity on the broadcast.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for live coverage of both shows.

All Elite Wrestling is reigniting the ratings war with WWE. Tony Khan's young promotion is set to bring AEW Dynamite to the Tuesday 8 PM ET time slot for a one-off this week due to a scheduling conflict in its usual time on Wednesday. This places AEW's flagship program in the same block as WWE NXT, WWE's developmental show featuring rising prospects in the sports-entertainment giant. Both companies are well aware of the head-to-head nature of this week's programming and have each made efforts to supersize their shows. AEW is dubbing this edition of AEW Dynamite as "Title Tuesday," featuring two championship contests as well as the in-ring debut of Adam Copeland (WWE's Edge). WWE has responded to this by bringing in main roster stars like John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Asuka and Paul Heyman and has even teased an appearance from The Undertaker.

Khan and company have been promoting this week's AEW Dynamite heavily on social media, even announcing that the broadcast will have a pre-show and the first 30 minutes will air commercial free. WWE NXT will also begin with a commercial free first quarter.

While the efforts to counter-program have been strictly by implication thus far, both companies have been known to take slightly personal digs at one another on occasion.

Tony Khan Takes Shot at Vince McMahon

AEW's president has fired a shot at WWE's big boss.

Taking to Twitter, a wrestling fan responded to one of Tony Khan's tweets by saying they will not be watching AEW Dynamite. Khan responded with a gif of AEW star Roderick Strong saying, "who gives a f--k," to which another fan replied, "If Sir Vince McMahon said this, there would be many failed AEW fans crying non-stop and furious."

Khan then responded to that follow-up by noting that McMahon has had no shortage of controversy in his career.

"If Sir Vince McMahon said this, it would be the least of his alleged misdeeds."

If Sir Vince McMahon said this, it would be the least of his alleged misdeeds. #AEWTitleTuesday on TBS
Tuesday #AEWDynamite Tonight!

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 10, 2023

McMahon was subject to an extensive internal investigation in 2022 after reports surfaced that he had been using company funds as hush money to pay off several women whom he had affairs with over the course of multiple decades. This led to McMahon briefly retiring from his corporate WWE positions, but he maintained shareholding power within WWE, which allowed him to return to the board of directors this past January. McMahon now serves as Executive Chairman once more.

AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT go head-to-head tonight at 8 PM ET on TBS and USA Network, respectively.

The sly references to CM Punk are starting to become something of a regular occurrence on WWE TV. During last week's episode of SmackDown, announcer Corey Graves made a nod to Punk with the popular "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled" line during the broadcast. The latest episode of Monday Night RAW followed suit, this time with a popular finishing move that Punk has used for years.

During the new episode of RAW, Shinsuke Nakamura attacked Ricochet on his way to the ring for a triple threat match. Part of the attack included Shinsuke hitting Ricochet with a GTS, Kenta's longtime move that CM Punk made popular with many American wrestling fans.

The use of this one move doesn't necessarily mean that Nakamura or WWE are hinting at a potential CM Punk return. Nakamura has used the move in WWE before and had a social media exchange with Kenta about using it back in 2019. But two consecutive episodes of WWE TV have included some kind of nod to Punk. Now that he's a free agent, fans have been wondering if a WWE return is somehow in the cards.

Forever stoking the fires, Punk has also made low-key references to a partnership with WWE. Over the weekend, Punk posted a frame from Marvel Comics that features Iron Man and Doctor Doom making a temporary truce to work together. Of course, that got a lot of people talking, as Punk and WWE haven't been on good terms for the better part of a decade.

Issues With Punk's WWE Return

According to a recent report from Fightful Select, there are a lot of fences that need mending if Punk and WWE are going to work together again. The report suggested that WWE feels Punk would return if he was given an offer to do so, essentially meaning that the ball in the company's court. But there are some within the company -- including two of its top stars -- that may not want to work with him again.

The same report indicated current champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns don't want CM Punk back in WWE. Punk has put his former employer and co-workers on blast several times in the decade since he left WWE, so there are likely even more people that he'd need to fix things with if a comeback were ever in the cards.

Do you think CM Punk will ever make his way back to WWE? Let us know in the comments!

After beating the likes of Chad Gable and Ciampa in recent matches, Gunther now has a new number one challenger for his record-breaking reign as Intercontinental Champion. On the latest edition of WWE's Monday Night RAW, the number one contender for Gunther's title was decided with a triple threat match. Bronson Reed, Chad Gable, and Ricochet all took to the ring to win a shot at Gunther at next week's season premiere of Monday Night RAW. It was Reed who walked away the victor.

Ricochet wasn't 100% going into the match, as Shinsuke Nakamura attacked him on his way to the ring. He and Gable proved not quite enough for Reed, who ended up taking the win in a shorter match than some might have expected.

Bronson Reed is now the top contender for the Intercontinental Championship, and that match will take place in Oklahoma City, OK next Monday night.

Gunther Thinking Two Titles?

Gunther is one of the odds-on favorites to win the 2024 Royal Rumble, which would give him the opportunity to challenge for another championship at next year's WrestleMania. That puts the Ring General on a potential collision course with the Tribal Chief, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Could Gunther still set his sights on Reigns' title if he's still the Intercontinental Champion next year?

"If I get the chance to be in the Royal Rumble, then I aim to win it. I think that's a possibility," Gunther told ComicBook.com at WWE SummerSlam earlier this year. "Yes, because I don't plan on losing the Intercontinental Championship."

That said, Gunther doesn't see Reigns as his "dream opponent" during this Intercontinental Championship run. While speaking to Sportskeeda, Gunther said he views Brock Lesnar as the man he most wants to fight.

"I don't consider Roman as a dream opponent," Gunther explained. "I think they're two very completely different wrestlers. He's obviously somebody that came up through, first of all his family history, but then he got, basically, developed or trained in the WWE system and got brought up through that. I think he's a picture perfect example of how WWE can take someone and turn them into an absolute superstar. I come from a different way. I'm from Europe. We always kind of had to build it up for ourselves. I was way more interested in Japanese wrestling for example than in WWE coming up as a professional wrestler so the, let's say, idols I had, or the people I watched were different people than him."

Seth "Freakin" Rollins continues his reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, retaining his title this past Saturday night at WWE Fastlane after being taken to the limit by Shinsuke Nakamura. Rollins has made it well-known that he's been having issues with his back that he continues to fight through. On Monday Night RAW, the World Heavyweight Champ told the crowd how excited he was to have a night off when he was interrupted by none other than Drew McIntyre, who wants a shot at the title.

Fortunately for Rollins, McIntyre wants to face him "as close to 100%" as he can be, which means the match isn't happening for a little bit. In a show of respect, the duo put their match on the books three weeks from now. Drew McIntyre will take on Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 4th.

As far as we know right now, that's Rollins' next official title defense. That said, Judgement Day is knocking at the door. As McIntyre started to leave the ring, Damian Priest attacked Rollins from behind, prompting Dominik Mysterio to run in with Priest's Money in the Bank briefcase. Priest intended to cash it in and take the title from Rollins, but McIntyre put a stop to things, knocking out Mysterio and throwing the briefcase away from the ring. That gave Rollins enough time to get back on his feet and take the fight to Priest.

Seth Rollins Injury Won't Affect Current Run

Earlier this year, Rollins revealed that he's been dealing with a back injury for a few years now, one that will eventually require surgery. However, Rollins hasn't been worried about that injury changing anything for his current run in WWE. It's been a big part of the story as of late, but he is still promising to be a fighting champion.

"It is what it is. All of us have something," Rollins said on The Bump last month. "We've all got some sort of nagging injury, we've all got something that's pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That's just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I've been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back.

"So even though Shinsuke's the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I'll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who's concerned. I'm gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," he continued.

Are you excited to see Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre go head-to-head next month? Let us know in the comments!

Wrestling has more than one royal family, The open line to Cody Rhodes's theme song alludes to his lavish lineage, but the sentiment is applicable across the professional wrestling industry. From the Anoa'i family tree to the Hart dynasty, the wrestling world has no shortage of historic pedigrees, and they only continue to grow with new generations.

That's the case for Colby Corino. This second-generation star is the son of ECW original Steve Corino and the nephew of independent standout Allison Danger.

"It's not like I have a wrestling gene, but I went to my first ECW show when I was three weeks old," Corino told ComicBook.com. "I've been around wrestling literally my whole life and it's been the only thing that's been around me. It's been the family business basically."

Corino currently reigns as the NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion, a title he won be defeating Kerry Morton, a fellow second-generation star.

"Going into a match with second or third-generation wrestlers is completely different than going into it with a first-generation wrestler," Corino said of competing against fellow famed pedigrees. "Because a second generation wrestler just has these instincts. They understand wrestling a lot better than a normal person that comes in and is learning it themselves. We've been around it our whole lives. When I come into a match with someone that's just like that with me, it kind of throws me off my game a little bit. It's a good challenge for me too because I always want to present something that's creatively good and different."

Beyond second-generation talent like Corino and Morton, the NWA boasts notable names like EC3, Matt Cardona, and Thom Latimer on its roster. Led by owner Billy Corgan, this formerly defunct wrestling wrestling promotion is the most stable it has been in decades, which is something Corino knows firsthand.

"I wrestled my first match for the NWA when I was 12 years old. I'm actually the youngest person to win an NWA sanctioned match," Corino said. "I've been through the many iterations of the NWA and right now I feel the best in terms of the momentum that we got going on. I feel like we're on a real upward swing. I feel like we're in a new era. It's not just a hashtag that we post on Twitter. It really feels that way in the locker room. It feels like that the young guys are really, are being given the ball right now, and I think we're doing a great job at running that ball across the field rather than fumbling it."

Corino defends his NWA Junior Heavyweight Title against Joe Alonzo at NWA Samhain on October 28th.

Concern grew earlier this year that Triple H's creative reign over WWE would be short-lived. The WWE Chief Content Officer took over the sports-entertainment giant's day-to-day operations in July 2022 following Vince McMahon's initial retirement. The next six months that followed was one of the most championed time periods by fans, as many praised WWE's refreshed roster, engaging storylines, and overall in-ring product. McMahon ended his brief retirement in January, using his shareholding power to re-elect himself to chairman of the board. Once WWE's sale to Endeavor Content was announced in April, McMahon's fingerprints were all over Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown once again.

The months that followed involved a lot of tip-toeing. Some episodes of WWE TV showed signs of Triple H leading the charge, while others had glaring signals that McMahon was puppeteering the show.

WWE's sale to Endeavor was finalized in September. For the first time in his WWE tenure, McMahon was now answering to a higher power rather than being that higher power himself. While Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has made it clear that he wants to keep McMahon around in the TKO era, his involvement may be strictly from a business perspective.

Triple H "Knighted" By Endeavor to Run WWE Creative

It's time to play the game. Again.

According to PWInsider, there is an internal belief within WWE that Vince McMahon is no longer involved in WWE creative. The report adds that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque has been "basically knighted" by Endeavor to lead the creative charge.

Publicly, Triple H never lost his power. WWE CEO Nick Khan had said in multiple interviews earlier this year that the former WWE Champion's role was unchanged by the Endeavor sale or McMahon's return.

"Specifically Vince articulated that Paul Levesque remains the sole chief creative officer. Sole," Khan said. "Paul and Vince have a family relationship, a relationship that stands back to the mid-90s. Paul's in charge of creative. If he wants input from Vince or Vince has ideas then he and Paul are gonna communicate, that's always going be the case. We're lucky to have Vince. We're lucky to have Paul in control of creative."

WWE returns to programming with Monday Night Raw, airing tonight at 8 PM ET on USA Network.

Some of John Cena's old promos are coming back to bite him. Leading up to his "once in a lifetime" clash with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WWE WrestleMania 28, Cena blasted Rock for neglecting his roots. Up until his return in 2011, Rock had not been seen inside a WWE ring for seven years. Big Match John criticized Rock for going Hollywood on the WWE fans and leaving the place and people that made him in the dust. Now one decade later, Cena finds himself in the same predicament. Cena has not been a full-time member of the WWE roster since 2016 and has wrestled just a handful of matches in the past couple of years.

John Cena "Violated" The Rock's Trust

Speaking during the WWE Fastlane press conference, John Cena once again admitted that he was in the wrong for his criticisms of The Rock's priorities in the entertainment industry during their feud.

"Publicly and personally, to Dwayne Johnson, I've stated that, although I thought I was trying to do what's best for business, I went about it the wrong way," Cena said. "I violated his trust, and I made allegations about his perspective that I knew nothing about. Deep down, I was a fan. I wanted The Rock [back], and I wanted to do anything to get The Rock back, but I did it the wrong way. I didn't do it the respectful way, so I had to eat a little bit of crow."

Why Can't John Cena Wrestle and Act Simultaneously?

As evident by his sporadic appearances this year, John Cena is capable of fitting WWE into his busy schedule. That said, Cena has only wrestled three matches this year, and is moving at a speed that is significantly less risky compared to the work-rate bouts his was putting on in the 2010s.

As Cena emphasized, his current limited matches and in-ring style is a byproduct of his obligations in Hollywood.

"I made it perfectly clear you can't do both because of the liability insurance," Cena explained. "If I were trying to juggle both that's very selfish because I'd put a whole lot of people in the movie business out of work if something happened to me."

Cena's sudden availability came about due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Hollywood productions have been on pause since the actors guild went on strike in mid-July.

"I stopped a project in the middle of [the strike], and I cant talk about it because of the strike we're in," Cena added. "We're in the middle of it. As soon as we get back to work, we go back to work. I don't control any of that. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we can find a resolve that everyone is happy with. For right now, I think this is the best way I can help, by coming home to my [WWE] family."

All eyes are on Swerve Strickland right now. The leader of the Mogul Embassy is currently on the run of his career in AEW, positioning himself as one of the company's top heels thanks to high-profile victories over the likes of Darby Allin and "Hangman" Adam Page. His recent in-ring performances and character work has regularly elicited praise from fans but has also caught the attention of greats within the wrestling world.

Hours after Swerve defeated Page at AEW WrestleDream, Adam Copeland made his AEW debut. The wrestler formerly known as Edge addressed his jump on the AEW WrestleDream post-show press conference, emphasizing that AEW's talent pool was too rich to pass up.

"I look at entire roster of fresh faces and so many talent that I've never laid hands on before, and that to me, for a person who's driven by challenges, that was the biggest thing," Copeland said. "I see a guy like Nick Wayne. I see Swerve. There's so many possibilities here."

Swerve Strickland Details Mentorship From Adam Copeland

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Swerve Strickland responded to Adam Copeland name-dropping him as a desired future opponent in his first time speaking on an AEW microphone.

"That shows that I'm on the radar. I'm not just a talent on the roster," Strickland said. "I'm not just a guy floating in the talent pool. That means I'm very visible. I'm on the top. I'm one of the priorities."

This is Swerve's first time sharing a locker room with Copeland since they briefly crossed paths as part of WWE SmackDown in 2021. Even though they were only on the same brand for a couple of weeks, Swerve and Copeland kept in contact.

"Me and Edge have been friends for the past three years. He has been somewhat of a mentor to me in those last three years," Swerve said. "He's been watching. We've been talking on the phone. He's been really criticizing a lot of my stuff in a good way. Productive criticisms. That's where I can't help but get better. I can't help but push myself and find unique ways to stand out. I'm not going to say everything has been a hundred percent perfect, but you have guys like Edge that see that. He understands what that entails. He's made his mistakes and he has grown from them, and he has built even more successes on top of that. He sees that in me."

In his early singles days in WWE, Copeland made a name for himself as a top heel. While his main priority was winning championships, Copeland also made sure to get under his opponents' skin by any means necessary.

As Swerve pursues his first singles title in AEW, he has followed a similar trajectory to Copeland's villainous days in the mid 2000s. Swerve has targeted top talent like Hangman Page and has made an effort to add a personal layer to their feud.

"For the guys in our position (heels), competing in that realm is just myself and Christian, who is another legend that's been doing this for 30 years," Strickland said. "I'm in a really good spot right now. I'm a new face of that role of villainy. That face of evil in a sense. You don't really see guys that look like me in that position rank that high, especially in this industry, it's very unique. That's what I bring. Uniqueness. I feel like Edge feels that."

Swerve takes on Bryan Danielson in an AEW TNT Championship No.1 Contender's Match this Tuesday on AEW Dynamite: Title Tuesday.

WWE has become significantly more patient when it comes to bringing NXT prospects to Monday Night Raw or WWE SmackDown. In years past, most blossoming talent would wrestle in developmental and work their way up to winning a championship. Once they lost that gold, they would get called up to the main roster within a matter of weeks. Stars like Adrian Neville, Keith Lee, Bobby Roode, The Revival, Shinsuke Nakamura and more followed this trajectory. Now, there is no guarantee that an NXT star will join the main roster after losing a white and gold championship. Former NXT Champions Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes remain at the WWE Performance Center despite losing NXT's top prize. The same goes for former NXT Women's Champions Roxanne Perez and Tiffany Stratton.

That said, some stars get the main roster call without ever holding a title in NXT. This was seen in the black and gold era with EC3 and Elias while today's notable example is Grayson Waller.

Dragon Lee Quietly Joins WWE SmackDown Roster

As evident by a new listing on WWE.com's roster page, Dragon Lee can be added to that category. Dragon Lee is now being labelled as a member of the WWE SmackDown roster.

This quiet call-up comes after Dragon Lee worked a couple of main roster matches in recent weeks. He challenged NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio for his title on a September episode of Monday Night Raw and then wrestled Austin Theory on this past Friday's WWE SmackDown.

Dragon Lee has one of the fastest transitions from developmental to main roster in company history. He announced at AAA Lucha Libre: Noche de Campeones in December 2022 that he had signed with WWE and would make his televised debut in March.

"I feel very happy and excited. I can not believe this. This is something that surprised me a lot," Dragon Lee said in an interview shortly after signing with WWE. "I'm going to do my best like I always have. Representing my country, representing my people, showing all that I have achieved by working hard by being every day in the ring training, going to the gym every single day.

"I'm going to be in the number one sports entertainment company and I'm happy about it. I'll give my best. I am going to stand out, as I have done in all the places I've been. WWE see you very soon."

WWE Fastlane is in the rear view. The sports-entertainment giant's latest B-show of the fall season brought just five matches to Indianapolis but largely delivered on every advertised bout, as fans have put the October premium live event among WWE's best shows of the year. Headlined by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defending his title against Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE Fastlane also marked the televised in-ring returns for John Cena and Carlito and the first championship win for Cody Rhodes since he returned to the company at WWE WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.

WWE Fastlane Sets Multiple Records

As shared by WWE in a press release, WWE Fastlane 2023 was the most successful edition of WWE Fastlane in company history. The premium live event was both the "most-watched" as well as the "highest-grossing" edition of WWE Fastlane since the show began running on a on-and-off annual basis in 2015.

You can read WWE's full press release below...

WWE FASTLANE(R) DELIVERS RECORDS FOR VIEWERSHIP, GATE & SPONSORSHIP

STAMFORD, Conn., October 9, 2023 - WWE(R), part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that Fastlane, which emanated from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, became the most-watched and highest-grossing Fastlane in company history. The premium live event set new Fastlane records for viewership, gate and sponsorship.

Viewership for Fastlane was up 71 percent versus the previous record set in 2021. The sold-out show marked the largest gate ever for any Fastlane, up more than 31 percent versus the previous record set in Cleveland in 2016, and became the highest-grossing WWE event ever held in Indianapolis.

In addition, Fastlane sponsorship revenue was up 60 percent versus the previous record set in 2021.

WWE Fastlane is available for replay on Peacock now.

WWE Fastlane Results

• John Cena and LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa
• World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match: Seth "Freakin" Rollins (C) def. Shinsuke Nakamura
• WWE Women's Championship Match: IYO SKY (C) def. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
• Six-Man Tag Team Match: The LWO def. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso def. Finn Balor and Damian Priest (C)
• Pat McAfee returns to introduce John Cena and provide guest commentary
• Jade Cargill makes her televised WWE debut during the pre-show and shakes hands with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque

FTR may have dropped their tag team titles on Saturday's new episode of AEW Collision, but that doesn't mean the beloved pro wrestling duo is leaving the company. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, known as the tag team FTR, are one of the best wrestling duos in the world and have been enjoying a lengthy run as AEW World Tag Team Champions. That run came to an abrupt and surprising end on Saturday, as FTR lost to the newly formed team of Ricky Starks and Big Bill. After the loss, Harwood took to social media to celebrate the title run he and Wheeler enjoyed.

Harwood posted a collection of photos on X (formerly Twitter) from FTR's recent title run, one of which included his good friend CM Punk. "What a run. Love you all. Top Guys Out," Harwood wrote in the caption. With the inclusion of Punk, who is no longer employed by AEW, and his signature "Top Guys Out" message, some fans immediately wondered whether this meant FTR dropped the titles because they were leaving the company. Fortunately, that isn't the reality of the situation.

What a run. Love you all. Top Guys Out. pic.twitter.com/GTUOjyYNZL

-- Uncle Dax FTR (@DaxFTR) October 8, 2023

Enough people commented to ask about an FTR exit that Harwood made another post to clarify what he meant. He confirmed that his "Top Guys Out" comment was simply in reference to the catchphrase he utters on TV all the time, and that FTR isn't going anywhere.

"We ain't going nowhere," Harwood wrote, making sure there could be no debate about his words. "This is our home."

Guys, I say 'Top Guys Out' all the time. We ain't going nowhere. This is our home.

-- Uncle Dax FTR (@DaxFTR) October 8, 2023

At the start of the year, FTR spent some time away from AEW TV, saying at the time that they were going to decide what was next for their careers. The decision they ultimately came to was to stick with AEW for the foreseeable future. The tag team revealed in April that they had signed contracts with AEW that would keep them with the company through roughly 2027. It will likely be a long time before we see a version of AEW without Harwood and Wheeler involved.

FTR's recent run as World Tag Team Champions began in April when the dup returned for a rematch against Austin and Colten Gunn. The Gunns agreed to give FTR a rematch for the tag titles when both members of FTR put their careers on the line. According to the stipulation, they would retire from AEW if they lost the match to the Gunns. They won the match and carried the titles until this past Saturday night.

After being fired from All Elite Wrestling following another backstage altercation earlier this year, CM Punk is a free agent, and fans are wondering where he'll end up next. One of the most popular professional wrestlers around, Punk has an enormous following and will likely be a big money maker wherever he goes, and there are plenty of folks online who think a return to WWE may be in the cards. While Punk and WWE had a very rough and public falling out when he left the company in 2014.

Everything tying Punk back to WWE has just been speculation, but a recent post by Punk on his Instagram account is raising even more eyebrows. The former AEW and WWE champion posted an image from Doomquest, an arc from Marvel's Iron Man comics in the early 1980s. The image in question features Iron Man and Doctor Doom, two of the most powerful names in their world, calling for a temporary truce.

Punk's IG story pic.twitter.com/YjdnB2jCcd

-- Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) October 8, 2023

Many are seeing this as Punk addressing his relationship with WWE, which can be described as rocky at best. The image likely alludes to Punk and WWE -- two immensely powerful forces in pro wrestling -- finding a way to put their many differences aside and work together again. After all, there's plenty of money to be made.

"So from that moment, out truce will extend for twenty-four hours, during which neither of us will launch any aggression against the other, either personally or indirectly," Iron Man tells Doom in the comic. "Agreed?"

Issues With Punk's WWE Return

According to a recent report from Fightful Select, there are a lot of fences that need mending if Punk and WWE are going to work together again. The report suggested that WWE feels Punk would return if he was given an offer to do so, essentially meaning that the ball in the company's court. But there are some within the company -- including two of its top stars -- that may not want to work with him again.

The same report indicated current champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns don't want CM Punk back in WWE. Punk has put his former employer and co-workers on blast several times in the decade since he left WWE, so there are likely even more people that he'd need to fix things with if a comeback were ever in the cards.

Do you think CM Punk will ever make his way back to WWE? Let us know in the comments!

Cody Rhodes has addressed what his Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships win with Jey Uso means for finishing his story towards the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship! WWE Fastlane continues a series of major surprises that saw Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso take their surprising partnership to the next level with a full victory over the previous WWE Tag Team Champions, Finn Balor and Damien Priest of the Judgment Day. While this is definitely a big victory, Cody Rhodes was still notably on track to potentially having a rematch against the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns in the future. A prize he still has eyes on.

When asked about where the WWE Tag Team Championships win factors into his ongoing story that he wants to finish during the WWE Fastlane press conference by ComicBook.com's Matt Aguilar, Rhodes stated that even with this win he's "not flinching" and still very much has an idea of "what's in [his] mind and what [he] came to do" after WWE Fastlane.

"Not flinching"

Even after his big win tonight, @CodyRhodes is still ready for more...#WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/fY4yjdEusW

-- WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2023

Will Cody Rhodes Finish the Story in WWE?

"I wish you had asked an easier question," Cody Rhodes began when asked about what this win means for his earlier desire to finish the story. "I must say this. In regards to everything I do, what's in my mind and what I came back to do, the story specifically, not flinching. And there's a lot of reasons to flinch. I'm aware of everything that's going around, but I'm also aware of what happens when I go out there. I'm aware of what we [Jey Uso] did tonight, so not flinching. As far as the story is concerned, I don't know, ask Jey."

Cody Rhodes' future is still very much uncertain even with this major victory as now he has a bigger target on his back than ever before. Crossing paths with both The Bloodline and Judgment Day as a result of this match and the weeks leading into this win together with Jey Uso, Rhodes has a lot of work defending these titles before he can turn his attention for what could be next.

With an announcement coming to NXT this Tuesday as well, all eyes will be on Cody Rhodes from here on out. What do you think Cody Rhodes' win of the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships means for his future? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

Despite being WWE's reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Seth "Freakin" Rollins has been chasing a rematch with one of his top contenders for some time. Shinsuke Nakamura has been playing mind games with Rollins for weeks, but the rematch was finally put on the books for Saturday night's WWE Fastlane, where it was unsurprisingly the Main Event of the entire card. As fans probably expected, Rollins and Nakamura put on another classic.

With the Last Man Standing stipulation in effect, Rollins and Nakamura made use out of all sorts of objects at their disposal. Tables, chairs, trash cans, nunchucks, and kendo sticks all made their way into the ring for what turned out to be a brutal match. After taking a massive beating Rollins retained the World Heavyweight Championship.

Nakamura has been taunting and attacking Rollins on Monday Night RAW week after week, trying to mess with his head and cause the Champion to make a big mistake. Rollins ultimately gave Nakamura the option to name the stipulation for the rematch, which is what resulted in Saturday's Main Event being a Last Man Standing match.

Seth Rollins Injury Won't Affect Current Run

Earlier this year, Rollins revealed that he's been dealing with a back injury for a few years now, one that will eventually require surgery. However, Rollins hasn't been worried about that injury changing anything for his current run in WWE.

"It is what it is. All of us have something," Rollins said on The Bump last month. "We've all got some sort of nagging injury, we've all got something that's pulling at us, telling us we need to slow down. That's just part of the game. I know that. Everybody knows that. Now, my injury might be a little more serious than some people. But I know how to manage it. I told Shinsuke, I told the world. I won the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back. I've been defending the World Heavyweight Championship with a broken back.

"So even though Shinsuke's the first guy to really target that injury, I feel like I know what it takes to manage it. I'll be just fine, I promise you. I promise everybody out there who's concerned. I'm gonna be fine. I promise you guys, I will be fine. The championship is in good hands," he continued.

LA Knight got his superstar making moment as he and John Cena picked up a victory over the Bloodline at WWE Fastline on Saturday evening. Knight picked up the pin on Jimmy Uso with a BFT after a spirited match that left the Bloodline in further shambles and helped cement Knight's rise to the top of the WWE Universe.

The story of the match was John Cena getting isolated by the Bloodline early in the match, with LA Knight unable to make a tag despite several close calls. Knight actually didn't get tagged until near the match's conclusion, with a thunderous hot tag that led to Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa getting cleared out of the ring in quick order. After Knight tagged in, chaos quickly ensued, with all four wrestlers laying on the mat at one point after multiple splashes.

Knight's star has gradually been rising over the course of 2023, but a victory with Cena certainly is his biggest yet. It also sets up some intriguing possibilities for the remainder of the year. Will Knight challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship? Or will we possibly see both Cena and Knight step up to Reigns? Or will Knight and Cena continue their partnership as part of a Survivor Series match against a full Bloodline? Whichever road it takes, it certainly seems like Knight isn't done with the Bloodline yet.

LA Knight's Rise Explained

Knight has quickly gotten himself over with fans, thanks in part to his mic skills and the fact that he carries himself in a way that few other WWE Superstars do. However, Knight has said that he actually doesn't value his promo skills as much as his in-ring abilities. "Whenever I hear guys, in the act of talking, say they are the best at talking, I'm like, 'What does that matter in the grand scheme of things?' It matters in the form of entertainment, but in the scheme of what we're actually doing, I'm trying to fight this guy, beat this guy, win his championship, what the hell does me being good at talking matter in the scheme of that?" Knight recently said. "Even outside of the universe of wrestling, just because it feels weird and self-serving. The guys who brag about that, it seems like a strange thing. Do you think Muhammad Ali was ever like, 'I'm the best on the mic.' No, he was, 'I'm the best in the ring. I'm the best boxer.'"

IYO SKY is facing her toughest test yet. Going into WWE Fastlane, the genius of the sky went into the premium live event facing two challengers, Asuka and Charlotte Flair. SKY cashed in her Money in the Bank contract against Bianca Belair at WWE SummerSlam and has held onto it ever since, but with Flair looming, fans have been on the edge of their seats since she has been known to end title reigns at any moment.

IYO SKY Retains Women's Title at WWE Fastlane

IYO SKY is still WWE Women's Champion.

SKY was in a precarious position late in the match, as Charlotte Flair had Asuka in the Figure 8, but Bayley distracted the referee while Asuka was tapping. This allowed SKY to hit her moonsault on Flair while the submission was locked in and secure the 1-2-3 for the victory.

You can check out highlights from the match below...

Charlotte Flair doing Charlotte Flair things ?@MsCharlotteWWE #WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/jLY8Vertsw

-- WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2023

OH MY GOD ?

These three are putting EVERYTHING on the line! #WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/G5hFmz5mgg

-- WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2023

EVERYONE STAND TF UP !!

AND STILL CHAMPION, IYO SKY ?#WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/qS3pMbvVIi

-- s e t h (@futurafreesky) October 8, 2023

IYO SKY Almost Left WWE

"I thought about it," IYO SKY said regarding a possible return to Japan. "It wasn't that I didn't like America, but that if there was nothing I could do here, I thought that if I went to Japan, there would be more things I could do. The situation of Stardom where I used to be has changed, and I have grown a lot since I left Japan, so I was confident that I could show a different kind of work in Japan this time."

"It was my policy not to give up," SKY said regarding why she stayed in WWE. "In the U.S., I could have approached them and said, 'I want to end the contract.' But I didn't want to do that, so I set a goal to work hard until the contract was over, and I stayed on for almost a year. I appeared at the "SummerSlam" (in August 2022) when my contract was about to end in one month."

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of WWE Fastlane.

WWE Fastlane Results

• Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa vs. John Cena and LA Knight
• World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match: Seth "Freakin" Rollins (C) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• WWE Women's Championship Match: IYO SKY (C) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
• Six-Man Tag Team Match: The LWO def. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso def. Finn Balor and Damian Priest (C)

Late last month, another major AEW star made the move to WWE. Jade Cargill, who reigned as AEW's TBS Champion for 508 days, made a big career decision by signing with WWE as a free agent. Fans have been waiting for Cargill's on-screen debut, which finally came on Saturday night, during WWE Fastlane. A video of Cargill meeting up with Triple H at Fastlane was shared on WWE's social media channels ahead of the event. It was later shown during the PLE ahead of the WWE Women's Championship match.

SHE'S HERE!!!

Welcome to #WWEFastlane, @Jade_Cargill! ? pic.twitter.com/0snlEtgva3

-- WWE (@WWE) October 7, 2023

The video package features Jade showing up to Fastlane with some fresh threads, and shaking hands with the Hall-of-Famer in charge of WWE creative.

Jade Cargill's WWE Aspirations

Speaking to Sports Illustrated after the WWE signing was made official, Cargill revealed that she one day wants to headline the biggest show in professional wrestling: WWE's WrestleMania.

"I understand what I'm here for," Cargill said. "I want to capture gold and I want to headline WrestleMania, but none of that is handed out. I want to work to create those phenomenal moments. I want to have marquee matches, I want to get people talking, and I want to create something bigger than myself."

Tony Khan on Jade Cargill's AEW Exit

Jade Cargill ultimately made the decision to sign with WWE, but AEW's Tony Khan did try his best to keep her in the company. Speaking after the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view, Khan opened up about Cargill's departure.

"I was surprised because to be honest. I came up to a number that was higher than her original ask. I don't know what I would have had to do at that point. I was a little surprised," Khan said. "I did really hope that Jade would be back. I think I tried to handle it, when we were down to the nitty gritty and we were down to the final couple of weeks and we still hadn't agreed to something.

"It was at the point where I said, 'if you aren't going to stay, I'm going to give you the best possible exit.' I have only good things to say about Jade. I really enjoyed working with her. She was a great part of AEW, she is always welcome here, I tried to give her the best possible send off I could."

The Latino World Order went into WWE Fastlane at a disadvantage. Going into their trios match against Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits, the LWO was attacked by their opponents on WWE SmackDown. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro were medically disqualified from competition, leading to Rey Mysterio noting that he was going to make a call for the third member alongside himself and Santos Escobar.

Carlito Returns to WWE at Fastlane

Caribbean Cool is back.

Carlito reunited with Latino World Order at WWE Fastlane. Carlito showed up late in the match, notably with a new theme song, to get the hot tag from Rey Mysterio and landed a backstabber to pick up the 1-2-3. This was Carlito's first appearance since WWE Backlash.

You can check out some of the highlights from Carlito's return below...

IT'S CARLITO!!!

The LWO have found themselves a pretty COOL partner ?#WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/NevZObGMDT

-- WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2023

NOW THAT'S COOL!!
CARLITO IS HERE! ?#WWEFastlane #WWE pic.twitter.com/ha13wRreA7

-- Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) October 8, 2023

"Yeah, I'm open to whatever, any good offer from anywhere, it doesn't matter. Thing is, nobody calls me, so I don't sit by the phone either. If something comes up, great, if not I keep doing what I'm doing," Carlito said following his initially one-off return at WWE Backlash.

"Whoever makes me the biggest cheque at this point. Probably Roman Reigns, I guess," Carlito said when asked of a future dream opponents. "Cheques don't get bigger than that, right?"

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of WWE Fastlane.

WWE Fastlane Results

• Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa vs. John Cena and LA Knight
• World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match: Seth "Freakin" Rollins (C) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• WWE Women's Championship Match: IYO SKY (C) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
• Six-Man Tag Team Match: The LWO def. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso def. Finn Balor and Damian Priest (C)

Cody Rhodes has finished at least half a story and Jey Uso is back on top of the division he ruled for so long. Rhodes and Uso teamed up to take on Judgement Day's Finn Balor and Damian Priest for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships at WWE Fastlane. The match opened up Saturday's Premium Live Event and did not disappoint. Surprisingly, it came to an end with a new duo walking out of Indianapolis with the titles.

Rhodes and Uso defeated the Judgement Day in dramatic fashion to win the Undisputed Tag Team Championships, their first time winning it all as a pair. Jey Uso spent nearly 500 days as one half of WWE's number one tag team, carrying the titles alongside his brother, Jimmy Uso. They dropped the titles this year at WrestleMania to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

This current team hasn't spent a ton of time together, especially after they found themselves as enemies for quite a long time when Jey was in the Bloodline. Now, however, Rhodes has been vouching for Uso with others on the RAW roster and they've been united by the common enemy that is the Judgement Day.

Cody Rhodes' Current WWE Run

Many believed that Cody Rhodes was going to be the one to dethrone the Head of the Table, Roman Reigns, for WWE's biggest prize. However, WrestleMania ended with Rhodes taking a loss, and he's been involved in several different feuds in the months sense. Now, he's a tag-team champion.

John Cena, one of the biggest stars in the history of WWE, has had quite a lot of flattering things to say about Rhodes' current work with the company.

"I'm extremely proud of Cody, especially because he was bold enough to bet on himself," Cena said on The Bump. "He knew it was going to be painful, he knew it was going to be a path of growth and now he's back and now he's performing at a level even more elite than before. He's kind of crafting his own path, he's more more authentic."

"In his path, he's learned business. He's learned this business. He's learned to be more grateful," Cena continued. "He's learned how events are set up. He's learned grips, cameramen, audio people, catering. Not that he didn't before, but because that was a lot of his responsibility, he got a new depth of field for everything that happens here and I'm really proud of him. I'm really thankful he's back where he belongs in the WWE."

FTR have been AEW World Tag Team Champions for over six months. The duo of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler captured the gold by defeating The Gunns on an April episode of AEW Dynamite where they put their AEW careers on the line. That ultimatum mirrored real life, as Harwood and Wheeler had made it abundantly clear that their AEW contracts were expiring that month. Since becoming champions, Harwood and Wheeler announced that they had each inked four-year extensions with AEW and confirmed that those deals will be their last, as they plan to retire alongside one another come 2027.

During this AEW Tag Title reign, FTR have had high-profile defenses against the likes of MJF and Adam Cole, Aussie Open, and Bullet Club Gold. They reignited their rivalry with the Young Bucks at AEW ALL IN: London, ending with another successful defense and a 2-1 edge against the Jackson brothers in their all-time duos bouts. After the Bucks won a No.1 Contenders' Match at AEW WrestleDream, many expected this to lead to a fourth match between the two teams.

FTR Lose AEW World Tag Team Championships

That fourth match with the Young Bucks is on indefinite pause.

Ricky Starks and Big Bill shockingly upset FTR to become the new AEW World Tag Team Champions on tonight's AEW Collision. Starks and Bill were able to isolate Dax Harwood and take advantage of a largely 2-on-1 contest, leading to the victory.

You can see highlights from the match below...

Big Bill just put Cash Wheeler through the announcer's table on the outside!

Watch #AEWCollision LIVE on TNT!@DaxFTR | @CashWheelerFTR | @starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/d9nTEkZSwX

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 7, 2023

AND NEW!

It was a valiant effort from FTR, but the numbers were too great for Dax Harwood as we have NEW #AEW World Tag Team Champions - Ricky Starks & Big Bill!

Watch #AEWCollision LIVE on TNT!@starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/YTm4IGEjyP

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 7, 2023

"We are the real faces of Collision!"

Your NEW #AEW World Tag Team Champions, Ricky Starks & Big Bill, make a post-victory statement!#AEWCollision LIVE on TNT starts RIGHT NOW!@starkmanjones | @TheCaZXL pic.twitter.com/EMlM3agIOq

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 7, 2023

Are FTR Leaving AEW?

Tonight's surprising loss led to speculation that FTR could be on their way out of AEW. Dax Harwood sparked rumors when he recently filed to trademark "CMFTR," the trios name of CM Punk and FTR that the three men used on AEW Collision throughout the summer. Punk was fired from AEW last month.

While the reason for the trademark remains unknown, FTR losing their titles tonight likely comes down to both men being banged up. Cash Wheeler was hurt during FTR's AEW WrestleDream defense against Aussie Open and was written out of most of tonight's match after he was put through the announce table.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Collision.