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Les Thatcher & I are return with a new Thanksgiving weekend edition of Wrestling Weekly!
This week’s show has our WWE Survivor Series predictions, a few thoughts on AEW Dynamite and who has the best chances of making through the Continental Classic.
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
Paul Heyman only supports wrestling promotions having a “multitude of titles” if all of the belts are able to hold significant meaning.
While speaking with SHAK Wrestling ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames, Heyman confirmed that — when he was head writer of SmackDown in the 2000s — he was against introducing a mid-card title because he thought it would undermine the show’s other divisions.
“Yeah, I’m not a big fan of a multitude of titles unless you can give them enough time,” Heyman said. “We had proper focus at that time on the championships that we held and didn’t feel that we needed more championships to tell better stories and felt that therefore, the introduction of more championships only waters down the championships that we already had the spotlight on at the moment.”
Heyman was asked if he thinks major promotions like WWE and AEW should reduce how many titles they have.
“What works, works. What doesn’t, doesn’t,” he responded. “If you can make it relevant — all pun intended to the Island of Relevancy — then it will work. And if you can’t make it relevant, then it won’t. Listen, If there are 14 titles and they all mean something, then you should be looking at doing number 15. If you have seven titles and you’re struggling to put relevancy on all seven, then you need to cut down the number that you have. What’s working? If it’s working, let’s do more of that. If it’s not working, change it.”
WWE recently announced the creation of a Women’s United States Championship for SmackDown and a Women’s Intercontinental title for Raw. Not counting WWE Speed, there are now 11 active championships on the main roster with the creation of these new belts.
Heyman will be in the OG Bloodline’s corner at Survivor Series this Saturday as Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn & CM Punk take on Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu & Bronson Reed in WarGames.
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Paul Heyman avoided questions regarding Brock Lesnar during a recent interview.
Lesnar has not appeared on WWE programming since “a former UFC Heavyweight Champion” was referenced in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis.
When asked by SHAK Wrestling if he’s spoken to Lesnar recently, Heyman responded:
“When it comes to Brock Lesnar, Lesnar doesn’t like to be discussed about anything about his life that’s off-camera. So, if I do speak to Brock Lesnar, he would want that to be private. If I don’t speak with Brock Lesnar, he would want that to be private.”
“Number one, I would never want to violate his wish for privacy. Number two, I would fear for a human being that would want to violate the feeling of privacy that would be desired by Brock Lesnar. Based on both love and appreciation for the man and a healthy dose of absolute fear of the man, I will neither confirm nor deny my knowledge of even the existence of a species on this planet that carries the name.”
When asked about Lesnar possibly returning to WWE, Heyman answered:
“I don’t really put any thought into that at this time because it’s not a subject that’s going to resolve itself by Survivor Series or by the end of the year. Therefore, it’s just not on the radar of things to address today.”
When asked if Lesnar had any aspirations to compete at UFC 300, Heyman said:
“That would necessitate a conversation with Brock Lesnar and I will neither confirm nor deny the fact that I am aware of even the existence of a species on this planet that carries the name of Brock Lesnar.”
Paul “Triple H” Levesque was asked about Lesnar in July and responded that he would be open to talking with him.
“You’d have to ask Brock Lesnar that,” Triple H said. “Brock does his own thing. He’s up in Canada I’m sure, watching his kids play hockey and enjoying life. If and when he decides that he would like to do something, we’d be open to the conversation. But, we’ll see.”
Before Grant’s lawsuit was launched in January, Lesnar’s return was planned for the Royal Rumble. He would be eliminated from the match by Dominik Mysterio, who he would then face at the Elimination Chamber before wrestling Gunther at WrestleMania.
Our Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed what was originally planned for Lesnar on the January 28, 2024, episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer said:
“I think most people know this but Brock Lesnar was scheduled to return at the Rumble and this was a change, obviously, that was made because of the lawsuit. So, the change was made probably Friday, most likely, perhaps Saturday morning.”
“Bron Breakker, because of that, and the fact that the match was pretty much scripted out already, Bron Breakker essentially fulfilled the Brock Lesnar role.”
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It’s Saturday afternoon and that means Wrestling Observer Live.
Two big returns are injecting even more excitement into the men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series as CM Punk and Paul Heyman returned to the fold at Friday’s WWE SmackDown.
Tonight’s AEW Full Gear looks like another solid PPV from an in-ring standpoint. The biggest match of the night looks to be on the Zero Hour pre-show as A.J. from The Costco Guys faces QT Marshall. Will AEW get the rub from The Rizzler?
All that and much more so check it out.
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Paul Heyman is back, and he’s not alone.
The final segment of Friday’s SmackDown featured another altercation between the OG Bloodline and Solo Sikoa’s new Bloodline. After Sioka threatened Roman Reigns to join his side, Paul Heyman came out and revealed it wasn’t going to be 4 vs. 5 at Survivor Series, as Roman’s team had a fifth member. It was then that CM Punk came out, making his return after taking a break following Hell in a Cell.
Punk and the OG Bloodline took out the Bloodline and Bronson Reed as Zayn and The Usos did a dive to the outside. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa attempted to attack Reigns and Punk, but they too were taken out. The show ended as Punk and Reigns had a staredown.
Heyman had not been seen on television since June, when the new Bloodline took him out after he refused to acknowledge Sikoa as the tribal chief. Last week’s SmackDown had ended with Reigns attempting to reach Heyman, only to find that the number was no longer in use.
The lineup to this point for WWE Survivor Series WarGames set for Saturday, November 30 in Vancouver:
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On a new Wrestling Weekly, Les Thatcher and I have our predictions for this Saturday’s AEW Full Gear.
We also discuss how Bronson Reed being The Bloodline’s fifth man impacts Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns…and where is Paul Heyman?
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
Paul Heyman is a huge believer in the WWE women’s division.
Heyman and Roman Reigns appeared together at a Power Players event for Bloomberg this week, discussing the business growth WWE has seen. During the conversation, Heyman was asked about WWE making efforts to grow its female audience.
“Well, take a look at Roman Reigns,” Heyman joked before going on to praise the women in WWE.
“We have in WWE right now what is the equivalent to when the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus Williams) came onto the tennis court. We have the greatest female roster in the history of this industry. And they’re not just there for sex and appeal,” Heyman said.
“The women here are not only magnificent athletes, they have acting chops as well. And you won’t find it anywhere else. You’ll either find great actresses or you’ll find great athletes. And here, you find the marriage of them both.”
Liv Morgan and Nia Jax are the current singles champions in the WWE women’s division, while Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill hold the Women’s Tag Team titles. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez and Women’s North American Champion Kelani Jordan hold gold in NXT.
The Bloomberg event was a reunion for Heyman and Reigns, who haven’t appeared together since Reigns lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Heyman was laid out by Solo Sikoa and Sikoa’s new version of The Bloodline this June.
Reigns returned to WWE programming at SummerSlam but was taken out in an attack by The Bloodline on the August 16 episode of SmackDown.
Paul Heyman believes The Bloodline angle still has a long way to go yet.
At a SummerSlam 2023 press conference last year, Heyman responded to a question about where in the overall story they were by saying the angle was in the “bottom of the third.” He adjusted his baseball analogy during an interview with Sam Roberts at Fanatics Fest this weekend, saying he’s not even sure if the angle has reached the third inning yet.
Heyman said:
“I could not imagine someone coming in in this era and saying, ‘Yeah, I’ve seen enough of The Bloodline. Enough of them. That’s alright, Roman, thanks a lot, see you later!'”
“Some people tried to rail me over the coals last year like, ‘Oh, Paul Heyman said they’re only in the third inning, what a jerk off Paul Heyman is!’ I got news for you, I don’t even think we’re in the third inning yet and now that you see the emergence of Solo and Jacob Fatu and the Tongans and the fact that they are a real threat, the first time a real threat to Roman Reigns’ dominance, to Roman Reigns’ sitting at the head of the table, to Roman Reigns being the top star, to Roman Reigns actually being the Tribal Chief. How many stories can we tell from the position that we’re in now?”
“You don’t know what Jimmy Uso’s stance on this is. You don’t know (where) Jey Uso stands on this. You don’t know if or when the Wise Man will return. You don’t know who else Solo may or may not have in his back pocket ready to debut. You don’t know what our moves, what Roman Reigns’ moves, what my moves, what anybody’s moves can be. All you know is that Roman Reigns is back, he’s back to reclaim the title of Tribal Chief from Solo and Solo has so much backup right now.”
“I can’t imagine someone coming into power in this company and saying we’ve told the entire story of The Bloodline. I see someone coming into power and saying, ‘Oh my god, look what I get to play with now.”
Heyman was power-bombed through an announce table by The Bloodline on the June 28 edition of WWE SmackDown and hasn’t been on WWE programming since.
Matt Kempke posted the entire interview to his YouTube channel:
Though they weren’t paired together on-screen, Ronda Rousey got plenty of help from Paul Heyman during her WWE career.
Rousey praised Heyman in an interview with Sports Illustrated that was published on Wednesday, calling him one of the few people in WWE who truly encouraged her creatively. Rousey says Heyman saw her as more than just a wrestler, athlete, or fighter.
“He’s one of the few people who really encouraged me creatively,” Rousey said. “He showed me I’m so much more than just what my body can do. That’s how so many people see me–as an athlete, as a fighter. It’s all about performing, being on camera, focusing on what I can do physically–but it was different with Paul.”
Now focused on building a career as a writer, Rousey is releasing her first graphic novel and developing the screenplay for a Netflix film about her life. She told Sports Illustrated that Heyman was her first mentor in creative writing.
“It was Paul Heyman who said, ‘What do you want your movie to be?’ Paul produced my segments during the second half of my first year in WWE, and he really worked with me on being able to write my own promos and deliver them,” Rousey said.
“I’d wrote before, two memoirs, but not creatively–he encouraged me to create outside of myself. Paul was my first mentor as a writer, and he saw that in me.”
Rousey hasn’t wrestled for WWE since departing the promotion in August 2023 and doubts she’ll ever return unless things drastically change with how the company is run.
At Madison Square Garden last Friday, Heyman was at the center of a huge SmackDown angle where he was beaten down by The Bloodline after refusing to acknowledge Solo Sikoa as the Tribal Chief. Sikoa has taken control of The Bloodline with Roman Reigns away, bringing Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & Jacob Fatu into the faction and kicking out Jimmy Uso.
Welcome to another episode of The Latest with Denise Salcedo breaking down the biggest wrestling news headlines of the week so far.
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It’s Saturday and that means Wrestling Observer Live with yours truly.
What else could we lead off with other than a newsworthy edition of WWE SmackDown which saw several NBA stars getting involved and concluded with The Bloodline putting Paul Heyman through a table and further setting up the return of Roman Reigns.
We also talk the latest in AEW including Sunday’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
Also, wrestling on a wrestling show is now a bad thing? What? I discuss.
The Bloodline have turned against Paul Heyman.
Heyman was attacked by the group and put through a table on Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode from Madison Square Garden in New York City after the group’s “Wise Man” refused to acknowledge Solo Sikoa as his Tribal Chief.
A show-long storyline played out on Friday’s SmackDown with Sikoa toying with WWE Hall of Famer Heyman. Sikoa claimed that Heyman was his Wise Man and that he had taken Heyman’s advice that Jacob Fatu was too dangerous to join The Bloodline and would not be at the building for the Bloodline Acknowledgment Ceremony.
The Bloodline closed the show, with Sikoa revealing that he had lied to Heyman and Fatu was in fact at the arena for the ceremony. Sikoa went through the group from Tama Tonga, to Tonga Loa, to Fatu, and all acknowledged Sikoa as Tribal Chief.
Sikoa turned to Heyman and asked Heyman to place Roman Reigns’ Ula Fala necklace on Sikoa and acknowledge Sikoa as his Tribal Chief.
Heyman refused, and was attacked by Tonga, Loa, Fatu, and Sikoa. Fatu hit a top rope splash to Heyman in the ring, and then al four members of the group hit a powerbomb on Heyman through the ringside announce table.
After SmackDown went off the air, Heyman was stretchered out of the arena.
Friday’s angle with Heyman paves the way for the eventual return of Roman Reigns as a babyface to feud with the current Bloodline constituted of Sikoa, Tonga, Loa, and Fatu. Reigns has been on hiatus since WrestleMania 40 when he dropped the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes.
Sikoa seized control of The Bloodline in the absence of Reigns, and went so far as to tell Heyman on last week’s SmackDown that Reigns would not be returning to the group in storyline.
Our full report from Friday’s SmackDown is here.
Before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, Paul Heyman received some kind words from Stephanie McMahon.
Heyman was inducted into the Hall of Fame last Friday as part of WWE’s WrestleMania week festivities in Philadelphia. Today, WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from Heyman’s induction night. It included a backstage interaction between Heyman and Stephanie before the ceremony.
She told Heyman:
I was talking to Paul [Levesque] and I said, ‘Can you imagine this kid used to break into Madison Square Garden just to take pictures and to try to sell them? Because he loved the business so much.’ And you told me all those stories and driving the wrong way down one-way streets. You know, but that’s how it happened.
And it’s just amazing, Paul. And what you created, and what you did on your own, and then what you’ve done and who you are, and your legacy – you’re such an icon. And it’s so amazing that we all get to pay tribute to you tonight.
For the first time since resigning from the company in January 2023, Stephanie made an on-camera appearance at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She was in the crowd for Heyman’s speech wearing an ECW hat.
Stephanie then opened night two of WrestleMania 40 and called it the first WrestleMania of the “Paul Levesque Era.”
Despite her appearances over WrestleMania week, Stephanie is reportedly not back with WWE in any official capacity.
In the city that gave birth to ECW, Paul Heyman enters the WWE Hall of Fame tonight.
Heyman is the headliner of the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame inductee class. It also includes Bull Nakano, The U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda & Barry Windham), Thunderbolt Patterson, Muhammad Ali, and Lia Maivia. Streaming live on Peacock, it begins at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
When asked about his speech, Heyman said that he plans to “wing” it instead of being heavily scripted. He wants to take the temperature of the crowd and find out what they want him to talk about.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be inducting Heyman.
We’ll also hear from The Rock tonight as he inducts his grandmother Maivia. We’re just one day away from Rock returning to the ring to team with Reigns against Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins at night one of WrestleMania 40.
This is the first WWE Hall of Fame class that Paul “Triple H” Levesque had full authority in choosing. The ceremony is taking place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia after tonight’s SmackDown.
Jackie Redmond and Corey Graves open the show at the podium in the ring.
Graves pointed out Triple H seated in the crowd next to Stephanie McMahon, who was wearing her old ECW hat from The Alliance Days. I liked that. Other wrestlers seated in the crowd such as Jey Uso and CM Punk were acknowledged. Hall of Famers Kurt Angle and Trish Stratus were as well. Rey Mysterio was also shown seated ringside.
The first inductee is Paul Heyman. Redmond was unable to talk over the ECW chants that rang out through the building.
Paul Heyman is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
A video of Heyman’s career aired and featured clips of his early days as a ringside photographer, to his days as Paul E Dangerously, ECW, and his entire run in WWE.
Reigns is introduced. The camera cut to Nia Jax putting up a finger in acknowledgement at one point.
Reigns got booed at first but not during his speech.
Reigns said he “loves his wise man” so there was no way he could turn down the chance to induct him. Reigns was casual and out of character here. He talked about Heyman’s ability to motivate and how he knows what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Reigns kept this short and light-hearted.
Heyman comes out to the old ECW theme song and immediately hugs Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, and Bubba Ray Dudley before walking to the ring.
“You deserve it chants” ring out. Heyman responded that they were “damn f—ing right he deserved it,” which led to an EC-dub chant.
Heyman said he didn’t prepare anything because he wanted to feel the room, which he said in interviews leading up to this.
He talked about not being comfortable speaking as himself. He pointed out his kids at ringside, who were sitting next to CM Punk. CM Punk chants ring out.
Heyman said he was honored to work with the people in the field of sports entertainment, but then cut himself off and called it professional wrestling.
Heyman also mentioned being the first inductee in a Hall of Fame picked by Paul Levesque, which led to a Triple H chant. “Only one person can drive the car out of the chaos,” Heyman said after this and praised Levesque’s leadership.
He continued to praise Levesque, and said he will always be a “Paul Levesque Guy.” This led to a Paul Levesque chant, rather than a Triple H one.
Heyman then turned his focus to a nervous-looking Stephanie. He said that if his daughter grows up to be half the woman Stephanie is then he’ll know he raised a great woman. He also pointed out her ECW hat and said she married the wrong Paul.
Heyman turned to his kids and said “This is what I want you to do with your life,” and by that he meant being worthy of people’s respect and admiration and chasing your dreams Also, he pointed out that if anyone messes with them, Haku is sitting two seats over.
“Pursue your dreams, pursue your happiness,” he said to them.
He said his father was a far greater orator than he is, which must have been something. Heyman said he wished both his parents were here to see this. He was choked up here.
Heyman pointed out Cody Rhodes. He said he wished Cody’s father was here tonight to see this too. This led to a “Dusty” chant from the crowd.
Now, with the “mushy stuff” out of the way he said, it was now time to talk about ECW.
He opened a box containing a leather duster jacked similar to what he wore in the ECW days. He also put on a headset and brought out an old cordless phone. Heyman said he thinks it’s the same phone he hit Sting over the head with in WCW. Finally, he put on an ECW hat and everyone cheered.
Heyman said in 1993, the wrestling industry sucked. He said WCW wouldn’t listen to him so he needed to find a place that would accept his vision. Heyman mentioned they couldn’t have done that anywhere else but Philadelphia.
He talked about WCW getting its idea for cruiserweight from what happened at the ECW Arena, and where Steve Austin had his first beer.
Heyman said he disagrees with the sentiment that ECW is gone. It’s still alive in the matches you see today, in the fans, and the spirit of ECW is very much alive. He said something that got bleeped and caused Bubba to give a standing ovation while Molly Holly looked disappointed.
He talked about how every time he’s been “canceled” he comes back better every time.
Heyman mentioned Brock Lesnar by name, mentioning he was on his farm killing things to eat during the pandemic and this is when he was paired up with Roman Reigns.
He said, “Only you cancel you.” He’s been canceled 100 times and he’ll come back at 101.
Heyman spoke about working with today’s stars and seeing things he saw in legends he worked with in the past.
He wrapped it up by referring to it as the “Paul of Fame” and gave shout-outs to CM Punk and Roman Reigns. Then he said he was blown up, has to pee, has taken too long, but finished it off by saying “he’s just getting started” and is going to disrupt the industry all over again. That wasn’t a prediction, it was a spoiler, he said.
Bull Nakano is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
A video aired featuring highlights of Nakano’s career. It featured comments from Kofi Kingston, Jinder Mahal, Asuka, and CM Punk.
Graves introduced Madusa as Alundra Blayze to induct Nakano.
Blayze said congratulations to her CEO from the Dangerous Alliance, referring to Heyman. She talked about Nakano getting started with All Japan, developing her iconic look, and her cutting-edge in-ring style.
Blayze said she and Nakano set a new standard that continues to shape women’s wrestling today. She said Nakano is a pioneer, a trailblazer, and her friend.
Nakano walked to the ring with her signature facepaint on. She started by saying she has been waiting a long time for this award. Nakano said she had a great experience with WWE in 1994. She talked about the tough WWE schedule and arranging transportation to the venue being difficult because she didn’t speak English. Her favorite moments in WWE were the matches because wrestling is a universal language.
Nakano thanked Madusa. A “Thank you, Bull” chant rang out. She looked up and thanked Luna Vachon. Nakano said if she were to be reborn, she would want to be Bull Nakano again and be back in WWE. She finished her speech by calling the award a treasure.
Muhammad Ali is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
A video aired featuring highlights of Ali’s career, including his wrestling appearances. It featured comments by Baron Corbin, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Hulk Hogan.
The Undertaker was surprisingly brought out to help induct Ali.
Taker recited some of Ali’s famous quotes. He said only one man can truly claim to be the greatest professional boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. he said Ali was and always will be the legend amongst legends.
Taker brought out Lonnie Ali to accept on her husband’s behalf. She said Ali was a role model, and inspiration to us all. He continues to inspire new generations of fans. Lonnie said Ali loved people, all people, and they loved him right back.
Lonnie talked about Ali punching Roddy Piper in the main event of the first WrestleMania. She talked about Ali’s humanitarian work and said he is deserving of every honor he’s ever received and she knows Ali would be thrilled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Lonnie talked about The Rock asking for permission to use the name “The People’s Champion” and said it was her honor to present The Rock with The People’s Championship.
The Rock came out and got booed by the Philly crowd. Lonnie and The Rock unveiled a nice-looking championship belt, which the crowd cheered for.
The Rock then approached the podium and more booes rang out from the crowd. He thanked Lonnie for the title and said Ali was one of his heroes. Rock said when he was a kid his father was Ali’s sparring partner and he spent time with Ali’s family and spoke about the honor of receiving the People’s Championship.
Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham are inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
A video aired of Levesque calling Rotunda and Windham to tell them they are being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Highlights of their career were shown. It featured comments by The Miz, Bruce Prichard, and Cody Rhodes.
Taylor (Bo Dallas) and Mika Rotunda came out to the ring. Taylor took a moment to recognize Windham Rotunda aka Bray Wyatt, which got a big “Thank you, Bray” chant as people waved their phone lights. He said that while Wyatt isn’t on this stage, we know “he’s here.” Mika joked that there would have literally been no Windham Rotunda without Windham & Rotundo.
Windham and Rotunda came out. Windham hugged his old New Blackjacks teammate, JBL on his way to the ring.
Rotunda talked about how Windham grew up in the wrestling business but he wouldn’t have gotten into it had it not been for wrestling at Syracuse University and meeting “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer. He also talked about meeting Windham’s sister and marrying her six months later. Rotunda also said they deserved hazard pay for wrestling Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff so often.
He closed by saying he wished his son was there and that Wyatt would have liked to see his old man get inducted. The fans chanted “He’s got the Whole World In HIs Hands” and everyone held up their phones as Wyatt’s music played.
Thunderbolt Patterson is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
The New Day’s Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston came out. They paused on the stage before bringing out Big E. Woods said it had been a long time since the three of them had been together in a ring. They spoke about how it was Patterson’s charisma that made him stand out and how important Patterson was for Black athletes. They said without the hardwork of Thunderbolt Patterson, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do all the things they’ve done in their careers. Big E then gave his “don’t you dare be sour” introduction for Patterson.
Patterson hugged Jerry Brisco and JBL on his way to the ring.
A video aired featuring highlights of Patterson’s career. It featured comments by Cody Rhodes, Bruce Prichard, Booker T and Kingston.
A unidentified speaker called Patterson the Jackie Robinson of professional wrestling as Patterson stood beside him at the podium. He said baseball was a better game because Jackie Robinson got to play and professional wrestling is better because Thunderbolt Patterson is and was in it.
Patterson got on the mic and said he wanted to pray and thanked Jesus. He said he was taught that what you do and say comes back to you. He asked the crowd for an Amen and they gave him one. Patterson said that since the beginning of time it’s been spiratual warfare. He talked about how everyone has seen the same thing, lying, hating and killing and it’s time to treat people the way you want to be treated.
Patterson thanked Gerald Brisco, Bruce Prichard, Brian Blair, and Mike Mooneyham.
He told everyone to come together and love one another, shook hands with New Day and the show cut away.
Lia Maivia is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
A video aired featuring The Rock seated next to his grandmother’s grave singing to her. It then cut to highlights of Lia Maivia that was narrated by Ana Tuisila, who plays her on Young Rock. The Rock is then brought out to induct Maivia.
The Rock came out and seemed to get a better response from the crowd than he got earlier in the night.
Rock said that before he gets into his speech, he wants to congratulate the entire class.
He talked about his grandmother being a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry. Rock said she changed the game and opened doors for many wrestlers including for women in wrestling. He talked about how in the early 1980s promotions would send their biggest stars to wrestle for her and one of those stars was Dusty Rhodes.
Rock then brought out a WWE-branded mic, pushed away the mic at the podium, and turned his attention to Cody Rhodes. He said that what happens between them at WrestleMania is not business, it’s personal. A “Cody” chant rang out through the arena.
Rock acknowledged his mother Ata Maivia Johnson at ringside, and called her the real Final Boss. He said that his mother would like to lay the smack down on Cody’s candy ass. Rock thanked everyone, thanked his grandmother and told everyone to get ready for WrestleMania.
