Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the TKO lawsuit and what the fallout might be, how it could affect WWE, Ronda Rousey buries WWE, New Japan Cup and Windy City Riot notes, who may be staying and going in Stardom, Terry Gordy DSOTR, ratings, plus your AEW Dynamite and Rampage report. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: TKO settles UFC antitrust lawsuit
14:57: Ronda Rousey sounds off on WWE
22:03: NJPW Cup finals, upcoming matches, Blackpool Combat Club not in the tag tournament
37:38: Current status of Stardom roster, Terry Gordy’s Dark Side of the Ring
On a day when excerpts of her new book caught the interest of the wrestling world, former WWE and UFC star Ronda Rousey made some additional comments Wednesday that included telling two WWE executives to “go f*ck themselves,” that she doesn’t intend on returning to the company, and that concussions were the reason she retired.
During an 18-minute video alongside her sister and co-author Maria Burns Ortiz, Rousey was asked about what fans would be most be surprised about in reading her new “Our Fight” book — the follow-up to her “My Fight/Your Fight” bestseller.
Among other things, she said, “…how much of an absolute sh*tshow it is at the WWE. They can’t hold a sword over my head and hold me hostage with my own career. I don’t need anything from them and I don’t intend on going back. I can say everything I think and feel where everyone else that is held captive by their organization can not.”
Rousey said she was held back on saying even more about her WWE experiences than she did in the book due to a contractual word count. She specifically took aim at John Laurinaitis and Bruce Prichard who she “was going to talk so much more sh*t about,” saying in an earlier part of the interview that the two could “can go f*ck themselves.”
Rousey did not mention any other executives like Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque or Nick Khan. Several excerpts released earlier Wednesday featured some choice comments Rousey had about McMahon and called out how WWE had treated female talent in the past.
The former WWE Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion also revealed that her career ended due to concussions that she first started suffering during her judo career. She said that she had to keep them a secret for years so she could continue to compete and perform, adding that WWE has a “complicated history” with their talents getting concussed so she felt she couldn’t talk about it.
In October 2023, Rousey said she was retiring from wrestling — several months after she lost to friend Shayna Baszler at WWE SummerSlam in her final match there. However, she returned that same month at a Lucha VaVoom show, teaming with friend Marina Shafir against Brian Kendrick and Taya Valkyrie.
She followed that up with a November match for Wrestling Revolver, teaming with Shafir against Athena and Billie Starkz which was followed by a rematch in her Ring of Honor debut. AEW and ROH head Tony Khan said there was no plans to sign Rousey past that one match but that he would have her back anytime.
Ronda Rousey takes aim at Vince McMahon in her upcoming new memoir.
Rousey’s book “Our Fight” releases on April 2 but excerpts of it began spreading on social media Wednesday morning.
In the released paragraphs, Rousey says Triple H is “one of the better people” on the business side of the company and compares Vince McMahon to Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars.
An excerpt reads:
NXT was founded by and under the control of Triple H, real name Paul Levesque. In addition to being my in-ring WrestleMania nemesis, he is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in history and one of the better people on the business side. He is married to Stephanie McMahon, who is the daughter of WWE’s Emperor Palpatine, Vince McMahon. Vince took over the company from his father in the early 1980s and spent the better part of forty years playing a real-world pro-wrestling version of Monopoly, buying up and absorbing smaller promotions until he basically owned them all.
It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the cameras ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins. That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe.
Another excerpt reads:
[Pay-per-views are] held in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as now twice a year in Saudi Arabia, a nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could.
Elsewhere in the book, Rousey talks about how female talent in WWE has been treated in the company.
WWE loves to do well-produced video segments about the legacy of women within the organization, but the truth is women have largely been footnotes. For the longest time, they were relegated to serving male characters in a valet role, an overly sexualized supporting character that takes cheap shots when the ref isn’t looking. Over time, as the level of female talent grew and society as a whole started to shift, the organization gradually expanded the role of female wrestlers.
WWE bills itself as a sports entertainment organization, and just like in the mainstream entertainment industry, there was, by all accounts, a casting couch culture where men backstage in powerful positions pressured female talent for sexual favors in return for airtime. There were so many public accusations and scandals it’s hard to keep track, and more that I’m sure the WWE managed to sweep under the ring.
She continues to say the company only began giving female talent more airtime after they were “basically armbarred into it.”
And it was only after WWE was basically armbarred into it, following a global social media backlash to #givedivasachance after Divas were given a total of thirty seconds— less time than it takes most people to read this paragraph—for a nationally televised tag match. Four women were given less time to collectively wrestle than every single man on the roster got for his intro music alone.
Presented this information as a person outside of the wrestling world you might draw the conclusion that there is a troubling foundational sexist, patriarchal culture within the WWE. You would be right. I have nothing but respect for the female wrestlers who paved the way for women wrestlers today. And nothing but disgust for the amount of sexist, degrading bullshit they were put through.
Following McMahon’s departure from TKO in January, Rousey took to social media to express that if Bruce Prichard is still with the company McMahon still had a hand in running it.
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was ‘gone’ before
In March 2023, Rousey wrote that her program with Liv Morgan had been “hamstrung by a bunch of octogenarians.”
Imagine what our @yaonlylivvonce feud could have been if we weren’t hamstrung by a bunch of octogenarians who still think they know how to be hip while putting less than 5 minutes of thought a week into each women’s storyline… new #RondaOnTheRoad
Rousey will be promoting her book in Philadelphia during WrestleMania Week. She’s been announced for WrestleCon at The Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia from April 4-7, 2024. She will be signing copies of her book at the show.
Our Fight will be her second memoir. It will follow up on her 2015 book, “My Fight.”
Ronda Rousey is going to be in Philadelphia for WrestleMania Week.
She’s been announced for the WrestleCon convention at The Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia from April 4-7, 2024. She will be signing copies of her new book, “Our Fight”, which covers Rousey’s life and career following her loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193. She’ll also be available for photo opportunities, and autographs.
WrestleCon wrote:
Starting this week off with @RondaRousey
In addition to signed copies of her new memoir, she will be available for pro photos, at the table photos, and autographs on personal items. For those not able to attend, there will be mail order options through @Highspots
In addition to signed copies of her new memoir, she will be available for pro photos, at the table photos, and autographs on personal items. For those not able to attend, there will be mail order options through @Highspotspic.twitter.com/WXl6I241Hh
Rousey’s last WWE appearance took place at SummerSlam 2023 when she lost an MMA-rules bout to her longtime friend and training partner, Shayna Baszler. She then wrestled a series of tag matches with another longtime friend and training partner, Marina Shafir, last October/November in Los Angeles for Lucha VaVoom, Wrestling Revolver, and ROH. However, she told TMZ shortly after that she is not looking to return to wrestling full-time and is focused on her family.
Rousey made headlines last month following Vince McMahon’s resignation as well when she stated that if Bruce Prichard was in WWE, McMahon would still have a hand in running things.
Rousey wrote:
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was ‘gone’ before
In a social media post on Saturday, Ronda Rousey responded to Vince McMahon’s resignation from WWE.
It was announced on Friday night that McMahon is gone from WWE following the allegations that were made against him in Janel Grant’s lawsuit. WWE president Nick Khan sent an email to staff informing them that McMahon has resigned from WWE and its parent company TKO Group Holdings and will no longer have any role in WWE or TKO Group.
McMahon was the executive chairman of TKO Group.
Rousey doesn’t believe that McMahon will remain uninvolved. In her post on X, Rousey stated that, as long as Bruce Prichard is still with WWE, McMahon will have a hand in the company. Rousey claimed that McMahon was still running things through Prichard following his July 2022 “retirement.”
Rousey wrote:
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was ‘gone’ before
Prichard, a longtime ally of McMahon’s in WWE creative, returned to WWE as part of the creative team in 2019.
McMahon’s 2022 retirement happened during a hush-money scandal that was triggered when the WWE board of directors learned of his settlement with Grant. Because he remained majority shareholder at the time, McMahon was able to force himself back into power in January 2023. That isn’t an option this time because WWE has been acquired by Endeavor.
Grant’s lawsuit was filed against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis on Thursday. It accuses McMahon of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking.
McMahon has vowed to vigorously defend himself against the allegations.
Rousey last wrestled for WWE since her contract expired following SummerSlam 2023. Later in the year, the UFC Hall of Famer worked three tag matches teaming with Marina Shafir for Lucha VaVoom, Wrestling Revolver, and ROH.
My Josh Nason’s Punch-Out pro wrestling year in review series begins its final descent with an extended look at October 2023.
Joining me is first-time guest Rich Fann of PW Torch and POST Wrestling.
Rich and I led off with the so-called Tuesday Night War between NXT and AEW that saw WWE bring in John Cena, Undertaker, Cody Rhodes, Paul Heyman and Asuka to ensure they didn’t lose to AEW’s Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite. We talk about what happened and some of the key learnings coming out of it.
We also delve into Paul “Triple H” Levesque being firmly entrenched as head of creative for WWE and what that meant for Vince McMahon in the new TKOverse.
After 25 years in WWE, Adam “Edge” Copeland found a new home in AEW, debuting at WrestleDream in Seattle. We talked about his debut and why it made sense for him to try something new.
We also talk the first-ever clash between MJF and Kenny Omega and the rest of the month in AEW.
Ronda Rousey made a surprise return to wrestling, so why didn’t it make a big impact? We discuss.
Plus, we cover the month in Impact Wrestling, Japan, and the junk drawer that covered all the other notable happenings.
I promise this is unlike any other year-end series you’ll hear or read, so catch up on the rest of the series in the archive and my MMA year in review series as well.
Despite wrestling one match for Ring of Honor, Ronda Rousey has confirmed that she has no plans of joining AEW right now.
While being interviewed by TMZ Sports, Rousey was asked if we’ll be seeing her in AEW any time soon. Rousey responded that she doesn’t think so. When asked why, Rousey said she’s focused on being home with her family and being a full-time mom,
“No, no. I don’t think so,” Rousey said. “Just, you know, trying to be home with the family and be a full-time mom.”
Rousey made her surprise ROH debut at a taping in Los Angeles on November 17 following episodes of AEW Rampage and Collision. Rousey & Marina Shafir defeated Athena & Billie Starkz in a tag match. The match aired on the November 23 episode of ROH television.
Rousey also teamed with Shafir for Lucha VaVoom in October and Wrestling Revolver in November. The Wrestling Revolver match took place on November 16 and also saw Rousey & Shafir face Athena & Starkz.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter last week, Dave Meltzer reported that Rousey’s ROH appearance was believed to be a one-time thing. Rousey working the match was “basically a favor to alleviate a complex political issue and help her friend Marina Shafir.”
Meltzer wrote:
Ronda Rousey made an unannounced debut in what is believed to be a one show appearance on the 11/17 Forum show for a match on ROH. Basically this was kept secret and even at the show they pushed the idea that Marina Shafir would have a mystery partner to face Athena & Billie Starkz in an ROH match after Rampage was over. The four had done a match the night before in Los Angeles at the Revolver show which ended when Athena laid out Rousey with a belt shot for the DQ. Basically, Rousey was doing a favor for Shafir, one of her best friends, and just out there having fun doing an indie show. Nobody knew about it until word got out that Rousey was in the dressing room the day of the show and why this was on ROH and not AEW. It may have been part of the agreement between Tony Khan and Rousey or Khan’s idea because Athena and Starkz are ROH wrestlers. What happened was the match was booked for Revolver because Rousey wanted to team with Shafir before she goes to have another child. It was put together late in the game since Khan had to approve of all bookings of his talent, and he at first didn’t want his talent doing the match in Los Angeles the same week he had three shows in the market. Moxley was behind this as he’s close to Sami Callihan who runs Revolver and is high on Shafir. Khan worked it out to where he allowed the match on the Revolver card but only with a DQ finish and in return the agreement was they would do a rematch on the ROH taping in Los Angeles the next night and do the finish with Rousey winning there. I don’t know that Rousey will ever work for AEW again and there are no plans for it any time soon. As it turned out, the Revolver match went great and the ROH match way over delivered and everyone was raving about it. There was a lot of tension regarding negotiations but it was basically conceded that as far as the matches went, it all turned out great in the end.
Rousey last competed for WWE at SummerSlam this August, where she lost to Shayna Baszler in an MMA Rules match.
The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now:
What did people think of Full Gear as compared to the other AEW PPVs of late
Performers and match of the week
Lots of good and bad thoughts on Swerve Strickland vs. Adam Page
A look at WWE vs. AEW when it comes to free agent signings of late
What Will Ospreay will and won’t mean for AEW
Full details of why Ronda Rousey appeared on the ROH show this week and it’s not what you think
Who is the top free agent out there right now
Thoughts on the MJF/Cole/White/Gunns storyline
Realities of AEW’s enemies and how the Strickland vs. Page match fits into that discussion
Logic issues and creative license in wrestling
Impromptu and using instinct in reacting when things mess up in a match
Why Ospreay signed with AEW and why it was announced this week
PPV numbers early on and what is says about more PPV shows
Live show business notes
Theater business notes
Full match coverage
Sorting out the Bellator/PFL deal and looking at the business aspect, top talent, show plans, next two PPV show ideas and more
Company talks 2024 schedule plans for Bellator and PFL
The top fighters under contract at this point to the new group
Hall of Fame updates and reaction to last week’s issue
Greatest tag teams of all-time
A look at a likely 2024 ballot
A look at Survivor Series plans, plus public demand and interest level
A look in depth at the Continental Classic, the good and bad of it
A look at this last week’s UFC show and notes about future shows
The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week, the segment-by-segment, changes in each group, competition, and where wrestling stands in the weekly numbers
World title match doesn’t get over on major show and why
Promotion running a business deal with major company to get major discount on a famous product
New team will be taking over the name of one of the best tag teams in history
Major changes in Stardom hierarchy and what happened to lead to it
Stardom titles vacant and steps on filling those vacancies
Stardom PPV rundown
Fantastica Mania 2024 notes
What dream match was planned for January in California and where it stands right now
New Japan tag tournament notes
All Japan tag team tournament notes
A look back at one mystery in the death of WCW
Wrestlers suspended for working an unlicensed show
Full details on Ronda Rousey’s appearance at AEW show in Los Angeles
Young Bucks repackaging
Darby climbing Mount Everest and details
What day will a number of new free agents be available
Looking at the ones AEW could sign
Two new rulings in Cung Le case and what kind of money figures are being bandied about
A look at WWE arena business and future show ticket sales, has it peaked, what does future say
AEW future ticket sales
International TV ratings and streaming numbers
Reigns next match and who it’s not with
Levesque booking philosophy
A look at the WWE & NXT house shows over the past week
Notes on December television schedule for both AEW and WWE including a show not airing, and a double taping planned
Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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Cody Rhodes commented on QT Marshall’s resignation from AEW, writing on X: “Did the work – was essential in making so many memories for fans & has been so instrumental in helping countless wrestlers. A pros’ PRO. We almost became friends ha. I can’t wait to see what you do next! An OG and outstanding “num 2” through his tenure. Congratulations QT on the run so far.”
An AEW meet and greet will take place at the Target Center on Wednesday at 12 pm CT featuring Kris Statlander, Matt Taven, Roderick Strong, and Mike Bennett.
Dustin Rhodes opened up about his recovery from alcohol and drug addiction on X: We are only human and everybody has their own dis functions and problems. If I could say anything to anybody who is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, I would say HOPE. As a recovering alcoholic/drug addict, it took a hard rock bottom and a spiritual awakening to show me that I needed help. I had had enough and wanted my life back. I had to work hard to get it back. I know its scary, but, like myself, I needed and got help. It is out there for everyone. Accountability, recognize you have a problem, ask for help. It’s tough but once you get on the other side, it rewards 10 fold. You CANNOT DO IT ALONE. I love you.”
Ronda Rousey wrote about her ROH match on Instagram, praising Athena and Billie Starkz: “Apparently kneeing people in the face is great for your hair – @marinashafir is that a smile I see? Thank you @athenapalmer_fg and @billie_starkz for being down to get down at the very last minute, you ladies are killing it.”
Bryan Danielson on X: My dad always told me, “The right thing is often the hardest thing to do. It won’t always make the most money. It won’t always be the most popular. But it’s still the right thing. #AEW”
Madame Tussauds is adding three The Rock wax figures at its Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai locations.
“This is so cool and fun!,” The Rock said in a statement. “Three new Rock wax figures and nine total all around the world- London, Asia, New York, Hollywood, LA, Orlando and now Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai. Wow, that’s a lot of bald head and tattoos. I love meeting my fans all around the world and my Madame Tussauds figures are the next best thing to connecting with you. Come join me at Madame Tussauds, let’s raise some mana together and say cheers to gratitude, good times and nine Rock wax figures that are much cooler than the real human himself.”
New NJPW announcer Walker Stewart talked to Fightful on how the opportunity came about.
Ronda Rousey makes her ROH debut on HonorClub tonight.
Rousey teamed with Marina Shafir and wrestled Athena and Billie Starkz when AEW ran a show from the KIA Forum on November 17. The match will air on this week’s episode.
Also on tonight’s show, ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata defends his title against Trent Beretta. Shibata is seeking his seventh title defense since winning the belt at Supercard of Honor in March. The wrestler he beat for the title, Wheeler Yuta, will also be in action in a Pure Rules match tonight. He faces Lee Moriarty in a match that was taped at last night’s Dynamite in Chicago.
Ethan Page gets another shot against Tony Nese tonight. Nese defeated Page on the episode that aired on October 19.
Other than Yuta vs. Moriarty and Rousey & Shafir vs. Athena & Starkz, matches for this week’s episode were taped on November 15 at the Toyota Center in Ontario, California. Spoilers from the show are available here.
**********
This week’s ROH began with ROH Women’s World ChampionAthena and Billie Starkz issuing an open challenge to any two women to face them tonight. Marina Shafir entered the frame once they left and made a phone call. I wonder who she called.
ROH Pure Title Match – Katsuyori Shibata defeated Trent Beretta to retain
The judges were Jerry Lynn, Madison Rayne, and Jimmy Jacobs.
The two men scrambled to a stalemate to start, with each man avoiding the other’s finishing maneuver. Beretta used his first rope break to escape a short-arm scissors attempt. Shibata went after Beretta’s arm, dropping a knee on it before kicking Beretta in the back. Shibata landed two hard kicks that sent Beretta to the apron before running into an outside-in spear from Beretta.
Beretta hit a tornado DDT before following with a running knee for a nearfall. Beretta laid in chops to no avail, as Shibata stood up through them and landed a forearm that sent Beretta into the corner. Beretta cut off the hesitation dropkick, sending Shibata to the floor before hitting a plancha to the outside. Beretta hit a missile dropkick, but Shibata rolled through and hit a boot as both men went down.
Shibata forced Beretta into the corner before hitting the hesitation dropkick. Shibata hit the half-hatch suplex for a nearfall. Shibata locked on an ankle lock, forcing Beretta to use his second rope break at 7:30. Beretta rolled through a bow-and-arrow lock, but his strikes had little effect. Shibata hit an STO for a nearfall, then hit a ripcord slap to the face. Shibata hit the Penalty Kick to win and retain the title.
Diamante and Hogan fought on the floor as Nightingale floored Adora with a shoulder block. Diamante clubbered on Nightingale in the corner before her and Hogan hit dives to Adora and Nightingale on the floor. All four women ended up in the ring, with Diamante and Adora powerbombing Nightingale out of the corner. Hogan took those two down with a high crossbody.
Everyone laid in chops to each other before the match broke down into a Pier Six brawl. It ended with a Hogan superkick on Nightingale for a nearfall. Eventually, Nightingale ended up alone in the ring with Adora, hitting the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.
Ethan Page defeated Tony Nese (w/Mark Sterling)
This has been a very good television feud, as Ethan Page continues to get crowds into his matches.
Sterling announced that this week’s group training was cancelled in order for Nese to focus on putting Page behind them. Nese caught Page with a boot before clubbering him in the corner. Page exploded out of the corner with a shoulder block before laying in shots of his own. Nese hid in the corner before chopping Page in the neck and dropping Page over the ropes by the neck. Nese threw Page into the stairs and the apron on the floor.
Back in the ring, Page fought back, but Nese avoided the Snapshot and hit the spinning heel kick for a nearfall. Page fired up, hitting the Headshot for a nearfall. Sterling tried to interfere, but the ref caught him on the apron and threw him out. Nese complained to her, leading to Page hitting a running boot for the win. Nese jumped Page after the bell, leading to a fight that security had to break up.
We got a recap of ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston retaining his title over Jay Lethal, and ROH World Tag Team Champion MJF teaming with Samoa Joe to beat The Gunns and retain the tag team titles.
The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) defeated Iron Savages (Boulder & Bronson) (w/Jacked Jameson), The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs), & The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean)
It’s good to see The Workhorsemen get a win, as they’ve been a highlight on ROH television.
The action was fast and furious to start, with the Infantry in control to start. Bronson hit Dean with a flapjack before sending him into Boulder’s chest. Isaacs tagged in and threw forearms before landing a head kick. The Wrecking Crew teamed up to take down Bronson, Bravo, and the Workhorsemen. Boulder took down both of the Wrecking Crew before the Infantry dove onto everyone on the floor.
Bronson hit a dive to the floor before Boulder hit a sidewalk slam on Nelson. The Savages went for a Transformer Splash, but the match broke down into a flurry. The Workhorsemen eventually isolated Nelson and hit an End of Days with a kick assist to score the win.
Tony Nese and Mark Sterling were backstage with Lexy Nair, complaining about Nese’s loss to Ethan Page.
Pure Rules Match –Wheeler Yuta defeated Lee Moriarty
The judges were Jimmy Jacobs, Madison Rayne, and Pat Buck.
Moriarty caught Yuta in a body scissors before transitioning into a double wristlock. Yuta fought out before Moriarty caught Yuta with a kick to the arm. Moriarty grounded Yuta before locking on a hammerlock bow-and-arrow submission, transitioning into a pinfall for a nearfall. Yuta transitioned into an Octopus Stretch before hitting the Right Angle Slam for a nearfall.
Yuta hit a bodyslam before landing a top-rope splash for a nearfall. Yuta went for the hammer-and-anvil elbows, but Moriarty transitioned it into the Border City Stretch. Yuta escaped it, but Moriarty snapped Yuta’s fingers and booted him into the corner. The two men fought on the top rope before Moriarty landed a superplex.
The two men traded punches, with corresponding warnings, before getting into a forearm exchange. They traded German suplexes, with Moriarty taking Yuta’s arm to try and get the Border City Stretch. Yuta bit his way free, outside of the referee’s sight, before getting the Seatbelt pin in to score the win.
Lee Johnson defeated Fred Rosser, Willie Mack, Jack Cartwheel
Jack Cartwheel was impressive here, as he looked like someone who could garner some buzz for ROH with more appearances.
The moves came quickly here, as Mack cleared the ring before Cartwheel took Mack to the floor. Cartwheel hit a picture-perfect Sasuke Special to the floor before sending Rosser back in the ring, who caught him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Johnson sent Cartwheel to the floor before running wild on Rosser. Rosser cut Johnson off with a catch into a powerslam before calling Mack into the ring to throw hands.
They traded shots before Mack dropped him with a running boot. Cartwheel backflipped into a neckbreaker on Mack. The match became a flurry, ending with Rosser hitting a forearm on Johnson before attempting pins on everyone in the ring. Cartwheel hit a flagpole legsweep on Rosser before hitting a corkscrew senton in the ring. Cartwheel missed a Shooting Star Press, running into a Sky High from Mack. Rosser sent Mack to the floor before Johnson caught him with a Sunset Flip for the flash pin and the win.
Ethan Page was backstage with Lexy Nair. Page was furious that Tony Nese and Mark Sterling were trying to call the shots on his career, and that Nese wasn’t man enough to shake his hand. Page knew their issues weren’t done, and that they wouldn’t be until Nese shook his hand.
This was a fun match, as the crowd in the Kia Forum was red hot from the jump. Rousey looked better here than she did in the majority of her second run in WWE. There was a real buzz to this match, one that made Ronda feel like a bit of the star she was in her prime. The finish was creative, with Athena having Rousey dead to rights before Starkz made a crucial error. Whether this was a one-off appearance or a tease for Final Battle, this was a great main event either way.
Athena threw Starkz into the ring to start, with Rousey taking her down with judo throws. Shafir tagged in and laid in kicks to Starkz. Starkz tagged out to Athena, but after Rousey tagged in, Athena tagged right out to Starkz. Rousey threw Starkz into her corner before locking on an armbar in the ropes. Starkz sent Shafir into the ropes, where Athena kneed her in the back. Shafir booted – er, footed – Athena down, but Starkz and Athena double-teamed Shafir to take control.
Athena worked over Shafir while mocking Rousey. Shafir eventually fought off Starkz and made the tag to Rousey. Athena couldn’t tag out to Starkz again, allowing Rousey to run wild on her. Athena got a tag into Starkz, allowing Athena to send Rousey to the floor with a lariat. Athena dropped both Shafir and Rousey with a Samoan Drop/Fallaway Slam combo on the floor.
Athena went to the top rope and went for the O-Face on Rousey, but Rousey turned it into an armbar. Athena powered Rousey up and dropped her with a powerbomb, but Rousey held on. Starkz broke it up with a swanton bomb before Shafir dropped her with a backdrop. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl, with Rousey catching Athena with a step-up into an armbar. Athena bit her way free before hitting a pop-up German suplex for a nearfall.
Starkz and Shafir tagged in, with Shafir knocking Starkz down on the top rope. Athena snuck in a tag before catching Shafir in powerbomb position. Rousey broke things up and sent Starkz to the floor, leading to Shafir sending Athena into a Samoan Drop from Rousey for a nearfall. Rousey pulled up Athena, but Athena drilled Rousey with a forearm.
Tags were made on both sides, with Starkz catching Shafir with a nearfall. Athena tagged in, hitting a Codebreaker out of Starkz’s Gory Special for a nearfall that Rousey broke up. Athena couldn’t get a tag out to Starkz, allowing Rousey to tag in and lock on an Ankle Lock. Shafir got an Ankle Lock in as well, but both women rolled through. Athena hit the O-Face on Rousey, but Starkz had tagged in as Athena jumped. Starkz went for a swanton bomb, but Rousey caught Starkz with an armbar to score the win.
After the match, Athena went to jump Rousey and Shafir, but Shafir caught her with a mid-kick. Rousey taunted Athena with the title belt before Starkz saved Athena. Rousey and Shafir stood tall as the show went off the air.
Ronda Rousey’s Ring of Honor debut will air on HonorClub this week.
Rousey made a surprise appearance at AEW’s show from the KIA Forum in Inglewood, CA on Friday, November 17. She teamed with her longtime training partner Marina Shafir against Athena and Billie Starkz in a tag match taped for ROH TV.
ROH announced today that the match will air on the Thursday, November 23 episode.
Olympian & Hall of Famer @RondaRousey makes her #ROH debut as she teams with “The Problem” @MarinaShafir to take on #ROH Women’s World Champ @AthenaPalmer_FG & “Minion In Training” @BillieStarkz! Watch Thursday Night #ROH TV on #HonorClub at http://WatchROH.com 7/6c
Rousey and Shafir also wrestled Athena and Starkz on Wrestling Revolver’s Los Angeles debut on Thursday, November 16. The match ended in a no-contest after Athena hit Rousey with the ROH Women’s World title belt.
Rousey made a surprise appearance at the Lucha VaVoom show on October 26 as well. Along with Shafir, she defeated Taya Valkyrie and Brian Kendrick on the show.
ROH TV November 23 announced lineup:
Ronda Rousey & Marina Shafir vs. Athena & Billie Starkz
Willie Mack vs. Fred Rosser vs. Jack Cartwheel vs. Lee Johnson
Ethan Page vs. Tony Nese w/Mark Sterling
Diamante vs. Trish Adora vs. Kiera Hogan vs. Willow Nightingale
ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata defends against Trent Beretta
The Workhorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry vs. The Iron Savages (Boulder & Bronson) vs. The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo) vs. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
On the Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, my main focus is Saturday’s AEW Full Gear — a show that had it all and then some.
MJF retained the AEW World title after a show-long injury angle played out that also included Adam Cole nearly defending the title on his friend’s behalf. I give my thoughts on the injury, the angle, and the match itself.
I also delve into the Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page Texas Death match and how it might have been the most brutal match in many years in professional wrestling.
Both of the company’s women’s titles changed hands. I discuss how both new AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm and new TBS Champion Julia Hart have elevated their game in recent weeks.
Plus, Ronda Rousey made her surprise debut in Ring of Honor Friday, we got more details about the Continental Classic tournament and new Triple Crown championships, notes from the media scrum, and more.
Tony Khan answered questions regarding Ronda Rousey at the AEW Full Gear media scrum on Saturday.
Rousey wrestled in an unadvertised match at the ROH taping from the KIA Forum on Friday night. She teamed with her longtime friend and training partner, Marina Shafir, in a match that will air on HonorClub at a later date.
When asked about Rousey’s status with his company, Khan said she’s not signed but they would love to have her back anytime.
“She’s not signed but we had a great conversation. It came about, of course, there was some unfinished business, they had that match and I thought it would be great for our fans to settle it in the ring,” Khan said. “At the Wrestling Revolver show, they had the tag match and to be honest, I had spoken to them and I thought it would be great to have a match and build some interest and then have the story come back to Ring of Honor where Athena is the Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion, Billie Starkz is her minion, there is a lot of interest in that.”
“Ronda was happy to come here and she was great. The crowd was really excited to see her and it was a great match. We’d love to have her back sometime.”
“She is a local, she lives nearby and that really helped make it possible so any time it’s convenient, we’d love to have her back because she was tremendous. It was a great match and if people want to see it, check out ROH,” Khan continued.
Rousey’s status was also addressed on today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio by our own Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez.
“With Ronda, it’s a one-shot deal. Obviously, if Ronda wants to work more they will use her anytime. She was doing a favor to help Marina,” Meltzer said.
However, Meltzer emphasized that while Rousey could work matches from time to time, she is likely not going to commit to a regular schedule.
“There’s a reason that Ronda wanted to finish. It’s a family reason,” Meltzer continued. “These shows that she’s worked have all been in Los Angeles, they’ve all been to team with Marina. So, it’s a night out for fun for her. It’s not like she’s on the road or anything like that.”
“She didn’t leave WWE to go to AEW. Stranger things have happened but certainly the idea when she left WWE was that she was done with wrestling and she’s moving on to the next stage of her life.”
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about in our complete breakdown of AEW Full Gear, all the matches and angles and title changes, notes from the TV this weekend, what happened with Ronda Rousey, some Hall of Fame thoughts, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: AEW Full Gear
1:03:20: Everything else from this weekend’s shows
1:15:22: Nick Hogan, Buff Bagwell arrested
1:17:31: The Young Bucks and Roman Reigns didn’t make the WON HOF
Former WWE Raw & SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey made her surprise Ring of Honor debut Friday in Los Angeles.
Rousey was the mystery partner for Marina Shafir against ROH Women’s Champion Athena & Billie Starkz in a match that is assumed is be airing on ROH TV this Thursday, coming out to Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” as she had in WWE.
The match took place after Friday’s live AEW Collision & Rampage shows at The Forum.
The two teams went to a no contest on Thursday’s Wrestling Revolver event in Rousey’s first match since an October indie bout with Shafir against Brian Kendrick & Taya Valkyrie.
Rousey wrapped up a run with WWE at August’s SummerSlam where she lost to Shayna Baszler in an MMA rules match.
AEW & ROH head Tony Khan tweeted about the match without saying it was Rousey:
Rousey, the past UFC bantamweight superstar, made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 in 2018 which kicked off a run that saw her win the Raw Women’s title, the SmackDown Women’s title twice, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles with Baszler.
