WWE NXT Stars Wrestle Before SmackDown, Top Stars in Action After SmackDown -

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– The dark match before last night’s WWE SmackDown in Omaha, Nebraska saw Tommaso Ciampa defeat Pete Dunne. This comes after Ciampa defeated Dunne in last Friday’s dark match, and after this week’s WWE Main Event episode saw Ciampa defeat T-BAR while Dunne defeated Akira Tozawa.

Ciampa did not appear on Tuesday’s WWE NXT episode, but Dunne took a “Crowbar On a Pole” match loss to Tony D’Angelo. PWInsider notes that both Ciampa and Dunne are still listed as members of the NXT roster internally.

– The dark main event after Friday’s SmackDown at the CHI Health Center in Omaha saw Seth Rollins and The Viking Raiders defeat WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns team and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos.

As noted, The Viking Raiders won a Fatal 4 Way on last night’s SmackDown to become the new #1 contenders to The Usos for a future title shot. Rollins is scheduled to challenge Reigns for his title at the Royal Rumble later this month.

Have a news tip or correction? Send it to [email protected]

Backstage News On When WWE Booked Lita For SmackDown -

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WWE Hall of Famer Lita made her return to SmackDown on last night’s show from Omaha, her first blue brand appearance in almost 20 years.

The decision to bring Lita to SmackDown was a last minute idea, according to PWInsider. The idea was approved on Thursday, and WWE booked her travel plans the same day.

SmackDown saw Michael Cole interview Lita in the ring. She noted that most days she is satisfied with her career, until recently when she thought about how she never got a chance to win a Royal Rumble Match. She added that she feels like she still has one more run in her, so she wants to win the Royal Rumble and then headline WrestleMania 38. Cole continued the interview until SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair interrupted, taking the mic and dismissing Cole from the ring.

Flair and Lita took shots at each other on the mic, with Flair promising to end Lita’s “little run” and toss her from the ring at The Rumble. Lita compared Flair to a Tonya Harding look-a-like, and cracked jokes about how big her head is. Flair bragged about breaking Lita’s best friend, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, at SummerSlam 2019, forcing her to retire, and said she will do the same thing to Lita at The Rumble. Lita then slapped Flair. Flair turned back to go for her, but Lita kicked her and dropped her with a Twist of Fate for a big pop. Lita then posed in the corner for fans as Flair crawled back to her feet.

For those who missed it, you can click here for a recent report on the idea AEW pitched to Lita just last year.

Lita has not wrestled since participating in a 10-woman tag team match on the October 29, 2018 edition of RAW, which came one night after she and Stratus defeated Alicia Fox and current Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James at Evolution.

Lita will be competing in the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match later this month in St. Louis. You can click here for the current Rumble card.

Stay tuned for more on Lita. Below are related tweets and clips from last night:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by WWE (@wwe)

Have a news tip or correction? Send it to [email protected]

Daily Update: Hall of Fame notes, Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia, NOAH and COVID

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Notes on the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, Elimination Chamber being held in Saudi Arabia, wrestlers off NOAH show due to COVID protocols.

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Job Listing: Wikipedia guru

Do you have experience writing Wikipedia pages? Please contact Tony Leder at tonyleder@f4wonline.com for more information.

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: January 17, 2022 Observer Newsletter: 2021 Observer Hall of Fame issue, MLW sues WWE

Ordering Info: 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 dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Garrett Gonzalez and I will be talking about the Observer Hall of Fame voting and the latest news for Wrestling Observer Radio later today. Bryan and I will be talking about UFC and the weekend wrestling shows tomorrow night.

The Hall of Fame issue of the Observer, one of the biggest of the year, is now out. We have a huge story on the balloting, including how many votes everyone got this year and last, all the first ballot Hall of Famers in history, the highest voting percentages in history, as well as how the candidates did with historians, reporters, wrestlers and retired wrestlers and industry professionals. We also have the most detailed look at the MLW lawsuit against WWE against WWE. We also look at the plans for WrestleMania and how they have changed, New Japan vs. NOAH, lots of AEW contract updates, the most four-star matches in 2021 and of all-time, a feature on Shozo “Strong” Kobayashi, one of the biggest stars in Japan of the 70s, Is there a WWE succession plan, injury updates and ticket sales.

The 2/19 PPV from Saudi Arabia will be the Elimination Chamber. They have been batting around ideas regarding changing the name. Elimination Chamber and Saudi Arabia kind of opens things up to potential ridicule and at one point today the plan was to call the match WrestleMania Chamber. At this point the name is “The Annual Elimination Chamber.”

Pro Wrestling NOAH announced Kaito Kiyomiya, Yoshinari Ogawa, Junta Miyawaki, Yoshiki Inamura, Kinya Okada, Yasutaka Yano, Super Crazy, Tadasuke, Daiki Inaba and Masato Tanaka are off Sunday’s show in Sendai. The reasons are either having tested positive or being in close contact with someone who did. Kiyomiya said that he tested positive. Tanaka didn’t test positive but was feeling very sick. The Sunday show airs on Wrestle Universe at 1 a.m. Eastern headlined by Katsuhiko Nakajima defending the GHC title against Masa Kitamiya

Smackdown tonight is from Omaha. They have better ticket sales than most shows in recent weeks. Announced is Sami Zayn doing his own stunt show to prove he can do things better than Johnny Knoxville. There will be a Seth Rollins-Roman Reigns face-to-face. Aliyah returns to face Natalya. Lita also returns to television on tonight’s show.

AEW Rampage tonight has Adam Cole vs. Trent Barreta, Andrew Everett vs . Shawn Spears, Leyla Hirsch & Red Velvet & Kris Statlander vs Penelope Ford & The Bunny & Nyla Rose, and Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy defend the tag titles against John Silver & Alex Reynolds. We were told this was great, better than anything on Dynamite.

The state of Yucatan in Mexico announced new restrictions including no massive public events until 2/15. Not sure what that means for the 1/30 tapings in Merida which was to feature FTR defending the AAA tag titles against somebody. It was originally Penta & Fenix but Fenix is injured. The local promoters has said they’ve been told they can still run the show saying the restrictions don’t apply to pro sports events. Penta tabbed it as 99 percent that Fenix won’t be able to wrestle by 1/30. All those in attendance have to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test. A KDNA promotion show in Monterrey tonight was canceled.(thanks to TheCubsFan)

We’re looking for reports this weekend from tonight’s Smackdown tapings in Omaha, tomorrow’s show in Fargo, ND and Sunday in Sioux Falls,SD to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

Demonic Flamita in his social media indicated he tested positive for COVID.

WWE

WWE will open Raw on Monday with a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. set to John Legend’s “Never Break.”

Shayna Baszler returns home to Sioux Falls, SD for a WWE house show on Sunday. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)

UFC

Clay Guida vs. Claudio Puelles is earmarked for a 4/23 date.

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Pete Rodriguez has been added to the 1/22 show.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jared Vanderaa is set for 2/12 in Houston

OTHER NOTES

WWE NXT Ring Announcer Called Up To SmackDown

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WWE NXT’s Samantha Irvin has been called up to the main roster.

Last night’s SmackDown from Omaha saw Irvin make her official blue brand debut. WWE has had Mike Rome working RAW and SmackDown since Greg Hamilton was released back in November, but now Irvin has been brought up as a permanent member of the team.

As seen in the video below, Megan Morant interviewed Irvin before SmackDown and welcomed her to the team.

“Megan, it’s a dream come true,” Irvin said of the opportunity. “Literally, it is a dream come true. I’m over the moon, I can’t believe it.”

Morant noted how Irvin is now a member of the SmackDown team along with Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Kayla Braxton and herself. She asked if any of these people have given Irvin any pointers or advice.

“Michael Cole has been so supportive,” Irvin said. “Everyone’s been supportive, and they’ve made me feel like this is where I belong, and just to be myself, and to have fun, and do what I’ve always wanted to do, which is to announce here at the WWE for Friday Night SmackDown.”

WWE hired Irvin (real name Samantha Johnson) back in April 2021, and since then she has worked NXT and WWE 205 Live shows. Before coming to WWE she was a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, and also appeared on FOX’s I Can See Your Voice.

Irvin is in a relationship with SmackDown Superstar Ricochet.

Stay tuned for more. You can see video and photos from last night’s debut below:

Have a news tip or correction? Send it to [email protected]

WWE Smackdown, AEW Rampage, WWE 205 Live, NJPW Strong, WWE in the Dakotas (reports needed), Riddle, Jim Duggan, Gene Snitsky, Kacy Catanzaro

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CategoriesDot Net Daily

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

-WWE Friday Night Smackdown is live tonight from Omaha, Nebraska at CHI Health Center. The show will continue the build to the Royal Rumble event. Join Jake Barnett for our weekly live review as Smackdown airs on Fox at 7CT/8ET. Dot Net Members will hear my exclusive audio review.

-Tonight’s AEW Rampage was taped on Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina at PNC Arena. The show includes Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus vs. Alex Reynolds and John Silver for the AEW Tag Titles. Join Colin McGuire for his live review as the show airs at 9CT/10ET on TNT. Colin’s weekly same night audio review will be available for Dot Net Members.

-WWE 205 Live will stream on WWE Network tonight at 9CT/10ET. We are looking for a new writer to cover the 205 Live show. If you are interested, email me at dotnetjason@gmail.com.

-NJPW Strong streams Saturdays on the New Japan World at 7CT/8ET. Dot Net contributor Colin McGuire’s written reviews and Dot Net Members’ exclusive audio reviews are available on Sunday morning.

-We are looking reports from the WWE SuperShow events that will be held this weekend. If you are going to either show listed below, you are encouraged to send a report or even the basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com

-WWE is in Fargo, North Dakota at the FargoDome on Saturday with the following advertised matches: Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley in a four-way, and Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan in a Triple Threat for the Raw Women’s Championship.

-WWE is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Denny Sanford Premier Center on Sunday. There are no matches listed on the host venue’s website.

Birthdays and Notables

-Jim Duggan is 68.

-Gene Snitsky (Eugene Snisky) is 52.

-Riddle (Matt Riddle) is 36.

-Kacy Catanzaro is 32.