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Jim Ross worked for WWE in various on-screen and off-screen roles between 1993 and 2019. In a recent podcast episode, the legendary commentator reminisced about a memorable match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin.

In 1997, Hart defeated Austin at WrestleMania 13 in a contest widely regarded as the best of the night. During the 22-minute bout, The Hitman turned heel while Austin switched from a bad guy to a babyface.

Asked to name his favorite WrestleMania match ever, Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that Hart’s win over Austin was difficult to beat:

“Man, I have a hard time moving away from WrestleMania 13 and Austin and Bret because of all they accomplished in the match. Turning the most beloved babyface heel, turning the most hated heel babyface was a tremendous accomplishment. Austin’s blood, right amount, right time. Some of the visuals on TV were so memorable.” [1:21:24 – 1:21:51]

Austin vs. Hart was refereed by MMA legend Ken Shamrock and had a No Disqualification Submission stipulation. Hart secured the win after a bloodied Austin passed out to the Sharpshooter.

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Jim Ross’ other favorite WWE matches

The current AEW announcer named Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 as another one of his favorite WrestleMania bouts. He also gave an honorable mention to the 56-minute match between Michaels and John Cena on the April 23, 2007, episode of RAW in London, England.

After further consideration, Jim Ross reiterated that Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin is always likely to be his favorite match at WWE’s biggest show of the year:

“When I name some, and obviously you’re gonna leave some out, and don’t take that as a sign I didn’t like that match, but Austin and Bret always pop into my mind when that question is asked of me because of what they accomplished.” [1:23:38 – 1:23:59]

Elaborating on Hart’s WWE career, Ross explained why The Hitman’s exit in 1997 “alienated half of the locker room.”

What is your favorite WrestleMania match? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross’ quotes from this article.

Jim Ross is widely viewed as one of the most popular WWE commentators ever. The current AEW announcer recently disclosed details about the company’s plan to replace him at the broadcast table in 2007.

Ross was inducted into the 2007 Hall of Fame after a 14-year association with WWE. Although he was unaware at the time, the legendary commentator soon found out that then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted to replace him.

On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said former WWE announcer Todd Grisham was initially lined up as his long-term lead commentator replacement. However, the idea never materialized.

“I didn’t realize at the time that it [Hall of Fame induction] was set up for me to get out the door,” Ross said. “I didn’t realize that at the time. Todd Grisham was gonna be my replacement. Good guy. He’s built a great career for himself in MMA, but he was gonna be my replacement come the Fall. Somehow or another, as wrestling goes, it leaked out, and I was told that was the plan, finish up strong, and all that bulls**t. For whatever reason, they changed their mind.” [1:41:12 – 1:41:57]

Grisham commentated on several WWE shows between 2004 and 2011, including ECW and SmackDown. Since leaving WWE, he has worked for companies including DAZN, ESPN, and UFC.

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Why WWE’s higher-ups stuck with Jim Ross

Although he is best known as a commentator, Jim Ross also worked closely with Vince McMahon as a WWE talent relations executive for several years.

Ross believes McMahon wanted to replace him due to his accent and appearance before ultimately deciding he was the best man for the job:

“My work was strong. I didn’t have the look and the physique that they sought, and I sounded southern. So f***ing what? So what? It made me sound different.” [1:41:58 – 1:42:16]

In the same episode, Ross recalled how McMahon once played a “disrespectful” prank on him during the opening match of a WWE pay-per-view.

Do you think Todd Grisham should have been Jim Ross’ long-term replacement? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

Roman Reigns has locked in for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames as The Bloodline saga enters its next chapter. Today, The Original Tribal Chief sent a daunting final message before the event in Canada.

Nothing is more important to Roman Reigns than his family, for whom he has fought for years and helped ascend to the very top in the Stamford-based promotion. However, Solo Sikoa decided to take matters into his own hands by creating a new faction and naming it The Bloodline.

The Original Tribal Chief didn’t take kindly to Sikoa’s power grab returned and confronted Sikoa and his army. Over the past few weeks, the two and their family members have been feuding, and tonight they’ll be locked inside a cage and two rings for WarGames. Before the event in Canada, Reigns had a final message for his opponents.

“Our Blood Is On The Line. War Is Upon My Family. #WarGames #WWESurvivorSeries,” Reigns wrote.

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Top WWE star thinks Bloodline member can “alone” defeat Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns became a force to be reckoned with when he stopped being ‘The Big Dog’ and became ‘The Tribal Chief’ in the Stamford-based promotion. After adopting the new gimmick, the 39-year-old star has been pinned only three times in the company, out of which two were in tag team matches.

However, Bronson Reed thinks Solo Sikoa can alone take out The Original Tribal Chief if he needs to. In an interview on WWE’s LA Previa, the former North American Champion discussed the upcoming game plan for WarGames and stated that Sikoa can take out Reigns without any help if needed.

“I think the key to victory is to acknowledge Solo. Sola Sikoa is the new Tribal Chief. If we can boost him up and make him feel like he’s The Tribal Chief, I think it’s going to be undeniable on that night. He alone can beat Roman Reigns,” Reed said. (From 06:45 onwards)

Over the past few months, The Original Tribal Chief reunited his previous faction and CM Punk shockingly returned and decided to help the group as a favor to Paul Heyman. It’ll be interesting to see which team leaves with the win at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames.

WWE created Survivor Series 37 years ago, and it has become one of the biggest shows of the year. With the addition of WarGames matches in recent years, the company’s second-oldest premium live event has grown into a must-see spectacle for wrestling fans worldwide.

The countdown to this year’s Survivor Series: WarGames is almost over. The WWE Universe is preparing for the explosion of the Bloodline Civil War and the other huge matches on the card. There have been many surprises from the past 37 years of Survivor Series events. This year will probably provide more of the same.

This is our list of four shocking Survivor Series moments that no one saw coming:

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#4. 1999 Survivor Series: Stone Cold Steve Austin hit by a car backstage

Stone Cold Steve Austin was the driving force behind the success of the Attitude Era. During this time, he also dealt with many nagging injuries. He was originally set to be in the main event at the 1999 Survivor Series, but a neck injury forced him to be replaced by the Big Show.

As the show went on, there was a segment backstage where Triple H interrupted Austin’s interview. Steve then went after Hunter, and in the middle of the chaos, a black car barreled through the fence, nailing Stone Cold. This was done to write The Texas Rattlesnake off of TV, and it was later revealed that Rikishi was the man behind the wheel, stating he “did it for The Rock.”

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#3. Less than 2-minute main event: Goldberg squashes Brock Lesnar at the 2016 Survivor Series

While Goldberg was promoting WWE 2K17 in 2016, he started going back and forth with Brock Lesnar in social media jabs. This online spat culminated when the two mega-stars faced off at Survivor Serie later in the years.

After months of hype and excitement, it was finally time for the 2016 WWE Survivor Series. Brock made his entrance first, accompanied by Paul Heyman. Then Goldberg made his way to the ring, flanked backstage by security as usual.

When the bell rang, The Beast Incarnate rushed Goldberg, but it didn’t phase the returning star. Da Man planted Lesnar with two spears, followed by a jackhammer for the win. More time was spent on their entrances than in the actual match.

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#2. The Shield debuts to help CM Punk win at 2012 Survivor Series

Wrestling fans have focused on The Bloodline saga for the past few years. The Rock has led the charge for one of the most successful angles in history. That said, this story would have never begun with the massive success of The Shield.

As the 2012 Survivor Series approached, fans were excited about the main event, a Triple-Threat bout for the WWE Championship. CM Punk was the reigning champ, defending against Ryback and John Cena.

About 15 minutes into the match, three men dressed in black, revealed as The Shield, wandered through the crowd and over the barricade. Unexpectedly, the trio sent Ryback through the announcer’s table with a powerbomb, which allowed Punk to pin Cena for the win.

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#1. The Rock sells out for WWE Championship gold at the 1998 Survivor Series

The 1998 Survivor Series was a crazy year for WWE. Vince McMahon was the company’s evil puppeteer and arguably the most hated man in the business. Just a year earlier, it was one of the most controversial moments in the company’s history, and it is infamously known as the Montreal Screwjob.

Vince had plans heading into the 1998 Survivor Series Premium Live Event. His plans included creating a moment that would replicate the Montreal Screwjob, and he succeeded in doing so. The Rock made it to the finals of the Deadly Game tournament, facing Mankind for the WWF Championship.

As The Rock locked Mankind into a sharpshooter, Vince called for the bell despite Mankind not tapping. The Great One aligned with McMahon and company, shocking fans worldwide with an unexpected heel turn.

Jade Cargill fell victim to a backstage attack on WWE SmackDown over a week ago. And now a former WWE host has suggested that an absent superstar might be behind the ambush.

Jade Cargill was booked to compete in the Women’s WarGames Match tonight as part of the babyface team. However, she was pulled from the fight after suffering multiple injuries following a brutal attack on SmackDown. While one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champion is rumored to be out of action for several months, her attacker was never revealed. On his The Wrestling Matt podcast, Matt Camp suggested Charlotte Flair might have been behind the assault.

The former WWE host claimed The Queen might have targeted Cargill because the latter had taken her spot while she was away recovering from knee injuries. He pointed out that such a scenario could lead to a WrestleMania match between the two superstars.

“Perhaps it’s Charlotte Flair. Think about that. What if it was Charlotte? What if a returning Charlotte was trying to take out somebody who had her spot. Jade [vs.] Charlotte sounds like the right kind of WrestleMania match to me. Charlotte trying to protect her spot being out of action, Jade being able to maybe take her spot, do much more. There’s probably a bit of reality in that too,” he said. [34:22 – 34:51]

Check out his comments in the video below:

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WWE analyst also doesn’t rule out Charlotte Flair as a suspect in Jade Cargill’s attack

WWE analyst Sam Roberts recently discussed the attack on Jade Cargill on his Notsam Wrestling podcast. He disclosed that he believes either Bayley or Naomi was behind the brutal ambush.

However, the 41-year-old did not rule out the possibility of Charlotte Flair being the mystery attacker either.

“I think that one of the questions that people are asking is, when is Charlotte Flair coming back? Because Charlotte Flair is a name that people go, ‘Well, what if Charlotte Flair did this because she’s been out watching Jade Cargill get all this publicity, all this hype, all this love.’ Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair is sitting there going, ‘Pardon my French, but what am I, yesterday’s tomatoes?’ That’s what she would say. And I go, ‘No, I hope not.’ Charlotte Flair is an interesting option depending on when Charlotte Flair is returning,” he said.

The Queen has been out of action for nearly a year after suffering multiple knee injuries during a match against Asuka on SmackDown. It would be interesting to see if she does indeed reveal herself as Jade Cargill’s attacker in the coming weeks.

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If you use the quote from the first part of this article, please credit The Wrestling Matt and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

Both WWE and AEW have been very active in the free agency market throughout 2024, with wrestling’s top two promotions sometimes battling for the services of the most coveted talents. Such was the case with Stephanie Vaquer, who ultimately chose to sign with the Stamford-based company.

Vaquer made her AEW debut on May 29, 2024, to set up a short rivalry with TBS Champion Mercedes Mone. She competed twice for the promotion, with her last appearance being an unsuccessful challenge for the TBS Title at Forbidden Door 2024. The 31-year-old signed with WWE less than two weeks later.

Stephanie Vaquer recently told TVN Chile that she had signed with the sports entertainment juggernaut because it had always been her dream. She also mentioned that she had received a “very juicy” offer, presumably from All Elite Wrestling, but ultimately turned it down:

“I’ll be very honest. Since I was a child, my dream was to sign for WWE. But you grow up, you can’t be guided by the dreams you had when you were 9 years old. When I did what I did in Mexico and Japan, I had already fulfilled a dream. I was missing this extra. Not everything is money. I received another very juicy offer financially. To be a complete wrestler, I was missing being in WWE. I came to NXT because it was the best women’s division in existence,” she said. [H/T: Fightful]

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AEW star Thunder Rosa reacts to Stephanie Vaquer in NXT

Stephanie Vaquer now competes in NXT, where she is undefeated thus far. She’s teamed up with fellow blockbuster signee Giulia, and the two defeated Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade at the Halloween Havoc Premium Live Event last month.

Vaquer had half her face painted for the match, and many fans noticed the similarity to AEW star Thunder Rosa’s face paint. Following the event, Rosa took to X/Twitter to show some love for the 31-year-old:

“Nothing beats getting some love from your friends in other promotions!” she wrote.

The wrestling industry is currently thriving, and while WWE and AEW have snapped up many of the top stars in free agency this year, many more young wrestlers are working their way up and hoping for an opportunity. Whether the next batch of signees will prove greater than the last remains to be seen.

A former champion has just captured a monumental win tonight in his return to AEW Collision for the first time in more than five months. He also took the time to pay tribute to AJ Styles during their match.

Will Ospreay is making his debut in the AEW Continental Classic, which features 12 of the best stars on the roster in a round-robin tournament with Kazuchika Okada’s Continental Championship on the line. Tonight, the former International Champion faced off against Juice Robinson in his first match on Collision since June.

Tonight’s contest took place just a week after AEW Full Gear, where Will Ospreay suffered a shocking loss against Kyle Fletcher. For the majority of the match, it seems Ospreay was still dealing with the effects of his match with the Protostar.

After a slow start to his match, Ospreay began picking up momentum. The bout ended after he successfully set up Robinson for a Styles Clash, which allowed him to hit the Hidden Blade and score a three-count.

Ospreay’s win tonight gives him three points in the Continental Classic, putting him at the top of the Gold League along with Brody King and Claudio Castagnoli, who earned wins on Dynamite earlier this week.

With all remaining WWE players returning to The Bloodline saga since SummerSlam, The Rock is the last person who needs to pick a side. Paul Heyman returned before Survivor Series: WarGames to provide Roman Reigns’ team with its final member in CM Punk.

CM Punk has a history with The Final Boss dating back to 2012-2013. The Best In The World turned heel after The People’s Champion asserted his presence in Punk’s title program. Owing to his ties to The Great One, The Rock could pop up at any point during Survivor Series: WarGames. When he finally emerges to pick a side, it will certainly lead to something meaningful at The Show of Shows next April.

The Rock can do the next four things at WrestleMania 41:

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#4. Guest referee’s another Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns match?

WWE clearly wants yet another match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. It’s been alluded to since Roman’s return but Bloodline drama has prevented it from happening.

It would be overkill to book the same match for the third straight year, but officials may not see it as a problem. Instead of booking a different opponent for Rhodes, should he remain champion, Reigns could get a shot to regain the belt.

To muddy the waters, The Rock could make himself the guest referee so he can mess with both stars. He’ll likely return as the heel persona of The Final Boss, so that would be a way to mess with two of WWE’s top superstars.

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#3. The Rock might put himself in a triple threat for the Undisputed WWE Title

The last time The Final Boss stood across from Cody Rhodes in a WWE ring was the RAW after WrestleMania 40. He envied that Rhodes now had the Undisputed WWE Championship and put The American Nightmare on notice for a future skirmish.

His return at the end of Bad Blood raised more questions than answers. Whenever he does re-emerge, it would likely be to tip the scales of The Bloodline civil war. It’s hard to believe that the former face of WWE would acquiesce to Solo Sikoa, so his presence may overshadow Solo.

Once the rest of the group takes a backseat to The Final Boss, Rocky will state his intentions to win the title at WrestleMania 41. Since he’s also on the board of directors, he can simply insert himself into a championship match without earning it.

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#2. He sends John Cena into retirement?

Another rivalry that could be reignited for WrestleMania 41 is The Rock’s feud with John Cena. The two represented the same type of star power atop WWE but The People’s Champion took off to conquer Hollywood.

Cena also dabbled in the movie industry but remained a full-time star until the last few years. He made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank Premium Live Event earlier this year. He announced that 2025 would be his last year in wrestling, with WrestleMania 41 being his final Show of Shows.

What better way to mock a former rival than to oppose him at The Showcase of the Immortals? The Final Boss could then brag that he put an end to Cenation even though he’s semi-active himself.

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#1. He could make Cody Rhodes defend the title on both nights of WrestleMania 41

The Rock could flex his Final Boss powers by forcing Cody Rhodes to defend the title on both nights of WrestleMania 41. He could face the winner of the 2025 Royal Rumble on Night One before facing The Great One on Night Two.

This would increase his odds of winning the Undisputed WWE Championship and garner sympathy for the company’s top star. Rhodes wrestled twice at last year’s extravaganza also but was in tag team action on Night One, along with his partner Seth Rollins. They lost to the team of Roman Reigns and The Rock.

While taking the main event spot on both nights for the second year in a row could be a mistake, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for a heel like The Final Boss. It would also hopefully end his title chase since he doesn’t need to win one at 52 years old.

AEW has expanded its roster this year, and some stars have seen their television time diminish as a result. Others, like fan favorite Danhausen, have mysteriously disappeared. The “Very Nice, Very Evil” star was recently spotted in a photo with Sting and Darby Allin.

Danhausen has been absent from AEW TV all year. Rumors have circulated about conflict between the promotion and the 34-year-old, but the latest update is that there aren’t any creative plans for him at the moment. Meanwhile, Sting retired from active competition at Revolution in March, and Darby Allin is chasing Jon Moxley’s AEW World Championship.

The three face-painted stars recently linked up at HighSpots and took a photo together. Danhausen posted it on his official X/Twitter account, referring to The Icon and Allin as his family:

“Family photo with Cousin Darby & Uncle Stinger 🛹🦷🦂.”

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AEW’s Danhausen spotted with former WWE Superstar

Danhausen has several friends in All Elite Wrestling, but his most famous relationship is with WWE’s CM Punk. The two linked up in Tony Khan’s promotion and became fast friends, and they’ve continued their unique form of banter since Punk’s departure.

Danhausen often teases The Straight Edge Superstar on social media, and he did so again when he came across a cardboard cutout of Punk’s wife, former WWE Superstar AJ Lee. The face-painted star posted a photo of himself with the cutout on Instagram and claimed that Lee had said CM Punk would give Danhausen $100.

“Great to see @theajmendez (…) She said @cmpunk had to give Danhausen $100,” wrote Danhausen.

You can check out Danhausen’s Instagram story here.

There’s no word on when Danhausen might return to action in All Elite Wrestling if he ever does. For now, the 34-year-old is keeping busy on the independent and signing circuits, with WWE a potential destination once his current contract expires.

Toni Storm has been in the news for the last few weeks due to her abruptly announcing her retirement. The entire wrestling community was taken by surprise at the announcement.

As the wrestling world is still reeling from the revelation, she has taken to Instagram to update her fans on her whereabouts. Her last appearance in a wrestling capacity will be taking place at WrestleCade Weekend 2024. She wrote:

“My last appearance anywhere. Please stop by for a final farewell before I move on to open my new curry shop. I am a fantastic cook. @highspots.”

While this gives us an insight into what she might want to do after wrestling, this is all just a part of an elaborate storyline. It will be interesting to see how this story will take shape in the coming weeks and months.

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Toni Storm reveals reason for retirement

Toni Storm is an eccentric character and always does a great job portraying her persona as the Timeless One in AEW. Despite how over she is with the fans, she has been on the end of a losing streak of late.

In a recent interview with SBNation, the former AEW Women’s Champion revealed the reasons for her abrupt retirement. She said:

“I’m not used to being a loser. I’ve failed at everything. I lost in AEW, I lost in Japan, I lost in Mexico. This is the last you’ll hear from me again. Enjoy Mariah May as your champion. You can all enjoy that. AEW is just fine without me. Everything is going well for AEW. They don’t need Toni Storm.”

To some fans, that might seem like a goodbye, while to others, it might seem like she is staging a plan to come back and get her revenge on Mariah May.