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Top 10 Wrestling Stories of the Week 10/28: CM Punk AEW Buyout, The Elite Return, WWE Crown Jewel Build, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 28th October 2022
aew CM Punk

Welcome back, TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday waiting for The Rock to play a superhero, and missed WWE Smackdown? Perhaps you spent all day Monday burning your Aaron Judge jersey and missed Raw.

Worry not for I have returned with another edition of the Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week.

10. Swerve in Our Glory Defeats FTR to Become Number One Contenders

After months of being ranked as the number one tag team in AEW, it appeared that FTR would finally be getting a title shot. Unfortunately, however, FTR lost to Swerve in Our Glory in a number ones contenders match. The finish of the match saw the Gunn Club interfere in the match, allowing Swerve Strickland to low blow Dax Harwood and pick up the win. All is not lost for FTR, however, as they can now just go compete on AEW Dark for four months before randomly showing up and getting a title shot. (TJRWrestling)

9. Karl Anderson Double Booked by WWE and NJPW

It is safe to say that NJPW will not be sending Karl Anderson a Christmas Card this year. Anderson is the current NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion, as well as a member of their Bullet Club faction. Anderson is currently booked to defend the Openweight Championship against Hikuleo at NJPW’s Battle Autumn Event on November 5th. Unfortunately however, Anderson, along with his partner Luke Gallows, have both recently signed contracts with the WWE (neither had contracts with NJPW). WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia is also scheduled for November 5th, and Anderson is booked on that show as well. NJPW released a statement this week demanding that Anderson either appear at Battle Autumn or relinquish the Openweight Championship immediately. Upon hearing of these issues Tony Khan responded by saying: “This is why I always sign every wrestler I meet to a contract.” (TJRWrestling)

8. Omos to face Braun Strowman at WWE Crown Jewel

WWE booked a BIG match this week for WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on November 5th. This past Friday on Smackdown, Braun Strowman called out both MVP and Omos. MVP would then at first come out alone, telling Strowman not to go face-to-face with Omos. Strowman would then challenge Omos to a match at Crown Jewel, with MVP accepting. Omos then would come down to the ring, with Omos and Strowman squaring off to end the segment. Omos and Strowman will certainly not be a technical masterpiece, but at least it may make the Saudi crowd say, “Hey maybe Goldberg vs. Undertaker wasn’t that bad.” (TJRWrestling)

7. Nikki Cross Returns on Raw

Monday Night Raw is down one superhero. This week during Raw’s main event, Bayley face-off against Bianca Belair. The finish of the match saw Nikki Cross appear to take out IYO SKY, Dakota Kai and the referee with a cross body. Cross then attacked Belair, allowing Bayley to get the win. A deranged Cross did not stop there, as she would then attack Bayley after the match. Cross getting repackaged is great news, as her last gimmick was Absolutely Shockingly Horrendous. (TJRWrestling)

6. Wes Lee Captures the NXT North American Championship at Halloween Havoc

A new champion was crowned this past Saturday at NXT Halloween Havoc. Wes Lee defeated Carmelo Hayes, Nathan Frazer, Oro Mensah and Von Wagner in a 5-way ladder match, to capture the vacant NXT North American Championship. This was Lee’s first singles title in NXT, as he was a tag team champion as a part of MSK. The NXT North American Championship was vacated due to Shawn Michaels’ stripping Solo Sikoa of the title due to joining the Smackdown roster. It is unknown if Michaels had “lost his smile” as well when vacating the title. (TJRWrestling)

5. Karrion Kross to Face Drew McIntyre in a Cage Match At Crown Jewel

Karrion Kross and Drew McIntyre will try to settle their differences once and for all on November 5th in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel. This week it was announced on Smackdown, that Kross would be facing McIntyre in a cage match. Kross recently defeated McIntyre in a strap match at Extreme Rules, thanks to an assist from Scarlet Bordeaux. Although a cage match is usually violent and brutal, at least when Kross and McIntyre are locked in a cage in Saudi Arabia they do not have to worry about some other kind of punishment. (TJRWrestling)

4. MJF Turning Face?

Arguably AEW’s biggest heel seemingly turned face this week. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, MJF gave a promo in which he warned The Firm leader Stokely Hathaway not to put a finger on Jon Moxley before their scheduled match at Full Gear on November 16th. Later in the evening, Moxley defeated Penta El Zero Miedo in the main event of the evening. After the match, The Firm defied MJF and brutally attacked Moxley. MJF then came down and attempted to stop the attack, but was then attacked by The Firm as well. The show then went off the air with The Firm member W. Morrissey putting MJF through a table. It unquestionably seems like strange timing to turn MJF babyface just a few weeks before his PPV championship match with top babyface Moxley. (Of course, it could always be a swerve.) Perhaps however Tony Khan didn’t want to be photographed awkwardly hugging a heel if MJF does win the match. (TJRWrestling)

3. The Rock’s Daughter Ava Raine Debuts in NXT

Finally… The Rock’s daughter has debuted on NXT. This past Tuesday on NXT, Simone Johnson, the 21-year-old daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, debuted on the show. Simone Johnson debuted under the name of Ava Raine, joining Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid as the fourth member of the Schism faction. Many wrestling fans have questioned why Raine is not using her father’s famous name, with her responding that: “It doesn’t matter what her name is.” (TJRWrestling)

2. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega Backstage at AEW Dynamite

It appears that The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega’s suspension from the infamous Backstage Brawl after AEW All Out is coming to an end. This past Wednesday, it was reported that Omega and The Young Bucks were all backstage at Dynamite. Also, a vignette was shown, featuring Omega and The Bucks. It is unknown at this time when Omega and The Bucks will return to the ring, and also if they will continue in their EVP role. What is known is that there will be a lot of quotes from Jim Cornette on the site this week. (TJRWrestling)

Kenny Omega The Young Bucks

1. C.M Punk Reportedly Negotiating Buy Out With AEW

After waiting seven years, it looks like C.M Punk’s return to the wrestling ring is only going to last one year. It was reported this week that Punk and AEW are currently working on a buyout of his contract. Interestingly it is also being reported that the thing that is holding up the negotiations, is Punk agreeing to sign a non-compete clause. This of course has led to wild speculation that Punk is considering returning to the WWE. Punk returning to the WWE would certainly be unexpected, as now his experience of being old, tired, injured and working with children now qualifies him to be a school teacher. (TJRWrestling)

CM Punk Tony KhanCM Punk Triple H

That concludes another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. Although I often joke, I have recently started refereeing with NYCW and FCWA, and respect more than ever what wrestlers do every week. I wrote an article all about it all right here. If you like what I do, despite my jokes being almost as bad as a Kanye West Tweet. Then follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1. Thank you for taking the time to read this each week.