The identical twins in “The Parent Trap” may have fooled everyone, but when it comes to the WWE Universe, The Bella Twins are no strangers to “Twin Magic,” which gave them uniqueness in the ring. Although they have retired from pro wrestling, Brie and Nikki both have made a name for themselves in WWE, with a combined total of 3 divas championships between Brie (1), Nikki (2). The Bellas paved the way to make their name mainstream on “Total Divas” in 2013 and getting their spinoff version of the show “Total Bellas” in 2016. Last year, they would both be pregnant at the same time and releasing their memoir “Incomparable.” The Bella Twins would eventually find themselves as WWE Hall Of Famers for being the spokeswomen of the Diva Evolution. In honor of their 38th birthday, here are my top 5 moments of The Bellas. #5 Brie Bella vs Stephanie McMahon – WWE Summerslam 2014 The match between Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon was personal. Their feud had been building up since Payback, which led to Brie quitting her job, so her husband, then WWE Superstar and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, could keep his titles in the process. In the following weeks, Stephanie would humiliate Brie’s sister, Nikki, leading Brie to return to Raw on July 21st, where McMahon called Bella a “quitter” before laying a slap across the face and having Nikki escorted out of the building. Later on, Nikki would appear to have McMahon arrested. The following week, Bella would eventually ask McMahon to the match. McMahon would ultimately be hesitant to face Bella but would slap her in as a well to accept the match. The match would lead to Nikki turning on her sister Brie in a shocking fashion and McMahon would get the 1-2-3 and leave the WWE Universe asking only one question after the match was done “WHY, NIKKI WHY?” #4 Brie Bella Vs. Nikki Bella – Hell In A Cell 2014 The Bella Twins face off for the 2nd time against each other during their WWE career. It was also the debut of everyone’s favorite theme song, “Brie Mode,” which would see Brie getting her own identity and theme since having “You Can Look, But You Cannot Touch” as a theme since her debut in 2008. This would also be the first time we would see Nikki come into her own as a solo heel star in the WWE. The match would see The Bellas get near falls on each other before Nikki would give Brie a stiff right hand and a rack attack sealing Brie’s fate and making Brie, Nikki’s Assistant, until the lead-up Survivor Series that same year. #3 Nikki Bella Vs. AJ Lee – Divas Championship Survivor Series 2014 The match between Nikki Bella and AJ Lee would come after Nikki won a Diva’s Halloween Costume battle royal on Smackdown to earn the #1 contender’s spot at Survivor Series. In the buildup to the match, Nikki would taunt AJ by having Brie dress up as Lee on Raw before Lee would distract Nikki, allowing Brie to get the three counts. The match would ultimately see Brie plant a “Kiss Of Death” to AJ, alluding to AJ planting a kiss on Brie’s husband, Daniel Bryan, at WrestleMania 28, costing him to lose his title in 18 seconds Sheamus. The kiss would allow Nikki to “Rack Attack” her way to the win and walking out with the Divas Championship. The following night on Smackdown, AJ would return the favor by dressing like Nikki and winning, leading to Survivor Series 2014. #2 Nikki Bella Vs. Charlotte Flair – Divas Championship Night Of Champions 2015 On RAW on September 14, 2015, Flair looked to become the new Divas Champion and dethrone Nikki. Bella was looking to maintain her title reign and become the longest-reigning Divas Champion in WWE history. However, at Night of Champions Nikki would put up a good fight but it wasn’t enough as Flair would tap out “The Fearless One” and usher in the new generation of Women’s wrestling. Although Flair won that match, it would be controversial as Nikki switched places with her sister Brie and Charlotte tapping out the wrong Bella. Stephanie McMahon would announce that Flair did win the match; however, she could not become champion since Brie was not the legal woman in the match. #1 Nikki Bella vs. Carmella – TLC 2016 WWE would usher in a new era, the 2016 Draft. Smackdown women’s division was one of the best things and kept fans hooked with unique storylines and matchups. Nikki would immediately feud with “The Princess Of Staten Island” Carmella upon returning to the ring from a career-ending neck injury. Bella would return at Summerslam by pinning Mella, debuting her new finisher, “The Rack Attack 2.0.” The following night on Smackdown, Carmella would attack Bella before their battle at No Mercy that year. However, the feud was far from over as Carmella would attack Bella for numerous weeks. General Manager Daniel Bryan would announce that Nikki would face Carmella at TLC in a NO DQ match. Bella would win by “Rack Attacking” Carmella to win. After the match, Carmella would then state how she was not the one who attacked Bella at Survivor Series, “You should go ask your friend Natalya.” Insinuating that Natti could have been the one who attacked Nikki. Be sure to check out WWE Best Of: The Bella Twins streaming exclusively on Peacock and stay tune for more top five moments from me. #BrieBella #NikkiBella #TheBellaTwins

On episode 39 of Championship Wrestling from Memphis, fans were treated to a triple threat match for the Women’s title. Nikki Lane, Heather Monroe, and Rebel Kel collided to see who could emerge in this matchup. Last week in a confrontation between the three women, Nikki Lane spoke humbly and fondly about her fellow competitors but knew that her back was a target as the women’s champion. She made it clear that this was always going to be her belt. Heather did not back down, letting them know she was the only competitor Nikki needed to watch. Rebel Kel shows her drive and passion for the title by stating that she comes from Seattle every week to prove that she is worthy of that title. After hearing this, Nikki decided to make a triple threat match, which led us into Episode 39. With all of the participants in the ring, Heather Monroe tries to talk trash to both ladies to get them off of their game, but Niki is not phased and immediately blocks Heather’s kick to give a punch to bring her back to reality. The match started as a two-on-one match with Heather being the unlucky one as Rebel Kel began an alliance with Lane. However, Lane gets distracted when she sees her friend Matt attacked ringside and leaves the ring to tend to him. Indeed not a good idea in a triple threat match when you do not have to be pinned to lose the title. With Nikki Lane helping her friend backstage, Heather works on Rebel’s leg and tries to weaken her. Nikki makes a triumphant return and takes control of the match, even pinning Rebel for the 1-2-3, just for it to be revealed by Monroe that Rebel had her arm on the rope. With the ref confirming that and Nikki becoming distressed by that news, Heather takes the opportunity to roll Nikki up, grab a handful of tights to get the victory. This happened so quickly that both the fans and Nikki were unsure what occurred until the announcer stated that Heather was the new champion. Whether you like Heather Monroe’s tactics or not, one thing that you cannot deny is that she is the NEW women’s champion for Championship Wrestling from Memphis! #HeatherMonroe #NikkiLane #RebelKel

Countdown to Turning Point concluded with Jordynne Grace retaining her Digital Media Championship against Chelsea Green. Green won her spot to face Grace last week and decided to take her opportunity at Turning Point. With this successful retain, the target on the champion’s back grows, while new opponents emerge. The IInspiration successfully defended their Knockouts World Tag Team Championships against Rosemary and Havok of Decay. From the beginning, Decay dominated the match, displaying their will to do anything to get their titles back. The match begins outside the ring, where Decay took the early advantage. However, The IInspiration were able to outsmart Decay, retaining their titles in a stolen victory. The IInspiration proved to be the better team, working together until the very last moment of the match to have in their first defense as champions. As the Knockouts division progresses, who will be next in line to face off with The IInspiration? Mickie James and Mercedes Martinez took one another to the limits, display. The Virtuosa warned us that her next move would be soon, and last night was undoubtedly the night. After retaining her Knockouts championship, James was met in the ring by a sudden attack by former Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo. She made it clear to James that their business had yet to be settled. Moments later, Scott D’amore spoke to Gia Miller briefly about the matter. He announced that Hard to Kill would feature Knockouts Ultimate X Match for the first time! After that major announcement, he made things even more official. Mickie James will defend her Knockouts championship against 2-time Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo. Will the Hardocre Country star yet again successfully defend, or will we see The Virtuosa regain what she lost at Bound for Glory? Hard to Kill takes place on January 8th, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. Don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with OG Badazz herself, Mercedes Martinez, available this week exclusively here on Women’s Wrestling Talk. #deonnapurrazzo #ImpactWrestling #MickieJames #TheIInspiration

The tradition of Survivor Series as an annual PPV, breaking us into the holiday season, has become sacred for American wrestling fans. There have been some duds and studs from the many survivor series matches of the past. As I thought about the women’s matches that have been a part of the survivor series history, the first one that popped into my head was the 1995 women’s tag match. These two teams were packed with some of the best women’s wrestlers of the 80s and 90s. Women have forever changed the landscape of wrestling. Women-owned and booked promotions that sold out arenas in Japan years after they were all Hall of Famers and were called upon to train and lead the new generation of women. On November 19th, the first survivor series not taking place on Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Eve was in Landover, Maryland, at the US Air Arena. The babyface team was led by Alundra Blayze, featuring Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasegawa, and Chaparita Asari. The heel team consisted of Aja Kong, Bertha Faye, Tomoko Watanabe, and Lioness Asuka. One thing that upset me was the lack of extensive introduction to this match, like the men’s survivor series matches. No backstage interviews. Nothing! The heel team did not even get an entrance. They were just planted in the ring after an interview for the men’s survivor series matchup. Jim Ross did a great job of familiarizing the fans with veterans like Aja Kong and Lioness Asuka. During the match and in a pre-packaged video shown on WWE’s weekly Livewire show, Ross explained the pedigree and skills of these women who would be show-stealers in the PPV. Chaparita Asari and Lioness Asuka started the match. The sky twister press that Asari pulls off at the match’s beginning immediately wakes up the crowd and gets them fully invested. Alundra Blayze instantly eliminates Lioness Asuka. Aja Kong came into the match as a powerhouse. Asari’s red power ranger-like gear was not enough to save her from Kong’s monster-like offense. However, Sakie was not intimidated as she took some hard blows from Aja Kong and was eventually eliminated. Aja immediately stopped Asari after that. Kyoke and Alundra were the only ones left from the babyface team. Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, and Tomoko decided that isolating and cornering Blayze would allow them to destroy the blonde hero. Alundra looked a bit nervous but immediately decided to go to work. She was delivering a power driver to Tomoko to eliminate her. Big Bertha comes in to go for the attack. A substantial German suplex from Alundra to the more significant Bertha gets Faye destroyed. Aja comes back in and uses her weight to tire out Blayze. A firm head butt on the top rope from Aja Kong and a deadly punch took Blayze out and spelled the end for her. As a fan, you were left to feel that Aja and Blayze would be seeing each other again in a singles match soon. The criticism for this match was that it was rushed. Women were eliminated very quickly. The time limit was about 10 minutes, so the women had to be smart with their time. With all these super talented women in the ring, you would think the WWE would have had enough matches for two years max. Just Alundra Blayze and Aja Kong’s long-standing feud ignited in Japan could have provided source material for months to come. Kong winning the Survivor Series match for the heel team at the expense of Blayze could have led to a great feud with both women. These women had the crowd on the edge of their seats and managed to pull off mini-matches within this tag match, which is not easy with the time that they were provided. I am not trying to shade the male Survivor Series matches in 1995 because I respect all the men involved. However, I feel that the women’s match showed the evolution of wrestling for the 90s before many men started to do it in WWE during the attitude era. These women knew that they had something to prove. Alundra Blayze and Bertha Faye had to prove that this new division was a must-see and essential to the WWE product at the time. The All-Japan Women had to prove that their style was just as entertaining and far more evolved than the American roster also that they could be in demand on this roster as much as Alundra was. Sadly, with all the potential for a stellar roster, the women’s division was cut and put away for years. With that pressure and because it was the 90s in America, these women had to come harder than the guys in the ring. That was proven on this winter night for the 1995 survivor series. #SurvivorSeries

On November 13th, 2021, AEW put on another killer pay-per-view with their annual Full Gear show. The show itself was an outstanding performance with twists and surprises throughout, but another article. Interested in reading about the women’s match at Full Gear? Our excellent writer, @nickie-booshie, wrote all about it. Read it here: https://wwtalkpod.com/2021/11/14/aew-full-gear-the-doctor-will-see-you-now-but-who-is-next/ The real fun begins once the pay-per-view ends when a select number of people can go to the post-show media scrum. Now, I am a writer, not an interviewer, but I wanted to try it. I messaged TK Trinidad and shot my shot; the next thing I knew, I had a media pass waiting for me at Target Center. Once we got to the scrum, it was clear I was a rookie. I did not bring a tripod, my mic was clearly off the discount shelf, and I was the only one wearing heels, and yes, it hurt. I was excited to be there and thought I was prepared leading up to the scrum, making sure I packed everything: extra batteries just in case, the biggest SD card I owed, and of course, making sure I could look the part. However, the camera that I brought was not the best for video. I had used it before for sports photography and was comfortable with it. I knew it had a recording feature, so I did not think of bringing something different. Unfortunately, it would not focus. This was my downfall as all the recordings, the whole scrum, were useless. Each clip was out of focus, the lighting was weird, and my mic did not pick up the audio as well as I hoped, even though I was in the front. Despite all of these struggles, which entirely was my fault for not checking my equipment, being at the scrum was a moment I will never forget and hope to experience again when I am more prepared. Now, no one came to read this article to understand our lack of media scrum videos. Since that mistake was no one’s fault but mine, and I was in attendance, I wanted to report on some of the information we received. Now I would like to preface this by saying I am not going to cover everything. If I did, this article would be a novel. Bryan Danielson- There were many different things that Danielson was asked. However, the thing that stood out to me was a question directed at Tony Khan. In the future, he hinted at Danielson locking up with Hangman, the new champion. At this time, there is no set a date for that match. Regarding Hangman’s recent win, Danielson had this to say “As I was watching, I was a little disappointed. I know it is excellent for the fans that Hangman was the champion, but I mean, a part of me wanted to be the one to take the championship from Kenny Omega. Not only was I not able to do that, but I also could not beat him, and Hangman was. Listen, I do not have much jealousy in me, but there was a part of me that was like…ok, Hangman, let us see what you got.” CM Punk- According to Punk, it is “strap” season, and he plans to go after the belt. Do we know how he plans to make this plan happen? Not yet, but I think we can all agree that we would love to see the build-up. When asked about AEW, Punk said there had been no surprises other than the consistency in the company. “We are not giving you one thing for two hours or three hours. We are giving you a variety of different things. I think everybody that loves pro wrestling can find something they love about the show”. He went on to call it a breath of fresh air and was one of the reasons he was drawn to this particular promotion. Dante- The hometown hero of the night, Dante Martin participated in his first media scrum. As someone that has watched him wrestling the indies, his growth in and out of the ring has skyrocketed. We have watched this young man come out of his shell and show how much of a star he is. According to Dante, confidence was the key and the most significant thing he learned regarding the transition from the independent circuit to AEW. Lethal- According to Lethal, the reason he chose AEW was simple. He is a professional wrestler, and the promotion is the fastest-rising company in the world. “This place is amazing. AEW is on fire!” Said Lethal. Regarding Ring of Honor, he said it was unfortunate that the doors were closing. He reflected on the sad fact that so many had lost jobs. However, Lethal also admitted that it is a great time to be a professional wrestler because the business is booming, and wrestlers have options. Lethal’s first impression of AEW was, “it instantly felt like home.” I think the crowds’ reaction to his debut shows that not only should he feel that way, but he has every right to. The pop of the crowd proved that he has value and fans behind him. Hangman Page- The new champion of AEW, Adam “Hangman” Page, was still beaming when he entered the scrum. The champion expressed that winning has meant everything and that he put so much of himself into this company and business. Taking the belt off of Kenny Omega was a long time coming. According to Hangman, he looked up to Omega, befriended him, then became his biggest rival. Tony Khan- Tony Khan had the most significant portion of the scrum. Due to this, I will be providing bullet points for the information that stood out, in my own opinion. ● According to Tony, his plans for future champions for AEW never faltered. He had a plan, and if you watch all of it back, it makes sense how it was booked. Everything had a time and place; eventually, it came full circle. ● Relating to who could be the future champions, he did not want to disclose anyone in particular. ● If you watch AEW, you know that Cody Rhodes has had much negative backlash from the fans. The boos are almost deafening. However, Tony pressed on by saying fans are reacting and have a strong reaction. He currently has no plans to “simplify” the character or how he has booked. ● At the time, Khan has no plans to move Rampage to a different time slot. ● Tony Khan expressed that Canada is an excellent country for wrestling and would love to bring AEW to Toronto eventually. He also expressed interest in bringing the company over to the UK for a tour. ● Khan has been in contact with Renee, Jon Moxley’s partner. According to her, Moxley is doing better. ● One of the biggest goals Tony has for 2022 is to establish the TBS Title ● Establishing a streaming service has been talked about in AEW’s media team. As of right now, it is not a definite thing and ● Khan plans to keep Tay Conti in the top 5. He expressed that if you look back at previous champs and stars, they had a build-up. They were in great matches but never could get the BIG win. Eventually, though, they were able to defeat all odds. It is a pattern throughout AEW. Tony Khan implied that we would see Tay follow this pattern, and that is she is a vital wrestler for the future. AEW’s third installment of Full Gear was a significant success. I am curious, though, was there anything that you wish was different? Anyone you wish debuted? Let me know your thoughts on AEW’s newest pay-per-view in the comments section down below. #AEW

Country singer and professional wrestler Mickie James currently wrestles for Impact Wrestling. Not many can say they have made an impact in the wrestling industry as James has. However, this hardcore country diva has made a name for herself in many companies but is most known for her time in WWE. With her returning to the wrestling scene, James has again shown the world how excellent women’s wrestling is and can be. With Mickie James’ recent success and impact in the wrestling business, let us look back at moments of hers that helped define her as a person in and out of the ring. 5. MICKIE JAMES RETURNS TO IMPACT At Slammiversary 2021, when Hardcore Country started blaring through the speakers, the fans erupted into cheers as James made her way down the ramp to make her presence known. Hearing the positive reaction, realizing she was wanted, and returning to a company that seemed to value her, I cannot imagine the joy Mickie James must have felt. 4. MICKIE JAMES VS. ALEXA BLISS The highlight of the feud was the ladies’ championship match on Raw. Little Miss Bliss loved to run her mouth against the seasoned vet and buy her Depend Diapers and a walker. According to Bliss, James was older than the other girls on the roster and thought these juvenile jokes would break the veteran’s spirits. The way James valued herself as a wrestler, Alexa’s spiteful comments couldn’t sway her mindset. James showcased her incredible core strength by bouncing up off the canvas with three nip-ups back-to-back. Even though James lost the match, she won in the hearts of fans and newer wrestlers. By losing to the Raw Women’s Champion, she helped elevate her. When vets help younger talent, it is almost always has a positive reaction from the fans. 3. WRESTLEMANIA – WIN OVER TRISH STRATUS When Mickie James made her WWE debut, she was put in a storyline with Trish Stratus. Although this wasn’t my favorite storyline, it was entertaining. For those who do not know or somehow forgot, Mickie James’ gimmick was Trish Stratus’ biggest fan-turned stalker. This feud between the two lasted over eight months and ended at WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James winning the Women’s Championship. 2. CAGE DIVE – TNA IMPACT 2010 In 2010, Mickie James was in a 1v1 match against Tara. James impressively launched herself from the top of the cage on top of her opponent and swiftly ended the match with a pin. As someone that loves Mick Foley, high flying stunts, and dangerous maneuvers, this moment stood out to me in particular. I, before watching this match, had never seen a woman even attempt something like this. Making moves like this shows that women’s matches can be just as entertaining and action-based as men’s. 1. EMPOWERR Mickie James, the seasoned vet of professional wrestling, was announced as the executive producer of EmPowerr, an event consisting solely of women’s matches. James wanted, despite potential contract issues, the best woman in the world to be involved. While James was still under contract at WWE, she pushed to hold more all-women events. However, this never made it past a suggestion as she was told, “women’s wrestling does not make money.” We can all agree that whoever still has that opinion clearly does not understand the impact of women’s wrestling. While it may not be as profitable, it does not make it worthless. While we still have a long way to go, Mickie James helping make events possible such as EmPowerr is a positive start to making women’s wrestling as impressive as it can be. We need to give women a chance to prove themselves. #Impact #MickieJames #WWE

Thursday (Nov. 18) marked 20 years since the legendary Trish Stratus won her first-ever WWE Women’s Championship on Nov. 18, 2001, at Survivor Series in the first-ever six-pack challenge of that year women against Ivory, Molly Holly, Lita, Jacqueline, and Jazz. Unfortunately, Stratus suffered from an ankle injury that would keep her off of TV until the fall of that year. During this time, she took on the role of WWE’s newest Saturday night show, EXCESS. As she prepared to return to the ring, fans would see a different side of “100% babe.” It was not about her looks but her aspiration and desire to get inside of the square circle. Fans quickly noticed that her move-set was different from the rest of the women on the roster. Her finisher was a running bulldog but quickly became her signature move as the “Stratusfaction.” “Being on the road for 300 days of the year did not leave much room for anything but travel and competing. However, the injury gave me a moment to step out of the fray and reflect on what I wanted out of this business and how I wanted to contribute,” said Trish. “That time allowed me to go back to watching the product as a fan, remembering and appreciating things that got me excited, and so I dove into studying old matches and promos. For all those months I was rehabilitating, I completely immersed myself in studying my craft. I set my intention, and that was to go back and be one of the best female wrestlers in history and change the perception of what a woman was capable of doing in the business.” As Stratus returned to the ring, WWE was looking to bring back the defunct WWE Women’s Championship after contract negotiations with Chyna fell through. For months in WWE, the title would not be announced until Survivor Series rolled around and a six-pack challenge between Lita, Jazz, Jacqueline, and Molly Holly to determine the new Women’s Champion. Stratus’ hard work and determination would soon pay off as she became WWE Women’s Champion for the first time in her career. As the crowd roared in approval, the company put their trust in the underdog to build the future of the Women’s Division. “I knew how important this win was and that it was the start of something fresh and new and a chance to showcase the women and that division in a different light. I was thrilled, honored, and excited about the responsibility and ready to take this division to a level unseen before.” WWE saw a vast increase in the female demographic, and the stands previously male-dominated began to fill with women who were cheering on their female heroes in the ring. With groundbreaking matches, memorable storylines, and character work, Trish laid down the foundation of a career worthy of a Hall of Fame nod in 2013. Her title win at Survivor Series was the building block to 7 title reigns. A record that held up for over a decade before being broken by Charlotte Flair. As of today, the Hall of Famer is still inspiring the new generation of women wrestlers. Soon, Stratus could possibly come out of retirement to face The Boss, Sasha Banks. #TrishStratus #WWE

Jade Cargill reminisces on her first anniversary in AEW, including working with Shaq and her rivalry with Red Velvet. Cargill spoke with PWInsider about her first year in AEW and her anniversary segment on Rampage. “I am blessed. I am blessed that they believe in me and what I stand for. My first match was not until March; however, working for such a prestigious company has been a thrill. Mark deserved that cake. If you looked at that cake, you would know that Mark deserved to get that cake in his face. However, you know what? Red Velvet has it coming to her Tonight. I mean, she cannot do my lawyer like that. We are a team. I would never let anybody disrespect anybody on my team. She did exactly that, and she thinks she will get away with it. Tonight, I look forward to facing her. As I said, she is a little firecracker, and let us see what happens.” Cargill continues to recall working with former LA Lakers Shaq in her first match on Dynamite. “It was such a pleasure. It is not talked about enough but working with Shaquille O’Neal was a total pleasure. He is such a professional. I remember before going out joking with him. I said, “Do not embarrass me.” Just joking. “Do not embarrass me. This is my world.” He looked at me in a somber tone, and he said, “Do not embarrass you? This is my world. This is what I do. I am a character. This is what I do. You are in my world.” He was earnest when he said that. You know what? I woke up right then and there. I had a few nerves in me because this was my first match. Many people expected a lot out of it. I said, “You know what? He is correct. I am about to be in the ring with two legends. I have to kill this. I have to kill this. I have to kill all the naysayers. I have to go out there and perform my butt off and show people that I am here and I have arrived.” It was fun. He was a very hard-working man. He came to the school to work on stuff: just a great guy, an all-around guy. I do not think I have heard anything negative about him. So, it was a great pleasure to work with him. Hard-working man.” Cargill shared what fans can expect from her match with Red Velvet Tonight on Rampage. “Well, as we know, Red Velvet is a little firecracker. She is hot. She is feisty. I expect her to come in ready to throw everything, the whole table at me. This is her third time facing me, so I think she has the tools to know what to do when it comes to this match. However, I am going to use my strength. I am going to use my composure. I mean, I am Jade Cargill. I am not worried about anybody. So, I am expected to win this match, as everybody knows. Everybody knows I am going to win this match. This is just a phase that I have to go through to get to this championship. Next is between Jamie and Thunder, and whomever next is for the championship. I am just excited.” With a full year into being on AEW’s roster, Cargill talks about working with Serena Deeb and Thunder Rosa in a one-on-one match. “It is two people. Serena [Deeb]. Serena is a professional in that range. She is a professor. She is amazing. I think if anybody thinks anything less than that, they are crazy. I cannot wait to get my one-on-one with Thunder. I am excited to get that one-on-one with Thunder. I believe we can make magic in the ring. She is a great opponent. She is gritty. I am a gritty player as well. So those two people in the ring I cannot wait to face.” Many people do not know about Jade’s degree in psychology, and she describes how her degree has helped her mentally as a wrestler. “Oh my gosh, it has helped me tremendously. People do not understand the things that we go through as far as being a wrestler and just being able to have our composure and deal with the outside noise and the inside noise that we will be dealing with. Wrestling, of course, is physical, but as well as mental and being able to fight through all these body aches and fight through the critics and be able to go out there and prove yourself and block everybody out to focus. It has helped me a lot regarding body language. It has helped me to read people. It has helped me understand that I know who I am, and I will not let anybody outside of me tell me who I am and what I stand for. I see many people in wrestling. They let people outside of themselves determine who they are. They let all their hard work and years of grinding be where they are squandered in an interview or a magazine or an opinion of somebody else. Me being a mental professional, I do not let these things affect me. I could care less about how people feel about me because I know who I am, what I stand for, and my goals in this profession. So, it has helped me in many ways. It has helped me with my coworkers and me talking to them and making them feel great about themselves. Because one thing I know for sure is we are not always going to be at 100. Sorry, things happen in a match. Things happen in a match, and you have to be able to pick your face off the ground and keep it moving. If you know yourself and you are mentally stable, you will be fine.” Will Jade Cargill advance to the next round of the TBS Championship tournament? #AEW #JadeCargill

Former Knockouts Champion, Taylor Wilde, revealed that she was invited to participate in WWE Mae Young Classic in a recent interview with Tegan Nox. Wilde opened up about her second chance with WWE, in which she declined due to a sudden injury. Wilde defeated Impact Hall of Famer, Awesome Kong, to become Knockouts Champion, successfully defending her title against Kong in 2008 at Victory Road. She was noted as the biggest underdog in the history of the TNA Knockouts division, proving that dreams can come true. She discussed her invitation to WWE Mae Young Classic while suddenly facing an injury during training. “I was invited to that first Mae Young Classic,” said Wilde. “I had not been wrestling, and this was like six, seven years retired. I was like, ‘yeah, okay f**k it. You do not get this opportunity all the time. WWE is going to run this all-women’s tournament. If there is any reason to get my ass out of retirement, this is it.'” She discussed her injury, which led to her missing out on her opportunity for WWE Mae Young Classic and WWE altogether. “So I start training, I am a firefighter now, and I am a lot stronger and healthier than I used to be. So I went running to the turnbuckle. The dude was going to pop me up, land on the top rope, and I could not remember what I was going to do. He pops me up, but I overshot him. I basically could have done it myself. I overshot the turnbuckle, headbutting the beam. My face was all mangled. I landed on my feet, and I was like, ‘I am okay.’ Nevertheless, it was the first time I had post-concussion syndrome. So I was like, ‘that is enough.’ Wilde said. She discussed making a six-year career on professional television and being 30 at the time, learning so much in 5 years. She said, “Everything happens for a reason. I was not ready then, and it still took me a few more years, but I am back now. A career for a female wrestler is different now. 35 is not the kiss of death anymore. I feel like I have a lot more to give.” Wilde has a career that spans 2003, working with special promotions such as Impact Wrestling, Deep South Wrestling, and FCW. Her latest retirement match took place in 2011, making her return to Impact Wrestling in April of this year. As she takes a break from wrestling once again, she continues to expand with her podcast, keeping the fans waiting for a possible return soon. #TaylorWilde #WWE

In August of 2021, Kiera Hogan made her AEW debut on their Dark program, widely praised. Prior to AEW, Hogan made a name for herself on the indies and at IMPACT wrestling, where she was a two-time knockouts tag team champion. Since her debut, Hogan has shown up on Dark and Dark: Elevation and Dynamite. According to PWInsider, Hogan is not signed to an exclusive deal and can take bookings elsewhere. Recently, Hogan sat down with Mickie James, Lisa Marie Varon, and SoCal Val for a GAW TV interview. When asked about her feelings in this interview, Hogan said: “I feel like there are a lot of moving parts going on at AEW right now, so I feel like many things are getting lost in the shuffle, and I feel like I am one of those things. However, I am just trying to stay positive and focus on what I can control, which is just staying ready whenever that opportunity presents itself. I am excited because NWA, I still can make indie bookings under my contract and do things that honestly I can do because of my contract, so I can still work and go out and things, and with the time that I do have off, I can focus on myself and working out and my move set and going to training or getting bookings.” Her time as a solo performer in IMPACT and as part of her tag team, Fire N Flava, with Tasha Steelz, were both fondly remembered by Hogan in that interview. Hogan made the following statement: “My time at IMPACT, I grew so much in those four years that I was there, and I still feel in my heart that I am not done there because of how I left, but at the end of the day, it was my choice. I love IMPACT so much. It is such a family, and I miss my sisters, and I miss my family. I miss all the stories that I was involved with and how interesting everything got and how different stories fed into different stories with these people even though we had never, ever connected before.” Although Hogan has such fond memories of her time at IMPACT, she feels like she has hit a plateau. “I got to a point where I felt like — everything was going well for me at IMPACT, but I felt like I had plateaued. I am like, ‘Something needs to give, Something needs to change. I need to — my move set, Something. I feel like Something internally needs to get going. Something is stopping.” Kiera Hogan is a young, aspirational talent with great potential. When it comes to the future of her partnership with AEW and whether or not she will return to IMPACT, time will tell. #AEW #Impact #KieraHogan