Chairshot Wrestling News Report (11/7/2026): Owens Knocks Out Punk, Charlotte Returns & NJPW Closes U.S. Subsidiary

Kevin Owens defeats CM Punk, Charlotte Flair returns on SmackDown, NJPW closes its American subsidiary, and Crown Jewel approaches.

Kevin Owens delivered a brutal conclusion to Friday’s SmackDown, defeating CM Punk in a No Holds Barred Match after using a steel chain to knock out his longtime rival. The victory came after a violent encounter that moved throughout Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and featured both competitors taking considerable punishment.

The evening also brought Charlotte Flair back to WWE television, with The Queen joining Alexa Bliss, Tatum Paxley and Bayley during a confrontation involving the Women’s Tag Team Championship. Meanwhile, Sami Zayn and Chelsea Green made their final statements before Saturday’s Crown Jewel event, with both champions facing significant challenges in Riyadh.

Outside WWE, New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that its American subsidiary will cease operations and enter liquidation. The decision represents a significant change to the promotion’s international business structure, although NJPW says it intends to continue presenting events in North America.

AEW also received encouraging television ratings news following its Blood & Guts broadcast, which outperformed WWE NXT during their unusual Wednesday night head-to-head competition. With Crown Jewel, AEW Collision and MLW Saturday Night SuperFight all scheduled for Saturday, the wrestling calendar remains busy.

It’s the Chairshot Wrestling News Report for 11/7/2026!

Kevin Owens Knocks Out CM Punk in Violent No Holds Barred Main Event

Kevin Owens secured one of his most significant victories of the year Friday, defeating CM Punk in a No Holds Barred Match that concluded SmackDown from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The encounter represented another escalation in a rivalry that has repeatedly involved interference, championship opportunities and personal attacks. Owens had most recently interfered in Punk’s NXT Championship challenge against Grayson Waller, distracting the challenger and allowing Waller to retain his title.

That involvement added considerable hostility to an encounter already scheduled without disqualification restrictions.

Owens and Punk wasted little time taking advantage of the stipulation. The fight moved beyond the ring and into the audience, with both wrestlers using chairs, trash cans and other available objects to punish one another.

The action eventually returned toward ringside, where Punk delivered an elbow drop through the announce table. Owens survived the attack, forcing Punk to find another way to finish an opponent who continued fighting despite absorbing significant punishment.

Both competitors subsequently used steel chairs in increasingly dangerous sequences. Owens attempted to arrange several chairs in the ring for a major offensive maneuver, but Punk countered and sent him crashing onto the collection of metal.

The confrontation then moved back outside, where Owens delivered a Fisherman’s Buster from the ring apron through two tables. The move left both competitors struggling to recover, demonstrating the physical toll of an encounter that had moved well beyond a conventional singles match.

Punk eventually connected with the Go to Sleep, appearing to have Owens vulnerable for the finish. However, Owens had wrapped a steel chain around his fist and managed to strike Punk as he rebounded from the ropes.

The blow knocked Punk down, allowing Owens to collapse onto his opponent and secure the pinfall victory.

The finish gave Owens a major victory following several difficult encounters with Punk throughout their rivalry. Their conflict has included interference in championship matches and escalating attacks, making Friday’s stipulation a logical setting for another confrontation.

The result also carries possible implications for the championship picture. Owens has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to compete against established main event performers, and defeating Punk in such a prominent match gives him another accomplishment to build upon.

For Punk, the loss follows his unsuccessful NXT Championship challenge, creating a difficult week despite his continued presence in several major WWE storylines.

Whether Friday represents the conclusion of their rivalry remains uncertain. The No Holds Barred stipulation provided an opportunity for a decisive outcome, but the personal hostility between the competitors could create additional problems if either refuses to accept the result.

Regardless of what happens next, Owens leaves Brooklyn with a significant victory and renewed momentum heading into the final weeks of 2026.

WWE SmackDown Results — November 6, 2026

WWE presented its final SmackDown before Crown Jewel from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, featuring four matches and several important developments involving the company’s championship programs. Along with Kevin Owens’ victory over CM Punk, the broadcast featured Charlotte Flair’s return, a confrontation between Liv Morgan and Chelsea Green, and another attack by The 946.

Results:

• Shinsuke Nakamura def. Tama Tonga.
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship — Michin & B-Fab vs. Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) ended in a no-contest. Michin and B-Fab retained.
• Damian Priest def. Nathan Frazer by referee stoppage.
• No Holds Barred Match — Kevin Owens def. CM Punk.

SmackDown opened with Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn addressing his upcoming Champion vs. Champion match against Roman Reigns. Zayn emphasized that he had survived multiple championship challenges and remained champion despite Reigns’ suggestion that he would never make it to Crown Jewel with the title.

Jimmy Uso interrupted and criticized Zayn for attacking Reigns during Monday’s Raw. Jimmy questioned why Zayn would turn against someone he once considered family, arguing that the champion had made a serious mistake by provoking Reigns before their encounter.

The confrontation took another turn when The 946 attacked Jimmy, leaving him overwhelmed by the faction. Zayn remained nearby but did not intervene, creating another uncomfortable moment in his increasingly complicated relationship with The Bloodline. The attack also reinforced The 946’s growing presence as a threat across WWE programming.

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Tama Tonga in a match connected to the developing rivalry between Bakusai and The MFTs. Tonga attempted to gain revenge following the theft of the sacred Tongan Staff, but another attempt by Kyoki to take the object created a distraction. Nakamura capitalized with the Kinshasa to secure the victory.

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match between Michin and B-Fab and Fatal Influence ended without a winner following interference from several wrestlers involved in the division’s ongoing rivalries. Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley entered the confrontation, followed by Bayley, turning the match into another chaotic encounter.

The biggest development came when Charlotte Flair made her return, joining Bliss, Paxley and Bayley in confronting Jade Cargill, Michin, B-Fab and Fatal Influence. Flair had been absent from WWE television since October 9, when Paxley replaced her in a scheduled championship match.

Her appearance immediately adds another established star to a women’s division already dealing with several competing alliances and championship situations. With multiple performers involved in Friday’s confrontation, WWE has an opportunity to develop the conflict into a larger program rather than simply returning to another ordinary tag team match.

Damian Priest defeated Nathan Frazer by referee stoppage following a particularly aggressive performance. Priest delivered a Razor’s Edge onto the announce table, leaving Frazer unable to continue and forcing the official to end the encounter.

Axiom attempted to confront Priest afterward but was also attacked, with the former World Heavyweight Champion sending him into the ring post. The sequence established Priest as an increasingly dangerous presence and left Fraxiom facing a significant challenge if they intend to pursue retaliation.

Finn Bálor and Gunther also became involved in another confrontation following their recent Halloween encounter. Gunther criticized Bálor’s association with Danhausen, leading to a physical exchange that forced both competitors into another heated situation.

The women’s Champion vs. Champion program received an important final segment when WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green confronted Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan. Green acknowledged the doubts surrounding her championship credentials and discussed her determination to prove she belongs among WWE’s leading competitors.

Morgan dismissed those concerns and attempted to undermine Green’s confidence, emphasizing the differences between their championship accomplishments. The confrontation gave their Crown Jewel encounter a more personal foundation, with Green seeking validation and Morgan determined to demonstrate her superiority.

Friday’s broadcast concluded with Owens defeating Punk in the No Holds Barred main event, providing a decisive result to one of WWE’s most heated personal rivalries.

With Crown Jewel approaching, SmackDown left several important questions unresolved. Zayn remains confident but increasingly isolated, Green faces another major challenge to her credibility, and the women’s tag team division has gained another prominent participant with Flair’s return.

NJPW Announces Closure of American Subsidiary

New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced Friday that New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America Inc. will cease operations and enter liquidation, ending the company’s existing American subsidiary structure after approximately seven years.

The decision represents a significant change in how NJPW conducts business in the United States, although the promotion emphasized that it intends to continue holding events in North America.

According to the company’s official announcement, the closure is part of an effort to optimize management resources amid significant changes in the business environment. NJPW plans to coordinate its future international activities through the broader TV Asahi group rather than continuing operations through the existing American subsidiary.

NJPW of America was established in 2019 as part of the promotion’s effort to build a more consistent presence outside Japan. The initiative eventually supported events and programming designed specifically for international audiences, including NJPW STRONG and major American shows under the Resurgence and Battle in the Valley names.

Those efforts represented an important step beyond NJPW’s earlier approach of presenting occasional international events. Establishing a dedicated American operation created opportunities to develop talent, maintain relationships with local organizations and provide additional appearances for wrestlers who were not regularly competing in Japan.

However, building a sustainable American wrestling operation has become increasingly complicated. Competition for audiences, production expenses, travel requirements and changing distribution arrangements have created challenges for promotions attempting to expand internationally.

The closure does not mean NJPW is abandoning North America. The company’s announcement specifically indicates that events will continue, with additional support from its corporate partners.

Josh Barnett subsequently revealed that he had offered to assume responsibility for the American operation, including training, classes and local event production. Barnett said he believed the existing resources could have supported a valuable long-term program with a different management approach.

According to Barnett, the financial circumstances surrounding the operation ultimately made that alternative impractical. His comments provide an additional perspective on the decision, although NJPW has not publicly disclosed detailed financial information about the subsidiary’s debts or operating losses.

The announcement also arrives during a period of considerable international cooperation involving NJPW, AEW, CMLL and MLW. Wrestlers continue appearing across promotional boundaries, and NJPW has several prominent international matches scheduled for the coming months.

Those relationships could become even more important as the company reorganizes its North American operations. Rather than maintaining a separate domestic structure, NJPW may increasingly rely on established partners while continuing to present selected major events.

The long-term implications remain uncertain, particularly for personnel and programs previously associated with NJPW of America. However, the decision closes an important chapter of the company’s international expansion while leaving its future involvement in North American wrestling very much alive.

AEW Blood & Guts Defeats NXT in Wednesday Television Ratings

AEW Dynamite delivered a strong television performance with Wednesday’s Blood & Guts special, averaging 792,000 viewers on TBS and outperforming WWE NXT during their head-to-head competition.

According to television ratings reported by PWTorch and analyzed by Wrestlenomics, Dynamite earned a 0.24 rating among adults aged 18–49. The audience represented a substantial increase from the previous week’s 620,000 viewers and 0.14 rating.

The increase is particularly notable because the broadcast featured two extended Blood & Guts matches involving twenty-four wrestlers. AEW built the evening around its major stipulation matches rather than a conventional lineup of shorter matches and interview segments.

WWE NXT, which moved from its regular Tuesday slot because of election coverage, averaged 552,000 viewers on The CW. Its 18–49 rating was 0.13, improving from the previous week’s 0.09 despite competing directly against Dynamite.

The NXT broadcast featured several major attractions, including CM Punk challenging Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship and appearances by John Cena and Cody Rhodes. The presence of established main roster stars made the evening an unusually prominent episode for WWE’s developmental brand.

AEW finished with approximately 240,000 more viewers and a substantial advantage in the key advertising demographic. Dynamite’s 0.24 rating also represented its largest 18–49 audience of the year.

The numbers require some context. Dynamite aired on its regular Wednesday night while NXT moved to an unfamiliar evening, and the final portion of Blood & Guts continued after NXT had concluded.

Additionally, the reported television audiences do not include streaming viewership from HBO Max or ESPN Unlimited, meaning they do not represent the complete audience for either program.

Nevertheless, the results provide an encouraging development for AEW heading toward Full Gear. Blood & Guts generated a substantial audience increase while giving the promotion an opportunity to showcase several of its leading performers and championship rivalries.

For NXT, the results also contain positives. Despite the scheduling disruption, the show improved its demographic performance and attracted more viewers than the previous week’s broadcast.

The one-night competition produced a clear television ratings winner, but both promotions demonstrated an ability to attract meaningful audiences through special-event programming.

AEW Collision Preview — November 7, 2026

AEW presents a special edition of Collision Saturday from Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager, with the Norwegian Jewel docked in Miami, Florida, for the televised event.

The broadcast features an AEW National Championship defense, the fourth match in FTR’s best-of-five series against the Motor City Machine Guns, and another appearance by Jericho himself.

Announced Matches:

• AEW National Championship — Andrade El Idolo (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa.
• Best-of-Five Series, Match Four — FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns.
• Chris Jericho vs. Blake Christian.
• Persephone vs. Mina Shirakawa.

The championship match between Andrade and Ciampa continues their rivalry following WrestleDream, where Andrade retained the National Championship. Ciampa has acknowledged that he underestimated the champion during their previous encounter, making Saturday’s rematch an opportunity to correct that mistake.

The contest also provides another significant championship attraction for a Collision broadcast taking place outside AEW’s usual arena environment. Andrade enters as champion, but Ciampa’s experience and aggressive style make him a credible challenger.

FTR faces a particularly important situation against the Motor City Machine Guns, who lead their best-of-five series two matches to one. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin can secure the overall victory with another win, while Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler must win to force a deciding fifth encounter.

The series has already featured several controversial moments, including Stokely Hathaway’s interference and FTR’s post-match attack on Shelley following the third encounter. Those developments have changed the tone of a rivalry that began as a competitive showcase between two accomplished tag teams.

Saturday’s match therefore carries consequences beyond the immediate result. A victory for the Machine Guns would end the series, while FTR’s survival would provide another opportunity to escalate the rivalry.

Jericho will also compete against Blake Christian, adding another singles attraction to the cruise-themed event. Nick Wayne has been advertised to appear, creating additional interest in Jericho’s developing program following their recent encounters.

Persephone will face Mina Shirakawa in another international attraction, continuing the former TBS Champion’s appearances across AEW programming following Blood & Guts.

With Full Gear scheduled for November 14 in Phoenix, Collision provides another important opportunity to develop major rivalries and championship programs before the pay-per-view.

WWE Crown Jewel Preview — November 7, 2026

WWE Crown Jewel takes place Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring two Champion vs. Champion encounters, a Last Man Standing Match and a World Tag Team Championship defense.

The event begins at noon ET, streaming through ESPN Unlimited in the United States and Netflix internationally.

Announced Matches:

• Men’s Crown Jewel Championship — World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns vs. Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn.
• Women’s Crown Jewel Championship — WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green vs. Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan.
• Last Man Standing Match — Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.
• World Tag Team Championship — Bron Breakker & Austin Theory (c) vs. Penta & Je’Von Evans.

The most significant championship encounter brings Reigns and Zayn together following several weeks of increasingly personal confrontations. Zayn has repeatedly criticized Reigns for receiving recognition he believes should belong to the Undisputed WWE Champion, while Reigns has questioned whether Zayn belongs at the same level.

Their history within The Bloodline creates another layer of tension. Zayn once stood alongside Reigns as the Honorary Uce before their relationship deteriorated, and their current championship rivalry has forced both competitors to revisit that complicated history.

Zayn delivered a Helluva Kick to Reigns during Monday’s Raw, establishing that he intends to approach the match aggressively. Friday’s SmackDown added another complication when The 946 attacked Jimmy Uso while Zayn watched without intervening.

The women’s Champion vs. Champion encounter presents Green with another opportunity to establish her credibility. Morgan has repeatedly dismissed her accomplishments, but Green remains determined to prove that her title reign deserves recognition.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton will attempt to settle their increasingly hostile rivalry under Last Man Standing rules. Their history as former allies has become central to the storyline, with references to Dusty Rhodes adding emotional significance to their confrontation.

The World Tag Team Championship match gives Penta and Je’Von Evans another opportunity against The Vision. Breakker and Theory have repeatedly used their physical advantages and outside assistance to control confrontations, creating a difficult challenge for the contenders.

The event arrives during an important stretch for WWE, with Survivor Series scheduled for November 28. Several outcomes could influence the company’s championship direction and establish new rivalries heading toward the final month of 2026.

Josh Barnett Reveals He Offered to Lead NJPW’s American Operation

Josh Barnett has provided additional insight into New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s decision to close its American subsidiary, revealing that he previously offered to take over the operation.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion and professional wrestler explained that he believed NJPW’s existing American infrastructure could have become a valuable resource if managed differently. His proposal reportedly included overseeing training, conducting classes and producing local wrestling events.

Barnett has extensive experience in professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, including his involvement with Bloodsport events. That background gives him a perspective on both the competitive and business challenges associated with operating an independent wrestling organization.

His proposal appears to have been motivated by the belief that NJPW could develop a more consistent American presence through smaller events and training programs rather than relying primarily on major international productions.

However, Barnett indicated that the financial circumstances surrounding the subsidiary ultimately made the proposal difficult to pursue. He suggested that the cost of maintaining the operation relative to its existing debts contributed to the company’s decision to close it.

Barnett’s comments do not establish that NJPW formally negotiated a transfer of the business or that a completed acquisition agreement was ever under consideration. They do, however, demonstrate that at least one experienced industry figure believed the operation had potential under a different structure.

With NJPW announcing that its North American events will continue, the closure raises questions about how the company intends to manage training, local relationships and future event production.

Barnett’s involvement provides another perspective on the decision, particularly as NJPW considers how to maintain an international presence without its existing American subsidiary.

This report includes information from: WWE, Fightful, Wrestling Observer/F4W, POST Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Wrestlenomics, PWTorch, All Elite Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Dot Net.