We are less than a week removed from the much-hyped AEW debut of Keith Lee, but Tony Khan is already hyping up another ‘massive’ announcement.

The AEW president teased it during his most recent appearance on Busted Open Radio. He was asked if there will be any big news coming out of Rampage tonight.

Replying to it, Khan claimed that he is working on something massive which would be a big deal in pro wrestling. Though he is not sure he will announce it tonight:

“There will be a lot of news in the week ahead. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by tonight but stay tuned in the week ahead. I’m working on something pretty big. It would be massive. I don’t know if it’s what anybody would expect it is or think it is but this would be a big deal in pro wrestling.

I’m looking forward to hopefully making it happen.” said Tony Khan, “Stay tuned. I hopefully will get it done and will have more to announce soon.”

• Tony Khan Says Cody Rhodes Has “Something Else In The Works”

There is no news on what this massive announcement could be. Rumors range from another big debut for the company to details on the Owen Hart cup tournament.

What do you think about Tony Khan teasing another massive announcement after Keith Lee’s debut? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

The news of WWE pitching Stone Cold Steve Austin a return match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 swept the internet yesterday, with fans around the world excitedly discussing the possibility.

PWinsider provided some more update on the story recently. The site revealed that WWE originally reached out to the Texas Rattlesnake in late December/early January to gauge his interest in a return.

Though there has been zero confirmation within WWE from any source in the following weeks that Steve Austin has agreed to have a match at the Show Of Shows.

The original idea pitched to the Hall of Famer was for the Mania match to be a one-time send-off for the former champion in front of a massive crowd.

Even if Stone Cold Steve Austin doesn’t wrestle at the show, WWE had always intended for him to be a part of the event in some capacity. Austin was featured in the initial announcement about the PPV last year.

• Stone Cold Steve Austin On His Relationship With Vince McMahon: “He Doesn’t Even Take My Calls”

His involvement would help the company boost ticket sales for the upcoming PPV. WWE needs to move around 200,000 tickets to sell out the two-night event from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The initial talk about Austin’s return was described as a “Hail Mary idea” to the site. The hope was that the Attitude Era star would begin his storyline at Royal Rumble which obviously didn’t happen.

The status of the whole affair is very much up in the air at the moment. If there are indeed any plans for Austin to have a match at the show, the storyline should begin post-Elimination Chamber this Saturday.

Brock Lesnar is one of the best performers of the current era. He knows how to put on a show and entertain the audience. Looking at him in the ring, nobody can say that The Beast is not comfortable being around a crowd. The truth however is very different.

The former Universal champion has discussed his dislike for social gatherings and being around people in general multiple times in the past. He opened up about it once again during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

Brock Lesnar claimed that he has a ‘total crash’ after being in front of an audience. Per the heavyweight star, it takes him a few days to recover after a big performance:

“I have a total crash after being in front of audiences. Like I go hibernate in Saskatchewan. I like my downers, the anxiety from all that takes me a few days to recover.”

– Brock Lesnar

Lesnar explained that he has been like this since his college wrestling days. According to him, he is ‘awkward as fuck.’ He puts on a show in front of the fans but likes to be left alone otherwise:

“I like to go and just get away from the people. It’s not that I dislike people. I mean, it’s not been that way but some people I don’t like.” said the former UFC star, “I just like to be left the fuck alone because if I’m in front of an audience then it just exhausts me. So I gotta go and recharge up.”

Apart from this, Brock Lesnar also discussed how he doesn’t care about the Hall Of Fame and offered some advice to young wrestlers.

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Former WWE stable Hit Row will be reuniting for the first time since their release last year for an upcoming event of MCW Pro Wrestling.

The indie wrestling promotion announced that the group will be a part of their upcoming MCW Spring Fiver event from Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, MD on March 19.

Not only Hit Row, but the Hardy Boyz have also been announced for the show. They will be competing against Matt Taven and Mike Bennett collectively known as OGK:

The pro wrestling stable consisting of Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-Fab were released from their WWE contracts back in November last year.

B-Fab was first to be released. She was let go by the company on November 4. The rest of the Hit Row members didn’t last long either and they were fired 15 days later.

There were some rumblings of the group reuniting outside of WWE. B-Fab had claimed that having a reunion with her former team members was her ‘biggest dream.’

She had also discussed the potential of Hit Row confronting The Acclaimed in AEW. Now it would be interesting to see if we get to see this exchange as well.

Former WWE and WCW referee Mickie Jay passed away on Monday, February 14 at the age of 59 after a battle with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Per PWinsider the wrestling veteran, real name Mickey Henson, had suffered severe lung damage over the course of battling pneumonia. He was taken off life support at 6:19 PM EST.

Jay first broke into the wrestling business working as a referee for Championship Wrestling from Florida. There he worked under Dusty Rhodes and Steve Keirn.

The late talent was then hired by WCW in early 1990s. He remained with the promotion until the company got sold to the then WWF in March 2001.

Mickie Jay wasn’t brought in by WWE immediately. He was hired by the promotion in 2005 to work on Raw. He later worked on ECW and SmackDown brands as well.

• WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 Predictions

As a referee, the former WWE employee officiated a number of marquee matches. This included Edge vs. Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22 and John Cena vs. Kurt Angle at Survivor Series 2005.

Jay left the ring after being diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma in 2008. He was officially let go by WWE in 2009. At one point he was told that he had only months to live but he battled back and defeated cancer.

SEScoops extends our deepest condolence to the family and friends of Mickey Henson.

Former WWE NXT general manager William Regal has filed for a couple of interesting trademarks including his ring name “William Regal” and “Lord Steven Regal.”

Both the trademarks have been filed for various merchandising usage as well as ‘performances by a professional wrestler.’

Steven Regal is the name he used before his WWE signing. The wrestling veteran was known by the moniker during his time with World Championship Wrestling as well.

Apart from the trademark filing, the former Intercontinental champion has also opened a Pro Wrestling Tees store. His official PWT page describes the former WWE star as a ‘Gentleman Villain.’

William Regal was released from his WWE contract in January this year. This ended his 22-year long stint with the company. He donned many hats during his tenure with the promotion.

• William Regal Endorses 2 Must-Hire Former WWE Stars

After retiring from in-ring action, he started recruiting and training wrestlers in NXT. The former champion also acted as an on-screen general manager for the brand.

The new trademarks are proof that Regal is getting ready for life after WWE. He has been offered a role at Impact wrestling but Regal has not taken up the proposal yet.

There is no news on how WWE is reacting to the trademark filing or if the company is planning to file an objection to it.

Mickie James has not gotten to work with All Elite Wrestling yet but the Impact Knockouts champion knows who she will face if she gets the chance. The Impact star recently appeared on Women’s Wrestling Talk. During the interview, she revealed her dream opponents from all the major promotions.

Speaking about Tony Khan’s promotion, Mickie James went straight to the top and picked the current AEW women’s champion Britt Baker as her dream opponent:

“AEW, Britt Baker, I think, period, I feel like yeah, I really kind of, I’ve met her a few times. I’ve just recently actually got to know her, like, got to chat with her more to kind of get to know her a little bit recently. I just, I always She’s kicking down doors and doing so much amazing stuff over there.”

• Mickie James Reveals Nick Khan Apologized For Trash Bag Incident At Royal Rumble

Mickie James continued by mentioning how Baker has been carving out her own unique path. The wrestling veteran applauded the AEW star for that.

The former WWE star also revealed her pick within her former promotion. She said that she would like to face the SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair because the two have never faced off in WWE.

Quote: H/T Fightful

WWE Hall Of Fame Eric Bischoff has revealed that he will be having surgery to fix an issue with one of his fingers.

The wrestling veteran talked about it on the latest episode of his 83 weeks podcast. He mentioned that he is not able to extend his finger because of Dupuytren’s Contracture.

Bischoff continued by mentioning how he should have gotten the surgery over a year ago. However, he put it off because it wasn’t bothering him until now:

“I can’t put a glove on. I’ve been putting this off. I should have done this a year and a half ago to be honest. I put it off and put it off and it wasn’t a problem.

Now all of a sudden it’s wintertime and I can’t put my hand in a glove” said Eric Bischoff, “and I’m like, ‘F*ck that. I’m going to go in and have it cut out.’”

• Eric Bischoff Reveals What He Was Told About His Recent Raw Appearance

Apart from this, the former WCW president watched the February 17, 1997 episode of WCW Nitro on his podcast. He discussed matches and segments from the show including the Chris Jericho vs Jeff Jarett main event.

Eric Bischoff did not reveal when he will be having the procedure done. SEScoops wishes him a speedy recovery.

Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcribed quotes

The new UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is open to following the footsteps of many others before her and having a pro wrestling career in WWE once she is done with MMA.

The Venezuelan Vixen recently had an interview with New York Post (via MMANews). Among other things, she discussed the possibility of a career in pro wrestling.

Peña said that right now her focus is on fighting for UFC. Though she didn’t say no to a WWE career and claimed that she doesn’t see why it couldn’t happen down the line:

“Right now my focus is on fighting. Later on, if that opportunity presents itself, I don’t see why I couldn’t explore that avenue.” Julianna Peña said “Definitely, my focus is on fighting for the UFC,”

• Bobby Lashley Explains Why He Never Signed With UFC

We have seen some big names crossing over to WWE from UFC over the years. This includes Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey who are arguably the biggest stars of their respective divisions right now.

WWE will not say no to the opportunity as UFC stars usually bring mainstream attention to the product. It wouldn’t be a surprise if AEW makes a play for her as well.

Though Julianna Peña is focused on her rematch with Amanda Nunes right now. An official date for the same hasn’t been announced but it’s targeted for sometime later this year.

Despite all the other things he has to do, Dwyane Johnson made time for a Super Bowl intro and he channeled The Rock in his full form for it. The former WWE star kicked off the big game between Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals from the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday.

Giving the camera his signature eyebrow, The People’s Champion cut a passionate WWE-style promo. He got the crowd hyped up for the big match:

“It is time. It is time for all of us here and millions around the world to bear witness to these incredible players who will leave every ounce of sweat, guts and pride and legacy on this hallowed field” said The Rock, “because that is what champions do, Ladies and gentleman, it is my honor to say, finally, it is time for the Super Bowl!”

The Hollywood star had been rumored for a WWE return at WrestleMania 38 but those talks have since cooled down. Reports suggest that WWE is now trying to build a match between him and the Universal champion Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood. Though anything can happen between now and then. We will have to see if the former champion is able to make time from his busy schedule for this bout.

• Mark Henry: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Would Be The Biggest Thing To Happen In Wrestling

WWE keeps posting record profits but on the other hand, they also underpay their wrestlers. Things are even worse for developmental talents who are barely paid a living wage as they put their bodies on the line to try and make a name for themselves. Miro, who was once part of the developmental recently revealed how much he was paid.

The AEW star had an interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle on his podcast. He revealed that he was dealing with a torn ACL before signing with WWE. The former TNT champion explained that he didn’t have the money to fix it while he was wrestling in the independent circuit. His financial situation didn’t improve much after getting signed by the promotion:

“My ACL was completely torn, but my meniscus was flipped one on top of the other. It was really bad situation. It was a big mess, but we fixed it.” explained Miro, “Once again if it wasn’t for the opportunity to get into WWE [it wouldn’t have been fixed]. There’s no way I can get 10 or $20,000 to fix my ACL at home because I had no money. No health insurance clearly.

WWE at the time they were paying me $500 a week or $600 a week. So I’m already struggling there. I was making more money driving taxi and delivering food in California. And then they say ‘Hey, guys, we got to get insurance, which is $100 a month.’ [I went] ‘Holy smokes. How am I supposed to pull that money from now?”

Thankfully the former US champion managed to get signed by WWE with the injury. The company later helped him get the required treatment and rehab. You can check out the story of how God helped Miro in getting signed by WWE with an injury here.

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

New WWE signees have to go through not only rigorous training routines but thorough medical check-ups as well. There are many stories of accomplished performers not being offered a contract if they don’t pass the medical test. However, Miro managed to get signed by the company with a torn ACL.

The former US Champion told this story during the most recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show. He revealed that he had torn his ACL even before his WWE tryout. He couldn’t get it fixed because he had no money. According to the AEW star he went to the WWE tryout with a torn ACL as well, and he wrapped duct tape around his knee:

“I went to WWE developmental with a torn ACL. But they didn’t know that because once again, God, the man up there, Jesus Christ, protected me. I tore my ACL even before I went to developmental. I went to my tryout with a torn ACL. I just wrapped my knee with duct tape. You got to do what you got to do. I tore it one time in practice, and I don’t have the money to fix it. I was just wrestling on a torn ACL, which I’m sure that you have done before.”

• Chris Jericho Reveals He Wrote Rusev’s Debut Promo In AEW

Miro Explains How He Got Through The Medical Testing

After passing the tryout, the next big hurdle for Miro was getting through the medical testing. Detailing how he got through the checkup with the injury, the former TNT champion revealed that the doctor that was going to check on him came in with a student. He was more focused on teaching the student on how things should be. This allowed the former WWE star to slip through:

“I got signed. They send you to these medical checks in Pittsburgh in your hometown. I go, and I lay down because I know they’re gonna come and check this. So I pray. I pray this entire time. Jesus, Lord, Our Father, please let it be ok. I already know that my ACL was torn, and I know that they’re returning people if you’re wrong. So the doctor comes in with a student. The whole time the doctor is kind of pay attention to the student and trying to explain to him things, blah, blah, blah. He sits down. pulls on my knee, pulls on my knee. He says I’m okay. I’m good to go.

I got signed and then later on, in developmental I was still duct-taping my knee and everything. In one match, my knee just gave out. I had somebody on my back [and] my knee gave out. They called me [to] the doctor to check me, to say you have torn ACL and I said, ‘Okay, let’s fix it.'”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Former Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo has confirmed her engagement to fellow Impact Wrestling star Steve Maclin.

The female star revealed the news via a photo of the two on her Twitter account as seen below. In the caption, she wrote: “LOOK AT MY FIANCÉ”

Deonna Purrazzo is a former WWE and Stardom star. She had her first run with Impact Wrestling from 2014 to 2017 before she left the promotion for WWE. Deonna was released from WWE in April 2020.

She returned to Impact in May 2020. She won the ROH women’s world championship from Rok-C during the January 10 episode of Impact earlier this year. Purrazzo is also the current AAA Reina de Reinas Champion.

Steve Maclin is better known to WWE fans as former Forgotten Sons member Steve Cutler. He was part of WWE from 2014 to 2021. Cutler was released from his WWE contract back in February 2021.

• Deonna Purrazzo Wants to Defend ROH Title Everywhere

He made his debut for Impact Wrestling under his new ring name in June 2021. Maclin has been chasing the X Division title but is yet to win a championship in Impact.

Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin have been dating each other since their WWE days. SEScoops congratulates the couple on their engagement.

Mickie James not only made history at Royal Rumble on screen but she also got closure on some past events backstage at the show.

The Impact Knockouts champion recently had an interview with SportsKeeda. She discussed her Royal Rumble appearance among other things.

During the talk, Mickie revealed that the new WWE president Nick Khan actually apologized to her for the infamous trash bag incident:

“Nick Khan came up to me at the show [Royal Rumble] and apologized. I think he was a part of the company but I hadn’t met him or knew who he was at that time, because it was an early transitional phase.

But even he apologized to me and (said) this should have never happened, and I agree.” said Mickie James, “It should have never happened, it shouldn’t have happened ten years ago, and now it will never happen again.”

• Mickie James Believes WWE And Impact Will Work Together Again

For those who don’t know, the former WWE star was let go from her contract back in April 2021. It was part of the budget cuts that saw several other talents being released alongside the wrestling veteran.

However, James revealed that she was sent her belongings in a trash bag. This revelation stirred up a big controversy leading to the firing of senior executive Mark Carrano from the company.

The character work of Roman Reigns as The Tribal Chief has been praised by many wrestling veterans. Matt Hardy has now joined the list.

The AEW star talked about the current Universal champion on the latest episode of his podcast. He discussed how the Head Of The Table was receiving mixed reaction from the crowd as a babyface.

However, things have changed since Reigns turned heel. According to Matt it’s his favorite thing on WWE TV right now:

“The stuff he’s doing currently with him and the Usos, I can’t put that over enough. It is my favorite thing on WWE television. He’s killing it! To me, I’m almost disappointed it took them so long to actually step out and turn him heel.”

• Paul Heyman: “You Haven’t Seen The Best Of Roman Reigns Yet”

Matt Hardy mentioned how people liking Roman Reigns’ heel persona would eventually make him a bigger babyface. He claimed that he would have loved to face the current champion if he was in WWE:

“So I love the work he’s been doing and I would have loved to have had a match with him. That would have been a lot of fun.”

Hardy himself has been teasing changes to his AEW character recently. He posted a video suggesting the imminent debut of a new star.

Thanks to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Christopher Daniels is one of the TNA originals. He joined the company during their NWA days in 2002 and helped build the promotion from the ground up. The Fallen Angel also won numerous accolades in the company, including winning the X Division championship 4 times. However, despite wrestling for the organization for over 15 years in multiple tenures, Daniels never won the Impact world title.

The AEW star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He first discussed his time in Ring Of Honor. Unlike TNA, the high-flying star got a reign with the ROH world championship back in 2017. Talking about this, Daniels mentioned how the Ladder War between SCU, The Young Bucks, and The Motor City Machine Guns that took place a couple of months before that laid the groundwork for his title win:

“The discussions about me being world champion didn’t come around until after ladder war. When ladder war happened, and the reaction to the match between me and Frankie, and the Young Bucks and the Guns, just the reaction to that match. It was the first time that some people went ‘Wait a minute! This might be the time for Christopher Daniels to be a world champion.'”

• Christopher Daniels on AEW Return: “I’m Sort of at the Mercy of Circumstance”

Why Christopher Daniels Never Won The World Title In TNA

The wrestling veteran then talked about his TNA career. Speaking about never winning the world title in the promotion, Daniels recalled the circumstances leading to his ROH title win. He mentioned how he was always around the world title in TNA, but there was never a moment that put the crowd behind him like the ladder war did in ROH:

“Honestly, I don’t think there was ever a moment in TNA. The thing, I mentioned about how ladder war went and how the groundswell sort of support happened for me in Ring Of Honor. There was never really a moment in TNA where that happened. There were times where I’d come back and I would have good matches. They would put me in the ring with someone like AJ [Styles] who had the belt at the time, a lot of the time.

But there was never that moment like, ‘oh, you know what? The crowd reaction to CD getting the belt at this time from this person [is going to be amazing].’ I don’t think there was ever a moment where the powers that be thought, ‘Oh, this is the time where Chris Daniels should win the belt.’ And you know, that’s how it is. I feel like every promotion has their idea of the best thing, the best path for their championship to travel. It just happened to be away from me or around me the entire time for TNA.”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Chad Gable seemed to have a bright future ahead in NXT when he was part of the American Alpha. However, things haven’t gone his way since then. The former NXT star recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. During the episode, he opened up about his frustrations with his career.

Gable discussed how having a WrestleMania moment is the goal of any WWE superstar. Gable’s only Mania appearance took place in 2017 where he competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The WWE star mentioned how hasn’t even been able to find a place for himself in the card since then:

“As it is with any superstar in WWE, your goal is to have that moment at WrestleMania, to get your match, and I’ve never come close to that. Not only have I not come close, there’s been years where I haven’t even been on, and that was last year and that was the year before.”

• Kurt Angle Talks If Chad Gable Should Leave WWE

Chad Gable Is Frustrated With His Work Not Paying Off

Chad Gable continued by explaining how working very hard every year for things to not be paid off in the end is very frustrating:

“I still treat it like I would a big amateur wrestling tournament, like WrestleMania is our big one. I’ll get myself ready. I’ll get in better shape. I’ll mentally prepare better because it’s our big event.

To do all that work every year and not have it pay off, or not feel like it paid off, is so frustrating. It’s almost like a mission this year to make it happen more than ever.”

The American Alpha were called up to the main roster during the 2016 draft. The duo won the SmackDown tag team championships once, but Gable’s career went downhill after Jason Jordan retired from active competition.

Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcribed quotes

Tony Khan has picked up a number of surprising talents WWE released in the past year including the latest All Elite Wrestling signing in Keith Lee.

The AEW president recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. He discussed things such as the potential of Shane McMahon joining his promotion and more.

Speaking of Lee’s debut this past Wednesday on Dynamite, Khan mentioned how he was surprised when WWE let go the former NXT champion. According to him, it was the moment he dreamed about:

“Keith’s debut was incredible, much to my amazement, Keith got released. As soon as I saw that he was released, this was the moment I dreamed about.”

“It was crazy timing, I’m so happy with how the debut has been received.” said Tony Khan, “It’s very well deserved, and I am very excited to have Keith in AEW.”

The Jaguars co-owners also discussed the other AEW debut that took place on the same night as Keith Lee in current Bullet Club leader Jay White.

Khan said we should “expect to see more Jay White in AEW.” He mentioned how White’s arrival wasn’t finalized until last Sunday and he is happy that he could bring the excitement to fans.

On screen WWE official Sonya Deville appears to be dealing with some sort of arm injury. She was recently spotted with a sling in her left arm.

The WWE star posted a photo from the red carpet of NFL Honors show on her Instagram earlier today. In the photo as seen below, she is wearing a sling in her arm:

“Thank you @glaad and @nfl for an incredible event tonight in LA, inclusion is so important and brands like @wwe and the @nfl showing their support and representation matters so much. Go LA”

Sonya Deville last wrestled during the Royal Rumble PPV. She took part in the women’s Royal Rumble. She entered the match at #11 and was eliminated by Naomi two minutes later.

• Sonya Deville Comments On How WWE Can Incorporate LGBTQ Characters

She also had an interaction with Ronda Rousey on last Friday’s episode of SmackDown. Deville tried to get between Charlotte Flair and Rousey. As a result, she was put in an armbar by the former UFC star.

There is no word yet on if Sonya Deville has suffered a real injury or if she is selling the attack from Rousey. We will keep you updated on her status if any details about her health come to light.

Kyle O’Reilly was one of pillars of the Black and Gold brand of NXT. He was also there for its transition to the NXT 2.0 era before he left for AEW.

The AEW star recently had an interview with Renee Paquette for her Oral Sessions podcast. He discussed things such as his AEW debut and more.

Speaking of the rebranded NXT, O’Reilly revealed the underlying problem he believes it has, mentioning how a lot of its stars are not passionate about the sport:

“I think people in wrestling are really rare in the sense that you really, really have to love it. I think that might be an underlying problem in this new NXT. There’s a lot of people coming in that I don’t think really have that true love for it.

I’m sure they’ll do well, they’ll make a big splash, be a big star, and make a ton of money,” said Kyle O’Reilly, “but at the end of the day, if your heart isn’t really in it, I don’t know. It’s tough.”

• Kyle O’Riley Praises Shawn Michaels’ Role as NXT Coach

The former ROH world champion also discussed his transition to AEW. He mentioned how the AEW locker room is full of guys he has been friends with for years.

He said that he felt there was no spot for him on the WWE main roster. Kyle O’Reilly made the jump to AEW because he wanted to be somewhere where he would be happy and be utilized.

The Royal Rumble PPV was historical for many reasons. One of them was the appearance of current Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James who competed in the women’s Rumble.

This was the first time a champion not belonging to the company made an appearance on the show and competed in the battle royal.

James talked about this moment recently with Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture. She expressed the belief that it wasn’t a one and done deal:

“I think yes [we will work together again], I don’t know that it will be immediately, I think this was an opportunity for WWE to test the water, to see if it was something.”

• Mickie James Reveals Rumble Spot She “Didn’t Love”

Mickie James also discussed the possibility of the current Impact World Champion Moose making an appearance on WWE programming:

“I feel that now that they see the potential and how much the fans responded to it, the idea of it happening with the men, or with the World Championships, or something like that, now, at least the idea of that possibility and that door is open.”

WWE had talks with NJPW about a potential partnership last year. So James’ assumption that this collaboration may extend beyond the Rumble is not unimaginable.

Thanks to WrestlingInc for the transcribed quotes

Lita had previously been outspoken about WWE’s Saudi Arabian events being driven by money and not the desire to help the culture of the country move forward. The Hall Of Famer however has since decided to take the road herself. She is currently scheduled to face the Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch at the next WWE event from the country, Elimination Chamber.

Lita discussed her previous comments on the matter during a recent appearance on Ring The Belle podcast. She noted how she had criticized the lack of women’s matches on the card. She mentioned how things have changed since then:

“I’ve talked to the women personally that have been over there. And they’re like, ‘It’s unbelievable. There are women crying, never thinking they would get to see two women be so strong in the ring’. They’re like, ‘It’s really powerful. You’re going to enjoy that.’ And so, sure, do they have a long way to go? Do we as a society have a long way to go? Absolutely. But, you got to take the opportunities when they’re there.”

Lita On WWE Shows In Saudi Arabia

Lita had talked about WWE’s partnership with Saudi Arabia after their first event back in 2018. The former champion claimed that she understood WWE was a business and they are always looking to expand their global presence. Though she felt like it was a direct conflict of interest:

“However, I do feel this was a direct conflict of interest with them maintaining any integrity or truth to the fact that they say they would like to push forward women, their roles and their reputations in this business as anything resembling equal to a male. Make the money, that’s fine, but don’t try to cover it up.”

The first three WWE PPV events in Saudi Arabia did not feature any women’s matches. Although during the 2019 Crown Jewel event, Natalya and Lacey Evans became the first female competitors to wrestle a match in the country. The Crown Jewel 2021 event then featured two women’s matches on the card.

Thanks to PostWrestling for the transcribed quotes

People usually pick names for Mt Rushmore based on their wrestling abilities, but Seth Rollins has a different approach to selecting his picks.

The Visionary recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. During the talk, he was asked which names he would put in his Mt Rushmore of wrestling.

Answering the question, Rollins put his picks in two categories. He first revealed his choices based on their ability to draw:

“Are we talking wrestling or are we talking drawing money because those are different things. Well, in our business, which is the entertainment business, money-drawing is the biggest thing.

So, if we’re talking there, you got to start with [Hulk] Hogan, [John] you got to put Cena in there, Rock, and [Stone Cold Steve] Austin. Top four.”

• Seth Rollins On Mentioning Jon Moxley In Recent Promo: ‘I Couldn’t Ignore The History’

Though later he also revealed his picks based on the in-ring wrestling abilities and he named people such as Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart:

“In-ring, all time? Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Bret The Hitman Hart. Number four, controversial pick because he’s still active, Bryan Danielson,

I actually think, in-ring, is one of the greatest of all time. And I think when all’s said and done, he’ll be up there with the guys.”

Seth Rollins is currently scheduled to compete in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the namesake PPV on Saturday, February 19.

Thanks to 411Mania for the transcribed quotes

Melina got to share only a short amount of time with Sasha Banks during her Royal Rumble return. She wishes that this encounter was actually a one-on-one match.

The former Divas champion recently shared a post on her Instagram account. She first mentioned how she got to wrestle Deonna Purrazzo and Kamille last year.

Melina then discussed her brief encounter with Sasha Banks during the women’s Royal Rumble. She mentioned how they got a huge reaction from the crowd:

“I wish that moment with Sasha was a singles match. To think if we were able to get a reaction like we did that night without wrestling… Can you imagine what we could do if we actually wrestled?!!!”

Sasha Banks entered the women’s Royal Rumble match at #1. A returning Melina followed her at #2, though she was eliminated by the boss in less than a minute.

• Mickie James Reveals Rumble Spot Involving Melina She “Didn’t Love”

The female star has been active in the independent circuit in recent times. She has wrestled matches for promotions such as NWA and Impact Wrestling in the past year.

We have seen people like MVP and Rey Mysterio getting back into the WWE fold after making a Royal Rumble return. It will be interesting to see if Melina is brought back by the company for more appearances in the future.

Jeff Hardy recently turned down WWE’s offer to be part of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. Matt Hardy continues to speak about Jeff’s situation on Twitch and addressed Jeff’s decision during his latest live stream.

The Hardy Family Office leader stated once again that Jeff’s final drug test with WWE came back clean. He also explained why Jeff had no interest in joining the WWE Hall of Fame under the terms they recently proposed to him.

According to Matt Hardy, WWE wanted Jeff to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a solo act. Jeff had no interest in going in without Matt at his side.

Matt Hardy on Jeff’s Decision

“Jeff asked [WWE], ‘So you want to induct me into the Hall of Fame?’ And he said, ‘Well let me ask you, I know you guys have spoken with AEW. Is this going to be the Hardy Boyz? Is this myself and my brother Matt?’

And they go, ‘Oh, no no, no, no. We can’t get Matt. He’s under contract at AEW. You know, it would just be you.’ And Jeff said, ‘Well, that’s a hard no.'”

Matt said, “He definitely stood up for the team of the Hardy Boyz.”

Jeff Hardy’s non-compete clause with WWE is expected to expire in early March. The Hardy Boyz have been announced for a number of indie appearances after that.

Matt Hardy has also been teasing an ‘extreme’ change to his AEW character. The potential matches they could have in Tony Khan’s promotion have fans excited.

• Jeff Hardy Is Feeling ‘Super Stressless’ After Leaving WWE

Would you like to see The Hardy Boyz reunion in AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section

H/T Transcription: WrestlingInc