A lot of people believe that the WWE president Vince McMahon does not care about his product anymore but his AEW counterpart Tony Khan doesn’t think the same. The AEW president recently appeared on the Le Batard and Friends – South Beach Sessions. During the interview, show host Dan Le Batard wondered if Mr. McMahon doesn’t care about his product.
Replying to it, Khan claimed that the boss does care. He then recalled the 80s when Vince McMahon was trying to expand WWE and claimed that he is inspired by the effort McMahon put at the time:
“You hear about Vince going to convince Hulk Hogan, going to convince individual people to come in and work for the WWF, convincing a sponsor to come on. Vince was taking all these meetings and all this responsibility, and he was a similar age to me, and I think I’m inspired by that.”
Tony Khan continued on the topic and explained that he has taken inspiration from what Vince did in the 80s for a lot of work which he has done with AEW:
“The amount of people I’ve gone out and convinced to join AEW, signed, built relationships with that I now have under the umbrella of this company And so I tried to take a lot of inspiration from what Vince did in the ’80s building the wrestling empire and expanding it”
Apart from this, Khan talked about things such as competing against NXT in the Wednesday night wars, how fans can support both WWE and AEW at the same time without creating a hostile environment, and more.
Brock Lesnar made his surprise return to WWE during the SummerSlam PPV. This was his first appearance for the company since the WrestleMania 36 event in April 2020. Since The Beast’s last contract with the promotion had expired after Mania, his return made people curious about his behind the scene status with WWE.
Fight Select recently provided some updates on his new deal. The site notes that Lesnar’s new contract is believed to be for ‘roughly a year and a half.’ If this report is true then it means that the former Universal champion’s new deal will run through early 2023. It should keep him WWE-bound through the 2023 Royal Rumble.
Brock Lesnar’s new contract is said to be for ‘at least 8 matches.’ Though this is not a concrete figure and there is a possibility for changes and further negotiation down the line. The former world champion confronted Roman Reigns during the PPV this past Sunday. This confrontation is likely leading to his first match under the new contract.
The belief is that the bout will be taking place at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV from Saudi Arabia in October. Though considering the importance of this fight in the storyline for Roman Reigns, the officials can hold off the match for the Survivor Series in November as well.
Becky Lynch’s SummerSlam appearance has created both positive and negative buzz for WWE, especially due to Lynch’s quick win over Bianca Belair on the show.
Belair was originally supposed to face Sasha Banks. Since WWE had not changed the match until the show started, a lot of people wondered if The Man’s return was a last-minute decision made in response to CM Punk’s AEW debut.
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently provided some updates on the situation. He noted that Becky Lynch was always going to appear on the show, though the title change was a last-minute decision:
“Becky Lynch was always gonna come out for this live crowd. That was not something that was last minute. The title change was the difference, that was something new. That was not planned…that was an adjustment, they made.”
WWE knew that Sasha Banks will not be able to make it to SummerSlam 8 days before the PPV. So it makes sense that they adjusted the plans accordingly instead of completely changing their long-term booking for Becky Lynch.
Reports also suggest that the new SmackDown women’s champion herself made the decision to turn heel. Now it would be interesting to see how the company handles Bianca Belair after the big loss.
Edge using the brood entrance and theme music during the SummerSlam PPV created a lot of buzz. Though it appears that it also cost Gangrel an AEW appearance.
On the latest episode of his Fangin’ N’ Bangin’ podcast, the former WWE star revealed that there were plans for him to make an appearance on AEW Dynamite doing the same entrance. However, these plans had to be nixed after SummerSlam:
“I was supposed to be on a plane to Milwaukee, yesterday, I get a return phone call saying ‘oh man, we’re so sorry, we’re going in a different direction because WWE media stuff.’
The former WCW star then recalled how Edge called him to say that he was honored to pay the tribute after SummerSlam. However, when Gangrel told him about the AEW appearance, the Rated R Superstar felt sorry:
“He got so quiet for what felt like an eternity. I was like ‘hey, you still there?’ He goes ‘man, I’m so sorry. If you had told me.’ I go ‘I didn’t know, I just got booked.’
He was like ‘I’m so, sorry.’ It felt like he was gonna cry. I was like ‘it’s okay man. It’s good. I work every weekend, I’m doing things.’ He felt so bad. He sent me pictures of his daughter with the jacket.”
Gangrel also revealed that Edge had been planning the brood entrance and the Seth Rollins bloodbath segment from last Friday’s SmackDown for over two months.
The two big SummerSlam returns in Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch both got involved in feuds concerning the SmackDown brand upon their comeback. It appears that the officials from the USA Network are not very happy about it.
According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, the NBC Universal and USA Network officials are ‘not thrilled’ with the fact that both the returning stars are now on the SmackDown side which airs on Fox.
Zarian noted that the network officials also had issues with Lynch and Lesnar not being booked for the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw.
The idea behind it was that John Cena made appearances on both brands recently while working a feud with Roman Reigns on the blue brand.
Though the WWE officials have assured them that with the WWE draft coming up in October, this situation is only temporary. The network executives are told not to worry as the company has plans to “shuffle the deck.”
There is no word yet on what changes WWE is planning to make to the roster to distribute the star power among both brands equally but we should get a better idea as the draft draws nearer.
Both Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar are being teased for this Friday’s episode of SmackDown. This will be both the star’s first SmackDown appearance since 2019.
Walter delivered another impressive performance in his match at TakeOver: 36. His bout appears to have heated up talks about his future within the company.
According to reports from PWInsider, there was ‘a lot’ of talk among WWE officials coming out of his NXT UK championship match that the former champion needs to appear on NXT ‘on a consistent basis.’
Though the site notes that this is not a chosen creative direction for the UK star and whether or not he ends up moving brands will only be seen in the future.
Walter On Moving To America
Walter has shown his disinterest in relocating to America multiple times in the past. In an After The Bell appearance, he had explained that he didn’t consider signing with WWE prior to the inception of NXT UK because he wants to stay where he is:
“I was never too keen about leaving Germany or Europe to live in the United States. It’s a big step. Most of the other wrestlers are willing to do it because it’s their goal from day one or early in their career.”
For those who don’t know, TakeOver: 36 saw Walter dropping his NXT UK title to Ilja Dragunov, ending his historic 870 days long reign with the championship.
While she did not appear live on the show, Charlotte Flair’s presence at the TripleMania event attracted a lot of attention. It was the subject of many headlines because she skipped a WWE show to attend the PPV.
The Queen talked about it on the latest episode of Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. She explained that TripleMania was like WrestleMania for Andrade and so she couldn’t miss it for the world:
“[Andrade] was like, ‘Mami, TripleMania is my WrestleMania.’ To see him go back to Mexico, be proud of himself, feel confident in himself,
And be the superstar that he is,” said Charlotte, “Especially in his home country, I was like, I’m not missing this for the world.”
The new Raw women’s champion also opened up about Andrade’s decision to leave WWE. She detailed a conversation the two had before the former NXT champion departed from the promotion:
“He felt deflated from not being on TV and what was happening. I said, ‘I can’t tell you what to do, and I can’t beg you to stay even though our life is together on the road because you’ll resent me. You need to go spread your wings and do what you do,
And if you want to come back, I’m always going to be here.” said Flair, “I’m always going to support you.’ It was the best thing for him.”
For those who don’t know, AAA TripleMania XXIX took place earlier this month. One of the top matches of the card saw Kenny Omega succesfully defending his Mega championship against Andrade.
Things became interesting when Ric Flair came out to accompany Andrade to the ring and then backstage photos of Charlotte Flair on the show went viral.
The wrestling world is still buzzing about the return of CM Punk. While many WWE stars have chosen to react to the big development indirectly, Drew McIntyre is openly showing his support for it.
The former WWE champion spoke to Pro Wrestling Bits while promoting the SummerSlam event that took place this past Saturday. He talked about things such as adapting to the Thunderdome and more.
When asked about the pro wrestling return of the Straight Edge star, McIntyre said that he’s all for it. He explained that he supports anything that makes wrestling better:
“Just anything that’s good for wrestling, I’m all about. I was outside the company from 2014 to 2017, working the Independents and with IMPACT, just trying to make wrestling a healthier and better place.
It’s healthy right now, it’s in an incredible place, obviously, WWE is at the top and leading the charge.” said Drew McIntyre, “Anything that can make it better, I’m all about. If it makes a positive difference, it’s a thumbs up from me,”
CM Punk made his long-awaited return to wrestling after 7 years of absence during last Friday’s AEW Rampage. His comeback created a buzz that is seen very rarely.
Drew McIntyre defeated Jinder Mahal in a one on one match at the SummerSlam PPV. We will have to wait and see what the company has planned for him next.
Many wrestlers have talked about how they get creative freedom in AEW. As it turns out, this feeling is not limited to only the wrestling talent and even the ring announcers such as Justin Roberts feel the same.
The former WWE ring announcer recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted podcast. He talked about things such as working the All In PPV, how it transitioned into an AEW job, his ring announcing heroes and more.
Talking about the extent of creative freedom he gets, Roberts said that on a scale of 1 to 10, he would rate his experience at the company at 100:
“If there’s a scale of creative freedom, and there’s a one and a 10, I guess I’m at 100, since day one, it’s just one of those things where I’ve never been handed a script, or I’ve never been told what to say on anything starting from the first show when,
I believe, we had a guest singer for the national anthem.” recalled Justin Roberts, “Even with that, I’m like, I don’t have anything on who they are or whatever.”
The AEW announcer went on to explain that if he has any questions then he goes to the appropriate person but he doesn’t have anyone speaking his language for him.
Justin Roberts worked as a ring announcer for WWE for over a decade from 2002 to 2014. He was officially hired by AEW as a ring announcer in April 2019.
The new NXT champion Samoa Joe was recently interviewed by French YouTuber Hal. He talked about things such as his firing from WWE, a potential return to Raw or SmackDown, and more.
Recent reports about upcoming NXT revamps have been a major topic of discussion among wrestling fans. People have been concerned about Vince McMahon’s apparent directions to change the hiring philosophy for the brand.
Joe was asked what the boss thinks about the brand during the talk. Replying to it, he claimed that Mr McMahon perceives NXT as the future of the company:
“I think he perceives it as the future of his company. I think that he’s heavily invested in it. It’s funny, you know, I read all this stuff that I hear from people…
At the same time, he’s probably the biggest proponent of its existence, and much of what has happened in it thus far.”
Samoa Joe On Taking Backstage Responsibilities In NXT
Samoa Joe also commented on his own return to the brand after getting released from the company. He explained why he took backstage responsibilities in NXT saying that he is excited about introducing new stars to the world:
“NXT – it’s the future of WWE, and it’s a big reason why I’m excited to be kind of associated with it. Because I get to delve into the future.
I get to work on new things and new projects and introduce new stars in the world. And that’s something that, at this point in my career, I’m very, very excited to.”
Apart from this, the NXT champion was asked about the forbidden door and the possibility of making an appearance for Impact Wrestling in the future. You can check out his full interview below:
Paul Wight was known as The Big Show for over two decades during his WWE career. However unusual the name is, it still gets him universal recognization among wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike.
The now former WWE star recently appeared on Insight With Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as WWE making him turn down an offer for a role in Gladiator, why he left the promotion and more.
Revealing how he got his WWE name, Wight recalled the time he first got into WWE. He revealed that it was Vince McMahon himself who named him The Big Show:
“That was Vince, when I first came into WWE I was Paul Wight. I just don’t think Vince liked the spelling of my name or just my name. But what would Vince know about marketing? But he walked by me one day and he goes ‘so how’s The Big Show today?’
I go ‘I’m good but who the hell is The Big show?’ He goes ‘you! You can walk, you can talk, you’re an athlete. You’re The Big Show.’ He walked off” recalled Paul Wight, “And I thought ‘oh dear God I hope that is not my wrestling name.’ But it was.”
The former world champion also talked about his decision to leave WWE and claimed that he was not sure he would get a job in wrestling again after he left the company.
He told the story of how Chris Jericho got him into touch with Tony Khan. They then had a long conversation leading to Wight’s AEW signing. You can check out his full interview below:
The SummerSlam PPV featuring the match between John Cena and Roman Reigns created a lot of buzz. However, Nikki Bella is one star who didn’t watch this main event match. The former Divas champion recently had an interview with Extra. She talked about things such as her son taking more interest in dancing than wrestling, her new haircut and more.
Nikki also reiterated her comments about a run with the women’s tag team championship tempting her for a wrestling return. She said that she truly hopes to make a comeback in the future so her son can watch her wrestle:
“I talk to Brie about this on the daily. I look at Tamina and I look at Natalya and I see them hold those tag team championships and there’s nothing more that I would love to come back for that,
I truly hope that in the future I can come back in that ring and compete. Compete in front of my son! He would sit front row. It would be a dream. It’s not over for the Bella Twins. We definitely will come back and make our mark.”
Nikki Bella On Why She Didn’t Watch John Cena’s Match
During the interview, Nikki Bella was also asked about John Cena’s match at the SummerSlam PPV. Replying to it, the former champion claimed that she missed the bout because she was too busy playing roulette:
“You know, I actually have to say when you’re in Vegas, the tables took me away, I was too busy playing roulette, and I was winning big. So I missed it.”
Nikki Bella hasn’t wrestled on WWE TV for more than three years. Her last televised match was when she challenged Ronda Rousey for the Raw women’s championship at Evolution in 2018. While she has been talking about her desire for an in-ring return for some time now, a timetable for her comeback is not known.
Carmelo Hayes has defeated Odyssey Jones in the finals of the NXT Breakout Tournament 2021 to earn a future title shot in the brand.
This week’s post Takeover 36 episode of the black and yellow brand featured the finals of the tournament that started last month on July 13.
The finals saw the two men wrestling in a competitive match. The ending of the bout saw Jones trying to pin his opponent after delivering a frog splash.
However, Hayes rolled him over to get the pin and become the winner of the Breakout tournament. The finish left both the superstars in shock as the NXT general manager William Regal came out.
Regal presented Carmelo Hayes a contract for a future championship match against any NXT champion he wants to face. Samantha Irvin then asked him which titleholder he would like to challenge.
Hayes first gave a shout out to Jones saying that he is no joke. He then explained that it’s too soon to know which champion he will challenge.
The NXT tournament winner said that he called his shot to get here and he doesn’t miss whenever he shoots. The segment ended with Carmelo Hayes standing tall on the stage, raising the contract as pyro rained down.
SummerSlam gave people a lot to talk about. From Brock Lesnar’s return to a returning Becky Lynch squashing Bianca Belair, the PPV created both positive and negative buzz for WWE.
Dave Meltzer talked about the PPV on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He provided a lot of interesting backstage tidbits about the event.
According to Meltzer, WWE originally planned to hold off the Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns match till WrestleMania 39 in 2023 but they changed the plans. After the SummerSlam confrontation, it looks likely for the upcoming Saudi event.
As for John Cena, despite the beatdown angle after last night’s event, he seems to be done with the company. There are no immediate plans to bring him back anytime soon and he is not being discussed for any future storylines as of now.
The company apparently knew that Sasha Banks will not make it to SummerSlam 8 days prior to the event. So they brought Becky Lynch back earlier than planned.
Though it’s not known whether the short match was a result of Lynch not being ready for a longer bout or just a creative decision. There was no mention of the reason behind Sasha’s absence so it’s hard to say when she will be back.
Some fans were concerned about the new US Champion Damien Priest. He looked to have injured his hip during the show but he was said to be fine backstage.
Fianlly, WWE announced during the show that there were 51,326 fans attending the SummerSlam 2021 event. The actual number was close to 45,000.
Bianca Belair suffered what can only be described as a disheartening loss at the SummerSlam PPV where she lost the SmackDown women’s championship to a returning Becky Lynch in a quick match.
The now-former champion gave her first reaction to this loss at the PPV while speaking to Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture at the SummerSlam after party.
Bianca explained that she is still trying to collect her thoughts on the development. While she said that she is happy to be part of the big moment involving Becky’s return, Belair also admitted that she is feeling defeated:
“Right now, I’m just trying to collect my thoughts and get my mind together. Everything happened quickly and so fast. I was ready to fight Sasha Banks, and Becky came out, which was an amazing moment and I’m happy to be part of that moment,
But I lost my title and right now, I’m just emotional and trying to wrap my mind around it.” said Bianca Belair, “I have to be honest, I feel defeated right now and okay with being vulnerable and being honest about that. I’m ready to get my title back.”
The former SmackDown star was then asked how she felt hearing Lynch’s music at the show. Replying to it, she said that it was a bittersweet feeling and she couldn’t help and be a little sad about the situation.
While Bianca Belair kept her first reaction respectful and didn’t blame anyone, the wrestling world doesn’t seem to be very happy with the treatment she got at the show. You can check out some of the top reactions to her loss here.
Becky Lynch made her triumphant return to WWE during the SummerSlam PPV. The Man went on to reclaim her throne and won the SmackDown women’s championship during her comeback.
The new champion was interviewed backstage after the show. She was asked how it feels to be back. She responded by saying: “The Man is back, and it feels good!”
Reports of Sasha Banks potentially being pulled from SummerSlam had come out a few weeks before the show but officials did not confirm it until the day of the event.
The match was still on until Bianca Belair made her entrance. She was only informed after she got in the ring that the boss will not be able to compete on the show.
It was then announced that Carmella will be replacing the former women’s champion in the SummerSlam match. Carmella came out for the fight but Becky Lynch made her return before the bout could start.
Lynch got in the ring and attacked Carmella. She replaced Carmella in the women’s championship match and Becky ended up defeating Belair in a quick fashion.
Other notable moments from the show include another massive return and multiple other title changes. You can check out the complete SummerSlam result at this link.
Brock Lesnar made his surprise return after the SummerSlam main event where Roman Reigns defeated John Cena. The Beast Incarnate received a massive pop from the audience on his comeback.
The former world champion confronted Reigns on the show but the tribal chief backed out from a fight. The event ended with the former world champion standing tall in the ring while a shocked Roman Reigns retreated to the stage.
Though while Lesnar didn’t get the fight he was looking for with Reigns, it didn’t stop him from getting physical after SummerSlam.
As seen in the video below, Brock ended up attacking John Cena after the cameras went off air. He delivered multiple suplexes to Cena before finishing things with an F5:
Since the events took place after SummerSlam went off air, it’s hard to say if they mean anything for the future and if we are gonna see Cena and Lesnar coming face to face anytime soon.
One thing that seems to be confirmed is that we are going to get the inevitable rematch between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar very soon. It would be interesting to see which side Paul Heyman takes in this battle.
The PPV featured another massive return apart from Brock Lesnar and included multiple big title changes. You can check out the full SummerSlam results here.
The storyline leading up to his WWE title win at the Money In The Bank event in 2011 was a highlight of CM Punk’s career with the wrestling promotion.
The former WWE champion was asked to compare his Money In The Bank moment to his pro wrestling return last night on Rampage during the post-show media scrum.
Replying to the question, Punk claimed that the AEW moment felt more organic. According to him, everything he did prior to it felt like a fight while his appearance on Rampage ‘did not feel like a job’:
“This felt more organic. Everything I ever did prior to being here felt like a fight, and it kinda squeezed the life out of some stuff. This was a joyful moment that was just—it didn’t need to get overproduced,
It didn’t need everybody’s input, it needed a few select people’s input and just an understanding that it’s pro wrestling, you know? You don’t need to slick it up and lacquer it, shine it up too much, it needed to be real.” said CM Punk, “So, to compare the two moments, this one did not feel like a job.”
During the talk, the former WWE star also revealed that he had been talking to AEW officials and Tony Khan for almost 18 months prior to joining the promotion.
Punk explained why he didn’t sign with the company immediately and why it took him so long to make the decision. You can check out his comments on the matter here.
CM Punk revealed during the post-Rampage media scrum that he had been talking to AEW president Tony Khan for over 18 months before finally agreeing to make his pro wrestling return for the promotion. This raised the question as to what made the former WWE champion change his mind.
Punk was asked if he was waiting for AEW to prove themselves before making the decision later in the session. Replying to the question, the former WWE star claimed that it wasn’t about AEW proving themself and more about the two parties getting familiar with each other:
“I mean who am I? Nobody has to prove anything to me. It wasn’t about them having to prove anything to me. It was about me being open to the idea. And then it wasn’t gonna be ‘well I am gonna jump into the pool right away’, I had to dip my toe in and see how things are gonna be.”
Punk went on to credit Renee Paquette for bringing him back into the wrestling fold with the WWE backstage gig, saying that it opened his eyes:
“Actually, this is all Renee Paquette’s fault honestly. She is the one who got me to come back to do the backstage thing and it opened my eyes to like ‘okay, this is fun, she is a good person. I like working with good people’. That’s really all it was, nobody had to prove anything to me. But I did take a wait-and-see approach. And I waited and I liked what I saw.”
Paquette later replied to these comments from him on Twitter. She posted a GIF in reply to Punk’s comments, saying ‘you are welcome’:
CM Punk made his triumphant return to pro wrestling last night on Rampage. He has already set up his first match in over 7 years and has been announced for this Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
CM Punk retired from active competition after walking out of WWE in 2014. Rumors about his return had been heard from time to time since then but none of them led anywhere.
It was then reported last month that the Straight Edge star has finally agreed to make his return for All Elite Wrestling and he will be making his comeback very soon.
The wrestling world had been buzzing with anticipation since then and things exploded when Punk finally made his first wrestling appearance in 7 years at last night’s Rampage from Chicago.
The former WWE star has been a trending topic on all social platforms since his appearance. His return to pro wrestling seems to be the only topic of discussion among wrestling fans.
Punk has already confirmed his debut match for Dynamite by challenging Darby Allin during his promo on the show. Now it would be interesting to see if we get a confrontation between the two this Wednesday night.
CM Punk made his triumphant return to pro wrestling at last night’s The First Dance edition of Rampage. Fans welcomed him back with open hands.
The former WWE champion’s comeback seemed to be the only topic of discussion among fans on social sites. Though fans weren’t the only ones who were reacting to the massive development.
Many wrestling personalities also took their social media to react to Punk’s comeback. Several AEW stars posted photos with the Straight Edge star while WWE stars just reacted by expressing how the moment made them feel:
The former WWE star not only talked about his absence and return during his promo on Rampage, but he also laid out the challenge for his debut match for AEW.
While the returning star did not reveal the length of his contract with AEW, he did confirm that he has signed a full time deal with Tony Khan’s promotion.
This means we are going to be seeing a lot more of CM Punk in coming times, starting with the upcoming episode of Dynamite which Punk has already been announced for.
CM Punk laid out a massive challenge for Darby Allin for a match at the upcoming All Out PPV during his AEW debut on this week’s The First Dance episode of Rampage.
The former TNT champion responded to the challenge after the show went off air. He claimed that AEW has changed his life and wrestling the former WWE champion will be an honor:
“I am gonna keep this very brief. This f**king company changed my life.” said Allin, “And after All Out, everybody will know my name. CM Punk- It’ll be an honor.”
CM Punk had been rumored to make his wrestling return for AEW for a while now. In the post-media scrum of Rampage, he confirmed that he was waiting for the crowds to come back.
Darby Allin had also been teasing a match against the former WWE star in recent times. Tonight’s events finally confirmed this bout for the upcoming PPV.
Punk has been announced for next Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite so it will be interesting to see if he confronts Darby Allin during the upcoming show.
What did you think about CM Punk’s return on AEW Rampage? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Former WWE star Buddy Murphy has posted the latest one of his teaser videos on Twitter today in two parts. He apparently also revealed his post-WWE name with it.
In this latest teaser, the former NXT star is seen getting released from the prison he has been seen inside before. Towards the end of the footage, a Buddy Murphy graphic appears on the screen.
The graphic then changes into Buddy Matthew, revealing the new ring name for the high flying star. What’s interesting to note here is that the name Matthew was referenced in a similar video posted by Malakai Black before his AEW debut:
Buddy Murphy was released by WWE on June 2. Since all main roster stars have a 90 days non-compete clause, he is expected to become a free agent on August 31.
It has been reported before that multiple wrestling promotions are interested in bringing the former 205 Live star in. Potential options for him include companies such as Impact Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling.
Now the big question is if the tie-ins to Black’s videos suggest that Murphy has already made his decision and if we will see the former champion making his AEW debut soon.
Asuka hasn’t been seen on WWE programming in recent weeks. The absence of the former women’s champion has made many fans wonder about her health.
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides some updates on her situation and confirms that her absence isn’t related to any health reasons.
According to the report, Asuka is fine and the officials are just not using her for anything. She was also present at the recent Raw tapings but left early after learning that she wasn’t going to be used:
“For those asking about Asuka, she is fine. She’s just not being used for anything right now. She was at the Raw tapings early but left early since she wasn’t being used. “
The former champion last wrestled on WWE TV during the Money In The Bank PPV. She competed in the female ladder match which was won by Nikki A.S.H.
Asuka had been involved in the title picture for long before this. She held the Raw women’s championship for 231 days before dropping it to Rhea Ripley at the WrestleMania 37 event earlier this year.
Since her absence is not related to any health issues, the former NXT star shouldn’t stay away for long. Though it’s still hard to say when exactly she will be back on WWE TV.
Goldberg appeared on the latest episode of the Bump to talk about his upcoming SummerSlam match against the WWE champion Bobby Lashley among other things.
During the talk, the former champion was questioned about the other world title match on the show between the Universal champion Roman Reigns and John Cena.
The wrestling veteran was asked if he is team Cena or team Roman going into the PPV. Replying to it, Goldberg claimed that he is neither because he hasn’t faced either Cena or Reigns in his career so far:
“I’m team neither one of them, neither one has stared across the ring and seen me as an opponent, so I look at both of them the same. They’re just future victims.
I am a great fan of both of them for what they have done individually. I’d love a piece of Roman Reigns, and I think maybe even more so, I’d love to get my hands around Cena’s throat. But that’s wishful thinking.”
Goldberg then mentioned how his focus is on Bobby Lashley for now before revealing that he only has two more matches left in his deal with the promotion:
“We’ll see. Let me take care of Bobby Lashley first and hey, I only got one more match, or two more matches on my deal here. So we’ll see what happens.”
While WWE could always negotiate a new contract with Goldberg, the expiration of his current deal can open other possibilities for the former WCW champion in the current competitive environment.
Do you think the 54-year-old will explore other options when his current contract expires or will he seek a new deal with his current employers? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.