We now have some idea of what WWE had planned for Randy Orton upon his return from injury.

Orton has been out-of-action for the past several months since he and Matt Riddle’s RAW Tag Team Title reign ended. However, initially Orton wasn’t expected to be sidelined as long as he has.

According to a report from WrestleVotes, the initial plan for Orton was to return and immediately turn on Riddle, sparking a feud between the pair.

Of course, those plans were initiated back in May, when Vince McMahon was still the frontman of WWE. Since, McMahon has retired and Triple H has assumed creative responsibilities.

There’s a possibility that Triple H could decide to go in a different direction. As for Riddle, WrestleVotes speculated that WWE might not have anything for Riddle at the moment because Orton isn’t back.

Shortly after concluding his feud with Seth Rollins, Riddle has been working with Elias on RAW, teaming up against Alpha Academy on Monday Night RAW.

It will be interesting to see what WWE decides to do with both Randy Orton and Riddle should he eventually return. There’s said to be a bit of worry about Orton’s injury and its severity given how long he’s been away.

WWE is expected to be making regular cuts to NXT moving forward.

Earlier this week, WWE released names such as Bodhi Hayward, Sloane Jacobs, Erica Yan, Damaris Griffin, and Ru Feng from their developmental brand.

This isn’t something completely new, as regularly releasing talent is something that has been going on since Vince McMahon was still running operations.

However, under the Triple H regime, that practice will continue. Wrestling Observer Radio‘s Dave Meltzer shared a report on the situation recently.

WWE is planning on continuing to release NXT talent regularly if they feel they are not progressing the way the company wants.

Talent can expect to be let go anywhere from the six-month to one-year mark if progression expectations are not being met. Also, anyone who isn’t put on TV after two years can also expect to be let go.

Of course, Bodhi Hayward’s situation, in particular, was a bit different. Subsequent reports have since suggested that Hayward was actually a handful to deal with, which added to the company’s decision to let him go in the end.

While WWE will continue its efforts to search the globe for more potential stars, it seems they also have set a hard rule on how long they’re waiting to sit on a talent’s potential before cutting ties.

Dana Brooke has explained the fiery response she had for Seth Rollins last month.

On an episode of Monday Night RAW last month, Seth Rollins was a guest on commentary and discussed the possibility of Austin Theory cashing in his Money In The Bank contract for the United States Title.

Rollins said that Theory “has a better chance cashing in on Dana Brooke!” Brooke didn’t appreciate this much, taking to Twitter to issue a fiery response to Rollins and his comment.

“Talk is CHEAP!! I work my a** off every single day & will not tolerate this sh*t anymore! I can promise you I am the hardest working WOMAN around, never have I taken off work, always worked through injuries, proved multiple times I can fit any position given & DO IT W/ A SMILE!”

Having been poked fun at on TV before by others such as Corey Graves, Brooke seems to be tired of it.

Speaking in a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston, Dana explained why she got so heated in her response to Rollins last month.

“I’ve taken it many times, Sam Roberts, Corey Graves, and now Seth Rollins. They don’t see what I do behind the scenes. It’s always about an opportunity and I’m waiting on that opportunity to come out there and show them what I can do.

“But behind the scenes, I’m working 24/7. I’m in the ring here. I’m working out at the gym. I do boxing classes. I work on promo skills, acting classes, everything. I’m doing it all and never missed a day of work ever. I’ve had deaths in the family.

“I’ve showed up to work that following week just because I want that opportunity. I really do. People always see what is showcased out there in the ring or what’s on TV, but they never see how someone is working behind the scenes.

“I promise you I’m the hardest working woman. I said talk is cheap because I have that aggression. I have that pent up, you know, anger inside that I’m just ready to let out and show the world that I can do it.

“Trust me, I can do it. I’m just as good and as equal as every other woman on the roster. At the end of the day, my time will come.”

Brooke has been signed to WWE since 2013. Throughout that time, she has won only the WWE 24/7 Title 15 times, currently holding the strap.

H/T WrestlingNews.co

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley would likely have to decline a chance to return to WWE at this point in his life.

He took to his podcast, “Foley Is Pod,” to explain. Over the course of his legendary career inside the ring Foley suffered a multitude of injuries that are catching up with him. At this point in his life, Foley admits he can’t remember a written promo or storyline.

“Now, I can’t remember a written promo. And that’s one of the reasons why if I do get a call for [WWE] TV, I’m more likely to say no. Because I don’t — I saw it in 2012, the year we’re covering, that I make a difference.

“And I thought I was one of the few returning guys who could make a difference or who wanted to make a difference. Because that was my primary goal. If you’re going to bring me back, I want to help out a storyline.

“I don’t want to just get the pop, I don’t wanna just promote something I have coming up, I want to make a difference. And now I cannot, I cannot remember a storyline. And I don’t wanna just be a hanger-on in the back on ‘Old School Day.

“But as far as remembering, as far as long-term memory, I think it’s as strong as its ever been.”

Mick Foley was a huge star for WWE in the 90s during the company’s Attitude Era. He’s a three-time WWE Champion and eight-time Tag Team Champion alongside partners such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kane, The Rock, and more.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame back in 2013. Foley did return in 2016 as the General Manager for Monday Night RAW under Stephanie McMahon for a brief time.

However, that stint lasted a little less than a year as Foley was written off TV the following March in 2017. Since, Foley has made sporadic appearances on WWE TV, his last being in 2019 to help unveil the new WWE 27/7 Title.

Quotes via 411Mania

Madcap Moss knows exactly who he’d like to wrestle against at WrestleMania 39 next year.

Since his days as the goofy sidekick to Baron Corbin have come to an end, Moss begun his journey as a singles competitor in WWE. He’s found quite a bit of success since, winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

However, Moss is now seeking his very own “WrestleMania moment.” The SmackDown star appeared on “WWE Deutschland” recently and discussed next year’s WrestleMania 39 show from California.

In regards to who he’d potentially like to share the ring with at the show. Moss didn’t hesitate to name the current “Honorary Uce” Sami Zayn.

“Sami Zayn, the Honorary Uce,” Madcap Moss said. “I just can’t decide how I feel about him because I just can’t take my eyes off of him. He’s so entertaining.

“But, at the time, I have my fist balled up every time I watch him and I just want to punch him right in the face at the same time … Either way he’s an unbelievable performer, you know, all craziness aside he’s one of the best on the mic, in the ring.

“You know what he did this past year at WrestleMania with Johnny, Johnny Knoxville, how fun was that match? An absolutely all time match right there.”

Moss went on to praise Zayn and the current work he’s doing on SmackDown, claiming the Bloodline member is “firing on all cylinders” at the moment.

“It feels like he is his own performer that is, every little movement he makes, every face he makes, you know, the way he talks is unique to him and it feels like a unique performance each and every week,” Moss said.

“I think he’s firing on all cylinders and I don’t think there is anyone who is more entertaining than Sami Zayn right now.”

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

We have some news to pass along regarding a scrapped segment from this week’s episode of WWE RAW.

This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW had quite a bit to unpack, as it was the go-home episode before this weekend’s Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia.

Some big moves were made to set up matches ahead of the show, however, it appears one traditional segment was scrapped from the show.

Being that this week’s episode was broadcast on Halloween night, there were a few traditions WWE were expected to keep up with on the show. According to a report from Fightful Select, a Halloween party segment was, in fact, planned for the show initially.

A food fight, involving pumpkin pies, was pitched, as is tradition. However, that never ended up happening. A handful of extras were also on deck for the show, but were ultimately never used.

It’s believed the segment was nixed due to time constraints given everything WWE had to do ahead of Crown Jewel this weekend. It should be noted, however, that the show did feature it’s traditional “Trick or Street Fight,” which saw Matt Riddle pick up a fun win over Otis.

This week’s WWE RAW also featured some other big moments, including new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions being crowned, as the duo of Alexa Bliss and Asuka topped Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY & Dakota Kai for the gold.

Dana Brooke has fired back at Seth Rollins for his comment about her on Monday Night RAW this week.

During the show last night, while on commentary, Rollins addressed the possibility of Austin Theory cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on him for the United States Championship.

Rollins said that Theory “has a better chance cashing in on Dana Brooke!” Brooke definitely caught wind of this, and was seemingly not happy about it. She took to Twitter to fire back at Rollins, saying the following.

“Talk is CHEAP!! I work my a** off every single day & will not tolerate this sh*t anymore! I can promise you I am the hardest working WOMAN around, never have I taken off work, always worked through injuries, proved multiple times I can fit any position given & DO IT W/ A SMILE!”

Brooke, who is no stranger to being poked fun at on live TV by her peers, has been with WWE since 2013, having worked on both RAW and SmackDown Live. Throughout that time, Brooke has yet to win a championship title outside of the 24/7 Championship.

As of this writing, Brooke is a 13-time WWE 24/7 Champion, and currently holds the title, which is what Rollins was referencing in his comment last night.

Alexa Bliss has opened up on the criticism that she and other WWE stars receive from fans, and how “disheartening’ it can be.

Bliss was recently interviewed by The UK Metro, where she discussed what it’s like to be in the spotlight and receive so much criticism from the likes of WWE fans. The former RAW Women’s Champion believes everyone has a right to their own opinion.

However, when the line is crossed and fans are not criticizing their storylines or characters – but rather themselves as people – it’s a “disheartening” experience.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand – nine times out of 10 when you see us performing, we are going on no sleep, we are going on beat up bodies because we do travel four, five, six days a week.

“We are emotionally exhausted, we are mentally exhausted, we are physically exhausted but we are doing it to entertain everyone else. I agree that everyone should have the right to speak their opinion.

“But when you talk about us as human beings, people, and not our characters, that’s where the line stops, and I don’t feel like that’s OK. But we do it because we love what we do, we love entertaining people. It’s really disheartening and heartbreaking when we are putting our all out there.”

Alexa Bliss recently made her return to WWE TV after a lengthy layoff in which she got married. Now, Bliss has separated herself from her former supernatural persona alongside Bray Wyatt, who has also since returned to WWE.

Now, Bliss is back on Monday Night RAW, looking to get back in the World Title picture that is currently lead by champion Bianca Belair.

William Regal has explained why WWE didn’t hire MJF when he was 19-years-old.

One of the hottest topics going around at the moment in professional wrestling is MJF’s promo with William Regal on AEW Dynamite, addressing why Regal didn’t hire MJF back when he was with WWE.

MJF was only 19-years-old at the time, which was a big reason for Regal’s decision not to hire the current AEW star. Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal further explained WWE’s decision not to hire MJF when he initially tried out.

“NXT was a big part of the Network. Some people have said, ‘you just took people for here and there.’ Yeah, they were the ones the Adam Coles, Kevin Steens, Sami Zayns, Kyle O’Reillys, Fergal Devitts, made a name for themselves and they are more valuable.

“One thing that everyone understands is, if they already have a fanbase, and that fanbase joins them and they are on the Network and NXT and bring in 1,000 people, that’s $10,000 a month. This is business sense. At 19, you haven’t got a following.

“Fortunately for him, this is another thing, whatever nonsense he’s done with AEW, he should be kissing the feet of Tony Khan and anybody who started. Chris Jericho, the Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, he should be down showering them with praise night and day.

“They started a company that he got hired in straight away because of what he’s been doing in another company. If [AEW] hadn’t started up, he probably still wouldn’t have gotten hired in WWE straight away, it would have been a year or two and he wouldn’t be in this position now.

“Perhaps he’s just an asshole. No matter how talented he is, has he got the mental capacity to handle all of it? We’ve seen how he reacts over an email.”

Things certainly seemed to have worked out for MJF since. He’s currently, arguably, the biggest star in AEW, and certainly one of the biggest in professional wrestling period.

He’s slated to become a free agent in 2024, leaving WWE the potential opportunity to make a big bid for the young star. It will be interesting to see if MJF does, in fact, end up in WWE when it’s all said and done.

Kurt Angle asked All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for a very large sum of cash to wrestle for the promotion.

Angle’s professional wrestling days are likely behind him, and any further involvement he will have in the industry will likely be with WWE. However, four years ago, AEW president Tony Khan was apparently seeking out the WWE Hall Of Famer’s services.

This was before Angle officially decided to hang up his boots for good. Taking to a Q&A segment on his podcast, Angle suggested he told AEW he’d need about $3 million to do 10 matches.

Of course, that deal never came to fruition, and Angle has yet to work with AEW in any sort of capacity.

“Well, to even consider coming back, it’s going to have to be for a substantial amount of money. I do remember, Tony Khan wanted me to come in and wrestle for him. This was like 4 years ago and I said, ‘For 10 matches, I want $3 million.’ That’s 300 grand a match.”

Kurt Angle has since inked a nostalgia/merchandise deal with WWE. It remains unknown if this would affect his ability to work with other promotions such as AEW in the future in any capacity.

Jim Ross has offered up some thoughts on the controversial Katie Vick storyline from his days in WWE.

Back in 2002, a feud between Triple H and Kane birthed one of the most horrific segments that WWE TV has ever produced. Triple H accused Kane of being a murderer, suggesting he was responsible for the death of a woman named Katie Vick.

Kane later admitted that Katie Vick was a friend of his who he drove home from a party one night. However, Kane was unfamiliar with the car her was driving, leading to a crash, and Vick’s death.

Later, a segment ran with Triple H, wearing Kane’s mask, visiting a funeral home, visiting the casket of what was supposed to be Katie Vick. Triple H got into the casket with Vick’s body before the camera blurred, and suggestive sounds could be heard from Triple H, saying things such as “I screwed your brains out” before tossing out some brain-like material.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” to offer his thoughts on the segment 20 years later. It’s safe to say, Ross has the same viewpoint that many wrestling fans have on the segment.

 “I don’t know [if that was always the plan]. I don’t recall any more decent ideas. There may have been. Somebody may have said, ‘Well, that’s not outlandish enough, that’s not sensationalistic enough.’

“But it was an attempt to become more entertainment. For Raw anyway, the entertainment side of that show became the HLAs and all that shit. Lawler and I did our best to make some sense out of it, narrate it, or lay out.

“I found us laying out of it more than anything because sometimes when you’re not sure what to say, or an angle is being introduced and you don’t know how the audience is gonna take it, you lay out….some of that content was hard to lay out. What do you say sometimes?

“The only thing I will say about that stuff is it was different, it was unique, it was new. But none of those things were good. It wasn’t good new. Nothing. This show was a great example of us getting way out of our lane.”

We have a backstage report to pass along on how MJF is perceived backstage in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

There has been a lot of chatter about the backstage environment within AEW, especially with reports of backstage brawls involving some of the company’s biggest names.

According to a report from PWTorch, things are pretty good backstage at the moment and are not as bad as headlines have made them out to be as of late.

The report also speculated on MJF’s contract situation. While MJF continues to insist that he has not signed a contract extension with AEW, but instead received a pay bump, PWTorch speculates that the young star may have, in fact, signed an extension after all and is waiting for the right time to announce it.

Backstage, MJF is described as not being a problem backstage compared to other names such as Sammy Guevara, or Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa. He’s even said to be less of a problem than The Bucks and Kenny.

While someone like Omega is described as being more “political,” MJF is said to be more “ambitious” than anything. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops given the unconfirmed status of MJF’s contract heading into 2024.

Longtime professional wrestling commentator Jim Ross has discussed potentially retiring after his current deal with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) goes out.

Ross recently took to his podcast, “Grilling JR,” and discussed the possibility of walking away from professional wrestling at 70-years-old. The WWE Hall Of Famer didn’t confirm that he’ll be retiring, but admitted he is definitely considering it.

“I think my contract with AEW is about another year and change. I’m looking at finishing that out and then taking it from there. So, that means I’m thinking about [retirement].

“I haven’t talked to Tony Khan about this, but when I signed an extension – I think for 18 months or something like that – and it’s still in effect. I’m happy with that arrangement. We’ll take it one week at a time.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna stay, or if he wants me to stay. I think he does, and I know I do. But I also have to be realistic. I’m not a young kid.

“Maybe I’m traveling too much, maybe I don’t need to come to Dynamite, and stay at home an extra day before you get on that next airplane. I like what I’m doing. I really do.”

Jim Ross has been involved in the professional wrestling world since the mid-70s. He’s best known for his historic 20-year run with WWE where he became known as the “voice of wrestling.”

In 2013, Ross left WWE and would go on to do work with the likes of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), a few independent shows, a brief return to WWE, and now, under contract with AEW.

We have some more details to pass along on Chris Jericho and his new deal with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

As we’ve noted, Jericho recently signed a new deal with AEW that will keep him with the promotion through December of 2025. According to a new report from Wrestling Observer Radio, while the deal was framed as a contract extension, it’s actually a whole new deal.

Meltzer noted that Jericho’s initial deal with AEW kept him with AEW until January of 2024. He’ll continue to be on this deal until the first week of January. His new deal will expire in January of 2026.

While Chris Jericho is currently a major part of the in-ring action in AEW right now, the new deal will also see him take on an increased role backstage. He’ll serve as a producer and creative advisor, and will continue his current role of mentoring young talent.

AEW president Tony Khan had the following to say about Jericho remaining on with the promotion.

“Chris has discovered a fountain of youth this year, and he’s having some of the very best matches of his legendary career against some of the top names in wrestling. In expanding his responsibilities, he’ll continue to serve as a valuable leader with our roster.”

• Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Road Dogg doesn’t understand CM Punk’s us of “Cult Of Personality” as his entrance theme.

Taking to his podcast, “Oh You Didn’t Know,” Road Dogg discussed Punk’s use of the song by Living Colour for his theme. In Dogg’s opinion, the song doesn’t really match Punk’s personality.

“Buying ‘Cult of Personality’ for CM Punk makes zero sense to me. Yes that was his theme song for a minute, but why?

“[Whatever song they would’ve picked for his return] would’ve been fine, it would’ve been CM Punk’s new song and they could’ve found one in a music library that was close enough to where we can either copy this, rip it off a little bit, change it a little bit and own it, or we can just use that one, pay the library costs.

“I don’t know, I don’t think the’ Cult of Personality’ defines him in my mind or not. I don’t know if I’m just bringing that up because I’m negative about him all the time.”

Road Dogg and CM Punk have certainly had their issues with one another in the past. In a past podcast, the D-X member noted that he once wanted to fight Punk for the lack of respect he would show to veterans such as himself and The New Age Outlaws.

Currently, Punk is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a multi-time World Champion for the promotion. However, he’s currently nursing an injury that has him sidelined from in-ring action.

He was also involved in a backstage altercation with other AEW talents that has caused quite a bit of backstage drama within the promotion. His future with AEW remains in question.

• CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

The Rock has offered up his thoughts on the recent backstage changes that have gone on within WWE.

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, The Rock was asked about the recent changes that have gone on within WWE backstage. He called it an “interesting shift” that the company is going through, praising their ability to pivot.

“What an interesting shift that the company has gone through this year, unexpected in many ways, but when unexpectations happen in that kind of way, that form or fashion, especially in that business, you gotta have the ability and the agility to pivot, which they have.”

Particularly, The Rock pointed to Roman Reigns and The Usos as being particularly impressive as of late.

“With Roman, I think he’s doing a pretty good job, and the boys too, the Usos too.”

Recently, the creative leadership within WWE has taken a major turn. Amidst sexual misconduct allegations against longtime WWE CEO Vince McMahon, “The Chairman Of The Board” was forced to step down from the position, allowing Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to step up as co-CEOs.

Shortly after, investigations into the allegations began, and McMahon retired from WWE altogether. This left the creative reigns to former WWE Champion and McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H.

Since the change, the general reception from fans and backstage talent has been mostly positive.

Quotes via 411Mania

Ronda Rousey actually had pitched a finish for her Extreme Rules match with Liv Morgan that was turned down.

“The Rowdy One” revealed this during a live stream on her YouTube channel. The pitch apparently mimicked that of the finish of their match at SummerSlam, but instead featured thumb tacks for Rousey to be slammed on.

“I pitched the finish to be on thumbtacks. She would put down the thumbtacks and powerbomb me on the thumbtacks and then as a repeat of our finish before, I would go for the armbar on the thumbtacks and they would start counting the pin.

“Then I would have to push up to my one shoulder. Like into the thumbtacks to keep the armbar… Liv would be like bite her hand, trying not to tap out and pass out face down into the thumbtacks and have her hand protect the face.

“They said we can’t use thumbtacks anymore. That legally we can’t like purposefully, like, injure people, like, cut through skin and stuff. I don’t know.”

Rousey captured the SmackDown Women’s Title from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Backlash in an I Quit match back in May. At Money In The Bank this past July, Rousey successfully defended the title against Natalya.

However, Liv Morgan, who won the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase earlier in the night, cashed in on and defeated an already beaten down Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Title for the first time in her career.

After successfully retaining the title against Rousey at SummerSlam in controversial fashion, the pair rematched yet again at Extreme Rules, but this time in an actual Extreme Rules match.

The ex-UFC champion picked up the win via submission after a grueling match. Now, Ronda Rousey is in the midst of her second-ever reign with the title.

Quotes via Sportskeeda

Saraya has revealed why she wasn’t on this week’s episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite.

Some fans were confused as to why AEW’s newest signing wasn’t on this week’s episode of Dynamite. However, Saraya took to Twitter to explain that she wasn’t on the show this week because she had to make a trip home to the U.K.

It should be noted that Saraya’s uncle, Julian, passed away earlier this month. Saraya did note that she’d be back for next week’s episode in Cincinnati.

The 30-year-old began her professional wrestling career back in 2005. She signed with WWE in 2011 under the ring name “Paige.” In perhaps one of the most memorable main roster debuts in recent memory, Paige debuted on Monday Night RAW the night after WrestleMania 30.

She congratulated then-champion AJ Lee on her successful title defense the night before, but after Lee slapped her, this lead to an impromptu title defense in which Paige actually won. Paige also held the NXT Women’s Title at the time.

Unfortunately, Paige’s career was plagued by injuries throughout her WWE run, as the last few years of her time with the company resulted in no in-ring competition due to her inability to get cleared medically.

However, after her contract with WWE expired earlier this year, Saraya opted to sign with AEW, who has since medically cleared her for in-ring competition.

Drew McIntyre has offered his reaction to the 15th anniversary since making his WWE debut.

McIntyre took to Twitter and reflected on 15 years since making his debut with the company on an October episode of SmackDown in 2007. He noted that he had only been in the United States for two weeks at the time and the titantron had gotten his name wrong.

Check out what he had to say here:

“15 years ago this fresh faced kid made his @WWE debut. I had only been in America for about 2 weeks, the titantron got my name wrong, and I didn’t know what a hard-cam was or how to find it. Craziest part is I’m still 37 years younger than @WWESheamus“

McIntyre’s first run with WWE lasted from 2007 to 2014. After being released from the company, he spent three years on the independent circuit reinventing himself before returning to WWE.

Throughout his time with WWE, the Scottish star has racked up two WWE Title wins, an Intercontinental Title run, an NXT Champion, and a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion. McIntyre was also the winner of the 2020 Royal Rumble match.

Now, Drew McIntyre is one of the top stars over on SmackDown Live on Friday nights, and still very much involved in the World Title picture.

Matt Cardona doesn’t have a WWE return on his radar right now, but would definitely answer the phone if they called.

Cardona has been doing great on the independent circuit since leaving WWE in 2020, and isn’t necessarily seeking out a return to the company at the moment. However, as he tells Metro, he’d definitely answer the call if it came in.

“I’m not trying to get back to WWE. But I’d lying if I said I never wanted to have a WrestleMania moment again, or I never wanted to wrestle at Madison Square Garden – of course I would.

“If Triple H called me right now, if I had that 203 – that’s the area code for Stamford, Connecticut – of course I’d pick up.

“But right now, I’m focusing on being the best me possible, and having the most fun possible, and making the most money possible.”

Matt Cardona first ran with WWE from 2005 to 2020. During that time, Cardona earned one run each as Intercontinental and United States Champion. He was also a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion alongside Curt Hawkins.

However, in 2020, Cardona fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic budget cuts, as he was released from his contract with the company.

Since, he has gone on to do work for promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), IMPACT Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

Karl Anderson is still slated to work a show for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) after making his return to WWE.

As noted, The Good Brothers made their return to WWE on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. The pair flanked AJ Styles against The Judgement Day, seemingly marking the beginning of a feud between the factions.

However, this is certainly an interesting development for Anderson, in particular, as he’s still the NEVER Openweight Champion in NJPW.

According to a report from Fightful, Anderson is still slated to work the Wrestle Kingdom 17 show on January 4.

NJPW is also still advertising a bout between Karl Anderson and Hikuleo at the Battle Autumn show on November 5. With that being said, it’s likely WWE and NJPW have come to some sort of agreement in regards to Anderson’s remaining dates with the latter.

Given Anderson is slated for NJPW’s November 5 show, it’s unlikely Anderson works the WWE Crown Jewel show in Riyadh, as it’s on the same day.

Gallows will also be a part of the New Japan Strong episode on Saturday, but that was pre-taped before the pair returned on RAW this week.

NJPW was said to have been given a heads up about the duo returning to WWE, allowing them to plan around the situation.

The report adds that WWE has been interested in The Good Brothers for some time now, dating back to when they were still under contract with IMPACT Wrestling.

Daniel Cormier claims he forgot parts of the Fight Pit match he officiated shortly before the bout.

Cormier officiated the Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle.

The match was designed to have an MMA-style feel to it, and certainly played to Riddle’s advantage, being a former UFC fighter.

With all that being said, it certainly made sense to have the UFC Hall Of Famer Cormier, a longtime professional wrestling fan, officiating the match. Cormier recently spoke on his show, “DC & RC,” to discuss the experience.

“DC” admits that he was very nervous before the match, even forgetting spots moments before going out for the contest.

“I was in the back and I was nervous because obviously, you know the outcome. I started forgetting the match. I was like, oh my goodness. So I kept having to ask questions. I was so nervous, bro. But once I walked out there, it was so fun.

“The energy of the crowd is like second to none. I fought in front of bigger crowds than I was in front of last weekend, but ultimately that’s just, it’s a shoot.

“I’m going to just fight. It is gonna be what it’s gonna be, but to remember all the points of what you’re supposed to do in the match, dude, it was amazing.

“Then I got fans heckling me. They’re calling me Carl Winslow in there. They’re messing with me. They said, ‘DC, climb up the cage.’ I’m standing in the bottom like, I’m not going up there with these dudes. They’re up there actually wrestling on that little ledge bro.

“I was like, this is crazy. Then when Riddle jumped off the top, I was like man, I couldn’t believe that I was actually in that moment.

“I don’t know how much you pay attention, but then Bray Wyatt returned right after so we were like the closer to a massive moment, but my favorite part was I got to essentially be Herb Dean.”

This was Cormier’s first involvement on WWE TV. He has long expressed an interest in working with WWE, even during his run as UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion.

Now, Cormier has retired from fighting action, now serving as a UFC commentator and show host. There have been rumblings that Cormier was once considered for a WWE commentary role, but that never came to fruition.

It remains to be seen if this is only the beginning of Cormier’s dealings with WWE moving forward.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

Shawn Michaels has seen a “huge uplift in morale” within WWE recently.

Recently, “The Heartbreak Kid” was interviewed on “The Ringer Wrestling Show,” where he was asked about the recent changes that have gone on within WWE – particularly, Triple H taking over WWE creative.

Michaels noted that, from top to bottom, a huge uplift in morale can be felt everywhere throughout the company.

“There’s certainly, I would say it’s no secret to anybody that there’s a huge uplift in morale, from top to bottom in the WWE, whether it’s RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, everybody’s very excited for the future,” Shawn Michaels said.

“Look, I’ll say this, the one thing that was always really positive in NXT and again, the positive about all these other former athletes that come in, they were already excited and focused and ready to go.

“Now we’ve just made sure that we’ve topped that off and everybody from top to bottom, roster-wise, is excited about the future. All of us working there are equally as excited because we all know that we’re pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Longtime WWE CEO and head of creative Vince McMahon was recently forced to step down from his positions.

After allegations of sexual misconduct, McMahon stepped down as CEO, forcing Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to take over as co-CEOs.

Soon after, once investigations into the allegations began, McMahon officially retired from WWE, stepping down as head of creative, handing the reigns over to his son-in-law and former WWE Champion Triple H.

Since “The Game” has taken over, the general reviews of the WWE product from fans to those backstage have been generally positive.

(quotes via Colin Tessier)

Matt Riddle has opened up about moving past his personal issues with Seth Rollins as they work together inside the ring.

It’s no secret that Riddle and Rollins aren’t the best of friends backstage. It has been reported that the pair had some issues with one another backstage after some comments made by Riddle’s now-ex-wife.

However, despite this, the two men have been working a program on WWE TV with one another for the past several weeks, and putting on some great matches with one another.

Speaking to Corey Graves on “After The Bell,” Riddle explained how the pair have worked through their differences in order to do business together.

“Didn’t get along too well, he wasn’t a fan of me, and I’ll say this, I wasn’t not not a fan of his, but somebody close to me at the time made some comments, this, that, and the other thing, and Seth wouldn’t talk to me.

“Seth wouldn’t look at me, he wouldn’t talk to me, he wasn’t gonna have anything to do with me. And eventually, it’s kind of like Brock [Lesnar] and everybody else, you don’t have a choice. I’m here, I’m gonna keep working hard.

“Eventually, you’re gonna have to get in the ring with me and we’re gonna have to do business. And eventually, Seth came to that conclusion.”

Recently, Matt Riddle picked up a big win over Rollins at Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit match that was officiated by UFC Hall Of Famer Daniel Cormier. It will be interesting to see where their feud goes from here.

Quotes via 411Mania

It looks like The Rock doesn’t acknowledge Roman Reigns after all.

The Rock is currently making the media rounds to promote his upcoming “Black Adam” film. During a recent interview with E! News’ The Rundown, “The Great One” was asked who The Head Of The Table is.

Obviously this is a jab at WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who is regarded as The Head Of The Table for The Bloodline in WWE. Rock responded by saying there’s only one Head Of The Table, and you’re looking at him.

“Who is head of the table? Without saying any names, you’re looking into his eyes right now.”

When asked if he was seemingly confirming a WrestleMania match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 next year, The Rock said he is not.

However, he did double down on how much he loves the world of professional wrestling, and he knows he’s going to receive a text from Reigns as soon as he sees this interview.

“I am not confirming that at all. No, I am not. I know I’m going to get a text from him after he watches this. I love the idea of a WrestleMania. I’m close to a lot of people there, but I’m very close to one in particular, who we’ve talked about this.

“There are so many variables that come into play. I’m a fan because I’m a promoter at heart. I’m a fan of promoting an event and what that could be. I love WrestleMania, and I love that word.”

Currently, Reigns is slated to put his World Title up for grabs against Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.