Pro wrestling continues to once again become more integrated into the general tapestry of pop culture. WWE was at one time pretty much the only promotion to be referenced by most mainstream shows. That’s no longer the case. Turns out that New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has fans amongst the writers of ABC’s comedy sitcom Black-ish.
The show uploaded a clip yesterday to promote last night’s episode. In it, the scene features a nod to The Shawshank Redemption. It also directly references New Japan’s premiere event, Wrestle Kingdom. It even name-drops two of the promotion’s top stars: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada.
After throwing his video game controller at the wall in frustration, Andre Johnson Sr. approaches the wall. He then tears away at a poster that had been hiding a hole. Understandably, he demands an explanation. He’s then informed how Junior and his brother were trying to recreate “the classic Wrestle Kingdom Okada-Tanahashi match.”
After attempting a Rain Maker, Junior accidentally threw his brother into the wall. The result was the unfortunate damage.
It didn’t take long for Okada to see the clip. He retweeted it, thanking the show for the “shout out.”
The promotion’s Twitter account, NJPW Global, also shared the clip, writing “Can’t be helped” alongside a shrugging emoji.
NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa has revealed he is taking a hiatus from social media. The former NXT Champion shared his intentions via his Instagram account alongside a black-and-white image from last Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event. The photo showcases Ciampa staring at his former DIY tag team partner, Johnny Gargano. They both grasp at the NXT Championship during a pivotal moment during Ciampa’s matchup against Adam Cole.
Opening up about his decision, Ciampa explained his decision. Although grateful for the support from the WWE Universe during his surgery and rehab, he admitted that it was time to “block out the noise.”
“Time to block out the noise. I will be taking a hiatus from social media for the time being. Thank you all for your support during surgery and rehab, and for the incredible reception during my return and throughout the journey to Portland. #WeAreNXT“
Following their grappling for the title, Gargano would end up turning on his friend, striking Ciampa with the belt. Gargano’s actions ended up costing Tommaso Ciampa his chance at finally reclaiming his beloved “Goldie.”
This came after Cole’s stalemates from the Undisputed Era had also impacted the match, attempting to help their leader hold onto his championship gold.
WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett has shared high praise for modern-day musical Superstar, Elias. Speaking with Metro.co.uk, Jarrett stated how Elias is set for big things in WWE thanks to his charisma and aura.
“He’s got a huge upside,” Jarrett said. “His injury last year was unfortunate, because he was really starting to get on a roll.”
He continued, “He’s got something that you can’t teach, that you can’t coach, that you can’t manufacture. He’s got a unique set of skills. He’s got an aura about him, a charisma about him that’s very unique. The fact that he can play, and sing, and wrestle, and write music, and tie it all together – it makes him a very entertaining character.”
Elias’ WrestleMania Matchup
Elias is reportedly set for a big match at this year’s WrestleMania against none other than John Cena. It’s speculated that WWE will begin to build towards a match between them when Cena returns to WWE television. He is currently scheduled to appear on the February 28th episode of SmackDown. The belief is that Elias would be able to get the rub from Cena, even in a losing effort.
WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5th, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming months.
Big E has revealed an angle that was planned ahead of Kofi Kingston’s WrestleMania 35 match. The angle would be pulled, much to their chagrin. Speaking on their podcast, The New Day: Feel the Power, Big E recounted how there were plans in place for Kingston and himself to burst into Vince McMahon’s office. They would have then proceeded to rip it apart in frustration.
According to Big E, there was an original plan that would have seen the two Superstars knock on Vince McMahon’s door for a meeting. They would have been told, however, that he had no time for them. This would have triggered their frustrations boiling over, angered at always being overlooked and undervalued.
Big E & Kofi Kingston Cause Carnage
Big E shared how he was legitimately excited to kick down the door before tearing up his office. For him, the entire angle represented their visceral anger about how Kingston had been treated. He paralleled Kingston’s storyline to that of Daniel Bryan’s back at WrestleMania 30. Big E noted that, despite the similarities, it didn’t feel derivative or recycled to him. He argued how, if anything, there was a greater sense of pathos because of how Kingston went on to face Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
He reflected on how the language used heading into their feud was interesting. In particular, how “He Who Shall Not Be Named” referred to Kingston as B Plus player. This angle would have been cathartic for them both, with Big E reasoning that given Kingston’s years of experience, it begged the question as to why people didn’t consider him good enough.
NXT Superstar Bianca Belair has shared how her husband, Montez Ford, helped convince her to keep her trademark braid. The Superstar often uses her braided hair as an offensive weapon to whip her opponents with. Belair was ready to drop the braid, but Ford convinced her to keep it.
Bianca Belair’s Braid
“Yeah he definitely helped me come up with it,” Belair confessed in an interview on Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. “So I’m a huge Beyonce fan and she had a concert, she was on tour, she had this long braid and she was like dancing with it and it just caught my eye. And I’m like, ‘I want to do that,’ and if that catches my eye and wrestling’s about like standing out and like being able to catch people’s eye so I wanna do that braid.”
She continued, “So I did that braid but I kinda did it as just a hairstyle just to fill it out and I was kind of going back and forth with, ‘Well I’d really like to wear my hair down and you know I see all the other girls wearing their hair down and they’re so pretty,’ and I kinda wanted to do that and he was the one who told me, ‘No, you have to keep that braid. Like it stands out and trust me. Just trust me. That’s gonna be a thing. Nobody else wears their hair like that. You’re gonna stand out it’s unique, I’ve never seen anything like that before, you have to keep it.’”
Belair explained how Ford would go on to suggest how she could use her braid as a weapon in the ring, something she has done to great effect. She called him the “mastermind” behind influencing the braid.
Bianca Belair recently competed in a losing effort against NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. The two wrestled this past Sunday at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Get to know Bianca Belair in this NXT hype video from 2018:
Triple H has spoken about Cathy Kelley and what she meant to WWE. Kelley recently left the company, with last Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event being her last show. Speaking on a post-TakeOver media call, Triple H addressed Kelley’s departure before noting how there is already talent eager to take the newly vacant role.
He noted how WWE has a system in place to train people and ready them for roles. That way, if an opportunity arises, the company has a talent pool available to fill it. Triple H stressed how WWE trains people across all aspects of the business before promoting them within their system.
“It’s one of the things that we’re constantly doing and is what the system is built to do. When I say the system, I mean the PC, NXT, all of it,” he said. “We’re training everything that has to do with our business – camera guys, sound guys, directors, backstage interviewers, ring announcers. If you look at it from the beginning, the people who cut their teeth as directors and producers in the beginning of NXT are now the directors and producers of Raw, SmackDown and WrestleMania.”
Triple H Believes It’s Not Goodbye, More “See You Down The Road”
When it comes to Cathy Kelley, Triple H noted how he can’t say enough good things about her. He shared how she has a “mental level IQ and is super smart” as well as being a consummate professional. Reflecting on panels that he and Stephanie McMahon have attended alongside Cathy, he added how she “brings so much to the table.”
“This is very bittersweet for her. It’s funny because I knew she was leaving a while ago and it took her forever to come and talk to me about it. She didn’t want to break down and become emotional about it.”
Triple H continued, “I just told her that it’s not ‘goodbye’ as it’s ‘see you down the road.’ Life’s crazy and you could end up back in the same path and doing the same thing. There’s so many ways we could work together. She’s phenomenal and we have other people in the pipeline – that’s what we do here. There’s another 2-3 chomping at the bit to get the opportunity and they will knock it out the park as that’s what we do. I’m thankful for the time she spent with us and I’m sure we’ll see her down the road as well.”
Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has shared his thoughts on Ring of Honor’s (ROH) current “transitional phase.” Tonga, who is one half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside Tonga Loa, spoke about ROH and their new booker, Marty Scurll, during an interview with Wrestling Inc. Daily.
“ROH went through some changes in the past year and that happens with every company. They’re just in a transitional stage. I can’t knock them for that as it happens with every company,” Tonga said. “They have great talent and they were fun to work with. They’re hard-working guys and they have a good crew. If they stick with the guns they have, I think they’re gonna have a nice period out of the transitional period they just came out of.”
Tama Tonga Praises Marty Scurll
Turning his attention to his former Bullet Club stablemate, Marty Scurll, Tonga praised Scurll’s business skills. He noted how Scurll has a “good mind for wrestling.”
“You can expect new ideas and a new style. Change is always good for anything and I think people will see this,” he said. “I think they just did an event called Free Enterprise and I’ve heard good things. From the looks of things, they look promising so it’s a good start.”
Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are scheduled to defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi at New Japan Road. The event takes place on February 21st from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Current WWE United States Champion Andrade is set to return to in-ring action following his 30-day Wellness Policy suspension. Ahead of his return at WWE Super ShowDown, Andrade took to his Twitter account with a purposeful message:
“Support me, motivate me or get out of my way. I start the week and you ? Apóyame, motiva o quítate de mi camino!!! Empezamos la semana y tu ? #Andrade#FaceOfLatinos#MyTime#Diez“
Andrade is set to compete in a Gauntlet Match at WWE Super ShowDown. He joins AJ Styles, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, R-Truth and Erick Rowan in a matchup to win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.
Following his initial suspension, the Champion posted a photo of himself as a boy to Instagram. He accompanied the image with the following caption:
“Never give up because things got tough, remember where you come from and where you are going.”
Andrade was last on WWE television on the Monday Night RAW following January’s Royal Rumble. He competed in a matchup against Humberto Carillo. Andrade would be disqualified after his business manager Zelina Vega interfered. Carillo would become frustrated by these events and subsequently attacked Andrade after the match, delivering a Hammerlock DDT onto the concrete outside the ring.
WWE Super ShowDown takes place on February 27th from Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Saudi Arabia.
With the NXT Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 36 now official, both women have reacted to their impending bout. The match was confirmed following Charlotte Flair’s blindsided attack on Rhea Ripley following Ripley’s successful championship defense during last night’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event. After beating her down, Flair finally accepted Ripley’s challenge.
Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley
Taking to Twitter, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley addressed each other in the wake of TakeOver: Portland. Ripley was responding to a message from Triple H, where he refers to Ripley as a “star.” He also refers to Flair, writing how she is “returning to the place that made her one.”
In her response, Ripley thanked her opponent, Bianca Belair, noting how ‘Going to war with you is always brutal!” She then turned her attention to her WrestleMania opponent, writing: “@MsCharlotteWWE you just gave me exactly what I wanted. See you at #WrestleMania36”.
Charlotte Flair, meanwhile, uploaded a picture of her from TakeOver: Portland. She holds the NXT Women’s Championship up, smiling at the crowd following her attack on Ripley. Flair accompanied the image with the following caption: “Everything I do is history. The NXT title will be defended at #WrestleMania #WEMadeNXT @WWENXT”.
Former WWE Superstar Tyson Kidd has looked back on his time as a part of WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. Joining WWE show, The Bump, Kidd opened up about his career and the year he spent as part of the NXT roster.
“I’m so happy. If you take a look back at my body of work in the ring, I’m so happy that I had that NXT run… It sucks that my in-ring career came to an end, but I’m glad that I had that full-year body of work,” Kidd said.
He continued, “My time in NXT was so fun. Those Takeovers were awesome, but when we’d do those tapings, and I would wrestle four times in a night, I was driving home from Orlando to Tampa, I was exhausted, but felt so accomplished that nobody does what we do. It was myself, Sami Zayn, Neville, and Tyler Breeze. Breeze was a bit of an unsung hero between the four of us. He doesn’t always get the full props that he should get; he was a huge part of it. His character work is so awesome. He was very essential towards everything that I did at that time.”
Tyson Kidd & Cesaro
His former tag team partner Cesaro called into the show to discuss what it was like teaming with Kidd. He noted how much respect he has for him, his training and his time in WWE. For him, when they got into the ring together to tag for the first time “everything clicked.” Cesaro doesn’t believe they were necessarily meant to be a team, but they pursued it together and “made that happen with a conversation with the boss.”
Having suffered a tragic spinal cord injury during a WWE Live Event, Kidd found his in-ring career cut short. Looking back on his retirement, Kidd confessed he wasn’t expecting the respect and kudos he received from his fellow WWE Superstars. For him, however, earning their respect had always been an important factor in how he wanted to conduct himself.
“I wanted to build respect with my peers… I felt like I had done that throughout my WWE career. I really felt it and knew it was there when I got injured. I got flooded with texts and people calling me and visitors all the time.”
Kidd continued, “Of course, Cesaro, being one of the main guys, he was with me that night. He traveled off the road and came to see me when I had surgery. He brought me Starbucks and Chipotle, which is the usual combo.”
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks will be appearing in the next season of the Disney+ hit show, The Mandalorian. “The Boss” has allegedly filmed scenes for the Star Wars series. The show follows the adventures of a Mandalorian bounty hunter and his charge, The Child—also known as Baby Yoda. News of her appearance was initially reported by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast, with Pro Wrestling Sheet later confirming the casting news.
At the time of writing, there is no further information as to who she might be playing or what kind of role she has. Her casting sees her join former Mixed Martial Arts star-turned-actor Gina Carano on the show. Carano appeared early in the first season, playing Cara Dune—a former Rebel shock trooper turned mercenary. Dune eventually becomes friends with the titular Mandalorian.
Sasha Banks’ Injury
Sasha Banks hasn’t seen any in-ring action since she last wrestled on the January 3rd episode of SmackDown. She competed in a triple threat tag team match teaming with her partner, Bayley. They faced off against the team’s of Lacey Evans and Dana Brooke and Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
Since that time, “The Boss” has opened up about not being on television and why she missed the Royal Rumble. She explained how she suffered an ankle injury at the hands of Lacey Evans.
Current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace has shared her interest in unifying the promotion’s top titles. Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Grace opened up about how, with Tessa Blanchard now the Impact Wrestling Champion, it creates unique opportunities not presented by other companies.
With both championships being held by women, some may argue that there isn’t a need for two separate titles anymore–especially with Impact Wrestling hosting intergender matches in the past.
“That’s definitely true and I kinda joked with Scott D’Amore, ‘So when are you guys gonna merge the title?’” Grace said. “He ignored me because he hates me or something [laughs]. He doesn’t hate me but he’s annoyed when I do stuff like that as I’ve been pushing for intergender wrestling across the board. I was all for it as I don’t think there should be a separate name for it at all. I am indifferent and I don’t mind just being called a wrestler.”
Jordynne Grace Agrees With Becky Lynch
Jordynne Grace isn’t the only wrestler who has shared her interest in removing gender association from within pro wrestling. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has also been talking about WWE dropping ‘Women’s” from the division entirely, a sentiment Grace aligns with.
“I agree with that and someone brought up the fact on if we get the title confused. Then someone said, ‘Why don’t we call it the Men’s World Championship’ which I completely agree with.
Triple H recently addressed the rumour’s WWE would drop “Women’s” from the NXT Women’s Championship description. He dismissed the idea, stressing that there was “never an edict” within WWE to strike the word from use.
Despite many considering WWE’s NXT to be the company’s third brand, it turns out that WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle doesn’t see it that way. In an interview with Sportskeeda, Angle explained why NXT continues to be WWE’s “training ground.”
“I think NXT is a great brand. I think Triple H has done an incredible job with that. But you know what? It is still the ‘training ground’ for RAW and SmackDown. These guys might have a little more leeway than the guys on RAW and SmackDown,” Angle said. “They get more time in their matches than the guys on RAW and SmackDown. If you watch any NXT TakeOver, every match is 30 minutes.”
He continued, “Guys and girls on RAW and SmackDown, they don’t get that kind of time so I wouldn’t say they are the better product, I would say they have more freedom on what they want to do.”
Kurt Angle On Moving To The “Big Show”
Kurt Angle argued how, when Superstars move up to the “big show,” they have to be more aware of time limitations and cues. He credited this freedom in NXT as a reason why so many Superstars are looking to stay on the black-and-gold brand.
“You have to do things specifically and I don’t think that NXT has to do that. That’s probably the reason why a lot of the guys want to stay there and I don’t blame them for that.”
That being said, Angle noted how he doesn’t believe that more match time equates to NXT being a better product. Despite this, “[…] I would say that they are doing an excellent job and Triple H has done an unbelievable job of making that an entity – basically a product of its own. It could survive on its own. So it has become huge and there are a lot of fans that follow it.”
NXT’s most recent pay-per-view, NXT TakeOver: Portland, took place last night in Portland, Oregon.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has addressed Shayna Baszler’s “dirty” tactics during a recent conversation with Pro Wrestling Sheet. Their issues stem from last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, which saw Baszler attack Lynch from behind following her successful championship defense over Asuka. Baszler would proceed to remove her mouth guard before biting into the back of Lynch’s neck. It wasn’t long until her mouth was covered in the champion’s blood.
“She’s tough. She did a lot for women in MMA. I don’t think she gets nearly enough credit for what she’s done in that,” Lynch said. “She’s been in NXT making a name for herself the past few years, but last night she wanted to make a name for herself against me.”
She continued, “If she wanted an opportunity, all she had to do was ask, she didn’t have to take a chunk out of the back of my neck, but if that’s the way it’s going to be, well then that’s the way it’s going to be. She can fight dirty… I can fight a lot dirtier.”
Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler are expected to build towards a RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
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Triple H has addressed Charlotte Flair accepting Rhea Ripley’s NXT Championship challenge at WrestleMania 36. He spoke about their impending matchup during a post-TakeOver media call, crediting Vince McMahon with the idea. The match was confirmed during last night’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event following Flair’s ambush of Ripley.
Charlotte Flair Versus Rhea Ripley
According to Triple H, USA Network had no involvement in the decision to have Flair face off against the NXT Women’s Champion. “I believe that this was, to be honest, it was shocking to me when it was first mentioned to me. I believe that this was really just a decision from Vince [McMahon]’s part on understanding where the other stories are going for the women.”
Looking to build new opportunities and stories fans haven’t seen before, Triple H noted how WWE was looking to deliver more original narratives with new pairings. “[…] I think you see that with Shayna Baszler going after Becky Lynch, and you see that in different ways on SmackDown with where they’re going so this was a way of Charlotte Flair needing to be in that big epic role. I think it really had nothing more to do with that.”
He continued, “I think people put too much stock into building up other things. It’s easy to put your tinfoil hat on and start to talk about stuff, and I’m sure just even saying that, everybody will be like, ‘Oh my God, there’s no way they didn’t…’ Whatever, you believe what you want. It really comes down to that, this is good storytelling and that’s what the goal is here, it’s just really good storytelling across the board.”
Charlotte Flair will challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Bianca Belair is set to face off against current NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley this Sunday. Speaking with Newsweek, Belair addressed her championship opportunity at NXT TakeOver: Portland. She also reflected on her Royal Rumble experience and her recent exchanges with “The Queen” Charlotte Flair.
Clearly confident with her in-ring abilities, Belair stressed how this TakeOver will be the first time the WWE Universe won’t be considering her an “underdog.”
“This Takeover is going to be the first where I can say for myself and the audience that I’m not considered the underdog in any shape or form,” Belair stated. “This Takeover is the first time when everyone has finally caught on and sees me as a true competitor.”
Royal Rumble Experience
Reflecting on her appearance in the Women’s Royal Rumble matchup, Belair noted how it was the buildup that was hardest for her. The easy part is when her music hits and she can get in the ring.
“The hard part are the parts people don’t see,” she revealed. “Getting into the arena early and hanging out hours before the show starts. But I had to make the most out of this opportunity. I knew this was going to be a make or break moment for me.”
She continued, “Once I got in there I was fine. I just let my body take over and let it do what it does. Afterwards I remember having a huge sigh of relief that everything went well, and it didn’t hit me until the next day. First I was it’s over with, I’m glad I’m healthy, I think I did very well. I was in front of thousands of people, [laughs] and how I got highlighted. It was validation for me and everything I put into Bianca Belair in NXT and WWE, and it’s finally paying off. That’s the best feeling in the world. And it gives me more confidence than I already had.”
Bianca Belair On Charlotte Flair
In recent weeks, Belair has had verbal and physical exchanges with Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Flair, who won the Royal Rumble match, had been approached by Ripley over using her Rumble opportunity to face her at WrestleMania 36. Unsurprisingly, Belair wasn’t pleased with being overlooked given her upcoming TakeOver match. Looking back on her first experiences with NXT, Belair remembered being impressed by Flair. She recalled how “The Queen” had that “it” factor.
“[…] the first person who caught my eye was Charlotte Flair. She had that “it” factor. Her moveset, her presence, everything about her had that “it” factor. She was the one person that, if you saw her, that’s what you need if you want to be a superstar in this business.”
She continued, “Four years later I have that same person talking about me and saying all these good things. It gives me confidence, but, at the same time, I’m ready to be in the ring with her now. I want to be in the ring with the best, and doing that brings out the best of me. It’s crazy to think that the person I looked at when I first got to NXT is now talking about me. I don’t want to say validation again, but that’s a feeling of “you know what you’re doing, and you’re ready.” And I’m ready.”
NXT TakeOver: Portland takes place on Sunday, February 16th from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Ring of Honor World Champion PCO has praised Matt Hardy, offering the current RAW Superstar an ROH Championship match over Twitter. PCO’s words come following an interaction between Hardy and a fan online.
Hardy noted how he has great respect for PCO and his recent accomplishments. He highlighted the champion’s “creative, out of the box content” and current character. Hardy stressed that PCO deserves props for his resilience and longevity in the industry.
Seeing his kind words, PCO responded, writing:
“Thanks to @MATTHARDYBRAND who broke through the darkness of creativity and enlightenment creating so much positivity to our industry, Say the word ! PCO the @ringofhonor World Champion with his Creator D.Destro VS Matt Hardy The Match that will POP the entire WORLD”
Thanks to @MATTHARDYBRAND who broke through the darkness of creativity and enlightenment creating so much positivity to our industry, Say the word ! PCO the @ringofhonor World Champion with his Creator D.Destro VS Matt Hardy The Match that will POP the entire WORLD ?
Hardy replied to the championship opportunity, thanking PCO for the offer and noting how the “proposition sounds positively delightful!”
Matt Hardy In Limbo
With Matt Hardy’s WWE contract reportedly expiring at the end of March, there is substantial fan debate and speculation over where he will go next.
Although Hardy has previously wrestled in Ring of Honor, many believe he will be joining All Elite Wrestling. It is thought he will be revealed to be the Exalted One that is frequently referenced by the Dark Order.
Hardy has teased his farewell in WWE alongside cryptic messages on social media and videos on YouTube. Last week on RAW, Hardy was brutally assaulted by Randy Orton. They are slated to face off against each other this Monday night. They clash in a No Holds Barred match.
SmackDown Superstar Sheamus has restated his interest in claiming the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Sheamus has shared his desire in the past. The Intercontinental championship is the only one to have eluded Sheamus during his tenure in WWE. If he were to win the Intercontinental champion, the victory would see him become a WWE Grand Slam champion.
“I’m really focused now as well. I know what I want to do,” Sheamus told CTV News. “The Intercontinental Championship is the only title that I haven’t won in WWE. There are a lot of things I’m not happy about. My first run as WWE Champion, etc, etc, and I want to come back and prove that I have another 10 years left in me, I have a lot more to win, a lot more to achieve.”
Sheamus recently returned to WWE following an extended hiatus from the company. He defeated Shorty G during the pre-show of WWE’s January pay-per-view, Royal Rumble.
On last night’s episode of SmackDown, “The Celtic Warrior” took on both Shorty G and Apollo Crews in a handicap match. Despite having the odds stacked against him, Sheamus was still able to emerge victorious following a Brogue Kick to Crews.
If Sheamus is able to leverage himself into the Intercontinental Championship picture, he would have to face off against the current titleholder, Braun Strowman.
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All Elite Wrestling in-ring talent and promo coach Dustin Rhodes recently discussed the promotion’s approach to their Women’s Division. Speaking with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Rhodes acknowledged that the company is taking a “slow, steady” approach to building the division. He shared how he has become more involved in helping AEW’s women train following his coaching of Brandi Rhodes.
“Brandi came to me and said ‘Hey, would you like to step in and give me some training sessions?’ And it was meant more for her, and then we just started bringing all the girls, and they were loving it, man, and they have such a good time every single week, and I try to switch it up and teach them new things,” Rhodes explained. “Teach them repetition, because it’s all about repetition. Getting in the habit of doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing.”
Dustin Rhodes’ Training Approach
Dustin explained how some of the repetition he has been drilling with them revolves around making sure cameras see their expressions. He noted how most of the talent haven’t been on television before. He stressed the importance of their emotions being translated on screen as well as in the ring.
“The women’s division is developing,” he said. “It is slow, but it is developing, and we will get there over time. You know, this isn’t a race, it’s not a sprint, it’s a slow, steady build, like simmer on the stove, man.”
Regarding the future of the division and how it will grow and evolve, Dustin stated that he wants the women to feel comfortable in themselves, allowing their characters to flourish—a mentality they bring to their training session every week.
Dustin Rhodes is set to face Inner Circle member Jake Hager at AEW Revolution. The show takes place on February 29th from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
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Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has responded to John Cena’s recent comments. Cena praised Lesnar in an interview with Sports Illustrated, calling Lesnar the “best in-ring performer of all time.” Despite his kind words, it doesn’t seem Heyman is impressed with Cena’s sentiment.
Taking to his Twitter account, Heyman shared an image of Brock Lesnar and John Cena from their early days on SmackDown. Lesnar has Cena hoisted onto his shoulders, seemingly ready to deliver an F5. Heyman accompanied the Tweet with the following caption:
Making sure Cena would see the post, Paul Heyman tagged him, the official WWE Universe account, and Brock Lesnar himself. Cena has yet to respond to Heyman’s post at the time of writing.
Brock Lesnar’s Upcoming Bouts
Brock Lesnar is set to defend his WWE Championship against Ricochet. The two will face off at WWE Super ShowDown which takes place on February 27th from King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.
If he retains, Lesnar will proceed to clash with the winner of the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble match, Drew McIntyre. They would compete on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” WrestleMania 36 on April 5th in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.
Triple H has addressed rumors that WWE intends to rename the NXT Women’s Championship. It had been reported that the company planned to drop the word “Women’s” going forward, with the belt simply being referred to as the NXT Championship. Speaking on an NXT TakeOver: Portland media call, Triple H dismissed the idea.
“There were conversation that were had,” Triple H admitted. “It was basically about not having to beat it into the ground when you say it, but it just got run with and once… when you have that many people working on a product, and something gets taken the wrong way, everybody in trying to do their job, just spreads it.”
He continued, “There was never an edict, there was never anything. It really was what it was, of just trying not to… if you’re showing a graphic, you don’t have to say, the title belt that says ‘Women’ s’, the graphic that says ‘Women’ s’, the announcers saying ‘Women’ s’, so everybody is… but you get it. There are pictures of women there, you get what it is. You don’t have to beat it into the ground. It was more of, it just got run with and speculated on.”
NXT Champion
Since the rumors first started, there has only been one time that a WWE graphic has showcased current champion, Rhea Ripley, as “NXT Champion.” This graphic was used during WWE’s Worlds Collide event. Since then, there have been no other occasions where the genderless description has been used.
Rhea Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair this Sunday. The two will compete at NXT TakeOver: Portland, which takes place from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace has addressed the rumors over how she came to sign with the promotion. She also reflected on her storyline with Scott Steiner that received a negative reception online.
There had been a long-gestating rumor that Grace was offered her Impact contract through a direct message on social media. Turns out, although the contract itself wasn’t delivered by social media, the conversation that eventually led to it did.
“Scott D’Amore originally contacted me through a Twitter DM and we exchanged phone numbers,” Grace explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily. “Then I was offered the contract through the phone conversation. Scott is one of the coolest guys ever. When he talks business, it’s serious. But in general, he’s kinda one of the boys. He was a wrestler himself so he knows how it is and looks out for the best interests for everybody.”
Jordynne Grace & Scott Steiner Backlash
Turning her mind back to Impact’s 2019 Unbreakable event, Grace reflected on her matchup. She teamed with Scott Steiner and Petey Williams against the team of Dicky Mayer, Gentleman Jervis and Ryan Taylor. The match received some backlash, however, not for the in-ring action but because of Steiner’s actions before and after the match where he slapped Grace’s backside.
“You know what’s so funny is that the first few times we worked together I don’t think he knew my name,” Grace stated. “He’s Scott Steiner so why would he know my name? But he’s been my idol for a long time and I think he’s awesome. But I don’t think he knew I was jokingly calling him my dad because the first time we did our Impact [promo] together along with Petey, he slapped my ass during the promo. I was like, ‘Well, I can never say you’re my dad again.’”
Regarding the controversy itself, Grace said “It was stupid. The first time he slapped my ass, I said, ‘Ok, whatever.’ I didn’t know he was gonna slap my ass at the end of the match, but what are you gonna do? I acted like I was surprised because I didn’t know how to play it off. He asked me if he could do it and I don’t know how I can tell Scott Steiner’ no.’ So I just let him do it.”
Ring of Honor star Flip Gordon has opened up about Marty Scurll’s increased responsibilities with the promotion. Scurll, who is the leader of Villain Enterprises, recently signed a new contract with ROH which saw him become co-booker alongside Delirious.
Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Gordon addressed Scurll’s new role, praising the business acumen that saw him become a part of ROH’s booking team.
“Marty is a very good businessman and I think whatever position he’s put in, he’s gonna thrive. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met and he’s gonna do wonders. Give him a chance and I think you’re gonna be very proud of him,” said Gordon. “Look what he’s done with Villain Enterprises – that’s just on a microlevel. Now he’s got a whole company.”
Flip Gordon On Villain Enterprises Recent Record
Reflecting on his position with Villain Enterprises as their resident “Mercenary,” Gordon confessed that he’s lucky to be a part of the stable, especially as he’s been fired once before.
“I’m surprised I didn’t get fired for losing to Nick [Aldis] this past weekend,” said Gordon. “Marty’s not happy. Since the new year we haven’t been doing that hot. We haven’t won very many matches, I mean I’ve won a few. He’s not in the best of moods. I don’t know if he’s gonna wanna to add a member now.”
Despite their lack of victories, the stable can boast one major win: PCO becoming the new ROH World Champion. The 52-year-old defeated Rush for the title back at ROH’s Final Battle event in December.
Addressing the victory for PCO and, subsequently, Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon said “I think it’s great he’s world champion and it’s his time. It was a long road to the top of that mountain and he absolutely deserves it. He’s a legend and by him being World Champion, Villain Enterprises is World Champion.”
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his two cents on John Cena’s comments regarding Brock Lesnar. Cena recently shared his opinion that Lesnar is the “best in-ring performer of all time” in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Speaking on his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Booker T addressed Cena’s words.
“I know where John is coming from,” Booker T said. “[…] I can say I had a small piece in teaching John Cena the art in Shakespeare. People think I am throwing shade on him when I say John Cena is very limited as far as move set. He’s a guy who parlayed his skills all the way to the main event, the most decorated champion in WWE history. For John to make that statement about Brock Lesnar, I can’t say he’s wrong.”
He continued, “I wouldn’t necessarily say the best, he’s not number one on my list but as far a performer goes, right now, today, on the roster, in my opinion, Brock Lesnar is the most believable guy on our roster today in 2020, bar none. If anybody wants to challenge me on that, do so. The most believable athlete walking out of that curtain. He makes you believe it, you want more of it even if you don’t want more.”
Booker T On Lesnar’s Rumble Performance
Booker T looked at Lesnar’s performance in the Royal Rumble matchup as an example of this, calling it “awesome.” He believes people will remember January’s Rumble match for a long time because of Lesnar’s involvement and that, no matter who Lesnar’s opponent is, “if and when that guy beats Brock Lesnar, the fans go crazy. That’s a moment.”
Brock Lesnar defends his WWE Championship against Ricochet at WWE Super ShowDown on Thursday, February 27th. The event takes place from King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes has reflected on the recent AEW segment featuring his younger brother. Cody recently featured in a whipping segment, where he received ten lashes from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Dustin recalled how emotional the process was.
In the build-up to the lashings, AEW ran a few promos featuring people speaking about what Cody was heading towards. One of the people interviewed was Dustin. He stressed how they were intended to help to get “people invested” in the feud and lashings—something he believes they achieved.
Dustin Rhodes’ Reaction
“Cody sold it so well and his acting was so good and the way he was taking them and Arn comes out, his big brother comes out and we are all rallying behind him and I wanted to take the lashes for him,” Dustin said. “I think the only thing that might have been a little bit better is if MJF told me to give him the last five lashes, but this was after I was thinking of all these different scenarios.”
“[…] They were invested and they were standing, and you get some audience shots of them saying “Oh my God” and people are just really upset about it. It is uncomfortable. Whippings are always uncomfortable.”
Dustin admitted that it was “really cool” being out there for that moment. He praised Cody for doing a tremendous job. As far as he is concerned, Cody has really come into his own and is taking the world by storm.
Dustin Rhodes challenged Jake Hager to a matchup on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. The two will face off at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Revolution, on February 29th.
