WWE Elimination Chamber is quickly approaching and the planned match order has been revealed based on the internal production listing.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn will headline the show. The opening contest is the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.
There are a total of two title matches on this card. There are no titles expected to change hands, according to the final betting odds released. The event starts with the Kickoff show at 7 PM EST and the main card at 8 PM EST.
Asuka vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nikki Cross vs. Natalya vs. Carmella – Elimination Chamber Match (Winner Challenges Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania)
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)
United States Champion Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest vs. Montez Ford – Elimination Chamber Match
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn
Six of WWE’s top female Superstars will battle in the Elimination Chamber to determine who will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39.
Carmella, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, Dana Brooke, Nikki Cross and Natalya will put it all on the line in just a matter of hours.
During an interview with Spencer Love for Love Wrestling, Rodriguez explained why she’s feeling extra confident headed into the most dangerous match of her career.
“I feel really, really good about it,” she said. “I’ve felt really good about a lot of what I’ve been doing on Smackdown right now and with WWE. I’m super excited for Elimination Chamber. I feel like Royal Rumble kind of helped highlight my size and where I stand when it comes to the women’s division of WWE. So, now that I think the women have a little bit better of an idea of that, and the world does, I’ll be taken a little bit more seriously from now on!”
Rodriguez vs. The EST?
Surviving the Elimination Chamber is only half the battle. In the event that Raquel Rodriguez can defy the odds and emerge victorious in Montreal, there’s one more obstacle standing between her and championship glory. Her name is Bianca Belair.
Rodriguez sees Belair as one of her dream matches and is hungry to learn from her and WWE’s other top stars.
“I’ve just been saying that that would be one of my dream matches. I’ve yet to have a moment where I’ve been able to step into a ring with Bianca across from me as my sole opponent. This would definitely be a first for both of us, and who wouldn’t love a powerhouse-powerhouse match? You know what I mean?
I would love to step into the ring with the EST, because win or lose, there’s something to learn from that match. There’s something to gain from that match. I want that knowledge. I’m hungry for more. I know I’m one of the newer girls on the block here, but trust me, I’m ready to go and I’m ready for whatever they’re willing to throw at me.”
Check back at SEScoops later tonight for our WWE Elimination Chamber live coverage.
Sami Zayn looks to make history in just a matter of hours when he battles Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber.
WWE Superstars have been doing the media rounds in the days leading up to the event. Zayn spoke with Zak Ralph of Love Wrestling about his storybook journey from wrestling in billiard halls to the biggest match of his career.
It’s going to be an electric atmosphere when Zayn’s music hits in Montreal. Some fans may be surprised to see Zayn headlining a premium live event, but he feels it feels right.
“Like on the one hand, it feels like the next logical step. When you look at it on a week to week level, or you look at a month to month level. If you follow this story with the Bloodline, and you’ve seen how it’s progressed,” said Zayn. “That’s like, yeah, naturally, that’s where you go next, right? But when you stop and kind of zoom out, and you take a look back, and you look at it on a longer timeline, and you look at it from day one, as a 13 year old kid, going to the Bell Center, and watching Bret and Shawn, in that arena, and to now 25 years later be at the center of a match almost has that same level of excitement and anticipation.”
Zayn says he’s in somewhat of a surreal position, but he’s making sure to take it all in and appreciate how special this is.
Sami Zayn’s Helluva Kick
If Zayn can pull off the impossible at Elimination Chamber, there’s a decent he’ll employ his Helluva Kick to finish off Roman Reigns. Zayn revealed how AEW commentator Excalibur is partially responsible for the name of his Yakuza kick in the corner.
“When I was a kid, I had a WCW magazine, and I was reading some match results. It said Chris Jericho defeated Syxx or maybe it was the other way around with a hell of a kick. It was written ‘helluva’”‘ like that, and I thought it was a Helluva kick, so I thought it was a type of kick.
So I told this story to Excalibur, who now does commentary on AEW every Wednesday. I told this story to him at dinner one time at Denny’s after a PWG show, then we started calling the running Yakuza kick in the corner that I would do at the time, we started calling it a Helluva kick. So that’s actually the real history of that name.”
Check back at SEScoops later tonight for our WWE Elimination Chamber live coverage.
H/T to Zak Ralph of Love Wrestling for the transcribed quotes
An interesting trend among WWE’s viewers has been noticed this year.
The promotion’s TV audience are getting younger on average. The trend coincides with AEW’s audience getting older. Interestingly, until recently, AEW typically had a younger general audience than their competitors.
According to a recent study from Wrestlenomics, back in late 2021, prior to the numerous scandals that came out about Vince McMahon in 2022, AEW Rampage had the youngest viewing audience. The average age was 47. As 2022 wore on, though, the average age moved up to 53 which was also the norm for WWE RAW at the time.
WWE's TV audience has gotten younger over the last 12 months while AEW's audience trended older, though Dynamite still has the youngest audience.
Since Survivor Series last year, WWE SmackDown’s average audience age has started to lower from the mid-50s. The PLE was headlined by The Bloodline’s War Games victory over The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens. A key plotline in the match was Sami Zayn’s standing within The Bloodline.
The Bloodline at WWE Survivor Series.
Sami Zayn A Ratings Mover For WWE
In the 900+ days since he won the Universal Championship at Payback 2020, Roman Reigns finally took the, well, reigns of the company. His ‘Tribal Chief’ heel persona and heated feuds with the likes of Jey Uso, Edge, Brock Lesnar, and Drew McIntyre over the years have made him the top star he was long expected to become.
The Bloodline’s angle with Sami Zayn has been at the forefront of WWE’s programming for some time now. It’s safe to say the shifts in audience numbers and age range are thanks predominantly to those involved in the storyline.
The long term plan for this year’s WrestleMania is seemingly still Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. That being said, it’s clear that the WWE have stumbled across another surprise potential top star in Sami Zayn as well as possibly Jey Uso, whose character work in The Bloodline has been met with universal acclaim.
Do you think Sami Zayn will continue to be a ratings mover for WWE past his Elimination Chamber showdown with Roman Reigns?
Asuka is going to WWE WrestleMania 39 with her win at Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE.
She beat in the bout Liv Morgan, Nikki Cross, Carmella, Natalya, and Raquel Rodriguez. As a result of her victory, she has earned the opportunity to challenge Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair for the title at WrestleMania 39 in April.
The match started off with Morgan and Natalya. Rodriguez was the third star to enter the bout followed by Cross. Moments later, Cross jumped off one of the pods to take everyone out. The fifth star in was Carmella, who talked some trash to Asuka and Cross before Rodriguez tackled Cross through one of the pods. Rodriguez pinned Cross for the first elimination.
There was a near-fall spot when Morgan hit a sunset flip powerbomb to Rodriguez from one of the pods. Carmella caught Morgan with a superkick. Natalya put her in the sharpshooter while Asuka put her in an armbar for the elimination. Natalya was eliminated by Carmella, who connected with a superkick. Asuka and Carmella hit Rodriguez with several kicks for the elimination. Asuka won with the armbreaker.
When the bout was first announced, Morgan, Asuka, Raquel, and Cross were set for it. WWE held qualifying matches for some of the competitors in the match. Natalya defeated Zelina Vega, Shotzi, and Shayna Baszler in a four-way match to join them. Carmella pinned Candice LeRae in a match that also featured Michin and Piper Niven to advance.
Belair didn’t defend her championship on this show. Instead, her previous title defense on a PLE was in January at the Royal Rumble when she beat Alexa Bliss.
What are your thoughts on Asuka earning the chance to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title at WrestleMania 39? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
The Undertaker has spoken up about how social media has changed the behavior of fans. According to him, it’s hard for him to watch people put everything online now.
The Dead Man recently appeared on Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson. He talked about things such as his favorite match of all time and more.
Speaking about the rise of social media and how it has changed the fans, Taker mentioned how people now are more concerned about what’s happening behind the scene, and not so much about what’s happening in the ring:
“Our fan base in general, they’re more concerned now with what’s happening behind the scenes and not so much what’s going on in the ring.
They want the dirt. It’s like anything else in our society. It’s all social media driven. Everybody puts their life out there.”
‘A Huge Disconnect’: The Undertaker
The Undertaker said that it’s hard for him to watch someone being completely different on social media compared to his TV persona. Per The Last Out Outlaw, it’s a ‘huge disconnect’:
“For me, it’s kind of a huge disconnect, but it is what it is and that’s where we’re at. I don’t necessarily like it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s just the way it is. It really makes things harder to have good storylines and have people invested.”
Taker also talked about his A&E documentary saying that it was fun but also hard. The former world champion mentioned that he has lived his character for so long that it was tough for him to pull that curtain back.
You can check out Undertaker’s full interview below:
The paths of Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes have crossed unexpectedly. When Rhodes first returned to the company last April, many believed that he would be the perfect name to finally dethrone Roman Reigns. However, Zayn has made a strong case for the spot in the last few months.
Cody spent almost 7 months on the shelf before Royal Rumble due to a pec injury. The former NXT champion has become the emotional favorite to end the historic reign of the Tribal Chief in this time. Even now nobody is sure which one of these two will be the one to finally take the titles away from the Head of The Table.
Sami Zayn recently talked about this situation in an interview with Fightful. He revealed what Rhodes said to him when the two saw each other at Royal Rumble, emphasizing that the awkwardness of the moment was not lost on them:
“It’s an interesting time we find ourselves in, When I saw him [Cody] at the Royal Rumble, the first thing he said to me was, ‘this is awkward, huh?’ It’s a strange time.
– Sami Zayn
The Underdog from The Underground mentioned that the WrestleMania main event could go either way. Just like his own story, Cody Rhodes’ journey has also brought him here and he has already punched his ticket to WrestleMania. Sami Zayn then also commented on his upcoming match with Roman Reigns. He said that for him, having the match in Montreal makes it bigger than WrestleMania:
“The amazing thing is, WrestleMania is also my WrestleMania because of the position I find myself in. If I could rewrite the whole thing, I don’t know if I would change anything. The fact that I’m having this match in Montreal, in a weird way, that’s almost bigger than if I would have had this match with Roman at WrestleMania. I don’t know if it gets bigger than this.”
Sami Zayn will be looking to dethrone Roman Reigns and win his first world title in WWE at Elimination Chamber from Montreal, Canada this Saturday on February 18. The Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes will be waiting for the winner of this match at WrestleMania 39 from Hollywood in April.
Corey Graves has been one of the prominent voices of WWE for many years. Now he has taken an additional responsibility behind the scenes.
The WWE star recently had an interview with PopCulture. He talked about things such as being part of the Raw 30th Anniversary special and more.
During the talk, the Raw commentator also revealed his newly acquired role within the promotion. Corey Graves said that he has recently started working with NXT talents to help develop their characters:
“I’ve recently started working with the NXT talent on helping develop characters and things of that nature, and I’ve really enjoyed it thus far, So I’m really looking forward to working with NXT a lot more as the year progresses.”
Graves didn’t forget to remind people that he has been cleared to compete. He said that he can’t think of a better scenario for his return than alongside his wife Carmella.
Corey Graves was signed by WWE back in 2011. He was one of the rising stars of the early NXT before he was forced to retire due to concussion issues in December 2014.
He then found a new role for himself as part of the NXT broadcasting team. Graves was drafted to Raw in 2016 and he has been a regular for main roster ever since.
WWE had to mute a Roman Reigns chant from tonight’s broadcast of SmackDown from Montreal during the promo of Sami Zayn.
The Underdog from The Underground will be competing in the biggest match of his career tomorrow. He will be challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
This match will be taking place on the Elimination Chamber PPV from Montreal, Canada. Zayn is expected to receive the crowd’s full support during the show.
Ahead of the big match, Zayn made an appearance on tonight’s show. Sami used his old Worlds Apart theme music and received a huge pop. Though we got a preview of the expected crowd reaction for not only Sami but also his opponent at the PLE.
While The Tribal Chief was not present in the arena for the show, there were loud ‘F**k you Roman’ chants from the crowd. This forced the company to mute the audio for a bit until the chants died down:
Sami Zayn then cut a short promo to end the show. He said that the Elimination Chamber match is the most important of his career and Reigns will be up against not only him but the entire city of Montreal.
Who do you think should win tomorrow’s match between Roma Reigns and Sami Zayn? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
This week’s episode of SmackDown included not one but two dark matches, featuring talent such as Charlotte Flair and Bray Wyatt.
The first dark match of the night saw the SmackDown Women’s Champion in action. She defended her title against Sonya Deville in a singles match.
The bout that lasted about 6 minutes was described as ‘sloppy’ by a fan in attendance. Charlotte won this match using the Figure 8 submission.
Charlotte vs Sonya DeVille for the #SmackDown Women's Championship after it went off air. Sloppy match, not that fun, Charlotte wins with the Figure 8 in about 6 minutes.
The second dark match of the night saw Bray Wyatt going up against LA Knight. The two WWE stars once again competed in a street fight.
Wyatt first put Knight through a table with a Mandible Claw slam. The former Universal Champion then delivered a Sister Abigail to pick up the victory.
Bray Wyatt also made an appearance during this week’s episode of SmackDown. The Fiend made a very interesting announcement during the show.
The Eater Of Worlds and Uncle Howdy interrupted a segment featuring Hit Row. Bray revealed that he will be going after the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley match at Elimination Chamber.
Apart from this, the SmackDown episode featured Gunther in a title match and a Sami Zayn promo ahead of his big match tomorrow.
With WWE WrestleMania season in full swing, Bray Wyatt doesn’t have a clear direction for what he will do at the biggest event of the year for the company.
However, on this week’s episode of WWE Smackdown, Wyatt shed some light on what may be coming. Wyatt and Uncle Howdy interrupted a performance by Hit Row (Top Dolla, Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis, & B-Fab) on the show.
The Warning
They cleared out the faction before Wyatt got the microphone and called out Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar. Wyatt stated that the winner of the match between them at Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE “should run.”
This will be the third contest between Lashley and Lesnar with each star holding a win over each other.
Wyatt is coming off a victory over LA Knight in a Mountain Dew Pitch Black match at WWE Royal Rumble last month. Wyatt doesn’t have a match booked for the Elimination Chamber nor wrestled on television following his return PLE match in January.
The card for WWE WrestleMania 39 continues to come along as the card takes shape. Coming out of this Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE, WWE will be ramping up the build for the show.
Pwinsider.com reports that a match that has been teased in recent weeks is confirmed: Logan Paul wrestling Seth Rollins. Per the report, the match is “100% set in stone” for the show.
Several months ago, WWE reportedly had plans to do Paul taking on John Cena at the show, but plans changed and that was obvious with the booking of the 30-Man Royal Rumble match where Paul eliminated Rollins.
Since then, in various interviews, Rollins has been taking shots at Paul and stating that Paul doesn’t care about the wrestling business. Instead, Rollins feels that Paul only cares about getting attention.
Paul’s last one-on-one match happened when he came up short while challenging Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in November.
Updated WWE WrestleMania 39 Card
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Elimination Chamber winner
Kenny Omega has some options on the table when his deal with AEW is up as he could stay with the promotion or be the next AEW star to jump ship to WWE.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported today that numbers sources have overheard AEW founder Tony Khan say that Omega has substantial injury time that “could be” added to his deal if he decides to extend it.
The option has been confirmed to be in Omega’s contract, which is standard in AEW deals. One wrestler stated, “Considering that Omega has good representation, it might not necessarily be a slam dunk, or might have some concessions to it.”
Those in AEW don’t believe the injury time has been added yet. One source stated late last year that Omega’s deal would be up “soon” and Omega could be working without one, while another source stated, “Omega’s deal would not be up that soon” and dismissed that talk. Obviously, the latter was the case as that time period has passed.
Interest From WWE
Regarding WWE, several in the company believe that they can land Omega. While there is a rivalry between AEW and WWE, it’s been said Omega had a positive relationship with WWE. Triple H even discussed Omega coming to the promotion in 2018 before the launch of AEW.
The report added, “It was also reiterated to us that Omega has it written in his AEW contract that he has the freedom to appear in NJPW as long as it doesn’t conflict with AEW duties or an agreement is made.”
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is asking for a steep price for the WWE, according to a new report.
The company is heading into an interesting situation as they look for a potential buyer. McMahon returned to power last month following his short retirement on July 22, 2022, following allegations of misconduct with female employees. His reason for his comeback to the WWE Board of Directors and Chairman position was to help the company sell or secure a TV deal.
While the company has yet to be sold, WWE CEO Nick Khan shared on Feb. 3 that fans may expect a sale in possibly three months. In a new update from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, McMahon is looking for $9 billion for the WWE.
“Vince McMahon is looking to get as much as $9 billion in a potential sale of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., the company he returned to run this year, according to people familiar with his thinking, said the report. It continues, “The company has already received offers, said the people, who requested that they not be identified because the discussions are private. WWE declined to comment. Shares of WWE rose as much as 4.9% to $91.48 Friday in New York. As of the close Thursday, the asking price was 37% greater than the company’s $6.5 billion market value.”
Potential Buyers For WWE
The report shares that Endeavor Group Holding Inc. is among the potential buyers looking to acquire WWE. Combat sports fans may recognize Endeavor as the current owner of the UFC. However, it is worth pointing out that the group bought the UFC for close to $6 billion in order to have full control of the company, which they needed numerous private equity firms, according to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin. The Bloomberg article notes that Endeavor would need financial help in order to make the sell as their market cap value is $10.4 billion.
Other potential buyers could be the likes of Comcast, Fox, Netflix, Disney, and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. The article notes that McMahon “…Built the WWE into an international entertainment powerhouse that packs arenas and airs programs regularly on Fox Corp. and Comcast Corp.’s USA network.” To lose the potential TV rights to the WWE may not be in the best interest of Comcast or Fox. Comcast in particular has WWE’s library on their streaming service Peacock, which has helped them gain subscribers.
It’s unclear who will buy WWE. However, we know how much McMahon values his company.
This week on Top Rope Nation, Kyle is joined by Frank Peteani of Pro Wrestling Torch for a full preview and predictions for this weekend’s WWE Elimination Chamber. Plus, thoughts on the narrative that AEW has a “babyface problem” and a look at the possible WrestleMania 39 card.
Each week, the video version of Top Rope Nation streams live to the SEScoops YouTube channel. You can join the live streams by subscribing to the channel and turning on notifications so you never miss a live broadcast. This will include a regular weekly edition of Top Rope Nation (typically Thursday nights), as well as reviews of all major WWE and AEW PLE/PPV shows.
On episode 285 this week, Kyle and Frank have a fascinating discussion on the possible directions that WWE could go with creative this weekend in Montreal at Elimination Chamber. Plus, is the AEW babyface roster actually too weak for a heel world champion?
You can watch the show via the embedded YouTube video at the top of this page. Additionally, you can listen to the audio-only podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You will also find an embedded audio player below.
The latest development in the storyline of who has Snoop Dogg’s WWE Golden Title came to light today. When WWE first started this storyline, it got some mainstream attention and generated a lot of buzz among wrestling fans.
Snoop, an iconic rapper, is part of the WWE Hall of Famer and got the golden WWE Championship from Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch at the WrestleMania Launch Party at SoFi Stadium in August. When he brought it on the Holidaze of Blaze Tour “to show the fans how dope it is” last December, the championship was stolen.
Title Changes Hands
Last week, actor/comedian Pete Davidson was spotted with Snoop Dogg’s golden WWE Championship during a Pro Bowl game. Rob Gronkowski had the title last week as well just before the Super Bowl and now, it’s in the hands of legendary actor William Shatner.
WWE has released this video of Shatner with the title:
The time is nearly here for the highly anticipated bout between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn at the 2023 WWE Elimination Chamber PLE for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
In recent weeks, there has been much debate among fans regarding how WWE should handle the booking of this match with some even pushing for WWE to add Zayn to the already announced bout between Reigns and Cody Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania 39 in April.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that the original plan for Reigns vs. Zayn at the WWE Elimination Chamber PLE was for Reigns to retain the title.
The idea was for Jey Uso to turn against Zayn at the show, leading to Reigns retaining and Zayn teaming with Kevin Owens to challenge The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania.
The Usos can travel to Canada for the show even though WWE shot an angle last week where they were told to stay home.
Things Have Changed
Meltzer wrote that “a lot has changed since that time” with Zayn becoming “major TV ratings mover” in recent months. The belief is that Zayn beating Reigns would be a “late deviation of the script. Meltzer wrote the following about the situation:
“It’s tricky for a lot of reasons, because Zayn does not fit into the mentality of what a mainstream ratings mover looks like, nor has his booking been what traditionally leads to it. It just happened, and it not handled right, it could end. Maybe it would have ended with a win as well, because the chase is over and maybe it was the build to the angle and chase that were the draws. Either way, this is the first booking decision in a long time that can actually make a difference to full show ratings.”
Reigns is a heavy betting odds favorite at -2000 to beat Zayn at the Elimination Chamber.
As WrestleMania season heats up, rumors are swirling that NXT standout Carmelo Hayes could soon be joining the main roster, potentially as part of a returning faction.
According to the Wrestling Observer, the rising star from NXT could be called up from the black and gold brand.
Hayes has been turning heads with his impressive in-ring abilities and charisma. He’s quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents on WWE NXT, and many believe he’s ready for the big leagues.
Hayes could be in line for a post-WrestleMania call-up, with creative already discussing potential storylines for him on Raw or SmackDown. One of the most intriguing possibilities is a role in a reformed Hurt Business.
The Hurt Business was one of the most dominant factions in recent WWE history, led by MVP and featuring Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander. The group disbanded in 2022, but MVP has teased a potential reunion in recent weeks.
Hayes could be just the spark the Hurt Business needs to reform in a big way. Not only is he a talented wrestler, but his smooth-talking style would make him a perfect fit alongside MVP as a new mouthpiece for the group.
Vote of confidence from Shawn Michaels
A WWE veteran also has trust in Carmelo Hayes. The former NXT Champion recalled the time when he talked to Shawn Michaels about wanting to become a “top guy” in WWE.
“He [Michaels] was like, ‘alright, we’ll give you the ball and you can run with it. We’ll get you where we need to get you,’” Hayes once revealed in an interview.
“I told Shawn that I see myself as a top guy. I told him, ‘take me there.’ And I think that [conversation] is what gave him the belief that, ‘OK, this kid is a little different.’
As WrestleMania draws closer and the speculation around Carmelo Hayes continues to build, fans are eagerly anticipating what could be a major debut on the horizon.
Trish Stratus is a legendary WWE women’s wrestler and seven-time Women’s Champion. She is reportedly set to make a return to the wrestling ring soon.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Stratus was scheduled to appear on the February 13th episode of Raw, but the storyline was delayed, possibly due to injury.
In September 2022, Stratus took to Twitter, where she shared a selfie and revealed that she had started working on a secret project. She also tagged the official WWE account, suggesting that she was working with the promotion.
It remains to be seen if this “secret project” was indeed connected to Stratus’ return after all.
Stratus in WWE
Stratus worked with WWE full-time from 2000 to 2006 before retiring in her hometown of Toronto at that year’s Unforgiven pay per view event.
Even though Stratus was gone for good from the world of professional wrestling, she made several appearances for the company since then and had a few matches.
In 2008, she wrestled her first match in over two years, teaming up with John Cena to defeat Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix. In 2018, Stratus made a comeback and had a series of matches during WWE Evolution, which was the promotion’s first-ever all-female pay per view event.
WWE fans have been eagerly waiting for Trish Stratus to make her return to the ring, and it seems like their wishes may soon come true. Despite the delay, reports suggest that the storyline involving Stratus is still on, and the wrestling legend will soon be back to give her fans another dose of ‘Stratusfaction.’
Bayley will go through anything to make her presence felt at WrestleMania 39, after missing out on a match at the previous two events.
The Damage CTRL member took to Twitter this week to make her promise and reminded fans of her recent bad luck with WWE’s biggest show of the year.
I haven’t competed in the last two Wrestlemanias. Last year, I had no control of due to injury. But I will never forget the feeling of not having a match on WM 37, and I will never let that happen again. I’m going to Hollywood one way or another!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/gRyamrsOcn
On this week’s Raw, Bayley faced Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a match with potential WrestleMania stakes.
Had either Lynch or Bayley won, they would have been added to tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber match, in which the winner will face Belair for the title at WrestleMania.
Unfortunately for Lynch and Bayley, it was the EST who emerged victorious on Raw.
Bayley-Mania
Bayley hasn’t competed at the last two WrestleManias, though last year’s event WrestleMania 38 wasn’t down to WWE’s creative plans.
In July 2021, days before the return of live fans, Bayley suffered a serious ACL injury that led to her being out of action for over a year.
For WrestleMania 37, Bayley was simply not booked for a match, which angered fans who appreciated what she had done during the crowd-less Pandemic era.
Instead, Bayley was used for a few skits involving The Bella Twins, Hulk Hogan, and Titus O’Neil.
What’s Next for Bayley?
With the Role Model being blocked from entering the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, any bout for Bayley at WrestleMania is unlikely to be for a championship.
Earlier this month, WWE Hall of Famer Lita appeared on Raw to cost Bayley her steel cage match with Lynch, seemingly setting up a feud between them.
While it had been rumored that Elimination Chamber 2023 would see Damage CTRL face Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus, no match has been announced, but could be saved for WrestleMania.
With that said, it has been reported that WWE is planning for Dakota Kai and IYO SKY to defend the WWE Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is on the roll of his career after reaching yet another milestone as the promotion’s top star.
Reigns returned from a hiatus (stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic) at Summerslam 2020 and captured the WWE Universal Champion a week later.
Since then, the Tribal Chief has maintained an iron grip on the title, and this week, reached 900 days with the gold.
At WrestleMania 38, Reigns unified the title with the WWE Championship (won from Brock Lesnar) and is on day-320 as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Roman Reigns Reacts
For Roman Reigns, reaching milestones such as these has become a common occurrence, and the Tribal Chief often reacts to his accolades on social media.
In a tweet, Reigns said that fans were given plenty of notice that such an impressive reign was coming for him.
In addition to this record, Reigns has not been pinned in 1,160 days, with the last time his shoulders were on the mat for the three-count coming at WWE: TLC 2019.
What’s Next for Roman Reigns?
Tomorrow night, Reigns will make his latest title defense, this one being against Sami Zayn in the latter’s hometown of Montreal.
Despite Sami having the home-field advantage, Reigns remains the firm favorite, and if victorious, will go on to defend his title at WrestleMania 39 against Cody Rhodes.
There has been speculation that Zayn’s popularity with fans could force WWE to make a triple-threat match at WrestleMania 39, an idea 16-time World Champion Ric Flair recently spoke out against.
Charlotte Flair is slated to be in another title match at WWE’s biggest event of the year when she defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 against Rhea Ripley.
They previously wrestled each other at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 with Charlotte defeating Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Championship. Ripley earned this title match at WrestleMania 39 by winning the women’s Royal Rumble match.
Just like in past years, WWE will have WrestleMania take place across two nights. The second night is expected to be headlined by Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes. Charlotte believes her bout should headline one of the nights, most likely the first one.
Charlotte Flair on WrestleMania Bout
“Rhea and I are main event quality, it’s a main event story, and I want to be in the main event with her. I know it’s going to be that good,” she told Kevin Raphaël and Pat Laprade on Les anti-pods de la lutte.
No other matches have yet to be confirmed for WrestleMania 39. H/T to Fightful for the transcription
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin is getting his own docuseries on A&E.
‘Stone Cold Takes on America’ will see Austin taking viewers on an epic adventure as he redefines what life after years in the ring looks like and experiences everything he missed out on while focused on his career. The show premieres Sunday, April 30 at 10pm (EST).
The Texas Rattlesnake put out this video Thursday afternoon once the news went public:
A&E sent in a press release to SEScoops that includes the following details:
For over two decades, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave everything to wrestling, becoming one of the all-time greats. However, his dedication to his career meant sacrificing many of the other experiences life has to offer. In each one-hour episode of “Stone Cold Takes on America,” Austin will hit the road in his RV, accepting challenges from fans that push him out of his comfort zone, and make up for lost time. Through archival footage from classic WWE moments and his own stories, the series weaves together Austin’s old and new life—both filled with incredible feats and his unique point of view—as he celebrates and learns from new experiences how only “Stone Cold” Steve Austin can.
“Stone Cold Takes on America” is produced by Pilgrim Media Group for A&E Network. The series is executive produced by WWE. Executive producers include Craig Piligian, Steve Austin, Heather Olander, Stijn Bakkers and Mike Nichols, who also serves as showrunner. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for “Stone Cold Takes on America.”
After countless matches with her, Bianca Belair knows how good Bayley is inside the squared circle.
Belair has shared the ring with Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, including at WrestleMania. Belair and Bayley feuded off and on for years where they’ve been part of ladder, last woman standing and WarGames matches.
Although they’ve been rivals on television, Belair has nothing but respect and praise for Bayley, one of WWE’s top female stars.
Bianca Belair on Bayley
Belair made an appearance on Ryan Satin’s Out Of Character podcast, where she shared her belief that Bayley doesn’t get the credit she deserves.
“I love Bayley. I feel like she’s one of the Four Horsewomen that doesn’t get as much credit as she should. She does so much that’s not for herself. Anybody that she steps in the ring with, she brings the best out of them and that’s what she did for me. I remember our Last Woman Standing match in particular. I was watching a lot of other Last Woman, Last Man Standing matches and you have your table spots and you have your ladder spots and your chair spots.
We just wanted to make it as creative as possible and different. We’ve always been able to do that because Bayley is amazing in the ring physically, but when it comes to mentally, her creative mind is so amazing. We were able to create some amazing and iconic moments in that Last Woman Standing match like the golf cart. Like, we’re in Saudi Arabia and there’s women driving golf carts. That doesn’t happen all the time. It was really cool to create these fun and unique moments for these matches. The ladder match as well, that was our goal. Bayley is one of my favorite competitors to go up against.”
Belair scored a win over Bayley and Lynch in a triple threat match this past Monday night on Raw that prevented them from being added to the upcoming Elimination Chamber match where the winner will be Belair’s WrestleMania opponent.
Ric Flair seems to be against the idea of making the WrestleMania 39 main event for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title a Triple Threat match.
Flair recently took to his podcast, “To Be The Man,” to offer his thoughts on the possibility of the WrestleMania main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes adding Sami Zayn to make it into a Triple Threat match.
Given the popularity of The Bloodline storyline and the rising stardom of Zayn, many suggest WWE could be on the way to inserting him into the main event as well. However, if Ric Flair had his way, he’d like to keep things between Reigns and Zayn.
“No way! They have put too much time into Cody and too much time into Roman. The fans sometimes get with that three-way stuff, and sometimes they don’t, you know what I mean?
“I think it is better; I know it would mean more just from knowing him like I have since 12 years old; I think Cody and Roman that’s going to be a really world-class match.
“I actually think Cody is a better worker now than he was; his work is better right now than it was when he was at AEW. On top, yeah! And Roman hasn’t slacked off. I think Roman is great. I think it’s a clash of the titans, man.”
Rhodes earned his way into the main event of WrestleMania this year by winning the Men’s Royal Ruble match in Texas. Now, he’ll headline “The Show Of Shows” against Reigns in Los Angeles.
However, before that takes place, Sami Zayn will get his shot at the World Title when he challenges Reigns at the Elimination Chamber PLE. It will be interesting to see how the World Title picture shapes out heading into WrestleMania this April.
