WWE usually puts on a special edition of Monday Night Raw around Christmas, where fans typically get a Christmas-themed street fight that is just fun to watch.
The status of this year’s edition of Raw after Christmas is unknown. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that plans are still up in the air regarding the December 26th edition of Raw.
WWE is planning two shows that night in Columbus, OH, and the other in Madison Square Garden, but there isn’t much information available regarding these shows as Meltzer explained.
Where Things Stand
(via WWE)
“For whatever reason, the decision was made not to tape that night. The two ideas looked at right now were either taping two shows on 12/19, which you can do with Smackdown but I don’t know how you do that with a three-hour draw or doing a Best of 2022 show. An announcement is expected to be made any day now. But both shows are advertised as house shows.”
This year’s RAW after Christmas will be the first one under Triple H’s regime. Here is what the WWE schedule during the holidays looks like:
Monday, December 19: Raw – Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA
Monday, December 26: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
Wednesday, December 28: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland
Wednesday, December 28: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
Thursday, December 29: WWE Live Holiday Tour – FTX Arena in Miami
Friday, December 30: WWE Live Holiday Tour – Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario
Friday, December 30: SmackDown – Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
25-year-old G’Angelo Hancock is slated to make his WWE debut on NXT Level Up.
Hancock competed in the Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kilograms competition at the 2020 Olympics, where he defeated Mikheil Kajaia of Serbia in his first match before being eliminated in his next contest after a loss to Tadeusz Michalik of Poland. At the 2020 Pan American Championships, he won the Gold medal after winning the bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games and bronze at the 2021 World Championships in the same category.
The Name
WWE has announced that he will wrestle under the name Tavion Heights and take on Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo on NXT Level Up this week.
The match was taped on Tuesday from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and will air tonight on Peacock before SmackDown.
Hancock took part in WWE’s tryouts in Dallas over WrestleMania week earlier this year and later confirmed as one of 17 recruits to sign with the company and begin training at the Performance Center in August.
The announcement read like this, “Heights, a former Olympian will make his WWE debut and bring his Greco-Roman style to the squared circle against the hard-hitting Lorenzo,” reads WWE.com.
Also announced for the show is Thea Hail vs. Sol Ruca in a singles match.
Charlotte Flair is currently training for her WWE return.
Flair’s most recent match happened at WrestleMania Backlash in May, which saw her drop the SmackDown Women’s Title to Ronda Rousey. WWE did an injury angle to write her off television.
While away from the company, The Queen has teased her comeback several times on social media, most recently sharing a photo of her wrestling boots in late November.
The Photo
On Friday, Flair shared a photo to her Instagram story of herself with NXT’s Zoey Stark and Alba Fyre in a wrestling ring. She tagged the two stars and thanked them for the training session.
Although the reason for Flair’s extended absence is unknown, her husband and AEW star Andrade El Idolo previously noted that she has been off TV for ‘personal reasons‘ that she’ll explain one day.
Flair and Andrade notably tied the knot during Flair’s WWE hiatus, getting married over the summer.
Once Rousey became the SmackDown Women’s Champion, she had a notable reign before losing it to Liv Morgan in July before winning the gold back at Extreme Rules in October.
WWE has reportedly decided on Rousey’s opponent for Royal Rumble next month:
One big match for WWE WrestleMania 39 may have been revealed as the company is looking to load up the card for the show.
On the latest episode of The Ringer’s Masked Man Show, former WWE creative writer Kazeem Famuyide said that he has heard about a big show that WWE is planning between the Royal Rumble in late January and WrestleMania 39 in April.
The main event of the show is rumored to be Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio teaming up against Rey Mysterio and Bad Bunny. This match would lead to Bad Bunny vs. Dominik at WrestleMania 39.
Backstory
Dominik turned on Edge and Rey at Clash at the Castle by joining The Judgment Day. Rey was moved to SmackDown to get away from his son in storyline. On Thanksgiving, WWE shot an angle where Dom and Rhea Ripley attacked Rey at his home during dinner.
Fans praised Bad Bunny for his tag team match at WrestleMania 37 – Night 1 in 2021 when he teamed up with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison. Bunny then worked at this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble Match in January.
During the WWE Clash at the Castle post-show press conference, Triple H was asked about the possibility of Bad Buddy returning to do more with the company. This is where Triple H noted he and Bunny were going to have a conversation soon. Perhaps that discussion was about this idea.
Cody Rhodes is gearing up for (another) triumphant return to WWE. Nearly six months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, the American Nightmare is healthy, back in the gym and patiently waiting for the right moment to strike.
As the year comes to a close and the focus shifts to the Royal Rumble and the Road to WrestleMania, we have an encouraging update regarding the man who may be destined for a career-defining moment in just a few months time.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rhodes is “back to normal when it comes to his ability to train.”
Rhodes’ WWE return is a huge deal and it’s likely they’ll incorporate the element of surprise to maximize the impact of the moment.
Cody Rhodes Bulking Up
Now that his injury is healed, Rhodes has been lifting heavy weights and bulking up. The Observer notes that he’s been working with top level trainers to put on size and strength.
His goal is to be 240 pounds when he returns, “which may be the thickest he’s been in his life.” Based on this report, we won’t have to wait long to meet the new and improved Cody Rhodes.
WrestleMania Plans
Rhodes is expected to be a featured in a top program headed into WrestleMania 39. Prior to his injury, WWE was planning for an eventual showdown between Rhodes and Roman Reigns, the company’s Undisputed Universal Champion.
There’s still hope within WWE that The Rock will work WrestleMania. Plans for the WrestleMania main event are typically locked in by mid-January, ahead of the Rumble.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson could be mere weeks away from his return to WWE as part of the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
The 2023 Royal Rumble will take place on January 28, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and will kickstart the road to WrestleMania 39.
The 36th Rumble Premium Live Event, next year will be the sixth year that the show has featured a men’s and women’s Rumble match.
If You Can Smell…
For months, rumors of The Rock’s return to WWE have circulated, with many believing he will challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Both men have teased the highly-anticipated collision, which has also been referenced on NBC’s Young Rock.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that discussions within WWE have called for The Rock to not only compete in the Men’s Rumble match but to also win.
Meltzer stressed that rumors exist within WWE, and while this could be the plan, as “far as those who would be in a position to know,” nothing has been confirmed as the plan.
A win would see The Rock earn an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Reigns at WrestleMania, but it’s noted that WWE would make a Mania match happen even if The Rock doesn’t make the Rumble.
Sources who spoke to the Observer said that plans for the WrestleMania main event will need to be locked down by mid-January so a decision from Johnson will be needed by then.
The report adds that a “pie-in-the-sky” idea is for The Rock to be a surprise as the #30 entrant.
Last Match
The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns, whether for a championship or not, is worthy of the WrestleMania main event, but could also mark Johnson’s final match.
Meltzer reports that the belief in the past has been that The Rock wants Reigns to be his last opponent, given they are related.
This is a match that has been talked about for years, and it’s reported that The Rock has hoped for his last match to be in Los Angeles, the home of WrestleMania 39.
Kevin Owens could soon be tearing it up on the independent scene once more, despite being a WWE Superstar.
Prior to signing with WWE in 2014, Owens competed as Kevin Steen in various promotions, including CZW, PWG and Ring of Honor.
The Prizefighter is one of several indie names to make it big in WWE, including El Generico (Sami Zayn,) Tyler Black (Seth Rollins,) and Matt Riddle.
Nakamura Vs. Muta
On January 1, Shinsuke Nakamura will face the Great Muta for Pro Wrestling NOAH, as part of Muta’s retirement tour.
Speaking about the match on WWE After the Bell, Owens expressed his excitement as a fan of both men to see the match.
“When I saw the announcement for the match, they had it when Shinsuke’s music hit in the video, it gave me absolute goosebumps. Knowing how incredible that is for the fans, it’s such a treat, it’s such a surprise. You never would have thought that it was something that could happen. Not only is it happening but it’s something I’m sure means a lot for Shinsuke.”
Muta Vs. Nakamura will take place as part of NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event at Budokan Hall.
Return to the Indies
The idea of a WWE-contracted Superstar working for Pro Wrestling NOAH would have seemed unfeasible during the Vince McMahon era of the company.
Since McMahon’s retirement, Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Triple H have made several changes to a WWE that feels much different.
When asked if he hopes to see more crossover between WWE and other promotions, Owens expressed a desire to return to the independent scene while still working for WWE.
“Yeah, for sure [I’d like to have matches on the indies.] I’m very deeply rooted in the independent scene. That’s where I came up. I still have so many friends there. There are a few wrestling companies, independent companies that I still hold very near and dear to my heart that I’d love to maybe one day show back up on just for fun whether it’s a promo or maybe it’s a match.
“Now it feels like more of a possibility than ever.”
Kevin Owens on return to the Indpendents whilst working for WWE.
“That’s stuff that over the years I’ve always thought ‘hey man, it’d be really cool if I get to do that one day.’ Now it feels like more of a possibility than ever. And that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen but it feels that it could now. And that’s very exciting. The fans and the wrestlers.”
Owens concluded by highlighting how there is incredible talent on the independents, as people have dedicated themselves to an industry where it is difficult to make a living.
“If you get someone from the independent scene, most of the time, you’ll get someone who is very passionate.”
WWE’s Executive Vice President of Television Production was nowhere to be found last weekend at Survivor Series WarGames.
Survivor Series Wargames, the 36th Survivor Series Premium Live Event, saw the iconic double-ring cage stipulation be used on the main roster for the first time ever.
In the show’s opener, Team Bianca defeated Team Damage in the Women’s WarGames match, while The Bloodline stood tall at the end of the night over Team Brutes.
Kevin Dunn
Despite being in such an important role, Dunn wasn’t backstage at last weekend’s Premium Live Event, Fightful Select has confirmed.
The report specified that Dunn remains with WWE, and that there have not been any plans for him to not be working there anytime soon.
After Vince McMahon’s retirement earlier this year, questions arose about what role Dunn would have under the new regime led by Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.
Here to Stay
Earlier this year, it was reported that Dunn was expected to leave WWE within the coming 12 months, either of his own accord or by being forced out.
It has been said that Stephanie McMahon is no fan of Dunn, and that he is not a Triple H ‘guy’ either.
Speaking to the media ahead of Summerslam this year, Triple H namedropped Dunn as someone who will be a key part of the new vision for the company.
To take it [WWE] beyond where it is now, the only way we’re gonna do that is with a team. That’s with Steph [McMahon.] That’s with Nick Khan. That’s with myself. That’s with Kevin Dunn
While the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy was focused on Jeff Hardy’s WWE return in 2006, the conversation turned to Chris Benoit.
Hardy reflected on how eerie it was that day. Benoit missed the pay-per-view. Hardy ended up filling in for Benoit on house shows earlier that weekend. “It was very strange because Chris was not one to be late. I’ve told you stories about how Chris and Eddie would stay by the gym. They would get a hotel near the closest Gold’s Gym so that they could work out first thing in the morning. They were very timely and very punctual, so Chris never missed shows, never missed shots, people always heard back from him. So, it was very strange the whole weekend. Very strange.”
“And I’ll never forget that day when they called a talent meeting to get everybody together. And keep in mind, we’ve been walking around all day long. There’s caskets in several different places for shots they’re going to do about Vince. There’s all these wreaths everywhere. There’s flowers everywhere, like it’s really like a funeral home. There’s so many weird, eerie vibes floating around that day as we’re doing the show that followed Vince’s explosion and the supposed “death” of the boss.”
Matt Hardy on How He Learned of Chris Benoit’s Death
“They had this talent meeting, they call everyone together. I’ll never forget I saw ‘Taker coming out slowly, walking out to where all the crowd was gathered around. I saw Michelle McCool like, crying. I remember turning to Ken Kennedy and going, ‘Chris is dead.’ I saw Undertaker and Michelle coming and Undertaker would’ve been given the heads up and Michelle’s just so upset, I thought ‘he’s gotta be dead.’”
“And then I remember them coming out and proceeding to tell us Chris had been found dead and his family had been found as well. We’re going to change the whole show that night and they’re going to go a different direction and remember Chris Benoit that night. It was a super eerie day and even having walking around all day seeing that funeral stuff, it was just a weird, creepy day. Corpus Christi, Texas. I’ll never forget it. I remember it like it was yesterday and how shocking it just was.”
Final Thoughts
Jon Alba clarified that they will never do an episode dedicated to Benoit. He will come up only in stories. Since it’s the only time they’ll talk about him out of respect for the victim’s families, he did ask a few more questions.
Vince McMahon and the top people in the office broke the news of Benoit’s death. “They told everyone about it and what their intention was for the show. I was asked to do a testimonial, but I said, ‘I’m okay’ and declined to do it because as the day was going on, as you know, more info started coming out and they weren’t really sure how his family died. There were some guys who were suspicious, it could be foul play. I was one of those guys who declined to speak just to be safe. I mean, very sad day, obviously.”
“Extremely sad. Just remarkably eerie in every way possible because of what we were there to do that day, the Vince storyline; the explosion angle. And then to have that real life storyline set in on you like that. It was so crazy. So yeah, there were guys who did to testimonies and it is what it is. It was meant to celebrate Chris Benoit’s wrestling career and life and it’s just very unfortunate how it all ended with him. It’s inexplicable to even try to explain why that happened or how that happened or could have happened. At the end of the day, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s just sad.”
“It hit everyone hard. Everyone was just floored. It came out of left field, no one was expecting that. Chris Benoit’s gone the whole day and not only is Chris Benoit dead, his family has passed away as well. That’s mind-blowing. It strongly effected everyone, even worse when we found out what truly happened.”
Hardy gave his final thoughts on that time. “That was just a very tough day, very tough day at work. Learning that information about someone you worked with very closely hand in hand, you spent time with, that you went on car rides with, that you shared hotel rooms with, to learn that was heavy, man. It’s the first time I can ever say I’ve been in some criminal, traumatic event like that and known someone that close. It was a heartbreaking day all the way around.”
If it goes ahead, this will be the first Hell in a Cell match in the history of the Royal Rumble, and the earliest in the year a Hell in a Cell match has ever happened.
Hell in a Cell
Since 2009, the Hell in a Cell match has had its own Premium Live Event, and has rarely been used outside of that show.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the Hell in a Cell PLE was “completely dead,” thanks to decisions made by Triple H.
The Game has been vocal about using stipulation matches when the storyline calls for it, instead of when it’s the right time of the year.
At the Survivor Series WarGames post-show press conference, the WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations described Hell in a Cell as a “blow-off match” which should mark the end of a feud.
Triple H’s career saw him enter Hell in a Cell nine times, and won six of his matches in the structure.
Eric Young is returning to WWE. He was written off of Impact on tonight’s episode on AXS. The 42-year-old won the NXT Tag Team Championships with former WWE star Alexander Wolfe. SAnitY defeated the Authors of Pain at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II. SAnitY members Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain were released last year. Nikki Cross is currently on the Raw roster.
According to a new report by PWInsider, the former SAnitY faction leader will be returning to the company. There are currently no details as to Eric’s role with the company, start date, or whether he will be on the main roster or in NXT.
Young was released by WWE in April 2020 in their first wave of COVID-19 releases. Eric returned at Slammiversary 2020 and went on to win the Impact Championship later in the year on the September 1st edition of Impact later that year.
Young appeared to be killed in a vignette featuring fellow Violent By Design member Deaner. The vignette was taped in prison and they were fighting over a shiv. Deaner won and Young shouted at him to “eliminate the sickness!” at the end of the video below.
Eric Young was interviewed by Chis Van Vliet following his release from WWE and had some harsh words for the former CEO. Young stated Vince failed as a leader because he had nothing for him.
If you have a 3-hour television show, pro-wrestling television show, and you can’t find something for me to do then you are failing as a leader.
Plain and simple. You failed your company. You failed the shareholders, you failed the fans and you failed yourself.
Has Randy Orton’s incredible professional wrestling career come to an unfortunate end?
That’s certainly what some people believe, with the Viper spending most of this year out with a back injury suffered in May.
Orton’s most recent match saw him and Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos in the title-unification match with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Listen to the Experts
When Orton was moved to SmackDown in 2005, he worked with Teddy Long, the on-screen general manager of the blue brand.
Orton would work with Long again when he was redrafted to SmackDown in 2011.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Long discussed Orton’s future, calling the former WWE World Champion a good friend of his.
“Randy Orton, a great friend of mine, too, had a lot of great times with him there. I just hope Randy makes the right decision, you know. There are people like Edge, Kurt Angle, that said [sic] they wouldn’t come back once they found out they had injuries and the doctors told them it’d be dangerous for them to return to the ring.”
Later in the interview, Long again expressed the importance of listening to medical experts.
“I just hope Randy does the right thing. If the doctors tell you to stay out of the ring, I suggest you stay out of the ring.”
Teddy Long.
Original Plans
Orton’s injury is much worse than what WWE had first feared, and there had been plans for the Legend Killer to have returned by now.
In June, it was reported that the company’s plan for Summerslam would have seen Orton challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Of course, that didn’t happen, and Reigns instead faced Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match, promoted as the final collision between the two.
Former WWE Superstar Nikki Bella has a new series set to be released soon. Nikki captured the Divas Championship twice in her career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020. She currently serves as an ambassador for the company.
The trailer for Nikki’s new limited series on the E! Network titled “Nikki Bella Says I Do” has been released. Nikki and Brie Bella’s “Total Bellas” reality series had a successful run from 2016 – 2021 on the E! Network. The “Total Divas” reality series ran form 2013-2019 on the network as well.
Nikki recently married Russian professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The four-part series will begin on E! on January 13, 2023 and you can check out the trailer below.
The Bella Twins on the Demise of Total Divas
Nikki and Brie Bella recently spoke to TV Insider and SEScoops’ correspondent Scott Fishman about Total Divas ending last year. Nikki stated that the show had a positive influence on girls showing up to WWE events.
“It doesn’t get enough credit. I believe it was also a reason why we had more girls showing up. Here were these reality fans that believed in us and our stories inside and outside the ring. They wanted to come to watch it live and grew into fans. It changed the game so much for us. It made people believe in women’s wrestling.”
She added that the show would have to have the right people behind it if it were ever to return. Nikki claimed they walked away from the show because of the drama surrounding it.
“It has to be the right people behind it. We started to go in a direction where it became more to do with bad girls’ club drama. It’s why we walked away.”
The trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped today on YouTube and features former WWE Superstar Batista.
Batista (Dave Bautista) plays Drax the Destroyer in the films, and he first appeared in the original Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. He also recently was a co-star in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” on Netflix with Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, and Kate Hudson.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release in theaters on May 5th next year and is directed by James Gunn. In the trailer, Batista’s character Drax launches a basketball at the face of a young creature and vowed to kill anyone that gets in their way before he is reminded by Star-Lord that he will not be killing anyone.
Earlier this year, Batista took to Instagram and posted about the production of the film wrapping up and confirmed that he is done playing Drax after Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.
Batista’s wrestling career came to an end a few years ago at WrestleMania 35. The Animal battled his former Evolution teammate Triple H in a No Holds Barred match. Their rivalry started when Batista attacked Ric Flair ahead of his 70th birthday celebration.
Triple H put his career on the line in the match and emerged victorious. He planted Batista with a Powerbomb on the steel steps, and struck The Animal with a sledgehammer in the match. In the end, it took two Pedigrees for The Game to pick up the victory. Batista announced his retirement from professional wrestling shortly after the match.
Ronda Rousey is in the middle of another reign as the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Rousey made her most recent title defense against Shotzi at Survivor Series, where she was a heavy favorite to win the match, and that’s exactly what happened. The company is looking ahead to its next premium live event, Royal Rumble, next month.
When Vince McMahon decided to call up Raquel Rodriguez from NXT to the main roster, the idea was that she would become one of the top stars in the company as the former CEO and Chairman saw big things in her. She was also booked strongly in NXT under Triple H, and “The Game” has continued to be a supporter of hers on the main roster.
Royal Rumble Plans
(WWE)
Rodriguez is set for her biggest match to date at the Royal Rumble as WrestleNews.co reports the plan is for her to challenge Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Rodriguez has been selling her left arm after being attacked by Rousey as last week on SmackDown, Rousey forced Rodriguez to tap out to the armbar submission. It’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rodriguez after this show.
Still, Rousey is scheduled to go into WrestleMania as the champion, indicating she will retain the title at the Royal Rumble.
WWE NXT star Edris Enofe threw shade at AEW star Kenny Omega on Twitter while celebrating Mandy Rose’s NXT Women’s Championship reign.
Rose has been on an incredible run as she’s held the title for over 400 days and has been pushed as one of the top stars of the NXT brand. Omega, one of AEW’s top stars, has won championships all over the world utilizing his signature ‘V-Trigger’ knee strike.
In a post on Twitter, Enofe argued that Omega couldn’t perform the move as well as Rose can. He shared a GIF of Rose dropping Katana Chance on the November 30 edition of NXT.
The Shot
Enofe captioned the post: “Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious.”
This isn’t the first time that Enofe has taken shots at an AEW star, as he and Malik Blade notably shared a video in September poking fun at CM Punk’s post-All Out media scrum rant about Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks.
At last month’s Full Gear pay-per-view, Omega and the Young Bucks returned to the ring following their suspensions after the All Out backstage fight.
Enofe’s most recent televised match saw him team up with Blade and Odyssey Jones during the November 8 NXT Level Up taping.
Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! ???? Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious https://t.co/qiHFhNWTIF
Stephanie McMahon believes WWE needs to bring another stadium show to Australia.
The co-CEO of WWE, alongside Nick Khan, discussed WWE’s broadcast deal with Foxtel in Australia while at the Wells Fargo TMT Summit. This is where she shared her belief about doing another premium live event in the country.
The last time that WWE held a PLE in the country was in October 2018 with the Super Show-Down event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.
McMahon’s Belief
(via WWE)
“You look at our new deal in Australia with Foxtel, where we need to bring a stadium event to Australia as well and how are we looking at that in terms of our international premium live events? How does that work in terms of our domestic strategy?… How are we gonna be able to maximize our opportunities there?”
McMahon also discussed WWE’s plans to launch Performance Centers in different locations around the world, which was an idea first introduced by Triple H several years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic paused those plans.
McMahon said that international growth is their focus and wants to do something they call ‘global localization’ or ‘glocal’ where they create local Performance Centers with local talent.
WWE is continuing to look for ways to improve WrestleMania week for fans.
The company has already announced three events at Crypto.com Arena as part of WrestleMania Week in Los Angeles. SmackDown and the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Friday, March 31, NXT Stand & Deliver on Saturday, April 1, and Monday Night Raw on Monday, April 3.
WrestleMania 39 takes place over two nights on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, live from SoFi Stadium.
More Events Coming?
Graphic Credit: Business Wire
According to a new report by WrestleVotes, WWE wants to have additional shows throughout the week that are like The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show.
“I’m told WWE is looking into having additional shows throughout WrestleMania weekend similar to that of The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show. Live, interactive shows w/ Steve Austin & Trish Stratus to name a few have been discussed.”
There have been several reports about what WWE hopes to book at its biggest event of the year in 2023, including bringing back three of the biggest names in the history of the wrestling business to wrestle again in three separate matches.
Although he has denied speculation about him getting in better shape for another match, Steve Austin has reportedly been offered a match at this event against an unknown opponent after his successful return at WrestleMania 38 with a win over Kevin Owens.
WWE is looking to bring John Cena in for a match at Mania, which would be his first bout at a premium live event since SummerSlam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.
It’s been well documented that WWE is hoping to have The Rock back for a match against Reigns, as it’s one of the biggest matches they can book. It all depends on whether The Rock’s Hollywood schedule will let him be available.
All Elite Wrestling star William Regal is expected back in WWE very soon. Over the past several weeks, there’s been conflicting reports over Regal’s contractual status with AEW.
Regal was released by WWE back in January. The decision caught a lot of people off guard and was attributed to the company’s decision to go in a new direction with NXT 2.0. His Lordship made a surprise debut at AEW Revolution in March and quickly aligned with Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. They later formed the Blackpool Combat Club, one of this year’s most dominant factions in pro wrestling.
Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite saw Regal’s first public appearance with the man he helped win the AEW World Championship, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The alliance was short-lived, as MJF ended the segment by blindsiding Regal with an attack that sent him to the hospital.
Regal Likely Returning Home to WWE
A lot has changed since Regal joined AEW, most notably Vince McMahon’s retirement. Regal’s longtime friend Triple H is now running the show, a situation that paved the way for his inevitable return.
On Thursday, a pair of reports strongly indicate Regal will be back at Triple H’s side in the very near future. According PWInsider, “there have been rumblings” within WWE that Regal will be returning soon in a backstage role. Regal was a driving force behind the success of NXT and served as the brand’s on-screen authority figure for several years.
In addition to this report, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted that he’s heard Regal’s AEW contract expires this month (December).
Regal is considered one of the brightest minds in the business and is an invaluable asset to whichever company he decides to work.
Three WWE Superstars made the trip to Hartford, Connecticut to present a police officer with a WWE Championship title for his bravery during a shootout.
In October, Officer Alec Iurato was injured in a shooting that killed two Bristol police officers, Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy.
Officials close to the case said that Officer Iurato killed the suspect with a single shot.
WWE
In a Facebook status from the Bristol Connecticut Police Department, Iurato can be seen with a WWE Championship, complete with customer Bristol PD side plates.
The championship was presented by Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, and Braun Strowman at the XL Center in Hartford, the host of the November 18, 2022, episode of WWE SmackDown.
Bristol PD said that WWE has been a support for the families of Lt. Demonte & Sgt. Hamzy, in addition to supporting Officer Iurato.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould called Iurato a true hero and said he maintained courage and composure and stopped the act of killing that October night.
Hero Champions
Police Officer Charlie Guenigault was presented with a WWE Championship by Triple H for his bravery during a terror attack in London in June 2017.
This isn’t the first time WWE has gone the extra mile to show their appreciation to someone for their acts of bravery.
In June 2017, off-duty police officer Charlie Guenigault was injured during a terror attack in London, England when he was trying to protect a British Transport Police officer.
The amateur rugby player and lifelong WWE fan was shocked later that month to be presented with a WWE Championship by none other than Triple H.
The Game said at the time “People say a lot of times that they watch WWE because these guys are like real-life superheroes. Well, Charlie is a real hero.”
Dakota Kai made her shocking return to WWE at Summerslam 2022 as part of Damage CTRl, but plans for the group were originally much different.
Damage CTRL, consisting of Kai, IYO SKY, and Bayley, debuted at the July 30 event, in Bayley’s first appearance on WWE TV in over a year.
Since debuting, the group has captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships twice and Bayley has challenged for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Original Plans
Bayley had planned on a stable for years, but the Role Model’s plans were only realized earlier this year.
Appearing on the Getting Over podcast, Kai explained how the original line-up for the group had many different members.
“When she [Bayley first mentioned it to me a couple of years…it was myself, Candice LeRae and Tegan [Nox.] Those were the ones that were from the start. And obviously things that happened from then until now, everything changes.”
Dakota Kai.
Kai later explained how a more recent roster for Damage CTRL included herself, SKY, Alba Fyre, and Raquel Rodriguez.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion said that this group would have been “epic” but she is equally pleased to team with Bayley and SKY.
What’s Next for Damage CTRL?
After the group’s debut, Bayley set her sights on Bianca Belair, but failed to dethrone the Raw Women’s Champion.
At Survivor Series: WarGames, Team Damage lost to Team Bianca, seemingly marking the end of the feud.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai brawled with Becky Lynch, starting the group’s newest feud.
Lynch returned to WWE after four months away as the fifth member of Team Bianca and scored the pinfall for her team inside WarGames.
Sasha Banks was at the Boston Celtics versus the Miami Heat basketball game tonight. The Celtics defeated the Heat 134-121 to improve their record to an impressive 18-4.
The game happened to be played at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. WWE Survivor Series WarGames has held at the same venue a few days ago in The Boss’ hometown.
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE on May 16th. The two were the Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time but were booked to face off against each other in a Six-Pack Challenge to determine Ronda Rousey’s opponent at Hell in a Cell 2022.
Instead, Sasha and Naomi walked into former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office, left the titles on his desk, and left the arena. The two have not appeared in WWE since despite numerous rumors claiming their returns are inevitable.
Ahead of WWE Survivor Series, Bianca Belair was in search for a superstar to fill out her team in the Women’s WarGames match against Damage CTRL, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Cross. Many fans were hoping that the mystery superstar would be Sasha Banks because the show was in her hometown.
Ahead of WWE Crown Jewel, Sasha posted a video teasing fans that “something so f***ing crazy” was coming.
I’m very excited and I hope you guys come along for this journey, which I know a lot of you have been with me for so long. So thank you. But I just want to let you know that there is going to be something so f***ing crazy coming!
“The day is coming that I’ve been waiting for for the past 6 months — There’s going to be something so fucking crazy coming”
The WarGames format for WWE’s annual Survivor Series Premium Live Event may be here to stay after the success of this year’s show.
Last weekend, WWE held its 36th Survivor Series event, which for the third time ever featured no traditional elimination tag team matches (after 1998 and 2002.)
Instead, fans saw two WarGames matches, with Team Bianca winning the opener and The Bloodline standing tall in the main event.
Record Breaker
In an internal memo obtained by Fightful Select, WWE highlighted many records that Survivor Series WarGames has shattered.
The memo says that this was the most-viewed Survivor Series on record, jumping 46% vs. 2021’s edition of the show.
Merchandise sales were also the best in the event’s history, up 20% from last year’s Survivor Series.
The live gate was the highest, both for a Survivor Series and for any WWE event in Boston, an accolade Triple H referenced at the post-show press conference.
Fan enjoyment rating popped 48% vs. last year though it is unclear how exactly this metric is measured.
Social media video views were up year over year, with the TikTok of Roman Reigns sending Sami Zayn into the match garnering 13 million views alone.
The Future
There has been speculation that this year’s Survivor Series marked the end of the traditional elimination match, in favor of WarGames.
Speaking at the post-show press conference, Triple H said that “sometimes stuff needs a break for a while,” adding that it wasn’t solely his decision.
The WWE Head of Creative and Talent downplayed the idea that the iconic tag match is finished, adding “I don’t think we’re done with anything.”
Legado Del Fantasma appeared on WWE’s The Bump earlier today. Santos Escobar will be facing Ricochet this Friday night in the finals of the SmackDown World Cup.
The winner of the tournament will go on to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Ricochet advanced to the finals of the tournament last week after Gunther and Imperium distracted Braun Strowman. The distraction allowed Ricochet to roll-up the Monster of All Monsters for the pinfall victory.
Legado Del Fantasma was asked about The Bloodline during their appearance on the show. Joaquin Wilde said of course they want to be the ones that dethrone The Usos and The Bloodline.
Zelina Vega then took a shot at The Wiseman Paul Heyman and claimed she was at a higher level than him.
“Yeah, I mean, I can see me going up against Paul Heyman,” said Vega. “Paul already knows that I’m not only on his level but higher. I’m pretty sure when it comes to The Bloodline, like I said, give it time because I have my eyes on Paul. Hey Paul.” [From 51:16 to 51:34]
Vega also poked fun at SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey during her appearance on WWE The Bump.
“I think Ronda is difficult to beat overall as a human,” said Vega. “I’m not stupid to that. But you also have to find where is the kink in her armor and I found it. Oh yeah, I found it but it took a lot of research. But listen, again, she’s dominant.
There is nothing that she can’t do. But when it comes to brains, and again I’ve said this before. She has the brawn but I’m not so sure she has the brains, and definitely not to my extent. So, I kind of did find the kink in her armor. And when I’m ready to expose that, I hope she is too.” [53:32 54:08]
