Fans waited for a big announcement from WWE2K 24 today, and it was certainly delivered. Now, we have even more information about what to expect.
WWE 2K24 Promises New Experience
WWE Games announced their cover Superstars for the upcoming WWE 2K24 game, and fans have a reason to be excited. Cody Rhodes will grace the cover of the regular version, whereas Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are sharing the deluxe edition. Now, we have more information about the upcoming game.
A trailer was also released as part of the information roll-out on January 22nd. This includes even more tidbits about the upcoming Forty Years of WrestleMania mode.
It appears that the 40 years of WrestleMania mode will allow gamers to re-live every past Mania event. This could be an incredible undertaking, and they included a bit of text within the trailer to paint this picture.
Re-Live Forty Years of WrestleMania
All-New Match Types
New Career Mode Experiences
WWE 2K24 Downloadable Content
The Nightmare Family Pack will also be included in this game. That will feature four playable Superstars, including Dusty Rhodes, Dashing Cody Rhodes (in facemask), Stardust, and Superstar Billy Graham.
This will also include new MyFaction cards, including Pharaoh as a manager. Stardust’s inclusion in the game is incredibly interesting, considering Cody’s reluctance to give it a huge spotlight since his return.
WWE 2K24 Release Date
The new game will have two waves for their release dates. On March 5th, WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania editions will drop.
The standard and cross-gen digital editions of the game will come out on March 8th. Pre-order is now open.
WWE 2K24 has generated some major excitement among gamers for its upcoming release, and the teasers are keeping fans intrigued. Now we know who got the cover of the game this year.
2K announced that Cody Rhodes will be the cover Superstar for the upcoming WWE 2K24 game. He will be on the cover of the regular version.
The WWE Games account made this big announcement as they included some lyrics from Cody’s famous Kingdom theme song, “Crowd is here, about to blow Waitin’ for me to start the show Out the curtain, lights go up, I’m home. WOAAAAHHH”
? Crowd is here, about to blow Waitin’ for me to start the show Out the curtain, lights go up, I’m home ?
The WWE Games account also unveiled that Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley will share the cover of the deluxe edition of the game. They are sharing the cover in a stylish split-screen fashion.
While saying that the deluxe edition of the game is the EST, they also noted, “Two groundbreaking superstars. One historic cover.”
Two groundbreaking superstars. One historic cover ? ?
WWE Games also announced that the upcoming WWE 2K24 game will include a special feature called “Forty Years of WrestleMania.”
It is unclear what that feature will include at this time, but there will likely be a lot more updates to come. This could have also been why WWE Games dropped so many legendary teases over the past few days.
The release date for WWE 2K24 has not been announced at the moment, but examining the timing of last year’s release provides some insight into what to anticipate.
WWE 2K23, reviewed favorably by SEScoops, was launched on March 14th, 2023, available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Belair had a remarkable journey in WWE, and fans don’t even know everything she went through. While fans were excited to see the EST of WWE perform at WrestleMania 39, she was battling a lot.
Bianca Belair’s WrestleMania 39 Story
Bianca Belair was RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 39 as she faced Asuka. Despite a stellar performance and a successful title defense, Belair was going through a lot behind the scenes.
The EST of WWE not only defended her title but also navigated a rigorous schedule filled with media obligations as the champion. This demanding routine, coupled with consistent title defenses, created a ton of pressure for Belair.
In a conversation with Brad Gilmore on The Collection, Bianca Belair was honest when discussing her condition leading up to WrestleMania 39. She admitted feeling physically sick and run down during the event, but she pressed on to perform at the Showcase of the Immortals.
“It was the most rewarding, but exhausting time of my career. Everyone wants to be champion, but a lot of people don’t realize the schedule that comes with that, the pressure that comes with that, the reputation that comes with that.”
“Every time you step out, you want to put on a champion performance. It’s multiple segments on the show, you’re on every single show, every single live event, you’re doing media between the weeks. Everyone else is going home after Raw and SmackDown, you’re going to New York or California to do media, to do press, to do opportunities.”
“I got to do a lot of amazing things and took the title to so many places when I was champion. From NBA games, NFL games, Kentucky Derby, Kevin Hart, Wild N Out, College Gameday, I did so many amazing things, but I was never home. It also comes with the pressure.”
“I’m someone who is a perfectionist. When it comes to WrestleMania, I put everything into it. I was so sick that WrestleMania. Physically, I was run down and so sick. It’s a lot of pressure that comes with it, but it’s the most rewarding, but exhausting time of the year. You’ll see how exhausting that journey is, but rewarding and trying to balance everything.”
Bianca Belair’s Future in WWE
Bianca Belair is currently back on the road with WWE after taking a short, and much-deserved, break. She has the Royal Rumble on her mind. So, the EST of WWE can battle for another opportunity to perform on the Grandest Stage of the All at WrestleMania 40.
So what’s next? Well here are some of the New Year’s Resolutions from the Superstars of WWE.
Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair lost the WWE Women’s Championship to IYOY SKY at SummerSlam, mere moments after capturing the gold at the same event. On last week’s SmackDown, Belair admitted she doesn’t usually make resolutions, but vowed to recapture the title and remain undefeated at WrestleMania.
On the show, Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits resolved that they will have “more” in 2024. Lashley added that the new year will not just be good for his faction, but it’ll be “All Mighty.”
Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
Grayson Waller & Austin Theory have impressed those backstage as a tag-team. On SmackDown, the pair said that winning singles and tag titles are their goals for 2024. Theory added that he wants to win the Royal Rumble while Waller plans on headlining WrestleMania.
Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has a simple resolution for 2024: to get Dominik Mysterio and Santos Escobar.
Montez Ford and Bianca Belair are both accomplished WWE Superstars on their own. WWE did have Belair align herself with the Street Profits for a brief period, but it didn’t take the EST of WWE long to break out on her own.
Montez Ford is a member of the tag team Street Profits, and as partner with Angelo Dawkins, the team recently turned heel and formed a union with Bobby Lashley. On the other hand, Bianca Belair has maintained a babyface character.
Both Montez Ford and Bianca Belair have established themselves within the industry, but you can never say never about a possible husband/wife storyline in WWE.
During a recent appearance on the ROAR Around The Ring podcast, Bianca Belair responded to a question about the prospect of appearing alongside her husband in the wrestling ring. She acknowledged that, while their marriage has not been incorporated into WWE programming, it could be a compelling idea.
“I think in the future, we will come together, but it’s kind of hard, because once you put us together, how do you separate us? … But I’m excited to see where that goes, that faction to me is so powerful, I just think that they’re unstoppable and I just can’t wait until they get some momentum.”
What’s next for Bianca Belair and Montez Ford In WWE
Bianca Belair is obviously paying close attention to the current Street Profits faction and Bobby Lashley. That angle could go on to do some big things in 2024.
As Bianca Belair and Montez Ford prepare for the debut of their reality TV series, “Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez,” they are obviously excited about what is to come, as they are still ready for anything.
While speaking with ROAD Around the Ring, Bianca Belair spoke about Charlotte Flair’s recent unfortunate injury. She might be out of action, which is a huge blow to the women’s division, but that just opened up another spot for others.
“It is a huge blow. Charlotte Flair has been such a vital part of our women’s roster. She’s created so much history. She’s a legend. I’m not even gonna say a legend in the making. With the accolades that she has, she’s a legend. It’s really hard knowing that we’ve lost someone like Charlotte Flair right now for nine months. Me selfishly, we all know I’ve always looked up to Charlotte Flair, I’ve always wanted to have a dream match against her, with her, it doesn’t matter as long as I can be in the ring with her. But it does open up an opportunity for someone else, and that’s just the way this business is.”
“I always say, you gotta stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. You never know when your opportunity’s gonna come, whether it’s your time, whether it’s another spot that opens up. So we’ll have to see who steps up. At the end of the day, we’re all fighting for a spot at WrestleMania. So I’m even looking for my path to WrestleMania, ‘Am I gonna be on WrestleMania this year?’ So it’s very unfortunate, but it’s a spot that’s opened up for someone to shine.”
Bianca Belair was later questioned about potential candidates to fill the mentioned void. She responded that it could be anyone, but specifically mentioned Michin, Raquel Rodriguez, and Zoey Stark as potential contenders. Belair stressed that several competitors have the capability to step into that position.
“Anyone and everyone. Our roster is so deep, especially right now. I love how talented and deep our roster is. Especially on the SmackDown side, I feel like we have Michin, I feel like she’s stepping her game up. She’s coming back with a vengeance after Damage CTRL just took her out. On the Raw side, you have Raquel. I feel like she’s been showing up and showing out lately. Zoey [Stark]. It’s just so many women that can fill that spot.”
Bianca Belair fought hard for her spot in WWE, but that position had to open up in the first place for her to get it. Now that Charlotte Flair is out of action, odds are, the women’s division will see even more motivation for someone to step up and fill that huge hole she left in her absence.
We will keep our eye on Charlotte Flair’s road to recovery, because it may be quite a while before she is back in the ring. For more updates, check back with us at SE Scoops.
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will defend her title at WrestleMania 39 against Asuka, but this is not the match WWE had planned for the EST.
Belair’s reign as Raw Women’s Champion began at WrestleMania 38 last April, and the popular Superstar’s reign is the second longest in history (behind Becky Lynch.)
Asuka, a former Raw Women’s Champion in her own right, earned the title match by winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber match earlier this month.
Change of Plans
While Asuka and Belair are more than capable of an exceptional match this April, this isn’t what WWE had planned.
Initial plans for WrestleMania 39 saw Belair defending her title against Charlotte Flair, according to a report from Fightful Select.
Those plans changed when Ronda Rousey informed WWE of plans to take January off, and thus Flair was brought back from her hiatus earlier than planned.
Flair’s return saw the Queen capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Rousey on the final SmackDown of 2022, and the Belair match nixed.
Charlotte Flair will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 against 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley.
Rousey at WrestleMania
With Rousey out of the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championship pictures, there has been speculation about what she will do at WrestleMania 39.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan is for Rousey and Shayna Baszler to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships this April.
A match between the MMA fighters and Damage CTRL is interesting, given that the trio of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY are expected to face Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus and Lita at WrestleMania 39.
Lita and Lynch will challenge Kai and SKY for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on tonight’s episode of Raw.
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.
Six WWE Superstars will fight next month inside the Elimination Chamber, with a prize of WrestleMania-sized proportions on the line
During this week’s Raw, 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley announced that she will face SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair this April.
Ripley explained that she plans on getting payback for Flair defeating her at WrestleMania 36, and winning the NXT Women’s Championship in the process.
Elimination Chamber
Ripley Vs. Flair is set for WrestleMania 39, which leaves Bianca Belair without a dance partner for the biggest event of the year.
During Raw, it was confirmed that Belair’s WrestleMania opponent will be decided inside the Elimination Chamber next month.
Adam Pearce named four women who have already qualified by being the four final women in the Women’s Royal Rumble match: Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Liv Morgan, and Nikki Cross.
Next week, another spot will be filled when Candice LeRae, Piper Niven, Mia ‘Michin’ Yim, and the returning Carmella, compete in fatal four-way action.
Who will qualify for the Women's #WWEChamber Match?
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair wants to get a win over Charlotte Flair.
Belair has goals to defeat all Four Horsewomen(Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair). So far, she has beaten everyone except for Flair cleanly. Her only two wins against the current Smackdown Women’s Champion happened via disqualification. However, Flair holds a clean victory over Belair.
“I was very excited to get the ring with Charlotte. We all know that my long-time goal, or maybe short-time goal, we don’t know, is to eventually defeat all Four Horsewomen. I’ve defeated three. The last one is Charlotte Flair. I feel like she’s at that mountaintop, and I was excited to get in that ring with her because when I very first got into WWE, she was the first people that I looked up to. I see myself in her so much. Ric Flair is her father, but people sometimes forget that she came in not knowing anything as well. She was a former collegiate athlete just like me, so to be able to be in the ring with the most decorated woman in women’s wrestling, it was an honor, but I still have my goal in sight,” said Belair.
Could Bianca Belair’s Next Feud Be Against Charlotte Flair?
The confrontation on the Jan. 23 episode of Monday Night Raw was interesting. Both Flair and Belair are champions of separate brands. It doesn’t seem like they will be working with each other soon.
The WWE Royal Rumble will take place this Saturday, Jan. 28. The matches are set; however, it seems the company changed their plans for the women’s title picture for the event.
WWE surprised fans with Charlotte Flair’s return and the defeat of Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women’s Championship on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Before her match with Flair, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the title. However, it’s reported WWE didn’t initially plan for the Rousey and Rodriguez match to happen that soon.
(via WWE)
Fightful Select reports that the company wanted the Rousey and Rodriguez title match to occur at the Royal Rumble. The report also shared that WWE had thought of having Flair work with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
“…Ronda Rousey Smackdown Women’s Title defense against Raquel Rodriguez that took place on December 30 was actually originally planned to go down almost a full month later. Fightful has gained information that displays that the match was set for the WWE Royal Rumble as of early December,” said the report.
It also added that “…Another interesting note is that several WWE plans have changed as a result of this in relation to it. At the same period, Charlotte Flair was tentatively scheduled on a “suggested matches” list to wrestle Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea Ripley was set to take on Rousey, but that’s when Rousey was still Champion.”
(via WWE)
What’s Next For Ronda Rousey?
After her defeat to Flair, it’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rousey. The report notes that WWE gave her different creative options before Dec. 30. However, it didn’t work out, and they went with Flair defeating Rousey after her match with Rodriguez. It also didn’t share the options that WWE presented to the former champion.
The company could have Rousey challenge Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. However, Flair is working with Sonya Deville, which could get added it the Royal Rumble card. Rousey will have to wait to see what WWE has planned for her.
Bianca Belair went on to win the 2021 30-Woman Royal Rumble match and headlined WWE WrestleMania 37 with Sasha Banks. This came one year after she was called up to the main roster from NXT.
For the past nine months, Belair has been the Raw Women’s Champion. Belair’s rise was discussed on the Public Enemies Podcast by former WWE writer Chris Dunn.
This is where the original plan for the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble match was revealed.
Original Winner
He revealed that Charlotte Flair was penciled in to win the match. The finish had been practiced, and Flair was going to go over. Belair was going to be eliminated midway through the match. However, fellow writer Ryan Ward presented his case to Vince McMahon about why Belair should win instead of Flair.
“I was in a Tampa Hotel room and we were watching some sort of football game and an assistant had just left the Royal Rumble (2021) night-before meeting and they changed the finish and Charlotte [Flair] was going to go over and they rehearsed Charlotte going over and Bianca [Belair] was going to get eliminated like midway through the match and it got changed to Bianca going over and I think a lot of people voiced it but this guy, Ryan Ward, he’s been there for like 14 years, he was [John] Cena’s writer and probably, for my money, I think has had the biggest hand in the women’s revolution.
He was lead writer in the golden days of NXT with Kevin [Owens] and Sami [Zayn] and The Four Horsewomen, all that stuff. From my understanding, what I heard, he kind of said something to Vince [McMahon] to the effect of, ‘Vince, if you look at the Royal Rumble tomorrow, you have Edge winning and Charlotte winning. We’re not making any new stars’ and I think that really resonated and Bianca was on such a roll where it kind of made sense and she also had to, again, right after that match, really nail that post-match promo and she did it and she was just awesome and great.”
Belair will make her next title defense at the Royal Rumble against Alexa Bliss this Saturday.
However, people behind the scenes in WWE had to push for Belair to become a star on the main roster. Former WWE writer Chris Dunn spoke with the Public Enemies Podcast about what it was like working with Belair in her first year.
Dunn worked with the company from 2016 to 2021. He shared that he wrote with The Street Profits closely in NXT and was brought up with them. From working with the Street Profits, he pushed to write for Belair.
“…The biggest thing that I’m most proud of is working with Bianca. That whole year it was such a wild thing, said Dunn. He continued…”I was really worried at the time because I think anybody that sees Bianca Belair that she’s unbelievable like it’s kind of undeniable. I think for whatever reason, we had a couple of writers on the team that weren’t around that long, who I think were having a negative impact on the women’s division and I’m also close to Tez, so I kind of campaigned to let me work with Bianca. So we started developing those Mr. Perfect vignettes and the goal was to get her to the main event of WrestleMania year one, because we needed new stars and it felt like that was legitimately possible.”
How Dunn Helped Get Bianca Belair over with Vince McMahon
The first significant accomplishment for Belair on the main roster was winning the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble Match. It helped push her to become a champion at WrestleMania 37 and make her one of WWE’s biggest stars. However, it took a creative push from Dunn and other writers to get McMahon on board with Belair.
Dunn spoke about getting to know Belair and praised her talents. He also shared how the Bayley and Belair obstacle course segment helped get Belair over with McMahon.
“…Vince loved the Lashley and Sami Zayn obstacle course. Loved it, and also we have the numbers to back it up. You’d be shocked stuff that wrestling Twitter hates, like arm wrestling contest, obstacle courses, things like that they rate well,” said Dunn. He went to Bayley’s writer, and they began to think of ideas for the obstacle to show off Belair’s ability.
“…I didn’t produce it or write it; I pitched it. I was around helping, like Jen Pepperman, who’s brilliant with the women’s division; she handled producing it.” He continued, “…Daniel Bryan and Adam Pierce jumped in and added elements to make it bigger. I forgot which one of them came up with the idea of lifting Otis, and then the other one doubled down of like, ‘Okay, you do Gable, but then you do Otis to build it.’ It really blew Vince away.”
The Original Winner of the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble
Despite the impressive showing during the obstacle course, McMahon wasn’t sold on making Belair a main event star at that time. As a backup plan for Belair, Dunn revealed he pitched an idea for her and Billie Kay to team together, with the idea that it would replicate The Rock and Sock Connection. However, the pitch went nowhere. Heading into the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, McMahon didn’t have Belair winning the match.
“…I was in a Tampa hotel room, and we were watching some sort of football game, and they an assistant had just left the Royal Rumble night before meeting, and they changed the finish. Charlotte was going to go over, and they rehearsed Charlotte going over, and Bianca was going to get eliminated midway through the match, and it got changed to Bianca going over.”
Dunn continued, “…I think a lot of people voiced it, but like this guy Ryan Ward who’s been there for 14 years. He was Cena’s writer and probably for my money, I think has had the biggest hand in the women’s revolution. He was lead writer for golden days of NXT, when like Kevin and Sami, the four-horsewomen, all that stuff. From my understanding, from what I heard he kind of said to Vince something to the effect like ‘Vince, if you look at the Royal Rumble tomorrow, we have Edge winning and Charlotte winning. We’re not making any new stars.’ And I think that really resonated and like Bianca was on such a role where it kind of made sense and she also right after that match had to nail that post match promo and she did it and she was just awesome and great.”
Since the pivotal 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble win, Belair has succeeded in WWE. However, if people in WWE like Dunn did push for her creatively, it may not have happened the way it did.
Elsewhere in the interview, he also spoke about the infamous Lashley sister segment, backstage reaction to Kofi Kingston losing the WWE Championship, and more.
WWE is sending two top Superstars to the NFL playoffs this coming weekend.
The 2023 playoffs brackets are set after an exciting, long weekend of wildcard games. On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants battle the Philadelphia Eagles. The following day, it will be Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
WWE Superstars Montez Ford of the Street Profits and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair are headed to Kansas City to see the Chiefs play the Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ford and Belair will be appearing on on NBC’s broadcast of the game, although it’s unclear exactly what they’ll be doing there. The couple will soon be starring in their own reality series on Hulu, so it’s possible they’ll be on hand to promote the new show.
Interestingly, the Jags are owned by billionaire Shahid Khan. His son, AEW President Tony Khan, serves as the team’s Chief Football Strategy Officer.
Bianca Belair is scheduled to defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss later this month at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 28.
The first woman to win the SmackDown and Raw Women’s Championships (albeit at separate times) Alexa Bliss is no stranger to gold.
Bliss is a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and three-time Raw Women’s Champion, in addition to two reigns as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions (with Nikki Cross.)
In recent years though, the Goddess has been on something of a singles title drought, with her most recent Raw women’s title reign ending at Summerslam 2018 at the hands of Ronda Rousey.
Bliss’ only singles title reign since then was the seconds she spent as WWE 24/7 Champion during the July 18, 2022, episode of Raw.
Charlotte Flair isn’t resting on her laurels after reclaiming the SmackDown Women’s Champion in dramatic fashion. She’s looking to take on all challengers, including the reigning queenpin of Monday Night Raw, Bianca Belair.
Flair made a triumphant return to WWE on the final SmackDown of 2022. She showed up with a purpose and made an immediate impact. When all was said and done, she stunned Ronda Rousey in an impromptu match to begin her 13th reign as a WWE Women’s world champion.
Rousey is probably still wondering how her role as SmackDown Women’s champion could be snatched from her so abruptly, but Charlotte isn’t worried about that. She’s already looking ahead and focused on solidifying her legacy as the premiere Superstar of this generation.
Bring It
Charlotte Flair appeared on WWE’s The Bump this week and had very positive things to say about Bianca Belair. She knows what it’s like to be the top dog of a WWE brand and all the responsibilities that come with it.
“First, I want to give kudos to Bianca,” said Charlotte. “I know what it’s like to be in that role she’s in, from the matches to live events to being a spokesperson, the media, the obligations, the signings. I know that schedule and how grueling it is, and she’s doing it.”
Belair has been destined for greatness ever since her days in NXT. She’s living up to the hype, an impressive feat to say the least. Flair says she’s proud of Belair, and would have no problem getting in the ring with her to see which of them is the true Queen of WWE.
“She’s doing it well, and she’s striving, and she’s turning into what everyone said she was gonna be, the face of the women’s division, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
“From a competitive side, the best for last, baby. Bring it.”
– Charlotte Flair on facing Bianca Belair
Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair History
Flair and Belair have wrestled each other several times over the past several years. Flair defeated Belair on the February 26, 2020 edition of NXT.
On the main roster, they’ve wrestled many times in multi-person matches, but have only wrestled twice in singles action. Belair won both of those matches by disqualification (WWE Raw, October 4, 2021 and WWE Raw, October 18, 2021).
Will this match actually happen? WWE has unified the top championships in the men’s singles division, as well as the tag team divisions. Roman Reigns is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, while The Usos hold the Raw and SmackDown tag belts. Based on what we’ve heard about WWE wanting to split up Reigns’ belts, it seems unlikely they’d continue moving in the ‘unification’ direction with the women’s titles.
Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on WWE’s The Bump:
Bianca Belair had to get stitches following her match on Monday’s WWE Raw.
On the January 2 edition of the weekly show, Belair defeated Alexa Bliss via disqualification to retain the Raw Women’s Championship after Bliss snapped and attacked Belair after more mind games by Bray Wyatt.
After the match, Bliss continued to attack Belair by throwing her into the steel steps and then hitting a pair of DDTs on the steps. Belair came out bleeding from the match after the attack.
Stitches
Belair took to Twitter to post photos showing several stitches to her face after the attack with Bliss. The E.S.T. of WWE wrote the following caption:
“I am not okay…But @AlexaBliss_WWE won’t be either…Payback is a…3 Stitch Belair.”
WWE had Bliss explain later in the broadcast why she attacked Belair, which was her taking control back and wanting the Raw Women’s Title back as she felt it was hers, not Bianca’s.
This is leading to a rematch between Bliss and Belair, but the question remains when it will occur. While it’s possible they run it back on an upcoming episode of Raw, perhaps even the 30 Anniversary show, WWE may save it for the Royal Rumble.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair is set to defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss in the near future.
Alexa Bliss won a Triple Threat in the main event of last week’s edition of WWE RAW to earn her way into the #1 contender’s match tonight against Bayley. Damage CTRL attacked Becky Lynch during last week’s main event and Alexa capitalized with a Twisted Bliss on Nikki Cross for the pinfall victory.
Bayley made her way to the ring with Damage CTRL to kick off tonight’s RAW but Becky got her revenge. Lynch attacked IYO SKY and Dakota Kai and chased them through the crowd. RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair then was ringside for the match. The Role Model was distracted by Bianca’s presence and Alexa once again capitalized with a Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Bianca Belair congratulated Alexa but she almost hit the champion with a Sister Abigail out of nowhere as Bray Wyatt’s logo briefly flashed on the jumbotron. Alexa stopped herself and apologized to end the segment.
Bianca Belair Reacts to Alexa Bliss Almost Attacking Her
Bianca Belair was interviewed by Byron Saxton on RAW Talk this week and said she did not see that coming. The EST noted that she has teamed with Alexa on several occasions (Clash at the Castle, Survivor Series WarGames) but tonight she revealed a new side of her.
I’m just trying to still wrap my mind around what just happened. I’m very happy for Alexa, well I was happy. Bayley, we’ve gone through this over and over and she won’t go away. Alexa actually won tonight in the right way and she deserved it.
And we’ve gotten close over these past few months, we were WarGames partners. We won together, so yeah, I was definitely the happiest for her tonight.
But yeah, she showed me a side of her that… I have no words for it. I’m still trying to figure out what that was, is this what is going to be, is this a phase?
We’ll have to see. But at the end of the day, we are competitors. So once we step into the ring there are no friends and I have to remember that.
Next time we step in the ring, I have to show her that I’m the EST of WWE, and we are going to compete, but that is not going to happen again.
WWE is looking to line up its next reality show after finding success with past series such as Tough Enough, Total Divas, Miz & Mrs, and Total Bellas.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE is in talks with E! about a new reality show.
Meltzer said, “they are looking for legitimate wrestling couples, so some upcoming signings could relate to that if the project is finalized.”
Meltzer noted that Matt Cardona’s name was mentioned as a possibility because of Chelsea Green’s expected return to WWE. Green’s husband, Cardona, previously wrestled under the Zack Ryder name in WWE before he was released in April 2020.
Past Success
Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green
Cardona completely reinvented himself when he started working on the indies. He also found success in Impact Wrestling, NWA, GCW and other promotions over the past two years. Cardona is set to challenge for the NWA World title at the company’s unannounced next pay-per-view.
WWE and E! have worked together on several different projects over the years. Total Divas ran for more than six years, from July 2013 to December 2019, before doing the Total Bellas spinoff, which ran from October 2016 through January 2021.
WWE announced they are working on a Bianca Belair/Montez Ford show for Hulu last month.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair competed in a fitness competition over the weekend and showed off her impressive physique on social media today.
Belair’s team defeated Damage CTRL, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Cross in the Women’s WarGames match this past Saturday. Becky Lynch returned to the company as the mystery teammate and wound up winning the match for Team Bianca at the premium live event. The Man connected with a Leg Drop off the top of the steel cage on Dakota and IYO below for the pinfall victory.
8 Best Moments from WWE Survivor Series WarGames
Bianca took to Twitter to share several photos from the competition. She disclosed that she has been training for the past 10 weeks for the WBFF Pro Atlantic City Pro Am and got to show off her hard work on the stage over the weekend.
For the past 10 weeks, in between my schedule, I have been training for the WBFF Pro Atlantic City Pro Am. This weekend all of that hard work got to play out on stage!#wbff#ESTofWWEpic.twitter.com/Tn0zym3xHX
WWE Superstars React to Bianca Belair Competing in Bodybuilding Competition
Several WWE Superstars from the past and present praised Bianca on social media today. Charlotte Flair responded with a bunch of emojis and Impact producer Lance Storm praised The EST.
Bianca just wrapped up a long rivalry with Bayley over the RAW Women’s Championship. She defeated The Role Model in a Last Woman Standing match at WWE Crown Jewel and got the better of Damage CTRL once again at Survivor Series WarGames.
What an honor it was to be a part of a LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH in Saudi Arabia with @itsBayleyWWE I am so proud of us & grateful! This Moment was Special. And I walked as the Last Woman Standing!
Bianca Belair says the women’s division on WWE’s main roster reminds her a lot of her days in NXT. The self-proclaimed ‘EST’ spent years honing her craft in WWE’s developmental brand. From 2016-2020, she established herself as one of the most promising acts of her genration.
Her success has continued since arriving on Monday Night Raw in 2020. She’s the reigning Raw Women’s Champion. She’s also a former SmackDown Women’s champion and won the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble. WWE’s Four Horsewomen (Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Bayley) helped usher in the Women’s Revolution, but Belair may surpass them all when all is said and done.
NXT As a Pipeline to WWE
Belair recently spoke with Bleacher Report‘s Graham Matthews and said she gets strong ‘NXT vibes’ from the women on Raw and SmackDown.
“It kind of feels like NXT all over again,” she said. “I think when we were in NXT, it was special. It was a time where the women’s locker room was full of women empowerment. We were competitors but we wanted the best for each other.”
NXT is a training ground for Raw and SmackDown, and virtually all of the top women in WWE wore ‘black and gold’ before they wore red or blue. Belair gets a great deal of satisfaction seeing the people she came up with thrive on the big stage.
Belair added, “What’s amazing is that it’s 3, 4, 5 years later., it’s those same women but we’ve all gotten even better. We’ve evolved.”
Almost all of the top young female stars on Raw and SmackDown started in NXT. Rhea Ripley, Raquel Rodriguez, Damage CTRL, Shotzi, the list goes on and on. If you want a glimpse at who will be carrying the women’s division in 3-5 years, you know where to look.
WWE Superstars Bianca Belair and Montez Ford have a new project in the works. The couple, who have been married since 2018, will follow in the footsteps of The Miz and Maryse with their own show focusing on their life outside the ring.
Earlier this month, WWE held its latest financial earnings call to recap the company’s performance for the third quarter of 2022. WWE President Nick Khan spoke about a variety of topics and revealed that Hulu has ordered a show focusing on Belair and Ford.
The project is currently “in production,” with the first season of the untitled show scheduled to feature 8 episodes.
On Tuesday, November 22, Belair and Ford appeared on NBC’s The Today Show to confirm the news. Belair later wrote on Instagram, “We were so excited to officially announce our UPCOMING REALITY SERIES on Hulu on the The Today Show this morning!”
Ford and Belair started off in NXT together, along with Ford’s tag team partner, Angelo Dawkins. The Street Profits have held tag titles in NXT, RAW, and SmackDown. They’ve also had singles matches on RAW. Back in July, Dawkins said that there are no plans to break up, despite singles success.
Belair retained her title against Bayley in a ladder match at Extreme Rules. The two will face off once again at Crown Jewel in a Last Woman Standing match. The match will air on Peacock on Saturday, November 5 at 12 PM ET.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair wants to portray the Marvel character Storm in an upcoming film.
Bianca Belair battled Bayley at Crown Jewel in a Last Woman Standing match. She defeated The Role Model once again but this time in an interesting way. Belair trapped Bayley inside of a ladder and she couldn’t escape before the referee counted to ten.
What an honor it was to be a part of a LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH in Saudi Arabia with @itsBayleyWWE I am so proud of us & grateful! This Moment was Special. And I walked as the Last Woman Standing!
Bayley will not let their rivalry die and the two stars will meet again on November 26th in much different circumstances. Damage CTRL, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Cross will battle Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim, and a mystery superstar at Survivor Series: WarGames. Bianca will have to find one more superstar to join the team on RAW or wait to reveal the mystery superstar at the PLE at the TD Garden in Boston.
The EST spoke with ComicBook recently and revealed that she would love to play Storm in a feature film. Halle Berry has played the character several times in X-Men films. Bianca added that Hollywood is ready for a strong woman to come onto the scene.
Oh, 100%. I would love to cross over onto the movie scene and play Storm and just play such a strong, amazing character,” Belair said. “I think that hopefully Hollywood is ready for a strong, powerful, muscular woman to come on the scene, and if they are, then that’s me, and I’m ready. I’m just waiting on the phone call.
Bianca Belair also promoted the new season of WWE Supercard and you can check out the entire interview in the video below.
Bianca Belair has lofty dreams that extend far beyond the squared circle. The EST of WWE has been the Raw Women’s Champion since defeating Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38 back in April. 7 months later, her career is looking more promising than ever.
Belair signed William Morris Endeavor (WME) in August. The powerhouse Hollywood agency will help build her brand across podcasting, acting, marketing and more.
During a recent interview with Metro, she spoke about her desire to always branch out into new areas and challenge herself creatively.
“I’m super excited for it,” Belair said of the WME partnership. “I don’t like to sit still at all, I like to do everything. I like to utilize all of my talents. At one point in my life, I’d have never thought of being a WWE superstar, and now I am!”
Belair wants to see herself on the big screen and would love star in a film opposite WWE legends such as The Rock or John Cena. She credits them both for creating the blueprint for WWE Superstars to transition and do multiple things.
The Rock and John Cena have both moved on from being full-time Superstars, although there’s hope each of them will get back in the ring one day.
The allure of Hollywood can be very powerful, but Belair insists that she’s not looking to leave WWE any time soon. She wants the best of both worlds, and thinks it’s possible to become successful outside of WWE and then use her fame to draw new fans to pro wrestling.
“I can’t think of myself as anything other than a WWE superstar,” she continued. “I’m still in the business. I’m just getting started. I’m still honing my craft.”
“I have so much more to do, but right now I’m just multitasking and go outside the wrestling bubble and bring more eyes to the product. That’s my goal.”
– Bianca Belair
Belair is set compete in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series later this month. As team captain, she’ll lead Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and one more partner (TBD) into battle against Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky), Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley.
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair put her championship on the line once again against Bayley, but this time it was at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event from Saudi Arabia in a Last Woman Standing Match.
The match was saved as the co-main event. Various weapons were used, including chairs, steel steps, and kendo sticks. Bayley smashed Belair with the steps while having her pinned up against the ring.
Bayley hit a belly-to-belly suplex on the stage then put her in an equipment crate, but Belair popped out. Bayley drove a golf cart out and they brawled on it. Belair powerbombed Bayley through a table. Belair trapped Bayley’s leg in a ladder that prevented Bayley from getting up and won the bout.
Belair won the meeting between the two in a ladder match at Extreme Rules to retain her title. Bayley defeated Belair in a non-title match on this week’s Raw after interference from Nikki Cross.
The two stars have been feuding since late July at SummerSlam when Bayley made her return following Belair’s successful title defense over Becky Lynch. Bayley also revealed the debuting Damage Control stable.
What are your thoughts on Bianca Belair retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
