WWE released several names from its roster in recent weeks, but those cut from the company aren’t entirely gone just yet. Instead, several names who’ve been given the dreaded pink slip will still be playable as part of WWE 2K25.

Released talent who will be playable in WWE 2K25 include:

• Duke Hudson
• Akam
• Rezar
• Blair Davenport
• Cedric Alexander
• Luke Gallows
• Karl Anderson
• Giovanni Vinci
• Sonya Deville
• Isla Dawn
• Elektra Lopez

Paul Ellering was also among those released from WWE. While the Hall of Famer/Final Testament alum won’t be a playable character in WWE 2K25, he will be a non-playable manager in the game.

The inclusion of these released Superstars demonstrate how quickly things can change in WWE. While these talents hoped that WWE 2K25 would just be the latest in a series of games they would be a part of, next month’s instalment will most likely be the last time they are playable in a WWE video game.

These released talents will be part of the largest roster in the history of WWE video games with stars from the past and present. With over 300 names confirmed for the game, in addition to Wyatt Sicks-themed DLC, fans will be able to recreate their favorite matches or create never-before-seen contests in the upcoming game.

WWE 2K25 will release on March 14, with the Deadman and Bloodline Editions of the game launching a week earlier on March 7. With WWE 2K Mobile also announced, this year is shaping up to be a massive one for wrestling fans and gamers alike.

Giovanni Vinci has officially spoken out following his WWE release. After being releases from the company among other cuts, Vinci took to X to share his gratitude towards the promotion.

Vinci’s release was part of WWE’s latest wave of roster cuts, which also included Isla Dawn, Blair Davenport, Akam & Rezar (AOP), Paul Ellering, Cedric Alexander, Sonya Deville, and The Good Brothers. The Italian wrestler is a former NXT Tag Team Champion and was part of the Imperium stable.

According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, Vinci was originally supposed to debut a “rich playboy” gimmick, but the idea was ultimately scrapped before making it to television. Meltzer noted, “Was told they had a great idea for him doing the rich playboy gimmick. Oh well.”

After being released from the main roster, Vinci will likely have to wait out a 90-day non-compete clause before he competes elsewhere. While World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER and Ludwig Kaiser are seeing success in WWE, Vinci’s future remains outside of the promotion.

Former Imperium member Giovanni Vinci made his SmackDown debut last night. However, he shockingly suffered a loss within seconds and feels the referee is at fault.

Vinci returned to in-ring action against Apollo Crews. After getting in the ring, the Italian wrestler began taunting the crowd. As soon as the referee rang the bell, Crews rolled him up for the three count as Vinci looked shocked. In a SmackDown Exclusive, Giovanni Vinci shared his thoughts on his defeat. He blamed the ref for not checking whether he was ready. He said if Apollo Crews wants to come from behind then ‘we can play that way.’

“Don’t even ask the question. I got a question for you. When is the last time you’ve seen a match get without the referee checking both competitors if they’re ready. I haven’t seen it either. So Apollo wants to come up behind me, clearly, I still have half my entrance gear on, and roll me up, if he wants to play that way, alright. We can play that way. We can play that way.”

– Giovanni Vinci on his SmackDown debut loss

Ahead of last night’s edition of SmackDown, Vinci had wrestled his last match on April 22 episode of Raw. He had teamed up with former Imperium teammate Ludwig Kaiser to face Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods in a losing effort. Kaiser then brutally attacked and ousted Vinci from Imperium.

After being away from the programming for months, Vinci started teasing his return through various vignettes. The former Imperium member made his comeback last night but things didn’t go in favor of the Italian wrestler as he might have planned.

After weeks of build-up, Giovanni Vinci made his return to the ring on this week’s SmackDown. Unfortunately for the Italian Superstar, his first match since the April 22, 2024, edition of Monday Night Raw did not go as he’d hoped.

Vinci arrived wearing a tracksuit adorned in the colors of the Italian flag for his match with Apollo Crews. As Vinci was removing his entrance attire though, the referee started the match and Crews rolled up the Imperium alum to pin him in seconds.

Giovanni Vinci Speaks

Vince was understandably frustrated with this loss which he feels came about unfairly as he wasn’t ready. Speaking in a WWE Digital Exclusive after his surprising defeat, Vinci questioned the validity of the referee’s actions.

“Don’t even ask the question. I got a question for you. When is the last time you’ve seen a match get without the referee checking both competitors if they’re ready. I haven’t seen it either. So Apollo wants to come up behind me, clearly, I still have half my entrance gear on, and roll me up, if he wants to play that way, alright. We can play that way. We can play that way.”

Vinci’s return to WWE programming did not go how he wanted and came close to five months after he was ousted from Imperium by Ludwig Kaiser. After being drafted to SmackDown shortly after, Vinci now has a chance to change his fortunes on the blue brand. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Giovanni Vinci after his unfortunate return to TV this week.

Fans should gear up for the highly anticipated return of Giovanni Vinci next week. After weeks of teasing through various vignettes, the former Imperium member is set to make his comeback.

During Friday’s WWE SmackDown tapings in Berlin, a video aired announcing Vinci’s return on the September 6 episode of the show.

The vignettes have depicted Vinci in a manner reminiscent of his early NXT persona—enjoying lavish settings, sipping top-shelf drinks, and cruising in luxury cars.

Vinci has been absent from WWE programming since an April episode of WWE RAW, following a loss to New Day that led to a brutal attack by his former ally, Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser’s assault with steel steps sidelined Vinci for several months. Shortly after, during the WWE Draft, Vinci was quietly moved to SmackDown.

The recent teases suggest Vinci will maintain his heel persona, but character shifts in WWE are always possible. Separating him from his former Imperium comrades might breathe new life into his character, who often played a supporting role within the faction.

While Kaiser and GUNTHER remain aligned, Imperium is no longer emphasized as a faction. With GUNTHER’s World Heavyweight Title victory, all three members are now receiving a greater focus on their individual careers.

Giovanni Vinci has seemingly been kicked out of the Imperium after tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

This week’s episode of the red-branded show saw the first appearance of Gunther after he lost his Intercontinental Championship to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40.

The Ring General said that people expected him to talk about his loss but he had something else in mind. The former champion then officially declared himself as the first entrance for the upcoming King of The Ring tournament.

The New Day then made their way to the ring and Xavier Woods talked about being the last King of The Ring winner. The back and forth between the two groups lead to a tag team match featuring Ludwig Kaiser and Vinci taking on Woods and Kofi Kingston.

By The Orders of The Ring General?

The ending of this bout saw Wood delivering a double stomp on Vinci and pinning the Raw star for the victory. Gunther who was at the ringside was seemingly disappointed with this result and he stormed to the back after throwing his chair.

Kaiser helped Vinci get back up at the ringside and hugged him. He followed this up, however, by attacking his tag team partner. Kaiser continued the assault for a while and sent his partner crashing through the ring post and the announce desk before the officials sent him back.

Until this point, it appeared that Kaiser had snapped but as the German star returned to the Gorilla position, he ran into Gunther once again. Both the men smiled upon seeing each other suggesting that it was a pre-planned attack.

Elsewhere in the show, we saw the crowning of the new women’s world champion after Rhea Ripley relinquished her title due to an injury last week. You can click here to know who became the new champion.

Fans won’t be seeing Giovanni Vinci in the ring for some time after the Imperium member suffered an injury during last week’s episode of Raw. 

During the Day 1 episode of WWE Raw, Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser faced the tag-team experts Jey Uso and Kofi Kingston. The match came to a sudden conclusion when Kingston dropkicked Vinci and his head caught the back of the mat on the way down. After a consultation, medical officials at ringside determined that Vinci couldn’t compete. The match ended without a winner being determined. 

Update on Giovanni Vinci

During this week’s Raw, it was announced that Vinci would be out for “a number of weeks” due to the situation that unfolded on last week’s Raw. WWE has still not publicly disclosed details about the issue with Vinci. On Twitter, the Italian Superstar told fans “Sto bene. Grazie mille” which means “I’m fine, thanks a lot.”

Sto bene. Grazie mille 🙏🏼

— Fabian Aichner (@VinciWWE) January 2, 2024

A Feud Brewing?

On this week’s Raw, Ludwig Kaiser showed a new level of aggression in his singles match with Kofi Kingston. The match ended with a double count-out as Kaiser was attacking Kingston on the outside of the ring and would not stop to break the ref’s ten-count. 

On social media, WWE shared footage of Kingston being taken backstage after the match. It was noted that Kingston is being evaluated by medical staff but an update on his condition is not public knowledge at this time. 

UPDATE: After a brutal beatdown at the hands of @wwe_kaiser, @TrueKofi is currently being evaluated by WWE medical staff. pic.twitter.com/V6HIPThPl7

— WWE (@WWE) January 9, 2024

Ludwig Kaiser was recently the victim of a sweet-treat incident at a WWE live event… 

Injuries are a sad part of pro wrestling, and they can occur when you least expect them. Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser lost this week on RAW, but it was due to referee stoppage after Vinci went down.

Possible Injury During WWE RAW

Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso faced Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser in a match that was progressing smoothly during the RAW 1 episode of WWE RAW. Suddenly, the match came to an unexpected halt. 

Giovanni Vinci went down on the apron, prompting an abrupt stoppage of the match. Ringside doctors attended to Vinci, leading the referee to make the decision to end the match.

In an unexpected turn, Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso were declared the winners via referee stoppage.

Michael Cole kept saying on commentary that they take their talent’s safety very seriously. At this time, we are uncertain what happened with Giovanni Vinci, but it was enough to call off the match.

Following the match, Giovanni Vinci was observed walking out on his own. The sudden conclusion of the match added an element of surprise to its outcome.

Giovanni Vinci caught a Kofi Kingston dropkick off a second rope jump.

The ref halted the action, the doctor jumped in the ring, and called off the match. Great work from the referee Shawn Bennett protecting Vinci

Get well soon Giovanni https://t.co/fSb22NvfKF

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 2, 2024

Where Was GUNTHER?

GUNTHER is currently taking some time with his wife, Jinny, as they celebrated the birth of their child. Hopefully, he has a full Imperium faction upon his return.

Giovanni Vinci Gives Update After Injury Scare 

Giovanni Vinci later updated his X with a message. When translated to English, he let fans know that he’s doing fine. He also thanked them for their support and concern.

I am fine, a thousand thanks.

Sto bene. Grazie mille ??

— Fabian Aichner (@VinciWWE) January 2, 2024

WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has spoken about the perception from some fans that his character and the Imperium stable are rooted in Naziism.

When WWE changed WALTER’s name to GUNTHER, the original change was meant to be ‘Gunther Stark,’ also the name of a Nazi U-Boat commander in World War 2.

Last week, GUNTHER received a rating of 88 in WWE 2K23, which raised eyebrows from fans, given that the number is used as code by modern-day Nazis.

In a simple letter-number code, 88 is HH, which Nazis and white supremacists uses as a dog whistle for “Heil Hitler.”

Living With It

As an Austrian (the same nation as Hitler) who spent much of his career competing in Germany, GUNTHER is well aware of the significance of the two nations in WW2.

Speaking on The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast, the reigning Intercontinental Champion was asked about the negative stigma as an Austrian who was based out of Germany competing in the U.S.

“That’s the history of the two countries,” GUNTHER replied “That’s something we can never change. We have to live with it. But obviously, that’s something that got thrown at us before and still gets thrown at us. We don’t really acknowledge it because it’s so far away from what the truth is.”

GUNTHER.

GUNTHER added that often, anyone who considers himself to be in any association with fascism cannot acknowledge the differences Austria and Germany have made since 1945.

“Austria and Germany have made huge efforts to be hard on themselves when it comes to their history and keep themselves in check.”

GUTNHER.

The Austrian went on to say that he and Ludwig Kaiser (who is German) have prided themselves on how their nations treat the seriousness of their past atrocities.

Taking Things Seriously

Imperium’s appeal to WWE fans has come with how serious the characters of GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci are portrayed on TV and at live events.

On the podcast, GUNTHER explained that taking wrestling as seriously as they do is not just part of the act fans see each week.

“We mean it! We build our livelihood around it. Why should we not take it seriously? There’s no playing a character or anything like that. That’s just what we are.”

GUNTHER.

GUNTHER will defend his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39 against an opponent yet to be decided.

h/t – Wrestling Inc

Braun Strowman and Ricochet were opponents on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX, but proved to be formidable allies after the show.

During the show, Ricochet got a huge win over Strowman to advance to the finals of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament.

Ricochet, representing the United States, will face Santos Escobar (Mexico) in the finals on next week’s show, with the winner earning a title match against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.

After SmackDown

Ricochet’s win over Strowman was far from clean, as GUNTHER and Imperium were at ringside and ensured that Braun did not win the match.

After the match, Imperium attacked Strowman, and while at first conflicted, Ricochet made the save on the man he had previously beaten.

Once SmackDown went off the air, Braun and Ricochet teamed up to face Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Despite their differences on TV, Strowman and Ricochet got the win to send the crowd home happy.

Punishment?

Strowman’s loss came as a shock to some fans, but it may have been more than just WWE’s creative plans that caused this booking decision.

After losing to Ricochet, his first loss since returning to WWE in early September, fans online speculated that this was a punishment for the former Universal Champion.

Strowman earned considerable heat with fans and wrestlers after his ‘flippy floppy’ comments on Twitter, in which he mocked indie wrestling and wrestlers.

It has been reported that while Strowman has been nothing but good at WWE events ‘Social Media Braun’ has proven to be a problem for WWE’s higher-ups.

Imperium and the Brawling Brutes will look to settle the score next Saturday when the two factions meet in a Good Old Fashion Donnybrook match at WWE Extreme Rules 2022.

The no-disqualification match was confirmed on WWE.com and on social media, after weeks of the two sides feuding.

Imperium Vs. The Brawling Brutes

The two teams have been at odds for some time, with Imperium reuniting at Clash at the Castle 2022.

At the Cardiff, Wales event, GUNTHER retained the Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus in a critically-acclaimed match.

Imperium once again stood tall over the Brawling Brutes in a Six-Man Tag Team Match on the September 9, edition of SmackDown.

After Butch and Ridge Holland defeated three-other teams (including Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) to earn a shot at The Usos, Imperium attacked them, costing them the Undisputed WWE Tag Team title match.

On the SmackDown before WWE Extreme Rules, Sheamus will once again challenge GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship.

Extreme Rules

The Donnybrook match is just the latest addition to a stacked WWE Extreme Rules 2022 card, which will see several stipulations.

Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will defend her title against Bayley in a ladder match, the first singles ladder match in WWE Women’s history.

Drew McIntyre will take on Karrion Kross in a strap match, while Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins will square off inside the Fight Pit.

The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor will take on former leader Edge in an I-Quit match.

It had long been speculated and reported but one WWE superstar’s gimmick change is now official.

WWE certainly isn’t shy when it comes to shaking things up with characters. We’ve seen it quite often for talent who have been called up to the main roster from the NXT brand.

Sometimes, a main roster callup isn’t even necessary like in this case.

Fabian Aichner’s Gimmick Change Official

It had been reported that Fabian Aichner would be transitioning to the Giovanni Vinci character on the NXT brand.

WWE made things official on the June 7 episode of NXT 2.0.

It’s a total change from the role he played as a member of The Imperium. Aichner split from the group before Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser made their SmackDown debuts.

In a vignette aired this week, it was revealed that the Giovanni Vinci character will be debuting on the June 14 episode of NXT.

Character changes seem to be in the air over in WWE.

We’ve seen the likes of Madcap Moss recently undergo a much-needed change in direction. In Madcap’s case, he has ditched the suspenders and the bad joke gimmick in favor of a more serious attitude.

Fans have also seen Xia Li tease going back to her Tian Sha gimmick from NXT. That hasn’t materialized on WWE TV, however.

This WWE superstar, however, seems to have his new gimmick set for a big TV debut.

Fabian Aichner is Giovanni Vinci

Back in May, WrestlingNews.co reported that WWE officials had been discussing dropping aspects of Fabian Aichner’s character since he split from The Imperium. The thought was that he’d take on the Giovanni Vinci character on NXT.

Fightful has followed up on this report, confirming that Aichner will indeed be the one to take on the role of Giovanni Vinci.

It’s important to note that WWE has also trademarked “Gio Vinci,” so it’s possible there could be a slight alteration to the name in the future.

‘Tis the season for gimmick changes.

It looks like another WWE superstar will be getting a massive change. It had already been reported that discussions for a change in character for Madcap Moss were held.

As it turns out, now an NXT star will be getting that same treatment but he won’t be going to the main roster just yet.

Giovanni Vinci Is Fabian Aichner?

Since Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser made their main roster debuts, Fabian Aichner has seemingly been the odd man out. He has not been called up to the SmackDown roster and it looks like his days with Gunther and Kaiser are over.

During the May 24 episode of NXT 2.0, a vignette aired introducing the Giovanni Vinci character.

Speculation has run rampant that this will be a gimmick change for Fabian Aichner. Aichner hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since April 5.

It’s been reported by WrestlingNews.co that WWE has talked about dropping aspects of Aichner’s character when he was a member of The Imperium.