WWE is on the verge of hitting a huge milestone for WrestleMania 39 ticket sales. Without a single match announced, WWE has sold nearly 100,000 tickets for the two-night event.

Pro wrestling’s biggest show of the year is still three months away, but it will be here before we know it. WWE holds multiple stadium shows throughout the year, but WrestleMania taking place over two nights insures this will be the company’s grossing event of the year.

‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Our friends at Wrestletix have been tracking the WrestleMania ticket sales and according to their data, first batch of tickets are nearly sold out.

WrestleMania 39 Tickets

If you are interested in attending WrestleMania 39, you should act fast. A limited number of WrestleMania tickets are still available. You can purchase tickets for Saturday night, Sunday night or a combo pack for both nights.

SoFi Stadium has a maximum capacity of over 100,000 people, but the venue is currently configured for 51,146 fans. We’re fast approaching a sellout for both nights.

Here’s an updated look at where things stand as of Monday, January 2:

• WrestleMania Saturday: 49,584 tickets distributed (97%) with 1,562 still available and 3,164 for sale on the secondary market (StubHub, etc.).

• WrestleMania Sunday: 50,114 tickets distributed (98%) with 1,032 still available and 3,246 for resale.

WWE does not want to leave money on the table, in the event that WrestleMania 39 sells out several months before bell-time. In cases like this, we’ve seen WWE open up more sections to meet the demand.

Support Wrestletix on Patreon for more pro wrestling ticket sales metrics.

John Cena is set to wrestle for the first time this year at the December 30 edition of SmackDown.

The longtime star-turned-Hollywood actor will tag with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. John Cena has not wrestled since his SummerSlam main event loss against Reigns last year. In that time, Cena has been focusing on film and TV work, including the popular HBO series Peacemaker.

As per the Wrestling Observer, several angles for John Cena at next year’s WrestleMania could be implemented in next week’s match. Despite interest in seeing the 16-time World Champion perform at the Show of Shows, it’s not yet definite he will be able to. The former face of the company is very busy with other commitments at the moment but it’s believed he will manage to make the Mania event.

Due to his show business commitments, John Cena will be unavailable for much of February and March. This could make building his WrestleMania angle troublesome.

Who Did Vince McMahon Want Cena To Face At WrestleMania?

Before his retirement earlier this year, Vince McMahon was apparently keen on John Cena facing Austin Theory next year. Seeds for a feud were seemingly planted at Cena’s 20th Anniversary celebrations on RAW earlier this year. Theory was in his first run as US Champion at the time. The rising star cut an aggressive promo on “The Doctor of Thuganomics”.

Since then, Theory has lost the US Title, won and failed to cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase, and regained the US Championship. The title’s long been synonymous with John Cena due to both his early years in the WWE midcard and his acclaimed 2015 title run. Therefore, a US Title bout between the two could work as a passing of the torch-type angle.

Vince McMahon reportedly considered Theory the next John Cena-level star. However, Cena has been inserted into the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn/Roman Reigns angle. With this in mind, a Theory feud coming soon doesn’t look as likely as it did earlier this year.

Neither John Cena nor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are guaranteed for next year’s WrestleMania 39 Premium Live Event in April.

WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1, and April 2, at the SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, California.

The event will be the fourth WrestleMania in a row to take place across two nights, a tradition that began with WrestleMania 36.

Not a Sure Thing

With WrestleMania being WWE’s biggest event of the year, it’s no surprise that the promotion wants its biggest stars.

It has been reported that both Cena and The Rock are expected to compete at next year’s show.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained how The Rock is far from guaranteed due to his commitments to the XFL.

“Am I saying he’s not going to do it? No, I’m not saying that at all. And if he’s doing it, wow, you have him, Austin, and Cena all on the same show – or the same weekend because they’ll split them up, obviously.”

Dave Meltzer.

The XFL will kick off in early 2023 and will be the third iteration of the football league, and the first to not involve Vince McMahon.

It has been rumored that The Rock will face his cousin Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

John Cena

Like The Rock, John Cena has plenty of big commitments in 2023, and as Meltzer explained, he isn’t guaranteed for WrestleMania 39.

“Cena’s not 100% either, by the way. He’s got a movie in February and March, so he’s not going to be able to do a lot of TVs. I don’t know…he will do the show if he’s available, but it’s the same thing. He may have other things going on. I was told… I guess the best way to put it is Cena is a ‘probable’, and Dwayne is a ‘possible’ maybe a probable, I don’t know, but neither is a sure thing.”

Dave Meltzer.

John Cena will team with Kevin Owens to face Reigns and Sami Zayn on the final SmackDown of 2022.

‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ Saturday and Sunday, April 1 & 2 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. We’re still aboutfour months out, but planning is already underway for WWE’s biggest premium live event of 2023.

Nothing is set in stone at this stage. Several factors will determine WrestleMania’s top programs, most notably Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s availability. WWE is not expected to finalize WrestleMania plans until mid-January, in the lead-up to the Royal Rumble.

That said, it’s still interesting to see what’s being considered. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there are two main ideas in play for WrestleMania.

It goes without saying that WrestleMania will be built around the promotion’s marquee attraction, Roman Reigns. WWE is so high on the Tribal Chief’s drawing power that he could be called upon to pull ‘double duty’ and headline both nights.

There’s no guarantee that things will play out this way, however:

Two World Titles

In addition to those matches, WWE has renewed discussions about splitting up Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The main benefit of a singular champion is that fans have no question about the best wrestler in WWE. When you have multiple world champions, that distinction becomes diluted.

The drawback is that it’s difficult for one man to appear on both Raw and SmackDown. The world championship is a draw, and you can be sure WWE’s television partners (Fox and USA Network) both want a world champion on their shows.

WWE will pull out all the stops to ensure WrestleMania 39 is a commercial success. Here are some of our recent articles about

• 4 Dream Opponents for John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39
• Celebrity Match Rumored for WWE WrestleMania
• Steve Austin Addresses Recent Training Videos Amid WrestleMania 39 Rumors
• Logan Paul Texted Triple H About Wrestling John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39
• WWE Wants A Lot of Celebrity Involvement For WrestleMania 39 (Report)

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? 

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.

Mike Tyson may be considered one of the greatest boxers to ever grace the ring, but his time as a WWE-sanctioned official leaves a lot to be desired.

After being suspended from boxing for biting the ear of Evander Holyfield, Tyson joined the World Wrestling Federation in January 1998.

Tyson aligned himself with D-Generation X, but turned on the group at WrestleMania 14, knocking out Shawn Michaels in the ring.

The Count

Despite WWF implying for weeks that Tyson would be competing at WrestleMania, the boxing legend was the ‘special enforcer’ for the main event between Michaels and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.

Speaking on the latest Mailbag Monday, former WWE referee Mike Chioda revealed that he was tasked with teaching Tyson how to count the pinfall, which was a difficult process.

“Believe me, I tried to teach him how to count. … He counted so fast, I was like ‘Oh sh*t.’ I must have spent like an hour with him, ‘Here, just 1-2-3.’”

Mike Chioda.

After this lengthy lesson, Tyson would count the pinfall for Austin, but despite all of Chioda’s training, the count is noticeably faster than it should be.

Tyson’s count would see Austin win his first WWF Championship and cement the ‘Attitude Era’ in professional wrestling.

Tyson in Pro Wrestling

In January 2010, Tyson would serve as the guest host of Monday Night Raw, before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April 2012.

Tyson was also a playable character as part of downloadable content for WWE ’13.

In April 2021, Tyson once again served as a special enforcer, this time for AEW, and returned to the promotion for an episode of AEW Rampage earlier this month.

h/t – eWrestlingNews

Logan Paul earned plenty of praise from fans and wrestlers following his match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel.

Paul was not victorious, but his performance stood out, and even John Cena took notice as he shared a photo of Paul on his Instagram account with no caption. Paul noticed that and responded with the eyes emoji on Twitter of a tweet saying Cena was looking for a WrestleMania opponent.

Paul vs. Cena?

On the latest episode of his ImPAULsive podcast, Paul offered more insight into a potential showdown with Cena.

“Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”

– Logan Paul

“That’s my dream. I’ve proven the model twice now. I’ve proven the model of; headstrong capable internet kid vs. a GOAT, a top-tier industry leader. Floyd (Mayweather). That worked. Generated $65-70 million dollars. Reigns. Crown Jewel became the number one most-viewed international pay-per-view event WWE has ever had. I’ve done it twice. The reason is, when I’m paired with a legend, a top-tier industry leader, the model works.”

After Crown Jewel, John Cena posted me on his Instagram and then I saw an article saying he’s looking for an opponent at WrestleMania. I favorited it, responded with the eyes. Truthfully, I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘Do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream match. WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”

Paul stated that when he is put up against legends, he delivers, whether that’s Floyd Mayweather or Reigns, and brings in money. 

During his bout at Crown Jewel, he suffered a knee injury, although he clarified on the podcast that it could have been worse and planned to give an update on his condition soon.

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin continues to fuel speculation about his in-ring future with some butt-kicking workout videos.

Austin made his return to active competition earlier this year at WrestleMania 38. In a bouht that nobody thought would happen, Austin defeated Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. It was his first time in the ring since WrestleMania 19, almost 20 years earlier.

With WrestleMania season right around the corner, the Texas Rattlesnake has posted a new video of himself opening up a can of ‘whoop ass’ in the gym. More specifically, in his RV.

On Monday, Austin showed off what it takes to look like Stone Cold at 57 years of age. This workout includes air squats, dumbbell curls, push-ups and kettlebell swings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steve Austin (@steveaustinbsr)

Steve Austin Wrestling Again?

WWE insider Wrestlevotes stated in an interview that Austin was so pleased with his performance at WrestleMania earlier this year, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of another special attraction match. On Monday, Fightful reported that WWE has reached out to Steve Austin about wrestling again since Triple H took over for Vince McMahon over the summer.

WWE always goes all-out for WrestleMania, but the company is looking to pull out all the stops when the biggest wrestling show of the year heads to Los Angeles, California. There have been reports that WWE is looking for extra celebrity involvement at the event, which makes sense considering the link to Hollywood. We’ve also heard The Rock and John Cena discussed for high-profile appearances.

Wrestling fans have been conditioned to believe, ‘never say never.’ Austin wrestling again is still a long shot. Then again, nobody (including Kevin Owens) thought he’d get back in the ring after nearly 20 years away. Stranger things have happened, so we’re staying cautiously optimistic.

WWE WrestleMania 39 will be a star-studded event, and we’re not just talking about the Superstars who’ll be competing.

WrestleMania 39 will take place on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, marking the fourth year in a row WrestleMania will be over two nights.

The show will air from the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, marking the seventh time WWE’s biggest event of the year will be in the Golden State.

Celebrities

WrestleMania and celebrity culture have been intertwined since the very first event in 1985, which saw Mr. T, Liberace, Muhammad Ali, Cyndi Lauper, and others on the show.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it’s reported that WWE wants a lot of celebrity involvement in the show, given that WrestleMania 39 will air from Hollywood.

WWE wants a lot of mainstream attention for WrestleMania 39 and believes that this attention will come with celebrities involved.

The Observer adds that WWE co-CEO Nick Khan has several connections with people in the sports and entertainment industries from his time working as an agent.

WrestleMania 39 Plans

WrestleMania 39 will likely see a lot of celebrities appear, but the biggest question now is who?

Depending on whether he is recovered from his Crown Jewel injury, Logan Paul could be on the card, and has teased interest in a match with John Cena.

Cena will reportedly be wrestling on the show, but it is unclear at this time who he will face.

Arguably the biggest celebrity WWE is seeking for the show is The Rock, who many predict will face Roman Reigns at the event.

We are currently on the road to WWE Survivor Series, which takes place in less than 3 weeks on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Attention will then turn to January’s Royal Rumble event, but planning is already well-underway for WrestleMania 39.

Looking back over a year ago, there’s been speculation that the main event of next year’s WrestleMania will be Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Each man has spoken publicly about this hypothetical match-up, as has WWE’s Chief Content Officer and Head of Creative, Triple H.

Related: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania

• Roman Reigns on WrestleMania Match With The Rock: ‘If It Works Out, I’m Ready’
• The Rock Talks Roman Reigns, Vince McMahon’s Retirement
• Paul Heyman Says Roman Reigns Match Is ‘Up To The Rock’
• The Rock Officially Acknowledges Roman Reigns As The Tribal Chief

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania would do blockbuster business for WWE, but there is a big complication that could prevent it from happening. The Rock is the biggest star in the Hollywood. He’s also a successful entrepreneur, with multiple ongoing ventures including Project Rock Apparel, Teremana Tequila and the XFL, just to name a few.

The match could happen, but the odds are probably less than 50/50 at this point. Rock’s schedule is the biggest issue, but WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair thinks there’s another factor that could hold things up.

Flair Comments on Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania

On the latest episode of his To Be The Man podcast, Flair says there are major creative considerations to take into account. If The Rock does return for a retirement against Reigns, it makes sense that the part-time special attraction would ‘do business’ one last time.

Flair says that it would not make sense for The Rock to win the championship from Reigns, because he’ll never be a full-time wrestler again. He’s also not so sure The Rock wants to come back only to lose.

The Other Option

There are ways around this predicament, including Reigns dropping the title before WrestleMania. If The Rock does not return next year, Flair likes the idea of Cody Rhodes facing Reigns at the biggest show of a the year, a match that many fans see as the most likely alternative to Rock vs. Reigns.

“I’ve said before, if The Rock happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, I would like it to be Cody Rhodes… I thought those matches that Cody had with Seth Rollins were off the hook. Seth really did a good job getting him over.”

Rhodes has been sidelined since suffering a pectoral tear earlier this year. His most recent match took place at Hell in a Cell on June 5th. Since then, he’s undergone surgery to repair the injury. Earlier this month, Rhodes said his physical therapy is “fn’ awful. He’s a tough guy, but admits he regularly screams and even sheds a tear during the sessions.

John Cena will be donning his jorts and sneakers for next year’s WrestleMania according to a recent report.

Cena, a 16-time WWE World Champion, was once the face of the promotion but has appeared less in recent years due to his thriving Hollywood career.

John hasn’t competed in WWE in over a year, with his most recent televised match seeing him lose to Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2021.

WrestleMania

Cena appearances are becoming increasingly rare, and the former World Champion has missed the past two WrestleManias.

Speaking to Louis Dangoor this week, WrestleVotes gave an update on Cena’s plans for WrestleMania 39.

“Cena should be there and Cena should be wrestling.”

WrestleVotes.

WrestleVotes also refuted the idea that Vince McMahon’s retirement from WWE in July this year would hurt Cena’s chances of a high-profile match on the card.

“Vince is out of the picture, Cena still has a love for this place. John Cena and Triple H have a respect for each other.”

WrestleVotes.

WrestleVotes added that Cena competing next year makes sense if John wants to be ‘the next Rock,’ as WrestleMania 39 will take place in Los Angeles, California.

Cena Vs. Theory?

With WrestleMania still months away, there’s no confirmation on who John Cena will face at WrestleMania 39.

Earlier this year, a feud was teased between Cena and Austin Theory, who like John held the United States Championship early into his career.

While many expected a match between the two at Summerslam, that did not take place, and Theory instead faced Bobby Lashley on July 30.

Despite this, Theory has said he expects to face Cena at next year’s WrestleMania.

Will The Rock return to the ring to face his cousin Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39?

That is the question everyone has been asking, and there’s no shortage of fans hoping to see it happen.

Both men have teased a match in the past, and the Los Angeles setting for WrestleMania would certainly make sense given the Brahma Bull’s success in Hollywood.

Acknowledge Him

Both The Rock and Reigns are part of the legendary Anoa’I wrestling family, with relations including Yokozuna, Umaga, Rikishi, The Usos and many more.

In 2018, Lance Anoa’I made his debut for Major League Wrestling, where he competes to this day, but has his prediction for the dream match as he told Sportskeeda.

“I would pick Roman. I feel that he has the youth, the strength, and the time to dedicate to fans of the wrestling federation.”

Lance Anoa’I.

While Lance hasn’t made his name in WWE like his relations, he did appear on Raw in 2019 as part of Reigns’ feud at the time with Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre.

Whatever it Takes

WWE has not publicly confirmed a Reigns Vs. Rock match, though the Brahma Bull’s Hollywood schedule is noticeably free for the first quarter of 2023.

Speaking about the match, Lance is confident WWE will do all it can to make the bout happen.

“That rumor or that dream match or whatever you want to call it has been in the ears of everybody for a long time. Whether it will come to [fruition] or not, who knows but knowing WWE, they’ll probably do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

While WWE no doubt wants the match, The Rock may be hesitant, as an injury suffered at WrestleMania 29 forced the filming of Hercules to be delayed, costing a lot of money.

Will The Rock return to WWE in early 2023 to have the long-awaited WrestleMania showdown with Roman Reigns?

That has been the question a ton of fans have been asking, and one that certainly seems possible.

Both Rock and Reigns have teased the match, and it was during an episode of Young Rock that it was teased a match that big could only happen at WrestleMania.

Not Returning?

Earlier this year, it was reported that The Rock’s usually full filming schedule is free for the first quarter of 2023.

Many have taken this as a sign that the Brahma Bull will return to WWE and have a program with the reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, ex-WWE Head Writer and close friend of The Rock Brian Gewirtz gave another possible suggestion.

“I saw an internet report at one point saying ‘Oh The Rock’s not shooting any movies in February.’ I don’t know if he is or not but he is launching with Dany [Garcia] a gigantic football league so that might take some time too.”

Gewirtz was with WWE for years and now works as part of The Rock’s ‘Seven Bucks Productions.

• 5 Opponents for Roman Reigns after WWE Crown Jewel

The XFL

The “gigantic football league” Gewirtz is referring to is the XFL, which is looking to kick-off in early 2023.

The league, originally the creation of Vince McMahon, was purchased by The Rock and business partner Dany Garcia in 2020.

This will be the third attempt at the league after the first in 2000 lasted just one season due to low ratings.

The second attempt in 2020 was forced to end early due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

WWE has revealed the official logo WrestleMania 40 which takes place April 6th and 7th, 2024 from Philadelphia, PA at Liberty Financial Field.

The most notable aspect of the logo is that WWE is bringing back the traditional roman numerals as part of the event’s official branding. As seen above, WrestleMania 40 is being branded as, WrestleMania XL.

It’s been a decade since Roman numerals were on the logos and posters for WWE’s biggest show. The last to have them was WrestleMania XXX (2014) in New Orleans that saw the culmination of the then Daniel Bryan’s babyface run.

While fans have referred to the intervening shows by their numbered editions, this is the first official WWE WrestleMania logo to feature the numerals.

Of course, WWE still has to course through 2023 before they head to Philadelphia for WrestleMania XL. The 39th edition of WrestleMania takes place April 1 and 2 in Inglewood, California from SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

That show has been dubbed WrestleMania Hollywood, a throwback to WrestleMania 21 from Los Angeles.

Kurt Angle had one of the most impressive rookie years in WWE. He won multiple titles during his first year on the main roster and also made his WrestleMania debut. The Mania match however turned out to be a disappointing affair.

The Olympic Gold Medallist talked about his WrestleMania debut in 2000 on his podcast. Kurt agreed with the criticism that the first fall of the match should have been for the European title instead of the IC Championship:

“Yeah, I agree. I think the Intercontinental title should have been second title that was defended at WrestleMania. After the Intercontinental title [that] Benoit won, I don’t think the fans cared who was gonna win the European title.” said Kurt Angle, “Because that title was way below the Intercontinental title.”

‘None Of Us Were Happy’: Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle later discussed how all three of the competitors were nervous going into the bout. It was the first WrestleMania match for all three of them and none came out too pleased with how it went:

“None of us were happy about the match. We all thought that could have been better.”

– Kurt Angle

The crowd reaction to the bout was disappointing as well. Kurt Angle admitted that the bad reception to the match didn’t help the spirits of the competitors:

“We weren’t sure why [the crowd didn’t like it]. I don’t know if it was because the Intercontinental title was decided first, cause the crowd was pretty alive up until then, and it kind of died after.”

For those who don’t know, WrestleMania 2000 saw Kurt Angle defending both the Intercontinental Championship and European Championship. What could have been an amazing two fall triple threat match between Angle, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit however, ended up being one of the lowest rated matches on the card.

This was because WWE decided to save the European title for the second fall of the bout instead of the IC title which was more prestigious. The crowd lost interest in the match halfway through because of this.

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If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Kurt Angle could be walking down the aisle at WrestleMania one last time as part of next year’s two-night event.

Angle recently returned to WWE TV during the August 29, 2022 edition of Monday Night Raw, and was involved in a segment with the Alpha Academy and the Street Profits.

The Olympic Gold Medalist celebrated with the Profits after their match, where the stipulation being that Kurt would have had to join the Academy if Chad Gable and Otis won.

WrestleMania

Angle was able to keep clear of joining the Alpha Academy, but he could be appearing at WWE’s biggest event of next year.

Speaking to the Wrassingh Show, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that there have been talks about him doing something for next year’s event (via 411 Mania.)

They’re talking about maybe me doing something at WrestleMania.”

Kurt Angle on possibly appearing at WrestleMania 39 next year.

Angle went on to clarify that nothing is set in stone yet, calling his possible WrestleMania 39 “just an idea.”

The WWE Hall of Famer did confirm that if he does appear at WrestleMania he will not be wrestling.

“It won’t be in a wrestling capacity at all. I don’t mind because I can’t wrestle anymore.”

Kurt Angle on appearing for WWE without competing.

WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1 and April 2, 2023, from the SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California.

AEW

Despite being released from WWE in April 2020, Kurt Angle hasn’t ever appeared for All Elite Wrestling, a promotion many fans believe he would be a perfect fit for.

Angle explained on the show that his loyalty to WWE has kept him from Tony Khan’s company.

“I have a contract with WWE, it’s a nostalgia contract. It’s more of a merchandise contract with them right now. And I’ve always try to keep a good relationship with them, ever since I left them for TNA and came back to WWE.

“I don’t want to do that again, I don’t want to jump ship because WWE has always been good to me.”

Seth Rollins has developed into one of WWE’s most valuable Superstars since bursting on to the scene in 2012 as a member of The Shield. He can always be counted on to deliver a show-stealing performance, especially when it is the most needed.

Rollins was Ryan Satin’s guest on the latest episode of the Out of Character podcast for Fox Sports. Their discussion took place at SoFi Stadium, site of next year’s WrestleMania. The 5-time World Champion boasts that he’s hit “all home runs” and delivered “all bangers” on WWE’s grandest stage.

“Yeah, WrestleMania is always good for me. I’ve got great memories of it as a fan and now as a performer,” he said. “I feel like, I’d have to rack by main, but I feel like I’ve had all home runs at WrestleMania. I think, all bangers, as far as I can remember. We had a couple of real short ones with The Shield, we opened our first WrestleMania in New York, and then did a straight squash of Kane and the New Age Outlaws, which is nice to have on your resume as well, those are Hall of Famers. Other than that, I feel like it’s just been knocking it out of the park every time. So yeah, WrestleMania kind of rocks for me.”

The New Mr. WrestleMania

Satin suggested that Rollins is the current generation’s “Mr. WrestleMania,” a moniker once bestowed upon WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. Those are big shoes to fill, but they’re a better fit on Rollins than anybody else.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure at WrestleMania time. I think it’s one of those things, the longer you do this, I’ve been doing this I think 10 years now that I’m on the roster with WWE, the live events become lighter, there’s less pressure all around, TV becomes routine.

Even some of the bigger pay-per-views, I’ve done a lot of them, but WrestleMan is always WrestleMania. There’s something super special about it. There’s always that extra buildup and that extra pressure to steal the show or make an impact. You want to leave a moment that people will leave forever, so I’m very fortunate to be part of a few of those.”

Please credit the Out of Character podcast with a h/t to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes transcribed in this article.

• “Doubled Edged Sword”: Seth Rollins Describes Working With Vince McMahon

Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania Record

Seth Rollins has competed in 10 WrestleMania matches since his debut at WrestleMania 29 back in 2013. Since then, he’s earned a record of 6 wins and 4 losses at WWE’s biggest event of the year. It’s a healthy winning record, but it’s the quality of his performances that solidify Rollins as this generation’s Mr. WrestleMania.

• WrestleMania 29 (2013): The Shield def. Sheamus, Randy Orton & Big Show
• WrestleMania 30 (2014): The Shield def. Kane and The New Age Outlaws
• WrestleMania 31 (2015): Randy Orton def. Seth Rollins. Later in the night, Rollins cashed in Money in the Bank to defeat Brock Lesnar (c) and Roman Reigns to win his first WWE Championship
• WrestleMania 33 (2017): Seth Rollins def. Triple H
• WrestleMania 34 (2018): Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz (c) and Finn Balor
• WrestleMania 35 (2019): Seth Rollins def. Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship
• WrestleMania 36 (2020): Kevin Owens def. Seth Rollins
• WrestleMania 37 (2021): Cesaro def. Seth Rollins
• WrestleMania 38 (2022): Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins

Austin Theory is “”pretty confident” he’ll get to face off against John Cena at WrestleMania 39 next year.

Theory was recently interviewed by CBS Sports, where he discussed the comparisons he’s received to Cena in recent years.

The former United States Champion and current Money In The Bank briefcase holder admitted to modeling his career after the 16-time World Champion.

“It’s so weird to meet somebody and pretty much have to explain to them, ‘I modeled my whole life after you.’ It’s one of those things as a kid getting bullied, my dad not being in my life a lot. Cena, I could watch him and just escape.

“It was the connection to his personality,” Theory said. “And that’s something I learned from him. He told me, ‘Don’t ever think people go out there and want people to connect to their performance.

“Nobody will connect to your performance unless they connect to your personality.’ I started thinking, even with that process through NXT to finally being drafted to Raw officially, it was a time to figure stuff out. How can I connect to them with my personality?

“This is a world in WWE where everybody can kill it in the ring. Everyone can go hard in the ring. So what’s going to set you aside from killing it in the ring? I learned that from him.”

With the comparisons between Cena and Theory running so rampant, there have been rumors about a potential match between the pair. Things really seemed likely for this past SummerSlam, however, that didn’t pan out.

Now, many speculate that the match could take place at “The Showcase Of The Immortals,” WrestleMania 39. Next year’s WrestleMania goes down from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will be a special two-night event on both April 1 and April 2.

“To have that moment with him, the person that — I had to put in my own work — but somebody that got me to the dance mentally, it takes the words out of my mouth to think of that actually happening,” Theory said.

Tickets for WWE WrestleMania 39 at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles go on sale this week, and WWE is still moving forward with their plans for a massive main event.

As has long been rumored, the working plan is Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Of course, Dwayne Johnson is still one of the most in demand actors in Hollywood, and his schedule could change on a moments notice. Therefore, there’s no guarantee that the match will take place, but WWE is working with the assumption that they’ll be able to make it happen.

“It’s the plan. It’s 100% the plan for this year (WrestleMania 39),” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestleTalk). “But the idea is, it’s the plan if he can do it. We’re still months away, months and months away. So many opportunities and things like that may come up.”

The Reigns vs. Rock match has been rumored now for a couple of years, with it seeming to be a logical destination given the two men’s family history and Reigns’ massive, unbeatable push. Taking on a returning legend like The Rock would draw enormous interest, and Rock is one of the few people out there who people could buy as a legitimate threat to Reigns at this point.

• Did WWE Find a WrestleMania Headliner at SummerSlam Try-Outs?

How do we get to The Rock vs. Roman Reigns?

One of the interesting wrinkles in this story is how television will play out to get us there. Will the match involve the WWE’s current undisputed world championship, will the belts be split up before then, and how does Cody Rhodes play into the picture?

Prior to Rhodes’ pectoral injury that occurred just before the Hell In A Cell PLE, the working plan was for a Reigns vs. Rhodes match in the near future. The injury changed all of that, but many expect for Cody to return and immediately enter the title picture early next year (potentially following a Royal Rumble victory).

Is it possible that Cody could become champion, taking the belt (or belts) off of Reigns before his match with The Rock?

A Rock vs. Reigns match would not need a championship as it would already be the biggest bout on the card, with or without a title. In fact, involving the world championship might complicate things as virtually nobody would expect The Rock to become champion again given his Hollywood schedule. That would mean that a Reigns victory would be a foregone conclusion and potentially take away from the intrigue of the match.

However, if the match is not for a championship, a Rock victory would actually seem like a possibility to the live audience and potentially make the match more interesting.

There’s a lot of creative directions they could go with this. We discussed a few more of the possibilities recently on my podcast, Top Rope Nation, and you can check out that discussion at this link.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

Bobby Lashley has officially thrown out the challenge to Brock Lesnar for a WrestleMania 39 match next year in California.

Lashley was recently a guest on WWE’s “The Bump” this week, and talked about a showdown with Lesnar at “The Show Of Shows” next year. “The Almighty” said it’s going to be a huge stage, and he and Lesnar still have a score to settle.

“We’re in L.A. next year, right, for WrestleMania? If we’re in Hollywood it’s a big matchup.

“For me, I’ve always had these really tough challenges going into WrestleMania, which, of course this one- it has to be another big one.

“Me and Brock [Lesnar], we still have a little score to settle. I have a win over him and then he ended up winning my title back but we’re not done. We’re not done.”

Lashley has been calling out Lesnar for a match for years now. He’s even suggested the pair compete against one another inside the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, as both are decorated inside the cage.

However, their paths have never crossed in either sport. Currently, Lashley is feuding with Omos and MVP on Monday Night RAW. Lashley will face Omos at the upcoming Hell In A Cell event in Chicago.

Lesnar hasn’t competed or been on WWE TV since his WrestleMania 38 defeat to Roman Reigns in Dallas, Texas this past April. He dropped the WWE Championship to “The Tribal Chief,” who now reigns as the WWE and Universal Champion, working both brands.

Should WWE decide to book a match between Lashley and Lesnar next year at WrestleMania, the potential is certainly massive.

It will be interesting to see if the two monstrous athletes ultimately cross paths before their time in the professional wrestling business is done. Lashley is currently 45-years-old, while Lesnar is 44.

Quotes via NoDq.com

The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak nearly ended on a count out back at WrestleMania 25.

What some consider to be the best WrestleMania match of all time, The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michael took place from Houston, Texas’ NRG Stadium in 2009. Undertaker and Michaels put on an absolute classic, with “The Deadman” ultimately coming out on top.

Recently, the man who refereed that match, Marty Elias, was a guest on Chris Jericho’s podcast, “Talk Is Jericho,” During the show, Elias revealed that The Undertaker’s streak almost ended that night due to a count out.

After a spot where Undertaker dove out of the ring, he landed wrong and actually came down on his head. Taker had told Elias if he didn’t make it back into the ring, to actually count him out.

However, Elias was selling a bump he took earlier in the match, and was able to use that to slow his count. Taker was able to get back in the ring and finish the match as planned.

“At WrestleMania 25, when I did my counts on Taker after the dive, that count was a shoot count (When Taker went for the dive, didn’t get caught, and landed on his head).

“The only instruction I ever got out of that match was from Taker. He said, ‘If I don’t get back in, you shoot count me out’, and we came very, very close to counting him out.

“But if you go back and look at that, I was drawing my counts out, and I was drawing 74,000 people in with my counts. I took my time because I was still selling because they had bumped me earlier. So I was still selling that.

“But at the same time, I was still dramatizing it and I was elongating that count. So I was getting the people behind me.

“I was looking at Taker, and Taker and I didn’t make eye contact until nine on the 10 count. So that streak almost ended at WrestleMania 25 on a count out.”

“He was concussed. He had a broken collarbone. He broke his ring finger. So yeah, he was pretty fu*ked up.”

The Streak wouldn’t end for another five years until Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30. To this day, the only two men who have ever defeated Undertaker at WrestleMania are Lesnar and Roman Reigns.

Undertaker officially retired from active professional wrestling in November of 2020, making the announcement at Survivor Series. He was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame by Vince McMahon this past April in his home state of Texas.

Quotes via WrestlingNewsCo

WWE superstar Drew McIntyre says he pitched to have a matchup with Triple H at this year’s WrestleMania 38.

The Scottish Warrior revealed during an interview with TalkSport that without the Game’s assistance he would not have returned to WWE back in 2017, a run that saw McIntyre become NXT champion, Raw tag champion, a Royal Rumble winner, and a two-time WWE champion.

“He’s the reason I’m back in WWE 100 percent. My mind was set at the time when I wasn’t going to re-sign with IMPACT that I’m going to Japan.”

McIntyre later elaborates on the pitch he made to face the Cerebral Assassin at the Showcase of the Immortals, stating that it’s unfortunate he had to retire for health reasons but is happy that he’s going to be okay for his family.

“I wanted a match (with Triple H). It’s unfortunate it won’t happen but I’m just glad he’s healthy for himself and his family. I pitched (a match) at every opportunity I could. How about us at WrestleMania? ‘What’s the story?’ [Triple H said] and I’d say ‘What’s the story? We’ll figure it out, but what about you and me at WrestleMania?!’ How awesome would that be.”

This wouldn’t have been the first time this duo stood across the ring from each other, but a proper singles-matchup at this point is off the table. McIntyre does recall in the interview the few times he got to share the ring with Triple H, and what a pro he is, even calling him a general in the ring.

“It was cool to go back and forth a little bit and you understand just how good he is, what a ring general he is. You can see watching, but you don’t know until you’re in there with them just how good. Just some interactions during an 8-man tag in Japan I could tell like ‘wow, he’s really frigging good.'”

McIntyre seems to be headed towards another showdown with Roman Reigns at WWE’s upcoming Clash at the Castle pay-per-view, their first major event in the U.K. in over three decades.

WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin says he’s feeling great after competing against Kevin Owens earlier this month at WrestleMania 38.

Austin was scheduled to be Kevin Owens’ guest on the KO Show at WrestleMania Saturday. Wrestling fans were pleasantly surprised when the advertised talkshow segment turned into Austin’s first sanctioned match in nearly two decades. It was a wild brawl that saw Stone Cold get his hand raised one last time to cap off a once-in-a-lifetime career.

Stone Cold recently appeared on the Brewbound Podcast to promote his new beer, the Broken Skull American Lager by the El Segundo brewing company.

Austin said he’s feeling perfect after WrestleMania.

“Oh, I’m 100 percent,” he said. “I picked up a little bit of a cold the other day but I’m back home in Nevada. Shoot, I was 100 percent [after his match with Kevin Owens] and of course went back in action on Sunday, did a little extra physicality as a part of the show.”

He continued, “It’s just an exciting time for me to back to a business that I really, really love and you know, I never thought I’d be back in a ring but, there we were headlining, main event for the — headlining WrestleMania for night one and it was just truly an honor to be out there and really excited to be out there.”

Austin said it was very satisfying to be able to feature his own beer during WWE appearances. At one point, during the Attitude Era, WWE pitched one of the major beer companies the opportunity to feature a Stone Cold Steve Austin beer. Unfortunately, it never came to be. He thinks that’s because his character was a bit too edgy for middle America and the audience that the unnamed beer company tries to reach.

“I just think what I was doing was very cutting edge, it was very edgy and that was tip of the spear, as far as the Attitude Era is concerned. So, I just don’t think I was.. someone’s idea of what a role model for their beer would look like at that time.”

• Jim Ross Reveals How Steve Austin Felt About WrestleMania 38 Match

Listen to Steve austin on the Brewbound Podcast:

The Rock has planted the seeds for a WrestleMania match with his cousin and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns via Young Rock. 

During Tuesday’s episode of the NBC show about the early life of Dwayne Johnson, we see the actor playing Johnson watching wrestling with his family when a child actor playing Reigns jumped on him.

When little Reigns wanted to wrestle and told him to acknowledge him, Johnson’s actor stated that a match like that can only happen at WrestleMania. 

Here’s a clip from the show, courtesy of our friends at WrestlingNewsCo:

Over the last few years, there has been talk about this bout that would likely be Rock’s final match. It all came down to The Rock’s schedule as it would have to be clear and in addition to his movie commitments, he is also deeply involved with the XFL when it re-launches next spring.

As recently as last month, Dave Meltzer talked about the working plan for next year’s WrestleMania and he said that The Rock wants to do the match but nothing is etched in stone.

The other big match expected for next year at WrestleMania 39 is Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey.

This past weekend, WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin returned to in-ring competition at WrestleMania 38 for his first match in over 19 years.

Austin was originally advertised to take place in a KO Show segment with Kevin Owens, but it turned into an official No Holds Barred match after Owens threw out the challenge. After brawling all over the arena, Austin finally picked up the victory with a stunner on Owens. It was quite surprising to see Austin compete since he had been adamant that he’s done competing inside the ring.

His last match took place at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Austin was defeated by The Rock in what was their third time main eventing “The Show Of Shows” together. Now, 19 years later, Austin finally decided to give it one more go, going out on top with a win at the biggest professional wrestling event of the year. According to a report from Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline, Austin originally only agreed to do an elongated brawl with Owens in Dallas.

However, after training leading up to WrestleMania, Austin felt confident enough to do an actual match, thus, resulting in the No Holds Barred bout we got at WrestleMania 38. But the action didn’t stop at Night One of WrestleMania for Austin. “The Texas Rattlesnake” also hit the ring the following night, following the conclusion of the Austin Theory vs. Pat McAfee matchup. Austin rekindled his famed rivalry with Vince McMahon, hitting him with one of the worst stunners of all time.

He also hit Theory and McAfee with stunners before doing his celebratory beer bash. It was a tremendously nostalgic weekend for Attitude Era fans, but it was likely the last official matchup Steve Austin ever participates in.