As part of his agreement with AEW that allowed for his release, Regal did not appear on WWE programming for the first year of his return. On this week’s show, the British veteran re-emerged and was seen to have had a producing meeting with WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.
Regal appeared alongside Ava, who has been making matches and big decisions as of late. In their segment, Regal confirmed that not only is the fourth-generation wrestler officially the GM of NXT, but at 22 years old, she is the youngest General Manager in WWE history.
Regal pleaded with Ava to take care of NXT, recalling his own role with the gold brand since the very start. The former Intercontinental Champion hardly sold the role, calling it a thankless job that means working long hours and juggling the egos of several Superstars.
Ava admitted that she has big shoes to fill, but she is confident she can do it. Regal concluded the segment stating if she ever needs anything, she knows how to contact him.
The wrestling community mourns the loss of former WCW talent Harold Houge, AKA Ice Train. His longtime friend, Diamond Dallas Page, announced the unfortunate news this afternoon on Instagram.
Page shared photos of them in the post and a heartfelt tribute to Houge.
“It was so Sad to hear that one of my closest brothers is gone. Harold Houge, aka H, aka Ice Train, aka Smooth, was a warrior and one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” wrote Page.
DDP also reflected on a time when he and Houge helped those in need during Christmas in the past, and that is one of his fondest memories of their time together.
He shared that he would release a tribute video next week and ended the post by writing, “RIP my brother! You will be missed but never forgotten!
Much Love & Respect.”
Houge passes away at age 56. As of now, it is unclear what is his cause of death.
Ice Train WCW Career
Houge began his WCW career in 1993, pushed by the company as a powerhouse “babyface.” He would appear on WCW Worldwide and Saturday Night, winning dominantly. In a short period of time, he would make his pay-per-view debut, defeating Shanghai Pierce swiftly at WCW Fall Brawl on September 9, 1993.
Two months after his PPV debut, he also found himself in a WCW Tag Team Championship opportunity with Ron Simmons against The Nasty Boys. Although Houge and Simmons would lose, Houge displayed his power and had the crowd behind him.
Unfortunately, he was unable to continue the momentum heading into 1994. He suffered his first singles loss to Simmons at WCW Clash Of The Champions on January 27, 1994. Houge’s next big run in the company would happen when he began to team with Scott Norton as Fire and Ice in early to mid-1996.
More On Ice Train Career in WCW
Both Houge and Norton were featured as a powerhouse tag team that wrestling fans still remember today. They weren’t able to capture the WCW Tag Team Championship, but there was a tag team that fans enjoyed watching be physical with the rest of the division, including the Steiner Brothers(Rick and Scott Steiner).
Fire and Ice started to split by the Summer of 1996, and they ended up feuding against each other. Both stars would have several matches culminating in a submission match at Fall Brawl on September 15, 1996. Houge was victorious by defeating Norton and ending their rivalry.
While he got the big win over Norton, WCW couldn’t continue Houge’s momentum for the remainder of his time in the company. Although Houge’s never won a title, he was a fan favorite to WCW fans growing up and will be remembered.
SEScoops sends their condolences to Houge’s family and friends.
Will The Rock lace up his boots and compete against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 this April? There’s a chance…
The Brahma Bull returned to WWE on the Day 1 episode of Raw and teased coming for Reigns’ spot as the Head of the Table. A match between the pair has been teased for years and was at one point locked in for WrestleMania 39.
There’s A Chance
With The Rock’s tease on Raw, many are expecting the long-awaited showdown between himself and Reigns to take place at WrestleMania 40. During an appearance on Hot Take, The Rock, fresh off his appointment to TKO’s Board of Directors, was asked about the possibility of headlining WWE’s grandest stage against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
“I’m a long-gamer and I like to build. Something like this, what this is [is potentially huge.] If… if myself and Roman Reigns were to main event WrestleMania, and I mean this very respectfully of all the WrestleManias prior, because I grew up in this business and I love it, we could possibly put on, with us as the main event and this incredible group of men and women who are these incredible performers, we could possibly put on the greatest and the biggest WrestleMania of all time.”
When a host sought to confirm if The Rock was saying there was a chance he would wrestle, the Brahma Bull didn’t reject the notion.
“There’s a chance… I love this business, I love pro wrestling, I love WWE. But I also have this deep passion to grow it and to build it. And if we’re going to do something like this, I want the world to watch.”
The Rock has his sights set on Roman Reigns, but the Head of the Table isn’t sweating his cousin…
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
WWE’s roster has a few big contracts that are set to expire in 2024. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre are just scratching the surface. Now, it has been confirmed that Finn Balor’s deal is set to end soon as well.
Finn Balor’s WWE Contract Is Expiring
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that another WWE contract is approaching its expiration this year. Balor’s deal with WWE is set to expire, which confirms a previous report.
On January 22nd, Wrestling Inc founder Raj Giri tweeted, “Finn Balor’s WWE contract is up after #WrestleMania. The word I’ve gotten is that he hasn’t been approached to renew yet.”
Finn Balor's WWE contract is up after #WrestleMania . The word I've gotten is that he hasn't been approached to renew yet
Fightful was able to verify with sources close to Balor that his WWE contract will conclude this year. His deal is expected to end “not immediately after WrestleMania.”
Fightful has confirmed with sources close to Balor that his WWE contract is up this year, but they claim it is “not immediately after WrestleMania,” instead saying it would be up within a few months of WrestleMania.
WWE Contracts After TKO Merger
The trend of WWE not initiating discussions about contract extensions has been observed for several wrestlers whose contracts are ending. There are several deals expiring soon, and it is interesting to see how WWE handles such a business move under new ownership.
Finn Balor is currently 1/2 of the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions alongside Damian Priest. As an important part of the Judgment Day faction, it stands to reason that WWE would want to keep the first-ever Universal Champion around.
Dwayne Johnson’s excitement over having full ownership of the name ‘The Rock’ goes far deeper than the potential business prospects that this agreement provides.
As part of his deal with TKO, Johnson now has full ownership of the name ‘The Rock’ which until now had been owned by WWE. During an appearance on CNBC, Johnson spoke about the deeper meaning to owning the name.
“There’s the business side of that, as we know. There’s the economics and the Math side of that. But also, it goes much deeper than that. And this idea, the name of The Rock, for me, I owe that name everything. Without that name, there would be no wrestling career.
“There would be no Hollywood career. But also that name was a derivative of my dad Rocky Johnson who was one of the first Black tag-team champions in WWE. A trailblazer paved the way, a man of color. For a kid like me to be embraced in a bigger way when I came along [he was inspirational.]”
Johnson made sure to credit Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who was also on the show, for agreeing to give him the name and appointing him to the board.
“I want to acknowledge Ari [Emanuel] and give him his flowers because at the end of the day, he had a million reasons to say no but he found the reason to say yes. And the reason why is because he understood, as he told me face to face ‘This is your name and it comes from your family and that’s important to me.’ So family is very important to us.
“The name ‘The Rock’, this is why it becomes invaluable. The street valuation of the name ‘The Rock’, it’s got some heft behind it. But more importantly than that, it’s something that I’ve earned, I built, and I owe so much to that wild lunatic called ‘The Rock’.
“And by the way, and I told him this last night. The greatest benefit of now completely owning the name ‘The Rock’ [with] no gimmicks, no BS, across the board, full ownership [is] the name ‘The Rock’ years ago, really allowed me to be me, and that’s very special. Thank you Ari.”
The landscape of WWE is set to change dramatically over the next 12 months following the announcement that Raw will be moving to Netflix in January 2025.
The streaming giant has paid $5,000,000,000 for a decade-long agreement with WWE to stream Raw on Netflix. Fans outside the United States will especially benefit from this deal. For those audiences, Netflix will also become the home of SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events including WrestleMania. WWE’s documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects will be accessible on Netflix internationally starting in 2025.
WWE’s Broadcast Landscape
Monday Night Raw won’t be the only WWE brand to be on a new home relative soon, as you can see in the chart below. Last year, it was announced that WWE NXT will begin airing on the CW Network this October. The news about NXT came about mere days after reports that the CW was going to bring the NWA to its broadcast programming. Instead, the NWA is now being featured on the CW app, with some believing that the controversial ‘cocaine’ spot from NWA Samhain ruined the company’s chances.
“Although we’re unable to verify with The Rainmaker himself, one source close to NJPW’s top talent has indicated to Monthly Puroresu that it appears Kazuchika Okada is WWE bound, potentially starting in NXT first.”
Okada has reportedly always dreamed of competing at WrestleMania, an aspiration that those in WWE, including CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, are well aware of. The Game and NXT head Shawn Michaels have shown “significant interest” in bringing Okada on board.
WWE had several options for RAW’s next home, including Warner Brothers Discovery, FX, and even Amazon Prime. Then Netflix landed the deal, seemingly coming out of nowhere. They have a ton of money to throw around, and the streaming giant is paying big for WWE programming.
WWE RAW’s Blockbuster Announcement
WWE RAW is set to join Netflix in January 2025. The exclusive hosting of RAW on Netflix will begin in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, with additional territories being added gradually.
As part of this agreement, Netflix will become the platform for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S., encompassing RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. Furthermore, WWE’s documentaries, original series, and forthcoming projects will be made available on Netflix internationally starting in 2025.
WWE Making Huge Money With Netflix RAW Deal
WWE is making a ton of money with their new Netflix deal, and they were already raking in tons of cash with their current contract. The company’s existing five-year agreement with the USA Network is estimated to be worth around $250-260 million per year.
According to Deadline, an individual with knowledge of the terms mentioned that the agreement spans ten years and exceeds $5 billion.
Variety reported that sources indicated that the deal is valued at a minimum of $500 million annually and is believed to have a duration of 10 years.
Netflix Subscription Info
In terms of subscription pricing, Netflix offers various plans with different monthly costs. The Standard with Ads plan is priced at $6.99, with no additional charge for an extra member. The Standard plan, without ads, comes at a monthly cost of $15.49. If an extra member is added, there is an extra charge of $7.99, resulting in a total of $23.48 for one additional member.
The Premium plan, with a monthly fee of $22.99, includes advanced features. Adding an extra member incurs a $7.99 charge, bringing the total to $30.98 for one extra member. Opting for two additional members increases the total cost to $38.97.
Netflix’s global paid subscriber base has surpassed 247.15 million as of Q3 2023, reflecting a notable increase of 8.76 million subscribers from the previous quarter. This positive trend indicates a robust recovery following the loss of 1.17 million subscribers in the first half of 2022.
WWE superstar Cody Rhodes recently named two AEW stars who he believes should join WWE.
‘The American Nightmare’ has been on the top of his game ever since he left AEW and decided to return to WWE in 2022. He went on to win the Royal Rumble and main-event last year’s WrestleMania.
Cody is one of the examples who came back years later as a huge star. While the WWE roster is stacked with a plethora of talents, Cody has picked some names that he would like to see join WWE in the future.
Cody Rhodes names Ricky Starks and Wardlow
Rhodes and Starks have a good friendship outside the ring and Starks has been spotted backstage in WWE supporting Rhodes.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Cody Rhodes revealed that he wants ‘The Absolute One’ to jump ship to WWE.
“My buddy Ricky Starks. I know he’s under contract so that’s not happening – but it’d be cool to see.”
In addition to this, the former AEW star named Wardlow, who had been speculated to join WWE in the past. Rhodes believes that Wardlow will fit well in the heavyweight-dominated WWE locker room.
“Wardlow is one I’d like to see cross over if he ever wanted to.” Rhodes continues. “There’s a lot of beef in the WWE locker room; it’s a heavyweight locker room. It’s hard when you think you’re big and jacked, then you stand across the ring from Drew McIntyre and you find out ‘Oh, maybe not’. Wardlow is somebody I feel could fit into that role really well.
“It seems like we’re in this day where we’re doing so well everyone wants to be part of it, and the more the merrier. I’m happy with anyone who wants to make the leap and be part of this team.”
2K recently announced that Cody Rhodes will be the cover Superstar for the regular version of the upcoming WWE 2K24 game. ‘The American Nightmare’ recently went face to face with CM Punk in an epic promo battle on this week’s Monday Night Raw. Cody and Punk are among the several talented superstars who are aiming to win the coveted Royal Rumble match and earn a title shot at WrestleMania 40.
WWE was involved in intense television rights talks throughout 2023, and while 2/3 of their deals closed, RAW remained a big mystery. Now, we know what is to come for the red brand, and it’s going behind one of the largest paywalls online.
WWE RAW is Moving to Netflix
The company sent out a media blast today to announce that, starting in January 2025, Netflix will exclusively host Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Latin America, with more territories to follow over time.
Under this agreement, Netflix will also be the destination for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S., including Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and Premium Live Events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. Additionally, WWE’s documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects will be accessible on Netflix internationally starting in 2025.
Other Suitors For WWE RAW
WWE landing a deal with Netflix is quite surprising. There were other potential partners in the mix.
Amazon Prime and FX were also in the running. Rumors about Warner Brothers Discovery wanting the red brand were also rampant. That was incredibly interesting, considering AEW’s place on that network.
In recent weeks, WBD has been giving AEW more love, while crediting them for success in press releases, so the thought was that they were no longer on the table for RAW. Now, Netflix has swooped in as the winner, surprising everyone in the process, because their name wasn’t a part of any report or commentator’s breakdown of the situation.
WWE’s Other Media Rights Deals
WWE NXT will go to The CW in October 2024, and SmackDown is going to the USA Network. Those two moves will see fans tune into a more traditional viewing platform. Those watching RAW will need to pay a monthly subscription fee.
How Many Subscribers Netflix Has
Netflix has a global paid subscriber base exceeding 247.15 million as of Q3 2023. This marks an uptick of 8.76 million subscribers from the previous quarter, showcasing a solid recovery following the loss of 1.17 million subscribers in the first half of 2022.
How Much Is A Netflix Subscription?
Netflix provides different subscription plans with varying monthly prices. The Standard with Ads plan is available at $6.99, with no extra charge for an additional member. The Standard plan, without ads, is priced at $15.49 per month. Adding an extra member incurs an additional charge of $7.99, resulting in a total of $23.48 for one extra member.
The Premium plan, costing $22.99 per month, includes advanced features. Adding an extra member comes with a $7.99 charge, making the total $30.98 for one extra member. Opting for two extra members increases the total cost to $38.97.
In a press release that was sent out on the morning of January 23rd, it was announced that The Rock has been appointed to TKO Group Holdings’ board of directors.
Johnson is a highly accomplished WWE Superstar, and he had a huge hand in the company’s history already. Now, the globally renowned Hollywood megastar will bring that electricity to the Board.
Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman of the Board at TKO, stated, “Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business like Rock. We are proud to have him join the TKO board to help take our company to new heights.”
The Rock also spoke about this new role. He is very excited to get things going. Johnson was also very candid in saying that he never thought this day would come for him. Now, he is in a position where his decisions can directly change the face of the company that is responsible for making him a household name.
“My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come. Which is why I’m very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle.”
“At my core, I’m a builder who builds for and serves the people, and Ari is building something truly game changing. I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment — while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences. I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them.”
The Rock’s Previous Business Experience
With a broad business portfolio including Seven Bucks Productions, Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, Project Rock, and the recently merged spring football league, the United Football League (UFL), Dwayne Johnson has established an expertise in identifying and fostering revenue-generating opportunities in media rights, live events, sponsorship, licensing, and social media. He is one of the most-followed men on the planet on social media as well.
Johnson’s appointment also illustrates TKO’s dedication to delivering long-term value and performance for shareholders through strategic growth initiatives across both UFC and WWE. His name on the board will definitely attract attention.
The Rock recently returned to WWE television during the Day 1 edition of RAW on January 1st. During that appearance, he dropped a blatant tease that he may want that match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania this year. With this new appointment, Johnson is certainly in a position to make some big decisions.
TKO Adds Another Board Member
Brad Keywell was also announced as a new member of the TKO Group Holdings Board of Directors. The company sent out a separate press release to reveal this news.
Keywell, who earned his Juris Doctorate with Honors from the University of Michigan Law School, is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive knowledge in technology and artificial intelligence. He will bring valuable experience in innovation and industry disruption to the Board.
He has played a key role in co-founding and leading various companies, including Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, MediaOcean, and Uptake Technologies, where he currently serves as Founder and Executive Chairman. Recognized as the 2019 EY World Entrepreneur of the Year, he is only the third US entrepreneur to receive this global honor.
Kevin Patrick’s days as a commentator on Friday Night SmackDown are coming to an end, SE Scoops can reveal.
Our very own Aaron Varble reports that SmackDown is set to undergo a change that will see Patrick removed from the commentary table. At this time, no replacement has been announced for Patrick, who has been calling the action alongside his After the Bell podcast co-host Corey Graves. When asked for the reason behind the change, the WWE source simply stated “it just wasn’t working out.”
SmackDown set for a change. Kevin Patrick is out. No replacement named yet. Reason I was given: “It just wasn’t working out.”
Before coming to the U.S., Patrick studied journalism at Griffith College Dublin, and worked as part of the RTÉ Sport team covering the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In 2009, Patrick left Ireland for the U.S. and has worked for CNN in the past. He has also worked for FOX Sports and was the commentator for Atlanta United home games on Apple TV+.
Kevin Patrick isn’t the only notable member of his family. His father Liam was an All-Ireland-winning Gaelic footballer. While Kevin played for Raheny GAA, an injury would cut his athletics career short.
WWE’s commentary team has a very important job to make sure the action is called in the ring. It is also a difficult assignment, because fans can be very critical of the people in those roles. Although Kevin Patrick gave his all, fans didn’t seem to connect with the Irish announcer as much, and now he has lost his spot on television.
Kevin Patrick Is Gone From SmackDown (Exclusive)
Kevin Patrick was on Raw from October 2022 before transitioning to Smackdown in 2023. Now, he is no longer on the blue brand. I reported last night that Patrick was removed from SmackDown.
A tenured member of the WWE team contacted me during RAW this week. They had a very interesting note about a change for the company’s other main roster show. After some digging, I was able to confirm this change.
While a permanent replacement hasn’t been determined yet, the reason given is that it just wasn’t working out. Now, Patrick is off the blue brand.
SmackDown set for a change.
Kevin Patrick is out.
No replacement named yet.
Reason I was given: “It just wasn’t working out.”
SmackDown set for a change. Kevin Patrick is out. No replacement named yet. Reason I was given: “It just wasn’t working out.”
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed my previous report. Kevin Patrick is gone from his SmackDown gig, but a replacement has not been determined yet. It was also noted that this move wasn’t a big surprise.
“Kevin Patrick’s gone, unless something changes. I don’t know details. I don’t know who’s gonna be replacing him. I’m not surprised.”
Who is Kevin Patrick?
Kevin is from Raheny in North Dublin, and he pursued journalism studies at Griffith College Dublin. In 2004, he worked as a runner for RTÉ Sport during the Summer Olympics.
After making the move to the United States in 2009. he worked for CNN and served as the commentator for Atlanta United home games on Apple TV+. Then he got his break in WWE in 2021.
What’s Next
Although Kevin Patrick is no longer with the SmackDown brand, I have not been able to confirm whether he is still with WWE. I was additionally told, “Nothing is 100 percent. People get fired and hired back the next day.”
We will have to see what is next for Kevin Patrick in WWE, but he is not a voice on SmackDown anymore. Corey Graves is still on the show as color commentator, but they will need a new play-by-play voice.
“I was told that one of the things with Kenny’s deal was that they had to pump him full of antibiotics. Apparently, the antibiotics are working. So he may still need surgery but the last report that I got, which was 20 minutes ago, was that things were looking up and that he was doing a lot better and hopefully going to make a full recovery.”
Diverticulitis: The Facts
Diverticulitis affects the large intestine and causes abdominal pain, which is why Omega mistook his situation for a hernia at first. It can be caused by diverticula, which are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system.
Brock Lesnar and Shane McMahon have both suffered from diverticulitis in the past. Lesnar’s situation would result in surgery and UFC fights being postponed. He would go under the knife in November 2009 and would return to action in July 2010.
We here at SE Scoops are continuing to wish Omega a full and speedy recovery.
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes didn’t disappoint with their war of words during the January 22, 2023, edition of Monday Night Raw.
On this week’s Raw, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes came face-to-face in a meeting of WWE’s two most-popular Superstars. Punk kicked things off by bringing up Dusty Rhodes and recalled the late Hall of Famer asking Punk to watch over a young Cody in OVW in 2007. Punk added he was proud of Rhodes for becoming a big superstar in recent years.
Punk then spoke of this weekend’s Men’s Royal Rumble match, and said he plans on breaking his promise to Dusty (by not watching over Cody and winning the match.) Punk even claimed he’d single out Cody in the match. Punk went even further when he said that his dad was an electrician, before saying that he is more of the American Dream than Cody is.
Rhodes Retorts
Not to be outdone, Cody fired right back at the Best in the World and brought up Punk’s infamous 2011 pipebomb. Rhodes gave Punk props, saying his words inspired countless wrestlers competing today, including himself.
Rhodes then brought up Punk’s 2014 walkout and pointed out that for all his claims during the pipebomb, Punk didn’t do any of them. CM Punk teased joining New Japan Pro Wrestling or returning to Ring of Honor during the 2011 Pipebomb, but did neither. Cody also mentioned that he went to the places Punk claimed he’d go.
Wrestlers, fans, and promotions alike have paid tribute to Francisco Ciatso following his sudden passing at the age of 48.
Ciatso was the subject of a 2019 documentary, Journeyman, and his death was shared publicly by Florida promoter Barry Rose via a Facebook post.
“We’d like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Francisco Ciatso, who passed away overnight. Frankie was a part of two CWF Legends Fanfests as he proudly presented the movie based on his life, Journeyman. RIP, champ.”
Tributes to Francisco Ciatso
As a competitor in multiple promotions, Ciatso created several friendships throughout his career. On Twitter, WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce was at a loss for words.
Godspeed, Frankie Ciatso. You were always good to me. I have no words. Another brother gone. Rest well, hermano. ?
Eric Koenreich recalled working with Fransico during his career. He said that Ciatso was a larger-than-life personality both in and out of the ring.
This is how far back I went with Frankie. I had only taken a handful of bumps when I started to go to IPW shows. One thing I’ll always remember is how much he loved being a worker. Dude was just as big of a personality outside of the ring as he was inside. pic.twitter.com/NZetk4ok2K
TNA Wrestling also shared their condolences to Ciatso’s friends and family. Ciatso appeared for the promotion off and on as Frankie Capone.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Frank Caiazzo, who appeared in TNA as Francisco Ciatso and Frankie Capone. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family. pic.twitter.com/me6jIdEp2J
Byron Saxton said that Ciatso was the definition of passion and fortitude in the wrestling business.
Shocked and saddened to learn of @FranciscoCiatso’s passing. Anyone who has spent time on the Florida independent wrestling scene over the last 25-plus years in all likelihood encountered or knew Francisco. The true definition of passion and fortitude. Rest in Paradise friend. pic.twitter.com/glhaHM4BqS
— Brian Heffron aka The Blue Meanie (@BlueMeanieBWO) January 22, 2024
The NWA’s Jeremiah Plunkett recalled Ciatso helping him through some difficult times in his tribute.
RIP @FranciscoCiatso. From locker room laughs to being total goofs as #TheJourneyman, Frankie was the epitome of a good brother. His smile brightened every locker room. He helped me through tough times & always reminded me to have fun. I appreciate, love, & will miss you, bud. pic.twitter.com/YuxYrO77rm
On this week’s Raw, Hogan looked back on the magic of his first World Championship win, and spoke about the Royal Rumble event that will take place this weekend. Teasing involvement in the match, Hogan said that you never know who may show up, adding “I might have one left in me.”
Hogan is one of three men to have won back-to-back Royal Rumble matches, putting him in an elite class with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. The Hulkster was the first person in history to win multiple Rumble matches, having emerged victorious in 1990 and 1991. Hogan has competed in four Royal Rumble matches in his career. Combined, he has scored 27 eliminations and has lasted a total of 56:49
Royal Rumble 2024
Here is the card for the WWE 2024 Royal Rumble PLE as it currently stands:
Men’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, GUNTHER, Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Kofi Kingston, Damian Priest)
Women’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Bayley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile)
Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)
Who should fans expect to see return at the Royal Rumble…
Aside from his friend turned enemy in Christian Cage, Adam Copeland has his toughest competition forthcoming this week on AEW Dynamite in Minoru Suzuki.
In light of the first-ever battle between two long-established veterans, Copeland took a moment to comment on the fight. AEW shared a clip of the former TNT Champion lamenting for his eagerness to step into the ring with a legend of NJPW.
“Minoru Suzuki vs. ‘The Rated R Superstar.’ Man, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. We are gonna beat the hell out of each other – two grizzly gnarled evil bastards beating eachother up and I can’t wait.
“Suzuki I know what you’re going to bring, I hope you know what I’m going to bring. I’m gonna sum this match up in three words for all of you. Grit your teeth.”
Minoru Suzuki has squared up against several top stars in AEW including Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston and current AEW World Champion Samoa Joe. Back at Forbidden Door, Suzuki also stood across the ring from a different WWE Hall of Famer in Sting as he teamed up with Jericho and Sammy Guevara to battle The Icon, Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito in trios action.
AEW Dynamite this week sure has a stacked card on Wednesday. Not only do fans get Copeland vs. Suzuki, but will get to see Swerve Strickland vs. Jeff Hardy and Hangman Page take on Penta El Zero Miedo in singles action. Additionally, the aforementioned Sting and Darby Allin will be in attendance
Seth Rollins suffered a partially MCL tear and a meniscus tear during the January 15th episode of WWE RAW. That World Heavyweight Championship defense against Jinder Mahal was a success, but now the Visionary needed to address his future.
Rollins’ Big Announcement
The January 22nd episode of WWE RAW promised to open with Seth Rollins, as he addressed the WWE Universe. The subject of his promo was set to be his future as World Heavyweight Champion.
Rollins made his way to the ring with a brace on his left knee. Then he got in the squared circle as “Thank you, Seth” chants rang out.
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion addressed the New Orleans fans by welcoming them to Monday Night Rollins, before thanking them for their amazing reception to his entrance.
Rollins said he felt something give in with his knee after doing a moonsault during his match against Jinder Mahal. It wasn’t until he got backstage on January 15th, after that title match, when he first started to think that a lengthy hiatus is possible.
Then, Rollins said that he thought there was a real possibility that he may miss WrestleMania. Then he had his MRI done, and the new wasn’t great, but it could be much worse. His MCL tear is only a grade-two tear, and with surgery, he may be out of action three to four months.
As Seth said he is taking things day-by-day, GUNTHER and Imperium entered to stop him mid-sentence.
GUNTHER said that Rollins been a champion that everyone can be proud of, just like him. He said it pulls on his heartstrings to see Seth suffer a knee injury, and it makes him “honestly sad” that he may miss WrestleMania.
That is when Rollins said that GUNTHER should have let him finish. He said he doesn’t give a damn how hard he has to rehab and push his knee, because he will walk into WrestleMania 40 as WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
WWE is planning a WrestleMania 40 match between CM Punk and Seth Rollins. This has been the plan since Punk’s reintroduction to the WWE landscape.
I previously reported on Rollins’ status and the possibility of alternate matches for CM Punk at WrestleMania, I asked a tenured member of the WWE creative team, who stated as of Friday evening, “Rollins is still on for Mania at this moment.”
Randy Orton was advertised to step in for Seth Rollins at this weekend’s WWE live events. Interestingly enough, The Viper did not make that appearance, either. WWE’s Royal Rumble event is going down on January 27th, where Seth Rollins is not scheduled to compete, but Orton is in a fatal four-way for the Undisputed Universal Title against LA Knight, AJ Styles, and Roman Reigns.
AEW is bringing back their weekly ranking system, something that some fans really missed. Now, fans who love stats will have something else to comb through every week. It seems that the disappearance of that ranking system was to blame on CM Punk.
Why AEW Nixed Their Ranking System The First Time
In the early years of AEW, a ranking system was employed to determine upcoming championship matches in each division. However, it disappeared in the final months of 2022.
CM Punk had significant backstage influence over certain aspects of AEW while he was with the company. This included things going away, and one of those things was the AEW rankings, which vanished during his tenure with the company.
During the Bryan & Vinny Show, Bryan Alvarez reported that he was told it was Punk’s idea was to eliminate the rankings. He apparently had a discussion with Tony Khan about them, and then they were gone
“These f*cking rankings. Do you know whose idea it was to get rid of the rankings? I was told it was CM Punk. He talked Tony into getting rid of the rankings.”
CM Punk also got to pick his roster for AEW Collision. He had say-so in which talent AEW brought in for the show as well, and he could ban talent from the company’s Saturday night show as well. This is why the Collision roster was loaded with his friends, a practice that remained until his AEW release.
After CM Punk’s AEW Release
Following a discipline committee, consisting of Bryan Danielson and two attorneys, AEW terminated Punk due to a backstage altercation with Jack Perry at All In 2023. This decision came after Punk’s All Out brawl with The Elite the previous year and various backstage issues. It did not take Punk long until he returned to WWE after his AEW release.
WWE Games revealed the cover Superstars for the upcoming WWE 2K24 game. Cody Rhodes will appear on the regular version’s cover, while Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley will share the deluxe edition cover. They are also releasing a Forty Years of WrestleMania edition, and that cover brought some controversy.
WWE 2K Artist Speaks Out Against AI Rumor
On Monday, January 22, 2K disclosed new details about the latest addition to their WWE game series, WWE 2K24. The game will offer three editions: the Standard Edition, the Deluxe Edition, and the 40 Years Of WrestleMania Edition.
The cover for the 40 Years Of WrestleMania Edition showcases iconic WWE figures from the past and present, including The Rock, The Undertaker, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and John Cena. The artwork is pretty incredible, but in today’s world, so many believe that AI has a hand in everything.
WWE 2K24 Covers: 3 Editions
A group of online fans criticized this cover, accusing 2K of using artificial intelligence to generate it. Jonathan Bartlett swiftly refuted these claims, asserting that he personally illustrated the cover as he replied to a now-deleted post.
ummmmmm HI. this is 100000000% human made, by me.
but honestly, im gonna triple down on my FUCK A.I, because this is what we deal with now. Skepticism from others that will be quick to jump to a conclusion with out giving it thought. And now here I am defending my hard earned AND learned craft of picture making.
One fan told Jonathan that this was just a joke, one he must have missed. To that, the artist replied to say, “I… did? I get the Hogan joke. AI accusations are hella sensitive and if I missed the sarcasm in his personality, thats on me.”
but honestly, im gonna triple down on my FUCK A.I, because this is what we deal with now. Skepticism from others that will be quick to jump to a conclusion with out giving it thought. And now here I am defending my hard earned AND learned craft of picture making. https://t.co/oEV7Fqnsec
WWE 2K24 is scheduled for release on all current generation consoles. A complete roster reveal is still pending at the time of writing.
The game will be launched in two waves for different editions. On March 5th, the WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania editions will be released.
The standard and cross-gen digital editions of the game are set to be available on March 8th. Pre-orders are currently open.
The road to WrestleMania will soon begin charting its course. Before we can reach the final destination at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia though, we must first head to the starting point in St. Petersburg, Florida — the site of the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble.
This weekend, 30 men and 30 women will compete in their respective Royal Rumble matches, with the winner of each guaranteeing themselves a title shot of their choosing at WrestleMania 40. SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay spoke with WWE Raw star Ivy Nile ahead of this premium live event, where Nile shared her excitement about the possibility of competing in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
“Isn’t that crazy that I was an alternate last year? That’s crazy,” Nile said. “I really believe in visioning yourself. Like last year, I envisioned just making that run down the way, and just envisioning myself in it. I definitely am doing the same thing this year and gosh, I’m just getting goosebumps thinking about it. To say you were in a WWE Royal Rumble, that’s insane to me. I’m very hopeful that I’ll be in it, but you never know. If Nia Jax is in it, we will see, I’m coming after her first. We’ll see. It’s definitely an exciting time backstage, and just hoping and waiting.”
Potential Surprise Entrants
As of this writing, only a handful of competitors have been confirmed for the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, leaving the field wide open for surprise entrants to appear. When asked about who she’d like to see emerge as a surprise in the match, Nile pointed toward another powerhouse — WWE NXT star Lash Legend.
“I gotta say, I hope my girl Last Legend comes up from NXT. Like I said, we’ve had some of the best fights, but that’s also my girl. Gosh, I honestly love the element of surprise. I think that’s why everyone watches the Rumble, because you just never know who’s gonna show up, and I think that’s so exciting. I mean, you kind of wish for some things, and then if someone is there and you’re starstruck, you’re just standing there like ‘What?’ So gosh,I really love the element of surprise.”
On the topic of surprises, Nile tells SEScoops that there are specific two names that would cause her to feel starstruck if they were to compete in the Royal Rumble this year.
“I think AJ [Lee] would be amazing. Gosh, like star-struck by, I’m a huge Ronda Rousey fan. Of course, I just think she’s amazing. I would definitely — I don’t know what I would do. I would start running down, or if I’m running to them in that case, I don’t know, it would be crazy.”
WWE Royal Rumble takes place Saturday, January 27 from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The 2024 edition of WWE’s Royal Rumble is right around the corner. One of the reasons fans look forward to this show each year is propensity for it to feature not only major surprises across the field of 60 Rumble participants between the men’s and women’s versions of the matches, but also surprises of consequence given this PPV also kicks off the Road to WrestleMania.
There is an especially high volume of speculation this year. There’s the possibility of noteworthy clashes within each Rumble match, as well as a number of talents poised to return from injury or other absences from WWE. Moreover, there are NXT talents who could be very interesting to add to the main roster mix right about now.
A Cody Rhodes Vs. CM Punk Encounter
One of the bigger dream matches WWE currently has its disposal is Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk. The only encounters between the two have come in tag team situations and battle royals, besides a couple of forgettable singles bouts on Raw before either man had attained main event status in WWE.
A proper feud between Rhodes and Punk doesn’t necessarily make much sense for the next few months. Assuming they both stay healthy, Punk appears to be on a collision course with Seth Rollins for WrestleMania, besides teasing a feud with Drew McIntyre. Meanwhile, The American Nightmare has unfinished business with Roman Reigns.
The Royal Rumble affords a natural spot for these two to face off though, perhaps working together or, all the more appealing, trading some moves to hint at an eventual destiny with one another going one-on-one on a big stage. The pairing is all the more intriguing because these two are on the short list of legit contenders to win this year’s men’s Royal Rumble, and given how Punk called out Rhodes recently on Raw.
Ava Raine Gets Established On The Main Roster
Despite her inexperience and not having the most prominent placement in NXT, The Rock’s daughter, Ava Raine, has had a great deal of intrigue around her since she signed with WWE. The 2024 Royal Rumble would provide an interesting platform to more formally introduce her to the main roster audience.
On one hand, there’s a low stakes opportunity for Raine to participate in the women’s Royal Rumble. WWE has, on quite a few occasions, had developmental prospects make one-off main roster appearances to work in this spot. This role both makes fans aware of an up-and-comer and gives them a proving ground working in front of a larger audience than usual.
On the other hand, The Rock’s recent appearance on WWE Raw brought up its share of speculation about his involvement moving forward with WWE, up to and including main eventing WrestleMania opposite Roman Reigns. With Rock’s own daughter in the company and one of the few people tied to the Anoa’I family who is not already in the Bloodline story, it could be pretty fascinating to introduce her as a point of intrigue, perhaps with Rock and Reigns dueling for her loyalties.
A Protected Appearance From Gable Steveson
Gable Steveson was a white-hot prospect when WWE signed him fresh off winning a gold medal in wrestling in the Olympics. Unfortunately, both from what fans have been able to observe from his on-screen appearances to date and from the rumor mill coming out of the Performance Center, it seems he hasn’t picked up pro wrestling as quickly as one would hope.
Still, he has worked house show matches in NXT, and more recently dark matches before SmackDown tapings, all of which suggests WWE hasn’t given up on him and may even be looking at introducing him on the blue brand in the near future. The Royal Rumble would be a natural spot to have him show up, hit a few belly-to-belly suplexes, and remind fans he’s around before someone sneaks in an elimination or the numbers game catches up to him.
The Return Of Andrade
Andrade
Andrade’s AEW contract ran out at the end of 2023, as confirmed by Tony Khan in the media scrum after the Worlds End PPV, making him an intriguing free agent. His previous WWE run ended in frustration when he didn’t get much of a push on the main roster.
With Triple H now in charge of WWE creative though, and the history of Helmsley pushing Andrade in NXT, there might be a friendlier landscape for the luchador to return to the company now. That’s in addition to him having married WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair last year.
Rey Mysterio Tends To Unfinished Business
Rey Mysterio has been out of action due to a knee injury. While there’s no definitive word on when he’ll be ready to get back in the ring, most of the early forecasts suggested he should be healed up by mid-January.
Mysterio is a fan favorite, sure to get a good pop for a surprise return in the Royal Rumble. Moreover, there are multiple roles he could naturally play upon coming back. The most obvious route would be for him to seek revenge on Santos Escobar and company who, in kayfabe, were responsible for his absence.
Mysterio has also commented on wanting to work an eventual hair vs. hair match with his son Dominik. The father returning to spoil the son’s Rumble could set the wheels in motion for that big-time gimmick match at WrestleMania this year.
There are plenty of possibilities for how this year’s Royal Rumble PPV could play out. That includes other rumors around prospective returns for Naomi or Liv Morgan, and speculation about whether some of Sean Waltman’s social media posts may be hinting at an appearance. Regardless, it seems fans can be certain there’s an entertaining show in store, and that it will have at least few twists and turns.
WWE Superstars Bianca Belair and Montez Ford are ready to show fans behind the scenes of their married life. The couple’s Hulu Original reality TV show titled “Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez is set to premiere on February 2. While the fans have to wait another week, Hulu released a trailer for the upcoming show.
The trailer showed fans what to expect from the show, including the couple managing their personal life and being WWE superstars. One of the interesting moments of the trailer was Ford admitting to having difficulty figuring out his place in the company in his third year on the main roster and wanting to prove that he is more than “Bianca Belair’s husband.”
The show will have a total of seven episodes, which surprisingly will all be released on Hulu on February 2. The popular subscription service usually features episodes of an original series weekly until the finale. It’s unclear why the decision was made to release all seven episodes simultaneously.
Regardless, “Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez” should give fans more insight into Belair and Montez’s relationship, just in time before Valentine’s Day. However, it seems we will also get appearances from other WWE superstars, such as Omos and Angelo Dawkins, who appeared in the trailer.
The timing of the new reality TV show is also interesting as the power couple tries to find their spot at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April.
Bianca Belair & Montez Ford Current Storylines Heading Towards WrestleMania 40
WWE is currently on the “Road to WrestleMania,” the company is slowly putting the pieces together for what WWE WrestleMania matches could look like in April. A few superstars, including Ford, are starting to be involved in interesting storylines.
Ford is involved in a faction with Dawkins and Bobby Lashley. The group is currently in a feud with The Final Testament(Karrion Kross, Akam, Rezar, Scarlett & Paul Ellering), which started after the “heel” faction attacked Ford, Dawkins, and Lashley on the January 5 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. The two groups are set for a confrontation on the January 26 episode and could seemingly continue the feud heading into WWE WrestleMania 40.
Belair is in an interesting position as she looks to win the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Match on January 27. She hopes to challenge WWE Women’s Champion Iyo Sky for the title at WWE Wrestlemania 40. However, she has the tough task of defeating 29 other superstars to earn her opportunity. If she is unsuccessful, what WWE will have planned for her at this year’s event is unclear.
The couple is excited about their upcoming show and hopes to have a match on the “Grandest Stage Of Them All.”
Tony Khan may think some wrestling legends are rooting against him and AEW, but that’s extremely far from the case. All of his critics with any sort of credibility have benefited from competition and know that AEW being a success is only better for pro wrestling, including WWE.
Randy Savage notoriously said, “the cream always rises,” and the cream was rising for AEW for the first couple of years, but many factors have put a lid on that cream. Now it’s sitting in the fridge behind a carton of week-expired egg whites.
The AEW President needs to take any assumed vitriol out of his head and take heed of what the veterans are saying, especially if he wants AEW to catch that momentum it once had.
Khan and former WCW President Eric Bischoff have gone back and forth on X which is nearly as entertaining as the Monday Night Wars (and unfortunately, more engaging than the current AEW product), but a narrative is getting spun that is pretty inaccurate.
In a recent interview, FTR claimed that Bischoff has been critical of AEW because Khan didn’t give Bischoff a job with the company. On his podcast, Eric has stated several times he never wanted to work for AEW and that his original bone of contention with Khan began back when Tony took shots at Ted Turner. On top of that, Bischoff has made clear he wants AEW to succeed. Bischoff is blunt and abrasive in his criticisms at times, but his insight is always constructive. FTR and Khan just aren’t getting a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.
Another name to get arrows slung his way is Bully Ray. On Busted Open Radio, the Dudley Boy has implored Khan to put his phone down and step away from social media. Additionally, he’s been very open about his criticisms of officiating and admits that he has to look at AEW with a different set of eyes than he does with WWE because AEW offers an alternative in wrestling. He noted that Khan didn’t grow up underneath the learning tree of a wrestling promoter, therefore he’s not technically a booker, but a matchmaker.
A third legend to give some sound advice has been Konnan. Much like he does with Bischoff, Khan has a contentious social media relationship with Konnan’s K100 co-host, Disco Inferno. After Khan posted some harsh words towards the former WCW star after Disco said the company needed a “reset” the two friends discussed it on their podcast with Konnan stating that Khan needs to listen to the constructive criticism thrown his way, filtering all the helpful feedback from the negative.
One name who is genius, but one can completely understand Khan steering clear from is Jim Cornette. Cornette is perhaps the most polarizing name out of all legends critical of AEW and does so with his signature venomous vernacular. Many fans simply tune in to hear Cornette crack back at AEW, but Khan would really have to void himself of all emotion to accept what Cornette has to say. Cearly one could get something beneficial from his input, but while Bischoff offers no sugar, Corny offers a spoonful of salt (to the wound). That being said, if Khan appointed someone to listen to the show, the AEW President would have plenty to garner and harvest.
Nuance and context have never coincided with the cesspool that can be social media. Just like it’s important to anyone dabbling in the dark arts, if the very busy Khan had the time to do further dive into what gets said about him and his company, he’d learn a lot about himself and the legends who only want what’s best for business.
