More details regarding the contract negotiation process of WWE deals have come out as part of the overall changes that have happened in WWE following the resignation of Vince McMahon and the influx of new management.
It was reported last year that no-cut clauses had not been a part of any of the negotiations. In an update, Fightful Select reports Vince “specifically was not in favor of adding a no cut-clause, but that others in the front office were.”
Against The Idea
Many in the front office of WWE have heard that WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan had sounded open to the idea, but Vince had the final say and was “vehemently against the idea of a no-cut clause.”
The edict didn’t prevent top free agents from signing with the company, but some people had inquired about it. One person thought it was Vince McMahon being stuck in his ways. This person added that it put in perspective how much talent had been released said “Vince McMahon liked me but…” when he ultimately had the say-so over who was cut.
Most of the talent that spoke with the media outlet had positive things to say about Khan and his method of management, “specifically thinking outside of the box as compared to WWE traditions.”
WWE star Charlotte Flair has responded to AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill showing respect to her on Twitter.
Cargill and Flair are two of the most dominant female wrestlers in their respective companies and in the entire wrestling business. Flair has been pushed as a top star in the sports entertainment company for years, while Jade has stayed undefeated in the rival wrestling promotion.
The Exchange
The AEW star recently noted on Twitter that she’d love the opportunity to face off against The Queen. This was after she was asked by a fan about which non-AEW wrestler she’d choose to defend her TBS Championship against.
Cargill tweeted: “@MsCharlotteWWE – because she can GO.”
Flair replied with her own praise, tweeting: “Keep killing it, queen. #undefeated.”
Flair hasn’t wrestled since WrestleMania Backlash in May, when she lost her SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey. She recently teased her return on social media by revealing that she has been training for her eventual comeback.
Her husband and AEW star Andrade El Idolo previously revealed that she has been out of action due to ‘personal reasons‘ that she will one day discuss herself. WWE has reportedly been working on plans for her return.
WWE has filed for several trademarks centered around slogans as the filing was made on Friday, December 23, 2022
WWE applied to trademark the terms “All Heart All In,” “Inspire The Impossible,” From Dreams To Destiny,” “Desire. Determination. Destiny.” and “Where The Stars Align” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Purpose
The trademarks all list the same Goods and Services usage descriptions, which are for general pro wrestling and sports entertainment use, as well as merchandise and other common uses.
Earlier in the month of December, WWE filed trademarks on its logo for metaverse-related purposes earlier this month. WWE has spoken in the past about its interest in breaking into the metaverse, which is why it opened an NFT shop, WWE Moonsault. There are occasional NFT drops to go along with holidays or premium live events.
Regarding e-sports, a field largely untapped by WWE for now, Stephanie McMahon is on the Board of Directors for FaZe Clan, a popular e-sports franchise.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on what the new trademarks are for. Most recently, WWE filed to trademark its logo for various categories.
Dave Bautista (Batista) has come a long way in life as he found a ton of success in the world of pro wrestling in WWE and now in Hollywood as an actor. Many wrestlers have tried acting like Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and plenty more in featured films over the years.
Bautista, The Rock, and John Cena have found the most success out of those who attempted it. Bautista has often spoken about wanting to carve a different path for himself by taking various roles to show his range.
While speaking to The Atlantic, filmmaker Rian Johnson discussed Bautista’s acting chop after working with him on “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” when asked who has surprised him the most.
High Praise
“Dave Bautista. When I was writing [his character, a men’s-rights streamer named Duke Cody], I was picturing a scrawny dude who’s trying to overcompensate. When Bautista was brought up, I was instantly so smitten by the idea. I’ve been a very big fan of his dramatic chops as an actor.”
It was noted that Batista is “Low-key the greatest wrestler-to-actor ever,” Johnson replied, “I absolutely 100 percent agree. And I think somebody like [Paul Thomas Anderson] is going to give him a real part and is gonna look like a genius. As a person, Bautista is genuinely, immediately vulnerable when you meet him, and that’s what I was excited about. This is someone who has the physical trappings of someone who would play it big, but he actually brings sensitivity to the role.”
Batista gifted Johnson with a WWE Championship after filming the movie that is currently on Netflix.
Don’t expect to see Shawn Spears back in All Elite Wrestling any time soon.
The former Pinnacle member has only competed for AEW eight times this year. His record stands at 5-3. Spears made a surprise return back in October, when Dynamite and Rampage took place from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He and FTR picked up a victory in a six-man tag match against The Embassy’s Bishop Kaun, Brian Cage & Toa Liona.
A fan on Twitter asked Spears when he’ll be returning to AEW television. He replied:
“Don’t hold your breath… Not going there anytime soon.”
– Shawn Spears
Spears is married to former WWE Superstar Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce). The couple are expecting their first child together.
Dax Harwood of FTR is starting a new podcast with co-host Matt Koon for Ad-Free Shows. And while many in AEW remain tight-lipped about the ‘CM Punk Situation’ in AEW, Harwood is dedicating an entire podcast episode to it!
For those unaware, CM Punk has been MIA since his world title win against Jon Moxley at AEW All Out, in September of 2022. This is due to comments he made at the post-show media scrum, in which he called members of The Elite ‘Children’ who ‘couldn’t manage a Target.’ Punk also called ‘Hangman’ Adam Page ‘an empty-headed f*cking dumb f*ck.’
Punk also had words for Colt Cabana and others. The situation was a bleak one, made even worse by an alleged ‘backstage melee’ that occurred between Punk, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Ace Steele, Ace Steele’s wife, and Larry the Dog. It’s alleged that punches were thrown, chairs were also, um, thrown, and arms were bitten. It was a very volatile situation that resulted in the suspension of The Elite and the banishing of Punk.
There are still so many questions that have yet to be answered regarding that night in Chicago. It looks like it may still be sometime before fans get answers, but Harwood is certainly open to giving his own opinion about the situation.
Punk’s Love for AEW
Harwood spoke in-depth about how much Punk loved being in AEW.
“Punk was still so joyous and happy to be in the wrestling business,” Harwood stated. “To be honest, he told me, when they were going to put the belt on him, that he didn’t want the belt. He said, ‘I just want to have fun,’ but he understood that Tony putting the belt on him would put AEW in a better light. He took it, begrudgingly a little bit, but he took the belt.
At the time, he was taking me, Cash, Max [MJF], Wardlow, Hobbs, I’m missing so many guys, he was taking us out to eat, always paying for it. He bought all the girls in the locker room Starbucks gift cards and had one of the girls hand them out, anonymously, and didn’t say who they were from, but it was from him, just because he loved the atmosphere and loved being there. He also loved the work the girls were putting in. He thought they were busting their ass to try and get the attention that WWE’s women’s division was getting.”
CM Punk vs ‘Hangman’ Adam Page
(via AEW)
That love for wrestling was obvious in many of the interviews and promo segments that Punk offered, but it seemed as though things took a turn during Punk’s program with Hangman Adam Page. Punk alleges that Hangman went “off script” during a promo segment between the two, and that’s when things began going downhill.
“After the promo segment, I went to Punk and I said, ‘that was really good, that was a great segment,” Harwood shared. “They got the fans to react. It’s hard sometimes to get the fans to react to a babyface-babyface match. I thought it was a great segment. He was like, ‘Ahhh, I’m kind of feeling a certain way about it.’ I had no inkling that anything went wrong or went sideways or anything like that.”
But sideways it did go; the result of which being Punk no longer in AEW for the time being. Harwood said that he had no idea about the fight that happened backstage until Punk actually called him to explain the situation.
“All the boys in the locker room were drinking and having a good time, and we were hugging, I have picture of me and Jay Lethal on the ground together just laughing our ass off,” Harwood remembered. “I had my wife and daughter there, Cash had his girlfriend. It was such a great time. After our match was over, I shower up, we had a couple of drinks with the guys real quick, grab my girls, and head back to the hotel. I was laying in bed and I got a text from one of the wrestlers that said, ‘is this shit true?’ I had no idea what he was talking about.
Right after that, I got a call from my buddy CM Punk and he told me what happened. I said, ‘You’re lying to me dude. There is no way that happened.’ He was covered in blood from the match. He Face-Timed me, it was that night. He said, ‘I want to let you know, you’re going to hear some things. I want you to hear it from me. This is what happened.’ I said, ‘Dude, are you okay? Do you need anything? I’ll come right now to help you out, get you cleaned.’ ‘No, no, everything is fine, it’s died down, we’re good.’ That’s when I first heard about it.”
“Nobody Knows the Full Story”
Harwood referenced the fact that all sorts of wrestling news sites picked up the story; it was one of the biggest from 2022. But, he said, nobody has the full story. Nobody even knows the full story.
“Obviously, I wasn’t there,” he admitted. “Who I perceive to be God is the only person who really knows the truth. Everyone is going to have their own version in their head. We’ve all done it before, we’ve made what we perceive to be the truth. What I’ve heard that is reported, there are elements of truth in it, but then there are also some things that raise a red flag to me. It seems like we’re only getting a portion of the story or what this journalist wants to put out, whether he has a bias or grudge against one of the parties, that’s just how I felt. I also knew that I didn’t know the whole story.
I also felt that the stories that I heard from a few people, I don’t feel like they would blatantly lie to me. I do think there are bits of truth, but I also believe that some fans have read too much into it and I think they should let what happened, happen, and it die down. When it’s all said and done, I can’t tell you that I know 100% of the truth and I can’t tell you that the journalist reporting is 100% of the truth. I know what I perceive to be the truth and from the things I’ve read and heard, there is partial truth and partial things that are a bit exaggerated.”
Dax Wants Punk Back in AEW
People may never know the full story of what happened that night in Chicago. But, Harwood is of the belief that there are still bridges to be mended, and money to be made. He wants to see CM Punk back in AEW.
“I can tell you what I hope, because I don’t know,” he said. “Everyone knows about the legalities of the situation and no one is really expressing what is going to happen, what has happened, and what won’t happen. I can tell you, all I can be truthful about, I can only tell you what I know and what I perceive to know, I hope that he comes back. I feel that AEW should have the Young Bucks in their locker room. AEW should have Kenny Omega in the locker room. I know that I feel AEW should have CM Punk in the locker room. With those four entities, it makes our talent roster so much deeper and better. It’s four guys who want to be the best. Regardless of what any of us think personally, I know that we all want to be the best and I know we all want the best for professional wrestling. It’s given us a life that we could never have otherwise.”
The stories that could be told if Punk were to return to AEW could light the business on fire, once again. They could blur the lines between reality and fiction. They could fill those elements of AEW that some people feel the company is missing. It would be a story worth telling. It would be the biggest story of 2023 (probably). It would be a happy ending to this otherwise sad, weird story. That’s what Harwood wants. And it’s what many AEW fans want as well.
This is my plea to all four guys. Please find a way to make it work. If we can make it work, we can set up the future of professional wrestling for a long time and we can change the course of professional wrestling for a very long time. When you think about it, unselfishly, we’re doing this for 20-30 years down the road so guys and girls can make a living.
– Dax Harwood
You can check out Harwood’s new podcast, ‘FTR with Dax‘ when it premieres on Thursday, December 29.
Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier have been friends and training partners for years. They also have a love for pro wrestling as they have both attended and even participated in WWE events in the past.
Velasquez had an opportunity to become WWE Champion against Brock Lesnar in 2019 for an event in Saudi Arabia, but came up short. Velasquez has also wrestled for AAA Lucha Libre in Mexico, while Cormier hasn’t wrestled a match yet, but has entertained the idea.
During a recent appearance on Konnan’s K100 podcast, Velasquez revealed that he and Cormier have discussed doing a match together for AAA. Velazquez did not specify whether it was about competing in a one-on-one match or a tag-team scenario.
The Moment
“Daniel Cormier was actually at my house yesterday, him and Luke Rockhold came over. DC, we talked about doing a match as well — like doing something with me, him, AAA,” said Velasquez. “For me, man, it’s just good that I get to have like my family involved in it. You know, my kids get to watch it and they love it. They’re big fans of AAA and WWE. I’m just glad I get to bring my family into the sport that I’m doing now. With fighting, it wasn’t like that. I had to like kind of shelter them throughout that whole thing.”
Cormier, a former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, was recently the referee during the Fight Pit Match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules. Konnan, the head of talent relations for AAA, said he would be excited to work with Cormier and Velasquez in AAA.
Shinsuke Nakamura made a name for himself in NJPW and was nicknamed the King Of Strong Style, but decided to make the jump to WWE several years ago, where he found a spot on the main roster.
This Sunday, a rare situation is happening when WWE allows Nakamura to wrestle The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) at the NOAH The New Year show on January 1st, 2023. The match was first announced in October.
While speaking to Yahoo Sports, Nakamura discussed the upcoming match, and during it, Nakamura revealed that Vince McMahon initially declined his request to face Muta. However, when McMahon resigned due to the hush money scandal, Triple H took over and approved the match.
Initial Reaction
“I was like, “No way. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think it would happen. It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE. Noah came to me with the idea, and we discussed it, but my answer was no. Vince (McMahon, Chairman and CEO of WWE) stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. I still thought it would be difficult, but I even talked directly to Triple H (WWE’s vice president). When the decision was actually made, I was shaken.”
Nakamura noted that a big change happened between when Mutoh announced his retirement and when the match was decided, as a lot of changes happened when McMahon walked away. Nakamura admitted there was a feeling that many things would change in the future.
“They had me in protective custody. It was very low-key. Only a few people that I was able to kind of hang out with and I guess the good thing about it is you got a lot of alone time with yourself and the bad thing about it was you got a lot of alone time with yourself.”
Cain Velasquez
Speaking about his release, Velasquez said he was pleased but also found it daunting to be a free man again.
“My mind ran like both sides of it [being positive about getting out versus thinking he’d be serving time straight through]. The bad side and the good side. It’s a thing, we always have to have faith, you know? It doesn’t matter what position we’re in, where we’re at. We always gotta look for the best-case scenario.”
Working for AAA
Velasquez was given a hero’s response when he competed at the AAA event by an audience seemingly sympathetic to his case.
Speaking about the show, Cain addressed the pressure he placed himself in ahead of the event.
“I felt like I was probably in the worst-case scenario for myself that I’ve ever been in and I feel like I always do this, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I just wanna be ready when I go out there and you know, compete and when I did, went out there and did it dude, it was [incredible.]”
Cain Velasquez.
Velasquez teamed with Blue Demon. Jr and Pagano to defeat Gringo Loco, Sam Adonis, and Taurus at the AAA Tempe show on December 3.
WWE’s recent live event from Columbus, Ohio is being considered a logistical mess by those within the company.
Yesterday, WWE hosted an event from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, which was headlined by U.S. Champion Austin Theory retaining against Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match.
In addition to the Columbus event, the promotion returned to the World’s Most Famous Arena, as it had every December 26, for the past few years.
Logistical Mess
The crowd in Columbus got to see a stacked show, but what fans saw was far from what was originally planned.
Several WWE Superstars were forced to miss the show, which was a logistical mess, according to Fightful Select.
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins both missed the event, with Rollins apologizing for his absence in a tweet.
It has been reported that loud “we want Rollins” chants were heard all night.
Bobby Lashley and Columbus’ own Alexa Bliss also missed the event, and it’s noted that “several more had to rush to even make it to the show.”
Due to the absences, Johnny Gargano competed twice on the show, defeating Baron Corbin in the third match of the night before later headlining the show.
Madison Square Garden
WWE’s event in Columbus, Ohio didn’t go as planned, but the show inside MSG had its own problems.
The New York City event was also plagued with travel issues, with PW Insider reporting that flight issues led to “travel headaches” and several Superstars being delayed.
That event also saw Ricochet be pulled from an Intercontinental title ladder match due to the injury during the latest SmackDown which required stitches.
Drew McIntyre had been promoted for the main event but was pulled as he is “medically disqualified.”
2022 has been a wild year in wrestling, not just because staples of the industry like Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis have become a thing of the past.
This year has also seen an influx of young talent reach the forefront of wrestling and poise themselves as the top names of the future.
While some of these stars were wrestling before this year, 2022 has been a pivotal year for everyone involved, and here are our top five breakout wrestlers of this year.
5: Wheeler Yuta
Wheeler Yuta is in his record-breaking second reign as ROH Pure Champion. (via AEW)
The induction of Wheeler Yuta into the Blackpool Combat Club was a fantastic creative decision earlier this year, and a lesson on how to make a new name with established stars.
This time last year, sure, some wrestling fans would be aware of Yuta, but it his inclusion with the BCC that has turned him into one of the most exciting prospects in all of wrestling.
Now in his second reign as Ring of Honor Pure Champion, Yuta has also represented AEW in NJPW’s 29th Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and the future looks extremely bright for the young star.
4: Bron Breakker
Reports of WWE wanting to fast-track Breakker to the main roster come as no surprise.
Our reigning NXT Champion, it’s incredible to think that Bron Breakker has only been with WWE for slightly over a year.
In such a small amount of time, Breakker has become one of the biggest stars the gold brand has ever produced, thanks in part to his family connections as a Steiner.
But Bron isn’t just a tribute act to his father and brother, and has shown endless ability and charisma, so it’s hardly surprising that we see reports of WWE wanting to fast-track him to the main roster.
3: Hook
Originally a meme among wrestling fans, Hook has become one of the most promising future stars in AEW (Scott Lesh Photography)
What started off as a meme among fans, Hook has become one of the most popular names in AEW, all without having to do much.
The 23-year-old FTW Champion, Hook’s presence screams ‘star’ and his ability in the ring (complete with suplexes inspired by his father Taz) have only added to his starpower.
In short, Hook has all the tools to be a top name in wrestling, and when you consider his young age, the second-generation wrestler has oodles of time to make that goal happen.
2: Roxanne Perez
Roxanne Perez started this year as ROH Women’s World Champion and will likely end as WWE NXT Women’s Champion.
Roxanne Perez started this year as the first-ever ROH Women’s World Champion, and short of a monumental upset, will end it as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion.
Throw in a reign as NXT Women’s Tag Champion, Perez is proving herself each week, not just as a star of today, but as a top babyface for years down the line.
The 21-year-old former Rok-C is a babyface that fans naturally want to cheer (something that is a slight rarity in these modern times) and expect many more accolades, titles and moments in her future.
1: Logan Paul
Logan Paul has won over even his harshest of critics with his three WWE matches this year.
Logan Paul was once society’s public enemy number one, but it’s safe to say that he has found something of a home in WWE.
After a mixed response to his WWE debut last year, Paul stepped into the ring as a wrestler for the first time at WrestleMania 38, and exceeded expectations.
Paul’s impressive WrestleMania outing has been followed up with more impressive performances at Summerslam and Crown Jewel, and the Maverick has won over even his harshest of critics.
Rumors of Paul’s imminent return aren’t being met with disgust or outrage, but rather excitement and intrigue, as the YouTuber has proven he belongs in professional wrestling.
AEW’s next Battle of the Belts is reportedly a matter of days away according to a recent TV listing.
As the name suggests, Battle of the Belts sees AEW’s various titles defended, which can include championships from Ring of Honor.
The most recent Battle of the Belts event took place inside Washington D.C.’s Entertainment and Sports Arena in October and featured three title matches (though no titles changed hands.)
Battle of the Belts V
In a recent schedule for TNT programming, it is noted that Battle of the Belts V will air on Friday, January 6, 2023.
The show will air immediately after AEW Rampage, which will be in its regular 10 PM to 11 PM Eastern timeslot, with Battle of the Belts going from 11 PM to midnight.
Both shows are set to air live, though no matches have been confirmed for either event.
This is the same format that was used for Battle of the Belts IV in October.
Battle of the Belts
Battle of the Belts is a quarterly special that made its debut in January of this year, and takes place every January, April, August, and October.
The show may tease title changes, but so far, only Sammy Guevara has walked away from the shows with some new championship gold.
At the first Battle of the Belts in January of this year, Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes to win the Interim AEW TNT Championship, as reigning champ Cody Rhodes was out with Covid-19.
At Battle of the Belts two in April, Guevara once again became TNT Champion, dethroning Scorpio Sky in the show’s opener.
WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has some suggestions for changes the promotion’s new regime could make.
In July, Vince McMahon retired as WWE’s CEO, Chairman, and Head of Creative, due to allegations of misconduct with female employees.
With McMahon gone, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan serve as Co-CEOs, with Stephanie as Chairwoman, while Triple H is Head of Creative.
Changes
Under the new regime, several released Superstars have been brought back including Bray Wyatt, Karrion Kross, and Dakota Kai among others.
During the latest Kliq This, Nash gave his suggestions for improvements WWE can make now with Vince McMahon, not a factor.
“I would have fewer house shows. They’ve already shown for a fact, during COVID that it was more profitable for them not to do live events.”
Kevin Nash.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE went for over a year without Live events due to rules regarding social gatherings.
Production
Fewer WWE Live events isn’t the only suggestion that Nash, a two-time Hall of Famer, has made.
On his show, the former World Champion said that the production quality of WWE’s content could be seriously improved if changes are made.
“Come in on Sunday, and have a call sheet and shoot, you know, have the crew come in Saturday, and get all the locations in the building for all the shots, have a call sheet, come in and shoot two and three camera shots that that production crew could definitely edit and install on Monday. Instead of everything being shot with a single camera and giving it a completely different look. Then, as I’ve always wanted to do, shoot the show like The Larry Sanders Show. When it’s in the ring, it has that hard camera.
“That’s what I would do, then that way they’re the camera doesn’t go back and forth, which tells you it’s a camera. It’s the POV that goes back and forth, and tells you, ‘I’m watching a televised show.’ This is part — It’s the only thing you watch that’s trying to convey any kind of a story that is shot with a single camera.”
Any changes to WWE’s production would have to be approved by Stephanie, Triple H, and Khan before being implemented.
The final WWE Raw of 2022 was dedicated to looking back at some of the show’s biggest happenings over the past 12 months. One of the biggest moments of the year was Cody Rhodes jumping ship from the company he helped create to the company that didn’t see him as a star.
Appearing on RAW in a pre-taped segment, Rhodes said he wants to “pick up right where I left off.”
“I am being incredibly vague here and I get it. Anyone who is a fan of what we do can read between the lines. There is one thing that I came back for specifically. One thing. And again, a torn pec couldn’t stop me. I couldn’t name anything that can stop me. It has to be done. It needs to be done. And I want to get it done.”
Rhodes is of course talking about winning the WWE Championship. When he returned to the company, he made it clear that he wanted to win the championship that his father, Dusty, could never win.
Earlier on Monday, Wrestling News Co. said that the current plan for WrestleMania 39 main event is for Seth Rollins to face either Rhodes or Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. Night Two would be Roman Reigns versus an undetermined opponent for the Universal Championship. If The Rock cannot wrestle at WrestleMania, then Rhodes would face Reigns.
It seems like Rhodes will get a title shot at WrestleMania one way or another. It’s unclear which night and which title. It’s possible that Rhodes will have to wait a while longer to become WWE Champion, but could become the Universal champion in the meantime. Assuming he returns during the Royal Rumble and wins, he can “choose” which title he wants to compete for at “The Show of Shows”.
Bray Wyatt made his triumphant return to WWE at Extreme Rules in October. This followed weeks of teases of the White Rabbit. He has since spent time taunting LA Knight and cutting promos that are more like riddles.
Last week, the crowd and LA Knight got to meet Uncle Howdy. While Wyatt was in the ring, Uncle Howdy stood at the top of the ramp to prove that they are in fact two people and not a figment of Wyatt’s imagination.
Weeks after making his WWE return, Wyatt has had his first match. WWE held a house show at the famed Madison Square Garden tonight.
Bray Wyatt’s First Match Back
Wyatt has not wrestled a match for WWE since The Fiend lost to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37 in April 2021.
Twitter user Taboy225 posted a seven second clip of Wyatt in the ring and captioned it “Bray is having a match!” His opponent was Jinder Mahal.
Apollo Crews has weighed in on William Regal’s return to WWE.
Regal had been WWE’s Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, where he played a big part in helping Triple H build NXT into what it became. However, in late 2021, things changed for Regal as Triple H stepped away due to health issues.
The company made sweeping changes to NXT and WWE released Regal on January 5, 2022. He went on to sign with AEW, where he made his promotional debut at AEW Revolution in March.
Once Triple H was put in charge of main roster creative, it only took a few months before Regal asked for AEW not to renew his contract option so he could return to WWE. It’s been reported that Regal has come to terms with WWE, and he is set to start with the company in the first week of January 2023.
The Influence
While speaking with Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Crews commented on the reports about Regal’s return to WWE.
“I feel like there’s a lot of young kids – not just young kids, but anybody can benefit from somebody with credentials like William Regal. If it’s something that’s happening, it’s gonna be fantastic for a lot of the younger kids, all of us, to get the knowledge and experience of someone who’s so well traveled, so well-versed. He’s been around for as long as I’ve been watching wrestling, really. I’m all for it,” Crews said.
Crews thinks the locker room should make the most of the opportunity to learn from someone like Regal.
Kenny Omega may be one of the most popular ‘gaijin’ wrestlers in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but he wasn’t always proud of his work overseas.
Omega debuted for New Japan in September 2010, losing to Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) and is a former IWGP World Champion.
The 39-year-old wrestler is also a former IWGP Intercontinental, United States, and Junior Heavyweight Champion, and is the only gaijin winner of the G1 Climax.
Ashamed
Omega’s career in New Japan is impressive and well-documented, but he believes the promotion slid after he left for greener pastures. Speaking to NJPW1972, the Cleaner had this to say about New Japan’s ‘decline’ after he left:
“For me, New Japan kinda became that child that I was ashamed of. I didn’t want to talk about New Japan to other people. I wanted to go back to those days where New Japan was in those infantile stages of creeping over to the West. Under my help of course! With me as the captain, it was sure to succeed.”
Kenny Omega.
Omega departed New Japan in January 2019 to be a co-founder of All Elite Wrestling.
Future Plans
Omega was once ashamed of his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but things have clearly changed.
The former AEW World Champion will return to challenge IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion at the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 17 event.
This match will mark Omega’s first match for New Japan since losing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019.
The WWE Universe popped when Cody Rhodes made his grand return to the company at WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth “Freakin” Rollins in the process.
Months before, Rhodes’ contract expired with All Elite Wrestling. He continued to work backstage and on-screen for a period of time afterwards as the two sides tried to negotiate a new deal. In February though, news broke that Rhodes, and his wife Brandi, were officially leaving the company after failing to lock in a new agreement. This move left a major void in AEW, as Rhodes emerged as a prominent figure in the company, both in the ring and behind-the-scenes as an Executive Vice President.
AEW President Tony Khan recently addressed Rhodes’ departure, and the challenge it presented at the time. “Whenever you lose a star the caliber of Cody Rhodes, it’s going to have a major, major impact on your company,” he told Fightful’s Grapsody podcast. “It’s gonna affect a number of different departments and number of different things in terms of the presentation and the backstage. Personally, I really like Cody and I know Cody really well and during his time here, he was so involved in so many different facets of the start of AEW and what we were. When he left, that was a major challenge.”
Putting The Pieces Back Together
(Tony Khan via AEW)
Despite the setback, Tony Khan managed to pull together “so many great stories” ahead of the company’s Revolution pay-per-view in March that “helped keep us strong” and the fans invested in the product. At the same time though, Kenny Omega, another major star, remained absent from programming due to several injuries.
With the absence of two of the company’s biggest stars, Khan noticeably leaned on Jon Moxley as one of the focal points for AEW. Moxley himself went on a hiatus from the company to enter a rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction late last year. The former AEW World Champion later returned in January 2022.
Tony Khan said Moxley’s leave of absence to get help “was the best thing that could have happened to him.” In addition, Khan believes it was a benefit for the company as well. “It was the best thing that could happen to us to have a healthy Jon Moxley there for the entirety of this year, 2022, to keep the company strong.”
WWE is still locking in its long-term plans for the first few months of 2023 and that includes which matches will serve as the main event of both nights of WrestleMania 39 in April.
It’s been noted in various reports that WWE wants to have its WrestleMania plans for top matches locked down by mid-January. That includes commitments from top stars such as John Cena, The Rock, and Steve Austin regarding whether they plan to be part of the year’s biggest event.
Cena is committed and just needs to finalize his schedule, as he will be filming a movie in February and March.
The Big Match
Just over three months out from WWE’s biggest event of the year, the top matches hinge on The Rock’s availability. As of this writing, he’s still not committed.
WWE typically finalizes the WrestleMania main events in mid-January, so this will come down to the wire. According to our friends at WrestlingNews.co, here’s what we’re looking at:
WrestleMania Saturday: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre or Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship.
WrestleMania Sunday: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes or TBD for the Universal Championship
If The Rock does work WrestleMania, it will be Rollins vs. Rhodes headlining Saturday night and Rock vs. Reigns on last Sunday night.
If The Rock does not work WrestleMania, it will be Rollins vs. Rhodes at Night 1 and Reigns vs. an opponent TBD at Night 2.
As of this writing, it’s not clear how the company will split the WWE Championship and Universal Championship before WrestleMania 39, but WWE wants to have a top title for each brand heading into the summer.
WWE fans are looking forward to the Royal Rumble, as the event will take place on January 28, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
However, the most interesting part apart from the battle royale is the anticipation over a new and unique match type called the “Pitch Black” match. While details about the match remain scarce, a recently released commercial has only added to the excitement.
The 15-second ad for the Royal Rumble shows the arena going dark, accompanied by the tag line “When It’s The Pitch Black Match” and the promise that “Anything can happen.”
The mysterious stipulation match appears to be a cross-promotional tie-in with Mountain Dew and their Pitch Black soft drink.
WrestlingNews.co was first to report the details about creative pitching a ‘Pitch Black match’ for the Royal Rumble. One source within the company believed that the match could potentially be for Bray Wyatt. The company is taking care to not overexpose Bray Wyatt in the ring, as they want his appearances to feel extra special. This strategy has previously been employed by WWE in regard to Wyatt’s portrayal of the character The Fiend, as he wrestled on a limited schedule. WWE likely wants Wyatt to appear as a strong and formidable opponent via this strategy.
In addition to the Pitch Black match, Royal Rumble will also feature a Hell in a Cell match between “Demon” Finn Balor and “Brood” Edge, as well as the return of a fan-favourite persona.
Apart from that, WWE’s Royal Rumble event will also feature the traditional Royal Rumble matches for both male and female wrestlers. But that’s not all – the Royal Rumble will also feature a defence of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by Roman Reigns.
All Elite Wrestling has some of the most passionate wrestling fans in the world, but they may be a bit too devoted for Booker T’s liking.
AEW was founded in 2019 to serve as an alternative to WWE, though the promotion is home to several former WWE Superstars.
Given the promotion’s role as an alternative to WWE, the company has developed a large fanbase from an audience tired of what they’ve seen from the Stamford-based promotion.
Cult
AEW fans are extremely loyal to the promotion, but Booker T believes some go too far.
Speaking on the latest Hall of Fame podcast, Booker addressed tribalism in wrestling when one listener referred to AEW fans as like a ‘cult.’
“You know, I agree 100 percent. I wouldn’t say all of them, I’m not going to say all of them, but a lot of them. Sometimes they’re just looking for it. It’s like being in a relationship, you know where you got one of those girlfriends that’s just looking through your phone all the time, just looking for something … making up excuses to have a fight, stuff like that, that’s the way AEW fans are.”
“Making up excuses to have a fight, stuff like that, that’s the way AEW fans are.”
Booker T.
“You could be talking about something totally irrelevant to AEW and they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, he’s talking about AEW, did he say Kenny Omega?’ It’s that kind of stuff, it’s like they’re paranoid. Relax, no one’s thinking about AEW that much enough to where we’re going to try to talk in code about it.”
AEW recently held its Winter is Coming event, and next week’s Dynamite will see the launch of a new production design for Tony Khan’s first wrestling company.
Before he was All Elite, Kenny Omega was “The Cleaner.”
In late 2014, Omega joined New Japan Pro Wrestling, aligning himself with one of professional wrestling’s most dominant factions — the Bullet Club. Throughout his tenure, Omega racked up an impressive collection of titles, starting with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, before leveling up to the company’s biggest prize.
Omega’s last appearance with the company came on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 where he lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi in a grueling 39-minute match. Later that month, Kenny Omega’s contract with NJPW ended, and he moved on to his next venture in the development of a startup promotion.
The former champion soon makes his long-awaited return to NJPW for a special appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 against a familiar foe, Will Ospreay. There, Omega will also vie for the IWGP United States Championship. In anticipation of his return, Kenny Omega spoke with NJPW about his 4-year absence from the company he once called home.
“We always hear like ‘you’re the best in the world,’ ‘greatest matches of all time’. But maybe somebody else is the best in the world to somebody else. But to me, to truly the best, you have to be the best in all styles,” he said. “And to me, I’d never truly challenged North American professional wrestling. Not whole heartedly. I thought ‘for all the people that think I’m the best now, all the people that think I’m talented now, just you wait, because I’m going to kill it in America.'”
“I’m going to show everyone exactly why they call me the Best Bout Machine. Going to show you exactly why I was able to take small promotions and make them global. I’m going to take an upstart promotion that nobody knows existed, and turn it into the greatest competition to the greatest pro-wrestling promotion that anyone has seen in America for the past 50, 60, 70 years.'”
The King Want His Keys Back
The upstart promotion — famously known as All Elite Wrestling — quickly turned into a major competition for the dominant global enterprise, WWE. Since singing with AEW in February 2019, Omega took on the dual roles as an Executive Vice President and in-ring performer. In the ring, Omega soared into success, racking up singles, tag team, and trios’ gold in the span of three years.
“I think I’ve already made a big enough statement,” Omega said. Now, “The Cleaner” returns home for a special occasion, with some grand ideas.
“My return to the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be astronomical. This is supposed to be a celebration, a real homecoming. For all of you fans, wrestlers that have struggled for so long through this difficult time. And I understand that you guys have struggled with this for years now.”
“I know what you’re thinking- that I mean the struggle with the pandemic, no, no, no. The struggle that I’m talking about is the struggle that you guys have had to incur without me running the ship! Without Kenny Omega running the show, there’s been an absolute lack of charisma, an absolute lack of magic, an absolute lack of eyeballs watching the product. We need people watching, talking, discussing. We need New Japan parties again, guys!”
Accordingly, Omega vowed to be the “resolution” for fans “after years of hardship” they experienced without him in the promotion. At the January 4th event, Omega believes his win against Ospreay will give the people “something to really, really look forward to.”
“There’s a shift coming,” Omega declared, “and unfortunately for you Will, we’re shifting away from this experimental project that was Will Ospreay. And you gave it your best shot, congratulations. I don’t know what else you want from me, I’ll give you a pat on the back, a fruit basket, you did great. But it just wasn’t good enough, and it was nothing compared to the real deal. I’m sorry, Will, but you’re going to have to move on.”
“The king is coming back for the keys to the castle,” Omega said.
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega’s long-awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling is almost here.
The former Bullet Club leader was one of the promotion’s top main event attractions from his G1 Climax 2016 win all the way up to his highly acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom 13 main event with Hiroshi Tanahashi. After months of online bickering and tag team showdowns in AEW, Omega will face Will Ospreay one-on-one for the IWGP US Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Omega was the inaugural IWGP US Champion. He is still widely argued to have had the finest reign in the title’s history. Will Ospreay, meanwhile, moved into the US title picture this year after failing to regain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in January.
For fans, Omega vs. Ospreay has been a dream match for years. Based on a recent interview with NJPW, however, Omega does not feel the same way. “The Best Bout Machine” was critical of Ospreay’s matches as well as New Japan’s decision to highlight “The Aerial Assassin” as one of their premier acts.
“But after seeing the way that Will has led the ship [NJPW], I started to become disgusted, And I didn’t understand why ‘why are you backing him, New Japan?’ And I get it. It’s just because you had no-one else. Until now.”
– Kenny Omega
“He Was Just Like Anybody Else”
(AEW)
Kenny Omega was then asked for his initial thoughts on Will Ospreay when the then-junior heavyweight star debuted in 2016.
“How did I feel about Will Ospreay when he first arrived in New Japan? He was just like anybody else,” Omega opined. “There are so many guys like him, who can do a bunch of flips and tricks. And it’s fun to watch them practice, and it’s fun to watch their matches. But did I ever feel anything from Will Ospreay? Hmm, not so much.”
Omega went on to essentially bury Ospreay’s work as a top star in NJPW. Omega widely dismissing it as a pale imitation of his own run on top in Japan’s premier wrestling promotion.
Considering the angle Omega and Ospreay have been running this year of trying to one-up each other, it’s likely that at least some of these comments are in kayfabe.
Considering Omega’s commendable drawing power in 2017 and 2018 in New Japan, there are likely plenty of Elite fans who agree with his considering himself the superior main event star in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Shelton Benjamin is known for his athleticism and is a wrestler who performs impressively every time he is in the ring. Today marks the 20-year anniversary of his WWE debut. His first television appearance took place on December 26, 2002.
The company released a video to commemorate this moment, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry talking about The Gold Standard’s career and impact.
“Shelton, I mean, I can remember him coming in the door. It doesn’t seem like that long ago,” WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels said in the video. “And now it’s 20 years.” Michaels even called his match with Benjamin from Raw in May 2005 “one of the best matches” of his career.
“20 years, that’s almost impossible,” said Kurt Angle about Benjamin’s debut. “I didn’t make it 20 years. Shelton Benjamin did, and I give him a lot of credit for that. He is a tough dude to be able to do what he does.”
“I used to watch Shelton when I wanted to be here,” said Kofi Kingston. “When I was growing up, Shelton Benjamin was the guy that was like, ‘Man, look at all these athletic moves, look at all these manoeuvres, man.’ I think I can do maybe some of those.” Kingston added that it was Benjamin that made him believe that it was possible for him to be in WWE and bring his athleticism to the ring in a similar way.
Shelton Benjamin debuted in WWE in 2002, after signing a contract in 2000 and getting placed in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). His first televised match on the SmackDown brand took place in 2003.
Benjamin made a name for himself as soon as he started performing in WWE. His skills as an athlete and performer were quickly recognised, and he became known for his sharp moveset in the ring.
Benjamin joined forces with Charlie Haas to be known together as “The World’s Greatest Tag Team.” They won the WWE Tag Team Championship on two occasions and put on some of the most entertaining tag team matches in WWE.
Benjamin also shined as a solo act, as he won the Intercontinental Championship thrice and was a mainstay in the upper midcard for many years. He was also the 24/7 Championship three times and the United States Championship once. Benjamin returned to the tag team division and won the Raw Tag Team Championship with Cedric Alexander.
“The Gold Standard” has put on some great matches in the WWE, and it doesn’t look like there’s any stopping him. Benjamin has clearly left a significant impact on the wrestling industry as one of the all-time greats, thanks in large part to his natural talent, dedication to improving his craft, and willingness to mentor and assist fellow wrestlers.
You can check out the video commemorating Shelton Benjamin’s career below:
On December 14, Mandy Rose received her release from WWE, less than 24 hours after her 413-day reign as NXT Women’s Champion came to an end.
Rose reportedly breeched a clause in her contract that set boundaries on the type of content she could create online. In this case, the explicit content on her FanTime page — a third party, exclusive subscription site — went outside those parameters.
Now, a WWE Hall of Famer has weighed in on the shocking release of the former NXT Women’s Champion. “I’m not saying what she chose to do was wrong for Mandy, but perhaps maybe wrong for the contract,” Madusa told the Wrestling Perspective Podcast. “If you know you’re going into the contract and signing with a company with these rules and regulations of what you can do and what you can’t do, then you should know the rules, right?”
A Double Standard?
“On the other hand, with her own fan page. I think it’s great to have side hustles,” Madusa continued. However, if you’re under a contract that owns your likeness, even though you’re using a different name, and you’re being presented in that way where it has effects on what you’re doing, a company has every right to have a standoff meeting and probably communicate with you once or twice, and then do what they need to do, or is it a double standard?”
The former WWE Women’s Champion pointed out that men in professional wrestling typically receive second chances when faced with similar, if not worse, circumstances. So, if Mandy Rose was given no prior warning, then Madusa believes it is a double standard. “Guys get warnings in this business, and they’re still employed there, which is unfortunate,” she said.
With the specific details of Rose’s release still unclear, Madusa offered up her insight into another possibility. “If she got a warning, then she still continued to do it, and then she got fired, then shame on her,” she said. “If you’re under contract, business is business. You know what you’re getting into period. Unless she wanted to f it up, take her hiatus and go somewhere else, then that was her choice.”
