Former MLW star EJ Nduka made his debut for All Elite Wrestling at Saturday’s AEW Dark tapings from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. He faced Konosuke Takeshita in a match that will soon air on the AEW Youtube channel.
Nduka had two tryouts for WWE before signing with the company in August 2019. He trained at the Performance Center but was released less than two years later.
He signed with Major League Wrestling shortly thereafter as part of that year’s MLW Open Draft. Known as The Judge, Nduka held the MLW World tag team championships with Calvin Tankman. His MLW contract expired earlier this month and he decided to test himself on the free agency market.
Here are some photos of Nduka’s AEW debut, courtesy of Jacob Cohen:
Nduka is friends with AEW TBS Champion, Jade Cargill. They attended Jacksonville University together and broke into the business on the very same day.
During a November 2021 interview with SEScoops correspondent Samira, “So, Jade and I, we both went to college together. Ironically, we knew of each other, but we didn’t know each other. In college, she played basketball and I played football. We actually got close when we got in the industry the same day.”
“We had our tryout at the WWE at the PC (Performance Center). She was literally right behind me in line. We started chopping it up and ever since then we’ve just been really good friends and we train whenever we get a chance. They were in Orlando for the AEW Dynamite, so we got an opportunity to train.”
Got in a killer workout with this monster – @EjTheJudge . We went to the same college, also came into this game the SAME DAY. Some people just have “IT”. We are beyond blessed. Get ready!!
Everybody loves The Acclaimed, AEW’s reigning world tag team champions – even the guy who was in charge of the music playing at WWE’s Royal Rumble Super Store
The Royal Rumble Super Store has been open since January 26 at the Alamodome and is presented by Credit One Bank. Fans who are in town for the Rumble can purchase merchandise, check out iconic WWE memorabilia and participate in autograph signings presented by Fiterman Sports A correspondent on the ground in San Antonio wrote in to tell us that it’s an attraction that’s definitely worth checking out if you attend a big WWE PPV weekend.
On Friday night, a few customers who were in attendance mentioned on social media that the Acclaimed’s entrance theme music was playing at the store while ‘members of the WWE Universe’ were shopping.
According to Twitter user @BosniazFinest28, “the guy who came to turn it off said he got screwed by his Spotify playlist.”
The Acclaimed was represented at another WWE event just miles away from the Royal Rumble Super Store. On Friday’s SmackDown, a fan of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens who had great seats proudly held a sign that reads, “Scissor Me Daddy Ass!”
Seth Rollins doesn’t sound too interested in having CM Punk back in the WWE locker room.
Rollins is currently in San Antonio, Texas for the Royal Rumble. WWE has been hosting a series of media events over the past few days, including one on Saturday to promote the upcoming launch of the WWE 2K23 video game.
Nick Hausman of WrestlingInc caught up with Rollins, who was dressed up as a “Dripping Cowboy” to honor the local heritage. The 2019 Rumble winner scoffed at the idea of Cody Rhodes being the odds-on favorite to win this year’s match.
Hausman asked Rollins about a few potential free agents, and whether or not he’d like to see them [back] in WWE.
Regarding FTR, Rollins was all about it. “Yeah, great talents, hell of a tag team,” he said. “[They’re] good guys, always had a hell of a relationship with them, I’d love to see them come back if they’d like to come back with us.”
As for CM Punk, not so much.
“Aww, Philly Phil, stay away! Stay away, you cancer. Get away from me forever.”
– Seth Rollins on CM Punk returning to WWE
Hausman was surprised by the answer, which led Rollins to double down. “I don’t like Phil, he’s a jerk. Oh, did we just figure that out? Everybody in the room is like, ‘Oh no, did he say that?’ Yeah, he’s a jerk, we figured that out over there [AEW], we knew it over here [WWE]. I don’t want him back. Go do something else. Bye-bye! See ya later!”
Rollins says the new WWE 2k23 game looks sick. The next-gen systems have the graphics looking unreal, the gameplay is incredible and he’s eager to try out the new WarGames match. Most importantly, he and his wife (Becky Lynch) look great, so “it’s all a win.”
WWE 2K23 is due out Tuesday, March 14. You can pre-order the game now at Amazon.
Royal Rumble always brings in many surprises and there is a lot of chatter about which stars may or may not show up at the PPV from Alamodome this year.
Fightful Select provided some update on the names fans are expecting to see on the show tonight including The Rock, Ronda Rousey and more.
Switchblade Jay White is expected to leave NJPW at the end of his deal. As of now however, he is still under contract which likely means he won’t be at Royal Rumble.
When asked about a potential surprise appearance at the show, Matt Cardona said “In San Antonio the day before the Rumble? What am I, a mark?”
Doudrop who has been out of action since last September is in town and taking part in media events. She has been training for an in-ring return for a month.
Ronda Rousey wasn’t originally expected to be part of the Royal Rumble after losing the SmackDown women’s title to Charlotte Flair back in December.
Several people with connections to the company ‘swear The Rock is showing up.’ His latest Instagram post on the other hand, suggests that it’s not likely.
There are Uncle Howdy outfits set for use during the show. Bo Dallas, who has been the rumored name behind the character is also in town.
People have speculated that Pat McAfee could be returning from his hiatus. There is one talent who claims to have heard his name being mentioned for Rumble.
Which surprise appearance would you like to see at Royal Rumble this year? Let us know in the comment section below.
We’re just hours away for the 2023 WWE ‘Royal Rumble’. Keep it locked to SEScoops tonight for our Royal Rumble Results & Live Discussion. Chat with other readers in the comments section while watching one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.
Ahead of tonight’s show, here are some last minute news and notes:
Royal Rumble Attendance
The Royal Rumble takes place from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This is the third time the Alamodome has hosted the event, following 1997 and 2017.
On Friday’s WWE ‘SmackDown,’ commentator Michael Cole mentioned they’re expecting over 50,000 fans in attendance. According to Wrestletix, the venue is configured to accommodate 44,868. As of Saturday morning, 44,417 tickets had been distributed, with 451 still available and 1,411 seats on the secondary market (StubHub, etc.)
This show has generated a lot of excitement, so this will likely be a legitimate sell-out when all the walk-up sales are accounted for.
WWE presented the 2023 ‘Royal Rumble’ on Saturday, January 28 from the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas.
The show begins and our commentary team of Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcome us to the show LIVE from the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas. It’s time for our opening contest of the evening…the Men’s Royal Rumble match!
Before our match begins, Pat McAfee’s music hits and McAfee is back in WWE! McAfee isn’t competing in the match but will join Cole and Graves on commentary!
Men’s Royal Rumble Match
Gunther makes his way to the ring and the Intercontinental Champion is the number one entrant into the match. As the case usually is with these two, heavy strikes are exchanged early and often. Gunther tosses Sheamus over the top rope but Sheamus rakes the IC Champion’s eyes and leaps back into the ring. Time is up and The Miz enters at number three. Miz runs around the ring, Sheamus chases after and tosses Miz back into the ring, where he and Gunther light Miz up with chops to the chest. The timer is up and former WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston enters the fray. All four men are separated off in pairs and number five is ready to come in and it’s former NXT Champion, Johnny Gargano. Sheamus tosses Miz onto the apron and starts cracking him in the chest with his patented forearms to the chest. Number six enters the mix and it’s Xavier Woods! Everyone’s down except Kingston and Woods and instead of going after one another, they start dancing. Gunther and Sheamus have had enough and start attacking both members of the New Day. Number seven enters the match and it’s Karrion Kross.
The newest member of the match goes after both Kingston and Woods but runs into a massive chop by Gunther. The buzzer sounds and the eight member of the match is Chad Gable. The leader of Alpha Academy is going after everyone and he and Woods engage in some mat wrestling and it’s time for number nine to enter the mix and it’s Drew McIntyre! The former WWE Champion slams Gargano into Gable and is attacked from behind by Kross. McIntyre sends Kross over the top rope and launches him to the floor with a boot to the face and Kross is eliminated! The timer runs down and number 10 is Santos Escobar! Everyone is attacking one another and number 11 is Angelo Dawkins! Gunther sends Woods over the top rope and onto the floor with a boot to the face and Woods is eliminated! Number 12’s music hits and it’s two-time Royal Rumble winner, Brock Lesnar! ‘The Beast Encarnate’ launches Escobar, Dawkins, and Gable all out of the ring.
Lesnar comes face-to-face with Gunther and the time expires to reveal number 13 as Bobby Lashley! Lesnar attacks Lashley, who drills Lesnar with a spear and launches Lesnar out of the ring and Lesnar is eliminated! Number 14 is Baron Corbin but Lesnar attacks Corbin before he even enters the ring and he may be out of this one before ever officially entering. Number 15 is Seth Rollins! The ‘Architect’ sends Corbin into the ring and immediately tosses him right over the top rope and Corbin is eliminated! Number 16 is Otis! Not much action takes place and number 17 is Rey Mysterio! Rey never comes out and it looks like something may have happened to the former Rumble winner. Back in the ring, Rollins sends Lashley out of the ring and ‘The Almighty’ is eliminated! Number 18 is revealed as Dominik Mysterio and he comes out with Rey’s mask and rips it in half before coming down to the ring. Sheamus and McIntyre toss Otis over the top rope and Otis is eliminated!
Number 19 is revealed as Elias! Sheamus nails Elias with a Brogue Kick and he and McIntyre toss Elias out of the ring and Elias is eliminated! Number 20 is Finn Balor! Balor goes after anyone possible and he and Dominik eliminate Gargano! Number 21 is Texas-native and WWE Hall of Famer, Booker T! Booker takes out both members of The Judgment Day and does his patented spinarooni! Number 22 is Damian Priest and each member of The Judgment Day are in the match (sans Rhea Ripley). Number 23 is Montez Ford! The Judgment Day quickly eliminated Ford and number 24 is Edge! The WWE Hall of Famer goes after his rivals in The Judgment Day. Edge eliminates Priest and Balor and he comes face-to-face with Seth Rollins. Balor and Priest sneak back in and toss Edge over the top rope and Edge is eliminated! Number 25 is Austin Theory! Edge, Balor, and Priest start fighting up the ramp, Rhea Ripley comes down and attacks Edge but Beth Phoenix comes down and she and Ripley start going at it. Officials come down and break up the fight and number 26 is Omos! Braun Strowman enters as number 27! Some big boys are now in the mix and here we go! Omos and Braun exchange heavy blows in the center of the ring and Strowman launches Omos over the top rope and Omos is eliminated!
Number 28 is Ricochet! Sheamus and McIntyre try to eliminate Strowman but Gunther knocks McIntyre down from behind and tosses him onto the apron but Sheamus makes the save. Gunther launches both McIntyre and Sheamus out and both are eliminated! Number 29 is Logan Paul! Everyone attacks Paul, Ricochet tosses Paul to the apron but Paul nails Ricochet with a Buckshot Lariat to remain in the match! Strowman slams Paul, Ricochet follows up with a standing shooting star press and number 30 is Cody Rhodes! ‘The American Nightmare’ makes his way down to the ring and the fans in attendance is going crazy! Rhodes eliminates Dominik and everyone else starts going to work on each other. Paul and Ricochet stand on opposite top turnbuckles and hit each other with simultaneous flying cross-bodies and the crowd is in a frenzy! What a move! Paul, Ricochet, Gunther, and Rhodes are the final four! Rhodes and Rollins toss Theory are out and it’s down to Gunther, Rollins, Paul, and Rhodes! Rollins and Rhodes both go after Gunther, who entered at number one and here we go! Rollins plants Gunther with a pedigree and Rhodes and Rollins are now face-to-face! Paul comes back into the ring and dumps Rollins out and Rollins is eliminated! Rhodes tosses out Paul and it’s down to number one, Gunther and number 30, Rhodes!
Gunther drills Rhodes with a chop to the chest and injured right pectoral. Rhodes goes for a Disaster Kick but Gunther catches Rhodes and slams him down to the mat. Rhodes and Gunther are on the top turnbuckle and Gunther drills Rhodes with a super-plex down to the mat! Both men struggle to their feet, Rhodes pumps up the crowd and the San Antonio crowd is in a frenzy for Rhodes! Gunther is sent over the top rope and onto the apron but Gunther forces his way back into the ring. Cody sets Gunther up in the corner and nails him with his brother Goldust’s patented Shattered Dreams! Gunther tosses Rhodes over the top rope and onto the apron the applies a sleeper hold! Rhodes drags Gunther over the top rope but falls back into the ring. Rhodes plants Gunther with Cross Rhodes and sends Gunther out of the ring! Rhodes wins!
Winner – Cody Rhodes
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight – Pitch Black Match
The bell sounds, the lights go out and the blacklight appears. Bray’s sporting some face paint that’s glowing, as is Knight’s trunks, armbands, and kneepads. Bray launches Knight across the ring then to the outside. Knight sends Bray into the steel steps but Bray launches Knight into the crowd and starts disassembling the commentary table. They both go through the table, Knight escapes into the ring and Wyatt chases after him. Knight tries to hit Bray with a kendo stick but Wyatt catches and plants him with Sister Abigail for the 1-2-3 and the win!
Winner – Bray Wyatt
Bray continues the attack post-match. They fight through the crowd and Bray locks-in the Mandible Claw. Uncle Howdy appears above Bray and launches himself off of a platform and crushes Knight through the table and pyro goes off as Bray stands there with his theme song playing while human Firefly Funhouse puppets appear behind Bray for quite a visual!
The announced attendance for tonight’s show is 51,338 members of the WWE Universe inside of the AlamoDome in San Antonio, Texas.
Bianca Belair (C) vs. Alexa Bliss – RAW Women’s Championship
Bianca launches Alexa to the corner and immediately goes to work on the challenger. Alexa latches onto Bianca and starts going to work but Bianca slams her face-first into the mat. Alexa plants the champion with a DDT and goes for the cover but Bianca lifts the shoulders at two. Alexa slides and kicks Bianca but the champion comes roaring back and nails Alexa with a standing moonsault and goes for a cover of her own but Alexa lifts the shoulders at two. Bianca scoops and nails Alexa with the K.O.D. for the win!
Winner – Bianca Belair (C) (and STILL RAW Women’s Champion)
After the match, we see another creepy video package featuring Uncle Howdy and Alexa looks on as we head to a commercial break.
Women’s Royal Rumble Match
Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan are numbers one and two, respectively and here we go! Rhea gets control early, Liv fights back and number three is Dana Brooke! Number four is revealed as Emma! Dana, Liv, and Emma gang up on Rhea as the timer expires and number five is Shayna Baszler! Number six is Bayley! Everyone’s paired off in the ring and number seven is B-Fab! Ripley immediately tosses B-Fab out of the ring and B-Fab is eliminated! Number eight is the NXT Women’s Champion, Roxanne Perez! Number nine is Dakota Kai! Number 10 is IYO SKY and now all of Damage CTRL are in the match! Damage CTRL eliminate Brooke and Emma and number 11 is Natalya! Number 12 is Candice LeRae! Baszler and Natalya are eliminated by Damage CTRL and number 13 is NXT’s Zoey Stark!
Number 14 is Xia Li! Damage CTRL is controlling (pun intended) the match and they eliminate Candice LeRae. Number 15 is Becky Lynch! Becky grabs Bayley and they brawl outside of the ring, but neither were eliminated. Damage CTRL help Bayley out and they gang up on Becky. Number 16 is Tegan Nox! Liv and Tegan help out Becky to even the odds against Damage CTRL and number 17 is Asuka! The former Royal Rumble winner reveals her former gimmick ‘Kana’ facepaint! Asuka eliminates Tegan and number 18 is Piper Niven! Doudrop is no more and she’s gone back to her former Piper Niven name! Number 19 is Tamina! Piper and Tamina come face-to-face and they start throwing hammers on one another. Tamina drops Piper with a super-kick and Damage CTRL takes Tamina down. Number 20 is Chelsea Green!
Ripley quickly tosses Green over the top rope and Green has been eliminated! Becky tosses both Dakota and IYO out of the ring and Bayley tosses Becky out but Liv Morgan pops up behind Bayley and now Bayley has also been eliminated! Number 21 is Zelina Vega! Zelina plants Rhea with a Code Red, Piper tries to eliminate her, Zelina shoves Piper back and points at the WrestleMania 39 sign. Xia Li goes to the apron and she and Zelina brawl on the apron but Zelina trips her to the outside and gets back into the ring to safety. Zelina crack Piper with double knees to the face and number 22 is Raquel Rodriguez! Raquel slams everyone around the ring and number 23 is Michin (AKA Mia Yim)! Number 24 is Lacey Evans! Number 25 is Michelle McCool! Michelle was in shown in the crowd earlier with she and The Undertaker’s children and she jumps over the railing and gets into the ring! Michelle eliminates Tamina and number 26 is Indi Hartwell from NXT!
Number 27 is Sonya Deville! Sonya eliminates Zoey Stark. Lacey eliminates Zelina and number 28 is Shotzi! Sonya eliminates Indi Hartwell and number 29 is Nikki Cross! Number 30 is the returning Nia Jax! Everyone gangs up on Nia but Nia knocks everyone down and starts wrecking house. Ripley plants Nia with Riptide and everyone in the match tosses Nia out of the ring and Nia Jax has been eliminated! Raquel eliminates Lacey Evans. Asuka eliminates Sonya Deville, Ripley eliminates Michelle McCool, Michin eliminates Shotzi, and Piper eliminates Michin. Raquel eliminates Piper Niven and now focus her attention onto Ripley but Ripley tosses Raquel and Raquel Rodriguez has been eliminated. Liv Morgan tosses Nikki Cross out and we’re down to our final three of Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Asuka.
Ripley and Liv are brawling on the apron, Asuka rushes over, Ripley brings her down to the apron and here we go! Asuka spits green mist into Liv’s eyes, Rhea trips Asuka to the mat, Liv trips Rhea, but Rhea’s feet haven’t touched the floor and Rhea drops Liv to the floor with a head scissors and Rhea wins!
Winner – Rhea Ripley
Roman Reigns (C) (with Paul Heyman & Sami Zayn) vs. Kevin Owens – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Reigns nails Owens with a running shoulder block to start. Owens trips Reigns to the mat and starts unloading punches to a downed champion. Owens tosses Reigns to the corner and crushes him with a cannonball. Owens launches Reigns to the outside, where he plants Reigns with a senton before tossing Reigns back into the ring. Back in the ring, Reigns chokes Owens with the middle rope and goes for the cover but Owens lifts the shoulders after a two-count.
Reigns and Owens go shot for shot until Owens flattens Reigns with a swanton bomb from the top rope and goes for the cover but Reigns lifts the shoulders after a two-count! Another back and forth ensues until Reigns cracks Owens with a spear and goes for the cover but Owens kicks out! Owens goes for a stunner but Reigns shoves Owens into the referee. Owens plants Reigns with a pop-up power-bomb and goes for the cover but there’s no referee! Reigns hits Owens with a low blow and tells Sami Zayn to grab a steel chair. Zayn pauses for a moment but grabs a chair…Owens spins Reigns around and drills him with the stunner, then goes for the cover but Reigns kicks out! The champion nails Owens with a Superman Punch then goes for the cover but Owens kicks out! Reigns tosses Owens to the outside and drills him with a spear through the barricade. Reigns tosses Owens face-first into the steel steps two times right in front of Sami Zayn before tossing the challenger back into the ring. Reigns clocks Owens with a spear, then a cover and gets the 1-2-3 for the win!
Winner – Roman Reigns (C) (and STILL Undisputed WWE Universal Champion)
After the match, Jimmy Uso. Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa come down to the ring. Jey is about to put a lei on Sami Zayn but Roman stops him and says there’s still some business to attend to first. The Usos beatdown Owens and set him up in the corner with a steel chair around his neck. Solo lines Owens up and nails him with a corner splash as Sami watches on. Paul Heyman hands Reigns two pairs of handcuffs and The Usos handcuff Owens to the ropes while still down in the corner. The Usos trade-off several super-kicks to a handcuffed Owens. Reigns grabs a chair and shouts at Owens and lines Owens up for a chair shot but Sami steps in front of Reigns and says he doesn’t need to do it. Reigns hands Sami the chair and tells him to hit Owens. Sami looks hesitant and even subtly points the chair towards Reigns. Roman gets in Sami’s face and tells him that it’s time to take Owens out.
Sami takes Reigns out with the chair and tells The Usos that he’s sorry and the crowd is going WILD! Jimmy Uso takes Sami out and the beatdown commences. Solo spikes Sami and Reigns is back up and directing The Bloodline to continue their attack. Jey hasn’t joined the attack yet and the rest of The Bloodline direct Jey to take Sami out but Jey rolls out of the ring and leaves. Back in the ring, the attack continues and Reigns is just walloping Sami with chair shot after chair shot after chair shot. There are deafening ‘F*** you Roman!’ chants throughout the AlamoDome and Reigns rips apart a lei and ‘The Honorary Uce’ shirt on top of Sami’s motionless body in the center of the ring. Jimmy delivers one final super-kick on Owens and The Bloodline, sans Jey Uso, exit the ring to a massive chorus of boos from the San Antonio, Texas crowd in attendance.
The Bloodline exits the ring and the show goes off-the-air.
Bayley had been scheduled to work a steel cage match with Backy Lynch on this week’s WWE Raw 30 show, but the bout didn’t take place. An angle was booked instead, where Bayley, Dakota Kai, & IYO SKY attacked Lynch and laid her out before the bout started.
It was reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn segment went long, which led to the rest of the card being trimmed. Unfortunately for the ladies, their cage bout was impacted the most. The decision was made to do the angle instead of booking a short match.
“The outcome of it? Yeah, I felt good. I honestly think it put our story in a whole different place. I think it did a lot for Damage CTRL. So I’m super happy with it,” Bayley stated.
Bayley noted she wasn’t bummed at all because the match got cut. However, she did see the fan backlash.
“I did, which is cool. They have our backs and stuff, but I don’t want them to think that women’s wrestling is moving backward or that we’re not seen in the same light of Roman Reigns or anybody like that. We are very appreciated backstage, we’re treated super well, and we are a part of big conversations when it comes to big stories, big matches, big pay-per-views, and big premium live events. We’re in conversations with that. I don’t want the fans to get the wrong idea about what happened, and it was just what happened. We’re going to make the best of it, and they’re going to see how it made everything so much bigger and better.”
The Rock has been long rumored for a match against Roman Reigns. Despite recent discouraging updates, people have been holding on hope for the Great One to make surprise appearance somewhere on the road to WrestleMania. His latest post however, suggests that he won’t be showing up at least at Royal Rumble.
The Great One recently shared a video on his Instagram account. The footage shows him shooting a scene for his upcoming Christmas movie late on Friday night:
“2 am on a Friday night and we’re still going strong. May not look very sexy right now but in our Christmas movie, this will become a thing of beauty.”
Red One is an upcoming Christmas action movie featuring The Rock, Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons among others. The film is said to reimagine the holiday mythology but the plot for it has not been revealed yet.
The Rock vs Roman Reigns?
It’s been established before that The Rock cannot risk taking part in active competition while shooting a movie. The risk of potential injury can cause the insurance costs to skyrocket and put financial pressure on the producers. During an active shooting session, even a non-wrestling appearance seems out of question.
The Rock had been the frontrunner for ending Roman Reigns’ record-breaking championship reign for long. People expected this match to take place at WrestleMania 39. These plans seem to be off the table after the former world champion informed WWE that he won’t be able to get in shape for a match in time.
Would you like to see The Rock making an appearance on the road to WrestleMania if he doesn’t wrestle Roman Reigns? Let us know your thoughts in comments.
Roman Reigns has spoken candidly about the possibility (or lack thereof) of facing his cousin The Rock at WrestleMania 39.
A showdown between the two members of the Anoa’I family has been a dream match for years, and it was reported last year that WWE was actively pursuing the match.
The Rock’s most recent match was an eight-second win over Erick Rowan in 2016, while his most recent full match saw him lose to John Cena at WrestleMania 29.
Roman Reigns
While The Rock Vs. Reigns was once considered a virtual lock for WrestleMania, that is no longer the case.
Earlier this month, it was reported that The Rock has informed WWE that he does not believe there is enough time for him to prepare for the Mania match.
Speaking on the Tonight Show to promote tonight’s Royal Rumble, Reigns addressed the match seemingly being off the table.
“I believe he just came out with a statement saying that he’s not gonna be ready in time, which, that’s the face that everyone’s making, like, ‘Hold on! He trains every single day. He’s huge!’ In his defense, it’s one thing to train with weights, the bodybuilding, the look, the part… but, to be able to get in the ring and do a main event match, a championship match, it takes a lot of conditioning, it beats up your body.
“So there’s more that goes into it than training in the weight room. It’s a professional athlete type of situation where you have to condition. He does two out of three things perfectly. His nutrition and weight training is on point, but you have to condition yourself, you gotta be ready to fall down.”
With The Rock not expected at WrestleMania, (and therefore tonight’s Rumble) other favorites to win the Men’s Rumble match include Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship tonight against Kevin Owens.
With considerable backlash from fans over the mass releases from NXT UK, a lot is riding on NXT Europe to be a runaway success.
Speaking to Variety, Triple H shed light on WWE’s plans for NXT Europe.
“There’s been a lot of progress on it. We are very excited about the prospect of taking NXT in a larger global direction. I would like to be able to find the best athletes and the largest personalities and the most entertaining people from every place in the world, and bring them into what we do.”
Triple H.
Triple H, who is also WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, also spoke about the importance of searching all over for talent to bring to NXT Europe.
“When you begin to create those characters and those stars from every region, those regions become more engaged in what we do. If you can begin to go to all these places, and begin to find athletes there that can resonate on a global stage, some will make it big.”
Triple H.
The Game did not provide any date for when NXT Europe will premiere, though the brand is expected to air at some point in 2023.
Could WWE’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia snuff out plans for a World Championship push for Sami Zayn?
Zayn is arguably the most popular WWE Superstar competing today, having won over audiences with his work as the Honorary Uce.
With tensions continuing to boil in the Bloodline, many feel it is a matter of time before Zayn challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Sami and Saudi Arabia
Sami Zayn is a regular on WWE TV, but due to his Syrian heritage, the decision was made years ago to keep him away from events in Saudi Arabia.
That didn’t stop fans from chanting for the Honorary Uce during the press conference for last November’s Crown Jewel event in Riyadh.
When Dave Meltzer was asked on Wrestling Observer Radio whether the Saudis could prevent Sami from becoming World Champion, the veteran journalist said that it could be a factor.
“Yes, because Saudi Arabia would want the top guy and the champion. But John Cena hasn’t gone to Saudi Arabia lately [since 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble.] And he’s a much bigger star than Sami. It’s something, but it’s not a death knell to him.”
Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer echoed recent comments from Zayn himself that even if he is to become champion, that won’t make the Honorary Uce the next face of the company.
“They’re not going to make him the top guy. They can still make him the champion. Does Saudi Arabia play a part in the sense that they don’t want him in Saudi Arabia and he doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia anyway? And if he’s the champion, and they have a show coming up? Yes, that’s absolutely a factor. And it’s a really good point.”
Getting Over
Whether the Saudis will admit it or not, Sami Zayn is the most naturally ‘over’ star competing in WWE today.
On his show, Meltzer discussed Zayn not having ‘the look’ of a top guy, and recalled when Bryan Danielson and CM Punk got ‘over’ years earlier.
“Even if they’re over, in the minds of the people making the decisions, it’s ‘they’re over with our audiences, but they can’t really be over [in the mainstream.’] I’ve always argued that the test of who can get over is who gets over. There is no set thing.
“I’ve always argued that the test of who can get over is who gets over.”
Dave Meltzer.
“Guys have gotten over and drawn big, big, giant, giant [numbers.] Mainstream stars have gotten over in different parts of the world and the country and everything like that, and they didn’t necessarily have to fit into this Roman Reigns look, not that there’s anything wrong with Roman Reigns.”
After being found not guilty during the trial on this week’s Raw, Zayn will face a final challenge at tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble event.
Zayn isn’t confirmed for the Men’s Rumble match, but his real-life best friend Kevin Owens will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
WWE’s promise that nothing would change following the return of Vince McMahon is seeming pretty hollow with the departure of another name backstage.
McMahon returned to WWE as a member of the Board of Directors on January 6, 2023, and has since been appointed as Executive Chairman.
In a meeting in WWE’s offices, Stephanie McMahon said that little would change with Vince’s return, days before her resignation as Chairwoman and co-CEO of the company.
Departure
WWE’s now former Vice President of International Matthew Drew has parted ways with the company, PW Insider was first to report.
Drew took on the role in June 2021 and his departure is said to have come last week.
Part of his role as VP of International was to work on “growing WWE’s brand and business outside of the United States.”
In addition, Drew worked “with other company leaders to devise WWE’s international strategy for live events, digital, consumer products, and new revenue opportunities.”
Other Departures
Matthew Drew is hardly the only person to part ways with WWE following the return of Vince McMahon.
McMahon being reappointed to the Board saw the billionaire return with Michelle Wilson and George Barrios, and the departures of JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey Speed, and Alan Wexler.
Ignace Lahoud and Man Jit Singh (the latter having overseen the investigation into McMahon) resigned the following morning.
Drew is the latest vice president to part ways with the company after Stefanie Fiondella and Adam Hopkins tendered their resignations as Vice Presidents of Communication.
The company also recently laid off multiple names from their offices in Stamford, though no Superstars have been released at this time.
Mark Briscoe was allowed to compete on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, but only after a lot of pushback from Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the main event of the show, Briscoe defeated Jay Lethal in a tribute match to Mark’s brother Jay, who died earlier this month.
It has been reported that the match was not approved until the day before Dynamite and that multiple segments were shortened to give the main event plenty of time
Warner Bros. Discovery Ban
Jay Briscoe unfortunately never got the chance to compete on AEW TV, due to a ban against the brothers implemented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
This ban was due to controversial tweets made by Jay a decade ago, comments that Briscoe would apologize for and explain as part of his heel character.
Chris Jericho has yet another impressive accolade to his name after being listed one of the 50 greatest heavy metal singers of all time.
When not in the ring competing for All Elite Wrestling, Jericho can be found performing with his band Fozzy, who he founded in 1999.
The band’s track ‘Enemy’ was used for the WWE No Way Out 2005 Pay-Per-View, while Jericho has used ‘Judas’ as his theme in AEW.
Making the List
Jericho’s musical talents may have been overshadowed by his impressive wrestling career, but he has made it into the Top 50 heavy metal singles.
In a ranking from ‘ThisDayInMetal.com’ Jericho squeaks in at the #50 spot, with the following description:
Who? Yes, that’s right, before you say Jericho can’t sing I suggest you go listen to his version of Iron Maiden’s Aces High. Right Sebastian Bach?
Other notable names on the list include KISS’ Paul Stanley (#40,) Alice Cooper (#22,) and WWE Celebrity Wing Hall of Famer Lemmy Kilmister (#12.)
The ranking sees Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden take bronze, Rob Halford of Judas Priest ranked second, and former Black Sabbath member Ronnie James Dio take first place.
Fozzy
Originally christened ‘Fozzy Osbourne’ Jericho’s band would begin when Rich ‘The Duke’ Ward had a chance encounter with the AEW star at a wrestling show in 1999.
It would be a year later that the band’s name was shortened, and the group would release their first of eight albums with ‘Fozzy’ in 2000.
So far, the only track to be certified gold is Judas, and the song’s sales were likely helped by Jericho’s use of the theme in AEW.
WWE has seen some big management changes since the return of Vince McMahon. A number of big names have parted ways with the company in recent days. The biggest departure has been the resignation of former Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon.
There have been a lot of rumors as to the reason behind her decision to leave her post. Latest reports claim that it was to avoid being demoted.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer recently provided some insight on McMahon’s exit. He claimed that Stephanie was about to be demoted:
“This comes from those unhappy that she left, is that she had done a great job thrown into the co-CEO role, and with Vince back, was about to be demoted.”
Meltzer noted that the female executive didn’t need the money or the job. He mentioned that she had already decided to take a leave last year.
The last time Stephanie McMahon took a leave of absence from WWE in May 2022, she hadn’t resigned from her position on the board of directors. So this is considered a much stronger move.
Vince McMahon announced his return to WWE on January 9 this year. Two days later Stephanie McMahon resigned from her post and from the board of directors. Vince was elected the chairman once again later that day.
Lacey Evans returned to the ring after a hiatus of two months on this week’s episode of SmackDown and declared her entry into the Royal Rumble match.
The Sassy Southern Belle last competed on TV during the November 11, 2022 episode of SmackDown. She took part in a six-pack challenge that was won by Shotzi.
After the loss, Evans had said that she was “done trying to please everybody” and no longer be comfortable in the “glitz, glamour and the lifestyle” of being a WWE star.
The company then started airing vignettes of the SmackDown star where she was seen undergoing rigorous training with fellow United States Marine Corps.
Lacey Evans is Back
Lacey Evans finally returned to the ring on the January 27th episode of SmackDown. She competed in a singles match against Jazmin Allure.
The female star used the Cobra Clutch submission to defeat her opponent before declaring entry into the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble.
WWE Legend Sgt. Slaughter had recently discussed the idea of managing Evans on WWE TV. With her adopting the Cobra Clutch, it’s very much possible that we will see this pairing on WWE programming very soon.
Lacey Evans wasn’t the only name to announce her entry into Royal Rumble on SmackDown. A former Universal Champion also confirmed himself for the show. Click here to find out more.
Trying to win Royal Rumble just became much harder for the other 29 contestants, because Brock Lesnar has announced his entry into the match.
This week’s episode of SmackDown featured a segment with US Champion Austin Theory. He was interrupted by Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and The Miz.
All four of these men started brawling before Bobby Lashley came out. The All Mighty levelled all other stars. He mentioned that Brock Lesnar cost him the US title on Raw and said that he will terrorize everyone until he gets what he wants.
The Beast Incarnate then made his entrance through the crowd. He delivered an F5 to Lashley before declaring his entry into the battle royal.
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair wants to get a win over Charlotte Flair.
Belair has goals to defeat all Four Horsewomen(Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair). So far, she has beaten everyone except for Flair cleanly. Her only two wins against the current Smackdown Women’s Champion happened via disqualification. However, Flair holds a clean victory over Belair.
“I was very excited to get the ring with Charlotte. We all know that my long-time goal, or maybe short-time goal, we don’t know, is to eventually defeat all Four Horsewomen. I’ve defeated three. The last one is Charlotte Flair. I feel like she’s at that mountaintop, and I was excited to get in that ring with her because when I very first got into WWE, she was the first people that I looked up to. I see myself in her so much. Ric Flair is her father, but people sometimes forget that she came in not knowing anything as well. She was a former collegiate athlete just like me, so to be able to be in the ring with the most decorated woman in women’s wrestling, it was an honor, but I still have my goal in sight,” said Belair.
Could Bianca Belair’s Next Feud Be Against Charlotte Flair?
The confrontation on the Jan. 23 episode of Monday Night Raw was interesting. Both Flair and Belair are champions of separate brands. It doesn’t seem like they will be working with each other soon.
Hulk Hogan has put himself through a ton of damage in his wrestling career, where he made himself a household name. After decades of wrestling, he has had to have countless surgeries.
During the latest episode of his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle talked about his appearance at the WWE Raw 30th anniversary show this past Monday night that also saw the company bring in other legends, including Hogan.
What Hogan Said
Angle revealed that while speaking with Hogan, the fellow Hall Of Famer told him that he had back issues and had to walk around with a cane because he no longer can feel his legs.
“Hogan had his back surgery again. He had the nerves cut from his lower body. He can’t feel his lower body, so he has to use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he has pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything. So now he can’t feel his legs, so he has to walk with a cane. That’s pretty serious, man. I mean, I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and it ate him up.”
In the past, Hogan has discussed the back and hip issues he’s dealt with. It doesn’t help that his finisher was a leg drop that he’s performed thousands of times.
The Bella Twins got people talking this week when they were critical of how WWE represented the women on this past Monday’s episode of Raw during the 30anniversary episode.
After Raw on an Instagram live video, The Bella called out the company for not showcasing the women’s evolution on the show and how Mercedes Mone and Saraya were people who WWE didn’t want to feature.
Although The Bellas was initially advertised for the show, they were pulled due to media commitments this week to promote Nikki’s new reality show on E! Madusa was the only female legend to appear on Raw.
Nikki started out by noting that whenever you love and have passion for something you want to be appreciated. She said that women have done a lot to make Raw what it is.
Make Time
“So when you have a three-hour show, and it’s male-dominated and women aren’t being honored, pretty much at all, you just sit back and you’re like, ‘Why aren’t we being appreciated? Like, why don’t you even have a video package showcasing what all these incredible women have done?”
Nikki continued, “I just, I’m someone who they’ve always called ‘No Filter Nikki.’ I know sometimes my team is back there like, ‘Oh my gosh if we could just take her phone.’ It made me upset for all the women, because I know that feeling of walking out to the ring. It happens to some of the men, but where you walk out, and you put your body on the line, you give it your all just to entertain the fans and the TV viewers, and you just come back, and you want to feel appreciated for that.”
Sacrifice
Nikki stated that some wrestlers have had career-ending injuries, and we shouldn’t go away.
“And even if I feel that if a wrestler even leaves the company or they’re no longer there, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be remembered. I wished and I hoped, and maybe that will be more in the future, we still have a way to go, but that women will finally be appreciated for what they do.”
Brie stated that women from the past have paved the road for today’s wrestlers, who are doing amazing things in the company. She added that it’s not about them but the other women that should’ve been at the show.
.@bellatwins speak out on the lack of representation of women at the WWE RAW 30th Anniversary and other events. pic.twitter.com/CXrj6oLvgm
WWE has released a “cold open” preview for Saturday’s Royal Rumble premium live event. This video, hosted by country music singer Hardy, will air at the start of the Royal Rumble broadcast on Peacock.
“I know what it’s like to want to make a name for yourself,” says Hardy. “To be on the road, grinding. Success don’t come easy. You gotta fight for it.”
Hardy, who will perform his song “Sold Out” live at the Rumble, narrates over footage hyping the Owens vs. Reigns and Bliss vs. Belair title matches, as well as the men’s and women’s Rumbles.
A mascot dressed as WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin saved a Houston Rockets’ mascot from taking a severe beating during their “WWE Night.”
WWE is holding this year’s Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 28. As the state of Texas prepares for the special occasion, the Houston Rockets took part in the wrestling activities. For their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 26, they had their “WWE Night.”
The Rockets worked alongside Reality of Wrestling, founded by NXT Announcer Booker T, to hold matches during the game. The team cheerleaders danced to WWE themes, and the organization sold Undertaker bobbleheads. During halftime, The Rockets also had a mini royal rumble for a replica WWF Championship with other mascots and people dressed as other wrestlers like John Cena.
Video of The Mascot Brawl at WWE Night
The Houston Rockets’ mascot won, but the Cavaliers’ mascot wasn’t happy. The Cavaliers’ mascot attacked the winner from behind and took the belt. However, a Stone Cold Steve Austin mascot made the save and ran the Cavaliers’ mascot off the basketball court.
This Saturday, WWE will hold its annual Royal Rumble event. The card will have a Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble match, with the winner of the respective matches earning a title opportunity at WrestleMania. The event will also have Roman Reigns defending his Universal Championship against Kevin Owens.
To check out who the SEScoops team thinks will win at the Royal Rumble, check out our predictions here.
Cody Rhodes will step back inside of the squared circle to wrestle again for the first time in several months on Saturday night by competing in the 30-Man Royal Rumble match.
Rhodes has been sidelined since June and wants to return in the best shape possible, especially heading into WrestleMania season.
Rhodes last worked a match when he beat Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered heading into the match. Rhodes underwent surgery for his injury.
WWE has been hyping his return through several video packages and confirmed his entry in the Rumble match ahead of the show.
Great Shape
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that “Rhodes went through what was described as a boxing training camp to get into shape for the show and has dropped from 17.7 percent bodyfat under nine percent.”
Just because Rhodes is training like a boxer doesn’t mean that he’s training to be in the match for a long period of time, but rather would indicate that Rhodes is preparing his body to go hard for an extended period of time now that he’s working a tougher schedule in WWE with more dates compared to what had been used to in recent years.
Austin Theory didn’t know that Vince McMahon would be wrestling at WrestleMania 38 until last-second.
McMahon had an impromptu match with Pat McAfee at WrestleMania shortly after McAfee defeated Theory in a match of their own. McMahon picked up a quick win over the already exhausted announcer, which was a surprise to many.
However, even though Theory was involved in the angle, he didn’t know about it until the last second, as he explained during an recent interview with Busted Open Radio.
“The egg started everything. I just heard, ‘Mr. McMahon wants to film this segment with an egg.’ I heard about it, it was him arriving with the egg and the story was somebody stole the egg. Literally, that day they were like, ‘You stole the egg.’ ‘I stole the egg, alright.’
“We filmed the segment with Vince and I was super nervous for that. ‘I stole the egg? $100 million egg? Alright.’ I’m trying to figure all this out and it’s my first thing with Vince. It was almost like anytime we filmed anything, it felt so fast. We’d do it and that would be it. Onto the next one.
“Especially, WrestleMania was interesting because we had no idea if we were going to have Vince in the match until like the night before. I remember that day showing up, I met Stone Cold for the first time. ‘Hey, how’s it going, Austin, nice to meet you.’ ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’ll be seeing you later tonight.’
“He got on the golf cart and kept driving. ‘What is going on?’ I got to Gorilla, he told me the business, that’s it. Went out there and he gave me that look.“
Of course, since Vince McMahon’s departure from the creative side of the company, Austin Theory is no longer featured as prominently as he once was for a potential World Title run. He does, however, currently reign as the United States Champion.
Is a 38-year-old Montreal-born wrestler who once donned the masked persona of ‘El Generico’ on the cusp of becoming the next face of WWE?
Sami Zayn’s popularity with wrestling fans is truly impossible to deny, with the Honorary Uce winning over crowds around the globe with his role in the Bloodline.
Zayn’s journey with the group began in April 2022 when he tried to curry favor with Roman Reigns’ faction, a plan that has clearly paid off.
The Face of WWE?
Since losing their tag match to John Cena and Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn has felt the ire of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
After being found not guilty on this week’s Raw (thanks to a last-minute defense by Jey Uso) Zayn was told that he will face a final challenge at tomorrow’s Royal Rumble.
While Zayn has proven his loyalty to the Bloodline time and time again, many feel it is just a matter of time before e and Reigns face off.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Zayn was asked about the prospect of dethroning the most dominant champion of the last three decades.
“If we’re being honest, I mean, I don’t know, I can win the World title. I could carry it for a while. I could go do talk shows, I could do all that stuff. I don’t know if I’m the guy you could necessarily hitch your wagon to for the next five to ten years and like face of the company for the next five to ten years.”
“I’m not as big as say Roman or Cena or Brock or whoever and that’s typically the guy who’s the head.”
Sami Zayn.
“If nothing else, I’m somewhat realistic about my physical [appearance.] I’m not as big as say Roman or Cena or Brock or whoever and that’s typically the guy who’s the head at that scene. Because they [WWE] want a certain projection for the long haul.”
World Champion
Zayn may be pessimistic about becoming the next face of WWE, but that doesn’t mean World Championship glory will allude him.
In the interview, Zayn spoke about the possibility of being champion, and says it would be an excellent payoff, as long as the story is done correctly.
“Could I win the world title? I think, especially because of the way the story’s done… if you do it right, fans will buy it and get into it. So I think at this point, the way it’s been built, and I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen. But if it was me and Roman at WrestleMania, and I beat Roman, if we did it right like we’ve been doing it right the past nine month, nobody’s going to go ‘bogus. I’m out. I can’t take that.’ Because we’ve done it right.”
Even if he wasn’t to become the ‘face’ of WWE, Zayn was confident he would represent the company proudly as champion.
“I think I could be a guy who carries that title six months. Go on Jimmy Fallon, make a couple of jokes, have him do that fake laugh that he does. All that good stuff. Sure I could do that. Sure. I could probably do that in my sleep to be honest. But it’s just I understand the company’s projection of what they see as the face of the company.”
“I could be a guy who carries that title.”
Sami Zayn.
“Being the champion and being the face are almost two different things, and I think I could be the champion. No problem. As far as being the guy that they’re like ‘number one, he’s our guy, he’s the poster-boy. He’s the ultimate representation of what our company is.’ I know physically I don’t fit that mold.”
Reigns will face Zayn’s real-life best friend Kevin Owens with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble.
