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Pat McAfee Was Originally Supposed to Return in WWE Royal Rumble Match

Andrew Ravens
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Pat McAfee has commented on what WWE originally had planned for him at the Royal Rumble where he made his surprise return. 

The SmackDown announcer revealed today on his radio show that he was supposed to be in the men’s Royal Rumble match. He had been away since last September due to his commitments to ESPN’s College GameDay

He said his goal was to enter the Rumble match but decided against it because he felt he wasn’t in good enough shape to do so.  

The Moment

“A lot of people thought I was going to be in the Royal Rumble, a lot of people thought that I was going to be there. That was not figured out until late last week. I mean, that really came together pretty quick. Not that there was any bad relations or anything, it’s just my schedule for the last five months and everybody’s schedule, especially in WWE… My wife’s pregnant, with what the schedule was… There was no bad beef or anything. It was just like ‘I don’t want to have to train enough to go into that Royal [Rumble].’

McAfee stated that when he left, the company thought the Rumble was the perfect time to return. 

“They said immediately, Hunter and everybody and Nick, and Stephanie at the time, were like, ‘You know, Rumble, that’s like a perfect time to come back because that’s when people come back, and it’s after college football season or whatever.’ And I was like ‘perfect, alright’ because I actually need something to keep me in shape. I always get fat. I actually need something to keep working out for and I tried. Everybody saw me, I was getting after it there.”

McAfee praised Kevin Dunn and other people in WWE for keeping his return a secret. He had also kept his return a secret from Michael Cole, who has become good friends with the former NFL punter. 

McAfee also noted that he had an issue with his plan and other travel arrangements had to be made so he arrived to the venue less than 30 minutes before the event started. 

H/T to F4Wonline.com

Austin Theory’s US Championship will be Defended Inside the Elimination Chamber

Michael Reichlin
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Austin Theory will defend his United States Championship inside the Elimination Chamber at WWE’s next premium live event. Byron Saxton announced the news late Monday afternoon.

The first Elimination Chamber qualifying matches will begin tonight on Raw. Seth Rollins faces Chad Gable and Baron Corbin battles Johnny Gargano to determine who will fill the second and third spots in match.

Aside from the men’s Elimination Chamber match, the event is also expected to see a women’s Chamber match, as well as Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Based on what transpired at the Royal Rumble, Sami Zayn is almost certainly Reigns’ next challenger.

WWE Elimination Chamber takes place Saturday, February 18 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Bell Centre (formerly known as Molson Centre).

Kurt Angle: Seth Rollins Should Be Where Roman Reigns Is

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle believes WWE should utilize Seth Rollins more.

Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and was asked about who he’d like to share the ring with if he got to have one last match. The Olympic Gold medalist chose Seth Rollins as a prime option, heaping a ton of praise on “The Architect.”

In fact, Angle explained that he doesn’t believe WWE utilizes Rollins to his potential, believing he should be in a similar spot to that of Roman Reigns.

“I really, really like Seth Rollins. I love the character he’s doing right now, the flamboyant thing,” Angle said. “He is such a great wrestler, such a great talent. I know the company has utilized him a lot the past couple of years. But I think they don’t utilize him enough. I think he should be where Roman Reigns is  — on top all of the time.”

Rollins participated in this past weekend’s Men’s Royal Rumble match and put on quite the performance. However, he was eventually eliminated by Logan Paul. Rollins is still featured as one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW at the moment.

With WrestleMania 39 right around the corner, it will be interesting to see what plans the professional wrestling juggernaut have in store for the former World Champion at “The Show Of Shows.”

Quotes via WrestleZone

Cody Rhodes Praises Nick Khan & Bruce Prichard as “Angels”

Jon Fuentes
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Cody Rhodes has nothing but praise for WWE’s Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.

As noted, Rhodes won this year’s 2023 Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to WrestleMania this April. Rhodes made his return in the match after missing several months due to a torn pectoral muscle.

While he was away, Rhodes admitted in a post-Rumble interview with Ariel Helwani that he did, indeed, have doubts before making his return. However, those were dispelled thanks to support from the likes of Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.

“I was embarrassed, I really was. I was on top of my game. All the measurables of, ‘this is working, we’re selling this, people are tuning in.’ I’m doing it. Then I got hurt bench pressing at my gym. Probably a lot of wrestling was involved in that, but I didn’t know. I was just embarrassed. I’m really sorry. I am.

“I didn’t want to leave. I had almost a 30-minute match and then had to go get surgery. I was embarrassed. That was one time where I thought, ‘I’m worried now. Maybe I don’t have it.’ Everyone has doubts, even the most confident people. Maybe I didn’t have it. I’ll tell you two people that really kept me in check, Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard. I don’t know why they have reputations.

“They’ve been nothing but angels to me. Nick and Bruce don’t see Dusty (Rhodes) when they see me, they see me. That’s big. That’s big with me. They kept me on and never told me, ‘You’re going to do this, this is going to happen.’ Just, ‘get better, get well, we need you back, we’re going to go for it,’ but we never talked about what it was. To be able to come back and punch this ticket, Thank God, just have to stay healthy.” 

Cody Rhodes

Now after winning the Rumble, Rhodes will likely go on to headline WrestleMania opposite Roman Reigns for one of his two World Titles. Rhodes has been adamant that his biggest goal upon his WWE return is to win the World Title for the first time in his career.

It will be interesting to see if he can make it happen this year at “The Show Of Shows.”

Quotes via NoDQ.com

Kevin Nash Explains Why He Did Not Accept An Invitation To RAW 30

Ella Jay
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Last Monday, WWE celebrated its 30th anniversary of RAW with a showcase of memories and moments from the past.

Amidst the festivities, several legends appeared backstage and in front of the live crowd, including The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, D-Generation X, and many more. Through the sea of former superstars, one name was notably missing: Kevin Nash.

Nash, a founding member of the NWO, recently confirmed he received an invitation to RAW 30, but ultimately declined it.

“Mr. [Bruce] Prichard reached out and asked if I would like to come,” he recalled on Kliq This. “I just said, it’s a really long day to go to TV when you’re doing something, actually on the active roster and going to have a match or a segment. It’s like building the pyramids if you’re going to be playing a hand of cards.”

RAW 30 “Not Worth The Aggravation”

Kevin Nash

Though he is friends with DX, Kevin Nash believes he wouldn’t fit have fit in with the on-screen segment involving Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, X-Pac, and Kurt Angle as they were confronted by Imperium. “I can’t be out there with DX because I’m too much of a d***,” he said. “They all said they were too old. I would have headbutted that big motherfu**er (GUNTHER) in the forehead. I’m not backing down, so send me home, I’m not doing that.”

“I’m glad I didn’t go because I don’t see where the f*** I would have been used,” Nash revealed.

On top of the uncertainty with his possible placement on the programming, Nash noted that he didn’t “know anybody on the crew really anymore or any of the workers or anything else.” In addition, he emphasized that he “really” didn’t want to suffer through the toll of “people that I don’t know coming up to me saying, ‘I’m sorry to hear about your son‘. Why would I put myself [through that]?” he said.

“I know what the payday is going to be. The payday is going to be…” he trailed off. “Not worth the aggravation,” co-host Sean Oliver filled in the sentence, as Nash agreed.

Dave Bautista as Bane? WWE Legend Has Spoken with Director James Gunn About Portraying Iconic ‘Batman’ Villain

Thomas Lowson
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Dave Batista may be a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but WWE’s Animal has his eyes on the world of DC Comics.

Since 2014, Batista has played Drax the Destroyer, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and has won over audiences with his action scenes and his sense of humor.

This year will see the release of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3, which Batista has confirmed will be the final time he portrays Drax.

DC Comics

Drax is by far not the only muscle-bound character in Batista’s sights, as he hopes to one day play the DC Comics supervillain Bane.

Speaking to Insider, Batista spoke about wanting to play the role but believes the opportunity has passed him by.

“I have had conversations with James [Gunn, Head of DC’s film projects] about that but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher and I think you need to do that.”

Batista.

The 54-year-old actor said that DC needs to start a plan for the next 15 years, something he believes he simply won’t be able to fit into.

Several changes at Warner Bros. (who own the rights for DC’s film projects) have resulted in several plans being scrapped or severely altered.

The Animal (and future WWE Hall of Famer) isn’t the only wrestler with his eyes on the role, as Braun Strowman shared his interest in playing Bane with an Instagram post in June 2021.

The Man Who Broke the Bat

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Bane breaks the spine of Batman in one of the most shocking and iconic moments in comics.

Debuting in comics as part of the 1993 Knightfall story, Bane didn’t just surpass Batman when it comes to strength but has a genius intellect that matches the Dark Knight.

In one of the most infamous moments in comics, Bane, who had deduced Batman’s identity and the location of the Batcave, broke Bruce Wayne’s spine over his knee, rendering him temporarily paralyzed.

On-screen, WCW wrestler Robert Swenson played Bane in the 1997 flop Batman and Robin, while Tom Hardy did the character more justice in 2012’s Dark Knight Rises.

Batista on His First WWE World Title Win: “I Was So Unprepared”

Charlotte Flair Didn’t Envision Winning SmackDown Women’s Championship Immediately Upon Her Return

Ella Jay
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Charlotte Flair made her grand return to WWE on December 30, confronting an old foe and reclaiming her gold in the process. But that wasn’t exactly how “The Queen” initially envisioned her comeback to unfold.

In a recent appearance on Busted Open, Flair revealed that she “definitely didn’t think” she’d regain the SmackDown Women’s Championship right “off the bat” as she did. From her surprise appearance in Tampa, Florida, Flair evidently stunned the WWE Universe, and Ronda Rousey, with her resurgence. Moments earlier, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the SmackDown Women’s Champion, but Charlotte Flair issued a challenge for Rousey to put up her title one more time. Rousey accepted, and Flair finally got the retribution she was looking for.

Despite the shock on immediate her title win, Flair stated that she “knew the direction” she wanted to go upon her return. “It felt weird if I didn’t come back and go after Ronda again. If I had just ignored her, even though we’ve been in and out of storylines the past couple of years, I needed to go back to Ronda,” she said.

Reception To Flair’s WWE Return

“Where I went from there, I just didn’t think I was going to have the same reception every week. It almost gets better,” Flair said. “You always get that one good [welcome back] ‘Yay!’ It’s been that way, even on live events. So, I’m committing to it.”

Flair also recently mentioned that the crowd’s feel-good reaction to her victory “overwhelmed” her.

Prior to her return, Charlotte Flair experienced a near eight-month absence from WWE. At WrestleMania Backlash last May, the company wrote Flair off with a storyline injury after her “I Quit” match with Ronda Rousey. In reality, though, Flair took the time off to commence her wedding with AEW star Andrade El Idolo, and address some dental issues. Multiple procedures later, Flair finally gained her clearance to wrestle again.

Beth Phoenix Warns Rhea Ripley: “Mother Is Back To Punish You”

Ella Jay
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Rhea Ripley has a big decision ahead of her, but before she can make it, she has another piece of business to tend to first.

Saturday night, Rhea Ripley punched her ticket to WrestleMania 39. “The Nightmare” entered the 2023 women’s Royal Rumble from the number one spot, but that didn’t stop her from outlasting everyone else. The final two saw Ripley clash with former tag team partner Liv Morgan — who entered at number two — before Ripley eliminated Morgan, effectively winning the 30-woman Rumble match. Now, Ripley must declare which championship she will vie for at WWE’s grandest stage, WrestleMania 39.

Before she can weigh her options, however, she appears be caught in the sights of WWE Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix.

Awakening The Glamazon

Beth Phoenix

At Extreme Rules in October, Phoenix zoomed down to try and save her husband, Edge, from the wrath of the Judgement Day during his “I Quit” match with Finn Balor. Unfortunately for Phoenix though, Rhea Ripley took her down with a pair of brass knuckles and a chair shot to the head. At the Royal Rumble, Phoenix returned with revenge on her mind.

After Edge’s elimination in the men’s Royal Rumble at the hands of the Judgement Day, “The Rated R Superstar” brawled with Finn Balor and Damian Priest up the entrance ramp. Ripley, however, stunned Edge with an attack from behind, kicking him down.

Soon though, Ripley received a surprise of her own. “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix appeared behind Rhea Ripley, grounding her with a spear.

Following the action, Ripley and Phoenix battled in a war of words on Twitter. Phoenix congratulated Ripley on her women’s Royal Rumble win, promising to drag her to Hell now. Ripley replied seemingly unphased, proclaiming that saying that Phoenix stepped into her playground now. “The Glamazon” answered back with a warning to “The Nightmare.”

Bobby Lashley Mocks Brock Lesnar After Royal Rumble Elimination

Michael Reichlin
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Bobby Lashley couldn’t help but ‘dunk’ on Brock Lesnar after eliminating him from Saturday night’s men’s Royal Rumble match.

Lashley cut a promo on SmackDown and warned the entire WWE Universe that he plans on being the last man standing in San Antonio. As he was speaking, Lesnar emerged from the crowd and viciously attacked the Almighty with an F5. The Beast declared his entry into the Rumble, setting the stage for another clash between these two heavyweights.

Having won Rumble in 2003 and 2022, Lesnar was considered one of the favorites the moment he was announced as a participant. In the hours leading up to the Rumble, Lashley warned WWE Superstars to stay out of his way.

He wrote, “I’m getting rid of Brock tonight, and THEN I’ll take care of the rest of you!”

Lashley Eliminates Lesnar

Brock Lesnar entered the Royal Rumble at #12 and went on a rampage. He flung Chad Gable, Santos Escobar and Angelo Dawkins out of the ring with ease. The next entrant into the Rumble was Bobby Lashley at #13. Two combustable forces like this do not co-exist for long. It all came to ahead when Lashley stunned the Alamodome by eliminating Lesnar.

As you can see below, Lesnar did not handle it well.

On Sunday morning, Lashley took a moment to mock Lesnar on Twitter. He told the former UFC Heavyweight champion to kiss his ass. It’s one thing to talk trash to Brock Lesnar. It’s another thing to antagonize him when he’s already riled up.

Brock Lesnsar vs. Bobby Lashley is rumored to be one of the top matches at ‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ in April.

LA Knight on Why His Max Dupri Character Didn’t Work

Thomas Lowson
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LA Knight has proven to be a hit on WWE’s main roster, but only after ditching the name Max Dupri.

Knight joined WWE in early 2021 after previous stints in TNA/Impact Wrestling and the NWA as Eli Drake, and is a former Impact World Champion.

The 40-year-old wrestler made an impact (pardon the pun) upon his arrival to NXT, where he held the Million Dollar Championship.

Dupri No More

In May 2022, Knight was reintroduced to the WWE Universe as Max Dupri, the head of the Maximum Male Models.

After his sister Maxine Dupri was introduced later that month, Dupri would split from the group, and revert to his LA Knight persona.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Knight explained why his tenure as Max Dupri was short-lived.

“How honest do you want me to be? I’ll just say this, at the end of the day I can make anything work. But at the end of the day, I’ve got a real tough time not being [me]. I’ll tell you this, it wasn’t me. So when things came to pass and LA Knight started to shine through, it was the right place to go and not a moment too soon.”

LA Knight.

At WWE Royal Rumble 2023, Knight lost to Bray Wyatt in the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match, which marked Wyatt’s first televised match since returning to WWE.

What’s in a Name?

Whether it’s as LA Knight, Max Dupri, or Eli Drake, the SmackDown Superstar (real name Shaun Ricker) has made a name himself, but these aren’t his only names.

Knight previously worked for WWE from 2013-2014 as Slate Randall but was primarily used as an enhancement talent.

In 2011, Knight was an unnamed security guard during the infamous text message promo between Kevin Nash and CM Punk, when the latter joked that people thought Nash died years ago.

Gamers may recognize Knight (or at least his voice) as “Paragon Jay Pierce” in WWE 2K22’s MyRise mode.

LA Knight on Sharing the Ring With Undertaker, Being Managed by Paul Bearer

Sami Zayn Says He Was ‘Kept Away’ From Roman Reigns Before Triple H Took Over

Anutosh Bajpai
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Sami Zayn has proven in the past few months that he belongs at the top of the WWE mountain. He has shown the world that he can hang on his own with main eventers such as Roman Reigns. According to the WWE star himself, this has all happened only after Triple H took over creative.

The WWE star had an interview with BT Sport before Royal Rumble. He talked about his storyline with The Bloodline and noted that he wasn’t given screen time with The Tribal Chief during Vince McMahon’s reign.

Zayn mentioned that stars aligned for him to get to share the screen with Roman the first time in Montreal. It took the storyline to the next level. He is not sure if things would have gone the same way without the management change:

“All I know is I can definitely point to the time he wasn’t in charge and say I was kept away from being on screen with Roman. Then once he was in charge, all of a sudden, I’m on screen and it’s allowed to breathe and see where it goes.”

– Sami Zayn

The former IC champion mentioned how they got more room to breathe after the first interaction since the pairing started to work. He doesn’t know if it could have happened with the previous management as well.

Do you think Sami Zayn would have been given the chances he has been given in the last few months under Vince McMahon? Let us know your thoughts in the comment.

H/t Fightful

Elimination Chamber Main Event Will Culminate the Top Storyline in WWE

Thomas Lowson
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Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will seek to remind Sami Zayn who is the Head of the Table next month at WWE Elimination Chamber.

At last weekend’s Royal Rumble event, Zayn’s tenure as the Honorary Uce ended when he refused to attack Kevin Owens, and instead struck Reigns with a steel chair.

This moment of victory for Zayn was short-lived, as he was attacked by Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa immediately after.

Elimination Chamber Main Event

Reigns has been on the roll of his career since capturing the Universal Championship at Payback 2020, but Zayn is hoping to prevent the Tribal Chief from entering his third consecutive WrestleMania as Champion.

Dave Meltzer reports that the main event of the upcoming show will see Zayn challenge Reigns for the title, in Sami’s hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Sami Zayn and Roman REigns

Though Meltzer said that plans are as always, subject to change, he said that major changes to plans have been far less frequent since Triple H’s appointment as Head of Creative.

Next month’s event will be the first WWE Premium Live Event to take place in Montreal since Breaking Point in September 2009.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Sami Zayn: Can He Do It?

A year ago, the idea of Sami Zayn dethroning Roman Reigns was laughable, but there has been a growing consensus that this could happen.

Not only will the Canadian have the home-field advantage, but Zayn’s popularity has proven to be undeniable in recent weeks.

Many have compared Zayn today to Daniel Bryan circa 2014, and believe WWE may push him to the top as the crowd remains firmly on his side.

There’s also the factor of Cody Rhodes (the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble winner) who has been one of WWE’s top babyfaces since returning to the promotion.

WWE runs the risk of fans turning on Rhodes (a la AEW) if they push him instead of Zayn, and ironically, it was WWE’s steadfast focus on pushing Reigns as a babyface that caused the fans to turn on him.

Sami Zayn Answers: Can He Be The Face of WWE?

WWE Reaches Interesting New Statistic With Royal Rumble 2023

Thomas Lowson
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Statistically, entering a Royal Rumble match from the #1 position is the worst possible number for a wrestler hoping to headline WrestleMania.

As seen at the 2023 Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley won the Women’s Rumble match from the #1 position and has made history in the process.

With Ripley’s win, the #1 spot has now produced four winners, tying the coveted #27 spot.

Being third from the last has often been touted as the best position to be in, with Big John Studd (1989,) Yokozuna (1993,) Bret Hart (1994,) and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (1997) all winning from #27.

While #27 has long been considered the best spot, it has now fallen to second place, as Cody Rhodes’ victory in the #30 spot is the fifth overall.

Winning from #1

Rhea Ripley is just the latest Superstar (and first female) to win a Rumble match from the #1 position, and has joined some notable names.

In 1995, Shawn Michaels became the first Superstar to go the distance, eliminating ‘The British Bulldog’ Davey Boy Smith, who had entered at #2.

Nearly a decade later, Chris Benoit did the same, entering at #1 in 2004 and last eliminating the Big Show to earn a championship match at WrestleMania.

Aware that then-SmackDown GM Paul Heyman was planning to screw him, Benoit jumped from SmackDown to Raw for his WrestleMania title opportunity.

It was Benoit’s action that led to the rule that the Royal Rumble winner can choose which title they challenge for when there are two WWE World Championships.

Fans would wait another 17 years before Edge won the Men’s Rumble at #1, at the (thankfully) only Rumble to happen without a live crowd.

Gunther Sets Record for Longest Time in WWE’s Royal Rumble Match

Gallows & Anderson’s WWE Contracts Run For Several More Years

Thomas Lowson
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Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are locked into their WWE deals for quite some time, Fightful Select has learned.

Gallows and Anderson returned to WWE in late 2022, coming to the aid of AJ Styles in his feud with the Judgment Day.

Both men had previously been released by WWE in April 2020 as part of ‘Budget Cuts’ and had found success in Impact Wrestling, as well as other promotions.

Contracts

When Fightful Select asked sources in WWE, they were told that Gallows and Anderson are under five-year WWE contracts that have them set to stay until late 2027.

These deals are far longer than the typical WWE contract, which like other promotions is a standard three-year deal.

As WWE’s Head of Relations, Triple H oversaw the return of Gallows and Anderson, and it is reported that he encouraged the pair to re-sign with WWE in 2019, over tempting offers from Impact, AEW, and NJPW.

Fightful’s report suggests that the Game felt bad that he cost The O.C. opportunities elsewhere, only for them to be released in April 2020, hence their longer new deals.

Gallows and Anderson

After debuting in WWE in 2016 (as part of AJ Styles’ feud with John Cena,) it wasn’t long before Gallows and Anderson captured their first of two reigns as Raw Tag Team Champions.

The pair also has the distinction of being part of The Undertaker’s final match, as they (unsuccessfully) aided Styles during the Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36.

Though the pair have worked with Styles since returning, the Phenomenal One is currently out of action after suffering an injury at a WWE live event.

Karl Anderson Addresses Being Booked on The Same Date by WWE and NJPW

Cody Rhodes to Appear on Logan Paul’s ImPaulsive Podcast This Week

Thomas Lowson
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Cody Rhodes’ road to the main event of WWE WrestleMania 39 will see him make a stop as the guest of Logan Paul’s ImPaulsive podcast.

Rhodes returned to competition at last Saturday’s event, entering the Men’s Rumble match at #30 and winning the entire thing.

The American Nightmare eliminated five Superstars (including Paul) to win, last tossing out Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who was the #1 entrant.

ImPaulsive Podcast

In a video from the official ImPaulsive podcast Twitter account, Cody confirmed that he and the Maverick had just wrapped up recording an episode of the show.

Rhodes also brought up the fact that he eliminated Paul, to which the young Superstar insisted “I’m not mad, because you did our show.”

Like Rhodes, Paul made his own return from injury as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match, his first time in the 30-man contest.

Entering at #29, Paul lasted over 10 minutes in the match and was the penultimate person to be eliminated.

WrestleMania

With his win, Rhodes has earned the opportunity to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania, currently held by Roman Reigns.

Rhodes infamously vowed to become WWE Champion during his promo on the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw, and fulfill a promise to his late father, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes.

As for Paul, the YouTuber had pitched to compete with John Cena this April, and at a time, it was reported that this match was in the works.

With more recent reports of Cena Vs. U.S. Champion Austin Theory, it is now rumored that Paul will face Seth Rollins, who was eliminated by the Maverick at the Rumble.

Logan Paul on a Tag Team With Jake Paul in WWE: “That Would be Amazing”

AEW Star Spotted Backstage at WWE Royal Rumble

Samantha Schipman
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Saturday night “The Road to WrestleMania” officially kicked off with the Royal Rumble.

The men’s Royal Rumble match saw a guest spot from Booker T along with the returns of Edge and Cody Rhodes. GUNTHER also set a record for the longest time in a Royal Rumble match.

AEW Star Supporting Cody Rhodes

cody rhodes 2023

Rhodes made his return from injury at the 30th entrant in the rumble match. He was able to defeat GUNTHER to earn a match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

Last night, AEW star Ricky Starks tweeted that “#30 is a great number. LFG”

On Sunday evening, a photo surfaced on Starks at the Royal Rumble with Rhodes. The two wrestlers are good friends. Settle down, IWC.

In response to the photo and the Twitter jokes, Starks commented, “Damn, they brought back GTV.”

On last Wednesday’s Dynamite, Starks and Action Andretti faced “Le Sex Gods” Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara.

Cody Rhodes On His Torn Pectoral Injury “I’m Very Sorry That I got Hurt”

Jay Briscoe’s Funeral Service Aired via Livestream

Samantha Schipman
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Nearly two weeks after his death, Jay Briscoe’s funeral service took place on Sunday. His family allowed the service to air via livestream on YouTube.

His funeral comes several days after Jay’s brother, Mark, was finally allowed to wrestle on AEW television. Mark and Jay Lethal asked to honor Jay on what would’ve been his 39th birthday. The match closed out last Wednesday’s Dynamite. AEW was also finally able to air a video package for Jay.

Jay Briscoe’s “Celebration of Life”

Jay Briscoe

On Wrestling Observer Radio, it was revealed that Tony Khan got a jet to take talent that worked yesterday’s Dark tapings to Jay’s funeral if they wished to attend.

There was representation for multiple companies at the funeral. Roderick Strong assisted Jay Lethal in a 10-bell salute.

One story shared was that Jay began using the catchphrase, “Reach for the sky, boy” because Woody in Toy Story said that when his string was pulled. He would always cry when watching the movie with his kids.

Mark spoke at his brother’s service and talked about how Jay viewed religion.

https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1619835281674489856?s=20&t=3aTOP-G-K8C-VUgKMS4Gjw

Prince Nana tweeted a picture from the reception.

Donations can still be made for the Pugh family here and an AEW shirt with all proceeds going to his family is also available. The tribute show to Jay is available on both Honor Club and ROH’s YouTube channel.

Fans Asked to Stop Harassing Family of Other Driver in Jay Briscoe Tragedy

Pat McAfee’s Royal Rumble Return Kept a Secret from Michael Cole & Corey Graves

Andrew Ravens
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To start off the WWE Royal Rumble PLE, Pat McAfee made his surprise return to the company by joining Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the announce table to call the show that started with the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. 

WWE brought him in last year to be part of SmackDown, and he has been praised for his one-liners and energy during shows. Wade Barrett replaced McAfee while he was gone on SmackDown, and WWE has used Booker T in NXT to replace Barrett. 

The Shock

image 19

McAfee’s return was kept very close to the vest to prevent the news of his return from leaking out, according to a report by PWinsider. It should be noted that there were rumors on the day of the show that he may be returning.

According to this report, Cole, who has become good friends with McAfee, was legitimately surprised by the return.  On the broadcast, Cole said that he had spoken with McAfee that day, but the fellow SmackDown commentator didn’t tell him he was returning. 

WWE went as far as keeping those working in production in the dark. Not only were there rumors of him returning, but it was just a matter of time before he was back due to the college football season being over and the belief that he would return once he had finished up his duties with ESPN for the season.

Early Sunday morning, McAfee took to Twitter to deliver a “massive thank you” to the fans who were in attendance at the Royal Rumble.

Jey Uso Says He’s Out of The Bloodline

Samantha Schipman
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In a shocking turn of events at last night’s Royal Rumble, we saw Jey Uso leave his family behind after Sami Zayn turned on Roman Reigns.

Following the champ’s win over Kevin Owens, members of The Bloodline took turns beating him with a chair while he was handcuffed to the ring. Zayn had seen enough and stepped in to stop the brutal beating on his former best friend. Reigns tried to persuade him to attack Owens with the chair. Zayn ultimately pulled a Seth Rollins and hit Reigns in the back with the chair.

Jey Uso Says He’s Done

Jey Uso

After the show, Reigns declared, “you’re either in The Bloodline or you’re not.”

Tonight, Uso seemingly responded by taking to his Instagram. He posted a picture of himself with a caption that simply said “I’m out” with a blood drop emoji.

He also post a picture of himself and Reigns with text reading “run it back”. Uso is referring their matches at Clash of Champions and Hell in a Cell in 2020.

Uso and Reigns were at odds the early days of “The Bloodline” coming together as an unstoppable unit. Uso eventually fell in line and recognized his cousin as “The Head of the Table”.

WWE Royal Rumble Review: An All-Time Great Story

WWE Royal Rumble Review: An All-Time Great Story

Ryan Droste
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This week on Top Rope Nation, SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste is joined by Jesse Velasquez of the Unplugged Wrestling Podcast to review Saturday night’s WWE Royal Rumble event.

Each week, the video version of Top Rope Nation streams live to the SEScoops YouTube channel. You can join the live streams by subscribing to the channel and turning on notifications so you never miss a live broadcast. This will include a regular weekly edition of Top Rope Nation (typically Thursday nights), as well as reviews of all major WWE and AEW PLE/PPV shows.

On episode 282 this week, every match on the Rumble card is covered. Plus, Ryan and Jesse have a conversation about where the Bloodline, Roman Reigns, and Sami Zayn storyline ranks all-time. Also, what does Sami Zayn’s popularity mean for Cody Rhodes and the build to WrestleMania?

You can watch the show via the embedded YouTube video at the top of this page. Additionally, you can listen to the audio-only podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You will also find an embedded audio player below.

Natalya Reveals the Inspiration Behind Her Royal Rumble Ring Gear

Michael Reichlin
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Natalya made a surprise return to WWE at in the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match. The second-generation Superstar had not publicly declared for the match. She’s been out of action since November after undergoing nasal surgery to move her dislocated nose “back to the center” of her face.

As the daughter of WWE legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Natalya regularly wears pink and black as an homage to the Hart Foundation, his classic tag team with Bret “Hit Man” Hart.

It wasn’t a big surprise to see her rocking the ‘Hart colors’ at the Royal Rumble. On Sunday, the 2-time Women’s Champion revealed her Rumble ring attire was extra special, with deep ties to her father’s legendary tag team.

Natalya’s Royal Rumble Ring Gear

In a post on Twitter, Natalia revealed that her Rumble gear was designed by the same person who (along with her sister) is responsible for the Hart Foundation wearing pink and black in the first place.

“The costume designer who made this outfit for me, Julie, also designed the very first ever Hart Foundation gear with her sister, Terry,” she wrote. They were the ones who came up with the concept of The Hart Foundation wearing pink and black.”

She also wore a skull cap, a look coined by her father during the Hart Foundation’s tag team title reign in 1990. As seen below, you can see the inspiration behind this latest look.

Natalya has been a member of WWE’s main roster since April 2008. As a senior member of the women’s locker room, she has a ton of experience to offer some of Raw and SmackDown’s more recent additions.

Mentoring aside, Natalya is not over the hill by any means. Just last year, she challenged then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at WWE’s Money in the Bank premium live event. Rousey got the win, but Natalya showed she can still compete at the highest level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNKeUMHvSpE

Rhea Ripley Shows Off Her ‘Battle Scars’ After Winning the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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Rhea Ripley was in a partying mood after winning the 2023 women’s Royal Rumble match, but she didn’t go the distance without taking a few bumps and bruises.

Ripley now has a one-way ticket to a main event match at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. She’ll get to choose whether she challenges Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship or SmackDown women’s champion, Charlotte Flair. She’s already held the Raw Women’s title, a factor that could play into her decision.

WWE held a press conference after the Royal Rumble. Several Superstars including Cody Rhodes, Bray Wyatt fielded questions from members of the wrestling media. Ripley was all smiles when she spoke, telling the room that she’s planning to celebrate in a big way.

“The Judgment Day, we get pretty wild when we party,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that go down, I might get in trouble if I say anything. There’s definitely gonna be a good old Judgment Day party. Dom Dom’s gonna get rowdy, Priest is definitely gonna get rowdy and Finn Balor is gonna get rowdy, and I’m gonna celebrate, I don’t care.”

Update on Rhea Ripley After Winning the Royal Rumble

On Sunday, Ripley posted a photo on Twitter showing off the scrapes and cuts she sustained on the way to her big win. This is nothing compared to what happened to Sonya Deville, but you can see she didn’t make it out unscathed.

Reason Why Rey Mysterio Missed WWE’s Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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Rey Mysterio did not appear in the men’s Royal Rumble match, despite WWE having creative plans for him in the match.

Mysterio was scheduled to enter the Royal Rumble at #17. His music hit, but the lucha libre legend was nowhere to be found. The following entrant was his son, Dominik, who came out wearing his father’s signature mask. He removed the mask and tore it up as he made his way to the ring to officially enter the match.

What unfolded on television was not what WWE had planned for the Mysterios at the Rumble, but the company was forced to call a last-minute audible due to Rey sustaining an injury the previous night.

Rey Mysterio Update After the Royal Rumble

Rey Mysterio was injured during his match against Karrion Kross on Friday’s SmackDown, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Mysterio defeated Kross on SmackDown, which was taped from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas.

“[Rey Mysterio] was going to be in the Rumble, that spot was changed,” said Meltzer. “I think they were actually supposed to do some teases with him to set up a WrestleMania match [against Dominik].”

Rey Mysterio won the 2006 WWE Royal Rumble, so he would have been a formidable contender, even at this late stage in his career.

With Rey unable to compete, WWE’s creative team instead came up with what we saw on television, and the idea that the Judgment Day attacked Rey Mysterio and prevented him from participating.

We’ll be looking into the nature of Rey Mysterio’s latest injury and will provide an update when we get more information. The extent of his condition may dictate whether or not he’s healthy enough to face his son Dominik at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.

Sonya Deville Shows Off Nasty Injury from the Royal Rumble: “I’m a Beast!”

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Superstar Sonya Deville suffered a nasty gash above her left eye in Saturday night’s Women’s ‘Royal Rumble’ match.

Deville entered the Rumble at #27, an advantageous spot that most entrants would be happy to receive. She eliminated a few people, including Indi Hartwell and Zoey Stark, before getting kicked in the head and tossed out by Asuka.

Early Sunday morning, Deville checked in on social media to let her fans know she’s alright, and to show off the full extent of her injury.

Sonya Deville’s Royal Rumble Injury (Graphic)

As seen below, she suffered a huge cut on her eyebrow that likely required several stitches to close up. She’s taking the setback in stride and says, “I’m a beast!”

https://twitter.com/SonyaDevilleWWE/status/1619585697131945984

The 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match was ultimately won by Rhea Ripley of Judgment Day. Ripley now who heads to WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, where she’ll face either Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair or SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Watch What Happened with Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens After the Royal Ruble Went Off the Air

Michael Reichlin
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Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event concluded with the latest chapter of the ongoing saga of Sami Zayn and the Bloodline (Results).

After months of tension, the storyline that many have likened to Scorsese-level cinema culminated with Zayn interrupting a Bloodline beatdown on Kevin Owens, hitting Roman Reigns with a steel chair and being left for dead by Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso. As for Jey Uso, well, he’s a bit conflicted.

To see what happened after the Royal Rumble went off the air, watch the footage above, courtesy of the What a Vlog Youtube channel.

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