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Former Women’s Champion Discussed for Royal Rumble Return

Tyriece Simon
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We are just days away from the 2022 Royal Rumble and the rumor mill is in overdrive regarding potential surprise appearances.

According to Fightful Select, WWE has discussed Asuka returning to compete in the Women’s Royal Rumble match. This is not a confirmation that she will appear, but the report states that several wrestlers in WWE believe Asuka will be there this Saturday.

Asuka has been away from WWE for over six months. Her last televised appearance took place at Money in the Bank on July 18, 2021. The report shares that she had been dealing with injuries since her last WWE appearance but can’t confirm if doctors medically cleared her to wrestle.

WWE surprised fans by adding Impact Wrestling Women’s Champion Mickie James to the Women’s Royal Rumble. The company also announced legends like Lita and Summer Rae as participants.

Some of the talent in WWE also wouldn’t know if they will be on the Royal Rumble card until that day. While WWE discusses Asuka as a surprise, they could also change their minds.

The 2022 Royal Rumble premium live event airs this Saturday on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network everywhere else.

Becky Lynch Names Herself As Greatest WWE Champion Ever

Michael Reichlin
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Becky Lynch isn’t paid the big bucks to be humble.

Lynch will defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Doudrop this Saturday at the Royal Rumble.

She is also Steve Austin’s guest on the next installment of Broken Skull Sessions. The episode drops this Friday.

WWE has released a teaser clip for the episode. Steve Austin invites Becky Lynch to play The Game of GOATs, which involves the contestant naming the ‘greatest of all time’ for various categories. Some of the questions are wrestling-related, but not all of them.

Becky Lynch plays The Game of GOATs

Here are Becky Lynch’s picks for the greatest of all time:

  • WWE Champion: Herself
  • Workout Song: Bulls on Parade (Rage Against the Machine)
  • Finishing Move (other than her own): Shooting Star Press
  • Movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
  • TV Show: Saved by the Bell
  • WrestleMania Entrance: Any of Triple H’s
  • Athlete Outside of WWE: Conor McGregor
  • Advice Giver: Seth Rollins
  • Breakfast: Oatmeal or Toast

Watch Becky Lynch play The Game of GOATs with Stone Cold Steve Austin:

Catch Becky Lynch on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions this Friday on Peacock in the U.S. and WWE Network everywhere else.

Proud and Powerful Discuss not Disbanding the Inner Circle

Tyriece Simon
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All Elite Wrestling talents Santana and Ortiz of Proud and Powerful reveal that they wanted to disband the Inner Circle faction.

Stephanie Chase interviewed Proud and Powerful to discuss the possibility of the Inner Circle breaking up. The faction of Proud and Powerful, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, and Chris Jericho, has teased friction within the group. Chase interviewed Jericho last year, and he also shared that he spoke to Khan about disbanding the group. However, AEW President Tony Khan felt it was unnecessary.

Proud and Powerful shared that they also wanted to go their separate ways and believed that the group had accomplished all they could.

“…I just felt like we had done so much, and we have proven to be very successful at being the group and stuff, I just felt like it was it was time for all of us to, like you said, go our separate ways and start establishing our own selves and whatever we’re going to continue doing and stuff like that and then maybe eventually later down the line we could bring it back together for a major moment and rock and roll again,” said Santana.

Ortiz also believes that while the Inner Circle members have separate feuds sometimes, he likes the option to go back to being a faction.

WIll the Inner Circle Break Up Soon

The current storyline with the Inner Circle seems to be setting up disbanding. Eddie Kingston remarked that Proud and Powerful could be AEW Tag Team Champions if they weren’t with the Inner Circle. Both Santana and Ortiz walked away from Jericho during a backstage segment showing that they were having issues. In the interview with Chase, Proud and Powerful acknowledge that AEW could break up the faction soon, but it’s still speculative.

The entire Inner Circle faction hasn’t consistently worked together in a storyline since their feud with American Top Team and The Men of the Year.

Renee Paquette Responds to Bully Ray Comments About Jon Moxley

Tyriece Simon
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Renee Paquette has shared her thoughts on SiriusXM co-worker Bully Ray’s comments about her husband, Jon Moxley.

On Throwing Down with her co-host Miesha Tate, Paquette recapped Moxley’s All Elite Wrestling return at AEW Dynamite last week. She shared that she got emotional watching him talk about his absence and how proud she is of her husband. Moxley took three months off from wrestling to attend a rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse.

After praising her husband, Paquette responded to Ray’s critique about her husband’s return and that he believes that Moxley should’ve apologized to fans for taking time off. She didn’t want to address Ray’s comments, but she felt that Ray crossed the line talking about her husband.

“…The Bully Ray thing, I saw it all over my Twitter, and I was like, do I even address this? But it’s like that thing. People can talk sh*t about me all day long, whatever it’s fine. You talk sh*t about my husband. You talk sh*t about my family that becomes more personal for me,” said Paquette.

She said it also bothered her because she had a good relationship with Ray. Moxley appeared at Northeast Wrestling Wrestlefest 26 on January 22nd, which Ray also attended. However, it’s unclear if they have spoken to each other.

More on Paquette Response to Bully Ray Comments

Ray comment’s about Moxley, which bothered both wrestlers and fans. His SiriusXM Busted Open show co-worker Mark Henry also criticized Ray’s remarks about Moxley. While Ray has yet to apologize, Paquette is not expecting one. She also addressed Moxley’s decision to deal with his issues and that the wrestling business has a troubled history with wrestlers that suffered or died from addiction issues.

“…He wanted Jon to apologize to the fans, and it’s like yeah, he took time off to take care of himself. Him being there and having longevity in this business is plenty. The guy’s already put his body through the wringer with the job that he does,” said Paquette. She continued, “…Three months is also nothing in the scope of what wrestling is and also the scope of his life. Three months is nothing. So for him to go and do the things that he needed to do for himself, for our family, for our daughter, that’s for us. That’s for us, that’s not for anybody else, and I can not be more proud of him for doing that.”

“In a business that is so notorious with addiction issues, we’ve seen the untimely passing of so many wrestlers. It has been a thing that has affected the business for such a long time. It’s a stigma that comes with the business, so the fact that Jon is one of those guys in the spot that he is in, and he’s going against the grain and doing the things that he needs to do, I think, speaks volumes to the fans,” said Paquette.

Paquette made it clear that this is not an angle or a storyline. She also shared that Moxley wasn’t aware of Ray’s comments until she told him.

Becky Lynch Responds To Ronda Rousey Return Rumors

Chris Stephens
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Becky Lynch has commented on the rumors circulating that Ronda Rousey could be on her way back to WWE. News broke recently that WWE officials are pushing for Rousey to return in the upcoming Royal Rumble premium live event this weekend.

Lynch responded to a Tweet from Bleacher Report noting that Rousey could be returning to WWE soon.

“Was wondering if you’d show up again. I’ve still got her and she’s doing great,” Lynch Tweeted.

Rousey gave birth to her first child in September but is said to have been training for an in-ring return.

The last time Ronda Rousey was in a WWE ring she was pinned by Becky Lynch in the main event of WrestleMania 35. There was some controversy to that match, however, as Rousey’s shoulder appeared to come off the mat during the pin.

Lynch would also take time away from the company to have her first child. She vacated the RAW Women’s Championship to Asuka the night after Money in the Bank in 2020. She’d return this summer at SummerSlam and regain the title in just 23 seconds in an impromptu match against Bianca Belair. Lynch is scheduled to defend the title on Saturday against Doudrop.

Brian Kendrick Asks WWE For His Release (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Brian Kendrick, who has been working backstage in a producer’s role for NXT and 205 Live, has reportedly asked for his WWE release. According to PWInsider, Kendrick asked for his release 6 weeks ago but remains with the company as of this writing.

“We can confirm that Brian Kendrick, who had most recently been working as a producer on WWE NXT and 205 Live, requested a release from the company weeks ago and has not been to any TV tapings in Orlando in some time,” wrote Mike Johnson. 

“We are told Kendrick has been waiting for a release ‘at least’ six weeks.”

– PWInsider on Brian Kendrick’s status with WWE
Brian Kendrick Mustafa Ali

Brian Kendrick finds himself in a similar situation as Mustafa Ali. Mustafa Ali publicly requested his WWE release earlier this month. WWE has yet to grant that release, prompting fans on social media to use the hashtag, #FreeAli.

He was with WWE from 2005 to 2009. During that run, he won tag team gold along with Paul London twice. He’d return to WWE in 2014 as a trainer but then got back in the ring for the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic and 205 Live.

Kendrick is also a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion. He and former tag team partner Paul London won Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Tag Team of the Year award in 2007.

Johnny Knoxville’s WWE Future, More ‘Jackass’ Stars at the Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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Jackass star Johnny Knoxville is a longshot to win the Royal Rumble this weekend. However, stranger things have happened.

Knoxville will enter the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble in hopes of earning a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 38.

The Royal Rumble marks beginning of the Road to WrestleMania. The Rumble is often used as a platform to jumpstart feuds that that culminate at WWE’s biggest event of the year.

According to WrestleVotes, a source claims that Johnny Knoxville’s involvement with WWE will be done after the Royal Rumble.

“Source states Johnny Knoxville’s Royal Rumble involvement is slated to be Rumble only & done on Saturday.”

– WrestleVotes

More ‘Jackass’ Stars at the Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble 2022

Jonny Knoxville’s participation at the WWE Royal Rumble is to promote his new movie, Jackass Forever (in theaters February 4th).

Knoxville is now teasing that he will have ‘backup’ when he shows up to The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

During a Q&A with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Knoxville teased that other Jackass members will be in his corner at the Royal Rumble.

Earlier this week, WWE asked Johnny Knoxville to comment on the other participants he might encounter at the Royal Rumble. Knoxville called them all “pretenders” and had this to say about the following WWE Superstars:

  • Sheamus: “He’s a chump”
  • Omos: “What a mama’s boy”
  • Austin Theory: “Who does his eyebrows? Very cute!”
  • Big E: “Big Siss-E”
  • The Viking Raiders: “They are not spending any time in the gym”
  • Otis: “Oh man, it looks like something from Deliverance”

These words may come back to bite him this Saturday.

Randy Orton Comments On His “Difficult” Storyline With The Fiend

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton recently discussed his storyline rivalry with The Fiend during an appearance on the Ringer Wrestling Podcast.

Orton said it could be difficult to make some of what was asked of him during the program look and feel believable.

“They put me in the burn mask one week and the next week I’m out of it and my skin healed. It’s tough,” Orton said. “Then you go to, who you would imagine you go to when you have a gripe, and go, ‘Hey, I can’t do this. Aren’t they gonna….’ [Vince impression], ‘Just do it. It’s going to work.’ ‘Okay.’ Roll with the punches. You go out there and do your best job. Even though I’m lighting a dead guy on fire and he’s the babyface…”

Orton continued to talk about trying his best to make people buy into the angle.

“I had a very hard time trying to make that real, but I feel like I did a good enough job to where even though it was a little cringe-worthy for some people, because I really tried to believe I was going through this, I think it helped people buy into it a little bit more while we were suspending that reality and trying to make them believe like they would if they were watching the most recent Halloween movie.”

Orton defeated Wyatt in the Firefly Inferno match at the TLC PPV in December 2020. Then at WrestleMania 37, he defeated the Fiend again in a match that lasted less than 6 minutes. Those were the two final matches of Bray Wyatt’s WWE career.

The two also feuded in 2016/2017. Wyatt defeated Orton at No Mercy 2016, then lost the WWE title to him at WrestleMania 33. Wyatt then defeated Orton in a House of Horrors match at Payback 2017. Orton leads the all-time series between the two in singles matches 3-2.

Lita Confirms “Potential Opportunities” Before WWE Return

Michael Reichlin
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Lita says she had “some potential opportunities floating around” prior to her recent WWE return.

The Attitude Era legend returned to WWE programming earlier this month, when she confronted Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. She’ll lace up her boots once again this Saturday in the Women’s Royal Rumble, where she hopes to securing herself a title shot at WrestleMania 38.

On Monday, Lita was a guest on the Throwing Down with Renee Paquette & Miesha Tate show on Sirius XM.

Lita recalls the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many of us overindulged in junk food thinking it would be a short-term ‘vacation’ from healthy living. As the pandemic raged on, reality set in and she eventually got back to training.

Earlier this month, Fightful reported that Lita was in talks with AEW. It never came to fruition, but Tony Khan wanted Lita to wrestle AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker at last year’s All Out pay-per-view from Chicago, IL.

During her discussion with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate, Lita strongly considered accepting a ‘potential opportunity’ that came her way.

“There were some potential opportunities floating around that I was like, ‘Maybe, maybe, maybe.’

– Lita

WWE recently approached her about the chance to participate in the Women’s Royal Rumble. “It was this thing that was, ‘Yes or no. Do you want to do the Rumble on this date, are you in?’ I put my feet to the fire and was like, ‘Yes, I’m in.’ Now that I’m in, it’s time to make the most of it,” she said.

Lita has been out of action since 2018. She wrestled a few matches for WWE that year, including the 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble and the WWE Evolution all-women’s PPV.

Mickie James On Life After WWE Ahead of the Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James was the latest guest on Sam Roberts’ Notsam Wrestling Podcast.

James will make history this weekend when she competes in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match. It will be the first time that a reigning Impact Wrestling champion appears on WWE programming.

Mickie James Royal Rumble
Mickie James returns to WWE at the 2022 Royal RUmble

Mickie James and Sam Roberts spoke about the significance of her competing in the Royal Rumble, what it means for her to return to WWE, the NWA Empowerrr all-women’s pay-per-view and much more.

WWE released over 80 wrestlers in 2021. All of these departures were unfortunate. Some of the performers had just uprooted their lives and moved to Orlando, FL to work for WWE. However, the way WWE handled Mickie James’ release was perhaps the most callous of them all. After losing her job, her personal belongings were sent to her in a garbage bag.

Mickie James on her WWE Release

Mickie James says she wasn’t worried about what to do after WWE released her. She loves the business and feels that she’ll always be able to carve out a niche for herself.

She had been released from the company before and knows there is life after WWE.

“I know it doesn’t seem that way, but there are so many different ways, especially now more than ever, to create your own value and be your own boss and to kind of make your own rules,” she said.

“And for me, I’m like, this is great, especially where I’m sitting, you know, for the length of time I’ve been in the business and what I see or how I want to continue to contribute. It’s a really powerful place for me to be sitting in too, it’s cool, it’s cool.”

Life After WWE

James hoped to end her WWE career in a “badass way.” As a veteran, she hoped to use her expertise and eventually be a backstage producer, where she’d work closely with the current generation of performers.

“I think it was definitely a conversation of like, ‘That is the next step,’ is to go to work behind the scenes. Because is just a whole new avenue to contribute to the future in a different way and to help the future and all the things. But I think that I was still like ‘Yeah but I still want to go out, bow out in like a badass way,’ you know?’ And yeah. I just didn’t think I was going to have a chance to do that [in WWE].”

Since her WWE release 9 months ago, she went on to executive produce the all-women’s NWA Empowerrr pay-per-view. She also captured the Impact Knockouts Championship for a fourth time.

Mickie James still has a lot more to contribute to wrestling. She writes the next chapter of her story this Saturday at the Royal Rumble.

Listen to Mickie James on the Notsam Wrestling Podcast:

Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch Planned for WrestleMania (Report)

Michael Reichlin
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WWE is planning for Ronda Rousey to be a big part of WrestleMania 38.

This Saturday, WWE presents the 2022 Royal Rumble premium live event. The Rumble marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania.

We know WWE has some big Royal Rumble surprises in store. As big as the Rumble is, WWE often uses it as a platform to set up the biggest show of the year.

By now, the top matches for WrestleMania are starting to take shape. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed speculation that Ronda Rousey will be returning to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania in April.

“That could be the match, and the impression I got is that it’s certainly ‘more than considered’ to be the match. I don’t know that it’s official, but I know somebody there who pretty much told me its in the books.”

– Dave Meltzer on Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38

Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania

Ronda Rousey has had some big moments at WrestleMania. Her first appearance for WWE took place at WrestleMania 31 back in 2015. Little did we know at the time, Rousey would eventually go on to become a full-time WWE Superstar and main event WrestleMania just a few years later.

The last time we saw Ronda Rousey in a WWE, it was at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch made history that night. It was the first time a women’s secured the main event of the biggest night in pro wrestling.

Becky Lynch was victorious that night. She walked away with Rousey’s Raw Women’s Championship and Charlotte’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch

Since WrestleMania 35, Becky Lynch’s star has continued to rise. “Becky 2 Belts” evolved into The Man and more recently into Big Time Becks. Her star power and is on a different level than any other woman in WWE. If WWE wants to deliver a WrestleMania opponent worthy of Big Time Becks, Ronda Rousey fits the bill. Plans change, but Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania is one hell of a plan.

Becky Lynch hasn’t forgotten about her former foe. During an interview with TMZ Sports back in October, she was asked if she had any advice for Ronda Rousey about returning to WWE after having a baby.

“Don’t, cause I’m still on top, Ronda, you won’t like it. That’s my advice.”

– Becky Lynch’s advice to Ronda Rousey about returning to WWE

If the match does come to fruition, Becky Lynch thinks she knows how it will play out.

“The fact that I’ve had a baby and came back so great that she’ll probably want to one-up me,” Lynch said of Rousey on the Out of Character podcast.

“She’ll try to come back in three months, then I’ll be right there to punch her right in the face, give her a Rock Bottom, out of here in 20 seconds, Ronda. So long, good night.”

Becky Lynch Ronda Rousey
Becky Lynch & Ronda Rousey

WWE RAW Results (1/24): Lesnar & Lashley, Title Match, Maryse’s Birthday Celebration

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. It was the final RAW before Royal Rumble this Saturday night. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley had a weigh in tonight ahead of their title match at the PPV.

RAW Results

  1. Bianca Belair def. Queen Zelina
  2. Kevin Owens def. Damian Priest via DQ (Priest retained US Title)
  3. Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Dana Brooke def. Carmella, Tamina, Nikki A.S.H.
  4. Randy Orton def. Chad Gable
  5. AJ Styles def. Austin Theory
  6. The Mysterios def. Street Profits

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Lesnar & Lashley Weighed In

The weigh in for the WWE Championship match at Royal Rumble kicked off the show. Adam Pearce were in the ring and introduced Bobby Lashley first. The challenger came to the ring with MVP. Graves introduced Lesnar but he didn’t come down to the entrance ramp. Paul Heyman interrupted and told Grave not to steal his shtick and introduced WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to a great reaction from the crowd.Lesnar was wearing a cowboy hat and tipped it to the crowd before his pyro went off.

The WWE Champion circled the ring a couple times before entering. Corey Graves told Brock that he wasn’t wearing appropriate attire for a weigh in and Brock jokingly asked if he wanted him to get naked. Lashley hopped on the scale and weighed in at 273 pounds. MVP cut a promo and referred to Lashley as “273 lbs of bottled lightning” that Lesnar is going to have to contend with at Royal Rumble.

MVP claimed that Lashley will gain the exact amount of weight of the WWE title after the PPV. Brock asked Heyman to kindly hold his hat and got on the scale. Brock weighed in at 286 pounds. Lashley vowed to beat Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble and added that it was not a prediction, it is spoiler. Brock then made another “Bobby who?” joke before leaving the ring.

Bianca Belair Picked Up A Win

Bianca Belair battled Queen Zelina in the first match of the night. Belair took control of the match and leveled Zelina with a Dropkick. Bianca posed for the crowd before lifting Zelina up for a Suplex. Zelina escaped and connected with a Jawbreaker. Queen Zelina sent Bianca to the corner and delivered a running knee to the face. Zelina climbed to the middle turnbuckle but Belair caught her with a forearm to the head. Belair lifted Vega up but she countered into a sleeper hold.

Belair tried to bash Zelina into the turnbuckle but Vega unloaded some elbows to the face. Belair finally broke the hold and caught Zelina with another Dropkick. Bianca hopped to her feet and hit Zelina in a couple Suplexes. Bianca went for a Moonsault but Queen Zelina got her knees up. Zelina went for a Sunset Bomb but Belair blocked it and hit KOD for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens def. Damian Priest via DQ

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Kevin Owens tonight. Owens hit a shoulder tackle and followed it up a Senton for a two count. Owens sent Damian to the corner and stomped on him until the referee backed him away. Damian went for a Chokeslam but Owens blocked it. Damian followed Owens out of the ring and launched him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Owens caught Priest with a Superkick and the champion fell to the floor outside the ring. Owens went for a Senton off the apron but Damian got his knees up. Damian Chokeslammed Owens onto the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Damian connected with a slam and went for the cover but Owens kicked out at two. Priest perched Owens up on the top turnbuckle and joined him up there. Owens caught Damian with a headbutt and connected with a Tornado DDT. Owens climbed to the top rope and hit a Frog Splash for a near fall.

Owens hit a boot to the face and went for a Pop-Up Powerbomb but Damian held onto the ropes. Priest leveled Owens with a roundhouse kick for a two count. Owens once again made it seem like he injured his knee like last week and Damian wasn’t buying it. Priest stomped on Owens several times before the referee backed him away. Owens rolled up Damian and grabbed the tights but Priest kicked out. Damian got fired up and hit a big Clothesline. Priest lost his composure again and attacked Owens in the corner until the referee called for the bell. Owens won the match via DQ but Priest is still the United States Champion. Sonya Deville warned Damian Priest to get his temper under control backstage after the match.

Nikki A.S.H. Attacked Rhea Ripley

Carmella, Tamina, Nikki A.S.H. faced Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Dana Brooke in a 6-woman tag team match. Ripley hit Tamina with a couple Clotheslines and a Northern Lights Suplex to start off the action. Ripley went for a cover but Carmella broke it up at two. Everyone got in the ring and brawled before Carmella tagged in with her face mask on. Rhea was pissed and got Carmella in the Stretch Muffler for the submission victory. Nikki A.S.H. knocked Rhea to the mat and posed on the entrance ramp to end the segment.

Orton def. Gable, Scooter Race Set For Next Week

Alpha Academy and RK-Bro squared off in a spelling bee. Alpha Academy got both of their words wrong. RK-Bro spelled both of their words correctly and won the spelling bee. The Academic Challenge will span a few weeks between RK-Bro and Alpha Academy. Orton and Gable then battled in a singles match. Another promo for Veer was shown before the match.

Gable connected with an Arm Drag and followed it up with some chops. Orton battled back and Gable got out of the ring to regroup. Orton followed and planted him on the ring apron. Otis distracted Orton and Gable capitalized with a Moonsault for a near fall as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Orton took control and hit Gable with two Backbreakers. Orton set up for the RKO but got distracted by Otis attacking Riddle outside the ring. Gable rolled up Orton but he was able to kick out at two. Orton connected with a Powerslam as Riddle attacked Otis with his scooter. Ortn then hit the RKO on Gable for the pinfall victory. Riddle announced that next week’s challenge will be a scooter race.

Alexa Bliss’ Journey Back To RAW Continued

Alexa Bliss’ Journey Back to RAW continued tonight with another therapy session. Bliss claimed that Lilly always as been with her and met her once after some bullies shoved her down. Alexa said that she blacked out and Lily was there when she woke up. Bliss added that they went and got ice cream.

AJ Styles def. Austin Theory

Austin Theory had another conversation with Vince McMahon tonight on RAW. Theory boasted about destroying Finn Balor and vowed to main event WrestleMania after winning the Royal Rumble match. Austin then asked Vince for a good number in the rumble match and Vince got pissed.

McMahon told Theory that he was in a match against AJ Styles next. Theory didn’t seem bothered by it and almost left without his phone. Vince handed the phone to him and told him to come back with a really good selfie. Another promo for Veer Mahaan aired before the match. The action started off back and forth with Theory sending AJ to the outside with a Dropkick as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Austin connected with a Backbreaker and went for the cover but Styles was able to kick out at two. Theory followed it up with a Blockbuster but still could not keep AJ down. Theory went for a Powerbomb but AJ escaped and connected with the Pele Kick. AJ escaped from the ATL and applied the Calf Crusher but Theory was able to reach the ropes to break the hold.

AJ set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but Theory shook the ropes and AJ crashed to the mat. Theory went for the cover and used the ropes for leverage but the referee caught him. Austin got distracted with arguing with the referee and turned around into a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles for the pinfall victory.

Doudrop Attacked Becky Lynch

RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Doudrop were interviewed via satellite tonight. Big Time Becks will put the title on the line against Doudrop this Saturday night at WWE Royal Rumble. Lynch and Doudrop traded insults before Doudrop walked away. Doudrop showed up in the room Becky was being interviewed in and attacked her. WWE security quickly broke it up.

The Mysterios def. Street Profits

The Mysterios (Dominik & Rey) faced Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) this week. Street Profits controlled the match and Ford dove onto the Mysterios outside the ring as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Rey and Montez battled in the ring. Ford lifted Rey up in the Electric Chair but he countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. After the match, Dirty Dawgs came down to the ring. Dominik tried to return the favor from last week and throw Rey over the top rope. Rey reversed it and sent Dominik to the floor. Mysterios and Street Profits threw Roode & Ziggler over the top rope to end the segment. Rollins was interviewed backstage after the match to promote that he will be on SmackDown the night before Royal Rumble.

Edge & Beth Phoenix Crashed Maryse’s Birthday Celebration

The Miz came to the ring to host the birthday celebration for his wife, Maryse. There were gifts in the ring and Maryse wanted to open the big one. Miz claimed to not know what that box was and thought that Maryse had possibly gotten him a gift. Miz demanded that his security open it and it was revealed that they were joking and it was the brick Maryse hit Beth Phoenix with.

The “Grit Couple” Edge and Beth Phoenix interrupted and beat down the security team in front of the ring. Beth hit a Spear as Miz and Maryse retreated to the outside. Edge and Beth hit a 3D as Miz and Maryse watched on with concerned looks on their faces. Edge hit a Powerbomb through the gift table and posed with Beth to close the show. Edge & Beth Phoenix will battle The Miz & Maryse at Royal Rumble.

Kurt Angle Reveals Surprising Choice For Unsung Hero Of TNA

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Kurt Angle has unveiled a surprising name for someone who he considered to be an unsung hero of TNA.

Angle was a part of the TNA Wrestling roster from 2006 through 2016. His run with the promotion lasted longer than his first stint with WWE. During his time in TNA, Angle became a six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Kurt Angle Praises Vince Russo

  • Vince Russo in TNA

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic gold medalist chose Vince Russo as his pick for the unsung hero of TNA.

“The unsung hero that I think? I loved Vince Russo. I don’t know how fans think about him or how they feel about him but Vince was very talented.

“The success he had in WWE was phenomenal, the Attitude Era. When he went to WCW, the problem was he was writing for the wrestlers and they were like, ‘I’m not doing that. I’m gonna do whatever I want.’

“So, his storylines turned into something else cause the wrestlers turned it into whatever they wanted and it got diluted. I think that’s the reason that WCW kinda went downhill.

“But when he was in TNA he was phenomenal. He wrote for me every week and I didn’t have any problems with him. I know there are some fans that don’t like him, there are some wrestlers that don’t like him but Vince is very talented.”

Russo has been widely panned over the years for his booking decisions. Some have even credited him with killing WCW quicker.

With that said, Russo does have his supporters. He’s given his due by some in the industry, such as Kurt Angle, for successful segments during the Attitude Era both on the entertainment and business sides.

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DDP Talks Knowing Both Vince McMahon & Tony Khan

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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DDP knows what it’s like to work with Vince McMahon and Tony Khan.

Diamond Dallas Page, a former three-time WCW Champion, once worked under the WWE banner and has made multiple appearances for AEW. Knowing both McMahon and Khan, DDP has laid out what makes the billionaires special.

DDP On McMahon & Khan

Speaking to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, DDP dished out on the switch that Vince McMahon can flip at a moment’s notice.

“I think Vince is himself always. He can be the sweetest, most caring person and he can be that ruthless son of a b*tch [laughs].”

As for Tony Khan, DDP said that the AEW is as kind of a person as they come.

“Tony Khan is the most gracious, nicest — and I know a couple billionaires but he’s the most gracious, nicest guy.”

With that said, the former WCW star says fans shouldn’t be fooled in regards to who truly runs AEW TV.

“I’ve been there a number of times and he’s just very respectful. He knows it’s his show. What you’re watching is his sh*t. Cody has something to do with it and the other boys, Jericho and Kenny and those guys and The Bucks they’ve got something to do with it but it’s Tony’s f*cking show. Make no mistake about it.”

There was a report that Khan took over the reins of AEW’s creative direction following a heavily panned closing segment of Dynamite involving The Dark Order back in late 2019. Khan later confirmed that report.

McMahon has run the WWE empire for decades after his father handed him the keys to the kingdom. AEW is still new in the wrestling business, having only started in 2019.

McMahon is known for having a strong hand in the creative process and reportedly having scripts rewritten quite often.

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Mick Foley Comments On Matt Cardona’s Shot At Him On GCW PPV

Chris Stephens
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Mick Foley has responded to Matt Cardona wearing a red flannel with “F*ck Mick Foley” written on the back of it. Cardona wore the flannel to the ring for his match with Joey Janela on The WRLD On GCW PPV last night.

Foley took to his YouTube page to issue a response.

“Hello everyone, it’s The Hardcore Legend Mick Foley addressing the Matt Cardona situation. Matt took a shot at Mrs. Foley’s baby boy last night with his interesting choice of ring attire,” Foley opened his video with.

“The truth is, from a personal standpoint, I was happy for him. Yeah, it made me laugh because I felt like Matt was done wrong in WWE. He reached for that brass ring, grabbed it, and was asked to return it.”

He continued to talk about how Cardona has reinvented himself since leaving WWE.

“Ultimately, everyone who leaves a major company has a choice to make when they hit the independent scene,” Foley continued.

“And that choice is, ‘Do I just do the same things I did, the things that I was known for, or do I reinvent myself?’ I call that the Drew McIntyre route, the road less traveled. That is what Matt Cardona has done. He’s completely reinvented himself and in doing so has become one of the most enjoyable and valuable assets on the wrestling scene. Knowing that I’m playing just a small part in that reinvention, a tiny part, that makes me happy, and in conclusion, f*ck Matt Cardona.”

Foley’s full video is available in the player below:

Cardona defeated Joey Janela last night in a match where he pulled out all the stops. Swoggle came out from under the ring and attacked Janela. Mark Sterling brought out Virgil in a Vince McMahon mask to distract Janela. Chelsea Green faked turning on Cardona only to get a cheap shot in on Janela. Then finally, Brian Myers speared Janela through a door. Shortly after, Cardona gave Janela the Radio Silence through another door and got the pin.

H/T to WrestlingNewsCO for the above transcriptions.

(Spoiler) Major Return Planned For Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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The Royal Rumble is all about surprise returns. According to Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com, Ronda Rousey is slated to be a surprise entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble this Saturday night.

Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey

WWE generated a lot of buzz by announcing several legends would be returning for the Women’s Royal Rumble, including Mickie James, The Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool and more. As it turns out, they are keeping a few tricks up their sleeve.

“I was told that Ronda Rousey will be in the Royal Rumble”

– Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live

As of this writing, 21 women are confirmed entrants for the women’s Rumble match.

Women's Royal Rumble 2022

Ronda Rousey in WWE

Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut at the 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. After Asuka had won the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble match, Rousey stunned the live crowd by making a surprise appearance. Moments later, ESPN dropped the bombshell news that Rousey had signed a full-time contract with WWE.

Rousey would go on to compete at WrestleMania later that year. She teamed with Kurt Angle against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in match that exceeded expectations.

She went on to capture the Raw Women’s Championship and wrestled the top competitors of that era including Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch.

The last time we saw Ronda Rousey in a WWE ring was at WrestleMania 35. It was another historic appearance, as she, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair became the first women to main event a WrestleMania.

In September 2021, Ronda Rousey and husband Travis Browne announced the birth of their daughter, La’akea Makalapuaokalanip.

CM Punk Delivers the Final Verdict on Wrestlers’ Court

Michael Reichlin
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CM Punk is no fan of Wrestlers’ Court.

Wrestlers’ Court is a bygone practice where backstage issues amongst talent are settled by an appointed ‘judge’ before things escalated beyond the point of no return.

When someone was ‘acting up’ in a way that offended the rest of the locker room, they would ‘stand trial’ and have the opportunity defend themselves. If they were found guilty, a punishment was handed down by the judge as a way of resolving the matter.

The appointed judge was often a locker room leader, with The Undertaker presiding over many trials during his day.

Today’s wrestling business is far from perfect, but things have evolved and cleaned up dramatically from past eras. The antics that would have landed someone in Wrestlers’ Court are more taboo today than they were in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Many find Wrestlers’ Court itself to be completely antiquated.

On Monday, CM Punk mentioned on social media that he’d like to one day dress up like a cowboy for one of his matches, including leather chaps and vest. A few of his followers pointed out that Adam “Hangman” Page already has this gimmick.

One fan told Punk that he might land himself in Wrestlers’ Court if he started dressing up like a cowboy and ‘infringing’ on Hangman Page’s gimmick. Punk took the opportunity to share his thoughts on Wrestlers’ Court.

According to CM Punk, Wrestlers’ Court was “the most insecure small dick energy average white man embarrassment to the wrestling business shit of all time.”

Case closed!

023d83d5b05c0931

Eva Marie Lands Starring Role in ‘Phoenix’ Action-Thriller

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie has landed a starring role in the upcoming action thriller, Phoenix.

The film will co-star UFC legends Randy Couture and Rashad Evans, as well as former WWE tag team champion Vladamir Kozlov (Oleg Prudius).

According to Deadline, Eva Marie will play Fiona “Phoenix” Grant, a US Army veteran who teaches hand-to-hand combat skills in Afghanistan.

Things go sideways when her father, security specialist Everett Grant (Randy Couture), is found dead. A police report lists his cause of death as a suicide, but she doesn’t believe it.

When Fiona returns home to the United States, she learns that the prime suspect in her father’s death is drug kingpin Maxim Vasiliiev (Vladamir Kozlov).

“Armed to the teeth, she plans to take out Vasiliiev with her bare hands, and nothing is going to stop her.”

Back in November, she posted this photo from the set of a new ‘big screen’ project in the works:

Visit Deadline for more details on Phoenix.

Eva Marie was released from WWE back in November 2021. This wrapped up her second run with the company.

Outside of wrestling, she’s been working to launch her acting career. Last year, she appeared as a series regular on Paradise City, a musical drama that streams on Amazon Prime Video.

Quote: WALTER’s Name Change Won’t Hurt Him In Any Way

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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One WWE legend doubts that the name change from WALTER to Gunther will cause any issues in the long run.

Fans were up in arms with WWE’s decision to change WALTER’s name now that he will be a regular on WWE TV outside of NXT UK. He now goes by the name Gunther. WWE found themselves in hot water for trademarking the name “Gunther Stark” as that is the name of a known Nazi.

WWE has dropped the trademark but WALTER’s new name is indeed still Gunther.

Booker T Talks WALTER’s Name Change

Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said that being called Gunther shouldn’t hurt WALTER’s stock.

“Three months ago maybe with Steiner and Breakker and now, do anybody think about Bron Breakker now? Is anybody thinking about it? Everybody’s talking about how freakin’ awesome Bron Breakker is.

“That’s the only thing I hear now. Now, of course, WALTER is his real name. Of course, that may cause some kind of conflict from a logistic perspective, I don’t know. Changing his name, I don’t think that’s something that’s gonna hinder him or hurt him in any way when he goes out there and performs in the middle of the ring.

“I think people will forget it soon.”

WWE is known for changing names of established independent and international talent before they make it to the main roster. There are exceptions such as AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet.

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Moose Says Impact’s Shows Are Just As Good As AEW or WWE

Chris Stephens
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Impact World Champion Moose recently stated that he believes Impact’s shows are just as good as AEW or WWE’s. He also stated that he hopes the promotion will begin to run bigger venues as well.

“If you watch our shows, I feel our shows are just as good, if not better than AEW and WWE,” Moose said. “I think the biggest challenge, if I was running the company, I would try to expand our following in the sense of getting bigger venues and seeing if we can draw a 5,000 or 6,000 seat arena. You never know unless you try it. Let’s see if we can start slowly running in big arenas, especially our PPVs.”

Moose continued to say that he had a custom Impact World Championship belt made but the company decided against him using it.

“I’m going to break the news now. I actually had a custom Impact World title made. It looks exactly the same, but it’s on a red strap, on red leather. I pitched it and it got turned down. I understand why it got turned down. I don’t want to get into the details of it, but I understand why. If I keep it long enough, maybe they’ll change their mind on it.”

At the Hard to Kill PPV earlier this month, Moose successfully defended his title against Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey in a triple threat match. He’s scheduled to face W. Morrissey in another title match at No Surrender next month. Impact recently spent two days in Fort Lauderdale taping episodes of their weekly programming. Spoilers for those shows are available below:

H/T to WrestlingNews for the above transcriptions.

WWE Trademark Indicates Character Change for Alexa Bliss

Michael Reichlin
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Alexa Bliss may be getting another character change in the near future.

Last Wednesday, January 19th, WWE submitted an application to trademark the name, “The Goddess.”

According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the name would be used primarily for:

“Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service;”

Alexa Bliss Supernatural
Alexa Bliss’ Supernatural character

Alexa Bliss used The Goddess moniker back in 2020, before she was possessed by The Fiend Bray Wyatt.

A lot has transpired since then, including the departure of Bray Wyatt and Charlotte Flair destroying Lilly, Bliss’ beloved doll.

Alexa Bliss took several months off from WWE television, but recently made her return. As part of her journey back to Raw, her supernatural character is undergoing therapy sessions.

Admit reports of WWE trademarking the name of her old Goddess character, Alexa Bliss tweeted that she likes to “evolve” and always move forward without taking steps backwards.

Hall of Fame, NXT Stand & Deliver Set for ‘Mania Weekend

Michael Reichlin
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WWE has announced an updated lineup for WrestleMania 38 weekend from Dallas, Texas. The news was first provided to DallasNews.com.

When WrestleMania to town, it’s typically a week-long event. In addition to SmackDown, two nights of WrestleMania and Raw, WWE will also present the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony, the next NXT premium live event and the Axxess fan fest.

Here’s the updated schedule for WrestleMania 38 weekend:

  • April 1st: Friday Night SmackDown
  • April 2nd: WrestleMania 38 (Night 1)
  • April 3rd: WrestleMania 38 (Night 2)
  • April 4th: Monday Night Raw
  • TBA: WWE Hall of Fame
  • TBA: NXT: Stand & Deliver
  • WWE Axxess Fan Fest

The dates, times and locations of the Hall of Fame and Stand & Deliver have yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.

Bully Ray & Renee Paquette Respond To The “F*ck Bully Ray” Chants On GCW PPV

Chris Stephens
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Bully Ray and Renee Paquette have both responded to GCW fans chanting “F*ck Bully Ray” in the Hammerstein Ballroom last night. On Busted Open Radio recently, Bully expressed the idea that Moxley should have apologized to the AEW fans on Dynamite for him being away while he went to rehab.

“I would have liked to have heard just a little bit of accountability from Jon. I understand the whole demons thing and we always use the word demons as a creative word to get around the real issues,” Bully said.

“So, okay we have our ‘demons.’ These demons got the best of Jon for a time period where he had to step away from AEW. I would’ve liked to have heard him say a bit of an apology to the AEW fans.” 

This led to Paquette putting out a Tweet that was critical of Bully.

When Moxley faced Homicide for the GCW World Title last night on The WRLD On GCW, loud “F*ck Bully Ray” chants rang out through the venue.

https://twitter.com/authofwrestling/status/1485455161140998144

Bully Ray responded with the following Tweet:

Renee Paquette Tweeted out the following:

Mark Henry also recently stated on Busted Open Radio that he disagreed with Bully’s take on Moxley’s situation.

“I have to disagree with our contemporary Bully Ray. He didn’t owe anybody an apology,” Henry said on the show.

NJPW Cancels Events In January Due To Rising COVID-19 Cases

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has cancelled its events in January due to rising COVID-19 cases. Touring will resume in February.

The following events have been cancelled:

  • Tuesday January 25th in Fukushima ?Toyota Crown Arena 
  • Saturday January 29th at Korakuen Hall
  • Sunday January 30th at Ibaraki?Kamisu Bousai Arena

The event on January 28th from Aichi has been rescheduled to April 18th.

The first event back will be the February 6th card from Chiba. The following night, NJPW is scheduled to be in Korakuen Hall with English commentary available on New Japan World. The next event for NJPW USA will be on February 17th, 2022 from the Vermont in Hollywood for New Japan Strong tapings.

Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Satoshi Kojima all missed shows on the most recent tour due to medical protocols.

“With a number of wrestlers presenting elevated temperatures or being in close contact with same, and in accordance with event protocols, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the difficult decision to cancel or postpone remaining live events on the schedule for January,” an NJPW press release reads. “We deeply apologise to fans for the inconvenience, disappointment and concern caused by this decision, and appreciate your understanding.”

Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green React To The WRLD On GCW PPV

Chris Stephens
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Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green took to social media following the WRLD On GCW PPV last night. Cardona defeated Joey Janela on the show and pulled out some rather epic tactics to do so.

With a “If Cardona Wins We Riot” sign hanging from the rafters (and printed on Cardona’s shirt), he made his entrance to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” through the crowd in a fashion that ECW fans will be familiar with. He also wore a red flannel with the words “F*ck Mick Foley” on the back of it.

During the match, Cardona did all of the following:

  • Had Mark Sterling bring out Virgil in a Vince McMahon mask to distract Janela.
  • Him and Chelsea Green faked Green turning on Cardona only for her to then attack Janela.
  • Re-created the 2006 One Night Stand spot where Cena tossed his shirt to the crowd and the crowd tossed it back.
  • Swoggle came out from under the ring and attacked Janela. Eventually Sam Stackhouse and Marko Stunt would make the save on Janela’s behalf, however.
  • Had Brian Myers spear Janela through a door similar to what Edge did to Cena at One Night Stand 2006.

After Cardona won, it did appear as though the crowd was ready to riot. Sean Waltman then came out and made the save and this also seemed to prevent the rioting from happening, however.

Cardona and Chelsea Green took to social media following their victory. A collection of their posts are below:

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