Josh Alexander announced via a statement on his Twitter account that his contract with Impact Wrestling has expired. As a result, his United States work visa has also expired.
He has been pulled from all events he was scheduled for this month including TERMINUS and AAW. He wrote the following:
“Today my contract expired & subsequently also US work visa. Unfortunately as a consequence I will not be able to honour my commitments to both @TERMINUSpro & @AMLWrestling later this month. I’m disappointed & I’m sorry. Hopefully I’ll have everything in order soon.”
Following this reveal, it explains why Alexander was removed from the No Surrender card this coming Saturday night. He is Canadian and in order to stay in the United States, he needs a work visa.
Alexander started working for Impact in 2018 and since that time, he has found a lot of success including runs as a World Heavyweight, X-Division, and Tag Team Champion.
Moose will defend his Impact World Championship against W. Morrissey at the No Surrender event on FITE TV and Impact Plus.
Three of our finest staff members have gathered to share predictions for the WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 premium live event.
Fernando Quiles Jr., Chris Stephens, and I run down the full card of WWE’s latest Saudi Arabia mega show. After this Sunday, we will have a pretty clear idea of the top matches for WrestleMania 38.
The panel was in agreement for most of the predicted winners, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any surprises when the bell rings and the Elimination Chamber is lowered.
Here are our WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 predictions:
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Viking Raiders
Michael: This match comes off as filler to me. The Viking Raiders are not on The Usos’ level and are simply the latest team up for a tag title shot to keep things churning. I can’t say what’s next for The Usos after they brush off this minor inconvenience, but a loss to the Viking Experience would come out of left field. (Prediction: The Usos)
Chris: The Usos should win this one, albeit they will do so through underhanded tactics. WWE could put the belts on the Viking Raiders if they want but the Usos and Roman all holding titles as part of the Bloodline seems like something they will want to keep intact until at least WrestleMania. I’m not sure they will have much planned for these belts at WrestleMania, however. (Prediction: The Usos)
Fernando: It’s possible that this is where WWE will begin to show some serious cracks in The Bloodline ahead of WrestleMania. An upset win for the Viking Raiders over The Usos would certainly do that. With that said, I think The Usos will keep looking strong ahead of the big event. I expect the champions to retain. (Prediction: The Usos)
Consensus: The Usos
Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
Fernando: This storyline isn’t dead? Alrighty then. I don’t think Drew McIntyre should be losing any singles match until he gets a WWE Universal Title shot. I have McIntyre winning and hopefully moving on to a big WrestleMania match. No, Happy Corbin doesn’t count. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Chris: I’m expecting this to be a short and dominant win for Drew McIntyre. Reports are he is still rehabbing his injuries at the moment in the hopes that he’ll be fully ready for WrestleMania. This could be as quick as one Claymore Kick and a 1-2-3. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Michael: Drew McIntyre is still working through injuries, so I don’t expect WWE will keep him out there for long. Although Moss has far more upside at this stage in both men’s careers, I think WWE feeds Madcap to McIntyre to give the crowd an exciting and short, dominant win for the former WWE Champion. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Consensus: Drew McIntyre
Ronda Rousey & Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville
Chris: I don’t see Ronda Rousey losing anytime soon, let alone before her match with Flair at WrestleMania, even if it’s just in a tag match. Rousey will make Deville submit to win things for her team. Flair might attack after the match and get some heat but Rousey will get her hand raised for sure. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey & Naomi)
Michael: The real story here is the WrestleMania feud between Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. Neither woman is eating a pin here. Although Rousey losing her return match doesn’t look great on the surface, I think Charlotte Flair scores the win over Naomi to put an even bigger chip on Rousey’s shoulder leading up to their showdown at WM38. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville)
Fernando: One thing that should be a guarantee with this match is that neither Ronda Rousey nor Charlotte will be taking the pinfall or submission here. This is either gonna be Ronda taking Sonya’s arm home with her, or Naomi getting screwed over by the WWE authority figure one last time before Mania. I’m leaning towards the latter (Prediction: Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville)
Consensus: Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lita
Chris: I’d love to see Lita win this match but it’s not going to happen. As great as it is to see her back, I don’t think Lita is factoring into WWE’s plans for WrestleMania. Lynch vs Charlotte Flair will headline one of the two nights in Dallas, and having Lynch drop the belt the month before just isn’t a decision the company is going to make. Hopefully, this is the start of a full-time or part-time return to the company for her, but Lita is not winning the title here. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Michael: Thank goodness Lita was able to put aside her feelings about the regime in Saudi Arabia to take this booking. It will be cool to see Lita challenging for a WWE Women’s Championship for the first time in over a decade, but this is a special attraction match and nothing more. Lita gets her big payday, but Big Time Becks leaves with the gold and goes on to bigger and better things at WrestleMania. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Fernando: After lasting longer than most expected in the Royal Rumble, Lita will be getting a world title shot in 2022. This will certainly feel nostalgic for those who are fond of the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression Era but Becky should get the win here. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Consensus: Becky Lynch
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Doudrop vs. Nikki A.S.H
Fernando: There are some potential solid options for the mystery participant in this match. I’m gonna guess that it’s Asuka but I won’t pick her to win. I think this will be a win for Bianca to set the stage for a WrestleMania showdown with Becky Lynch (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Michael: The big story here will be the mystery sixth entrant. WWE has several former Women’s Champions sitting on the sidelines and pretty close to returning. Asuka, Bayley and Alexa Bliss could all step up to this challenge to determine Becky Lynch’s WrestleMania opponent. My pick is Asuka, who I think is the “most ready” to return to WWE TV. However, the real star in this match is Bianca Belair, at least she could be, if she was booked properly. Out of all my Elimination Chamber predictions, I feel this one is the most important. WWE cut her legs out last year at SummerSlam and she hasn’t reached the same level since. I see WWE giving Belair another big push and maybe she’ll get revenge on The Man at Mania. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Chris: This is a tough one. It won’t be Doudrop because Lynch just beat her at the Royal Rumble. It won’t be Liv Morgan, because Lynch has already beaten her multiple times and she also just lost to Doudrop on RAW. Nikki ASH… it just won’t be. Bianca Belair is a possibility. Behind Rousey, Lynch, and Flair, Bianca is the biggest female star WWE has, so Belair vs Lynch at WrestleMania is a possibility. Ripley winning is also possible.
The best odds in this match must belong to TBA, however. There is a reason they aren’t announcing who this person is ahead of time, it’s because they are saving the surprise. In all likelihood, TBA will be Bayley or Asuka. Lacey Evans could be in the mix too. Ultimately, however, I think the most likely scenario is Bayley returning, winning the Chamber, and moving into a WrestleMania storyline with Lynch (Prediction: Bayley)
Consensus: Bianca Belair
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg
Chris: There can be little debate that Roman Reigns is going to win this match. The only thing left to question is how much will they try and protect Goldberg in the process. Will Reigns have to cheat to win? Will someone interfere? If this is Goldberg’s last match on his WWE contract, he might just get beat clean. The Universal title has been on Roman Reigns for a very long time. He’s not dropping it at Elimination Chamber when he’s got the biggest match of his title reign already booked for WrestleMania. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Fernando: Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg in 2022 isn’t exactly music to my ears. Maybe these two can have a short, fast-paced match that is solid enough. Regardless, I’m taking Reigns here as he is destined to meet Brock Lesnar again at WrestleMania (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Michael: This is the final match on Goldberg’s WWE contract. Love him or hate him, you’ve gotta admire his ability to maximize his dollars-to-minutes pay rate. Assuming this is Goldberg’s retirement match, he’s made enough money from this business to go out “the right way” and do the honors for our beloved Tribal Chief. Reigns has a date with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, so there’s no way he’s losing to a part-time legend at Elimination Chamber. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Consensus: Roman Reigns
Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins vs. Riddle vs. Austin Theory
Fernando: I expect this to be a good one. Seth Rollins rarely disappoints in the main event and I think he’ll be the star of this match but don’t rule out AJ Styles taking that distinction. Ultimately, I think there’s no way Brock Lesnar gets pinned in back-to-back PPVs. I see a title vs. title match closing out WrestleMania this year (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Michael: We’ve seen the reports about Paul Heyman pushing for a title vs. title match at WrestleMania, when Lesnar and Reigns square off. I also don’t think WWE putting the championship up for grabs in the Elimination Chamber for Lashley to retain. This match was booked so WWE can shake things up one last time before the biggest show of the year. Lashley got another ceremonial title reign to pad out his record, but Brock Lesnar is the real star here and he’ll add another title reign to his own legacy as we jump the final hurdle and see the final destination WWE has planned for Mania. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Chris: If WWE wants a title vs title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar then Lesnar is going to have to win this match. Everything WWE is building right now is about Reigns vs Lesnar so to have Lesnar either pinned or submitted, even if it takes 5 other wrestlers to do it, probably isn’t something that’s going to happen before WrestleMania. If WWE wasn’t going to have Lesnar win this match, they would not have put him in it. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Consensus: Brock Lesnar
That wraps up our Elimination Chamber predictions. Hit up the comments to let us know what you think about our picks and share your own!
Brock Lesnar has detailed the difference in his relationships with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and UFC President Dana White.
Lesnar knows what it’s like to perform at an elite level in both WWE and the UFC. In WWE, Lesnar is a top attraction and a big draw for the company. It’s the same story in UFC and he even won the heavyweight title at one point.
Brock-Vince Dynamic
It’s well-documented that Brock Lesnar left WWE in 2004 due to burnout and a desire to make it in the NFL. Despite the nasty split, Lesnar returned to the promotion in 2012 and it’s been smooth sailing ever since … for the most part.
During an episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Lesnar talked about the differences in dealing with Vince McMahon and Dana White.
“I really can’t compare the two guys. They’re just so — Honestly, my relationship with Vince is so different than it is with Dana over the years. Vince and I have had a love-hate relationship for the last 20 years but it’s been good.
“We’ve got a lot of water under the bridge. I have a lot of respect for both men but dealing with Dana and — It’s just a totally different business approach.”
Brock went on to say that when it comes to Vince, things are a bit more personal.
“I met Vince when I was younger. I look at Vince more as a father figure actually because I’ve learned a lot of things from him. I was able to carry those things over and handle business with Dana.”
At the age of 44, Brock is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, many believe he’s gotten even better. He’s received praise for his promo ability as of late without Paul Heyman by his side.
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It’s safe to say that Brock Lesnar’s Hall of Fame status is secure in WWE but he simply doesn’t care.
Lesnar is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in WWE. While his first run with the company didn’t end gracefully, amends have since been made. Lesnar has been back in the saddle with WWE since 2012 and he has been relied on by the company due to his drawing power.
Not A Single Care Given
Lesnar is a multiple-time WWE Champion and remains in the main event scene. In fact, many agree that he’s a part of the most pivotal storyline in wrestling today with Roman Reigns.
Despite the accolades, Brock Lesnar told Pat McAfee that he couldn’t care less if he ever gets induced in the WWE Hall of Fame (via Wrestle Purists).
“I don’t really care or give a sh*t. I’m serious, I don’t, like I don’t give a f*ck if I’m in the Hall Of Fame or not.
“I’ve done what I did, I don’t care if I’m leaving a legacy behind. What I do care about is, you know I’m a good person.”
Lesnar is set to challenge for the WWE Championship once again at the Elimination Chamber event on Feb. 19. He’ll take part in the chamber match along with WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Riddle, and Austin Theory.
If Lesnar emerges victorious at Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia, then he will become a seven-time WWE Champion. It would also be his 10th world title under the WWE banner.
Brock Lesnar has some sound advice for the next generation of wrestlers looking to shatter the glass ceiling.
Lesnar knows a thing or two about how to thrive in the world of sports and entertainment. When Brock lost the urge to stick around in WWE, he gave football a try. While Lesnar didn’t make it on the Minnesota Vikings team, he transitioned to the world of MMA.
“The Beast” quickly made his way to the UFC and captured the heavyweight championship. Fast forward to 2022 and Lesnar has been enjoying his second stint with WWE for 10 years now.
(via WWE)
Advice From Lesnar
Brock Lesnar appeared as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show and he kept it short and to the point with his advice for the next crop of talent (h/t Wrestle Ops).
“Get over. Figure out how to fucking put asses in seats. Not worry about your next high spot. Figure out how the hell I can be different. How can I make money.”
Wrestling nowadays has a slew of special athletes. Many talents have the ability to perform high spots that wouldn’t have been imaginable just a few years ago.
With that said, some believe that the spots have become too choreographed and don’t have a proven track record of drawing. There’s also the matter of safety as one misstep can lead to a life-altering change.
Brock knows all too well just how dangerous things can get.
During his OVW days, Lesnar was known for being able to pull off a Shooting Star Press. Once he started putting on more muscle, Brock stopped using the move. At WrestleMania 19 back in 2003, Lesnar went for the high-risk move and landed on his head and neck.
Luckily for Lesnar, he was able to avoid any serious injuries.
Bianca Belair doesn’t want Fenty to be the end-all-be-all of a partnership with Rihanna.
Belair has risen to prominence in WWE rather quickly. She headlined night one of WrestleMania 37 and defeated Sasha Banks to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
The “EST” of WWE has certainly seen her stock rise and people outside of the wrestling industry are taking notice. Belair has been working with the Fenty brand, which is owned by music star Rihanna.
Rihanna & Belair Tag Team?
Speaking to Metro, Bianca Belair said she isn’t opposed to teaming up with Rihanna inside the WWE ring.
“When she’s ready to come back, I would love that! Come tag team with me, we can be tag team champions! I think we would break the internet with that one!
“I’m a huge fan of Rihanna, I love Fenty Beauty and I’ve always thought that being a WWE superstar, makeup is such a huge part of what we do, of our characters and our personas and our presence.
“Listen, we go in the ring, we have a face full of makeup but we’re in there fighting! I’m in the Royal Rumble for 56 minutes and at the end of it, lipstick still intact – you know, sometimes my lashes fall off! But it’s a perfect collaboration.”
WWE certainly is no stranger to dealing with celebrities. We’ve seen all-time NFL great Lawrence Taylor headline a WrestleMania as well as Mr. T. Whether or not Belair gets her wish of teaming with Rihanna remains to be seen.
Former WWE NXT general manager William Regal has filed for a couple of interesting trademarks including his ring name “William Regal” and “Lord Steven Regal.”
Both the trademarks have been filed for various merchandising usage as well as ‘performances by a professional wrestler.’
Steven Regal is the name he used before his WWE signing. The wrestling veteran was known by the moniker during his time with World Championship Wrestling as well.
Apart from the trademark filing, the former Intercontinental champion has also opened a Pro Wrestling Tees store. His official PWT page describes the former WWE star as a ‘Gentleman Villain.’
Look at me. I’m all hip and stuff, I’ve got a page on @PWTees. Thank you to all the staff who made this possible in a very short time. https://t.co/6noSEOMAHe
William Regal was released from his WWE contract in January this year. This ended his 22-year long stint with the company. He donned many hats during his tenure with the promotion.
After retiring from in-ring action, he started recruiting and training wrestlers in NXT. The former champion also acted as an on-screen general manager for the brand.
The new trademarks are proof that Regal is getting ready for life after WWE. He has been offered a role at Impact wrestling but Regal has not taken up the proposal yet.
There is no news on how WWE is reacting to the trademark filing or if the company is planning to file an objection to it.
WWE has filed a new trademark related to the NXT 2.0 brand. The company filed for the term “NXT Level Up” on February 9th. The listed purposes of the trademark state that it is ” intended to cover the categories of a show about professional wrestling.”
Back in December, there had been talk that WWE was getting ready to rebrand 205 Live. Bryan Alvarez had the following to say about the rebranding of 205 Live on Wrestling Observer Live.
“So, it’s gonna get a new name. I don’t know what it is. It’s probably just going to be a tertiary show. I don’t know what form it would be. It’s going to be a low-level WWE show that God bless them, nobody is going to watch. But, this is where they will get their experience in front of a live crowd. It’s coming. It’s no longer going to be 205 Live.”
The trademark filed could also be for a new show focussed more on developmental talent, however.
It’s a big week for the NXT brand as they present NXT Vengeance Day tomorrow night on the USA Network. The following matches have been booked for the show:
NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships: Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) (c) vs. Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta
NXT North American Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Cameron Grimes
WeaponizedSteel Cage: Pete Dunne vs Tony D’Angelo
Dusty Rhodes Classic Finals: MSK (Nash Carter & Wes Lee) vs. The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed & Julius Creed)
NXT North American Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Cameron Grimes
Mickie James has not gotten to work with All Elite Wrestling yet but the Impact Knockouts champion knows who she will face if she gets the chance. The Impact star recently appeared on Women’s Wrestling Talk. During the interview, she revealed her dream opponents from all the major promotions.
Speaking about Tony Khan’s promotion, Mickie James went straight to the top and picked the current AEW women’s champion Britt Baker as her dream opponent:
“AEW, Britt Baker, I think, period, I feel like yeah, I really kind of, I’ve met her a few times. I’ve just recently actually got to know her, like, got to chat with her more to kind of get to know her a little bit recently. I just, I always She’s kicking down doors and doing so much amazing stuff over there.”
Mickie James continued by mentioning how Baker has been carving out her own unique path. The wrestling veteran applauded the AEW star for that.
The former WWE star also revealed her pick within her former promotion. She said that she would like to face the SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair because the two have never faced off in WWE.
WWE Hall Of Fame Eric Bischoff has revealed that he will be having surgery to fix an issue with one of his fingers.
The wrestling veteran talked about it on the latest episode of his 83 weeks podcast. He mentioned that he is not able to extend his finger because of Dupuytren’s Contracture.
Bischoff continued by mentioning how he should have gotten the surgery over a year ago. However, he put it off because it wasn’t bothering him until now:
“I can’t put a glove on. I’ve been putting this off. I should have done this a year and a half ago to be honest. I put it off and put it off and it wasn’t a problem.
Now all of a sudden it’s wintertime and I can’t put my hand in a glove” said Eric Bischoff, “and I’m like, ‘F*ck that. I’m going to go in and have it cut out.’”
Apart from this, the former WCW president watched the February 17, 1997 episode of WCW Nitro on his podcast. He discussed matches and segments from the show including the Chris Jericho vs Jeff Jarett main event.
Eric Bischoff did not reveal when he will be having the procedure done. SEScoops wishes him a speedy recovery.
The new UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is open to following the footsteps of many others before her and having a pro wrestling career in WWE once she is done with MMA.
The Venezuelan Vixen recently had an interview with New York Post (via MMANews). Among other things, she discussed the possibility of a career in pro wrestling.
Peña said that right now her focus is on fighting for UFC. Though she didn’t say no to a WWE career and claimed that she doesn’t see why it couldn’t happen down the line:
“Right now my focus is on fighting. Later on, if that opportunity presents itself, I don’t see why I couldn’t explore that avenue.” Julianna Peña said “Definitely, my focus is on fighting for the UFC,”
Bobby Lashley Explains Why He Never Signed With UFC
We have seen some big names crossing over to WWE from UFC over the years. This includes Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey who are arguably the biggest stars of their respective divisions right now.
WWE will not say no to the opportunity as UFC stars usually bring mainstream attention to the product. It wouldn’t be a surprise if AEW makes a play for her as well.
Though Julianna Peña is focused on her rematch with Amanda Nunes right now. An official date for the same hasn’t been announced but it’s targeted for sometime later this year.
WWE received some major visibility during the most-viewed sporting event of the year on Sunday night. Peacock reportedly paid for a WWE WrestleMania 38 advertisement to air during Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.
With the WWE Network moving to the Peacock streaming service domestically last year, the brand looked to hype up WWE’s biggest show of the year during what is always the biggest sporting event of the year.
During the pre-show for the Super Bowl, a 30 second advertisement aired for WrestleMania 38, which will of course air on Peacock in early April. Then, during the first half of the Super Bowl game itself, a 15 second spot aired promoting WrestleMania.
Both commercial feature the voice of Pat McAfee. You can view the 30 second advertisement below, which aired during the pre-game show.
Two matches have been confirmed so far for WrestleMania 38, which is just under two months away in Arlington, Texas at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will take on Brock Lesnar, while WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair will wrestle Ronda Rousey.
Lesnar has a chance to make his match against Reigns a title vs. title match. Next Saturday at WWE Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia, Lesnar will participate in the Elimination Chamber match for Bobby Lashley’s WWE Championship. As the Top Rope Nation podcast first reported last week, Paul Heyman has been pushing hard for a title vs. title match at WrestleMania during creative meetings for several weeks now.
Do you want to see Reigns vs. Lesnar as a title vs. title match? Let us know in the comments section below!
Don’t forget to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Despite all the other things he has to do, Dwyane Johnson made time for a Super Bowl intro and he channeled The Rock in his full form for it. The former WWE star kicked off the big game between Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals from the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday.
Giving the camera his signature eyebrow, The People’s Champion cut a passionate WWE-style promo. He got the crowd hyped up for the big match:
“It is time. It is time for all of us here and millions around the world to bear witness to these incredible players who will leave every ounce of sweat, guts and pride and legacy on this hallowed field” said The Rock, “because that is what champions do, Ladies and gentleman, it is my honor to say, finally, it is time for the Super Bowl!”
The Hollywood star had been rumored for a WWE return at WrestleMania 38 but those talks have since cooled down. Reports suggest that WWE is now trying to build a match between him and the Universal champion Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood. Though anything can happen between now and then. We will have to see if the former champion is able to make time from his busy schedule for this bout.
Miro learned quite a bit from John Cena during his run in WWE.
AEW star Miro competed as Rusev when he worked under the WWE banner. He was signed to FCW in 2010 and made his main roster debut in 2014. While Miro captured the United States Title three times, many felt he wasn’t utilized properly long-term and he was released from the promotion in 2020.
Learning From Doctor Of Thuganomics
During an appearance on The Kurt Angle Show, Miro went in-depth on being able to pick John Cena’s brain on how to thrive in the wrestling business.
“Oh man, John is the best. John is absolutely the best. I learned so much from him even to this day. Once again, he’s such a teacher.
“He’s so good and he’s one of those guys, ‘What’s your four best moves?’ That’s what I learned from him that I utilize to this day. He asks you that not because — He just wants to highlight you in the best spots, in the best lighting. So, he’s just trying to understand in his head where he’s gonna put these four best moves.
“I learned that, I learned psychology of a match a lot more. I learned how to control a match because beating up John for 10 minutes, 15 minutes a night the whole time what he’s doing is he’s [talking].
“All I’m doing is just listening and then after the match, he’s telling me why we did this. ‘You hear the crowd was here? We’re trying to get it there, that’s why we did this.’ This whole thing, I found out, it’s all about psychology.”
Miro also said that another key piece of advice Cena gave him was to listen to the crowd when every show starts to get a feel of who he is working in front of.
Nowadays, Cena is more focused on Hollywood but he still makes the trip back to the squared circle when he can. As for Miro, he works for AEW where he is a former TNT Champion.
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Mark Henry believes it’s possible for Ronda Rousey to better embrace her babyface role.
Rousey has seemingly had a love-hate relationship with fans dating back to her days in the UFC. “Rowdy” often doesn’t take too kindly to jeers from crowds, which doesn’t bode well for her as a face.
Ronda Rousey (Photo: WWE)
Advice For Rousey
WWE has tried to spruce up Rousey’s babyface persona by using artificial crowd noise. During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry suggested a different approach.
“What can be done is you can start slowly intergrading her into doing the babyface things. You can have her do the community involvement and the association of being around the kids.
“She’s a mom now. She’s gotta make statements, ‘Hey, I gotta be better. I have to be better. I gotta be a better example for my family, for my daughter. I have to be a better example for the fans. I have to be a better example for the other women in pro wrestling.’
“Now, that tells me, ‘Okay, this person is on the nicer side of things.’ You have to keep her moving with a trajectory of positivity and success.”
Ronda has admitted that trash talk from fans has thrown her for a loop in the past. Rousey is set to challenge Charlotte for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at this year’s WrestleMania event.
Charlotte has been positioned as a top heel in WWE. It’ll be interesting to see how WWE handles Rousey’s promos throughout the buildup of this title match.
Do you think Ronda Rousey should be a full-blown babyface or a tweener?
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Mia Yim recently took to social media to comment on why she’s hasn’t wrestled since being released by WWE. Yim was released from the company on November 4th, 2021.
She clarified that due to her recent wedding to AEW’s Keith Lee, she opted not to take any bookings until March.
“To those wondering why I’m not back in the ring yet.. February is a busy month. With the wedding and the move, I decided to not take any bookings until March to focus on getting everything handled at home first. So don’t worry, I’ll see you all in the ring in March,” Yim Tweeted.
To those wondering why I’m not back in the ring yet.. February is a busy month. With the wedding and the move, I decided to not take any bookings until March to focus on getting everything handled at home first. So don’t worry, I’ll see you all in the ring in March ? #HBICpic.twitter.com/7s0dg7EQRA
The 32-year-old hasn’t wrestled a match in over a year. Her last actual match was a loss to Nikki Cross on Main Event on December 28th, 2020. This was under her “Reckoning” gimmick along with Retribution. Her only ever victory on the main roster came the week before on Main Event, when she defeated Cross.
Yim is a former 1x Knockouts Champion in Impact Wrestling. She also previously held the SHINE title as well.
It’s not clear where Yim could end up in the future. She might be signed by AEW, where her husband made his debut last week. Yim could also return to Impact Wrestling, where she has spent much of her career thus far.
“If he beats Goldberg next week, Roman Reigns will have beaten every person to hold the Universal title during his current reign.”
This Tweet did not sit well with Wyatt. His Fiend character was the Universal Champion heading into a triple threat against Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman at Payback. Reigns pinned Strowman to win the title, however, and not Wyatt.
“Worth pointing out that Roman Reigns didn’t actually beat Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble, but he retained the title over him, so the point still stands,” Dangoor also noted.
Where Will Bray Wyatt End Up?
Bray Wyatt was released on July 31st, 2021. He’s been gone from wrestling ever since. There were rumors that Impact Wrestling was interested in him but any thought of him going there is pretty much dead at this point.
According to sources close to Bray Wyatt, there is no deal with IMPACT Wrestling in place, or close.
Nick Wayne is All Elite. The 16-year-old son of the late Buddy Wayne received a contract offer from AEW during a recent Defy live event in Seattle. Wayne lost to Christopher Daniels in the night’s main event. Following the match, Darby Allin came out to offer Wayne an AEW contract.
Nick Wayne was recently prevented from appearing on The WRLD On GCW show after the athletic commission discovered his age.
“Due to circumstances that neither I nor GCW had control of, I was unfortunately not able to perform tonight at The Wrld on GCW at Hammerstein Ballroom. We still live to perform another day, Love y’all ?? Tonight was history making,” Wayne wrote on Twitter about missing the show.
Joey Janela Tweeted about this after the fact.
“This is 100% not a work, I walked up to nick & his mother before & told him I’d give him whatever he wanted. I told him to tell me what he wanted, he wants @WillOspreay we will make it happen. Nick is one of my favorites of all time! And I’m gonna look out for him @WillOspreay”
Due to circumstances that neither I nor GCW had control of, I was unfortunately not able to perform tonight at The Wrld on GCW at Hammerstein Ballroom. We still live to perform another day, Love y’all ?? Tonight was history making.
There are numerous pro-wrestling connections attached to this year’s Super Bowl. Most notably, Los Angeles SoFi Stadium will be hosting the big game this year and in 13 months will host WrestleMania 39. Also, The Rock will be part of the pregame show this year. Next year, Rock could be headlining WrestleMania from the same venue.
WWE will also have a presence during the broadcast of this year’s Super Bowl. Ads for the WWE Network are scheduled to air. These have been paid for and produced by the Peacock Streaming Service rather than WWE itself, however. WWE previously paid for a Super Bowl ad in 1999.
Batista will also be featured in a Super Bowl ad this year. He’s in a commercial for Nissan. A recent Tweet from Batista about the ad is below.
The WWE Championship once changed hands at halftime of the Super Bowl. The Rock defeated Mankind in an empty arena match that aired during halftime of the Super Bowl in 1999.
The following year, WWE aired a sit-down interview with Steve Austin during halftime of the game. In 2019, NXT aired a match taped after TakeOver: Phoenix during halftime of the Super Bowl. That match saw Aleister Black, Ricochet and Velveteen Dream defeated Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
Brian Pillman, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Super Bowl
The Cincinnati Bengals will be in the Super Bowl this year for the first time since 1989. Brian Pillman played for the Bengals in 1984. He’d later play for the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL before transitioning to wrestling. The Rock also was once on the Stampeders practice squad before doing the same.
When the Bengals last went to the Super Bowl in 1989, Pillman had an idea. His plan was to get Mark Madden’s media pass and chain himself to the field goal posts in order to get publicity. Madden was understandably not willing to give up his media credentials, however.
During our "off season" we'll be sharing some bonus clips & deleted scenes.
— Dark Side of the Ring (@DarkSideOfRing) June 14, 2021
Wrestlers Cheering For The Bengals Or Rams
Brian Pillman Jr. will be cheering on the Bengals tonight. He’s been re-tweeting posts from his father’s old team. On an unrelated note, he also posted the below Tweet:
I swear my chihuahua takes the biggest tiny little shits ever! Like they are small to me but compared to his body they are MASSIVE lol ? ?
Pillman is not the only wrestler cheering for the Bengals tonight, however. Jon Moxley is from Cincinnati and has converted his wife, Renee Paquette, into a Bengals fan as well.
Aaaahhhhhhhh holy crap!! Wow!! (I’ve literally lived in Cincinnati for less than 3 months, but I’m pumped to see this history being made!!) @Bengalspic.twitter.com/CtexcXu4bI
Matt Cardona is the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Trevor Murdoch for the title at “NWA Powerrr Trip” in Oak Grove, Kentucky. The show was not broadcast live but matches taped at the event will air on episodes of NWA Powerrr in the future.
Cardona becomes the 56th person in history to win the belt. The title’s lineage dates back to 1948 when Orville Brown was the inaugural champion. Cardona’s victory over Murdoch was the 99th time the championship has changed hands.
Murdoch’s reign finishes at 167 days, which ranks him 28th out of 56 all time.
“I am @nwa World’s Heavyweight Champion. I can’t believe I just typed that. Fuck that. I CAN believe I just typed that. I worked my ass for this! @TheRealTMurdoch is a tough son of a bitch and he will forever have my respect. As for @RealNickAldis?”
I am @nwa World’s Heavyweight Champion. I can’t believe I just typed that. Fuck that. I CAN believe I just typed that. I worked my ass for this! @TheRealTMurdoch is a tough son of a bitch and he will forever have my respect. As for @RealNickAldis? ?? pic.twitter.com/Eaw4BNaSiV
Cardona’s singles titles now include the WWE Intercontinental title, United States Championship, the GCW World Heavyweight Championship, and the Impact Wrestling Digital Media Championship. He’s also the self-proclaimed Internet Champion and recently claimed to be the ECW Television Champion after defeating Rhino in GCW.
2x WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan recently claimed that he is the second-best professional wrestler of all time.
During a night out with the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, the ‘Immortal’ Hogan claimed on a club’s PA that he was the second-best ever and that Flair was the greatest of all time.
“Well, let me tell you something brother! I want everybody in here, on the one, two, three, to give me a ‘Wooo!’ for the greatest wrestler of all time. One! Two! Three! Wooo! Hey, thank you guys for coming out” Hulk stated whilst out partying with the Nature Boy.
“This is the greatest wrestler of all time, Ric Flair” the former WCW and WWE Champion continued, praising Flair.
Hulk Hogan on Ric Flair
Hogan also claimed that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the third greatest ever, saying “In honour of the third greatest wrestler ever, ’cause he’s #1, I’m #2. In honour of the third greatest wrestler of all time, that no good Rattlesnake, Steve Austin. Somebody give me a hell yeah!” Hogan concluded.
Check out the video below to see the Hulkster out partying with Flair and making some pretty big claims about the pro wrestling industry.
WWE keeps posting record profits but on the other hand, they also underpay their wrestlers. Things are even worse for developmental talents who are barely paid a living wage as they put their bodies on the line to try and make a name for themselves. Miro, who was once part of the developmental recently revealed how much he was paid.
The AEW star had an interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle on his podcast. He revealed that he was dealing with a torn ACL before signing with WWE. The former TNT champion explained that he didn’t have the money to fix it while he was wrestling in the independent circuit. His financial situation didn’t improve much after getting signed by the promotion:
“My ACL was completely torn, but my meniscus was flipped one on top of the other. It was really bad situation. It was a big mess, but we fixed it.” explained Miro, “Once again if it wasn’t for the opportunity to get into WWE [it wouldn’t have been fixed]. There’s no way I can get 10 or $20,000 to fix my ACL at home because I had no money. No health insurance clearly.
WWE at the time they were paying me $500 a week or $600 a week. So I’m already struggling there. I was making more money driving taxi and delivering food in California. And then they say ‘Hey, guys, we got to get insurance, which is $100 a month.’ [I went] ‘Holy smokes. How am I supposed to pull that money from now?”
Thankfully the former US champion managed to get signed by WWE with the injury. The company later helped him get the required treatment and rehab. You can check out the story of how God helped Miro in getting signed by WWE with an injury here.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Next week’s episode of WWE SmackDown has already been taped in advance, as the company will be heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Elimination Chamber on Saturday 19th February.
One of the segments that were taped for next week’s show saw Naomi, Sonya Deville, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey take part in what appears to be a contract signing for their match at the Elimination Chamber show.
Unfortunately, there was an extremely noticeable botch during the segment, when Rousey tried to slam Flair’s head on the desk in the middle of the ring.
SmackDown Botch
As you can see via the tweet below, the execution of the spot was horrendous, and it has since been going viral on Twitter.
It’s extremely likely that WWE will edit the segment as much as possible to avoid this going out on television next week, but with this fan cam footage, we can see just how bad the spot really was live.
Hopefully, the match between the four women at the Elimination Chamber PPV event itself won’t be quite so botchtastic.
Here is the current card for the Elimination Chamber 2022 event:
WWE Raw Women’s Championship Number #1 Contender’s Elimination Chamber Match: Doudrop vs. Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Bianca Belair vs. TBA – The winner will receive a WrestleMania 38 title match for the WWE Raw Women’s Title.
Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg
Raw Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs WWE Hall of Famer Lita
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs The Viking Raiders
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville vs. Ronda Rousey & Naomi
New WWE signees have to go through not only rigorous training routines but thorough medical check-ups as well. There are many stories of accomplished performers not being offered a contract if they don’t pass the medical test. However, Miro managed to get signed by the company with a torn ACL.
The former US Champion told this story during the most recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show. He revealed that he had torn his ACL even before his WWE tryout. He couldn’t get it fixed because he had no money. According to the AEW star he went to the WWE tryout with a torn ACL as well, and he wrapped duct tape around his knee:
“I went to WWE developmental with a torn ACL. But they didn’t know that because once again, God, the man up there, Jesus Christ, protected me. I tore my ACL even before I went to developmental. I went to my tryout with a torn ACL. I just wrapped my knee with duct tape. You got to do what you got to do. I tore it one time in practice, and I don’t have the money to fix it. I was just wrestling on a torn ACL, which I’m sure that you have done before.”
Miro Explains How He Got Through The Medical Testing
Miro was known as Rusev in WWE
After passing the tryout, the next big hurdle for Miro was getting through the medical testing. Detailing how he got through the checkup with the injury, the former TNT champion revealed that the doctor that was going to check on him came in with a student. He was more focused on teaching the student on how things should be. This allowed the former WWE star to slip through:
“I got signed. They send you to these medical checks in Pittsburgh in your hometown. I go, and I lay down because I know they’re gonna come and check this. So I pray. I pray this entire time. Jesus, Lord, Our Father, please let it be ok. I already know that my ACL was torn, and I know that they’re returning people if you’re wrong. So the doctor comes in with a student. The whole time the doctor is kind of pay attention to the student and trying to explain to him things, blah, blah, blah. He sits down. pulls on my knee, pulls on my knee. He says I’m okay. I’m good to go.
I got signed and then later on, in developmental I was still duct-taping my knee and everything. In one match, my knee just gave out. I had somebody on my back [and] my knee gave out. They called me [to] the doctor to check me, to say you have torn ACL and I said, ‘Okay, let’s fix it.'”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Deonna Purrazzo is a former WWE and Stardom star. She had her first run with Impact Wrestling from 2014 to 2017 before she left the promotion for WWE. Deonna was released from WWE in April 2020.
She returned to Impact in May 2020. She won the ROH women’s world championship from Rok-C during the January 10 episode of Impact earlier this year. Purrazzo is also the current AAA Reina de Reinas Champion.
Steve Maclin is better known to WWE fans as former Forgotten Sons member Steve Cutler. He was part of WWE from 2014 to 2021. Cutler was released from his WWE contract back in February 2021.
He made his debut for Impact Wrestling under his new ring name in June 2021. Maclin has been chasing the X Division title but is yet to win a championship in Impact.
Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin have been dating each other since their WWE days. SEScoops congratulates the couple on their engagement.
