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Christian Shows Off Transformation He Went Through Before WWE Return

Rayan Sayyed
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Christian shocked the wrestling world by making his surprise return last month at the Royal Rumble, with the former World Heavyweight Champion stepping foot in the ring to wrestle for the first time in seven years.

Fans noticed how Christian’s physique was in top shape. His body looked as good as any other actively competing wrestler. A fitness company by the name of Nutrition Solutions shared transformation photos of the “Captain Charisma” on Instagram showcasing his transformation when he started preparing for his in-ring return.

“Everyone loves a ‘success story’… But what’s far compelling and relatable, is a story about someone who got to a dark place… decided enough was enough… drew a line in the sand… and then fought their way out of the darkness, back into the light,” the account wrote.

“That’s what Jay Reso, aka @christian4peeps did after going through a character building year, where he eventually found himself somewhere in a place that he refused to stay! Being a pro athlete his entire life who is well known for his work ethic and competitiveness, Jay committed not just to getting himself back in shape, but getting himself in the best shape of his life at 47 years young! And as you can see, in just 5 months time he’s made some remarkable progress! Thank you Jay for doing the work, kicking ass and giving us opportunity to serve you!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLu6NefF60C/?utm_source=ig_embed

Christian’s Return to WWE

It is without a doubt that Christian’s hard work on his body paid off as his physique appeared in top condition and he performed decently in the ring. Christian has said that being part of the action for so long felt surreal to him and he didn’t know what to expect.

“It was surreal to be honest with you, I didn’t know what to expect. You know it’s funny, everybody has a plan until you get hit. And that’s exactly what happened to me.” said Christian, “I got hit once and I was like, ‘ok, it’s on.’ This is what I was born to do, so I felt like I was home. I was playing coy all day in the locker room since nobody knew what was going on. It was a fun surprise.”

When Christian was asked what’s next for him after his return, he said, “What’s next for me? All I ever promised was one more match. That could be it.”

It has been reported that Christian would be making future appearances, and it is believed that he would be working a part-time schedule. Christian has said that it was a long process for him to get himself in the physical condition to step inside the ring again. He said that seeing his friend Edge return at the Royal Rumble made him think that there’s a possibility for him to make a return to action too. He then hired a nutritionist company and built a gym in his garage to get ready for a potential return.

Shinsuke Nakamura On WWE Role: “Who Said I Am Happy?”

Rayan Sayyed
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Shinsuke Nakamura has had a pretty uneventful stint in 2021 so far on Friday Night SmackDown. Back in January, it seemed like Nakamura was going to get involved in the championship picture. He had a very impressive run in the No. 1 contender’s gauntlet match — only for his momentum to be disrupted by Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. This would have been his first involvement in the main event scene since his feud with AJ Styles back in 2018. While the former NXT Champion gained the upper hand on Uso the following week, nothing really came out of it.

Shinsuke Nakamura was then moved back to the mid-card. He is currently involved as a third wheel in the feud between Big E and Apollo Crews. Crews, who just went through a character change and turned heel, took out his frustrations on Nakamura too. They’ve faced one another two weeks in a row on SmackDown.

In a video uploaded to his Instagram, The King of Strong Style cut a promo saying that he’s going to take revenge on Crews.

“Apollo, you’ve changed. Yeah, I respect that, because I’ve changed too. But I don’t respect what you did to Big E; what you did to me tonight,” Shinsuke Nakamura said in the video. “You changed the outfit, you changed the attitude, but you cannot change who you really are and what you’ve done. You like to live in the past, but I am the future. Last week wasn’t personal. I want to be the world champion, you were my opponent. But now, you’ve started something that I will finish. You should remember who I am.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLzG-O6BFsy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Nakamura Unhappy?

A fan commented on this message and told Nakamura he should stop wasting his talent in WWE. Another fan, replying to this comment, argued, “he’s happy. He gets to surf and work a safer style. Yeah it’d be great to see him go all out again somewhere else… but that’s not what he wants. (sic)”

Shinsuke Nakamura saw the reply suggesting that he’s happy with his position in WWE and replied: “Who said I’m happy? Don’t believe anything other than what I said.”

You can see a screenshot of his comment here:

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There are many fans who think that Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t given enough opportunity to shine in WWE, especially after seeing how he performed back in his home country Japan. There has been an assumption amongst fans that Nakamura gets to collect paychecks while showing up to work in the midcard while getting to live in Florida and surf all he wants.

That being said, Shinsuke Nakamura’s run in WWE hasn’t been all bad. On the main roster, he has held the Intercontinental Championship, the United States Championship, the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Cesaro and has even gone on to win the 2018 Royal Rumble. We also saw him gain momentum back in January as noted before, and while that fizzled out it wouldn’t be unlikely to see him get back in the scene once again.

WWE RAW Results (3/1): The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley For WWE Title, Drew McIntyre Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. The Miz defended the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley tonight.

RAW Results (3/1)

  1. Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
  2. Nia Jax def. Naomi
  3. Hurt Business def. Braun Strowman & Adam Pearce to retain the RAW Tag Titles
  4. Damian Priest def. Elias
  5. Bobby Lashley def. The Miz via count out (Miz retained the WWE Title)
  6. Charlotte Flair def. Shayna Baszler
  7. Riddle & Lucha House Party def. RETRIBUTION
  8. Mustafa Ali def. Riddle in a non-title match
  9. Bobby Lashley def. The Miz to become the new WWE Champion

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

McIntyre Vowed To Win His Title Back

Drew McIntyre returned and said it has been a bitch of a month for him. McIntyre noted that Sheamus ruined their friendship and stabbed him in the back. Drew added that he still doesn’t understand why but he vowed that they were going to beat the hell out of each other in the first match of the night.

McIntyre brought up Lashley attacking him after winning the Elimination Chamber and The Miz cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at the PPV. Drew called The Miz a cockroach but it is all good because he knows his mission now. McIntyre vowed to recapture his WWE Championship and main event WrestleMania once again. Drew said that whoever wins tonight will have the biggest target on their back.

WWE Champion The Miz interrupted and demanded to be officially introduced by the ring announcer. The Miz raised the title as a ridiculous amount of pyro went off behind him. John Morrison asked McIntyre why he would he be upset with The Miz for successfully cashing in the contract and the correct time.

The Miz suggested that Bobby Lashley is the only one at fault and McIntyre said that Miz is going to have to deal with Lashley all by himself. The Miz claimed that he didn’t ask Lashley for help and is the victim in this whole situation. Miz added that he is the father of two baby girls and had to make the deal because Lashley threatened his well being.

Miz said that McIntyre is more deserving of a title shot and suggested that they work together. MVP interrupted and asked Drew if he was taking any of this seriously. McIntyre brought up rejecting MVP’s services last year and that he does not want or need any help regaining his WWE Championship. MVP told Miz that Lashley will win the title tonight and the match will begin at the beginning of the 2nd hour of RAW.

McIntyre def. Sheamus In A Great Match

Sheamus and McIntyre battled in the first match of the night. The two superstars traded punches on the entrance ramp before the match began. WWE officials broke them apart but McIntyre sent the Celtic Warrior over the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, the match officially started and Sheamus beat down Drew in the corner. McIntyre battled back and lit up Sheamus’ chest with a couple of chops. McIntyre connected with a Suplex and followed it up with a stomp to the side of Sheamus’ head.

Sheamus hit a series of elbows to McIntyre’s jaw and went for the cover but Drew was able to power out at two. McIntyre hit Sheamus with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran but Sheamus caught him with a Brogue Kick. McIntyre tumbled to the floor outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Sheamus was in complete control and was targeting his attack on McIntyre’s recently broken jaw. Sheamus then hit the 10 Beats of the Bodhran and McIntyre collapsed to the canvas. McIntyre brought Sheamus out of the ring and hit a Belly to Belly throw that sent Sheamus onto the announce table.

McIntyre broke the count and slammed Sheamus on the table again before the action returned to the ring. Drew climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a Flying Clothesline for a two count. McIntyre went for the Future Shock DDT but Sheamus escaped and hit a Clothesline.

Sheamus regrouped in the corner before making his way to the middle turnbuckle. McIntyre hopped up and hit Sheamus with the Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre joined Sheamus on the top rope and slammed him to the canvas for another near fall as RAW went to a commercial break.

Sheamus went for White Noise but McIntyre escaped and rolled up Sheamus for a two count. Sheamus hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Drew got his shoulders up at the last moment. Sheamus then hit White Noise but McIntyre kicked out once again.

McIntyre hit the Future Shock DDT but Sheamus kicked out at two. Drew went for the Claymore but Sheamus rolled to the apron. Sheamus bounced McIntyre’s face off the turnbuckle and then climbed to the top rope. McIntyre battled back and hit White Noise on Sheamus off the middle rope for another near fall.

Sheamus planted McIntyre with an Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Drew was able to kick out. Sheamus stumbled to his feet in the corner of the ring and went for the Claymore but McIntyre countered with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.

Nia Jax Dominated

Naomi squared off against Nia Jax tonight on RAW. Lana and Shayna Baszler were ringside for the match. Jax controlled the action early and slammed Naomi to the mat. Nia threw Naomi across the ring by her hair and started taunting her.

Jax connected with a headbutt and followed it up with the Samoan Drop. Nia took a break to trash talk with Lana before connecting with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Strowman Warned Shane McMahon

Braun Strowman marched to the ring and complained about being excluded from the Elimination Chamber match. Strowman claimed that the match sucked because he wasn’t in it and then bitched about having to compete in a tag match with a random partner.

Shane McMahon interrupted and came to the ring with Adam Pearce. Shane stated that Braun’s inability to reach his own personal goals is causing him to get angry. McMahon told Braun that he was out here to help him and has been taking a course about conflict management. Shane joked that it was way above Strowman’s reading level and that the key to resolving a conflict is communication.

Shane added that he made the tag match tonight and not Adam Pearce. McMahon claimed that in order for Strowman to resolve his conflict with WWE management he must work with WWE management. McMahon announced that Adam Pearce will be Strowman’s partner and Braun complained about it. Shane added that the match will be for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Strowman told Pearce that if he screws this up he will get these hands.

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin then defended the titles against Braun Strowman & Adam Pearce. Strowman leveled Alexander and Benjamin to start off the match. Braun beat down Hurt Business for the next few minutes as Adam Pearce just stood on the ring apron. Strowman went for a shoulder tackle but Cedric got out of the way and Braun crashed into the ring post.

Shelton tagged in and hit Strowman with a knee to the face. Strowman planted Shelton with the Running Powerslam but Strowman hopped on the ring apron. Shane demanded that Pearce tag in and Braun obliged. Shelton rolled up Pearce for the pinfall victory and Hurt Business retained the RAW Tag Team Championships. Strowman shouted at Shane and vowed to wreck this place and it will be on McMahon’s hands.

Damian Priest Picked Up A Victory

Damian Priest faced Elias tonight. Bad Bunny and Jaxson Ryker were ringside for the match. Priest dominated the match early and locked in an Armbar. Elias broke free and connected with a right hand to the face. Priest dropped Elias with a boot to the face and Clotheslined Elias out of the ring as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Priest had Elias in an Armbar again in the middle of the ring. Elias battled to his feet but Damian didn’t release the hold. Elias slammed Damian’s neck into the top rope and unloaded some strikes to the midsection in the corner of the ring.

Elias connected with a boot to the face and then bounced Priest’s head off the ring apron. Elias hit a knee to the face and followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. Bad Bunny paced around the ringside area as Elias applied a Headlock. Elias went for a cover for a two count before trapping Damian in the Headlock once again.

Priest broke the hold with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a flurry of kicks to the ribs. Damian connected with a Clothesline and then a Splash in the corner. Priest planted Elias with the Broken Arrow and went for the cover but Elias was able to kick out at two.

Damian rolled Elias up but he kicked out and sent Priest to the apron. Elias caught Damian with a knee to the face for another near fall. Elias went for Drift Away but Priest was able to escape. Elias focused his attack on Damian’s lower back and lifted him up in the Electric Chair. Priest escaped and connected with Hit the Lights for the pinfall victory and is still undefeated on the main roster.

Alexa Bliss Interrupted Randy Orton

Randy Orton was interviewed backstage and said Alexa Bliss needs to leave him alone or he will have no compassion for what happens next. Bliss appeared on the screen and said “bring him back”. Alexa laughed and said there is something Randy should know. The screen went black and then a different version of Randy appeared on the screen. Orton’s voice was altered and told himself that he will soon come face to face with everything he has done. Randy then started coughing up the black ooze again to end the segment.

The Miz Got Himself Counted Out

Bobby Lashley came down to the ring for the WWE Championship match. The Miz’s theme hit but the WWE Champion didn’t come down to the ring. Miz was then shown holding his stomach and John Morrison said he was sick.

The Miz stated that he couldn’t defend the title because he was cramping up. Adam Pearce showed up and Lashley sprinted backstage. The Miz told Pearce that he needs some more time and Lashley grabbed Miz by the throat. Lashley shoved Miz to the floor and Pearce told him that he will defend the title at 10 PM.

The Miz and Lashley came to the ring and once again Miz started stalling. Miz said Lashley was waited 17 years for this moment and this isn’t the stage. The Miz suggested Lashley get his title match in the main event of WrestleMania. MVP said the match is happening right now and Miz threw the microphone out of the ring. Miz rolled out of the ring right as the bell rang and sprinted backstage with the WWE Championship. The referee then counted Miz out to end the match. Lashley was awarded the victory but the title cannot change hands via a count out.

Shane McMahon told Lashley that there will be a WWE Championship tonight and will think about stripping Miz of the title if he doesn’t defend it.

Charlotte Flair def. Shaya Baszler

Charlotte Flair came to the ring and said she wanted to team with Asuka when she came back and kick ass with someone she respects. Flair noted that she got tangled up with her dad and Lacey Evans and she told Ric to go home last week. Charlotte added that we are six weeks away from WrestleMania and nobody has challenged Asuka for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania.

Flair said she wants the RAW Women’s Championship but Asuka is at home injured. Charlotte stated that when Asuka comes back, Charlotte is going to challenge her for the title. Shayna Baszler then interrupted and told Charlotte that she is an army of one and is fighting an uphill battle. Baszler boasted about knocking Asuka’s teeth out and claimed that her and Nia are the most dominant force in WWE.

Jax claimed that nobody likes Flair and that the locker room wishes she sent herself home instead of her father. Nia added that it is going to be one of them that challenges Asuka for the title. Shayna and Nia then attacked Charlotte before the match. Jax hit Charlotte with a Leg Drop as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Shayna was in control but Flair quickly battled back. Charlotte went for a Figure Four but Shayna sent her out of the ring. Flair sent Jax into the steel steps and got back into the ring. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch but Charlotte broke free and hit Natural Selection for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: It is impossible to feel any sympathy for Charlotte Flair in my opinion. I have zero interest in her against Asuka at WrestleMania and it was ridiculous that she defeated Shayna Baszler so easily. Charlotte was attacked before the match, slipped the Kirifuda Clutch like it was nothing, and won with ease by hitting Natural Selection. Shayna referred to her an Nia as the most dominant force in WWE right before the loss. It is tough to think of a worse way to promote the women’s tag title match this Wednesday on NXT than this.

Mustafa Ali Pinned The US Champion

United States Champion Riddle and Lucha House Party faced RETRIBUTION tonight with Mustafa Ali ringside. Lince Dorado hit T-Bar with a Splash for the quick pinfall victory. After the match, Mustafa demanded a match against Riddle as RAW went to a break.

Mustafa Ali dominated early and targeted Riddle’s elbow. Ali planted Riddle with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Riddle connected with a Pele Kick and then an Exploder Suplex. Riddle followed it up with a Broton and went for the cover but Ali kicked out at two. Riddle hit the Final Flash but Slapjack hopped up on the apron. Reckoning and Mace distracted Riddle as well and Ali hit a rough looking Backstabber off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I cannot make sense of Riddle, the new United States Champion, losing to the leader of a group that has become a joke.

Bobby Lashley Captured The WWE Championship

The Miz once again defended the WWE Championship against Lashley in the main event.

Shane McMahon came to the entrance ramp before the match and brought out some lumberjacks. Hurt Business and the rest of the RAW locker room surrounded the ring as the bell rang. The Miz tried to hit Lashley with the title to get disqualified but Lashley blocked it. The Miz tried to hide behind the ring post but Lashley beat him donw.

The Miz rolled out of the ring but Hurt Business rolled him back inside. Lashley hit the Flatliner and unloaded some punches to Miz’s face. Bobby planted Miz with a Spinebuster and applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory. Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion.

Bobby Lashley Wins WWE Title On Raw

Andrew Ravens
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The Miz made unsuccessful title defense as WWE Champion on Monday’s episode of Raw against Bobby Lashley. 

WWE kept delaying the time of the match as originally it was supposed to be at the top of the second hour, but Miz claimed he was sick and got it delayed another hour, but Miz ran away when the bell rang and Lashley won by count-out. Finally, the match with a few minutes left in the show after it was rescheduled took place with some lumberjacks around the ring. 

Miz tried to get DQ’d by hitting Lashley with the title, but Lashley blocked it. Lashley got a hold of him and hit the flatliner before locking in the Hurt Lock for the win. 

WWE set up this contest after the opening segment of last week’s Raw when Lashley told Miz that he demanded Miz to give him a title shot because he laid out McIntyre ahead of Miz cashing in the MITB briefcase. 

An hour later, Miz said that he need more time, which led to Braun Strowman coming out and demanding a title shot. Lashley beat Strowman in a singles match last week. The match had a stipulation of if Strowman had won then he would’ve been added to this title match and turn it into a three-way. 

After last week’s match, The Miz attempted to attack Lashley, who saw it and laid out the WWE Champion with a spinebuster and spear, standing strong to close out the show.

Bobby Lashley Talks When He Plans To Retire

Andrew Ravens
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Bobby Lashley is currently being pushed as one of the top stars of WWE Raw, but at 44-years-old, some fans are curious as to when he plans to wrap up his pro wrestling career. 

He spoke about retirement while doing an interview with Bleacher Report. According to Lashley, he has a few years left. 

“I know with my career that it’s not going to be a thing where I have 10, 15, 20 more years. Some of these guys do, so mine is kind of a sprint right now. I don’t mind that. I don’t mind ramping it up a little bit because, like I said, I don’t have 10 to 15 more years. I have a few more years left. There’s a lot of goals I want to accomplish, so I have to go hard. My body’s been able to take the abuse I’ve given it, and I knew I could keep going, so I knew it was my time.”

Lashley has had two stints with WWE, the first being from 2005-2008. He then went to TNA Wrestling in 2009 and lasted a year there. He then returned to the promotion as it’s now called Impact Wrestling in 2014 until 2018. In total, he held the World Title four times. He returned to WWE in 2018. 

Lashley is coming off an impressive United States Title reign, which ended at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, and currently in a feud with The Miz for the WWE Title.

Chelsea Green Signs Contract Extension With WWE

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green has signed a new deal with WWE. The extension is reportedly for 3 years, according to a report at Fightful. Her previous deal was set to run out sometime over the summer.

Green signed with WWE in the fall of 2018. She performed in NXT up until last May when she fired her then-manager, Robert Stone, in storyline. It was reported that she was to be called up to the main roster shortly but didn’t end up doing so until that November. She wrestled in a Survivor Series qualifying 4-way match on the November 13th, 2020 Smackdown and broke her wrist. It was later reported that Green had been scheduled to win the match but it was changed so that Liv Morgan picked up the victory. Green has been on the shelf ever since.

The 29-year-old is from Victoria, BC, Canada and trained at Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, AB, Canada. She had a run with Impact Wrestling from 2016-2018 as Laurel Van Ness. Her time in Impact included a reign as Knockouts Champion and also as a key player in one of the most famous wrestling weddings of all time.

Green actually made her WWE programming debut just months into her wrestling career. She was cast as Daniel Bryan’s physiotherapist in 2014. Her debut can be viewed in the player below:

WWE Raw Preview: Miz vs. Lashley, Road To Fastlane

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to St. Petersburg, FL tonight for an all-new episode of WWE Raw from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field.

Here are the top items scheduled for Raw:

  • WWE Champion The Miz defends against Bobby Lashley
  • Drew McIntyre will address Bobby Lashley’s attack at Elimination Chamber
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair has selected SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks as her WrestleMania opponent. Who will step up to challenge Raw Women’s Champion Asuka at the Show of Shows?
  • The road to WWE Fastlane continues. WWE’s next pay-per-view takes place in less than three weeks on Sunday, March 21st.

Join us here later tonight for our WWE Raw Results & Takeaways feature.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from last week’s show:

Triple H On Why Vince McMahon Was Hesitant About His Documentary

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE executive vice president Triple H recently appeared on Roz & Mocha where he talked about a number of things including the upcoming Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon. The Game revealed that the Boss had always been hesitant to agree to a documentary on himself because he thought that nobody was interested in knowing about him:

“Prior to now, Vince was always hesitant to do it. With Vince, he really doesn’t see himself — while Mr. McMahon is one of the most epic characters ever, he doesn’t see himself as part of the programming. when you ask him about those things, he goes, ‘Nobody is interested in me. They want to know about the stars and performers.'”

Triple H continued by claiming that the story of the WWE chairman is amazing and every chapter of his life is unbelievable. The former world champion explained that no one gives Mr McMahon the credit for all the things he has been through and most people only see him as the evil tyrant businessman:

“The truth is, they do (want to know about Vince). The most difficult thing with Vince’s life is making it succinct. Every chapter of his life is a whole other unbelievable story. His story is amazing, all the things he’s been through, the trials and tribulations of getting to where he is. No one gives him the credit; they just see this billion-dollar global empire he’s created and see him as the evil tyrant businessman,”

WWE announced back in October 2020 that Netflix will be producing a multi-part documentary focused on the chairman of the boards. The director behind Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, Chris Smith will be directing the series while Bill Simmons will be serving as the executive producer. The documentary series is set to be one of the highest budgeted Netflix documentaries of all time, though no timetable for its release has been revealed so far.

Big Cass Comments On His Return, Redemption Journey

Anutosh Bajpai
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caZXL, best known as former WWE star Big Cass, returned to in-ring action over the weekend. He was away from the ring for over a year.

The former NXT star took on his Twitter to comment on his comeback after the video of his return made headlines over the weekend.

Cass thanked wrestling fans, for their support and Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champion Doc Gallows for the booking opportunity.

“After a long journey filled with an enormous amount of self-reflection, I now start my journey towards redemption. Thank you @The_BigLG for the opportunity, and thank you to everyone for continuing to believe in me #StraightOuttaStep12”

Big Cass’ Road to Redemption

Big Cass, who was once being eyed for a push in WWE after his break up with Enzo Amore, was released in 2018 due to behavioral issues.

He returned to the independent circuit after his release and made appearances for several well-known promotions but the former WWE star also got into some controversies in the months following his release.

He finally took some time off after an event in September 2019 and Enzo Amore had revealed that he had taken time off to seek help for his issues. This was Cass’ first wrestling appearance since then.

Big Cass also released a new shirt “Straight Outta Step 12” with the proceeds going to the Herren Project. It’s a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2011 and provides free resources and support for the treatment, recovery, and prevention of substance use disorder.

Big E Recalls Forgotten Talks Of Him Joining The Shield

Anutosh Bajpai
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Being part of the New Day with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods is one of the career highlights of Big E and joining the group has allowed the current IC champion to showcase a very unique side of his personality.

However, on the latest WWE 24 special based on his life and his wrestling career, the former NXT champion revealed some forgotten talks which could have seen him debut as part of a very different group.

During the episode, Big E remembered the time before his main roster call up and he revealed that at one point, there were talks of him debuting with The Shield as the fourth member of the group:

 “My first feeling of getting called up was 2012. I was doing loops. Any collective period of days is a loop. It’s Roman, Seth, Dean, and me.

There was some thought of bringing all four of us in together as a group. Obviously, that changes, and they go on to international fame as The Shield.”

The plans were obviously nixed. The Shield ended up debuting as a trio in November 2012 and their impactful debut led to all three of the members being recognised as main event stars from the start of their career.

Big E ended up on the main roster a month later where he aligned himself with Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee. He joined the New Day in the Summer of 2014 and the group has since created a unique legacy of their own.

NJPW Announces 2nd Annual “New Japan Cup USA”

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that the New Japan Cup USA will be returning this year. The tournament proper will kick-off on April 2nd but qualifying matches will be taking place over the next month on episodes of New Japan Strong. The winner of the tournament will earn a shot at Jon Moxley and the IWGP United States Championship.

Last year’s winner, KENTA, recently was defeated by Moxley on Friday’s edition of New Japan Strong.

The 8-person tournament will be contested under single-elimination rules. It will run throughout April on New Japan Strong episodes. Tournament participants have yet to be revealed.

Two qualifying matches for the tournament have been announced for upcoming episodes. The DKC will face the leader of Team Filthy, Tom Lawlor on this coming week’s edition of the show. Additionally, Lio Rush will face Rocky Romero in the second New Japan Cup USA qualifying match.

IWGP United States Championship in NJPW

Kenny Omega won the inaugural IWGP United States Championship at the G1 Special in USA in Long Beach on July 2nd, 2017. Since its creation, 6 people have held the title.

  1. Kenny Omega (1x champion) 4 defenses + 210 combined days spent with title.
  2. Jon Moxley (2x champion) 3 defenses + 552 combined days spent with title.
  3. Juice Robinson (2x champion) 3 defenses + 237 combined days spent with title.
  4. Jay White (1x champion) 3 defenses + 160 combined days spent with title.
  5. Lance Archer (1x champion) 1 defense + 96 combined days spent with title.
  6. Cody Rhodes (1x champion) 0 defenses + 82 combined days spent with title.

NWA To Resume TV Tapings This Month (Report)

Chris Stephens
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Fans of the National Wrestling Alliance will be pleased to know that the company plans on resuming television tapings later this month. This comes on the heels of the promotion mysteriously removing all of its content from YouTube. What’s next for the NWA was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“So, this is the situation with the NWA. I don’t know why they pulled all their videos from YouTube but they are going to be taping March 21st to 24th and I was told it will come out in the next couple of days why they did it and it will be a positive,” said Dave Meltzer.

The NWA is expecting to make a public announcement in the next few days.

The last set of TV tapings the company held was in January of 2020. Upon the onset of the pandemic, the promotion was forced to cancel its planned Crockett Cup 2020 PPV event that spring. The NWA was loosely affiliated with the UWN shows at Thunder Studios last fall, however. Those shows were shut down in December.

NWA Mourns Loss of “The Question Mark” Joseph Hudson (aka Jocephus)

Unfortunately, it is a sad time for the NWA. Last week, Joseph Hudson (The Question Mark, Jocephus) passed away suddenly. The NWA’s wrestlers, staff, and fans have been paying tribute to the Mongrovian Karate expert online.

https://twitter.com/Billy/status/1365044456261636096
https://twitter.com/ColtCabana/status/1365085492384063489

New Japan Cup Brackets Revealed, Anniversary Show Lineup

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling had a big weekend with two Castle Attack events in Osaka and a significant episode of New Japan Strong on Friday night. The promotion has now revealed the brackets for the upcoming New Japan Cup tournament.

The single-elimination tournament this year features 30 wrestlers, 2 of whom will receive a bye to the second round. EVIL won the tournament last year and has been granted a free pass to the second round. Hiroshi Tanahashi won the inaugural tournament in 2005 and has also been granted a first round bye.

The rest of the brackets are as follows:

New Japan Cup 2021 Brackets

March 4th, 2021

  • Satoshi Kojima vs Jeff Cobb
  • Tetsuya Naito vs Great-O-Khan

March 5th, 2021

  • Toru Yano vs Bad Luck Fale
  • Hirooki Goto vs Taichi

March 6th, 2021

  • Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi
  • Tomoaki Honma vs Minoru Suzuki
  • Juice Robinson vs KENTA

March 7th, 2021

  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Will Ospreay
  • Gabriel Kidd vs Zack Sabre Jr.

March 9th, 2021

  • Yuji Nagata vs Yota Tsuji
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs SANADA

March 10th, 2021

  • David Finlay vs Chase Owens
  • Yoshi-Hashi vs Yujiro Takahashi
  • Toa Henare vs Jay White

NJPW Anniversary Show Lineup

NJPW also announced the lineup for its upcoming Anniversary show on March 4th from the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
    Heavyweight vs Junior Heavyweight Champion vs Champion Match
    Kota Ibushi (c) vs. El Desperado
  • New Japan Cup 2021 (1st Round)
    Tetsuya Natio vs. The Great-O-Khan
  • New Japan Cup 2021 (1st Round)
    Satoshi Kojima vs. Jeff Cobb
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Toa Henare, and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. EVIL, KENTA, Chase Owens, Jay White, and Taiji Ishimori
  • Master Wato, Gabriel Kidd, Tomoaki Honma and Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI

JBL On How He Felt About WWE Splitting Up APA

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Being part of the APA was an important stop in JBL’s career and the breakup of the group helped launch his run as a main eventer in WWE.

The WWE hall of famer alongside his partner Ron Simmons appeared on the latest episode of WWE’s The Bump where they discussed a number of things and relived the memories of their time together.

During the interview, JBL also talked about their storyline break up in 2004 which saw John turning on his partner and the former WWE champion said that he would have been happy if the company never split them:

“We knew it that it wasn’t gonna last forever. You know, we couldn’t be doing it to this day, we can go back and do the backstage stuff, but we wouldn’t be in the ring now, you know, backing that up anymore.

So, we knew at some point it was going to end, which I hated. I would’ve been happy being an APA member my entire life. If JBL had never happened and I retired at the end of APA, I’d be perfectly fine with that.”

APA lost a “You’re Fired” match to the then WWE tag team champions Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty in March 2004 and it meant that both the stars will be released from their contract.

However, General Manager Paul Heyman later revealed that Ron Simmons was the only one being released because the management saw potential in JBL. This storyline effectively ended the partnership between the two.

NJPW Unifying IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships

Anutosh Bajpai
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New Japan Pro Wrestling or NJPW has decided to unify the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship belts currently held by Kota Ibushi into a new title.

The company president Naoki Sugabayashi confirmed the news to Tokyo Sports and revealed that the two belts will be unified to create the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship:

“As a result of discussions on the company side, we [have] decided to respect the will of the current champion and unify the two thrones. IWGP Heavyweight and IC history inherited. ‘IWGP World Heavyweight Championship’ will be newly established and the belt will be renewed. “

The news of this unification came after Kota Ibushi, who has been advocating for the title unification since Wrestle Kingdom 15, defeated Tetsuya Naito in a match for the IC title during the Castle Attack event.

Jay White, who challenged for both titles at Night 2 of January’s Wrestle Kingdom 15 event, commented on the unification news:

IWGP Championship Unification

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship is currently the highest title in NJPW. The belt was established in 1987 and Antonio Inoki is the first recognized champion.

The IWGP Intercontinental Championship, on the other hand, was introduced in 2011 as the “gateway to IWGP” and the current WWE star MVP was the first person to hold the belt.

Ibushi is now set to face El Desperado at New Japan’s Anniversary Event on March 4 but his first defence with the new belt is expected to be against the winner of the New Japan Cup that starts on March 5.

The company is scheduled to hold a press conference on NJPW World at 3 PM JST today. They are expected to announce the news of the unification and reveal the brackets for the New Japan Cup during the event.

NJPW Castle Attack Results – Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito

Jake Skudder
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New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Castle Attack event from Osaka-Jo Hall took place earlier today. This was night 2 of the new special show, with the main event seeing Kota Ibushi defend his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Tetsuya Naito.

Kota Ibushi is the co-IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion. Ibushi has mentioned that he plans on unifying the Championships, something that Naito has said he does not want to happen. That is why Naito chose to only challenge for the IC belt.

NJPW Castle Attack

Here’s the full results from today’s Castle Attack event.

  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima b. Will Ospreay and Jeff Cobb – Kojima hit the LARIAT on Cobb to take the win
  • Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano b. EVIL, Jay White, and Chase Owens (with Gedo and Dick Togo) – Okada made Chase Owens submit using the Money Clip
  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa (c) (with Jado) b. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI – Tama Tonga hit the Gun Stun on Goto to win the match and retain the tag team titles
  • NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) b. Great-O-Khan – Tanahashi used a Rolling armbar to retain the NEVER title. This was Tanahashi’s first defence of the belt
  • Vacant IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship – El Desperado b. El Phantasmo and BUSHI – El Desperado used the Pinche Loco on El Phantasmo to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) b. Tetsuya Naito – Ibushi used the Kamigoye to retain his IC Championship

“He’s An A**hole”: Jake Roberts Blasts Vince McMahon For Using His Personal Troubles Into Storyline

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE and its owner Vince McMahon are known for incorporating the personal issues of their superstars into various storylines over the years and Hall Of Famer Jake Roberts is no stranger to this tactic from the company.

The promotion has previous used the veteran’s troubles with alcoholism into a controversial storyline which also involved Hall Of Famer Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler back in 1996. Lawler even force-fed his opponent a bottle of bourbon after their match at SummerSlam that year.

Roberts opened up about the controversial angle during his recent interview with Inside The Ropes, and he blasted Mr. McMahon, calling him an ‘a**hole’:

“Well, I thought it was a horrible thing for McMahon to ask me to do, It was cheap, it was disrespectful,” said the wrestling veteran, “It didn’t prove a damn thing other than the fact that Vince McMahon’s an a**hole, so there you go. Lawler, he’s in the same boat. Both a**holes.”

Jake Roberts has since turned things around. His win over his battle with addiction was chronicled in the 2015 documentary, Resurrection of Jake The Snake. He also talked about his efforts to get clean during the interview and the current AEW star explained that he wants to be around for long to spend time with his grandkids. You can check out his full interview here.

RVD On Who Should Induct Him Into Hall Of Fame

Anutosh Bajpai
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With his illustrated career in WWE where he has won over a dozen championships, RVD has rightfully earned a spot for himself into the Hall Of Fame and it’s only a matter of time before the company makes it official.

The former WWE champion recently appeared on the That 90’s Wrestling Podcast where he talked about a number of things and also revealed his choice for the person to induct him into the Hall Of Fame.

The former hardcore champion took the name of former ECW owner Paul Heyman when asked the question. RVD explained that Paul was the only producer that ever had his best interest at heart:

“Kinda has to be Paul [Heyman], doesn’t it? I think it has to be Paul. Sabu doesn’t talk very good [laughs], On the real, Paul is the only producer/agent that’s ever had my best interests at heart and understood me, you know and because of that, ya know it has to be him as predictable as it is.”

RVD also revealed that WWE officials had recently contacted him for a documentary. He confirmed that it will be coming out in May this year:

“They [WWE] contacted me and asked if I’d be interested and that they wanted to make a documentary on me, and I said sure, I’d be interested,

We haven’t actually shot much of it yet, but, [whispering] it comes out in May. So we’re gonna be shooting a lot of it real soon. So I’m excited about it, I’m talking to them [WWE] about doing a book, we’re in talks.”

Apart from this, RVD talked about his relationship with the WWE chairman Vince McMahon. He claimed that his relationship with Mr McMahon wasn’t severed even after his WWE departure because he kept in touch with the boss.

Thunder Rosa Pays Tribute To The Question Mark

Chris Stephens
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“The Question Mark” Joseph Hudson (aka Jocephus) passed away suddenly recently. He had been a big part of the NWA’s revival under Billy Corgan. Hudson debuted the Question Mark character as the promotion began filming studio shows for NWA Powerrr. Former NWA Women’s Champion, Thunder Rosa, paid tribute to the man this weekend at an independent show.

Rosa took to Twitter to share photos of her making her ring entrance in Mongrovian style.

When Is The NWA Returning?

Shortly after the onset of the pandemic, the NWA was forced to cancel its scheduled “Crockett Cup 2020” show. They have not run any events since. The promotion recently removed all its content from its YouTube page, leading some to fear the worse.

“Friends, I don’t know what’s going on with the NWA YouTube page, please stop asking. Thank you,’ Tweeted Dave Marquez.

Dave Meltzer noted on the Wrestling Observer message board that he has heard a positive announcement is coming soon, however.

 “I was told it will be something announced in the next few days which is a good thing. Would not have to do with AEW,” Meltzer wrote.

Thunder Rosa will face Riho on AEW Dynamite this week in the 2nd round of the Women’s title-eliminator tournament.

Roman Reigns Ridicules Daniel Bryan’s Fastlane Title Match Attempts

Rayan Sayyed
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Roman Reigns would go against Daniel Bryan to defend his WWE Universal Championship at Fastlane, on a condition. As it was revealed on Talking Smack this weekend, the condition that Bryan is given is that he has to first beat Jey Uso in a Steel Cage Match at this week’s Friday Night SmackDown. Daniel Bryan had to go through five other competitors in an Elimination Chamber match for an immediate WWE Universal Championship match at the same night. Reigns was able to quickly defeat Bryan by technical submission and retain the title.

On last week’s SmackDown, Daniel Bryan and Jey Uso faced off each other to decide if Bryan would get a title shot against Roman Reigns at Fastlane. However, the match ended in a double count out, so there was no clear outcome on if Bryan would get the title opportunity or not. However, with this new development, Bryan has another chance at Reigns.

Daniel Bryan Cuts Promo On Part-Time Wrestlers, Namedrops CM Punk

Roman Reigns took to Instagram on Saturday where he ridiculed Daniel Bryan’s attempts at getting a rematch. According to Reigns, Bryan’s efforts are wasted as he would end up in the same spot, anyway. He wrote, “Putting yourself through a whole bunch of a trouble just to end up in the same place. On the ground. Knocked out.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzgXRKpI0a/?utm_source=ig_embed

On Talking Smack, Paul Heyman said that he had been authorised by Roman Reigns to offer Daniel Bryan a rematch against Jey Uso. If Bryan wins, he would get the title shot at Fastlane but if Uso wins, then Bryan has to admit that Reigns is the tribal chief, the head of the table, the best wrestler on the planet, the undisputed Universal Champion, and the main eventer of WrestleMania. It would be interesting to see how things go into Fastlane, a month away from WrestleMania.

Fastlane will take place on Sunday, March 21 from the WWE ThunderDome hosted at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all updates and results.

The Rock Reminisces Toasting With Steve Austin In Different Cities

Rayan Sayyed
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The Rock has often fondly reminisced back on the times he spent feuding with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin which fans consider to be the most iconic rivalries in wrestling. Recently, Rock made a throwback post on Twitter, quote retweeting a picture of him and Austin together in the ring toasting with beers. Pretty much every time they would do this, Austin would hit Rock with a Stunner, much to the delight of fans.

The Rock recalled that him and Steve Austin would recreate the iconic moment of them sharing beers in multiple cities every night. “Many of you know what’s about to happen in roughly 3 seconds after this beer Clinking beer mugs smash…. And @steveaustinBSR and I did this in a different city EVERY NIGHT. Much less was scripted back then and these were BRILLIANT times!!! What an era as all things ebb and flow in @wwe,” Rock wrote.

The Rock also shared that much of what we saw in the ring was not scripted and they had a great time together. “The Brahma Bull” also alluded to how he would be hit by a Stunner each time during the iconic moment. One of the more entertaining aspects to their rivalry was how Rock would over-sell the Stunner. Sometimes he would flip and bounce off the ropes, nearly perform a cartwheel, or wiggle around like he’s suffering a seizure.

The Rock once revealed that he and Steve Austin would bet cases of beer to see how crazy he could get while selling the Stunner. Austin has said that Rock and him had swift chemistry with each other and they hit it off well. “The Texas Rattlesnake” explained that the both of them got along like gangbusters inside and outside of the ring. Rock has also recalled that whenever they met in the ring, they would know the finish of the match but they had to call everything out in the ring. They were so tight that the night before their match at WrestleMania X-Seven they went out for a steak dinner to discuss the match.

Bobby Lashley On Who He Wants To Face At WrestleMania 37

Rayan Sayyed
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Bobby Lashley is all set to face The Miz for the WWE Championship on this week’s Monday Night Raw, after helping Miz to cash in his Money in the Bank contract by beating down former Champion Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber. Lashley is super confident that he’s going to win the match and become the next WWE Champion. In fact, he has already named who he is going to defend his title against at WrestleMania 37, while also talking about his dream match at “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”.

Speaking to Inside the Ropes, Bobby Lashley said that while his dream match at WrestleMania would be against Brock Lesnar, he has set his sights on former Champion Drew McIntyre simply because of the fact that McIntyre beat Lesnar in quick fashion at last year’s WrestleMania.

“As far as Brock, Brock is one person but how I look at it is Drew beat Brock in, like, no time. So, of course, my sights were set on Brock for some time but, like I said, Drew is the man, Drew is the one that beat him, Drew beat Goldberg,” Bobby Lashley said.

While Bobby Lashley acknowledged that the dream match fans want is between him and Brock Lesnar, he considers Drew McIntyre the top guy right now. And therefore, beating McIntyre comes first for him. “Of course Brock is that kind of mystery match, dream match that everybody has wanted us to have for some time now but right now, I’m looking to be the best and right now the best is Drew. Drew is the top guy. If I beat Miz, or when I beat Miz, I think Drew is the guy,” Lashley explained.

As noted before, Bobby Lashley viciously assaulted Drew McIntyre after he survived and successfully defended his WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber match. This gave The Miz the perfect opening to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, making him a two-time WWE Champion. The following night on Raw, it was revealed that Miz had struck a deal with the Hurt Business, according to which the Miz would give Lashley a title shot if he helped him cash in his contract.

Bobby Lashley stated that Drew McIntyre’s “the man” and that to be the man you’ve got to beat the man and therefore all his focus is on McIntyre. McIntyre meanwhile was not present at last week’s Raw but he is set to return to the show this week.

Big Cass Makes First Wrestling Appearance Since 2019 (Video)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Big Cass returned to in-ring action for the first time since 2019 this past Saturday night during an indie event organized by Lariato Pro Wrestling.

Former WWE and current Impact Wrestling star Doc Gallows posted a video of his return on Twitter and the fans noted that the former NXT star looked to be in great shape:

https://twitter.com/The_BigLG/status/1365846047885557762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Big Cass first got recognization among fans after he signed a WWE contract in 2011 and started teaming with Enzo Amore in NXT around 2013.

The monster sized athlete was given a push after he debuted on main roster and broke up with Amore. The company officials were seeing him as a future star.

However, he was released from his contract in June 2018 after Cass went off script during a segment on SmackDown and reports suggested that various behavioral issues attributed to the decision.

He returned to independent circuit after his release from the promotion and made appearances for companies like ROH and NJPW. However, his last wrestling appearance came in 2019 during the NEW How You Doin show in September.

Big Cass’ former partner and close friend Enzo Amore had later revealed in interviews that the former WWE star took time off to seek professional help for his personal issues.

Ric Flair On Big Show Joining AEW: “I Didn’t See It Coming”

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The announcement of Big Show aka Paul Wight joining the All Elite Wrestling roster caught a lot of people off guard and it appears that the wrestling legend Ric Flair was one of them.

The 16 time world champion recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where he talked about a number of things and also discussed the big decision by the giant.

Flair was asked about the surprising turn of events with the now-former WWE star. Replying to the question, he mentioned how he met Big Show recently and claimed that he didn’t see it coming:

“To answer your question, I was just with him, and I did not see it happening. He did not mention a word to me, and I was with him, what two weeks ago, three weeks ago, and whenever they had the Legends Reunion, he was there.”

“So, I didn’t see it coming, and I’m sure they must have made him a spectacular deal over there. Do I wish had would stay with us personally? Yes.” said Flair, “But, at the same time, he has earned my respect, and I think he has earned the respect of everybody and should be able to make the choice he wants.”

The WWE Hall Of Famer interestingly also explained that in past they all used to be aware of what’s going on but now it’s a different world. He is better off not asking and instead of trying to catch up, he just pretends like he is there.

Apart from this, Ric Flair also talked about his history with the former WWE star and told a funny story about the time they first worked together.

Mark Henry Planning In Ring Return For One More Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry is gearing up for a return to the ring. Henry says he is “lighter, trimmer” than he’s ever been and plans to wrestle at least once in the next six months.

Henry discussed his intentions on a recent episode of Busted Open on SiriusXM. He is open to wrestling anybody, but spoke about battling a former rival, Randy Orton.

“I’d rather get punked out than to get my a– whooped, Randy is not somebody to mess around with if you’re not 100%,” said Henry.

“Now I’m walking on two feet, I’m 325 pounds; I’m lighter, trimmer than I’ve ever been. I plan on having a match sometime in the next six months. I just want to have one match, and if Randy is the guy, then so be it. Believe me, I’ll be ready and I won’t be on one foot on a push scooter.”

The former World Champion made his WWE debut way back in 1996. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.

Although Mark Henry never had a formal retirement, he has not been an active competitor since 2013. He’s worked for WWE in various behind the scenes roles in recent years.

You can listen to Mark Henry’s comments in the tweet embedded below:

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