Author: John Bass

Merged XFL-USFL (United Football League) Sets 8 Markets, Tabs Coaches, Sets Opener

The newly formed United Football League has set its eight markets and secured head coaches for each team as it continues its march toward a March 2024 debut on the field, the league announced Monday.

UFL confirm that its March 30 opener will be played between the leagues’ 2023 champions: the Arlington Renegades (XFL) and Birmingham Stallions (USFL).

The UFL will remain in four XFL markets, three from the USFL and one that the now-merged leagues shared. The eight teams, all of which are located in either the Eastern or Central time zones, will be split into two conferences that are named after the leagues that formed them. Four XFL coaches and four USFL coaches were retained.

The full breakdown with each team’s coach:

USFL conference

  • Birmingham Stallions: Skip Holtz
  • Houston Roughnecks: Curtis Johnson
  • Memphis Showboats: John DeFilippo
  • Michigan Panthers: Mike Nolan

XFL conference

  • Arlington Renegades: Bob Stoops
  • D.C. Defenders: Reggie Barlow
  • San Antonio Brahmas: Wade Phillips
  • St. Louis Battlehawks: Anthony Becht

Both leagues had teams in Houston in 2023. The UFL kept the XFL team’s brand and tapped the USFL team’s coach.

UFL players will report to training camp Feb. 24 in Arlington, Texas, where the XFL trained last season. Its teams will play a 10-game regular season, starting March 30 with a matchup between Birmingham and Arlington.

The USFL and XFL played separate, partially overlapping schedules in 2023. The leagues announced an intent to merge Sept. 28 and received approval from federal regulators Nov. 30.

The XFL had previously discussed a partnership with the Canadian Football League in 2021, but negotiations did not lead to an agreement.

Source: ESPN

AEW Dynamite Preview 1/3/2024

AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS and emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Fallout from AEW Worlds End – Samoa Joe is the new AEW World Champion and Adam Cole was revealed as the devil.

  • We will hear from Adam Cole
  • We will hear from Samoa Joe
  • Mariah May’s in-ring debut vs. Queen Aminata.
  • AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Dante Martin.
  • Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia
  • Christian Cage State of the Union

Backstage News On WWE’s Groundwork For The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Dream Match

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a surprise return to WWE on Monday night’s ‘Day 1’ themed episode of RAW, confronting Jinder Mahal and teasing a potential match with his cousin, Roman Reigns.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Radio is reporting that a potential dream matchup between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 is not yet confirmed.

However, it was noted that Reigns began using the “Head of the Table” and “Tribal Chief” as nicknames years ago to set up an eventual blockbuster clash with The Rock.

Meltzer said, “That whole thing, ‘The Head of the Table’ and all that, and ‘Tribal Chief,’ was all done originally to build up the Roman Reigns-Rock match.”

It was further stated that a matchup between The Rock and Reigns has been on WWE’s radar before, with The Great One previously turning down an offer to lay the smackdown on The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, TX. Meltzer said,

“I remember they were gonna do the Dallas show [WrestleMania 38] and then it was gonna be Los Angeles [WrestleMania 39]. He turned down the first one to do the second one, which would have been Los Angeles. Then Los Angeles ended up being canceled, kind of in December, I think.”

During an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay this past September, The Rock confirmed that his dream match with Reigns was in the works for WrestleMania 39, but plans later fell through.

Only time will tell if The Rock vs. Roman Reigns finally happens at WrestleMania XL this year.

Source: eWn

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 1/4/2024 (Card)

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom18 from the Tokyo Dome 1/4/2024 beginning around 2:30 am EST on NJPW World.

CARD

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: SANADA (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay
  • IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado
  • IWGP Jr Tag Championship: Bullet Club War Dogs (c) vs. Catch 2/2
  • NJPW World Television Championship: Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga
  • IWGP Tag & STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: Bishamon (IWGP Tag) vs. Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (STRONG Openweight Tag)
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & Shota Umino vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Ren Narita)
  • Kickoff: KOPW 2024 New Japan Ranbo

Backstage Report On Future Of Trinity Fatu (Naomi In WWE)

Ever since joining Impact Wrestling/TNA Wrestling in April 2022, it’s been all sunshine and roses for Trinity, who is currently entering her sixth month as Knockouts Champion. It may also be her last month as champion, however, as Trinity appears to be contemplating a career move back to her old stomping grounds.

Fightful Select reports that Trinity’s contract with Impact/TNA is set to expire in the not-so-distant future and that the Knockouts Champion will be finishing up with the promotion. It’s unclear if Trinity’s last date will be the upcoming Hard to Kill PPV, where the promotion will officially rebrand back to TNA, or if she will continue to work through the end of the month.

As for what Trinity’s next move will be, those within WWE expect that she will return to the company, where she worked for over a decade under the name Naomi. One person within WWE believes a deal is so close that something drastic would have to occur to prevent Trinity from re-signing, though they pointed out that anything could happen in the current free agency market. WWE had previously sought to bring Trinity back last year but was prevented due to an unofficial hiring freeze. The move isn’t a surprise to those in TNA, who have long thought Trinity would return to WWE when her contract expired.

Trinity’s departure from WWE came under controversial circumstances, after she and then WWE Women’s Tag Team Title partner Mercedes Mone, then Sasha Banks, walked out of the promotion in May 2022 after disagreements with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. While Trinity’s return to WWE is expected, the same cannot be said for Mone, who has broken off talks with WWE and is expected to sign with AEW.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Preview 1/2/2024

Tonight’s WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Live on USA Network from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.

  • NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Final: Riley Osborne vs. Oba Femi
  • Dragon Lee & LWO (Joaquin Wild & Crus Del Toro) vs. 3 Members Of No Quarter Catch Crew
  • Ranch Hand Or Servant For A Day Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley
  • Roxanne Perez vs. Arianna Grace
  • Ridge Holland exclusive interview
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Lyra Valkyrie (c) vs. Blair Davenport
  • NXT Championship: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams

MJF Considering Surgery Following AEW Worlds End

AEW concluded the year with its Worlds End 2023 pay-per-view event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Saturday night, where AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF defended against Samoa Joe.

Prior to the match, MJF was dealing with injuries to his shoulder and hip, leading to expectations of him taking a break following the event. Joe’s win and capturing the title were always part of AEW’s plans and not because of MJF’s injuries. 

Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that MJF is debating whether to do rehab or get shoulder surgery.

Source: eWn

Mercedes Mone Expected To Sign With AEW

Mercedes Mone and AEW continue to be in talks.

According to a report from Fightful Select, talks between Mone and AEW have continued after the former Sasha Banks’ talks with WWE felt apart within the past week or two. Multiple sources say Mone will ultimately land in All Elite Wrestling.

At one point, there were plans for Mone to make her AEW debut at All In 2023, but those plans were scrapped after an agreement couldn’t be reached at the time.

While the belief is that Mone will be signing with AEW, no one has confirmed that ink has been put to paper at this point. Both WWE and AEW have had recent situations where a deal was not signed until the day that they made their debuts (CM Punk and Will Ospreay). One source added, “it’s never official until it’s official.”

Source: eWn

The Rock Returns To WWE Raw On New Year’s Day, Teases Challenge Against Roman Reigns

After tons of speculation this week about “a former WWE champion” returning to WWE on tonight’s episode of “Raw,” the thousands of fans in the San Diego, California crowd, and the millions at home let out an audible sigh when Jinder Mahal hit the ring. But as “The Modern Day Maharaja” chastised the United States, expectations boomed for something more, and none other than The Rock made his way down the ramp, sending the place into a frenzy. From there, things only got more intriguing.

As Rock sang a custom rendition of the United States National Anthem to Mahal, things ended with more physicality than we’ve seen from “The People’s Champion” in several years, hammering Mahal with his trademark right hands, dropping him with a Spinebuster, and putting an end the altercation, of course, with The People’s Elbow.

From there, Rock thanked San Diego, told the crowd he loved them, and said he was hungry. He noted plans to go out and get something to eat but asked the crowd if he should sit in a booth, or maybe at the bar (which drew a pop from the audience, gleefully ending the holiday season themselves), or maybe, just maybe, he should take a seat at the head of the table.

Could that finally mean what the collective would think it to mean? Common sense would say that he wouldn’t utter those specific words without a specific payoff in mind. With WrestleMania season right around the corner, as well as a massive Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia, the conversation is only just getting started.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Day 1 Preview 1/1/2024

Tonight’s WWE RAW Day 1 Live on USA Network from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Ivy Nile
  • Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
  • #1 Contenders for WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Natalya & Tegan Nox