Trish Stratus was once again scheduled to appear on this week’s episode of RAW, but it didn’t wind up happening. This marks at least the second time in recent weeks that she’s been brought in and wasn’t used.
According to a report from Fightful, Stratus was originally set to make her return during Bayley’s Ding Dong! Hello segment, but that did not wind up happening as Lita and Becky Lynch appeared and challenged Dakota Kai and IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. That match will be taking place on next week’s episode of RAW.
For what it’s worth, Stratus was actually backstage at the RAW TV tapings in Ottawa, Canada. She had every intention of appearing on the show, but the segment was scrapped due to a “creative change.” Stratus wound up leaving the venue prior to the segment.
As of this writing, there is no word on if Trish Stratus will be appearing on WWE television going into WrestleMania 39. There have been rumors that Trish, Lita, and Becky Lynch will be teaming up to face off against Damage CTRL at WrestleMania 39.
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH TO DETERMINE NO. 1 CONTENDER FOR RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Asuka def. Carmella, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Nikki Cross and Raquel Rodriguez
Bobby Lashley def. Brock Lesnar – due to DQ
After a spear, Lashley is able to get Lesnar in a Hurt Lock. Lesnar went for a low-blow and got disqualified, to a chorus of boos. As punishment for that, Lesnar just gave referee Chad Patton an F-5. Then, he hit Lashley with another F-5. Lesnar then tossed Lashley through the commentary table…and followed it up with giving ref Patton another F-5 on top of the broken table for good measure.
MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH: Edge and Beth Phoenix def. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP: Austin Theory (c) def. Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano and Montez Ford
WWE’s medical team is then brought into the ring to help get Ford out, meanwhile, Rollins goes for a Stomp but misses. Despite that, he does hit a Pedigree, however, Logan Paul then arrives and nails a Buckshot Lariat, and before leaving he its a Stomp! He then slams the door shut and hangs onto the cage as Theory hits A-Town Down.
UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Roman Reigns (c) def. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns stare each other down after the bell while the rabid audience goes wild for the challenger to kick things off. The two men finally lock up and Reigns drops Zayn with a shoulder tackle straight away. The second lock-up sees Zayn get the best of the situation, but that doesn’t last long as he gets dropped by an elbow from the champion. However, Zayn quickly turns things around by sending Reigns out of the ring as he dives over the ropes onto the “Tribal Chief,” which is met with a big response.
Back inside the ring, Zayn hammers down a series of punches before dropping down with an elbow drop from the top turnbuckle which gets a one-fall. However, Reigns then takes Zayn out of the ring and showcases his dominance again with a Drive By, but Zayn begins to fight back in the ring only to be dropped immediately with a big right hand. Reigns then talks trash to Zayn’s wife at ringside as then hammers in clothesline strikes in the corner before dumping him to the floor to his family.
Reigns talk more trash to Zayn’s wife and family as he drops him with a headbutt. Reigns then throw Zayn into the ropes, but he springboards back from the bottom rope with a leapfrog and he then flattens the champion with a clothesline and begins throwing hands toward Reigns once again to build momentum, hitting another big clothesline as he then sends Reigns out of the ring. He then attacks Reigns in front of his family but the champion responds and they head to the top turnbuckle, but Zayn fights back and hits a sunset flip powerbomb which gets him a near fall.
Reigns immediately hits several elbow strikes to regain control, following up with an urinagi, and this time it is Zayn who has to kick out at the last minute. Reigns looks for the attack in the corner but gets reversed as Zayn explodes him into the turnbuckles, but as he goes for the Helluva Kick, the champion reverses with a Superman Punch and almost gets the win. Reigns then looks for a Spear but Zayn leaps over him and as Reigns smashes into the turnbuckles he almost gets caught with a roll-up.
While he kicks out Zayn then suplexes him into the turnbuckles and he then mocks Reigns and hits a Superman Punch of his own, following it up with the Helluva Kick which almost gets the win, but Reigns kicks out! Reigns rolls out from the ring to take a breather, and that leads to Zayn trying to dive through the turnbuckles but he gets caught with a punch to the face from the “Head of the Table.”
Reigns then charges around the ring and looks for a Spear, but Zayn avoids it and Reigns crashes through the barricade. In the ring, Reigns misses with a Superman Punch as Zayn hits the Blue Thunder Bomb, but yet again Reigns kicks out! Reigns then drives Zayn back, but they crash into the official. While he is down Zayn hits another Helluva Kick and he has the title won, but there is nobody to count it!
Jimmy Uso then appears and nails Zayn with a series of Superkicks as he follows it with the Splash. Jimmy covers him as a new official appears, but Zayn kicks out! Zayn keeps trying to fight, but he is met with a headbutt as Reigns trash-talks him. He then goes for a Superman Punch but Zayn avoids it and Roman nearly hits the new official but he doesn’t! Zayn sends him out of the ring and knocks off Jimmy Uso with a Helluva Kick, but he turns around into a Spear. However, he kicks out again!
Reigns then gets slapped and the champion goes for a Superman Punch, but this time he hits the official! He goes down and Zayn hits the champion with a Superman Punch as Reigns fires back with one of his own and both men are down with no referee. Paul Heyman then pulls out a chair for the Tribal Chief, but Jey Uso then appears in the ring and Reigns hands him the chair. Jey teases hitting Reigns with the chair just as Sami did at the Rumble, but he doesn’t and Reigns takes the chair from him and pushes Jey in the face. Zayn goes for a Spear but Reigns moves and he accidentally hits Jey! After that Reigns uses the weapon repeatedly to beat down Zayn and he then nails the Spear, and this time he can’t kick out.
After the match, Jimmy Uso begins attacking Zayn until Kevin Owens makes his return! KO begins brawling with Jimmy and he then hits the ring to take down Reigns as well, nailing him with a Stunner, and Jimmy then eats one as well! Owens continues the attack with a Pop-Up Powerbomb that sends Jimmy through the announce table. He grabs a chair but Heyman begins punching him in the back so he eats a Stunner as well. Owens then steps aside and that allows Zayn to hit Reigns with one more Helluva Kick.
Kushida, Volador Jr., Kevin Knight and The DKC defeated Máscara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Adrian Quest and Rocky Romero
Strong Openweight Championship KENTA defeated Fred Rosser (c) to WIN the Strong Openweight Championship
KENTA picked up the win with the Go To Sleep as CM Punk watched on from the stands after Juice Robinson returned to NJPW and decked Fred Rosser with a fistful of coins.
Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) (c) defeated West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Issacs)
Loser Leaves NJPW Eddie Kingston defeated Jay White
Jay White lost his Loser Leaves NJPW Match to Eddie Kingston following four Urakens and two Northern Lights suplexes. White was set to cut a post-match promo but he was suddenly attacked from behind by David Finlay, who cut a long promo about being a foreigner everywhere he wrestles.
Filthy Rules Fight Tom Lawlor defeated Homicide
NJPW World Television Championship Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Clark Connors
IWGP Women’s Championship Mercedes Monè defeated Kairi (c) to WIN the IWGP Women’s Championship
Moné became the second-ever IWGP Women’s Champion after defeating fellow former WWE talent KAIRI in the semi-main event of Battle in the Valley. Moné hit a Bayley-To-Belly and was put through a table in her NJPW in-ring debut before she picked up the win with her Moné Maker finisher. Moné and KAIRI then hugged after the match as Bayley watched on from the crowd.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
The XFL’s long-awaited return to action in 2020 was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years later, the spring start-up league has returned under new leadership, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s ownership group presiding over it.
The XFL’s 2023 season kicks off this weekend (February 17 & 18) on ABC and ESPN/FX
In conjunction, ESPN has announced that they will launch a weekly series to cover the league. Titled XFL Weekly, the show will air on Sunday at 2:30pm Eastern. It will be available on the ESPN app, ESPN social media channels, and YouTube. Jason Fitz and Skubie Mageza have been tabbed as hosts.
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP: Austin Theory (c) vs. Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Montez Ford vs. Seth Rollins
UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sami Zayn
ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH TO DETERMINE NO. 1 CONTENDER FOR RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Asuka vs. Carmella vs. Liv Morgan vs. Natalya vs. Nikki Cross vs. Raquel Rodriguez
MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH: Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley)
New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to California for a major PPV event featuring the New Japan in-ring debut of Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, in the WWE.
AEW taped tonight’s AEW Rampage “Slam Dunk” at the Sames Auto Center in Larado, Texas on Wednesday night after Dynamite went off the air. Tonight’s Rampage will air at a special time 7/6 C on TNT due to NBA All-Star festivities.
Daniel Garcia vs. Ricky Starks
AEW Trios Championship: The Elite (c) vs. Top Flight & AR Fox
TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against VertVixen
WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX, and emanate from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tonight’s show is the go-home show for Saturday’s Elimination Chamber.
Although Jay White is on WWE’s radar, the company is looking to bring in another major free agent.
White’s deal with NJPW is expiring soon, and he looks to be on his way out of the company after losing a “loser leaves NJPW” match. Many expect him to go to AEW or WWE.
In an update from Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, those in WWE that would normally know about talent acquisitions mentioned that there is an even bigger free agent that the company is looking at.
“Those in WWE who would normally know of major acquisitions during Mania season didn’t know about this one and only said that there was a much bigger major free agent in play right now that was internally the priority.”
On Saturday, New Japan Pro Wrestling will return to the U.S. to host Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California. The event will potentially be the destination for Jay White’s final match with the promotion.
Mercedes Moné’s debut match is the biggest selling point for the upcoming show, which will also feature the latest edition of Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s iconic rivalry. Still, all eyes would be on The Switchblade following the outcome of his dramatic Loser Leaves Japan bout at The New Beginning.
Last week, Hikuleo defeated the leader of Bullet Club and banished him from his adopted home. After he accepted his fate, the New Zealand wrestler set his sights on a showdown with AEW’s Eddie Kingston. However, the two upped the ante on this week’s episode of Wrestling Observer Live with our own Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive.
Kingston challenged White to a Loser Leaves NJPW match, and the former IWGP world champion agreed. The added stipulation doesn’t add much suspense to their conflict because many assumed it would be his final appearance with the Japanese promotion.
Instead, the occasion will likely mark the end of the Cutthroat Era and make King Switch the hottest new free agent in wrestling. During his interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, White said he was “at peace with it.”
“I don’t know if there is much more I could have done,” he said. “I don’t feel like I left a bunch of boxes unchecked. I’ve been living it, so it can be hard to appreciate it in the moment, but as I move on, I’ve started to look back at the weight some of it holds. As time goes on, I hope people appreciate it even more.”
The first NJPW grand slam champion certainly had a prosperous and impactful run with the company. So, what’s next for the self-proclaimed Catalyst of Pro Wrestling?
ICYMI
Jay White vs Eddie Kingston Saturday at Battle in the Valley is now Loser Leaves NJPW!
The Elite has a long history with White stemming from Kenny Omega’s failed attempt to recruit him at NJPW New Year Dash 2018. The Switchblade rejected him, waited for Bullet Club to implode, and eventually stepped in as its new leader.
When The Cleaner and The Young Bucks left New Japan, he thrived as the top gaijin star in the company. The formation of AEW and the rise of the Cutthroat Era ran parallel to one another as Omega’s successor secured numerous accolades in his absence.
It didn’t take an expert to see that the 30-year-old would inevitably make his way to the U.S. as well. For starters, every wrestler who rose to prominence as the head of Bullet Club did so before him, including its founder, Finn Balor.
White started making inroads into America in 2020 as a part of NJPW Strong. The following year, his U-S-of-Jay Open Challenge became a fixture at these shows, and he appeared on Impact Wrestling.
By the time he made his triumphant return to Japan at Wrestling Dontaku 2022, it became clear that he would be at the forefront of NJPW’s new partnership with AEW. In the process, he continued to gain new fans in the U.S., and you could see where this was leading.
For that reason, AEW would be a perfect landing spot for King Switch. The company’s audience already knows him, and its core fanbase has an affinity for New Japan because of The Elite. His style of wrestling would also fit seamlessly on a roster full of some of the best wrestlers in the industry.
Even more, there are so many potential storylines for him there with familiar opponents like The Best Bout Machine. Straight away, White would be an excellent opponent for Adam Cole at Revolution. After all, the two-time IWGP world champion was a part of his last pay-per-view match at Forbidden Door, and he has reason to seek revenge.
The Next Bullet Club Member to Sign With WWE
If White wants to step out of his comfort zone and compete on a larger stage, WWE is the best option. AEW is a safe bet because he could pick up where he left off with NJPW in some ways and continue to build on established rivalries.
WWE would allow him to do something different and reach a broader audience. It’s hard to imagine he would leave Japan just to keep doing the same character work and catering to a niche audience.
It would be fun to see him work with The Elite or test himself against Bryan Danielson. However, one could argue that he has already done memorable angles with Omega, and he successfully surpassed him as the leader of Bullet Club.
The Switchblade has already beaten him for the IWGP United States Championship. He one-upped him in the main event of G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden and took part in Forbidden Door.
There are still stories to tell and comeuppances to dish out, but White doesn’t gain as much from revisiting lingering questions surrounding Omega’s NJPW exit. King Switch created a mystique by filling the void he left behind and doing things his way. So, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to chart his own path free of the ever-present comparisons between the two men?
Signing with WWE would definitely come with the risk that the company would dilute his character or repackage and saddle him with an unimaginative name change. Still, he would have a better chance of immediately entering the world title picture there than he would with AEW.
After Roman Reigns’ monster run as the undisputed universal champion, the company will need fresh contenders. In particular, there will be room for a new heel to step up when he isn’t as present on WWE programming.
AEW doesn’t need a new major antagonist as much because MJF just started his reign of terror. It will be hard to compete with him for the top spot right now. So, White could probably make a more significant impact with WWE on the main roster.
The Verdict
White has two great options in WWE and AEW. Both companies have pros and cons, but it all depends on what he wants out of the next chapter of his career.
