Category: Wrestling News

Report – Some Believe Vince McMahon May Start Up A New Wrestling Company After WWE Exit

There are rumors in the wrestling industry that Vince McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, might start a new wrestling company.

McMahon resigned from WWE and TKO after being sued by former WWE employee Janel Grant for sexual assault and sex trafficking.

The 78-year-old billionaire has been selling off his stock in TKO and recently registered his remaining shares for sale.

While McMahon seems to be done with WWE, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that some “major players” in the industry believe that there is a real possibility he might launch his own wrestling company when he is legally able to do so.

However, no concrete information suggests that McMahon has made any plans to start such a company just yet.

From a legal standpoint, McMahon has a one-year non-compete clause with WWE that ends in January 2025.

Moreover, the majority of people in the industry do not believe McMahon will launch a new promotion.

The report also highlights several factors that might work against McMahon if he launches a new wrestling company. These include his reputation following the lawsuit, the failure of his last startup (the XFL), an inability to secure television deals and sponsors, the scarcity of talent who aren’t under contract, and his age.

However, McMahon has a fortune that he can use to outbid for talent, and it’s speculated that he may get exposure on a streaming platform to run a company at the level of TNA or the NWA.

Some sources believe McMahon might start a new company because wrestling has been a significant part of his life, and he might not want to let it go.

It is also believed that McMahon could outbid on contracts, which could be formidable for his competitors.

One source argued that even though WWE is currently managed by his son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque, McMahon was the one who got The Bloodline going and convinced Cody Rhodes to leave AEW for WWE, allowing Rhodes to become WWE’s top babyface.

Nevertheless, no concrete information suggests that McMahon is starting a new company, but again, some “major players” in the industry believe he might do so in the future.

Source: eWn

Kenny Omega Blasts Rossy Ogawa – ‘He Puts Underage Girls In Very Revealing Swimsuit Calendars’

Kenny Omega has some concerns regarding STARDOM founder Rossy Ogawa launching his new Marigold promotion.

As many of you know by now, Ogawa was fired from STARDOM by parent company Bushiroad after he was accused of trying to poach talent. Earlier this week, Ogawa announced his new promotion Marigold. The company will be holding its first show on May 20th.

Taking to his Twitch channel, Omega expressed his concerns about Ogawa. The AEW wrestler also revealed that he stands by Asuka’s comments last year regarding STARDOM being “created to destroy [her] personally.”

You can check out some highlights from the Twitch stream below:

On Rossy Ogawa and his new promotion: “From someone who lived it, breathed, who has very close friends in the industry. I don’t necessarily mean the wrestling industry, I mean the industry. The government issued press. The information they know. I’m just going to leave it at that. I would say don’t be so quick to listen to praise for that individual because someday, I’m not sure when it will be. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but someday, people will know the truth. What they do with that truth, I don’t know. Will they share it? Maybe. A lot of the higher ups in Japan, they know exactly what.”

On his comments potentially being taken out of context: “My comments on Rossy are whatever. There is nothing to say. I just think, eventually… I don’t care about Rossy being an E-Drone. That’s no big deal. He’s done… that’s not even the tip… just you friggin wait. If you are still interested in wrestling and you’re listening to the stories and reading stuff. When it finally comes out. I will say one thing, there are a lot of people who refuse to work for him for the very same reason. Some of those people are in WWE. Some are in AEW. They have a very good reason. It’s not just, ‘I decided to wake up and not like this guy.’

“If you want to know along what lines they tread amongst, the dude just flat out said, ‘we’re looking for girls ages 13 to 21 that don’t have a boyfriend and aren’t married.’ We already know he puts underage girls in very revealing swimsuit calendars and books. I wish that’s all he did. Let’s put it that way. I don’t know. I don’t want to say anything. I’m not going on record to say anything. I don’t want lawyers barking at my door. That’s why I don’t want to say anything. I don’t have any sort of video evidence, I just have the good word of people who are very close. I’m outside of it. If those people feel like commenting or saying something, whatever. For now, I’ll say that people going to Marigold, good luck. I hope you have a great time. I hope it works out for you. For me, I would be very hesitant. I would be very hesitant. That’s all….My only comment, I’m with Asuka. That’s it. We are bros. Always have been. She has her reasons and they are probably the same ones as mine.”

Source: eWn

WWE Releases Some Talent

Three WWE talent releases were reported as Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown” was airing. Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, and Xyon Quinn were all released by the company. Prior to the outlet’s report, both Mahal and Li posted cryptic messages to X (formerly Twitter), with Mahal saying “I quit,” and Li releasing a lengthier statement thanking the WWE, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and the “WWE Universe.” Quinn has not posted to X since March 8.

WWE has released Indus Sher’s Veer and Sanga, adding to the releases of Jinder Mahal, Xia Li, and Xyon Quinn last night. Both have taken to the X social media platform to confirm their release, after it first being reported by Fightful Select. “When it comes to the honor and respect of Indians, sacrifice comes first. Good Bye WWE,” wrote Veer. Sanga posted, “I will die but I will not bow down. Neither me nor my India.”

Even though Mahal posted that he had “quit,” his departure as actually confirmed as a release to Wrestling Inc. Fightful Select reported they had not heard of any memos being sent to talent regarding the releases. Li, Mahal, and Quinn all have 90-day non compete clauses, which Mahal alluded to when he changed his X bio to read “Free Agent – 90 Days,” alongside a fire emoji.

Xia Li posted a more lengthy statement, thanking WWE, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and the “WWE Universe.” In her statement, she mentioned being proud of being the first female Chinese talent in the company and how grateful she is. She also thanked the coaches, staff, and her colleagues during her time with WWE as well. Li’s last match with the company came at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 15, when she was defeated by Natalya on “WWE Main Event.”

“This journey with WWE has been wonderful, and I sincerely thank everyone who has been a part of it. This is not the end, but a new beginning!” Li wrote. “Let’s embrace more exciting moments together!”

Li’s last match in the company was on the April 15 episode of “WWE Main Event” in Canada, where she lost to Natalya. Jinder was most recently the subject of a series of posts on X by AEW President Tony Khan, comparing Mahal’s booking against former World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in comparison to AEW’s HOOK against World Champion Samoa Joe. Mahal went on to be defeated by Rollins in their title match. Quinn’s final match with WWE was during a “SmackDown” taping on January 3, when he was defeated by Bron Breakker.

Veer and Sanga were both part of the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal during “WWE SmackDown” ahead of WrestleMania 40 weekend. Alongside Jinder Mahal as Indus Sher, the pair had only returned to “WWE Raw” in May 2023 after a stint in “WWE NXT,” and were focally used during WWE’s Superstar Spectacle event in their home nation of India. They had been in the pool of competitors looking to qualify for the Tag Team Championship ladder match at WrestleMania, but lost to Awesome Truth in just over three minutes. 

Some on social media have taken issue with the fact that all of WWE’s departures reported thus far have been people of color. Xia Li made history in 2017 when she became the first Chinese woman to compete in the company, and Jinder Mahal was notably the first WWE Champion to come from Indian descent. Xyon Quinn, while Australian, is of Samoan-Irish descent.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Matt Cardona Suffers Torn Pec, Set To Undergo Surgery

Matt Cardona is reportedly dealing with a torn pectoral muscle that will require surgery.

According to a report from Fightful, several promoters have been informed that Cardona will be undergoing surgery for the injury in the near future.

Cardona’s last match came in the form of a win over Blue Pain at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 8 event over WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia, PA.

Source: eWn

Another Cryptic Message Airs On WWE SmackDown,

Piper and Chelsea Green were destroyed by Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill on this week’s show. The bigger news here is that there was another screen glitch with a message.

As the short match progressed, the screen glitched and the message “You forgot about us” appeared. A similar screen glitch took place on Monday’s episode of WWE RAW with the message reading “Hello.” This appears to be something related to Bray Wyatt – likely his brother Bo Dallas with the Uncle Howdy persona. There are also some rumors that Alexa Bliss and at least one other name will be involved in this.

Source: eWn

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley Cancels Plans For Final Match After Suffering Concussion

Like many wrestlers who have hung up their boots, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley still has that itch that needs to be scratched. The hardcore legend announced earlier this year that he was thinking of having one final deathmatch for his 60th birthday, giving him over a year to get himself into ring shape as Foley won’t turn 60 until June 2025. However, that plan has now been scrapped as Foley took to his YouTube channel to explain that his final match will no longer be taking place, after suffering a concussion.

“As some of you know, I had to miss a couple of appearances because of dizziness and light headedness. After consulting a couple of doctors, and also using my own experience with concussions, the symptoms seem to point to a concussion that I did not even know I received. I hadn’t done too much in the ring, but I had done a little bit. I had noticed that I was lightheaded after one of the workouts but I thought it would go away. So it just seems like the wisest move, and one that’s strongly supported by family, is to call off that final match.” 

Foley explained that if he can get concussed without even being aware of it, putting himself through one final deathmatch wouldn’t be the best idea, especially given the things that Foley himself was willing to do in the match. The hardcore legend would have initially liked to have faced someone like Matt Cardona given their on-and-off feud in recent years, or former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley as their planned bout in WWE never took place due to Foley not being medically cleared to compete.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Star Sami Zayn To Perform Live Standup Show At Upcoming Netflix Comedy Festival

WWE star Sami Zayn is a man of many talents. He’s one of the most popular wrestlers in recent memory, has countless matches that could be considered all-time classics, and this May, he will be able to strut his stuff at one of the biggest comedy festivals in the world. The annual “Netflix Is a Joke” comedy festival has become one of the marquee events in the stand-up calendar, as comedians and entertainers from far and wide flock to Los Angeles for 12 days of non-stop laughter. Joining comedy giants like Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart and more will be the former Intercontinental Champion, who announced on his X account that he will be hosting the “Sami Zayn & Friends” show during the festival. The show will take place at the historic Avalon Hollywood nightclub in Los Angeles on May 11, with tickets going on general sale April 5.

https://twitter.com/SamiZayn/status/1775620868107907411

Fans who have followed Zayn’s career for a long time will know full well what comedic chops he has due to his portrayal of the El Generico character in companies like ROH, DDT, and PWG, where despite being French-Canadian, he played the role of a friendly luchador who decided to head back to Mexico to run an orphanage around the same time Zayn signed with WWE.

Zayn will be hoping that he shows up to his stand-up special on May 11 with the Intercontinental Championship, as he looks to become champion this weekend at WrestleMania 40 when he takes on GUNTHER. Zayn has never beaten “The Ring General” in a one-on-one contest in WWE before, but he will hope to channel the spirit of El Generico this weekend, as the Mexican orphanage owner did pick up a win over the man then known as Big Van WALTER at a wXw event in 2012.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

‘Hot Stuff’ Eddie Gilbert Joins Indie Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024 – Jay Briscoe, Sabu, Steve Corino, Mercedes Martinez, Trent Acid, Kevin Hogan

“Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert will be inducted into Game Changer Wrestling & Orange Crush magazine’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame this Sunday (April 7). The induction ceremony is streaming live for free on YouTube starting at noon Eastern time.

Trent Acid, The Briscoes, indie superfan Kevin “Whack Packer” Hogan, Steve Corino, Sabu, and Mercedes Martinez are also part of the Hall of Fame class. Acid, Jay Briscoe, Hogan, and Gilbert are being inducted posthumously.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1775729895513219426

The son of Tommy Gilbert, Eddie began his in-ring career as a teenager. He worked as both a wrestler and a booker before passing away at 33 years old in February of 1995.

Gilbert is best known for his time wrestling in Memphis. He also has a connection to Philadelphia through the work he did for ECW.

Gilbert spent time in the NWA, USWA, AWA, ECW, and more. Along with being an in-ring performer, Gilbert was a booker for Global Wrestling Federation and Eastern Championship Wrestling.

The Sheraton hotel in downtown Philly is hosting Sunday’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. The ceremony is held annually during WrestleMania weekend.

The Indie Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on April 7.

Gilbert will be inducted by Missy Hyatt.

https://twitter.com/missyhyatt/status/1775803547314970844

Motor City Machine Guns To Sign With AEW

Pwinsider has shared an update on former TNA tag team champions the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin).

While Shelley and Sabin are now free agents, they will still be appearing on TNA Impact through the upcoming episode on Thursday, April 18 after working the latest set of tapings.

Their final match is reportedly against Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers.

Additionally, there is more of a realization backstage in TNA that the Motor City Machine Guns have permanently left.

Previously, there was some hope that they might return to work additional dates, but the current belief in TNA is that Shelley and Sabin will sign with AEW.

Source: eWn

Corey Graves Officially Announces WWE Speed Starting In April, Winner Gets New Title

WWE has announced that they will introduce a new title and a new match type called WWE Speed beginning next month.

“WWE SmackDown” commentator Corey Graves announced on X that the WWE Speed matches will last 3 minutes and air exclusively on the social media platform X. He revealed that WWE Speed will kick off on April 3, a few days before WrestleMania 40.

“Starting April 3, WWE Speed, airing exclusively on X, brings a fresh and dynamic new twist to classic in-ring competition, where some of the fastest and toughest WWE Superstars do battle with time itself because in WWE Speed our Superstars only have 3 minutes to defeat their opponent,” revealed Graves. “3 intense, adrenaline-fueled minutes where strategy, agility, and strength collide. This isn’t just another match; this is a sprint to the finish line. The prize? The prestigious, first-ever WWE Speed Championship. So brace yourself for a tournament like no other where every match is a finale, every second could define a Superstar’s legacy. WWE Speed, April 3, exclusively on X.”

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1773122996061770152

In his announcement, Graves didn’t reveal the Speed Championship, but judging by the graphics WWE has used so far, it could likely have a green theme. WWE and X announced a partnership to create the Speed title last month, and reports suggest both main roster and “WWE NXT” stars will feature in it. New Catch Republic’s Pete Dunne has reportedly been involved in the WWE Speed matches as a producer. The last singles title that WWE introduced was the 24/7 Championship in 2019, which was an intergender title that was made inactive in 2022. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.