Category: WWE

Nikki & Brie Garcia Address Why They Have Decided To Leave WWE

Nikki and Brie will be using their last name Garcia moving forward after making the decision to leave WWE. 

They won’t be able to use The Bella Twins’ name because WWE owns the trademark rights to the Bella name. 

During their podcast, they discussed their decision to leave WWE:

Nikki: “When our contract came up with WWE, mutually, we all knew we needed to head into this next chapter. We are so grateful for the past 17 years. I have learned so much in and out of the ring. I have traveled all over the world, I have incredible fandom. It’s been amazing. This is part of relationships. Whether it’s business, love, this is relationships in life. Sometimes, you come to this part of your life where it’s like, ‘let’s go separate ways. It doesn’t mean it’s forever, but we just know that it’s right.’”

Brie: “It doesn’t mean that it’s bad either. When things like this happen, everyone wants to look for the negative. ‘What happened? It had to be something crazy.’ It wasn’t. It was actually something beautiful. [We] thought about it for awhile. This has been years coming. I want to thank Brie Bella. The character, the name, pretty much that I’ve been the last 16-17 years. Thank you to that name because it caused a lot of change in my life and many lives. It did a lot of great things for me. It’s really fun to end that chapter. For everyone, at some point in your life, to do a new change, a new journey. I’m so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side, and open up a new one, and see what Brie Garcia is going to do next.”

Nikki: “I’m so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella. She empowered me, she inspired me, she truly made me become fearless. I found so much of what I had, through pain, childhood, or certain things that happened in my life, I lost that person. It took Nikki Bella to bring her out. I will always be forever grateful for her and look up to who that person was and still is and the road that she has paved and what she’s done for women and the youth and will continue to do, just as Nikki Garcia. I’m grateful for it. What’s so amazing about starting this new chapter and with our names, our roots, what was from birth. it’s super empowering because we’re betting on ourselves. That leap of faith, we are taking that leap of faith, we’re re-introducing ourselves after 17 years and it shows…you and I have gotten to the point where we know our worth. We know what we’ve done and we know where we want to go. We’re at the point in our lives where we don’t want to hear no. We’ve worked on that for 17 years and this marks, finally, we put that in action a lot, but now we’re doing it in a different way. Something like that is super exciting and it’s great for other people to know.”

Brie: “It’s weird because I say ‘freeing,’ and a lot of people are like, ‘What does she mean?’ There’s something really freeing about going back to who you were. It’s like you can go back to being your unfiltered, uncensored self. I don’t have to apologize, it’s who I am. I always hate when I have to apologize or be like, ‘sorry, didn’t mean to do that,’ when I actually did.” 

WWE NXT Preview 3/14/2023

Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center on the USA Network: 

  • NXT North American Championship: Wes Lee (c) issues another open challenge.
  • Johnny Gargano to speak to the NXT universe.
  • NXT Tag Team Championship: Gallus (Wolfgang & Mark Coffey) (c) vs. Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince)

Stacy Keibler Reportedly Confirmed For 2023 WWE Hall Of Fame

It was reported yesterday that a deal was close to being finalized for Stacy Keibler to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. According to PWI Elite, the former WCW Nitro Girl is now “100% confirmed” for the Class of 2023. 

WWE has yet to officially announce Keibler for the prestigious event, but “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair will appear on WWE’s “The Bump” later this week to reveal the next inductee for the Class of 2023. WWE recently announced that Rey Mysterio would be taking his place in the Hall of Fame this year. No further inductees have been revealed since Mysterio was confirmed, though recently retired Japanese wrestling legend The Great Muta has been rumored. The ceremony is set to take place after “WWE SmackDown” on Friday, March 31, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, during WrestleMania 39 weekend.

Keibler entered the world of pro wrestling in 1999 after signing a contract with World Championship Wrestling. She initially became a Nitro Girl – a dancer appearing during “WCW Monday Nitro” each week – before becoming a valet for Lenny Lane and Lodi under the Miss Hancock name. Keibler would enter a romantic storyline with David Flair the following year. After Vince McMahon purchased WCW in 2001, Keibler became a part of the WWE roster. The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant would stay with the Stamford-based organization until July 2006. Her most recent appearance for the company came in 2019 when she inducted Torrie Wilson into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 3/13/2023

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network and emanate from the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.

  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs Chelsea Green
  • Brock Lesnar and Omos to go face-to-face
  • Edge Calls Out Finn Balor
  • Elias vs Bronson Reed
  • Johnny Gargano & Dexter Lumis vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio)
  • The OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. Maximum Male Models (Mace & Mansoor)

Konnan To Induct Rey Mysterio Into The 2023 WWE Hall Of Fame

According to the Los Angeles Times, former WCW and IMPACT star Konnan will be inducting Rey Mysterio, into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame. WWE announced during Friday night’s live SmackDown from Pittsburgh that Mysterio is the first to be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame.

The report also notes that Konnan, who is still signed with MLW, has known Mysterio since he was was 11-years-old.

Mysterio, 48, made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr.  He made his debut in the United States in ECW in 1995. After he departed ECW, he signed with WCW in 1996 and stayed with the company until it was acquired by WWE in March 2001. He would then sit out for the remainder of his then AOL/Time Warner contract, before signing with WWE in 2002.

In WWE, Mysterio held the World Heavyweight Champion twice, the WWE Champion once, the Intercontinental and United States Championship each twice. In the now defunct WCW, he held the promotion’s Cruiserweight Championship three times and has was co-holder of the WCW Tag Team Championships, once with Konnan. He also held WCW’s Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles with Billy Kidman.

The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Friday, March 31, immediately following the WrestleMania 39 go-home show of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. WWE SmackDown will air live from the same venue.

The 2023 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air live on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.

Source: WrestleView

Rey Mysterio Announced As First Inductee Into The 2023 WWE Hall Of Fame

Rey Mysterio was announced as the first inductee into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class. The most famous luchador of all time..

The WWE has announced its first inductee into the 2023 Hall of Fame Class and it’s a somewhat surprising name. Rey Mysterio will go into the Hall and while he’s completely deserving, that WWE has chosen to induct an active competitor who is not announcing his retirement or is close to being finished with his in-ring career, is the surprising part of this announcement.

Rumors circulated that the Great Muta might be the first name announced, so when a video package featuring Rey started showing as WWE announced their first entrant into this year’s class, fans were thrilled, but also a bit stunned. By every stretch of the imagination and by any measuring stick, Rey’s career is Hall of Fame worthy. That said, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar for being inducted this year, simply because he’s not finished as an active competitor. There have been names inducted that have come out of retirement, but it’s rare to see WWE put someone in the Hall of Fame who has plenty of gas left in the tank and hasn’t announced his departure from active competition.

Mysterio made his debut in WWE in 2002 and quickly became one of the most popular wrestlers in the company. He won numerous championships, including the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and United States Championship. He is also a multiple-time Tag Team Champion, having won the belts with partners such as Eddie Guerrero, Batista, and Edge.

Known for his high-flying wrestling style and his signature moves, including the extremely popular 619 finisher, he is perhaps the most famous Luchador of all time and his elaborate masks have become a trademark of his persona. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest high-flyers in the history of professional wrestling and has been a mentor to many high-flyers who followed.

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/10/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX, and emanate from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Fatal Five-Way Intercontinental Championship Qualifying Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. LA Knight vs. Karrion Kross vs. Xavier Woods
  • WWE announced on Thursday that Woods will replace the injured Kofi Kingston in the Fatal-Five Way. The winner will go on to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39.
  • The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet

WWE To Start Announcing Hall Of Fame Inductees Today?

WWE will be holding this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, March 31, after SmackDown that night in Los Angeles.

WWE is just a few weeks away from WrestleMania weekend and has yet to announce any inductees for this year’s class. That will be changing, according to WrestleVotes. 

Per the report, WWE will start announcing the inductees today. 

“The plan as of Monday was to begin announcing this years Hall of Fame induction class today. The annual HOF ceremony is 3 weeks from tonight in Los Angeles following SmackDown.”

WWE is operating with the idea of keeping things shorter than in previous years. 

Earlier this week, Mick Foley revealed that he had been asked to induct someone as a part of this year’s class, although he wouldn’t offer any specifics on who had made the request or if it’d even been greenlit yet. One name that keeps being bandied about is Dave Bautista. He was initially tapped to enter the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020. However, that event was put off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was then going to be inducted the following year, but he was pulled from the slate with the wrestler-turned-actor stating that prior obligations would prevent him from attending. A later date was expected for his eventual participation, so could this be the year?

Sources: WrestleVotes and Wrestling Inc.

Cody Rhodes Teases That Brandi Could Make Her Return To WWE

Could Brandi Rhodes be making an appearance on WWE programming in due time? Never say never.

In February 2022, both Cody and Brandi parted ways with AEW but at this time, the American Nightmare is the only one to have made a return to WWE.

Speaking on the “Out of Character with Ryan Satin” podcast, Cody spoke about his wife, saying that it isn’t unusual for the pair to do things independently. He said,

“We always wanted to do everything separately. I think even in one of the last interviews she had done before I left, guy was making fun of me in the ring, and she went out there and didn’t even need me anywhere near her. She very much can defend herself and fight her own battles.”

Cody went on to say that given her support for his career both on and off-screen, Brandi is already playing a role in his WWE return.

The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble winner remained cagey when discussing the possibility of Brandi returning to WWE, saying,

“I wouldn’t rule it out, but she absolutely loves watching what I’m doing. She’s got some stuff that she’s working on secretly, unrelated.”

Rhodes said he won’t spoil what his wife is working on, but he reminded fans to “never say never” when it comes to the wrestling business.

Brandi worked as a ring announcer for WWE in 2011 and then for a second run from 2013 to 2016 under the name Eden Stiles.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Shawn Michaels Names Johnny Gargano As Grayson Waller’s Opponent At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver

The ongoing feud between Grayson Waller and WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels has escalated to the “NXT” Stand & Deliver premium live event. During Tuesday night’s special Roadblock episode, Michaels was a guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect.”

During the segment, Waller challenged Michaels to a match, which is when Michaels revealed that former “NXT” Champion and current “Raw” Superstar Johnny Gargano was going to be Waller’s opponent instead. Gargano and Waller have a history that goes all the way back to Gargano’s farewell to “NXT” in December 2021. As he was ending his farewell speech, Waller came out from behind and attacked him. Gargano’s last “NXT” match before he went to the main roster was at the “NXT” WarGames 2021 event.

Waller started his feud with Michaels when he crashed the Vengeance Day post-show media call and was “suspended” for his behavior. Waller returned on the February 14 episode of “NXT,” when he was kicked out of the arena after confronting Michaels backstage. While Waller was being escorted out of the building, he called the WWE Hall of Famer “a hypocrite and a suit” and that “HBK doesn’t exist anymore.”

“NXT” Stand & Deliver is set for April 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. It will be on the same day as night one of WrestleMania 39 and will be starting at 1 PM ET. The only other match announced for Stand & Deliver is Bron Breakker defending the “NXT” Championship against Carmelo Hayes in the main event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.