Category: WWE

Talks Between Cody Rhodes & WWE Have Reportedly “Fizzled Out”

Cody and Brandi Rhodes parted ways with AEW two weeks ago. There was speculation that Cody would return to WWE, but it may not happen after all.

Wrestling fans wanting to see Cody Rhodes return to WWE better not get their hopes up too high.

Two weeks ago, Cody and Brandi Rhodes parted ways with AEW. Aside from wrestling, Cody served as an Executive Vice President in AEW, and Brandi was the company’s Chief Brand Officer. Multiple reports later suggested that Cody would eventually return to WWE, but that may not be the case after all.

According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, there were indeed contract discussions between The American Nightmare and WWE. However, Haynes was told that the “conversations have since fizzled out.”

Sources also informed Haynes that the departures of Cody and Brandi was “real life” and “not a work.” One source told Haynes that there is some “hope” about Cody potentially returning to AEW.

On this week’s episode of Dynamite, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan announced that he purchased Ring of Honor. Naturally, this has led to speculation that Cody could end up returning to AEW in some capacity. The 36-year-old wrestler worked in Ring of Honor following his departure from WWE in 2016, winning the ROH World Championship on one occasion.

AEW has signed a plethora of former WWE superstars since their inception in 2019. Having Vince McMahon bring Cody back following the latter’s AEW departure would have made for an interesting story, but that’s now up in the air.

It should be noted that Cody’s AEW departure did not include a non-compete clause of any kind, so he’s free to sign with another promotion at any time.

Even if talks between Cody and WWE haven’t led to a contract agreement, it doesn’t mean he won’t eventually return to the company. Cody may feel inclined to explore all of his options before committing to another promotion. He was often underused by WWE in his final years with the company, so it’s understandable if he’s hesitant about returning. For now, he remains one of the top free agents on the wrestling market, and Cody will be a valuable addition to the company that lands him.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Has Terminated Its Russian TV Deal, WWE Network Also No Longer Available

WWE programming is no longer available in Russia in any form.

Last week, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine that has been raging on since as Vladimir Putin attempts to take control of the neighboring country’s major cities, causing unfathomable damage and killing and injuring countless civilians in the process. As the attacks continue, the rest of the world attempts to show support and solidarity with Ukraine in whatever way they can, and that now extends to WWE.

WWE issued a statement today revealing WWE programming is no longer available in Russia. WWE had a TV deal with Russian network Match which aired its weekly shows, including Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. That partnership has been dissolved effective immediately. People living in Russia can also no longer access the WWE Network, again, a change that has taken effect as of right now.

The statement issued by WWE is a short one that doesn’t actually make any mention of the conflict in Ukraine, nor does it outline the reason for canceling all of its televisual connections with Russia. “The move eliminates access in Russia to any WWE programming,” the statement reads, highlighting some of the content no longer available in the country as well as pointing out that Russian Network subscribers will no longer be able to watch WrestleMania 38.

Although the statement doesn’t clarify why WWE has made the move, doing so is an incredibly big deal. As Vince McMahon has proved countless times in the past, nothing motivates him more than money. Canceling a TV deal will undoubtedly take money directly out of McMahon’s pocket, as will revoking access to the WWE Network for an entire country’s worth of subscribers.

The move is actually a little surprising, even if other companies have been making similar moves to show their support for Ukraine. WWE has an ongoing relationship with Saudi Arabia and while the Middle Eastern nation isn’t currently engaged in an invasion that may well trigger World War 3, the partnership is a controversial one. That WWE is willing to show its support for Ukraine and take a financial blow in order to do that is a refreshing change.

Source: TheSportster

Backstage Notes On Randy Orton And What Happened With The Injury Scare On RAW

Randy Orton and Riddle were originally scheduled to defeat The Street Profits on last night’s WWE RAW.

As noted, RAW saw Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins defeat Randy Orton and Riddle after Ford performed a Frogsplash on Orton, leading to an awkward finish and a post-match conversation between the two teams and the referee. Orton was seen clutching his right shoulder on the way to the backstage area.

In an update, Orton and Riddle were originally scheduled to win the bout after a series of RKOs to The Profits, according to Fightful Select. Orton took the rough splash from Ford and because of his condition, the planned finish did not happen.

 Ford made a post-RAW tweet and indicated that Orton was OK, despite the injury concern. WWE officials planned on monitoring the situation as a lot could change with Orton’s condition overnight, but word now is that this was a case of Orton getting the wind knocked out of him, his ribs crushed, and not being able to move at first.

There is no backstage heat on Ford for the spot as it was considered to be a “s–t happens” situation.

Next week’s RAW is scheduled to feature RK-Bro vs. Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens vs. RAW Tag Team Champions Alpha Academy, with the titles on the line.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 3/1/22

The Road to Stand & Deliver will continue on tonight’s WWE NXT 2.0 episode.

Cain Velasquez Charged With Attempted Murder, Mugshot Photo Released

MMA and pro wrestling star Cain Velasquez is still in jail and has been charged with attempted murder.

There was a shooting near San Jose, CA on Monday, and San Jose police said Velasquez was involved. The shooting happened around 3:14pm local time, in Morgan Hill, near Monterey Highway and Bailey Avenue. Police would not confirm Cain’s role in the incident, but one man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and another man was arrested. Court records revealed that Cain was in the Santa Clara County jail, with no bond, but no other details were available at that time.

In an update, TMZ Sports reports that Velasquez has been arrested and booked on an attempted murder charge. Police confirmed that he was the suspect in the alleged shooting incident on Monday in San Jose.

“The motive and circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation at this time,” police added.

You can see Cain’s mugshot photo below.

Details on the incident have not been released, but the 39 year old Velasquez was involved in the shooting that happened near a high school on Monday.

Jail records show that Velasquez is still being held with no bond, at the main Santa Clara County jail facility on West Hedding Street in San Jose. He has a court date scheduled for Wednesday at 12 noon.

Velasquez fought MMA from 2006 until his retirement in October 2019. He is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, and retired with a record of 14-3. A longtime pro wrestling fan, Velasquez made his in-ring debut at AAA’s TripleMania XXVII in August 2019, teaming with Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown for a win over Killer Kross, Black Taurus and Texano Jr. He later worked AAA/Impact’s Lucha Invades NY show at Madison Square Garden that September, teaming with Brian Cage and Psycho to defeat Taurus, Texano Jr. and Rey Escorpion. Cain first worked out at the WWE Performance Center in July 2018, but he signed a deal with WWE in October 2019 and began feuding with current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. Cain made his WWE in-ring debut at Crown Jewel 2019 in Saudi Arabia, losing to Lesnar. He then worked a WWE live event in Mexico City on November 30, teaming with Humberto for a win over current Impact World Tag Team Champion The Good Brothers. Cain was set to work the 2020 Royal Rumble but plans were nixed due to an injury, and WWE then released him from his contract on April 28, 2020 along with other budget cuts. Cain returned to AAA this past December at TripleMania Regia II, teaming with Psycho and Pagano for a six-man win over Taurus, Escorpion and LA Park.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Randy Orton Possibly Suffered An Shoulder Injury

Randy Orton may have suffered an shoulder injury during last night’s WWE RAW.

 The possible injury occurred when Montez Ford landed awkwardly on Orton’s shoulder while performing a frog splash, as seen in the GIF below.

As seen in the video below, Orton appeared to be in immediate pain after taking Ford’s splash. It looked like a false finish as The Viper’s foot was on the bottom rope as the referee counted to three. After the match, Orton remained on the mat, and was checked on by Riddle and the referee. As seen in another video below, Orton favored his right shoulder while walking to the back with the referee and Riddle.

A fan noted after the match how Orton, Riddle and a referee were seen walking off the side of the stage while everyone else went through the normal entrance-way to the Gorilla Position. Orton was seen favoring his right shoulder.

Next week’s RAW is scheduled to feature RK-Bro vs. Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens vs. RAW Tag Team Champions Alpha Academy with the titles on the line. It remains to be seen if Randy Orton is pulled from the match due to his apparent injury.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 2/28/22

The Road to WrestleMania 38 will continue tonight as WWE RAW airs live from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Backstage News On WWE’s Post-Title Unification Plans

WWE is set to unify the WWE and Universal Championship at WrestleMania 38 when Roman Reigns battles Brock Lesnar.

However, on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that the deal will be similar to when WWE reunited the titles in the past. This is because the company still wants two champions, one for each brand.

Meltzer was told that it is not feasible in the modern wrestling environment for each show not to have a champion, given that they are on separate networks. But the match in April is still very much planned to be a unification bout after the contract signing took place on SmackDown last week.

Of course, there is still a chance that this particular bout may not happen at all. That is because Brock Lesnar is set to defend his WWE Championship at Madison Square Garden this weekend. Should the Beast get through that test, then he is on a collision course to face Roman.

Their match has been confirmed for night two of WrestleMania 38. On night one the Raw Women’s Championship match between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair will take place. Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey’s contest for the SmackDown Women’s Title is also set for night one.

It has recently been reported that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon could also end up stepping into the ring to compete at ‘Mania this year. He is set to appear on The Pat McAfee Show this week, which could be done to set up a storyline, with the former NFL star being rumored to be Vince’s opponent.

WrestleMania 38 will take place on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Below is the current announced card:

Night One: SmackDown Women’s Title Match

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair (c)

Night Two: Winner Takes All Match

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns

Night One: RAW Women’s Title Match

Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch (c)

Logan Paul and The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio

WWE Hall of Famer Edge vs. TBA

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Reportedly Planning On “Smoke And Mirrors” For Vince McMahon Match Against Pat McAfee At WrestleMania 38

Vince McMahon vs. Pat McAfee is reportedly listed in the internal schedule for WrestleMania 38.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reports that although the 76-year-old WWE Chairman will be advertised for a match at the Showcase of Immortals, he is not expected to take any bumps in what will be a “complete smoke and mirrors event.”

Meltzer noted that the match “was confirmed to be on the books for the [WrestleMania] lineup” as on Sunday evening. The seeds for the match will reportedly be planted when McMahon appears on The Pat McAfee Show this Thursday.

With McMahon unlikely to take any bumps in the match with McAfee, there is speculation among fans on social media that Austin Theory will wrestle on behalf of the WWE boss. Theory has been in an on-screen storyline with McMahon for several months.

The news of McMahon starting a storyline with McAfee was first reported by John Pollock of POST Wrestling last Friday. Vince McMahon’s last match was at WrestleMania XVI, where he lost to WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Steve Austin To Host Event In Texas During WrestleMania Week

Stone Cold’ Steve Austin will be at an event in Fort Worth, Texas two days before WrestleMania 38.

Amid rumors that he will return for a match at WrestleMania 38, we at least know that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be in his home state two days before The Show of Shows.

WWE is reportedly trying to bring The Texas Rattlesnake back for a match at WrestleMania 38. The event will be held on the Apr. 2-3 weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — Austin’s home state.

On his Instagram page, the WWE Hall of Famer announced that he’ll be appearing at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth on Thursday, Mar. 31 to debut the new Broken Skull American Lager beer. Austin noted that people who are attending WrestleMania 38 weekend should come to the Broken Skull Beer Bash.

Kevin Owens has hinted at a match with Austin several times over the last two weeks. WWE reportedly reached out to Austin over the possibility of a WrestleMania match several weeks ago, but it’s unclear at this time if Austin will actually do so.

Austin’s last WWE match took place at WrestleMania 19 back in 2003, where he fell to The Rock. Austin retired from in-ring competition soon after. He has made occasional appearances on WWE programming over the last few years, including the “Raw 25” anniversary special, the Raw Reunion special on July 22, 2019, the Sept. 9 edition of Raw two months later and the Mar. 16, 2020 episode of Raw.

Even if Austin doesn’t wrestle at WrestleMania 38, an appearance of any kind would make the event far more exciting. Fans always pop when the Hall of Famer shows up. A Stone Cold Stunner to a heel Owens would be more than enough to electrify the crowd.

WWE has used Austin at several WrestleMania events in recent years, too. He opened the show with The Rock and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 30. Two years later, Austin, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley attacked Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, King Barrett and Rusev at WrestleMania 32 following their win over The New Day. So we really shouldn’t be surprised if Austin is involved at WrestleMania 38, one way or another.

Source: TheSportster