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

Bobby Lashley Trying To Get Medically Cleared For WrestleMania

Bobby Lashley could still have a match at WrestleMania 38 despite very serious injury.

Former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley is reportedly racing to get fit and medically cleared for WrestleMania 38.

Lashley suffered a very real shoulder injury during his match vs. Brock Lesnar at last month’s Royal Rumble that might require an operation and would keep him out for at least four months. However, WWE kept advertising him for their Elimination Chamber match that took place in Saudi Arabia on February 19 before he was eventually removed.

He was also being advertised for the live event set for next Saturday at Madison Square Garden and references to him were only pulled a few days ago.

Per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter: “WWE Live: Road to WrestleMania is set for Madison Square Garden on Saturday, March 5, a show that was originally advertised as being headlined by Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Championship against Lashley. The advertising has been changed to simply state that Lesnar will defend the WWE title on the show, with all references to Lashley removed.”

According to Ringside News (H/T WrestleTalk), the All Mighty is trying to get medically cleared for both the house show and WrestleMania.

Lashley is understood to have received consultation on the shoulder from WWE doctors in Birmingham, Alabama and WrestleVotes has reported that things are still very fluid as it pertains to the plans for WM38.

WWE could be keeping the door open should the superstar get cleared in time. Whether he is able to get clearance to perform sooner rather than later remains to be seen. It would take quite an effort.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Rampage Preview 2/25/22

Tonight’s AEW Rampage episode was taped earlier this week at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT.

* QT Marshall calls out Hook

* AEW TNT Champion Sammy Guevara defends against Andrade El Idolo

* Wardlow vs. Nick Comoroto

* Serena Deeb hosts the latest Professor’s 5 Minute Rookie Challenge

* Thunder Rosa and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker sign their contract for Revolution

* Face of The Revolution Ladder Match Qualifier: Orange Cassidy vs. Anthony Bowens with the winner joining Keith Lee, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, and FTW Champion Ricky Starks as confirmed entrants in the 6-man match

* Appearances by Matt Hardy, Sting, Darby Allin, Mercedes Martinez, Aaron Solo, Shawn Spears, and others

WWE NXT Level Up Preview 

WWE NXT Level Up will air tonight at 10pm ET on Peacock and the WWE Network, taped earlier this week at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.

Jacket Time to take on Gacy and Harland on NXT Level Up

* James Drake vs. Xyon Quinn

* Elektra Lopez vs. Sarray

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/25/22

The post-Elimination Chamber edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX will air live tonight from the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA.

Ronda Rousey is also scheduled to appear tonight. WWE has not announced Rousey for a match or segment, but the arena and the WWE Events website has her listed for the show, along with SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sasha Banks, Kofi Kingston and Big E, and more.

Cesaro Parts Ways With WWE Following Contract Expiration

Swiss Superstar Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli) is officially a free agent.

For the fist time in 11 years, Cesaro is a free agent.

According to Mike Johnson at PW Insider, Cesaro (real name Claudio Castagnoli) has officially parted ways with WWE after the two parties failed ot come to terms on a new deal. Cesaro’s existing WWE contract has now expired, meaning he is free to work elsewhere for the first time since 2011. Per Johnson, as Cesaro’s deal expired, the 90-day non-compete clause doesn’t apply.

The 41-year-old Swiss wrestler made his pro-wrestling debut in December of the year 2000 for German promotion wXw. Castagnoli became a permanent resident of the United States after obtaining a green card in a green card lottery which enabled him to begin performing in the US for popular indie promotions including CHIKARA, Ring Of Honor, CZW, and PWG. On the indies, Castagnoli regular tagged with fellow-former WWE Superstar Chris Hero as The Kings Of Wrestling … could a reunion be on the cards?

Castagnoli signed for WWE in September 2011 and reported for duty at Florida Championship Wrestling, the company’s feeder promotion and NXT precursor. He made his main roster WWE debut in April 2012. Initially, Castagnoli was billed as a rugby player, but that gimmick was soon dropped.

As Cesaro. Castagnoli was constantly and consistently underutilized by WWE. He’s an imposing physical specimen and one of the most gifted in-ring performers to ever set foot in a WWE ring. But sadly, the powers that be were unable to see his potential and his main event opportunities were few and far between.

What The Swiss Superman does next remains to be seen, but he is now one of the hottest free agents in the industry, and it surely won’t be long until he shows up somewhere else. There are still two open spots in AEW’s Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match …

Source: TheSportster

MLW Fusion Preview 2/24/22

Major League Wrestling FUSION tonight at 8pm ET features the CONTRA civil war, streaming worldwide for free on MLW’s YouTube channel and Saturday nationwide on cable and dish on beIN SPORTS. 

  • Mads Krugger vs. Jacob Fatu 
  • Aramis, El Dragon and ??? vs. Arez, Gino Medina, and Mini Abismo Negro

CONTRA collides as Mads Krugger goes to war with Jacob Fatu for the first time ever on MLW Fusion!

A showdown 3 months in the making following their cataclysmic post-match brawl at War Chamber, CONTRA’s two greatests go one on one.

Can Fatu walk back the undefeated masked mercernary and move towards a rematch with the World Champ? Will Krugger send The Samoan Werewolf home in a bodybag? Tune in and find out!

World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone and Davey Richards give a behind the scenes look at their fight preparations ahead of SuperFight.

Cesar Duran presents Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout with a devious proposal.

Mister Saint Laurent vows to unveil the greatest wonder in the history of the sport. After weeks of speculation, the mystifying athlete debuts and teams with Aramis and El Dragon to take on the rudo trio of Arez, Gino Medina and Mini Abismo Negro! 

Alex Kane and Calvin Tankman dish on their bad blood and fight strategy as they prepare for their National Openweight Championship bout in Dallas next week.

Join Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski as MLW presents Fusion!

IMPACT Preview 2/24/22

Days removed from an earth-shattering No Surrender and just nine nights away from Sacrifice, IMPACT! is can’t-miss this Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders!

* Eddie Edwards to explain his actions at No Surrender

* Matt Taven, Mike Bennett and Kenny King will battle Chris Sabin, Rich Swann and Willie Mack in a heated six-man tag team match.

* Impact World Champion Moose is set to kick off This Thursday’s all-new IMPACT

* Deonna Purrazzo Champ Champ Challenge

* Digital Media Championship: Matt Cardona (C) vs. Jordynne Grace (Dotcombat Match where there are no disqualifications, no count outs and anything goes)

* Jonah vs. Zicky Dice

* Bhupinder Gujjar, steps into the ring as he battles John Skyler 

* Kick off your night Before the IMPACT, streaming this Thursday at 7:30pm ET exclusively on IMPACT Plus, YouTube and Facebook. Champion and challenger in the upcoming X-Division Title clash at Sacrifice team up as Trey Miguel and Jake Something battle the unlikely duo of Ace Austin and Mike Bailey. Plus, Gia Miller, Josh Mathews and George Iceman get you ready for what promises to be a wild post-No Surrender edition of IMPACT! and more.