Trish Stratus Once Again Sent Home From WWE RAW

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.

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE Elimination Chamber 2/18/2023 (Results)

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. 

Reigns vs Zayn transcript from Wrestling Inc.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2/18/2023 (Card)

  • Date: February 18, 2023
  • Location: Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Watch: Peacock and traditional PPV

CARD

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)

Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/17/2023

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.

WWE Trying To Sign A Major Free Agent

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.”

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE NXT Preview 2/14/2023

Tonight’s WWE NXT airs live on USA Network at 8:00 pm EST.

MLW Lawsuit Against WWE Dismissed, Court Bauer Reacts

Last year, Major League Wrestling (MLW) filed a lawsuit against WWE on grounds of malicious interference with their contracts and business prospects. It was alleged that WWE had forced third parties to abandon agreements and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE was further accused of compelling the end of MLW’s negotiations with VICE TV in 2021.

Pwinsider is reporting that on Monday, February 14th, 2023, Judge Edward J. Davila of the U.S. District Court, California Northern District (San Jose) dismissed the antitrust lawsuit filed by MLW against WWE.

Judge Davila stated that MLW had not furnished adequate facts to plausibly allege a relevant antitrust market. He also ruled that some of the harms alleged by MLW were specific to them rather than the competition at large. These two reasons were pivotal for granting WWE’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

However, Judge Davila also stated that additional allegations may negate the deficiencies outlined in WWE’s motion, and thus allowed MLW three weeks to file an amended complaint.

MLW and WWE will go back into arguing over the discovery phase, which WWE had been fighting hard to avoid if MLW does file an amended pleading within 21 days. If MLW does not file an amended complaint, the case would be closed.

Following the dismissal of the lawsuit, MLW CEO Court Bauer issued a statement, noting that the MLW legal team is already preparing to file an amended complaint. He said,

“Our legal team is already at work on amending the complaint. We have every intention to continue pursuing our case against WWE.”

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE RAW Preview 2/13/2023

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network, and emanate from Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/10/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX, and emanate from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

Backstage News On Scrapped WrestleMania 39 Plans For Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes may have promised to take the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns during his promo exchange with Paul Heyman last night on “WWE Raw,” but at one point in time WWE had other plans for him in regard to WrestleMania 39, according to Dave Meltzer on “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

This plan would have seen a brand new title created by the company that would have been defended on NIght One of WrestleMania, while Reigns would defend his titles on Night Two. It was noted that Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins were the names discussed to walk away with the mysterious new title, with WWE hoping to have two top titles once again. 

This idea only would have happened if The Rock had been involved at WrestleMania 39. There had been a “pie-in-the-sky” idea for the WWE legend to win the Royal Rumble match earlier this month and go on to face Reigns at WrestleMania. Of course, Rhodes won the Rumble match instead, and The Rock is not scheduled to be in a WrestleMania match this year due to the Hollywood star not having enough time to get into ring shape.

Rhodes is now set to collide against Reigns at WrestleMania in the main event. However, there could be another twist yet due to the fact that the “Tribal Chief” is defending his titles against Sami Zayn at the upcoming Elimination Chamber event first. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.