Tag: WWE

WWE Reportedly Attempting To Persuade Ronda Rousey To Return

According to a recent Fightful report, WWE is hoping to lure former WrestleMania main-eventer Ronda Rousey back to the ring.

WWE bosses reportedly want Ronda Rousey to get back in the ring and are doing all they can to make it happen.

Per Fightful Select, WWE is attempting to persuade Rousey to return to the company for the first time since 2019. Fightful reports that a potential Rousey return has been discussed so much that it is considered a “poorly kept secret” as even some people outside the company are aware of the efforts to lure Rousey back. Fightful also reports that Rousey’s name was mentioned as a potential surprise entrant in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble.

Rousey hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since April 2019, when she competed in the main event of WrestleMania 35 with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Becky Lynch won that match, bringing an end to Rousey’s 231-day reign as Raw Women’s Champion. Lynch believes Rousey wants to return to get her win back.

“We have a lot of people,” Lynch said in an interview with Graham Matthews of Bleacher Report last November. “Then, of course, is Ronda Rousey going to be champing at the bit to get back now that she sees what I’ve accomplished? Maybe she’d want to accomplish the same, maybe she’ll want to get retribution for the loss I gave her at WrestleMania 35. The same loss that’s caused me to be champion ever since,” Lynch added.

According to Wrestling Inc, Rousey’s contract came to an end in April of last year, and since there’s been no word of her signing a new deal, she is almost certainly a free agent.

Last September, Rousey and her husband Travis Browne welcomed their first child as a couple, La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō Browne, to the world. La’akea is the first child Rousey and Browne have had together, and Browne’s third child overall as Rousey is a step-mom to two from Browne’s previous relationship.

Source: TheSportster

Brian Kendrick Has Requested His Release From WWE

The WWE release train refused to stop rolling in 2021, and it doesn’t appear to be running short on steam this year either. WWE kicked off the year by letting go of a number of its backstage staff in NXT. That was followed up by Mustafa Ali requesting his release, although the former Retribution leader doesn’t appear to have been granted his request at the time of this posting.

According to PWInsider, Ali isn’t the only Superstar waiting for WWE to grant a release request. The site has confirmed with multiple sources that Brian Kendrick asked to be released as far back as six weeks ago but is yet to be told he is free to leave. Kendrick hasn’t wrestled on WWE TV since October 2020 and even said he had retired from in-ring competition.

Kendrick has remained busy behind the scenes though, working with talent in NXT and on 205 Live. He even briefly returned to TV recently as a part of an angle involving NXT 2.0 stars Joe Gacy and Harland. Kendrick was thrown down the stairs during one of Harland’s fits of rage. That was supposed to lead to a match between the two, but it never came to fruition.

The timing of the angle and Kendrick’s reported release request is certainly very interesting. What’s unclear is when exactly Kendrick requested his release, and therefore what triggered it. Whether WWE knew he was unhappy with his lot in the company and started up an angle in an attempt to appease him, or if the angle was WWE’s idea and his involvement is what led Kendrick to ask if he could leave the company.

Source: TheSportster

WWE RAW Preview 1/24/22

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio with the go-home build for the Royal Rumble.

WWE NXT Stand & Deliver, WWE Hall Of Fame And More Confirmed For WrestleMania 38 Week

The second WWE NXT Stand & Deliver event has been confirmed for WrestleMania 38 Weekend near Dallas, TX.

WWE announced today that NXT Stand & Deliver, without the Takeover name, will take place in the Dallas area leading up to WrestleMania 38, which takes place on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

The previous Stand & Deliver event was a two-night event, but there’s no word yet on if Stand & Deliver II will take place over two nights.

WWE also confirmed that RAW, SmackDown and the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in the Dallas area during WrestleMania 38 Week. There will also be “an unprecedented” Superstore Axxess for fans.

WWE will be announcing full details on the WrestleMania 38 Week events in the coming weeks.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 1/21/22

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will take place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee with more build for the Royal Rumble.

Naomi gets an important rematch with SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair

WWE is also teasing another confrontation between Seth Rollins and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns for tonight’s show.

Sami Zayn Reportedly Re-Signs With WWE

Sami Zayn has reportedly re-signed with WWE.

It was reported in mid-December that Zayn was rumored to have signed a new WWE contract as his previous deal was set to expire at the end of 2021.

In an update, word now is that Zayn signed a new multi-year contract with WWE, according to Fightful Select. There is no word on the exact length of the deal, but it could be for the three years that several talents have re-signed for, including Zayn’s good friend Kevin Owens last month.

Zayn was said to be “kind of private” about his contract negotiations with WWE, but the company made it clear that they wanted to retain his services, and a new deal was reached.

There was talk within AEW of that company being interested in Zayn if he were to leave WWE, and ROH was also reportedly in bringing Zayn back before they went on a hiatus.

Zayn is currently feuding with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville for a payoff in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match later this month. He is also the current #1 contender to WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, but there’s no word on when the title match will happen as Nakamura has been recovering from a hand injury.

Zayn originally signed a three-year WWE contract in 2018, which was modified a bit due to time off for surgery. He will remain with the company for the next few years.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Briscoes Comment On Potentially Signing With WWE Or AEW

ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoes recently spoke with Busted Open Radio about the potential of them working for WWE or AEW. While the talk has largely been about them and AEW, the popular duo believes they could make an impact for Vince McMahon.

WWE

“I mean, I think that we would definitely survive,” Jay said. “Because at the end of the day you’ve got to get in that ring and ring the bell.”

Mark Briscoe added, “I think that we would survive and thrive. Vince McMahon likes money, and shoot when we get in-between those ropes, that’s what we are going to do, we are going to make your company money. I think that’s the bottom line, not trying to sound cocky or anything.”

“We are very confident in our abilities, especially right now we are at the top of our game,” Jay added. “So, really man, anywhere we go, we are going to definitely like he said, survive and thrive.”

The style of The Briscoes is very unique and certainly different from anything in WWE right now. However, the tag team believes that is what is needed right now. The fighting style is something they both think fans want

“When people are sitting around, and you’ve got a wrestling fan that has wrestling on TV, and he has his friends over and there not wrestling fans. What are you going to show them to get them to become wrestling fans? You can’t be showing them this clown s–t, man,” Jay stated. “You’ve got to show them something that they can get into, some real s–t.

“And professional wrestling as we all know, there’s so many different flavors of professional wrestling,” Mark added. “But you can’t have certain flavors showcased for such a high percentage of the time. You’ve got to have a fight, that’s what wrestling is, a fight. That’s got to be your staple, that’s got to be your backbone. Your backbone can’t be comedy or this that and the other you’ve got to have fighters out there.”

AEW

If they joined AEW. With the company having a huge roster, Jay made it clear that they wouldn’t be taking a backseat to anybody.

“That’s the thing man, if it does happen, when and if, everybody else is going to have to take a backseat. That’s just going to be the way it is,” Jay Briscoe said. “Once we get in there, ya’ll know what we’re going to do. Once they see we do us and FTR and we whoop their ass, they aren’t going to have no choice but to put us regularly on their television program.”

The Briscoes have been undergoing a war of words online with FTR recently. Despite the fact that they do not like Twitter, the duo admitted that they need to do it at this point in their careers.

“We’re just keeping it real, man. I don’t even like to get on the damn Twitter, man,” Jay Briscoe said. “It just sucks you in, I don’t like to get too involved but at this point in our careers, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. So, we just putting it out there and letting them know, ‘we’re here.’”

“Especially like, it wasn’t five minutes after the Ring Of Honor news hit. Back when it did hit, when your boy, Dax, Big Dax just tweeting Briscoes, nothing but Briscoes,” Mark added. “So we can’t sit there, yeah, ‘Briscoes, huh, Briscoes, what’s up?’”

The Briscoes also believe they will be sure to make a big impact if they do join the company. The team are confident due to the fact they’re trying to provide for their families. This means they will do whatever is needed.

“I think once we make that splash, they’re going to want to see it again and again,” Jay Briscoe stated. “So, I ain’t really too worried about that. At the end of the day we’re providing for our families. So we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. But, I don’t think we’ve got to worry about riding the bench.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WALTER Undergoes Unnecessary WWE Name Change

NXT 2.0’s “Ring General” WALTER has been given a new ring name by WWE. For some reason.

WALTER has a new name! The former NXT UK Champion revealed that his new name was Gunther following the main event of this week’s NXT 2.0.

It all went down at the WWE Performance Center on Tuesday, January 18. In what was his first singles match on NXT 2.0, “Der Ring General” went one-on-one with Diamond Mine’s Roderick Strong in a thrilling main event. It was a hard-hitting bout, and Strong put up a good fight, but ultimately, WALTER was too powerful a foe to overcome. With his brute strength and wily in-ring skills, the gargantuan Austrian eventually overpowered the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion and finished him off with a brutal powerbomb for the 1-2-3.

After the bell, WALTER got on the mic to make a declaration. “The winner of the match … is GUNTHER!” as his Imperium colleagues Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner appeared and proceeded to deliver a beat down to the still-reeling Roderick Strong. Strong’s Diamond Mine underlings Brutus and Julius Creed ran to the ring to make the save and a three-on-three brawl ensued as the show went off the air.

Changing WALTER’s name to Gunther seems pointless — and it is definitely pointless — but it could mean that WWE has some big plans for him. Right?

“It is tough to bet against Walter,” Triple H said of Gunther (back when was Gunther was still called WALTER) during an appearance on The Bump back in January 2021. “Anyone who has watched him over the last few years, anyone who has recently watched him against Ilja [Dragunov], one of the most physically imposing, physically dominating performers out there. There’s no wasted movement, he’s not flashy, he doesn’t care about how it looks, he’s just effective.”

Source: TheSportster

Mustafa Ali Requests Release From WWE

Mustafa Ali took to Twitter to request his release from WWE.

“I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling,” Ali wrote. “Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE.

“Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

Ali signed with WWE in 2016 to wrestle in the Cruiserweight Classic. He last wrestled on the October 29, 2021 episode of SmackDown, losing to Drew McIntyre. Ali took time off for paternity leave last November and welcomed his third child later that month.

Last November, Ali posted a “better America” promo that was supposed to be used for a storyline that was ultimately nixed. The angle getting dropped reportedly had nothing to do with Ali taking time off, as Ali noted it was nixed because it was “controversial”.

On an episode of The Bump last November, Ali said that he believed that he was the “most unheard voice in the history of WWE.”

“I think I’m the most unheard voice in the history of WWE,” Ali said, partially in character. “With zero hesitation in my voice, with no flinch whatsoever, I will say pound for pound, I am the most underutilized talent in this company’s history. Does that put it into perspective for you?

“Here’s the thing, I speak many languages, and one of them is the truth, and I know that’s a foreign language, especially around the WWE Universe. But the truth is, I’ve been great this entire time. All it is is an opportunity that I’m asking for. And when I do have those opportunities, some outside intervention always just seems to show up conveniently.

“You mentioned one person who did that hashtag, #JusticeForAli. Listen, I’m that same guy who came back from a serious, almost career-ending injury, and for weeks, all I heard was, ‘Kofi, Kofi,’ night in and night out. I moved on, but I’m rehashing here. Same thing at Money In The Bank. The next night, they were dancing with Brock [Lesnar]. Where was Justice for Ali then? I’m not looking for anyone’s support. I don’t need anyone’s support. The only thing I need is an opportunity. I’ll handle the rest.”

https://twitter.com/AliWWE/status/1482767832567930885

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 1/18/22

Tonight’s WWE NXT 2.0 will be the second episode of the new era with NXT Champion Bron Breakker leading the brand.

The 2022 Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will kick off tonight, and continue next week. First round matches include MSK vs. Jacket Time, Edris Enofe and Malik Blade vs. Legado del Fantasma, The Creed Brothers vs. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, and Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward.

As seen in the promo below, WWE is teasing an appearance by Elektra Lopez on this week’s show. She picked Santos Escobar over Xyon Quinn on last week’s NXT.

Below is the current line-up for tonight:

* Elektra Lopez plans to unleash

* The 2022 Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic kicks off

* Tony D’Angelo hosts a memorial service for Pete Dunne

* WALTER vs. Roderick Strong