Gunther has held the Intercontinental Belt for 579 days and The Ring General surpassed Honky Tonk Man’s record in September 2023. The year ended with his successful title defense against The Miz on WWE RAW. The question is: will Gunther lose his Intercontinental Championship?
You can’t be a champion forever. The leader of Imperium himself believes that he has grown out of this title, similar to what happened with NXT UK several years ago. In anticipation of the return of WWE RAW, let’s look at five signs that Gunther could lose his championship in 2024.
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No. 5. Chad Gable Threat
Chad Gable has emerged as one of the most serious contenders for Gunter’s title in 2023. Master Gable even managed to inflict a rare defeat on the General of the Ring on WWE RAW during an exciting title match in September. In an emotional post-match promo, Chad Gable solemnly promised to strip the champion of the title.
This match was featured on the WWE Best of RAW 2023 episode, suggesting that Triple H may have big plans for Chad Gable in 2024, including the possibility of a meaningful title win over Ring General.
No. 4. Rise of the Superstars
Currently, the WWE roster is the best it has been since 2002, offering a plethora of Superstars ready to take advantage of the right opportunity to capture the Intercontinental Title. Names like Jey Uso, Ivar, Bronson Reed, Chad Gable and Otis represent just a few of the list of people who could make their mark in solo action in 2024.
Of particular note is Jey Uso, who has demonstrated his ability to compete with the best in the industry. The YEET Master had an outstanding title match against Seth Rollins in 2023. Who knows, we might end up with Jey Uso vs. Gunter for the Intercontinental Belt at Royal Rumble 2024.
No. 3. The solo journey of Ludwig Kaiser
Ludwig Kaiser and Gunther essentially began their careers at the same time, competing with each other both in Germany and around the world. Marcel Barthel joined Walter in NXT UK and the Imperium faction became dominant on the brand.
After Giovanni Vinci’s injury, Kaiser found himself in a difficult situation, but dealt with it by turning a real-life injury into an exciting storyline involving Kofi Kingston. WWE has already announced information about a solo match for the superstar, although it remains to be seen whether The Ring General will approve this move.
No. 2. Gunther’s race for the World Championship title
The Ring General entered the 2023 Royal Rumble in pursuit of an opportunity to headline WrestleMania 39. He was held in the ring for over sixty minutes before being eliminated by Cody Rhodes. Gunter gave a superb performance at this ‘Biggest Show of the Year’.
Although the 36-year-old superstar has yet to win a world title, fans may not have to wait long. The Austrian beast has hinted that he intends to challenge for the title. WWE will also provide a suitable event for Gunther to win his first world title.
No. 1. Bash in Berlin
Bash in Berlin will mark a historic event by being the first WWE premium event in Germany with a live audience. The company heads to Berlin, marking this moment in its history. It is interesting to note that Imperium already presented Bash in Berlin last year during a home tour in the capital.
Considering that Gunther began his professional wrestling career virtually in Germany, it’s safe to assume that he will likely be involved in the main event of this premium event. Fans shouldn’t be surprised if Imperium succeeds and wins all the titles on August 31st.
Speaking to Tokyo Sports, Kazuchika Okada said this was probably his “last chance” of trying something different other than New Japan Pro-Wrestling and that is one of the reasons he decided to leave.
Okada said this was his fifth and final year of his NJPW deal and when he thought about re-signing or doing something else, he realized that it’s his last chance of wrestling somewhere else so he decided to move on.
He also said that he wanted a new challenge and didn’t want to be that man where he’s sitting cross-legged. Staying in Japan where he has friends and the best environment would have been ideal for him as the “human” Okada, but the “wrestler” Okada wants something else.
Okada revealed that he informed the people close to him in advance that he was giving notice and wrestlers from all around the world got in touch with him after the announcement was done.
He still has one title match he needs to do before he completely leaves New Japan and that is the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team match with NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii against Mikey Nichols, Shane Heist, and Akio Fujita which will take place on February 24. That will be his last match as a group and for NJPW, at least for the time being.
NEW YORK–Today, 2K announced WWE® 2K24, the newest installment of the flagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, will be coming soon for PlayStation® 5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. As he burns a path through WWE in an effort to claim world championship gold and fulfill his destiny, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes will be featured on the Standard Edition cover. Multi-time champions and Women’s Royal Rumble winners Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley share the Deluxe Edition cover, marking the first time in history two women have graced a dedicated WWE 2K cover, while the Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition cover features original artwork celebrating the most iconic Superstars and Legends in WrestleMania history, including The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and more.
WWE 2K24 features several franchise advancements, including 2K Showcase…of the Immortals celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania, four new match types such as Ambulance and Special Guest Referee, two new MyRISE experiences, and much more. In addition, fans can also look forward to a massive roster of more than 200* WWE Superstars and Legends including Roman Reigns, Andre the Giant, Becky Lynch, Batista, Kurt Angle, Asuka, Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Chyna, and more. Incredibly realistic graphics and improved animations – with over 90% of facial expressions updated – plus improvements to Ramp cameras and Dive cameras, and the ability to move the camera during live gameplay provide the most visually impressive WWE 2K experience to date. WWE 2K24Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition are scheduled for worldwide release on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, followed by the Standard Edition and StandardCross-Gen Digital Edition on Friday, March 8, 2024.
“I’ve been known to keep a checklist of key milestones I want to experience on the path to finishing my story,” said Cody Rhodes. “As an avid gamer, being named WWE 2K cover Superstar is very, very close to the top of that list and I’m very happy to work with the teams at 2K and Visual Concepts to bring that dream to life.”
“This is an incredible milestone in my career and I’m so excited to show the world why WWE 2K24 is a must-have and the EST game for every WWE fan and gamer,” said Bianca Belair.
“I’ve proven myself to be the most dominant competitor to ever hold the WWE Women’s World Championship,” said Rhea Ripley. “Earning the accolade of WWE 2K24 cover Superstar is only fitting, and I’m proud to add it to my list of accomplishments.”
“Fresh off the highest-rated game in franchise history, the WWE 2K development team continues to build on that quality,” said Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts. “WWE 2K24 offers more match types, new MyRISE storylines and characters, improvements to gameplay throughout, a 2K Showcase 40 years in the making, and so much more. I’m very proud of the work the team has done to bring this experience to life, and I look forward to seeing players enjoy the game.”
WWE 2K24 features several hallmarks of the franchise, as well some new additions and twists on fan favorites:
2K Showcase…of the Immortals: For 40 years, WrestleMania has captivated millions of fans around the globe as WWE Superstars became Legends and spectacular moments – from Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, to “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker putting on a match for the ages, and many more – cemented WWE Hall of Fame legacies. “The Grandest Stage of Them All” has drawn earth-shaking roars from 100,000+ in attendance, as the biggest icons in WWE made history, and left every drop of blood, sweat and tears in the squared circle. 40 years in the making, the WWE 2K24 Showcase…of the Immortals puts players in control, playing through the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history as 2K’s distinctive Slingshot Tech seamlessly morphs gameplay to live-action footage and back again for the most immersive WrestleMania video game experience to date. A host of unlockable content adds challenge and replay value to this historical experience;
Iconic Roster: WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars including “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics;
New Match Types and Improvements on Existing Match Types: Players asked, and WWE 2K24 delivers, with four new, chaotic match types: Special Guest Referee, Ambulance Match, Casket Match, and Gauntlet Match. In addition, the Backstage Brawl now features 4-player support and new interactive environmental elements – including a working elevator, breakable control room glass, and a vending machine with throwable sodas – while the Royal Rumble now offers support for eight online players in 30-Superstar online matches. All of the familiar WWE 2K match types, such as WarGames, Extreme Rules, TLC, Submission, Hell in a Cell, and many more also return. More details on each new match type will be shared soon;
Gameplay Upgrades: WWE 2K24 features improvements to gameplay throughout, including Super Finishers, the Trading Blows mini-game, top rope dive onto a group of opponents outside the ring, double title matches, new Paybacks and much more. New weapon types, including trash cans, guitars and microphones, plus the ability to throw weapons, allow players to bring the pain. Also, seven real WWE referees are featured to add to the immersive experience;
MyGM: The popular WWE brand management simulation continues to expand with new GMs and brands to choose from, more match types, more Dramas, more Championships, talent scouts, Superstar trading between brands, Superstar contract management and the new Superstar Journey, which allows Superstars to earn XP, train and level up to gain new benefits after participating in matches;
MyFACTION: The team-building mode in which players collect, manage, and upgrade an array of WWE Superstars and Legends to create their ultimate four-person factions returns with a new direct purchase card market and updated multiplayer experience. Players can now compete in ranked online QuickPlay with unique rewards and seasonal leaderboards, challenge themselves with Weekly Towers, and take on a revamped Faction Wars 2.0, featuring more real-world factions, more 4v4 match types, a Faction Wars specific reward shop and more. New themed card packs and goals will continue to roll out regularly throughout the year with seasonal content refreshes**;
MyRISE: In WWE 2K’s unique career mode experience, two new storylines – Undisputed (men’s) and Unleashed (women’s) – put players in control of custom created Superstars looking to make a name for themselves and cement their legacies in WWE history. Featuring Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Mick Foley and others performing MyRISE voiceover for the first time, alongside other Superstars and Legends, expanded rewards, original MyRISE characters and unlockables carrying-over into other game modes, and new environments, MyRISE is more impactful on the overall WWE 2K experience than ever before;
Universe: The ultimate WWE Universe sandbox that puts players in charge of Superstar rosters, feuds, champions, weekly shows, and Premium Live Events now features expanded Rivalry actions, including run-ins, Money in the Bank cash-ins, scenarios and brawls, as well as new cutscenes, Special Guest Referee support, Double Title Matches and a Loser Leaves Town stipulation;
Creation Suite: The crown jewel of the WWE 2K franchise, the best-in-class, most detailed and robust creation suite returns with all-new support for Create-A-Referee and Create-A-Sign, as well as new parts and animations to design custom Superstars, GMs, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships and more;
Peacock™ Promotion:*** New subscribers get 1 month of Peacock at no extra cost (a $5.99 value) with purchase of any edition of WWE 2K24 by April 14, 2024. Promotional code must be redeemed between March 12 and May 31, 2024. After offer ends, plan auto-renews at the then-current retail price (plus tax) until canceled by subscriber. Eligibility restrictions and terms apply. See https://www.peacocktv.com/offer-terms/2k for full terms, availability, redemption, and cancellation instructions.
WWE 2K24 Editions
WWE 2K24 features four editions of the game: Standard Edition, StandardCross-Gen Digital Edition, Deluxe Edition,and Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition:
The Standard Edition will be available for $59.99 on previous-gen platforms (PS4, Xbox One consoles) and PCand for $69.99 on current-gen consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S);
Pre-Order Bonus Offers****: Players who pre-order the WWE 2K24Standard Edition will receive the Nightmare Family Pack, a bonus pack of content including four playable Superstars – two alternate versions of Cody Rhodes (The “Undashing” masked Cody and the flamboyant Stardust), as well as the 1976 version of his father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, plus one of Dusty’s greatest rivals, “Superstar” Billy Graham, all available as playable characters. Additional MyFACTION content includes three MyFACTION cards – a Mattel “Bruised” Cody Rhodes Gold Rarity card and, for the first time ever, Cody’s dog, Pharaoh, appears in WWE 2K as a Gold Rarity Manager card**. In addition, all Digital Pre-Orders of any edition of WWE 2K24 will include the Standard Edition of WWE 2K23, the highest-rated game in franchise history according to Metacritic*****;
The Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition will be available for $69.99 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition includes the Standard Edition across previous and current-gen platforms within the same console family and the same PlayStation or Xbox account******;
The Deluxe Edition will be available for $99.99 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. The Deluxe Edition includes the Standard Cross-Gen Edition, Nightmare Family Pack, plus a Season Pass to all five post-launch DLC content packs*******; the MyRISE Mega-Boost and SuperCharger; Gold Rarity Rhea Ripley MyFACTION Card, Gold Rarity Bianca Belair MyFACTION Card, and alternate attires for Bianca and Rhea. The Deluxe Edition will be available from March 5, 2024 – three days ahead of Standard and Cross-Gen Editions!;
The Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition will be available for $119.99 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. In addition to the Standard Cross-Gen Edition and all bonus content included in the Deluxe Edition, the Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition includes the Forty Years of WrestleMania Pack, which features alternate attires for “Macho King” Randy Savage (WrestleMania 6), Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania 22), Triple H (WrestleMania 30), Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 33), and Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 36), as well as Gold Rarity MyFACTION cards for each, instant unlocking of all playable Showcase characters, and the WrestleMania 40 Arena, which will be available after launch.******* The Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition will be available from March 5, 2024 – three days ahead of Standard and StandardCross-Gen Editions!
For more information on WWE 2K24, visit the game’s official website, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on TikTok, X, Instagram, and subscribe on Twitch and YouTube. Official campaign hashtags #WWE2K24 and #FinishYourStory. Tune-in to Monday Night Raw tonight to see the announcement trailer and cover stars.
Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
*Some Superstars require unlocking via gameplay, or pre-order purchase.
**WWE 2K24 and internet access required to play MyFACTION content. Online Account (13+) required to access online features. See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details.
***Purchase by 4/14/24. Must redeem between 3/12/24 and 5/31/24. Offer limited to US customers who are 18+ only. Offer available with a purchase of WWE 2K24. Offer includes one month of access to Peacock Premium at no extra cost (a $5.99 value), available to new Peacock subscribers only who have purchased and installed WWE 2K24 and linked their 2K Account (2K Accounts are free. After offer ends, plan auto-renews at the then-current retail price (plus tax) until you cancel. Code for Peacock Premium Subscription will be delivered via email to the email associated with the linked 2K Account. Eligibility restrictions and terms apply. See https://www.peacocktv.com/offer-terms/2k for full terms, availability, redemption, and cancellation instructions.
****Pre-Order Bonus Offers: Nightmare Family Pack pre-order bonus offer available through March 14, 2024. Pre-order WWE 2K24 Standard Edition and receive the Nightmare Family Pack, which includes four playable characters and three gold-tier MyFACTION cards (Dusty Rhodes ’76, Mattel Cody Rhodes, and Pharoah (Manager). The Nightmare Family Pack is included with Deluxe and Forty Years of WrestleMania editions. For digital pre-orders, items will be automatically entitled in-game. For physical pre-orders, items will be redeemed in game via code provided in box. Terms apply. Pre-order WWE 2K24 Standard Edition (Digital) on any platform through March 14, 2024 and receive a digital copy of WWE 2K23 Standard Edition for the same platform. Digital copy of WWE 2K23 will be automatically entitled and available to download following pre-order. WWE 2K23 must be downloaded to the platform account used to pre-order WWE 2K24 and is non-transferable. Offer not available to platform accounts that already own WWE 2K23 on the same platform. Terms apply.
*****Based on WWE 2K23’s Metacritic scores on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC as of December 19, 2023.
******PlayStation 5 console required to play PS5 version. PlayStation 4 console required to play PS4 version. Xbox Series X|S console required to play Xbox Series X|S version. Xbox One console required to redeem and use Xbox One version.
*******For digital orders, post-launch Forty Years of WrestleMania Pack content and DLC will be automatically delivered on release for PC users, available for download in the PlayStation store/Library tile for PS4 and PS5 users, and available for download in Microsoft Store for Xbox users. For physical orders, post-launch DLC will be available upon release and redeemed in game via code provided in box. DLC will also be available for purchase separately.
On Saturday, January 27, WWE kicks off the road to WrestleMania 40 with an epic Royal Rumble at Tropicana Field in Florida. The importance of this event cannot be overstated: the male and female winners of this bout will earn the right to step into the ring at WrestleMania in April and compete for the world title.
Over the years, prominent wrestling figures such as John Cena, Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar have successfully entered the fight at number 30, winning various matches. However, there are fighters such as Rhea Ripley, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit and Edge who rose to the challenge and started from the very top position, giving everything they had to win. With the Royal Rumble quickly approaching, this article will look at four talented women from the world of WWE who are capable of taking on the role of the No. 1 entrant and perhaps even dominate this exciting tournament.
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Raquel Rodriguez
One of the standout performers who has shown impressive success over the past few years is the powerhouse rocket in the world of wrestling – Raquel Rodriguez. Since her inclusion on the main roster, the former NXT Women’s Champion has not only captured tag team gold, but has also competed for the World Championship. Despite her best efforts against the likes of Ronda Rousey and Rhea Ripley, the 32-year-old has yet to take the next step in her career beyond becoming a world champion.
At the upcoming Royal Rumble, she will have the opportunity to begin her rise to the top: after going the distance, she will head to WrestleMania 40, where she can win gold and finally realize her long-awaited dream.
Becky Lynch
Perhaps the most memorable win in the history of the women’s Royal Rumble was the one that happened in 2019, when Becky Lynch’s rise to the top of the ladder was truly fantastic. The Irishwoman emerged victorious in the competition, earning her ticket to the first-ever women’s main event at WrestleMania.
In an interview with Advanced Television in 2022, Becky Lynch named her Royal Rumble win as her favorite moment at the Premium Live Event. “I just loved it. I loved the element of surprise. That’s what makes the Royal Rumble amazing. You don’t know who’s going to come out. You don’t know when it’s going to happen,” she said.
Since then, Becky Lynch has been crowned champion multiple times, establishing herself as a top star in the WWE women’s division. However, Becky doesn’t currently have a major individual title, and many fans are hoping to see her face Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.
Bayley
Since 2019, Bailey has appeared before the audience as a rather selfish character, always striving to choose the easiest path to victory. However, over the past few months, her group Damage CTRL has attempted to eliminate her, and this has led to the WWE Universe starting to warm to her for the first time in a long time.
For Bayley, continuing her path to the light side, going the distance at the Royal Rumble and then challenging her former tag team partner, WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY at WrestleMania, is a great way to show that she’s getting back to her kinder self.
During a recent interview with The Comeback, the former RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion shared that she is looking forward to having a singles match at a Premium Live Event soon after many women’s matches over the past year.
“So, life is a rollercoaster of emotions. There are moments of pride, but right now, in this moment, I want more. Last night the thought came to me that I haven’t had a singles match in a pay-per-view for a long time, and I want to have a singles match at WrestleMania.”
Jade Cargill
In September 2023, WWE announced the signing of former AEW star, Jade Cargill. The 31-year-old was immediately introduced as a huge star, taking part in backstage moments with Triple H, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Even though she has been with the company for several months, she is set to make her debut with World Wrestling Entertainment and management is keen to make sure she is fully prepared before she steps foot in the ring.
The Royal Rumble could be the perfect place for her to debut as the event fits her ambitions. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Cargill shared her ambitions in WWE: “I understand what I’m here for. I want to win gold and main event at WrestleMania, but nothing in life comes easy. I strive to create these amazing moments. I want to be involved in exciting matches, inspire people and I strive to create something more.” Given the significance of the match and its importance, winning the Royal Rumble from the top spot would help create another superstar in Jade Cargill.
2K today announced the WWE 2K24 video game with three editions: The Standard Edition with Cody Rhodes on the cover, the Deluxe Edition with Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley on the cover, and the digital-only Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition.
The Standard Edition will come with the Nightmare Family Pack featuring the Dusty Rhodes (’76) + MyFACTION Card, Stardust, Undashing Cody Rhodes, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Mattel Cody Rhodes (Bruised) Playable Character and MyFACTION Card, and Pharoah Manager MyFACTION Card.
The Deluxe Edition will have the Nightmare Family Pack plus Season Pass (5x DLC), MyRISE Mega-Boost, SuperCharger, Rhea MyFACTION Evo Card, Bianca MyFACTION Evo Card, Rhea Alt Attire, and Bianca Alt Attire.
The WrestleMania Edition will have the Standard and Deluxe packs plus the Mania pack featuring Showcase Superstars Roster Unlock, WrestleMania 40 Arena, “Macho King” Randy Savage – WrestleMania 6, Rey Mysterio – WrestleMania 22, Triple H – WrestleMania 30, Charlotte Flair – WrestleMania 33, Rhea Ripley – WrestleMania 36, and 2-3 Gold MyFACTION cards of the above.
TMZ caught up with former WWE Champion Big E in New York City as he was about to be reunited with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods for an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show which airs today.
Asked if he is nearing an in-ring return, Big E did not have any good news, and said that he does not have a timeline for a comeback.
Acknowledging that everything is healing nicely and the bones are now connected to each other, Big E said that he needs to be smart about a return.
“I didn’t start wrestling to end up in a wheelchair,” E told TMZ. “So I want to make sure I’m making the best decision for myself.”
Big E suffered a broken neck in March 2022 after he was on the receiving end of a belly-to-belly duplex from Ridge Holland on the floor.
Big changes in the WWE board due to the fact that the company was sold led to changes in both the internal and external policies of the promotion. Not taking into account the conservative nature of Vince McMahon and his associates, the new management of WWE is now interested in potential partnerships with major advertisers in the Japanese market. If you like to watch wrestling and want to bet on matches, go to güncel adres.
Rumors about WWE collaborating with NJPW
Shawn Ross on Fightful Select revealed some behind-the-scenes details regarding WWE’s partnership with NJPW, AJPW and Stardom.
There are no specifics regarding AJPW, although such an idea is being discussed in the board of directors. One resource behind the curtains felt that WWE/AJPW was taking a “wait and see” theory. There is positivity behind the scenes and the open approach of WWE under Nick Khan is noted.
Let us emphasize that WWE recently allowed NXT wrestler Charlie Dempsey to participate in a number of AJPW shows. Behind the curtains of the Japanese promotion, they noted that they strongly value a possible partnership with Charlie and loyalty to the WWE. Behind the scenes at NXT, the public is satisfied with the attention Dempsey has on the roster.
There is still nothing concrete regarding the partnership with Stardom, however, it seems that the situation has begun to change. Previously there was no reason to talk about this, but now behind the scenes WWE is looking at Stardom with great interest. WWE is mainly interested in top wrestlers like Julia. In addition, the topic of partnership is “realistic in theory.” Multiple WWE resources have noted that the organization is entering a future era where it can do its job a little differently.
Regarding rumors of WWE’s attention to NJPW, Fightful states that WWE has long been interested in having any contact with NJPW. Sources in these organizations consider collaboration impossible, given the strong partnership between NJPW and AEW, but with other leaders at the head of WWE and NJPW, this is still more possible than it has been for many years. WWE sources who were spoken to by Fightful reporters said that Vince McMahon had previously abruptly cut off any partnership talks with NJPW. Once upon a time, Rocky Romero talked with Nick Khan regarding a possible partnership between promotions, although the conversation ultimately did not amount to anything due to McMahon’s categorical attitude.
A number of different WWE sources have emphasized that there is a sense of a new era behind the curtains, implying likely changes to most of the promotion’s foreign policy.
Trinity finished her run with TNA Wrestling this weekend with the television tapings in Orlando.
In her final match, Trinity teamed up with new Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace to take on Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans. This was taped on the first day of tapings and Trinity was not used on the second day of recording which was done yesterday.
Following the tag match, which was taped as the main event, Trinity closed the night by addressing the crowd and said that this run was life-changing for her and it was an honor to work with a strong division which includes an incredible group of women.
Trinity made her debut for the company on the May 4 episode of Impact Wrestling and won the Knockouts title at the Slammiversary pay-per-view, defeating Deonna Purrazzo. She lost the title to Jordynne Grace at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view two weeks ago.
She is headed back to WWE and is expected to be one of the entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble match.
In a near six-minute speech following the conclusion of Smackdown’s dark match, Cody Rhodes addressed the over 11,000 crowd in his home town of Atlanta.
He said that he’s done some silly stuff here, like setting himself on fire and getting in a fight with Brock Lesnar but it was all done to give this town and city that raised him something to remember.
“There is only one thing that makes me tired of coming home. The only thing that makes me tired when coming home is coming home empty-handed,” Cody said. “I think we need to change that.”
The American Nightmare brought up all the rumors that are going around with The Rock and said that he’s not immune to the news and everything that’s happening, what will happen, or what won’t happen.
“All I can tell you is this. I’m the right man for the job. I’m the best man for the job. I’m heading into the Royal Rumble, I’m gonna go back-to-back, and I’m gonna bring a championship back home to Atlanta,” a fired-up Cody said as the crowd popped big.
“I have this habit of giving stuff away at shows,” Cody then joked. He said he’s a Raw star so he doesn’t need the Smackdown logo that is on the mic so he took it out and said he’ll give it to the loudest person in the arena.
He said he’s a babyface so he can’t make the decision and let announcer Mike Rome make that decision instead and take the heat! He then found a kid who held up a sign that said, “It’s my birthday 12” so Cody gave it to him.
AEW President Tony Khan announced on X that the company is bringing back its ranking system starting from this month.
The rankings were something that were updated weekly for quite a while, with win/loss records and stars getting title shots depending on where they stand in the rankings. The system however got quietly abandoned when it became evident that it served no real purpose apart from showing win/loss records on screen.
But Khan wants a more sports-based presentation approach for AEW and is now reintroducing the concept hoping it sticks better this time around.
The AEW Rankings were last updated on August 31, 2022 and behind the champions, CM Punk was #1, Hangman Page was #2, and Powerhouse Hobbs was #3 in the men’s rankings. Toni Storm was #1 in the women’s rankings, Britt Baker was #2, and Athena was #3. In the tag team division, FTR was #1, The Acclaimed was #2, and Young Bucks were #3.
During an appearance on the Cheap Heat podcast, WWE Superstar R-Truth revealed that an MRSA infection almost forced doctors to amputate his leg while he was recovering from the torn quad he suffered in late 2022.
Truth said that he had a big hole in his knee with five different bacterias eating it from the inside out and doctors were concerned.
“I just remember the doctor never would give me a high-five. He was like, ‘We gotta get this under control. If we can’t get this under control, I’m gonna have to think of the options,'” Truth recounted.
Eventually, he was hooked up to a machine which took out the old blood and put in new blood for several weeks as well as having to wear a PICC line for eight weeks. Another complication resurfaced as his stitches were coming out through his knee on their own and had to go back into surgery.
“It was just a good four months, five months of just trying to kill the infection, slow it down, stop it, not go mentally crazy because there was a chance, he said, the other option was amputation,” Truth said. “So to go from doing the 24/7 stuff, running around, doing things with my kids, to NXT, me and Grayson Waller tearing it down, and doing things to like stopping and then getting told this? It was a big reality check, man. It was a pump the brakes moment.”
Truth returned to WWE television in November of last year at the Survivor Series and has been part of an entertaining storyline with The Judgment Day ever since.
Two factions have decided to unite on Collision as The Bang Bang Scissor Gang was born last night.
After several weeks of teases, it was The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass who reached out their scissor hand to the Bullet Club Gold and after some thoughts and considerations, Jay White, Colten, and Austin Gunn accepted the invitation by “scissoring” their new partners.
All six have one common enemy for now – The Undisputed Kingdom – and they were outnumbered on their own so at least there is some backup and numbers to combat that.
Both set of teams are six-man tag team champions, with The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn the AEW Trios champions and Jay White and The Gunns the ROH Six-Man Tag Team champions.
AEW now have their formula for improving ratings: have two wrestlers who don’t lose often face off. And build it a little. Also, it seems the younger audience prefer watching younger wrestlers.
*****
Schiavone was back with the usual crew after missing Wednesday. And so was Mox…
Jon Moxley vs Shane Taylor
Backstory: NONE
And we were treated to an instant faux pas as Kevin Kelly couldn’t be heard. Also the ringside barricade and ring apron were video screens. It’s new to me…
You won’t be shocked to know this started with a fight: rights swinging, kicks kicking, crowd chanting for Mox. Taylor knocked Mox on his ass with a big shot, ref checking on him, the big man attacking anyway, continuing to wail away until smashing Mox with a lariat, whip to the corner, splash missing, Mox thinking piledriver but elevated over and rolling outside.
Taylor hip-checked him off the apron then continued the assault. Lee Moriarty ringside btw. Mox reversed a whip sending Taylor to the steps, Moriarty pulled Mox off the apron as the ref was gently caressing Taylor on route to asking for a date.
Taylor scooped Mox up into a side slam as he returned. For two. Taylor grabbed a hold, this offense has been going on more than long enough now. But isn’t over, he countered a slam into a splash for two.
But missed a splash from upstairs, back back up to rights in the middle, Mox had his boot caught and was shoved backwards but hit back with a cutter out of nowhere.
Second wind, lariat in the corner, ten punches too, bite for good luck but caught into a belly to back after Taylor ducked a lariat. Mox hit back with one of his own, Taylor avoided a Death Rider, each looked for lariats, ducking and dodging until Taylor smashed Moxley to the mat.
Both down.
Taylor up with knee strikes, choke bomb, Moxley hooked him into a triangle, dead center, Taylor trying to scramble to his feet to break it, Mox clinging on until finally being hauled up – maybe, kinda – Taylor dropped him into something like a powerbomb, Moxley hit back with H&A, running knee strike, another, Taylor out at two. That wasn’t the smoothest either.
Yay/boo shots, Mox ducking behind, choke applied, dragging Taylor down, into the Bulldog, Taylor passed out. Can we save that for when it matters maybe? Moriarty gave Taylor a strange look.
These ‘give the loser a lot’ extended squashes are beyond played out. But seem to form the backbone of this show. There were good sequences but Taylor was on offense too long to hold my interest.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Moxley grabbed a mic as the other two left, crowd hot for the former champ. He said he’s ‘pissed off beyond belief’ and ‘hungry beyond belief’. He’s not taking any crap in 2024 and anyone who wants to face him or even any of his teammates only have to do one thing -‘keep the hell up!’.
Delivered well but generic. Another regular facet of Collision programming. Can we please get some feuds? Even just televised ones.
*****
They played highlights from Joe/Hook from Weds but otherwise didn’t follow up, no comments or anything. The announcers did talk it up a bit.
*****
Adam Copeland came out and they played clips of his last two wins, highlighting his new Grindhouse finish.
Dante Martin vs Adam Copeland
Backstory: Cope Open
I really don’t want to be negative here but Dante is the definition of ‘always goes close; never wins’. We’ve seen it so many times.
And we started with wrestling: Copeland working a headlock, hitting a shoulder charge; leapfrog and armdrag from Dante, a second, Copeland stopped short to prevent a third but had his leg swept by the youngster. Nice sequence.
After grappling to the corner, Copeland headed upstairs, Dante hit a gamengiri, Copeland blocked a rana but missed a spear from the top, Dante hit a splash and bagged two.
Then was sent to the buckle from the apron and crumpled down to ringside, Copeland aggressive so far.
Ads.
Back to Copeland working a headlock once more. Dante fighting out with elbows but dropped with a big shot, right back to the headlock. Copeland focusing on an ‘injury’ picked up when Dante hit the buckle pre-break.
The youngster hit back with an enziguri, both struggling to their feet, Dante hit a knee from the apron, Copeland swiped the legs to block a Dante springboard then went for a powerbomb off the apron. Dante fought it off and hit a rana from the apron to the floor. Then headed back inside to build up steam for a tope.
Before sending Copeland back in, springboard cross body for two.
Copeland countered a full nelson slam into an Impaler and was up first as the crowd chanted lightly for him. Dante clambered up in the opposite corner, Spear coming, Dante flipped over the top to avoid it, Copeland hit the buckle, Dante hit a springboard moonsault press – basically a Nose Dive but with less oomph than usual, Copeland got the ropes.
But stayed down playing possum, cutting the youngster off atop the buckle, Dante hit back to land a sunset bomb from the top for a near fall. It was made as safe as possible but that’s a big bump on Copeland’s injured neck.
Light TiA from the crowd which Nigel translated as ‘Christian’s awesome’.
Dante to the apron, springboard, lost his footing (as was planned) and was Speared out of the air into the Grindhouse, immediately tapping.
If Copeland’s had a better match in AEW I can’t recall it. This was really good.
Winner: Adam Copeland
Schiavone headed to the ring to talk to the vet. Copeland put Dante over and said the crowd should too, which they did. And emphasized all the young hungry guys stepping up to answer his challenge. Then vowed to keep coming out and working hard (he repeated this several times) then contrasted it with Cage’s promise to work hard when he first arrived in AEW.
He’ll keep working to get the TNT Title and bring it back to TNT ‘for these people so they can see their championship, our championship’.
He had the fans absolutely eating out the palm of his hand here. Nice babyface promo and beating Dante is certainly a step up from his previous opponents.
*****
Lexy with Claudio and Danielson, she mentioned Kingston beat both of them in the tournament. Danielson said losing to Kingston was the low point of his career and the highlight of Kingston’s. But being great means being great year after year after year like he and Claudio.
Claudio asked if they could stop talking about Eddie and warned Ortiz he’d be ‘a casualty’.
Dick Bryan Danielson is always fun.
*****
Backstage with Top Flight and Action Andretti, Lexy was smiling and taking about Top flight ‘being on a roll’. Is that a fucking joke?
Private Party came in all cocky, Andretti called them out for cheating, Quen said he lost his balance. Darius challenged them to face off again, they accepted, PP stayed behind, messing about with Lexy who laughed and giggled as if they were fun guys (I like Lexy btw, she’s good, just wasn’t here).
A now-regular dose of confusing characterization.
Thunder Rosa vs Queen Aminata
Backstory: NONE
Rosa took the newcomer to the mat, Aminata countered the hold and rubbed her butt in Rosa’s face so was taken down aggressively, the pair wrestling for control on the mat.
To their feet, standing switches, Rosa got a headlock and flipped behind into a cradle for two. They rolled back and forth into pinfalls for two until Rosa was snatched into a backbreaker.
She really sold this as the announcers talked about her back injury.
Aminata stepped on the back then hit a springboard knee drop to the front. Rosa hit back via tejeiras then a dropkick through the ropes to bring the break.
Slow and coordinated-looking so far.
Back to an exchange of stiff strikes to the chest, Aminata snapmare, kick to the spine, question mark kick, Rosa down in the corner, Aminata hit a hip attack (overdone in the division), Rosa avoided a second, back elbows and chops in the corner, running lariat up into an elevated knee drop using the ropes, running dropkick with Aminata against the ropes, bridging northern lights for two.
Back to throwing rights, Aminata hit headbutts and an air raid crash for two. Pump kick to follow, Rosa struck back, she feigned smoking a joint and yelled ‘Bucks!’ then hit the Tijuana Bomb to win.
Fine, nothing more. Crowd quiet. Rosa’s new theme is good.
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Lexy with Ortiz and Kingston. She said it was a while since they teamed up. Ortiz said they fell out but made up because they’re family, something the BCC are not. Kingston did his usual I’m busy before my match and don’t want to do a promo stuff then left. It seemed a little dickish.
Ortiz said Kingston does his best talking in the ring.
Not the most effective promo for building the main event.
*****
Bullet Club Gold came out with their killer new theme. Those drums are nice.
Colten ripped off the Rock – ‘Finally…’. White asked if he’d come up with that himself then played to the crowd. But said ‘something’s missing still’. The crowd yelled ‘Juiiiiiice’. Austin went and grabbed a cardboard cutout from beneath the ring. Robinson has a back injury btw.
They were about to do ‘Gunns up!’ when the Acclaimed came out. Billy took the mic and made fun of White since he’s the only one in the trio who can talk right? Bowens again appealed to them to join forces. He too played to the crowd and said the people want to see Billy with singles gold.
Please. God. No.
And want to see them with tag belts. And want to see Jay as the world champ. The crowd cheered all these things. And started a spontaneous ‘Bang Bang Scissor Gang’ chant. Bowens said BCG owed an answer to them and the fans.
They offered a scissor, the crowd chanted for BCG to repricocate. BCG huddled. Then scissored. For the first time ever I’m begging for a swerve. Please extricate Jay White from this ridiculousness.
*****
Toni Storm after Dynamite. Mariah was ranting about what Deonna did, Toni calmed her. Then admitted remembering Purazzo from their time in Japan and being envious of her technical ability. But said she’d ‘meet… greet… complete… then beat… then eat (she ‘bit’ the air)’ Deonna.
Before leaving for a ‘pork dinner’. I assume that’s a double entendre since nearly everything Storm says is.
This was more akin to the 1/10 Dynamite, her character fit within the story and built the match rather than dominating it. Entertaining stuff.
Buddy Matthews vs Daniel Garcia
Backstory: FTR & Garcia are feuding with House of Black
Matt Menard joined on comms. That guy has a future in the booth.
Garcia came out and was staring at the whole of HOB when FTR came to even the odds. This crowd seems larger than the average for Collision and it’s making a difference. They’re enthusiastic too, loudly chanting ‘FTR!’.
Cagey start, Matthews slammed Garcia down face first then shoved him on his ass, beckoning Garcia get up for more. The dominance continued via shoulder tackle, a second, Garcia dropped down but got up right into another shoulder. Headlock takeover, up to their feet quickly, a fourth shoulder block sent a frustrated Garcia outside.
FTR gave him a pep talk – telling him he’s not stronger but he’s ‘better’. He should outwrestle him.
Garcia didn’t listen, trying shoulder charges, the third of which finally knocked Matthews out through the ropes. The House joined him on the apron, FTR did the same on the opposite side. Tensions high in this very serious feud which’d played out in a very competitive start. Until…
‘Stay with us he’s gonna dance!’ yelled Schiavone as Garcia got into his pose and we went to break.
Don’t know what to say.
Back to the pair battling on the apron, Matthews seeking a piledriver, Garcia targeted the knee which’d apparently been injured during the break (that’s twice now they’ve done the ‘heat’ off camera), allowing the youngster to hit a piledriver of his own, both crashed to ringside.
Garcia looked like he was pretending to swim as he tried to get up, both got back in at the count of nine. Would you believe it!?
Matthews fired kicks but sold his knee each time he did. Garcia hit a headbutt, ducked a swing, snapping jabs, rights and lefts to the corner, stomps to follow, now targeting the knee as he whacked it against the post before continuing the Bret Hart homage via figure four. As Nigel emphasized.
Garcia clipped the knee as Buddy came back in, transitioning into the Dragon Tamer, wrenching right back and paying for it as Matthews slammed his head against the mat to break it. Matthews was bleeding from the nose now and hit back with stiff knees up into a deadlift jackhammer for two. Beautifully done. Kelly really put him over.
TiA from the crowd. It’s damn good.
Garcia avoided the Curb Stomp then danced (Smash his fucking face Buddy, end him).
Knee strike, Garcia countered a powerbomb to win the only way an underdog ever does in AEW, with a pinning combo, in this case jackknifing the legs. All six flew in to brawl, refs and lower card sent to break it up.
Outside of the stupid dancing, this has felt very real and heated. Helped by the crowd. The dancing is just baffling, the crowd likes Garcia well enough without it.
We just went to break out of nowhere as they were still brawling/being separated.
Winner: Daniel Garcia
Returning to Lexy with FTR and Garcia. Dax said it’s time to end things and that should be next week. In an elimination cage match. That sounds fun. With FTR it might not get ridiculously bloody either.
Roderick Strong vs Matt Sydal
Backstory: NONE
We finally found it! The match between the most boring people in wrestling. The ostensible top heel group in the company saw Strong accompanied by fellow lower-card comedy act the Kingdom.
Lockup and mat wrestling, Strong getting the better into a bow and arrow, Sydal quickly slipped out to his feet and we started again. More slick wrestling followed, neither getting an advantage. Until a Strong shoulder block, though Sydal immediately hit back with tejeiras’ and spin kicks which sent Strong outside.
Ads.
Sydal hit another headscissors, more kicks to the legs, rana, Storm struggling, pair of leaping kicks from Sydal, very nice spinning heel kick rebounding off the ropes, meteora, Sydal sold his knee before bagging a two count.
‘Breaking news,’ Tony Khan’s made that six-man.
Sydal got another two via cradle and another via air raid crash. Out of nowhere, Strong hit a big knee strike then End of Heartache. That was almost the definition of a guy taking 90% of the match then losing. Just absolutely baffling when the new heel group is so desperately in need of credibility. It’s such poor booking.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs Eddie Kingston & Ortiz
Backstory: NONE
Ortiz is here to take the pin y’all. Otherwise we’d have seen him on something other than Rampage since August.
Crowd chanted for Kingston as he and Danielson stared across the ring. Danielson posed atop the buckle to cheers then beckoned Eddie do the same. He did and there was a mixed reaction actually. Back into loud ‘Eddie’ chants though.
Stalling done – maybe not, Danielson posed again in the corner. Nigel is hammering him on comms. Kingston posed again and we finally got to it – lockup, Danielson cravate, takeover, kick to the spine, Kingston down, BD doing star jumps. He’s wrestling sans mask now btw.
Danielson goaded Kingston in then threw kicks, yelling and mocking as he did, he’s such a great prick. He again climbed the buckle to work the crowd, getting more boos now, crowd chanting again for Kingston. Kingston hit back via snapmare into a kick to the spine, chops to the back and front, tag to Ortiz, double suplex, Danielson out at one.
He rushed Ortiz to the BCC corner and tagged the Swiss who flung uppercuts, leaving Ortiz down, then worked him over in the ropes. Tag back out, Ortiz ducked a double sledge, hit a double dropkick, rights for both until a Claudio knee to the gut, the BCC hit running attacks in the corner before Claudio hit snake eyes back into the BCC corner.
Danielson continued working the crowd. He’s having him some fun out there working an easy tag with more ‘sizzle’ than steak so far. As JR might say.
Ads.
Ortiz still being worked over by Claudio, crowd again chanting for Kingston, Ortiz dived for the tag but caught into the swing, a ton of effortless reps before dumping him back down in the heels’ corner. Danielson back in, talking smack before aiming yes! kicks with Ortiz on his knees. Ortiz tried to fire up but kept being kicked down.
(Rankings are Returning!!!Schiavone with another Tony Khan announcement – rankings are returning – he made a big deal of this. As long as they do that well, its great news, badly needed since there are so many title shots just doled out to anyone, helps differentiate them from WWE and leans toward the promised ‘sportslike approach’ into 2024.)
Ortiz finally got the tag, Kingston straps down before entering, crowd hot, he and Claudio teeing off – chops vs uppercuts, now into big boots vs forearms, Kingston firing chops back to the corner, Claudio caught him in the face which drew an ‘oooh’ from the crowd before Kingston tee’d off with machine guns in the corner, several clips worth before bagging two as Claudio collapsed.
Claudio hit back via shortarm clothesline, back on top as he sought and hit a chokeslam, tag to Danielson who came in off the top via diving headbutt for two. Claudio hooked Ortiz off the apron and dumped him against the barricade, Kingston worked over now two-on-one, fighting back with chops, Aubrey not exactly keen to enforce the count as Nigel kept pointing out.
Kingston landed a DDT to Danielson as Claudio finally exited, Ortiz back on the apron to take the tag. He hit a double team dropkick into a Kingston suplex on Danielson, Kingston hit an enziguri which barely caught Claudio before a double lariat sent the Swiss outside. Both faces hit dives to the heels on either side, Ortiz got two flinging Danielson back inside.
They ran through the Dynamite card while Ortiz avoided submitting to the LeBell, Danielson stomping away now, Claudio and Eddie outside. Claudio held Kingston on the apron to watch the match-winning Busaiku Knee.
That was a nice touch, angles don’t need to be complicated. And finishes a good show in terms of more serious angles without any silly stuff. Danielson spat in Kingston’s face as he checked on Ortiz.
Match got better as it went and the way Danielson worked the crowd was just brilliant. It helped that they were willing participants but he subtly made it clear how over Kingston was. A pro. Breaking news I know.
Minoru Suzuki vs Adam Copeland (You read that right)
Darby and Sting promo
Next Collision:
FTR & Daniel Garcia vs House of Black (Elimination Cage Match)
Thumbs Up/Down
Making the BCC Collision-exclusive is a smart way to add some stars and make the shows seem at least a little different (if indeed that’s what tonight portends)
Copeland vs Dante
Matthews vs Garcia and the subsequent angle which focused on competition and forgot the gobbledygook – it felt heated for the first time in the feud
Sidebar just to add that Buddy’s awesome, more of him please
Main event was pretty good, built nicely after the break and they worked the crowd masterfully
There were some stars and angles to go with the good wrestling
Add to that a full Dynamite card featuring the two title contenders wrestling and this actually felt newsworthy and worth watching, a big step in the right direction which felt more serious to go along with the reinstatement of the rankings system
*****
If you like wrestlers dominating matches in valiant efforts before losing…
Hooking Jay White up with such a bunch of comedy wrestlers: they’ve done a terrible, terrible job with the Kiwi since arriving, he might have been hurt more than anyone sans Starks by Punk leaving
On the subject, where the hell are the tag champs? If Sting is going to win the things in six weeks, they should probably be at least a little important
Appreciate you reading. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Collision takes place live from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri tonight and will feature the return of both Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.
Moxley will be taking on Shane Taylor while Danielson will team up with Claudio Castagnoli to battle Eddie Kingston and Ortiz. This is Moxley’s and Danielson’s first AEW match since the Worlds End pay-per-view in late December.
Adam Copeland will have another open challenge tonight and Buddy Matthews of House of Black wrestles Daniel Garcia. Thunder Rosa will also be in action against an unnamed opponent as of press time.
An emotional Kazuchika Okada bowed in the middle of the ring after he wrestled at NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya today.
With tears in his eyes, Okada returned to the empty ring after he teamed up with Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino and Yoh to defeat Los Ingobernables de Japón in an eight-man tag team match. He waved to all four sides of the ring and then bowed and exited the ring as fans clapped.
It was Okada’s last time wrestling in Nagoya, at least for the foreseeable future, as he is departing NJPW to move to the United States.
His last contractual date with NJPW is January 31 but has agreed to work three more shows in February and not burn any bridges with the promotion that made him a worldwide megastar.
Fans in the United States will get a small taste of what overseas viewers feel when watching premium live events at odd hours as the Elimination Chamber from Perth, Australia will be kicking off at 5AM ET on February 24.
It’s even worse for those on the West Coast in the United States as it’s a 2AM start time for them, the same time most of Central Europe has to wake up at to watch WWE PLEs throughout the year.
The show will have a 6PM local start time, although that is unclear if it’s the Kickoff show or the actual PLE. The time was displayed for the first time on the official poster which was unveiled by Triple H featuring Rhea Ripley.
European fans will have a better time as it will kick off at 10AM in the United Kingdom and 11AM in Central Europe.
Records are there to be broken, and despite his lack of title challenges, Roman Reigns continues to break those records for WWE much to the annoyance of the majority of wrestling fans.
Roman Reigns has now surpassed Bruno Sammartino’s second reign in terms of days as champion, with Reigns now at 1,238 days and counting, one more than Sammartino, a reign which ended on April 30, 1977 at the hands of “Superstar” Billy Graham.
Sammartino still leads overall in his two reigns as the longest reigning WWE champion ever with 4,040 days combined.
The next records in sight are at 1,470 days, which is the one held by Bob Backlund, and 1,474, which is held by Hulk Hogan. To reach that, Roman has to survive at least until September with the title.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that while AEW is favorite to secure the services of Kazuchika Okada, WWE is definitely not out of the running especially due to Okada’s dream to one day perform at WrestleMania.
Okada’s current relationship with AEW President Tony Khan and his friendship with the likes of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Bryan Danielson will surely have some sway in his decision, not to mention that signing with AEW will mean that he could still work select dates for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, similar to what other stars have been doing.
Getting Okada would be the second major NJPW star to defect to AEW in a matter of months following Will Ospreay’s move.
Meanwhile, Barrasso adds that WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H and one of his most trusted lieutenants, Shawn Michaels, are both big fans of Okada and are working on trying to land him in WWE. Triple H and his creative team have completely changed the way they portray much of their Japanese Superstars on the roster, a big difference from the Vince McMahon-led booking.
Okada also has friendships within WWE, notably AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Shinsuke Nakamura, which could help the free agent choose them instead of the expected AEW.
Dave Meltzer of the Observer reported yesterday that AEW’s initial offer was considered higher than that of WWE but Okada has not made any decisions yet.
Butch is gone and the man known as Pete Dunne is officially back.
On Smackdown last night, The Bruiserweight came out to a big pop from the crowd as Tyler Bate’s partner, and was introduced as Pete Dunne. He donned the typical Dunne ring attire with no hint of any Butch left.
Dunne was more aggressive in his style than when he portrayed Butch as part of the Brawling Brutes.
He has been using the name Butch ever since he got promoted to the main roster in 2022 and themed with Sheamus and Ridge Holland. Sheamus remains out of action for the past few months while Holland is back in NXT.
Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa are standing by the entrance and Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman walk in and Reigns said Wiseman, I said fix it, is it fixed? Heyman says no then says he’s here to fix it. As they walk away Solo says fix it? I will fix it.
Nick Aldis is in the ring and is ready for the four-way title match signing for the Royal Rumble. AJ Styles is announced first, LA Knight is out next, next Randy Orton, finally the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
But instead of Roman Reigns, it’s Paul Heyman who comes out. All three other competitors have already signed the contract. Heyman says they just got there and haven’t had time to review the contract so Roman Reigns will not sign that contract this evening.
Aldis said just so we are clear, Roman Reigns refuses to sign this contract. That is fine, I will just make the match a triple threat with the three who have already signed the contract for the vacant WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.
Heyman comes back and starts telling Aldis he admires him, and he is doing a halfway decent job. He tells Aldis that Reigns should be defending the title against only one opponent.
LA Knight then told Heyman to shut up and it should be his rematch. Then he and AJ Styles started getting into a heated argument. AJ and LA then begin to fight, Aldis then tries to get in the middle of them until officials finally break them up and then AJ runs to LA again. Meanwhile, Randy is still in the ring and grabs Heyman’s tie, and he tells him, he sees what he is trying to do and it isn’t going to work because later tonight he is going to leave Solo lying in the ring then he is going to reintroduce Reigns to the 3 most important letters in WWE and that is RKO and nicely puts Heyman’s tie back down.
In the back, AJ Styles walked up to Nick Aldis and said I want LA Knight tonight and Aldis said fine you got him.
L.W.O. (Wilde, Del Toro & Carlito) VS. Legado Del Fantasma (Angel, Humberto & Escobar)
Carlito hit the backstabber but there was a secret tag to Escobar and Escobar rolled him up for the win.
Winners: Legado Del Fantasma
Kayla Braxton interviewed Pretty Deadly.
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits send a message to Karrion Kross and AOP.
Pretty Deadly VS. Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate
Dunne pins Wilson after the Bitter End.
Winners: Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate
Kayla Braxton again interviewed Pretty Deadly and they blamed Pete Dunne’s name change that they were not ready.
The KO Show with special guest Logan Paul. Logan thanked Kevin for being a WWE Superstar. Kevin complimented Logan for putting in the work and doing better than anyone ever thought he could be, but he is not one of us. Kevin tells Logan there is not a punch he can throw that will keep him down for 3 seconds let alone knock him out and Kevin says he is going to take his cast off right now to make him feel better and Logan punched Kevin and started bragging. Kevin pulled himself back up and went after Logan outside and Logan was able to take Kevin’s hand he just removed his cast from and slammed it against the ring post.
Roman Reigns is shown scolding the Bloodline for not fixing the problem and Solo stands up and says last week was on me, tonight I will fix the problem.
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance VS. Unholy Union (Isala Dawn & Alba Fyre) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Carter and Chance retain after a handstand off the top rope and dropping onto Fyre.
Winners and Still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
After the match as Chance and Carter waited for their titles, it was the Kabuki Warriors who had the titles and got in the ring and started arguing and looks like they agreed to a match in the future.
In the back, AJ Styles walked up to the O.C. and Gallows tells him even after everything we still have your back.
A video was shown of the Final Testament.
Cathy Kelly interviewed Carmelo Hayes about last week when his match ended with the referee stoppage. Theory comes in and Hayes challenged him for next week and Theory tried to get out of it and Waller says you got nothing going on he will face you next week. Hayes says fine I will go talk to Mr. Aldis to get it official as Hayes walks away Theory tells Waller he needs to stop doing that.
AJ Styles VS. LA Knight
As Knight and Styles are fighting outside the ring Jimmy Uso comes out and Solo snuck up and gave Knight a Samoan Spike then he went on to attack AJ.
Winner By DQ: LA Knight
Solo then gave AJ a Samoan Spike and grabbed a microphone and said 2 down 1 to go and then called out Randy Orton.
Nick Aldis is now at ringside.
Solo Sikoa VS. Randy Orton
As Randy went for the RKO, Jimmy Uso comes back out but LA Knight cuts him off as Randy watches. AJ comes back out and throws Jimmy into the wall. Solo goes to give Randy a spike but after spinning him around, Randy hits RKO.
Winner: Randy Orton
After the match LA and AJ get back in the ring and after a brief stare down, AJ and LA start fighting again. After getting the upper hand LA turns into and RKO. AJ gets up and gets an RKO.
Roman Reigns sneaks in and hits Randy with a Superman Punch. Reigns then signs the contract and as he sets up for the spear and Randy gets up Randy catches Reigns with an RKO.
