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Title Time! Who Left AEW Dynamite As The Trios Champions?

January 12, 2023 • Admin

Back to start. Titles are some of the most important things in all of wrestling as they tell fans what is going on during the show. A champion is, in theory, one of the most important and talented stars in a promotion as other wrestlers are going to want to win their titles. That can make for some big times matches, which was the case this week as some new champions were crowned. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A Long Time Coming: Injured AEW Star Makes Surprise Return On Dynamite This week on AEW Dynamite, the Elite defeated Death Triangle in an Escalara de la Muerte match to become the new Trios Champions. The match was the final match in a Best of Seven series between the two, which began back at Full Gear in November. The Elite were the inaugural champions but were stripped of the titles following a suspension. Death Triangle then defeated the Best Friends to win the vacant titles. It took a long time to get here. Check out the series: [This post contains video, click to play] [This p..

A Long Time Coming: Injured AEW Star Makes Surprise Return On Dynamite

January 12, 2023 • Admin

Welcome back! Injuries are one of the worst things in all of wrestling as someone is going to be left on the shelf for awhile. There are some that are far worse than others though and that can be absolutely devastating to a wrestler’s career. You never know when you are going to see someone go down, but that can lead to some surprise returns, which we saw this week. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: That Could Mean Something: AEW Star Posts Cryptic Message, Says “Bye” Adam Cole made his return to television this week on AEW Dynamite. Cole came to the ring and talked about being on the shelf for over six months and thanked the fans for supporting him throughout his absence. Cole said that he was back and wanted to reach the top of the mountain. This was Cole’s first appearance since August 2022, though he has not wrestled since June 2022, when he suffered a concussion at Forbidden Door. It’s great to have Cole back. Check out some of his time in AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] ..

UPDATE: New Reports Deny Rumor Of WWE Being Sold To Saudi Arabia

January 11, 2023 • Admin

So maybe not? We are in a very strange time for WWE as things are moving so fast that it is hard to keep track of everything. The difference this time is that it is at the very top of the promotion, with the future ownership being questioned. That has opened up a variety of options, but now it seems that one of the leading candidates may not be as close to control as expected. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: When Vince McMahon Could Appear On WWE TV Again Earlier this week, a rumor circulated that WWE had been sold to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which planned to take the company private again. However, new reports from Ariel Helwani of BT Sports, Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics and Jon Alba of Fite TV say that they have heard nothing of such a sale. At the moment, WWE has yet to comment on the story, though the company has been rumored to look at a sale in recent days. Contrary to reports stating otherwise last night, there is no deal in place at this precise moment for ..

WRESTLING RUMORS: When Vince McMahon Could Appear On WWE TV Again

January 11, 2023 • Admin

What a comeback. WWE has been undergoing a pretty serious shakeup in the last few days and most of it centers around Vince McMahon himself. After his retirement from the company in July 2022, McMahon is back in his seat as Chairman of the Board and that means things are getting shake up again. Now there is a rumor of when we might see McMahon in public again. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Sold To Saudi Arabia, Huge Change Coming To Company Xero News sent out a Tweet saying that “big news was imminent” and would take place “within the next two weeks”. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful responded to the tweet, saying it was a rumor that WWE would be announcing McMahon making an appearance at the Royal Rumble on January 28. Sapp did not say how he came to this conclusion and emphasized that he was not reporting it himself. WWE has yet to make any such announcement. Big News Imminent Within the next 2 weeks anyways — Xero News (@NewsXero) January 11, 2023 Hes implying WWE wil..

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Sold To Saudi Arabia, Huge Change Coming To Company

January 11, 2023 • Admin

That would be a huge one. There have been all kinds of changes to WWE in recent months and now things are ramping up to a degree that would never have seemed possible. The idea of the company being sold seems a lot more likely than ever before and now there is a rumor circulating that not only has the sale been decided, but it would be one of the most unique situations in wrestling history. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: She’s All Gone Now: More Details On Stephanie McMahon Leaving WWE (Again) To clarify: the following has NOT been verified by WWE or any mainstream news source and is considered a RUMOR at this point: On Tuesday night, Cassidy Hayes of Bodyslam.net posted a report saying that WWE had been sold to the Saudi Investment Fund and would be going private again (meaning there would be no stock holders) under the new ownership. The same was also reported by Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN. However, Sean Ross Sapp said that his WWE contacts “claimed to not know” anything about such a sale...

Welcome Back Soon! NXT Announces Two Stars Returning In The Near Future

January 11, 2023 • Admin

They’re on the way back. We are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble and that means it is time to start getting the names together for the show’s namesake matches. With sixty names between two matches, WWE is going to need to beef up its rosters rather quickly. That can involve bringing in some more names and that is what they announced this week. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: She’s All Gone Now: More Details On Stephanie McMahon Leaving WWE (Again) Two upcoming returns were announced this week during NXT. First up, Tyler Bate announced that he would be returning on the January 17 episode. Bate was last seen at Worlds Collide, losing a title unification match to Bron Breakker. Later in the show, Stevie Turner, from NXT UK, aired a video announcing that she was now streaming and described herself as the resident data collector. There is no word on when she will be debuting. This was in addition to five stars making their returns on the same show. This could go in a few ways. Check o..

That Could Mean Something: AEW Star Posts Cryptic Message, Says “Bye”

January 11, 2023 • Admin

He’s gone? There have not been very many departures from the AEW roster during its few years of existence. As a result, seeing someone leave feels like a bigger deal when it actually takes place. It means something to see someone leave AEW and you get to see where they might go from there. While not confirmed, it does seem like another AEW star is hinting at heading elsewhere. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Up For Grabs: Former IWGP World Champion Jay White Free Agent Soon, WWE And AEW Interested AEW’s Andrade El Idolo has released a post on Instagram, showing a picture of his mask with the caption “Bye!!!”. There is no word on what this means for El Idolo, who is currently under suspension due to a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara. El Idolo’s most recent AEW match took place in September. AEW has yet to comment on El Idolo’s comments or given a date for his return to television. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrade El Idolo (@andradealmas) El Idolo has done well du..

VIDEO: Five Stars Make Surprise Returns This Week On NXT

January 11, 2023 • Admin

Welcome back. NXT is in a unique place as it is both the WWE’s in-house developmental system as well as its own wrestling show. Therefore, they have to find new ways to introduce stars and fresh faces, some of whom have been around before and are returning after a hiatus. You can see some of those returns every so often and there were several this week alone. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: She’s All Gone Now: More Details On Stephanie McMahon Leaving WWE (Again) There were five returning Superstars this week on NXT. First up, former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal returned and attacked the Creed Brothers, with the help of Sanga. This was Mahal’s first televised match since November 2022. Later, Gallus returned as part of Pretty Deadly’s gauntlet match, defeating them in the third fall. After, Gallus stared down NXT Tag Team Champions New Day. This was their first appearance since September 2022 due to a suspension. Finally, Tiffany Stratton returned after a several month hiatus after a countdown t..

She’s All Gone Now: More Details On Stephanie McMahon Leaving WWE (Again)

January 11, 2023 • Admin

That’s a big one. The WWE roller coaster is fully underway as we have one change after another almost daily at this point. The biggest thus far this week has been Vince McMahon being reelected as Chairman of the Board of WWE and his daughter Stephanie resigning from her seat. While Vince will get more of the attention, Stephanie’s resignation has several details of its own. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Up For Grabs: Former IWGP World Champion Jay White Free Agent Soon, WWE And AEW Interested Fightful Select has more on Stephanie leaving WWE. Stephanie leaving is believed to be a continuation of the leave of absence she was taking last year, though there is no word on when or if she will be returning to the company. Along with former co-WWE CEO Nick Khan, Stephanie is said to be well liked backstage, with wrestlers feeling uncertainty over the situation, including when it comes to Stephanie and Khan. Stephanie’s husband Triple H is still officially Chief Content Officer. Stephanie has play..

Up For Grabs: Former IWGP World Champion Jay White Free Agent Soon, WWE And AEW Interested

January 11, 2023 • Admin

He’s up next? The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works, as wrestlers are no longer stuck picking between WWE and everything else. AEW now offers another large scale promotion where wrestlers can go and showcase themselves with more exposure. It means that a wrestler becoming a free agent means a lot, and that is the case again with a top international star. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Farewell: Wrestling Legend Says His Career Is “Probably Over” According to Fightful Select, former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is expected to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling when his contract expires. While there is no firm date for when his deal is up, it is believed to be in the near future. White will be courted by both WWE and AEW, with a source saying that WWE will come out on top. On February 11, White is scheduled to face Hikuleo in a Loser Leaves Japan match. Neither White nor New Japan have responded to inquiries about the situation. White is one of the best in the world. Che..

Farewell: Wrestling Legend Says His Career Is “Probably Over”

January 11, 2023 • Admin

He’s done. Retirement is a tricky concept in wrestling as a wrestler can always come back for one more match if given the chance. Rather than having to wrestler a full season of matches like a mainstream athlete would, a wrestler can jump in and out whenever they like. In this situation though, a wrestling legend is indicating that his career is entirely over once and for all. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He’s New: WWE Reportedly Signs Former New Japan Star During an appearance on the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast, wrestling legend Tully Blanchard announced that his contract with AEW/Ring Of Honor was up and that his wrestling career was “probably over”. Blanchard, 69 years old, worked with AEW as a manager, appearing with various wrestlers such as FTR and Shawn Spears. He last appeared with the company in 2022 when his stable was purchased by Prince Nana. Blanchard had an amazing career. Check out some of his highlights: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post c..

NXT Results – January 10, 2023 (New Year’s Evil)

January 11, 2023 • Admin

NXT Date: January 10, 2023 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph It’s New Year’s Evil and this time we have the NXT Title on the line as Grayson Waller challenges Bron Breakker. Other than that, we have a twenty woman battle royal for the #1 contendership to the Women’s Title. Throw in Indus Sher vs. the Creed Brothers and we should be in for a good one. Let’s get to it. We open at Chase U, with Andre Chase assigning the class to watch New Year’s Evil. Chase recaps everything and mentions Australia. A student asks Duke Hudson if he’s Australian and gets thrown out because Thea Hail doesn’t need to be near that kind of stupidity before her battle royal. Hail gets fired up and is all ready to go. Dijak vs. Tony D’Angelo Stacks is here with D’Angelo and Wes Lee is on commentary. They fight to the floor and then back inside, with D’Angelo getting knocked down outside. Back in again where a shot to Dijak lets them head back outside. This ..

BREAKING: Vince McMahon Elected Chairman of WWE Board of Directors, Stephanie McMahon Resigns

January 11, 2023 • Admin

The boss is back. WWE issued a press release today, announcing that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Vince McMahon Executive Chairman of the Board. In addition, Stephanie McMahon has resigned as co-CEO and Chairwoman of the Board and Nick Khan will serve as the company’s sole CEO. Statements from several executives were issued in the press release: Vince McMahon: “First, I’d like to express my full support for Stephanie’s personal decision. I’ll forever be grateful that she offered to step in during my absence and I’m truly proud of the job she did co-leading WWE. Stephanie has always been the ultimate ambassador for our company, and her decades of contributions have left an immeasurable impact on our brand. “I’m proud to announce that Nick Khan will serve as WWE CEO. Nick’s business acumen and mastery of the media industry have helped catapult our business to record revenue and profitability. Together, we look forward to working with the Board at this critical moment ..

He’s New: WWE Reportedly Signs Former New Japan Star

January 10, 2023 • Admin

Welcome to the family. WWE is a huge wrestling company with all kinds of talent on its roster. Despite having so many wrestlers to pick from, at some point, some changes need to be made and new blood needs to be brought in. That can allow for some changes and upgrade, which is what we are seeing today, as a star from another promotion seems to have come over to WWE. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Not So Fast? WWE’s Plans For Edge Seem To Have Changed According to PWInsider.com, former New Japan star Karl Fredericks has signed with WWE and could begin with NXT and at the Performance Center as soon as next week. Fredericks began wrestling in 2015 and trained at the New Japan LA Dojo from 2018-2022. His New Japan contract expired in August and he announced that he would not be re-signing with the company. Fredericks is a talented star. Check out what is coming to WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to pl..

Not So Fast? WWE’s Plans For Edge Seem To Have Changed

January 10, 2023 • Admin

Maybe? There are a lot of moving pieces in WWE at the moment and it can be difficult to keep track of what is going on from time to time. It can be made even more difficult with WWE changing plans so often, as you never know what kind of things you will wind up seeing compared to the original plans. That seems to have happened again, possibly with a pair of upcoming shows. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: No More: Wrestling Couple Announces Official Separation According to Fightful Select, as of November, WWE’s plans for Edge called for him to face Finn Balor inside Hell In A Cell at the Royal Rumble. In addition, Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix were planned to face Balor and Rhea Ripley at Elimination Chamber. However, the limited dates remaining on Edge’s contract may have caused some issues and none of the matches were ever officially announced. Balor and the Judgment Day became #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles this week on Monday Night Raw and there is nothing to suggest that Edge will ..

No More: Wrestling Couple Announces Official Separation

January 10, 2023 • Admin

That happens. Wrestling is a complicated industry as the wrestlers involved are all over the place a good chunk of the time. They spend so much time traveling that it is difficult to find time to have personal lives. This includes romantic relationships but on occasion, you will see wrestlers getting together, which would in theory make things easier. Now though, one pair is calling it quits. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Out Of Two, One? WWE Teases Separating Some United Titles Tessa Blanchard and Daga, who were married in August 2020, have announced that they are separating. Their joint statement speaks about their admiration for each other and clarifies that no “infidelity or other interests were involved” in their decision. The two of them both worked in Impact Wrestling before getting married. Blanchard has only wrestled seven matches since September 2020 amid allegations of racist statements made to another wrestler. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DAGA (@dagathewrestler..

REVIEW: Royal Rumble 1991: That’s Not Very Patriotic

January 10, 2023 • Admin

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? Royal Rumble 1991 Date: January 19, 1991 Location: Miami Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 16,000 Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Roddy Piper So it’s 1991 now and the US is at war (kind of). Therefore, the main event here, other than the Rumble of course, is Warrior defending the world title against Slaughter. This is a major changeover from the old Rumble formula which was a bunch of nothing matches followed by the big battle royal to close the show. Well at least on PPV that is. This would become the norm after this..

Out Of Two, One? WWE Teases Separating Some United Titles

January 10, 2023 • Admin

Splitsville? Titles are one of the most important concepts in all of wrestling as they tell fans a lot about what they are seeing. A wrestling holding a title means that they are one of the best but also one of the most important stars on the roster. It can mean a lot for someone to win a championship, and this time it could be a little more complicated than it has been in the past. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Good News: Positive Update On Seth Rollins’ Health Status The main event of this week’s Monday Night Raw saw the Judgment Day win a Tag Team Turmoil match for a future Tag Team Title shot. However, commentary made it clear that the match was ONLY for the Raw Tag Team Titles rather than both Raw and SmackDown. This comes after the titles were unified with the SmackDown Tag Team Titles and marks the first suggestion that the titles could be slit. There is no word on if the titles will be split again or if this was a slip of the tongue. They have their work cut out for them. Check out..

Good News: Positive Update On Seth Rollins’ Health Status

January 10, 2023 • Admin

That could be worse. Any wrestling promotion is built around the idea of storylines. If there is nothing to hook fans in and make them care, the wrestling is only going to get them so far. These storylines can be built around almost anything, with some of the most interesting being simple ideas that have been built up over time. WWE is doing that again and now we know a bit more about what is reality. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Another One: Former WWE Star Reportedly Back With Company, Waiting For Debut Last week on Monday Night Raw, Seth Rollins lost to Austin Theory in the main event. During the match, Rollins favored his knee and had to be helped to the back after the show. Rollins would also not present at this weekend’s WWE live events. However, according to PWInsider.com, Rollins’ knee injury is only part of a storyline and he is perfectly fine. Rollins was never scheduled to appear on the live events in the first place. Rollins is one of the biggest stars in WWE today. Check out ..

WWE Breaks All-Time Gate Record For WrestleMania 39

January 10, 2023 • Admin

People are excited. WWE issued a press release today, stating that they have broken the company’s all-time gate record for any WrestleMania, despite having yet to announce a single match. The previous record announced was $17.3 million in 2016 at WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. From the press release: The record gate comes on the heels of unprecedented ticket sales demand for WWE in 2022, in which it produced the highest-grossing gates of all-time for Royal Rumble, Survivor Series and Extreme Rules. Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, which marked WWE’s first major stadium show in the U.K. in 30 years, was the highest-grossing U.K. event in company history. Additionally, WWE set in-market gate records for SmackDown and Raw events in more than 20 markets for the year, including the December 30 SmackDown, which took place in Tampa, Fla. and heralded the return of WWE Superstar John Cena. Limited single and two-day combo tickets for WrestleMania Goes Hollywood ..