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That Takes Guts: How Brock Lesnar Was Reportedly Called Out To Fight Backstage At WWE Event

That could have been interesting. Throughout its history, wrestling has drawn athletes from other sports into its ranks. It makes sense, as wrestling needs to keep its rosters fresh and bringing in other sports’ stars can help make the process easier. In recent years, mixed martial arts has served as a pipeline to wrestling, with several stars coming from the sport. Now a new story is being told about how an MMA fighter/wrestler almost had to prove himself. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Here’s Looking At You: Wrestling Fans React To Roman Reigns Breaking The Fourth Wall Back at Crown Jewel 2019, world boxing champion Tyson Fury made his in-ring wrestling debut, defeating Braun Strowman via countout. Brock Lesnar was also on the show, where he defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez to retain the WWE Title. During a 2019 interview with Fury’s brother Tommy, IFL TV host Kugan Cassius revealed that one of Tyson’s corner men nearly got in a backstage fight with Lesnar. The corn..

Here’s Looking At You: Wrestling Fans React To Roman Reigns Breaking The Fourth Wall

He has our attention. Roman Reigns has dominated WWE for the last two plus years with one of the longest World Title reigns the company has ever seen. As he smashes back one challenger after another, the question has become just who can actually stop him. This time around, it seems that Reigns might have an idea in place for a special move before someone can come against him. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Two Stars In A Pod: How Being Seen As “The Next Sting” Kicked Off A Legendary Career Last week on SmackDown, Reigns and the rest of the Bloodline were in the ring to open the show, with Reigns talking about his upcoming tag match against Kevin Owens and John Cena. During his speech, Reigns asked Sami Zayn, his partner in the match, what they could expect. Zayn spoke about how much he wanted to get rid of Owens, his longtime associate, once and for all. Reigns hugged Zayn but looked straight into the television camera. This has led to a variety of reactions online, with some of the better o..

Two Stars In A Pod: How Being Seen As “The Next Sting” Kicked Off A Legendary Career

That is some high praise. Wrestling has been around for a very long time now and history has played an important role in developing new stars. Promoters are going to try to recreate something that they have done with success before and will often try to find their next star. Now we know how one of the biggest stars of all time got his start because of a previous star. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: Very Interesting Report On WrestleMania 39 Main Events During a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that Paul Heyman helped get John Cena called up from WWE developmental in 2002. Heyman felt that Cena was the next Sting, a label that has been applied to Cena by various sources over the years, including around the time of his call up. Cena would debut in a segment and match with Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002. There might be something to this. Check out some of Cena and Sting: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, clic..

REVIEW: Starrcade 1998: It All Comes Crashing Down

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, starting today. 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? Starrcade 1998 Date: December 27, 1998 Location: MCI Center, Washington, D.C. Attendance: 16,066 Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan It’s the biggest show of the year and I don’t know how many people know about it. I don’t remember the same show feeling so different just a year later. Last year Starrcade felt like an event rather than just a wrestling show. This year it feels like it could be a Clash of the Champions TV special instead of the biggest show of the year. I have a very ..

WRESTLING RUMORS: Very Interesting Report On WrestleMania 39 Main Events

The big change? We are coming up on the Road To WrestleMania 39 and that means it is time to start getting ready for the biggest event of the year. As a result, WWE is going to be putting together the storylines that will culminate at SoFi Stadium in front of tens of thousands of fans over two nights. Now it seems that we have an idea of what might headline both of those events. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: One More? 51 Year Old Former WWE And Impact Wrestling Star Would Consider Comeback Wrestlingnews.co is reporting that WWE has a current plan for the main event of both nights of WrestleMania. The matches would be as follows: Night One WWE Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre or Cody Rhodes Night Two Roman Reigns vs. TBD Reigns’ opponent depends on if the Rock is available for the show. If the Rock is available, he will face Reigns on Night Two. If not, Rhodes will challenge reigns for the Universal Title. It is not clear if Rhodes will face Rollins for the title if Rock faces..

One More? 51 Year Old Former WWE And Impact Wrestling Star Would Consider Comeback

Comeback? Wrestling is a unique sport as you do not know when someone might wrap up their career for good. On occasion you will see someone return after a long time away from the ring, even for a one off appearance. It can be fascinating to see someone make a comeback after years away from the ring, and now another former star is teasing a possible return to the ring. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: VIDEO: WWE Pays Tribute To 47 Year Old Star On 20th Anniversary Of His Debut During a live signing with K&S Wrestlefest, former Impact Wrestling and WWE star Trinity suggested she could return to wrestling someday. Trinity said that she was “always ready to rumble”, comparing her stunt work to wrestling. She did definitively not say that she would be returning to the ring. Trinity, 51 years old, worked for Impact Wrestling from 2002-2005 and WWE from 2005-2007. She wrestled her most recent match at Impact Wrestling Knockouts Knockdown on September 6, 2013. Trinity made an impact during her time i..

VIDEO: WWE Pays Tribute To 47 Year Old Star On 20th Anniversary Of His Debut

He’s earned it. There is a constant stream of new stars coming into WWE but there is no way of knowing who might be the next breakout star. Back in 2002, WWE had perhaps the most successful rookie class in its history, as several future World Champions joined the promotion in the same year. There was one who did not get the same recognition, though now things might be changing. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Officially Announces Special Match For Royal Rumble WWE has released a video celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Shelton’s Benjamin’s debut with the company. The video includes several wrestlers talking about Benjamin’s career and how well he has done over his time with the company. Benjamin was part of the rookie class of 2002 along with John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton and trained with them in Ohio Valley Wrestling, debuting on December 26, 2002. This is something special. Check out the video, plus some of Benjamin’s better matches: [This post contains..

WATCH: WWE Officially Announces Special Match For Royal Rumble

That’s, uh, something. We are coming up on the beginning of the new year and that means it is time to start getting ready for some new stuff. For WWE, that means continuing the build to the Royal Rumble, which will include sixty wrestlers being used in two matches. Now though, WWE is advertising something else for the show that might be quite the featured attraction. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Bray Wyatt Returns To Action At Madison Square Garden WWE Live Event A new advertisement is airing before videos on WWE’s YouTube channel advertising the “Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match” for the Royal Rumble. There is no word on what the match will be, though Mountain Dew is relaunching its Pitch Black flavor on January 1. The Royal Rumble is set to take place on Saturday January 28 from the Alamodome in San, Antonio, Texas. It could be anything. Check out the announcement, plus some other Royal Rumble matches other than the Royal Rumble: [This post contains video, click to play] [This po..

WATCH: Bray Wyatt Returns To Action At Madison Square Garden WWE Live Event

He’s back. There have been a lot of returns over the course of the year, with some huge names returning to WWE after lengthy absences. It can be quite the moment when one of these wrestlers comes back and we find out what is next for them. That was the case at Extreme Rules with Bray Wyatt, but he was still missing something a few months into his return. Now that has been solved. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: VIDEO: WWE Star Possibly Injured At Live Event, Helped From Ring WWE held a live event at Madison Square Garden this week, which featured a five way ladder match for the Intercontinental Title. Jinder Mahal complained that he was not in the match, with Wyatt interrupting him. This led to a match between the two, with Wyatt winning. This was Wyatt’s first match since his return and his first since WrestleMania 37 in April 2021. It had to happen. Check out Wyatt’s return to the ring: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is ..

VIDEO: WWE Star Possibly Injured At Live Event, Helped From Ring

It can happen at any time. Wrestlers can get injured in any match on any night and there is no way to guarantee someone’s safety. That is the kind of thing that you never want to see unfortunately there are some matches that make getting injured even more possible than others. Unfortunately that seems to be the case again, as a wrestler had to be helped to the back after some issues. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Not So Much: WWE Reportedly Makes Change To Wellness Policy, Partially Due To AEW WWE presented a live event at Madison Square Garden this week, featuring a five way ladder match for the Intercontinental Title. During the match, Kofi Kingston tried a double stomp off of a ladder onto Santos Escobar, landing on his knee upon impact. Escobar was forced to be helped to the back after the match. There is no word on how long, if at all, Escobar will be out of action. Gunther won the match to retain his title. This was nasty. Check out the stomp and Escobar being helped out: [This post..

Not So Much: WWE Reportedly Makes Change To Wellness Policy, Partially Due To AEW

The new rules. There are all kinds of rules to a wrestling match and all of them come together to make sure everything stays fair. Those rules are pretty easy to figure out and understand and it is notable when one of them is changed. Other parts of wrestling have rules of their own and now one of the more important seems to have been changed as well in a big way. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Back Later: More On Postponed WWE Live Event In India According to Dave Meltzer on The Board at F4WOnline.com, WWE has changed its Wellness Policy by dropping the rule that a wrestler is automatically fired for a third violation. This comes as multiple key stars have two strikes and the company has AEW to deal with these days. In addition, there was a chance that a star with two strikes could intentionally get a third to get out of their contract. There have been some big stars fired in WWE. Check out some of the more prominent ones: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vi..

Back Later: More On Postponed WWE Live Event In India

They had a reason for that. WWE is the biggest and most powerful wrestling promotion in the world and also gets to present several international shows. Some of these are in locations that do not get top level professional wrestling most of the time, but now one of the largest markets in the world is not likely getting WWE either. Now we know a bit more about what is going on. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Next Up? Former NXT Champions Working Upcoming WWE Live Events Last week, a previously rumored WWE live event in India scheduled for January 18 was postponed for reasons that were not known at the time. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sony Six, the WWE television partner in India, decided to postpone the show. Sony Six is scheduled to merge with another company called Zee and wants the show to take place after the merger takes place. There is no word on when the show will be taking place. WWE has done some things related to India before. Check out WWE’s efforts to get a fo..

Next Up? Former NXT Champions Working Upcoming WWE Live Events

Maybe they’re next? WWE has a lot of talented stars up and down their roster, but the Monday Night Raw and SmackDown rosters are firmly above NXT. The NXT wrestlers are developmental stars whose ultimate goal is to make it to one of the main roster shows. It can be a huge deal when they get to make their debuts on the bigger shows, and now two stars will be doing so, at least in a way. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Mark It: Important Detail On Next WWE Event In Saudi Arabia According to a PWInsider.com Q&A session, NXT’s Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson/Elton Prince) are expected to work some main roster houses shows in January. This comes after rumors of the team moving up to the main roster after losing the NXT Tag Team Titles at Deadline, but there is reportedly nothing planned regarding a full time call up. It is not clear if WWE has any main roster plans for them after the string of house shows. The team is pretty deadly as well as awesome. Check out some of their better moments: [This post..

Mark It: Important Detail On Next WWE Event In Saudi Arabia

They have a plan for that. WWE is a company that makes a lot of money in a lot of ways, but there are a few revenue streams that crush just about anything else. One of the most important is the company’s deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which brings a fortune in to WWE for a pair of annual shows. WWE occasionally does more than this, and now we know a bit more about the next show. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Clip From Attitude Era WWF Live Event Featuring All-Star Lineup According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s next Saudi Arabian show will take place in May. There are currently no details on known regarding a show name or theme. This would be WWE’s first event in the Kingdom in May, as the events have recently been run in February and then again in the fall. WWE’s most recent event, Crown Jewel 2022, took place on November 5. WWE has done a lot in Saudi Arabia. Check out some of what they have done in the country over the years: [This post contains video, click..

WATCH: Clip From Attitude Era WWF Live Event Featuring All-Star Lineup

It’s famous for a reason. There have been several different eras throughout the history of wrestling and some of those times are better known than others. Some of them are easily identifiable by a single word, with one of the most famous of WWE’s history being “Attitude”. The period of the late 1990s to early 2000s is still talked about today, but now we can see something we probably haven’t before. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He’s Next: Former WWE Star Believes Goldberg “Has A Thumb On” Him WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has released a rare video from an Attitude Era WWE live event. The clip features Triple H, Chris Benoit, The Rock, Steve Austin, Rikishi and Angle in a six way test of strength before a fight breaks out. While Angle did not give a date for the show, according to Cagematch.de, the only time these six were together in a non-televised match was October 29, 2000 in Buffalo, New York. That’s rather cool. Check out what happened in the match, plus some more of these wrestlers i..

He’s Next: Former WWE Star Believes Goldberg “Has A Thumb On” Him

He said no? There have been all kinds of stars throughout WWE’s history, some of which have become iconic names in the sport. It means a lot for a lower level star to work with them, but at the same time, there are instances of one of the bigger names slowing things down for a smaller name. Now one of the real parody stars is claiming that the real version did just that. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Dominik Mysterio Gets Arrested At Rey Mysterio’s Home In an interview with Cheap Heat Productions, former WWE star Gillberg claimed that people have told him that WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg “has a thumb” on him. As a result, Gillberg cannot have an action figure or a shirt or be included in a video game. Gillberg did make it clear that he was NOT 100% sure this was the case, but the people who had spoken to him believed it to be. Gillberg parodied Goldberg on and off in WWE for years before retiring in 2022. He had his moments. Check out Gillberg’s time in WWE: [This post contains vide..

WATCH: Dominik Mysterio Gets Arrested At Rey Mysterio’s Home

A holiday tradition? There have been all kinds of wrestling families throughout the years, many of which have become some of the better known names in the industry. You often see multiple generations of the same family, some of whom get to work together at one point or another. That has been the case in WWE over recent years, though now things are going in a negative direction. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Another Run? Former WWE Star Lana Thinks Miro Will Return To WWE Rey Mysterio feuded with Dominik earlier in the year, resulting in Rey moving from Monday Night Raw to SmackDown. The feud has continued on social media though, with Dominik and his girlfriend Rhea Ripley trying to invade Rey’s home on Thanksgiving. Dominik and Ripley attempted to do it again on Christmas Eve, but this time Rey backed them out of their house. Rey’s wife Angie slapped Ripley and then police arrived to arrest Dominik. There is no word on if Dominik will miss television time as a result. There’s a trend here...

WATCH: AEW Dynamite Set For Major Change Going Forward

You have to keep things fresh. Television is the focal point of most wrestling promotions as it is the easiest way to get the fans to see what the company is doing. At the same time, the television show itself has to look good and catch the fans’ attention. That means some changes occasionally need to be made and now one of the bigger wrestling shows going today will be doing just that. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Another Run? Former WWE Star Lana Thinks Miro Will Return To WWE This week on AEW Rampage, a vignette aired advertising a new look for AEW Dynamite starting with the January 4 edition. Later that night, Vice President of Post-Production Kevin Sullivan posted about the vignette on Twitter, calling it a “bold, new vision” and the result of nine months of work. Sullivan also credited Tony Khan, saying his “vision is boundless”. There is no word on if Rampage will be changed as well. This is a different way to go. Check out the new look, plus some great moments from Dynamite past: ..

Another Run? Former WWE Star Lana Thinks Miro Will Return To WWE

He’ll be back? The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling landscape as there is now a new major promotion where top stars can go. After decades of WWE dominance, AEW offers a brand new place for wrestlers to try their hand on a big stage. Several WWE stars have already made the jump, but now another one may be considering a return somewhere down the road. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Nope. Wrestling Legend Confirms His In-Ring Career Is Over Former WWE star CJ Perry, better known as Lana, appeared on the Mike Wennmacher Show and talked about her husband, AEW star Miro, who wrestled in WWE as Rusev. Perry said she believed Miro would return to WWE one day, saying that “Rusev Day will never die.” She went on to say that no matter what name or gimmick or character Miro is given, it would wind up being iconic. Perry wrapped it up by saying everyone returned to WWE at some point. Miro definitely had some good times in WWE. Check out some of his better moments with the company: [This po..

Nope. Wrestling Legend Confirms His In-Ring Career Is Over

He’s done. Retirement is a tricky subject for wrestlers as it can be hard to hang up their boots for the final time. While more mainstream athletes have to complete one more season, wrestlers are able to go out and have one more match at almost anytime they want. That makes officially retiring harder than it seems, but one legend seems pretty sure he is out. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He’s Still Got It: John Cena Proves His Drawing Power In WWE During a recent appearance on the Culture State podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels was asked if he would be coming out of retirement for one more match. Michaels flat out said that he was done, saying “I’ve had that final match” and that he was happy with his career and wanted to see the next generation get their chance. Michaels, 57 years old, last wrestled at Crown Jewel 2018, ending an eight year retirement. He now runs the NXT developmental program for WWE. Michaels had an amazing career. Check out the full interview, plus some of his ..