Homecoming? WWE Working To Bring Back Naomi And Sasha Banks

A hope spot? There have been all kinds of changes throughout WWE over the last few months and one of the biggest on-screen changes took place when Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out. The two left the company despite being the reigning Women’s Tag Team Champions, which shook things up in multiple ways. However, the shakeup might be about to be unshook. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, WWE is working to bring Banks and Naomi back to the company. This comes after Vince McMahon retired earlier this month and the new regime wants to bring them back. There is no word on if Naomi and/or Banks are interested in returning to the company. Banks and Naomi walked out on the May 16 Monday Night Raw. Opinion: This is something that shouldn’t be a major surprise as Belair and Naomi are both rather talented, but there are going to be some changes needed. I’m not sure if this is actually going to work in the end, but at least there is an effort being made. That being s..

Go For Gold: Possible Backstage Plans On Upcoming Title Change

They have a plan. Titles can be a tricky concept in wrestling, as while they are supposed to be held by the top star or stars in a division, there can be some problems with keeping things in order. This might be the case if a title has to be vacated, meaning a new champion never beat the old one. That is the case again in NXT, but it seems they have a plan for it. Earlier this month, Cora Jade turned on Roxanne Perez before vacating her half of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. Perez forfeited her title the next week, meaning new champions are needed. A four way match for the titles has been announced and according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley are being discussed as possible winners, though this is not set in stone. The other teams involved in the match are Toxic Attraction, Katana Chance/Kayden Carter and Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz. The title match is set for August 2. Opinion: That would be a new way to go and I think I like the idea. Toxic Attraction has ..

Ric Flair Appears at Tennessee Titans Training Camp

WOOOOOOOO! Earlier today, Ric Flair made an appearance at the NFL’s Tennessee Titans training camp as they are preparing to begin the NFL season. You can see the video of the appearance below, in which dismisses the team after the end of their practice: .@RicFlairNatrBoy breaks down the @Titans after practice. “Woooooo!” pic.twitter.com/JtmdRKlQnd — Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) July 28, 2022 Flair is in Tennessee in preparation for Starrcast V, which takes place on July 31. The event is being billed as his “last match” and will see him team with Andrade El Idolo to take on the team of Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. Other matches on the card include: Jonathan Gresham and Nick Wayne vs. Alan Angels and Konosuke Takeshita The Bunkhouse Battle Royal Kerry and Rocky Morton vs. Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) Rey Fenix & Taurus vs. Laredo Kid and Bandido Josh Alexander vs. Jacob F..

I’ll Buy That: WWE Employees Barred From Trading Stock Due To Vince McMahon’s Retirement

There’s a new rule. Over the last few weeks, WWE has been shaken up in ways that it never has been before. The main change has been due to Vince McMahon retiring from the company, which has certainly changed the way the company works. There are going to be ripple effects, and now we know how the departure has directly impacted the company’s employees. According to Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston and independently confirmed by PWInsider.com, WWE employees are banned from buying or selling shares of stock in the company until further notice. There is no word on why the company decided to make the change. WWE employees occasionally receive stock as part of their compensation, and it is not clear if that practice is suspended as well. Opinion: That’s a bit of a weird one, but there is always the chance that this is designed to avoid the risk of any sort of insider trading issues. With the company being all over the place at the moment, it might make sense to cut off one potential headach..

WATCH: Former WWE Johnny Gargano Star Makes Surprise Cameo On Impact Wrestling

There’s a surprise. The wrestling world often sees stars moving from one promotion to the other at a rapid pace. While a good deal of these moves do not mean much, you will occasionally see a move that feels like it is a big deal due to the star power involved. That might have been the case this week, as a surprise named showed up somewhere he probably wasn’t expected. Former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano made a surprise appearance on this week’s Impact Wrestling. Gargano was one of several wrestlers who appeared in a series of videos praising Alex Shelley, who is challenging Josh Alexander for the World Title next month at Emergence. This was Gargano’s first appearance on a wrestling television show since leaving NXT in December 2021, though there is nothing to suggest that it is is anything more than a one off appearance. It was nice to see him. Check out the cameo: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: That’s very cool and it’s nice to see someone pop up like this. Wh..

AEW Stars Get In Altercation With Fan At This Week’s Rampage Taping

That could have been worse for AEW. Wrestlers have a weird job when it comes to fans. At the end of the day, wrestlers are tasked with making fans believe that everything they are seeing is real, but at the same time, they have to listen to the fans either supporting or hating them. That can make for some complicated matters, and that seemed to be the case again this week at a television taping. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, there was an altercation between AEW’s Lee Moriarty and Stokely Hathaway and a fan at this week’s AEW television tapings. It is not clear if this happened during the taping or after the show was over, but it is not expected to make television. There is no word on any kind of injury or issues as a result. Moriarty is scheduled to face Matt Sydal on this week’s show. Opinion: This is something that happens every now and then and that is not something you want to see. What matters is that everyone is ok, because that could have been quite the disaster in no..

Big E Is Unsure If He Will Ever Wrestle Again

WWE superstar Big E was recently interviewed by Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, discussing his future in the ring. He gave an update on his condition and if he will ever return to the ring again: “That [whether he thinks he’ll ever wrestle again] I’m unsure of. I’ve also talked to a couple doctors who told me, ‘Hey, if you break this again, it could be even worse. It could be even more catastrophic,’ and these are spine specialists. “But now at 36, after working through a lot of those things, after being mentally healthier. Man, this job has allowed me to meet so many different people from so many walks of life and have so many different experiences, and now — I don’t know, man. I think of life after 36, and I see so many of the guys I grew up watching in wrestling. I think too of the athletes that I love who participated in MMA, or were boxers and you see them at 50, and you see their body ravaged. And that’s not the life that I want. “My hope is — I feel great now. And I’m grateful..

They’re Done: Team Splits On AEW Dynamite In Surprise Attack

So much for that. Stables are one of the most logical ideas in a wrestling company as a promotion might have too many wrestlers to use on their own. That means the best solution might be to put some of them together as a group, which is a common practice in AEW. Now though, one member of one of the stables seems to have left his group in a rather physical manner. This week on AEW Dynamite, Team Taz’s Ricky Starks lost the FTW Title to Hook in an impromptu title match. Following the match, Starks talked about how he was having a string of setbacks but he was proud of what he did with the FTW Title. As he was speaking, his Team Taz teammate Powerhouse Hobbs attacked him from behind. On commentary, Taz seemed surprised at Hobbs’ actions as Hobbs seemed to leave Team Taz. Hobbs has yet to give an explanation for his actions. Opinion: I was a bit surprised by the turn, but it could be an interesting way to go for both of them. Hobbs is a monster who could be a heck of a star on his own, w..

REVIEW: Payback 2020: The Summerslam Sequel

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 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? Payback 2020 Date: August 30, 2020 Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Corey Graves We’re back on pay per view less than a week after the last one ended, because that’s a thing that needed to happen. This time around we have the big main event of the Fiend defending the Smackdown World Title against Braun Strowman and a surprisingly heel Roman Reigns, with Paul Heyman in his corner. That sounds like it could have some serious legs so let’s get..

Hold On: Ring Of Honor Wrestlers’ Contract Statuses Are A Bit Complicated

There isn’t room for everyone. AEW already has more wrestlers than it can handle as they only have so much television time available. At some point, the company has to figure out who can make an appearance here and there. That is harder than it seems, but then Ring Of Honor being added to AEW TV made things even more complicated. Now though, we might have a bit of a reprieve. According to Fightful Select, not everyone who appeared on last weekend’s Death Before Dishonor pay per view is signed to a contract, either long term or on a tiered deal. Several stars who appeared on the show are still free agents. Josh Woods, who appeared at Death Before Dishonor, also appeared on this week’s Dynamite and is signed to AEW on a tiered contract. Opinion: This is one of those things that makes sense, as there are only so many spots available in both AEW and Ring Of Honor. At the end of the day, Ring Of Honor is little more than a bunch of one off events with no television at the moment. Unless t..

WATCH: Happy Corbin Reveals Surprising Retirement Plans

He does have a plan. Wrestlers are in a weird place when it comes to career paths. While they can be in the ring for a very long time, a lot of them have some issues figuring out a way out of wrestling as they often have no future path. That is not the case for everyone though, as one current WWE star knows how much longer he wants to be in the ring, plus what he has in mind for after. During an interview with Bleav In Pro Wrestling, SmackDown’s Happy Corbin talked about his future plans in wrestling. Corbin said that he hopes to wrestle for another five to ten years before moving into the food industry. This includes working with the Food Network in some way, as Corbin is friends with celebrity chef Aaron May. Corbin said he would like to get his own show, possibly on YouTube or on the Food Network. It’s an interesting interview. Check out what Corbin had to say: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: That’s certainly a new one as you don’t see someone in wrestling ta..

WATCH: WWE Stars Appearing On New Game Show

It’s a different way to go. There are a lot of ways to present wrestling and some of them are not quite as traditional as others. While the most common way is to have wrestlers either in a ring or with a microphone, times have changed a bit and there are other places to see what they can do. That is the case again with a new game show, and now we have a bit of a sneak peak. Earlier this year, G4 announced that they were collaborating with WWE on a new monthly game show called The Arena. The series will be hosted by WWE’s Xavier Woods and G4’s Gina Darling and will feature WWE stars, professional athletes, games, streamers and more competing in challenges and pranks. A preview clip features Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, as they each team with an NFL star. The series is currently airing on UpUpDownDown’s YouTube channel. This has potential. Check out a preview of the show: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is one of those things that might not be everyone’s tast..

The List Keeps Growing: Another Possible Injury On AEW Dynamite

That didn’t look good. Wrestlers are asked to do a lot of things in the ring and some of them go more smoothly than others. You never know when you are going to see someone get hurt and put on the shelf, which leaves the question of just how long they are going to be gone. That seems to be the case again this week, as an AEW star seemed to get hurt during a match. This week’s AEW Dynamite featured a match between Dante Martin and Sammy Guevara. Late in the match, Martin was limping around the ring and seemed to land awkwardly when Guevara hit a springboard cutter. After Guevara won, Martin was looked at and helped from the ring. There is no word on the condition of Martin’s knee or how much, if any, time he might be missing as a result. There is also the chance that the injury was a storyline and not legitimate. Opinion: I hope Martin isn’t hurt, but the landing was more than a bit scary looking. It was bad enough to lose his brother to another knee injury and now he might have one o..

Even More Gold: AEW Introducing A New Set Of Titles, First Champions Coming At All Out

Keep them coming. There are a lot of titles in wrestling today and it can be interesting to see the directions they take. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but occasionally you will see some that are different enough that they get your attention. That seems to be the case again, as AEW is introducing some new titles that have been teased almost since the company was founded. AEW officially introduced the Trios Titles this week on Dynamite, with the belts being shown in front of the commentary table. The inaugural champions will be crowned in the finals of a tournament at All Out on September 4, though no other details about the tournament were given. The titles have been discussed since AEW began but have never actually been introduced until now. Opinion: You could all but guarantee that these titles were coming, but the question was more about when and where the champions would be crowned. AEW does indeed love running tournaments but that is what makes the most sense for titl..

AEW Dynamite Results – July 27, 2022 (Fight For The Fallen)

Dynamite Date: July 27, 2022 Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts Commentators: Jim Ross, Taz, Excalibur It’s another special event this week with Fight For The Fallen. There is another stacked card this week as well, as Jon Moxley is defending the Interim World Title against Rush, plus the return of Bryan Danielson. We are on the way towards All Out and it might be time to start setting things up for the pay per view. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Interim AEW World Title: Jon Moxley vs. Rush Moxley is defending and gets jumped on the floor to start. They get inside with Rush stomping away in the corner and we’re off to the neck crank. It’s back to the floor with Moxley busted open and William Regal not being pleased on commentary. Jose the Assistant offers a distraction but Rush misses a chair shot. Moxley is right back with a suicide dive into the barricade and some hard chops to take over for the first time. They get back inside with Moxley standing on Rush’s head..

That’s Unique: Surprise Title Change Takes Place On AEW Dynamite

Keep it in the family. There are a lot of titles in wrestling and that is not much of a surprise. It makes sense to have people fighting over belts, but when a promotion has a lot of championships, something needs to be included to make it stand out. That is the case with an unofficial AEW title, and now that championship has changed had in one of the most unique ways imaginable. This week on AEW Dynamite, Ricky Starks successfully defended the FTW Title against Danhausen. Following the scheduled match, Starks issued an open challenge for another title shot, with Hook answering and defeating him to become champion. Hook happens to be both Starks’ student as well as the son of Taz, who invented the FTW Title in ECW and owns the title itself. Opinion: That is one of the most unique as well as special moments that you are going to see. The title is literally Taz’s property and he got to see his son win the title on national television. You never see something like that happen and I can’..

D’Oh! How A WWE Star’s Entrance Once Broke An Elderly Fan’s Glasses

That’s a unique situation. Wrestling is a very visual medium and it takes a lot to find a way to stand out. One of the best ways is to do something that is either very unique or strikingly visual, and in some cases a wrestler does both at once. That is the case with a current Monday Night Raw star, but one time his unique look and entrance went a bit too far. During an appearance on the OutKick 360 podcast, WWE star Riddle told a story of a time where his entrance broke an elderly woman’s glasses. Riddle was wrestling in NXT at the time and did his signature entrance of jumping in the air and kicking off his flip flops. However, one of the shoes went straight through the ropes rather than over and hit the woman in the face, breaking her glasses. Riddle apologized to the woman and gave her the flip flops, plus made sure to take the match outside in front of her to try and make up for the accident. Opinion: This is one of those unique situations that you do not see happen very often an..

Maybe Later: Grudge Match Officially Pulled From Summerslam Card Due To Injury

The card is subject to change. We are less than a week away from Summerslam and that means the card is mostly set up. There is not much time left to change things around but every now and then, WWE will wait for the last minute to switch things up, and that is the case again this time. Unfortunately, it seems to be that it is due to an injury to one of the wrestlers. This week on the Bump, it was announced that Seth Rollins vs. Riddle has been pulled from the Summerslam card. Riddle was injured during an attack from Rollins on Monday Night Raw, resulting in Riddle suffering a stinger. The match has officially been postponed, but according to Fightful Select, is scheduled to take place at Clash At The Castle. Riddle’s injury is storyline only and he is cleared to compete. BREAKING: @WWERollins injured @SuperKingofBros with a vicious attack on #WWERaw that resulted in a brachial plexus injury (a stinger). Riddle is medically disqualified until full strength returns. Due to this injury..

Location of Wrestlemania 40 Announced

Let the planning begin. Today WWE announced that Wrestlemania 40 will take place on April 6 and 7, 2024 at Lincoln Field in Philadelphia. The announcement was made by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and PHL Sports. From WWE.com: “We are proud to welcome WWE fans from around the world to Philadelphia to be a part of the historic 40th WrestleMania in 2024,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “The week-long series of events will help put a global spotlight on our great city while also generating a major impact for our local economy.” “Philadelphia is excited to host WrestleMania for the first time in 25 years,” said Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau President & CEO Gregg Caren. “The combination of Philadelphia’s passionate fans joining forces with WWE’s worldwide fan base will create an incredible electricity throughout the city for the events at Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center, and the Penns..

Backstage Details On Vince McMahon Being Edited During Production Meetings

Get the mute button ready. Last week, Vince McMahon officially retired from WWE after the better part of forty years running the company. That is the kind of thing that is going to change the wrestling industry for a very long time to come and now we get to see where things are going. We also know where they were, and some of those things were a bit less than optimal. According to Fightful Select, McMahon would regularly have to be “filtered” during creative meetings. This included editing the statements that McMahon would make in the meetings’ minutes, including inappropriate or offensive terms, calling wrestlers by the wrong name, or using terms that would not be allowed to air on television. In addition, McMahon would insist on running stories and matches that had already been done as he would forget about them, even if he was told about them. Opinion: I’ve long since been a fan of McMahon, but my goodness it can be difficult to defend some of the things he was saying or doing dur..