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There’s a hint. With just a week to go before the 2023 Royal Rumble, WWE has mostly put the entire card together. While the matches are ready though, there are still a few questions that need to be answered. One of the more wide open spots on the card is the Pitch Black match between LA Knight and Bray Wyatt, as we don’t know much about it. Now that has changed, at least a little.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Switch It Up: Raw XXX Bloodline Acknowledgment Ceremony Canceled, Replaced With New Idea
According to Fightful Select, the match will include some form of “neon” elements, though it is not clear what that will mean. In addition, it is said that WWE either has done or will be doing some run throughs for the match. This week on SmackDown, commentary mentioned that the match will be won by pinfall or submission. There are no other details on the match, with Knight saying that he does not know what it means either.
The match has been set up. Check out how the build has gone:
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We’re doing something else. This coming Monday, WWE will be celebrating thirty years of Monday Night Raw with Raw XXX. That is the kind of milestone that you never see in wrestling and it makes sense for WWE to want to push it as hard as they can. As a result, the show is going to include a variety of huge moments, but now one of the big segments has been pulled.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Idea: More On WWE’s Plan To Split Up Usos’ Tag Team Titles
Segments and matches advertised for Raw XXX included two title matches, a steel cage match between Bayley and Becky Lynch and several legends appearing. In addition, Roman Reigns was scheduled to hold the Bloodline Acknowledgment Ceremony, but according to PWInsider.com, the segment has been canceled. In its place will be a “Tribal Court” segment involving The Trial Of Sami Zayn, as related to Zayn’s issues with the Bloodline in recent weeks. There is no word on why the original segment was changed.
WWE has gone to court before. Check out ..

Rampage
Date: January 20, 2023
Location: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho
We’re still in California and this week’s Dynamite is going to be a bit tough to follow. There is a good chance that we are going to get some solid matches though, as tends to be the case around here. Rampage can be rather fun when it comes to focusing on some of the lower level stuff and that might be what happens again this week. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Jungle Boy vs. Ethan Page Isaiah Kassidy, Stokely Hathaway and Matt Hardy are here with Page. Chris Jericho rants about the fans singing along with Jungle Boy’s theme song as Page tries an Ego’s Edge out of the corner to start. That’s broken up and Page is sent to the floor, where he pulls Kassidy in the way of a dive. Back in and Page catches Jungle Boy on top but a dropkick puts him right back down.
Hold on though as Hathaway interferes but blames Hardy, allowing Page to whip J..

There is a logic there. Titles mean quite a bit in wrestling as they can be quite the status symbol. Holding a title means a lot and can go a long way to elevate a wrestler. Every so often you see a wrestler holding more than once title at a time. That is taking place in WWE today, but now we might be seeing someone lose at least half of their gold, but with a good reason.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Airs Awesome History Of Monday Night Raw Package
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is planning to split the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, with the Usos losing one set of titles soon. WWE has announced upcoming title matches for either the Raw or SmackDown Tag Team Titles rather than both sets. The idea is to have the Usos lose one set of titles and keep the other, which will make future title matches more dramatic as they could lose again. WWE reportedly discussed the concept earlier this month.
The Usos have been on an all time reign. Check out some of their t..

They do history well. WWE has been around for a long time and has been the dominant wrestling promotion in the United States for the last twenty plus years. The company has not faced serious competition in a long time and a lot of that has been due to its flagship television show, Monday Night Raw. That show is about to celebrate a special anniversary and WWE is going down Memory Lane.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Another Way: WWE Plans Different Kind Of Royal Rumble Surprises
Next week, Monday Night Raw is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with a special show. The event will include a variety of legends, a steel cage match and a pair of title matches. This week on SmackDown, WWE aired a video looking back at some of the greatest Monday Night Raw moments in history. The video included moments from throughout the show’s history, which were not shown in chronological order.
It’s a rather cool video. Check out the Monday Night Raw tribute and some other classic show moments:
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They have a plan. We are a week away from the Royal Rumble and WWE is going to need to do something special for the show. The Royal Rumble is a show with a lot of built in advantages as the show’s namesake matches allow for multiple surprises. Planning those out can be difficult but WWE has already started, albeit in a way that you might not be expecting.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Not So Rowdy? Update On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Status
According to Fightful Select, while WWE is planning surprises for the Royal Rumble, the company is leaning towards “non-traditional surprises”. It is not entirely clear what that means, but WWE has been going against the idea of having veterans come in for a spot in the Royal Rumble matches. As of Friday night, 15/30 men and 6/30 women have been announced for their respective matches.
The Royal Rumble has had some great surprises. Check out some of the better ones:
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Not that one. The Royal Rumble is a complicated show as there are so many people taken up by the show’s namesake matches. That does not leave much room for wrestlers to not be around, though it can made a bit easier if the roster is deep enough coming into the show. It seems to be the case this year, as one prominent WWE star is no longer expected to appear at the event.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: REVIEW: Raw 25: The Previous Biggest Reunion Ever
According to Fightful Select, Ronda Rousey is no longer expected to appear at the Royal Rumble. Rousey was originally scheduled to have a singles match on the show but the plans have since changed. There is no word on any reason for the change, though Rousey was also scheduled to appear at Raw 30 before the plans were changed as well. Rousey last wrestled on the December 30, 2022 SmackDown, losing the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte.
Leave the memories alone? Check out some of Rousey’s time in WWE:
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Smackdown
Date: January 20, 2023
Location: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
We’re just over a week away from the Royal Rumble and that could make for an interesting build to the show. Most of the card is set and that means it is time for a Bloodline show. Sami Zayn is having some issues with the rest of the team and that could be very interesting. Other than that, we start the #1 contenders tag team tournament. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of Sami Zayn going after Kevin Owens last week but getting some seemingly unwanted help from the rest of the Bloodline.
The Bloodline arrives and Roman Reigns doesn’t seem thrilled with Sami Zayn.
We get brackets for the Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament:
Drew McIntyre/Sheamus
Viking Raiders
Los Lotharios
Hit Row
Brawling Brutes
Imperium
Maximum Male Models
Legado del Fantasma
Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Drew McIntyre/Sheamus vs. Viking Raiders Valhalla..

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?
Monday Night Raw 25th Anniversary
Date: January 22, 2018
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York/Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T., Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
Now this is a big night with the show having been build up for several months and a slew of guest stars booked for the night. The show is also being run from two arenas, including the location of the first ever episode. I’m more excited for this than I am for Sunday’s Royal Rumbl..

And they’re done. Tag teams have been a major part of AEW’s history since the promotion was founded and continue to be to this day. AEW pushes tag teams like few other promotions today and it allows multiple wrestlers to appear on television in prominent roles. It can also lead to something when the teams split, and now another one has done just that this week.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It’s Not The Same: Thunder Rosa Announces AEW Return, But Not To The Ring
Another AEW tag team split this week on Rampage. Eddie Kingston and Ortiz had a face to face meeting in the ring, with Ortiz asking Kingston about his recent behavior. Ortiz went on to ask what their mentors would have said about Kingston, resulting in Kingston hitting him with a chair. This was presented as the House Of Black attempting to split the team apart and succeeding.
It was a nasty situation. Check out the showdown, plus the two on their own:
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Well, kind of. Injuries are a terrible thing to see in wrestling as you never want a wrestler to be on the shelf for any length of time. You never know how long someone could be out of action as there are certain injuries that just take more time to heal. Unfortunately that is the case with a prominent AEW star, but now we have a bit of an update on her return. It just might not be the kind people have been waiting to see.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: If You Smell? Update On The Rock’s WrestleMania 39 Status
Former AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa appeared on Busted Open Radio and revealed that she will be back on the road with AEW soon, albeit not back in the ring. Rosa said that she would be showing her face and being around. There is no word on when she will be back in the ring following her back injury. Rosa has not wrestled a match since August 10, 2022.
Rosa is an amazing star. Check out what she can do in the ring:
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Finn Balor was recently interviewed by BT Sport, where he discussed his conversation with Vince McMahon about joining the Judgement Day and turning heel. This was also the evening that Edge was kicked out of the group.
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Below are Balor’s comments:
“I’ve actually never watched this back at all. This was such a weird night because I remember it was like 7:55 PM, and we’re going live at eight o’clock. I knock on Vince McMahon’s office, and I go there, and I say, ‘Sir, have you got a minute?’ He looks up from his papers, and he goes, ‘Is it about tonight?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s about tonight. It’s about the heel turn.’ He goes, ‘Oh, come in.’
Balor continued, “I just wanted some direction as to, ‘Hey, am I going out there in the suit? In The Judgment Day colors, or am I going out as Finn? Am I going out to music? What way are we doing it?’ He said, ‘Oh, you just go out as Finn and then do the segment.’ I said, ‘Well, oh, okay. That’s cool’.
“The..