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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 ..

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 ..

She’s back. There have been all kinds of returns to WWE in recent months and there are likely to be even more coming soon. It can be interesting to see the former WWE stars making their comebacks, as the company is now under a new regime. There are some returns that are surprises and now it seems that another star from the past is already back with the company.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Down Again: Current WWE Champion “Banged Up”, Out Of Action
According to Fightful Select, Chelsea Green has signed with WWE again and is officially back with the company. Green is reportedly still waiting for creative to come up with something for her. Green previously wrestled or WWE in both NXT and on SmackDown, though she suffered an injury in her first match on SmackDown and never returned before being released in April 2021. Since then, Green has appeared in various independent promotions as well as Impact Wrestling.
Green is rather good at what she does. Check out some of her time in WWE/NXT:
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Might we see more? One of the defining traits of the Triple H era of WWE has been the return of several superstars that were released when Vince McMahon was in charge of the company. It would appear that more may be on the way.
According to a report from Fightful Select, Chelsea Green has been under contract with WWE “for quite some time and is still awaiting creative.” This was after she was released from the company on April 15, 2021. Another indication that Green was headed to WWE was her recently shutting down her Onlyfans page.
Green’s husband Matt Cardona, who competed as Zack Ryder in WWE, could be on his way back also; however, officials say that “Cardona is not signed, but that we shouldn’t rule anything out for the future.”
Finally, Kylie Rae is reportedly still a free agent despite being brought in for a tryout and appearing on WWE Main Event.
Editor’s Opinion:
I, for one, would love to see Chelsea Green back. I always thought that she was incredibly talented and didn’t..

He’s out for a bit. There are all kinds of ways a wrestler can get hurt and you never know how long someone is going to be out of action. They can take place either all at once or build up over time but either of them are going to leave someone on the shelf. WWE has been having some injury issues in recent weeks and now they have another name on the injury list.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: All Cleared Up: Monday Night Raw Star Returns From Suspension, Set For Royal Rumble
According to PWInsider.com, NXT Tag Team Champion Xavier Woods is currently not medically cleared to compete due to an undisclosed injury. Woods is described as being “banged up”, though he is expected to be back in the ring by the Royal Rumble or perhaps even sooner. Woods’ most recent match was a six man tag during a WWE live event on December 27.
Woods is quite good when he is around. Check out what he can do when he is healthy:
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You hate to see it. Tonight on RAW, Candice LaRae mentioned in a backstage interview that her husband, Johnny Gargano, suffered an injury at a recent WWE event.
Gargano took to Twitter to confirm the report, saying the following:
I injured my shoulder at a live event in Toronto (ironic?), and the medical team is going to protect me from myself for a bit.. but you better believe I’m going to do EVERYTHING I can to get back in that ring so I can be that guy you all know I can be. Just let me in that Rumble!
I injured my shoulder at a live event in Toronto (ironic?), and the medical team is going to protect me from myself for a bit.. but you better believe I'm going to do EVERYTHING I can to get back in that ring so I can be that guy you all know I can be. Just let me in that Rumble!
— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) January 10, 2023
It is unknown how long he will be out of action.
Gargano made his return to WWE on the August 22, 2022 episode of RAW, after not renewing his NXT ..

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 9, 2023
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
We’re back to the red show and closing in on the Royal Rumble. There are only three names announced for the Royal Rumbles so far and that means some spots need to be filled. Odds are some of that is done tonight but there is the chance that they’re leaving some surprises this year. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here is Kevin Owens to get things going and the fans seem to like him. Before he can say much though, here is JBL to interrupt. After insulting the crowd, JBL says no one is buying Owens having a chance against Roman Reigns. JBL brings out Baron Corbin to insult the fans even more, including some University of Alabama insults. Owens buries his face in the turnbuckle as Corbin gets in every standard insult you can imagine. He says he was in a “JBL and Baron Corbin were talking for three minutes but didn’t say anything” coma but for now he’s willing ..

Welcome back. There are so many wrestlers on the WWE roster that it is almost impossible to keep all of them on television at the same time. At some point some of them have to go and that makes for some timely absences. It also sets up some nice returns down the line though, as you can get see someone come back, often in a surprise. That was the situation again this week in a big way.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He’s Special: Eric Bischoff Claims Brock Lesnar Has This Special Privilege In WWE
Bobby Lashley made a surprise return this week on Monday Night Raw, announcing that his suspension was over and that he would be entering the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match. Later in the show, MVP tried to convince Lashley to rejoin the Hurt Business but was turned down. This was Lashley’s first appearance on television since the December 12, 2022 Monday Night Raw, when he was suspended for attacking WWE officials.
Lashley is a force. Check out what is back on Monday Night Raw:
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That could be bad. Injuries are one of the worst things that can happen in wrestling. Not only do they put a wrestler on the shelf for an undetermined period of time, but they also can happen out of nowhere. Some injuries are built up over time and then flare up during a match, which appears to have been the case with a national star who was appearing for a major independent show.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The More You Know: AEW’s Kyle O’Reilly Opens Up About His Absence, Dealing With Health Issues
Over the weekend, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla presented its annual Battle Of Los Angeles tournament. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Bandido was injured during the two night event, though he was still able to wrestle both of his matches. Bandido is said to have injured his neck in a match with Black Taurus and El Hijo de Vikingo and was slowed down during his match the following night with Kommander. The injury is described as something that has “flared up” multiple times over the last few..

That’s a special status. There are all kinds of wrestlers in WWE but only a handful of them reach the top level. Those are the names who can get away with quite a bit more than the rest and are given a good bit of leeway. You can see them in various special situations which feel very different from anything else. Now we have another legend suggesting that a current star has such a different status.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: VIDEO: Sami Zayn Tries To Be Roman Reigns In Huge Main Event
WWE Hall Of Famer appeared on the Strictly Business podcast where he discussed the idea of wrestlers having creative control in their contracts. Bischoff alleged that Brock Lesnar has such control in his WWE contract and “exercises the hell out of it”. Lesnar wrestles a limited schedule for WWE and reportedly gets to hand pick his opponents. There is no word on when he will be wrestling next.
Lesnar has been a force in WWE. Check out some of his recent exploits:
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That’s a lot going on. Wrestlers have a lot of difficulties throughout their careers and many of them can be rather complicated to deal with on a regular basis. In some cases that is even more difficult than others, as you will occasionally find a wrestler who has more issues than their colleagues. One suck wrestler is having that kind of a problem and has a good deal to say about it.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Try Him: AEW Reportedly Planning Push For Popular Star
AEW’s Kyle O’Reilly has not wrestled a match since June 8, 2022 on Dynamite. Since then, O’Reilly has been dealing with an unspecified health issue that has kept him out of action for over seven months. O’Reilly made a post to Instagram over the weekend, talking about how he has to come back better than he left. He also discusses working with a specialist to deal with his Type-1 diabetes and a transmitter to monitor his blood sugar. There is no word on when O’Reilly will be returning to the ring.
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The sincerest form of flattery. There are several stories taking place in WWE at the moment, but almost all of them pale in comparison to the Bloodline. The biggest story in the company, the Bloodline saga has seen people come and go, with everything revolving around Roman Reigns. This includes Sami Zayn, who showed what kind of a fan he was over the weekend.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Thinking Behind It: Here Is WWE’s Reasoning Behind Taking Money In The Bank To London
On Saturday night, WWE ran a live even in Jackson, Mississippi, featuring a main event of the Bloodline facing Braun Strowman/the Brawling Brutes. During the match, Zayn used Roman Reigns’ Superman Punch on Strowman and tried a spear, though Strowman countered the latter. Zayn used Reigns’ traditional poses before both moves. This is something Zayn has done occasionally since joining the team.
This is something that Reigns has earned. Check out Zayn’s imitation and the two on better terms:
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