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RUMOR KILLER On Mercedes Mone’s New Japan Payday

February 13, 2023 • Admin

She’s worth it? One of the bigger moments of the wrestling year so far was the debut of Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks during her time in WWE, in New Japan Pro Wrestling. This was Mone’s first wrestling appearance in about seven months after walking out on WWE. It was a big acquisition for New Japan but now we know a little something else about the appearance. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: That’s Special: Bayley And Becky Lynch Receive Special Honor From WWE Before Mone’s January 4 debut, a rumor circulate that she would make more money per appearance than Chris Jericho during his most recent New Japan run. Jericho refuted the claim, saying that he was never given a guaranteed amount per appearance and was paid according to the show’s revenue. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the rumor, which has begun circulating again, is inaccurate, as Mone is not making as much as Jericho. She is also not making as much as she could make with WWE or AEW, but is working New J..

That’s Special: Bayley And Becky Lynch Receive Special Honor From WWE

February 13, 2023 • Admin

That’s a different way to go. Women’s wrestling has come a very long way in WWE in recent years, to the point where it is now a major, serious part of any WWE event. That is a lot more than most fans would have believed to be possible and a lot of that is due to a core group of wrestlers who have made that much of an impact. Now two of those women are receiving quite the special treatment. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Possibly Spoils NXT Reunion On The Main Roster Last week on WWE TV, Bayley and Becky Lynch were both referred to as “all time greats”. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this was a direct order from Triple H, as he is in charge and it is not a statement that the announcers would have made on their own. Lynch and Bayley are two of the Four Horsewomen of NXT and faced off in a cage match last week on Monday Night Raw. There is a case to be made for it. Check out what the two have done apart and together: [This post contains video, click to p..

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Possibly Spoils NXT Reunion On The Main Roster

February 13, 2023 • Admin

That would be a change. You never know when you might see someone return to WWE after a long hiatus and it can make for quite the fun moment. Occasionally someone will pop in after a long hiatus and find something new to do in the company. That was the case back at the Royal Rumble and now it seems that one of the returning superstars might be bringing someone with her. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Uh Oh: Backstage Belief On Vince McMahon’s Involvement With WWE Sale Chelsea Green made her surprise return to WWE in the Women’s Royal Rumble and has since continued to appear on the main roster, portraying a “Karen” like character. As shown by a fan in a tweet, Green’s entrance graphics contain an RS logo, which is the same logo for the Robert Stone brand in NXT. Green is a former member of the Robert Stone Brand before being called up to the main roster for the first time. There has been no mention of Stone on the main roster and no word on when or if he might debut. Not the robert stone bra..

NXT LVL Up Results – February 10, 2023

February 13, 2023 • Admin

NXT LVL Up Date: February 10, 2023 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard So somehow, we’re coming off what was an actually entertaining episode last week. If they can keep up that energy this week, it should be another breeze of the show. What makes it more confusing is that it shouldn’t be hard to send in another middle of the road star to boost things up a bit. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. We meet new commentator Blake Howard. Tank Ledger vs. Kale Dixon They trade wristlocks to start until Ledger takes him down with an armbar. An armdrag sets up another armbar and a World’s Strongest Slam gives Ledger two. Dixon manages to send him into the corner though and a neckbreaker gets two. Ledger fights out of a chinlock and a cartwheel into a splash gets another near fall. The running powerslam finishes Dixon at 4:59. Result: Tank Ledger b. Kale Dixon – Running powerslam (4:59) Axiom isn’t sure how to deal with a masked man..

Uh Oh: Backstage Belief On Vince McMahon’s Involvement With WWE Sale

February 13, 2023 • Admin

e Now it seems that McMahon’s involvement is raising yet another question. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Family Reunion? Former WWE Star Reveals Plans For Him To Be Kane’s Other Brother According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the belief in WWE is that McMahon is a hindrance instead of a benefit in the negotiations to sell the company. This is a problem as McMahon is the company’s largest shareholder and would be the largest financial beneficiary in the event of a sale, which is why he is involved in the process. There is no word on the process of the sale, with negotiations still ongoing. McMahon has caused some issues before. Check out some of his problems in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of thing that had to happen in a sale, as McMahon is ultimately the most powerful person in all of WWE. He owns the majority of the company and is going to be heav..

WWE Superstars Predict The 2023 Super Bowl Winner

February 12, 2023 • Admin

They have spoken. WWE recently released a video in which several superstars give their predictions for who will win the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadephia Eagles. The game is being played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. You can see the video below: [This post contains video, click to play] The superstars and their picks are as follows: Street Profits – Eagles Baron Corbin – Chiefs The Miz – Chiefs Ricochet – Eagles Dolph Ziggler – Chiefs Bobby Lashley – Chiefs Madcap Moss – Eagles Austin Theory – Chiefs Sarah Schriber – Chiefs Ashante Thee Adonis – Eagles Top Dolla – Chiefs B-Fab – Eagles Tegan Nox – Doesn’t Care Editor’s Opinion: Most of the superstars interviewed are riding with the Chiefs, which I totally get because they have Patrick Mahomes. However, I’ve thought that, for the most of the year, the Eagles have been the most complete team with that explosive office, under Jalen Hurts. Because of the fact that I think the Eagles have..

He’s Up: WWE And AEW Set For Likely Bidding War Over International Star

February 12, 2023 • Admin

He’s worth the fight. While WWE and AEW are the two biggest wrestling promotions in the world, there are all kinds of talented stars outside of those two companies. It can mean a lot when one of those stars becomes available, if nothing else because the two promotions very well may in up in a bidding war. While not confirmed yet, there is a real chance that we will be seeing another one. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It Was His Call: More On Baron Corbin/JBL Split, Why The Angle Was Canceled Over the weekend, Hikuleo defeated Jay White at New Japan: The New Beginning In Osaka in a Loser Leaves Japan match. This comes amid rumors of White’s New Japan contract expiring and interest from both WWE and AEW. It is not clear when White’s contract will expire, though he is still scheduled to face Eddie Kingston in San Jose, California for New Japan on February 18. White is an international star. Check out some of his time from around the world: [This post contains video, click to play] [This po..

It Was His Call: More On Baron Corbin/JBL Split, Why The Angle Was Canceled

February 12, 2023 • Admin

Pull the plug. There are all kinds of ways to present a storyline in wrestling and some of them are a lot more effective than others. You can tell when something is working, but it can take a little longer to figure out that something is missing. When these things finally hit rock bottom though, it is often time to get rid of them and that is what happened with a recent Monday Night Raw story. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Read The Fine Print: Why Two Monday Night Raw Superstars Have Been Absent From Shows Earlier this week on Monday Night Raw, John Bradshaw Layfield cut ties with Baron Corbin, ending their association. This led to reports that Layfield would not be back on WWE TV for the time being. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Triple H pulled the plug on the story as he didn’t feel it was working. The story started after Layfield wanted to help rebuild Corbin after his latest losing streak, starting last fall. Corbin has talent. Check out what he can do in the ring: [This post..

AEW Rampage Results – February 10, 2023

February 11, 2023 • Admin

Rampage Date: February 10, 2023 Location: County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho We are still in Texas with less than a month to go before Revolution. That should make for a few interesting weeks but this week’s lineup doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of hope. The Blackpool Combat Club is here though and that is one of the better things Rampage could do. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Blackpool Combat Club vs. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian Sabian drives Yuta into the corner to start but a sunset flip gets Yuta out of trouble. Yuta is sent outside and Castagnoli comes in, with Butcher getting to come in as well for the power staredown. They yell at each other and slug it out, with both of them staggering. Moxley and then Yuta come in to take turns on Butcher as Jericho talks about the Impractical Jokers cast stealing his baseball bat. Sabian is able to grab a flipping Stunner on Yuta for a breather and Blade gets ..

RUMOR: Former WWE Champion May Return Before WrestleMania 39

February 11, 2023 • Admin

This is only a rumor, so take it for what it’s worth. A former WWE champion, who has been injured for quite some time, may be returning to the ring before WrestleMania 39. In a response to a fan on his Facebook Stories, wrestling bootmaker Jose G Sanz stated that Randy Orton recently contacted him about making boots for his return to the ring. He said the following: “I haven’t made them yet but Randy Orton contacted me via email for his return. Currently, Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt are some of the biggest superstars. Today I received an order for boots for Cody for Wrestlemania.” On Facebook Stories, wrestling bootmaker Jose G Sanz was asked which wrestler has had the biggest impact on him out of those who order from him. His response: “I haven’t made them yet but Randy Orton contacted me via email for his return. Currently, Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt… https://t.co/vGWevBEeWK pic.twitter.com/PPryb7FDv9 — Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) February 11, 2023 Orton has been out ..

Dominik Mysterio Discusses Rhea Ripley, Life In Prison, The Judgement Day, More

February 11, 2023 • Admin

Dominik Mysterio was recently interviewed by WrestleRant and Bleacher Report, where he discussed a number of topics. Among them was his relationship with Rhea Ripley, his time in prison, the future of The Judgement Day, and more. Below are some highlights from the interview: On his relationship with Rhea Ripley: “Maybe after she choked me unconscious, I thought, ‘You know what? I think things may be able to work here. I think she’s the one to help me out,'” he said about when their chemistry clicked for him. “I think our anniversary would be the first day she beat me up. But I don’t know. I’m not going to answer questions that are going to get me trouble.” “She doesn’t like to do much and neither do I, so we just stay indoors,” Dom said. “She puts on some really scary movies and listens to really loud music. I don’t like the scary movies, but she’s pretty scary, so it all depends on what she puts on, whether it be a slasher or a horror. It’s pretty intense.” On being in priso..

Pat McAfee Being Sued By Brett Favre, McAfee Responds

February 11, 2023 • Admin

Let the games begin. Multiple news outlets are reporting that NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has filed three separate defamation lawsuits against Mississippi state auditor Shad White as well as national sports commentators Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee. From ESPN: Favre became involved in [a] public fraud case in 2020 after investigators in White’s office discovered that at least $77 million in public money from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, earmarked for the neediest families in the state, instead was used to line the pockets of rich and powerful Mississippians. According to a state audit and civil lawsuit in which Favre and dozens of others are named as defendants, Favre was paid $1.1 million in TANF funds for speeches White has said Favre never made. Favre eventually paid the money back, but the state auditor demanded Favre also pay $228,000 in interest. Similar allegations were made in the lawsuit filed by Favre against former NFL punter and po..

REVIEW: No Way Out 2006: The Dream Match

February 11, 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? No Way Out 2006 Date: February 19, 2006 Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland Attendance: 11,000 Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz For the first time in a long time, we have a pay per view that has my interest. Smackdown has gotten a lot better in a hurry, but they need the big spectacular to make it work. With Wrestlemania coming up, this could be a great way to get the momentum going, and hopefully that’s what happens here. I’m sure Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton and Booker T. vs...

WATCH: WWE Star Teases Major Turn After SmackDown Goes Off The Air

February 11, 2023 • Admin

That has potential. Every so often, a wrestler will change from good to bad or vice versa. These changes can alter the course of their future as sometimes going to the other side is the right change for them. These changes can be exactly what a wrestler needs at times and we might have seen a big one for an up and coming star after this week’s SmackDown went off the air. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: To The Shelf: NXT Star Reveals Torn ACL, Surgery Scheduled For Next Week The main event of this week’s SmackDown was a fatal four way between Karrion Kross, Madcap Moss, Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio. The match was the first time ever for two latter two to face off in an official match. Following the show, the two met in the locker room, with Escobar talking about how he wanted to take Rey’s legacy. Escobar said that while he still wants it, he also respect Mysterio, and presented him with his mask. Mysterio responded by saying Escobar had told him that story before and then presented Escobar..

To The Shelf: NXT Star Reveals Torn ACL, Surgery Scheduled For Next Week

February 11, 2023 • Admin

That’s a serious one. Injuries can take out any wrestler at any time and you never know when you are going to see someone put on the shelf for a good while. The question becomes just how bad the injury is and how long the recovery time is going to be. This time it seems that an NXT star has suffered one of the more severe injuries that they could receive. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Talk To Me: WWE Introduces New Broadcaster With Independent Background NXT’s Amari Miller has announced that she has suffered a torn ACL and will be undergoing surgery next week. While Miller did not list a time frame for her recovery, a torn ACL normally requires nearly a year of recovery. There is no word on when or how she suffered her injury. Miller made her NXT debut in September 2021 and has mainly competed on NXT LVL Up, though she has occasionally wrestled on NXT as well. I have torn my ACL and getting surgery next week Life happens in the CRAZIEST way. Everything happens for a reason and I totally t..

Talk To Me: WWE Introduces New Broadcaster With Independent Wrestling Background

February 11, 2023 • Admin

He’s in. The broadcast team is one of the most important parts of any wrestling company. The people calling the show are tasked with guiding the fans on the path that the company wants them to take, which can be rather complicated at times. WWE has quite the cast of commentators but every now and then they shake it up a bit. That is the situation again as a new voice is around. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: She’s Back: Former Champion Makes Surprise Return On SmackDown According to Fightful Select, WWE has hired Blake Chadwick to become part of its commentary team. Chadwick will join the NXT LVL Up broadcast team, where he will be paired with Byron Saxton under the name Blake Howard. Chadwick has done commentary on the wrestling independent scene, including with WrestleCade, Camp Leapfrog, VCW and the West Coast Wrestling Connection. He sounds different. Check out some of Chadwick’s first night in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

She’s Back: Former Champion Makes Surprise Return On SmackDown

February 11, 2023 • Admin

Welcome back. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it can be difficult for anyone to stand out. Occasionally you will see someone who stands out above the rest and a lot of them are at that level because they have some kind of star power coming in. That is the case with a SmackDown star who made her return after a hiatus in a bit of a surprise moment. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The New Showdown: Interesting Details On Cody Rhodes/Paul Heyman Showdown Ronda Rousey has not been seen since the December 30 edition of SmackDown when she lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte. This led to some speculation about her future in WWE and she did not participate in the women’s Royal Rumble. Rousey returned this week on SmackDown, helping Shayna Baszler to attack Natalya. There is no word on when Rousey will be wrestling again. She is a force. Check out Rousey’s return plus what she can do when she is around: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click t..

The New Showdown: Interesting Details On Cody Rhodes/Paul Heyman Showdown

February 11, 2023 • Admin

They had a different idea. We are less than two months away from WrestleMania 39 and the show’s main event is already set. Cody Rhodes will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title, a championship that he set his sights on when he returned to WWE last April. The match has already been built, and now we know a bit more about one of the biggest pieces. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: In Advance: Possible Spoiler On Elimination Chamber Title Match This week on Monday Night Raw, Rhodes and Reigns’ advocate Paul Heyman had a face to face showdown, where they talked about their history with Cody’s father Dusty. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the segment that aired was different than the one originally planned. The original segment did not involve Heyman, who was in town because he is part of the creative team for any segment involving Brock Lesnar. Heyman and Cody put together the final segment, which was designed to make Cody vs. Reigns feel like the biggest m..

In Advance: Possible Spoiler On Elimination Chamber Title Match

February 10, 2023 • Admin

They kind of gave it away. We are on the Road To WrestleMania 39 and that means there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered. One of the biggest is who will be defending the titles at the show, some of which are a bit harder to predict than others. Occasionally you will get a hint though and that might have happened regarding an upcoming title match. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Ouch: NXT Star Suffers Detached Retina During Attack Earlier This Week One of the advertised matches for next week’s Elimination Chamber event will see Austin Theory defending the United States Title in the show’s namesake structure. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Theory recently taped a television show, which will not air until March. During the show, Theory was carrying the United States Title. While not guaranteed, this suggests that Theory will either retain the title at Elimination Chamber, or have it in some way when the show airs. There is no guarantee that this will be the ca..

Ouch: NXT Star Suffers Detached Retina During Attack Earlier This Week

February 10, 2023 • Admin

That’s a nasty one. There are all kinds of injuries in the wrestling world and you never want to see any of them happen to someone at any time. They can keep someone out of action for any span of time and unfortunately there is no way to guarantee that they don’t happen. Now another one has happened to a prominent star, but thankfully it might sound worse than it really is. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: From The Man: Undertaker Reveals What He Said To Bray Wyatt At Raw XXX This week on NXT, Ilja Dragunov made a surprise return after missing several weeks of action. Dragunov chased off JD McDonagh, who put him on the shelf in the first place. McDonagh has since posted a photo of his face to Twitter, revealing that he suffered a detached retina in his right eye, which he blames on Dragunov. As a result, he will be missing live events and estimates a 10-14 day recovery time, though he is waiting on a treatment plan. .@WWENXT fans attending Live Events in Tampa/Citrus Springs this weekend – Un..