123 result(s) found
TNA Wrestling veteran Nic Nemeth has shared his thoughts on the most recent departures of Tommy Dreamer, Sami Callihan. Tessa Blanchard, admitting that the atmo...
The wrestling world was buzzing as as reported by PWMania.com, pro wrestling legend Tommy Dreamer has revealed his departure from TNA Wrestling. He shared the ...
Pro wrestling has always been a business of surprises—shocking returns, dramatic betrayals, and yes, big-time departures. Over the past few years, one of the mo...
Carlito has officially announced his departure from WWE—and he’s embracing the opportunity. After his recent WWE contract expired and the company opted not to r...
He’s a big one. While there are all kinds of accomplishments and milestones to be achieved in WWE, there are very few that stand the test of time. Almost any title that is won is eventually going to be lost, which creates a problem for remembering some wrestlers more than others. There is one honor that sticks around forever though and now another star is receiving the special recognition. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: No More: WWE Star Confirms Departure From Company This week on the Bump, Ric Flair announced that the Great Muta will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame as part of the Class of 2023. Muta never wrestled in WWE but did have multiple stints in WCW over the years. He wrestled his retirement match earlier this year, with AEW’s Sting and Darby Allin joining him in his final match under the Great Muta persona. Muta is the second inductee, following Rey Mysterio. Muta was a force. Check out what he could do in the ring: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post con..
She’s done. It can mean a lot when a wrestler gets signed to WWE, as it is often the pinnacle of their careers. Having a wrestler make it to the biggest stage in wrestling can change their status for fans. At the same time, it can be quite the change when they depart the company. Now another wrestler is confirming that they have left WWE following a long period of inactivity. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Not A Fan: Wrestling Legend On Johnny Gargano: “He’s Not Over. Listen To That Crowd” Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Sarray had left WWE after several months away from the ring. Now Sarray herself has confirmed the departure, talking about how grateful she was for her time in the company. She said that she learned a lot in America and confirmed that she would be returning to the ring in Japan on May 16. Sarray debuted with WWE in April 2021 and wrestled her last match there in August 2022. No matter what some people might say, I did my best. I am so glad that I had the chance to..
There he is again. There are all kinds of reasons for wrestlers to take some time away from the ring, some of which have nothing to do with someone being unable to wrestle. Sometimes the departures are merely ways to advance a storyline and set up something down the road. That was the case this week, when a wrestler returned after a two month hiatus to set up a showdown. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Bray Wyatt Sets His Sights On Some Huge Targets The main event of this week’s edition of AEW Rampage saw Dustin Rhodes defeat Swerve Strickland via DQ when Parker Boudreaux attacked Rhodes. After the match, Keith Lee made his return to save Rhodes and end the show. This was the first time that Lee had appeared since December, when Strickland and Mogul Affiliates had crushed a cinder block over Lee’s chest. Lee also appeared clean shaven and his hair was gray instead of black. It was a big deal. Check out Lee’s return, plus what is back: [This post contains video, click to play] [This..
She won’t be around. One of the biggest WWE stories from last year was the departure of Naomi and Sasha Banks. The team, then WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, walked out on the company, vacating the belts in the process. Banks has since resurfaced in New Japan, but Naomi has not wrestled again since. Now there is a hint that it might be even longer than that. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It’s A Big One: Huge Grudge Match Set For WWE Elimination Chamber In the last few days, Naomi has updated her Instragram biography to say “Just Trinity”, with no reference whatsoever to her WWE name of Naomi. There is nothing to suggest that she will be returning to WWE at any point in the near future, though there have been reports that the two sides have been in negotiations. Naomi has not wrestled a match since May 15, 2022. Naomi was a heck of a star during her time in WWE. Check out some of the things she did in the company: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click..
Working on it? Eight months ago, Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out on WWE, resulting in the Women’s Tag Team Titles being vacated. While Banks has moved on to New Japan Pro Wrestling under the name Mercedes Mone, Naomi has yet to make an appearance in wrestling. Now we know some more details about Naomi’s current WWE status and how things were going before she left. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: They’re In: WWE Signs Two More Former College Athletes Fightful Select has more details on Naomi’s WWE departure and current status. Naomi is reportedly still in contact with WWE and according to one “higher-up” in the company, it is expected that she will return to the company at some point. When Naomi originally left, her contract with WWE was set to expire, with both sides being interested in a new deal. Naomi is said to have been likely to sign the biggest money contract of her career. Naomi was a star while she was around. Check out some of her time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to ..
That’s a long, long time. We are in a time of change in WWE and there are all kinds of pieces moving at once. That can make it difficult to keep track of what is going on, but it is clear that this is not the same WWE that we have known for a long time. This includes names leaving, and now another not so familiar name is leaving the company after a quarter century. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Now, Now: Here Is What John Cena May Be Doing At WrestleMania 39 According to Fightful Select, Adam Hopkins, Vice President of Communications, has left WWE. Hopkins started with the company back in 1997 and has held a variety of jobs, including Manager of Media Relations, Director of Communications, Public Relations Coordinator and several others. There is no word on why Hopkins left. According to PWInsider, Hopkins’ departure has shocked those in the company, with the general response being described as “WTF”. One source said it would be like Howard Finkel leaving WWE. There have been some others t..
The family’s take. The biggest wrestling story of the year so far, and one of the biggest in a very long time, is WWE announcing that it is getting ready to be sold. This has sent major shocks throughout the wrestling industry, but WWE in particular has felt the impact. There have been all kinds of questions being asked, but now we may know the reactions from two of the most important players. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Upgrade: Positive Update On Hospitalized WWE Hall Of Famer Axios has released its own story on the entire situation, including regarding the decision to sell in the first place. According to Axios’ sources, both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon had opposed the selling of the company. This comes after McMahon resigned from the WWE Board Of Directors last week. It is not clear if her stance on this is what directly led to her departure from the company. Those are some important voices in WWE. Check out some of what they have done in the company: [This post contains video, c..
He’s gone? There have not been very many departures from the AEW roster during its few years of existence. As a result, seeing someone leave feels like a bigger deal when it actually takes place. It means something to see someone leave AEW and you get to see where they might go from there. While not confirmed, it does seem like another AEW star is hinting at heading elsewhere. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Up For Grabs: Former IWGP World Champion Jay White Free Agent Soon, WWE And AEW Interested AEW’s Andrade El Idolo has released a post on Instagram, showing a picture of his mask with the caption “Bye!!!”. There is no word on what this means for El Idolo, who is currently under suspension due to a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara. El Idolo’s most recent AEW match took place in September. AEW has yet to comment on El Idolo’s comments or given a date for his return to television. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrade El Idolo (@andradealmas) El Idolo has done well du..
New home. There have been a lot of comings and goings with the WWE roster in recent months and those changes are likely to continue. One of the interesting things about the departures winds up being where someone winds up next. That can make for a great moment, even if you know someone is going to wind up. Now one of the arrivals has actually taken place. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: Major Title Change Planned Before WrestleMania 39 This week at New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 17, Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks in WWE, made her debut for the promotion. Mone, referring to herself as the CEO, debuted after IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi (formerly known as Kairi Sane in WWE) defeated Tam Nakano to retain her title. Mone went on to attack Kairi’s arm before announcing that the two will face each other in San Jose, California on February 18. There is no word on if Mone will wrestle before then. Here she is. Check out Mone’s New Japan debut: [This post contains video, cl..
It might have been a factor. Wrestlers have come and gone from WWE over the years but only some make an impression. You never know when you are going to see someone in the ring for the last time, but in one case, a wrestler with a unique character was gone after his first match. It turns out there is a very specific reason for his departure and it could have been much worse. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: That’s A Hot One: How A Former WWE Star (Literally) Set Backstage On Fire During a recent edition of Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard told a story about Phantasio, a magician character who wrestled one match on WWE TV in July 1995 before being let go from the company. According to Prichard, prior to his match, Phantasio dropped a bottle of liquid fire in the Gorilla Position, causing the drapes to catch on fire. The company did not know he had a fire spot planned and the accident resulted in Phantasio’s time with the company ending. It was something. Check out Phantasio’s match, p..
He wasn’t a fan. This year has seen all kinds of changes throughout WWE but the biggest change of them all has been the retirement of Vince McMahon. After decades of running the company, McMahon announced his retirement back in July, throwing everything out of whack. There have been several changes since McMahon left, and now we know one more thing that seems to have changed as a result of his departure. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: One More Run? 37 Year Old Former WWE Star Likes Idea Of Facing Roman Reigns At WrestleMania According to Fightful Select, McMahon was against the idea of “no cut” clauses in WWE contracts. These clauses, which guaranteed that a wrestler would not be released from their contract early, were something McMahon was “vehemently against”. New co-CEO Nick Khan is said to be open to the idea, though there is no word on if WWE is including them more frequently. It was also said that the lack of clauses did not cost WWE any free agents, but some did inquire about the sit..
Welcome back. One of the biggest trends of the new WWE regime has been the amount of returning superstars. After several wrestlers were released over the course of about a year and a half, a good number of them have returned now that Triple H is in a position of power. All kinds of returns have taken place and now another former champion has made a surprise appearance. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Other Ring: Former WWE Star Makes Pro MMA Debut This week’s Monday Night Raw featured a ladder match between the Miz and Dexter Lumis. Late in the match, Bronson Reed, known elsewhere as Jonah, made a surprise return to take Lumis out, allowing Miz to win the match. Reed, 34 years old, is a former NXT North American Champion who was released from WWE in 2021. Following his departure from WWE, Reed wrestled for Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Reed was a star in NXT. Check out some of his time there: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to..
And there it is. During the media scrum for the upcoming ROH Final Battle pay-per-view this weekend, Tony Khan revealed some of the details behind William Regal’s departure from AEW and return to WWE. Khan said that Regal approached Megha Parekh, who is part of AEW’s legal team, with a request for the promotion not to renew his deal, as he wanted to return to WWE. Not only is his son working in WWE, but he also wanted to coach alongside some of his old friends now that Triple H has gained control of the company. Furthermore, Khan says that Regal’s release dictates he can go back to WWE and coach but not be an on-air personality in 2023. Tony Khan says William Regal's release dictates he is able to go back to #WWE and coach, but not be able to go on-air in the next year. He says he was surprised by the tweet from WWE showcasing him on TV. #AEW #ROH #FinalBattle — Jon Alba (@JonAlba) December 7, 2022 He was written off of television on last week’s episode of Dynamite, when MJF..
Welcome back! There have been a lot of stars to come through the WWE’s doors over the years and it can be quite a moment when someone leaves. There are some departures that can shake up the company, while others leave without getting to prove themselves well enough. Occasionally those stars will get to make a return and that is the case again with a long departed star. Emma made a surprise return this week on SmackDown, marking her first appearance with the company in just under five years. Emma answered Ronda Rousey’s open challenge for a SmackDown Women’s Title shot, ultimately losing via submission. This was Emma’s first appearance for WWE since October 2017. She previously wrestled in WWE and NXT from 2012-2017 and has stayed on the independent circuit since, plus a stint in Impact Wrestling. Opinion: I’m glad to see Emma back as she is someone who could be put into the middle of the card to fill in a spot. She has the talent and charisma needed to be interesting and I could go f..
At least he had a reason. The biggest wrestling story of the year has been the departure of Vince McMahon from WWE. After nearly four decades of McMahon in charge of the company, he has finally stepped down and handed the reins off to someone else. That has caused quite a few changes and now we have a better idea about one of McMahon’s less well received decisions. CJ Perry, formerly known as Lana in WWE, recently appeared on In The Kliq to talk about some of her time in WWE. Perry mentioned the Rusev Day story, which took place in 2017-18 and saw Rusev become one of the more popular stars in WWE, though he never officially turned good. According to Perry, McMahon never allowed the full turn because he saw Rusev as his “Bulgarian Brute 300 pound crazy villain” and did not want to change his vision. Rusev was released from WWE in April 2020 and debuted in AEW five months later. Opinion: I can see McMahon’s thinking here, but ultimately you need to take a chance at some point. WWE spen..
It was a nice run. The position of lead commentator on WWE Monday Night Raw is one of the most important in all of WWE. The show is still the company’s flagship program and fans are going to see what they company is doing every Monday night. We are currently going through a change in broadcasting, but one name is not going to be reassigned to another place in the company. Earlier this week, a report emerged that WWE would be changing the broadcasting teams on the three main television shows. This included Jimmy Smith being removed as the lead play by play announcer on Monday Night Raw. Smith has since commented on the situation, confirming that he has left WWE. Smith thanked fans for his time in the company and said that he was moving on, though not to where. This ends Smith’s run with WWE, which started in May 2021. Just wanted to say, now that the story is officially out, that my time with the WWE is officially done. Had a lot of fun and met some great people. Really and truly blow..