Cody Rhodes is gone from AEW. This is a blockbuster story with a lot to unpack. For those questioning if this is an angle, it\’s not. This is a legitimate situation and not part of a storyline.
Cody\’s AEW contract expired approximately six weeks ago, as first reported by Sean Ross Sapp. Cody has been working as a free agent since then, with negotiations ongoing.
Just two months ago, Cody tweeted, \”I\’m thankful to the fans that cheer and boo me because both are getting ready to go on a ride that’s just bizarre and not the path that you think. We’re not doing what’s been done before.\” Little did we know at the time just how bizarre things would get.
During the early days of AEW, Cody, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were all involved with planning longterm storylines and feuds. SEScoops has learned learned that Tony Khan assuming total control over the creative process was a big factor in Cody leaving AEW.
Of course, this is the wrestling business and these things always come down to dollars and centers. Cody Rhodes was asking for big money. How big? AEW refused to pay his asking price and allowed an Executive Vice President to walk out the door.
The talks fell apart on Monday when it became clear Cody and Brandi would not be returning. Cody\’s pending departure from AEW was a hot topic of conversation behind the scenes at Monday\’s Raw.
Is Cody Rhodes Returning to WWE?
WWE is said to be \”very interested\” in bringing Cody. They know the type of buzz Cody Rhodes returning would generate. The company is also keenly aware of the public perception that talent is discouraged and morale is low.
AEW has signed a lot of former WWE and NXT talent, which has reinforced these optics. Cody Rhodes would be the first AEW original to jump ship and we could see him thrown into a top WrestleMania program at any moment.
WWE has the cash to get this deal done, no matter what Cody is asking for. The general feeling within the industry is that Cody returning to WWE is inevitable.
Despite the reports of tension amongst AEW\’s EVP\’s, Cody Rhodes was very well-liked behind the scenes in AEW. As one of the co-founders of AEW, he\’s been a mentor to young talent. Many AEW stars have been expressing their gratitude towards Cody on social media since this story broke.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) is returning to Chicago\’s Cicero Stadium this summer.
MLW boss Court Bauer appeared on ESPN Chicago\’s Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday with Jonathan Hood to announce the news.
Tickets for this event go on sale Tuesday, March 1st at at MLWgo.com and Eventbrite.com. As part of a \’fan appreciation\’ experience, MLW fans can meet and greet their favorite MLW fighters ahead of the show.
Top stars advertised for the event include World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone, Los Parks, Jacob Fatu, Davey Richards, King Muertes, EJ Nduka, Calvin Tankman, National Openweight Champion Alex Kane, Richard Holliday with Alicia Atout and more.
Additional details about the card will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Three of our finest staff members have gathered to share predictions for the WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 premium live event.
Fernando Quiles Jr., Chris Stephens, and I run down the full card of WWE\’s latest Saudi Arabia mega show. After this Sunday, we will have a pretty clear idea of the top matches for WrestleMania 38.
The panel was in agreement for most of the predicted winners, but that doesn\’t mean there won\’t be any surprises when the bell rings and the Elimination Chamber is lowered.
Here are our WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 predictions:
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Viking Raiders
Michael: This match comes off as filler to me. The Viking Raiders are not on The Usos\’ level and are simply the latest team up for a tag title shot to keep things churning. I can\’t say what\’s next for The Usos after they brush off this minor inconvenience, but a loss to the Viking Experience would come out of left field. (Prediction: The Usos)
Chris: The Usos should win this one, albeit they will do so through underhanded tactics. WWE could put the belts on the Viking Raiders if they want but the Usos and Roman all holding titles as part of the Bloodline seems like something they will want to keep intact until at least WrestleMania. I’m not sure they will have much planned for these belts at WrestleMania, however. (Prediction: The Usos)
Fernando: It\’s possible that this is where WWE will begin to show some serious cracks in The Bloodline ahead of WrestleMania. An upset win for the Viking Raiders over The Usos would certainly do that. With that said, I think The Usos will keep looking strong ahead of the big event. I expect the champions to retain. (Prediction: The Usos)
Consensus: The Usos
Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
Fernando: This storyline isn\’t dead? Alrighty then. I don\’t think Drew McIntyre should be losing any singles match until he gets a WWE Universal Title shot. I have McIntyre winning and hopefully moving on to a big WrestleMania match. No, Happy Corbin doesn\’t count. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Chris: I’m expecting this to be a short and dominant win for Drew McIntyre. Reports are he is still rehabbing his injuries at the moment in the hopes that he’ll be fully ready for WrestleMania. This could be as quick as one Claymore Kick and a 1-2-3. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Michael: Drew McIntyre is still working through injuries, so I don\’t expect WWE will keep him out there for long. Although Moss has far more upside at this stage in both men\’s careers, I think WWE feeds Madcap to McIntyre to give the crowd an exciting and short, dominant win for the former WWE Champion. (Prediction: Drew McIntyre)
Consensus: Drew McIntyre
Ronda Rousey & Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville
Chris: I don’t see Ronda Rousey losing anytime soon, let alone before her match with Flair at WrestleMania, even if it\’s just in a tag match. Rousey will make Deville submit to win things for her team. Flair might attack after the match and get some heat but Rousey will get her hand raised for sure. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey & Naomi)
Michael: The real story here is the WrestleMania feud between Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. Neither woman is eating a pin here. Although Rousey losing her return match doesn\’t look great on the surface, I think Charlotte Flair scores the win over Naomi to put an even bigger chip on Rousey\’s shoulder leading up to their showdown at WM38. (Prediction: Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville)
Fernando: One thing that should be a guarantee with this match is that neither Ronda Rousey nor Charlotte will be taking the pinfall or submission here. This is either gonna be Ronda taking Sonya\’s arm home with her, or Naomi getting screwed over by the WWE authority figure one last time before Mania. I\’m leaning towards the latter (Prediction: Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville)
Consensus: Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lita
Chris: I’d love to see Lita win this match but it’s not going to happen. As great as it is to see her back, I don’t think Lita is factoring into WWE’s plans for WrestleMania. Lynch vs Charlotte Flair will headline one of the two nights in Dallas, and having Lynch drop the belt the month before just isn’t a decision the company is going to make. Hopefully, this is the start of a full-time or part-time return to the company for her, but Lita is not winning the title here. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Michael: Thank goodness Lita was able to put aside her feelings about the regime in Saudi Arabia to take this booking. It will be cool to see Lita challenging for a WWE Women\’s Championship for the first time in over a decade, but this is a special attraction match and nothing more. Lita gets her big payday, but Big Time Becks leaves with the gold and goes on to bigger and better things at WrestleMania. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Fernando: After lasting longer than most expected in the Royal Rumble, Lita will be getting a world title shot in 2022. This will certainly feel nostalgic for those who are fond of the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression Era but Becky should get the win here. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Consensus: Becky Lynch
Women\’s Elimination Chamber Match: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Doudrop vs. Nikki A.S.H
Fernando: There are some potential solid options for the mystery participant in this match. I\’m gonna guess that it\’s Asuka but I won\’t pick her to win. I think this will be a win for Bianca to set the stage for a WrestleMania showdown with Becky Lynch (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Michael: The big story here will be the mystery sixth entrant. WWE has several former Women\’s Champions sitting on the sidelines and pretty close to returning. Asuka, Bayley and Alexa Bliss could all step up to this challenge to determine Becky Lynch\’s WrestleMania opponent. My pick is Asuka, who I think is the \”most ready\” to return to WWE TV. However, the real star in this match is Bianca Belair, at least she could be, if she was booked properly. Out of all my Elimination Chamber predictions, I feel this one is the most important. WWE cut her legs out last year at SummerSlam and she hasn\’t reached the same level since. I see WWE giving Belair another big push and maybe she\’ll get revenge on The Man at Mania. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Chris: This is a tough one. It won’t be Doudrop because Lynch just beat her at the Royal Rumble. It won’t be Liv Morgan, because Lynch has already beaten her multiple times and she also just lost to Doudrop on RAW. Nikki ASH… it just won’t be. Bianca Belair is a possibility. Behind Rousey, Lynch, and Flair, Bianca is the biggest female star WWE has, so Belair vs Lynch at WrestleMania is a possibility. Ripley winning is also possible.
The best odds in this match must belong to TBA, however. There is a reason they aren’t announcing who this person is ahead of time, it’s because they are saving the surprise. In all likelihood, TBA will be Bayley or Asuka. Lacey Evans could be in the mix too. Ultimately, however, I think the most likely scenario is Bayley returning, winning the Chamber, and moving into a WrestleMania storyline with Lynch (Prediction: Bayley)
Consensus: Bianca Belair
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg
Chris: There can be little debate that Roman Reigns is going to win this match. The only thing left to question is how much will they try and protect Goldberg in the process. Will Reigns have to cheat to win? Will someone interfere? If this is Goldberg’s last match on his WWE contract, he might just get beat clean. The Universal title has been on Roman Reigns for a very long time. He’s not dropping it at Elimination Chamber when he’s got the biggest match of his title reign already booked for WrestleMania. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Fernando: Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg in 2022 isn\’t exactly music to my ears. Maybe these two can have a short, fast-paced match that is solid enough. Regardless, I\’m taking Reigns here as he is destined to meet Brock Lesnar again at WrestleMania (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Michael: This is the final match on Goldberg\’s WWE contract. Love him or hate him, you\’ve gotta admire his ability to maximize his dollars-to-minutes pay rate. Assuming this is Goldberg\’s retirement match, he\’s made enough money from this business to go out \”the right way\” and do the honors for our beloved Tribal Chief. Reigns has a date with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, so there\’s no way he\’s losing to a part-time legend at Elimination Chamber. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Consensus: Roman Reigns
Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins vs. Riddle vs. Austin Theory
Fernando: I expect this to be a good one. Seth Rollins rarely disappoints in the main event and I think he\’ll be the star of this match but don\’t rule out AJ Styles taking that distinction. Ultimately, I think there\’s no way Brock Lesnar gets pinned in back-to-back PPVs. I see a title vs. title match closing out WrestleMania this year (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Michael: We\’ve seen the reports about Paul Heyman pushing for a title vs. title match at WrestleMania, when Lesnar and Reigns square off. I also don\’t think WWE putting the championship up for grabs in the Elimination Chamber for Lashley to retain. This match was booked so WWE can shake things up one last time before the biggest show of the year. Lashley got another ceremonial title reign to pad out his record, but Brock Lesnar is the real star here and he\’ll add another title reign to his own legacy as we jump the final hurdle and see the final destination WWE has planned for Mania. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Chris: If WWE wants a title vs title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar then Lesnar is going to have to win this match. Everything WWE is building right now is about Reigns vs Lesnar so to have Lesnar either pinned or submitted, even if it takes 5 other wrestlers to do it, probably isn’t something that’s going to happen before WrestleMania. If WWE wasn’t going to have Lesnar win this match, they would not have put him in it. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Consensus: Brock Lesnar
That wraps up our Elimination Chamber predictions. Hit up the comments to let us know what you think about our picks and share your own!
Elimination Chamber is WWE\’s next premium live event. 2022 marks 20 years since the chamber match was first introduced at November 2002 at Survivor Series.
The Road to WrestleMania begins at the Royal Rumble, but there is one last big stop on the way. WWE is putting the pieces in place for WrestleMania and we\’ll soon have a clearer look at the biggest spectacle of the year.
This is a solid lineup with a few special attractions and big developments taking us to WrestleMania.
Goldberg is back in action against . Bobby Lashley will defend the WWE Championship he just won inside the cell against 5 men including Brock Lesnar.
WWE Hall of Famer Lita challenges for the Raw Women\’s Championship in her first singles match in years. The 4-time Women\’s Champion last held a title in 2006. Plus, there will be a Women\’s Chamber match (with a mystery participant) to determine Becky Lynch\’s challenger for the Raw Women\’s Championship at WrestleMania
Here\’s the final match card for WWE Elimination Chamber 2022:
Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins vs. Riddle vs. Austin Theory
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lita
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg
Chamber Match to determine Raw Women\’s Champion Becky Lynch\’s WrestleMania opponent: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Doudrop vs. Nikki A.S.H vs. TBA
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Viking Raiders
Paul Heyman is a master communicator. He is one of the greatest talkers in wrestling history and possesses a keen ability to affect audiences.
Heyman was interviewed by NOLA.com to promote Friday\’s WWE SmackDown from New Orleans. He addressed WWE operating during the pandemic and the various challenges this presented.
With fans prohibited from attending live events, WWE was forced to get creative and ran shows from the ThunderDome. Wrestlers are reliant on reactions from audiences and it\’s just not the same performing for LCD screens.
Some talent struggled with this format, while others thrived. Paul Heyman didn\’t skip a beat and remained a prominent force during this unique period in WWE history.
“I can play the audience as my instrument.”
– Paul Heyman to NOLA.com (February 2022)
When Paul Heyman pulls back the curtain and shares clues about what makes him so great at what he does, fans need to listen up.
Heyman divulges that one trick to resonate with audiences involves viewing them as one entity instead of a collection of individuals.
\”I see the audience en masse,\” Heyman told NOLA. \”You try to seduce as much of the crowd as possible, to be invested in your message, and the only way to do that is to present yourself to all of them, not one of them or some of them.”
Heyman crafts the delivery of his words based on what he\’s sensing from the audience.
\”I can play the audience as my instrument,\” Heyman said. \”I can ride their display of emotions to what I’m saying to make the best music possible to those living it in person or watching it at home.\”
In Heyman\’s opinion, the best performers work with the audience instead of speaking at them. \”If the audience isn’t a character in the performance, then you’re leaving out your greatest asset.\”
Kenny Omega has been out of action since November 2021. After losing the AEW World Championship to Adam Page at Full Gear, the Best Bout Machine announced he\’d need to step away from AEW. He told the Young Bucks, \”I feel like there is things I gotta fix and there is things I gotta change and I can’t do it here.”
Omega had been working through injuries for months. During his reign as AEW champion, he dealt with issues affecting his knee, shoulder and an abdominal hernia.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke about Kenny Omega\’s situation this week while doing the media rounds for Wednesday\’s Dynamite from Atlantic City. During a discussion with PWInsider, Khan said Omega is greatly missed behind the scenes.
Kenny Omega Update
\”He\’s one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and was a dominant champion in AEW for almost a year,\” said Khan. \”I personally miss Kenny Omega being around very much. He\’s healing from a bunch of injuries, significant injuries.\”
\”He wrestled through all of that and had some of the best matches in the history of the company while he was really beat up. And he really cares a lot about wrestling and he worked his ass off to fill up and make his matches great even when he was in a ton of pain.\”
It\’s believed that Kenny Omega has undergone all the necessary procedures for him to begin a road back to recovery and full health. Tony Khan still can\’t believe what he was able to do in the ring while battling such extensive injuries.
\”Now it\’s time for him to rehabilitate and heal and he\’s going to come back stronger, and comeback, I hope as good or even better than ever. I really believe the stuff he did while he was physically limited was so impressive.\”
\”He was coming in with major injuries and then he worked a really hard schedule here in AEW too. I think he was absolutely the wrestler of the year for 2021. And I\’m very excited for Kenny Omega\’s return in 2022. It\’ll be a long time coming and we\’d be excited to have him back.\”
It will be interesting to see how Kenny Omega conducts himself when he returns. Prior to his hiatus, Omega was entrenched in the Elite with the Young Bucks, but there was tension with Adam Cole. We could see Omega and Cole jockey for control of The Elite, or he could go in an entirely different direction.
In the lead-up to Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair\’s match at Survivor Series, Flair said \”there\’s not enough choreography in the business to save you.\”
Flair got a ton of negative attention from the Dark Side of the Ring episode about the Plane Ride from Hell. Lynch was asked about that situation and her beef with Charlotte Flair during a November interview with Ariel Helwani. She didn\’t hold back.
“It’s really sad, because this is a legend at one point, Ric Flair is now jealous of me,\” said Lynch. \”It’s cool for me, he’s now using me to get clout to promote whatever he has going on because he’s dug himself into a hole with other things.”
Flair Says Lynch has \”No Drip\”
Last month, Ric Flair attempted to slight Becky Lynch once again, seemingly out of the blue. Lynch took a photo with rap group Migos over the weekend at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view. Migos is comprised of Offset, Quavo and Takeoff.
Flair previously worked with Offset for the Ric Flair Drip music video. He posted a comparison photo of them both and claims Becky Lynch \’has no drip and never will.\’ Flair has since deleted the tweet.
Ric Flair & Becky Lynch Beef Continues
On the latest episode of his Wooooo Nation podcast, Ric Flair hurled insults at Becky Lynch yet again. Flair called Becky Lynch generic, stupid and out of her mind.
While talking about Ronda Rousey\’s return to WWE, Flair ran down Big Time Becks for referring to Rousey as Ronnie.
\”Anybody who is stupid enough to call her \’Ronnie\’ and make a joke of her presence, what she brings to the company, is out of their mind,\” said Flair.
Becky Lynch fired back at the Nature Boy with a zinger of her own. She told her 2.1 million Twitter followers, \”Work so hard your heroes become your rivals. Then, become so good, Ric Flair loses his mind every time you breathe.\”
“Work so hard your heroes become your rivals. Then, become so good, Ric Flair loses his mind every time you breathe”- Becky Lynch – February 2022
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair believes Shane McMahon\’s departure from WWE is legitimate and not part of a wrestling storyline.
The Nature Boy spoke about Shane\’s falling out with WWE on the latest episode of his Wooooo Nation podcast.
Shane McMahon\’s surprise return at the Royal Rumble was short-lived. There were plans for Shane to be part of WWE storylines through WrestleMania, but all of that was scrapped after he exhibited what many observers called unprofessional behavior backstage at the Rumble event.
Ric Flair says he\’s very fond of the entire McMahon family and thinks the whole situation is very unfortunate.
“I like Shane McMahon as a person, he has always been great to me my whole life,\” said Flair. \”Of course, I do not have enough good things to say about Vince. It’s a very uncomfortable topic and situation for me to discuss because I just do not know enough about it.\”
When asked if WWE sending Shane McMahon home was a work, Flair says he hopes so, but he doubts it.
\”No, but I really do not see Shane being put through this brief period of humiliation for it to be something that’s not real either,\” he continued. \”If your family is as closely knit as they are, why would you let that be the top subject in WWE news for two weeks? I hope it’s a work.”
Flair added that he does not expect Shane McMahon to join All Elite Wrestling (AEW), despite speculation that he could be the mystery surprise advertised for Wednesday\’s AEW Dynamite.
Listen to the latest episode of Ric Flair\’s Wooooo Nation podcast here:
WWE has announced a Women\’s Elimination Chamber match for the company\’s next premium live event. The match has an extra layer of intrigue, because only five of the six participants will be known ahead of time.
The Women\’s Elimination Chamber match will feature Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Doudrop, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H. and a mystery entrant.
Women\’s Elimination Chamber match
Fans are speculating that the mystery opponent in the Women\’s Chamber match could be Asuka, Bayley or Alexa Bliss.
WWE Elimination Chamber Matches
The following is the updated card WWE Elimination Chamber 2022:
WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match: Bobby Lashley(c) vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles vs. Riddle vs. Austin Theory
Women\’s Elimination Chamber Match: Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Doudrop vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. TBA
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lita
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg
Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
WWE Elimination Chamber takes place on Sunday, February 19th from Saudi Arabia\’s Jeddah Super Dome. The show will stream live on Peacock and the WWE Network.
WWE legend Batista (Dave Bautista) will appear in a commercial that airs during this year\’s NFL Super Bowl.
Bautista is part of a commercial spot titled \”Thrill Driver\” to promote the all-new Nissan Z car. He wrote on Twitter, \”With this crew it’s sure to be one helluva drive!\”
The star-studded cast also includes cameos from Brie Larson (\”Captain Marvel\”), Eugene Levy and Katherine O\’hara (\”Schitt\’s Creek\”) and Danai Gurira (\”Black Panther\”).
Nissan presents \”Thrill Driver\”
You can see Dave Bautista\’s Nissan \”Thrill Driver\” Super Bowl ad here:
https://youtu.be/Bu56KAaIcac
Super Bowl LVI takes place this Sunday, February 13th. The Cincinnati Bengals will battle the Los Angeles Rams to determine which team wins the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy.
In another pro wrestling tie-in, the game takes place from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California – site of next year\’s WrestleMania 39 event.
Dave Bautista is not the only WWE personality who will have a presence at the Super Bowl. On Monday, Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson announced he\’ll make a \”special pregame appearance\” ahead of the big game. More on that here:
Bryan Danielson has been announced as the next member of Ring of Honor Hall of Fame\’s inaugural Class of 2022.
Danielson is considered a \”founding father\” of Ring of Honor. He wrestled for the promotion from its inception. He competed in the main event of the first ROH event, Era of Honor Begins. He defeated Low Ki and Christopher Daniels, setting the stage for what would be a very memorable run.
Danielson held the ROH World Championship from September 2005 to December 2006. He defended the title a record 38 times and had one of the longest ROH World title reigns in history.
Ring of Honor has referred to Danielson as \”the embodiment of fighting spirit and technical wrestling excellence.\”
ROH Hall of Fame
Ring of Honor recently announced the establishment of the ROH Hall of Fame.
The promotion has always emphasized excellence in professional wrestling. Many of pro wrestling\’s top stars honed their skills in Ring of Honor before moving on to the bright lights of WWE, AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Ring of Honor Hall of Fame
The first inductees into the inaugural ROH Hall of Fame class are Jay and Mark, The Briscoe Brothers.
Ring of Honor Is Proud To Welcome Jay & Mark Briscoe Into The Inaugural Class Of The ROH Hall Of Fame. https://t.co/CE7AQu6SbP
Don’t Miss The Briscoe’s HOF Special Episode This Weekend On ROH TV!
The ROH HOF Special Featuring All Inductees Will Air The Weekend Of 3/5 On ROH TV pic.twitter.com/OmGvZDhuVc
As announced on February 4th, \”The American Dragon\” Bryan Danielson is also part of the ROH Hall of Fame\’s Class of 2022.
Additional inductees will be announced on February 14th and 21st.
Ring of Honor will be rolling out new content to highlight the ROH Hall of Fame\’s Class of 2022. Each episode of ROH TV in February will be devoted to a Hall of Fame inductee.
There will also be weekly YouTube specials focusing on these talented athletes.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is headed to Atlantic City this week. The company will hold a live AEW Dynamite and Rampage taping on Wednesday, February 9th at Boardwalk Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 17th at AEWTIX.com.
Opened in 1929, Boardwalk Hall has hosted countless sporting events, including WWE WrestleMania\’s IV and V in 1988 and 1989.
The historic venue was also the site of several Mike Tyson boxing fights in the late 1980\’s, UFC cards and several WWE Raw and SmackDown shows.
AEW has done strong business in the north east, with impressive gates at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and Long Island\’s UBS Arena.
According to Wrestletix, AEW has sold approximately 5,000 tickets for the Atlantic City show as of February 3rd. The venue will be set up to accommodate approximately 7,000 fans.
AEW Presents "Dynamite/Rampage" Wed • Feb 09 • 7:00 PM Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
Available Tickets => 1,992 Current Setup/Capacity => 6,945 Tickets Distributed => 4,953 (71.3%)
Paige\’s WWE contract runs through June 2022. It will be very interesting to see if she sticks with WWE, or takes her talents elsewhere. Over the past several months, Paige and AEW Women\’s World Champion Britt Baker have been expressing mutual admiration for each other on Twitter.
Paige was rumored to be involved in the recent Women\’s Royal Rumble, but that never materialized. Fans were so hopeful that Paige would be in the Rumble that she was trending on social media for several days.
During her time away from wrestling, Paige has been focused on several other projects. Last year, she Paige was featured in a music video for the band Falling In Reverse.
If her in-ring career is over, Paige won\’t have any trouble raking in huge money. She has a very popular Twitch channel under the handle, @SarayaOfficial. A recent Twitch data leak revealed she\’s making a fortune doing live streams for her fans.
Paul Heyman is opening up about his decision to side with Roman Reigns over Brock Lesnar. The evil genius of WWE has guided the careers of both men, but recently realigned himself with with Reigns ahead of their upcoming clash at WrestleMania 38.
Heyman appeared on WWE After the Bell podcast with Corey Graves and explained why he chose the Tribal Chief over the Beast Incarnate.
\”He\’s driven and he\’s ambitious and he pushes himself past his limits,\” Heyman said of Reigns. \”He understands and acknowledges (no pun intended) his own limitations and he\’s willing to fight against them. And he has no fear of Brock Lesnar either on camera or behind the scenes. Roman Reigns is every bit the Tribal Chief that he presents himself to be on television.\”
Brock Lesnar recently lost the WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley at the Royal Rumble. It took interference from Reigns and Heyman to topple Lesnar, but a win is a win. Heyman says Lashley should be commended for his win, but he\’s no Roman Reigns.
\”Not to minimize what Bobby Lashley has accomplished, one victory over the Beast is one thing. Domination over the beast, countering the beast, a consistent record of being able to replace Brock Lesnar as the top star, the top attraction, the WrestleMania main event, the go-to guy, the unbeatable, the unthinkable, the unfathomable… there\’s only one person that I think really carries that credentials right now and that\’s Roman Reigns.\”
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar is the top rivalry in WWE and Paul Heyman is arguably the best talker in all of professional wrestling. The match itself is worthy of the WrestleMania main event, but the buildup should also make for some must-see television.
There\’s a lot more to Heyman\’s discussion with Corey Graves. We encourage you check out below. Watch Paul Heyman on WWE After the Bell:
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you quotes from this article
Tony Khan says some new faces will be appearing on AEW programming in the very near future.
The President of All Elite Wrestling appeared on Busted Open Radio Friday morning and addressed pro wresting\’s hot free agent market. Khan says he plans to be \”very active\” with talent acquisitions in the short-term future.
\”Just in the last several weeks, we\’ve some big [signings] and I plan to make some more big signings. And not in the longterm future, I mean in the short-term future. I\’ll still be very active in the free agent market and the Forbidden Door shall be opening again very soon.\”
Khan guarantees there will be some news coming out of tonight\’s AEW Rampage and also \”next week.\” He touted that AEW\’s roster keeps getting better and Rampage allows for more opportunities to feature people.
Tony Khan prides himself on being a wrestling fan who listens to his audience. Looking at the free agent market, he knows there are wrestlers out there who can bring new fans to AEW.
\”I have to say, I really really love listening to the wrestling fans. I love wrestling myself and I\’m a fan. I believe that the fans give us the direction and it\’s up to us to give great shows that the people want to see.
\”Any time we can sign somebody that\’s going to make the fans excited, that\’s gonna come in here and give the fans big matches that they\’re excited to watch, and somebody that\’s going to bring new fans to AEW, it\’s a great opportunity for us, so i will continue to explore the free agent market and the Forbidden Door will be opening again soon.\”
The current free agent market is stacked with talent, including Jeff Hardy (available next month), Windham Rotunda, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Adam Scherr, Karrion Kross, Athena, Toni Storm, Shane Strickland, Nixon Newell and The Briscoe Brothers.
Former WWE & Impact star Ken Anderson has responded to allegations that he scammed the students Minneapolis-based wrestling school, The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling.
According to Anderson, \”nobody has been conned or scammed.\” He intends to reopen his school once they can find a new location. He also vows that the students who paid to attend the school years ago will get what they paid for.
The controversy began when one of his students posted a thread on Reddit writing:
\”Ken Anderson’s wrestling school has been closed for quite some time now and has not opened or resumed like other gyms and recreational sports.
He’s been taking in new recruits for over a year now during the pandemic with no facility or real date set in place. Not having a facility to train in was not disclosed during the signup process.
He’s gone silent and his only update every 2-3 months is that they’re in talks with a realtor for a new facility but no real progress comes out of it.
Students have now been enrolled for close to two years with no training in sight, not even remote homework like tape study, character development or promos. His official website for the school has since gone down, which doesn’t help the situation or convey a good message.\”
Ken Anderson\’s Statement
Anderson posted the following statement on Facebook giving his side of the story:
\”I feel it necessary, given the nature of the original Reddit post and subsequent articles written about my character and my wrestling school, to address them publicly.
I personally have not been contacted by anyone from the Internet Wrestling Community wishing to ask for my comments on those statements about me. In 2016, my friend Shawn Daivari and I realized we had similar visions for how a wrestling school should be and could be operated. We decided to team up and open \’The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling.\’
Since day one, we were committed to giving everyone that came through our doors an opportunity to learn as much as they could about professional wrestling. From safety to etiquette, from basic holds to exciting high spots, from character development to interview skills, we either covered it or were able to connect our students to resources that did. We’ve hosted some of the biggest names in the wrestling industry as guest trainers. We’ve welcomed over 200 students from all walks of life, foreign and domestic, each with individual goals and aspirations.
Dozens of those students now appear weekly around the midwest independent wrestling scene, some have traveled nationally and even internationally, a handful of our graduates are “on the radar” of the big companies, and a few call AEW their current fulltime employer.
Unfortunately, Covid 19 closed our doors in 2020. I understand that not all will agree with our decision to not re-open and to play it safe (some re-opened almost immediately) as we were hit with variants and waves of infection. I don’t have control over what others choose to do with their bodies or businesses, but I felt it was the right thing to do for the health and safety of our students and their families as well as our own family. Pro -wrestling and social distancing do not pair well. If I had to do it again without the benefit of hindsight I would have handled those unsure times the same way.
As those dates got pushed forward, in the individual correspondence with our students, there was a natural sense of frustration. But each time we expressed our reasons and concerns, we were met with understanding every time, from every student. It was our understanding that everyone was on the same page. In hindsight we recognize that we could have and should have communicated more.
Nobody has been conned or scammed. We remain as dedicated to and excited about re-opening now as we were to initially open our doors in 2016.
We are currently working with a realtor to secure a new location that will meet our specific needs: high ceilings, zero noise restrictions, ample parking for our students, price and location. Two months ago, we had found a great building that met every single one of those criteria, but after discussing it with each student individually, and some expressing concerns over distance, we decided that it wasn’t a fit. We need to do this right the …second time. With minimum 3-5 yr lease terms we cannot get into a building that isn’t going to check those boxes.
We look forward to re-opening. The minute that we secure that building, we will be in touch with everyone including new students, returning students and graduates.In the meantime, our students are encouraged to contact us at any time, with any concerns.
Thank you, Ken Anderson The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling (507)722-2776\”
Former WWE Superstar Athena (Ember Moon) will challenge for championship gold in her first match since leaving WWE.
Athena\’s return match will take place next Saturday, February 12th for Warrior Wrestling. She\’ll challenge Warrior Wrestling Women\’s Champion Thunder Rosa at Warrior Wrestling 19 from Cicero Stadium outside Chicago, IL.
Thunder Rosa recently issued an open challenge to determine her next opponent. Now that she is a free agent, Athena stepped up.
Warrior Wrestling released the following promo hyping this contest:
Athena wrote on Twitter, \”We back baybeee and we are gonna take titles!\”
She also revealed her new theme song will be \”Athena\” by the band Plush.
Earlier this week, Athena held a stream on Twitch where she spoke about her WWE run. Despite being underutilized on the main roster, she said she\’s grateful for the opportunities WWE gave her and feels bad for the other developmental talent who did not get the same breaks that she did.
The Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff, have signed to wrestle together at another upcoming show.
The Hardys will team up on March 19th for the Patriotic Wrestling Federation\’s live event from Clover, South Carolina. The match is being promoted as \”The Hardy Boyz Carolina’s Reunion: 3 Years in The Making!\”
Other familiar names booked to appear PWF show Griff Garrison of the Varsity Blonds and Brock Anderson (accompanied by his father, Arn Anderson). Ricky \”The Dragon\” Steamboat and Bill Eadie (Demolition Ax\”) will also be on hand for meet & greets.
For more information and tickets, visit PWFLive.com.
Jeff Hardy is currently bound by a WWE 90-day non-compete clause. He will be free to wrestle again on March 9th.
The Hardy Boyz will be reuniting for several upcoming shows. They will team together on March 12th for Big Time Wrestling in Webster, Massachusetts.
The 12-time tag team champions will also be doing autograph signings at the following events:
Saturday, March 12: Zombie Hideout (Springfield, MA)
Former WWE Superstar Athena (Ember Moon) is speaking out about her time with the company.
Athena departed WWE on November 4th, 2021. 90+ days later, she is now a free agent and able to work for other promotions.
On Wednesday, she held a live stream on Twitch and said she harbors no bad feelings against the company. She is grateful for the opportunities WWE afforded her and believes the positives outweigh the negatives.
There is no use in being mad.
– Athena
\”Without WWE, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today,\” she said. \”I got to travel the world, meet amazing people and make amazing friends that are going to be with me for a lifetime. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s all bad.\”
Athena Grateful for Opportunity
Athena says many of the people she worked and trained with did not get the opportunities that she did.
She held the NXT Women\’s Championship (2017) and competed on the main roster. She still had a lot left to accomplish in WWE, but the Performance Center and NXT are full of talent who never get a chance in the spotlight.
\”That’s part of the reason why I feel like it’s not fair for me to come on here and b*tch and moan and whine, she said. \”It’s not fair.\”
Several other former WWE Superstars became free agents this week, including Keith Lee and Karrion Kross. Check out the articles below to see their latest comments since the expiration of their non-compete clauses.
Keith Lee sounds hungry to get back in the ring, wherever \”the force\” takes him.
In the weeks following his WWE release, Keith Lee has assured fans that he will return in some capacity. He told his followers on social media, \”patience is key.\”
Killer Kross is now a free agent. He was one of nearly 20 people released by WWE on November 4th, 2022. His 90-day non-compete clause has expired, paving the way for whatever comes next.
To commemorate his freedom, Kross released a new vignette titled, Midnight. In the video, he makes a clear distinction between Killer Kross and Karrion Kross, the character he portrayed in WWE and NXT.
\”When they called, they said, \’We are releasing you.\’ And how ironic, because they said that to the man who put me away. And at the same time they were releasing him, it was actually they who released me, which is exactly what I needed the entire time. And now, I have such sights to show you. Stay tuned. Tick-tock.\”
Karrion Kross in WWE
Killer Kross joined WWE in February 2020. Over the next two years, he would wreak havoc on NXT, WWE\’s developmental brand. He was booked as a maniacal killer and captured the NXT Championship on two separate occasions.
It seemed like Karrion Kross was destined for big things when he was called up to the main roster, but that was not the case. He made his WWE Raw debut on July 19th, 2021. Despite holding the NXT Championship at the time, he was pinned by Jeff Hardy in less than two minutes.
Kross officially joined the Raw brand a month later. His character received a complete overhaul, including a gladiator helmet and suspenders. His fiancée, Scarlett Bordeaux, was no longer part of his act. Kross didn\’t do much on the Raw brand from there. He and Scarlett were both released a few months later.
In addition to Karrion Kross, other former WWE Superstars who are now free agents include Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Scarlett Bordeaux and Eva Marie.
Over a dozen former WWE Superstars are now free agents.
As part of WWE\’s ongoing effort to aggressively cut costs, the company held another round of mass layoffs on November 4th, 2021. Talent from NXT had 30-day non-compete clauses, while the main roster stars were bound by 90-day restrictions.
We are 90 days removed from November 4th, which means all of the following stars are now free agents and able to work anywhere:
B-Fab
Davey Boy Smith Jr
Ember Moon
Eva Marie
Gran Metalik
Karrion Kross
Keith Lee
Lince Dorado
Mia Yim
Nia Jax
Scarlett Bordeaux
In two more weeks, another batch of wrestlers will join the free agency market from the releases that took place on November 18th:
John Morrison
Top Dolla
Ashante Adonis
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Tegan Nox
Drake Maverick
Shane Thorne
Jaxson Ryker
It remains to be seen how many of these performers join the ranks of AEW, Impact, New Japan Pro Wrestling, MLW and the independent scene.
Ric Flair has announced he and Wendy Barlow are going their separate ways. On Monday, Flair issued a brief statement announcing their separation. He wrote on Twitter:
\”After taking some time apart, Wendy and I have decided to go our separate ways. Please respect our privacy & our families during this time!
I will love & cherish all of our memories together forever, and I will forever be thankful for all she has done to make my life better!\”
After Taking Some Time Apart, Wendy And I Have Decided To Go Our Separate Ways. Please Respect Our Privacy & Our Families During This Time! I Will Love & Cherish All Of Our Memories Together Forever, And I Will Forever Be Thankful For All She Has Done To Make My Life Better!
Was Ric Flair ever married to Wendy Barlow? News of their separation led to some confusion about their legal marital status.
They had a lavish wedding ceremony in September 2018 at the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Florida. High-profile guests included The Undertaker, Dolph Ziggler and Dennis Rodman.
Flair regularly referred to Barlow as his wife. However, Flair now says they were never legally married In a statement to People on Monday, Flair set the record straight:
\”It was just a ceremony. We were never married.\”
– Ric Flair to People
Barlow told People they never applied for a marriage license.
The two have been living apart for the past six months.
Ric Flair\’s Wives
Ric Flair was has been married four times. He married Leslie Goodman in August 1971. They had two children (Megan and David) before divorcing in 1983.
He married Elizabeth Harrell later that year. The marriage produced two children, Ashley (Charlotte Flair) and Reid. They divorced in 2006. He married Tiffany VanDemark in 2006. They divorced in in 2009.
Later tat year, he married Jacqueline Beems. They filed for divorce in 2012.
Former WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley (Dean Muhtadi) is opening up about his long-term battle with COVID-19.
According to Rawley, he almost died due to complications from the virus. Fortunately, he\’s recovering. Get hyped because he plans to wrestle again in the near future.
Rawley posted a video to Instagram on Monday and detailed how bad things got for him. During the Summer 2020, his lungs were in such bad shape that he couldn\’t speak for days.
\”Maybe the scariest part of the whole thing was the fact that the doctors had no idea what to say because it was so new,\” he recalls. \”Fast forward 19 months later, and I\’m not quite 100 percent, but I\’m getting pretty close. My training has been kicked up and I\’m feeling good enough to announce officially that I\’m coming back to wrestling, baby.\”
\”COVID thought it got me, but it must have forgot — I stay hyped!\”
– Mojo Rawley
Watch Mojo Rawley\’s full statement about his battle with COVID-19 here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZ3CLdhlSP/
WWE released Mojo Rawley on April 15th, 2021 while he was battling these serious COVID-related health issues.
Shortly after getting let go by WWE, he expressed frustration about the lack of creative direction for his character. Fans may remember he turned heel and painted his face towards the end of his run. During a July 2021 interview, he told Chris Van Vliet, “I Painted My Face Like An Idiot For Nothing.”
According to IMDB.com, he appeared in the 2021 movie Snake Eyes, a spinoff of the G.I. Joe franchise.
Melina was a surprise entrant in the 2022 Women\’s Royal Rumble match. The legendary Diva got emotional recapping the experience in a backstage interview shortly after the match.
WWE announced several legends would be appearing in the Women\’s Rumble, but Melina was a total surprise. It was her first time back in a WWE ring in over a decade.
Melina was moved to tears recalling her return.
\”Oh my goodness, you\’re going to make me cry,\” she began. \”It\’s beautiful because I haven\’t been in a WWE ring in 11 years. So, I\’ve been waiting for this moment and I\’m telling you, the fans are so amazing. You have no idea. I feel people\’s energy, so when I hear that crowd and everybody cheering, the love.. I hear it, I feel it, with all of my heart. It was so beautiful, so I thank each and every one of you guys.\”
She added, \”This is a blessing. I\’m grateful for every opportunity I have.\”
Melina & Sasha Banks
Melina & Sasha Banks at the WWE Royal Rumble (2022)
Melina was the second entrant in the 2022 Women\’s Royal Rumble match. She shared the ring with Sasha Banks, who drew #1.
Melina was eliminated by Sasha Banks and admits her Royal Rumble game plan went out the window when she found herself caught up in the moment.
\”It\’s my first Rumble, my game plan wasn\’t right, I was having a moment,\” said Melina. \”To face Sasha after all these years and everything, I never got to be in the ring with her. So that was a moment for me. I was thrown off, forgetting about the Rumble. That moment with Sasha, I was so invested in that, I totally forgot about the Rumble and that\’s on me. That\’s on me and I blame myself. Good for her, I\’m glad she was smart about it. Good for her.\”
Melina on the WWE Locker Room
Melina is a true legend of the Divas era and paved the way for today\’s robust WWE Women\’s division. She said it was \”beautiful\” to be back in the women\’s locker room and still feels that WWE is her home.
\”Tears and hugs, reminiscing and stuff, everybody\’s been awesome,\” she said. \”It\’s beautiful to be back. This is my home, so it\’s beautiful to come back and be able to be a part of it with all these women.\”
Women\’s wrestling has come a long way since Melina\’s WWE run ended in 2011. She is proud of today\’s Superstars who took women\’s wrestling to where it is today.
\”When I was here, never in my wildest dreams did I think women would have a Rumble. I never thought I\’dre live to see the day. To be able to see it happen and to finally be a part of it, I\’m so proud. I\’m so proud, not of myself, but of the girls who are carrying this on and making history happen for the women who are the future of wrestling.\”
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