AEW star Hook appeared on stage with rapper Action Bronson Saturday night in San Diego, California.
Hook uses Bronson\’s song \”The Chairman\’s Intent\” as his entrance theme music. Mid-way through his concert, Action Bronson brought out Hook for a special live performance of the song.
For Lyrics to The Chairman\’s Intent, visit Genius.
Bronson \”sent Hook\” a big compliment by announcing him as the #1 prospect in wrestling.
Watch Hook join Action Bronson on stage for \”The Chairman\’s Intent\”:
Brock Lesnar slammed Jackass star Wee Man onto a table on Friday night.
Lesnar and Wee Man are in St. Louis this weekend for WWE\’s highly anticipated Royal Rumble premium live event. You never know what you\’re going to see when you attend a big pro wrestling weekend. Patrons who were enjoying their dinner got an eye-full here.
Wee Man\’s Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville as also at the restaurant, but (wisely) didn\’t step in to break up the mayhem. The table didn\’t break, but some glass did and we can\’t speak for Wee Man\’s physical condition.
The 2022 WWE Royal Rumble airs live Saturday night on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.
Brock Lesnar will defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley, while Wee Man is in town to support Johnny Knoxville\’s Royal Rumble apparitions.
Knoxville has teased that he\’ll have support from his Jackass Forever co-stars at the Rumble. Fellow Jackass alum Steve-O is also in town. We\’ll see if Wee Man makes it to The Dome after what he went through at the hands of Brock Lesnar.
Jackass Forever hits theaters Friday, February 4th.
The 2022 WWE Royal Rumble premium live event takes place Saturday night, January 29th from St Louis, Missouri at The Dome.
The Road to WrestleMania begins at the Royal Rumble. The card is stacked and WWE is about to kick the year\’s top storylines into high gear.
SEScoops staff members Fernando Quiles, Andrew Ravens and I have gotten together to provide our official Royal Rumble Predictions.
But first, SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay did an in-depth preview for the Women\’s Royal Rumble match on the latest episode of Women\’s Wrestling Focus.
Royal Rumble Predictions:
Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse
Andrew: Another month, another match involving Edge and Miz against each other. To WWE’s credit, at least they didn’t run back another single match, but got straight to the point. If WWE wants to extend this feud then the heels could go over. As much as I hope WWE moves on from this feud, I can’t see WWE beating Miz in back-to-back matches so have Maryse and Miz go over before booking a third and final match.
Prediction: The Miz and Maryse
Fernando: I\’ve gone back-and-forth with this one. A loss in this situation doesn\’t hurt anybody although Miz would lose to Edge in back-to-back PPVs with another defeat. Edge will be due for a big singles match at WrestleMania and I can see Miz sharing the ring with another celebrity at the big event. Ultimately, I\’m gonna go with Beth pinning Maryse in her return match.
Prediction: Edge & Beth Phoenix
Michael: This match is somewhat of a guilty pleasure. It\’s a little corny with the warring couples but most of the participants can really go in the ring and I think they will all rise to the occasion. I don\’t see Beth Phoenix coming out of retirement to lose and WWE should want to keep Edge strong in this stage of his career so he can still be featured at the top of cards as a singles wrestler.
Andrew: No one is giving Doudrop a chance here to win the match. I wouldn’t be surprised to see if WWE runs this match back for next month’s Elimination Chamber match, but Lynch isn’t losing the title before Mania and especially not to do Doudrop.
Prediction: Becky Lynch
Michael: Becky Lynch isn\’t losing to Doudrop. She\’s in the upper echelon of box office draws on the entire roster and she\’s on the fast track to big things at WrestleMania 38. Doudrop\’s booking on the main roster has been questionable, despite her in-ring abilities. This is a chance for Doudrop to make a statement with a strong showing on the biggest stage of her career. However, Becky is getting her hand raised.
Prediction: Becky Lynch
Fernando: Becky and Doudrop had a pretty good segment on the go-home episode of Monday Night Raw. Doudrop has done her best to make herself appear to be a viable threat to Becky\’s championship but we all know the outcome here. I\’m just hoping that this match ends up being a banger, which both wrestlers are more than capable of doing. It\’ll boil down to how this one is booked. Becky will move on to a massive WrestleMania match.
Michael: The Women\’s Royal Rumble has more intrigue this year than the men\’s. It\’s looking like at least a third of the participants will be legends from the past. Most of these blasts from the past have no chance of winning, but only a handful of competitors have a chance at winning anyways, legends or not. We\’ve seen the reports that Ronda Rousey is rumored to be at the Royal Rumble. She could win the Rumble to set up a big WrestleMania match against Becky Lynch. However, I think WWE uses this as a chance to reset Bianca Belair and push her back to the top tier after her big push faltered last year around SummerSlam. Bianca Belair makes history and becomes the first person to win the Women\’s Royal Rumble back-to-back.
Prediction: Bianca Belair
Fernando: There\’s been a lot of buzz about a potential return for Ronda Rousey. Before the hoopla, I would\’ve guessed that Bianca Belair would win her second straight Royal Rumble and go on to avenge her SummerSlam loss to Becky Lynch. With Rousey now potentially in play, there\’s only one prediction to make here.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey
Andrew: Before this week, I would say that Bianca Belair is the clear-cut favorite and still could be if Ronda Rousey doesn’t show up during the match. Belair, Rousey, and Charlotte Flair are really the top favorites in my mind. WWE could hold off on plans for Rousey so I will stick with my Bianca pick that will send her to WrestleMania.
Prediction: Bianca Belair
Consensus: Bianca Belair
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
Andrew: This should be the best normal match of the night as these guys have worked together a lot both as a tag team and against each other. There is no chance Reigns loses the title here as WWE has much bigger plans in place for him, but fans can still sit back and watch a classic this match could be.
Prediction: Roman Reigns
Fernando: It\’s hard to see this match not being a banger. When it comes to the bright lights, Reigns and Rollins are absolute pros. They also have great chemistry whether they\’re teaming together or facing each other. Seth will likely get the babyface treatment from the crowd here but I doubt Reigns is eating a pin before WrestleMania. Get ready for a slew of near-falls, however.
Prediction: Roman Reigns
Michael: These work so well together. Rollins and Reigns will deliver a match worthy of the stadium they\’ll be fighting in. Roman Reigns is the top dog in WWE and Seth Rollins is not the man to dethrone him. Once again, WrestleMania fantasy booking comes into play. Reigns is on a collision course with Brock Lesnar an Rollins isn\’t knocking this thing off course. Roman Reigns stands tall when all is said and done in what I predict will be match of the night. Believe that.
Fernando: This match has been years in the making and may have never happened if Roman Reigns wasn\’t pulled from the Day 1 event, allowing Brock to capture the WWE Championship. I\’m hoping this is a fast-paced hard-hitting match similar to Lesnar vs. Goldberg. It doesn\’t have to go long, it just has to be exciting. I think Lesnar drops the WWE Title due to interference from either Reigns or The Usos.
Prediction: Bobby Lashley
Michael: I won\’t believe this match is really happening until both men are standing in the ring together. The phrase dream match gets thrown around a lot, but Lashley has been talking about wanting to face Lesnar for so long now. This is Lashley\’s moment and I see him scoring a career-highlight victory over Brock Lesnar. A win for Lashley would mean much more for Lashley and Lesnar doesn\’t need the WWE Championship for the big showdown with Reigns. Bobby Lashley gets his moment
Prediction: Bobby Lashley
Andrew: A title change will happen. WWE doesn’t want to do title vs. title for Reigns and Lesnar at Mania so Lesnar has to drop the title at some point. While the case for Big E to be the man to beat Lesnar can be made, if WWE wanted to go in that direction they wouldn’t have had him eat the pin at Day 1 nor not book Big E vs. Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Lashley is the second most credible guy on the Raw roster to beat Lesnar so have Lashley take the title and allow Lesnar to move on.
Prediction: Bobby Lashley
Consensus: Bobby Lashley regains the WWE Championship
Michael: The Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated matches of the entire year. I\’m looking forward to seeing the creative spots and surprise appearances WWE has planned. My personal pick would be for Big E to win and get a true \’chase\’ storyline for the WWE Championship. However, I think we\’re going to see Brock Lesnar pull double duty, enter and win the Royal Rumble after dropping the WWE title earlier in the night.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar
Fernando: This is going to be a boring prediction but one I can easily see coming to fruition. I don\’t believe both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will successfully defend their world titles. I only see one of them walking out of Royal Rumble with gold and WWE isn\’t having Roman lose before WrestleMania. My prediction is The Bloodline costs Lesnar the WWE Title in his match with Bobby Lashley. This will give WWE an excuse to throw him in the Rumble match and win it.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar
Andrew Ravens: My lock here is Brock Lesnar, who isn’t confirmed for the match just yet as he’s facing Lashley on this show. I still stand by my theory that Lesnar will drop the title here so why not have him come back strong and win the rumble match as the #30 entrant in the bout, which will no doubt get a big pop. This would allow WWE to get to their plans at WrestleMania.
Saturday night\’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event is sure to feature several surprise appearances.
SEScoops has learned that former Superstar Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin) is currently in St. Louis, Missouri, site of the Royal Rumble.
Kaitlyn first signed with WWE back in 2010. She wrestled for Florida Championship Wrestling before getting called up to the main roster.
She is a former Divas Champion, but left the company in 2014. Kaitlyn returned to WWE for a brief run in 2018-2019.
Kaitlin is currently involved in Project This is Me, an organization dedicated to, \”getting you back to who you were, before you conformed to what you presumed what was expected of you; Clearing the path to create everything you’ve ever wanted to become. Everything.\”
Visit our official Royal Rumble event page to catch up on all the latest news regarding the Rumble and all the expected surprise returns.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYcXlBVLeiQ/
Update: Since our report, Kaitlyn posted a photo on her Instagram story of herself in front of the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
Paul Heyman has shared his unique insight on CM Punk\’s return to professional wrestling. According to Heyman, Punk is still riding the momentum of the excitement surrounding his return. He believes it will be at least a year until we can truly evaluate the impact of his current run.
Heyman appeared on The Ringer\’s The Masked Man Show podcast this week to promote Saturday\’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event. He spoke with David Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide about working closely with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, what it means to be a Paul Heyman Guy and much more.
CM Punk returned to wrestling last summer. He made his debut for All Elite Wrestling at AEW Rampage: The First Dance on August 20, 2021. Since then, Punk has worked memorable programs with Darby Allin and MJF. He appears to be thoroughly enjoying himself, a stark contrast from when he left WWE in 2014.
When asked what he thinks about the work CM Punk is doing in AEW, Paul Heyman says he\’s not sure if Punk should be judged on the work he is currently doing.
\”I think what will be interesting is what happens when the novelty that he’s back wears off, both for the audience and for him.\”
– Paul Heyman on CM Punk\’s return to wrestling
According to the mastermind behind ECW, it\’s going to take some time before we can truly gauge Punk\’s return to wrestling. Will Punk simply ride the wave of nostalgia, or will he revolutionize the business again?
\”What happens a year from now? How’s he going to feel? How will the audience look at him and accept him in a year? If he can continue to drive himself to being a progressive, compelling, riveting character on the cutting edge that presents himself in a different manner than anybody else can present himself, herself, then he’s going to be fascinating character to watch.\”
Heyman continued, \”If he can’t, then he’s going to be someone that came back, rode a wave of nostalgia but didn’t progress into the future when he as a rebel was always looking forward in the business and never trying to live off what the business had already accomplished or what he had already accomplished in the business.\”
What fascinates Paul Heyman most is the vision CM Punk has for his character. We are still in the \”honeymoon period\” of Punk being back in wrestling.
CM Punk & Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns & CM Punk
Heyman says Punk\’s current situation is very similar to Roman Reigns\’ transition from The Big Dog to The Tribal Chief. Before they joined forces on WWE television, Heyman had a heart-to-heart conversation with Reigns. He told Reigns that everything he had done up to that point was the \”appetizer\” of his career. Even though he had already main evented WrestleMania four times, that was practice.
\”This is where your legacy gets crafted,\” he told Reigns. \”This is your Hall of Fame run. This is what you will be remembered for and everything before was just getting you here, including four WrestleMania main events.\”
Heyman says CM Punk is still in the \”warm up\” phase of what could be an all-time great career. A year from now, when this current honeymoon phase is over, he\’ll have a chance to solidify his legacy.
\”Where does he take the CM Punk character in 2023, 2024, 2025? Can he make that character so progressive, so revolutionary, so evolutionary, so riveting, so compelling, so different and unique than anybody that’s out there that he truly defines himself as a transformative figure, a true disruptor in the professional wrestling/sports-entertainment game? That’s the interesting part to me.\”
Heyman added that \”momentum eventually stops\” and Punk has to create the next wave of momentum to truly touch the audience in a meaningful way.
A new action figure portraying Sasha Banks\’ Mandalorian character is now available for pre-sale. WWE\’s Legit Boss played Koska Reeves in the popular Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney Plus.
The \”sixth scale\” figure from Hot Toys will not come cheap. The figure is currently on sale for $270 and will not ship for over a year.
Sasha Banks reacted to the news of this pre-sale, writing, \”My heart is on fire holy holy\”
The description of the Koska Reeves Sixth Scale figure reads,
In continuation of expanding the widely popular The Mandalorian collectible series, Sideshow and Hot Toys are excited to officially introduce the new Koska Reeves Sixth Scale Collectible Figure!
\”The Koska Reeves collectible figure features newly developed head sculpt with great likeness and detailed hair sculpture, Mandalorian helmet and armor with weathering effects, skillfully tailored under-suit, a jetpack with booster fire effects, a blaster rifle, a blaster pistol, a wired grappling hook, a flamethrower effect, a themed display stand, and backdrop!\”
Visit Sideshow.com to pre-order and for additional information
WWE is looking to bring someone new on to the creative team.
A job listing posted by WWE Careers seeks a \”copyrighter\” to join the company\’s creative media division.
The job description reads:
Who’s ready to get in the ring?! Not literally of course, the metaphorical copywriting ring at WWE! We are looking for a smart & savvy wordsmith to join WWE Media as a copywriter supporting the Creative Media Division.
As part of CMD you’ll be directly involved with creating promos, cold opens, episodics, commercials, and much more. Here’s your chance to work with WWE Superstars and A-List talent across the entertainment industry. Make sure to come ready with your personal WWE Superstar moniker because you know we’re gonna ask!
The job function includes:
Lead, formulate, and develop ideas that ladder up to the Creative Director – Copy
Write for a host of media including digital, broadcast, manifestos, & scripts
Work closely with internal teams in all stages of the creative process — from brainstorming to project delivery.
Understand strategy to ensure all ideas align with the WWE brand.
Thrive under tight deadlines and can juggle multiple projects at once.
Ability to think strategically and conceptualize big picture creative.
Expert storytelling skills with the ability to self-edit.
WWE asks that prospective applicants have at least 2 years experience as a copyrighter and an understanding of WWE\’s \”brand voice.\”
Click here to see more active job listings from WWE.
WWE Hall of Famer \”Hacksaw\” Jim Duggan knows a thing or two about how to win the Royal Rumble. Duggan won the inaugural Rumble match back in 1988 and helped set the blueprint for how to emerge victorious from one of WWE\’s toughest gauntlets.
Duggan recently spoke with Betway and shared some Royal Rumble strategy for the 30 men and 30 women who will be \”rumbling\” this weekend.
\”The whole thing is about longevity,\” he said. \”That’s why when you watch the Royal Rumble, everyone goes straight to the corners. That’s a safe place.”
A battle royal is very different to a standard singles match. Duggan liked wrestling people one-on-one, because he could control the pace of the fight. The Royal Rumble is an entirely different beast.
\”Nobody’s controlling nothing, it’s like the Wild West out there.”
– Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hacksaw Jim Duggan navigating the chaos of the Royal Rumble
More \’Tough Guy\’ than Wrestler
A lot has changed since Duggan won the Royal Rumble 34 years ago. He admits wrestlers today are more athletic, but his generation was more creative.
\”I think overall the talent nowadays is much better in terms of athletic ability, but my generation of guys were much more creative,\” he said. \”We didn’t have a board of guys coming up with our character – I own Hacksaw Jim Duggan and trademarked it long before I went to WWE – so we were much more willing to try something new.\”
Duggan wasn\’t the most technically savvy wrestler. He was more of a brawler. In fact, he doesn\’t even consider himself a former wrestler.
\”I wasn’t a wrestler. People ask, ‘Hacksaw, what was your favorite move?’ I kick and punch, I’m a brawler. I would work with Flair sometimes, get beat 1-2-3 in the middle, grab a 2×4, hit Flair, hit the referee, hit the timekeeper. HOOOO! I didn’t win the match, but I’d win the fight. I was a tough guy.\”
WWE newcomer Tiffany Stratton was in action once again on Tuesday\’s episode of NXT 2.0. \”The Buff Barbie Doll\” battled former NXT Women\’s Champion Io Shirai in a hard-hitting match. Shirai picked up the win.
You can watch highlights from the match here:
Stratton is a bit green, but she showed promise despite this being only her second match in NXT.
WWE spent several weeks building her \’Daddy\’s Girl\’ character with a series of throwback vignettes, so you can be sure the company will be patient as she develops her act.
Ryan Pappolla, host of WWE\’s The Bump digital certain, sees her potential:
Tiffany Stratton is unquestionably the future. #WWENXT
Tiffany Stratton is a heel character and she wrestled a fan favorite in Io Shirai this week, so she should expect to be booed. However, that doesn\’t mean she takes the negative feedback lightly.
In response to fans who booed her on this week\’s NXT, Stratton has a message:
Recording superstar OllieJayy appeared on this week\’s NXT 2.0 to perform the show\’s official new theme song, Make Em Fall.
OllieJayy (real name: Olivia Johnson) is a popular singer and fashion blogger.
Some of her best known songs include Spooky SZN, Posin, Just a Perk and Slow Ride. Her music can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music and other major streaming platforms.
You can also watch her latest music videos on YouTube.
Watch OllieJayy perform \”Make Em Fall\” on NXT 2.0:
Reactions to OllieJayy\’s NXT Performance
OllieJay\’s first appearance on WWE television generated a lot of buzz. She was the top-trending topic coming out of the show.
Fans on social media also seemed to love the performance.
Watching NXT on replay, I had Never heard of @olliejayy_ until today but y’all need to gone ahead and bring her back ASAP…???#WWENXT
The Bella Twins interviewed Trish Stratus days before the Royal Rumble, so of course they asked if fans could be in for some Stratusfaction this weekend.
Unfortunately, Trish told the Bellas that she is currently busy filming the semifinals for Canada\’s Got Talent, where she serves as a judge.
Trish Stratus (Photo: Canada\’s Got Talent)
\”They do wrap up at a certain time,\” she said. \”I\’ll be in that headspace, so that\’s sort of my focus at the moment. That\’s what I have to do. You know how intense it is, I have to be in it.\”
Of course, this is exactly what someone would say if they were hoping to keep their Royal Rumble plans under wraps…
Elsewhere in the interview, Trish gave the Bellas advice about parenthood, recalled some amazing adventures from her WWE career and shared some of the wisdom that guided her to seven WWE Women\’s Championships.
WWE Superstar Paige and AEW Women\’s World Champion Britt Baker continue to express mutual admiration for one another.
Paige vs. Britt Baker is not happening any time soon, but it\’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Their latest Twitter interaction saw Paige professing her love for Baker. Pro wrestling\’s most dangerous dentist replied that she loves Paige too and is a huge fan of hers.
Some fans told Paige that she should be careful tweeting about an AEW-contracted wrestler. She jokingly replied, \”Oh no. Not me commenting on another wrestlers talent. Someone alert the church elders! Don\’t tell Vince McMahon!\”
Paige and Britt Baker
Britt Baker has expressed interest in working with Paige if she ever leaves WWE and gets medically cleared to wrestle again.
Going back to October 2020, Baker floated the idea of working with the former Divas Champion.
Paige last competed in December 2017, when she was forced into retirement due to neck injuries. She has expressed interest in wrestling again, whether it be for WWE or elsewhere.
During a Twitch stream last summer, Paige clarified that her WWE contract expires in June 2022.
\”Who knows if they would want to give me a new contract? Who\’s to say they would want to? If they did, I\’d love to have Twitch as a part of the contract.\”
As seen in the tweet embedded above, she wrote:
\”My neck feels wonderful. Can you let me in yet coach?\”
NXT star Odyssey Jones will be out of action for the next several months.
The big man from Coram, New York sustained a knee knee injury earlier this month. On January 11th, he wrestled in a match taped for 205 live.
During his match against Grayson Waller\’s new bodyguard Sanga, Jones appeared to blow out his knee. He was helped to the back by WWE officials and the match never aired.
Jones appeared on NXT last week getting checked out in the trainer\’s room. He was attacked by Harland, further aggravating the injury per WWE storylines.
On Tuesday\’s NXT, broadcaster Vic Joseph announced that Odyssey Jones recently underwent surgery to correct a ruptured patella tendon.
The surgery is considered a success, but he will miss significant ring time. Odyssey Jones is expected to be out of action until late 2022.
This is a tough break for Jones, who is considered to be one of the most talented prospects in WWE\’s developmental brand.
Prior to joining WWE, Jones played football for Syracuse University, where he served as an offensive guard. His college football career was cut short during his senior year, when he suffering a lower leg injury.
Odyssey Jones made headlines earlier for comments on social media that some considered to be transphobic. You can read about that story here:
Keith Lee has taken steps to secure the rights to his \”Limitless\” moniker.
Last week, Lee (via attorney Michael E. Dockins) applied to trademark the name for professional wrestling and entertainment purposes.
The complete \’goods and services\’ usage description at the US Patent & Trademark Office reads:
Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality in the field of professional wrestling and sports for entertainment purposes.
He also applied to trademark the following Limitless logo, for merchandising purposes:
Keith Lee was released from WWE on November 4, 2021.
She is also Steve Austin\’s guest on the next installment of Broken Skull Sessions. The episode drops this Friday.
WWE has released a teaser clip for the episode. Steve Austin invites Becky Lynch to play The Game of GOATs, which involves the contestant naming the \’greatest of all time\’ for various categories. Some of the questions are wrestling-related, but not all of them.
Becky Lynch plays The Game of GOATs
Here are Becky Lynch\’s picks for the greatest of all time:
WWE Champion: Herself
Workout Song: Bulls on Parade (Rage Against the Machine)
Finishing Move (other than her own): Shooting Star Press
Movie: What\’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
TV Show: Saved by the Bell
WrestleMania Entrance: Any of Triple H\’s
Athlete Outside of WWE: Conor McGregor
Advice Giver: Seth Rollins
Breakfast: Oatmeal or Toast
Watch Becky Lynch play The Game of GOATs with Stone Cold Steve Austin:
Catch Becky Lynch on Steve Austin\’s Broken Skull Sessions this Friday on Peacock in the U.S. and WWE Network everywhere else.
Jackass star Johnny Knoxville is a longshot to win the Royal Rumble this weekend. However, stranger things have happened.
Knoxville will enter the 2022 Men\’s Royal Rumble in hopes of earning a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 38.
The Royal Rumble marks beginning of the Road to WrestleMania. The Rumble is often used as a platform to jumpstart feuds that that culminate at WWE\’s biggest event of the year.
According to WrestleVotes, a source claims that Johnny Knoxville\’s involvement with WWE will be done after the Royal Rumble.
\”Source states Johnny Knoxville\’s Royal Rumble involvement is slated to be Rumble only & done on Saturday.\”
– WrestleVotes
More \’Jackass\’ Stars at the Royal Rumble
Jonny Knoxville\’s participation at the WWE Royal Rumble is to promote his new movie, Jackass Forever (in theaters February 4th).
Knoxville is now teasing that he will have \’backup\’ when he shows up to The Dome at America\’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
During a Q&A with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Knoxville teased that other Jackass members will be in his corner at the Royal Rumble.
Earlier this week, WWE asked Johnny Knoxville to comment on the other participants he might encounter at the Royal Rumble. Knoxville called them all \”pretenders\” and had this to say about the following WWE Superstars:
Sheamus: \”He\’s a chump\”
Omos: \”What a mama\’s boy\”
Austin Theory: \”Who does his eyebrows? Very cute!\”
Big E: \”Big Siss-E\”
The Viking Raiders: \”They are not spending any time in the gym\”
Otis: \”Oh man, it looks like something from Deliverance\”
These words may come back to bite him this Saturday.
Lita says she had \”some potential opportunities floating around\” prior to her recent WWE return.
The Attitude Era legend returned to WWE programming earlier this month, when she confronted Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. She\’ll lace up her boots once again this Saturday in the Women\’s Royal Rumble, where she hopes to securing herself a title shot at WrestleMania 38.
Lita recalls the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many of us overindulged in junk food thinking it would be a short-term \’vacation\’ from healthy living. As the pandemic raged on, reality set in and she eventually got back to training.
Earlier this month, Fightful reported that Lita was in talks with AEW. It never came to fruition, but Tony Khan wanted Lita to wrestle AEW Women\’s World Champion Britt Baker at last year\’s All Out pay-per-view from Chicago, IL.
During her discussion with Renee Paquette and Miesha Tate, Lita strongly considered accepting a \’potential opportunity\’ that came her way.
\”There were some potential opportunities floating around that I was like, \’Maybe, maybe, maybe.\’
– Lita
WWE recently approached her about the chance to participate in the Women\’s Royal Rumble. \”It was this thing that was, \’Yes or no. Do you want to do the Rumble on this date, are you in?\’ I put my feet to the fire and was like, \’Yes, I\’m in.\’ Now that I\’m in, it\’s time to make the most of it,\” she said.
Lita has been out of action since 2018. She wrestled a few matches for WWE that year, including the 2018 Women\’s Royal Rumble and the WWE Evolution all-women\’s PPV.
Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James was the latest guest on Sam Roberts\’ Notsam Wrestling Podcast.
James will make history this weekend when she competes in the 2022 Women\’s Royal Rumble match. It will be the first time that a reigning Impact Wrestling champion appears on WWE programming.
Mickie James returns to WWE at the 2022 Royal RUmble
Mickie James and Sam Roberts spoke about the significance of her competing in the Royal Rumble, what it means for her to return to WWE, the NWA Empowerrr all-women\’s pay-per-view and much more.
WWE released over 80 wrestlers in 2021. All of these departures were unfortunate. Some of the performers had just uprooted their lives and moved to Orlando, FL to work for WWE. However, the way WWE handled Mickie James\’ release was perhaps the most callous of them all. After losing her job, her personal belongings were sent to her in a garbage bag.
Mickie James says she wasn\’t worried about what to do after WWE released her. She loves the business and feels that she\’ll always be able to carve out a niche for herself.
She had been released from the company before and knows there is life after WWE.
\”I know it doesn’t seem that way, but there are so many different ways, especially now more than ever, to create your own value and be your own boss and to kind of make your own rules,\” she said.
\”And for me, I’m like, this is great, especially where I’m sitting, you know, for the length of time I’ve been in the business and what I see or how I want to continue to contribute. It’s a really powerful place for me to be sitting in too, it’s cool, it’s cool.\”
Life After WWE
James hoped to end her WWE career in a \”badass way.\” As a veteran, she hoped to use her expertise and eventually be a backstage producer, where she\’d work closely with the current generation of performers.
\”I think it was definitely a conversation of like, ‘That is the next step,’ is to go to work behind the scenes. Because is just a whole new avenue to contribute to the future in a different way and to help the future and all the things. But I think that I was still like ‘Yeah but I still want to go out, bow out in like a badass way,’ you know?’ And yeah. I just didn’t think I was going to have a chance to do that [in WWE].\”
Since her WWE release 9 months ago, she went on to executive produce the all-women\’s NWA Empowerrr pay-per-view. She also captured the Impact Knockouts Championship for a fourth time.
Mickie James still has a lot more to contribute to wrestling. She writes the next chapter of her story this Saturday at the Royal Rumble.
Listen to Mickie James on the Notsam Wrestling Podcast:
WWE is planning for Ronda Rousey to be a big part of WrestleMania 38.
This Saturday, WWE presents the 2022 Royal Rumble premium live event. The Rumble marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania.
We know WWE has some big Royal Rumble surprises in store. As big as the Rumble is, WWE often uses it as a platform to set up the biggest show of the year.
By now, the top matches for WrestleMania are starting to take shape. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed speculation that Ronda Rousey will be returning to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania in April.
“That could be the match, and the impression I got is that it\’s certainly \’more than considered\’ to be the match. I don’t know that it’s official, but I know somebody there who pretty much told me its in the books.”
– Dave Meltzer on Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38
Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania
Ronda Rousey has had some big moments at WrestleMania. Her first appearance for WWE took place at WrestleMania 31 back in 2015. Little did we know at the time, Rousey would eventually go on to become a full-time WWE Superstar and main event WrestleMania just a few years later.
The last time we saw Ronda Rousey in a WWE, it was at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch made history that night. It was the first time a women\’s secured the main event of the biggest night in pro wrestling.
Becky Lynch was victorious that night. She walked away with Rousey\’s Raw Women\’s Championship and Charlotte\’s SmackDown Women\’s Championship.
Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch
Since WrestleMania 35, Becky Lynch\’s star has continued to rise. \”Becky 2 Belts\” evolved into The Man and more recently into Big Time Becks. Her star power and is on a different level than any other woman in WWE. If WWE wants to deliver a WrestleMania opponent worthy of Big Time Becks, Ronda Rousey fits the bill. Plans change, but Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania is one hell of a plan.
Becky Lynch hasn\’t forgotten about her former foe. During an interview with TMZ Sports back in October, she was asked if she had any advice for Ronda Rousey about returning to WWE after having a baby.
\”Don’t, cause I’m still on top, Ronda, you won’t like it. That’s my advice.\”
– Becky Lynch\’s advice to Ronda Rousey about returning to WWE
If the match does come to fruition, Becky Lynch thinks she knows how it will play out.
\”The fact that I’ve had a baby and came back so great that she’ll probably want to one-up me,\” Lynch said of Rousey on the Out of Character podcast.
\”She’ll try to come back in three months, then I’ll be right there to punch her right in the face, give her a Rock Bottom, out of here in 20 seconds, Ronda. So long, good night.”
The Royal Rumble is all about surprise returns. According to Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com, Ronda Rousey is slated to be a surprise entrant in the Women\’s Royal Rumble this Saturday night.
Ronda Rousey
WWE generated a lot of buzz by announcing several legends would be returning for the Women\’s Royal Rumble, including Mickie James, The Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool and more. As it turns out, they are keeping a few tricks up their sleeve.
\”I was told that Ronda Rousey will be in the Royal Rumble\”
– Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live
As of this writing, 21 women are confirmed entrants for the women\’s Rumble match.
Ronda Rousey in WWE
Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut at the 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. After Asuka had won the inaugural Women\’s Royal Rumble match, Rousey stunned the live crowd by making a surprise appearance. Moments later, ESPN dropped the bombshell news that Rousey had signed a full-time contract with WWE.
Rousey would go on to compete at WrestleMania later that year. She teamed with Kurt Angle against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in match that exceeded expectations.
She went on to capture the Raw Women\’s Championship and wrestled the top competitors of that era including Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch.
The last time we saw Ronda Rousey in a WWE ring was at WrestleMania 35. It was another historic appearance, as she, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair became the first women to main event a WrestleMania.
In September 2021, Ronda Rousey and husband Travis Browne announced the birth of their daughter, La’akea Makalapuaokalanip.
Wrestlers\’ Court is a bygone practice where backstage issues amongst talent are settled by an appointed \’judge\’ before things escalated beyond the point of no return.
When someone was \’acting up\’ in a way that offended the rest of the locker room, they would \’stand trial\’ and have the opportunity defend themselves. If they were found guilty, a punishment was handed down by the judge as a way of resolving the matter.
The appointed judge was often a locker room leader, with The Undertaker presiding over many trials during his day.
Today\’s wrestling business is far from perfect, but things have evolved and cleaned up dramatically from past eras. The antics that would have landed someone in Wrestlers\’ Court are more taboo today than they were in the 70\’s, 80\’s and 90\’s. Many find Wrestlers\’ Court itself to be completely antiquated.
On Monday, CM Punk mentioned on social media that he\’d like to one day dress up like a cowboy for one of his matches, including leather chaps and vest. A few of his followers pointed out that Adam \”Hangman\” Page already has this gimmick.
One fan told Punk that he might land himself in Wrestlers\’ Court if he started dressing up like a cowboy and \’infringing\’ on Hangman Page\’s gimmick. Punk took the opportunity to share his thoughts on Wrestlers\’ Court.
According to CM Punk, Wrestlers\’ Court was \”the most insecure small dick energy average white man embarrassment to the wrestling business shit of all time.\”
Wrestler court was the most insecure small dick energy average white man embarrassment to the wrestling business shit of all time.
Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie has landed a starring role in the upcoming action thriller, Phoenix.
The film will co-star UFC legends Randy Couture and Rashad Evans, as well as former WWE tag team champion Vladamir Kozlov (Oleg Prudius).
According to Deadline, Eva Marie will play Fiona \”Phoenix\” Grant, a US Army veteran who teaches hand-to-hand combat skills in Afghanistan.
Things go sideways when her father, security specialist Everett Grant (Randy Couture), is found dead. A police report lists his cause of death as a suicide, but she doesn\’t believe it.
When Fiona returns home to the United States, she learns that the prime suspect in her father\’s death is drug kingpin Maxim Vasiliiev (Vladamir Kozlov).
\”Armed to the teeth, she plans to take out Vasiliiev with her bare hands, and nothing is going to stop her.\”
Back in November, she posted this photo from the set of a new \’big screen\’ project in the works:
Action packed day on set ! I can’t wait for you all to see these scenes come to life on the big screen ! I’m honored to star in this franchise! ???? pic.twitter.com/PjpINUJ06F
Eva Marie was released from WWE back in November 2021. This wrapped up her second run with the company.
Outside of wrestling, she\’s been working to launch her acting career. Last year, she appeared as a series regular on Paradise City, a musical drama that streams on Amazon Prime Video.
\”Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service;\”
Alexa Bliss\’ Supernatural character
Alexa Bliss used The Goddess moniker back in 2020, before she was possessed by The Fiend Bray Wyatt.
Alexa Bliss took several months off from WWE television, but recently made her return. As part of her journey back to Raw, her supernatural character is undergoing therapy sessions.
Admit reports of WWE trademarking the name of her old Goddess character, Alexa Bliss tweeted that she likes to \”evolve\” and always move forward without taking steps backwards.
I like to evolve & always move forwards… never taking steps back?
WWE has announced an updated lineup for WrestleMania 38 weekend from Dallas, Texas. The news was first provided to DallasNews.com.
When WrestleMania to town, it\’s typically a week-long event. In addition to SmackDown, two nights of WrestleMania and Raw, WWE will also present the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony, the next NXT premium live event and the Axxess fan fest.
Here\’s the updated schedule for WrestleMania 38 weekend:
April 1st: Friday Night SmackDown
April 2nd: WrestleMania 38 (Night 1)
April 3rd: WrestleMania 38 (Night 2)
April 4th: Monday Night Raw
TBA: WWE Hall of Fame
TBA: NXT: Stand & Deliver
WWE Axxess Fan Fest
The dates, times and locations of the Hall of Fame and Stand & Deliver have yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.
Major League Wrestling held its latest live event from Dallas, Texas on Saturday night, MLW Blood & Thunder.
Matches from Blood & Thunder were taped for upcoming episodes of MLW Fusion.
This event featured the MLW debuts of Rok-C, Buddy Matthews and Bandido.
Here are the results, courtesy of PWInsider:
King Muertes def. Richard Holliday
National Openweight Champion Alex Kane retained against Calvin Tankman
Ikuro Kwon answered EJ Nduka\’s open challenge, but lost. After the match, he denied losing and called out Jacob Fatu.
Jacob Fatu def. Ikuro Kwon
Davey Richards def. ACH.
Amaris, El Dragon & Micro Man def. Arez, Gino Medina & Mino Abismo Negro
Hammerstone def. El Pagano in a Falls Count Anywhere match. After the match, Alicia Atout gave Hammerstone a low blow and presented the MLW World Championship to Richard Holliday.
The Saito Brothers defeated Bud Heavy & Gnarls Garvin
TJP def. Buddy Matthews
KC Navarro def. Ho Ho Lun
Myron Reed def. Bandido, Matt Cross & Tajiri (c) to win the MLW Middleweight Championship.
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