Author: Mike Reichlin

Bianca Belair has a huge fan in MVP. The former leader of the Hurt Business says the EST is the fastest, strongest and best women\’s wrestler in WWE. He\’s so high on her that he\’s actually tried recruiting her to his faction.

MVP sat down with Corey Graves this week for the latest episode of WWE\’s After the Bell podcast.

It\’s late January, so of course the main topic at hand was the Royal Rumble. However, MVP just couldn\’t help gushing over Bianca Belair.

MVP says Belair vs. Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37 was one of the greatest matches he\’s ever seen. It was the moment that Bianca Belair stepped into the spotlight and showed the world that she\’s the new face of WWE\’s women\’s division.

He couldn\’t believe WWE\’s decision to book Belair in a 20-second loss to Becky Lynch at SummerSlam. MVP said he could rant about that incident for a half hour, but spared us of that.

Next weekend at the Royal Rumble, Doudrop challenges Becky Lynch for the Raw Women\’s Championship. It\’s a match that Doudrop says is 15 years in the making.

MVP could see Doudrop winning the title, but at the end of the day, it doesn\’t really matter. He wants Bianca Belair as champion and everything else is just fodder.

\”I don\’t want to talk about any other women in the WWE,\” said MVP. \”Bianca Belair isn\’t in the conversation, because she truly is The EST. She\’s the fastest, she\’s the strongest, she\’s the best. I can\’t see a conversation about the WWE Women\’s Championship without Bianca Belair in it.\”

MVP Wanted Bianca Belair in the Hurt Business

The Hurt Business has been one the most dominant factions in WWE over the past several years. Back when they were in full swing, MVP says people would tell him they need to add a woman to the group.

Hearing MVP profess his admiration for Bianca Belair, it should come as no surprise that MVP tried recruiting her.

\”There were some discussions with Bianca Belair, but things went a different way,\” said MVP. \”So I say all that to say that I\’m a fan of Bianca Belair and I believe that when you talk about the WWE Women\’s Championship, if Bianca Belair isn\’t in that conversation, I don\’t want to have it.\”

Listen to MVP\’s appearance on the After the Bell podcast here:

Vince McMahon is still going strong at 76 years old. The Chairman and CEO of WWE is working as hard as ever, according to one of his closest allies.

WWE Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard has worked with McMahon on and off since the 1980\’s. He\’s seen McMahon operate during the glory days of Hulkamania, the dark days of the steroid trial in the mid-90\’s, WWE\’s peak Attitude Era and is one of the most influential people in WWE to this day.

During a recent episode of his Something to Wrestle podcast, Prichard said he could see Vince McMahon running WWE for decades to come. The latest installment focused on the 2005 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. That show featured the infamous ending of Vince McMahon charging to ringside and tearing both of his quads as he entered the ring.

Wrestlers, promotions and eras have come and gone over the past 40 years. One constant in this industry has been Vince McMahon.

\”He’s a freak of nature…\”

– Bruce Prichard describing Vince McMahon

During times when business is soft or fans are unhappy with WWE\’s creative direction, some people question if McMahon still has \”it.\”

Bruce Prichard says McMahon still has the energy and vision to lead WWE into the future. When asked about Vince McMahon\’s longterm future running WWE, Prichard gave a glowing review of pro wrestling\’s Walt Disney.

\”Yeah, I can’t imagine him not doing it and I am sure that he will continue to do it probably for the next 25-to-30 years,\” said Prichard. \”His mom’s 101 and still going so, you know, he shows no signs of slowing down at all.\”

Prichard added that it\’s hard to imagine WWE without Vince McMahon at the helm. Thankfully, he doesn\’t think we\’ll have to worry about that scenario any time soon.

\”He’s a freak of nature and it’s hard to imagine it without him and I don’t think that we’ll have to imagine it without him for a long, long time.\”

Listen to Something to Wrestle: Royal Rumble 2005 with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson below or at AdFreeShows.com.

Doudrop will battle Becky Lynch for the Raw Women\’s Championship next weekend at the Royal Rumble. This is the biggest match of her career to date.

Doudrop spoke with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT this past week about why this match is so significant for her.

Let\’s go back 15 years when she was training to be a pro wrestler. She was (literally) \’learning the ropes\’ in a small warehouse in Linwood, Scotland.

\”Way back when I first started training in a little warehouse in Linwood, Scotland, there really wasn’t many experienced girls in the UK wrestling scene at all.\”

At the time, the UK was a hotbed for future women\’s wrestling talent. She trained in Scotland with Nikki Storm, best known to WWE fans as Nikki ASH. Mischief and Erin Angel were down in England. They all knew about this up and comer in Ireland named Rebecca Knox.

“We were very aware of Becky at the time, she said.\”Even back then she was at the top of her game, she recalls. \”She was the girl our trainers were trying to get in and have matches with us so we could learn from her, get some kind of experience.\”

She never did get a chance to work with Becky Lynch back then. Rebecca Knox was doing everything she could to make it over to the United States, which she ultimately did.

Doudrop made a name for herself as Piper Niven in the UK and Japan. She had impressive runs in ICW, EVE and Stardom.

15 years later, Piper Niven will finally cross paths with Becky Lynch on the big stage.

Doudrop vs. Becky Lynch goes down next weekend at the WWE Royal Rumble.

WWE has reportedly abandoned its trademark for the name Gunther Stark.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, WWE initially filed the trademark application on January 13th. The mark was to be used for:

\”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.\”

Unfortunately, Günther Stark was the name of a German U-boat Commander during World War II. This ignited a firestorm of controversy, with WWE getting global headlines for the gaffe.

At the conclusion of Tuesday\’s NXT 2.0 broadcast, NXT star WALTER announced his new name as Gunther. WWE stopped short of using the Stark name and is now cutting bait entirely.

WWE has reportedly abandoned the trademark application for Gunther Stark. The USPTO database now lists the application as \”DEAD/APPLICATION/Withdrawn/Abandoned.”

All Elite Wrestling is back tonight with a live edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.

Here\’s a preview for tonight\’s AEW Dynamite from Washington D.C.:

• Jon Moxley returns for the first time in nearly 3 months. Moxley took time off in November to enter an inpatient rehabilitation program for alcohol dependency.
• AEW TNT Cody Rhodes returns to television. Cody has been away for several weeks as a precaution due to exposure to COVID-19.
• CM Punk battles Shawn Spears in his ongoing quest to get his hands on MJF.
• Britt Baker & Adam Cole vs. Kris Statlander & Orange Cassidy
• The House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King) will face the Varsity Blonds.
• Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Acclaimed
• Serena Deeb vs. Skye Blue

AEW Dynamite Preview Videos

AEW has produced a few videos hyping this week\’s Dynamite, a sign that we\’re in for a big show:

\”Road To\” AEW Dynamite (Washington D.C.)

AEW Control Center with Tony Schiavone

WWE Monday Night Raw will air on the Syfy channel for two consecutive weeks next month.

Longtime WWE fans remember Raw being pre-empted each year by the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. This was a regular occurrence until 2017.

This year, the USA Network\’s coverage of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games is to blame. WWE Raw will air on the Syfy on:

• Monday February 7
• Monday, February 13

For the two weeks that Raw moves to Syfy, the USA Network will air Men\’s Figure Skating and Freestyle Skiing.

H/T: Pwinsider

Rhea Ripley is ready to steamroll all challengers at next weekend\’s WWE Royal Rumble.

Ripley\’s back is full of welts following this week\’s WWE Raw. The Australian Superstar took a beating at the hands of her former friend and partner, Nikki ASH.

Ripley posted a photo of her battle scars early Monday morning. She defiantly wrote, \”It’s hard to break someone that enjoys pain. Try again.\”

On Raw Talk, Ripley questioned if her broken friendship with Nikki ASH is salvageable.

\”I can only take so much.\”

– Rhea Ripley

Ripley then touted her career accomplishments. She plans to enter the 2022 Royal Rumble and obliterate and brutalize anybody that gets in her way.

This week\’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw takes place from Tulsa, Oklahoma at the BOK Center.

With less than two weeks until the Royal Rumble, WWE has announced the following segments for Raw:

• Raw Women\’s Champion Becky Lynch will address her Royal Rumble challenger, Doudrop. Doudrop defeated Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan last week to earn the championship opportunity.

• Bobby Lashley will have words for his Royal Rumble opponent, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. How will Lashley react to former Hurt Business partners Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin attacking him last week?

• Finally, RK-Bro looks to bounce back after dropping the Raw tag team championships to Alpha Academy last week. Will Oron and Riddle continue teaming together, or go in separate directions?

It\’s worth noting that Monday Night Raw will feature stiff competition from the NFL playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals will face the LA Rams. Don\’t be surprised to see Raw viewership to take a big hit this week against the NFL game.

• Dwayne Johnson Going Head to Head with WWE Raw This Monday Night

Roman Reigns is officially the longest-reigning Universal Champion in WWE history.

Love him or hate him, you must acknowledge him. On Sunday, January 16, Reigns\’ Universal title reign reached a record-breaking 504 days. He\’s been champion since August 30, 2020.

Reigns has commented on his historic achievement. He wrote on Twitter:

\”The greatest of this generation, the best to ever hold the #UniversalTitle. The numbers, the main events, the dominant performances… they don’t lie. 504 days and counting… #GOAT\”

Roman Reigns Makes History

Reigns surpasses Brock Lesnar, who previously held the record at 503 days. Lesnar\’s longest reign lasted from April 2, 2017 through August 19, 2018.

This is Reigns\’ second run with the Universal title. His first reign lasted 63 days. In addition to being the longest-reigning Universal Champion, he\’s also held title for more days in total than anybody else (567 days). He\’s a 3-time WWE Champion and has competed in five WrestleMania main events.

Reigns\’ next big title defense will take place at the Royal Rumble when he defends against Seth Rollins.

• Jim Ross Credits Paul Heyman For Roman Reigns’ Success

Visit WWE.com for more statistics about the Universal Championship.

Former WWE Superstar Top Dolla says he would dominate in the XFL, if he decides to pursue a pro football career.

Top Dolla (AJ Francis) recently spoke with Muscle Man Malcolm about the possibility of restarting his football career. Prior to joining WWE, Francis played in the NFL from 2013-2018. The XFL returns in 2023, creating another opportunity for football players.

\”I mean, let me say this, do I think that I could play in the XFL and dominate the XFL? Absolutely,\” he said. \”Go watch the tape. My last game in the NFL, I had six tackles as a nose guard. I would like to know the list of nose guards that have had six tackles in a game since I got out of the NFL. I guarantee you it’s not long.\”

Football is a young man\’s game. At 31 years old, Top Dolla knows he can\’t take physical punishment like he did in his early 20\’s.

\”Let me just talk the actual facts of the situation. But, I’m also 31 years old and football is a young man’s game. So, could I do it? Yeah. Do I want to go back and have my body feel like when I was playing in the NFL? Not really, no.\”

Unlike football players, pro wrestlers are able to wrestle into their 40\’s, 50\’s and 60\’s. Top Dolla says football is a very different sport than wrestling.

\”You got to realize, this is going to shock a lot of people, but wrestling ain’t real. Yeah you take bumps, and yeah, you do hurt, but compared to 40 plays against a 300-pound man who’s trying to kill me every play as I’m trying to kill him, it’s not the same. It’s not even close to the same. It’s different levels of body movement aching pain.\”

Top Dolla is 6\’5\” and 350 pounds. He usually wrestlers against much smaller people, which limits the abuse his body had to take.

\”It was easier for me than it is for a lot of guys in the industry because a lot of guys are not my size so they got to take 15 bumps in a match,\” he said. \”… It was easy for me, but not everybody is that lucky because not everybody is the same size.”

• Update On Booking Plans For Hit Row Before Release

Watch Top Dolla\’s interview with MuscleManMalcolm here:

Oh, you didn\’t know? The New Age Outlaws may be gearing up to ride once again.

The Outlaws are one of the most decorated tag teams in WWE history. \”Road Dogg\” BG James and \”Bad Ass\” Billy Gunn were icons of the Attitude Era. They\’re both WWE Hall of Famers as part of the legendary DX faction.

Road Dogg James was released from WWE last week, paving the way for a reunion with his old partner. Interestingly, just days after Roadd Dogg\’s release, Billy Gunn has taken steps to trademark their team name.

Last Friday, January 7th, Kipp Sopp (Billy Gunn) filed the paperwork to trademark the name, \”The New Age Outlaws.\”

According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the name would be used for merchandise and wrestling \’entertainment services.\’ The attorney of record is Michael E. Dockins.

This trademark filing does not mean the New Age Outlaws will be tearing up AEW\’s tag team division anytime soon. However, the NAO intellectual property is valuable.

The duo could probably make a killing doing autograph signings and selling merchandise using the Outlaws moniker. Now you know!