Author: Thomas Lowson

The leader of Imperium GUNTHER has yet another accolade to his name thanks to his impressive tenure as WWE Intercontinental Champion.

GUNTHER captured his first title on WWE\’s main roster on the June 10, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX, ending the 98-day reign of Ricochet.

Since then, GUNTHER has retained against Ricochet, Braun Strowman, Rey Mysterio, and Shinsuke Nakamura to name just a few.

The Austrian\’s war with Sheamus at WWE Clash at the Castle was heralded as one of the best matches of 2022 and earned five stars from Dave Meltzer.

Record Breaker

Since capturing the title, GUNTHER has kept an iron grip on the Intercontinental gold, and has now surpassed a huge milestone.

Today marks day-245 of GUNTHER\’s reign, meaning he\’s surpassed Shelton Benjamin\’s 244-day reign from 2004 to 2005.

With this, GUNTHER has become the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century, a fact WWE acknowledged on social media.

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The Austrian\’s next hurdle is to make it to 265 days (Thursday, March 2.) If he does, GUNTHER will surpass The Rock to become the longest-reigning champion in 32 years.

What\’s Next?

It seems nothing can stop GUNTHER\’s momentum at this time, but two former WWE World Champions are hoping to do exactly that.

It has been reported that the plan for WrestleMania 39 calls for GUNTHER to defend against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in a war of three of Europe\’s finest stars.

Both men have previously spoken about being the one to dethrone GUNTHER, and McIntyre is a former WWE Intercontinental Champion in his own right.

For Sheamus, capturing the gold would see him fulfill his journey to becoming a WWE Grand Slam winner, which began with his WWE Title win over John Cena in December 2009.

The go-home episode of SmackDown on FOX before July\’s Money in the Bank event will take place in London, England.

This year\’s Money in the Bank Premium Live Event will be the 14th event in the show\’s history, and the first to take place in London.

Money in the Bank will follow on the heels of the massively successful WWE Clash at the Castle event from last September in Cardiff, Wales.

SmackDown

In a press release, WWE confirmed that SmackDown will be taking place in London, 24 hours before WWE Money in the Bank 2023.

‘Due to the incredible early response for Money In The Bank ticket pre-registrations at The O2 in London on Saturday, July 1, WWE today announced that SmackDown will also emanate from The O2 the night before – Friday, June 30.’

This marks the first time ever that SmackDown will broadcast live and in primetime from the UK at 8 pm local time on BT Sport.

Like Money in the Bank, WWE SmackDown will air live from London\’s O2 Arena.

Tickets for both WWE Money in the Bank and WWE SmackDown will go on sale via Ticketmaster on February 22nd at noon UK time.

So far, no matches have been confirmed for Money in the Bank other than the two titular ladder matches.

WWE Raw Superstar The Miz will be trading the ring for the basketball court as part of an NBA All-Star Celebrity game later this month.

On Twitter, the two-time WWE Champion\’s participation was confirmed by the official NBA account, and he will be part of Team Ryan, named for Utah Jazz President Ryan Smith.

The Game will air on ESPN on February 17.

Team Ryan

The Miz\’s success in WWE has been well-documented, but he\’ll be playing with some heavy hitters.

While WWE\’s resident A-lister will be the only wrestler on his team, other sporting stars include Football wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and baseball player Albert Pujols.

Singer Kane Brown will be playing on Team Ryan, as will as Puerto Rican sensation Ozuna, and rapper Codae.

From the world of television, Brazilian presenter Marcus Mion will be playing alongside actor Sinqua Walls and Guillermo Rodriguez of Jimmy Kimmel fame.

The team will also include some Basketball talent including Phoenix Mercury star Diamond Deshields and the NCAA\’s Everett Osborne.

Team Dwayne

Team Ryan will face some stiff competition from Team Dwayne, coached by minority owner Dwyane Wade.

From the world of music, the team will be represented by singer Nicky Jam, Janelle Monáe, and 21 Savage.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj will align with YouTuber Jesser and Shang Chi star Simu Liu, as well as Indian actor Ranveer Singh.

Tennis star Frances Tiafoe will give the team some speed, alongside the NFL\’s DK Metcalf, basketball star Arike Ogunbowale and Peloton instructor/Puma athlete Alex Toussaint.

Eric Bischoff has become the latest individual to heap praise on the Bloodline, considering the popular faction to be better than the New World Order.

The NWO changed the wrestling landscape forever upon the group\’s inception in 1996, ushering in the concept of the \’cool heel.\’

Much like Hogan in 1996, Roman Reigns\’ heel turn in 2020 breathed new life into a character that fans had already turned on due to their strong babyface booking.

Better

While Bischoff played a large backstage role in the formation of the NWO (and would later be an on-screen member) he has now acknowledged the Tribal Chief.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff compared the two factions that have dominated their respective eras.

\”The truth is The Bloodline story, in terms of a storyline in and the ingredients and the elements and the discipline and the structure and the nature of it, is a far better story than the NWO. Will it have the same impact on the industry as the NWO did? Probably not. But, that has a lot to do with timing.\”

\”The Bloodline story, in terms of a storyline… is a far better story than the NWO.\”

\”There are so many things that made the NWO work, including Hulk Hogan turning heel, by the way. There were so many things that were just a moment in time that helped propel that storyline at that, that time that you can\’t replicate that today.\”

While WWE tried to recapture the magic of the NWO upon the return of Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in 2002, the group was gone within months.

The Bloodline has been suffering some issues themselves as of late, with the exit of Sami Zayn and the seeming departure of Jey Uso.

H/T – Wrestling Inc

WWE was set to introduce a new World Champion at WrestleMania 39, had plans with The Rock not fallen through.

Last year, it was reported that WWE was actively pursuing the Great One for a match with Roman Reigns, a bout both men have teased over the years.

In January 2023, The Rock informed WWE that he does not believe there is time for him to prepare sufficiently for a match this April.

New Championship

It was at WrestleMania 38 last April that WWE made the much-contested decision to unify the WWE and Universal Championships.

Not long after, it was reported that the USA Network was unhappy with the move, given that Reigns, now WWE\’s sole World Champion, was making few appearances on Raw.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that in the event of Rock Vs. Reigns, a new title was going to be created.

That title would allow Cody Rhodes to win on Night One, while leaving Reigns free to defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against his cousin on Night Two.

Meltzer added that other names considered to be the holder of this new World Championship included Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

What Now?

With the match between The Rock and Roman Reigns not happening (this year at least) then WWE does not need to create a title to avoid Rhodes defeating Reigns.

While many expect that the American Nightmare will be the one to dethrone Reigns this April, this will still leave WWE with one World Champion, much to the chagrin of those at the USA Network.

On this week\’s Raw, Rhodes and Reigns\’ Special Counsel Paul Heyman had an emotional in-ring promo that caught the attention of Cody\’s brother, AEW\’s Dustin Rhodes.

The emotional in-ring war of words between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman has got everybody talking, including a member of the AEW roster.

During Raw, Cody Rhodes\’ address to the WWE Universe was interrupted by Heyman, who spoke about the close bond he had with Cody\’s father Dusty.

After some heartwarming reminiscing, Heyman spoke about the names Dusty trained, including Roman Reigns (Rhodes\’ WrestleMania 39 opponent), and noted that the American Dream did not train his son.

Heyman (fighting back tears) recalled his final talk with Dusty, who said that Cody was his favorite son, but Roman Reigns is the son he always wished he had.

In response, Cody said that since Heyman has made this personal, he vows to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania

Reaction

Cody may have been Dusty\’s favorite son (according to Heyman) but the American Nightmare isn\’t the only son of the American Dream.

Dustin Rhodes now works in AEW, and in a tweet, showed his support for his brother, and had a piece of advice for what Cody should do to Heyman.

Dustin and Dusty

Dustin Rhodes and his father would share the screen throughout the respective careers of both men.

As part of Dusty\’s feud with the \’Million Dollar Man\’ Ted DiBiase, the father and son teamed at the 1991 Royal Rumble in a losing effort to DiBiase and Virgil.

After making appearances together in WCW and outside televised wrestling, the two reunited for Goldust\’s green card wedding to Aksana on NXT in 2010.

The American Dream would also be present for his son\’s tag-team match against The Shield (Reigns and Seth Rollins) at Battleground 2013, which earned a Match of the Year nomination at that year\’s Slammy Awards.

Mere hours after it was reported that the Maximum Male Models have been moved to Raw, another WWE team has found a new home on the main roster.

The Models, consisting of ma.çé And mån.sôör, alongside their manager Maxine Dupri had been appearing on SmackDown since their call-up to the main roster.

After appearing on last week\’s Raw where they tried to recruit Otis as their next client, it was confirmed that the group will be on the red brand moving forward.

Moving Brands

In addition to the Maximum Male Models, Los Lotharios, the duo of Angel and Humberto, are also heading to Monday Night Raw.

This news was broken by PW Insider, who were the first to report on the models.

Like the Maximum Male Models situation, no explanation has been given as to why Los Lotharios have been moved away from SmackDown.

The Maximum Male Models appeared on last night\’s Raw, as part of a segment with WWE authority figure Adam Pearce that was interrupted by Chelsea Green.

Angel and Humberto did not appear on last night\’s Monday Night Raw.

Los Lotharios

Angel and Humberto are real-life cousins, but it wouldn\’t be until 2021 that they began teaming together.

Their first official match came on the September 20, episode of Raw, where they defeated Mansoor and Mustafa Ali.

Los Lotharios were moved to SmackDown as part of the 2021 draft in October 2021, and it was the following month that their names were shortened from Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo to Angel and Humberto.

The most recent match for Los Lotharios saw the pair lose to Hit Row\’s Ashante \’Thee\’ Adonis and Top Dolla in the SmackDown Tag Team Tournament.

A triple threat over the SmackDown Women\’s Championship came to an abrupt and unplanned end at the recent WWE live event in Pensacola, Florida.

WWE returned to the stomping ground of Roman Reigns for their latest untelevised production, though Reigns did not appear or compete.

Deville\’s Injury

In the penultimate match of the night, SmackDown Women\’s Champion Charlotte Flair defended her title against Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan.

During the match, Deville suffered a laceration to her face, causing the match to be hurried to the finish.

The former MMA fighter also received medical attention at ringside, and walked to the back immediately at the conclusion of the match.

On social media, Deville shared her latest facial injury, with the caption \”And 7 more.\”

Deville\’s caption is a nod to the facial injury she suffered at WWE\’s Royal Rumble 2023 event where she suffered a gash above her left eye.

WWE Pensacola

The results for the WWE live event in Pensacola are as follows:

• WWE RAW Women’s Title: Bianca Belair Vs. Bayley ends in a no contest after interference that makes a tag match. Bianca Belair & Becky Lynch defeated Bayley & IYO SKY
• Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso defeated Braun Strowman & Ricochet
• Candice LeRae defeated Piper Niven
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther defeated Sheamus
• Sheamus, Butch, and Ridge Holland defeated Imperium
• Light’s Out Street Fight: Bray Wyatt defeated LA Knight
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair defeated Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan.
• Cody Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins

WWE\’s recent partnership with the indie promotion Reality of Wrestling is not an entirely altruistic act, it has been reported.

Earlier this week, it was announced that NXT talent will be appearing for ROW (the promotion founded by NXT commentator Booker T) starting with Ivy Nile.

The Diamond Mine member will be in action at the ROW event on February 11, in Texas City.

Targets

Following the Monday Night War, WWE and Vince McMahon refused to play with others, which has made this apparent change of attitude such a surprise.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that ROW is just one of several promotions in WWE\’s sights, with the goal being to cut sources of talent to AEW.

\”there are several companies that are talked to, with the idea that they may be able to get NXT stars, but the Booker T thing has to go well. If it goes well, there are other companies and I think they are targeting companies that are close to AEW and see what they can do.

Dave Meltzer.

Working with Others

WWE\’s reasons for providing ROW with NXT talent aren\’t just to help Booker\’s promotion, and this isn\’t the first time they\’ve acted this way.

During the Monday Night Wars, Vince McMahon would give payments to ECW, initially considered a loan though it is unclear if the money was ever repaid.

McMahon would also send WWF talent to ECW for further conditioning, and ECW could advertise big names from the much bigger promotion.

In return, Paul Heyman would give the WWF the first opportunity to sign ECW talent when contracts were expiring, giving McMahon the advantage over WCW.

h/t – Wrestling News

Matt Riddle has not been seen on WWE programming in months but has taken to social media to show off his new grill.

Riddle last competed for WWE in early December and was written off of TV on the December 5, Raw with an attack by Solo Sikoa.

The former United States Champion was in fact suspended for violating WWE\’s Wellness Policy and it was later reported that he had entered rehab.

New Grill

Riddle may be missing from WWE TV, but the Original Bro has continued to make headlines for interesting reasons.

After splitting from his ex-wife Lisa, Riddle began dating adult film actress Misha Montana, but has also faced accusations of cheating from other actresses.

Taking to social media, Riddle shared a few selfies with Montana, and showed off his new grill.

Riddle thanked Montana for her support during his recovery following his suspension from WWE.

When a fan stated that they were hoping to see Riddle in a \’more stable environment,\’ Montana fired back, saying she and Matt are completely sober but people will route for failure.

Riddle\’s Return

While Riddle\’s suspension is believed to have been for sixty days, there\’s been no confirmation as to when he will return to TV.

Though Riddle has been advertised for the February 13, 2023, edition of Raw in Brooklyn, New York, the card is always subject to change.

In addition to Riddle, RK-Bro ally Randy Orton continues to be missing due to a severe back injury, with some fearing that the Legend Killer\’s days in the ring may be already over.

Dominik Mysterio has made a name for himself as part of the WWE roster, but the self-proclaimed Eddie Guerrero of the modern day could one day compete for AAA.

After being introduced to WWE fans as a child in the 2000s, Mysterio would make more regular appearances starting in 2019, and would have his first match in 2020.

Initially teaming with his father Rey, Dominik would turn heel at WWE Clash at the Castle last year and has since joined the Judgment Day

Competing for AAA

Before joining WWE, Rey Mysterio honed his skills in AAA, and would return to the promotion after his departure from the Stamford promotion in 2015.

Speaking to Wrestling Inc\’s Nick Hausman, Dominik was asked if he would ever consider working a match in Lucha Libre AAA down the line.

“I mean, that’d be awesome for me. I know that’s where my dad started and he got his start, so that’d be real cool for me and a dream come true for sure.”

Dominik Mysterio.

In addition to being part of his father\’s legacy, AAA is also the home of Konnan, who serves as head booker and who has been helping Dominik with his new character.

Dominik\’s Future

Dominik Mysterio may have his sights set on AAA, but his immediate future resides in his home state of California.

Since turning heel in Cardiff, fans have assumed that a match between father and son is happening, with Rey moving to SmackDown to avoid said conflict.

At the 2023 Royal Rumble, Rey was attacked backstage by Dominik, who mocked his father by wearing his mask.

Vince McMahon is an interesting person to say the very least.

After retiring \’for good\’ in July of last year, the billionaire is back in charge of WWE, being appointed \’Executive Chairman\’ last month and replacing his daughter Stephanie.

The 77-year-old McMahon has declared that he will retire again if it is in WWE\’s best interest, and has kept away from creative meetings and TV tapings thus far.

Hornswoggle

Out of all the little people WWE has used over its many years Dylan \’Hornswoggle\’ Postl is perhaps the most recognizable.

The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion (and Anonymous Raw General Manager) debuted as Finlay\’s \’leprechaun\’ in 2006 but would have a solo career in his own right.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Postl explained that Kevin Dunn would often refer to him as \”the midget,\” a term found offensive by many little people.

“Kevin Dunn on a headset. I was underneath the ring, and I could always hear the conversations between everyone. Everyone. The producers in the back, Kevin Dunn in the truck, Vince in the back.

So Kevin Dunn’s like ‘Vince, we need to figure out how to get the midget back to the back.’ [As Vince] ‘Goddammit Kevin! We don’t use that word. He’s a little person.’\”

Dylan \’Hornswoggle\’ Postl.

Postl added that Dunn gave \”apology after apology\” over the use of the term, both to McMahon and himself.

After being released from WWE in May 2016, Postl would make sporadic appearances, including as part of the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble.

Postl has also appeared for Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and had a cameo appearance for AEW Dynamite in November 2020, as part of The Inner Circle\’s trip to Las Vegas.

h/t – Fightful