The Young Bucks will seemingly be staying with All Elite Wrestling for quite some time as the duo is discussing new deals with the company.
Matt and Nick Jackson are founding members of AEW, having co-created the company in 2019 alongside the likes of Tony Khan, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes.
In the ring, the Bucks are the first (and only) two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, and hold the record for most days as champion (330 days.)
Contracts
The Young Bucks have been in discussions with All Elite Wrestling about new contracts for some time, Fightful Select has learned.
It is currently unclear how long these new deals will be for, or if they have already been signed.
The length of the Young Bucks\’ current contracts with AEW is something of a mystery, with conflicting reports over their length.
Upon AEW\’s launch in January 2019, the Wrestling Observer reported that the Bucks, Omega, and Rhodes had signed five-year deals which would expire in early 2024.
On the October 7, 2019, episode of Being the Elite, the contracts were described as \”four-year deals,\” meaning that they would expire at some point this year.
Several sources in AEW told Fightful that the Young Bucks have been discussing new contracts with the company that would keep them around \”for quite some time.\”
Frozen Contracts?
There is a possibility that Tony Khan froze the deals for the Young Bucks following the controversy stemming from All Out.
The now-infamous September 2022 Pay-Per-View is primarily remembered for CM Punk\’s explosive comments after the event, and the backstage fight.
This fight resulted in all parties involved being suspended, which included the Bucks, who would miss two months of TV time before returning at AEW Full Gear.
Dave Batista has become a star in both wrestling and in Hollywood, but the inspiration for his movie career didn\’t come from The Rock.
After leaving WWE in 2010, the Animal turned to acting and would star in multiple straight-to-DVD projects.
In 2014, Batista\’s big break would come as Drax the Destroyer, one of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A Respected Actor
After his breakout role as Drax, other major franchises would work with Animal, including the James Bond series (Spectre, 2015) and Blade Runner (Blade Runner 2049, 2017).
Of course, The Rock is arguably the most successful wrestler to make their name in acting, but that didn\’t aspire the Animal, as he told GQ Magazine.
“I never wanted to be the next Rock. I just want to be a good f***ing actor. A respected actor.”
Dave Batista.
Batista\’s latest project, Glass Onion, a sequel to Knives Out (2019) landed on Netflix last month after a limited theatrical release.
The Greatest?
While The Rock has plenty of blockbusters to his name, the Brahma Bull has also had his fair share of flops.
Sitting down with The Atlantic last month, Glass Onion\’s director Rian Johnson was in complete agreement when asked if Batista is the greatest wrestler to become an actor.
“I absolutely 100 percent agree [that Batista is the greatest wrestler-to-actor ever.] And I think somebody like Paul Thomas Anderson is going to give him a real part and is going to look like a genius.
Rian Johnson.
Johnson\’s respect for Batista is a two-way street, with the former WWE World Champion sharing positive posts about the director on social media, and gifting him a World Heavyweight Championship on the set of Glass Onion.
Fans of professional wrestling legend Antonio Inoki will soon be able to relive his life and career with a brand new movie.
The project was announced today at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, which is being dedicated to the legacy of Inoki.
Inoki died on October 1, 2022, of systemic transthyretin amyloidosis at the age of 79.
Antonio Inoki: Wrestling Legend
When it comes to wrestling, few lives and careers are more deserving of a motion picture than Antonio Inoki.
Born during the grips of World War 2, Inoki began his wrestling career in the 1960s under the tutelage of the legendary Rikidozan.
Fire from the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance in 1971 over an attempted takeover of the company, Inoki founded his own promotion in 1972: New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Inoki\’s strong style made him a force to be reckoned with, and in November 1979, the NJPW founder defeated WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund to win the title.
A rematch that saw Backlund win was later declared a no-contest, but Inoki\’s reign is not officially recognized by WWE.
Inoki also battled boxing icon Muhammad Ali in 1976 in a unique boxing/shoot wrestling style match that resulted in a draw.
In 1995, Inoki was part of the Collision in Korea in Pyongyang and defeated Ric Flair at the most-attended wrestling event in history.
For years after, Inoki would remain a staple of Japanese pro-wrestling and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.
Inoki Out of the Ring
Not only an accomplished wrestler, Inoki was elected to Japan\’s House of Councillors in 1989, despite being active in the ring at the time.
In 1990, Inoki traveled alone to Iraq and negotiated with Saddam Hussein that saw 36 Japanese captives be freed in exchange for a wrestling show in the nation.
A series of scandals saw Inoki lose his seat in 1995, but he would be re-elected in 2013.
In 2019, Inoki retired from politics, citing health issues at the time as a large factor in his decision.
Karl Anderson and Mercedes Mone (aka Sasha Banks) may have made their presence felt at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, but they weren\’t the only WWE names at the event.
Anderson, who returned to WWE in October of last year, lost the NJPW Never Openweight Champion to Tama Tonga, kicking off the latter\’s second reign.
Mone, who was quietly released from WWE in June 2022, debuted as Mercedes Mone and confronted IWGP Women\’s Champion KAIRI after her successful title defense.
Keiji Muto is leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling a winner after coming out on top at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
In the sixth match on the card, Muto, better known to fans as the Great Muta, teamed with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shota Umino to defeat Los Ingobernables de Japon.
Muto opened his final match for New Japan against Sanada, who leveled him with a series of dropkicks and landed a moonsault in the opening sequence.
Bouncing back, Muto hit a couple of shining wizards throughout the bout and teased during a moonsault, but was prevented by Tanahashi.
Mone posed in the ring, and made it clear she wants a shot at the IWGP Women\’s Championship.
The former Raw Women\’s Champion dropped KAIRI with a modified Gory Bomb, and said she knows all about making history.
Calling herself the CEO of this women\’s division, More vowed to make KAIRI bankrupt when they face off.
Mercedes Mone has challenged Kairi for the IWGP Women’s Championship at Battle In The Valley on February 18th. "I'm going to leave you bankrupt, bitch!" pic.twitter.com/1eV7FZwswD
Fans of All Elite Wrestling have been given a glimpse of the show\’s new introductory package, complete with a remixed theme song.
It has been reported that the new look has been in the works for some time ahead of tonight\’s show.
In a tweet, the official AEW account shared the new intro which includes the likes of Chris Jericho, FTR, Orange Cassidy, Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, and MJF.
Tonight\’s episode of AEW Dynamite will take place at the Climate Arena, in Seattle, Washington, marking the debut for AEW in the city known for the likes of Bill Gates, Jimmy Hendrix, and Dr. Frasier Crane.
Here is an EXCLUSIVE look at the new #AEWDynamite intro!
This week\’s AEW Dynamite will see AEW TNT Champion Samoa Joe defend against Darby Allin.
AEW World Champion MJF is \”contractually obligated\” to make an appearance, while AEW World Tag Champions The Acclaimed will defend against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Jon Moxley has also been announced to make an appearance.
New Era
After a difficult 2022, with injuries, suspensions, arrests and more, AEW is looking to turn over a new leaf in 2023.
Appearing on the Sports Guys Talk Wrestling podcast, AEW President Tony Khan addressed the new look for the show.
“It’s a sports-based presentation and that’s what we always go for. It’s a great pro wrestling show and we wanted to change the set to reflect a new era, and I think it’s going to be a great look. It’s a great set.\”
Fans of the current AEW roster won\’t have to worry too much about the fate of the in-ring action, which will remain unchanged according to Khan.
\”It’s still going to be the same great wrestling with new matches and new stories and a lot to look forward to.”
Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood will defend the IWGP World Tag Team Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but the trip to the show has been far from easy.
The AEW tag team will defend their titles later today against Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi.)
The IWGP World Tag Championships are the only titles that FTR currently holds, after losing the Ring of Honor World Tag Titles and AAA World Tag Team Titles in December of last year.
Travel Delay
Taking to Twitter, Wheeler explained that he had intended to make the trip to Tokyo on Monday morning, but he was not allowed to board his flight.
A flight to Atlanta that would have allowed Wheeler to fly to Japan was also delayed before later being canceled.
With no alternative, Wheeler had to drive to Atlanta to make his flight to Japan, and only recently arrived at his hotel in Tokyo.
Despite these setbacks, Wheeler remained positive about the match, saying it is \”can\’t miss.\”
7am Monday: Issue with paperwork. Can’t board my flight to Japan. Bad.
7pm Monday: flight to ATL for new Tuesday morning flight delayed. Then cancelled.
10pm Monday: drive to ATL.
4:15am: Arrive at hotel.
WrestleKingdom day: land & go straight to the Dome.
Today\’s title defense will make the third for Wheeler and Dax Harwood who captured the titles at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door in June of last year.
The AEW tag team\’s first title defense was against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) at NJPW Royal Quest II in October 2022.
Their second defense saw Wheeler and Harwood retain against United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan) at NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the same team FTR dethroned at Forbidden Door.
The former Raw and SmackDown Women\’s Champion was suspended for her actions, which were deemed \”unprofessional\” on TV.
Boss \’n Hug
Banks\’ former tag-team partner Bayley will be at Wrestle Kingdom to support her friend, PW Insider has learned.
The report did not specify whether the Damage CTRL member was sent by WWE, but notes that she \”shouldn\’t be expected to be seen on camera.\”
Bayley isn\’t the only support Banks will have, as reports have come out that Naomi, who walked out of WWE with her in May, is also in Tokyo for the show.
Naomi\’s status with WWE remains unclear and there has been no confirmation as to whether she has been released.
Bayley has been feuding with Becky Lynch since The Man\’s in-ring return at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames, and appeared on this week\’s Monday Night Raw.
Banks in New Japan
Sasha Banks\’ impending arrival in New Japan Pro Wrestling is a huge score for the company as they seek to grow their own women\’s division.
It is believed that Banks will confront the winner of the IWGP Women\’s Championship match between KAIRI (aka Kairi Sane) and her challenger Tam Nakano.
Banks\’ contract is said to be for five matches a year with New Japan, and she is set to make more per appearance for the promotion than she did during her tenure with WWE.
Fans shouldn\’t expect to see the likes of Doudrop, Gallus, and others on WWE programming for the time being due to a series of Visa issues.
In August of last year, WWE closed their NXT UK brand ahead of the launch of NXT Europe this year, and retained only a handful of the NXT UK talent.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained why some non-American stars have been missing.
\”It’s Visa (issues.) What they’re doing is they went back over visa situations. They got to get the visas taken care of. So there’s a lot of people, a lot of the Gallus boys and Tyler Bate…Piper Niven’s (Doudrop) being gone is another one.
\”What’s her name? Is it Davenport? Is that her name? Blair Davenport? What’s her name? The Bea Priestly, her too. But yeah, a lot of them, that’s basically the situation with a lot of them is just getting the visa stuff worked out.\”
Visa Issues
It was only a few weeks back that several wrestlers were reported as missing from TV due to problems with their visas.
In November 2022, it was noted that Gallus, JD McDonagh and Ilja Dragunov would be unable to return until these issues were sorted out.
It has been reported that plans for Tyson Fury in WWE are uncertain due to Visa issues and an alleged ban from entering the United States.
Fury is believed to be banned due to allegations of ties to Irish mafia boss Daniel Kinahan, a claim the boxing star has vehemently denied.
Jake Roberts\’ return to WWE in 2014 proved to be a pivotal moment in the life of the legendary wrestler.
Roberts returned to WWE on the \’Old School Raw\’ in January 2014 in his first appearance for the promotion in nearly nine years.
For his segment, Roberts confronted the Shield, and after Deam Ambrose was laid out with CM Punk\’s GTS, Jake placed a snake on the future Blackpool Combat Club member.
Before the Return
Roberts\’ problem with substances has been well-documented, and by the time of his return, the legend had only recently begun working with \’Diamond\’ Dallas Page.
Speaking on his Snake Pit podcast, Roberts recalled the dark place he was in prior to his Raw appearance.
\”You\’ve got to remember as to where I was at. I was hating myself. I was still in the hate mode with myself because I was getting in shape and I\’d look at myself and I\’d think \”why didn\’t you f***ing take care of yourself? Why didn\’t you do this Jake? No instead you had to smoke crack and f***ing drink and f***ing take pills.\’\”
During his WWE Hall of Fame speech that March, Roberts would mention DDP as a key influence on his life.
His Appearance
Roberts got the call a few weeks prior to Raw and spoke to now-former WWE talent liaison Mark Carrano about the plans for his return.
Speaking about the day of his return, Roberts joked that his waiting backstage was hardly that becoming of a legend.
\”They brought me in, and they wanted it to be a surprise, not only for the fans but for everybody. So they snuck me into town, and snuck me into a bus. And I just sat in the bus for what must have been eight hours, by myself, twiddling my thumbs. About once every four hours, they\’d send someone in to check on me. See if I needed anything. Like a gun to blow my brains out (laughs.).\”
Addressing his return on TV, Roberts recalled a moment between Punk and Ambrose that he has never forgotten.
\”CM Punk tells Mox \’the snake\’s s**t on your chest.\’ And Mox is just f**ing bursting. He\’s grinning from ear to ear. He couldn\’t hold it.\”
Jake Roberts.
While Ambrose was supposed to be unconscious for the placing of the snake, the Shield member can be seen grinning, as he had been a huge fan of Roberts since childhood.
The Rush
Roberts\’ return to WWE had not been reported anywhere prior to his appearance, which made his comeback even more special.
After everything he had been through, Roberts was grateful that he was able to have a moment like this after years of struggle.
It was great. What a great moment for me. Walking down that damn ramp. The people were screaming so loud, it was deafening. What a rush I got. It felt like my hair was growing. It felt like my skin was on fire.
\”I had come back. I had come back from the gates of hell.\”
Jake Roberts.
\”It took my breath away. You see me walking down there, I should have been more serious but I couldn\’t. There was so much joy that was flooding me because I had come back. I had come back from the gates of hell.\”
Speaking about what happened backstage after, Roberts recalled meeting Vince McMahon and the bittersweet moment.
\”[Our meeting was] just a handshake. \’I\’m glad to have you back home. That\’s what I got… It was kind of sad in a way because a lot of the guys had already left. That was the last match and they wanted to get out of the building before they got out with the crowd. Ted DiBiase had left, but Dallas was still there.\”
Roberts would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that year and would make sporadic appearances for the company prior to signing with AEW.
Is there a side to Eric Bischoff that fans have never gotten the chance to see, that would change the public perception of the WWE Hall of Famer?
Bischoff entered the wrestling business in the 1990s as part of WCW and would become a major part of the New World Order.
Joining WWE in 2002, Bischoff\’s reign of terror as Raw General Manager ended in 2005 but he has made sporadic appearances for the company since then.
Misunderstood
Bischoff may be a veteran of the wrestling business, but the reception of him by fans has often been mixed.
Bischoff\’s comments on his 83 Weeks Podcast often rub fans the wrong way, but the former WWE GM may simply be misunderstood.
Speaking on his Something to Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard spoke about Bischoff and others he believes to be \’misunderstood.\’
\”I think Eric Bischoff is a big one. I also think Paul Levesque, I think Kevin Dunn through the years [has been misunderstood.]\”
Eric Bischoff.
Bruce Prichard
Prichard may think that the fan perception of Eric Bischoff is unwarranted, but he doesn\’t have the greatest \’cred\’ either.
Many have seen Prichard as little more than a Vince McMahon \’yes man\’ who approved the ex-CEO\’s ideas no matter what, prior to McMahon\’s retirement in July 2022.
In 2021, it was reported that Prichard\’s comments on an episode of the Not Sam Wrestling podcast had angered and embarrassed those working in WWE.
During his appearance on the show, Prichard criticized fans when discussing the pilot episode of Monday Night Raw, saying that fans will always reject change.
Alexa Bliss has AEW star Buddy Matthews to thank for her unique championship pose of holding a title behind her head.
Bliss, the first woman to win both the Raw and SmackDown Women\’s Championships, is a former WWE Women\’s Tag and 24/7 Champion.
The Goddess of WWE was in a relationship with Matthews and were once engaged, and were able to remain friends after they split in 2018.
Championship Pose
An avid cosplayer, Bliss has incorporated her love of pop culture into several of the attires she has used on TV.
Speaking to BT Sport, Bliss explained how it was upon her call-up in 2016 that Matthews suggested the title pose.
\”Murphy [Matthews\’ wwe name] came up with that. Because I wore the tutus with the belt when I was doing the Harley Quinn thing, he was like ‘you should hold it like this’, so I was holding my belts and stuff like that. And so then once I won the title, I held the title like that, because I was thinking ‘what’s going to show the title plus show my face on camera and make (them) a close as possible?’”
Alexa Bliss.
During her early days on the main roster, Bliss\’ look was inspired by Margot Robbie\’s portrayal of Harley Quinn, who held her signature baseball bat behind her head for 2016\’s \’Suicide Squad.\’
The Hunt for the Raw Women\’s Title
Asides from her seconds-long reign as 24/7 Champion last year, it has been over four years since Bliss held a singles Women\’s Championship.
During this week\’s Raw, Bliss challenged Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair but lost via disqualification.
Mind games from Bray Wyatt caused Bliss to snap and attack the referee, and after the match, the Goddess would attack Belair, teasing that their feud is far from over.
The future looks uncertain for WWE Superstar Seth Rollins who appeared to suffer an injury during this week’s Monday Night Raw.
For the first Raw of 2023, Rollins battled United States Champion Austin Theory, who dethroned the Visionary at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Theory had previously cashed in Money in the Bank on Rollins for the U.S. Title (the first non-World Championship cash-in) but failed to win the title.
The Injury
The match between Rollins and Theory was going fine until the Architect injured his leg during the match.
During the closing moments of the match, Rollins attempted the Stomp which Theory evaded, and he hit a low blow and a chop-block.
Some have suggested that this chop-block is when the injury happened, and Theory would go on to hit A-Town Down to get the win.
After the show, Rollins was seen struggling by the live crowd and collapsed to the ground when he put too much pressure on his leg.
@SeanRossSapp@WrestleTalk_TV The ref just threw up the "X" for Seth Rollins who seems to have legit hurt his knee.
Corey Graves ran over and started fussing at people to come help.
WWE has not publicly commented on Rollins’ potential injury at this time.
History Repeats Itself
Rollins may be dealing with a knee injury and if so it won’t be the first time something like this will have happened.
At a Dublin, Ireland WWE Live event in late 2015, Rollins suffered a knee injury during a match with Kane, which would result in him forfeiting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Rollins would have to undergo surgery to repair his knee and would be out for six months, and would miss WrestleMania 32.
Dax Harwood\’s new FTR podcast has only had one episode so far, but the show is already garnering both a following and a backlash.
Harwood\’s new show with co-host Matt Koon replaces William Regal\’s Gentleman Villain podcast, which has ended due to Regal\’s departure from AEW and iminent return to WWE.
The first episode of the FTR podcast featured an in-depth discussion of CM Punk, who is currently on an extended hiatus from All Elite Wrestling.
Among the many Punk-related topics discussed, Harwood pleaded with Punk and The Elite to sit down and make amends so they can all move forward and do business together.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that people in AEW were \’not particularly happy\’ with everything that was said.
“From what I heard from different people, not the people who you probably heard from, they were not particularly happy at all about this. All I heard the other day was how unhappy people were about that podcast.”
Dave Meltzer.
It has been speculated that Harwood\’s pro-Punk stance has caused this backlash, given that many in AEW are against bringing back the former World Champion.
When Harwood\’s comments were shared on Instagram, Punk commented \”Duh.\”
Eric Bischoff was a prominent name on TNA Wrestling for years, despite having low expectations of the company.
Bischoff joined TNA (now Impact Wrestling) in 2009 and was a key part in bringing in Hulk Hogan in 2010.
The former WCW magnate and Raw General Manager would remain with the company, mostly working behind the scenes until his departure in 2014
Reeks of Russo
Bischoff would work for TNA Wrestling for years, all the time hating the name of the promotion.
In his new book \’Grateful\’ Bischoff recalled being hesitant to join TNA.
\”To be honest, I was never interested, at any level or at any time, in potentially working for TNA. First and foremost, I hated the TNA name (‘T and A’ – do you get it? It’s just so clever.). When I heard about it for the first time, I thought, ‘This just reeks of Vince Russo.’\”
Russo was TNA\’s Head of Creative at the time but of course, had no role in the naming of the promotion.
Bischoff added that the idea among fans that TNA was a \’spiritual successor\’ to WCW was \”ridiculous.\”
Not Wanted
When approached about the opportunity to join TNA, Bischoff didn\’t leap at the chance of a return to wrestling.
In his memoirs, the WWE Hall of Famer said that the success he and business partner Jason Hervey were having with their Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment made a return to wrestling seem unnecessary.
\”Jason and I were having so much success, with BHE, that I doubted I would even have time to get involved in wrestling again.
\”I was basically thinking, ‘Okay – I went through the WCW journey, and it didn’t end up the way I wanted it to end up, but the WWE opportunity came along, and it was a way for me to kind of write the end of my own story.\”
Bischoff writes that Dixie Carter, the then-President of TNA was against bringing him in, believing that her role as the \’female Vince McMahon\’ would be jeopardised by bringing him in.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW commentator Jim Ross has had it with talking about the infamous 1997 Montreal Screwjob.
That year\’s Survivor Series saw Bret \’Hitman\’ Hart lose the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels despite never tapping to the Sharpshooter, after Vince McMahon called for the bell.
The infamous moment is cited by many as the birth of the evil Mr. McMahon character, while Bret would debut for World Championship Wrestling not long after.
Never
As WWE\’s chief play-by-play announcer at the time, Jim Ross had a ringside seat to seeing the Screwjob go down.
Since then, Ross like others involved has spoken about what went down and what followed, but JR is saying enough.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the Oklahoma native expressed is frustration about having to relive the Screwjob.
\”If we never talk about that [Survivor Series] again ever in my life, I’ll be very content. Having to relive it again and again [is awful.]\”
Jim Ross.
Hart would eventually return to WWE in January 2010 and has made appearances for the promotion ever since.
In an interview, Hart would say that Michaels\’ WrestleMania 25 match with The Undertaker would play a role in his return, as he questioned how he could have so much hatred for Michaels, a man he also respected.
Punching the Boss
Hart has since made amends with Michaels and McMahon, but in the heat of the moment, the Hitman wasn\’t in a forgiving mood.
After the match, Hart trashed the ringside area and backstage, punched McMahon in the face.
WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling are teaming up for Karl Anderson to compete at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but that\’s not a problem for Tony Khan.
Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of last year, despite holding the NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the time.
After opting to compete at WWE Crown Jewel over NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the Machine Gun will wrestle this Wednesday at Wrestle Kingdom.
Cool
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be a stacked show, with talent from New Japan, WWE, AEW, and STARDOM all competing.
Speaking to Fightful Select, New Japan\’s Rocky Romero said he speaks with Khan quite frequently and was the one to tell Khan about WWE and NJPW working together.
Khan \”understood why\” the deal had been reached, and said he was \”cool\” about what was happening.
Anderson will defend the NJPW Never Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga this Wednesday.
Kenny Omega
AEW will have representation at Wrestle Kingdom 17, with Kenny Omega challenging for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay.
Romero told Fightful that Omega was forecasting his return to NJPW, teasing a match with Ospreay, before it was even a done deal.
Speaking about Omega\’s suspension from AEW following the backstage fight at All Out, Romero said it \”caused a pause\” as nobody knew what was going to happen.
Romero said that NJPW worked with Barry Bloom on making this happen, and that Bloom was the one that made the Chris Jericho deal when he was in NJPW years ago.
Speaking to Sportskeeda in late 2022, the two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion addressed what it will be like to be a free agent.
\”Truthfully, I want to explore free agency. I just want to be free of a contract and a certain brand commitment, a sort of branding of any kind for a minute and just see what comes next.\”
Nick Aldis.
At the time, Aldis also spoke about wanting to focus on his Legacy Sports Nutrition brand.
Where Next?
As a free agent, Aldis is able to field offers from any promotions, and we expect he will be in high demand.
Aldis has never worked with WWE, but it has been reported that he and WWE director Bruce Prichard did not get along when they were working in Impact Wrestling.
With that said, it will be WWE\’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H who decides on whether Aldis is given an opportunity, something many fans believe will happen.
A return to Impact is possible given that Aldis knows he can reach the top of the promotion, and resigning with them would allow him the chance to work with his wife.
Shinsuke Nakamura\’s step through the \’forbidden door\’ was a triumph for the WWE Superstar who defeated the Great Muta earlier today.
Nakamura\’s involvement with Pro Wrestling NOAH\’s at their \’The New Year 2023\’ event was announced in late October 2022 and at the time, Nakamura called it a \”miracle.\”
Muta, aka Keiji Mutoh, is currently on his retirement tour, which is set to end on February 21, 2023 at the Tokyo Dome.
Nakamura Vs. Muta
Given that Nakamura is a contracted WWE Superstar, there was a ton if intrigue going into this match.
Nakamura had a special entrance for the match which included unique attire and his WWE theme music.
The match itself was a fast-paced, physical affair, with Muta using his iconic green mist to gain the advantage.
After Nakamura kicked out of Muta\’s shining wizard, the former WWE NXT Champion used a mist of his own, before finishing the legend off with a Kinshasha.
After the match, Nakamura thanked Muta, calling him his idol and the King of Strong Style celebrated in the ring.
The two wrestlers helped each other walk up the stage and posed while pyro went off, bringing the show to an end.
Backstage, an exhausted Nakamura was thankful for the miracle of getting to compete in one of Muta\’s final matches.
John Cena made his triumphant return to WWE during this week\’s episode of SmackDown on FOX, but the former World Champion was busy behind the scenes.
Cena returned to team with Kevin Owens to defeat Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, in only the latter\’s second defeat in 2022.
This match marked Cena\’s first and only match of 2022 and continued his tradition of having at least one WWE match a year which began in 2002.
Cena Backstage
Cena had his hands full in the ring, facing Zayn and the man who defeated him at Summerslam 2021, but his more important work was happening backstage.
Cena granted \”several\” Make-A-Wish wishes backstage at the event in Tampa, according to Fightful.
The two met in early 2019 when Cena was filming for the movie \’Playing with Fire\’ and married in October 2020.
Make-A-Wish
Cena\’s years as a WWE Superstar and role model to young fans have made him a staple of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In June 2022, Cena granted his milestone 650th wish and is the most requested celebrity by children facing the worst of circumstances.
Speaking to People, Cena said how he granted his very first wish in 2002, mere months after his debut on SmackDown.
Despite being a substitute for the fan\’s requested Superstar, Cena was moved by what he did and vowed to always be ready to help Make-A-Wish, a promise he has continued to keep two decades later.
Fans of former WWE Superstar Biff Busick may have seen him in the ring as a professional wrestler for the last time.
Busick signed with WWE in September 2015 and was given the name Oney Lorcan.
Lorcan\’s one title reign in WWE came as one-half of the NXT Tag Team Champions (with Danny Burch) and he was granted his requested release on November 4, 2021.
Already Retired
After being released, Busick was brought back to WWE in October 2022 as a coach at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
On Twitter, Busick reflected on 2022, saying he chose to step away from performing and spoke about the possibility that he has had his final match as a wrestler.
If that is the case, the former NXT Tag Team Champion thanked everyone who he has shared the ring with and thanked the fans for supporting him.
In 2022, I stepped away from performing in the ring. I'm not sure if I've had my last match, but if I have, I had a blast. Thank you to anyone I got to share a ring with. Thank you to all the fans. I'm really looking forward to working with @WWENXT in 2023. Happy New Year!!!
Biff\’s tweet got responses of support from several names in the industry, including Flash Morgan Webster, AEW\’s Brody King, Andrew Everett, and Colin Delaney.
Busick Outside of WWE
Biff Busick may be back with WWE, but he has enjoyed a prosperous career outside of the McMahon-owned promotion.
In 2012, Busick would debut for Combat Zone Wrestling and is a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion.
Busick would debut for Evolve the following year, before making his name in Pro Wrestling Guerilla in 2015.
Titles Busick has held include the River City Wrestling Championship, the Top Rope Promotions Heavyweight Championship, as well as the TRP Interstate Championship.
McMahon paid millions of dollars in NDAs to female employees he is alleged to have had extramarital affairs with.
Common Sense
With McMahon gone, the role as CEO is now occupied by both Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan, with Stephanie operating solely as Chairperson of the company.
As WWE\’s Head of Creative, Triple H has replaced his father-in-law and has replaced long-time McMahon aide John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.
In an interview with WrestleRant, Kevin Owens talked about how logic is back in the driver’s seat.
I’m a big fan of being logical. I’ve always tried to be logical in my time in WWE, maybe more logical than most people choose to be or try to be or wanna be.
\”The changes in direction also came with a change in mentality.\”
Kevin Owens on WWE\’s regime change of 2022.
\”I can’t say that it’s always been like that. I think the changes in direction also came with a change in mentality, and everybody’s got different ways of thinking about what we do. It used to be like ‘Oh, this is in the past, people won’t remember.’ But man, I’ve been a wrestling fan my whole life and when I’d watch it, I’d remember.\”
McMahon\’s Return
Things seem to be much smoother sailing in WWE these days, but a monumental storm could be brewing.
It has been reported that McMahon regrets retiring last year, and believes the allegations against him would have blown over.
McMahon is reportedly plotting a comeback to WWE, one that has been met with hostility by those within the promotion.
Despite retiring, McMahon remains WWE\’s majority shareholder and has influence over 80% of the voting share.
Chyna will always go down in history as the first (and to date, only) woman to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but should she also have had a World title reign?
The Ninth Wonder of the World debuted in the WWF in 1997 as the bodyguard for D-Generation X before splitting from the group in 1999.
Winning the Intercontinental Championship in October 1999, a title she would also win at Summerslam 2000, Chyna would capture the WWF Women\’s Title at WrestleMania 17.
World Champion
In the Summer of 1999, Triple H was the number-one contender for the WWF Championship at Summerslam, but would later lose his shot.
During a triple-threat match on the August 9, 1999, Raw is War, WWF Champion \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin would attack Triple H and aid Chyna in winning the Game\’s title shot.
Speaking on Foley is Pod, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley made the case for a Chyna World title run.
“I do [think she should have been World Champion.] mean, look, Vince McMahon was World Champion. David Arquette was World Champion. Vince Russo was World Champion. Yeah, I think there’s a very real chance that she could have.”
Mick Foley.
Chyna would later lose her title shot to Mankind, who would later draw with Triple H, and a triple threat between Austin, Triple H, and Foley was set for Summerslam.
Despite plans for Triple H to win, Austin reportedly refused to put The Game over, and Foley won the title before losing it to Triple H on the post-Summerslam Raw.
WWF Champion Chyna: Could it Have Happened?
Chyna would never win the richest prize in the WWF, but that doesn\’t mean there weren\’t genuine talks about it.
Speaking in a 2020 interview with Wrestling Inc, Chyna\’s former manager Anthony Anzaldo claimed that the ex-Superstar turned a title reign down at an undisclosed time.
\”They offered her the WWE Championship belt, but Vince said, \’But you can\’t do Playboy\’ because she got offered to do Playboy. She chose Playboy over the belt.\”
Anthony Anzaldo.
Chyna would leave the WWF in 2001 and would pass away in 2016 at the age of 46 without ever making a return.