Already: Vince McMahon Rumored To Have Problems With Some WWE Departments

He’s back. The WWE world has changed in several ways in the last few days and those changes might not be ending anytime soon. Most of the changes revolve around the return of Vince McMahon, who is now back in his seat as Chairman of the Board, but the question is what will he do with regards to the creative side of WWE. We don’t know that yet, but his influence is already spreading. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: There She Goes: Former WWE Star Officially Announces Retirement From Wrestling According to Fightful Select, there are rumors that since McMahon’s return to WWE, he has already been sending messages to various departments telling them that they are doing things wrong. There was no mention of which departments or what they were doing, or if McMahon is planning on making any changes. McMahon has yet to make an appearance on WWE TV and is reportedly only working on selling the company. There have been some blunders in WWE over the years. Check out some of them: [This post contains vi..

Time Off: FTR Taking Time Away From AEW, Contracts Expiring Soon

It was nice while it lasted. There are all kinds of wrestlers on the AEW roster but there are always going to be changes that make things more complicated. You never know when someone is going to leave of just take a hiatus of some kind, which could go on for any length of time. Most of the time there is no word on when that might happen, but now we know a bit more about what is going on. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: There She Goes: Former WWE Star Officially Announces Retirement From Wrestling During the most recent episode of his FTR With Dax Harwood podcast, AEW’s Dax Harwood revealed that he and Cash Wheeler (collectively known as FTR) will be taking time off from AEW TV. In addition, Harwood announced that the team’s AEW contracts expire in early April. Harwood did not know how long the hiatus would last, but it could go through the end of their contracts. He did not say what the team planned to do next, but said that “Whatever we decide to do next, will be the absolute last thing we ..

There She Goes: Former WWE Star Officially Announces Retirement From Wrestling

Everyone does it eventually. Retirement is a tricky subject in wrestling, as you never know how long it might be before someone finally hangs up their boots. In an industry where everyone can come back for one more match, it is difficult to find someone who truly retires. Several wrestlers say that they are though and that is the case with another former WWE star. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Titles To Be Split Very Soon Former NXT UK star Jinny has announced via Twitter that she is retiring from professional wrestling. This comes after Jinny has been out of action for several months with an injury. Her most recent match took place on November 18, 2011, though it is not clear when her injury took place or what it was. It is also not clear if Jinny was one of several NXT UK wrestlers released when the promotion was shut down in September 2022. After a long time away due to an injury, I have made the decision to hang up my fashionable boots. Thank you for all the memor..

Double Ouch: Two Injuries Take Place During AEW Best Of Seven Trios Series

That makes it harder. There are all kinds of injuries that can take place in a wrestler’s career. You never know when you are going to see someone get hurt, but there are times where you do not know the injury has taken place. Sometimes there are ways to hide the injury, even if it is something that can slow a wrestler down. That is the case again, but you might not be able to tell. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It’s A Start: Possible Backstage Heat On Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) In New Japan According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there were at least two injuries coming out of the Best Of Seven series between the Elite and Death Triangle for the AEW World Trios Titles. First, Pac broke his nose shortly into the series and had to wrestle with a protective mask on for the remainder of the matches. Second, Nick Jackson suffered a broken toe, which made it difficult to walk. Jackson is currently resting his toe and he can move it without pain. There is nothing to suggest either will mi..

AEW Rampage Results – January 13, 2023

Rampage Date: January 13, 2023 Location: Kia Forum, Los Angeles, California Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho We’re still in Los Angeles and you know that is going to mean a big show. I’m not sure what all it is going to entail but that is some of the fun of Rampage. This week’s Dynamite was a strong show so they have a lot to live up to this week. If nothing else, there is a street fight so that means violence. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. TNT Title: Juice Robinson vs. Darby Allin Allin is defending. Feeling out process to start with Robinson grabbing a waistlock to send the champ to the ropes. A headlock slows Robinson down but he grabs a belly to back suplex to escape. The backsplash only hits knees though and Allin is back with another headlock. This time Robinson sends him up and over the top for a nasty crash to the floor, followed by some whips into various hard things. A drop onto the steps rocks Allin again and we take a break. Back wit..

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Titles To Be Split Very Soon

That would be a change. Titles have been a gigantic part of WWE since the company was founded. There are several titles in the company and some of them are among the most prestigious in all of wrestling. It means something for a wrestler to hold one of them, but now there are some wrestlers who are holding two at a time. That might be changing sooner rather than later. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Cash Out? FOX Reportedly Losing A Fortune By Airing WWE SmackDown According to Xero News on Twitter, both the Usos’ Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles and Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Title will be split before WrestleMania 39 on April 1. There is no word on how the titles will be split, but the Judgment Day are currently #1 contenders for the Raw Tag Team Titles while a tournament is being held to crown new #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Nothing has been mentioned about how to split Reigns’ titles. More on this a source has just advised me ALL Titles will be split befo..

Cash Out? FOX Reportedly Losing A Fortune By Airing WWE SmackDown

That’s a lot of money. We are in the middle of one of the most important periods in the history of WWE, as the company may be sold at some point in the near future. That is going to shake things up in WWE in a huge way, likely including when it comes to their television deals. WWE’s television deals are set to expire next year, and it seems one of them is not doing so well. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Things Change: What Might Happen To Vince McMahon If WWE Is Sold According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a Morgan Stanley study found that FOX is losing over $100 million a year by airing SmackDown under the current deal with WWE. In the 2020-21 television season, FOX paid $196.7 million for SmackDown and reported losses of $134 million. In 2021-22, those numbers increased to $208.5 million paid and $145 million in losses. These losses are expected to get worse in the final two years of the deal. The belief is that there are not enough wrestling fans to make up the difference, as th..

REVIEW: Greatest Royal Rumble: The Dark End Of The Series

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net, starting today. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? Greatest Royal Rumble Date: April 27, 2018 Location: King Abdullah International Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole, Byron Saxton It’s finally time for a show that feels like the build has been going on for months. This is one of the biggest cards the WWE has ever produced and it’s hard to say where a lot of the matches are going to go. We’ve got seven title matches, two big time singles matches and the fifty man Royal Rumble, meaning this show could run longer than..

It’s A Start: Possible Backstage Heat On Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) In New Japan

Already? Earlier this month, one of the longer running wrestling questions in recent months was answered, as Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, made her debut with New Japan Pro Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 17. That seemed to be the end of things but also a new beginning. As it turns out, there might already be some issues with Mone and her new boss. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Steve Austin Works Does The Weather And Works The Drive Thru At Restaurant According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there might be some heat on Mone in New Japan and Stardom (New Japan’s sister promotion). Mone had been talking about how she wanted to face wrestlers from the Sendai Girls and Tokyo Joshi Pro promotions, both of which are seen as competition to Bushiroad (the parent company of New Japan and Stardom). While in Japan, Mone went to the Sendai Girls dojo but not the Stardom dojo. There is no word on what this could mean for Mone, or if she will be in any actual trouble. It has b..

Things Change: What Might Happen To Vince McMahon If WWE Is Sold

He’s kind of a problem. WWE is in the middle of one of the shakiest times they have ever had, as the company seems likely to be sold much sooner rather than later. That is the kind of thing that can shake up the wrestling industry and there are all kinds of details that would need to be worked out. Now we have an idea of one of the major details, at least for one specific person. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Steve Austin Works Does The Weather And Works The Drive Thru At Restaurant There are several companies that are considered possible buyers for WWE. However, according to Fightful Select, contacts at both Disney and Comcast (the owner of NBC Universal) both feel that no major company would want to keep Vince McMahon around “in any capacity if they could help it”. There has been no definitive word on what would happen to McMahon if/when the company is sold. Leave the memories alone? Check out some of McMahon’s time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post c..

WATCH: Steve Austin Works Does The Weather And Works The Drive Thru At Restaurant

Everyone needs another job. There are all kinds of wrestlers in the world but not all of them are able to wrestle full time. Several of them have to do something on the side to make ends meet. On the other hand, there are some wrestlers who do other things more for fun than the need to do so. That seems to be the case with one of the biggest wrestling stars of all time. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Change Of Plans: Update On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Status This week, videos of Steve Austin working as a weatherman and at the drive-thru at a Burger Me restaurant in Reno, Nevada. A man posted a video of Austin working the drive-thru on TikTok, showing that there was a camera crew filming the scene. There is no word why Austin, who lives near Reno, was doing any of this or where or when the footage will be aired. He has had some jobs. Check out what Austin does, plus his most famous work: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vide..

Change Of Plans: Update On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Status

No more? There are a lot of stars on the WWE roster and some of them are known for things that they have done outside of the wrestling ring. Those can be some of the bigger stars in WWE and it can mean a lot to have them around. At some point though they are not going to be there, and that is going to be the case with one star on one of the biggest Monday Night Raw’s of all time. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Bray Wyatt Takes A Surprising Turn On SmackDown On Monday January 23, WWE is holding it’s Raw 30 event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to PWInsider.com, former Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey is no longer advertised for the show. This comes less than a month after Rousey lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte in an impromptu title defense. Rousey has not been on WWE TV since and there is no word on when she is expected to return. Rousey is a star when she is around. Check out what she can do in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains ..

WATCH: Bray Wyatt Takes A Surprising Turn On SmackDown

No more? We are in the middle of a weird time in WWE, as all kinds of things continue to change. You never know what kind of thing is going to happen next at the moment, with most of the changes taking place behind the scenes. At the same time though, there are changes taking place with various storylines. Now we seem to have seen another big change, as WWE may have dropped something cold. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Who’s Up Next: New WWE Tournament Announced To Crown #1 Contenders This week on SmackDown, Bray Wyatt made an appearance and sat in the middle of the ring in his rocking chair. Wyatt used several of his old catchphrases, including calling himself the Eater of Worlds. He also said that HE is Uncle Howdy and told LA Knight to “run” at the Royal Rumble, in another of his former signature lines. There is no word on if this is a reset of Wyatt’s character or something that will be changed again in the weeks to come. This could go multiple ways. Check out Wyatt’s promo plus a look..

Who’s Up Next: New WWE Tournament Announced To Crown #1 Contenders

That’s one way to do it. Title shots can make for some of the most important matches in any wrestling promotion. The chance to have a new champion crowned means that something might be changing soon and that can make things all the more interesting. It means a lot when someone gets such a shot and now several wrestlers have the chance to earn one. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: Triple H And Stephanie McMahon Opposed WWE Sale This week on SmackDown, WWE executive Adam Pearce announced the launch of a new tournament to crown #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. The only detail announced for the tournament is that Drew McIntyre and Sheamus will face the Viking Raiders in the first round next week. There is no word on how many teams will be involved, brackets or the date of the title match. There is some talent involved. Check out the three teams in the whole situation so far: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

Santino Marella Debuts In Impact Wrestling

He’s back! At tonight’s Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill pay-per-view event, former WWE superstar Santino Marella made his debut in Impact Wrestling. Marella made his entrance after Moose used a low blow to defeat Joe Hendry and announced that he is now in the role of the Director of Authority. He then restarted the match, which led to Hendry getting the win and retaining the Digital Media Championship. You can see a clip of the return below: .@milanmiracle is HERE and is the BRAND NEW Director of Authority! @TheMooseNation and @joehendry CONTINUES! #HardToKill pic.twitter.com/CY68Ndy8hF — IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) January 14, 2023 According to a report from WrestlingNews.co, Marella, whose real name is Anthony Carelli, is able to use the “Santino Marella” name because WWE abandoned the trademark some time ago and it was registered by attorney Mike Dockins last month. He retired from WWE due to neck issues and he has been running the BattleArts school/promotion in Toronto. Editor’s ..

SmackDown Results – January 13, 2023

Smackdown Date: January 13, 2023 Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole It’s a big show this week as we have a pair of major matches. This week we’ll be seeing another match between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, which should have some Bloodline implications. In addition, Gunther is defending the Intercontinental Title against Braun Strowman. Let’s get to it. Intercontinental Title: Braun Strowman vs. Gunther Strowman is challenging and wearing boots designed by a boy who died in the Waukesha parade shootings. Feeling process to start as Gunther is a bit hesitant to go after him. Strowman manages to send him outside though and the running shoulder sends Gunther into the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with Strowman getting posted, allowing Gunther to start in on the arm. The armbar goes on but Strowman powers up, only to fall down when the arm gives out. Strowman fights out again and hits a clothesline but the rest of Imper..

Frankie Kazarian Leaves AEW; Joins Impact Wrestling

Sometimes you need a new job. At tonight’s Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill pay-per-view event, Frankie Kazarian announced that he had signed a new, long-term contract with the promotion. Kazarian cut a promo during the show, stating that after wrestling from Impact, he had to decide whether to remain complacent and be with “people he thought were his friends” or push himself and he chose to push himself. According to a report from PWInsider, after his 40-minute match with Josh Alexander, Kazarian asked AEW to be released and it was granted. It was said to be a completely amicable situation based on Kazarian wanting to push himself harder as he’s getting closer to the latter point of his career. In Impact, he’d had a chance to be more in the mix than he’d likely be able to get the opportunity to do in AEW, given how massive that company’s roster is. It was said that Kazarian “did business the right way” and would be welcomed back into their locker room anytime. Editor’s Opinion: I ab..

Triple H Held a Talent Meeting In Green Bay Prior to Smackdown

The boss has spoken. According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Triple H held a talent meeting before tonight’s episode of Smackdown. There, he and other WWE executives addressed a number of reports that have been circulating as of late. Triple H told everyone that Vince McMahon’s return to the company is to see whether or not they sell, and who they should sell to. He said this would not change the creative team or process. Furthermore, Triple H did say that he and Vince McMahon have conversations about creative, but Vince defers the final say to Triple H. It was also noted that Kevin Dunn spoke at the Smackdown talent meeting and had interesting things to say. Triple H led the talent meeting today in Green Bay. He told talent that Vince McMahon's return is to see whether or not they sell, and who they should sell to. He said this will not change the creative team or process. More coming to https://t.co/jy8u4a7WDa. — Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSap..

Impact Wrestling Results – January 12, 2023

Impact Wrestling Date: January 12, 2023 Location: Charles F. Dodge City Center, Pembroke Pines, Florida Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan It’s the go home show for Hard To Kill and since Impact does their pay per views on Fridays, the show is tomorrow night. That should mean the card is intact but you never know around here. Hopefully the roll can continue around here, as it has been a rather nice few weeks in a row. Let’s get to it. The opening recap looks at Bully Ray’s rise to the top of the company, including him attacking Scott D’Amore last week. We get a Zoom interview with Josh Matthews talking to Bully Ray and Josh Alexander, both at their homes. Alexander knows Ray is going after everyone he cares about and they will be in his mind at Hard To Kill. Ray thinks Alexander has given away his hand because Ray is in his head. Last week Ray didn’t need to have an Anthem executive take a swing at him. Ray talks about how he has gotten Alexander to do whatever he wants, ..

Gunther Discusses Sale of WWE, Stephanie McMahon, More

WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther was recently interviewed by the Dallas Morning News where he discussed a number of topics. Among them were the rumors of WWE’s upcoming sale, his relationship with Stephanie McMahon, thoughts on the Royal Rumble, and more. Below are some highlights from the interview: On the refuted reports on social media that WWE was being sold to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and his reaction to the news… Gunther: “I mean, rumors are rumors. And at the end of the day, I’m not the CEO. I’m a wrestler. So, I focus on what I do in the ring and leave the business to the people that do business.” Also on the business side, Stephanie McMahon just left the company, what was your relationship with her? Gunther: “To be fair, I only had very brief interactions with her. She’s always been very nice and very lovely. And yeah, I’m happy for her that she’s going to be able now to take time off and enjoy time with her family. And yeah, I think you should be hap..