NEWS

That would certainly be different. There is no one in wrestling history like Brock Lesnar and there never will be again. Lesnar has a blend of amateur wrestling abilities, charisma and natural strength that may never be matched and WWE sees to know it. WWE has presented Lesnar as the ultimate monster and that means it is difficult to find opponents for him. Now though, they might have an idea.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE may be considering UFC Hall Of Famer Daniel Cormier as Lesnar’s next opponent. Cormier and Lesnar had a staredown in the UFC but never fought each other. A longtime wrestling fan, Cormier is set to be the guest referee for the Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at Extreme Rules on October 8. Lesnar has not wrestled for WWE since Summerslam.
Opinion: This does make a bit of sense as Cormier is the kind of person who could serve as a real threat to Lesnar while still being a threat. That being said, the Cain Velasquez deal didn’t exactl..

The new wave? Stables are a way for a wrestling promotion to put stars together in a group and see what they can do. It has long since been a way to make things less complicated and some of the more iconic moments in wrestling have something to do with a stable. This is still the case in modern times and we got a strange call back to one of them over the weekend at a WWE live event.
Over the weekend, WWE ran a live event in Bismarck, North Dakota. The show’s main event saw the Miz, Seth Rollins and Austin Theory team up against Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Lashley. During the match, Lashley was knocked down, leaving Rollins to lead his partners in the Shield’s fist pose. Lashley and company would come back to win the match, which served as the show’s main event.
But now it’s turned into a six team tag match between with @fightbobby teaming with @HEELZiggler and Kevin Owens against @_Theory1, @WWERollins and @mikethemiz #wwebismarck pic.twitter.com/QJyFuT4Ttg
— The Willster (..

Out the door? The AEW roster is comprised of all kinds of talented wrestlers, some of whom are well known names who have been around the world for several years now. Those are the stars that AEW will often present for the sake of expanding to as big of an audience as possible. That is not going to work forever though and now a star is hinting that he wants out of the company.
Last week on AEW Rampage, Andrade El Idolo challenged 10 of the Dark Order to a mask vs. career match on this week’s show. After the announcement, El Idolo’s manager Jose The Assistant sent out a tweet thanking him for everything in AEW. Later, a fan tweeted to El Idolo that he hoped 10 won the match, with which El Idolo agreed. This comes amid rumors of El Idolo being unhappy in AEW and wanting to leave, though there is nothing to suggest he will be moving on from the company.
You are one of the best in ring competitors, I learned a great amount working alongside you. You brought me to #AEW and I stand by your ..

That’s an important detail. Wrestlers can be celebrities in that they are known public figures who are often on television but that can also cause some issues. It means that there are going to be instances of people trying to stir up problems, some of which have to be dealt with immediately. That was the case over the weekend, with one of the wrestlers themselves taking care of the situation.
Over the last few days, an explicit video allegedly featuring WWE’s Carmella and Corey Graves has circulated online. However, Carmella has since commented on the video, saying that the video was Photoshopped to look like the two of them. This includes tattoos that were not in the original but have been added to resemble Carmella and Graves. Carmella is currently out of action with an injury and it is not clear when she will be able to return to the ring.
Y’all really wanna see me fail, huh??
Photoshop is on another level these days… ?
She cute, but she ain’t me.
— Mella Is Money ? (@Carmella..

That’s great to hear! Wrestlers have some very difficult schedules, as they are regularly on the road for events rather than getting to stay in one place. That is not the easiest situation in the world as it leaves little time for their personal lives. This would especially include their romantic relationships, but sometimes it can wind up working out. It certainly did this weekend.
NXT correspondent McKenzie Mitchell revealed on Instagram that she and NXT commentator Vic Joseph were married this weekend in Florence, Italy. The two had been engaged since November 2021 but had not announced a date for their wedding. There is no word on if the two will be missing any time from their work on NXT or who could fill in for them if they are gone.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by McKenzie Mitchell (@mckenzienmitchell)
Opinion: That is the kind of thing that is always great to hear and good for the two of them on finding each other and the happiness that comes with it. Wrestlers ..

And that’s that. WWE has long since become the biggest wrestling company in the world and as a result the company has more money than they know what to do with most of the time. That is quite the accomplishment, but it also means that they have a target on them with others trying to take some of that money from them. Now someone is going to, but it might not be what they had in mind.
Back in 2018, tattoo artist Catherine Alexander sued WWE, Take-Two Interactive Software and the developers of the WWE2K video game series. The suit was filed claiming copyright infringement over tattoos that Alexander created for Randy Orton, which appeared in the game. WWE and the game’s producers claimed that the tattoos fell under fair use while Alexander claimed that she never gave permission for the tattoos to be used. According to PWInsider.com, the case came to trial last week and the jury found in favor of Alexander, awarding her $3,750 but no royalties from the game sales.
Opinion: It may sound ..

That would be big. There are a lot of ways to wrap up a wrestling career and some of them can be very respectful for everyone involved. Every wrestler wants to go out on a high note but sometimes they will also want to prove that they still have what it takes to be in the ring, even one more time. That is what a legend is going to be doing later this year and now we know a bit more about the match.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Ricky The Dragon Steamboat would be wrestling his final match later this year for Big Time Wrestling in Raleigh, North Carolina. The promotion has now announced that the match will be a six man tag, featuring Steamboat and FTR taking on Jay Lethal, Brock Anderson and a mystery partner, with Arn Anderson managing the team. The show takes place on November 27.
It's the “Return of the Dragon” on Sunday, November 27 at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC!
RICKY “The Dragon” STEAMBOAT & FTR vs. ARN ANDERSON's team of BLACK MACHISMO, BROCK ANDERSO..

He’s a big one to add. Wrestling has a unique reputation in sports, as the wrestlers are seen as athletes but not in a legitimate competition. They can clearly do things that most people can’t, but they do not have the most respect when it comes to other athletes. It can mean something to have more accepted sports stars engage with wrestling, and that will be happening again next week.
Ariel Helwani has announced via his Twitter that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier will serve as guest referee for the upcoming Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules. Cormier is a long time wrestling fan who has talked about doing something with WWE. Extreme Rules is scheduled for next Saturday, October 8.
Breaking:
Daniel Cormier will serve as guest referee for next Saturday’s Fight Pit Match between Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins at WWE’s Extreme Rules in Philly. Oct. 8.
No, seriously. It’s really happening. Oct. 8.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/Ri8tH..

He was a special one. There are all kinds of wrestlers throughout history but only a small handful reach that highest level. Some people completely change an industry and take part of it in a new direction and unfortunately we have lost another one of those few names. Now the wrestling world is reacting by pouring out the tributes and condolences that you might have expected.
On Friday, news broke of Antonio Inoki’s passing at the age of 79. The news was mentioned during this week’s SmackDown, with Michael Cole talking about some of Inoki’s accomplishments in the ring. Since then, several wrestlers and wrestling personalities have paid tribute to Inoki on Twitter. Here are some of the reactions to the news of Inoki’s passing:
One of the most important figures in the history of our business, and a man who embodied the term “fighting spirit.” The legacy of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki will live on forever.
— Triple H (@TripleH) October 1, 2022
RIP Antonio Inoki, a pioneer in the p..

Another one for the collection. One of AEW’s greatest strengths has been its roster. The company has been built on the amount of wrestlers that it has and the variety that it is able to present. AEW continues to add new talent to the roster and create new possibilities, which they have done again by signing another former World Heavyweight Champion to an official contract.
AEW President Tony Khan has announced that Rush has officially signed a contract with the company. Rush has been appearing with the company for several weeks now, mainly teaming with Andrade El Idolo. A former two time Ring Of Honor World Champion, Rush wrestled his first match as a part of the AEW roster this week on Rampage, defeating John Silver.
It’s official: @rushtoroblanco is
All Elite!
What a week for Rush!
Yesterday was his birthday, today he’s All Elite, and it’s
Rush vs @SilverNumber1 TONIGHT on
Friday Night #AEWRampage!
Don’t miss Friday Night #AEWRampage on @TNTdrama
@ 10pm ET/9pm CT TONIGHT! pic.tw..

Now there’s a tease. WWE has a long history of stars on its roster but there are times when they need to bring someone new into the fold. That can be easier said than done, but one of the best things that they can do is have a legend give a rub to an up and coming star. Now it seems that WWE is laying the groundwork for such a change on the biggest stage around.
Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory made a surprise appearance this week on SmackDown. During the show, Michael Cole praised Theory’s abilities, but said that he needed “an attitude adjustment”. This would seem to continue to point to a future match between Theory and John Cena, which has been rumored since Cena and Theory had a backstage confrontation earlier this year on Monday Night Raw.
Opinion: This is something that seems to have been set up more than once and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the match take place at WrestleMania 39. Cena is known for working with some of the up and coming stars and Theory could certainly ..

To wrap things up. There are a lot of things taking place at any given WWE television taping. While you have the main focus with the television show, there are other matches going on throughout the night. This includes matches taped for later, but there are also matches just for the live crowd. That was the case after this week’s SmackDown went off the air.
As noted on Twitter, a title match took place after this week’s SmackDown. Following the show, Gunther successfully defended his Intercontinental Title against Shinsuke Nakamura. After the match was over, Nakamura hit Gunther with a Kinshasa to send the fans home happy. Both Gunther and Nakamura appeared on the show, with Gunther and Imperium beating down Sheamus, while Nakamura appeared in a backstage segment with the Maximum Male Models.
@sherantsmtl And that's the last one, Gunther wins, but Nakamura does a Kinshasa to clear him out, and that's a goodnight for everyone. pic.twitter.com/AGtL7aTzng
— Richard Lee (@Suza..