NEWS

The market grows. The wrestling world has changed a lot in recent years and the biggest change has been the amount of wrestlers moving from one company to another. This is not something you normally see happen this often and it has made for some exciting changes. That seems to be the case again, as another former champion has departed her company to see what else is out there.
According to Fightful Select, Rachael Ellering has left Impact Wrestling, effective as of last month. Ellering did not compete in the Knockouts Ultimate X match at Hard To Kill and was replaced with no explanation given. She has also not appeared at any television tapings since the pay per view. There is no word on why Ellering has left Impact Wrestling, where she is a former Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Jordynne Grace.
Opinion: I’m not sure what happened here but Ellering and Grace were working well together as a team over the last few months. Ellering is a talented star who could do well in just about any..

The show continues to build. We are just over two weeks away from AEW Revolution and that means things are starting to pick up. If there is one thing that AEW does better than perhaps anything else, it is make the big shows work well. That is usually the case due to the amount of high quality matches that they put on and now we know two more of the bigger matches on the card.
Two more matches were announced for Revolution during this week’s Rampage broadcast. First, Thunder Rosa will challenge Britt Baker for the Women’s Title. Rosa defeated Baker in a lights out anything goes match last year before Baker became champion. In addition, Hangman Page will defend the World Title against Adam Cole. This comes after the two have been arguing in recent weeks, with Cole attacking Page this week on Dynamite. Revolution takes place Sunday March 6.
Opinion: Neither of these matches are exactly a major surprise but they are matches that needed to be added to the card. AEW will still have a few w..

Rampage
Date: February 18, 2022
Location: Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho, Ricky Starks
We’re a few hours earlier this week due to the NBA All Star Weekend. This week’s show doesn’t have quite the same level of star power that most weeks have, but Revolution is in about two weeks and it’s time to set up some more things. You can probably guess most of the matches from here though and that’s a good thing. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Adam Cole vs. 10 10 shoves him around to start before snapping off a German suplex. The right hands start up in the corner but Cole slips out and kicks 10’s braced knee. The knee is wrapped around the post but 10 is fine enough to hit a delayed vertical suplex. Cole knocks him outside though and it’s right back to the leg as we take a break.
Back with 10 not being able to get the full nelson, meaning Cole can enziguri him into a Backstabber for two. A discus lariat gives 10 his own two but Col..

NXT UK
Date: February 17, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness
Things toned down a bit last week after back to back title match weeks. This time around seems to be more of the former as well, with the main event being a grudge match between Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be getting around here week to week. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Sam Gradwell vs. Kenny Williams Hold on though as Williams, in street clothes, is out on crutches. There was a terrible accident so the match cannot happen. Hold on to that holding on though as Sid Scala pops up on screen to say there is no evidence of Williams being injured, so start the match. Gradwell pulls him in and hammers away to start as Williams is rocked early.
A forearm out of the corner staggers Gradwell and a rake to the eyes lets Williams hit a rebound lariat. The cravate goes on for a bit before Williams rakes at the back. Grad..

His legacy will never rest in peace. WWE has announced that The Undertaker will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the inaugural member of the class of 2022.
From WWE.com:
First introduced at 1990’s Survivor Series, The Demon of Death Valley was soon battling with Hulk Hogan, then at the top of the food chain in WWE. This clash set the tone for Undertaker’s dominant career. No one was too big, and no one was safe from his gloved grip.
A multi-time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a seven-time tag team titleholder, and a Royal Rumble Match winner in 2007, Undertaker has cemented his place among the greatest in the game. A true in-ring pioneer, he was part of many WWE firsts, including the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series 1992, the first-ever Buried Alive Match in 1996, and the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match in 1997.
But there was one achievement that stood out above all others that is unlikely to ever be topped. Since WrestleMania VII in 1991, The Undertake..

We have some sad news to report today as former WWE referee Mickie Jay Henson has passed away at the age of 59 due to complications from pneumonia, related to COVID-19.
From WWE.com:
Henson officiated his first match in 1987 at the Eddie Graham Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. He then joined WCW in 1992 and went on to referee in some of the promotion’s most memorable matches, including the ending of Goldberg’s historic undefeated streak at the hands of Kevin Nash at Starrcade 1998. Signing with WWE in 2005, Henson then brought his officiating expertise to more incredible bouts for years to come featuring the likes of John Cena, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Edge, and many more.
We at Wrestling Rumors extended our deepest condolences to the Henson family during this difficult time.
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When in Jeddah. Over the last few years, WWE has maintained a business relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. WWE has presented major events in the country, which earns them several million dollars per show. This has led to a controversial reception, as the country has a terrible human rights record. WWE continues to run events in the country though, which includes some interesting side moments.
WWE will be holding the Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia this coming weekend and the roster has already arrived in the country. A video has made its way online, showing the Miz and Goldberg at some sort of a celebration where they are both dancing while spinning sticks around. Both are scheduled to wrestle at the show, with Miz facing Rey Mysterio and Goldberg challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title.
This might get some people talking. Check out what the two WWE stars were up to:
[This post contains video, click to play]
Opinion: This is the kind of thing that is g..

He might stick around. AEW has not been around that long but we are now reaching an interesting time in the company’s history. Some of the company’s original contracts are starting to expire and that means some of the people involved might be seeing what else is out there. There will certainly be some names who want to stick around though, and now we know where one of the bigger AEW names stand.
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross recently appeared on the J-Mart and Ramon podcast where he discussed his contract status with the company. Ross revealed that his current contract expires in April, when it will be up for renewal. While Ross does want to stay with the company, he also said that at 70 years old, he has to start being realistic. Ross said that he still loves what he is doing and still has fun. There is nothing to suggest that AEW will not renew Ross’ contract.
Opinion: This is about as realistic of a take as Ross could have. Yes he is a legend and yes he is still one of the biggest name..

Fare thee unwell? The biggest wrestling story of the week has been the announcement that Cody and Brandi Rhodes have left AEW. This was quite the shakeup, as Cody was one of the founders of the company and Brandi had been treated as a big deal throughout AEW’s existence. The pair are now gone though, and that has made for some surprising reactions from some people in AEW.
According to Bryan Alvarez on the Wrestling Observer forum, by way of Wrestlingnews.co, several people backstage in AEW were happy that Brandi has left the company. While there were some names who have been supportive of Brandi after her departure, the majority are said to be happy that she is gone. There were no names mentioned as being happy or sad about Brandi leaving.
Opinion: I don’t know how well Brandi was received backstage but this does not seem to paint her in the most positive light. Brandi is good at what she does when she gets in front of a camera, but that does not mean it plays well backstage. I’m not..

It’s a different way to go. There are all kinds of wrestling matches throughout any given week and the majority of them are under the standard set of rules. Then there are some special matches which have some different rules for one reason or another. Some of these are rather interesting and can make a match better, which is what WWE is hoping for with an upcoming stipulation.
On Saturday February 19, WWE will present Elimination Chamber from Saudi Arabia. The show will feature a tag team match between Ronda Rousey and Naomi against Sonya Deville and Charlotte. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, a stipulation is expected to be added to the match, which will see Rousey’s arm tied behind her back. The new stipulation is expected to be announced this week on SmackDown.
Opinion: This is something that could make the match more interesting, as Rousey continues on her path to WrestleMania and a showdown with Charlotte for the SmackDown Women’s Title. If nothing else, Deville could prob..

It’s a big one. The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works and mostly in a good way. The company has done rather well with just about everything they have done so far and a lot of that is due to the people who run the regular operations. One of them has since departed though and seems to be on his way elsewhere. Now we know what might be waiting on him.
Earlier this week, former AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes announced that he was leaving the company. There has been speculation that Rhodes will be returning to WWE, though no deal has been made as of yet. According to Wade Keller of Pro Wrestling Torch, Vince McMahon is expected to give Rhodes a major push in WWE, likely including a big match at WrestleMania 38, or at least his debut at the show. McMahon is said to be thrilled at the idea of having another company’s founder back in the fold. Rhodes left WWE in 2016 and is a two time Intercontinental and six time Tag Team Champion.
Opinion: While I can abso..

That might be for the best. One of the major criticisms you will hear against wrestlers is that what they do is fake. While it is true that the results of the matches are pre-planned, what you see taking place in the ring is very real, as these people are putting their bodies on the line on a regular basis. That kind of work can wear on wrestlers after a bit and now one of them has had to get a lot of work done to repair the damage.
WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley has revealed that he underwent spinal fusion surgery to repair damage to his back. The damage was caused by years of wrestling and was said to be worse than the doctors originally believed. As a result, Dudley will never be able to wrestle again, though he had no plans to do so. There is no word on when Dudley will return to his position as a WWE producer.
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Opinion: It’s great to hear that Dudley is doing better as a spinal injury is not something to me..