NEWS

Sounds like a plan. We are less than two months away from WrestleMania 38 and that means, at least in theory, that WWE has a plan for what they are going to be doing for the biggest event of the year. WWE has already set up a few matches for the show, but there is something else on the way there in the form of Elimination Chamber. Now it seems that a match for the show is part of a bigger plan for one specific wrestler.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE has a plan in mind for Drew McIntyre’s road to WrestleMania. McIntyre returned from a neck injury at the Royal Rumble in January but is not completely healed. As a result, he will not wrestle on live events but will appear on television. He is expected to face Madcap Moss at Elimination Chamber and likely Happy Corbin at WrestleMania. McIntyre could be completely healed after WrestleMania in early April.
Opinion: There is a bit to unpack here, as not only is McIntyre not quite healed up, but he might be facing Corbin at Wrest..

They needed to talk. Last month, Ronda Rousey made her return to WWE after a three year absence and won the women’s Royal Rumble. The victory put her in line for a Women’s Title match of her choosing at WrestleMania 38, meaning that she will be one of the more prominently featured players on WWE television going forward. That means some extra attention, and therefore she might need to work on something.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE has spoken to Rousey about letting go of her negative feelings over fans rejecting her. The idea is that Rousey is supposed to be the babyface in the story, which will not work if she is angry at the fans. Rousey is said to have been better than she was regarding the situation and wants to be in WWE. She is currently scheduled to challenge Charlotte for the SmackDown Women’s Title at WrestleMania 38.
Opinion: WWE is right in that Rousey has to do something to change her feelings on something like this. You can only get so far with not liking ..

That’s a story they can tell. There is a lot of WWE television time to fill in every single week and some of the things that they do are rather entertaining. Eventually though, the company is going to run out of original ideas and something is going to feel a bit familiar. That is not a bad thing though, and this time around, we might be getting something you have seen before with some fresh faces.
Dana Brooke has held the WWE 24/7 Title since the November 21, 2021 edition of Monday Night Raw. During her title reign, former champion Reggie has been advising Brooke in an effort to retain the title. This week on Monday Night Raw, Brooke thanked Reggie for his help and kissed him on the cheek. Brooke made it clear that they were friends, though Reggie looked at her without saying anything. Eventually Reggie broke the look and said he was fine with everything, albeit while not looking happy with the situation, suggesting a potential romantic interest in Brooke.
This could be interesting…

They might be on to something. The wrestling world has changed a lot in recent years and that has been a good thing. Rather than having WWE as the only real power in the industry, AEW has risen up to join the higher ranks. That is something wrestling fans and wrestlers have wanted for a very long time now, and we might be about to see another wrestler who has left WWE head to a new home in AEW.
Last week, AEW President Tony Khan announced that a new free agent would be debuting during this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. According to Fightful Select, several members of the AEW roster believe that the new signing will be former WWE star Keith Lee. However, it is said that no one is sure that Lee is the signing. Lee’s WWE no compete clause recently expired, meaning that he is free to sign anywhere he wants to.
Opinion: Lee is a very distinct possibility and someone that would make a lot of sense in AEW. You never know what you re going to get in AEW though and that is what makes this a..

NXT UK
Date: February 3, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness
It’s the second title week in a row around here as we follow up last week’s United Kingdom Title match with a Women’s Title match as Meiko Satomura defends against Blair Davenport. At the same time, we have the finals of the #1 contenders tag team tournament, which could be a good one. I continue to have high hopes for this show and that isn’t something you get to say very often these days. Let’s get to it.
We open with a look at the Japanese street fight between Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport.
Opening sequence.
Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith The winners get a future Tag Team Title shot at Moustache Mountain, who is on commentary. Carter works on Starz’s wrist but can’t get very far as Starz takes him to the mat. An armdrag into an armbar works a bit better on Starz as Nigel tries to drive some tensions among the champs over the Herita..

Monday Night Raw
Date: February 7, 2022
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Jim Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
We have less than two weeks to go before Elimination Chamber and a lot of the big matches are set. Since this is Raw, we have two Elimination Chamber matches set up, plus Becky Lynch vs. Lita, as Smackdown doesn’t seem all that important this month. Tonight is a special show since we are on SyFy due to the Winter Olympics, so we have NO COMMERCIALS in the first hour. I’m thrilled too. Let’s get to it.
We open big with the final round of the Academic Challenge between RKBro and the Alpha Academy. This time around, it’s a Quiz Bowl competition and after looking at the spelling bee/scooter race being split, we’re ready to go. Chad Gable explains the rules: it’s one point per question and if you get it wrong, the other team gets to steal. One point per answer, first to give points wins.
Alpha Academy gets the history question (who was the first President wit..

Welcome back. There have been a lot of wrestlers on WWE television over the years and some of them have been a lot more successful than others. Some have made some major impacts and had some very memorable moments. Those wrestlers are going to make a difference every time they show up again and that might be the case again for a legend who has re-signed with the company.
Former WWE star Boogeyman has released a video of him signing a new WWE contract. As he signs, a song plays with lyrics saying “this is how legends are made”, suggesting that he has signed a new Legends deal, though this is not clearly stated. Boogeyman wrestled for WWE from 2005-2009 and has wrestled on the independent circuit since. He has also made occasional appearances for WWE.
Legend sounds right. Check out Boogeyman’s signing:
[This post contains video, click to play]
Opinion: I don’t see this being any kind of an issue, as it isn’t like WWE is overly picky about who they sign to legends deals. Sometimes it ..

It’s their turn. Starting back in 2018, WWE began going over to Saudi Arabia for multiple major events every year. These shows have been among the biggest of the year with one stacked card after another. Some of these matches have been less than memorable, but there have been some historic moments as well. A handful of them have involved women’s wrestling, and now they are going bigger than ever.
WWE has announced that a women’s Elimination Chamber match will take place at Elimination Chamber on February 19. The match will consist of Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Doudrop, Liv Morgan, Nikki ash and a mystery entrant, with the winner getting to challenge for the Raw Women’s Title at WrestleMania 38. There have been three women’s Elimination Chamber matches in history, with the first taking place in 2018.
Opinion: This is something that isn’t exactly a surprise, but it is a bit of a surprise that it is taking place in Saudi Arabia. I’m curious to see what they are going to do in the match..

He doesn’t sound like a fan. WWE is a lot of things, including the most successful wrestling promotion in history. They know how to make money hand over fist, but that does not mean they are the most entertaining company. A good bit of their television product is not often well received, and now a WWE Hall of Famer is venting some issues he has with what the company is offering.
Ronda Rousey returned to WWE after nearly three years away and won the women’s Royal Rumble. She has since announced that she will challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte at WrestleMania 38. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry spoke about Rousey’s return at the Royal Rumble. Henry took issue with WWE ignoring the Brand Split by having Rousey appear on both shows. Henry said that if WWE is going to keep changing things around, they might as well have one roster. He also said that he felt his intelligence was being insulted by the whole thing.
Opinion: This is something that does ..

That would have been a way to go. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster over the years, it can be a little difficult for someone to stand out. That can be very tricky for someone on their best day but occasionally someone makes headlines for some less than ideal reasons. That was the case for a rather high profile NXT star, and WWE might have wanted to bring him back anyway.
Back in April 2020, Velveteen Dream was accused of inappropriate sexual communication with underage people. WWE investigated the situation but found no evidence to prove the allegations, which Dream still denies. After missing several months due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident, Dream returned for a few months before being let go from the company in May 2021.
Dream appeared on a recent edition of the Dishing Drama podcast and revealed that WWE considered bringing him back under a mask without having him speak. He did not make it clear when WWE considered doing this. Dream has not wrestled since h..

That would have been something. There are a lot of titles in the wrestling world and some of them are rather prestigious. Some of those titles have been around for a very long time, with some of the better known championships being sanctioned by WWE. Winning a championship in WWE means something in the wrestling world, and it seems that a surprising name almost won the company’s signature title.
During a recent interview on the Cheap Heat Productions podcast, former WWE star James Ellsworth said that there had been discussions of him winning the WWE Championship in 2016. Ellsworth did feud with WWE Champion AJ Styles during 2016, including defeating him twice with the help of Dean Ambrose. The feud saw Ellsworth receive two shots at the title, one of which resulted in a disqualification victory over Styles. Ellsworth did make it clear that he did not believe the plans were legitimate and that he should not have been champion.
Opinion: I don’t think there was any serious consideration..

Call it a preview? We are less than two months away from WrestleMania 38 and there are a lot of matches that need to be set up. While we already know some of the bigger matches on the card, there are several more that still need to be added. Some of those might seem a bit obvious from here, but there are some that might not make any sense from here. Now, we might have some previews.
According to John Pollock of Post Wrestling, WWE is advertising two matches for a March 27 live event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The matches are:
Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair
Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
While not confirmed, these matches could be previews of upcoming WrestleMania 38 matches. Lynch is currently scheduled to defend her Raw Women’s Title against Elimination Chamber. At the same show, Lashley will be defending his WWE Title inside the Elimination Chamber, with Rollins, Styles, Brock Lesnar, Austin Theory and Riddle. There is no word on if either of the Tor..