NEWS

That’s a serious issue. With so many wrestlers coming through the doors of various promotions over the years, there have been all kinds of reasons for wrestlers leaving the company. This could range from common to oddly specific and happen to almost all kinds of different names. There have been many big names who have left the company for one reason or another and now we know something about about one of the bigger surprises.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: LOOK: WWE Teases Popular Stable Reunion On Monday Night Raw
Bobby Lashley made his Impact Wrestling (then TNA Wrestling) debut in 2009 but was released from the company in January of the following year. According to Eric Bischoff (then an Impact Wrestling executive) during his 83 Weeks podcast, Lashley was let go from the promotion due to Lashley’s then girlfriend, former WWE star Krystal Marshall, causing issues backstage. Bischoff did not tell Lashley that was the reason, instead saying that the company was going to let him go. Lashley w..

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 2, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
We are inching closer to the Royal Rumble and that means it is time to start setting up the show. With so many wrestlers needed to get into the Royal Rumble matches, there are only going to be so many spots left for other matches. At the same time though, only one person has been announced for either Royal Rumble so they might want to start picking up the pace. Then again, they might want to have a lot of surprises this time. Let’s get to it.
We open with the Bloodline (minus Roman Reigns/Paul Heyman) wrecking havoc at ringside. Sami Zayn says they’re taking over tonight but here is Kevin Owens to interrupt. Sami calls this a hostile takeover but Owens says he wants to punch Zayn in the face. Cue Adam Pearce and company to tell Owens that this isn’t happening tonight or all year. Security goes after the Bloodline but gets dropped, drawing Owens into the r..

Reunion? There are so many wrestlers on the WWE roster that it is difficult to find something for all of them to do. One of the best ways to deal with the problem is to group them together in stables. WWE has used them for years and that tradition continues to be the case to this day. It now seems that WWE is at least considering a reunion of a departed stable.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: And Done: Former WWE Champion Reportedly Now Free Agent, Can Wrestle Elsewhere
This week on Monday Night Raw, Damage Ctrl was seen walking through the backstage area on their way to the ring. In the background of the scene were Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander, who were talking with MVP and Adam Pearce. Benjamin and Alexander were formerly part of MVP’s Hurt Business stable, along with Bobby Lashley. The meeting was not acknowledged on the broadcast.
https://twitter.com/ThomasNg27/status/1610109185299218434/photo/1
The team did well in their day. Check out the Hurt Business in action:
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It’s official. 2022 was one of the busiest wrestling years in recent history, with all kinds of changes taking place over the course of the year. That made for some very interesting moments as fans tried to figure out what was going on and where things were heading next. Now we have a major step forward, as well as what what seems to be the conclusion, of one of the stories.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Back In A Bit: Another AEW Star Confirms Injury, Promises To Return Soon
Back in May 2022, Sasha Banks and Naomi both walked out on WWE, vacating the Women’s Tag Teak Titles at the same time. While there were negotiations for both to return to WWE, neither ever appeared again. According to Sean Ross Sapp, Banks is now available for wrestling bookings, meaning she is officially a free agent. Neither Banks nor Naomi have wrestled or appeared on a wrestling show since walking out on WWE, though Banks is expected to be at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event later this week.
Good morning. Mercede..

On the shelf. Injuries are one of the worst things that can happen to a wrestler as you never know how long they are going to be out of action. An injury can take place at almost any time and put someone on the shelf out of nowhere. That seems to have taken place again, as an AEW is injured and out of action, leaving someone else to take his place in the ring.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: On The Market: Former Multiple Time World Champion Officially A Free Agent
AEW’s Matt Hardy has announced that Marq Quen is injured. As a result, Hardy will be teaming with Quen’s Private Party partner Isaiah Kassidy for the time being. Quen responded to the announcement, saying that he will be back in the ring quickly. There is no word on when Quen was hurt or how long he will be out of action. Quen’s most recent match took place on November 30.
Since @Marq_Quen is gonna be out of action for a bit, myself & @IsiahKassidy are marching forward.
Tonight we team up on #AEWDarkElevation & plan on stealing t..

They’re big. There are certain names in the history of wrestling that are going to be remembered fondly for a very long time to come. Those stars are the most important in wrestling and were able to build a legacy that is remembered for years. It means something to have those names around and now two of them made an appearance backstage at a recent WWE event.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He Has A Take: Possible Problem With WWE Using Tyson Fury
Two WWE Hall Of Famers were backstage last week at SmackDown. First up, Batista was present, and took a photo with Titus O’Neil, which was posted to Twitter. Batista last wrestled at WrestleMania 35. Second, according to PWInsider.com, Ric Flair was backstage as well, likely to see his daughter Charlotte win the SmackDown Women’s Title. There is nothing to suggest that the two will be appearing on WWE TV in the near future.
#SmackDown Was Awesome tonight and always Great to see all of my @WWE Family ?? pic.twitter.com/V7qtVc8H6x
— Titus O'Nei..

He has some leverage. Wrestling has a long history of having athletes from other sports make appearances, often to great success. It makes sense for a wrestling company to want to bring in other athletes to see what happens when they step inside a wrestling ring. WWE has done this as well, but now one major sports name has an interesting way of looking at how he would be presented in the company.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Next Time? WWE Champion Pulled From Live Event
Last month, a story broke about WWE wanting boxing’s Heavyweight Champion of the World Tyson Fury to appear at the Royal Rumble and then WrestleMania 39, though Fury is dealing with visa issues. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, one source is saying that Fury is unwilling to put people in WWE over or even look vulnerable during his appearances. There is no word on whether he would be able to be booked in a short Royal Rumble appearance that validates what the money WWE would have to pay him. There is no word ..

Rain check? There are so many stars in WWE these days but only a few are important enough to warrant title reigns. WWE putting a championship on a wrestler is a good sign for their current status, but also their future. It can also be a big deal to have those names on live events, but a reigning champion was absent from a recent live event, resulting in a necessary change.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Hall Of Famer On Possible Royal Rumble Return
According to Wrestlingheadlines.com, reigning United States Champion Austin Theory was pulled from a WWE live event earlier this week. Theory was scheduled to face Seth Rollins in a cage match but Finn Balor took Theory’s place. There is no word on why Theory was not on the show. Theory defeated Rollins in cage matches on live events the three previous nights.
Theory has done rather well as of late. Check out some of his time around the US Title:
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That’s him? There are a lot of ways to introduce a wrestler onto television and some of them involve not letting the fans know everything at once. Sometimes you will see a wrestler debut and not know who they are just yet. That can leave fans guessing, and now they are guessing again about the identity of a character who has only been around for a few weeks.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: On The Market: Former Multiple Time World Champion Officially A Free Agent
Over the last few weeks, Bray Wyatt’s alleged Uncle Howdy has been appearing on SmackDown. Howdy was back last week and attacked Wyatt in the ring, though his identity is still unknown. Following the attack, former Ring Of Honor star Vincent sent out a tweet saying “Sane? Well that’s relative…dig what I’m saying?” This has led to fan speculation that Vincent is Howdy, though this has yet to be confirmed. There is also no guarantee that someone wearing the Howdy mask on SmackDown will be the person playing him when his identity is rev..

He’s available. The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works, as there is now another major platform for wrestlers to apply their trade. AEW allows more wrestlers a chance to go out in the ring on national television and that has been missing for a very long time now. More wrestlers are going to use that chance and now there is a major free agent out there who can sign wherever he likes.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Back Again: WWE Star Hypes Upcoming Return To The Ring After 8 Month Absence
According to PWInsider.com, former NWA World Champion Nick Aldis is officially a free agent, with his NWA contract expiring at the start of the new year. This comes after Aldis revealed his contract was coming up, resulting in NWA owner Billy Corgan pulling him from his upcoming matches. There is no word on where Aldis may be interested in signing in the future, though he did tweet out a picture of himself with his wife Mickie James and a caption “2023”.
2023… pic.twitter.com/rkrkiKbF..

One more time? With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it can be difficult to keep track of what everyone is doing. At the same time, it can be easy to forget someone once they are out of the ring for any significant length. That makes a return all the more significant and occasionally surprising, as we will now could be seeing another WWE star making a return to the ring.
Earlier this week, a fan asked Zelina Vega when she will be returning to the ring. Vega responded, saying she would be returning to the ring “soon”, adding that she can do it all, including wrestling and managing. Vega has been managing Legado Del Fantasma since their return in October. There was no specific date given for Vega’s return. Vega has not wrestled on television since the April 11, 2022 Monday Night Raw, though she has been wrestling on live events in recent weeks.
Soon. I’m not strictly anything. I. Do. It. All… not many can say that. https://t.co/k9HllXaMgO
— ? QUEEN ZELINA ? (@ZelinaVegaWWE) Decemb..