NEWS

That’s a nasty one. Wrestling is a physical sport that does not often get the credit it deserves for everything that can go wrong. The wrestlers are highly trained and skilled professionals who know what they are doing, but there are times when something might not go as planned. That can often lead to a problem, which is what happened this week in a nasty situation.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: More Gold: WWE Considering New Main Event Level Title
This week on SmackDown, Imperium attacked Braun Strowman, with Gunther putting him in an armbar. Ricochet ran in for the save with a chair to chase Imperium off, but one of his swings accidentally hit Gunther in the face. Gunther was busted open and, according to PWInsider.com, was immediately rushed to the back. After being checked out, Gunther was said to be fine and there is nothing to suggest he will miss any time.
This didn’t look good. Check out the segment, plus another look with the chair shot and the two of them in a more controlled sit..

One more. Titles are one of the most important aspects of any wrestling promotion. They identify the company’s best or top stars in a way that anyone can figure it out almost instantly. One of the most important aspects to keeping track of titles is not having too many though, and now the biggest promotion in the industry is talking about bringing in a new title.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Top Of The Class: Interesting Detail About Dragon Lee Signing With NXT
According to recent reports, WWE is planning to have two different World Title matches over the two nights of WrestleMania 39. This would imply that Roman Reigns would lose one of his two World Titles prior to the show, but that may not be the case. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been discussion of introducing a new title, meaning Reigns would not lose either of his championships. There is no word on how far these discussions have gone or what the new title would be called.
There have been some new titles..

That’s a new level. With so much talent in WWE, it can be difficult to get to the top of the mountain. Some wrestlers come in with an advantage as well, as some will have enough hype or exposure outside of WWE that they start at a different level. There was a new WWE signing announced this week and it seems that they are going to be coming in to NXT with an extra level of expectations.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: So Much For That: Big WrestleMania Card Shakeup As Long Planned Match Reportedly Dropped
Earlier this week, Dragon Lee announced that he had signed with WWE, which was later confirmed by the company. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lee will be the highest paid talent in NXT, though it is not clear how much he will be making. The “bottom number” for a main roster contract is $250,000 a year so Lee will be earning less than that. Lee’s deal also allows him to keep licensing deals, along with being used in a series of middle school age books featuring himself and oth..

So much for that. We are on the way to the Road To WrestleMania 39 and that means WWE is going to start putting together the card. That can make for some interesting changes as you need to see what WWE has in mind. This will often include some of the biggest names in the company but now a previously scheduled match is no longer expected to take place on the show.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: On The Mend: Top WWE Star Confirms He Suffered Broken Ankle, To Miss Time
In recent months, a Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey match had been rumored for WrestleMania 39. However, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, the match is now off for unspecified reasons. There is no word on who the two will face at WrestleMania. The episode was recorded before Rousey lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to a returning Charlotte this week on SmackDown.
They do have a history. Check out what seemed to be the build to a huge match:
[This post contains video, click to play]

[This post contains video, click to play]

..

That’s a harsh one. Injuries are one of the worst things that you can see in wrestling as you never know when one is going to strike. Someone getting hurt can put them on the shelf for a long time and the question becomes how much time a wrestler is going to be out of action. Now a top WWE star is on the injured list again and now we know a bit more about just how bad things are.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Has Surprising John Cena Match Planned For WrestleMania 39
Earlier this week, AJ Styles injured his ankle during a six man tag match at a WWE live event. Styles had to be helped out of the arena but it was not clear how badly he was injured. Styles has since posted to Twitter, announcing that he has suffered a broken ankle, but he will not be undergoing surgery. There is no word on how long Styles will be out of the ring, though he did say it would be the longest absence of his career.
Just want you guys to know that I’m ok. Broken ankle is what I’m dealing with…

That would be a big one. We are just steps away from the Road To WrestleMania and that means we are going to be in for the start of some major storylines. WWE will be starting to put together their most important stars in some major matches and the question now is what we might be seeing at the show. We might have an idea of one of the bigger matches and it could come as a surprise.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: First Time: Special New Stipulation Grudge Match Set For WWE Royal Rumble
According to Wrestlingnews.co, WWE is planning to have John Cena face Logan Paul at WrestleMania 39. Paul has wrestled three matches in WWE, though he is currently recovering from a knee injury at Crown Jewel in November. Cena made his return to WWE this week on SmackDown, wrestling his only match of the year. Paul reportedly wanted to have this match, which has yet to be announced.
John Cena vs. Logan Paul is one of the matches planned for WrestleMania. Last month, Logan said he wanted that match.
— Wrestli..

Welcome home. With so many stars on the WWE roster, it can be difficult to figure out a way to get noticed. There are certin stars who are much bigger than others though and most of them have been a World Champion at some point in their careers. It can mean a lot to have one of them show up, and that is what we got to see again this week in a surprise return.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: LISTEN: Enzo Amore Releases Tribute Song To Hacksaw Jim Duggan
The opening match of this week’s SmackDown saw Solo Sikoa defeat Sheamus. Following the match, Sikoa went to attack Sheamus again but Drew McIntyre returned to make the save. This was McIntyre’s first appearance in an arena in over a month as he was out of action with an ear injury. McIntyre’s first match back has also been set, as he and Sheamus will challenge the Usos for the Tag Team Titles next week on SmackDown.
This was a good one. Check out the return, plus some more of McIntyre’s 2022:
[This post contains video, click to play]

[This..

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. 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?
New Year’s Revolution 2005
Date: January 9, 2005
Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Attendance: 15,764
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler
We’re back on pay per view to start the new year and it’s a one match show. This time around that’s the Elimination Chamber for the vacant World Title with Shawn Michaels as guest referee to annoy everyone. Other than that…there is nothing on this show worth anything whatsoever. Let’s get to it.
The opening video starts by talking about how awesome Puerto Ri..

Rampage
Date: December 30, 2022
Location: 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, Colorado
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Paul Wight
We’ll close out the AEW year with this and as is often the case around here, Orange Cassidy is defending the All-Atlantic Title. This time though, it’s against his friend Trent Beretta. That could go in a few directions and on top of that, we’ll be hearing from Jon Moxley about something. Let’s get to it.
In Memory Of Don West.
Opening sequence.
All-Atlantic Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta Cassidy is defending, Chuck Taylor/Danhausen are on commentary and Kip Sabian is on commentary. They shake hands for a good bit to start until Trent misses an armdrag. Back up and they run the ropes until Cassidy is hiptossed outside. Cassidy gets back in and sends him outside as well. Then they switch places again, with Cassidy being sent outside for the second time.
Trent’s dive hits Chuck by mistake but it’s turned into a well timed Big Hug. Cassidy dives..

That’s a special tribute. Music has played a big part in wrestling for decades as the right theme song can make or break a wrestler. That can be easier said than done as picking a proper song can be difficult. At times there are wrestlers who are able to put together their own music, but this time around a wrestler has put together a song for one of the more recognizable legends in wrestling history.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Safe At Home: Hacksaw Jim Duggan Explains How He Stopped An Intruder At Gunpoint
Enzo Amore, under his musical name of Real1, has released a song called Hacksaw, a tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan. The lyrics include a repeated reference to Duggan waving the flag and standing up for his country. There is nothing to suggest that Duggan was involved in the creation of the song in any way. Amore has released music since he left WWE and performed his own theme song during his time with the company.
It’s a nice idea. Check out the song, plus the two in t..

He wouldn’t be welcome. The biggest AEW star of the year has been the AEW backstage brawl after All Out. The incident led to a series of suspensions and changed all kinds of storylines for the company at the same time. That is the kind of thing you do not see very often and it seems that one star will not be back in the company anytime soon. As it turns out, that might not be the most unpopular decision.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He Would Know: Sting Reveals (Some) Plans For His Final Match
CM Punk was involved in the backstage brawl and has not returned to AEW television since. While Punk is out of action recovering from tricep surgery, there is little to suggest that he will be returning to AEW after he is healed up. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, several “top guy”, with Chris Jericho being named, have said they will make sure Punk does not return to AEW. There is no word on how they will influence Tony Khan, but Punk will not be available until the spring of 2023 at ..

Another one on the list. We are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble as WWE is going to be starting their new year in a big way. With so much going on, it is time to start building up one of the most important nights of the year. That is going to include some major matches and now we have one more thing added to the card outside of the show’s namesake matches.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BREAKING: Surprise Return Leads To Impromptu SmackDown Title Change
Over the last few weeks, LA Knight and Bray Wyatt have been having issues, including Knight accusing Wyatt of attacking him multiple times. This week on SmackDown, Knight challenged Wyatt to a match at the Royal Rumble, with Wyatt accepting. Later in the night, the match was announced as a Pitch Black match, which had been advertised in advance without participants. There is still no word on what the stipulations or rules of the match will be.
It’s been a big feud. Check out how we got here:
[This post contains video, click to p..