Wrestling News & Rumors

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer A Royal Rumble burger will be on sale for those in attendance at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday. It’s an 18 ounce pork bratwurst patty on a toasted onion roll with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, crispy coleslaw, fried onions, and BBQ aioli. The burger is topped with fried macaroni and cheese wedges.

Link: https://twitter.com/ChaseField/statu...57622887276544

Originally Posted by Observer Chris Sabin has confirmed that the knee injury he suffered earlier this month is a torn ACL. Sabin tweeted out an injury update today, writing that the injury is a "complete ACL tear" in his right knee and that he expects to be out of action for 8-12 months.

Originally Posted by PWI Paul Levesque met with reporters this morning for the NXT TakeOver Phoenix conference call ... Mike asked what the status of Lars Sullivan is. Paul said that there is always speculation and stories all the time. He said Lars is in a good place and nothing has really changed. He said you will know when you see it but nothing has changed.

Originally Posted by PWI All Elite Wrestling applied to trademark the term 'Change The Universe' for wrestling and merchandise purposes on 1/17. That was the line Chris Jericho used when he announced he was signing with the upstart promotion earlier this month in Jacksonville, Florida. A trademark for Starrcast was applied for by Starrcast LLC, based out of Hunstville, AL on 1/10. Obviously, that's the parent company for the Conrad Thompson-promoted gathering, which will have its second incarnation this May in Las Vegas in conjunction with AEW's Double or Nothing event.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc On a related note, there was some speculation on CM Punk being associated with AEW after a RedBubble designer was sent a copyright claim related to CM Punk artwork. The claim came from rights holder Creative Ventures Inc. and the listed subject matter was "All Elite Wrestling, ProWrestling Tees." Ryan Barkan from Pro Wrestling Tees, which is working closely with AEW, explained the CM Punk speculation on Twitter and noted that he just filed copyright violations for bootleg merchandise of Punk, AEW and others, at the same time, and that is why AEW was mentioned on the Punk copyright claim. "For the record, I file copyright violations weekly at the same time for hundreds of designs on tons of bootleg sites including new japan designs, bucks, macho man, cm punk, AEW, legion of doom etc.," Barkan wrote. "I'm not sure why this is news. People should stop bootlegging merch, THAT'S NEWS!"

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc Rusev discussed the origin of Rusev Day and how other WWE Superstars helped promote it during an interview with Planeta Wrestling. "It was supposed to be a one off, just a celebration after I beat Randy Orton and that was it," said Rusev. "A few weeks after I was going "Rusev Day, Rusev Day" and people really started digging it, even in the backstage with the New Day and with Aiden signing "Rusev Day" helped. People just got it and loved the whole concept and it became really big."

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc There's been a lot of speculation on JoJo's WWE status but word is that she's just off the road due to personal reasons. JoJo has not appeared on WWE RAW as a ring announcer since the New Year's Eve episode, which was taped in late December. PWInsider reports that she is still employed by WWE and there is nothing wrong as far as backstage heat or anything like that. There's no word yet on when JoJo will return to WWE TV but it looks like she's expected to be gone past Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE confirmed the ring announcers and the commentators for Rumble weekend and JoJo was not listed. Mike Rome will be handling the red brand ring announcing until she's back.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc There has been talk of linking Sin Cara with Rey Mysterio on the SmackDown brand when Cara returns to action, according to PWInsider. Cara should be returning soon after being out of action since August with a knee injury. The masked Superstar was back at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today training in the ring.

Originally Posted by R/SquaredCircle In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE is planning to push unhappy talent to prevent them from leaving upon the expiration of their contracts. This news comes on the heels of The Revival asking for their release from the company due to their unhappiness with the booking. The Revival have recently made several references on Twitter to All Elite Wrestling. Sasha Banks has also hinted at wanting out of her contract, tweeting at Scott Dawson to "take me with you!" when he spoke about potentially leaving WWE. Meltzer spoke to the fact that WWE does not want fans to know that unhappy talents are wanting to leave and potentially go to competing promotions like AEW. WWE believes they can keep talents like The Revival and Andrade by giving them pushes, as this could make them want to stay with the company.

[slik]

On this week's OH YOU DIDN'T KNOW Podcast Brad Shepard said WrestleMania 36 is 100% in Florida. He did not confirm TAMPA as the host city, but he did not deny it either. JACKSONVILLE, as crazy as that might sound, has also been rumored as a favorite.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling The major news today was Dave Meltzer’s report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter regarding the status of Ronda Rousey beyond WrestleMania. Meltzer reported that she is expected to be finishing up her run around that time, although is expected to continue her affiliation with the company. It is no secret Rousey has always stated she eventually wants to start a family and has hinted in the past about not being able to wrestle forever ... Ryan Satin at Pro Wrestling Sheet added that Rousey informed the company around the Survivor Series that she would be taking a break after WrestleMania, although stated it is not set in stone.

Originally Posted by PWI In regard to Royal Rumble surprises, we are told that if there are going to be any, the decision would have been made at TV this past week. We haven't confirmed any outside names being brought in as of this morning, but if we do confirm anyone, we'll report. Just wanted to mention that since it's been a big email topic the last 24 hours.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling On Thursday, I was told that the status of John Cena has not changed for this Sunday’s Royal Rumble and he is not expected for Sunday’s show. The WWE has not issued any update beyond Monday’s announcement that he was “questionable” for the show, there was also no mention of Cena’s status on SmackDown. The person I spoke with stated that if Cena were to appear in the Rumble, it would mean a lot of people were kept in the dark and I can’t imagine them going to these lengths for a surprise that isn’t even a big one when they’re still semi-advertising him.

Originally Posted by Observer New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the cards for their New Beginning USA events. The lineups for the three-show tour were affected by the government shutdown that's going on in the United States, with NJPW issuing a statement saying that they were unable to obtain visas for their Japanese wrestlers.

To show how dire the cards are in star power, biggest name on the cards is arguably Juice Robinson.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter At this point the delays were such that even if everything cleared up this week, it would still be a few weeks before they could be processed or past the point of these shows. They felt that 1/24 was the deadline for announcing the cards and thus the shows had to be changed from the original plans. The key guys this affected were Tomohiro Ishii and Yuji Nagata, who were supposed to be the headliners, as well as Hirooki Goto (who was supposed to be programmed with Jeff Cobb) and I think Satoshi Kojima (that wasn’t confirmed to me but the name was mentioned and he wasn’t booked in Japan) and Jushin Liger Unlike with other companies who would have announced the shows originally and then been announced the changes when the shutdown screwed everything up, they waited until the last possible time, but the shows also aren’t what was originally on the books and if you know anything about Japan, they hate to change original plans because everything is intricately laid out. A number of visas were applied for in November with the idea they’d be taken care of by December and the cards could be announced after Dash. But even today, the visas haven’t been processed so they were waiting to announce the cards

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter The Rumble itself looks to be close to a six-hour show. Right now the plan is seven matches for the main card, which starts at 7 p.m. and can go as long as until midnight. Seven matches is a lot when two 30-person Rumbles on the same show would both be around one hour duration time

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter One of the reasons MLW went to such great lengths for Rush is because they don’t want to be just another promotion catering to the indie fans and figure that the Hispanic market is the one not being fully served in the U.S., which I agree with. Another aspect not really talked about is that even though Rush and Konnan are fine, Paco Alonso hates Konnan because they were on opposite sides of a brutal AAA vs. CMLL war in the 90s, and Konnan was CMLL’s golden boy who had one of the best Arena Mexico runs in history with Perro Aguayo, and then both left for AAA, although Aguayo was never office in AAA while Konnan was Antonio Pena’s right-hand man who was constantly trying to recruit his top talent. But MLW was going to not just sponsor Rush, but also Dragon Lee and Mistico for visas and use them as top guys.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter Matt Jackson talked about the OWE deal in an interview with Nuclear Convoy ... He said he fully expects OWE talent at the Las Vegas show. He said he plans on having OWE talent as among the first things people see when the promotion starts up because they will grab audience’s attention and deliver something most fans have never seen. “I plan to have OWE be one of the first things on our show, because we’ve got one first time impression and we’ve got to make it a big one.” He also said that part of the deal would include AEW talent working OWE shows in China. “The plan is to definitely expand into China, as it’s one of the few untapped markets with lots of potential.”

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter HHH also pretty much said without saying that the reason the Brooklyn Takeover show was moved up a day to 4/5 was because of the NJPW/ROH show in Madison Square Garden. Obviously he didn’t say it, but when asked why the date was changed, he said it was because they didn’t want to make the fan base choose

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter It should be noted that talent is being told that when the new television money kicks in later this year, that new contracts will be way up from past deals ... There’s been talk of it being like all sports where you’re signed for a figure and that’s what you make, and anything above that is either a bonus or a contracted percentage of merchandise The Revival’s contracts aren’t up until April 2020. They asked for their release because they are really serious about doing the best work they can do, and with tag teams not being a focus and different priorities, that wasn’t going to happen in WWE ... It will be interesting what happens next because with some people, them being unhappy results in them getting a push because they don’t want unhappy people nor do they want people who want to leave or people starting to have a grass is greener mentality from what happened with Cody. The last thing right now you would want is for someone to leave, go to AEW, and end up over more there and doing better in the ring there. For a lot of the guys, while money is a big thing, it’s not the only thing and the ones who grew up as fans want to have great matches. If the money is close, and the schedule is easier, and your work is better, many will find the outside better. Of course, WWE has the ability to make the money not close, and for a lot of talent, it’s money, and for some who didn’t grow up as fans of wrestling but only saw WWE, there is no emotional attachment toward anything but being a WWE wrestler as opposed to being a pro wrestler. The Revival grew up on the legend of Carolinas wrestling so that’s a different mentality to a lot of the guys who grew up where WWE was it Both Matt & Jeff Hardy’s contracts expire at Mania season but the expectation is they are staying for at least one more year. They signed a two year deal in 2017 with a third year option. It’s believed WWE will pick up the option now, which does include a substantial pay raise in year three. Mike & Maria Kanellis also asked for their release several weeks ago and were turned down. They haven’t been used much since. Pro Wrestling Sheet reported the story. Maria denied it. It was already done long before it broke but the original story was accurate

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter While not a certainty, there is a school of thought that Andrade is now the new project big Latin babyface star for the future. Plus, if he’s happy, it opens the door for him as an influence in bringing in the young stars. While not a sure thing, the direction looks to be that Mysterio & Andrade end their program as a babyface tag team with Andrade getting the rub from Mysterio as part of strengthening of the tag team division. That’s likely because AEW is logically going to use tag teams on top, rather than just taking up mid-level space, and that creates the grass is greener scenario for every WWE team, which makes The Revival situation make complete sense. Plus, WWE’s most popular gimmick team, The New Day, is already friends with the Young Bucks and have wanted to work with them for years

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A As of right now, there is no planned match for The Undertaker at WrestleMania this year, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. But that could always change as the show gets closer, of course.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A Impact Wrestling was “very close” to signing deals with both Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho last year before AEW entered the picture, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Don Callis, who is close to both Omega and Jericho, was the main person brokering the deal. The expectation with Omega was that he would still work for NJPW and would do about 30 dates a year at Impact. When AEW became a thing, plans obviously changed. With Jericho, he wanted to work another year in New Japan and would have also worked in Impact during that time. Jericho said last week that he was in negotiations with Impact until late last year and they made him a big offer and he “really, really thought about going there” until AEW came in with the biggest offer of Jericho’s career.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer ESPN wrote about the testing that Daniel Bryan goes through after every match: “Daniel Bryan walks backstage after finishing a match, something he's done thousands of times over the course of his 19-year career. Instead of heading right to the locker room to shower and change before driving on to the next town, Bryan has to first take the number eight and multiply it by three, multiple that number by three and divide it all by four. If he can't come up with the correct answer, he's not wrestling. This is the cost that Bryan has to pay if he wants to wrestle for the WWE. It's just one of the tests a WWE doctor performs on Bryan after he's endured any physical activity in the ring. First, he gets his eyes checked. Next, he goes through a series of balance tests. And in the final step, as we've covered, the doctor asks Bryan to solve a math equation -- nothing too complicated, but something challenging enough to determine if his brain is functioning properly. The series of tests can be strenuous given that they occur night in and night out, but the WWE isn't taking any chances with a performer who has suffered 10 documented concussions.”

Originally Posted by Observer WWE and Bunim-Murray Productions are partnering together for another reality series. WWE has announced that they're developing a reality show with Bunim-Murray that will "document the search for the next great female competitor." Bunim-Murray are also partners with WWE on Total Divas and Total Bellas. "Search for the Next Female Superstar" is the working title for the show. Casting applications are now open.

Originally Posted by PWI Any word on the Bellas in The Rumble? I haven't heard anything about them working the Rumble match but the word around Evolution was that they would be teaming at Wrestlemania together. Whether those plans have changed, I have not heard.

From PWI's weekly Q&A articles.

Originally Posted by Observer Minoru Suzuki is set to appear at Game Changer Wrestling's WrestleMania week Bloodsport event for the second straight year. It was announced today that Suzuki will be wrestling at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport, which is taking place at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey on Thursday, April 4. The event will begin at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Barnett, Hideki Suzuki, Timothy Thatcher, Jonathan Gresham, Simon Grimm, Tom Lawlor, Frank Mir, Dan Severn, and Suzuki have now been announced for Josh Barnett's Bloodsport. Mir will be making his professional wrestling debut at the show.

Lucha Underground said they put in for new visas in November 2017 and did not receive them until shortly after their season had finished taping in March 2018. And that was when things were slightly less a disaster than now.

Link: https://twitter.com/luchablog/status...56801899532292

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling A new edition of WWE Chronicle featuring Paige will air on the WWE Network following TakeOver: Phoenix on Saturday night.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling Denny Burkholder of CBS Sports has a tremendous piece on the original Royal Rumble match the WWF promoted in 1987. Prior to the Royal Rumble in Hamilton in January 1988, they tried out the concept on a house show in St. Louis the previous October at the Kiel Auditorium. The 12-man Rumble ended with One Man Gang eliminating Junkyard Dog but the other participants in the match are unknown beyond the assumption those on the undercard worked twice. The match was considered a failure as the show didn’t draw well and was fumbled by a mid-show announcement. The battle royal was designed to set up a title challenger for Hulk Hogan when the promotion returned to the market in November, however, as was customary at intermission they announced tickets for the next event and the main event would be Hogan vs. One Man Gang for the title eliminating any suspense for the main event. The match, always credited to Pat Patterson, was shelved until January when they ran a special on the USA Network opposing the NWA’s Bunkhouse Stampede pay-per-view and revisited the Rumble idea and improved its presentation. Burkholder also uncovered a similar-themed battle royal from 1976 in Bangor, Maine that advertised an 18-man battle royal with participants entering “two at a time” for a $5,000 prize.

Link: https://www.cbssports.com/general/ne...early-failure/

[Mr. Nerfect]

Interesting note aboiut that 1987 Rumble. I can't remember if I've heard that before or not, but I seem to recall something about One Man Gang winning one once. I know Owen Hart has won one in MSG and The Undertaker won one in Japan. Are there any other "secret Rumbles?" Eddie Guerrero won one on SmackDown once.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer Total Bellas on Sunday did 454,000 viewers, a record viewership low for the series.

Originally Posted by Observer PWInsider reported that MLW has departed ways with Sammy Guevara. They reported that Guevara double-booked himself for select MLW dates, including the show this weekend and felt there was no way to use him consistently

Guess someone had to take over Riddle's mantle now that's he's in the WWE.

Originally Posted by Observer Ricochet is the latest WWE/NXT wrestler to be announced for a two-show return to EVOLVE. EVOLVE has announced that Ricochet will be wrestling at their shows in March. He'll be in action at EVOLVE 123 in Melrose, Massachusetts on Friday, March 15 and EVOLVE 124 in Queens, New York on Saturday, March 16. Meet and greets with Ricochet will be available to purchase at both events. EVOLVE 123 is taking place at Melrose Memorial Hall, while EVOLVE 124 is being held at La Boom. Opponents for Ricochet have yet to be revealed.

Originally Posted by PWI On 1/10, Riki Paul Johnson, the ex-husband of Charlotte Flair was granted an extension to file an amended lawsuit against Ric Flair, World Wrestling Entertainment, Charlotte Flair and author Brian Shields Johnson's original lawsuit surrounded claims made about him in the WWE book Second Nature, which told an intertwining story about the careers and lives of Ric and Charlotte. He is being given until 3/15 to file. The defendants have been given until 3/28 to respond to the original lawsuit in case there is no new version filed. If there is, the clock on their response would be reset by the U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina

For some reference, this lawsuit also includes allegations of Charlotte using the N word during a past domestic issue involving cops.

Originally Posted by PWI PWInsider.com sources have independently confirmed that Ambrose was offered a new, five year contract worth a little over seven figures per year, but turned the deal down. The news that Ambrose had given notice had been kept very quiet during last night's Raw taping but began to spread among wrestlers after the show was over. One source categorized the move as Ambrose being able to "do what he wants" as he doesn't live an expensive lifestyle and has made great money over his WWE run.

Originally Posted by PWI Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight and ROH TV Champion KUSHIDA officially ended his run with New Japan Pro Wrestling today, wrestling IWGP Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi in his final appearance for the company.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling LIDET Entertainment has purchased a majority stake in Pro Wrestling NOAH. The group has purchased a 75% ownership stake in the group and is expected to install their own executives with many of the current staff set to depart the company. NOAH’s chairman Masayuki Uchida is among those departing the company and will take on an advisory role with Lidet, which is a similar agreement that Dixie Carter made with Anthem Sports when the purchase of Impact Wrestling was completed. Company president Yusuke Fuwa will stay on board with NOAH, but the company will be overseen by Yukihiro Takeda, who reports to LIDET’s owner Hiroyuki Suzuki.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc In numbers available on SullyGnome (a Twitch statistics and analysis website) for the 7 day period of January 22nd-28th, IMPACT Wrestling peaked at 8,732 viewers (at some point on Friday night), an 11% increase from last week's 7,866 viewers ... IMPACT was the most watched program in the Wrestling category. In comparison, AAA was ranked second. The AAA promotion peaked at 3,464 viewers and streamed 147 hours of content. It averaged 155 viewers with a total watch time of 23,152 hours.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A Kurt Angle’s spot in the Royal Rumble match was originally booked for Zack Ryder, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. The decision was made to put Kurt Angle in the match just the day before the Royal Rumble and rather than come up with something specific for him, they just inserted him into the same spot and role that was originally meant for Zack Ryder. WWE figured that Angle would obviously get a bigger reaction than Ryder, so they put him in the spot instead. Angle entered at #4 and lasted only 3:15. He was eliminated second (by Nakamura), after Jeff Jarrett. So the reason that WWE basically put him in a “nothing” role in the match was because the spot was supposed to be Zack Ryder’s.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A The plan for the Raw women’s title match at WrestleMania is still a triple threat between Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair as of now, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. On Raw last night, Becky Lynch challenged Rousey for the title at WrestleMania and the match was officially announced, but as of last night after Raw, the plan was still to eventually add Charlotte Flair. Of course, WWE’s plans could always change and the one on one segment between Rousey and Lynch got a great reaction from the crowd, so we’ll see what happens depending on reactions going forward and how Vince McMahon feels. But as of last night, the plan is for a triple threat match and WWE has a storyline in place to add Charlotte.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I was having trouble picturing Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch without Charlotte for a while there, but after the vibe of that Raw segment, I really think they should just do it one-on-one. Put Charlotte against Asuka.

[Bad News Gertner]

Originally Posted by Noid Interesting note aboiut that 1987 Rumble. I can't remember if I've heard that before or not, but I seem to recall something about One Man Gang winning one once. I know Owen Hart has won one in MSG and The Undertaker won one in Japan. Are there any other "secret Rumbles?" Eddie Guerrero won one on SmackDown once.

Yuppers, and if you're ever wondering why Hogan, Backlund etc wrestled the World Title Match in the middle of the card, that's why.
They would announce next months card at intermission, so if Hogan wrestled after intermission and they announce next months card as Hulk vs so and so for the World Title, you know the finish of the upcoming Title match before it happened.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by 411Mania Good news for The Big Dog, you might be seeing him on WWE TV again sooner than you thought. In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio (via Cageside Seats), Dave Meltzer said that he spoke with a doctor about Roman Reigns’ leukemia and the fact that he’s starring inthe movie Hobbs & Shaw. The doctor said that Reigns filming a movie soon after his diagnosis suggests that his leukemia is “not a deadly form” and “with that form he would be wrestling soon.” This means that he could be back sooner than whenever he was expected. A timetable was never announced when he said he was going on hiatus this past fall.

Originally Posted by PWI Impact Wrestling and MLW issued the following: IMPACT Wrestling and Major League Wrestling Announce Collaboration for April 4 Events ... April 4 show details for both organizations are below: Major League Wrestling MLW will host “Rise of the Renegades” tapings on April 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET for its weekly television program “Fusion” airing on beIN Sports. Tickets start at $20 and are already on sale atMLWTickets.com. The live event will take place at Melrose Ballroom (36-08 33rd St.) in Long Island City, NY. Click here for directions. IMPACT Wrestling IMPACT Wrestling presents “United We Stand” on Thursday, April 4 at Rahway Recreation

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc The fact that Chris Jericho signed with All Elite Wrestling was somewhat of a surprise in itself. But Jericho saying that his AEW contract is better than any previous wrestling contract he's signed was downright shocking. While the exact numbers aren't known, word of his AEW contract did make its way back to the WWE locker room. Dave Meltzer spoke about the reaction Jericho's contract received on Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer said that people backstage in WWE were stunned or freaked out, depending on their position. While it's not as much as what John Cena or Brock Lesnar is making, it would be more than almost any other star in the company. When the idea of Brock Lesnar possibly signing with AEW with the amount of money that they're throwing around, Meltzer noted that Vince McMahon would probably pay anything to not lose Lesnar to UFC or AEW. However, Meltzer did say that Jericho wants a match with Lesnar, and Jericho "has a lot of sway" in AEW, although that doesn't mean that the company would make a bad deal.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc It was reported yesterday on Wrestling Observer Radio that Charlotte Flair will eventually be added to the WWE RAW Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 35, making it a triple threat between Flair, Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch. On today's WOR, Dave Meltzer went into greater detail about how the plans with all three women have rearranged over the past year and lead us to this upcoming match. According to Meltzer, WWE's original idea was to gradually build toward a Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey one-on-one match at WrestleMania 35. The push for both women started at last year's WrestleMania 34, where Flair defeated Asuka's 914 winning streak to retain her WWE SmackDown Women's Championship and Rousey debuted in an impressive showcase many media outlets called the match of the night. WWE then decided to start building toward a Natalya vs. Rousey feud because Flair and Lynch were in the midst of a heated rivalry on WWE SmackDown. Unfortunately, the sudden loss of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart put a halt to the WWE's plan to turn Natalya heel and face Rousey. November and WWE Survivor Series rolled around, and it was scheduled to be a one-off match between Rousey and Lynch - Champion vs. Champion - however, it's well documented how Lynch suffered a broken face and severe concussion after a punch from Nia Jax. This injury, just days prior to her Survivor Series match, would force Lynch to sit on the sidelines and watch her friend-turned-rival, Flair face Rousey one-on-one at the PPV. Meltzer noted how the ending of the Flair vs. Rousey match was the exact same plan they set for the Lynch vs.Rousey match, where Flair went berserk with a kendo stick and crushed Rousey's throat with a chair. The waves that the Rousey vs. Flair match caused convinced WWE management to rearrange things once more. A new plan that originally saw Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey at WWE Royal Rumble and Becky Lynch one-on-one with Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35 also got scrapped because they wanted Flair, Rousey, and Lynch to all be a part of the same match at WrestleMania this year.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc On the creative side of things, Meltzer reported that the majority of the creative team was unaware that Ambrose was exiting, and they had no idea that the program with Nia Jax was made to humiliate him on his way out of the company. Ambrose's fellow employees are surprised that he turned down such a lucrative five year deal with WWE, but Meltzer emphasized that he is unhappy and doesn't care about the money. Meltzer added that Ambrose is very good friends with AEW's Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc WWE Champion Daniel Bryan wasn't wearing the most heelish attire on SmackDown last night. As seen in the photo below, the shirt that Bryan wore on the show read: "No violence No homophobia No sexism No racism Freedom Peace Love" Daniel Bryan's shirt we love a woke king pic.twitter.com/htJiskJW8O — Omar (@EC3WinsLOL) January 30, 2019

Link: https://twitter.com/EC3WinsLOL/statu...40562673664005

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc As noted, WWE Champion Daniel Bryan revealed a new title belt on this week's SmackDown after tossing the regular title in the trash can. The new belt is made from hemp and wood from a naturally fallen oak tree, according to Bryan. WWE had two new designs in mind for Bryan's replacement title, according to @Wrestlevotes. They posted details before tonight's SmackDown of the version that was unveiled on the show. The other design was said to be not as "drastic" as the one that was revealed. The other design included an "eco sourced" strap and "recycled materials" to make up the plates. That design also still had a shine to it.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A Trent Barreta, Chuck Taylor, Sammy Guevara and Kylie Rae are all rumored to be heading to AEW soon, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Barreta and Taylor are likely done with NJPW. Baretta was offered a contract and reportedly was expected to get a big push by New Japan, but he is choosing to not re-sign, Meltzer says. No word on if Taylor was also offered a deal. Trent and Chuckie T frequently team with each other as “The Best Friends” and have appeared on “Being the Elite” before. Chuck Taylor also wrestles for ROH and is a two time former PWG World Champion. Trent Barreta worked in WWE from 2007-2013 and has most recently been in NJPW and ROH.

Originally Posted by Observer Today is Becky Lynch’s 32nd birthday.

Ronnie, wish The Man a happy birthday you little weirdo. pic.twitter.com/Tei29bCRRI

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) January 30, 2019

[Mr. Nerfect]

I wish Trent Baretta/Barrera/Berreta/Whatever would change his name. It was cute when he left WWE to stick it to them, but it doesn’t have that much value and it’s frustrating to keep up with how he spells it.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Brock is going to have a lot of options as to how to bend Vince over next contract negotiation.

Good for Reigns, by the way. I mean, Meltzer would have to be an idiot to shoot off about that without consulting a leading oncologist, right?

[Sepholio]

Wait...so WWE did the Nia Jax angle to embarrass Dean? While his wife is commentator? Then issue a statement saying they hope he comes back in the future? Why would they embarrass him and then say PLZ COME BACK? This whole thing reeks.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I don't think it was done to embarrass him. It was just to try and tease the waters of "Nia Jax: Prize Fighter."

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Nia Jax is grossly unathletic, has no charisma and lacks any real presence. She's just fat and a beneficiary of nepotism. Why they seem intent on positioning her to be strong outside of being related to the Rock is beyond me.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by Damian Rey 2.0 Nia Jax is grossly unathletic, has no charisma and lacks any real presence. She's just fat and a beneficiary of nepotism. Why they seem intent on positioning her to be strong outside of being related to the Rock is beyond me.

I think that nails it though, to be honest. Keeping The Rock happy is probably their main goal there.

[slik]

I did think Nia hit a good big boot on Rey in the RR tbh

[Mr. Nerfect]

Of the things she could do, beating up guys like Curt Hawkins is probably the best. I don’t think that makes it good, but I’m talking the best place to take the glove.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer Jeremy Borash tweeted that Vic Joseph and Shawn Michaels will be calling Halftime Heat, which is taking place from the Performance Center during halftime of Sunday’s Super Bowl and airing live on the WWE Network, WWE.com and the WWE app, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Velveteen Dream, Aleister Black & Ricochet are facing Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano & Adam Cole.

Originally Posted by Observer Lawyers hired by the Lawler family have issued subpoenas to the Hardeman County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as part of their investigation into the death of Brian Christopher Lawler. The subpoenas are part of a civil action “to pursue a civil rights claim against Hardeman County, and the deputies that were supposed to protect Brian Christopher Lawler."

Link: https://www.pwinsider.com/article/12...wers-.html?p=1

Originally Posted by Observer Killian Dain posted a tweet asking “#WHEREISSANITY ?!?”, with Alexander Wolfe quote tweeting “Sick of this” in response. The group, which includes Eric Young, haven’t been on television since December 18.

Originally Posted by Observer All Elite Wrestling issued a press release today hyping next week's Double or Nothing ticket announcement party. The ticket announcement party will take place at the Splash Pool at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada at 9 p.m. Eastern time (6 p.m. Pacific) on Thursday, February 7. AEW is promoting that Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Brandi Rhodes will "reveal spectacular new signings, exciting new partnerships, ticket on-sale information, and a surprise special guest" at the party.

Originally Posted by PWI TheWrap is reporting that Charlie Ebersol's Alliance Of American Football has signed a multiyear cross-platform agreement with Turner Sports with the first season starting February 9. So when the XFL starts February 2020, Vince McMahon will find himself in a very familiar situation with Turner Sports.

Originally Posted by Fightful.com An update on Cody Rhodes' knee injury. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that Cody Rhodes will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 12 in Atlanta. He is expected to miss two to three months of action but is not scheduled to wrestle until AEW Double or Nothing on May 25.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter There is a lot of talent expected at the AEW Double of Nothing Ticket Announcement Party. CIMA is likely going to be there. They want some surprises. They're trying to bring in names that were not in Jacksonville. Kenny Omega is not signed, but I believe he is going to AEW and this is a good shot that he may be there. The only name that I've heard among women is STARDOM's Bea Priestley, who WWE was pushing hard for, but AEW looks closer with her. She’s not signed as of yet. All Elite seems like a great choice for newer women to go right now. WWE has a lot of great wrestlers, but there is so many people, that it's easy to get lost in the talent pool, or take forever to make it up the ranks. AEW, if a success, they're going to feature women at a top level, so there is more opportunity to be featured and make an impact quicker. There are arguments for both sides but AEW wants to push women and the roster is thin, just Britt Baker and Brandi Rhodes. They are heavily scouting Japan. A good woman wrestler would be featured on major television far quicker in AEW. When comparing with current ticket sales that WWE is having for RAW, Smackdown, or the Rumble, AEW selling 3,000 tickets on release date would using logic be a good number for modern pro wrestling for a group with no TV. Look at ROH and they have TV or Impact’s history when they had good TV. The only indicator right now are AEW's merchandise sales, that have completely exceeded projections since launch. Furthermore, activities like the pool party, the Young Bucks appearances at DEFY and Bar Wrestling, the rallies, are there to try and keep the buzz going for Double or Nothing, working as the week to week promotion for the show. The rallies are very expensive, described as expensive as an ROH TV taping but with no revenue coming in except some merch money.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter So far, there have been no conversations between NJPW and AEW, and given the situation with the New Beginnings US tour missing all of their Japanese talent, the shows could have benefitted from the return of the talent from AEW, but with so many politics involved, NJPW didn't reach out. Harold Meij made a statement, saying "AEW is a new organization to start from now, and I do not know what kind of relationship we would make, I think it is necessary to figure out what policy they would develop on pro wrestling". The statement seems to imply that NJPW is waiting to see where AEW goes and whether it is successful or not. The style of pro wrestling that AEW wants to have is likely to be very compatible with NJPW, not an exact copy since AEW does have certain ideas that they want to implement. AEW is looking to bring in the sports aspect of wrestling to their promotion for fans to have something to grasp on.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter A.J. Styles contract expires in April. He couldn't be asking for a better time for this to happen. Even though he has friends in AEW he appears to be staying with WWE.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter With WWE releasing the Ambrose contract story to the media, that he was leaving because he turned down a new deal, and his contract expires in April, a lot of people are thinking that this whole thing is a work, that is including people within WWE. When I asked for confirmation on Monday night, wrestlers didn’t know, although some may have, but it definitely hadn’t gotten around. Creative didn’t know, although most believe the key people in company were well aware of it. But most of the creative team had no idea, not even that the last things written for him were in a way write him off ... He turned down a five-year contract with a downside of just over $1 million per year. At this point, we only know he'd be a free agent in April, assuming that WWE doesn't freeze the contract to make up for last year's nine month absence with his surgery for a torn triceps. But the company outright gave April as the date, so it appears they aren’t going to say they froze his contract. Still, Daniel Bryan found out just before his deal was to expire that they claimed he was under contract for yet another year. We know Ambrose is friends with Jericho and Cody. We also know he hasn’t been talking to AEW about coming. However, in April, if he wants to continue wrestling, they would very much be interested in making a deal with him.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter As for Renee Young, there's really no idea what her status would be. ESPN had interest in her in the past but she stayed with WWE. There's no reason to believe that she would leave WWE, many people work with WWE while their spouses don't. But she’s in a spot where she’s not being used effectively right now.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter Jericho has not signed with NJPW, but he's been in talks with Gedo. It seems that there are some ideas that both parties want to play out. AEW's contract allows Jericho to do NJPW, so it's now just a matter of them signing a new contract for 2019. Jericho has said that he has interest in wrestling Tanahashi and Okada, and from the NJPW side, there is interest in Jericho against both of them as well as Minoru Suzuki.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter ROH is hurting for losing the Bucks, Cody and Page, and numbers are down, but it wasn't a death blow as a lot of people expected.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc In January 2019, Ring of Honor ran 5 shows. Utilizing numbers from The Wrestling Observer / Wrestling Observer Radio, the company drew a total of 3,900 fans and averaged 780 fans per show. Center Stage hosted the first show of 2019 and was the usual 700 person sellout. Concord, NC was down from shows that drew 1,000-1,100 in 2017-2018 and drew only 750 this month. Dallas was down from 800 in attendance in 2018 to 700 in January. San Antonio was down from last year's 800 in attendance to 750 this year. Houston drew 1,000 in a very large building. There is no comparable number for Houston as the last time ROH hit the market was for WrestleMania weekend many years ago (outdrawing this show by nearly double). In 2017 and 2018, the company only ran one show in the month of January and drew 700 and 1,400, respectively, in Atlanta's Center Stage and the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. In 2016, the company ran 4 shows and drew a total of 3,200 and an average of 800. In 2015, the company drew 3,700 over 4 shows and averaged 925. Many are watching for an All Elite Effect - in that, did the Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, etc. migration influence attendance drops? It is early to say, but during the first half of 2018, the company averaged 1,412 but in the second half of the year, the average for ROH was 964 (a 46% drop in attendance). The first half of the year will be stronger as well with the company's upcoming sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on April 6th.

Originally Posted by Observer Newsletter Lesnar’s sponsorship deal with Jimmy John’s Gourmet sandwiches expired and wasn’t renewed which is why he no longer has that logo on his ring outfit.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc According to Sports Illustrated, sources close to WWE have said the current plan is to have WWE RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch be the main event of WrestleMania 35. WWE's biggest show of the year will go down on April 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A There was a “big flurry of activity” backstage at SmackDown on Tuesday, with WWE officials meeting with wrestlers whose contracts are set to expire in the next year or two and seeking to lock them into new longer-term deals, according to PWInsider. PWInsider said that the departure of Ambrose and the possibility of him going to AEW when his deal expires appeared to set things off with a new sense of urgency, though WWE had already been trying to lock wrestlers into longer-term deals since the announcement of AEW and even before that (Kevin Owens and The Miz signed new five year deals before the announcement of AEW).

[Mr. Nerfect]

Haha, imagine being a color commentator on Raw being an unfortunate position. That is the reality of the world we live in.

I understand why Sanity are frustrated -- I'd hate just hanging out backstage too -- but is going on Twitter and posting about it really the smart thing? That being said, it seems squeaky wheels are getting grease lately, which just goes to show how crazy things are.

The guy I am still curious about is AJ Styles. It does seem likely he will stay with WWE, but everything is a possibility right now. What's going through his head right now? If he and Brock Lesnar both ended up in AEW come May -- holy shit. The whole landscape is different.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

The broadcast for Raw is fucking abysmal. Anytime I've checked in, or watched the condensed highlight shows of the ppvs on YouTube, they sound shitty as fuck. So produced and lacking any sense of genuine emotion.

Michael Cole was so much better during the initial brand split.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Michael Cole was never good. He's less terrible when the shackles are removed in a house show setting (like that random Japanese show on the network) but beyond that, he is and always has been hideous. I GUESS there's the idea that he was okay when he was heavily edited by Heyman but that was so brief it's hard to even consider it.

He doesn't even have a good voice. In fact, none of the commentators do. And even when they show a hint of potential, Vince sinks his claws in and they go to shit. I want to hunt Corey Graves down and disembowel him every time I hear him pretend to be a commentator.

[Evil Vito]

I dunno, I enjoyed the Cole/Tazz and Cole/JBL teams on 2002-07 SmackDown. Vince wasn't micromanaging the commentators then, especially not on the blue brand as Vince was always heavily prioritizing Raw.

There would still be arguments now and then, but it came across as friendly banter. Fast forward to 2012 and the heel announcers are made to be confrontational dickheads for the entire duration of the show.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I dunno. Cole always came across as an utter limp dick.

Gorilla Monsoon by no means was a "good" commentator as far as actually calling the action. In fact, he talked an absolute load of shit most of the time. BUT, he had a great voice, could be hilarious, was undeniably lovable (if not surly from time to time), and he just seemed like an authority. It was all about how he carried himself and he was 100% authentic. And he fucking LOVED wrestling.

Michael Cole has always come across like he doesn't understand wrestling. He also doesn't have the voice of a commentator. Even if he arguably had decent spurts and Vince has "ruined" him, he represents a shift in commentating from it being an art to whatever the garbage it is today.

To tie it back into Gorilla, while move-for-move he was kind of an idiot, you couldn't help but feel an affection for the guy. You felt attached to Gino. With Cole, he's so phony he doesn't resonate with you beyond pissing you the fuck off because he sucks.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

"Vertical suplex, and a beauty".

I loved Monsoon. He wasn't a great play by play caller but he was Ann excellent storyteller and definitely helped with lifting up a moment.

[Innovator]

I feel bad for Cole now considering how much shit he has to do, hit, and get across. All with a guy yelling at him in his ear.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Originally Posted by Innovator I feel bad for Cole now considering how much shit he has to do, hit, and get across. All with a guy yelling at him in his ear.

All this stuff doesn't help him. But even with that out of the way, he's a complete fucking schmuck. He has corporate stooge written all over his style, even at his best.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

What I'm getting at... is Michael Cole could call a match perfectly - no fake laughter, no plugs, no ridiculous inauthentic statements to push storylines, no mention of the "WWE Universe" - and he's still rigid. There's nothing about him that makes you feel a connection to his words. He's nothing but a shill. Always has been, always will be.

I'm sure he's a great guy and he's a better commentator than I could be but I'm also not a professional commentator. I just know what one should sound like.

[Bad News Gertner]

Cole is fine. Never had an issue with him.

Lol as much as I love Gorilla, going through all those old House Shows in my collection, if Cole acted like Gorilla did on commentary, he'd probably be fired.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

how could you possibly like Cole? He is the fucking shits.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

and I'm not saying "act like gorilla" but more... there needs to be a connection with a commentator. With Cole, there is none.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

like "Remember that time Michael Cole faked laughed at the thing that wasn't funny... GOOD TIMES"

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito I dunno, I enjoyed the Cole/Tazz and Cole/JBL teams on 2002-07 SmackDown. Vince wasn't micromanaging the commentators then, especially not on the blue brand as Vince was always heavily prioritizing Raw. There would still be arguments now and then, but it came across as friendly banter. Fast forward to 2012 and the heel announcers are made to be confrontational dickheads for the entire duration of the show.

I liked them at the time, but I think a large part of that was the "otherness" of them, and that they were calling SmackDown. Cole could do better than what he currently does -- as could just about anybody -- but he's far from an all-time great commentator or anything. I think how good he is when he's not produced so heavily by Vince is overblown because it's contrasted with how shitty he is 99% of the time.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer The NWA also confirmed that Ian Riccaboni will be part of the announce team for the Crockett Cup tournament, which is taking place in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, April 27. The NWA and ROH are partnering together for the tournament.

Originally Posted by PWI Wrestling DVD Network is reporting that WWE will be including the following matches on the DVD release of HBO's Andre the Giant documentary this May: Handicap Match Andre the Giant vs. Jose Estrada & Tony Russo All-Star Wrestling • August 30, 1978 Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan Showdown at Shea • August 9, 1980 Steel Cage Match Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd Philadelphia, PA • September 24, 1983 $15,000 Body Slam Match Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd WrestleMania • March 31, 1985 WWE & NFL Battle Royal WrestleMania 2 • April 7, 1986 WWE Championship Match Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant WrestleMania III • March 29, 1987 WWE Championship Match Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant The Main Event • February 5, 1988

Originally Posted by PWI Oliver Luck (Andrew's dad, the XFL commissioner shared some details on the league yesterday on WFAN. 1. Vince has a minority stake in Draft Kings and the plan is to encourage legalized gambling on the games and do fantasy on the XFL via Draft Kings. 2. Vince owns 100% of the XFL and Oliver Luck is the commissioner. 3. Luck is trying to avoid stuff like "He Hate Me" on the back of the jerseys. 4. There will be drug testing for PEDs. 5. All 8 head coaches will make the same money - $500,000 annual salary. 6. The top players can make up to $250,000 with the possibility of bonuses to teams for winning games like the old XFL.

Link: https://www.pwinsider.com/article/12...s-xfl.html?p=1

Originally Posted by PWI There was some grumbling among talents that Impact announced their 4/7 event had been moved from Queens, NY to New Jersey publicly without telling the talent first. It wasn't so much about the move as it was the talents being caught unaware when they are also trying to strategize other appearances and bookings on the biggest weekend of the year. More than one talent commented to me that this was a good example of where Sonjay Dutt will be missed as he was the most communicative member of management when it came to talent. A big part of the reason for the move to New Jersey was concern about the New York State Athletic Commission curfew on pro wrestling. In New Jersey, there is no commission, hence relative freedom. One thing Impact will have to make sure is that their event on Thursday 4/4 is over before the last New Jersey Transit train back to NYC leaves Rahway, NJ, which as of the current scheduled, would be 1:52 AM as the next train would not be until after 4:30 AM. With an 11 PM start, that's going to require their live production to be really right.

Originally Posted by PWI For those of you with Verizon Fios, please be aware that if you did a series record for Impact Wrestling last week, the network listing featured the two hour broadcast as FOUR different half-hour episodes with only the 8-8:30 PM segment listed as a new episode. So, unless you set your DVR to record new episodes AND repeats, you are chancing the possibility of not getting the entire episode. We have heard Impact has made the network aware of the issues with the program guide, but Pursuit has been slow in responding in general.

Originally Posted by PWI Jerry Lawler claimed on his podcast R-Truth was really upset Nia Jax attacked him? Come on. That's some b******* right there. Who's going to believe that? Well, that's not what Lawler actually said. He stated that Truth was upset about how hard Jax laid it in on him when she attacked him and that his face got banged up. I can absolutely see a pro wrestling being upset if they felt someone took liberties. It happens, accidentally and on purpose, on a regular basis.

From PWI's weekly Q&A articles

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc Lance Archer spoke with Pro Wrestling Sheet about why he's not allowed to spit water into NJPW crowds any longer. When asked if he did it to the wrong person, here was Hoyt's response: "I guess so, a small portion of the NJPW audience—the majority of them loved it," Archer began. "I would go through the audience and do the water spraying, spitting throwing, and stuff. People were holding signs in Japan—in English—saying, 'water, please.' I came around the corner one time and an adult father had his child, maybe two years old, holding it up for me to come around the corner and spray the child. I said, 'nope,' went around the child and he was disappointed! There was a small portion of the audience that was complaining about bags and their hair. That got listen to and now I can't do it."

Link: https://twitter.com/WrestlingSheet/s...91824003837952

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A Dean Ambrose is working WWE house shows this weekend and is scheduled for upcoming Raw shows, PWInsider says, in case there was any doubt. WWE said that he’s leaving in April, so he’ll still probably be on TV until then.

[Mr. Nerfect]

It'll be interesting to hear the reaction if he is used on TV.

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling Heavy Machinery’s profiles on the WWE website have been altered with the duo simply referred to as “Otis” and “Tucker” as they appear to have had their last names dropped.

Originally Posted by Observer Big E tweeted about Otis and Tucker’s apparent name change: “Welcome to the club, boys. Silver lining: autograph sessions are much quicker.”

Originally Posted by Observer Katsuya Kitamura posted the following after news broke he had left NJPW (via translation): ”Lastly, thank you for your continued support and encouragement over the past three years. Your support meant everything to me. I am thankful and hope you continue to support Katsuya Kitamura when he goes to a new stage."

Pretty much suffered 2 really bad leg injuries within the span of a year with one as a result of a scooter accident that made NJPW officials fear he'd never wrestle again.

Originally Posted by Observer The NWA has revealed the commentary team for the return of the Crockett Cup tag team tournament. In a video uploaded by the NWA today, Jim Cornette announced that he'll be doing color commentary for the event. The NWA's Joe Galli and ROH's Ian Riccaboni will be calling the show with him.

Originally Posted by PWI Jim Cornette, in making those announcements, noted the tournament would feature teams from the National Wrestling Alliance, Ring of Honor, Japan, Mexico and more.

Originally Posted by Observer After their 10-year deal began with two controversy-filled shows, WWE is set to make their return to Saudi Arabia this May. Fightful reported today that WWE's next show in Saudi Arabia will take place on Friday, May 3. Dave Meltzer has confirmed that WWE will be returning to Saudi Arabia in early May.

Originally Posted by Observer Starrcast announced that Sting will appear at Starrcast II in Las Vegas this May. Who will be the first official Superstarr announced as appearing at Starrcast II this Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas? As Tony Schiavone used to say, “IT’S STING!” Stay tuned to https://t.co/VShyAsTu00 for more info regarding “the Man Called Sting!” pic.twitter.com/AmsMa0QKTn — #StarrcastOnFITE (@StarrcastEvents) February 5, 2019

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc WWE reportedly wanted Lars Sullivan at last week's RAW, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Sullivan was not at the show, and his status is unknown.

Originally Posted by Post Wrestling Kris Wolf has announced she has been dealing with symptoms from concussions and is about to take part in her final tour and appears to be stepping away from professional wrestling. She has been talking about having her final match in London later this year and is going to fulfill her remaining bookings. She said she has noticed changes from her concussions and doesn’t want to do further damage that won’t be evident until much further down the road.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A Seth Rollins has a bad back and is going to be rested, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. It was reported yesterday that he may not be cleared for physical action for the next month. He should be fine for WrestleMania, but he may not be at Elimination Chamber since it’s under two weeks away.

Originally Posted by TPWW Frontpage via Triple A AJ Styles has a hernia, according to Meltzer, but it’s unclear how much time he’ll miss. He wasn’t at house shows this past weekend.

[slik]

Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Undertaker removed mention of WWE from his social media and replaced it w/ contact info to book him for events.

[slik]

Originally Posted by Slik On this week's OH YOU DIDN'T KNOW Podcast Brad Shepard said WrestleMania 36 is 100% in Florida. He did not confirm TAMPA as the host city, but he did not deny it either. JACKSONVILLE, as crazy as that might sound, has also been rumored as a favorite.

Tampa next year. https://t.co/wVRF9vMkMd

— Justin LaBar (@JustinLaBar) February 4, 2019

[Emperor Smeat]

The Sheets:

Originally Posted by Observer Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling's War of the Worlds tour is back for 2019. ROH announced today that this year's War of the Worlds tour will begin with a show in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday, May 8. It will continue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, May 9 and Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, May 11 before wrapping up in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, May 12.

Originally Posted by Observer Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said about Fox sports networks having other WWE programming: “The Fox sports networks, FS1, and others, will have some other wrestling -- not live SmackDown, not Raw, but other ties to the WWE world." FS1 having a weekly WWE studio show had been reported last May.

Originally Posted by PWI A reference was made by Collier to Smackdown being on Fridays "short term", which certainly leaves the window of opportunity for the series to be moved to another night down the line ... As far as the FOX Network itself, their current deal is for Smackdown and Smackdown alone, nothing else.

Originally Posted by Observer Bret Hart has been announced for the Double or Nothing weekend Starrcast convention in Las Vegas. Sting, Bruce Prichard, Tony Schiavone, Eric Bischoff, and Sean Mooney have also been confirmed for the convention.

Originally Posted by PWI Regarding several reader questions about rumors relating to several talents: AJ Styles - The former WWE Champion denied he had come to terms with WWE on a new deal on Twitter several days ago. We are told the two sides have been in discussions for some time and that WWE has made a strong play to keep Styles. Obviously, given Styles' relationships with The Young Bucks and others now in the All Elite Wrestling fold, one would think there is strong interest in acquiring him if he opts to leave WWE. The Usos - PWInsider.com has been told by multiple sources that the duo's current deals are slated to expire in April. WWE has been in discussions with the former Tag Team Champions about a new deal. Dolph Ziggler - We are told that the company's "relationship" with Ziggler is continuing.

Originally Posted by Fightful.com AJ Styles sets the record straight. On Tuesday morning, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that AJ Styles suffered a hernia that kept him off live events over the weekend. Styles appeared during the main event segment of SmackDown Live, getting physical during a brawl with his Elimination Chamber opponents. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp said on the post-SmackDown podcast, "I was told people backstage didn’t hear of AJ Styles sustaining any type of a hernia or anything like that.” On Wednesday afternoon, Styles took to social media to shut down the report of him suffering a hernia. Yeah, about that. I don’t have a hernia. -- https://t.co/ilqge7BlZw — AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) February 6, 2019

Originally Posted by Fightful Randy Orton is the Viper, but could he slither his way out of WWE? On Tuesday, Twitter account WrestleVotes had wrestling fans curious as to the name behind a potential "offer." Seems like the first real shot has been fired... source says AEW has made an “outstanding” offer to a current, big time WWE superstar. An offer that is almost too good to turn down. Things are really about to get interesting. — WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) February 5, 2019 On the post-Smackdown Fightful Podcast (and Fightful Select prior) we revealed that WWE sources have told us that Randy Orton has expressed his willingness backstage to speak to All Elite Wrestling. This doesn't mean we've heard of any contract offer or actual discussions. That was, however, the wrestler referenced in the tweet. In fact, when we reached out to AEW, we were told they weren't interested in tampering and were looking to take. They told me their recruitment mission is more targeted towards fresh and independent, and that the source of the original tweet was likely a wrestler or agent hoping to leverage more money out of WWE by planting info. It should be noted this was before the Orton information emerged.

Originally Posted by WrestlingInc As reported earlier this week, NJPW has announced that one of its rising stars, Katsuya Kitamura, has decided to leave the company. On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer had some more details about what took place with Kitamura on the road to recovery from his shattered leg. Meltzer explained that Kitamura actually broke his leg in an unfortunate scooter accident, which is the reason he hasn't competed in a NJPW match since last March when he teamed up with Manabu Nakanishi in a loss against Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano. Officials at NJPW were unsure if Kitamura would ever be able to wrestle again but they still offered him a contract at the start of the year, one that he obviously has turned down since. It was noted that it was a situation similar to Daniel Bryan, where Kitamura wouldn't have been cleared to compete for a very long time, possibly forever. Meltzer notes that Kitamura feels ready to compete and doesn't want to wait around for NJPW to finally give him the green light. It is believes that Kitamura will sign with another Japanese company that will clear him for in-ring competition.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Very interesting news in regards to Randy Orton and even The fucking Undertaker.

[slik]

From today's Wrestling Observer

Stephanie McMahon vs. Becky Lynch is being discussed as a potential SummerSlam feud.