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Welcome back to another edition of WWE News Roundup. In today’s piece, we will discuss top stories revolving around AJ Styles and Becky Lynch, among others.

Also, in one of the day’s top news stories, a legendary name has announced retirement, revealing the date of their final match. So, let’s check it out and more without any further delay.

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#1. Finn Balor reacts to completing 10 years with WWE

Finn Balor is one of the most prominent names on the WWE roster. The Prince joined the Stamford-based promotion in 2014, making his on-screen debut on November 6, 2014. He has now completed a decade with the global juggernaut. Balor reacted to the achievement with a short message on X:

Balor has won multiple titles during his 10-year tenure with the company. He currently holds the World Tag Team Championship along with JD McDonagh.

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#2. Seth Rollins opens up about his hookup with Becky Lynch

Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch have been together since 2019. The duo got married in June 2021 and even have a daughter together. During a recent interview, The Visionary detailed the time the duo hooked up for the first time:

“I was shooting my shot ahead of time, I was talking a big game, trying to make things a little bit more romantic, I was like over the platonic stuff, and we also hadn’t been single at the same time, really. Let’s get down to business, so I had turned up my flirting game, but I also hadn’t seen her a lot, so I was texting, talking, and then we finally found ourselves in a room and she came out of the shower in a towel, and she gave me that look like ‘put up or shut up.’ I was not expecting that. It is not her personality type, but I was like– alright, this is it, we’re for real here, this is the real deal,” he said.

Becky Lynch is currently on a hiatus from pro wrestling. Seth Rollins, meanwhile, is engaged in a feud with Bronson Reed. The duo celebrated their third marriage anniversary earlier this year.

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#3. Austin Theory reveals AJ Styles rejected a dangerous spot with Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is one of the most intimidating superstars of all time. Austin Theory recently recalled being in a spot with The Beast Incarnate which had him panicked. The SmackDown star added that even AJ Styles refused to take the move.

“So I remember the night before, we’re at rehearsals, and everybody’s there, AJ Styles is on Brock Lesnar’s shoulders and there’s a crash pad down on the floor. Vince steps up behind me and he goes ‘I want you to take that.’ I was just looking and as soon as he says Brock throws AJ to the pad. AJ lands on his side, and anybody who knows AJ, he doesn’t cuss. If you catch him cussing, even on TV, that man is angry, but he goes, ‘What the frick? That’s stupid I’m not taking that.’ Then Brock comes climbing down, and Vince goes, ‘Brock, go back up, Theory is gonna take it.’ I was like, ‘oh man.’ I’m just walking through the motions. I’m climbing up the cage. I’m just going up, and I’m just panicking,” Theory said.

AJ Styles has been away from WWE programming since his match against Carmelo Hayes last month where he suffered an injury. The Phenomenal One is expected to be on the sidelines for a few months.

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#4. Current WWE star announces retirement

Legendary wrestler Meiko Satomura has announcedthat she will be competing in her last match in 2025. The Japanese star’s final outing to the squared circle will take place on April 29.

Meiko has been a part of WWE since 2020. She was recently a part of WWE’s tour of Japan where she even wrestled Bayley for the Women’s Championship.

Source: Sportskeeda

WWE NXT 2300 from Philadelphia’s ECW Arena was a night to remember as several wrestling legends made their presence felt at the special event.

Chief among them was 6-time Intercontinental Champion, RVD, who has now addressed his future with the company.

Rob Van Dam was first seen backstage giving Kelani Jordan a pep talk before her 10-woman tag team match in the main event. Immediately after, the 53-year-old WWE Hall of Famer was ambushed by Wes Lee.

Later in the show, RVD got his revenge when he came out to distract Wes Lee during his match with Je’Von Evans, allowing the latter to pick up the win.

Many fans were hoping to see The Whole Dam Show at least get physical on the show. However, that didn’t come to fruition.

Following the show, an X user said he wanted to see RVD lace up his boots last night. The former ECW World Heavyweight Champion responded by saying, “Me too. But I’ll be back.”

Rob Van Dam last wrestled in the Stamford-based promotion back in 2014, where he faced Seth Rollins. Earlier this year, he was pulled from WrestleMania XL plans, which prompted him to wrestle sporadically for All Elite Wrestling.

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Rob Van Dam wants to face WWE legend in 2025

During a recent episode of Hannibal TV, RVD admitted that he would be interested in facing John Cena during the latter’s retirement tour next year.

“I would be extremely interested in that, yes,” he said.

Rob Van Dam and John Cena famously wrestled each other at ECW One Night Stand in 2006. Mr. Monday Night dethroned The Cenation Leader to win the WWE Championship in front of a hostile crowd that night.

Will the two stalwarts give fans a slice of nostalgia by facing each other again in 2025? Only time will tell.

Source: Sportskeeda

Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently spoke about Vince McMahon starting a new company. The former WWE CEO stepped away from the wrestling business earlier this year after a lawsuit was filed accusing him of sexual harassment and trafficking.

PWInsider recently reported that Mr. McMahon was now planning to start an entertainment-based company. The report also stated that a few former WWE executives were also involved in the project.

This week on The Wrestling Outlaws, Russo mentioned that Vince McMahon needed to dispose of all the lawsuits against him before starting his new business. The former writer pointed out that settling his ongoing cases could be a possible solution:

“Before anything can happen here man, Vince McMahon has to clean the slate which probably is not gonna happen before he dies. First of all, you got the Federal investigation going on. You don’t know how long that’s gonna go on. Could be six months, could be a year, could be two years. Once that’s over, now he’s gotta deal with Janel Grant. Can he settle with Janel Grant so that goes away? Yes. Now he’s got the Ring Boys. Can he settle with the Ring Boys so that goes away? Yes.”

Russo detailed that settling his ongoing lawsuits would expose Vince McMahon to other lawsuits because people would know that he was settling them so that he could start his entertainment company:

“The only problem with this is, if he starts settling lawsuits, there’s gonna be more and more lawsuits. People are gonna know, hey man, sue Vince. He’s just gonna settle so he can start his new company. The guy is gonna be 80 in August. I don’t see him wiping out all his legal woes to ever get this on track.” [From 3:00 onwards]

Vince Russo rightly pointed out that the former WWE CEO would be 80 next year and it was possible that he wouldn’t be able to clear his name in time to get his new company off the ground.

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If you use the quotes from this article, please embed the YouTube video and add an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcript.

Source: Sportskeeda

Former WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon could well be starting his new entertainment hub company. Former WWE head writer Vince Russo recently discussed the reports in detail.

Last week, news broke that Mr. McMahon was planning to start his own entertainment company. The reports included names of some WWE alumni including Brad Blum, former WWE Chief Operating Officer, and Kristen Prouty, the promotion’s liaison to Hollywood. The company, if it becomes official, will operate from Los Angeles.

During a recent episode of The Wrestling Outlaws, Russo was shocked that former executive producer Kevin Dunn’s name was not included in the report. He pointed out that McMahon and Dunn worked together for years and it was strange that his name didn’t come up when Vince was starting a new venture. The veteran writer felt that Dunn was possibly done with the entertainment business and probably wanted to stay away:

“Yeah bro, I was shocked that Kevin’s name was not on that list. I would have thought that would have been the absolute first guy, unless Kevin to his credit said, ‘You know what, done enough, had enough, I’m just gonna enjoy.’ That’s what Kevin did. Nobody’s really heard from Kevin and I hope that’s what Kevin decided to do. But I was surprised that was not the first name.” [From 5:22 onwards]

Russo felt that before Vince McMahon could hit the ground running with his entertainment-based company, he needed to get rid of his pending legal issues.

It will be interesting to see the fate of this new company should Vince McMahon make a comeback to the entertainment industry.

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If you use the quotes from this article, please embed the YouTube video and add an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcript.

Source: Sportskeeda

The WWE landscape continues to evolve with numerous twists and turns, and The Bloodline saga remains a primary storyline on television. Meanwhile, Montez Ford has become a topic of discussion due to his recent comments. A few days ago, the Street Profits member took part in an interview in which he expressed dissatisfaction with his current booking in the Stamford-based promotion.

He highlighted how new tag teams had been winning championships while the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions had been overlooked. Adding fuel to the speculation, Ford recently posted a cryptic message on his official Instagram account. The post included several photos of him and Angelo Dawkins. The caption read:

“No matter what may come, we do this TOGETHER, my brother. FOREVER!”

This message left fans in the comments section puzzled, with many speculating if the 34-year-old had left WWE. Currently, rumors suggest Montez Ford’s contract is set to expire in December 2024. This means he is still under contract for at least another month. If these reports are accurate, Ford has not quietly exited the Stamford-based promotion.

Instead, the post seems more like a tribute to his partnership with Angelo Dawkins, especially in light of his recent criticism of their booking. Furthermore, this cryptic message seems to be an indication that he could part ways with the Sports Entertainment juggernaut once his contract expired. However, since the post has been live for several hours without any official statement from WWE, it is unlikely that Ford has left the company.

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What if Montez Ford leaves WWE and joins AEW?

If the recent hints indeed point to Montez Ford leaving the Stamford-based promotion, he could likely debut in All Elite Wrestling. Additionally, if Angelo Dawkins’ contract expires around the same time, the SmackDown stars could make their AEW debut together as a tag team.

Beyond that, Montez Ford could also join The Hurt Syndicate, which features Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. Back when The Hurt Business faction was active in WWE, rumors circulated about Ford potentially joining the group, though it never materialized.

If the former RAW Tag Team Champion transitions to AEW, aligning with The Hurt Syndicate seems like an ideal scenario.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see how things unfold in the coming weeks to determine whether this speculation becomes reality.

Source: Sportskeeda

A photo swirling on the internet over the last few hours has given way to rumors about another real-life Bloodline member potentially joining WWE. The uber-popular faction already has several performers from the famed Anoa’i family.

The Bloodline saga has been the most compelling WWE story for years now. While Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa did the bulk of the heavy lifting during the storyline initially, the likes of Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa have elevated the story even further. Considering the Anoa’i family is a mammoth one, many names have popped up of late who could potentially be next in line to join the company.

NXT referee Felix Fernandez recently shared a couple of pictures on his Instagram, where several stars of the brand can be spotted posing for the camera. While the photos were nothing out of the ordinary, what grabbed fans’ attention was Lance Anoa’i, who was standing 4th in line from the left.

Check out the post:

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Zilla Fatu wants to join WWE

A few days ago, Zilla Fatu, the son of the late great Umaga, discussed how he was keen to join his cousins in WWE as part of the Bloodline saga. He mentioned that he was destined to be a part of the Stamford-based promotion and that he would not be against the idea of charting his own path, separate from his cousins.

“I would love to be there with my family, but you know, Triple H, the creative team, the whole WWE organization, they have a way to incorporate me. So, whatever way they want to incorporate me into the storyline, or me doing my own thing. (…) You just never know. So right now, I just can’t call it but I know that I’m destined to be there, though.”

Both Zilla Fatu and Lance Anoa’i have been impressive on the indie circuit and there’s little doubt they could shine on a bigger stage if granted the opportunity.

Source: Sportskeeda

Jim Ross was a WWE commentator and talent relations executive in the early 2000s. In a recent podcast episode, the AEW announcer reflected on Edge and Christian’s run as a WWE tag team.

The current AEW stars won the WWE tag titles seven times between April 2000 and April 2001. Although the Canadians performed as bad guys, they also amused fans with their entertaining promos and backstage antics.

Edge and Christian often hit their opponents with steel chair shots to the head, a move known as the Con-Chair-To. Ross agreed on Grilling JR that the double-team offense was impressive, but he found it difficult to dislike the two superstars:

“When you make me laugh and you entertain me with your sophomoric humor, I have a hard time disliking you. I don’t care if they hit them with two sledgehammers out of Triple H’s toolbox, it’s just, I don’t know, the heel thing I thought was adversely affected by all the humor that they did because they were damned entertaining, so how can I stay mad or get mad at someone that makes me laugh? It’s just a crime against nature.” [36:23 – 37:04]

Edge debuted in AEW in 2023 under his real name, Adam Copeland. Christian, now known as Christian Cage, has also worked for the company since 2021.

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Jim Ross on the unsung hero in Edge and Christian’s team

Behind the scenes, former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz worked closely with Edge and Christian on their segments and storylines.

Although he did not appear on-screen with the tag team, Jim Ross believes Gewirtz was key to their success:

“When they hooked up with Brian Gewirtz, that was a big get for them. That was a great relationship. They liked each other. They all were on the same page. They made each other laugh and they were having fun, so they did a great job. That was a good move from them.” [35:11 – 35:32]

Ross also gave his thoughts on Bill Goldberg possibly joining AEW after competing in a WWE retirement match in 2025.

What were your thoughts on Edge and Christian as a WWE tag team? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross’ quotes from this article.

Source: Sportskeeda

TKO President Mark Shapiro recently addressed former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s status in the company. He revealed that he recently had breakfast with the 79-year-old.

McMahon initially retired from WWE in 2022. However, he returned in January 2023 to once again become the sports entertainment giant’s executive chairman. After reaching a deal with Endeavor and forming a publicly traded company, TKO, McMahon became the newly formed company’s executive chairman. Nevertheless, he resigned earlier this year amid being sued by former employee, Janel Grant, for alleged sexual assault and sex trafficking.

In an interview with CNBC, the TKO President disclosed that he recently had breakfast with McMahon. He claimed the former chairman was a “total pro” during their get-together:

“I had breakfast with him a few weeks ago. Just to check in, it had been a long time. Haven’t heard from him at all. Obviously, the series on Netflix came out, I wanted to see kind of where he was. By the way, he couldn’t have been more cooperative, he couldn’t have been nicer. I mean, he was a total pro at breakfast, if you will. It’s a one-on-one get-together.”

Despite putting his shares in the newly merged company up for sale, Shapiro recently revealed that McMahon is still a shareholder within TKO Group Holdings. However, he pointed out that the 79-year-old is out of the business entirely and does not make decisions:

“But he’s out of the business entirely, he doesn’t make decisions, he’s not on the board, he doesn’t opine, we don’t consult him. He’s got some litigation that he’s working through and frankly, he wants the privacy and the time to work through it. Which is great because in the meantime we’re going to keep building TKO and WWE and expanding the horizon, expanding the opportunities. And by the way, he’s still a shareholder. Not the shareholder he once was, but he’s still a shareholder.” [H/T: Cultaholic.com]

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Does Vince McMahon have an informant inside WWE?

Although Vince McMahon is no longer with WWE, some of his former close associates are still in the Stamford-based company, including Executive Director – CWT Bruce Prichard.

In an interview with the Wrestling with the Devil podcast, former WWE Head Writer Vince Russo claimed Prichard was Vince McMahon’s “informant” in the promotion, stating that the 61-year-old lets the former chairman know about everything that goes on in the company:

“Here’s the part that puzzles me. With Vince no longer a part of that company, would you not have thought loyal soldier Bruce Prichard would have been the first one to say, ‘You know, Endeavor, I don’t wanna have anything to do with your company. I am a Vince McMahon guy. That’s why there’s a part of me like for Bruce to not do that and to still have a job there is the reason he still has a job there is because to this day he is Vince’s informant and still letting Vince know everything that’s going on in that company,” Russo said.

According to recent reports, Prichard is currently on temporary leave from WWE for family reasons. His return date remains unknown.

Source: Sportskeeda

Jim Ross was WWE’s lead play-by-play announcer in the early 2000s. The legendary commentator recently gave his thoughts on the company’s higher-ups booking a series of “career-threatening” match stipulations during that time.

At SummerSlam 2000, Edge & Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in the first Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match. The three teams met in another TLC match at WrestleMania 17 in 2001, with Edge & Christian winning again.

On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said WWE’s creative team booked too many “dangerous” weapon-based matches after the success of TLC:

“I always kept thinking they kept stretching it and stretching it, getting closer and closer and closer to where an inch here, an inch there is disastrous. It’s career-threatening. I never knew what was gonna happen in those matches. I didn’t wanna know, ‘We’re gonna do four tables.’ Well, I can count to four almost every time without fail, so I just didn’t wanna know. It kept it spontaneous for me, so I saw things in the ring that were breathtaking and scared the s**t out of me.” [45:08 – 45:47]

TLC matches became so popular that WWE revolved an annual premium live event around the stipulation. The show took place for 12 consecutive years between 2009 and 2020.

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Jim Ross compares TLC to Mick Foley vs. The Undertaker

At King of the Ring 1998, The Undertaker famously launched Mick Foley off the Hell in a Cell structure and through an announce table. Later in the match, Foley received a Chokeslam through a cell panel before being thrown back-first onto a set of thumbtacks.

Jim Ross agreed that the TLC stipulation was “too much” and compared the match to Foley’s battle with The Undertaker:

“Yeah [TLC was too much], oh yeah. Always. Same with Foley and The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match. Mick did things that he didn’t need to do in that match in hindsight. Fantastic performance. One of the most memorable matches that I’ve ever called in my life in 50 years. That’s all you need to know. But I always thought that the nature of the concept of these matches, these multi-tag matches, is everybody wants to be a star at some point.” [43:45 – 44:28]

WWE’s most recent TLC match occurred at NXT Halloween Havoc on October 27. Tony D’Angelo defeated Oba Femi in a Halloween-themed contest marketed as Tables, Ladders, and Scares.

What are your thoughts on Jim Ross’ comments? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross’ quotes from this article.

Source: Sportskeeda

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg is set to have his retirement match in 2025. Recently, wrestling legend Tommy Dreamer shared his two cents on who should possibly face Da Man in his last-ever match.

A heated confrontation between World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Bill Goldberg unfolded at Bad Blood. Following the premium live event, fans began speculating about a potential high-stakes match between the two. Then, on November 2, 2024, the former WWE Universal Champion announced his retirement from professional wrestling. He revealed that he will have one final match in 2025.

Speaking on the Busted Open podcast, Tommy Dreamer noted the 330-pound Bronson Reed should be Goldberg’s final opponent. The veteran thinks this would be a good opportunity to elevate a younger talent and that Da Man doesn’t need to retire on a winning streak:

“I think maybe Bronson Reed because to help put a younger talent over. I don’t know if they [WWE] need Goldberg going out on top,” he said.

Dreamer added:

“Gunther is easy as well for kind of what they had talked about; don’t know if that’s a main marquee matchup.” [From 00:10 to 00:39]

You can watch the full episode below:

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Wrestling veteran wants to see Goldberg in AEW after WWE retirement match

Legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross has speculated about Goldberg’s potential move after his recent departure from the Stamford-based company. JR questioned whether the 57-year-old wrestling icon might consider joining Tony Khan’s AEW.

On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross mentioned that Da Man, being a shrewd businessman, might not be done with wrestling after his last WWE match and could potentially join AEW for financial gain:

“He’s a businessman through and through. He’s got a great agent. They’ll explore every opportunity and follow the cash,” he said.

You can watch the video below:

It remains to be seen whether the former Universal Champion Bill Goldberg will face Gunther or Bronson Reed in his retirement match in 2025.

Please credit Busted Open and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use any quotes from the first half of the article.

Source: Sportskeeda