Vince McMahon

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon looks to be in peak physical condition, even at the age of 75. 

A video posted on Instagram showed McMahon doing a one-rep max squat, along with a caption that suggested he was putting in an intense workout. 

Vince McMahon in the gym at 75.

The caption on another video from WWE’s corporate trainer provides more detail: “We did leg press & hack squats before doing 20 reps with 5 plates on each side, 10 reps with 6, 5 reps with 7, before trying our 1RM: Total 22, 45 lb plates.” pic.twitter.com/hj06VMFngZ

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) March 22, 2021

Among the many notable things about McMahon, his workout routine is legendary even among WWE Superstars. Big E told the Hollywood Raw podcast (h/t Blake Lovell of 411Mania) earlier this month about what the WWE CEO does to stay in shape: 

"He has a personal trainer, and this poor guy, we have these long drives—obviously pre-pandemic. We'll get in around two or sometimes three in the morning, and his personal trainer has been standing outside the whole time waiting for him because he'll come in and work out after shows and after these long drives at like 3 a.m.. This man is not in his 20s, he's in his 70s. He is working out hard. He's a meathead in a way and lifting heavy. It's crazy."

McMahon hasn't wrestled an official match since losing to Bret Hart at WrestleMania XXVI in 2010. He's probably not going to step into the ring for a match again, but if nothing else, he at least looks like he could hold his own against any one of the top Superstars in WWE if the opportunity presented itself. 

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon offered her perspective Saturday on how things will change in WWE once her father, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, steps down from his position.

Appearing on the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Eric Mutter), Stephanie admitted that no one person can replace what Vince brings to the table: "I don't think there will ever be a person-to-person replacement for Vince McMahon. He does too much. The landscape would look different however it shakes out."

Rather than herself or her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, trying to turn themselves into the next Vince McMahon, Stephanie suggested that WWE will take a by-committee approach:

"I do think a lot of the institutional knowledge is important, particularly with regards toward the core content. But it's also surrounding our business with strong, smart executives. And that's exactly what we have. So I do think it's the marriage of institutional knowledge, the incredible production value, the creation of talent IP and storylines and really strong business executives to help us expand. I think it's a combination of things."

Given that he has been the driving force behind WWE and its success since the 1980s, it is difficult to envision Vince ever stepping down, but at 75 years of age, it is only logical to think about what the future holds after Vince.

One can only assume that Stephanie, Triple H and Vince's son, Shane McMahon, will have a big hand in the way WWE is handled after Vince steps down, but all signs point to it being a group effort.

While television ratings are down across the board for professional wrestling, WWE has some huge television and streaming deals in place with NBCUniversal, Fox and Peacock, meaning the company should be financially viable for a long time to come and in a position to make McMahon's successors' job much easier.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Ahead of his WWE Championship match against Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 37 next month, Drew McIntyre addressed some hot topics in an interview this week.

Speaking with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes, McIntyre gave his take on several talking points, including WWE's reported ban on wrestlers slapping their legs while doing moves.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Joshua Gagnon), signs reminding wrestlers not the slap their legs during matches have been posted backstage at WWE events recently.

Meltzer noted that the decision to ban leg slapping was seen after WWE Chairman Vince McMahon saw someone do it egregiously during a SmackDown match.

McIntyre didn't confirm or deny the ban but suggested that it doesn't impact him either way:

"For the general fans, if you're good enough [at leg slapping] that you can do it—like a Shawn Michaels—then you're not gonna catch it. It's become so blatant at times that I think you've got to pick and choose your moments.

"But when it comes to the Claymore—let me explain how the Claymore works—people said to me, 'You're slapping your leg.' That's not the case with the Claymore. When I raise my leg and kick forward, you've got a 6'6", 270-pound man jumping and kicking you. I've got a very strong shoulder, so when I'm throwing that kick and I also put some shoulder behind it, I'm just adding force. So, you see, it's not really a leg slap for me; it's just extra force."

The Scottish Warrior also answered for a promo he cut on Monday's episode of Raw in which he was perceived to have taken a shot at rival promotion AEW.

During the promo, McIntyre talked about how making guarantees is dangerous since fans get angry if you don't deliver and "sparks fly."

Most of those who saw AEW's recent Revolution pay-per-view likely made a connection, as the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch main event between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley ended in disappointment when the ring "explosion" was mere mild sparks flying off the ring posts.

As a result, it became one of the most heavily criticized and meme-worthy moments in recent wrestling history.

McIntyre suggested in his interview with Forbes that while he didn't purposely poke fun at AEW, he may have been doing so subconsciously:

"Everyone seems to think writers are gonna put all this together—they don't. Drew McIntyre's out there, and I've got no idea what I'm gonna say, and I kind of say how I feel.

"I went out there, I said that, and I [heard] 'sparks fly' come out my mouth. I didn't think twice about it. I just rolled right through it. I said my whole interview and watched the match ringside—which was an awesome match. I came back, and somebody came up to me and said, 'Saw what you did there.' 'What did I do?' And then they played it out to me and I went, 'Oh, yeah, that could be taken that way.' Maybe subconsciously I made a joke ... I don't like that shot back-and-forth stuff. I don't see the point. It's not good for business."

While it is up for debate whether McIntyre meant to put down AEW, he did say something that should be music to the ears of most WWE fans.

McIntyre seemed to reveal that his promos aren't scripted, which speaks to how much confidence the WWE higher-ups have in his ability.

Scripted promos in WWE have been a hot-button issue among fans for quite some time, but the fact that WWE is apparently willing to let some Superstars do their own thing has to be considered a positive.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

     

Matt Hardy, Young Bucks Parody WWE Leg-Slapping Ban

On this week's episode of Being The Elite, All Elite Wrestling stars Matt Hardy and The Young Bucks cracked some jokes about a reported ban on leg-slapping while doing moves in WWE.

Recently, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton) reported that WWE sent a memo to its wrestlers about a ban on leg-slapping and was even fining those who violate it.

Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline later tweeted a photo of a sign that read, "Do not slap leg when kicking," and suggested that it was located backstage at WWE:

This is real, by the way. pic.twitter.com/l6sxjs51aL

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) March 8, 2021

While there has been no official confirmation of the edict from WWE, it didn't stop Hardy and The Young Bucks from taking shots at WWE and Vince McMahon on BTE, as they so often do.

On this week's BTE, Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks slapped his leg while laughing at a joke, prompting Hardy to point at a sign that read, "No leg slapping while laughing."

Hardy then said he was issuing a $500 fine since he noticed younger wrestlers in AEW were slapping their legs too often.

Matt Jackson said it was getting "too corporate," leading to Nick Jackson saying, "Maybe that's why VKM did that as well."

VKM are the initials of WWE Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, meaning Nick Jackson erased all doubt regarding what they were referencing in the skit.

WWE did get some payback on Raw, though, as Drew McIntyre said to never make guarantees, since failing to deliver can make people mad and make "sparks fly."

That was an obvious reference to the dud ending of the recent AEW Revolution pay-per-view, which saw only a few sparks fly from the ring posts following the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley.

     

Andrade Reportedly Wasn't at Raw

Amid rumors regarding his WWE future, Andrade was reportedly not backstage for Monday's episode of Raw, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com.

WrestlingInc and Alex McCarthy of TalkSport reported last week that Andrade requested his release from WWE while at Raw. F4WOnline (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton) later reported that his request was denied by the company.

Andrade has not appeared on WWE programming since October, but he has apparently still been present at Raw. He hasn't been used, though, which could be the source of his reported frustration.

The 31-year-old is a former NXT and United States champion, and he is undoubtedly among the most gifted in-ring performers on the roster.

Andrade's only significant downside is that the Mexico native has yet to master the English language, which is an issue exacerbated by the fact that his former manager, Zelina Vega, was released shortly after Andrade stopped appearing on television.

If WWE doesn't have another plan in place for Andrade in terms of a manager or mouthpiece, it could cap his potential within the company.

One option could be to pair him with his real-life fiance, Charlotte Flair, who recently said she had pitched WWE on letting her and Andrade work together.

It remains to be seen if WWE will give that any consideration or if Andrade will ever appear on WWE programming again.

Andrade remains under contract for now, but if he has no desire to continue working for the company, he could simply opt to wait out the remainder of his deal.

    

Soulja Boy Goes Off on Orton Again

Rapper Soulja Boy continued his ongoing Twitter feud with WWE Superstar Randy Orton on Monday.

Soulja Boy tweeted: "I got that n---a Randy organ shaking in his boots all I seen over the years is twitter fingers none of these dudes got hands on baby. They scared to have me at WWE."

Orton and Soulja Boy have been going back and forth on Twitter since last month when Soulja Boy tweeted: "Rap game faker than WWE."

Among Orton's responses was the following tweet:

Fake. Right @souljaboy ? Btw, which one of yo baby’s mommas do I send the bill to for making you relevant again? I assume they all own yo ass so whose cuttin those checks. https://t.co/EvZUOcJ3Hx

— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) March 9, 2021

Soulja Boy then laid down a challenge in a subsequent tweet, writing: "Yeah that s--t is fake homeboy. And I don't got no baby mommas fool. Looks like your the one looking for relevancy. Enough talking set it up so I can slide on u for the gang, u think s--t sweet huh."

The Twitter feud between Soulja Boy and Orton comes at a time when rappers are referencing and getting involved with WWE more than ever.

It started with Cardi B tweeting about her WWE fandom a couple of months ago, followed by Bad Bunny becoming a weekly performer for WWE and even winning the 24/7 Championship.

Bad Bunny is a much bigger star than Soulja Boy currently, so a WWE program may not be in the cards for the "Crank That" performer, but there is no question that he is generating plenty of buzz by trading verbal barbs with Orton.

It is tough to say if there is a legitimate beef between Soulja Boy and Orton or if they are simply working the fans, but there is little doubt that most wrestling fans would love to see Soulja Boy get some comeuppance at the hands of The Viper given his recent comments.

    

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

             

Lashley Wants to Fight Lesnar

Bobby Lashley is best known for his career in WWE, but The All Mighty is trained in multiple fighting disciplines and would be willing to put them to use for the opportunity to challenge Brock Lesnar. 

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Lashley said he would be willing to fight Lesnar in almost any athletic competition:

"I'm willing to wrestle, I'm willing to do 100-meter dash, I don't care. I love those big matchups! Brock is one of the biggest thing across the sports industry, sports world across the board. So if I can have an opportunity to fight Brock or wrestle Brock or do anything against Brock, I'm 100 percent in and I will be ready. That's all I gotta say about that!"

During the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018 after Lashley left WWE, he had a long and fairly successful run in mixed martial arts. The 44-year-old went 15-2 in various promotions, including a 5-0 mark in Bellator.

Lesnar became an even bigger star in UFC than he was during his first run in WWE. The Beast only had nine fights from 2007 to 2016, but he won the UFC heavyweight title by beating Randy Couture at UFC 91.

Since losing the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36, Lesnar hasn't been seen on television. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported in August that Lesnar is a free agent, as his WWE contract has expired.

Until Lesnar decides what he wants to do, Lashley will continue to be a major part of WWE's build to WrestleMania. He's the WWE champion and appears to be headed toward a match with McIntyre at the biggest show of the year on April 10-11.

               

Latest on WWE Leg-Slapping Ban

WWE chairman Vince McMahon is known for being particular about how he wants WWE superstars to perform, ranging from how each match gets laid out down to not wanting terms like "belt" and "wrestler" used on television.

The latest quirk grinding McMahon's gears is wrestlers who slap their legs.

Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), one Superstar did a sloppy leg slap on an episode of SmackDown that led to McMahon banning the act altogether.

The Superstar wasn't called out by name, but Meltzer said it is a big-name performer.

Since McMahon's moods change regularly, there's no reason to think the leg-slapping ban will last forever. He tried to experiment with no wrestling during commercial breaks in 2019 but gave it up when it had a negative impact on the quality of matches on Raw and SmackDown.

                     

WrestleMania Attendance Rumors

WWE recently announced that tickets for the two-night WrestleMania in Tampa, Florida, will go on sale Tuesday.

The company has been coy about how many tickets will be available, but WWE is reportedly looking to draw a huge crowd amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports 360 has confirmed that WWE "is aiming for about 45,000 people per night at Raymond James Stadium" for WrestleMania 37.

Alba noted that 45,000 fans would make it the "largest crowd at a sports or entertainment event in America since the pandemic began."

Per Raymond James Stadium's official website, it can host 65,000 fans for NFL games with the ability to increase attendance by an additional 10,000 for other events.

The NFL allowed 25,000 fans to attend Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7. The rest of the stadium was filled with approximately 30,000 cutouts.

WWE has been using Tropicana Field—home of the Tampa Bay Rays—as its host site for all events since Dec. 11. Fans have attended shows at the stadium virtually.

                  

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

    

Asuka Reportedly Out with Concussion

Raw women's champion Asuka's absence from Monday night television over the past couple of weeks has reportedly been because of a concussion.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Asuka suffered the injury when she was kicked in the face by Shayna Baszler during a tag team match pitting Asuka and Charlotte Flair against Baszler and Nia Jax.

The Empress of Tomorrow also lost a tooth as a result of the vicious kick, which WWE has since showed in slow motion on Raw.

Meltzer added that it is unknown when Asuka will return to action because of the unpredictability of concussions and getting cleared from them.

Asuka has held the Raw Women's Championship for 200 days, and she has been the champion for most of the past year.

She was first awarded the title in May after winning Money in the Bank, as Becky Lynch had to surrender the Raw Women's Championship because of her pregnancy.

Asuka dropped the title to Sasha Banks 78 days later but then recaptured it in less than a month. Heading toward WrestleMania 37, Asuka figures to put the title on the line on The Grandest Stage of Them All if she is healthy enough to do so.

Charlotte recently announced that she wants to face Asuka for the title, which would be a reprisal of their match from WrestleMania 34, which is when Asuka suffered her first singles loss in WWE.

Rhea Ripley is also being advertised for a Raw debut, though, and it is easy to envision her being part of the equation as well.

If Asuka is able to compete at WrestleMania, a match against Charlotte and Ripley would undoubtedly have show-stealing potential.

    

Wight Says Vince McMahon 'Wants Confrontation'

Paul Wight recently signed with AEW after 22 years in WWE as Big Show, and he is sharing some of what he learned and observed during his two-plus decades in WWE.

During an appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette (h/t Upton), Wight offered some insight into WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's mentality:

"At the same time, I learned so much by working [in WWE] like how to do things and how to be an entertainer and psychology and all that stuff. These are tools I can help younger guys with, not necessarily that style of philosophy, because the environment over there is created to be a very competitive shark tank environment.

"It's done that way by design because the guy at the top [McMahon] is a fighter. That's what he does. He wants confrontation. He wants people thinking about the product as much as he is and he wants to make sure all the dogs running in his pack are going the same way starving for every scrap. 'You can't be afraid to step on toes!' That's a great environment, but sometimes it isn't conducive for being as creative as you want it to be, because when that one man has the vision that's the one vision that's mandated and followed, you know you'll have different insight, even if it's not about yourself, if it's about a different talent and you want to help him."

Wight's comments come as little surprise since many former WWE Superstars have described McMahon and WWE as a whole in a similar way.

McMahon is known for being as competitive and committed as they come, and it is a big reason why he took WWE from being a Northeastern product to the biggest wrestling company of all time.

With McMahon at the helm, WWE essentially destroyed the territory concept and became both a national and global brand. A big reason for that was the creation of WrestleMania, which remains the Super Bowl of pro wrestling to this day.

The competitive environment created by McMahon is one many have thrived in, but not everyone is cut out for it, and some would prefer to be in a more relaxed environment, which is apparently what AEW provides.

It is fair to say that Wight did well under McMahon's leadership, as he remained in WWE for two decades and won four world titles as well as the United States, Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships.

Now, Wight could be immensely valuable to AEW, as he will bring a different perspective to the table and could aid in the development of younger wrestlers.

    

Cole Wants to Wrestle Edge

Adam Cole is in the midst of a heated feud with former Undisputed Era teammate Kyle O'Reilly in NXT, but Cole has his sights set on a dream match in the future.

In an interview with Ryan Satin of Fox Sports, Cole said he wants to wrestle Edge "so, so, so, so badly."

Cole added:

"Edge is one of the greatest heels of all time. His run, no matter where he was—as a tag team wrestler, as a World Champion, as a heel, as a babyface—it didn't matter. He was just so fantastic. And the fact that Edge, indeed, does want to come back and not just wrestle every now and then but is excited at the idea of wanting to come and wrestle guys in NXT. ... He's one of my all-time favorites. His body of work speaks for itself. Yeah. If I had the opportunity to get in the ring with Edge, I wouldn't pass that up for anything. I would love the chance."

Edge shocked the wrestling world last year by returning as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble after missing nine years because of a neck injury. He then went on to win the 2021 Royal Rumble men's match, and he is set to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 37.

Before officially choosing Reigns as his opponent, Edge appeared on NXT and teased the possibility of challenging NXT champion Finn Balor.

While he didn't pick Balor, Edge has not been shy about his desire to do some work with NXT and wrestle some of the talented performers of the black and gold brand at some point.

If that happens, one can only assume that Cole would be near the top of the list given his status as one of the biggest stars in NXT for the past few years.

Cole reestablished himself as a dastardly heel by turning his back on O'Reilly and Roderick Strong, and after O'Reilly attacked him this week on NXT, it seems likely that Cole and O'Reilly are set to face off at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver next month.

Although Cole has his hands full for now, a match against Edge could be a realistic goal whether it happens in NXT or if Cole eventually moves up to the main roster and challenges him.

    

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

      

Vince Called Paul Wight After AEW Deal

While almost no one saw Paul Wight's deal with AEW coming, Vince McMahon was one of the few people likely privy to the fact the future WWE Hall of Famer was headed elsewhere. Wight's departure came after he was essentially paid to stay home by WWE over the last couple years, only making brief appearances—and not looking very strong when Big Show did pop up.

It seems there were no hard feelings on either side. Wight told reporters McMahon called to congratulate him after the deal was announced:

"Here's the thing, Vince actually called me the day it was announced that I signed with AEW, wished me a lot of luck, agreed that I'm a big asset to AEW and thanked me for all the years I worked in WWE. There's no animosity, there's no anger, there's no dirt, so to speak. This just came down to, you know, contract negotiations and opportunities. Let's face it, over 20 years in WWE, I have done everything there is to do, in WWE. I needed a fresh start, and for me, Vince understands that and understands me as a talent, and this was an opportunity for me to do that."

Wight will be working on the new AEW Dark: Elevation program that's set to debut this year on YouTube, along with occasional in-ring work. It seems like a situation where Wight wanted to utilize his talents in a variety of ways that were not afforded by WWE.

    

Tony Khan Talks Christian Cage's AEW Debut

What a moment! #ChristianCage has arrived in #AEW!
Watch the fallout of #AEWRevolution this Wednesday on #AEWDynamite at 8/7c on @TNTDrama.

Tickets are still available at https://t.co/UN1cNj1kQq pic.twitter.com/MWtAkrLFzM

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 8, 2021

AEW's "big surprise" signing touted for the Revolution pay-per-view turned out to be Christian Cage, who came out and silently signed a contract before walking back behind the curtain. Tony Khan spoke to reporters about the signing after Revolution, saying the deal came together in recent weeks after he realized Cage was not under contract with WWE.

"We saw him very recently compete on pay-per-view, and there was a lot of interest in it," Khan said. "It generated a lot of interest. He was interested in wrestling on a regular basis, and he gave me a call. He said, 'I'd really like to come wrestle in AEW.' And I said, 'I'd really like to have you come wrestle in AEW for me, that sounds awesome.' It all came together great."

Khan and Cage have been friends for years, and Khan said he was "kicking myself" when he saw Christian show up at Royal Rumble in January.

It's clear that Cage wants to be a full-time performer, so this isn't a deal like Wight when he'll be part of a commentary team or in a dual role. Christian looked solid in his return to the ring at the Rumble, coming back after being forced into retirement in 2014 because of concussions. The Canada native wants this run in AEW to prove he's still capable of performing at age 47 and to likely write the final chapter of his career on his own terms.

     

Bully Ray Trolls Revolution Finish

There's no way to sugarcoat it: The ending to AEW's Revolution pay-per-view was a disaster. The supposed "explosion" of the ring after the Kenny Omega-Jon Moxley exploding barbed wire deathmatch turned out to be little more than Gillberg-esque sparklers shooting out of the ring posts.

Bully Ray took to Twitter to poke fun at the situation Sunday:

“The only thing they remember, is the finish.”

Vincent Kennedy McMahon@BustedOpenRadio #AEWRevolution

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) March 8, 2021

While it appears AEW will attempt to steer into the curve of what was likely a major botch, the broadcast did no such thing. Eddie Kingston covering up his fallen friend was treated like an act of great bravery, and the broadcast crew talked up the explosion while Kingston and Moxley laid together selling as the show went off the air.

Regardless of how the thing is retconned in the future, it was an embarrassing moment for AEW—one that may take some time to live down. 

The great shame of the match finish is that it will overshadow what was otherwise a fantastic match between Moxley and Omega—one that would have provided a perfect capper to perhaps the defining feud of the promotion. 

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

   

Lashley Talks Possible Match vs. Lesnar

Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar is a dream match wrestling fans have often talked about over the years, and Lashley is providing some hope that it could potentially happen.

After beating The Miz for the WWE Championship on Monday's episode of Raw, Lashley spoke to Ryan Satin of Fox Sports about several topics, including The Beast Incarnate.

During the interview, Lashley expressed his belief that a match against Lesnar could be more possible now than ever before:

"Another person, The Beast. Where is he? Is he trapped in the woods somewhere? Is he hiding? Is he ready for his big return? Like, where you at, bro? Everybody knows. You know. I know. Drew [McIntyre] knows. Everybody knows that when Brock comes back, there's gonna be a lot to answer to, and I welcome it. Before, it was one of those things where everybody said they wanted to see that match, and that match was probably not ever gonna come. Didn't have anything that he wanted. But I do now. So it's different. We'll see. We'll see if The Beast comes back out to play."

It was first reported back in August that Lesnar was no longer under contract with WWE, and no reports have surfaced since then suggested that Brock was returned to the company.

WrestleMania 37 is just over one month away, though, and it makes all the sense in the world for Lesnar to re-enter the fold now for a huge WrestleMania payday.

Things seem to be trending toward a WWE Championship match between Lashley and McIntyre at Fastlane this month. If that happens, one can only assume WWE wouldn't want to go back to the exact same well for WrestleMania.

If that is the case, perhaps Lesnar makes his long-awaited return at Fastlane either during or after the Lashley vs. McIntyre match to set up a singles match against Lashley or a Triple Threat involving all three Superstars on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

If either of those scenarios come to pass, it will satiate a large segment of the fanbase that has been calling for a Lashley vs. Lesnar showdown for years.

   

Lashley Discusses McMahon's Reaction to WWE Title Win

Sixteen years after making his main roster debut in WWE, Lashley is finally WWE champion, as he defeated The Miz in convincing fashion on Monday's episode of Raw.

In an interview with Satin, Lashley revealed how WWE Chairman Vince McMahon greeted him backstage after the biggest win of his career: "When I was able to go through that curtain [after winning the WWE Championship] and give Vince a hug, he grabbed me, and he held me for a while and was like, 'Man, I'm proud of you."

Lashley also described how McMahon essentially helped motivate him to finally reach the top of his profession:

"You're not here to have fun. Vince doesn't want you here to have fun. Vince wants to get in an argument with you because you're fighting for something that you want. Vince wants you to step out of the box and do something bigger.

"Vince wants you to want WrestleMania so much that the crowd forces them to give you that title. I think I started to get into that point this last year, several months definitely. I've been mean, man. I've been mean. I go out there with a vengeance, and there's a whole lot of confidence running through me."

The 44-year-old Lashley made history by becoming only the third Black WWE champion in company history, joining The Rock and Kofi Kingston.

For a long time, it seemed highly unlikely that Lashley would ever get to this point, especially following his WWE departure in 2008.

Lashley was being built into a huge star during his first run with the company, winning the ECW and United States Championships, but he never quite reached the top of the mountain and set off to make a name for himself in the world of MMA after getting released from WWE.

He did precisely that, going 15-2 as a pro MMA fighter, including a 5-0 mark for Bellator.

Lashley also honed his pro wrestling craft after leaving WWE, specifically in Impact Wrestling. Lashley joined forced with MVP in Impact, and with MVP serving as his mouthpiece, Lashley won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship four times.

That likely gave him even more confidence during his second stint in WWE, and after Lashley reunited with MVP to form The Hurt Business, it was only a matter of time before The All Mighty conquered WWE as well.

   

Shaq Guarantees Win vs. Cody on AEW Dynamite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ZOg4u0GSA

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal is set to make his AEW in-ring debut on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, as he will team with Jade Cargill against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet.

In an interview with Dan Gelston of the Associated Press, Shaq guaranteed victory Tuesday: "Oh, I'm winning. Guaranteed."

"I'm the type, I can never back down from a challenge," he added. "I'm not a professional wrestler, but I've been in a match before. I've got a lot of moves in my arsenal. When you step inside somebody's world, you have to stick to what you're masterful at. I'm not acrobatic. I'm not going to be jumping off the ropes. I'm coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I'm going to display this power. I'm the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it."

It first became apparent a couple of months ago that Shaq was destined for an AEW match when Cargill debuted by interrupting a Cody promo and brought up the four-time NBA champion's name.

That led to Cody's wife, Brandi Rhodes getting involved, as she even threw water in Shaq's face during an interview involving O'Neal and Tony Schiavone. In retaliation, Cargill later slapped Cody.

Since Brandi was no longer able to wrestle due to her pregnancy, Red Velvet stepped up and agreed to team with Cody due to her friendship with Brandi and issues with Cargill.

Wednesday won't mark Shaq's first wrestling match, as he previously competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WWE WrestleMania 32, but it may be his most extensive in-ring action to date.

Also, with AEW recently signing longtime Shaq rival Paul "Big Show" Wight, Wednesday may only be the beginning for O'Neal in terms of his wrestling opportunities with AEW.

   

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