Vince McMahon

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

Goldberg vs. Reigns Reportedly Scheduled for Elimination Chamber

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg is reportedly set to make his return to the ring this month.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton), WWE is planning to have Goldberg compete at the Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia, and he will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.

Reigns vs. Goldberg would be a first, but it was scheduled to take place in 2020.

Goldberg was Universal champion at the time and he was set to put the title on the line against Reigns at WrestleMania 36. The landscape changed, however, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to hold WrestleMania at the WWE Performance Center with no fans in attendance.

Rather than taking part in the match, Reigns decided to take time off to be with his family, which led to Braun Strowman stepping in as a replacement and beating Goldberg for the title at WrestleMania 36.

Stepping away was likely the best possible move for Reigns' career, as he returned at SummerSlam 2020 with a heel persona and has done his best work ever since.

Reigns is in the midst of a 500-plus-day run as Universal champion and he is set to defend the title against Royal Rumble winner Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. Because of that, it seems likely that The Tribal Chief would beat Goldberg at Elimination Chamber.

Goldberg has said in multiple interviews that he has only one match left on his WWE contract, so if he faces Reigns at Elimination Chamber, it could be the final match of the 55-year-old veteran's career.

Details on Shane McMahon's WWE Departure

New details have emerged regarding why WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly decided to cancel creative plans for his son, Shane McMahon.

Shane was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match and was reportedly brought in to help produce the match as well. After several apparent behind-the-scenes issues, Ringside News reported that Shane was "quietly let go" from WWE, and Meltzer later confirmed the report.

Wade Keller of PWTorch (h/t Middleton) provided more information on what led to Shane essentially being removed from WWE.

Per Keller, Shane was "self-centered" on the day of the Royal Rumble and was primarily worried about his own ideas and how he could look strong in the Rumble match.

Keller also noted that Shane "pulled the McMahon card" and went "way overboard," which led to some push-back from some within the company.

Shane also reportedly took issue with the plans in place for him at Elimination Chamber, as he was originally supposed to be part of the Chamber match for the WWE Championship.

It was at that point that Vince reportedly decided he'd had enough and wrote Shane out of the plans for Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.

Shane has not been a regular presence with WWE recently, as his last match was at last year's WrestleMania against Strowman.

Still, he has competed at every WrestleMania besides WrestleMania 36 since returning for WrestleMania 32, so WrestleMania 38 will feel a bit different if Shane-O-Mac is indeed not part of the show.

WWE HOF Ceremony Reportedly Planned for April 1 After SmackDown

WWE is reportedly taking a new approach this year when it comes to the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

According to PWInsider (h/t Middleton), the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on April 1, shortly after SmackDown emanates from the same arena.

The reported plan is for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to air on Peacock at 10:30 p.m. ET on April 1 after SmackDown on Fox ends at 10 p.m. ET.

For several years, the Hall of Fame ceremony would take place in the days leading up to WrestleMania or even the night before, and it was its own event.

No Hall of Fame ceremony was held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while it returned last year, it was held without any fans in attendance.

By combining SmackDown and the Hall of Fame ceremony, it ensures there will be a live crowd, and it also provides fans with more bang for the buck with regard to SmackDown tickets.

WrestleMania 38 is a two-night event that will emanate from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 2 and 3, meaning the Hall of Fame ceremony will take place one night before Night 1 of WrestleMania.

WWE has yet to name any inductees for the 2022 Hall of Fame class, but there has been speculation that The Undertaker could be the headliner since he is a Texas native.

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Shane McMahon is reportedly no longer with WWE following his surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble match on Saturday.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported Wednesday that the son of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is "out" of WWE.

Meltzer followed up on a report from Ringside News that stated Shane McMahon had been let go in a "semi-quiet way" after he clashed with other people in the company at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Per Meltzer (h/t F4WOnline's Josh Nason), Shane had a role in booking the men's Royal Rumble match and was said to have garnered "a lot of heat" for the manner in which he handled it.

McMahon was also a participant in the Rumble match, entering at No. 28 and being one of the final three Superstars remaining before Brock Lesnar went on to win.

Meltzer (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported that original plans called for Shane-O-Mac to be part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

McMahon reportedly was supposed to start a feud with Seth Rollins in that match, which would have led to a match between them at WrestleMania 38 in April.

Meltzer noted that while Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania plans for McMahon have now been scrapped, it is unclear if his talent contract with the company has been officially terminated as well.

McMahon has had backstage roles with WWE in the past, but that reportedly hasn't been the case recently, as he has instead been strictly an on-screen performer aside from helping to put together the Rumble.

His appearance in the Royal Rumble match marked his first in-ring competition since last year's WrestleMania where he lost to Braun Strowman in a steel cage match.

Shane made his return to WWE in 2016 after a seven-year hiatus from the company and faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32.

McMahon also competed at WrestleMania 33, 34 and 35. He was left off the WrestleMania 36 card before taking part in WrestleMania 37.

Shane has had many memorable matches and moments on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but it looks as though he may not have the opportunity to add to them at WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas.

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

Danielson, AEW Reportedly Disagree on Him Working for Indie Promotion

Bryan Danielson and AEW reportedly have differing opinions on whether he should be allowed to work for a certain independent wrestling company.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc's Matthew Wilkinson), Danielson wants to work for a specific indie promotion, and while AEW isn't against him working there eventually, it wants to delay that from happening.

The company is reportedly located in a market that AEW hasn't held a show there yet, and AEW wants Danielson's first appearance in that market to be under the AEW banner.

While WWE rarely allows its talent to do anything with other wrestling companies, AEW has been far more flexible in that regard.

The most obvious example is Jon Moxley, who is the reigning Game Changer Wrestling world champion and also worked with New Japan Pro-Wrestling while under an AEW contract.

While Danielson has only worked for AEW since joining the company in September, he has made it clear that he has interest in working elsewhere as well.

After he made his AEW debut at All Out, Danielson discussed his desire to work for NJPW and in Mexico, although he admitted he likely wouldn't do so in the immediate future because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meltzer didn't give any indication regarding which company Danielson wants to work for or where it is located, but it stands to reason it could be in Seattle.

Danielson is a Washington native and his first AEW match in Washington would be a huge deal, so it is possible AEW is trying to preserve that moment.

Eddie Kingston Nursing Injury

AEW star Eddie Kingston is dealing with an injury that could cause him to miss some time.

According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, AEW President Tony Khan announced the injury during an AEW Dark taping over the weekend.

Johnson added that there is speculation Kingston will miss "a few weeks" as a result of the unspecified injury.

Kingston's most recent match was part of the AEW Dark taping on Jan. 8 against Joey Janela. Before that, his latest televised match saw him team with Santana and Ortiz in a winning effort against Daniel Garcia and 2point0 on the Jan. 5 Dynamite.

Recently, Kingston has been involved in a storyline with The Inner Circle against Garcia and 2point0.

AEW has been teasing a potential match between Kingston and Inner Circle leader Chris Jericho, and it seems as though Santana and Ortiz may choose between them at some point.

Kingston had been teased for The Wrld on GCW, which is set to emanate from Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Sunday. He would have faced AJ Gray at the event.

GCW confirmed to WrestlingInc's Eric Mutter that Kingston will not be wrestling on the show, however.

Kingston is among AEW's most valuable performers primarily because of his mic work, and the company would undoubtedly love to have him back as quickly as possible with his Inner Circle storyline heating up.

Matt Hardy Talks Vince McMahon's Booking Philosophy

AEW's Matt Hardy gave some insight into the booking philosophy of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon this week.

Speaking on his The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast (h/t Mutter), Hardy said he and his brother Jeff were supposed to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a TLC match during their heyday, only for McMahon to go in a different direction:

"Well, that was supposed to be our big win and then he said, 'Well, it's too predictable. Everybody in that venue is going to know you're going to win and they're expecting you to win, so I don't want to do that. Let's do it the next show.' And I think sometimes that's a good thing, especially when you have babyfaces that are over and that been in this long rivalry, and the fans want to be rewarded with this proper payoff.

"I would have loved to have the win there and I think it would've been the time to do the win, and us being the champions and it also would've kind of changed the history of the TLC matches a little bit. But Vince is a big advocate of, 'If you're over as a babyface, there are times where you don't need to win, it doesn't make a difference.' And that's kind of how we looked at."

The Hardy Boyz helped create and popularize the TLC match, as they took part in each of the first three.

The first was at SummerSlam 2000, and it was won by Edge and Christian. Edge and Christian were then victorious once again over the Hardys and Dudley Boyz in the most famous TLC match ever at WrestleMania X-Seven.

Despite the fact that the Hardy Boyz didn't prevail, they are viewed as pioneers of the TLC match and did a great deal to popularize that style of match.

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

Edge Reportedly Scheduled for Regular Appearances on Raw

While Edge is a part-time performer at this point in his wrestling career, there are reportedly plans in place for him to appear regularly between now and the Royal Rumble later next month.

According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, Edge is scheduled to appear on "several" episodes of Raw following Saturday's Day 1 pay-per-view.

Edge has been a consistent presence on Raw for the past few weeks since returning from a hiatus after beating Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match at Crown Jewel in October.

Upon making his return on Raw, Edge was interrupted by The Miz, who also returned from an absence due to his participation in Dancing with the Stars.

Edge and Miz have been in the midst of a heated rivalry, which has also included Miz's wife, Maryse.

On Monday's Raw, Miz and Maryse had a vow renewal ceremony hosted by Eric Bischoff, but Edge predictably interrupted and ultimately ruined the ceremony by covering Miz and Maryse in black sludge via a Brood Bath.

Edge and Miz are slated to clash at Day 1 on Saturday, and the aftermath of that pay-per-view will be the build toward the Rumble.

The Rated-R Superstar won the men's Royal Rumble last year, and it stands to reason that he will be part of the field again this year.

Edge doesn't figure to repeat as the winner, but whomever eliminates him from the match could establish themselves as his WrestleMania opponent.

Omos Reportedly Left Raw Early

After initially being scheduled for Monday's Raw, Omos reportedly left the arena before the show started.

According to Johnson, Omos was in Detroit for Raw, but he flew home in the hours prior to the show and never made an appearance.

WWE had advertised a match between former tag team partners Omos and AJ Styles for Raw after their breakup, but with Omos not appearing, Styles faced and defeated Apollo Crews instead.

No reason was reported for Omos' absence, but he was one of several notable Superstars who did not appear on Raw, including WWE champion Big E, Raw women's champion Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley.

Those wrestlers were also absent from a live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, prompting WWE to make Edge a late addition to the show and have him face Kevin Owens in a steel cage main event.

On Sunday, Rollins tweeted, "Merry Covid Christmas to me," which suggests he may have tested positive for COVID-19. Given the recent uptick in cases in the United States, there has naturally been speculation that the other wrestlers absent from the house show and Raw were impacted by COVID-19 as well.

Unlike Rollins, Lynch, Big E and Lashley, Omos did take part in the MSG house show on Sunday, losing to Styles by disqualification.

Given that Omos and Styles are still in the midst of a rivalry, it stands to reason that their match will happen whenever Omos is able to return.

Rumors on Who Was in Charge at Monday's Raw

In addition to being shorthanded on the talent side, many of the top decision-makers in WWE were reportedly not backstage for Monday's Raw in Detroit.

According to Johnson, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was chief among those who were absent.

Other key figures who were not present for Raw reportedly included Bruce Prichard, Kevin Dunn, Michael Hayes and on-screen authority figure Adam Pearce.

With all of the aforementioned names gone, the main people in charge of Raw were reportedly talent relations head John Laurinaitis and lead creative writer Ed Koskey.

The vow renewal ceremony involving Miz, Maryse and Edge was in the main event slot of the show, while other key segments included United States champion Damian Priest facing Dolph Ziggler, The Street Profits defeating The Mysterios and both members of RK-Bro facing both members of Alpha Academy in separate singles matches.

Monday's Raw was the go-home edition of the show prior to Saturday's Day 1 pay-per-view, and it had a unique feel since so many heavy hitters both in front of and behind the camera were missing.

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

Bobby Lashley Turning Face

If you've noticed Bobby Lashley softening as a heel of late, it turns out there is a reason for it. 

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) noted after Monday's episode of Raw that WWE is positioning Lashley to be a babyface:

If you watch the show you certainly get the impression that Bobby Lashley is going babyface. They played a total babyface video package for him at the pay-per-view, yeah. So, I mean it’s been feeling like that’s been in the cards and then he has to beat three guys to get in [to the Day 1 WWE Title match], I mean that’s a total babyface move.

Lashley got added to the WWE championship match at Day 1 by defeating Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Big E in three different matches on the Dec. 13 episode of Raw. 

The match was initially set up by Owens and Rollins arguing about which one of them would get in the ring first to beat up Lashley.

Two superstars bickering because they don't want to fight someone certainly makes Lashley come off like a face. Big E is still clearly a babyface as the fighting champion taking on all challengers. 

WWE's babyface roster is pretty thin, especially on the Raw main-event side. Big E, Edge, Randy Orton and Riddle are the top stars. AJ Styles appears to have turned, especially based on his NXT 2.0 appearance when he confronted Grayson Waller. 

Adding Lashley to the face side, especially with Owens and Rollins holding things down as top heels, will bring much better balance to the Raw roster. 

Gargano Talks Feud with Ciampa

As fans continue to wait for official word on what Johnny Gargano's future in wrestling holds, he did tease the possibility of one day finishing his feud with Tommaso Ciampa. 

Speaking on his Johnny Wrestling Stream: Episode 1 Twitch channel (h/t Mukherjee), Gargano) provided behind-the-scenes details on the rivalry with his former tag-team partner and when it was supposed to end:

It was supposed to be TakeOver: Tampa. [Was originally] supposed to be TakeOver: New York and then this was supposed to be TakeOver: Tampa, we wanted to have a huge crowd and all that but that’s not how things work out. Unfortunately. That’s, I guess, the story of our whole feud. It’s just timing and just thing’s not working out. Who knows, maybe we’ll finish it one day somewhere.”

DIY had one of the best tag-team runs of any duo in WWE history. They held the NXT tag titles once for just two months, but their feuds with the Revival and the Authors of Pain produced some of the best matches in all of WWE in 2016 and 2017. 

After the duo broke up, Gargano and Ciampa had one of the best singles feuds in NXT history. They had three one-on-one matches at Takeover events, with Ciampa winning twice. 

A fourth match was booked for NXT Takeover: New York on April 5, but Ciampa had to undergo neck surgery that forced him to vacate the NXT title. 

They did have a singles bout on television in an empty arena on April 8 that Gargano won, though as he noted, that match would have happened on the Takeover show in Tampa during WrestleMania weekend before it got canceled because of the pandemic. 

Gargano is a free agent. Candice LeRae, Gargano's wife and fellow NXT star, is pregnant and will give birth to the couple's first child early next year. 

It's probably safe to assume Gargano won't sign anywhere until after that happens. If he wants to potentially have one final run with his former tag partner, a return to NXT would afford him that opportunity. 

Ciampa is in his second run as NXT champion after defeating LA Knight, Pete Dunne and Von Wagner in a Fatal Four-Way match on Sept. 14. 

Austin Theory Discusses Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon has been a regular character on Raw for the first time in years thanks to an angle with Austin Theory that initially began as part of a promotional tie-in with The Rock's new movie, Red Notice. 

In an interview with Liam Llewellyn of the Mirror, Theory spoke about how the angle developed and what he's learned working alongside the WWE chairman:

So I think those ideas came around because I stole a hundred million dollar egg. These lessons that Vince is teaching me, I don’t think he would have taught me in this way if I didn’t do what I did. I think everything happens for a reason. I’m not telling anyone to steal a hundred million dollar egg or even a million-dollar egg, but somehow, it worked out for me. I’m getting a lot of knowledge and the biggest takeaway from Mr. McMahon is to expect the unexpected.

Theory has seen his profile rise since being involved in a storyline with McMahon. He lost a match on Raw to Big E for the WWE championship on the Nov. 22 episode of Raw. 

The following week, Theory hung out in McMahon's office to receive advice and life lessons before being slapped in the face by the boss. 

There's no indication where this storyline might be going, but if the result is Theory getting a push up the card, it will be worth it to have a fresh face to watch each week.

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"Vince McMahon is old."

"Vince McMahon is out of touch."

"Vince McMahon needs to step down."

You have heard all of it before, but the Chairman of the Board's most recent appearance on WWE programming is evidence that, at least in front of the cameras, McMahon is no longer a quality character for the company.

The lack of payoff, his oftentimes overpowering presence and, yes, his age have made him more of a distraction than anything.

What's the Point?

McMahon most recently appeared on WWE television touting a golden egg given to him by The Rock as part of crossover promotion with the Netflix film Red Notice. The payoff was the revelation that Austin Theory had stolen McMahon's prized possession, earning the boss' momentary respect and a WWE Championship match in the process.

Then, the threat of death.

Yes, McMahon imposed himself on the moment, ruining all potential goodwill that may have existed.

And therein lies two major points of contention with the McMahon character at this point: There is no quality payoff to anything he does, and he overpowers/overshadows every talent he shares the screen with.

Perhaps it is insecurity about his age, but no character who is ever on the same screen as McMahon ever looks better for it. This isn't the evil Mr. McMahon character willing to let himself be weakened by Stone Cold Stunners and beer baths. He is demeaning and bullying, oftentimes making the characters he intends to turn into stars look weak in comparison.

As such, his presence benefits no one. He is a burden more than anything, especially considering there is a whole generation of young fans who don't know him or his history with the company. To them, he is a curmudgeonly man in the same vein as Ebeneezer Scrooge before the ghosts.

This isn't the character who empowered Steve Austin's rebellious ass-kicker or enhanced The Rock's popularity. His presence no longer benefits the shows on which he appears because they don't directly enhance the men and women on them.

And, at 76 years old, it has become more apparent with every passing appearance that the show has passed him by.

Age is a Factor

As much as it may be low-hanging fruit, McMahon's age absolutely affects his ability to be a productive character in today's WWE Universe.

The roster is youthful and brimming with stars of the future. The days of familiar foes like The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Austin are gone. The men he waged war with, and with whom he participated in his greatest feuds, are retired Hall of Famers. He is now popping up on TV in hopes of generating a television rating even though he has no established background with the men and women on the show.

Fans are less likely to drop everything and watch, knowing there is no rhyme or reason for what they are about to see or, worse, that there will be no direct resolution involving the heel they are about to spend their time watching.

The potential for physical involvement is nearly nonexistent, and the uneven, inconsistent and oftentimes unresolved nature of WWE booking makes whatever he's doing far less must-see than it was when he was one of television's great villains at the height of the Attitude Era.

He is out of place among the young talent, has no real prospects of getting involved in any extended storyline, and physicality is just not happening at this point. He is best left as the all-mighty Oz behind the curtain while the likes of Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville carry on the legacy of authority figures in WWE.

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

Jeff Hardy Reportedly Sent Home From the Road

Jeff Hardy did not make his scheduled appearance at Sunday's live event in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported he has been sent home from the road.

Hardy was reportedly "sluggish" during a six-man tag team match the previous night and left through the crowd midway through. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported Hardy had a "rough night."

The 44-year-old has a history of issues that includes both the risky use of substances and creative frustrations with his character. These have at times followed him into the ring, and he said last year he is "done" if he has another slip-up.

Theory Being Put With Vince to Help Get Him Over Internally

Few would have guessed Vince McMahon's return to an onscreen role would have involved Austin Theory, but it appears WWE has had plenty of success with an Austin-McMahon pairing in the past. The two had several segments on last week's Raw, culminating with the boss slapping his young protege.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported the segments are an attempt to get Theory over with McMahon. Theory's segments before the last couple of weeks reportedly tested high with young audiences, something WWE covets as it competes with AEW.

Theory is one of the youngest wrestlers in the company at age 24, so it would make sense that WWE is trying to push him as he finds his onscreen persona. 

It's not known whether the McMahon-Theory pairing will keep moving forward, but it's always welcome to see the boss on television. 

Gargano, O'Reilly Expected to Depart WWE

Fightful Select reported it's the internal belief that Johnny Gargano and Kyle O'Reilly will leave WWE once their contracts expire this month.

Gargano and O'Reilly were each in action during Sunday's War Games pay-per-view, and there were several allusions to Gargano's departure in particular. Johnny Wrestling is expected to address the NXT crowd during Tuesday's episode, where it's almost certain he will announce he's leaving.

The only question is whether it's for the main roster or AEW.

It would be unprecedented for WWE to allow a wrestler to announce he's departing for another company on television, so that does leave a glimmer of hope Gargano will wind up sticking around. AEW is a virtual lock to land him if he does leave given his relationship with Adam Cole and The Young Bucks.

Same goes for O'Reilly, who is set to take on Von Wagner in a cage match Tuesday on NXT. The match may be a way to write him out and put over Wagner as a monster heel. 

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