Wrestling

Following their run-in at SummerSlam, John Cena paid a huge compliment to Brock Lesnar on Wednesday.

Appearing on That Scene with Dan Patrick (h/t WrestlingInc's Eric Mutter), Cena discussed his Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam and the return of Lesnar afterward: "I noticed that he was the size of two Brock Lesnars, that's pretty much it. He looks mean and nasty, no matter what, and I just think he's trying to stretch the boundaries of that to see what he can pull off. But he's an anomaly. He's one of, if not, the best ever."

After Reigns beat Cena to retain the universal title, Lesnar made his first WWE appearance in more than a year. It shocked the WWE Universe as well as Paul Heyman, who is currently Reigns' special counsel after serving as Lesnar's advocate for many years.

Lesnar and Reigns had a staredown, presumably to set up a future match, but there was no physicality between them.

After SummerSlam went off the air, however, Lesnar punished Cena with some suplexes and an F-5.

The attack on Cena harkened back to SummerSlam 2014, when Lesnar decimated Cena in the main event, marking one of the most one-sided losses of Cena's career.

Lesnar has been a polarizing figure among wrestling fans since returning to WWE in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus.

While Lesnar's detractors don't like that he isn't a full-time wrestler who is present every week, there is no question that The Beast Incarnate moves the needle for WWE and has mainstream appeal.

Given his status as a WWE legend and a former UFC heavyweight champion, everything Lesnar is involved with feels important.

On top of that, Lesnar boasts a resume that few can compete with, as he is an eight-time world champion in WWE, as well as a winner of the Royal Rumble, the Money in the Bank ladder match and King of the Ring.

Cena holds a share of the all-time record with 16 world title reigns, and as one of the biggest stars in WWE history, his opinion holds a lot of weight.

Lesnar is one of the best to ever do it by many measures, and having him back in the fold is a huge win for WWE.

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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.

Punk Explains Why Allin Is First AEW Opponent

CM Punk will make his long-awaited return to in-ring action Sunday at AEW All Out when he faces Darby Allin.

Punk has not competed in a match in more than seven years, which means his clash with Allin will be a historic moment, and one can only assume a lot of thought went into determining Punk's first dance partner.

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Punk explained why he believes Allin is the right choice:

"I think he's the perfect opponent. … I'm kind of approaching it like I'm quasi-new guy, but old head coming back into this thing. From an artistic storyline perspective, I can't go after Kenny [Omega] right way. He's the [world] champion. It wouldn't make any sense. I never wrestled in this organization. Darby is a lot of things. He's a fantastic talent, he's a great personality. Within the AEW storytelling, he's a very compelling character that the fans like. I just think he's like the perfect foil right now."

It has often been said that Allin has quite a few similarities to Jeff Hardy, and it should be noted that Punk had a highly successful and memorable feud with Hardy in WWE in 2009.

Also, Allin is one of the top young talents in AEW and the wrestling business as a whole, so it makes sense why Punk would want to lock horns with him.

There are many fresh matchups available to Punk since he has been out of the wrestling business for seven years, and of anyone on the AEW roster, Allin is at or near the top of the list when it comes to compelling opponents.

It stands to reason that Punk will mix it up with most or all of AEW's top stars in the coming years, and getting a dream match against Allin out of the way first should ensure that Punk gets his return to wrestling off on the right foot.

Ric Flair Says Charlotte Is "Never" Leaving WWE

Ric Flair recently departed WWE, but the two-time WWE Hall of Famer doesn't envision his daughter following in his footsteps.

Appearing on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Flair said the following regarding Charlotte Flair's WWE status:

"Everybody wants to start some s--t that didn't exist. Ashley [Charlotte's real name] would never leave there. She's the happiest she's ever been, and obviously they're not mad at me [otherwise Charlotte wouldn't have won her 12th title] … I was so excited. I didn't know. I was so excited for her, and it's the first one I missed."

Flair alluded to the fact that Charlotte won a Triple Threat match against Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam last month to secure the Raw Women's Championship, marking her 12th singles title reign on WWE's main roster.

There has recently been speculation among fans that Charlotte could leave WWE in the near future given that her father and fiance have done so this year.

Charlotte's fiance, Andrade El Idolo, requested and received his WWE release in March. He later signed with AEW and is set to face Pac at AEW All Out on Sunday.

The 72-year-old Flair, who had an on-and-off role on WWE programming, also requested his release. Flair noted in a statement that he had a "different vision" than WWE for his future in wrestling and thanked the company for all it provided him with.

All signs point toward WWE having a positive relationship with Flair, and that alone could play a role in Charlotte being happy in the company and wanting to stay there as long as possible.

Charlotte is already the most decorated woman in WWE history just six years into her main roster career, and based on how she has been booked, it seems likely that she will be at or near the top for the entirety of her tenure.

Angle Says He Has Received Multiple Contract Offers from AEW

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle said Tuesday that he has turned down multiple offers to sign with AEW.

According to WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth, Angle said: "Yes, they offered me a couple of different contracts. I turned it down for personal reasons, but {AEW President] Tony Khan's been really nice to me, very generous, and I really appreciate his interest in having me there. But at this particular time, I can't do it."

Angle said AEW made him contract offers last year as well ranging from deals that would see him wrestle "many matches" to ones that wouldn't see him wrestle at all.

The 52-year-old Angle wrestled his retirement match at WrestleMania 35 over two years ago, losing to Baron Corbin.

While there was some disappointment among fans regarding the opponent, it was clear at the time that Angle had lost several steps compared to his status as arguably the best in-ring worker in the world earlier in his career.

Injuries have taken a toll on Angle over the years, although it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he could work a one-off match if it is something that eventually interests him.

AEW has picked its spots with the 62-year-old Sting, who was thought to be retired from in-ring competition after suffering a neck injury with WWE several years ago.

Using Angle in a similar manner could make sense, although the Olympic gold medalist has resisted overtures to this point.

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

In an appearance on The Angi Taylor Show (h/t Eric Mutter of Wrestling Inc), CM Punk spoke about a number of topics in advance of his upcoming debut AEW match against Darby Allin at AEW All Out on Sunday.

Of note, the former WWE Superstar said that he never even considered a return to the organization where he was a three-time World Heavyweight champion and two-time WWE champion.

"I don't think I considered it," Punk said. "Three years ago, five years ago I don't think AEW even existed. I don't think going back to WWE was ever really, logically, on the table."

Punk was in WWE from 2006-2014, working his way up from the rebranded ECW and continuing his climb up the company, winning the ECW, World Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships along the way.

He had notable feuds with John Cena and Daniel Bryan and launched one of the most notable promos in WWE history with his pipebomb in June 2011.

Punk's last match was the Royal Rumble in 2014. He made a few appearances at wrestling events and shows over the last seven years before joining AEW and making his debut with the company on Aug. 20, challenging Darby Allin to a match.

AEW All Out will take place on Sunday from Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

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

An Alex Rodriguez baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire that Ric Flair used during his "I Quit" match against Mick Foley at SummerSlam in 2006 sold for $19,680 at auction.

TMZ Sports reported Tuesday that the unique piece of WWE memorabilia attracted 17 bids in the Goldin Auctions sale. The bat is an A-Rod Louisville Slugger C271 model and came with a letter of authenticity from WWE.

Foley was known throughout his career for his willingness to perform in hardcore matches. Flair used the bat to turn him into a bloody mess in the famed SummerSlam match.

The bat even played a prominent role in the finish. Flair was angling to swing again as Foley's friend, Melina, attempted to prevent him from further punishment. The prospect of Melina being hit led Foley to finally utter "I quit" to give Flair the victory.

It represented the culmination of an entertaining feud between the wrestling legends.

The two would meet again four years later in a "Last Man Standing" match at TNA's Before The Glory. Foley exacted a measure of revenge en route to the win.

Other WWE items sold in the auction included a Big Boss Man nightstick from SummerSlam in 1988 for $6,765 and shears used by Brutus Beefcake at SummerSlam in 1989 for $8,400, per TMZ.

The Flair barbed wire bat holds a special place in hardcore match history, so it's no surprise that it generated the most interest in the auction.

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.

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Adam Cole Reportedly a Free Agent

The status of Adam Cole has been a major talking point in the wrestling world for the past few weeks. 

According to PW Insider (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), an internal memo sent out by WWE on Monday morning has confirmed that Cole is now a free agent after his contract expired. 

Cole last appeared on WWE television at NXT TakeOver 36 on Aug. 22. He lost a 2-out-of-3 Falls match to Kyle O'Reilly. The Panama City Playboy has been one of the featured Superstars in NXT since debuting on the brand in 2017. 

Earlier this month, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (h/t Joshua Gagnon of Wrestling Inc) reported Cole met with Vince McMahon and there had been talks about moving him up to the main roster if he re-signed with WWE. 

There have been rumors that Cole could end up in All Elite Wrestling if he decides to leave WWE. 

AEW does present a number of intriguing options for Cole. The company has tremendous buzz right now, with CM Punk debuting last week and speculation that Daniel Bryan could be showing up soon. 

Cole's girlfriend, Britt Baker, is the current AEW women's champion. She has been dropping hints on social media about his future. 

pic.twitter.com/7o86vaby9K

— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) August 27, 2021

Wherever Cole ends up going, he's going to be one of the most popular wrestlers on that company's roster. He's a fantastic worker who has an innate ability to connect with crowds, whether it's as a heel or babyface. 

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Update on Sasha Banks' Absence

One of the great mysteries in WWE for several weeks has been the absence of Sasha Banks. 

It appears there won't be any answers on her status in the near future. According to PW Insider (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Banks is not expected back on the road with WWE this week. 

The report did note that WWE would like to have the Legit Boss back by the Sept. 10 show at Madison Square Garden, but it's unclear right now if that will happen. 

Banks hasn't been seen on television since the Aug. 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Along with Carmella and Zelina Vega, she attacked Bianca Belair to set up their scheduled match at SummerSlam. 

There has been no reason given for Banks' absence from WWE. The ring announcer at an Aug. 14 house show in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Banks and Belair were scheduled to wrestle, told fans neither would be able to appear "due to unforeseen circumstances."  

Despite WWE continuing to advertise Banks on the Aug. 22 pay-per-view during the show, including airing a video package before the match, her bout with Belair wound up being changed. 

Becky Lynch made her long-awaited return in Banks' place, defeating Belair in 26 seconds to win the SmackDown women's championship. 

Banks had just returned to WWE on July 30 after losing the title to Belair in the main event on night one of WrestleMania 37. 

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WWE Changing Keith Lee's Gimmick

As WWE continues to undergo significant roster changes, Keith Lee's character has been stuck in neutral since returning to television last month. 

Things could be changing for the 36-year-old, with Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newletter reporting (h/t Middleton) that WWE is using Lee in dark matches on Raw and SmackDown in an attempt to change his style and work on a new character. 

Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co noted that McMahon has "considered turning (Lee) into a monster heel."

Lee has been a babyface throughout his time on the main roster. He recently returned to television after having a series of health issues earlier this year. The former NXT champion lost to WWE champion Bobby Lashley in his return bout and traded wins with Karrion Kross.

Since defeating Kross on the Aug. 2 episode of Raw, Lee has worked a series of dark matches against jobbers. 

On the one hand, Lee's size and presence would seem to make him a natural heel. On the other hand, though, WWE's roster is already loaded with top heels who would likely place Lee low on the totem pole if that's the direction the company takes his character. 

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

The Rock has responded to a viral photo of a police officer who could be his doppelganger.

After an image of Eric Fields, a patrol lieutenant in Morgan County, Alabama, made its way around the internet, the actor and former WWE Superstar called him "way cooler" on Twitter (warning: NSFW language):

Oh shit! Wow.
Guy on the left is way cooler.
Stay safe brother and thank you for your service. One day we’ll drink @Teremana and I need to hear all your “Rock stories” because I KNOW you got ‘em 😂😈👊🏾🥃 #ericfields https://t.co/G38tOr68cW

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 31, 2021

Fields told Ben Flanagan of AL.com it's been "a running joke" for years among people in his circle that he bears an uncanny resemblance to The Rock.

"I've been called The Rock and Vin Diesel's love child," Fields said. "I go along with it. It's humorous. It's flattering. It could be worse people, I guess."

Flanagan noted that Fields, who has worked for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years, occasionally does an impression of The Rock.

Despite their similar appearance, Fields doesn't try to fool people into thinking they are meeting the Hollywood superstar.

"I don't want to disappoint anybody," Fields told Flanagan. "I walk up one day and at a different angle, I don't know. It's flattering, but it's also a little nerve-wracking as far as what others expect, I guess."

Given how closely the two men resemble each other, maybe The Rock can hire Fields to act as his stunt double in one of his movies.

Vince McMahon has a history of putting WWE Superstars who look like each other in matches. If The Rock decides to return to the squared circle, perhaps we could get a Rock vs. Rock match at WrestleMania.

The seven-year wait is over: CM Punk will finally return to a wrestling ring Sunday at All Elite Wrestling's All Out pay-per-view.

Punk's one-on-one dream match against Darby Allin heads up a stacked card for the fledgling wrestling company, which is in the midst of its strongest mainstream run of attention over the last month.

The AEW debut of Punk, which had been teased but not confirmed for several weeks before he finally made his arrival earlier this month, led to a massive ratings swell for Dynamite and the new Friday show, Rampage.

All Out is AEW's attempt to capitalize on that attention by getting you to shell out $50 of your hard-earned money for what's shaping up to be the most important pay-per-view in company history. 

Here's a look at the card for Sunday's event. 

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AEW All Out PPV Information

When: Sunday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. ET (Buy-In preshow begins at 7 p.m. ET) 

How to Watch: Bleacher Report (Available to purchase now on web, our mobile apps, and supported Roku devices. More connected platforms will be available this week.) 

Purchasing is not currently supported on Amazon Fire TV devices. In order to stream AEW on your Amazon Fire, please first purchase the event on bleacherreport.com. Once purchased, you can return to Fire TV to view the All Out event. For additional support, contact us at support.bleacherport.com.

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AEW All Out 2021 Card

• AEW Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Christian Cage
  Prediction: Omega
• AEW Women's Championship: Britt Baker D.M.D. vs. Kris Statlander
  Prediction: Baker
• AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Lucha Bros (in a steel cage)
  Prediction: Lucha Bros
• AEW TNT Championship: Miro (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
  Prediction: Miro
• CM Punk vs. Darby Allin
  Prediction: Punk
• MJF vs. Chris Jericho (Jericho will put career on the line)
  Prediction: MJF
• Pac vs. Andrade El Idolo
  Prediction: Andrade
• Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall
  Prediction: Wight
• Jon Moxley vs. Satoshji Kojima
  Prediction: Moxley
• Women's Casino Battle Royale
  Prediction: Thunder Rosa

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All Out 2021 Preview

How Will CM Punk Look in His In-Ring Return?

If AEW had any concerns about how CM Punk's potential ring rust, it picked a perfect sparring partner in Darby Allin. There may be no one in wrestling right now period who is better at selling and more willing to go all out—pun not intended—to put his body on the line to make his opponent look incredible.

I mean, Darby got thrown down some stairs to put over Ethan Page. Now, Ethan Page is a fine wrestler and does some pretty solid mic work—he's also nowhere near the stratosphere of Punk.

Allin is going to throw caution to the wind to put Punk over, and the match will deliver even if the 42-year-old Phil Brooks doesn't quite go like he could a decade ago. I expect this to be among the shorter matches on the card, full of high-octane offense and Punk going over clean.

It'll just be interesting to see how much the adrenaline of returning impacts the in-ring product.

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Will MJF Actually Retire Jericho?

This has been the logical conclusion of the MJF-Jericho storyline since the beginning, even if it took a little longer than most of us expected to get to this point. 

While most career matches give away the ending—like, of course a wrestling company isn't going to retire one of its most noteworthy acts—this one feels different. It's worth noting that the build includes the caveat that Jericho's in-ring career is over only in AEW. He could theoretically continue working in New Japan Pro-Wrestling on a limited schedule while transitioning to the broadcast booth on Rampage.

From an AEW perspective, Jericho has done everything he's set out to do. He was the company's first champion as it was trying to make its mark, and now it's in a period of seemingly exponential growth.

The Inner Circle stable hasn't been seen all together on television in several weeks after being the most prominent part of programming for over a year, and the most "over" part of Jericho's act at this point is his theme song. People can sing along to Judas just fine when he comes out before the broadcasts for commentary. 

There is a legitimate chance that Jericho wants to give the rub of "retiring" him to MJF, who is his heir apparent in every sense that possibly exists. Going 3-1 against Jericho but losing in the most important one-on-one match isn't satisfying from a booking perspective; going 4-0 and retiring a legend would cement MJF as one of AEW's true superstars and its second-biggest heel behind Kenny Omega.

Historical wrestling logic says Jericho wins, but the best story resides with the young king taking the throne. We'll see if AEW/Jericho is ready to pull the trigger.

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Will Any Belt Change Hands?

It doesn't seem particularly likely looking at the card. 

There's no way Christian Cage is going to unseat Omega as AEW champion. We can write that one down in Sharpie. They've been building Cage a ton for this match in order to make it seem plausible we'll see a title change, but the story here has always ended with Hangman Page being the one to take the belt from Omega.

Anything less would be insanely unsatisfying.

Baker-Statlander will be a great match, but Baker's still too soon in her championship reign to drop the title. She's by far the most over woman in that division and elevates everyone who gets in the ring with her; there are a lot more stories to tell for her with the belt around her waist.

Miro's vignettes might be the best thing currently going in AEW; his reign of terror with the TNT championship should go a long, long time until they're ready to put him in the AEW title picture. Kingston doesn't need a championship to stay over with the crowd, even if it would be nice to see him get a run at some point. 

The most likely title change is in the tag team division, which might give us the match of the night with Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. Putting the Lucha Bros. in a steel cage is a recipe for absolute insanity in the best possible way. There will be at least one spot in this match that makes you want to drop-kick your television in excitement.

The Bucks have come to life as smarmy heels, but they've held the gold since last November. Let's put the belts on Lucha Bros. and see how many five-star matches they can put together in one reign. 

Daniel Bryan to Debut at All Out?

Now that CM Punk has finally made his anticipated return to professional wrestling in AEW, there's a new worst-kept secret in the business: Daniel Bryan—or, more likely, Bryan Danielson—is also heading to Tony Khan's promotion.

Punk himself all but gave it away Wednesday on Dynamite, and several journalists have since reported on Bryan's impending AEW bow.

"I have been told he will debut at All Out," Bryan Alvarez said on Wrestling Observer Live. "I will not say 99.999999 [percent]. All Out is not in Aberdeen [Bryan's hometown]. They didn't rent out a separate building for the return of Daniel Bryan. I was told weeks and weeks ago that his debut was going to be in Queens, from a very good source. It is now apparent, it appears, he will not debut in Queens, so there was a change. I believe that he is going to debut at All Out on Sunday."

Bryan has been out of action since losing to Roman Reigns in April, at which point his WWE contract expired. While many figured Bryan would return to WWE given his familial ties, the rumors about him bolting for AEW grew louder as the summer progressed.

And there appears to have been truth to the speculation. Bryan looks set to appear in AEW within a month of Punk's debut, and Khan's company has all the momentum in the wrestling world. Ratings are reaching more than a million per week for Dynamite, while WWE is coming off a lackluster SummerSlam full of questionable booking decisions.

This feels like we're in the midst of a seismic shift in professional wrestling.

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Brock Lesnar's New Contract Details Revealed

WWE backed up its proverbial Brinks truck to get Brock Lesnar back into the fold for an appearance at SummerSlam, but don't expect him to suddenly start being a TV regular.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Lesnar's contract only calls for between eight and 12 matches (h/t Jason Ounpraseuth of Wrestling Inc). The deal is expected to run through WrestleMania 39 season, so we're looking at the typical Lesnar quarterly appearance.

Odds are that his first match of his latest deal will take place when WWE returns to Saudi Arabia in October. WWE set up Finn Balor as Reigns' next opponent for the Universal Championship on Friday's SmackDown, and odds are that the program will bleed into the build for September's Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

Lesnar is back to do Lesnar things and nothing more. That's fine for WWE's purposes, but it would be a mistake to have him be the person who ends Roman Reigns' excellent run with the universal title.

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Bianca Belair, Carmella Knew of Becky Lynch's Return

Becky Lynch made her in-ring return at SummerSlam in perhaps the most polarizing segment of a WWE broadcast this year, squashing Bianca Belair in under a minute to take the SmackDown Women's Championship. After Belair helped prop up the division throughout the pandemic, many saw her loss as a disrespectful decision.

While WWE seems to be building Lynch as a heel—another questionable move—it appears as though Belair herself has taken the situation in stride. Fightful Select reported Belair and Carmella were among the few people who knew ahead of time that Lynch would be returning (h/t Kellie Haulotte of Wrestling Inc). Her name was left off the call sheet in order to avoid any spoilers.

Belair was also reportedly upbeat about the situation after the match and has drawn praise for her professionalism.

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

WWE Superstar Sasha Banks broke her social media silence Saturday for the first time since being replaced on the SummerSlam card one week earlier.

Banks took to Twitter to give props to former WWE star Mickie James for the all-women's NWA EmPowerrr pay-per-view she put together:

Thank you @MickieJames 💙🔥

— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) August 29, 2021

Banks was scheduled to challenge Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's Championship at SummerSlam, but just before the match was set to begin, it was announced that Banks was not cleared to compete.

That resulted in Becky Lynch making her surprise return and beating Belair for the title in seconds after hitting her with a cheap shot.

Banks has yet to address her SummerSlam absence, and it has not been reported precisely what kept her off the show.

James' all-women's pay-per-view got The Boss talking, though, and it received tons of praise on social media from fans and those within the pro wrestling business.

Before getting released by WWE earlier this year, James mentioned pitching an all-women's show to WWE only for it to get shot down.

James got to put her plan into action with EmPowerrr, however, and the show delivered several memorable moments.

Deonna Purrazzo beat Melina to retain the Impact Women's Championship, Kamille defeated Leyla Hirsch to retain the NWA World Women's Championship, and Chelsea Green won the NWA Women's Invitational Cup in the main event gauntlet match.

Also, Awesome Kong saved Gail Kim from an attack at the hands of Taryn Terrell and announced her retirement from pro wrestling afterward.

NWA EmPowerrr provided shades of Evolution, which was the first all-women's pay-per-view in WWE history. Both Banks and James were part of that show in 2018, and Ronda Rousey beat Nikki Bella to retain the Raw Women's Championship in the main event.

Saturday's event proved there is still very much an appetite among wrestling fans for women's wrestling to receive its own spotlight, and Banks was clearly among those who appreciated James' efforts.

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

Paige revealed Saturday that her contract with WWE expires in June 2022 rather than in 2023 as originally thought.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Paige said on her Twitch stream that her deal is up in less than a year, adding: "Who knows if they would want to give me a new contract? Who's to say they would want to? If they did, I'd love to have Twitch as a part of the contract."

PWInsider (h/t Upton) previously reported that Paige signed a multiyear deal with WWE in 2019 that ran through 2023.

Paige has not competed in a match since December 2017, as she was forced to retire from in-ring competition because of multiple neck injuries.

Since her in-ring retirement, WWE has used Paige in a number of different roles, including SmackDown general manager, manager of the Kabuki Warriors and a member of the WWE Backstage panel.

WWE Backstage aired on FS1 for parts of 2019 and 2020 before getting canceled, leaving Paige without any clear role in WWE.

Currently, she is best known for Twitch streaming on her Saraya account, which could become a point of contention if she attempts to negotiate a new contract with WWE since the company attempted to crack down on its talent streaming on Twitch last year.

The 29-year-old native of England has also been vocal about her hope that she will one day be able to get back in the ring.

Edge proved that it is possible to return from an apparent career-ending neck injury, as he sat on the sidelines for nine years before coming back in the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match.

If Paige does return to the ring at some point, WWE or any other company that signs her would be getting one of the top women's wrestlers of the past 20 years.

In addition to being the first-ever NXT Women's champion, Paige famously beat AJ Lee for the Divas Championship on her first night as part of the main roster. Paige is a two-time Divas champion overall.

Lately, a great deal of talent that has either been released by WWE or allowed their contract to expire has signed with rival promotion AEW.

Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo and Miro are just a few such names, while AEW signed former WWE star CM Punk and is expected to bring in former WWE star Daniel Bryan as well.

It remains to be seen if that will impact WWE's future negotiations with Paige, but for now she remains under contract and is not cleared to compete in the ring.

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