2K22 will mark the first release in the WWE 2K series since WWE 2K20 was released in October 2019.
WWE announced in April 2020 that there was not going to be a new game released during the calendar year. WWE 2K20 was met with widespread criticism from fans due to a series of in-game glitches.
2K Games did provide the WWE Universe with a new game last year to hold them over before a new release in the main series. WWE 2K Battlegrounds, an arcade-style fighting simulation, dropped in September.
It's unclear at this point if a next-gen version of WWE 2K22 will be available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S systems.
Bray Wyatt Reportedly Expected to Sign AEW Contract After WWE Release
Aug 21, 2021
The WWE-to-AEW pipeline may not be slowing anytime soon.
Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (via Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co) reported Bray Wyatt is expected to join All Elite Wrestling once he can formally sign a contract.
According to Meltzer, the move is "most likely happening."
"It’s at the same stage when I said Aleister Black, long before it happened," he said. "It’s the same stage. I don’t think there’s pen to paper or anything like that. It’s an expectation that’s pretty strong, put it that way."
Many fans were stunned when WWE announced Wyatt's release on July 31. While his in-ring career saw plenty of peaks and valleys, he seemed to finally hit pay dirt with "The Fiend" character.
Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso reported on Aug. 4 the 34-year-old "has been out with an undisclosed physical ailment" that was "not concussion-related." However, that report didn't provide much clarity because Barrasso added that Wyatt had been cleared to compete before his departure.
Assuming he's good to go physically, AEW is the most logical landing spot for the three-time world champion once his non-compete clause with WWE expires.
The promotion has welcomed a number of former WWE stars including Jon Moxley, Christian Cage, Chris Jericho and Malakai Black. AEW also landed the biggest free agent in the industry with CM Punk making his debut during Rampage on Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNT8a1YAE18
With Wyatt, the big question is which on-screen character he'll adopt when he eventually resurfaces.
WWE's copyrights for The Fiend could complicate how much he can utilize that persona with a different company. If that's off the table, then he could lead a new Wyatt Family-style stable.
Whether he signs with AEW or decides on joining another promotion, it looks like fans won't have to wait long to see what Wyatt does next.
CM Punk vs. Darby Allin Set for AEW All Out PPV on September 5
Aug 21, 2021
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: Phil Brooks aka CM Punk attends C2E2 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo at McCormick Place on March 1, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)
CM Punk made his AEW debut Friday at "The First Dance" Rampage show from Chicago's United Center, and he didn't wait long to challenge Darby Allin at the AEW All Out pay-per-view Sept. 5:
It's been a long time since @CMPunk has been in a ring, and he feels it!
The former WWE superstar left the organization in Jan. 2014. His long-awaited return to a professional wrestling ring has finally happened, however, and now the countdown starts to what promises to be an explosive matchup at Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
The CM Punk-Darby Allin matchup is part of a loaded All Out pay-per-view card that includes Kenny Omega defending the world championship belt against Christian Cage and The Young Bucks taking on the winner of the AEW World Tag Team Championship Eliminator Tournament. Paul Wight will also face QT Marshall.
In addition, a 21-woman Casino Battle Royale will go down to determine a future contender for the women's title.
With all due respect to those matches, CM Punk's return to the ring in his home state likely draws the most interest, and giving him an incredible talent like Darby Allin to work with leads to this match having five-star potential.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Roman Reigns on Jon Moxley: If He Could Have Been the Man in WWE, He Would Have
Aug 20, 2021
Roman Reigns has opened up about why Jon Moxley didn't become the top guy in WWE when he worked with the promotion as Dean Ambrose.
The WWE universal champion told Ariel Helwani of BT Sport that if Moxley "could have been the man here, he would've been the man here."
"If Dean could've been the man here, he would've been the man here. But he couldn't. I'm the man here."
"Seth is going through that, he's doing great, but I'm doing better than him."
Roman Reigns responds to John Cena bringing up Dean Ambrose on #SmackDown
Even though Reigns is clearly cutting this interview in character, his comments ring hollow since everyone knows that Vince McMahon ultimately decides who gets pushed.
Moxley has been highly critical of WWE since leaving the company in April 2019. He told ESPN's Marc Raimondi two months after his departure that WWE's tendency to overproduce things really bothered him.
"It’s almost like Vince is in the ring with you, the producer is in the ring with you," he said. "It’s like you have two little bubbles on your shoulder, like three heads in the ring. All of a sudden when I got in the ring [in New Japan Pro-Wrestling], five minutes into the match I was like, there’s no chatter. There was no producer-ref-Vince chatter. It was like silence. And I didn’t expect that. I was like, 'Whoa, I’m alone again. It’s just me in the ring.' And then I just started beating the [crap] out of Juice (Robinson) and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is what I used to do.'"
Reigns, Ambrose and Seth Rollins became WWE Superstars at the same time. The trio debuted in the company at Survivor Series 2012 as The Shield. They were one of the most popular factions in all of wrestling during their time as a unit.
Once The Shield split up in 2014, Ambrose was clearly the No. 3 guy on the totem pole in WWE. Reigns received the biggest push of the three, main-eventing five of the past seven WrestleMania shows since 2015 (including night two of WrestleMania 37 in April).
Rollins has consistently been a top singles star for the past seven years, though he is rarely pushed as hard as Reigns.
Things have worked out well for Moxley in AEW over the past two years. He is consistently pushed as one of the top stars, is able to cut great promos and works a brawling style that suits him much better than the traditional WWE match style.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Triple H on NXT, Heyman Talks AJ Styles Heat, Khan Hypes 'New Era' of AEW at Rampage
Aug 20, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 6: Professional Wrestler, Triple H reacts prior to a game during Round 2, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on June 6, 2021 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the
latest news from the WWE Universe.
Triple H Says NXT Vision Hasn't
Changed
Triple H was asked Thursday whether the
NXT philosophy has shifted following several releases from the roster in recent months and speculation WWE chairman Vince McMahon was taking on a bigger role in the
brand.
The nine-time WWE champion, who works
as company's executive vice president of global talent strategy and
development, told reporters (via Ringside News) the same goal of
finding people to help create the next generation of WWE Superstars
remains in place:
People talk about the shifting of
what it is. It never really shifted. So, if you go back and look at
the hiring process, not hiring process of the television show, but
the hiring process of who we're looking to train to make WWE
Superstars long term. If you go back and look at that it hasn't
shifted. It's been the same process.
I don't negate anybody from a
standpoint of 'I wrestled some independent stuff—you're out.'
That's not a factor to me.
It's a well-crafted response from
Triple H, who's always been careful in his comments about McMahon
while operating in his official executive capacity. He makes it clear
NXT is still about long-term development without directly addressing
the talent cuts or McMahon's possible involvement.
Although Raw and SmackDown generate
more mainstream attention, NXT had done a terrific job of building
out extended storylines in recent years to differentiate itself from the red
and blue brands, so its not a surprise wrestling purists were
concerned about its future following the changes.
For now, Triple H is trying to calm
those concerns but only time will tell whether NXT remains the same
product in the months ahead.
Paul Heyman Downplays Past Heat From
AJ Styles
In July 2020, Styles called Heyman a "liar" during a conversation about his move from Raw to SmackDown
along with the departure of his longtime friends Luke Gallows and Karl
Anderson from WWE last year.
Heyman addressed those comments during
an interview with Inside The Ropes' Kenny McIntosh, saying he didn't
believe Styles raised any concerns about their working relationship
on Raw:
AJ Styles has not said that we
weren't on the same page or that we clashed. AJ Styles has been
quoted as blaming me for the departure from WWE of Luke Gallows and
Karl Anderson. That is what AJ Styles has been quoted as saying. He
has never made a statement regarding whether or not our collaboration
on Monday Night RAW was to his liking or not—and if he wishes to,
I'd be happy to accept whatever assessment he had on our time
together behind the scenes.
As for the exits of Gallows and
Anderson, Heyman called that a "privileged conversation" and said
he wouldn't discuss any behind-the-scenes details:
Whatever you think of sports
entertainment, I'm not here to expose the wires, so whatever happened
between Gallows and Anderson happened behind the scenes, behind
closed doors in a meeting that I'm not going to expose to the public
because it was an inner-sanctum meeting with the chairman of the
board, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And unless Vince wants to talk about
it publicly, I'm not going to be the one to expose what happened,
why, and what the other conversations were in that meeting.
Heyman is known because of his
on-screen character as one of the best managers and promo creators in
wrestling history, but his past as a management figure with numerous
wrestling promotions was accurately described by The Ringer's Thomas
Golianopoulos in 2017 as "a turbulent career — 31 years filled
with fines and suspensions, bankruptcy and pink slips, explosive
arguments and endless grudges."
His passion for professional wrestling
is unquestioned, but how he's enacted that over the past three-plus
decades has rubbed some people the wrong way over the years, and Styles clearly joined the list in 2020.
Tony Khan Confirms Major AEW Rampage
Announcement
Khan, the founder and president of AEW,
teased the "most anticipated announcement in AEW history" for
Friday's episode of Rampage:
I’m betting that excitement from the most anticipated announcement in @AEW history at #AEWRampage The First Dance will build up through All Out on PPV. We’ll make new fans + we’ll welcome dormant wrestling households worldwide back into the fold; a new era in #AEW begins tomorrow
Rumors have been flying about the
potential arrival of CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson (fka Daniel Bryan
in WWE) as AEW continues to make a push as a legitimate alternative
to WWE.
CM Punk, who's equally as good an
Internet troll as he is a wrestler, did nothing to dissuade the
speculation with a post on his Instagram story early Friday, though it's always possible he's just messing with the fans:
CM Punk posted the cover art from the Batman The Dark Knight Returns comic book on his IG Story with the music “Dont Stop Me Now” by Queen: pic.twitter.com/pHAkGMy2BH
Adding to the hype is the fact this
week's edition of Rampage is taking place from the United Center in
Chicago, Punk's hometown. The roof might blow off the building if his
entrance music, "Cult of Personality," starts playing Friday
night.
The 42-year-old fan favorite last
wrestled in WWE at the 2014 Royal Rumble in January of that year.
He's made some appearances at independent shows over the past seven
years along with a stint in the UFC and working on WWE Backstage, a
now-defunct show that aired on Fox Sports 1.
Meanwhile, Danielson's last WWE
appearance came on the April 30 edition of SmackDown when he lost to
Roman Reigns in a title vs. career match. His contract subsequently
ran out.
Either one would represent a massive
addition for AEW, while bringing in both would be a coup for the
growing promotion. It's always possible a swerve could be in play
where neither former WWE star debuts Friday night, though.
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's Roman Reigns Says CM Punk Wasn't As Good as The Rock, John Cena
Aug 19, 2021
Roman Reigns waded into the long-running debate about WWE's reliance on older part-time stars to carry major cards, and CM Punk was an unfortunate bystander in the conversation.
Reigns told BT Sport he understood different opinions but ultimately believes having established legends enter the fold can benefit everybody. He also took aim at Punk, saying he "was not as good or as over as a John Cena, wasn't as good or over and moved the needle like The Rock."
"These statements are coming from people who thought they were better than they were.
Few fans would probably put Punk in the same category as The Rock or Cena because they're the biggest names of their respective eras. There aren't many in the history of wrestling who can match the overall contributions of those two.
Reigns' argument also downplays Punk's popularity during his WWE run, especially during the 2011 "Summer of Punk" after his attention-grabbing promo that June. Nobody in the company was hotter at the time, and for some, it was evidence of a talent WWE had been failing to capitalize upon for years.
Independent of his thoughts on Punk, Reigns' comments illustrate how the part-timer discussion will probably never go away and continue to create partisans on both sides of the aisle.
Seth Rollins Discusses John Cena, Goldberg Talks WWE Contract, Tyler Rust NXT Rumors
Aug 18, 2021
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Seth Rollins Addresses Cena's SmackDown Promo
As part of the build for the SummerSlam main event, John Cena and Roman Reigns have been incorporating elements of real life into their promos on SmackDown in recent weeks.
One of those real-life aspects involved Cena namedropping Dean Ambrose on Friday's episode of the show.
The third member of the Shield, Seth Rollins, was also referenced in the promo. But it was the mention of Ambrose, who left WWE and has been wrestling in AEW as Jon Moxley since 2019, that caught everyone's attention.
"I had a good chuckle about it," Rollins told Riju Dasgupta of SK Wrestling. "John likes to cross some lines occasionally if you look at his history of promos in the ring, especially his face-to-face promos heading into big matches. He likes to cross the line."
This isn't anything new for Reigns and Cena in the build up for the match. Reigns has made multiple references to Cena's previous relationship with Nikki Bella.
WWE normally doesn't like to include references to wrestlers in other promotions, but Cena has more than enough clout with the people in charge that he will be allowed to get away with more than a typical superstar in the company.
Besides, everything has worked out well for all parties involved. Moxley is one of the top stars in AEW. Reigns is currently in the midst of the hottest streak of his career. Rollins continues to be one of the top stars in WWE.
Goldberg's Contract Status
As he prepares to challenge Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship on Saturday, Goldberg dropped a little nugget about his current contract with the company.
Appearing on The Bump (starts at 1:00 mark), Goldberg said he's "only got two more matches on my deal here":
The topic came up as Goldberg was discussing who he would like to see win the other men's title match at SummerSlam between Reigns and Cena.
Goldberg did reveal last year that his contract with WWE calls for two matches per year. His first match in 2021 was against Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble for the WWE title.
Two more matches would imply that Goldberg can become a free agent after next year. Given the amount of money he can earn and the limited schedule he is allowed to work, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 54-year-old re-sign if WWE wants to keep him.
Tyler Rust Addresses NXT Changes
Tyler Rust was among the 12 wrestlers released by WWE last week, with all of the departures coming from the NXT brand.
The move was certainly a surprise to outside observers, as it continued a recent trend by the company of cutting costs. It was also the latest indication that Vince McMahon is trying to take NXT in a different direction.
I know there's a lot of rumors now as far as Vince wanting to overhaul the NXT product and everything. Sometimes, rumors, maybe they're right. We'll see how it is going forward from there, but from my experience there, there wasn't really many eggshells as far as upper management not being happy.
NXT was increased to two hours and put on the USA Network on Sept. 18, 2019, giving the brand a two-week head start before the launch of AEW Dynamite on TNT.
The decision to put NXT on television was seen as McMahon trying to destroy AEW before the company ever really got going. It didn't pay off, as AEW regularly won in the ratings.
USA moved NXT from Wednesday to Tuesday earlier this year after the two sides agreed to a multiyear extension to keep the show on the air.
Whatever the reason for the roster changes in NXT, the future direction of the brand will likely start to come into focus starting next week. Tuesday's show marked the final build for Sunday's Takeover that will be headlined by a two-out-of-three falls match between Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
CM Punk's Cryptic AEW Post; Bobby Lashley on WWE's Dominance; Raw Schedule Rumors
Aug 17, 2021
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: Phil Brooks aka CM Punk attends C2E2 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo at McCormick Place on March 1, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.
CM Punk Hints at AEW Debut
CM Punk is coming to AEW.
There's no inside information here, but reports have been rampant, and AEW has done basically everything besides tell us Punk will be at Friday's Rampage.
Punk himself hasn't done much to quell the rumors, either. He fanned the flames again Monday with this post on Instagram:
The numbers could represent the so-called Summers of Punk, which previously took place in Ring of Honor (2005) and WWE (2011). AEW in 2021 could be the third number to complete the trio, though it must be noted that it's possible (albeit unlikely) this is one massive troll job by Punk.
That said, if it is, there may be a mass revolt Friday on Rampage.
Bobby Lashley Says WWE Will 'Never' Be Beaten
Bobby Lashley does not appear particularly phased by the rise of AEW or recent roster slashing that's taken place around WWE.
The WWE champion denied any downtick in morale inside the locker room in an interview with Scott Fishman of TV Insider.
“I think the feeling is good,” Lashley said. “We get tested with so many things. Everyone will say, ‘This is it. This is the downfall of WWE.’ It’s never going to be. We have so much talent in WWE. WWE is never going to be beaten or contested. It’s always going to be the flagship of professional wrestling. That’s never going to change.”
Of course, Lashley is going to feel this way and say that. He's at the top of the company. No one's expecting the WWE champion to publicly say the sky is falling.
That said, AEW very much is competing with WWE at this point. The company's ratings are on the rise, particularly with young viewers. Adding Punk and Daniel Bryan will only add more eyeballs to the product.
This isn't a Monday Night Wars situation where one company will vanish; WWE will be around forever. That said, AEW has a real shot to put itself on equal footing among wrestling fans in the coming years.
WWE Considering More 'Off-Site' Matches/Events
WWE's sojourn to Rolling Loud drew mixed reviews, but it doesn't appear to have halted enthusiasm within the company.
WrestleVotes reported WWE was encouraged by the success MLB had with its Field of Dreams special and wants to try similar events. Ideas include Raw on the Roof, the Hammerstein Ballroom and returning to festivals like Rolling Loud.
Themed episodes of Raw would be a great way to differentiate the product and break up the monotony that sometime takes place booking weekly episodic television.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Seth Rollins on Gable Steveson WWE Rumors: 'We’d Love to Have Him'
Aug 17, 2021
ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 20: Gable Stevenson of Minnesota celebrates after beating Mason Parris of Michigan in the 285lb weight class in the first-place match during the NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championship at the Enterprise Center on March 20, 2021 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Amid rumors that Gable Steveson is entertaining a career in professional wrestling, Seth Rollins spoke about the possibility of the Olympic gold medalist joining WWE in the future.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Rollins said WWE would "love to have" Steveson.
"He seems like an incredible athlete, and decent dude," he added. "And, you know, we've had some luck with Olympic gold medalists before, so why not?"
Kurt Angle went from winning an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Games to becoming one of the biggest stars in WWE history. He was a five-time world champion in the company and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
Steveson appears to have a number of suitors right now. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports noted last week that WWE and the UFC have expressed interest in the 21-year-old. He appears to be enjoying the attention from both promotions, based on his recent Twitter activity.
During an appearance on the Around the Rings podcast (h/t Gaurav Yadav of WrestlingWorld.co), Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted WWE's Paul Heyman has scouted Steveson in the past:
“Paul Heyman has known about him long before anyone else has, back to high school and Steveson said he wants Heyman to manage him," said Meltzer. "Plus his brother Bobby is already with WWE, and he’s already been on WWE television and in the crowd at shows.”
Steveson became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in the super heavyweight division since 1992. He defeated Georgia's Geno Petriashvili 10-8 in the final of the competition at the Tokyo Games.
The University of Minnesota alum also won gold at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in the 285-pound division in March.
WWE Rumors on Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair; Lashley Wants Lesnar; Ric Flair Rumors
Aug 16, 2021
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 10: Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks attend the 2021 ESPY Awards at Rooftop At Pier 17 on July 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.
Sasha, Bianca Could Be Out of SummerSlam
Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair were unexpectedly pulled from WWE live shows over the weekend after appearing on Friday's SmackDown.
While no information has been given on why they were pulled from events, apparently the situation is serious enough to put their SummerSlam match in jeopardy.
Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported there is "concern" within WWE that the match could be taken off the card Saturday.
Obviously, the main concern here is that Banks and/or Belair is healthy; they can continue the feud whenever they are cleared for return. That said, it would be a major blow to the stacked SummerSlam card. Their WrestleMania match was a show-stopping banger, and this rematch had all the makings of a repeat performance.
Fingers crossed everything is resolved in time for Saturday.
Lashley Wants Brock Lesnar Match
Brock Lesnar hasn't been on WWE programming in well over a year, and it doesn't appear he's coming back anytime soon. When he does, Bobby Lashley wants him one-on-one.
“Everybody talks about the Brock match from the day that I came in. I don’t know if Brock’s gonna come back, but based on some of the things that I’m doing right now, it would be a good opportunity for him to come back and have that big match," Lashley said on the Broken Skull Sessions.
Lashley made his initial debut in WWE in 2005, around a year after Lesnar's initial departure. The similarities between the two were impossible to ignore; Lashley, to many, was seen as a direct replacement for Lesnar.
Both men took circuitous routes to their returns to WWE, with Lesnar going from the NFL to Japan to UFC before returning while Lashley tried his own hand at MMA and wrestled with Impact and other independent promotions.
The two have never gone head-to-head since Lashley's return in 2018. That said, with the leader of The Hurt Business now at the top of the Raw card, this could be a great time for an old-fashioned hoss fight.
Ric Flair could be coming to AEW sooner than anyone expected.
Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc reported Flair's contract with WWE did not feature a noncompete clause, meaning he's free to make appearances whenever he wants. He made his first major wrestling appearance at AAA TripleMania XXIX on Friday, accompanying Andrade El Idolo to the ring for his match against Kenny Omega.
It's likely Flair will eventually make his way to AEW television at some point, but odds are the company wants to focus on another big debut that's reportedly set to take place this Friday.
AEW has done an excellent job of using its legends, so it'll be fun to see Flair in a more active role than he's had in recent years with WWE.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
