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WWE Rumors on Johnny Gargano's Return; Edge Hints at Retirement; Bray Wyatt Update
Aug 23, 2022
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.
Johnny Gargano's WWE Return a Well-Kept Secret
It turns out WWE fans weren't the only ones given a surprise when Johnny Gargano showed up on Raw.
Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Gunjan Nath of RingsideNews.com), WWE did not list Gargano's name on any of the pre-show rundowns, the performers backstage didn't know he was going to be there, and members of the production crew were kept in the dark.
Several people backstage only found out when Gargano was walking around backstage moments before he did his entrance. The former NXT champion came out during the third hour of Monday's broadcast to a huge ovation from the crowd.
Johnny Wrestling's first appearance on Raw since 2019 was interrupted by Theory, who made reference to The Way—the stable Gargano and Theory were part of from 2020-21—during their back-and-forth promo.
The segment ended with Gargano laying out Theory with a superkick. The 35-year-old announced in December he wasn't going to re-sign with WWE because he wanted to take time off after his wife, former WWE star Candice LeRae, got pregnant with the couple's first child.
LeRae announced on Feb. 17 she gave birth to a boy they named Quill.
Gargano is the latest former NXT star who has been brought back to WWE following Triple H's installation as head of creative following Vince McMahon's retirement. Dakota Kai returned as part of a stable with Bayley and Iyo Sky at SummerSlam.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett were re-signed and debuted on SmackDown on Aug. 5.
It's an exciting time for WWE right now. Triple H clearly has a different vision than McMahon for what the product should be. The television shows thus far have been better, with stars who the fans like seeming to get a fair shake that they weren't getting under McMahon.
Time will tell where Gargano ends up on the pecking order, but his history of outstanding feuds in NXT bodes well for him doing just fine on the main roster.
Edge Teasing Retirement
Fans in attendance at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for Monday's episode of Raw were given a surprising tease after the show went off the air.
Addressing the crowd in the ring (via Subhojeet Mukherjee of RingsideNews.com), Edge indicated that 2023 could mark the end of his wrestling career.
"I can’t wait to hopefully come back one last time here in Toronto," he said. "I’ve been looking at the calendar, we usually come here in August. So next August I plan on seeing each and every one of you. And in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other that night."
Edge cut that promo after defeating Damian Priest in the main event. Priest received help from the rest of the Judgement Day when Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor ran out to attack the WWE Hall of Famer three on one.
Beth Phoenix came out to save her husband as the show went off the air.
The fact that Edge can plan a proper retirement is stunning. He was retired for nine years because of serious neck injuries before returning at the 2020 Royal Rumble. The four-time WWE champion has had a fantastic final act to his career already, with feuds against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
The 48-year-old is one of 33 male triple-crown champions in company history. He has also main-evented WrestleMania twice, in 2008 and 2021.
Whenever Edge does decide to hang up the wrestling boots for good, he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best performers ever in WWE.
Bray Wyatt "Likes" Fan Theory on Twitter
There's nothing like a good conspiracy theory on Twitter to send everyone into a frenzy. But this one involving Bray Wyatt is about as interesting of a conspiracy as you can find on social media.
Two weeks ago, Wyatt posted a story on his Twitter page that starts with "Wrestling is not a love story." He made several wrestling references in the piece, including to The Undertaker, The Rock, Ring of Honor, AEW and Ric Flair.
One fan took this story and tried to figure out if it was a clue about something. The fan, whose username is AliciaZ1981, rearranged the three-page story to show how the paragraphs appear to spell out WWE.
Wyatt did like the post, though he has previously dismissed any notion that there's any hidden meaning behind it.
It’s not meant to be cryptic. It’s a reminder to myself and others that need reminding just how special this business is. And how lucky we are to have it. Put your microscope and biases aside and read it again. #DooDoo
There has been constant fan speculation about where Wyatt will end up ever since he was released by WWE in July 2021.
Sapp reported on Monday that higher-ups in WWE believe it is "more likely" now than it was previously that Wyatt will return to the promotion.
The Fiend was one of the most over gimmicks in WWE, which made his release a big surprise. He did have a series of bad matches and feuds during that time, but with a new creative team running WWE now, it's certainly possible he could be rehabbed quickly if he returns.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Shotzi Airs Out Liv Morgan; Charlotte Shades Becky Lynch; List of WWE NXT UK Cuts
Aug 19, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 14: Liv Morgan attends "Alone Together" premiere during the 2022 Tribeca Festivalat SVA Theater on June 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival )
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Shotzi, Morgan Engage in Twitter Spat
Shotzi and SmackDown women's champion Liv Morgan had a war of words Thursday night on Twitter.
It all started when Shotzi responded to a tweet from Liv regarding her arm injury and upcoming match against Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle:
Morgan won the SmackDown Women's Championship at Money in the Bank when she cashed in the Money in the Bank contract she won that same night and beat Ronda Rousey.
In a rematch at SummerSlam, Morgan tapped out while Rousey had her in an armbar, but the referee didn't see it and instead counted Rousey's shoulders to the mat, allowing Morgan to retain.
Rousey attacked the referee and Morgan after the match, and Morgan has had her arm in a brace since.
Shotzi and Morgan traded several more shots on Twitter following their initial correspondence, including Shotzi mentioning that Morgan's close friend, current AEW star Ruby Soho, was released from WWE:
Hahahahahaha Shotzi if u wanted to wrestle, all u had to do was ask silly 😇 I think my arm may just be feeling good enough to kick ur gorgeous goblin 🍑. I’ll see u tomorrow 🦾✨ https://t.co/EYMiimoZEO
Morgan seemed to allude to a potential match against Shotzi for Friday's episode of SmackDown, although WWE hadn't officially announced one as of Friday afternoon.
Liv is set to face another huge test at Clash at the Castle when she defends against a multi-time NXT women's champion and WWE women's tag team champion in Baszler.
Shayna won a seven-woman gauntlet match two weeks ago on SmackDown to become No. 1 contender, and it seems as though she is getting pushed back to the top with Triple H in charge of creative.
Baszler also had an interaction with Rousey on last week's SmackDown, suggesting that the real-life best friends could be on the verge of forming an on-screen alliance against Morgan as well.
Charlotte Discusses Relationship with Lynch
Charlotte Flair appeared on TheBroken Skull Sessions with WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin on Friday and gave some insight into her relationship with former friend Becky Lynch.
In a sneak peek of the interview, Charlotte noted that both she and Lynch want to be the best, adding that they are "two alphas who don't see eye to eye."
Flair discussed the fact that she and Becky were once close friends who traveled together and were "each other's crutches." She suggested that may have stopped being the case when she started dating and ultimately married former WWE and current AEW star Andrade, while Lynch married WWE Superstar Seth Rollins.
Rumors have run rampant regarding heat between Flair and Lynch, particularly since a bizarre segment on SmackDown last October.
Charlotte and Becky were supposed to swap the Raw and SmackDown women's titles, but Flair tossed her title at Lynch rather than handing it over, which resulted in it falling to the mat, and made for an awkward situation.
During her own appearance on The Broken Skull Sessions in February, Lynch revealed that the segment didn't go according to plan, and that she was "fuming" afterward.
The Man also said at the time that there was a lot of "tension" and "animosity" between her and Charlotte.
In another video released by WWE this week, Charlotte took part in a word association game with Austin:
She praised many of her peers by calling Rousey "legit," Nikki Bella "star" and Morgan "future," but she called Lynch a "character."
It is unclear if there was any deeper meaning to that choice, but every indication is that The Queen and The Man still aren't on the same page.
WWE Reportedly Releases 23 NXT UK Superstars
After WWE announced the expansion of NXT UK into a new brand called NXT Europe on Thursday, several NXT UK talents were reportedly released from their contracts.
According to PWInsider.com (h/t F4WOnline's Josh Nason), 23 performers involved with the NXT UK brand are believed to have been released, although WWE has not publicly announced any of the cuts.
It is expected that following wrestlers are all no longer under contract with WWE:
Trent Seven
Dave Mastiff
Mark Andrews
Flash Morgan Webster
Sam Gradwell
Kenny Williams
Xia Brookside
Wild Boar
Primate
Amir Jordan
Dani Luna
Emilia McKenzie
Nina Samuels
Rohan Raja
Sha Samuels
Sid Scala
Ashton Smith
Jack Starz
Tyson T-Bone
Teoman
Amale
Eddie Dennis
Saxon Huxley
While some of the aforementioned wrestlers confirmed their releases on Twitter, others are believed to be gone based on the fact that they were moved to the alumni section on WWE.com.
The NXT UK stars still thought to be under contract with WWE are NXT UK champion Tyler Bate, NXT UK women's champion Meiko Satomura, NXT Heritage Cup champion Noam Dar, Blair Davenport, Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Wolfgang, Isla Dawn, Ilja Dragunov, Charlie Dempsey, Rampage Brown, Oliver Carter, Aleah James, Aoife Valkyrie, Jinny and Stevie Turner.
WWE announced Thursday that NXT Europe will launch in 2023, and that after a Worlds Collide premium live event featuring NXT and NXT UK talent on Sept. 24, NXT UK will take a hiatus before becoming NXT Europe.
On this week's episode of NXT, several NXT UK stars appeared, which was the apparent start of the build to the event. Bate, Davenport and Gallus all made their presence felt on the show.
Of the wrestlers seemingly released from NXT UK, several were involved in the original United Kingdom Championship tournament, including Seven.
Seven was perhaps the most surprising name on the list since he was an NXT UK fixture from the start and even once held the NXT Tag Team Championships with Bate.
While it is possible that many of the names will move on to other wrestling promotions, the door could be open for some of them to return once NXT Europe gets off the ground next year.
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 Rumors: Johnny Gargano Open to Discussing Return as Triple H Oversees Creative
Aug 17, 2022
The recent shift in power within WWE reportedly has former NXT star Johnny Gargano contemplating a potential return to the company.
According to Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, Gargano is open to going back to WWE and wants to speak to new WWE head of creative Triple H about "seeing how things would be changing."
Haynes added that Gargano is apprehensive about the "grind" associated with working for WWE in the wake of he and fellow former NXT star Candice LeRae having their first child together, but the "overarching factor for him walking away was dissatisfaction with his position/direction with no set plan for how he'd be used."
Gargano has been a free agent since December, which is when his WWE contract expired. He has not wrestled for another company since then and has instead focused on being with his son.
Johnny Wrestling has appeared at several autograph signings, however, and he has explored other revenue streams, such as streaming on Twitch and putting merchandise on Pro Wrestling Tees.
Haynes noted that in addition to his potential interest in WWE, Gargano has already had some talks with AEW.
Many of the stars who Triple H featured during his time as the head of NXT have made their way to AEW after getting released from WWE or having their contracts expire.
Among them are Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, Pac, FTR, Athena and Ruby Soho.
Gargano would likely be a good fit in AEW because of the focus on in-ring work and his status as one of the best pure wrestlers in the world, but things clearly seem to be changing in WWE as well.
In the few weeks since Triple H took over as head of WWE creative following the retirement of Vince McMahon, there has been added focus on the in-ring product, championships, the midcard and the tag team divisions on both Raw and SmackDown.
Also, Triple H has brought back several former NXT stars who were released when McMahon was at the helm, including Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dexter Lumis and Hit Row.
Given that Triple H pushed Gargano to the moon, put him in tons of main events and made him NXT champion, North American champion and NXT tag team champion during his NXT run, there is little doubt that The Game would love to have him back.
The ball is likely in Gargano's court, and he finds himself in an advantageous position with each of the top two companies seemingly having an interest in signing 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).
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Sasha Banks, Naomi Tease Comeback; RVD Talks WWE Return; Finn Balor Calls out Reigns
Aug 15, 2022
BOSTON, MA - MAY 8: Six time WWE Womens Champion Sasha Banks holds up her arms after throwing out the first pitch before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park on May 8, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.
Sasha Banks, Naomi Continue to Tease Comeback
It's becoming increasingly apparent Sasha Banks and Naomi are on their way back to WWE.
Every dirt sheet across the IWC has already pegged the former women's tag team champions for a return, and WWE's ongoing tournament to determine their replacements as champs offers an obvious storyline.
After months of radio silence, the pair have also become active again on social media.
Naomi posted a screenshot of a TikTok featuring the two Sunday on Twitter:
As soon as Vince McMahon's departure from WWE became official, the door opened wide for Banks and Naomi to return. It was clear their biggest overall problem with the company was the booking of McMahon, who often treated the women's tag team championships like an afterthought.
One of Triple H's most obvious actions since taking over for McMahon is elevating midcard championships. The Intercontinental and United States Championships have been given main-event billing on Raw and SmackDown, along with video packages that touted the history of the two historic titles.
The women's tag team belts don't have the same rich history, but they are being given prominent placement in an eight-team tournament taking place on Raw and SmackDown. Getting Banks and Naomi back in the fold will only continue the positive momentum that's taken place since Triple H took over creative.
Rob Van Dam Wants a WWE Return?
Despite being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, Rob Van Dam did not have any sort of legacy in-ring run to close out his career with the company.
It appears Van Dam is still hopeful that will happen. The 51-year-old has been making media rounds recently and spoke about potentially teaming with Riddle if he came back to WWE.
"That would be awesome, yeah," Van Dam told Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston. "I feel like if they wanted me there, then I would be there. They would make it so that I would want to be there. So on the front, without having any, just being on the fence and not feeling hungry or either way, just whatever happens, like RVD is, I feel like that. I don’t know what they wanna do, what their plan is, what their agenda is for all their talent now. They seem like they want more normal-looking people that normal-looking people can relate to. I really don’t even know. It’s whatever, but you know I’m around, and I do have a legends deal with WWE."
Tagging with Riddle isn't Van Dam's only idea for a return. He also said he'd like to go one-on-one with Bobby Lashley.
“I don’t know, maybe Bobby Lashley. I have been in the ring with him before and he is in a very, very good position right now," Van Dam said at WrestleVerse.
While Van Dam would undoubtedly create a short-term pop from fans, it doesn't seem likely Triple H will bring back his Attitude Era brethren for an extended run. Van Dam hasn't wrestled in WWE since 2014. He's essentially been sitting as a free agent since leaving Impact in 2020, and WWE hasn't even chosen to bring him back for a Royal Rumble pop.
Maybe the latter is coming at some point, but it's hard to imagine Triple H's new creative direction including a ton of legends.
Balor Wants Reigns Rematch
The last time Finn Balor took on Roman Reigns, WWE decided to book one of the worst finishes of the last decade.
If you've understandably blocked it out of your memory, it went as follows: Balor summoned the Demon and was seemingly on the precipice of winning as smoke filled the ring and the camera did that whole Bray Wyatt-tinged red effect.
Then...the ring broke. Because...apparently being a demon adds 800 pounds to Balor's frame or something? We don't really know. WWE essentially never mentioned the finish to the match again and quietly moved Balor down the card into the King of the Ring tournament.
It seems Balor has not forgotten the unfortunate ending.
"I think me and Roman Reigns have a lot of unfinished business," Balor said on WWE's El Brunch. "There was a little bit of a questionable finish to our last match at Extreme Rules. When the top rope, mysterious broke in our championship match. So, I feel like there's definitely a rematch due with myself and Roman. So, hopefully, we'll get to that, soon after Clash at the Castle."
Balor is currently feuding with Edge and the Mysterios after overtaking the Judgment Day stable, which is a storyline that has again left him spinning his wheels. He is on the shortlist of talents that will hopefully benefit most from Triple H's reign after consistent starts and stops under McMahon.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
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