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Charlotte Flair Defeats Ronda Rousey to Win SmackDown Women's Title in WWE Return
Dec 31, 2022
Charlotte Flair made her triumphant return to the WWE ring for the first time in nearly eight months and defeated Ronda Rousey in an impromptu match for the SmackDown Women's Championship on Friday.
Rousey had just defeated Raquel Rodriguez with an armbar to retain the SmackDown belt. She stayed in the ring with her partner in crime, Shayna Baszler, to cut a promo before being interrupted by Flair's music and the roars of a stunned crowd.
Rousey accepted, but this did not work in her favor as Flair quickly defeated her by countering an armbar and rolling the ex-UFC champion over for a pin to become a 14-time world title-holder.
Flair was last seen in the WWE ring during WrestleMania Backlash on May 8, when she lost to Rousey in an "I Quit" match for the belt.
She suffered a kayfabe fractured radius after Rousey put her in an armbar, but in reality, Flair took time off to get married to fellow professional wrestler Andrade El Idolo.
Flair is back just in time for the Road to WrestleMania in March, however, and things just got very interesting as the WWE calendar starts to heat up.
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John Cena kept a 20-year streak intact Friday night, returning to SmackDown for a year-closing main event in which he partnered with Kevin Owens to battle Sami...
WON: Sasha Banks Set for Stardom Event Weeks After WrestleMania amid WWE, NJPW Rumors
Dec 30, 2022
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 15: Mercedes Varnado attends Marvel Studios "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" Los Angeles Premiere at El Capitan Theatre on August 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/WireImage)
Sasha Banks is reportedly expected to appear at a major event held by Japanese women's wrestling promotion Stardom on April 23, just three weeks after WWE's WrestleMania 39.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Ella Jay), All-Star Grand Queendom was announced for April 23 at the Yokohama Arena on Thursday, and Banks looked "locked in" for the show, although it isn't yet clear what her exact role will be.
Meltzer (h/t WrestlingInc's Sean Neumann) previously confirmed a report that Banks will appear at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 on Jan. 4 after reaching a high-dollar agreement with New Japan in November.
Since both NJPW and Stardom are owned by Bushiroad, it would make sense for Banks to appear for both companies.
Banks has not been seen in the world of pro wrestling since she and Naomi walked out prior to an episode of WWE Raw in May because of apparent creative differences.
WWE suspended Banks and Naomi and stripped them of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, leaving their future with the promotion in flux. It seemed more likely that they would return after Vince McMahon retired and Triple H replaced him as head of creative in July, but the two reportedly never reached an agreement.
Instead, Meltzer noted that Banks is likely to have some level of involvement with the NJPW Women's Championship match between former WWE star Kairi and Tam Nakano at Wrestle Kingdom.
Meltzer added that "many believe" Banks' in-ring return will occur at a Feb. 18 event in San Jose, California, potentially in the form of Banks challenging Kairi.
The events of that show could potentially set the stage for another Banks match at All-Star Grand Queendom.
Fans have also speculated on Banks being the mystery tag team partner for Saraya against Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter on the Jan. 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, but Meltzer reporting that Banks' first match back may not be until February suggests All Elite Wrestling might not be in the cards for Banks.
One can assume that returning to WWE will always be an option for the five-time Raw women's champion, three-time WWE women's tag team champion, one-time SmackDown women's champion and one-time NXT women's champion, but all signs are pointing toward NJPW and Stardom being Banks' focus for the foreseeable future.
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WWE Rumors on Roman Reigns vs. Rock at WrestleMania, New Championships and Tyson Fury
Dec 30, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: Roman Reigns is seen in Midtown on July 26, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
WWE's Reported WrestleMania Backup Plan for Reigns
If WWE is unable to secure Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to face WWE universal champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in April, there is reportedly already a backup plan in place.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE head of creative Triple H knows what direction he wants to go in if the "very real possibility" of The Rock not being available for WrestleMania comes to pass.
Meltzer noted that while the backup plan isn't publicly known, Cody Rhodes is likely the "betting line favorite" to be Reigns' opponent outside of The Rock.
Rumors and speculation have persisted for months regarding Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania, but WWE has never truly teased the match, which would make it easy for the company to pivot if it can't be made possible.
The Rock is as busy as anyone in show business because of his acting schedule, plus he is the owner of the XFL, which is set to relaunch in spring 2023 and could conflict with WrestleMania season.
Reigns vs. The Rock is the biggest possible match WWE could put on, and it would increase interest in WrestleMania 39 significantly, but it isn't necessarily needed for WWE to put on a great show.
WWE could always try for Reigns vs. The Rock at a later date, especially since the fanbase would likely react positively to Reigns vs. Rhodes as well.
Rhodes is seemingly getting closer to a return after missing several months with a torn pectoral muscle, and if he were to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Reigns, it would still be one of WWE's best stories in quite some time.
WWE Reportedly Considering Adding Another Title
With Reigns in possession of both world titles, WWE is reportedly considering the addition of another major championship.
According to Meltzer (h/t Smita Singha Roy of Ringside News), there "remains a lot of talk" within WWE about creating a new title for Raw if Reigns remains on SmackDown or for SmackDown if Reigns gets moved to Raw the next time a draft is held.
Reigns has held the Universal Championship for over 850 days, and he added the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, meaning WWE is closing in on a full year of only having one world champion.
While that makes being world champion an even bigger deal than if there were two world titles, it has also left Raw without a major men's championship to vie for.
Many fans have clamored for the titles to be broken up again and Reigns to perhaps lose one of them, but WWE has stayed away from The Tribal Chief losing big matches.
If WWE has a desire for there to be two world titles but no desire for Reigns to lose, simply merging the WWE and Universal Championships into one and then creating a new world title could be a viable option.
Adding another world title would give WWE ammunition for some compelling television over the course of several weeks, as the winner could be determined by a tournament involving some of the top stars the company has to offer.
Reigns has been excellent in his role, and it is understandable why WWE has protected him, but if it wants Raw to be as interesting and important as SmackDown, a second world champion may be needed in the near future.
WWE's Reported Feelings on Utilizing Tyson Fury
A source within WWE reportedly told Meltzer (h/t Gunjan Nath of Ringside News) that there are reservations about using heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in an in-ring capacity.
The source told Meltzer that Fury is "not willing to put people over or even look vulnerable," thus making it difficult to do something like a cameo in the men's Royal Rumble match, since he may not be willing to get eliminated.
The revelation came on the heels of a report by Sunni Upal of The Sun U.S. this week. In the report, Upal noted that WWE had plans to use Fury at the 2023 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 39, but visa issues are preventing it from happening.
Fury is reportedly banned from entering the United States because of his ties to alleged Irish mob boss Daniel Kinahan.
As a result, Fury is reportedly missing out on millions of dollars that he could have earned by working Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Fury has made multiple appearances for WWE, including a Crown Jewel match against Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia. He also had a presence at Clash at the Castle in Wales in September when he punched out Austin Theory during a Money in the Bank cash-in attempt and consoled Drew McIntyre after his loss to Reigns in the main event.
There is no question that Fury is a huge star in the world of combat sports thanks to his success and charisma, but integrating athletes into the world of WWE can be tricky at times, especially when it comes to an undefeated fighter whose career is built on legitimacy.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Rulon Gardner Eyes Olympic Comeback at 51; USA Wrestler Upset Russia for Gold in 2000
Dec 30, 2022
Athens, GREECE: Rulon Gardner celebrates winning the bronze medal in the men's Greco-Roman 120 kg match against Iran's Sajad Barzi at the 2004 Olympic games 25 August 2004 in Athens. AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner is looking to make it back to the Summer Games at age 51.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Gardner said he's been training with the goal of competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
"I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love and that's wrestling. When you have a goal like wrestling it makes you get into shape so I've lost a substantial amount of weight, getting healthy again, getting back after it, and now it's getting on the mat. Every day it hurts like heck but it's so fun to be able to get out there and throw with these young kids. It's crazy 'cause I'm wrestling kids half my age."
Gardner said he's lost about 150 pounds in training, with the goal of being able to show he "can still compete with the top-level wrestlers of the world."
This isn't the first time Gardner has attempted to make an Olympic comeback. He was training for the 2012 Games, but he missed the maximum weight limit allowed before the U.S. Olympic Trials.
It's not unheard of for an athlete over age 50 to compete at the Olympics, though it's often in sports that don't require the same type of physical ability as wrestling.
Laura Kraut, 55, became the oldest U.S. woman to medal since 1904 when she won a silver as part of the equestrian jumping team with Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward at the Tokyo Games.
Sweden's Oscar Swahn is the oldest athlete to compete and medal at the Olympics. He won silver at age 72 as part of the 100-meter running deer shooting team double shots at the 1920 Games in Stockholm, Sweden.
More recently, Dara Torres was 41 years old when she won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Chris Campbell is the oldest American wrestler to medal at the Olympics. He won bronze in the freestyle 90-kilogram weight class as a 37-year-old in 1992.
Gardner became an Olympic legend for his performance during the 2000 Games in Sydney. The Wyoming native upset Russia's Aleksandr Karelin, who was the reigning three-time Olympic champion and had a 13-year unbeaten streak, in the finals of the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman event.
Four years later, Gardner won bronze in the 120-kilogram weight class. He will be 53 years old when the Paris Games begin.
The qualification period for wrestling at the 2024 Olympics runs from September 2023 through May 2024.
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Bray Wyatt Reveals Broken Finger Injury After Match vs. Jinder Mahal at WWE Live Show
Dec 30, 2022
Professional Wrestling: WWE SummerSlam: Bray Wyatt (top) in action vs Finn Balor during match at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn, NY 8/20/2017
CREDIT: Chad Matthew Carlson (Photo by Chad Matthew Carlson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(Set Number: X161332 TK1 )
In just his fourth match since returning to the ring, Bray Wyatt suffered a broken finger.
Speaking to The Vlog Warriors during Thursday's house show in Miami, Wyatt revealed he broke the ring finger on his right hand in a match against Jinder Mahal.
Based on Wyatt's reaction to the injury, it doesn't seem like he is worried about missing time.
Despite making his return to WWE at Extreme Rules on Oct. 8, Wyatt has only appeared on television sporadically. He continues to tease the return of The Fiend character, with some of his promos being interrupted by a masked figure known as "Uncle Howdy."
On the Dec. 23 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Wyatt attacked a cameraman after struggling to get through a promo segment.
WWE is advertising a "Pitch Black match" at the Royal Rumble. It's unclear what the stipulation of the match will be, but the promo on social media does include a shot of Edge and fans reacting to Wyatt's entrance.
Wyatt returned to in-ring action at the Madison Square Garden house show on Dec. 26. The three-time WWE champion has been working singles matches against Mahal at all four shows on the holiday tour this week.
As WWE starts to ramp up the build for the Royal Rumble, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Wyatt become a bigger presence on Raw and SmackDown in the coming weeks.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).
