WWE

Shawn Michaels' in-ring career is definitely over.

In an interview on the Culture State podcast (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc.), the Heartbreak Kid addressed a recent report that he talked about potentially doing one more match after seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin take on Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.

"Yeah, I've had that final match. Nope," he said. "No, father time waits on no man. I'm good. I'm unbelievably happy with my career and it is now time to watch the next generation flourish."

According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Michaels spoke with Owens about the WrestleMania match and told him "he'd be lying if he didn't think about doing another match" at some point.

After losing a retirement match to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, Michaels remained adamant for years that he wanted to honor the stipulation.

WWE got Michaels back into the ring one more time in a tag match with Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane at Crown Jewel in November 2018. The match was widely panned, with all four legends looking their age. It didn't help that Triple H suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the match.

Despite the one final bout as part of D-Generation X, Michaels did tell the Challenge Mania podcast (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats) he doesn't think that counts as an official match because the event was a "glorified house show."

The Showstopper revealed on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast in 2017 he was offered a match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33 (h/t Dan Garland of SI.com) but said he turned it down.

If Michaels was going to do one more match, that probably would have been the time to do it. He's 57 years old now and has been the head of creative for NXT since September.

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George Kittle Open to Wrestling

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle could be the next NFL player to try his hand at professional wrestling.

Appearing on KNBR's Murph and Mac show (h/t Andre Porter of Ringside News), Kittle said he is "open to all opportunities" when asked about stepping into the squared circle at some point.

Rob Gronkowski, Lawrence Taylor, Steve McMichael and Goldberg are among the many former gridiron stars who have made their presence felt in wrestling.

Kittle doesn't hide his wrestling fandom. The three-time Pro Bowler pays tribute to AEW star Penta El Zero Miedo's "zero fear" hand gesture whenever he makes a first down during games.

Penta gave Kittle a custom mask when the 49ers played the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City for Monday Night Football on Nov. 21.

It will likely be a little while before Kittle is able to get in the ring, if he ever does. The 29-year-old is preparing for the postseason after helping the 49ers win the NFC West for the first time since 2019.

WWE Taped Roman Reigns' Raw Segment

Even though Monday's episode of Raw was built around The Bloodline taking over the red brand, the group's leader wasn't actually on the show.

Per Fightful Select (h/t Sunil Joseph of Ringside News), Roman Reigns' segment at the start of the show was filmed during Friday's SmackDown taping.

Monday's show kicked off with the Tribal Chief warning Kevin Owens that he would need more help than just John Cena to take out the Bloodline. The segment continued by showing Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa beating up Mustafa Ali in the locker room.

It was pretty apparent that Reigns wasn't at the building, otherwise he would have come out in front of the live crowd. When Zayn and the Usos were in the ring for a promo later in the show without the group's leader, it seemed like a tipoff he didn't make the trip to Des Moines, Iowa.

Even without Reigns at the arena, the Bloodline were all over the show. Zayn defeated A.J. Styles with an assist from Sikoa. The Usos didn't fare as well, losing a tag match to Owens and Seth Rollins.

Reigns will be back on TV for the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night SmackDown when he teams with Zayn to take on Owens and John Cena in a tag match. It will be Cena's first television bout since he lost to Reigns at SummerSlam in August 2021.

Triple H Prioritized Bronson Reed

Bronson Reed made his return to WWE on Monday to help The Miz beat Dexter Lumis in their ladder match.

Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Triple H considered Reed a "priority hire" when he took over as WWE's chief content officer.

Since taking over as the top creative voice in the company over the summer, Triple H has brought back several superstars who were released by Vince McMahon in recent years.

Reed joins a group of returning superstars that includes Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Emma, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

WWE originally signed Reed in 2019 and assigned him to NXT. Triple H clearly saw a lot in the Australian big man because he defeated Johnny Gargano to win the NXT North American championship in May 2021.

Reed was released by the promotion three months later. He has since been working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, with Sapp noting the promotion was "hopeful" it would have been able to keep Reed.

It will be interesting to see how the pairing of Reed and Miz works out. A number of the stars Triple H has brought back haven't made a huge impact thus far, but there's nothing wrong with having more depth on the roster to build around.

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Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan held off an intruder at gunpoint at his South Carolina home on Dec. 8.

Duggan revealed the news in an exclusive interview with Dominic DeAngelo of Wrestling Inc., who provided more details:

"Duggan told Wrestling Inc. that his home was broken into by an intruder on at around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, and that the individual, a man in his mid-20s, entered through the front door of his South Carolina home. Duggan claimed he took the man down by himself before grabbing his .44 caliber pistol and holding the intruder at gunpoint."

The intruder reportedly had no plans to rob Duggan and his wife, Debra, who was also home at the time. The man was allegedly running away from people in another home in a separate matter, and he was looking to escape by finding shelter elsewhere. He was frightened and said those people wanted to kill him.

The man ultimately entered the Duggans' house through an unlocked front door. Duggan heard yelling in the neighborhood and shut off his Christmas lights and told the intruder to be quiet in the meantime.

Eventually, police arrived from the Kershaw County Sheriff's Department, who apprehended the man. Duggan declined to press charges.

The 68-year-old Duggan's career wrestling accolades include winning the first-ever Royal Rumble and also the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.

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Sasha Banks Headed to Japan Early

While it's the wrestling world's worst-kept secret that Sasha Banks will be making her New Japan debut at Wrestle Kingdom, she's apparently getting a jumpstart on her new career by heading over to Japan early.

Hiraki Sawa reported in a since-deleted tweet that Banks will head over to Japan this week in hopes of landing sponsorship deals with Japanese companies.

A Grand Slam champion during her tenure in WWE, it appears Banks is set for a full-scale world tour after abruptly leaving the company alongside Naomi in May. While there has been no confirmation she will step into the ring during her New Japan appearance, it's been suggested that Banks could go one-on-one with KAIRI for the IWGP women's championship.

There has also been buzz about Banks potentially joining AEW, likely as Saraya's mystery partner at the Jan. 11 edition of Dynamite in Los Angeles. It's noteworthy that no one within AEW has gone out of their way to tamp down the buzz, and the company rarely fails to deliver in these hyped-up moments.

At the very least, we'll all be getting Sasha Banks—or whatever her new moniker is—on our screens very soon and that's a win.

Bronson Reed Makes Surprising WWE Return

Of all the possible endings to Monday's ladder match between The Miz and Dexter Loomis, no one predicted this one.

Bronson Reed made his shocking return to WWE as Loomis was preparing for victory, handing the victory to The Miz in exchange for a heaping pile of cash.

Reed was released by WWE last year as part of across-the-board cuts at the NXT brand, and he wasted no time flourishing after his departure. The Australian spent time in Impact but made his biggest impact (pun intended) in New Japan, where he defeated Kazuchika Okada in perhaps the most surprising result of this year's G1.

It didn't take any time for Wrestling Twitter to point out it's a bit of a downgrade going from winning against Okada to being The Miz's hired hand, but Reed clearly secured a hefty bag—both in kayfabe and real life—for his services.

Hopefully we'll get to see a more complete version of Reed during his second WWE run.

Matt Cardona Praises Cody Rhodes

Since his 2020 WWE release, Matt Cardona has not been shy about putting his body on the line. His "king of the deathmatch" gimmick got him over big time in GCW and was one of the best heel storylines of 2021.

While Cody Rhodes defeating Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell didn't quite present the visual brutality of a deathmatch against Nick Gage, it was likely the most physical pain any wrestler has gone through during a match in 2022.

Cardona heaped praise on Rhodes, a longtime friend, and called the moment "iconic."

"He had to do that match," Cardona said on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. "Was it the smartest for his health? Maybe not, but it was such an iconic moment. And it really showed that he had the balls and passion for pro wrestling. I think he gained a lot of people's respect if he didn't have it already."

Rhodes has been out of action since the night after Hell in a Cell, though he should be primed for a return in the coming month or so.

Cardona could also be finding his way back to WWE sooner than later. While nothing has been confirmed, his wife, Chelsea Green, is reportedly on the precipice of returning to the company.

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