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WWE WrestleMania 39 Slowly Shaping Up to Be Grand Finale of the Roman Reigns Era
Dec 17, 2022
The Roman Reigns era ending at WWE WrestleMania 39 isn't just fitting—it's set up perfectly to be a grand finale.
First, the format: WrestleMania is a two-night event now. Reigns is the unified champion. His defending on both nights feels like a no-brainer at this point. This is the culmination of an 830-plus-day reign and counting coming to a close. It's only fitting he should close both shows.
Logic says the opponents will be The Rock and Cody Rhodes. The former because it's the organic end to the "head of the table" familiar angle. It's in Hollywood of all places, too. And the latter because he's positioned as the next top babyface of the company after that triumphant return.
The creativity of this grand finale is where things get interesting. Reigns is the heel and could easily be goaded into defending titles on both nights, especially if he wants to defy Paul Heyman's counsel that suggests otherwise.
He's also got the family dynamic to sort out. If he's finally turning on Sami Zayn and likely Jey Uso, too, it's going to get a ton of backlash from fans and be a rather brutal, unforgettable scene. That sets up perfectly for The Rock, a guy with a serious claim as the head of the table, to return and set up a must-see feud.
As for Rhodes, he doesn't need much explanation, either. He had the big return after establishing and working in All Elite Wrestling, put on some massive matches while hugely over with fans, then suffered the serious injury. He's a no-brainer as a Royal Rumble winner to get that momentum back with interest.
WWE can't really do it any bigger than that for the Reigns era. This is the 'Mania that will be remembered for Reigns exclusively. Everyone anticipates an ending. If one doesn't arrive, that's going to be a letdown. The storyline was already flirting with losing fans out of sheer boredom before Sami Zayn hopped in and provided a spark.
There simply isn't any bigger stage or set of opponents for Reigns at this point. We're talking about The Rock in L.A. and Rhodes' first major title feud since his big return. WWE trying to drag this out until another landmark like the next SummerSlam or 'Mania would ruin pretty much everything.
But alas, a few things to remember.
We'd be remiss not to mention attractive alternatives. Maybe WWE uses this as a way to only get one title off Reigns, finally restoring the balance to both weekly programs. Or maybe he retains both over two nights—the most unexpected outcome that would garner the biggest reaction. Then, if he's really going part-time, he could relinquish the titles and set himself up for a Brock Lesnar-ish role down the road.
WWE could also just go with other opponents. There's no guarantee they can pull The Rock. And when it comes to injuries, it's impossible to say with 100 percent certainty that Rhodes will be able to go.
But it's not like there aren't good substitutes. Jey is a natural fit in the family storyline and more than deserves a spotlight for his great showings as a singles act. And Zayn, handled well once betrayed, could have Daniel Bryan-esque "Yes Movement" momentum behind him. Don't forget the deep sleeper, either—Seth Rollins, formerly the Architect, has quite a history with Reigns.
Yes, none of these guys boast the drawing power of The Rock to the non-wrestling fans that WWE craves so much. But the company has changed dramatically with Triple H as head of creative, and striving for that crossover appeal is pretty silly when massive international names like Logan Paul and even Bad Bunny have near-equal drawing power, if not more—there's no need to ham-fist a main event in pursuit of transcendent star power when the midcard can do it so well.
There is a little versatility here in the way of opponents, should WWE need to use it. Either way, this is the natural endpoint to the Reigns saga. This is what it has all been built for.
WrestleMania 39 is about the end of an era, and it just needs some savvy booking to take this thing home in a way that will take it from just another storyline to an outright epic of pro wrestling.
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WWE Eyes Boxing; WWE Rumors on Cody Rhodes' Injury Rehab and Eric Young's Return
Dec 2, 2022
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 20: Cody Rhodes, winner of WWE Moment of the Year, attends the 2022 ESPYs at Dolby Theatre on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
WWE Possibly Considering Involvement in Boxing
WWE chairwoman and co-CEO Stephanie McMahon suggested this week that WWE may try to expand its reach into the world of boxing.
Speaking at the Wells Fargo 2022 TMT Summit (h/t WrestlingInc's Ella Jay), McMahon addressed questions about whether WWE would be willing to acquire other smaller wrestling companies.
McMahon didn't rule it out as long as it would "align with our capabilities," but she also brought up the possibility of other acquisitions, including something in the realm of boxing.
Each weight class in boxing has several different champions, often making it difficult to declare a true world champion in a particular weight class.
McMahon compared that to the territory era of wrestling in the early 1980s and prior, and she mentioned how her father, Vince McMahon, centralized things by eliminating many of the territories and growing WWE: "My father, Vince McMahon, who was the Chairman and CEO, obviously had the opportunity to roll up all of those different territories and create one major brand in WWE that is now gone from a regional territorial, content play to a global media franchise."
Vince purchased WWE from his father in 1982 and served as the chairman, CEO and head of creative until his retirement in July.
Prior to Vince's father focusing on professional wrestling, his grandfather, Jess McMahon, was a boxing promoter. Vince dipped his toe in the boxing promoting waters as well, but it was fleeting.
Vince rarely hesitated to make superstar boxers part of his product, though, with Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. all playing big roles at WrestleMania, plus Tyson Fury having a match in Saudi Arabia more recently.
Boxing may not be as popular now as it once was, but putting the WWE promotional machine by boxing is something that could help lead to a revitalization should the company decide to go that route.
Rhodes Reportedly Back to Regular Training Amid Injury Recovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-r9Nb5F3qo
Six months after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, Cody Rhodes is reportedly making major strides in his recovery.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Rhodes training is "back to normal," and he is working with "top-level trainers" in an attempt to put on size ahead of his return.
Rhodes tore his pec in the days leading up to the Hell in a Cell premium live event in June. Rather than bowing out of his scheduled Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins, he battled through it and competed despite a massive bruise taking up one side of his chest.
WWE subsequently wrote Rhodes off television, and he has been working toward his eventual comeback ever since.
When WWE announced that Rhodes had undergone surgery, it was noted that he would be out of action for nine months.
That timetable would put Rhodes in line to return in March, meaning he would be back in time for a rivalry and match at WrestleMania 39. Many questioned the legitimacy of the timeline, however.
The Royal Rumble is in late January, and if Rhodes can make it back in time for that, he will undoubtedly be viewed as one of the top contenders to win the men's Royal Rumble match and challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
Meltzer noted that it would make sense to keep Rhodes' return a surprise, and that is especially true if he is back in time for the Royal Rumble, as he would receive a massive reaction as a surprise entrant.
Eric Young Reportedly Returning to WWE
Triple H has brought many former WWE Superstars back to the company since taking over as head of creative in July, and he reportedly has an agreement in place for yet another return.
According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, veteran Eric Young will be back with WWE soon.
Young signed with WWE in 2016 and enjoyed a great deal of success in NXT. He created the stable known as Sanity and held the NXT Tag Team Championships at one point. Sanity did not receive much of a push once called up to the main roster in 2018, however, and Young was released from the company in 2020.
The Canadian star returned to Impact Wrestling after his release, which was the promotion he was part of from 2004 to 2016. Young held the Impact World Championship, X-Division Championship and Tag Team Championships during his first run with the company.
Shortly after returning, Young became a two-time Impact world champion, and he also won the Impact Tag Team Championships with Violent By Design stablemates Rhino, Joe Doering and Deaner.
On Friday, Impact aired a vignette involving Young and Deaner. It ended with Deaner stabbing Young, which was apparently Impact's way of writing him out of the company:
It is unclear precisely when Young will be back in WWE or which brand he will be part of, but the return of Sanity seems like a possibility given Triple H's past affinity for it.
Nikki Cross recently went back to the gimmick she had as part of Sanity, which may have been WWE's way of setting the table for the return of Young.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.
Cody Rhodes Injury Update; Madcap Moss Wants Sami Zayn; WWE Rumors on T-BAR's Future
Nov 2, 2022
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Rhodes Provides Update on Pec Injury Recovery
Five months after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, Cody Rhodes provided an update Tuesday on Twitter.
Rhodes called physical therapy "awful" and described the pain he has gone through, but he suggested his family has been a source of inspiration to keep pushing:
“How’s pt going?”
It’s fn’ awful. Everyday we dig into the muscle, then I scream, half the time I spot a tear flowing. It’s a near impossible task getting a bodypart that had been shredded to 100%…or Hell even 90%. But on the worst of days
In the days leading up to his Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins at the Hell in a Cell premium live event in June, Rhodes tore his pec, which left his status for the show in doubt.
Despite the injury causing severe bruising, Rhodes decided to fight through it and compete at Hell in a Cell. In one of the gutsiest performances in WWE history, The American Nightmare overcame the injury to defeat Rollins.
Rhodes was ultimately put on the shelf after another attack at the hands of Rollins, and he has been trying to work his way back into the fold ever since.
When Rhodes initially landed on the shelf, WWE announced that he underwent surgery and would be out for nine months.
That would put him on track to return in March, meaning he could be back in time to begin a program ahead of WrestleMania 39, which is set for April 1 and 2, 2023.
WWE tends to extend injury timetables in order to create surprise scenarios and make its Superstars look better for returning sooner than expected, and that could be the case with Rhodes.
If the nine-month timeline is exaggerated, the overarching assumption from most is that Rhodes will try to make it back in time for the Royal Rumble near the end of January.
Rhodes is making it clear that his recovery has been no picnic, but everything he is going through may ultimately be worth it for the massive reaction he is sure to receive when he returns.
Moss Names Zayn as Preferred WrestleMania Opponent
If Madcap Moss receives a singles match at WrestleMania 39 next year, he wants it to be against Sami Zayn.
During an interview with WWE Deutschland (h/t WrestlingInc's Dakota Cohen), Moss made his choice and explained why he wants to get in the ring with Zayn:
"Sami Zayn, the Honorary Uce. I just can't decide how I feel about him because I just can't take my eyes off of him. He's so entertaining. But, at the time, I have my fist balled up every time I watch him and I just want to punch him right in the face at the same time. ... Either way, he's an unbelievable performer, you know, all craziness aside he's one of the best on the mic, in the ring. You know, what he did this past year at WrestleMania with Johnny, Johnny Knoxville, how fun was that match? An absolutely all-time match right there."
Few figure to argue with Moss' assessment of Zayn, as he has been receiving consistently strong reactions from the WWE Universe throughout his storyline with The Bloodline.
Zayn was initially a sniveling lackey, and while he may still be that to some degree, he has earned "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns' respect and become known as the Honorary Uce of The Bloodline.
Thanks in large part to Zayn, The Bloodline's segments have consistently been the most entertaining and intriguing ones on WWE programming, and the company is doing all it can to capitalize on the momentum.
Any Superstar would be wise to hitch their wagon to Zayn and The Bloodline, and that may partially explain Moss' desire to face Sami on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
WWE may have bigger things planned for Zayn in the form of breaking away from The Bloodline to face Reigns or perhaps team with Kevin Owens against The Usos, but a match against Zayn would undoubtedly raise Moss' stock if he can find a way to make it happen.
T-BAR Reportedly Undergoing Name, Gimmick Change
After an ill-fated run with Retribution and receiving little television time after the group's dissolution, T-BAR is reportedly getting repackaged.
According to PWInsider.com (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), T-BAR is now being listed internally under the name Donovan Dijak, and he is preparing for a return to NXT.
Prior to getting called up to the main roster and being given the name T-BAR, Dijak competed in NXT under the name Dominik Dijakovic. He made a significant impact during his initial NXT run, taking part in a WarGames match and having a memorable feud with Keith Lee.
Despite his impressive size and in-ring acumen, things didn't work out for Dijak on the main roster, but he could be in line for his biggest push yet.
In recent weeks, WWE has been airing vignettes on NXT showing T-BAR's mask getting burned. On Tuesday's episode of NXT, a silhouetted figure spoke, and it clearly seemed to be Dijak.
Prior to signing with WWE, Dijak wrestled under the Donovan Dijak name in Ring of Honor, so wrestling fans will be familiar with it if he utilizes that name in NXT.
As Donovan Dijak, he won the ROH Top Prospect Tournament in 2015, which gave him a ton of exposure and ultimately set the stage for him to make the move to WWE in 2017.
Talent has never been a question for Dijak, but opportunity has. The opportunity wasn't there for him on the main roster, but that figures to change in NXT, where he has a chance to be a main event-level performer.
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 Cody Rhodes Says He Didn't Leave AEW Due to CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Young Bucks
Oct 30, 2022
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: Cody Rhodes is introduced during AEW Dynamite on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
As the investigation from the backstage incident at AEW All Out appears to be completed, one of the company's former stars addressed speculation that he may have had issues with most of the participants involved in that incident.
In a recent post on social media (h/t Sunil Joseph of Ringside News), Cody Rhodes said he didn't leave AEW because of any issues with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
Rhodes wrote he is "forever bonded to those men over what we created, and I remain very proud of it" speaking of the three members of the Elite.
The American Nightmare also noted he didn't leave AEW because of CM Punk nor did he have any issues with him.
"We got along," Rhodes said of Punk. "Not money, not booking, just a personal issue and my wanting to go for the big one."
Rhodes' departure from AEW to return to WWE earlier this year was a shocking turn of events. He was one of the key figures in the formation of AEW, along with Omega and the Bucks. All four men were on-screen performers and executive vice presidents for the company.
Amid speculation earlier this year about his reasoning for leaving AEW, Rhodes tweeted it had nothing to do with any animosity toward anyone backstage:
Full stop: the money and creative story that misguided brudda put out there has already been rebuffed by all parties
I’m proud of my peers/kids there and my accomplishments as competitor/EVP
Punk's future with AEW looks to be very much uncertain in the wake of a backstage fight involving Omega, the Bucks and Ace Steel following All Out on Sept. 4. Steel was released from the promotion earlier this month.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Joseph Currier of Sports Illustrated) recently reported AEW was negotiating a buyout of Punk's contract, but there is a holdup over the length of the non-compete.
According to a separate report from Meltzer (h/t Currier), AEW's third-party investigation into the brawl wrapped up last week, and Omega and the Young Bucks were backstage at Dynamite on Wednesday.
Rhodes' departure from AEW to return to WWE earlier this year was a shocking turn of events. He was one of the key figures in the formation of AEW, along with Omega and the Bucks. All four men were on-screen performers and executive vice presidents for the company.
In his first match back with WWE, Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38. He is currently out of action recovering from a torn pectoral muscle suffered prior to his Hell in a Cell match with Rollins on June 5.
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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