Professional Wrestling

AJ Styles could miss time after suffering an ankle injury during a WWE house show on Thursday night.

Per Mike Johnson of PW Insider, the Phenomenal One's injury is "100 percent legitimate" and not part of the storyline for the match between the O.C. and The Judgment Day.

"Styles was having issues putting weight on his left foot after the match and was walked out by WWE officials," Johnson wrote.

B/R's Erik Beaston posted a picture of Styles sitting on the ground outside the ring, with Karl Anderson and Mia Yim by his side.

Beaston also noted the referee put up the "X" signal that is used to indicate to the back a legitimate injury occurred and requires medical assistance.

According to Johnson, Styles is expected to get the injury examined as soon as possible. His status won't be determined until after a diagnosis is made.

The O.C. and Judgment Day recently wrapped up a feud that began in October when Anderson and Luke Gallows returned to WWE to team up with Styles.

Styles defeated Finn Bálor at Survivor Series: WarGames, while Yim was on Bianca Belair's team that defeated Rhea Ripley and Team Bayley in a WarGames match.

Most recently, the O.C. has been working against Baron Corbin, Chad Gable and Otis in a six-person feud. Styles defeated Sami Zayn in a singles match on the Dec. 19 episode of Raw.

If Styles has to miss time, it could force WWE to alter its plans for WrestleMania season. It's unknown what his role is going to be at the Royal Rumble, though he would presumably be in the men's Rumble match.

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Baron Corbin provided some insight into the philosophy of WWE head of creative Triple H during a recent interview.

Appearing on the Johnny Dare Morning Show last week (h/t Shivangini Rawat of Ringside News), Corbin expressed his belief that Triple H goes to great lengths to ensure that everyone who is on TV is utilized properly:

"That's one thing I love about Triple H, he's a firm believer in, 'It's a marathon, not a race [sprint].' He likes to slow play things, and he doesn't just waste people.

"If you don't have something that is a big-time play or move on television, he's like, 'Then you don't need to be out there because it's not good to just be out there.' You want to have a purpose every time you go on television."

Triple H was elevated to the roles of WWE head of creative and executive vice president of talent relations after Vince McMahon retired in July after it was revealed he paid multiple women in exchange for confidentiality over allegations of infidelity and harassment.

Raw, SmackDown and premium live events have had a decidedly different feel under The Game, with Corbin expressing his belief that he has brought "new energy" and "new life" to the product.

Corbin also compared Triple H's creative vision to that of McMahon, noting that McMahon is "go, go, go," whereas Triple H prefers to let things breathe.

While Corbin praised McMahon for being a "machine," he also said it is "nice to step back" and spend time with family when not needed for a show.

Since Triple H took over as head of creative, Corbin has been repackaged, leaving behind the Happy Corbin gimmick. Now, he is a member of the Raw brand with WWE Hall of Famer JBL as his manager and mouthpiece.

It remains to be seen how far the new character will take Corbin, but he has been a fixture in Raw's midcard and has enjoyed a great deal of success with televised wins over Johnny Gargano, Dolph Ziggler, Akira Tozawa and Cedric Alexander.

Corbin has wrestled only one televised match since the Nov. 21 episode of Raw, which perhaps speaks to Triple H's philosophy of not forcing someone into a spot if there isn't a logical reason to do so.

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Legado del Fantasma leader Santos Escobar reportedly avoided a serious injury during a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship on Monday night.

During an untelevised live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Gunther put the IC title on the line in a ladder match against Escobar, Kofi Kingston, Shinsuke Nakamura and Madcap Moss, and Escobar was on the wrong end of a scary spot.

According to Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News, Kingston did a double stomp off a ladder and landed on Escobar's knee, which led to Escobar being helped to the back by producer Jamie Noble after the match.

Per PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, Escobar is believed to be "OK" after being checked out by WWE's medical team following the match.

Gunther retained the Intercontinental Championship, extending a dominant reign that has now lasted nearly 200 days.

Rather than airing a traditional episode of Raw on Monday, WWE aired a "Best of 2022" show, which allowed the company to hold two separate live events in New York City and Columbus, Ohio.

Fightful Select (h/t Shubham Banerjee of Ringside News) reported that the Columbus event was a "logistical mess" since several advertised Superstars were either late or couldn't make the show due to travel issues, presumably as a result of extreme winter weather in the northeast.

Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bobby Lashley and Alexa Bliss were reportedly among those who missed the Columbus show, and Rollins divulged on Twitter that his absence was a result of his bus breaking down.

Rollins was reportedly supposed to be part of a steel-cage match against Austin Theory for the United States Championship in the main event, but instead it was a steel-cage Triple Threat with Theory beating Johnny Gargano and Damian Priest.

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It's easy to think Brock Lesnar's role in WrestleMania 39 next year is one of the most obvious parts of the event.

He's facing Bobby Lashley in a dream match, right?

Not so fast, friends. Another Lashley-Lesnar matchup would be a blast. But it would be another bout between the two former MMA fighters and pro wrestling heavyweights. A fun one, but a rehash and something that pales in comparison to another probable idea.

Lesnar vs. Gunther.

That alone should earn a raise of the eyebrow, at the very least. Using Lesnar as a way to prop up one of the best up-and-coming pro wrestlers in the sport at Mania is something it feels like the new Triple H-led creative would do. As opposed to shoving him into a "spectacle" match against a veteran like Lashley, at least.

And what a fast riser Gunther is in the new WWE. He's been a juggernaut of a force since the NXT days and already has the Intercontinental strap around his waist.

But Gunther hasn't had a marquee feud, instead sparring in the tag ranks or taking on mid-card solo challengers like Sheamus and Shinsuke Nakamura.

That changes in a hurry if he steps into the squared circle with Lesnar. Gunther, slightly taller than Lesnar and plenty intimidating himself, would have a chance to put on a thriller of a match that is straight-up fun as two big workhorses take part in some violence. It wouldn't be totally unlike another Lesnar vs. Lashley, except it's putting over a potential main-event star for the next decade-plus.

This is the sort of usage Lesnar should see at this point, too. He's out of the unified title scene with Roman Reigns for several reasons and doesn't have much else to do. WWE doesn't need the spectacle factor anymore. He brings non-wrestling viewers, but the company has that boost with the likes of Bad Bunny and Logan Paul.

What might need the boost is something else on the way to Mania, like Royal Rumble. That's the perfect spot to get Lesnar back in the mix with an appearance on a Raw to lay the groundwork. Lashley benefits by getting a huge spotlight match there too, then perhaps he can find a new long-term feud or find a way to compete for another mid-card title in the aftermath.

It's hard not to love this sort of idea given Lesnar's track record for putting other superstars over. He's arguably one of the best sellers of all time. Remember how good AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor and others have looked when he's not necessarily just being used as a spotlight item in the title scene?

Why not give Gunther the same thing? Keep the intercontinental title on him, too, which would only further cement the mid-card titles as prestigious things all superstars should want to pursue again. That has been a big goal of this new WWE too, so Lesnar helps accomplish two things that leave the company a much better place upon his exit.

And sure, we could find other opponents for Lesnar. It would be fun to see Austin Theory seek him out for a bit of long-term revenge. One could run down a big list of veterans or otherwise it would be fun to see him spar with.

But Gunther is just this similar, heavyweight bout fighter with international appeal who needs his first big feud while he's blatantly on his way to contending in the main-event scene once it opens up.

This matchup is also a big win for the Mania card itself. WWE needs to fill the two nights with must-see material and there's no bigger contender for one of its mid-card titles. As a middle-Mania match (or even opener, knowing Lesnar), everything from the entrances to the fight and aftermath would be a Mania-styled spectacle befitting of the card. If booked and executed properly, it might just steal the show outright.

Another fun thing about the long-term? While Reigns looks like he could be on the way to being the next Lesnar, a final-boss type who shows up every now and then, Gunther could be the full-time version of that.

After all, one of the biggest things about Gunther is the aura around him. Nothing would enhance it more than a win over Lesnar after an unforgettable sleeper, but no-brainer Mania feud.

With The Rock not having to worry about making any Black Adam movies in the near-future, he may have time to do a long-talked-about match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.

Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Dakota Cohen of Wrestling Inc.), WWE is still discussing the possibility of a Rock-Reigns match at the upcoming event from SoFi Stadium.

The report does note WWE would likely need a decision from The Rock before the Royal Rumble, as his return would potentially impact how the men's Rumble match gets booked.

The Rock did include a potential easter egg in a recent episode of Young Rock with a scene showing his trophy case that included the universal championship in the background.

Meltzer previously reported WWE's "pie-in-the-sky" hope would be for the Great One to be a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, win the match and challenge Reigns for the undisputed WWE universal championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39.

Any of these scenarios coming to fruition depends on The Rock's schedule and if he can make the dates work.

There has certainly been enough smoke around this possible match happening over the past year that there would be some level of disappointment from the WWE Universe if it doesn't take place.

But there are certainly plenty of alternative options WWE could look to for a main-event match with Reigns. Cody Rhodes could make his return in the Rumble and challenge the Tribal Chief for the undisputed title.

Many of the questions will likely be answered at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 28.

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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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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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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