Professional Wrestling

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

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Omega Dismisses Criticism of Rollins

Kenny Omega and Seth Rollins may be in rival wrestling companies, but that doesn't stop Omega from having respect for all Rollins has accomplished during his career.

Former WWE and WCW creative writer Vince Russo made waves this week by questioning if Rollins should be a WWE Hall of Famer one day. Russo called Rollins a "good little hand" and wondered "what is special" about him.

Omega responded to Russo's quote on Twitter, calling Rollins a "very deserving" future Hall of Famer:

I’ll laugh now since I can comfortably predict that he’s a future (very deserving) HOF’r https://t.co/Gv4AZKCbd9

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) December 6, 2022

There is essentially no question that Rollins will be in the Hall of Fame one day, as he is among the most accomplished and popular Superstars of his era.

Rollins broke onto the WWE main roster as part of The Shield with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The Shield went on to be one of the most dominant stables in WWE history.

After the group broke up, Rollins went on to enjoy massive success on his own, becoming a two-time WWE champion, two-time universal champion, two-time Intercontinental champion and two-time United States champion.

He also won the Royal Rumble and the Money in the Bank ladder match, using the Money in the Bank contract to crash the main event of WrestleMania 31 and beat Reigns and Brock Lesnar to become WWE champion for the first time.

There are likely many more championships in Rollins' future, as he is arguably the top star on Raw, while Reigns holds it down on SmackDown.

It is fair to wonder if Rollins will be mentioned in the same breath as all-time greats like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, John Cena, Ric Flair and Reigns when he retires, but his credentials are already more than deserving of a Hall of Fame nod.

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Matt Hardy Wants Another Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian Match

At 48 years of age, AEW star Matt Hardy is potentially entering the twilight of his career, and he has an idea of how he would like to go out.

Speaking recently on his The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast (h/t WrestlingInc's Robert Gunier), Hardy revealed that he would like to renew an old rivalry in his final match, teaming with his brother Jeff Hardy against Edge and Christian:

"Our rivalry is just so iconic," Hardy said. "I feel like that would be a pretty amazing way to end it, having one last match with those guys."

The teams of the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian had many classic matches during their time together in WWE in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the first TLC matches along with the Dudley Boyz.

The Hardys, Edge and Christian also helped put each other on the map in 1999 when they faced each other in a series of matches called the Terri Invitational Tournament, concluding with a ladder match at No Mercy.

While one final match between the legendary teams would undoubtedly appeal to longtime wrestling fans, it would be difficult to do logistically in the near future.

Both Hardys and Christian are in AEW currently, but Edge is in WWE and has been outspoken about his desire to retire soon.

Also, Jeff has been away from AEW since a June DUI arrest, and it is unclear when or if he will be back in action.

The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian may be something that has to occur independent of WWE and AEW, but if the four parties can make it happen, they would likely generate a ton of interest from wrestling fans of all ages.

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Zayn Names MJF as Someone He Would Like to Face

Along with The Bloodline, Sami Zayn is one of the hottest acts in the wrestling world currently, and in an interview last week, he recognized another performer who has been picking up steam lately.

Appearing on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg (h/t WrestlingInc's Sean Neumann), Zayn was asked if there is anyone outside of WWE who he would like to work with at some point.

Zayn specifically mentioned AEW world champion MJF, saying, "MJF pops to mind, I think he's very talented."

While Zayn was once a beloved babyface during his time in Ring of Honor and NXT, he has spent the past few years as an agitating heel on WWE's main roster, and he has excelled in that role.

Zayn is still technically a heel, but his character and attempts to ingratiate himself to Roman Reigns have gotten so over with the fans that he often receives babyface reactions.

MJF is in the same boat in many ways, as he is a dastardly heel in AEW, but has managed to become hugely popular due to his sharp tongue and quick wit.

Although MJF wrestled for other promotions before AEW, including MLW, he is widely considered to be AEW's top homegrown talent, and his world title win over Jon Moxley at Full Gear last month was a long time coming.

It is unclear at this point if there is any truth to it or if it is merely part of a storyline, but MJF has been outspoken about becoming a free agent in 2024 and being willing to listen to all offers, including ones from WWE.

If MJF does indeed test the free-agent market, Zayn vs. MJF is a rivalry that could conceivably come to fruition in the not-too-distant future.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.

For the first time in their careers, undisputed WWE tag team champions The Usos sit atop the PWI 100.

On Monday, Pro Wrestling Illustrated released its annual list of the top 100 tag teams in the world, and twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso topped the field. In 2021, The Usos were ranked No. 4, while the top spot went to the Young Bucks of AEW.

NEW ISSUE: The latest PWI features our 2022 #TagTeam100 ranking, topped by the trailblazing @WWEUsos! (📷: @kimberlasskick)

PLUS: @ReyFenixMx interview, DRAGONGATE, deathmatch wrestling, and much more!

DIGITAL: https://t.co/CBIZbQwMFJ
PRINT (preorder): https://t.co/BLDCXRFsZO pic.twitter.com/IumGCxY7QS

— PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) (@OfficialPWI) December 5, 2022

Per Fightful, teams were ranked based on "in-ring achievement, influence on the sport/promotion, technical ability, quality of competition, and activity."

The evaluation period lasted from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2022. The Usos, who already held the SmackDown tag team titles, embarked on a historic run during that time by claiming the Raw tag team belts to become undisputed champions. Last month, they surpassed The New Day's 483-day record for the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history. The Usos' reign crossed 500 days last week.

During that stretch, the 37-year-olds have had lengthy rivalries with The Street Profits, RK-Bro, The New Day and, more recently, The Brawling Brutes. However, The Usos' most acclaimed work has come as members of The Bloodline alongside their cousin and WWE universal heavyweight champion Roman Reigns.

The storyline involving the Tribal Chief's enlisting his family to dominate WWE has been the most compelling long-term program the company has produced in the last few years. The recent addition of Sami Zayn to the fold as Honorary Uce has added a dynamic that has enthralled fans.

The Usos' historic reign doesn't have an end in sight, and this well-deserved recognition is another accomplishment to add to the mantle of the future Hall of Famers.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

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Triple H Was 'Very Unhappy' with William Regal's WWE Release

The current worst-kept secret in wrestling is that William Regal will soon be headed back to WWE.

Regal was written off AEW programming during last Wednesday's Dynamite when he was attacked from behind by MJF. That came a week after Jon Moxley told his former mentor to leave and never come back.

What we're saying is Regal's exit wasn't exactly subtle.

Fightful Select confirmed rumors of Regal's exit and his impending return to WWE. The writing was seemingly on the wall since the moment Triple H took over creative from Vince McMahon, given the close personal friendship between The Game and Regal.

Fightful reported Triple H was "very unhappy" with Regal's sudden release this year. Many in WWE felt Regal was a "lifer" for the NXT brand, a sentiment echoed consistently by Triple H.

It's expected that Regal will rejoin WWE officially in a backstage role.

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Triple H Was Not a Fan of 24/7 Championship

In case the "retiring the belt by having Nikki Cross throw it in the trash" incident wasn't enough of a hint, apparently Triple H was never too fond of the 24/7 Championship.

Fightful Select reported WWE's chief content officer never mentioned the title during creative meetings.

"The WWE 24/7 championship wasn’t just put on the back burner; it was taken off the stove altogether," the Fightful report read.

Dana Brooke defended the championship regularly on house shows, but the belt was almost completely absent from television from the moment Triple H took the reins from McMahon. There were even several title changes at house shows that were never acknowledged as canon.

Brooke dropped the 24/7 Championship to Cross during the Nov. 7 edition of Raw. Cross then immediately threw the belt in—OK, well, near—the garbage in a backstage segment.

WWE lists the 24/7 championship as being retired, and it hasn't been missed in the slightest since its departure. While there were occasional fun moments, the 24/7 title had long outlived its usefulness.

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Sami Zayn Talks Bloodline Story Origins

Sami Zayn is the best thing in professional wrestling right now. Full stop. There is no debate. Everything he says and does turns to instant gold, and his inclusion into The Bloodline infused life into a storyline that was arguably getting a little repetitive.

Speaking on the Cheap Heat podcast, Zayn went into detail on how a backstage kinship with The Usos and Roman Reigns helped carry over on to the screen.

"It’s a story we’ve told for six months, but Jimmy really is a laid-back dude," Zayn said. "The relationship that we had on screen is very, very similar to the relationship we have backstage. So there was a funny thing that I just saw, where it was a video from, I think, 2019 or 2020, of us doing the handshake because that’s our real-life handshake.

"Then I saw these people like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just something they did for the story. This isn’t just something they’re doing for TV. This is their actual greeting that they do in the locker room.’ The Usos have cool handshakes with a lot of people. They’re the coolest, most universally adored people, and everyone has a rapport with them."

Zayn also said the idea of him working with The Bloodline actually came about more than a year ago but didn't actually make it on screen for about six months after.

We're all anticipating this storyline coming crashing down at some point, but it's been by far the best thing about wrestling.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Tyson Fury's next appearance in a ring might not be in boxing.

The heavyweight champion hinted at a return to WWE following his 10th-round TKO of Derek Chisora on Saturday.

"Wrestling, here we come! WWE, I can’t wait! Smash a chair on somebody’s head," Fury told reporters (1:20 mark).

Fury said he would be willing to team up with his father, John, to fight Jake and Logan Paul. It's worth noting it's likely WWE would be more interested in Tyson Fury would team with his brother, Tommy, than his 58-year-old father.

Tyson Fury previously appeared in WWE during 2019's Crown Jewel event, defeating Braun Strowman via count out. He was also involved in Drew McIntyre's match with Roman Reigns at this year's Clash at the Castle event, knocking out Austin Theory when he attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.

McIntyre and Fury were friendly after the match, singing "American Pie" to the Cardiff crowd, but have teased a one-on-one match in the past.

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H said in September the company remains eager to have Fury return in an in-ring role.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).