Chris Jericho

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

Jericho Praises Vince's Workout Routine

Even at 75 years of age, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon works out regularly and is in fantastic physical condition as a result.

Among those who are impressed by Vince's regimen is former WWE and current AEW star Chris Jericho.

According to Sai Mohan of WrestlingInc.com, Jericho commented this week on an Instagram video of McMahon working out, writing: "VkM is the REAL Terminator!!!"

Vince's love for working out has long been apparent, as he always looked to be in just as good of shape as the full-time wrestlers when he wrestled on occasion in the 1990s and 2000s.

Even so, seeing McMahon still working out at such a high level is remarkable when you consider the lifestyle most 75-year-olds lead.

Jericho's comment is notable as well since some may have the perception that he is not on good terms with Vince or WWE after signing with AEW rather than returning to the company in which he became a huge star.

It is no secret that Jericho takes shots at WWE from time to time, but it is clear that he still has a great deal of respect for his longtime boss.

Perhaps it stems from the fact that Jericho continues to excel in his field at an age when most wrestlers have long retired.

At 50, Jericho is one of AEW's top stars and a former AEW world champion. He is also seemingly on the verge of entering into a major program with MJF after MJF turned on The Inner Circle a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Vince is preparing to put on the biggest spectacle in pro wrestling in the form of WrestleMania 37, which will emanate from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, next month.

Rumors on Charlotte Flair's Status

Charlotte Flair has not been on Raw for the past couple of weeks, and she revealed why Monday, announcing that she tested positive for COVID-19:

That put to rest rumors that she was at odds with WWE amid the release of her fiancé, Andrade, from his WWE contract this week.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider confirmed that, reporting that Flair's absence was "not related in any way" to the Andrade situation.

Even so, Charlotte's WrestleMania 37 status is now up in the air, as Rhea Ripley debuted Monday on Raw and challenged Raw women's champion Asuka to a title match at WrestleMania, and Asuka accepted.

Flair had previously announced her intention to face Asuka for the Raw women's title, and while it is possible she will return in the coming weeks to make it a Triple Threat, that is far from guaranteed.

One intriguing scenario to consider is a switching of brands, as Johnson reported that there was internal discussion about Charlotte appearing on SmackDown this week.

It is unclear if she will be cleared from COVID in time to make that happen, but if she is, it may be WWE's best opportunity to make the WrestleMania card as big as possible.

With Bianca Belair challenging Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania, it leaves Bayley without a storyline and match despite the fact that she and Sasha essentially carried the women's division through the pandemic.

It would be a nice gesture on WWE's part to shift Charlotte to SmackDown, even if it's just temporary, for a brief feud with Bayley culminating in a WrestleMania match.

Although it would be out of left field to some degree, they have plenty of history, so it wouldn't be difficult to build a rivalry in a few short weeks.

Doing so would also ensure that two of WWE's top female Superstars have a big match at WrestleMania, which they undoubtedly deserve.

Reported Ali Injury Possibly Changed Retribution Plans

Retribution leader Mustafa Ali has reportedly been working hurt since December with an injury that will require surgery.

According to Nick Hasuman of WrestlingInc.com, Ali suffered a torn PCL in his knee during a match against Ricochet in December. He was reportedly told it would require surgery and rehab but decided to work through it.

The original plans were reportedly for a blow-off angle involving Retribution to take place at WrestleMania 37, but it may have already happened at Fastlane.

After Ali lost a United States Championship match against Riddle at Fastlane, Ali berated the other members of Retribution. Reckoning and Slapjack walked away, while T-Bar and Mace chokeslammed Ali.

Hausman noted that while it is possible WWE will continue the Retribution angle for a few more weeks and officially blow it off at WrestleMania, it may have already reached its conclusion.

There was no mention of Ali or Retribution on Raw, which could be a sign that WWE is ready to move on from the stable.

Retribution began appearing on WWE programming in August, and Ali was introduced as the leader in October.

While WWE gave Retribution a lot of screen time initially, the group never truly gained its footing and was never booked in any huge angles or given any significant victory.

Retribution has run its course, so it would likely be best for all involved if WWE simply moves on and counts Fastlane as the demise of the group.

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

AEW star Paul Wight, who previously wrestled in WWE as Big Show, revealed this week that he was supposed to be part of a match involving Justin Bieber at SummerSlam in 2014.

Appearing on Talk Is Jericho with fellow AEW star Chris Jericho (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth), Wight said:

"Years ago, I had worked out, for one of the SummerSlam's in L.A., with a very good friend who was working with Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber, and it was going to be John Cena, The Big Show and Justin Bieber vs. The Wyatts at SummerSlam. Bieber was on board. He was excited. He wanted to work out with John and I. This was a really really big deal, and this is when that app first came out and all that other crap."

Wight noted that the match didn't happen since WWE wavered on the idea and the notion of paying Bieber for the match, leading to Bieber's manager working out something else for his client outside of WWE:

"And then one of the people that are making decisions said, 'I just don't see how Justin Bieber's going to relate to our audience.' It's like, does anyone not see the amount of eyes Justin Bieber would bring to that match? I think WWE offered to help promote his album. You're dealing with Scooter Braun. Scooter Braun's all about cash, and they jacked Scooter around for about two weeks. And Scooter's like, 'Listen, it's not going to happen. I got the kid a million dollars to watch a soccer game, and they're flying down him down on a private jet.'"

With Bieber out of the picture, the other Superstars who were supposed to be involved in the match were placed in significantly different spots.

Bray Wyatt would beat Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar decimated Cena in the main event to win the WWE Championship and Wight was not on the card.

Former WWE writer Kevin Eck was the first person to go public about the plans for a Bieber match at SummerSlam 2014 when he wrote about it on his website in 2015.

Unlike Wight, Eck didn't say why the match didn't come to fruition, but he did reveal how the booking may have gone.

Eck said the proposed creative direction was for Cena, Bieber and Big Show to win the match, only for Cena to hit Bieber with an Attitude Adjustment afterward due to Bieber obnoxiously trying to take credit for the win.

Pro wrestling purists are likely happy the match didn't happen, although there is no doubt Bieber's involvement would have increased mainstream interest in SummerSlam.

Failing to come to terms with Bieber clearly didn't sour WWE on using celebrities in big angles, though, as rapper Bad Bunny is currently a regular character on WWE programming and seems likely to team with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37 next month.

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 the WWE Universe.

Soulja Boy Challenges Orton to Fight

Rapper Soulja Boy continued his recent Twitter feud with WWE Superstar Randy Orton on Tuesday by challenging The Viper to a match.

The issues between Soulja Boy and Orton started last month when Soulja Boy tweeted: "Rap game faker than WWE."

Orton responded on a couple of occasions, including with the following tweet on Tuesday:

Soulja Boy then replied to that tweet, writing: "Yeah that s--t is fake homeboy. And I don't got no baby mommas fool. Looks like your the one looking for relevancy. Enough talking set it up so I can slide on u for the gang, u think s--t sweet huh."

Given how deeply entrenched he is in WWE, Orton has a reputation for having no filter on Twitter. He often uses that platform to stand up for the business he has dedicated his life to.

Many wrestlers and wrestling fans have responded positively to Orton going off on Soulja Boy, and there is no doubt that there would be plenty of interest in them mixing it up.

With rapper Bad Bunny holding the WWE 24/7 Championship and Bow Wow wanting to become a WWE Superstar as well, there is more crossover between WWE and the rap world than ever before.

It is difficult to imagine Orton vs. Soulja Boy actually happening, especially since Soulja Boy isn't mainstream currently, but WWE has a long history of working with celebrities to great effect.

Jericho Says Vince Hates the Term 'Rasslin'

AEW star Chris Jericho provided some insight into how WWE Chairman Vince McMahon views the term "rasslin" and the meaning behind it.

Appearing on the Barstool Sports podcast Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth), Jericho said: "You know who hates the word 'rasslin?' Vince McMahon. That's how he'll equate something if it's a bad idea. He'll go, 'Oh, that's such a rasslin idea. That's just rasslin.'"

There isn't necessarily a hard-and-fast definition for "rasslin," but it essentially refers to old-school professional wrestling, especially the type of wrestling that occurred in the south. It largely existed before McMahon took WWE national and global, and started referring to his brand as "sports entertainment."

It is no secret that McMahon has pushed for use of the term "sports entertainment" instead of "wrestling" over the years, but the grip has seemingly loosened recently, as the word "wrestling" is used fairly often now in WWE.

Vince's apparent hatred for "rasslin" likely derives from the fact that he viewed the professional wrestling business as something bigger and more grandiose than it was in the territory days.

That is what led to the creation of WrestleMania, which was a spectacle so big that it helped WWE overshadow all other wrestling companies and essentially destroy the territory system that existed for decades.

Currently, there are many other wrestling promotions enjoying success, such as AEW, Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but WWE undoubtedly remains the worldwide leader, so it is difficult to argue with McMahon's philosophy.

Omega Set for Exploding Ring Explanation, Impact Title Match

On the heels of his win over Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch at AEW Revolution on Sunday, AEW World champion Kenny Omega is in for a busy several weeks.

Unfortunately for Omega and Moxley, their match was overshadowed by an embarrassing ending to the pay-per-view when the highly touted "explosion" of the ring ended up only being a few sparklers. That, in turn, made everyone look bad, including Eddie Kingston, who sold the explosion while trying to save Mox.

AEW President Tony Khan tried to explain it away by saying Omega "built a dud" since he was responsible for building the ring from a storyline sense, although it didn't add up based on the way Kingston and the announce team reacted.

During an appearance on Impact Wrestling this week, Khan promised an explanation from Omega on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite.

It was also revealed on Impact that Omega is in line for a huge match in the near future following a unification match between Impact World champion Rich Swann and TNA World Heavyweight champion Moose.

The winner of that match will face Omega at Impact Wrestling's Rebellion pay-per-view on April 24 in a title vs. title match.

It seems unfathomable that Omega will drop the AEW World Championship to Swann or Moose, meaning Omega will likely add another belt to his collection, which already includes the AEW World title and the AAA Mega Championship.

Omega has been working with Impact often in recent months due to his relationship with Impact executive Don Callis, and with a huge match scheduled, it looks like he could be in the mix for Impact for a long time to come.

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

If you go up to any wrestling fan and say "And that's the bottom line...," they will almost certainly reply with "Because Stone Cold said so." 

Catchphrases are a common way for any performer to make themselves memorable. We have seen them utilized by actors, musicians, athletes and, of course, pro wrestlers. 

Steve Urkel's "Did I do that?" might be one of the most recognizable signature lines in all of media, and the reason it was so memorable was because Jaleel White's delivery was so good. 

Having a catchphrase, whether it be a few words or an entire sentence, creates more than just a memorable line. It makes that person or character more marketable and adds value.

Professional wrestlers have used catchphrases for decades. Almost every legend has at least one thing they would say on a regular basis. In the case of somebody like The Rock, a person can have several quotable lines.

Let's take a look at how pro wrestlers have used catchphrases through history, why they are an important part of certain characters and how they are used. 

For the Children

While pro wrestling is definitely enjoyed by many adults, the business has been heavily targeted toward a younger audience since the 1980s. 

Kids connected to the bright outfits, larger-than-life personalities, wild action and outlandish storylines. For many children, Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker were just as important as Bugs Bunny and Bart Simpson.

One common theme among almost all characters designed to appeal to children is the use of repetitive language. Not only does it help younger viewers remember things easier, but it almost imprints these phrases on our brains.

You could go 50 years without ever seeing anything related to pro wrestling and you will still remember Randy Savage used to say "Ooh yeah." 

Catchphrases give kids something to say when they are pretending to be their favorite wrestlers and they give WWE, All Elite Wrestling and other promotions something they can slap on a shirt for a huge markup. 

Monetizing Words

Speaking of merchandise, pro wrestlers are encouraged to develop their own signature phrase because it will make them more marketable.

Sales of shirts, hats, toys, video games and anything else that can be monetized are almost as important as TV ratings and ticket sales. One of the reasons WWE has been so successful is that it sells almost anything you could want for every big star.

Hulk Hogan's personality and physique were part of his draw, but it was phrases such as "Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" that added an extra level of value to his character.

Savage's favorite line became synonymous with the Slim Jim brand in the 1990s and helped make both him and the snack food iconic. Even if you didn't like the processed meat sticks, you probably enjoyed the commercials and repeated the lines with Macho Man. 

Some catchphrases become multi-generational because they still work. Bret Hart used to say "I'm the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be." These days, Natalya will use that line to describe herself. 

When it comes to The Rock, WWE has profited off of his words more than anyone else. An entire show is named after a word he popularized with the phrase "Lay the SmackDown on your candy ass." It's shocking he hasn't released a cook book called "Can You Smell What The Rock is Cooking?"

Another Superhero Parallel

The similarities between pro wrestlers and superheroes are numerous. Signature attacks, spandex attire, logos and uneasy alliances are just a few of the things they share in addition to using catchphrases.

Superman's line about truth, justice and the American way is burned into our memories after almost 100 years of media from The Man of Steel. When Christian Bale played The Dark Knight, he somehow made "I'm Batman" into one of the most iconic lines from the franchise. 

While the message may be different, John Cena's mantra of hustle, loyalty and respect is reminiscent of Clark Kent's line, especially since people started calling him "SuperCena" after a few years.

This ties back to appealing to a younger audience. While modern superheroes are often written to appeal to an adult audience, especially in graphic novels, they were created and marketed to children first. Without kids buying up comics by the thousands in the 1940s, we may never have gotten the plethora of superhero-related media we have today. 

How Catchphrases are Used

Catchphrases tend to fall into one of three categories when it comes to pro wrestling. They can either work as insults, rallying cries or interview soundbites.

The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin were two of the best workers to ever hold a mic. They didn't just insult their opponents, they made sure the crowd could get in on the fun by using the same lines.

Rocky often talked about putting his boot up somebody's backside and Austin would threaten to open up a can of whoop-ass on his opponents. These lines, and many more, have become as iconic as the men who said them.

A rallying cry is something we see more often in individual promos. These are phrases used to fire up the crowd and get people to either love or hate the wrestler in question. 

Whenever DX would come to the ring, Triple H or Road Dogg would lead the charge by telling everyone in attendance to "Suck it." The crowd would always loudly repeat the line with them even when the group was more villainous.

Interview soundbites used to be the most common way for Superstars to spout their favorite sentences because we used to see guys such as "Mean" Gene Okerlund interview several people throughout a show.

Hogan even incorporated Okerlund into one of his catchphrases. That is how easy it is for these people to make something memorable. If you need more proof, look at how Daniel Bryan made it popular to simply chant the word "Yes" over and over. It got so big that people were doing it at non-WWE events. 

Ric Flair did it with his "Woo" flourish. The Miz did it with "Awesome" and "Really." Vince McMahon even turned "You're fired" into his signature line long before The Apprentice was created. 

Humans may have evolved from primates, but it's possible we also include some parrot DNA in there somewhere because we love repeating things back to the person who said it. 

Catchphrases have a long history in pro wrestling and are used in a variety of ways to help make a Superstar stand out. Without them, The Rock, Chris Jericho and many more might not be the icons they are today. 

What is your favorite pro wrestling catchphrase? Check out the other entries in this series focused on finishing moves and entrances. 

The Young Bucks beat Inner Circle members Chris Jericho and MJF at Revolution on Sunday to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships.

Jericho and MJF pushed the Bucks to their limit, but the champions eventually landed the Meltzer Driver on Jericho for the victory.

Sunday's match came about when a tag team Battle Royal was held on the Feb. 3 edition of Dynamite, with the winners earning an opportunity to challenge for the AEW world tag team titles on pay-per-view.

Jericho outlasted the rest of the field to win the match for his team, giving himself and MJF their first crack at the championships as a team.

Winning the Battle Royal came on the heels of some turmoil within The Inner Circle, as there was a match to determine which two competitors would comprise the official tag team of the group.

Ultimately, Jericho and MJF won over the teams of Santana and Ortiz, and Sammy Guevara and Jake Hager, which resulted in some bad blood among those who still weren't sold on MJF as a member of the group.

Tensions were so high that Guevara left the stable, putting it on some shaky ground entering Revolution.

As for The Young Bucks, they have been dealing with a strange situation in their own right with regard to their relationship with Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers.

While Omega, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson maintained they were friends with the Bucks, their actions begged to differ at times.

Most notably, The Inner Circle attacked Nick and Matt Jackson after a successful title defense against Santana and Ortiz on Feb. 17, but Don Callis prevented Omega from making the save and seemed to purposely hold up The Good Brothers before they finally ran off their rivals.

Jericho and MJF made life even more miserable for The Young Bucks the following week when they attacked and bloodied the Jackson brothers' father.

The Bucks had even more incentive to beat Jericho and MJF at Revolution after they made it personal, and that fuel allowed them to leave Revolution with their title reign intact.

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