Jon Moxley

For a moment, it looked like WWE wouldn't be able to counter All Elite Wrestling's epic Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho top title feud—right in the middle of WrestleMania season, no less. 

That's not to say WWE wouldn't have big drawing power for its biggest event of the year, but watching a part-timer take the main title feud and a not-so-popular title match from SmackDown just wouldn't have the same weight as the classic storyline AEW has been putting on with Moxley-Jericho. 

But WWE came through. While the two companies swear they aren't competing with one another, fans will do nothing but compare them, especially as WWE heads toward 'Mania and AEW steers course for Revolution on February 29.

It's good then that WWE has pulled the unexpected with that classic Royal Rumble match featuring Brock Lesnar making history and Drew McIntyre ascending to not only eliminate The Beast Incarnate, but also to go on to challenge him in the main event of WrestleMania 36. 

So the question, while simple, is quite complex: Will WWE or AEW's top feud be better?

On the WWE side, whether in response to the competition or not, the company has finally decided to put over a top growing talent as the next "guy."

McIntyre is everything many WWE fans have asked for over the years as a non-Roman Reigns or Seth Rollins guy who ascends to the main event and has an actual chance at being a casual, marketable star. 

Rest assured WWE could have easily went with Lesnar against a part-timer such as Cain Velasquez or even Tyson Fury. It didn't, though, which could be symbolic in a potential change in approach to make fans happy.

And it's also an incredible meta-story, as McIntyre originally debuted in WWE as a chosen one of Vince McMahon but flopped, joined a jobber group and eventually left the company. He reinvented himself elsewhere and returned—wrestling companies don't usually stumble into rare territory like this. 

But the same can be said for AEW. Jericho was always going to be top guy for the company, and even the most devoted WWE fan would have to admit he's likely the best in the business on the mic right now. From the hilarious video packages to the must-see promos, he makes everything electric. 

And it's even better with Moxley, the man formerly known as Dean Ambrose. Maybe he wasn't in AEW's plans from the beginning, but the company has its "Stone Cold" character now, their best-in-the-world contender who fluidly stayed away from the title scene for as long as possible before swarming down to spar with Jericho and his members of the Inner Circle. 

It's Jericho's posse that assures AEW has the better feud from a building standpoint. As we've already seen, McIntyre and Lesnar aren't going to interact too much before WrestleMania on April 5. The collision once they're in the ring at the big event will be of epic proportions, but fans will probably hear more from Paul Heyman than anyone else. 

Moxley and Jericho, not so much. The sheer entertainment value that is Moxley picking through members of the Inner Circle is just too good to pass up. The champion's tale that is being shocked out of his cocky dad-bod-rocker character back into this conniving, dangerous villain has been fun to watch. 

Where WWE might hold an advantage here is actual match quality. Jericho hasn't been the best in the ring for a while now. It still works, but it should be interesting to see how the 49-year-old pairs with Moxley right now. 

The same doesn't apply on the WWE side. Lesnar puts on a money match with almost anyone, elevating them in the process. He's had massive heavyweight bouts with Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman, but he's also made smaller guys such as Finn Balor and Daniel Bryan look downright incredible. 

The Beast is sure to do the same with McIntyre, who is an amazing performer in his own right and usually goes out of his way to do some unexpectedly athletic moves on top of the usual power stuff. 

Ultimately, this one might come down to personal preference. Those who want to see a better build might enjoy the AEW side more; those who want a big payoff match that is unforgettable will turn to WWE. 

Either way, one company is likely to crown arguably wrestling's outright biggest star who had the gall to jump away from the biggest company around to its direct competition. The other is likely to squash longstanding, problematic booking issues at the top of the card by crowning one of the most deserving names in the sport whose personal journey is both relatable and fascinating. 

If this reads like the real winners will be wrestling fans as a whole, that's because it happens to be the story here. The better feud will be an eye-of-beholder thing, but the fact it's even a conversation is a testament to the work both promotions have put on leading to the next month or so. 

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

WWE Reportedly Discussed Sting for Super ShowDown

Just three weeks away from WWE's return to Saudi Arabia, PWInsider.com (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.) reported company officials "made a push a few weeks back" about possibly using Sting on the Super ShowDown event. 

The report noted those talks died down as of Monday's Raw, nor was it clear in what capacity Sting might have been used. 

Sting hasn't appeared on WWE television since a brief showing on Raw for Ric Flair's 70th birthday celebration in February 2019. The Hall-of-Famer has retired from in-ring competition after suffering a neck injury in his final match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions in 2015.

One hallmark of WWE events in Saudi Arabia is the use of legends to boost the show's profile. Shawn Michaels came out of retirement in November 2018 for a one-off tag team match with Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane at Crown Jewel. 

Flair and Hulk Hogan were team captains for a 10-man tag match at Crown Jewel last October. Sting could be used in a managerial capacity just to get him on the show, but it doesn't sound like there is an idea for him to be on the Feb. 27 show. 

Killer Kross Reports to Performance Center

WWE continues to stockpile talent, with Killer Kross joining Timothy Thatcher as the newest arrivals to the Performance Center this week. 

Kross has been wrestling since 2014 and made his debut with a major promotion the following year in Global Force Wrestling. The Las Vegas native has also spent time in Lucha Underground, AAA, Impact Wrestling and Major League Wrestling. 

WWE also noted Kross was recognized as a rising star by the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2018. 

One advantage WWE has over other promotions is its television exposure. Running three live shows each week gives the company an opportunity to use more people and make them into household names in the blink of an eye. 

For someone like Killer Kross, his high-flying lucha style should make it easy for him to stand out on whichever brand he eventually goes to. 

Eric Bischoff Talks About Jon Moxley

As Jon Moxley prepares to headline AEW's Revolution pay-per-view on Feb. 29, Eric Bischoff spoke about him potentially being the top guy in the promotion. 

On his 83 Weeks podcast (h/t Marco Rovere of Wrestling Inc.), Bischoff doesn't think Moxley is quite ready to carry AEW on his back. 

"Not yet," he said. "I gotta be honest, I like his character, I like his work, I like the fact that he is kind of this enigma in a way. There's a lot of things I like about him, but the top guy? If I'm being honest, no I don't."

Bischoff added he finds Moxley's character "two dimensional" and would like to see him find more "depth" to get where Chris Jericho is at. 

AEW would seem to disagree with Bischoff's assessment since Moxley will be challenging Jericho for the world championship on the company's first pay-per-view of 2020.

In fact, this will be Moxley's second straight pay-per-view main event. He defeated Kenny Omega in a non-sanctioned match at Full Gear last November. 

This doesn't guarantee that Moxley will beat Jericho, who has been an invaluable asset for the new promotion, for the title. But the former Dean Ambrose would be a worthy champion if he happens to win the crown. 

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

Triple H Gives Super Bowl Champion Chiefs Custom WWE Championship

On the heels of the Kansas City Chiefs coming from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, Triple H revealed WWE's gift to the new world champions.

As seen in the following tweet, The Game and WWE sent a WWE Championship belt with custom Chiefs side plates to the Super Bowl winners:

WWE has made it a tradition in recent years to honor major sports champions and the Chiefs are no exception.

Things were looking dire for Kansas City in the second half when it was facing a 20-10 deficit after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions, but Mahomes threw touchdown passes to tight end Travis Kelce and running back Damien Williams in the fourth quarter to give them the lead.

A 38-yard touchdown rub by Williams sealed the deal and gave the Chiefs their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years.

It also marked the first title for Andy Reid as a head coach, and may have helped cement his status as a future Hall of Famer.

Latest on Shane's Involvement with WWE

Shane McMahon reportedly hasn't been around WWE much since losing a "Loser Leaves WWE" ladder match to Kevin Owens on SmackDown in October.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Shane-O-Mac isn't working as a backstage producer or agent for WWE either.

There was some speculation than McMahon had taken on that role after Meltzer reported that he helped put together the men's Royal Rumble match won by Drew McIntyre last month.

Prior to losing the match to Owens, McMahon was featured regularly on both Raw and SmackDown, and was one of the company's top heels. In addition to being an authority figure, McMahon wrestled quite often as well.

Shane had 15 matches in 2019, including a WrestleMania bout against The Miz after turning on Miz when they dropped the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The Usos.

Given how often McMahon was on television, it felt like a portion of the audience was tiring of him, which is likely why the "Loser Leaves WWE" stipulation was utilized.

Shane is seemingly in great shape and capable of putting on some quality matches even at 50 years old, and it may only be a matter of time before he resurfaces and contributes as an on-screen character once again.

Moxley Cuts Promo on AEW Champ Jericho

AEW World Championship No. 1 contender Jon Moxley cut a promo on titleholder Chris Jericho following last week's episode of AEW Dynamite.

AEW released the promo Sunday on Twitter, and it featured Moxley taking a defiant stance against Jericho and The Inner Circle:

The Inner Circle beat down Darby Allin and Private Party after beating them in the six-man tag team main event, which prompted Moxley to run down with a bat.

Moxley and The Inner Circle have been at odds ever since Moxley turned down an opportunity to join them. That led to The Inner Circle injuring Moxley's eye, and it has forced him to wear an eye patch over the past few weeks.

Despite the injury, Moxley beat Pac to earn the No. 1 contendership, and he will challenge Jericho for the AEW World title at AEW Revolution on Feb. 29.

Jericho is the only world champion AEW has ever known to this point, but Moxley has a ton of momentum on his side. He also expressed a great deal of confidence by saying that Jericho "already knows deep down" that his reign is over.

Moxley is slated to face Ortiz of The Inner Circle on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite, and it stands to reason that the stable will be out for blood after what Moxley did last week.

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