This week's Friday night block of wrestling featured the final WWE and AEW shows of 2022, so both companies wanted to go out with a bang. Jade Cargill put the...
John Cena kept a 20-year streak intact Friday night, returning to SmackDown for a year-closing main event in which he partnered with Kevin Owens to battle Sami...
WWE Rumors on Goldberg's Contract, John Cena's Return and Chelsea Green's Future
Dec 19, 2022
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Bill Goldberg attends WWE 20th Anniversary Celebration Marking Premiere of WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX at Staples Center on October 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.
Goldberg Hasn't Re-Signed With WWE
Apparently rumors of Goldberg signing a new deal with WWE have been exaggerated.
Fightful Select reported the Hall of Famer has not signed with WWE and will have his contract expire at the end of this year.
There had been rumors of Goldberg signing a new two-year deal that included five guaranteed matches. The excitement around the rumor centered on three of those five matches being against opponents Goldberg has previously not faced, seemingly in an attempt to elevate them on the Saudi or WrestleMania stages.
While it's possible (if not likely) WWE ultimately does re-sign Goldberg, his lack of contract as the year draws to a close is noteworthy. He's been absent from WWE television since losing to Roman Reigns at February's Elimination Chamber match, and it's fair to wonder if the company has gotten the most possible use out of the 55-year-old.
Whereas Goldberg's return was a welcome surprise for Monday Night Wars fans, there has been diminishing returns as each subsequent match has felt less special.
John Cena's In-Ring Return Driving Ticket Sales
It turns out John Cena was not ready for his 20th WWE anniversary to go off without appearing in a match.
Cena was surprisingly named as Kevin Owens' tag team partner for a match against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn for the Dec. 30 edition of SmackDown, continuing his 20-year streak of having at least one match in a WWE ring. The company had promoted Cena making an appearance, but most assumed he would be making an announcement about joining the Royal Rumble or setting up WrestleMania plans.
Instead, it'll be Cena standing next to a formal mortal enemy in Owens and taking on The Bloodline to close out 2022.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said the announcement should help WWE sell out the show in Tampa, Florida.
"John Cena is real special. We know from last summer, he moved numbers," Meltzer said. "When he came back on Raw that one night, they sold out the show. And they're gonna sell out Tampa. They've moved a lot of tickets, maybe 2,000 tickets. ... when they announced Cena would be there."
That should come as no surprise, as Cena remains one of the biggest names in WWE history. His increasingly sporadic appearances on television also make him a special attraction whenever he decides to step into the ring.
Putting him in the ring with Owens will be a nice touch to KO's stellar 2022 as well, given he was put in the Steve Austin return match spotlight at WrestleMania.
Chelsea Green Set for WWE Return
WWE's women's roster is expected to be bolstered in the coming weeks by the addition of Chelsea Green.
Fightful Select reported Green's return to the company is imminent. She made her first appearance in the company all the way back in 2014 as part of a mistress angle with Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan, before being part of the Tough Enough series a year later.
Green would sign with WWE in 2018 and remain with the company in 2021, but her career never really took off due to injuries. Strong runs in Impact and NWA have followed, setting the stage for her to perhaps finally get a proper WWE run.
Of course, this will also lead to speculation of a return for Matt Cardona, Green's husband. Cardona was known as Zack Ryder in WWE for more than a decade before being released in 2020. He's since repackaged himself as one of the hottest acts on the independent circuit and has admitted he's open to a WWE return.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).
The Royal Rumble is one of the marquee events on the WWE calendar and as such, has been home to some truly unforgettable moments since its inception way back...
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John Cena Announces Tag Team With Kevin Owens to Fight Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn
Dec 17, 2022
John Cena attends the "Bumblebee" panel on day two of Comic-Con International on Friday, July 20, 2018, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
One of the greatest wrestlers of all time is set to return to a WWE ring soon.
Sixteen-time world champion John Cena announced that he will be teaming with Kevin Owens to take on Sami Zayn and WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a tag match on this year's final episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Dec. 30.
John Cena announces he's tagging with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on Dec. 30's SmackDown 🍿🔥
Cena's return to the ring will mark the 20th consecutive year he's competed in a WWE match since his debut in 2002. The 45-year-old has not yet wrestled in 2022 after successfully transitioning into a career as a full-time actor.
After his acclaimed appearance as the Peacemaker in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad, Cena starred in a spin-off series based on the character that debuted in January on HBO Max. The series received positive reviews and was renewed for a second season a month after it premiered on the streaming platform.
Cena is also set to reprise his role in the Fast & Furious franchise for the 2023 film Fast X, which is in post-production and has a release date of May 19. He had debuted in the franchise in F9 last year as Jakob Toretto, the younger brother of the main character Dominic Toretto, who is portrayed by Vin Diesel.
The last time Cena wrestled was at SummerSlam 2021 in a championship match against Reigns, which he lost. This past June, he returned to Monday Night Raw to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his main roster debut.
Cena's partnership with Owens is a fun pairing, considering Owens made his WWE debut by sparking a rivalry with the legendary performer in 2015. Owens has been engaged in a feud with Reigns, Zayn and the rest of The Bloodline for months now, so adding Cena to the mix is an exciting way to close out the year.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).
John Cena to Appear on WWE SmackDown Dec. 30 Following Rumors of Return
Dec 9, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 18: John Cena, Wipeout on TBS and Peacemaker on HBO Max attends the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2022 arrivals on the red carpet at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 18, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)
Legendary WWE Superstar John Cena is set to make his return to WWE programming later this month.
Mark your calendars, @JohnCena is coming back to #SmackDown on December 30th!
Joe Otterson of Variety first reported Friday that Cena would appear on the Dec. 30 episode of SmackDown, which is being held in Cena's adopted hometown of Tampa, Florida.
While WWE has yet to confirm the upcoming appearance, a source told Otterson to expect some announcements in the coming weeks.
Cena is one of the most decorated performers in WWE history, as his 16 world title reigns are tied with WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair for the most ever in professional wrestling.
While Cena was the unquestioned face of WWE for the better part of 15 years, he has made only sporadic appearances for the company in recent years due to his commitments as a rising star in Hollywood.
The 45-year-old Cena last did something with WWE in June when he appeared on an episode of Raw to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut.
Cena did not wrestle or set up a future match, but he cut a promo in which he thanked the fans, and he took part in several backstage segments, including a memorable confrontation with Austin Theory.
Aside from an untelevised dark match in September 2021, Cena's most recent in-ring action came in August 2021 when he lost a Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.
Cena wrestled several live event matches during that time, prompting WWE to coin it "The Summer of Cena."
If Cena does show up on the final SmackDown of 2022, it isn't yet known if it will be a one-off appearance or the start of something bigger.
The Royal Rumble premium live event is set for Jan. 28 in San Antonio, so Cena could very well announce his entry into the men's Royal Rumble match or set the stage for a different match on the card.
Cena has not competed at WrestleMania since WrestleMania 36 in 2020, and fans have eagerly anticipated his return to the biggest stage in the sport.
Doing something at the Royal Rumble would be the ideal way to build toward a WrestleMania match, and appearing on the Dec. 30 SmackDown will serve to fuel speculation of his involvement.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
Mia Yim Talks WWE Return; AJ Styles Praises John Cena; Natalya Undergoes Surgery
Nov 8, 2022
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Yim Talks Returning to WWE
Mia Yim made her surprise return to WWE on Monday night's episode of Raw, backing The O.C. in their rivalry with The Judgment Day.
After AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson fell to Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio at Crown Jewel due primarily to interference from Rhea Ripley, The O.C. found themselves an equalizer in the form of Yim.
After Yim took out Ripley with a kendo stick on Raw, she discussed her return to WWE in an exclusive interview for WWE's social media channels:
Yim noted that she is ready to "get my retribution," which was seemingly a nod to the group she was involved with prior to her release from WWE last year.
After enjoying success in NXT for a couple of years under the moniker "The Head Baddie in Charge," Yim was called up to the main roster as part of Retribution and given the name Reckoning.
Yim also had a far different appearance as Reckoning, as she wore a Hannibal Lecter-style mask to match the unique look of her stablemates.
Retribution ultimately flopped, and Yim was released from her WWE contract almost exactly one year ago. She returned to Impact Wrestling, where she previously held the Knockouts Championship, and enjoyed success before getting the call back to NXT.
Given how poorly her first main roster run went, Yim has plenty of unfinished business, and she is seemingly now in a much better position to establish herself.
Triple H is now the head of creative, and he was chiefly responsible for signing Yim in the first place and pushing her in NXT. Triple H has already placed her in a significant storyline, which bodes well for her moving forward.
Styles Praises Cena's In-Ring Acumen
John Cena is one of AJ Styles' greatest in-ring rivals, but The Phenomenal One wasn't too sure about Cena's wrestling ability until they went at it for the first time.
During an interview with the Halftime Show (h/t WrestlingInc's Phil Hall), Styles divulged that Cena "surprised" him with his in-ring performances since he was "not known for being a technical mastermind in the ring."
Styles added: "[Cena is] just good—there's no way to say it. He knows what he's doing. Again, it's just one of those things where you thought, 'I'm the superior wrestler in the ring.' But once you get in there with John Cena, you realize, 'Well, okay, I didn't know that. Let's keep going.' He's pretty good."
When Styles arrived in WWE as a surprise entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, his reputation preceded him as one of the best pure wrestlers in the world thanks to his time with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor.
At that time, there was no denying Cena's status as the top dog in the business, but a large portion of the WWE fanbase tended to criticize and question his ability to have great matches.
Cena's series of bouts went a long way toward changing the perception, as they had universally praised clashes at Money in the Bank 2016, SummerSlam 2016 and Royal Rumble 2017.
Those matches helped Styles get over as a top star in WWE as well, and it can be argued that they still stand as the best matches he has had during his WWE run.
Natalya Undergoes Surgery on Nose
Natalya announced Monday that she underwent surgery to reset her nose after suffering a dislocation:
We moved my dislocated nose back to the center of my face where it belongs!! I love the shape of my nose and it will stay the same, thank goodness! Can finally breathe again🙏 Pain is beauty! LFG! 😂 pic.twitter.com/V6zZTivjHQ
John Pollock of Post Wrestling later reported that the injury was a work and part of a storyline, meant to allow Natalya to undergo pre-planned nasal surgery.
After years of speculation regarding an alliance between Baszler and Ronda Rousey on WWE's main roster, it finally came to fruition a couple of weeks ago when Baszler attacked Nattie backstage, much to the delight of Rousey.
Baszler then faced her former tag team partner in a match on SmackDown last week, which was when the broken nose angle took place.
Since Triple H took over as head of creative, he has seemingly been hard at work re-establishing Baszler as a threat.
While Baszler has had success on the main roster in tag teams, her greatest success occurred in NXT as a singles wrestler. The Queen of Spades was a dominant force, holding the NXT Women's Championship twice for a total of 548 days, which is the longest cumulative time as women's champ in NXT history.
Rousey and Baszler are both former UFC fighters and close friends in real life, so it makes sense to move forward with them as a dangerous heel pairing.
As for Nattie, she is seemingly in line to miss some time, which will leave SmackDown without an important veteran presence in the women's division.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
