NXT

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

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Some in WWE Reportedly Claim Rose Asked for Release

In the wake of Mandy Rose's reported release from WWE this week, new details are emerging regarding what led up to it.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Manik Aftab of Ringside News), some within WWE have said Rose requested her release from the company two weeks ago, although there has been no legitimate confirmation of those claims.

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp broke the news of Rose's release Wednesday, reporting that WWE made the decision that some of the content she posted on her FanTime page was believed to be "outside of the parameters" of her contract.

Rose posted explicit photos and videos on FanTime behind a paywall, although some of her content was leaked onto social media.

The reported decision to release Rose came one day after she dropped the NXT Women's Championship to Roxanne Perez on Tuesday night's episode of NXT.

Rose had held the title for 413 days, which is the third-longest NXT Women's Championship reign of all time, and her loss seemed sudden.

Despite her apparent release, Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported this week that WWE remains open to bringing her back at some point if the two sides can get back on the same page.

While the terms of her potentially returning were not reported, it seems likely that WWE would want her to either get rid of her FanTime page or tone down the content because of its status as a PG product geared toward children.

For now, Rose is a free agent, meaning she could potentially test the waters with other companies such as All Elite Wrestling or Impact Wrestling.

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WWE Reportedly Weighing Multiple WrestleMania Ideas

WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is less than four months away, and WWE is reportedly still considering many different potential matches and moments for the show.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Mukherjee), WWE is batting around "multiple ideas," and every top talent in the company is being considered for "multiple different things" at the event.

While many possible matches have been speculated about, WWE has yet to announce anything for WrestleMania or give any true indication regarding what direction they are leaning in.

The most popular match that has been discussed by fans is undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns going up against his real-life cousin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

WWE hasn't so much as teased Reigns vs. The Rock, and it is completely unclear if The Rock is willing or able to clear his busy acting schedule enough to have the time needed to participate in a WrestleMania feud and match.

Fans have also speculated on Reigns putting his titles on the line against Cody Rhodes, provided he returns from his torn pectoral muscle and wins the men's Royal Rumble match.

There has even been talk of Reigns wrestling on both nights of WrestleMania with The Rock and Rhodes as his opponents, and Meltzer (h/t Andrew Ravens of WrestlingNews.co) reported that it is something WWE is at least considering.

Several other big names need to be figured into the plans as well, including Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Bianca Belair, Bobby Lashley and possibly even a returning John Cena.

Whatever WWE's plans are, they figure to become far more apparent over the next couple of months, especially at the Royal Rumble in late January.

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Shotzi Reportedly Out with Legit Injury

WWE seemingly writing Shotzi off television a couple of weeks ago was reportedly done to account for a legitimate injury.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Sunil Joseph of Ringside News), the storyline injury is meant to cover for a real injury Shotzi suffered.

The exact nature of Shotzi's injury is unclear, but in the storyline, Shotzi injured her hand after Rousey and Shayna Baszler apparently slammed it in a car door in the parking lot.

Shotzi has picked up a lot of steam on SmackDown in recent months, especially since turning face. She was even rewarded with the first one-on-one title match at a premium live event of her career.

After beating Lacey Evans, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville and Xia Li to become No. 1 contender, Shotzi fell to Rousey at Survivor Series WarGames last month.

Shotzi has not competed in a televised match since the loss to Rousey, although she faced Rousey at a live event on Nov. 27.

Until Shotzi is able to return, it appears as though Rodriguez, Morgan and the returning Tegan Nox are getting pushed as the top babyface women on the SmackDown roster.

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After her swan song as NXT women's champion, WWE abruptly released Mandy Rose, leaving her pro-wrestling future in question.

On the latest episode of NXT, Roxanne Perez ended the head of Toxic Attraction's 413-day reign. It was a monumental achievement for The Prodigy that marked a changing of the guard for the developmental brand. Unfortunately, Rose's controversial exit dominated the news cycle on Thursday.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter: "She's had the subscription service, and it got popular and lucrative. She went further and further, and the feeling was that she way, way, way crossed the line. They believe that they had absolutely no choice but to get rid of her in that situation. Again, everyone's situation is different. They promised sponsors a cleaner product as far as who the people are."

A major title loss would usually signal an end to someone's time with NXT. Apparently, Perez was a last-minute decision because WWE had already planned to release the former champion.

It's an abnormal situation, but Rose is seemingly still in good spirits. PWInsider reported that she posted the following message on her FanTime account: "Hey guys, thank you for all the messages. I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from you guys. And don't worry the page is still up! ;)"

We should also note that the woman Corey Graves deemed "God's Greatest Creation" could potentially return to WWE someday. Bryan Alvarez stated that he was under the impression that the company hadn't closed on the idea.

There is even a precedent for this because Zelina Vega went through a similar situation in 2020. Although her third-party content wasn't explicit, she was welcomed back eight months later.

Stranger things have happened. If she doesn't end up back with WWE after the dust settles, let's look at two more options for Rose.

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An Unlikely Call-up to Another Brand

The former NXT women's champion is in a better position than some fans might initially think. Her character change may have been divisive, but it's impossible to deny that going back to the developmental stage was a successful move.

The 32-year-old auspiciously reinvented herself and essentially became the face of the brand. Many on-air segments centered around Toxic Attraction, and the stable held all of its women's titles.

As such, the trio seemed destined to finish up and make a big splash on the main roster next year. Instead, Rose is in a unique situation as a wrestler who just experienced the best run of her career.

Her stint with NXT proved that she could thrive given the right opportunity and environment to continue to grow. Even more, the controversy ironically allowed her to leave before WWE booked her in a smaller role, and she's probably more popular than ever.

This would make her an intriguing addition to All Elite Wrestling's women's division. She could immediately offer the company someone with name recognition and significant buzz. Even more, Rose would add variety to a roster that primarily focuses on work rate and grounded characters.

Some of AEW's core fanbase may reject her. However, it would give Tony Khan the chance to introduce a heel character that immediately clashes with his established babyfaces and subdued presentation.

It wouldn't even be a bad idea to lean into her superficial traits and play up the fact that she would be coming in with more success than other women he signed. Rose would probably stand out like a sore thumb, but that could be an advantage because she brings something drastically different to the table.

There is also a bevy of fresh matchups for her and names from WWE she has experience working with. Given their time together as Absolution, Saraya quickly comes to mind as a potential opponent.

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Could Mandy Rose Enter the Impact Zone

Impact Wrestling would also be a terrific option for the Yorktown Heights, New York, native. The Knockouts division is consistently a highlight of its programming.

The company also utilizes most of its women better than its competitors, so Scott D'Amore and Gail Kim would likely find an ideal spot for her. Her persona would also be a more natural fit because Impact has done other acts in that wheelhouse.

This may not be the most glamorous move for Rose, but it would allow her to continue to build up a substantial body of work. Working with names like Jordynne Grace, Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly, Su Yung and Giselle Shaw could be a nice change of pace as well.

Signing with Impact helped Deonna Purrazzo turn her release into a remarkable success story in 2020. It could be just as beneficial for Rose. In fact, she has a bit of a head start because she doesn't have to recreate her mystique as The Virtuoso did.

Wherever she goes, Rose can say she went out on top as the third-longest reigning women's champion in NXT history. More to the point, she can legitimately claim she redefined the brand in her image.

Her status may seem dire now, but the NXT star will land on her feet. It's a safe bet that she will eventually head back to WWE. Regardless, she will find a way to get back on TV in 2023 even if it's with a new home. She has proved she is willing to take setbacks in stride and exceed expectations, which makes her valuable.