¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 Issue #7480
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

What a wild open to Raw. Never heard any crowd chant "one more time" so they can hear the entrance music again.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

CM PUNK AND LIV MORGAN ADVANCE TO ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- CM Punk and Liv Morgan were the first two Superstars to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, winning their respective qualifying matches on Raw last night. Morgan was the first one in, defeating Iyo Sky via a cheap disqualification finish after Rhea Ripley attacked Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Morgan is the first one to qualify for the women's match. Later in the show during the main event portion, CM Punk defeated Sami Zayn to become the second person in the men's Elimination Chamber along with John Cena. Things got worse for Zayn who was attacked by Kevin Owens after the match. Another two qualifying matches will take place next week with Bayley taking on Intercontinental champion Lyra Valkyria and Rey Mysterio vs Logan Paul.

REPORT: ALEXA BLISS SIGNS FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH WWE

- Alexa Bliss has signed a new five-year deal with WWE according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, a deal which was signed on the morning of the Royal Rumble. Sapp wrote that Bliss was flown into Indianapolis after signing her name and was factored in the women's Royal Rumble where she made her surprise return after two years out. Shotzi was supposed to enter the match instead of Bliss and was also part of the rehearsal until the "Goddess" showed up to take the spot. The negotiations were left in the hands of The Paragon Talent Group, which was founded by Steven Kaye and former WWE Superstar Dean Muhtadi, formerly known as Mojo Rawley. "The biggest congrats to my friend, my party partner, and my client Alexa Bliss on not only the new contract, but also a pop that blew the roof off of the Royal Rumble," Muhtadi wrote on X. "Absolutely deafening!!!!! It¡¯s been a long and rewarding road with the best yet to come! Thanks for trusting me, @StevenMKaye, and our company @ParagonTG as your representation! Now let¡¯s go celebrate!!!"

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Friday Night Smackdown on the eve of the Royal Rumble drew 1,578,000 viewers, up 123,000 viewers from the prior week and the best number since November 22. Smackdown had an impressive 0.51 rating in 18-49, up 0.07 from last week and was #1 not only on cable television but in all of television including network. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

AJ STYLES MOVES TO RAW

- Raw is getting phenomenal...in the form of AJ Styles! Styles, who returned at the Royal Rumble, has officially switched brands and will now be on Netflix after Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced that he managed to score another star before the transfer window expired on Saturday. The former two-time WWE champion had not been seen on WWE television since October when he suffered a leg injury during a match against former NXT champion Carmelo Hayes. His return at the Rumble was kept as a surprise and Styles came out to his original theme song. Styles was not on Raw last night but he's advertised for next week's broadcast live from Nashville.

MICHAEL COLE RECOUNTS SEEING RIKISHI AFTER JEY USO'S RUMBLE WIN

- During the Pat McAfee Show yesterday which had Jey Uso as one of the guests, Michael Cole recounted the story of how he went back to the hotel after the Royal Rumble and Rikishi was there hosting a watch party being all emotional. "Your dad had no idea what was going on and he walked out and he had these tears in his eyes and gave me a massive hug," Cole said. "He had no words for it, he's so incredibly proud of you and as you know, he has been one of your biggest supporters through all of this in all the ups and downs in your career." Cole said that it was an incredible moment for him to see that emotion coming out from the Hall of Famer. Jey added that his father called him when he went back to the locker room and he did a FaceTime where he as joined by John Cena, CM Punk, and his brothers. "My dad knows everything in the business man, so I'm not gonna tell him everything, I'm gonna surprise him too, Uce," Jey said.

BAYLEY TO PLAY IN NBA'S ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAME

- Former WWE Women's champion Bayley is heading to the NBA All-Star weekend where she will be playing the 2025 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. Bayley is part of Team Rice, the celebrity team coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Bayley is no stranger to basketball and when she was younger, she played and was even the captain of her high school girls basketball team. The game takes place on Friday, February 14 at 7PM ET from the Oakland Arena and it airs live on ESPN.

DUKE HUDSON OF CHASE U RELEASED FROM WWE

- Fightful Wrestling is reporting that Duke Hudson, the former member of Chase U, was released from the company last month. Hudson's last appearance on NXT television came in September when he lost to Ridge Holland and the faction disbanded later in the month after Andre Chase lost against Holland as well in a match with a stipulation that if he loses, Chase U had to go. He signed with WWE in 2019 and he is a former one-time NXT Tag Team champion with Andre Chase.

RING BOYS LAWSUIT AGAINST WWE AND MCMAHONS TO CONTINUE

- The Ring Boys lawsuit against WWE which was filed this past October on behalf of five survivors is moving ahead after the Maryland Supreme Court voted 4-3 in favor. The lawsuit was able to go forward after the state's General Assembly passed the Maryland Child Victims Act in 2023. Filed by DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, the lawsuit says that the underaged Ring Boys were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr., who targeted children from broken homes. His sexual assaults occurred not only at the wrestling venues, but also in hotel rooms and other locations where Phillips would shuttle the boys in plain sight. World Wrestling Entertainment, Vincent K. McMahon, Linda McMahon, and TKO Group Holdings are listed as plaintiffs. ¡°The WWE and McMahons had a responsibility to these underaged boys, and they failed them in the worst way possible. We will vigorously fight to uncover the truth about this systemic, insidious, and life-altering abuse,¡± said Mark DiCello, founding partner of DiCello Levitt, after the lawsuit was filed. ¡°We commend our clients for their bravery in coming forward and promise to relentlessly seek justice for them.¡±

MIKE TYSON TO BE AT WRESTLECON

- The WrestleCon social media account announced that WWE Hall of Famer and boxing legend "Iron" Mike Tyson will be at this year's WrestleCon in Las Vegas during WrestleMania weekend. This is the first time that Tyson will be appearing at WrestleCon and is the first star confirmed for the popular fan convention. WrestleCon has promised that there would be over 200 wrestling personalities at this year's event. While he has not appeared on WWE television in years, Tyson did appear on AEW TV during the pandemic era although he later stated that he would preferred to be on WWE TV even though AEW paid more. Oops!


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Monday, February 3, 2025 Issue #7479
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Arrived home from my Royal Rumble trip and I'm absolutely pooped. I had nearly 40 hours of travel roundtrip and didn't sleep much so an early night for me.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

CHARLOTTE AND ANDRADE DIVORCED

- TMZ.COM is reporting that Charlotte Flair and Andrade have divorced after Flair filed papers in June 2024. The divorce was approved by a judge in October of last year. Flair, who won the Royal Rumble this past weekend, and Andrade, who returned to WWE at last year's Royal Rumble after a stint with AEW, got married in Mexico in 2022. There were rumors in the past that the two were not on good terms after they each stopped posting photographs together on social media. This was Flair's third marriage and she seems to be following her father's footsteps not only in the ring, but also in her personal life.

WWE AND TUBI OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE EVOLVE SHOW

- WWE and Tubi, Fox Corporation¡¯s ad-supported streaming service, today announced the launch of WWE EVOLVE which will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they wrestle with the dream of making it to NXT and, perhaps, one day to SmackDown and Raw. WWE EVOLVE is slated to premiere March 5, 2025, at 8PM ET, exclusively on Tubi, with a new episode dropping each week on Wednesdays. ¡°We are excited to work with our incredible partners at Tubi to showcase our young, rising talent to the WWE Universe, as they start their in-ring journey competing each week to fulfill their lifelong dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,¡± said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. ¡°The next generation of professional wrestling will unfold through the brand new series WWE EVOLVE on Tubi,¡± said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. "Tubi offers WWE access to a broad base of young, multicultural audiences who represent a wide array of fandoms and we're proud to partner as WWE develops the superstars of the future. To quote CCO Paul Levesque, ¡®Are You Ready?¡¯¡± WWE EVOLVE will introduce viewers to the most intense and charismatic prospects recruited from college athletics and independent wrestling as they strive to build their in-ring careers and elevate their personas. WWE EVOLVE will prominently feature talent from WWE¡¯s world-class Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., and WWE ID, a first-of-its-kind developmental program.

BACKSTAGE COMMOTION AT ROYAL RUMBLE FOLLOWING MCINTYRE'S EXIT

- Multiple insiders are reporting that there was some commotion backstage at the Royal Rumble following the elimination of Drew McIntyre from the match. PWInsider.com reports that McIntyre was "screaming and cursing" and exited the building before the show was over in frustration. The story suggests that other individuals were also unhappy with how certain things played out, especially concerning somebody who was said to be trying to "get himself over" rather than work the match like everybody else. The name of this person was not immediately released although judging by how his elimination went, there was a collision with Damian Priest and McIntyre who bumped into LA Knight and Logan Paul who were nearby doing their own spots.

ROYAL RUMBLE SHATTERS ATTENDANCE RECORD

- WWE weirdly announced two attendance numbers for the Royal Rumble: a graphic which said 65,407 and then Triple H and the commentary team saying 70,347. Either way, the number at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis was the the biggest Royal Rumble ever and the third-largest gate in the history of the company. The number outdraws even a lot of WrestleManias, an incredible feat considering breaking the 1997 Royal Rumble attendance record was not on the cards for this one. Originally, Lucas Oil Stadium was only half open, with the hard cam section pretty much closed off, as is the norm for non-WrestleMania stadium shows. But demand grew each day and sections were opened weekly until the whole stadium was open on the final day. Fans from all over the world packed the future WrestleMania stadium to its rafters, making this the biggest non-WrestleMania wrestling event ever in North America. With Peacock at 36 million subscribers and the show airing on Netflix around the world, it's also safe to say that this will be one of the most-watched WWE shows ever.

ROYAL RUMBLE RECORDS BY THE NUMBERS

- In a press release issued today, WWE announced that the 2025 Royal Rumble became the most-successful and highest-grossing Royal Rumble event in company history. The show generated the largest gate for any single-night event in WWE history. The 70,342 attendance is only behind WrestleMania 40 Saturday & Sunday for any single-night gate. Royal Rumble 2025 set the event¡¯s all-time viewership record, up nearly 14 percent domestically, distributed on Peacock, from last year¡¯s record-setting audience. International viewing numbers are up even higher year-over-year with Royal Rumble shifting to Netflix globally. In partnership with Fanatics, merchandise sales were up more than 95 percent versus the previous Royal Rumble record set last year in 2024, making Royal Rumble 2025 the highest-grossing non-WrestleMania event of all-time. Sponsorship revenue was up 94 percent versus the previous record set in 2024. Royal Rumble featured 14 total partners, with 100 percent of the matches sponsored.

ELIMINATION CHAMBER QUALIFYING MATCHES TO START TONIGHT

- Qualifying matches for the Elimination Chamber in Toronto will start tonight on Monday Night Raw on Netflix. John Cena is already in the match so for the men's Elimination Chamber, there will be five other competitors who need to qualify. Cena announced his participation on Saturday after the Royal Rumble and Triple H said that Cena doesn't need to qualify for anything due to his WWE career and that he has earned his spot. Tickets for the Elimination Chamber are currently on sale on Ticketmaster and the show will take place from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, the site formerly known as the SkyDome. Tickets are not cheap, with the least expensive one at CA $239.05 in the rafters.

RUMBLE WINNERS GET MORE "DISLIKES" ON YOUTUBE

- It seems like that the Internet is not happy with the two Royal Rumble winners if you base it on the YouTube video "dislikes." The Thumbs Down counter on YouTube is hidden but there are many services which reveal that number. The WWE official video of Charlotte Flair winning the Royal Rumble has only 278,000 views so far, and while 7,159 fans pressed the thumbs up button, a whopping 31,405 pressed the thumbs down. Meanwhile, Jey Uso's victory has 688,000 views and 20,502 thumbs up presses. But 36,569 viewers pressed the thumbs down button. Alexa Bliss' return had the most views for individual videos with 752,000. 29,776 pressed the like button and only 46 disliked it. Interestingly enough, iShowSpeed's interview with Jackie Redmond after his brutal elimination has 1.3 million views, trumping everything else from the Rumble apart from a video of every entrant in the men's match which has 2.6 million views. All numbers quoted are accurate as of press time.

MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY CELEBRATE USO'S RUMBLE VICTORY

- The X account of Merriam-Webster, the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States, saluted the victory of Jey Uso in the Royal Rumble with an entry yesterday of Uso's favorite word - YEET! "yeet | interjection | used to express surprise, approval, or excited enthusiasm," the entry says. Jey's win was something pretty much nobody saw coming especially a week after he lost a WWE World Heavyweight title opportunity against Gunther at Saturday Night's Main Event. The two are expected to run it back at WrestleMania, with Uso reportedly going for the title that Gunther currently carries on the Raw brand.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Sunday, February 2, 2025 Issue #7478
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I enjoyed the Rumble, at least live it was a great experience. I think this city will be a good WrestleMania host eventually.

Jey winning was a total surprise. I didn't see that one coming. On the other hand, Flair winning was inevitable.

I am off to home now after just over 48 hours in the city. Another 16-hour trip awaits!


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

ROYAL RUMBLE 2025 RESULTS

- Here are the results from the 2025 Royal Rumble premium live event which took place from the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Charlotte Flair won the 30-woman over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match; DIY defeated Motor City Machine Guns in a two-out-of-three falls match to retain the WWE Tag Team titles; Cody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens in a ladder match to retain the WWE title; Jey Uso won the 30-man over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match. The participants in the women's Rumble match had Iyo Sky, Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, Lyra Valkyria, Chelsea Green, B-Fab, Ivy Nile, Zoey Stark, Lash Legend, Bianca Belair, Shayna Baszler, Bayley, Sonya Deville, Maxxine Dupri, Naomi, Jaida Parker, Piper Niven, Natalya, Jordynne Grace, Michin, Alexa Bliss, Zelina Vega, Candice LeRae, Stephanie Vaquer, Trish Stratus, Raquel Rodriguez, Charlotte Flair, Giulia, Nia Jax, and Nikki Bella. The men's Royal Rumble had entrants Rey Mysterio, Penta, Chad Gable, Carmelo Hayes, Santos Escobar, Otis, Bron Breakker, iShowSpeed, Sheamus, Jimmy Uso, Andrade, Jacob Fatu, Ludwig Kaiser, The Miz, Joe Hendry, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jey Uso, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, John Cena, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Dominik Mysterio, Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, LA Knight, and Logan Paul.

CHARLOTTE FLAIR WINS THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Charlotte Flair won the women¡¯s Royal Rumble and punched her ticket to Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41. Flair eliminated NXT¡¯s Roxanne Perez last to win the match. She came in at #27 during the Royal Rumble and the final four consisted of Flair, Perez, Nia Jax, and the returning Nikki Bella. This is the second time that Flair won the women¡¯s Royal Rumble match after she won it in 2020 and becomes the first woman to win the Rumble twice. This was Flair¡¯s first appearance on WWE TV since December 2023 due to a knee injury that kept her out of action for over a year.

JEY USO WINS THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Jey Uso is going to WrestleMania in Las Vegas after he won the 2025 men's Royal Rumble match in what many are considering a surprise ending. Uso entered the match at #20 and eliminated John Cena to earn the win. The two battled it out on the apron and Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment, only for Jey to find a way to slip out of it and then pushing Cena off. The two were joined by Logan Paul and CM Punk in the final four and there were gasps all around the building when Paul eliminated Punk. Uso now has a pick of either Gunther and the World Heavyweight title or Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship.

ALEXA BLISS RETURNS

- In one of the biggest, or perhaps the biggest, surprise of the Royal Rumble last night was the return of Alexa Bliss. Bliss, who earlier in the week posted a message on social media saying that she would be at home "for a while," was said to be in contract negotiations with WWE after it was reported that she wanted a new deal rather than continue working on an extension of her current one. The former Raw and Smackdown Women's champion entered the Rumble at #21, two years after having her last match against Bianca Belair at the 2023 Royal Rumble. Bliss wore a jacket with Fiend 4 Ever written on the back as a tribute to Bray Wyatt and was accompanied by her doll Lilly. She high-fived fans coming down the aisle and received one of the biggest pops of the night from the Indianapolis crowd. "I thought she wasn't coming back. The Internet said she wasn't coming back," screamed Michael Cole on commentary. "We all thought she wasn't coming back," added McAfee. Unfortunately for her, she was eliminated by Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez and the crowd did not appreciate that at all. Welcome back, Alexa! You can see her entrance at .

NIKKI BELLA RETURNS IN #30 SPOT

- Nikki Bella returned to the ring at the Royal Rumble, three years after participating in the 2022 Royal Rumble match. The former champion came in at #30 to her traditional ring gear and pose, with Michael Cole labeling her as "one of the most courageous women on the planet." The leader of the Bella Army had a fallout from the WWE along with her sister Brie a couple of years ago but the Hall of Famer was invited back to the Raw on Netflix premiere and said that we might not have seen the last of her in the ring. Bella was in the final four of the Rumble but was eliminated by Nia Jax. In a post-match interview with Jackie Redmond, she said that she loves her WWE family and fans and it was incredible to be backstage seeing old and new faces. Redmond asked if she's back for the long term, and Bella said that she has unfinished business with Charlotte Flair and Liv Morgan and also mentioned Chelsea Green and Bayley as potential opponents. You can see her entrance at .

JOE HENDRY APPEARS AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Do you believe? Indianapolis did! New TNA World champion Joe Hendry showed up at the Royal Rumble, coming out at #15 to a big, big pop from the crowd who sang along to his theme song. "Somebody somewhere must have said his name because he has appeared, the most viral Superstar of the past 12 months," said Wade Barrett on commentary. "The TNA World Champion has entered the Royal Rumble," said the TNA X account. Hendry carried the TNA World title with him and was acknowledged as the champion during the broadcast. While he had a good showing, Hendry was eliminated by The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. Hendry was a popular guy in the city and had long lines waiting for him at WrestleCon during the weekend. He had previously appeared on NXT but never made it on any of the main shows. You can see his surprise entrance at .

JORDYNNE GRACE AT THE RUMBLE

- Jordynne Grace has officially arrived in WWE. The former TNA Knockouts champion, who just recently signed a deal with WWE, made her second appearance at the Royal Rumble and her first as a WWE Superstar. Grace, who on X wrote that she would be hosting her mother's birthday party in Austin instead of being in Indianapolis, entered at #19 to a nice pop from the crowd and looked absolutely in top condition as she stamped her mark on the match. Grace was thrown out by current NXT Women's champion Giulia and was the 15th one eliminated in the match. It remains unclear if Grace will go to NXT first or if she will be heading to the main roster immediately.

ISHOWSPEED GETS MAULED BY BRON BREAKKER AT THE RUMBLE

- Popular streamer iShowSpeed got his first action in a wrestling ring but it did not end up well for him. Speed was not originally in the match but after Tozawa was attacked by Carmelo Hayes before he could make it to the ring, Speed happened to be in Gorilla when Triple H scrambled to find a replacement. Speed sprinted to the ring and helped Bron Breakker eliminate Otis. After some showboating, Speed felt the wrath of Bron Breakker, who ran the ropes and absolutely murdered him with a spear, nearly decapitating his upper body. Breakker then threw Speed out of the ring but he landed on Otis, who was still at ringside. Otis returned the favor to Speed by hitting a fallaway slam onto the announce table as Speed took another sick bump. The young streamer, who was walking around backstage with a neck brace and crutches, told Cathy Kelley that next year at the Royal Rumble, he will throw out Roman Reigns, Mark Henry, Rey Mysterio, Dom Mysterio, and everyone else. Asked what hurts the most, Randy Orton's RKO or Breakker's spear, iShowSpeed said they both hurt. "I can't even walk, that's pretty much it," he said. Speed was invited to the event by Triple H last week and was streaming throughout the show. You can see it at

WWE EVOLVE SHOW ON TUBI ANNOUNCED

- During the Royal Rumble, WWE announced the launch of WWE EVOLVE, a new weekly television series which will air exclusively on the Fox-owned Tubi streaming service. Evolve, which will be booked by Gabe Sapolsky, will feature talent from the WWE Performance Center who are not being used on NXT at the moment and will serve sort of as the developmental to the developmental brand. Sapolski founded EVOLVE in 2010 and the intellectual property and video library of the promotion was bought out by WWE in July 2020. The series debuts on March 5 at 8PM ET.

CENA ENTERS THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- During the Royal Rumble post-show, John Cena declared himself for the Elimination Chamber which will take place next month in Toronto and vowed to win it to go on to main event WrestleMania. Cena said that he is going for the record-breaking 17th world title and will be doing this not just for himself, but for the individual he will shake the hand of when they break his record whenever that may be. Cena noted that he never used his "power" for a spot he earned and he knows there are different perspectives about his path coming here but Las Vegas is his last WrestleMania and the last time he main evented WrestleMania was in 2013. "After 23 years of loyal service, I earned this," Cena said, adding that he's always done what's best for business and what's best for business now is he main events WrestleMania and can confidently say he is going to win the 17th championship. Cena announced he's going back to Hungary to film a movie and will let his five other opponents slag him off for not being there. "It is time to walk that talk and be who I say I am," Cena concluded.

FIVE NXT WOMEN REPRESENT AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- NXT was well represented in the women's Royal Rumble match last night with a total of five NXT stars entering the match. Roxanne Perez, who came in at #3, now holds the Royal Rumble record for the most time in a match and had one elimination to her name before she was eliminated by the eventual winner Charlotte Flair. Lash Legend came in at #9 and did very well lasting over 17 minutes before she was thrown out by the United States champion Chelsea Green. Jaida Parker came in at #16 and lasted just under seven minutes and was Jordynne Grace's first elimination. Chilean star Stephanie Vaquer was in #24 and did 19 minutes before Nia Jax threw her out. And last and certainly not least, NXT Women's champion Giulia was #28 in the match and had 10 minutes on the clock before fellow NXT star Roxanne Perez threw her out. She had one elimination to her name, newcomer Jordynne Grace. There were no men from NXT in the other Royal Rumble match.

ROYAL RUMBLE 2025 STATISTICS

- There's a new women's Royal Rumble record holder and her name is Roxanne Perez. The young 23-year-old former NXT Women's champion lasted a total of 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds in the match before she was thrown out by Charlotte Flair. This beats Bayley's previous record of 1 hour 3 minutes and 3 seconds. Liv Morgan and Iyo Sky also beat Bayley's number, with Morgan lasting just 47 seconds less than Perez while Iyo Sky clocked in 1 hour 6 minutes and 45 seconds. Sky and Morgan were #1 and #2 while Perez was #3. On the opposite side of that spectrum, Maxxine Dupri was the one with the shortest time in the women's match with 1 minute and 20 seconds. Nia Jax had the most eliminations with nine, while the winner Charlotte Flair had four. Chelsea Green and Liv Morgan each had two to their name while Maxxine Dupri, Nikki Bella, Sonya Deville, Giulia, Shayna Baszler, Trish Stratus, Ivy Nile, Zoey Stark, Jordynne Grace, Piper Niven, Naomi, Bayley, Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky, and Roxanne Perez all had one. This was the longest women's Royal Rumble match so far with the match lasting 1 hour 10 minutes and 20 seconds. In the men's match, Penta was the one with the longest stint in the match with 42 minutes and 5 seconds. In reality, there should be an asterisk to that as Penta's feet touched the floor in the opening minutes, an obvious mistake, but was allowed to continue and a replay was never shown. Roman Reigns was next with the longest at 37 minutes and 15 seconds while winner Jey Uso clocked at 36 minutes and 59 seconds. Ludvig Kaiser was the joke of the Rumble this year, and after taking his time to get in the ring, he was eliminated in just six seconds. iShowSpeed, who came in to replace Tozawa, was next with 56 seconds. Speed got killed by Breakker with a spear which felt like a train ramming into somebody. In eliminations, Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and Roman Reigns each had four eliminations while John Cena and Jey Uso had three. Braun Strowman, Damian Priest, Logan Paul, and CM Punk each had two while iShowSpeed, LA Knight, Otis, Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and Penta all had one. The men's Rumble match lasted a total of 1 hour 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

MOX VS COPE AT REVOLUTION FOR AEW WORLD TITLE

- It looks like the Revolution pay-per-view next month will be headlined by Jon Moxley defending his AEW World title against Cope. In a backstage segment which aired on Collision last night, the former TNT champion threw down the challenge and told Moxley that he's going to beat him, he's going to hurt him, and when he's a relic getting out of bed at 65 and he can barely make it out and his daughter will ask what's wrong, it's going to be because of him. "So here it is Moxley. For the first time ever, one-on-one, March 9th, Los Angeles, Revolution, Cope vs Mox for the AEW World Heavyweight championship," Cope said. "Step up and accept, kid." Revolution will take place from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and tickets are available for sale on AXS.COM.

========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Saturday, February 1, 2025 Issue #7477
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Enjoy the Rumble! I'm heading to the stadium in around an hour and I'm looking forward to it! Will be interacting on X during the show so feel free to join @wrestlingonline.

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

ROYAL RUMBLE LIVE TONIGHT ON PEACOCK & NETFLIX

- Live from the sold-out Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, WWE presents its first premium live event of 2025, the Royal Rumble. The full card is as follows: Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens in a ladder match for the WWE title; DIY vs Motor City Machine Guns in a two-out-of-three falls match for the WWE Tag Team titles; the 30-woman over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match; and the 30-man over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match. The Countdown to the Royal Rumble will kick off at 4PM ET and airs live on WWE's social media properties while the Royal Rumble itself starts at 6PM ET airing live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix everywhere else. A post-show with interviews is set to start at 10PM ET on WWE's socials.

ROYAL RUMBLE ENTRANTS SO FAR

- A total of 32 out of the 60 WWE Superstars who will participate in tonight's two Royal Rumble matches have been announced. There are 14 women announced so far as of last night's Smackdown including Bayley, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, Ivy Nile, Iyo Sky, Liv Morgan, Lyra Valkyria, Naomi, Nia Jax, Piper Niven, Raquel Rodriguez, and Zelina Vega. That leaves 16 open spots, some of which will be occupied by NXT and possibly TNA stars as well as a couple of surprises, the big one being the possibility of AJ Lee returning. Meanwhile, in the men's Rumble, 18 Superstars are currently announced including Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Chad Gable, CM Punk, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, John Cena, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Penta, Rey Mysterio, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Santos Escobar, Seth Rollins, and Shinsuke Nakamura. That leaves 12 open spots for possible NXT and TNA stars and maybe a surprise. A lot of big names are still not in the Rumble and this could possibly be the most star-studded men's match ever.

ATTENDING THE RUMBLE? HERE'S WHAT NOT TO TAKE WITH YOU!

- If you are attending tonight's Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium, please be aware of the bag policy that the venue has. A clear bag policy is implemented for all events hosted at the stadium. Ticket holders are allowed to carry one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that does not exceed the dimensions 12¡± by 6¡± by 12¡± or a one-gallon size clear plastic freezer bag. Fans may also carry in a small clutch bag or purse approximately the size of a hand. Fanny packs are not allowed in Lucas Oil Stadium. Bags containing medical devices and related supplies, including breast pumps, are not subject to the clear bag policy, but will be subject to security screenings, including search, at the gates. All other bags, including diaper bags, must adhere to the clear bag policy. Several items are prohibited including video cameras, poles or selfie sticks, liquor and food bought from outside the premises, horns, bells, whistles, bullhorns, megaphones, klaxons, boom boxes and other noisemakers, blankets, and seat cushions. It's going to be a packed show so be on your best behavior, drink alcohol responsibly, and for God's sake, take a shower before you go! No one wants a stinking Royal Rumble!

NETFLIX'S FIRST WWE PLE TONIGHT

- Netflix will be airing the first WWE premium live event tonight around the world, excluding those in the United States and some other countries, with the Royal Rumble. The show will kick off live at 3PM in Vancouver, 5PM in Mexico City, 8PM in Sao Paolo, 11PM in London, Midnight in Spain, 2AM in Riyadh, and 10AM tomorrow in Sydney. The Netflix social media team are at the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis busy with their promotion, with the show expected to take a spot in the top 10 chart worldwide in many countries. The Royal Rumble will be available for immediate replay as soon as it concludes.

ASUKA SAYS WWE/TKO HELPING HER AFTER CONCERNING POSTS

- Several posts on X by Asuka led to WWE and TKO into taking action to protect the former WWE Women's champion. Over the past few days, Asuka posted several messages on X suggesting she is being stalked. "I¡¯ve been feeling in danger recently. I¡¯ve already consulted the police," she posted a few days ago. "At this rate, even if fans approach me at the airport or in the city, I will feel the possibility that something might happen, and it will scare me, making me unable to respond." She then followed with a post telling fans not to have "romantic feelings" for her because it's meaningless and 100% pointless. "I absolutely reject any romantic or personal approaches toward me. There is absolutely no possibility for others to interfere in my private life," she added later. Yesterday, the former WWE and NXT Women's champion posted that that the company is taking action to protect her. "I appreciate it," she concluded. Asuka has been out of action since May of last year when she had to undergo knee surgery. She is expected back to the ring soon.

FLAIR AND PUNK THE BETTING FAVORITES FOR THE RUMBLE

- Charlotte Flair and CM Punk are the betting favorites to win their respective Royal Rumble matches tonight. The bookmakers have put the returning Flair with 2/5 odds of winning the match, while Iyo Sky is behind her at 2/1, Becky Lynch is at 7/2, and Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill at 6/1 each. Meanwhile, CM Punk leads the pack in the men's Royal Rumble with 3/5 odds. John Cena is second with 2/1 odds, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are both at 5/2, and The Rock, who's not even announced for the match, is 6/1 to win. In the other two matches, Cody Rhodes is the overwhelming favorite to retain the WWE championship with 1/14 odds over Kevin Owens' 11/2 odds and DIY are also favorite to keep their WWE Tag Team titles against the Motor City Machine Guns with 1/2 odds versus 7/5 of their challengers.

"BIG BOOM" AJ UPLOADS VIDEO HOLDING WWE TITLE

- It was a bit of a nightmare of a day for AEW last night as "Big Boom" AJ and Big Justice caused some controversy within the wrestling circles with their latest video, a video which has now been taken down. The two, who are now regularly appearing on AEW television, were promoting TOPPS baseball cards on their social media. There was nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that AJ, who also wrestled in AEW and is expected to wrestle again soon, was carrying the WWE Championship replica on his shoulder during the whole video. It was a massive own goal from The Costco Guys, who should know better than carry the title of the rival promotion when you're working for the competition. The video had several reposts on X although it was later taken down. But you know, once it's on the internet...it will never go away!

SARAYA SAYS AEW DEAL ENDS IN SEPTEMBER

- Interviewed by TMZ, AEW's Saraya said that her deal with the company ends in September of this year and did not exclude a return to the WWE when it's possible. Saraya said that she loves WWE and has a lot of friends there and still follows their product to this day. "One day, who knows," she said. After saying that she hopes she doesn't get into trouble for her words, she said that she loves her time in AEW as well and hopes that she gets to wrestle Mercedes Mone after she returns. The two share a history together with Mone being blamed by fans for ending her WWE career in December 2017 after a kick to her back during a live WWE event. Saraya has been out of action for the past four months and last appeared on AEW television in October 2024. She is not injured, but was working on some outside projects.

COLLISION PREVIEW

- Tonight's Collision was taped this past Wednesday along with Dynamite due tonight's Royal Rumble and will air at 8PM ET on TNT in its regular time slot as well as on Max. Several matches were taped for the show including a TNT title match featuring Daniel Garcia defending against Kyle O'Reilly and Lee Moriarty in a three-way match, FTR take on The Death Riders in a Mid-South street fight, Samoa Joe teams up with Hook to battle Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian, The Learning Tree face The Outrunners, Harley Cameron battles Taya Valkyrie, Max Caster takes on the returning Rush, and Megan Bayne makes Collision debut against Hyena Hera. "Timeless" Toni Storm will also make an appearance to address AEW Women's champion Mariah May.

STING ANNOUNCES 2025 OR NEVER TOUR

- Sting announced his 2025 or Never fan convention tour, 13 cities in the United States and United Kingdom which will see him don the face paint and wrestling gear for the last time. His stops are WrestleCon at Indianapolis this weekend, Megacon on February 8 in Orlando, Florida, For The Love of Wrestling on February 15 in Manchester, England, Lexington Comic & Toy Con on March 8 from Midland, Texas, Astronomicon on April 5 from Ypsilanti, Michigan, WrestleCon on April 20 from Las Vegas, Nevada, Heart of Texas Comic Con from Waco, Texas on May 3, Galaxycon OKC from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 24, Wrestleverse Fest on June 28 from Kansas City, Missouri, Houston Celebrity Comic Con from Houston, Texas on September 20, Twin Cities Con on November 8 from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Rhode Island Comic Con from Providence, Rhode Island on November 9. While the former champ will still do fan conventions beyond 2025, he will not be appearing as the Crow Sting moving forward.

JANEL GRANT'S LAWSUIT AMENDED

- Janel Grant's legal team amended their lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE yesterday on the exact deadline date they were given by the court. The 104-page lawsuit includes several new text messages, voice mail transcripts, and publicly names other WWE officials which were only identified as "Corporate officers" before. WWE President Nick Khan and former WWE executive Brad Blum are now listed as Corporate Officer No. 1 and Corporate Officer No. 2. Brock Lesnar is also publicly named for the first time in the lawsuit even though his involvement listed as the "former UFC champion" was well known before. The lawsuit also revealed that an office for Grant was constructed which shared a wall with Paul "Triple H" Levesque's office and had an internal door which could be accessed by John Laurinaitis. It says that both Nick Khan and Brad Blum were involved in planning this office. "Ms. Grant¡¯s amended complaint reveals new details that further demonstrate the sexual abuse Janel Grant suffered at the hands of Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis and pulls back the curtain on the dangerous workplace culture McMahon created at WWE," said Ann Callis who serves as Janel Grant's lead attorney. "Ms. Grant looks forward to holding her abusers accountable in a court of law." Jessica Rosenberg, who heads Vince McMahon's legal team, also chimed in saying, "As expected, the proposed amended complaint is nothing more than the latest publicity stunt in an ongoing smear campaign. It is filled with desperate falsehoods from a team that continues to disregard the law and the truth."


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Friday, January 31, 2025 Issue #7476
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

We visited the Royal Rumble superstore this morning and oh boy...there's a lot of potential for going broke there! It's a proper SUPERstore unlike previous stores at PLEs. Check out our tour at and please subscribe to our YouTube channel, it helps!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SMACKDOWN PREVIEW

- It's the final stop before the Royal Rumble and tonight's three-hour Smackdown on USA Network has already four matches announced. Scheduled for tonight are Chelsea Green vs Michin for the Women's United States title, Naomi vs Liv Morgan, Jimmy Uso vs Carmelo Hayes, and Motor City Machine Guns and Los Garza vs DIY and Pretty Deadly. With the Rumble just 24 hours away, it's likely we're going to get more names added to the two matches as well. Over 10,000 people will be at the Gainsbridge Fieldhouse with tickets still remaining on Ticketmaster.com.

BIG HINTS BEING DROPPED ON AJ LEE APPEARING AT THE RUMBLE

- Massive hints are being dropped by CM Punk about the potential of his wife AJ Lee being one of the mystery participants at tomorrow's Royal Rumble match. In a social media video posted this week by Jackie Redmond where she was asking WWE stars who they would like to see at the Rumble Sunday, Punk had a particular reaction from the rest! "Oooooooh, that's a big one," he said. "I'm not going to say because I'm gonna get in trouble!" Today, Punk was on The Pat McAfee show where McAfee and his guests were having fun toying with Punk about AJ showing up tomorrow. "She's at home watching Larry," Punk replied. "Chicago's very close," McAfee responded, with a wink. "Today's Friday though," another co-host said, also winking. "Three hour drive," added McAfee, winking again. "52 minute flight," chimed in the other co-host. "Hey, how are you getting to Cleveland on Monday," Punk asked McAfee. "Flying," McAfee responded. "You wanna come with?" "Yeah," Punk said. You can see the interaction at .

COMBO TICKETS FOR WM WEEKEND EVENTS OUT IN TWO WEEKS

- Combo tickets for Smackdown, NXT Stand & Deliver and Raw after Mania for WrestleMania weekend will go on sale in two weeks' time. An exclusive pre-sale opportunity for special three-day event combo tickets will take place Wednesday, February 12, at 1PM ET. Fans can register now to receive an exclusive pre-sale offer by visiting . General public on-sale for combo tickets will be available Friday, February 14, at 1PM ET via . Additional details on individual tickets being released for each event will follow. The Hall of Fame ceremony, which is usually tagged with Smackdown, was not mentioned so it is unknown if it will be a separate event. The NXT Stand & Deliver show will be held at Noon PT, or 3PM ET on the day of WrestleMania Saturday. All three events will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

ROYAL RUMBLE NETFLIX PROMO FEATURES IMAGE OF THE ROCK

- The new Royal Rumble Netflix promo has featured none other than The Rock for the first time. Previous Rumble videos did not have The Final Boss anywhere on it, but the @WWE_on_Netflix Instagram account published a new promo yesterday and it had the image of The Rock embedded in the countdown clock when it hit :01. The Rock has not been advertised for the Royal Rumble so if he does appear it will be a surprise. He last appeared on WWE television on the NXT episode of January 6 where he cut a promo in the main event of the show. The night before he also opened the Raw on Netflix premiere and presented Roman Reigns with the Ula Fala. Royal Rumble will air on Netflix outside the United States.

NEMETH BROTHERS TO GET NXT TAG TEAM TITLE SHOT

- The Nemeth brothers - Nic and Ryan - will get a shot at the NXT Tag Team titles next week on Impact against Fraxiom. The match was announced on social media after TNA uploaded a video of the former NXT champion Nic Nemeth and his brother confronting TNA's Santino Marella and NXT's Arianna Grace. Cora Jade from NXT participated in last night's Impact television tapings, with Jade defeating Hyan in a singles match while Wes Lee, Tyriek and Tyson were in a backstage segment as well.

GOLDBERG UNDERGOING STEM CELL THERAPY AHEAD OF RETIREMENT MATCH

- WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg is taking preparation for his retirement match seriously and is going to great lengths to be in top condition when that happens. Goldberg was promised a final match in WWE in 2025 and although details of where and when and against who are still being worked out, the former champ is not wasting any time in getting ready. Speaking on his CarCast podcast, Goldberg said that he will be going to Colombia to visit BioXcellerator, one of the leading regenerative stem cell therapy clinics, which other former wrestlers used to help their bodies. Goldberg said his biggest issue is his shoulder. "I have to crawl before I run. We all know I have a pretty screwed-up shoulder," he said. "That's my biggest concern getting into this retirement match. I remember six months ago, I couldn't do anything."

FULL INTERVIEW: STEPHANIE MCMAHON ON THE PAT MCAFEE SHOW

- Former WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show yesterday, where she spent 35 minutes promoting the Royal Rumble, WWE, and her brand new show Stephanie's Places. This was McMahon's first time appearing on The Pat McAfee Show. During the broadcast, McMahon said that there will be a lot of surprises on the show that she doesn't know about and if she did, she wouldn't be allowed to say anyway. "I know some things...but not all things," Stephanie told McAfee who was trying his best to extract information. Stephanie also discussed several other subjects, like appearing on the Raw premiere on Netflix, how proud she is of her husband, resigning from the company, her dislike of cats, being a heel and a face, and returning with the new show on ESPN+. "One of the things I learned when I stepped away from WWE is that I can never get away from WWE. It's who I am and what I love," Stephanie told McAfee. You can see the full interview at .

TRIPLE H COMMENTS ON HALL OF FAME, WWE PUBLISHES FULL BTS VIDEO

- A few days after he was surprised as being the main event of this year's WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Paul "Triple H" Levesque posted a message on X to share his feelings. "Been trying to come up with a way to say 'Thank You' for the immense honor announced yesterday," he wrote. "I have had the incredible pleasure of a 30 + year of creating memories and moments... meeting life-long friends (which I'm rethinking both @Undertaker &@ShawnMichaels right now) and of course, the most incredible wife and mother @StephMcMahon. ...and the opportunity to entertain the best fans in the world." Triple H thanked everyone who reached out and appreciated the kind words and well-wishes. The WWE Chief Content Officer was surprised with the announcement during a WWE town hall meeting this week at WWE HQ with WWE President Nick Khan and TKO President Mark Shapiro also being in on it along with Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. Triple H joked that he was going to kill Khan and told everyone that if they see a body flying off the roof to ignore it! An eight-minute behind-the-scenes video blog of the announcement was also released by WWE which you can see at .

LOGAN PAUL AND BROTHER JAKE TO HAVE REALITY SERIES ON MAX

- WWE Superstar Logan Paul and his brother Jake Paul announced a brand-new original reality series titled Paul American which will start airing on Thursday, March 27 exclusively on Max. Featuring archival and never-before-seen footage, the eight-episode series debuts weekly on Max leading up to the season finale on Thursday, May 15. "We¡¯ve built our lives in front of the world, but Paul American is the raw, unfiltered truth behind everything you think you know about us. It isn't just about the headlines or the viral moments ¡ª it¡¯s about the journey that got us here," the Paul brothers said in a press release. "For the first time, our fans will get to see the real people who shape our lives: our mom, dad, Jutta, Nina, and everyone else in our inner circle. As athletes, we¡¯ve poured everything into proving ourselves in the ring and breaking barriers in sports, entertainment, and beyond. But at the core of it all is family and the relationships that keep us grounded. This series dives into the moments that define us and the bonds that make us unstoppable. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It¡¯s real and honest, showing the world a side of us they¡¯ve never seen, and we couldn¡¯t be more excited to share this story with our fans." The show promises to give unparalleled access to the Paul family and their inner circle, peeling back the curtain on the most raw, honest, and intimate moments in the brothers¡¯ over-the-top, high-octane lives. Max is obviously the home of AEW and Logan is a WWE star so the marketing for this one should be interesting!

MARIA KANELLIS LEAVING AEW

- Maria Kanellis announced that today is her last day with AEW. Kanellis originally was scheduled to depart the company in October but her contract was extended for a few months after she underwent surgery to remove a mass from her adrenal gland. "This is my last day with AEW," she wrote on X. "Mike still works there. We have kids." She said she is in Indianapolis this weekend and will be appearing at WrestleCon but is open for bookings. Kanellis and her husband Mike Bennett arrived in AEW in October 2022 although she was eventually moved to Ring of Honor as a manager.

DYNAMITE RATING

- Dynamite this week drew 604,000 viewers, down 51,000 viewers from the prior week and the lowest number since January 1. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49, down 0.02 from last week and was #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. The numbers exclude those watching on Max. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Thursday, January 30, 2025 Issue #7475
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Sending this from 40,000 feet in the air on the way to Indianapolis for the Royal Rumble. I missed last year's Rumble but this was too good to pass up so here we are!

Will be posting photos and videos on social media so follow us!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

WWE PUBLISHES VIDEO OF TRIPLE H'S HALL OF FAME SURPRISE

- WWE has published the video of the surprise Triple H received yesterday about the Hall of Fame induction. Triple H was at the podium, flanked by WWE President Nick Khan and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro as they were addressing WWE employees during a town hall when all of a sudden, Shawn Michaels' music kicks in. Shawn Michaels comes out and greets Triple H and then The Undertaker's theme starts and he comes out as well to the stage. "HBK and The Undertaker have made an executive decision here today," Shawn Michaels says, as The Undertaker also chimes in with, "It's way, way past overdue." "Even though you are in the Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X, it is only fitting that The Cerebral Assassin, The Game Triple H, at WrestleMania 41, takes his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame," Michaels continued. An emotional Triple H then took the mic and said that from a guy that usually has something to say about everything, he's left speechless. "I'm going to kill Nick when we leave here," Triple H said. "If you see somebody flying off the top of the roof...just ignore it," he continued as Shaprio chuckled on the side. "I really...I don't know what else to say, just thank you," Triple H said after one of the employees shouted "You deserve it!" Stephanie McMahon was also on the stage for the announcement. You can see the video at .

NEW STEPHANIE MCMAHON SHOW FOR ESPN+ ANNOUNCED

- WWE today announced a brand new show titled Stephanie's Places which will air exclusively on ESPN+. The show is a spinoff of Peyton's Places and it will be produced by Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions along with WWE and ESPN. McMahon revealed the show while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show earlier today and will feature the former WWE co-CEO travel around the country to find the stories behind the biggest stars in WWE history. "I have loved every second of shooting this show, I can¡¯t wait to share it with the world on @espn+," she wrote on X. A preview showed McMahon having discussions with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Charlotte Flair, Roman Reigns, and The Bloodline. This will be McMahon's first project associated with the company since she resigned from WWE in January 2023. It's set to debut in March although there was no exact date listed. An ESPN+ subscription will be required to watch. You can see a preview at .

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 827,000 viewers, up 15,000 viewers from last week's broadcast and their best number since October 8. The show had a 0.19 rating in 18-49, down 0.03 from the previous week. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

STREETS IN DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS RENAMED AFTER WWE STARS

- A total of 25 streets in downtown Indianapolis near Lucas Oil Stadium were renamed after WWE Superstars for this weekend's Royal Rumble. The signs with the new names are up in the streets and will obviously be taken down once WWE leaves town. The street names are KO Ave, WrestleMania Rd, Nia Jax Lane, Seth ¡°Freakin¡¯¡± Rd, Wyatt Sicks St, Infamy Ave, Bloodline Blvd, Judgment Day Dr, Damage CTRL Dr, Tribal Chief Wy, The Miz¡¯s Awesome St, Ring General Rd, Yeet St, Rhea Ripley Rd, World¡¯s Best St, McIntyre Ridge Rd, Mysterio Dr, Logan Paul PI, Alpha Academy Ave, Cody Rd, Bianca Belair Blvd, Tiffy Trail, Liv Morgan Ln, John Cena Wy, and The People¡¯s Pkwy.

JORDYNNE GRACE SAYS SHE'LL BE IN AUSTIN NOT INDIANAPOLIS THIS WEEKEND

- Reacting to an online news report that she would "100%" be at the Royal Rumble this weekend, WWE's newest signee Jordynne Grace tried to deflect that attention by saying that she will be in Austin, Texas instead. "I¡¯m 100% hosting my mom¡¯s 50th birthday party this weekend. Love y¡¯all though," she said, attaching a photo of what looks like to be an itinerary showing a flight from Atlanta to Austin on Friday and back on February 2. Her post on X obviously did nothing to change people's minds and even former fellow TNA star AJ Francis said that no one believes her! The former TNA Knockouts champion is expected to make her official debut as a WWE Superstar at the Rumble. She was a surprise entrant last year, coming down to the ring with the TNA Knockouts title.

WWE 2K COMING TO NETFLIX GAMES

- WWE 2K is coming to Netflix Games in Fall 2025. The announcement came via a video by CM Punk posted on the Netflix social media accounts. No exact release date was given. Netflix entered the mobile gaming business in 2021 although it's not their strongest department. Available games are playable on mobile and also on TV-connected devices. The company acquired several video game developers to help them kickstart their service. This will be the first-ever WWE video game on Netflix Games, a service which is part of everyone's subscription.

ROYAL RUMBLE 2025 BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD

- This year's Royal Rumble has officially become the biggest Royal Rumble ever in terms of attendance as the show is now over 62,000 tickets distributed, surpassing the record of 1997 by over 2,000 tickets. WWE opened a few more sections over the past few days inside Lucas Oil Stadium as the demand continues to grow. The newer sections have a price of $130 plus taxes and fees although they sit in the 600 Level at the very top of the stadium. The remaining ringside seats are at $3,000 plus taxes and fees. Ticket tracking service @WrestleTix estimates that as of a few days ago, the ticket chart showed 62,636 tickets moved and 1,159 available tickets. That number will increase as WWE continues to make the final push towards the event.

ALEXA BLISS STAYING HOME "FOR A WHILE"

- Alexa Bliss seems to be comfortable staying at home "for a while" as her contract negotiations with WWE continue. Bliss, who has not appeared on WWE television for two whole years, posted a photo holding her daughter on X writing, "If you need me. I¡¯ll be here. For a while." Rumors are that Bliss was set to return on the January 13 episode of Raw with the Wyatt Sicks but Bliss wanted to negotiate a new contract rather than keep working on an extension of her current deal, something that apparently WWE were not willing to entertain. Bliss last appeared at the 2023 Royal Rumble in a losing effort against Bianca Belair in San Antonio.

DETAILS ON CLASH IN PARIS ARENA

- The venue that WWE has chosen to host the Clash In Paris premium live event and the Raw episode the following day is labeled as Europe's largest multipurpose indoor arena. La D¨¦fense Arena can hold up to 40,000 fans in a concert setting and around 31,000 for rugby games. It is the home for the French-based Racing 92 rugby union team. The €360 million building was opened in October 2017 and was the site of the swimming and water polo events at the 2024 Summer Olympics and swimming at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. The arena has stands on three sides while the remaining shorter side has one of the largest display screens ever, going side-to-side of the whole building. It's a very popular location for concerts and before WWE comes to town, Dua Lipa, Robbie Williams, and Iron Maiden will be playing to thousands of fans. This show is destined to be one of epic proportions if the same type of crowd from Backlash France shows up!

BRITT BAKER STILL HAS A FUTURE WITH AEW, JERICHO SAYS

- Speaking to Sports Illustrated, ROH World champion Chris Jericho sang Britt Baker's praises and said that she still has a future with the company and can't see her going anywhere else. Jericho was discussing the recent rumors that Baker has been "exiled" by TNA President Tony Khan for being difficult to work with backstage, although some insiders labeled it as "overblown." "She¡¯s one of the OGs, probably one of our first homegrown stars. And I think she does a great job whenever she¡¯s in the ring," Jericho said. "So I don¡¯t see her leaving or going anywhere. And I¡¯m looking forward to having her come back on the show, because she has a great character and a great presence and, once again, a great fanbase within AEW and within the wrestling world." Baker last wrestled for AEW on the November 13 episode of Dynamite, defeating Penelope Ford. She only wrestled five times for the company in 2024 after injuries, suspensions, and all the drama backstage.

THE GUNNS RETURNING TO AEW

- Former AEW Tag Team and Trios champions The Gunns are returning to AEW television soon after a vignette aired on Dynamite last night. Austin and Colten Gunn, the sons of Billy Gunn, have not been seen on AEW television since September of last year and while no explanation was ever given for their absence, it was later revealed that Austin Gunn had an injury which kept the team on the sidelines. The vignette showed the two brothers watching clips of their past matches, and training in the gym and in the ring for their eventual return. The one-minute vignette ends with the words Gunns Up!

POWERHOUSE HOBBS INJURED

- Bryan Alvarez from F4Wonline.com is reporting that Powerhouse Hobbs picked up an injury and his planned match for this Saturday's Collision was scrapped. Hobbs appeared on Dynamite last night in a backstage segment and said that he was not cleared to compete against Big Bill. The match was supposed to be a street fight. The injury was apparently sustained last week on Collision during a brawl and a doctor did not clear Hobbs this week, forcing AEW to change plans. Collision was taped around Dynamite last night and will not be a live broadcast, mainly due to the Royal Rumble.

DARK SIDE OF THE RING EPISODES ANNOUNCED

- The 10 episodes which will make up season six of Dark Side of the Ring were officially announced. The topics this season will cover are Hell In A Cell, Big Van Vader, Tony Atlas, Ludvig Borga, Billy Jack Haynes, Eddie Gilbert, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Daffney, The Original Sheik, and Muhammad Hassan. Vice green lighted the new season in December of last year and it will premiere on March 25. Evan Husney and Jason Eisener remain as executive producers of the popular show.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Wednesday, January 29, 2025 Issue #7474
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It's great that France is getting another WWE PLE, this time in Paris. The Lyon crowd was the best crowd I've ever been a part of and still nothing beats it yet. I'm expecting Paris to show up and show out come August! We'll be there!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

WWE ANNOUNCES PREMIUM LIVE EVENT AND RAW FROM PARIS

- WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, today announced that Clash in Paris will emanate from Paris La D¨¦fense Arena on Sunday, August 31, 2025. This marks the first time a WWE Premium Live Event will be held in the French capital. Paris La D¨¦fense Arena is the largest indoor venue in Europe and has hosted global artists including Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen. In addition to Clash in Paris on Sunday, August 31, the Paris La D¨¦fense Arena will also host WWE Raw which will be broadcast globally on Monday, September 1. Fans interested in an exclusive presale opportunity can register now at . ¡°Backlash France in Lyon last year broke arena records and decibel levels, demonstrating just how loud and passionate our WWE fans in France can be,¡± said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ¡°Triple H¡± Levesque. ¡°We believe Clash in Paris and Raw will attract people from around the world to Paris and once again create a true spectacle.¡± Additionally, Priority Pass ticket packages will soon be available from On Location, offering fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities and more. Starting today, fans can place a deposit to secure access ahead of the general public. To learn more about Priority Passes or to place a deposit, please visit . Further event updates including ticket on sale dates and broadcast details will be available soon.

REPORT: TRIPLE H TO HEADLINE 2025 WWE HALL OF FAME CEREMONY

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Paul "Triple H" Levesque will be the headliner of the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony after he was surprised earlier today with the news. The site reports that a town hall was held today at the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut and Triple H was surprised by his wife Stephanie, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels with the announcement. "We are told Levesque was completely caught off guard and got very emotional," the site states, adding, "He also joked he was going to kill Nick Khan." Triple H is already a Hall of Famer as part of the DX faction along with Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, and Chyna. They were inducted as a group in 2019. WWE has not made any official announcements yet regarding this year's Hall of Fame.

THREE TITLE MATCHES SET FOR NXT VENGEANCE DAY

- Three title matches were announced for the upcoming NXT Vengeance Day premium live event which will take place on Saturday, February 15 live from Washington, DC. The NXT Women's title will be defended in a triple threat match as champion Giulia puts the title on the line against two former NXT Women's champions - Roxanne Perez and Bayley. The NXT title will also be up for grabs in another triple threat match with Oba Femi defending against former WWE Tag Team champions Grayson Waller and Austin Theory. The two were on NXT last night causing havoc on The Grayson Waller Effect which had Femi as the guest. Also, NXT North American champion Fallon Henley will have a tough challenge in the form of Stephanie Vaquer. Henley defeated Shotzi to retain the title last night but was met with Vaquer at the top of the stage for a stare down, with the match announced immediately by Vic Joseph.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT RATING

- The second episode of Saturday Night's Main Event drew 1,494,000 viewers, down 96,000 viewers from the first episode in December. The show had a 0.33 rating in 18-49, down 0.09 from the previous episode and a number which has to be considered somewhat of a disappointment for network television. The NBA on ABC led the night with SNME placing #6 on the chart. The show was also simulcast on Peacock but those numbers are not available. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

ROYAL RUMBLE SUPERSTORE OPENS TOMORROW

- The Royal Rumble Superstore opens tomorrow in Indianapolis as over 60,000 WWE fans will descent upon the city for this weekend's Rumble premium live event. The store will be located at the Indiana Convention Center at Exhibit Hall E where WWE will also do the meet and greets with a large portion of the roster over a period of a few days. It will host the largest collection of Royal Rumble merchandise including exclusive apparel, replica championship titles, signed memorabilia, collectibles, mini-titles and so much more. It opens at Noon until 7PM and then on Friday it will be open from 10AM to 11PM, Saturday from 9AM to 11PM, and Sunday from 10AM to 2PM. The Indianapolis Colts team store at Lucas Oil Stadium will also be transformed into the Royal Rumble Team Store and opens Thursday through Saturday.

NXT TEASER AIRS AT THE END OF BROADCAST

- NXT is running another mystery teaser, this time one which is set to be unveiled at the February 15 premium live event, Vengeance Day. After the WWE Women's Tag Team title match main event finished, the screen went to black and a test pattern graphic showed up with "WWE Transmission" on it. The text was then deleted to clicks of a keyboard and the words "Vengeance Day" were written instead. The lower left credits then rolled and the show faded to black. There are no hints at this point of what this could be leading to but at least we only have two weeks to speculate before we find out!

RAW VIEWERSHIP ON NETFLIX

- The January 20 episode of Raw on Netflix had a global audience of 3,000,000, down from the 3,700,000 global views from last week. A total of 6,600,000 hours were consumed watching the show. The episode ranked #7 globally for the week and was #10 in Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, United States, and United Kingdom. Last week's main competition was the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame college football game which did 22 million viewers on ESPN and ESPN 2.

WWE WORLD AT WRESTLEMANIA 41 PRE-SALE NOW ON

- The pre-sale for WWE World at WrestleMania 41 is now on through FanaticsEvents.com. The daily entrance fee is $86.25 including taxes and fees for an adult or $40.25 for kids. Otherwise you can opt for a five-day entrance ticket which is $345 for adults or $138 for kids. There's also a VIP ticket for $1,034 including taxes and fees which will include five-day entry to the convention, dedicated VIP line for entry into WWE World and WWE Superstore, exclusive early access to show floor, 30 minutes ahead of general entry, guaranteed daily photo at Superstar Row or autograph at select autograph stages, exclusive VIP gift, VIP priority access to purchase Topps products, VIP priority access to purchase paid Superstar photos/autographs, and VIP reserved seating at Main Stage. WWE World will run from Thursday, April 17 to Monday, April 21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall. You can pre-purchase tickets at using your e-mail address as a pre-sale code.

OLD EPISODES OF NXT UPLOADED ON NEW WWE YOUTUBE CHANNEL

- WWE launched a dedicated NXT channel on YouTube, where it is uploading full episodes of old broadcasts and certain Takeover shows. All the NXT weekly episodes from 2012 up until March 2013 have so far been uploaded as well as three Takeover episodes: San Antonio, WarGames, and Chicago. NXT episodes were removed from Peacock in the United States and The CW app only has newer episodes which started airing on their network in October of last year. With no other outlet available for the back catalog, WWE has resorted to using YouTube for these shows, where the company still make a lot of money through several ads running during each episode. More episodes are expected to be uploaded. A large quantity of old NXT shows are available on Netflix for viewers residing outside the United States. You can check them out at

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Tonight's Dynamite from Huntsville, Alabama, is headlined by a TBS title match which pits Mercedes Mone defending her gold against Yuka Sakazaki. Other matches announced for the show are Jeff Jarrett vs Claudio Castagnoli with the stipulation that if Jarrett wins, he gets an AEW World title shot against Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay battles Brian Cage, and Wheeler Yuta takes on Jay White. The only other thing announced is a promo from MJF. It's certainly a light card compared to the previous weeks but more might be announced before the show goes on the air. Dynamite also airs on Max for those who have it.

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA TO AIR AT 10:30PM ET

- The AEW Grand Slam: Australia broadcast is now set to air at 10:30PM ET on Saturday, February 15 right after the NBA All-Star Weekend programming on TNT. It will be a two-hour broadcast according to the TNT guide and will air instead of Collision that week. The show will also stream on Max some 18 hours after its original taping in Brisbane, Australia. The Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host Grand Slam after it was moved from the 50,000-seater Suncorp Stadium. Not a lot of tickets remain to fill the new location which is expected to hold less than 12,000.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision on Saturday drew 250,000 viewers, down 142,000 viewers from the prior week as it went head-to-head with the NBA on ABC and also WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC. The show had a 0.07 rating in 18-49, down 0.03 and placed #22 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 Issue #7473
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

JD McDonagh should not have been allowed to continue to wrestle last night on Raw after that spot. They know better.

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

JD MCDONAGH INJURED DURING SCARY SPOT ON RAW

- JD McDonagh can thank his lucky stars for avoiding a catastrophic injury last night on Raw, although he still walked out with a pretty serious injury that will keep him out for months. McDonagh, who teamed with Dom Mysterio to take on The War Raiders for the WWE World Tag Team titles on Raw, went for a springboard moonsault to the outside and his hand bounced off the announce table in a nasty, nasty spot. The scary incident led to Michael Cole repeatedly asking for help to check on the Irish star. The referee and Mysterio slid out of the ring to check on him during the replay as Cole once again asked for someone to come out and help. McDonagh then went on the apron and received an applause from the Atlanta crowd for his courage and was once again checked by Mysterio and the referee, with McAfee saying that the "thickness of his head" might have saved him. He continued to work the rest of the match but was visibly in pain. After the match ended, McDonagh was taken to a nearby hospital to be checked. "I've got a couple of broken ribs and a punctured lung, so I'm going to be out for a couple months," he wrote on X after. "All things considered, it could have been a lot worse, so I'm grateful for that." You can see the incident at .

MORE NAMES ADDED TO THE 2025 ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES

- New entrants in the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches were announced last night on Monday Night Raw on Netflix. Four men declared for the Rumble including former United States champion Logan Paul, Intercontinental champion Bron Breakker, Chad Gable, and newcomer Penta. Carmelo Hayes, who attacked Cody Rhodes after Raw, also declared his intention to be in the Rumble off the air. This brings the total number of entrants to 14. Meanwhile, three women threw in their names as well for the match. Former WWE Women's champion Iyo Sky, Ivy Nile, and current WWE Women's Intercontinental champion Lyra Valkyria are now part of the nine women who have been confirmed. Tickets for the Royal Rumble are available at ticketmaster.com.

FEB 25 EPISODE OF NXT TO TAKE PLACE IN CINCINNATI

- WWE announced that the February 25 episode of NXT will take place from The Andrew J. Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the same location where AEW held Dynamite and Collision just two weeks ago. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 31 at 10AM ET with an exclusive pre-sale starting tomorrow at 10AM ET on Ticketmaster.com. WWE has been taking NXT on the road around once a month since moving to The CW, with tonight's episode also moving away from the WWE Performance Center, taking place at Center Stage in Atlanta.

ROMAN REIGNS UNVEILED AS COVER SUPERSTAR OF WWE 2K25

- Roman Reigns was unveiled as the cover Superstar for the WWE 2K25 video game which will be released on March 14. A mega banner with the cover of the video game was dropped on Raw last night during an in-ring segment with Paul Heyman. "This is HIS ring, This is HIS WWE, ACKNOWLEDGE your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, The OTC, and Rule Beyond The Ring," said that WWE games X account after the reveal. A Bloodline Edition of the video game will also be released, with the cover featuring Roman Reigns front and center along with all members of The Bloodline: Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu. You can pre-order the game now at

2K ANNOUNCES FULL DETAILS OF WWE 2K25

- Today, 2K announced WWE 2K25, the newest installment of the flagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, will be coming in March for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Among the most decorated WWE Superstars of all-time, ¡°The Original Tribal Chief,¡± Roman Reigns strikes a heroic pose on the Standard Edition cover as his ¡°Wiseman,¡± Paul Heyman looks on. Celebrating the 35th anniversary of one of the most feared and iconic Superstars in WWE history, The Undertaker, cuts an imposing profile on the Deadman Edition cover, while The Bloodline Edition cover features members of both Roman Reigns¡¯ and Solo Sikoa¡¯s Bloodline factions, including Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa, interwoven into the roots and branches of the iconic Bloodline family tree. You can read the full details on the video game at

JORDYNNE GRACE SIGNS WITH WWE

- Fightful is reporting through the Select service that former TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace has signed a multi-year deal with WWE. Grace wrapped up her TNA duties at the Genesis pay-per-view with a final match - and loss - against Tessa Blanchard and was immediately offered the deal. She was at the WWE Performance Center last week and is expected to make her debut as a WWE Superstar imminently. Grace already has a Royal Rumble appearance under her belt as she was one of the surprise entrants last year and is expected to be part of this year's Rumble as well. She also appeared multiple times on NXT as the TNA Knockouts champion. Her signing with WWE was wildly expected and it was just a matter of when, not if.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Friday Night Smackdown on USA Network pulled in 1,455,000 viewers for the three-hour broadcast last week, up 52,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.44 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from the last show and was #1 on cable and on all of television, beating every other show in the coveted demo. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

KAI CENAT INVITED TO THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Popular streamer Kai Cenat was invited to the Royal Rumble last night on Raw by Pat McAfee on behalf of WWE. The 23-year-old life-long WWE fan was attending his first WWE live event ever and received a big pop from the Atlanta crowd. Cenat is the fifth most-followed streamer on Twitch with nearly 16 million subscribers and another seven million on YouTube. Last week, Triple H also invited another popular streamer, iShowSpeed, giving him full access to the show to stream live wherever he wants.

ZELINA VEGA MOVES TO SMACKDOWN

- Zelina Vega is leaving the LWO and is moving to Friday Night Smackdown, becoming the latest star to move in the transfer window. This will put her on the same brand as Andrade. The two worked together while in NXT and also on the main roster when they were called up in 2018. The transfer window will be closing at the Royal Rumble. Only a few Superstars traded brands since it was announced in December, with Smackdown getting the bulk of them since it now has expanded to three hours. Joining Vega on Smackdown are The Wyatt Sicks, Damian Priest, The Miz, and Braun Strowman, while Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, and Bayley went the opposite way.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Monday, January 27, 2025 Issue #7472
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It was quite a slow weekend, but it's Royal Rumble week so probably it's going to be busy for a bit!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT RESULTS

- Saturday Night's Main Event returned for the first of four shows of 2025 live from a jam-packed, sold out Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The super popular Rhea Ripley opened the show defending the Women's World title against Nia Jax. Jax attacked Ripley during the ring introductions but Ripley had the last laugh, delivering the Riptide on Jax and pinning her in "Mami is always on top" fashion to retain the title. The Intercontinental title match was up next and WWE Hall of Famer Jesse "The Body" Ventura was on hand for commentary for this match. This was the first-ever IC title match on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event since 1992. Incredible! It was a hard-hitting match between Sheamus and champ Bron Breakker but Sheamus came up short in his quest of winning the title as the Steiner kid pulled a big spear to win the match. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens had their contract signing, with Shawn Michaels as the enforcer. Obviously, you knew things were going to get physical and they did. After both handed their respective titles to be hung above the ring, HBK tried to shake hands with Owens, but he refused. Cody was receptive, of course, but Owens delivered a cheap shot and then set up Michaels for the package driver. Rhodes saved him by hitting a superkick and then the WWE Hall of Famer hit his own Sweet Chin Music to send Owens packing. Two monsters - Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu - were up next and boy did we ever get a physical match here! It was a stupid finish, as Fatu destroyed Strowman with repeated running hip attacks to the corner and the referee had enough and tried to stop it. Fatu threw the ref out and was DQed much to the annoyance of the fans. Security ran down along with WWE officials but Fatu did two moonsaults on Strowman, leaving him helpless and bleeding everywhere. The fans were behind Fatu chanting "one more time" and Fatu agreed. By the time the Samoan Werewolf left the ring, the fans pretty much turned him a face. And in the final match of the night, Gunther defeated Jey Uso to retain the WWE World Heavyweight title. Uso came mighty, mighty close on more than one occasion and the match did give you the feel that a new champion will be crowned but Gunther managed to kick out in the last possible second to leave the fans breathless. Gunther finished Jey with two huge powerbombs to keep the gold.

WWE LEGENDS APPEAR AT SNME

- Several WWE Hall of Famers were brought in for Saturday Night's Main Event in San Antonio, Texas. Among those in attendance were "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, former WWE Women's champion Alundra Blayze, former World Heavyweight champion Mark Henry, Dory Funk Jr, the winner of the first-ever Royal Rumble "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and former WWE Tag Team champions Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard of The Brain Busters. Jesse "The Body" Ventura was also on hand introducing the show with Joe Tessitore and provided commentary during the Intercontinental title match. Ever since the regime change at WWE, the company has been taking care of the Superstars who paved the way better and with more respect, with WWE Legends saying the comparison is night and day from their time under Vince McMahon, now everyone looking forward to be part of the show.

BIG E TO VOICE CHARACTER IN NEW SPIDER-MAN SERIES

- Former WWE champion Big E has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ series titled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Big E will be voicing one of the characters on the animated show in news revealed by Jeff Trammell, the show runner and head writer of the series, during an interview with Phase Hero on YouTube. "Sitting on this news has been a task! Incredibly excited to voice a character in YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN," Big E wrote on X. It wasn't announced which character he will be voicing but Trammell said that they have been recording him for a few years when he was still wearing a neck brace. The series premieres Wednesday, January 29 exclusively on Disney Plus.

LIV MORGAN MEET AND GREET THIS WEEKEND

- Former WWE Women's World champion Liv Morgan will be doing a meet and greet for Cricket Wireless on Friday, January 31 in Indianapolis during the Royal Rumble weekend. Morgan will be at the Cricket Wireless store at 5967 E 82nd Street starting from 11AM and will be on location for around two hours. The store is around 12 miles away from downtown Indianapolis. The meet and greet is free and an on-site registration is required. Wrist bands will be handed out on first-come, first-served basis and entry is not guaranteed.

SCOTT STEINER FIRES BACK AT JESSE VENTURA

- Scott Steiner took a shot back at Jesse "The Body" Ventura after Ventura took a swipe at Bron Breakker last week on Saturday Night's Main Event at the expense of The Steiner Brothers. During the introductions, Ventura joked that there is one problem with Breakker: he's a Steiner. "That means two and two equals five," Ventura said, making fun of the Scott Steiner math problem. "Jesse Ventura seems to forget that I attended a highly educated university," Scott responded on X. "Next time I see him there¡¯s a 141 2/3 chance that I will slap him like a bitch," he continued, adding that Ventura's Navy Seal training won't be able to help him. The Steiner math came after Scott was going to wrestle in a triple threat match for the TNA World title years ago in a match involving also Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe. The WWE Hall of Famer then went on rambling about percentages, finally coming to the conclusion that he had a 141 2/3rd chance of winning the match!

2K UNVEILS THE DEADMAN EDITION OF WWE 2K25

- 2K today unveiled a special edition of the upcoming WWE 2K25 video game featuring WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker. "The Deadman Rises... Again," said the official X account of the video game unveiling the Deadman Edition. "No one escapes the darkness when The Undertaker arrives. Rest in peace... or don¡¯t." No additional details about the special edition with The Undertaker have been announced. More details about WWE 2K25 are expected this week. Roman Reigns is rumored to be the cover Superstar this year.

WWE AND A&E ANNOUNCE AIR DATES FOR NEW PROGRAMMING

- WWE and A&E today announced the airdates for the new WWE programming line up which will begin next month. Beginning Sunday, February 16 at 8PM ET, WWE LFG, an action-packed, competitive series, redefines what it takes to make it in WWE. Each week, sixteen WWE hopefuls push their limits to earn the ultimate prize: a coveted spot on NXT, WWE¡¯s developmental series featuring the brightest rising stars in professional wrestling. Immediately following at 9:30PM ET, WWE Rivals returns for an all-new season bringing WWE's most legendary rivalries to life like never before. Actor, comedian and WWE Superfan, Gabriel ¡°Fluffy¡± Iglesias leads a round table and unfiltered discussion with WWE icons including Cody Rhodes, Kevin Nash, Kevin Owens, John Bradshaw Layfield, and more. Rounding out the night at 10:30PM ET, new series WWE¡¯s Greatest Moments offers fans a chance to count down the most iconic events in WWE history. Hosted by legendary play-by-play announcer Michael Cole, each half-hour episode will feature WWE Superstars and Legends¡ªincluding ¡°Stone Cold¡± Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles and more¡ªsharing their personal memories from some of the most unforgettable moments in WWE history.

MLS TO MOVE PRODUCTION TO STUDIOS AT WWE

- IMG today announced that MLS Productions, the media and broadcast production arm of the Major League Soccer, will advance its capabilities, create efficiencies, broaden content offerings, and centralize its broadcast content and graphics all out of WWE's brand-new headquarters in downtown Stamford, Connecticut. The Studios at WWE features best-in-class production offerings and new cutting-edge technology to further elevate the production of MLS Season Pass. It will serve as the dynamic hub for popular MLS live studio programming and content in English and Spanish. The new location for MLS Season Pass will enable MLS Productions to add programming in the new season. IMG, a global sports industry leader, will continue to produce live match and studio productions and programming for more than 600 annual games on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. "We have long admired the tremendous MLS-IMG partnership ¨C and the fantastic product and results it has generated over the years," said Lee Fitting, EVP, Media & Production, WWE. "We believe that WWE¡¯s new state-of-the-art facilities will help take their collective capabilities to even greater heights." The Studios at WWE is a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility equipped with five studios with the latest technologies, wide-ranging production amenities, and highlighted by an awe-inspiring virtual production stage. The WWE facility is part of TKO Group Holdings, which recently reached an agreement to acquire IMG from Endeavor, in a transaction expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.

"TIMELESS" TONI STORM RETURNS!

- "Timeless" Toni Storm returned on Collision and vowed to rip Mariah May's tits off at Grand Slam: Australia. In their first face-to-face since All In, the "rookie" Storm said that she was May's biggest fan and the two embraced before May beat the hell out of Storm with the AEW Women's title. Referees and AEW officials entered the ring to break the assault and eventually May walked up the ramp. A beat-down Storm then grabbed the microphone...and brought her "Timeless" gimmick back. Storm asked May what makes her think she forgot as May looked stunned. "What makes you think our dance is done? Each scar, every drop of blood, I will feel forever," Storm said, referring to the time when May turned on her and beat her up with the shoe. Storm then removed her shirt and pants, reverting to her Timeless gear. "They say the hardest role you will ever play is yourself...but what you just witnessed is the performance of a lifetime." But Storm wasn't over. "Mariah May, you may be the woman from hell, but you came from my womb and I will shove you back up there and spit you out," she continued. "I am Timeless, Timeless, Timeless Toni Storm, and I¡¯m gonna rip your tits off!" The last time Storm donned the Timeless character was at All In when she lost the AEW Women's title to May. She returned at Winter Is Coming in December using her original gimmick and was dubbed as the new rookie who forgot everything which happened over the past year. You can see the whole angle at .

WRESTLECON RETURNS THIS WEEKEND

- WrestleCon returns this weekend for the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis with the fan convention taking place at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Unlike WrestleCon at WrestleMania weekend, this event has free entrance and then it's up to you to purchase any photo/autograph ops with the many wrestling legends who will be on hand. WrestleCon will take place on Friday between 2PM and 6PM and then Saturday from 10AM to 3PM. Guests this weekend at WrestleCon include the likes of Sting, Jon Moxley, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Matt Cardona, The Dudleys, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Billy Gunn, Indi Hartwell, Joe Hendry, The IInspiration, Maki Itoh, JBL, Mickie James, and many many others. Prices for photos or autographs differ depending on the talent. For more information go to .


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Saturday, January 25, 2025 Issue #7471
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Quite a bit of news today, so let's go.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT RETURNS TONIGHT

- Over 15,000 fans will be at the sold out Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas tonight for the second Saturday Night's Main Event since its return. Tonight's broadcast will serve as the show of the first quarter of 2025, with three more to go throughout the rest of the year. There will be four matches on the show tonight, headlined by Gunther vs Jey Uso for the WWE World Heavyweight title, Rhea Ripley vs Nia Jax for the WWE Women's World title, Bron Breakker vs Sheamus for the WWE Intercontinental title, and Braun Strowman vs Jacob Fatu. Plus, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will surrender the WWE Championship and the Winged Eagle title and sign their Royal Rumble contract or else the ladder match will be called off. Saturday Night's Main Event will air on NBC at 8PM ET and will also stream live on Peacock. Internationally, the show will air on YouTube.

HULK HOGAN NOT AT SNME

- While Hulk Hogan was used in advertising for tonight's Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC, the WWE Hall of Famer will not be showing up in San Antonio for the broadcast. Hogan's son Nick is getting married to adult actress Tana Lea this weekend and the date was known before Hogan was used to promote tonight's event so he was actually never booked for the show. It was an interesting tactic as Hogan was loudly booed at the Raw on Netflix premiere in Los Angeles. He was not involved in the return broadcast of Saturday Night's Main Event last month and instead was in attendance for a UFC show at the same time. One person who will be on the show though is Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who returns for his second SNME broadcast after his return last month. Ventura and Hogan aren't exactly buddies so Nick's wedding saved these two from being in the same room in decades.

WWE SELLS TITAN TOWERS

- The Titan Towers building at 1241 E. Main Street in Stamford, Connecticut, which for over 30 years was the WWE global headquarters, was sold for just $3.75 million to MB Financial Group according to CT Insider. The new owners plan to convert the building into an apartment complex. "The location is superb," Michael Massimino, CEO and managing partner of MB Financial, told CT Insider. "It¡¯s on the Stamford-Darien line, and it overlooks Long Island Sound and the Noroton River. The views of Long Island Sound really make this property unique." WWE moved into Titan Towers in 1991, 10 years after it was built. The iconic building had its fair share of television time and even hosted an episode of Monday Night Raw once on its rooftop. The building was also featured in a popular WWE Super Bowl commercial which aired in 1999. Most recently, Titan Towers was the host of the two Money In The Bank ladder matches in 2020 during the pandemic, with male and female WWE Superstars fighting their way from the ground floor all the way up to the roof.

CHARLOTTE FLAIR RETURNING AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Charlotte Flair will be returning at the Royal Rumble next Saturday following 13 months out due to injury. Flair announced her intentions to enter the women's Royal Rumble match last night during a vignette which aired last night on Smackdown. Bayley was the only other female who declared herself for the Rumble until yesterday, when Nia Jax, Naomi, Bianca Belair, and Liv Morgan all threw in their names for the match. That leaves 24 other empty spots, many of which will be filled up on next week's broadcasts plus some which might be a surprise on the day of.

FOUR SUPERSTARS SWAP BRANDS

- Four WWE Superstars swapped brands last night as "transfer season" continues on Raw and Smackdown. Former WWE World Heavyweight champion Damian Priest has switched from Raw to Smackdown, finally getting away from The Judgment Day storyline once and for all...at least for now. Also moving to Smackdown from Raw is The Miz, who was not thrilled considering the Wyatt Sicks are now also on Smackdown and Karrion Kross and AOP are not there to save him. Moving the other way to the red brand are former WWE Tag Team champions, the lovable Grayson Waller and Austin Theory.

WWE TAG TEAM TITLES MATCH ADDED TO THE RUMBLE

- Another match has been added to the 2025 Royal Rumble card and apart from the two over-the-top rope Rumble matches, it's only the second match currently on the show. The WWE Tag Team titles will be defended in a two-out-of-three falls match with DIY taking on The Motor City Machine Guns. The match was made official by Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis last night in a backstage segment after MCMG defeated Pretty Deadly earlier in the show. Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens in a ladder match for the WWE Championship is the only other match currently on the card.

ROYAL RUMBLE SURPASSES 60,000 TICKETS

- The 2025 Royal Rumble has surpassed the 60,000 ticket mark according to ticket tracking service @WrestleTix and is just a few hundred away from surpassing the attendance of the 1997 Royal Rumble. WWE has moved nearly 5,000 tickets in just five days, with the count now standing at just over 60,400 tickets. The Lucas Oil Field is currently set up for 62,335 seats, but could be expanded a little bit more as there are a few sections still closed. The 600 Level on the hard cam side, which was supposed to be all closed, now has four unopened sections while the other 12 sections are almost fully open, with the last four rows still blocked off and some sections having alternate rows opened only. The cheapest tickets available are $160 plus taxes and fees. Ringside seats are priced $4,000 plus taxes and fees.

ISHOWSPEED INVITED TO STREAM AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Popular streamer iShowSpeed was invited to the Royal Rumble next week by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque. During one of his streams, iShowSpeed received a FaceTime call from Levesque and after some chit chatting, Triple H invited him over for the show. "I wanted to give you a call, wanna see if you want to come to the Royal Rumble next week," Triple H asked Speed. "Next Saturday, Indianapolis, Royal Rumble, you'll have a blast!" "Can I stream?" asked Speed. Levesque replied in the positive, giving him full access to stream backstage, anywhere, and even invited him at Gorilla to sit next to him and stream from there. An excited Speed accepted the invitation and asked if he can stream with John Cena next to him. "If you can see him, you can stream him," joked Triple H. iShowSpeed is not a stranger to WWE and was even on the receiving end of an RKO on the announce table at WrestleMania XL when he was dressed as a Prime bottle. You can see the video at .

TKO STOCKS REACH ALL-TIME HIGH

- TKO stocks reached an all-time high of $154.25 yesterday and closed the day at $153.08. The stocks surged 8% this week, with a jump on Thursday. From one year ago, the stocks are now valued 74% more, giving the company a market cap of $26.15 billion. Goldman Sachs raised the target price to $165 from $142 which contributed to the spike this week. Guggenheim also raised the price target to $170 from their $142 valuation.

OMOS RETURNING TO WWE AFTER JAPAN STINT

- Omos' stint in Japan with Pro Wrestling NOAH has come to a close as the Nigerian giant relinquished his GHG Tag Team title and announced that he is going back to WWE. Omos won the tag titles with Jack Morris earlier this month at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo after they beat Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura and now he handed over his title to Daga, making Daga and Morris the champions. He promised to eventually return to the Land of the Rising Sun. He wrestled six times for Pro Wrestling NOAH in January and had his first match since April 2024 on the NOAH The New Year show on January 1 where he won the tag team titles. Omos will be appearing at the Royal Rumble meet and greet sessions next weekend.

WRESTLEMANIA INDIVIDUAL TICKETS GO ON GENERAL SALE

- Individual tickets for WrestleMania went on sale to the general public yesterday after two days of pre-sale on Ticketmaster.com. The cheapest tickets available for both WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday are $300 per night and these are limited view. In fact, most seats released are either limited view or else very expensive in the 300 and 400 Levels. Limited view seats go up to $700 in price and are in the corners next to the stage. Seats in the 400 Level, the farthest and highest section of the stadium go up to $1,300 plus taxes and fees per night. Ringside seats are currently at $10,000 plus taxes and fees per night. Ticketmaster is using dynamic pricing so prices will fluctuate depending on how popular the event is. Judging from the seating chart, WrestleMania Sunday is slightly ahead in ticket sales. Combo tickets are still available, with the cheapest being $1,000 for both nights in the 400 Level.

COLLISION GOES "HOME" TONIGHT AT DAILY'S PLACE

- Tonight's live Collision is being billed as Homecoming since the show takes place from the Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. It will air on TNT and live streams on Max as well. With the show going head-to-head against WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on NBC, AEW has loaded up tonight's broadcast big time with no less than seven matches. Set for tonight are AEW International champion Konosuke Takeshita defends his title against Katsuyori Shibata, AEW Continental champion Kazuchika Okada vs ROH Television champion Komander, Big Bill vs Powerhouse Hobbs, Brody King and Buddy Matthews vs The Gates of Agony, a trios match with Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker vs Adam Cole, Kyle O¡¯Reilly, and Roderick Strong, Samoa Joe vs Nick Wayne, and a #1 contenders match for the TBS title featuring Yuka Sakazaki vs Queen Aminata vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Serena Deeb. All this plus AEW Women's champion Mariah May will come face-to-face with her Grand Slam: Australia challenger Toni Storm for the first time since All In.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Friday, January 24, 2025 Issue #7470
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

TGIF! Have a great weekend folks!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

MUSTAFA ALI RETURNS TO TNA, SIGNS NEW DEAL

- Mustafa Ali returned to TNA Wrestling last night and announced that he has signed a new contract with the company. Ali worked several matches for TNA last year, also winning the X-Division title and holding it for five months. The former WWE Superstar showed up on the live episode of Impact and interrupted Mike Santana's in-ring promo, telling everyone that TNA needs proper leadership and he is the guy to do it. Still using his political-inspired gimmick, Ali then said he's going on campaign to become the next TNA champion. Ali has kept himself busy on the independent scene since he left TNA in July of last year.

SURPRISES AND RETURNS DURING LIVE IMPACT

- Last night's live episode of Impact, the first one in eight years, saw a lot of surprises and returns. Apart from the return of Mustafa Ali, Matt Cardona also made a surprise return and was in the main event spot of the show, taking on TNA World champion Joe Hendry. His return, and maybe the championship win, was however spoiled by another return, that of John "Bradshaw" Layfield. Layfield delivered the Clothesline From Hell on Cardona as he was at ringside, helping Hendry retain the title even though Cardona did whack Hendry with the title, to no avail. Tully Blanchard, the father of controversial star Tessa Blanchard, was also at ringside during Tessa's in-ring promo. NXT's Wes Lee, Tyson Dupont, and Tyriek Igwe showed up during the NXT Tag Team title match between Fraxiom and The Rascalz. The trio got involved by attacking Wentz and Miguel, allowing Frazer and Axiom to retain the titles. Cora Jade also made her presence felt during the show, distracting TNA Knockouts champion Masha Slamovich in her six-woman tag match along with Spitfire against Ash and Heather by Elegance and Rosemary. The distraction allowed Ash to pin the champion. You can see videos of these surprises at .

MACE WARNER DEBUTS ON IMPACT

- The mysterious #23 that has been flashing on Impact was unveiled last night as TNA's newest arrival, Mance Warner. Warner made his TNA debut, taking out Sami Callihan, who came out to the ring to demand an end to the 23 mystery. Warner's arrival was introduced by the returning Steph De Lander, calling herself as the new TNA Digital Media champion, a title she won "in divorce" from PCO. She said that now that her husband is gone, she wanted to introduce everyone to her boyfriend, Mance Warner. Prior to joining TNA, Warner wrestled mostly on the independent circuit and spent a few years with Major League Wrestling. He made a couple of appearances for AEW in 2022 but those did not result in anything. Warner and De Lander are a couple in real life.

STING TO GET RID OF PAINT AND GEAR AFTER 2025 FOR APPEARANCES

- In a post on social media, WWE and TNA Hall of Famer Sting announced that 2025 will be the last year that he will be appearing in full paint and gear at wrestling conventions. The former AEW Tag Team champion appears in his crow Sting costume at many conventions during the year to meet wrestling fans. "I have enjoyed meeting fans at events around the world. As much as I have loved interacting with you all in the traditional Stinger war paint, I¡¯ve decided that 2025 will be my last year appearing in full gear," Sting wrote. "I guess it¡¯s 2025 or never. Wow. Tough to speak that out." Sting, who retired from in-ring competition in March of last year with a final tag match at AEW Revolution, remains with AEW through a licensing deal. He first donned the crow costume and paint on an episode of WCW Nitro in October 1996.

DYNAMITE RATING

- This week's episode of Dynamite drew 655,000 viewers, down 24,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.19 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from the previous episode and was #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. The number of viewers does not include those on Max. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

BUY ONE GET TWO OFFER FOR GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA

- There is a buy one get two offer for tickets for the upcoming AEW Grand Slam: Australia show which is taking place on February 15. The event has gone from one of the most anticipated to one of the most badly-managed, if not the worst ever, in AEW's short history. Originally set to take place from the Suncorp Stadium, the show was moved indoors to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre after dismal ticket sales. AEW took too long to move the show despite knowing the very slow ticket sales, with AEW President Tony Khan also being somewhat in denial saying that they had sold "thousands and thousands" of tickets when the show was still scheduled for the stadium. But eventually, AEW pulled the plug and moved it to the much smaller location late last year, going from a potential 50,000 audience to a maximum of 13,000, and it still has not sold out. While the show is largely full, there are still empty seats, enough to offer a two-for-one promotion. The show is set to air on TNT after the NBA All Star weekend, with AEW now advertising the show without any fixed start time after originally listing an 8PM kick off. It will replace that weekend's Collision and will also stream on Max, some 17 hours or more after the show originally takes place.

ALEXA'S BLISS RETURN HALTED

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Alexa Bliss's return to WWE came to a halt after requesting a new contract instead of keep working under the current extended deal that she has in place. Apparently, WWE refused that request and her planned returned this month on Monday Night Raw was scrapped, and so were future creative plans. The two sides are now trying to come to an agreement but remained apart on terms. The 33-year-old was supposed to return and be part of the Wyatt Sicks world due to her past involvement with Bray Wyatt's storylines. PWInsider adds that her return was penned for the January 13 episode of Raw live from San Jose. Bliss has not been seen on WWE television in two years, last appearing at the 2023 Royal Rumble in a losing effort against Bianca Belair. She gave birth to a baby girl in November of that same year.

DRAGON LEE AND WIFE WELCOME BABY DAUGHTER

- WWE Superstar Dragon Lee and his wife Lupita Orozco welcomed their second baby this week, another daughter. Lee posted a photo from hospital, holding his newborn while sitting on a sofa chair, adding, "Welcome to this wonderful world." The couple have been married since 2019 and had their first baby in 2021. The former NXT North American champion has been absent from WWE television for the past few weeks, with him saying that he opted to stay home and help his wife as she prepared to deliver the baby.

NIKKI BELLA CLOSE TO RETURN TO WWE RING

- @WrestleVotes is reporting that WWE has been in discussions with Nikki Bella to return to WWE, with multiple sources suggesting that it's happening "sooner rather than later." The X account, which usually posts reliable information, added there were "significant discussions" in place to get Nikki back in the ring and both sides seem eager for it to happen. The last time Nikki wrestled was at the 2022 women's Royal Rumble match and with the same match just a week away, it would be a great opportunity to have the leader of the Bella Army step back in the ring in front of over 50,000 fans. Nikki appeared on WWE television during the Raw Netflix premiere earlier this month, her first appearance for WWE since her departure in 2023. The former champ has recently finalized her divorce from her husband Artem Chigvintsev following a few rocky years which culminated in a domestic violence case.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Thursday, January 23, 2025 Issue #7469
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Live Impact tonight on AXS TV, the first one in a very long time. Should be interesting.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

THE HURT SYNDICATE WIN AEW TAG TEAM TITLES

- Just months after reuniting on AEW television, The Hurt Syndicate are the new AEW Tag Team champions. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin defeated Private Party last night on Dynamite, with the former WWE champion Lashley spearing Zay for the pinfall victory. This brought to an end Private Party's reign after just 84 days following their win against The Young Bucks on Fright Night Dynamite in October of last year. At that time, Kassidy and Quen brought to a stop The Bucks' 192-day reign. Lashley and Benjamin, along with MVP, only arrived in AEW three months ago.

CHRISTOPHER DANIELS CONFIRMS IN-RING RETIREMENT

- In a post on social media, Christoper Daniels has announced that he has retired from in-ring competition. His last match was the Texas Death match against "Hangman" Adam Page on Collision. "I'm sad that it's over. But so very happy that it had happened," Daniels wrote on X. "Thank you all!" The belief was that Daniels would not be making a return to the ring following his Collision loss to Page but it was never advertised that it would be his last match, something which apparently Daniels did not want to make a big deal out of. The 54-year-old started his pro wrestling career in 1993 and wrestled for the WWF, WCW, ROH, TNA, NJPW, a bunch of independent promotions, and ultimately AEW. His biggest successes came in ROH and TNA, where he is a multi-time champion across many divisions. Daniels joined AEW in 2019 as one of the first signees to the promotion. Apart from an on-screen talent, he also worked for AEW behind the scenes where he occupies the role of Head of Talent Relations.

SECOND MATCH FOR GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCED

- The second match for Grand Slam: Australia was confirmed last night on Dynamite and it will feature Kenny Omega teaming up with Will Ospreay to take on Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher. The match came together following last night's episode of Dynamite where Omega and Ospreay had a face-to-face and were forced to team up to fend off The Don Callis Family from an attack. The show is set for February 15 from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. It was originally scheduled to be a streaming special but now it will air instead of Collision following the NBA All-Star weekend on TNT and simulcast on Max. The show will air over 17 hours after it originally takes place. The only other match announced so far is Mariah May vs Toni Storm for the AEW Women's title.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision on Saturday night drew 342,000 viewers, up 5,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.10 rating in 18-49, an increase of 0.01 and it was #12 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. The show had tough competition in the form of UFC prelims on FX and NFL football on ESPN. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

WWE AND UFC LAND MAJOR SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH SPRIBE

- SPRIBE, the software development company behind the viral online gaming sensation Aviator, announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with UFC and WWE. Under the agreement with UFC, the Aviator logo will appear prominently on the Octagon canvas at every UFC event worldwide, accompanied by integrated social media campaigns and premium hospitality experiences. In parallel, WWE will showcase Aviator branding at select marquee events, further amplifying the game's visibility among global audiences. For WWE, the alignment with Aviator represents an opportunity to engage with a rapidly growing audience in the gaming sector. "We're thrilled to expand our partnership with SPRIBE across both UFC and WWE," said Nicholas Smith, Vice President of Global Partnerships for TKO. "Much like UFC and WWE, Aviator is a pioneer in its own industry, reshaping the iGaming landscape with innovative, immersive, and engaging consumer experiences. Together, UFC and WWE provide brands with access to one of the most formidable marketing portfolios in sports, and we're looking forward to working with SPRIBE to design custom integrations within our content that will help them reach millions more consumers around the world." The sponsorship deals include logo placements, exclusive social media activations, and premium hospitality access, with opportunities for future activations, including cross-promotions, content integrations, and co-branded campaigns.

NXT TAG TEAM TITLES DEFENDED ON LIVE IMPACT TONIGHT

- It's going to be a rare live Impact tonight from San Antonio, Texas, and the first one in a very long time as TNA Wrestling presents its fallout from Genesis. Brand new TNA champion Joe Hendry will be in the house and so will Josh Alexander, who quit the company on Sunday night following his loss to Mike Santana. Tessa Blanchard will also have a mic after she despatched Jordynne Grace out of TNA. Plus, the NXT Tag Team titles will be on the line as Fraxiom defend their titles against The Rascalz, Masha Slamovich teams up with Spitfire to take on Rosemary and Heather and Ash By Elegance, and Moose and JDC battle the TNA Tag Team champions The Hardys. The live Impact airs on AXS TV starting at 8PM ET.

TNA TO HOLD LIVE IMPACT AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY

- TNA Wrestling announced that it will be holding a live episode of Impact on Thursday, February 20 from Full Sail University at Winter Park, Florida. A second set of tapings will be held the following night as well. Full Sail University is the former home of NXT, a location where NXT taped eight years worth of programming before it moved to the WWE Performance Center. Tickets go on sale to the general public tomorrow at Eventbrite.com with tickets priced at $32, $52, $77, and $152 plus taxes and fees. TNA will hold a live episode of Impact tonight as well from the Boeing Center At Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. An NXT presence will be there tonight on Impact and highly likely for the Full Sail episode as well.

NETFLIX CO-CEO FULL OF PRAISE FOR WWE

- Speaking during the Netflix Q4 2024 earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos was full of praise for WWE and the great start Raw had on their streaming service, adding that the company will help to grow WWE's popularity outside the United States. Sarandos said that the day after Raw airs live, they see about a 25% jump in viewership coming from countries outside North America. Raw airs in the very early hours of the morning for European countries and later in the morning as you move to time zones in the east. ¡°All these years that WWE has been on television, very successful," Sarandos told investors. "Good example about the kind of X factor that is Netflix, we did a press day to kind of introduce the press to the sport because the press didn¡¯t pay much attention to it ¡ª to the sport until it got to Netflix. So they basically ¡ª we had a huge attendance of reporters from all over the world who were learning what this game, what this is about. So to me, I think that¡¯s the first step of the X factor that is Netflix for that sport, and people will see that applied." He also compared the strategy they are using with WWE to that they used for Formula 1 with the Drive to Survive series which catapulted F1's popularity in America. "So I feel like we have the ability to do that with WWE. We give a bigger audience for it in the U.S. and blow it up outside of the U.S.," he continued. "We also like it because for a sport, it also has a 40-person writer room. So it¡¯s much closer to our core wheelhouse of creating and storytelling." Netflix also announced a price hike to their service in the United States after reporting nearly 19 million new subscribers to the service. This was the largest subscription jump ever during a three-month period and sends the total of worldwide subscribers to over 300 million. The new prices are $7.99 per month with ads for the standard account, ad-free subscriptions are $17.99, and the premium plan with 4K is $24.99.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT AIRING ON YOUTUBE AGAIN FOR INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS

- This weekend's Saturday Night's Main Event will be once again airing on YouTube for viewers outside the United States. In the U.S., it will air on NBC with a live simulcast on Peacock starting at 8PM ET. Last month's SNME also aired on YouTube but there were some rumors that Saturday's show would be airing on Netflix for international viewers. There is currently no entry for a Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast in the WWE: Live & Upcoming section and not even last month's episode is even featured on Netflix at the moment for on-demand viewing.

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 812,000 viewers, up 33,000 viewers from the previous broadcast and the best number since October 8, 2024 so far. The show had a 0.22 rating in 18-49, up 0.05 from the prior week and also the best in three months. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Issue #7468
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, catch ya later.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Tonight's Dynamite might again be affected by the weather, with not everyone who is supposed to be in Knoxville there yet for the show due to travel issues. Scheduled so far for tonight's broadcast are Cope vs Pac, Private Party vs Hurt Syndicate for AEW Tag Team titles, Julia Hart vs Jamie Hayter, and Samoa Joe vs Nick Wayne in Joe's first match back in several months. Plus, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega come face-to-face following last week's events. Dynamite airs live on TBS with a simulcast on Max starting at 8PM ET.

AEW DYNASTY TO BE HELD IN PHILADELPHIA

- AEW today announced that it is holding the Dynasty pay-per-view from The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 6. The announcement came via a story on the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Liacouras Center, located on the campus of Temple University, is a popular place for AEW as it played host to several AEW television tapings in the past but this is the first time that AEW is holding a pay-per-view in the city of Brotherly Love. "Philadelphia has been a great home for AEW and really all of pro wrestling for many years,¡± AEW President Tony Khan said. "The energy is tremendous and we¡¯ve always wanted to have a pay-per-view event there. AEW Dynasty is going to be a great pay-per-view in a great city at an arena where we have a great history of putting on awesome events. It¡¯s the perfect place to make a pay-per-view debut." Tickets for AEW Dynasty go on sale on Monday, February 3 starting at 10AM ET.

RICKY STARKS ASKS FOR AEW RELEASE

- Multiple industry insiders are reporting that Ricky Starks has officially asked for his AEW release but his request was denied by AEW President Tony Khan. Starks has not been seen on AEW television since the March 30, 2024 episode of Collision, losing in a tag team match with Big Bill against Top Flight. One of the people reporting on Starks' request for release, Chris Featherstone, also added that the 34-year-old never turned down creative ideas contrary to what was reported in the past but the powers that be have simply opted not to utilize him. Starks joined AEW in 2020 and it's unclear how long his contract runs for.

COREY GRAVES RETURNS TO NXT COMMENTARY TEAM

- After an absence of a week, Corey Graves returned to the NXT commentary table alongside Vic Joseph and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. "Do not adjust your sets, this is not AI," Joseph said before introducing Graves. "Corey Graves is here live in living color." Graves raised eyebrows when last week he posted a controversial message on X, saying he was told that he's not "famous enough" to do his job after he was moved from Smackdown to NXT. Graves followed that with another post later saying that he had "a lot to say" and for people to tune in to NXT. Unfortunately for him, he was pulled from last week's show as consequences of his actions. "I am right where I want to be, where passion is everything, only the hungry survive, and pro wrestling never stopped being cool," Graves said when opening the show.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Smackdown last Friday night on USA Network drew 1,403,000 viewers, down 33,000 viewers from the prior week and the lowest since December 20. The show had a 0.42 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from last week and was #1 on all of television, beating all shows on cable and network in the demo. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS FOR WRESTLEMANIA 41 GO ON PRE-SALE

- Individual tickets for WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas went on pre-sale this morning using the code ALLWWE on Ticketmaster.com. There was a long queue when the clock struck 9AM PT, with over 18,000 waiting in line to access the ticket map. The cheapest tickets for WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday so far are $420 and they go up to $11,000 for ringside, and those prices are for each individual night. Limited view seats, partly blocked by the stage, are going for up to $700. It looks like none of the sections behind the stage will be open, possibly suggesting a large stage that will completely block seats behind it. Tickets open for the general public on Friday, January 24 at 9AM PT. Combo tickets remain available starting from $1,000 for both nights.

RIC FLAIR AT PERFORMANCE CENTER FOR LFG FILMING

- PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE Hall of Famer "Nature Boy" Ric Flair was at the WWE Performance Center this week and was part of the filming for the upcoming WWE LFG series which will air on A&E. Flair has not been associated with WWE since 2021 when he asked for his release from the company. Two years later, he joined AEW and was part of Sting's retirement journey but the Nature Boy only lasted a year, leaving the company in the Summer of 2024. His energy drink Wooooo! Energy is no longer associated with AEW either after serving as a sponsor for several months. LFG (Legends & Future Greats) was announced in December of last year as the newest reality series and will offer viewers an inside look at the rigorous training process, featuring Paul ¡°Triple H¡± Levesque and Shawn Michaels and weekly regular coaches Undertaker, Booker T, Mickie James and Bubba Ray Dudley as they mentor a new generation in weekly matches on their quest to become the next WWE Superstars. Matches are being taped ahead of NXT but the coaches are not appearing in front of the crowd yet.

RAW VIEWERS FOR JANUARY 13

- Raw on January 13 had 3,700,000 global views and placed #4 globally, down from the 5,900,000 global number of the premiere episode. There were a total of 8,200,000 hours consumed watching the show. The US-only numbers are not available and it looks like those numbers will not be released anymore moving forward. Raw was in the top 10 chart in Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States for the week. The show had heavy football competition as the NFL game drew over 25 million viewers head-to-head with Raw.

LUCAS OIL FIELD SEATS ALMOST FULLY OPEN FOR ROYAL RUMBLE

- Lucas Oil Field is almost fully open for tickets as demand for the Royal Rumble continues to grow. Nine of the available 16, 600 Level sections on the side which was supposed to be closed off have been opened for sale with tickets starting at $170 plus taxes and fees. It's quite an incredible feat as the stadium is likely to be opened fully by next week and has a big chance of becoming the most-attended Royal Rumble ever, surpassing the 1997 event at the Alamdome with 60,000 tickets. The last count per @WrestleTix was nearly at 56,000 tickets when the 600 Level seats were still closed off. Even the expensive floor tickets are now being sold, although quite a fair amount of floor tickets remain available for sale.

STEVE AUSTIN UNDERGOES TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

- WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin revealed in a post on Instagram that he underwent total knee replacement and is now seven weeks post-op. "My left knee was on its last leg, and I have been putting this surgery off for years," Austin wrote, thanking the team of doctors and physical therapists who took care of him along the way. He admitted that he "came out of the gate aggressive" and did things that "pissed off" his new knee after surgery, so he still has swelling but everything is healing up according to plan. "I am back in the gym and training. Nothing heavy yet. And no squats," he continued, adding that he hopes to be back in desert off road racing soon.

========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Issue #7467
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Penta keeps looking like an even-bigger star. WWE really nailed down on his presentation.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SAMI ZAYN AND BAYLEY ADDED TO THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- The men's Royal Rumble match had another addition last night on Raw as Sami Zayn declared himself for the match while Bayley became the first woman to announce herself for the women's match. Zayn cut an in-ring promo and said that while he doesn't need a world title to feel complete, he still wants it, because the 14-year-old Sami always wanted to win the WWE title. His promo was interrupted by Kevin Owens, who expressed full confidence in Zayn winning the Rumble and they could go and main event WrestleMania against each other for the WWE title. Bayley announced that she would be entering the women's Royal Rumble match in a backstage interview with Cathy Kelley. She said that if she wins, she could go after the WWE Women's title, the WWE Women's World title, or even the NXT title. Bayley won last year's Royal Rumble and defeated Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's title at WrestleMania.

WWE WOMEN'S WORLD TITLE MATCH ANNOUNCED FOR SNME

- The fourth and final match for this weekend Saturday Night's Main Event was announced last night on Raw. WWE Women's World champion Rhea Ripley will be defending her title against former WWE Women's champion Nia Jax, with this match joining Gunther vs Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight title, Bron Breakker vs Sheamus for the Intercontinental title, and Jacob Fatu vs Braun Strowman. As Raw started last night, Jax ambushed Ripley backstage and had to be separated by several officials. Ripley returned the favor after Jax defeated Bayley, with the action spilling on the announce table where security once again pulled the two women apart. Ripley had the last laugh this time around, hitting a cannonball and taking out everyone in the process before challenging Jax for a SNME match.

BAYLEY SWITCHES TO RAW

- Former WWE Women's champion Bayley has officially joined the Raw roster, switching from the blue brand as part of the "transfer window" which seemingly has no end date. The news was announced by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce in a social media video before Raw went on the air. Bayley battled Nia Jax during the broadcast and was unsuccessful in getting a win on her first night officially back on the red brand as Jax walked out with the victory with a clean win. NXT's Roxanne Perez was in front row and tried to slap Bayley again but Bayley was ready this time around and slapped her instead. Perez and Bayley got into a brawl last week in the main event segment of NXT.

NEW ORLEANS RUMORED TO GET WRESTLEMANIA 42

- There are heavy rumors that next year's WrestleMania will be taking place from New Orleans, Louisiana again, the site of this year's NFL SuperBowl. Industry insiders suggest that NOLA is the frontrunner to host its third WrestleMania, following two very, very successful WrestleManias in 2014 and 2018. In 2014, WrestleMania XXX took place in front of a reported 75,167 crowd and saw Daniel Bryan win the WWE Championship with the Yes! Movement in full throttle. Four years later, WrestleMania 34 was attended by a reported 78,133 fans and saw Brock Lesnar retain the WWE title against Roman Reigns in the main event. On both occasions, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was the host of WrestleMania, and if next year the show goes back to New Orleans, the Superdome becomes only the second location ever along with Madison Square Garden to host WrestleMania on three different occasions. A WrestleMania Kick Off press conference is rumored to be taking place next month from The Big Easy.

WWE WORLD AT WRESTLEMANIA 41 OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

- WWE and Fanatics today officially announced the return of WWE World at WrestleMania 41, a five-day event which will start on April 17 and runs through April 21. The fan convention will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall, and tickets go on sale on February 3 at 9AM PST. Pre-sale for prior ticket holders from WWE World 2024 begins January 29 at 9AM PST. WWE World at WrestleMania 41 will feature a variety of immersive experiences for fans including a central main stage that will host roundtable discussions with top WWE Superstars, live podcast recordings, live memorabilia and autograph sales through Fanatics Live, and the largest WWE Superstore in WrestleMania history. The event will also feature exclusive merchandise autograph sessions and meet-and-greets with WWE Superstars and Legends, in addition to immersive exhibits and memorabilia honoring WrestleMania¡¯s 41-year history. For more information go to .

BRODY KING AND BUDDY MATTHEWS FILE TM APPLICATIONS FOR NEW NAMES

- With Malakai Black's departure from AEW, the House of Black is also seemingly dead for obvious reasons, but Black's two former tag team partners, Brody King and Buddy Matthews, are already thinking ahead. King last week trademarked two names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, filing applications for Hounds of Hell and Cerberus. Meanwhile, Matthews also trademarked the name Hell Hounds, suggesting that a combo of the two names will be used in the future on AEW television as they get away from the House of Black branding. Black is rumored to become a free agent in around six to eight weeks after spending the last three and a half years working with AEW. A WWE return is certainly not out of the question.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Monday, January 20, 2025 Issue #7466
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Happy Monday! We'll be back tomorrow.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

TNA GENESIS 2025 RESULST

- Here are the results from last night's TNA Genesis 2025 pay-per-view which took place from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas: PRE-SHOW: Jake Something defeated Ashante "Thee" Adonis; Frankie Kazarian defeated Leon Slater PPV: Moose defeated Ace Austin to retain the TNA X Division title; Eric Young and Steve Maclin defeated The System; Spitfire defeated Ash by Elegance and Heather by Elegance to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles; Tessa Blanchard defeated Jordynne Grace; Mike Santana defeated Josh Alexander in an I Quit match; The Hardys defeated The Rascalz to retain the TNA Tag Team titles; Masha Slamovich defeated Rosemary in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match to retain the TNA Knockouts title; Joe Hendry defeated Nic Nemeth to become the new TNA World champion.

NXT STARS APPEAR AT GENESIS

- As expected, TNA Genesis had the presence of NXT last night as the two brands will now be helping each other in talent exchanges who will appear on either Impact or NXT on CW on a regular basis. Ashante "Thee" Adonis was the first one to show up in the pre-show and issued an open challenge to anyone in the back. Jake Something responded to the challenge and the two had a match which Something won. Arianna Grace returned in her role as the liaison between TNA and NXT, a role she occupied a few months ago when this relationship was still in its early stages. NXT Tag Team champions Nathan Frazier and Axiom took their spot at ringside before the match between The Hardys and The Rascalz for the TNA Tag Team titles kicked off. They also got involved in the action after Miguel hit them by mistake when he dove outside. The four of them were about to brawl but security intervened and took Fraxiom backstage. And Cora Jade also made her presence felt when she came out to confront TNA Knockouts champion Masha Slamovich after her match. Last week on NXT, Jade was giving the side eye to Slamovich who was sitting at ringside and now she returned the favor by showing up at a TNA show. The two then had a face-to-face in the middle of the ring.

JOE HENDRY WINS TNA WORLD TITLE

- Fan favorite Joe Hendry became the TNA World champion last night at Genesis, successfully defeating Nic Nemeth in the main event of the show. It took two standing ovation finishers to write off Nemeth, who kept the title for a total of 183 days after he won it at Slammiversary last year from Moose. After the match was over, Frankie Kazarian threatened to cash in his Call Your Shot trophy but WWE Hall of Famer John "Bradshaw" Layfield showed up and delivered the clothesline from hell on Kazarian, preventing him from ruining Hendry's moment. This is the first major singles title for the Scottish star with TNA Wrestling and it caps off an incredible year he had which shot him to superstardom.

JORDYNNE GRACE FINISHES UP WITH TNA

- Jordynne Grace has finished up her commitments with TNA Wrestling and last night's Genesis was her final date with the company. Grace lost her match against Tessa Blanchard in a highly-competitive and praised match on her way out. The former TNA Knockouts champion was given a big ovation backstage by the whole TNA locker room and was presented a TNA Knockouts championship signed by everyone on the back. While she did hug a lot of people, she did skip Blanchard, who was clapping, and casually walked in front of her to go hug other individuals. The 28-year-old has been working for TNA since 2018 and is a former three-time Knockouts champion, one-time Knockouts Tag Team champion, and one-time Digital Media champion. She's expected to sign with WWE imminently and a Royal Rumble return is highly likely on the agenda.

MCKENZIE MITCHELL RETURNS

- McKenzie Mitchell returned to TNA Wrestling last night at Genesis and did ring announcing for show. Mitchell, who worked for TNA between 2016 and 2019, moved to WWE where she was the backstage interviewer for NXT but that run came to an end in 2023 when she was released by the company. Her husband, NXT commentator Vic Joseph, remained as part of the broadcast team. "Call it a homecoming," Mitchell wrote in a post on social media, showing off her pink outfit backstage. TNA had an opening in the ring announcing department as the previous one, Jade Chung, left the company as well.

NXT TAG TEAM TITLES TO BE DEFENDED ON IMPACT

- The NXT Tag Team titles will be defended this coming Thursday during a live episode of TNA Impact from San Antonio, Texas. NXT tag champs Nathan Frazer and Axiom will put the titles up for grabs against The Rascalz following the confrontation the two tag teams had yesterday at the Genesis pay-per-view. Funny enough, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz also won a #1 contenders match for the NXT Tag Team titles months ago on NXT but they were never able to cash in because the working relationship between the two companies went cold for a little while until it was revived this month. The Rascalz were unsuccessful in winning the TNA Tag Team titles last night against The Hardys at Genesis.

PCO QUITS TNA DURING GCW SHOW

- TNA Digital Media champion PCO quit the company last night during a GCW show, destroying the title, and then going into an unplanned rant against the company which forced GCW personnel to eventually yank the microphone from his hand. PCO won the Kick Off Rumble, eliminating Shane Mercer last to earn the victory. But things went awkward afterward, with PCO smashing the title with a sledgehammer multiple times and then got on a microphone, saying he sold out the biggest audience in TNA (in Montreal) and sold more merchandise than anyone. At that point, PCO did not want to get rid of the mic despite two people trying their best to stop him from the unannounced tirade and the broadcast then shifted away from the ring. Several wrestling industry insiders said that PCO went on a mission of his own and it was not scripted, nor approved. PCO has been wrestling without a contract since the end of the year and is not expected to return despite being booked for the upcoming TV tapings which were supposed to be his final ones. Reacting to one of the videos of his stunt on X, PCO replied, "People don¡¯t care for victims, they care for the ones who stand up and Monsters their way through..." PCO held the Digital Media title since July 2024 where he won it at Slammiversary in Montreal from AJ Francis. You can see the video at .

JOE HENDRY CALLS OUT JOHN CENA

- Appearing on Busted Open Radio less than 24 hours after winning the TNA World title for the first time, Joe Hendry called out John Cena, something that in 2025 wouldn't be far from the realm of possibility. "We're in an era where anything is happening," Hendry said. "And just before Genesis, Triple H tweeted about the show, Shawn Michaels tweeted the show, and John Cena posted the TNA logo on his Instagram. What kind of representative would I be for TNA if I didn¡¯t call out John Cena?" Cena did in fact post the TNA logo along with the WWE logo which was used to announce the partnership last week. As all of Cena's Instagram posts, they come with no text and the content is up for anyone's interpretation. "I honestly believe that people haven¡¯t seen what I can truly do on the microphone yet," continued the new champion. "And to me, John Cena is in the top-top echelon of talkers ever." Cena has embarked on a farewell tour this year and will be part of the Royal Rumble, his last one ever, as an in-ring competitor. He will wrap up his WWE active career in December 2025 with one final match.

WWE HALL OF FAMER DONALD TRUMP TAKES OATH AS 47TH PRESIDENT OF AMERICA

- Today, WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump took the oath as the 47th President of the United States, making a remarkable comeback to the White House. Trump, a big friend of the WWE and the UFC, has also nominated Linda McMahon as the Secretary of Education, a nomination which is expected to be confirmed. A smiling McMahon was present at the inauguration today inside Capitol Hill and was on camera several times along with the rest of the would-be Trump Cabinet. McMahon, along with Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Stephanie McMahon were also at the New Year's Eve ball at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate on December 31. Triple H recently met the President at a UFC event where the two embraced. Trump's history with WWE dates back to the 80s, where he hosted both WrestleMania IV and V at his Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was ringside for WrestleMania VII and WrestleMania X and made numerous appearances on WWE television, perhaps his most famous one at the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23 where he helped shave Vince McMahon's hair. In June 2009, WWE and Trump pulled a big stunt where Trump was said to have purchased Monday Night Raw and the following week after the announcement, Raw aired commercial free and all fans were refunded their ticket. The stunt, which received incredible media attention, forced WWE to revert after Wall Street was not impressed. Over the years, Trump's friendship with both Vince and Linda McMahon flourished, with Linda also being appointed in his first Cabinet and then taking the important role of fund raising for his presidential campaigns.

RAW PREVIEW

- Tonight's Raw on Netflix, live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, will be headlined by a WrestleMania rematch featuring Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre. The only other matches announced are The New Day in action against unnamed opponents and Damage CTRL take on Pure Fusion Collective. Also set for the show are Jey Uso, Lyra Valkyria returns as the brand new Women's Intercontinental title, Sami Zayn will have an in-ring promo, and WWE Hall of Famer John "Bradshaw" Layfield will also be on the broadcast. There are over 13,000 tickets out for tonight's broadcast and the arena will be sold out by the time the show starts.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Sunday, January 19, 2025 Issue #7465
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

There's some extra buzz surrounding TNA's pay-per-view tonight due to the involvement of WWE/NXT. Let's see what they cook up tonight!


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

TNA GENESIS 2025 LIVE ON PPV TONIGHT

- Live tonight from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, TNA Wrestling presents Genesis on pay-per-view. The full card is as follows: Nic Nemeth vs Joe Hendry for the TNA World title; Masha Slamovich vs Rosemary in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match for the TNA Knockouts title; The Hardys vs The Rascalz for the TNA Tag Team titles; Moose vs Ace Austin or the TNA X Division title; Spitfire vs Ash by Elegance and Heather by Elegance for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles; Jordynne Grace vs Tessa Blanchard; Josh Alexander vs Mike Santana in an I Quit match; The System vs Eric Young and Steve Maclin; and Frankie Kazarian vs Leon Slater in the pre-show. TNA Gensis is available through TNA+ for $39.99 or else those living outside the United States can purchase it through Triller TV for $19.99. The show will start at 8PM ET.

NXT EXPECTED AT GENESIS

- An NXT presence is expected tonight at the TNA Genesis pay-per-view as the two promotions continue to work together following the multi-year partnership deal that was announced earlier this week. The new promotional video hyping Genesis features the NXT logo and WWE is also promoting the pay-per-view through their social media channels. TNA went even a step further writing, "TNA Genesis. WWE NXT. This Sunday," pretty much confirming that NXT talent will somehow be involved during the show. It's unclear who will be showing up at the Curtis Culwell Center tonight at this point as everything is being kept under wraps.

WRESTLEMANIA 41 TEASER VIDEO ADDS THE ROCK

- There have been several rumors that The Rock won't be working WrestleMania this year with filming commitments clashing within the same timeframe of the show or what is needed to prepare to be fit to compete on the show. The Rock has, in the past, dismissed these rumors but what happens with The Final Boss remains a tightly-kept secret that only a handful of people are aware of. A new WrestleMania 41 teaser which aired this week featured The Rock, suggesting that maybe he will be involved in some way, shape, or form. Things will probably get more clear in early February when WWE holds its WrestleMania press conference, rumored to be taking place from New Orleans, the site of the Super Bowl. The Rock returned for the Raw Netflix premiere earlier this month and then showed up the next day on NXT as well. He has not wrestled since night one of WrestleMania 40.

BROOKE HOGAN GIVES BIRTH TO TWINS

- Hulk Hogan has become a grandfather after his daughter Brooke and her husband welcomed twins this week. Brooke, who is married to former NHL player Steven Oleksy, posted on her social media for the first time in a long time yesterday saying, "So... just been staying off socials cooking these two cuties," holding her two newborn babies. The couple named them Oliver Andrew and Molly Gene. "Our hearts have been made whole by the arrival of these two sweet souls we get to love. God is good," she continued. The two secretly got married in June 2022. Brooke appeared on WWE and TNA broadcasts in the past and was also working for TNA at one point.

DREW MCINTYRE PUTS OVER CM PUNK'S HANDLING OF HIS INSULTS

- In an interview with the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom, Drew McIntyre put over CM Punk for the magic they created in the ring and for also taking his social media shots "like a man" and not complaining about it. Drew said that he went pedal to the metal with him when it comes to insults via social media and was ready to tell WWE no if they interfered, as that is his personal social media. Admitting he went overboard and went at him in more ways than one, Drew said that he was impressed how Punk took the shots especially since he knows he did the same to other people and they were not happy about it. "Not that I care, but he didn¡¯t. He ate it like a man, and then came back with what he had to say. So I¡¯ll give him that," Drew said. McIntyre added that everyone knows about the history between the two and that they have certain feelings towards each other, but they're both professionals and created magic together in the ring for fans. "It¡¯s a tale as old as time," McIntyre said. "The more people have a genuine disdain for each other, people can truly feel it. And if you¡¯re actually good at your job, like we are, it does create magic. And the whole process was magic, and the cell itself was a match that we talked about forever."

SHAWN MICHAELS TO APPEAR AT SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

- Shawn Michaels will be appearing at this Friday's Saturday Night's Main Event and will be the "special enforcer" of the contract addendum signing between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens for the Royal Rumble. Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis kept mentioning the contract addendum throughout the show but never really specified what it is, presumably to leave everyone guessing until Friday night. Both Rhodes and Owens were ordered to be at the show and relinquish the WWE Championship and the WWE Winged Eagle title so they could be hung for the match. HBK, who is from San Antonio where the show will be taking place, will be there to keep the order...and also for a cheap pop! The NXT head honcho rarely makes appearances on WWE television anymore unless it's on NXT. Over 13,000 fans are expected at the Frost Bank Center for the second Saturday Night's Main Event since its revival after the company moved over 2,000 additional tickets in a week.

THIRD MATCH ADDED TO SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT

- The third match for the next Saturday Night's Main Event was announced on Smackdown and it will feature Braun Strowman taking on The Bloodline's Jacob Fatu. Fatu, along with Tama Tonga, were beating on LA Knight and Strowman came out for the save. After the two teased going against each other, Tonga grabbed Fatu and pulled him out of the ring, saving their confrontation for another time. Strowman vs Fatu joins Gunther vs Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight title and Bron Breakker vs Sheamus for the Intercontinental title. Another match is expected to be added to the card next week, likely one featuring the women. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will also be on the show for their contract signing along with Shawn Michaels.

PAT MCAFEE TO MISS RAW TOMORROW

- Pat McAfee will miss Monday Night Raw tomorrow due to his ESPN duties where he will host Field Pass during the CFP National Championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State in Atlanta. McAfee is expected to return for the next broadcast and will be free from his college football work after next week with the end of college football season. Replacing McAfee on the commentary table with Michael Cole will be Smackdown color commentator Wade Barrett. Corey Graves looks like he's still in the doghouse and has not been recalled yet following the controversial tweet on X earlier this week.

CHARLOTTE FLAIR RETURN VIGNETTE AIRS ON SMACKDOWN

- The first vignette hyping Charlotte Flair's return to WWE aired on Smackdown. The vignette showed the self-proclaimed queen living the luxury life on a private jet, yacht, wearing fur coats, and driving a Rolls Royce in expensive-looking clothing. The 14-time champion has been out of action since December 2023 when she suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in a match against Asuka on Smackdown. No return date has been announced, but Flair has been busy training to dust off her ring rust and with the Royal Rumble around the corner, it would be the perfect time for a return.

WWE WOMEN'S TAG TEAM TITLES MATCH SET FOR NXT AT CENTER STAGE

- The WWE Women's Tag Team titles will be defended on the January 28 episode of NXT live from Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia. Earlier this week, the Meta Girls - Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson - defeated The Unholy Union to become the #1 contenders for the titles and the champions, Bianca Belair and Naomi, successfully defended them last night on Smackdown against Nia Jax and Candice LeRae. The match was then announced for NXT, with Belair returning to her old stomping grounds. This is the second title match on the show, with NXT Women¡¯s North American champion Fallon Henley also defending against Shotzi. Center Stage is a popular location for wrestling shows and was the home of WCW Saturday Night between 1989 to 1996. GCW, MLW, ROH, and TNA also hold tapings there from time to time.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Friday, January 17, 2025 Issue #7464
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Slow start to the weekend so far...we'll be back either Saturday or Sunday.


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

GENESIS MEET AND GREET INFO

- TNA announced full details of their meet and greet sessions for the Genesis Kickoff event which will be held tomorrow starting at 5PM at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, the site of Sunday's Genesis pay-per-view. Scheduled to be there tomorrow are Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Joe Hendry, Nic Nemeth, Masha Slamovich, Ash By Elegance, Rosemary, and Mike Santana. You can pre-purchase tickets at tnamerch.com until tomorrow morning at . A second meet and greet will be held on Sunday, January 19 after the Genesis show on the concourse level of the Curtis Culwell Center. Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Joe Hendry, Zachary Wentz, and Trey Miguel will all appear and tickets can be purchased on site near the official TNA merchandise stand.

NICK KHAN SAYS FRANCE AND GERMANY GETTING WWE PLE'S

- WWE President Nick Khan revealed that both France and Germany will be getting premium live events this year. Khan spoiled the news at a roundtable discussion on Global Entertainment held in Las Vegas yesterday. Both countries got PLEs in 2024, with Backlash in Lyon and Bash In Berlin in Berlin. The Lyon show was originally supposed to be in Paris but due to the Olympics, it was not possible. Which cities will get the events remains to be seen, but WWE remains keen on doing a show in Paris. Last year's Backlash ended up being one of the most talked-about shows ever due to the rowdy crowd which chanted and jumped during the whole show, shaking cameras along the way. WWE held eight premium live events outside the United States in 2024, breaking several revenue records throughout the year.

RAW AND SMACKDOWN DURING MANIA WEEKEND TO BE HELD AT T-MOBILE ARENA

- Some additional information regarding the WrestleMania 41 weekend events in Las Vegas were revealed yesterday at Vegas Chamber¡¯s Preview Las Vegas held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was present for the discussion with WWE President Nick Khan, who said that the Friday Night Smackdown on April 18 and Monday Night Raw on April 21 will both be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It's the largest arena in the city and the home of the UFC for the major Vegas events. The WWE World fan convention will take place between April 17 and April 21 and will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. WWE World replaces the Axxess convention and was introduced with last year's WrestleMania. The location for NXT Stand & Deliver has not been announced but it's likely taking place at the T-Mobile Arena as well considering WWE likes to push combo tickets for all their shows during Mania weekend. Khan also said that they sold more WrestleMania tickets in the first 72 hours than any other WWE event in history.

WRESTLEMANIA 41 INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ON SALE NEXT WEEK

- WWE today announced that individual tickets for WrestleMania 41 will be available starting Friday, January 24 with a pre-sale on Wednesday, January 22 at 9AM PT on Ticketmaster.com. As of now, only two-day combo tickets are available for purchase, with the cheapest tickets at $1,000 for the two nights and the most expensive at $15,000, without taxes and fees. There are no sections opened behind the WrestleMania stage for now, suggesting either a massive stage or sections reserved for individual tickets. WWE has nearly 40,000 tickets out for both nights so far. Individual ticket prices have not been revealed.

PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED HANDS OUT THE 2024 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

- Wrestling's most popular magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, announced its 2024 Achievement Award winners as voted by their readers. The magazine, sold worldwide, was founded in 1979 and is the longest published English language wrestling magazine still in production. WWE champion Cody Rhodes won Wrestler of the Year with Gunther, Will Ospreay, and Bryan Danielson coming behind. Woman of the Year went to former AEW Women's champion Toni Storm, with Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, and Jordynne Grace in the top four. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill won the overall Tag Team of the Year in a surprise win beating out The Young Bucks, Fraxiom, and The Judgment Day. The Bloodline took Faction of the Year, with The Wyatt Sicks, The Judgment Day and BCC/Death Riders rounding up the top four. Match of the Year was won by Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre at Hell In A Cell, Bryan Danielson vs Swerve Strickland at All In, and Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay at Dynasty came behind. Feud of the Year went to CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre. The others were Adam Page vs Swerve Strickland, Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley, and Mariah May vs Toni Storm. Most Popular Wrestler of the Year was won by Cody Rhodes, followed by Jey Uso, Joe Hendry, and Rhea Ripley. Most Hated Wrestler of the Year went to Dominik Mysterio. Solo Sikoa, MJF, and Logan Paul followed. Liv Morgan won Comeback of the Year with Mercedes Mone, Randy Orton, and The Rock rounding it up. Most Improved Wrestler of the Year went to AEW Women's champion Mariah May. Nia Jax, Oba Femi, and Maxxine Dupri came behind. Indie Wrestler of the Year was awarded to Mustafa Ali who was joined by Matt Cardona, Mance Warner, and Allie Katch in the top four. Inspirational Wrestler of the Year went to Cody Rhodes. Bryan Danielson, Sami Zayn, and Jeff Jarrett were also in the top four. Kelani Jordan won Rookie of the Year followed by Jaida Parker, Karmen Petrovic, and Oleg Boltin followed. Most wrestlers who won posed with their PWI plagues, with Cody Rhodes thanking readers and telling everyone to lower the bar for this year!

DYNAMITE RATING

- Dynamite had a growth for its third straight week, with this week's viewership hitting 679,000 viewers, up 64,000 viewers from the prior show. Dynamite had a 0.18 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from last week and ranked #5 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. The numbers does not include viewers from Max. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Thursday, January 16, 2025 Issue #7463
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It's cool to see WWE and TNA officially announcing their partnership, hopefully this will lead to better things for both TNA and NXT in the months to come.

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

WWE AND TNA ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR DEAL PARTNERSHIP

- WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, and TNA Wrestling, one of the world¡¯s top wrestling brands and a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, today announced a multi-year partnership aimed at creating unprecedented crossover opportunities within WWE and TNA programming for NXT Superstars and TNA Wrestling Stars. The agreement will enable talent to garner additional exposure across key WWE and TNA programming, including weekly flagship shows such as NXT ¨C which airs live on The CW ¨C and TNA iMPACT!, select WWE Premium Live Events and TNA pay-per-views, in turn bolstering their in-ring development with exposure to world-class talent and coaching. ¡°This historic relationship demonstrates that collaboration and competition do not have to be mutually exclusive,¡± said Ariel Shnerer, Senior Vice President of Content & Distribution for TNA Wrestling and Anthem Sports & Entertainment. ¡°Our partnership allows the TNA Wrestling brand and its incredible athletes to reach a significantly wider audience, while giving WWE and NXT stars an opportunity to cross the line and gain valuable experience, as they join forces with one of the most talented rosters in professional wrestling today. The response to our collaboration over the past year has been tremendous and both companies have benefited, but the fans have reaped the greatest rewards from this talent crossover and working relationship.¡± ¡°We look forward to growing and evolving our partnership with TNA Wrestling and its outstanding group of athletes by creating new opportunities to further the development of our talent and to elevate the viewer experience at home,¡± said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. Former TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry frequently appeared on NXT programming in 2024, highlighted by an NXT Championship match featuring Hendry and Ethan Page at No Mercy, and an NXT Women¡¯s Championship match featuring Grace and Roxanne Perez at Battleground. Many NXT Superstars also crossed the line into TNA Wrestling, including Wes Lee¡¯s short-lived reunion with The Rascalz, Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Catch Crew, Riley Osbourne, Dante Chen, Gallus, Arianna Grace, Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame, Wendy Choo, Brinley Reece and more.

TNA PROMOTES GENSIS PPV WITH NXT

- Just minutes after the breaking news of the talent partnership between TNA and NXT, TNA Wrestling uploaded a new video for their Genesis pay-per-view featuring the NXT logo as well. The video features TNA stars in action in the ring as fans chant "TNA" in the background and parts of the NXT logo appearing every few seconds. The logo is then revealed with the TNA logo at the top, Genesis in the middle, and the NXT logo at the bottom. Genesis will take place from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas on Sunday, January 19. The show is headlined by Nic Nemeth vs Joe Hendry for the TNA World title.

NIELSEN REVISES NEW YEAR'S EVIL RATING

- Nielsen, the company which measures television ratings, has revised its NXT rating and viewership for the New Year's Evil episode with The Rock. Originally, the viewership reported was of 957,000 with a 0.25 rating in 18-49. NXT did not air in the Los Angeles market due to the coverage of the wildfires, but the viewership included numbers from the news which aired instead. The revised number, taking out the LA market from the number, is now of 798,000 viewers and a 0.21 rating in 18-49, an increase of 172,000 viewers from the prior week and an increase of 0.06 in the 18-49 rating. A replay of this particular episode of NXT aired again nationwide on Saturday night which drew an additional 279,000 viewers and a 0.04 rating in 18-49.

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 779,000 viewers, down 9,000 viewers from the revised number of last week. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49, down 0.04 from the New Year's Evil episode. This week's show had unannounced appearances from Bayley, DIY, and TNA Knockouts champion Masha Slamovich. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

MATT HARDY SAYS RETURN TO WWE AS TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPS POSSIBLE

- In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, current TNA Tag Team champion Matt Hardy said that a return to WWE with Jeff Hardy as the TNA Tag Team champions is not out of the question considering the current relationship TNA has with WWE. Talking about his podcast partner predicting that The Hardys will have a match in WWE this year, Matt said he feels good about it and it's one of the great things about working with TNA at the moment. "They know that we do have a lot of love for WWE. They know that we would like to one day do the Hall of Fame," Matt told Van Vliet. "But we have a good working relationship with them. I think if the perfect storm arose, I think you could see us pop up even as TNA champs on some WWE show at some point." Matt also had good things to say about the current TNA/NXT talent swap, adding that if a TNA star goes to NXT they seem like a bigger star and vice versa.

SAMOA JOE RETURNS

- Former AEW World champion Samoa Joe returned to television last night, coming out to save Hook and Katsuyori Shibata from an attack by The Patriarchy. Joe has not been seen on AEW television since July of last year and was out due to commitments with filming Twisted Metal, a series which airs on Peacock. He plays the role of Sweet Tooth in the series. He was one of the couple of main event names missing from the company either due to injury or due to other outside projects but AEW is slowly getting all their top stars back. Joe's last match was against Chris Jericho, losing a Stampede street fight.

MEGAN BAYNE MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE

- The women's Casino Gauntlet match last night on Dynamite saw the return of Megan Bayne, the former OVW Women's champion who is considered one of the best female indie stars. The 5'11" Bayne came out third in the Casino Gauntlet and locked up with the company's top female talent, a change from how she was used before just as an enhancement talent. Bayne last wrestled for AEW in a dark match in July 2023, losing in a tag team match with Eli Sakura against Maki Itoh and Willow Nightingale. Since then, Bayne has been a constant on Stardom and GCW among other indie promotions.

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA TO AIR ON TNT AND MAX

- The AEW Grand Slam: Australia show looks like it will be airing on regular television and not as a streaming special only on Max or pay-per-view as it was initially thought. A graphic which aired during Dynamite last night showed that Grand Slam: Australia will air on Saturday, February 15 at 8PM ET on TNT, some 17 hours after it originally takes place in Brisbane. The show, like every AEW TV broadcast, will simulcast on Max too. While it certainly is replacing Collision on that night, the 8PM time slot on TNT remains a question mark despite AEW's promotion as TNT is set to air NBA All-Star Weekend programming during the same time on the same day. Grand Slam: Australia was originally set for the Suncorp Stadium but bad ticket sales forced a move to a regular indoor arena at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where the show has still not sold out despite Tony Khan originally saying they sold "thousands" of tickets for the stadium show.

TONI STORMS BECOMES #1 CONTENDER FOR AEW WOMEN'S TITLE

- An All In rematch will be taking place at the Grand Slam: Australia show with Mariah May defending her AEW World title against her former friend and champion herself Toni Storm. Storm won the first-ever women's Casino Gauntlet match last night, pinning Julia Hart with a small package to earn the shot. She entered the match at #6. The Kiwi-born star got rid of her "Timeless" gimmick when she returned in December following her loss to Mariah May in August at Wembley Stadium. She has since been playing a character seemingly suffering from amnesia, forgetting that she was even part of the company before her Winter Is Coming return, with AEW announcers playing along with the "rookie!"

AEW MOVES 5,500 TICKETS FOR REVOLUTION

- The first count for the Revolution pay-per-view at the Crypto.com Arena is of just under 5,500 tickets according to ticket tracking service @WrestleTix. Tickets officially went on general sale on Monday following few days of pre-sale. The massive 20,000-seater arena is configured to hold under 7,000 fans at the moment judging by which sections are opened, but that will obviously increase once the demand increases. This will be AEW's first time at the Crypto.com Arena as usually they use the Kia Forum in Inglewood. The downtown LA location will make it easier to access. Tickets are available through AXS.COM with the cheapest tickets at $61.51 and the most expensive at $2,012.51. Last year's Revolution, which featured Sting's farewell, had over 16,000 fans in attendance.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 Issue #7462
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- The Maximum Carnage Dynamite on TBS and Max will have a bit of a different look tonight simply because of the location it's taking place in. The company is making its venue debut at the Brady Music Center in Cincinnati and this will not be your typical arena show, with around 1,500 in attendance at a location not typically used for pro wrestling setups. Headlining the show will be Cincinnati's own AEW World champion Jon Moxley defending the title against Powerhouse Hobbs. Other matches including Christian Cage vs Hook, The Hurt Syndicate vs Private Party and Mark Briscoe in a trios match, Kenny Omega returns to the AEW ring vs Brian Cage, and a number one contender for the AEW Women's title will be decided in the first-ever women's Casino Gauntlet.

MOXLEY SAYS AEW IS BUILDING "A LOT MORE" THAN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE RING

- Ahead of tonight's Maximum Carnage Dynamite in Cincinnati, AEW World champion Jon Moxley did the media rounds to promote the show, telling Yahoo Sports that AEW is "building a lot more than what happens in the ring." "Building something sustainable for the future that we can take pride in, we¡¯ve been doing that for the past few months," Moxley said. The company has been facing more than usual criticism over their product, with reduced attendances at live events, falling ratings, and some wrestlers who want out. Moxley said that it's a long process but tiny victories every day is what gets him excited. "It¡¯s about a mindset and an approach of taking pride in what we do. We have a lot of guys and girls that are part of it. I¡¯m pretty proud," the champion continued. Moxley said that he works for all the people who need AEW to succeed and for that to happen, everyone has to operate at their highest level at every level. "I feel a responsibility to these people because to be successful in wrestling, they¡¯ve given and sacrificed their lives for the pursuit of this, as I had," he said. "I am but a servant to the pursuit of helping the whole thing, raising it up, and bringing along as many people as we can. It¡¯s making me better and helping me learn a hell of a lot."

MASHA SLAMOVICH MAKES SURPRISE NXT APPEARANCE

- TNA Knockouts champion Masha Slamovich made a surprise appearance on last night's episode of NXT on The CW. Slamovich is the second champion to appear on the show, following the footsteps of former champion Jordynne Grace who had her fair share of appearances on NXT television as well as the Royal Rumble last year. The TNA Knockouts champ was sitting at ringside and acknowledged by the commentary team before the Cora Jade vs Kelani Jordan match started. During her entrance, Jade looked to her left and eyed Slamovich who had her title with her. "I¡¯m everywhere. And I¡¯m always watching," Slamovich wrote on X afterward. The NXT/TNA relationship cooled off over the past several weeks but it seems that more things are planned for the near future. You can see her cameo at .

BAYLEY AND DIY SHOW UP AT NXT

- Main roster stars Bayley and DIY made an appearance on NXT last night as the brand tries to continue its upward momentum following several successful shows. The WWE Tag Team champions returned to the brand they know - and fought in - very well over the past years and were on hand to check out the NXT Tag Team champions Fraxiom. The duo were interviewed backstage and Ciampa said that he's been hearing that Fraxiom are labeled as the best tag team in NXT history, something which Johnny Gargano did not agree with. Both promised no shenanigans and watched the NXT tag team title match from the perch, keeping their promise. Bayley also showed up at the end of the broadcast, interrupting the main event segment which had an in-ring promo from former NXT Women's champion Roxanne Perez. Perez was nice at first but then heeled on the crowd and said that the NXT women's division will be lost without her and that the fans don't deserve her. Perez added that NXT in the past needed the Four Horsewomen but now they only need one: herself. Bayley interrupted to a big pop from the crowd and tried to knock some sense into Perez's head to no avail. With the show going out of time, Bayley said she's going to beat Tiffany Stratton for the title and then Perez slapped Bayley on her face and the two brawled.

TWO TITLE MATCHES SET FOR NEXT WEEK'S NXT

- Oba Femi will be making his first NXT title defense next week as he takes on Eddy Thorpe in the main event of the show which will air on CW in the United States and Netflix in most of the other markets. The match was set up in the opening segment of last night's show which also saw the inclusion of Tony D'Angelo and Ridge Holland. With D'Angelo and Holland fighting, Thorpe knocked down the champion and in a backstage segment later, Femi told NXT General Manager Ava that he wants Thorpe for next week. Meanwhile, the two other individuals involved in the opening segment will also have a match of their own as Tony D'Angelo will defend his NXT North American title against Ridge Holland as a consequence of their brawl. The two title matches are the only thing announced so far for next week's broadcast.

META GIRLS BECOME #1 CONTENDERS FOR WOMEN'S TAG TEAM TITLES

- WWE Women's Tag Team champions Bianca Belair and Naomi have new number one contenders to watch out for: Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson from NXT. The Meta Girls defeated Unholy Union, the team of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, last night on the show to get the next shot at the Women's Tag Team titles. Belair and Naomi have not defended their titles in a month, a week after Naomi replaced Jade Cargill on the team. Cargill was taken out during an episode of Smackdown in November in a backstage segment, with the assailant still a mystery. It has not been announced when The Meta Girls will be getting their shot.

RAW VIEWS

- The Raw on Netflix premiere last week ranked #4 in the top 10 most-watched English language shows on Netflix chart, with 5,900,000 views. The Netflix chart showed that there was a total of 17,700,000 hours of Raw streamed last week, with Missing You, American Primeval, and Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, coming before it. The first episode was very successful, hitting the #1 spot in 26 different countries. Netflix rankings are released a week later and are available every Tuesday night.

PENTA ADDED TO ROYAL RUMBLE MEET & GREET SESSIONS

- Penta has been added to the Royal Rumble weekend meet and greet event for Thursday afternoon at 4PM. This will be his first such event with the company meeting WWE fans at one of the biggest weekends of the year wrestling-wise. A photo with WWE's newest luchador costs $80.29 plus an additional $16.28 if you want it printed. Photo ops come as a high-res download by default. You can purchase the ticket at


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================

=====================================================================
TO UNSUBSCRIBE : mailto:[email protected]
=====================================================================

_ _____ ___ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ___
\ \ / / _ \ __/ __|_ _| | |_ _| \| |/ __|
\ \/\/ /| / _|\__ \ | | | |__ | || .` | (_ |
\_/\_/ |_|_\___|___/ |_| |____|___|_|\_|\___|
___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ ___
/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
| (_) | .` | |__ | || .` | _|
\___/|_|\_|____|___|_|\_|___|
_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
| \| | __\ \ / / __| | | __|_ _|_ _| __| _ \
| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Issue #7461
====================================================
Visit our website at
====================================================


//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

That Penta debut last night was pretty sweet. The presentation was fantastic and looked like he was having a lot of fun. Good addition to the roster...and hopefully he doesn't end up being the next Andrade!


========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

PENTA MAKES WWE DEBUT

- Penta made his long-awaited debut last night on Raw, defeating Chad Gable in his first-ever match with the company. Described as the worst-kept secret in the business by Michael Cole, Penta came out to a massive ovation from the San Jose crowd as fire shot up in the background. With his whole family in front row to witness the special occasion, the former AEW Tag Team champion entertained the crowd in a very good match with Gable which he won after hitting the Penta driver. After the match, an emotional Penta was interviewed by Jackie Redmond in the ring and said that this is his new home and while everyone has been waiting for this moment, no one has waited for it more than him. He said that this is a new WWE era, new Netflix era, but most of all, a new Penta era. Penta also thanked the San Jose crowd for the warm welcome and his family for coming to see him. Earlier today, his opponent Chad Gable felt that he felt "so alive" last night, adding that he detests Penta, luchadores, and losing. "But last night was a reminder as to why I fell in love with this beautiful artistic expression of physicality and the sport of Professional Wrestling when I was 5 years old and have been obsessed with it ever since," he wrote. You can see his debut at .

LYRA VALKYRIA WINS THE WOMEN'S INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE

- Lyra Valkyria became the inaugural WWE Women's Intercontinental champion last night on Monday Night Raw after she defeated Dakota Kai in the final match of the tournament. Valkyria, who went through Zelina Vega and Ivy Nile in the first round and Iyo Sky in the semi final, won the match after she hit her nightwing finishing move for the pinfall. The Irish former NXT champion was then met by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce in the ring who wrapped the brand new Women's Intercontinental title around her waist. Pyro then went off to cap off a beautiful moment for the 28-year-old. Her opponent, Dakota Kai, wrote on X that her journey is not over. "It may not have been my night.. but if anything, my journey proves this isn¡¯t over. With my whole heart, thank you ily forever," she wrote. You can see the ending at .

MORE ADDED TO THE ROYAL RUMBLE

- Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, and Jey Uso from the Raw brand declared themselves for the 2025 Royal Rumble match with the men's match quickly becoming one of the most star-studded Rumble matches in recent history. The three join the already-announced John Cena, CM Punk, LA Knight, and Roman Reigns in the match, with a total of seven out of the 30 participants now revealed. Both McIntyre and Rollins vowed to win the match, with Rollins saying he wants to win mainly to crush CM Punk's dream of headlining a WrestleMania while McIntyre wanting to win and get the title before Roman Reigns gets his hands on it since he's playing chess while everyone else is playing chequers. There has been no mention of entrants for the women's Royal Rumble match so far.

COREY GRAVES WITH CONTROVERSIAL POST ON X, GETS TAKEN OFF NXT

- In a post on X that raised some eyebrows, Corey Graves said that he was told he's not "famous enough" for his own job after being shoved aside to NXT commentary. Graves lost his Smackdown commentary spot to Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore while Michael Cole and Pat McAfee took Raw. Graves joined Booker T and Vic Joseph on NXT last week and didn't look too thrilled to be there. "Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you¡¯re no longer physically able to pursue your dream. Then you dedicate your life to something 'dream adjacent' and being pretty f*cking awesome at it," Graves wrote. "And then, when it¡¯s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you¡¯re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you¡¯ve wondered where I¡¯ve been." He followed it up with another post on X saying that he has a lot to say tonight, urging fans to watch NXT on The CW. But PWInsider.com is now reporting that Corey Graves has been taken off tonight's NXT broadcast following his controversial comments and he's already on his way back home. It's unclear what his status with the company is, or will be, after the post on X. Graves has been doing commentary for WWE since 2014.

FIRST TWO MATCHES FOR SNME ANNOUNCED

- With the show just 11 days away, the first two matches for the next Saturday Night's Main Event were announced last night. WWE World Heavyweight champion Gunther will be defending his title against Jey Uso while Intercontinental champion Bron Breakker defends his gold against Sheamus. Sheamus got his match after he defeated Ludwig Kaiser on Raw yesterday. This is the second Saturday Night's Main Event following its revival last month. Four shows, one per quarter, will be held throughout each year with next week's show serving as the Q1 show. Saturday Night's Main Event takes place from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. Over 10,000 tickets have been sold already. The cheapest available tickets are at $64 on Ticketmaster.com.

WYATT SICKS MOVE TO SMACKDOWN

- The Wyatt Sicks, the group of Bo Dallas, Erik Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, and Nikki Cross, will no longer be terrorizing the Raw roster as they have been moved to the Smackdown brand. The announcement came yesterday on Raw with Karrion Kross telling The Miz that they have been moved to the blue brand. Both Kross and Miz, along with AOP, were involved in the recent feud involving the Wyatt Sicks. It has been a month since the group was last seen on television and with now Smackdown being three hours for the time being, maybe there will be some more space over there to showcase the faction. WWE recently announced its "transfer window" although only a couple of WWE Superstars actually moved, with Braun Strowman moving to Smackdown and Logan Paul moving to Raw.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Smackdown on Friday night drew 1,436,000 viewers on average, down 92,000 viewers from the prior week as it went head-to-head with ESPN's coverage of a college football semi final game which drew nearly 20 million viewers. The show did a 0.40 rating in 18-49, down 0.05 from last week and was #2 on the top 50 cable chart for the night and #2 in all of TV. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

WWE ADDS MORE MEET AND GREETS FOR ROYAL RUMBLE WEEKEND

- WWE has added more meet and greets during Royal Rumble weekend with additional WWE Superstars now appearing on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. WWE champion Cody Rhodes, Chelsea Green, Naomi, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh, Karrion Kross and Scarlett, Kevin Owens, Nia Jax, Trish Stratus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, AOP, and others have all been added, joining an already-packed list of stars scheduled to appear. Prices vary by Superstar, but a Cody Rhodes' photo op will cost a cool $205 for example. All the meet and greets will happen at the Indianapolis Convention Center inside Hall E between January 30 and February 2.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision last Saturday night drew 337,000 viewers, just 8,000 viewers down from last week's broadcast. The show faced competition from the NFL game which aired on Amazon Prime. Collision drew a 0.09 rating in 18-49, the same number it did last week and was #7 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

MATT CARDONA SAYS HE WAS NOT OFFERED AN AEW CONTRACT

- Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Matt Cardona refuted the reports that he was offered an AEW contract following his short stint with ROH which culminated with an ROH World title shot against Chris Jericho last month. Cardona made a surprise appearance on ROH TV in early December and went for Chris Jericho, challenging him for the title at the Final Battle show. "We do weeks of great TV and then nothing. Even Dave Meltzer reported I got a contract offer," Cardona told Helwani. "Sorry Dave, you're wrong. I didn't get one." Cardona expressed his wish to return to WWE, saying he thinks he earned the opportunity to go back and does not like to use the word 'deserved' in this instance. "I'd be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want another WrestleMania moment, or wrestle at MSG, or to be on Smackdown with my wife," Cardona said. "If my music hit at the Royal Rumble...the place would explode, the roof would go off the place, social media would explode, I'd move merch. I know that." Cardona said that he has not been offered anything from WWE. Asked why there has been no offers, Cardona said he doesn't know, and while communication is very cordial, nothing came out of it. He added that while he can't live his life waiting for a call back, but if they do, there's a catchphrase he uses and it's 'always ready.' "I would love to go back if the circumstances are correct," Cardona said.


========================================================
ADVERTISING:
(C) Copyright 1996-2025 Wrestling-Online.com
========================================================