On the heels of not only a very special, and emotional Dynamite, but a very good pro wrestling show… it’s time for Rampage! Some big matches on tap this week, :

The post AEW Rampage Results 1/27/23 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Brock Lesnar has been officially announced for the WWE Royal Rumble.

Monday’s RAW 30 special saw Lesnar return to help WWE United States Champion Austin Theory retain over Bobby Lashley in the main event, but his Rumble spot was not confirmed. Tonight’s Royal Rumble go-home edition of SmackDown on FOX then featured a segment where WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day interrupted Theory to taunt him over the Royal Rumble. The Miz interrupted them, and insisted he will be the one to win the Men’s Royal Rumble. A fight broke out after Theory and The Miz attacked The New Day. Lashley then interrupted and attacked all four Superstars.

Lashley stood tall and took the mic, promising to terrorize everyone until he gets what he wants since Lesnar helped Theory retain at RAW 30. That’s when Lesnar suddenly hopped over the barrier and attacked Lashley in the ring, laying him out with the F5. Lesnar told Lashley he will see him tomorrow at The Rumble, then WWE confirmed his spot in the match.

There are now 13 open spots in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match. Lesnar joins the following confirmed entrants: WWE United States Champion Austin Theory, WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Omos, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, Dominik Mysterio.

The 2023 WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event will air live this Saturday, January 28 from The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Below is the updated card, along with footage from the SmackDown segment:

Live Performance: Hardy performs his “Sold Out” single

30-Man Royal Rumble Match
WWE United States Champion Austin Theory, WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Omos, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, Dominik Mysterio, Brock Lesnar, 13 other competitors TBA
Winner earns a title shot at WrestleMania 39.

30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Zelina Vega, Emma, 23 other competitors TBA
Winner earns a title shot at WrestleMania 39.

Undisputed WWE Universal Title Match
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (c)

RAW Women’s Title Match
Alexa Bliss vs. Bianca Belair (c)

Pitch Black Match
Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight

TEAM BLUE @AustinCreedWins @TrueKofi #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/7qT7mtBbbL

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) January 28, 2023

Things get personal on #SmackDown!@mikethemiz @_Theory1 @AustinCreedWins @TrueKofi pic.twitter.com/W9pPTqzaea

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) January 28, 2023

BROOOCK LESNAR IS HERE!@BrockLesnar @fightbobby #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/3ZQHhxiiz8

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) January 28, 2023

THE BEAST IS HERE and he just declared for the #RoyalRumble Match! @fightbobby @BrockLesnar #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/zpe2V2YPLW

— WWE (@WWE) January 28, 2023

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The post Top Star Now Official for the WWE Royal Rumble, Updated Card appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan reportedly underwent a recent operation that left him with mobility issues.

Hogan returned to WWE TV for Monday’s RAW 30th Anniversary show for a quick stage promo to open the show. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle noted on his latest “The Kurt Angle Show” podcast episode how he spoke with Hogan at RAW for around 30 minutes, discussing their health and injuries. Angle noted that Hogan recently “had the nerves cut from his lower body,” and now needs a cane to get around.

“Hogan had back surgery again,” Angle revealed. “He had the nerves cut from his lower body, he can’t feel his lower body. So, he has to use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he has pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain, he has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything. So, now he can’t feel his legs so he has to walk with a cane which is, you know, that’s pretty serious. I mean, I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and it ate him up.”

Angle also commented on The Hulkster’s role at RAW 30.

“If you’re going to kick off the show, the 30th Anniversary of RAW, it should be Hulk Hogan,” Angle said. “He’s the name and face of the company. He’s the guy that revolutionized pro wrestling. I have so much respect for him.”

Hogan announced in July 2020 that he was set to undergo his 10th back surgery. WWE reportedly had plans to bring Hogan back to the ring at WrestleMania 26 that same year.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Hulk Hogan Left with Mobility Issues After Recent Surgery appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

MLW star Richard Holliday has provided an update on his health following a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis back in December.

The former Dynasty member has been out of action in that time, and never really had a chance to address his illness directly with fans. Holliday got that opportunity on the most recent episode of MLW Fusion, where he opened up about how scary it was to get the news about his cancer, but assures everyone that he won’t let that stop him from fighting hard. Check out highlights from his passionate speech below.

Says the news about his diagnosis was devastating and shocking:

Consumers. It’s me, Richard. I wanted to take this moment to speak candidly with you because I do understand that not everyone is on social media and it’s tough to stay on top of the news and everything that’s going on. You might have been wondering why I have been absent from your screens and why I haven’t been in the world of professional wrestling as of late. In September 2022, I was diagnosed with cancer in the form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. While this was completely devastating news to me and completely shocking, just based on me being a professional athlete and taking care of my body the way that I did, you think you’re invincible. You think that nothing like this will ever happen to you. But, such is life, and unfortunately it can. What I’ve been saying to myself is that it’s not the news that you get that defines you as a person, it’s how you react to it.

Adds that he has been working out and doctors are impressed with how much he can do while going through chemotherapy:

I just wanted to let each and every one of you know that I have been in the gym five to six days a week, I am training my ass off, the doctors are completely shocked about how I’ve been able to handle my chemotherapy because most people will tell you horror stories. Luckily for me, I have been able to weather the storm the best that I possibly can and I’m doing better seemingly each and every day. With that being said, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be able to get back in the ring or when I’ll be able to enter that world of professional wrestling, which I miss so dearly. It’s my life, it’s my life’s work. It’s my absolute passion. Until that day comes, I miss you guys. This is by no means a good bye, this isn’t a see you later. In my opinion, this is a see you soon and I can’t wait for that day. I’ll leave you with this. When you’re breathing rarefied air… you fight.

Check out his full comments below.

Streaming NOW on @MLW #MLWFusion@MostMarketable speaks

Watch with us: https://t.co/dLGYOAlAhV pic.twitter.com/CAYGFe1E6P

— Pro Wrestling TV (@ProWTV) January 27, 2023

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Richard Holliday Speaks About Cancer Diagnosis On Latest MLW Fusion, Says He’s Unsure When He’ll Be Able To Return appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Bianca Belair is ready to face Alexa Bliss at the WWE Royal Rumble but is staying on her toes in case something weird happens.

The Raw Women’s Champion spoke about this topic during a chat with Wrestling Inc. at media day for the Rumble, where she revealed that she plans on unleashing some frustration she had on Bliss after their multiple encounters on television. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

On her upcoming title defense against Alexa Bliss at Royal Rumble

It’s been very different. Usually, I’m just able to focus on the competitor. But now, it’s like I’m seeing the person, and trying to figure out what’s going on with this person… I feel like I’m still going up against 29 other people, with whoever Alexa Bliss brings.

Says she plans to unleash a lot of anger towards Bliss:

When you put Alexa Bliss in the ring, it’s always a chance for something weird to happen… I have a lot of built-up anger and frustration that I have to let out on Alexa Bliss.

The post Bianca Belair On Facing Alexa Bliss At WWE Royal Rumble: “Always A Chance For Something Weird To Happen” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Several matches and segments have been revealed for tonight’s WWE SmackDown, courtesy of Fightful Select. You can join us at 8pm ET for our live coverage and Viewing Party via this link.

The following line-up was scheduled as of around 6pm ET:

* Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross

* Promo with WWE United States Champion Austin Theory. Brock Lesnar, WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day, Bobby Lashley, and The Miz are supposed to be involved in this segment

* Lacey Evans vs. local competitor

* Cody Rhodes video package

* Sheamus and Drew McIntyre segment that apparently leads to the tournament match being changed to Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. Hit Row instead of Sheamus and McIntyre vs. Hit Row

* Promo with LA Knight. For what it’s worth, Bray Wyatt’s Hawaiian shirt and hat were sent to the show. Uncle Howdy’s materials were also sent to the show for a segment

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals: Legado del Fantasma vs. Imperium

* Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa

* The Viking Raiders are also supposed to be involved in tonight’s show

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more and join us for live coverage at 8pm ET via this link. Below is the current announced line-up for tonight:

* The go-home build for Royal Rumble

* Karrion Kross vs. Rey Mysterio

* Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals: Drew McIntyre and Sheamus vs. Hit Row

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals: Legado del Fantasma vs. Imperium

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post WWE SmackDown Spoilers for Tonight’s Matches and Segments appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

AEW President Tony Khan reportedly pushed hard for WarnerMedia to allow ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoes on AEW Dynamite this week.

Dynamite featured a more significant tribute to the late Jay Briscoe than the week before, along with the AEW debut of Mark Briscoe, who defeated Jay Lethal in the main event. WarnerMedia officials reportedly changed their stance on allowing The Briscoes on AEW programming at the last minute, after nixing a significant tribute to Jay the week before.

Word is that Khan “pushed really hard” for this and got WarnerMedia officials to change their minds. Network officials were reportedly “pretty dead set” against the idea.

AEW’s deal with WarnerMedia reportedly gives the network the right to ban people from the TV shows, and this carried over to additional events as Khan wanted to book The Briscoes for AEW All Out last year, but he couldn’t get that cleared. The Observer notes that Mark and Jay were signed to multi-year six-figure contracts in early 2021, but due to the ban they could only be used on ROH programming.

It’s no secret that WarnerMedia kept The Briscoes off AEW TV due to homophobic comments Jay made almost 10 years ago, which he apologized for numerous times. Word now, via the Wrestling Observer, is that WarnerMedia also didn’t want The Briscoes on AEW TV because of their past use of the Confederate flag on their ring jackets and gear. The brothers stopped wearing the flag a while back.

As of this week, there are no further restrictions on Mark appearing on AEW programming. This week’s Dynamite appearance was not a one-off booking as he is expected back, but there’s no word yet on when he will be used again.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Backstage News on WarnerMedia Being Able to Ban People from AEW TV, Mark Briscoe’s AEW Status, More appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Stay tuned for live WWE SmackDown results at 8pm ET. Below is the line-up for tonight:

* The go-home build for Royal Rumble

* Karrion Kross vs. Rey Mysterio

* Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals: Drew McIntyre and Sheamus vs. Hit Row

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament Semi-finals: Legado del Fantasma vs. Imperium

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post WWE SmackDown Results 1/27/2023 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Sami Zayn feels confident that he could become WWE World Champion but doesn’t necessarily know if he could be the face of the company.

The Honorary Uce spoke on this topic during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, which included him discussing why he knows fans won’t revolt for him the same way they did for Daniel Bryan in 2014. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

Doesn’t think fans will revolt if he doesn’t become world champion because the storyline with The Bloodline has been so compelling:

I don’t think the fans are kind of where they were five or six years ago, where they would revolt. Like, ‘No, Daniel Bryan is the guy! you’re trying to give us Batista?! No, we’ll force you!’ I don’t feel that level of borderline contempt from the audience toward the creative direction. I think because the story has been so interesting, there’s a little bit of trust in that it’ll go where it goes, and it’ll still be fine. I’m sure there are a lot of people who are pulling for me. That’s great. It’s nice to be that guy, but I don’t think it’s at a place where Daniel Bryan was in 2014 where, if it’s anybody but him, it’s going to be a disaster.

Says if the story is right fans will get behind whatever ends up happening:

I don’t think that it’s necessarily the same. Is there a possibility of whether it’s Cody [Rhodes], whether it’s anybody, if it’s done, right, you can do almost anything. It has to be done well. It has to be done just right. If it’s not done right, could there be some kind of backlash to, ‘Man, the story made the most sense. He was the guy that fans liked, everything was right there, but they went this way?’ If they don’t do it right, there is the possibility of contempt toward whoever that person [that wins the Royal Rumble] is. Whether it’s Cody, whether it’s anyone, it could be anybody. If it’s not done right, it could hurt that person. We work with a lot of people who know how to do things right. So if I’m not the guy, and I genuinely, as of this exact conversation, one day before the Royal Rumble, I have no idea what the plan is. I don’t know; it just doesn’t feel that way. I don’t know. I try to listen to the fans. I try not to put too much stock in the online kind of thing. But I’m sure there’s a good percentage like, again, if you follow nothing else but the storyline, the storyline, it’s a layup the I would be in that conversation. What actually ends up happening is, again, it’s not my control.

Thinks he could be world champion, but doesn’t know if he could necessarily be the face of WWE:

I could win the World Title. I could carry it for a while. I could do talk shows. I could do all that stuff. I don’t know if I’m the guy that you could necessarily hitch your wagon to for the next 5-10 years and be the face of the company. If nothing else, because I’m somewhat realistic about my physical — I’m not as big as Roman [Reigns] or [John] Cena or Brock [Lesnar], and that’s typically the guy who’s at the head of that scene because they want a certain projection,” said Sami. “I think for the long haul, could I win the World Title? I think especially because of the way the story is done. As I said a moment ago, if you do anything right, fans will buy it, and they’ll get into it. So I think at this point, the way things are built, and I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen if it was me and Roman at WrestleMania and I beat Roman, and we did it right, the way we’ve been doing it right the last nine months, No one’s going to go ‘Bogus. I’m out. I can’t take that,’ because we’ve done it right.

How being the world champion and the face of the company are two different things:

I could be a guy who could carry that title six months, go on Jimmy Fallon, give a couple of jokes, have him do his fake laugh that he does, all that good stuff. Sure I could do that. I could probably do it in my sleep, to be honest, but I understand the company’s projection of what they see as the like face of the company, not being the champion. The champion and the face are almost two different things. I feel like I could be the champion, no problem. As far as being the guy that they like, ‘Number one, He’s our guy. He’s the poster boy. He’s the ultimate representation of what our company is,’ I know physically, I don’t fit that mold. So I don’t know if that’s me, like, being self-deprecating or what it is, but I’m a realist when it comes to that.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Sami Zayn Thinks He Could Become World Champion In WWE But Doesn’t Know If He Could Be The Face Of The Company appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on the 98 Rock in Baltimore program to discuss the return of Adam Cole, who had been out of action since last July with a severe concussion. Khan states in his interview that even though he’s happy to have Cole back in the rotation, his main concern above everything else was Cole’s health. Check out his full thoughts on the subject below.

Says Cole’s health was the main priority:

It’s a very important concern. When Adam Cole was injured, we absolutely wanted to take as much time and evaluate what we could do for him, how we could treat him, and do whatever we could to put his health first before we even considered any possibility that he was going to return to the ring.

How Cole made incredible progress in brain therapy:

It’s only now that he’s made this kind of progress in his brain therapy and his recovery to where we believe Adam Cole is ready to return to the ring. I’m very excited about that and it’s great to have him come back to AEW Dynamite and we’re so excited about more Adam Cole in AEW going forward.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Tony Khan Talks Adam Cole’s Return To AEW and How They Took All Precautions To Put His Health First appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE star Mia Yim was one of the many talents who spoke with the media ahead of tomorrow’s Royal Rumble premium live event in San Antonio.

During her chat with Denise Salcedo, Yim discusses the camaraderie in the women’s locker room, stating that it reminds her of her days in NXT. Highlights from her interview can be found below.

On the camaraderie with the girls in the locker room:

Oh my gosh, it’s a great locker room, like the girls that I grew up with in NXT are now on the main roster, and like, the first day when I came back, and I finally went to the locker room, it was just like, hugs and videos and pictures. It was just nice to just be around Bianca, Rhea, Dakota, and Tamina, Nikki, like all of us are real cool together. I love every single one of them. It’s nice being back.

Hopes to redeem her name by working with top talents like Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler:

Short-term goals, I definitely want to continue roughing it up with the boys. Actually, that’s a long-term goal, stay with The OC. They’re my boys. Nothing’s gonna change about that. I would love to have another feud with Bianca. I would love to get to maybe do something with Shayna again, like the stuff that the feud we had in NXT, bring it to the main roster, but sticking with The OC and doing stuff with them whenever they need help, I’m always there, and long term, I just want to solidify my place in WWE, redeem my name, and have everyone know that I can still go.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Mia Yim Says The Camaraderie In The WWE Women’s Locker Room Is Great, Reveals Short Term Goals For 2023 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Former WWE Superstar Summer Rae recently joined Busted Open Radio to discuss a wide range of topics, including how much she misses performing for fans. Check out her full thoughts on the subject in the highlights below.

Says she misses performing, then details the moments that she remembers from wrestling:

I miss performing in general. I miss telling stories. That’s such a Dusty Rhodes thing to say. Getting, especially the women, getting a girl over and getting people over is so important. A lot of wrestlers, we love the moves and the wrestling, that’s really important once someone is over or once there is a storyline. I look at my career and I think a lot of people probably say, ‘You didn’t have those amazing matches or those moments,’ but I was in storylines where I feel like there was nothing better than having the crowd in my hands and having them like putty and being able to control grown men and women in their 40s and 50s and make them mad or happy. That’s what I miss. Through that, the byproduct would be having matches and taking bumps, and I miss that as well.

Says she got in the ring recently:

I got in the ring last week to see what that was like. I miss the acting part. So many fans are so passionate and they can really hate you. If you have T n A, it’s hard for them to hate you. If you’re a girl and you really have heat, it’s amazing. I remember watching AJ and she was so good. She didn’t have matches for really two years with the boys, just being an amazing character and there was a lot I wanted to do in WWE that I didn’t get to do from that standpoint and there’s a lot of things I’ve done since WWE to better my craft. I miss it a lot, of course.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Summer Rae Opens Up About How Much She Misses The Performing Aspect Of Wrestling appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Will Ospreay is ready to make New Japan Pro Wrestling the top company in the world once again.

The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion spoke about this topic during his recent interview with Tokyo Sports, which also included him looking back on the hardships he’s had to endure the last two years, including nearly dying from kidney disease. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

Feels like he accomplished his goal of getting more eyes on NJPW:

It’s been a very intense year. I think it was fulfilling because there were some hard times. Although [I] was still isolated due to the influence of the corona virus and had difficulty moving around, [I] won the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. I had a goal of getting more attention for New Japan, and I’m happy to have achieved that.

Says his goal for 2023 is to make NJPW the best company in the world once again:

Japan has finally gotten out of the corona [pandemic] and is starting to cheer at the venue. I want New Japan Pro-Wrestling to return to being the number one organization in the world. I was able to win the best bout, but it was very frustrating that the final match of “G1 Climax” was not sold out. I want to fill all the venues this year, and of course Tokyo Dome.

On the hardships he’s had to endure the last couple years, including his kidney disease and losing the IWGP World Title and IWGP U.S. Title:

Over the past two years, I lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship due to an injury, and last year I almost died from a kidney disease. Finally, I got to the match that the world was paying attention to at the Tokyo Dome, but I was completely defeated. It was a very frustrating defeat. So I had to set myself some tough goals. ‘Do or die.’ During this year, not only will I return to the top, but I will also return New Japan to the top of the world. I think that I can do it in the sense that I will go through this year with that thought.

The post Will Ospreay Aims To Make NJPW The Best Company In The World In 2023, Talks Fans Being Able To Cheer Again appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Booker T says he’s been training and is ready to compete in the WWE Royal Rumble.

The former five-time world champion spoke about this topic during the latest edition of his Hall of Fame podcast, where he reminds listeners that he cannot just clarify for the Rumble as that luxury is only for active WWE Superstars. Highlights from Booker’s podcast can be found below.

Says he’s been training and waiting for his invitation to the Royal Rumble:

I’ve been working out, I’ve been training. I’m still waiting for my invitation for the Rumble coming up. Still waiting on my invitation, but I’ve been training. You see the pictures I posted after that last match? I’ve been in the gym, I’ve been training. I’ve been underground. When you go underground training, Brad, you have no idea what that is all about. Trust me, you have no idea. This CrossFit and all that stuff don’t compare at all to going deep, deep, deep, underground, and that’s where I’ve been, man. I’ve been in the trenches [laughs], so I’ve been waiting on something to come in the mail.

How only active superstars can declare for the Rumble:

It’s been like this for the last few years. I’m just waiting on that invitation. People don’t understand, and I’ve seen people say, ‘Man, why don’t you just declare yourself in the Rumble?’ Let me give you guys the rules of the rumble. You can only declare if you’re an active member on the roster. You can’t be a retired alumni and declare yourself. They have to actually send you an invitation, and with that invitation, it’s a little something else to go with it. We ain’t gotta talk about that, but yeah, I’m waiting on both of them.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Booker T Says He’s Still Waiting For His Invitation To Compete In The WWE Royal Rumble: “I’ve Been Training” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Beyond Wrestling has announced on Twitter that AEW star Willow Nightingale is dealing with a minor non-wrestling-related injury, and will no longer be competing at their event on Sunday afternoon.

Nightingale confirmed the news herself in a separate tweet but added that she will still be attending the event to meet with fans. She writes, “Sorry I won’t be able to compete this weekend, but I’ll still be around to see all you lovely people in Worcester.”

Sorry I won’t be able to compete this weekend, but I’ll still be around to see all you lovely people in Worcester https://t.co/lNkTdIEL2G

— Willow Nightingale (@willowwrestles) January 27, 2023

Nightingale most recently competed against former AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm on the January 18th edition of Dynamite.

The post Willow Nightingale Dealing With Minor Injury, Not Cleared To Compete At Upcoming Beyond Wrestling Event appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker was not satisfied with his one-man show performance during Survivor Series Weekend back in November, but he’s adjusting to this new part of his career.

Taker held his fifth “UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW” back in Boston during Survivor Series Weekend in November, at the Big Night Live venue. It was noted by Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso that after a string of four highly successful one-man shows by Taker, where he left the crowd inspired and hungry for more, the Boston show failed to hit the mark.

Taker recently spoke with Barrasso and confirmed that he was not happy with the performance.

“I went too long in the beginning,” Taker said. “Part of the show dragged on too long. The first few shows almost came too easy. I wasn’t happy with parts of this one.”

While the show was not considered a bust, Taker admitted he was going to lose sleep over the performance, until he has a chance to redeem himself at the next show, which will be held tonight at the Tech Port Center & Arena in San Antonio, one night before the WWE Royal Rumble.

It was noted that the “disappointing outing” in Boston included a few patrons who repeatedly shouted out their opinions from the crowd. Taker vowed to be better in San Antonio, and he reflected on what happened, and what went awry.

“I’m trying to give people the layers and stages of my life that brought me to where I am now,” Taker said. “It’s a very limited audience, and I want to make it special. I want people to leave being blown away. Especially with my character, who hardly said a word for 30 years, I want people to think, ‘I can’t believe all that was going on.’

“I want to make people think. I want them to believe in themselves. I want to entertain, but also use my experience to show that anything is possible. My story exemplifies that. I was told, at every turn, I wasn’t good enough. Yet look at the final product. Hopefully that gives people inspiration to battle through in their own lives. The tricky part is telling the right stories in the right manner. It’s just like putting together a match.”

Barrasso pointed to how Taker mastered the art of story-telling during his career, and he was able to flourish in practically any setting. Now he’s performing in a different forum, and a man whose character was largely built around stoic silence is now onstage telling stories for a living. There was bound to be a learning curve, despite his passion and charisma, and that lack of seasoning was clear in Boston. The 57-year-old Taker commented on being a rookie once again.

“It’s all new again,” Taker said. “By the end of my career, I had an answer for everything. There was nothing that could happen I didn’t have an answer for. People could ask me questions, and I’d have an answer for them, too. Now it’s starting all over again. It makes it a new challenge. I’m a greenhorn again.”

Taker returned to WWE TV this past Monday for the RAW 30th Anniversary show, working an in-ring segment with LA Knight and Bray Wyatt, who he shared a private-but-very-public in-ring moment with. This was another reminder that the wrestling ring is a second home for Taker, and while that is not yet the case for his one-man show, history strongly suggests that he will not be remotely content until it is. Taker commented on his process behind the one-man show, and said he won’t make the same mistakes tonight.

“I have a new way of ‘putting my match together,’ a whole new kind of deal,” Taker said. “I know I need to involve the layers that led me to where I am, but I also understand people want to hear about wrestling. The show in Boston was a learning-curve experience. I can’t wait for San Antonio. It’s all about storytelling. That show wasn’t my best, but I’ll learn from it, and I won’t make the same mistakes in San Antonio. People deserve my very best. I’ll always strive to be better.”

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Why The Undertaker Lost Sleep Over Recent One-Man Show Performance, Taker on Being a Rookie Again In His Career appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

The WrestleMania 39 sign has been raised inside The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, the site of Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.

As seen below, WWE released footage of the WrestleMania 39 sign going up in The Alamodome. The winners of Saturday’s Women’s Royal Rumble and Men’s Royal Rumble will do the famous “WrestleMania sign point” to cement their spots on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

WrestleMania 39, billed as WrestleMania Hollywood, is scheduled for Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Below is the brief clip WWE released today:

BREAKING NEWS: The #WrestleMania 39 sign has been raised inside the Alamodome! pic.twitter.com/ilfphuNueZ

— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2023

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

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The post Video of WWE Raising the WrestleMania 39 Sign Inside The Alamodome appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE star and current United States Champion Austin Theory recently joined Busted Open Radio to hype up tomorrow’s Royal Rumble premium live event, as well as discuss a wide range of topics including how he got to work with Vince McMahon a great deal in 2022, and how that all culminated at WrestleMania 38. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

Recalls filming the egg segment with Vince McMahon:

The egg started everything. I just heard, ‘Mr. McMahon wants to film this segment with an egg.’ I heard about it, it was him arriving with the egg and the story was somebody stole the egg. Literally, that day they were like, ‘You stole the egg.’ ‘I stole the egg, alright.’ We filmed the segment with Vince and I was super nervous for that. ‘I stole the egg? $100 million egg? Alright.’ I’m trying to figure all this out and it’s my first thing with Vince. It was almost like anytime we filmed anything, it felt so fast. We’d do it and that would be it. Onto the next one.

How he didn’t realize Vince would be getting physical at WrestleMania

Especially, WrestleMania was interesting because we had no idea if we were going to have Vince in the match until like the night before. I remember that day showing up, I met Stone Cold for the first time. ‘Hey, how’s it going, Austin, nice to meet you.’ ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’ll be seeing you later tonight.’ He got on the golf cart and kept driving. ‘What is going on?’ I got to Gorilla, he told me the business, that’s it. Went out there and he gave me that look.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Austin Theory Talks Vince McMahon Egg Segment, Didn’t Know McMahon Would Be Getting Physical At WrestleMania 38 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Wardlow is currently on the shelf with an undisclosed injury.

Wardlow has not wrestled since losing to ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe during the New Year’s Smash Dynamite on December 28, with the AEW TNT Title on the line. Joe took out Wardlow’s leg in that match, and now a new report from the Wrestling Observer notes that Wardlow has not been back for revenge because he’s dealing with an injury issue.

The angle with Joe on Dynamite that night was done to temporarily write Wardlow out of the storylines.

The belief is that Wardlow’s injury is not one that will keep him out of action for a long time, but there’s no word yet on when he will be back.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Backstage Update on Why Wardlow Has Been Away from AEW appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Matt Hardy throws massive praise to WWE Superstar, Sami Zayn.

The Broken One spoke about the Honorary Uce on the latest edition of his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, where he dissected Zayn’s performance in the Trial segment from this past Monday’s Raw 30th Anniversary special. Check out his full thoughts on the segment, as well as his favorite memory from Raw, in the highlights below.

Whether he watched Raw XXX and what he thought about the trial of Sami Zayn:

I did, I got to watch about a third of the show. I watched the trial of Sami Zayn, and I watched the tag match, and I watched the Bray Wyatt/Undertaker segment. I thought it was all excellent. I thought it was really good. The trial of Sami Zayn was so well done, and it really was. That was a star-making performance that night for Sami Zayn. He’s already a star, he’s already over as it is, but it was the icing on top.

His favorite memory from wrestling on Raw:

One thing that’s gonna stand out first and foremost because that was our dream, from day one, is when we first won the WWE World Tag Team Titles. I mean that was our only goal, really, in wrestling. If we accomplished that goal, then we had done everything we wanted to do. Obviously we did it multiple times, but winning that night in basically our hometown and actually seeing a dream materialize right in front of us and becoming the tag team champions, that’s probably my favorite Raw moment of all time.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Matt Hardy Loved The Trial Of Sami Zayn Segment From WWE Raw XXX: “A Star-Making Performance That Night For Sami Zayn” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.