In this WrestleTalk News, WWE change WALTER’s name for no reason!
Jon Moxley’s AEW return!
The Hardy Boyz reunion announced and more!
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Otherwise I’ll start renaming people in the comments.
I’ll do it.
You, you over there.
You’re now Desmond Boyd.
And you, you’re Kory Wilkins.
Yes, I’m spelling Kory with a K. And you, yeah, you most of all because you haven’t
subscribed yet.
You’re Randolph Charles.
Shocking news: WWE do a very WWE thing.
Following last night’s cracking NXT main event of WALTER vs Roderick Strong, which
Tempest gives 5 stars to in his review of the episode up later, the black and gold flashback
had a brutally cold bucket of multi-coloured 2.0 water drenched over it, as after his victory,
WALTER announced: “The winner of this match is GUNTHER.”
While Imperium proceeded to beat down Strong, and Diamond Mine ran out for the save.
So yes, for no reason, WALTER is now called GUNTHER.
WALTER, who’s already made his main roster debut at Survivor Series 2019 as WALTER.
WALTER, who’s already been one of the longest reigning champions in modern WWE history with
his 870 day long NXT UK title run as WALTER.
But as we’ve seen with Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Johnny Gargano, the only way you can really
escape getting ‘upgraded’ to 2.0 is by leaving the company.
The name change has been unanimously negatively received, with Bearcat Keith Lee, who was
released by WWE back in November, tweeting: “Man....if what I'm hearing is real....
Poor Walter.”
It’s GUNTHER now, Keith.
Be respectful.
Just two days ago, the Wrestling Observer reported that WWE had trademarked the new
name Gunther Stark.
It was assumed this would have something to do with other NXT 2.0 wrestler Zoey Stark.
Maybe her dorky younger brother as Vince McMahon is wont to do.
Nobody thought they could be renaming one of today’s most perfect embodiments of a
professional wrestler, WALTER.
Mostly because a quick Google search will also tell you that Gunther Stark was the name
of a Nazi military commander from World War 2.
And, you know, WALTER is Austrian, which might as well be German in Vince’s eyes.
And, actually, in Nazi Germany’s eyes too.
Somehow, this is the second accidental reference WWE have made to Nazism this month, with Dave
Meltzer pointing out the bad look of the promotion holding their Elimination Chamber pay-per-view
in Saudi Arabia.
I try to live my life by the mantra ‘never attribute to malice that which is adequately
explained by stupidity’ - and as the malice version implies WWE has a secret Nazi agenda,
I think this is quite obviously an example of the company’s stupidity.
But I would say that, Hail Hydra.
It’s not like WWE have renamed him Gunther Goebbels, or Harold Himmler.
Nobody has ever heard of Gunther Stark.
He’s too obscure to even be called obscure.
The reason this is so frustrating isn’t because of malice, it’s because of stupidity.
WWE brought in a star name from the indies, built that same star name over the last three
years in their own company, and have now randomly decided to change it to Gunther.
Because that will fix the ratings.
A name change.
WWE have their heads so far up their own asses that they can’t see the actual problems
that need to be fixed, so they bother themselves coming up with backfiring answers to insignificant
details.
What do you think of WALTER’s name change?
Tell me as long as it’s still in all caps, it actually doesn’t matter in the comments
down below.
WALTER being renamed GUNTHER probably means that if Cody Rhodes has left AEW, he’ll
be entering the Royal Rumble as Stardust.
Fightful shockingly revealed on Monday that AEW Executive Vice President and current proper
TNT champion Cody Rhodes has let his performer’s contract expire.
Legally, right now, he’s a free agent wrestler and could show up for any company in the world.
Whether this is a worked shoot, shot work or shooty mcshoot workface brother much love
HH x, it’s become one of the most exciting stories in wrestling already this year.
In an update to the story, Cody has kind of, allegedly issued his first statement.
Several years ago, he shared a mobile number with fans that if they added, they’d receive
updates from him.
Reddit user Grand-Wasabi972 has shared an image claiming to be from Cody sent yesterday
that says “Let’s do something big this Wednesday…”
We here at WrestleTalk have been able to independently verify this message.
This could be a reference to Cody’s other TBS project the Go Big Show, but that airs
on Thursdays.
Unless there’s a TBS crossover planned for tonight’s Dynamite.
Cody has already been confirmed to appear on AEW later today, but Dave Meltzer is doubtful
it’ll be to declare for the WWE Royal Rumble match, tweeting:
“Cody Rhodes will be on Dynamite tomorrow night.
He will not be in the Royal Rumble.
Nor will Jon Moxley.”
Which got replies from several wrestlers keen to know their own WWE statuses.
Lance Storm replied: “Am I in the Rumble Dave?”
Former NXT star Danny Burch asked: “Am I?”
And CM Punk tweeted: “Working on my calendar, am I in the rumble?”
Everyone to WWE confirmed!
While Moxley reportedly won’t be in the Rumble, his return has been announced for
today’s episode of Dynamite - appearing for the first time in nearly 3 months.
Moxley was reportedly set for a heel turn and to win the Eliminator tournament to be
Hangman Page’s first AEW title feud, but following a stressful year that included the
birth of his daughter, a cross-country house move and releasing his acclaimed autobiography,
it was announced he would be entering a rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction.
With the Cody situation and Moxley’s return, Dynamite could potentially beat Raw in the
all important 18-49 demographic this week, especially with Raw’s tough NFL competition.
Moxley’s return had already kind of been spoiled, though, as indie promotion GCW had
already announced him over the weekend to defend his title against Homicide at their
The WRLD show this Sunday - which is the company’s first show from ECW’s spiritual home, the
Hammerstein Ballroom.
And showing how much the promotion is growing, GCW has also announced Gran Metalik’s first
dates since WWE released him.
He was let go on the 4th November, and his 90 day non-compete clause expires the same
date as his first GCW booking - their February 4th show in Houston.
That is also when Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and Ember Moon become proper free agents.
Metalik will revert to his before WWE name Mascara Dorada.
But that isn’t the only huge announcement the indies have beaten AEW to…
Big Time Wrestling have announced that on Saturday 12th March, for the first time in
three years, the Hardy Boyz will team together again at the start of their 2022 comeback
tour.
Matt let his WWE contract expire in February 2020 and jumped ship to AEW the following
month.
Jeff opted to stay in WWE, signing a new multi-year contract.
But last month, following erratic behaviour at a live event, WWE released him when he
refused to enter rehab - despite there being big plans for him on both SmackDown, where
he was set to feud with Roman Reigns for the Universal title, and NXT, where he had already
filmed vignettes to be revealed as MSK’s shaman.
Jeff’s 90 day non-compete clause expires on Wednesday 9th March, just several days
before his Big Time Wrestling reunion booking, and also the date of the post-Revolution episode
of Dynamite.
This could be similar to the Moxley situation, where an indie company has announced a wrestler’s
return before AEW.
Or Tony Khan could be biding his time.
Jeff left WWE under controversial circumstances.
He was released because he reportedly turned down rehab.
But both Hardy brothers have implied on Twitch that WWE jumped the gun on Jeff’s release,
and that Jeff is in a very healthy state right now.
It might be wiser for to see how Jeff is received and performs on the independent circuit before
they bring him into AEW.
What do you think will happen with the Hardys?
Let me know in the comments.
While most people are just unceremoniously released by WWE, we might have just seen Roderick
Strong spectacularly chopped out of the company by WALTER.
I mean Gunther, god dammit it doesn’t sound right.
Strong’s PWTees store briefly came back online yesterday, but has since been taken
down.
Selling your own merch on an AEW-affiliated website is not typically something WWE likes.
That, along with the other three quarters of the Undisputed Era Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly
and Bobby Fish already leaving NXT for AEW, and the scrapping of the Cruiserweight title,
which was meant to be Roddy’s thing, suggests there’s no place for him in the new NXT
2.0.
But of all the WWE departures over the last two years, arguably the most significant is
set to come.
And it’s someone most people don’t even know about.
Jerry ‘Cease and Desist’ McDevitt has been WWE’s main attorney since the late
80s.
He’s defended the company, and Vince McMahon personally, in multiple major crises including
the infamous steroid trial in 1994 - where Vince was so worried about going to jail,
he reportedly was making plans for Jerry Jarrett, Jeff Jarrett’s dad and famed wrestling promoter,
to run the WWF.
McDevitt helped win the case against the government, and said in the Dark Side of the Ring episode
on it, his “relationship with Vince and Linda McMahon became almost family-like.”
But now, after 35 years of working together, he’s told the Pittsburgh-Gazette Post he
is planning to retire.
Not only will this be a huge operational loss for WWE, as McDevitt has been invaluable for
them throughout the decades, but it will be a personal one for Vince.
McDevitt revealed that his relationship has been directly with McMahon, which is not common
for large corporations.
And if you look at how Vince has behaved over the last few years, bringing back familiar,
comfortable faces like Bruce Prichard and John Laurinitis, McDevitt’s retirement could
be hugely affecting to the company and its chairman.
Before we get on with Tempest’s review of NXT in about 5 minutes, here’s the answer
to yesterday’s debut edition of Where’s Veer!
Is Veer here?
No, that’s Sean Ross Sapp.
Is Veer here?
No, silly, that’s Smooth Pete.
Is Veer here?
Of course not, that’s Byron Saxton!
Here’s Veer, right in the left hand corner.
Now here’s Tempest’s review of NXT… in
about 5 minutes.