In this WrestleTalk News, a major AJ Styles update, more talk on Cody’s WWE return,
a huge Mania match canceled and more…
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Before I get to our main story of AJ Styles’ huge new contract, there’s been a big update
in the building Kevin Owens vs a returning Stone Cold Steve Austin match for WrestleMania
38.
KO has already been getting that local hometown heat by saying he hates Texas, and now, he’s
gone one further, tweeting: “Beer is gross, man.”
Sick burn, Kev.
Sick burn.
For several months at the end of last year there, it looked like Owens was set to be
yet another high profile defection from WWE to AEW, following in the footsteps of Bryan
Danielson and Adam Cole.
He even teased the move in a promo on Raw.
But in the end, despite ‘budget cuts’ Nick Khan managed to find a little bit more
money in their billions of dollars of record revenue, outbidding his enemy Khan for KO’s
multi-year future.
And now a similar situation has played out with AJ Styles.
Fightful Select is reporting AJ’s contract was due to expire in the early summer this
year, after he signed a three year contract extension in 2019.
As WWE knew he would have “plenty of suitors” if he became a free agent, they offered him
a multi year deal worth “well over $3 million a year” - which apparently includes the
cost of coach travel - and AJ has agreed.
Styles was actually set to join AEW at the end of his last WWE contract, shortly before
Dynamite premiered on TV.
Instead of the not that huge surprise debut of Jake Hager in the promotion, the end of
their first ever episode was meant to finish with AJ, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson reuniting
the Bullet Club in an AEW ring.
All three men ended up re-signing with WWE, although Gallows and Anderson were released
the following year.
After what has seemed like one-way traffic over the last two years - with WWE either
releasing scores of their own wrestlers to go to AEW, like Andrade, Miro and Malakai
Black, or stars letting their contracts expire to make the jump, like Danielson and Cole
- WWE is finally turning the tide.
KO, Sami Zayn and now AJ have all committed their near-term future to Vince McMahon, despite
all three of them being perfect wrestling fits and having significant history with AEW’s
roster.
And we’ll soon likely see the biggest move so far, Cody Rhodes leaving the company he
founded to return to WWE.
It’s a sign that WWE has moved from their maximalist approach to talent - i.e. sign
everyone so nobody else can have them - to a minimalist strategy: invest significantly
more money in the stars you think will actually make a difference.
The key to that plan working, though, is actually doing stuff with the people you keep, and
not just focusing on Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.
AJ previously said his 2019 contract extension would be the last one of his career, and he
planned to retire at the end of it, aged 44.
Shock development: it looks like professional wrestler will actually wrestle for a few more
years after they said they’d retire.
Before we get on with the rest of the news, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to
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Despite being released twice in just two years, …Drake Maverick has been re-hired again
by WWE.
His career is like the final sequence in a New Japan match.
He’s kicking out of finishers at 1!
After being released by WWE on the 18th November, Fightful revealed …Drake Maverick was rehired
3-4 weeks ago to work behind-the-scenes on the creative team, mainly on Raw.
In an update, …Drake Maverick has now posted, and then deleted, a statement about his new
role on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn?!
That’s not how wrestlers do statements.
I want a screenshot of a notes app tweeted out.
Maverick revealed his new position is a “Writer / Producer [on] the WWE Creative Writing Team”
and that he actually accepted “the wonderful offer…
towards the end of 2021.”
But the wrestling world’s attention is squarely focused on another ‘dashing’ wrestler:
Cody Rhodes reportedly imminent return to WWE.
And now we have a huge development from Cody’s Instagram story:
“I grew an amazing goatee - I thought it had an Robert Downey Jr vibe.
My wife disagreed.
Now I don’t know crying with laughter face but actually probably real heartbreak and
rejection emoji That’s the thing you listen to your wife
about… not the neck tattoo?
Of course, Robert Downey Jr played Iron Man, real name Tony Stark, in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, whose best pal is War Machine, real name James RHODES!
Throw away the Stardust gimmick, pal.
We’re getting mecha-Cody!
Cody’s WWE return has been brought up on SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee’s podcast,
where he joked: “I guess Cody Rhodes is coming to WWE.
I guess.
Who cares dude?!
Him and his little friends started something, it was terrible.
We actually went head to head on Wednesday, we beat them a couple different times.
Who cares dude?
To hell with Cody Rhodes.
Now people are going to think I’m starting an angle with Cody Rhodes.”
Don’t get too angry, AEW faithful.
McAfee was just joshing, because he then said he’s “actually pretty pumped” [QUOTE]
for Cody coming back, particularly if it’s to his brand of SmackDown.
He then joked about Cody returning as Stardust, and then admitted “Seeing what he’s done
in AEW and seeing what he was doing in WWE, I can see why he maybe wanted to [leave WWE].”
Pat McAfee watches AEW confirmed.
WWE reportedly is in dire need of big stars, as they try to put on the most stupendous
WrestleMania they can - with the card already including Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for
all the belts, Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair, a potential Stone Cold Steve Austin return,
Linda McMahon vs Hulk Hogan and two celebrity matches with Johnny Knoxville and Logan Paul.
There were reports WWE was working on one more ‘Stone Cold’ level appearance on
the show, but now that return has been thrown into doubt…
The working plan for about the last 8 WrestleManias has been ‘let’s bring back The Rock’.
But his busy shooting schedule, and then a pandemic, has postponed his return year after
year.
Originally, Roman was meant to wrestle The Dwayne on this year’s Mania, back when it
was scheduled to take place in Hollywood.
But the pandemic shifted the locations back a year, where Roman vs The Rock is now finally
expected to take place.
Or is it?
Dave Meltzer has pointed out how busy The Rock is in general, with him starring in every
movie currently in production.
The reason that’s so difficult to schedule around is the last time Rock properly wrestled,
in the Twice in a Lifetime match in 2012, he suffered numerous injuries which delayed
the movie Hercules he was supposed to start shooting the following month - costing the
production studio millions and millions of dollars.
Ever since then, Rock’s movie deals have reportedly included clauses banning him from
wrestling lest he gets injured again.
There’s also the added scheduling headaches of his own production company, his own brand
of tequila, his TV show Young Rock, him probably running for president, eating all the pancakes
on cheat day, and, now, the XFL.
Yeah, the XFL, remember that?
Rock bought it on auction after Vince controversially declared it bankrupt.
Well now Rock has helped it strike a deal with the NFL to become a “live research
and development lab” for the main league, providing a place for the NFL to test new
initiatives ranging from on-field technology to proposed rule changes.
So it’s the NFL’s NXT.
With the NFL deal, Meltzer reckons this could take The Rock out of Mania 39, as he’ll
be all over XFL promotion in 2023.
“The guy’s got a lot on his plate that’s gonna be higher priority.”
Do you think the Rock will wrestle next year?
Let me know in the comments.
Speaking of the XFL being the NFL’s NXT.
That’s a lot of three letter things.
What about the actual NXT?
Also according to Meltzer, WWE’s plan moving forward is to always have a crossover feud
between the main roster and NXT - like we’ve seen this month with Dolph Ziggler and Bobby
Roode showing up on 2.0, while Tommaso Ciampa has been appearing on Raw.
WWE apparently want one main roster talent (preferably from Raw) involved with the NXT
brand at all times in a storyline that plays out across both shows.
We’ve already seen AJ Styles feud with Grayson Waller in January, and now there’s Ziggler
interacting with Bron Breakker.
It’s a good idea, and one they probably should’ve done years ago.
But it might now be too little too late, with it not seeming to make a difference in the
ratings.
But one thing definitely working in WWE is whenever Bianca Belair and Doudrop get in
the same ring.
They whipped the crowd into a frenzy for Monday’s match as Belair hoisted Doudrop up for the
KOD finish, and PWInsider is reporting both were praised backstage for their performance.
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