Here is your news for February 10, 2020.
We’re starting off today with news from the upcoming Super Showdown event, as
on this week’s SmackDown, it was announced that The Fiend will defend his
Universal title against Goldberg.
Whilst many believe that Wyatt will defeat Goldberg, especially as we draw closer
to WrestleMania 36, the title may change hands, according to Dave Meltzer.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer noted that the WWE may be
seeking Goldberg out for a WrestleMania appearance, and since his name has
marquee value, he could be the one that hands The Fiend his first loss since
Wyatt’s return at Summerslam 2019.
He added that although many believe that WWE will opt for The Fiend Vs. Roman
Reigns on April 5th at Wrestle Mania, having the Big Dog face Goldberg for the title
would also have the interest of fans.
If the WWE went down this route, then they should prepare for backlash from
fans, especially as The Fiend has proven to be one of the company’s most popular
characters over the past year.
In addition, Goldberg’s last appearance in Saudi Arabia, where he competed in a
botch-filled match against The Undertaker certainly didn’t get fans hoping to see
another Universal title reign for the Hall of Famer, so hopefully the company sees
sense and keeps the title on Bray Wyatt.
Speaking of part-time Champions, Brock Lesnar may be seen as a lone-wolf on
WWE TV, and that isn’t too different to how the WWE Champion acts outside of
the ring, often keeping himself secluded backstage, only speaking to Paul Heyman.
On the latest edition of After the Bell though, Corey Graves revealed a softer side
to the Beast, as he detailed their first meeting in 2015, when harsh weather
conditions forced the January 26th edition of RAW to be cancelled.
According to the SmackDown commentator, Lesnar was staying in the same hotel
as several other WWE Super stars who were left stranded during the snowstorm,
and using his own money, made sure that the hotel bar was kept open that night,
allowing the roster to make the best of a bad situation.
Whilst Lesnar may be the definition of a monster heel on WWE TV, it’s interesting
to see that he does have a kinder side, especially when his fellow Superstars are
left stuck in a blizzard.
Speaking of the Beast, one person who isn’t a fan of Lesnar is Matt Riddle, who
has repeatedly said in the past that he plans to retire the WWE Champion.
Riddle has been so vocally against Lesnar, as well as Goldberg, that he reportedly
had a confrontation with the Beast Incarnate at the Royal Rumble, where Lesnar
ordered him to stop mentioning him on Twitter.
Though the WWE has reportedly put in a rule for NXT Superstars to not call out
main-roster talent without their permission, this didn’t stop the King of Bros, as
during an NXT live show in Las Vegas on Saturday, Riddles once again vowed to
retire the Beast.
We’ll have to see just how this will help Riddle’s career, as Vince McMahon
reportedly isn’t a fan of the former MMA fighter’s actions, but the NXT Superstar
should definitely consider keeping quiet about the Beast, for the sake of his own career.
Whilst Riddle is a relative fresh face in the WWE, two Super stars who reportedly
want out is The Revival, as the Top Guys have reportedly still not signed a new
contract with the company.
This has led many fans to question just what is happening with Scott Dawson and
Dash Wilder, but they won’t get any answers from the latter, as Wilder deleted his
Twitter profile this week.
It’s unclear if this has anything to do with the WWE contract negotiations, or
whether the former Tag Team and 24/7 Champion was just tired of the site, but
naturally, this got fans talking.
Wilder’s Instagram and Scott Dawson’s Twitter account both remain active, and
time will tell whether the Top Guys are still with the WWE, this time next year.
One Superstar that fans can expect to see very soon however, is Samoa Joe, as the
former United States Champion recently returned to action.
During a Live event in Oakland, California, Joe teamed with Kevin Owens to defeat
the AOP, and this marked the Samoan Submission Machine’s first match in a few
weeks, after suffering what was believed to be a concussion.
This return debunks the rumours that Joe was suspended for violating the
company’s Wellness Policy, as whilst Wrestle Votes implied that the former NXT
Champion had breached the policy, there was no evidence to support this claim.
At the same live event in Oakland, The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan and Becky
Lynch retained her RAW Women’s Championship against both Asuka and Charlotte
Flair, and fans can expect to see Joe back tonight on Monday Night RAW.
We’ve got some XFL news for you now as yesterday saw the second day of the
new season, with the St Louis BattleHawks and the New York Guardians both
picking up victories.
The real story, however, is how the ticket sales are for Vince McMahon’s newest
venture, and according to the numbers, fans of the sport are eager to see the XFL.
According to XFL News, the league has already surpassed the number of tickets,
that the defunct Alliance of American Football league sold for their entire season
last year.
Both of Saturday’s games which saw the Houston Roughnecks and the DC
Defenders win drew impressive attendance figures, though these results are
similar to the original XFL, which saw falling ratings and attendance numbers
within weeks.
It seems the main difference between the original XFL and the relaunched league,
is that the 2020 season and quality of play is being praised by football fans, as it
looks like Vince McMahon may finally be correcting the wrongs of the disastrous
league of 2001.
Back in the ring now, and this weekend’s NXT live events didn’t just see Matt
Riddle once again threaten to retire Brock Lesnar, but also saw the return of
former WWE Tag Team Champion Scotty 2 Hotty.
Appearing at an NXT live event in Phoenix, the former Too Cool member didn’t
appear in a match, but did share the ring with several current Superstars, and
performed his infamous worm.
Scotty recently returned to WWE as a coach in the Performance Centre, and also
recently called into WWE’s The Bump, when the Street Profits spoke about how
influential the dancing Super stars has been to their careers.
With Scotty making more and more appearances, it wouldn’t be too surprising to
see him make a brief return to the ring, as even at 46 years old, Hotty can still bust
a move like it’s the Attitude Era.
Even more NXT news for you now, as following the Gold brand’s move to the USA
Network last October, it was reported that whilst raises were expected for talent,
it could be a while before they happen.
Now, it seems that the WWE have finally got around to handing out these raises,
but according to Fightful, this extra cash comes with a price.
Their report states that these new raises come with a three- year contract
agreement, and it was also noted that not all of the talent offered
the raise chose to take it.
This news follows on from previous reports that Taynara Conti walked out of NXT
following a disagreement about pay, and whilst it’s good to see the hard-working
men and women of NXT getting a much-deserved raise, the three-year contracts
agreement does raise a lot of questions.
We’re looking into the future now, as though the WWE Universe is still reeling
from an explosive 2020 Royal Rumble there are already betting odds
for the 2021 instalment of the January tradition.
According to Sky Bet, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and Edge are the three most
likely men to win the Men’s Rumble match, each having a 10/1 odds, whilst Bray
Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Keith Lee and Kevin Owens all have 12/1 odds.
Despite being retired for several years, CM Punk is listed as 20/1, whilst UFC star
Conor McGregor has been given a 50/1 chance, which is still better than stars like
Rusev, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler.
AEW World Champion Chris Jericho is being listed as 100/1, whilst Vince
McMahon himself is also an option, and at 250/1, the Boss could make a fan some
serious money if he was to win his second Rumble match.
Of course, expect these odds to change as the year progresses, as both returns
and injuries could change who is considered a favourite, but it’s still interesting to
see what people think will happen in WWE, eleven months from now.
We’ve got some news from Hulk Hogan next, as the former WWE Champion has
made it clear that he wants to wrestle one more time in WWE.
According to the Hulkster himself, he can’t live with the thought that his final
match in wrestling took place in TNA, and over the past year, Hogan has
repeatedly called out Vince McMahon for a meeting at WrestleMania 36 in
Tampa, Florida
Given that Hogan recently had another back surgery though, it doesn’t seem like
the McMahon match will be happening at this year’s WrestleMania, or any other
show, as according to Wrestling News.com, the company has nothing in place for a
Hulk Hogan in-ring return.
According to their sources, the Immortal One hasn’t been medically cleared to
compete, and whilst there’s always a chance that Hogan will appear on April 5th at
WrestleMania, it’s almost certain that he won’t be getting physical.
And finally, today we’re ending with news from Bianca Belair, as the EST of NXT
may not be on the gold brand for much longer.
Appearing on the After the Bell podcast, Belair said that whilst she considers NXT
her home, she isn’t content there, and after over three years on the same show,
she is confident that she could do plenty of big things on either RAW or
SmackDown.
Belair certainly earned herself plenty of fans following her appearance in the
Women’s Royal Rumble, where she eliminated a record-setting 8 Superstars, and
it’s clear that those fans would support her if she ever moved to either RAW or
SmackDown.
This weekend, Belair will compete for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT
TakeOver: Portland and capturing the gold from Rhea Ripley may be the final thing
Belair hopes to accomplish in NXT, before making the big jump to either brand.