Here's your wrestling news for July 8th, 2022.
And we're kicking off today with WWE and next weekend, we'll mark two months since Naomi and Sasha banks walked out of
raw over a creative dispute with the planned main event, it's been reported that WWE has already released banks though.
Neither side has confirmed the news, but their activity on social media is being seen as more proof of their departure.
On Instagram, both women change their bios, removing the line, calling themselves WWE superstars,
and now saying they are professional wrestlers.
It may not seem like a massive change, but it is given that WWE is all about branding and ensures that all of their talent
are called superstars to separate them from other promotions.
P w insider has reported that banks and Naomi have been removed from WWE's internal rosters while in an update Fightful select
added that they were removed weeks ago, but have remained on the official online roster available to the public, their
report adds that WWE creative is operating under the assumption that both women are gone and an internal memo from WWE talent
relations has reportedly informed others of their release.
One member of WWE's writing team told Fightful that they've not heard of any contingency plans or creative
prepared in the event that things do come together.
Several high profile talents believe that banks was released months ago, confirming previous reports from Raj
Giri and wrestle votes that she is indeed gone though.
It's unclear if the same fate has happened to Naomi.
It seems at this point that nothing could bring back banks or Naomi to WWE TV, and we'll have to see what these two
professional wrestlers do next in their respective careers.
Sasha banks may never wrestle in WWE again, but WWE is doing even more than reportedly releasing
her to distance themselves from the boss yesterday.
Paige's tenure with WWE came to an end and in stark contrast to banks & Naomi, the company went out of their way to say goodbye.
In a YouTube video, WWE listed pages, 10 greatest moments, and there was some select editing around the number five spot.
That moment saw page return to TV in 2017, debuting Mandy rose and Sonya Deville as the faction, absolution
and interrupting a match between banks and Mickey James.
While the footage used shows plenty of James who's now with impact wrestling, it doesn't feature
banks and fans were quick to call this edit out.
Banks and page have always had an interesting relationship as it was moved by the boss that caused
the injury, which would ultimately end Paige's career.
But WWE wants no part of Sasha either now or in old footage.
Last weekend's money in the bank pay view was a huge night for liv Morgan who captured both the women's briefcase.
And later the SmackDown women's title Morgan actually entered the show as a raw contracted superstar, but that's all changed given her win.
Mike Johnson, a P w insider has learned that internally Morgan has been moved to the SmackDown roster and is considered a fully
fledged member of the blue brand Morgan's first title defense is being promoted for a non televised WWE live event on Saturday,
August 20th against Rhonda Rousey and Natalia, and it's reported the WWE plan on a fully fledged feud between the champ and ROUSY.
Morgan had one last appearance on raw this week, teaming with raw women's champion, Bianca Belair to defeat Natalia and Carmella.
But the new champion is sticking with SmackDown from here on.
We are heading across the pond now, as there's some very bad news coming from NXT UK this week, the brand hosted their latest set of
tapings and Inja Dragunov kicked off the tapings with some bad news.
Speaking to the crowd present at BT studios, dragonov announced that he is dealing with an injury and
has been forced to vacate the NXT UK championship.
Prior to the taping, dragonov was reportedly seen, wearing a protective boot over one of his legs.
And an eight man tournament has already begun to crown a new champion.
Tyler bat Trent seven, mark coffee and Oliver Carter, all qualified to the next round and dragon off's reign ending.
Mark's the first time the NXT UK title has been vacated with a 320 day reign dragon off had six successful
title defenses throughout his run as champion.
But now someone new will have to step up as the top name in NXT UK.
Now this week's a E w dynamite went off the air with John Moxley, celebrating, having just retained
the interim a E w world title against Brody king.
But that wasn't the end of the show for the live crowd fight TV were on hand to show what happened after the show, as when
king was walking to the back, Darby Allen and sting walked out.
The pair tried to show the respect to king for a hard fought title match.
But when Alan offered a handshake king refused walking to the back with Malachi black instead.
Some have speculated that this is the start of a tag team feud while others have suggested it could even be the start of a
face turn and whatever this is, it made for an interesting moment for the live crowd this week, this September WWE will
head to Cardiff Wales to host their clash at the castle event.
And there's a lot of speculation over what drew McIntyre's role will be.
For years, McIntyre is teased facing boxing star Tyson fury at a UK event, but is also publicly
challenged, undisputed, WWE universal champion.
Roman reigns to a title match at clash at the castle.
Speaking to wrestling inc this week, MacIntyre discuss sharing the ring with both men and having fury possibly be the
guest referee for the title match against the tribal chief.
Maybe fury gets it.
When he comes to entertainment, you see his character, how outspoken he is very much like a pro wrestler sports entertainer.
When he was with us, he had such a respected passion for our industry.
Fury doesn't have any experience as a referee, but he does have a past in WWE having defeated
brons Stroman via count out at crown jewel 2019.
It was on that same show that MacIntyre competed in a 10 man tag team match with a pair never came to blows as part of the event, clash
at the castle will mark WWE's biggest event in the UK in 30 years.
And WWE will no doubt want as many eyes on the show as possible.
And having fury McIntyre and reigns all in the ring at the same time would definitely be a main event worthy of this historic show.
One name we know won't be in Cardiff is KUSHIDA who departed WWE not too long ago, despite being one of the
most exciting prospects when he was assigned to the company.
Now the former cruiserweight champion is making his way to impact and is set today.
At next week's Derby city, rumble tapings in Louisville, Kentucky impact announced that KUSHIDA will be debuting next week.
And we imagine having his name being promoted will move some tickets.
It'll be interesting to see what KUSHIDA does an impact, and if he stays past this debut appearance, but having him
around is a serious score for the 20 year old promotion.
We've got some unfortunate news from Allison danger who served as a WWE NXT trainer until earlier this year.
The sister of Steve Carino, the legendary wrestler who now works for WWE is a producer.
Allison was cut by WWE this January, less than a year after being hired.
And this has been especially tough for her danger had moved across the country to Florida to make things work
with WWE and as she told Renee Paquette on the sessions, she feels like she's been ditched by the promotion.
They said it wasn't my fault.
There was nothing I did wrong.
I had literally written a text a couple of days before about, we were all doing great jobs and how happy they were with the current roster.
And I was told, you know, if they could bring me back, they would in a heartbeat and to make sure I know it wasn't a reflection on me.
It was a change from the higher ups going, Hey, we're going to restructure and that's that.
And that's.
And I was numb and then I cried and what am I going to do now?
Like, could you have not fired me a week before?
So I could have packed my kid up, moved him up with my husband and then followed up if possible, like it's the first day of school.
How do I rip my kid out of this?
The problems didn't stop there.
As danger said that when they had a tryout in December, 2020, she got COVID from the experience,
forcing her to spend Christmas away from her family.
Allison explained that her husband arrived wearing a mask to watch their child Kendall on rap presence and immediately
left after the experience between COVID and the WWE job.
Allison said how her family was split with some moving with her to Florida and some not.
She added that.
It feels like she was left to die in Florida.
And over five months after her release from WWE, she has nothing to show for herself calling 2022, a rock bottom year.
Paquette was incredibly sympathetic to dangerous plight and remained optimistic that something will happen for her.
Despite her in ring retirement in 2013, danger still has a soft spot for ring of honor, where she used to work and said
that selfishly, she'd love to get a role in the revamped ROH now that it's owned by Tony Khan danger does have ties
to a E w albeit indirectly as the company's newest signee.
Claudio Castagnoli, is the former tag partner of her husband Aries.
It's never easy to lose a job.
And being cut from WWE has proven to be extremely tough on Allison danger.
And we're hoping things turn around for the former wrestler turned coach.
Now it was in July last year, just days before the return of live fans that Bailey suffered an injury during a company mandated
training session, WWE's desire to have all the superstars look their best for the returning fans led to Bailey suffering a torn
ACL though, there have been rumblings as of late about a return.
It was noted last week that Bailey has been training for a return.
And this week it's reported that she's once again, been visiting WWE's performance center, PW insider doesn't specify
why Bailey was at the performance center, but this follows on from weeks of reports suggesting an in ring return in March,
the wrestling observer reported that Bailey was close to a comeback over a year after her last match in June, 2021, where
she and Seth Rawlins defeated Bianca Bellaire and Cesaro.
Bailey's injury occurred during a feud with Belair who now holds the raw women's championship.
And this would be a feud.
Fans would love to see revisited when the ex hugger is back when Bailey was injured last July, it was
predicted that she could be back by April, 2022.
And while that time window has obviously come and gone, fans, hopefully won't have to wait much longer
to see the former smack down women's champion.
Speaking of injuries.
CM punk out.
He was injured last month, just days after becoming the a E w world champion in a heartbreaking moment
for the popular wrestler in his time away, a E w has crowned an interim, a E w champion in John Moxley.
But this new title may be finished sooner than first thought.
The latest wrestling observer radio it's reported that given punk's broken foot injury, which usually takes a couple of months to recover
from the Chicago made star should be back in the ring relatively soon.
Punk's injury, as bad as it is, could be much worse as he's not expected to spend anything close to a year out
like Bailey a E w has been dealing with a rash of injuries.
As of late as Kenny omega continues to be out of action while Santana and Adam Cole have suffered more recent injuries.
With Jeff Hardy suspended due to his DUI arrest.
A E w is severely lacking when it comes to some top tier talent, but hopefully it won't be too much longer before punk is back in the ring.
And we're ending today with another injured, a E w star as Brian Danielson, hasn't wrestled for over a
month due to an injury suffered at double or nothing.
And now we have an unfortunate update on the former world champion.
On wrestling, observer radio.
Dave Meltzer said that there's still no word on when Danielson could be cleared to wrestle adding that
his injury is a concussion Meltzer made it clear that there's no timeframe on when Brian could be cleared.
And it's certainly worrying that he's dealing with yet another concussion.
It was in 2016 that a series of concussions led to Brian retiring in WWE.
And it'd be years until the company allowed him to wrestle again.
We can only hope that history does not repeat itself as the last thing a E w needs is to permanently lose one of their top stars.