Wrestling News & Rumours Thread ***NO CHAT***

Wild how face Cody was despised by AEW fans yet he is adored in WWE, getting cheered over The Rock, helping them do their best business in yonks and will, in all likelihood, win the main event at Mania.

Betting on himself worked out big time.

Yeah, exactly. A problem for Cody in his last while in AEW was he didn't have an adversary too. It's hard to be that ultra-sincere face without a proper heel to contrast it with. His run against Black was decent enough, but once that ended it just became Cody Vs the audience, with him doing everything he could to appeal and pander to them directly (flaming table spot), rather than as a byproduct of whatever story he was in.

Context is important for character to work, and the WWE context with Roman as the big bad is perfect for Cody's white knight, especially when you add in the legacy and 'finishing the story' etc - it's borderline fairytale stuff (in a good way).

Cody also backed himself into a corner in AEW when he said he would never challenge again for the AEW World Championship, After that he really left himself in a no mans land in AEW. Cody should have been AEW World Champion and the face of the company while he was there..,

He could also have turned heel and gone back on his word and won the World Championship and I think at that stage he would have been a fantastic heel Champion giving the All American babyface promos why it was right to go back on his word and being completely oblivious to the fact that the fans hate him.

Cody should have won the WWE Championship at last years Wrestlemania and all fans of wrestling will be delighted for him when he does finish his and to an extent Dusty's story.

JR not doing well a broken hip now after having cancer treatment on his hip.

Shelton Benjamin on Bayley:

“This is to all social media. You need to be talking about Bayley a whole lot more. Don’t get me wrong, everyone’s hot on The Rock and Cody and ‘finish the story.’ But at the same time, I say, like CM Punk said, Bayley won the Royal Rumble, and all anyone is talking about is Cody’s story. Give Bayley her flowers. I think she’s one of the most underrated girls on the roster. I feel like she’s underrated and underappreciated by the company, but not by the talent. We recognize what she is. Bayley should be world champion come April. That’s my personal opinion.”

(Black Rasslin’ Podcast)

Is Liv suppose to be "extreme" if anyone to use it, should be Lita or is Team Extreme not referenced by WWE

I’d say that’s pretty good summation of the year alright

Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2023 awards: (FULL LIST OF WINNERS)

• Wrestler of the Year: Will Ospreay

• Most Outstanding: Will Ospreay

• Tag Team of the Year: FTR

• Best on Interviews: Eddie Kingston

• Promotion of the Year: WWE

• Best Weekly TV Show: AEW Dynamite

• Match of the Year: Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay - Wrestle Kingdom 17

• United States/Canada MVP: Cody Rhodes

• Koichi Yoshizawa Award/Japanese MVP: Will Ospreay

• Mexico MVP: Místico

• Europe MVP: Will Ospreay

• Hodge Award/Non-Heavyweight MVP: El Hijo del Vikingo

• Women's Wrestling MVP: Rhea Ripley

• Best Box Office Draw: Roman Reigns

• Feud of the Year: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs Bloodline

• Most Improved: Julia Hart

• Most Charismatic: MJF

• Bryan Danielson Award/Best Technical Wrestler: Bryan Danielson

• Bruiser Brody Memorial Award/Best Brawler: Jon Moxley

• Best Flying Wrestler: El Hijo del Vikingo

• Most Overrated: SANADA

• Most Underrated: Chad Gable

• Rookie of the Year: Yuma Anzai

• Best Non-Wrestler: Don Callis

• Best Television Announcer: Excalibur

• Worst Television Announcer: Booker T

• Best Major Wrestling Show: AEW Revolution

• Worst Major Wrestling Show: WWE Crown Jewel

• Worst Television Show: NWA Powerrr

• Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic: WWE enabling Vince McMahon and him being back in power/TKO keeping him in position of power

• Best Wrestling Maneuver: Will Ospreay's Hidden Blade

• Worst Worked Match of the Year: Bray Wyatt vs LA Knight - Royal Rumble

• Worst Feud of the Year: MJF vs The Devil

• Worst Promotion of the Year: NWA

• Best Booker: Paul Levesque

• Promoter of the Year: Nick Khan

• Best Gimmick: Timeless Toni Storm

• Worst Gimmick: The Devil

• Best Pro Wrestling Book: The Last Real World Champion by Tim Hornbreaker

• Best Pro Wrestling Documentary: Dark Side of the Ring - Chris and Tammy

Val Venus has turned into a complete mental case.

Hulk Hogan…

"I had the chance to become like the next John Wayne. There was a guy named Bob Evans who ran Paramount. He took me into his office and there was a big picture on the wall with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne and all the big stars, Dustin Hoffman. Everybody that was part of the contract players for Paramount. He said, 'You're going to be my next John Wayne.' Then he laid out the schedule and what was expected of me, on and off camera. I went, 'Eh, I'm the wrong guy for that stuff.' I just decided to go back to wrestling."

I really think he believes the sh1t he talks it’s some sort of mental illness.

“What's the line?…Fragile mind. Fragile body. Fragile ego. I think somebody that I know said something like that about him & it rings true.”

— Seth Rollins when asked about his feelings on CM Punk’s injury

(Interview w/Wrestle Radio Australia)

..

The top selling t-shirts on WWE Shop (Feb 29):

1: CM Punk (BITW)

2: Jey Uso (Yeet)

3: Cody Rhodes (Claim Your Kingdom)

4: Randy Orton (Strike First)

5: Rhea Ripley (Mami On Top)

6: Roman Reigns (Levels Above)

7: Seth Rollins (Visionary)

8: Cody Rhodes (Camo Skull)

9: CM Punk (Return)

10: Jey Uso (Yeet, White)