Following another successful fight night with Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, Netflix is making the jump into MMA with a superfight few saw coming. Ronda Rousey is out of retirement, and what's more, she's taking on MMA fighter and former star of The Mandalorian, Gina Carano. The two recently spoke about their upcoming matchup, and I was shocked to find there's a wholesome story behind it.

Rousey was the one who shared her reasons for setting up the fight, which will stream for those with a Netflix subscription on May 16. While MMA press conferences are often where fighters deliver smack talk and make threats toward each other, Rousey made it clear that this was about giving two women a chance to control the narrative and rewrite their own endings:

While Carano didn't get specific about her health troubles, it was made clear she didn't feel physically at her best the past few years as she went through a lawsuit with Lucasfilm and Disney over her termination from The Mandalorian.

As for Ronda Rousey, while the bulk of her MMA career was marked by dominance, a couple of rough losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes led to her leaving the sport and transitioning to the WWE. Her stint in professional wrestling would also be marked with controversy, with wrestlers speaking out about some of her comments made about the industry.

Gina Carano hasn't fought in MMA since 2009, and retired after suffering a first-round TKO to Cris Cyborg. It's been a while since either has fought, but I think the motivation of both women to go out on top will make this a good bout.

Granted, the bar is high, as this is currently the most-hyped fight on the 2026 TV schedule. I'm not sure any fight this year is going to top it, unless Conor McGregor finally decides to take up Jake Paul on his boxing offer. I think the odds of that happening are zero to nil, but given that stunt fights seem to be all the rage, I'm not completely ruling out at least one other bonkers fight announcement before the year is up.

As for the big picture for Netflix, I do wonder if this MMA event is a one-off or if it intends to compete with the UFC, which is now regularly airing fight nights and pay-per-views for the price of a Paramount+ subscription. As a fan of combat sports in general, I'm all for the option of seeing more fights happening on platforms I already subscribe to and what could be a new era for MMA.

Suffice it to say, I'll be tuned in and ready to watch Ronda Rousey go toe-to-toe with Gina Carano on Netflix on May 16. The reasons for the fight may be unconventional, but honestly, that only adds to my intrigue surrounding this unexpected matchup.

Netflix adds more new content to the 2026 TV schedule and 2026 movie calendar than just about any other platform or TV network. We're now heading into the back half of the year, with a variety of exciting new movies streaming and other options to dig into. The finale film for Heartstopper will finally arrive, along with a fun behind-the-scenes special wrapping Nick and Charlie's relationship. A slew of new movies from around the globe will debut as well, along with stand-up, wrestling, and other fan-pleasing genres.

Note that the premiere times for all projects debuting via Netflix subscription are 3:01 am. ET unless otherwise noted, with certain events taking the primetime approach. New series will be marked by ALL CAPS.

July 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

The back half of July is full of big debuts, such as the premiere of Kevin Hart's SNL cast-infused new comedy 72 Hours, the newest season of The Ultimatum and Ransom Canyon, a new TV show from Will Ferrell and more.

August 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

September 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

October 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

November 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

December 2026 Netflix Movie And TV Release Dates

Netflix Movies And TV Shows With TBA Premiere Dates

For all the release dates that are already announced and confirmed, plenty of other Netflix originals still don't have locked down premiere dates.

• 3 Body Problem Season 2 (Series)
• The Body (Movie)
• East Of Eden (Series)
• Hollywood Arts (Series)
• How To Get To Heaven From Belfast (Series)
• Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Series)
• My Brilliant Career (Movie)
• Pride and Prejudice (Series)
• Trinity (Series)
• Unaccustomed Earth (Movie)
• Untitled Charles III Documentary (Movie)

Keep checking back as the months go on to find even more Netflix premiere dates as they're announced.

On February 24, 2014, the world of professional wrestling was forever changed with the launch of the WWE Network, a streaming service that would replace WWE’s pay-per-view model while also giving subscribers access to an unprecedented archive of old shows from promotions like WCW, AWA, WCCW, and more. Looking back, a lot is different in 2024 than it was when the network first launched.

The past 10 years have seen all kinds of changes to the way WWE reaches its audience (with more on the way), wrestlers have come, gone, and returned after reinventing themselves, and the women’s division has gone from being an afterthought to main event status at WrestleMania. But, that’s not all…

WWE Sold To Endeavor Group

In April 2023, word began to spread that WWE was in the process of being sold to Endeavour Group, the parent company of UFC and numerous other high-profile sports brands. Those rumors would prove to be true, and several months later, the two massive properties combined under the TKO umbrella, per ESPN. This new entity, which took much of the control out of the hands of Vince McMahon (more on him later), resulted in some major changes for WWE in both its corporate structure and presentation. And, this is just the beginning.

WWE Got In Business With Peacock

A couple of years before the TKO deal, WWE made waves when it was revealed that the wrestling company was moving its network to Peacock. Though the launch was a little buggy and some issues still remain, being able to access pretty much every major wrestling event from the past 50-plus years with a Peacock subscription has been a major win for both fans and the company. The easy access, large subscriber base, and the value outweigh the platform’s problems.

Vince McMahon Is Gone

A day that many thought would never come finally happened in January 2024 when Vince McMahon resigned from WWE and its parent company, TKO, following a string of controversies. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging that McMahon, whose family started the promotion 71 years ago, had subjected her to sex trafficking and a number of other abuses, per The Wall Street Journal. Several days later, the man who revolutionized the sport was gone, per Variety.

Triple H Is Running Creative

After Vince McMahon’s initial retirement in July 2022, Triple H was put in charge of creative, ushering in a new era for the promotion, and the wrestling industry as a whole. Now going by his real name, Paul Levesque, the 14-time world champion and long-time booker for the NXT brand has implemented some major changes to the product, which has resulted in more fans being stoked about WWE and its wrestlers than any other time in the past 20 or so years. He went from playing the authority to being the authority, which is wild.

WWE Is Expanding To Netflix

For the past 31 years, Monday Night Raw, WWE’s flagship show, has been on cable, with the vast majority of that time being spent on the USA Network (it was broadcast on TNN/Spike TV from September 2000 to October 2005). However, that will change in January 2025 when WWE moves Raw to Netflix, a major shift. According to Deadline, this 10-year, $5 billion deal will bring the long running, weekly wrestling show to the massively popular streaming platform, meaning everyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to watch at least three hours of wrestling a week without cable. 

The Rock Is Heavily Involved (On Camera And Behind The Scenes)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been around sporadically over the years, but his involvement with WWE reached heights not seen since his feud with John Cena when he returned in early 2024. Not only is The Rock part of the hottest storyline heading into WrestleMania 40, but he’s also taken on a major behind-the-scenes role on the TKO board. Love him or hate him, having the “Brahma Bull” in the mix is a major win for everyone connected to WWE, especially the fans.

WWE Has Its Biggest Competitor Since WCW

Don’t get me wrong, WWE has always had competition in the form of TNA, ROH, and international promotions like NJPW (many of the company’s top stars got started in each of them), but none of those came close to what AEW has accomplished since 2019. For the first time since the dissolution of WCW nearly 20 years earlier, WWE had a major competitor, one that not only drew big stars from around the world but also gave WWE superstars another avenue. Sure, this isn’t “Monday Night War” territory, but you can’t say WWE hasn’t felt a need to improve the product because of Tony Khan’s company.

The Shield Have Turned Into The Biggest Stars In The World

The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) didn’t make it to the halfway point of 2014 before falling apart after Rollins betrayed his brothers-in-arms and sided with the Authority, but all three members have since become the biggest stars in the world. Reigns is now the “Head of the Table” and is in the middle of a historic reign; Rollins has held the World Heavyweight Championship for nearly a year; and Ambrose, now going by Jon Moxley in AEW, has held titles all over the planet the past decade. We knew they were a big deal, but these three wrestlers changed the game.

Superstars Like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, And Drew McIntyre Have Left, Reinvented Themselves, And Returned To WWE

In 2014, Cody Rhodes started his Stardust gimmick, Drew McIntyre was a member of the 3MB stable before being released, and CM Punk walked out on WWE and didn’t wrestle for nearly a decade. In the years that followed, Rhodes left WWE, became a major star in NJPW, and helped get AEW off the ground before returning; McIntyre reinvented himself in the indies and returned to NXT and worked his way back to the top; and CM Punk had a tumultuous journey back to WWE that included a short UFC run and a wild time in AEW. All three are major players in WWE these days and each paid their dues to get back to the top.

The Women's Division Has Become One Of The Biggest Aspects Of The Company

Over the past decade, no aspect of WWE has changed more than the Women’s Division. Long gone are the days of the Diva Searches, bra-and-panty matches, or degrading storylines that used female wrestlers as eye candy or punchlines. In the past six years, iconic female wrestlers like Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Sasha Banks have headlined WrestleMania, entire premium live events have been centered around the division, and a women’s Royal Rumble match has been introduced. 

Wrestling is always evolving, which the past decade has proven time and time again. With the long list of upcoming WWE events like the highly-anticipated WrestleMania 40, it’s safe to say it’s just going to get better and better from here on out.

Some of our favorite SNL hosts are not actors, but nailed it anyway. People who play sports for a living are certainly no exception. See for yourself by sifting through this collection of great Saturday Night Live sketches starring professional athletes, either as themselves or showing some unexpected comedic talent by disappearing into their roles.

Yankee Wives (Derek Jeter)

There are actually many great highlights from when Derek Jeter hosted in Season 27, such as his debate with Red Sox fan Seth Meyers over whether or not he “sucks” on Weekend Update. However, when the former New York Yankees shortstop dressed in drag to roast himself as one of the team’s gossiping wives, it became an instant SNL classic. 

Anal Retentive Fishing (Wayne Gretzky)

Legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky proved to be a great scene partner opposite the legendary Phil Hartman as his recurring character, Gene. Gretzky is far too patient with Gene as his “anal retentive” antics begin to cause issues with their fishing trip, especially when he does nothing to prevent a sea monster from puling the athlete into the water.

The NBA On TNT (Charles Barkley)

Former basketball player Charles Barkley is one of the few pro athletes to host multiple times because, quite frankly, he is just that good at it. Take, for example, the NBC sketch from his third SNL gig in which the Inside the NBA analyst is portrayed by Kenan Thompson while Barkley himself impersonates a sleepy Shaquille O’Neal.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

Before leading the Space Jam cast, former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan first tried comedy when he hosted SNL, in which he poked fun at his seemingly endless brand deals in the monologue. The night’s best moment, however, sees “da Air Man” don a hula skirt for a ritualistic dance with Chicago sports nuts played by Cheers cast member George Wendt, the late Chris Farley, and others.

SNL Digital Short: United Way (Peyton Manning)

An SNL Digital Short that does not star any Lonely Island members, but is regarded as one of the best, features Peyton Manning in a performance that proves he could have been a good cast member. The former Denver Broncos quarterback shows incredible commitment playing a downright terrible role model for children in a fake United Way ad.

Aquarium Repairmen (Jeff Gordon)

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon plays a man who hires two repairmen (played by Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz), who address him as “a regular Jacques Cousteau over here” when he correctly names the breed of fish in his own tank. This turns out to be the first of many similar wisecracks in which they compare everything the dinner party guest say and do to a certain pop culture figure. It gets so out of hand, the goldfish don’t survive.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

Before LeBron James impressed audiences playing himself in Trainwreck, he shared the screen with Bill Hader in a sketch framed as a behind-the-scenes look at a PSA. The scene-stealer here, though, is Jason Sudeikis as a snarky PA who can’t seem to pass the current Lakers player a basketball the way he is asked to.

Touchdown At The Carnival (Tom Brady)

It’s nice to see an athlete with a storied track record like Tom Brady demonstrate that he has a good sense of humor about himself, just like he does in a sketch from when he hosted SNL in Season 30. The then-New England Patriots quarterback plays a carnival-goer who can’t throw a football inside a hole in the wall no matter how many times he tries.

New Disney Movie (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson headlined many classic sketches on his path to joining SNL’s Five-Timer’s Club such as this pre-taped bit poking fun at Disney’s live-action remake trend and his role in the Fast and Furious movies. The wrestler-turned-actor plays a bulky Bambi who starts a war against the local hunting community in one of the most popular SNL sketches on YouTube.

Sincere Guy Stu (Joe Montana)

The "Sincere Guy Stu" sketch subverts the age-old trope of revealing what characters are really thinking in overhead narration. Unlike Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman’s blossoming couple, the sincere comments voiced by former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana’s character, Stu, are actually an honest reflection of his true thoughts. 

Embarrassing Text Message Evidence Proves A Man's Innocence (Eli Manning)

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning stars in a courtroom sketch as a murder suspect whose lawyer (played by Jason Sudeikis) presents a series of text messages the client sent on the night of crime as evidence. However, the obviously innocent defendant eventually chooses to confess just to put an end to what becomes an increasingly cruel roast of his desperate attempts at talking to women.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

Wrestlemania stars Mr. T and Hulk Hogan (who also appeared in Rocky III together) co-hosted an SNL Season 10 episode in which they predominantly play themselves, like this in edition of a recurring talk show sketch starring Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas. What makes this particular bit a classic is when Crystal ad-libs a hilarious comment about how the Hulkster’s “little things” bounce when he laughs.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

Jon Lovitz reprises his pathologically dishonest SNL character, Tommy Flanagan, who meets host Walter Payton playing himself at a bar. He spends the whole sketch trying to impress the former Chicago Bears running back with increasingly elaborate lies until the end when Payton starts to return the favor and even drops Flanagan’s iconic catchphrase, “That’s the ticket.”

Democratic Debate '88 (Carl Weathers)

While better known today as an actor from the Rocky movies or The Mandalorian, Carl Weathers once played professional football as a free agent in the early 1970s, according to The Washington Post. When Weathers hosted SNL in Season 13, he gave a killer impression of Rev. Jesse Jackson debating with other democratic presidential hopefuls like Dennis Miller as Gary Hart, who was portrayed by Hugh Jackman in The Front Runner.

Tour De Force (Chris Evert) 

Chris Evert’s Season 15 episode got a bit meta with a segment that, through backstage cutaways, shows cast members accusing showrunner Lorne Michaels of shamelessly exploiting the tennis champion’s limited range as a performer. However, I actually think she handled the sketch-within-a-sketch — framed as some coming-of-age musical drama — pretty well. I’m actually surprised she did not take up acting more regularly after this.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

Just a couple months after the attack against Nancy Kerrigan — which was later dramatized in 2017’s I Tonya — the figure skater hosted an SNL Season 19 episode that took multiple chances to address the incident. For instance, in one sketch, she appears on a sports-minded talk show with other Olympic medalists who also suffered horrific injuries, but — unlike Kerrigan — would only be met with more misfortune down the line.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

A Season 20 sketch sees Chris Elliott inviting himself into host George Foreman’s dressing room and asking him to read Goodnight Moon as a bedtime story. I must say, it takes a lot of guts for someone to present such a ridiculous request to a two-time heavyweight boxing champion.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

This edition of the recurring “Boston Teens” sketch starring skiing champion, Jonny Moseley, appropriately takes place on a ski lift. The Olympic Gold Medal winner — who went on to host TV series like MTV’s The Challenge — plays a teen who gets caught in an argument between Pat Sullivan (Jimmy Fallon) and Denise McKenna (Rachel Dratch).

Teacher Trial (Ronda Rousey)

In this sketch, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey stars alongside Cecily Strong as high school teachers in court for their inappropriate relationship with a student (played by Pete Davidson). However, while on the stand, the student treats the questioning as more of a pat on the back as Kenan Thompson’s judge seems impressed and the mom (played by Kate McKinnon), understandably, watches in horror.

Science Presentation (John Cena)

In a sketch from Peacemaker cast member John Cena’s Season 42 episode, he actually stars as an athlete, but of a different sport than what he is known for. The former WWE star plays a college football player whose value to the team convinces the science department to assign him a presentation topic they know he can pass: bananas.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

A faux ad promotes a diet similar to that of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who typically eats about 12,000 calories per day. However, it scrapes past an important detail regarding the amount of laps in the pool that the Gold Medalist completes for practice before hinting at the dire consequences from skipping that step.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

The Oscar-winning 2021 biopic, King Richard, dramatizes Richard Williams’ pursuit to turn his daughters, Venus and Serena, into tennis champions — a story SNL poked fun at when Andy Roddick hosted. This sketch stars Kenan Thompson as Williams, who approaches the 2003 U.S. Open winner at Studio 8H with a request to become his adoptive father.

Men’s Product (J.J. Watt)

Football players are known for wearing grease paint under their eyes to prevent glare during a game, but what if it doubled as a rejuvenating skin product? That is the conceit of a faux ad for Olay Eye Black, endorsed by then Houston Texans defensive lineman, J.J. Watt.

American Girl Cafe (Travis Kelce)

After winning the 2023 Super Bowl, Travis Kelce proved to have winning comedic skills when he hosted SNL. Arguably, his night’s funniest highlight is a sketch starring the Kansas City Chiefs tight end as a creepy middle-aged male dining at the American Girl Cafe with no one but his own dolls, Claire and Isabelle.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

Charles Barkley stars in an SNL sketch as himself hosting a true crime docuseries, but not one that focuses on murder, kidnapping, or anything of that nature. The show, White People Problems, discusses topics that may seem like an issue to Barkley’s caucasian guests, but are seen as dramatically blown out of proportion to the Black people who were involved.

Hawaiian Hotel (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

A sketch pairs Dwayne Johnson with Fred Armisen as Hawaiian natives who make a living playing music for guests of a hotel restaurant. However, they spend most of their shift talking down to the tourists and taunting them with their personal grievances.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton) 

John Belushi once poked fun at star athlete endorsements with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, little chocolate donuts floating in milk. But when then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tackled the subject on SNL, he went the extra mile with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, anabolic steroids floating in milk.

Kelly Cola (Alex Karras)

Before he became known for movies like the hilarious Western parody, Blazing Saddles, and the sitcom, Webster, Alex Karras’ claim to fame was playing for Detroit Lions as a Defensive Tackle. In one of the best sketches from his Season 10 SNL episode, he plays a soda company CEO so intimidating he causes Billy Crystal’s character sweat profusely.

Simple Rappers (Deion Sanders)

A year after NFL star Deion Sanders released his hip-hop album, Prime Time, he starred in an SNL sketch alongside Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler as a rap trio, but didn’t do much rapping. All the group seems to do is shout out common hype phrases to an otherwise catchy beat before cutting themselves off with “Peace, we outta here!” after mere seconds.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

The late Marvelous Marvin Hagler was famous for delivering quite a few knockouts in his day — a specialty he cleverly addressed when he hosted SNL. In a faux PSA, the boxing legend graciously explains how to handle a KO, courtesy of himself, in the event that you might become his opponent.

Little League Trade (Bob Uecker)

After legendary catcher Bob Uecker retired from professional baseball, he took up a successful career as sports broadcaster and actor on Mr. Belvedere and the Major League cast, to name a few. Thus, he was an absolute natural in a sketch from his SNL episode as a little league coach who treats his own son (played by Billy Crystal) the way he might a pro.

The Black Shadow (Bill Russell)

Former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell — who passed away in 2022 — stars in a parody of the coming-of-age TV sports drama, The White Shadow, that flips the script in a ridiculous, yet poignant, way. In this case, it is the predominantly white high school basketball team that must come to the aid of their Black, middle-aged coach (played by Russell) when he get himself into trouble.

Many pro athletes have surprised the world by showing they have a knack for performing and a great sense of humor. In the case of the all-stars above, most of them got that chance by hosting Saturday Night Live.

WrestleMania is the reigning, defending, undisputed champion of all wrestling events every year and likely will be for the foreseeable future, but if you ask fans for a second place, you’re likely to get a lot of different answers. Some will say Royal Rumble. Some will say Survivor Series. Some might even say it’s AEW’s Double or Nothing. I suspect, however, the most common answer, at least from those associated with WWE, would be SummerSlam. The premium live event has run annually every summer since 1988, and it typically features many of the roster’s biggest names in action.

This year is missing a few heavy hitters, at least via announced matches, but it still boasts a laundry list of huge names including Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair, Finn Bálor and the rapidly getting over LA Knight. Several of the matches have, in my mind at least, pretty obvious outcomes, but there’s enough toss-ups and lingering uncertainty that it should still be really intriguing for everyone watching.

There have been 8 matches announced so far, now that Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus has been delayed. I’d like to go at least 6 and 2 in my predictions, which would be pretty in keeping with my overall record seen below…

I’m pretty stoked I got both Money In The Bank matches right last month, as well as most of the rest of the card (6-1!), but in the predictions game, you’re only as good as your last outing. So, fingers crossed I can keep the hot streak going. Here’s a look at all my theories… 

Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is Brock Lesnar, and given all he’s accomplished, I’m never going to take the possibility of a victory off the table in one of his matches. He’s too famous and still gets too strong of a crowd reaction to be a walkover, but unless The Beast is committing to working a full-time schedule in order to make another title run, this has to be Cody Rhodes for the sake of the story. 

Right now, the most likely main event for WrestleMania 40 is Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, and if that’s still the plan, Cody needs to be winning all his feuds. He’s currently one and one against Lesnar and needs a win here to come out with the momentum and continue pushing himself back to the top of the card. I’m very confident that’s going to happen, though I expect we’ll get a close back-and-forth match with Lesnar landing a lot of offense and Rhodes fighting from underneath. I expect the victory to be clean though. More than likely, we’ll see Lesnar take some time off afterwards and return in a few months, presented as dominant as ever.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Ricochet Vs Logan Paul

I think this program with Logan Paul is the biggest spot WWE has ever put Ricochet in, which is great because he’s a spectacular in-ring performer. I’m glad to see him getting a bit more shine, especially after he was left off WrestleMania 38, despite being Intercontinental Champion at the time. Maybe this will lead to a big push for him and more chances to continue refining his character and improving his mic skills. 

But this match should be about getting Logan Paul back in the win column. Like Brock Lesnar, he’s a featured attraction type performer, but in order to maintain his must-see aura, he needs to pick up wins at least half the time he’s going out there. Unfortunately, his last four official matches have been a loss to Roman Reigns, a loss at The Royal Rumble, a loss to Seth Rollins and a loss at Money In The Bank. The Rumble and Money In The Bank failures don’t really matter, given the size of those fields, but that doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t won since beating The Miz at SummerSlam 2022. He needs this victory, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t get it. Expect Ricochet to look great in a loss though! 

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Gunther (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

The big question here is what’s going on with Drew McIntyre’s contract situation. He was gone for an extended period of time after WrestleMania amidst rumors that he was unhappy with creative and his contract was set to expire in late 2023. Now he’s back and in a high profile spot with Gunther, who still hasn’t lost a singles match on the main roster. What that means for his contract or if any of those unhappy over creative rumors were true is unclear. Is this going to be the moment where he announces he’s a main eventer again or is he going to be a sacrificial lamb for Gunther on his way out the door?

Given his popularity and status as former WWE Champion, he’s certainly a threat to dethrone Gunther, but if he’s not locked in and ready to be in WWE for years with strong creative, I don’t see how he can win here. Plus, Gunther is about a month and a half from breaking Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest IC reign in WWE history, and I think most fans, myself included, would like to see him do that. So, because of all the uncertainty around Drew McIntyre and because of the IC title record being right in view and because Gunther is a once in a generation monster heel that everyone loves to boo, I think The Ring General is gonna take this.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Asuka (Champion) Vs Charlotte Flair Vs Bianca Belair For The WWE Women’s Championship

I’m covered in mist and at a complete loss trying to figure out where this story is going. All three of these women are credible champions, but none are anywhere near a peak moment in their popularity. In fact, you could make the case that all three are being misused right now. Charlotte Flair is currently a face, and while she’s getting cheers, I think fans are a lot more comfortable booing her as a heel. Asuka, on the other hand, is being used as a heel, but I think fans want to see her as a face. I was at WrestleMania, and most fans were very overtly rooting for her over Bianca Belair, who just desperately needs some level of character development. I don’t care if she stays a face, but she needs something interesting and important to do.

So, where does that leave any of this? Where do Triple H, Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and company want to go? My guess is Iyo Sky is going to cash in and win this match, which will set up a feud with Asuka and then something will happen during the match, to spin off Charlotte and Bianca, who will then feud outside the title. But really, who the hell knows? My confidence level is very low here.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

This is probably the match I’m most excited about on the card, specifically because there are a ton of different directions WWE could take this story. Seth Freakin’ Rollins is getting some of the best crowd reactions of his entire career. He’s very hot right now, and I love seeing him getting his due and carrying the belt around. So, if WWE wants to keep it on him, I get it. Then again, The Judgment Day runs Monday Night Raw and is only growing in influence. A main event men’s belt would take the stable to another level, and Finn Bálor certainly has the resume and the gravitas to make the most of it, especially because of how it would advance his storyline with Damian Priest.

There has been a lot of tension in The Judgment Day, specifically after Priest won Money In The Bank. He’s going to cash in his guaranteed title shot on The World Heavyweight Championship sometime in the next few months, and given Bálor and Rollins have been feuding over that same belt, it has created drama. Rhea Ripley has done everything she can to squash it and put on a happy face, but while Mamí can control Dominik Mysterio, I’m not so sure, ultimately, she can control either of them. They both want the belt.

Whatever the outcome of this match winds up being, I expect Damian Priest to be involved. Maybe he comes down to the ring and simply watches. Maybe he jumps in and fights Seth Rollins immediately if Bálor loses. Maybe he even cashes in on Finn if he wins the match but is exhausted. All options are on the table, and I can’t wait to see which path WWE picks.

I think Finn wins the title and there’s a tease Damian Priest might cash-in but it doesn’t actually happen. That would create a lot of tension and story moving forward, but really, I have no idea. And that’s why I’m so freakin’ excited.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

Ronda Rousey Vs Shayna Baszler

A year ago, if you told me Shayna and Ronda would be fighting at SummerSlam, I would have assumed Ronda would win without much question. At the time, Baszler was largely stuck in a holding pattern and not even showing up on TV a ton, while Ronda, despite some fan apprehension, was clearly at the center of the women’s title picture. But that’s just not the case anymore. Rousey and Baszler teamed for a brief tag title run. Baszler turned on Ronda, and the fans are clearly on her side. There are also rumors everywhere that Rousey’s contract is about to end, and obviously, things have not gone as either she or WWE had planned.

If she were wrestling someone random, I think WWE would have Ronda win to keep her looking strong for a possible return in the future, but since she’s real life buddies with Baszler and Baszler could use a push, I think Ronda is going to put her over on her way out the door in what could be her last WWE match ever. If it is the end, I would need about 15,000 words to even start processing her wrestling career, but since I don’t have that, I’ll just say it’s been a mixed bag.

Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam Battle Royal

Right now, this Battle Royal is reading like an excuse to get LA Knight a match. More than likely, it’ll also serve as a convenient excuse to get some other guys on the card. We’re missing a ton of huge names like Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, The Miz, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Kevin Owens and Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior is the only one of those to be officially confirmed; so, it’ll be interesting to see whether the rest of the spots are filled out by some of the heavy hitters above or whether we get more mid-card guys. 

The upshot of getting in the big names is that it’s SummerSlam, and when casual fans watch one of WWE’s marquee events, they want to see the biggest names on the roster actually compete. Sami Zayn, as an example, has been one of the most featured acts on the entire roster over the last year. The idea of him not being at SummerSlam is weird. Then again, if this really is just a contrived match to continue the Megastar’s rapid ascent, then I get why WWE would rather keep most of their biggest acts out of it.

The other names, apart from Sheamus and LA Knight, that have been announced are Ciampa, Shinsuke Nakamura and Alpha Academy, which has me thinking they're going to go the mid-card route. If that’s the case, I suspect everyone in the crowd at the end will be screaming L A Knight. YEAH. Look for him to continue his delayed ascent and get a raucous ovation from the Detroit crowd.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Jey Uso For The WWE Universal Championship

I love Jey Uso. The Usos are, to me, a top five tag team in WWE history. There aren’t enough positive things I can say about Jimmy and Jey and all they’ve done in WWE for the last decade. You could also make the case, given their family connections and extended history, that Jey is the right person to finish the story and beat Roman Reigns. He’s been the most important non-Roman person to the entire Bloodline arc. 

But wrestling isn’t just about creating a moment or writing a fitting ending. It’s about setting yourself up to keep telling a story tomorrow, and there are simply way more compelling stories WWE can tell with Roman holding the belts than with Jey. is there any part of you that can even envision Jey Uso having a title defense by himself at an upcoming PPV that wouldn’t involve fighting Roman Reigns? Like is there anyone interested in watching him have a match against AJ Styles at Fastlane? Ok. Scratch that. I would watch that match, but it wouldn't feel like a PPV main event to me, which is a problem.

I expect this to be a good match. I expect to see some false finishes, maybe a Jimmy Uso return, but I would be shocked if Jey won this match. This needs to be Roman, and it will be Roman, unless he's hurt or planning to take a few months off.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

SummerSlam will stream on Saturday August 5th. In The United States, it'll be available for free with a Peacock subscription. Don't miss out. WWE is really ascending in popularity right now thanks to a product that's better than it has been in years, and this event should continue that hot streak. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Stars On Mars episode "Evil AI." Read at your own risk!

Stars On Mars has said goodbye to a lot of celebrities at this point, but some have been more shocking than others. Tom Schwartz's elimination was completely justified, for example, after his massive counting fail, and even in less extreme cases there was always some reason to vote someone out. It wasn't until recently we saw someone as "mission critical" to a successful operation as Ronda Rousey get sent packing, but there was a good explanation for doing so. So, what was the reason for losing one of the game's top competitors after a successful mission? 

Ronda Rousey was thrilled to participate in Stars On Mars, and the competitor in her seemingly wanted to push on and make it to the end. She was in a good position to make it to the finale as well, but something outside of the game pulled her out of the running. Rousey realized she missed her eighteen-month-old daughter La'akea back home. 

When it came to the Bottom Three, mission commander Andy Richter had to nominate three people. Rousey volunteered herself as the third option after Paul Pierce and Cat Cora were also nominated and encouraged her crew members to send her home. The intimidating but lovable former UFC champion-turned-WWE superstar was able to make a quick exit from there, but the ripple of her sudden departure will make some waves in the remaining episodes to come. 

Ronda Rousey's Exit Kept Andy Richter's New Enemy In The Game

Andy Richter might've liked to know Ronda Rousey was leaving before he made his nominations for Bottom 3. The Stars On Mars newcomer made an enemy in Cat Cora after his decision to nominate her as one of the lowest-performing celebs. Cora was heated when Richter put her and fellow new addition Paul Pierce in the hot seat after their performance in the mission, which, as mentioned, was successful. Richter pointed out that the success of the mission meant he had to make the hard call to put someone up who contributed the least despite the success, and Cora and Pierce were the most obvious choices. 

Cat Cora was in tears even after knowing she was in the clear, and it seemed clear she was not in a place to forgive Andy Richter. That may come back to bite him if she's left in charge of the next mission and wants to get a little vengeance on him. We'll see if the Stars On Mars celebrity gets a chance for that in the following episode on Fox or if you're streaming with your Hulu subscription. 

Lance Armstrong Will Struggle Without Ronda Rousey

Lance Armstrong has been on the outs with many Stars On Mars celebrities following his comments made about trans athletes. Ronda Rousey's exit means he's down one more person who will regularly converse with him, which could further alienate him from the others as well. I had the sense that Armstrong nearly removed himself from the game in this episode, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happens before the season is up. 

Ultimately, these are the two biggest takeaways from Ronda Rousey's exit from Stars On Mars. I do appreciate seeing another athlete leave, however, as it seemingly gives the less athletic celebrities a better shot at making it to the end. We'll see who stands tall in these remaining five episodes, which could be the most exciting we've seen yet, given this big shakeup. 

Stars On Mars airs on Fox on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. There's still some time to catch up on this exciting series if before we reach the Season 1 finale in late August, so be sure to check it out if interested. 

Ronda Rousey may be a former host Saturday Night Live host and had various roles in Hollywood, but those credentials aren't what most people typically discuss when referring to her. Her career as a professional fighter is what usually takes precedence. Whether it's the UFC or the WWE, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is going to show up and be as brutal as she needs to be to get the job done. She's a true badass, though that reputation can apparently result in others having some preconceived notions about her. Comedian Natasha Leggero confessed to CinemaBlend that she was "scared" to meet Rousey when she did Stars On Mars and broke down her reason for being intimidated.  

Natasha Leggero spoke to CinemaBlend about her Stars On Mars exit as well as life alongside the various celebrities inside the simulation. I asked the comic if there was anyone she felt she had the wrong impression of when she started the show, and she was quick to say that Ronda Rousey wasn't anything like she expected her to be: 

Ronda Rousey can probably kick the ass of 90% of the people living in the Stars On Mars habitat, but that doesn't mean she's actively looking to do so. Natasha Leggero learned she had nothing to be afraid of when it came to interacting with the fighter, most of the time. There's no denying that Rousey showed some of her fiery side when her cohorts nearly failed the challenge she was team leader for. However, that could've just been her competitive spirit coming out.

As for Natasha Leggero, she exited Stars On Mars on the same episode as Vanderpump Rules' Tom Schwartz, whose departure was a long time coming. The show documented Schwartz's lack of competence in competitive events quite extensively, but there wasn't as much said about Leggero's exit. She told CB that she had more or less signaled to the rest of the cast that she was ready to go home, making their decision during the double-elimination quite easy. 

Fox's latest reality series has been a thrill to watch thus far and is certainly worth catching up on with a Hulu subscription. I'm not sure who might make it to the very end, though I'd be lying if I said Ronda Rousey wasn't on my short list of competitors most likely to win the whole thing. The other person who comes to mind would be host William Shatner due to his experience with space in real life and through what he's learned as a Star Trek alum. We'll see how Rousey and co. continue to fair -- and whether she is ever required to break out the combat moves Natasha Leggero was so familiar with.

Stars On Mars airs on Fox on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The series will return with a new episode on July 10th, so be prepared for another week of challenges and the opportunity to see another celebrity escorted off "Mars." 

High stakes, over characters and uncertain outcomes are typically the most important ingredients in a successful wrestling event, and this year’s Money In The Bank has all three going for it. Throw in what’s likely to be a hot crowd, given it’s a rare PPV in Europe, and there’s a real chance this could be one of WWE’s best events of the entire year. I cannot wait.

But as excited as I am as a wrestling fan, I’m that nervous as a prognosticator. The Men’s Money In The Bank match could very believably go in three different directions. I can’t stop arguing with myself about the best long-term path for The Bloodline Civil War, and even the Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor title match has some intrigue given the build has been strong and Judgment Day is really popular. It’s really only the Cody Rhodes vs Dominik Mysterio and Gunther vs Riddle matches that I’m overwhelmingly confident about.

But reputations in the soothsayer game aren’t made during comfortable times. They’re made during the tumult, and I’m ready to step up and hopefully have a big performance. You can take a look at some recent events, as well as my overall WWE record below…

At the risk of patting myself on the back harder than The Miz, I’ll say that’s not half-bad. Hopefully I’ll put in a good performance here, and some of these 50-50 matches break the right way for me. You can my full analysis below…

Ronday Rousey And Shayna Baszler (Champs) Vs Liv Morgan And Raquel Rodriguez For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

I don’t know how many people are left on Team Ronda Rousey. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m still on Team Ronda Rousey. The potential is there. The star power is there. But her mic work continues to be a struggle, and there are times in which she looks too robotic in the ring, especially with interconnected move sets. She needs a manager desperately, something many of us have been saying for years, but at this point, I’m starting to wonder if this is just what it’s gonna be forever. I don’t know. Part of me really hopes it’s not, and part of me wants WWE to keep the tag belts on her because without them, it feels like we might be officially giving up.

Liv Morgan certainly doesn’t have the ceiling Ronda Rousey does, but she’s, without question, the person involved in the match fans care about the most. This is also her first match back from injury, and considering she and Raquel never lost the belts to begin with, I think they’re a real threat to win. Ultimately, I think it comes most down to what WWE wants to do with Ronda over the next few months. If they’re still trying to keep her at a star level, I think she should win here. If they’re ready to move on, then they should lose. I say they still trying to make it work, but who knows?

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.

Cody Rhodes Vs Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio is one of the best heels on WWE’s entire roster. I mean… is there a single person in wrestling getting booed more aggressively and booed by more grandmas than him every time he tries to open his mouth? It’s been a tremendous turnaround for someone who initially struggled to find an identity outside of being his dad’s inexperienced tag team partner. At this point, it’s pretty easy to see a future in which he’s maybe a tag team title holder with Damian Priest or even a United States Champion with a lot of interference victories thanks to Rhea Ripley. Beating Cody Rhodes, in my opinion, is a bridge too far though.

Look for this to be a really entertaining match. Dominik will likely pull out every dirty and heelish trick Iron Sheik style (RIP). At some point during the match, I’d expect him to literally flee and/ or run around the ring. We’ll probably get a big spot with Rhea Ripley too, but ultimately, Cody Rhodes needs to win this match. He would lose far more taking a loss against Dom than Dom would gain by getting a win against him. 

Predicted Winner Cody Rhodes

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins is super over with fans right now, to the point where crowds will interrupt segments to start singing his theme music. Given he barely won the belt a month ago at Night Of Champions, you’d think there’s no way he could possibly lose it this quickly, but in my opinion, the whole point of creating this belt was to inject more uncertainty into the title picture. Roman Reigns hasn’t lost in more than a thousand days, and Gunther seems on his way to being the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history. Having Seth lose the belt so quickly would be a great way to remind fans that anything is possible.

That being said, Finn Bálor winning isn’t the only option WWE has to take the belt off Rollins. Someone is about to pick up the Money In The Bank briefcase, and it’ll almost certainly be cashed in on whoever holds this title. Roman Reigns isn’t losing to a cash-in, and fans collectively hated Austin Theory cashing in on a mid-card title last year. So, it’ll be this belt, the only question is who holds it when that happens. I think it’ll still be Rollins. So, look for him to win here and then get blindsided sometime between Money In The Bank and SummerSlam. 

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Men’s Money In The Bank Featuring (At Least) Damian Priest, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Santos Escobar And Butch

I put “at least” in the headline here because my prediction last year was screwed by Austin Theory being added to the match right before it happened. I shouted at my TV like an outraged Jesse The Body Ventura, knowing almost for certain he was going to win, and there’s a lingering feeling in the back of my mind that a similar thing could happen this year. Drew McIntyre is hopefully coming back at some point. Maybe. The same could be said about Bray Wyatt. Rumors are swirling Randy Orton might be healthy again for the first time in over a year. The candidates are right there.

But if we assume for a second that the possible winners are the ones already announced, I think the most likely candidates are Damian Priest, LA Knight and Logan Paul. Priest is, in my opinion, the best pick from a storyline standpoint. He’s really come into his own this year, had a terrific, match of the night performance with Bad Bunny at Backlash and a win could help push Judgment Day into even loftier heights. 

LA Knight doesn’t make a lot of storyline sense, but he’s getting more popular by the week, despite some terrible booking. Fans are comparing his mic work to The Rock’s, and a win here, supported by good creative for the next month, could turn him into one of the company’s biggest stars. And Logan Paul is Logan Paul. He’s over-delivered in every match so far, has history with Seth Rollins and could do WWE a ton of promotional good by carting the briefcase everywhere he goes for a few months. I broke down the men’s Money In The Bank match more fully here, but the end result is I’m picking Damian Priest. Am I confident though? No.

Predicted Winner: Damian Priest

Women’s Money In The Bank Featuring (At Least) Iyo Sky, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Zoey Stark, Trish Stratus and Zelina Vega

Just like with the men’s match, there’s a chance we could see someone added, but as most of the biggest stars on the women’s side are 1) already champions, 2) involved in major storylines or 3) off due to pregnancy, I’m pretty confident the ultimate winner will come from this group. I think we can throw out Zelina Vega, who was fantastic at Backlash but just isn’t ready for this level of step up to the main event. I also don’t think Zoey Stark has a real chance, as she’s good in the ring but needs to improve her mic skills. So, that leaves Iyo, Bayley, Becky and Trish. Initially, I thought Becky and Trish would screw each other, setting up another match at SummerSlam. I still think that’s probably going to happen, but the segment between Becky and Rhea on Raw this past week made her seem like more of a real possibility.

Let’s leave her aside for a second and instead focus on Iyo and Bayley. WWE has been teasing a Damage CTRL break-up for what feels like six months. One of the two winning the case would be the logical next step, as it would cause dissension within the ranks. The case for Iyo is that she’s an up and coming talent and has been getting good crowd reactions. She also has good chemistry with Asuka and a cash-in on here could b a really great moment. The case for Bayley is that she’s one of the best in WWE on the mic and she’d have a ton of fun possible storylines if she won it again. I think it’s going to be one of those two or Becky, who is Becky Freakin' Lynch and will always be a good choice to win anything and everything.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Gunther (Champion) Vs Matt Riddle For The Intercontinental Championship

I feel really confident about Gunther here for two reasons. First, I think most people want to see him break Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest reign in Intercontinental history, and in order to do that, he’ll need to hold the title until November. But even if WWE doesn’t actually care about that, you’d have to think the match where he finally loses would have a better build this one. I’m not saying Triple H and company didn’t put in some work here. They did and involved the rest of Imperium and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in it, but Riddle has, at times, sorta felt like the odd man out in his own storyline.

Second, Riddle is not nearly as hot as he was before he took time away, allegedly to deal with some behind the scenes issues. Prior to the Randy Orton injury and immediately afterwards, he was among the most over babyfaces on the entire roster. He needs to regain that spark because it’s just not the same as it was before. 

Predicted Winner: Gunther

The Usos Vs Roman Reigns And Solo Sikoa

I remain convinced the long-term plan is for Roman and Solo to feud with each other, but I have no idea what the timeline might be. I could see Solo turning on Roman here in preparation for a match at SummerSlam, or I could see the two working well together and teaching The Usos a lesson. Maybe Jimmy and Jey go away for a month or so, Roman and Solo establish some kind of new hierarchy, and the storyline moves into an entirely new phase. Maybe other family members show up and interfere, creating a messy outcome. Maybe The Usos pick up a clean win and spend the next month talking about how Roman doesn’t play well with others.

Good WWE storylines put in the character development work to set up a final payoff that’s really satisfying. More often than not, it’s pretty easy to tell where these storylines are ultimately going, but they’re still satisfying when they get there. Great WWE storylines put in so much character development work that they set up multiple possible outcomes that would believably make sense. That’s what is going on here. We know The Usos, Solo and Roman Reigns so well that any direction this goes in, there’s the potential to tell more satisfying story. I’m going to pick The Usos to win here, but pretty much every possible outcome is on the table.

Predicted Winner: The Usos

As always, you can catch Money In The Bank live for free with a Peacock subscription. The event happens this Saturday July 1st in London at 2 PM ET. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the series premiere of Fox's Stars On Mars, called "The Experiment Begins." Read at your own risk!

Fox has a knack for delivering offbeat shows like The Masked Singer and Farmer Wants A Wife, but this one takes the cake. Stars On Mars has an out-of-this-world format in which celebrities compete in challenges whilst also challenging themselves and each other. It's a lot to take in but I'm on board with the show after its premiere mainly because these three celebrity cast members already made it a blast to watch. 

William Shatner is a fine host for Stars On Mars, but he's just an honorable mention in this story. Below are the stars that made the premiere a hit for me, and hopefully, they'll stick around long enough to keep me invested in the rest of the season. Actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse could've made this list but will also get an honorable mention after being voted off in the premiere. 

Ariel Winter

Ariel Winter's red hairstyle might've been the center of conversation prior to the Stars On Mars premiere, but the actress' scenes were some of the highlights of the first episode. Winter was a blast to watch because of how hilarious she was, whether it was intentional or not. The actress mistook former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong for astronaut Neil Armstrong and was a splash of positive Gen-Z energy amongst a mainly older group of competitors. I'm very excited to see her continue to compete in this big follow-up to Modern Family, even if she isn't quite up to date on all the historical facts needed for life on Mars. 

Marshawn Lynch

If you've watched Marshawn Lynch's episode in Murderville, you'd already know he's among the funniest former professional athletes acting in Hollywood. The former running back previously proved that with his cameo appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and he's proving it again on Stars On Mars. Lynch was a competent leader in the team's first mission and wasn't afraid to tell people how he thought things really were. I particularly liked the brief tension he had with Lance Armstrong when he asked whether or not cycling was a real sport. Having someone who will stir the pot is always necessary for entertaining reality television, and I think Lynch could be one of those pot-stirrers that propels this show to greatness. 

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey took some time off from the WWE and joined Stars On Mars, but you'd think she was still in the ring based on this first episode. Even though she's not fighting anyone, Rousey's competitive spirit burned bright in the first challenge, and it's clear she's looking to prove she's the best participant as often as she possibly can. I imagine that will cause some tension with her castmates down the road, especially if they're paired with her and not pulling their weight. I could see Rousey getting in someone's face and screaming if she's pushed to do so, but we'll just have to wait and see what the rest of this season holds. 

Stars On Mars airs on Fox on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Those who missed the premiere can catch the episode the next day with their Hulu subscription and catch up before the next episode. 

You know it’s coming. It’s just a matter of time, but I have full faith that there will eventually be a live-action Wreck-It Ralph movie.  

Has there been any confirmation of this, or even any rumblings? No. But, with Disney slowly but surely getting through most of their popular animated movies from the Disney Renaissance, like the recent The Little Mermaid, which we reviewed favorably, I just have a pretty good feeling that Ralph will one day get the live-action treatment, too. 

I mean, hell, Disney is ALREADY setting up a live-action Moana movie, and the original Moana came out after Ralph. So, I’ve decided to get started dream casting the live-action Wreck-It Ralph movie. Sure, we’ll likely get that live-action Rapunzel movie before this, but I still believe that the latter is on its way, and I want to cast it. I’m gonna wreck it!      

Wreck-It Ralph - Chris Pratt   

I know. You're likely saying, "You're joking, right?" Yes, I've seen the memes. One of the funnier ones was of Chris Pratt playing Rosa Parks. A lot of those stemmed from the fact that when it was announced that he was going to be voicing Mario, it seemed like a joke. Well, after The Super Mario Bros. Movie raked in over a billion dollars (and counting), I think it's safe to say that he could play whomever the hell he wants, and it would probably still be pretty good.      

That said, I think Pratt would be better than "pretty good" as the titular character. I actually think he'd be pretty great. Voiced by John C. Reilly, it's actually kind of hard for me to envision any other voice coming out of Ralph's mouth, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which I loved) proved to me that he could make any voice his own.  

Plus, I think he has the talent to pull off all of the physical stuff required of the character as well. Of course he would have to be heavily CGI'd, but hey, it worked for Will Smith as the Genie in Aladdin, didn't it? So, it could work for Pratt as Wreck-It Ralph, too! 

Vanellope Von Schweetz - Vivien Lyra Blair 

You know, when I originally pictured casting Vanellope Von Schweetz, I envisioned McKenna Grace. I was mainly thinking of her quirky performance in Ghostbusters: Aftermath, and how that could transfer over to a live-action role for Vanellope. 

But, thankfully, my editors thought that there could be a possibly better choice for Princess Vanellope, and I'm glad they intervened since I now think I have the PERFECT choice, and that’s Vivien Lyra Blair. 

You probably know her as the young Leia Organa in the Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I know her from We Can Be Heroes, which I once called "the perfect follow-up to Sharkboy and Lava Girl." Blair played the progeny of Sharkboy and Lava Girl, Guppy.   

In the movie, she exhibited a really playful performance. While Vanellope had a constantly sarcastic tone because she was voiced by Sarah Silverman, I think that a live-action version could be softened a little in the joke department, while still maintaining that fun edge, which I think Blair can really deliver in spades.  

King Candy - Danny DeVito  

Okay, now this one would be a HUGE departure from the movie, since King Candy was played by Alan Tudyk, who gave the character a pretty silly voice, but I think it could still work if Danny DeVito took on the role. Spoiler alert for a pretty old movie, but Candy turned out to be the antagonist. That said, this wasn't really somebody who would typically be taken seriously throughout the rest of the film.

That’s why I think DeVito would be perfect for the role. Firstly, I pretty much want him to be in every movie, and secondly, I think he is a master at playing silly characters who also might have a dark side. Keep in mind, this is the same actor who’s on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but also portrayed The Penguin in Batman Returns. So, that’s why I think DeVito would be ideal for the sometimes silly, but also terrifying, King Candy. Just sit with it for a little bit. It’ll come to you.  

Fix-It Felix Jr. - Ben Schwartz  

Yes, I know. Fix-It Felix Jr. IS Jack McBrayer, right down to the funny demeanor and everything. (He even looks like the actor!) But, I wouldn’t just want to cast him as a live-action Fix-It Felix Jr. Nope. In fact, I think Ben Schwartz, the voice of the live-action Sonic himself (who may just be on the verge of starting “the villainous stage” of his career) would be the perfect Felix.    

I think a lot of this really boils down to just how innocent and almost childlike he makes Sonic sound, as I see a lot of that in Felix, too. Here's a guy who wants to do the right thing, and, by all accounts is doing the right thing, but he’s also not worldly enough to realize that things aren’t just in black and white, as there is nuance to pretty much every situation. I think that side of Sonic could really add even more layers to the character, and I feel Schwartz could knock that role right out of the park.  

Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun - Ronda Rousey 

While I know I just said that Felix Jr. IS Jack McBrayer, only to spend two whole paragraphs discussing why somebody else should play his character, I honestly can’t think of any other voice-actor in Wreck-It Ralph who is closest to the look and demeanor of their character than Sgt. Calhoun’s voice actress, Jane Lynch. In fact, I was seriously considering just putting her in the role for the live-action film, but then I thought, no. That would be a cop out, and I've already committed to this list. 

So, if not Lynch, then I think Ronda Rousey could be a good substitute. She doesn’t need to prove how tough she is, as the former UFC fighter and current WWE wrestler is already known as a certified badass. But, she hasn’t acted in many movies, making appearances in The Expendables 3, and in Furious 7. That said, in both roles she commanded the screen, and I honestly think that if anybody could play the lead character in Hero’s Duty, it’s Rousey. 

And, that’s it. Who would you cast in a live-action Wreck-It Ralph? For more news on all things Disney, make sure to swing around here often! 

WrestleMania 39 is just about here, and the card is absolutely stacked. I’m so fired up about so many different matches. Of course there’s the possible end to The Bloodline story with Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and late addition Cody Rhodes, but even beyond those months-in-the-making matches, WWE has given fans an assortment of things to really be excited about.

I’m personally pumped for Austin Theory and John Cena, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair and Rey and Dominik Mysterio to name a few, but it feels like I talk to five different people, and they all have different things they’re excited about, which is perfect. WrestleMania is meant to draw as many eyeballs as possible from casual and hardcore fans. It should be a celebration of all things wrestling: different styles, different emotional beats and different personalities.

I’ll do my best here to predict what’s going to happen. Not to brag, but last year, I went 11 and 4 in my WrestleMania 38 predictions (and have gone 56 and 21 since I started), and I’m hoping to do even better this year. I’ll outline who I think is going to win but also talk about the larger plotlines and what might be going through the minds of Triple H and the writers…

Austin Theory Vs John Cena For The United States Championship

The thing about wrestling for a championship belt is that if you win, you need to defend it, and at this point, there’s no reason to believe John Cena is sticking around in WWE to defend this belt. So, if he wins, it probably means he’s going to 1) wrestle for a surprise second time and lose during WrestleMania weekend or 2) drop it on an upcoming episode of Raw or Smackdown. Or more likely, it means he’s going to lose this long-rumored match. I’d love it if he won during the first match of night one, then held an open challenge and dropped it to a surprise person on night two (like LA Knight), but that seems a whole lot more complicated than just losing.

So, I think John Cena is going to lose. Being the great company man he is, I think he’s coming back to signal to fans that Austin Theory is a future star in the business (despite his post Money In The Bank booking), and there’s no better way to signal that than by losing a match for a belt he has a long history with at WrestleMania 39. I expect a fun, high energy match. I think Cena will get a lot of hope spots, but ultimately, I think he’s going to put Austin Theory over cleanly with his back on the mat. 

Predicted Winner: Austin Theory

Seth Freakin’ Rollins Vs Logan Paul

Logan Paul has full-on embraced his heelish inner-self, and it feels so right. He was never going to work, at least in the short-term, as a baby face, but now that he’s embraced the boos, he’s starting to feel more like a real part of the picture and not just a celebrity dropping by. The in-ring talent is there. The mic work is smooth and natural. He’s got the look. He’s got the charisma. The pieces are there to be WWE Champion someday, but in order to get there, he needs a ton of reps. He needs to expand his arsenal of moves, figure out how to sell promos with a less receptive crowd and improve the little things he hasn’t had time to develop yet. Whether or not he’s going to put in the time and make the commitment to wrestling in order to do that is anyone’s guess.

As for Seth Rollins, he’s getting a great crowd response. The fans are screaming his music, and he’s fully over as a baby face, which is wild given he was injuring Cody Rhodes with a sledgehammer less than a year ago. But it’s not really clear that he’s building toward anything. He’s doing fun work each week, but there’s not a sense of drive or long-term progression to his character. Add that to the fact that Logan Paul took a loss to Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia last year, and I think WWE is gonna wanna put the social media star over here. You can’t pop up now and again and lose each time you pop up.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Trish Stratus, Lita And Becky Lynch Vs Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky And Dakota Kai)

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this match; so, let me talk out both sides. On the one hand, wouldn’t it be nice to give Trish and Lita an awesome WrestleMania moment? Fans would absolutely love to see those two, along with favorite Becky Lynch, raise their arms in the air in victory. Given this match doesn’t really have like larger title implications, it could just exist as a fun one-off memory for everyone involved.

On the other hand, how many times can we watch Bayley lose? I love Bayley. I consider her to be one of the top women, but she hasn’t won a singles match at a premium live event since she beat Asuka at SummerSlam in 2020. When Damage CTRL formed last year, it looked positioned to dominate the women’s division, but with Iyo and Dakota losing the tag team belts and Bayley taking Ls all the time (including on TV recently to Rhea Ripley), this match almost feels like a referendum to whether they should stay near the top of the card. 

Predicted Winner: Damage CTRL

Bianca Belair Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like both Bianca and Asuka a lot. I’ve enjoyed a ton of feuds both of these women have been in, but to be honest, the build to this match has been a little flat. Their shared in-ring segments have been kinda awkward at times, and I’m not sure anyone is really following the story they’re trying to tell. Of the title matches at WrestleMania 39, I would say this one has the least buzz around it.

And I just can’t see Bianca Belair, after this incredible title run, losing the belt in a match that doesn’t have much buzz around it. Champions shouldn’t lose the belt because it’s time for change. They should lose it because someone else is gaining more momentum than they have. Asuka is great, but I just don’t see her gaining momentum with fans right now, especially because she’s in this weird middle ground where she’s trying to become a heel but people aren’t really accepting the change and booing her (outside of when she does overtly heelish things). In another timeline with a different build, I could easily see Asuka winning here, but not right now and not with this very bland lead-in. 

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Brock Lesnar Vs Omos

Some rumors have swirled about Brock Lesnar maybe taking a break after WrestleMania 39. That’s entirely possible given he feels outside the main event picture, which is unusual for his character, but even if he does step away, I have to think WWE is gonna want to keep him strong for a possible return down the road. Omos doesn’t seem like he’s building toward anything specific right now, and Brock Lesnar needs to stay a main event style attraction. Think of it this way: could you conceive a scenario in which Brock Lesnar could main event a future WrestleMania? Yes. Could you conceive the same for Omos? No. That’s why Brock Lesnar should win this match.

I think there’s a legit chance here we might see an Earthquake Vs Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X style squash match. Lesnar picking Omos up over his head and F5ing him is the moment we all want to see. I don’t think WWE needs to waste time getting there. I’d gladly take an action packed two or three minutes, ending in a viral moment than eight or nine minutes that could be a little awkward since neither guy is the most fluid in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Showcase Match: Braun Strowman & Ricochet Vs The Viking Raiders Vs The Street Profits Vs Alpha Academy

Did WWE set this match up to get some talented and popular wrestlers on the ‘Mania card or are we going to get some long-term plot development out of this? I think the answer is a bit of both, and I think that long-term plot development is going to come in the form of friction between The Street Profits. I’m not saying they’re going to break up at WrestleMania, but I think the seeds of long-term issues are going to be planted here. We’ve already seen the longtime pair wrestle a lot more separately in recent months. Now feels like the time for a Shawn Michaels/ Marty Jannety style story that plays out over the course of a few months and ends with a singles match, maybe at SummerSlam?

As for who will win the match, I’m going to rule out The Street Profits because of the above theory, and I’m also going to rule out Alpha Academy, since they’ve mostly been used to put other teams over and also seem like they’re in the middle of a slow motion break up. So, that leaves The Viking Raiders and Strowman & Ricochet. I like both teams a lot. Triple H and the writing staff have kept The Viking Raiders looking particularly strong, but Strowman and Ricochet are very over with the crowd. I saw them at a live event recently, and they were getting huge pops from the crowd. I think they’re potential future tag team champions.

Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman & Ricochet

Showcase Match: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler Vs Natalya & Shotzi Vs Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez Vs Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville

First of all, I have no idea what happened to Carmella. WWE was clearly setting up a Carmella & Chelsea Green partnership and for them to take the last spot in this match. Now we're getting Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville. I'll miss Carmella, but I'm glad to see Sonya get a WrestleMania moment. She was great at placing the authority figure and was a really nice foil for Adam Pearce. They need to give her more opportunities to talk on TV.

That being said, this match has to be all about Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, right? Ronda has obviously had some troubles over the last year getting over with the crowd, but she's still Ronda Rousey. I don't know what WWE is paying her, but it's too much to be on the undercard. So, they need to figure out how to make this experiment work and give her an angle fans will buy. I think they're going to keep trying and that'll start with a win here, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Liv & Raquel pick up the W either.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In A Hell In A Cell Match

It looks like we’re going to get Bálor’s Demon vs Brood-style Edge here, and I’m all for it. Between that and the Hell In A Cell stipulation, it’s a fun way to make this match feel WrestleMania levels of important. Expect a strong match with a really high workrate and some fun spots. I don’t think we’ll get any crazy cage jumps, but I do think we’ll get a really tight and well put together 20 minutes in which both of these superstars show how talented they are.

I’ve heard a lot of people say they think Edge will go over since he’s probably nearing retirement, but I just don’t think this win does as much for him as it does for Bálor. The goal of wrestling is to set up what is next. The Judgment Day is hot right now. All four performers are at the top of their games, and there’s a strong chance Rhea Ripley will emerge from ‘Mania as The Smackdown Women’s Champion. To me, the most important thing here is The Judgment Day looking as strong as possible because that stable could be incredible with a few minor tweaks.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

Dominik Mysterio vs Rey Mysterio

If you would have told me a year ago that we would get Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania, I would not have been very excited. I know because a year ago, there were persistent rumors Vince McMahon wanted to break up the father son duo and push them into a feud, and I could not bring myself to care. Well, here we are, and I am absolutely hyped for this match. It’s one of my most anticipated showdowns on the entire card. Dominik Mysterio is on an epic heel run right now. He’s getting booed like a prime Ted Dibiase, and he’s a perfect for for The Judgment Day.

The expectation here from many is that Rey will finally teach his son a lesson and show him the meaning of respect, but I think a Rey Mysterio win would suck all the energy out of the feud. I’d like to see Dom go over here (obviously via some outrageous cheating) and these two could continue their back-and-forth for awhile. I don’t think Dom needs the feud anymore to stay relevant given how over he is as a heel, but if you have a ready made storyline fans want to see, you may as well use it.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Gunther Vs Sheamus Vs Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

There are some fans who think Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were both put into this match to liven it up a little bit. Maybe. But personally, I think this is a triple threat because it gives WWE the opportunity to take the belt off Gunther without him actually losing. They referenced this on Smackdown during the contract signing, and it feels like that’s where this is going to go. Then, after Gunther loses, he can start working his way up to the main event scene, given he’s the best young unstoppable monster heel WWE has had since Yokozuna.

If Gunther is going to lose, I think the more likely candidate to win is Sheamus. He’s never held The Intercontinental Championship before, and this would give him a really nice moment, especially after he’s revitalized his career over the last year. Look for him to pin Drew McIntyre and then for the two of them to probably wrestle each other at WrestleMania Backlash with Gunther bowing out because he has his eyes on a bigger prize.

Predicted Winner: Sheamus

Charlotte Flair Vs Rhea Ripley For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I love Charlotte Flair, but come’on. Rhea Ripley is on a rocketship right now. The fans are behind her. Charlotte already beat her once at WrestleMania. It is her time to carry the women’s division in WWE forward, and that starts at WrestleMania. I am confident in a fair number of these predictions, but there is none I’m more confident in than Rhea winning (with the exception of maybe Brock squashing Omos). 

Plus. I still think Charlotte Flair works better as a heel. She’s a talented enough wrestler and showman that she can technically do either. She’s probably better at being a top babyface than 90% of the roster as an example, but she really shines as a heel. That’s what she needs to get back to. I’d love to see her take a loss to Rhea and then turn heel to be the next challenger to Bianca maybe at SummerSlam. Expect a really strong match but for Rhea to ultimately prevail. I think she’ll do it cleanly too without Judgment Day interference.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Usos vs Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens For The Undisputed Tag Team Championships

With all due respect to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes and everything else on the card, this has been the A-plot storyline over the last year. More often than not, The Usos and Sami Zayn in particular have been driving the weekly shows fans have been watching, and there will likely be more emotional investment from fans in this match than any other across either night. The payoff here was built one fantastic segment at a time, to the point where many fans are openly talking about how sad they are it may be ending.

Pretty much everyone I’ve talked to expects Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to win here. We’ve watched them (in particular Sami) try to climb up the mountain for months. He got really close to the top in that fantastic match at Elimination Chamber in Montreal. This is the moment where he finally gets a happy ending, or at least an unapologetically happy plot point if the storyline continues. Ordinarily, I’d be worried about a potential swerve since so many people think they know where this is going, but sometimes you just need to give fans what they want. Shoutout to The Usos though who have been tremendous during this championship run. They’re no doubt first ballot Hall of Famers with a lot of career left.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns Vs Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Everyone acts like it’s such a sure thing that Cody is going to be the one to finally beat Roman Reigns and take his titles, but I’m not so sure about that. Roman and Cody have done a nice enough job of building a story over the past few months, but I personally think Cody’s story would be a lot more compelling if he lost and had to climb the ladder again. Yes, he went through a ton of hardships when he was in WWE originally, then switched to AEW and then switched back, but for those who might be newer to wrestling, he’s just a guy who has done nothing but win since he got back. I think Cody’s story is one of perseverance and overcoming challenges. Yes, he got injured last year and came back, but I’d like to see him experience some real losses.

I’m also just not ready for Roman Reigns’ time on top to be finished. He’s been the best heel champion WWE has ever had, and three years in, he’s still the biggest attraction. You can feel it on TV and you can feel it in the building during live events. He’s still got tremendous heat, and there are so many additional matches I’d like to see him have with the title: starting with Jey Uso. How fun would it be to watch Roman, still champion, absolutely lay into Jey and Jimmy about losing their titles and being weak? In a perfect world, I’d love to see Cody lose, fight his way back up the card, win The Royal Rumble again and try to finally get over the hill next year. Meanwhile, Roman can slowly lose member after member of The Bloodline until he’s completely on his own next year. Cody can take the titles then, but not now. Not yet. 

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Other Predictions About Bray Wyatt, Bobby Lashley, The Miz, LA Knight And More

I have no idea what's going on with Bray Wyatt, but as of right now, I have to believe he's off the WrestleMania 39 card. It feels like something strange is going on behind the scenes or an injury (both of which have been rumored). I'd love to think this is a storyline swerve leading to a big surprise, but if this is all a work, I can't imagine you'd tease a Bray vs Bobby Lashley match, do a few promos and then say nothing about it for weeks. 

But I still think WWE will find a way to work Bobby Lashley into the WrestleMania card. Fans have been freaking out about how he was added to the Andre The Giant Battle Royal on SmackDown with a lot of talent that isn't going to be on the big show. Yes, that's a little worrying, but I don't see how you have Bobby Lashley available and don't use him at WrestleMania. That just doesn't make sense to me. So, I expect we'll see him issue an open challenge or something. 

The other person not on the card right now who I think will make a WrestleMania impact is LA Knight. He's been saying for weeks you can't have an LA WrestleMania without LA Knight, and given how much he's getting over with fans, I agree. Maybe that means doing something with Bobby Lashley. Maybe that means getting a quick segment on the microphone. I don't know how it'll happen, but he needs to do something. Good work that fans like should be rewarded.

And finally, I fully expect The Miz, who is hosting WrestleMania, to have at least one segment that ends in tragedy for The A-Lister. That's in keeping with his character, and it'll provide a little bit of levity at some point between matches. Maybe that beatdown come via a surprise celebrity or legend appearance or maybe that'll come from LA Knight or Bobby Lashley if they're not worked into the card another way. It could also be a cheap way to introduce a new character or a surprise hire and get them over with fans. Regardless, expect The Miz to eat someone's finisher at some point. 

We’re just a few weeks away from wrestling's biggest night, and the WrestleMania 39 card is getting pretty close to set. We have eight confirmed matches and a handful more with storylines actively developing. Between what’s confirmed and what’s rumored, most of the major WWE names have something to do, but there are still several superstars who have gotten regular TV time over the last several months that, right now, look like they might be left out. According to a new rumor, however, WWE may have a plan to solve that.

This morning over on the Twitter, WrestleVotes dropped a juicy little tidbit. The outlet said WWE is preparing to add two additional matches to the card: one men’s four way tag team match and one women’s four way tag team match. The men’s would reportedly feature Alpha Academy vs The Street Profits vs The Viking Raiders vs Braun Strowman and Ricochet, the last of which still needs a cool name. No potential participants in the women’s match were mentioned.

Now, this obviously, with all due respect to WrestleVotes, needs to be treated as a rumor right now. WWE has not confirmed this on television or even really hinted at it, and the other usual wrestling sources haven’t said anything. So, right now this is a big maybe.

That being said, this makes a ton of sense. There are some who feel a smaller WrestleMania card is better, but I want to see the performers I watch every week get a moment during the biggest nights of the year. And, also, even if you think WrestleMania spots shouldn’t be handed out. It’s hard to imagine a world in which The Street Profits and Braun Strowman especially wouldn’t be on a ‘Mania card. They’ve very over with the crowd, and someone like Chad Gable has been putting in tremendous work almost every week elevating top talent on Raw.

It’s also hard to imagine a world in which WWE leaves Ronda Rousey, Liv Morgan and Alexa Bliss, among many other deserving women off the card, either. I love seeing Lita and Trish back. They’re both among the best women ever, and I’ve enjoyed their feud with Damage CTRL. I’m stoked to see them perform at ‘Mania, but right now they’re at the center of one of only three women’s matches on the entire card. We have to get a fourth.

As I said, there weren’t any rumored women's names that came along with the tweet, but if I needed to pick eight women to put on the card, based on recent storylines and also star power, I’d put Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, Carmella and Chelsea Green, Natalya and Tegan Nox and Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. That still leaves off Alexa Bliss, but she can be used in the Bray Wyatt and Bobby Lashley match, if that happens given whatever is going on with Bray. 

There’s no perfect way to plot out a WrestleMania card. Everything always comes with tradeoffs. You can have less matches and give the participants more time, which can potentially lead to better individual moments, but then fans don’t get a chance to see some popular characters who are legitimately over. Conversely, you can add a bunch of additional matches but it’ll come at the expense of the time given to the more featured attractions. Putting one fatal four way on Saturday and one fatal four way on Sunday, in my opinion, is a great compromise. It adds sixteen performers to the card, but it does it in a way that will likely only soak up twenty minutes each night, especially if you streamline the intros a bit. 

We’ll keep you updated as WWE officially confirms the remaining matches on the card. I think there’s a good chance we’ll see this or something like this, at least on the preshow, but we’ll just have to wait and see if this happens. And also if they add LA Knight, which seems like a must given how over he's getting. YEAH.

In a few short days, 60 WWE Superstars will enter the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches and compete for the opportunity to challenge for a championship of their choosing at WrestleMania 39. Over the course of the past few weeks, a growing list of wrestlers have announced plans to enter the two over-the-top battle royals, but only one male and one female superstar will stand atop the turnbuckle, point to the massive sign hanging from the rafters of the AlamoDome, and earn a spot at the upcoming two-day event.

Before we look to what the future holds for Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Rhea Ripley, and other superstars who will be in the match, it wouldn’t hurt to take a step back and see how winning the Royal Rumble affected the last 10 winners (going back to 2018). We’re here to answer questions about championship matches, title reigns, and others dealing with the immediate and long term impact of winning the Rumble.

Shinsuke Nakamura (2018)

In January 2018, Shinsuke Nakamura, the “King of Strong Style,” won the Royal Rumble match in his first attempt, earning a title match against WWE Champion (and former NJPW foe) AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34.

Following a losing effort in an otherwise outstanding match that played on his history with Styles, the fan-favorite Nakamura turned heel with a low blow, which resulted in a drawn-out feud between the two. The two-time NXT Champion would go on to find success in WWE’s midcard, winning the US and Intercontinental Championships two times apiece, yet never reaching the levels of his first year on the SmackDown brand.

Asuka (2018)

Asuka, who was unbeaten in WWE at the time of her Royal Rumble debut (which happened to be the first women’s version of the event), outperformed the likes of Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Trish Stratus to earn a title match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at in 2018.

Though she came up short in her match against Flair, Asuka would ride a wave of success throughout 2018, a year that was capped by winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship that December. Since then, Asuka has remained one of WWE’s biggest stars, winning the Raw Women’s Championship on two occasions, the 2020 Money in the Bank, and other accolades.

Becky Lynch (2019)

After adopting the moniker “The Man” in late 2018, Becky Lynch went on a run on the same level as Daniel Bryan’s 2013-2014, the “Summer of Punk,” and Attitude Era “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, which continued on into 2019 by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Lynch would go on to face SmackDown Women’s Champion and Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, in a historic WrestleMania 35 triple threat match, the first all-female match to headline the “Showcase of the Immortals,” and win in decisive fashion. ”Becky Two Belts” would go on to break multiple records throughout her title reign, which would only come to an end after announcing her pregnancy in 2020, per ESPN.

Seth Rollins (2019)

Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch’s real-life husband, also had an incredible showing at the 2019 Royal Rumble, winning the Men’s contest and a title opportunity against Brock Lesnar with the Universal Championship on the line.

After defeating him in the WrestleMania 35 opener, Rollins would go on to play back-and-forth for the Universal Championship with Lesnar that summer before losing it for good to The Fiend later that year. Though he hasn’t held the top title since, Rollins has remained a hot commodity, especially with his 2022 feud with Cody Rhodes.

Charlotte Flair (2020)

In January 2020, Charlotte Flair added another achievement to her resume: Royal Rumble winner. But instead of challenging longtime rivals Becky Lynch (Raw Women’s Champion) and Bayley (SmackDown Women’s Champion), Flair turned her attention to NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36.

Night Two of the 2020 event opened with the second-generation WWE superstar winning and claiming the NXT title for the first time since leaving the brand nearly five years earlier. Since then, Flair has continued to be one of the most successful wrestlers in the world, winning multiple championships and high-profile feuds.

Drew McIntyre (2020)

Drew McIntyre, who was once viewed as “The Chosen One” in Vince McMahon’s eyes, made an incredible comeback in the years after first being let go by the company, culminating in a career-defining performance at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

McIntyre would go on to successfully challenge WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to a headlining match at WrestleMania 36, but what was supposed to be a big match ended up being the start of a muted title reign in which he never defended the title in front of a live crowd. Things would turn around for McIntyre down the line, including a great showing against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle 2022, and it could keep getting better with a dominant performance at Royal Rumble 2023.

Bianca Belair (2021)

One year after eliminating eight other wrestlers, Bianca Belair won the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, proving to the world that she was the “EST of WWE” and was here to stay. A little more than two months later, Belair proved herself once again by defeating Sasha Banks to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37.

Despite a quick loss to a returning Becky Lynch at SummerSlam later that year, Belair had a banner year, which was capped off by being named the top-ranked wrestler on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated “Women’s 150” list. And, she hasn’t stopped since.

Edge (2021)

One year after returning at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge capped off one of the most remarkable career turnarounds in modern history (he was out for 10 years with a neck injury) by winning the 2021 Men’s match. 

Though he wasn’t successful in his triple threat match against Daniel Bryan and Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Edge did help the “Tribal Chief” put on one of the best matches of his career.

Ronda Rousey (2022)

Following a nearly three-year absence from WWE, Ronda Rousey returned at the explosive (literally) 2022 Royal Rumble, which she won to earn a shot against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38.

Though her attempt at defeating Flair was unsuccessful, she would go on to defeat her longtime foe at WrestleMania Backlash the following month. Rousey would go on to lose, win, and lose the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the second half of 2022, with the most recent and final loss being against a returning Flair on the final SmackDown of the year.

Brock Lesnar (2022)

Despite only being in the 2022 Royal Rumble for a little more than two minutes, Brock Lesnar eliminated five superstars on his path to victory, which earned him another crack at Roman Reigns in a WrestleMania 38 main event match.

Lesnar would go on to win the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2022, which made his third WrestleMania contest against Reigns “Winner Takes All.” The “Beast Incarnate” would end up losing the bout, but the pair would meet again in a “Last Man Standing” match to conclude their feud at SummerSlam 2022, with Reigns ultimately winning.

Only time will tell what the future holds for upcoming winners of the 2023 Royal Rumble, but the only way to know for sure is by watching the big show, and other upcoming WWE events, on Peacock Premium.

Ronda Rousey and Shotzi Blackheart’s match at the newly reformatted Survivor Series was not good. I’m sorry for being so blunt about it, but for the purposes of this conversation, we all just need to be honest. It did not go well, even compared to the UFC legend’s other recent bouts. The crowd was The Rock vs The Sultan at WrestleMania 13 levels of not into it. There were several awkward moves/ outright botches, and somehow both characters left looking weaker than when they came into the ring. Even without the embarrassing Sasha Banks chants from the crowd, it was a pretty obvious mess to anyone watching.

Now, whether it was bad because Ronda Rousey is a historically bad professional wrestler or it was bad because it was poorly designed and set up for failure depends on who you’re talking to. Certainly there are plenty of people on Twitter who think the match is the latest and most glaring piece of evidence that WWE should move on from Rousey, but full disclosure, I’m not one of those people. I think she still can make it long-term as a professional wrestler, but Triple H and company need to make some immediate changes and start putting her in positions to succeed.

I’m not ready to give up on Ronda Rousey. She brings a ton of MMA credibility. There are times in which she looks really intimidating and fluid in the ring, and there are a lot of fans who still really do want to see her or at least the idea of her, which is why she still gets a little pop when her music hits. Some of the ingredients are there for her to win the crowd, but change needs to happen ASAP. At some point she’s going to run out of chances. Here’s how WWE can turn her back into a legitimate main event character in 3 easy steps…

1. Ronda Needs A Manager Who Isn’t Shayna Baszler 

I like Shayna Baszler. I think she’s a good fit with Ronda. They look like they belong together and would believably hang out, but Rousey needs a manager on the microphone who can generate real heat from the crowd. She needs an A+ talker who can rile people up in the stands and get them to actively root against her. She needs to be hated and aggressively booed. Shayna isn’t going to be able to accomplish that. She’s essentially playing the role of Ronda’s sidekick right now, and while she’s capable enough on the microphone, she doesn’t have the vocal skill level needed to turn this around. 

WWE has a long history of letting managers speak for some of its heels. Bobby Heenan was arguably one of the most important people in the entire company in the late 1980s, as he worked with Andre The Giant, Rick Rude and way more. Brock Lesnar was mostly paired with Paul Heyman until recently when his mic work took a huge step forward during the Roman Reigns story arc. JBL recently returned to manage Baron Corbin and has been coming out every week to basically just insult the crowd for a few minutes (which I love). 

And the story with Ronda here is so easy. All the manager needs to do is talk about how he or she knows the crowd wants someone else to be champion, but tough shit. They’re stuck with Ronda because she’s the baddest woman on the planet and can’t be beaten. You want her gone? Beat her. You know who could infuriate the crowd every week with that message? William Regal, who apparently might be on his way to WWE.

2. After Getting A Manager, Ronda Should Hold Open Challenges Every Week And Destroy The Entire Mid-Card

With the exception of Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey should be destroying every other woman on the roster. WWE should be feeding her opponents every week on television to prove how unstoppable she is. One week, Natalya should come out and get manhandled in 45 seconds. The following week, Ronda should get Lacey Evans and make her tap out in ugly fashion. You don’t risk long-term harm to a midcard character when they lose to one of the most dominant mixed martial artist fighters in UFC history. 

I  would repeat this process for the next two months or so. Every week, Triple H should bring out William Regal (or The Miz or Kurt Angle or Jim Cornette or whoever) and have them scream at the crowd about how Ronda is here to stay and unless someone beats her, there’s not a damn thing they can do about it. Then maybe one out of every four opponents, I’d trot someone out who feels like they could actually win. Maybe an Asuka or Liv Morgan or Bayley, I’d give them maybe one or two hope spots but still have Ronda roll in about 4 or 5 minutes. No commercial break needed.

3. Her Next Premium Live Event Should Be Elimination Chamber, Not Royal Rumble

I wouldn’t use Ronda Rousey at the Royal Rumble. If she’s holding the title, she doesn’t need to enter the Rumble, and I don’t think there’s enough time to rehab Ronda’s image by having her destroy the mid-card and then still build a program with an A-level talent before Royal Rumble. And the absolute last thing she needs is to have another 10 minute match with some random woman on the card who isn’t over or is only vaguely over with the fans. So, I would hold her off premium live events until Elimination Chamber, which is, I think, an event that should play to her skill set.

I would leave her in the last pod and have her come out like a wrecking ball at the end of the match. If she’s had two months of dominating victories and is getting over as a heel thanks to her manager, the audience should care enough to aggressively boo her and/ or root for one of the other main event performers in the elimination chamber. Then, at that point, WWE should have all the information it needs to make a long-term decision about Rousey. If all of the above hasn’t moved things in the right direction enough and fans still aren’t fully on board, then they can cut bait and have her lose the belt. If, however, the manager is working, and people are booing the hell out of her, she’s going to be an amazing choice to walk into WrestleMania as champion and face someone like Becky Lynch who is all kinds of over with the crowd. Or even better, bring Sasha Banks back to win the Rumble and lean into their alleged history. The crowd would be Attitude Era levels of hot.

To Sum Up

Ronda Rousey is not some random scrub on WWE’s roster. She still has incredible name recognition and a storied MMA background. Despite things not going as well as she would have liked since she came back for The Royal Rumble, there are still people in every arena who are there specifically for her. That is more than most wrestlers will ever have, and WWE clearly gets that given she keeps winning key matches. But something needs to change. Someone at the main event level should be able to carry a seven minute match with basically anyone on the roster, whether they’re over or not.

So, change is definitely needed, and there are certain long-term fixes Rousey needs to commit to. She needs to improve on the microphone. She needs to work on her transitions in the ring. She needs to develop a wider range of moves. That stuff is going to take years if she sticks around and works at it. But some of that change can also come from WWE being smarter about how she’s presented. 

She needs a veteran heel manager who can generate real anger and heat from the crowd like William Regal. That manager needs to lean into how frustrated people are with her. She needs to be fed low level opponents in squash matches. And then if she’s able to generate that momentum, she needs to pay it off at Elimination Chamber. If all goes perfectly, she could be in a match fans really care about at WrestleMania, which would be a huge win for everyone involved given where she's at right now. 

Survivor Series has evolved quite a bit over the years. When the annual premium live event was first launched in the late 1980s, all of the matches were in a team versus team format. There wasn’t any real stakes because it ultimately didn’t matter long-term if Rowdy Roddy Piper’s good guy team defeated Rick Rude’s bad guy team. It was just a fun little night of wrestling with an enjoyable gimmick.

Unfortunately, a fun little night of wrestling that typically didn’t have any title matches or guarantees of long-term storytelling didn’t sell as well on pay-per-view as WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble. So, the format has slowly become more and more like a traditional premium live event over the years. With Triple H in charge now, however, Survivor Series is about to undergo another evolution.

This year, the two traditional 5 v 5 Survivor Series matches are being evolved into WarGames, which is a throwback to late Jim Crockett/ early WCW. It’s been used pretty extensively in NXT and features two teams battling it out in a double ring cage. Participants are added one at a time until all ten members are involved and the match technically begins. It should be incredible. I’ll give you my thoughts on what is likely to happen in each match, but first, here’s a look at how my predictions have been going so far this year…

I'm normally pretty confident when I do these predictions, and for obvious reasons given even Kurt Angle would be impressed with my performance so far this year, but matches with a lot of participants are historically very hard to predict. If Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre are wrestling 1 v 1, you can think through all the implications of each man winning in different fashions. You can think about what a win or loss would do for the future story WWE is trying to tell. You can ask yourself is McIntyre finally going to be the one to beat Roman Reigns and take his titles.

In this case, however, Drew McIntyre can just pin an Uso without any effect on the strength or weakness of Roman Reigns' character, just as Reigns could deliver 10 Superman punches to Butch or Ridge Holland without impacting McIntyre's long-term trajectory in the slightest.

Alas, not every prediction is meant to be easy though. So, here's my best guesses as to what might happen tomorrow night, which you can watch on Peacock, which is currently 99 cents as part of a Black Friday deal...

Seth Freakin' Rollins (Champion) Vs Bobby Lashley Vs Austin Theory For The United States Championship

In just a few short months, Seth Rollins has gone from hated heel, responsible for putting number one babyface Cody Rhodes on the shelf for almost a year, to one of the most popular faces in the company. He still doesn't always act like a face, but that's part of the complicated character he has created, and it hasn't stopped fans from singing his infectious theme song. 

Typically you don't want to take a belt from someone who is ascending, and Rollins is very much ascending right now. He's, however, a very unique character in that his appeal doesn't necessarily relate to his relative win-loss record. Fans are drown to his maniacal energy, which is great when he's winning but also great when he's losing.

Bobby Lashley's last appearance at Crown Jewel was in a lopsided beatdown of Brock Lesnar that he somehow lost. The match's inventive booking kept both men looking strong, and honestly, I think that's the storyline most fans care about for him, not whether he has the US Title. Austin Theory's primary storyline, however, is very interlinked with the US Title, which he lost his Money In The Bank briefcase trying to cash in thanks to Lashley. He's had a few very strong promos in recent weeks and could be due for a push. 

Prediction: This match could go in a lot of directions, but I think we'll see Seth Rollins come out on top.

Ronda Rousey (Champion) Vs Shotzi For The Smackdown Women's Championship

I think this is the easiest prediction of the night by a country mile. Much has been made about Ronda Rousey's character over the last six months. She wasn't really working as a babyface, and fans were clearly getting a bit frustrated, as was Rousey. She's been in a much better place since she turned heel, though, and while there's still a lot of room for growth, I think she's on the right path.

Shotzi has a nice look and some talent, but she is not over with the fans right now. Don't let some corners of wrestling twitter fool you. What matters is the response she gets when her music hits and/ or when she does something impactful in the ring, and the noise and level of care just isn't there yet.

That doesn't mean Shotzi can't get there at some point. Every single match, even a loss, is a chance to get the crowd to care, and the easiest way to get the crowd to care is by working with the main eventers on the roster. That's Ronda Rousey. I really hope Shotzi turns in a terrific performance this weekend, but it would be a huge overreach by Triple H to put the belt on her at this point, even though he clearly likes her.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey should win this, but hopefully it's a fun match that helps prove Shotzi can keep progressing.

AJ Styles Vs Finn Bálor

This match is a bit complicated to predict given the massive entourages both of these men are currently bringing out with them. All of the side characters are very down to interfere, and it would be a shock if we got any kind of clean result. I expect, whatever happens, for this feud to continue well past Survivor Series, which is okay with me given I've been enjoying it.

That being said, AJ Styles needs to win this match. He is a legend, a clear first ballot WWE Hall of Famer, and he has not won a match at a premium live event since he teamed with Omos to beat The Viking Raiders all the way back at Money In The Back 2021. Come'on. That's ridiculous. Credit to him for putting guys over, but that streak of bad results needs to end.

Besides, a good feud with two teams like this needs to feel balanced. Styles lost in a 6 man tag to The Judgment Day back at Hell In The Cell, and he also lost in a six man tag to The Judgment Day earlier this month at Crown Jewel. We need some balance here, and his new support system in The OC should help that.

Predicted Result: AJ Styles amidst some kind of chaotic interference.

Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim And A Mystery Partner Vs Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley And Nikki Cross (Women's WarGames)

I really wish I knew who the mystery partner was going to be. If it's a returning babyface like Sasha Banks or Naomi, who haven't been around in months, you'd have to think they would help put the babyfaces over in a huge moment the crowd could get behind. If it's just a random woman on the roster like Candice LeRae, I don't really think the mystery element matters to whatever the final result is. If it ends up being Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair, a huge name that sometimes plays a character that's more morally ambiguous, it opens up the possibility for her to double-cross her own team. Then again, that possibility is there with Alexa Bliss too, as some expert her to get back with Bray Wyatt.

I think the women's division, at least with the players on the field right now, stops and ends with Bianca Belair. She is an absolute star, and I don't think she's even come close to reaching her potential. So, the question I'm looking at is what is Triple H setting her up to do over the next few months? Is she going to continue feuding with Bayley? Is she going to do a program with whoever the mystery person coming in will be? Or is he finally going to set up Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair?

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair, to me, could headline any premium live event WWE has. That is the match in the women's division I want to see more than any other, but it seems like Triple H is instead teasing Mia Yim and Rhea Ripley. So, I'm going to guess the mystery partner (maybe Becky, maybe Charlotte) double-crosses Bayley and sets up a program. 

Predicted Result: Damage CTRL + Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross get the win, thanks in part to the mystery partner. 

Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Ridge Holland And Butch Vs Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa

Is Survivor Series the time to finally progress the Jey Uso and Sami Zayn storyline? The intra-Bloodline feud has been the most popular story in wrestling for a few months and with good reason. Everyone involved, including Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso who have taken on more supporting roles, have played their parts perfectly. Now, with longtime friend Kevin Owens on the other side of this match, many are wondering if Zayn is finally going to turn on the Bloodline?

Timing in wrestling is very important. You don't want to linger on the same story for so long fans get annoyed by it, but you also want to fully maximize the potential of something that is really working. Some day Sami Zayn is almost certainly going to turn on The Bloodline and become a massive babyface when he does, but I'm just not sure the time is right. I think there's more ground to explore with everyone kept together.

That being said, I still think Sami and Jey's issues are going to somehow play into the finish of the match. I think one of them will cost the Bloodline here, and we'll deal with the fallout of the loss for another month in some classic behind the scenes segments. There's plenty of time for Sami to turn and partner with Kevin Owens later.

Predicted Result: Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Ridge Holland and Butch.

If we’re just talking honestly amongst friends, I’m not the biggest fan of Extreme Rules as a premium live event concept. An added stipulation doesn’t necessarily mean a better match, and a healthy percentage of the time, it actively means a worse match as wrestlers struggle to do something they have less experience with. So, when Extreme Rules was first announced for October, I sorta shrugged my shoulders and felt indifferent. Other upcoming WWE premium live events Crown Jewel and Survivor Series, now in WarGames format, felt like the obvious priority, and I figured this would be a bit of a snooze.

As the card has come together, however, my excitement level has moved pretty steadily in the right direction. I’m not saying it’s WrestleMania 17, but there’s the potential for quite a few bangers on this card. Riddle vs Seth Rollins! The Brawling Brutes vs Imperium! Bayley vs Bianca Belair in the first women’s ladder match for a title! We’re also going to get some clarity from Triple H and the writers as to where a few characters might be going in the long-term. We should get a sense of who is gonna stick it out in the main event scene and who might get dropped to the mid-card. These things were a bit easier to predict under Vince McMahon, but I feel like I’m starting to get a handle on Triple H and how he views the roster.

As for predictions, I’m currently 35 and 13 on the year, but I was a disappointing 3 and 3 at Clash At The Castle. I’m looking to bounce back with authority, like Angelo Dawkins hitting the ropes when he’s about to jump out of the ring. I’ll also add a little section at the end for returns since there are rumors everywhere about the White Rabbit and more potential reveals. Let’s go!

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Ronda Rousey In An Extreme Rules Match For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

Is Ronda Rousey a heel or a babyface? Does she know? Does WWE know? She definitely had a heel turn at SummerSlam. I assume the plan was to push her as an indestructible force of evil, but fans were so happy about the heel turn that they started cheering her, even when she did things like attack WWE officials. So, she’s in some kind of middle ground, and I have no idea who WWE even wants fans to root for in this match anymore.

There’s a bit of that same where-are-we-going-with-this energy around Liv Morgan right now too. The fan favorite won the belt at Money In The Bank to an absolutely monster pop, but she hasn’t exactly looked like early 90s Undertaker during her time as champion. Even when she’s wrestled mid-carders like Lacey Evans, she’s gotten beat up for a good portion of the match before winning like a heroic underdog. Nothing about her reign has been dominant at all.

I don’t really know that WWE has figured out how to use Ronda Rousey yet, but I suspect we’re done with Liv Morgan as champion. Ronda is just way more believable at the top of the division, and I really can’t imagine Triple H having the former UFC Champion lose to Liv Morgan, of all people, for a third time. 

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Matt Riddle Vs Seth Freakin Rollins In A Fight Pit Match

There’s a pretty clear fork in the road here. If WWE goes left and has Seth Rollins win, he’s going to continue ascending. He already has a match scheduled on Monday Night Raw this coming week for the United States Championship against Bobby Lashley, and if he beats Riddle, I think that’s going to be his new full program. He’ll move on from his work with Riddle and probably start a full program with Lashley. Maybe we’ll get a screwy finish on Monday, and the two will feud for awhile and maybe even fight for the belt at Crown Jewel in November.

If WWE goes right and Matt Riddle wins, this feud is going to continue. We’ll have to get a third match, which will likely take place at Crown Jewel, and these two will continue disrupting each other’s matches until that happens. I’ll also have to lower Seth Rollins pretty sharply on my list of WWE wrestlers most likely to beat Roman Reigns and take his titles because if you’re losing matches to Riddle, you’re not anywhere close to winning the WWE Universal Undisputed Championship.

Seth Rollins is one of the best and most important wrestlers WWE has. It’s obvious Triple H gets that, but what’s unclear is whether that importance is going to translate to getting back in the main event title picture or simply having very entertaining feuds with key guys in the upper mid-card. I hope to see him continue to ascend to the top of the division, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Drew McIntyre Vs Karrion Kross (With Scarlett) In A Strap Match

We haven’t really gotten to see Karrion Kross fight anyone of note since his return. He’s mostly attacked people, done black and white promos and fought jobbers that make him look as strong as possible. If he were fighting anyone in the mid-card or below at Extreme Rules, I’d have to assume he was going to pick up a big win and continue looking like a monster. But Drew McIntyre isn’t exactly Madcap Moss. He lost to Roman Reigns at Clash At The Castle and making him take another L on a second consecutive premium live event would mean something.

A loss for Karrion Kross would mean something for his future too. What’s the end goal here in Triple H’s mind? During his time in NXT, many thought WWE would build Kross into a major force, but then he lost his main roster debut to Jeff Hardy and was released not that long after. Now he’s back under Triple H and immediately moved into the main event picture. A win here over Drew McIntyre would position him as a credible challenger to Roman Reigns. But is he over enough with the crowd? Is it all too fast and too soon?

I’m not super confident about this match, but I just think the possible harm here to Drew McIntyre is too great for him to lose. Unless he’s planning to go away for a few months and take some well-deserved time off, I think he’s going to pick up the victory.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Bianca Belair (Champion) Vs Bayley In A Ladder Match For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like Bayley a lot. I was really fired up to see her return at SummerSlam, and I was also happy to see Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. Damage CTRL is a nice little stable, and I especially like Kai and Sky as tag team champions. But I don’t think Bayley has done nearly enough since her return to dethrone Bianca as women’s champion. There’s just not enough buzz around Damage CTRL. Bayley generates some heat and some angry crowd chants, but I think that’s more residual appreciation for her body of work than anything she’s specifically done over the past two months.

Let me put things another way. At some point, Becky Lynch is going to return. At some point, Charlotte Flair is going to return. At some point, Rhea Ripley is going to wrestle women in singles competition again. I’d like to hope Sasha Banks and Naomi will return at some point too. When these women do and they have their runs at the title, doesn’t it make sense for those runs to be against Bianca Belair? I could certainly buy Bayley as a more interesting champion than either Liv Morgan or Ronda Rousey, but putting her over Bianca Belair? Come’on.

I expect this to be a super entertaining match with a lot of outside interference from Damage CTRL and potentially Alexa Bliss and Asuka, but I think any result other than Bianca Belair climbing that ladder and pulling down the title would be a mistake.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In An I Quit Match

Rumors have been swirling for a bit that Finn Bálor may be getting a big push from WWE. That tracks with some of the results we’ve seen recently. He picked up the pinfall over AJ Styles (and Rey Mysterio) in a tag match alongside Damian Priest on Monday Night Raw last week, and he’s also snagged singles victories recently over Matt Riddle and Rey Mysterio. It also feels like Judgment Day has been more prominently featured the last month in key TV spots. A victory over Edge at Extreme Rules would certainly continue that momentum and push him further up the card.

But where would that leave Edge? How many premium live events does he have left in this run? He’s reportedly planning on retiring in August of 2023. It seems unlikely he’ll make a real run at Roman Reigns in that timeframe; so, the goal will likely be to get his character into a few high leverage feuds and let him exit with a nice moment to go out on. I can’t imagine when he first launched Judgment Day he would have been happy about the trajectory that followed, especially if it includes a loss to Finn Bálor in an I Quit match, but that’s probably the best outcome right now from a storyline perspective.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

The Brawling Brutes Vs Imperium In A Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match

Six man tags are notoriously hard to predict because there aren’t any real stakes. Sure, it’s technically better for each team if they win the match, but it’s not like Butch pinning Ludwig Kaiser is going to have a long-term effect on Gunther’s trajectory in WWE. As such, the only real goal here is to deliver an entertaining match, and I would be shocked if this wasn’t one of the best matches of the entire night.

I thought Sheamus and Gunther quite clearly had the match of the night at Clash At The Castle, and everytime these groups, in any combination, have gotten into the ring together, the fans have been really into it. Without any disqualifications, I would expect to see a lot of weapons, and at least a few extremely brutal spots. I expect the crowd to be going wild by the end.

I’m probably the least confident in this prediction versus any other match, but I’m going to say the Brawling Brutes, simply because Sheamus just lost to Gunther at Clash and I suspect he’s also going to lose to Gunther on Smackdown, meaning it would provide better balance if The Brutes took this one.

Predicted Winner: The Brawling Brutes

Bonus Return Predictions

Everyone is expecting Bray Wyatt to pay off the White Rabbit and return at Extreme Rules. I was initially skeptical, but on Smackdown, WWE directly said the tease was going to be paid off at Extreme Rules. Whether it's Bray Wyatt or someone else, however, it's unclear if that means the White Rabbit will actually get involved in a match or simply show up. My guess is it's Bray Wyatt, and he comes out at the end following the McIntyre/ Karrion Kross match.

I also think we’re going to get the return of Charlotte Flair. I think she’ll come out to confront Bianca Belair after she beats Bayley and that sets up a program the two of them will work over the next few months. 

Even though we’re not quite through the year just yet, 2022 has undoubtedly been one of the most eventful stretches of time in modern WWE history, with multiple superstars and on-screen personality leaving the company — most notably Vince McMahon, who stepped down as CEO and Chairman after several decades in July. But, just as major names like Mr. McMahon, his son Shane, and others have left the biggest wrestling company in the world, others have returned to their former home this year.

With so many WWE wrestlers returning in 2022 it can be a difficult task keeping up with them all, especially when former world champions, fan-favorites, and dastardly heels seem to be coming back every week. To help you (as well as ourselves) keep track of all the big returns, we have put together a running list that will be updated with each return. Let’s get started, shall we?

Cody Rhodes

One of the worst kept secrets in all of professional wrestling became one of the biggest moments of WrestleMania 38 and a contender for moment of the year in April 2022, when Cody Rhodes returned to WWE following a nearly six-year absence. The son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes left the company in May 2016, and went on to find a great deal of success in various promotions around the world like Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling before helping get AEW off the ground.

Immediately following his return, Rhodes entered into an exciting feud with Seth Rollins (his WrestleMania 38 opponent), including an incredible bout at Hell in a Cell in June. Though the contest earned WWE its first 5-star match from Dave Meltzer since CM Punk defeated John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011, Rhodes further aggravated a pectoral injury and has been out of action ever since.

Dakota Kai

WWE went through a major shift in the immediate fallout from Vince McMahon stepping down and putting Triple H in charge of a lot of the company’s operations. One of the biggest changes came in the opening minutes of SummerSlam 2022, when former NXT tag-team champion Dakota Kai, who was released in April 2022, returned to WWE to start up a new stable with Iyo Sky (formerly known as Io Shirai) and Bayley (more on her later).

Kai’s shocking return to WWE also marked her main roster debut as she had spent the previous seven years of her tenure with the company working her way up the NXT food chain. Since then, the Damage CTRL stable has found itself involved in some major matches, including a victory over the team of Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka.

Karrion Kross And Scarlett Bordeaux

Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux were just two of the several dozen WWE Superstars who departed the company in 2021, but their absence wasn’t all that long as they returned to the “Leader in Sports Entertainment” less than a year after their release. On an August 2022 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, the real-life couple returned and made their intentions clear when Kross attacked Drew McIntyre before having a stare-down with WWE Undisputed Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

Since their return, Kross and Bordeaux have been toying with the former WWE Champion, with all roads leading towards a marquee match between the two at some point in the very near future.

Dexter Lumis

Like Dakota Kai, former NXT wrestler Dexter Lumis was released from WWE in April 2022, only to show up again fewer than four months later. On the night of his return on the August 8th episode of Monday Night Raw, Lumis was involved in a series of chaotic incidents, including a car wreck backstage, a police presence, and hanging out in the crowd during the main event match between AJ Styles and The Miz.

Since then, Lumis has gone from being arrested at Raw and NXT 2.0 to playing mind games with The Miz, causing him to lose several matches in the process. And now it looks like Lumis will be squaring off against the former WWE Champion at some point in the coming weeks.

Hit Row (Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis, Top Dolla, B-Fab)

The stable Hit Row (Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, B-Fab) made its return to WWE in August 2022, just nine months after its members were released from their contracts. The group made its presence felt once again by attacking a group of jobbers (a.k.a. local talent) before entering a feud with the Maximum Male Models stable over the course of the following weeks.

While most of the group returned, former member Isaiah “Swerve” Scott did not join his former stablemates as he joined rival AEW earlier in the year, where he is currently one part of the AEW tag-team champion team, Swerve In Our Glory, alongside another former NXT standout, Keith Lee.

Johnny Gargano

Not even a year after leaving WWE following multiple years of success with the NXT brand, Johnny Gargano returned to WWE and made his main roster debut when he showed up on an August 2022 episode of Monday Night Raw to a hero’s welcome from the electric crowd. But, the welcome back party was short-lived, as Theory, the Money in the Bank contract holder and Gargano’s former stablemate in The Way, interrupted his emotional speech.

Gargano, clearly working as a babyface upon his return (he was wrestling as a heel before his December 2021 departure), has a lot of potential in the new WWE landscape.

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman, a.k.a. “The Monster Among Men” returned to WWE in September 2022 and immediately picked up where he left off, meaning he just started manhandling wrestlers like it was nothing. Strowman built up quick a name for himself during his initial eight-year run with WWE, which saw him come up as a member of the Wyatt Family before finding success on his own. However, after several championship reigns, including one as WWE Champion, Strowman left the company in 2021 and branched out with his Control Your Narrative promotion.

It’s too early to tell what will come of Strowman’s second run with WWE or the fate of his CYN company, but the behemoth of a wrestler once again has a ton of potential in the squared circle.

WWE Superstars Who Have Made Comebacks In 2022

In addition to the wrestlers who have returned to WWE in 2022, several superstars still with the company have made comebacks so far this year. The biggest name on that list is Ronda Rousey, who returned at the Royal Rumble in January and immediately inserted herself into the title picture with a victory in the 30-woman battle royal. After what seemed like an eternity, Bayley returned later in the year to form the Damage CTRL stable at SummerSlam. Then, at Clash at the Castle in September, Giovanni Vinci (formerly known as Fabian Aichner) rejoined his Imperium stablemates on the main roster to stand in Gunther's corner in a match against Sheamus.

There is still a lot of wrestling left on the calendar with several notable upcoming WWE events scheduled to take place before the end of the year. If you want to watch any of those premium live events and see even more potential returns, you’ll need a Peacock premium subscription.

SummerSlam drove a tractor through Nashville last night and gave WWE fans our first premium live event without Vince McMahon calling the shots. We’re officially living in a Triple H era now. I am here for it, and if the live crowd and Twitter’s reactions are any indication, most fans are here for it too. After all, it’s easy to be invested when the product is good, and more often than not last night, the product was very good.

At its most basic, wrestling is always about telling a story. Sometimes that story is self-contained within the match, but more often than not, the match is simply a portion of a larger story being told. We saw that quite a bit last night at SummerSlam, and we now have a better idea where some characters and storylines may be going from here.

So, on that note, let’s talk about the biggest takeaways from SummerSlam. Let’s talk about where WWE seems to be heading with some of these personalities, and let’s give a few people their flowers for putting on some incredible performances.

Becky Lynch Is A Face Now

I loved Becky’s time as a heel. She was an unhinged mess, and she played the role without any reservations. I’ll fondly remember everything she’s done this year, but I’m ready to root for her again. I think a lot of fans are in the same place too. During the post-match showdown where she joined Bianca Belair against Bayley, Dakota Kai and Io Shirai, she was already getting Becky chants from people sitting ringside.

Last night seemed to be implying we’ll be getting Becky and Bianca working together against this new heel stable, but I’m not entirely convinced that’ll happen over the long haul. Maybe we’ll see Becky move to Smackdown to work with Ronda. Speaking of which…

Ronda Rousey Is A Heel Now

I have no idea if this has been planned for weeks or if Triple H forced this after he took over, but this has been the obvious direction for Ronda’s character for like two months. She was not getting over as a face. Her microphone work was leaving a lot to be desired, and she was having trouble shifting between intensity and positive interactions with the fans. After she got booed as a face at Money In The Bank when it seemed like Liz Morgan’s cash-in was going to fail, we officially passed the point of no return.

But now I’m excited again and I think you should be too! The wrestling world has collectively focused on some of Ronda’s issues over the past few months, but we can’t forget how many incredible positives she brings into the ring too! She works a very believable and rough-looking style. She’s naturally athletic and unlike a lot of other famous faces on WWE’s roster, is willing to work as a regular performer showing up on TV most weeks. As a merciless aggressor who just attacks everyone in her path, she could be the most feared woman on the roster again. This is a fresh start, and I’m here for it!

Logan Paul Is A Potential Future WWE Champion

I really liked everything Logan Paul did at WrestleMania. I loved everything he did here. And that’s coming from a total hater. I wrote an entire article earlier this week about how stupid it was to make him a face in this match against The Miz. I thought it made no sense and couldn’t see any way the crowd would cheer for the social media influencer turned superstar. Well, I was wrong. The match ended with the crowd giving him a huge pop thanks in part to a giant frog splash from the top ropes to the announcer’s table.

I don’t know what Logan Paul’s future is in WWE. We know he signed an extended contract, but it’s an open question as to whether that means he’s scheduled to do an extended run where he’s on television every week. He would need that level of repetition to improve enough in the ring and get over with fans enough to be a possible world champion, but the ceiling is so high with this dude. I mean… that was his second real match. It’s unbelievable. I’m not saying he’s going to be WWE Champion, but if he decides this is something he wants to do and commits, he’ll get there.

The Miz Is Really Freaking Good And People Need To Put Respect On His Name

How many times does this dude need to over-deliver before we admit how good he is? Logan Paul was only taking part in his second real WWE match ever. The crowd was very skittish and almost apprehensive going into it because they weren’t sure whether to root for or boo the YouTuber, as he’s a heelish baby face. Plus, because of Paul’s busy schedule, the two have only shared the screen to try and build the match a few times total since WrestleMania. And yet, these dudes went over fourteen minutes. And even more impressively, Logan Paul got an eruption of cheers after the match ended 

Most people are going to point to Logan Paul’s frog splash from the top rope to the announcer’s table and rightfully so. That was a thing of beauty. But this match doesn’t work without a great story being told in the ring. This match doesn’t work without The Miz very quickly establishing a great rhythm and chemistry with a dude who has almost no WWE wrestling experience. This match doesn’t work without The Miz being one of the few performers in all of wrestling with a strong enough heel background to get boos against Logan Paul. This guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he does a great job with whatever material he has to work with. Also, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to Maryse, who always helps elevate The Miz to another level.

Brock Lesnar Can Come Back Anytime He Wants

Brock Freaking Lesnar, man. Because of all the injuries on WWE’s roster, Brock Lesnar was one of the few people who could have main evented SummerSlam with Roman Reigns and gotten fans excited. Obviously that excitement was muted because they just faced each other at WrestleMania, but people love Brock and were excited for this main event, even if they complained on Twitter. I was excited too, but I was also worried. I was pretty sure Brock was going to lose so Roman had the belt at Clash At The Castle, but I didn’t want any part of seeing Brock lose again. If you’re positioned to be an unstoppable force, you can’t keep getting stopped.

But I somehow left this man event after another Brock Lesnar loss even more excited to see Brock Lesnar again. The dude is just an electric factory. He knows exactly how long he should talk on the microphone. He has so much freaking fun in the ring, and because there were so many shenanigans going on at ringside and he ended up buried under a pile of rubble, I didn’t really think that loss hurt him so much. I think most people will just remember that absurd tractor lift. That’s not to say I want him to take another L against Roman, but if WWE announced he was going to be around for the next six months, I’d be ecstatic. He's awesome, and I would watch him feud with anyone on the roster. 

The Future Of The Women’s Division Is So Exciting

I have no idea if WWE will be able to fix its issues with Sasha Banks and Naomi. I really hope they do, but I don’t think any of us know the full story of what’s going on behind the scenes there. But whether they come back or not, I am all-in on the women’s division right now. It is absolutely stacked. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan is collectively the most exciting crop of performers in the history of wrestling, and that’s not even including a half dozen or more extremely capable mid-card women who play their roles well. Now we can throw in Bayley, Io Shirai and Dakota Kai, who all returned at SummerSlam, and there is not enough time on weekly programming to tell all the stories I want to see.

I hope Triple H brings back the women’s tag team belts. I hope he mixes up the deck enough to give all these women chances to work with each other. I hope a ton of other things, but mostly, I’m going to shut my mouth and trust Triple H to do this division justice. The future has never been brighter, and I cannot freaking wait to see what it’s going to deliver.

This is normally the part of the article where I’d excitedly talk about how you should be pumped for SummerSlam because it’s one of the biggest upcoming events on WWE’s calendar. In all honesty, though, the biggest reason I’m excited for SummerSlam this year is because it’s the first premium live event without Vince McMahon. Regardless of how you feel about the departed WWE founder, that’s exciting because none of us have any idea what’s about to happen. He’s had the final say on which performers to push and which performers to bury for the entirety of WWE’s historic run. Now Triple H is in charge of where things are going, and he’s going to see the same ring from a different perspective.

As a fan, I’m incredibly fired up. Setting aside the upsetting sexual misconduct allegations and purely looking at the in-ring product, I tend to come down in the middle on Vince McMahon. He’s been involved in or responsible for booking many of the greatest moments in the history of this business, but he also very clearly has a specific style and prefers certain wrestlers, even if better storylines could have been told elsewhere. Now we have someone new in charge who is going to see things in an entirely different way, which means the expected outcomes are out the window.

As a premium live event prediction writer, I’m terrified. Since I started doing these every month with WrestleMania 38, I’ve successfully picked 26 matches and only missed 8. That’s pretty damn good, especially considering two of my misses were Theory being added to the Money In The Bank match right before it happened and that New Day vs Sheamus and Ridge match which lasted about 90 seconds because of time issues at ‘Mania. But that was me trying to think like Vince and Bruce Prichard. I’m not really sure how to think like Triple H, especially since I’m only an occasional NXT viewer. But there’s no point in whining, complaining or making excuses. I’ve got more forecaster hat on, and I’m ready to get to it…

The Usos (Champions) Vs The Street Profits For The Undisputed Tag Team Titles

There’s nothing people love more than talking about how Montez Ford is a rising star. Even Angelo Dawkins said the other day that he’ll be a world champion at some point, but in order for that to happen, he needs to have some forward momentum. It’s great to see The Street Profits in prominent positions on TV every week, but some sort of forward progress needs to be made here. They can’t just be tag team contenders for another year.

So, in my opinion, the logical thing to do is either have The Street Profits win the belts and extend the feud with The Usos or they should lose and break up. One of them should blame the other, and they should move on to singles careers. It would be a nightmare if they fell down the card and were having dance-offs with Jinder Mahal and Shanky (no offense to them). 

Given, if they were going to break up, I would think WWE would tease it a bit more, I’m going to go with them winning the title here, with The Usos finally dropping the belts. If that does happen, though, huge shoutout to The Usos. They've been tremendous during this entire run and need to remain in prominent positions regardless.

Predicted Winner: The Street Profits

Pat McAfee Vs Happy Corbin

A lot of these matches are hard to predict. This one is not. Pat McAfee is all kinds of over with the crowd. I’m not saying he’s mid-80s Hulk Hogan or prime Stone Cold, but he’s the most over full-time announcer I can ever remember. Add that to the fact that people love booing Happy Corbin, and it seems pretty obvious what WWE needs to do.

Putting McAfee over here, especially in a fun way, would be a huge injection of momentum into the crowd. It would give them a reason to cheer (and sing along if he comes out to “Seven Nation Army”), and a loss would be very deflating, especially since Vince McMahon booked himself to beat McAfee at ‘Mania as a way to set up the Austin surprise. 

That’s not to say I advocate making every booking decision based on the crowd. Sometimes you need to swerve, but swerves are best when they help achieve a long-term goal. Happy Corbin just lost to Madcap Moss. He seems destined to stick around the mid-card. A win here does nothing for him. So, expect McAfee in a fun match the crowd is really into.

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee

Bobby Lashley (Champion) Vs Theory For The United States Championship

I have no idea who will be most affected by Triple H running the show. What I do know, however, is that on paper, no character should be more affected by Vince McMahon’s departure than Theory. For months, he’s been painted as Vince’s henchman and the next golden child. Roman Reigns referenced this on Monday Night Raw when he said Theory’s “daddy” is gone. Whether Triple H sees the same thing in the incredibly talented twenty-four year old is an open question.

As it pertains to this particular match, however, I think there’s a pretty obvious outcome, whether McMahon is here or not. Theory has signaled very directly for weeks that he’s going to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar match against whoever wins, which will be at the end of SummerSlam. When he does that, I don’t think it makes sense for him to have the United States Championship. I know WWE has been consolidating a lot of the belts, but it would be wild to put the United States Championship, the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship all on Theory. He’s not 1998 Goldberg.

So, I think, for purely storyline purposes, it makes the most sense for Theory to charge to the ring with his contract without the United States Championship. Plus, I just really don’t see WWE wanting Lashley to take a clean loss to Austin Theory. I see how talented he is. I believe in him long-term, but he’s like a hundred pounds lighter and way too much of a sniveling heel at this point.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Ronda Rousey For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

Were all the cheers when Liv Morgan ran down to the ring at Money In The Bank because people wanted to see her finally become champion or were they because people were ready to see Ronda Rousey lose? I think it was a little of both, and that presents a big problem for Triple H and the writers to solve moving forward. Something needs to change about Ronda Rousey’s presentation. She can’t be a main event face and be getting openly rooted against, even in a face versus face match-up. It’s okay for the crowd to be split, but from the sound of it, they weren’t very split at all at Money In The Bank. 90% or more of the crowd was rooting for Liv.

But that shouldn’t come as a shock given how indifferent fans have been to most of her promos. 

Let’s just be honest. Ronda hasn’t connected in the way anyone hoped since she returned at the Royal Rumble in January, but there is still time to fix this. It takes most people a few tries to really connect with the crowd. Just ask Roman Reigns or John Cena. She needs a manager. Or she needs a different visual presentation, or, in my opinion, she needs to turn heel, possibly with a manager. I predict that’s going to happen here. I think Liv Morgan makes it a better than expected match. I think she starts getting the crowd on her side. I think she starts getting the upper hand and Ronda cheats in some kind of meaningful way to win. Maybe she cuts a promo afterwards telling the fans off and saying she’s gonna do whatever she wants? That’s my hope anyway.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Logan Paul Vs The Miz

Logan Paul is going to beat The Miz because this win does nothing for The Miz and it does everything to establish Logan Paul as a serious player in WWE over the next few years. The Miz has moved up and down the card for a decade and a half. He’ll be fine losing here, especially considering how famous Logan Paul is.

What I’m far more interested in is whether Logan Paul leaves his match as a heel or a face. Right now, he’s supposed to be a baby face, which makes about as much sense as trying to make a late 80s Bobby Heenan a baby face. Some guys are born to wear the black hat. To me, he’s the cheating, smirking embodiment of a heel. It’s just so obvious. Look at this insane motion graphic he made earlier this week. Heel. Heel. Heel. It’s hard to imagine WWE fans fully embracing him with cheers anytime in the near future.

Maybe Triple H gets that. Maybe he’ll use this opportunity to solidify Logan Paul as a heel and give him some real jerk store momentum coming out of it. Or maybe they’re determined to power through and try to eventually get him over. I don’t know. Regardless, I feel confident he’ll walk out as a winner hopefully in a fun match.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

The Mysterios Vs The Judgment Day

This all comes down to what the future of Judgment Day is going to look like. Two months ago, they were an incredibly hot stable that seemed destined for big things. Then Edge got thrown out and replaced by Finn Balor in a move that’s confusing from both a real and kayfabe perspective. Then Rhea Ripley was off television for what felt like a month, and suddenly, Damian Priest and Balor were feuding with the Mysterios in lower card action. Life comes at you fast.

I still think The Judgment Day can and should be a kick-ass stable. All three of the performers can wrestle really well. They’ve got a pretty cool look. I want WWE to keep fighting through, but there seem to be plenty of others on the internet who think the writers should wash their hands with it and let all three performers go back to doing their own things. How Triple H feels is anyone’s guess. If he wants to wash his hands of it, the best thing to do would be for the team to lose clean to the Mysterios.

I don’t think that’s going to happen. My guess is either Rhea Ripley will interfere and win the match for Judgment Day or Edge will make a surprise return and screw over Judgment Day, as their inevitable confrontation is coming at some point. Without a ton of confidence, I’ll go with Edge showing up, which would launch a feud between him and probably Balor moving forward.

Predicted Winner: The Mysterios

Bianca Belair (Champion) vs Becky Lynch For The Raw Women’s Championship

I’m so freaking excited for this match. Both of these women are generational talents and somehow still improving every month. Their chemistry together is really fluid and natural, and with all due respect to Cody Rhodes and Seth Freakin Rollins, their match at WrestleMania was the best of the entire event for my money. We’re so lucky to be able to watch them slug it out again. 

Now, what’s going to happen is anyone’s guess. They’re without question the top two women in the entire division. Either could go on a two year long run with the belt and totally deserve it. So, the question is really which of the two spectacular options does Triple H want to take. If he keeps the belt on Bianca, I think he needs to move Lynch to Smackdown and let her grab the title from Ronda or Liv or push her into some sort of other compelling feud worthy of her talent. 

If she wins, then Bianca is obviously going to need a rematch, and this feud is just going to continue. On the one hand, I would love that. On the other hand, it would be nice to see them do other things, especially since Charlotte and Bayley are going to return at some point, Alexa Bliss seems to ready to jump back into the main event picture and with Vince McMahon gone, it’s possible we could get Sasha and/ or Naomi back. For those reasons, I think Bianca is going to win, and we’re going to move on from this feud for a bit.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Brock Lesnar For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

I have mixed feelings on doing Roman and Brock again. I don’t mind it so much from a purely watching the match standpoint. In fact, I’m kind of excited. It’s not going to be Kurt Angle and Bret Hart, but it’s always compelling in an Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan kind of way. Plus, I’d rather have an opponent for Roman that could actually win. If he was wrestling Riddle or Kevin Owens or whoever, there wouldn’t be much doubt about the match’s outcome. No offense to those dudes, who are great, but WWE isn’t going to put two belts on them. 

The reason I’m not more excited, however, at least beyond we just saw this at WrestleMania 38, is that I don’t want either one of these guys taking a loss. It undermines Brock’s character to have him take a second consecutive L to Roman Reigns on a big stage, and it’s kind of stupid, in my opinion, to keep the belt on Roman for two years and then drop it to a part-timer like Lesnar. This should have been Cody’s moment or maybe Randy Orton or maybe Bray Wyatt in a surprise return.

So, who is going to win? Well, considering both Roman and Brock are essentially part-timers right now, let me reframe this question. Who does WWE want to face Drew McIntyre (or Sheamus but really, Drew McIntyre) in the main event at Clash At The Castle? It’s hard for me not to think that answer is Roman Reigns, and while I don’t love Drew being the one to end Roman’s run, him winning the belt in Europe would be such a great callback moment to British Bulldog in 1992. So, I’m going to say Roman retrains, but I’m not confident.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Whoever Wins (Champion) Vs Theory For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

It’s not just that WWE has been teasing this cash-in for weeks. They’ve been outright saying it. Theory has made it very clear he’s going to cash in as soon as this match is over, assumedly on a winner that’s just gotten the hell beaten out of them. As we know, Money In The Bank cash-ins succeed an overwhelming majority of the time. 

This one is going to fail. I know Theory is a rising star. He’s done a great job of generating heat with this contract. His future is really bright, but Clash At The Castle needs a main event of either Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre or Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre. Theory is just not at that point in his career. Besides, the audience loves to hate him, and watching him try to cash-in and lose would be such a great way to end SummerSlam.

Predicted Winner: Cash-In Fails And Either Roman Reigns Or Brock Lesnar Retains.

Apart from the allegations surrounding Vince McMahon, Roman Reigns’ contract status and what’s going on with MJF, there’s perhaps no wrestling topic fans spend more time discussing than Ronda Rousey’s character presentation. The popular MMA fighter made a surprise return to WWE during the Royal Rumble in January. She won to a big ovation from the crowd, but unfortunately, very little about her story arc has hit as hard as anyone hoped in the time since. Now, Bruce Prichard and the writers are at a crossroads, and they need to make a huge decision before or during SummerSlam on July 30th.

At SummerSlam, Ronda Rousey is scheduled to wrestle fan favorite Liv Morgan, and unless there’s an unexpected twist none of us have seen coming, fans are going to root for Liv Morgan. We know this because at Money In The Bank, Morgan cashed in her contract for a title shot at Rousey, and when it appeared Ronda was going to win, fans booed pretty loudly. Morgan, of course, won, and got a gigantic pop, as well as “you deserve it” chants. 

Now, you could say that a lot of those cheers were about people wanting to see Morgan finally win the title. That’s fair. A lot of that moment was about her, but it would be, in my opinion, disingenuous to say some of that moment wasn’t also about Rousey and her not being as over as anyone would hope. She gets a nice little pop when her Joan Jett music hits. Her work in the ring is mostly solid. I actually think some of her build with Natalya during the lead-up to Money In The Bank was among the best promo stuff she’s done on the microphone, but she’s still not getting the reactions you’d hope for from a babyface main eventer.

So, all of this leaves WWE with a decision to make. Unless something changes, it seems likely an overwhelming majority of fans are going to root for Liv Morgan at SummerSlam. Ronda is currently positioned as either the number one or number two babyface in the company alongside Bianca Belair. Fans openly rooting for Liv Morgan in a non-cash-in situation would be a bad look, and I’d have to imagine it’s one WWE isn’t going to be pleased with. That leaves three options: try to get Ronda more over before SummerSlam, cool off Liv or turn Ronda heel.

I think the first two options are terrible. WWE has been trying to get Ronda over for months. If there was an easy way to get her more over with fans, they would have taken that route. I don’t think cooling off Liv is the right answer either. This organic love from fans has built up naturally (which is why I predicted she'd win MITB), and since the whole point of wrestling is to get people over, I’m never a fan of intentionally thwarting that.

That leaves us with the Ronda as a heel option. There have been rumors about this potential turn for awhile. I just assumed this is the direction the writers would go, but nothing about her presentation since losing the title at Money In The Bank has indicated this is going to happen. She handed Liv her title and gave us an almost passing of the torch moment at Money In The Bank. Her promo on Smackdown was more anti-Natalya than anti-Liv. So far the build has seemed more like an Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6 kind of thing, where fans are expected to just decide amongst themselves who to root for. But at this point, it should be obvious they’re (probably) going to root for Morgan.

I’m not entirely sure what’s going to happen. The absolute best play, in my opinion, would be for Ronda and Liv to go into SummerSlam both as baby faces. As the crowd roots for Liv, Ronda should start cheating more and more. She should eventually beat Liv and then attack her afterwards. In a perfect world, she would also deliver an eff you promo to fans about how she’s sick of being a good person and going to do whatever she needs to do to win because she’s the baddest woman on the planet. Is that going to happen though? I have no idea.

All I know is WWE has just a few weeks to make a big Ronda Rousey decision, and I think they need to try something. If they’re successful, either by getting Ronda more over as a babyface or turning her into a villain in a way that resonates with fans, it could set her up for a great extended run. If she comes out of this match less over than she is now, however, we may need to start having conversations about whether her time headlining upcoming premium live events is over.

We’re just a day away from the 2022 edition of Money In The Bank and what the show lacks in star power, it makes up for in what the hell is going to happen-ness. Given the injuries to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, as well as the increasingly part-time status of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, now suddenly feels like the time for a more unsung member of the roster to grab the briefcase and get a well-deserved cash-in moment down the road.

The women’s Money In The Bank ladder match also looks particularly intriguing with a mix of huge names like Becky Lynch, Asuka and Alexa Bliss, as well as emerging forces who WWE seem to be pushing including Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan and the returning Lacey Evans. There are a lot of different directions Bruce Prichard and the writers could go, which means there are a ton of different possible outcomes. That should make for an exciting premium live event, even if the biggest names on the roster aren’t there for a variety of reasons.

That being said, I still think some finishes are a lot more likely than others, and I’m here to put my "Genius" hat on and tell you which ones are most likely to happen. Ordinarily, I’d be a little more John Cena humble and a little less Bobby Heenan confident, but I correctly predicted every single match at Hell In A Cell. Every. Single. One. As such, I’m flying high and filled with all kinds of false confidence. So, without further ado, here’s what I think is going to happen at Money In The Bank…

The Usos (Champions) Vs The Street Profits For The Undisputed Tag Team Titles

The Usos have been champions for almost 350 days. That’s an insane run in the tag team division, but unlike their cousin/Bloodline leader Roman Reigns, they are not booked to look unstoppable. In fact, the two routinely lose singles matches, get the worse end of confrontations and lose non-title matches. They are made to look really beatable. They just don’t get beat because they’re still really over with the crowd/great on the mic/the best available option.

I like the Street Profits, but I’m not really into putting someone over for the sake of change. Thankfully, WWE doesn’t seem to be into that either lately, at least apart from the Intercontinental Championship, which may have suddenly found some stability with Gunther. The Street Profits are certainly over with fans, who will gladly shout “We Want The Smoke,” but in no universe are they anywhere as close to over as RK-Bro. I’m not even sure they’re as over as The Alpha Academy, who, by the way, I’m shamelessly in the tank for.

I guess, at least from my perspective, if you’re gonna put the tag titles on a team for almost a year, the team taking those belts should be REALLY OVER with fans or the change should be serving some kind of larger narrative (the tag team breaking up, etc). Neither of those conditions are in play here; so, I would look for The Usos to retain, though they'll likely drop at an upcoming WWE premium live event.

Predicted Winner: The Usos

Ronda Rousey (Champion) Vs Natalya For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I think the build-up to this match, quick as it has been, is the best Ronda Rousey has been since she returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble. Their promo last week on Smackdown where Natalya dressed up as Ronda, and Ronda came out and threw some shade was really fun. There have also been some colorful exchanges on Twitter, some of which have been so stiff it has led people to wonder whether there is real animosity. I’d still like to see Ronda paired with a manager at some point, but huge steps in the right direction are happening, even if some of the more jaded members of wrestling Twitter won’t admit it.

That being said, I don’t really think the outcome of this match is in doubt. I like seeing Natalya get a little main event run, but nothing about her presentation for the last year has made her seem like a credible threat to beat Ronda or worthy of a run as a top tier champion. I just don’t think you can go from feuding with Aliyah to rocking the SmackDown Women’s Championship in six months. That’s too much of an abrupt u-turn, even for WWE. 

I’d love to see a compelling match here though. This is a nice chance for Rousey to work with a veteran who should sell for her and make her look good, and it’s a chance for Natalya to remind everyone what she’s capable of. She’s been in tons of big matches, held major titles and once lasted 56 minutes in the Rumble. She’s capable of a lot. Maybe this is the springboard she needs to get a bigger role moving forward, especially with Charlotte Flair off and Sasha Banks and Naomi still in limbo.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Theory (Champion) Vs Bobby Lashley For The United States Championship

I originally thought WWE was building toward John Cena and Theory. I thought they’d wrestle at Summerslam for the United States Championship, Cena would knock him down a peg, and we’d get a run for a few months with Cena as a mid-card champ. What a fantasy that (probably) turned out to be. The locker room leader showed up on Monday Night Raw for his 20th anniversary flowers. He even teased one more run, but he was also clear he had no idea when that would be. Unless there was some next level lying going on, I’m no longer expecting him to work SummerSlam, which means all possibilities are suddenly open.

It’s clear WWE writers love Austin Theory. He’s gotten numerous high profile matches and segments with his mentor Vince McMahon. They also put the US title on him, which should take on increasingly more importance with the Universal and WWE belts united under Roman Reigns. I get it. The crowd hates him in a good way. He’s so ripped he’s doing Rick Rude style posedowns, and he’s still in his early 20s. The future is really bright. But then again, WWE is really invested in Bobby Lashley right now too. He’s moved on from his Omos feud, and he’s getting main event treatment during his entrances.

My confidence level isn’t very high with this match, which is why I’m predicting shenanigans! I think Bobby Lashley takes the victory, but he does it by either disqualification or countout. Maybe we’ll see some interference from Chad Gable and/or Otis. Then I think WWE will spend the next month trying to build this up bigger before a rematch at SummerSlam with some kind of non-DQ stipulation

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Bianca Belair (Champion) vs Carmella For The Raw Women’s Championship

Let’s start with Carmella. She is a perfectly nice heel, and I like having her character around. She knows what she’s there for, works the crowd pretty well and is a nice in-ring performer. I also like listening to her husband Corey Graves be a shameless homer while commenting on her matches. None of this should be taken as a shot at Carmella. But come’on. Her beating Bianca would be as infuriating as Goldberg beating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia.

Bianca Belair is a star. She is an absolute freaking star. I recently rewatched her match with Becky Lynch at ‘Mania 38, and it’s far and away the best match from an event that had a ton of good matches. I’m not saying she needs to hold the belt for the next ten years, but she should only be losing, in my opinion, on rare occasions to elite level talents like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and maybe, maybe Rhea Ripley. 

I would have loved to see that last match. That was the original plan here, but with Ripley out with an injury, we’re getting Carmella. To me, the only real question is how strong WWE will want Bianca to look. There’s a world in which I could see this being a squash. Then again, there’s another world in which I could see them getting 15-20 minutes to do some really athletic and cool stuff. I’d prefer the latter, but as long as Bianca Belair’s hand goes up at the end, it’ll be fine with me.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Women’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez And Shotzi

Predicting the winner of a Money In The Bank match is closer to predicting the winner of a Royal Rumble than it is a traditional main event. There are so many competitors and so many different places WWE could go with the storyline. Plus, unlike in a standard match, losing isn’t necessarily a step backwards for someone’s character. In that way, it’s less about who WWE wants to protect and more about who WWE wants to elevate and create storylines for, which opens up so many possibilities.

Let’s start with Becky Lynch. Everything she’s doing right now is working, and she’s maybe my favorite person on the entire WWE roster. Her recent storyline has dealt with her character coming to terms with taking a lot of Ls, and taking an L here seems like the next logical step. Sure, it would be fun to watch her carting around the briefcase and taunting everyone, but in my opinion, she doesn’t need it. At all. I would watch her character fight jobbers every week or do avant garde promos about life. 

So, that leaves everyone else. WWE is clearly pushing Raquel Rodriguez and Lacey Evans, but to be honest, I don’t think either is that over with the crowd yet. I like Shotzi and think there’s talent there, but just being in this match is a nice exposure win for her. So, that leaves Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and Asuka. I love Alexa Bliss and would love to see her shoot back up to the main event, but recent televised wins over the likes of Nikki ASH, Doudrop and Sonya Deville don’t seem like the start of a big push. So, Asuka or Liv Morgan? I like Liv Morgan. She’s had recent big wins against Rhea Ripley and Alexa Bliss, and this could be a big chance to get to another tier.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

Men’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Riddle, Seth Freakin’ Rollins, Omos, Sami Zayn and TBD

I’m writing these predictions before Smackdown, which means we still don’t know who the last Money In The Bank participant will be. I reserve the right to change my pick if it turns out to be a prime Bret Hart, but barring that, I feel really, really good about Seth Freakin' Rollins. He’s been incredible for the entire year. His current unhinged lunatic character is a delight to watch every week, and he deserves so much credit for how well he put over Cody Rhodes.

Yes, I know the WWE Universe was primed to embrace Cody Rhodes when he came back for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is the man himself is so easy to root for, but getting over in wrestling requires another character with the charisma to push back. Seth Rollins was that for three consecutive premium live events, including Hell In A Cell where Cody fought injured, and the two put on a match that will be remembered for decades. I’d love to see that rewarded.

Besides, who the hell else is it going to be? Sami Zayn is a great heel and a really fun character, but this is way too big of a step up. He needs to stay in the mid-card. Omos obviously has the look and could get there someday, but nothing about his matches with Bobby Lashley proved he’s ready. Drew McIntyre has already been announced as the main event challenger at Clash In The Castle in September. There’s no point in him having the briefcase. Plus, I’m pretty sure him and Sheamus are going to somehow screw each other over and then fight at SummerSlam. That leaves Riddle and the other person to be added. I love Riddle and he’s over with the crowd, but he just got his shot at Roman Reigns on Smackdown.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins 

WWE turned some heads when it first announced it would be holding three stadium shows this summer. The plan was to put Money In The Bank at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, SummerSlam at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and Clash At The Castle at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Well, upon further review, that’s not actually happening. WWE reportedly sent out emails to everyone who bought tickets to Money In The Bank, informing them the location was being changed to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which is also located in Vegas but has a much smaller capacity.

Now, we don’t know exactly what happened here. Most people on Twitter are obviously jumping to the conclusion that WWE could not move enough tickets and didn’t want the stadium to have a lot of empty seats. That would make sense given Allegiant Stadium likely would have been set up to hold 35,000 to 45,000 and the MGM Grand Garden Arena will likely be set up to hold more in the 15,000 range. I assume WWE will comment at some point, but until then and probably even after then, wrestling fans are going to speculate away.

Also worth speculating on is a pretty big change to the event’s marketing materials. Earlier today, wrestling writer Sean Ross Sapp tweeted out the email fans got informing them of the change and how to buy tickets for the new venue. This is the picture that was included in the email…

Now, you’re probably looking at it and noticing a few key people who are missing. Well, there are actually more than a few key people missing. Most of the people on the original marketing materials are now gone. Some of that may be a creative choice of who to feature, but a lot of it is likely because many of these big names are no longer scheduled to be on the show. I’m talking, of course, about Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey. 

Not surprisingly, Sasha Banks is also gone, along with Charlotte Flair who is taking some time off this summer. Becky Lynch and Bobby Lashley have also been removed, though given their prominence in current storylines and seeming commitment to WWE, I’m not going to read too much into that. I'd also hold off with Ronda, as I think a lot of stuff still needs to be figured out with her in WWE.

You can check out the original poster below…

Changes were always going to be made to the poster. Cody Rhodes was always going to be added. It makes way more sense to put Bianca Belair in a more prominent role. Riddle is really hot right now. It’s nice to see him get some shine. I’m the biggest Miz fan in the world; so, I’m happy to see him on the poster too, as well as The Street Profits who deserve way more shine than they usually get. They’re terrific. But from an objective standpoint, is this lineup more appealing to the average fan than one that has Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns? It’s clearly not. 

WWE has been trying to push Money In The Bank as the fifth key premium live event on the yearly schedule alongside WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series. It’s certainly a big deal with a key role to play in plotlines, but this may be a sign that the event doesn’t hold quite the same ticket-drawing appeal as the other major ones. Or maybe it’s a sign that Las Vegas isn’t the best venue for this size of a wrestling show. WrestleMania 9 was in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, but that was in a smaller venue of around 16,000. Or maybe it’s a thoughtful WWE retreat after they realized announcing Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, maybe Ronda and more being gone would reduce the demand for further tickets. The first two shouldn't come as a shock given the rumors around Reigns and Brock's absence since WrestleMania, but that doesn't mean fans weren't still hoping.

I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not in the WWE marketing department. That being said, if it were me, I’d take a look at my entire strategy right now. Clash At The Castle, WWE’s first premium live event in the UK since SummerSlam ‘92 seemed like it would be the easiest slam dunk sellout of all time. More than 85,000 people pre-registered for tickets, but the prices ended up being so high that only 30,000 people allegedly bought during the pre-sale. 

More have since gotten on board, and I’m sure it’ll eventually sell out or get close, but those prices cost them the PR win of an immediate sellout. Now they’re moving a huge live event to a significantly smaller stadium. Maybe that level of aggressiveness is worth looking into, especially when live gates are only a fraction of the total money WWE is bringing in. 

Expect to hear way more about what happened here but also who to expect on the Money In The Bank card when the specifics start getting ironed out over the next month. The event will take place in Las Vegas on July 2nd. I'd certainly expect the smaller venue to be a sellout.

There is perhaps no one more polarizing right now in the world of wrestling than Ronda Rousey. The former UFC champion is still a huge name and typically gets a solid enough pop from the crowd when her entrance music hits. She’s capable of working pretty good matches (see recently with Charlotte Flair at Backlash), and her more realistic style of wrestling can feel like a worthwhile counterpoint to the more acrobatic and choreographed style others use on the WWE roster. But her current presentation is not working. She’s being asked to deliver far too many solo promos, which she struggles at, and there doesn’t seem to be any long-term story arc she’s working toward. Something needs to change, and that something is really obvious.

Ronda Rousey needs a manager. Desperately. She needs someone to act as her mouthpiece and deliver the larger narrative to the crowd and, if she’s feuding with someone specific, her opponent. That doesn’t mean she can’t ever talk. She should be a key part of these segments and chime in some, but allowing someone else to do the heavy lifting would free her up to focus on doing what she does best: which is look like a total badass.

This change seems so obvious to me (and plenty of other fans on Twitter) that I’m honestly curious why it hasn’t happened yet. It makes me feel like someone behind the scenes is fighting it. Maybe Ronda Rousey herself doesn’t want a manager or thinks she can improve and figure it out. Maybe Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and the rest of the writing staff don’t feel they have the right person around to do it. If that last one is the concern, it shouldn’t be.

There are so many people who would be great with Rousey. Paul Heyman, one of the greatest managers in the history of the business, has said he’d love to work with Rousey and sees so much potential in her. Yesterday, WWE favorite Paige tweeted about Ronda needing a manager, and fans immediately started talking about how the two should work together. Hell, I’d even love to see her work with a current WWE star who is great on the mic like Chad Gable or The Miz. I’m also sure plenty more legends would line up to work with her on a weekly basis. Kurt Angle maybe?

There is absolutely no shame in having a manager. Let me repeat that. There is absolutely no shame in having a manager. Plenty of all-time greats had a manager for a spell during their careers. Brock Lesnar is the obvious example given all his work with Paul Heyman. He really needed that support early in his career, but he slowly figured it over the years and was tremendous as Cowboy Brock during this last lead-up to WrestleMania. He’s far from the only legend. Andre The Giant, Bret Hart, The Undertaker and Steve Austin all used a manager for spells. No one counts it against them.

Wrestling is about getting over with the crowd. It’s about finding the right angle to connect, either to draw cheers or boos. The history of the business is filled with people who had incredible talent and went periods of time with a gimmick that wasn’t quite getting over with fans. The Rock and Roman Reigns are two great examples, but they kept tweaking and kept tweaking until they found the right angle to maximize their talents.

Ronda Rousey has so much talent. Just because her presentation isn’t working right now doesn’t mean another presentation won’t work in the future. It’s time to get to work and try something else. To me, a manager is the most obvious solution. That would allow her to relax, focus on the in-ring work and get more comfortable on the mic with less pressure and at her own pace. It seems like the obvious next step, and it should happen soon. Because this women's division right now in WWE is too good and has too much potential for someone to sit on top with a gimmick that's not completely working. 

We’re only days away from WrestleMania Backlash, which means it’s time to put my forecasting hat on (think 80s era Slick) and make some predictions about what’s going to happen. For some of the matches, that feels pretty easy based on the storylines we’ve seen so far and what makes sense to develop moving forward. For other matches, however, it’s not exactly Drew McIntyre and Happy Corbin levels of obvious. I’m not even sure Vince McMahon and company are a hundred percent on who is gonna win all the slobberknockers yet.

But alas, I’ll power through. My predictions for WrestleMania 38 actually went pretty well. I was 11/15 on my guesses which isn’t bad given a few bizarre decisions WWE made like having New Day lose after Big E broke his freakin’ neck. This premium live event I’m not quite as confident about, but I’ve got some theories and a few matches I’m gonna squash like I'm Veer Mahaan delivering vicious clotheslines. So, let’s sprint out of the back Ultimate Warrior style and get into it…

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey in an I Quit Match

This is, without question, the match I’m most intrigued about on the card, at least from a where-is-this-going standpoint. Ronda Rousey is a huge name and a terrific athlete. She usually gets a big initial pop when her music hits, and at times, she looks good in the ring. She should be the type of star you build premium live events around, but something isn’t totally clicking right now. Something needs to change about the way she’s being presented. Maybe a manager or a heel turn or something.

If WWE still looks at Ronda Rousey as a star that could be one of its biggest draws, I don’t think you can make her lose an I Quit match to Charlotte Flair. Submissions are her thing, and she already lost, albeit in a protected way, at ‘Mania to Flair. Two consecutive losses, the second by her preferred style, would probably drop her to the mid-card given there are so many talented women right now they’re outrageously just leaving Alexa Bliss on the sidelines. But not losing means winning and winning means picking up the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Should they really be giving the belt to someone in the midst of a run that’s not really working that well?

I don’t know. I think the right move, from a short-term analysis perspective, is to keep the belt on Charlotte. She’s better and you shouldn’t reward someone with a belt that’s only marginally over with fans. The right long-term decision, however, is to salvage Ronda if you can. She could still be a star. Sometimes it does work. I’d love to see WWE give her a manager and turn her heel in some fashion during this match, which would allow her to change her attitude and presentation. I think she’ll win, but I don’t think we’ll get the hell turn that's really needed.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

Happy Corbin Vs Madcap Moss

Madcap Moss is way more over with live event fans than I ever would have guessed. He’s gotten some real pops from the crowd, but I personally think those pops have more to do with people hating Happy Corbin than anything he’s really doing. Corbin is quietly one of the best heels the company has, and if he’s getting clowned, people are going to root big for whoever is clowning him. So, my preference here is that Corbin wins. I want to keep him relatively strong. I’m not saying he should be fighting Roman Reigns at an upcoming premium live event, but I’d love to see him stick around the mid-card and maybe have a run with one of the lesser belts. He can draw boos, and fans would get behind screaming at him for a few months while he brags about how cool he is.  

But I’m worried WWE may try to build Madcap. I’m not saying it’s impossible he could get over outside of Corbin’s orbit, but I just don’t think one joke followed by obnoxious laughing is enough of a gimmick. He’s a pretty good wrestler and has a terrific build. There’s an alternate presentation that could definitely work, but this current one with all the random thumbs up gestures after big moves isn't working for me. It seems like it’s doing it for the WWE writers though; so, there's a real shot he could win. I’m going to predict Corbin because I’m a shameless and biased superfan of everything he’s doing, but I don’t feel good about this prediction at all.

Predicted Winner: Corbin via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

It seems like WWE is burying Omos. They had him lose clean to Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania. Then, after giving him MVP as a manager which seemed like a potential win, they had him lose, of all things, an arm wrestling contest. If you had big, long-term hopes for a gigantic, physically imposing dude, it doesn’t seem like you’d have him lose arm wrestling matches on TV, right? 

I think it’s as simple as this: if Omos loses, something about him has to change. He needs to disappear for awhile, get repackaged or move back to the tag division. His whole identity right now is hating Bobby Lashley, even using his old manager, and Lashley already beat him clean at ‘Mania. If he beats him again, Omos is going to lose whatever mystique he has left and not really serve any kind of purpose.

Unfortunately for Omos, however, I think he is going to lose, and I don't even think it's going to be competitive. Lashley is going to beat him up and then put him in the Hurt Lock. WWE seems to want to build Lashley back into a main event contender, and he’s not going to do that continuing his feud with Omos. So, I think Omos gets rolled and then we see a repackaging, which I'm fine with. Omos has an amazing look, but he needs to get a bit smoother in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via submission. 

AJ Styles Vs Edge

Damian Priest played a key role in Styles and Edge’s WrestleMania match, but he’s banned from ringside this time around thanks to a recent loss to Styles where that was a stipulation. There have been rumors for a month or so about more people being added to their new stable Judgment Day, but that hasn’t happened so far. I predict we finally get that mystery third person, and that mystery third person (not Hulk Hogan, probably Rhea Ripley) interferes in the match and gets Edge the win. 

At least that’s what makes sense to me. I think Edge needs this win the most. AJ Styles may have a partnership brewing with Finn Balor. They could head to the tag team ranks and compete for those titles without a big momentum loss since that would be a new thing. Edge losing would seemingly pump the brakes on this very recent build they’re putting a lot of time into. So, unless the writers are losing confidence in Judgment Day, I think Edge needs to win or at least lose like he’s an Attitude Era main eventer that needs three consecutive finishers and a referee distraction to go down.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Cody Rhodes vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Cody is getting a superhero welcome every time he’s on TV. Crowds are chanting his name, and WWE is giving him a main event entrance presentation, as well as ample time on the microphone. The writers are also building a storyline about how he’s going to capture the WWE Championship for the first time for his dad, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes. It’s all getting over even better than expected with fans and barring an injury, will probably climax with that title shot against Roman or someone else at a huge upcoming premium live event.

Because of that, I just don’t see how you stop his momentum and have him lose at WrestleMania Backlash. Seth Freakin Rollins is great. His chaotic laughter and endless trolling are still over with fans. They’re still singing along with his catchy theme, but he doesn’t need this win. Plus, if he were to win, that means they’d have to wrestle a third time, and while the ‘Mania match was great, I think we all want to see Cody bounce around and work with some other people. So, I suspect they put on the best match of the Backlash card, but it ultimately ends the same way as the first time with a Cody victory.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Drew McIntyre And RK-Bro vs The Bloodline (Roman Reigns And The Usos)

What happened here? We were going to get RK-Bro and The Usos to combine the tag titles. Now we have a six man tag match, the purpose of which seems to be delaying RK-Bro vs The Usos and Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns to later premium live events. I’m not saying that’s not a smart business decision or that this match won’t be fun to watch, but it feels like the stakes here are zero. No matter what happens, these teams will just continue feuding. So, unless Randy Orton gives Riddle the Sweet Chin Music and throws him into a barbershop window, the outcome is about as important as any random six man tag on SmackDown.

I’ve gotta choose a winner though, and since I think The Bloodline will come out on top in this larger feud eventually (unless WWE wants McIntyre to main event the European PPV Clash At The Castle with the title), I’m going to say RK-Bro and McIntyre get the better of this one. Roman definitely won’t get pinned, but i think the Bloodline goes down.

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro via pinfall (Orton on Jey)

Other Predictions

This doesn't feel like enough matches, especially on the women's side. There are simply too many amazing women in WWE right now to get one match on a premium live event card. So, I suspect another match will be added tomorrow on SmackDown or we'll get some kind of major plot advancement. Maybe we'll finally see the long-awaited return of Bayley or we'll figure out whatever is going on with Alexa Bliss. Or maybe we'll get Rhea and Liv or Becky and Asuka, though they may be saving those for other events.

I'm not sure if you've been following Ezekiel. He's Elias' younger brother, who is definitely not Elias. He's been building some steam lately in programs with Kevin Owens and Chad Gable. I think there's a chance he gets something to do here too. Maybe we get a fun video package that cuts back and forth between Ezekiel and Elias in the same location without ever showing them together?

WrestleMania 38, aka “The Most Stupendous Two-Night Event in WrestleMania History” is in the books, closing the chapter on WWE’s biggest and busiest stretch of the year. But now that the dust has settled, new champions have been crowned, and the world is done reacting to Wee Man body-slamming Sami Zayn and Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestling his first match in 19 years, now seems about the right time to look at some of the most consequential stars of the night and speculate on what’s next for them.

With Roman Reigns defeating Brock Lesnar to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Cody Rhodes making his long-awaited return, and several members of the Women’s roster at a crossroads, there are a lot of different directions we could take as we start the slow march to WrestleMania 39 next year.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns continued the most dominant run in modern WWE history at WrestleMania 38 when he defeated longtime rival Brock Lesnar become the first Unified WWE Universal Champion in a grueling, albeit brief, Night Two main event. But the future remains uncertain for “Top Dog” and “Tribal Chief” of WWE, especially if those rumors, like the one from Wrestling Inc. about Reigns reportedly sustaining a tricep injury during the fight, prove to be true.

But this could be a blessing in disguise, as it would give Reigns an opportunity to drop both titles without losing a match and set up some kind of big return down the road, perhaps that long-speculated match against The Rock. I mean, WrestleMania 39 is in Los Angeles next year, and there will need to be a massive main event of this magnitude. 

Cody Rhodes

After several months of speculation, Cody Rhodes finally returned to WWE during Night One of WrestleMania 38 where he was revealed to be Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent. For the first time in six years, “The American Nightmare” stepped into a WWE ring and gave one of the best performances of the night. And following his decisive victory on the “Grandest Stage of Them All,” the future looks bright for the son of a “son of a plumber.”

Having built up a nice brand for himself in AEW (as well as other promotions around the world), Rhodes could be inserted into the WWE Universal Championship picture immediately. But if a title shot isn’t in the cards for him, Rhodes could turn his match against Rollins into a nice program.

Bianca Belair

Nearly eight months after losing the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Becky Lynch at SummerSlam 2021, Bianca Belair got her revenge and beat “Big Time Becks” to win the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 38. If we go off wrestling logic then we should expect to see Belair defending her title against Lynch (via the rematch clause) at WrestleMania Backlash in May, but you never know.

If Belair and Lynch do meet up again at WWE’s next big show, hopefully it ends with a decisive victory for the newly minted Women’s Champion and is nothing more than the first stop on a reign that should last until next year’s WrestleMania, especially considering how her Raw Women’s Championship was cut short after a few months in 2021.

Ronda Rousey

It seemed like Ronda Rousey, who returned and earned a title shot at Royal Rumble 2022, was going to defeat SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38. But as we found out in the co-main event of Night One, that didn’t happen and the former UFC Champion’s future is a little unclear, especially with word that she wasn’t happy about her place on the card, a rumor that she has since denied on Twitter.

If that is all just internet wrestling dirt sheet hearsay and Rousey sticks around for the long-haul, it would be fun to see her challenge for one of the two titles or set up a feud with Asuka, who will hopefully be returning to WWE TV post-WrestleMania. If not that, then maybe Rousey could reform the Four Horsewomen with Shayna Baszler and dominate the midcard for a while.

Edge

The singles match between Edge and AJ Styles at Night Two of WrestleMania 38 was the longest match on the card and featured an ending that could potentially have the biggest impact moving forward. In the final moments of the hard-fought battle, Damian Priest appeared at ringside to distract AJ Styles, which allowed Edge to counter the Phenomenal Forearm with a spear and a 1-2-3 victory.

Following the match, Priest knelt down in a show of respect to Edge before both started laughing menacingly. This looks like, at minimum, the formation of a new heel tag team (Edge has a great deal of experience with this), or potentially a new faction. Could this be The Brood 2.0? 

Becky Lynch

Not including the 18 months she was away from WWE to give birth to her first child, Becky Lynch was a champion of some form every day she was on the active roster. That all changed when “Big Time Becks” was defeated by Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38. But even though Lynch doesn’t have the gold around her waist for the first time in three years, this doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of one of the most entertaining WWE superstars. 

Once we get the rematch situation out of the way, there are plenty of directions Lynch could take in the future, perhaps even a program with Alexa Bliss or Bayley, both of whom should be returning soon. We probably won’t get a match between “The Man” and Charlotte Flair for quite some time, if at all, but could very well be the next big WrestleMania match between the two.

Brock Lesnar

With Brock Lesnar having lost the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns in their title unification match at WrestleMania 38, there’s a good chance the “Beast Incarnate” hangs up his boots for a few months and goes back to his life of seclusion on his remote farm in Saskatchewan. Unless something changes, we probably won’t see Lesnar in action until SummerSlam in July and won’t see him on TV until a few weeks before the big show, if he’s on the card.

In the event Lesnar does return for the summer, we’ll probably see him continue his feud with Roman Reigns if the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion isn’t actually injured or is back by then. But who knows, maybe Lesnar will come out of his self-imposed isolation and take out his revenge on whomever Paul Heyman (who betrayed him at Royal Rumble 2022) takes under his wing next.

Only time will tell what happens to these WWE superstars and the dozens of others who participated in WrestleMania 38. One thing that is for certain is that you can watch them in action with a Peacock Premium subscription.

It’s been a chaotic build to WrestleMania 38. We’re now just days away from the biggest wrestling show of the year, and the majority of the card is locked into place like a figure-four from a prime Ric Flair . The big match is, of course, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns who will be going title v title in a unification match. I'm still skeptical of WWE's decision here to give the winner one unified belt. I'd rather they be defended separately on each show, but alas, no one answers my emails.

Putting that insult aside, there’s a lot of intrigue up and down the card in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Right now there are fourteen matches scheduled for WrestleMania 38, as well as a Stone Cold Steve Austin appearance, which may be a real match or may just be a guy opening a can of whoopass during a talk show segment. I’m going to go through my predictions for all of it, which I would like to point out is what I think is going to happen, not what I want to happen. If it were what I wanted, we'd have a more positive outcome for Happy Corbin, who I inexplicably love for reasons I can't really explain.

WrestleMania 38 Night 1 Predictions

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship

Big Time Becks made a surprise return at SummerSlam last year and squashed Bianca in 26 seconds. I still have no idea why this seemed like a good idea, as Belair is a rising star, was over with fans and had so much momentum at the time. Whatever. Someone thought it was a good idea, and it certainly elevated Lynch. I’ve moved on and can’t argue about this more. Anyway, she’s held a major belt ever since, and while she’s had matches with Belair, this is surely the biggest stage.

I like Bianca here. I think a showcase win would help her character move on from looking like Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X, and I think it’s time to give Becky something else to do besides defend this title and get whipped with hair. I don’t think it’ll be a squash, but I expect to see a clean pinfall and a title change.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall.

Rey Mysterio And Dominik Mysterio vs The Miz and Logan Paul

The obvious pick here is Mysterio & Mysterio. Once The Miz stole Rey’s mask, there was a sense of like… Rey can’t lose this now. He’s got to defend his honor, right? But I’m not so sure anymore. The Miz lost clean on Monday, and I just feel like this story is a lot more interesting if he comes out on top. Plus, there are persistent rumors that Logan Paul may join the WWE Creative Team if this goes well. I’m not sure most wrestling fans are with me here, but I actually think, at least on paper, he’s a terrific fit for WWE long-term. 

Crowd reaction was skeptical during his recent segment where he gushed about Cleveland in Cleveland (at least compared to The Miz who still has it, by the way), but his mic work is quite good for someone who hasn’t interacted with a live wrestling crowd that many times. He’s a terrific athlete. He’s also a very natural heel given some fans already have negative feeling about him due to his pop culture image. I don’t know. This might be the stupidest guess of this entire predictions article, but I’ve talked myself into The Miz and Logan Paul. Maybe it'll spark some kind of Mysterio v Mysterio feud or maybe a story about Dominik earning his mask, which Moonsaulted around a little on Twitter.

Predicted Winners: The Miz and Logan Paul via pinfall (The Miz on Dominik).

Drew McIntyre vs Happy Corbin (With Madcap Moss)

This has to be McIntyre, right? It feels like he’s about to be built again. He finished second in the Rumble. He’s been winning pretty convincingly for the most part on TV. It feels like they talk about his sword more than some of the mid-tier guys on the roster. Its name is Angela by the way, in case the repeated reminders haven't stuck yet. I also have no real data for this, but it just feels like many of his intros are getting longer. Plus, we’ve been getting teases of a fracture in the dynamic between Moss and Corbin. There’s a real possibility Madcap could turn on Happy at ‘Mania.

That being said, I need to take a few seconds to gush about Happy Corbin. Love this dude. I get excited every time he comes on my TV. Something just works, and I need him to stick around the midcard. Just give him 10 to 15 minutes each week to brag about himself, beat up on a jobber or act like a coward against bigger opponents. I’ll also take some travel montages or some vignettes of him being an out of place rube. I suspect he’ll roll into a feud with Madcap Moss after he takes an L here, which I feel fine enough about. 

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntrye via pinfall. 

The Usos (Champions) vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs For The Smackdown Tag Team Championship

I like The Usos. I’ve enjoyed their extended reign, even if it involves some standing around behind Roman Reigns, but you can just feel WWE pushing Rick Boogs. He’s looked really strong lately and delivered some particularly aggressive Boogs Cruises. They’ve also been giving him a lot of pre-match time to interact with the crowd and do his call and response thing. Also, to lift people. He has lifted so many people. But the crowd keeps counting; so, I’ve got no problem with him doing it. We'd all lift people over our heads if we were capable and everyone around us chanted to 10 each time. Plus, Shinsuke is great. Pushing Shinsuke is a good idea basically every time. 

So, no offense to The Usos here, who I think should stay in the title picture, but the times they are a-changin. Boogs is over with most fans. His dynamic plays well with Shinsuke. I think we'll see some new champions. Also, from a storyline perspective, The Usos losing the belts is going to create interesting television with Roman, whether he wins or not. All of them down big together could be fun. Then again, him roasting them and stirring up resentment because he now has both belts and they have zero would also be fun.

Predicted Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs via pinfall (Boogs on Jey).

The New Day vs Sheamus And Ridge Holland (With Butch)

This feels like it has to be a New Day victory. Given Big E’s injury and the less than stellar record the team has historically had at WrestleMania, I think the obvious right move is giving them the victory. Butch is going to interfere. If this were a random TV episode, I'd assume his henchman-like ways would be the difference, but at a huge show like this, I think his interference will backfire, allowing The New Day to come out on top. Maybe there will be a quick interview where they dedicate the victory to Big E and tell him to get well soon.

I’m also interested in what’s going to happen with Sheamus, Ridge and Butch after they lose this match. Are they going to continue as a threesome? Are they going to start their own little mini-feud? Will we get a Sheamus, Ridge and Butch triple threat match? That could be a premium live event undercard. But nah. I don't think so. I think Sheamus will keep bringing in talent and form a stable. He’s still really good in the ring, but his strong mic work means he could be a fit to manage, as well. I'd love to see him as the leader of a gang that gets mad and does the job himself every once in awhile.

Predicted Winners: The New Day via pinfall (Kofi on Ridge).

Seth Freakin Rollins vs A Mystery Opponent

Everybody thinks this is going to be Cody Rhodes. I think it’s going to be Cody Rhodes, and if it is Cody Rhodes, he’s going to win a really close and exciting match. WWE is going to want to immediately introduce him at the main event or near main event level, and to do that, he both needs to look very good and he needs to win. So, I suspect we’ll see a really exciting match with lots of fun spots. Rollins will do fun Seth Rollins things, but Rhodes will prevail in the end.

Of course there’s always the chance this isn’t Cody Rhodes, and if it’s not, then who the hell knows what is going to happen here. The internet has been buzzing about it being Shane McMahon as the ultimate swerve/ middle finger to fans. Just imagine the chorus of boos. That would be an all-time troll job, but I don’t think WWE is going to willingly take that heat or give McMahon a prime ‘Mania match, especially after his appearance at the Royal Rumble allegedly caused backstage heat. I could see it being a surprise return like Bray Wyatt or someone on that level, but I’ll stick with Rhodes.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women's Championship

Rousey isn’t quite there on the microphone yet, but I think she’s improving and is definitely still over with fans. It’s hard to imagine she’d return to WWE, get this much screentime and not wind up with the belt. Plus, with the WWE women’s division deeper and better than it’s ever been (especially if/ when Bayley and Asuka return), it’s going to need shake-ups and changes. Putting the belt on Ronda would shuffle the deck, and it would allow Charlotte Flair to transition into a different storyline, hopefully one with an opponent that can more easily push back on the mic. 

I really hope they give this match time to breathe and really tell a story. I don’t want to see a squash. I want a good wrestling match that tells a story worthy of the extended build-up we’ve gotten and Ronda’s return. I think we’ll get it, and I think it’ll end in an ankle lock given how much that’s been directly discussed on the air. That should push Ronda's character into a more compelling direction post-Mania, and fingers crossed, it allows her to keep developing because she could be great.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

The KO Show With Stone Cold Steve Austin

Kevin Owens has been crushing it during this entire build-up to WrestleMania. His mic work has been stupendous (points to WM sign…), and his recent trolling of the crowd when he came out to Stone Cold’s music made the heel part of my soul happy. KO is one of the best wrestlers working today, and I can’t wait to see him interact with the Rattlesnake. He’s earned this moment. 

That being said, I have no idea what to expect out of this segment and/ or possible match. It's either going to be a few minutes of chit-chat, followed by a Stunner, middle fingers and cans of whoopass, all of which KO will oversell in the best way like a prime Mr. Perfect, or it'll turn into a real match. If that happens, fans will lose their minds, and one of the all-time greats will get a chance to give us one more all-time great match. I hope that happens, but anything Stone Cold wants to give us is a welcome surprise in my book. So, no predictions here.

Predicted Winner: I lied. I think it'll be a real match and Stone Cold will give us about 4 to 6 A- minutes, which will feel like an A+. 

WrestleMania 38 Night 2 Predictions

Queen Zelina & Carmella (Champions) vs Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs Sasha Banks & Naomi vs Natlya & Shayna Baszler For The Women’s Tag Team Championship

I don’t know when the last time I was fired up about the women’s tag team division was, but I’m ecstatic at the amount of talent that’s been injected in lately. More than half of these women could be competing for the top belts, and we’re already starting to see some real chemistry develop, especially between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley, who are a delight and already have a banger hybrid entrance theme. How cool would it be if we had a really fun, high energy women’s tag match on most episodes of WWE programming? The talent is there, especially after Bayley and Asuka return. Just stick with it… and maybe give at least a few of these teams fun names.

It feels like this has to be either Rhea and Liv or Sasha and Naomi. No offense to the other teams here who are perfectly fine, but there's real upside for the entire division if it's the right twosome. I don't want the women's tag division to dissolve into nothing again! My money is on Sasha and Naomi, but that’s mostly because they were the initial surprise team that jumped into the division. Plus, Sasha Banks is Sasha Banks, and giving her a belt is almost always a good decision.

Predicted Winners: Sasha Banks and Naomi via submission.

Johnny Knoxville vs Sami Zayn

I was at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, and the pop Johnny Knoxville got from the crowd was very real and very loud, easily one of the biggest of the night. Throw in the fact that celebrities normally win WrestleMania matches, plus how tremendous Sami Zayn is at expressing shock and outrage, and this feels like a pretty definite Knoxville victory. Key qualifier here though: they need to keep Zayn semi-credible. That dude is a treasure. He should stay in the Intercontinental Championship picture moving forward. So, I suspect the win will involve outside interference from the Jackass guys or some other type of tomfoolery. 

The Anything Goes wrinkle certainly opens up a lot of possibilities. Given the celebrity involvement, I wouldn’t expect to see a terribly long match, but it should be goofy and fun. Plus we all know Knoxville has taken gnarlier bumps than anyone on the roster. That WTF is he going to do element adds a little more drama than we normally see from celeb matches too.

Predicted Winner: Johnny Knoxville via pinfall.

Pat McAfee vs Austin Theory

Boy this match really got dropped on us like a Vader Bomb, huh? It feels like it was put together to have another attraction that'll generate some steam. Pat McAfee is terrific on commentary and a damn good athlete. He's also very over right now. Austin Theory is a rising star, who is doing segments with Vince McMahon. He was put in the Elimination Chamber and picked to face Brock Lesnar at MSG. They're obviously higher than a Montez Ford frog splash on both. So, they thought let's feature 'em at 'Mania.

That's not the worst plan I've ever heard. I'm a little worried for Austin Theory long-term though. I know McAfee is a more agile than say Michael Cole, but it still feels weak for Theory to lose straight-up to an announcer with little in-ring experience. But is there really a scenario where they're gonna have a character like Theory beat Pat McAfee? The crowd would boo into the next match. They'd be throwing things on stage like when Hulk Hogan went heel. So, I think something untoward is going to happen here. I predict Shane McMahon interferences setting up some kind of mentor vs real son storyline. 

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee via pinfall.

RK-Bro (Champions) vs Alpha Academy vs The Street Profits For The Raw Tag Team Championship

I don’t really think there’s a wrong answer here in terms of where WWE wants to go. All three of these teams are both very talented and over with the crowd. I also love each on a personal level. The weekly RK-Bro and Alpha Academy challenges were all kind of goofy fun, and the long-term potential of The Street Profits is enormous. All three of these teams have the talent and look to be on major premium live event cards for years to come. I probably like Alpha Academy the best because I can’t get enough of Chad Gable, but I’m truly fine with any outcome.

My gut tells me the WWE writers are going to use the end of this match to break-up RK-Bro. I know Randy Orton has talked about how happy he is and how much fun he’s having, but someone at WWE, whether it’s Vince McMahon or Bruce Prichard, loves breaking up a good tag team. So, I think RK-Bro breaks up after the match or we at least see major cracks form, which they’ve sorta been teasing.

Predicted Winner: The Alpha Academy via pinfall (Otis on Riddle).

Edge vs AJ Styles

I think the more important wrestler in the equation here is Edge. What is WWE’s long-term plans with Edge (and that blue light)? Do they want him on the mid-card or are they hoping to elevate him back to main event status? If they want him to be a major player and compete for the soon-to-be Unified Title, then I think he needs to win. He needs to establish himself as a mega-heel and come off looking really crazy and powerful. If they’re content with him leaving at the mid-card level, then what’s probably more important is just that this is a great wrestling match that fans enjoy.

I personally think they’ve still got big plans for Edge. He may not have fully capitalized off his 2021 Royal Rumble win, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still make it back to the top of the card. He’s in good shape. His mic work lately has been unhinged in a good, in-character way. I think they'll push him again.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

I think most people are expecting Bobby Lashley to put an end to Omos’ dominance. That makes the most sense on paper. I mean… what’s the alternative? You rushed Bobby Lashley, a former champion who technically beat Brock Lesnar, back to lose to an inexperienced wrestler that’s been fighting handicapped matches on Raw? Why would you do that? You could have gotten Omos to the next level by turning in a dominant ‘Mania performance against someone like Damian Priest (who by the way, should be fighting Finn Balor this weekend but whatever).

But let’s say that is happening. Let’s say WWE brought Lashley back to get viciously punished by Omos. I mean… how scary would Omos look? You would immediately think he’s in line for a shot at the Unified Title at an upcoming premium live event, right? I don’t buy it, but maybe…

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via pinfall.

Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs Roman Reigns (Champion) For Both Belts

Until recently, I was convinced Roman Reigns was going to win. I’ve been so convinced that I’ve been really dismissive of Brock Lesnar’s chances every single time I’ve referenced the match. But Lesnar has been tremendous the past few weeks. His mic work last Monday on Raw was so freakin’ good. I mean no one likes Paul Heyman more than I do. That dude is one of my favorite managers ever (shoutout Bobby Heenan), but Lesnar has been so smooth on the mic lately, I’m honestly starting to wish he would have ditched Heyman sooner. Cowboy Brock is all kinds of over, and his interaction with the crowd lately has felt effortless. It’s like he’s suddenly figured it all out. I don’t know how anyone wants to stop that momentum right now.

Roman Reigns, however, is also great. He’s been the best thing going in all of wrestling for the past few years. Unifying the belts and beating a legend like Lesnar while doing it would propel him into another tier of all-time greats. I really want that for him. I thought for sure he was going to get it, but I don’t know anymore. How long is Lesnar sticking around for? What’s the plan after the titles are unified? All of this would help provide clarity. Absent that, I’m going to stick with Reigns, but my confidence here is very low.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall. 

Other Random Predictions:

I think we're going to see Alexa Bliss do something. I mean, what the hell is going on here? She's one of the best wrestlers on the entire roster. She doesn't seem to be injured. She needs to be at WrestleMania doing something productive.

I think a former WWE star other than Cody Rhodes is going to return. I don't know who it'll be, but I think someone shows up and sets Twitter on fire.

I think Steve Austin looks damn good and falls right back into the Stone Cold character like nothing changed.

The WWE women’s division is better now than it has ever been before, and unlike the dreaded Diva era that never really put an emphasis on in-ring talent and engaging feuds, the current group of female wrestlers are given opportunities to prove themselves. In the past few years, the roster's biggest stars have transformed the division, and wrestling as a whole, by putting on electrifying WrestleMania main event matches.

But, in addition to being some of the most talented up-and-coming names in wrestling, these stars are also some of the most entertaining members of the roster and have the full package. Here are just some of the names who have revolutionized WWE in one way or another. 

Bianca Belair

Over the past two years, Bianca Belair has won a Royal Rumble match, made history with Sasha Banks as being the first two Black women to main event WrestleMania (where she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship), and received praise from the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

But, it’s the intangibles that make Belair stick out with her charismatic personality, unique style (both in terms of fashion and in-ring ability), and that signature hair, which has become her trademark throughout her career. And with a big match at WrestleMania 38 against Becky Lynch, this is just the beginning.

Ronda Rousey

There are few names in WWE, professional wrestling, or combat sports in general that get as much attention as Ronda Rousey, and her return to the company in one of the craziest moments of the 2022 Royal Rumble is proof of that. Love her or hate her, Rousey is one of those once-in-a-generation stars who doesn’t have to speak, wrestle a match, or do anything but point at the WrestleMania sign to make a statement.

Even before the former UFC champion signed with WWE and wrestled her first match at WrestleMania 34, she won over with fans and had them eating out of her hand. Essentially the female Brock Lesnar, Rousey not only brings star power to WWE, she can back it up as well.

Becky Lynch

It doesn’t matter if she’s a heel or babyface, “The Man” or “Big Time Becks,” Becky Lynch is a WWE superstar who is consistently entertaining both in and out of the ring. A member of the “Four Horsewomen of Wrestling,” Lynch’s list of accomplishments in the past few years makes her one of the company’s biggest stars, regardless of gender.

Although Lynch’s run in NXT wasn’t as successful as her contemporaries and she was often left out of some of the big feuds that superstars like Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks initially had on the main roster, Lynch transformed herself into a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin-like persona with “The Man” character in 2018. And, she hasn’t looked back since.

Charlotte Flair

If there is one member of the entire WWE roster that has the “It” factor more than anyone else (male or female), it would have to be Charlotte Flair. This should come as no surprise considering she’s the daughter of Ric Flair. Unlike a lot of second-generation wrestlers who have ridden on their parents’ coattails and never broke out on their own, Flair has created a legacy of her own these past 10 years.

The look, the walk, the move-set, the long list of achievements that seems to grow by the day, everything about Flair makes her not only the most successful woman wrestler of her generation but also the most entertaining, especially when she’s pulling off her heel persona.

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss, who was responsible for one of the craziest Elimination Chamber moments, is one of those WWE superstars who can make the most out of everything that is thrown her way. Need someone to be a snarky heel who thinks she’s better than everyone? Give it to Bliss. How about a demented character in the vein of Harley Quinn? She can do that, too. Basically, there’s nothing the “Five Feet of Fury” can’t (and won’t) do.

Despite this, and despite being one of the most entertaining and dynamic wrestlers with WWE, Bliss is currently off of TV, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless there’s some injury not being disclosed. When she does make her return, who knows what she’ll throw at us.

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks, the five-time Raw Women’s Champion, Slammy Award winner, and one of the stars of The Mandalorian Season 2, has accomplished a lot throughout her career so far, and she has done it with more style and swagger than just about anyone wrestling today. Whether she’s dominating in the ring or killing it on the mic, she does everything flawlessly.

Just look at some of the biggest WWE feuds in recent memory and you’ll see Banks in more than a few of them. A lot of that has to do with the former NXT champion connecting with fans in a way most dream of and few can pull off. I mean, just watch her entrance and try not to be entertained.

Rhea Ripley

Since making her WWE debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, Rhea Ripley has established herself as one of the most dominant, unique, and entertaining members of the women’s roster and been a part of some high-profile matches with the likes of Charlotte Flair and Asuka, whom she defeated at WrestleMania 37.

One of the best things about Ripley is the fact that she doesn’t look like anyone else on the roster and uses her size, strength, and presence to overwhelm her opponents and work the crowd, creating a superstar with limitless potential.

Naomi

One of the most talented and underrated WWE superstars, Naomi has been nothing but entertaining since making her main roster debut in 2012 as member of The Funkadactyls, and she hasn’t stopped since. During that time, Naomi has been effective as both a heel and babyface, though she has much more success forming a connection with the crowd as the latter.

Just watch her eye-catching entrance with the techno, blacklights, and colorful ring attire. It’s impossible to not be entertained by that. And that is only matched by her in-ring skills, which includes some insane acrobatics and high-flying offense.

Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan is another member of the WWE roster who has been able to get a whole lot out of what few opportunities she has been afforded, and has quickly made herself into a star-in-the-making, especially with her brief program with Becky Lynch at the start of 2022.

More than capable in the ring and having the ability to make different personas work during her stint in WWE, Morgan has a lot of small aspects about her character that are so interesting and brilliant at times that you can’t help but watch whenever she’s on screen.

Asuka

And then there is Asuka, who, despite not being on TV for quite some time, remains one of the most interesting wrestlers in the world. It has been said time and time again that Asuka just has “It” and continues to make a case for her being one of the best of the best.

With her flashy entrance attire, unmatched skills in the ring, and hilarious personality, there’s just so much about Asuka that makes her so much fun to watch. If Asuka continues to grow like she has the past few years, there’s nothing she can’t do.

If you want to see these entertaining  women wrestlers and others like them, sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription so you don't miss any of the big WWE events on the horizon.

WWE’s 2022 Royal Rumble was one for the books, and a night full of surprises. It also serves as the beginning to the “road to WrestleMania,” which means many of the feuds that happen in the event often turn into a high-stakes match at WrestleMania. 

While we can’t know for certain what's coming up in the WWE storylines -- which changed all the time -- it seemed clear at least a handful of feuds were set up during the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Here are some of the matches I see happening at WrestleMania, and why it makes sense for them to happen following the Royal Rumble in St. Louis Missouri, which I attended this year and which could be viewed via pay-per-view or via a Peacock subscription. 

Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns 

Brock Lesnar struggled in the first part of his WWE Championship match against Bobby Lashley, but it was only a matter of time before The Beast Incarnate gained the upper hand. Unfortunately, Lesnar’s first surefire pinfall failed due to a knocked out referee, and his second attempt was interrupted by WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Reigns caught Lesnar with a blindside attack, and in a stunning turn of events, demanded advocate Paul Heyman hand him Lesnar’s belt. Reigns then used the belt to further punish Lesnar, setting up Lashley for the easy title victory. Heyman left with Reigns, suggesting the plan to sabotage Lesnar was always in the works. Lesnar’s Royal Rumble win allows him a chance to challenge anyone for the title, and you have to think he’s going to want revenge on his former advocate and The Head of the Table.  

Now, the only question is: Will Seth Rollins somehow be involved? 

Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch

Ronda Rousey won the women’s Royal Rumble, and per the rules, now gets to choose a match for WrestleMania. In her previous match in the WWE, she dropped the Raw Women’s Championship to Becky Lynch. On paper, it seems obvious Rousey wants another crack at The Man (who recently responded to a rumor about Rousey’s return ahead of the match), but she’s got Charlotte Flair to worry about. Rousey’s elimination of Charlotte Flair makes me think we’re getting ready to run back their epic WrestleMania 35 match with the winner unifying the belts. With that said, a double title match puts one night at WrestleMania at a disadvantage, so I’d have to wonder if Flair doesn’t lose her title before something like that and find a way to insert herself into the drama anyway. 

Sheamus Vs. Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny’s surprise return during the Royal Rumble was awesome, and likely sets up a future celebrity match for the international superstar to take part in at WrestleMania 38. Right now, I’d wager a match between Sheamus feels the most likely, as he’s one of the two eliminations the singer had in the rumble. Sheamus recently tweeted a not-so-cryptic message that he’s upset about his elimination, so I have to think the seasoned WWE veteran is about to go head-to-head with Bad Bunny in a match. The pop sensation stunned audiences with his moves in the past and at this year's Rumble, but can he deliver again in another WrestleMania? To note, current rumors state Bad Bunny won’t appear at the event, but I feel like we need to just wait and see what's next. 

Brie Bella Vs. Nikki Bella 

The Bella Twins’ return was announced well before the Women’s Royal Rumble, and I’m sure fans had expectations about how the former Divas’ return would go. I assumed the plan was for the two to team up, give the fans a blast a taste of nostalgia, and then peace out. With that said, Nikki Bella’s intentional elimination of Brie screams "needs a future storyline," and a story WWE fans might want to see more of. I would not be the least bit surprised if the Hall of Famer Bella twins return for some grudge match between the two at WrestleMania, if only for a fun little match that can fill time between the two days at WrestleMania 38. The Bellas still have a pretty large fanbase, so I'd imagine there’d still be a lot of fans out there who want to see this happen. 

Shane McMahon Vs. Kevin Owens

Shane McMahon’s entrance in the WWE’s 2022 Royal Rumble was random, and certainly unexpected unless you read the rumors about his return shortly before the pay-per-view. What’s even more expected is that he was one of the final three wrestlers in the ring and eliminated Kevin Owens in the process. The two had an electric feud in 2017, and it’s something I can absolutely see happening again at WrestleMania. The match gives Owens something to do that’s of note, at a time where it’s a little to late to be inserted into any of the major title pictures. Perhaps this is how Owens works his way back into major title contention, and gets another WWE or Universal championship run many have wanted for so long. 

Omos Vs. AJ Styles

Omos and AJ Styles feuding is nothing new, but with that feud re-ignited at the Royal Rumble, I don’t think it’s wild to believe the two could have some big showdown at WrestleMania, with a classic “big guy vs. little guy” classic. More often than not, the WWE likes to book those as a squash match in the favor of the big guy, but with AJ Styles one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the WWE, there’s an argument he can put on a clinic that picks away at Omos and puts him away despite his superior size and strength. 

Bobby Lashley Vs. ?

Bobby Lashley has the WWE title, but with Brock Lesnar likely pursuing Roman Reigns for WrestleMania, there’s no clear opponent to defend his title against (which is kind of sad considering how hyped the Lesnar showdown was). The good news? When it comes to rivals, Lashley has no shortage of people to challenge him, and plenty of reason to justify it. I think between Big E, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins, each man has a claim to try and challenge him for a WrestleMania match. Hell, it’s even possible there’s someone we’re not thinking about who will come out of nowhere to make a run on Lashley (perhaps Goldberg will get another shot?), though I think one of the above three is the most-likely. 

Monday Night Raw airs over on the USA network Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown runs at the same time Fridays on Fox. Both should hold more answers about where wrestlers’ storylines are headed into WrestleMania 38, which will be available to stream with a Peacock premium subscription.

The WWE’s Royal Rumble is right around the corner, which means fans are in for a night of surprises and unexpected entrants in the big events. While some big names like Johnny Knoxville have already been suggested and teased, few are as big as the former superstar who is reportedly training for a WWE comeback and could appear in the women’s match: Ronda Rousey. The rumor is still just that, a rumor, though the fact that Becky Lynch directly responded to it should maybe have some folks excited for the pay-per-view. 

If Ronda Rousey is coming back to the WWE, it appears “The Man” (I’m sure Ric Flair is still mad about that nickname) wanted to be the first person to welcome her and remind her of a few things. Check out Becky Lynch’s response to the potential Ronda Rousey return. 

Becky Lynch is all about stirring the pot on Twitter when it comes to other superstars, though replying to an unconfirmed rumor doesn’t happen that often. The rumor, first reported by Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, alleged the WWE is pushing for Ronda Rousey to return to the company at the 2022 Royal Rumble. Additionally, Rousey is reportedly training, and the general belief in the company is her return is a “when” and not “if.” 

Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey have a past history within the WWE, and Rousey’s last match to date was at WrestleMania 35 in an electrifying match against Lynch and Charlotte Flair for both women’s titles. Lynch pinned Rousey for both belts, but there was controversy as the commentary team questioned if both of Rousey’s shoulders were down for a legitimate pin. The storyline never got resolved as Rousey broke her knuckle during the match and was written off of television not long after. Should Rousey return in the Royal Rumble, there’s an opportunity to renew that rivalry and set up a stellar match between the two at WrestleMania 38. 

It’s notable to bring up that Ronda Rousey’s first WWE contract was revealed shortly after she made an appearance at the Royal Rumble back in 2018. If the rivalry with current Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch isn’t enough, there’s a lot of story and significance tied into a Ronda Rousey appearance at the 2022 Royal Rumble. I’d argue she’s the biggest name rumored to appear as a surprise entrant in the matches so far, and one that’s garnered controversy for her past comments about working in the WWE as well. I can certainly say I’d love to see it and wonder how Rousey’s next run in the WWE will differ from her last. 

WWE’s 2022 Royal Rumble streams on Peacock premium subscriptions on Saturday, January 29th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see if “Rowdy” Ronda makes a return and which superstar might just punch their ticket to compete for a title shot at WrestleMania. 

Wrestlers from the WWE are most often known for their work inside the ring, but that’s a trend that’s increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Wrestlers like Dave Bautista, John Cena, and of course, Dwayne, “The Rock” Johnson, have paved their way in Hollywood, and as a result, perhaps gotten other wrestlers a bit more respect. Of course, one could argue that had it not been for guys like Randy Savage and their excellent cameos in big films, wrestlers wouldn’t have a place in movies now, period.

The following aren’t necessarily WWE wrestlers' best movie cameos in terms of screen time, but certainly among the most memorable. These athletes have worked with some of the best actors we have, and made themselves stars in their own right, even with relatively small roles in some notable films.

Randy Savage (Spider-Man)

Even without his cowboy hat and colorful attire, it’s hard not to recognize Randy Savage in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The gravely-voiced WWE legend is seen towards the beginning of the movie and is Peter’s opponent, Bonesaw, at the pro wrestling venue. The moment itself isn’t too unique, because Savage is doing pro wrestler stuff in his scene, but it’s always a great time to bring up that Bruce Campbell shared a wall with Savage during filming and was often subjected to the sounds of passionate love-making as a result.

Hulk Hogan (Rocky III)

Hulkamania ran wild in the early 1980s, and it’s probably because of that phenomenon that Rocky III featured a scene in which Hulk Hogan went up against Rocky Balboa in the ring. Of course, Hogan didn’t portray his real-life persona, but a womanizer heel-type wrestler by the name of Thunderlips. He goes a little hard on Rocky in their encounter, but Rocky ends up giving as good as he got later in the match. Everyone in the crowd seemed pleased with the match, outside of Clubber Lang, and to be completely fair, Lang clearly had some stuff going on, given how upset he was about the charity match.

Big Show (Jingle All The Way)

Before The Big Show had his own short-lived series on Netflix, he made a splash in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. No, WWE’s seven-foot giant wasn’t featured in one of his action thrillers, like The Terminator or Predator. Instead, Big Show came on as the absolutely massive Santa featured in the warehouse scene in Jingle All The Way. Big Show’s Santa absolutely made life difficult for Schwarzenegger’s character and only backed off his attack after a wayward punch blasted a smaller Santa (played by Verne Troyer) clear across the warehouse. Maybe not the most notable pick on the list, but certainly memorable.

Chris Jericho (Jay And Silent Bob Reboot)

The Rock, John Cena, and Dave Bautista may have paved the way for wrestlers to get more prominent parts in movies, but that doesn’t mean all wrestlers get bigger roles. Chris Jericho had a notable gig in 2019, in which he appeared in Jay And Silent Bob Reboot as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Not exactly the type of part I’d think any budding actor would wish to seek out, but Jericho plays the character of an ignorant racist quite well, and it makes for a comedic scene in the movie.

Kevin Nash (John Wick)

Kevin Nash may not get quite the level of love as the most respected pro wrestlers turned actors, but make no mistake, he’s done some impressive stuff throughout his career. Some of you may know him as Super Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, or maybe one of the many other characters in his career where he played a strong, imposing guy. My personal favorite is in John Wick, which, by and large, I think has been a great franchise for actors from other backgrounds. Nash doesn’t say much in his scene, but the short exchange his character has with John really sets the tone for the weird relationship that assassins have in this film universe.

John Cena (Sisters)

John Cena’s journey in Hollywood has had some ups and downs, but thanks to his role as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, I think it’s fair to say he’s back on an upwards trajectory. That’s thanks in part to some more minor roles he had in films leading up to that, one of which may be my favorite pro wrestler cameo in any recent film. John Cena plays a tattooed drug dealer in Sisters, and it’s mainly hilarious because it’s just so wildly out of character with everything John Cena is known for. Check it out if you’re a wrestling fan, and secretly wish this was the villainous persona Cena would adapt before he retires from the WWE.

Stone Cold Steve Austin (Grown Ups 2)

Stone Cold Steve Austin was absolutely not someone I ever expected to do anything but pro wrestling, but the iconic WWE Superstar has surprised audiences a lot over the years. He's actually a nice surprise in Grown Ups 2, as Austin was able to hold his own as an actor in his brief exchanges with Adam Sandler. It's also one of the few wrestling cameos that can make me legitimately laugh out loud, mainly because it's just such a departure from what he did during his time in the WWE.

Goldberg (Looney Tunes: Back In Action)

WCW booked Goldberg as one of the most dominant wrestlers of his era in his prime, and even now he’s put up against the best of the best in WWE. I guess it's for that reason that I can’t help but find it so hilarious that he was in Looney Tunes: Back In Action as the muscle for Steve Martin’s Mr. Chairman. What’s better is that we learn in the movie that he’s actually a Tazmanian She-Devil. Again, we’re not going for the most Oscar-winning performances here, just the ones that stick in our brains. This one, if nothing else, is certainly memorable.

Ronda Rousey (Furious 7)

OK, so technically, Ronda Rousey was known as a UFC star when she appeared in Furious 7, but the fact that she was in WWE a year later makes it feel like this should certainly count as a notable cameo by a pro wrestler. Rousey’s fight with Letty gets a good bit of screen time in the movie, and her appearance was noteworthy enough to be a selling point for some people to see it. Rousey wasn’t in the WWE as long as some of the legends on this list, but it’s hard to dispute she’ll be remembered as a notable women’s wrestler in the company all the same.

It’s an exciting time to be a WWE fan, with the rivalry between it and AEW ramping up. CinemaBlend will have a lot of the latest news on the pro wrestling organizations, including the key WWE star who will reportedly be off television for a good while.

The wrestling world was stunned by the WWE's unexpected release of superstar Bray Wyatt, and fans made it known at a recent Monday Night Raw in Chicago that they weren't happy. Now, those fans are being admonished by someone who may be a surprising person to join the conversation: Ronda Rousey.

Ronda Rousey had a brief stint in the WWE from 2018 to early 2019 and was the longest reigning women's champion in that short run before the record was broken by Becky Lynch. Though she wasn't a part of the company as long as some wrestlers, Rousey obviously spent enough time in the organization that she now believes that fans were responsible for Bray Wyatt's release. Rousey shared her thoughts in a social media post that defended Wyatt, but also seemingly pointed a finger at fans for what happened:

As WWE fans may expect, Ronda Rousey's comments were not met with acceptance and self-reflection by a good number of people. After all, they wouldn't be chanting for Bray Wyatt's return and stunned by his release if he was unpopular with them, and many have pointed a finger at WWE's poor management of Wyatt's personas time and time again. Essentially, the popular belief is that if fans were ever bored with Bray Wyatt, it was because the WWE never seemed to book him to win when it mattered.

Of course, some will question whether or not fans ever chanted for beach balls during a Bray Wyatt match, but it has been caught on camera. The moment Ronda Rousey is likely referring to occurred at Elimination Chamber 2018. Rousey made an appearance in that pay-per-view to sign her Monday Night Raw contract in the ring, and Wyatt faced off against Woken Matt Hardy in a singles match. Sure enough, there's a video of the event in which crowds chant for beach balls as the two men wrestle.

What's interesting about Ronda Rousey's statement is 2018 was the final year Bray Wyatt would wrestle under the persona he assumed when he formed the "Wyatt Family" stable. In 2019 Wyatt would return with Firefly Fun House in which a reformed Wyatt suppressed all his tortured feelings and was happy. Of course, fans later found out that all his repressed rage and anger manifested in The Fiend persona, which was wildly popular with fans. Is Rousey just voicing her opinion of the situation, or perhaps echoing behind-the-scenes sentiments from others?

We can only speculate and continue to wait and see where and when Bray Wyatt may resurface. He's not the only former WWE talent potentially going to make a debut elsewhere, as Ric Flair may have teased in a recent statement that he's not ready to walk away from wrestling.

Professional wrestling has long had a tradition of bringing in professional athletes to take part in big marquee matches. Back in the height of the "Monday Night Wars," WCW took advantage of the on-court animosity between Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman during the 1998 NBA Finals for a tag-team match at the Bash at the Beach event. WWE (then-WWF) has done it time and time again with everyone from Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski to basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, and now it looks like former NFL punter and current talkshow host Pat McAfee will be joining their ranks.

As the wrestling world anxiously awaits in-ring debut of the longtime Indianapolis Colts punter against former NXT Champion Adam Cole at NXT Takeover XXX, now is the perfect time to look back at some of the biggest names in the sports world who made a major appearance in the professional wrestling.

Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee hasn't technically made his in-ring debut with WWE's NXT brand, but the two-time Pro Bowl punter has been a major part of a storyline involving his upcoming Takeover opponent Adam Cole more than two years after caused the Undisputed Era leader a victory at an Indianapolis house show. The feud went mainstream in July 2020, when Cole appeared as a guest on McAfee's podcast and the two did what so many of the greats before them did, they had a blowup that blurred the line between reality and kayfabe (wrestling make-believe) and sent the internet ablaze. Not long after, the two got into another heated discussion at a taping of NXT which ended with McAfee punting Cole's head. The match between the two was made official the next day.

Dennis Rodman

There has never been a professional athlete better suited to enter the world of professional wrestling than five-time NBA Champion Dennis Rodman, who was part of two major WCW pay-per-view matches at the height of his career. Starting in March 1997, the colorful defensive mastermind of the Chicago Bulls formed a lasting bond with NWO leader Hollywood Hulk Hogan and even served as his tag-team partner in a losing effort at that year's Bash at the Beach. Rodman would return the following year for another match as Hogan's partner, this time squaring up against his NBA Finals opponent Karl Malone, who teamed with Diamond Dallas Page. The match wasn't anything to write home about, but back in the summer of 1998, it was all anyone could talk about and resulted in a great number of the pay-per-view buys for the company's big summer event.

Karl Malone

Dennis Rodman may have been effective as a heel, but his 1998 Bash at the Beach opponent Karl Malone seemed to be more up to task for the wrestling side of the performance instead of the sensationally effective heel work (there's no question that Rodman was the biggest villain in the league at the time). Like I said earlier, their tag-team match wasn't must-watch television by any means, but WCW wasn't really known for its ring work at the time, except for the outstanding and underutilized cruiserweight division. Rodman, the NWO, and millions of wrestling fans around the world knew that Malone was serious about his commitment as soon as they saw him enter the ring and treat the match the same way he'd treat an NBA Finals matchup.

Shaquille O'Neal

It should be no surprise that Shaquille O'Neal has been involved with professional wrestling throughout his career, but it's crazy that he has only had one match, especially for someone who would have fit in so well back in his glory days. Sure, Shaq made a few appearances here and there in the 1990s and beyond, but he didn't officially enter the squared circle until WrestleMania 32 where he participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and had a confrontation with Big Show before being eliminated by a large group of wrestlers. It looked like the two would meet face-to-face for real the following year at WrestleMania 33, but nothing came of it.

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski is undoubtedly more well-known for being a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots or his appearance as the "White Tiger" on The Masked Singer Season 3, but the lifelong wrestling fan has shown up on WWE television multiple times throughout his career and is even a one-time champion. "Gronk" first appeared at WrestleMania 33, where he helped his real-life friend and WWE superstar Mojo Rawley secure a victory in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He would show up again three years later to host the two-night WrestleMania 36, during which he would become the 24/7 Champion, a title he would until being pinned in his backyard by R-Truth two months later.

Ronda Rousey

Unlike just about everyone else on this list, former UFC champion Ronda Rousey had a lengthy run in WWE, during which time she was involved in one of the best matches at WrestleMania 34 and was a part of the first female-headlined WrestleMania the following year in her triple threat match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. During that time, Rousey had a series of stellar matches against everyone from Alexa Bliss (who she squashed at SummerSlam 2018 to secure the Raw Women's Championship), Sasha Banks, Bayley, and the aforementioned Lynch and Flair. With only one loss during her one-year run at the top of the division, Rousey cemented herself in the hallowed halls of wrestling history.

Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather is another one of those personalities from the world of professional sports that was made for wrestling, and that became a reality in 2008 when the undefeated boxing superstar went up against the much larger Big Show for a no-disqualification match at WrestleMania 24. Held right before the main event World Heavyweight Championship match between Edge and The Undertaker, the Mayweather/Big Show spectacle played out more like a cartoon than a wrestling match and mostly consisted of the boxer trying to escape the reach of the giant grappler and depended upon his entourage to distract his opponent and secure a victory.

Lawrence Taylor

Two-time Super Bowl champ and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has the distinct honor of being the only professional athlete on this list to secure a victory in the main event at a WrestleMania. Two years after his career on the gridiron came to a close, Taylor found himself in the middle of a feud with the late Bam Bam Bigelow following an interaction ringside at the 1995 Royal Rumble. Gearing up for their main event singles match at WrestleMania 11, the two opponents, and the show overall, received a great deal of mainstream press considering that one of the biggest stars of the NFL of the 1980s and early 90s was in the final bout at the "Grandaddy of the All."

Mike Tyson

Boxer Mike Tyson's appearance as the guest enforcer at WrestleMania 14 in 1998 not only helped cement the legacy of WWF's Attitude Era, it also helped usher in Stone Cold Steve Austin's reign as WWF Champion and the biggest star in the world of professional wrestling. Leading up to the match between Austin and then champion Shawn Michaels, Tyson appeared to be in Michaels' corner and was constantly getting into arguments and physical confrontations with the Texas Rattlesnake. That partnership didn't last as Tyson turned on the Heartbreak Kid and revealed an Austin 3:16 shirt before helping Austin secure a victory, creating one of the most iconic moments in wrestling.

Muhammad Ali

It is mostly forgotten now, but boxing legend Muhammad Ali once entered a wrestling ring against the great Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki for an unscripted exhibition match in 1976. The bout, which was held in Tokyo, was the subject of controversy at the time due to the odd set of rules Ali's camp forced Inoki to agree upon for the match to take place. In the one-on-one contest, Inoki was barred from performing any wrestling moves, so he laid flat on the ground and kicked Ali throughout the match that ended in a draw. Due to the number of kicks received during the fight, two blood clots formed in Ali's legs, which according to The Los Angeles Times, almost resulted in an amputation due to an infection.

The Muhammad Ali/Antonio Inoki fight might have been seen as a farce at the time, and almost ended badly for the former world champion boxer, but its legacy is still felt today in the world of Mixed Martial Arts, especially in Japan. A 2013 article in SB Nation's Bloody Elbow credits the match with inspiring the founders of MMA promotions like Pancrase and Pride to usher in a new era of shoot fighting. See, everything always comes back to professional wrestling.

Back in the days before the WWE Network, Netflix was one of the premiere streaming platforms to watch collections of old matches and wrestling documentaries from the McMahon family's vast empire. And although the extensive library of classic WrestleMania moments and other WWE-produced content has shifted away from the streaming giant in the past six years, Netflix still has an impressive collection of wrestling content, consisting of original shows as well as one of the most in-depth and controversial documentaries on the subject.

And in a time when finding new, or at least unseen, wrestling programming is as important as ever, I've put together a short list of some of the best shows, movies, and documentaries about life in and around the squared circle that I think every wrestling fan will enjoy. So, without wasting any more time, here's what to watch on Netflix if you love wrestling.

GLOW (2017)

I was pretty bummed to hear that GLOW, the Netflix original drama series about the formation of the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling promotion was getting the can following the fourth season, but at least we got four seasons of action from Alison Brie, Betty Glipin, Marc Maron, and the rest of the cast before the plug was pulled.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: The series, which primarily focuses on Alison Brie's character, Ruth "Zoya the Destroya" Wilder, offers an in-depth look at formation of the famous all-female GLOW promotion. Each of the first three seasons do a tremendous job of balancing in-ring action with the behind-the-scenes dramatics that provide for an engaging story told through believable characters, despite them coming off as larger than life stereotypical wrestling personas.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Beyond The Mat (1999)

If you thought Darren Aronofsky's 2008 drama The Wrestler was about as emotional and depressing as a movie about an old washed up wrestler could get, then you should probably watch Barry W. Blaustein's 1999 documentary Beyond The Mat, which takes a look at the life of wrestlers like Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Terry Funk at the end of their respective careers (at least at the time), as well as big names like The Rock, who made his film debut with this production.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Any obsessive wrestling fan has probably watched this shocking piece of film at one point or another in the past 20 years, but there's a good reason for that. Never before had the lives of wrestlers been exposed like this, and it helped open the door for similar films in the years following. It's even harder to watch the scenes following Darren "Droz" Drozdov considering he became paralyzed after sustaining a neck injury just weeks before the film was released.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Main Event (2020)

A little more lighthearted than the previous entry on this list, the WWE Studios Netflix film The Main Event tells the story of Leo Thompson (Seth Carr), a young boy with a dream of being a WWE superstar who finds a magical luchador mask in an old house after being chased by a group of bullies. This family comedy follows the young boy as he enters a wrestling tournament at the WWE Performance Center (the location of WrestleMania 36) in hopes of making his dream come true.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Like I said, it's more lighthearted than Beyond The Mat, and probably anything else for that matter, but The Main Event features enough wrestling action and WWE superstars like The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Otis, and Keith Lee to make fore a fun, action-packed family movie.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Big Show Show (2020)

In April 2020, Netflix launched The Big Show Show, an eight-episode sitcom about WWE star Big Show and his fictionalized family. There are several wrestling references peppered throughout the first half of the season, but it really picks up after a few Attitude Era stars make a surprise run-in.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Although there isn't too much actually wrestling in the show, it's still fun for longtime wrestling fans to pick up on all of the callbacks to some of Big Show's best moments inside the ring.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Toys That Made Us - Wrestling Figures (2019)

The Netflix documentary series The Toys That Made Us has spent the past three years exploring the origin stories and legacies of some of the most popular lines of toys in pop culture history. It was only a matter of time before the series took a look at all the great wrestling toys, specifically those manufactured by legendary toy companies LJN, Hasbro, and Galoob.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Part wrestling history lesson and part toy documentary, this particular episode takes a very in-depth look at the fandoms' shared history through interviews with wrestlers, collectors, and fans.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Nobody Speak: Trials Of The Free Press (2018)

Less of a traditional wrestling documentary and more of deep dive into the legal battle surrounding the infamous Hulk Hogan sex tape that brought down the Gawker Media empire, Nobody Speak: Trials Of The Free Press offers an inside look at one of the most crucial legal decisions regarding free press in the 21st Century. With courtroom footage of Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) trying to argue that he and his wrestling persona are two different people, it's easy to lose track of the danger of the lawsuit.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Nobody Speaks isn't your typical wrestling documentary, it isn't really a wrestling documentary at all, but sometimes it's crazy to see how different areas of media overlap into a crazy, glorious mess that is the United States legal system. It has a more somber tone than other entries on this list, but seeing Hulk Hogan in his iconic bandana in on the witness stand is pretty wild.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Tiger King (2020)

If wrestling fans don't like the Netflix sensation Tiger King then I don't know what to believe anymore. This seven-part docuseries is the closest thing to a wrestling show you'll see outside of the ring. With a cast of characters that includes wild cat owners like Joe Exotic, Bhagavan Antle, and Carol Baskin, as well as an assortment of grifters and drifters, this insane piece of television plays out like a low-rent wrestling promotion you'd watch every Saturday night on a public access station.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Surprise, surprise, according to Vice, Joe Exotic hosted two wrestling show at his infamous Oklahoma zoo in the years prior to his murder for hire plot gone awry.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Nacho Libre (2006)

It might not be the best Jack Black movie or film about wrestling, but the 2006 comedy Nacho Libre helped spread the word of lucha libre wresting south of the border in Mexico. In the film, Black plays Ignacio, a cook for an orphanage who dreams of becoming a luchador. To get around the orphanage's ban on wrestling, Ignacio dons a mask and the Nacho moniker.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Although not loved by critics, Nacho Libre does feature some pretty humorous wrestling scenes, especially the ones featuring the famed luchador Silver King, who plays Ramses in the movie.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father's Eyes

Wrestling fans might be upset with Ronda Rousey after the former UFC champion made some controversial remarks about fans and the way they treated her during her brief WWE run a couple of years back, but that's no reason to not check out the athlete's documentary Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father's Eyes. This personal and intense documentary primarily focuses on Rousey's training during her MMA days, but it does explore the intense athlete's motivations.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: Although the documentary focuses on Ronda Rousey's Olympic and MMA fighting careers, it's nice to see the work the athlete and former WWE Raw Women's Champion put into her intense training program leading up to her big fights.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Nuestra: Lucha Libre

And then there's the insanely in-depth wrestling documentary series Nuestra: Lucha Libre, which looks into the lives of some of the most famous and infamous luchadors the sport has ever seen. Over the course of five episodes, this miniseries explores the daily lives of wrestlers like Negro Casas, Atlantis, Ultimo Guerrero, and many more.

Why It's A Good Option For Wrestling Fans: This is a great watch for fans who are familiar with the lucha libre style of wrestling as well as those who want to know more about the variation of the sport. Through enlightening interviews and wrestling segments, Nuestra: Lucha Libre is worth a watch.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Those are just a few of the great wrestling shows, movies, and documentaries you can watch on Netflix. Make sure to check back because Netflix is constantly adding new titles to its library. And in the meantime, make sure to check back for more wrestling news and features here on CinemaBlend.

Ronda Rousey has been public enemy number one in the WWE universe as of late, as the former superstar had some harsh words for the organization in recent interviews. Rousey first ruffled feathers by going on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast and talking about the performance theater of the sport. In short, she called the sport fake, which is never a statement that sits well with professionals in the industry.

While Ronda Rousey also talked about the pressure of fans and the strain of the road, many fans and WWE superstars took issue with her talk about the WWE being fake. It caused a massive backlash towards Rousey, who days later doubled down with a tweet saying that there was no comparison between real fighting and pro wrestling.

The doubling down and the podcast comments have now prompted responses from wrestling's elite, all of whom seem to have different opinions on the matter. Booker T, for example, said on his podcast Ronda Rousey was completely over the line with both comments, and needs to apologize.

Booker T is not the only wrestler who felt that way, as several WWE superstars who worked with Ronda Rousey also felt hurt by her comments. Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, and other prominent female wrestlers of the brand were angered by Ronda Rousey, especially given Rousey didn't do nearly as much to earn her WWE status as some of them. Due to Rousey's former accolades as a UFC champion, she was immediately given opportunities by the WWE most wrestlers would have to pay dues for years to achieve.

To some like Becky Lynch, to call WWE fake but then admit keeping pace with the rampant schedule of the brand for even a short while was difficult felt hypocritical. Lynch talked about it during an interview with ViBe and Wrestling, and said the following.

For some context, Ronda Rousey squared off against Becky Lynch as part of the main event of WrestleMania 35, and left the WWE not long after. It's possible to me that Lynch could be more hurt than others thanks to that shared experience, but then this could be something that could be used for an eventual rematch between the two.

And who better to speculate on that controversy than one of the WWE's most controversial former superstars: CM Punk? Punk, who had his own drama with the WWE and is now working for the brand again as an analyst, said on WWE Backstage that whether Ronda's statements are genuine or calculated is a non-issue. She's doing what most great wrestling superstars should do right now.

When it comes to WWE talent and social media, there will always be a question of what's real and scripted. As CM Punk pointed out, sometimes the real can be utilized for scripted content down the line when cooler heads prevail. The important thing he believes is that fans are watching, reacting, and invested in seeing how it plays out.

Of course, there are also the others who just want to know if this is an elaborate setup by the WWE, and that's fair. This is especially true after a mysterious Instagram post by Ronda Rousey, which called back to an infamous social media moment by none other than Hulk Hogan.

The caption, as evidenced by the Hulk Hogan doll in the video, feels like a clear reference to a Hogan tweet from 2011. The tweet refers to "marks" or wrestling fans that are "worked" into a "shoot," which is to say convinced that something that was pre-orchestrated or scripted is real drama and unplanned. Folks like that can aggravate wrestlers, who may get bombarded with very real hate from passionate fans hoping to hurt these wrestlers as much as they "hurt" another favorite wrestler.

The Hulkster seemed to recognize his tweet and appeared in Ronda Rousey's comments to offer some support. Hogan, who has had his own share of troubles with WWE superstars and the fandom over the years, said the following to the former UFC champion:

So now the plot has thickened. There are the fans who now think this is a rather obvious fake beef to drum up hype for Ronda Rousey's eventual return to WWE, and still those who think Rousey was just running her mouth. Then there's the crowd that believes Rousey's comments were genuine, but will ultimately be referenced should she ever decide to link back up with the WWE. The bottom line is, it seems like there are some superstars that are just as confused as fans on this one, and the only thing to do now is wait and see what comes next.

Do you think Ronda Rousey's statements were genuine, or just part of an elaborate WWE angle? Sound off in our poll and, as always, continue to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on what's happening with television and movies in 2020 and beyond.

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Over the past 35 years, titans like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Daniel Bryan, and Becky Lynch have all cemented their legacies with electrifying main event matches at WrestleMania. These headlining matches have helped usher in stars in the making while serving as swan songs to wrestlers hanging up their boots.

Since WrestleMania was first held in the famed Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985, wrestlers from every era have fought like hell to be one of the last night names called at WWE's flagship event. And with so many great match-ups, emotional victories, and upsetting losses over the years, the "Showcase Of The Immortals" has given fans some of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history. Here are some of the most electrifying main event matches in the history of WrestleMania.

Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant - WrestleMania 3

Although this wasn't the first (or last) time Hulk Hogan took on Andre The Giant, their main event match from WrestleMania 3 is all anyone talks about more than 30 years after it first went down. Booked as the anchor to WWE's (then-WWF) biggest show (a disputed attendance record of 93,173) at the time in the Pontiac Silverdome, this historic championship match between former friends turned foes isn't the greatest technical wrestling match you'll see, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most spectacular the company has produced. It was even one of the focal points for the amazing 2018 HBO documentary on the French wrestler.

The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 26

Wrestling fans are still anxiously awaiting the A&E wrestling documentary series on icons like Shawn Michaels. When the documentary finally sees the light of day, it'll hopefully include clips from the Heartbreak Kid's retirement match against The Undertaker from WrestleMania 26. Booked as a "Career Vs. The Streak" match (The Undertaker was still undefeated at WrestleMania), this headlining match from the 2010 event had a lot to live up to after the two battled one another the previous year. Not only did the match live up to the hype, it exceeded it, especially after the last few minutes where Michaels looked like an old dog waiting to be put down by a merciful Taker.

Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch - WrestleMania 35

Anyone who watched WrestleMania 35 will agree that the event ran way too long. Despite the overly bloated card and long runtime, barely anyone in the crowd left ahead of the main event triple threat match between Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, and 2019 Women's Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch. The first women's match to headline WrestleMania was well worth the wait as the three athletes put on one of the most exciting matches of the night and in recent memory. And even though the end of the match was a little wonky, seeing "The Man" lift both belts was amazing image.

Randy Orton Vs. Batista Vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 30

As far as I am concerned, there hasn't been a better angle leading into WrestleMania than Daniel Bryan's unlikely run from "B+ Player" to WWE World Heavyweight Champion, at least not since Stone Cold Steve Austin ushered in a new era in the late '90s. Bryan went to Hell and back in order to qualify for the main event triple threat against champion Randy Orton and Batista, but it was all worth it as the leader of the "Yes! Movement" went head to head with two of the most highly decorated wrestlers in the last 20 years. I still get chills each time I see Bryan tie up Batista in the "Yes! Lock" to gain a submission victory.

Shawn Michaels (With Mike Tyson) Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 14

One year after Stone Cold Steve Austin gave a career-making performance in a loss against Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Austin was ready to prove to the world that he was in charge when he challenged WWF Champion Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14. Leading up to the match, Michaels had teamed up with boxing legend Mike Tyson who would appear as a special guest enforcer for the main event match in Boston. With a combination of Michaels' D-Generation X stable at ringside and Tyson being an active part of the match, this main event contest had all of the ingredients for a historic title fight. And when Austin overcame the odds (and whooped the mess out of Michaels), the Texas Rattlesnake was in full control of the crowd and the WWF.

The Rock Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 17

The Rock and Stone Cold Steven Austin had three of the most memorable matches at WrestleMania 15, 17, and 19. Sandwiched in the middle is the match between the Texas Rattlesnake and the People's Champion in the Houston Astrodome in 2001. Considered by some to be the unofficial end of the Attitude Era, this WWF Championship match consisted of some of the best back and forth wrestling before Austin turned on everyone and joined sides with his longtime nemesis Mr. McMahon in a vicious assault on The Rock with a steel chair. The event was one of the first to be held in a large stadium, and you can hear all 67,000 fans raining down boos on their former hero.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns Vs. Seth Rollins - WrestleMania 31

What was originally supposed to be a one-on-one match for the WWE Championship between the champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 became a triple threat (and much better match) after Money In The Bank Winner Seth Rollins cashed in his briefcase for a championship opportunity and worked his way into what would become a triple threat match. Rollins, who was in the middle of an impressive heel run, was showered in cheers from the crowd that could just not warm up to the idea of a Roman Reigns title run. The closing shot of Rollins standing at top of the ramp with the belt high above his head as fireworks shoot off is one that fans won't forget.

Randy Savage Vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania 5

In the year leading up to WrestleMania 5, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed the Mega Powers tag team, a partnership that would end in a blowout and culminate at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in April 1989. Bill as "The Mega Powers Explode," the match saw Hogan challenging his former friend and partner in a singles match for Savage's WWF Heavyweight Title. Everything from the back and forth promos leading up to the event to the amazing poster featuring the two wrestlers standing back to back all made this one of the greatest events in WWF's history.

The Rock Vs. John Cena - WrestleMania 28

It's hard to believe that The Rock and John Cena were given a year to build hype for their head-to-head match at WrestleMania 28 in Miami. Booked the night after the previous WrestleMania, these two superstars spent the next year trading jabs (both verbal and physical) before they brought the house down in South Florida. Though The Rock was a little rough around the edges in the early goings of the match, he pulled through and defeated Cena in a match that would lead to another encounter between the two the following year.

Those are just a few of the 35 main event matches that have closed out WrestleMania in the past. Which one is your favorite? Make sure to let everyone know in the poll down below. And let me know if I left off your favorite match.

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This weekend, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska unite onscreen as the brand new team of Angels, bringing back a franchise that hasn’t seen a movie hit the big screen since 2003 and a TV show since 2011. The new iteration of Charlie’s Angels comes with some good camaraderie between the three leads, but it also comes with a slew of cameos during its end credits.

Per usual, this is opening weekend, so if you haven't caught the film yet, there will be some specific spoilers in this piece. However, it should be noted that some of these cameos were spoiled by the celebrities themselves before release. Thus, if you already saw the movie and are trying to place some of the end-credits faces, we have you covered. It should be noted the end credits aren’t the only time director Elizabeth Banks threw some fun cameos into Charlie’s Angels. A quick scene at the beginning features Michael Strahan as a Bosley, for example. However, the closing credits are where the real “Who’s Who” fun starts, and I highly suggest sticking to your seat in the theater to watch them. If you are ready to take a look, let's get started...

Former Charlie’s Angel Jaclyn Smith

Jaclyn Smith was a lead in the 1976 Charlie’s Angels series, playing Kelly Garrett on the small screen through the show’s five-season run. These days, it seems her Angels character trains some of the young women joining Townsend and she’s there to greet Elena when she shows up to earn her wings. Smith doesn’t act all that much anymore, so this cameo is a real treat.

Laverne Cox As A Bomb Instructor

Orange Is The New Black’s Laverne Cox is also an instructor at the Townsend recruit school, and teaches the new potential Angels about bombs. As Orange is the New Black ended its run earlier this year, the Charlie’s Angels cameo is a nice way to keep Cox in the conversation as she heads into her next series Inventing Anna.

Danica Patrick As A Driving Instructor

Danica Patrick’s mostly known as an IndyCar racer, but she has acted before, and her inclusion as one of Charlie’s Angels, or at least Charlie’s Instructors, is pretty fitting. If a gal’s gotta learn how to drive, why not learn from one of the most prominent female races of the last 15 years? Patrick retired a short while back, so she should have plenty of time for gigs such as this one.

At least Danica Patrick really looks as if she had fun on set!

Ronda Rousey As A Fighting Instructor

Girl power is in no short supply in Charlie’s Angels. Given Ronda Rousey is both a. a fighter and b. an actress, her inclusion in this cameo list of female badasses willing and able to train others makes all the sense in the world.

In real life Ronda Rousey is trained in mixed martial arts, judo and other types of fighting, so she should be a good fit as a fighting instructor in the world of the Angels.

Hailee Steinfeld As An Angel Recruit

There are several young ladies who pop up in cameos as additional Angel Recruits. I have no idea if this was simply as a fun inclusion for the fans or if this is to set up other potential cameos in Charlie’s Angels 2 or future sequels. Regardless, Hailee Steinfeld is definitely noticeable and notable when she jumps out of a plane during an exercise with Bosley. This is also a Pitch Perfect 2 reunion for Elizabeth Banks and Steinfeld for fans of the director's work, to boot.

Gymnast Aly Raisman As An Angel Recruit

Why yes, U.S. Olympic Gymnast Aly Raisman is also an Angel recruit. Given the fact she’s able to be in insane shape when needed, I assume she could be trained quite adequately in the fighting arts. Her other acting credit is in Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” video, which doesn't qualify her to save the day, but this training should.

Aly Raisman spoiled her cameo just a few days ago with a quick look at what she did on the set, which includes an angels tattoo and a flight suit with pink shoes. On Wednesdays, they wear pink.

Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart As An Angel Recruit

You may know her as Riverdale’s resident Betty Cooper, but the actress (who is also known for Hustlers and Surviving Jack) makes an appearance as a recruit at the end of Charlie’s Angels as one of the movie's new recruits alongside Naomi Scott's Elena.

Lili Reinhart was another actress not interested in keeping her big Charlie's Angels end-credits cameo a secret, calling herself "an angel for a day" in a recent post.

Snowboarder Chloe Kim As An Angel Recruit

As another athlete who kicks ass, Chloe Kim makes an appearance at the end of Charlie’s Angels. Previously, the Olympic snowboarder (and medalist) appeared in the popular video for Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” marking her acting debut. That video also features Aly Raisman and Elizabeth Banks. So, there are definitely some cameo connections here. This time around, like some of the other ladies, she's training to be an Angel.

Ultimately, the Charlie’s Angels end credits scenes are pretty fun and worth sticking around for. In fact some of the montage moments were cool enough they would have been suitable in another version of a Charlie’s Angels movie focusing more on the recruiting process than saving the world. The scenes remind me a little of Kingsman in that way and I almost wish they had been a regular plot in the movie, although that wouldn't have made total sense, given the way the three angels meet each other and the way Elena is introduced into the story.

You can find out more as Charlie's Angels is in theaters this weekend, or see what else is coming with our full schedule. Did you have a favorite cameo or did we miss one? Let us know!

Spoilers ahead for the second episode of 9-1-1 Season 3, called "Sink or Swim."

9-1-1 devastated the Santa Monica Pier in the second episode of Season 3 when the long-awaited tsunami finally reached shore. The good news is that the first responders of this show are brave and resourceful enough that the people of Los Angeles are in the best hands they could be in post-tsunami; the bad news is that Buck and Christopher were at the pier when the tsunami hit, and Buck lost track of Christopher when the water began to rush back out to sea. Additionally, Ronda Rousey made her 9-1-1 debut, and her character's fate was left in question too.

Well, in case you were wondering if Ronda Rousey's appearance in "Sink or Swim" was a one-off cameo from a big name who wanted to appear on a big show, that's not the case. Ronda Rousey will appear throughout Season 3, so her character didn't drown in the torrent in the second episode. In fact, she'll be a firefighter, and her location at the ferris wheel in "Sink or Swim" raises the question: will she have a part to play in Buck and Christopher's story?

Images from the next episode of 9-1-1 provide some clues. So, let's first look at proof that Ronda Rousey's character survived the tsunami and will be in the mix as Lena Bosco next week:

Well, Bosco makes it back to dry land at some point in the next episode, and she doesn't look that bad, all things considering. The ferris wheel had been hit with a tsunami, after all! She also looks pretty grim considering she just survived a tsunami, but then she is a firefighter. She's been trained in wanting to react and save lives; even a character played by Ronda Rousey can't defeat a tsunami any more than Buck could in his fight to find Christopher in the cliffhanger.

Another image suggests that Bosco was injured in the tsunami, so she might not be part of the search for Christopher at all. In fact, considering who she's with in the image, nobody other than Buck may have realized that Christopher is missing in the tsunami just yet. Take a look:

Bosco is looking injured, and seemingly has been rescued by Eddie. Although he does have a serious look on his face, Eddie doesn't strike me as somebody who knows his son went missing in the waters of a tsunami, and his friend who was recently hospitalized with blood clots due to overexertion was the one who had been with him when the monster wave struck.

Of course, Eddie did reveal in "Sink or Swim" that he thinks Buck was taking Christopher to the movies, so he would have no reason to suspect that they were at the pier or wonder why he hadn't heard from them. Another image of Eddie doesn't show him looking any more concerned:

I'm guessing Eddie is at the decommissioned V.A. hospital Maddie suggested reopening to deal with the overwhelming number of people needing medical attention because of the tsunami. Again, he doesn't look too frantic, so my money is on him still not knowing there's anything to worry about with regard to Christopher.

Normally I would doubt that 9-1-1 would more or less kick off Season 3 by killing off the adorable son of a firefighter who had just restored the hope of Buck, but another image seems to suggest that the good guys will sustain a loss in the next episode.

Maddie is standing in front of a board with a "Santa Monica" sign that seems to be covered with "MISSING" posters, and she looks heartbroken. Considering everything she went through last season, it might take a lot to get her to this emotional place. Is this a sign that something tragic happens to somebody totally undeserving, or somebody Maddie loves? Buck is in very real danger himself, what with the raging waters and health issues, and he is Maddie's brother. Could something happen to Buck rather than Christopher?

Fox’s 9-1-1 Went Titanic To Create Massive Tsunami Disaster In Season 3

Unfortunately, we won't find out until the next episode of 9-1-1 airs on Monday, October 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Called "The Searchers," the episode will feature Buck fearing the worst after Christopher goes missing, while Athena, Maddie, Bobby and the 118 work together to save lives.

Ronda Rousey is coming to Fox’s 9-1-1 in order to fight that big tsunami in Season 3! Okay, maybe that won't be her role exactly, but if anybody was up for fighting a tsunami, it would surely be Rousey! The Fox drama is heading back for its third season, and it has added the WWE star to the cast. First, a little background about that tsunami in case you missed the fact that one is happening on the show.

The trailer for 9-1-1’s third season showed a terrifying tsunami hitting Santa Monica. In it, you can see beachgoers enjoying the day before the shoreline starts receding, and doom prepares to hit. Watch it below and then regroup afterward for more about Ronda Rousey’s role:

Now that you fully understand the context of 9-1-1 Season 3, here is what you need to know about Ronda Rousey’s role in it. Rousey has signed on to star as a firefighter by the name of Lena Bosko. Bosko is a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department (Station 136).

Personality-wise, Lena Bosko is described as “stoic” and “fearless,” and Deadline reports she will recur in the role. Bosko’s personality traits sound like a solid combination for any first-responder to have. She and Los Angeles are going to have a lot to sift through in 9-1-1 Season 3.

Ronda Rousey’s Lena Bosko is said to spring into action in an attempt to save lives after a “disaster hits.” Considering that the trailer for Season 3 shows that giant tsunami hitting, she will have her hands full.

Bosko will lose her team during the disaster, per EW. She will then join Eddie and other members of Station 118 in the fight to save lives. Fans will not have to wait for long to see Ronda Rousey make her 9-1-1 debut either. She will reportedly appear in the Season 3 premiere. The Fox drama is bringing it!

A lot can happen on 9-1-1, so it will be interesting for fans to see Ronda Rousey take action in the upcoming season. The drama dealt out quite the shocker before ending Season 2. Following a deadly twist last season, Jennifer Love Hewitt explained how the show would change. The aftermath of a tsunami is guaranteed to continue shaking things up.

How long will Ronda Rousey stick around? It is not entirely clear. Considering the magnitude of that tsunami, you would think that 9-1-1 will be dealing with the aftermath for a while in Season 3.

Ronda Rousey recently starred in the Mark Wahlberg actioner Mile 22. Back in 2017, she guest-starred on NBC’s action drama Blindspot (as pictured above).

Check out Ronda Rousey in 9-1-1 when Season 3 premieres Monday, September 23 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. The dramatic series is among many returning and premiere this fall.

NetherRealm Studios is currently hard at work on Mortal Kombat 11, which is set to come out for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The upcoming fighting game was rumored to have a brand name martial artist joining the voice cast, and, apparently, that's true because former UFC champion, Ronda Rousey, has seemingly confirmed her involvement with the game.

The news was confirmed via a tweet sent out from Ronda Rousey's official account, where she simply stated that Earthrealm was safe with her, and that she couldn't wait for Thursday, for the big reveal at 10 a.m., January 17th.

There's a link to Rousey's Instagram page where she's holding up a plaque with Mortal Kombat 11 on it that says that the big reveal for the game will take place on January 17th, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

This all ties into a now, seemingly, confirmed rumor that Ronda Rousey would be voicing mainstay character, Sonya Blade. But, where did a rumor like that come from?

According to ScreenRant, there was a post on Reddit that was deleted, which featured details from a supposedly leaked internal e-mail that stated that Rousey would be at the Mortal Kombat 11 reveal on January 17th (which appears to be true) and that she will be part of the livestream stage presentation.

Apparently, Rousey's involvement will extend beyond being just a special guest, and it will be announced that she will be voicing Sonya Blade. Keep in mind that all of this information was originally discussed over on The Nerd Mag last week, back on January 10th. This also included a brief look at a work-in-progress box art reveal, which featured the specter Scorpion on the cover while engulfed in gold light with the Mortal Kombat symbol behind him.

The information also pointed out that a new character named Geras is also supposed to be revealed, along with some live gameplay footage. They don't mention anything about showcasing Sonya, but, according to the leak the team was originally going to show off Shao Khan as the pre-order bonus. There will be the presentation of some of the core fighting, the custom variations, the Krushing Blows, and some of the super moves.

Nabbing Ronda Rousey as Sonya Blade definitely seems like a step in the right direction as far as casting is concerned. It would be even cooler if they managed to get Rousey to do Sonya's moves. It would definitely make sense to have a multi-time UFC champion providing the motion capture for one of the franchise's most popular characters. That's not to mention that adding in a few of Ronda's judo techniques into the fold would be a pretty cool thing to have in a Mortal Kombat game.

However, this is still all assuming that Rousey isn't just there as a special guest star. It's not entirely confirmed that she's playing Sonya, but it is at least confirmed that she will be appearing on stage for the formal announcement of the game.

Originally NetherRealm Studios' head honcho Ed Boon revealed Mortal Kombat 11 at the 2018 Game Awards. No details about the actual gameplay, roster, or voice actor line-up was revealed, but it appears all of that information will be made available on January 17th, and we'll finally get full confirmation on Ronda Rousey's role in it all.

WWE recently made a huge announcement for the upcoming WWE 2K19 video game due out later this year. After signing one of the biggest UFC stars in the history of mixed martial arts, and having her debut at Wrestlemania this past year against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, WWE is now proudly announcing that, in partnership with 2K Games, gamers will be able to play as Ronda Rousey for the very first time in an official WWE 2K title. The news is pretty huge, confirming that Ronda Rousey will be playable in WWE 2K19. Rousey joins the very small and illustrious group of superstars who have managed to hold a UFC championship belt, compete at Wrestlemania, and be featured in a WWE game. Take a look at the announcement, below:

Over on the official WWE YouTube channel the company posted a short vignette featuring Ronda Rousey entering a locker room. We hear the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper telling Ronda that she can do great things and inspire a lot of people in the WWE. We see Roddy's signature leather jacket, and Ronda's custom red kilt and white top that reads "Rowdy" on it.

After gearing up we then see Ronda exiting the locker room and the trailer reveals that if you pre-order the game you get to play as Ronda Rousey. The news was met with mixed results by fans, but not for the reasons you think.

You see, a lot of people want to play as Ronda, but they don't want to pre-order WWE 2K19. This creates a bit of a conundrum, as there are plenty of people in comment section asking about Ronda as a playable character.

Some explain that most of all the pre-order DLC is eventually made available for purchase down the line after the game releases. Others chimed in to confirm that most pre-order DLC just makes it so the characters are automatically unlocked on the roster at the start of the game and you don't have to play through the modes to unlock the characters.

Back in the day, this is how secret characters used to be implemented into games. You would play through and complete certain objectives to unlock the character. Fire Pro games and many of the old THQ WWF games were designed so that beating the career modes or winning certain matches would unlock new roster entries.

For a lot of the newer WWE 2K games you can bypass the grind and simply pay to unlock the characters by pre-ordering the game. Ronda also joins Rey Mysterio as a pre-order bonus for this year's WWE 2K19.

Some gamers aren't too thrilled with having to pre-order just to play as one of their favorite UFC and WWE superstars, but, even still, many can't wait to use her new moveset for their own characters in the game. I imagine plenty of gamers will likely buckle under their own anticipation and pre-order the game anyway just to unlock the UFC hall of famer and current WWE superstar.

Traditional Hollywood blockbusters like to shoot on studio lots. The environment is contained. The action can be controlled. There's an important privacy element on the backlot of a major studio. Mile 22, then, shouldn't be viewed as a traditional Hollywood blockbuster. Peter Berg does not want to contain his environment. He wants his action to control his decisions. He doesn't give a damn about privacy, and invites the elements to interfere with his shot. That creates tension, and tension is what Berg craves while shooting Mile 22.

Which explains why CinemaBlend ventured to Bogota, Colombia earlier this year to watch Peter Berg and his cast -- including Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohan and international fighting sensation Iko Uwais -- film an explosive action scene. And when I mean "Bogota," I literally mean Centro Internacional, the midtown section of the South American city that is described to us as "the Times Square of Bogota." And Berg has shut it down so he can film. Cars are on fire. Bodies are lying on the ground. A covert team of military heavy hitters is trying to get a witness (Uwais) out of a hostile environment. And there's about to be an explosion.

This is an incredible way to plunge an audience into an action sequence. It's also a logistical nightmare. Mile 22 executive producer Stuart M. Besser meets with us on set, in a café located mere feet away from the street that Berg's about to blow up, and explains:

But when you can get a shot like this, of Peter Berg and Iko Uwais (The Raid) standing in front of an explosion on the streets of a major South American metropolis, it's worth the effort to overcome those hurdles and bring a movie like Mile 22 to the big screen.

What is this movie about? And what is happening in this particular scene? Great question. In Mile 22, Mark Wahlberg leads Overwatch, a secret tactical team of U.S. operatives who are brought in to complete jobs that our government really can't sign off on. For their latest task, they need to bring a valuable witness (Iko Uwais) from an embassy location in a nondescript city to an airstrip that is 22 miles away. They're tasked with delivering Uwais' character to a transport plane, that only can be on the runway for a total of 10 minutes. And, of course, there's an antagonist who's blessed with endless resources who wants Iko's character dead, and will stop at nothing to halt Wahlberg's convoy and end Uwais' life.

Sounds easy, right?

It's about as easy as pulling off this scene, which takes place as Wahlberg and his team attempt to exit the embassy for the first time. To say that they encounter resistance is an understatement. Cars and trucks ordered by the villainous Axel (Sam Medina) storm the street. A firefight breaks out, while Iko Uwais -- handcuffed to a car door -- uses his feet, free hand, and a seat belt to fend off adversaries. And all the while, Peter Berg is using drone technology to hover over the action, capturing eagle-eye footage that just wouldn't look the same if you tried to stage this anywhere but in Bogota.

Weighing in on the authenticity of the action, and the approach that Peter Berg brings to movies like Mile 22, Mark Wahlberg says:

You can spot the street fight that we witnessed in the latest trailer for Mile 22. The church we stood near as Peter Berg detonated his explosions pops up at the 1:50 mark, but really, the whole trailer is about as badass as they come.

Mile 22 will be in theaters on August 3, and looks to be another hard-hitting, bone-crunching and throat-gripping collaboration from Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, the duo that delivered Lone Survivor, Patriots Day and Deepwater Horizon. We will have plenty more from our set visit to Bogota on the site, so stay tuned.

By design, the bulk of Peter Berg's upcoming thriller Mile 22 will be set in cars. The plot finds a special ops team leader (played by Mark Wahlberg) who is ordered to bring a valuable witness (played by Iko Uwais) from a U.S. embassy to an airstrip that's located 22 miles away. The plane will carry the witness to safety. Only, every stretch of the 22-mile run will be marked by the presence of lethal antagonists ordered to do everything in their power to stop Uwais' character from reaching the plane.

Earlier this year, CinemaBlend traveled to Bogota, Colombia to watch Peter Berg and his cast film scenes from Mile 22. The bulk of what we witnessed involved a shootout outside of the embassy in question, as the team's difficult journey was just getting underway. But as we spoke with the cast, they started telling us about how Berg is going the extra mile -- no pun intended -- to bring an authenticity and a visceral intensity to his car-chase scenes, as they are pivotal to the bulk of the movie. Co-star Lauren Cohan, who plays a member of Mark Wahlberg's team, explained to us:

These rigs, built on the sides of and on top of moving automobiles, further push the point made by Mile 22 executive producer Stuart M. Besser, who said that Peter Berg's approach to on-the-ground and in-your-face filmmaking made Berg the perfect choice for this type of thriller. The producer explained:

This point was later echoed once again by The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan, who was discussing an obstacle -- but also an added benefit -- of shooting on the run in a car while you are being chased, knocked into and shot at. She said that very often, while filming intense chase scenes for Mile 22, you were improvising because you couldn't hear direction. You were reacting to the events happening in the moment. So nothing was truly scripted in those instances, and your reaction couldn't really be wrong. Cohan said:

The intense automobile chases, and the fights that will happen inside, outside and around these moving vehicles, have us very excited for Peter Berg's Mile 22. In one quick fight sequence we witnessed, the ever-agile Iko Uwais was handcuffed to a car door, and used a seatbelt to disarm multiple antagonists. Berg is really plunging his audience into the action, and embracing the limitations that come with setting a chase movie in a series of steady moving cars. See what it looks like in the Mile 22 trailer:

And see how it turns out when Mile 22 opens in theaters on August 3.

Ronda Rousey is out doing interviews once again, but not because she's back with the UFC. Rousey hung up her gloves for a bit and has been appearing on WWE programming as of late as one of its newest superstars. With Rousey fully embracing her WWE career and participating in the upcoming WrestleMania 34, ESPN's Golic and Wingo host Mike Golic wanted to ask Rousey whether or not this meant she was officially done with her MMA career. Unfortunately, he asked in the weirdest way possible which gave the world one of the most awkward interview moments of all-time:

It's really hard to point a finger at who's to blame for this insanely awkward moment on Golic and Wingo. Having said that, there are about a hundred ways Mike Golic could've asked Ronda Rousey if she'd return to the MMA while she was with the WWE, and that was not one of them. If Golic needed help finding the words for that question, he could've referenced the dozens of times interviewers have posed the same question to former UFC champ and current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Had Golic just ended his question after "back," there would've been zero confusion on the part of Rousey, so he definitely deserves some of the blame for this odd moment.

At the same time though, no one would be tweeting about this Golic and Wingo interview had Ronda Rousey not escalated the situation. Sure, it was a weirdly worded question, but Rousey went from calm and amicable to confused and slightly pissed off way too quickly considering it wasn't that hard to understand what Mike Golic was asking. Of course, Rousey's recent past with the UFC hasn't been as great for the fighter as it was during her prime, so maybe the question triggered her to react a little more angrily than she usually would. For all her bluster in the clip, the full interview showed Rousey regained her composure quite quickly after all that awkwardness:

The rest of the interview went incredibly well considering that awkward moment happened within its first 30 seconds. Other celebrities might have bailed the moment they felt uncomfortable, but Ronda Rousey was a trooper and her willingness to hang in there ultimately led to things ending on a high note! Perhaps Rousey could give fellow celebrity Jamie Foxx a few tips on how to handle an awkward ESPN interview?

ESPN airs Golic and Wingo weekdays beginning at 6:00 a.m. ET. As for Ronda Rousey, she has been appearing on USA's Monday Night Raw on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET and getting set for WrestleMania 34 on Sunday, April 8. For a look at other things coming to television in the near future, head on over to CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide. For more on Rousey, check out this clip of the time she bit off someone's ear on Drunk History.

While the real life Ronda Rousey is switching professions from fights in the UFC to bouts in the WWE, her video game counterpart isn't quite ready to make a transition. And if that time does come, there's the potential that Rousey might actually appear in a UFC and WWE game in the same year.

Folks who tuned into the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble last night were treated to a (not quite) surprise appearance by none other than the former UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey. This was the launching point of Rousey's career in the WWE, as she signed an exclusive contract to compete for the sports performance promotion. This, of course, brings an end to Rousey's career in the UFC; at least for the time being.

For video game fans that brings up an interesting opportunity, as the transition means Rousey might appear in both UFC 3 and WWE 2K18. Rousey's timing was probably a little rough for UFC fans, as she's already a playable character in UFC 3, which launches this Friday, Feb. 2, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. According to a report from Gameinformer, though, that doesn't mean that Rousey won't also appear in WWE 2K18, which is still rolling out DLC characters regularly. And while the easiest thing to do might be to save Rousey as a draw for the next WWE game, it also makes sense to strike while the iron is hot and bring her into the current game as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, game contracts and all of that jibba-jabba are tricky to weed through, especially when you're talking about a big-name get like Rousey and two major promotions like the WWE and UFC, as well as two game companies like EA and 2K Games. We figure this whole thing could go one of several ways. The first is that Rousey stays in UFC 3 as planned and, whenever that contract is up, she's free to appear in WWE games.

Another option is that Rousey is removed from UFC 3 via patch and then dropped into the current WWE game in the same fashion.

Finally, they everybody might just play nice and leave Rousey in UFC 3 while also patching her into WWE 2K18. In other words, she might be a playable character in both games at the same time. We figure that would be the best route but, again, we're talking about contracts and red tape galore, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Rousey appeared on the cover of UFC 2 a couple years back but, since then, her standings in the UFC have fallen following a couple of big losses. If she's just not feeling able to compete in the UFC anymore, we can't really blame her for making the transition. Several other athletes have jumped back and forth a couple of times so, again, we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for Rousey.

If nothing else, and regardless of what happens in the games, we figure this is huge news for fans of the WWE.

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne have become the latest celebrities to have their home burglarized. Apparently, the 30-year-old former Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) fighter and her UFC fighter fiancé stopped by her house after time away, and they discovered that people had been squatting in the house and then stole a bunch of valuables. The mixed martial artists reviewed the footage from the security cameras and saw the culprits. Rousey said the bandits were some kids who had skateboards with them, and because there is a skate park near where Rousey and Browne live, they knew where to look. Browne charged over there and found the suspects!

Travis Browne did not rip the suspects to shreds. Instead, he called the cops. But can you imagine the looks on the burglars' faces when they saw him coming? During a recent appearance on Live! With Kelly and Ryan, Ronda Rousey shared the details of the burglary with Kelly Ripa and Jerry O'Connell, who was there to fill in for Ryan Seacrest. As a former UFC women's Bantamweight champion, successful judoka, and Hollywood actress, Rousey might seem like a perfect target for burglars who simply see success as dollar signs. Sadly, these burglars made off with a ton of her things. She explained,

But then again, it's Ronda Rousey's house! Jerry O'Connell said what everyone was thinking when he joked that the burglars must not have done any research at all because breaking into the home of a world-class fighting champion sounds like the worst thing to do.

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne discovered the burglary just before heading to the airport to fly to New Zealand for vacation. In fact, they were going to make a stop at Rousey's mom's house so Browne could ask Rousey' mom for permission to propose. However, the plans changed when Rousey and Browne made a pit stop at home and found the burglary. Luckily, Browne did not let the burglary spoil everything. They still went on their vacation, and Browne proposed to Rousey under a waterfall on the trip. (It's a good thing he had the engagement ring with him!)

Since Ronda Rousey told her story, reports have surfaced that police arrested a 21-year-old woman named Zhamila Bolat and a 20-year-old man named Alim Young in connection with the robbery at Rousey and Travis Browne's house. However, the officials have not yet charged Bolat and Young with anything.

There is no doubt the burglars picked the wrong people to mess with, and Ronda Rousey joked that five minutes alone with her sounded like an excellent way to discipline the criminal but the court might deem it a cruel and unusual punishment. But potential criminals should consider that as a warning and think twice before stepping foot in her home.

A UFC superstar is hoping to kick some ass in something outside of, uh, kicking ass. Ronda Rousey is stepping out of the Octagon and onto network television for what is sure to be a headline event. The 30-year-old former UFC champion has indicated she'd like to further get into acting and is now being given a big shot thanks to NBC, where Rousey has been booked to appear on an upcoming episode of the network's crime drama Blindspot.

For Blindspot, Ronda Rousey will play the role of Devon Penberthy, a prison inmate from a working class family in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The description provided by The Wrap seems oddly specific, so I'm guessing it's all relevant to Rousey's character. Penberthy is tough as nails and is (you're not going to believe this) a talented fighter; she is serving time for transporting weapons across state lines, so it's unknown if Rousey's character will be an asset or enemy in her appearance. The episode of Blindspot is set to air sometime in May, so we'll find out then.

This will not be Ronda Rousey's first time on television, even outside of UFC pay-per-views. The fighter did a live skit with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during Wrestlemania 31, hosted SNL at one point, and she had a guest role on Comedy Central's Drunk History as well. On the big screen, Ronda appeared as herself in the Entourage movie, and in character roles for Furious 7 and The Expendables 3. Judging from all that work in just the past two or three years, I think it's safe to speculate on what type of acting roles Rousey is pursuing.

The term "female action star" is not a term you hear as often as the flip side, but it's certainly a role Ronda Rousey can fill. While many women have starred in action roles, I can't think of too many who have made a dedicated career out of it. A good example would be Milla Jovovich, who has made a living off the Resident Evil series as well as other action films, and another good actress for Ronda to emulate would be Fast & Furious vet Michelle Rodriguez, who also seems to find herself in a lot of action roles. And when in doubt, there's always Cynthia Rothrock.

The point is, enough actresses have worked almost exclusively in action films and done well for themselves, and provided that's what Ronda Rousey wants, it could happen. The UFC fighter has made no announcements regarding her future in the sport where, after famously losing her title to Holly Holm, Rousey returned after a year's absence only to be destroyed by current champion Amanda Nunes, just 48 seconds into their title fight. Many experts in the sport believe that Rousey is done, but the fighter is high profile enough that no one can make that decision but her. If Rousey wants to fight again, UFC won't tell her no, and people will tune in.

No doubt people will also tune into the fighter on Blindspot, and we'll like see what Rousey decides about her UFC future well after the episode hits. Blindspot airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what else is taking over the small screen in the near future.

Ronda Rousey has made a big name for herself both in the ring and in Hollywood over the past few years. She recently made an appearance on Drunk History alongside 2 Broke Girls actress Kat Dennis, and the two got into a bit of a rough and tumble for a segment on the show. In fact, Ronda Rousey was tasked with playing a drunken brawler in New York who bit off another drunken lady's ear. The result is gory gloriousness, just in time for Halloween. Check it out.

The story that Drunk History was recounting is one about Gallus Mag and Sadie the Goat. If you don't know much about Sadie Farrell aka Sadie the Goat, she was a gangster leaving in the fourth ward in New York in the latter half of the 1800s. According to stories told at the time of her gangster activity, she had a longstanding feud with another woman named Gallus Mag, who reportedly enjoyed biting people's ears off. One night she got into a fight with Sadie and proceeded to do just that. If Gallus Mag looked anything like Rousey in real life, you would think people would think twice before getting into a fight...

Drunk History has made a name for itself over at Comedy Central, and because of this, it has been relatively easy for the series to get some big names to come on board and film segments for the series. The show nabbed Ronda Rousey to play the ear-biter and Kat Dennings to play the other gangster and the two have bonded in the meantime. Ronda Rousey and Kat Dennings even knit together now; we're not kidding.

While Ronda Rousey has been busy with gigs like Drunk History and signing on for the Road House remake, the MMA fighter has not been fighting in quite some time. In fact, she's pretty much stayed away from fighting since taking on Holly Holm and losing in November of 2015. Recent reports have indicated Rousey has been training with Olympic boxer Mikaela Mayer in recent weeks, getting ready for the UFC 207 fight this December. While the Drunk History segment aired this week, it should be noted that it was filmed some time ago, so it's not like she's taken time away from training to do awesome, but in the scheme of things frivolous, stuff.

If you'd like to see other big guest stints on Drunk History, new episodes of the Comedy Central series air on Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. To find out what shows have yet to premiere this fall, check out our fall TV schedule.

Athlete extraordinaire Ronda Rousey may have won her way into the spotlight thanks to her victories as an MMA fighter, but she’s definitely not limiting her projects to knocking out opponents in the ring. Rousey has had a very big couple of years, and 2016 could be the time that she begins to dominate the small screen. Lifetime has officially announced that Ronda Rousey will be bringing her talents to the network.

Ronda Rousey has signed a Lifetime movie deal comprised of three pictures, according to Deadline. The news came when Lifetime announced its development slate for 2016 – 2017. Details about what her three movies will entail are still vague, but the stories are set to reflect Rousey’s strong feelings about empowerment.

Normally, a network signing an athlete on for a multi-picture deal might seem somewhat risky. Sure, the Rock has pulled off a movie and television career, but he’s the exception rather than the rule. Still, Ronda Rousey has accumulated enough experience as an actress that it’s not hard to see why Lifetime would take a leap of faith to capitalize off of her popularity and passion.

Ronda Rousey made her feature film debut in 2014 with The Expendables 3, and 2015 saw her back on the big screen with Furious 7 and Entourage. Her roles in Expendables and Furious featured a great deal of action, and she actually played herself in Entourage. She will also star in a reboot of Road House--that will undoubtedly involve her destroying plenty of opponents--and a biopic of her own life. It should be interesting to see if her Lifetime movies see her depart from playing action-heavy roles and/or herself.

Of course, if Ronda Rousey has her way, she’ll be hitting the big screen in a much bigger role than anything she’s secured so far. She has expressed interest in playing Marvel heroine Ms. Marvel. Given what she would look like as Ms. Marvel, it’s hard not to root for her to get the part. If Marvel doesn’t work out for her, Arrow star Stephen Amell would totally be on board with Rousey showing up in Star City.

Her credits on television in a non-fighting capacity are far more scant, although she did have a memorable hosting gig on Saturday Night Live earlier this year. Hopefully, she’ll be able to combine what experience she’s accumulated in film to what she’s learn for television for some killer Lifetime roles.

There has been some speculation that Ronda Rousey’s projects in the entertainment industry have distracted her from her fighting career (and may have contributed to her big loss against Holly Holm late last year). We’ll likely never find out whether or not Rousey considers broadening her horizons to be a factor in her loss – unless she keeps on producing biopics, that is – but we can get a fix of her talents as well as her passions when she makes her big Lifetime debut.

There’s no saying at this point when Ronda Rousey will head to Lifetime, so be sure to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to see what you can watch in the meantime. 

Ronda Rousey is no joke. The woman is a mixed martial arts champion and actress who can pretty much kick anyone’s ass four times over and barely break a sweat. But, because every badass is still a person, there are some things that get to her. And she just made an apology for something most people wouldn’t guess would bug her.

Ronda Rousey posted this apology on her Instagram page, and I think most of us can agree that, unless you look really hard, without her telling us what the problem is, we simply wouldn’t get it. This is certainly a lot like one of those one-thing-is-not-like-the-other mind games from the newspaper (ah, the old days). Apparently, Rousey was a guest recently on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and, for promotional purposes I assume, was given a photo of herself from the show to share with her followers on various social media platforms. Unfortunately, Rousey noticed something fishy with the photo after she’d already sent it out.

Well, that photo she shared had been altered. If you look closely at the arm closest to the camera, it’s been edited ever so slightly in order for it to look smaller and less pleasantly round than it actually is. And, Rousey was not happy about it. She took to Instagram to apologize and tell her followers that she thinks this edit “goes against everything” that she believes. She also assured everyone that “she’s extremely proud of every inch” of her body.

While Rousey makes note of the fact that this was done to her photo with “severely misplaced positive intentions,” it does make a lot of sense that this would stick in her craw. This woman has worked very hard to be the best in her field, and that means perfecting her physique to a degree that most of us could never hope to reach. She’s the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion (she held the title for 1,074 days) and the last Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion. She was also the first woman from the United States to win an Olympic medal in judo. And, people love her dedication to MMA and her general badassedness.

So, while most of us would love to have someone automatically make our wobbly bits a little more streamlined in photos, Ronda Rousey is having none of that. I’d say whoever did this better be careful not to do it again. They probably wouldn’t like her when she’s angry.

Saturday Night Live has been on hiatus for some time now, but the show will be returning for new Season 41 episodes in the next couple of weeks. We already know Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor Adam Driver is set to headline the January 16 episode, and this morning NBC announced the host that will follow his stint. That upcoming host is none other than Ronda Rousey. Along with Rousey, Selena Gomez has been signed on as the musical guest.

The past year has been a pretty prominent one for Ronda Rousey, who made news when she actively lobbied to play Captain Marvel and landed a gig on the Road House reboot instead. She also had several memorable MMA fights this year and November had her first MMA loss to Holly Holm. A rematch is expected between Rousey and Holm. Somehow, in her spare time between acting and fighting, she’s found time to head to Studio 8H, where she will try her hand at sketch comedy for the first time.

Athletes have traditionally run the gamut on Saturday Night Live. Hosts like Charles Barkley have rocked and been asked back again and again, while Michael Phelps was given only one opportunity, for fairly obvious reasons. Ronda Rousey obviously has more acting experience than a lot of the athletes who have been asked to host an episode of the long-running sketch comedy series, so you would think she would crush it out. However, SNL is a totally different format than any other kind of acting, and the grueling week-long work schedule leading up to the live performance has taken a toll on the best of them.

Not only will it be Ronda Rousey’s first appearance on the series, it will be Selena Gomez’s, as well. The popular singer and former girlfriend of Justin Bieber is also an actress in her own right, having become famous for a role in Wizards of Waverly Place and more recently has done film work with Spring Breakers and Hotel Transylvania 2, not to mention has a Netflix series coming up. Sometimes the musical guest will get to pop up in a sketch or two, and I’m hopeful the episode will work it out so that Gomez gets to flex her acting muscles as well as her vocal cords.

The Ronda Rousey and Selena Gomez episode will air on January 23, just one week after Adam Driver also makes his SNL debut, alongside country music singer and Grammy nominee Chris Stapleton (who is also debuting). It’s going to be a month of newbies on the sketch comedy series. We know it’s a little hard to get excited when SNL is coming off an episode that was double hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey and featured Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band and Paul McCartney. All I’m saying is the show could definitely do worse than Ronda Rousey.

Catch Saturday Night Live on Saturdays—duh—at 11:30 p.m. ET. If you’d like to find out when the rest of your favorite TV shows will be returning, you should check out our full midseason TV schedule.