WWE: Interest in Hikuleo, New Season of A&E WWE Programming Arriving This February, More News

WWE Reportedly Interested in Signing Hikuleo

As noted before, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s New Year Dash 2023 event on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan featured Jay White issuing a Loser Leaves Japan match challenge to Hikuelo for a future NJPW event.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that WWE has recently been interested in potentially signing Hikuleo to an official deal with the company. WWE officials reportedly have been interested in Hikuleo for the past several months.

Similar with the recent Dragon Lee signing, it was reported that WWE has been using intermediaries to express their interest to talent they would like to potentially sign with Hikuleo being another one given this treatment.

It was also reported that it is currently not known if WWE has officially contacted Hikuleo for potential contract talks nor the status of his current contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Hikuleo has been with NJPW since November of 2016. Besides NJPW, Hikuelo has also made several appearance for ROH, AEW, and Impact Wrestling over the past several years.

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New Season of WWE Programming Airing on A&E This February

WWE recently announced that a new season of their WWE Legends Biography and WWE Rivals series will be premiering on television cable network A&E on February 19th.

It was also announced that the next season of their WWE Most Wanted Treasures will be premiering on A&E this summer.

Official press release:

‘Biography: WWE Legends’ and ‘WWE Rivals’ return to A&E Feb. 19

WWE on A&E returns this winter beginning Sunday, Feb. 19, with the Season 3 premiere of “Biography: WWE Legends” at 8/7 C followed by the Season 2 premiere of “WWE Rivals” at 10/9 C. Airing back-to-back each Sunday, the series continue to explore the lives and careers of some of the most iconic WWE Superstars through unprecedented access, interviews and footage. The premieres continue A&E and WWE’s ongoing partnership featuring 130 hours of new, premium WWE-themed series and specials commissioned by the network to air exclusively on A&E platforms and distributed worldwide by A+E Networks.

Under the award-winning “Biography” banner, each two-hour episode of “Biography: WWE Legends” continues to tell the intimate, personal stories behind the success of some of WWE’s most memorable Legends and events. Through rare archival footage and in-depth interviews, each episode explores a different Legend and their immense impact in the WWE Universe and on pop culture. The season premiere will explore the infamous group NWO with other Legends featured this season including Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Chyna, Dusty Rhodes, Kane and The Iron Sheik.

Following “Biography: WWE Legends,” Season 2 of “WWE Rivals” returns with actor and former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. leading a roundtable discussion of WWE luminaries to delve into the storylines and dynamic characters behind the epic battles that built WWE. Each one-hour episode features archival footage from WWE’s library as well as interviews with the Legends involved and the Superstars that watched these rivalries unfold. The season begins with examining Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant, and will explore other rivalries including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart, Undertaker vs. Mankind, The Rock vs. John Cena, Triple H vs. Batista, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels.

The action continues later this year with additional WWE-focused premieres. In addition to a new slate of “Biography: WWE Legends” episodes premiering this spring, there will be even more WWE stories featured in Season 2 of “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” this summer. This season, WWE Hall of Famers Booker T, Mick Foley and Lita lead the search for WWE’s most iconic missing memorabilia.

“Biography: WWE Legends” and “WWE Rivals,” are produced by WWE for A&E Network. Executive Producers for WWE are Kevin Dunn and Chris Kaiser. Executive Producers for A&E Network are Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson and Jonathan Partridge. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights.

Join the conversation by following @WWEonAE and using #WWEonAE. All series will be available on demand and to stream on the A&E App and aetv.com.

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WWE News & Notes

WWE’s current ad on their official website for their upcoming RAW 30th Anniversary show on January 23rd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania featured Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey among those who will be making an appearance at the event.

During a recent interview with The A2theK Wrestling Show podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle revealed that WWE recently contacted him for a potential appearance at their RAW 30th Anniversary show later this month. Angle also stated that he has yet to be contact for a potential appearance at this April’s WrestleMania 39 event in Inglewood, California. (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

Dominik Mysterio announced on Instagram that he recently got engaged to his girlfriend Marie Juliette.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that William Regal made his official return to WWE this past Wednesday. In a follow-up reported that his sources also stated that as part of his new backstage duties with the company, Regal is currently expected to be in attendance backstage at tonight’s SmackDown show in Memphis, Tennessee.

As noted before, Mercedes Mone, former Sasha Banks in WWE, made her official debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling at their Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan. WWE recently confirmed that Mone’s contract with the company had expired and quietly moved her profile on the Alumni section of their official website.

Akira Tozawa recently announced on Instagram that he and his wife are currently expecting the birth of a child for their family.

As noted before, Bianca Belair suffered a facial injury during her match against Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship at this past Monday’s WWE RAW show. Belair recently provided an update on Twitter revealing her face had swelled up from her injury as of this past Wednesday.