Backstage Update on Becky Lynch’s Break from Wrestling & WWE Return Plans
As noted before, Becky Lynch’s contract with WWE expired this past June and she is currently on a break from wrestling but is believed to be returning to WWE in the future.
Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that his sources stated that Lynch’s situation currently remains unchanged. Sapp reported that both Lynch and WWE officials currently expect her to eventually return to the company. Lynch reportedly has been enjoying her time off and WWE officials is trying to respect that.
Cody Rhodes Comments on How He Wanted to Return Early from Torn Pec Injury in 2022 & Origin of His Cross Rhodes Finisher
A recent episode of the Flagrant podcast featured Cody Rhodes as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Rhodes’ thoughts about how he originally wanted to return early from his torn pectoral injury in 2022 but WWE officials wanted him to wait until Royal Rumble 2023 to return instead.
“I was told I’m winning the Royal Rumble, and at the time, I was rehabbing my pec. I was gonna be gone. I’d never been injured before and I had the pec injury. I’m out for a full seven. I could have come back at four, I could have come back at five. We really waited until the Royal Rumble for me to come back and try to get in the best possible shape of my career.”
Rhodes also gave his thoughts about Jamie Noble being the source for the origin of his Cross Rhodes finisher.
“No, I just steal my stuff from other guys. Yeah (the Cross Rhodes existed before me). It’s called the Roll of the Dice. Still works for me. It’s called the Roll of the Dice… That’s the thing, I had a lot of the mental, hey, I know the psychology. I was raised in the business. So I had the stuff that people get later ingrained in me but the stuff that people get early, like a physicality to being in great shape, a good moveset. I hate that term but hey, do some cool moves. I didn’t have any of that so WWE was backwards in how they, ‘Hey, try this.’ I remember Jamie Noble gave me Cross Rhodes. ‘Hey, try this…”
Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com
WWE News & Notes
WWE recently released three new videos to their WWE Vault channel on YouTube. The first new video was a Buried Alive match of The Undertaker vs. Mankind from WWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive. The second new video was a Casket match of The Undertaker vs. Heidenreich from WWE Royal Rumble 2005. The third new video was a Trick or Street Fight match of Big E vs. Cesaro from the October 30, 2018 episode of WWE SmackDown.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Sportsnet will stop carrying the WWE Network in Canada as of January 1, 2025. Johnson reported that it is currently not known where the rights to the WWE Network archive in Canada will be going to but the safe assumption is that some of the content will appear on Netflix when WWE’s media rights deal with the service goes into efefct in January of 2025.
Deadline reported that Comcast President Mike Cavanagh stated during Thursday’s earnings call that the company is currently looking into potentially spinning off their cable networks into a separate entity. This reportedly would include USA Network and Syfy with the former being the current home network for WWE’s RAW and SmackDown shows.
This past Tuesday’s NXT show was notable for Rhea Ripley making a surprise appearance and also being involved in an unseen parking lot attack that left her bloody for its aftermath. Fightful’s Corey Brennan reported that his sources stated that there was some concern from NXT officials about the amount of blood that was shown during Ripley’s segment in the parking lot but it was green lit by a “higher power” on the brand. In a follow-up report, Brennan clarified that the identity of this “higher power” was either WWE SVP of NXT & Talent Relations Shawn Michaels, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Executive Director Lee Fitting, or a CW executive.
In a recent interview with the Impaulsive podcast, Liv Morgan gave her thoughts about the beginning of the shift in her on-screen presentation in WWE. Morgan stated “Yeah (I have say in what my on-screen character looks like)… The only time someone’s ever told me, aesthetically, was when I was very modest and kind of got to ‘grown-up Liv;’ what I was speaking about before. It’s the only time I’ve ever been told, like, ‘Hey, let’s change our look a little bit…’ It was just a female writer that was like, ‘We’re thinking maybe… Just grow up a little bit. Grow up a little bit.’ I was like, ‘Okay. I know what that means.’ But I think it was right, I think it was right. I was very chaotic Liv, Riott Squad, blue tongue, pink hair. She needed to mature and grow and so…” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)
During the same episode, host Logan Paul gave his thoughts about how he had pitched the idea of him and Dominik Mysterio teaming up together to WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Levesque indicating back to him that the ida was not off the table. Paul stated “I’ll just say it: I pitched Triple H frickin’ me and Dominik (Mysterio) tag team. I’ll just say it. It didn’t seem like it was off the table (Paul said when asked how Triple H responded). I just wasn’t sure if there was room for you (Liv Morgan) in that tag team. (I want to team with Dominik) because I feel like we’re the two biggest villains in WWE and I feel like we’d kick ass together and most importantly, I like him off-camera. We could hang out. Yeah, super cool. So if we have that off-camera chemistry and on-screen chemistry, I feel like there’s some real potential there.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Bo Dallas gave his thoughts about the future of the Wyatt Sicks in WWE. Dallas stated “It’ll get back to there. There are going to be ups and downs. We’ll come back more explosive than ever and keep the vibe and feeling that everyone has seen. It’ll take turns no one saw coming. I think the future is very exciting and looks very, very bright for the Wyatt Sicks.” Dallas also gave his thoughts about how often his Wyatt Sicks group should wrestle. Dallas stated “Whenever they need to take someone out. Whenever the Wyatt Sicks deems it necessary. We can get it done every day of the week if necessary.”