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Details on nixed Kurt Angle plans, creative pitches

Kurt Angle's plans with WWE have been nixed.

Fightful Select reported ahead of the Royal Rumble that Kurt Angle was being discussed for a potential return to WWE TV, which Angle himself confirmed. We also reported that he was in St. Louis to film content, as well as to meet with WWE officials. However, Angle himself revealed that those plans have been nixed.

Since then, Fightful has learned that Angle w...

Top free agent has plenty of options

Swerve Strickland has options. Lots of them from what Fightful has heard.

Ever since the day that WWE released the former Swerve Scott, we've been hearing about promoters inquiring about his status, and what he wants out of a deal with their respective companies. We've heard directly from higher ups in multiple companies that they've asked about bringing him in, with plans in order already from at least one major company to work with him in some capacity.

Specifically, we learned ...

SRS Backstage Report: WWE Morale, AEW Surprise, More

- WWE Morale

- Shane McMahon/Randy Orton

- Xavier Woods

- Mustafa Ali

- Alexa Bliss

- AEW's surprise

- Jeff Hardy

- Larry D leaving IMPACT

- Goldberg

- Nick Gage signs with GCW

- NJPW wrestler now a free agent

- Injuries, contracts

Randy Orton's "verbal cue" to Shane McMahon at the Royal Rumble

This past weekend we ran a story about Randy Orton and Shane McMahon's numbers getting mixed up in the WWE Royal Rumble. To clarify, Randy Orton was supposed to be number 28, and was ready to walk through the curtain when Shane McMahon's music hit. A shocked Shane McMahon headed towards the curtain a...

Why IMPACT wrestler left the company

Larry D asked for his IMPACT Wrestling and was granted it last week.

Fightful spoke to Larry D for his first interview since leaving IMPACT Wrestling, which he says was on very good terms. He asked for his release because he wasn't being used on TV and wants to be "on the field" so to speak, and is very open to returning to IMPACT if there's ever any creative plans for him. He spoke highly of IMPACT from a talent, management and company level, and said that he'd even be open to doing Wr...

Alex's SOUR GRAPS: Raw 2/7 -- Rocky Mountain Low

Every good thing that happened on Raw was negated by a bad thing. It's like they do it on purpose.

A Quiz Bowl might have been the best thing on this wrestling show.

There's gonna be a Women's Elimination Chamber in Saudi after all. And that's ... progress ... ?

Great in-ring, weird ass storytelling and 50/50 booking. It's the WWE trifecta!

Everything sucks. Let's talk about it.

VIDEO: https://youtu...

Raw, Smackdown Producers For Last Week

Fightful learned the following producers for the January 31 Raw

- Jason Jordan produced Bianca Belair vs. Carmella and the Bobby Lashley/Brock Lesnar promo

- Molly Holly and Shawn Daivari produced Nikki ASH vs. Rhea Ripley

- Adam Pearce produced Dominik vs. The Miz

- Michael Hayes produced the KO Show and Austin Theory vs. Kevin Owens

- Shane Helms was the producer ...

WWE Raw Plans

Fightful Select has learned the following plans and order for tonight's WWE Raw, which are subject to change

- Alpha Academy QUIZ BOWL is scheduled to kick off the show

- Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy

- Bobby Lashley & MVP promo

- AJ Styles vs. Damian Priest non-title match

- Miz TV with the Mysterios that becomes Dominik vs. Miz

- Bianca Belair vs. NIKKI ASH

- Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

- Lita in ring promo

- Liv Morgan vs. Doud...

GCW signs Nick Gage to contract

Fightful has confirmed that Game Changer Wrestling has signed Nick Gage to an exclusive, multi-year contract.

We're told this will allow Gage to reduce the number of matches he has to wrestle moving forward, while keeping him a part of the GCW brand.

Speculation among on AEW surprise, more details

Ever since Tony Khan's announcement that a free agent signing would be appearing in AEW this Wednesday, speculation has run rampant.

Fightful has spoken to numerous talent, none of which know who the surprise is slated to be, with several talent reaching out to ask us if we know who it would be. Thus far we've not confirmed the identity, but talent is unanimously speculating Keith Lee. There was at least one wrestler who was confused on the terminology of "Forbidden Door," saying that g...

Original Raw Main Event was much different, changes made to show

WWE Raw went through some heavy changes again for January 31.

The last revision wasn't handed out until shortly before the show Monday night, and had a change to that, even. Montez Ford was scheduled to face Dolph Ziggler, at least until higher ups were smartened up by numerous people to the fact that his teammate Angelo Dawkins is from Cincinnati, where the show was held.

The main event of the show was changed from early drafts as well. Originally, the Elimination Chamber was s...

Fightful Weekender (2/6): GCW, IMPACT, NXT UK, 205 LIVE, MLW, NWA, BTE, BEYOND

STEPHEN JENSEN is back with a new episode of the WEEKENDER!

Topics:

- Show to watch on IWTV - BEYOND: "Day 91"

- GCW: "Fight Club 2" + "If I Die First" results

- IMPACT (2/3) results

- NXT UK (2/3) results

- 205 LIVE (2/4) results

- MLW: "Azteca" (2/3) results

- NWA: "Powerrr" (2/1) results

- BTE: "Cold Day At The Beach" recap

More on Alexa Bliss: Segments, Royal Rumble, Plans

Alexa Bliss returned to WWE Raw...of sorts in January.

Bliss has appeared in numerous therapy segments in which look to "cure" her from her persona over the past year-plus. Fightful has learned there were nine of these segments filmed and produced, two of which have aired on WWE programming already. We haven't been told if all of the segments will air, or if they'll double up on them in order to progress the story, as they seemed to this past week. However, this was a long-term plan for...

More news on Shane McMahon, Royal Rumble and more

Fightful has learned more about some of the issues surrounding Shane McMahon and the Royal Rumble.

Fightful spoke with several people close to the WWE Royal Rumble match who uncovered some of the logic behind Shane McMahon's pitches, or lack thereof. Several sources have indicated that Shane McMahon specifically wanted to go on in a spot that would highlight him, with one even mentioning that he pitched the number one spot. However, we're told that Vince McMahon personally came along a...

Alex's SOUR GRAPS: SmackDown 2/4 -- Toxic Work Environment

I told you so.

I've been saying for months that they're going to find a way to do Roman vs Goldberg, and here we go.

Also, this Aliyah vs Natalya feud is going to make me light things on fire, Sami Zayn is taking the scenic route to getting his IC Title Match, and the main event Ronda segment was a complete mess.

This is why it's not hard to believe that almost nobody likes working there.

Everything sucks. Let's talk about it.

VIDEO: 2022-02-05 05:11:03 +0000 UTC View Post

Smackdown plans for tonight (major return)

Fightful has learned the following plans for Smackdown, which are subject to change.

- Roman Reigns is set for an in-ring promo with Paul Heyman to open the show. Bill Goldberg is set to return.

- Ricochet vs. Ridge Holland. Cesaro and Sheamus are slated for ringside and it will turn into a tag match.

- Erik vs. Jimmy Uso with Ivar and Jey Uso ringside

- Aliyah vs. Natalya

- Drew McIntyre's promo, involving Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss

- Nakamura vs. Jinder...

Note on WWE traveling to Saudi Arabia

We've been receiving numerous inquiries after Nia Jax tweeted that "if you really think that all your favorites don’t feel the same as I do, you’re sadly mistaken" regarding vaccination status. 

While we won't disclose someone's personal vaccination status, we have confirmed with WWE and numerous staff and talent that in order to travel to Saudi Arabia for their upcoming WWE Elimination Chamber show, vaccination is required. One step beyond that, a booster is also required.

A big plan set for tonight's Smackdown

After reporting that Goldberg was set to return to WWE, Fightful has learned that the working plan is for him to appear on tonight's episode of Smackdown.

Flights are getting canceled all over the country, but Fightful confirmed that as of Thursday evening, Goldberg was scheduled to travel to Oklahoma City, the site of WWE Smackdown on February 4. He was also figured in creatively for the program, with the most recent creative being that he'd take on Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia in a co...

WWE Superstar removed from company's internal inactive list

A longtime star could be headed back soon, if internal WWE documents are any indication.

Fightful learned that Xavier Woods was no longer listed on WWE's inactive list as of last week's episode of Smackdown. However, he didn't appear on the show, or at that weekend's Royal Rumble, so we're unsure of when he'll actually return or if he's actually been cleared. Instead, we've just noted that he's not currently on the inactive list internally. On January 13, Woods revealed he'd be missing ...

Figure Haul: Unboxing A 25 Year Old Figure

Want us to tear open some SERIES 1 figures from 25 years ago!? Okay!

Bill Goldberg Set For WWE Return, Creative Plans

Goldberg is slated to head back to WWE.

Fightful has learned that the working plan is for Bill Goldberg to return to WWE imminently. The working plan has been for Goldberg to work the upcoming Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia. 

The most recent plans that Fightful had heard of were that Goldberg would be challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship. The match was set to take place for the title two years ago at WrestleMania, but Reigns withdrew from the...

WWE wrestlers claim morale is at an all-time low for them

WWE's morale seems to be near a decades-long low, if not an all-time low in the locker room.

Since this past week's heavily criticized WWE Royal Rumble, Fightful has heard from a wealth of discouraged and disappointed WWE talent frustrated with the direction of the company. Ranging from those who are rarely on television to consistent main eventers, new names and veterans, we've heard of decreasing morale within the locker room.

The Royal Rumble was a major point of frustration. I...

SRS Q&A Podcast (2/3/22)!

SRS answers 35 minutes of questions for subscribers!

Update on Mustafa Ali/WWE, Royal Rumble pitch, more

Mustafa Ali asked for his WWE release publicly a couple of weeks ago, which Fightful has learned WWE doesn't intend to grant.

Fightful learned via WWE sources that the term "value" was used in reasoning behind keeping Mustafa Ali under contract. He's not been brought back to TV since an argument with Vince McMahon over creative direction. Despite those two things, as of now, we're told there are no working plans in creative for Mustafa Ali, which could certainly change at any moment. We...

The List Goes On 2/2/22

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3J8wcyejOIo

NJPW Star's Deal Expires

Juice Robinson is now a free agent.

Fightful has confirmed that Juice Robinson's New Japan Pro Wrestling deal expired on January 31 after several years with the company. We've not heard on any future plans regarding possibly re-signing or going elsewhere, just that the deal was up on January 31. Robinson has been working for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the United States, and hasn't been t...

WWE Superstar no longer under contract

Brian Kendrick has gained his WWE release.

Last week, PWInsider reported that Brian Kendrick asked out of his WWE contract back in December, but had not been informed of said release. We've since confirmed that Brian Kendrick is no longer under contract to WWE.

Another source indicated that Kendrick was expected to be at the AEW Dynamite show in Chicago on Wednesday. Since then, AEW announced he'd be wrestling Jon Moxley.

Kendrick last wrestled for WWE on the 205 Live bra...

SRS Backstage Report Podcast (2/1): Royal Rumble, More

- Royal Rumble news

- Nixed names

- Backstage Rumble news

- Johnny Gargano

- Kurt Angle

- Riddle Rumble

- Ronda Rousey return

- Shane McMahon

- More

Major Royal Rumble news: Shane McMahon, Riddle, Drew, extra names, more

With the Royal Rumble now having come and gone, we've got lots of news on the show.

There were tons of extras and backups in town who were not used. Apollo Crews, R-Truth Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, Aksana, Jillian Hall were all in town for the show, and served to do media events or backup work. Kaitlyn was also around but we're not told if she was an alternate. The NXT talent that was ...

News On Rumors Riddle Was Supposed to win Royal Rumble

As far as PWInsider's report that Riddle was set to win the Royal Rumble until a last minute change, top talent and longtime names in the company claim that isn't true, with multiple noting that they've been hearing that Brock Lesnar has been penciled in to be the winner at least two weeks prior. People close to Riddle say that he was never told that he'd be winning the match, and another person wouldn't reveal who a previously discussed winner was, but said only one was heard about before Le...