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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Jericho Trolls Roman Reigns
The online war of words between WWE and AEW hit another level over the weekend thanks to the 30-minute head-to-head showdown between SmackDown and Rampage on Friday.
Chris Jericho got in on the fun by trolling WWE universal champion Roman Reigns:
After ratings for the two shows were released Monday, both companies were claiming victory. SmackDown’s 30 minutes on FS1 beat Rampage 866,000 to 578,000 in total viewers.
In the 18-49 demographic, which has historically been regarded as the most coveted in television, AEW won in the ratings during its half-hour against SmackDown:
Jericho’s tweet is a reference to Reigns’ segment with Brock Lesnar going up against a match between Ruby Soho and the Bunny.
It took a while for WWE to start acting like it was in a ratings war, but it seems apparent Vince McMahon is operating that way. He loaded up the 30 minutes that SmackDown was on FS1 with a Raw women’s title match between Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks.
The show-closing angle involved Reigns and Lesnar in what is, by far, the biggest feud going in WWE right now.
Regardless of where fans stand in the WWE vs. AEW divide, there’s no denying that competition between the two brands is good for people watching. WWE can no longer afford to be complacent with its television.
AEW is still a young, growing brand that has proved to have wide appeal to wrestling fans in just two years of existence.
Retro Raw Show Reportedly in the Works
It’s been a few years since WWE ran an old-school version of Raw, though that will reportedly change very soon.
Per Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), WWE is planning a Retro Raw show for January.
An exact date was not specified, though the first opportunity will be on the first show of the year (Jan. 3).
WWE has held old-school episodes of Raw multiple times, and the most recent one occurred Jan. 6, 2014.
More recently, there was a Raw Reunion show in July 2019 that featured appearances from WWE legends such as Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan.
It’s unclear if a Retro Raw show would only feature the old-school stage set up or if past icons will make an appearance.
WWE usually loads up its themed shows with Superstars both past and present, so it would be safe to assume this one is no different if it happens.
Bray Wyatt Finds New Name
With his 90-day non-compete clause set to expire soon, Bray Wyatt is thinking about the next step in his wrestling career.
Per Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Michael Perry of Ringside News), the former WWE Superstar is currently planning to use Windham as his ring name going forward.
Windham Rotunda is his legal name. WWE adopted the Bray Wyatt moniker for the two-time universal champion.
Wyatt was a surprise release by WWE on July 31. He had been booked and promoted as one of the top stars in the company for years prior to the move.
There has been a lot of speculation about where he will end up. Meltzer noted that AEW president Tony Khan has said in interviews he is interested in talking to the former WWE Superstar.
Wyatt has also been connected to Impact Wrestling, but Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Joshua Gagnon of Wrestling Inc.) reported earlier this month the two sides were not close to a deal.
Wyatt’s stature as one of the biggest stars in WWE over the past five years and his ability in the ring will make him desirable to any of the major promotions.
The end of Wyatt’s 90-day non-compete clause is Oct. 29, so fans will likely get an answer on where he is going soon.
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