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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.
Owens Calls Out McConaughey for Match
On the heels of main eventing Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 against WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kevin Owens has his sights set on a Hollywood star for WrestleMania 39.
During an appearance on WWE After The Bell on Friday (h/t Michael Perry of Thirsty For News), KO discussed celebrity involvement at WrestleMania and who he would like to face next year in California:
“I did interviews before WrestleMania and people were asking me, ‘If you could pick a celebrity to have a match with, who would it be?’ He’s my favorite actor … a few years ago, Matthew McConaughey came to a show, he was backstage. I didn’t get to meet him because there was a line of people waiting to talk to him, so I didn’t get to see him. I would have loved to say hi. I remember, not long after that, he talked about how he would love to do something in WWE. I don’t know him at all, but he seems like the kind of guy who would be coming in to do it right and have a blast. People like that are welcome in our industry anytime.
“If we’re speaking things into existence, WrestleMania 39, come at me McConaughey, I’m gonna f–k you up.”
Owens has some experience working with celebrities in WWE, as he powerbombed musician Machine Gun Kelly through a table several years ago and hit YouTuber Logan Paul with a Stunner after beating Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 37 last year.
As part of the After The Bell interview, KO mentioned how he has no issues with celebrity involvement in WWE provided the celebrities are committed to doing well and respect the business.
Owens pointed toward Paul and Johnny Knoxville—both of whom competed at WrestleMania 38—as celebrities who did everything the right way.
Given that McConaughey is a hugely popular actor in good physical condition, he could be a quality fit for WWE, and someone who WWE would likely be open to utilizing.
It is unclear if McConaughey still has interest in doing something with WWE, but if he does, he has a ready-made opponent in Owens.
Miz, O’Neil to Appear at NFL Draft
WWE Superstars The Miz and Titus O’Neil will announce draft picks for their respective hometown teams during the 2022 NFL draft next week.
Per WWE.com, The Miz will announce picks for the Cleveland Browns, while O’Neil will announce selections for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Regarding the opportunity, Miz said: “I am thrilled to head to Las Vegas to represent my hometown Cleveland Browns at the NFL draft. As someone who grew up a huge Browns fan, the opportunity to play a small part in the future of the franchise is a dream come true. This is going to be AWESOME!”
O’Neil, who starred collegiately at the University of Florida and later player in the Arena Football League, added:
“I’m honored to represent my hometown NFL team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at this year’s NFL Draft. As a person who holds a great relationship with many of the players and someone who enjoys an impactful partnership with the Bucs organization serving the Tampa Bay region through my Bullard Family Foundation, this is truly a special moment. This opportunity to announce the name of the next great contributor to our community both on and off the field is an honor that I’ll never forget. It’s also the BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT ever as I get to celebrate on my birthday this very special occasion with the NFL, the Bucs, the Tampa Bay community, and the player selected.”
The 2022 NFL draft will be held in Las Vegas next week from Thursday, April 28, through Saturday, April 30.
Miz’s Browns are looking to bounce back from missing the playoffs in 2021, while O’Neil’s Bucs will attempt to win their second Super Bowl in three years, bolstered by the return of quarterback Tom Brady after a brief retirement.
Both teams could take a step toward accomplishing their goals with a strong performance in the draft.
Bret Hart May Have Signed Big WWE Contract
There has long been speculation regarding WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart signing with AEW in some capacity, but that may not be possible.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), some in AEW believe Hart “quietly signed a lucrative” contract with WWE that would prevent him from appearing on AEW programming.
Some fans have assumed that Hart would do something with AEW in the near future since the company is running a men’s and women’s tournament named after Bret’s late brother, Owen Hart.
FTR, the reigning ROH and AAA world tag team champions, have teased working with Hart as well, and while it is going to happen, it won’t be in AEW.
Last week, independent promotion Big Time Wrestling announced that Hart will manage FTR in a match against Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson at a BTW show in June.
The fact that nothing has been announced regarding Hart in AEW could be a sign that WWE took measures to prevent it from happening.
Hart did appear in AEW once before, showing off the AEW World Championship for the first time at Double or Nothing in 2019.
The Excellence of Execution has had no involvement with AEW ever since, and the terms of his WWE contract could explain why.
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