Features

Top 10 Wrestling Stories of the Week 3/3: AEW Revolution Preview, New WWE Women’s Tag Champs, WrestleMania 39 Build, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 3rd March 2023

Welcome back, TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday looking for a new favorite comic strip, and missed WWE Smackdown? Perhaps you were busy increasing your life insurance policy after finding out your WrestleMania opponent and missed Raw.

Worry not for I have returned with another edition of the Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week.

10. Shawn Michaels to Appear on Grayson Waller’s Talk Show

Grayson Waller is scheduled to have a huge guest on his talk show “The Grayson Waller Effect” this coming Tuesday at NXT Roadblock. This week on Twitter, WWE Hall of Famer and Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, Shawn Michaels, announced that he has accepted Waller’s invitation to appear on the show. Waller and Michaels have been feuding since NXT Vengeance Day on February 4th, when Waller confronted Michaels during the post-show media call and was suspended. At the age of 57, it seems doubtful that Michaels will actually compete in a match against Waller, as at that age it would be a real concern of Michaels’s heart actually breaking during the match. (TJRWrestling)

9. Eddie Kingston “Quits” AEW

Eddie Kingston will be updating his resume this week. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, he stated “I quit AEW – peace,” during a backstage interview. Kingston was scheduled to compete in The Face of the Revolution Ladder Match on the show, but ended up getting into a brawl with Ortiz before the match began. Kingston was already frustrated with AEW management before Dynamite even began, claiming on social media…

“I may not be at [Dynamite] though, it all depends on how certain things go in the locker room with the office. Especially with my match that’s coming up on Wednesday, not really happy about it. Yeah, so we have to have a talk, me and I’m not going to say who’s the office, everybody knows about Tony [Khan] but there are others.”

Kingston is going to appear regularly in ROH moving forward just as he did this week. Upon hearing that Kingston had quit AEW, Tony Khan immediately signed 30 new wrestlers to replace him. (TJRWrestling)

8. Powerhouse Hobbs Wins Face of the Revolution Ladder Match

Whoever is victorious between Samoa Joe and Wardlow this Sunday at AEW Revolution will not have long to celebrate. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Eddie Kingston, Konosuke Takeshita, Kommander, Sammy Guevara, AR Fox, Ortiz, and Action Andretti in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match. With the victory, Hobbs became the number one contender for the TNT Championship and will challenge either Joe or Wardlow for the title this coming Wednesday on Dynamite. The Face of the Revolution Ladder Match was filled with crazy, dangerous, and quite frankly ridiculous senseless spots, with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks complaining afterward that the competitors in the match had stolen their gimmick. (TJRWrestling)

7. Cody Rhodes to Confront Roman Reigns Tonight on Smackdown

For the first time since winning the Men’s Royal Rumble Match on January 28th, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be on the same show together. It was announced by Rhodes this week on Raw that he will be on Smackdown tonight to confront Reigns. With just a little over four weeks before Reigns and Rhodes meet in the Main Event of WrestleMania 39, it will be interesting to see if the two get physical with each other before the match or if Rhodes just asks Reigns if he can give him the name of his tattoo artist. (TJRWrestling)

6. WWE King and Queen of the Ring to Take Place ThisMay

WWE will soon be graced by royalty once again. This week it was reported that WWE will hold both a King & Queen of the Ring Tournament in Saudi Arabia on May 27th. This will be the first time that either of these tournaments has been held since Xavier Woods and Zelina Vega won them at Crown Jewel 2021. It will be interesting to see who will be crowned this year, although unfortunately neither the king nor queen will have any actual authority over the US government. (TJRWrestling)

wwe king xavier woods and queen zelina vega

5. Finn Bálor Challenges Edge to a Match at WrestleMania 39

After over nine months of feuding, Finn Bálor and Edge will try to settle their score at the biggest show of the year. This past Monday on Raw, Bálor officially challenged Edge to a match at WrestleMania 39. Edge and Bálor have been feuding, since Bálor replaced Edge as the leader of The Judgment Day last June. It has been rumored that Edge and Bálor may meet in a Hell in a Cell Match, which should not be confused with the “Hell for the Crowd” match that Omos and Brock Lesnar will be having. (TJRWrestling)

4. Drew McIntyre Challenges Gunther to a Match at WrestleMania 39

Gunther may have a huge challenge for his first WrestleMania match. This past Friday on Smackdown, Drew McIntyre challenged Gunther to a match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. As of this writing, Gunther has not accepted the challenge, and it has been rumored that Sheamus will be added to the match as well. It was also rumored at one point that Brock Lesnar was going to be facing Gunther, but clearly, WWE must have much bigger and better plans for Lesnar. (TJRWrestling)

3. Brock Lesnar Accepts WrestleMania Challenge From Omos While Delivering A Message To MVP

Last week Omos shockingly challenged Brock Lesnar to a match at WrestleMania 39. This past Monday on Raw, Lesnar appeared on MVP’s The VIP Lounge talk show. MVP then talked Lesnar into accepting Omos’ challenge, with Lesnar then offering MVP “moonshine” to toast the deal. MVP was not a fan of the liquor, however, spitting it out into Lesnar’s face. Lesnar then proceeded to F-5 MVP to end the segment. Coincidentally, every wrestling fan also felt like they were spit in the face when this match was made official. (TJRWrestling)

2. Trish Stratus Returns to Help Lita and Becky Lynch Capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

For the first time since 2006, Lita is a champion in the WWE. This past Monday on Raw, Lita and Becky Lynch defeated Damage CTRL members IYO SKY and Dakota Kai to capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. The finish of the match saw Lita’s long-term rival Trish Stratus make her much-anticipated return, taking out Damage CTRL leader Bayley at ringside. Lita was then able to hit a moonsault on Kai to pick up the win. With WrestleMania 39 just a few weeks away it now appears that both Lita and Stratus will be on the show, in what could only be considered a desperate attempt to recoup some of the star power lost by not having Mandy Rose on the show. (TJRWrestling)

1. AEW Revolution to Take Place This Sunday Night

AEW’s next PPV event titled AEW Revolution is scheduled to take place this Sunday at 8PM ET. So far eight matches have been announced for the show, including Christian Cage and “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry competing in a street fight. The Elite will defend the AEW Trios Championships against The House of Black. Jamie Hayter will defend the AEW Women’s Championship against both Saraya and Ruby Soho. Chris Jericho will face Ricky Starks, with the JAS being banned from ringside. Samoa Joe will defend the AEW TNT Championship against Wardlow. The Gunns will defend the AEW Tag Team Championships against The Acclaimed, Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett as well as Danhausen and Orange Cassidy in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Finally, MJF will defend the AEW World Championship against Bryan Danielson in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. I am really excited for the Danielson and MJF match, with perhaps the only wrestler I would like to see going for an hour more being Mandy Rose. (TJRWrestling)

That concludes another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. Although I often joke, I have recently started refereeing with and GroundZero and FCWA, and respect more than ever what wrestlers do every week. I wrote an article all about it all right here. If you like what I do, despite my jokes being almost as bad as a bear on cocaine, then follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1 and listen to my Podcast The Smark and the Noob. Thank you to all of those who read this every week.