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Top 10 Wrestling Stories of the Week 3/17: Bella Twins Leave WWE, WrestleMania Matches, New AEW Show, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 17th March 2023
The Bella Twins Brie and Nikki Bella,

Welcome back, TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday practicing your Hall of Fame speech, and miss WWE Smackdown? Perhaps you spent all day Monday trying to get your money out of the bank, and missed Raw.

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

10. AEW and NJPW Forbidden Door to Take Place on June 25th From Toronto, Canada

AEW and NJPW will be opening the forbidden door once again this year. This week it was announced that the promotions will once again join forces to present another Forbidden Door PPV on June 25th. Interestingly this year’s event will be taking place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The event will headline a six-event tour of Canada, with the company running shows in Hamilton, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Calgary in June and July. AEW also considered running the giant Canadian home that John Canton purchased with all that TJRWrestling money, but was worried they would not be able to fill it. (TJRWrestling)

9. The NXT Women’s Championship to be Defended in a Ladder Match at NXT Stand and Deliver

The NXT Women’s Championship will be defended at NXT Stand and Deliver, with or without current champion Roxanne Perez. Last week, Perez suddenly collapsed after defending her championship against Meiko Satomura. This past Tuesday on NXT, Shawn Michaels announced that Perez’s health is still in question with a new champion possibly needing to be crowned. A Ladder Match for the NXT Women’s Championship was then booked for NXT Stand and Deliver on April 1st. So far, Zoey Stark and Gigi Dolin have earned a spot in the match, with it being unknown at this time if Perez will be able to compete in the match or not. Interestingly it is being reported that Perez may be suffering from an actual medical concern, with her status for Stand and Deliver really being up in the air. Hopefully Perez will be fine to compete, as she hasn’t even had time to set up her OnlyFans page yet. (TJRWrestling)

8. New ROH Tag Team Champions to be Crowned at ROH Supercard of Honor

After the tragic death of Jey Briscoe, ROH was left without one-half of their tag team champions. This past Friday on Rampage, Jey’s brother Mark announced the plan to crown new ROH Tag Team Champions. Mark announced that at ROH Supercard of Honor on March 31st, a Reach for the Sky Ladder Match will be held. ‘Reach for the Sky’ is the opening line of the Briscoes theme song, with the match being done in remembrance of Jey Briscoe. As of this writing, former AEW Tag Team Champions the Lucha Bros are the only team that has been announced for the match. It is possible that Paul Wight competes in the match as well, as he is the only guy who could even possibly try to fill the boots of the last champions. (TJRWrestling)

7. MJF Gets Three New Challengers on Dynamite

MJF is not lacking challengers for his AEW World Championship. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, MJF celebrated his Re-Bar Mitzvah in the ring. MJF did not get to celebrate for long however, as he was interrupted by the other three “pillars” of AEW “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin. All three men then challenged MJF for the title, with MJF eventually being pushed into his Bar Mitzvah cake. It is unknown if all “four pillars” will now clash for the title, or if MJF will have to defend it against some random wrestlers from AEW Dark first. (TJRWrestling)

6. Taya Valkyrie Debuts for AEW

Jade Cargill may soon have a huge challenge to her undefeated streak. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, AEW TBS Champion made quick work of Nicole Matthews. After the match, Cargill asked if Matthews was all that Canada had to offer. Suddenly former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie came down to the ring, with Cargill quickly fleeing. It was later announced by Tony Khan that Valkyrie had officially signed with AEW, with Valkyrie hoping to paint a better picture in AEW than Monet ever did. (TJRWrestling)

5. Edge and Finn Bálor to Compete in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania 39

For the first time in seven years, there will be a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania. This past Monday on Raw, Edge challenged Finn Bálor to face him in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania 39. Bálor quickly accepted the challenge, stating that, “he has been to hell before and it could not handle his demons.” Personally, I have also been to hell before and could not handle all her demons, which is why I am now divorced. (TJRWrestling)

4. The Great Muta to be Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023

One of the greatest superstars in Japanese wrestling history is set to enter the WWE Hall of Fame. This past Wednesday on WWE The Bump, Ric Flair announced that his former rival The Great Muta would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Interestingly Muta has never actually wrestled a match for WWE, but has held world championships in Japan for NJPW, AJPW and Noah. Muta then made a name for himself with the American audience by competing in WCW, capturing the NWA Television Championship and WCW Tag Team Titles with Vampiro. Muta actually retired earlier this year, wrestling his last match on February 21st. Flair will be inducting Muta, assuming he doesn’t pass out from being too dehydrated. (TJRWrestling)

3. Rey Mysterio to be Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023

The most successful luchador in WWE history will not have to wait until retirement to enter the WWE Hall of Fame. This past Friday on Smackdown, it was announced that the first announced entrant in the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame Class will be Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion with the WWE, including being a three-time WWE World Champion. After the announcement, Mysterio came down to the ring to then be immediately interrupted by his son Dominik. Dominik said that Rey deserved to be in the Deadbeat Dad Hall of Fame, and not the WWE Hall of Fame. Upon hearing about a potential Deadbeat Dad Hall of Fame, both Stephanie and Shane McMahon started working on their induction speeches. (TJRWrestling)

2. The Bella Twins Change Their Name

Two WWE Hall of Famers will be going by different names from here on out. This week The Bella Twins announced that they will now be going by Brie and Nikki Garcia. It was later announced that Brie and Nikki are officially done with the WWE altogether as well. The Bella Twins had not been seen in the WWE in over a year, last competing in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble Match. After losing The Bella Twins it is now believed that WWE will have to make a significant offer to either Eva Marie or Mandy Rose to try to save their women’s division. (TJRWrestling)

1. AEW Rumored to be Adding Another Television Show

AEW fans may soon not have to go to YouTube to see some of their favorite wrestlers. This week it was reported that AEW and Warner Bros Discovery are closing on a deal to add a fourth show to their weekly television schedule. AEW already airs AEW Dynamite on Wednesdays at 8PM ET as well as Rampage on Friday nights at 10 PM ET. It was also announced recently that AEW‘s third show titled All Access will be premiering after Dynamite on March 29th. The new fourth show is reported to be airing on TBS on Saturdays at 6:05 PM ET, which is the time slot of the old WCW Saturday Night TV show that aired in the 1980s and 1990s. No name has been given to the new show at this time, although John Canton has suggested calling it AEW Carpel Tunnel. (TJRWrestling)

aew logo dynamite rampage

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 bank with no money, 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.