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Top 10 Wrestling Stories of the Week 9/30: Edge/Balor At Extreme Rules, More WWE White Rabbit Teases, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 30th September 2022
wwe extreme rules 2022 edge finn balor

Welcome back, TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday deciphering rabbit clues and missed WWE Smackdown? Perhaps you spent all day Monday icing your ass after having a football kicked at it and missed Raw.

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

10. Sasha Banks Changes Her Twitter Handle

The Sasha Banks saga continued this week. After heavy rumors circulated that Banks was returning to the WWE, it’s currently unknown when or if she might return. This week Banks changed her Twitter handle from @SashaBanksWWE to her real name @MercedesVarnado. Banks has not been seen in the WWE since walking out with her partner Naomi on the May 16th edition of Raw. We will all have to continue to wait and see if Banks ever does return to the WWE, but I have a feeling it is going to depend a lot on what effect they can have on her Bank Statement. (TJRWrestling)

sasha banks wwe pose

9. Bron Breakker to Defend the NXT Championship in a Triple Threat Match

Bron Breakker’s chances of leaving NXT Halloween Havoc on October 22nd with the NXT World Championship decreased by 33.3% this week. This past Tuesday on NXT, former NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov came to the ring to challenge Breakker to a match. Number one contender JD McDonagh then came out to remind everyone that he is next in line for a title shot. Breakker then joined the party, and did some Steiner math to let Dragunev and McDonagh know that he would face both of them at Halloween Havoc. For those unaware Steiner Math is just like regular math but more confusing, like the Metric System. (TJRWrestling)

8. Sami Zayn Named Honorary Uce

After tagging along with the group for weeks, Sami Zayn is finally officially a member of The Bloodline. This past Friday on Smackdown, Zayn and The Bloodline gave a promo in the ring. Zayn started the promo by showing his gratitude to The Bloodline and publicly acknowledging Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief. Reigns would then respond by ordering Zayn to take off The Bloodline Shirt, with Jey Uso eventually ripping the shirt off of him. Reigns then told Zayn that he is never to wear that shirt again, as he had gotten him a new one. Reigns then gave Zayn a new shirt that said “Honorary Uce” on it. An elated Zayn then hugged Reigns, while Jey Uso looked visibly upset. Normally getting that excited about a t-shirt would seem strange, but you have to remember that they cost 35 bucks in the arena. (TJRWrestling)

7. Candice LeRae Returns to the WWE

It did not take long for Johnny Gargano’s wife to follow him back to the WWE. This past Monday on Raw, Candice LeRae made her shocking return. LeRae would go on to defeat Nikki A.S.H in less then two minutes, causing A.S.H to rip off her mask in frustration. LeRae has not been seen on WWE television since competing for NXT in July of 2021. LeRae was forced to stop wrestling soon after that, due to getting pregnant with her and Gargano’s first child (their baby boy Quill was born in February 2022). LeRae’s contract would then expire while she was out, with her deciding at the time not to re-sign. Upon seeing LeRae’s return, Gisele Bundchen immediately contacted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office to inquire about playing center. (TJRWrestling)

6. Chris Jericho to Face Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship

For the first time in 13 years, Bryan Danielson will challenge for the ROH World Championship. This past Wednesday on Dynamite, Jericho successfully defended the ROH Championship against former champion Bandido. After the match, Jericho proceeded to give a promo and challenge Danielson to a match for the ROH Championship on the October 12th episode of Dynamite in Toronto. Jericho then claimed he was going to destroy everything associated with Ring of Honor, before attacking announcer Bobby Cruise. If Jericho truly does want to destroy everything associated with ROH, then I would recommend that he suggest to Tony Khan to have more media scrums after the show. (TJRWrestling)

5. Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross to Compete in a Strap Match at Extreme Rules

Both Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross are going to be tied up on October 8th. This past Friday on Smackdown, Drew McIntyre came to the ring and announced that he would be facing Karrion Kross in a strap match at Extreme Rules. Scarlett then came down to the ring, while Kross proceeded to attack McIntyre from behind. McIntyre began getting the advantage on Kross however, striking Kross with the strap several times. This led to Scarlett getting into the ring and attempting to hit McIntyre with a fireball, but missing by a mile. Scarlett then did hit McIntyre with a low blow however, which led to Kross putting McIntyre asleep with the Kross Jacket sleeper. Kross should have the advantage at Extreme Rules, as after being strapped with the gimmick Vince McMahon gave him this should be a walk in the park. (TJRWrestling)

wwe extreme rules 2022 drew mcintyre karrion kross

4. Bayley to Face Bianca Belair in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules

WWE Extreme Rules will be living up to its name this year. After already announcing an Extreme Rules, Strap, Fight Pit and I Quit Match for the premium live event, WWE has decided to add a Ladder Match as well. This past Monday on Raw, Bayley challenged Bianca Belair to a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules for the Raw Women’s Championship. This match is in addition to the Strap, Donnybrook, Extreme Rules, I Quit and Fight Pit Match already announced for the show. This is a stark contrast from last year’s Extreme Rules event which only had one stipulation match on the show. Clearly, Triple H is trying to bring the Extreme to the ring, whereas Vince McMahon was more focused on getting “extreme” outside of the ring. (TJRWrestling)

3. The Great Muta Saves Sting On AEW Rampage

Sting got some help from an old rival this past Friday on AEW Rampage Grand Slam. Sting and Darby Allin were facing House of Black members Brody King and Buddy Matthews at the event, when House of Blacks manager Julia Hart handcuffed Sting’s hands behind his back. House of Black then continued the attack on Sting and Allin, before the lights went out and The Great Muta shockingly made his entrance. Muta then easily beat down House of Black, helping Sting get the win. Later in the week, it was announced by Pro Wrestling Noah that Sting will be a part of Muta’s retirement match in Yokohama, Japan on January 22nd, 2023. This will be the first time in 25 years that Sting competes in Japan. This will be Muta’s last match in his legendary career, unless of course he gets offered a tag match in Nashville, Tennessee. (TJRWrestling)

2. More White Rabbit Teases

WWE continued the speculation of who is the mysterious White Rabbit this week. This past Friday on Smackdown, there was another QR code that led to a “white rabbit” game that gave coordinates to Edmonton, Alberta, which is where Monday’s Raw was. Fans at Smackdown also received flyers with “white rabbit” on their cars. The hints then continued on Raw, with yet another QR code appearing. This code led to a 16-second video that featured WWE stars from the past and present, as well as coordinates that led to a giant pink bunny. Interestingly the video also featured the Zip Code for Corbin, Kentucky. Corbin, Kentucky is best known for being the birthplace of KFC, possibly meaning that no matter who the White Rabbit is, it is going to give you diarrhea. (TJRWrestling)

https://twitter.com/jay48565203/status/1573377052514062336?s=46&t=HrwKPC1VS3Db_JA09mjQlA

1. Edge to Face Finn Bálor in an I Quit Match at Extreme Rules

The Rated R Superstar has once again returned to Monday Night Raw. This past Monday on Raw, The Judgement Day’s Damian Priest lost to Matt Riddle. After the match, Priest and fellow Judgement Day members Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley would then attack Riddle. This would lead to Edge making his surprise return, to help fight off The Judgement Day. Edge would then go on to challenge Bálor to an I Quit Match at Extreme Rules on October 8th. It should be noted to win the I Quit Match you have to make your opponent tap out or submit, and not uncover millions of dollars in hush money payments. (TJRWrestling)

That concludes another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. Although I often joke, I have recently started refereeing with NYCW 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 livin’ in the gangsta’s paradise. Then follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1. Thank you for taking the time to read this each week.