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Top 10 Wrestling Stories of the Week 1/28: Ronda Rousey WWE Rumors, Royal Rumble, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 28th January 2022
Ronda Rousey holding Raw Women's Championship

Welcome back TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday NOT apologizing for having an addiction, and missed WWE Smackdown? Perhaps you spent all day Monday recovering from the football games over the weekend, and missed Raw.

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

10. Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff Appear on Smackdown

It was a busy week for Conrad Thompson’s Podcast co-hosts this week. This past Friday on Smackdown, both Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff appeared on the show. Jarrett appeared in a backstage segment with Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura. Jarrett complemented Boogs on his guitar playing, with Boogs then spelling out Jarrett’s name. As for Bischoff, he was shown talking to WWE official Adam Pearce. Bischoff and Pearce were interrupted by Sonya Deville. Pearce then told Deville that he was going to suggest to management that she faces Naomi the following week on Smackdown, with Bischoff then praising Pearce for his leadership abilities. Bischoff had requested that his segment be recorded in catering, but it was found to be too noisy. (TJRWrestling)

9. ROH Announces Hall of Fame

Ring of Honor may not have a single contracted talent, but they will have a Hall of Fame. Ring of Honor announced on their website this past Wednesday that they will be establishing a Hall of Fame to coincide with ROH’s 20th anniversary this year. ROH will announce the first inductee this Monday and then three more inductees on February 7th, 14th and 21st. ROH will have an impressive pool of former talents to choose from including such names as CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens and many more. We shall have to see who gets the honor of being the first inductee, and if they will remember to thank their momma 45 times.

8. Lio Rush Announces He Is Leaving AEW

AEW is about to have one less superstar for a change. This week Lio Rush announced on Twitter that he will be a free agent on February 14th, when his contract expires with AEW. Rush first appeared for AEW at Double or Nothing in May of 2021, debuting as the “Joker” entrant in the Casino Battle Royal. Rush then briefly retired from wrestling due to an arm injury, before returning to AEW and signing with the company in September of last year. Upon hearing of Rush’s decision to leave the company, Tony Khan responded in confusion, “We signed Lio Rush?” (TJRWrestling)

https://twitter.com/IamLioRush/status/1484908157428113408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1484908157428113408%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftjrwrestling.net%2Fwp%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D100645action%3Dedit

7. NXT Stand and Deliver to Reportedly Air the Same Day as WrestleMania 38 Night One

To no one’s surprise, WWE announced this week that they would be holding both the Hall of Fame Special, as well as NXT Stand and Deliver, during WrestleMania 38 week in Dallas, Texas. What is surprising however is the rumor that WWE will actually be airing NXT Stand and Deliver the same day as Night One of WrestleMania 38, which is Saturday, April 2. NXT will reportedly air from 12pm ET to 3pm ET as a matinee show, with WrestleMania starting a few hours later. This should give Triple H plenty of time to dry the tears from his eyes before Mania begins. (TJRWrestling)

6. MJF and CM Punk to Wrestle Next Week on AEW Dynamite

After months of anticipation, MJF and CM Punk will finally meet in the ring. This past week on Dynamite, CM Punk came down to the ring to call out MJF for a match. MJF then came out to respond to Punk, telling him he will beat him on February 2nd, in Punks hometown of Chicago. FTR, Shawn Spears and Wardlow then proceeded to attack Punk, laying him out in the ring. MJF then sat cross-legged on Punk’s chest and told him he “would see him in Chicago.” Punk and MJF may actually face each other before this Wednesday, because if you believe the internet wrestling community they are both going to be in the Royal Rumble.

5. NXT Vengeance Day Announced

NXT’s next television special titled Vengeance Day is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 15th. The show will feature the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament, with either MSK or Edris Enofe and Malik Blade facing either The Creed Brothers or The Grizzled Young Veterans. Also, Cameron Grimes will face Carmelo Hayes for the NXT North American Championship. Women around the world have been holding Vengeance Day on February 15th for years of course, for all the men who forgot February 14th. (TJRWrestling)

4. Danhausen Joins AEW

AEW got a little more “evil” this week. This week on Dynamite, Danhausen debuted for the company. During the main event match between Adam Cole and Orange Cassidy, Cole went to retrieve a steel chair from under the ring. Suddenly, Danhausen came from under the ring, holding the other side of the chair. Danhausen then stared wide-eyed at Cole, while the crowd cheered loudly. The comedic wrestler Danhausen is best known for competing on ROH as well as gaining notoriety over social media. We shall have to wait and see if Danhausen will be successful in AEW, or if his career will be both “evil” and “Dark”. (TJRWrestling)

3. Sammy Guevara Unifies TNT Championship

It has been an eventful month for Sammy Guevara. On December 25th, Guevara lost the TNT Championship to Cody Rhodes on the special Holiday Bash episode of Rampage. Guevara was then scheduled to have a rematch with Rhodes at AEW Battle of the Belts on January 8th. Rhodes ended up not being cleared to wrestle for a few weeks, with Guevara facing Dustin Rhodes to crown an interim TNT Champion at the event. Guevara was victorious in that match and then went on to face Cody in a ladder match to unify the TNT Titles at AEW Beach Break this past Wednesday. After an incredible match, Guevara was able to grab the titles and once again become the TNT Champion. While all of that may have seemed pointless and convoluted, at least having two guys settle their claim to a mid-card championship in a ladder match was an original idea. (TJRWrestling)

2. Royal Rumble to Take Place This Saturday

The road to WrestleMania officially begins this weekend. WWE’s next big PPV event the Royal Rumble takes place this Saturday at 8PM ET. Six big matches have been scheduled so far including Edge & Beth Phoenix facing The Miz & Maryse in a mixed tag match. Becky Lynch will defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Doudrop. Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against his former partner Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Bobby Lashley will try to once again become WWE World Championship when he faces Brock Lesnar. And finally, of course, both the Men and Women will compete in their respective Royal Rumble matches. The Rumble takes place on Saturday this year due to the NFL playoffs being on Sunday. This means Tom Brady can theoretically enter the Rumble Match on Saturday, and still watch the NFC Championship game on television on Sunday. (TJRWrestling)

wwe royal rumble 2022 poster

1. Ronda Rousey Reportedly Returning to the WWE

The Women’s Royal Rumble Match could potentially have a huge entry this Saturday. This week it has been reported by multiple sources that Ronda Rousey is in talks to return to the WWE. The decision to return is reportedly completely Rousey’s, as WWE is ready to welcome her back immediately. Rousey hasn’t competed for the WWE since losing the Raw Women’s Championship to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35. Since then both Rousey and Lynch have had their first child, making a potential rematch between the two the greatest battle between moms since Black Friday 2012. (TJRWrestling)

That will conclude another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. Thank you for taking the time to read this each week. Although I often joke, I have recently started refereeing with NYCW 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 bad as John Canton’s mood if his LA Rams lose on Sunday, then follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1.