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Top 5 Wrestling News Stories Of The Week 6/17: The Wyatt Sick6 Rock WWE, New Royal Rumble Date and Shane McMahon To AEW + More

By John Duffy • Published 23rd June 2024
WWE Wyatt Sicks

Each and every week, the weird and wonderful world of professional wrestling never fails to captivate fans with a plethora of captivating stories that make their way into the news cycle.

Whether it’s shocking upsets, dramatic showdowns, or behind-the-scenes drama, the happenings within professional wrestling always keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Here are the Top Five Wrestling News Stories of the Week.

WWE Royal Rumble To Move From Traditional January Slot

New reports have revealed details about upcoming WWE events.

Wrestle Votes reports that several WWE events could be heading to Indiana in the near future. The report states that WWE is reportedly nearing an agreement with the Indiana Sports Corp to hold multiple shows at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Under the agreement, the 2025 Royal Rumble would be held at the venue while future dates for WrestleMania or SummerSlam have not been set.

This deal would move the Rumble from its traditional January slot – albeit only slightly – to February 1st. Held annually since 1988 in late January meaning if the PLE does take place in Indiana it would be the first event not to happen in its regular slot.

WrestleVotes Exclusive: I’m told WWE & the Indiana Sports Corp are nearing a multi-event deal, starting with the 2025 Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, February 1st, 2025. In addition, the deal is likely to include a future WrestleMania & SummerSlam, which would both take place at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Shane McMahon Contacts AEW Stars About Becoming All Elite

The news broke in June 2024 with reports suggesting Shane McMahon himself has reached out to some wrestlers currently in AEW.

Previously Jim Ross noted the idea of Shane McMahon joining AEW was “so crazy it might work” and now it seems, it’s maybe not as crazy as the iconic announcer thought.

Following up on his previous comments on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross noted that he’s been told Shane McMahon has reached out to AEW stars to discuss the idea of him coming into the company:

“There was a friend of ours. He went out of his way to text me, ‘Hey, that’s not as crazy as you think. I know for sure that Shane McMahon has reached out to wrestlers on the AEW roster to at least hypothetically discuss the idea.”

However, in a later report, Tony Khan has denied talking to Shane McMahon.

Reporting in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer commented that no one in AEW management had heard of any contact between McMahon and the company. Meltzer added a comment from Tony Khan who said he’d never met with McMahon.

Tony Khan’s comment was “I’ve never met him or talked to him in my life.”

McMahon has remained away from the wrestling industry since tearing his quadriceps in an impromptu match against The Miz at WrestleMania 39. Shane O’Mac’s injury forced Snoop Dogg to step into the action, hitting a People’s Elbow for the ages in the process.

Kayla Braxton Announces WWE Departure

Kayla Braxton Announces WWE Departure

Longtime WWE host and presenter Kayla Braxton announced her departure from WWE on June 22nd, 2024. Her last day will be on Friday, June 28th at the SmackDown event in Madison Square Garden.

Braxton wore several hats during her WWE career. Her primary role was as a backstage interviewer. However, she also served as a ring announcer, on NXT and briefly on the main roster.

She also co-hosted various WWE shows including The Bump, Talking Smack and PLE Pre Shows.

Braxton expressed her gratitude to WWE in her social media message, mentioning her 8-year tenure and the various roles she played, including backstage interviewer and show host. She also stated her excitement about pursuing new opportunities on the West Coast.

“After nearly 8 years holding the microphone on WWE television, I am setting it down to pursue my next chapter. Next week at the world’s most famous arena, I will be officially signing off. During my years with WWE, I was able to master the art of the back-stage interview.

I hope I was able to turn minutes into moments for you who watched week to week and maybe even ushered in a new fan base. My banter with Paul Heyman became the stuff of legend, and I am so thankful for all he has done to elevate my career. I gained a wealth of knowledge from the Wise man and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.

In 2016, the legendary Michael Cole brought me in to begin my WWE career as a ring announcer with NXT, but I quickly found myself touring the globe, hosting hall of fame ceremonies, kickoff shows and helping launch WWE’s first weekly morning show, “The Bump”. I exited “The Bump” after more than 200 shows and a move to Los Angeles.

Now on the west coast, I have been offered new opportunities that will further utilize the skills I gained working for the largest sports entertainment company in the world. I am extremely thankful to Triple H, Nick Khan, WWE and all of its partners for allowing me to be a trusted voice on WWE television for all these years.

Thank you to every single person who made me feel like this was my home and that I was a part of this family. Thank you for taking a chance on me and welcoming this outsider with open arms. I hope I made you proud and I’d love it if you’d stay with me for this next chapter. I’m excited to reveal to all of you what I have coming up next!!!!”

Tony Khan Names The Greatest Thing AEW Has Ever Done

Tony Khan believes Sting’s final match at AEW Revolution 2024 was the best thing his promotion has done thus far.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Tony Khan said that he thought Sting’s retirement was the best of All of Wrestling.

“The greatest thing we’ve ever done in AEW, in my opinion, is the retirement of Sting and the way we handled Sting’s final years as a pro wrestler. He had one of the greatest careers ever in wrestling and when he arrived in AEW, he did not feel that his prior run had been what he was looking for.”

As he continued to speak about the end of Sting’s career, Tony Khan did his best to explain why Sting’s AEW farewell was the best way any wrestler has ever retired in pro wrestling.

“When he had previously competed in WWE, I don’t think he had a great experience with WWE. He was looking to do something very different. When I first talked to Sting, he was interested in having a comeback, but I don’t think Steve [Borden] ever imagined it would lead to a three-year run in wrestling that would become legendary. It is an immortal series of matches.”

“Sting was undefeated in his arrival, teaming with Darby Allin in every match. The two of them came together to be the most successful team in the history of AEW. They had some of our best matches ever, some of our biggest moments, and it built to them becoming the AEW world tag team champions.

Sting’s final match, Sting and Darby vs. The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution, was, in my opinion, the greatest sendoff ever in pro wrestling. Sting deserves that because he’s one of the greatest wrestlers ever, and we were very lucky to have him in AEW.”

Uncle Howdy Leaves WWE Stars Battered As Faction Debuts On Raw

In one of the most disturbing moments in Raw history, Uncle Howdy and his new faction finally made their debut in WWE after weeks of teases.

The hightly anticipated debut of the faction saw Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Bo Dallas appear as characters from the imagination of Bray Wyatt.

The audience were left stunned as footage of their shocking arrival showed the destruction of the backstage area, which left several WWE Superstars severaly beaten and bloodied.

The same episode of Raw also saw the surprise return of Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre sensationally quit the show after CM Punk cost him the title at Clash at the Castle.