Category: Loves Wrestling World

If you’re wondering why WWE is happy to keep going back to Saudi Arabia every six months, here’s why.

Last weekend’s Crown Jewel was the tenth WWE event in Saudi Arabia part of what is believed to be a decade-long deal. Barring a brief break forced upon them by the pandemic, WWE has held two events in Saudi Arabia every year since 2019.

That comes with a lot of controversy due to the human rights issues in the country and the way women are treated there, but this week, a reminder of how much WWE makes from the shows demonstrated why they won’t be coming to an end anytime soon.

One Crown Jewel = Three WrestleManias

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics provided an update on exactly how much WWE gets every time it stages a show in Saudi Arabia, comparing it to WrestleMania to demonstrate just how important Saudi shows are financially. “The Saudi government will pay WWE $50M+ for today’s #WWECrownJewel, the price for each event that’s part of their 10-year deal,” Thurston posted on social media.

“$50M is equivalent to about 3 Wrestlemanias-worth of ticket sales,” he added, which really hammers home why WWE turns a blind eye to everything else going on in Saudi Arabia. To hold an event twice a year that guarantees the company $50 million every time they go, regardless of how many tickets are sold or who’s on the card, is unfortunately a no-brainer to those who have to make the call on whether they go to Saudi Arabia or not.

The Trips Will Continue

While I can’t imagine WWE is trying to do this, it might also be difficult to get out of its deal with the Saudi Sports Authority even if it wanted to. Barring a massive fee and potentially even legal action for a breach of contract, the next out won’t be until at least 2029. My guess is some time has been tacked onto the end of that as the pandemic resulted in two Saudi shows not going ahead since there was a strict limitation on travel of any kind.

WWE isn’t the only sporting entity guilty of giving in to the money being offered by Saudi Arabia and ignoring the other issues going on there. Tyson Fury’s match against Francis Ngannou was staged in front of an all-star crowd in Saudi Arabia, and there has been an influx of top football players heading to the country as its government tries to boost its league. I’d prefer WWE didn’t go to Saudi Arabia for massive shows twice a year, but I know there’s very little anyone can do or say that’s going to stop them.

Cena has implied his in-ring career is done after yet another defeat.

John Cena just wrestled his first televised singles match since losing to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39 and well, it didn’t exactly go to plan. At least not for Cena. Pointing out just how long it’s been since Cena beat someone one-on-one while the cameras were rolling (it’s been more than five years, by the way) during the build to his clash with Solo Sikoa, The Franchise Player wanted to shine a spotlight on what he thought would be a streak-breaking match. Thanks to a flurry of Samoan Spikes from Sikoa, it wasn’t Cena’s night.

John Cena Hints At Retirement

On top of making sure everyone was well aware of just how much Cena has been losing lately, the 16-time World Champion has been talking about retirement a lot. Understandable as after a run like his, and with his Hollywood career continuing to ascend, Cena probably doesn’t have many more matches left in him. In fact, judging by what he posted on Instagram after his loss at Crown Jewel, defeat at the hands of Sikoa may well have been his final outing for WWE.

Cena has a history of posting images to Instagram with no caption and no explanation. However, most of them have a meaning behind them that fans collectively figure out. The final image, at the time of typing this, on Cena’s Instagram is a picture of David Beckham.

Back in the spotlight at the moment following the famous footballer’s Netflix documentary, The Rock even dressed as Beckham for Halloween. Cena didn’t post a picture of the former English international to flaunt his fandom, though.

David Beckham’s Last Match

As football fans quickly pointed out, the image of Beckham Cena has chosen is one from the footballer’s final game as a professional. His last match for PSG which is where he ended his on-field career.

That has naturally got wrestling fans thinking the image is a message from Cena that the match he wrestled at Crown Jewel was the equivalent of Beckham’s last match. The only difference being Beckham ended his career on a high, part of a PSG team that not only won 3-1 that day, but one that also won the league that season.

Much like most of Cena’s Instagram posts, while I definitely think the future Hall of Famer has sparked the exact conversation he set out to, I don’t think we have seen the last of him in a WWE ring.

Cena’s loss to Sikoa was one of many building blocks he and WWE have put in place for a blockbuster match where Cena triumphantly breaks his losing streak, or perhaps he does retire, making it clear his career is on the line. My guess is he breaks the streak against a big name and then loses to that same opponent a year later and calls it a day.

Logan Paul has announced his retirement from boxing and revealed his ambitions to become a full-time superstar in another sport where he has already become a champion.

Bringing an end to his short-lived career as a boxer appeared to be an easy choice for Paul as the viral social media star and influencer confirmed his exit by claiming there is ‘no more money in boxing’.

Immediately after that fight, Paul challenged WWE icon Rey Mysterio to a championship fight that the pair did eventually agree to.

Paul went on to beat Mysterio to win the United States Championship from the wrestling veteran and is now wanting to further his career in the sport.

Logan Paul has announced his retirement from boxing to focus on competing in another sport

‘I think I’m retired from boxing,’ he told Fox Business.

‘No more money in boxing, every company is going broke. Full-time wrestler. Beat Rey Mysterio. Fair and square for the US Championship.

The 28-year-old brings an end to his relatively unproven tenure in boxing just over five-years after his first foray into the ring.

The pair then rematched with KSI winning the second bout via split decision with the duo then joining together to start their PRIME drinks business.

Paul also fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition fight, but has been a long-term supporter of wrestling and is determined to try and become a star star in the sport.

Paul brings an end to his relatively unproven tenure in boxing just over five-years after his first foray

Paul wants to become a superstar in professional wrestling after leaving boxing

Logan Paul’s days in the boxing ring appear to be over. The 28-year-old defeated mixed martial artist Dillon Danis in his most recent fight in Manchester, England, on October 14. Since then, The Maverick has made it clear his future lies in WWE.

In a recent interview with Fox Business, Paul announced his retirement from boxing, claiming “there is no more money” in the sport. He also outlined his plans to become a full-time wrestler, having made an extraordinary impact in WWE since his in-ring debut in April 2022.

On November 4, Paul defeated WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to win the United States Championship. Now, following his unexpected retirement from boxing, the online sensation has given WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H a healthy dilemma.

Should Triple H continue to book Paul sporadically, keeping his status as a special attraction with crossover appeal intact? Or, if the new US Champion is serious about wrestling full-time, could we see him compete in dozens of matches per year, even at live events?

If he goes down the latter route, the recent departure of Ronda Rousey should serve as a warning to Triple H and WWE.

WWE cannot make the same Ronda Rousey mistake with Logan Paul

In 2018, UFC all-time great Ronda Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Stephanie McMahon and Triple H at WrestleMania 34. Although certain moments in the match were no doubt carefully choreographed, Rousey’s performance was still arguably the best of any debutant in WWE history.

Like Logan Paul, Rousey was initially treated as a special attraction, partly because her limited schedule prevented fans from being overexposed to her. The problems started when she went full-time, wrestling frequently on television and at live events. The Baddest Woman on the Planet lost her special aura and became just another person on the roster. The way she was booked, particularly in 2022, also left a lot to be desired.

Paul’s status as a part-time special attraction is working well for Triple H and WWE right now. In the coming years, it will be fascinating to see how a Rousey-esque schedule might work out for The Maverick.

How frequently do you think Logan Paul should appear on WWE television? Let us know in the comments section below.

Becky Lynch has shared an interesting update

Becky Lynch announced a few weeks ago that her memoir would be released in early 2024. The former WWE Women’s Champion has since been spending a lot of time with her laptop, making sure that everything is correct and ready for the final draft.

Lynch recently updated her Instagram to share the fact that she had now submitted the final draft and revealed that she had spent the last few months surgically attached to her laptop in order to reach this point.
“For the little while I have been practically surgically attached to my laptop, writing, rewriting, editing, everywhere and anywhere I’ve had the opportunity. As I hand in my final edit where I can do no more, Im reflecting on the biggest part of this story which is you, the audience. The people whose support allowed this born average girl to do not so average things. Thank you. I will forever be grateful,” she wrote.

Several WWE Superstars have reacted to this deeply personal update from The Man, including many of her rivals and friends like Rhea Ripley, Dana Brooke, Big E, Raquel Rodriguez, Mick Foley, McKenzie Mitchell, Maryse, Trish Stratus, Sonya Deville, and more.

JD McDonagh even broke character to reveal that he can’t wait to read it, but this makes sense, as he and Lynch are both Irish and followed a similar path to the United States and WWE.

Becky Lynch is expected to be the final woman in WWE’s WarGames

The Women’s WarGames match is expected to be announced this week, and it seems that it will be the new look Damage CTRL up against Shotzi, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and another star.

While Becky Lynch has been appearing on RAW over the past few weeks, recent rumors suggest that the former champion could be set to make her return to WWE TV on the SmackDown brand to be part of the WarGames match.

Are you looking forward to Becky Lynch’s memoir? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

NEW DELHI: Drew McIntyre embraced his darker side by aligning himself with The Judgment Day. The revelation unfolded during the closing moments of the tag team championship match between Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes versus Damian Priest and Finn Balor.

With the remaining members of the WarGames team banned from the arena, McIntyre seized the opportunity, delivering a decisive Claymore Kick to Jey Uso, ensuring The Judgment Day retained their titles. The shocking moment concluded with McIntyre visibly shaking hands with Rhea Ripley, confirming his allegiance to the notorious faction.

Ripley’s persistent efforts to recruit McIntyre over the past few weeks finally came to fruition, reshaping the landscape of WWE and adding a layer of intrigue leading up to Survivor Series. While McIntyre’s official status within The Judgment Day remains uncertain, his heel turn introduces a fresh energy to his character and sets the stage for a potentially remarkable run in the bad guy role.

This unexpected development also poses critical implications for Survivor Series, with the possibility of McIntyre joining The Judgment Day’s WarGames team, setting the stage for a potentially explosive 5v5 men’s War Games match.

As Cody Rhodes and his team find themselves short of one member at four, speculation arises regarding the fifth spot. While Randy Orton is a popular choice, teases of a potential surprise, possibly involving CM Punk, have further heightened anticipation for the upcoming pay-per-view event.

Dwayne Johnson’s 9,000 SqFt six-bedroom Florida pad was bought for $3.4million in 2012

A WRESTLING icon turned Hollywood action star was never going to live in a modest flat, was he?

And so it is with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who boasts a stunning Roman-style mansion just outside of Miami, Florida.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has a stunning Roman-style mansion just outside of Miami

The Rock is able to serve guests with a large outdoor kitchen area

The Rock, obviously, has a state-of-the-art gymnasium at his home

The 46-year-old is one of Hollywood’s most bankable A-listers.

In fact, the former WWE superstar was second highest-paid actor of 2018, making $119million (£92m), behind only George Clooney.

Johnson bought his home, which he shares with girlfriend Lauren Hashian, from former NFL player Vernon Carey, who had just retired from playing for the Miami Dolphins, for $3.4m in 2012.

The 9,000 SqFt mansion has six large bedrooms and includes immaculate sprawling gardens, a swimming pool and Jacuzzi and a 14-seat cinema – presumably playing the Fast&Furious series The Rock is famous for.

Of course, the People’s Champ has a state-of-the-art gymnasium where he spends a lot of his time.

You don’t bench press almost 200kg (31 stone) without spending time in the weight room.

He named the gym Iron Paradise.

The Rock’s office boasts a mahogany desk and impressive fireplace

The mahogany theme continues into this reception room

The master bathroom features a large bath surrounded by two impressive Roman-style pillars

And you don’t get to the size he has reached without an insane diet.

The Rock says he eats around 5,000 calories every day – double the amount recommended by the NHS to maintain a healthy weight.

Johnson spreads that across seven meals, eating 1kg of cod, half a dozen eggs and lots of chicken and vegetables.

Obviously preparing, and then eating, all that food takes a lot of time, so Johnson has an impressive kitchen.

Outside there is also a large barbecue area for when he has his friends over.

There are also two reception rooms, a dining room and an office.

Visitors will be wowed as soon as they enter.

Passing through a large black iron gate, guests drive up a long driveway before facing a stylish front entrance.

Two massive glass doors reveal a huge entrance hall with a double staircase that meets in the middle.

Truly a home fit for a Hollywood king.

The Rock with his girlfriend, Lauren Hashian Credit: Rex Features

The pool and Jacuzzi sit in perfectly manicured gardens

The Rock working out at his gym – which he named ‘Iron Paradise’

Cody Rhodes makes big tease after RAW goes off the air

Cody Rhodes made a massive tease after tonight’s edition of RAW went off the air.

The final match of tonight’s RAW was contested for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles, pitting Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso against The Judgment Day. In a big twist, Drew McIntyre turned heel and attacked Jey with a Claymore Kick. This was enough for Finn Balor to score a pin and a victory for his team.

McIntyre shook hands with Rhea Ripley as the show went off the air. After RAW came to a close, Cody Rhodes gave a “spoiler alert” to the fans in attendance. The American Nightmare hinted that he has friends too. For those unaware, Rhodes is very close to WWE veteran Randy Orton.

“Well spoiler alert, Jey Uso and I have friends too.”

Immediately after Cody’s statement, the capacity crowd began chanting Randy Orton’s name.

Check out the clip below:

Randy Orton has been away from WWE TV for more than a year at this point. The Viper is one of the biggest names in pro wrestling today, and fans have been eagerly waiting to see him back on TV.

Rumor has it that Orton will make his big return at Survivor Series: WarGames. Only time will tell if Orton ends up returning at the mega event and joins the babyfaces in their WarGames battle against The Judgment Day.

Dwayne Johnson would pay homage to his late father whenever possible

During one of the moments in the show, host Jimmy Falcon showed DJ a picture of his late father and how proud he would have been of the success of The Rock. The People’s Champion responded by saying, “He was one-half of the first black WWE Tag Team Champions in 1983, and it was really amazing and he was one of my heroes and he unfortunately passed away suddenly like that and I never got a chance to say goodbye to him.”

Rocky Johnson won the Tag Team Championship on December 10 with Tony Atlas when they defeated The Wild Samoans of Championship Wrestling. The Rock was upset over the fact that he never got a chance to say goodbye to his father when he passed away on January 15, 2020.

The Rock further revealed that he would never miss a chance to return to wrestling as it is his way of paying homage to his late father. He said, “So any opportunity that I could go back to wrestling and in a way pay homage to my dad, my grandfather. I got a lot of family in wrestling, is always very, very special.”

The Hollywood superstar makes some time for sports events at the college level as he also runs sports leagues like XFL. In September, he had one such opportunity when he was at Colorado for a College Game and paid homage to his late father.

Dwayne Johnson reveals why his WWE appearance a secret

His return to SmackDown on September 15th episode at Denver, Colorado was his first WWE appearance since 2019. He revealed that it was an accidental appearance and hence nobody was aware of his return.

The Rock stated that he was in Boulder, Colorado when he got to know about the SmackDown show in Denver. He called Nick Khan to confirm the news and then proceeded to say, “Good, well, The Rock is coming to SmackDown.”

What do you think about The Rock’s comments about honoring his father’s legacy?

An online rumour on Triple H’s plans for Randy Orton’s return to WWE has now been debunked

As the days go by, we’re getting ever so closer to Randy Orton’s eventual WWE return. ‘The Viper’ has been out of action for around 18 months now after suffering a ‘severe’ back injury way back in May 2022. Having had fusion surgery on it, he’s been on the shelf ever since, and it’s marked the longest period of his career out of the ring and on the sideline.

Over the years, he’s become one of the most entertaining and popular wrestlers in WWE and, as such, fans have been waiting eagerly for any form of update on his eventual comeback, and according to Fightful, Orton is set to return next week, as he’s slated to be part of the men’s Survivor Serious WarGames match.

Following news of his comeback emerging online, it was rumoured that Triple H is considering giving Orton a title run when he’s back on TV, but the same sites that broke the news of the former WWE Champion being at Survivor Series have put those claims to bed.

One thing that is certain is the fact that Orton won’t be returning to the tag team division alongside Matt Riddle. Last year, the two formed RK-Bro, and it quickly became one of the most entertaining acts of the Viper’s career.

He was over with crowds in a manner in which he hadn’t been for quite some time and his injury came right in the middle of their run together. In his absence, though, Riddle has been released by WWE, so there’s no chance we will see the pair reunite once Randy is back on television.

It was rumoured that Randy Orton was set for a World Championship run

After ex-WCW star Disco Inferno admitted that he thought Orton could potentially be the man to dethrone Roman Reigns, numerous news outlets ran with the comment and seemed to interpret it as a genuine plan for the future. Reports began emerging claiming that legend was potentially being lined up for a World Championship victory shortly after his return.

Despite being a 14-time World Champion in WWE, Orton hasn’t actually held one of the company’s primary titles in over three years, with his last run coming in the summer of 2020. This is one of the longest runs he’s gone without winning a world title since he won his very first way back at SummerSlam 2004.

Fans would likely rejoice at seeing a star like ‘The Viper’ once again leading the line as a World Champion, but the reports that he might get his hands on some major gold soon have now been debunked.

Reports on Triple H’s plans for Randy Orton have been debunked

After the reports emerged, Fightful were quick to rule them out and debunk them. Behind their paywall, Sean Ross Sapp revealed that they’d reached out to members of the WWE creative team and were told in no uncertain terms that Orton winning a World Championship once he’s back from injury hasn’t even been discussed.

In a rumor killer, there was a rumor going around wrestling Instagram pages that Randy Orton was slated to win a major title after his return, but we’ve been told that hasn’t been broached.

Right now, we have no idea what WWE has in mind for when Orton returns, but one thing is for certain, we can’t wait to see the future Hall of Famer back in the ring and on our television screens once again. It’s where he belongs.