WWE News Roundup - Superstar shuts down Royal Rumble idea and asks for release, Vince McMahon's mother passes away, AJ Styles on Cody Rhodes' status (January 29th, 2022)

Welcome back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE News Roundup, where we shed the spotlight on all the most prominent professional wrestling stories.

Royal Rumble is inarguably the most trending topic, and while most superstars would love to be a part of the event, a popular name expressed his apparent disinterest over competing in the Rumble match. Moreover, he issued another public request for a WWE release.

We also have some unfortunate news as Vince McMahon's mother passed away.

AJ Styles also shared his views regarding Cody Rhodes' reported AEW contract status. The roundup can't be complete without Brock Lesnar's recent viral video, in which the WWE Champion can be seen body-slamming a TV star through a table.

So without any further adieu, let's get to the WWE News Roundup:

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#5 Mustafa Ali reveals he does not want to be in the WWE Royal Rumble

Amidst a contractual stand-off between WWE and Mustafa Ali, the superstar took to social media to drop another major bombshell.

While most wrestlers on the roster would want to get booked for the Royal Rumble, Mustafa Ali does not wish to be in the high-stakes match. The former RETRIBUTION leader has issued another release request to the company as he looks to get out of his existing contract. Here's what Mustafa Ali tweeted out:

"no, i would not like to be in rumble. i would like my release," wrote Mustafa Ali.

Mustafa Ali put in an official request for a release on January 16th, and he surprisingly made the announcement with a pretty straightforward tweet.

It was later revealed that WWE had turned down his request and would not let him leave until further notice.

The #FreeAli movement has since gathered steam as fans have urged Vince McMahon's company to grant Mustafa Ali his wish of quitting the promotion.

The 35-year-old superstar has made up his mind about finding opportunities elsewhere and is noticeably adamant about getting what he wants. However, WWE officials are also seemingly not making matters easy for Mustafa Ali. As always, we'll keep you updated on his status and future.

#4 Vince McMahon's mother, Vicki Askew passes away

In a sad turn of events, Vince McMahon's mother, Vicki Askew, recently passed away due to natural causes. She was 101 at the time of her demise, which happened at her home in The Woodlands, Texas, on January 20th, 2022.

Born on July 11th, 1920, in Florence, South Carolina, Vicki Askew married Vincent J. McMahon and gave birth to two sons, Rod and Vince, before their divorce.

After enduring a tough childhood, Vicki had a career in Civil Service, working as a secretary and administrative assistant. It's also a well-known fact that Vince McMahon's mother was an avid Tennis fan and actively played the sport until she was 94.

Vicki Askew's funeral service happened on January 22nd, and it's not known who was in attendance at the ceremony.

Sportskeeda Wrestling sends its heartfelt condolences to the McMahon family for their loss.

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#3 WWE's AJ Styles comments on Cody Rhodes' AEW contract situation

As confirmed by Cody Rhodes himself, the star is no longer under contract with AEW as he is currently on a supposed 'handshake deal' with Tony Khan.

AJ Styles questioned Rhodes' contract status during a recent interview with WrestlingInc and proceeded to call out the former AEW TNT Champion over his claims.

Here's what the Phenomenal One said about Cody Rhodes:

"Well, I think I read it on your website that he said he wasn't coming back. I don't know about that. Cody, I am going to call you out, man; I don't know about that one. Because you're able to do independents while working for AEW, right? So what's the difference?" stated AJ Styles.

Cody Rhodes' name has expectedly popped up as one of the possible surprise entrants for the Royal Rumble as he is presently a free agent.

Like most wrestling fans, AJ Styles also admitted that he would love to see the ex-WWE superstar make a shocking return at the Rumble.

"Of course. Who wouldn't?" said Styles.

Could Cody Rhodes realistically walk away from the AEW project and do business with WWE again? While it seems highly unlikely, stranger things have happened in professional wrestling.

#2 AEW star Anthony Ogogo's match removed from the WWE Network

In a move that's bound to turn a few heads, Anthony Ogogo's recent match for PROGRESS Wrestling was cut from the WWE Network. The AEW star made his debut for the UK promotion on January 23rd in a singles win over Hari Singh.

The episode titled "PROGRESS Chapter 127: 'And the word was PROGRESS'" was streamed on the Network, but Ogogo's match was conspicuously edited out of the show.

PROGRESS received inquiries about the exclusion of the match, and the company responded by stating that the 'bonus match' was exclusive to its "demandPROGRESS" offering.

The Network features a lot of independent wrestling content from the United Kingdom, with PROGRESS being one of the companies having a working relationship with Vince McMahon's team.

However, AEW still seems out of bounds as WWE clearly does not want to have an active talent from their rivals on its Network programming.

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#1. Brock Lesnar bodyslams Jackass star through a table

Brock Lesnar is having the time of his life as he enjoys one of his most entertaining on-screen stints. The Beast Incarnate was recently spotted sending Jackass star Wee Man, aka Jason Acuña, through a table.

The viral video shows the reigning WWE Champion at a restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, hanging out with Johnny Knoxville and other Jackass stars.

Brock Lesnar hilariously hoisted Acuna up and slammed him over a table while several people cheered him on. You can check out the video below:

Fans have been lucky enough to witness a rare side of Brock Lesnar, and we hope to get more of the same from the superstar in 2022.

Have you enjoyed Brock Lesnar's babyface run? Share your reactions in the comments section below, and also, don't forget to check out our live coverage of the Royal Rumble.