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Welcome back to another exciting edition of WWE News Roundup. Fans have had a busy time on Twitter since a piece of big news broke yesterday. We also came across a lesser-known backstage story involving Triple H and AEW star Jon Moxley.
Additionally, Booker T had questions about Roman Reigns’ feud, WWE legend discussed what happened after he was released, and Tommaso Ciampa had a brutally honest take on WWE bookings.
Here, we look at some of the biggest stories that have ruled WWE headlines so far this week.
#1 WWE Superstars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch tie the knot
The WWE Universe is thrilled to learn that Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch got married yesterday. The Architect took to his Instagram to make the subtle announcement via a story. Soon after that, WWE also confirmed the news on their social media handles. The adorable couple welcomed their daughter Roux in December last year.
Becky Lynch took time off television after announcing her pregnancy. Almost a year later, she was spotted at the Performance Center, preparing for her WWE return. However, there are no concrete reports about their current plan for The Man. We join the wrestling fraternity in sending the best wishes to the happy couple.
#2 WWE Hall of Famer Booker T comments on Roman Reigns vs. Edge and lack of other challengers
Things took a surprising turn on WWE SmackDown last week when Edge returned and attacked Roman Reigns. Soon after that, it was confirmed that The Rated-R Superstar would face Reigns in the Universal Championship match at Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The booking fetched a mixed reaction from fans. Many argued that both superstars had already faced each other at WrestleMania 37 and that someone else should have stepped up to challenge The Tribal Chief.
WWE legend Booker T discussed the topic on the Hall of Fame podcast and implied that there are not enough contenders at the moment. He praised Reigns for his dominant reign and is looking forward to his feud with Edge. Speaking about the rivalry, Booker T said:
"There aren't a whole lot of contenders out there. I look at this as a boxing match, a boxing division. Who's in the division? Who do I get to, you know, look at it and say, 'Man, that's my next guy right there.' Back in the day, Hogan had Orndorff, The Barbarian, Bundy, Andre the Giant, Big John Studd - he had a bunch of contenders, a bunch of stars. That's what I'm saying right there. Where are the contenders? And if there are some, who are they?"
It is important to note that Seth Rollins also lashed out at WWE for handing the title opportunity to Edge. He believes that The Rated-R Superstar already had his shot. Rollins is now looking for a chance to enter the world title picture, and he might be the next to face Roman Reigns after The Tribal Chief has dealt with Edge.
#3 Triple H’s surprise offer for Jon Moxley after his WWE release
Former WWE interviewer and broadcaster Renee Paquette recently revealed an interesting backstage story after her husband Jon Moxley’s (fka Dean Ambrose) release. The latter suffered a serious injury back in August 2019, more than three months after leaving the company. During that time, Triple H approached Paquette backstage and offered help for the former WWE Superstar.
He constantly checked on Moxley to ensure that he was okay and even stated that WWE would help them with anything they needed. Paquette recalled the incident during the latest edition of the Oral Sessions podcast and said:
“Even when Jon left, there was times that Hunter [Triple H] pulled me aside because Jon was injured when he came back from New Japan. Hunter kept checking in to make sure that Jon was okay. If he needed anything, they [WWE] would have been able to help him in any kind of capacity.”
“So it was nice to know that that olive branch was still extended and it wasn’t that heat-seeking thing that everybody thinks that it is. We’ve all spent so much time together and nothing bad went down.”
Renee Paquette also enjoyed a great run as one of WWE’s lead presenters before leaving the company in August 2020. The couple welcomed their first daughter earlier this month.
#4 Triple H’s big call to Samoa Joe merely hours after his WWE release
Samoa Joe was one of the WWE Superstars who were released after WrestleMania. He was immediately called by Triple H, who wanted to bring him back to the company at all costs. Joe revealed that things changed quickly, and he was brought back as a special enforcer on NXT. He shared the details on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast and said:
“I got it. It wasn’t unexpected [WWE releasing him], but at the same time, I was relatively calm about it. I’ve kind of been in this situation before. A younger me probably would’ve been really, really freaked out, but at this point, you just role pivot."
“That’s really all there is to it when it comes to life in general. It’s kind of the mantra I’ve kept, so at that point I think I was kind of in the works and setting up the framework for whatever else I was gonna do. A few hours later, I get a call from Hunter [Triple H] and it pretty much all kind of changed.”
Samoa Joe also stated that he has new responsibilities on WWE NXT. He is not there only for the role of the enforcer. Joe is now involved in the backstage creative process and is learning more about different aspects of the business. Triple H did not want to lose Joe, and he brought him back for an entirely different role.
#5 WWE NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa shares appealing insight about backstage booking
WWE NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa recently talked about opportunities at the Black and Gold brand. He admitted that while being left out of big shows leaves him frustrated, he understands that business is not just about him.
Ciampa argued that there are many superstars, and it is impossible to have all of them creatively fulfilled. Instead, he focuses on giving his best every time he gets to the stage in WWE. Here's what Ciampa had to say:
"To be honest, I don't know that you always do. And you have to understand that part of the process, I don't know how many, like 40 people on the roster, but to keep everybody creatively fulfilled 52 weeks a year is impossible. That's not real. So, it's just kind of understanding like the timing of it all, and it's still, you can still put out quality, during what you're allotted, but you control what you control, and it's not easy by any means."
"I'm not saying that I don't have days where I'm frustrated, or I don't have a chip on my shoulder when I'm left off TakeOver or something. I do. You know, but it's, I have to step outside of my own bubble, sometimes too, and just understand like this is a much bigger business than just me."
Ciampa further cited WWE Superstar Randy Orton as an example and talked about how he does so many different things. He stated that Orton rises to become the best villain in the business, but then he also works alongside Riddle as a tag team, where he portrays a slightly mellow persona.
Ciampa suggested that all WWE Superstars should identify their strengths and weaknesses to churn out their best performance when they get their turn.
#6 Reason behind the absence of WWE Superstars Damian Priest and Montez Ford
WWE RAW Superstar Damian Priest was away from television for almost a month before returning earlier this week. Backstage reports at the time suggested that he had sustained an injury and was advised to take some time off.
However, the latest reports claim that Priest was absent due to personal reasons. The creative originally planned to have him back on WWE RAW before the Money in the Bank qualifiers began.
Priest returned to action for the Battle Royal this week and was the last superstar eliminated from the match. He is expected to kickstart a fresh feud in the coming weeks. WWE SmackDown Superstar Montez Ford was also written off television earlier this month due to a kayfabe injury that he sustained during Otis’ brutal attacks.
However, reports state that Ford had to undergo "voluntary surgery" that had nothing to do with the storyline injury. It further suggests that it won’t be long before he is ready for in-ring action. Montez Ford will return to avenge the attack as The Street Profits continue their rivalry with The Alpha Academy on WWE SmackDown.
