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We are back with our latest edition of WWE News Roundup. The promotion’s biggest pay-per-view, WrestleMania 37, is finally in the books, and several interesting backstage reports surrounding the event have emerged. We also saw two former WWE Superstars make the news for their comments.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the top news stories that have ruled WWE headlines over the last few days.
#1 WWE changed the finish of the WrestleMania match between The Fiend and Randy Orton
At WrestleMania 37, WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss shocked the fans when she helped Randy Orton defeat The Fiend. The latter had a dominant start to the match and did well in keeping The Viper down. However, the closing moments of their match saw Bliss covered in black goo that distracted The Fiend. Orton seized this opportunity to deliver a devastating RKO and sealed his victory.
According to Fightful Select, WWE originally planned for The Fiend to defeat Randy Orton. However, this result was changed at the last minute. It appears that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard made the call, and as of this writing, there are no plans in place for a ‘gimmick’ match in the future.
#2 CM reveals his biggest match if he returns to WWE
CM Punk’s return to WWE is one of the most ambitious predictions circled amidst the pro wrestling fans. He recently revealed the ‘biggest possible match for CM Punk’ if he does return. The former WWE Superstar feels that facing Triple H will account for a 'big' match upon his return. It’s no secret that these two were engaged in a personal conflict when Punk was still in WWE. He also thinks that their in-ring encounter would make a lot of money. Here’s what CM Punk had to say:
“From a creative mind standpoint, stepping back and looking at the landscape of everything, there are people in WWE that I have wrestled before that maybe, in a certain situation, could be interesting. There’s also the business side of things. What’s the biggest possible match for CM Punk? I think there’s Kenny Omega on the one side. And, you know, unfortunately, ironically enough, for me to go back to WWE, who’s the biggest match for me? It’s probably Triple H. That’s ironic because it’s nothing I’m interested in. It’s just what it is. Am I going to be a businessman and say that’s the match, that’s the big-money match? Well, it’s not my money, so it’s not for me to say.”
Both Punk and WWE appear to have grown soft in their respective stances now. Triple H had previously stated that they are open to working with CM Punk again. While Punk has never fully shown interest in returning, he often teases the possibility with utmost subtlety.
#3 Backstage WWE plans for WrestleMania 37 main event featuring Roman Reigns
A report by Fightful Select has revealed the backstage details of WWE Superstar Roman Reigns’ title reign and WrestleMania main event match. It states that Paul Heyman is as involved in Reigns’ storylines as he used to be for Brock Lesnar. Heyman is said to have a massive influence on what is finalized for the reigning Universal Champion in WWE.
The report further claims that WWE were always planning on having Roman Reigns win at WrestleMania 37. Even Daniel Bryan and Edge worked with Heyman to make the match as creative as they could. It is said that the double submission on Reigns was Bryan’s idea.
#4 WWE Champion Bobby Lashley comments on the split of The Hurt Business
The weeks leading up to WrestleMania 37 witnessed the split of the famous WWE stable, The Hurt Business. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley addressed the decision in a recent interview and stated that it broke his heart. He further insisted that it was a very special group, and he didn’t expect it to end in this manner. Lashley broke kayfabe and said:
“You know it hurt my heart. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that. But it hurt my heart because it was something very special. In the wrestling business, it’s very seldom that a really special thing like that comes together where you can see that energy and people really get behind it. And they were. But ultimately, business is business sometimes. And originally the Hurt Business was started by MVP and myself. Then we brought some people on that really deserved a chance. They took it, and they ran with it. But the Business is not over.”
WWE RAW after WrestleMania saw the former members of The Hurt Business involved in separate angles. Lashley is set to continue his WWE Championship feud with Drew McIntyre, whereas Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander faced The Viking Raiders.
#5 Chris Jericho comments on the main event of WrestleMania 37
AEW Superstar Chris Jericho shared his opinion about WWE’s recently-concluded pay-per-view, WrestleMania 37, and its main event. The former WWE Superstar stated that he was happy to see ‘pomp and show’ surrounding the event. Jericho specifically liked Bad Bunny’s entrance and the triple-threat match for the Universal Championship. Here’s what he had to say:
“I enjoyed seeing them in the stadium, working in front of all those people, that was really cool. Wrestling is always such a spectacle, and it was a lot of fun, man. It was very, very cool. I loved Bad Bunny’s entrance; I thought that was a blast. I thought Bad Bunny’s entrance was awesome; I love that pomp and circumstance of WrestleMania that they do."
"The main event three-way was fun; there's so much stuff that happened in that timeframe. Just the pomp and circumstance of WrestleMania—after seeing it in a high school gym, or whatever the hell it looked like—that’s kind of what I was waiting for.”
Jericho also appeared on Stone Cold Stone Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions show and revealed how he and Triple H hated each other in WWE. However, they now appear to be on good terms, and Triple H even stated that WWE is open to doing business with Chris Jericho.
#6 Bray Wyatt addresses Alexa Bliss’ betrayal at WWE WrestleMania
As discussed before, WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss distracted The Fiend during his WrestleMania match against Randy Orton. This led to The Fiend losing his match, and Bray Wyatt seemingly confirmed Bliss’ betrayal with his cryptic post. He took to Twitter and shared an image of Delilah and Samson. The infamous tale of deception narrates the story of Delilah, who tricked Samson into revealing that his strength lies in his long hair.
After knowing his secret, Delilah offered Samson to his enemies. Bray Wyatt could be comparing his relationship with Alexa Bliss following WrestleMania. Both WWE Superstars suggested that they can handle their fights alone on the first episode of RAW after WrestleMania.
#7 Randy Orton reveals why Bad Bunny earned his respect backstage in WWE
WWE Superstar Randy Orton recently made an appearance on The Bump. The Viper broke character to acknowledge Bad Bunny’s brilliant in-ring debut at WrestleMania. Orton revealed that Bunny worked hard backstage for hours in order to prepare himself for the match. Thus, the Grammy-winning artist won the 14-time world champion’s respect. Here’s what Randy Orton had to say about Bad Bunny:
"We have had a lot of celebrities, over the years since I have been here, come in and try to step into our world and do what we do. Because you know, everyone can do it, right? We make it look easy, but it is not. And for the first time, maybe not the first time, but for the first time in this manner, I can say that seeing Bad Bunny come into our world, seeing him completely halt his touring schedule, his music, and any kind of thing he had going on. He stopped it dead in the tracks so that he can get in the ring."
Bad Bunny teamed up with Damian Priest to take on The Miz and John Morrison in a tag team match at WrestleMania. He emerged victorious and orchestrated several memorable spots. Randy Orton also won his match at WrestleMania after The Fiend fell prey to Alexa Bliss’s distraction.
#8 Bobby Lashley’s heartfelt gesture after defending the WWE Championship at WrestleMania
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre put his title on the line against Drew McIntyre in the opening match of WrestleMania 37 Night One. He successfully defended his title after a grueling battle. Following the event, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful revealed Lashley’s heartwarming gesture. The champion went in front of the live crowd and bowed to show his appreciation for them.
Lashley broke character for the fans and received a positive reaction. He will put his WWE Championship on the line against Drew McIntyre at the next pay-per-view, WrestleMania Backlash. The Scottish Warrior became the No. 1 contender once again after defeating Braun Strowman and Randy Orton in a triple-threat match on RAW after WrestleMania.
#9 Big E reveals The New Day’s future in WWE after the split
WWE Superstar Big E recently confirmed the plans for The New Day’s immediate future. The former Intercontinental Champion revealed that while he will always be close to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, it is now time for them to explore more unique opportunities in WWE. Here’s what he had to say:
"Obviously, I wish that Kofi and Woods were able to retain (RAW Tag Team Championships). But you know, for us, we talked about the split; the brand split really just led two our split on two different shows. It was really just about being able to expand the New Day brand. All three of us are guys who are truly capable of holding Single's titles, and to me, given the right opportunities, big world championships as well. So, now you're going to see us branch out a little bit and not just always the three of us in one match.”
All the three members of The New Day lost their respective titles at WrestleMania 37. Big E lost his Intercontinental Championship to Apollo Crews. On the other hand, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods lost their WWE RAW Tag Team Championships to AJ Styles and Omos.
#10 Vince McMahon’s backstage reaction to WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania
WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka to win the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. She also became the first WWE Superstar to win a title on NXT UK, NXT, and the main roster. Ripley revealed Vince McMahon’s backstage reaction to her match in a recent interview. She said that Vince McMahon liked her match and his complement stood out from the rest. Here’s what Rhea Ripley had to say:
"One of the big ones was talking to Vince McMahon afterward, hearing him say "well done" and that I did great. It was so surreal. It's a dream, and I'm living it. To have the big bossman say well done was pretty insane to me."
Rhea Ripley had to put her title on the line against Asuka on the RAW after WrestleMania. However, their match ended in no contest after Charlotte Flair interfered and attacked both superstars at ringside. It appears that WWE is building towards a triple threat match between Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka at WrestleMania Backlash.
