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We're back with another big edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE News Roundup.
We begin the lineup of stories with details of Triple H's attempts to sign members of one of the most prominent factions in AEW.
Another former star revealed that while he would be open to listening to return offers, he would not be back if Vince McMahon and his team put forth a controversial condition.
Carmella's major health update has also been covered in the roundup as the former SmackDown Women's Champion recently tested positive for COVID-19.
In a bid to boost the company's ticket sales, Paul Heyman dropped a massive teaser for an upcoming house show. The roundup ends with a recently released star confirming that he voiced concerns about his character during his final days in the promotion.
#5. Triple H tried to sign The Elite to the WWE
The present-day NXT is a shadow of what Triple H originally wanted the brand to be as he actively pursued the hottest indie talents over the years. The Game even attempted to sign members of the Elite way back before AEW was established.
Matt Hardy confirmed WWE's past interest in the Elite while speaking on the latest episode of his new podcast. The tag team legend recalled speaking to the Young Bucks when they were in talks about possibly joining the promotion.
The Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page were looking to take the next big step in their careers, and Vince McMahon's company initially seemed like the ideal destination.
World Wrestling Entertainment offered the wrestlers a lot of money to sign on the dotted line, but the Elite committed themselves to Tony Khan's project as things panned out:
"So long story short, I didn't speak to Adam Page, but I did speak to the Young Bucks a lot, and they were also in negotiations. WWE was trying to get all these guys; they wanted to lock them all down. But I do know that Triple H, Trips was all over those guys (Omega, Bucks, and Hangman) as far as trying to bring them in, and they offered them a ton of money, and I know they did Hangman as well. You just got to think how different would the present look if those guys did leave and go to WWE?'" questioned Matt Hardy.
The recent trend has been about ex-WWE talent getting picked up by AEW. However, there could come a time when several AEW wrestlers will be out of their contracts and potentially on Triple H's radar. Could one of AEW's top guys make the switch in the future?
#4. Matt Cardona is willing to listen to WWE regarding return offers; reveals a major deal-breaker
Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder in the WWE, currently has a lot of momentum due to his exceptional work as a heel in Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) and various other companies.
The one-time Intercontinental Champion recently revealed on Busted Open Radio that he would consider offers regarding a return to his former company. He spent 15 years in WWE and would be ready to do business again if the promotion won't stop him from hosting his podcast:
"Yeah, I definitely would listen, but I'll tell you right now if one those things were 'you can't do your podcast.' I would say, 'thanks, but no thanks.' That would be a deal-breaker. There would be no way," revealed Matt Cardona.
Matt Cardona and Bryan Myers have been successfully hosting their Major Wrestling Figure Podcast since 2017, and Cardona has no plans of discontinuing the show.
The former US Champion revealed that WWE turned down their podcast several years ago. He even labeled the company's recent podcasting efforts as a failure:
"If they were going to take away everything I have built with Brian Myers. Something we tried to do in WWE. The Major Wrestling Figure podcast, we pitched it to them, and they didn't want it. They didn't (want) the podcast or anything to do with collectibles. I think they've since had a failing podcast network, and they tried something with collectibles. I've had so much fun with this, and it's setting me up for life after wrestling where I would never sacrifice that. I don't care how much money they gave me. If they said 'you can't do your podcast anymore,' I wouldn't do it," Cardona stated. H/t Fightful
Matt Cardona has certainly grabbed a lot of attention due to his work on the independent circuit, but could it lead to a way back to the WWE for the 36-year-old star?
#3. Former WWE Women's Champion Carmella confirms she tested positive for COVID-19
Carmella revealed on the Bare With Us podcast that she tested positive for COVID-19 almost two weeks back.
The former SmackDown Women's Champion opened up about her symptoms and admitted she was down with the virus for nearly four days. Carmella provided an update regarding her health and confirmed that she is feeling much better now:
"You guys, I got the 'vid.' I did, I got it, it got me. I got COVID; I got, got. About what? A week and a half ago, no two weeks ago," Carmella said. "I woke up super just, not feeling well. Just really tired and run down. I took some tests, and I was positive. And then, I mean, it was kind of like a cold; it was a little bit worse than a cold. I was down and out for like three or four days, just not really doing much. But, on the up and up, feeling better now.
Thankfully for Carmella, Corey Graves didn't contract the virus, and she even admitted to being surprised that her fiancé was yet to test positive for COVID-19.
#2. Paul Heyman drops a massive teaser for upcoming WWE Live Event
The road to WWE WrestleMania is expected to feature several twists and turns, and fans should brace themselves for a swerve in the unlikeliest places. Paul Heyman was a guest on the Casio's Cut podcast as he hyped up a WWE house show slated to happen on March 21st in Huntsville.
The Beast Incarnate's advocate believes in the unexpected and felt that the live event could feature a significant surprise before WrestleMania.
"If you look at news cycles today, if I were to advocate for someone to do something historic or council, someone, to completely change the plans going into WrestleMania, I wouldn't do it on television. I would do it at a live event because it's where people least expect it, and doing something that's unexpected gets far more publicity than doing something that's expected," revealed Paul Heyman.
Heyman urged fans not to miss out on the 'historic' live event in Alabama as it could drastically impact the plans leading into WrestleMania. While Heyman didn't outright specify anything, a title change seems like the most probable option.
"So, if I'm a fan, and I am one, and I'm anywhere near Huntsville, Alabama, I'm getting tickets to this event because that's where something historic is going to happen on the road to WrestleMania that completely changes the dynamic of a show that goes in history," said Heyman. [H/T WrestlingInc]
Paul Heyman's client, Brock Lesnar, will defend the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley at Royal Rumble 2022.
#1. Karrion Kross voiced concerns about his character to WWE officials before his release
Karrion Kross' forgettable main roster run ended in an abrupt WWE release. The former NXT champion was repackaged before arriving on RAW, and the company made a few unpopular creative decisions that sadly stunted his rise.
Kross revealed during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that he informed WWE officials about concerns regarding his character. The former IMPACT Wrestling star raised his issues respectfully with the higher-ups and had hoped to salvage his main roster career.
The former WWE star was told to 'stay the course' by management, as he recalled below:
'There are two things to this. The first thing I will say, I did at a point, I believe it was the second week of the outfit; I did speak with management. I said, 'Look, I'm saying this out of professionalism and respect. Based on the reaction from last week, which is measurable through social media and the live reaction as well, this is not being received well. So respectfully, I do believe we should attempt to change course at this point before it's too late, or we can attempt to develop some sort of narrative that we can put on television where we can connect what I was doing on NXT vs what I'm doing here because people don't understand what's going on.' To paraphrase, I was told to just stay the course, which I thought at the time was crazy," revealed Karrion Kross.
Kross was aware of the consequences of not getting over with the main roster fans, and his goal was always to improve how he was presented on TV.
"I did speak up very early, but in a respectful manner. I never walked into anybody's office or told somebody, 'I'm not doing this.' Nothing like that at all. I said, 'I want to be a return on your investment. If I can't do that, I'm going to be out of here. I know how this works. So the course we're on right now, we're about to go off a cliff.' I did make that very clear," added Kross. H/t WrestlingNews.co
Karrion Kross was released from WWE in November last year, and he is presently waiting for his non-compete clause to end.
The 2-time NXT Champion will be eligible to wrestle from February 2nd, but where do you see him going after becoming a free agent? Share your predictions in the comments section.
