Here's more wrestling news for June 20th 2022
And your headlines for Afternoon include
WWE could split the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship soon!
Discussions within WWE about a permanent replacement for Vince McMahon: Who could be getting a promotion?
Natalya and Ronda Rousey hold nothing back in twitter war ahead of Money in the Bank
Current WWE Superstar and former World Champion makes appearance at Impact Wrestling Slammiversary
Update on Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo after nasty ladder bump at Slammiversary
“I know you’re safe with them” WWE Hall of Famer recalls being given permission to use banned move by Vince McMahon
What have WWE told the roster about Sasha Banks’ reported release?
Two-time Divas Champion addresses possible return match for WWE And more
We’re starting off today with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, which was formed by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38.
Defeating Brock Lesnar in April to unify the WWE and Universal titles, Reigns made history at the show, but that history could soon be undone.
According to a report by Fightful Select, WWE is keeping their options open with the title, and while it is referred to as one championship on screen, the WWE and Universal Titles are still recognised individually
backstage.
This opens up WWE to possibly splitting the two titles and having them be defended separately once again, a choice a lot of people would love to see happen.
Given Reigns’ relaxed schedule, fans have seen just one title defence in the near three months since WrestleMania, as Reigns retained against Riddle on last week’s SmackDown.
We know that Reigns has a match with Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, and is expected to face Drew McIntyre at September’s Clash at the Castle, but whether he’s defending the Undisputed WWE
Universal title, or just one of the two physical championship belts, remains to be seen.
Last week, Vince McMahon stepped down as CEO of WWE, due to an investigation into an alleged affair and $3 million hush-money payment.
In his place Stephanie McMahon is acting as interim CEO and Chairwoman of the board, but this could become a permanent role for the former Women’s Champion.
On PW Torch’s Audio show, Wade Keller has said that if the investigation doesn’t go how Vince hopes, it’s possible that Stephanie could take the CEO role full-time, and that’s something those in WWE know all too well:
“Some of the things that I'm hearing, make me consider the possibility as worthy of conversation that this could result in Stephanie taking over as head of the company.”
Keller said that a Stephanie-led company could be just the start of even more changes backstage, noting:
"I could totally see this happening, Paul Heyman taking on a bigger role in creative. Paul Heyman gets along really well with Hunter and Stephanie. And so I wouldn't rule that possibility out either.”
Heyman is no stranger to working on WWE creative, as he did just that for SmackDown 20 years ago, creating some of the best weekly content fans have ever seen.
Of course, these are early days into the investigation into Vince McMahon, but we could be in store for even more changes in just a few months time.
Now, at Money in the Bank, SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey will put her title on the line against Natalya, in a battle of two technical specialists.
This will be a heavy hitting match between the two, who are already pulling out the big punches on social media.
On Twitter, Rousey started things by hitting out at Natalya’s sister Jenni, who has an OnlyFans page, saying that the Neidhart sisters run a “fetish youtube channel” which is “weird and embarrassing.”
While Natalya and Jenni are certainly hands on, on their YouTube channel The Neidharts, the Canadian wrestler didn’t hold back with her response.
In her reply, Natalya said that she’d rather do videos with her s ister than “cry and talk about conspiracy theories” a reference to a controversy from Rousey’s past.
It was in 2013 that Rousey, then with UFC, shared a conspiracy theory video claiming that the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting had been staged, and the future WWE Superstar called it
extremely interesting and must watch.”
Neither Rousey nor Natalya are holding back on Twitter, and we’ll have to see who stands tall when the pair meet at Money in the Bank.
Over to Impact Wrestling now, as last night was the company’s Slammiversary event and saw some interesting names appear.
Perhaps the most shocking name on the show was AJ Styles, who appeared in a video to speak about the company’s 20th anniversary.
Styles recalled competing in the very first match, back when the company was TNA Wrestling, as he, Jerry Lynn and Low-Ki fought the Flying Elvises in the first-ever match for the company.
The Phenomenal former WWE and Impact World Champion also discussed his break-out match at Unbreakable 2005 with Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe, and thanked WWE for allowing him to send
message.
While WWE rarely works with other promotions, it’s good to see that they were able to bend this role for Impact’s 20th anniversary event, as the company will always be synonymous with the career of AJ Styles.
Impact’s Slammiversary event also saw a huge Knockouts title Queen of the Mountain match, which included a particularly nasty spot involving Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo.
At one point, the two were high up on the ladder when Mia Yim pushed it over, sending both women to the outside and through two tables.
Both women fell nastily, with Green’s head missing the table entirely, and we have an update on their condition.
According to a report from Pwinsider, both Green and Purazzo were said to have been “okay” following the match, though things could have been much worse.
Both women were able to finish the match, which was ultimately won by Jordynne Grace, and while the pair got lucky this time, it goes to show just how dangerous this industry can be.
Back to WWE now, as for years, certain moves have been banned from the company simply for being two dangerous to the Superstars.
In the early 2000s, two moves that were very briefly banned were the belly to belly suplex and the German Suplex, with WWE having different reasons for both.
WWE felt that the Belly to belly Suplex did not give the recipient enough control on how he landed, while the German put too much pressure on a person’s neck, but one name was exempt from this rule.
Speaking on his podcast, Kurt Angle recalled being approved to do the banned moves by the then-WWE Chairman, saying:
“Vince McMahon pulled me aside and told me, ‘Listen, I know that 90% of your repertoire is suplexes, and I want you to keep them because I know you’re safe with them. You never land anybody on their
head, and I trust you that you will continue to do a good job.’ So he allowed me to continue to do my belly-to-belly suplex and my German suplexes. The thing is, I was really grateful that I didn’t have to
take them out of my repertoire because that’s what I did. That’s my offense. Thank god Vince McMahon continued to let me use it.”
It wasn’t long after the ban was implemented that it was overturned, and Superstars are once again able to hit these suplexes, but it’s a testament to the talent of the Olympic Gold Medalist that
McMahon trusted him to keep doing the moves.
Now, last week, it was rumoured and later reported that Sasha Banks had been released from WWE, something that neither Banks nor WWE have either confirmed or denied.
Ever since she and Naomi walked out of Raw due to a creative difference, there’s been a lot said online about both Banks and the Glow, and it’s not just the fans who have been talking.
Fightful Select has learned that during last Friday’s SmackDown taping in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Banks’ alleged release was a huge talking point among the roster, who were “speaking openly
saying that she has indeed been cut by the company.
The report adds that the Superstars have still not been told in any official capacity if the reports of Banks’ release are legitimate.
Raj Giri of WrestlingInc was the first to report it, which was followed up on by Wrestle Votes and later Kermit125, a Reddit user who has proven to be reliable in the past with stories.
Until WWE or Sasha themselves confirm the story, reports of her release should be taken with a grain of salt, but while WWE isn’t telling the fans, they’re also keeping mum to the remaining roster.
And we’re ending today with Maryse, who returned to WWE two weeks ago to promote the newest season of her reality show Miz and Mrs.
This is just the latest return for the two-time former WWE Divas Champion, who had her last match at this year’s Royal Rumble event, and fans have been speculating on another run in the ring
for the French-Canadian Superstar.
During her recent appearance on CBS affiliate KOIN 6, Maryse flat out stated that she cannot make a full-time commitment to return to WWE, citing her parental roles as much more important.
With that said, Maryse did not rule out never wrestling again, saying that she has repeatedly told herself that she’s done, only to return in some capacity.
The Miz and Maryse have a large fanbase, as fans have watched them go from being colleagues to dating to now married and parents of two children, but we can never rule out one more match from Maryse.