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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Owens Responds to Rhodes Backstage Report
In the midst of his rivalry with former friend Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens took a shot at the WWE champion on social media Friday.
Responding to a report from WrestleVotes that WWE is “in love” with Rhodes as the face of the company and views him in a light similar to John Cena, Owens seemed quite dismissive:
For quite some time, Owens fought side by side with Rhodes and Randy Orton to combat The Bloodline, but things changed last month at Bad Blood.
After Rhodes teamed with his former rival in Roman Reigns to beat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, KO attacked The American Nightmare in the parking lot.
WWE has treated the storyline in a unique fashion by mostly keeping Owens away from the venues where shows are held and having him communicate via promos that he sends in.
As part of the angle, WWE initially avoided discussing the attack on purpose, leading to Owens suggesting that he was being silenced and was not appreciated by WWE.
Orton eventually got involved by stopping a subsequent Owens attack, which led to KO attacking The Viper, setting up a match between them last weekend at Crown Jewel.
The match never occurred, though, as Owens and Orton brawled before the bell even rang, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
It seems likely that WWE will go back to Owens vs. Orton in the near future, and if KO is victorious, he could potentially have a title match against Rhodes in his future.
WWE Reportedly Discussing Merch Deal Involving Lynch
Becky Lynch has not been seen on WWE programming since late May, but some recent discussions suggest a return could be in the works.
According to WrestleVotes (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), WWE is in talks with some “major athletic apparel retailers,” and Lynch’s name has been mentioned as a potential part of the line, along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns and Bianca Belair.
After dropping the Women’s World Championship to Liv Morgan at King and Queen of the Ring and losing a rematch two days later on an episode of Raw, Lynch’s WWE contract expired on June 1, per Fightful Select (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News).
That made Lynch a free agent, but it has long been assumed that she would return to wrestling eventually, and there has never been any indication that she would sign anywhere other than WWE.
One of the hosts on WrestleVotes Radio expressed their belief that the discussion involving Lynch and the clothing line means she may already be re-signed with WWE and on her way back in the not-too-distant future.
They suggested the Royal Rumble on Feb. 1 or possibly even before that could be a possible target date for The Man.
Lynch is undoubtedly one of the biggest female Superstars in WWE history, plus she continues to have strong ties to the company since her husband, Seth Rollins, remains a key player within the promotion.
WWE always wants to have as many top stars available as possible during WrestleMania season, so if there is a way to get Lynch signed and back involved in time for WrestleMania 41, WWE would likely love to make it happen.
Lance Anoa’i Reportedly Under WWE Contract
Another member of the famous Anoa’i professional wrestling family has reportedly signed a deal with WWE.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Carrier), Lance Anoa’i signed with WWE over the summer, but he has not made any appearances yet due to an injury.
Fightful added that Anoa’i is not expected to be cleared any time soon, so it isn’t yet known when he will make his debut or which brand he will be involved with.
Anoa’i’s father is WWE legend Samu, who was one half of the Headshrinkers tag team with Fatu. Later becoming Rikishi, Fatu is the father of The Usos and Solo Sikoa.
Also, late WWE legend and Hall of Famer Afa is Anoa’i’s grandfather. Afa was also the father of top WWE Superstar Roman Reigns.
While Anoa’i could possibly start in NXT before working his way up to Raw or SmackDown, it seems likely that he will become part of the Bloodline story at some point since he is a real-life member of the family.
Anoa’i has actually made multiple appearances on WWE programming since 2015, often losing matches as an enhancement talent. His most notable segment occurred on a 2019 episode of Raw when Shane McMahon beat him in a match and Drew McIntyre attacked him, prompting Reigns to make the save.
Although Anoa’i has never been in a promotion the size of WWE, he competed in MLW from 2018 to 2023, so he already has experience working in a company with a televised product.
That suggests Anoa’i may not need a ton of seasoning in NXT before he is ready for the big time.
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