Hey, what’s going on, guys? It’s WrestlAmia here back with some more news!
Join us now as we look at the wildest news stories and rumors you need to know, including if CM Punk is cleared to wrestle,
whether Damian Priest is injured,
Drew McIntyre’s next feud revealed,
the real reason Chad Gable is staying in WWE, plans for the Uncle Howdy stable, a major WWE announcement, and much more. Be sure to subscribe and hit that notification bell for daily wrestling videos and follow us on Facebook for exclusive content. Also, check out our new videos on WrestlAmia XL. Now, let’s get straight into our first story.
CM Punk Cleared to Wrestle?
Our top story today takes a look at the very latest on CM Punk’s status as an in-ring performer. Punk’s appearance at the Clash at the Castle press conference made for interesting viewing as he offered insights into key areas of his personal and professional life. Punk stated that next week is huge for him and he’ll find out if he’s going to be medically cleared to compete.
“I was cleared only for referee duty, had a hiccup out there, but we’ll go back to the lab. My arm feels amazing. I got permission to skip RAW in Corpus Christi to go back home to Chicago to see my doctors with the idea that I’m going to be cleared. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that. I think SmackDown’s in Chicago next week, so I’m a RAW guy and I’ll skip RAW, get cleared, and show up on SmackDown to give everyone the good news, hopefully.”
Hopefully, Punk is cleared and WWE can put his creative plans in motion. Punk did get somewhat physical during the Clash at the Castle main event, which is a possible sign that WWE has high hopes for Punk being cleared.
Is Damian Priest Injured?
One of the talking points coming out of Clash at the Castle is a potential injury to World Champion Damian Priest. As Priest ascended over the top rope, his foot got caught in the ropes, and once he was free, it was apparent that Priest was in serious pain. Priest spent the majority of the match limping, and it was a miracle that he was even able to finish the match without a hitch.
Priest appeared at the post-PPV press conference and stated, “My foot feels like trash right now. I didn’t even go to medical yet so I could do this and talk to you guys. So you’re welcome. Docs will check it out. I ain’t going anywhere. I was able to beat Drew McIntyre on one foot, so I’m ready to go.”
While Priest sounded somewhat optimistic, concern was raised again when he could barely walk off the stage at the press conference. Priest was noticeably limping, but hopefully, he receives encouraging news from the WWE medical team. During his appearance at the press conference, Priest stated that he’s ready for Gunther at SummerSlam, so it’s possible that if the injury is minor, WWE has skipped Money in the Bank in anticipation for the match at SummerSlam.
Drew McIntyre’s Next Feud Revealed?
As many fans expected, CM Punk interfered in last night’s main event and managed to cost Drew McIntyre the World Title yet again. McIntyre is now livid and is coming for Punk, and it’s likely that the match goes down at SummerSlam in August. While a Punk-McIntyre feud is clearly WWE’s direction, McIntyre has hinted at interest in another feud.
Speaking to Fightful, McIntyre revealed, “Yeah, that is actually my goal. There have been situations where it’s been difficult, and I have people in my business, and I just wanted to jump on them and rip their heads off. I have to focus on the task at hand and focus on what’s important. I have to focus on what’s best for business and what’s best for me.”
The Bloodline made McIntyre’s life a living hell in 2022, and Solo Sikoa cost McIntyre the title at the inaugural Clash at the Castle event. McIntyre being reinserted into the Bloodline drama may seem somewhat random; however, with McIntyre basically being a tweener on WWE TV, it could work if WWE handles the booking with care and attention.
Are Triple H and CM Punk Getting Along?
There was no secret that Triple H and CM Punk weren’t exactly best friends during Punk’s first run in WWE. However, since Punk returned to WWE last November, it’s been said that Punk and The Game have been getting along well backstage. But the question is, is that still the case?
Triple H addressed his relationship with Punk at the post-PPV press conference last night. He had an open and honest analysis of the relationship. “There is a change, and there is a new era, a new atmosphere. All those things, absolutely. In some ways, there are things he was asking for and started a long time ago at a time that maybe he and I, for a lot of reasons, just saw things differently from each other. We saw eye to eye, but it was angry eye to eye. It was opposition eye to eye. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have him back. I cannot tell you how exciting it is for me to see the Phil Brooks that I wanted to see then.”
Triple H then stated that Punk has been a pleasure to be around, and he can’t wait to work with him for the foreseeable future. The idea of Triple H speaking so positively about Punk even 12 months ago would have never been likely. Yet, this is wonderful to see, and it’s encouraging that the working relationship is so strong between the two.
Real Reason Chad Gable Is Staying in WWE
Now it’s official—Chad Gable is staying with WWE. His contract was set to expire, but he has confirmed to Gorilla Position that he has put pen to paper and formally re-signed with the company. There was said to be interest from other companies such as AEW in signing Gable, and rightly so, as Gable has it all. In relation to exactly why he decided to stay with WWE, he offered some insight during an interview with Gorilla Position.
“I’ve re-signed. Triple H took over, and my trajectory changed. He’s delivered on everything he told me. He said he was trying to find consistent places on TV for everybody. I’m like, I’ve heard it all before, but then I saw it was true.”
This is great to see, and it’s fantastic for talent morale that The Game has stuck to his promise to a top talent. This will inevitably increase the chances of other wrestlers re-signing with WWE when their contracts are set to expire. Triple H briefly commented on Gable re-signing during the post-PPV press conference, stating that he hopes the former tag team champion stays with WWE forever.
Plans for New Uncle Howdy Stable Revealed
It’s expected that the new Uncle Howdy stable will debut tomorrow night on RAW. We know that the stable is set to be led by Uncle Howdy, aka Bo Dallas, and names involved are set to include Rowan, Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy. The faction is set to honor the late great Bray Wyatt, as Howdy is, of course, Bray Wyatt’s brother, and Rowan was one of Wyatt’s closest friends and one of the members of the original Wyatt Family faction.
A Fightful Select report offered some insight into plans for the new faction, and according to the report, there doesn’t appear to be any supernatural elements currently planned for the faction. This could be a good call, as fans have been concerned that any supernatural elements of the faction could come across poorly on TV. Additionally, Mercy the Buzzard, Huskus the Pig, and White Rabbit have been discussed as part of the group. The report fails to add if these will be played by members of the faction or if they will be side characters.
Outside of this report, very little is known about the faction. Fans for weeks have been trying to speculate on who exactly the group is going to target, and it’s a tough task to work out as it’s not been made clear what the group’s mission statement is and what exactly they’re trying to achieve. Are you excited for this new faction to debut on TV? Let us know in the comments down below.
Major WWE Announcement Revealed
It’s been rumored that WWE was set to make a major announcement, and the announcement came this morning in Japan. The announcement relates to WWE’s willingness to work with other promotions, as WWE will now be working with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. During a NOAH event in Yokohama this morning, the legendary AJ Styles appeared via video and announced he will be at the Bōken event on July 13th to face Naomichi Marufuji.
This is a huge deal and a win-win for everyone involved. This weekend, AJ expressed interest in returning to TNA, and if Triple H is allowing one of his top stars to wrestle in Japan, then The Game agreeing for AJ to have a brief run in TNA isn’t completely out of the question. What do you think of this announcement? Let us know in the comments down below.
Randy Orton Reveals Reason for Returning
Our final story takes a look at WWE Digital’s interview with Randy Orton, who revealed exactly why he decided to return in Scotland. The WWE great made two appearances over the weekend and surprisingly revealed that he wanted to be there for his friend Kevin Owens and wanted to support Drew McIntyre ahead of his world title match.
“Listen, out of nowhere is kind of
my thing, right? It just kind of felt right to show up out of nowhere. But yeah, no, listen, I wanted to be here for Drew, I wanted to be here for Kevin. I mean, these are my guys, and so that’s why. It just kind of felt right.”
It’s unknown if WWE is going to use Orton on TV moving forward, but one thing is for sure: Orton returning and showing support for McIntyre and KO is a heartwarming thing to see.
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That’s it for today’s news. Be sure to leave your comments down below, and I’ll see you next time with some more wrestling content.