In an interview posted on the UFC’s YouTube channel, Dana White said they are going to pass on re-signing former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino and have waived her exclusive negotiating window with the company.
White re-iterated his belief Justino is avoiding fighting current champion Amanda Nunes who knocked Justino out in less than a minute earlier this year.
“We’re out of the Cyborg business,” he said.
White discussed the ongoing war of words between the two and said recent stories about “what’s being said now” are “absolutely ridiculous”, adding he doesn’t have a horrible relationship with her. He also once again attempted to clarify the infamous “Wandelei Silva in a dress” comments he made in a media scrum several years ago.
He also denied bullying Justino.
“It’s 2019. What is this narrative? Where is this coming from? It’s an absolute smokescreen to not fight Amanda Nunes.”
Justino fought out her UFC contract, earning a unanimous decision over Felicia Spencer last Saturday at UFC 240. She posted an apology to White on Instagram for her production team making it appear like White was saying he wasn’t telling the truth about her, adding “Even though we will continue to disagree about numerous issues, I will always stand up for doing what is right.”
White RT’d it on Twitter and said, “Thank you, Cris.”
According to Okamoto, White said Lesnar told him that “he’s done, he’s retired”.
Our Dave Meltzer also independently confirmed the news.
That means a once planned title fight against heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is off the table, a bout that was expected to be the final one in Cormier’s career due to the financial windfall it would have brought in given the champion’s desire to retire this year.
While told Okamoto the plan now is to rematch Cormier with the man he knocked out for title last July, Stipe Miocic, at August’s PPV in Anaheim, CA. Miocic has been sitting on the sidelines since the loss, enjoying his first child and campaigning for the Cormier rematch. Miocic holds the record for consecutive heavyweight title defenses at three.
If Lesnar’s fighting career is indeed done, it was certainly a unique one. The 41-year-old fought nine times in a career that began with a Japanese promotion in 2007 and ended with a positive test for banned substances at UFC 200 in July 2016.
Over that stretch, Lesnar (who became a big time PPV draw as a main eventer) won the UFC heavyweight belt from Randy Couture and defended it twice (Frank Mir, Shane Carwin) before dropping it to Cain Velasquez in October 2010. After battling diverticulitis, an affliction that was expected to end his career, he would return just over a year later in a TKO loss to Alistair Overeem.
He would make his return nearly five years later in a dominant unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200, a win that was later turned into a no contest due to his positive test for clomiphene for which he was suspended for a year. Then last July, he appeared at UFC 226 for a post-fight confrontation with Cormier after his title win, setting up what many felt was an undeserved title opportunity.
Lesnar lost the WWE Universal title at WrestleMania, but is expected to be in action at WWE’s next Saudi Arabia event this summer.
At Friday’s UFC seasonal press conference, Dana White was asked about updates on a long-discussed heavyweight title fight between champion Daniel Cormier and former UFC heavyweight champion and WWE roster member Brock Lesnar.
His answer: Don’t hold your breath.
”Seriously, that fight isn’t even in the works. That fight may not even happen.”
White said he hasn’t spoken to Lesnar about the fight and indicated that former titleholder Stipe Miocic could be next for Cormier, something Miocic has been campaigning for since he was knocked out by Cormier last summer.
White indicated that Cormier was upset that the Lesnar fight isn’t materializing as he would have hoped. Cormier had talked about the Lesnar fight being the final of his career and an expected big payday given Lesnar’s past as a PPV draw.
Cormier was last seen in the cage submitting Derrick Lewis in November while Lesnar hasn’t fought since UFC 200 in July 2016 when he defeated Mark Hunt by decision only to have that changed to a no contest when he tested positive for banned substances.
Lesnar dropped the WWE Universal title to Seth Rollins last Sunday at WrestleMania and isn’t expected back anytime soon outside an anticipated match at the company’s next Saudi Arabia show.
White said Cormier has resumed light training, but gave no indication when he is expected to return.
As always, it should be noted that White is a promoter with a history of fights being made that he previously shot down.
For the second time in three years, former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor retired from MMA via Twitter.
Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!
The 30-year-old last competed in October, losing via submission to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It was his first MMA fight in nearly two years after his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, also a loss.
UFC president Dana White talked to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto about the news to which White is considering official:
"I am not treating this as an official retirement quite yet from Conor McGregor, but according to Dana White, he is."
He was rumored to return against Donald Cerrone in July, but didn’t want to be in a co-main event which Dana White insisted on. He was in the news recently for being arrested following his alleged smashing of a fan’s phone after McGregor exited a Miami nightclub.
McGregor famously retired on Twitter in April 2016, saying “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.” He then returned a few months later to rematch Nate Diaz in one of the UFC’s most purchased PPVs of all time.
For the second straight year, WWE went with two fan-pleasing choices as their Royal Rumble winners. WWE followed up on Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka’s wins from last year by having Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch win their respective Rumble matches on Sunday night. The results were entirely predictable, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the right choices. While there are other stories that WWE can tell, top babyfaces beginning their road to WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble will pretty much always work.
A quick note that the format of this issue is different due to the fact I messed up my left hand in a bicycle crash on 1/24 making typing extremely difficult.
This issue has complete Royal Rumble and NXT results with eliminations, stats, and facts, plus Dave’s comments. It also includes star ratings, NXT awards, and notes on the post show angle.
Roman Reigns is going to be in the Rock’s new movie. There were some photos of Roman Reigns last week from where he’s been filming the new sequel of the Fast and the Furious franchise, which had been kept kind of quiet. Reigns is playing Rock’s character Hobbs’ brother.
AEW released a short video with Cody Rhodes talking about signing Jungle Boy and the announcement that on February 7th, there is a Ticket Announcement Party at the MGM from Las Vegas. Brandi teased announcing more women at that event. There is a lot of talent expected at that event. CIMA is likely going to be there.
NJPW is very confident that it will not be an issue by the time the MSG G1 Supercard show comes up, with it being several months away.
From reports of the Dallas, TX Road to G1 Supercard show, Shibata’s students, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, and Alex Coughlin are all seemed as really good in the technical aspect, with all their basics down, as they’re being trained with the Japanese New Japan Dojo mentality. Shibata, who is the lead trainer in the US Dojo, has interpreters with him at all time during training.
Matt Sydal’s contract with Impact Wrestling ended January 1st. He should be ready in a couple of months from a minor knee surgery he got last week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.
In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.
For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell,CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.
THURSDAY NEWS UPDATE
by Joseph Currier and Bryan Rose
WWE
Lawyers hired by the Lawler family have issued subpoenas to the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as part of their investigation into the death of Brian Christopher Lawler. The subpoenas are part of a civil action “to pursue a civil rights claim against Hardeman County, and the deputies that were supposed to protect Brian Christopher Lawler.”
Jeremy Borash tweeted that Vic Joseph and Shawn Michaels will be calling Halftime Heat, which is taking place from the Performance Center during halftime of Sunday’s Super Bowl and airing live on the WWE Network, WWE.com and the WWE app, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Velveteen Dream, Aleister Black & Ricochet are facing Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano & Adam Cole.
Killian Dain posted a tweet asking “#WHEREISSANITY ?!?”, with Alexander Wolfe quote tweeting “Sick of this” in response. The group, which includes Eric Young, haven’t been on television since December 18.
Bret Hart congratulated The Singh Brothers on getting their first action figures: “Thank you @gurvsihra_wwe and @harvsihra_wwe for the action figures. I’ve met the Singh brothers many times over the years and I always admired their ‘no-quit’ attitude. You know you’ve really made it, and it’s the indisputable truth, when you finally get to have your first action figure. Congratulations guys! You’ve made it!”
Pro Wrestling
A new NJPW event called Sengoku Lord will take place on 4/20 at the Aichi Prefectural gym.
Today is the 20th anniversary of the death of Giant Baba.
Brody King vs. Jay Briscoe, Marty Scurll vs. Kenny King vs. Willie Mack vs. Silas Young in a four corner survival match, and Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. Cheeseburger, Eli Isom & Ryan Nova have been added to ROH’s Bound By Honor show in Miami on February 10. The event will air live on HonorClub.
PWG uploaded the preview video for the DVD of Hand of Doom, which took place earlier this month and featured Trevor Lee’s farewell.
Low Ki cut a promo on Tom Lawlor ahead of their World Heavyweight Championship match on MLW Fusion Live this Saturday.
Impact Wrestling is partnering with the Las Vegas chapter of the NFL Alumni to advance the latter’s ‘Caring for Kids’ and ‘Care for our Own’ fundraising initiatives for charities.
Tickets for Jim Ross’ WrestleMania week show at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City on April 6 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow.
UFC/MMA
Dana White is open to the idea of a Conor McGregor/Donald Cerrone fight in the future.
Marlon Moraes, who is meeting Raphael Assuncao in the main event of this weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ event, says he will continue fighting even if he doesn’t get the next title shot against TJ Dillashaw.
Dustin Poirier and Al Iaquinta indicated on social media that if they were to get different deals with the UFC they would be interested in fighting against one another.
Elias Theodorou vs. Derek Brunson is reportedly expected to be the main event of a future show in Ottawa.
Ross Pearson vs. Desmond Green is set for the UFC Philadelphia show on 3/30.
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
Sunday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!
After promising change, the challenge for WWE going forward is to make a real commitment to that instead of having it be a short-term ratings fix. Those vague promises of change were made during the opening segment of last Monday’s episode of Raw. Following two straight weeks of record-low ratings — with the first of them even being brought up on WWE television as Seth Rollins said Baron Corbin was the reason for the ratings dip — it was advertised that Vince McMahon would return to “shake things up.” Vince appeared and brought out Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Shane McMahon. WWE oddly blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality, with the McMahons also blaming Raw’s issues on Corbin.
The most in-depth reporting on the Jon Jones case is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
This article tries to break down the time line, what the realities of drug testing are, what is misleading, why the show was moved, why the show had no reason to be moved, the limits on what drug testing can detect and how many statements over the past week have been double-talk, & the fishy parts of the case.
Also look at previous Jones tests and the controversy prior to the first Cormier fight that nobody talks about and why it was controversial. Go through the Tom Lawlor and Tim Sylvia cases.
Look at the new Impact TV deal, what is Pursuit TV, what options Impact had, comparing the homes that the different wrestling TV shows are in, & why it’s important for Anthem to keep Impact alive.
Read a rundown of WWE’s biggest annual house show of the year, the holiday show at Madison Square Garden. This issue has match-by-match coverage with star ratings and business notes, as well as appearances by Vince McMahon and John Cena, and Ronda Rousey being put in the main event.
Look at discussions regarding what could be the main event at WrestleMania and different angles on the match, the future of the top of the women’s division, more on Smackdown on FOX next year,
Look at Dragon Gate’s Final Gate show, its last major show of the year. Run down the show and talk of the future and update business for that promotion.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected].
Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.
TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
(By Joseph Currier and Bryan Rose)
WWE
On behalf of everyone here at Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online, happy New Year! SmackDown will air tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time, featuring the return of John Cena to WWE television. This episode was taped this past Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon, Natalya, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan have been officially announced for this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. Carmella will also be in the match and will enter the Rumble at number 30 as a stipulation of winning Mixed Match Challenge with R-Truth. R-Truth will enter the men’s Rumble at number 30, and Drew McIntyre has also been confirmed for that match.
Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) will be doing a talk show tour with Inside the Ropes in March. The dates are in Birmingham, England on March 5, Manchester on March 6, Glasgow, Scotland on March 7, Ireland (city to be announced) on March 8, and London on March 9.
Bayley talked to Metro Sport about the Royal Rumble and how satisfied she is in terms of where she is at in WWE.
Pro Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling’s rally for Double or Nothing at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida next Tuesday is taking place on the same day as SmackDown is being held at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. The Double or Nothing rally is starting at 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Matt Jackson tweeted about the announcement of All Elite Wrestling: “Thank you for making the decision to do this a no-brainer. We cannot do it without you. #AllEliteWrestling”
BJ Whitmer, who recently resigned from his behind-the-scenes position with ROH, tweeted a picture of the logo for All Elite Wrestling
There is a new interview on New Japan’s English site with Kazuchika Okada where he talks about Jay White being the toughest foreigner, the current status of CHAOS and Bullet Club’s resurgence.
Trevor Lee confirmed that he’s officially a free agent and no longer under contract with Impact Wrestling: “Today I am officially a Free Agent. I want to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for all the friends I have made and knowledge I have learned. #ZNA”
Jordynne Grace will defend the PROGRESS women’s championship she won this past weekend against Kylie Rae at Warrior Wrestling on January 5.
Happy birthday to Jimmy Hart, who turns 76 years old today.
UFC/MMA
Talking to TMZ Sports, Dana White expressed interest in a Conor McGregor/Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch in 2019. He says it depends on how the hearing with the NASC goes in relation to the brawl that happened after UFC 229.
Cat Zingano talked to ESPN about the damage to her eye following her loss to Megan Anderson on Saturday. “I have a damaged iris, damaged retina, hemorrhage in the back of my eye, increased globe pressure and of course the laceration,” she said. “They want me back at the doctor every three to four days to make sure there’s no detachment on the retina. Right now, they have to keep it dilated and on steroids for the next two weeks to keep the pressure down”. Zingano is considering appealing the ruling.
Jimmy Smith, who has done announcing for UFC in the past year and has previously worked for Bellator, announced today that UFC has declined to re-sign him.
A trailer for an upcoming documentary on Henry Cejudo has been released.
During an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter Thursday, UFC president Dana White said that Rachael Ostovich is “totally cool” with Greg Hardy being on the same January ESPN+ debut card with her.
When asked about the controversy that bubbled up Wednesday after Hardy, previously found guilty of two counts of domestic violence, was added to a show with Ostovich, who is recovering from injuries suffered at the hands of her husband, White said that he spoke to Ostovich. He said he walked her through “this situation” and that she said her story isn’t Hardy’s story, everyone deserves second chances, and that she has no problem with being on the same card.
“Having her support was, you know, a key factor in making that decision,” White said.
She is scheduled to face Paige VanZant while Hardy will make his official UFC debut against Allen Crowder.
He said he originally wasn’t going to have her fight due to the recent attack, but she gave him “75 reasons” she should be on the card and he agreed.
White bristled at a question about whether the two would do media together, saying, “I’m not even thinking of it that way. If you want to make it an issue, make it an issue. Everyone can make it an issue if they want to. Rachael Ostovich doesn’t have an issue with it and that’s all that matters to me.”
Ostovich has yet to publicly say anything about the fight.
Dana White appeared on TMZ Sports today and discussed the fallout from UFC 229 — including pay-per-view numbers.
Wite was smiling at the start, saying that we are just starting to get the PPV numbers rolling in. Later on, when asked if they broke three million buys, White smiled and said “We didn’t break three, but it’s so hard to do that.” White went on to say that they were “way over” two million buys.
The previous UFC PPV record was for the second Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight in March 2016, which was reported to have done 1.65 million buys. Previously, UFC 100 had done 1.6 million buys with Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, although that was at lower prices.
White was asked about a possible fine and/or suspension for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s role in the brawl that took place after he defeated McGregor. White said that he thought Nurmagomedov should be suspended for 4-6 months and fined a quarter of a million dollars. White also said that any other state would uphold the suspension and UFC would not try to get around that by booking Nurmagomedov to fight internationally during that time.
White mentioned Tony Ferguson as a potential future opponent for Nurmagomedov and definitively stated that Nurmagomedov would not be stripped of his title for his actions.
UFC president Dana White appeared on ESPN Morning show ‘Get Up’ Thursday and reiterated that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is likely to return to action in early-2019.
This would dispell the notion that Jones will headline the promotion’s early-November event at Madison Square Garden that still doesn’t have a main event.
On Wednesday, Jones was given a 15-month suspension from his July 2017 failed USADA test prior to UFC 214, retroactive to the failed test date. That would clear him to return to action as early as October 28.
White, in town for Thursday’s Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov press conference, said, “He’s been off for a while. I think he’s a little heavy right now and he needs to start cutting weight and getting back into shape. We should see him early next year.”
White added that USADA reduced the suspension because their third party investigator believed tainted supplements were involved.
Jones put up a thank you post on Instagram Wednesday night, closing with “But now is the time to shift the focus front and center to the road ahead. Greatness is what I’m chasing and the path to reclaiming my throne is now officially open. Comeback Season begins now.”
Two fighters not amused by this situation are current heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and now former UFC light heavyweight Tom Lawlor. On UFC Tonight, Cormier didn’t go too deep into the ruling, saying he’s moved past it. However, his frustration with USADA can be heard in this video clip:
Yours truly was down on last weekend’s UFC 228 going into the event, but after a show with that much excitement, news, and finishes, it’s hard to hate on what turned out to be a tremendous event.
Helping me atone for my sins is past guest and friend of the show Aaron Bronsteter of Canadian sports network leader TSN.
Originally scheduled to go 30 minutes, Aaron and I chatted for about 50 minutes in a conversation that went in a ton of different directions. Some of the highlights include:
– Aaron’s rise into “The Dana Whisperer” and his pre-event talks with Dana White that have filled a void in the MMA media landscape
– Some of the key talking points coming out of UFC 228 including Tyron Woodley’s future, the suddenly booming women’s strawwweight title contender picture, and fast rising bantamweight Aljamain Sterling
– A talk about CM Punk’s interview with Ariel Helwani and his comments on whether he wants to fight again
– Some UFC business chatter…and plenty more. If you’re into UFC and MMA talk, listen to this show now.
UFC president Dana White told TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter Friday that UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano will be stripped of the title and that top contender Valentina Shevchenko will be competing for the vacant strap.
On the FS1 weigh-in show later, White told Megan Olivi that Shevchenko will compete for the title by the end of the year.
The 30-year-old Montano was hospitalized earlier Friday morning due to kidney issues related to her weight cut and her UFC 228 co-main event fight with Shevchenko was cancelled. Her management team said that the UFC medical team was called in and said she needed to see further medical attention for her kidneys.
She hasn’t defended the inaugural title she won in December 2017 at the TUF finale.
Dana White announces that the UFC women’s flyweight title is now vacant.
Chuck Liddell, former UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the few MMA stars to break through in pop culture, announced on Monday’s ‘The MMA Hour’ that he will return to fighting.
The 48-year-old last competed at UFC 115 in June 2010, losing via first round KO to Rich Franklin. He lost five of his last six fights in the UFC, the last three by knockout or technical knockout.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Liddell confirmed that he’s talked to boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya about rekindling his feud with Tito Ortiz in a promotion the boxing champion has recently discussed. He said no movement has been made recently on that front, but that if it’s not Ortiz, he will fight someone either from his past or another veteran.
Ortiz said recently that he’s coming out of retirement specifically for the Liddell fight. Liddell said he hopes the fight would be in California or Las Vegas.
He said that in addition to De La Hoya, he plans on talking to Bellator and that he is interested in a fight with Chael Sonnen. He didn’t rule out the UFC, but doubted that Dana White would be interested given his past comments.
He said he would like to come back for 1-2 fights and then get a shot at Jon Jones.
Along with Matt Hughes, Liddell was a UFC “ambassador” up until December 2016 when the two were released after WME-IMG bought the company.
CM Punk facing Mike Jackson in his second UFC fight is as confirmed as it’s going to get until the official announcement is made.
Before today’s UFC 223 media day incident with Conor McGregor, Dana White spoke to TMZ Sports and was asked who he wants Punk’s next opponent to be. When questioned about Jackson specifically, White said “that’s the fight.”
White didn’t specify when the bout would be taking place, but Punk has said he’s fighting at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9th. Jackson also posted on Twitter and Instagram after White’s interview, “Time to cash in the #MoneyInTheBank! Uncle Dana just delivered the #pipebomb, @cmpunk vs The Truth at #UFC225! #TruthvsPunk #TruthFoodTour”
Like Punk, Jackson only has one professional mixed martial arts fight under his belt. Both of them lost to Mickey Gall in their UFC debuts, with Gall submitting Jackson in February 2016 and then being announced as Punk’s first opponent. Gall went on to defeat Punk with a first-round rear naked choke at UFC 203 in September of that year.
Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defending his title against Yoel Romero is scheduled to be the main event of UFC 225.
“Yeah, Brock Lesnar’s coming back,” White replied when asked about Lesnar’s future. “I don’t know when, but yes he is.”
Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting also lent credence to White’s comments: “According to multiple sources, this isn’t promoter talk from White. UFC is confident Lesnar will be back after his WWE duties are wrapped up on Sunday. A deal is in place. Key now is to finalize it.”
Since White posted a picture with Lesnar in Las Vegas on the night of WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Lesnar’s contractual status has been worked into the storyline for his WrestleMania 34 match against Roman Reigns. In his promo this week, Paul Heyman claimed that we wouldn’t see him or Lesnar on Raw again if Reigns wins the Universal Championship on Sunday. There was also a segment where Heyman was talking to someone on the phone and mentioned “the Brocktagon.”
If he’s going to fight again, Lesnar will still need to resolve the one-year suspension that he received from USADA for drug test failures surrounding UFC 200. That suspension was frozen when he retired from mixed martial arts in February 2017.
Rumors of Brock Lesnar making a return to mixed martial arts were inevitably going to come up with his WWE contract set to expire later this year, and Dana White isn’t doing anything to quiet them down.
After posting a photo with Lesnar on his social media accounts on Sunday, White appeared on “Happy Hours” with Kevin Harvick on SiriusXM last night and was very optimistic about Lesnar potentially returning to the UFC.
“They’re very, very, very good,” White said when Harvick asked what the chances were that we’d see Lesnar fight in the UFC again.
On Monday’s episode of Raw, White’s picture with Lesnar became part of the storyline for the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania. Reigns claimed that Lesnar didn’t show up to Raw, called him entitled and said he hides behind his contract, and said Lesnar was taking pictures with White in Las Vegas instead of coming to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
While the reason for Lesnar’s absence on Raw still wasn’t entirely clear, Dave Meltzer reported yesterday that the goal of the build to the WrestleMania main event is to get Reigns cheered to lead to his win. Meltzer also noted that the idea is for the build to come across as much like a shoot as possible.
Lesnar is advertised for WWE’s house show in Chicago on Saturday night and is scheduled to return to television on the March 12th episode of Raw.
The last pro wrestling dates on Lesnar’s current contract with WWE run through after WrestleMania in April, though the company has certain rights to him after that until early August. If Lesnar were to fight again, he’d also need to resolve the one-year suspension that he received from USADA for his drug test failures stemming from UFC 200. That suspension was frozen when he retired from MMA in 2017.
