As he branches out into Hollywood more, CM Punk is using Dave Bautista as inspiration for the type of actor he wants to be.
Punk has been on a media tour over the past week to promote his role in the new horror movie “Night Patrol.” While Punk is a huge horror fan, he hopes to take on projects in a wide variety of genres like Bautista has.
“I cast a wide net. I want to do everything, like Dave Bautista,” Punk told That Hashtag Show. “I’m currently shooting a rom-com in Calgary, which I think is going to turn a lot of people’s heads too. Like, there’s no such thing as small roles, you know? I want to jump into every single opportunity that gets thrown my way and have fun doing it.”
With “Night Patrol,” Punk is hoping more people will see the potential he has.
“They paid me to be able to have fun and learn from actors that were better than me,” Punk said. “And it’s only going to help me grow. And I think this movie is going to kind of open up eyes to my talent but also the litany of talent that is in this movie.”
Punk is the current World Heavyweight Champion in WWE and is coming off a successful title defense over Bron Breakker on Raw last week. In addition to “Night Patrol,” his recent acting work has included the Syfy series “Revival” and a cameo in Disney’s “Zootopia 2.”
On January 28, Bautista has a new movie called “The Wrecking Crew” premiering on Amazon Prime Video. Bautista stars alongside Jason Momoa in the action-comedy film.
Drew McIntyre has booked a co-starring role in an upcoming Hollywood movie.
It was announced via Deadline today that McIntyre has joined the cast of “Highlander” — which is based on the 1986 movie of the same name. McIntyre will portray the character Angus MacLeod, who is the brother of the main character played by Henry Cavill.
WWE legend Dave Bautista is also part of the cast, along with Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, and Max Zhang. The movie is from Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists and is being directed by Chad Stahelski — the director of the “John Wick” movie franchise.
Here is the description for the “Highlander” film:
An immortal Scottish swordsman faces off with other immortal warriors in order to obtain a coveted ability.
McIntyre (real name Andrew Galloway) is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency. He and Bautista previously worked together on the film “The Killer’s Game” that was released in 2024.
At WWE Wrestlepalooza last weekend, McIntyre competed in the main event, unsuccessfully challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship.
The most detailed look at WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia, how it happened, the money involved, main events hoped for 2027, why it’s in Saudi Arabia in 2027 and not 2028, and goal of the show
John Cena’s farewell scheduled and more details why Boston didn’t get his final show
The head-to-head battle on 9/20, including a look at the first and only time in history the two biggest companies ran PPV shows on the same day and what happened then. We look at business numbers and why even though the attendance figures are close, the interest level is not. We look at the cards for each group as well as the odds
A look at French wrestler Gilbert Leduc, who was decades ahead of his time in the ring and his case for the Hall of Fame
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling shows of the past week, including placings in the time slot, comparisons with a year ago, breaking down the Netflix numbers for Raw, the key stat that his hurting AEW right now and the return of the NFL.
Last Friday at Arena Mexico with Mistico & Bandido as a tag team
NFL/CMLL connection on Friday
AAA Worlds Collide
Stardom PPV coverage
Lots more on the death of Daishin Nagao, plus stories on deaths of Rodolfo Ruiz, Huichol, Jaka and Chuck Coates
Update on health issues involving Hall of Famer Satoru Sayama
Bubba the Love Sponge documentary and the split in the Hogan family
Thoughts on the Hogan will
Eric Bischoff on RAF and thoughts on what he said
Lots of notes regarding the potential future of WBD and how it affects AEW
MJF wedding and acting career
Lots of injury updates
Bryan Danielson talks about everything under the sun
UFC at the White House
Those who planned to testify for Conor McGregor and against Nikkita Hand get arrested for perjury
Biggest combat sports gates of all-time
The power of Turki Alalshikh, the future as well as a look into the future of combat sports reporting
Dana White put on the spot about the Ali Act
What happened in California on the Ali Act
More on the UFC rights fees story
Raw time slot update
More on the gate for Clash in Paris
Lots of stats about those who attended Clash in Paris
Mark Shapiro talks WWE scheduling and ticket pricing
Paul Levesque on those who complain WWE Unreal was too inside
AJ Styles angle
Why Booker T totally missed the boat on his comments on Ronda Rousey
PWInsider notes that, at the official WWE Wrestlepalooza store in Indianapolis, there is a shirt for sale that lists WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill as being part of the PLE card. Whether that match will be added remains to be seen. Stratton was supposed to wrestle at NXT Homecoming this week but ended up being pulled due to not being cleared to compete.
I think my ‘Welcome to WWE’ moment was probably when I worked with Sheamus. Sheamus is a guy that’s been around for 10-15+ years, around that ballpark. A guy that’s very well respected and someone who is really physical and takes a lot of pride in his work. He’s well respected by the entire locker room, by the entire audience. He’s no doubt going to be a Hall of Famer one day. He’s someone that makes you earn it. He’s really, really physical out there. I obviously enjoy that type of combat sports. I love it, I love getting in there. He’s someone that’s really, really fun to work with.
Dave Bautista confirmed to Comicbook.com that John Cena’s Peacemaker character was written for him, but Bautista could not do the role due to other commitments:
I have to say, that one. I really wanted to do that part. He [James Gunn] wrote that part for me, and it was meant for me, and it just became a scheduling thing where I just couldn’t do it, because I was doing Army of the Dead. And so it was a scheduling issue that we just could not figure out.
Bautista added that he thinks Cena ended up being the perfect choice to play Peacemaker:
And I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there’s no way that I would have been able to do that role like John. He’s just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn’t have done it justice, and it wouldn’t have been as successful.
So, look, and I am, I’m saying that with a bit of envy, you know, I would love it. I just wouldn’t have been able to do the same thing that John does to bring to that character. It wouldn’t have been the same. It wouldn’t have been as good. I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been as good.
Bleacher Report ranked Becky Lynch as the greatest WWE women’s wrestler of all time, with Charlotte Flair, Trish Stratus, Rhea Ripley, and Sasha Banks rounding out the top five.
I can’t lie to save my life. So, when everybody, including my manager and other wrestlers, asked how he was doing after the injury, I became a twitchy weirdo. I was stumbling off my words and not finishing full sentences. His dad, aunts and uncles were texting me, all of our friends and colleagues were wishing him well and I tried not to lie. But then they’d give me follow-up questions about if he was having surgery and had he gone for an MRI. It became very difficult and, honestly, I did not like it.
Lynch also explained how their daughter Roux handled the ruse:
Well, she didn’t keep it a secret. She went to her teacher at school and told her, ‘My dad has a boo-boo, but it’s only pretend.’ Thankfully, Ms. Joy was tight-lipped about the whole thing. [Rollins] would go to [Roux’s] friends’ birthday parties in full gimmick, which left us wondering if people were going to ask and if she would say anything. But she kind of forgot about it and didn’t say anything.
Tony Khan praised the London, Ontario, Canada crowd for how they reacted to last night’s AEW September to Remember event: “London, Ontario We are coming back here every year, YOU ARE TREMENDOUS”
While speaking with the Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred podcast, Adam Copeland was asked if he’s thought about any plans for how he wants to end his career when he decides to retire:
I honestly don’t know. But when I look at – I have the luxury, I guess, of having one retirement under my belt. And that was a very emotional one – it was an amazing send-off, right? So, this one, I’m not that concerned with how it goes. Would I like for it to be in Toronto? Yeah. I think that would be fitting to try and do it as close as I could to the place that I started it, which is Monarch Park.
But it’d be nice to end it in Toronto. Beyond that, I haven’t put, like, a whole lot of thought into it. That would be my only hope, would be that it’s in Toronto.
Josh Barnett revealed that Roy Wood of the Snake Pit Wigan will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: London on September 28.
One of John Cena’s most popular Hollywood roles came about because a different WWE legend passed on the job.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, director James Gunn said Dave Bautista — who he worked with on Guardians of the Galaxy — was his first choice to play Peacemaker in the Suicide Squad movie. With Bautista being offered other roles that were better financial options, Gunn moved on to Cena.
“It was Dave Bautista, who’s a good friend of mine,” Gunn said about his first choice for Peacemaker. “Obviously, he plays Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. And I wrote the character of Peacemaker for him and we offered him the role, but he was offered two other movies and we weren’t paying him a lot, and so he had to go where the money was.
“And I had always been a fan of John since Trainwreck especially. I thought he was so, so funny in that movie that I met with him. We talked. We became instant, instant friends. And since then, I’ve worked with him more than any other actor.”
The Peacemaker character — which originated in DC Comics — has been spun off into its own HBO Max show starring Cena. Season two of the series is currently airing.
Gunn praised Cena as a fantastic guy and fantastic actor and said they’ll be doing more projects together on top of what they’ve already done.
Bautista had his final WWE match in 2019. While the temptation to come out of retirement is there, he knows his time in the ring is over and refuses to tarnish the great ending his career had.
The end of Cena’s in-ring career is only three months away. He has eight WWE appearances on his retirement tour, which will conclude on Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
AEW heads to Arena Mexico, reaction of talent, background and key facts about Arena Mexico and wrestling history, the rise, fall and comeback of Mistico, the quadruple crown of wrestlers and even announcers and full coverage of the Tuesday and Wednesday night shows as well as this past Friday’s show.
Where New Japan stands today with its reset at Dominion, full coverage of the show, plus news ands thoughts regarding the G-1 Climax tournament
WWE preparing many major shows over the next few weeks
Coverage of TripleMania Regia
Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon and TKO make arguments to get out of the ringboys lawsuit and what statements made by McMahon and Gorilla Monsoon more than 30 years don’t look good regarding this case
A look at U.K. women’s wrestling pioneer and Scottish Hall of Famer Rusty Blair.
The most detailed look at the ratings of all the major shows
CMLL’s biggest show of the year announced
Konnan praises Corey Graves
A new television milestone reached this past month and an explanation of what it means
The U.S. team going to the world championships in Croatia
Hogan & Bischoff RAF promotion announces debut show and a very bad sign regarding their actual interest
Notes on two of the best attended indie shows of the year on the same night
El Hijo del Santo’s last match in Mexico as scheduled today
AEW women stars working in Europe
Advanced ticket sales for WWE, AEW and TNA shows
Tony Khan does interview, gets criticized regarding how he presented the info
More on Dana White and Nick Khan’s boxing project with Turki Alalshikh
What is the value of the UFC PPV shows?
Aaron Pico vs. Moovsar Evloev and what that says about UFC’s intentions
Reports on Vince McMahon getting back involved and what is and isn’t viable
Realities of AEW TV rating year-to-year
Gunther vs. Goldberg notes
Goldberg talks about why he’s coming back
Michelle McCool talks saving Undertaker’s life twice
Liv Morgan’s injury and changes that have to be made
It seems that time of year again—Roman Reigns’ return is on the horizon. Sources indicate his name has popped up internally in recent weeks, typically signaling the wheels are in motion for a return heading into the biggest party of the summer.
Goldberg looked ahead to his retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event, saying he doesn’t care how he feels after as long as things go well:
I don’t give a f*ck how I feel walking out of there, I’ll be perfectly honest with you. This is all or nothing. At 58, and with the injuries that I’ve had, there’s no question that I’m compromised a little bit, but like I said the other night, I don’t give a flying f*ck if I walk in there with a football helmet on and two knee braces and my arm in a sling. It doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that, you know, I’m a little hobbled, and yeah, I won’t be 100 percent. But I’m bringing it, man. That’s the only way I know how to go. So when the clock ticks and it’s time to get in that ring, doesn’t matter whether I’m ready or not, because I better be ready.
It’s all relative. You always want to have more time. You know, my problem has been that it’s tough to gain a lot of weight and be that monstrous guy when you’re compromised, when your shoulder is messed up, when you’re 58. I mean, it’s just different. So instead of walking in there at 280 [pounds], I’ll be at 260. Hopefully that’ll be enough and I’ll look like I’m 280, I don’t know.
Goldberg’s son Gage – who is a member of the University of Colorado football roster – told Sportskeeda WrestleBinge that he views pro wrestling as a backup plan for him if a career in football doesn’t work out.
It’s there, it’s a backup plan, for sure. Football’s the priority, 100 percent. But it’s a backup plan. Football is my main plan, WWE is the backup plan, 100 percent.
Dave Bautista, who has wanted to star in a romantic comedy for a long time, will finally get the chance in a film called “The Romantic.” Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the movie, which is described as:
The film tells the story of bestselling romance author Francine London, who has a secret: she’s actually a six-foot-four mountain of a man named Ed Schwenke. When Ed’s identity comes under scrutiny, he hires a wildcard of a woman to pose as Francine at a romance fiction convention, while evading a cynical female journalist, who hates romance even more than she hates liars.
I would love to. Like I said, I just want to be involved – regardless of what the stipulation is, regardless of what the venue is or the pay-per-view is or the TV is. I mean, I was not a part of All In last year. And that was really upsetting to me. I want to be a part of All In this year. I think that I deserve to be a part of All In this year. And if we’re going to kick off the biggest show of AEW’s calendar year but then also kind of like the start of our new cycle, being in the mix of that is huge. So if I want to become a factor in this women’s division in the next cycle, then I need to be a part of this match.
On top of – you know, it’s for a World Championship opportunity. And if I want to wrestle Mercedes Mone or if I want to have a rematch with Toni Storm, which I’ve never had yet, I need to be in that match and then I need to win that match. So it’s huge implications for the rest of what our new calendar year will look like.
Purrazzo vs. B3CCA has been announced for Richard Holliday’s Narcissistic Behavior event in Hamden, Connecticut on August 3.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, KUSHIDA had praise for Kosei Fujita, the winner of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2025:
In my opinion, Best of Super Juniors symbol is Jushin Thunder Liger, you know. But he was retired. Right now, another New Japan junior stars, El Desperado and Hiromu Takahashi. And this year’s winner is called Kosei Fujita. He has super potential.
His technique is very unique. He got the technique from Zack Sabre Jr. His mentor is Zack Sabre Jr. So right now, maybe I think he’s not too much famous. But every hardcore wrestling fan maybe soon get to hear his name. Oh, he’s good, he’s awesome.
Elayna Black & Priscilla Kelly will team up against The Cogar Brothers (Atticus Cogar & Otis Cogar) at GCW Bash at the Ballpark in Coney Island, New York on July 19.
Ninja Mack and Priscilla Kelly are the first two entrants announced for Pro Wrestling Revolver’s Jerry Lynn Invitational tournament that’s happening in Dayton, Ohio on August 9.
Former WWE star Dave Batista may be joining the cast for the sequel to Road House.
First reported by Deadline this past Friday, the rumor in Hollywood is Batista has an offer to join the Guy Ritchie-directed film with Jake Gyllenhaal returning to play the lead role of Dalton, a former UFC fighter turned Florida bouncer.
They also noted talks haven’t begun with the star of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune movies, nor what role he could play.
Retired from the ring, Batista has remained busy with various film projects in different stages of production that includes The Trap House, Wrecking Crew (with Jason Momoa), and Alpha Gang (with Cate Blanchett).
It’s unknown if embattled UFC star Conor McGregor will return to play antagnoist Knox in the sequel. While it appears unlikely McGregor will ever fight again, he recently made headlines for punching a man inside a nightclub in Spain that was captured on video.
The 2024 reboot of the 1989 original starring the late Patrick Swayze aired on Amazon Prime as will the sequel. According to Amazon, the movie was a huge success with more than 80 million views worldwide in its first eight weeks. The release date is unknown.
Dave Bautista’s in-ring past has more than prepared him for his current life as a Hollywood star.
While speaking with Film Inside during the press tour for his movie “In the Lost Lands,” Bautista discussed being a lifeguard, bouncer, and WWE star before becoming an actor. Bautista said that, with the work ethic he developed in WWE, Hollywood life is a “cakewalk.”
“More than anything, I have a strong work ethic — and my work ethic really came from the WWE,” the 56-year-old Bautista said. “WWE, if nothing else, they’re not only durable people but it’s just the hardest grind that I could ever imagine. Being in Hollywood and being on a film set, it’s long hours, but compared to the grind of being a professional wrestler, it’s just a cakewalk. It’s night and day. I’m in this business and I find it hard to relate to people who are just always unhappy on set and always complaining about something. I don’t relate to that at all.”
Bautista has been retired from WWE since facing Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in 2019. He misses wrestling and there is always the temptation to come back, but he knows that his time in the ring is over. He is not willing to tarnish the storybook ending that his career had.
A WWE Hall of Fame induction of Bautista was originally set for 2020, but the ceremony couldn’t happen that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He will be inducted in the future when his schedule allows him to be in attendance.
CM Punk is hoping that he’ll someday get to share the screen with Dave Bautista in a film project.
Speaking with Deadline after WrestleMania 41 for a feature story published this week, Punk said he’s “dying” to work with WWE legend Bautista in an acting role. Punk teased that he’d like the two to appear in a romantic comedy together.
“I would love to do that,” Punk responded when asked if he’d be interested in acting in a rom-com. “Me and Dave Bautista are trying to do a rom-com, maybe not together, but it’s a race. He really wants to do one, and I really want to do one too. Dave and I are two emotional b**ches. We would absolutely kill that genre, guaranteed, him especially. I’m dying to work with him. What if we were romantically involved? Who’s not going to pay to see that?”
The interest in working together is reciprocal, with Bautista telling Buzzfeed last year that he believes Punk has unlimited potential as an actor.
“His potential in acting is pretty unlimited,” Bautista said. “So I really want to see more from him in acting. I’d actually love to work with him. Because I think he has a passion for acting, but I think still his heart is in professional wrestling. Until he’s able to let that go a little bit, he’ll never be able to fully envelop himself in acting.”
Punk, 46, signed with Paradigm Talent Agency in June 2024 as he looks to expand his presence in Hollywood. His upcoming roles include parts in a horror movie named “Night Patrol” and a Syfy series titled “Revival.” He told Deadline that it’s easier to get time for outside projects than it used to be in WWE.
“It’s a lot easier now. It was harder back in the day because wrestling was the lion’s share of what I did, and I wasn’t allowed to do other stuff,” Punk said. “I have pre-existing relationships and projects I work on that are grandfathered into my contract. I typically do Monday Night Raw live on Netflix every week. But if I need to dip out for two weeks to shoot an independent film, I can always do that. We’re trying to petition Netflix to do a third season of ‘Heels.’ I have two projects coming down the line that I’m very excited about. One is the TV show ‘Revival’ that will air on Syfy, and a really, really fun movie called ‘Night Patrol,’ written and directed by Ryan Prows. I don’t want to give away too much but it’s night patrol, LAPD, Bloods, Crips, vampires.”
Punk and WWE are in talks for a new five-year contract. Following Paul Heyman’s WrestleMania betrayal, Punk is set to feud with Heyman’s new faction of Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker. They laid out Punk and Roman Reigns on the Raw after Mania.
WWE Bash in Berlin coverage, business, records, interest level, crossover buys with AEW and an overview of the show.
AEW All Out
NXT No Mercy coverage
The life and career of Villano V, son of one of the biggest stars in history, Ray Mendoza, his sons, formation of a promotion that became one of the hottest in the world at the time, the background of Los Villanos from a movie, his run in WCW as enhancement talent, the legend of Villanos vs. Brazos and Villano V vs Blue Panther in Mexican legacy and life after wrestling.
How Turki Alashikh is trying to change boxing on PPV, possible motives, and how AEW does on PPV is a key in analyzing this.
Kevin Kelly and the Tate Twins sue AEW, the most detailed look at the suit itself what it means, and potential outcomes
The life and times of Sonny King, wrestling all over the world, from early WWWF tag champion to Crockett headliner, when he was stabbed, his days as a manager, philosophy of wrestling, and more.
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows over the past week, demos,
segments placing and competition.
Chris Jericho talks about returning to Mexico
All kids of major events planned for Arena Mexico in upcoming weeks
Celebrity knocks company that used him and praises their opposition
Stardom Five Star Grand Prix finals
NOAH’s N-1 finals
Suzuki vs. Shibata in Japan
Honoring Yoshihiro Takayama and Don Frye talks
Three generations of superstars in one match
Nikki Bella/Garcia news coverage
Notes on movies and TV shows featuring current stars
Santo retirement tour
The Wrestling Combine
Rich Swanna going to rehab
TNA big show coverage
Lots more on All In business
Tony Khan press call
Health updates on wrestlers
Nigel McGuinness talks wrestling
Mark Henry had words regarding AEW and Tony Khan
International TV ratings
Sting’s son training for wrestling update
Highest merch sellers in WWE and AEW
UFC record gate coming
Fighter sues manager for embezzling $2 million
WWE television changes
More Janel Grant court issues
Firing of Odyssey Jones
Vince McMahon documentary
Lawsuit against WWE and Cody Rhodes
More people leaving WWE after decades with the company
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
Today marks one year since Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE became official and the company TKO Group Holdings (consisting of WWE and UFC) was formed. TKO shared a video with company president Mark Shapiro giving his perspective on the past year.
Cody Rhodes wished his wife Brandi a happy 11th wedding anniversary: “Invested in the worst stock she could possibly find(me) – been the most fun ten plus years of my life trying to prove her right. Happy Anniversary @TheBrandiRhodes”
Brandi tweeted: “Happy 11 years of marriage to the love of my life. My partner, best friend, greatest love and biggest supporter. No one compares to you! 11 and a lifetime more to go”
At the premiere for the movie, Bautista told Cathy Kelley how proud he is of Drew McIntyre for his acting performance and everything he’s accomplished in pro wrestling:
He did amazing. Like, people are going to be blown away by Drew in this. He’s so funny, and he’s just so charismatic. It was perfect. And I’ve known Drew for a very long time and we’ve stayed in touch well before this. I watched Drew grow up in this business. I’m super proud of him, man. I’m proud of what he’s accomplished.
Cutler James & Shiloh Hill vs. Uriah Connors & Kale Dixon
AEW/Other Wrestling
AEW uploaded post-Dynamite promos from Will Ospreay & Kyle Fletcher, Ricochet, The Acclaimed, and Grizzled Young Veterans.
Ricochet shared a brief moment reuniting with his friend and trainer Chuck Taylor during the post-show promo. Last night’s Dynamite took place in Kentucky, where Ricochet and Taylor are both from. Taylor is working behind the scenes in AEW right now but hopes to return to the ring in the future despite dealing with a career-threatening ankle injury.
“This is nuts, man,” Taylor told Ricochet. “I’m so happy you’re here, man. It’s great to see you.”
“That’s awesome. Chuck Taylor, bro. Literally my first day of training, he was there to help me out. And he’s been there basically my whole career,” Ricochet said. “So, to answer your question, once again, it feels awesome to be here. All Elite Wrestling – where the best come to wrestle. And not only that, but I have so many friends in the back, it honestly feels like home to me. So I’m just ready for the future and what I’ve got to do here in All Elite Wrestling.”
In her Mone Mag, Mercedes Mone wrote about attending the premiere for “The Killer’s Game”:
Yes, after multiple pay-per-views I was tired, but I prioritized supporting my friends, including my wrestle friends. And you know why? Because my wrestle friends have always supported me. Whether wrestling for New Japan in my first appearance post-WWE or my debut at AEW, the likes of Naomi, Bayley, Tamina, and others were there for me. It’s never easy for them with their schedules and with their own jobs but there they were – and there I’ll be!
So, when I got the invite for the premiere of The Killer’s Game starring my friend Drew McIntyre, you bet I was gonna be there to support. Ditto for Bayley, who also flew in. It’s always great to see Pam (Bayley), even in these quick spurts. Along with seeing her and Drew, I got to see another old friend, Cathy Kelley, who looked as beautiful as ever doing her thing. I hope this opportunity elevates Drew to additional outside opportunities. Regardless, he is starring in a big movie, and for that he should be so proud.
Willow Nightingale named Lee Moriarty, Bryan Danielson, and Eddie Kingston as dream opponents if she could have an intergender match in AEW.
Adam Copeland told AMNY that he and his wife Beth Phoenix are considering the idea of opening a wrestling school:
One thing we have talked about is maybe starting a type of finishing school, where, if there are people within the industry that feel like they’re just missing a little something, [well] come on down to Asheville because you got FTR, you got me, and you got Beth Phoenix. We’re debating that and then just seeing if that’s a time commitment that we even have at this stage.
Dave Bautista thinks CM Punk could successfully make the transition from WWE star to full-time Hollywood actor.
In a new video for BuzzFeed, WWE legend Bautista was asked which current wrestler he thinks would be successful in Hollywood. Bautista named Punk, saying he believes Punk’s potential as an actor is “pretty unlimited.”
“You know who I think was really overlooked as an actor — I don’t know if he hasn’t pursued it as much as he’d like to because he’s still heavily pursuing professional wrestling — but is CM Punk, Phil Brooks,” Bautista said. “His potential in acting is pretty unlimited. So I really want to see more from him in acting. I’d actually love to work with him. Because I think he has a passion for acting, but I think still his heart is in professional wrestling. Until he’s able to let that go a little bit, he’ll never be able to fully envelop himself in acting. But I think Phil Brooks, he’s a great actor.”
Punk has had a few acting roles, including starring in the horror movie Girl on the Third Floor and appearing in TV shows Heels and Mayans M.C. With “an eye toward expanding his presence in entertainment,” he signed with talent agency Paradigm earlier this year for representation in all areas.
Punk is facing Drew McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match at WWE’s Bad Blood PLE on Saturday, October 5.
Bautista is currently on a media tour promoting his new movie The Killer’s Game, which McIntyre has a role in. The movie is being released in theaters this Friday.
Batista says that while he misses professional wrestling he will never tarnish the “storybook ending” to his career.
He officially retired from the industry after his loss to Triple H at WrestleMania 35. He announced the news the following day, writing, “Thank you for letting me entertain you. I love this business and whether you cheered me or jeered me, I’m grateful for being a small part of your life. I am officially retired from sports entertainment and I am grateful for every second of my amazing journey.”
The 55-year-old actor is currently promoting his upcoming film, “The Killer’s Game,” which releases in theaters on September 13. Along with his co-star Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon, Star Trek Beyond), he was interviewed by Chris Van Vliet and the conversation transitioned from movies to wrestling.
Boutella, who was also in Argyle with John Cena, asked Batista as many questions about his wrestling career as CVV did, including if he knew WrestleMania 35 would be his last match.
“I did, I just didn’t tell anybody else because I didn’t want it to be a big ordeal. I didn’t want to go out and do the tour and give a speech, I wanted to have my match and I wanted to call it a career so I wanted to go out on my own terms,” Batista responded.
Boutella seemed surprised to learn that Batista lost his last match.
“Did you know you were going to lose? She asked. “Is that how it works?”
“I did, yeah,” Batista responded. “It was the way I wanted to go out. It was like a dream for me. It’s so perfect. It’s such a romantic way and wrestlers don’t get to choose the way they go out, I did. I went out on my own terms the way I wanted with the guy I wanted to go out with and I will never tarnish that.”
“It’s not that I don’t miss it,” he continued. “I miss the crowd, I miss the energy of the crowd. I dream about walking out and hearing my entrance music but I know if I do that I will just tarnish my storybook ending and I’m just not willing to do it.”
“I just have to come to terms with my time has passed,” he continued.
CVV asked if the plan is still for him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“Eventually, I will. I want to and there was a good opportunity for me to go in a couple of years ago and I agreed to do it. Hunter asked me to do it.”
“It was here in LA and I thought it was storybook because I won my first title here in LA and we just couldn’t figure it out. I was working on a film, I was in South Africa, so logistically, we just couldn’t make it happen but I’m still open to it and one day I would like to.”
The reason Drew McIntyre is missing next week’s episode of WWE Raw looks to have been revealed.
According to an Instagram post from director JJ Perry, McIntyre has been cast in the action film “The Killer’s Game.” The movie stars WWE legend Dave Bautista, Ice Cube, Ben Kingsley, and Sofia Boutella.
Based on Jay Bonansinga’s novel, the film is written by Rand Ravich and Simon Kinberg, with recent rewrites by James Coyne. The film follows veteran assassin Joe Flood (Bautista), who is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and authorizes a kill on himself to avoid the pain that is destined to follow. After ordering the kill, he finds out that he was misdiagnosed and must then fend off the army of former colleagues trying to kill him.
There was a backstage interview on Raw last night where McIntyre told Matt Riddle that he won’t be at Raw next week because he’ll be away on company business. Riddle is facing Intercontinental Champion Gunther in a non-title match next Monday. Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci will be barred from ringside for the match.
McIntyre & Riddle teamed together to defeat Kaiser & Vinci last night.
Three years after he was originally supposed to be inducted, Batista (Dave Bautista) is hoping to finally go into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Batista was asked about his WWE Hall of Fame status while being interviewed at the premiere for his new movie “Knock at the Cabin.” Batista told ComicBook.com that he hopes to be inducted this year, but he can’t say for sure.
“I hope so, but I can’t say for sure,” Batista said. “I can say that I’m trying. I am trying.”
Batista was announced as a WWE Hall of Fame inductee in 2020, but that ceremony was canceled following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame classes were inducted at a ceremony without fans in attendance the next year, Batista wasn’t able to take part in the ceremony.
Batista tweeted in March 2021: “To the @WWEUniverse Unfortunately due to previous obligations I am unable to be a part of the @WWE #HOF this year. By my request they have agreed to induct me at a future ceremony where I’ll be able to properly thank the fans and people who made my career possible #DreamChaser”
Batista retired from in-ring competition following his no holds barred match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
There haven’t been any inductees confirmed for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class yet. The ceremony is taking place after SmackDown at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 31, which is the Friday of WrestleMania weekend.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is being held at the same arena where Batista defeated Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21.
The new issue of the Observer is up on the site with these stories:
The return of Vince McMahon, the sales talks, and the departure of Stephanie McMahon
Who is in charge of running the company right now
What Vince McMahon’s role is today
How Vince McMahon got back in power
A look at different entities who have expressed interest in WWE
Can Tony Khan get control of WWE
What kind of numbers are we talking about for the deal
What is the current market value of WWE
The Saudi Arabia rumors
How far did the rumors spread
What the experience of the UFC sale in 2016 tells you about what is said publicly
Notes from the meeting Stephanie McMahon, Frank Riddick and Nick Khan had with all the company employees
If something happens with Saudi Arabia, what would be the likely repercussions based on previous sports world examples
What companies did Nick Khan bring up to employees when talking the sale
Changes in WWE morale
2022 Business year in review for pro wrestling, MMA and boxing major events
Biggest crowds of the year
Main eventers on top for the most biggest crowds
PPV numbers for the year
Who drew the most 15,000+ crowds
UFC gate numbers
List of $2 million gates
Biggest pro wrestling drawing card each year since 1916
Biggest drawing cards in history
The changing of the media landscape and how this effects AEW and WWE
Analysis of the losses incurred by FOX on Smackdown by Morgan Stanley
The career of wrestler and promoter Johnny Powers, one of the biggest stars of the 60s and 70s
The attempt to promote nationally and what happened
How he got his first break with Bruno Sammartino
Multiple world title matches around the world
His runs with major promotions
Being the star of the NWF
How Powers figured into the early days of New Japan Pro Wrestling and his biggest matches there
How Powers was promoted in Japan
Powers and the Greatest 18 Club
Full coverage of PWG Battle of Los Angeles with thoughts on the shows, where PWG stands, background of the appearance of Chris Jericho, who you should keep your eyes on and match-by-match coverage
A look back at the career of Black Warrior
The most detailed look at the ratings from all the shows this past week as well as segment-by-segment
Mexican iconic character looking at retiring
Sting’s last match in Japan
Major change in New Japan’s U.S. approach
Update on Sasha Banks/Mercedes Mone in New Japan with more dates
How Mercedes moved tickets for her first match
A look at the major matches on the next new Japan tour
Superstar Billy Graham health update
TV announcer starts up promoting new group
The death of the real Bobby Heenan, and how the pro wrestling legend found out about his brother and his family
Adam Cole’s return
Kyle O’Reilly gives health update
Streaming numbers for AEW and WWE
International TV numbers
Attendance for upcoming shows
California legislators critical of Dana White
Dana White talks at press conference about his situation
Bellator signs perhaps its top fighter
Phil Baroni charged with homicide and facing a lifetime in jail
PFL announces new tournaments
WWE tries to get things removed from the discovery process in MLW lawsuit
How slow the courts can be on these situations
How much did Shane McMahon earn from WWE in 2022
Former New Japan wrestler quietly started in WWE camp this week
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].
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Monday Update
Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio, talking the news of the day and Raw. You can send questions to the show to [email protected]
The movie “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story” won Best Acting Ensemble cast and Best Comedy at last night’s Critic’s Choice Awards. Dave Bautisa was in that movie.
There was a lot of talk regarding The Young Bucks saying on BTE what a stressful week last week was before the show in Los Angeles. All kinds of rumors spread from it that weren’t close to true. Matt said it’s something he can’t talk about but maybe he would in the next book he’ll never write. The issue was that one of the wrestlers in the match had a visa issue and they didn’t know until Tuesday night if the Game Seven match would take place. But the issue was cleared up on Tuesday.
We’re looking for reports from Cincinnati from with the Main Event matches and any other dark matches or angles shot not on television before or after the show to [email protected]
Raw tonight is in Cincinnati. Very little has been announced for the show. Just Bobby Lashley , Solo Sikoa vs. Mustafa Ali and Judgment Day vs. Alpha Academy are on the show. Tonight will be the toughest competition Raw has had in many years. The belief is that the NFL playoff game with the Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Dallas Cowboys could hit 30 million viewers if the game is competitive. This could be Tom Brady’s last game as well. There is also a Lakers-Rockets NBA game tonight as well as a Suns-Grizzles game. Zoey Stark and Charlie Dempsey were at the show so good chance they’ll be on Mani Event. Also at the show according to PWInsider are Usos, Solo Sikoa, Drew McIntyre and Uncle Howdy. There were 7,148 tickets out for the show as of this morning. Basically if the rating is low, it’s nothing to worry about because next week’s number will be high, and tonight is Raw’s last time against the NFL until September.
There was another talent meeting before the show. It was basically the same as on Friday, telling the wrestlers and Paul Levesque was still in charge of creative and that the company has not been sold.
Because today is a holiday it means a different ratings release schedule. Smackdown and Rampage numbers will be out tomorrow. Raw will be out Wednesday.
A movie on the late Jon Huber aka Brodie Lee, called “This is Brodie Lee” will debut on 2/3 on Vimeo on Demand. Filmmaker Joe Brandt and Classy Wolf Media put the film together showing Huber’s breaking into pro wrestling in upstate New York, with friends, and relatives as well a wrestlers that were there with him from the start.
Superstar Billy Graham’s wife Valerie posted that his heart rate and blood pressure is stable enough to transfer him out of ICU to the Progressive Care Unit. That is still serious but a step in the right direction.
We’re also looking for your thoughts on Impact Hard to Kill from Friday with a thumbs up, down or middle, best and worst match to [email protected]
A celebration of life for Don West is scheduled for 5/20 at 1 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee, WA.
Regarding the WWE tag titles, right now they are split up again. Instead of unified champions, the Usos are both Raw champions and Smackdown champions and will be defending the belt of the brand in future title matches. That’s a Paul Levesque decision for this week.
Impact tapes television on Friday and Saturday this week at the Osceola Heritage Park in the Orlando area.
Wednesday’s AEW show in Fresno, CA, is closing in on 5,000 tickets which is a solid showing. As noted, there has been an uptick in ticket sales at AEW events since the start of the year.
The movie “The Flying Greek” about 70s wrestler Mike Pappas, who recently passed away and because of his size, was frequently photographed with Andre the Giant for publicity photos, is free for one week on YouTube.
AEW in Laredo on 2/15 is offering a four-pack of tickets for $56 total using the code CITY as Laredo started off weak.
Other Notes
LFA on 2/17 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN on UFC Fight Pass is headlined by Chepe Mariscal (12-6) vs. Guilherme Faria (18-9)
Bodyslam Wrestling from Saturday night in Aalborg, Denmark: Bobby Gunns b Emeritus, Robert Dreissker b Bam Bam Quaade, Baby Allison won three-way over Betty Rose and Aliss Ink, Peter Olisander b Maggot, Pete Phoenix won over Toby, Erik Sabel, Jackpot. Robert Star, Hunyadi Tamas, Eli Castle and Gabriel Faust, Carlos Zamora b Ahura to keep the Bodyslam title, Randers & Pagne b Arrows of Hungary to keep the tag titles (Thanks to Kristian Buss Kronvold)
Bill Goldberg was on NCIS: Los Angeles last night in his recurring role as DEA agent Lance Hamilton. He was noticeably lighter than the last time he was in a WWE ring (thanks to Grant Zwarych)
EPW from Saturday night in Western Australia: Lucas Fantasia b Anth Cava, Joey Graham & Leah Lovegrove b Chadwick Jackson & Viki Void, Aaron Hawk b Seth Tylors, Chris Target & Tommy Dux b Julian Ward & Taylor King, Rogan Karguis b Kris Kelly, Mattew Pace & Del Cano & Blake Walker b Julio Garcia & Dizzy Videl & Tye Thayer, Solomon Blackwell b Hector Jones, Elijah Henry b Cannon Connors to keep the Rising Star Club title. (thanks to Kevin Chiat).
Former WWE star Dave Bautista has booked a starring role in director M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie.
Deadline first reported on Monday that Bautista is in negotiations to star in Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin.” The film will be written and directed by Shyamalan and is tentatively scheduled to be released on February 3, 2023. Details regarding the plot of the movie haven’t been revealed.
Bautista tweeted about the role: “Another dream come true working with @MNightShyamalan!”
Shyamalan wrote: “My new friend @DaveBautista you have shown strength not in the obvious ways but in choosing risky roles and making yourself vulnerable. I can not wait for you to come to Philly. Knock knock…”
Shyamalan’s most recent film prior to this was “Old,” which was released this July.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Knives Out 2” are also among the upcoming movies that Bautista has a role in.
Bautista retired from in-ring competition following his no holds barred match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in April 2019.
Bautista was scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020, but that didn’t happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bautista noted that he wasn’t able to attend the 2021 ceremony at the ThunderDome due to previous obligations, and WWE had agreed to induct him at a future ceremony where he’d be able to properly thank the fans and people who made his career possible.
