This Week in Wrestling 2/23/2024 – Jeff Knapp

 WWE2K has finally released the full roster for WWE2K 24 and the list goes as follows:

“Macho Man” Randy Savage  (OHHH YEAH)
“Ravishing” Rick Rude
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
“Superstar” Billy Graham*
Andre The Giant
Bad Bunny
Batista
Beth Phoenix
Big Boss Man
Boogeyman
Booker T
Bray Wyatt
Bret “Hitman” Hart
British Bulldog
Bruno Sammartino
Cactus Jack
Chyna
Diesel
Doink The Clown
Dude Love
Dusty Rhodes*
Eddie Guerrero
Eric Bischoff
Eve Torres
Faarooq
Harley Race
Hollywood Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Jake “The Snake” Roberts
JBL
Jerry “The King” Lawler
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart
John Cena
Kane
Kevin Nash
Lita
Mankind
Maryse
Mighty Molly
Molly Holly
Muhammad Ali
Rick Steiner
Rikishi
Rob Van Dam
Ronda Rousey
Scott Hall
Scott Steiner
Shane McMahon
Shawn Michaels
Stacy Keibler
Stephanie McMahon
Stardust*
Syxx
Ted DiBiase
The Fiend
The Hurricane
The Rock
The Undertaker
Triple H
Trish Stratus
Tyler Breeze
Ultimate Warrior
Umaga
Uncle Howdy
Vader
Wade Barrett
William Regal
X-Pac
Yokozuna

Raw
Akira Tozawa
Alexa Bliss
Becky Lynch
Bianca Belair
Big E
Braun Strowman
Bronson Reed
Candice LeRae
Carmella
Cedric Alexander
Chad Gable
Chelsea Green
Cody Rhodes
Damian Priest
Dexter Lumis
Dominik Mysterio
Erik
Finn Balor
Giovanni Vinci
Gunther
Indi Hartwell
Ivar
JD McDonagh
Jey Uso
Johnny Gargano
Kofi Kingston
Liv Morgan
Ludwig Kaiser
Maxxine Dupri
Natalya
Nikki Cross
Otis
Piper Niven
Raquel Rodriguez
Rhea Ripley
Ricochet
R-Truth
Sami Zayn
Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Shayna Baszler
Shinsuke Nakamura
Sonya Deville
Tegan Nox
The Miz
Tommaso Ciampa
Valhalla
Xavier Woods
Zoey Stark

SmackDown
AJ Styles
Alba Fyre
Angelo Dawkins
Ashante “Thee” Adonis
Asuka
Austin Theory
Bayley
Bobby Lashley
Butch
Cameron Grimes
Charlotte Flair
Cruz Del Toro
Dakota Kai
Elton Prince
Grayson Waller
Isla Dawn
IYO SKY
Jimmy Uso
Joaquin Wilde
Karrion Kross
Katana Chance
Kayden Carter
Kevin Owens
Kit Wilson
LA Knight
Logan Paul
Luke Gallows
Michin Mia Yim
Montez Ford
MVP
Omos
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Ridge Holland
Robert Roode
Roman Reigns
Santos Escobar
Scarlett
Sheamus
Shotzi
Solo Sikoa
Tamina
Xia Li
Zelina Vega

NXT
Andre Chase
Angel Garza
Apollo Crews
Axiom
Baron Corbin
Blair Davenport
Bron Breakker
Brooks Jensen
Brutus Creed
Carmelo Hayes
Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Cora Jade
Damon Kemp
Dijak
Drew Gulak
Duke Hudson
Fallon Henley
Gigi Dolin
Humberto
Ilja Dragunov
Ivy Nile
Jacy Jayne
Jinder Mahal
Joe Coffey
Joe Gacy
Josh Briggs
Julius Creed
Nathan Frazer
Nikkita Lyons
Noam Dar
Roxanne Perez
Sanga
SCRYPTS
Thea Hail
Tiffany Stratton
Tony D’Angelo
Trick Williams
Tyler Bate
Veer Mahaan
Wendy Choo
Wes Lee
Wolfgang

Manager
B-Fab
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Cathy Kelley
Mick Foley
Miss Elizabeth
Paul Bearer
Paul Heyman
Theodore Long

In what started in early January, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) President Billy Corgan announced an exclusive streaming deal for NWA with The CW. Under this newly minted all-encompassing partnership, multiple NWA programs will be streaming and on-demand via The CW platform and portal in the United States.

Next up for the NWA, the massive signature live event Hard Times 2024 will premiere on the platform as part of future episodes of NWA Powerrr, streaming on both CWTV.com and the CW app.

After going down and being unable to continue competing after landing on the outside of the ring during her NXT Women’s Championship match, Shotzi has confirmed she tore her ACL and will be out of action for about 9 months. At best, she’s back in November to compete during Survivor Series weekend. If not, then I’d guess a return at the 2025 Royal Rumble.

In a move that surprised nobody, TNA Wrestling has extended the contract of one of the greatest wrestlers in TNA/Impact history, Josh Alexander. The length of the extension for the former Tag Team, X-Division, and World Champion hasn’t been disclosed but it comes just a day after he and others posted hourglass emojis on their X feed. Not sure if it’s related but we will see.

This past Monday Raquel Rodriguez became the last lady to qualify for the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, where the winner will go on to face the winner of the Rhea Ripley vs Nia Jax match. Along with Raquel, the other women competing will be Naomi, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Tiffany Stratton.

The WWE has filed a trademark for the name “New Catch Republic” as a tag team name for the team of Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.

AEW announced that next Wednesday of Dynamite “The Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay will be there to confront the Don Callis family, leading up to his match at Revolution against Konosuke Takeshita.

Brock Lesnar, although in the new WWE is now unplayable. 2K has somehow locked his character and fans of the game will be unable to use him once they start playing WWE2K 24

After 2 neck fusion surgeries, Booby Roode is now medically cleared to return to the ring. With that said during his interview on the show INSIGHT With Chris Van Vliet, he said the following about his return “Ironically enough, I just got green-lighted. The fusion has completely fused. So as far as like, looking at it from a medical point of view, it’s safe to get back in the ring, I guess. But at almost 48 years old, given the opportunity that I’ve been given now to work as a producer, which was my goal coming to WWE almost eight years ago. I’m quite happy doing this. And I feel like I’ve had a good run, as they say, and I’m happy to do what I’m doing now.”

Reports are saying that this year’s AEW Forbidden Door will take place this June from Arthur Ashe Stadium in NYC. The two different weekends this could work are June 8-9 and June 22-23 because those are the two weekends when the NY Mets, who play across the street are on the road.

Congratulations are to both Nick Nemeth (FKA Dolph Ziggler) for becoming the new NJPW IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion when he defeated David Finley and to Matt Riddle for defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi and becoming the new NJPW TV Champion at NJPW’s New Beginning. 

Rollcall of current Champions across the wrestling world

WWE

WWE Universal Championship – Roman Reigns

World Heavyweight Champion – Seth Rollins

WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions – Judgement Day

WWE Women’s Champion – Iyo Sky

Women’s World Champion – Rhea Ripley

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – The Kabuki Warriors

WWE US Champion – Logan Paul

WWE Intercontinental Champion – Gunther

NXT

NXT Championship- Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women’s Champion – Lyra Valkyria

North American Champion – Oba Femi

Tag Team Champions – The Wolf Dogs (Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin)

AEW

AEW World Champion – Samoa Joe

TNT Champion – Christian

Women’s Champion – Toni Storm

TBS Champion – Julia Hart

Tag Team Champions – Sting & Darby Allin

Trios Champions – The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

AEW International Champion – Orange Cassidy

TNA Wrestling

World Champion – Moose

X Division – Chris Sabin

Tag Team Champions – ABC

Digital Media Champion – Crazzy Steve

Knockouts Champion – Jordynne Grace

Knockouts Tag Champions – Decay

ROH

ROH World Champion – Eddie Kingston

ROH TV Champion – Kyle Fletcher

ROH Pure Champion – Wheeler Yuta

ROH Tag Champions – The Kingdom

ROH Women’s Champion – Athena

ROH Six Man Tag Champions – Bullet Club Gold

NJPW

IWGP World Champion – Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Global Heavyweight – Nick Nemeth

IWGP Junior Heavyweight – El Desperado

Strong Openweight Champion – Eddie Kingston

IWGP Television Champion – Matt Riddle

IWGP Tag Team Champions – Bullet Club (Kenta & Chase Owens)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions – Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors)

Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions – Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo)

NEVER Openweight Champion – Evil

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champions – Vacant

KOPW 2023 – Great O Khan

IWGP Women’s Champion – Maya Iwatani (Shared with Stardom)

   Strong Women’s Champion – Guillia (Shared with Stardom)

NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion – EC3

NWA World TV Champion – Max The Impaler (unified men’s and women’s)

NWA World Jr Heavyweight Champion – Colby Corino

NWA National Champion – “Thrillbilly Silas Mason

NWA World Tag Team Champions – Blunt Force Trauma – (Carnage & Damage)

NWA US Tag Team Champions – The Immortals (Kratos & Odinson)

NWA World Women’s Champion – Kenzie Paige

NWA World Women’s TV Champion – Max The Impaler

NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions – Pretty Empowered (Ella Envy & Kylie Paige)

AAA – Triple A Worldwide

AAA Mega Champion – El Hijo Del Vikingo

AAA Latin American Champion – Octagon Jr

AAA World Cruiserweight Champion – Komander

AAA World Tag Team Champions – Nueva Generacion Dinamita (Sanson & Forastero)

AAA World Trios Champions – Los Vipers (Abismo Negro Jr, Psicosis & Toxin)

AAA Reina de Reinas Champion – Flammer

CMLL – Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

CMLL World Heavyweight Champion – Gran Guerrero

CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion – Niebla Roja

CMLL World Middleweight Champion – Templario

CMLL World Welterweight Champion – Titan

CMLL World Lightweight Champion – Stigma

CMLL World Tag Team Champions – Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja)

CMLL World Trios Champions – Atlantis Jr., Star Jr. &Volador Jr.

CMLL World Women’s Champion – Stephanie Vaquer

Stardom

World of Stardom Champion (main title) – Maika

Wonder of Stardom Champion (secondary title ie IC tite) – Saori Anou

Goddess of Stardom Champions (tag) – AphroditE – (Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita)

Artist of Stardom Champions (trios) – Abarenbo GE (Syuri, Mirai and Ami Sohrei)

High Speed Champion (lightweight or x type of title) Mei Seira

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