We are back with another edition of WWE News Roundup. We have learned a potential spoiler on the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble winner. With RAW set to move to Netflix, a veteran has confirmed his departure from the brand.
Meanwhile, a real-life Bloodline member has plans to make his pro wrestling debut. A former WWE Champion has revealed that he won’t be returning to commentary anytime soon and more.
So without further ado, let’s begin:
#1. 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble winner is reportedly decided
During a recent appearance on the Café De René With René Duprée podcast, wrestling veteran Bin Hamin said he heard from his sources that The Rock is currently slated to win the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble match.
“Yeah, win the Rumble? Maybe they’ll switch it. My inside sources, and like it could change the day of, so, but I heard The Rock is penciled in as the one right now. So, we’ll see which way it goes. You never know. An injury or a movie could change,” he said.
Triple H and The Rock are close friends in real life despite having a heated rivalry during their heyday. With The Game being the head of creative, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that he and The Final Boss mulled over the aforementioned idea.
Of course, plans could always change since there are conflicting reports regarding The Rock’s status for WrestleMania 41:
As of this writing, Triple H has yet to confirm the participants for the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble Matches, which will go down on February 1, 2025.
#2. Joe Tessitore ends his WWE RAW commentary run
The December 30, 2024, episode of Monday Night RAW not only brought an end to the USA Network era but also Joe Tessitore’s time as the commentator.
The 54-year-old veteran made his RAW debut on September 2 last year. He worked alongside Wade Barrett as a play-by-play commentator on Monday Night. With the flagship show moving to Netflix starting next week, WWE is bringing back Michael Cole and Pat McAfee to call the show.
Wade Barrett recently bid goodbye to RAW via a social media post. Joe Tessitore confirmed the same when he dropped a comment on his post, reading:
What a fun ride to be by your side! You’re THE best my friend!”
Check out his reaction below.
Barrett and Tessitore will join Big E for the post-show following RAW on Netflix debut next week. Meanwhile, fans are still wondering who will join Corey Graves in the commentary booth on SmackDown this Friday.
#3. Rikishi comments on his son possibly following in his footsteps
Recently, a picture of Jimmy Uso standing alongside his younger brother Samson Fatu backstage at the WWE show has been making the rounds on the internet.
The Bloodline family, obviously runs deep, with Rikishi’s three sons – Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso already being the front and center of the ongoing storyline.
Speaking on the Fatu Off The Top podcast, Rikishi commented on whether Samson Fatu has any plans to pursue pro wrestling. The Samoan Stinker said his 16-year-old son has shown interest in following in his footsteps:
“I want, and I know he does, he wants to become a millionaire before moving into NFL, and with the opportunities that are out there with NIL and stuff for college kids, I said, ‘Dude, this is an opportunity given to you.’ So he sounds like he has a little bit of interest, and if in case the day comes, I’m gonna have no worries because he’s been around this business since he was five. Be it wrestling or be it sports, he’s gonna go far in life,” said Rikishi. (H/T – Fightful Wrestling)
#4. JBL opens up about leaving WWE commentary
Speaking on the ‘Something To Wrestle With’ podcast, John Bradshaw Layfield revealed that he didn’t like traveling back in the day, which is why he decided to step away from his role in 2017:
“I didn’t like the travel. It wasn’t the commentary, it was the travel. I was living in Bermuda, and I was traveling two flights almost every week, sometimes all the way to the West Coast. And I just didn’t like the travel. I loved the commentary. If I could have done commentary in my house, I’d have done it forever,” he said.
JBL still loves doing commentary but understands that there’s no spot for him on the broadcasting team today:
And you know, they move on. And now they’ve got, you know, great commentaries out there. And there’s not a spot for me, and there shouldn’t be because these guys are fantastic. But the main thing was, it was just the travel. I got tired of getting on a plane every week. I have 6.3 million miles on American Airlines alone. And I’m just sick of getting on — to this day, getting on planes wore me out.”
The 58-year-old Hall of Famer is still under WWE contract and it’s a type of deal that permits him to make outside appearances. In fact, JBL has already appeared for TNA, AAA, and GCW, sparking his in-ring return speculation in 2025.
#5. Will Roman Reigns become a WWE Champion again?
Roman Reigns hasn’t been part of the WWE Title picture since losing his championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL.
During a Q&A on Backstage Pass, Hall of Fame journalist Bill Apter said he’s confident The OTC will win a major title again, though he’s unsure when that would happen:
“Yeah, I think he will. I think he will. I don’t think he’s done with the title situation. I definitely think we’ll see him with the belt again, a major belt. Can’t tell you when, right? But I think it will happen. Fans want him back in that position.”
Roman Reigns will be in action on the WWE RAW on Netflix premiere, where he will face Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat Match. Will The OTC win back his Ula Fala? Only time will tell.
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