Welcome to Sportskeeda’s daily WWE News Roundup, where we compile all the top stories being discussed by pro wrestling loyalists.
WWE recently announced some significant changes to the commentary team as a Raw personality confirmed his departure from the company. A top name also largely rubbished the rumors of Brock Lesnar’s dream match.
We also have an update on a promising young star’s condition and her recent medical procedure.
The latest news roundup ends with a veteran suggesting an opponent for Edge’s retirement match. On that note, let’s take a look at the trending stories of the day:
Jimmy Smith’s tenure as RAW commentator is over!
The former MMA fighter confirmed his exit on Twitter today in a heartfelt tweet, recounting his memorable run in WWE’s broadcast team.
Smith joined WWE in May 2021 and quickly moved to his new role as play-by-play commentator on Raw. As we previously revealed, the company has announced new commentary teams for all three brands, bringing in Kevin Patrick as Smith’s replacement.
The former Raw announcer issued the following statement:
“Just wanted to say, now that the story is officially over, that my time with WWE is officially over. Had a lot of fun and met some great people. Really and really approvingly from WWE fans Blow up! You guys make it work every week, and your enthusiasm was amazing!”
Sportskeeda sends best wishes to Jimmy Smith as he prepares for a new chapter in his career. As always, we’ll keep you updated on what’s next for the 45-year-old personality.
As announced by WWE, Daniel Cormier will be at Extreme Rules as the special guest referee for the Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle.
Fans are thrilled about Cormier’s first WWE assignment, as many expect him to eventually step into the ring. Not surprisingly, the news of a fight against Brock Lesnar has been doing the rounds online for the past few days.
DC addressed the rumors during an interview with ESPN and clarified that there are currently no talks regarding a Pro Wrestling performance against Brock Lesnar. The retired MMA fighter was previously slated to fight Lesnar in the Octagon in 2018, but the bout never took place.
The former UFC champion also spoke about his joint UFC fight against Lesnar.
DC said, “I didn’t hear anything. That’s all, okay? When something like this happens, and it honestly was great for me, because people started talking.” “People started talking about, ‘Oh my god, I remember when he and Brock were in the Octagon, and they were about to fight. It matters a lot. As you know, just because something makes sense, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. So, no, there’s no point in fighting Brock Lesnar,” Cormier said.
DC is an avid pro wrestling fan who has always expressed a desire to enter the business as an active talent. But we’ll have to wait and see if Triple H convinces Cormier to wrestle.
Gable Steveson underwent a heart procedure
There has been a lot of speculation about Gable Steveson’s WWE career, as he was initially expected to get a considerable push after WrestleMania 38. The Olympic Gold Medalist’s development as a wrestler has visibly slowed down, and it is due to a medical condition.
ESPN’s Mike Koppinger revealed that an amputation was performed on Stevenson’s heart because he was suffering from Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. The 22-year-old wrestler was diagnosed with the condition ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and went under the knife on the advice of the WWE medical team.
Triple H also reacted to Stevenson’s recent struggles and was delighted that the young star was healthy again and ready to kickstart his professional wrestling career.
“We are pleased to see that Gable is healthy and training full-time at our Performance Center in Orlando,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Hall of Famer, the company’s chief content officer. “WWE is proud of our best-in-class medical team, who guided Gable through this process to ensure he has a long, healthy career with WWE.”
Stevenson is finally at the performance center, and it shouldn’t be long until fans see him show off his skills on TV.
Vince Russo says Edge should face Bobby Lashley in his retirement match
Edge’s in-ring comeback will always be one of the most inspiring stories in wrestling. The Rated-R Superstar returned from a career-ending neck injury and has since been involved in some exceptional matches.
However, Edge confirmed that he plans to retire in Toronto in 2023, and there are many opponents he could face in his swan song. During the latest episode of Writing with Russo, the former WWE writer explained why Bobby Lashley is the perfect candidate to end Edge’s career.
Here’s what Vince Russo stated regarding the proposed Edge vs. Lashley matchup:
“Let’s say Edge is at the point of retirement. He knows he’s seeing these young guys come up, ‘It’s time for me to step aside,’ but Edge says, ‘You know what, I wanna go out in a match against the best. I don’t wanna start at the bottom. I want to take on the best guy on this roster as a man, just to prove something to myself.’ And have that match be Lashley.” [5:30 – 6:04]
Edge will take on Finn Balor in an ‘I Quit’ match at the upcoming Extreme Rules show. Their bout could end up being the most impressive contest of the evening.
Who do you think should face Edge in his retirement match? Sound off in the comments section below.