The WWE has been celebrating the milestone of one of its greatest ever superstars, Randy Orton. The Viper has been wreaking havoc and dishing out RKOs for 20 years and plans to do the same for much longer.
Also this week, we witnessed the return of two of the women’s divisions biggest stars and they now look to be on a collision course. We also saw a big title match on Monday Night Raw and a legend offered some kind words and advice for one of the company’s rising stars.
And following another action-packed week of WWE, Mirror Sport has taken a look at the headlines that have dominated the sport...
Becky Lynch returns to Raw…but so does Asuka!
Three weeks after losing her Raw Women’s championship to Bianca Belair At WrestleMania, Becky Lynch reappeared on WWE programming this Monday on Raw. ‘Big Time Becks’ goaded the Knoxville crowd and vowed to win her title back from Belair, their hometown favourite, and claimed nobody would be able to stop her.
Their jeers slowly turned to raucous cheers as some music started to play, before a familiar-looking mask appeared on the Titantron. Lynch was stunned as Asuka danced her way to ring.
The Japanese star has recovered from a shoulder injury and made her first appearance since competing in July 2021’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Asuka grabbed a microphone and yelled at becky: “I will stop you!”, before hilariously flicking Lynch on the nose.
An infuriated Lynch tried to attack ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’, which she evaded and attempted a sharp spinning backfist, but Lynch avoided herself before swiftly leaving the ring. Will these two icons square off at WrestleMania backlash next month? Let’s hope so!
Bianca Belair defies the odds to remain Raw Women’s Champion
Belair's first Raw women's title defence came in none other than her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. She took on WWE official Sonya Deville, who was up to her dirty tricks as she aimed to rip the title from the EST’s clutches.
Deville got herself counted out almost immediately, but used her seniority to restart the match with no count outs. Soon after, she used a steel chair to strike the champion which resulted in a disqualification, but once again restarted the bout, with the added rule of no DQ.
She enlisted the help of former women’s tag team champions Queen Zelina and Carmella who helped to beat down Belair while Deville tried to take advantage of the situation.
But the resilience and power of Belair was on full display as she knocked Zelina and Carmella out of contention, before delivering a devastating KO to Deville to retain her championship, to the delight of her home crowd and proud parents in the front row.
John Cena sends a message to US champion Theory
Theory is enjoying life as the US Champion after defeating Finn Balor for the prestigious belt. After competing at a live event this weekend, the youngster wished John Cena a happy birthday with a cheeky remark at the end. “Happy Birthday @JohnCena! Sorry I’m a better U.S Champ than you…” he tweeted.
This prompted a response from Cena who gave the wrestler a ringing endorsement. “Everyone understands that you have far more talent, strength, and gifts than I ever had. Don’t apologise for that. Ever,” he wrote.
“An apology should come 20 years from now if you fail to provide the EFFORT needed to turn your potential into your legacy. I hope that day never comes.” Cena is one of the greatest US champions in history and his open challenge during his last run with the title in 2015 is fondly remembered by fans.
If Cena were to make a return to the company this summer, will we see a blockbuster clash-of-generations match between the two? It is a clash that every fan would love to see - that is a guarantee.
