Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.
Danielson Says He Has Serious Neck Injury and Needs Surgery
All Elite Wrestling @AEWEXCLUSIVE: Bryan Danielson will FIGHT with all of the strength that he has left with Team AEW to take out The Elite at Anarchy in the Arena at <a href="">#AEWDoN</a> NEXT SUNDAY!<a href="">@BryanDanielson</a> <a href="">
Team AEW already lost Eddie Kingston due to a serious leg injury, leading to him being replaced by a hobbled Darby Allin last week on Dynamite.
Now, it appears Bryan Danielson is also dealing with a serious injury.
Danielson cut a promo aimed at The Elite last week, saying he's fighting for the soul of AEW despite dealing with a neck injury:
"Somebody paid a price to take out FTR, to take out me before Anarchy In The Arena. We know exactly who it is. No, I hurt my neck real bad. Then I'm wrestling Will Ospreay. I go to give him a Frankensteiner off the top rope. I've never had this happen to me. Dude lands right on his feet. I go straight down on my head, and then later in the match, right before he pins me, he hits me with a storm driver. I got shooting pains down my arm. I'm at home and I have to go get MRIs. I have a compression of the nerve root at C6, C7, and C7, T1. "
"I've got this shooting pain that's running down my arm that won't go away. The doctor is telling me that pretty soon I'm going to have to have surgery. The only way I can hold out, the only way that I can hold out is if I can keep the strength in my right hand. Right now it's still there. I have the shooting pain, but I've still got the strength. So I plan on staying at home, recovering, doing physical therapy. I'm watching Dynamite, and I see the Young Bucks, and the elite, pile drive Tony Khan. The guy who started this company. The guy who, if he weren't here, this company wouldn't even exist. I watched that and I was angry, mad as hell. Then I watched the next week, as they took out Kenny Omega. hospitalized him when he's already sick, when he's already hurt.
"You were supposed to change the world together. Together. That's how I know you guys say you're good Christian boys, but you guys are evil. Because who turns their back on their best friend like that? That's when I realized I can't stay at home anymore. I can't rehab anymore. I have to come back and I have to fight. I have to fight for AEW because I love this place. You guys say you want to change the world. You won't even show up on a Saturday. They only want to work one day a week and they want to run this place. Anybody, oh, heaven forbid, anybody stand up to them. Heaven forbid anybody stand up and say what I just said, that they're lazy, that they only want to work one day a week.
"Then they put a price on our heads. Go ahead. Put a price on my head. I've had a lot of people a lot stronger than you, a lot more powerful than you put prices on my head. I'm still… Here. Anarchy in the arena. You guys better come for a fight. I'm gonna tell you exactly what I'm gonna do. Young Bucks, Jack Perry, even Okada, I'm gonna spit in your face. Cause I used to respect you and I don't respect you anymore."
Of course, we should probably take the injury aspect a little on the kayfabe spectrum. Danielson worked both Dynamite and Collison last week. It's unlikely Tony Khan would have Danielson risking his body ahead of the pay-per-view in TV matches if he was dealing with a serious neck issue. There are plenty of ways to build to the PPV without having Danielson actually competing in matches.
That said, it's a smart way to continue building the arc with Team AEW as beaten down underdogs.
Stephanie McMahon Reportedly Not Back With WWE Despite Recent Appearances
Stephanie McMahon made an appearance at the WWE draft and at WrestleMania 40, but it does not appear she's back with the company in any full-time capacity.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported there aren't any plans for her to appear moving forward, but she was "welcomed back from people backstage."
McMahon resigned from her executive role in January 2023 after her father, Vince, returned to the company following his brief resignation in 2022. Vince McMahon then spearheaded the sale of WWE to Endeavor last year. The elder McMahon exited the company in January 2024 amid allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault.
Stephanie McMahon held various roles onscreen and backstage throughout her time in WWE. She's best known for being the chief brand officer, a role she held from 2013 to 2022, and a period as co-CEO with Nick Khan during Vince McMahon's first exit.
Stephanie McMahon's husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, is the company's head of creative.
Tegan Nox Potentially Back in NXT?
Tegan Nox hasn't made an appearance on TV in nearly two months, as it appears WWE main-roster creative has nothing for her. Nox has not even been a fixture on the house show circuit, with her last match coming one month ago.
Given the fact Nox is seemingly healthy, some have wondered what her creative plans are moving forward.
It turns out she may be headed back to NXT.
Sapp reported there is "interest" from NXT in bringing Nox back into the fold. Nox was in NXT from 2017 to 2021 before largely floundering on the main roster. She was released for a year from November 2021 to December 2022 before making her return, but she hasn't made an impact thus far.
A run in NXT to regain her momentum could be good.
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