WWE Keeping the HOF Ceremony Short, Another International PPL Could Be Coming, John Cena's WrestleMania Availability Revealed
WWE wants the ceremony shorter than previous years.
WWE Has Contacted Names For 2023 Hall Of Fame, Plans To Keep Ceremony Short
BY MATTHEW WILKINSON/MARCH 10, 2023 10:40 AM EST
With three weeks to go until WrestleMania weekend, there has been no word about this year's induction class for the WWE Hall of Fame. By now, there has usually been some announcement of those at the center of the honored festivities. WWE still has plans to carry on with the annual gala and, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, has reached out to legendary talent for inclusion. The ceremony will take place directly after "WWE SmackDown" on March 31 — the night before WrestleMania kicks off. As for how much talent is being offered induction, that remains a mystery, but WWE is operating with the idea of keeping things shorter than in previous years.
Earlier this week, Mick Foley revealed that he had been asked to induct someone as a part of this year's class, although he wouldn't offer any specifics on who had made the request or if it'd even been greenlit yet. One name that keeps being bandied about is Dave Bautista. He was initially tapped to enter the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020. However, that event was put off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was then going to be inducted the following year, but he was pulled from the slate with the wrestler-turned-actor stating that prior obligations would prevent him from attending. A later date was expected for his eventual participation, so could this be the year?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's name has also been floating around with WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles. For months, the rumblings were that WWE wanted to get The Rock involved with this year's annual event — the popular train of thought was for a main event match with Roman Reigns. However, that has since proven not to have come to fruition at all, so would his appearance to be part of the Class of 2023 be a worthwhile consolation prize? We'll hopefully find out soon.
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Taya Valkyrie has wrestled all over the world for the biggest companies and her travels will reportedly continue. It looks like Taya will be finishing up with Impact and on her way to AEW. According to PWInsider, the former Impact Knockouts Champion is believed to be signing a contract elsewhere. Interestingly, current AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill challenged a Canadian wrestler to face her at the upcoming episode of "AEW Dynamite" in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. With Valkyrie being Canadian, rumors have started swirling that she could now be AEW-bound.
Even with his busy schedule, John Cena has found himself on “The Road To WrestleMania.” The question remained what the availability of Cena would be in the build-up to his match with Austin Theory? Despite the initial concern that his filming schedule could hinder him from being involved with this year's show, Cena will indeed be there, taking on Austin Theory for the United States Championship. And he'll be available for more appearances in the future to continue the match's build-up on television, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
WWE is a major brand with a reach around the global. As such, WWE likes to capitalize on this and already has 3 major events outside of the U.S., this year. If that wasn’t enough, they’re in talks for at least one more international PLE as of now. In the latest edition of the weekly Wrestling Observer Newsletter, longtime professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that WWE is in negotiations with the Western Australia state government in hopes of setting up what Meltzer described as a "major stadium show."
Kofi Kingston will always have an iconic WrestleMania moment attached to his name. However, this year there has been fear of his current WrestleMania status given a recent injury. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he could be looking at a period of about five weeks, which could conceivably take him out of any kind of action for WrestleMania 39 three weeks away. There was worry that his recovery could have been much longer if the ankle required surgery. However, it appears the ankle is well enough to not have to go down that road at the moment.