Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha. Blues winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is also of interest to Palace and could head in the opposite direction to Selhurst Park.
Chelsea have made one attacking signing so far this summer, bringing in Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. However, Tuchel is keen to add more in that area of the pitch.
Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan on loan, while Timo Werner is set to rejoin RB Leipzig in a permanent deal. Therefore Tuchel has been left short of forward options.
A report from 90min says Zaha has emerged as a target for Chelsea. Tuchel wants to sign a central attacker but is also keen on a wide player, and Zaha fits the bill.
The Ivory Coast star has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park. The report says he wants to have the opportunity of playing Champions League football, something he is yet to taste in his career.
Drew Beaupré reports in the MMA News that the punishment she absorbed in her rematch with Amanda Nunes has done nothing to dissuade Julianna Peña from seeking a third fight with the Brazilian champion.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” was in attendance at last weekend’s UFC Vegas 59 to support the fighters she coached on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Nunes.
It ended up being a good night for Peña, as her fighter Juliana Miller defeated Team Nunes’ Brogan Walker to become the Season 30 women’s flyweight winner, while Mohammed Usman knocked out Zac Pauga in a battle between Team Peña heavyweights.
Peña wasn’t far-removed from losing the bantamweight title to Nunes at UFC 277, but the 32-year-old was eager to promote a possible third fight with her rival at UFC Vegas 59’s post-fight show (h/t MMAFighting).
“I’m ready to go round 8 right now,” Peña said. “Like, let’s freaking go. I’m here. Where you at, Amanda?”
Peña: She Doesn’t Touch Me Next Time
After losing her belt in a massive upset at UFC 269, Nunes put on one of the most impressive performances of her career in the second fight with Peña at UFC 277.
The lopsided decision win included a number of knockdowns from Nunes, and Peña was clearly troubled by the Brazilian’s decision to fight southpaw for the duration of the bout.
Despite the issues she had with Nunes’ unexpected choice to switch stances, Peña doesn’t expect “The Lioness” to have the same kind of striking success in a third fight.
“When somebody has entirely revamped and completely switched their entire stance and their entire fighting style because of me? I take that as a compliment. I think if you give me time to get ready for both stances of Amanda, she doesn’t touch me next time.”
There’s no guarantee that a champion gets an immediate chance to regain their belt after a loss, but Nunes’ rematch with Peña was a no-brainer considering that the Brazilian had already established herself as arguably the greatest female fighter in MMA history.
An immediate rematch for Peña is far from a given, but it seems a likely choice considering the significance of her upset in the first fight and the rivalry between the two. For her part, Peña wants to get a third fight booked as soon as possible.
“I’m just really, really hoping that she heals up and she’s able to get back in there before the end of the year. Because I’ll absolutely be ready for that trilogy fight.”
What do you think of Peña’s comments about preparing for a third fight with Nunes? Should a trilogy fight be the UFC’s next move at women’s bantamweight?
After spending time coaching against Julianna Peña on The Ultimate Fighter 30, Amanda Nunes has come away with one definite takeaway — her rival is weird, reports Ben Mathews of MMA News.
UFC 269 saw Julianna Peña deliver one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, when she choked out former double-champion Amanda Nunes in the second round. Breaking a win streak that dated back to 2015, the win shocked the MMA world.
The booking of an immediate rematch was unsurprising to say the least, however the announcement that the champions would be coaching The Ultimate Fighter 30 came as a surprise to many. Regardless, it was undeniably the perfect opportunity for the two to create additional anticipation for the upcoming grudge match.
Speaking to media ahead of the fight this Saturday, Nunes gave reporters a candid outlook on her experience with Peña on TUF.
“I just think she’s weird, you know? She’s in her own world (and) I always do my own thing. So we never really saw each other that much, either. So, we saw each other just a couple of times when the fights happened or whatever. But she was always on her phone, doing something else. Not looking at me. So, it’s like, you know what, girl, you stay there, no worries — and let’s do what we came here to do.”
Photo by Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC
Asked to elaborate on the ‘weird’ comment, Nunes followed up by briefly touching on the attitude of ‘The Vixen’ and her teammates whilst filming the show.
“I don’t know, she’s just in her own world. They didn’t even want to interact or anything.”
The dislike for Peña is not something ‘The Lioness’ deems a completely downside. Their rivalry is something she considers an advantage for the division as a whole, as well as a motivator for her personally.
“Julianna really fired me up, I love that. It happened a little bit with me and Valentina, right? And that was very good too. So like I said, this was the opponent that I needed, and I feel like she really brought that fire back.”
Nunes and Peña are set to headline UFC 277 this Saturday in Dallas, Texas.
Giuseppe Labellarte reports in Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly agreed a deal with Udinese for Destiny Udogie.
According to the Evening Standard, Spurs will pay £15million up front for the Italian full-back. The fee could rise to £20million with add-ons, added the newspaper.
Udogie will reportedly agree terms and undergo a medical in Italy ahead of becoming a Spurs player.
Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
However, the 19-year-old will apparently stay put at Udinese for the 2022-23 campaign.
There are no plans for Spurs to bring Udogie to N17 in order to conclude the deal, added the report.
20-year-old Belgian international agrees a five-year deal to join manager Frank Lampard at Goodison Park
The Press Association reports that Everton have signed Belgium international Amadou Onana from Lille for a fee reported to be in the region of £33 million ($40m).
The 20-year-old midfielder has agreed a five-year contract at Goodison Park and becomes the Toffees’ fifth summer signing after James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre, Conor Coady and Dwight McNeil.
Speaking to evertontv, Onana said: “It feels great to join Everton. I know it’s a big, big club, one of the biggest in England. It’s something I want to be part of for many years.
“Everyone here showed they really wanted me and they have a plan for me, so I really appreciated the talks I had with the manager and director of football. They told me how they wanted me to play and I enjoyed it.
“They both have a lot of ambition and that’s the type of guy I am so it matches.”
Onana highlighted manager Frank Lampard as a key reason behind the move, saying: “He played at the highest level, won many things and was a midfielder, too.
“It means a lot to have interest from him and I think he can teach me many things.”
Born in Senegal, Onana played his youth football in Belgium before moving to Germany in 2018 and playing for Hoffenheim and Hamburg prior to his switch to Lille last summer.
He was at Goodison Park on Saturday to watch the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea after undergoing a medical earlier in the day.
Plans are also well advanced to bring midfielder Idrissa Gueye back to the club from Paris St Germain but the search for attacking recruits goes on.
Lampard said: “Amadou is a player we were really keen to bring to Everton. He has many great qualities to help strengthen our midfield and, at just 20 years old, has massive potential to get even better.
“I spoke to him about why Everton was the right club for him and we’re all looking forward to him showing what he can bring to the team.”
The WWE Universe maniacs are about to get exactly what they have wished for many years; a helluva fight between cousins-The Rock and Roman Reigns. And it is just as well.
The WWE intends to deliver to the WWE Universe their dream match between Reigns and The Rock in eight months at Wrestlemania 39.
Even-though The Rock quit the rings of pro wrestling three years ago and has not grappled in the last six years and counting, the People’s Champion is cookin’ up the itch to go up against The Tribal Chief.
The Rock has been prevented to cross ring paths with cousin Roman Reigns because of his heavy involvements in Hollywood. have kept the former champion busy. Filming timetable, XFL roles and extra influences have hampered scheduling a fight between the cousins.
According to Dave Meltzer, while The Rock Vs Roman Reigns has not been formalized, the the matchup is still on WWE’s cards for WrestleMania 39.
“It’s the plan. It’s 100 percent the plan for this year [WrestleMania 39]. But the idea is, it’s the plan if he can do it. We’re still months away, months and months away. So many opportunities and things like that may come up that are far more important than WrestleMania,” Meltzer said on the latest episode of “Wrestling Observer Radio,” according to Wrestling Inc.
International Business Times writer, Sakshi Gupta reports that The Rock wrestled in the WWF/E for eight years, before switching to a career in Hollywood. A 10-time world champion, The Rock played a vital role in the development and success of WWE during the Attitude Era, an industry boom period in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Reigns, on the other hand, is one of the biggest names in WWE at present. At WrestleMania 38, Reigns defeated arch-rival Brock Lesnar and became the first Undisputed WWE and Universal Champion. He recently retained the unified title at the SummerSlam event and it was the Beast Incarnate once again on the receiving end.
Reigns and The Rock have both publicly discussed the potential fight between the two in the WWE ring.
“I know how that conversation goes. ‘Listen, here’s what we’re thinking. Roman beats you now at this WrestleMania. But, listen, before you guys say anything. Then on the next one…that’s when…But you know what, the truth is, I would be honored not only to share the ring with Roman and to go back to the WWE. But of course, I would be honored to have him raise his hand in that one,” The Rock said in September 2020, according to Bleacher Report.
Check out who the experts at CBS Sports are taking in the pair of title fights set to go down in Dallas
On Saturday night, Julianna Pena has the chance to prove lightning can strike twice when she defends her women’s bantamweight championship against Amanda Nunes in the main event of UFC 277 from American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Pena shocked the MMA world at UFC 269, submitting Nunes to capture the championship. Prior to the defeat, Nunes had established herself as the greatest female fighter in the history of the sport, winning both the bantamweight and featherweight titles and running through every woman to ever hold either of those championships. Despite coming into the fight with a 2-2 record in her previous four bouts, Pena was able to end Nunes’ run.
In the UFC 277 co-main event, Brandon Moreno looks to recapture gold when the former flyweight champion battles Kai Kara-France for the interim belt. The pair previously met in 2019 with Moreno taking a decision victory. Kara-France has gone on a 4-1 run, including a current three-fight winning streak, since that fight.
With so much happening on Saturday night, let’s take a closer look at the full fight card with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to our staff predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities.
Brandon Moreno -210 vs. Kai Kara-France +175, interim flyweight championship
Sergei Pavlovich -140 vs. Derrick Lewis +120, heavyweight
Alexandre Pantoja -200 vs. Alex Perez +170, flyweight
Magomed Ankalaev -550 vs. Anthony Smith +400, light heavyweight
Matthew Semelsberger -155 vs. Alex Morono +130, welterweight
Drew Dober -170 vs. Rafael Alves +145, lightweight
Don’Tale Mayes -180 vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab +155, heavyweight
Drakkar Klose -220 vs. Rafa Garcia +180, lightweights
Michael Morales -650 vs. Adam Fugitt +475, welterweight
Joselyne Edwards -125 vs. Ji Yeon Kim +105, women’s flyweight
Nicolae Negumereanu -115 vs. Ihor Potieria -105, light heavyweight
Orion Cosce -180 vs. Blood Diamond +155, welterweight
UFC 277 picks, predictions
Campbell
Brookhouse
Mahjouri
Mormile
Wise
Pena (c) vs. Nunes
Nunes
Nunes
Nunes
Nunes
Nunes
Moreno vs. Kara-France
Kara-France
Moreno
Moreno
Moreno
Moreno
Lewis vs. Pavlovich
Lewis
Lewis
Lewis
Lewis
Pavlovich
Pantoja vs. Perez
Pantoja
Perez
Pantoja
Pantoja
Pantoja
Smith vs. Ankalaev
Ankalaev
Ankalaev
Ankalaev
Ankalaev
Ankalaev
Records to date (2022)
16-17
19-14
16-17
17-16
22-11
Pena vs. Nunes
Campbell: Is it fair to suggest their first meeting at UFC 269 saw Pena deliver the greatest performance of her career while Nunes gave arguably her worst? At the end of the day, it is fair, even if that feels like it’s undermining everything that Pena did well that night to shock the world. Now we know about Pena’s stubborn toughness and her willingness to remain poised in extreme scenarios, which proved to be a huge part of how she won, along with the way she gassed Nunes out on the ground. It’s just hard to imagine the exact same scenario playing out again, with lightning striking a second time in the same place. Nunes is still known as the G.O.A.T. of women’s MMA because of how dangerous and nearly complete a fighter she became through an incredible 12-fight win streak. Nunes will need to fight more from distance and remained poised in ways she couldn’t the first time. Just re-watch her five-round victory over Valentina Shevchenko in their rematch to remind how much of a chess player Nunes can be. If “The Lioness” can prevent the fight from turning into chaos and keep it off the ground for large sections, she has the potential to win going away. But she must make Pena come to her and make her pay for crossing the line.
Brookhouse: Combat sports history is littered with great athletes running into specific fighters who just turn out to be their kryptonite, even if it just seemed to not make sense on paper. Vernon Forrest had Shane Mosley’s number even if Mosley was the better fighter historically. Similarly, Forrest lost to Ricardo Mayorga twice despite all reason suggesting Forrest should have won both fights. Is that the case with Pena and Nunes? It could be that Pena’s toughness and ability to gas Nunes out in the first fight was indicative of Pena just having Nunes’ number. That said, it’s hard to side against the greatest female fighter in the history of women’s MMA now that she’s had time to take in the information, train and adjust. Pena deserves all credit for the win and all respect coming into the rematch, but repeating is a big ask.
Mahjouri: Nunes vs. Pena was an unusually messy brawl for Nunes. Pena delivered a winning game plan and the champion deserves a ton of credit. Pena put pressure on Nunes and won a war of attrition. Pena presented the winning game plan on Dec. 11, but I’m not yet convinced she is the overall more skilled fighter. Put respect on the champion’s name but expect a more thoughtful approach by the challenger. Nunes via decision.
Moreno vs. Kara-France
Campbell: If his last three fights are any indication, Kara-France is a much more confident, dangerous and evolved threat than the version of him who lost a unanimous decision to Moreno in 2019. The native of New Zealand has become more of a threat to finish of late, and did just that against Rogerio Boterin and Cody Garbrandt. But his decision win over Askar Askarov, who pushed Moreno to the limit in their draw three years ago, showcased the full level of his maturity. Expect this to be a high-speed duel with Moreno looking to bounce back in a huge way from dropping the title to Deiveson Figueiredo in their third meeting. But Kara-France is simply riding the kind of momentum that is difficult to put a ceiling upon. Kara-France will need to be precise on his combinations when he chooses to take chances, but the potential to force Moreno to second guess and chase him is very much there.
Brookhouse: This is a very tough fight to call. Kara-France is an outstanding fighter who has gotten better performance after performance. It’s just hard to ignore that Moreno has largely done the same. He’s gone three straight fights with Deiveson Figueiredo giving just as good as he got and arguably deserving the win all three outings. Moreno’s pace and combination of sharp striking and offensive grappling make him such a dangerous fighter that he’s got the edge coming into what should be an incredible fight.
Lewis vs. Pavlovich
Campbell: For as self-implosive as his recent knockout defeats to Cyril Gane and Tai Tuivasa appeared to be, Lewis is too much of a sly fox to count out just yet, especially against this level of competition. If Pavlovich, the slight betting favorite who has won three straight since being stopped by Alistair Overeem, is on his way to becoming one of the division’s elite, history will tell you he probably will defeat Lewis. But that remains a huge if and Lewis’ power alone leaves him as the wrong guy to make a huge mistake against while trying to make that leap. Lewis has rebounded huge from one-sided defeats in the past, including the whitewashing put on him by Daniel Cormier in their 2018 title bout. At 37, there’s still enough bite left in Lewis to survive and advance to the next big test.
Brookhouse: Lewis has seemed less and less active during fights, largely looking to land one fight-ending blow. He has always relied on his power but everything seems to be slowing down in his game. That said, Lewis’ power is truly significant and he does only need to land one. Pavlovich has looked good in three straight outings, but he’s been looking to stand and trade against lower-tier opposition. There’s a very strong chance Lewis gets caught again in a brawl but level of opposition matters and until Pavlovich proves himself to be able to continue his success against a better tier of opponent, it seems like you have to side with Lewis to do what he has done so often and stop someone from crashing into the top 10.
Mahjouri: Lewis is not the most reliable pick on the planet, but he generally performs well against all but the very best. “The Black Beast” was getting the better of Tai Tuivasa before suffering a second-round stoppage loss. Pavlovich has been nearly flawless in the Octagon but first-round knockouts of Shamil Abdurakhimov, Maurice Greene and Marcelo Golm do not hold up well against a first-round loss to Alistair Overeem. Lewis is more experienced and likely more powerful. Look forward to another classic post-fight winning speech.
Everything you need to know ahead of the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view this Saturday
It’s time for one of the flagship events on the WWE calendar. Typically considered just behind WrestleMania in terms of popularity, SummerSlam is set to be the biggest match card of the summer months with five title matches on deck for Nashville on Saturday night.
The biggest match of all pits a pair of old rivals against each other once again. Undisputed universal champion Roman Reigns puts his pair of titles on the line against Brock Lesnar in a Las Man Standing Match in the main event. Reigns unified the titles by beating Lesnar in the main event at WrestleMania.
Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE SummerSlam, which begins Saturday at 8 p.m. ET from Nissan Stadium in Nashville and streams live on Peacock following a kickoff show one hour earlier.
2022 WWE SummerSlam predictions
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock Lesnar (Last Man Standing)
In giving Reigns a run as champion that has lasted for nearly 700 days, WWE has slowly backed themselves into a corner. Reigns has dispatched of basically every quality contender, leading the promotion to return to the well of Reigns vs. Lesnar despite it being a pairing that is very much stale. It’s hard to see Lesnar getting the win here as it only serves to reset for another clash between the pair. With The Usos and Paul Heyman around, there are plenty of easy outs to aid Reigns in keeping Lesnar down for the 10-count. As for Theory and his threat of cashing in the Money in the Bank contract after the match, The Usos can likely run interference to allow Theory to keep the briefcase around as a storytelling device a bit longer. Pick: Roman Reigns retains
SmackDown women’s championship — Liv Morgan (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
While there are plenty of chances for WWE to make major missteps with winners on the card, having Rousey end Morgan’s reign and regain the title may be the biggest one. Rousey’s return to WWE has mostly been a dud while Morgan has a strong fanbase that was delighted by her winning her first championship. The reaction to a Rousey win here would be awful and Morgan needs some time to really see how she can operate as a world champion. That doesn’t mean a Rousey win isn’t possible, just that it should not happen and hopefully WWE sees that. Pick: Liv Morgan retains
Match Card
Match
Championship
Match Type
Roman Reigns (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Brock Lesnar
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Last Man Standing Match
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
SmackDown Women’s Championship
Singles Match
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Theory
United States Championship
Singles Match
The Usos (c) vs. The Street Profits
Undisputed Tag Team Championships
Special Guest Referee Tag Team Match (Jeff Jarrett)
Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin
None
Singles Match
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Becky Lynch
Raw Women’s Championship
Singles Match
Logan Paul vs. The Miz w/ Ciampa & Maryse
None
Singles Match
The Mysterios vs. The Judgment Day
None
No Disqualification Match
Note: (c) indicates the champion heading into the match.
Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Becky Lynch
Another potential misstep would be having Lynch beat Belair on the same stage as their infamous 27-second match. Lynch returned last year at SummerSlam and beat Belair with such speed that it caused significant backlash. Having Belair beat Lynch at WrestleMania to become champion once again was something of a make-good on that mistake, but allowing her to retain at SummerSlam would help in removing that stain from Belair’s resume. Pick: Bianca Belair retains
Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin
Corbin has not won a pay-per-view match since December 2019. That isn’t likely to change when he faces off with McAfee. WWE has done a good job of protecting McAfee as a special attraction who wrestles on rare occasions but surprises with his competency and athleticism. Corbin has cemented himself as a heel who can be slotted in for programs against anyone, lose the blowoff match and then move right on to the next without really gaining or losing any momentum. That makes him a perfect opponent for McAfee to defeat. Pick: Pat McAfee wins
Undisputed WWE tag team championship — The Usos (c) vs. The Street Profits (special guest referee Jeff Jarrett)
The Usos are so closely tied to Reigns that it makes it hard to pick against them before the “perfect moment” comes along. Such a big part of Reigns’ presentation is the dominance of The Bloodline as they hold all of the top men’s championships. The introduction of Jarrett as the referee could tilt things in the favor of the Profits, but Jarrett could just as easily cheat in favor of The Usos. Either way, someone is getting hit with a guitar. It’s just too hard to see The Usos losing the belts before WWE is ready to start having Reigns’ empire crumble around him. However things work out, the match should be great. Pick: The Usos retain
One turbulent night before the Undisputed WWE Universal Title Last Man Standing Match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, The Beast Incarnate laid waste to Theory during The Special Counsel’s Special Address, hosted by Paul Heyman.Then, after winning the right to face the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WWE Clash at the Castle, Drew McIntyre got his own painful payback on the war-torn Mr. Money in the Back.
SmackDown results: July 29, 2022
Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus in a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match to win the right to challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WWE Clash at the Castle
SmackDown began with an absolutely brutal showdown: Drew McIntyre battling Sheamus in an Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match,acontest with no disqualifications and no counts-out, which could only be won by pinfall or submission, to determine who will challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WWE Clash at the Castle.
The excruciating matchup incorporated multiple Shillelaghs of different sizes, Irish whiskey barrels, a bar and bar stools, tables, steel ring steps, the announce table, stacks of steel chairs, the ring post, pictures of ancestors, and interfering Brawling Brutes popping out of various hiding places. With destruction at every turn, McIntyre finally powerbombed The Celtic Warrior through a table before countering a Shillelagh attack with the Claymore Kick for the three-count. With the huge win, McIntyre earned the opportunity to challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WWE Clash at the Castle!
Moments after McIntyre’s victory over Sheamus, though, The SmackDown Warrior suffered a sudden attack by Mr. Money in the Bank Theory, who landed multiple strikes with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Happy Corbin antagonized Pat McAfee and kicked him below the belt en route to SummerSlam
Shotzi def. Aliyah
The dangerous Shotzi overcame exciting upstart Aliyah with her devastating Never Wake Up finishing maneuver.
Before she was able celebrate, an irate Ronda Rousey emerged to expel Shotzi from the ring. Angry over Natalya and Sonya Deville claiming they should be in the SmackDown Women”s Title Match at SummerSlam, The Baddest Woman on the Planet proposed that SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and her teach them a lesson ahead of their SummerSlam title showdown.
Ronda Rousey & Liv Morgan def. Sonya Deville & Natalya
From the beginning, the two SummerSlam opponents struggled to work together, as Liv, in particular, refused to tag in The Rowdy One as she tried to prove herself. Nevertheless, Morgan took out the interfering Queen of Harts with Oblivion and paved the way for Rousey to make Deville tap out to her ankle lock.
At SummerSlam, the WWE Universe will find out once and for all who deserves to call herself the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Jeff Jarrett got kicked during chaos between The Usos and The Street Profits after declaring his SummerSlam intentions
Maxxine Dupri, ma.çé and mån.sôör presented the 2022 Beachwear Collection
The new vicious Viking Raiders def. The New Day
In an absolute slugfest, The Power of Positivity failed to shine over the new and vicious Viking Raiders as Erik & Ivar hurled Kofi Kingston into the canvas with an earth-shattering double powerbomb.
After the matchup, Erik & Ivar continued their RAID with a brutal attack on Xavier Woods. After clobbering him with a shield, the vicious duo placed a steel chair over his leg and smashed it with their shields, leaving Woods screaming in agony.
Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre laid waste to Theory during Paul Heyman’s Special Address
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE earlier this year after clashing with Vince McMahon, but with the Chairman gone, it sounds like attempts are being made to woo them back. Find more details here…
Earlier this year, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE, ditching their Women’s Tag Team Championships in the process. At the time, they were expected to put their title reign on hold for individual feuds with RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
However, they’d have come out on the losing end of both matches at Hell in the Cell, and it sounds like neither were happy about being made to look like ineffective champions after spending months building the titles up.
Since then, we’ve heard countless conflicting reports about their respective WWE futures. For example, it’s been claimed that Banks has actually been granted her release, but regardless of what’s happened up until this point, it’s now said that the company is looking to bring both women back.
That comes in the wake of Vince McMahon’s recent retirement; remember, he was in charge of Creative at the time they walked out and almost certainly responsible for the subsequent burial on TV.
According to Dave Meltzer (via WrestlingNews.co), “It’s kind of up in the air. They’re gone. The last I heard was that there would be attempts made to reconcile, especially with Vince gone. So, it’s up in the air. I don’t think there’s anything definite just yet.”
Both women have been gone from WWE since May, but it makes all the sense in the world for Triple H and Stephanie McMahon to try and tempt them back. Their departure came as a huge blow to the company, and stopping them from heading to AEW, for example, would be a real win for WWE at a time when one is sorely needed.
