5 WWE news stories you missed this week: Megastar leaving WWE, Top star out for nine months, Naomi breaks silence for the first time since RAW walkout
Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly feature, where we look at some interesting WWE news stories over the week that you might have missed.
A megastar and former multi-time champion has officially announced her departure from WWE. A top star is set to be out of action for nine months after suffering a brutal injury and a former champion finally broke her silence.
So without further ado, let's dive into five news stories you might have missed this week. Be sure to comment down and let us know your thoughts and reactions on the same.
#5. Naomi's first social media post since her RAW walkout
Former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of an episode of Monday Night RAW last month and have since been suspended by the company.
Naomi has now finally shared her first social media post since the incident. The post features her husband and one-half of the current RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Champions - Jimmy Uso. The two can be seen spending time at a beach and seem to be very happy. Neither Sasha Banks nor Naomi officially released any statement on their walkout from RAW last month.
#4. Hall of Famer thinks top RAW Superstar could win 2023 Royal Rumble and dethrone Roman Reigns
Run of a Lifetime. https://t.co/0CxLF8xVlX
WWE Hall of Famer and 16-time world champion Ric Flair thinks that Cody Rhodes could be the one to finally dethrone the Tribal Chief. Speaking on the To Be The Man podcast, Flair predicted that Cody will take away one of the two world titles from Reigns in the future.
“Cody’s gonna be the champion sooner or later,” Flair said. “I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to get that championship off where Roman has both of them — get one of them off him. I think the company functions better with two champions anyway.” [10:25-10:43]
Flair further added that he thinks Rhodes could return at next year's Royal Rumble and win it.
“Absolutely, if that’s the time frame,” Flair added. “Those things are very delicate. That tissue in there takes a long time to heal, and you can’t rush it. You’ve got to actually follow the doctor’s orders.” [11:11-11:28]
Cody Rhodes is currently out of action with his injury. Roman Reigns is set to defend his Undisputed Universal Championship against Riddle on next week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
#3. The Miz claims that Randy Orton's career is over
I stand by this statement 🗣 twitter.com/WWE/status/153…
Former WWE Champion The Miz made a major statement on this past week's episode of Monday Night RAW, claiming that Randy Orton's career was over.
Riddle appeared as a special guest on this week's episode of Miz TV. Riddle gave a shout out to his RK-Bro tag team partner Randy Orton before The Miz interrupted and claimed that Orton's career was over.
RK-Bro lost their RAW Tag Team Championships to The Usos a few weeks ago. While Orton has been away from television recently, Riddle has started a massive feud against The Bloodline.
#2. Cody Rhodes to be out of action for nine months
Update: After successful surgery, @CodyRhodes will be out of action for nine months. #SmackDown https://t.co/5ITIvRzPcL
Cody Rhodes won the hearts of the WWE Universe at Hell in a Cell by competing with a torn pectoral tendon. He managed to defeat Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell, but looked to be in a lot of pain due to his injury.
On RAW after Hell in a Cell, Rollins came out to congratulate Rhodes for his victory, but ended up attacking him on the ramp. Cody Rhodes underwent successful surgery on Thursday and WWE has now announced that he will be out of action for nine months. Fans have started speculation of Rhodes possibly returning at next year's Royal Rumble and winning it all.
#1. Megastar announces that she's leaving WWE next month
Thank you @WWE ❤️ https://t.co/9OhGjov13s
Former 2-time Divas Champion Paige has revealed that she'll be leaving WWE next month on July 7th. The anti-diva shared a statement on her social media page making the official announcement. She thanked the company and the fans for their support and opportunities. Here's an excerpt from her statement -
"July 7 will be my last day with WWE. I'm so thankful and I appreciate the opportunities that the company has given me," wrote Paige in her statement.
Paige, however, made it clear that she'll be returning to the ring but didn't specify any timeline. Following the announcement, she even took to her Instagram to make it clear that she's leaving WWE, for now. Thus, leaving the door open for a future return.