WWE News Roundup: John Cena gets emotional, Gunther humbles 7-foot giant, top name removed from roster
Welcome to another edition of the WWE News Roundup, where we will bring you the latest updates from the world of wrestling. This week was special for wrestling fans in India, as WWE hosted the Superstar Spectacle live event in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Gunther surpassed Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in history. Roman Reigns also elongated his iconic championship reign by preferring to stay at home rather than compete in the ring.
Today’s edition will have some big news from the Superstar Spectacle. It also has news related to 16-time world champion John Cena, and a massive return that took place on SmackDown.
So stay glued to your screens and scroll down to see the latest news from the world of WWE today.
#1. WWE Superstar Spectacle hosted some big matches, including a successful title defense for Gunther
The latest WWE event in India saw the company host some big matches between the superstars of RAW. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn kicked off the night against Indus Sher before suffering a beatdown from the heels, leading to a no-contest.
Drew McIntyre made the save before the tag team match was turned into a six-man tag team contest. The babyfaces ultimately won the contest.
Natalya defeated Zoey Stark, following which Gunther took on Shanky for the Intercontinental Championship. The Ring General took down the hometown boy for another successful title defense. It was one of the few times when a superstar had the size advantage over Gunther.
NXT’s Bron Breakker defeated Odyssey Jones before Natalya was taken down by Rhea Ripley. The last match of the night saw John Cena and Seth Rollins rake up a tag team win over Imperium to send fans home happy.
Hyderabad was the hotspot for wrestling fans on Friday night as WWE put on a successful show. It’ll be good to see the company return to the subcontinent for a premium live event down the line.
#2. John Cena got emotional after a big win in India
John Cena officiated a match between LA Knight and The Miz at Payback to surprise the WWE Universe. He then flew to India for the Superstar Spectacle to make his return to the ring.
Cena teamed up with Seth Rollins in arguably the biggest match of the night. The two top men took on Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in a tag team match.
The finish saw Rollins hit Vinci with a Stomp before Cena finished him off with the Attitude Adjustment. The Leader of the Cenation closed the night with an emotional promo for his fans.
"I just wanted everybody to be able to hear what I'm saying. It's brief, but what I have to say tonight means a heck of a lot to me. Thank you for allowing me to be here tonight. You know, sometimes we feel something inside grabs us emotionally. I want to share this with you all, you can let me know if I'm alone or not but I'm going to share it anyway. I've been imagining this moment right here for 20 years. I wanted to end tonight by saying this moment was far greater than I could ever have imagined."
Cena is one of the biggest names WWE has ever produced. His presence in India helped WWE pull in a big crowd, and he was more than happy to perform in front of his biggest fans.
#3. A fight broke out in the crowd during WWE live event
WWE made a successful trip to India to host the Superstar Spectacle. The main event of the show saw John Cena and Seth Rollins take on Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in a tag team match.
Before the match got going, Cena made his trademark entrance and threw his shirt to his most loyal fans in the crowd. However, the act led to a brief fight in the crowd, as several fans wanted to take the shirt home.
The Cenation Leader made the dreams of many fans come true as they got hold of his shirt. However, fans in the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad weren’t ready to give up the prized merchandise worn by arguably the biggest name in sports entertainment.
A tug of war broke out amongst the fans, and it’s not clear who got to keep the shirt. It would have been a difficult decision to make as no one would have wanted to let go of John Cena’s shirt.
#4. Asuka made surprise return on WWE SmackDown
On the latest episode of SmackDown, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi teamed up to take on Bayley and IYO SKY of Damage CTRL. The match saw the surprise return of Asuka.
The Empress had been off television for several weeks after losing the WWE Women’s Championship to Bianca Belair at SummerSlam 2023. She crept up behind Dakota Kai, who was at ringside to support her Damage CTRL teammates and stole SKY’s title belt from her.
Flair and Shotzi won the opening match after the latter delivered her finisher to Bayley. However, the match was overshadowed by the former WWE Women’s Champion’s return.
After the bout, Asuka and IYO SKY stood face-to-face in the ring, and the title was lying between them on the mat. Later in the night, SKY agreed to defend her title against The Empress.
The title match was made official soon after as it was announced that the two Japanese stars would collide for the championship on SmackDown in two week’s time.
#5. Gable Steveson removed from the NXT roster page
In arguably the most surprising news of the day, WWE has removed Gable Steveson’s name from the NXT roster page.
Steveson made his in-ring debut for NXT not too long ago, and he was slowly building his first big rivalry against Baron Corbin. However, it now looks like plans for Steveson in NXT will be scrapped if his removal is not a glitch or mistake.
Gable Steveson signed with WWE in 2021 and was drafted to RAW soon after. However, he was moved to NXT, where he started competing in the ring after making some on-screen appearances.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer stated that the 23-year-old is no longer listed on the NXT roster. The report also noted that the company had no plans for him on the third brand at the moment.
He could be moved to the main roster for some big rivalries soon. Alternatively, he could take some time off to compete in the next Olympics before returning to sports entertainment.