WWE News Roundup - 34-year-old star retires from the ring, former world champion and The Miz don't like each other backstage, Sasha Banks spotted with AEW star with a new look
Welcome back to Sportskeeda's daily WWE News Roundup, where we compile some of the top stories discussed in the wrestling world.
A former WWE star recently confirmed his shocking in-ring retirement as he revealed his intentions of focusing on a career as a commentator. A former world champion also revealed that he actually dislikes The Miz in real life but has the utmost respect for him as a performer.
The WWE News Roundup also has a big update on Sasha Banks' whereabouts amid speculation of her return to the company. On that note, let's take a look at all the stories in detail:
#3. Aiden English confirms in-ring retirement
Matthew Rehwoldt, FKA Aiden English, recently took to Twitter to drop a bombshell regarding his retirement from active in-ring competition. The former NXT Tag Team Champion was released from WWE in April 2020 and has since wrestled sporadically for a few companies.
The 34-year-old star explained that he would not be accepting bookings to wrestle as he felt he didn't belong in the squared circle. Rehwoldt stated that he enjoyed working the microphone and considered himself a much better talker than a wrestler.
"So here you go: I will no longer be taking bookings to wrestle going forward. I've always been most at home with a mic in front of me and am in love with the broadcast side of the biz. I'm not sure I feel I belong in the ring anymore, and this year has taught me that," tweeted Rehwoldt.
So here you go:
I will no longer be taking bookings to wrestle going forward.
I've always been most at home with a mic in front of me and am in love with the broadcast side of the biz. I'm not sure I feel I belong in the ring anymore and this year has taught me that.
1/2
Rusev's former partner clarified that he was still a free agent and would accept offers from companies who wished to utilize his voice. Rehwoldt also reminded fans that he was exploring various avenues and was looking forward to the next chapter in his career:
"But I love what I'm doing now and am still technically a free agent, so if you have a company/promotion that needs an entertaining and experienced voice on the mic hit me up!" continued the former star. "All in addition to continuing to explore esports/gaming, VO, and content! I DO ALL THE THINGS!"
🎙️🥃But I love what I'm doing now and am still technically a free agent so if you have a company/promotion that needs an entertaining and experienced voice on the mic hit me up!
All in addition to continuing to explore esports/gaming, VO, and content!
I DO ALL THE THINGS!😁🎮🎙️🥃
Matthew Rehwoldt joined WWE in 2012 and rose to prominence in NXT as one-half of The Vaudevillains. After moving up to the main roster, he had a successful run alongside Rusev (AKA Miro) before contributing as an announcer for 205 Live.
Since his WWE release, Rehwoldt has worked for IMPACT Wrestling and NJPW, and he plans on expanding his resume even further.
#2. Bryan Danielson says he and The Miz "legitimately don't like each other"
The Miz's passionate promo directed at Daniel Bryan from a Talking Smack episode in 2016 is still one of the most memorable performances on the microphone from the past decade.
Bryan Danielson revealed several details about the promo while recently speaking to Renee Paquette at Starrcast V. The heated exchange between Danielson and The Miz came across like a shoot angle as both men took personal shots at each other.
Danielson explained that the idea behind the angle was to force WWE into allowing him to wrestle as he was still retired at the time. The AEW star opened up about his initial reactions to The Miz's promo and how he chose to walk away instead of engaging with The A-Lister.
The former WWE Champion also admitted that he and The Miz still don't like each other. That being said, he added that he respected The Miz's perseverance and hard work despite their real-life differences:
"The idea was either they're going to fire me, or it's going to make people want to see the match so much that they're going to have to clear me to wrestle. But then Mike [The Miz] did such a great job; intuitively, I felt it was better to walk off because it was also like, this is so good. Leave him with his heat. He was so good. Mike and I don't like each other, legitimately, but Mike is also somebody that I respect a lot for working very, very hard," said Danielson. [H/t Fightful]
Bryan Danielson and The Miz are still at the top of their game in AEW and WWE, respectively, and it will be interesting to see if they ever cross paths again.
#1. Sasha Banks was spotted with a new look in her first public appearance since the WWE walkout
The wrestling community's obsession with Sasha Banks has not waned over the past few weeks. The Boss is still consistently trending; this time, she is in the news for multiple reasons.
The former women's champion appeared at the recent C2E2 convention in Chicago and showed off her new rainbow hair look.
Interestingly, Sasha Banks also posed for a picture with AEW star Danhausen. The image, as expected, is going viral on the internet.
💰💰💰 https://t.co/hfUl2q0sGt
It was great to see Sasha Banks slowly emerge in the public domain after she and Naomi walked out of RAW in May. The latest rumors state that the former tag team champions are all but sure to return to WWE. However, we don't have a definite timeline on when that might happen.