WWE News Roundup: Megastar admits he is set to leave the company soon, released star comments; AEW star praises Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar
Welcome to another edition of the daily WWE News Roundup, where we aim to bring you the most exciting stories from the world of sports entertainment. Today's edition revolves around top names like the Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena.
The Champ, John Cena, last competed against Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel and lost the match. He hinted at potential retirement following the match and has not been seen in WWE since then. We will take a look at what the future holds for him. Apart from that, we will also see how a top AEW star praised Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.
1.) Dana Brooke comments on WWE release
Released superstar Dana Brooke, aka Ash By Elegance, spoke on Busted Open. She asserted that WWE lacked faith in her, even with advocates like producer TJ Wilson pushing for her advancement.
Upon learning about her release, she expressed a mix of relief and initial confusion, particularly since she had been booked for an NXT show:
"So when I had got that phone call, it was a bit of confusion at first. I’m like, ‘Wait a second, I was just told I’m working Sunday.’ But you know what? It’s fine, because I felt a sigh of relief and freedom. I can’t describe this feeling of a weight lifted off of my shoulders," she elaborated.
Ash by Elegance (Brooke) was seen at TNA for the first time at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view on January 13, 2024. Joining her were former WWE Superstars Dolph Ziggler, now known as Nic Nemeth, and Top Dolla, who appeared as AJ Francis. She has allegedly officially signed with TNA.
2.) Samoa Joe praises Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar
In an interview with Bleacher Reports, Joe was tasked with selecting his Mount Rushmore of the toughest hitters in wrestling. Although Mount Rushmore typically has four names, the AEW World Champion opted to list five individuals, including Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar:
"The list is a Mount Rushmore of some of the most dangerous people in the world," he said. "You start from [Kenta] Kobashi and [Mitsuharu] Misawa. Young Wardlow. He hits like a truck. Brock Lesnar hits like a truck. Roman Reigns hits like a truck. There's tons of people around the sphere of wrestling who all hit hard, and I've felt all that power, but they don't hit as hard as me."
Samoa Joe has had some hard-hitting matches against both Lesnar and Reigns during his tenure in WWE. He was released by the company and later joined AEW, where he has now become the World Champion after defeating MJF at the World's End PPV.
3) John Cena will be retiring from WWE soon
In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, John Cena discussed his future, emphasizing the possibility of retiring from in-ring action sooner rather than later. Cena clarified that this decision is not driven by a stronger inclination toward acting, nor does it signify a diminished passion for wrestling. Instead, it's simply a matter of age:
"I turned 47 this past year [he will turn 47 on April 23, 2024] and I don't have much time left in the WWE. I think it’s just the demand of age. You know, I'm trying to figure out when to close that chapter," he said.
While Cena was a part of WrestleMania 39 last year, it seems unlikely that he will return to compete at the Grandest Stage of Them All this year. He seems to hint that he only has one or two more matches left in him before he leaves the company as an in-ring star.