WWE News Roundup - Top stars don't see eye-to-eye backstage, Superstar sends a message to Triple H after release, Massive Goldberg dream match nixed due to safety issue?
Welcome back to another edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's daily WWE News Roundup, where we compile all the trending stories from the ever-changing pro wrestling world.
A top WWE superstar confirmed that she still does not get along with a veteran name behind the scenes. Triple H's regime saw its first round of releases this week as many talents were let go from their contracts. One outgoing star took to Twitter to send a message to Triple H as she sounded optimistic about the next phase of her career.
The latest news roundup ends with details of why Goldberg never faced off against a Hall of Famer.
#1. Charlotte and Becky Lynch are still not on good terms
Things haven't been great between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch ever since the infamous title exchange segment on SmackDown in October 2021.
The former women's champion reportedly had a heated backstage altercation, which unfortunately soured their long-time friendship. The Queen recently appeared on Stone Cold Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions show and revealed that she and Lynch still don't see eye-to-eye.
Flair spoke about their rise in WWE and the competitiveness that they share regarding being the best performer in the entire company.
Charlotte also opened up about the developments in their respective personal lives, and she was pretty honest about her current equation with The Man, as you can view below:
"You have two women who want to be the best. There's no other way to put it. I want to be the best. She wants to be the best. Natural courses of life. She got married and had a baby. I met Manny on the road. Maybe we were each other's crutches at one point. But now, she wants to be the best. I want to be the best," said Charlotte Flair. "You have two alphas who don't see eye-to-eye."
Charlotte Flair added that she and Becky Lynch "grew up" together on WWE TV, and most fans often don't realize how close they were before their real-life issues came to the fore.
In case you missed it, Flair also teased returning from her hiatus to face the popular star, with whom she apparently has 'unfinished business' in WWE.
#2. Xia Brookside reacts to her WWE release
Xia Brookside was amongst the NXT UK talents that were recently released as part of the company's planned expansion of the brand.
The 23-year-old star confirmed her exit on social media with a heartfelt message about her memorable run in the promotion. The daughter of former wrestler Robbie Brookside, Xia made her debut during the Mae Young Classic in 2018.
After officially signing a full-time deal in the same year, Brookside was added to the NXT UK division, where she competed regularly until the recent mass releases.
Here's what she posted on Twitter with regards to her release:
"Where it all began. August 8th 2018 I debuted for the @WWE #maeyoungclassic, August 28th 2018 I signed my first contract. This month would have been 4 years with the WWE. From the 18/19 year old girl travelling the world on her own doing tours of Japan/America/Europe, making a name for herself to the incredible journey I've had on the WWE NXT UK brand. It's been a blast. It's not over, this is a new chapter in my life that I am very optimistic and excited about. Thank you for everyone in @WWE that supported me and to all my fans that have stayed and grown with me. Here's to the next chapter! LFG!"
🏻
Thank you @TripleH @WWE 🙏🏻✨ https://t.co/Gz12EbrSd9
As noted earlier, WWE revealed the launch of NXT Europe for 2023, and the move led to widespread cuts in the division. Based on reports from various outlets, WWE seems to have released 21 stars from the NXT UK brand, which is expected to shut shop after the Words Collide event on September 4th.
Triple H has already made some big moves at the helm, and it will be interesting to see if the NXT Europe project is successful for WWE in the long run.
#3. Goldberg on why he never wrestled Stone Cold Steve Austin
Goldberg vs. Steve Austin is one of those unrealized dream matches that most fans expected to see when the former WCW star signed with WWE in 2003.
The two men sadly never competed in a singles match, and Goldberg revealed why WWE nixed the idea during his appearance on the Talk is Jericho podcast.
Goldberg explained that there might have been a "safety issue" with booking the match as Steve Austin was dealing with severe problems in his neck at that point. Austin was apparently not in the ideal condition to take Goldberg's two most prominent signature moves, The Spear and The Jackhammer.
While Goldberg would have loved to battle The Texas Rattlesnake, the Hall of Famer understood the reasoning behind why the match never happened. Here's what the former Universal Champion had to say:
"There's no question that I wish it would've happened," Goldberg said. "That was the match to have. Why it never happened, I think 90% of the reasoning behind that was [Austin's] neck issues and my finishing moves, right? Whether it be the spear, whether it be the Jackhammer, I don't think that those are moves that he would've wanted to, wanted to do, nor would his boss would've wanted him to do. I think it was a safety issue more so than anything." [H/T WrestlingInc]
Goldberg has not competed since Elimination Chamber 2022, but he might not be done with his in-ring career yet. The former world champion is admittedly ready to return and is waiting for the creative team to come up with the right angle for him.
Whom would you like to see Goldberg face when he returns? Share your picks in the comments section below.