WWE Reportedly Cancelled Edge’s Royal Rumble Match
Previously, Fightful Select reported that there were plans for the 11-time World Champion Edge to return for the 2023 Royal Rumble for a Hell in a Cell match against the former Universal Champion Finn Balor. It would have been the perfect grudge match, but from the look of things, that isn’t happening now.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, it seems that The Rated-R superstar Edge’s match against Finn Balor has been canceled. Were the match to happen, it likely would have been announced, or had a build-up. Instead, The Judgment Day was occupied in the hunt for the Raw Tag Team Championship – a title they failed to win after Sami Zayn stepped in to replace the injured Jimmy Uso.
Several Changes Made To Smackdown Women’s Championship Booking
The Queen Charlotte Flair returned to WWE on December 30th edition of Friday Night SmackDown, confronting then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey following her match with Raquel Rodriguez and challenged for the title. In the same night, Charlotte Flair won the title from Rousey and that title change on SmackDown came as a surprise
Many speculated that Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez would clash at the Royal Rumble, and Charlotte Flair would return the same night. Now, it’s being revealed that WWE has made several big decisions in relation to the SmackDown Women’s title booking in the last few weeks.
According to Fightful Select reports, WWE had originally planned for Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez to square off at Royal Rumble. However, the company wanted to add more excitement around the December 30th edition of Friday Night SmackDown, the last WWE broadcast before the New Year and made the changes to plans.
This report also stated that it had information that showed WWE was set on having Rousey vs Rodriguez for the Rumble in early December. Fightful Select also reported that WWE’s decision to have Charlotte Flair win the SmackDown Women’s Title caused other tentative plans to be completely scrapped.
It’s also noted that Flair was at one point pitched to work with Bianca Belair and compete for the Raw Women’s Championship, with Judgment Day’s Rhea Ripley heading over to SmackDown to start a feud with the then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. This reports further noted that Ronda Rousey was presented with several creative ideas prior to losing the title to Flair, however, none of them “worked out”.
WWE Erases Bryan Danielson’s Royal Rumble Record
On the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was noted that WWE is once again acknowledging Rey Mysterio’s record of 62:12 as most time spent in a Royal Rumble match as the longest time spent by a participant. The company is removed Daniel Bryan’s record of 76:06 minutes, that was set in Saudi Arabia’s 50-Men Greatest Royal Rumble match, from the history records.
“In the WWE’s produced ‘By the Numbers’ video, they reverted away from the Daniel Bryan record for most time in the match from the Saudi Arabia show of 76:06 and went back to the Rey Mysterio record of 62:12 set in 2006. One could argue you don’t include the Saudi Arabia show, but in their other records, they did, so you can’t make that argument.”
