• Absent Top Star Confirms Appearances At 2 Upcoming WWE Events
Randy Orton has been absent from WWE television for over two months, last appearing on the October 3rd episode of SmackDown. On that night, he returned to help Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes against The Vision, teaming up with The American Nightmare in a high-profile main event against Bron Breakker and “Big” Bronson Reed. The match ended in defeat after interference from Seth Rollins allowed Reed to pin Orton.
The Viper was recently in Saudi Arabia for the grand opening of MrBeast Land, a theme park created through a partnership between YouTube star MrBeast and WWE.
Orton appeared in a TikTok video alongside Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, where he confirmed that he will be in the Kingdom for the Royal Rumble 2026 weekend.
In the video, The Apex Predator revealed that he will be at SmackDown before the Royal Rumble and the Premium Live Event itself in Riyadh.
“This is Randy Orton with the WWE. I am at The Grove and I just wanna remind everybody that tickets are still on sale for the Royal Rumble, coming here to Riyadh at the end of January, and tickets are still on sale for SmackDown too. So make sure you get your tickets, and I will see you at the Royal Rumble or I will see you at SmackDown – and I will 100% see you here at the one and only Grove.”
• Unfortunate Issues Behind WWE Limiting SmackDown Star’s In-Ring Time Revealed
Damian Priest has built a reputation for delivering strong and physical performances whenever he steps into the ring. Under Triple H’s leadership as WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Priest became a regular presence on television and was even booked to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Recently, however, the 43-year-old hasn’t been wrestling as frequently as he did in previous years. That change isn’t creative-related, but instead tied to his current physical condition.
In an interview with Big Nick Turturro, Priest explained that WWE has intentionally scaled back his in-ring workload to help protect his long-term health, revealing the wear and tear his body has taken after years of pushing himself nonstop.
“It’s unfortunate. I don’t like to bring it up too much, and I don’t take breaks. Since I’ve been in WWE, I’ve literally taken zero days off. I’ve never asked for time off because I was hurting.
This year, the company decided to slow things down a bit because I’ve been going hard for a long time. I’ve torn my shoulder a couple of times in the last year and a half. My knees are banged up. My back is rough. I need a lot of work done, but I choose not to unless I absolutely have to.
If I don’t need surgery, I won’t do it. I’ll figure it out. Rehab, treatment, whatever it takes… just keep me in the game. So this year, the company basically said, ‘We’re happy with you, but we need to make sure you last.’ They’ve been forcing me to take it easy, and that’s not the easiest thing to do when you love going out there and performing.
I’m still on TV regularly, just not in the ring as much as I used to be. That’s really the only difference. I love performing. I love getting physical. So yeah… it’s hard for me.”
On the latest episode of SmackDown, Priest teamed up with his Terror Twin Rhea Ripley to score a victory over Aleister Black and Zelina Vega.
• WWE Star May Have Forgotten How To Kiss
Nikki Bella has been single for over a year following her divorce from dancer Artem Chigvintsev. Since then, she’s stayed focused on her son and her personal life, largely keeping her romantic life private.
On the latest episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed fans who have criticized her, with some even calling her a “wh*re.” Nikki defended herself, noting that she hasn’t been intimate in quite some time.
She then revealed her own humorous way of testing if she’s still got it in the romance department, saying:
“I was literally thinking about it last night. Do I even still know how to kiss? I’m about to just make out with my pillow to make sure I’ve still got it.”
Recently, rumors have begun circulating that Nikki may be exploring a new romance with Philadelphia Eagles star Cooper DeJean, a 22-year-old standout defensive back and reigning Super Bowl champion.
Bella, who has long been open about her support for the Philadelphia Eagles, attended last weekend’s Eagles vs. Las Vegas Raiders game alongside Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Following the trip, Bella shared an Instagram reel highlighting moments from the day. One clip showed her smiling in front of the locker of Cooper DeJean.
The reel also included a photo of Bella and DeJean posing together. Bella captioned the post with a message expressing appreciation for the people in her life, referencing both new friendships and long-standing connections.
Bella and DeJean also follow each other on social media and have exchanged likes and comments in recent weeks. While DeJean did not comment on the video itself, he left a heart and eagle emoji under a post where Bella called herself a legend. The former Divas Champion liked that comment.
The two have not publicly commented on the rumors yet.
