• WWE’s Backup Plan If Nikki Bella Doesn’t Get Medical Clearance For WrestleMania 42 Revealed
WWE has announced 13 matches for WrestleMania 42 so far, with one more bout rumored to be added to the card, which is IYO SKY vs. Asuka.
According to Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, the delay in making IYO SKY vs. Asuka official comes down to WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella’s condition. If she isn’t cleared in time for the Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal-4-Way match, The Kabuki Warriors are expected to step in as replacements for The Bella Twins at the Show of Shows.
On the other hand, if Nikki does get cleared, WWE is expected to move forward with the singles match between IYO and Asuka. As of now, there’s no clear direction for IYO if Asuka is pulled into the Tag Title match instead.
Nikki Bella suffered a sprained ankle during The Bella Twins’ match against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss on SmackDown a few weeks ago. She said last week that she expected to be cleared within 7-10 days, but there has been no further update since.
WWE announced the night split for WrestleMania matches earlier today.
• CM Punk Went Off Script About The Rock, Vince McMahon, TKO & More
CM Punk reportedly went off script during RAW this week, delivering a pipebomb that took aim at everyone from The Rock to the corporate bosses at TKO.
According to PWInsider, while WWE had a general plan for what Punk was supposed to say, he decided to shoot from the heart instead. The result was a high-tension segment where he didn’t just target his WrestleMania 42 opponent, Roman Reigns, but also blasted The Rock, Vince McMahon, Pat McAfee, and the company’s new ownership.
Punk’s angry words reportedly reflect a lot of real frustration building backstage. Many talents are reportedly “throwing their hands up” over Pat McAfee being forced into the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton storyline. They feel a match with that much history didn’t need an extra element pushed by the front office.
There is a growing sense of sympathy for Cody, with one wrestler saying he now has to “carry additional weight” to make a corporate-mandated story work.
Even with WrestleMania right around the corner, many seats remain unsold because of high prices. To make matters worse, WWE is only giving wrestlers two free tickets for the night they perform. If they want more for family or friends, they have to pay out of their own pockets.
Fans noticed that WWE was unusually slow to upload the segment to YouTube. While there were no major edits made to the video, it’s believed the digital team waited for “clearance” from higher-ups to make sure they wouldn’t get in trouble for releasing such a controversial clip.
So far, there has been no official fallout or punishment for Punk. It seems that for now, WWE is leaning into the chaos as they head toward their biggest show of the year.
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