FREE POST: WWE, AEW, MLW, Who missed Dynamite, More

• We've released this post on the free tier -- subscribe for only $6 a month to support our coverage and get your questions in for this week's Q&A

• When speaking to those who worked the WWE Bologna show, we were told it wasn't as hot as other crowds, but that WWE was happy with the turnout.

• Among the talent that couldn't make it to Omaha for AEW Dynamite due to the blizzard was Switchblade Jay White.

• The Heathrow Airport shutdown in London caused huge issues for a number of indies and wrestlers.

• Fightful Select Espanol reported that Cesar Duran aka Dario Cueto is expected to remain MLW's authority figure. You can follow our Espanol twitter at this link.

• MLW was said that they were blown away by selling out LA three weeks in advance. They're exploring ways to meet demand, including the possibility of changing venues, which they'd need to move on quickly.

• Chris Bey has done some additional media this week, we're told.

• Solo Sikoa's accidental "F bomb" was removed from some replays of last week's Smackdown.

• We have a number of additional MLW stories dropping this week.

• We've released the first in a seven episode action figure series with SRS and Jimmy Van. The first episode covers what Jimmy Van purchased from Matt Cardona. It can be seen at this link.

• The latest "Fightful Presents" video has released, covering what is considered to be the worst major wrestling event of all time, Heroes of Wrestling. You can watch it at this link, and see details from the event that featured Yokozuna, Jake The Snake, 2 Cold Scorpio, Marty Jannetty, and tons more.

• Sean Ross Sapp reviewed WWE 2K25 player ratings in a new video.

• If you like gaming content, SRS has done some short game streams over on Fightful Scraps. We post interview and show clips, additional interviews, and a lot of other stuff over there.

• Check out SRS telling the story about interviewing MJF, and what happened behind the scenes at this link.

Bryan Danielson notes (interview at this link)

Fightful caught up with former AEW World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson in December, for an evergreen interview that we've recovered.. Bryan shared his thoughts on his future in the ring, his health, and moments from his outstanding career with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, who spoke with Danielson for over six minutes.

Sean asked about the possibility of Bryan wrestling again. Danielson was transparent about the balancing act between his passion and his health. “My priority is my health. He said he believes, at this time, the odds of his return to the ring stand at 50-50. The primary reason? He wants to avoid another neck surgery.

Having undergone neck surgery in the past, Danielson described it as a challenging experience that left lasting effects on his spine. “It kind of messed up my spine in the upper area for the rest of my life,” he shared. For him, the idea of living comfortably without surgery, even if it means not wrestling again, is a trade-off he will consider. “If we can get to a point where I’m a little bit more comfortable without neck surgery, but they say you can’t wrestle anymore, I think that’s a fair trade-off.”

Reflecting on his career, Danielson expressed gratitude. His focus now is on preserving his health.

On a lighter note, Sean asked Danielson if he could rename one of his moves after The Rizzler. “Rizzler," Danielson said, laughing, “All of them.” 

Sean mentioned that he had looked at Danielson’s cage match profile and wrestled Nunzio on WWE Velocity 22 years ago. He was surprised to hear that and told Sean that his memory of the match was hazy; he reflected on his early days as an enhancement talent. “I’m an extra who just comes in and does the thing.” He mentioned seeing former WWE Superstar Rico Constantino at the WrestleDream show. “It was a long time ago, and that’s when I realized that I’m old,” he joked, highlighting the passage of time and the evolving nature of wrestling.

In closing, Danielson is excited about AEW’s All-In event in 2025. “All-In last year was by far the favorite moment of my entire career,” he declared. He is equally excited about this year’s event at Globe Life Field in Dallas, promising fans another unforgettable experience.