Tag: Finn Balor

10 WWE stars you probably forgot were in their 40s

A number of WWE stars continue to shine even though they’re in their 40s. Here are 10 you may have forgotten are in that age range.

When Finn Balor interrupted Dolph Ziggler during his backstage interview on the Aug. 22, 2022 episode of Raw, it touched off an interaction that included Balor calling Ziggler “Kid.” That was funny for two reasons; the first, as Ziggler pointed out immediately after, is that both wrestlers are almost the same age.

The other reason Balor’s wording was humorous is that neither man is a kid at this point. When they faced off in the ring a while later, you might be surprised to know that they did it at a combined age of 83.

Ziggler and Balor are still amazing in-ring performers, of course, but they’re only part of a large contingent of WWE stars who are getting it done in their 40s. It’s actually so common for veterans to be around longer than you think that we’ve rounded up 10 wrestlers who you may not have realized are 40+.

Note that this list doesn’t even include some of the more obvious superstars in that age range who are still active, including Edge, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton and John Cena. In alphabetical order, here are our 10 WWE wrestlers who are aging gracefully in the ring right in front of our eyes.

Opening Bell: Tribal Chief defends his gold, Jericho has his hair at stake

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage for the week of June 13.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week ahead.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, June 13, INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS

The Judgment Day received a big shakeup last week, with Finn Balor joining and then immediately assisting with the ouster of Edge from the group. Now Edge is out with a (storyline) injury, so there’s no fear of immediate reprisals. That leaves the stable free to plot a new course, which WWE says it will do Monday night.

Speaking of injuries, Cody Rhodes suffered one of the more notable ones in recent memory, and he’s now out recuperating from successful surgery to repair his torn pec. But while the American Nightmare said he was ready to move on from Seth Rollins, the Visionary had different ideas, attacking Rhodes one last time for now. WWE says Rollins will “answer” for his attack, so look for him to possibly be booked against some tough competition.

AEW Dynamite Road Rager preview – Wednesday, June 15, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis

Once upon a time it felt like AEW was getting a little carried away with themed episodes of Dynamite, but it’s cut back on them to the point where Road Rager is a bit of a breath of fresh air. The card is suitably loaded, headlined by a three-way Ladder Match for the tag team titles, with Jurassic Express defending against both The Hardys and Young Bucks.

Chris Jericho is also putting something on the line against Ortiz … but it’s his hair, not a championship. The former Inner Circle teammates turned bitter rivals will do battle, and someone will be bald when it’s over.

Also advertised for Wednesday night:

  • An All-Atlantic Championship qualifier sees Miro go head to head with Ethan Page.
  • Wardlow battles 20 of the plaintiffs in the security guard class action lawsuit. No, really.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, June 17, Target Center, Minneapolis

This is a big one. After jumping through several hoops to get the attention of Roman Reigns, Riddle finally got what he wanted by defeating Sami Zayn last week in a match that stipulated he’d get a Undisputed WWE Universal Championship shot if he won. Can Riddle get some payback for his buddy Randy and win some serious gold? Probably not, but you won’t want to miss it just in case he pulls it off.

Also expected for this week’s show:

  • Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin will meet in a Last Laugh Match, which we assume will end the feud between them, one way or another.
  • After running into travel issues last Friday, Max Dupri will reveal his first recruit for Maximum Male Models.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, June 17, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis (taped)

Rampage has been live more often than not the past few weeks, but this week’s episode reverts to its more typical pattern of being taped at the Dynamite show for the week, which in this case is in St. Louis.

AEW hasn’t officially announced anything yet for this episode, but we’ll update this post as soon as there’s something set.

Edge reportedly didn’t like a ‘supernatural’ direction for The Judgment Day

Edge reportedly was against the “supernatural” direction WWE wanted to take The Judgment Day, leading to the group turning against him on Raw.

If The Judgment Day turning on Edge, the man who assembled the group in the first place, on this week’s episode of Raw felt a little sudden, that’s because it probably was.

Fightful Select reports that while the addition of Finn Balor was proposed prior to this week, the ejection of Edge was a development that may have only come together on Monday. The reason? Edge apparently wasn’t pleased with the direction WWE wanted the group to go.

We’re told that WWE had mentioned taking Judgment Day a “supernatural” route, which Edge was said to have been opposed to.

It’s an interesting notion simply because there was a bit of that around The Judgment Day from the start, with fans joking on social media that it felt like Edge and initial recruit Damian Priest could teleport when the lights went out. That element had been de-emphasized in more recent weeks, however.

A more supernatural version of The Judgment Day would be a natural for The Undertaker to lead were he still around. But Balor has a hint of that in his own background thanks to his alter ego as The Demon, which he has noted in past interviews he felt would resurface in WWE at some point in the future.

Another popular fan theory/hope is that Bray Wyatt will be involved somehow. Wyatt was released from WWE on July 31, 2021, but has recently hinted at a pro wrestling return on social media. There’s no guarantee that would be with WWE, but if it is, adding him to the mix would give The Judgment Day an immediate shot in the arm.

Fightful Select confirmed that Edge has now “been moved back to the babyface side of the internal depth chart.” It’s going to be a little strange seeing him in that role considering he’s just spent weeks running down the fans in promos, but if anyone can turn a struggle against a personal creation that’s spiraled out of control into compelling TV, it’s Edge — even if it has supernatural assistance.

WWE Hell in a Cell: Everything you need to know

Get ready for WWE Hell in a Cell with our preview, including predictions for each match, start time, how to watch and more.

WWE fans in the Chicago area, get ready to go on lockdown. Hopefully the fun kind, in this case, as the Allstate Arena prepares to host Hell in a Cell on Sunday, June 5.

Similar to Money in the Bank, Hell in a Cell has evolved over the years into an entire event themed around its namesake gimmick match. But that’s where the similarities end; while MITB is now a major show with ramifications that echo far down the road, HIAC feels like something of an afterthought. To wit, this year’s card features only two title matches and just one appearance by the Cell itself.

That said, WWE premium live events that look forgettable on paper sometimes surprise to the upside thanks to the hard work of the talent, and the potential for that in 2022 begins with Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell. WWE has consistently positioned Rhodes as a top star since his return, and Rollins is as reliable a main event performer as the company has.

The show will also pay off the most entertaining subplot on WWE programming since WrestleMania when Kevin Owens faces Ezekiel. Owens is a gem both in the ring and on the microphone, but he has taken his character to the next level with his paranoia-fueled disbelief over the true identity of Ezekiel. If you needed proof that excellent pro wrestling storytelling can happen at any part of the card, this is it.

It’s possible that WWE could still add a match or two during SmackDown this week, in which case we’ll update our preview with the latest. In the meantime, read on to get up to speed on everything you need to know for Hell in a Cell 2022.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

  • When: Sunday, June 5
  • Where: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., or on WWE Network internationally
  • Matches announced: 6