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We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.
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Ricochet is an international wrestling star. You might know him from the indies, you might know him from his work on Lucha Underground as Prince Puma, you might know him from his much-publicized match against Will Ospreay from 2016 in New Japan, or maybe you could Ricochet from all of the above. If you know of him, there is a pretty good chance you’ve hoped he would sign with WWE so he could be on your television with ease every week. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but he’s now one step closer to that, as he revealed in an interview that his contract with Lucha Underground is up.
Ricochet still has to deal with a non-compete clause until season 3 of Lucha Underground is over, and since the show is on hiatus and coming back in the summer, that means he might not actually be able to sign with someone like WWE until late in 2017. The good news is that he’s interested in doing that very thing — assuming he can check off a few more boxes on his list before he has to “abide by their schedule.” The biggest ticket item seems to be winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight, as Ricochet says he wants that championship more than “any other title in wrestling right now.”
So, Ricochet isn’t going to end up in WWE right away, but the contract that kept him from working elsewhere is at its end. Once his non-compete is up, he can work with Ring of Honor if he still wants to, or he can head over to WWE, so long as he’s accomplished what he wants to in Japan and elsewhere first. As Ricochet is 28 years old, he’s not exactly an older free agent, especially not by WWE standards. He can afford to wait and do what he wants to before settling in with Vince McMahon’s company. And hey, maybe by then, 205 Live will be something he’d enjoy going on. Who wants to see Neville vs. Ricochet in a cruiserweight classic?
Don’t worry, I’d rather see them fighting for the Universal Championship, too.
- We got our first episode of NXT post-TakeOver, which includes Oney Lorcan vs. Tyler Bate in a match you should probably watch.
- If you’re into reading NXT spoilers because you can’t wait for the full slate of episodes to air, here they are.
- Thursday’s Rumor Roundup looks at alternate plans for Triple H at WrestleMania with Seth Rollins injured.
- The early word on Rollins’ knee is that he has a torn MCL and could be out for eight weeks. If you do the math, WrestleMania is still a possibility...
- Rollins told fans his injury is real, and thanked them for the support.
- Finn Balor, recovering from his own injury, sent Seth adorable well wishes.
- Rollins and Joe both knew something was wrong the moment it happened.
- Don’t blame Samoa Joe for the injury, though, just like it’s not necessarily Seth Rollins’ fault that Finn Balor got hurt in their match.
- Totally (kayfabe) hate on Joe for his tweets about Rollins, though. That’s just a good way of leaning in to a bad situation.
- Mick Foley is scheduled to get hip surgery, which likely means he’ll step away from RAW GM duties.
- Haven’t watched Lucha Underground yet? Want to just relive it? Netflix will have the first two seasons later this month.
- Here’s a look at the 2017 Royal Rumble, by the numbers.
- ESPN has a feature up on Nikki Cross, with quotes from SAnitY’s rep herself.