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WWE 2K23 will launch with a large roster of playable wrestlers, and much of that roster has already been confirmed. WWE's giant roster is constantly changing as new wrestlers sign with or depart from the wrestling promotion. Its almost yearly video game installments include a large portion of that roster as playable characters, plus the option for players to design and customize their own wrestlers. It also often incorporates legendary wrestlers who have since retired, but remain beloved contributors to the WWE.

45 superstars have been confirmed for the roster so far. However, it's likely that more names will be added to this list as WWE 2K23’s release date gets closer, with further additions in Dlc after the game's launch. 2K22 had some 228 playable wrestlers by the end of its cycle, so WWE 2K23's roster is probably far from complete. The final roster is likely to include more members of the Nxt brand,...

Kratos and Atreus may be fictional characters in God of War Ragnarok, but a pair of streamers may be the closest thing to the Ghost of Sparta and his young son existing in the real world. The second and final chapter of the Norse-based God of War reboot saga finally launched on PlayStation consoles earlier this week, gaining near-universal acclaim for its gripping narrative and increased scope from the previous God of War title.

God of War Ragnarok is mainly centered around the developing relationship between Kratos and Atreus as they journey to uncover the secrets behind an apocalyptic prophecy and battle new enemies like the villainous God of War Ragnarok version of Odin. Given the realistic and emotional dynamic between the two, it seems fitting that one pair of fans resembles the now-legendary father/son duo. Reddit user Bonkbonkguy recently shared an image of two people on r/GodofWarRagnarok...

It’s a new day, yes it is, at WWE. One without longtime visionary Vince McMahon. For decades as chairman and CEO, he had a stronghold on the creative direction of the sports entertainment juggernaut. This made news of the 77-year-old stepping aside amid scandal in summer 2022 and relinquishing control of shows including Raw and SmackDown even more surreal. With controversy surrounding McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque was given the reins of creative and then promoted to chief content officer. The pro wrestling legend turned exec didn’t waste any time making his mark. Among his subtle changes: Giving performers like Austin Theory and Tommaso Ciampa their first names back. WWE In programming, a lot of the fluff and filler has been trimmed or eliminated in favor of longer, more competitive matches. Promos have begun to feel less scripted and forced. Championship titles have a new shine as Intercontinental and...

Welcome to this review of this week’s Monday Night Raw, right here on Nerdly. This is the first post-Clash at the Castle episode of WWE and so we’re going to get some of the fallout from what happened at the PPV… So let’s get into the review!

Match #1: Braun Strowman interrupted Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

A Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match to determine new challengers for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos got turned on its head when Braun Strowman made his bellowing return to WWE! The match, which featured The New Day, Alpha Academy, Los Lotharios and The Street Profits, came to a screeching halt when The Monster Among Men burst onto the scene and began brutalizing everyone in sight. In what resembled a car wreck on I-95, as Strowman wreaked havoc on all competitors...

Welcome to a new column for Nerdly. I used to do regular WWE reviews here and I’m back to do more once again. I will be reviewing the week of WWE television in one review each week. Raw, Smackdown and Nxt. I’ll also review other WWE content including PPV’s.

This week in WWE began with Monday Night Raw on, well… Monday (11th April).

Results: Cesaro defeated Kevin Owens (Cesaro is now number one contender for the I-c title). Tag Tournament 1st Round: The Dudleys beat The Lucha Dragons WWE Womens Title: Natalya beat Charlotte by Dq (Charlotte retains) Tag Tournament 1st Round: The Usos beat Social Outcasts Aj Styles defeated Sami Zayn (Aj is now the sole number one contender for WWE Title) Apollo Crews beat Adam Rose Bray Wyatt & Roman Reigns defeated Alberto Del Rio & Sheamus

This was one of the best Raw’s of 2016 so far.

WWE.com

PWInsider is reporting that after months of competing on the Nxt brand, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa have finally been signed to full-time WWE contracts.

Gargano and Ciampa are two of the most respected talents on the U.S. independent scene. Gargano, who’s earned the nickname “Johnny Wrestling,” dominated Dragon Gate USA for years as the Open the Freedom Gate Champion, while Ciampa held the Ring of Honor TV Title before losing it to record-setting champion Jay Lethal.

Gargano and Ciampa first debuted in Nxt last summer, working as a team in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Despite not being signed to contracts, they upset Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey in the tournament’s first round, but they were defeated in the second by Baron Corbin and Rhyno.

Since the tournament, both men have continued to make appearances on Nxt TV, usually in singles competition. Ciampa...

During yesterday’s Nxt conference call, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative Triple H announced the first seven men confirmed to compete in the 32-man Global Cruiserweight Series this summer.

The men represent Nxt, U.S. independent wrestling, and the pro scene from around the world:

Rich Swann – The 25-year-old Swann signed with WWE last year and has since made a pair of appearances on Nxt TV. Prior to joining Nxt, the high-flyer competed for Evolve, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Full Impact Pro, and Japan’s Dragon Gate promotion.

Johnny Gargano – “Johnny Wrestling” has already made several appearances with Nxt, but he’s continued to dominate the indies in the meantime. Along with former WWE star Drew Galloway, Gargano holds the Evolve Tag Team Championship.

Tommaso Ciampa – Like Gargano, Ciampa has wrestled for Nxt extensively despite not being signed to WWE. He’s also competed for Ring of Honor in the past,...

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WWE’s Global Cruiserweight Series – a 32-man, single elimination tournament design to showcase the best 205-pound-and-under talent from around the world – is scheduled to kick off on July 13. Before the official start of the series on the WWE Network, though, several independent promotions will be hosting qualifying matches to determine which of their stars are able to compete.

At last week’s Evolve Wrestling show in Queens, NY, Nxt General Manager William Regal made a special appearance to announce that the promotion would host qualifying matches for the tournament in the near future. Though no date was given, the company’s first post-WrestleMania run of shows is taking place the first weekend in May, an ideal time to host the matches. No participants have been announced, but likely candidates include frequent Nxt competitors Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, as well as talents like Anthony Nese, Fred Yehi, Tj Perkins,...

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You never know what’s going to happen when you go to a WWE Live event, but you hope you won’t see any wrestlers get legitimately hurt in the process.

WWE Divas champion Charlotte was reportedly left in a pool of blood during a match with Becky Lynch at Friday’s night live event in Minneapolis. The bout was stopped after two minutes when Charlotte was caught with a knee from Lynch and was unable to continue.

Charlotte was bleeding from the nose and helped to the back by the referee. As you can see from the photo above, her opponent Becky was clearly concerned by what had happened and early indications are Charlotte may have broken her nose.

WWE officials had to wipe away a ton of blood from the mat after the incident.

Jj Williams

Meanwhile, also on Friday night in Cleveland, Asuka was battling Emma...

El Rey Network/WWE.com

Back in November, I wrote an article that looked at just how permeable the walls between the world’s biggest wrestling promotions had become. Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and New Japan legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger showed up to wrestle in Nxt. Alberto Del Rio, then the reigning Aaa Mega Champion, showed up on WWE television and pinned United States Champion John Cena.

You’d think that was the climax, but no.

On the heels of New Japan’s WrestleKingdom 10, another international shake-up occurred as WWE lured away four of that promotion’s top stars. Aj Styles has already made an impact in WWE, while Shinsuke Nakamura is Nxt-bound and a healthy fraction of the Bullet Club are waiting in the wings.

Simply put, the matches on this list aren’t mere fantasy anymore. The time-honored smark tradition of hypothetically matching up rivals from different promotions...

WWE.com

WWE held four weeks worth of television tapings on Friday evening at the Cfe Arena in Orlando, Florida. With the third biggest WWE PPV event of the year (Royal Rumble) in town on Sunday evening at the Amway Center, WWE looked to capitalize on the hype by taking their red-hot developmental brand down the road from Full Sail University to an arena that holds just under 10,000 people. This was by far the biggest event Nxt has ever held in the state of Florida.

Nxt held television tapings two weeks ago at Full Sail, so they already have several weeks of TV ready to go. Friday evening’s tapings at Cfe Arena are set to air in February in early March.

Here are the full results:

Dark Match:

Manny Andrade (La Sombra) defeated Rich Swann

February 10th Show:

Baron Corbin defeated Johnny Gargano

Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley defeated...

WWE.com

In a lot of ways, Nxt has been the saviour of the WWE in 2015. While the 3 hour format of Raw and the lack of long-term stories has hurt the company’s momentum, the growth and freshness of the Nxt brand has helped fans stay interested and invested in the WWE product.

As part of Nxt’s huge growth this year, we’ve seen the influx of new names like Samoa Joe and Asuka as well as exciting appearances from some of the top names in independent wrestling like Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. Nxt has now become a staple part of WrestleMania and SummerSlam weekends with huge events that are just as exciting as the main roster shows. In Brooklyn, Nxt had its biggest crowd to date for Takeover with over 13,000 fans in attendance.

As we look forward to 2016 with the brand getting bigger, doing more touring, and making Takeover specials more frequent,...

WWE.com

As you can tell from the title of this article, it was a stellar week for Nxt. WWE’s third brand has already become the most reliable source for women’s wrestling, well-built stories and Network Specials, but it now appears that you can add tag team wrestling right to the top of that list.

Three separate teams got the Nxt audience buzzing last night; Dash & Dawson near-crippled Colin Cassady on their quest to become Nxt Tag Team Champions, and Gable & Jordan and Ciampa & Gargano absolutely electrified Full Sail University with a match that, when you exclude PPVs and TakeOvers, could genuinely rank as one of the best matches of the whole year.

It was a great night of wrestling across the board. Angles were furthered, characters cemented themselves and Tyler Breeze possibly wrestled his last match on Nxt television. So long Tyler, and thanks for all the closeups.

WWE.com

Divas Revolution. That’s a term we keep hearing time and time again, and just when you’ve heard it one too many times already, the WWE announce team cram it down your throats one more time for good measure.

Now whilst the Divas (can we still not just call them women wrestlers yet?) may have started to turn the corner after Charlotte’s title win and Paige’s apparent pipe bomb, it’s worth noting that we could be on the cusp of another revolution of sorts in the WWE.

Yes, I’m talking about a reigniting of the tag team ranks.

Two years ago, audiences were wowed by the tag division thanks to the fantastic matches put on by the likes of The Shield, Goldust and Stardust, The Wyatt Family, and The Usos.

These teams seemed to kickstart the division back into life, and the current...

WWE.com

WWE taped three episodes of Nxt programming at Full Sail University in Orlando that will air through September as a lead in to next Nxt Takeover event on Wednesday, October 7.

Here are the results from the tapings.

Episode one (September 16)

Tyler Breeze, Adam Rose and Bull Dempsey did an in-ring segment. Dempsey wanted to fight Breeze, ended up going after Rose and Breeze ran away.

Tye Dillinger beat an enhancement talent.

Apollo Crews beat Solomon Crowe and Crews got a great reaction.

Rhyno and Baron Corbin beat Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa in Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament match when Corbin pinned Gargano.

Bayley beat Sarah Dobson. After the match, Sasha Banks showed up for a promo. This is where it was announced by Nxt Gm William Regal that Bayley vs. Banks would take place at the Nxt Takeover event for the Women’s Title in a 30 minute Iron Man Match.

WWE.com

It’s tag season in Nxt and, like Team-Building Day at the office, everyone’s splitting into pairs and making new friends.

Last night saw a raft of new faces, new pairings and exciting match-ups. After a huge exodus out of Nxt by top-tier talent like Kevin Owens and three-quarters of the Four Horsewomen, the development brand is shaking things up in a big way.

Apollo Crews is forming his nation, the new Women’s Division is starting to take shape with the ‘official’ debuts of Peyton Royce (formerly Kc Cassidy) and Billie Kay (nee Jessie McKay), and the Dusty Rhodes classic is pushing new teams like Gable & Jordan and Ciampa & Gargano, all while creating new dynamics like Rhyno & Corbin, and the indy supergroup of Finn Balor & Samoa Joe.

Combine all of that with an experimentation in cross-venue broadcasting (tonight’s main event airing from a Main Event...

WWE.com

It was a big night of tag team wrestling on this week’s Nxt broadcast as they left Brooklyn and went back to airing shows taped at Full Sail University in Orlando.

A big theme of this week’s show is that they started the first annual Dusty Rhodes Nxt Tag Team Classic Tournament. It’s a tournament that features 16 tag teams for a total of 32 wrestlers, which means they had to call on some main roster performers to be a part of it. That’s why this week’s show saw the likes of The Ascension and Neville returning to Nxt to be a part of the festivities.

It’s great to see quality indy wrestlers like Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa on the show this week in a backstage segment. They’re in action next week. Adding more talent like them is a wonderful thing for the Nxt brand.

Ronda Rousey hit up a local wrestling show Friday night in Reseda ... but it's what she did during one of the matches that has people talking.The Ufc women's bantamweight champ attended a Pro Wrestling Guerilla event ... and during one of the matches she was prompted by a wrestler named Tommaso Ciampa to chop his opponent's chest.After some audience urging, Ronda reeled back and lit up the guy's chest -- the place went nuts.

With most wrestlers hitting their prime in their 30′s, it can be hard for the younger guys to get over and garner the spotlight. Most of the guys on this list have had success, however none of them have reached the pinacle of their profession by capturing a WWE World Heavyweight Championship but that doesn’t mean that they wont in the future. I recently just did a list of the 10 best wrestlers over 40 but this article is about the future of wrestling.

All of these guys have tremendous upside, of coure some will be more successful than others but they’ll all have their chance to shine, some already have gotten that chance.

Some of these guys may fade into obscurity but most of them will have long careers. You might want to learn to love them because most of these guys will be around for the next 10 to 15 years.