WWE: NXT Battleground 2024 Date Announced, The Rock on Potential WrestleMania Match with Roman Reigns, More News

WWE Announces Date & Location for NXT Battleground 2024

WWE announced that this year’s NXT Battleground event will be taking place on May 26th at the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

It was also announced that tickets for this upcoming event will officially go on sale on January 31st for the pre-sale and February 2nd for the general public.

Besides NXT Battleground 2024, WWE also announced their full schedule of events for mid-May to early July.

Official press release (via PWInsider.com):

Premium Live Event NXT Battleground Set For Savannah, Ga. On Sunday, May 26

Exclusive Combo-Only Tickets For NXT Battleground & Monday Night RAW Available Friday, February 2

STAMFORD, Conn., January 26, 2024 – WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced 21 live events as part of the company’s 2024 touring schedule. Tickets for each live event, including exclusive combo-only tickets for NXT Battleground and Monday Night Raw on Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27 at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga., go on sale next Friday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. local.

NXT Battleground will feature the biggest Superstars from NXT in action, including NXT Champion llja Dragunov, NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria, NXT North American Champion Oba Femi, NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, and more. Additional ticket details will be announced at a later date.

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The Rock Comments on Potential Match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania

A recent episode of ESPN’s First Take featured Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Johnson’s thoughts about a potential match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

I’m a long gamer. I like to build. Something like this, what this is. If, myself and Roman Reigns, were to main event WrestleMania, and I mean this very respectfully of all the WrestleManias prior because I grew up in this business and I love it. We could possibly put on, with us as the main event and this incredible group of men and women, we could possibly put on the greatest and biggest WrestleMania of all time.”

In response to a co-host Molly Qerim stating that there was an actual chance for this match to take place at this year’s event, Johnson stated:

“There’s a chance. I love this business. I love pro wrestling. I love WWE. I also have this deep passion to grow it and build it. If we’re going to do something like this, I want the world to watch.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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WWE News & Notes

Natayla reportedly has been in talks for some time with Yale Productions for the production of a new wrestling-based film on the history of the Hart Family, according to Fightful Select.

WWE recently released a video featuring Logan Paul and Kevin Owens recently getting involved in a brawl at their Performance Center as part of the lead up to their match for Paul’s United States Championship at this Saturday’s Royal Rumble 2024 event.

Big E recently announced on Twitter that his Our Heroes Rock brand’s new animated short film Bridges was nominated for a NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Short Form (Animated) category for this year’s NAACP Image Awards event.

Reality of Wrestling recently announced that NXT talent Duke Hudson will be making an appearance for the company at their Blitz event on February 10th in Texas City, Texas.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that WWE officials currently have plans for Brock Lesnar to make an appearance at this Saturday’s Royal Rumble 2024 event in St. Petersburg, Florida. Lesnar was recently named in a sex trafficking lawsuit against Vince McMahon so there is the potential of WWE plans for him being dropped as a result.

In a recent interview with the Impaulsive podcast, John Cena gave his thoughts about him not being currently interested in working in a potential executive role in WWE once his in-ring career is over. Cena stated “No, what I would love to give to the business is just my time and I live very close to the Performance Center and I would like to go in as a guest, that way I’m not obligated and they’re not obligated in anyway. It’s stuff I do on my free time, anyway. I love going in and just picking people’s brains and just have conversations about like, “So, who are you?” And they’ll be like, “What does that have to do with anything?” Oh, only everything. Let’s talk. I always want to be involved in the business. I get so passionate about it and it’s something that I love and I think I have a few pieces of wisdom that need to be passed on and I don’t think they should die with me so I’m going to try and do that as best I can.” (Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com)

In a recent interview with The Pat McAfee Show podcast, WWE President & CEO Nick Khan gave his thoughts about WWE’s recent deal with Netflix for WWE RAW and the importance of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn to the company. Khan stated “There would be no WWE without Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn. Both, in my opinion, the greatest of all time in terms of what they did and what they contributed to build what is now a massive enterprise. In terms of the transaction and moving it forward, Vince is a controlling shareholder, he decided it was time to transact, he allowed me to sit side by side with him in the process to hear all of the different pitches. It was a robust market place. Endeavor had the best proposal, we felt, for our shareholders, and here we are with the Netflix deal being announced, with Dwayne Johnson being added to our Board of Directors, we feel like it’s a great start what we feel should be a beautiful next chapter at WWE.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent episode of WWE The Bump, Big E gave his thoughts about the growing popularity of his “big meaty men slapping meat” phrase and his interest in WWE holding a “Meaty Men Invitational” match at WrestleMania to find out who is the most meaty man wrestler. Big E stated “It’s very cool, it’s very cool for me. I didn’t expect it to take off. Wasn’t it from 2019? It’s like five years later, and the fact that people are chanting ‘meat’ in matches, the fact that my timeline is regularly flooded with big meaty men quotes, it’s amazing. Very silly, very nonsensical. But actually I had a conversation with my man Woods, and he floated an idea that I think is fascinating. Some sort of a meaty men invitational, I think to be held at WrestleMania. Imagine, just the largest, most bulbous, most girthy men on the roster, all gathering in one match to decide who is worthy of being the meatiest man on God’s green earth. Imagine that. Imagine me showing up to their homes, ringing their doorbells like Ed McMahon back in the day, saying ‘Hello, dear sir, you’ve been selected to take part in an event, a historic event, one that will not be forgotten, and you will face other men with chests that extend, one of those extending chests, [laughs], you know what I mean? You will be in the ring with other men. Yes, the chest has to come out. You’ve been selected to be in the match, and you will have the opportunity to be in the first match ever to decide who is the meatiest man.’ I think that’s is a worthy match for WrestleMania. We got some powerhouses on the roster. You think about Omos, Ivar, Bronson Reed. [Matt Camp names Oba Femi.] Oba Femi, young king, killing it out here. So you got some men out here who are worthy. But if we get this thing rolling around, I might be on the lookout. You might be scouting, taking some notes. You might see me pop up in an arena here and there. But it’s something that I’m really passionate about, seeing where the industry is going. Look, I have a lot of respect for the Ricochets of the world. But sometimes you need to highlight the men with the extended chests, the shelves. Can I read a book on it? That’s what I want to know.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

WWE recently announced one new match for the card of tonight’s SmackDown show in Miami, Florida:

• LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa