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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
McIntyre, Knight Reportedly Moving Past Royal Rumble Controversy
There reportedly aren't any hard feelings between Drew McIntyre and LA Knight despite a miscommunication between them at the Royal Rumble and a subsequent segment they were involved in together on SmackDown.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), there is no real tension between McIntyre and Knight coming out of the Rumble and their match on SmackDown.
During the late stages of the men's Royal Rumble match, McIntyre was eliminated by Damian Priest, but it came across somewhat clunky since Knight and Logan Paul appeared to overlap into the spot when battling each other.
PWInsider.com (h/t Carrier) reported last week that McIntyre was "screaming and cursing" backstage after the spot went awry and said "someone had to get their moves in" rather than allowing his elimination the spotlight it required.
McIntyre reportedly "stormed out of the building" before the men's Rumble ended, leaving many to speculate on where things stood between McIntyre, Knight and WWE as a whole.
Per PWInsider Elite (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) it was later confirmed that McIntyre was primarily unhappy with Knight because he felt Knight's "errant movement killed the drama and momentum" of his elimination, which was meant to be the start of a rivalry with Priest.
On SmackDown, prior to an Elimination Chamber qualifying Triple Threat match between Knight, McIntyre and Jimmy Uso, Knight seemed to humorously allude to McIntyre's tirade, saying it was okay to cry and noting that he had to "get his stuff in."
Although there were some moments in the subsequent match where McIntyre and Knight appeared to lay some punches in on each other, Fightful noted that there were no issues afterward despite the added physicality.
McIntyre won the match to qualify for the Chamber match, and he will now set his sights on trying to earn a world title match at WrestleMania 41.
Bo Dallas Injury Reportedly Behind Wyatt Sicks Absence
The Wyatt Sicks have been off WWE programming for several weeks, and it reportedly may be due to a key member currently dealing with an injury.
According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, Bo Dallas (aka Uncle Howdy) was not in Indianapolis for Royal Rumble weekend despite the other Wyatt Sicks members being present to take part in photo ops with fans.
Johnson noted that Dallas was never scheduled to be in Indianapolis and he "isn't currently on the road for the company."
It was previously reported by Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) that the Wyatt Sicks' on-screen absence may have been due to one member being injured.
The Wyatts last competed in a match on the Dec. 9 episode of Raw when Final Testament members Karrion Kross and AOP along with The Miz beat Dallas, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Erick Rowan in an eight-man tag team match.
Since then, it was announced that the Wyatt Sicks moved from Raw to SmackDown, and the Final Testament has disbanded due to the reported release of AOP and Paul Ellering.
The Wyatt Sicks debuted in June 2024 with Dallas playing the role of the leader Uncle Howdy. The group is a tribute to the late Bray Wyatt, who was Dallas' real-life brother.
While future plans for the Wyatt Sicks once Dallas is healthy are unclear, they could potentially include Alexa Bliss.
PWInsider.com (h/t Carrier) reported last month that original plans called for Bliss to return on an episode of Raw as part of an angle with the Wyatt Sicks, however, those plans were put on hold.
Bliss did return in the women's Royal Rumble match, though, and she is seemingly part of SmackDown now, as she beat Candice LeRae in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match on Friday's show.
Since Bliss worked closely with Wyatt in the past, it would make sense for her to either join or contest the Wyatt Sicks in the near future.
Reported Reason for Recent WWE Releases
WWE reportedly released several main roster Superstars on Friday and Saturday, and the company did so for a specific purpose.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Carrier), NXT sources believe the cuts were made in order to make room on the main roster for several Superstars who are poised to get called up from NXT in 2025.
Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported that WWE parted ways with Sonya Deville, Cedric Alexander, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Blair Davenport, Giovanni Vinci, Isla Dawn, Paul Ellering and AOP's Akam and Rezar.
Alexander was the only wrestler from that list who had been in NXT rather than on the main roster, but he had a lengthy main roster run before getting moved to NXT.
The majority of those who were released were either used sparingly or not at all on WWE programming over the past few months.
Perhaps the only exceptions to that are Deville, who was often on Raw as the leader of Pure Fusion Collection, and AOP who were part of the Final Testament stable with Karrion Kross.
While the crop of released Superstars were all talented and likely could have benefited from better usage, it is also true that there is only enough television time for so many people, particularly if plans are in place for call-ups in the near future.
In recent years, WWE has typically held a draft shortly after WrestleMania, and multiple Superstars tend to make the move from NXT to Raw or SmackDown as part of the draft.
Big-time prospects such as Roxanne Perez and Trick Williams could be in line for a call-up coming out of WrestleMania, and if that is the case, the releases may have created more room and opportunities for them to shine.
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Jalen Hurts had a strong response for his haters after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
"I can't control what these people think but if it takes all the hating, all the scrutiny, all the different opinions for me to be a world champion, keep it coming," Hurts said after the game.
In addition to Hurts' three total touchdowns and 221 yards on Sunday, he earned Super Bowl MVP honors, further silencing his critics.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Hurts made it clear that he uses doubt as extra motivation.
"It's no secret," Hurts said to reporters.
Doubt has been a constant for Hurts, who has faced criticism since his rookie season in 2020. Over time, he has mastered turning those doubts into fuel for his performances.
"I don't play the game for stats. I don't play the game for numbers, any statistical approval from anyone else," Hurts said, per ESPN's Tim McManus. "And I understand that everyone has a preconceived notion on how they want it to look, or how they expect it to look. I told you guys that success is defined by that particular individual, and it's all relative to the person. And what I define it as is winning."
Hurts isn't the only one who thrives on being underestimated. His teammates know that's exactly what fuels him, and they've embraced that mentality to help push him even further.
"How about QB1, man? I love when people doubt him," left tackle Jordan Malta said, per McManus. "We always talk about limiting the outside noise or the white noise, whatever you want to call it. But I know he hears that and I think he plays his best when he feels like people doubt him."
The doubt clearly worked, for the Super Bowl MVP.
Travis Kelce's future in the NFL is uncertain heading into the offseason, but his quarterback believes he still has what it takes to play at a high level.
After the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes said that while the decision to retire is ultimately Kelce's to make, he believes the tight end "still has a lot of football left in him."
I'll let Travis make that decision on his own, man," Mahomes told reporters. "He's given so much to this team and to the NFL and been such a joy, not only for me to work with but for people to watch. He knows he still has a lot of football left in him. You can see it. He always makes plays in the biggest moments. But it's if he wants to put in that grind, to go out there and play 20 games to get to the Super Bowl. He's done enough to be a gold jacket guy and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I know he still has a love for the game. He'll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own.
Kelce, an 11-year veteran, will be 36 shortly into the 2025 season. His best years are likely behind him, but he's still contributing plenty to the Chiefs offense. While his run of seven consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards came to an end last year, Kelce still had 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.
He had a vintage performance in the Chiefs' divisional-round win over the Houston Texans, racking up 117 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
When asked where he sees himself in three years earlier this week, Kelce answered, "hopefully still playing football," while specifically mentioning that he'd like to still be with the Chiefs.
While Kelce was optimistic about playing three years from now, that decision isn't cut and dry just yet. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on SportsCenter on Sunday that Kelce "hasn't made a decision about whether he will play, and he will not make a decision about whether he'll play until he figures out exactly what's in front of him, both on and off the football field."
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported Sunday that Kelce is "undecided" about his future and will take time this offseason to evaluate things. Rapoport added that Kelce is "set to make a decision soon."
As Mahomes mentioned, Kelce could retire this offseason and likely earn a first-ballot trip to the Hall of Fame, but whether he decides to call it quits or run it back remains to be seen.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley says winning Super Bowl LIX on his 28th birthday lived up to his childhood dreams.
"It's better in person than in Madden, I'll tell you that, playing as a kid," Barkley said about lifting the Lombardi Trophy. "It's something that you dream of.
"I'm just happy to be able to hold it, give it a kiss, and be world champions."
Barkley lifted his first career Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans after leading the Eagles' offense in both carries (25) and receptions (six) for 97 total yards of offense on Sunday night.
His efforts helped the Eagles claim a 40-22 win over the two-time defending champions.
Barkley recorded the best season of his career as part of Kellen Moore's offense. He is now the first player in NFL history to record more than 2,500 yards in a single season, including playoffs.
The star running back said that record "wouldn't mean anything" to him if it hadn't come alongside a championship."
"All of the numbers and stats are cool, but the best thing is being able to hold that Lombardi Trophy," Barkley said, per NFL.com's Grant Gordon.
Barkley continued, per Grant: "To be honest, the most important thing was winning the Super Bowl. Because if we didn't win today, all those accolades and all those yards wouldn't mean anything. So, it's cool.
"I don't want to downplay it because I couldn't do it without the boys up front, and I know how much that means to them. For me, thankful, couldn't do it without God, but I like that Lombardi Trophy a little bit more."
The New York Giants chose not to use a $12.1 million franchise tag to keep Barkley last offseason.
Barkley ended up making more than $4.6 million over that amount with the incentives built into his Eagles contract. That price that has been more than worth it for Philadelphia to acquire the driving force of their Super Bowl-winning offense.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had some grievances to air following his team's loss in Super Bowl LIX.
The Chiefs fell 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending the team's hopes for a third consecutive Super Bowl title. Following the game, Hopkins pushed back on the narrative from the season that the Chiefs benefited from referee calls, noting that their were "touchy calls" and asked if reporters would "report that."
"I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs, but obviously s--t, what y'all gonna say now about the refs," Hopkins said. "There was a lot of touchy calls. Are y'all gonna report that? Are y'all gonna talk about the refs now?"
This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.
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Patrick Mahomes is taking full responsibility for the flat performance from the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
The Chiefs lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the game, falling short in their quest for a third consecutive title. Following the game, Mahomes said that he takes the blame for his role in three turnovers and that he needs to perform at a higher level.
"I just didn't play to my standard," Mahomes said. "I have to be better next time."
He expressed similar thoughts on social media afterwards:
Mahomes went 21-of-32 for 257 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble. He was sacked six times for a total of 31 yards and the offense was only able to muster a total of 275 yards.
This was Mahomes' fifth Super Bowl in his seventh season and he and the Chiefs were aiming for a third-consecutive Super Bowl title. He now has a 3-2 overall record in the Super Bowl.
While it can be a setback, the 29-year-old has still made the Conference Championship in each season as a starter of his professional career and will remain a major contender in the AFC.
