HBK Names Best In-Ring Talent'; Latest Guilia WWE Rumors; Bobby Lashley Talks Future

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

HBK Praises Seth Rollins, AJ Styles

Shawn Michaels is often regarded as one of the best in-ring performers in WWE history, so his opinion on who he likes to watch today is going to carry a lot of weight.

In a recent interview on the Good Karma Wrestling podcast (starts at 26:40), Michaels cited Seth Rollins and AJ Styles as the two best in-ring wrestlers among active superstars.

The Heartbreak Kid did make sure to couch his answer by noting those were the first two names that popped into his head, but there are "probably" other stars who he could also shoutout if he had time to think about it.

It's not a surprise that Michaels would single out Rollins and Styles. Their in-ring ability closely resembles what the Showstopper was doing at the peak of his career.

For a long time, Rollins was often the superstar who would have the best match on any pay-per-view he worked. Styles came to WWE later in his career, but immediately had standout matches in big spots with top guys like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

WWE still recognizes the value of having Styles and Rollins in a big spot. Rollins was a key part of the WrestleMania 40 main event on night one when he teamed with Cody Rhodes against Reigns and The Rock.

Rhodes made his first title defense on a premium live event after WrestleMania against Styles at Backlash France.

Giulia Preparing for WWE Debut

It's been more than four months since Giulia was shown in the crowd at NXT: Stand and Deliver, leading to ongoing speculation about her potential debut in WWE.

The wait could be coming to an end, with Dave Meltzer writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) that Giulia has finished her dates in Japan and will be starting with WWE "very soon."

There have been indications recently that Giulia was on the verge of coming to the United States. She recently said goodbye to fans in Japan following a match against Mai Sakurai on Aug. 19 for Rossy Ogawa's Dream Star Fighting Marigold promotion.

If Giulia is going to start her WWE run working in NXT, it wouldn't be a surprise to see her debut at No Mercy on Sept. 1. The premium live event features two women's title matches, including Roxanne Perez defending the NXT women's championship against Jaida Parker.

Perez namedropped both Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer during a promo on the July 16 episode of NXT.

The other women's bout will see Wendy Choo challenge Kelani Jordan for the North American title.

With Halloween Havoc on the schedule for Oct. 27, NXT needs to build up challengers for both titles. Giulia's success and pedigree in Japan would make her a natural contender for either championship.

Bobby Lashley Keeping All Options Open

After letting his WWE contract expire earlier this month, Bobby Lashley isn't ruling out a return to the ring in the future.

In fact, The All Mighty recently said in an interview on The Bo and Them Show (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) he's welcoming all opportunities, including wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts and acting:

"I'm doing it all. You only live once. I have a lot of gas left in the tank. I'm in great shape. I feel good. I'm motivated, I'm rested. Wrestling, yes. Boxing, yes. MMA, yes. Acting, yes. Everything, yes. I have a lot of different things going on right now. My non-profit, working with kids. I love doing that and working with kids. I want to give back. I do a lot of real estate. I've been linking with some real estate professionals (in Texas) to bring some of my properties here and doing work here. Wrestling, I still want to wrestle. I love wrestling. The fans are writing me every day, 'When are you coming back? Where are you going? We want to be there for you.' I love the fans."

After his first WWE run ended in 2008, Lashley tried his hand at mixed martial arts. He had a strong 15-2 record in 17 fights for various promotions. His return to WWE in 2018 put his MMA career on hiatus.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select confirmed on Aug. 17 that Lashley was officially a free agent after his WWE deal expired. The news didn't come as a surprise because there had been rumblings for weeks.

Meltzer (h/t Sean Reuter of Cageside Seats) reported in July that people in WWE were under the assumption that Lashley and MVP "going to try and revamp" The Hurt Business stable and getting Shelton Benjamin—who is also a free agent—to join them.

AEW would be the highest-profile landing spot outside of WWE for Lashley if he wants to keep wrestling, but there is no indication either side is looking to make a move right now.

Lashley previously worked for TNA, but the company's partnership with WWE might impact his desire to go back if he let his contract expire because he wanted to get away from WWE.

The Hurt Business lasted for two years from 2020 to '22. Lashley and MVP were leaders, with Benjamin and Cedric Alexander also in the group.

Benjamin was released by WWE in September 2023 and has been working independent shows. MVP's contract expired around the same time as Lashley's deal. Alexander remains with WWE where he was moved to NXT in July.

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