Conor McGregor Responds to Cody Rhodes; WWE Rumors on Lita and Rhea Ripley on NXT
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
McGregor Responds to Rhodes' WWE Invite
Wrestling fans have long expressed their belief that UFC star Conor McGregor would potentially be a perfect fit in WWE, and WWE champion Cody Rhodes echoed those sentiments this week.
During an appearance on The Schmo (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Rhodes discussed his desire to see McGregor inside a WWE ring one day:
"I'll say that one person I'd love to see just dip his toes in the WWE would be Conor McGregor. ... I think Conor should give it a try. The competition environment at WWE is different from what people might expect—it's so much about who's the most disciplined, the most professional, getting to the finish line, making it to a WrestleMania. Someone like him, who's competed at the highest level in so many incredible fights, maybe it's time to explore the more entertainment side of sports. I think he'd be great at it."
McGregor later took to X to respond to Rhodes, noting that he would "see [Cody] soon."
It is unclear if McGregor was teasing some type of future involvement with WWE or if he is merely planning to meet up with Rhodes for something unrelated in the near future.
McGregor has suggested in the past that he would be open to doing something with WWE at some point, including back in March when he said, "You never know, let's see," when Adam's Apple asked him about WWE.
McGregor, 36, is one of the most successful fighters in UFC history, having held both the featherweight and lightweight titles.
On top of that, he has always been an entertaining showman and trash talker, which are qualities that would seemingly make him an ideal fit for the world of professional wrestling.
McGregor has not fought since suffering a broken leg during a bout back in July 2021, but UFC president Dana White said recently that he expects McGregor to return to the Octagon in early 2025.
Both WWE and UFC are under the same umbrella since they are owned by Endeavor Group Holdings, which could make the path easier for McGregor and other UFC fighters to pop up in WWE from time to time.
In fact, Michael Chandler appeared on an episode of Raw earlier this year to call out McGregor for a fight that now may not come to fruition.
WWE has long been open to celebrity and athlete crossovers, and one can only assume the company would love to do something with a star as big as McGregor.
WWE Reportedly Discussed Lita Appearing at ECW Arena NXT
WWE reportedly has had discussions regarding Hall of Famer Lita being part of next week's episode of NXT, which will take place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Lita was pitched for an eight- or 10-woman tag team match on the show, although it is unclear if the decision was ultimately made for her to be involved.
On this week's episode of NXT, a brawl took place involving several members of the NXT women's division, and a 10-woman tag was announced for next week's show.
The match is set to pit Giulia, Stephanie Vaquer, Zaria, Kelani Jordan and TNA's Jordynne Grace against Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx.
That would seem to suggest Lita won't be part of the match, but she could potentially interfere, or a member of the babyface team could get taken out beforehand, opening the door for her to take their place.
The 2300 Arena is also known as the ECW Arena since it was the primary venue for ECW shows for several years during the 1990s.
WWE has already made it clear that next week's NXT will be an homage to ECW in many ways, as former ECW stars such as Bubba Ray Dudley, Rob Van Dam, Dawn Marie and Francine have been confirmed to appear.
Lita was briefly in ECW under the name Miss Congeniality in 1999, so getting her on next week's NXT would make sense if WWE is able to make it happen.
Ripley NXT Spot Reportedly Approved By Higher-Up
The bloody segment involving Rhea Ripley on Tuesday night's episode of NXT reportedly required clearance from people of considerable influence within WWE.
According to Fightful's Corey Brennan, the segment was "green lit by a higher power on the brand," meaning either WWE head of creative Triple H, NXT head Shawn Michaels or head of media and production Lee Fitting made the call to let it happen.
Ripley made a surprise appearance on NXT, hyping up the team of Giulia, Vaquer, Zaria, Jordan and Grace, which will compete in a 10-woman tag team match next week.
Later in the show, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were seen walking in from the parking lot with a bat in tow. Personnel rushed over to a vehicle to find Ripley laid out with a considerable amount of blood on her face.
Per Brennan, some in NXT had "concern" about the amount of blood shown as part of the segment, but that didn't stop the decision-makers from moving forward with the angle.
Ripley and Morgan have been engaged in a heated rivalry for months, as they have feuded over the Women's World Championship and the fact that Dominik Mysterio turned his back on Rhea to align himself with Liv.
Earlier this month at Bad Blood, Ripley beat Morgan by disqualification due to interference by the returning Rodriguez, but the title did not change hands.
It is clear that the Ripley vs. Morgan feud is far from over, and the events of NXT may have taken it to another level.
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