WWE's Top Stories, Rumors and Buzz for Week of January 23

Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view has been WWE's main focus this week, but some of the biggest news stories have nothing to do with the event.

Before we get to this week's news, let's take a final look at the Royal Rumble card, according to WWE.com:

• The Dudley Boyz vs. Jack Swagger and Mark Henry vs. Darren Young and Damien Sandow vs. The Ascension
• The New Day vs. The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championships
• Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto for the WWE United States Championship
• Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
• Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch for the WWE Divas Championship
• Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Based on this lineup, we should be in for a great PPV. For now, let's take a look at what happened this week in WWE.

"Iron" Mike Sharpe Passes Away

The wrestling world lost another friend this week when WWE.com announced the passing of "Iron" Mike Sharpe.

Today's younger fans may not be familiar with Sharpe, but he was a regular on WWE programming until he retired from the ring in 1995.

"

Mike Sharpe vs Jim Neidhart headlined this Stampede Wrestling show in 1981. #RipMikeSharpe  pic.twitter.com/ZBwXhlXQob

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) January 23, 2016"

"

If asked to do something you don't want to do today, "no no no wait a minute wait a minute" is the right response. RIP Iron Mike Sharpe 

— Kyle Edwards (@KyleEdwardsWWE) January 18, 2016"

A second-generation wrestler, Sharpe spent most of his career in WWE as an enhancement talent. However, he racked an impressive number of titles working for the National Wrestling Alliance and other regional promotions early in his career.

He was a great hand in the ring and a prime example of what a heel was supposed to be in the '80s. Rest in peace, "Iron" Mike.

Jim Ross Returns to Wrestling Commentary

The legendary Jim Ross is finally returning to wrestling commentary, but it won't be for the company he is most associated with.

Sam Gardner of Fox Sports reported Tuesday that Ross has signed a deal to call New Japan Pro Wrestling matches for AXS TV.

He will be working alongside veteran announcer Josh Barnett on what could be described as a series of "best of" shows featuring matches from throughout 2015.

The lighter work schedule is likely what attracted Ross to the deal, as he will only have to travel to Los Angeles around 10 times to do the voice-over work.

Ross previously did commentary work for NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 9, so he knows the product. It's going to be great hearing "Good Ol' JR" calling matches again. Hopefully, he busts out some of his memorable catchphrases.

Sunny Making Adult Film

Tammy "Sunny" Sytch was just planning on selling her WWE Hall of Fame ring on eBay when Steve Hirsch, president of Vivid Entertainment, came calling.

According to TMZ, the former wrestling manager has agreed to star in her very own adult film, much like Chyna did a few years ago.

While the article does not state exactly how much she is being paid, it noted the original deal of $100,000 was not enough for Sunny, and she negotiated something higher.

Regardless of how you feel about Sunny or her new venture, this is good news for her bank account, as she recently pleaded guilty to multiple DUI charges, according to PWInsider.com (h/t Nick Paglino of WrestleZone.com).

Austin Aries Has Arrived in NXT

Everyone has been so busy talking about AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson possibly joining WWE that somehow, Austin Aries was able to fly in under the radar.

The former TNA champion made his debut at the most recent set of NXT tapings in Florida, and WWE has released a video of his appearance on its official YouTube channel.

Aries is a gifted competitor with over a decade of experience with such promotions as Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate and, of course, TNA.

His appearance was taped for the March 2 episode, so we will have to wait a little while to find out what his motivation was for finally making the jump to WWE.

Aries' appearance is just more proof of NXT's growing appeal in the wrestling world. TNA used to be accused of taking WWE castoffs, but now WWE is grabbing up all the guys who made TNA watchable in the first place.

Oddly enough, this is not the first time Aries has been associated with WWE. He actually did the voice-over work for a character named Jacob Cass in WWE '12's Road to WrestleMania mode.

We won't reveal spoilers on the angle filmed for his debut, but it looks like he is hitting the ground running with a feud against someone NXT fans know quite well.

It was a week of ups and down in the wrestling world. Let's hope Sunday's Royal Rumble can start next week off on the right foot. Who do you think will walk out of the event with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?

Thanks for reading and follow me on Twitter: @BR_Doctor.