The Hardys Return, Women's Tournament and Top WWE News from Week of April 8
WrestleMania weekend featured some memorable moments, great action, a couple of surprising returns and possibly the end of one of the greatest careers in pro wrestling history.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest stories from the past week.
Drew McIntyre Signs With NXT
Drew McIntyre was shown on camera during NXT TakeOver: Orlando, immediately sparking rumors of a return to WWE.
The promotion posted the video featured above after the event, with McIntyre confirming he was coming home to WWE as part of the NXT brand.
The Scottish wrestler last appeared for the company in 2014 as a member of Heath Slater's 3MB stable. Following a brief stint in the indy scene, McIntyre signed with TNA under his real name, Drew Galloway.
"Dropped by the Performance Center prior to heading to UK & it's amazing. This was fav part, Dream gave me confidence on the mic & in myself pic.twitter.com/7tfJ6aamJy
— Drew Galloway (@GallowaySpeaks) April 7, 2017"
He found more success in TNA than he had in WWE, winning both the TNA World and Impact Grand Championships.
WWE obviously took notice of what he could do when portrayed as a serious threat. We don't know whether he will be debuting as a heel or babyface, but we should find out in the coming weeks.
WWE Announces Superstar Shakeup
During the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw, chairman Vince McMahon spoke to the crowd and announced a Superstar Shakeup, which is just a new name for the draft.
Some Superstars from Raw and SmackDown will be swapped to freshen up the product and offer the fans new feuds for the next year.
We could see champions switch brands, NXT Superstars called up to the main roster and even tag teams and couples split up.
New Raw General Manager Confirmed
Another big announcement made on the Raw after 'Mania was who would succeed Mick Foley as the general manager of Raw. McMahon chose Kurt Angle to fill the job, and the fans couldn't have been happier.
The entire arena chanted "You suck" to his entrance music, but it wasn't to insult the Olympic gold medalist. It has become a sign of affection.
Angle had some great interactions with Superstars backstage on his first night, so it looks like we are getting the funny version of Angle, not the serious one.
As seen during his Hall of Fame induction speech, Angle is willing to do just about anything to get a laugh, so it should be a lot of fun watching him run the show moving forward.
WWE to Hold Women's Tournament on WWE Network
Following the success of WWE's Cruiserweight Classic, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and United Kingdom Championship tournaments, the company has confirmed plans to hold a women's tourney this summer.
As detailed on WWE.com, the announcement was made at a business summit in Orlando, Florida, during the week leading up to WrestleMania. Triple H posted the following message via Twitter to hype the tournament:
Thirty-two women from 17 countries will compete at the event. But with WWE already having women's titles on Raw, SmackDown and NXT, it's possible the winner will earn a contract instead of a belt.
Regardless of the stakes, this tournament is another sign of WWE's dedication to reinventing the way the world sees women's wrestling.
Hopefully, a few familiar faces will be included along with the dozens of performers the WWE Universe will be seeing for the first time.
The Hardy Boyz Return to WWE Unbroken
WrestleMania 33 featured some big moments, but few were as well received by the fans as the returns of Matt and Jeff Hardy.
The brothers were a late addition to the Raw Tag Team Championships ladder match, and they ended up leaving with the titles to become eight-time champions together in WWE.
Matt and Jeff made waves in the wrestling world with their Broken gimmick in 2016. They were one of the few acts in TNA people were talking about, and it brought them back into the spotlight.
While they returned as their classic selves at WrestleMania, Matt used a few of his trademark Broken phrases during a backstage interview.
The length of their deal is unknown, but it should be a lot of fun to watch them face a whole new generation of tag teams like The Revival, The New Day and American Alpha.
Simon Gotch Released
According to WWE.com, the company and Simon Gotch have mutually agreed to part ways, officially breaking up The Vaudevillains.
The throwback tag team wasn't taken seriously as a contender for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships since being called up to the main roster in April 2016.
Both men are talented wrestlers, but their gimmick put a limit on their success. They were as over in NXT as anyone else, but the overall WWE Universe didn't take to them the same way.
Aiden English is still with the company, so there is still a chance he could find success as a singles star or with a new partner.
NXT TakeOver Coming to Chicago
NXT TakeOver: Orlando was a bit of a return home for the developmental brand after holding several TakeOver events outside the state of Florida, and it looks like the brand is going back on the road.
Triple H took to Twitter to announce NXT TakeOver was heading to Chicago on May 20, which is the night before the Backlash pay-per-view.
NXT always brings in the most hardcore audiences, and with Chicago already known for its raucous fans, it could be one of the wildest crowds we have seen in a long time.
Is The Undertaker Done Wrestling?
Following his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, The Undertaker symbolically left his gloves, jacket and hat in the middle of the ring before being lowered into the stage with his fist held high.
Many have taken this as a sign of his retirement, and WWE has furthered those beliefs by releasing a video with WWE Superstars thanking The Deadman for everything he has done during his career.
If this is the end of his career, he left after putting someone else over, which is the classiest way for a legend like him to go out.
NXT Superstars Debut During Raw and SmackDown
The week after WrestleMania has always featured some surprises, and the tradition continued with three major debuts on Raw and SmackDown.
The first two Superstars to be called up were Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, known collectively as The Revival. The two-time NXT tag champs received a great response from the crowd, but their post-match attack on Kofi Kingston helped them get back their heat right away.
The following night on SmackDown, Tye Dillinger and Shinsuke Nakamura were both introduced to the entire WWE Universe with great results.
All four men put on great performances at TakeOver: Orlando, and it's going to be a lot of fun seeing them lock up with some of WWE's best and brightest.
