Hello XFL, Goodbye Enzo Amore and the Most Controversial Stories of the Week

WWE made history in many ways this past week. In fact, so many WWE-related news stories have dominated the headlines that the 2018 Royal Rumble somehow seems like an afterthought.

That’s what the return of the XFL and the departure of Enzo Amore will do to an otherwise prestigious pay-per-view.

But with strong ratings for its flagship show and national news exposure via the XFL, WWE's already built-in January momentum stands to only get stronger. 

Vince McMahon Announces Relaunch of XFL

Vince McMahon announced the widely speculated relaunch of the XFL in 2020 during a live streaming press conference Thursday.

Whether it was age sapping him of his once-signature exuberance or maturity after learning from mistakes in 2001, Vince McMahon was more measured and practical in his approach to entering football this time around.

McMahon plans on taking a back seat to football professionals and executives, and focused on a tagline of "football reimagined." The XFL is being marketed as a fan-centric, family friendly football league with quicker games and less infractions.

McMahon insisted he wanted to keep politics out of his upstart league, though he all but mandated that every one of his players will stand for the national anthem as it is a "time-honored tradition." When asked about whether Colin Kaepernick or Tim Tebow would be welcomed, McMahon only chose to discuss the prospects of Tebow, saying he would be welcomed if he wanted to play.

No team names or mascots have been revealed as of this writing, but the XFL seems to have already settled on its mascot: a big, red elephant.

XFL 2020 is oozing with conservative overtones in a country more divided than ever, and some may quickly view this incarnation of Vince McMahon as more of a villain than his fictional television character.

Enzo Amore Released by WWE Following Rape Allegations

Enzo Amore was released by WWE amid serious allegations of rape. According to PWInsider (h/t Wrestling Inc), Amore's firing had more to do with the fact that the former cruiserweight champion had not informed WWE officials of the police report filed back in October. As a result, officials were ambushed with this troubling news the day of Raw's biggest show in years.

Despite being a dynamic talent on the microphone and one of WWE's biggest stars, Amore—who is vehemently denying these claims, per TMZ—was no stranger to issues outside of the ring. His backstage antics reportedly resulted in the 205 Live lighting rod getting kicked off a WWE tour bus, per Justin Barraso of Sports Illustrated (h/t Wrestling Inc). 

As WWE’s already embattled cruiserweight division continues to become marred by legal issues and defections, it could take a miracle to get it back on course.

Raw 25 Brings Out Greatest of All Time, Worst in WWE Fandom

WWE's 25th anniversary celebration of Raw left a lot to be desired for a fanbase that never misses an opportunity to sing the hymns of "woe is me."

Raw 25 came under fire for the limited use of several legends and the lack of activity inside a tense Manhattan Center. The overhyped extravaganza underachieved in the eyes of many, including Frank Mustari, the spendthrift adult clown who is suddenly asking to be taken seriously.

Despite the frivolous online criticism, Raw 25 hauled in WWE's biggest audience in years as an average of 4.530 million viewers tuned in to take in the nostalgia, per Mitch Metcalf of ShowBuzzDaily.

With fans on edge, however, things will only get worse come Sunday at the WWE Royal Rumble in front of an equally tough crowd in Philadelphia. For now, all signs point to WWE's road to WrestleMania leading directly to outrage.

Ronda Rousey's Rumored Return Likely to Lead to More Outrage

Ronda Rousey, currently the odds-on favorite to win the women’s Royal Rumble according to OddsShark, is likely to not appear at the event altogether.

With a raucous Philadelphia crowd liable to turn on anything that doesn’t work for them, WWE has run into a problem that it really couldn’t control in the first place.

Despite not being mentioned on television once since the announcement of the women’s Royal Rumble, rumors of Rousey appearing in the event have gotten so out of hand her likely no-show at the event could sink the inaugural battle royal.

Rousey has already said that she will be in Columbia to film a movie during the time of the Royal Rumble, per TMZ, but this will hardly deter fans from getting their hopes up as this is the type of red herring that would be used to make her entry more of a surprise.

In all likelihood, Rousey will not show up Sunday and, much like the YouTube comment section when the new Ghostbusters trailer was released, WWE’s incensed, predominately male hardcore fanbase will take its nerd rage out on women making history.