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Becky Lynch, Conor McGregor, Lars Sullivan and More in the Nov. 23 WWE Roundup
November 23, 2018
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
McGregor Offers to "Back Up" Lynch
There are perhaps no bigger Ireland-born stars in combat sports currently than SmackDown women's champion Becky Lynch and UFC headliner Conor McGregor.
While being compared to McGregor is often considered a good thing, Lynch didn't take too kindly to the comparison from Raw women's champion Ronda Rousey on Thursday on Twitter. In responding, Lynch referenced McGregor's recently released Proper 12 Irish whiskey.
Although the Irish Lass Kicker threatened to break McGregor's arm, he made it clear that he'd be willing to offer her some support if need be, while also referencing his whiskey brand:
Lynch is nursing a broken face and severe concussion as a result of getting punched in the face by Nia Jax on last week's episode of Raw.
The injury prevented Lynch from facing Rousey at Survivor Series, so Charlotte Flair took Lynch's place.
Rousey has transitioned seamlessly from UFC to WWE, and McGregor would likely be an instant star as well if he ever decided to make that move.
Big Main-Roster Push in Store for Sullivan
After running through much of the NXT roster, Lars Sullivan is in line for a big-time run on the main roster.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc.com), WWE is planning to give Sullivan a "big push."
Vignettes aired during Survivor Series promoting Sullivan's upcoming main-roster debut.
Meltzer added that while there are no specific plans regarding what brand Sullivan will be part of or who he'll face, he figures to be featured heavily since he fits the profile that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon favors.
Sullivan's look is reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s wrestling, and he would have been a formidable opponent for the likes of late WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino.
Based on the success Braun Strowman has enjoyed in WWE primarily due to his size and look, Sullivan seems like a good bet to follow in his footsteps.
WWE to Continue Brand Split?
Despite speculation regarding the brand split ending when SmackDown Live moves from USA Network to Fox in October 2019, that is reportedly unlikely to happen.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Middleton), WWE is expected to continue separating the Raw and SmackDown rosters.
Fox reportedly has no interest in cross-promoting with USA Network and would prefer to have Superstars who are exclusive to its network.
Currently, SmackDown's biggest stars include WWE champion Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Lynch and Flair.
Since WWE has traditionally changed the roster with the Superstar Shake-up after WrestleMania in recent years, however, there are likely to be significant changes between now and October 2019.
Because of that, it is possible SmackDown and Fox could play host to mainstream stars such as Rousey and universal champion Brock Lesnar.
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