WWE News Roundup: Former champion quietly announces retirement at the age of 44, New name for Randy Orton, Sheamus reaches huge milestone
Welcome back to another exciting edition of our daily series, WWE News Roundup, where we aim to cover all the major stories making the rounds in the world of the pro wrestling juggernaut. In today's article, we will look at topics about Sheamus and Randy Orton, among others.
Also, in one of the biggest news stories of the weekend, a former champion has quietly announced his retirement from in-ring action. So without any further ado, let's check it all out.
#1. Rhea Ripley is set to open WWE RAW
Rhea Ripley overcame the numbers game at Night of Champions to defeat Raquel Rodriguez in a Street Fight. Mami is expected to be involved in a major program at Evolution 2, and the build-up for the same could start on tonight's RAW, which, as per Adam Pearce, will be opened by The Eradicator.
While it's not confirmed what's next for Rhea Ripley, there are speculations that she could once again go after the Women's World Championship and call out IYO SKY on the red brand.
#2. Randy Orton gets a new name in WWE
Randy Orton came up short in the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Cody Rhodes in the final. The Legend Killer might have failed to bring the crown home, but he did get a new name at Night of Champions.
Michael Cole referred to the 14-time world champion as "Cerebral Orton" for his in-ring craftiness during the match against The American Nightmare, where he exposed the turnbuckle to use it to his advantage. However, things did not go in Orton's favor, as Rhodes used the exposed turnbuckle to pick up the win.
#3. Sheamus reaches a huge milestone in WWE
Sheamus is one of the most prominent superstars on the WWE roster. The Celtic Warrior has been a dependable name for the company for the last several years. He has now reached a huge milestone in his journey, as the former world champion has now completed 16 years with the global sports entertainment juggernaut.
Sheamus will be in action on RAW this week, where he will face Rusev in a singles match. The Celtic Warrior would like to celebrate his 16th WWE anniversary with a win.
#4. Former WWE champion announces retirement
While the focus was on the superstars at Night of Champions, commentator Wade Barrett quietly announced that he had retired from in-ring competition.
Barrett was on commentary for Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax's Last Woman Standing match on SmackDown. After the gruesome battle, the 44-year-old former Intercontinental Champion said that he was glad that he was retired and did not have to compete in such bouts.
“Matches like that make guys like me feel so happy to be retired and watch from the relative safety of this booth,” Barrett said.
Wade Barrett has not donned his wrestling boots since 2016. He has been a part of the company's commentary team for the last five years. However, as everyone knows, one can never say never in the pro wrestling business.
