William Regal has had ring return talks more than 11 years after last WWE match
The WWE machine runs wide open these days thanks to a robust staff that includes numerous people who became legends inside the wrestling ring. From executives at HQ to coaches at the Performance Center, WWE hires retired ring greats to work behind the scenes. William Regal has been a key backstage talent for years, but now, recent in-ring comeback talks have been revealed.
The Real Man's Man of pro wrestling made his in-ring debut at the age of 15 in 1983. Regal went on to find success in the ring and behind the scenes in promotions around the world. The 56-year-old made his name in WCW and WWE and even had a short stint with AEW. Now, he's back to working for WWE as the Vice President of Global Talent Development. The 2008 King of the Ring has not wrestled since losing a 21-minute classic to Antonio Cesaro aka Claudio Castagnoli during NXT Rewind on Christmas Day 2013, taped on November 21.
Regal has had talks about a potential ring return for Bloodsport, according to Josh Barnett. The four-time WCW World TV Champion has attended several Bloodsport events in the past, and his son, NXT's Charlie Dempsey, defeated Matt Makowski in his Bloodsport debut last year, was then beaten by Royce Isaacs, and came back for a win over Tracy Williams. Barnett recently spoke with Ringsiders Wrestling and revealed the talks with Regal.
"You think I haven’t had some conversations with William Regal about, ‘If you should feel spry. You know…' I say the ball is in his court, not as like a challenge or anything like that. It’s just, he’s the boss here. If he tells me it’s time, done. If he says, ‘Eh, I’m better off spectating.’ Done. Whatever he wants, he’s correct. That’s the way I see it," Josh Barnett said. [H/T to Fightful]
Regal wrestled nearly 2,000 matches in his career, and 11 came in 2013, his final year. After an NXT win over Kassius Ohno, Regal had four live event wins over Curtis Axel, a live event loss to Cesaro, a SmackDown loss to Wade Barrett, and RAW losses to Fandango and Cesaro. Before the final match with Cesaro, Regal teamed with Adrian Neville and Corey Graves for a loss to The Wyatt Family.
WWE Superstars set for Bloodsport XVIII
GCW will present Josh Barnett's Bloodsport XIII on April 17 during WrestleMania 41 Weekend in Las Vegas, featuring talents from WWE, AEW, and elsewhere. Below is the updated lineup:
- Shayna Baszler vs. Konami
- Karrion Kross vs. JR Kratos
- Natalya vs. Miyu Yamashita
- Pete Dunne vs. Timothy Thatcher
- Charlie Dempsey vs. Shinya Aoki
- Karmen Petrovic vs. Maika
- Tavion Heights vs. Royce Isaacs
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jonathan Gresham
- Leyla Hirsch vs. Jordan Blade
Bloodsport XII was held back in November, headlined by Barnett defeating MVP in the AEW star's comeback bout. That same card featured WWE talents in action: Karmen Petrovic beat Sumie Sakai, Charlie Dempsey beat Tracy Williams, and Myles Borne lost to Royce Isaacs.
