WWE News Roundup: Former Women's Champion fired over backstage issues; top star to miss WrestleMania 41 due to injury? Alexa Bliss teases change
Welcome to the latest edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE News Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories of the day from the world of wrestling. Today features some big news.
A few major names have been fired, while comparisons have been made between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair. A popular WWE star has been ruled out of WrestleMania 41 and Alexa Bliss continues to tease a character change.
So, without further ado, let's get into today's stories!
#1. Ilja Dragunov is out for WrestleMania 41
Ilja Dragunov hasn't been seen since he suffered a torn ACL in September. With it having been six months since his injury, there have been questions over The Mad Dragon's return.
WrestleVotes has provided an update on Dragunov on a recent Live Q&A, stating that he was last seen at the WWE Performance Center two weeks ago. However, he doesn't seem to be ready for in-ring action yet. Chances are Ilja Dragunov will be back after WrestleMania 41:
"The last I heard was he was at the PC about two weeks ago, I wanna say; don't know if he was in the ring, could have been there for just medical reasons. But, he was spotted. Plenty of people are friends with him. So, you know, I don't think he was hiding, but I don't know if he's ready to return for in-ring action yet. But yeah, him and Gunther makes a lot of sense when he's healthy."
#2. Is Tiffany Stratton not ready for Charlotte Flair?
WWE held a split-screen interview between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. This was done to build their match at WrestleMania 41, but it may have exposed the current Women's Champion, according to Bully Ray.
Speaking on a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, the veteran claimed Stratton looked very nervous. Bully Ray pointed out the stark difference between her and Flair during the interview, claiming that The Buff Barbie isn't ready for this match:
"What about that side-by-side back-and-forth verbal battle the other night on SmackDown would make you believe that Tiffany is ready for Charlotte Flair? ['Zero,' responds Dave LaGreca.] It was night and day between the two. It was not a very good night for Tiffany at all, and I honestly believe that Tiffany is flustered and she's nervous. It's written all over her face," he said.
Bully Ray further mentioned how scared Tiffany Stratton looked before praising Charlotte Flair for remaining confident throughout the interview.
#3. Alexa Bliss changes her look
Amid her recent WWE absence, Alexa Bliss may have teased a huge character change. She shared her subtle new look on her Instagram story, going from having pink streaks in her hair to the color being gone. Bliss has seemingly straightened her hair and become completely blonde:
It remains to be seen if this is part of her transition into becoming a member of The Wyatt Sicks. Uncle Howdy has been cleared to return, so Alexa Bliss might be back soon as well.
#4. Gail Kim let go by TNA over issues with the company's partnership with WWE
In the most shocking wrestling news of the day, Gail Kim was let go by TNA. The former WWE Women's Champion was a popular backstage figure in the promotion, but it seems like there were some issues behind the scenes.
Bill Apter addressed Kim's departure on the Live Q&A on WrestleBinge, stating that it was because of TNA's partnership with WWE. It is allegedly due to restructuring as a result of this partnership:
"I had heard today that it was something to do with the partnership between TNA and WWE. There's just something politically that may have happened in there. I don't know what it is. This is just what I've heard. Allegedly (it has to do with) restructuring a lot of things now that the thing with WWE is (they) seem to be moving forward, even more so."
It remains to be seen what's next for Gail Kim. She is one of the most respected people in the business for her contributions to women's wrestling over the past two decades.
