– The Toronto Raptors have announced plans to host WWE Night at their February 4 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Fans in attendance will receive a special WWE–Raptors crossover wrestling mask, adding a pro wrestling twist to the NBA event. As of now, there has been no confirmation on whether any WWE Superstars will be appearing at the game. Tickets are currently available via Ticketmaster.ca.
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s hopes of earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Smashing Machine officially came to an end on Tuesday morning. When the Oscar nominations were announced, Johnson did not receive a Best Actor nod for his portrayal of MMA legend Mark Kerr. While early buzz had surrounded Johnson’s dramatic turn as the pioneering fighter, it ultimately did not translate into an acting nomination. The film did manage to secure one nomination overall, earning recognition in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category.
– Early favorites have surfaced for the WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event show in Montreal on January 24. MyBookie has released odds for the three matches currently scheduled for the WWE on Peacock special event on 1/24.
- * Cody Rhodes (-175) vs. Jacob Fatu (+135)
* Sami Zayn (-600) vs. Randy Orton (+300) vs. Trick Williams (+700) vs. Damian Priest (+900)
* WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles: Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY (c) (-700) vs. Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez (+400)
– Logan Paul addressed the loud “Banned From Japan” chants he received during WWE Raw in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The chant references the 2017–2018 controversy surrounding Paul’s YouTube video filmed in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, which included footage of a suicide victim. Paul removed the video after widespread backlash and later posted an apology in January 2018.
On a new episode of his YouTube vlog (see video below), Paul pushed back strongly against the chant, questioning both its accuracy and the crowd’s creativity. “Bro, I’m not even banned from Japan, like officially,” Paul said. “Like, in an official way. How did a room full of absolute morons concoct such a brilliant chant? I’m not banned from Japan. What the f**k, bro? I’m actually not.”
