While Mickie James made her return to TNA, another former WWE star is also making their return to wrestling. However, it’s the man who oversaw the department that sent a fired Mickie James her clothes in a trash bag. John Laurinaitis returns to the wrestling scene after four years in hiding. The former Raw General Manager recently reactivated his X account to announce that he will be headlining Big Time Wrestling’s March Mayhem. Here’s the latest on John Laurinaitis’ return to pro wrestling.
John Laurinaitis to Headline Big Time Wrestling Event
Big Time Wrestling will be holding a massive live event in Chillicothe, Ohio, on Saturday, March 14th. The line-up has a who’s who of pro wrestlers.
The company announced the following wrestling legends as headliners:
- Mickie James
- John Laurinaitis
- Jerry “The King” Lawler
- Stan Hansen
They also noted to appear:
- Bushwhacker Luke (who is still giving Stinkfaces at 79)
- Franchise Shane Douglas
- Paul Ellering
- Heath Miller
- Rhino
- And more!
Looking at their poster, there will be other fan favorites from yesteryear on hand, including:
- PG-13 (Wolfie D and JC Ice)
- Powers of Pain (Warlord and Barbarian)
- Doink the Clown
- Nixon Newell (Fresh off AEW walkout)
- Beau and Blake Beverly
- Butterbean
- Swoggle
- The Great Sasuke
- Manny Fernandez
- Real1 (fka Enzo Amore)
- Luke Menzies (fka Ridge Holland, fresh off of neck surgery)
- Marty Jannetty
- Jimmy Valiant
- Tony Atlas
As always, the card is subject to change. Perhaps Big Time Wrestling will have a change of heart. After all, there has been some backlash amongst wrestling fans about John Laurinaitis returning to the wrestling scene.
Backlash Over John Laurinaitis’ Return to Wrestling
John Laurinaitis has always been a controversial figure in backstage wrestling politics. As the Head of Talent Relations, the man who preached “People Power” was seen as Vince McMahon’s #2. In fact, court reports indicate that John Laurinaitis was on hand when Vince McMahon took a #2 on the head of Janel Grant.
John Laurinaitis was sent home from his WWE corporate job when Vince McMahon was accused of giving WWE employee Janel Grant hush money to keep their affair quiet.
During the investigation, John Laurinaitis has flipped sides multiple times. He was, at first, represented by the same people as Vince McMahon. Then, Laurinaitis distanced himself from the disgraced former WWE Chairman. They would link back up for a short time, only for Laurinaitis to name himself as co-defendant, citing he was a victim of abuse. This case is still ongoing.
Bella Twins’ Mom Divorces John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis was accused of having affairs while married to Kathy Colace, the mother of Nikki and Brie Bella. Even more shocking, Kathy was undergoing treatments for brain cancer while the alleged sex trafficking was taking place. Court records indicate that employees would meet Laurinaitis for sexual encounters at hotels during work hours.
After Laurinaitis reactivated his X account, he started promoting his upcoming event and sharing posts about the Olympics. However, his final posts before deactivating the account were focused on two things:
- Addressing Mark Carrano’s firing after Mickie James’ gear was returned to her in a trash bag
- Talking about the strength of his wife as she underwent cancer treatments
Kathy Colace filed for divorce from John Laurinaitis in 2024. The Bella Twins’ mom is in remission and focusing on her independence.
It’s an interesting time for John Laurinaitis to pop up again. He was the Head of Talent Relations when Ashley Massaro was allegedly sexually assaulted during a Tribute to the Troops trip. The late WWE Diva was recently named in the Epstein files.