Former WWE wrestler Sir Mo passes away at 58 years old

Bobby Horne, best known for his run in WWE as Mo of Men on a Mission, has passed away.

Book Pro Wrestlers on Facebook announced on Sunday that Horne had passed away at 58 years old. It was reported earlier this month that Horne was in the ICU struggling with a severe blood infection and pneumonia. He had previously underwent a kidney transplant in 2018 and later battled a COVID-19 infection in 2022.

Horne entered professional wrestling in 1991, teaming with Nelson Frazier (Viscera/Big Daddy V). By 1993, the team signed with the WWE becoming Men on a Mission under the names Mabel (Fraizer) and Mo (Horne). They were managed by Oscar, who would rap on the way to the ring. They briefly won the WWE Tag Team titles by defeating The Quebecers at a house show on March 29, 1994, only to lose them two days later in a rematch.

The following year, the two turned against Oscar and became heels, with Mabel winning the 1995 King of the Ring tournament. Mo, who would become known as Sir Mo, would serve as Mabel’s manager until the two left WWE the next year. Mo later appeared in the USWA and continued to wrestle on the independent scene.

Mercedes Mone wins 12th title belt in Canada

The belts keep coming for Mercedes Mone.

On Sunday, Mone defeated Jody Threat to capture the Winnipeg Professional Wrestling Women’s Championship. With the win, Mone is now holding twelve titles simultaneously, surpassing Ultimo Dragon’s ten titles. Mone’s win comes one day after she defeated Mina Shirakawa to win the interim ROH Women’s Television Championship at AEW WrestleDream, her eleventh title.

Mone has no plans of slowing down, either. After she won her eleventh title at WrestleDream, she was confronted by Kris Statlander, who she had dissed earlier in the night. Later in the night, she issued the challenge for Full Gear, making it clear she wanted the AEW Women’s Championship added to her collection.

The full list of titles Mone has won includes AEW’s TBS title, interim ROH Women’s TV title, CMLL Women’s title, BODYSLAM Women’s title, Discovery Wrestling Women’s title, EWA Women’s title, RevPro Undisputed British/Queen of Southside Women’s title, Prime Time Wrestling Women’s title, BestYa Women’s title, WPW Women’s title, and the AEW Owen Hart women’s tournament winner title.

Report: More details on WWE using AI tools for creative

Further details on WWE using AI for their creative.

Fightful Select reported on Sunday that WWE’s creative team has been using AI tools “for years.” However, it is being used more like a creative assistant to determine things like when two wrestlers last had a match. It was also said that nobody on the creative team knew of anyone who used the AI system for more than “a couple of minutes.”

In regards to the recent new hire, Fightful’s report says that the creative team is under the impression that he is being brought in to find ways to have AI help remove background noise in shots, organize files quickly, or work on production elements of WWE’s shows as opposed to creative storylines. Fightful was also specifically told that AI will not replace the creative writing team, with one top star saying that “Michael Hayes, Paul Heyman and Ed Koskey are not AI.”

It was reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Cyrus Kowsari was brought in back in September as WWE’s senior director of creative strategy. Triple H introduced Kowsari to the creative team as someone that would “lead WWE’s transition into AI-based storytelling and integrate AI into creative services like video and graphics.”

Update on Jacob Fatu’s timeline for WWE return

An update on Jacob Fatu’s return.

On Friday’s SmackDown, Fatu was seen laid out, preventing him from competing against Drew McIntyre in a number one contender’s match that night for Cody Rhodes’ WWE title. This comes after reports indicated Fatu could be gone for a long period of time due to injury. However, Bryan Alvarez is now reporting that Fatu is likely be back sooner than later.

“It’s now looking likely Fatu will be back by Survivor Series weekend,” he writes.

Fatu hasn’t wrestled since September, dealing with a non-wrestling related injury. PWInsider reported earlier this week that a dental procedure is keeping Fatu from being cleared.

The show-long storyline on Friday had SmackDown GM Nick Aldis declare that the previously announced main event would now be a number one contender’s match. Fatu was seen on television exchanging words with Rhodes prior to the bout. But when his music played, Fatu was nowhere to be seen. Cameras backstage then caught Fatu on the floor, pinned under a steel truss. Blood could be seen coming from his mouth and what appeared to be teeth could be seen on the floor as well.

When McIntyre arrived for the match, he seemed to be pleased with what had happened but denied any involvment in the attack. Cody Rhodes came out and the two ended up having an impromptu match for the WWE title, ending in a DQ after Rhodes hit McIntyre with the WWE title.

Bobby Fish dealing with hamstring injury: ‘Life’s been rough lately’

Bobby Fish is having a rough time.

The former ROH, AEW, and NXT star opened up about his issues on social media Sunday, saying he is suffering from a hamstring injury and doesn’t have health insurance to seek medical attention.

“Not gonna sugarcoat it — life’s been rough lately. Got injured at a show, pulled hamstring, no health insurance, going through some personal stuff,” he wrote. 

He also said he’s opening a YouTube channel to talk about his life and career.

“But I’m not here looking for a handout. I’m starting a YouTube channel because I still love this business, and I want to keep giving you something real. Stories, training, laughs, whatever I can bring. If you’ve ever supported me — cheered, booed, whatever — hit that subscribe and come along for the ride. Let’s see what we can build together.”

Fish most recently has been wrestling for MLW, losing in the first round of the Opera Cup to Satoshi Kojima earlier this summer. On television, he was last seen in AEW reforming reDragon with Kyle O’Reilly. His contract came up in August of 2022, however, and wasn’t renewed.

AEW WrestleDream scrum notes: Tony Khan on Takeshita’s IWGP title win, Amazon Prime issues

Image: JJ Williams

AEW stars spoke to the media following AEW WrestleDream.

Brodido, Kris Statlander, Kyle Fletcher, and Tony Khan all took questions following the events of Saturday’s AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view in St. Louis, Missouri. Here are the highlights:

Bandido and Brody King

  • When asked about his upcoming match against Kazuchika Okada on Wednesday, Bandido said they were going to see who is the best.
  • Talking about his struggles to get where he is now, Bandido said he had a concussion at the start of the year but everyone still believed in him. He is blessed for his life and for himself as a person, he’s really happy with everything and hopes to do the best for all the fans.

Kris Statlander

  • Statlander was asked if she wanted to headline Full Gear next month against Mercedes Mone and have it be a title for title match. She said that while she’d love that, it’s okay if it isn’t. This is her moment to beat her, she’ll do it any time of the week. 
  • When asked how she reinvents herself, Statlander says she’s still in the process of things and commented how it isn’t nice to shame someone for not knowing who they are immediately upon their debut on a national stage.
  • Statlander mentioned that Marina Shafir might be someone to challenge her for the title, but she is open to any and all challengers, even Wheeler Yuta.

Kyle Fletcher

  • Fletcher was asked if this was it between himself and Mark Briscoe. He replied that the score seems to suggest that, but things change in pro wrestling constantly.
  • When asked about his World Championship aspirations, Fletcher said that he wanted to focus on the TNT title. He does want to be the greatest of all time, so it’s absolutely in his mind, it’s just a matter of when.
  • He says he has not checked in on Will Ospreay and immediately asked for the next question.
  • Regarding next challengers for the TNT title, Fletcher said he’ll be at Dynamite on Wednesday and anyone that faces him will meet the same result. 

Tony Khan 

  • Khan called this event one of the greatest shows the company has held.
  • Renee Paquette mentioned that Jon Moxley’s arm was bleeding following the show as the fish tank got him really bad.
  • Khan said Lou Thesz’s wife Charlie enjoyed the show and was blown away, saying he was glad she was there live. 
  • When asked about the Amazon Prime issues, Khan said that was something on Amazon’s end but thankfully other feeds were fine. He was dissapointed that both Death Before Dishonor and this show, two of his favorite shows, had feed problems.
  • Khan said Bryan Danielson had a family obligation and that’s why he wasn’t at the show tonight, saying it was probably best to take that commitment considering the main event.
  • Regarding another cross-promotional event during Wrestle Kingdom weekend, Khan seemed to insinuate that the weekend should be focused on Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement. He said that Konosuke Takeshita’s win was a big deal, putting over his history with the company and said that Takeshita was an AEW guy.
  • Regarding a future Okada vs. Takeshita title for title match, Khan said it would be a very interesting thing to happen, but has no control over the IWGP World Championship in NJPW. It would be something to keep an eye on. He’s excited about Bandido vs, Okada this Wednesday on Dynamite.

Report: Andrade no longer wrestling at WWC event

Andrade is in Puerto Rico, but won’t be at WWC’s event.

Both Lucha Libre Online and Fightful Select are reporting that while Andrade is in the country for Saturday’s WWC event, he will not be wrestling due to his ongoing contract situation with WWE. Fightful was told that he was doing whatever else he could do to make good for the booking, which was announced prior his contract situation with WWE taking place.

Earlier in October, Andrade made a shock return to AEW after being fired from WWE a month prior, attacking Kenny Omega and joining the Don Callis Family. However, he vanished from television soon after, with no word as to why. However, reports in the last week indicate that a new TKO non-compete clause could keep Andrade out for a year due to being fired for cause.

When asked about Andrade’s status with AEW during the AEW WrestleDream media call, Tony Khan didn’t directly answer the question and instead said he was excited to see what’s next for him.

Andrade’s first and only match so far post-WWE was when he won The Crash’s Heavyweight title on October 3. A match between him and LA Park was announced for October 26, but it is no longer being advertised.

New Trios title number one contenders crowned at AEW WrestleDream

The Hurt Syndicate now have their eyes on another title.

Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP defeated The Demand (Ricochet and the GOA) at Saturday’s WrestleDream event. Shortly before the show went on the air, it was announced that Tony Khan had made their match a number one contender’s match for the Trios titles. With their win, The Hurt Syndicate now are looking at a showdown between themselves and the current champions The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata).

The finish of the match had Lashley hit a spear on Toa Liona as Ricochet faced all three members by himself. But Bishop Kaun pulled him to safety and chose to face the three members on his own, taking a knee strike by Benjamin and a spear by Lashley before being pinned.

Both trios teams have been feuding with one another dating back to All Out, when The Demand scored the first victory. But the two teams continued to feud, with The Hurt Syndicate getting their win back on the October 7 edition of Dynamite. On this past week’s Dynamite, GOA defeated The Hurt Syndicate in a tag team match, evening things out prior to WrestleDream.

Mercedes Mone issues TBS title open challenge for AEW WrestleDream

Mercedes Mone is issuing an open challenge.

After retaining the CMLL Women’s Championship against Persephone at Arena Mexico on Friday night, Mone took to the microphone to issue an open challenge for AEW WrestleDream, challenging any champion in the world to face her for the TBS Championship. 

Following her proclamation, she also accepted a challenge from Olympia for a future match for the CMLL Women’s Championship. However, Mone said it would take place in the United States and not in Mexico.

Mone had been coy about her plans for WrestleDream before Friday. During AEW Dynamite, she said she would be at WrestleDream, though wouldn’t specify what exactly she’d be doing in St. Louis.

Here is the updated lineup for WrestleDream:

AEW WrestleDream, 8 p.m. Eastern time —

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page defends against Samoa Joe
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander defends against Toni Storm
  • I Quit match: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Mark Briscoe
  • AEW Tag Team Champions Brody King and Bandido defend against Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita
  • $500,000 tag team match: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) vs. Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus)
  • Tornado trios match: The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, MVP) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona)
  • Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla
  • TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against any champion in the world

AEW Saturday Tailgate Brawl, 7 p.m. Eastern time —

  • FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey)
  • Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron vs. Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford
  • The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Tomohiro Ishii, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong) vs. The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia)
  • Eddie Kingston and Hook vs. TBA

Note regarding ‘no rules’ matches for AEW WrestleDream

A note regarding matches for Saturday’s WrestleDream event.

Bryan Alvarez is pointing out that tomorrow’s show in St. Louis will likely have strict rules, as the state of Missouri still has a pro wrestling commission.

“Missouri has a pro wrestling commission, so they are likely going to have very strict rules as to what everyone is allowed to do on the show, which will surely impact all of the no rules matches,” he writes.

One notable bout that could be impacted by the commission is Jon Moxley taking on Darby Allin in an I Quit match. The build leading to Saturday has seen fire, blood, and molotov cocktails, suggesting the two could push boundries in their match. The Hurt Syndicate are also set to take on The Demand in a tornado trios match, meaning there are no disqualifications or count outs.

Here is the lineup for WrestleDream:

AEW WrestleDream, 8 p.m. Eastern time —

  • AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page defends against Samoa Joe
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander defends against Toni Storm
  • I Quit match: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
  • TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher defends against Mark Briscoe
  • AEW Tag Team Champions Brody King and Bandido defend against Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita
  • $500,000 tag team match: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) vs. Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus)
  • Tornado trios match: The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, MVP) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona)
  • Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla
  • TBS Champion Mercedes Mone appears

AEW Saturday Tailgate Brawl, 7 p.m. Eastern time —

  • FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey)
  • Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron vs. Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford
  • The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Tomohiro Ishii, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong) vs. The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia)
  • Eddie Kingston and Hook vs. TBA

New United States Champion crowned on WWE SmackDown

Ilja Dragunov is the new United States Champion.

Dragunov made a surprise return on Friday’s SmackDown, challenging Sami Zayn as he continued his open challenge. The finish had Zayn going for the helluva kick when Solo Sikoa was seen in the entranceway smirking, causing a distraction. Dragunov eventually connected with torpedo Moscow then finished with the h-bomb to win the Untied States Championship for the first time.

After the match, Sikoa and the rest of the MFTs emerged and laid out both men. Rey Fenix, who was attacked earlier in the night by the group, came out to help but the numbers were too much. Sikoa started to cut a promo when suddenly the lights went out and The Wyatt Sicks made their entrance, appearing on the ring apron. After a staredown, Sikoa’s group backed off as the segment ended.

Dragunov had been out of action for over a year, tearing his ACL in a match against Gunther back in September of 2024. In the hours before SmackDown went on air, it was reported that Dragunov had been seen backstage training in the ring wearing a knee brace, which he also wore during Friday’s match.

Report: Injured wrestler seen backstage ahead of WWE SmackDown

A wrestler that has been out of action for quite a while has been seen backstage ahead of SmackDown.

PWInsider reported on Friday that Ilja Dragunov is backstage at tonight’s show in San Jose, California. It was said that he was working out in the ring and was wearing a knee brace. He has been out of action since September of 2024, last wrestling Gunther for the World Heavyweight title at a house show in Columbus, Georgia. During that match, Dragunov tore his ACL, requiring surgery. Footage of the match was shown on the following Raw, with Joe Tessitore at the time saying he would be out of action for 6-9 months.

Dragunov was signed to WWE in 2019 and after a stint in NXT UK, made his mark on the main NXT brand, winning the NXT Championship. After losing the title to Trick Williams, he was called up to Raw during the 2024 WWE Draft. Prior to his injury, he had been involved in a feud with Bron Breakker over the Intercontinental title, a championship that Breakker held at the time.

Dax Harwood says he and his family have been targeted by a stalker

Dax Harwood says his family is being targeted by a stalker.

The AEW star took to Instagram to say someone on the platform has been targeting himself and his family. He and AEW are now working with authorities to address and deal with the situation.

“Unfortunately, over the last year & a half, myself, my mom, & now my wife have all been either stalked, threatened, or verbally attacked by an individual on Instagram. AEW & I will be working with authorities to put this matter to rest,” he wrote. “They know your name, who you are, and where you live.”

“Please be fans, but leave it at that,” he continued. “I try to be as polite as I can to people waiting in hotels and airports, and even ignore the ones that hate me. However, when you bring my family into it, we have to draw the line.”

Wrestlers in both AEW and WWE have been vocal on social media about aggressive fans. CM Punk recently took to social media to ask fans not to follow him around in airports and hotels. Rhea Ripley was also in an incident earlier this year where she was swarmed by a group of fans pushing against the door of her Uber.

Report: Main event changed for WWE SmackDown

A new main event is reportedly set for tonight’s SmackDown.

PWInsider is reporting that Jacob Fatu will no longer be wrestling on tonight’s show, where he is scheduled to face Drew McIntyre. WWE will instead go with Cody Rhodes taking on McIntyre in a WrestlePalooza rematch. Fatu is at tonight’s SmackDown taping, though it isn’t known in what capacity he’ll be used.

According to PWInsider, the decision was made on the new main event “minutes ago.”

It was reported earlier this week by BodySlam.net that Fatu, 33, is dealing with a non-wrestling related injury that will keep him out of action for “an extended period of time,” possibly into 2026. Fatu hasn’t wrestled since the September 12 edition of SmackDown, where he had a dark match street fight with Rusev. 

Fatu resurfaced earlier this month on an edition of SmackDown where he confronted McIntyre, setting up the match for this week. He called out McIntyre for always complaining, which led to McIntyre responding with a headbutt. On this past week’s SmackDown in Australia, the two brawled just one day prior to Crown Jewel in Perth.

WWE NXT notes: New Fatal Influence member, tag team returns

News and notes coming from Tuesday’s NXT.

OTM made their return on NXT, attacking Chase U, Hank & Tank, and the Culling while they were wrestling a triple threat tag team match. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price laid out all three teams in dominant fashion, cementing themselves as future contenders. It was later announced that they would be back in action next week against Hank & Tank.

The two haven’t teamed together since January of this year, out of action due to injuries.

During Tuesday’s show, a video package aired of Fatal Influence explaining that Jazmyn Nyx was eliminated by someone that wanted to prove their loyalty to them in a way that “the other” never did. It was then revealed that Laney Reid was sitting next to them. Reid said that falling short against Jayne earlier this year made her realize that in order to get like the NXT Women’s Champion, she needs to follow in her direction. Jayne then welcomed Reid as the newest member of Fatal Influence.

The trio eventually returned at the end of the night, when Tatum Paxley won a battle royal to become the new number one contender for Jayne’s title. The show ended with the new trio staring down Paxley, who celebrated with longtime friend Lyra Valkyria.