Author: Ian Carey

Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.

Two matches, one segment added to WWE Raw lineup

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce has announced the lineup for Monday’s show from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Two new matches were added to the lineup: Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano, and a trios match with Rey Mysterio, Penta, and Dragon Lee against Austin Theory, Bronson Reed, and Logan Paul.

Pearce also revealed that Gunther will kick off the broadcast.

Previously announced for Raw is CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor, and Maxxine Dupri challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.

Pearce also noted that Bron Breakker remains suspended after putting his hands on him on last week’s show.

“Hey Bron, hope you enjoy the show, from home,” Pearce said in a video posted on Sunday.

Monday’s Raw takes place at the SSE Arena in Belfast. It airs live on Netflix beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern. Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the show is essentially sold out, with 8,492 tickets distributed.

WWE Raw lineup for Monday, January 19, 2026:

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Maxxine Dupri
  • Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano
  • Rey Mysterio, Penta, & Dragon Lee vs. Austin Theory, Bronson Reed, & Logan Paul w/Paul Heyman
  • Gunther kicks off the show

Santos Escobar delivers first statements since AAA return

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Santos Escobar had a few words to say following his return at AAA’s debut show on Fox Saturday night.

Escobar appeared on the show wearing a mask similar to those worn by his father, Fantasma, as well as the masks he previously used while wrestling as El Hijo del Fantasma. He confronted Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., whispering something in Wagner’s ear before attacking him.

WWE later posted backstage comments from Escobar following the show. Escobar said:

“What do you want? You want to know something about me now?” Escobar asks in the video. “Six months I was away, not one question.“

“No, it doesn’t work like that. You want to know something about me? Now, it’s on my time.”

Escobar’s WWE contract expired in early October 2025. He briefly became a free agent, and his profile was moved to the alumni section of WWE’s website before reports surfaced on October 8 that WWE had re-signed him. He was said to have received a “very big money deal with a lot of perks.”

Escobar has not wrestled since a WWE live event in Mexico on July 27, 2025.

Escobar’s promo is available below.

Masha Slamovich wrestles first match since TNA departure

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Masha Slamovich has wrestled her first match since domestic abuse allegations were made against her in September 2025.

The former TNA Knockouts champion wrestled at a Circle 6 event on Friday, January 16, 2026. The show featured all cage matches, with Slamovich facing Haley J, who later posted highlights from the bout to Instagram.

Slamovich has also been announced for Circle 6’s February 13 show in Hollywood and is booked for a March 1 event with the Maryland-based MCW.

In September, social media posts began circulating alleging physical and emotional abuse by Slamovich toward her boyfriend, former MLW wrestler AKIRA. Slamovich later released a statement addressing the situation, writing, “Up until the beginning of this year, I was in a toxic and mutually destructive relationship. We hurt each other deeply, and in private moments, failed to treat each other with the consideration and respect we both deserve.”

TNA announced shortly after the allegations came to light that it had launched an internal investigation into the matter. Slamovich’s contract with the company is believed to have expired late last year, and she has since been removed from the TNA roster page. At the time, TNA stated that it planned to revist the situation in 2026 and left the door open for her to return.

Highlights of Slamovich vs. Haley J are available below.

Chris Bey releases statement: ‘It’s okay to be transparent and vulnerable’

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Chris Bey released a statement.

It’s been nearly 15 months since Bey suffered a serious injury at a TNA TV taping in Detroit. On Saturday, the 29-year-old shared a statement online noting that he recently had an emotional moment at the gym, where he asked himself where he would be if he hadn’t gotten hurt.

Bey wrote:

“I cried yesterday… let me explain

Last week I went down to the dungeon 2.0. I had an amazing time and witnessed some amazing things. So grateful for the invite. 

Then it hit me hard this week. 

A bunch of my friends are signing to new promotions or doing cool things in their promotions, friends doing well in the indies. TNA moved over to AMC. I’m still struggling to get out of bed daily.

In the gym yesterday in the middle of my workout I just broke down. Tears flowed through my eyes like they haven’t in a few months. I couldn’t help but think “where would I be if I didn’t get hurt?”. 

Eventually, I wiped my eyes and picked up the dumbbells and did my next set. Continued to complete my workout.

It’s okay to be transparent and vulnerable, it’s okay to feel. It’s not okay to give up.

I love you all #GSET”

He later added:

“If I didn’t stress it enough, I’m so proud of everyone. Not a jealous bone in my body. I’ve said it from day 1, before the injury, we can all get it.”

In December, Bey appeared as a guest on an episode of Wrestling Observer Live and said he feels “100 times better” now than he did a year ago. However, he mentioned that as he has gained feeling back, he’s also experiencing pain that had been masked by the numbness before. Bey also mentioned that he hopes to return to the ring one day, saying, “I’m in no rush. I know when my body’s ready for it, I’ll be able to do it.“

Bey’s statement is available below:

Report: AMC executives’ reaction to TNA debut show

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While feedback from some has been negative regarding TNA Wrestling’s debut on the AMC network, AMC executives were reportedly “very happy” with the show.

PWInsider reports that the word around AMC on Friday was that executives who attended Thursday’s show at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas were pleased with what they saw.

“The word making its way around AMC yesterday was that execs on site at the Thursday Night Impact premiere were very happy with the show,” writes PWInsider’s Mike Johnson.

Bryan Alvarez addressed his feelings on the TNA AMC debut during the latest episode of The Bryan and Vinny Show. In particular, Alvarez was not a fan of the segment introducing Mr. Elegance to The Elegance Brand.

“Did anyone not leave during this segment? Did anyone stick around after this segment? Vince McMahon would have ridiculed this segment and went ‘No way we’re putting this on TV,'” Alvarez said on the show.

Dave Meltzer also addressed his opinions of the show on Friday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, saying:

“For a first show where you’ve gotta make an impression, man, it was just a huge, huge disappointment,” Meltzer said on the show.

Report: TNA locker room pushing for signing of former MLW wrestler

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A former MLW wrestler could be headed to TNA Wrestling.

According to a report from Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated, Richard Holliday’s name has been brought up in the TNA locker room often of late, with Alba writing that several are “outright pushing” management to sign him.

One pitch for Holliday to be brought into the company was said to be in the role of Mr. Elegance, the member of the Elegance Brand who debuted on the AMC debut show. The role of Mr. Elegance ultimately went to former OVW wrestler AJZ.

Holliday joined MLW in 2018 and formed an alliance with Alex Hammerstone and AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman known as The Dynasty. He and MJF held the promotion’s tag titles once in 2019 before dropping them to the Von Erichs that November. The Dynasty continued after MJF left the company until early 2022, when Holliday turned on Hammerstone. That December, Holliday announced that he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He revealed his cancer was in remission the following summer and resumed wrestling on the independent scene.

TNA Wrestling announces signing of tag team ahead of title match

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TNA Wrestling has locked up a tag team that will challenge for the World Tag Team titles at Genesis.

The Righteous, Vincent and Dutch, told Denise Salcedo on Saturday that they have signed with TNA. They are scheduled to challenge Matt and Jeff Hardy on tonight’s pay-per-view.

“The Righteous are here in TNA and we’re excited to see what happens for us in TNA. Everything that we’re doing right now with the Hardys is really exciting and it’s going to play out even bigger,” Vincent said.

“Here to stay,” Dutch added.

TNA later wrote in a press release:

“The Righteous made their jaw-dropping arrival in TNA Wrestling in December at TNA Final Resolution, as they confronted Jeff & Matt Hardy, leading to a series of cryptic mind games with the TNA World Tag Team Champions.”

Vincent and Dutch had been wrestling under the AEW/ROH banner since 2023. In May 2025, the team’s profiles were removed from the AEW roster page. They first appeared on TNA programming last month, confronting the Hardys and beginning an angle set to continue tonight at Genesis.

WWE return updates for LA Knight, Stephanie Vaquer

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Several names recently absent from WWE programming should be back shortly.

LA Knight hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since an injury angle on the December 8, 2025 edition of Raw. Bronson Reed gave Knight a Tsunami on top of a car to close out the episode.

Dave Meltzer addressed Knight’s status in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, writing that he’s scheduled for the Royal Rumble on January 31, although he could return sooner.

Meltzer writes:

“Knight was also taken out in an injury angle to set up coming back in a feud with Breakker & Reed. He was scheduled for the Rumble. Not sure if he’s back before then to announce he’s in the match but the idea was he’d be in the Rumble.”

Regarding Stephanie Vaquer, who has recently been appearing on WWE Raw wearing a walking boot, Meltzer writes that her injury is real but not considered serious, and she is expected to return soon.

“Vaquer’s injury isn’t serious but is real. She’s expected back soon. Vaquer vs. Rodriguez was scheduled originally before 1/26 but I’m not sure the date. Any delay from that date would be an injury delay.”

Meltzer also provided an update on Chad Gable and Tiffany Stratton, saying both are expected back soon as well. As previously noted, Charlotte Flair was absent from the January 9 edition of SmackDown due to illness. Rey Mysterio also missed last week’s Raw due to a minor injury and should be back soon. The Street Profits are expected back shortly as well.

The full edition of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.

Triple H writes Fox News column: ‘On behalf of the president: are you ready?’

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Triple H published an article on Fox News today.

WWE’s Chief Content Officer also serves on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, having been announced for the role in August. At the time, he called it “an honor” and said he would be helping to revive the Presidential Fitness Test.

Triple H’s article focuses on encouraging physical fitness. He shares his own story of first starting in the gym at age 14.

“The gym helped me think of myself in a different way. It allowed me envision what I wanted to be. For me, working out illuminated a destination,” Levesque wrote.

The article continues to explain the benefits of getting just 15 minutes of exercise per day.

“Just a daily 15-minute walk significantly reduces one’s risk of early mortality. So, get outside, move, begin pushing yourself. Start small, progress gradually — as long as you keep showing up. Remember: It’s not just about you. It’s about your kids.”

Triple H concludes the article by saying he’s asking, on behalf of the president, “Are you ready?”

“A physical fitness regimen changes you as a person. It changes the trajectory of your life. So, I’m asking, on behalf of the president: are you ready?”

Triple H’s full article on Fox News is available here.

WWE SmackDown spoilers from London, England

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WWE presented SmackDown today at the OVO Arena in London, England.

The show aired live internationally on Netflix and will air in its usual time slot at 8 p.m. Eastern on the USA Network.

WWE SmackDown January 16, 2026 match results:

  • SNME number one contendership qualifying match:
    Randy Orton defeated The Miz
  • Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair defeated Giulia & Kiana James
  • SNME number one contendership qualifying match: Trick Williams defeated Matt Cardona
  • SNME number one contendership qualifying match: Damian Priest defeated Solo Sikoa
  • United States Champion Carmelo Hayes defeated Leon Slater in an Open Challenge
  • Jordynne Grace defeated Chelsea Green
  • SNME number one contendership qualifying match: Sami Zayn defeated Ilja Dragunov

WWE SmackDown January 16, 2026 spoiler notes:

  • Drew McIntyre kicked off the show and came out with a Scottish bagpipe band. He turned on the crowd pretty quickly, saying the fans weren’t there for him when he was released, and weren’t there for him against The Bloodline or CM Punk. He said the only person he needed to thank for his title win is him.
  • Drew also revealed that there was a clause in the contract for his match with Rhodes last week that Rhodes will not get a rematch, saying that Cody would have to “work his way” back up the rankings.
  • Randy Orton came out and confronted the WWE Champion and said he’s beaten McIntyre for that title before and he’ll do it again.
  • Jacob Fatu then came out and attacked McIntyre. Fatu then chased McIntyre out through the crowd.
  • Then The Miz hit the ring and gave Orton a Skull Crushing Finale before their match could begin.
  • Alexa Bliss asked Charlotte Flair how sick she was last week to not be on the show. Lash Legend and Nia Jax then showed up and tried to stir the pot between the two.
  • Bliss got the pin on Kiana James in the Bliss & Flair vs. Giulia & James tag match. After the match, Legend and Jax hit the ring and double-teamed Flair. Giulia then got in an argument with Jax and James had to hold her back.
  • Cody Rhodes came out and got a bit of a mixed reaction. He declared he was entering the Royal Rumble before turning his attention to Jacob Fatu. He told Fatu that he’s got a big “receipt” coming. It was later confirmed that Fatu vs. Rhodes will take place at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
  • Trick Williams got a great reaction from the London crowd and finished off Cardona with a Trick Shot.
  • After Williams vs. Cardona, Kit Wilson hit the ring and attacked Cardona. He threw him into the steel steps and called him “toxic.”
  • After the break, Wilson cut a brief promo about being the “Tonic for Toxic Masculinity” before being attacked by Jacob Fatu.
  • Fatu called out Rhodes, who rushed the ring and the two had a pull apart as security rushed to the ring.
  • The MFTs and Wyatts both had backstage vignettes talking about Sikoa stealing the Wyatt lantern. Sikoa brought out the lantern and blew it out before his match with Damian Priest.
  • The Wyatt Sicks came out during the Priest vs. Sikoa mach, leading to a brawl at ringside with the MFTs. Uncle Howdy went to retrieve the lantern but Sikoa stopped him and brought the lantern into the ring, where he was met by Priest who gave him the South of Heaven choke slam for the win.
  • Uncle Howdy attempted to retrieve the lantern again but was attacked from behind by Talla Tonga.
  • TNA X-Division Leon Slater answered Carmelo Hayes US title Open Challenge
  • Shinsuke Nakamura was shown watching on after the US title match between Carmelo Hayes and Leon Slater. He was confronted by Tama Tonga, who said he was coming after the US title. He alluded to their history in NJPW together. Tonga told him to stay out of his way.
  • Nathan Frazer put on a Axiom mask and attacked Johnny Gargano in the back.
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill sat ringside for the Grace vs. Green match. Grace cut a promo after the match and told Cargill she should step in the ring with her right here, right now. As Grace and Cargill were arguing, Green attempted to hit Grace from behind but Grace ducked and Green hit Cargill instead. Grace held up the WWE Women’s title belt before tossing it back to Cargill and the segment ended.
  • Dragunov was busted open midway through the main event.
  • Trick Williams attacked Zayn after the main event. He gave him a Trick Shot and then stood tall to end the show.

WWE SmackDown lineup for Friday, January 23, 2026:

  • Women Tag Team title number one contenders three way: Nia Jax & Lash Legend vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia & Kiana James
  • WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against The MFTs
  • Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest
  • Johnny Gargano vs. Nathan Frazer

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event lineup for January 24:

  • Fatal four-way number one contender’s match for WWE Championship shot at Royal Rumble: Damian Priest vs. Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Judgment Day (Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez)
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu

Rey Mysterio announced for AAA on Fox debut

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Rey Mysterio will be in Mexico City this weekend.

WWE and AAA have announced that Mysterio will kick off its debut on Fox in Mexico and Central America on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

WWE wrote:

“The Lucha Legend himself @reymysterio will KICK OFF @luchalibreaaa’s debut on Fox TOMORROW! 🙌Lucha Libre AAA streams LIVE tomorrow at 9e/6p on FOX in Latin America and YouTube + Facebook everywhere else.”

Rey and his son, AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio, have both been out with injuries of late. Dave Meltzer noted in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Rey missed this week’s Raw due to a minor injury but should return shortly. Dominik has been out since injuring his shoulder on AAA’s December 20 show in Guadalajara.

The updated lineup for Saturday’s show is below.

AAA lineup for Fox debut on Saturday, January 17:

  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. El Grande Americano in a AAA Mega title eliminator match
  • AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Flammer vs. Lady Shani in a non-title match
  • Nino Hamburguesa, La Parka & Mr. Iguana vs. Abismo Negro Jr., Taurus & Histeria
  • Appearances from Mr. Iguana, Las Toxicas and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr, and Omos
  • Rey Mysterio to kick off show

Update on The Street Profits’ absence from WWE TV

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An update on The Street Profits’ absence from WWE programming and when they could return is now available.

In Friday’s edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that neither Montez Ford nor Angelo Dawkins are injured and that WWE just felt the tag team needed some time off television.

Meltzer wrote:

“Neither of the Street Profits are hurt. The decision was just made to take them off TV to allow them to freshen up.”

Bryan Alvarez also wrote to his subscribers on X on Friday that The Street Profits are expected to return shortly. They’ve both been training with Natalya and TJ Wilson at the Dungeon 2.0 in Florida:

“Street Profits have been training with Nattie and TJ and should be back imminently.”

The latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.

The Street Profits haven’t wrestled since defeating Angel and Berto on the October 24, 2025 taping of WWE Main Event in Tempe, Arizona. They haven’t wrestled on WWE SmackDown since losing a title match to the WWE Tag Team champions the Wyatt Sicks on the October 10, 2025 episode from Perth, Australia.

On November 10, 2025, Montez Ford posted a short vignette to social media that some fans took as teasing a potential character change:

ROH and Maple Leaf Pro announce joint event for March

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Maple Leaf Pro and Ring of Honor are set to partner for an upcoming two-night event.

On Friday March 27, ROH x MLP Global Wars will be held at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The following night MLP Uprising will take place from the same venue. Both shows will stream live on Triller TV.

In addition to talent from ROH and MLP, wrestlers from AEW, NJPW, DDT, and CMLL are expected to take part. The main event of Global Wars will feature AEW National Champion Ricochet in the main event.

A press release announcing the news reads:

“GLOBAL WARS will take place Friday, March 27, and will showcase world-class competitors from MAPLE LEAF PRO and RING OF HONOR alongside international stars from across the global wrestling landscape. The event will be headlined by current AEW National Champion Ricochet, marking his first GLOBAL WARS main event appearance in Canada.”

Also announced for the weekend are Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows, Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH), Daisuke Sasaki (DDT Pro), Mascara Dorada (CMLL/AEW), Barbaro Cavernario (CMLL), and Bishop Dyer, formerly Baron Corbin in WWE.

ROH and MLP announced the news on Friday:

“We are thrilled to partner Ring of Honor with MAPLE LEAF PRO Wrestling for GLOBAL WARS and MLP UPRISING on March 27 and March 28,” said AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “Both events will spotlight incredible stars from around the world and deliver amazing wrestling action to fans over the course of two exciting nights.”

“Two nights, two distinct events, and championship-caliber talent across the board,” said Scott D’Amore, President of MAPLE LEAF PRO. “This Mega Event weekend showcases MAPLE LEAF PRO on the world stage while celebrating the global partnerships that define professional wrestling today.”

Also in recent news, MLP’s Scott D’Amore has taken on a new role for the Georgia-based promotion, 1 Fall Wrestling (1FW), run by QT Marshall. D’Amore will be the new co-executive producer and consultant for the show.

ROH and MLP’s announcement is below:

Details on WWE creative roles of Paul Heyman, William Regal, Nick Khan, and more

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Dave Meltzer provided an update on WWE’s creative structure in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Last week, a mild restructuring of WWE’s creative team took place, with Ryan Ward receiving a small promotion while SmackDown co-head writers John Swikata and Brian “Road Dogg” James took minor step-downs.

In Friday’s edition of the newsletter, Meltzer went into further detail regarding the roles of William Regal, Michael Hayes, Nick Khan, Paul Heyman, and others within the company.

Meltzer wrote:

“William Regal’s role isn’t really creative. His role is to critique the style and believability of the matches during the shows. Michael Hayes is a day of the show producer and is part f the creative on the biggest shows. Paul Heyman is involved with the long-term discussions as well as being hands on with the creative of his people which include The Vision, Lesnar and Reigns.“

“Nick Khan, even though it’s denied publicly, also has a voice when it comes to creative, but the only one he deals with is Paul Levesque and doesn’t directly deal with the creative team.”

The full edition of today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available for subscribers here.

The recent creative change comes on the heels of WWE SmackDown moving back to a three-hour format beginning with the January 2 episode. In 2025, SmackDown ran as a three-hour show from the beginning of the year until July before reverting to two hours for the remainder of the year. Bryan Alvarez noted on an episode of The Bryan and Vinny Show that the show would likely follow a similar format in 2026.