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.

Hangman Page: ‘I don’t see myself as the main character of a show’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Hangman Page does not view himself as AEW’s “main character.”

Matt Jackson said in an interview earlier this year that Page “was always supposed to be the main character of AEW.” However, Page told Cameron Hawkins of Uncrowned recently that he doesn’t see himself that way.

Page said:

“[Being a focal point of AEW] only matters to me in the sense that I’m grateful that wrestling fans or even my peers, watching on or being a part of the shows, can see the things that I’ve done and appreciate them to that level.”

“I just think of myself [as someone] who goes to work on Wednesday and tries to do the best job that I can with what the day’s work includes. … I don’t see myself as the main character of a show. But if that’s how some fans take it or some of my peers might take it, I can just be grateful and think that must mean that they think I’ve done a good job.”

Later in the interview, Page was asked about defeating Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at All In. He said that even in that moment, the spotlight was not solely on him.

“It felt like it was less about me — that moment was less about me and more about all of us together. And just to be the person, to be in that position, that was important to me. Years removed from now, I will appreciate all of that maybe more than I do now, being so fresh from it.”

Page’s second AEW World Championship reign lasted 133 days and included successful defenses against Jon Moxley, MJF, Kyle Fletcher, Lee Moriarty, and Samoa Joe. He later lost the title to Joe in a steel cage match at Full Gear.

Page’s full interview with Uncrowned is available here.

Netflix lists several WWE PLEs, other events as ‘Coming next week’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Several WWE events are currently listed as “coming next week” on Netflix.

As WWE archival content is set to leave Peacock this month, it appears select events are being added to Netflix. The WWE shows listed as “coming next week” appear to primarily be one-off pay-per-views rather than annual events, with the exception of the No Mercy show from Manchester in 1999.

Netflix currently lists the following events as coming next week in the United States:

  • Greatest Royal Rumble
  • No Mercy 1999 (UK edition)
  • Invasion
  • This Tuesday in Texas
  • St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
  • Break Down In Your House
  • December to Dismember
  • The Bash
  • Rock Bottom
  • Breaking Point
  • One Night Only
  • Capital Carnage
  • The Wrestling Classic
  • Great Balls of Fire
  • Roadblock End of the Line
  • Capitol Punishment
  • Bash in Berlin

WWE archival content is also expected to be rolled out to WWE’s YouTube channels, such as WWE Vault and the WCW channel, Fightful is reporting. Mark Shapiro mentioned in an interview earlier this month that a non-exclusive deal for WWE’s archival footage could be announced in the first quarter of 2026.

WWE archival content set to leave Peacock

Posted on by Ian Carey

A significant amount of WWE content is set to leave Peacock shortly.

At the beginning of the month, WWE archival content on the streaming service began being marked with a countdown showing the number of days remaining before January 1, 2026. This includes WCW, ECW, and libraries from the territorial era.

“Today is the last day for a ton of WWE stuff on Peacock,” our own Bryan Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X.

Mark Shapiro addressed the future of WWE archival content during an interview earlier this month. He noted that WWE plans to announce a non-exclusive deal for the content in the first quarter of 2026. A Fightful Select report later stated the belief is the content will be slowly rolled out onto WWE’s YouTube channels, including WWE Vault and the WCW channel.

Regarding potential options for ECW content in 2026, an article from The Verge in April noted there were plans for an ECW channel similar to what is already available for WCW, though no official announcement has been made.

CMLL sets new attendance milestone at Arena Mexico

Posted on by Ian Carey

CMLL finished off 2025 on a historic note.

The company sold out three Arena Mexico shows in the same week on December 26, 28, and 30. Our own Dave Meltzer notes that this kind of sellout run has never been done before in Mexico and, aside from perhaps some G1 tournaments or major WWE PLE weekends, has never been done anywhere else.

CMLL also finished 2025 by selling out six of the final nine Friday night shows at the venue, which holds approximately 16,500 spectators. The previous Friday night show on December 19 did not sell out, drawing 14,000 for a card headlined by Claudio Castagnoli defending the CMLL Heavyweight Championship against former champion Ultimo Guerrero.

Meltzer discussed CMLL’s 2025 attendance milestones in the December 29 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Writing before the December 28 and 30 sellouts were known, Meltzer noted that CMLL was already on pace to break records this year.

“With two shows to go, they are somewhere between 1,076,000 and 1,092,000 for the year, although including the Pokemon show and the AEW show, that would put it at 1,106,000 to 1,122,000 in paid attendance as of right now, and that figure would not include sponsored shows in the building. That would easily, probably by close to 200,000 paid attendance, break any previous record in any building in the history of wrestling.”

In addition to the Arena Mexico sellouts, CMLL also sold out a show at Arena Coliseo in Mexico City on Saturday with approximately 5,500 fans, a show in Puebla on Monday with approximately 3,500, and another show on Tuesday at Arena Coliseo Guadalajara that also sold out with roughly 5,000 fans.

CMLL’s next show takes place on January 2 at Arena Mexico and will feature a 16-person Mask vs. Hair cage match.

Shayna Baszler responds to criticism over comments about Asuka’s 2021 injury

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shayna Baszler and Asuka have each published statements regarding the dental injury Asuka suffered in 2021.

During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Baszler discussed the incident, which happened on the February 22, 2021 episode of WWE Raw. Baszler kicked Asuka in the face during a tag match, knocking a tooth loose. Asuka needed dental surgery and missed three weeks of action.

Baszler said in the interview:

“It was terrible. And she’s so badass, she came to the back afterwards and was kind of covering her mouth cause you know whatever, but she was like, ‘No pain. I don’t know why.'”

“Just soccer kicked her in the face and she was like, ‘Yeah, it’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt.'”

Early Wednesday morning, Asuka released the following statement in response to a clip of the interview:

“My tooth was fractured due to a mistake by Shayna Baszler. At the time I told her I was okay because I did not want her to carry the guilt. But I ended up needing surgery and of course I was not okay. I just did not want her to feel responsible knowing that these things happen in our line of work. I thought that if I just endured it then everything would be fine. Seeing people mocking me in the comments makes me realize once again how cruel the world is.”

“But I blame no one. I do not even wish misfortune upon those who lack kindness. In fact I am more cruel than these cruel people because I will be far happier than they are. While people spend their time mocking me I am savoring and embracing every bit of my happiness. My ideal life is already nearing its completion.”

“Thank you 🫰🤡”

An earlier version of Asuka’s post was published on Reddit. In that version she seems to express a belief that Baszler was making fun of her reaction to the incident. It contains the below two paragraphs not in the currently published version:

“I simply didn’t want her to feel responsible, knowing that these things happen in our line of work. Yet, she now mocks me by imitating my reaction from that moment, turning it into a joke. Is that what passes for common sense? Those who laugh along with her are just as cruel.”

“I still like her, but I’ve realized that’s just the kind of person she is.”

Baszler has since responded to Asuka’s post as well, writing:

“I told the story to illustrate how effing badass Asuka is. If anyone in the comments is making fun of her, they are stupid and should have their social media time monitored.”

Asuka’s injury occurred during the build up to WrestleMania 37. While she underwent surgery, she was back in time to drop the Raw Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley on April 11.

Baszler and Asuka’s social media posts are below:

Jeff Jarrett on William Regal’s safety concerns: ‘Wrestling is not going in reverse’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Jeff Jarrett has responded to William Regal’s safety advice to wrestlers.

Regal posted a lengthy statement to social media recently warning younger wrestlers about the impacts of being dropped on their heads and the long-term ramifications many wrestlers live with after their in-ring careers end.

Jarrett was asked about Regal’s statement during a recent episode of his My World podcast. He responded that he doesn’t believe wrestlers today are going to listen to older generations telling them to slow down or avoid taking risks.

Jarrett said:

“Athletes today, the evolution, they are bigger, stronger period, game set match. The style of wrestling is not going in reverse, in my opinion. The cadence, the speed.”

“My generation, it was just different. We worked seven days a week. It’s just how it was. But now house shows are going away, for the most part,” he continued.

“Yeah we worked a lot more shows but also in working the shows, I’ve worked more shows without a trainer than I have with them. At AEW, there is no less than seven at a show.“

Jarrett says that wrestlers today have more opportunities for preventative treatment than his generation did.

“I think you have to have not just reactive – if something is out of whack – I think you got to have preventative maintenance. I credit my mindset on not just cardio and stretching, but nutrition and preventative maintenance.”

“I just think that’s where it’s at. Our bodies are going through incredible things now. I mean, I’m not doing all that stuff, I’m 58. But the guys that are doing it, to me, you’ve got two choices. You are absolutely going to make Regal and Arn 100 percent true, because left untreated, or not figuring out how to do preventative – And I mean, real preventative. Stretching, being prepared for it, and doing all that. Really understanding that you’ve got to get prepared for your body to do that, and it’s in the gym.”

“I think the preventative part of it, Conrad. You ain’t putting the toothpaste back in the tube. That to me is delusional thinking. There is no chance in hell any of these guys are going to say ‘No, no, no, I’m not going to do that because of long term.’ Nobody. We didn’t do it when we were their age.”

“The extreme high spots and moves and the creative stuff, that’s not going backwards.”

Jarrett continued by saying that Tony Khan and AEW do a great job of having trainers available for its roster immediately after matches.

“Tony Khan does a great job. He treats it like a sports team. Like I said, five to seven trainers at every show. When you come through the curtain, they are there with a little hydration bottle and they are ‘How are you? How do you feel?'”

“That’s the real special sauce, the preventative stuff.”

Jarrett’s comments about wrestler safety begin around the 38-minute mark of the podcast. The below video is cued.

Report: Potential timeline for Chad Gable’s return to WWE

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available regarding when Chad Gable is expected back in WWE.

Gable has been out of action since suffering a rotator cuff injury in June. He was written off WWE programming on the June 23 episode of Raw when Penta appeared to snap his arm in a backstage segment. He underwent surgery shortly after.

According to a report from PWInsider on Tuesday, some in WWE expect Gable back as soon as the January 5 one-year anniversary episode of WWE Raw on Netflix. Gable reportedly spent several days at the WWE Performance Center last month preparing for his return.

Gable has not wrestled since successfully defending the WWE Speed title as El Grande Americano against Berto on a June 17 taping at the Performance Center. Following Gable’s injury, it is believed that Ludwig Kaiser began portraying the Americano role, including at AAA Guerra de Titanes in Guadalajara on December 20, where he and Dominik Mysterio, wrestling as Los Gringos Locos 2.0, lost to Rey Fenix and Rey Mysterio in the main event.

Update on what led to Roman Reigns defeating Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 39

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available regarding what led to Roman Reigns defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39.

On Monday, Brandon Thurston of Post Wrestling posted an article citing text messages revealed in court filings, including an exchange between Vince McMahon and Nick Khan that indicated McMahon was involved with creative plans for WrestleMania in 2023.

This was discussed by our own Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez on the post-Raw edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer mentioned that it was actually Roman Reigns who first pitched the idea of Rhodes losing their first WrestleMania match.

Meltzer said:

“It was Roman Reigns’ call. I mean, Vince had to approve it, but Roman Reigns was the one who went to Vince with the idea and pitched the idea that it would be better, it would be more meaningful if he didn’t win the first time, we build to a bigger one the second time and explained it.”

“I think Heyman with Reigns did that. I think they were very persuasive. The argument’s very strong with the benefit of hindsight that they were right because the second year was much bigger than the first year. But Vince made the call and Levesque was on board with the call but Vince was the one who made the call.”

“Vince was the one who had final say at that point. He had final say the whole time. He was the chairman of the board again or whatever. He was in charge of the company and he remained having the final say even though Levesque was ‘in charge of creative.'”

WWE officially merged with the UFC in September 2023 to create TKO Group Holdings. McMahon was named executive chairman of the new company up until he resigned in January 2024 in the wake of the allegations in Janel Grant’s lawsuit.

A clip of Meltzer and Alvarez’s discussion on Wrestling Observer Radio is available below:

Kendal Grey credits Julius Creed with opening door to WWE: ‘I thought he was joking’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Kendal Grey discussed how she got into wrestling during a recent interview with The Takedown on SI.com.

Grey will challenge Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship at New Year’s Evil next week. The 24-year-old first signed an NIL deal with WWE in January 2023 while wrestling at Life University, where she won three straight NAIA national titles.

Prior to her collegiate career, she wrestled on the boys’ team at her high school, something her father encouraged her to do.

“I was always outside with my brother playing tackle football, two-hand touch, [and] manhunt with all his friends,” Grey said. “I always wanted to be like [my brother]. I always was the dirty little girl outside playing scooters, catching bugs. So, I felt like it was very natural for me to be around the guys. And so on the wrestling team, with the guys, I felt like one of the bros.”

Also during the interview, she mentioned that it was Julius Creed who encouraged her to consider WWE. The two were friends through wrestling, with Creed a two-time All-American at Duke University. Grey says that Creed contacted her after her second NAIA national title and mentioned WWE as a potential career path.

“We stayed in contact through wrestling… And I remember after my second national title, he reached out one day saying congrats. Then he was like, ‘After you’re done, WWE next?’ And I thought he was joking.”

Grey says that Creed put her in contact with WWE. She signed an NIL deal with the company in January 2023, something she says may not have happened without Creed since WWE typically looks for athletes at NCAA schools rather than NAIA schools.

Grey continued:

“I do give credit to him because what I’ve noticed, not so much now, but with NIL sponsorships, they usually look for NCAA athletes and women’s wrestling wasn’t NCAA. And women’s wrestling, most people don’t even know it is a thing. So, I don’t even know if I would’ve had this opportunity if it wasn’t for him.”

“I just never knew that I could possibly be a WWE Superstar, but now that I am, I don’t wanna do anything else. This is a dream come true.”

Grey also discusses a potential main roster call-up, learning to cut promos, and more during the interview. The full interview is available at SI.com here.

Dominik Mysterio injury update, potential timeline for return

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available on Dominik Mysterio.

Dominik has been out of action since suffering a shoulder injury during the main event of AAA Guerra de Titanes on December 20. His status was addressed by our own Dave Meltzer on the post-Raw edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer stated that Dominik will not require surgery and is expected back in time for the Royal Rumble.

Meltzer said:

“Dominik Mysterio, he found out he does not need surgery. What I was told today is they are looking at three to four weeks. So, it’s not a long term thing, he should be back for the Rumble.”

“The timeline is fluid, but three to four weeks is the number that he got from the doctors I think today or yesterday.”

“He got the word no surgery, which was the relief, because if it was surgery it’d be like Seth, it’d be months and months and he’d have to vacate the titles and it’s a bad time to be injured for that long.”

“Of a bad scenario, he got the best news.”

On last night’s WWE Raw broadcast, Joe Tessitore mentioned that Dominik was out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Liv Morgan mentioned in a backstage segment that Dominik was taking some time off.

The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio is available now for subscribers.

Nikki Bella responds to ‘Thank you Cena’ chants on WWE Raw

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nikki Bella has responded to fans chanting “Thank you Cena” during her Women’s World title match on WWE Raw.

During the triple threat bout on Monday, Bella put Raquel Rodriguez in an STF, a move often associated with her former fiancé, John Cena. Fans began chanting “Thank you Cena” while Bella had the hold applied, prompting Bella to yell back, “No, thank me!”

Following the match, the Bella Twins’ social media account responded to a clip of the STF, noting that Bella’s version of the move is called The Fearless Lock.

Bella wrote:

“You all kept wanting a tribute from me geeezz so here ya all go… but… that’s the Fearless Lock 💅💋”

The Bella social media account also responded to someone mentioning that Brie Bella’s name was trending during Raw, writing:

“She should be! But where the f is she at?!?! Leave the chickens at home Brie!!”

Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer retained her title in the triple threat match on Raw. She pinned Bella after Bella had been chokeslammed by Rodriguez. It marked Vaquer’s fourth title defense since winning the championship at Wrestlepalooza on September 20.

Cena and Nikki Bella became engaged after Cena proposed to her at WrestleMania 33 in 2017. The two called off the engagement the following year.

Bella’s social media post is below:

Ivar responds to William Regal’s warning about neck injuries: ‘Life altering’

Posted on by Ian Carey

William Regal’s comments about wrestler safety have drawn responses from around the wrestling world.

On Sunday, Regal posted a message to social media warning wrestlers about being dropped on their heads and the long-term effects of neck injuries.

WWE’s Ivar of the War Raiders responded to Regal’s post on Monday, writing:

“Life altering. There was a before and an after. Man, I wish I could remember the before.”

Ivar underwent neck surgery in September 2020 after being injured in a match on Raw. He did not return until April 2021. He suffered another neck injury in April 2024 and was at one point told that his career was over. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet in December 2024, Ivar revealed that he “dodged a very big bullet” with that injury but lives with permanent damage.

“I do have permanent nerve damage and nerve pain in my hands. And that will never go away, and that’s something I live with. But as far as everything else, I got most of my mobility back in my neck,” Ivar said.

Ivar’s social media post is below:

Jake Paul comments on tragic car accident involving Anthony Joshua

Posted on by Ian Carey

Boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a serious car accident in Nigeria on Monday that reportedly left two people dead.

The British-Nigerian boxer was a passenger in a vehicle traveling on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Joshua’s ancestral hometown of Sagamu when the accident occurred. Joshua was seated in the rear of the vehicle and is being treated for minor injuries.

Ogun State Police released the following statement to the media:

“The vehicle conveying Anthony Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in an accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated.”

“He was seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention. Tragically, two other passengers in the vehicle lost their lives at the scene.”

Police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo told ESPN:

“The accident happened as a result of a burst tire on AJ’s vehicle, which caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to swerve into a stationary truck parked along the road.”

“For now, I’m aware of two fatalities and Joshua himself has been taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.”

The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps also released a statement on the cause of the crash, saying excessive speed and overtaking played a role:

“Preliminary findings indicate that the Lexus Jeep, which was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck well packed by the side of the road.”

Joshua is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul on December 19 in a fight that aired on Netflix.

Paul released the following statement regarding the news:

“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”