WWE inducting Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match into Hall of Fame

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III is the second match to ever earn a WWE Hall of Fame induction.

It was announced today that the WrestleMania III main event — where Hogan defeated Andre to retain the WWF Championship — will receive the WWE Immortal Moment Award at the April 17 Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas. The award, established in 2025, exists to recognize the most important matches in WWE history. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13 was the first match to be inducted.

WrestleMania III took place at Michigan’s Pontiac Silverdome in 1987 and still stands as one of the biggest shows in WWE history, with the company forever replaying the moment where Hogan slammed Andre.

Inducting this match gives WWE the opportunity to honor Hogan after his death in July 2025. He first joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and later was inducted again as a member of the nWo.

Following Andre’s passing in 1993, he was recognized as the first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Dolby Live at Park MGM in Vegas is hosting the Hall of Fame ceremony on the Friday of WrestleMania 42 week. Here is the updated list of honorees:

2026 WWE Hall of Fame class —

  • Stephanie McMahon
  • AJ Styles
  • Demolition (Ax & Smash)
  • Dennis Rodman
  • Sid Vicious (posthumously being inducted as a Legacy Award winner)
  • Bad News Brown (posthumously being inducted as a Legacy Award winner)
  • WWE Immortal Moment Award: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III

Bret Hart gives thoughts on Bad News Brown WWE Hall of Fame induction

Bret Hart was happy to learn that former Stampede Wrestling star Bad News Brown has joined the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026.

It was announced last week that Bad News Brown (real name Allen Coage) is posthumously being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 42 weekend. During an interview with Studio 1 Sports, Hart found out the news and gave his reaction.

“You know, I didn’t know that he got inducted. So that’s news to me,” Hart said. “I’m always happy for him. You know, to me, he’ll always be a Stampede wrestler — one of my dad’s guys. Bad News was maybe not my closest friend, but I always had a respect for him. He was a pretty intense guy. Like, he was not a stupid man. He was a pretty well-educated, disciplined guy and was really, I think an honorable guy. He was the kind of guy I would say never told a lie in his life, you know, that kind of thing. He always spoke his truth.”

Brown represented the USA in the 1976 Olympics and won a bronze medal in judo. After that, he broke into pro wrestling in Japan and later had runs in Canada with Stampede Wrestling and the United States with WWF. Hart noted that, because Brown learned wrestling in Japan, he never developed the kind of psychology that Hart was familiar with. Hart described him as a “meat chopper” — someone who just wanted to beat the hell out of their opponent and get their hand raised.

“He was very limited. Like, you couldn’t hit him in the head,” Hart said. “He was very touchy about what you did to him. And he was not the kind of guy you could mess with. He was a very tough man — arguably maybe one of the toughest men that ever put on a pair of boots in pro wrestling. A legitimate badass, tough guy that was more than capable of fighting anybody.”

Hart described Brown as “fearless” and said he was not afraid of anyone, anywhere. Though he personally had difficulties working with Brown because of his Japanese-style psychology and refusal to sell in their matches, Hart gave Brown a positive recommendation when Vince McMahon wanted to bring him into WWF. Hart urged McMahon not to put them in a program together because of their in-ring differences, but McMahon did not end up listening, having them as the final two in the WrestleMania IV battle royal that Brown won.

In the industry, Hart believes some people saw Brown as “a bit of a racist” because of how outspoken he was about his Blackness. If they weren’t in the same business, Hart believes he would have been a big fan of Brown because of how honest he was. Summing up his final thoughts, Hart called Brown a “great guy” who he just couldn’t do business with in the ring.

Brown passed away at 63 years old in 2007 due to a heart attack. He is part of this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class alongside Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition, Dennis Rodman, and Sid Vicious.

Last year, Hart was honored with his WrestleMania 13 match against Steve Austin being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was the first match ever inducted. Hart is already in the HOF individually and as a member of The Hart Foundation with his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart.

Dragon Gate wrestler announces departure from promotion

Junior heavyweight wrestler Dragon Dia has announced his departure from Dragon Gate effective at the start of April.

Dia posted a statement on Tuesday announcing that, after extensive discussions with Dragon Gate, it’s been decided that he will be departing Dragon Gate as of April 1. He thanked everyone in Dragon Gate for the lessons he learned while with the company, along with thanking the fans for the support they’ve given him. He will be taking some time to recharged but promised to return as a better, more mature wrestler — and Dia said he would be grateful if fans would continue supporting him.

In a follow-up to his statement, Dia said he has not been dealing with an injury or health issue and stressed that he has not signed with any other promotion yet. Given that he participated in NJPW’s Best of the Super Junior and Super Junior Tag League tournaments in both 2024 and 2025, NJPW would appear to be a possible destination for Dia.

NJPW is currently in the process of rolling out the entrants for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors.

Dia, who is now 27 years old, made his pro wrestling debut for Dragon Gate in 2018 as a protege of Dragon Kid. He is a two-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, which is Dragon Gate’s version of a junior heavyweight title, and has also held tag team and trios gold.

New Don Callis Family member revealed ahead of AEW Trios title match

A new member of the Don Callis Family has been revealed ahead of challenging for AEW gold this Friday night.

In a video uploaded late on Monday, Rocky Romero announced that CMLL wrestler Volador Jr. has joined the Don Callis Family ranks. The faction will attempt to gain the AEW Trios titles on Friday when Volador, Hechicero & El Clon take on Mistico, Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey in the main event of CMLL’s Arena Mexico show.

The 45-year-old Volador is a long-time CMLL star who has made frequent NJPW appearances over the years, including featuring in multiple Best of the Super Junior and Super Junior Tag League tournaments. He debuted for AEW in 2024 and MLW in 2025.

Mistico, Knight & Bailey became the new AEW Trios Champions when they defeated Don Callis Family’s Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis this month at Revolution 2026. That same night, it was announced that Mistico is now under a dual contract with AEW and CMLL.

Last week, the Don Callis Family was dealt a blow when it was announced that Josh Alexander will need to undergo knee surgery and miss an extended amount of time. Fletcher also could be dealing with an injury as he was wearing a walking boot after wrestling on AEW Collision this past weekend.

The April 3 Arena Mexico card also includes AEW’s Thunder Rosa teaming with Marcela & India Sioux for a six-woman tag match against Persephone, Princesa Sugehit & Olympia.

Cody Rhodes believes Kit Wilson could become next breakout WWE star

Cody Rhodes believes Kit Wilson has the potential to be one of WWE’s next breakout singles stars.

While speaking with Adam Glyn during a media tour in New York City, Rhodes was asked to name who he thinks will be WWE’s next huge star. Rhodes pointed to some of the obvious options before then listing Wilson among the names. Rhodes can see how much Wilson wants to succeed, and that’s a quality that matters a lot to Rhodes.

“I think this one’s fairly obvious, I’ve talked about Trick [Williams] there and Je’Von [Evans] is on his way,” Rhodes said. “Bron Breakker’s on his way. Oba [Femi], Oba is definitely — that’s a safe bet. And then I’ll say somebody who you can tell wants it, and ‘wants it’ really matters to me, and I think might make it: Kit Wilson.”

With his Pretty Deadly tag team partner Elton Prince sidelined due to a neck injury, Wilson has made the most of his singles opportunity, gaining fan support with the help of his viral theme music. Wilson is coming off a loss to music star Jelly Roll on SmackDown last week.

Rhodes also gave a surprising answer when Glyn asked about the strongest wrestler he’s ever faced. Outside of easy answers like Mark Henry and Big Show, Rhodes pointed to Logan Paul as one of the strongest pound-for-pound opponents he’s shared the ring with.

“Seth [Rollins] is incredibly strong, pound-for-pound. Bron Breakker is incredibly strong,” Rhodes said. “And, man, I’ll give you an answer — very strong, I mean, athlete to athlete, a stud, a thoroughbred, I hate saying this, it’s Logan Paul. He’s an athlete, yeah.”

Rhodes is now just a few weeks away from defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42. That bout is expected to headline night one of the show on Saturday, April 18.

Trish Stratus addresses possible WWE return

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus remains open to returning to the ring under the right conditions.

In 2025, Stratus worked three WWE matches in celebration of the 25th anniversary of her debut. There were plans for Stratus to do more with the company, but that changed when her mother passed away in August after battling cancer. Stratus told The Takedown on SI that she is still open to a return if the right story and opponent are there.

“I need to see the landscape,” she said. “I’m very story, storyline driven. And for me, is it going to be interesting for the fans? Is it something they want to see? Is it going to elevate someone? And of course, there’s like the storyline behind it. I love the story, I want to make sure it makes sense and I want to make sure the landscape makes sense for me to enter into.”

Stratus took part in the 2025 women’s Royal Rumble match and then worked two other bouts, teaming with Tiffany Stratton at Elimination Chamber before the two faced off at Evolution. Stratton was the WWE Women’s Champion at the time and defeated Stratus to retain.

During the Friday of WrestleMania 42 weekend, Stratus is set to appear at the WWE World convention in Las Vegas. Stratus has also partnered with Flanker Kitchen & Sports Bar for a week of events. She’ll be joined by Mickie James, Lilian Garcia, Jazz, and Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria) and has crafted her own menu that will be offered at the restaurant.

Stratus initially retired from the ring in 2006 but has been back for multiple WWE runs over the years. She was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

Update on Nikki Bella after WWE SmackDown injury

Nikki Bella is in a walking boot after her injury on WWE SmackDown — but she might still be able to compete at WrestleMania 42.

After injuring her ankle last Friday, Bella was at SiriusXM studios in New York City today to host “Front Row with the Women of WWE” alongside her twin sister Brie. Clips from the event show that Nikki was wearing a walking boot. However, Nikki reportedly told fans that she will be okay in approximately one week.

The Bellas were facing Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss on SmackDown when Nikki’s injury happened. Nikki & Brie won the match after Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Lash Legend got involved. Jax & Legend then attacked both teams until Bayley & Lyra Valkyria made the save.

A title match with Jax & Legend vs. Bayley & Valkyria is taking place tonight on Raw at Madison Square Garden. It’s expected that this is leading to a multi-team match for the titles happening at WrestleMania.

Becoming Women’s Tag Team Champions for the first time is a huge goal for The Bellas, who signed new two-year contracts with WWE in 2026 and plan to retire once those deals are up.

Becky Lynch and Natalya joined The Bellas at today’s SiriusXM interview taping, with Cody Rhodes — who was in the building for an appearance on Busted Open Radio — also stopping by Nikki & Brie’s event.

Goldberg: Retirement speech cutoff shows ‘what disrespect’ WWE has for me

Goldberg still sounds bothered about the way the final night of his wrestling career ended.

In July 2025, Goldberg wrestled his final match when he lost to Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. Goldberg had fun in the match and came away from the night with a lot of respect for Gunther. But Goldberg was not happy about the way his retirement speech was abruptly cut off on the broadcast.

Goldberg was in Nashville on Sunday (March 29) for an autograph signing. During the appearance, TikToker Pop the Chain met Goldberg and recorded their interaction. Goldberg said cutting off his speech showed the disrespect WWE has for him — and he agreed with Pop the Chain that Paul “Triple H” Levesque is a “jackass.”

  • Pop the Chain: You know what really pissed me off? Was when WWE cut off your mic at your final performance.
  • Goldberg: Well, what do you think it did for me? It made me really happy [sarcastic]. It just shows what disrespect they have for me.
  • Pop the Chain: What jackass — was it Hunter? Who did that?
  • Goldberg: Probably.
  • Pop the Chain: Yeah, he’s a jackass, man.
  • Goldberg: 100 percent

Goldberg was the first wrestling legend that Gunther retired. Gunther has now adopted a “Career Killer” persona after going on to defeat John Cena and AJ Styles in their final matches.

It was announced last month that Goldberg has been named a partner and CEO of Patriot Tactical, a brand that sells knives and other protective equipment.

Though it was cut off on the broadcast, WWE did upload Goldberg’s full retirement speech online.

Cody Rhodes comments on high-priced WWE bus tour: ‘An absurd amount of money’

Cody Rhodes hopes to give fans their money’s worth during his upcoming WrestleMania 42 bus tour.

For the cost of $9,950 per person, WWE and On Location offered fans the chance to purchase an exclusive behind-the-scenes bus tour with Rhodes during WrestleMania 42 weekend. The astronomical price point drew a lot of attention on social media. But, despite any criticism that was levied, it has sold out of the very limited spots that were made available.

Rhodes appeared on Busted Open Radio today and, while admitting that it’s an “absurd” amount of money, said he’s honored that fans would pay this much to meet him. He plans on making it a special experience for everyone on the tour.

“We did this tour last year very quietly. And it’s just a sweet On Location deal for the people that want a little bit of that extra moment. What I did last year was very fun, they got to see my WrestleMania gear in advance and we got to talk WrestleMania,” Rhodes said.

“I’ve got a good plan for them this year, because like you said, that’s an absurd amount of money. And, gosh, thanks for — the fact that people are out there paying that, that makes me feel incredible. So I want them to definitely feel like they got a unique and cool experience and something intimate for us. Because when you get those moments with your fans where you can sit down across from them and actually get to know them — two of the guys that were on the bus tour last year are actually coming on my podcast. I wanted to bring a fan onto the podcast to see what that experience was like. We’ve stayed in touch. So I look forward to a whole new motley crew on the bus this year. And thank you for doing that.”

WWE and On Location have been partners since 2022. With WWE and the other sports leagues it works with, On Location offers premium ticket packages and experiences for fans willing to shell out high-dollar amounts to attend big events.

An On Location offering for May’s Clash in Italy PLE has also gotten attention on social media. With a price tag of $11,500 per person, fans can purchase a ticket package that includes a private pasta making session with a WWE star and reserved seating at a wine tasting that WWE wrestlers will be appearing at. That package does also include a front row seat to the PLE itself.

Rhodes is defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42. On Busted Open, he discussed not being bothered by fans cheering for Orton over him in their feud.

Cody Rhodes reacts to WWE crowds cheering Randy Orton over him

Cody Rhodes isn’t bothered by WWE crowds cheering for Randy Orton over him in their WrestleMania feud.

The Undisputed WWE Championship will be on the line when Rhodes and Orton face off at WrestleMania 42. During the build to the match, Orton has turned heel and launched attacks on Rhodes, Matt Cardona, and even country music star Jelly Roll. The heel turn hasn’t exactly taken with fans, though, with them happy to see Orton return to his more aggressive persona.

Rhodes appeared on Busted Open Radio this morning and opened up about how the fans have been reacting.

“I don’t take it personally. I think maybe when I was younger I did. And certainly there’s no absolute in that, I’m sure some things kind of slip through the armor a bit and you feel it,” Rhodes said. “But my thought in terms of fans, today, more than ever, is that we are out there and whatever their emotional need is, if they need to cheer for you, if they need to cheer for him, if they need to yell at you — I can’t put a governor on that, and I will not. Tully Blanchard rules in terms of for me when he’d say, ‘The loudest, the longest [reaction].’

“I can’t be angry at them, whatever it is they need. If they’re cheering for Randy as he seeks [World title reign number] 15 even with the things he did, okay. I’m not there to try and tell you you’re wrong or right. There’s no wrong way to be a fan. So right now it hasn’t got to me. I’ll be honest, sometimes maybe it will. But right now? No.”

The Rhodes vs. Orton match is expected to headline WrestleMania 42 night one on Saturday, April 18. Rhodes told Busted Open that, despite all the history they have together, the matchup feels “very first-time” given how different he and Orton are now. Rhodes is looking to show Orton how much he’s leveled up as a wrestler since they were in Legacy together.

The IInspiration set for first TJPW Tag Team title defense

The IInspiration already have their first title defense lined up after winning tag team gold for Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling

Over the weekend, Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay were in Tokyo for TJPW’s Grand Princess 2026 event. They defeated Ober Eats (Wakana Uehara & Yuki Kamifuku) to become the new Princess Tag Team Champions. It’s now been announced that their first title defense will take place stateside when TJPW comes to Las Vegas during WrestleMania week. Lee & McKay will defend their belts against Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao.

The TJPW Live in Vegas event is taking place on Thursday, April 16 at the Pearl Theater. It’s part of the multi-promotional Palms Slam Fest that is being put on by Paragon Talent Group.

Lee & McKay have held Tag Team titles for WWE, TNA Wrestling, and TJPW during their run as a team. They debuted for AEW last month and are under contract with the promotion. Their addition to the roster helped add depth to the division after AEW introduced Women’s Tag Team title belts toward the end of 2025. The titles are currently held by Megan Bayne & Lena Kross.

There are now three title matches confirmed for the TJPW Live in Vegas event:

  • Princess of Princess Champion Yuki Arai defends against J-Rod
  • Princess Tag Team Champions The IInspiration defend against Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
  • International Princess Champion Suzume defends against Sakura Hattori

Trick Williams thinks Carmelo Hayes ‘deserves’ WWE WrestleMania moment

Trick Williams hopes Carmelo Hayes still gets to have a WrestleMania moment despite dropping the United States title.

On WWE SmackDown last Friday, Sami Zayn defeated Hayes to win the U.S. Championship just a few weeks shy of WrestleMania. The title change resulted in some social media backlash from fans upset over Hayes losing the belt and not having a spot at Mania. It was announced that Zayn will defend against Williams at the April 18-19 event, with Hayes not currently being factored into those plans.

Williams addressed that backlash while appearing on Mornings With Mero on Hot 97 in New York City today. He thinks Hayes “deserves” a WrestleMania moment and still thinks it’s possible that Hayes will get it.

“Me and Melo, we go way back, of course. And I would love to see him get his moment, and he deserves that. And you never know, he probably still will,” Williams said. “You know what I mean, he carried that US title great. So he deserves his moment and I’m sure he’s going to get his moment.”

During their time in NXT, Williams and Hayes were both rivals and partners. They’re now among a new wave of stars breaking onto the main roster. Williams spoke with Mornings With Mero about the young Black talent that exists in WWE right now, which also includes the recently called up Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans.

“First of all, what a time, man,” Williams said. “Some of these things you can’t control. It is the right time. I got to say, shout out to the guys who came before us who laid down the foundation that made us be able to shine in this light that we’re doing — the Booker Ts, The Rock, the Bobby Lashleys, etc.

“Also, I got to say, shout out to Triple H, Nick Khan for giving us the platform. Every single week, I lie to you not, he says, ‘Go out there and do your thing.’ He says, ‘Nobody can be Trick Williams. We can’t write for you, you go out there and you be Trick Williams.'”

Josh Alexander to undergo surgery after ‘pretty severe’ AEW injury

Josh Alexander has shared some unfortunate news after suffering an injury at a recent AEW Collision taping.

While competing in a trios match on March 18, Alexander sustained a knee injury and had to be helped to the back. He gave an update on the situation today and revealed that he was just told that he’ll need to undergo surgery. Alexander said there is no timetable right now for when he’ll be back in the ring.

“I just found out minutes ago how serious this was,” Alexander said. “I know I’ve been limping and in pain for a week, but my surgeon told me I’m going to need surgery this coming Wednesday, that my knee injury is pretty severe. So I will not be cleared to compete and there’s no timetable set right now for when I will be back.”

The injury means Alexander — the Maple Leaf Pro Canadian Champion — has been pulled from the cards for MLP’s events in Windsor this weekend. That includes tonight’s co-promoted MLP & ROH Global Wars show. Alexander was really looking forward to defending his title and would have wrestled on one leg if he were allowed to.

Alexander and his Don Callis Family stablemates Konosuke Takeshita & El Clon were challenging Mistico, Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey for the AEW Trios titles in the match where Alexander’s injury happened. It aired on the March 22 episode of Collision with Mistico submitting El Clon to retain.

A former World Champion for TNA, Alexander has been with AEW for nearly a year now after debuting in April 2025.

Two new matches official for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV

A clash between Nattie Neidhart and Shayna Baszler is one of two new additions to the card for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV.

It was announced today that Neidhart vs. Baszler and Erick Stevens vs. Fuminori Abe will both take place at the April 17 Bloodsport event in Las Vegas. Promoted by Barnett and Game Changer Wrestling, the show will air live on Triller TV+ with a start time of 3 p.m. Pacific/6 p.m. Eastern.

Outlets like Bloodsport helped Neidhart develop the heel “Nattie” persona that she’s now brought to WWE. She’s 2-0 in Bloodsport matches with victories over Miya Yamashita and Masha Slamovich.

Baszler was the first-ever WWE wrestler booked for Bloodsport when she wrestled at the event in 2024. She has a 3-0 Bloodsport record with wins against Slamovich, Yamashita, and Konami.

Though Baszler was released by WWE in May 2025, she still maintains a good relationship with the company while competing on the indies. She helps guest coach at the Performance Center and has appeared twice in cameos on NXT.

Stevens is a former ROH wrestler who has made a couple of indie comebacks after initially retiring in 2010. Getting to face Japanese standout Abe is a dream match for him, with Stevens calling Abe “one of the most skilled and prolific grapplers of the last decade.” Abe is a freelancer with experience in Big Japan, All Japan, and DDT.

Here is the updated Bloodsport card:

Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV (Friday, April 17) —

  • Pete Dunne vs. Masashi Takeda
  • Charlie Dempsey vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • Ulka Sasaki vs. Joe Dashou
  • Angel Verduzco vs. Matt Mako
  • Royce Isaacs vs. Shane Mercer
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ray Jaz
  • Nattie Neidhart vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Erick Stevens vs. Fuminori Abe
  • Also set to compete: Josh Barnett, Yuji Nagata, Miyu Yamashita

Kenny Omega praises dedication of AEW roster

With the roster the promotion has, Kenny Omega believes AEW will always be in the conversation for best pro wrestling company in the world.

It was confirmed this week that Omega will challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship next month at Dynasty 2026. Omega is looking to begin his second reign after previously holding the AEW World title in 2020-2021. He spoke with Undisputed ahead of the match and looked back at AEW’s seven-year run so far, praising the dedication of the roster and expressing pride in how AEW has helped expose fans to the global wrestling landscape.

“There were a lot of great steps along the way,” Omega said. “One that really sticks out is when we reached a point where we had an official partnership with New Japan and CMLL, and we were willing, able, and eager to show the various professional wrestling styles of the world to our American fans an international fans. That was a main goal for me. I wanted people to experience all the different types of professional wrestling.

“Very rarely did I feel like we took steps backward. You take pride in your work, so when we did, those were crushing. Not everything works, but wrestling has a circular momentum. So when something didn’t work out, we have the roster to turn it around. That’s the case now more than ever. This is a roster with a dedication to the art and sport of wrestling. That’s why we’ll always be in the conversation of the best professional wrestling company in the world.”

Dynasty is being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on April 12. Omega earned his World title shot by defeating Swerve Strickland in a match where Omega’s AEW EVP position was also at stake.

In his hometown of Winnipeg next Wednesday (April 1), Omega will team up with Brody King & Jack Perry on Dynamite for a trios bout against The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona).