Author: Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade. In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.

Jonathan Gresham feeling ‘100 percent,’ ready to return after two strokes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jonathan Gresham is in a good place physically as he prepares to step back into the ring.

After more than six months out of action, Gresham will have his return match tonight (January 23) when he faces off against Ryan Clancy for Beyond Wrestling. Gresham went through a scary medical ordeal when he suffered two strokes in 2025, which were believed to be complications from a bad case of COVID-19, but he is now ready to resume his career.

“Everybody already knows I had two strokes,” Gresham told Undisputed ahead of tonight’s match. “They were Covid-related strokes. Now I’m fully ready to go. I’m 100 percent and I’m off to the races.”

Gresham has competed for TNA Wrestling, ROH, and AEW in the past but has been a free agent since early 2025. He told Undisputed that, on the indies, he is looking to give younger wrestlers the opportunity to face someone who is more experienced than them.

“Beyond did so much for me,” said Gresham. “It gave me a platform to show the world what I could do. It’s only fitting to come back and give young individuals the opportunity to wrestle people more experienced than them on a big stage.”

Gresham has also begun taking other indie bookings, including Superpower Slam (presented by Orange Crush & GCW) on February 1 and the Jersey J-Cup (GCW & JCW) on February 6-7.

Arts at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts is hosting tonight’s Beyond show. It will be broadcast live on IndependentWrestling.TV.

Cody Rhodes interview, two matches added to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for tonight’s WWE SmackDown has a few new additions.

Ahead of tonight’s SmackDown, WWE announced that Cody Rhodes will have a sit-down interview on the show. He’ll address his upcoming match against Jacob Fatu at Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, which was made after the returning Fatu cost Rhodes the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre two weeks ago. A brawl between Rhodes and Fatu then took place last Friday before being broken up by security.

Two new matches have also been confirmed for tonight. WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill faces off with Chelsea Green in a non-title match, while Carmelo Hayes defends his United States Championship in another open challenge. Hayes has retained over Johnny Gargano, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Leon Slater in his reign so far.

Montreal, Quebec Canada is hosting SmackDown tonight and Saturday Night’s Main Event tomorrow. Here is the updated SmackDown lineup:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, January 23) —

  • WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against The MFTs
  • Women’s Tag Team title number one contender’s match: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia & Kiana James vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend
  • Cody Rhodes sit-down interview
  • Damian Priest vs. Trick Williams
  • Non-title match: WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green
  • Carmelo Hayes United States Championship open challenge
  • Nathan Frazer vs. Johnny Gargano
  • AJ Styles appears for a chat with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis

Update on Powerhouse Hobbs signing with WWE, reaction from AEW

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though Powerhouse Hobbs has departed the company, it sounds like he’s still on good terms with AEW.

Dave Meltzer confirmed in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Hobbs has officially signed with WWE. He finished up with AEW last week, dropping the Trios titles on the Collision episode that aired on January 17. Meltzer reports that Hobbs’ decision was about doing what was best for his family — and no one in AEW has had anything negative to say about him.

“Nobody in AEW had anything negative to say about him, with us being told he made the decision based on his family, which would seem to indicate he got a better money deal,” Meltzer wrote. “Some people go to WWE with the idea of going even with a lesser money offer, because it’s either their dream, or belief they want to be in the top place, or that it’s a better stepping stone to Hollywood than AEW. But Hobbs was a guy the company clearly really wanted and whether he was going to get much higher in AEW is a question.”

Hobbs was a TNT Champion and Trios Champion during his time with AEW, which was a five-plus-year run. He held the Trios titles with Samoa Joe & Katsuyori Shibata before dropping them to Hangman Page, Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey last week.

Today is Hobbs’ 35th birthday. When he’ll make his WWE debut remains to be seen, though there is sure to be a lot of speculation heading into the Royal Rumble at the end of this month.

Jade Cargill names her WWE dream opponent

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jade Cargill can’t wait until she gets to stand across the ring from Charlotte Flair one day.

More than two years after signing with WWE, Cargill is still waiting to face Flair for the first time. It’s a matchup that Cargill really wants to happen — and she’s sure they’ll deliver in the ring when they do meet.

“Charlotte Flair. I love Charlotte Flair,” Cargill responded when the Beyond The Bell Podcast asked who her dream opponent is. “I think she and I will have an amazing match. And one thing I know that Charlotte does is, she pulls whomever up that she works with or she tries her best to do that. And she wants to do nothing but represent and elevate the women’s division. And I want to do the same exact thing. So that’s one woman I want to work with for sure.

“I mean, it’s Charlotte Flair. I really want to work with Charlotte Flair. And she has this persona that’s beyond herself as well, so I would love to go toe-to-toe with Charlotte Flair. She’s the ‘Top Girl,’ I’m the ‘It Girl.’ Like, I would love that.”

Cargill is more than 80 days into her WWE Women’s Championship reign but has yet to have a televised title defense. She won the belt from Tiffany Stratton on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in November.

While Flair is on SmackDown like Cargill, her focus has been on competing in the women’s tag team division with partner Alexa Bliss.

The title picture heading into WrestleMania 42 will become clearer when Royal Rumble 2026 takes place at the end of this month. The women’s Rumble winner earns the right to challenge for either the WWE Women’s Championship or Women’s World Championship (currently held by Stephanie Vaquer) at WrestleMania.

Bayley on her WWE longevity: ‘I’m crazy in love with this’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Bayley’s love for professional wrestling is the main thing fueling her WWE longevity.

While appearing on the Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred podcast, Bayley was asked how she’s been able to stay successful nearly 15 years after first signing with WWE. She pointed to her love of wrestling, wanting to help other talent, and still having personal goals that she wants to achieve.

“A little bit of luck and little bit of craziness, because I’m crazy in love with this,” Bayley responded when asked what the key to her longevity is. “Cody and I call it — I always get it wrong — but I think we call it a ‘sickening.’ We have a sickening for this. Wrestling as a whole is ever-changing, and you never stop growing. Because the eras have changed so quickly throughout my time here and because the talent keeps getting better and better, I feel like I’m constantly evolving and constantly having to keep up. In a way of, you know, I’m just always growing and always learning.

“Luckily, there’s always something more that you want to accomplish. We have two brand new titles still: the Women’s Intercontinental title, the Women’s United States Championship. So those are two more things I would love to accomplish. And now I’m in this new tag team with Lyra Valkyria and I feel very rejuvenated being in a team with her, because obviously you guys know how talented she is. She just has a special soul and heart for this that I feel like I need in my career, at this point in my career. So constantly evolving, and I’m just lucky that they still want me around and I’m in a position where I can help people so I feel a little needed — on top of me wanting to still accomplish my own personal goals.”

Bayley & Valkyria are on the WWE Raw roster and have been featured in the women’s tag team division. Both have already been confirmed as entrants for the 2026 women’s Royal Rumble match.

In the future, Bayley hopes to open her own wrestling school. She expressed interest in potentially working behind the scenes in WWE whenever her in-ring career comes to an end.

Daily Update: Marissa McMahon, AJ Styles, MJF

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This issue covers the following topics:

  • The changes in the WrestleMania plans, the Drew McIntyre title win, Roman Reigns return and the whys.
  • WWE getting Will Hobbs while AEW signs a slew of new talent as well. A look at each case-by-case.
  • Notes on the big weekend coming to Mexico City
  • Kayla Harrison injury and what is the future for the biggest women’s fight in years
  • Win-loss records and total bouts for all top WWE/NXT talent in 2025
  • WWE Iron Man winner from 1984-2025
  • What cutting back on the schedule has taught us about injuries
  • Who gets protected in booking and who doesn’t
  • The problem with the current schedule and development of young talent
  • A star who has been around through various eras talks timing and injuries and best schedule
  • A look at TNA’s debut on AMC, what went right and wrong
  • When did wrestling start being a work. Studying of history shows it’s a lot earlier than you would think
  • Odds for WWE matches upcoming
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of all the pro wrestling shows this past week, as well as comparisons with the past and a look at the level of declines and why
  • What wrestler has already main evented 12 sold out shows in 2026
  • One woman wrestler announces retirement and another retires
  • Kazuchika Okada in Japan
  • Most watched New Japan World matches of 2025
  • Ted DiBiase Jr. on trial
  • Death of Rick Link, from fan clubs to main events
  • Jesse Ventura speaks about the current political environment
  • The greatest wrestler in the world signs with Eric Bischoff’s promotion
  • Tons of major independent shows coming
  • AEW gets TV in new market
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA events
  • Most viewed YouTube videos from AEW and WWE
  • Tag team returning to AEW
  • Dana White shuts down talk of major match
  • A new lawsuit filed against WWE
  • Notes on the recent WWE tryout
  • Notes on all the WWE arena shows this past week.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • While calling into Busted Open Radio today, MJF said he wants to defend the AEW World Championship against Nic Nemeth:
    • MJF: Nemeth, whenever you find your balls, let me know. I’d love to wrestle you for the title as well. Good day, sir.
    • Nemeth: Wow. What a call. I was just offered an AEW title shot… I’m really focused, surprisingly, on the TNA World title – tonight possibly even. But, wow, AEW Champion. You’ve got Swerve and Hangman and Joe all going after MJF – and he’s thinking about me. I’m on board. I like that. I always wondered if he could hang in the ring. We’ll find out one day, I guess.
  • Wrestle Radio Australia interviewed MJF.
  • Mansoor, Mason Madden, and Johnny TV have been announced for CMLL’s show at Arena Mexico on January 30.
  • Chris Jericho spoke to Soundsphere about the importance of reinventing yourself:
    • Reinvention is important at any stage of your career, because you want to keep people excited and motivated about what you’re doing. The [Rolling] Stones last record, ‘Hackney Diamonds’ was great. Why wouldn’t The Stones release a new album? Because they’re artists, and that’s what artists do. Keeping things fresh and exciting is something I believe in wholeheartedly. There’s nothing wrong with having tinges, but you still want to create new things as well, so you’re not just a nostalgia act.
  • Marigold wished Mayu Iwatani a happy 15th anniversary of her pro wrestling debut.
  • Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling announced more details for its four-show U.S. tour that’s taking place in Texas this March.
  • Joe Karni has an interview with Mike Santana.
  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Paul London looked back on his official SmackDown debut match being against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship:
    • I think that stemmed out of that thing where he had decimated Brian [Kendrick]. He took that crazy F5 into the ring post bump, which is still, I have no idea how he did that. He even took a weird back bump from the floor up against the turnbuckles. Brian did an amazing job, incredible worker. But then he did the thing with Zach Gowen, where he bled him out like a stuck pig. Then it was me. But the same thing happened where I’m in the ring with Brock going over it. Arn is the agent. I love Arn Anderson. I actually have one of his trading cards, I carry it with me everywhere. But he’s like, oh, ‘What can you do, kid? Gotta make this guy look like a son of a bitch.’ I’m like, I think he’s doing a pretty good job on his own. He doesn’t have a neck. He’s shaped like Ram Man. And I’m like, ‘Well, if he clotheslines me right off the bat, I can do a 360.’ So I wouldn’t say Brock took a liking to me, but we were always cool, always cool after that. I mean, he wouldn’t say hi to anybody a lot of times, but he was always cool to me.
  • Tully Blanchard turns 72 years old today.

R-Truth says WWE non-renewal ‘felt like a firing’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When he got the call that his WWE contract wasn’t being renewed last year, R-Truth felt like he was being fired.

Truth’s contract saga is one of the main stories in the new season of “WWE: Unreal.” In June 2025, he was informed that his contract was not being renewed after a 17-year run with the company. But Truth ended up staying with WWE after fan outcry over his departure led to him being brought back under a new long-term deal.

The “Unreal” episode covering the situation includes Paul “Triple H” Levesque saying that Truth was never actually fired. Levesque claims that, when WWE decided not to renew, they did so with the hope that it would bring Truth back to the table after a breakdown in negotiations.

Truth responded to those comments during an interview on The Breakfast Club this week. Because WWE was telling him not to come to work, Truth viewed it as being released.

“Let me ask you this then, I got the call, right? I got my agent working on this end with their agent. I’m going to stay out of that, right? Let them handle that thing,” Truth said. “I get a call from this side saying we’re not going to renew your contract or however it was. ‘So do I come to work? It’s Sunday. Next Sunday my contract would be ending. So do I come to work?’ [They said], ‘No, don’t come to work.’ Oh, okay, ‘Am I done now?’ ‘Yes.’ There was no flight, no calendar. What do you call that? I don’t know if it’s all the same or if it’s different…

“It felt like a firing to me. And that’s when I paused, took that moment. I couldn’t figure out how I felt. It was sudden. We were in negotiations. So I thought, so I was told. It was a negotiation. So it was like, never for once did I feel bitter, jaded, or anger. I was just at loss for feelings, at loss for words, at loss for emotion.”

Truth said this was the first time he had an agent negotiating for him, so he was more removed from the contract process than he had been in past deals. Because he had been with WWE for so long, he felt like he owed the fans a “thank you” — which is why he sent out the tweet saying that he had been released.

After all this, Truth feels like he’s more popular than he’s ever been. He appreciates that, with the new contract he signed, WWE is helping him promote his music career. He released a new country/hip-hop album — titled “The White Album” — in 2025.

Nick Aldis invites AJ Styles to appear on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Update —

AJ Styles has now officially accepted Nick Aldis’ invitation for Friday’s show:

**********

An appearance by AJ Styles is in the works for WWE SmackDown this Friday night.

On Monday’s Raw episode, it was announced that Styles would be putting his career on the line when he faces off against Gunther at the Royal Rumble. WWE has now followed up on that by posting a video with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis inviting Styles to Friday’s show. Aldis said he is looking forward to chatting with an old friend.

“Before he puts his career on the line at the Royal Rumble, I’d like to take this chance to formally invite the Phenomenal AJ Styles to SmackDown this week,” Aldis said. “I would love to have a chat with an old friend. After all, SmackDown is the house that AJ Styles built. My door is always open, AJ. Think about it.”

Styles is legitimately set to retire at some point in 2026 — and WWE has worked that into his feud with Gunther. They faced off on the January 12 edition of Raw with Gunther getting the win. He tricked Styles by tapping out behind the referee’s back, then used a low blow when Styles thought the match was over. Styles wanted a rematch, but Gunther would only agree to face him again if Styles put his career on the line.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada is hosting SmackDown on Friday and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event the following night. The Royal Rumble will then be held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, January 31.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, January 23) —

  • WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against The MFTs
  • Women’s Tag Team title number one contender’s match: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia & Kiana James vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend
  • Nathan Frazer vs. Johnny Gargano
  • Damian Priest vs. Trick Williams
  • AJ Styles invited to appear

Mick Foley celebrates big milestone in weight-loss journey

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mick Foley shared some good news on social media today, revealing that he is now 100 pounds down from his highest weight.

The 60-year-old Foley has found a new lease on life lately with weight loss, along with feeling much better after undergoing hip and knee replacements. His highest weight was 372 pounds — and Foley announced today that he now officially weighs 272. Foley had started to creep up back toward 300 pounds before recommitting himself and getting back into the 270s.

“It took two years, but I’m officially down 100 pounds from my all-time high of 372 pounds in January, 2024,” Foley wrote. “I actually thought last year my high was 379 and I hit my goal when I hit 279 last January…. But little did I know I was 7 pounds short of my 100 lb goal one year ago.

“Yes, I had some help in the form of Wegovy, which helped reduce the constant cravings…. But I made wiser eating choices, stopped eating when I was starting to get full – instead of when I was stuffed – and did a little bit of that @ddpyoga as well. I’ve managed to keep the weight off since last year and actually hit my goal….finally!”

The next milestone Foley is hoping to reach is 250 pounds. He thanked everyone for their encouragement and noted that he is moving around a lot better.

“I am moving around so much better, I’m not short of wind after walking up hills and stairs, and one day may even take my shirt off at the beach,” he added.

Last month, Foley announced that he is parting ways with WWE and will not be renewing his Legends contract when it expires this summer. Foley cited WWE’s close association with President Donald Trump as the reason for his decision. The final straw for Foley was the “incredibly cruel” response that Trump had after the death of Hollywood director Rob Reiner.

Report: Steve Austin could make WWE return soon

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One of WWE’s greatest-ever legends could be popping back up on television soon.

WrestleVotes reports that there has been internal discussion within WWE about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin making an appearance in the near future. The appearance is not confirmed to happen, but WrestleVotes notes that Austin’s name has been “circulating across multiple departments.” The report does not state what Austin’s role would be or if this potential appearance would be a one-off.

WWE is entering its biggest period of the year right now with the Royal Rumble happening in Saudi Arabia at the end of this month and WrestleMania 42 being held in Las Vegas in April. Austin owns a ranch in Nevada — and he made a brief appearance at WrestleMania 41 in Vegas last year when he announced the attendance for night two of the event.

Toward the end of 2024, Austin underwent a knee replacement surgery that has provided him some relief. Austin feels like he would physically be capable of having another wrestling match, though the 61-year-old wrestling legend recently told Insight with Chris Van Vliet that he does not expect to do so.

“Probably not,” Austin said about having one more match. “I’ll say that, but you say never say never.”

Austin last wrestled when he faced Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. Before that, he had not competed in nearly two decades.

Trick Williams praises ‘once-in-a-generation’ WWE talent Carmelo Hayes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Trick Williams views his former tag team partner Carmelo Hayes as a “once-in-a-generation” type of talent.

While appearing on No-Contest Wrestling, Williams — one of the newest members of the WWE SmackDown roster — was asked about now being on the same brand as Hayes. Williams mostly kept kayfabe with his answer but praised Hayes for how good he is in the ring.

“I mean, we cool. It ain’t beef. You know, it ain’t love,” Williams said. “The last time I seen him on screen, you know, we did a tag match together. I think there’s a mutual respect. Shout out to Carmelo Hayes, man. He is that once-in-a-generation type talent, man. The things he does in the ring is amazing. You know what I mean?

“I do think that we are very different in how we approach the game. I feel like he deserves his flowers. And I think he’s a great talent. I wish nothing but the best for Melo. But, yeah, we’re different, you know what I mean? He does his thing. I do mine.”

Williams and Hayes were both allies and rivals during their time in NXT. On SmackDown, Hayes currently holds gold as the United States Champion.

At Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, Williams is competing in a fatal four-way match with WWE Championship implications. It will be Williams vs. Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn vs. Damian Priest to determine Drew McIntyre’s title challenger for the Royal Rumble.

Seth Rollins on possible WWE WrestleMania return: ‘Don’t know the answer to that yet’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Seth Rollins hopes to be back in time for WWE WrestleMania 42, but the decision ultimately is not in his hands.

The former World Heavyweight Champion underwent shoulder surgery in October and was given a 4-6 month timeline for how long he would be out of action. That makes a WrestleMania return possible for Rollins, though it all depends on if WWE medical will clear him in time.

During a media tour to promote “WWE: Unreal,” Rollins spoke with Men’s Health and was asked if he’d be back for Mania.

“Don’t know. Don’t know the answer to that yet,” Rollins responded. “The timeline for shoulder surgery and repair is, you know, 4-6 months or so. Did my rotator cuff back in October. I’m rehabbing. As long as there’s no setbacks, I hope to be cleared by the time WrestleMania rolls around in April. But, I mean, at the end of the day, that decision isn’t mine. I just can do the best I can day after day, get myself in a good position, and hope for the best.”

Rollins suffered the injury during his match against Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel: Perth 2025. He was the World Heavyweight Champion at the time but had to vacate the title due to injury. With Rollins sidelined, WWE was forced to adjust its plans. Rollins was written out in an angle where he was betrayed by the other members of The Vision. The faction now consists of Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and Paul Heyman.

WrestleMania 42 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Plans for the event will start to come into focus as the Royal Rumble takes place at the end of this month.

Logan Paul responds to ‘banned from Japan’ WWE Raw chants

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On a new episode of his vlog, Logan Paul responded to the chants he received on WWE Raw in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Belfast crowd taunted Paul on Monday by chanting that he was “banned from Japan,” a reference to the 2017-2018 controversy where Paul received massive criticism for uploading a YouTube video containing footage of a suicide victim at Japan’s Aokigahara forest. Paul took down that video after receiving backlash and posted a new video in January 2018 apologizing for what he had done.

“Bro, I’m not even banned from Japan, like officially,” Paul said on his vlog. “Like, in an official way. How did a room full of absolute morons concoct such a brilliant chant? I’m not banned from Japan. What the f***, bro? I’m actually not.”

Paul has yet to appear at any WWE events in Japan since joining the company, though he’s expressed that he would like to do so. So far, WWE has only held house shows in Japan during Paul’s tenure. There have not been any TV shows or PLEs.

Monday’s Raw in Belfast included a six-man tag match where Paul, Bronson Reed & Austin Theory lost to Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee & Penta. Paul, Reed, and Theory are members of The Vision in WWE along with Bron Breakker and their manager Paul Heyman.

Eric Bischoff announces Real American Freestyle broadcast deal extension

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During a Thursday morning appearance on Fox News, Eric Bischoff broke some news regarding Real American Freestyle.

Bischoff and RAF cohorts Chad Bronstein & Izzy Martinez were on Fox & Friends to announce that their organization has extended its broadcast deal with Fox Nation. RAF will continue to air monthly PLEs on the subscription service for the next year. Along with that, the promotion is developing a weekly series that will exist as a scaled-down version of their major events.

“We’re going to be airing on Fox Nation,” Bischoff said while announcing the one-year extension. “When I first heard that there was an opportunity to work with Fox Nation, I thought, ‘Man, that’s too good to be true.’ But here we are, and you guys have been a great partner. We’re going to have monthly events over the next 12 months. We’re working on a weekly series that we’re going to bring to the table. A reality show’s part of it down the line. Think of it as a scaled-down version of our big premium monthly events, but a weekly show with a broader base of talent.”

Real American Freestyle launched in 2025 with the aim of allowing top amateur-style wrestlers to continue their careers as professionals. Bischoff serves as the Chief Media Officer of the organization. Hulk Hogan was set to be the commissioner and public face of RAF prior to his July 2025 passing.

Fox Nation has been the broadcast home of RAF since its first event. The promotion is staging its next show in Tempe, Arizona on February 28, with the card scheduled to be headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber.

“Our audience is a Fox audience,” RAF CEO Bronstein said. “It’s been unbelievable. You guys have given us a platform to promote a sport that really never had a Fox behind them. So having you guys here has helped us lift this up.”

The Rock not among Academy Award nominees

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is still chasing his first Academy Award nomination.

Despite critical praise for his performance in The Smashing Machine, Johnson is not listed among the nominees for the 2026 Academy Awards. The five spots in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category instead went to Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, and Wagner Moura.

The Smashing Machine did receive one nomination, which was for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The movie was released in October 2025 and tells the real-life story of MMA legend Mark Kerr, including his battle with addiction, road to sobriety, and relationship with his ex-wife Dawn. Johnson and Emily Blunt star in the two leading roles.

By taking on the project, Johnson wanted to expose Kerr’s story to a larger audience and provide encouragement to anyone battling similar demons. He also wanted to test his range as an actor and show he was capable of more than he’s displayed previously.

Johnson was nominated for a Golden Globe but lost out to Moura, who starred in The Secret Agent.

Upcoming roles for Johnson include Lizard Music (from Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie), as well as new projects in the Jumanji and Moana franchises.

When we’ll see Johnson on WWE programming next remains to be seen, but he recently mentioned “good” conversations regarding a possible appearance at WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia next year.