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.

AEW’s Ortiz & Eddie Kingston planning to open wrestling school

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW tag team Ortiz and Eddie Kingston are planning to open up their own wrestling school.

Ortiz revealed the news during an interview on AEW Unrestricted, noting that he was able to do some coaching for AEW while he was sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle. Ortiz loves that side of the business and wants to help pass on the knowledge that he’s learned from his mentors.

“Me and Eddie are in the process of opening up our own school,” he said. “Coaching and teaching is very, very — an immense passion of mine. Because I’ve had so many great mentors in wrestling and I just want to pass on that knowledge. I don’t want it to be wasted. And I want to help cultivate a change in wrestling culture. And I’m just thirsty to learn more, and then I’m learning through teaching.”

As they prepare to open this school, Kingston and Ortiz are holding seminars on the indies so they can learn more about the process of teaching. They have a seminar coming up on March 1 for Pro Wrestling Junkie in New Jersey.

“That is the method behind why we’re doing seminars. We need to start doing them so we can learn when we do something wrong or something right and be like, ‘Okay, we’ll keep this. Hey, this kind of dragged out at this part. That’s not that important.’ And just how to really utilize the time given to us, the three, four hours or however long it’s going to be. And what we can give the people attending the best bang for their buck,” Ortiz said.

“In wrestling, as you know, there’s a bunch of carny places where they’re just there to take your money and collect it and good luck. You may or may not make it. Who knows? It all depends who you meet along the way. But, you know, there’s people that have made it out of those circumstances.

“But our whole goal is to help change wrestling culture internally by producing and trying to have solid workers just go out there and they become who they become based on their experience. But just giving them a solid foundation and just passing on all the knowledge that we still have and then just bringing in a Jerry Lynn, bringing in a Homicide, bringing in a Billy Gunn to come and do weekend seminars so you learn from all different types of people.”

Ortiz did not give a timeframe for when the school would open or say where it would be located.

Ortiz says injury made him a better person: ‘I like who I am now’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ortiz believes his torn pectoral muscle is actually one of the best things that ever happened to him.

The injury occurred during a tag match on AEW Collision in January 2024 and sidelined Ortiz for more than a year. He was off AEW programming even longer than that, only recently returning at Worlds End. Ortiz detailed the injury on a new episode of AEW Unrestricted and explained how it led to him adopting a better mindset.

“It was just from a clothesline. It’s just one of those freak accidents,” he said. “It’s a move I’ve done thousands and thousands of times, but it was just [the] wrong angle. And my muscles were probably tight at the time. And, you know, it was an unfortunate thing that happened, but honestly, one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, because mentally, I’m in a better place now.

“I had to switch perspectives. When I initially got injured, I was very sad. I was down and out. Just got broken up with Santana at the time. I was trying to find myself. Was finally getting to do it with Eddie [Kingston] again. And it just came very abruptly. It was like, ‘I finally got my shot. Yes, let’s do this.’

“And then bam, injury happened. So it was just a very low moment. My confidence, everything, I just — all self doubt kind of kicks in. And then I felt that for a while. And then you could do one or two things. You could either continue down that path or you could do something about it. And I just had to change my perspective and my goals. Just going through that low moment, I was able to come out of it a different person. And I like who I am now.”

Ortiz said the injury made him realize that he needs something to look forward to. When he has a goal that he’s striving for, he is able to do his best work. When he doesn’t have those goals, that’s when he feels lost.

The recovery process was difficult with Ortiz needing to undergo a second surgery a couple of weeks after his initial one. He developed a baseball-sized hematoma on his biceps that had to be taken care of. That prolonged Ortiz’s recovery time, but he made it through by focusing on the small things and then setting new goals as he was able to do more. Ortiz took indie dates once he was cleared and also did some coaching for AEW before making his TV return at Worlds End, where he reunited with Eddie Kingston.

Being back in AEW is the best feeling in the world for Ortiz, who noted that wrestling is the thing he loves most aside from his family.

“Oh, man — really good,” he responded when asked how it feels to be back. “It was a long journey, almost two years since I was on television. Yeah, I felt every minute of that. It feels really good because I’ve been working really hard during that time off. And I’m just excited to be able to show everyone and show the payoff and [it’s] just the best feeling in the world, man. I love wrestling more than anything. Other than my son and my family, wrestling is my number one.”

Tommaso Ciampa files for two new trademarks amid WWE exit

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Amid his exit from WWE, Tommaso Ciampa has filed for nicknames that he could potentially be using outside of the company.

Ciampa confirmed on Wednesday that he will be departing WWE in the “very near future.” He also made two trademark filings that same day, applying for the terms “Psycho Killer” and “Psycho King.” The first of those is a moniker that Ciampa has already used — with his entrance song on the indies being “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads.

The filings list Tommaso Whitney (Ciampa’s real name) as the owner. He intends to use the trademarks for goods and services related to merchandise and wrestling performances:

  • Posters made of paper; Printed postcards; Printed picture postcards; Stickers; Collectible printed trading cards; Printed sports trading cards; Collectable printed trading cards
  • Shirts and short-sleeved shirts; Shirts; Sweatshirts; Hooded sweatshirts; Hats; Bandanas; Socks
  • Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Providing online interviews featuring professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the field of sports entertainment for entertainment purposes

News first broke earlier this month that Ciampa was opting not to renew his WWE contract when it expired. While confirming that decision yesterday, he thanked everyone in the company, the fans, and his wife and daughter for their support. The 40-year-old Ciampa noted that he is accepting bookings for appearances, signings, photo ops, seminars, movies, TV appearances, fitness collaborations, sponsorships, and more.

“I spent the first decade of my career traveling the world on the independent scene. I spent the second decade of my career traveling the world with WWE,” he wrote. “I have one decade remaining and I’m beyond excited for whatever challenges lie ahead.”

In his WWE career, Ciampa is best known for the time he spent as champion in NXT. He had most recently been featured on SmackDown with his DIY tag team partner Johnny Gargano. Ciampa was also in the United States title picture prior to his departure. He unsuccessfully challenged for the belt last month during Ilja Dragunov’s reign.

Daily Update: New WWE trademark, Josh Alexander, Wolfgang

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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Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full triple threat tag match that headlined NXT last night, which saw Sol Ruca & Zaria defeat Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid and Kendal Grey & Wren Sinclair to become the number one contenders to the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles.
  • WWE filed a trademark application for the name “Royce Keys” on January 20.
  • On What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, The Undertaker was asked if he’s enjoyed hosting his own Six Feet Under podcast:
    • It has its moments. Yeah, it really does. When you’re in a discussion or you’re in a conversation and you’re hitting it off, that’s always fun. But, man, sometimes when you get that guest that doesn’t want to talk or is not a storyteller, right? I don’t want to name names, but it can be like pulling a tooth.
  • Undertaker announced that Rhodes will be a future guest on Six Feet Under.
  • R-Truth sent out a message thanking everyone for how they’ve responded to the new season of WWE Unreal:
    • Thank you to each and everyone of you WORLD WIDE! I don’t call you fans anymore, You all are my family. I really appreciate ALL of you more than you’ll ever know.
  • CM Punk & AJ Styles teamed up at WWE’s house show in Brussels yesterday, defeating Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed.
  • Booker T spoke to The Takedown on SI about his willingness to help younger talent:
    • I always tell the young guys, if you want some help, I’ll be right over here. I got a little cubby hole and I got a little spot, a little office. Sometimes I show up to work and I have two guys, three guys, a girl, sitting there waiting on me. We’ll break it down … really go into self interrogation mode, ask ourselves serious questions.
    • It’s mostly going to be ‘what not to dos’ and working with these kids and really getting down to the meat and potatoes of being able to beat someone up poetically. That’s all it is. If you could do that, we can make a whole lot of money.

Other Wrestling

  • Josh Alexander appeared on the Battleground Podcast ahead of his match against Kenny Omega on Dynamite tonight.
  • During the interview, Alexander was asked if he would like to see his wife Jade Chung and friend Scott D’Amore have a role in AEW/ROH:
    • I would absolutely love to see that. I mean, Scott’s one thing. He might take offense more if I said no to that than my wife. 
    • My wife first and foremost, she changed her whole career from a wrestling manager into being a ring announcer just because [TNA] asked her to try it. She was worried about it, but she’s like, ‘I’ll give it a try, I’ve never done it, we’ll see.’ She went to voice lessons for a year, and she’s still going to this day, even though she’s not doing it anymore.
    • But she did all this hard work. And I think the hard work showed in what she was able to do as a ring announcer. Like, she was getting praise from a lot of people from around the industry that have been in the industry for a very long time.
    • So I think it’d be a terrible waste of her talents to not see her do what she now loves to do and is now confident in doing at a bigger company. AEW would be a very good place for that.
    • Scott D’Amore, the man has helped me more than anybody else in wrestling history. He saw something in me when a lot of people didn’t, gave me an opportunity when a lot of people didn’t. And the only reason I’m sitting here in this house that I’m able to put over my children’s heads is because of Scott D’Amore giving me those opportunities and me making the best of them. So I owe that guy so much, and I would love to see him anywhere.
  • WDW News Today has an interview with MJF.
  • Alec Price told Undisputed that he and Jordan Oliver are out to prove they’re the best tag team in the world now that they’ve signed with AEW:
    • This is our time. [MJF] was part of the last generation of indie talent, then me and Jordan and our generation held the indies strong. Now it’s all about a new challenge. Me and Jordan aren’t going to squander this opportunity. We’re the best tag team in the world, and we’re going to show it.
  • In an interview with NJPW’s English-language website, Yota Tsuji reacted to Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match:
    • I hit the showers when I got to the back and I was icing my neck while I checked it out. Tanahashi’s incredible. Those cheers at that volume from that many people without stopping, it just hit home how much he means to wrestling. Tanahashi that day was like the ultimate final form of a pro-wrestler. And you know, the match was great. Some emotion just boiled over toward the end there (laughs).
  • Tsuji noted that he wants his IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship defense against Gabe Kidd or Andrade El Idolo to take place overseas. Those two are facing each other in a number one contender’s match at the New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.
    • I’d like to do it overseas. If it happens to be Andrade then it’s a new international name to me to face, and if it’s Gabe then it will be a chance to show the best of NJPW to a foreign audience, so it’ll be cool either way.
  • All three members of former WWE faction Gallus will be debuting for MLW in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29, with Wolfgang joining Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey among the confirmed entrants for the 40-man Battle Riot match.
  • Elayna Black (the former Cora Jade) revealed that she is dating fellow TNA wrestler KC Navarro.
  • Limitless Wrestling’s YouTube channel uploaded the full Eddie Kingston & Ortiz vs. Anthony Greene & Channing Thomas tag match from last week.
  • “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, The Great Sasuke, Gangrel, and Jordan Oliver & Alec Price will be taking part in Joey Janela’s Boat Bash 2027.

Pat McAfee reacts to ‘WWE: Unreal’ clip, says facing Gunther was an honor

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Despite initially being skeptical of the concept, Pat McAfee has enjoyed the inside look that “WWE: Unreal” provides.

Season two of the docuseries arrived on Netflix this week with the first episode spotlighting McAfee as he prepared for his Backlash 2025 match against Gunther. One of the most talked about clips online has been a writers’ room discussion over who should win the match. Bruce Prichard said Gunther winning would be too predictable, but writer Jonathan Baeckstrom pushed back against a McAfee victory, explaining why it would be hard to move forward with Gunther after losing to a color commentator.

McAfee responded to the clip by sharing that he didn’t love the concept of “Unreal” when he first heard about it. But he’s “actually enjoyed” the series and is looking forward to showing it to his children and grandchildren one day, though he joked that he might not let them see this specific discussion about why Gunther should beat him.

“‘Twas an absolute honor to get to share the ring with The Ring General,” McAfee wrote.

“I, like many lifelong marks, didn’t love the #WWEUnreal concept when I heard of it.. I enjoy the suspension of belief and the magic of escape thru professional wrestling. I thought that would get ruined for the next generation of fans.. TBD but, I have a funny suspicion that professional wrestling is always gonna be a-ok.. when it’s done right, there’s not much better ENTERTAINMENT.

“What I’ve realized is I’ve actually enjoyed learning how the sausage is actually made.. I hope the show does good for the business.

“I’m thankful I’ll be able to show my kids and grandkids that I was lucky to do really cool things.. this particular scene will probably not be shown to them [laughs] but; the rest of the episode was really cool to re-live.”

Gunther did end up defeating McAfee at the PLE, which is the most recent time McAfee has competed in the ring. McAfee has been absent from his WWE commentary role since June 2025 due to feeling exhausted and like he had hit a wall with all the work he was doing. He hosts a show on ESPN every weekday and also contributes to the network’s college football coverage.

On “Unreal,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said he believes a lot of people view McAfee as the face of WWE.

Josh Alexander ‘very excited’ for Kenny Omega AEW dream match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will be a dream come true for Josh Alexander.

For the first time ever in a singles match, Alexander faces off with Kenny Omega on Dynamite from Orlando, Florida. It’s a matchup that Alexander has wanted for a long time. Just the possibility of facing Omega is one of the reasons that Alexander decided to sign with AEW during free agency.

“I mean, I’m very excited. This is one of the reasons why I came to AEW,” Alexander told Busted Open Radio ahead of Dynamite. “I’ve been chasing this match for the past 10 years. It’s been something that’s been on whatever you want to say — my dream match list, my bucket list. Someone I’ve had a bunch of respect for. I’ve followed his career from DDT through New Japan, everything he’s done. Like, I was at Ring of Honor shows in Markham, Ontario watching this guy wrestle in the early 2010s and stuff like that. I think he’s been amazing.

“And as a Canadian wrestler, I look at other Canadian wrestlers as I’m following their footsteps. I idolize the Bret Harts, the Owens, all these people, the Edges, the Christians. And I think Kenny Omega is just another in that lineage of great Canadian wrestlers that have gone out into the world and made a name for themselves. Now I’m doing the same. I gotta walk in those footsteps and I gotta walk right through him. And tonight I finally get my opportunity, so I’m psyched.”

Alexander, a former TNA World Champion, debuted for AEW in April 2025. He told Busted Open that he’s loving his time in AEW. It’s similar to TNA for him, except for being a bigger production with a wider travel schedule. There was a bit of an adjustment period switching locker rooms, but Alexander has made friends with his new co-workers.

“It’s good to be figured in. I love the new opponents,” Alexander said before noting that he was caught off guard by how much of the audience wasn’t familiar with him before he debuted in AEW. With that new audience, Alexander has enjoyed showing them that he can excel at promos in addition to wrestling in the ring.

Alexander plays a heel in AEW as a member of the Don Callis Family. He noted that Callis should be on commentary for his match against Omega tonight.

Shingo Takagi to miss NJPW events, return date already set

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Shingo Takagi is set to miss some upcoming NJPW events, but he won’t be out of action long.

NJPW has announced that Takagi is off the remaining shows on the company’s Road to New Beginning tour. He’ll be returning in time for the New Beginning in Osaka, though, where he’s set to team with Drilla Moloney against Great-O-Khan & HENARE.

Takagi’s absence is due to what NJPW claims is a ribcage and torso injury. There was an angle earlier this week where he and his faction members in Unbound Company were beaten down by United Empire. That led to Yota Tsuji finally agreeing to defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against United Empire’s Jake Lee at New Beginning in Osaka.

“After damage sustained January 19 and 20 in Korakuen Hall, Shingo Takagi will miss forthcoming cards due to a left ribcage and torso injury,” NJPW announced. “We apologize to fans looking forward to seeing Takagi wrestle, and appreciate your understanding. 

“Takagi is scheduled to return to action February 11 at New Beginning in Osaka. NJPW joins fans in wishing Takagi a full, fast recovery.”

It was recently revealed that Takagi is now a married man, with him getting married to fellow wrestler Natsupoi.

Undertaker feels he had better chemistry with Shawn Michaels than Bret Hart

Posted on by Joseph Currier

It’s difficult to choose between the two, but The Undertaker feels like he probably had better in-ring chemistry with Shawn Michaels than Bret Hart.

Undertaker, Michaels, and Hart were three of WWE’s defining stars of the 1990s. On a new episode of “What Do You Wanna Talk About?,” Cody Rhodes asked Undertaker which of the two he liked facing more. Undertaker called it basically a tossup and spoke highly of both. He thinks his very best matches were with Michaels, but Undertaker will always be grateful for how Hart helped him become a better wrestler.

“They were both great. They were both so good in the ring. I probably had the very best chemistry with Shawn,” Undertaker said. “But I tell you what, I’ve said this a few times about Bret, because talking about living this and believing everything, Bret did. And I respect that. When Bret was the champion, he was the champion. And he conducted himself as a champion, from top to bottom. When I started working with Bret, like I was real, real heavy, even in my ring work with the character, right? I was still trying to establish all of that. And there was only so far Bret was going to go with, as he called it, the Frankenstein gimmick, right? There was only so far he was going to go to put me over with that. Obviously, he was a more tenured guy. He was higher up than me, so not a lot I could do about it. And I wanted to have great matches, and I wanted to work with guys like Bret.

“So being able to work against Bret forced me to learn how to work within the gimmick and have not just a gimmick match, but to have really, really good matches. Bret forced me to get out of the comfort zone of the Jason Voorhees, the Michael Myers stuff, and actually put on a wrestling match. So for that, I’ll always be grateful to Bret because he pushed me and made me become better.”

The last match between Undertaker and Hart took place in 1997. Undertaker and Michaels’ rivalry continued past the 1990s and into the 2000s/2010s, including two well-regarded WrestleMania matches.

“Shawn may be the only guy I’ve ever known that could have a five-star match with a broomstick,” Undertaker said. “I mean, he’s just that talented.”

Both Undertaker and Michaels work behind the scenes in WWE now, with Undertaker helping out with Lucha Libre AAA and Michaels leading NXT.

Undertaker not trying to make AAA like ‘Raw or SmackDown WWE’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While appearing on Cody Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast, The Undertaker detailed the vision he has for Lucha Libre AAA.

Undertaker has become a significant behind-the-scenes player in AAA since WWE acquired the lucha libre promotion in 2025. His role includes helping out in creative. In that position, Undertaker wants to preserve the legacy AAA has while also adding in elements like better storytelling and production values.

“Helping out with creative and doing some stuff with AAA, I’m trying to — my vision is to almost take a step back to step forward. I’m really high on the physicality and the actual in-ring stuff and things making sense, which is kind of difficult from where I’ve come from and then working with AAA,” Undertaker said

“The lucha libre legacy is incredible, right? With the mask and then there’s so many [legacy wrestlers], you know, there’s this guy who then has a son who has a son. So all these legacies and all this culture is in there. What we’re trying to do is honor that, but give more production value to the product and help story tell a little better. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Undertaker praised the talent in AAA and the fandom the promotion already has. Though elements of the WWE product will be melded in, Undertaker wants AAA to exist as an alternative.

“Talking about incredible athletes and the things that they can do is, it’s amazing,” Undertaker said. “And the following they have is amazing. So if I can take the best of lucha libre and the best of what I know and I can mold them together, I think we’re going to have something that’s really, really special down there.

“But that’s the key. I’m not trying to make AAA Lucha Libre, I’m not trying to make it Raw or SmackDown WWE. I’m taking some elements of that, adding it to what they already do, and try and make a product that everyone will want to see. And it’s an alternative. It’s just like the other company. Raw, SmackDown, all these other, TNA, just to give people a variety and different things to enjoy about wrestling.”

AAA began a new TV deal with Fox Latin America this month. The promotion will be broadcast on Fox in Mexico, Central America, and South America (except Brazil), with WWE streaming the TV show on YouTube and Facebook outside of those areas.

Cody Rhodes explains why he misses old WWE house show schedule so much

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes really wishes WWE still ran a more extensive house show schedule.

The former WWE Champion has been vocal about this topic in the past, and he got into it again on a new episode of his “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast. Rhodes explained that he thinks the house show schedule kept wrestlers in rhythm and might have actually prevented injuries due to keeping performers sharp. Along with that, being on the road with each other helped everyone feel like a team. Rhodes believes that, when you’re only around each other once or twice per week, it’s hard to have that same camaraderie.

“I’ve said it on this podcast, and I know it gets me in trouble with my peers — and I don’t care. I miss them so much,” Rhodes said. “I miss the live events for the rhythm of wrestling. I feel like it helped actually prevent injuries. I feel like it helped a general just — not just the camaraderie, but the other thing is being part of the team. If you’re only here once or twice a week, it doesn’t feel like — what team are you on? Versus, ‘No, this is our crew. We run. We run Saturday. We run Sunday.’

“And I know it’s a different time, and the way the company works, it has its own difficulties and challenges today that are different, but I miss it. And I miss, it was those things. Just, ‘Try this.’ ‘Hey, did you hear that?’ It’s literally things that you could not put in a lab and replicate. Just a general excited fan. I miss it. But maybe it was a moment in time. I don’t know.”

The Undertaker was Rhodes’ guest on this “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” episode, and he agreed that more live events would be a good thing for talent. But Undertaker admits that the old schedule was too much of a grind and a better balance would need to be found.

“I get trying to protect your talent, but I also agree with you that not working does maybe lead to — because iron sharpens iron sometimes,” Undertaker said. “And again, I don’t think we need to grind like we did, but I don’t think you need not to do live events.”

WWE does still run some house shows, but they are no longer an every weekend occurrence. The live events instead happen on specialized tours like the company’s recent Holiday Tour and trip to Europe.

NJPW reveals full card for New Beginning in Osaka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has revealed the full card for New Beginning in Osaka, the company’s biggest event since Wrestle Kingdom.

An IWGP Heavyweight Championship match headlines the February 11 show with Yota Tsuji defending against Jake Lee. It’s the first defense for Tsuji after claiming the title from Konosuke Takeshita at Wrestle Kingdom. Lee was set up as his first challenger that night — and Tsuji finally accepted his challenge after Lee and United Empire beat down Tsuji’s Unbound Company faction.

Tsuji is a double champion now, holding both the IWGP Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. He is not defending the latter title at New Beginning in Osaka, but there will be a number one contender’s match between Gabe Kidd and Andrade El Idolo to determine his next challenger.

Among the new additions to the card is a grudge match between David Finlay and Callum Newman, who has bragged about being the only foreigner in NJPW signed to a multi-year contract.

A rematch for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles is also set after Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin won the belts from Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson earlier this week.

Edion Arena is hosting the New Beginning event, which will air live on NJPW World. Here is the full lineup:

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2026 (Wednesday, February 11) —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Jake Lee
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defend against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Aaron Wolf defends against Ren Narita
  • David Finlay vs. Callum Newman
  • IWGP Global title number one contender’s match: Gabe Kidd vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defend against Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson
  • Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney vs. Great-O-Khan & HENARE
  • Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori vs. Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young

Maria Kanellis, Mike Bennett announce birth of third child

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett are now parents to three after welcoming a new child into the world.

The couple revealed today that their new baby boy — named William Mercury Bennett — was born on January 19. Weighing seven pounds and seven ounces, the baby is named after Kanellis’ brother and grandfather.

“William Mercury Bennett was born yesterday afternoon at 7 pounds 7ounces and 18.8 inches,” Kanellis announced. “He is an absolute angel. William gets his name from his great-grandfather who is my godfather and was an immigrant from Greece. And my brother who is a veteran, husband, father, and wonderful brother. They are two of the toughest men I know. William Mercury’s name means strong willed warrior, messenger. We are so in love.”

The couple has been married for more than a decade now and also have a daughter named Freddie and son named Carver, who were born in 2018 and 2020.

Though his Kingdom tag team partner Matt Taven departed the promotion this month, Bennett remains part of the AEW roster. His most recent match for the company was a six-man tag that aired on ROH in November 2025.

Maria Kanellis, who has not been with AEW since January 2025, is currently a free agent.

Seth Rollins explains why he hates WWE ladder matches, Royal Rumbles

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Seth Rollins isn’t a fan of matches that have a lot of moving parts.

To promote the new season of “WWE: Unreal,” Rollins and his wife Becky Lynch appeared on Barstool Sports’ My Mom’s Basement podcast. Rollins was asked about a comment he made on the docuseries where he said he hates Money in the Bank matches. Rollins admitted to being a “control freak” and said he doesn’t like match types where things are out of his control. That extends to other stipulation bouts like Royal Rumbles and Elimination Chambers.

“It stems from me being a control freak, that’s where it stems from,” Rollins said. “And the more moving parts, is the less I can control. Because I can only do so much. I have a vision. I see how it should be. And when things don’t go how I see them happening or how I feel that they should be going, I get so frustrated. And so, like, ladder matches like that where there’s moving parts and you just can’t control how things are going to happen. Random ladders breaking. There’s a whole bunch else going on. [The ladders] are never in the right spot.”

Lynch agreed with Rollins, saying they approach laying out matches in the same way. They both take on similar roles of wanting to be the leader.

Though he isn’t a fan of some multi-man matches, Rollins loved taking part in six-man tag bouts when he was part of The Shield.

“I was actually spoiled by The Shield six-mans,” he told My Mom’s Basement. “Because, I mean, Jon [Moxley] and Roman [Reigns] and I were all on the same page. Like, pretty much quickly. Once we were all rocking and rolling, it was smooth like butter. So you go back and look at some of those, the effortlessness with which we had those trios matches was really something. Especially for the time. You know, that style wasn’t cooking in WWE in 2012 or whatever it was. We kind of innovated a different — it wasn’t like six-mans were a new thing, but the way we were doing them as a three-man unit, you didn’t see that in WWE. We were fortunate to be on the other side of some pretty incredible talents. But even when we weren’t, we were able to feed off of each other. So I’d say I was spoiled because we were all just — it was a well-oiled machine.”

Season two of “WWE: Unreal” arrived on Netflix today. On the series, Lynch said she is in the midst of her “final run” in the ring.

MJF takes shot at WWE over not pushing young talent

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In an interview with Undisputed, AEW World Champion MJF appeared to take a shot at WWE over how the promotion handles young talent.

MJF competed for indie promotion Limitless Wrestling last week, retaining his title against Alec Price. Some big news was also announced that night with MJF presenting Price and Jordan Oliver with AEW contracts. He told Undisputed that both additions are “extremely talented” and can be part of this new generation of young stars that are emerging in the wrestling industry.

Some of those stars are in WWE, with MJF listing Dominik Mysterio and Bron Breakker among the best young wrestlers in the business. But, without directly mentioning WWE by name, he expressed sadness over how the promotion does not elevate young stars to the top of the card.

“Here’s what saddens me,” MJF said. “There is the big promotion that loves to talk about how much they want to cultivate their young talent, but everyone on the top of their card is not young.”

The 29-year-old MJF is now a two-time AEW World Champion after winning the belt at Worlds End 2025. In addition to Mysterio and Breakker, he listed himself, Konosuke Takeshita, Kris Statlander, Hook, Willow Nightingale, Kyle Fletcher, Kevin Knight, Bandido, Darby Allin, Lee Johnson, Blake Christian, Komander, and Daniel Garcia as being some of wrestling’s brightest young wrestlers.

“As much as I love the old generation, this is our time,” MJF said. “It’s our time. I respect the elder statesman. But this is our f***ing time.”

MLW bringing back Fusion TV series

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After a two-year absence, MLW is bringing back its Fusion television series.

The promotion released a teaser today hyping that Fusion will return in 2026. The show has been on hiatus since the end of 2023, with MLW instead opting to present regular specials instead of weekly TV. A return date has not been announced, but MLW says the show will be coming back soon.

“You waited. You demanded. Soon it returns. MLW Fusion 2026,” the teaser says.

It was announced this week that MLW, NJPW, and CMLL will be joining forces for Fantastica Mania USA in Charleston, South Carolina on April 12. That event is listed as a Fusion taping.

Fusion debuted in 2018 and has served as MLW’s primary TV show. It aired on MLW’s YouTube channel and beIN Sports before the series went away in December 2023.

The next event on MLW’s calendar is Battle Riot VIII in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29. It’s being headlined by the annual Battle Riot match, where Mads Krule Krugger is putting his MLW World Heavyweight Championship on the line against 39 other challengers. The show will be broadcast live on YouTube.