Category: WWE News

Ricky Saints’ main roster call-up may reportedly be delayed

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Ricky Saints might not be moved to the WWE main roster anytime soon. 

According to BodySlam, WWE has discussed for Saints to move up to the main roster however the CW Network is keen on fixing a major concern – to have an established name on the brand amid the other call ups like Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Oba Femi, Ethan Page and Joe Hendry already moving on. 

Saints attacked Shiloh Hill backstage on the latest edition of NXT, setting up a match between the two for next week. And raising questions about WWE’s plans for him. 

Saints made his NXT debut in February 2025 after a five year stint with AEW. In April, he won the North American Title and nearly five months later captured the NXT Championship from Oba Femi. 

January saw a wave of NXT talents officially moving to Raw and SmackDown, and they even made their WrestleMania debuts last weekend after engaging the audiences.

On the Raw after Mania, Sol Ruca and Page made their brand debuts and stepped in the ring for their first matches. Hendry did not make an appearance but during the show it was announced that he will host his concert on Raw next week and was an official member of the brand’s roster. Additional reports cited that more NXT names are expected to join the main roster soon.

The upcoming edition of SmackDown is also reported to feature NXT call-ups and roster shakeups. Jacy Jayne and Rey Mysterio in particular were potential names discussed to switch brands.

Paige and Stephanie McMahon are all praise for Danhausen

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE veterans Paige and Stephanie McMahon are all praise for Danhausen.

Recently returned at WWE WrestleMania 42, Paige followed it up by appearing on What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon. Both women soon engaged in a discussion regarding their lives before arriving at the topic of Danhausen.

Danhausen was revealed as WWE’s latest addition at the 2026 Elimination Chamber PLE and has since then become a regular act on weekly WWE TV.

“I love that you brought Danhausen here,” Paige said. “I’m glad that the fans came around really quickly.” Stephanie McMahon followed up and added, “I think they just didn’t know, at first, or why we were doing it… Because he’s really good, and he’s got this crazy charisma.”

“And only he can pull that kind of character off, too,” Paige said. To which McMahon responded, “That’s what I mean… and then, to see him work, he was pretty good.”

Praising Danhausen’s wrestling skills, the British wrestler also claimed, “He’s a great worker too. They’ll see eventually when he starts wrestling some more, but yeah, I love that the fans came around and they love him and stuff because I was like, ‘He’s such a good dude. I love that guy.’”

Danhausen reacts to Paige and Stephanie McMahon’s praise

Danhausen quickly took notice of Paige and McMahon’s praise and quickly reacted to it on social media.

“Danhausen loves [Stephanie McMahon] and [Saraya]. Thank you for your very nice, very evil words. Let Danhausen know if you ever need anyone cursed!”

Rey Fenix match announced as updated AAA lineup on Fox episode

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Rey Fenix is set to tag with La Parka on the upcoming episode of AAA on Fox.

Last week, AAA announced its lineup for its April 25th episode. While La Catalina is set for an interview, El Grande Americano will team up with Texano Jr. and face the duo of El Mesias & Mecha Wolf.

On the same episode, WWE’s Fenix was also announced to compete. Now, just hours before the April 25th episode, Fenix has been revealed to be teaming up with La Parka.

Fenix and La Parka will team up to take on Money Machine (Garra de Oro & Colmillo de Plata). On the April 25 AAA episode on Fox, Marisela Pena Roldan is also set to decide Dorian Roldan’s fate as the new AAA general manager.

AAA on Fox | April 25, 2026

  • La Catalina interview
  • El Grande Americano & Texano Jr. vs. El Mesias & Mecha Wolf
  • Marisela Pena Roldan to decide Dorian Roldan’s future as the new AAA General Manager
  • Rey Fenix & La Parka vs. Money Machine (Garra de Oro & Colmillo de Plata)

WWE has over 100 active Legends deals, says Nick Khan

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE President Nick Khan has revealed that the promotion has over 100 active legends deals.

During the recent Senate committee hearing about the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act on April, 22, 2026, WWE President and Zuffa Boxing executive Nick Khan opened up in detail about the company’s finances.

As the hearing advanced, Khan went on and revealed that WWE currently has over 100 active legends contracts with them.

“So WWE, for example, has over 100 deals with what we call our legends, our retired wrestlers. So they receive compensation from us for years after their retirement from [the] ring, because of their participation in our video games, trading card deals, merchandise deals, and action figures, and all of these other ancillary revenues.”

At the same hearing, Nick Khan was also asked about his intentions on bringing WWE WrestleMania to the soon-to-be-built domed stadium in Cleveland. Both of them also opened up on the success of the 2024 SummerSlam PLE in Cleveland.

Paige reveals WWE stipulation matches she now wants to compete in

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Just days after her WWE return, Paige has already opened up and named the matches she wants to compete in.

Speaking on What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Paige named the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and other stipulation matches as her goals to compete in.

“I do want to finally be able to be in the Royal Rumble that I (didn’t get to) be a part of and do the Elimination Chambers and do all these stipulation matches that were not around when I was around,” she said.

While Paige got injured in 2017 and had to retire from in-ring action, the first women’s Royal Rumble took place in January 2018.

“I had to be backstage in Gorilla when the Royal Rumble just started, and nobody knew I was retired at that point and so I just sat there, it was bittersweet, I was happy that the girls finally got this big match that we didn’t have before, but I was sad because I wasn’t a part of it and I didn’t know if I was gonna ever be a part of it again,” she added.

“So to have this moment where I’m back in WWE, my neck is good, I’m wrestling again, there is opportunities for me to be a part of these stipulation matches. I’m really excited, I’m really excited for the next couple of years.“

Back in WWE after a span of almost four years, the British wrestler has already won the women’s tag-team championship with Brie Bella at WrestleMania 42.

Paige says Shane McMahon helped her ignite a ‘new fire’ after in-ring retirement

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Months after her in-ring retirement, Shane McMahon announced Paige’s WWE SmackDown return as the brand’s general manager in 2018.

After a few years in WWE, Paige parted ways with the promotion and joined AEW. Earlier this year at WrestleMania 42, she made her long-awaited return. Speaking to Stephanie McMahon on What’s Your Story? podcast, Paige revealed how Shane McMahon helped her ignite the ‘new fire’ in her.

“I got pulled to the side, and they were like, ‘Ok, we need you for SmackDown.’ I was like, Why? I don’t wrestle anymore.’ When I came back the next day, it was like Road Dogg and the writers all cornered me; they were like, ‘Ok, you’re gonna be GM.’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is great,'” she said.

“Your brother (Shane McMahon) was the one who introduced me, the crowd erupted, and it kind of gave me a new fire. It got me really excited to come to work because it was something completely new. I wasn’t in the division anymore, so I didn’t have to worry about is my time was going to be cut, the matches. I just had to worry about the five or six promos I had to do live that day, which is intimidating.”

Now undergone neck surgery and cleared for in-ring action, Paige is officially back as a WWE competitor and is already the new women’s tag-team champion.

The Rock’s 2025 WWE royalties, travel expenses, TKO meeting attendance released in SEC statement

Posted on by Josh Nason

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the only TKO Board member to not attend at least 75% of their meetings in 2025.

That news came via TKO’s annual proxy report filed with the SEC that also featured his 2025 compensation and status for his $30 million award of stock.

The report read that during TKO’s 2025 fiscal year, “our Board met five times” and that “each of our incumbent directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board”…”with the exception of Mr. Johnson, who was unable to attend several board meetings due to prior business commitments.”

Johnson took in $900,000 in royalties for 2025 as part of a potentially decade-long merchandising/independent contractor agreement he signed upon joining the Board in January 2024.

He also received $600,000 in reimbursements for “certain travel expenses associated with delivering services under the Johnson Services Agreement.” That’s assumed to be for his appearances at the January 6 Raw on Netflix premiere, the following night on WWE NXT, and Elimination Chamber.

Johnson is also now fully vested for the $30 million in Class A stock he was scheduled to earn as part of the aforementioned arrangement.

His Seven Bucks Productions company also earned less than $120,000 “to provide production services for a potential non-scripted project on customary terms.”

The statement also had the 2025 compensation earned by several key TKO officers like WWE president Nick Khan.

TKO exec felt Vince McMahon wasn’t necessary post-WWE & UFC merger, contradicts SEC statement

Posted on by Josh Nason

Newly released testimony from a deposition in the WWE shareholders lawsuit has revealed that TKO president Mark Shapiro didn’t feel that keeping Vince McMahon around as part of the UFC/WWE merger was necessary “especially with all the baggage.”

The issue is that contradicts statements made in filings with the SEC that illustrated why it was felt McMahon needed to earn the compensation package and role he received to be part of the deal.

First reported by Post Wrestling’s Brandon Thurston, Shapiro was asked in his deposition if he personally didn’t view McMahon “being in the executive chair role as a necessary condition for the future success of the combined company.”

Shapiro answered, “Correct, especially with all the baggage.”

He was asked if McMahon remaining on board as TKO executive chairman was a goal of McMahon’s and not of what would become TKO leadership.

“Wasn’t a goal of ours, no, no, it was not,” he answered.

With the September 2023 merger of UFC and WWE that created TKO, McMahon received his lifetime role as TKO executive chairman, Board nomination rights, and veto power over certain transactions in addition to six extra percentage points of the combined company, worth roughly $1 billion in value.

The testimony also showed McMahon wanted to initially be TKO CEO, but that did not happen.

The lawsuit claims that McMahon’s drive to merge WWE with UFC was predetermined while other better offers were on the table because he wanted a role within it. He stepped down from his TKO position when the Janel Grant lawsuit first came to light in January 2024, but remains the company’s largest single person stockholder.

In an interview on CNBC that famously featured Emanuel next to a mustachioed McMahon, Emanuel joked he would have bodyslammed the WWE head if he didn’t come along for the ride. McMahon was asked if he would have walked away from WWE if that were the terms of any deal to which said he would have.

From Thurston’s report:

“The (SEC) filing further stated that McMahon “had not, and was not, requesting or proposing such rights.” According to WWE’s narrative, guaranteeing McMahon’s continued role was key to Endeavor agreeing to raise WWE’s split of the combined company from 43% to 49%.”

TKO compensation for Nick Khan, Ari Emanuel & Mark Shapiro revealed in SEC statement

Posted on by Josh Nason

TKO’s annual proxy statement was released on Thursday with the 2025 compensation for key executives revealed.

WWE president Nick Khan brought home $24.3 million for 2025 based on $2 million of base salary, $11 million in stock awards and more than $10 million in bonuses.

Khan also has taken on the role of Zuffa Boxing promoter, an effort TKO has partnered with Sela, a Saudi Arabian entertainment conglomerate owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). $3.7 million of that bonus was attributed to those efforts.

TKO president Mark Shapiro, someone who appears frequently at major events and is a public face for the company, earned $42.6 million for the year.

TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, credited with bringing in The Rock for last February’s infamous WWE Elimination Chamber appearance in addition to Pat McAfee’s inclusion in the Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton WrestleMania 42 angle, earned $67.4 million.

Vince McMahon is still listed as the biggest individual Class A stockholder with 6,442,325 shares, worth roughly $1.2 billion in current day value, but does not draw any TKO salary.

Sol Ruca needed eight staples after NXT table spot 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Sol Ruca had to get eight staples on her head in the aftermath of her Last Woman Standing match with Zaria on week two of NXT Revenge. 

Ruca shared a series of images on Instagram with snippets of her match with Zaria, behind the scenes photos, family pictures and one showing the staples she had to get after the bout. 

Ruca kicked off this week with her WWE Raw debut. While Liv Morgan celebrated her WrestleMania 42 victory with The Judgment Day, Ruca walked out and the encounter led to an impromptu, non-title match. Zaria attacked Ruca, costing her the match.

The next night on NXT, Ruca was set to face Zaria. Their fight spilled outside the ring. Towards the end, Zaria hugged Ruca teasing a truce between the two especially that it was her last match on the brand. That turned out to be a farce, and Zaria shoved Ruca from the ledge onto two tables below. On the landing, Ruca crashed through a table but appeared to bump her head on the edge of the other. The spot sparked widespread concern. 

Following the match, Ruca bid farewell to NXT amid an outpouring of love and support from her colleagues as she prepares for the main roster. 

More WWE NXT call-ups expected

Posted on by Ian Carey

More NXT call-ups are expected for WWE’s main roster.

On Thursday, our own Bryan Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X: “More call-ups expected.”

Several reports in recent days have stated that multiple wrestlers have been discussed for main roster call-ups. Earlier on Thursday, Fightful reported that there have been discussions about adding Jacy Jayne to the WWE SmackDown roster. BodySlam+ also reported that there have been talks about Ricky Saints being called up, although it is not clear if that will happen.

Joe Hendry has been announced for the WWE Raw roster and is advertised for a segment on next week’s edition of the show. Ethan Page is also now a full-time member of Raw.

Sol Ruca is believed to be heading to the main roster following the blowoff to her story with Zaria on Tuesday’s edition of NXT. Blake Monroe is another name believed to be under consideration following her loss to Tatum Paxley on Tuesday.

AAA’s Jack Cartwheel shares injury update

Posted on by Ian Carey

Jack Cartwheel has shared an injury update.

Cartwheel suffered an elbow injury at GCW Gringo Loco’s The Wrld on Lucha on April 17 in Las Vegas, resulting in his match against Galeno del Mal being waved off early.

On Thursday, the 25-year-old posted to social media to say that he has an MRI scheduled for next week.

Cartwheel wrote:

“Hello everyone! I’m in high spirits. Going to have to do more than take away my arm to break my momentum. I will be paused. However, I have an MRI scheduled for next week. I hate sitting out, I hate missing out, I don’t like to take things easy. I will be back.”

He later added, “It may take some time, but I will be better because of this! And make every cartwheel count!🤸“

Cartwheel last wrestled for AAA at Rey de Reyes in Puebla, Mexico, on March 14, where he competed in a four-way match for the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship. Laredo Kid retained the title against Cartwheel, TJ Perkins, and Dragon Lee.

He has now wrestled four times on AAA on Fox, though he has yet to pick up a victory. His only singles match in the promotion since it debuted on the network in Latin America was a loss to La Parka at the February 7 taping.

Cartwheel’s post is below.

Report: WWE discussing new SmackDown roster additions

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE is reportedly planning to expand the SmackDown roster with a few names already discussed internally.

According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select WWE has discussed several names to be associated with SmackDown. Jacy Jayne and Rey Mysterio in particular have been considered for the shift. 

Jayne seemed to bid farewell to NXT on the first week of Revenge after she failed to win back the Women’s Championship from Lola Vice. Her 136 day title reign ended at Stand & Deliver on April 12. Following her match last week, Jayne was spotted in tears while making her exit. She’s been an active competitor to the brand since 2021. 

Her move to SmackDown will be a return and not a debut. In August 2022, Jayne and Gigi Dolin competed in a tournament for the Women’s Tag Team Titles on the brand. They were set to proceed in the next round but Dolin suffered a concussion and the duo were sidelined. 

Meanwhile, Rey Mysterio returned earlier this month to announce his participation in the six-man ladder match at WrestleMania 42. He was away from in-ring competition after multiple rib fractures in January. 

Update on ‘targeted’ WWE WrestleMania 43 date

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WrestleMania could be moving back to the end of March in 2027.

WrestleVotes reports that the weekend of March 27, 2027 is the “targeted” date for WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That would coincide with the end of the annual Riyadh Season festival. WWE has not officially confirmed the date for the show yet — and WrestleVotes says the weekend of April 10 is also on the table.

Traditionally, most WrestleManias have been held in either late March or early April. WWE made a change starting in 2025 to push the event back to mid/late April so WrestleMania would avoid going against Final Four weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament.

The WrestleVotes report states that it’s possible but unlikely that, for one year only, WrestleMania could return to a one-night event for WrestleMania 43. Fightful adds that WWE’s broadcast partner ESPN is said to prefer two nights.

While there’s been some uncertainty amid the war between the United States & Israel and Iran, WWE is moving ahead with its plans for Saudi Arabia. The company announced today that Night of Champions 2026 will be held in Riyadh on Saturday, June 27.

WrestleMania 43 will be the first time WWE’s marquee event has ever been held outside of the United States or Canada.

Before Saudi Arabia was chosen, Nashville, Tennessee was in consideration as the host city.

Cody Rhodes on Dominik Mysterio’s WWE development : ‘Love the fact that Dom is training backwards’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Cody Rhodes believes Dominik Mysterio ‘oozes charisma’ and believes his unconventional wrestling training has been beneficial for his WWE career. 

On the latest episode of his What Do You Wanna Talk About Podcast with Liv Morgan, Rhodes discussed Mysterio’s WWE career and behind the scenes personality. He talked about how Mysterio was training backwards – working the crowds for matches, understanding the psychology that goes into events and shows, but the basics of wrestling kicked in later, which is similar to how Rhodes trained. 

“It’s weird because he’ll say something so mean about Punk in the media and I’m thinking ‘Oh, all of us are, all of us babyfaces are screwed. He’s coming for us all’. And then he’ll be like ‘Oh, Cody’s really cool guy’. So, I don’t know what I did, but Dom is that one guy, he’s the one, I’m trying to think if there’s another one but Dom is the one guy at work that I feel not cool around. I’ll have a new watch or something and I’ll be like, ‘Hey Dom’ and he’s got a giant sky dweller on, which is a very nice fancy watch. He just oozes charisma.”

“And I also love the fact that Dom is training backwards. He knows psychology, he knows how to engage with fans, he knows how (to work) a live crowd. But the fundamentals have come after all of that, which is a little bit of how I was trained.”

Mysterio made his official in-ring debut in 2020. He competed as a tag team with his father, Rey Mysterio for a couple of years before joining The Judgment Day in 2022 and turned heel, a persona shift that catapulted him into a distinct character and away from his father’s shadow.

He competed in his third WrestleMania match last weekend, taking on Demon Finn Balor in a Street Fight Match. During his six-year WWE tenure, Mysterio is a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and the current AAA Mega Champion.