Category: WWE News

Report: Fanatics reaction to Danhausen merchandise sales at WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen merchandise was reportedly in high demand at WrestleMania.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that Fanatics was “blown away” by how well his products sold during the weekend. According to the report, several restocks of Danhausen merchandise were required due to high demand.

It was also stated that Danhausen is expected to be added to the lineup for Fanatics Fest, which takes place July 16-19 in New York City. Tickets for autographs and photo ops with WWE stars officially go on sale tomorrow, April 24, while a presale began April 22.

News of the strong WrestleMania weekend sales comes after earlier reports that WWE was “pleasantly surprised” by Danhausen’s early merchandise numbers shortly after his company debut at Elimination Chamber in Chicago on February 28.

Danhausen was involved in an in-ring segment on night two of WrestleMania on Sunday April 19, along with The Miz, Kit Wilson, and John Cena.

https://twitter.com/Fightful/status/2047370328062505154

Former WWE referee addresses DQ oversight in WrestleMania 42 main event

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Retired WWE referee Mike Chioda responded to a tweet questioning Roman Reigns using steel steps as a weapon in the WrestleMania 42 main event.

There was no stipulation set for CM Punk and Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania Sunday. It was a singles match which meant a winner would be declared via pinfall, submission, countout or disqualification. Chioda stated it was a certain disqualification and questioned why referee Rod Zapata did not call it out.

“Yes it sure is a DQ. Don’t know why the referee didn’t protect himself while goin over it in rehearsals.”

Reigns weaponized the steel steps on Punk who was hanging upside down from the ropes. Zapata stood up to Reigns immediately after it happened but it did not bear any repercussions on the match’s outcome. However, during the bout Michael Cole exclaimed that given the stature of the WrestleMania 42 main event it is granted a leeway.

Reigns ended up winning the match to become the new World Champion. Following the error in the match, there is no confirmation on whether it will impact his future as titleholder.

On the Raw after Mania, Reigns celebrated his win with The Usos by his side, and laid out an invitation for a Bloodline reunion. They were interrupted by Jacob Fatu who cited his intention to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash Tampa in May. Fatu didn’t just want what Reigns had but needed it. Reigns did not give a conclusive answer to the challenge but stated that he will give Fatu a week to ponder on his request.

Punk also appeared on Raw earlier discussing the loss and his mindset to overcome it. Cody Rhodes walked out and Punk suggested potentially going after for the Undisputed WWE Championship but did not give any specification on when.

Kevin Owens comments on new WWE LFG role

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Joining the cast of WWE LFG has helped Kevin Owens stay busy while he recovers from injury.

Season three of the A&E show premieres this Sunday (April 26) with Owens and Nattie replacing The Undertaker and Mickie James on the coaching roster. In a sneak peek clip from the season premiere, Owens said he was “losing his mind” not being around wrestling and was looking forward to helping the next generation in this LFG role. Owens was 8-9 months removed from neck surgery at the time.

“I’ve been wrestling for 25 years. Ultimately, for me, I just want to help the next generation,” Owens said. “And also, I don’t really know what I’d do with myself if it didn’t. This is just all I’ve done since I was 15. This is what I love, this is what I’ve always loved.

“Right now, I’ve been off for 8-9 months because of my neck surgery. I’m losing my mind. Like, I just want to be around it.”

Owens underwent neck surgery in July 2025 and does not have a definitive return date yet. The last time he wrestled was against Sami Zayn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 more than a year ago. Last November, he shared a brief clip of himself doing some cardio work at the WWE Performance Center.

The WWE LFG (Legends & Future Greats) season three premiere airs on A&E at 10 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Booker T and Bubba Ray Dudley are the other coaches on the show, which spotlights Performance Center recruits as they attempt to move their way up into NXT.

Seth Rollins walks off set during Good Morning Football appearance

Posted on by Ian Carey

A clip of Seth Rollins walking off the set of Good Morning Football is currently circulating online.

Similar to other recent incidents involving WWE wrestlers walking off the set of interviews, it is not clear whether this was a real or staged event.

Rollins is a regular guest host on the NFL Network show and on Thursday joined Kyle Brandt to discuss tonight’s NFL Draft. The two got into an argument when comparing the athleticism of wrestlers and football players.

“Any seventh round pick tonight can go off the top rope. They can do that stuff,” Brandt said.

Rollins responded, “I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to be here. I don’t have to be on your show.”

When asked if he wanted to be on the show, Rollins answered:

“I do want to be here, but not when I’m treated like this. I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to.”

Clips of Rollins walking off the set are available below.

John Cena teases ‘something epic’ for WWE Backlash

Posted on by Ian Carey

John Cena is teasing that he will have a role at WWE Backlash.

The PLE takes place on Saturday, May 9 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Cena, who turned 49 years old on Thursday, posted to social media saying he has promised Club WWE something special and is going to try to do “something epic” on the show.

Cena wrote:

“Man if only it were 2023 again!! I might have different business at @WWE #Backlash
Alas, the years pass. I am still gonna try to do something epic in Tampa for 5/9. I promised Club WWE something special… stay tuned.”

No matches have been announced so far for Backlash. However, our own Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that before the decision was made to drop the Pat McAfee storyline, McAfee and Randy Orton were scheduled to team against Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes. With McAfee opting out of continuing with WWE, the match is no longer expected to take place.

Cena’s full post is available below. The post he is responding to incorrectly lists his age as 45.

North Carolina town honoring former resident Andre the Giant

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ellerbe, a tiny town in North Carolina, is honoring a pro wrestling giant.

On Thursday (April 23), Ellerbe is unveiling a roadside marker celebrating the fact that Andre once called the town home. He owned a ranch just outside of Ellerbe town limits, and Andre’s ashes were spread there after passing away on a trip to France in 1993.

The marker will be located at the intersection of NC Highway 73 and Old NC Highway 220. It reads: “Andre The Giant. 1946-1993. Actor and professional wrestler. Was born Andre Roussimoff. Known for role in The Princess Bride in 1987. Lived nearby.”

Ellerber has a population of fewer than 1000 people, listed at 864 as of the 2020 census.

North Carolina’s Department of Natural & Cultural Resources wrote:

  • On Aug. 22, 1978, Roussimoff made a decision that surprised many fans but delighted local residents. He purchased nine acres of land near Ellerbe in Richmond County. Over the next decade he continued to expand his property until he owned a 194-acre ranch along Big Mountain Creek. This land became his refuge. Although he was one of the most famous athletes in the world, in Ellerbe he could enjoy a slower pace of life, participate in the community, and even take part in local civic efforts. One of these efforts involved opposing a proposed radioactive waste site in Richmond County, where his voice carried significant influence.
  • The people of Ellerbe came to know Roussimoff as a gentle, thoughtful man who valued privacy and friendship.

WWE also celebrated Andre last week by inducting his match against Hulk Hogan from WrestleMania III into the Hall of Fame as the 2026 Immortal Moment Award winner. Andre’s daughter Robin and Hogan’s son Nick were there to receive the award.

Andre was the WWE Hall of Fame’s first-ever inductee, having been posthumously honored in 1993.

Ric Flair clarifies comments on Charlotte Flair’s WWE WrestleMania 42 match

Posted on by Ian Carey

Ric Flair has released a statement regarding the interview he gave to Ariel Helwani on Wednesday.

During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair said he did not enjoy his daughter Charlotte Flair’s match at WrestleMania 42, noting that he believes she should be a singles wrestler. Charlotte Flair teamed with Alexa Bliss in the four-way women’s tag team title match on the show.

Flair’s statement on Thursday reads:

“I Want To Make Something Very Clear To Everyone After Yesterday’s Podcast With @arielhelwani. Number One- I’m More Than Thrilled To See @MsCharlotteWWE Wrestling With Her Friend @AlexaBliss_WWE. I’ve Never Seen Her Happier! So Let’s Clear That Up!

Number Two- I Enjoyed Her In Singles Matches Because I Feel Like She Is Able To Put More Of Her Talent On Display.

Number Three- No One Will Ever Criticize Or Make Any Attempt To Judge My Daughters Or Say Anything About Them.

Number Four- I Wish We Could All Just Put Everything Behind Us, And Please Don’t Report Something On Me Unless It’s 100% True.

Thank You! May We All Continue To Be Successful, And For So Many Of Us As We Grow Older, There May Be No Tomorrow. May Peace And Friendship Be With Us All. Let’s Go Back To Being The Brotherhood That We Were. That Was So Sacred At One Time!“

Flair’s interview with Helwani also made headlines for comments he made regarding not being permitted to attend WrestleManias in recent years. Flair stated that prior to WrestleMania 41, he contacted Tiffany Stratton’s then-boyfriend Ludwig Kaiser and threatened to beat him up over comments Kaiser had made about Charlotte Flair. Flair said Kaiser then spoke with Triple H and he was not permitted to attend WrestleMania.

He also noted that Dennis Rodman asked him to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, but Flair said he never heard back from WWE regarding whether he would be allowed to do so.

Flair’s social media post is available in full below.

Paige wants to make up for lost time in WWE: ‘Don’t think I’m going to be wrestling after this run’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Paige aims to make up for lost time in her current WWE run, and hopes to compete in Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches, and milestones in the women’s division she missed due to early retirement. 

Speaking with Stephanie McMahon on the What’s Your Story? Podcast Paige expressed that she returned with the mindset to participate in stipulation and marquee matches that did not exist for the women’s division in her WWE tenure earlier. She acknowledged that this current comeback could potentially be her final run in wrestling. 

“I came in this time with a mindset where I just want to be happy and have fun, because I don’t think I’m going to be wrestling after this run. I want to just enjoy my time that I have here, embrace absolutely everything, just enjoy the journey.”

“That’s all I care about. But I do want to finally be able to be in the Royal Rumble that I got to not be a part of and do the Elimination Chambers and do, you know, all these stipulation matches that were not around.”

“I had to be backstage in Gorilla when the Royal Rumble just started, and no one knew I was retired by that point, you know? And so I just sat there and I was just really sad. 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 ever going to be a part of it again. And so to have this moment where I’m back in WWE, my neck is good, I’m wrestling again, and there’s opportunities for me to be a part of these stipulation matches. I mean, man, I’m really excited. I’m really excited for the next couple of years.” 

Paige returned at WrestleMania 42 nearly four years after her WWE exit. She replaced Nikki Bella to compete in the Women’s Tag Team Championship match which she and Brie Bella won. 

Paige was a part of the WWE women’s revolution in 2015. Two years later, she suffered a neck injury that forced her to retire from in-ring competition. At AEW Full Gear 2022, she faced Britt Baker for the first time in five years after being medically cleared. 

WWE returning to Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions 2026

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has officially set a date for its return to Saudi Arabia.

Confirming what had previously been reported, the company announced today that Night of Champions 2026 will be held in Riyadh on Saturday, June 27. This is WWE’s second trip to Saudi Arabia this year, with the country already having hosted Royal Rumble at the end of January.

There had been some uncertainty over whether the war between United States & Israel and Iran would impact WWE’s plans for Saudi Arabia, but the promotion is continuing with this event and moving forward with WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh in 2027.

Night of Champions was also held in Saudi Arabia in 2023 and 2025, with the latter being headlined by a match between John Cena and CM Punk on Cena’s retirement tour.

With this addition, here’s a look at WWE’s updated PLE schedule for 2026:

  • Saturday, May 9: Backlash at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
  • Sunday, May 31: Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy
  • Saturday, June 27: Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2: SummerSlam at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Sunday, September 6: Money in the Bank at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana

Update on Pat McAfee’s WWE storyline being dropped | Exclusive

Posted on by Ian Carey

It was Pat McAfee’s decision for his WWE storyline to end.

McAfee had been planned to team with Randy Orton against Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes at Backlash next month. However, when Rhodes defeated Orton at WrestleMania, the stipulation was that McAfee would have to officially leave wrestling.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed what led to McAfee’s storyline being dropped.

“With the Pat McAfee thing, he opted out, so that’s what actually led to everything changing,” Meltzer said on the show.

“That’s why the tag match from Backlash was taken off. Orton and McAfee against Jelly Roll and Cody Rhodes, which Cody Rhodes may not be okay for Backlash anyway, you know with that eye.”

On Wednesday, Jelly Roll sent a message to McAfee saying it was time for both of them to go back to what they are good at.

Meltzer said both Jelly Roll and McAfee were aware of the backlash from fans regarding celebrity involvement at WrestleMania.

“They were very cognizant of what has been said about celebrities in wrestling and both of them love wrestling and I think that they realized that there was a lot of negative sentiment about it. And they listened and they understood and I think they saw the fan side of it. And I think that that’s what led to this.”

Meltzer continued, noting that while he does not know the exact reason McAfee pulled out, the belief in WWE was that it was due to the fan reaction.

“I was told that the belief was that it was due to the reaction that he pulled out. It wasn’t like anything else.”

Meltzer noted that more information about what happened backstage at WrestleMania will be available in tomorrow’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The post-AEW Dynamite episode of Wrestling Observer Radio this week is available for subscribers here.

Stephanie McMahon says McMahons ‘were never supposed to be’ in WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When she was growing up in the business, Stephanie McMahon was taught that McMahon family members should not be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

McMahon joined the WWE Hall of Fame when she was inducted last Friday during WrestleMania 42 weekend. Aside from her husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque, she is only the second member of the McMahon family to be inducted, joining her grandfather Vincent J. McMahon who was posthumously honored in 1996.

On a new episode of “What’s Your Story?,” Paige praised McMahon’s induction and asked why it took so long for this to happen.

“Well, the McMahons were never supposed to be in the Hall of Fame, as I was always brought up,” McMahon responded. “You know, we were characters that were intentionally designed to get other talent over. So it was never about us. And that’s just sort of like ingrained in my brain.”

Paige called McMahon an inspirational figure and thanked her for how she’s always helped female talent.

“You’ve done so much in your career. Like, you’re very inspiring for women and anyone that’s worked, any woman or man, but just speaking from a woman’s perspective here, any woman that’s worked with you have only ever said positive things,” Paige said. “You’re very inspirational for a boss. You are so caring, empathetic, you’re understanding, and you stick up for us as women too. You’re an advocate for us and you’ve always been like that and I always appreciated that about you.”

McMahon’s three daughters, along with her mother Linda, helped induct her into the Hall of Fame. Her father Vince has been gone from the company since January 2024, when he resigned in the wake of Janel Grant’s sexual abuse lawsuit against him and WWE.

WWE had two conditions Paige needed to meet for return

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE had two conditions Paige needed to meet for her return — she had to get medically cleared and pass a drug test.

After making her WWE return, Paige joined Stephanie McMahon for a new episode of “What’s Your Story?” Paige revealed that Jelly Roll actually played a part in her WWE comeback. She appeared on a live episode of Jelly Roll’s wife Bunnie’s podcast. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s agent Brad Slater was also there, and Jelly Roll asked him why WWE hasn’t brought Paige back yet. That led to a meeting being set up between Paige and Nick Khan.

“So he calls Nick and within 30 minutes, Nick had said, ‘Sure, let’s get a meeting with her.’ A week later, he flies to LA to the WWE offices out there,” Paige said. “I went and met him for about 10 minutes, you know, great guy. Love him. Big fan of him. Super smart. He’s got a business brain on him.

“I thought I’d be intimidated by him. But going in there, he’s easygoing. He goes, ‘Two things — your neck has to be okay and we have to do a drug test.’ I was like, ‘Fair enough.’ I was like, ‘Hey, I can control the drug test.’ I’m clean as a whistle. And so I was like, ‘I don’t know how my neck’s been. It’s been a few years since I got it checked. The last time I got it checked, it was perfect. So I’m not really concerned about it.’ And so, the next week I fly to Birmingham.”

Paige said she is now eight years sober. Her first stint with WWE, she was “a bit of a mess” and failed two drug tests. Stephanie admitted that there was a lot of concern for Paige within the company during that time because they could see her going down a bad path. When Paige first returned back in 2017, Stephanie gave her a hug and told her she was glad she was still alive.

Neck issues led to Paige being medically disqualified from WWE after a December 2017 match. She departed the company before returning to the ring for AEW in 2022.

To get cleared for this WWE return, Paige had a 10-hour appointment in Birmingham. She cried her eyes out after receiving the good news that she was now medically cleared to wrestle in WWE again.

“It was a couple of things. The fact that my neck was good,” Paige said. “And the last time I was in WWE, my neck wasn’t, and I had to retire. And I had to miss out on all these massive things like the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, all these things I didn’t get to be a part of, even though I was part of the group that helped kind of ignite that, right? And it’s just the fact that I’m going to be okay.”

Paige then entered into contract negotiations for her return. She was brought back in time for WrestleMania 42, where Paige teamed with Brie Bella to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles. Paige replaced Nikki Bella in the match after Nikki suffered an ankle injury on the road to WrestleMania.

Jacob Fatu supports his daughters potentially pursuing a career as wrestlers

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Jacob Fatu is a part of the legendary Anoa’i Samoan wrestling family and supports the thought of his daughters continuing that legacy.

Fatu is the son of Sam Fatu (The Tonga Kid), nephew to Rikishi and the late Umaga. A father to seven children, he was recently asked on the Club 520 Podcast if his daughters plan to become wrestlers in the future.

“I feel like the business is different now. If it was like how it was back then I probably would say no, but I see that professional wrestling, this is the one thing I love about it, look at all of us here; we’re all different colors, different cultures, different backgrounds, different people, and we’re all here for one love and that’s professional wrestling,” he said.

Sharing a detailed answer, Fatu further added, “So if that’s me and my daughters’ time to really tap in with each other, and I sit there and watch how they see it, they’re tapped in with every storyline. Mind you, I’m just dad when I go home, I don’t know they be watching all that, but I see it makes them happy.”

Professional wrestling is a competitive business, and rising to the top and making a living out of it often becomes tough. Addressing that situation, Fatu noted, “Man, if they can make a living out of it, and if I can lace them up and teach them, they got the support. But yeah, I definitely can see my daughters, Jeilove and Ja’nya, tapping into it. So y’all might see a female version of Jacob Fatu in the next couple of years.”

The Bloodline storyline was one of the most popular storylines in WWE for almost five years. With Roman Reigns and The Usos now reunited, fans saw Fatu come out on the April 20 episode of RAW and issue a challenge to Reigns.

Cam’ron continues feud with The Usos, issues WWE SummerSlam challenge

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Despite the heavy backlash before WWE WrestleMania 42 due to Pat McAfee’s addition, WWE seems to be far from over with its celebrity involvement.

In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 42, fans saw Jey Uso appear on It Is What It Is, where rapper Cam’ron took constant shots at Uso. However, after this continued for a while, the former World Champion finally snapped and ambushed the rapper in the studio.

The moment was also directly referenced by Roman Reigns on the April 20 episode of RAW. Trying to motivate Uso, Reigns called Cam’ron a “washed rapper from the 90s.”

However, not taking the insults lightly, Cam’ron fired back. He responded via an Instagram video, calling Reigns a “little dog.” He further continued his wrestling style promo and called himself the “paramount chief.”

“You are a s**ker! You do what Triple H tells you to do. But I get it, Triple H, I’ll tell you what, get all The Usos, bring all them motherf***er. I’ll set this motherf***er up at SummerSlam. I can’t wait!”

“All I can do is laugh at you [Roman Reigns] staying for Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania is like eating thanksgiving leftovers on Monday after thxgvn,” Cam’ron wrote. “The Rock would Never.”

“But you’re [Triple H] lil lil employee. You better do what he says,” Cam’ron wrote and issued a challenge to The Usos for SummerSlam.

The 50-year-old rapper issued the challenge, ripped his t-shirt, and walked away to close the video.

Ric Flair says Dennis Rodman wanted him for WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Ric Flair claims Dennis Rodman wanted him to induct the former Detroit Pistons star.

Hours before WWE WrestleMania 42, NBA and WCW veteran Dennis Rodman was inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame’s celebrity wing.

On April 17, 2026, Rodman was inducted by Sean Waltman and Kevin Nash into the WWE Hall of Fame. However, speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ric Flair claimed that Rodman wanted Flair to induct him instead.

“Dennis Rodman called me and said, ‘Will you induct me into the Hall of Fame?’ I sent it to the power that be, ‘Dennis wants (me to induct him).’ I never got a call back. I’m very happy for Kevin and Sean. I never got a call back,” Flair narrated.

Elsewhere in the same interview, Flair also recalled how he was banned from attending WWE WrestleMania due to once threatening Ludwig Kaiser.

Waltman and Nash inducted Rodman, who was once a part of WCW’s New World Order.