Tag: Cody Rhodes

Spoiler on next Cody Rhodes Undisputed WWE Championship defense

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Note: This article mentions developments from Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode in Bologna, Italy that has yet to air in the United States.

After a controversial finish at Clash in Italy, Cody Rhodes and Gunther are set to face off for the Undisputed WWE Championship again.

It was announced during Friday’s SmackDown that Rhodes and Gunther will meet for the title in two weeks time. Their rematch will take place on the June 19 episode of SmackDown in Kansas City, Missouri, and there will be a stipulation this time. Gunther will choose the stipulation and reveal it next week.

Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship over Gunther last weekend at Clash in Italy, but the story made it clear that their feud would be continuing. The referee could not see that Gunther’s foot was on the rope, which led to an enraged Gunther opening today’s SmackDown and demanding justice. Rhodes was fine with giving him a rematch as soon as possible.

The Gunther-Rhodes segment from today also included SamI Zayn getting involved and potentially inserting himself into the title picture, though this June 19 match will be one-on-one.

Including the June 19 event, SmackDown has three more episodes before WWE Night of Champions takes place in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 27. The June 26 episode of SmackDown will be taped in advance from London, England.

WWE SmackDown lineup announced following Clash in Italy

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Cody Rhodes will appear on WWE SmackDown to discuss the fallout of the controversial title match ending at Clash in Italy. 

WWE SmackDown will take place at  Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy. It aligns with their ongoing European Tour which sparked in the week leading to Clash in Italy, and will continue till June 24. The upcoming edition of SmackDown airs at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT internationally on Netflix.

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments continue on SmackDown with more first-round action. 

WWE SmackDown (Friday, June 5) – 

  • King of the Ring tournament continues with Damian Priest vs. Trick Williams vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker 
  • Queen of the Ring tournament proceeds with Bayley vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Kiana James vs. Raquel Rodriguez
  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will address fans after the controversial win at Clash in Italy 
  • WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley is set to make an appearance 
  • Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints collide in yet another rematch 

Nick Khan claims WWE WrestleMania 40 plans ‘never changed’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

According to Nick Khan, the way things ended up at WWE WrestleMania 40 were always how they were supposed to go.

The 2024 edition of WrestleMania saw Cody Rhodes defeat Roman Reigns to finish his story and become Undisputed WWE Champion. But the build to the match took a turn when Rhodes briefly gave up that main event spot to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Fans did not respond well to the move, and the match once again became Reigns vs. Rhodes. A tag team bout was also made for night one of WrestleMania 40 with Reigns & The Rock taking on Rhodes & Seth Rollins.

WWE produced its own “Behind the Curtain” documentary on how fan backlash led them to pivot back to Reigns vs. Rhodes. But Khan, speaking at SBJ On Stage, claimed plans “never changed” and the situation went the way WWE wanted it to go.

“By the way, the plan was always how it ended up in Philly two years ago. Sometimes — it’s a pre-determined outcome in wrestling. You want to throw the fans off, you want to let things bake, and then, boom, it ends up the way that we wanted it to end up. It never changed,” the WWE president said. “That was just online rumors and gossip that we were changing — it never changed. We convinced Dwayne Johnson to come back. He’s on our board of directors. It was a tag team match. He’s about the same age I am, so two years ago let’s say he was 50, he was obviously in phenomenal shape, he did everything that we asked of him and then some. But that was always the result we were looking for.”

Khan’s appearance at SBJ On Stage took place in April prior to WrestleMania 42 but was not uploaded until this week.

Nick Khan on not listening to social media criticism —

At the SBJ event, Khan reiterated that WWE listens to ratings, revenue, and relevancy and does not respond to social media criticism. He views X/Twitter as a vocal minority and has not used the platform in regards to WWE.

“People are allowed to complain, but we don’t adjust our business based on complaints,” he said. “We adjust our business based on ratings, revenue, relevancy.

Talent lineup announced for next WWE ID Showcase

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The first talent roster for the next WWE ID Showcase at Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall’s Nightmare Factory has been confirmed.

The announcement made via X revealed the list of talents who will be featured for the June 26 presentation. 

“BREAKING…. The first talent roster is set for the next ID Showcase! Already confirmed for The Nightmare Factory presents The ID Showcase on June 26th are:

-WWE Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke

-WWE ID Men’s Champion Chazz “Starboy” Hall

-WWE ID Women’s Champion Laynie Luck

-WWE ID Player/Coach Timothy Thatcher

-Cappuccino Jones

-The Mog Squad of Max Abrams, CJ Valor, Santi Rivera and Jacari Ball

-Sloane Jacobs

-Sam Holloway

-It’s Gal

-Anya Rune

-Gianna Capri

-Veronica Haven

Plus more to be announced including talent from The Nightmare Factory!

Match announcements coming this week!” 

The WWE ID program was introduced in 2024. Its purpose is to help identify and support upcoming stars from the independent scene before signing full-time WWE contracts. 

The Nightmare Factory has served as one of the training facilities for WWE ID recruits since its launch.

Cody Rhodes names dream ‘wildcard’ WWE venue

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes would like to see WWE turn back the clock to 1993 when the company placed a wrestling ring on the deck of a decommissioned Navy ship.

To celebrate the Fourth of July that year, WWE held a bodyslam challenge on the USS Intrepid in New York City, where Lex Luger slammed Yokozuna on the road to SummerSlam 1993. WWE’s attempt to turn Luger into its next Hulk Hogan-level star ultimately wasn’t successful, but the Intrepid slam is still one of the most memorable WWE moments of that early 1990s era and of Luger’s Hall of Fame career.

Rhodes pointed back to the moment when TMZ asked — with UFC’s White House event coming up — if there are any “wildcard” venues he would like to see WWE run.

“Ohh, I would like to do a decommissioned — what do they call them? Where you put the planes on it,” Rhodes responded. “Luger did the slam on Yokozuna on the Intrepid, basically a decommissioned battleship. That’s a really great outlook. I would hope so, that would be really cool. Unique locations is always fun because then you can play them in the [WWE 2K] game.”

When asked what’s next for him in WWE, Rhodes claimed to TMZ that he did not know. An Undisputed WWE Championship rematch against Gunther looks like a possibility after Rhodes retained in controversial fashion at Clash in Italy on Sunday. WWE is also teasing Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns picking back up their rivalry.

Cody Rhodes on ‘Street Fighter’ movie —

Rhodes (playing Guile) and Reigns (Akuma) both have roles in the upcoming “Street Fighter” movie from Legendary Entertainment, which is set for an October 16, 2026 release. Rhodes spoke to TMZ about the project.

“Street Fighter is an absolute hit. [Director] Kitao Sakurai did a great job with that movie — great job. I saw a piece of it the other day. [You’ll] be very impressed,” he said. “It’s amazing. I hope people go and see it, October. Really fun time making it.”

NJPW wrestler Hirooki Goto is also in “Street Fighter,” playing the character E. Honda.

Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns have staredown following WWE Clash in Italy

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns are teasing following Clash in Italy.

After the show went off the air, WWE on social media posted a video of the two having a brief staredown. Rhodes nodded during their interaction before quickly walking past the World Heavyweight Champion.

Reigns took a shot at Rhodes after Clash in Italy

Reigns retained his title on Sunday, defeating Jacob Fatu in a Tribal Combat match. But after the match, he had pointed words for the WWE Champion, making it clear who he felt was at the very top of WWE.

“Now they know who the head of the table is, who the capitan of the ship is…QB1? F*** that noise. It’s the Tribal Chief,” Reigns declared as he made his exit.

Later in the post-show, Rhodes gave his response.

“I think it’s a unique position for me to be in, for me to say something negative or for him to say something negative about me, and for the simple fact that he doesn’t have two wins over me, I don’t have two wins over him. He beat me once, and I beat his a** once. So, I don’t know. Add him to the list,” he said. “We said Gunther can get a rematch whenever he wants it, come and get it. Easy to find, hard to beat, that goes for Roman Reigns as well.”

Rhodes was also successful Sunday in Turin. In the opening match, he defeated Gunther, albeit in a controversial way, as the referee counted three despite Gunther managing to get his foot on the ropes.

Cody Rhodes vs Gunther result at WWE Clash in Italy 2026

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Cody Rhodes defeated Gunther in the opening match of WWE Clash in Italy 2026.

In the opening match of the night in Turin, Italy, fans around the world saw Cody Rhodes clash against Gunther.

The majority of the match was dominated by Gunther, who even locked Rhodes in a sleeper hold multiple times. However, battling the odds, Rhodes emerged victorious and retained his Undisputed Championship.

The closing moments of the match saw Rhodes deliver two Cross-Rhodes on Gunther, who then fell victim to the three-count. The finish of the match was rather controversial, as Gunther believed he had his foot under the bottom rope. However, the referee did not pay heed to Gunther’s statements, and it transitioned into a post-match argument between the two.

As Gunther and the referee argued, Rhodes celebrated his moment and title retention with the Inalpi Arena crowd. Later, WWE also uploaded a backstage video of Gunther, who was filmed walking around the arena, throwing a fit.

Cody Rhodes says he’s addicted to the top spot in WWE

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Cody Rhodes recently opened up about his addiction to the top spot in WWE.

Despite being the son of WWE legend Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes had to undergo a lot of struggles and hustle to reach the spot where he is now. After leaving WWE in 2016 due to creative disputes, Rhodes reinvented himself, started AEW, and came back to WWE in 2022. Since his return, the 40-year-old has maintained the spot in the promotion.

Recently speaking in an interview on WWE’s YouTube channel, Rhodes opened up about his role as “QB1” and how the challenges have addicted him to the top spot.

“It felt very important. Coming just to Monday Night Raw, having an interaction unexpected at that with CM Punk. It felt very important because you say QB1, what is QB1? If anything, and maybe the thing I’ve learned that QB1 is the most is consistent. There’s always a flavor of the month, right? There’s always some hot new thing, and good for it. That’s exciting when the crowd can get behind something or something new shows up. But all my faves, all the QB1s before me, were consistent,” Rhodes said.

“They were a week in and week out, and now there’s all these jokes about how I’ve really tried to follow the John Cena model, and I don’t mind those jokes at all, because that’s a hell of a mode, and I think most people run from it because it means work. It means work, and I’m also aware of the other QBs in WWE. If their strategy is less is more, if their strategy is more strategic, then I’m not gonna play that game. I’ll do it differently. I’ll be here every week, and I’ll see this team every week. It’s not a matter of who’s right or wrong; it’s my preference. So to be shaken out of my preference would have been very difficult. Ricky Saints comes to WWE, debuts coming up from NXT.

“As much as he did it in a braggadocious, bullish way, and as much as he pulled my card in the way he did, I needed that. Thank you, Ricky Saints, because that’s the moment that I can say, all right, I am cleared, and not only am I cleared, we’re not gonna wait. We’re not gonna do this big presentation, and this less is more strategy to it. No, we’ll wrestle right here, we’ll wrestle tonight, Sami found that out as well. So I appreciate those guys shaking me out of any type of feeling down in the dumps because I shouldn’t have. I left WrestleMania, and I even said that to CM Punk and it was a mistake to say it, that I didn’t feel so much like a winner and I had been, and I need those challengers. I need them. I’m addicted to the top spot. I’m not afraid to tell anybody that, and I needed them to come in when they did.”

Rhodes is currently scheduled to face Gunther at Clash in Italy, and weeks before that, he defeated Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42.

Cody Rhodes purchases, donates wrestling ring to SGW Uganda

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes recently purchased and donated a wrestling ring to SGW Uganda.

In a recent social media update by SGW (Soft Ground Wrestling) Uganda, it was announced that WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes donated a wrestling to them after purchasing it himself.

“Huge thank you to Cody Rhodes for purchasing and donating our wrestling ring to SGW! The ring is now being used to train and develop the next generation of wrestlers in Uganda. Your support is making a real difference.”

Previously promised by Rhodes, the most promising and positive update for SGW has now become true, as Rhodes has purchased them their own pro-wrestling ring.

The SGW promotion in Uganda earned massive popularity and became a talking point on social media for its wrestling match clips. The promotion generally had its wrestling on soft mud ground. However, with Rhodes’ donation now, things have already started changing for the small promotion in the East African country.

A couple of years ago, Will Ospreay had also reportedly donated around $2000 to SGW to help them continue their promotion.

WWE stars who need a win at Clash in Italy | Opinion 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Sunday’s WWE Clash in Italy features several rematches against talent with some stars seeking to either gain momentum or shift momentum in their favor. With championship implications and ongoing storylines, the PLE presents a crucial opportunity for stars to re-establish themselves. 

Here’s a few talents who need to win at WWE Clash in Italy.

Sol Ruca

Ruca won their non-title SNME bout via disqualification last weekend as an awkward landing after the Sol Snatcher forced the stoppage. 

Ruca and Lynch had their first encounter on the May 4 edition of Raw. Ruca was in the middle of signing her contract, officially transitioning to the main roster. Lynch intervened to confront Adam Pearce for her impromptu match against IYO SKY the previous week. 

Despite the mixed reactions, Lynch levels up and boosts her opponents. While it seems like the Women’s Intercontinental Title is struggling to brand its own identity, Ruca’s win could help define it with exciting matches and feuds. 

Oba Femi

Femi already showed his physicality and worth against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42. Another win against him would help cement him as WWE’s next powerhouse attraction. He has developed the momentum, but a second win over someone of Lesnar’s stature would solidify his credibility as a main event force.

It would also avoid predictable squash matches which were taking place as a part of Femi’s open challenges after WrestleMania. Apart from a rivalry with Roman Reigns, which was teased in the Mania post show and Gunther’s interest in a possible feud, the pool of believable opponents is limited. 

Femi needs to gain a victory over Lesnar again at Clash in Italy so he can strut on to better opportunities and most likely the World Heavyweight Championship. 

Jade Cargill

The formulaic attraction of Cargill’s limited title defenses during her initial World title reign made it difficult to sustain her character development. It often came across as WWE protecting her to ensure her dominant position. However, it fell flat. 

Rhea Ripley has strong connections to ongoing storylines. The tension with Charlotte Flair stemming from their history is teasing another singles feud down the line. Jacy Jayne confronting the champion on the April 24 edition of SmackDown demonstrated why WWE may be keen on keeping her in the center of the women’s division. 

Without the championship, Cargill could focus on fresh feuds against top notch opponents before a likely future as a two-time WWE Women’s Champion. 

Gunther

Gunther has already been presented as a physically dominant World Heavyweight Champion. If he defeats Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship Sunday, that would be the final step in establishing himself as the company’s ultimate in-ring force.

Rhodes is in his third reign as champion. Initially, he was backed by fans worldwide to end Roman Reigns’ record-breaking Universal Title reign and take over the reins of the new era in WWE. However, over time, his monotonous tone and persona has become predictable. 

With a heel like Gunther taking the WWE Title from Rhodes, it would give him some time off from the constant spotlight and refresh his character direction. Meanwhile, it would be a change of pace with Gunther’s brutal, methodical style of wrestling in the WWE Championship picture. 

Roman Reigns

The Tribal Combat match is built to feel like it’s Roman Reigns’ domain. Reigns’ presence is still central to WWE. While this reign may feel a lot like his last one, a loss this soon would risk undercutting the aura WWE has rebuilt for him since his return to full-time competition.

Jacob Fatu’s determination is set in the right place — to take everything Reigns has for himself. However, that might get the best of him and detour him from seeing the bigger picture, blinding him with the right motive and method to get the victory over Reigns. He has proven it multiple times that his anger and quest has been the main influence to determine his next move. 

At the same time, it would enable WWE to carefully plot who could take over the leadership reins from him instead of a rushed takeover by Fatu.

WWE reveals Clash in Italy opening match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Undisputed WWE Championship will be on the line to kick off Clash in Italy.

During Friday’s episode of SmackDown, WWE announced that Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the Undisputed WWE title will be the opening match of Sunday’s broadcast. The first hour of the PLE is being simulcast on ESPN, with the entire show airing on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally.

Another big title match will be going on second with Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship also scheduled for the ESPN simulcast portion of the PLE.

Clash in Italy is Rhodes’ first televised defense of the Undisputed WWE Championship since retaining against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42. In the aftermath of WrestleMania, Gunther moved over to the SmackDown roster to begin this title feud with Rhodes.

Inalpi Arena in Turin is hosting Sunday’s PLE and the following day’s episode of Raw. Here is the updated PLE lineup:

WWE Clash in Italy (Sunday, May 31) —

  • Tribal Combat: World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jacob Fatu
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Sol Ruca
  • Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Jade Cargill
  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Gunther

New match, two segments added to WWE SmackDown lineup

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Update —

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints has now been added to the card for today’s SmackDown. It’s a rematch from two weeks ago where Hayes won by putting his feet on the ropes for leverage. They had an angle last Friday where Hayes attacked Saints during a backstage interview.

**********

Segments involving Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill are officially on the books for today’s SmackDown in Barcelona.

WWE makes a stop in Spain today to finish out the build to Clash in Italy. Ahead of his title defense against Gunther, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will be on the show to address Gunther’s attack from last week. Jade Cargill is also scheduled for an appearance where she will deliver one final message to WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley ahead of their Clash in Italy title bout.

The Cargill segment is expected to open the show, according to Rope Break (formerly known as PWN and previously associated with Bodyslam.net).

Rhodes vs. Gunther and Ripley vs. Cargill are both slated for the first hour of Sunday’s Clash in Italy PLE, which will be simulcast on ESPN.

Today’s SmackDown is airing live on Netflix overseas before being shown in its regular time slot on USA Network tonight for U.S. viewers. The start time for the international broadcast is 2 p.m. Eastern.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, May 29) —

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes addresses Gunther’s attack from last week
  • The Miz vs. Axiom
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints
  • Jade Cargill has one final message for WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley

Cody Rhodes reflects on his 2016 WWE exit decision: ‘This is a big card game’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

One of the most crucial figures in the modern pro-wrestling industry, Cody Rhodes, recently opened up and reflected on his 2016 WWE exit.

Following several creative differences and an unsatisfactory run, Rhodes requested his release from WWE on May 21, 2016. Shortly after being granted one, Rhodes went on to reinvent himself and wrestle all across the world.

Following runs across several indie promotions, Impact Wrestling, and NJPW, Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Adam Page became a crucial part of the inaugural All In event, which eventually led to the formation of AEW.

Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Rhodes reflected on that moment and how he gained confidence from seeing the fans supporting him.

“When I left, when I put my statement out, when I hadn’t even signed my release papers, when I just walked, when the world mobilized on social media to support me, and then the list comes out, here’s who I’m going to be wrestling.

“Not only did they support me on socials, they did so with their own wallets and came to these small shows. It was a very big bluff, this is a big card game, and it was a big bluff,” he said.

Rhodes further explained that his character stopped being a “bluff” when the fans started standing behind him. “The suit and ties, the braggadocio, the confidence, all of it ceased being a bluff the moment the fans actually stood behind me. I’m very much propped up by that fandom, and I’ve continued to be through every endeavor I took. The only thing I can say for those who are out there and they’re wanting to do more, it’s easy for me to say it now having got to the top of the mountain in the wrestling space and trying to build a new mountain. Then, it was a matter of surrounding myself with people who would support me.”

Rhodes is currently scheduled to face Gunther at Clash in Italy on May 31, 2026, with his Undisputed title on the line.

Cody Rhodes says moving into Hollywood from WWE ‘is a definite natural extension’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Current Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes believes moving into Hollywood from WWE is a “definite natural extension.”

Recently appearing and speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Rhodes was asked about his retirement plans and a potential jump to Hollywood. A part of a few films and television shows, Rhodes is also known for studying acting for a year at the Howard Fine Acting School.

With Street Fighter coming out later this year, Rhodes did not brush aside the chances of a Hollywood jump. “I definitely want to grow beyond telling stories in the ring. I got the opportunity to do Street Fighter, it comes out this October. Kitao Sakurai directed this movie. I saw bits of it the other day. I think it’s going to be a huge hit. I hope it is, because I had such a fun time making it.

“I want to do more of that. What we do in the ring is tell stories, I’d love to do it outside of falling down in the pro-wrestling ring, but that’ll come when this is done. Everyone who carried the actual main title in the industry has to carry it with the responsibility that comes with it, and the responsibility has a timeline on it. Keeping this as long as I can is the immediate goal,” he added.

Rhodes also opened up on how moving into Hollywood is the natural extension, as he shared examples of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena. “Moving into Hollywood is a definite natural extension of what we do next. Just being able to tell stories. Batista, Dwayne, Cena, Terry Funk even. There has been so many examples of guys who really did well with it, and brought their skillset over to it.“

However, despite his interests, Rhodes is not in a hurry to make the move.

What is stopping WWE Champion Cody Rhodes from entering Hollywood?

In the same interview, Rhodes also explained why he is taking his time before potentially switching gears to acting. The 40-year-old believes he still has a few matches to compete in WWE before making a move.

“Beyond that, there’s a few matches left on the board at WWE I haven’t had, and there will be new matches coming about each day, because we have so many guys getting locked and loaded down in NXT that I’ll probably want to touch before all is said and done.”

Rhodes is currently scheduled to defend his Undisputed title against Gunther at Clash in Italy on May 31, 2026.

Daily Update: Cody Rhodes-Danhausen, Shingo Takagi, The Rock

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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Wednesday Update

Lola Vice Izzi Dame WWE
Lola Vice faces off with Izzi Dame on WWE NXT. (Image credit: WWE)

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Lola Vice vs. Izzi Dame NXT Women’s Championship match from last night.
  • To promote Clash in Italy, Cody Rhodes appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up, and The Rich Eisen Show today.
  • Rhodes told ESPN Unsportsmanlike that Danhausen is the “king” of WWE’s merch sellers right now:
    • I think it’s safe to say Danhausen is one of the most popular people in all of WWE at the moment, and I don’t see it really stopping. He overtook the merch game. There’s all kinds of market confusion because the WWE Shop website has a thing that people actually believe, but I’ll tell you who’s the king right now of the merch game – it’s Danhausen. He’s beating us all.
  • For an ESPN video, Seth Rollins looked back at some of his WWE highlights.
  • Though it’s not confirmed that he’ll be attending, Dana White told Time that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been invited to the UFC’s show at the White House next month:
    • At least 1,200 of the approximately 4,300 seats will go to active military members. The White House, TKO, and the UFC will divvy up the rest: White has invited Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and Mario Lopez.
  • AJ Styles’ son Avery shared training footage of himself doing his father’s patented Spiral Tap into a crash pad.
  • Today marks 30 years since Scott Hall arrived in WCW by invading Nitro. To celebrate the anniversary, WCW’s YouTube channel posted that full Nitro episode.

Other Wrestling

  • Shingo Takagi commented on the news that NJPW’s ownership is transferring from Bushiroad to TV Asahi & CyberAgent:
    • I know the [Bushiroad] owner personally, and I want to say once again, thank you for the past 14 years. It was the same when LIJ (Los Ingobernables de Japon) disbanded, but I’m in a situation where I’m wondering ‘what’s going to happen,’ and I can’t help but be excited. I just have to work hard and stay positive, showing a bright future.
  • AEW wrestler Max Caster filed a trademark for the term “Volume 2” on May 26.  Along with that, Caster posted a tweet calling indie promotion Beyond Wrestling/Wrestling Open his new home and the only place where people will be able to see him every week:
    • My new home. Proud to be a part. 
    • The only place you’ll see the Best Wrestler Alive every week.
  • The Young Bucks uploaded a new Being the Elite video focused on Stadium Stampede.
  • 94WIP in Philadelphia interviewed Wheeler Yuta.
  • Indie wrestler Erick Stevens announced that he’s stepping away from the ring for what might be the final time:
    • Thank you to all of the promotions who brought me in, all of my opponents, and all of the fans who supported this run.  
    • Pro wrestling owes me nothing.  I just hope that I’m leaving it better than I found it.  
    • I’ve learned to never say ‘goodbye’ in this business.  Did that a couple times and looked like a dummy when I came back.  Even though this feels like my last run, you really just never know.  With that being said, I’ll leave you with this:
    • See you later.