Andrade El Idolo addressed the social media backlash around Kendal Grey with more than a one-word response.
On the March 24 edition of NXT, Grey and Wren Sinclair teamed against Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. In the bout, Grey launched a blocked kick-spinning elbow on her opponent which fans immediately linked to Andrade. They considered it a tribute given how he uses the move in the ring. When the clip from the match went viral on social media with fans labeling it as a tribute to the AEW star he responded ‘Who?’.
Fans called him out citing Grey’s impressive rise on NXT and Evolve makes her a recognizable talent by now. Later, Andrade posted on X that he was actually unaware about Grey’s performances and dubbed her a future star in the industry.
“Hahaha! I asked who she was because, honestly, I didn’t know—but now I do, and it’s thanks to you guys! (laughter emoji) She definitely has a future in this business. Good luck!” tweeted Andrade.
Hahaha! I asked who she was because, honestly, I didn't know—but now I do, and it's thanks to you guys! 🤣 She definitely has a future in this business. Good luck! 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼 https://t.co/Q9cQlVCM4O
— “EL IDOLO” ANDRADE better than MJF!!! (@AndradeElIdolo) March 26, 2026
Grey signed with WWE in 2023 through the NIL (Next in Line) program. She actively competes on Evolve as well as NXT. Last year in September Grey became the Evolve Women’s Champion. She relinquished the title earlier this month to kickstart her official NXT run.
Meanwhile, Andrade’s quest to become AEW World Champion after his return in January diverted into a rivalry with Bandido, who he defeated at Revolution.
Bryan Alvarez has confirmed that Wes Lee, Jin Tala, Haze Jameson, Summer Sorrell, and Brayden “BJ” Ray were also released by WWE on Friday. This was first reported by Fightful and Bodyslam.net.
Lee is the most notable name among Friday’s releases. He is a former NXT North American and Tag Team Champion and had been featured as a key talent since signing with WWE in 2020. He had formed a stable with Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont called High Ryze earlier in the year but hadn’t been featured recently.
Tala, Sorrell, Jameson, and Ray had all previously been featured on WWE LFG.
Original Post:
Releases are taking place in the WWE NXT & ID system.
Stevie Turner, Drako Knox, and Jamar Hampton announced their release from WWE on Friday. Zara Zakher, meanwhile, announced her contract with the WWE ID program had expired. This comes after Lance Anoa’i announced earlier in the day that he too had been released from the company. According to Bryan Alvarez, all talent will have 30-day no compete clauses.
Turner, the most notable of the names so far, had recently been seen on NXT television as an assistant to NXT GM Ava. She was also the General Manager of Evolve.
My time with @WWE has come to an end. I’ve had a brilliant time and I’m so excited for the future 😆 see you soon!
Knox had been in the system since 2023 and had been competing on Evolve and NXT house shows. Hampton had competed in WWE LFG and had also wrestled on Evolve. He made news this past summer when he posted messages on social media critical of those sharing tributes to Hulk Hogan, who was barred from WWE for a time after making racist statements in a leaked sex tape.
Effective immediately, I have been released from my contract with WWE.
I am thankful for every person and every day I spent in that PC. I give everything I have every single day for this business!
I will be available for bookings in 30 days. Email: [email protected]
Zakher wrote that her ID contract had expired and would be taking a step back from wrestling.
As of today, my contract with WWE ID has expired, and I’ll be taking a step back from wrestling. I’m so grateful for all the people I’ve met and everyone who’s supported me. I don’t know if or when I’ll be back, but I’m hopeful for the future. ❤️
In addition to Zakher, Zayda Steel and Kylie Rae also annouinced that they were no longer part of the ID program in recent days. Steel had asked for her release, while Rae said that her contract wasn’t renewed.
*AEW moves PPV to HBO MAX , details of the move, programming changes, All Out time move, All Out card and ticket sales.
*The worst week of TV ratings you can imagine. Each show broken down into all the details.*Clash in Paris coverage, business ntes *Changes in Nielsen ratings and how this will affect sports sooner and later *CMLL World Grand Prix with an 82:00 main event. *Bandido vs. Hechicero is one of the best matches of 2025. *ROH coverage including problems with the streaming. *Early reviews on Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson *A look at the debut of Real American Freestyle *Nick Hogan sued Bubba the Love Sponge, what he is suing over and the first court ruling comes in. *The legend of Buford Pusser, a former pro wrestler who became a famous pop culture figure with movies and a TV show about him, and now it comes out that he may have murdered his wife. *The Hall of Fame case for Steve Grey. *CMLL with multiple sellouts coming up. *Who is now in charge of AAA. *What’s notable about the makeup of who is in charge. *Update on Raja Johnson and Syco Stu *Ronda Rousey with her thoughts on WWE tenure. *Updates on Matt Riddle. *One of the biggest indie crowds of the year in Atlanta this past week. *Upcoming ticket sales to all the WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next few months. *Notes on a new AAA signing. *What fighter just got a $10 million payout over a lawsuit settlement *Jon Jones cawse update *Chael Sonnen crosses Rick Rude and The Grappler . *How much is TKO worth. *How much is Dwayne Johnson’s TK stock worth *Notes on the movie Street Fighter and the character named after a pro wrestler.
— Our weekend show with Garrett Gonzales talking about the new Nielsen ratings and what will and won’t be covered and why it’s happening, the worst week of ratings in modern pro wrestling, all the politics and the cards of September 20th, Netflix keeping commercials in the show and coming up with data pretending they don’t, the reason John Cena’s retirement won’t be in Boston and more. Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about the weekend news.
— Tokyo Dome tickets for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final match on 1/4 were put on sale to foreigners for $750 each. We don’t know the allotment or what this means, but in 15 minutes, the entire allotment had sold out.
— Arena Mexico drew a big crowd on Friday but wasn’t sold out for Mistico & Bandido vs. Angel de Oro & Hechicero.
— Regarding the story about Gunnar Wiedenfels, the head of the future Discovery Global branch of the future WBD split (the one that will own the TV stations), and the sports app for everything under the TNT Sports banner, when this story first broke we had checked about it and were told that AEW has a contract with HBO Max through the end of 2027, so this would not apply to AEW, which is listed as sorts on HBO Max but in actuality is not considered part of TNT Sports.
— Very sorry to hear about the death of Jonathan Echevarria of Beyond Wrestling and other groups, best known as Jaka, who passed away at the age of 39 after suffering a heart attack last weekend. He had been wrestling for 18 years and was very well loved.
— Regarding the news of the death of Taishin Nagao, who was run over by the tour bus accidentally months ago. He had been in a coma for months. The extent of his injuries had been kept secret by All Japan. People didn’t know how bad the situation was, even the Japanese wrestlers. Before the news got out yesterday, the All Japan locker room was told they were taking him off life support.
— Rodolfo Ruiz, a former two-time Mexican national lightweight champion in the 60s and father of Averno, passed away today at the age of 86. When I started following wrestling, Ruiz was considered one of the best lightweights in the world. He debuted in 1962 and held the lightweight title in 1965 and again 1969-71. He was also UWA featherweight champion as late as 1990. He was later a CMLL referee through 2011. He had long since retired in 1999 when he came back to Arena Mexico at the age of 60 for a match with Blue Panther.
— Averno was scheduled for tonight’s main event at Arena Mexico.
— The All Japan Oudou tournament comes down to Ren Ayabe vs. Ryuki Honda and Kento Miyahara vs. Daisuke Sekimoto. The semifinals and finals will be on the 9/15 show at Korakuen Hall.
— Stardom yesterday had a PPV in Yokohama with Saya Kamitani retaining the World of Stardom title over Bea Priestley, Starlight Kid retaining the Wonder of Stardom title over Tomoka Inaba and Sareee retaining the IWGP women’s title over Suzu Suzuki.
— Benny Saldie was given the award for Best Director at the 2025 Vince Film Festival in Italy for “Smashing Machine,” the movie starring Dwayne Johnson that is getting Oscar buzz.
— Announced for Dynamite on Wednesday is Ricochet vs. Shelton Benjamin, Mercedes Mone & Emi Sakura vs. Riho & Alex Windsor, Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue in a street fight and Adam Page vs. Josh Alexander in a non-title match.
— Raw tomorrow night from Milwaukee is the first show of the year against Monday Night Football. It starts at 8 p.m., the regular time. AJ Lee will be there to help set up the CM Punk & Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch match. Also AJ Styles vs. Grande Americano, Tyra Valkyrie vs. Raquel Rodriguez and the Usos back together.
— Also on last night’s show they teased a Big Bill vs. Eddie Kingston match, so Kingston is returning soon.
— So if the rating of Dynamite wasn’t strange enough setting an unbelievable record low of 472,000 viewers and 0.11, when it aired on Friday in the U.K. it drew the highest number for a live episode of the show since February and was up 103 percent from the same week last year. While U.K. ratings vary too much to take individual numbers that seriously although I’m sure as a trend they are accurate over long-term, the idea of the same show in the same week doing a terrible number in the U.S. and a tremendous number in the U.K. is something.
— RevPro has announced its biggest undertaking to date. They will run August 29, 2026 at OVO Arena at Wembley, the night before AEW runs at Wembley Stadium. It’s also notable they were able to announce it given WWE has a show in the same building in January for Raw.
— On the night AJ Lee returned to WWE, one of her movies debuted on Hulu. The movie is named “Sacramento,” starring Michael Cera. She played the owner of a wrestling gym and had 10-15 minutes of screen time, credited as AJ Mendes. The movie is available for rent as well through other platforms (thanks to Harold Kruger)
— In Google searches for the weekend, as you can imagine it’s dominated by the NFL and College Football. The Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrence Crawford boxing match this coming Saturday had 50,000 searches. The UFC show yesterday from Paris had 95,000, which is along the lines of the WWE show the previous week.
— Longtime Carolinas wrestler George South turned 63 today. Nora Greenwald aka Molly Holly turned 48. The Great Antonio, who once appeared on “The Tonight Show” and was famous for Rikidozan and later Antonio Inoki beating the hell out of him for real, died on this day 22 years ago at 77.
— We didn’t hear about any killer matches this weekend although we were told the Wrestling Revolver match with Leon Slater, Man Like DeReiss, Marcus Mathers and Ante Leon was said to be very good.
— Josh Barnett announced two former MMA fighters on the 9/28 Bloodsport show in London at the Electric Ballroom. Oli Thomipson, a strongman who has fought in Bellator and UFC and was the pro wrestling IGF world champion faces Chris Bungard from Scotland, who has also fought in Bellator.
— The Team 3D vs. Hardys match at Bound for Glory will be a tables match.
Jonathan Echevarria, an independent wrestler who worked for many promotions including Beyond Wrestling and EVOLVE under the name Jaka, has passed away.
Beyond was the first to confirm the news, writing: “The original Ace. RIP Jaka.”
“Jonathan is the kind of person who brings laughter and energy wherever he goes—a fun, lovable pain in the butt who means the world to us,” his sister Annette wrote at the time. “Seeing him in this state has been incredibly difficult, but we are staying strong for him and for each other.”
Jaka made his pro wrestling debut in 2007 and wrestled for various promotions including FIP, Chikara, CZW, Wrestling is Fun, and GCW. He is a former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion with Chris Dickinson. In Beyond Wrestling, he was part of Team Pazuzu with Mike Santana and Ortiz. He also worked an episode of AEW Dark: Elevation in 2021 and had a match during WWE’s WrestleMania Axxess event in 2018.
Former EVOLVE wrestler Jaka (Jonathan Echevarria) is battling for his life after suffering a heart attack.
Jaka’s family announced on Thursday that he is currently in the intensive care unit and in critical condition. A GoFundMe campaign — which has already raised more than $13,000 in just a few hours — has been started to help assist him with medical bills and the other expenses he’s going to face in his recovery.
“He is currently in the ICU after suffering a heart attack and remains in critical condition. Our family is holding tightly to faith, praying for his complete healing and full restoration,” Jaka’s sister Annette wrote. “Jonathan is the kind of person who brings laughter and energy wherever he goes—a fun, lovable pain in the butt who means the world to us. Seeing him in this state has been incredibly difficult, but we are staying strong for him and for each other.”
A $5,000 donation to the GoFundMe was made by AEW’s Tony Khan. In addition to his indie work, Jaka wrestled one match for AEW on an episode of Dark: Elevation in 2021 and worked a match at WWE WrestleMania Axxess in 2018
Jaka is a former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion, holding the titles twice with Chris Dickinson. He and Dickinson were stablemates in both Catch Point and Team Pazuzu.
Anthony Henry tweeted: “If you are able, please donate to my friend Jaka. I’ve battled this dude so many times and know how tough he is. He will make it through, but this is a horrible time he is going through, and any help is appreciated.”
Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would, perhaps significantly).
Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
AAA champion suspended in key market and why
Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t honor it and why several years back
Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
Homicide retirement notes
A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
The state of El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
Updates on Border City Wrestling
Queen of the Ring updates
More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
AEW Dynasty updates including business
AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
International TV and streaming numbers
WWE countering AEW PPV shows
Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
Lots of injury updates
Developmental updates
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
WWE Vault uploaded a full NXT house show from March 27, 2015, which was an important event for the brand as it took place during WrestleMania 31 weekend with WWE’s top brass in attendance.
NXT wrestler Stevie Turner was named the new general manager of WWE Evolve on the episode that premiered on Tubi last night. Turner is from London and started her WWE career in NXT UK.
Linda Hogan, ex-wife of Hulk Hogan, posted an emotional social media video saying her family is in “the worst mess” and calling Hulk a “complete liar.” Linda said her daughter Brooke has not talked to her in almost eight years and does not talk to Hulk either:
Brooke doesn’t talk to us. She’s had twins. She got married. She didn’t tell us. She had a huge fight with Terry. I don’t know how that reflected onto me, but she cut me out too. I haven’t talked to her for seven years. Almost eight years now.
AEW/Other Wrestling
To promote All In 2025 taking place at Globe Life Field this July, AEW star MJF is in Arlington, Texas today to throw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ opening day game against the Boston Red Sox.
Jim Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that he would fully endorse the idea of AEW hiring Gail Kim, who was fired from her role in TNA Wrestling talent relations earlier this week:
No [I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gail Kim end up in AEW at some point]. I would endorse that. If Tony Khan asked me my thoughts on the matter, I would suggest – go for it. She’s very, very valuable and does a great job. I have great respect for Gail Kim, and her reputation speaks for itself. She gets results. She’s very good at working with talent. So – I’m a big Gail Kim fan. And she should not be unemployed for long in my world.
Konosuke Takeshita will face Mike Santana at House of Glory’s show in Queens, New York on Friday, April 25.
Saraya launched her new Rulebreakers podcast with its first two episodes debuting today. In the first episode, Saraya discusses her departure from AEW. She then interviews Harley Cameron in the second episode. Here is the description for the podcast:
Born into a chaotic, hellraising and deeply tight-knit family, Saraya learned to never back down from a challenge. She’s a rule breaker and drawn to people with this same mentality. In RULEBREAKERS, her DGAF mentality takes center stage while also exploring vulnerability and transparency with listeners. Every week, Saraya and a guest will explore their unconventional paths to success. Inspired by the honesty of Dumb Blonde, the unapologetic nature of Cancelled, and the humor and undeniable charm of Chicken Shop Date, Saraya is ready to ask the hard questions and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of her and her guests’ lives.
Future Stars of Wrestling said their Chris Bey benefit show from last weekend exceeded all expectations the promotion had: “The Beynefit For Bey was a success beyond our wildest dreams. We shattered records at the Silverton, the largest amount of viewers ever for an @FSWVegas on @Triller_TV. Our crew was amazing getting backstage interaction, and interviews. Hoping to have info on a DVD of the event”
The biggest issue of the year of the Observer came out early today. It’s the 2024 Awards issue with the top finishers in every category, notes about the results and previous winners in all categories dating back to 1980.
Wrestler of the Year, MMA MVP, Most Outstanding Wrestler, Most Outstanding Fighter, Tag team of the Year, Best on Interviews, Promotion of the Year, Best Weekly TV show, Pro Wrestling match of the year, MMA Fight of the Year, U.S./Canada MVP, Japanese MVP, Mexico MVP, Europe MVP, Junior Heavyweight MVP, Women’s MVP, Women’s MMA MVP, Feud of the Year, Best Box Office draw, Most Improved, Most Charismatic, Best Technical Wrestler, Best Brawler, Best Flyer, Most Overrated, Most Underrated, Rookie of the Year, Best non-wrestler, Best TV announcer, Worst TV announcer, Best major show, Worst major show, Best maneuver, Most disgusting promotional tactic, Worst TV show, Worst match, Worst feud, Worst promotion, Best booker, Promoter of the Year, Best gimmick, Worst gimmick, Best Pro Wrestling book and Best pro wrestling documentary.
The most detailed look and update on the Vince McMahon situation related to the most recent court case and evidence in that case. This talks about judges believing there is reason to believe McMahon and another person committed crimes regarding keeping information from the WWE.
AEW’s releases and backstory regarding them
Update on Chris Bey
Major story on WWE releases
Notes on the next four major AEW & WWE shows
Business notes and overall interest levels of the shows
UFC 312 coverage
Hirooki Goto wins IWGP title, the story behind one of the great emotional moments as well as a look at the New Japan Cup, and what may have been the best wrestling show so far this year
AEW fires Bear Boulder
The most detailed look at the ratings of all the shows held over the past week, including comparisons with a year ago and a ton of info on Raw on Netflix
AAA announces 2025 plans for biggest show plus a big signing and a new TV deal
Champion Carnival notes
Fantastica Mania notes
The death of Jamie Hemmings
Hall of Famer has major accusations made about them by wife
Death of Duane Koslowski, a major part of the 1989 U-Cosmos show in his match with Nobuhiko Takada which at the time set the all-time pro wrestling gate record and was the first-ever Tokyo Dome sellout, held the night after Mike Tyson drew a half house with Buster Douglas
Front office changes in TNA
Lots more on MAX as it relates to AEW wrestling
The strange story of AEW hiring Rita Chatterton
Update on UFC media rights
PFL tournament news
What combat sports athletes made the list of 100 top paid athletes in the world
Linda McMahon hearing
WWE stock sets records
Evolve tapings
Notes on WWE LFG shw
How much Smackdown helps the USA Network
This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue
TMZ covered Liv Morgan flipping off a fan after they shouted they loved her on last night’s Raw.
Shayna Baszler commented on not being in this year’s Elimination Chamber: “I am the only person in history to eliminate EVERYONE in the #EliminationChamber. I didn’t even get a shot to be in it this year. I don’t think these things are unrelated.”
Kyle Fletcher reflected on Grand Slam Australia weekend in a post on X: ”This week I got to wrestle in front of over ten thousand, countless friends and family, do interviews with the news outlets I grew up watching, test myself against some of the greatest to ever do it and just so happened to get into the best shape of my life for it. Plus I got to share my beautiful country with my beautiful life partner for the first time (and see Bodhi the golden). This entire week has felt surreal. Overwhelming at times but all worth it for one of the best days of my life. Thank you for being a part of it in any way, it will never be lost on me how blessed I am to live this life. I’m gonna be riding this high for a long time.”
Mike Santana recently shared he is now 2 years sober: “2/16/23 I made the decision to change my life. To look in the mirror and start learning to love the person who was looking back. I’d be lying if I said this journey was easy. But it’s the most rewarding. Life is going to test you every single day. The difference today is that I’m blessed with tools to help me through it. For those who struggle with addiction or mental health, know that you’re NEVER ALONE. There’s so much help out there. But it’s up to you to take those steps forward. You have to want it for YOURSELF. It works if you work it. But I promise you, it’ll be the best thing you’ve ever done. Today, I live a life that I look forward to waking up to every day. And that’s true success. Thank you to those who have been on this journey with me and believed since day one. Truly grateful for you all.”
Joe Hendry has warned against fake merchandise: “Counterfeit merch has become a serious issue. Unless you get it from me, TNA, Pro Wrestling Tees, Hot Topic or Major Bendies, it is FAKE.”
NXT announcer Vic Joseph commented on his wife McKenzie Mitchell signing with TNA: “Proud husband moment!”
Prior to the main event of the Royal Rumble, WWE showed a brief commercial hyping the upcoming debut of WWE Evolve, which will showcase young talent looking for a chance to appear on NXT, Raw, and SmackDown. The show premieres March 8 on Tubi at 8 pm ET, with new episodes dropping each Wednesday.
“We’re excited to announce the launch of WWE EVOLVE which will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they look to make it to NXT, SmackDown & Raw,” WWE wrote on social media.
We’re excited to announce the launch of WWE EVOLVE which will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they look to make it to NXT, SmackDown & Raw.
WWE EVOLVE premieres March 5 at 8pm ET/5pm PT, exclusively on @Tubi, with a new episode dropping every Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/H3o2EiJCFv
It was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter earlier this month that WWE Evolve would be coming this year, headed creatively by Gabe Sapolsky. According to the report, it would be similar to the former NXT show Level Up, but with its own angles and promos.
Evolve was formerly the name of the promotion Sapoplsky founded in 2010 following his departure from Ring of Honor. In 2015, they formed a relationship with WWE that saw NXT talent work Evolve shows. The promotion closed after it was purchased by WWE in 2020.
In December, news emerged that WWE NXT was considering a second show that would focus on those trying to make it on the NXT roster.
Fightful reported Wednesday that show is another step closer to being a reality with a tentative title of NXT EVOLVE with EVOLVE founder Gabe Sapolsky and Jeremy Borash both heavily involved.
Dave Meltzer confirmed that a pilot has been filmed, but couldn’t confirm any other details.
Sapolosky tweeted Wednesday evening, “Everything is a team effort at NXT. Everything is fluid and fluctuates. My name doesn’t belong attached to anything like I’m running another independent promotion. Thank you.”
WWE purchased EVOLVE and other assets from Sapolsky and Sal Hamoui last July. Sapolsky has been an WWE/NXT creative consultant since 2018.
Fightful reported that the show tapings had more of a “fight” feel and took place at a warehouse that temporarily used when the Performance Center was unavailable to training during the pandemic. Josiah Williams was the host with new graphics and even a title belt already created with the NXT EVOLVE branding.
As of this point, it’s unknown whether the project has been greenlit for production, announcers, intended talent and the platform on which it will air with the WWE Network the most obvious choice.
The original plan for the show as reported was to provide those in developmental more opportunity to work and hone their craft given that a return to touring is still up in the air given the pandemic.
PWInsider reported this afternoon that Anthony has signed with the company. The report says that Henry will train at the WWE Performance Center and will be a part of the NXT brand.
On January 17, Henry posted a message on his Twitter account saying goodbye to Premiere Wrestling Xperience, a promotion he has been a part of since 2012. He finished with the company over the weekend.
Henry, 36, started wrestling in 2002. He joined EVOLVE in 2016, losing to Darby Allin in his debut at EVOLVE 70. He is a former EVOLVE Tag Team champion with JD Drake. He also competed for Full Impact Pro, where he won their World title in 2018, holding it for 509 days.
WWE has signed a number of former EVOLVE talent since purchasing the company last year. Some names that have been signed include Timothy Thatcher, Leon Ruff, Austin Grey (Anthony Greene), Curt Stallion, and Brandi Lauren.
Candy Cartwright is suing Matt Riddle, WWE, EVOLVE, and Gabe Sapolsky for $10 million per defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit.
In a press conference in Chicago Thursday, Cartweight (real name Samantha Tavel) and attorney John Chwarzynski of Hale & Monico discussed her side of the story that first emerged in mid-June during the #SpeakingOut movement.
While working for EVOLVE in May 2018, Cartwright said she and Riddle were in a van with three other wrestlers. After the others had fallen asleep while traveling, Riddle overtly propositioned her for sex. She refused, but said Riddle grabbed her throat and threatened her with “What if I just made you?” She said she eventually gave him oral sex to get out of the situation.
Chwarzynski said Thursday that incident was one of “a multitude of sexual assaults committed by Matt Riddle against my client, Candi Cartwright” from 2017 through January 2020. In April 2017, it alleges Riddle raped Cartwright after an EVOLVE show in Brooklyn, New York, while in a parked vehicle and that he bragged about it to Sapolsky and others. The suit says the EVOLVE co-founder “tacitly approved of this conduct” and allowed it to happen, even encouraging it.
The suit said Cartwright had bookings with both WWE and EVOLVE on January 31st, 2020, but that she refused to perform sexual acts on Riddle and had her bookings cancelled due to “issues with the talent.” That was because Riddle allegedly told WWE and EVOLVE that because Cartwright wouldn’t perform sexual acts on him, he didn’t want her working for either group and that both complied.
At the press conference, Chwarzynski said he is going to send copies of the lawsuit to both the state attorney’s office and the Summit (IL) Police Department where the incident allegedly took place as he wants them to open an investigation.
Riddle, who was called up to the WWE main roster days after the allegations went public, denied them on two occasions, the second in a video in which he admitted having an affair with Tavel but never sexually assaulted or abused her. When he first denied it, he said he and his lawyer were going to seek an injunction for cyberstalking but it’s unclear whether that happened.
As of this writing, neither Riddle or his attorney have made a public statement.
The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, but in a statement to WrestlingObserver.com, a representative from WWE said they “have not been served with a lawsuit by Ms. Tavel. However, if served, we will vigorously defend ourselves and contest it.” Fightful got a quote from Sapolsky that said, “News to me.”
At the press conference, Chwarzynski said, “WWE has painted a picture over the course of the years that female performers are to comply with certain rules. The WWE, since its inception, has hyper-sexualized female performers and they’ve profited from male aggression against these female performers.”
In reading through the lawsuit, there are errors, specifically that Riddle worked for WWE on/prior to May 2018 when he didn’t sign a deal until that summer. There are also some questions regarding how WWE and EVOLVE’s relationship is portrayed in the suit.
WWE has officially announced its latest group of signees.
The newest group of WWE Performance Center recruits was revealed today and mostly consists of former members of the EVOLVE Wrestling roster, with Brandi Lauren, Curt Stallion, Anthony Greene, Leon Ruff, Joe Gacy, Josh Briggs, and referee Jake Clemons signing with WWE and joining the Performance Center.
It was confirmed this July that WWE had purchased EVOLVE Wrestling. Some past content from EVOLVE started to be uploaded to the WWE Network in August.
Jacob Kasper, a former All-American collegiate wrestler at Duke University, has also signed with WWE and is part of this class of Performance Center recruits. Kasper was recruited by Gerald Brisco. After being furloughed in April’s roster cuts, Brisco was released by WWE last month.
WWE’s full announcement regarding the new recruits is available below:
A new class of recruits has reported for training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The group can count among their ranks independent wrestling standouts and an NCAA All-American wrestler.
Brandi Pawelek, known on the independents as Brandi Lauren, is an exciting competitor who has stepped in the ring for promotions like EVOLVE and SHINE.
Camron Rogers is a 6-foot-1 Texan who competes under the name Curt Stallion. Rogers broke out in 2019 in EVOLVE Wrestling, where he battled the likes of SmackDown Superstar Matt Riddle and NXT Superstars Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis and Mansoor.
Anthony Greene is a flamboyant Massachusetts native and standout grappler from EVOLVE Wrestling. The 26-year-old stood toe-to-toe with NXT Tag Team Champion Tyler Breeze in EVOLVE, as well as many of his fellow recruits from this class.
Dartanyon Ruffin, better known as Leon Ruff, is a former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion. The energetic 24-year-old has competed on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live in recent months, going up against the likes of Sheamus, Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa and Legado del Fantasma.
Joseph Ruby is a 6-foot, 249-pound powerhouse from New Jersey. Competing as Joe Gacy, he’s a former three-time Combat Zone Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and EVOLVE Tag Team Champion.
Joshua Bruns is an imposing figure, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 268 pounds. As Josh Briggs, he’s been the EVOLVE Champion and battled the likes of NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER, Matt Riddle, John Morrison and Raw Tag Team Champion Angelo Dawkins.
Jacob Kasper is a 25-year-old amateur wrestling standout from Lexington, Ohio. Kasper wrestled at Duke University, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American and won the 2018 ACC heavyweight championship. He also placed in the 2016 Olympic trials.
Jake Clemons of Ohio is a referee who has officiated matches on Monday Night Raw, as well as for promotions like EVOLVE and AIW.
For more information on the WWE Performance Center, visit WWEPerformanceCenter.com.
After WWE purchased the company he co-founded, longtime wrestling promoter and booker Gabe Sapolsky released a statement Wednesday where he said he is retired from promoting and booking indie wrestling.
In July, Sapolsky and co-founder Sal Hamaoui sold the rights to EVOLVE and the content library for both that company, Full Impact Pro and Dragon Gate USA to WWE for an undisclosed sum after several months of discussions. Hamaoui is continuing with streaming service WWN which was not part of the deal.
Sapolsky has been a consultant for NXT since 2018 and is expected to remain in that position.
“With WWN announcing the new Eddie Kingston Grindhouse show on September 26th, it is the right time for me to clearly state I have parted ways with WWN. This is amicable and mutually decided. I look forward to seeing new minds and ideas come to the forefront on the independent scene. I feel Eddie Kingston is perfect to lead the charge.
I still love working with talent, have a passion for talent development and enjoy the bell-to-bell aspect of putting on shows. However, the down time due to Covid-19 has made me realize how much I do not miss the day-to-day aspects of running an independent promotion. I no longer have the drive to continue the constant grind of running an independent wrestling promotion.
I consider myself retired as an independent wrestling promoter and booker.
I want to give my most heartfelt and sincere “thank you” to everyone who supported any independent promotion I was associated with over the years. I also give my deepest gratitude to everyone who worked with me.
The final stats are:
507 shows from Feb. 23rd, 2002 to March 1st, 2020.
Ring Of Honor – 208
EVOLVE – 146
Full Impact Pro – 81
Dragon Gate USA – 50
Style Battle – 9
WWN Supershow – 5
WWN China – 4
Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup – 2
WWN Recruitment Camp Do Or Die – 2
Thank you for all the good times! I am excited to follow independent wrestling as a fan. I hope I can be a positive influence and help talent. I look forward to seeing most of you again down the road. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
PWInsider also reported today that former EVOLVE wrestler Joe Gacy has signed with WWE.
**********
Following WWE’s purchase of EVOLVE earlier this year, more EVOLVE wrestlers have signed with WWE.
PWInsider reported today that EVOLVE Champion Josh Briggs, Brandi Lauren, Curt Stallion, and referee Jake Clemons have signed with WWE. That’s in addition to Leon Ruff and Anthony Greene signing with the company. Ruff, who did work as an extra for WWE prior to being signed, was highlighted in a video on the WWE Performance Center’s YouTube channel last month.
Lauren has also recently appeared as an extra for WWE, including being a Raw Underground competitor and being part of Damian Priest’s celebration after winning the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver XXX.
It was officially confirmed in July that WWE had purchased EVOLVE. Content from EVOLVE and WWE-affiliated independent promotions PROGRESS Wrestling, ICW, and wXw began being added to the WWE Network this month, including the Best of Drew McIntyre in EVOLVE, the best of Keith Lee in EVOLVE, and EVOLVE 125 from 2019 being uploaded.
Content from WWE-affiliated independent wrestling promotions is finally coming to the WWE Network.
It was announced via Sports Illustrated today that “WWE officials have confirmed that shows from EVOLVE, wXw, PROGRESS, and Insane Championship Wrestling will begin airing on the WWE Network beginning this Saturday.” Here’s what will be uploaded to the WWE Network on Saturday:
Best of Drew McIntyre in EVOLVE
Best of Keith Lee in EVOLVE
ICW’s Shug’s Hoose Party 5: Night two
wXw Femme Fatales 2019
wXw AMBITION 11
PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 92
The McIntyre compilation will include matches against Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, Roderick Strong, Tommy End (Aleister Black), and Matt Riddle, while the Lee compilation will include matches against Timothy Thatcher, WALTER, Riddle, and Donovan Dijak (Dominik Dijakovic).
WWE wrote that more content from these promotions will be made available on the WWE Network in the weeks and months to come: “EVOLVE, PROGRESS Wrestling from England, Germany’s wXw and Scotland’s ICW will debut for subscribers to the award-winning streaming service, giving the WWE Universe the chance to see some of their favorite Superstars like never before. And this is just the beginning! You’ll continue to see footage from their libraries, as well as new and exciting content from all of these promotions on WWE Network in the weeks and months to come.”
