Tag: wwe\

WWE NXT live results: Two title matches, Mason Rook’s in-ring debut

Posted on by Chris Aiken

Tonight on WWE NXT is a night of debuts and title matches.

Recent weeks have seen Mason Rook, Kam Hendrix, and Tristan Angels added to the NXT roster. All three are set to make their official TV in-ring debuts tonight. In tag team action, Rook & Hendrix will look to defeat NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo and North American Champion Myles Borne. A victory would likely propel Rook and Hendrix to immediate title contention.

Angels will debut in singles action against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.

A pair of championship matches have also been announced for tonight’s episode. Lizzy Rain, another NXT newcomer, aims for gold early as she challenges Tatum Paxley for the Women’s North American Championship. And the NXT Tag Team titles will be on the line with DarkState challenging Vanity Project for their belts.

Plus, Tate Wilder makes his singles debut as he attempts to overcome Keanu Carver.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

NXT is back on the air in front of a live studio audience from a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Opening the show is a tag team match where the two singles champions in the men’s division team up against two newcomers making their in-ring debuts in NXT.

NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo & NXT North American Champion Myles Borne vs. Mason Rook & Cam Hendrix in a tag team match

—

The tag bout goes through a commercial break. Heat on Borne after the debuting duo work together to chop block Borne’s knee. Borne is worked over until Borne counters a double-team and dives for a hot tag. D’Angelo is a house of fire, and he gets a near fall after spearing Hendrix. D’Angelo takes a few really tough bumps from Rook, and D’Angelo crashes into the ring steps. Borne with a save by flying over the ropes with a flip dive to the floor.

Tavion Heights runs down to ambush Hendrix, with whom he has beef. Heights’ sneak attack sends Hendrix into Borne, which trips up Borne’s attempt at springing back into the ring. Borne is then distracted by Heights, who is removed from ringside by officials.

For the finish, a distracted Borne tries to slingshot into the ring. He is caught by Rook, and Borne takes an exploder suplex in a corner. Rook with a fireman’s carry into a jackhammer, and Rook goes for a cover. However, Hendrix is the legal man. He pushes Rook out of the way, and Hendrix pins Borne to win the match. As Hendrix celebrates his win, Rook glares at him like the meme where Undertaker is standing behind AJ Styles.

Match result: Mason Rook & Cam Hendrix defeated Tony D’Angelo & Myles Borne when Hendrix pinned Borne.

— Darkstate in a backstage skit talk about all being on the same page again. Dion Lennox inquires to Saquon Shugars what he meant about them needing to make a change. Shugars assures Lennox not worry about that. Foreshadowing would seem to indicate he should worry.

Confrontation with challengers and the women’s champ leads to melee

—

Kelani Jordan enters the sound stage for an promo in the ring. She would eventually be interrupted by several wrestlers including NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice, Izzi Dame, and Kendal Grey. Wren Sinclair runs into whack Dame with a walking crutch.

Firstly, Jordan cuts a heel promo complaining about never getting a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship. Jordan boasts about being the fastest rising homegrown star. Besides making Lola Vice (the champion) tap out, and also beating Kendal Grey last weeks, Jordan claims she in better than all of the women’s wrestlers called up to the main roster.

Jordan goes on to demand a championship match before claiming to be the most underrated women on the roster.

Out comes Izzi Dame wearing ridiculously fuzzy chaps. Dame marches to the ring in her fuzzy chap, and she cuts a promo on Jordan trying to cut in line.

NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice interrupt the confrontation to confront her two potential challengers. Vice bickers with Dame and Jordan until they are all interrupted by Kendal Grey.

Grey confronts them as Wren Sinclair sneaks in the ring from behind. Sinclairs blasts Jordan with a crutch, which ignites a melee. The heels powder as the babyfaces stand tall. While standing tall, Grey keeps eyeballing the women’s title belt as Vice raises in over her head.

Romeo Moreno vs. Tristan Angels

—

Angels wins his debut match against newcomer Moreno. They had a really good competitive match that goes through a commercial break.

Shiloh Hill watches this match from the crowd while making a spectacle of himself. Hill interacts with Moreno during the match, as they slap hands after Moreno does a big dive over the ropes to the floor.

For the finish, Angels does a curb stomp using a knee drop. Angels then covers Moreno for a three count. Angels and Hill exchange barbs after the match.

Mach result: Tristan Angels defeated Romeo Moreno via pinfall.

Angels gets a house microphone and address Shiloh Hill, who is still standing in the crowd with a sign that reads “MR. NXT”. Angles says Hill is where he belong, in the crowd with the regular people. In response, Hill cuts a promo and throws to an old photo of Angels in a goofy tuxedo. That is supposed to be burn of some sort. Hill polls the crowd on who should be Mr. NXT. Of course, they side with Hill. Angels wants Hill he will regret ruining Angel’s debut match.

NXT North American Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley vs. Lizzy Rain in a title match

—

Rain’s strong push continues, even if she drops a fall here to a reigning champion. Rain has a ton of charisma.

Zaria runs in after the match to lay out Rain before targeting Paxley. Zaria apparently has her sights on the North American title.

The title match tonight goes through a commercial break. Rain with a wrecking ball dropkick just before the show cuts to commercials, and she is rocking.

Very physical and competitive match between two babyfaces. The studio audience got into the match, as they worked really hard to have an exciting bout.

As they go home they are trading near falls and reversals. Paxley counters Rain to deliver Cemetery Drive. Paxley then covers Rain for a pinfall. And still…

Match result: NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley defeated Lizzy Rain via pinfall to retain her title.

Paxley and Rain embrace after the match in a show of respect. They are jumped by Zaria. She hits both with a double spear, and Zaria gives both an F-5. Zaria then grabs the title belt and poses with it as the segment ends.

—

Keanu Carver vs. Tate Wilder

—

Wilder gets some offense and the time to show off some of his aerial arsenal, but he drops another fall on television in his second match on NXT in two weeks. To make matters worse, he is busted open in this match with a potato from Carver. Wilder is bleeding from underneath his eye, but he fights on.

Wilder with a tornado DDT plants Carver on the floor. After following up with a frog splash, a still-bleeding Wilder opts for another high risk move instead of going for a pin. Wilder is tripped up and crotched while trying to climb the ropes. Carver then strikes with a Monty Brown Pounce, and Carver scores a clean pinfall.

Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Tate Wilder via pinfall.

— Myka Lockwood assures Vanity Project she has their back in the tag title match later tonight when they defend against Darkstate.

— Shiloh Hill and Charlie Dempsey set up a singles match next week. Hill reminded me of a modern day Bugsy McGraw with his outfit and top hat. He bickers with Birthright, which leads to them setting up a match for next Tuesday.

Mason Rook lays out Kam Hendrix

Sarah Schreiber interviews Kam Hendrix in the ring, which follows up on Hendrix and Rook winning in their debut match earlier tonight. A boastful Hendrix talks about setting his sights on the NXT Championship when he is interrupted by Rook.

Rook cuts a promo on Hendrix, who responds with a promo on Rook. Hendrix pats Rook’s gut, and Rook responds by laying out Hendrix with an Ax Bomber. Hednrix is then send smashing into the corner taking an exploder from Rook. This angle would seem to set up a grudge match between the two.

NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes with Jackson Drake & Myka Lockwood) vs. Darkstate (Dion Lennox & Saquon Shugars with Cutler James & Osiris Griffin) in a title match

—

Darksate jumps Vanity Project during the champs’ entrance. The tag title bout goes through a commercial break, with the champs reeling as the show goes into the break. The champs turn the tide during the break. They are working over Shugars as the show returns from commercials.

The match continues. Shugars comes back to run wild after several high spots and tags. Shugars is on a roll, and Lennox soon joins in the fun. Darkstate gets a close near fall. Lennox and Shugars signal for a Doomsday Device. Smokes saves Baylor and the champs tag out, only for them both to eat clotheslines from Lennox.

Griffin and Cutler try to get in Drake’s face at ringside, but Lockwood steps in to berate Griffin and Cutler. Another close near fall for Darkstat after Shugars makes a blind tag. Lennox is unaware of the bling tag. Shugars is trying to explain himself to Lennox when Shugars is rolled up by Smokes for a three count. The champs retain, and the finish sets up more dissension in Darkstate.

Match result: NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes defeated Saquon Shugars & Dion Lennox when Smokes pinned Shugars to retain their title.

Three members of Darkstate turn on Shugars in a post-match angle. Griffin and James first attack Shugars, and Lennox then joins in to pummel him. Lennox signals for a triple powerbomb, which lead to Darkstate powerbombing Shugars on the announce booth. The desk implodes on impact, and Shugars is laid out as the show goes off the air with his former stablemates standing over him.

Six-woman tag team match added to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A six-woman tag team match is set for next weekend.

Following events that took place on SmackDown, Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab will team together to take on Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 23.

After returning during last week’s show, Cargill on Friday said she would meet Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at Clash in Italy, and the Women’s title would be coming home with her. Flair and Bliss interrupted, demanding their match against B-Fab and Michin start now. The match went ahead as advertised but ended in a DQ when Cargill pulled Bliss out of the ring.

Following the bout, Michin and B-Fab started to attack Flair, who fought back and laid out both women. Later backstage, both Flair & Bliss admitted they needed help in order to deal with Jade Cargill and the numbers game.

Ripley moved to SmackDown following her WrestleMania 42 title win but quickly found herself dealing with the debuting Fatal Influence. She has attempted to seek Bliss & Flair’s help in handling matters, but to middling results. While Bliss has seemed interested in helping out, Flair has not, still struggling to be a team player after years as a solo star.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (May 23)

  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Ethan Page
  • World Tag Team Champions The Vision defend against Street Profits
  • Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin

Current longest-reigning World Champion wants ‘one more match’ with Asuka outside of WWE 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Athena has nothing but praise for Asuka and holds her in high regard for the influence on her wrestling career. She expressed hope that they will share the ring one final time. 

In an interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Athena relived her wrestling rivalry with Asuka. She recalled their first meeting at Shimmer Women’s Wrestling and then clashed in the NXT ring for the Women’s Championship. 

“Oh, man. Like Asuka is one of those people, that’s a forever rival for me. Like when we were back on the indies, we actually ended up wrestling at Shimmer Women’s Wrestling. That’s where we met. We had one of the hardest hitting matches I think I’ve had in my career then, and then fast forward to WWE NXT for the NXT Women’s Championship. Asuka is my yin to my yang. I really hope she’s not stepping away. I’ve actually been trying to get a hold of her because I lost a whole bunch of people’s numbers when I switched my phone and everything.”

She referenced Asuka as a living legend that audiences still remain unaware of her capabilities and wrestling impact. 

“But man, talk about someone who’s just the epitome of what legendary status is or what a living legend is. I, to some extent, don’t feel like people really understand how much she’s done for wrestling as a whole. Like from grinding on the indies to being like an independent contractor in Japan to getting signed to WWE. Not only that, like just excelling in WWE in every form and facet from match to match, but never changing who she was as a person, a character. I couldn’t be more proud, more happy for her. I hate her in that same breath, of course.”

Athena expressed interest in a final match with Asuka to conclude their rivalry out of respect for her legendary career. She emphasized how important competing against Asuka was in shaping her as a performer and wrestler. 

“I also feel like I have to have one more match eventually and hope that this isn’t it. This isn’t the long goodbye, if you will. But like, Asuka’s one of those people that I wouldn’t be who I am as a performer, as an athlete, if she wasn’t in my life. If she wasn’t on the opposite side of the ring. I don’t think I would have gotten anything really if I didn’t have that experience with her.”

Asuka teased retirement after her WWE Backlash match against IYO SKY after a 22-year wrestling career. On the following edition of Raw, she bid farewell to SKY in a passing of the torch moment. 

On the other hand, after Athena’s WWE release in 2021 she returned to the independent circuit before debuting on AEW. In December 2022 she captured the Women’s ROH Championship and continues to hold the title with her reign surpassing the 1250 day mark. 

Triple H, Stephanie McMahon said to be aware of WWE ad issues

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Whether WWE will change anything remains to be seen, but the promotion has been made directly aware of how much fans dislike the increase in advertisements during the TKO era.

Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. — a WWE superfan and the son of rap icon Ice Cube — appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show today and revealed a conversation he had with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon about the oversaturation of ads on WWE programming. The conversation took place around the start of 2026, so there have not been any changes yet, but Levesque and McMahon didn’t push back on what Jackson was saying. He was told that WWE is working on potentially having better placement for the ads.

“I told this to Triple H and Stephanie when I did Stephanie’s show,” Jackson said. “I told them, the ads and the timing of them are horrendous. This was like five, six months ago or something crazy like that when I went to do Stephanie McMahon’s pod. Afterwards, because I did it at WWE headquarters, Triple H comes down, we’re all talking, and I brought up my transgressions. And I was like, ‘Dude, the ads are crazy. Like, it’s almost unwatchable.’ And, like, they know. It’s just about, they’re working on placement of them maybe.

“I get it, Roman Reigns’ entrance is seven minutes long, but that doesn’t mean that’s the time to throw the ads in. I should not — there should never be a moment where I miss IYO SKY’s entrance because ‘we are back from commercial break.’ It’s a level of respect for them. It’s fine in the middle of a match, but at least picture-in-picture me.”

Fan complaints about the ads peaked during WrestleMania 42. WWE touted that it set a new record with 32 marketing partners for the event, including Snickers, 2K, Riyadh Season, Ram, DoorDash, Wingstop, Wheatley American Vodka, Minute Maid, The General Insurance, MUG Root Beer, and Chumba Casino.

McMahon’s podcast episode with Jackson was released in January 2026. He co-hosts his own podcast “No-Contest Wrestling” that is produced by ESPN/The Rich Eisen Show.

Correction on TKO/Arizona deal for WWE events

Posted on by F4W Staff

Update —

Arizona Sports & Events Alliance has reached out to us to clarify that our original report is incorrect.

“While I was told the TKO/Arizona deal involved Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and SNME, a source with the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance said today that this report is inaccurate,” our Bryan Alvarez writes.

***********

Original report —

More info on TKO’s new deal with Arizona.

WWE’s parent company alongside the Arizona Sports & Event Alliance announced on Tuesday that they will bring seven events to the state that will include WWE, UFC, Zuffa Boxing, and Professional Bull Riding. Bryan Alvarez has some new details regarding what WWE would be bringing to the table in the deal.

“The new Phoenix agreement is for a Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and Saturday Night’s Main Event,” he writes.

WWE currently only has their event schedule set through Money in the Bank, which takes place on September 6 in New Orleans. They have yet to reveal locations for this year’s Survivor Series or the 2027 Royal Rumble.

Significant shows held in Arizona

Some prominent shows held in Arizona in the past include WrestleMania XXVI at State Farm Stadium back in 2010, which had the infamous second and final match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. It was also home to the 2019 Royal Rumble at Chase Field that saw Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins win that year’s Rumble matches.

UFC has also run events in Arizona, including UFC 274 back in May 2022 at the Footprint Center that saw Charles Oliveira defeat Justin Gaethje to retain the UFC lightweight title.

Liv Morgan reveals how long she plans to wrestle

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Liv Morgan discussed how long she plans to wrestle and other ventures she hopes to pursue. 

In an interview with WatchGinoTV, Morgan stated there’s no timeline till when she plans to wrestle. However, she is interested in building her acting portfolio. 

“I’m wrestling until the wheels fall off. I don’t know how long that takes me, but I’m a lifer. But yes I’m very interested in acting and WWE has been so gracious in letting me explore that and spread my wings a little bit. We have a movie coming out this fall, Bad Lieutenant, so keep an eye out for it, but thank you so much for saying that. We’ll see what happens, I guess.”

Morgan began her WWE career on NXT in 2014. At WrestleMania 42, she won her third Women’s World Championship reign. 

Her film, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is slated for release in September this year. The film, directed by Takashi Miike, follows the story of an FBI agent and police officer’s search for a politician’s daughter, who goes missing. Their discoveries untangle a dangerous investigation along the way.

First two matches announced for next WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two matches are already announced for the next Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWE’s next Saturday special will take place in Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 23. On Raw, two title matches were announced, with The Vision set to defend the World Tag Team titles against The Street Profits. Meanwhile, the Intercontinental title will also be on the line when Penta defends against Ethan Page.

The Street Profits have been a thorn on Austin Theory and Logan Paul’s side ever since they returned on the Raw following WrestleMania. The two teams met face-to-face in the opening segment of Raw, with Montez Ford saying they were coming after the titles. After Joe Hendry came out and sang his ‘Fire Logan Paul’ song, he and the Street Profits went on to beat Bron Breakker, Paul, and Theory after Seth Rollins ran in and laid out Bron Breakker, causing a distraction and allowing Angelo Dawkins to pin Theory with a schoolboy.

Later in the night, Penta arrived and said if Ethan Page wanted a title match, he should say it to his face. Page came out and said that since he pinned Penta last week, he should get a title match. Penta offered to defend the title right then and there, but Page said he wasn’t ready and challenged Penta to a match for Saturday Night’s Main Event instead. Penta accepted, saying he was ready for war.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (May 23)

  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Ethan Page
  • World Tag Team Champions The Vision defend against Street Profits

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event ticket distribution update for 5/23

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available on the number of tickets distributed for WWE’s upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event.

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, WWE will present its next episode of SNME from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

WrestleTix posted on Thursday that 9,216 tickets have been distributed so far. The current setup for the event has 10,320 seats listed with 1,104 still available.

The report also notes that 183 tickets have been sold in the last week. The cheapest ticket available, or “get-in price,” is listed at $66.80.

Other recent ticket updates for WWE events include Backlash, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 in Tampa. That show currently has 12,234 tickets distributed, with 1,085 of those tickets having moved in the last three days. The cheapest ticket available, or “get-in price,” was listed at $94.95 as of Tuesday. After Backlash, WWE will head to Knoxville, Tennessee for Monday’s episode of Raw.

Women’s US title match, Gunther, Gingerbread Man funeral set for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two matches, Gunther, and a funeral are set for the next edition of SmackDown.

Giulia confronted Tiffany Stratton backstage on Friday, wanting her rematch for the United States title. Stratton was fine with defending the title, but was more interested in defending against Kiana James. Giulia agreed, establishing Stratton’s first title defense for next week.

Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Rhea Ripley will team up meanwhile to take on Fatal Influence. After Jacy Jayne’s teammates helped her score a huge upset win on Friday, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid went in on the attack on both Flair and Bliss. Rhea Ripley came down for the save despite frosty words between Flair and Ripley earlier in the night.

Gunther will be live after attacking Cody Rhodes following his successful victory over Ricky Saints on Friday, establishing himself as next in line for a WWE title match. 

The Gingerbread Man, who Sami Zayn and Lil Yachty brought out to embarrass Sami Zayn, was “killed” on Friday after Zayn brought him out and ripped the outfit apart. Williams came to the ring for the save, but it was too late. He held up the X sign and later in the night, it was solemnly announced that Gingerbread Man had passed away.

WWE SmackDown (May 8)

  • Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Kiana James
  • Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Rhea Ripley vs. Fatal Influence
  • Gunther will be live
  • Funeral of The Gingerbread Man

The Rock gets pulled over after attending Hollywood event

Posted on by Josh Nason

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson didn’t exactly love authority figures during the heights of his WWE run, but ran into the real life version on Thursday.

First posted by TMZ, the global star and TKO Board member was in Hollywood to support co-star and friend Emily Blunt as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside actor Stanley Tucci.

Afterward, Johnson was pulled over by Los Angeles police for having tinted windows on his car. While tint itself isn’t illegal, certain levels and locations on the windows are. It was unclear from the report if Johnson was ticketed or got a warning.

Johnson starred alongside Blunt on “The Smashing Machine” in addition to “Jungle Cruise.”

While Johnson appeared at the event Thursday, he did not appear at this year’s WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, flying home after CinemaCon in the city to be present for his daughter’s eighth birthday.

It was recently announced his team will be turning “Fighting With My Family” into a musical.

Seven WWE stars who deserve a major push | Opinion 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE WrestleMania 42 crowned new champions while also setting directions for future storytelling. 

The Raw after Mania saw three new members added to the main roster in Sol Ruca, Ethan Page and Joe Hendry. While the first two competed in their first matches on the brand to showcase their skills, Hendry debuted on Raw live tonight with a live concert.

However, several other talents from the current roster could emerge as the new faces of the company this year if booked effectively. 

Royce Keys

Keys made his SmackDown debut on April 10 against Berto, whom he defeated within minutes. Prior to this, he was competing in dark matches which he later revealed was intentional to familiarize himself with both his new home and new audiences. 

He won the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal on SmackDown before WrestleMania. It’s barely the tip of the iceberg for Keys’ WWE run and with WrestleMania 42 behind them, the page has officially turned over for new talents to make their mark. 

Despite competing in just three matches so far, Keys has the potential to transition from promising newcomer in WWE to top card contender. A gradual boost and development over random surges of top tier matches could help establish him as a dominant force on the roster. 

Je’Von Evans

Evans is already a fan favorite for his energetic approach and in-ring agility. 

During his short time on NXT, Evans faced Randy Orton which displayed his readiness for the main roster, and that also displayed the faith WWE officials in his run.

Evans was officially added to Raw in January and has since competed in marquee matches featuring top names of the industry. He also made his WrestleMania debut competing in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Title.

Carmelo Hayes

Hayes gained fans’ sympathy after losing the United States title in an abrupt manner to Sami Zayn barely a couple of weeks before WrestleMania 42 — a show Hayes didn’t wrestle at. While he seemed to be fairing well, the rushed title loss established himself as champion. The lack of prolonged payoff left fans feeling the title reign was cut short before it could fully develop. 

Regardless of the setback, Hayes has received support from the WWE fanbase. A natural direction to solidify the buzz around him would be to put him against his former NXT ally/foe Trick Williams for the title.

If handled correctly, Williams vs. Hayes on the main roster could evolve into a top tier WWE rivalry in the long run. 

Jordynne Grace

Grace built a rapport with fans when she debuted at the 2024 Royal Rumble while holding the TNA Knockouts Championship at the time.

Earlier this year, she was one of the many stars officially called up to SmackDown. She was briefly in pursuit of the WWE Women’s Championship, feuding with Jade Cargill. It didn’t turn out to be much though as Cargill was already in the plans to face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. 

With more consistent exposure and some big wins, Grace could both be positioned as a strong contender and emerge as a top name in the women’s division. 

Finn Balor

Balor’s grit as a competitor was overshadowed by the Judgment Day, but his exit from the group gives him more leeway to prove himself as a strong World title contender again. He already brought back his former entrance theme, The Demon, and his signature look from a decade ago.

Despite losing two World Heavyweight Championship matches to CM Punk, Balor’s resume still remains strong to regain his glory days from nearly a decade ago. 

Also, given how WWE has been riding the nostalgia wave with returns and reviving gimmicks, Balor’s push once again to the top of the roster feels like a natural move, especially considering he was the inaugural Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2016. 

Giulia

Giulia walked into WWE with an extensive career in Stardom and NJPW. However, that momentum was diminished shortly after her main roster move.

She competed in NXT for a year, won the Women’s title, and was also the winner of the Iron Survivor Challenge in 2024. With this groundwork, her main roster transition made sense, but the results haven’t been what even she would probably say she expected.

She has already proven her versatility to stand out on the main roster, so with proper booking and long-term presentation, Giulia could be demonstrated as a dominant opponent in the women’s division. 

Tama Tonga

Last month, Tonga expressed displeasure at Solo Sikoa stealing Uncle Howdy’s lantern amid The MFTs feud with Wyatt Sicks. He has continued to question Sikoa’s leadership on a few occasions and the latter’s patience seems to be wearing thin.

Tonga debuted in WWE in April 2024, attacking Jimmy Uso to secure an alliance with Sikoa. 

He has the capacity to be a strong contender on his own and an exit from the faction could make for deeper storytelling, a developed character arc, and targeting the U.S. Title to kick off a singles run. 

Released WWE star announces retirement from wrestling

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Luca Crusifino (real name Roman Macek) announced his retirement from pro wrestling after being released by WWE.

The former NXT star took to X, expressing gratitude to the fans who supported him in his wrestling career, and the coaches who mentored him to put his best foot forward. He confirmed his official retirement from pro wrestling is not an easy decision but is the right call.

“After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to close this chapter of my life. Being a part of the WWE has been a dream ever since I was a child. Getting the chance to live out my dream in front of the world is something I’ll never take for granted. To the fans … thank you for every cheer, every boo, every moment of support. You made this journey unforgettable.”

“I am forever grateful for the friendships that I made along the way. From talent, to coaches, to the creative team, to every single person I came in contact with at the performance center … thank you! Thank you for pushing me, believing in me, and sharing the ring with me. I’ve learned more than I can ever put into words and met some of the greatest people that will be friends for life.”

“As of today, I’m officially stepping away and retiring from professional wrestling. It’s not an easy decision, but it’s the right one for me.”

“This isn’t goodbye, just the end of one incredible chapter. Again, I can not say this enough … Thank you! What an amazing last 4 years and don’t worry about me … I’ll figure it out  And, no, i’m not joining onlyfans. With love, Roman Macek (Luca Crusifino)”

Crusifino was one of the nearly 20 stars WWE released on Friday. The names included main roster, NXT and LFG talent.

Crusifino signed with WWE in 2022 and made his official NXT debut in 2023. He was a member of The D’Angelo Family led by Tony D’Angelo until July 2025. His last WWE match was on the March 20 edition of Evolve, teaming up with Tate Wilder against Harley Riggins and Kam Hendrix.

Tiffany Stratton wins Women’s United States title on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new United States Champion was crowned on Friday’s SmackDown.

The first SmackDown after WrestleMania 42 saw Tiffany Stratton defeat Giulia to win the title for the first time, picking up the win after the prettiest moonsault ever. This ends Giulia’s run with the title after 112 days, defeating Chelsea Green on the January 2 edition of SmackDown.

After her title win, Stratton cut a short promo saying that for most of this year, she has felt like a runner-up, pointing out she didn’t win the Women’s Elimination Chamber back in February, and now she no longer feels that way. Her promo ended when the new Women’s Tag Team Champions Brie Bella and Paige arrived.

Stratton had been feuding with the likes of Giulia and her associate Kiana James in the weeks leading to the title match. After defeating James, Giulia defeated Stratton at the end of March. However, Stratton went on to defeat Jordynne Grace on the final SmackDown before WrestleMania, establishing herself as the number one contender.

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.

Tony D’Angelo receives box with Japanese symbol on WWE NXT

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Whatever’s next for the NXT Champion may be in a box.

Prior to the main event of Tuesday’s NXT, Robert Stone told D’Angelo that he would have a better idea of who his next opponent would be on next week’s show. At the same time, D’Angelo was handed a box with a Japanese symbol. Keanu Carver appeared as D’Angelo asked him if he was the one that sent the box. Carver denied he did, saying if he wanted something he’d take it. 

Carver noted, however, that the symbol on the box was a symbol of war. He walked away, letting D’Angelo know that the sharks were circling around him.

There are several possibilities on what the box could mean. Both Hiromu Takahashi and EVIL left New Japan Pro Wrestling earlier this year. EVIL has since been expected to join WWE, with a recent report indicating he would like to start his run on NXT before heading to the main roster.

Another possibility is Ulka Sakazaki, who announced an excursion to the United States at the start of the year. In February he worked a dark match prior to WWE NXT and confirmed that his excursion would be in WWE.