Tag: wwe\

Kevin Nash critiques Je’Von Evans: ‘I just want him to have a little bit of an edge’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Kevin Nash would like to see Je’Von Evans show more of an edge with his in-ring work.

On the latest episode of his Kliq This podcast, Nash critiqued Evans as a performer and mostly had good things to say about him, mentioning his top rope Diamond Cutter from Raw last week as the type of viral moment that WWE is looking for. He praised Evans’ athleticism and even his striking ability, but Nash wishes Evans would lean more into the latter and show he’s a capable fighter.

“He’s an incredible athlete. He’s a little bit too f***ing Mr. Bojangles for me. I wish he was a little bit more urban,” Nash said. “I understand it’s Netflix. I understand there’s a big f***ing world out there besides the one that f***ing 66-year-old Detroit boy Kevin Nash wants, but I just want him to have a little bit of an edge.

“But if he’s not going to have an edge, then — he knows how to throw, he can strike, he throws a good punch. F***ing take your time and throw a good punch. Maybe put two or three together. Something where f***ing you tell me if this sh*t was real, all this athleticism I have, I can use. Not if this sh*t was real, motherf***er, I would cartwheel off your motherf***ing body like you would never see.”

Nash pointed to his friend Sean “X-Pac” Waltman as someone who excelled at showing this type of edge and delivering the stiff, convincing strikes he would like to see from Evans.

“He sells good,” Nash said about Evans. “I mean, he does everything good.”

The 21-year-old Evans is one of WWE’s top young wrestlers. After being called up from NXT, he joined the Raw roster at the start of January and recently competed in his first Royal Rumble.

Tony D’Angelo and wife expecting first child

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE NXT wrestler Tony D’Angelo and his wife have announced that they are couple are expecting their first child.

On Saturday, February 14th, 2026, D’Angelo’s wife, Isabella Borini, took to social media to share the positive announcement. Borini wrote, “Half of you + Half of me.”

She also shared a video with it that showed the ultrasound photos of their first child. The post also attracted several well-wishing comments from current WWE talents, including Trick Williams, Lash Legend, and Austin Romero.

D’Angelo is currently a part of the WWE NXT roster, where he was recently brought back to television by former GM Ava Raine. He is a former NXT North American Champion, two-time NXT Tag Team Champion, and NXT Heritage Cup winner. D’Angelo is next scheduled to face Cutler James on the upcoming February 17th episode of NXT. His wife, Borini, is a former track and soccer athlete.

Triple H reveals official WWE Elimination Chamber poster

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two hometown stars are featured on the poster for WWE Elimination Chamber 2026.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque unveiled the poster on social media today, with it showcasing Chicago native CM Punk and his wife AJ Lee. The PLE is taking place at the United Center in Chicago on February 28. Punk and Lee’s plans for the show are already confirmed. Punk has a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Finn Balor, while Lee is challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental title.

Lynch vs. Lee being announced for Elimination Chamber was a surprise given that it was expected to be part of the WrestleMania 42 card. But a WrestleMania matchup between Lynch and Lee is likely still in the cards. This will just build on their story in advance of WrestleMania.

WWE has already announced Punk vs. Roman Reigns as one of the main events for Mania, so it would be a surprise if he were to lose to Balor in Chicago.

SummerSlam 1994 was the last time WWE held a PLE/PPV at the United Center. The Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, Illinois has traditionally been the location for WWE’s major events in the Chicago area.

Elimination Chamber, with a start time of 7 p.m. Eastern, will stream live on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix elsewhere.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 (Saturday, February 28) —

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against AJ Lee
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
  • Men’s Elimination Chamber match: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD

AJ Lee match part of updated WWE Elimination Chamber lineup

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two matches are now set for the Elimination Chamber.

AJ Lee made her return to television on Monday and confronted Becky Lynch. She said she was there to cheer on Maxxine Dupri against Nattie later in the night, but also pointed out that she defeated Lynch not only at Wrestlepalooza but also at War Games. Lee said that she figured she was the number one contender for the Intercontinental title. Lynch resisted the idea of facing Lynch but eventually agreed, telling the former Diva’s Champion that if she thought the man held her down before, she has no idea what she’s in for.

Later, when Lee came out to help Dupri to the back following her match, Lynch ran in through the crowd and posted Lee from behind into a nearby turnbuckle.

The title match between CM Punk and Finn Balor was also confirmed for February 28. Balor, upset over his title loss in Belfast and being rejected for a spot in the Royal Rumble, hijacked CM Punk’s interview segment with Michael Cole before Punk could come out. Balor demanded a title match in Chicago, Punk’s home turf. The World Heavyweight Champion arrived and agreed to the title match, but GM Adam Pearce rejected the idea, saying it could potentially ruin the WrestleMania main event between Punk and Roman Reigns. Punk said that he wanted a say in the matter and would take over the show until he got what he wanted. Pearce eventually relented and agreed to the title match.

WWE Elimination Chamber (February 28)

  • World Heavyweight title: CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
  • Women’s Intercontinental title: Becky Lynch defends against AJ Lee
  • Men’s Elimination Chamber: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber: Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA

Two title matches, Elimination Chamber qualifiers set for WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two title matches, as well as Elimination Chamber qualifying matches, are set for next week’s SmackDown.

After weeks of back and forth attacks, Jade Cargill will finally defend the WWE Women’s Championship against Jordynne Grace. The two teamed together to defeat Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on Friday, with Grace scoring the surprise rollup win on Rodriguez. The two continued to argue backstage after  the match, setting up next week’s title defense.

The WWE Women’s Tag Team titles will also be on the line. After Ripley & Sky successfully defended the titles against Giulia and Kiana James on Friday, the champions will now defend against Nia Jax & Lash Legend next week after the two teams argued backstage. Trick Williams will also meet Rey Fenix after the two exchanged words over Sami Zayn, who was seen dejected after losing his WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble.

More Elimination Chamber qualifying matches will also take place. Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu will attempt to qualify after both were entered into the match after taking out Drew McIntyre during Friday’s show. They will face Zayn in the men’s qualifier. For the women, Alexa Bliss will face Giulia and Zelina.

Here’s the card for next week’s SmackDown, which will air on SyFy for the next two weeks due to Winter Olympic coverage:

WWE SmackDown (February 13):

  • WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill defends against Jordynne Grace
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team titles: IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley defend against Nia Jax & Rhea Ripley
  • Elimination Chamber qualifier: Alexa Bliss vs. Giulia vs. Zelina
  • Elimination Chamber qualifier: Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu vs. Sami Zayn
  • Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix

Report: WWE holds post-Royal Rumble town hall, three young stars praised

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Three young stars, Oba Femi, Je’Evons, and Sol Ruca, reportedly received major praise from WWE following their outing at the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to a latest report by PWInsider, WWE held an all-hands-on-deck town hall at the WWE headquarters for its employees, with WWE President Nick Khan, Marc Shapiro, and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque hosting.

As per the report, during the meeting, Femi, Evans, and Ruca received immense praise from the company executives for their performance in their first-ever Royal Rumble.

Femi finished the match with five eliminations, while Evans lasted around 48-minutes. In the women’s Rumble, Ruca lasted nearly 51-minutes and eliminated one wrestler.

The CM Punk-Roman Reigns face-off also became a talking point and was put over based on how strong it was on RAW to build up their WrestleMania 42 match. The majority of the meeting was reportedly on how well the company was doing at this moment.

The 2026 women’s Royal Rumble was won by Liv Morgan, while Roman Reigns won the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble, making it his career’s second-ever Rumble win.

Je’Von Evans felt like he ‘did amazing’ in WWE Royal Rumble

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Getting to compete in his first-ever Royal Rumble was a hugely positive experience for Je’Von Evans.

Evans entered the Rumble at number eight last Saturday and was in the match for more than 40 minutes before being eliminated by Randy Orton. On Busted Open Radio this morning, Evans reflected on the match and how he performed. He’s usually very critical of himself after competing, but that wasn’t the case this time.

“I felt great. Usually, I’m very — what’s the word? Not critical — when I look back at my work, I look at everything. I’m very, like, spot on. I’m very hard on myself when it comes to my matches, because I just want them to be so great,” Evans said. “But after the Rumble, I was like, ‘Yo, I felt like I did amazing.’ I was in the ring with people that I grew up watching, so that was fire. That was great. It was insane. It was insane.”

Evans said being in the ring with stars like Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns made him feel like he was a fan and wrestler at the same time. He wanted to do everything he could to make himself and others look good.

Among the spots Evans participated in was an eye-catching moment where Jacob Fatu threw him high into the air on a pop-up Samoan Drop. Going into the match, Evans’ mindset was to make his own mark instead of copying legendary spots that others have already done in the past.

The 21-year-old Evans was called up to the Raw roster last month and has earned high praise from some of his main roster peers. Evans told Busted Open that Reigns, Gunther, Rey Mysterio, and CM Punk are among the dream opponents he’s hoping to face.

Also during the Busted Open interview, Evans named Terry Taylor, Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, and Fit Finlay as coaches who were pivotal to his development in NXT. Taylor was blunt with Evans and always honest with his feedback, while Finlay taught Evans that it was important to have grit that he can pair with his fun-loving and high-flying nature.

Nia Jax explains how WWE changed under Triple H

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When Nia Jax returned to WWE in 2023, the company felt like a different place than it was during her first run.

Jax was released from WWE during a round of roster cuts in 2021 but was brought back in 2023, returning after Paul “Triple H” Levesque gained power as head of creative. On a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Jax opened up about how she benefitted from that two-year absence.

“I feel like I changed in a better way. Like, I got better and I elevated my game a little bit more,” she said. “Not that I didn’t think I had the opportunity in my first part, but I think because it was a different schedule and — I wasn’t really, like, locked in as I could have been. When I had the break and I was able to see what I could improve on, I was able to change it coming back.”

Jax’s first stint with WWE happened while Vince McMahon was still in charge of the company. During that time, she felt like WWE had to be her entire life and everything else needed to take a backseat. Now, there is a healthier balance where she is still passionate about her job without it becoming her entire existence.

“Some of the girls that I came up with, we all kind of made WWE our whole lives. Like, morning, noon, and night, storylines, talking about it all the time and worried about our bookings,” Jax said. “Back in the day, if you got hurt, you were forgotten about. It was hard to get back in the rhythm, so we pushed through things. Like, ‘I’m not hurt, I’m fine, I’m going to stay and I want to skip on all my friends’ weddings and baby showers.’ And then coming back, it felt different to where it’s like, no, WWE is my passion and I love it and I want to be a part of it, but it’s not going to be my entire life. I’m not going to make it like the focal point.”

When McMahon ran WWE, Jax felt like she was working for an audience of one and had to wrestle in the way that McMahon wanted her to. There is now more freedom with Levesque encouraging Jax to show the audience what she can do in the ring.

“I was taught a certain way, like, ‘You’re a certain size, you can’t do these things. Stay away from this. Don’t let them do this to you.’ So I was kind of pigeonholed into a little bit of — and I was afraid to get out of it because, you know, the person telling me is somebody who runs the show and you work for an audience of one. And so this time around, Hunter was more like, ‘Be you. Be you, do you, show them what you can do.’ Because he’s like, ‘I know what you’re capable of.’ So I feel like the difference is just me kind of being myself a little bit more. I’m more adding who I am into my character instead of, like, I’ve got to stay here and make sure that, you know, somebody’s happy.”

Jax was a Women’s Champion under both the McMahon and Levesque regimes, most recently holding the WWE Women’s Championship on SmackDown from August 2024-January 2025. She also won the WWE Queen of the Ring tournament in 2024.

On Insight, Jax noted that she has lost 100 pounds from her highest weight. She participated in the women’s Royal Rumble last weekend but was eliminated by Charlotte Flair.

Two matches added to WWE Raw lineup

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for tonight’s post-Royal Rumble episode of WWE Raw has a couple of new additions.

WWE has announced that Penta vs. Bronson Reed and Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano will both take place on Raw tonight. The show is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Penta vs. Reed match will continue the storyline of Penta trying to dismantle The Vision, who are looking to get back on the right track after all four members came up short at the Royal Rumble. The match included Vision member Bron Breakker entering at number two and being taken out by a mystery attacker.

Evans and Americano faced off on Raw a couple of weeks ago, but the match ended in a referee stoppage due to it being feared that Evans had suffered a concussion. Evans was checked out by medical personnel after the match and was determined to be okay.

There were two El Grande Americanos in the men’s Rumble on Saturday as Chad Gable returned in the gimmick that he originally portrayed. Ludwig Kaiser took over the character after Gable was sidelined with a shoulder injury last year.

Here is the updated card for Raw tonight:

WWE Raw (Monday, February 2) —

  • Philly Street Fight: Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • Men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns appears
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan appears
  • Penta vs. Bronson Reed
  • Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano

Je’Von Evans feels ‘very ready for it’ heading into WWE Royal Rumble

Posted on by Ian Carey

Je’Von Evans talked about participating in his first Royal Rumble match during a recent interview with Peter Rosenberg.

Asked how he feels heading into his first Royal Rumble, Evans responded that it feels surreal, before correcting himself and saying that he feels ready.

Evans said:

“It feels surreal, you know? I wouldn’t even say that cause I feel like I was very ready for it, like very expecting of all this. But honestly, it’s a great time. It’s fun. I’ve never been to Saudi Arabia before, so eating their food: fire.“

“We’re just having a great time and just preparing for the Rumble.”

Evans was asked about his “level of nerves” going into big matches and responded:

“I know when I had the match with Randy, I was nervous all day. But since then, I haven’t been so nervous because of that moment. So I think this is another achievement for me. I feel confident right now, but before I go out and the countdown starts, then I’m like, ‘Oh, alright, it just got real.’ So I think in that moment, I’m going to start having butterflies.”

Evans was asked about the possibility of Chris Jericho returning to WWE in the Rumble, and how he would react if Jericho’s music hit while he was still in the ring.

“It would be insane, bro,” Evans said.

Evans is one of 22 names confirmed for the men’s Royal Rumble match on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leaving 8 spots open. His full interview with Peter Rosenberg is available below:

Triple H visits new WWE Saudi office ahead of Royal Rumble

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ahead of the Royal Rumble, Paul “Triple H” Levesque stopped by WWE’s new office in Saudi Arabia for a visit.

The office, located in Riyadh, opened in the latter half of 2025, with WWE calling it a key step in strengthening their presence in the Middle East/North Africa region. Levesque tweeted out a few pictures from his visit today and hyped that exciting things are being planned for the future.

“So great to spend some time before #RoyalRumble in our brand new KAFD [King Abdullah Financial District] @WWE office with our amazing GEA [General Entertainment Authority] partners,” Levesque wrote. “Exciting things to come in the future.”

When opening the office, WWE said it would help bring the company closer to its partners.

Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, is the key person in the government handling the WWE partnership. The controversial relationship between the two sides began in 2018 and has grown recently with Riyadh set to host Royal Rumble 2026 this afternoon and WrestleMania 43 in 2027. This is the first time either of those marquee events is being held in Saudi Arabia.

A temporary outdoor stadium that was built over just a few short weeks is the venue for today’s Rumble.

Triple H has had discussions with AJ Styles about potential final WWE opponents

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque has had discussions with AJ Styles about which opponents he’d like to face before ending his in-ring career.

While appearing on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike today, Levesque was asked if Saturday’s bout against Gunther at the Royal Rumble could really be Styles’ final match. Levesque kept kayfabe with his answer but noted that he’s had regular conversations with Styles about the goals he has for the remainder of his run.

“We’re going to have to see,” Levesque said. “You know, AJ Styles has not made it a secret this year, 2026, is going to be his last in-ring year. But he has a lot of goals and a lot of people — I know he’s with me every week making a list of people that he would want to face and that he wants to meet in the ring before he retires.

“But as Gunther was disrespecting John Cena about doing the one thing he said he would never do, which is quit or give up, Gunther made [Cena] do that in his final match. AJ Styles has taken offense to that. He put his career on the line against Gunther, saying that if he can’t beat him, if he can’t end this streak for Gunther, then he’s done.

“I, for one, hope that that doesn’t happen. I hope AJ Styles continues because he’s an incredible talent. But if it does, what an unbelievable run he’s had.”

Styles vs. Gunther is happening in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as part of the card for the Royal Rumble PLE. With Gunther having already retired Goldberg and Cena and now looking to do the same to Styles, WWE has filed a “Career Killer” trademark for Gunther’s new nickname.

If Styles makes it through Saturday, it’s unclear when his final match will take place. The only timeline he’s put on his retirement is that his last match will definitely happen in 2026.

Women’s World title match set for next week’s WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A Women’s World title match is set for the next WWE Raw.

After losing a six-woman tag team match earlier in the show, Raquel Rodriguez in an interview on Raw demanded another shot at Stephanie Vaquer. Later backstage, Vaquer told Adam Pearce she wanted to face Rodriguez as well. Pearce then made the match official for next week, but also revealed that it would be a Philadelphia Street Fight.

The feud between Rodriguez and Vaquer started earlier this month when Vaquer retained the Women’s World title against both Rodriguez and Nikki Bella in a three-way match. The following week, Rodriguez jumped Vaquer from behind and attacked her injured knee, slamming it on the ground and using Vaquer’s own title to attack the leg further.

At Saturday Night’s Main Event this past weekend Vaquer made her return, taking out Rodriguez after she interfered in the Women’s Tag Team title match, allowing Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY to retain the titles over Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez.

WWE Raw (February 2)

  • Philadelphia street fight for Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer defends against Raquel Rodriguez

Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, Becky Lynch among latest to declare for WWE Royal Rumble match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

More wrestlers have declared for the WWE Royal Rumble.

During the Adam Pearce – Bron Breakker summit that took place on Raw, the brand’s GM not only reinstated Breakker but placed him, along with the rest of The Vision, into Saturday’s Royal Rumble match. In a backstage segment later in the night, Logan Paul suggested they all focus on making sure Breakker ends up winning the Rumble. 

It was also announced that Oba Femi would be appearing in the Royal Rumble match. Vignettes have been airing on the main roster ever since he laid the NXT Championship in the ring following a successful title defense at New Year’s Evil.

Je’Von Evans also declared for the Royal Rumble during a commercial break, saying he was fine after his match on Raw last week was stopped due to a possible injury.

Becky Lynch declared in a backstage segment while talking about retaining the Women’s Intercontinenal title on last week’s Raw against Maxxine Durpri. She also exchanged words with Asuka, who has already declared for the match.

Here is the updated list of participants for the Royal Rumble:

Men:

  • Cody Rhodes
  • Gunther
  • Jey Uso
  • Rey Mysterio
  • Dragon Lee
  • Penta
  • Solo Sikoa
  • Roman Reigns
  • Jacob Fatu
  • Bronson Reed
  • Austin Theory
  • Logan Paul
  • Bron Breakker
  • Je’Von Evans
  • Oba Femi

Women:

  • Rhea Ripley
  • IYO SKY
  • Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez
  • Raquel Rodriguez
  • Asuka
  • Bayley
  • Lyra Valkyria
  • Jordynne Grace
  • Chelsea Green
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Charlotte Flair
  • Lash Legend
  • Nia Jax
  • Giulia
  • Maxxine Dupri
  • Becky Lynch

WWE 2K26 announces ‘King of Kings’ edition

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Triple H is front and center on a newly unveiled special edition of WWE 2K26.

We still don’t have a release date for the game or know who the main cover star will be, but it was announced today that there will be a special “King of Kings” edition featuring Triple H on that cover. Like with the recently announced “Attitude Era” and “Monday Night War” variants, this is a special edition of the game priced at a higher point with some additional add-ons. Details regarding the pricing and features have not been announced yet.

This Friday (January 30) is when pre-orders for the game will go live. Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Paul Heyman starred in 2K’s advertisement announcing this new edition.

Triple H is also included on the “Attitude Era” and “Monday Night War” covers alongside other stars from that period.

While not much about the gameplay is known yet, Insider Gaming reported earlier this month that CM Punk will be the focus of the annual Showcase mode, which is a story mode that spotlights a specific wrestler and allows you to play through their journey. The mode will allow you to relive some of Punk’s past matches as well as play through some dream matches that never got the chance to happen.