Tag: Zelina Vega

Jim Ross gives insight into current Aleister Black & AEW relationship

Posted on by Ian Carey

Jim Ross says he doesn’t believe Aleister Black has burned his bridge with AEW.

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross referred to Black as a “main event” talent and said he and Zelina Vega are “two keepers.” However, Ross suggested that Black take some time off before returning to the ring.

Ross said:

“I like Aleister Black. I think he could do himself a favor by simply stepping away for a while. He’s got a 90-day no compete anyway. How much can you improve in 90 days, Aleister? That’s my question to you.”

Ross said he’s not sure why Black has had conflict with management previously, but encouraged him to not be so critical.

“He seems to run afoul of the establishment from time to time and I don’t know why that is. I’m not there to work with him in that regard, so I don’t know why that is, but whatever it is, my advice to him would be to get over it. Don’t be so critical of things. Just be critical of your own work and making it better.”

Conrad Thompson asked Ross why Black’s run in AEW wasn’t more successful, and Ross answered that he feels Black looked at his time in the company as a “step down.”

“I don’t think he wanted to, Conrad. I don’t think he was happy there. I think he looked at it as a step down. He’s in the minor leagues or some s–t. But that’s that WWE mentality rubbing off on you, and that’ll happen. It’s unstoppable and it can’t be helped. That’s kind of how I looked at his situation.”

Ross continued:

“I like his game a lot and his wife is a hell of a hand. You’ve got two keepers in those two people.”

Asked if he feels Black has “burned his bridge” with AEW, Ross responded:

“No, I do not. But I think that his chances are running out. Trust is a big thing. Reliability. Are you reliable? There is I’m sure a small faction of some in the wrestling business that believe he’s missing something. I don’t disagree with that. But he’s not missing his attire, his look, his work ethic. So whatever his downfalls are, they seem to be stimulated from things outside the bell-to-bell. But I like the guy. I’d hire him in a heartbeat.”

Black’s initial run with WWE lasted from 2016 until he was released on June 2, 2021. He debuted in AEW the following month. Black left AEW in February 2025 after it was reported that his contract had expired. He returned to WWE in April 2025 and was part of WWE’s post-WrestleMania 42 roster cuts a year later.

The full episode of Grilling JR is available below. The player is cued to his comments about Black.

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega need to go to Japan, not TNA or AEW | Column

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega were two of the WWE Superstars released from the company on what is now being dubbed as the latest “Black Friday.” While a lot of people are fantasy booking them as a top-tier TNA act and some are hoping Black returns to AEW, I’d much rather see Black/Tommy End and Zelina Vega head to Japan.

I was a big fan of Tommy End when he was a regular on the UK and European scenes, especially his work in PROGRESS and wXw. There, Black was able to focus more on the in-ring rather than cutting promos for television, so there was less pressure on character beyond his look and abilities when he was actually wrestling.

I think Japan, specifically New Japan, would work perfectly for Black/Tommy End at this point in his career. Having someone with his presence in a world where his in-ring work will do the majority of the talking will do wonders for him. I’m not saying that Black is a bad talker by any stretch, not at all, but I think that bringing his ‘character’ back to the Muay Thai specialist that can finish a match in a heartbeat is where he needs to go right now.

Tommy End can craft a more solid persona outside of America

For me, a lot of the issue with Black’s character in WWE and then AEW is that there wasn’t a huge amount of cohesion. The last time I truly felt like I got his motivations and direction is when he was in NXT doing the aforementioned Muay Thai killer, he didn’t say a whole lot, he got in the ring and produced some incredible work on the black and gold brand.

The Velveteen Dream feud and his matches with Tommaso Ciampa still hold up as the clearest version of this character anyone’s put on screen, for me anyway. The House of Black was a cool stable, and yes Black likely had a lot of input there, but something always felt slightly off.

I think that End needs to have the chance to truly establish what his character is again, away from a creative team, away from outside forces and just let him become who he needs to be. We’ve seen so many times now that acts leaving WWE and then forging their own path have come back even more successful, you just need to look at how Cody Rhodes fully fleshed out his act after dropping WWE/Stardust and how Drew McIntyre became a genuine main event level star at ICW, IMPACT et al before finally making his return.

The problem for Black has been constant repackages, repositions, returns that fizzle out quickly and creative teams pulling him three directions at once. Black needs to rebuild from scratch, away from WWE creative and away from the outside noise.

Zelina Vega can work in STARDOM

Not to make this all about Black though, because Zelina Vega is a solid performer herself and is in no way an afterthought. Thea Trinidad can either work as Black’s mouthpiece in New Japan, work in STARDOM or ideally…do both.

Granted, it has been a long time since Vega appeared in STARDOM (November 2016 was her last match there), but she actually has almost the polar opposite of what Black/End brings to the table. Vega/Trinidad is great on the microphone, and she just needs to be given the opportunity to speak more and be a character performer for a promotion like STARDOM/NJPW, help elevate some of the incredible Joshi talent and bring a different element to the overall presentation.

The package deal is what makes this work: Black needs a stage that lets him be quiet and brutal and Vega needs a stage that lets her talk. NJPW and STARDOM, run as a joint move and it solves both problems in one stroke: he handles the in-ring, she handles the mic in NJPW and gets her matches in with STARDOM, and both of them can rebuild value that WWE has spent years failing to develop.

Zelina Vega posts statement following WWE departure

Posted on by Ian Carey

Zelina Vega has commented on her WWE departure.

Vega, her husband, and on-screen partner Aleister Black were among several names revealed on Friday as part of WWE’s post-WrestleMania 42 roster cuts.

Late Friday evening, Vega posted to social media:

“My fans mean the absolute world to me. I’ve lost a lot this year and in my life in general.. but I gained all of you. Thank you. Your support means more than you’ll ever know.”

On Saturday, Vega wrote:

“I know I said it on stream but I also want to thank my co-workers, trainers and everyone who made it possible to do what I did in WWE. The amount of txts I got from all of you warmed my heart to tears. Thank you. I genuinely feel honored to have worked with you.”

Later on Saturday, Vega posted to Instagram:

“Dear Zelina Vega,

Helluva fkn ride kid. 
To all the times they told you that you weren’t enough.
To all the times your family, friends and fans made you feel like you were. 
All the times they said you were too small.
All the times they said your heart and personality makes you 7ft tall.
All the times they said you weren’t talented enough. 
All the times they praised you being great. 
All the times they hated your success.
All the times they screamed for you.
All the times they told you to k*ll yourself and you actually thought about it.
All the times people told you that you helped save their life or inspire them.
All the struggles you overcame. 
All the tears.
All the laughs.
All the happiest days of your life.. 
One word: Thankful. 
I take my husband, family, friends and my fans with me. 

You proved so many people wrong and will continue to do so. It’s isn’t over until Thea Trinidad says so.”

The 35-year-old first signed with WWE in 2017, initially serving as Andrade’s manager in NXT.

In late 2020, as WWE was instituting new policies regarding talent use of third-party platforms such as Twitch, the company announced Vega’s release on November 13, 2020. She returned the following July and won the Queen’s Crown tournament in 2021, debuting her Queen Zelina character soon after.

In 2022, she joined Legado del Fantasma. The following year, the group became part of the revamped LWO stable. Vega was drafted to SmackDown in 2025 and became the second-ever WWE Women’s United States Champion when she defeated Chelsea Green for the title on April 25, 2025.

WWE’s website reveals shortened name for SmackDown star

Posted on by Bryan Rose

WWE’s website has adjusted Zelina Vega’s name.

When looking at WWE’s roster page, it is now shown that Vega is simply being referred to as ‘Zelina’ moving forward, with no mention of her last name. This comes as she has taken on a new role of managing real-life husband Aleister Black.

Back on October 10, Zelina interfered in the Last Man Standing match between Aleister Black and Damian Priest, allowing Black to throw a fireball at Priest’s face and win the match. Since then, the two have appeared in vignettes solidifying their on-screen presence together.

The two have been married since 2018, but have not been involved in a storyline together until now.

Prior to the new role, Zelina had been pushed as a singles star on the SmackDown brand, winning the Women’s United States title from Chelsea Green in April. She would go on to lose the title to Giulia in June, and ultimately failed to regain it afterwards. She had also been previously associated with the LWO, but was moved over to the SmackDown brand in January.

WWE SmackDown notes: Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Street Profits

Posted on by Ethan Renner

News and notes from Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode which aired early internationally.

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega —

Real-life spouses Aleister Black and Zelina Vega aligned in WWE storylines on Friday’s SmackDown from Perth, Australia.

Vega provided a distraction in the SmackDown main event on behalf of Black in the Last Man Standing match between Black and Damian Priest. The distraction from Vega allowed Black to throw a fireball at Priest and come away from the stipulation match with a victory.

The Street Profits —

For the second time, The Street Profits have reverted to their best-known WWE theme music.

The duo of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins entered to “Bring the Swag” for their Tag Team title match against The Wyatt Sicks on Friday’s SmackDown, the song the pairing originally used in NXT in 2017.

The Wyatts retained the Tag titles.

Returns —

Long-absent WWE stars Shinsuke Nakamura and Tama Tonga made their returns to the promotion as well on Friday’s SmackDown, the go-home show for Saturday’s Crown Jewel PLE.

Next week —

Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu was set up for next week’s SmackDown in an angle on Friday’s show as well.

Our full report from Friday’s show is available here.

Daily Update: Zelina Vega, WWE Vault, MVP

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*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 case 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.

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

WWE

  • Zelina Vega made an Instagram post in remembrance of her father Michael Angel Trinidad, who passed away on this day in 2001 while working at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terror attacks:
    • These pictures have so many stories attached to them.. some are obvious and are just beautiful memories I have with my dad, mom, brother and others. Some are sad like the sign we made for people looking for my Dad at Ground Zero or a txt from my childhood friend and her recollection of the day.
    • Others are more recent but mean the world to me, in one photo it’s my arm wrapped with the words Never Forget Michael Trinidad 9-11-01 written by Rey Mysterio, someone I watched in my Dad’s room on the tv.. another is of The Rock, someone he loved, we loved watching and celebrating together.. he brought his daughter, now a dear friend of mine, to visit my Dad at the memorial. Those are those crazy ‘I can’t believe I did that’ moments.. our faves know all about you Dad.. my fans know all about you, they visit you, make signs for you.. it’s insane.
    • I wish you would have gotten to meet my husband, I know you would have loved him and how amazing he is to me, Tim’s daughter Ruby.. she’s like a mini me and Tim, like your pride and joy in one. We miss you more than words the lump in my throat prevent me from saying. I love you forever. Our guardian angel. Michael Angel Trinidad. Thank you for being with me every step of the way. I felt incredibly blessed to finally bring a WWE title to you. Finally. That will stay with me forever but.. we’re far from done. Rest In Paradise. Love you Dad.
  • Shawn Michaels revealed the official poster for NXT No Mercy, which features Oba Femi, Ricky Saints, Jacy Jayne, Lola Vice, and Blake Monroe. The PLE is being held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 27.
  • Stephanie McMahon interviewed NFL legend Rob Gronkowski on her “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
  • WWE Vault uploaded the full WrestleFest event from 1997 that was headlined by (what was supposed to be) Terry Funk’s retirement match against Bret Hart.

Other Wrestling

  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, MVP said he wasn’t able to travel to London for Forbidden Door because of the time he spent in jail in Florida in the 1990s for an armed robbery:
    • Now England, the United Kingdom, just started the electronic transfer authorization, and they ask the question, ‘Have you been convicted of a felony that required you to have a 12-month stay or longer in a correction?’ Well, yeah, I did nine and a half years, so I answered truthfully, and that’s why I wasn’t allowed in for Forbidden Door.
  • Downunder The Ring interviewed Bryan Danielson.
  • The Battleground Podcast uploaded a new interview with Tony Khan.
  • Renee Paquette spoke with Dean Malenko on AEW Close-Up.
  • Darby Allin was the guest on a new episode of Talk is Jericho, discussing his climb of Mount Everest. 
  • Megan Bayne shared the great news that her baby cousin Matthew has been declared cancer-free:
    • For those of you who don’t know, back in January I shared that my cousin Matthew had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment at just 6 months old. This week, we received the amazing news that he is cancer-free! He and his parents are finally back home, and his treatment is officially over. Thank you so much to everyone who showed their support and donated — I couldn’t be more grateful.
  • Matt & Jeff Hardy will throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park before the Boston Red Sox play the Athletics on September 18. TNA stars Eddie & Alisha Edwards will also be special guests at the game.
  • Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & Trent Seven are set to team together in RevPro’s 2025 Trios Grand Prix in Barcelona on September 20-21.
  • Bishop Dyer (the former Baron Corbin) opened up to The Takedown about how he’s been looking to prove himself in his post-WWE career:
    • It’s a proving ground for me. A lot of people know me just from being Baron Corbin in WWE and they think they know what I can do. And I think it’s eye opening for a lot of people that step into the ring with me and go – this is a different animal. This is not the same Baron Corbin we watched for years, or whatever predisposed opinion of me they have, I’m bringing new stuff to the table. It’s a new hunger. A new excitement, especially getting into companies like MLW.
  • Saraya was a guest on Busted Open Radio.

WWE wrestler Zelina Vega signs with Prototype Talent Agency

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE wrestler Zelina Vega has enlisted a new talent agency to represent her.

Deadline reports that Vega has signed with Prototype Talent Agency, the same firm that represents Cody Rhodes.

The report states that in addition to on-camera TV and movie roles, voiceover work is a likely target for Vega, who did voice work for the 2023 Street Fighter 6 video game.

Prototype also represents Rhodes, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Billy Gunn in the professional wrestling space. Deadline states that Vega will also retain her Torres Benet representation.

Vega is set to challenge Giulia for the WWE Women’s United States Championship on the Friday, August 1 SmackDown. The bout is a rematch from the June 27 SmackDown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where Giulia won the title for the first time.

Friday’s SmackDown is the go-home show for Saturday and Sunday’s two-night SummerSlam event set for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

US title match added to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Ethan Renner

A Women’s United States Championship match has been added to this weekend’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.

After a backstage altercation between Zelina Vega and Chelsea Green on Friday’s SmackDown, WWE announced that Vega will defend the US title against Green on the Saturday, May 24 Saturday Night’s Main Event show.

Green was the inaugural Women’s US Champion after winning a tournament final at SNME last December. Vega defeated Green for the title on the April 25 SmackDown.

The two-hour Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time, with five matches now set for the program. The lineup:

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Saturday, May 24 —

  • World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso defends against Logan Paul
  • John Cena vs. R-Truth
  • Steel cage match: Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
  • CM Punk & Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins & Bron Breakker
  • Women’s United States Champion Zelina Vega defends against Chelsea Green

Zelina Vega pays tribute to late father after first WWE singles title win

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After winning the first singles gold of her WWE career, Zelina Vega (Thea Trinidad Budgen) had a special stop she had to make.

Vega returned home to New York City this week to pay tribute to her late father Michael Angel Trinidad, who passed away in 2001 while working for Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terror attacks. Vega and her father bonded over WWE when she was growing up — and she brought her newly won Women’s United States Championship belt to the 9/11 Memorial this week so she could place it on his name. She documented the visit in a video that can be seen below:

“It’s kind of mind-blowing honestly to see this right now, to actually have it here physically,” Vega said. “Because I’ve said that I wanted to do it for so long. In a way I came here really happy — but it kind of makes it real. That’s why I kind of don’t come here that much. But if this is the closest that I can get to him and doing this, then I’m happy to do it.”

Vega shared the moment with her mother on a FaceTime call from the memorial and also brought her title belt to her grandmother’s house in Queens.

The title change happened on SmackDown last Friday with Vega dethroning inaugural Women’s United States champ Chelsea Green. Vega told Busted Open Radio that, after accomplishing this goal, she still has her sights set on winning the WWE Women’s Championship or Women’s World Championship in the future.

In 2018, WWE produced an interview with Vega discussing how 9/11 changed her life:

Daily Update: WWE notes, Adam Cole, MLW title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • What people thought of WrestleMania and Stand & Deliver
  • An in-depth look at WrestleMania
  • Crowd reactions
  • Dwayne Johnson and his role in the show and the entire back story
  • How the John Cena story started and evolved
  • Why the Cena retiring the belt story makes no sense historically
  • Johnson tells his version of what went down
  • Matches that at different points were scheduled for the show and how they changed
  • Show audience
  • Joe Hendry story
  • How much WWE spent on Mania week compared to what AEW spent for Double or Nothing week
  • A look at all the matches and angles
  • Detailed look at how the WWE purchase of AAA went down, the partners, different people comment on what it means, AAA’s history as well as its attempt to expand to the U.S., Lucha Underground, does this effect CMLL, the original When Worlds Collide, how AAA was formed and more
  • The death of Hisashi Shinma, the golden age of New Japan Pro Wrestling, how he first got into wrestling, what he’s credited with as a booker, the rise of Inoki, the first UWF, Universal Lucha Libre, WWE Presidency, Backlund vs. Inoki, Inoki vs. Ali and more
  • A look at the life and career of Steve McMichael
  • CMLL and a week of sellouts including a killer Friday main event
  • WWE NXT Stand & Deliver coverage and poll
  • The life and times of Black Terry
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows this past week, demos, competition and segments looked at, as well as streaming numbers for Raw
  • Universal tournament ends this week
  • Biggest women’s show of the year this week
  • What’s new with Tetsuya Naito & Bushi
  • Dark Side of the Ring on Billy Graham
  • A look at the Mania week on the indies side including Bloodsport
  • Notes on future AEW PPV shows
  • Kenny Omega on What is the best schedule for wrestlers?
  • Mark Hunt’s case against UFC and Brock Lesnar thrown out
  • Advanced ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • How streaming platform advertising works vs. television
  • Bayley talks her knee injury
  • WWE ID tournaments

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE is promoting John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Backlash with the tagline “One Last Time.” The match is Cena’s first Undisputed WWE Championship defense of his retirement tour, which will conclude in December 2025.
  • Hulk Hogan told Forbes that he felt “disconnected” from John Cena’s heel turn when WWE didn’t follow up on The Rock appearing at Elimination Chamber:
    • At the end of the day, when he turned heel—like the [nWo] storyline, like Eric [Bischoff] said—we set it up, we set up, we set up, then we delivered. And then not only did we deliver, we rolled out with me, Hall and Nash. And that story kept snowballing and snowballing, and we kept getting more evil and evil. And so for me, watching that story with John Cena, when The Rock did the throat thing, cut his throat, and John Cena turned heel, I expected more of the same.
    • And then John Cena came out and there was no Rock, and I just got disconnected at that point, ’cause I was expecting the characters to keep rolling out like we did. So I know everybody’s got movies and obligations and stuff, but it didn’t feel like that big tidal wave coming at you. Like when the nWo took over, man, I even hate to say the word, we just cleaned house and beat everybody’s ass, and we just killed it. All the babyfaces were crying and complaining, and it got really ugly. We were so powerful with that trio.
  • In an interview with Undisputed, Jimmy Hart called Paul Heyman the greatest manager of all time:
    • It’s Paul Heyman. He’s my favorite, and he’s been doing this at such a high level for so long. What he’s doing now is the best stuff in wrestling. He’s putting food on the table for a lot of people in WWE.
    • Paul Heyman, he’s magic. He makes every part of what he’s doing so meaningful. That’s what I tried to do, too–if they were going to paint me yellow, then I brought the paint. Paul is the same way–you have to watch to see what he’s going to do next. He’s a genius.
  • Dakota Kai, who hasn’t wrestled in more than a month, tweeted yesterday: “I miss wrestling and I miss you guys”
  • Kai then followed that up with another post: “Not hurt btw!”
  • WWE uploaded the full IYO SKY & Jordynne Grace vs. Giulia & Roxanne Perez main event from NXT last night.
  • SKY thanked the audience for the reception they gave her on NXT: “What an amazing night!! The NXT universe welcomed me very warmly!! Thank you #WWENXT!!!”
  • On commentary during NXT, Corey Graves acknowledged Meiko Satomura’s retirement and congratulated her on having an unbelievable career.
  • Sol Ruca appeared on the post-NXT edition of Busted Open Radio After Dark.
  • Busted Open and Screen Rant have interviews with Zelina Vega. After winning the WWE Women’s United States title last Friday, Vega told Busted Open that – while in New York – she’s going to the 9/11 Memorial so she can place single’s gold on her late father Michael Trinidad’s name:
    • I am going to the 9/11 Memorial and finally getting to put single’s gold on my dad’s name at the memorial. So I’m very, very excited to finally do that. And, I mean, the thing is, it doesn’t mean that the journey is over in that sense because I still – there’s always a part of you that’s like, ‘I want the World title.’ I do. And I think if anything, this inspires me to show people who I am as a champion. And you kind of have a duty to show them how you can rock with that title too.
    • So it’s nice to be able to finally just do this and have that moment because I’ve wanted it for so, so long.
  • Montez Ford has been announced as one of the inductees for the Boys & Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame class of 2025. Ford said he’s “humbled, grateful, and truly honored” by the induction.
  • WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from NXT Stand & Deliver.

Other Wrestling

  • TNT Champion Adam Cole told Comicbook.com that Will Ospreay and Kevin Knight are two of the people he really wants to face in AEW. 
  • Cole praised the work Ricochet is doing as a heel:
    • Unbelievable. I mean, again, when you look at Ricochet, anyone who’s seen Ricochet wrestle, he’s maybe the best athlete I’ve ever seen. Just like an absolute freak of nature. We jokingly in the locker room – we call him an alien. Like, he’s not even a real person. He’s not even a human being. The things he can do [are] just absolutely unbelievable.
    • Clearly one of the best, one of the most athletically gifted guys in the entire world, but getting to see this different side of Ricochet has been so much fun because he’s showing the world what he can bring to the table. Maybe people thought, ‘Oh, ok, cool. He can do all these really, really cool athletic things, and that’s awesome, and we really love that.’ But now he’s showing what a great character he can be. The timing that he has. His aura right now is absolutely unbelievable. So, yeah, Ricochet’s work has been absolutely incredible to watch. It’s been super, super fun. And I’ll tell you what, I may be a good guy, but I’m liking this new side of Ricochet. I am.
  • The Express spoke with Samoa Joe.
  • First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo interviewed Adam Copeland.
  • Billie Starkz noted that she’s only a few classes away from obtaining her associate’s degree: “Exams next week and then Summer break! Three classes away from my associates degree! Woohooo!”
  • TNA announced that we’ll hear from Steve Maclin on this Thursday’s live episode of Impact following his successful International title defense against Eric Young at Rebellion.
  • Matt Riddle will defend his MLW World Heavyweight title against Donovan Dijak at the promotion’s Azteca Lucha show in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, May 10.
  • Marigold is holding a press conference overnight tonight at 3 a.m. Eastern time.

Zelina Vega wins United States title on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Zelina Vega has won her first career singles championship.

Vega defeated Chelsea Green to win the WWE Women’s United States Championship on Friday’s SmackDown in Fort Worth, Texas, capturing her second overall title in WWE, and her fist singles gold.

Green’s Secret Hervice Pper Niven and Alba Fyre interfered in Friday night’s title bout, and were eventually booted from ringside to even the playing field. Vega responded with a Code Red to score the pinfall victory.

Vega had held the WWE Women’s Tag titles on one occasion, and the TNA Knockouts Tag titles on one occasion in her career, but had never before won a singles title. Her career accolades also include winning the 2021 WWE Queen of the Ring tournament.

Friday’s SmackDown also included the return of Aleister Black, Vega’s real-life spouse. Black returned to the company following a four-year stint in AEW. Our full report from Friday’s SmackDown is available here.

Chelsea Green title defense added to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has added a new title match to the card for tonight’s WrestleMania fallout edition of SmackDown.

After pinning the champion in a non-title match last week, Zelina Vega will challenge Chelsea Green for the Women’s United States Championship on SmackDown tonight. Vega owns two straight victories over Green with the other one coming when Green accidentally got herself counted out.

SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced the title match in a video posted by WWE this afternoon:

Green is WWE’s inaugural Women’s United States Champion and has held the title since December.

Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas is the venue for SmackDown tonight. Here’s everything that has been announced:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, April 25) —

  • TLC match: WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits defend against Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) and DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
  • New Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena appears
  • Randy Orton appears
  • Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green defends against Zelina Vega

Zelina Vega moves to SmackDown, WWE transfer window closing

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Another member of the WWE roster has switched brands as the company has revealed that its transfer window is closing.

Zelina Vega was announced on Monday’s Raw as leaving the LWO and the Raw brand to join the SmackDown roster as part of the WWE transfer window. WWE also announced on commentary on Monday’s Raw that the upcoming Royal Rumble weekend will signal the end of the transfer window period, with rosters locked heading into WrestleMania season.

Vega seconded Rey Mysterio in his victory over Xavier Woods on Monday’s Raw on Netflix episode on her last night on the brand.

The transfer window was announced in December as a way to freshen the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT rosters without doing a full scale draft.

The wrestlers that have switched brands are:

Raw to SmackDown —

  • Damian Priest
  • The Miz
  • Braun Strowman
  • Zelina Vega
  • The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, Nikki Cross)

SmackDown to Raw —

  • Bayley
  • Austin Theory
  • Grayson Waller

Daily Update: Adam Copeland, Nathan Frazer, Zelina Vega

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • A big new issue of the Observer up on the site.  Special note that we’ve had a lot of people contact us both about the Rey Misterio Sr. and Tijuana wrestling story and the breakdown of every PPV this year and how they did.  Highlights of the issue:
  • WWE expanding television in 2025 and the biggest unanswered questions
  • A look at international deals with WWE’s move to Netflix.  What countries will still have TV deals, where Raw won’t be on Netflix, and what this means to AEW and TNA and the scoreboard of who has gotten what. And what is potentially the biggest international deal and when it will be open.
  • The Auditorio in Tijuana and Rey Misterio Sr., a look at the biggest matches in a building that should be on the list as a major wrestling arena that nobody ever talks about, plus how did Rey Mysterio, Konnan, Psicosis and others get their start and looking back at the biggest matches in Rey Misterio Sr.’s career
  • Drawing money and a look at how every PPV show in 2024 did, to see what does and doesn’t work as far as being a PPV headliner, covering WWE, AEW and TNA and every show so far this year.
  • The Battle of Orlando and where things stand for Worlds End.
  • Full coverage of ROH Final Battle
  • WWE’s holiday special in MSG and a look back at how the show has done since 2010.
  • Death of Jax Dane
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings for all the major shows,including placings, competition, segment-by-segment and more.
  • The Gran Alternative tournament and its history at picking future stars
  • Stardom’s big show the week of the Tokyo Dome.
  • NOAH preparing for Budokan Hall show.
  • More news on the Tokyo Dome shows.
  • New Japan notes for San Jose.
  • St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • RevPro show notes
  • Notes on upcoming North American stadium shows.
  • Lots of thoughts on booking
  • Upcoming ticket sales for WWE & AEW events
  • More on Lee Fitting.
  • Why there’s a very real chance the Janel Grant lawsuit will be thrown out and why, and what it will take for that not to happen.
  • McIntyre makes fun of Punk

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Tuesday Update

WWE

  • The full face-to-face segment from last night’s Raw between Seth Rollins and CM Punk is now up in full on WWE’s YouTube page.
  • Adam Pearce thanked the USA Network in a social media message during the last episode of Raw on the network.
  • The link to this week’s NXT can be found here for international viewers who are unable to watch WWE due to TV deal changes ahead of the Netflix debut next week.
  • Responding to a dig from Kofi Kingston on Raw regarding wearing large heels, Zelina Vega responded on social media: “They are 6 inches.. not that you know what that looks like.”
  • Nathan Frazer wrote about his 2024 on social media: “2024… it’s been a year that neither of us could have ever predicted. Somehow we stumbled upon being one of, if not the best tag team in the world right now. And through it all, we’ve legitimately become brothers. Brothers argue. Brothers fight. But brothers always have each other’s back no matter what. ‘Fraxiom is fine’ isn’t just a funny little tagline, it’s real. Here’s to being fine for many more years, amigo.”
  • New content added to WWE Vault in the last couple of days include Johnny Gargano introducing a Dragon Gate USA match between himself and Shingo Takagi from 2013, The Rock and Hulk Hogan agreeing to their WrestleMania X8 match on the February 18, 2002 edition of Raw, 45 minutes of John Cena matches on Velocity, and Goldberg spearing The Rock in his WWE debut on the March 31, 2003 episode of Raw.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Adam Copeland spoke to Sports Illustrated on dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit Asheville, North Carolina hard: “It’s definitely eye opening when you’re at ground zero of something like that and how long it affects [your life] and how long everything takes to get back to some semblance of normalcy. To brush my teeth for the first time without bottled water, I was like, ‘Whoa! I can use the taps? This is awesome!’ You know, you take it for granted.”
  • Former WWE talent Eva Marie has filed for divorce from her husband of ten years, Jonathan Coyle. The couple were featured on WWE’s Total Divas reality series.
  • Stardom star Konami is out of action after suffering an injury on their December 29 show.
  • NJPW has added new VTR videos hyping up the card for Wrestle Kingdom 19 on their YouTube channel.

Zelina Vega advances in WWE Speed Women’s contender’s tournament

Posted on by Ian Carey

A new WWE Speed tournament kicked off on Wednesday. 

In today’s match posted to X, Zelina Vega used a sunset flip to pin Chelsea Green. The match went just over two minutes. Vega will now face the winner of Natalya vs. B-Fab, which airs on Friday. 

Vega had the following to say after the match:

“Gold is in my future completely and I know that I’m on that path and it will soon be mine,” she said.

WWE Speed Women’s Contenders Tournament lineup:

  1. Zelina Vega defeated Chelsea Green
  2. Natalya vs. B-Fab
  3. Katana Chance vs. Alba Fyre
  4. Michin vs. Ivy Nile
  5. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya/B-Fab winner
  6. Chance/Fyre winner vs. Michin/Nile winner
  7. Tournament semifinals
  8. Semifinal winner vs. WWE Speed Women’s Champion Candice LeRae

WWE Speed Women’s Champion Candice LeRae will face the winner in what is referred to as the tournament “finals.” 

LeRae became the first-ever WWE Women’s Speed Champion last month, defeating Iyo Sky in the tournament finals on October 4. 

Inaugural WWE Speed Women’s Championship Tournament results (September 4 – October 4):

  • Iyo Sky defeated Lyra Valkyria
  • Naomi defeated Blair Davenport
  • Kairi Sane defeated Elektra Lopez
  • Candice LeRae defeated Piper Niven
  • Iyo Sky defeated Naomi
  • Candice LeRae defeated Kairi Sane
  • Candice LeRae defeated Iyo Sky