Britt Baker was the first woman signed to an AEW talent contract in 2019 and for a while, was the top star of the women’s division. Baker’s days on top are now a distant memory, and her recent social media activity may have teased a bold move.
Baker has removed all references to AEW in her Instagram bio, distancing herself from the All-Elite promotion. On X, Baker’s bio is similarly AEW-free and makes reference to her role as a wrestler and a dentist.
Baker’s alterations come amid an interesting time in the DMD’s career. Baker hasn’t competed since November 2024, and has competed just five times over the past year. Baker remains active on social media though rarely makes reference to AEW.
Interestingly, her latest reference to AEW on social media saw her throw support behind Saraya following the British wrestler’s exit from AEW.
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) March 26, 2025
Baker’s absence has left fans wondering as to whether her time with AEW may also be coming to an end. In January, Chris Jericho cast doubt on the idea that Baker will leave AEW, following reports of alleged heat on the former Women’s World Champion.
If Baker does end her time with AEW, fans can expect WWE to make an effort to sign Baker who could also see interest from promotions overseas such as STARDOM. Whatever’s next, Britt Baker remains a talking point among wrestling fans, even with her hiatus from AEW growing day-by-day.
AEW fans inside the Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington were in for a treat after the June 25, Dynamite as Bryan Danielson made a surprise appearance. Things unfolded after Kyle O’Reilly suffered a brutal loss to Kyle Fletcher and was attacked post-match by Lance Archer. As O’Reilly was preparing to speak, Max Caster interrupted and issued an open challenge.
To the shock of the crowd, Bryan Danielson made his entrance—seemingly answering Caster’s challenge despite still being sidelined with neck issues. Before a match could begin, Adam Cole stormed the ring and hit Caster with a superkick. Danielson quickly capitalized, locking in the LeBell Lock and forcing Caster to tap out within seconds.
Danielson followed-up with a light-hearted message, claiming he had joined the Paragon faction and dubbed himself ‘Kyle Danielson.’ He followed up by asking for his theme music to play—prompting Final Countdown to fill the arena.
Though Danielson remains out of action and has been since October 2024, this marks the second consecutive week he has inserted himself into a post-show segment. Danielson also made a surprise appearance at Dynamite: Grand Slam Mexico, helping save lucha legend Blue Panther in another untelevised moment.
Questions remain as to whether Danielson will wrestle again after his gruelling previous match with Jon Moxley, but as his roles after the show continue to grow, fans remain hopeful that a return to the ring will happen.
Bill Goldberg’s career in the ring will soon come to an end, but could his son Gage soon be lacing up his boots as a second-generation competitor? Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gage revealed if he sees a life as a WWE Superstar in his future.
“It’s there. It’s a backup plan for sure. Football’s a priority 100%, but it’s a backup plan. Football is my main plan, WWE is my backup plan 100%.”
Gage is no stranger to WWE. After appearing for his father’s return at Survivor Series 2016, Gage would return and get physical in 2021 during Goldberg’s feud with Bobby Lashley. Now, the football prospect isn’t backing down from a WWE future, though football remains his goal.
Fans can expect to see Gage at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where his father will compete in his retirement match against World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER. With gold and legacies on the line, Gage will no doubt watch intently as his father laces up his boots one final time.
Blake Monroe has named the greatest achievement of her life.
The star previously known as Mariah May left AEW in May this year, ending her 2-year run with the company. She ended up making her NXT debut only a few days later during the June 3 episode of the show.
The former Women’s World Champion recently posted a video she had recorded shortly before making her debut for the development brand. The English star first discussed how joining WWE had always been her goal, but she did not think that the possibility was real even after moving to America:
“I never really thought I would be in WWE. I don’t know if I felt not good enough or there were different plans for me because wrestling is amazing and there are so many different experiences and things you can do, which is so great. I felt a little dejected at the end of last year and I didn’t know it was an option for me.”
The 26-year-old noted that she started training again at the end of last year. She went to Shawn Spears & Tyler Breeze’s Flatbacks Wrestling school, which helped renew her passion for wrestling. This is when the possibility became real:
“I didn’t think I was going to be in WWE and it still doesn’t really feel real to me. This is maybe, thus far, the greatest achievement of my life, to be a part of WWE.”
Monroe also thanked all the fans and members of her family for always supporting her and making the realization of her dream possible.
Bill Goldberg’s final match is set to happen at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but will this actually mark the end of the WWE legend’s in-ring career? Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gage Goldberg, the son of Bill, argued that his father has more than one match left in him.
“He definitely has the mindset and the mentality to be able to go for a longer match and everything, and two matches even, I think he is.”
While Gage believes his dad could still go, the elder Goldberg has been adamant that his July 12, showdown with GUNTHER will be his final match. While some believe that Goldberg being 58 means he won’t be able to deliver a great match, Gage isn’t worried.
“If you look at Gunther right now, that was my dad a couple of, well not a couple of years ago, but back in the day that was my dad. So I think it’s a good challenge for him for sure, and it could be a great retirement match.”
Goldberg made his WCW debut in 1997 and quickly won over fans with his impactful matches and 173-0 winning streak. Now, he plans to make the World Heavyweight Champion his final victim, and take the gold in the process.
AEW has plenty of championships to its name, but some more gold may soon be showing up on programming. Mark O’Brien of Bodyslam.net is reporting that AEW has developed two separate tag team championships over the past 12 months, though neither is currently in use.
Sources claim that the ‘Intergenerational Tag Team Championships’ have been created, intended for ‘father and son duos.’ This has reportedly led to more focus on team that span generations, including Christian Cage and Nick Wayne, though the pair are not related by blood. Similarly, the report adds that this title was why Billy Gunn’s role with The Acclaimed was amplified, though the partnership with Bowens and Gunn has seemed strained in recent weeks.
In addition to multi-generational teams, there was reportedly talks of actual father-son tag teams to be part of the title picture. This includes Ricky and Kerry Morton as well as Kevin Von Erich teaming with one of his sons, the report adds.
AEW has also reportedly created Women’s Tag Team Championships, a title that many both in and out of AEW have shown support for. In late 2022, Saraya called on AEW to create a women’s tag team division, as well as a potential all-female show. Saraya, who competed in several tag matches as part of the Outcasts and later alongside Harley Cameron, has since finished her time with AEW.
Between AEW, Ring of Honor, and its partnership promotions, championship gold isn’t hard to miss on AEW TV at this time. It remains to be seen if more gold gets added to the show.
During the June 25, episode of AEW Dynamite, Mark Briscoe had some choice words for MJF, especially when it comes to a certain part of his anatomy. In a jab at MJF, Briscoe claimed that the former AEW World Champion has a “teeny tiny kosher pickle,” which became a chant among the fans in attendance.
Taking to social media, MJF claimed that his gherkin is nothing to mess with. In an all-caps post, MJF refuted that his ‘pickle’ is anything but big.
MJF’s girlfriend Alicia Atout also got in on the action. As someone who knows the longest-reigning AEW World Champion up close and personal, Atout provided clarification on MJF’s ‘pickle.’
Woah woah woah. Let’s get one thing straight. It’s absolutely a kosher pickle but it’s definitely not tiny. ? @The_MJF
MJF has never shied away from taking personal shots at others, but he’s clearly not a fan when the tables have been turned. Fans can expect to see much more of MJF’s feud with Briscoe, a feud in which it appears nothing, not even pickles, are off limits.
A new tag team match with an interesting stipulation has been teased for the upcoming AEW All In: Texas PPV next month.
This week’s episode of Dynamite continued the build for the upcoming show. The opening match of the night saw the team of Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay defeating Blake Christian and Lee Johnson. The Young Bucks were at the ringside for the bout.
The Bucks had a faceoff with Ospreay and Strickland after the bell, who went on to challenge the EVPs to a match at All In. Just before the closing of the segment, Ospreay threw in an interesting stipulation, saying that the AEW founders should put their Executive positions on the line for this match.
Apart from this, the company confirmed during Dynamite that the duo of Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight will be challenging The Hurt Syndicate for the Tag Team Championships at the show.
The June 25 episode also saw Kris Statlander and Mark Briscoe picking singles victory to earn the First Entrant Slot in their respective Gauntlet matches at the upcoming PPV. Here is the updated card for the show:
AEW Women’s World Championship Match: “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Mercedes Moné
AEW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page
Title Unification Match: Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. International Champion Kenny Omega
Tag Team Championship Match: The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. JetSpeed (Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight)
Men’s Casino Gauntlet Match For AEW World Title Shot
Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match For Women’s World Title Shot
All In Texas will take place from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas next month on July 12. Bryan Danielson is also expected to be at the show.
Matt and Jeff Hardy have wowed and amazed fans for decades, but their time in the ring is coming to an end. During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Matt got candid about where he and Jeff stand in their careers, admitting that retirement is drawing near.
“We want a story — and the story of our careers, like this is… we know we’re not — we’re in our last few years and we want to make them as great as they can possibly be.”
Currently, fans can find Matt and Jeff in TNA Wrestling, where they recently held the promotion’s World Tag Team Championships. On the podcast, Matt highlighted the efforts of TNA’s Tommy Dreamer into making this run happen.
“Someone who is owed a ton of credit for it is the man that is here in this conversation with us, Tommy Dreamer. I want to give him credit because Tommy has put us in a position to succeed.”
After more than 30 years of revolutionizing tag team wrestling—from tables, ladders, and chairs to world title gold, the end of the Hardys is in sight. While an exact date is yet to be revealed, Matt and Jeff are determined to finish on their own terms.
Shotzi Blackheart’s time with WWE came to an end in early 2025, but she is seeing the positive side of things. Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Shotzi shared her belief that this release may have been exactly what she needed.
“I get to go out and kick ass and do me again. Like, I’m not going to be sitting at home. I get to go balls to the wall as often and as much as I want. So, yeah, I was just excited to get out there again.”
While Shotzi is excited for what’s next, she did admit to being sad that she can no longer call herself a WWE Superstar. While releases often take talent by surprise, Blackheart had an inclination that her days with WWE were numbered.
“My contract was coming up. So I knew it was either going to get renewed or it wasn’t. And I didn’t have much to show for that year. I was gone for 10 months due to injury, then had a short stint in NXT.”
Shotzi, in her own words, did not have much to bring to negotiations about a new WWE deal, but was also ready for a change. She revealed that even if WWE had offered her a new contract, she may have left the promotion anyway.
“I was tussling with the decision to even re-sign. I wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t happy just sitting at home. I wanted to get out there and do what I love.”
Shotzi had crafted a speech to deliver to Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, but never got the chance to deliver it. In the end, WWE made the decision for her—and she’s come to see that as a blessing.
AEW commentator Jim Ross is ready to get back to work after sharing that the cancer he has been battling is completely gone. On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross shared that his battle with colon cancer is seemingly at an end.
“The cancer’s gone, which I’m very happy to say. So you know, I’m blessed that my health has returned, and I’m feeling pretty damn good.”
Ross has been off AEW programming for months while managing his health issues. With a clean bill of health, the WWE Hall of Famer is ready to get back to work.
“I’m tired of sitting at home, and I’m excited about the opportunities that await. I am feeling better. My plan is to be in Dallas for the big event [AEW All In].”
Ross was the recipient of countless messages of support during his battle with cancer. On the podcast, JR highlighted the efforts of Tony Khan throughout this ordeal.
“He supported me wholeheartedly and I really do appreciate that. That’s the way a boss should act, should do—is take care of your people. And Tony Khan has certainly taken good care of me.”
With AEW’s All In weekend set for Arlington, Texas, Ross plans to be there—starting with Starrcast on July 11 and the pay-per-view event on July 12. While it’s not yet confirmed whether JR will be behind the commentary table, one thing’s for certain: Jim Ross is ready go get back to work.
AEW has announced a couple of big matches for next week’s episode of Dynamite.
The wrestling promotion will be celebrating the 300th episode of their Premiere weekly show at the July 2 episode of Dynamite from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Canada next week.
The company has announced that the Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada will be in action at the event, and he’ll be going up against none other than Kota Ibushi.
Next Wednesday, 7/2#AEWDynamite 300 LIVE, 8/7c on TBS + Max
This comes only days after Ibushi made his wrestling return during this past Saturday’s Collision, after nearly 2 years of TV absence. He made his in-ring debut for the company this week, defeating Trent Beretta in a singles match at the June 25 Dynamite.
This isn’t the only match announced for the show. The promotion has also confirmed that the TBS Champion Mercedes Mone will be defending her title against Mina Shirakawa next Wednesday night.
Both of the champions announced for the show are set to compete in big matches at the upcoming All In: Texas event on July 12. Okada will be facing arch-rival and reigning International Champion Kenny Omega. Both titles will be on the line for this unification bout.
Mone, on the other hand, would be looking to add another belt to her collection when she challenges Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Title at the show. If Mercedes is planned to win the bout, it’s possible that she’ll drop the TBS belt on Dynamite 300 before the PPV.
A familiar voice may soon be screaming “Excuse Me!” on WWE programming again. According to a report from Fightful Select, former WWE general manager Vickie Guerrero has recently told people that she will be back with the company for some appearances “in a few weeks.”
While the nature of the appearances was not specified, the timing aligns with the upcoming all-women’s WWE Evolution premium live event in July, leading to speculation that she could be involved in the show.
Guerrero was a mainstay on WWE television for years, serving as a regular on-screen character and one of the most effective heel authority figures in company history. She departed in 2018 and later appeared for AEW from 2019 to 2023. During her time with AEW, Guerrero had claimed that WWE had “cut her off.”
However, the relationship appears to have since been mended, as Guerrero was spotted backstage at a WWE SmackDown taping in September 2025. Her potential return would add a veteran presence to WWE programming.
Dave Bautista’s long-expressed desire to star in a romantic comedy is finally coming true. According to a report from Deadline, the former WWE Champion and Hollywood star is attached to star in “The Romantic,” a new romantic comedy acquired by Paramount Pictures.
The film, produced by Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and Bautista’s own Dogbone Entertainment, will feature Bautista as Ed Schwenke, a “six-foot-four mountain of a man” who is secretly a bestselling romance author writing under the female pen name Francine London. The plot revolves around Ed hiring a woman to pose as Francine at a romance fiction convention to protect his identity from a cynical journalist.
For years, Bautista has been vocal about wanting to break into the genre. In a 2023 interview with Page Six, he questioned why he hadn’t been offered such a role.
“I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead. I’m a little rough around the edges,” Bautista said. “But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?’” He added at the time that he would “keep searching” for the right opportunity.
The script for “The Romantic” was written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, known for films like Can’t Hardly Wait and Josie and the Pussycats. No director is currently attached to the project.
George Kittle is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top tight ends but there will be a day when his time on the field is over. In a recent interview with USA Today, Kittle confirmed his strong interest in joining WWE once his football career comes to an end.
“I would love to do WWE. I think there’s definitely opportunity within that world, and I would love nothing more than to be a part of it.”
Kittle has made brief appearances in a WWE ring but has yet to have a match for the promotion. Even with experience to his name, Kittle doesn’t plan on wrestling until he has proper training.
“I would only do WWE if I bought a ring and practiced my ass off for a while so I wouldn’t look like an idiot out there. I’ve been in a WWE ring like three times. I don’t know what I’m doing out there.”
With his charisma, athleticism, and genuine love for pro wrestling, Kittle could be a natural fit in the WWE Universe. With talent including Pat McAfee proving a move from the gridiron to the ring is possible, fans shouldn’t count out calling George Kittle a WWE Superstar.
Many fans were surprised when Jey Uso dropped the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Gunther on the June 9 edition of WWE Raw. Uso’s a popular talent who was less than two months into his reign. Moreover, if a title change were to occur, Seth Rollins looked positioned to be the heel to make the switch happen given he’s been riding high as the top heel on Raw and recently won the Money in the Bank briefcase.
On top of these other considerations, there’s the matter that Gunther himself was the champion Uso beat for the title. It’s not totally unfamiliar ground for champions to trade titles back and forth, but it is less common for it to happen coming out of WrestleMania, where title changes tend to mark more seismic shifts as one star takes a step back and another redefines his career trajectory.
This isn’t the first time a world champion crowned at WrestleMania dropped the title back to the previous title holder, though. In fact, this is the sixth occasion.
Jey Uso Vs. Gunther In 2025
Photo: WWE
It’s too soon to know the full story or to tell what the ramification will be of Jey Uso losing the World Heavyweight Championship back to Gunther. Just the same, seeing the inspirational babyface drop his title in this fashion to heel who has already been at the top of the mountain for a long reign could be seen as disheartening.
Prevailing theories suggest that WWE may have wanted the title on Gunther to defend against Goldberg in the legends predicted retirement match. Meanwhile, WWE may decided to pull the plug on the Uso solo run experiments, and Jimmy doesn’t seem like he’ll ever flourish in that role, and Jey may well have hit his ceiling. Time will tell what the implications are, but it is interesting that Jey Uso was the first ever first-time world champion crowned at WrestleMania to drop the title back to the original title holder.
Randy Savage Vs. Ric Flair In 1992
Photo: WWE
Randy Savage and Ric Flair worked a heated feud in 1992, centered on The Nature Boy’s insinuation that he’d been an item with Miss Elizabeth before The Macho Man. Savage sought revenge and got it by taking the WWE Championship off Flair at WrestleMania 8.
WWE struggled to find its footing with Hulk Hogan out of the mix for the rest of 1992 and Savage and Ultimate Warrior sort of filling his spot, while neither got real traction as the definitive top guy. In the end, the powers that be elected to move the title back to Flair in the fall, only for him to serve as a transitional champion—a vehicle to move the belt to a fresh main event face in Bret Hart.
Hulk Hogan Vs. Yokozuna In 1993
Photo: WWE
In what was, at the time, the most shocking finish to a WrestleMania of all time, 1993 saw Hulk Hogan work an impromptu match with newly crowned WWE Champion Yokozuna and promptly take the title off the super heavyweight.
Fans have never gotten a definitive picture of what happened from there. The consensus, though, seems to be that Hogan just wasn’t as popular as he had been as WWE on the whole cooled off, Hulkamania felt played out, and a vocal portion of fans were mad that WWE had seemingly disrespected Bret Hart as world champ by moving his title straight to The Hulkster.
Whatever the precise combination of reasons, Yokozuna got his title back at the next PPV, King of the Ring, and held it straight through to WrestleMania 10, when the belt went back to The Hitman.
Brock Lesnar Vs. Kurt Angle In 2003
Photo: WWE
Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle each carved unique and truly legendary careers in professional wrestling. Given Angle’s departure from WWE in 2006 and the fact that these two never worked a match in the second act of The Beast’s WWE career—as a part time attraction from 2012 to 2023—it’s easy to forget that they were once rivals with remarkable chemistry.
Indeed the respective amateur pedigrees and out-of-this-world athleticism made Lesnar and Angle genuinely special opponents for one another. A botched shooting star press at the end of their WrestleMania 19 main event unfortunately overshadowed the excellent match they’d built up to that point. Fortunately, the rivalry raged on, including them flipping face and heel roles and The Olympic Gold Medalist taking his title back at SummerSlam.
John Cena Vs Edge In 2009
Photo: WWE
One of the prevailing stories of John Cena’s retirement tour has been him revisiting memorable rivals from his past, including Randy Orton, R-Truth, and CM Punk. Were he still in WWE at this point, there’s little doubt Edge would be in that mix.
Cena and Edge had an outstanding off and on rivalry that extended from 2006 to 2010. One chapter of the feud saw Cena take the World Heavyweight Championship off The Rated R Superstar at WrestleMania 25 (in a Triple Threat that also included The Big Show). The Ultimate Opportunist would get his win and his title back at Backlash with a noteworthy assist from The World’s Largest Athlete. Cena would go on to feud with Show while Edge and the Big Gold Belt settled back in on the SmackDown brand.
Seth Rollins Vs. Brock Lesnar In 2019
Photo: WWE
WrestleMania 35 started off with a bang when underdog Royal Rumble winner Seth Rollins picked up a decisive victory over Brock Lesnar in a fun sprint. The Beast wasn’t done with the babyface champ, though. Lesnar was a surprise, late addition to a Money in the Bank match that summer and went on to cash in on Rollins and take his title back.
This storyline was a rare case in which a champion taking back the title from the man who beat him at WrestleMania presented a third act: the WrestleMania winner going on to win the rubber match in another PLE main event. Rollins beat Lesnar at SummerSlam in a more full-fledged and definitive, rivalry-ending bout that looked to cement Rollins as the “the guy.” Unfortunately for The Beast Slayer, he ran into The Fiend that fall, and saw that run on top come to an unceremonious end.
Kevin Owens’ neck injury is far worse than fans initially thought, and surgery is now unavoidable for the former WWE Universal Champion. Speaking on What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, Owens revealed that months of pushing through the pain only worsened his condition.
“It sucks, but it is what it is. For months, I thought I could tough it out. The pain would come and go—some days were better, some worse.”
Owens had intended to ‘tough it out’ until last week when his injury proved impossible to ignore. Owens was faced with the somber reality that surgery isn’t an option, but it is now essential.
“Everything caught up with me. The numbness, the weakness… it all hit at once. That’s when I knew—it’s not getting better on its own.”
Owens “can’t wait” to undergo surgery but he didn’t provide a timeline for his return. Earlier this year, Owens shared that Randy Orton has put him in touch with the surgeon who saved the Viper from retirement due to back issues.
It remains to be seen when Kevin Owens will wrestle again, but one thing is for certain: the Prizefighter is through taking his health for granted.
WWE Raw star Chad Gable has been a breakout star over the last few years, but it appears he will be on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Gable was written off television on this past week’s episode of Raw when Penta attacked him, and it’s now been confirmed the angle was done to cover for a legitimate injury.
According to a report from PWInsider, the word making the rounds among talent is that Chad Gable is slated to undergo surgery in early July. At this time, the specific nature of the injury remains unknown, and there is no timetable for his return to the ring.
Unfortunately, the injury is timed, as Gable has been a consistent and entertaining presence on Monday nights with his heel “coach” persona for the Alpha Academy. His absence will likely force WWE to adjust creative plans for his faction and the storylines he was involved in.
Gable joins a growing list of sidelined WWE talent, which includes Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, and Liv Morgan, who are all dealing with significant injuries. We wish Chad Gable a full and speedy recovery.
Logan Paul recently made headlines after refusing to sign what he identified as a fake rookie card at a fan event. On X (formerly Twitter), Paul explained his decision, saying he wanted his first-ever signed rookie card to be a genuine and meaningful gesture.
Confirmed with Topps that this was a fake.
It would’ve been the very first “Logan Paul Rookie Card” that I autographed & I didn’t want that moment to happen with a counterfeit https://t.co/FFD1C6Lise
Rookie cards—especially when autographed—can fetch thousands of dollars on the collectibles market. Given Paul’s star power in both WWE and pop culture, his authentic signature on a legitimate rookie card would be highly valuable. Recognizing this, Paul chose to hold off until he could give that moment to a fan who truly appreciates the significance.
On WWE television, Paul has recently been aligned with John Cena, though the duo came up short at Money in the Bank. It remains to be seen when “The Maverick” will return to WWE programming.
Jordynne Grace has been dominating in WWE NXT, and now the Juggernaut has teased bringing in weight classes for matches. On X, Grace made the argument after battling opponents of many sizes during the June 24, episode.
As for Grace’s ideas of weight classes, it remains to be seen if it goes beyond her post. While WWE has dabbled in weight-based contests before (see 205 Live), Grace’s idea has yet to go further than what she posted on X.
Following the live broadcast on June 24, WWE taped the July 1 episode of NXT at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The taping featured several matches and confirmed two new bouts for the upcoming Great American Bash and Evolution premium live events.
Spoilers for the July 1, 2025, episode of WWE NXT, courtesy of BodySlam.net:
Joe Hendry def. Wes Lee
Myles Borne def. Lexis King
Yoshiki Inamura def. Jasper Troy
Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley def. Sol Ruca and Zaria
Lainey Reid def. Thea Hail
For The Great American Bash on Saturday, July 12, a new challenger has emerged for the NXT Championship. After NXT Champion Oba Femi laid out an open challenge, Yoshiki Inamura stepped up. He was then attacked by Jasper Troy, setting up a number one contender’s match between the two for the July 1 episode.
Inamura reportedly won that taped match and will now challenge Oba Femi for the NXT Championship at The Great American Bash. A tag team match was also confirmed for the same event.
Jordynne Grace, who won a four-way elimination match on this week’s live NXT to earn a shot at Jacy Jayne’s NXT Women’s Championship at Evolution, will team with newcomer Blake Monroe. They will face the champion Jacy Jayne and her partner Fallon Henley in a tag team match at The Great American Bash, one night before Grace and Jayne’s title showdown at Evolution.
There is a positive update regarding WWE’s travel to Riyadh for this weekend’s Night of Champions premium live event. According to a report from PWInsider.com, the five WWE production staffers who were previously stuck at the Dohar airport in Qatar have now safely arrived in Saudi Arabia.
WWE talent are also en route to Riyadh today. Unlike some previous international trips where talent traveled together on one large charter, this time they are on different flights departing from various American cities.
With talent and crew arriving, WWE has also announced a Night of Champions Kickoff event for this Friday in Riyadh, which will take place ahead of the live SmackDown broadcast. SmackDown is scheduled to air on Netflix internationally at 1 PM Eastern time before its normal 8 PM Eastern timeslot on the USA Network.
For fans in the region, the report also confirms that the WWE Experience attraction is still up and running in Saudi Arabia.
Netflix has officially announced the premiere date for their highly anticipated WWE documentary series “WWE: Unreal,” set to debut on July 29, 2025. The streaming giant promises an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional wrestling that fans have never seen before.
An Inside Look at WWE’s Creative Process
Unlike traditional wrestling programming, “WWE: Unreal” will take viewers directly into the WWE writer’s room, offering an exclusive glimpse at how storylines are crafted and decisions are made behind the curtain. Each episode will run approximately 50 minutes, providing substantial depth into the creative process that drives WWE programming.
The series will also explore the lives of WWE Superstars outside the squared circle, showcasing the personal drama and real-life challenges that exist beyond their televised personas.
Star-Studded Production Team
The project boasts an impressive lineup of executive producers, headlined by NFL legend and media personality Peyton Manning. Manning joins a robust production team that includes Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser, and Marc Pomarico.
Manning’s involvement brings significant mainstream credibility to the project, potentially attracting viewers beyond WWE’s traditional fanbase. His experience in sports entertainment and media production could prove instrumental in presenting wrestling’s behind-the-scenes reality to a broader audience.
What This Means for Wrestling Fans
Following WWE’s successful transition to Netflix for their flagship programming, “WWE: Unreal” represents another step in bringing wrestling content to mainstream streaming audiences.
For longtime wrestling fans, the series offers a rare opportunity to see how creative decisions are made and conflicts are resolved in real-time. The writer’s room access could provide answers to questions fans have pondered for years about storyline development and character direction.
Netflix Sports has already released promotional materials for the series, generating significant buzz across social media platforms. The streaming service’s investment in wrestling content signals their confidence in the genre’s ability to attract and retain subscribers.
“WWE: Unreal” premieres exclusively on Netflix on July 29, 2025, promising to deliver the drama, creativity, and real-life stories that happen when the cameras traditionally stop rolling.
John Cena has confirmed that they have had to change the original story for his final run.
The Cenation Leader had shown signs of his heel turn early in his final run when Jey Uso eliminated him to win the Royal Rumble. The entry of The Rock in his story, however, changed things up. Many believe that the company had to alter the direction of Cena’s story to fit in with the vision of The Great One.
The 17-time world champion talked about these changes during a recent interview with Collider. He was asked how far in advance WWE plans their storylines. John Cena mentioned how he has done many different things as an entertainer and claimed that there is no more adaptable form of storytelling than wrestling:
“There is no more adaptable form of storytelling than WWE. WWE can change a story as it happens live. You’re seeing, so far over the farewell tour dates, the 18 of 36 so far, we’ve made a ton of pivots, a ton of pivots right there in the moment.”
The Audience Will Begin To Feel Differently: John Cena
John Cena’s story has seen another change in the form of R-Truth. The Attitude Era star was originally expected to wrap up his WWE run with his Saturday Night’s Main Event match against his childhood hero last month. The negative reaction to his release, however, forced the company to bring Truth back, and he has since continued his story with The Peacemaker star.
The Hollywood star told people that more such pivots should be expected as he enters the second half of his retirement tour. He explained that the decision of what to change and what to keep is dictated by the audience:
“As we get close to the end of this thing, what dictates those pivots is the audience, and I think the audience will begin to feel differently, because now we are truly coming to the end.
So, if you ever had a voice to use, if you ever wanted to say something, I hate to steal my own cliché, but the time is now. I look forward to the road ahead because the audience is going to dictate the direction we go.”
The WWE Champion is set to defend his title against arch rival CM Punk in presumably their last encounter at the upcoming Night of Champions PPV from Saudi Arabia on June 28.
Ethan Page believes the North American Championship is more prestigious than the NXT title and he can prove the same.
The former AEW star made his NXT debut back in May 2024. He quickly inserted himself into the NXT title picture. Page ended up winning the title at the Heatwave event in July, setting a new record for winning the top prize of the brand in the quickest time since debut.
During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Page was asked about becoming the North American Champion after previously having held the NXT title. Ethan first discussed how he had previously claimed that the NA title was beneath him. After winning the championship however, he has given the matter more thought:
“After some time and thinking and using my logical brain in professional wrestling, which usually doesn’t work out, I came to the conclusion that the North American Championship is actually the most prestigious championship in NXT.
I mean, Oba Femi, current NXT Champion. In description, he’s the champion of NXT, which its home base is in Orlando at the Performance Center. So Oba Femi is the champion of the Performance Center.”
The Champion of Three Entire Countries: Ethan Page
Ethan Page went on to explain that geographically, the North American Championship not only trumps the NXT title but even the United States Championship currently held by Jacob Fatu:
“Ethan Page is the champion of three entire countries. Meaning that this championship is also higher than the United States Championship. So I wanted to actually thank Jacob Fatu for doing such a great job representing the US, as his superior.”
Apart from this, Ethan Page also discussed things such as how his WWE signing came about, his segment with The Rock, learning from Shawn Michaels in NXT and more. You can check out his full interview below:
Pat McAfee has revealed why he has been off WWE TV.
The Raw commentator has missed the last three weeks with other names such as Wade Barrett and Corey Graves filling in for the former Football star.
The 38-year-old explained the reason behind his sudden absence on the latest episode of his Show. Pat McAfee revealed that he’s taken time off because of his overwhelming work schedule:
“I will not be commentating. Continuing to catch up on life as a whole. Post-Money in the Bank, Pre-Night of Champions. Feels like a good time. I was getting pretty exhausted there. Shoutout to everybody in WWE looking out for me, too. Very thankful,”
While not confirmed, McAfee mentioning the upcoming Night of Champions PPV from Saudi Arabia indicates that he’ll be back on Raw after the show on June 28.
Pat’s absence from TV led to Corey Graves being brought in to work a main roster show for the first time since his controversial demotion to accommodate McAfee earlier this year.
Prior to his Raw return, Graves had received praise for his work on the recent Worlds Collide event and he was said to be well received on his recent Monday night appearance as well. It’d be interesting to see if Corey remains part of the Raw broadcasting team once McAfee returns.
