Here's your WWE Rumor Roundup for Tuesday, December 23, 2025, featuring the the latest reports and rumors from around the wrestling world.
ESPN Wanted WWE Draft, But Idea Never Got Off the Ground
According to TC of WrestleVotes, ESPN was interested in featuring the WWE Draft on its streaming platform in 2025, but the idea never materialized because it doesn't work in a premium live event setting. "I know ESPN definitely wanted to have the draft on their platform, but it doesn't really work in a PLE setting," TC noted. "The draft is more of a Raw and SmackDown thing." TC added that WWE's formatting and ESPN's expectations didn't mesh, making the concept difficult to execute. The way WWE formats its shows doesn't line up with what ESPN would be offering to the audience, and it's hard to picture what a WWE TV draft would even look like in that format.
Huge Hype Around Carmelo Hayes Following US Title Win
According to multiple sources, there is significant backstage hype surrounding Carmelo Hayes following his United States Championship victory at the December 26 SmackDown tapings. Hayes defeated Ilja Dragunov to capture the title in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earning an overwhelmingly positive reaction from those in attendance and backstage.
The former NXT Champion has been viewed as a breakout star with main event potential, and this title win marks a major milestone in his main roster career.
WWE Announce Teams Expected To Change After Holidays
Per PWInsider, WWE's announce teams are expected to undergo changes after the holidays now that Joe Tessitore's college football commitments have come to an end. Tessitore has been splitting duties between WWE and college football throughout the fall, and with the college football season wrapping up, he will be able to focus full-time on WWE programming. Starting in January, the announce teams will Beas follows:
New Raw and Smackdown Commentary teams
- Raw: Michael Cole and Corey Graves
- Smackdown: Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett
Andrade Free To Sign Anywhere After WWE Waives Non-Compete
According to Fightful, Andrade is now free to sign with any promotion after WWE agreed to waive his non-compete clause. The report notes that this came together after RUSH connected Andrade with an attorney who has a strong working relationship with WWE, helping facilitate the agreement.
Andrade is now a free agent and can appear for any wrestling promotion without any restrictions from WWE. The waiving of the non-compete clause is relatively rare and shows goodwill between Andrade and WWE management.