‘The Icon’ Sting made his triumphant return to AEW at the WrestleDream 2025 pay-per-view to aid Darby Allin against Jon Moxley. In the show’s main event, Allin and Moxley faced off in an I-Quit match, which saw some of the most brutal moments ever shown on AEW programming.
In one shocking moment, the Death Riders filled up a fish tank in the middle of the ring and Moxley plunged Allin’s head under the water in an attempt to drown him. Suddenly, the lights went out and Sting appeared in the ring. The Icon choked Moxley with his baseball bat and fought off the Death Riders.
Allin would batlte back and hit Moxley with the bat, a neckbreaker, and a Coffin Drop. In a fitting tribute to his mentor, Allin locked in the Scorpion Death Lock which forced Moxley to quit, giving Allin the win.
This was a brutal match which included several weapons, including a taser. You can check out some highlights from the match below:
Mercedes Mone has got her wish, but in an unusual way.
The AEW star went into tonight’s WrestleDream PPV holding 10 different championship belts. She was tied with Ultimo Dragon for holding the most titles concurrently in professional wrestling.
The reigning TBS Champion had announced that she’ll be holding an open challenge for the AEW title at the PPV. She made her entrance on the show right after the AEW Women’s Championship match between Kris Statlander and Toni Storm ended.
Mercedes Mone congratulated Statlander on retaining her title before telling her to get the hell out of her ring. The two champions had a brief confrontation before Statlander decided to leave the arena.
The former WWE star then reiterated her challenge, which was answered by ROH Interim Women’s World Television Champion Mina Shirakawa.
Shirakawa put on a great fight, but in the end, Mone’s tactics proved too much for her. The TBS Champion was able to pin the Japanese star by putting her feet on the ropes for the advantage.
The win means Mone is now in the possession of the 11th belt she needed to break the record of Ultimo Dragon. Mercedes will still have to beat the original champion Red Velvet when she returns to action to become the Undisputed champion.
Though this win doesn’t seem to have ended Mone’s quest. After the interaction earlier in the PPV, the wrestling veteran has challenged Kris Statlander for the Women’s Championship at the Full Gear PPV next month.
Mercedes Moné made history at AEW Wrestledream when she won the Interim ROH Women’s TV Championship, giving The CEO her eleventh current title reign. Moné now holds the record for the most simultaneous title reigns, but she’s already on the hunt for #12.
In a post-match segment backstage, Moné reflected on her historic victory over Mina Shirakawa. Looking ahead, Moné made clear she plans on challenging AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander at AEW Full Gear 2025.
With @MercedesVarnado now holding her 11th title as the Interim #ROH Women’s World TV Champion, she issues a challenge to #AEW Women’s World Champion @callmekrisstat!
AEW Full Gear set for November 22, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from the pay-per-view event.
The former AEW Champion competed in a big match at tonight’s WrestleDream PPV from St. Louis’ Chaifetz Arena, when he challenged Hangman Page for the World Heavyweight Championship.
The two competitors put on a physical match filled with many impactful moves as expected. In the end, Page was able to retain the title after delivering not one but three Buckshot Lariats.
Both Katsuyori Shibata and “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs joined Joe in the ring after the match. Hangman Page showed respect to his opponent with a handshake, and the two then embraced each other.
Samoa Joe seemed to return the gesture by raising the AEW Champion’s hand, only to drop him with a big lariat. Both Shibata and Hobbs then joined the party, and they started beating up the Cowboy.
The Samoan Submission Machine picked up the title belt and cracked Page with it, after telling Hangman that he wasn’t worthy of the championship. Samoa Joe finally delivered a muscle buster to Page on the belt itself before retreating, leaving the medical staff to check on the Elite member.
After this segment, the commentators confirmed that the Opps will be defending their Trios titles against The Hurt Syndicate at this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
The WWE contract situation continues to sting Andrade.
The former WWE star was pulled from AEW TV after making his return to the company earlier this month. Reports have since revealed that WWE believes Andrade to still be under a non-compete clause, and they sent a Cease & Desist letter to the rival promotion which led to this abrupt change.
While the contract situation concerning the 35-year-old remains unsolved, Fightful Select provided some minor updates on the whole situation.
According to the site, AEW had plans for Andrade at the WrestleDream PPV this week. While not confirmed, it’s likely that he would have been involved in a match between Golden Lovers and Don Callis family in some way.
Regarding the confusion about his contract, people within AEW have put a lot of the blame on the company’s legal department for not clarifying the situation ahead of his appearance on TV.
Andrade is currently in Puerto Rico for the WWC show despite his scheduled match for the WWC Universal title being cancelled after WWE’s intervention. The Mexican star is trying to do whatever else he could do to make up for the cancelled match.
It’s unknown if the wrestling star is any closer to solving the situation with WWE and his status remains very much up in the air at the moment.
AEW’s new “Tailgate Brawl” pre-show, which was introduced before the All Out pay-per-view last month, is reportedly a strategic move by the company to fulfill its contractual broadcast hour requirements with its media partner, Warner Bros. Discovery. The one-hour show, which is also being utilized for tonight’s WrestleDream event, provides fans with several bonus matches before the main card begins and helps AEW meet its annual programming obligations as part of its lucrative media rights deal.
A new report from Fightful Select has confirmed the business reason behind the new show format, noting that the addition of the “Tailgate Brawl” was not a random decision. The report states that the show was specifically created to help AEW meet its annual broadcast hour commitments as part of its media rights agreement.
“AEW Tailgate is added as a part of AEW’s deal with WBD to reach their committed hours as a part of their deal.”
The “Tailgate Brawl” concept is in full effect for tonight’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, which will air live on TNT and HBO Max starting at 7 p.m. EST. The bonus one-hour show features a lineup of FTR taking on the high-flying duo of JetSpeed (“Speedball” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight), and Willow Nightingale teams with Harley Cameron to face Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford. Eddie Kingston and HOOK are also scheduled for a tag team match. There is a eight-man tag team encounter, as The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Tomohiro Ishii, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) battles four members of The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia).
WWE star Zoey Stark shared a positive update with fans regarding her recovery from a devastating knee injury. Stark has been out of action since the May 19, 2025, episode of RAW, where she tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. The severe injury required a grueling three-hour surgery and has kept her sidelined for the past five months.
In a new video posted to her Instagram on October 18, Stark joyfully announced that she has passed a major hurdle in her rehabilitation. Stark explained that her recovery had stalled, and she was facing the frightening possibility of a second procedure, which would have pushed her return date back even further.
“In the last video, one of the reasons why I was having a hard time was because I was told that either I would have to get a scope done, which is where they go in, clean out my knee and scar tissue, or to get a manipulation under anesthesia. One of the reasons being is because I didn’t have full range of motion and that would have pushed my recovery back and that’s why I was so upset and having a really hard time with it.”
Stark powered through her physical therapy, and in the new video, she excitedly confirmed that she managed to avoid the second surgery and is now back on schedule.
“But now we’re back on track. That did not have to happen. Thank God. Now I’m running, I’m jumping, I have full range of motions. Things are going great. Honestly, I’m happy. I’m blessed.”
With this setback avoided, Stark is now focused on her eventual comeback and sent a final message to the fans. “I really, really can’t wait to get back into the ring and get back to you guys. So that’s all—Stark out.”
Rhea Ripley has sustained a legitimate injury during WWE’s recent international tour, suffering a broken nose at the live event in Tokyo, Japan. The incident occurred on Saturday, October 18, the second of two “Supershow” events held at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall. The injury took place in the middle of a high-profile women’s tag team match, forcing the former Women’s World Champion to be taken to the backstage area for medical attention.
The injury happened during a tag team match that saw Ripley teaming with IYO SKY to take on The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane). According to reports from fans in attendance, the injury occurred during a specific spot where Ripley was attempting to catch IYO SKY, who was being thrown over the top rope to the arena floor. The impact of the catch resulted in Ripley suffering a bloody nose. Medical staff immediately attended to her at ringside before escorting her to the back.
The injury was later confirmed by Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline, who reported to subscribers on X, “Rhea broke her nose on the house show loop”. Despite the painful and legitimate injury, Ripley displayed her toughness by returning to the ring for the show’s final segment. She joined the other WWE superstars in the ring to participate in AJ Styles’ emotional farewell speech to the Japanese crowd, as it was likely his final match in the country as part of his retirement tour.
Following the event, Ripley took to her social media accounts to address the injury, posting several images of her swollen and bruised nose. In one post directed at the fans in Japan, she maintained a positive and humorous attitude, writing: “Thank you Japan ? I still love you!”.
Bound For Glory was a time of celebration for the entire TNA Wrestling roster. For McKenzie Mitchell, it was a time to reflect on the company’s rollercoaster journey. Her start into the business came through a three-year stint with the company. Earlier this year she returned home back in the role of ring announcer. Certainly, things like introducing the Hardy Boyz and Team 3D in their “One Final Table” will be a career highlight.
“Standing in the ring at Bound For Glory in Boston with nearly 8,000 people. Sometimes you don’t take the moment to stop and truly look around and look at what is happening before your eyes. For me, it was a moment to soak everything in,” Mitchell said. “You talk about the ‘One Final Table’ match with the Hardyz and Dudleys. That is the last time those two iconic tag teams will be in the ring together.
“I was lucky to be a smart part of that. I told Bubba this the other day that I wanted to really do them justice of their careers and everything they’ve done putting their bodies on the line year after year. For me, I was very lucky. I was very honored to be a part of that. Again, in wrestling because it moves so quickly…For Bound For Glory, before I did the announcement for the Dudleys and the Hardyz, I just stopped and looked around and saw everyone on their feet for this moment. It was really an opportunity to pay respect to them. It was so cool I was just a small part.”
It’s a great time to be a pro wrestling fan in this landscape of collaboration. Among those partnerships has been an unheard of one between TNA and WWE’s NXT brand. The two sides have been sharing talent, meshing, and overall working together. So much so that Mitchell was able to go back to her old stomping grounds at the WWE Performance Center where she helped ring announce for the NXT x TNA ‘Showdown’ special. An added bonus was getting to see her husband, voice of NXT Vic Joseph, at work.
“Obviously, I started my career at TNA for three or four years of my life. I remember back then, in my resume reel I was submitting to WWE to get hired by WWE, it was almost this feeling that I’m this TNA girl,” Mitchell recalled. “I think back then…I applied on the website, WWECareers.com. I also made a new resume reel that was things that were outside of professional wrestling, that wasn’t just TNA wrestling. I didn’t know that for a fact, but it kind of felt like it was hurting my chances of being able to make the transition to WWE. I went out and filmed other things to show my versatility and what I could do as a broadcaster.
“Now you fast forward to this partnership, something we thought would never happen because they were separate brands. You were either TNA or WWE. Now to see this seamless blend of this partnership. I think it’s something the fans can appreciate. True TNA diehard fans are getting their feel. WWE fans are getting their feel. These are matches you would never have thought would happen. Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater, what in the world? The talent these two have in the ring is really cool. What’s really awesome, to put it in a one-word way, but it’s awesome to see the growth that has been had and is still to come. Talking about working with my husband, it’s almost like this full-circle moment. Starting in TNA, going to WWE, and going back to TNA and still doing this handshake moment is really awesome for me.”
Mitchell loves wearing many hats. Her skillset has taken her from ring announcing to broadcasting to interviewing. However, one part of the pro wrestling show we haven’t seen is an actual in-ring performer. Will that ever happen?
“I have never taken a bump,” Mitchell answered. “In all of my years in professional wrestling, I’ve been in wrestling for 10 years, I’ve never taken a bump. Now something you say in wrestling is never say never. I always have to say never say never. I would like to take one kind of bump, whether it’s in a match or just behind the scenes just so when I have kids one day I can say, ‘your mom did that one time and it hurt really, really bad.’ I think I would want to because I would then be able to relate what these athletes do week in and week out, putting their body on the line.
“I have been approached several times about having the match. For me it’s a matter of, I think I’m a better talker than I am wrestler or would-be wrestler. I did grow up an athlete. I was a cheerleader. I was a dancer. I played volleyball, so I was athletic growing up. If the right opportunity would present itself, maybe I would have my Michael Cole moment at WrestleMania. We all remember that moment. Never say never, but it would have to be the right opportunity for me.”
Though she might be a little too busy these days to buckle down for training. After all Mitchell is a mogul in the making. Not only does she have her commitments to TNA, but she is a business owner and brand boss within the jewelry industry. The entrepreneur owns a Headline by MM online store, as well as a formal store in Nashville. For Mitchell, the business venture follows in the footsteps of her family, which spans more than 75 years in the jewelry business. Her Drippin collection took off thanks to those who have worn custom pieces from Seth Rollins to Trick Williams. Jeff Hardy even sported a piece of Mitchell’s collection during Bound For Glory. She also has some of country music’s biggest names like Sarah Evans and Lainey Wilson wearing her jewelry.
“I wanted it to be the perfect blend within my professional life and personal life kind of creating this moment coming together,” she said. “…It has snowballed, and I’m so excited to see where we go with this and how we can build this dream.”
“I say this to my husband all the time. I know a thing or two about fashion, why do you not want to just listen to me,’ she explained. “Put on a necklace, a lapel pin, there are so many things we can do. My husband is very set in his ways, and so we’re working on it. The other day we were at Disney with the Garganos, and Johnny was wearing a nice bracelet. I said, ‘See, Johnny is wearing a bracelet. Why can’t you wear a bracelet?’ Shawn Michaels was wearing a nice watch the other day. I said, ‘See, Shawn is wearing a nice watch.’
“This is how it goes. Maybe, maybe he’ll start wearing something. But to keep it simple, he owns zero pieces. It is one of those things too when you’re growing up and your mom says you should wear this. And you think, ‘mom that’s a dumb idea.’ It’s similar. The fact he still doesn’t believe I know what I’m talking about. Maybe one day he’ll realize, ‘hey, maybe my wife does know what she is talking about.’”
A veteran of the Japanese wrestling scene, Katsumi Sasazaki, has reportedly passed away from a bear attack.
The 60-year-old had worked as a referee for promotions such as All Japan Women’s Wrestling and Marigold in Japan and was known as Katsumi Tiger. Though he seemed to have retired from the industry and had been working at an inn dubbed Semi Onsen in Kitakami, Iwate, recently.
According to Japanese news outlet Asahi Shimbun, Sasazaki went missing early on Thursday morning, when he was cleaning an outdoor bath by the Getogawa River alone. The police officers who responded to a missing persons complaint from the Inn manager found animal fur and bloodstains scattered near the bath alongside Sasazaki’s personal belongings, such as glasses and slippers.
A search party consisting of local police, city officials, and the local hunter’s association started looking for the wrestling veteran in the afternoon, but they had to call off the search after 30 minutes due to bad weather. A body believed to be of Sasazaki was discovered only 50 meters northwest of the hot spring inn when the search was resumed the next day.
This wasn’t the only bear attack in the area recently, as another man who had been picking mushrooms was found dead about 2 kilometers west of the Semi Onsen site last week, on October 8. After the latest incident, the search and rescue team killed an adult male Asiatic black bear near the area where the body was found.
Britt Baker hasn’t competed in an AEW ring for close to a year and questions remain about her status with the promotion. Recently, it was pointed out that Baker had removed AEW from her bio on social media, but more has come to light on this situation.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer pointed out that Baker no longer references AEW in her X bio, which now reads “Professional Wrestler. Dentist. #WeAre#HereWeGo.” Baker’s bio on Instagram also avoids mentioning AEW, but makes reference to her being a profession wrestler, dentist, and actor.
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.
Whether Baker returns to AEW programming or not, only time will tell. For now, the woman who was one the top star of the company’s Women’s Division remains MIA, with no sign of an imminent return.
Blake Monroe made her surprise SmackDown debut this week.
This week’s episode of the Blue Branded show, coming live from SAP Center in San Jose, California, featured the Women’s tag team champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair in action.
The champs defended their title against NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca and her partner Zaria. The former AEW Women’s Champion was shown sitting in the crowd for this bout.
The ending of the bout saw Zaria countering a hurricanrana attempt from Alexa Bliss outside the ring and then throwing the Goddess into the barricade.
Flair then attacked Zaria, only to be taken out by Ruca herself. Instead of focusing on the match after this, however, the Women’s North American Champion got into Monroe’s face.
Charlotte did not miss this opportunity and she targeted Ruca’s leg. The Queen then got her opponent back in the ring and locked in the Figure Four, which ended up being the deciding move of the bout.
Blake Monroe had explained recently why she chose to start her WWE career in NXT, and tonight’s appearance doesn’t seem to indicate a main roster call-up for the former champion.
The company did confirm after this match that Monroe will get a shot at Ruca’s NA title at the upcoming Halloween Havoc event. You can check out the other matches announced for the NXT special here.
WWE is always on the hunt for new talent to join its roster, but that doesn’t include Goldenboy Santos at this time. On social media, Santos shared that he was not signed by WWE after participating in a series of tryouts earlier this year.
Santos tore his calf during tryouts in London, England, but was invited back for the tryouts in New Jersey over SummerSlam weekend. Santos said that the news was “The hardest video I’ve ever made,” and was grateful to learn from some of the best during his tryouts.
Santos was met with a ton of support in the comments of his video. One fan was confident that Santos “will get there” and encouraged the wrestler to stay positive. Another said that Santos is “the pride of Brazilian Wrestling,” while a third called the WWE rejection “just a setback on a path that is still beginning.”
Santos has been wrestling for several years in promotions around the world. He is known for his time in Ireland’s OTT, the UK’s Revolution Pro Wrestling and Germany’s wXw promotion. Earlier this year, he held the OTT European Championship, defeating Charlie Sterling at the company’s Reckoning show in May.
Santos’ openness about his WWE experience demonstrates that he wants his fans to know about his wrestling journey every step of the way. While these tryouts did not result in a WWE contract, he remains determined to be a success in pro wrestling.
FTR’s Dax Harwood and his family have been dealing with a stalker for over a year and a half on social media, the AEW wrestler has shared. On his Instagram Stories, Harwood shared the worrying news and said that he and AEW will be working with the authorities to put an end to this.
“Unfortunately, over the last year and a half, myself, my mom, and now my wife have all been either stalked, threatened, or verbally attacked by an individual on Instagram. AEW and I will be working with authorities to put this matter to rest. They know your name, who you are, and where you live.
“Please be fans, but leave it at that. I try to be as polite as I can to people waiting in hotels and airports, and even ignore the ones who hate me. However, when you bring my family into it, we have to draw the line.”
Harwood is sadly not the first wrestler to deal with a stalker. A man accused of stalking Liv Morgan is expected to stand trial in November of this year. In 2020, Sonya Deville was the victim of an attempted kidnapping, which resulted in her taking months off of WWE TV to deal with what had transpired. In early 2025, Deville through her support behind stricter stalking laws in the hope that others will avoid what she had to face.
Harwood’s message demonstrates why fans should always be respectful, whether it be in person or online. We can only hope that after a year and a half, Harwood and his family won’t have to deal with this stalker for much longer.
There were some interesting developments that happened after this week’s episode of SmackDown from SAP Center in San Jose, California, went off air.
The main event of this week’s episode of the Blue Branded show saw Cody Rhodes defending his WWE title against Drew McIntyre in an impromptu match, after Jacob Fatu was attacked backstage.
The bout ended in DQ after Cody attacked McIntyre with the title belt. The ending of the broadcast saw General Manager Nick Aldis still trying to regain control of the situation, with the security struggling to keep the two WWE stars apart.
There were two dark matches that took place after the show went off air. Natalya squared off against Ivy Nile in the first match, while Sheamus faced Greyson Waller in the second dark match of the night.
This was Natalya’s first match under the WWE banner since the AAA x WWE Worlds Collide event last month, and after reports that she hadn’t been backstage for recent shows. Sheamus on the other hand, had not wrestled since the Clash In Paris PPV in August.
After picking up the victory in his bout, the Celtic Warrior took the mic and challenged John Cena for one final match before the end of his retirement tour:
Sheamus had a rivalry with the Cenation Leader early in his career. The Irish Star actually defeated Cena to win his first WWE Championship back in December 2009.
John Cena has only 4 dates left in his retirement tour, including Survivor Series and Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’d be interesting to see if the two old rivals actually meet in the ring before this.
John Cena will keep his word to retire this December, putting to rest any speculation of extending his farewell tour. Taking to social media, John reiterated that his farewell match will come on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Cena made clear that any “speculation or rumors” to the contrary are without merit.
“Despite any speculation or rumors, on July 6, 2024 I announced I would retire from WWE in ring participation. I am far from perfect but strive to be a person whose word has value. 12/13/25 will be my final match. I am beyond grateful for every moment WWE has given me. I am excited for 12/13 & look forward to seeing all of you one last time.”
Despite any speculation or rumors, on July 6, 2024 I announced I would retire from WWE in ring participation. I am far from perfect but strive to be a person whose word has value. 12/13/25 will be my final match. I am beyond grateful for every moment WWE has given me. I am… https://t.co/TnUPfuEfzx
Cena has just four confirmed dates left on his WWE farewell tour, including Saturday Night’s Main Event. John’s retirement tour has seen him win his 17th WWE World Championship, headline WrestleMania for the last time, and face the likes of Randy Orton, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and Logan Paul, among others.
With only a handful of appearances left, speculation is growing about what John’s farewell will look like. It has been reported that WWE is considering Cena Vs. Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title at Survivor Series this November. The Intercontinental Title is the one championship keeping John from completing WWE’s Triple Crown as well as the WWE Grand Slam.
While fans may wish to see more of John Cena in the ring, that simply will not happen. Instead, John has vowed to keep his word and end his career on December 13.
Fans shouldn’t expect to see Jacob Fatu in the ring any-time soon after the former WWE U.S. Champion was written off TV during SmackDown. During the October 17, show, Nick Aldis announced that the main event between Fatu and Drew McIntyre would be a number one contenders match for a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Before the main event, however, Fatu was seen backstage pinned to the ground under a bunch of production equipment. The Samoan Werewolf was also bleeding from the mouth and was in no state to compete.
This segment comes after reports that Fatu is dealing with an injury, one that will keep him out of action for the rest of this year and well into 2026. This is a non-wrestling-related injury, according to Bodyslam.net, who noted before SmackDown that this setback would force WWE to change plans for the McIntyre match.
Instead of Fatu, McIntyre faced Cody Rhodes in the main event and got a DQ victory over the Undisputed WWE Champion. McIntyre denied attacking Fatu though Rhodes didn’t buy his claim.
Fatu has been a major force in WWE since his debut in 2024, and captured the United States Championship at WrestleMania 41 this past April. Now, the Samoan Werewolf will have to watch the happenings of WWE from the sidelines.
On the October 17, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown, Ilja Dragunov made a dramatic return after more than a year away recovering from injury. Dragunov answered Sami Zayn’s open challenge for the United States Championship in San Jose, California, shocking the crowd as his entrance theme hit.
The match saw Dragunov deliver a hard-hitting performance reminiscent of his NXT days, culminating in him defeating Sami Zayn to capture the United States Title in his first match back. His comeback ended a 404-day absence from WWE television caused by a knee injury suffered in late 2024.
This victory marks Dragunov’s first championship win on the main roster, continuing his reputation as one of WWE’s most intense competitors.
Corey Graves has officially made his return to the WWE Friday Night SmackDown commentary desk. After a multi-week absence due to a storyline attack by Brock Lesnar, Graves was back in his familiar seat alongside Michael Cole on the October 17 broadcast from the Kia Center in Orlando.
His return was a quiet one, with no special segment or fanfare. Instead, he was simply seen back at his post during the opening segment of the show, which featured Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. During his time away, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T had filled in on commentary, but the familiar voice of Graves is now back on the blue brand.
The storyline reason for Graves’s absence was a brutal assault at the hands of “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar on the September 13 episode of SmackDown. The attack was positioned as a final, violent statement from Lesnar as he headed into his clash with John Cena at the WrestlePalooza Premium Live Event.
The assault effectively wrote Graves off of television for several weeks, leaving fans to wonder when and how he would return. The quiet nature of his comeback suggests that the angle involving Lesnar is likely concluded, and the focus for Graves will be returning to his role as the lead color commentator for SmackDown.
After nearly a year on the sidelines, Ilja Dragunov has made his return to WWE. The “Unbesiegbar” superstar appeared on the October 17 episode of Friday Night SmackDown at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, making an immediate impact by answering an open challenge for the United States Championship. Dragunov had been out of action since September of last year with a significant knee injury, and his return provides a major boost of intensity and star power to the SmackDown roster.
The show featured a segment where United States Champion Sami Zayn, frustrated with not having a scheduled match, came to the ring and issued an open challenge for his title. His challenge was first answered by The Miz, who complained about the prevalence of open challenges. However, before The Miz could officially accept, he was run off by Carmelo Hayes.
Just as it seemed Hayes might be the challenger, Ilja Dragunov’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring to a loud reaction. The match was made official, marking Dragunov’s first televised appearance in almost a full year. Dragunov’s last run on the main roster before his injury saw him come up short in key opportunities. He competed in a fatal four-way match on Raw to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship but was defeated. Later that month, he unsuccessfully challenged GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship at a live event shortly before being sidelined with his injury.
In his return match against Sami Zayn, Dragunov went over to win the United States Title.
AEW was founded on the strength of its tag team division, and two of the company’s founders, The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson), recently shared their thoughts on the current state of tag team wrestling in AEW. Over the past year, several new teams have emerged as major players in the division, bringing new styles and fresh matchups to the forefront. The multi-time former AEW World Tag Team Champions have taken notice of this influx of new talent and believe it has been a significant positive for the entire roster.
During a recent appearance on The Takedown on SI, Matt and Nick Jackson were asked about the recent changes to the tag team division. Matt Jackson specifically singled out two teams that he believes have made a major impact in 2025.
“You know who’s really just caught my eye and the rest of the world’s eye it seems like, is a team like JetSpeed, a team like Brodido, who are the current champions. They came out of nowhere and it has been so fresh. I think the addition of those two teams specifically have really helped spark the tag division in 2025. It’s really helped us out because it’s given us new teams to play with.”
The teams mentioned have both had a major breakout year. JetSpeed, the duo of “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight, have impressed fans. The current AEW World Tag Team Champions, Brodido, the unique pairing of Brody King and Bandido, captured the championships at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in August. Their reign has brought a new dynamic to the top of the division.
The Young Bucks are set for a match of their own at the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view tomorrow night, Saturday, October 18. The brothers will go up against the reunited Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus).
WWE NXT will be expanding its influence beyond its own promotion as two Superstars from the silver brand are heading to Pro Wrestling NOAH. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger have been announced for Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Sunny Voyage event on October 26 in Kasukabe, Japan. The former WWE NXT Tag Team Champions will battle Dragon Bane and Alpha Wolf at the event, which will stream live on Wrestle Universe at Midnight ET (Sunday afternoon in Japan).
? 10/26 Kasukabe — New WWE NXT stars join the action!
The NOAH show provides a golden opportunity for Hank and Tank in what has been a huge year for the pair. The popular duo captured the NXT Tag Team Titles at Stand & Deliver this past April and held them until August when they lost to Dark State.
Hank and Tank are the latest pair of Superstars to appear for NOAH. In 2024, Josh Briggs and Tavion Heights took part in NOAH’s prestigious N-1 Victory Tournament. WWE NXT’s Charlie Dempsey has also competed for NOAH while Shinsuke Nakamura was part of the promotion’s first event of 2025.
This latest partnership once again demonstrates how WWE are more willing than ever to work with other promotions, whether it be NOAH, Bloodsport, or TNA Wrestling. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Hank and Tank, both in WWE NXT and beyond.
Shinsuke Nakamura stirred up plenty of intrigue during a WWE live event in Japan with a reference to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Hiroshi Tanahashi. At the Tokyo event, Nakamura and Jey Uso teamed to defeat Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker.
After the match, Nakamura spoke about WWE being back at Ryogoku Kokugikan and hopes to bring WWE back to Japan in 2026. After firing up the crowd, Nakamura ended his speech with Hiroshi Tanahashi’s signature closer, declaring “Yaaao!”
This single word prompted a response from Tanahashi. On X, the NJPW star teased that he heard what Nakamura had to say at the WWE live event.
Tanahashi will retire on January 4, 2026, at Wrestle Kingdom 20 inside the Tokyo Dome. In the comments of Tanahashi’s post, fans speculated on Nakamura being part of Hiroshi’s retirement tour, potentially as his final opponent.
WWE has partnered with New Japan in the past, as they allowed Karl Anderson to be a part of WrestleKingdom in 2023. Time will tell whether Nakamura Vs. Tanahashi is in the works, but there’s plenty of support behind the idea.
Blake Monroe has shared her perspective on why she is happy to be starting her WWE journey in the NXT brand rather than being immediately called up to the main roster. In a world where many new talents are eager to get to Raw or SmackDown as quickly as possible, she sees NXT not as a developmental stepping stone, but as a platform with a large viewership where she can build her brand, introduce herself to the fans, and utilize the resources available at the WWE Performance Center.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Ringer Wrestling, Monroe detailed her reasoning for wanting to make NXT her home.
“I mean to date, NXT has the highest viewership of any show I’ve been on. I think as well, you have to consider that WWE is so huge, the amount of tv equity that Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, they have millions of followers and all of this TV equity. I know I can go toe-to-toe with them, but I feel like, why wouldn’t I go to NXT to continue to build my brand, continue to introduce the WWE universe.”
She continued, noting wanting to learn from the legends who are now coaching the next generation of superstars.
“They may know me, they probably don’t, I don’t think any of these kids know me or anything. Tell them who I am and also make NXT my brand because I truly feel like I am doing that and can do that. Why wouldn’t I take that opportunity and get that TV equity, build up myself in WWE, use the resources and be able to talk to Shawn, Matt Bloom, and all of these amazing coaches.”
WWE has revealed its annual Holiday Tour schedule, featuring seven televised Raw and SmackDown episodes alongside 10 live events spanning from early December through early January.
The tour kicks off December 5 with SmackDown in Austin, Texas at the Moody Center and concludes January 5, 2026 with Raw in Buffalo, New York at KeyBank Center. Notable television tapings include Raw from Hershey’s GIANT Center on December 15 and SmackDown from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on January 2.
The live event circuit features multiple shows on December 27 and 28, with WWE running split tours across Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York markets. Orlando’s Kia Center will host Raw on December 29, while the traditional New Year’s Day show returns to Syracuse at Upstate Medical Arena on January 1, 2026.
Presale tickets become available Wednesday, October 22 at 10 a.m. local time using code WWETIX on Ticketmaster.com. The presale window runs through Thursday, October 23 at 11:59 p.m. local. General ticket sales begin Friday, October 24 at 10 a.m. local time.
The 17-event tour represents WWE’s largest holiday schedule in recent years, with a concentrated focus on the Northeast and Florida markets during the final week of December.
Complete Schedule:
Friday, December 5 – SmackDown at Moody Center in Austin, Texas
Friday, December 12 – SmackDown at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Monday, December 15 – Raw at GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Friday, December 19 – SmackDown at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Friday, December 26 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, December 27 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
Saturday, December 27 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sunday, December 28 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida
Sunday, December 28 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York
Monday, December 29 – Raw at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida
Tuesday, December 30 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Hertz Arena in Ft. Myers, Florida
Tuesday, December 30 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan
Thursday, January 1, 2026 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Upstate Medical Arena in Syracuse, New York
Friday, January 2, 2026 – SmackDown at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
Saturday, January 3, 2026 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts
Sunday, January 4, 2026 – WWE Live Holiday Tour at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Monday, January 5, 2026 – Raw at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
