On Thursday, The Rock announced the launch of the new ‘Project Rock’ collection in collaboration with Under Armour, and Drew McIntyre leading the campaign.
This comes after McIntyre had been teasing that a major project was coming with The Rock. The former WWE Champion wrote the following on Twitter:
“NEW @ProjectRock training collection is HERE! ? It’s all about YOU Against YOU. Block out the noise and focus on your greatest influence: yourself. Big shoutout to @DMcIntyreWWE for leading our new campaign. Huge supporter of Drew and all he brings to @WWE. F’n beast! Get the gear now: http://projectrock.online/SS25Q2DJ #ProjectRock #YouAgainstYou AVAILABLE NOW.”
“Project Rock” is a fitness and lifestyle brand created by The Rock in collaboration with Under Armour. It encompasses a wide range of athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories. Every piece of Project Rock gear is personally approved by Rock, reflecting his commitment to hard work, dedication, and achieving one’s potential. His personal philosophy and “Iron Paradise” training ethos are deeply ingrained in the brand’s identity.
Collaboration with Under Armour: Project Rock products are engineered with Under Armour’s innovative performance technologies, ensuring high quality, durability, and functionality for intense training. This partnership combines Rock’s vision with Under Armour’s expertise in athletic wear.
McIntyre is slated to work a singles match with Damian Priest at WrestleMania 41.
Roman Reigns supports President Donald Trump, and says the choice was clear in the most recent election.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Reigns shared his views on politics, describing himself as a centrist despite being a registered Democrat. Reflecting on the most recent election at the time, Anoa’i said the choice was “very clear.”
“One person was giving us information. One person was answering questions, so it wasn’t that hard,” he explained.
When asked if that meant he supported Donald Trump, Anoa’i responded after a brief pause:
“I support our President.”
He praised Trump’s broad experience across entertainment, business, and politics, adding:
“At this point, I’m supporting a bright future for our country. Positive and competent leadership. For us to be what we’re supposed to be—to be a world leader and carry that respect and do what a world power like us should be doing.”
However, Anoa’i also acknowledged his differences with Trump’s political behavior. He criticized the former president’s need for constant opposition, saying,
“It’s like he needs that adversary… He needs that competitive motivation or something.”
He noted the similarities between Trump’s combative approach and the dynamics of WWE, observing how wrestling had become a lens for understanding modern politics.
“To be honest,” he added, “the world seems to be more like wrestling than any other form of entertainment.”
Despite AEW’s internal belief that Mariah May is likely WWE-bound upon her contract’s expiration this year, recent information suggests her departure might not be imminent. Fightful initially reported a potential summer exit, but PWInsider.com contradicts this, stating May has “significant time” left on her deal, possibly extending into November or beyond.
This timeline shift means fans expecting a departure in the next few months should adjust their expectations. Since her AEW debut in November 2023, May has emerged as a significant breakout star. Her initial storyline portrayed her as the ultimate fan of Toni Storm. May integrated herself into Storm’s world before a dramatic betrayal.
This long-term storyline reached its climax just months ago at AEW Revolution 2025, where Storm defeated May in a brutal and bloody encounter to retain her Women’s Title. May has been absent from AEW programming since then.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that May “made it clear” she was not planning to re-sign, and AEW booked her third match with Storm as a blow-off shortly after their second match in Australia for that reason. May has yet to comment publicly on her situation.
Chelsea Green has revealed her awkward reaction to learning about her US title win.
The longest-reigning Women’s US Champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. She talked about things such as her WWE release in 2021, her Lucha Underground match with Penta, and more.
Green picked up the biggest win of her career in December last year when she defeated Michin in finals of a tournament to become the first ever Women’s US Champion on the returning Saturday Night’s Main Event. During the interview, Chelsea went into detail of how she handled herself in the days prior to the event.
The former TNA star noted how plans change in WWE all the time so they only tell people the finish to matches at the very last minute. This made things awkward for Green as everyone leading up to the show assumed that she was winning the belt and knew about it, while the same had not been communicated by the officials. The confirmation was only given to her at the very last second in the Gorilla position, right before she went out for her match:
“As we were walking to the ring to go through things I was being filmed. So that’s a big telltale sign, you’re being filmed for something WWE. So they had me walk to the ring, and then they had this very, very, very awkward moment between me and Shane Helms where he basically told me that I’m winning, we were just all downplaying it big time and it was very awkward.”
Chelsea Green noted how she was originally under the impression that the finals would take place at Survivor Series in Chicago. So she had bought tickets for dozens of her family members and friends. The female star also revealed that Michin had offered to build the match in a way that benefited her. Green however decided to build the bout in a way where either of them could come out victorious:
“I hope that footage comes out, because Triple H is sitting there watching us have the conversation, but he’s not telling me. But obviously he decided it, and I’m like this is so weird that he’s watching me react, so I’m trying to be excited, but I’ve also kind of known and hoped that this was gonna happen, and then I’m also like but if I react too big is that kind of icky?
I’m so excited I’m winning; do you know what I mean? A lot of emotions were going through me and I’m not a very emotional person too, so that doesn’t help the reaction. So it was very awkward. So I hope that moment airs somewhere. I hope you guys all get to see that.”
Chelsea Green is currently not booked for a match at WrestleMania 41 but it’s possible that she is added to the show for a last-minute title defence or a segment.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has been away from WWE TV for quite some time and her rumored return was also delayed. Well, reports have emerged regarding the reason behind it.
Speaking on The Hump, Sean Ross Sapp discussed Lynch’s return plans and noted that creative plans were pitched for her a few months back. However, those plans didn’t materialize.
“There was creative pitched for her in January. It didn’t end up happening. I don’t know exactly what the creative was, but I know it wasn’t like a one-on-one match. I don’t know if it was a three-way, four-way, tag team—whatever it might’ve been.”
Sapp said that though ‘The Man’ has not been featured on WWE programming, she has been under WWE contract for at least four or five months. However, he noted that Becky Lynch hasn’t shown interest in being part of uninspired or lazy storytelling. Sapp said:
“She’s been signed, she’s been under contract for months—at least four or five that I know of. But she hasn’t been brought to TV to do anything or anything like that. She’s very smart though. She knows what creates buzz. But she also doesn’t want lazy booking. I don’t think she wants that. She wants something inspired.”
While fans were expecting Becky Lynch to return around WrestleMania, she cleared the air regarding her pro wrestling future. During her appearance as Guest Monologist at the Ultimate Improv Show on April 11th, Lynch stated:
“It’s WrestleMania season, isn’t it? Look, I’m not wrestling anymore. Maybe one day, but not right now. But my husband is!”
Meanwhile, her husband and fellow WWE star Seth Rollins is headlining WrestleMania Saturday against CM Punk and Roman Reigns. Amid her absence, Becky Lynch was also featured in Chime’s commercial, joining Deion Sanders and Kai Cenat in a campaign.
The card for WWE NXT’s biggest showcase of the year, NXT Stand & Deliver 2025, has been finalized with several exciting additions. Taking place this Saturday, April 19, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, this fifth annual event kicks off WrestleMania weekend with high-stakes championship matches and compelling storylines.
How to Watch
Start Times:
United States: 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT
United Kingdom: 6:00 PM BST
Europe: 7:00 PM CEST
India: 10:30 PM IST
Australia: 3:00 AM AEST (Sunday)
Broadcast Details:
United States: Peacock
International: Netflix
Match Card
NXT Championship Triple Threat Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Trick Williams vs. Je’Von Evans
The dominant NXT Champion Oba Femi faces his greatest challenge yet in a triple threat match against two of NXT’s most electrifying stars. Williams has been on a mission to recapture championship gold, while the high-flying Evans looks to make the biggest impact of his young career on NXT’s grandest stage.
NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Giulia vs. Jaida Parker vs. Jordynne Grace
The NXT Women’s Championship will be defended in what promises to be a show-stealing fatal four-way. Champion Stephanie Vaquer must overcome former champion Giulia, the powerful Jordynne Grace, and the rising star Jaida Parker to retain her title.
NXT Women’s North American Championship Ladder Match: ZARIA vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Izzi Dame vs. Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice vs. Thea Hail
Six competitors will risk everything in a ladder match to crown the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Champion. What was originally planned as a five-woman match has been expanded to include Lola Vice and Thea Hail, making this an even more unpredictable and dangerous contest.
NXT North American Championship Match: Ricky Saints (c) vs. Ethan Page
North American Champion Ricky Saints makes his first title defense against the unhinged Ethan Page. What was previously uncertain has now been confirmed, with Page earning his opportunity through a series of impressive victories.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) (c) vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
The high-flying champions Fraxiom put their titles on the line against the powerhouse duo of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. This clash of styles promises an intriguing battle for tag team supremacy.
The D’Angelo Family vs. DarkState – Six-Man Tag Team Match: Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo & Luca Crusifino vs. DarkState
The D’Angelo Family faces the mysterious and dangerous DarkState faction in a six-man tag team match. This heated rivalry has intensified in recent weeks, with both groups looking to establish dominance in NXT.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match (Countdown Pre-Show): Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade vs. Meta-Four (Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson) vs. Fatal Influence vs. Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley
Added to the Countdown pre-show, this elimination match will determine the next challengers for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. The surprising partnership between former rivals Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade adds an intriguing dynamic to this high-stakes contest.
With WrestleMania 41 taking place later the same day, Stand & Deliver kicks off what promises to be an unforgettable weekend for WWE fans, showcasing the future stars of the company on one of wrestling’s biggest weekends of the year.????????????????
WWE’s Naomi has praised the standout performance of AEW stars Mercedes Moné and Athena, following their match on this week’s historic episode of AEW Dynamite.
The episode marked a milestone for Dynamite, surpassing WCW Nitro as the longest-running primetime wrestling show in TNT history. Moné and Athena kicked off the night with a high-profile semifinal clash in the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament.
After the match, Naomi — who has maintained a villainous streak on WWE programming and social media — took a moment to commend both competitors and give them their “flowers.”
The praise highlights the connection she shares with Moné, formerly known as Sasha Banks, as the two were WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and exited the company together in 2022.
The match was notable as the first-ever AEW singles contest between Moné and Athena, and Athena’s first appearance on Dynamite since October 2022. Moné secured the win, handing Athena her first singles loss since joining AEW. With the victory, Moné advances to the tournament final at Double or Nothing on May 25, where she will face either Jamie Hayter or Kris Statlander.
On the men’s side of the Owen Hart Cup, Will Ospreay has reached the final and awaits the winner of Adam Page vs. Kyle Fletcher.
Roman Reigns has spoken publicly about the ongoing lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon, calling the allegations “embarrassing” and expressing concern for those affected.
In January 2024, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis, alleging sexual assault and sex trafficking. The case prompted McMahon’s resignation from his executive role with TKO and WWE. The lawsuit remains active.
Reigns, who was elevated to top star status shortly after his debut in November 2012 and worked closely with McMahon for over a decade, addressed the situation in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
“It’s embarrassing,” Reigns said. “That’s stuff you don’t want to hear about. You don’t want your family to hear about.”
He described the allegations as a “stain on WWE” and offered empathy for Grant, stating:
“She’s got to live with all these situations that happened, and hopefully she’s in a place where she feels comfortable and she’s secure in her own place.”
The profile also mentioned that McMahon reached out to Reigns last year to wish him a happy birthday.
Elsewhere in the interview, the “Tribal Chief” revealed that his current WWE contract expires after next year’s WrestleMania 42, and he’s planning to spend much more of his time focusing on “less physical” entertainment projects.
Roman Reigns has confirmed that his current WWE contract is set to expire following WrestleMania 42 in 2026. In a new profile published by Vanity Fair ahead of this year’s WrestleMania 41, Reigns shared that he expects to remain with WWE for “another year or two max” before shifting to “a less physical form of entertainment.”
Reflecting on a pivotal turning point in his career, Reigns said he considered leaving WWE before his on-screen partnership with Paul Heyman.
“I was prepared to walk away if we weren’t going to be able to do what I felt was right for me creatively at the time,” he noted.
He credited the pairing for helping reshape his character after audiences grew disinterested in his former “Big Dog” persona.
Roman Reigns’ WWE Career
Reigns, born Leati Joseph Anoa?i, began his WWE journey in 2010 and made his main roster debut at Survivor Series in 2012 as part of The Shield, alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. His impact since then has been historic.
At WrestleMania 41, Reigns is set to headline Night 1 in a triple threat match against CM Punk and Seth Rollins. With this appearance, he will have main-evented WrestleMania 10 times—setting a new all-time record for most WrestleMania main events in WWE history.
His previous WrestleMania main events include:
WrestleMania 31 – vs. Brock Lesnar (with Seth Rollins’ Money in the Bank cash-in)
WrestleMania 32 – vs. Triple H
WrestleMania 34 – vs. Brock Lesnar
WrestleMania 37 – vs. Edge and Daniel Bryan
WrestleMania 38 – vs. Brock Lesnar (Title Unification match)
WrestleMania 39 – vs. Cody Rhodes
WrestleMania 40 (Night 1) – Tag match with The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
WrestleMania 40 (Night 2) – vs. Cody Rhodes
WrestleMania 41 – vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins (scheduled)
This milestone places Reigns ahead of legendary figures such as John Cena, Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker in WrestleMania main event appearances.
Rhea Ripley has revealed a time she wanted to quit WWE.
The Mami is one of WWE’s top stars right now, even outdoing the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in merch sales some weeks. The journey to this success has not been an easy one for Ripley, however. Having made her wrestling debut at the age of 17 back in 2014, Rhea had to go through a lot of hardship before finding her unique identity that has led to her becoming an icon for everyone who feels like an outcast.
The former Champion talked about her path during a recent interview with Paste Magazine. She first discussed her intense routine while training at the Diana Dojo in Japan. Rhea Ripley then noted that things didn’t improve for her even after joining WWE. Ripley, who was trying to fit in with other young signees, failed to make an impression in her early appearances. This led to her wanting to quit the business altogether:
“I literally broke down. I was at my lowest and I wanted to quit. I wanted to give it all up, and I was like, ‘No, you have to continue for all the people that actually did believe in you. You have to prove the doubters wrong.’”
Rhea Ripley competed in the Inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in July 2017. She made her NXT debut in October that year, competing in a battle royal. This remained her only TV appearance for the brand for almost a year, however, until she completely overhauled her appearance. She debuted her current look at the 2018 Mae Young Classic, that led to her becoming the star she is now:
“I said, ‘This is me now.’ And they were like, ‘Okay, we’ll see if it works.’ Luckily, I went out there and I was so much more confident. The second Mae Young Classic, I was me. I didn’t care. I just wanted to go out there and do what I loved. I wanted to brutalize and entertain, and that’s where Rhea Ripley grew into.”
The Eradicator will be competing in a triple threat match for the Women’s title against Bianca Belair and IYO SKY at WrestleMania 41. You can check out the match order for both nights of the show here.
At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver’s kick-off show, Cora Jade will team with Roxanne Perez to battle for a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. The pair will face Meta-Four (Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson), Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne) and Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolin. The winners will have their title match on the first episode of WWE NXT post-WrestleMania 41.
Many fans have questioned reuniting Perez and Jade who have been broken up several times, often with Jade turning on The Prodigy. Taking to X to defend the booking, Jade said it was no different to siblings fighting and making up. Jade’s comment earned a response from Perez who argued that others were jealous of the bond she shares with Jade.
Seriously!!!! Just jealous cause they’ve never had a friendship like ours!!!
Jade turned on Perez in July 2022, bringing an end to the pair’s time as NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Though the pair reunited in late 2024, Jade ended their friendship a second time in February 2025, this time over the NXT Women’s Championship. Now the pair are back together and hope to earn a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, though it remains to be seen how long the pair will last as allies this time around.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque recently shared his criticism for ‘critics’ who spend too long hating on pro wrestling, encouraging fans online to “be a fan.” While Levesque’s comments have (ironically,) sparked a lot of criticism from fans online, one TNA Wrestling star is throwing his weight behind the Game.
On X, A.J. Francis shared that Levesque is right to “tell people f*** off being a critic.” Echoing Levesque’s sentiment, Francis said people online should “shut the f*** up & be a fan.”
Levesque’s comments have divided opinion with some arguing that he is right to take aim at the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) and those who are constantly negative. Others have argued though that part of being a fan means having the freedom to share when they don’t like what is being presented to them.
Criticism or not, Levesque will be focused on delivering an epic WWE WrestleMania 41 this weekend inside Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. And while the show will no-doubt spark plenty of debate online, WWE’s CCO hopes fans don’t forget that they are meant to be enjoying the show.
Jey Uso will challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41 but his showdown with GUNTHER will not be the main event of either night. Speaking in a WWE vlog on the Road to WrestleMania, Jey shared that he’s made peace with this, and now has a different spot on the card in mind.
“I’m being detailed here, but I really hope I’m on first. Obviously, I wanted to main event. We know that’s not gonna happen, which is okay with me.“
Jey argued that merely making it to the WrestleMania card is “something big” especially as it took him years of toiling away in WWE to make it to ‘the dance.’ Now, Jey is ready to open up Night One where he hopes to “set the tone of the show” with a win over GUNTHER.
GUNTHER has also weighed in on not headlining WrestleMania despite holding one of the company’s top two championships. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, GUNTHER said that he can’t control the placement on the card, and vowed to “give my best” no matter what number his match is.
WWE WrestleMania 41 will take place from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Nigerian Giant’s WWE absence was highlighted again when WWE President Nick Khan made the bold claim that they are not a company that signs talents just to bench them.
The 7ft tall star has not wrestled since the officials decided to cut short his Japanese excursion in January. The wrestling giant had been making headlines working for Pro Wrestling NOAH, so people believed that the company will have a role for him when he returns to the US.
He ended up missing the Royal Rumble event after being called back only days prior to the PPV, however. Omos has not been seen on TV even once during the build to WrestleMania since then, making people question why was he ever brought back in the first place.
Fightful Select provided an update on the WWE star’s status after these talks picked up, once again noting that he is not injured. According to the site, Omos hasn’t been brought up in creative discussions in recent times, despite being healthy and ready to work.
As for his Japan trip, The WWE giant is said to have made a good impression during his work there and the belief is that NOAH will be happy to have him back if the opportunity is presented in the future.
WWE has announced the return of Andre The Giant Battle Royal for this Friday’s WrestleMania go-home SmackDown. It looks to be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce the former Raw Underground star to TV, though there is no indication right now that the officials are planning to do so.
At WrestleMania 41, Dominik Mysterio will be part of the stacked fatal four-way for the Intercontinental Championship, the fourth WrestleMania match for the self-professed hardened criminal. While Mysterio will have three opponents at the Showcase of the Immortals, his road to the gold has another obstacle in Finn Balor.
Balor, Mysterio’s Judgment Day ally, will also be part of the match, raising questions about whether the two will turn on each other to capture the Intercontinental Title. Speaking on the Raw Recap, Mysterio claimed that he won’t stand in the way of the Irish Superstar if a chance to pin Balor arises.
“What I would do in this situation, right. Is I’d grab, I’d go to roll and I’d grab his arm and I’d turn his body. So where he would end up on top of me to get the pin.”
Mysterio argued that Balor has “seniority” in the Judgment Day and went as far as to call Finn “the dad that stepped up.” Concluding, Dominik said that “you gotta do what’s right,” signifying that Finn’s chances on winning the gold have drastically increased.
While Dominik is confident that he won’t stop Finn, things could be very different in the heat of the moment. Fans will just have to wait for WrestleMania to see if Mysterio keeps his words and foregoes an opportunity to become Intercontinental Champion.
Samoa Joe cut a passionate promo after this week’s historic episode of AEW Dynamite from MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts, went off air.
The company celebrated the Wednesday night show becoming the longest-running weekly prime time wrestling series in the history of Turner Sports, beating WCW Monday Night Nitro. Tony Khan booked a show worthy of the achievement with a number of big matches.
The event title ‘Spring BreakThru’ opened with Athena’s return to AEW TV in a match against Mercedes Mone. We also saw the first appearance by Christian Cage since the Revolution PPV on March 9.
The biggest surprise of the night was probably the debut of the former Impact World Champion Josh Alexander. The Walking Weapon was revealed to be the wild card in the Owen Hart Cup Tournament, and he faced Hangman Page at the show.
The main event of the show saw the trio of Katsuyori Shibata, Samoa Joe & Will Hobbs challenging The Death Riders for the AEW Trios title. Jon Moxley replaced Pac in the title defence due to the latter’s injury.
Swerve Strickland, The Young Bucks, Willow Nightingale and Marina Shafir all appeared at ringside trying to influence the bout. It was Joe who won the match for his team in the end, taking out the AEW World Champion with a Coquina Clutch.
The locker room emptied out to celebrate the fall of the Death Riders after the match and the show ended with a number of big names celebrating in the ring. This celebration continued even after the show and Samoa Joe cut an off air promo to send the crowd home.
The Death Riders’ stranglehold on the AEW Trios Titles came to an end during the latest episode of AEW Dynamite as The Opps captured the gold in a stacked main event. Both teams saw replacements, as Jon Moxley filled in for the injured Pac while Powerhouse Hobbs replaced HOOK for the challengers.
Powerhouse Hobbs is teaming with Samoa Joe and Shibata against the Death Riders with the AEW World Trios Championships on the line in our MAIN EVENT!
The Young Bucks tried to shift the match momentum toward the Death Riders but Swerve Strickland showed up to take both of them out. Willow Nightingale took out Marina Shafir when the latter tried to use a chair on Hobbs. The finish saw Samoa Joe choke out Jon Moxley to win the gold.
The Death Riders had held the titles since All In: London 2024, where Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta ended the reign of the Patriarchy. Now, the 234-day reign of Moxley’s faction has come to an end, and it’s telling that Joe got the win over the AEW World Champion. Whether this means a future AEW World title match or not remains to be seen, but this week’s defeat is a serious setback for the Death Riders.
The AEW Locker Room empties out to celebrate the NEW World Trios Champions!
AEW star Darby Allin has officially commenced his Mount Everest expedition, with updates being provided by Adventure Consultants. As of April 16, 2025, Allin and his team were reported to be in Chhukhung.
Adventure Consultants wrote, “Today our Everest Private Team said goodbye to the trekkers and hiked from Pheriche to Chhukhung an elevation gain of 530m. Darby is doing great! It took three and half hours. It was nice and clear day with great views. Tomorrow we are going to continue our acclimatisation with a hike Chhukhung Ri, a nearby hill which is at 5540m.” The expedition reportedly began on April 8th.
Allin’s absence from AEW began in late December 2024, his last appearance being on the December 27th AEW Rampage, where he was written off television following an attack by The Death Riders.
This hiatus accommodates his long-held ambition to climb Everest, a plan initially delayed by a broken foot suffered in March 2024. Now, Allin is actively pursuing this challenging endeavor, with his progress being tracked as he acclimatizes to the high altitudes.
In mid-Febuary, Alexander’s deal with TNA Wrestling expired and he became a free agent. It was expected then that he would be going to AEW. WWE did have an interest in using him last year.
Before entering the market, it was reported that he was being repped by wrestling super agent Barry Bloom to get his next deal done. Bloom represents several wrestlers and people in wrestling, including Kenny Omega and Jim Ross.
He established himself as a top-tier talent, achieving the distinction of a two-time TNA World Champion. His second reign with the title stands as the longest in the promotion’s history, spanning an impressive 335 days. Alexander demonstrated his versatility by capturing the TNA X Division Championship on one occasion and the TNA World Tag Team Championship twice, notably alongside Ethan Page as part of the widely popular tag team known as “The North.”
Cody Rhodes and The Undertaker are set to debut as Fortnite skins this Friday, April 18, as part of a new WWE collaboration tied to WrestleMania 41 weekend. The news was shared by Fortnite insider @Loolo_WRLD.
The WWE x Fortnite bundle will include themed cosmetics for both Superstars, available as a complete set or individually. The full bundle features:
Cody Rhodes and Undertaker outfits
Back Blings: Nightmare Mantle and The Urn
Pickaxes: Cody’s Cutlass and Taker’s Shovel
Emotes for each Superstar, including Cody’s signature “WOOOAHHH!” and an emote featuring The Undertaker’s urn
American Nightmare weapon wrap
Priced at 2,800 V-Bucks for the full set, the cosmetics will also be sold separately for players who want to customize their loadouts. The drop continues Fortnite’s tradition of high-profile crossovers, aligning with WWE’s biggest weekend of the year.
WWE x Fortnite
The following WWE superstars are currently available as skins in Fortnite:
John Cena: His skin was released in Chapter 3 Season 3 (2022) and includes a WWE Championship belt as a back bling. It has returned to the shop since then, most recently in 2024.
Becky Lynch: One of the first WWE wrestlers to be added to Fortnite
Bianca Belair: Added alongside Becky Lynch in the same WWE collaboration
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is also featured in the game as a character called “The Foundation.”
Topps and Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack brand have collaborated on a limited-edition trading card collection celebrating WrestleMania 41.
The exclusive 2025 Topps Chrome WWE Cactus Jack x WrestleMania series will be released through daily online drops for WWE World attendees from April 17 to 21.
Each box contains two packs, with every pack guaranteed to include a Refractor Ray Wave Parallel. The 100-card base set highlights current WWE Superstars and Legends, including John Cena, Roman Reigns, The Undertaker, Gunther, Cody Rhodes, Giulia, Cactus Jack and Travis Scott himself.
In addition to base cards, collectors can chase Cactus Champions inserts and limited autograph cards from featured WWE talent. Every card in the set is branded with the official WrestleMania 41 logo.
The ultra-rare collection will be accessible exclusively through EQL drops during WWE World, offering fans a unique collectible experience tied to one of wrestling’s biggest events.
As AEW continues to grow, the frequency of its pay-per-view events has also increased. Starting with just four major shows annually at its inception, AEW now hosts nine pay-per-views per year.
Tony Khan appears content with the current number of pay-per-views, though he hasn’t ruled out a potential increase in the future. In a recent report by Tony Maglio of The Hollywood Reporter, which focused on AEW Dynamite surpassing WCW Nitro in the total number of episodes aired, Khan shared his thoughts on the company’s pay-per-view strategy.
It was written in the article, “PPVs serve as the payoff points to the storylines laid out by weekly TV shows, like Dynamite. And Khan believes he’s found the sweet spot in terms of annual count; AEW currently is at nine pay-per-view events per year, but Khan could see it going up to 10. WWE is doing 17 of what it now bills as Premium Live Events this year.” Khan was quoted by stating, “For now, nine is ‘a great number.”
Looking at AEW’s immediate pay-per-view schedule, the company is coming off its AEW Dynasty event, which took place on April 6th. The next major show on the calendar is AEW Double or Nothing, scheduled for May 25th.
AEW has also announced key dates for later in the year. All Elite Wrestling will hold its third annual All In event, this year titled All In: Texas, on Saturday, July 12, 2025. This event is particularly significant as it will be AEW’s first pay-per-view hosted in the state of Texas and within a Major League Baseball stadium, Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Continuing their successful collaboration, AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will present the fourth annual Forbidden Door event on Sunday, August 24, 2025 at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, making it the first time the event has been held outside of North America.
Nick Khan addressed the narrative surrounding CM Punk’s reputation as a disruptive force within wrestling locker rooms, particularly stemming from his AEW tenure that included two backstage incidents.
Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast while promoting WrestleMania 41, the WWE President directly countered the “locker room cancer” label that had followed Punk.
Khan stated, “By the way, it was so obvious to me that he wasn’t a cancer. In having been an agent, assume I dealt with some personalities that were not the easiest [to deal with]. That’s part of the job. I’d always found [CM Punk] to be a gentleman.”
“I always found him to be honest, responsive, and I felt like if he was that way outside of [WWE], if given an opportunity to come back to the company, he would be that way. And he said that he would be, and he’s been a gem to work with.”
The “locker room cancer” moniker gained traction following a reported backstage altercation involving Punk after AEW All Out, with Chris Jerichousing the term. This label was further amplified when Seth Rollins referred to Punk as a “cancer” during a WWE 2K23 media event prior to Punk’s return to WWE. However, since Punk’s return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, several figures within the wrestling industry, including veterans like Bully Ray and Mark Henry, have publicly defended Punk.
Punk is slated to work a triple threat match with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 41.
The April 16, edition of AEW Dynamite will be a historic show for the company and not just because of the exciting in-ring action promised. The show will mark Dynamite’s 289th episode since launching in October 2019. This show will see AEW Dynamite surpass WCW Monday Nitro, a program that Dynamite is often compared to, which lasted for 288 episodes from 1995 to March 2001.
One person who fans have been able to see for some of Dynamite’s biggest episodes is MJF. Taking to X, the Salt of the Earth reflected on Dynamite reaching the 289 milestone. Not one to stand on ceremony though, the former AEW World Champion argued that Dynamite would not have reached this milestone “without me carrying the company solely on my back for all these years.”
What Nitro was able to achieve changed wrestling.
I’m proud of the fact that like Nitro (but longer ?) Dynamite has managed to give both fans (from an entertainment standpoint) and professional wrestlers (from a fiscal standpoint) an alternative.
AEW Dynamite and WCW Monday Nitro have often been compared given that both shows have served as the most direct competiton to WWE’s TV dominance. While Nitro would ultimately lose their battle, resulting in the company being purchased at a bargain price by Vince McMahon, Dynamite shows no signs of suffering a similar fate anytime soon.
As for MJF, his latest run on Dynamite has seen him attempt to win over the Hurt Syndicate though the group remaisn unconvinced by the former AEW World Champion. And with entry into the faction needing to come from a unaminous decision, it remains to be seen what MJF will have to do to win over MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin.
The WWE 2K25 Patch 1.08 update introduces broad improvements across several game modes, addressing long-standing issues affecting gameplay, stability, and customization.
General Improvements
This update delivers overall performance enhancements and improved stability across all modes.
Online Fixes
Several online-related bugs have been resolved:
Fixed an issue where entrance music and voice dialogue failed to play.
Corrected the display order in Royal Rumble matches.
Resolved session errors that occurred after consecutive matches.
Universe Mode
A number of Universe mode concerns have been addressed:
Resolved issues with the momentum tracker not updating.
Fixed invisible Superstars during rivalry cutscenes.
Addressed rank editing issues where tag team Superstars couldn’t be moved.
Creation Suite
The patch improves Create-a-Superstar and Create-a-Arena functionality:
Fixed bugs allowing more parts than intended during randomization.
Corrected missing thumbnails for locked attire pieces.
Resolved persistent randomized color changes after reverting.
Addressed incorrect motion assignments.
Fixed logo position resets in Create-a-Arena.
Gameplay Updates
Key gameplay corrections include:
Fixed DIY titantron movies playing incorrectly.
Corrected match option settings carrying over between matches.
Resolved restrictions preventing cruiserweight female Superstars from entering MITB matches.
MyFaction
This update also addresses missing icons for various mods and stipulations within MyFaction mode.
Patch 1.08 aims to refine the overall user experience by tackling reported concerns across the board, ensuring smoother and more consistent gameplay throughout WWE 2K25.
