TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry\’s unexpected appearance at WrestleMania 41 as Randy Orton\’s opponent was a tightly kept secret, even within TNA.
Fightful Select reported that hat by the time Kevin Owens publicly announced his injury, WWE had the wheels in motion to inquire about Hendry\’s availability and have him work the match. Many in TNA were only informed of the plan on the Saturday before WrestleMania, with Hendry\’s name absent from WWE\’s internal run sheets.
Sports Illustrated\’s Jon Alba corroborated Fightful Select\’s report that WWE had approached Hendry for a recent Raw match in Glasgow. Sources confirm this was intended to be a program with The Miz. However, this potential feud was vetoed by TNA executive Ariel Shnerner, who was concerned about Hendry potentially losing to The Miz. Some within TNA speculate that this decision may have contributed to Shnerner\’s termination.
Despite his WrestleMania appearance, Hendry remains under TNA contract, which is set to expire within the next year. WWE has reportedly maintained interest in Hendry, who now has an agent, and has utilized him in various matches and appearances previously.
TNA talent and staff reportedly viewed the appearance positively, considering it valuable exposure for the TNA brand.
WWE and Netflix are teaming up for a new docuseries released this summer, looking at the makings of the WWE creative process and crafting 2025’s top storylines.
The first trailer for “WWE: Unreal,” a 10-part documentary, was released on Monday. As Triple H described it, the docuseries will “Lift the curtain” and provide a look at the “Calculated, coordinated production” that is WWE. The trailer shows documentary clips from earlier this year, including the Royal Rumble and early episodes of Raw on Netflix.
The show, which will total just over eight hours, will be made in collaboration with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, which also produces the Stephanie McMahon ESPN+ series “Stephanie’s Places.” NFL Films and Skydance Sports are also credited with the show, alongside WWE.
Although an official release date has yet to be announced, it can be expected sometime in the coming months. Check out the trailer here:
WWE has a 10-year deal worth $5 billion with Netflix to air Monday Night Raw. In January, it was announced that Netflix would become the home for all WWE shows, including SmackDown and NXT, outside of the US. Netflix also has international rights to WWE PLEs. Netflix also has the rights to the WWE tape library, which airs for international viewers.
Following his unexpected match against TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry at WWE WrestleMania 41 – Night 2, Randy Orton spoke with Cathy Kelley in a WWE digital exclusive, expressing his satisfaction with his mystery opponent.
\”But me not knowing who my opponent was going to be, all those nerves were gone, and I was able to soak up all that energy. Got to say a little something, get everybody ready for the fact that we don\’t know who\’s about to step through that curtain. I couldn\’t be more happy with who my opponent ended up being,\” Orton stated.
Orton was slated to work with Kevin Owens at the event. However, a neck injury that is expected to need surgery to fix sidelined Owens and pulled him from the match.
\”Now, when I first heard the music, and I first saw who it was, I wasn\’t quite sure how it was going to feel about it, but then I heard the people\’s reaction to this guy, and they love him,\” Orton continued, acknowledging the crowd\’s response to Hendry.
He alluded to doing Hendry’s spin around more often, \”Now, I had to hit a couple of RKOs, as per the usual, but then I did my own little version of the Hendry spin around. I don\’t know what he calls it, but I\’ll tell you what, I might have to steal that for next week. Maybe, we\’ll see when we get there. You\’re going to have to wait. If I do it again, it will be on SmackDown, or maybe Monday Night Raw.\”
AJ Styles, a cornerstone talent for TNA Wrestling for many years and a multi-time champion there, believes accepting an induction into the TNA Hall of Fame while still actively wrestling for WWE would be disrespectful to his current company.
Styles, whose extensive career includes significant runs in WWE and NJPW, is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer across multiple promotions. Speaking at a Fanatics Live Signing, when asked about potentially joining the TNA Hall of Fame – an idea reportedly via Fightful Select considered by TNA in October 2024 – Styles explained his reasoning.
\”There was a time they wanted me to come in and be in the TNA Hall of Fame. I just thought it was a little disrespectful at the time, to WWE, to go into the TNA Hall Of Fame. I want to go into the Hall of Fame when I\’m done wrestling,” Styles stated. “I think that\’s more appropriate. There are a lot of places I\’ve wrestled and I\’m very thankful that I can be in any Hall of Fame. I\’m gonna wait until I\’m done.”
Styles, who is scheduled to face Logan Paul at WrestleMania 41 – Night 2, has previously expressed being open to a final match in TNA, especially given the current partnership between WWE and TNA.
Kurt Anglehas drawn a significant comparison between John Cena and basketball legend Michael Jordan, highlighting Cena\’s dedication to professional wrestling. Angle, who was Cena\’s debut opponent on SmackDown in 2002, has long been a supporter of Cena\’s career, even expressing a desire for Cena to be his own retirement opponent at WrestleMania 35.
While that didn\’t come to fruition due to Angle\’s storyline with Baron Corbin, his high regard for Cena is still strong. WWE announcers frequently refer to Cena as the \”Greatest of All Time,\” and he stands on the verge of potentially winning his record-breaking 17th World Championship.
Just as many consider Michael Jordan the GOAT in the NBA with an undefeated NBA Finals record, Angle sees a similar level of commitment and dominance in Cena.
Cena is set to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 41, a match that could further solidify his legendary status in the eyes of many, including Angle, as he can be the all-time World Title record holder.
Tiffany Stratton retained the WWE Women’s Title over Charlotte Flair in the co-main event of WrestleMania 41 – Night 1 on Saturday night. Following the show, she was interviewed by Gorilla Position.
During it, the idea of AEW TBS, NJPW STRONG, and RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone potentially returning to WWE one day was mentioned. Stratton welcomed the idea and stated she would want to wrestle her.
“I hope so,” Stratton stated. “I think that would be super cool if she came back. I’d love to get in the ring with her, and I’d love to see what kind of gear she has when she comes back.”
Mone caught wind of Stratton’s comments while doing a Q&A on X.. Mone was asked if she’d take Stratton’s title. Mone replied with: “Easily! Too easy”
For Mone, she is slated to defend the Undisputed British Women’s Title against Kanji at RevPro High Stakes.
Brodie Lee Jr., the son of the late Brodie Lee, can now say he has wrestled a pro wrestling match. He did so when he worked GCW’s The Collective event in Las Vegas this weekend.
He was brought out as a surprise by Chris Bey as the final entrant in the Clusterf*** battle royal, as Brodie showed up. He was given a strong reaction by the fans.
At the end of the match, the young man hit a stunner to Janela and sent him over the top rope. After the match, he celebrated in the ring and did his father’s pose.
This marks the first of what could be many wrestling matches for the son of the late, great performer. He has a passion for the pro wrestling business. He’s been training for years and looks to have significant upside as a second-generation wrestler
Brodie made a memorable appearance on AEW TV in the early 2020s as Negative 1.
BRODIE LEE JR. IS THE FINAL ENTRANCE IN THE CLUSTERFUCK
Another significant change has hit the WrestleMania 41 card as Bayley is now unable to compete. This development follows an backstage attack that occurred earlier today.
Bayley was scheduled to team with Lyra Valkyria to challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Women\’s Tag Team Championships on Sunday.
WWE official Adam Pearce informed Lyra Valkyria that she has 24 hours to find a new tag team partner for the championship match. Current champions Morgan and Rodriguez claimed to have no knowledge of who was responsible for the attack on Bayley.
The wrestling world awaits to see who will team with Lyra Valkyria in this now altered Women\’s Tag Team Championship match. Bayley and the Women’s Intercontinental Champion won a #1 contender’s match on Raw to earn this title match.
This news comes shortly after Rey Mysterio was also announced to be missing WrestleMania 41 due to an injury sustained on SmackDown. His scheduled match against El Grande Americano will now see Rey Fenix step in as his replacement.
We extend our wishes for a speedy recovery to Bayley.
Last June, Becky Lynch\’s previous WWE contract concluded, leading to her taking a hiatus with the intention of a future return. Since then, numerous reports have circulated regarding her status with WWE.
While Lynch reportedly signed a new contract months ago, her on-screen return has yet to occur. She was recently seen alongside her husband, Seth Rollins, at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
According to PWInsider, the expectation within WWE is that Lynch will be physically involved at WrestleMania 41 this weekend. Furthermore, the report suggests that following WrestleMania, Lynch will be back on WWE programming, with her return stemming from \”a big Mania moment.\”
Lynch also participated in WWE\’s media promotion for Raw on Netflix a few months prior at the Netflix headquarters. When questioned about the delay in her return, sources indicate that both Lynch and WWE were \”waiting for the right creative\” direction for her comeback.
Her last match before her hiatus was against Liv Morgan for the Women\’s World Championship in May 2024. With WrestleMania 41 taking place this weekend in Las Vegas, the WWE Universe is eagerly anticipating the potential \”big Mania moment\” that will mark the return of \”The Man\” to WWE television.
Fans haven\’t witnessed Finn Balor\’s \”Demon\” persona since WWE WrestleMania 39, where Edge defeated the Demon in a Hell in a Cell match.
Notably, after a dominant run in NXT with only a single loss as \”The Demon,\” this marked the second consecutive defeat for this alter ego. Appearing on The Ringer Wrestling Show, Balor spoke about how the gimmick was used in the past and wanted to go about it differently if it returns.
\”I feel like there is a time and a place for The Demon and it hasn\’t been right for probably a couple of years,” Finn Balor stated. “That\’s something that needs to be fixed and addressed and something I want to go back to in the future. Right now, I don\’t feel like, certainly this is the weekend for it. For whatever reason, it was kind of overused, a little bit. I don\’t even know if overused is the right word, but it wasn\’t used as effectively as I would have wished in the past. In the future, if we do it again, I would like to have more creative input in how it\’s done, and I feel I\’m in a good place now that I would be able to.”
Balor is now slated to challenge for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a four-way match against Bron Breakker, Dominik Mysterio, and Penta at WWE WrestleMania 41.
On WWE SmackDown, Seth Rollins delivered a final, pointed message before his WrestleMania 41 main event clash against CM Punk and Roman Reigns, a match set to headline night one. Rollins began the show in the center of the ring, sitting cross-legged and deliberately removing the WWE logo from his microphone, a clear nod to CM Punk\’s infamous \”pipebomb\” promo from 2011.
As the crowd chanted for Punk, Rollins directly questioned Punk\’s motivations for his return to WWE, asking if it stemmed from genuine fan appreciation or was solely driven by a lucrative contract, referencing Punk\’s contentious 2014 departure and his subsequent return in 2023. \”Tell me when I\’m telling lies,\” Rollins challenged the audience.
He then accused Punk of feigning care for the WWE Universe and the company itself, labeling him a \”liar, a fraud, a coward.\” Shifting his focus to Roman Reigns, Rollins acknowledged Reigns\’ overt self-interest, pointedly dubbing him \”Mr. Private Jet, Mr. Limited Schedule, Mr. Handpicked Opponents.”
Rollins further delved into their shared history, bringing up how Paul Heyman orchestrated the formation of The Shield, uniting Rollins, Reigns, and Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley) to act as protection for CM Punk years prior. Rollins expressed feeling consistently overshadowed by Reigns\’ perceived fast-track to main event status, highlighting his own repeated sacrifices for the greater good, even recalling his compromised physical state at WrestleMania 40, where, despite a damaged knee and his stepfather\’s battle with cancer, he ensured Reigns\’ loss to Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title.
Rollins concluded his impassioned address by declaring that their 12-year-long narrative would reach its definitive end at WrestleMania 41, vowing to \”sacrifice everything I have to make sure this business moves forward in the right direction. That\’s not a prediction. That\’s a spoiler.\”
"Paul Heyman brought myself, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose into WWE to be a Shield for CM Punk" – Seth Rollins
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque addressed his recent surprise announcement as a WWE Hall of Fame inductee, revealing it wasn\’t something he desired.
“Yeah, clearly I’ve accepted it. When they surprised me with it, and Shawn and Taker walked out on stage, honestly, I thought I just didn’t read the format sheet for the town hall we were doing,” he admitted. He initially believed Shawn Michaels was there for a promotion he’d missed, highlighting his genuine surprise. Despite the initial shock, Levesque acknowledged the honor, especially coming from Michaels and The Undertaker. “You know, as we had talked about Hall of Fame, I did not want to do it. We had other plans, and then Nick [Khan] took things into his own hands, and he’s the president, so what can I do?”
The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony airs live on Friday night. will be inducted by his longtime friend and DX stablemate, Shawn Michaels.
The \”Total Package\” Lex Luger will be enshrined, with his induction speech delivered by Diamond Dallas Page. Michelle McCool, a former two-time WWE Women\’s Champion and two-time Divas Champion, will be inducted by her husband, The Undertaker.
The dominant tag team of The Natural Disasters, Earthquake and Typhoon, will also take their place in the Hall of Fame. In a unique honor, the inaugural \”Immortal Moment\” induction will celebrate the unforgettable No Disqualification Submission Match between Bret \”The Hitman\” Hart and \”Stone Cold\” Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13, with this encounter being inducted by CM Punk.
Additionally, the Legacy wing will see the posthumous induction of Kamala, alongside wrestling legends Ivan Koloff and Dory Funk Sr.
Charlotte Flair has weighed in on the rumors of WWE Evolution II coming in 2025.
Reports indicate that WWE is planning a second edition of their all-women\’s pay-per-view event on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. However, these plans are still considered tentative and subject to change. The original Evolution took place in October 2018 and was the first of its kind for the company.
Flair commented on these rumors while being interviewed by Denise Salcedo. Although uncertain if it will come to fruition, she expressed a strong desire for WWE Evolution 2 to become a reality.
However, she emphasized the importance of consistently featuring more women in headlining matches and top storylines.
Flair stated, \”I really don\’t know. I hope it does. I hear all these rumors. I mean, it\’s been a couple of years, so I think it would be a good time to [do it]. But I think, really, it\’s just more about having more women\’s storylines and more women\’s main events. So, whether we have Evolution II or not, I think, overall, we need that regardless.\”
Flair is slated to challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 41 (Saturday) from Las Vegas, Nevada.
While CM Punk is set to headline night one of WrestleMania 41 in a highly anticipated triple threat match against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, he recently revealed that if he were in charge of booking, he might have chosen a different main event for one of the nights.
Speaking on The Ringer Wrestling Show, Punk stated, \”If it was up to me, believe it or not, Rhea, Bianca and IYO would be the main event. I’m not saying which night, but I can tell you that if I was in Triple H’s spot, I would gravitate towards that.”
Punk elaborated on his reasoning, praising the talent of the women involved in the Women\’s World Championship match.
“I think all three of those ladies are so supremely talented, I know they are going to steal the show. And I want to see my friends and my colleagues accomplish things. And it doesn’t so much matter to me if I accomplish them. I know what it feels like to have that chip on my shoulder, to be like, ‘This is my year, right?’”
Despite finally achieving his long-held goal of main eventing WrestleMania 41, Punk acknowledged the significance of the second night headliner of John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Title. “Nobody is going to tell me that John Cena shouldn’t be main eventing WrestleMania in his last Mania, you know? So, stay vigilant everybody, bust your ass, and if it’s meant to be it will come to pass—and I’m obviously living, breathing proof of that.”
CM Punk has shared his perspective on WWE\’s approach to talent, talking about politics in public, whether that be on social media or in interviews. During an appearance on the Ringer Wrestling Show, Punk suggested that WWE prefers its performers to refrain from making political statements.
\”I don\’t think the company wants us to be outwardly political. I don\’t think, and I do feel there is probably different rules for different people…\” he stated, hinting at a potential inconsistency in how such guidelines might be applied across the roster.
He then alluded to his own political leanings.
\”I think it\’s pretty obvious what my \’politics\’ are. I\’ve never understood Democratic or Republican glazing President. [The] President should just do his job. If you\’re wearing hats and shirts promoting the President and all that stuff, and we have very much seen recently all these people who have voted against their best interests because they thought this President was just going to do bad stupid sh*t to the people they don\’t like.\”
Punk then shifted to the complex expectations placed on entertainers in today\’s world.
\”It\’s a strange, ugly world out there. The only thing I can do is be true to myself and implement and be a voice for myself and my family and my community, and then the world,\” he asserted. He expressed frustration with demands from online critics, using a hypothetical example: \”I don\’t know what people want from us as entertainers. I\’m just supposed to quit my job because somebody on Twitter says WWE is a \’MAGA company?\’ Okay. You\’re on Lord Elon Musk\’s f*cking Twitter saying stupid sh*t. Shut the f*ck up. What have you done?\”
Expanding on his approach to making a positive impact, Punk stated:
\”I\’ve done a lot, I just don\’t broadcast it. I put my money where my mouth is, and the money I make goes to helping impoverished people. I don\’t need to write my name in on a f*cking GoFundMe to make me feel better about the sh*tty person I am.\”
The card for this year’s WWE WrestleMania is stacked with a lot of big-time matches. However, not everyone is featured, including the Street Profits. However, it doesn’t sound like they’re too upset about being left off the WrestleMania 41 card.
This Friday on SmackDown, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are set to defend their WWE Tag Team Championships on WrestleMania SmackDown against the Motor City Machine Guns. Neither of them has matches scheduled at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on either Saturday or Sunday.
While appearing on the It Is What It Is show, the champions were asked about not competing at WrestleMania.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to ride the pine,” Dawkins said. “But hey, sometimes you got to play your role. You got to ride the bench sometimes. But hey, you know what? We on SmackDown. We defending the titles. We going to do work against Motor City Machine Guns. We gonna beat them boys down.”
Dawkins added, “We’re going to go out there and put on a show.”
The Street Profits aren’t alone. Several wrestlers left off the WrestleMania card will be in action Friday night including WWE Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green.
Green will team with Alba Fyre and Piper Niven against Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, and Zelina Vega on SmackDown. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will also take place on SmackDown.
The Twisted Metal TV series featuring AEW’s Samoa Joe as Sweet Tooth is coming back for a second run.
In December 2023, Peacock announced that they’d renewed the season for a second season. On Thursday, they announced the series is returning on July 31st. Here is another teaser trailer for the show, offering glimpses of the tournament and new characters, including Calypso:
Joe plays the character physically, and Will Arnett does the dialogue. The series, which is based on the classic PlayStation game of the same name, stars Anthony Mackie, Tahj Vaughans, Stephanie Beatriz, Chelle Ramos, and Michael Carollo.
Peacock has touted Twisted Metal as its most-binged original series in its first week and one of the platform’s top three original shows of all time after Season 1.
Joe went on hiatus from AEW TV in the summer of 2024. He returned in January 2025 at AEW Maximum Carnage, saving Hook from an attack by The Patriarchy. He would form a faction with Hook and Katsuyori Shibata. This week on Dynamite, the group beat the Death Riders for the AEW World Trios Championship.
WWE WrestleMania 41 (Saturday) is set to host a clash for the World Heavyweight Championship, featuring the reigning champion Gunther defending his title against the winner of this year\’s Royal Rumble, Jey Uso. However, the trajectory of this particular match and the storyline have drawn criticism from a segment of the online fanbase.
Many fans have argued that Uso hasn’t earned his spot on the card. Addressing these concerns and the decision to feature Uso in such a significant role, Triple H spoke about it in a recent conversation with Peter Rosenberg during an interview that was uploaded to WWE\’s official YouTube channel.
“Because people made it happen. Sometimes things happen organically along the way, they get you to where you want to be and Jey, through the Bloodline saga, was sort of a linchpin in that storytelling and then goes off on his own.\”
He continued, \”A lot of people question, once they leave The Bloodline, once they leave Roman, once they leave Heyman, are they going to be anything more than a tag team that they already were or are they going to be what they were or are they going to succeed and be anything more. You give them the opportunity to do all of those things. Jey, when he had the opportunity to do it, would click on these moments.\”
Triple H underscored the pivotal role of impactful moments in the success of wrestling. \”At the end of the day, a lot of times, that’s just what our business is about, it’s about moments.\” He then addressed the ongoing debate regarding the prioritization of in-ring worker vs. being over.
\”A lot of people think — There’s a lot of criticism about this, that it’s just the in-ring product, it’s just this, it’s just that how technically good of a wrestler you are. Make me a list of the greatest performers in this business and that list will be two thirds of people that were worse than the majority of the list of great workers that didn’t get to the top.\”
Triple H highlighted his qualities that Jey resonates with the audience. Because he has these qualities, Jey has been pushed in the direction that he’s at.
\”Jey has great athletic ability and the things that he does in the ring, he does well. Is he the most technical guy here, no. Is the greatest performer on the face of the earth in-ring, no. But, he has a charisma and a likability that he lets people in and they want to see him succeed. When you walk into a building with 10,000, 30,000, or 60,000 and he walks out and that whole place is doing his entrance with him and is hanging on everything he does and are hanging on his words and his moments, that’s what it takes to be a top guy. It’s about box office. Jey is proving what he said he was and that’s Main Event Jey Uso. Whether some people like that or not, there are people like Gunther who believe the in-ring is what matters. He’s either going to beat the entertainment out of Jey Uso or Jey Uso is going to survive all of that and prove that the box office is where it’s at.”
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.
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.
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.\”
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.
Over the past two years, LA Knight has created a significant and passionate fan base within WWE, consistently getting some of the loudest crowd reactions whenever his entrance music plays.
This surge in popularity has coincided with in-ring success, as Knight has twice held the WWE United States Championship during this period. Despite all of the success, Knight has yet to win the World Title in WWE.
Knight sat down for an interview with Gorilla Position, where he was asked about his ambitions to become a World Champion.
\”I don\’t see how it\’s not,\” he said before being asked whether he thinks the powers that be think he is in line for a World Title run.
\”I don\’t care if they do. I\’m sure they didn\’t believe I would have gotten to where I got, and that\’s not a knock at them. People see what they see. The company is going to have an agenda and you\’re not always going to be part of it. For me, okay, I can\’t worry about that. I gotta do what I gotta do in the sense of, just keep pushing. If I have 30 seconds, it\’s going to be the best damn 30 seconds I can give. 60 seconds, 90 seconds, whatever it is. It\’s little bits of time they were giving me, when it was me and Bray Wyatt or just me floating off by myself doing nothing for months, and months, and months, after Bray Wyatt.
It was just, \’Okay, I\’m going to make the damn best out of every single little bit that I got.\’ At that point, it was forcing the hand. When you ask about, \’Does the company see this?\’ I don\’t know and I don\’t care. Would it be nice if they did, would it make things a lot easier if they did? Yeah, it\’d make things a hell of a lot easier, but I can\’t worry about that.
I don\’t think I\’ve ever been anybody\’s guy. I don\’t feel like I\’m anybody\’s guy. If I am somebody\’s guy, it\’s a surprise to me. For me, I can\’t worry about that or think about that, I just gotta keep doing me. I think there is a world title run in my future. Whether they think it or anybody else thinks it, it doesn\’t make a difference to me. At some point, it\’s probably going to happen.”
Knight is slated to defend the United States Title against Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 41.