WWE programming on Netflix will expand to Japan later this year, Netflix VP of Sports Gabe Spitzer confirmed, the next step in an international rollout that recently added Italy and Germany.
Spitzer detailed the plans on The Main Event with Andrew Marchand, noting the platform now holds every major WWE property outside the United States. “We have all WWE content outside of the U.S. so that’s WrestleMania, it’s RAW, it’s SmackDown, and we’ve just launched in Italy, in Germany,” he said. “We’re launching in Japan later this year.”
Spitzer said the WWE relationship has outperformed Netflix’s projections since RAW moved to the service. “It’s been above our expectations,” he said. “We know that audience is there in the U.S. and I think the win for both us and WWE would be continuing to grow that around the world.”
The same international push shaped WWE’s decision to run its first-ever Premium Live Event in Italy. WWE presents Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31, from the Inalpi Arena in Turin, streaming on Netflix internationally and on ESPN in the United States.
Spitzer said Netflix and WWE executives mapped out the event early in 2026, timing it to the platform’s April launch in the country. “We knew, in Italy, we were launching in April and later this month in May, they’re gonna do one of their big PLEs, Premium Live Events in Turin,” he said. “It’s a way to push people to watch on Netflix but it’s a way to grow their business as well.”
Spitzer pointed to WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque as the executives Netflix coordinates with on its global wrestling strategy.
Brock Lesnar resurfaced on this week’s go-home edition of Raw, appearing in a pre-taped video promo to confirm he intends to go through with his Clash in Italy rematch against Oba Femi.
Paul Heyman set up the message from the ring at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, billing Sunday’s bout as the biggest rematch in WWE history. In the video, Lesnar admitted his WrestleMania 42 loss to Femi got under his skin.
“I’ve had my share of ass whoopings over the years, but none quite like that, it was humbling,” Lesnar said. “You beat my ass so bad I said ‘that’s it, I’m done.’ But that doesn’t sit very well with me, Oba. You’re gonna get your ass kicked by a humbled, retired beast. Brock Lesnar will conquer Oba Femi. I am gonna rule over Oba Femi.”
Femi answered immediately after the video, marching to the ring to get in Heyman’s face. The Ruler told the advocate he needed him alive and well to tell the story of what happens Sunday.
Femi said his approach has changed since WrestleMania. In Las Vegas, he was fighting to beat Lesnar. In Turin, he said, he is fighting to kill him. He then produced the rematch contract and had Heyman sign off on it.
Lesnar and Femi settle the rematch this Sunday, May 31 at Clash in Italy, WWE’s first Premium Live Event in the country, from the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
MLW Fusion returns Saturday, May 30, 2026, with a two-hour season premiere streaming free on the MLW YouTube channel at 6:05 PM ET, the promotion’s first new weekly episode since December 2023.
Major League Wrestling brings its flagship series back in the historic 6:05 PM ET Saturday slot. MLW CEO Court Bauer has called that time “sacred ground,” tying it to the territory-era Saturday night wrestling once carried on Ted Turner’s networks. The premiere leans heavily on MLW’s recent run of signings, with Shotzi, Trevor Lee, and debuting prospect ZAMAYA all booked for the opener. Here is the full card, start times, and how to watch.
How to Watch MLW Fusion
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Venue
The Signal, Chattanooga, Tennessee (premiere taped May 9)
Channel/Stream
MLW YouTube channel (free), with a 10 PM ET encore on beIN Sports
US Start Time
6:05 PM ET / 5:05 PM CT / 3:05 PM PT
UK Start Time
11:05 PM BST
India Start Time
3:35 AM IST (Sunday, May 31)
Duration
Two-hour season premiere special (regular episodes run one hour)
The season premiere is the first new episode of Fusion since December 2023, ending a stretch in which MLW ran monthly taped specials rather than weekly television. After the two-hour opener, the series settles into hour-long episodes every Saturday on YouTube, with a 10 PM ET encore airing on beIN Sports. MLW announced the Fusion revival back in January and spent the months since taping content across the country, including a sold-out Chicago television taping.
MLW Fusion Card for May 30, 2026
Here are the matches announced for the two-hour season premiere:
Trevor Lee vs. Austin Aries
MLW has billed this as the first major fight of Fusion’s new era. Trevor Lee, one of the promotion’s headline free-agent additions, draws an opening-night spotlight against veteran Austin Aries. The company is positioning it as a featured showdown between two competitors looking to make an immediate statement, and a strong showing would push Lee toward the front of MLW’s new wave.
Shotzi Blackheart vs. Priscilla Kelly (Title Implications)
Two undefeated competitors finally collide, and MLW says the winner moves a step closer to challenging MLW Women’s World Champion Shoko Nakajima. Shotzi enters with momentum since arriving in the promotion, positioned as one of the division’s most unpredictable threats. Priscilla Kelly has built her own case as a contender and wants the result that keeps her in the title picture.
ZAMAYA vs. Carolina Cruz (ZAMAYA’s MLW Debut)
ZAMAYA makes her promotional debut against Carolina Cruz. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that MLW signed the West Coast prospect with plans to give her a “star maker” push as the company refreshes its roster for the future. Cruz steps in looking to spoil one of the most talked-about arrivals of MLW’s new season.
Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Aleah James
The women’s division gets additional spotlight on the premiere as Scarlett Bordeaux meets Aleah James.
Adam Brooks vs. Diego Hill
Adam Brooks and Diego Hill round out the announced lineup for the season opener.
A New Era for MLW
Fusion’s return runs alongside a busy live schedule. MLW has events set for New York City on June 11 and Philadelphia on June 12 and 13, giving the revived weekly series a steady pipeline of content. Bauer has framed the relaunch as MLW planting its flag on Saturday nights for fans raised on that broadcast tradition.
Follow SEScoops for results and full coverage of MLW Fusion’s season premiere.
Tony Khan called Darby Allin’s run as AEW World Champion one of the greatest title reigns in company history, speaking at the Double or Nothing post-show media scrum roughly an hour after that reign came to an end.
Allin lost the AEW World Championship to MJF in the Title vs. Hair main event on Sunday, May 24 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The 24-minute match made MJF a three-time AEW World Champion.
Khan was asked about the reign ending and reflected on what Allin has brought to the company. “It’s hard to put into words how much Darby Allin means to this company because nobody would ever ask somebody to put their body on the line,” Khan said. “No boss could ever go to somebody and ask somebody to do the kinds of things Darby Allin does.”
“He’s a very, very special person and he was fantastic as the TNT Champion, he was fantastic teaming with Sting, and he’s been fantastic as the World Champion,” Khan continued. “Everything Darby Allin’s done for us, he’s done his very, very best. He’s done just about everything he’s ever set his mind to in pro wrestling, and I believe it’s one of the greatest title reigns of any kind we’ve ever had in AEW.”
Allin captured the title on the April 15 Spring BreakThru edition of Dynamite, pinning MJF in a little over two minutes in front of a home-state crowd in Everett, Washington. It was his first AEW World Championship in his fourth career attempt at the belt.
The reign lasted close to six weeks, one of the shorter title runs in the championship’s history. Allin filled it with volume instead, defending the title seven times across Dynamite and Collision against opponents that included Konosuke Takeshita, Tommaso Ciampa, Brody King, PAC, and “Speedball” Mike Bailey before MJF took it back at Double or Nothing.
A Bruising End And A New Problem For Allin
The mileage caught up with Allin on Sunday. He passed out in his own Scorpion Deathlock late in the match, and MJF capitalized to win the title and keep his hair.
The night got worse afterward. As Allin lay strapped to a stretcher, TNT Champion Kevin Knight delivered a UFO Splash to him in an apparent heel turn. Khan said he was interested to hear what Knight has to say about the attack.
Khan also noted he had matches planned for this Wednesday’s Dynamite, but could not finalize the show until wrestlers are medically cleared.
Renee Paquette has a complicated answer to the dream match a chunk of AEW fans are already pitching. With Mick Foley now part of All Elite Wrestling, the long-discussed idea of a Jon Moxley clash with the Hardcore Legend is suddenly closer to real than it has been in over a decade, and Moxley’s wife is not sure she wants it.
Foley arrived in AEW this week, joining Paquette on the Double or Nothing Buy In broadcast in a deal Tony Khan has framed as an ongoing role rather than a one-off. That puts Foley and Moxley under the same banner for the first time, reopening talk of a confrontation WWE planned but never delivered.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Paquette said the appeal is obvious, especially with her husband working at what she sees as the peak of his career. But the prospect of watching the two share a ring pulls her in two directions.
“The fact that that never got to happen and never came to fruition the way that it could have,” Paquette said of the original WWE plan. She called the idea of finally seeing it “stressful,” adding, “I don’t know that I want to wish that into fruition.”
Paquette stopped short of ruling anything out, instead pointing to AEW’s booker. “I think that’s for Tony to leave that open-ended and say that something like that could happen,” she said. “I think we just have to all kind of wait and see.”
Her honest position landed somewhere between fan and family. “I will say, just as a fan of Mick and a fan of the things that he brings to the table, I’ll be in a fan POV for that until I’ve got to do a ringside hit and there’s gore everywhere,” Paquette said.
The WWE Match That Never Happened
Moxley, then known as Dean Ambrose, was lined up to debut against Foley in 2012 following a viral online feud the pair built through real-world confrontations and pointed social media exchanges around WrestleMania 28. The angle centered on Ambrose blasting Foley for inspiring a generation of wrestlers to hurt themselves for applause.
The match was scrapped when Foley could not get medical clearance, and Ambrose instead debuted later that year as part of The Shield alongside Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Moxley has said since then that he is fine with the bout remaining a dream match rather than something that actually took place.
Moxley currently sits at the top of AEW’s card as Continental Champion. He defends that title against Kyle O’Reilly at Double or Nothing in Queens, New York, with Foley now in the building as a regular AEW presence.
Nikki Blackheart has spoken out from inside the WWE Performance Center, posting a photo alongside Shawn Michaels and billing herself as the first female Dominican wrestler to sign with the company.
“My heart is overflowing with gratitude,” Blackheart wrote, calling herself “the first female Dominican wrestler to sign with the WWE.”
Michaels oversees WWE’s developmental system out of the Performance Center.
My heart is overflowing with gratitude. You’re looking the first female Dominican wrestler to sign with the WWE?? let’s go ! #WWE#WWENXTpic.twitter.com/28L8Sg0eHq
— Nikki Blackheart ? (@nikkiblackheart) May 24, 2026
WWE officially welcomed her on May 21, when the NXT account introduced its newest four-person Performance Center class. Blackheart joins Mason Rook, Marcus Brown, and Lacey Simon, the daughter of WCW and WWE veteran Dean Malenko. She will compete under the name Nicole Martinez.
The 29-year-old already has one match in a WWE ring. She worked a dark match before the May 19 episode of NXT, wrestling as Martinez and defeating Skylar Raye.
Blackheart was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and trained under former WWE star Gangrel. A former NHL Florida Panthers cheerleader, she made her pro wrestling debut in 2024. In less than two years on the independent circuit, she held women’s championships in Coastal Championship Wrestling and Metroplex Wrestling and worked U.S. spot shows for AAA in 2025. She landed on WWE’s radar after WrestleMania 2025, attended a tryout in February, and signed in March.
Marti Belle, a New York-born wrestler of Dominican descent, represented the Dominican Republic in WWE’s 2017 Mae Young Classic tournament. Blackheart, born in the country itself, is presenting her developmental contract as a first for Dominican women in WWE.
WWE has not announced when Martinez will make her NXT television debut.
Renee Paquette did not get a heads-up before AEW announced Mick Foley as her co-host for the Double or Nothing Buy In. The All Elite Wrestling broadcaster found out the same way everyone else did, and she says she could not be happier about it.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Paquette said the booking caught her by surprise. “I had no idea that that was gonna be happening,” she said. “Of course, I’ve known Mick for such a long time, so to be able to work with him in this capacity, I’m excited.”
Paquette pitched Foley as a natural fit for the promotion, pointing to his reputation as a lifelong fan of the business. “Mick is such a fan of professional wrestling, so to have him be a part of AEW now, it just feels like such a perfect mix,” she said, adding that he “just fits in with the entire vibe and essence that is All Elite Wrestling.”
She also expects the Hall of Famer to be a resource for the locker room. “I’m pumped for our talent to be able to pick his brain,” Paquette said. “To have someone like him around, I think is going to be so valuable to so many people.”
On a personal note, Paquette said it had been a while since she had seen Foley, joking that her daughter Nora “does not know the magic that is Mick Foley yet.”
The Buy In streams free on AEW’s YouTube and HBO Max before Double or Nothing on Sunday in Queens, New York. The pay-per-view is headlined by Darby Allin (c) defending the AEW World Championship against MJF in a Hair vs. Title match.
Before #AEWDoN, watch the The Buy In FREE before the ppv THIS SUNDAY!
Your new co-hosts are @ReneePaquette & Mick Foley! Foley’s coming back to TBS, where he ran wild as Cactus Jack!
Austin Creed has a warning for Kenny Omega, and it doubles as a preview of what an AEW arrival might look like. The former Xavier Woods cut a brief, playful promo on the AEW Executive Vice President during the New Day’s appearance at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City this weekend.
The bit started when a fan arrived at a photo op wearing a Kenny Omega shirt. Creed pulled out his phone, pointed the camera at the fan, and ran with it. In an impromptu promo posted on his Instagram stories, he said:
“We’re here. We’re doing photos at GalaxyCon, and somebody let him in,” Creed said in a clip posted to his Instagram story. “Take this shirt off. Get this shirt out of here. He almost got punched in the face. Because Kenny, if I see you, it’s on sight. It’s on sight.”
With Kingston egging him on in the background, Creed grabbed the laughing fan and warned that he “might get punched in the face” too, before the video cut off.
What Creed’s Omega Promo Could Be Setting Up
The gag works because the two have history. Creed and Omega have traded shots for years as the resident gamers of their respective companies, a friendly rivalry that has played out across video game streams and convention panels rather than in a wrestling ring.
If Kingston and Woods do sign with AEW, Omega goes from long-distance gaming rival to actual coworker. Creed’s GalaxyCon promo, joke or not, plants a flag for a meeting fans have wanted to see for the better part of a decade.
Gunther says the breakup of Imperium has not left him feeling isolated in WWE, telling the Italian Wrestling Channel that working alone is nothing new for him.
Asked in a new interview whether he feels alone now that Imperium is no longer at his side, the Austrian pushed back on the premise.
“No, I don’t feel alone. I’ve been on my own most of my career. I always had partners, but then everybody goes their individual ways. That’s part of it. It was a great time. It was a great way into the main roster, but no. I’m very good how I am right now.”
Gunther formed Imperium in NXT UK alongside Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci and Alexander Wolfe, who exited the group in 2021. Vinci was removed from the faction in April 2024, and Kaiser stopped appearing with Gunther toward the end of that year.
The separation never played out as an on-screen turn or betrayal, with the pairing quietly fading from television together.
Gunther Heads Into His Biggest WWE Match Solo
The comments land less than a week out from the biggest singles match of Gunther’s WWE tenure. He challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31, at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, the company’s first Premium Live Event in Italy.
AEW has made arrangements for longtime wrestling superfan Vladimir Abouzeide to watch Double or Nothing 2026 from his hospital bed. The promotion reached out to ensure Abouzeide could follow the pay-per-view after a recent fall left him unable to attend in person.
Abouzeide remains hospitalized in New York City following a serious fall earlier this month. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, who shared updates with permission from Abouzeide’s sister, Vlad was walking with her when he suddenly fell and struck his head on the concrete.
The fall resulted in a major concussion, and there was initial concern about bleeding on the brain. Johnson reported that Abouzeide is believed to be out of imminent danger regarding the bleeding, though he will remain hospitalized for some time with no timetable for his release.
The accident stemmed from balance issues tied to Parkinson’s disease, which Abouzeide has been battling for several years.
Abouzeide has been a fixture at wrestling events going back to the 1980s. WWE named him the company’s only officially recognized superfan at WrestleMania 37 in 2021, and his decades of fandom were chronicled in the 2023 documentary Superfan: The Story of Vladimir.
Double or Nothing 2026 takes place tonight at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. Abouzeide would almost certainly have been in the crowd for AEW’s first pay-per-view inside New York City.
The company’s move to bring the show to his hospital room instead stands as a kind gesture toward a beloved figure in the wrestling community.
WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce checked in with a video message Sunday morning to deliver his OFFICIAL “mini-preview” for this week’s show.
The final Raw before Clash in Italy has two segments locked in, and a tag team grudge match just added to on the card. Monday’s Memorial Day broadcast features a contract signing for the Tribal Combat main event in Turin, Oba Femi’s response to Brock Lesnar, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria against The Judgment Day.
Your OFFICIAL #WWERaw Mini-Preview for tomorrow night in Columbus, Ohio!
Here are the segments and matches announced for Monday’s show:
Oba Femi Opens Raw After Brock Lesnar’s Ambush
Oba Femi kicks off the broadcast and is expected to respond to Brock Lesnar. On the May 18 Raw, Lesnar interrupted Femi’s weekly open challenge and dropped The Ruler with four F5s, his first WWE television appearance since WrestleMania 42.
Lesnar had appeared to retire after losing to Femi at WrestleMania 42, leaving his gloves and boots behind in the ring. That story reversed when Paul Heyman handed General Manager Adam Pearce a Clash in Italy contract already signed by Lesnar, locking in a rematch. Femi gets the microphone Monday to give his answer. More on Lesnar’s return and the rematch booking.
Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu Contract Signing for Tribal Combat
World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns (c) and Jacob Fatu put pen to paper for their Tribal Combat match at Clash in Italy. Fatu issued the challenge from the entrance stage on the May 18 Raw, and Reigns accepted after standing tall in a brawl with help from The Usos.
The stipulation pushes the stakes well past the title. Tribal Combat carries no disqualifications and no count-outs, and the loser is forced to bow and acknowledge the winner as Tribal Chief. Reigns already retained the championship against Fatu at Backlash, so Turin is a rematch with the family hierarchy on the line. Expect both men to make the signing personal before they ever reach Italy.
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. The Judgment Day
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria are in tag team action against The Judgment Day. The pairing came to the aid of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Paige and Brie Bella on the May 18 Raw, after Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez attacked the champions following their title defense.
Road to WWE Clash in Italy 2026
Clash in Italy 2026 takes place Sunday, May 31 at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, WWE’s first Premium Live Event held in Italy.
Monday’s show is the last Raw before the event. Beyond Reigns vs. Fatu and Lesnar vs. Femi, the card features Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against GUNTHER and Rhea Ripley defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill.
WWE Raw airs Monday, May 25, 2026, from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, live on Netflix starting at 8 PM ET.
AEW Double or Nothing is tracking toward one of the strongest pay-per-view buy numbers in company history, according to Dave Meltzer.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said advance buys for the event are running well ahead of the usual pace for an AEW pay-per-view, though he cautioned that advance numbers can be hard to read.
“I’ve heard when it comes to advances on pay-per-view, it’s kind of weird because almost everybody buys day of, so I don’t know what it means, but I do know that the pay-per-view buys ahead of time, as of yesterday afternoon, were way above normal. I expect a pretty big one,” Meltzer said.
He credited the title vs. hair stipulation in the AEW World Championship match between Darby Allin and MJF for a sharp spike in secondary-market ticket demand.
“I checked yesterday and the scalper price to get in was $153, which means the secondary market tripled from the announcement of the hair match,” Meltzer said. “They were gonna sell out without the hair stipulation. They were tracking to sell out before that. They would not have sold out so quickly without it, but the stipulation absolutely worked, especially on the secondary market.”
Double or Nothing is sold out, with 14,028 tickets distributed and the gate closing in on $1.5 million as of Friday.
Meltzer noted that figure would make it the second-biggest non-WWE gate in the history of United States pro wrestling.
AEW Double or Nothing Lineup
Darby Allin (c) vs. MJF for the AEW World Championship in a title vs. hair match
Thekla (c) vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s World Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International Championship
FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (c) vs. Adam Copeland & Christian Cage for the AEW World Tag Team Championship in an I Quit street fight, with Copeland and Cage forced to disband if they lose
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly for the AEW Continental Championship
Chris Jericho, Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Kenny Omega, Jack Perry & The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona), Mark Davis, Andrade El Idolo, Clark Connors & David Finlay in a Stadium Stampede match
Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe in an Owen Hart men’s tournament quarterfinal
Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido in an Owen Hart men’s tournament quarterfinal
Athena vs. Mina Shirakawa in an Owen Hart women’s tournament quarterfinal
The Buy In pre-show features Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, Roderick Strong, Big Boom AJ & QT Marshall against Anthony Agogo, Lee Moriarty, Carlie Bravo, Shawn Dean & Shane Taylor; Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne & Lena Kross) (c) defending the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship against Viva Van & Zayda Steel in a five-minute title eliminator; and Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Wheeler Yuta) against The Opps (Hook, Katsuyori Shibata & Anthony Bowens).
Mistico remains on the shelf, and the quick return floated for the luchador has not materialized. The 2025 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Wrestler of the Year was pulled from CMLL programming on May 18 and has not been booked since.
Mistico appeared on crutches at CMLL’s Lunes Clasico show in Arena Puebla, after the promotion announced earlier that day that medical advice ruled him out of the card. He had been set to team with Sky Team partner Neon against Hechicero and Rocky Romero in the main event, with Esfinge taking his place.
Rather than skip the building, Mistico still traveled to Puebla to apologize to fans in person and vowed the city would be his first stop once he is healthy. The injury has not been officially detailed, though SuperLuchas reports it is believed to be a knee issue with no recovery timetable set. The problem is said to have flared up at a recent appearance in Monterrey.
On a recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said he had been told Mistico could return fast, pointing to Friday’s Arena Mexico show as a possibility and playing down the chance of a lengthy absence.
“I have been told Mistico could be back as early as Friday. We’ll see, but it’s not gonna be a long-term thing, I don’t think. Put it this way, they are under the impression he’s coming back soon.”
That Friday has come and gone. Mistico was not part of the May 22 Viernes Espectacular at Arena Mexico, a card headlined by Bandido defending the Ring of Honor World Championship against Volador Jr. CMLL has not announced an updated timeline.
A Costly Absence For CMLL’s Biggest Draw
Time on the sidelines carries real weight for a wrestler doing as much as Mistico is right now. He signed a dual CMLL and AEW deal earlier this year, holds the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with El Desperado, and is the reigning CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion.
He has also been the company’s most dependable box-office draw, routinely selling out Arena Mexico. Meltzer made the stakes plain on the same broadcast, calling Mistico “the most valuable guy in wrestling.”
Ethan Page came up short in his Intercontinental Championship bid at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, but he’s not done talking — and he’s not hiding his frustration.
Penta retained the title after connecting with the Mexican Destroyer for the pinfall. In the aftermath, Page took to social media under his @OfficialEGO handle to deliver a characteristically self-serving post-match statement.
“Honestly, I’ve just been kind of practicing a victory speech. I didn’t really think about what to complain about, who to blame or where to point my finger.
“I could easily throw this masked prick under the bus for stealing a move from my home country of Canada, renaming it Mexican and then beating me with it. I could definitely complain about that.
“The Intercontinental Championship finally got the spotlight it deserved, Saturday Night’s Main Event, in a match with Ethan Page’s name on the marquee, exactly what the Intercontinental Championship deserves.
“A man that doesn’t hide his face, a man that will carry it with pride, and a man that would take it around the globe, and fight anybody and everybody for it. That is what I’m upset about. But that is something I can easily correct.”
Despite the loss, Page’s statement makes it clear he’s far from finished with the Intercontinental title scene — and with Penta specifically. The line about the Mexican Destroyer being a move “stolen from Canada” is classic Page ego, but it also plants a flag: he’s not going away quietly.
Based on Page’s tone, a rematch may not be far off.
WWE Shop has turned Danhausen’s run as the New York Knicks’ good-luck charm into merch. The new “Uncursed” collection pairs the wrestler’s branding with the Knicks, built around the storyline that has tied one of WWE’s hottest acts to the team’s playoff run.
The line features two t-shirt designs. A navy shirt stacks an “Uncursed!” banner over the Knicks logo and works in Danhausen’s “very nice, very evil” catchphrase. A black shirt reads “You Are Uncursed” around the team’s wordmark, with a cartoon Danhausen pointing out from the center.
Both carry WWE and Knicks branding and are available now on WWE Shop.
Danhausen has been in WWE since his February debut at Elimination Chamber, and he’s already the company’s number two merchandise seller. According to PWInsider, Nick Khan and Paul Levesque highlighted his Knicks crossover at a recent WWE town hall, noting that three of his shirt designs rank among the company’s top five sellers.
How Danhausen Got Tied To The Knicks
The storyline started on the April 17 episode of ESPN’s First Take, where Danhausen “cursed” host Stephen A. Smith, a longtime Knicks fan. New York then fell behind 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the curse became a running joke online. Smith publicly refused Danhausen’s demand for an apology to lift it.
A fan eventually paid Danhausen for a Cameo to uncurse the team. The Knicks haven’t lost since. They closed out the Hawks, swept the Philadelphia 76ers, and now lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, riding a nine-game playoff winning streak.
Danhausen has kept the bit running. He “cursed” the Cavaliers on ESPN’s NBA Today before Game 1, then appeared courtside at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks handed him a custom No. 0 jersey.
The shirts aren’t the only Knicks-themed Danhausen item in circulation. A Danhausen-signed Knicks WWE legacy title belt, inscribed “Not Cursed,” recently went up for auction through Fanatics.
AEW World Champion Darby Allin is getting married next month, and the date he picked leaves no room for a honeymoon. Speaking with the Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show on Q104.3 New York, Allin said the wedding is set for Saturday, June 27 in his hometown of Seattle, one day before AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
“I just found out the wedding’s on the 27th. The very next day, we have another pay-per-view. At least it’s after the wedding.”
Forbidden Door takes place Sunday, June 28 in San Jose, California, which means Allin goes from the ceremony straight into a pay-per-view weekend. He confirmed there’s no honeymoon on the calendar.
A high school crush, a tragedy, and an Everest proposal
Allin and his fiancee first crossed paths years ago, long before the face paint and the world title. “We met on the school bus in high school,” he said. “At the time she was dating a wannabe gang member, and I thought to myself, how did he get her?”
What he learned later turned the story dark. “They’re walking on a trail one day, and he starts arguing with another wannabe gang member, and that guy pulls out a gun. Her boyfriend puts her behind him, and the other guy shoots the boyfriend, goes through her neck and into her head. She got shot in the head.”
She survived, and the two reconnected more than a decade later after she saw a video of him jumping off a waterfall. “She’s like, ‘It’s so cool that you’re still doing all the crazy stuff from high school.’ I brought her bungee jumping, and then I proposed to her on top of Everest.” Allin reached the summit of Mount Everest in May 2025, where he also landed a record-setting kickflip during the climb.
The shooting shaped her career. “She became an ICU nurse. It’s very on brand with dating me, because I always need help,” Allin said. “To think that she was inspired by those people who helped her, to go through all of the training and education to become an ICU nurse. That is really cool.”
Allin’s summer is stacked before the wedding even arrives. He defends the AEW World Championship against MJF in a Championship versus Hair match at Double or Nothing this Sunday, then comes the June 27 wedding, then Forbidden Door the next night. As for what’s beyond it, Allin kept it simple: “We’re going to have some kids and we’re going to go off some jumps. It’s going to be nice.”
Lucha Libre AAA names its first General Manager of the WWE ownership era tonight, with the reveal set for the promotion’s weekly Saturday show in Mexico City.
AAA President Marisela Peña will introduce the new authority figure on the broadcast, which streams at 10 ET/7 PT on FOX in Latin America and on YouTube and Facebook everywhere else. The announcement closes out a storyline that has built on AAA on FOX since mid-April.
The new @luchalibreaaa General Manager will be announced TONIGHT!
Streaming at 10e/7p on FOX in Latin America and YouTube + Facebook everywhere else pic.twitter.com/mR5POkCkxb
It began on the April 18 episode, when Dorian Roldan pressed his mother to hand him the job. Peña held off, then used the April 25 broadcast to confirm she would open a search for the right candidate instead.
“It has been exactly a year since we made history at WrestleMania, and now it’s the time to make history again,” Peña said at the time, promising that “with the new General Manager in AAA, nothing will be the same.”
The vacancy has stood out. AAA has run without an on-screen authority figure since the promotion’s creative overhaul under WWE, leaving it the only WWE-affiliated brand without a General Manager. Adam Pearce runs Raw and Nick Aldis handles SmackDown, while NXT and Evolve carry their own on-air bosses.
The Field Of Candidates
Speculation has run in several directions. JBL, who calls AAA on FOX matches alongside Rey Mysterio and Corey Graves, has openly lobbied for the position on social media, posting that “I know this will be me, and I plan on accepting.” Mysterio has been floated as a natural fit, as has Chavo Guerrero Jr., who has been working behind the scenes for the promotion.
Chelsea Green has also pushed for the job from the sidelines, replying to the search with a brief “I’ll be waiting.” Dorian Roldan remains the obvious in-storyline option given his televised campaign and his role leading the El Ojo faction, though installing a heel CEO this early would cut a longer power struggle short.
The May 23 card also features Laredo Kid (c) defending the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against Rey Fenix, with The Creed Brothers meeting Los Americanos.
?? The Creed Brothers battle Los Americanos before Noche de los Grandes TONIGHT on @luchalibreaaa!
Streaming at 10e/7p on FOX in Latin America and YouTube + Facebook everywhere else pic.twitter.com/B6LRWb9Ogu
Anthony Bowens announced plans to introduce a new submission move during an upcoming AEW trios match against The Death Riders. The Acclaimed member shared details about the hold during a recent interview.
Speaking with PWInsider, Bowens revealed the move serves as a tribute to Mario Bokara, a figure from his early wrestling development. The submission was originally passed down from Santino Marella to Bokara.
“I’m very excited to be using a new submission. I haven’t named it yet. It’s an ode to a man that you’re very familiar with too from our WrestlePro days, Mario Bokara,” Bowens said. “That was a move that was passed down from Santino Marella to him, and I am using that now as a tribute to Mario because Mario’s a guy who played a big role in my development.”
Bowens expressed confidence about using the hold in the upcoming match.
“I would love to get in a position to do that and rip some Death Riders’ arms off this Sunday and again take home a W in front of 14,000 people,” he stated.
The wrestler has not yet announced an official name for the submission hold.
Elsewhere in the interview, Bowens discussed the possibility of All Elite Wrestling holding an event from Madison Sqaure Garden.
It remains to be seen if we’ll ever see MSG go All Elite, but Bowens says AEW would have no problem selling out the World’s Most Famous Arena.
“That’s one of my career goals. I’m pretty sure I heard MJF say the same thing. That’s one of the career goals, is to wrestle there. So hopefully one day we can make that happen.
People are delusional if they think we wouldn’t sell it out. We got 14,000 over in Queens. They said the same thing about Wembley, that we wouldn’t put 80,000 in there, and we sold the place. We would do it.”
AEW Double or Nothing 2026 has locked in the second-biggest live gate in history for a non-WWE wrestling show in the United States, a milestone reached before the sold-out pay-per-view even takes place. The event runs Sunday, May 24, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
The live gate is reported to sit just under $1.5 million. Among non-WWE wrestling shows in the U.S., that figure trails only last year’s All In: Texas, which drew a bigger crowd inside a far larger stadium.
On a worldwide basis, Double or Nothing ranks fourth overall in AEW gate revenue. It sits behind All In: Texas and the company’s two All In events at Wembley Stadium in 2023 and 2024, the biggest box office draws in company history.
Ticket sales have climbed sharply compared to last year’s Double or Nothing. When gates are adjusted for inflation, only a small number of non-WWE shows across wrestling history rank higher.
The event marks the first wrestling card ever held at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the U.S. Open venue inside the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The show is headlined by a Title vs. Hair match for the AEW World Championship, with Darby Allin (c) defending against MJF. A loss means MJF has his head shaved.
The card also brings back the Stadium Stampede match and opens the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournaments. The full Double or Nothing lineup has continued to grow in the weeks leading into Memorial Day weekend.
Tony Khan says Ronda Rousey has a standing invitation to return to AEW whenever she wants it. The AEW president addressed the former UFC and WWE star’s future with the company on the Double or Nothing media call on Thursday, May 21.
Asked whether Rousey could have a run in AEW now that her MMA commitments are finished, Khan kept the door wide open. “I’ve enjoyed working with her in Ring of Honor and having her at AEW Revolution. Anytime she wants to come back to AEW, she’s welcome,” Khan said, calling Rousey a tremendous fighter and a good person to have around the promotion.
The catch is timing. Khan acknowledged that Rousey is focused on her family right now, which limits how involved she can be in wrestling. That lines up with what Rousey herself said after her MMA return on May 16, when she submitted Gina Carano in 17 seconds on Netflix and announced her retirement from the sport. “I want to have some more babies and I’ve got to get cooking,” Rousey told the crowd at the Intuit Dome.
The Revolution Appearance Was Aimed At TKO
Rousey is not signed to AEW. Her only appearance for the company came at March’s Revolution pay-per-view, when she emerged from the crowd to confront Toni Storm and back up her childhood friend Marina Shafir.
“It’s kind of a cool little bit of a f*ck you to the TKO Group. Which is kind of funny because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it’d be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one,” Rousey said.
She saw no issue with it, noting the appearance promoted the show without being advertised.
No Clear Path Back Right Now
The confrontation with Storm was never followed up. Storm has been off AEW television since March and is expected to miss the rest of 2026, which removed the most obvious opponent for any Rousey program.
For now, Khan’s comments amount to an open offer rather than a plan. The welcome mat is out, but Rousey’s next move appears to be at home rather than in the ring.
MJF aims to make history at AEW Double or Nothing and join the ranks of wrestling icons like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and Lou Thesz. The challenger to Darby Allin’s AEW World Championship posted to X on Saturday, listing wrestlers he says became three-time world champions by his current age of 30.
List of men throughout the history of pro wrestling in major promotions who became a three time world champion at 30.
Lou Thesz The Rock Brock Lesnar Randy Orton John Cena Shinsuke Nakamura Kazuchika Okada
— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™? (@The_MJF) May 23, 2026
MJF’s list named Lou Thesz, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, John Cena, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Kazuchika Okada. He closed the post with another shot at a rival he has spent weeks trying to undermine ahead of Double or Nothing.
“Tomorrow I create history,” MJF wrote. “Legacy is everything. Darby is nothing.”
The message is a callback to a post MJF shared before Worlds End in December 2025, when he ran down a list of nine men who became two-time world champions before 30. He went on to capture the AEW World Title for the second time at that event.
What MJF Has On The Line At Double Or Nothing
Allin defends the AEW World Championship against MJF in a Title vs. Hair match. The champion set the stipulation as the price of granting the rematch, and MJF, who has repeatedly addressed speculation about his hair during the buildup, gets his head shaved bald if he loses.
Victory would hand MJF his third reign as AEW World Champion. He won the title for the second time at Worlds End before Allin dethroned him last month and embarked on a run of defenses across Dynamite and Collision.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV streams live Saturday, May 23, 2026, from Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the finalized five-match card runs three championship bouts. It is WWE’s first televised event in Fort Wayne since 2014.
Key Points
Three Title Matches: Penta defends the Intercontinental Championship against Ethan Page, The Vision put the World Tag Team Titles on the line against The Street Profits, and Paige and Brie Bella defend the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Nia Jax and Lash Legend.
How to Watch: Saturday, May 23 at 8 PM ET on Peacock in the United States and WWE’s YouTube channel internationally.
A Two-Hour Special Wedged Between Two Events
SNME XLIV lands seven days after Backlash and seven days before Clash in Italy on May 31 in Turin. That spot on the calendar gives the show two jobs: reset the board after Backlash and start the build toward WWE’s European stop.
Unlike a full Premium Live Event, this is a tight two-hour broadcast. With five matches and three titles in play, the card is built for pace, and the women’s division carries three of the five bouts.
Full Match Card
Match
Stipulation
Penta (c) vs. Ethan Page
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Logan Paul & Austin Theory (c) vs. Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins
WWE World Tag Team Championships
Paige & Brie Bella (c) vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca
Singles Match (Non-Title)
Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab
Six-Woman Tag Team Match
Match Previews
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Penta (c) vs. Ethan Page
The night’s only singles title match puts a busy champion in front of a challenger making his case on the main roster.
The reign: Penta has held the Intercontinental Championship since March, and Fort Wayne marks his seventh defense of the title in less than 90 days.
The challenger: Ethan Page steps up after a stretch in NXT, taking his shot at one of the main roster’s top secondary titles.
What’s at stake: A signature win for Page if he can end Penta’s run, and continued momentum for a champion who has been booked as a workhorse since the spring.
The wrinkle: Penta’s defense schedule cuts both ways. He is sharp from constant ring time, but a challenger fresh off the bench has more in the tank for a two-hour special.
WWE World Tag Team Championships: Logan Paul & Austin Theory (c) vs. The Street Profits
The Vision defend tag gold against a Street Profits team chasing a milestone.
The champions: Logan Paul and Austin Theory put the World Tag Team Championships on the line as the unit known as The Vision.
The challengers: Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins moved back to Raw earlier this year and have not held championship gold since the brand switch.
What’s at stake: A first title for The Street Profits in their current Raw run, and a defense that keeps Paul and Theory positioned as the brand’s top duo.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Paige & Brie Bella (c) vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend
The reigning champions head into Fort Wayne on a short turnaround against a familiar pair of former titleholders.
The reign: Paige and Brie Bella hold the Women’s Tag Team Championships and turned back The Judgment Day in a defense just days before this booking.
The challengers: Nia Jax and Lash Legend, billed as The Irresistible Forces, are former champions looking to reclaim the titles.
What’s at stake: A second straight title defense for Paige and Brie Bella with little recovery time between shows.
The wrinkle: The size advantage sits with the challengers, which forces the champions to wrestle around Jax and Legend rather than match them head-on.
Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca
The most talked-about bout on the card got there through a week of mixed signals about whether a title would be on the line.
The setup: Lynch and Ruca crossed paths on the May 18 Raw, where Lynch needled the NXT call-up over her winless main roster start before the match was set for Fort Wayne. Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca was one of two bouts added to the SNME card that week.
The flip-flop: WWE first announced the match as non-title, then briefly advertised Lynch’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship as being on the line, then pulled the title billing again.
The receipts: Lynch took to X to shut the confusion down, calling the title-match talk misinformation and insisting Ruca has done nothing to earn a shot.
The stakes for Ruca: A win would be her first on the main roster and would build a real case for a future title opportunity, even with nothing on the line Saturday.
What’s confirmed: The match is non-title. Lynch’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship, which she won from AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42, will not be defended.
There seems to be misinformation regarding my Saturday Nights Main Event match! (The biased wrestling media is pushing the agenda that the title should be on the line!!) NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!! I CLEARLY stated that SUCKER Sol Ruca has done NOTHING to earn a shot at MY VERY…
Six-Woman Tag: Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab
The SmackDown women’s title picture spills into a six-woman tag built around a rematch that has not happened yet.
The history: Rhea Ripley ended Jade Cargill’s Women’s Championship reign at WrestleMania 42, and Cargill has been pushing for another title shot ever since.
The numbers game: Cargill has moved as a trio with Michin and B-Fab to repeatedly outnumber Ripley, who answered by aligning with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss.
The flashpoint: On the May 15 SmackDown, Flair and Bliss beat Michin and B-Fab before Cargill broke up the pin, an angle that led directly to this six-woman tag being made official.
What’s at stake: Momentum heading into Cargill’s Women’s Championship rematch at Clash in Italy on May 31.
How to Watch
Date/Time: Saturday, May 23, 2026, 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 5 PM PT
Venue: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Streaming: Peacock in the United States, WWE’s YouTube channel internationally
Format: Two-hour special, no separate kickoff show
SEScoops Coverage
Stay tuned to SEScoops.com for results, match recaps, and post-event fallout from Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV.
AJ Styles is officially handing over the keys to some of the most iconic moves of his career. The WWE veteran revealed he has no issue with younger wrestlers using the Styles Clash, the Phenomenal Forearm, or any other move tied to his legendary career once he is done wrestling.
During the latest episode of the Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles revealed the open invitation. The conversation started after Dragon Lee recently reached out to Styles for permission to use the Styles Clash. According to Styles, he did not hesitate at all.
“Listen, Dragon did reach out and was like, ‘Hey man, you care?’ Please, please use it. Anybody who want to use it, it’s all yours,” Styles said.
Styles specifically referenced Will Ospreay already using a version of the Phenomenal Forearm and said he has zero problem seeing his moves continue to exist after his retirement.
“AJ Styles isn’t going to use it anymore. I hope it can find itself in professional wrestling for a long time,” Styles explained. “The phenomenal forearm, use it. It’s out there, I know Ospreay does it. Do it, dude. It doesn’t bother me, not one bit.”
A Different Approach To Legacy
That is a pretty different mindset compared to many wrestling veterans, especially when it comes to signature finishers that become directly attached to a wrestler’s identity over decades in the business. For Styles, though, the focus appears to be less about ownership and more about keeping the moves alive for the next generation.
The Styles Clash has been one of the most recognizable finishers in wrestling for years across WWE, TNA, NJPW, and multiple promotions around the world. The Phenomenal Forearm also became one of the defining moves of Styles’ WWE run after arriving in the company in 2016.
Now, Styles sounds more than ready to see younger stars carry both moves into the future. The three-time WWE Champion remains an active competitor on the SmackDown brand.
WWE breakout star Danhausen has signed with Adventure Media for management in all areas of his career, according to Deadline.
Danhausen — real name Donovan Andrew Danhausen — made his WWE debut in February at the Elimination Chamber PLE and has since established himself as one of the company’s most compelling breakout acts. He made his WrestleMania debut on April 19 in a segment alongside legends John Cena and The Miz, drawing widespread praise from fans and media alike.
Since arriving in WWE, Danhausen has become a top merchandise seller for the company. His unconventional character — blending horror aesthetics, absurdist humor, heavy social media engagement, and a signature habit of “cursing” his opponents — has carved out a unique niche that few wrestlers have managed to replicate.
His crossover appeal has been on full display in recent weeks. Danhausen made a viral appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, storming the set and hijacking the “Top Plays” segment. This week, he appeared on NBA Today to curse the Cleveland Cavaliers — and it seemingly worked, as Cleveland blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and fell to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He has also made the rounds on comedy and pop culture podcasts.
Adventure Media will work to expand Danhausen’s IP across film, television, digital, publishing, and other business ventures. The agency is well known for its literary roster of award-winning filmmakers, showrunners, and creators, and has been growing its sports media footprint by signing athletes, wrestling personalities, and broadcast talent.
Alexa Bliss has signed with Prototype Talent Agency for representation in all areas, leaving Paradigm Talent Agency a little over a year after joining that firm. Deadline first reported the switch on Friday.
Bliss, born Lexi Kaufman, joined Paradigm in February 2025 in the weeks following her surprise return at that year’s Royal Rumble. Prototype is a boutique agency launched in late 2022 by veteran talent agent Brian Wittenstein.
Bliss will continue to be represented by Leverage Management and by Hinshaw Law.
A five-time WWE Women’s Champion and two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, Bliss returned to full-time competition in early 2025 after nearly two years away and now appears on SmackDown.
She is booked for this weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne, Indiana, teaming with WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair against Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab in a six-woman tag team match.
The agency change reflects how much work Bliss has lined up outside the ring. She voices Obiguro in Netflix’s Sakamoto Days and Maki Ueda in the streamer’s The Queen of Villains, while her live-action credits include The Masked Singer, Carpool Karaoke, Punky Brewster, and Total Divas.
Bliss has also moved into music with her husband, musician Ryan Cabrera. The couple recently released the single “I’m Just Drunk,” which Deadline reports drew more than seven million Instagram views in its opening week.
