What could have been. That’s what a lot of WWE fans are saying amidst rumors of what the original SummerSlam card was allegedly supposed to look like before Rhea Ripley got injured. The WWE Women’s Champion is officially missing what’s considered either the second or third biggest show of the year, and her absence apparently created a ripple effect that may have altered as many as three matches, one of which has people particularly worked up.

Let’s back up real quick and make sure we’re all on the same page. Rhea Ripley suffered a partially torn meniscus during her Clash In Italy match against Jade Cargill at the end of May. Because it wasn’t a full tear, WWE reportedly took a wait and see approach to figure out if the biggest star in the women’s division would be back for SummerSlam. If she healed up, the initial plan was allegedly for her to face either Alexa Bliss or rising star Jacy Jayne. Recently, however, they decided not to risk it and announced she would miss SummerSlam.

With Ripley unable to defend her title, WWE announced qualifying matches for a five-way ladder match to crown an Interim WWE Women’s Champion. We’re partially through those qualifiers right now, but we do know Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill are both in the match with three more slots left to be decided this week in the lead-up to the show. The thing is, if the rumors from Wrestlevotes and Fightful Select are to be believed, both Stratton and Cargill were scheduled for different matches at SummerSlam.

The first one is obvious. Cargill has been feuding pretty consistently with Charlotte Flair for quite a while. WWE has been teasing the two finally settling their differences, and it would have made all the sense in the world for them to have an official match at SummerSlam. It’s a shame we’re not going to see that, but fans aren’t super worked up about it because we’ll almost certainly get it at a big event in the future. Flair will likely be in the ladder match as well before it’s all said and done, and whatever happens there will only add more flavor to their clash whenever it happens.

Stratton’s match, however, feels like a much bigger loss. The plan was apparently for her to face incoming star Blake Monroe, who has only been seen in backstage segments and microphone work so far. Because Stratton is from the Minneapolis area and because there’s so much fan excitement to see Monroe actually get in the ring, the match would have been an opportunity to elevate the United States Women’s Championship, which Stratton currently holds and has been woefully underbooked. The belt wasn’t defended at WrestleMania, and there are a lot of fans who want to see it treated as a more important prize.

Many have taken to social media to complain about what’s going on with the United States Championship, and many have also expressed confusion as to why Stratton needed to be included in the ladder match at all. Obviously, given her popularity and roots in Minnesota, she was always going to appear on the card, but a lot of people, myself included, are confused about why WWE didn’t just keep her separated from the ladder match and move forward with the Blake Monroe stuff. Maybe they’re planning to let her win? Or maybe they just thought the hometown fans would be a little more invested in that match if she were in it?

Either way, it’s not a guarantee we’ll get back to the Stratton and Monroe stuff, and it’s very likely even if we do eventually get the tilt, fans won’t be as invested because it almost certainly won’t happen at a show as big as SummerSlam. That’s a missed opportunity, and it’ll go down as a big what-if, especially if Monroe ends up being as big of a star as we all hope.

WWE superstar Natalya got real about the time she ended up giving a naked wrestling lesson to Eve Torres, much to the latter's dismay. The longtime wrestler, and probably one of the most impactful women in wrestling still on the active roster, opened up about training her colleague, in what turned out to be a hilarious story.

As we wait to see what other stories the WWE cooks up for the 2026 TV schedule, Nattie was a guest on Brandi Rhodes' A Shot Of Brandi video. Rhodes, who worked as a WWE ring announcer years ago, brought up how Natalya often sat in the women's locker room completely naked. Nattie confirmed this was true and how it led to an awkward moment once when she was trying to teach a skill to Eve Torres:

It seems Nattie, the daughter of the late Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, had forgotten or wasn't thinking about how training another wrestler completely naked was a problem. It's a pretty goofy sight to imagine, and maybe an indication of just how comfortable people on the WWsE roster get with each other.

Natalya did comment on why she felt so comfortable being naked around her coworkers, rather than hanging out in street clothes or her wrestling gear. Ultimately, it just came down to confidence, and based on this comment, she has a lot of it:

Natalya, who has spent recent months in NXT after appearing in some Monday Night Raw feuds earlier in the year, might find herself back in front of audiences watching with a Netflix subscription soon enough. Nattie always seems to work her way into a title shot, but as one of the most veteran women on the roster, she's earned that.

I would love to see Nattie back on the main roster, as cool as it is that she can pop up and down from the developmentals and help work with the new generation of stars. I think there are stars like Jordynne Grace who could definitely use her guidance to improve their in-ring work, even if they're great from a technical standpoint.

The WWE is ripe for a shakeup, as it seems fans are beginning to complain about constantly seeing the same faces at the top of the company holding titles. Even with word that longtime veterans will be released, the roster remains far too strong to run the same matches month after month. Here's hoping the WWE is listening, and superstars like Nattie have more to do in the future here soon.

Monday Night Raw airs on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As mentioned, Nattie is spending some time as of late appearing on NXT, which airs on The CW at 8:00 p.m. ET.

WWE fans have a lot of opinions about the product right now, and many of those are about who is being used and who is not being used. One of those not being used is Jordynne Grace. She was widely perceived to be a future star when she left TNA and signed with the Fed in early 2025, but a little more than a year later, she’s now consistently a healthy scratch from WWE programming. So, what’s going on? Fans on social media certainly want to know.

The outrage about Grace’s absence has steadily grown over the past few months. She was widely rumored to be earmarked for a triple threat match at WrestleMania with Giulia and Tiffany Stratton but then she suffered an ankle injury during a match on Main Event (which airs on YouTube in the US) back in March.

She recovered in time for the Showcase Of The Immortals, but the company decided not to use her or the other two women that were part of the planned triple threat on the final card. In the time since, both Giulia and Tiffany Stratton have been regular fixture on WWE programming, but Grace has, well, not been.

Here’s what the last few months have looked like. Grace returned from injury to wrestle a Main Event match on April 10th and defeated Zelina Vega. She then wrestled and lost to Tiffany Stratton in a SmackDown match that actually aired on TV on April 17th. She then lost a Main Event match to Lash Legend on April 24th. She wasn’t used in any official capacity for over a month until she returned on May 29th and won a Main Event match against Kiana James. That’s it. It’s now the middle of July, and it’s still crickets for someone who was considered a major free agent signing less than two years ago.

Reporter Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has been asked about what’s going on pretty consistently, and over the last few months, he’s given some version of the same answer. She’s sometimes at TV tapings, but the creative team is just choosing not to use her right now. It’s allegedly not an injury. It’s allegedly not backstage heat. She’s just not currently factored into what they’re doing.

Now, obviously this sounds horrible on paper. It’s certainly a good sign any way you want to look at it, but not currently factored into creative plans doesn’t mean she’s not going to be factored into plans in the future. Sometimes the writing staff would rather sideline a character before they properly push them than feature them on television in boring segments or have them put over other people. Alexa Bliss, as an example, was repeatedly pushed aside for years before this most recent run where she’s caught lightning in a bottle opposite Charlotte Flair.

I still believe in Jordynne Grace, and to me, it would be crazy for Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the creative team to give up on her. My assumption is they’re waiting to reintroduce her in a moment where they can push her harder, but I think it’s also fair to acknowledge that something needs to change about her presentation.

She’s had glimmers of a crowd connection. She’s looked great in multiple Royal Rumbles, but she’s not getting as strong of crowd reactions as you’d hope. Maybe she needs a manager. Maybe she needs a more story-driven plot. I don’t know exactly what it is, but she needs to be re-introduced in a fresh way when she does return.

Fingers crossed that return happens sooner rather than later. The midcard is desperate for some hot storylines, and there’s every reason to think she could be a part of one. Then, if that goes over well, we can start working toward Grace fulfilling that World Championship potential we all know she has.

Amidst news that Sheamus is on his way out of the WWE, his longtime friend and former tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli is speaking out. The wrestler, formerly known as "Cesaro," weighed in on his buddy joining AEW and ultimately balked at sharing what he knows about the situation.

The "Swiss Superman" spoke to the Daily Star about a litany of things related to AEW, and of course, was asked whether we'll see Sheamus make his debut in Tony Khan's company at some point in the 2026 TV schedule. As mentioned, he shied away from a direct response, but explained why he didn't want to answer:

Castagnoli would sooner let Sheamus answer questions about his future, but made it clear he's all about working with friends in AEW. No doubt there are wrestling fans who want to see their five-time championship winning tag-team The Bar reunite, and light the pro wrestling world on fire once again.

I'm not surprised to hear that Claudio Castagnoli would like to work with Sheamus again, as they've been publicly seen together at events outside of wrestling over the years. The wrestler added that they've joked about their retirement plan being to attend referee classes for soccer and ultimately join the VAR team for big matches.

For those who don't remember The Bar, part of the tag-team's appeal was how it took two superstars who already thrived as singles competitors and made them a competent pair in the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro's style as singles competitors clashed a great deal, but they found a way to make it gel in The Bar that got over with fans in a big way.

All this to say, we don't know where Sheamus is leaning, and if he's interested in joining AEW after spending the bulk of his career in the WWE. The wrestling over there is a lot more extreme, and may be a bit of a culture shock for a guy who's spent the bulk of his development on the more sanitized WWE product.

I can't imagine Sheamus doing daring moves and cutting other wrestlers open, but I think that's what makes me so excited about the prospect of him jumping to AEW. We can always revisit his litany of "bangers" with a Netflix subscription, but what a rare opportunity it'd be to see a legend in the game reinvent himself in a more daring federation.

We'll see what Sheamus ultimately decides to do. Who knows, he may return to acting, lest we forget his role way back in the day in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.

The WWE has been big on pursuing moments for a while, but nothing was more egregious than what wrestling fans just witnessed these past couple of weeks. Sami Zayn won his first WWE championship in Saudi Arabia, which made for a truly unexpected and exciting twist for the company. Not long after, he almost immediately dropped it to CM Punk in his first Monday Night Raw back in a while in front of his hometown crowd in Chicago.

I should've been thrilled for both, as a longtime Zayn fan and someone who feels Punk is having one of the best runs of his career. Instead, however, I felt empty, and like I noticed the WWE jingling car keys in my face. They gave Sami the belt in Saudi Arabia because of the pop, and they did the same to Punk because, again, the pop would create a big viral moment. To me, it seems the company is more than happy to chase the easiest pop to achieve, rather than work toward long and sustained storytelling, and that's a problem.

The WWE Is Way More Concerned With Chasing Moments Than Storytelling

While some wrestling fans assumed Sami Zayn would always be the sacrificial lamb to one of the main event stars, I don't think anyone predicted his title reign would last under two weeks. Unfortunately, I feel conditioned to that more than ever, as it seems like the wrestling company is all over the place here lately and throwing twist after twist at the wall with what feels like zero plan for what comes next.

Creating memorable moments is important, but the level and length in which the WWE has gone in the past couple of years to create them is excessive. It seems the goal is to send the fans home happy and feeling like they witnessed something spectacular. It also shows the people who didn't go what they missed out on, and maybe a prod to encourage them to buy a ticket next time around.

Ok, so what's the big deal? Why would I demonize the WWE for wanting to make fans happy and like they got value out of their tickets? Truthfully, I had to think about that myself over the past year and why it bugged me, and then it hit me after I saw Zayn drop the title with my Netflix subscription.

Creating Moments Is Fun, But It Doesn't Sustain Fans For Long

The WWE has these great ideas or pitches for moments that create a spectacle, but the idea is almost always half-baked. Take Seth Rollins with the masked men, and how increasingly stupid that bit got, to where it became Rollins in the ring with several masked men? It made zero sense, and that's largely because the idea probably came about because someone pitched how wild it would be to see multiple masked men in a ring.

Perhaps worse than half-baked, the WWE is sometimes outright deceptive with its moments, allowing fans to believe something like The Rock showing up at an event means he'll be at an upcoming PLE on the 2026 TV schedule. Remember that, and then after people were gobsmacked that The Rock didn't show up at WrestleMania, he was forced to admit he did it as a personal favor to TKO to help boost ticket sales?

I don't fault the WWE for trying to boost ticket sales. It is, after all, their job. I do fault the WWE for going about it in what feels like the laziest way possible, chasing viral moments and pops in exchange for competent storytelling and feuds that will stand the test of time and be remembered longer than the end of the year. Will people remember Sami Zayn's championship at the end of this year? Probably, but not because of how special it was.

I'm hoping to see some better long-term storytelling out of the WWE as this year continues, and ultimately hoping I eat crow and Sami and Punk have some mega feud that rivals what we saw with him and Drew McIntyre back in 2024.

It seems that Nia Jax has a good sense of humor when it comes to one aspect of her personal life. Just recently, a tweet hit the web and went viral for showing just how far Jax has come in regard to her weight loss journey. As the WWE superstar continues to try to find her way back to the top of the roster in her latest run, she's joking about how she looked in her earlier years with the company.

As the WWE continues its programming through the 2026 TV schedule, Jax took the time to directly respond to the viral X post. Said post showed a before-and-after photo of her weight loss journey. Here's what she had to say about her before photo, and all the weight she's since dropped:

That sense of humor has always been a part of Jax's personality but maybe something the WWE fans didn't appreciate outside that one butt joke she made. Fortunately, this second run has been so much better for the wrestler, and she should be applauded for all the hard work she's putting in.

Nia Jax has become a solid player in the women's main event scene, and who could've seen that coming when she made her big return after some time away? The plus-size model-turned-professional wrestler faced a ton of scrutiny in her first stint. She even earned a reputation for being an "unsafe worker" and not being trained well enough for professional wrestling.

Fortunately, the women of the locker room were quick to defend Jax and didn't seem to buy into the social media-birthed narrative about her abilities. Of course, Jax also deserves some credit in this return, as she talked about the amount of training she did to become a better wrestler in addition to her dietary changes. She's transformed into someone who may eventually be seen as one of modern wrestling's most impactful women.

Nia Jax and Lash Legend's return to SmackDown seemingly marks the start of another big storyline that'll possibly pit them against Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green. I loved when Stratton and Jax had their big feud a while back and would love to see some of that energy again as they go after tag titles and the United States Championship. The sky's the limit for what's on the table for the rest of this year as far as I'm concerned. I just hope the WWE knows what they have in this feud and gets some memorable moments out of it.

All in all, though, I love seeing Jax back in the WWE, and I'm glad she's feeling good and able to laugh off any comments about her physical transformation. For the time being, it seems like readers will be able to catch her on SmackDown on USA on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. SmackDown is slowly becoming the superior show to Monday Night Raw in my book, but we'll see if that continues to be the case as the year goes on.

John Cena may be retired from professional wrestling, but his WWE career will forever stick with him due to one ongoing joke. It's come up while making Peacemaker and now, even during the press tour for his latest movie, Little Brother, which is available with a Netflix subscription. A number of fans like to pretend Cena is invisible and think they're oh so clever riffing on his classic line, "You can't see me." Now, Cena is sharing just how often he still hears the joke.

John Cena Tried To Approximate How Many Times He's Read Jokes About Being Invisible

That line was Cena's signature phrase in the WWE, with the implication that Cena was so good at professional wrestling, his opponents just weren't on the same level. Eric Andre, Cena's Little Brother co-star, brought up the topic during an interview with Esquire, and was curious just how many times his faux sibling had to hear a joke tied to "You can't see me." Cena balked at giving a daily amount but said he'd done the math before and thinks he landed at a number at how often he'd hear it on a yearly basis:

That number may feel low but, if someone were to break that down into a daily number, that's in the ballpark of 274 jokes a day. Honestly, if you factor in the people he meets on a daily basis and all the comments left on his various social media accounts, Cena might be pretty on the nose with that guess!

I can imagine that Eric Andre can relate on some level, as he's someone who's associated with chaos and wild stunts. While he embraces that in Little Brother and his other work, I totally get how it would wear someone down to constantly deal with that.

John Cena's Comment Became A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy In The Comment Section

In fairness, John Cena poked the bear by acknowledging the comment section ahead of the video's release. That opened the door for users to troll him, and they did just that with plenty of takes:

• Why are there three people sitting around a table talking about John Cena? - brandondemchak
• Lmaoooo @ only three glasses of water on the table 🤣 🥛🥛🥛 - lourestudios
• Could have at least invited John Cena to the show 🤷🏻‍♂️ - phrygian
• Weird format. Everyone talking to an empty chair? I don’t understand. -jpolicastro81
• I don’t get it. Why do a podcast on camera with a voiceover? 🤔 - dadlifejason
• Can someone explain why the camera keeps cutting to a bookcase - javedlendlsterritt
• Why is Eric Andre asking a chair questions? - danielappelman

There are over 4,800 comments on the post, and many of them are making more or less the same joke. We're only halfway through the 2026 TV schedule, so there's still ample opportunity for people to make more jokes related to John Cena being invisible.

Cena is a master of social media, for what it's worth, and knows how to stir the masses and get engagement rolling. His cryptic Instagram page always has people speculating about what he's trying to say or convey by sharing a given post. Plus, it's not like people actually believe he's invisible, or I'm one of the treasured few in this world who can see "The Champ" with my own eyes.

Little Brother is available to stream on Netflix right now. Check it out and laugh a bit. And, while you're at it, maybe lay off the jokes at John Cena's expense just to give the poor guy a break.

It's being widely reported that Sheamus' days in the WWE are coming to an end. The Celtic Warrior, who's been part of the pro wrestling organization for nearly twenty years, may not be set to return to the 2026 TV schedule after all, as his contract is set to expire with no extention agreements in place.

For WWE fans not religiously watching Monday Night Raw with their Netflix subscription, Sheamus has been off television with an injury since November of 2026. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com reported the organization approached him with a restructured contract, which has reportedly been happening to many veteran superstars. It looks like he'll join The New Day in opting out of whatever was offered, and will reportedly depart the company once his time is up. As a longtime fan of his, I have to wonder what his next move will be.

Will Sheamus Head To A Rival Pro Wrestling Organization, Or Retire?

Sheamus is another top name in WWE, and while he's stayed in the midcard in recent years, he's proven many times over to be a capable main-event talent. Despite this latest injury, he's managed to be a pretty consistent performer throughout the years, and if there's interest from any other organization in the wrestling world, he can still go as well as any other veteran in the industry.

It has me thinking back to Edge's retirement match, which ended up just being the last match Adam Copeland did in WWE before hopping over to AEW. Now, his final WWE opponent and close friend, Sheamus, is set to leave the company, and I think there's a chance Tony Khan and company might bite and offer him an opportunity to make a splash in their company. If not them, I'm sure many other federations would love to have The Celtic Warrior in their lineup, assuming he's willing to join.

The million-dollar question is whether Sheamus is thinking about continuing his wrestling career, or the 48-year-old is thinking of hanging up his boots. While we've seen wrestlers have their final match long after that age, more modern superstars like John Cena, AJ Styles, and even current superstars like Randy Orton and CM Punk seem to think the late 40s to age 50 is the perfect retirement age in pro wrestling. Sheamus signaled on X last year that he had no plans of retiring, but was he speaking as his actual self, or his character?

I'd Love To See Sheamus Wrestle Elsewhere

Personally, I'd prefer to see Sheamus wrestle in another organization. He's been putting on "Banger after banger" in recent years, and I don't see him stopping anytime soon. Also, he has one of those rare attributes as a character wrestler in which he seems to gel with just about any angle he's given, making him flexible for any wrestling roster looking to shake things up.

I think Sheamus could retire and still be remembered as one of the greats of professional wrestling, but I think it'd be a missed opportunity. We've been blessed with close to two decades of seeing what he's like under the WWE umbrella, and now we have a rare opportunity to see what he could do without.

Of course, there are no guarantees Sheamus is gone for good. It's possible he could be back with the WWE after some time away, or maybe the company will come back to him with a better contract offer he'll accept. We've seen Sheamus struggle with WWE over these issues in the past, and last time it worked out in his favor. Could it work out again for him this time around, and he'll get to stay?

I guess we'll see and wait for more updates on what's to become of Sheamus in the WWE. Monday Night Raw airs on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, though I wouldn't tune in expecting an update on Sheamus.

Sami Zayn may have turned heel prior to his first WWE Championship win, but the outpouring of support from fans and fellow wrestlers feels a lot closer to that of a babyface. The beloved midcarder who has consistently done great work, no matter how much time he’s been given, has gotten a steady stream of tributes and positive social posts since the moment he finally won a world championship. Apparently, he got a couple of fun surprises backstage too.

WWE dropped a behind the scenes video yesterday of his longtime friend Becky Lynch surprising Zayn with a visit from his BFF Kevin Owens. Owens has, of course, been off WWE television and mostly absent from the lockerroom for more than a year after he sustained a potentially career-threatening neck injury, but no one was going to keep him from an opportunity to celebrate with his friend. Check out the video…

That video has gotten more than three hundred thousand likes on Instagram alone, and it’s also blowing up on other social media accounts. It’s not difficult to understand why either. Zayn is one of the most well-liked and respected guys in the entire business. He’s a selfless worker who has continually gotten other people over and sometimes lessened himself within storylines for the benefit of other people. He lost world championship matches over and over again, and it was widely assumed WWE would never reward him with the big belt.

I’m definitely not of the opinion that everyone deserves a moment with the big title. It needs to mean something to hold the WWE Championship, and because of that, not everyone should have the chance to hold it. The exclusivity is why it matters, but the entire point of wrestling, at least from my vantage point, is to get over and make a connection with the crowd. The goal is to make people care and generate intense crowd reactions, and Zayn has been making crowds pop for more than a decade. He earned this moment, and from a storyline perspective, his surprise win has made WWE feel more unpredictable and more interesting than it has in months.

I have no idea how long Zayn is actually going to hold the belt. The initial rumors that he was going to be a brief transition champion and drop the strap to Brock Lesnar ahead of his match with Obi Femi proved unfounded. It seems like he is going to go into SummerSlam with the title, and he may even walk out of it with the title. Personally, I hope he does. He doesn’t need a Roman Reigns type run at the top of the card, but if he’s at least given time to do something interesting with his run, it should be a lot of fun.

Sami Zayn finally won his world championship. After more than a decade of consistently being one of the best side characters on WWE programming, Triple H and the writers unexpectedly gave him his moment. The former indie darling turned NXT favorite turned midcard standout turned Bloodline comedic relief turned last real good guy pinned Cody Rhodes last night in Saudi Arabia to become the WWE Champion. The moment received a raucous ovation from the Night Of Champions crowd, but if fans on social are to be believed, his reign probably isn’t going to last long.

To be clear, that’s not to say fans weren’t celebrating loudly. They were. Those of us who have followed his career for a long time were hammering the like button on so many celebratory tweets and fun career montages, as well as tribute posts from current and former wrestlers. It was a triumphant night for someone who deserved his flowers, but at the same time, people were also fantasy casting his demise.

It’s both a problem of timing and circumstance. We’re a little more than a month away from SummerSlam, which is (arguably) WWE’s second most important premium live event of the year after WrestleMania. Typically, whoever holds the WWE Championship wrestles in the main event of one of the two nights of the show, but fans are skeptical that WWE has enough confidence in Zayn to have him main event. He’s very popular amongst hardcore wrestling fans, but he’s not historically been someone the company has put on billboards to try and sell tickets, at least apart from his Elimination Chamber match against Roman Reigns when he left the Bloodline.

Consequently, one of two things is happening. Either WWE has reevaluated and decided they want to push Zayn as a proper main event guy heading into one of their biggest shows of the year, or there’s a larger plan that’s going to see him lose the belt before SummerSlam. I could honestly see either scenario playing out, but many fans are convinced it’s going to be option two, which will likely involve Brock Lesnar.

This is about to get really complicated, but I promise this theory makes logical sense. Oba Femi, who WWE is treating like the company’s next big star, just won the King Of The Ring tournament. That gives him the right to face a world champion of his choice at SummerSlam. Right now, his options are World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns or the recently anointed WWE Champion Sami Zayn. He’s been talking a little smack about Roman Reigns in recent weeks, but he’s been talking a lot more smack about Brock Lesnar, who he has been locked into a separate feud with for months.

Most fans wanted to see Femi win the King Of The Ring tournament, but many were skeptical he actually would because rumors have been swirling that WWE’s plan was to have him wrestle Lesnar at SummerSlam to finally put an end to their feud. If he were to face one of the World Champions and Lesnar, that would mean he would need to wrestle twice, unless, of course, Lesnar was one of those World Champions. That didn’t seem like a real possibility when the title holders were Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, but now that the belt is on Sami Zayn, some fans think it’s likely. Here’s an example of what I’m seeing on social media…

It’s definitely not just the above tweet either. Many plugged-in fans are being pretty vocal about the same exact theory. WWE has a Saturday Night’s Main Event coming up at Madison Square Garden, and the prevailing theory going around is that Lesnar will likely end up wrestling Zayn for the WWE Championship at that event. None of that has been announced, of course, but no one loves predicting the future like wrestling fans.

So, is it going to happen like that? I don’t know. I think there’s definitely a strong chance it will. If this were another time of the year, I’d expect Zayn to get a few months of run with the WWE Championship so he could properly celebrate, but I’m not convinced they’re going to let him carry it into SummerSlam for the same reason I didn't think he had a realistic chance of winning last night. He would be a huge underdog against Oba Femi if that’s the route they went, and I’m not sure fans are really clamoring to see him wrestle another match against Cody Rhodes, given we’ve been down that road plenty over the past few months.

Regardless, winning the WWE Championship is a huge deal, whether you hold the belt for five years or five minutes. Hall of Famers like Kane and Rey Mysterio only had one run each with the WWE Championship, and neither one even last two days. I’m sure they would have preferred longer runs, but what’s more important is they got a chance to be part of that exclusive club of WWE Champions. Now Sami Zayn is forever a member, and I couldn’t be happier for him, whether he’s about to lose the belt to Lesnar or not.

WWE is giving us six matches this weekend at Night Of Champions, and upon first glance, the card seems pretty good. Roman Reigns isn’t working the event, nor is CM Punk or Rhea Ripley, but plenty of other big names are involved including Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Gunther, Oba Femi, Liv Morgan, Iyo Sky, Jade Cargill and Yeet Man Jey Uso. There’s enough here for a really fun second tier premium live event. That being said, something feels off.

If six matches sounds like a lot, it’s probably because it is, at least for Triple H. Vince McMahon loved getting a high volume of wrestlers on the card. He’d think nothing of booking seven or eight matches at a random Backlash. Thanks to an increase in commercials and changes in booking philosophy, however, we almost always get five matches now. In fact, you have to go all the way back to Evolution in July of 2025 to find a non-Mania, non-SummerSlam card with more than five matches, and the Evolution thing was clearly because Triple H wanted to get as many women on the card as possible since it was a special event.

So, what does that mean from a practical standpoint? There are a few options. It could mean one of these matches is going to be a squash or some kind of double DQ or goofy ending that’s over quickly. It could mean a couple of these matches are just going to have a few minutes shaved off to accommodate adding another one. Or it could mean we’re going to get a longer premium live event that we’re normally used to seeing. I’m not really sure, but it’s something to look out for.

Regardless, there’s a lot to talk about here. I expect we’ll see at least one title change, maybe two, and I have some big thoughts about what WWE should do with rising mega-star Oba Femi, who is in the King Of The Ring finals. Before we get to that though, here’s a quick look at how my predictions have been going. I’ve made guesses for every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and let’s just say my winning percentage is a little higher than Bayley and Lyra Valkyria as a tag team…

Jey Uso vs Oba Femi In The Finals Of The King Of The Ring Tournament

Oba Femi is not going to lose a straight up match to Jey Uso. As hard as WWE might want to push the Yeet Man, he’s not beating Oba straight up. They let him kick out of about six Brock Lesnar finishing moves and a sneak attack before his last defeat. He’s not losing clean to Jey Uso, but it’s unclear whether we’re actually going to get a clean match here.

WWE is being really obvious that we’re going to get Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi III at some point, probably as Lesnar’s retirement match, and rumors have been claiming for months that it’s going to happen at SummerSlam. The winner of the King Of The Ring tournament is going to face one of the WWE World Champions at SummerSlam. So, if Oba wins, that means the Lesnar match either isn’t happening at SummerSlam or he’s wrestling twice.

I don’t know. If it were me, I’d push Oba to the moon. He has the potential to be the biggest new WWE star in a long time, but I just have this feeling that Lesnar is going to show up and cost Oba, paving the way for Uso and Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. This could really go either way, but because I’m so confident that the right storyline move here is to push Oba as hard as possible, I’m going to choose him. And not only am I going to choose him, I’m going to make a bold prediction. I think he wins King Of The Ring, retires Brock Lesnar and beats Roman Reigns to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

Iyo Sky vs Liv Morgan In The Finals Of The Queen Of The Ring Tournament

What is WWE doing here? They’ve left themselves with two bad options. If Liv Morgan wins, it’ll set up a match to unify the Women’s World Championships at SummerSlam, presumably with Rhea Ripley if she’s not hurt. That sounds appealing, but I don’t really get why WWE would want to unify the championships when there’s a ton of main event level women right now who need big prizes to wrestle for. Besides, as much as I love Liv Morgan, she’s not exactly the sort of Roman Reigns or Hulk Hogan-type generational talent who would ordinarily do something so massive. Maybe Rhea Ripley is, but if she was going to be the one to unify the belts, it should probably be her quest, not something Liv does all the work to set up.

Then again, if Iyo Sky wins, we’re probably just going to turn around and run Liv and Iyo back at SummerSlam. That’s a great match, but it’s odd to make one of your marquee matchups at SummerSlam a rematch we just saw. Iyo could, of course, always win Queen Of The Ring and then challenge Rhea Ripley, but it feels like the breakdown of their friendship would warrant a much longer storybuild than that.

I don’t know. It’s been kind of fun watching Morgan brag about how she’s going to unify the belts, but I still don’t understand how this entire pitch got approved to start with.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Trick Williams (Champ) Vs Ricky Saints For The United States Championship

Unlike those first two matches, this one is really simple. Ricky Saints has a ton of potential and his crowd reactions are improving. He’s not, however, particularly over with the crowd. He’s certainly not over enough to be winning championships, and he’s nowhere even close to over enough to be beating Trick Williams, who is one of the most popular superstars in the company.

The goal here for Saints is to work a good match and continue to endear himself to the fans. The more he shines in the ring and perfects his character work, the more likely it is that he’ll become over enough to be a real threat to Trick Williams or whoever else down the road. Until then, he can, to paraphrase Trick, step aside while grown folks are talking.

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

Seth Rollins vs Bron Breakker In A Steel Cage

I was kind of leaning toward Seth Rollins winning this match until Monday Night Raw this week. During the episode, Rollins interfered in Breakker and Austin Theory’s tag team title match against the Street Profits and cost the team their belts. Since I think this collective feud is going to continue long-term, that makes it more likely Breakker is going to win this match so the score stays relatively close.

I also think there’s a chance we’re finally going to see the return of Bronson Reed, who has been out for months with an injury. He could tip the scales back in the Vision’s favor after Logan Paul’s unfortunate injury and maybe set up a six man tag between Rollins and the Street Profits and Breakker, Theory and Reed.

Predicted Winner: Bron Breakker

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Gunther vs Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship

After Gunther retired AJ Styles and John Cena, I thought there was a legitimate chance he might not lose a single match in 2026. I thought he would just mow down every single person put in front of him. Instead, he just keeps losing. He lost to Cody Rhodes. Then he lost to Cody Rhodes again. Most people think he’s about to lose to Rhodes and Zayn for the third time at Night Of Champions.

Personally, I just can’t believe that. I can’t believe WWE would take the dude who has been the most unstoppable monster for the last several years and give him three straight Ls to Cody Rhodes (even if each one has been heavily protected). The long-term damage to Gunther’s aura would take way too long to recover.

Unfortunately, WWE isn’t making the most logical choices right now. I’m confident Sami Zayn is not going to win so he can continue his heel turn, but Cody Rhodes is certainly in play here. He’s already beaten Gunther twice, and WWE has repeatedly shown that it prefers to keep its main belts on its biggest stars. They may just keep the belt on Cody again and make us all wonder what the entire point of this feud with Gunther was.

Whenever I'm stuck between two outcomes, I always go with the one I think helps the characters most in the long run. For me, that's Gunther winning here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Tiffany Stratton (Champ) vs Jade Cargill For The Women’s United States Championship

I’m a big believer that more often than not, if you want to keep someone’s momentum going, you need to support that progress with wins. I’d argue Jade Cargill is doing the best work of her WWE career right now. Her faction with B-Fab and Michin allows a bit of the mic pressure to be taken off her, and the visual of the three together just fits. It lets Jade focus on being a monster.

With questions lingering about Rhea Ripley’s injury status, I think Triple H and company need to pull the trigger here and just let Jade run with the United States Championship for awhile. I’d like to see her stack up victories for awhile and remind everyone that she’s Jade Cargill. Sometimes it’s better to see someone dominate the midcard than continually take losses in the main event. Just ask LA Knight.

I wouldn’t write off Stratton off though. She’s been stuck in the mud for awhile, but she’s still pretty over with the crowd. She won’t beat Cargill clean, but there’s definitely a chance that Charlotte Flair could get involved, as she’s been feuding with Cargill’s faction. That might set up a match between the two at SummerSlam, but if it were me, I’d just have that match be for the United States Championship.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

At this point, the Mysterio family has a solid presence within the world of professional wrestling and, now, it looks like that's going to expand. Rey's daughter may be the next member of the brood to join the WWE. The news comes from the masked legend himself, as he revealed that Aalyah Mysterio is now working out at the WWE Performance Center to become a professional wrestler, which makes me excited

Rey was recently a guest on The Undertaker's Six Feet Under podcast, where he broke the news that we may soon have another Mysterio to hiss at while they're in the ring. Right now, it doesn't seem like Aalyah will be making her main roster debut during the 2026 TV schedule, but she's committed to training, based on the sentiments shared by her famous father:

The luchador, who's feuded with his own son in recent years, may now have some backup or an added enemy depending on which direction Aalyah goes. She may have less of an ax to grind with her dad, given he never had to have a paternity match with her custody on the line.

WrestleMania 41 served as the backdrop for that aforementioned event and, while Aalyah seemed committed, Rey didn't want her going all-in until she completed her schooling. She graduated from the University of California San Diego last July with a degree in Human Biology, and she presented her diploma to her father. Rey continued the story below:

I'm excited to see what becomes of Aalyah in the WWE, as the children of wrestling legends have performed to mixed results in the wrestling business. Some of the WWE's biggest names like The Rock, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Charlotte Flair are kids of pro wrestlers who've found immense success in the wrestling profession.

Nothing is guaranteed in this business, of course. Dwayne Johnson's daughter, Simone, joined NXT as Ava Raine and ended up exiting before ever making a splash on the main roster. Other notable examples include Richie Steamboat, Noelle Foley, and David Flair, just to name a few.

If Aalyah makes her debut in NXT, I wonder if she'll go for the luchador persona or something more like Dominik's look. The WWE has struggled with luchadors in the past, though I think Penta's immense popularity and other notables like Axiom and Dragon Lee now may be the time to add another.

Then again, Judgment Day is always looking for new members. Depending on how quickly Aalyah is progressing, she could always join the faction and have the perfect mentors in Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. Not to mention her older brother is there so, provided she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder about getting help from family, it'd be a perfect fit!

For now, we'll just keep an ear out for how Aalyah is doing at the WWE Performance Center and, if she is getting close to a TV debut sometime in the near future. I'm hoping the answer is yes, considering her dad just put the spotlight on her during a podcast, but we'll see!

Logan Paul is feeling humbled following his injury on Saturday Night's Main Event, which left him with a torn tricep and out of action in the WWE for the foreseeable future. The WWE superstar revealed recently that it reminded him that he roasted CM Punk for the same injury in a promo, and now that he understands what it's like, he regrets it.

CM Punk was out of commission in the WWE for a while in 2024 when he tore his tricep, and it ultimately kept him out of WrestleMania that year. It was a heartbreaking moment for the superstar, who has since gotten his dream of main eventing the biggest wrestling show on Earth. Logan Paul cut a promo mocking the superstar while he was out, but on Impaulsive, he admitted he didn't realize just how painful a tricep injury was:

Paul's injury, which occurred during his tag-team title match against the Street Profits on Saturday Night's Main Event, could take up to six months to fully heal. I guess after he and Austin Theory kept The Vision on television once Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, and Bron Breakker were out with injuries, it was only a matter of time before this happened.

If he's out for the entire six months, Logan Paul will almost certainly miss SummerSlam and the rest of the events planned for 2026. It'll set him up for a big return at the Royal Rumble, though, which puts him right back in the mix for a big moment come WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.

Despite that, Logan Paul assured listeners during Impaulsive that he wanted to return as quickly as possible, which sounds on brand for the internet celebrity-turned WWE superstar. While there were doubts from some about how seriously he'd take his bid as a pro wrestler when he signed a full-time contract, he's lived up to the moment every time his number was called for a big moment. It used to feel wild to even speculate he'd be in contention for a WWE Championship reign, but as he continues to climb the ranks, I do wonder if creatives backstage want him to hold the top title for a bit.

As for CM Punk, he's been on an indefinite hiatus from WWE following his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. The wrestling world continues to wait for his big return, however, and whatever time the company needs to fill with Paul's injury, we know Punk can cut a promo or two to help fill it.

Here's hoping the rest of 2026 is injury-free for WWE superstars, and we can get through the rest of the year without any more big names sidelined as more PLEs approach on the horizon.

Earlier this month, I did my predictions for Backlash and got every single match correct. Ordinarily, that’s the sort of thing I’d jump on here and brag about Ethan Page style, but to be honest, it didn’t exactly take a Paul Heyman spoiler alert to make that happen. The Backlash card featured five matches with pretty obvious outcomes. There was no world in which red hot characters like Trick Williams and Danhausen were losing. The same cannot be said for Clash In Italy.

There is not a single match on the Clash In Italy card that I’m one hundred percent certain on, and four of the five feel like they could legitimately go either way. There’s real intrigue here, and that’s particularly exciting because it’s not exactly like we’re getting a bunch of midcard clashes. We’ve got three World Championships on the line, and the other two matches are Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi and Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca. We’re all gonna need to use the bathroom during those prolonged ESPN commercials because it’ll be a risk missing any of the in-ring action.

I also think there’s a chance we see at least one of those World Championships change hands, which is not something we often see outside of the major PLEs. From where I’m sitting, you could make a strong case that both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are in big danger, and I’m actually going to predict one of them is going to lose the title. I also think we’re going to see a big return. It should be an epic night.

Before I get into specifics though, you can take a look at my predictions record. My big 5-0 at Backlash helped push my win total even higher, but I’m a little nervous about how this is going to go. I’ve done predictions for every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and I can’t remember many with this many outcomes in doubt.

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

This is definitely the match I’m the most confident about. I think Rhea Ripley is going to retain here, but I want to shoutout Jade Cargill for a minute. She gave us her best match in WWE at WrestleMania, and the six woman tag she was a part of at Saturday Night’s Main Event was also terrific. She’s really coming into her own, and I really like the pairing with Michin and B Fab. For the first time in a long time, her character is really making sense to me. I’m back in and buying as much Jade Cargill stock as I can.

The problem for her right now is WWE is clearly working toward Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. They’ve been giving us a lot of story around their shaky friendship, and it feels like the two are going to finally settle things at SummerSlam. That inevitable match makes a lot more sense if Rhea has the title and Charlotte is chasing after it. So, I think it’s very likely Rhea is going to retain.

If and when that happens, however, WWE needs to figure out something compelling for Jade to do. Maybe it’s worth moving her to Raw and having her go after Liv Morgan and her title. Jade and her backup dancers (positive comment) would be a perfect foil for Judgment Day

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Sol Ruca For The Intercontinental Championship

I don’t really think Sol Ruca is ready to win The Intercontinental Championship. Her in-ring potential is enormous. She’s put together some dynamic matches and appearances on the main roster, but she’s also still only middling on the mic and has had a few shaky moves in big moments. It seems odd to put a midcard belt on her already. I would definitely wait if I was booking the show.

But then again, I’m also not really sure I’d have her lose her first big program on the main roster.

I’m not saying Triple H and company have every new call-up immediately go undefeated en route to championships, but they normally slow build them using wins over lower card performers. Instead, Ruca was very quickly thrust into this program with Lynch where she’s looked, at times, like a future World Champion and, at times, like someone who has only been on the main roster for a month.

I think Lynch is probably going to retain in a way that continues their feud, but it’s also possible WWE gives Ruca a shock win and then tries to make her an immediate star.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

I’m definitely on team Brock Lesnar should have stayed retired. I thought his send-off at WrestleMania was absolutely perfect, both as a goodbye and as an announcement that Oba Femi has arrived and is the future of the entire business. Unfortunately, that alleged retirement didn’t last a month and here we are.

From where I’m sitting in the crowd, I don’t really get how bringing Lesnar back to lose again helps anyone. He already put Femi over. Putting him over a second time doesn’t multiply the impact of what happened at ‘Mania. So, to me, none of this makes sense unless Lesnar wins. I think he’s going to give Femi his first major loss on the main roster and then he’s going to officially retire Lesnar at SummerSlam. That’s the path that makes the most logical sense to me.

To be clear, I was hoping Femi was going to be an unstoppable juggernaut for years, sorta like Lesnar was decades ago when he first made the main roster. That's how I would have booked this, but now that Lesnar is back in the picture, I think it makes the most sense to give this match to the Beast and give Femi his first bit of adversity.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Gunther for The WWE Championship

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania, which is weird because it certainly felt like this feud with Cody Rhodes was going to continue. So, what’s going on? There are really only three possibilities. Maybe WWE got spooked after all the backlash to the Pat McAfee stuff and decided to just pretend like this storyline never happened. Maybe the back injury Orton is dealing with really is significant enough that WWE decided to just move on without him. Or maybe they’re just biding their time so the inevitable rematch can come at SummerSlam.

The thing is, if that rematch is going to happen anytime soon, specifically at SummerSlam, it needs to be for the WWE Championship. Orton’s entire motivation for trying to beat Rhodes was to win another Championship. He was very specifically chasing number fifteen; so, if Cody no longer has the belt, it would make sense he’d return and go after that person, which would be a less intriguing story.

Whether Orton comes back at Clash In Italy or not, I think WWE is going to keep the belt on Rhodes because sooner rather than later, they’re going to get back to Orton and Rhodes. I’d love to see Gunther win The WWE Championship for the first time, but I think the higher upside possibility is to keep the belt on Cody, at least for now. I say WWE does that, and I predict we get a surprise appearance from Orton who is instrumental to the finish.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns (Champion) vs Jacob Fatu For The World Heavyweight Championship

It’s not exactly a hot take to say fan excitement is down right now in WWE. There are some fun storylines and hot characters here or there, but the product feels a little safe and gasp, maybe even a bit boring. It could use an injection of surprise momentum… like say Jacob Fatu beating Roman Reigns’ ass and taking the Bloodline away from him.

We’ve already watched an all powerful Reigns build up his family, win every championship, get too cocky and get turned on by his own allies. We’ve also watched him feud with Solo’s rival Bloodline and put them down. I’d love to see Triple H and company take the story in another direction by having Reigns lose to Fatu and then disappear from television for a bit.

Fatu can play out weekly stories with Jimmy and Jey Uso, as well as Solo, Tama Tonga and company, and take everyone in a more unhinged and dangerous direction. Reigns could then return later in the summer to try and win everyone back.

I have no idea if WWE is going to let Reigns lose. He hasn’t taken many Ls in the last half decade, and WWE tends to prefer its major champions to have long title reigns. A loss here would go against pretty much everything we’ve seen Triple H do, but I really feel like it’s the right move for fans. We’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

The NBA playoffs are underway, and as the New York Knicks continue their campaign to win their first championship in decades, they have an unlikely source to thank for their latest win. WWE's Danhausen is taking a victory lap after he successfully "cursed" the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he wants a seat next to Timothée Chalamet if fans want the curse to continue.

Whether fans are watching him on Monday Night Raw via Netflix subscription or seeing the athlete's talents on ESPN, Danhausen and his "curses" are incredibly popular with the wrestling community. It turns out his cursing ability hasn't just been the bane of his enemies in the WWE, but he might've been the "X factor" in what led the Knicks to overcome a 22-point deficit and get their first win in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers. The wrestler cursed the team on ESPN's NBA Today ahead of the matchup, and now that the win is set in stone, he has some demands he shared on X:

The Knicks haven't won an NBA Championship since 1973, and with the greatest challenge yet to come should they face the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals, they're gonna need all the help they can get to close out the Cleveland Cavaliers as quickly as possible. If I were on the team, I'd be arranging Danhausen's seat immediately.

For sports fans out of the loop, Danhausen's gimmick is self-described as "Conan O'Brien possessed by a demon." Personally, he reminds me of late-night creature feature hosts, using low-budget effects and vaudevillian gimmicks to give the illusion he has supernatural powers. Of course, the twist is that many of his curses in professional wrestling, and now real life, end up causing bad luck for the victims, so is he really powerful?

It may sound wild, but I actually think Timothée Chalamet would gladly allow Danhausen to sit between him and Kylie Jenner. He's a huge WWE fan, having previously talked to superstar Cody Rhodes about greatness, and I'd like to think he's also pretty superstitious as a sports fan. He skipped the Met Gala, unlike Ben Stiller, to be at the playoffs this year, so he's committed to seeing this run through.

Would Jenner be ok with it? As someone who was formerly seen as a good luck charm to the New York Knicks fandom, I'd like to think she'd understand the need to keep fans happy. Plus, there's a rumor right now that the Knicks winning an NBA Championship may encourage Chalamet to propose to her, which is wild, but not any wilder than a ghoulish pro wrestler cursing an NBA team.

We'll see if Danhausen somehow ends up courtside for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which airs on ESPN May 21st at 8:00 p.m. ET. With all the synergy happening between the network and WWE, I wouldn't be surprised to see him there, and I am hoping we see it happen.

Randy Orton played rumor-killer on social media after a report made the rounds claiming he was sidelined with a significant injury. The athlete, who hasn't been around since he lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, provided some supposed clarity on why he's been out of the WWE since then.

This all started after a report from Wrestling Observer Radio alleged that Orton was sidelined with a significant back injury (via Sports Illustrated), and that the assumed injury is why he didn't win his 15th championship title at WrestleMania. However, the Viper seemed to dispute the news after replying to a since-deleted post sharing the news on X:

Hilarious response from Randy Orton, who makes it sound like he's taking time off from chasing a fifteenth championship so he can play more Elden Ring. I guess there's no better way to kill a rumor than to directly respond to it, even if he confirmed he had an injury.

WWE fans may be relieved to hear Randy Orton joke about the injury, given the issues he had with his back not that long ago. He was sidelined for a year from 2022 to late 2023 after getting back surgery, with some, including his own father, having doubts about his ability to return.

He's continued to perform in the WWE since, delivering RKO's to big names despite the popular finisher likely contributing to his back issues. It seems like a risky move for a living legend who hopes to continue wrestling until he turns fifty, which is still four years out.

Of course, wrestling fans are rooting for him to hit that milestone and remain in healthy enough shape to have another title run or two. Personally, I would love to see him surpass John Cena's record-breaking sixteenth championship, provided he has the health to do so.

Back injuries are no joke, and wrestling fans know how much they've impacted the quality of life of many former wrestlers. The late Hulk Hogan even said in his docuseries that if he could change one thing about his career, he'd opt out of doing the leg drop, due to how it slowly injured his back.

I understand that the RKO is a crowd-pleaser and possibly one of the most popular finishers in wrestling. That said, I'd sooner see Orton finish out his career on top and not miss significant chunks of time dealing with his back. Of course, it's not really up to anyone but Randy Orton to make that decision, so we'll see what he does once he bounces back from milking this injury.

Monday Night Raw streams live on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm hype for Orton to eventually get back in action, whenever that may be, and finally get back to pursuing that 15th title.

I was recently thinking about how, out of all the celebrities to host Monday Night Raw, Conan O'Brien never had the opportunity. However, while he's interviewed several notable WWE superstars over the years, he also had another significant contribution to the Attitude Era, having been responsible for one of The Rock's insults.

The talk show host recalled the story during an episode of Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, where he and guest Zach Galifianakis discussed one of his former writers, Tommy Blacha. This led to O'Brien mentioning this bit he used to do back when he was hearing pitches, and how Blacha worked it into one of The Rock's promos:

Well, that's pretty cool, and the fun didn't stop there either, as Conan recalled:

What's funny is that Blacha admitted in an interview with Tales From The Attitude Era that he contacted Conan O'Brien because he felt like he stole the bit, and wanted to give him a heads-up before it aired. Fortunately, he confirmed that Conan was flattered, and now it's a story he's told a couple of times over the years whenever Tommy Blacha or wrestling gets brought up. Now all we need is a clip of Conan saying it like The Rock did in his promo, and my day would be made.

The whole thing has me wondering if the WWE needs to work with Conan O'Brien and have him freshen up some of its storytelling. Granted, I'm not sure either party is interested in that, but it would be great to see a character like Danhausen flourish even further, having a funny man like that back in the writers' room guiding his promos. Hell, with someone like O'Brien writing for him, it wouldn't be wild to believe he'd one day hold the Universal title.

Conan O'Brien has long been credited for his work on other shows, and while his work on The Simpsons may not be as big as what others hype it up to be, those three episodes he wrote were dynamite. Still, his years in television and ability to make the world laugh prove that WWE would be grateful to have his creative input, if they were willing to pay the money for him.

It's probably not something we'll see happen on the 2026 TV schedule, considering the number of cuts the WWE has made as of late. It seems TKO is trying to make various cuts for one reason or another.

Plus, Conan O'Brien is plenty busy with his podcast and other projects. However, based on his enthusiasm about his joke being used by The Rock, I'd assume he'd at least entertain the idea of working with the WWE.

Catch WWE Backlash with an ESPN Unlimited subscription on Saturday, May 9th. I'm excited to see what comes of this big PLE, as we look for some positivity out of the past couple of weeks of bad news when it comes to everything happening with the company.

This is normally the part of the article where I talk about the build-up to the premium live event and how fans are feeling, but the sad truth is wrestling fans haven’t really been talking about Backlash. Between the good and bad of WrestleMania 42 and the more than two dozen subsequent talent releases, some of which were shocking, no one has had much emotional bandwidth to fully invest in Seth Rollins vs Bron Breakker.

That being said, for a yearly event that’s sometimes been a blowoff card filled with rematches and secondary feuds, Backlash looks like it’s going to be a fun little event. I’m not saying people are going to confuse it with SummerSlam, but I’m genuinely excited to watch this. We should get four really high level matches and whatever glorious trainwreck Danhausen, The Miz and Kit Wilson are gonna haunt us with.

Roman Reigns is also on the card too, which hasn't happened since 2022. That’s right. The last time Roman Reigns had a match at Backlash, the event also featured Baron Corbin vs Madcap Moss and Omos vs Bobby Lashley. The unexpected appearance has caused many fans to draw big conclusions about his schedule and what it could mean. We'll talk all of that out.

Before we get into it though, let’s talk about my history with predictions. I’ve predicted the outcome for every WWE event since WrestleMania 38. Not to brag, but at least week’s WrestleMania 42, I went 11 and 2, which is main event territory if I do say so myself. Here’s a quick look at the results from some of the recent major PPVs, as well as my' overall record…

Trick Williams (Champion) vs Sami Zayn For The United States Championship

After months of teasing a heel turn, WWE has finally turned Sami Zayn into the bad guy. He was absolutely phenomenal in his role as the desperate, likeable underdog of the Bloodline and then later as the desperate, likable underdog trying to get to the world championship level on his own. During that epic babyface run, he got some huge wins against Gunther, The Usos and others, but for better or for worse, WWE never let do more than flirt with the main event level. He always lost the big one, and we all got sick of watching that story on loop.

Ordinarily, I want to see guys capitalize off the momentum of an earned heel turn, but in this case, Sami isn’t the only one that made a character change recently. When Trick Williams debuted on the main roster back in January, he was very much a heel. He very quickly got over with the crowd, however, and it went from scattered members of the audience chanting “Whoop That Trick” to entire arenas belting his catchphrase out like he was the biggest star on the roster. He’s still the same guy, but he’s clearly being positioned more as a babyface now.

I just don’t see how you take the title off Trick Williams just a few weeks after he won it at ‘Mania. He’s too over with the crowd, and there’s too much potential here. WWE needs to ride the hot hand for longer, and besides, a second consecutive loss here could be a good opportunity for Zayn to go even darker.

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

Asuka vs Iyo Sky

I don’t even know what to say about this match. The whole point of the feud here seemed like it was going to be Asuka’s former protege Iyo Sky eventually convincing Kairi Sane to turn on her senpai Asuka. The writers literally teased us with the turn for months. Most fans were convinced the storyline would finally pay off at WrestleMania. When the match didn’t make the card, the assumption changed to it happening at Backlash, but then Kairi Sane was, out of nowhere, released from the company.

Rumors have swirled that the release was related to Kairi maybe wanting to return to Japan. Rumors have swirled she just got caught up in budget cuts. Some have speculated it’s all a big work and that we’ll see Kairi at Backlash as a big surprise. I don’t know. I have no idea what to believe. Nothing about this makes any sense.

I think the most likely scenario is that, for whatever reason, she was released from her contract, but since WWE put too much effort into this storyline to not pay it off in some capacity, they are going to give us a match to officially end the feud. If that’s the case, Iyo Sky is obviously going to win because WWE is going to want to push her back to the top of the card, and that’s not going to happen if she loses a feud to Asuka.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Seth Rollins vs Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker looked like WWE’s next big star late last year, but things have not gone as planned since. He lost his World Heavyweight Championship match to CM Punk during Netflix’s first Raw of the year. Bronson Reed, his primary partner in The Vision, got injured, and then he himself got injured, to the point where he was kept off the WrestleMania match card and instead only put in an appearance. Throw in the incredible popularity of a few NXT stars who were recently called up to the main roster, specifically Oba Femi and Trick Williams, and it suddenly feels like Bron isn’t necessarily the future face of the company.

To be clear, I’m not trying to be too negative here. Breakker is a generational talent with all the tools he needs to main event WrestleManias. He’s still getting good crowd reactions, and his future is still incredibly bright. Don’t sell your stock! But we also need to be honest that the last several months have not been the rapid ascent many of us were expecting. He needs to make a statement and remind everyone of his capabilities.

That’s why I think he needs to win here. Rollins will be fine taking an L. He’s one of the most popular guys on the roster. Breakker is the one who really needs an injection of momentum. If I were WWE, I’d put him over really strong here and then I’d figure out a new angle to try and get The Vision over as more than just a generic heel stable. The Bloodline had personality. Judgment Day has personality.

Predicted Winner: Bron Breakker

Danhausen & A Mystery Partner vs The Miz and Kit Wilson

I’m so happy this made a PLE card. Danhausen has been one of the most over guys on the entire roster since his debut, and as always, The Miz has found a way to help elevate another talent new to WWE. All the fun SmackDown segments were too well received and went too viral not to get a big match payoff. Plus, it’s always fun to speculate on who a mystery tag partner might be.

I’ve heard more than a dozen theories over the past few days. Let me go over the ones that make the most sense, at least to me. It could be CM Punk because he’s reportedly close to Danhausen in real life and is reportedly very friendly with The Miz again behind the scenes, as they were when they were both much younger and coming up together. It could be Shane McMahon, as there have been several teases about his partner being someone who loves money. That would certainly generate headlines. It could be Jelly Roll, as the singer was heavily rumored to have a match at Backlash with Cody Rhodes against Randy Orton and Pat McAfee before that all imploded amidst the bad fan response. It could be Royce Keys, as WWE is really pushing to try and get him over. Or it could be a fun little spot for a surprise returning legend.

Regardless, Danhausen is going to win this match. This is an easy way to earn some goodwill with the crowd, and it’s important for Danhausen to elevate the perception that he’s able to curse people/ make spooky things happen. Even if the outcome is obvious though, I expect to be entertained by some fun shenanigans.

Predicted Winner: Danhausen and Mysteryhausen.

Roman Reigns (Champion) vs Jacob Fatu For The World Heavyweight Championship

WWE fans have gone from assuming Roman Reigns was going to win this to asking big questions after the Tribal Chief was allegedly pulled from all of his scheduled WWE appearances in June. The move was unexpected, given he was previously advertised for the dates and said after WrestleMania that he was going to be full-time throughout the summer. Some have taken that as a sign that he’s going to drop the title here, but not so fast…

Reigns is still scheduled to make appearances throughout May, which means he’ll be around for several weeks after this Fatu match. He’s not getting written off television. Maybe there’s a case that he loses here and has a rematch with Fatu at Clash In Turin at the end of May, but would WWE really have Roman lose two consecutive matches and then be written off TV? They just put the belt back on him. He’s the biggest star in the entire company. Why would they do that?

My guess is Reigns has a certain number of PLEs he’s scheduled to work as part of his contract. Maybe the original plan was for him to do the event in Saudi Arabia at the end of June, but perhaps they decided to pivot to another event instead. Or perhaps Roman himself decided he didn’t want to work a date in the Middle East with all the conflict going on right now.

Regardless, I see Roman winning here, but I also think WWE is going to want to keep Jacob Fatu looking very strong. Expect the Samoan Werewolf to have the upperhand for much of the match or maybe even to get disqualified when he refuses to let go of the Tongan Death Grip.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

WrestleMania 42 really delivered in its second night, and part of that was thanks to what seemed to be a surprise retirement by WWE legend Brock Lesnar. "The Beast Incarnate" laid his gloves down in the ring and said his goodbyes, flying in the face of prior rumors stating he'd retire at SummerSlam in Minnesota.

It felt like a full-circle moment to have Lesnar retire in the city, given he was a successful collegiate wrestler at the University of Minnesota. While recent t-shirt releases had me thinking his retirement is legit, I'm now a bit wary after seeing Oba Femi, the up-and-comer who retired him, in the latest poster for SummerSlam. Take a look:

Oba Femi is positioned right alongside a lot of WWE's biggest names, but there's no obvious indication of who his opponent could be. Obviously, we could get that answer in the coming months as we watch his new "open challenge" segment, but is it possible Brock Lesnar is still planning a surprise return for a send-off in Minnesota? I'm pretty sure he's retired, but to play devil's advocate, here's what I'm theorizing.

Was Brock Lesnar's Retirement At WrestleMania 42 A Fake Out?

The line is always blurred when it comes to what's real and what's scripted in the WWE, and the company is not afraid to outright lie to people if it sells a better story. We saw this with Seth Rollins' recent "injury" and surprise return, with WWE: Unreal showing Triple H and company even bragging about how they sold it as an authentic incident.

There are also instances in the WWE's past where wrestlers faked their retirements. Mark Henry's iconic promo comes to mind, and more recent examples include AJ Styles faking his retirement in 2024. The narrative so far is that Brock Lesnar made a spontaneous decision in the ring to retire, and that went against the WWE's plans, but what if that's just what the company wants us to believe?

I find it strange that a week and a half after this supposed retirement, we haven't seen Lesnar break character and make some sort of public statement to the fans, or even make another appearance on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss it. We've learned over the years that he's a guy who likes his privacy, and he generally avoids the spotlight, but I'm sure he also likes to honor contractual obligations that get him paid. While we don't know the specifics of that, I just have to wonder if the WWE was really so willing to let one of its biggest stars walk and potentially derail a fresh star like Oba Femi and his planned storyline if there was more to come at SummerSlam.

It's all feasible, but still feels suspicious and leaves me wondering if we won't see Lesnar return at SummerSlam later this year after all.

Who Might Oba Femi Face At SummerSlam 2026 If Not Brock Lesnar?

If Brock Lesnar isn't returning for SummerSlam, which I think is more likely than not, I'm left to think about who Oba Femi may take on at the event. With Lesnar gone, the WWE has a shortage of big men to stand up to his massive frame.

An obvious option is Gunther, who also seems to be someone creeping around the main event scene as of late, with a big match vs. Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 42. Oba Femi vs. Gunther is a marquee match, but is that something the WWE wants to pull the trigger on with WrestleMania season only months away?

Drew McIntyre is another big guy who could throw down with Oba Femi, but presents the same downside I would guess you'd have with putting Gunther up against Femi. I'm sure the WWE does not want to feed either of those men to Femi to boost his profile, but maybe a quality match that sets up a trilogy is a possibility.

The third option I see is Oba Femi squashing some smaller superstar, but I think with Monday Night Raw already kicking off weekly open challenges, fans may be burnt out on that gimmick come SummerSlam. At some point, he'll have to face some adversity, and I think there's a chance Brock Lesnar returns for that reason.

I think back to John Cena and Brock Lesnar's feud back in 2014, which started with Lesnar absolutely destroying Cena at SummerSlam. "The Champ" bounced back and had much more competitive showings in successive matches, and if Lesnar is coming back, I think there's a chance that story can be told. Again, no guarantees we'll see Lesnar again, but don't count him out just because Femi handled him easily the first time.

We'll have a clearer picture of what's ahead for Oba Femi when SummerSlam arrives on August 1st and 2nd. As for The Beast, who knows when we'll hear from him next, but I'm not ruling out that it won't happen in the WWE just yet.

The WWE recently made waves for reports where the company's use of AI for storytelling was openly admitted, and I'll cop to being one of those fans who were outraged in the moment. At a time where the WWE is in desperate need of fresh storytelling, it shocked me that the company seemed to be leaving the fate of its creativity in the hands of a computer, so to speak. Thankfully, one big boss man, TKO COO Mark Shapiro, clarified things with an explanation that calmed me down a bit.

A recent WWE town hall was held, in which company president Nick Khan and several other executives commented on several topics concerning the wrestling organization. POST Wrestling shared a comment from TKO's Mark Shapiro speaking to the fact that AI isn't being used to write story arcs so much as figuring out what fans in different parts of the country (and world) are looking for. As he put it:

This is to say, AI can't be blamed directly for Pat McAfee being injected into WrestleMania 42's main event. Mark Shapiro makes it sound as though Triple H and others are still calling the biggest shots, but are using AI as a supplemental tool to help inform them on the popularity of certain superstars, and seeing what will "maximize revenue," otherwise known as bilking fans for money. I'm sure AI has lots of great ideas for that.

I did suspect this would be the case when I saw the initial posts on social about the WWE using AI. It seemed very off-brand for WWE brass to trust a third-party AI to craft its product when, for better or worse, the decades have shown the writers have never been afraid to throw every idea at the wall to see what sticks. (I ask, what AI could've come up with Bray Wyatt, or Danhausen?) Plus, would all of the egos involved so willingly give credit to AI for narrative choices?

Of course, I can't help but think that if WWE creatives are using AI to guide its storytelling paths, that sets up a slippery slope. The temptation is always going to be there for someone to prompt the AI for how an audience would respond to El Grande Americano Original hiding in a piñata to sabotage the other one.

I'm being facetious, of course, but if AI is already in the room when creative decisions are being discussed, it isn't hard to believe the technology will eventually be utilized to ideate the storylines themselves. Obviously, there are a lot of opinions out there about the quality of AI and what it can do, but for those with no problem with a hypothetical future in which WWE storytelling was created with AI, at what point do you just prompt your own AI to make your own wrestling federation?

Just something to think about as we wait for SmackDown on USA on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Monday Night Raw is on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and they're both live. Neither is AI-generated as far as we know, but perhaps that reality is on the way.

Though she was present at WrestleMania 42, Nikki Bella remains sidelined with her ankle injury. While she's already plotting her return as an in-ring performer for later on in the 2026 TV schedule, she's also talking about her eventual retirement and how she wants to step it up and become a General Manager.

The topic came up during the latest episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, and was sparked by fans on X suggesting a GM shakeup within the organization. The Bella twin said she's seen this situation come up before, and it's a role she thinks she could thrive in. As she put it:

It should be noted that Nikki Bella said later in the podcast she was already shooting to return to the ring by June, so Adam Pearce and his hype videos are safe from being usurped from Monday Night Raw duties anytime soon. That said, I have to say I'm not as on board with this idea as she is, and think she'd be much better suited for another authoritative role.

Why Nikki Bella Might Be A Bad Fit For Raw/SmackDown GM

Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis are great General Managers, and I think it's because of that some wrestling fans have forgotten what it takes to play that role in the WWE. It's all about charisma, providing entertaining backstage moments to keep the show moving, and playing the straight man to the more eccentric superstars of the WWE.

Pearce and Aldis are great GMs, and let's not forget some of the more memorable ones of the past, like Vicky Guerrero, Teddy Long, and Stephanie McMahon. Then many other former superstars played the role, and it was a largely forgettable experience. We don't look fondly on Stone Cold Steve Austin's time as GM, or even Paige's tenure, as a big success.

When I envision watching Nikki Bella as a GM on Monday Night Raw with my Netflix subscription, I imagine she'd fall in the latter category of GMs as opposed to the elite examples. I think she's better served working closer to talent, or at least one specific talent if she wants to stay involved.

Nikki Bella Would Make A Great Manager For A Young Star

Nikki Bella is a legend in women's wrestling, with a massive platform and a dedicated following of wrestling fans. Sticking her behind an up-and-coming WWE superstar would give them an immense push in popularity, and I think that's what she should consider when thinking about the WWE post-retirement.

While she may not make the shortlist of most impactful women in wrestling, at least yet, her impact as an influencer cannot be denied. Any young WWE performer would be grateful to have her as a manager, without even mentioning the amount of guidance she'd be able to provide in terms of training, cutting promos, and other parts of the business.

If she were to be a General Manager, she would lose the ability to do that. While a GM role could give her more television time than we've seen in recent years, I think the benefits of her working as a manager are undeniable, and she should consider that as she begins to think about the end of her wrestling career.

For now, Nikki Bella is still planning to wrestle this year, and I can't wait to see her back in action. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for her future appearances in the WWE and see if she may be angling for that GM role.

The WWE let go of a slew of talent recently, largely on the women's side, and just weeks after WrestleMania 42 went down in Las Vegas. Former United States Champion Zelina Vega was one of the more shocking releases, and now that she's gone, she's sharing how disappointed she was during and after her brief as Women's United States Champion.

Vega became the second-ever superstar to hold the women's U.S. Championship after defeating Chelsea Green in a title match on SmackDown. She held the title for sixty-three days, with only one successful title defense against Green before she lost to Giulia. Following her release, Vega shared on Twitch how she felt about the run when prompted by a fan question in the chat (via @WrestleMovement):

Like most athletes who take hold of a WWE championship belt, Vega expected she'd get more television time and title defenses while in the spotlight. Instead, she was more of a transitional champion to make way for rising star Giulia to hold the glory. Though Tiffany Stratton is the current champion, Giulia still holds the longest streak for days with the title.

The 2026 TV schedule wasn't great for Zelina Vega, who, outside of appearing in the Royal Rumble alongside 29 other women, only had one other televised match on SmackDown. Vega continued to talk about what she pitched for WWE, seemingly hoping to emulate what Dominik Mysterio did with the Intercontinental title:

Clearly, the WWE never saw Vega as a long-term champion, but she doesn't seem to have been let in on that knowledge at the time. Now, on the other side of being released, she may better understand why creatives weren't receptive to seeing her go jet-setting across the world to pump up the United States Championship.

I once talked about how the WWE had the most talented roster its had in years, so much so that it couldn't justify giving them all television time. It seems the solution for that was to cull its talent, as Vega was not the only superstar who was released from the company. Check out the full list:

• Zelina Vega
• Aleister Black
• Kairi Sane
• Santos Escobar
• Uncle Howdy (Bo Dallas)
• Joe Gacy
• Dexter Lumis
• Nikki Cross
• Erick Rowan
• Motor City Machine Guns
• Apollo Crews
• Zoey Stark
• Alba Fyre
• Andre Chase
• Dante Chen

It's a staggering amount of cuts, especially on the heels of AJ Styles' retirement and Brock Lesnar's alleged retirement. One would think the company letting go of those two legends would open up the purse to retain more talent, rather than release more people.

WWE's latest string of releases comes after the company struggled to sell tickets for WrestleMania 42, to the point it became a part of the creative storytelling. Fans only became more concerned when it was alleged that TKO CEO Ari Emmanuel made the executive decision to insert Pat McAfee into the main event, in an attempt to draw additional interest. Zelina Vega alleged the call to terminate her came from TKO's offices, rather than the WWE home office (via The Ring Report).

It raises interesting questions about who is truly running WWE right now, and I'm eager to see more on what's happening between the wrestling organization and its parent company. That starts with checking out Monday Night Raw with my Netflix subscription and seeing if any superstars have much to say about the recent releases.

WrestleMania 42 came and went in Las Vegas, and as the wrestling world discusses everything from Brock Lesnar's surprise retirement to the amount of ads between matches, something has largely slipped under the radar. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was in Las Vegas, all throughout WrestleMania week, and made zero mention of professional wrestling the entire time.

When I saw The Rock was in Las Vegas for CinemaCon, I felt all but certain we'd at least see The Final Boss appear on SmackDown. That didn't happen, and now we're days removed from the event, and zero acknowledgement on social media that WWE's biggest show even happened? Something feels off, especially when looking at how he's operated with the WWE in recent years.

Did The Rock Intentionally Snub WrestleMania 42, And If So, Why?

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wasn't the only former WWE superstar who didn't acknowledge WrestleMania 42 before, during, or after the event. He is, however, one of the only former superstars who is also part of the TKO Holdings board of directors. He has a vested interest in the WWE's success, and yet, when he was in the city it was hosted in for days, he talked about every project he's involved in, but not the WWE.

Perhaps The Rock was paranoid that talking about the WWE would stir up rumors about him making an appearance, and seeing as he made a point to say he was going to be celebrating his daughter's birthday, he wanted it to be absolutely clear he wasn't going to show up. I could buy that he didn't want to create a situation where people are mad at him again after last year, when Travis Scott showed up in his place.

Another theory is that there was some falling out between a combination of The Rock, WWE, and TKO. I can only speculate as to what happened, but it would also explain why Dwayne Johnson, whose social media is rife with promotion of all things he has a hand in, failed to and still hasn't even offered congratulations to WWE for Mania.

Did The WWE Sink Its Chance To Do The Rock Vs. Roman?

If The Rock had a falling out with the WWE, the timing couldn't be any worse. Roman Reigns is champion once again, and he's committed to working full-time. Given his status in the company, I imagine the plan is for him to hold the title all the way to WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia, a country that routinely requests performances from past icons.

Ever since the location was announced, I was convinced the WWE was finally ready to pull the trigger on Roman Reigns finally taking on his cousin, The Rock, at WrestleMania. The duo has teased this happening for years, and now, the company has a captive audience invested in seeing it, and may not have the key piece in The Rock on board to make it happen.

Of course, I'm deep in speculative territory here, and even if Dwayne Johnson was at odds with the WWE, there's still a long time until WrestleMania 43 is set in stone. If there is beef between the two parties, let's hope they can squash it, because I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see The Rock main event one more WrestleMania and have it all go down against one of the best to ever do it.

We'll see if The Rock has anything to say about the WWE in the coming months, and if we'll see rumors of his involvement in WrestleMania 43 as it draws near. In the meantime, there are many PLEs for the company to get through, and lots of opportunities for other talents to rise through the ranks!

Hulk Hogan: Real American is available to stream via Netflix subscription, and the docuseries pulls back the curtain (or ring apron) on the man who embodied that larger-than-life wrestler persona for so many years. While many of the big events covered from the Hulkster's life are already publicly known, the docuseries lets the late WWE superstar speak on all of it from a more recent headspace, including the regrets he has tied to his most iconic move, the leg drop.

While discussing the litany of surgeries and procedures he's had over the years, Hulk Hogan was asked if he would change anything he did in his career or do the same thing all over again. After a beat, I was surprised the wrestler said he would've chosen a different finisher than the leg drop, and discussed the origins of the move as well as how it slowly changed his life:

As far as finishing moves go, the leg drop hasn't ever really looked all that devastating for those who fall victim to it. But now it's quite clear that the real damage was done to Hogan himself. The long-term impact of landing on his tailbone with the full weight of his body for decades on end altered his spine to the point where he required a variety of surgeries and rehabs to try to alleviate the pain.

Wrestling fans have heard a lot of rumors about Hulk Hogan's back and neck issues, with reports noting that he had zero feeling in his lower body following the more recent surgeries. It all goes back to the leg drop, and the wrestler opined about what his golden years might've been like had he not embraced the move long term:

I totally understand the health reasons Hulk wishes he could take it all back, and his vulnerability in admitting it surprised me. It felt like he was outwardly saying he made a huge mistake in making the leg drop his signature move, which may speak to how greatly his surgeries impacted his quality of life.

Those surgeries followed the wrestler up to his death, after it was revealed that the family was investigating a potential medical malpractice lawsuit. Fox13 reported the family said Hulk's phrenic nerve was severed during a recent surgery. Hogan's official cause of death was ruled to be a heart attack, which he suffered while in his home in Clearwater, Florida.

Though he remained a controversial figure in his last decade, Hulk Hogan's death was mourned by many. The WWE recently paid homage to him with a statue on display at WrestleMania 42, acknowledging the big business he did for the organization during his prime. One has to imagine how things might've been different, had he used a sleeper hold instead of a leg drop all those years ago.

Watch Hulk Hogan: Real American on Netflix, and WWE programming and PLEs as the 2026 TV schedule rolls on. After WrestleMania 42, it seems like the field is wide open for a lot of exciting things to happen, so let's see what the company cooks up.

WrestleMania 42 is over, and I don't think I need to repeat what fans were saying about Night One. The ads and match times were bad enough, and if that weren't upsetting enough, I think they got the main event result wrong. Randy Orton fell short of defeating Cody Rhodes, but there is still time for WWE to correct course going forward in the 2026 TV schedule.

I love Cody Rhodes, but what a waste to put Randy Orton back on the sidelines when he's doing some of the best character work of his career? Fortunately, I'm confident that this can be made right, and more importantly, be done the right way with the WWE seemingly having a better hold on the situation.

Now With The Storyline Reset, Randy Needs To Win At Backlash

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes already had the perfect storyline, but it was negatively impacted by alleged interference by TKO CEO Ari Emmanuel, who requested Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll be worked into the main event. It only got worse when McAfee appeared on the show and declared that he and Randy would usher back in the Attitude Era if they won at WrestleMania 42. He also said that if Randy lost, he would exit the WWE "forever." Keep in mind, McAfee already said a month prior to that promo that he was done in the WWE.

Now, McAfee is out of the picture, and the WWE can reset and tell the story of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton that it originally wanted to. Plus, we get the added perk of Orton embracing his heel persona once more, and even bringing back the iconic "Punt Kick" finisher he hasn't used in over a decade. Let's have them run it back, but make it about their decades in the business and less about celebrities.

Randy Could Get The Title Sooner, If Cody's Injury Leaves Him Unable To Wrestle

There's even a chance Randy could get the title sooner, as Cody Rhodes may potentially need to vacate the title after news circulated that he sustained a serious injury to his orbital bone. If that were the case, it's possible Orton could win the title in a tournament, or maybe he gets a rematch and "punts" Rhodes in his injured eye and takes the title so Rhodes can take some time off.

I'm more skeptical of the latter scenario, considering we're talking about Cody Rhodes. Let's not forget he wrestled Seth Rollins with a torn pec muscle, so unless he's medically barred from competing, he's probably going to be at Backlash.

The only scenario I wouldn't want is for Rhodes to be sidelined and take the title with him. No one wins in that scenario, and when even Roman Reigns committed to appearing full-time on television again, I can't imagine the WWE will be happy with Rhodes going part-time. At least, not when he has the title in hand, so let's do the right thing and put it on Randy. He still needs a few wins to reach my ultimate dream of shattering John Cena's championship record, and I need to see that.

We'll see what happens as the month continues, and what plans are in place for Backlash. I'm rooting for Randy to win a title once again, if only to see The Viper get some more time at the top before ultimately being dethroned by someone else.

WrestleMania 42 is over, and while there's still a lot of discussion about the WWE's problems regarding match times and ads, it wasn't all bad. Many agree that Night 2 was a good deal better than Saturday's output, and Brock Lesnar's supposed retirement was certainly an unexpected highlight.

I say supposed retirement, because all signs prior to that moment pointed toward Lesnar leaning into retirement mode later this year. It also didn't seem like WWE execs were prepared for the legend to walk away, though the org seems to have caught up. Fans noticed "Thank You Lesnar" t-shirts popping up on the official shop, in reference to the chants fans shouted in Lesnar's honor as he exited the ring. Here's what the description reads on one of the shirts being sold:

The shirts don't mean much to me as far as "official" confirmations go, seeing as it's entirely possible the marketing team already had Lesnar's farewell merchandise on standby for later this year. What does grab my attention is the description, which seems to stop just short of saying he retired in the ring. I guess avoiding the use of the word leaves the door open if he changes his mind, but then why make a big deal about it at the live event if there's a chance he might waffle on it?

While there was never any confirmation that Brock Lesnar intended to retire at this year's SummerSlam, which is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, there's a tangible connection. A South Dakota native, Lesnar transferred from Bismarck State College to the University of Minnesota, where he competed and won out in wrestling competitions. (He also briefly signed with the Vikings in 2004, but to no avail.)

Also, his match with Oba Femi seemed like a stepping stone on his way to ultimately being retired by the WWE's new "legend killer," Gunther. It seems those plans changed, or maybe never existed, but it doesn't appear likely we'll see Brock Lesnar again in the company until he's nominated to the Hall of Fame.

Of course, this is the WWE, and it'll probably be months or years before fans get the real story of what happened. Right now, there's a working theory that Brock Lesnar's retirement in the ring was an unplanned event, but I have trouble believing that, considering the PLE is a timed show. His prolonged time saying farewell could've impacted someone else's match time, or impacted the number of commercials that could be run. Perhaps it wasn't the plan for Lesnar to retire, but someone on the production team had to have some sort of heads-up not to cut the cameras before he exited the ring.

I'm still not 100% sure that Brock Lesnar is done performing in the WWE, though I'd say the recent shirt sales have me 90% sure. I can't imagine him wanting to return to lose to Gunther after already having the perfect sendoff in the ring following a loss to rising star Oba Femi. Sorry, Gunther, it looks like Femi will always be known as the person who slayed The Beast Incarnate.

Monday Night Raw airs live on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We'll see how this fresh cycle of WWE programming kicks off, and how things may change now that The Beast is gone, and other superstars are on top.

The first night of WrestleMania 42 did not go as planned. The show was widely criticized on social media for how short the matches were, how long the commercials were and how prominently the celebrities were featured. Fortunately for WWE, the response to night two has been significantly more positive. That tracked with my own personal viewing experience too. I was disappointed with Saturday, and I absolutely loved Sunday.

Here’s the thing though. All those main criticisms of night one, in theory, could have applied to night two also. Most of the matches weren’t exactly forty-five minute masterclasses. There were, once again, too many commercials, and a celebrity played a very prominent role in one of the finishes. On paper, it has the same problems, but thanks to some key tweaks and strong individual performances, the second night felt so much better. Let’s talk about why.

The Matches Got The Right Length Of Time, Which Made A Big Difference

Night one featured seven matches, and four of them ended in less than nine minutes. Not every match needs twenty minutes, but each one needs to be long enough to tell a coherent story and build up anticipation and momentum. The problem with those four matches on night one is that they all felt like they could have been more with a little additional breathing room. Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer especially seemed like they were just getting warmed up when it ended.

Night two featured six matches, and two of them went less than ten minutes. The first, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, was a car crash, big man style match that went just under five minutes and was exactly the length it should have been to make Oba look like the next big thing. The second short match, Trick Williams and Sami Zayn, maybe could have been better with a little more time, but it told a character-building story that elevated Williams and will allow Zayn to fully turn heel. It was right for what it was.

That’s the difference. There’s not some one size fits all formula to spreading out the WrestleMania time. It’s about treating each match as an individual entity and figuring out how long it needs to tell the story you’re trying to tell. Morgan and Vaquer got seven minutes, and it felt like something we would have seen on Raw. Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill got ten minutes, and it felt like they delivered in a really meaningful way. The first match didn't get enough time. The second match got just the right amount of time.

The Celebrity Involvement Was An Enhancement, Not A Distraction

I want to be clear about something. Every celebrity that appeared at WrestleMania took their job seriously and performed as well as can be expected. IShowSpeed, Jelly Roll, Pat McAfee and Lil Yachty all hit their spots and delivered. Because of factors outside of their control, however, their involvements hit very differently with fans.

The first night featured IShowSpeed, Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. Speed pulled off a wild ringpost frog splash onto the announcer’s table and had some clean in-ring moves, but his actual match, which was part of a six man tag, only went seven minutes. It also featured some sloppy in-ring work from the actual wrestlers and had a screwy finish that felt disjointed and overly goofy. I was impressed with him, but that match itself was poorly executed and awkward.

McAfee and Jelly Roll did their jobs too, but they faced an unhill battle because everyone was already frustrated with the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline they were a part of heading into ‘Mania. The two wrestlers have decades of history together, and fans wanted to see that explored in the lead-up. Instead, the build was mostly about McAfee’s return to wrestling, which would have been great as a midcard angle but felt desperate and off-tone for a WrestleMania main event. WWE smartly used Jelly Roll and McAfee to (mostly) cancel each other out at the beginning of the match, but there was just too much negative momentum.

On the other hand, Lil Yachty appeared on the second night, and he was a definite value add. He’s been coming out as Trick Williams’ hype man, and his presence feels very natural for a wrestler that’s positioning himself as a pop culture star. Yachty added something to the entrance, and he had a few confrontations outside the ring with Zayn that will help the latter continue his journey to being a full-blown heel.

The Midcard Got A Few Great Moments

Night one technically featured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but let’s be honest, Becky Lynch and AJ Lee are not mid-carders. The Women’s Tag Team Championship was also fought for, but once again, most of the women in the match (Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Brie Bella, Paige, Bayley, Nia Jax) don’t feel like mid-carders. They’re current or former main eventers who are currently in the tag team division.

Night two, however, gave moments to people who aren’t exactly in the main event scene, and they delivered the tone changes the show needed. First, we got an insane ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship that featured some of the craziest and most dangerous spots we’ll see on the main roster this year. Penta, JD McDonagh, Rusev, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans and even Rey Mysterio all bumped their asses off and got crazy in one of the best high spot matches I’ve ever seen. They all knew the assignment and delivered.

Second, we got a ridiculous segment between The Miz, Kit Wilson, Danhausen and John Cena that included little people, nut pouches and a cloud of smoke that didn’t work as intended. It was a mess in a really fun way and a good reminder that professional wrestling is supposed to hit different emotional beats. When WWE is at its best, it’s not just delivering great matches. It’s delivering comedy and weirdness too.

To Sum Up

The two nights of WrestleMania 42 sound a lot alike on paper. One will be remembered pretty negatively and one will be remembered very positively. It’s not because the talent on one night was better or because the basic structure was meaningfully different. It’s because the second night was put together much more thoughtfully. Matches were given the amount of time they needed to tell the story, which for many was just an extra two or three minutes. The celebrity that was used was integrated thoughtfully in a way that didn’t overshadow what happened. There was real balance with a midcard presence that included both goofy comedy and high-flying acrobatics.

In retrospect, this could have been a two night banger. If Liv and Stephanie had gotten a few more minutes... If the Usos and LA Knight vs The Vision and IShowSpeed was put together like a real match and not an excuse to generate a big moment… If some of the great midcard characters left off the card had been. included… If Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee had been incorporated more thoughtfully into a midcard program and Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were allowed to tell the story we wanted to see… If only everything would have been treated a little more thoughtfully like it was on night 2, we could just be celebrating a fantastic ‘Mania instead of talking about the stark contrast.

I’m not the guy who is normally out here telling WWE or any other wrestling promotion to make booking decisions or run the business based on feedback from social media. Now and again, however, the feedback is so loud and so unanimous from hardcore and casual fans alike that it’s important to stop and listen. This is one of those moments where WWE needs to stop and listen. There was not enough actual wrestling on the first night of WrestleMania 42.

The problem wasn’t the number of matches. Seven is a perfectly reasonable number for the first night of a two night ‘Mania. The problem is most of the matches were not given enough in-ring time. Four of the seven lasted under nine minutes, which caused two different problems. First, those matches never achieved their full potential because they couldn’t properly tell a story and build momentum, and second, their abbreviated lengths caused the commercials that came after them to feel less like appropriate breaks and more like out of touch cash grabs.

Let’s talk about the in-ring quality problem first. The best three matches during ‘Mania last night were, in some order, Gunther vs Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu. They went approximately 16 minutes, 23 minutes and 14 minutes respectively. Each match had enough time to change pace and allow each person to have sequences of being in control and sequences of being controlled. Each match had enough time to create false finishes that felt believable, and the actual ending of each one, to say nothing of the booking decisions, felt earned.

The other four matches, unfortunately, didn’t get that same luxury. The Usos and LA Knight vs The Vision and IShowSpeed, Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee, Liv Morgan vs Stephanie Vaquer and the four way Women’s Tag Team Championship match all got between 7 and 9 minutes. There were some nice sequences in each of them. I’m not trying to say they were bad matches, but none of them had a chance to build anticipation, do any meaningful callbacks or show off what the wrestlers are really capable of because there just wasn’t enough time. Fans are starting to notice a pattern too...

Anyone who watches a lot of wrestling can tell you that there’s a gigantic difference between 8 minutes and 12 minutes. The latter allows you to slow it down and tell a fuller story. It allows each performer to show off their move set and look strong. It allows the match to start hitting different gears; so, when you get into the ending sequence, there’s an expectation that any attempted pin could be the actual finish. At some point, every kick out starts to feel like a surprise.

It’s really hard to achieve the same level of surprise in under 10 minutes, and it’s really hard to make it feel like a proper WrestleMania match without more time. In theory, ‘Mania is supposed to be a showcase for these performers to bust out new movies and build upon what we see on Raw and SmackDown every week. It’s supposed to be a moment for them to rise to the occasion and show what they can do, but that’s nearly impossible when they’re getting less time than they normally get during run of the mill television matches that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I’m not Triple H or Bruce Prichard or anyone in the writers room. I have no idea why these matches were given such abbreviated times, but it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that it was because they didn't want the show to go too long and they had a certain number of commercials they needed to fit in. The break between every single match had a timer that counted down approximately four minutes in commercials, and after the broadcast came back on, there were other commercials that were seemingly injected into the actual broadcast. I wasn’t sitting there with a stopwatch (although some fans were), but it felt like a lot.

And it especially felt like a lot because of how short the matches were. I had no problem peeing, raiding my fridge and taking a quick mental break after Gunther and Seth Rollins because it felt like I had just watched a proper WrestleMania match. It felt like that break was earned. Getting a five or six minute timeout after Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer were only given nine minutes for their World Championship match, however, felt a lot less earned. That one felt a lot more like WWE’s parent company TKO exploiting WrestleMania and everyone watching it to make a few extra bucks from Ram Trucks or The General or any of the other sponsors.

I’m not a guy who is bothered by monetization. I’m willing to tolerate a few commercials here or there. I’m even OK with ads in the ring. It’s 2026 and that’s just how business works, but last night and the overwhelming backlash on social media needs to be a wakeup call for those running WWE. There was approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes of actual wrestling during night one of WrestleMania 42. Four of the seven matches weren’t even given 10 minutes. As a comparison, night one of WrestleMania 40, widely considered the high point of the TKO era, contained more than 2 hours of wrestling and only one match (not counting Damian Priest's epic cash-in) went less than ten minutes.

Moving forward, WWE either needs to give fans an experience that’s much lighter on the ads, especially since we’re all paying to subscribe to a streaming service to even get ‘Mania, or it needs to give us longer matches that make those breaks feel earned. Last night was a frustrating combination of short matches and long commercials, and as a result, a really high percentage of fans did not enjoy what’s supposed to be the most exciting yearly event in wrestling. For a company that's so obsessed with monetization, it's weird that TKO doesn't seem to realize how bad that is for business long-term.

With just days to go until WrestleMania 42, superstars are getting set for another two nights in Las Vegas for the biggest wrestling show on Earth. CinemaBlend has made our picks for who will win each match, and while it may surprise some, we have Randy Orton winning in the Night 2 Main Event.

It's a title change I'd welcome, even if I could've done without Pat McAfee being inserted into the whole thing. Regardless of that, I think we're past due for a new era for Randy Orton, and if I'm being honest, I think I'd like to see him ultimately go on to topple John Cena's record with the most championships in WWE history.

How Close Is Randy Orton To John Cena's Record?

Should Randy Orton win at WrestleMania 42, he'll be a fifteen-time champion. That only puts him two title wins away from defeating John Cena's record of seventeen. Orton is currently 46-years-old, and while he was sidelined and needed back surgery a couple of years ago, he's recovered and said he'd love to wrestle until he was 50.

That's plenty of time for him to win three more titles, and considering Orton is having one of the best runs of his pro wrestling career in WWE at the moment, I think there's an argument to make for pushing him to that number. The only real hurdle in his way is the WWE, which would probably rather keep John Cena's record intact for as long as possible, especially considering he just recently set it before retiring from pro wrestling.

Why I'm More Invested In Randy Orton Being WWE's Record-Setting Champion Compared To John Cena

I love John Cena and all he's done for the WWE in his career. That said, he's successfully transitioned out of the industry into Hollywood and has many accolades to hang his hat on. He'll continue to be a big name in movies and television beyond his WWE career.

Can the same be said for Randy Orton? A guy who has been in the WWE as long, and now longer than Cena? Not only that, he's maintained a relatively high position on the roster throughout the decades because he's Mr. consistent. Whether it's Monday Night Raw or Night of Champions, you're going to get the best Orton has.

And yet, memories and legacies tend to fade when talents finally hang up their boots, and Randy Orton is just too good to be forgotten. I think he needs the record more than Cena, and in truth, is representative of a life in WWE, having joined at 22. He's been a company workhorse for years and thrived in just about every situation he's been placed in. For that, shouldn't he be given the honor of being remembered as the best champion the WWE has ever seen?

That's just my opinion, and food for thought as the WWE heads into WrestleMania on Saturday, April 18th, and Sunday, April 19th on ESPN Unlimited. Fingers crossed this event overdelivers, and we get to see the beginning of what would be a great era celebrating Randy Orton.

WrestleMania 42 is taking over Las Vegas this weekend, and it wouldn't be WrestleMania season without some speculation about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's potential involvement. After little to no chatter about "The Great One" in the weeks leading up to the annual event, fan chatter has spread regarding the athlete's appearance at another big-ticket event in Sin City.

Dwayne Johnson was spotted onstage at CinemaCon, helping to promote the upcoming release of his third Jumanji movie. So no direct connection to the WWE, but the timing certainly opens the door to atone for his no-show at last year's WrestleMania. Either way, there's a lot to unpack with this development.

Will The Rock Stick Around For WrestleMania 42?

With CinemaCon ending on April 16th, the stage is set for Dwayne Johnson to have a significant role in WrestleMania 42. He's presumably free to show up on SmackDown, which is the show he's most associated with, and possibly inject himself in the main event alongside Pat McAfee.

Considering a chunk of fans are upset with McAfee's involvement in the main event, adding The Rock in the mix could be a way to take the heat off the ESPN host and further excite people about this weekend. A surprise appearance from "The Brahma Bull" would almost certainly move ticket sales a bit as the weekend nears, but what are the odds of it actually happening?

Why I'm Doubtful The Rock Will Have Any Significant Role In WrestleMania 42

While I wouldn't rule out Dwayne Johnson appearing on SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 42, I can't help but think back to why he randomly appeared during WrestleMania season last year. The Rock showed up after Elimination Chamber, seemingly hinting he would target Cody Rhodes when WrestleMania 41 rolled around. As mentioned, Travis Scott showed up in his place, and The Rock was nowhere to be seen.

Johnson later revealed that his appearance at Elimination Chamber came after a call from TKO CEO Ari Emmanuel, who wanted help moving tickets for the event (via Sportskeeda). Flash forward a year, and the WWE is having the same issues with poor ticket sales being used in the main event storyline. We've already seen rumors that Emmanuel made the call to put Pat McAfee in the mix. Could he call in another favor for The Rock for a SmackDown appearance?

I think it's possible, but I don't see The Rock having any significant role in WrestleMania 42 beyond that. In the past, we've known he's wanted to be in good ring shape before committing to any form of match in the WWE. Now, he could just show up and deliver a low blow to Cody, but I'm not sure wrestling fans want that at this point.

Really, adding The Rock to WrestleMania 42 would further exacerbate the problem created when Pat McAfee was added to the main event. This angle went from being about the decades of history between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes to a sideshow act with celebrity cameos. If The Rock is also thrown into the mix, I think it greatly overshadows Orton in the match entirely, so now I'm almost hoping The Rock isn't planning to appear at WrestleMania.

We won't have long to wait to find out what's going to happen either way, and see if The Rock heads over to the WWE after he wraps things up at CinemaCon. Tune in to WrestleMania 42 on Saturday April 18th and Sunday April 19th, and get ready for two jam-packed evenings of wrestling!

Let’s just be honest. The Road To WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been as well-paved as planned this year. Injuries have piled up. There’s been a few questionable booking decisions, and fans are really in their feelings about the Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee situation. With the exception of Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, you could make a case that not a single storyline has had a home run build, and yet, despite all that, there’s a chance WrestleMania 42 could still be a banger.

The dirty little secret about WrestleManias is that pre-show hype doesn’t necessarily translate to a well-reviewed show. Yes, you need hot characters paying off hot builds to get to that all-time great WrestleMania 17 level. I don’t think there’s anything WrestleMania 42 could be to get on that level at this point, but to please fans and be fondly remembered, you just need most of your matches to be fun to watch. Three or four bangers, a half dozen or so really good matches and most of the rest being pretty fun puts you in the top half pretty easily.

The good news for WWE is that there’s enough talent on this card to do that. In fact, if everyone performs even close to the level they’re capable of, this ‘Mania should be good. Problems with the build aside, a lot of wrestlers have been put in matches that, in theory, showcase their strengths, and I have a hard time believing Gunther and Seth Rollins or Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan won’t over-deliver, whether I personally would have built them differently. Plus, throw in John Cena as host, and there's a lot to work with.

Before we get into the specifics though, let’s take a quick look at my track record on predictions from the most recent Big 4 PPVs, as well as my overall record dating back to WrestleMania 38...

Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed vs The Usos and LA Knight

Six man tag team matches with basically no stakes are notoriously hard to predict. I felt strongly that Paul and Theory needed to win the tag team titles to keep The Vision relevant, but now that they’ve done that, all possible outcomes are in play here. On the one hand, it’s appealing to pick IShowSpeed because, despite recent history, celebrities have a strong track record of winning at WrestleMania. On the other hand, it’s appealing to pick The Usos and LA Knight because the whole story here is how IShowSpeed doesn’t really seem to want to be aligned with Paul and Theory, who have kinda sorta forced him into this.

I think the most likely scenario is probably IShowSpeed turning on Theory and Paul and helping the babyfaces to a win, but you could tell me pretty much anything about this match and I’d believe it. You could tell me iShowSpeed is gonna stick around WWE and feud with Logan Paul, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Bron Breakker is going to return and help his stablemates win, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Danhausen is going to get involved and double down on his IShowSpeed curse to help the babyfaces win. No scenario is too outlandish here.

Predicted Winner: The Usos and LA Knight

Jacob Fatu vs Drew McIntyre

What a weird run it has been for Drew McIntyre. He’s the only person not named Cody Rhodes, John Cena or Roman Reigns in the last four years to hold the WWE Championship. His work with CM Punk is probably the best non-Bloodline feud WWE has given us in at least a half decade. He’s been a constant presence in key storylines, and yet, you could make the case that he really deserved more. In my opinion, he was the hottest character on the roster for almost a year, and many fans still have a sour taste in their mouth that he’s not walking into this ‘Mania as champion.

That being said, I think he’s probably going to lose here. Rumors are swirling that he’s going to take a break from programming for a bit to film the new Highlander movie, but even if he wasn’t, I’d have a hard time predicting him because of how mean he’s been to Jacob Fatu during this story. He’s repeatedly talked about Fatu’s past run-ins with the law in a way that’s felt demeaning and mean-spirited. That may not have mattered under Vince McMahon, but I think Triple H and company want to tell uplifting stories with broad messages like you can overcome your past.

Plus, WWE needs to heat Jacob Fatu back up again. I’m not saying he’s cold, but he’s been hotter and has more potential. I think fans would get behind him if WWE truly pushed him to the top of the card. This could be the time when that starts.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) vs Liv Morgan For The Women’s World Championship

I really wish WWE would have devoted more time to this build because what we have gotten has been really good. Vaquer and Morgan have exchanged some fiery promos and gone at each other backstage in a way that’s felt personal and a little dangerous. Fans like both of the characters, and it sucks that one of them is going to lose and take a step back momentum wise.

To me, this all comes down to what Triple H and the writers want to do with Judgment Day. I love Vaquer and think she has an incredibly bright future in WWE, but to me, the most exciting long-term storyline WWE can tell involves Morgan and her Judgment Day stablemate Raquel Rodriguez. Putting the belt on Morgan and giving us an extended storyline of teases and an eventual turn on each other would be a fantastic program leading into SummerSlam.

The other possibility, of course, is that Rodriguez or her stablemate Roxanne Perez accidentally cost Morgan her chance at the title here and that leads into a storyline about Judgment Day fully imploding. That’s definitely on the table and would keep the belt on Vaquer, but that’s not the route I would take.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

AJ Lee (Champion) vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

WWE has shown an openness to part-time champions in the past. Much has been made about Roman Reigns and his inconsistent schedule over the last few years, but even before him, the company has also gone down that same road with Brock Lesnar. AJ Lee, as beloved as she may be, however, doesn’t have that same level of cultural relevance or ability to move tickets.

I also think the Intercontinental Championship is fundamentally different than the World Titles. The whole point of the championship is it’s supposed to be defended on a regular basis, both on television and on premium live events. I don’t think having a part-time champion serves the division, and given what we’ve seen since her big return, there’s no reason to think AJ Lee is going to be around on a weekly basis post-Mania.

Because of that, I think this has to be Becky Lynch. She’s one of the biggest stars in the women’s division and has really helped elevate the Intercontinental Championship to a different level after it was introduced. I think there are a lot of fun stories she can tell if she gets the belt back, and I think giving her a second loss to AJ after she dropped the title to her initially does long-term damage to her character.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax And Lash Legend) vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs The Bella Twins

I think there’s a title run at some point in the Bella Twins’ future, but I’m going to rule them out here because of how little they’ve been on TV in recent weeks. Nikki is rehabbing an injury that left her ‘Mania status in question for awhile, and it just feels like they haven’t been built enough to get their big moment. If I were WWE, I’d definitely save that for later.

I’m also less high on Bayley and Lyra Valkyria than most of the more vocal fans on social media. Yes, Bayley got a nice reaction in San Jose recently where she’s from, but Alexa and Charlotte are significantly more over with the average fan. I think their storyline needs to take priority. If WWE is going to keep them in the tag team division, they should put the belts on them. If they’re going to break them up and implode their relationship, they should put the belts on them first and give them another run of success so they can tease a will they or won’t they for awhile.

That being said, it’s also possible WWE could just be planning to move Charlotte and Alexa back to the singles division without breaking them up, saving that plotline for later. If that’s the case, then I would just keep the titles on Nia and Lash. They work well together as a pair of monster heels, and I think you could tell a fun story by turning them into an unbeatable duo with an extended title run.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

This has match of the night written all over it. Rollins and Gunther are probably the two best in-ring performers WWE has, at least amongst those at the very top of the card, and the lack of a storyline here shouldn’t stop them from cooking in the ring. I expect a twenty minute war that plays into their size difference and allows both men to show off why they’re among the best in the world.

The original plan was reportedly for Gunther to retire Rey Mysterio and Rollins to feud with Bron Breakker, but injury concerns forced the last minute switch to working with each other. I don’t think WWE is going to want either of these guys to take a clean loss; so, my guess is we’re going to get a Gunther victory that’s related to some kind of interference from Bron Breakker. That would allow Rollins to move into an extended feud with the new leader of The Vision, and it would allow Gunther to continue looking like an unstoppable monster.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Randy Orton For The WWE Championship

No WrestleMania match has been talked about more than this one. Unfortunately, it’s mostly been for pretty negative reasons. The early build to the story was very underwhelming and suffered from a serious lack of depth and creativity. Seemingly in a panic, Pat McAfee (possibly on the orders of WWE’s parent company TKO) was introduced into the story, and his inclusion has not gone over well with wrestling fans, particularly those on social media. He’s felt to many like a distraction, given Rhodes and Orton have decades of shared storylines and personal history, and McAfee has none of that.

I don’t really know how WWE can get out of this cleanly. McAfee announced he would never participate in WWE programming again if Orton loses. I’m not sure that’s a promise WWE wants to make, given he’s got a long history of working commentary and TKO really wants to push WWE’s partnership with ESPN, a network McAfee has a morning show on. Then again, I’m also not sure WWE wants to double down on a storyline that’s clearly not working with a huge segment of fans. If Orton wins, it’s going to be weird if McAfee just disappears from television immediately, though I suppose that’s exactly what happened last year with Travis Scott.

This whole thing is a mess. There was a way to do this, with better planning and a more coherent storyline, that could have worked. That didn’t happen; so, now, WWE needs to choose the less bad of the options in front of them. I think that’s keeping the belt on Cody, but I think WWE is just gonna keep digging the whole deeper.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

This has been the best build by a gigantic margin, and the story is as straight ahead as can be. Brock is the biggest, baddest dude on the playground and has been for decades. He called out everyone in the locker room, and Oba Femi stepped up and answered the call. In the time since, we’ve gotten a few brief physical exchanges, but in general, it’s just been two dudes using their natural charisma and connection with the fans to create hype.

Lesnar is widely expected to retire later this year, probably at SummerSlam in August. I hear the argument that you should keep him strong before his final match, which will probably be against Gunther, but personally, I think he needs to put Oba Femi over. WWE desperately needs to make some new stars. All four of the WrestleMania main eventers this year are 40 or older. Femi is 27 and looks to have near unlimited potential. In just a few short months, he’s gotten over with both hardcore and casual fans, and it’s not unreasonable to think he may be the favorite to win The Royal Rumble next year. Sometimes you need to do things for the future of the business.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

Penta (Champion) vs Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh and Rusev for The Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match

Just like Gunther and Seth Rollins from night one, this match is the odds on favorite to be the standout of night two. There’s so much in-ring talent here, and when you throw in the ladder match stipulation, there’s the potential for some truly insane high spots and choreographed sequences. Evans, Lee and McDonagh are also likely going to go all-out, as this’ll be the first time each has made the ‘Mania card.

Matches with this many people are always panic attack city for predictions, but I actually feel pretty good about Penta. There’s some buzz around Je’Von Evans online, but he’s still really nice to the roster and could use some more seasoning on his promos. Penta has maintained his white hot popularity for more than a year, and to me, there’s just no reason why you’d want to take the title off him. Plus, TKO is invested in growing AAA, and Penta is a legend over there, as well.

Predicted Winner: Penta

Jade Cargill (Champion) vs Rhea Ripley for The WWE Women’s Championship

This match is clearly the product of the original creative not working out. Cargill was almost certainly being positioned to work with Bianca Belair, but unfortunately, she’s had setbacks in her recovery from a severely broken finger. Ripley was likely going to work with Iyo Sky, either as a tag team or against each other, but at some point, the decision was made to put Cargill and Ripley together to essentially make the biggest available title match possible amongst the women who didn’t have a locked in match.

I think who wins, once again, likely comes down to Bianca Belair. If WWE is confident Belair is going to be back shortly, I think they’re going to keep the title on Cargill so we can finally get that long-anticipated program with as high of stakes as possible. If her future is uncertain, at least in the short-term, I think WWE is going to pivot and put the belt on Rhea Ripley. She’s the biggest star in the entire business, and while Cargill has been coming along in both her promos and in-ring work, I think the company is not going to want to keep its biggest female star title-less for much longer.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Sami Zayn (Champion) vs Trick Williams for The United States Championship

This might be the easiest match to predict on the entire card. Trick Williams is a rising star. He’s getting main event level reactions from the crowd, and it feels like apart from The Miz, he’s doing more media appearances than anyone on the roster. Sami Zayn, on the other hand, seems to be in the middle of a slow heel turn. He’s getting booed out of the building and borderline cheating to win matches.

A win here would push Trick to the next level, and it would allow Zayn to disappear and return as the full-fledged heel many fans have been wanting for the better part of a year. It just makes so much business sense, and also, it would suck all of the energy out of WrestleMania if Zayn held onto the title. This would be such an easy way to give the crowd a win they’re clamoring for, which is desperately needed right now given how sour fans have been on creative lately.

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

The Demon Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio

A lot of predictors have gone broke over the last few years betting on Finn Bálor to win matches. Every time it feels like the fans are ready and the storyline is there for him to have a big moment, he somehow finds a way to lose again. It’s obvious the creatives just don’t see as much potential in him as the rest of us do. That being said, Finn has to win this match, right?

I feel like a broken record continuing to ride for him, but if he gets kicked out of Judgment Day, brings back his Demon persona and loses as the babyface to a Dominik Mysterio who has been crushed on screen by Danhausen, we probably need to have some hard conversations about his future at that point.

So, yeah, I’m going to ride with Finn Bálor one more time. It makes me really nervous given everything we’ve seen recently, but that right play is obviously for him to win this match. That gives WWE maximum options. He can continue to work against Judgment Day and try to dismantle the group from the outside. He can go out on his own and chase a midcard title. The path is there for something fun. Besides, a loss is not going to hurt Mysterio long-term.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

CM Punk (Champion) Vs Roman Reigns For The World Heavyweight Championship

WWE is in a bit of a slump right now. Even the fans who aren’t vocally complaining about the product are definitely not at a passionate high point in their fandom. Something needs to change, and my guess is those involved are going to rewind the clock to try and do that. The high point during the TKO era has definitely been WrestleMania 40, which is the last moment Reigns was champion. I’m not saying it was all downhill from there, but clearly, the run up to that ‘Mania is what fans look back at the most fondly.

Reigns is the biggest star in the business, and while he’s definitely a part-timer these days, he certainly ramped up his appearances in the lead-up to this ‘Mania. My guess is WWE puts the title back on him, and he agrees to increase the number of times a month he’s on the show. I’m not saying he’s going to be around every week, but he might do 2/3rds of the time in exchange for another title run, which is enough for WWE to create stories around.

Plus, as much as I love CM Punk, he’s better when he’s fired up and chasing something. He’s been a fine champion, but it might give him a little extra jolt of something to lose the belt and be able to reposition himself in the coming months.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

WrestleMania 42 is just around the corner, and as Pat McAfee and others are brought in to try and do all they can to get ticket sales moving for the two-day event in Las Vegas, there is widespread criticism from fans about the build to it thus far. I'm certainly one of them, and with a week left, I can't help but wonder why two major...or should I say Grande WWE superstars aren't in the mix

While I'll be watching WrestleMania with my ESPN Unlimited subscription, I can't help but be a bit frustrated about the card thus far. While celebrities like Jelly Roll are involved, many key WWE superstars are watching from the sidelines. This includes two stars who went viral over the weekend, and should certainly be included while there's still time.

The El Grande Americanos Went Viral For Their Explosive Fight On AAA

Both El Grande Americano and El Grande Americano Original have been splitting time between WWE and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, the Mexican wrestling organization acquired by WWE in a joint partnership with Mexican company Fillip in 2025. When the athletes aren't duking it out on Monday Night Raw, they're still putting on banger segments over there, as evidenced by this viral clip that had sports insider Ariel Helwani hyped:

Helwani wasn't the only wrestling fan psyched about the moment. The comments were littered with people psyched about both Americanos (formerly Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser) going to war out of nowhere during the show:

• I might have watched this 10 times today. It’s brilliant - @oldmanfut
• Kaiser came out like 97 Stone Cold Steve Austin. All gas! - @Yogstus
• Incredible. Kaiser cut an incredible promo in Spanish. Guy is the real deal - @bquinn622
• Some of the loudest pops ive heard in months - @Chris_from_NJ
• That impromptu belly-to-belly suplex during the brawl was just 👌 -@MaxWrestling1

I also thought the moment was great, and quite frankly, I've been a huge supporter of everything they've done since Gable's return at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Given that, it seemed obvious they'd be a part of WrestleMania 42 by now, but apparently, that's not the case.

So Why Is This Year's Best Wrestling Feud Not A Part Of WrestleMania 42?

I understand that this whole storyline was created as a result of Chad Gable getting injured while playing El Grande Americano, evolving organically through fan hype without originally being in the WWE creatives' plans when they came up with the angle. That said, it's baffling to me that we still haven't heard yet abouta match between the duo being added to the card for WrestleMania 42, especially given how the fans are responding.

All this to say, I suppose there's a possibility an official match could still be added to the card, to be announced during the last Monday Night Raw or SmackDown before the big PLE arrives. An official announcement of the entire match card has already been publicized, but I would imagine the WWE is down to try anything and everything at this point to garner maximum fan enthusiasm before the big day. It's too late to bring in some fresh storytelling, so why not add a 20-minute match between the El Grande Americanos to bring the house down?

WrestleMania 42 is live on ESPN Unlimited on Saturday, April 18th, and Sunday, April 19th. Tune in to see some of the best pro wrestlers in the world duke it out on the world's biggest stage for wrestling, while others watch from the sidelines.

We’re less than two weeks away from WrestleMania, and things are not going as planned over at WWE. Thanks to lukewarm creative, soaring ticket prices and the curious decision to hold ‘Mania for a second consecutive year in Las Vegas, the annual mega-event is tracking well behind expectations. In an apparent effort to generate some mainstream press, ESPN talking head Pat McAfee was recently inserted as a key character in the main event storyline, and two of WWE’s biggest stars are so unhappy they seemingly went off script to bash the decision on live television.

WrestleMania is a two night event, and the main event of the first night is heavily rumored to be Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Rhodes has essentially been the main character of WWE programming for the last three years or so, and he’s had a close real life and onscreen storyline relationship with Orton for the better part of two decades. Fans have been pleading to see them work together for years, and while WWE has hinted at it periodically, they didn’t pull the trigger until several weeks ago, when they were announced as WrestleMania opponents.

Unfortunately, the initial few interactions between Orton and Rhodes were widely criticized for being underwhelming, and they seemingly did little to improve ticket sales for ‘Mania. Fans on social media widely called for WWE to lean harder into the long storyline history between the two, but instead, we got the exact opposite.

On SmackDown this past Friday, former NFL player turned media superstar Pat McAfee, who has also served as a WWE commentator, showed up and attacked Rhodes. He then gave a rambling promo alongside Randy Orton criticizing the product for not being as good as the late 90s, early 00s Attitude Era with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin and accused Rhodes of being the reason why fans were down on everything.

The promo received a very confused and uneven reaction from the attendees in the arena (I was there), and the response from wrestling fans on social media was almost universally negative. There was widespread confusion about why McAfee was being inserted into the story and even more confusion about why, two weeks out from WrestleMania, the whole storyline seemingly shifted to be about wrestling being worse than it was thirty years ago.

In recent days, reports from wrestling media have swirled that McAfee’s inclusion was an order from WWE’s parent company TKO, whose CEO, Ari Emanuel, just so happens to be the sports commentator’s agent. Rumors followed that he may have gone off script with his promo, and it’s quite clear based on the reaction that not everyone was a fan of what happened in the dressing room. Rhodes, in fact, went to the ring later that night and gave what is being described as an impromptu promo that was not on the original rundown. He criticized McAfee’s inclusion and heavily hinted that TKO was responsible. Here’s a portion of what he said…

Possible bad blood between those running WWE and those running TKO was a major topic of conversation amongst wrestling fans over the weekend, but there was still some doubt as to how much was real and how much was trying to manufacture intrigue for ‘Mania. The wrestling business is a huge fan of blurring the lines between fiction and reality, and it’s not exactly like Rhodes went out there and called out by people by name, apart from McAfee who is fair game because he’s the onscreen adversary in the storyline.

Last night on Monday Night Raw, however, CM Punk, who is likely main eventing the other night of WrestleMania alongside Roman Reigns, got a segment with a live microphone, and he threw gasoline all over the fire. He called The Rock, who sits on the Board Of Directors for TKO, washed up. He called Pat McAfee a “hillbilly” and “Pat MAGAfee” and absolutely went off in a scathing promo that once again referred to his agent aka TKO CEO Ari Emanuel.

Once again, exactly what was in the script here and what was not is a big question mark. WWE posted a video of most of CM Punk’s promo on its social media pages, but it’s worth noting that they cut it off before he called TKO out about the ticket prices. My guess would be that the company isn’t too happy about him going there, but considering this is probably the most invested fans have been in the product in months, that might be okay with it.

I’m certainly okay with it. After the McAfee program, which once again I was in the building for, I was probably at my lowest point as a wrestling fan in years. Now, I’m very emotionally invested and ready to see where this mess is going.

TKO has seemingly meedled in WWE affairs in a big way on two previous occasions. The first time (The Rock’s return) led to fan backlash, which then produced the absolutely epic Final Boss storyline with The Rock, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 that everyone loved. The second time (the John Cena/ The Rock/ Travis Scott stuff) led to fan backlash, which then produced maybe the worst ‘Mania main event in history at WrestleMania 41. I’m nervous and fascinated and can't look away.

WrestleMania 42 is fast approaching, and with the biggest two nights in wrestling happening in Las Vegas this year, WWE is doing all it can to go all in and raise the stakes. After adding John Cena as host, Jelly Roll, and maybe even Tom Brady, Pat McAfee is in the mix as Randy Orton's mystery guest ahead of his big match with Cody Rhodes.

There was a "wtf" vibe on the internet after McAfee's unexpected appearance on SmackDown. The commentator wasn't on the short list of popular guesses for who would support Orton, and some questioned why two wrestlers with decades of history between them needed one of the biggest sports pundits in the world in the mix to push along storytelling. As debate continues on that, McAfee spoke out and made a promise to fans tied to the match.

Pat McAfee Added Another Stipulation To Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania 42 Match

Pat McAfee hopped on X to try and generate hype, something he's usually good at. The ESPN pundit continued to shower Randy Orton with praise, and is so confident he'll win at WrestleMania 42, he added this stipulation:

This proclamation came about a month after McAfee publicly said he was likely done as a commentator in the WWE. A month later, he's playing a central role in the main event of WrestleMania. While speculation mounts as to why this is the case, the one thing we know is that not everyone is a fan of his return.

McAfee Got A Lot Of Negative Comments From Fans On The Post

It seems as though the online wrestling community hasn't lost its fire since Friday night, and McAfee's comment was littered with people who were upset. Not so much as McAfee, but the fact that this whole angle is happening with him unnecessarily inserted:

• “Save the Business” says the podcaster punter who should be nowhere near a World Title feud. - @Nick_Hagelgans
• Nobody asked for this, nor does anyone want this. 20 years of history and the stakes are "if randy looses pat macafee goes away." Wow, great writing TKO. - @FiresOfTruth
• This is so corny dude. TKO ruining your image and legacy in the WWE - @AllMikedUp
• Is this the WWE’s plan to aggressively keep Cody as a babyface? - @DartsWithMatt
• Might as well take the Wrestle out of Wrestlemania. Guess where Ari's right hand is since he clearly controls you like a puppet - @ExConDom1238

The last comment is a reference to TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, who is rumored to have a hand in Pat McAfee's inclusion into this WrestleMania 42 feud. Insider site Bodyslam.net alleged that Emanuel made the call to have McAfee inserted into the feud, and believed he'd bring energy to the feud between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes.

It would seem Emanuel has hopes that bringing in Pat McAfee will bring more eyes on WrestleMania 42, as the WWE struggles to sell tickets to the two-night event in Vegas. McAfee can, of course, promote the show further on The Pat McAfee Show, and I'm sure ESPN will have no problem with that as it also has a vested interest in seeing people use their ESPN Unlimited subscription to watch Mania.

Whether it'll work or not remains to be seen. Personally, I've written about how the creative dip in storytelling may be a factor in low ticket sales, with this latest appearance by Pat McAfee being an example. I think people would've sooner liked to see an experienced absent veteran like Kevin Owens team up with Randy Orton, but it seems so much in the WWE is centered around creating viral moments rather than anything else.

All this being said, McAfee has surprised WWE fans in the past, so I'm not completely ruling out him doing it yet again at WrestleMania 42. We'll see if he can sway some angry fans in these final weeks leading up to April 18th and 19th.

When I first got back into wrestling after a multi-year break in 2009, I couldn’t get enough of the unhinged menace that was Randy Orton. This era of the “Viper,” which saw the third-generation wrestler evolve from a man with a great legacy to one of the most intense and dastardly heels, was unlike anything he’d done before. Then came WrestleMania 25, when it all came crashing down as Orton went into the unstoppable meat-grinder that was late 2000s Triple H in one of the most underwhelming main events of all time.

Randy Orton, who doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, is currently in a similar situation: he’s wrestling a former stablemate for the WWE Championship at the two-night WrestleMania 42 and he’s in the middle of an outstanding heel run. In fact, this is the best he’s been since that 2009 feud. I just hope WWE doesn’t make the same old mistake… again.

Randy Orton Is Just So Natural As An Unhinged Heel

Nothing against babyface Randy Orton, but the Viper has always been at his best (and having the most fun) as a heel. From his days in Evolution to leading Legacy to even being the Authority’s chosen champion in the Daniel Bryan feud, he’s just natural as a heel. This is especially true when he lets those voices in his head get the best of him and cause him to be unhinged.

We’re in that right now with his feud with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, whom he turned heel against in March 2026 upon signing the contract for their big WrestleMania main event match. Mercilessly beating Rhodes to a bloody pulp, Orton was in rare form and looked like the silent killer that he was nearly 20 years ago. One of the best and bloodiest beatdowns in recent memory, Orton showed Rhodes and the wrestling world that he was back and crazier than ever…

I Just Hope They Don’t Waste It Like It’s WrestleMania 25 All Over Again

I’ve been loving this version of Randy Orton the past few weeks, but it has got me thinking about the Viper’s underwhelming match against Triple H at WrestleMania 25 all those years ago. The match, which had one of the most captivating and unbelievable builds that year, ultimately fell short of greatness (it was actually boring and unremarkable). It was another example of “LOL Triple H wins a long, uninspired, and formulaic match” that didn’t do anything for anyone and ended the show with a “meh.” Triple H kept the title, and Orton's punt-kicking of the McMahon family in the lead-up to the match was for nothing.

I hope this year is different. Ideally, I would love a situation where Orton wins the belt off his former protege and has one final run with the WWE Championship. However, I would be okay with Rhodes retaining if it led to a major change in his character and forced him to go all out to take down his former mentor. Both of those options are captivating and could lead to some cool programs in the short term and in the long term. I just don’t want a situation where Orton looks like a monster in the build, gets beaten clean by Rhodes, and we end the show with the American Nightmare hamming it up for the camera as fireworks shoot off behind him.

Maybe WWE learned its lesson from the forgettable WrestleMania 25 match. I really hope they did…

We’re just a few weeks away from WrestleMania 42, and the card is finally starting to come together. We officially have 12 announced matches, with a couple others that are being heavily teased. If recent history is any indication, it’s likely we’re going to get either 14 or 15 spread across the two days. That’ll leave room for a handful of additional superstars to get their moments, but even so, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that a ton of huge names are not going to make The Showcase Of The Immortals.

We’ll get a lot more clarity over the next week, but after last night’s Raw at Madison Square Garden, I thought it would make sense to check in on where we’re at. Let’s do a quick overview of what matches have already been announced, what matches I think have a chance to get added and who that would leave on the outside looking in.

What Matches Have Been Announced

Roman Reigns vs CM Punk for The World Heavyweight Championship

Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton for The WWE Championship

Stephanie Vaquer vs Liv Morgan for The Women’s World Championship

Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill for The WWE Women’s Championship

AJ Lee vs Becky Lynch for The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Penta vs JD McDonagh vs Je’Von Evans vs Rusev vs Dragon Lee For The Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn vs Trick Williams for The United States Championship

Nia Jax And Lash Legend vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs The Bella Twins vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria for The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

Dominik Mysterio vs Finn Bálor

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu

What Matches Could Get Announced

I think there are two matches we are almost certainly going to get. Logan Paul and Austin Theory have been feuding with The Usos and LA Knight for weeks. Last night, streaming legend IShowSpeed interfered in their brawl and helped Paul and Theory. I think we’re going to get a 3v3 match at ‘Mania featuring these guys. I also think we’re going to get Iyo Sky vs Asuka or Iyo Sky vs Asuka vs Kairi Sane. Those three have been interacting on a regular basis for weeks now, and they’re clearly telling a story about Kairi eventually turning on Asuka. ‘Mania would be the place to do that, and Iyo is, in my opinion, way too over with the crowd to leave off the card. She’s reached that level.

I also think we’re probably going to get something with Jelly Roll on the WrestleMania card. He’s been a regular fixture on SmackDown the last few weeks. Rumors have swirled he may introduce Royce Keys as part of some kind of tag team program with The Miz and Kit Wilson. It’s also possible Danhausen could factor in somehow. I’m not sure what exactly the configuration and specifics are gonna be, but I do think Jelly is gonna get his ‘Mania moment, especially after he put over Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at SummerSlam.

Beyond that, there are a few other matches that could sneak in. Tiffany Stratton and Giulia have been circling each other for awhile, with a still injured Chelsea Green on the periphery, as well as Kiana James. I figured some configuration would make the card for sure, but as each week goes by, I’m having more doubts. I also thought El Grande Americano vs El Grande Americano would make the card for sure, but given that feud is mega-over in AAA and only somewhat over in WWE, it’s possible they may want to save that for TripleMania instead of WrestleMania.

Who That Leaves On The Outside

Damian Priest and R-Truth recently won the tag team titles, but the SmackDown tag division has largely been ignored this year. Since there’s already a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and a big multi-woman match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships, I don’t really know that WWE is gonna throw something together for this division. I think they’re probably out, which especially sucks for Damian since he put on a low-key banger last year at 'Mania.

I’m also worried about Carmelo Hayes. He had a fantastic run as United States Champion but was, much to the frustration of fans, unceremoniously dethroned this past week. There’s some hope he could get added to Sami Zayn and Trick Williams’ match, but that would need to happen quickly. I have even less hope for Ilja Dragunov. It seemed like him and Melo were going to finally pay off their storyline at ‘Mania, but then they burned the match off on SmackDown a few weeks ago. Now Ilya is directionless with no clear path.

Raquel is another major head-scratcher. She’s been a huge part of Raw the past year and has taken big steps forward in her career. She beat Iyo earlier this week, as an example, and it wasn’t even a big surprise. There were rumors for a long time that she might get added to Liv and Stephanie’s ‘Mania match for The Women’s World Championship. That’s how high her stock has risen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I also suspect her Judgment Day running mate Roxanne Perez is going to be left out too.

The Wyatt Sicks and MFTs feuded for months, but it looks like that angle has gone cold at the worst possible moment. They’re likely all going to be left off the ‘Mania card, which is particularly rough for Solo Sikoa, considering his mic work has been on point for the last year. I really believe in him long-term (Tama Tonga too), but it looks like the timing isn’t going to work out this time around. Natalya and Maxxine’s feud also seems to have run out of steam ahead of ‘Mania and is probably going to get left off the card.

There are also a lot of notable names that don’t really even seem in consideration. Matt Cardona, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega all played a role in the Randy Orton/ Cody Rhodes feud, but their roles don’t look like they’ll carry forward to ‘Mania. Shinsuke Nakamura has mostly been used to further Tama Tonga’s character, but neither of them is likely to get on. Johnny Garagno is still working with his wife on the plotline about him being comatose, but there’s no antagonist to that story yet.

Tag teams like The Street Profits, The Motor City Machine Guns, Los Garza, Fraxiom, Otis and Tozawa, the Viking Raiders and the Creed Brothers haven’t had prominent storylines in a hot minute. The New Day and Grayson Waller have at least been regular fixtures on TV, but that hasn’t progressed into anything ‘Mania worthy yet. Rey Fénix was building some nice momentum with Andrade before his release and has kind of been stuck in the mud since then. They’ll likely all be off.

And then of course there are injuries. Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio would all likely be on the card if they were healthy, as would Naomi who has taken time off for her pregnancy. Their absence has shifted some major storylines in recent months, and it’s entirely possible if they were healthy and around, some other wrestlers on the outside may have been in because of the ripple effects.

To Sum Up

It might sound like I’m complaining about some people being left off the card, but the truth is WWE employs too many talented wrestlers to get everyone a moment. Huge names get left off every year. We don’t want multiple five hour nights, and we don’t want to shoehorn everyone into a battle royal just to say they were on. Spots on the card should be earned.

That being said, do I think it’s ridiculous if performers like Raquel and Carmelo Hayes who have done fantastic work over the last six months are left off? Yes, I do. I think WWE should find a way to get its most important performers on the card. Fortunately, there’s still a few weeks for WWE to find a way.

John Cena ended his run as an in-ring WWE performer back in December 2025, but I don't think anyone ever expected he'd be away forever. Now, as WrestleMania 42 looms and a lot of questions circle about how it will live up to the hype, The Champ has an announcement. He will be there for the festivities, and with a job title that I personally didn't see coming.

Before anyone gets too excited or frustrated, Cena is not confirmed to be having a match. That said, he will presumably step into the ring at least once during the festivities, as he officially announced he will be the hostest with the GOAT-stest of WrestleMania 42.

John Cena Is The Host Of WrestleMania 42

Yes, John Cena is set to head up WrestleMania 42 from a hosting perspective, and announced it in classic Cena style with a video shared across his social media pages, in which he said the following:

And with that, The Champ is booked for WrestleMania 42. I'm a fan of this update, especially after Cena's retirement run didn't live up to everyone's expectations. Perhaps now he can get his flowers from the fans, without the ugliness of how his match ended with Gunther looming over any kind of celebration.

Why I'm Hype For John Cena's WrestleMania Hosting Stint

I'm also hype to see John Cena hosting WrestleMania 42 simply because he's familiar with the entire process and what goes on within the WWE. As such, I think he'll be a more interactive host who participates in backstage segments, and they'll be good.

This is the first year in a while they've had a host for WrestleMania, with Snoop Dogg and The Miz playing the part last back in 2023. Some might remember his notable moment of needing to improvise in the ring after Shane McMahon blew his knee out, but there wasn't much to it beyond that.

With Cena, I would expect we're going to see him cut a promo to open up WrestleMania 42, and he'll for sure participate a few skits. I also wouldn't rule out a confrontation of sorts with Gunther, though I wouldn't expect a surprise rematch or anything of that sort. Maybe it's something where Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment, but who knows? WWE blindsided us with an impromptu Stone Cold Steve Austin match. Perhaps they're looking to try and make the fans happy?

WrestleMania 42 airs live on ESPN Unlimited on Saturday, April 18th and Sunday, April 19th. Tune in to see Cena back in the ring, and be prepared for two nights of great fun from the WWE.

It’s no secret WWE has been trying to maximize revenue via ticket prices since TKO purchased the brand. Fans have had a lot to say about how much it now costs to sit even great distances from the ring, especially at premium live events. It turns out those elevated seating costs, however, are nothing compared to how much it’ll set you back to make pasta with a wrestler.

A week or so after a WrestleMania 42 VIP Experience with Cody Rhodes went viral that allowed fans to ride on his tour bus for $9,950 per person, an even pricier and more outrageous VIP experience is overshadowing the American Nightmare. On Location, WWE’s partner for higher end experiences, just dropped a new option for Backlash, which is taking place in Turin, Italy in May. For the low low price of $11,500 per person, a lucky fan can get a front row seat to the event, get backstage access, go to a wine tasting and most importantly, participate in a private pasta-making session with an unnamed WWE superstar.

Apart from this being so on the dough since it’s pasta-making in Italy, the funniest part of this experience is that WWE has not mentioned who you get to make pasta with. The tour bus trip is at least known to be Cody Rhodes. There’s a distinct chance this is going to be Kit Wilson or Otis. I love both of those guys and wouldn’t be mad, but if I’m dropping five figures on a PastaMania experience in 2026, I would at least like a heads up on who I’m doing it with.

It might sound like I’m boiling this pasta and in some ways I am, but I’m actually way more fine with this than I am with the general ticket-pricing situation. I get that TKO wants to make more money, and I’m certainly not begrudging the company for increasing revenue. Charging super rich people a lot of money for extra access is a great way to improve the bottom line without affecting the average fan. If they want to charge $11,500 to make pasta or many times more than that for a preshow ring entrance during WrestleMania, that’s fine by me.

What I do have a problem with is pricing out middle class families and kids from experiencing the product live. That might be a good way to increase profits in the short-term, but it’s a really short-sighted long-term strategy. My parents took me to a WWE event when I was a little kid, which probably cost $10 a ticket. I fell in love and now as an adult, attend three or four WWE events a year, plus spend money on action figures and merchandise. They never would have taken me if it was expensive, and I’m sure many other families are in the same boat.

So, yeah, I’m all for this pasta-making experience. If someone wants to pay for that sauce, I say let ‘em. I just hope TKO will use those profits to keep the prices at least somewhat reasonable for the rest of us.

Known as the "Monster Among Men” during his multiple runs in WWE, Braun Strowman more than earned that moniker due to his sheer size. Though his time with the company ended (for a second time) in 2025, the former WWE Universal Champion has stayed as massive as ever with his popular Everything on the Menu TV show and a 7,300-calorie-a-day diet. But you know it’s not the amount of food that’s giving me the meat sweats, it’s his grocery bill.

With a billed height of 6 feet 8 inches and a billed weight of 335 pounds, it’s no surprise that Strowman, real name Adam Scherr, takes down nearly three times the recommended daily calorie intake of a man his age. That being said, when he was speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in March, the former Wyatt Family member revealed that he’s spending $190 a day on groceries. So, what’s he eating?

Again, Strowman is a “Monster Among Men,” and someone who needs to consume an absurd amount of calories to keep up with his size and the demands of his workout routine, but this is wild. That said, six pounds of meat and a dozen eggs a day is straight up bonkers. At least he’s keeping up with the water intake.

To put this all into perspective, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (via Nerd Wallet) shows that the average family of four spends around $1,000 per month at the grocery store. The former WWE superstar spends five times as much just on himself. Hopefully, his store has a good loyalty program to help offset some of that cost.

Another thing I find crazy about Strowman’s daily intake and daily grocery bill is the fact that this doesn’t include the massive meals he takes down for his Everything on the Menu TV show. Anyone who’s watched an episode or two of this incredibly fun and appetizing program knows that this guy can take down some grub. Michelin restaurants, hometown gems, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and more are no match for Strowman and his seemingly insatiable appetite.

It doesn’t sound like Strowman is planning to stop anytime soon, when it comes to eating and trying his hand in the world of entertainment. Earlier this year, THR reported that he was starting his own production company, the aptly named Meat Castle Media, alongside Magilla Entertainment. Their plans aren’t laid out yet, but Magilla’s track record with shows like Moonshiners, Diesel Brothers, and Beachfront Bargain Hunt could give us a hint at what’s to come.

It sounds like this is just the beginning for Braun Strowman as he approaches the first anniversary of his departure from WWE, and I’m not just talking about his grocery list.

With just weeks to go until the highly anticipated WrestleMania 42, more rumors are surfacing in regard to how the WWE intends to draw as many eyes as possible to its biggest event. Now, following Jelly Roll's return after being pinned last year at Backlash, it sounds like Tom Brady could be the next celebrity to get involved. Needless to say, that could be exciting if it were to happen.

Triple H and his colleagues at WWE seem ready to tempt the most famous NFL quarterback of all time to appear at WrestleMania, which is wild. Unfortunately, this rumor also has me upset, as it could mean that another celebrity appearance may not be feasible now.

Tom Brady Is Reportedly In Talks To Appear At WrestleMania 42

Dave Meltzer revealed on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that the WWE is reportedly in talks with Tom Brady for an appearance at WrestleMania 42 (via Forbes). Wrestling fans speculated this to be the case after seeing Brady feud with Logan Paul for weeks following disparaging comments made about professional wrestling on the latter's podcast.

The feud has continued in recent days, as the two competed against each other during the Fanatics Flag Football game. Brady threw a ball at Paul when he got in his face and, before the matchup, he had more inflammatory words for professional wrestling. It all has the obvious signs of an eventual appearance in Las Vegas, which would also make sense considering Brady has ties to the city as a minority owner in the Las Vegas Raiders.

Tom Brady's Feud With Logan Paul Might Mean Bad Bunny's Potential Appearance Is Dead

As cool as it would be to see Tom Brady in a WWE ring, I can't help but wonder if this could mean the WWE was unsuccessful in getting Bad Bunny to commit to any angle for WrestleMania 42. Triple H sent well wishes to the singer on social media ahead of his Super Bowl Halftime performance, and Logan Paul's diss against the performer seemed to indicate his return was just around the corner.

Bad Bunny would be a great pull for WrestleMania, as he's performed in the WWE before, wants to perform again, and is a massive international star. Tom Brady only has the name recognition and, while getting one of the best professional athletes of all time involved in your show is good, I don't see Brady taking any bumps in the ring. Heck, he went out of his way to avoid sacks in the NFL with frequent check-down throws, so I can't imagine he'd take a suplex.

That said, Logan Paul was the only person building for a feud with Bad Bunny, and he's now moved on to Brady. Of course, fans never received any explicit confirmation that Bad Bunny was in talks to appear at WrestleMania 42, yet it now feels like the chances of him appearing and competing are slim to nil.

We'll see if Tom Brady ends up appearing at WrestleMania 42 and if so, what the extent of his involvement wouldl be. Tune in for the big two-night event on April 18th and 19th on ESPN Unlimited and prepare for an exciting couple of days of wrestling!

We’re a month away from WrestleMania, and a few of WWE’s biggest stars still don’t have a clear path to The Showcase Of The Immortals. Gunther, arguably a top five star in the entire company, doesn’t have an obvious ‘Mania direction, and if the rumors are to be believed, it’s because he was going to work with Rey Mysterio, who might not be cleared in time. If the legendary luchador can be healthy next month, that should absolutely be WWE’s plan, but if he’s going to be out, I’d like to propose a new path.

Gunther’s current storyline has seen him retire three different legends: Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles. Rey Mysterio is the obvious next candidate on that list, given he’s also a Hall of Famer and crowd favorite who is likely ready to leave his boots in the ring. Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton fit that same bill, but both of them have more in the tank and other storylines for this year’s ‘Mania. No one else on the current roster jumps out as an obvious choice, but perhaps there’s someone not on the current roster who does.

I propose Gunther issues an open challenge to any wrestling legend to come face him at this year’s ‘Mania. Fans would have a great time speculating about who might show up, and there are plenty of past favorites who we know can still go if called upon. It’s hard to imagine someone like Rob Van Dam or Jeff Hardy wouldn’t jump at the chance to get another WrestleMania match. They would only need to work for about five minutes or so. Maybe we could book in a hope spot to get the fans excited and then they’d ultimately succumb to an onslaught from Gunther.

I’m not a fan of big stars missing WrestleMania if they’re healthy. It’s the annual show most likely to be rewatched decades from now, and keeping someone off the card because there’s not the ideal match in play for them just doesn't make sense. Ten years from now, if someone watches WrestleMania 42, they’re going to expect to see Gunther. He should be on the card, even if it’s not in the most exciting match in the world. Aura farming in a big moment is a lot better than being absent.

Last year as an example, Randy Orton gave us a quick beatdown of Joe Hendry that was a lot of fun. It got him on the card and gave Hendry the biggest stage of his career. At WrestleMania 39, Brock Lesnar made quick work of Omos, and after watching him lose to Roman the year before, it was a great way to get him an easy and dominant win. There are tons of examples throughout ‘Mania’s history. I have vivid memories of being a little kid and watching The Hart Foundation roll Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov in like thirty seconds at WrestleMania 6.

Yes, there are performers on WWE’s roster who could give Gunther a better match than whichever legend answers the open challenge. Many on social are calling for Penta. They’d no doubt have a match of the night banger, but that would mean Gunther either needs to lose or win The Intercontinental Championship again, which feels like a step back in his career. I don’t want that.

Gunther needs to be on the WrestleMania card. The AEW move would be to find the best possible wrestler without a match and go let them cook. There’s some validity to that. The WWE move, however, feels like finding a way to let him continue his current storyline, and the best way to do that is by bringing in a legend from the past.

WWE: Unreal is already greenlit for Season 3, but it remains a divisive inclusion in professional wrestling. While some fans enjoy it, others have taken issue with how it's promoted during the actual product, which, of course, is scripted. Wrestling legends seem to be on both sides of being in support or against it, and finally, we have Stone Cold Steve Austin's take on it.

Austin was one of the baddest men in the ring during the Attitude Era, but these days, he spends more time doing cold plunges and other goofy stuff that might shock a time traveler from 1997. The WWE icon talked about the docuseries available with a Netflix subscription to SI.com, and revealed his feelings before and after watching WWE: Unreal:

Though plenty of wrestling fans were aware during the Attitude Era that the WWE is a scripted product, Stone Cold Steve Austin said it was still important for talent to maintain the illusion. To his credit, that mindset helped keep his brand strong as the tough guy of the WWE, so we still find it odd to see him doing talk shows and other things like that, even now.

Imagine if we'd seen the real Steve Austin outside of the ring on another show, not long after seeing him do some of the most shocking things we've seen in the WWE. Fans would react to him differently now, which he suspects will be the case with the current roster when fans see them:

I love hearing his perspective as a WWE legend, especially with WrestleMania 42 just around the corner. How does the WWE being more candid about its scripted nature impact it as a product, and how will the fans respond to it as more seasons come out?

There's also the meta crowd who then see supposed "candid" moments with Charlotte and CM Punk, and wonder how much of WWE: Unreal is just what the company wants us to see. One could make that guess, given it's made in-house, though that hasn't kept the Netflix series entirely free from controversy.

Love it or hate it, WWE: Unreal remains a fixture in the product, at least for the foreseeable future. It'll be interesting to see how the series continues to evolve, and which main roster talent agree to participate, while others stay away. After all, some wrestlers may prefer the old way of doing things, perhaps to keep their mystique and hopefully reach Stone Cold Steve Austin status one day.

Stream Season 1 and 2 of WWE: Unreal on Netflix right now. As a wrestling fan, I generally like watching it, though I can't imagine I would've enjoyed it when I was a kid! I wanted to believe it was real, even if I knew deep down it wasn't.

WrestleMania 42 is coming up on April 18th and 19th, and while the main events are set, it feels as though there's a lot still that could happen in shaping the card for the two-night event in Las Vegas. We're still not entirely sure about who will be featured, and amidst rumors of who may show up, Pat McAfee gave an update on his future with WWE.

McAfee was last seen on commentary when he popped in during Wrestlepalooza. The event was in McAfee's current home base in Indianapolis, and the first PLE on ESPN, so it seemed obvious he'd make an appearance. That said, it looks like that's going to be the last one for a while, and possibly forever. Here are the latest comments he gave on Instagram Stories when a fan asked about his return to the WWE (via EliteRockerz):

This announcement comes long after McAfee's comments following a loss to Gunther at WWE Backlash back in May 2025. At the time, it seemed like he was walking away from the company, but continued appearances had fans hoping he'd continue on commentary.

Despite his role in the WWE largely being taken over by longtime commentator Corey Graves, I felt as though the move was done to accommodate Pat McAfee's growing schedule as he becomes more of a staple to the ESPN brand. It seems the scales finally tipped, and McAfee is at a point where he's ok stepping away from the WWE, and probably more than happy to stop globe-trotting with the superstars across the country and overseas.

It's a shock to hear Pat McAfee casually announce he's done with the WWE so easily, and while I'm still suspicious and wonder if this is just a setup to surprise fans, it wouldn't be too surprising. Between his television show, various appearances at other sporting events, and his duties as one of the hosts of College GameDay, he may not have time to relax if he adds the WWE to the mix.

I'll also add that while McAfee was great on commentary, he's right in saying that the WWE is in a good place without him. Whether Michael Cole is working alongside Corey Graves or he's paired up with Wade Barrett or Joe Tessitore, he's going to sound amazing. The commentary team is in a good place, and they'll do just fine at WrestleMania 42 if the ESPN host doesn't show up.

It feels like this is another blow for the WWE, however, as Triple H and company continue to try and draw interest in the event amidst reported struggles selling tickets. We've seen rumors that hint at Bad Bunny showing up, and even Tom Brady's name has been showing up in the dirt sheets.

Truthfully, I don't think Pat McAfee's appearance would move the needle for WrestleMania 42 one way or another, so perhaps the WWE is best served working through creative ideas for new wrestlers like Danhausen than trying to court celebrities to show up or play a part in the show. I'm still expecting to be entertained as a wrestling fan, so hopefully we get more to make me feel the hype in these final weeks.

As previously mentioned, WrestleMania 42 is streaming live on April 18th and 19th over on ESPN Unlimited. Here's hoping the service is available for all it was promised to be by then, so we can all enjoy some wrestling together!

There is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding next month’s WrestleMania 42, but the main event match between World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns is shaping up to be an all-timer. The hotly anticipated match between two of the most polarizing figures in modern wrestling history is headlining WWE’s return to Las Vegas, and these two are already off to the races.

Though they faced each other (and Seth Rollins) in the triple threat that headlined WrestleMania 41 Night 1 last year, their one-on-one bout at the upcoming WWE event feels different. It feels bigger (not just because it’s for the title), more heated, and a whole lot more real. It’s been one of the hardest-hitting feuds in WWE since it started a little more than a month ago, and I cannot wait to see where this goes.

The World Heavyweight Championship Is On The Line, But This Goes Deeper Than That

This match is technically for the World Heavyweight Championship, but it’s so much more than that, and you can feel it. Championship matches are nothing new for WrestleMania (we have two Royal Rumble matches and two Elimination Chamber matches each year to determine No. 1 contenders), but this feud between Roman Reigns and CM Punk feels like something that has been in the making for years.

From CM Punk seemingly throwing Reigns under the bus in his notorious The Art of Wrestling interview with Colt Cabana back in 2014 and inadvertently getting the fans to turn on WWE’s up-and-coming superstar of the next generation, to them butting heads at WarGames back in 2024 to their show-stealing match at WrestleMania 41, this is a collision course a decade-plus in the making. Sure, having a belt on the line raises the stakes, but this is about the past, present, and future of the business, not just gold around the victor’s waist.

Punk And Roman Aren’t Afraid To Get Personal, And It Feels Real

Though it feels weird saying this, wrestling is at its best when it feels real, and we’re getting that with Roman Reigns and CM Punk’s current feud heading into WrestleMania. Whenever these guys are in the same place at the same time since Roman stamped his ticket to the “Showcase of the Immortals” in late January, they haven’t held back and haven’t been afraid to get personal.

Much like CM Punk’s feud with Drew McIntyre (which resulted in a rare five-star match for WWE) or Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart back in the ‘90s, the current WHC program makes it feel like Punk and Roman genuinely can’t stand one another, despite being Zebros in the decorated Zootopia 2 a few months ago.

I didn’t think it could get more heated than Roman telling Punk he challenged him at Mania because he had always hated him for making his life so hard when he was getting started. But then came their most recent back-and-forth, where the champ told the challenger he was going to bury him next to his dead dad. Now I have no idea how intense this could get.

Honestly, I don’t know how any other match on the WrestleMania 42 card can compete with the banger these two are about to give us, but I guess I’ll have to watch with my ESPN Unlimited subscription to find out next month.

Elimination Chamber is over, which means we're one step closer to WrestleMania 42. With just weeks to go before the big show, there's a lot of conversation about the things the WWE is doing right, and a lot more about what it's doing wrong. To touch on something about the former, I feel like they ultimately righted the ship with Danhausen.

Admittedly, scheduling his debut during the PLE might've been a misstep, but after just one Monday Night Raw, I can tell I'm going to enjoy seeing Danhausen throughout the rest of the 2026 TV schedule. In the wake of criticism about all the things the wrestling company is doing wrong, here's why scouting people like Danhausen is the right call.

The WWE Needs More Wrestlers Like Danhausen Who Can Get Over Without Championships

The WWE currently has the most talented main roster it's had in decades. From heavyweight to luchadors, the men's and women's division is chock full of technical wrestlers ready to prove they can be the top stars for the company. As such, I feel like everyone has a persona where they want to be seen as a future champion, which creates (for lack of a better term) very generic characters.

Name a WWE wrestler who would best be described as a bad ass who never gives up and will do whatever it takes to win, and you could probably attribute that to 90% of the roster. I don't necessarily blame talent for being "vanilla" with their characters, either, as who wouldn't after hearing what Michael Hayes said about Chelsea Green on WWE: Unreal?

In front of cameras on a show the world would see with their Netflix subscription, the creative figurehead said Green's character is entertaining, but not necessarily built to be a top WWE performer. Hayes later tried to walk it back, but it's clear enough by looking at who is at the top that the WWE wants its top competitors to look and act a certain way.

As such, a guy like Danhausen is not going to be in the WWE's main event. The good thing is, it seems like he's fine with that, and is content to use his gimmick to sell merchandise, do comedy bits, have feuds, and maybe once in a blue moon get a title. To me, his value to WWE right now eclipses other mid-carders looking for that chance to push to the next level, and helps him stand out in a way that, frankly, many recent returners to the brand haven't.

Danhausen Also Fills The WWE's Need For Wrestlers With Interesting Gimmicks

Remember when Kit Wilson got hot seemingly out of nowhere recently? People were pissed he wasn't in the Royal Rumble, when the guy hasn't stood out as a singles performer since Pretty Deadly joined the main roster in 2023. It wasn't because he suddenly upped his game and became a better performer than he was already; it was because he got a great theme song and a fun new gimmick.

The same is true with Danhausen, who already seems to be doing well with merchandise numbers, according to NoDQ. I believe the WWE audience is dying for more creativity when it comes to characters, and need something more than "tough wrestler who never gives up challenges other tough wrestler who also never gives up."

The fact of the matter is, the WWE needs more Danhausens than it does Cody Rhodeses at the moment. There's only so much room at the top, but there's plenty of room elsewhere for wrestlers to get over if they make the effort. Great character work and winning over the crowd is a necessary step, and he's already off to a great start.

I can't wait to see more of Danhausen in the WWE and see where his run goes. As someone who loved what I saw of him in AEW, I'm expecting his upcoming appearances to be "very evil" and "very nice."

2026 will feature the first WrestleMania since Hulk Hogan's passing, so it's fitting that one of the legend's biggest pieces of memorabilia went up for auction recently. WWE superstar Logan Paul hoped to snag Hulk's wrestling boots from the very first Mania, but was surprisingly outbid at a price point even he backed down from.

Paul may make tens of millions yearly between his YouTube career, WWE contract, and other business endeavors, but even he can be outbid from time to time. I'll admit it's been a while since I've seen a wrestling item go up for so much, and I totally get why he wasn't able to break a certain number, even for a piece of wrestling history.

Logan Paul Attempted To Buy Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Boots From The First WrestleMania

Apparently, the action of Elimination Chamber didn't keep Logan Paul down for long. While he likely won't be addressing Seth Rollins for curb-stomping him until Monday Night Raw goes live for those with a Netflix subscription, and in the meantime, talked about his "bidding war" he got into with someone for Hulk Hogan's wrestling boots. In addition to being the ones he wore at WrestleMania 1, Paul explained on X that they also had a special message:

That message makes it clear, at least to me, that Hulk Hogan never intended to hold onto those boots forever. Whether they were meant for auction specifically, we'll never know, but in any case, I can get why Logan Paul would want something worn from a night that changed the professional wrestling industry forever.

The Winning Bid Took It Home For An Eye-Watering Amount Of Money

As mentioned, Logan Paul ended up losing out on the wrestling boots to another anonymous bidder. It seems the bidding went well beyond what he expected, as he wrote the number that was officially too much for him to pay:

Officially, the boots sold for $1,037,000, and according to businessman Jeremy Padawar, it's the first professional wrestling collectible to cross the million-dollar threshold. Personally, I'm surprised it took this long for a piece of wrestling history to reach the million-dollar mark, as much as it also makes my bank account shudder to think about spending that much money on a single pair of boots. Still, I would love to know who the new owner is.

I also am mildly curious why Logan Paul decided to back down at such a random number. Once you've agreed to cross the million-dollar threshold, I wonder when tens of thousands of dollars start to matter. Then again, I'm sure my stomach would sink once I knew it was the most anyone ever paid for wrestling gear, and I may have second thoughts knowing I may not get a return on that investment. It would've been cool to see him trot it out at WrestleMania 42, but a million dollars' worth of pyro would also be cool.

As for who that anonymous bidder is, I'm sure there's no shortage of fans of the late WWE superstar who have deeper pockets than Logan Paul. The Rock, for example, is a big fan, though I'd be more apt to think he'd buy something from their WrestleMania 8 showdown as opposed to the first one. We may never know who bought it, though I am excited for this new era for WWE memorabilia and looking forward to seeing if any item can break this record.

If that anonymous bidder ends up being Jake Paul, I won't be too surprised.

Expect Logan Paul on Monday Night Raw this Monday, and have Netflix on when it kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm sure the WWE superstar will have a lot to say, as Rollins looks to find a way into WrestleMania 42.

Injuries happen all the time in professional wrestling, and that’s never been truer than it is right now as WWE continues the Road to WrestleMania 42. Multiple big-name superstars are on the sidelines, and that’s especially true for The Vision. In recent months, Seth Rollins injured his shoulder and was kicked to the curb, Bron Breakker had emergency hernia surgery, and now Bronson Reed has torn his bicep just days before the upcoming WWE PLE, Elimination Chamber.

The Vision has been worrying about that Masked Man attacking them, but now they have to be more concerned about the wear and tear of wrestling and who might next be out of action. That said, the once-dominant faction is facing a serious crisis, and WWE is going to have to figure something out sooner or later. So, how should the company handle The Vision moving forward? I have some ideas…

Stay The Course And Push Logan And Austin Hard

The most likely, and safest option (well, relatively considering the faction’s injury history) would be for WWE to just keep moving forward and put all the focus on Logan Paul and Austin Theory, the only active members at this point. It’s no secret that The Vision isn’t as strong, stacked, or interesting as it was at full strength, but staying the course would have its benefits. There are a couple of ways the company could go about this.

With the World Tag Team Championship being held by The Usos, a duo The Vision has faced time and time again, you could put Logan and Austin in a program with the decorated champions and maybe some other contenders in the build to WrestleMania. It would be a fun way to keep them in the mix, allow Theory to continue to improve, and give Paul more chances to work the crowd as one of the biggest heels in the company. Speaking of which…

Have Logan And Austin Turn On The Injured Members

Another way to build up The Vision, or at least the healthy members of the faction, would be to have Paul and Theory turn on Breakker and Reed now that they’re on the sidelines. Considering Breakker had hernia surgery in February 2026, per the Wrestling Observer, it’s probably going to be some time before we see the second-generation wrestler back in action, and the same goes for Reed as well. That said, just have their stablemates turn on them and cut some nasty promos in the meantime.

Not only would that make Paul and Theory even more dastardly heels, but it’d also set Breakker and Reed up for some kind of babyface run when they do make their eventual return. It allows the heels to heel it up and keeps the injured guys’ names in the conversation despite not being able to compete. I mean, just imagine the pop from the crowd after weeks of The Vision cutting Breakker and Reed down, only for the two to return and whoop the mess out of them. The crowd would eat it up.

Sure, it’s not reinventing the wheel or anything, but sometimes you don’t need to overthink things like this.

Have Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, And Austin Theory Turn On Each Other

There’s another way WWE could handle the injury-plagued faction, and that involves Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory all turning on each other and everyone going their separate ways. This isn’t the most ideal situation, if I’m being honest, but if the company wants to cut its losses and abandon this whole experiment, this could be an easy way out.

With Brock Lesnar back in action and setting himself up to have a big WrestleMania match come April, Heyman is going to be quite busy as The Beast’s Advocate on the road to Sin City. I mean, just look at how excited and full of life Heyman was when he issued the open challenge for anyone brave (or dumb) enough to challenge his longtime client. There wasn’t that much pep in his step earlier in the night, right? He could just cut the dead weight and go back to his money-maker full-time.

Much like how The Judgment Day is slowly breaking apart, we could have something similar with The Vision now that there are two members left. Have the pressure get the best of Logan and Austin, and finally have them snap at one another. You could have these two implode following a tough loss for the tag titles, and then have a little program where the former allies become enemies. Maybe even have Theory come out as a babyface for a change. Will it work? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Keep Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed On TV During The Injuries

One final option would be to simply keep Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed on TV while they’re injured, while also making no changes to the status quo of The Vision. Honestly, this seems like the least likely (and least interesting) option, but there are some ways it could work, especially if those injuries don’t leave the two rising stars out of action too terribly long.

At the time of this writing, nothing has been said about Breakker’s recovery, and it’s not yet known if or when Reed will have to go under the knife, so it’s hard to say if this is even a viable option in the short term before The Vision loses what momentum is left. That said, watching these two hold back the urge to go all crazy on someone while cutting a promo would be something to behold. Will it happen? I don’t know. Does anyone want it to happen? That, too, remains a mystery.

Only time will tell what WWE has in store for The Vision, both in terms of the healthy members and those sidelined by injuries. As much as I would love to see this faction turn the corner and find its way into a meaningful feud in its current state, it remains to be seen if that’s even a possibility. We shall see...

We’re less than two months away from WrestleMania 42, and it’s a big yikes right now. I’m not normally one of those social media trolls crying about the state of WWE during every rope break, but even I’m ready to admit we need to listen to the referee’s count. There’s a serious lack of hot characters and compelling storylines.

Ordinarily, Elimination Chamber is WWE’s last big chance to inject some momentum, but it’s hard to even see how they do that this year. There’s no John Cena heel turn coming. Jade Cargill is not returning to attack Naomi. We’re almost certainly not going to get a big, splashy moment, but with fourteen or fifteen matches to book in the next six weeks, I’m hopeful we can at least make some meaningful forward progress in smaller ways.

Let’s use CM Punk and Finn Bálor as an example. We all know Punk is going to win. WWE is already advertising his match with Roman Reigns at ‘Mania, but I suspect Triple H and company will use the match to give Bálor a new path, possibly in opposition to Dominik Mysterio. I think we’ll see something similar inside the Elimination Chamber with Alexa Bliss. I don’t think she’s going to win the match, but I do think we’ll get a key plot point in her story with Charlotte Flair.

I expect a lot of little things like that. I also think there’s a chance we could see WWE pull an all-time surprise with LA Knight (YEAH!).

Before I get to that though, here’s a quick look back at my predictions record. I’ve been doing these for every WWE PLE since WrestleMania 38. I’m not exactly a prime Hulk Hogan (that doesn’t work for me, brother), but I’ve been right a lot more than I’ve been wrong. You can check out some of the bigger recent events, plus my overall record...

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs AJ Lee For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Why is this not happening at WrestleMania? I get AJ Lee lives in Chicago. It makes sense to feature her on the card, but there’s no way WWE decided to use her here and not WrestleMania, right? I have to imagine she’s going to work both dates, and since Becky Lynch would still be the person she would probably work with at ‘Mania, I have to imagine AJ is going to win here, right?

My guess is AJ Lee wins this match, maybe by some kind of flukey means, and that sets up a WrestleMania rematch with a bigger stipulation. Maybe it’s Hell in a Cell. Maybe it’s a street fight. I’m not really sure of the specifics, but AJ Lee would have to walk in as champion or why else would she get another title shot barely a month after losing her match?

Besides, this is AJ Lee’s first singles match since returning to WWE. If they’re planning on keeping her character at a high level, she probably shouldn’t be losing her first match back in the fold.

Predicted Winner: AJ Lee

CM Punk (Champion) vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

This might be the easiest match I have ever predicted in the history of doing these predictions. Right now, the biggest selling point for WrestleMania is CM Punk and Roman Reigns squaring off for The World Heavyweight Championship. They’ve already made the marketing materials. I love the chaos of an unexpected swerve, but a shock upset would make no sense here. Finn Bálor is going to lose.

That being said, I’m very hopeful he is going to lose in a way that will lead to him having something compelling to do at WrestleMania. The most likely scenario is Dominik Mysterio trying to help him and accidentally costing him the match, but it also might be as simple as he loses, gets roasted by Judgment Day and that causes him to quit the group. Maybe that leads to an IC Title match at ‘Mania or maybe that leads to a new storyline for him and JD McDonagh. Either way, instead of rooting for a straight up win, Bálor fans need to be rooting for something interesting for him to do.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

Tiffany Stratton vs Rhea Ripley vs Kiana James vs Asuka vs Alexa Bliss vs Raquel Rodriguez In The Women’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Now that the final Elimination Chamber qualifier is over, I'm jumping back in here to rewrite my paragraph. Raquel Rodriguez officially booked her ticket to Chicago, which was a bit of a question mark since Iyo Sky was also in the match. Her presence opens up some interesting possibilities I want to go over.

First, there's a chance Raquel could straight up win here. Liv Morgan seemed to pick Stephanie Vaquer as her WrestleMania opponent, but did she really? She just attacked her and walked out of the ring. What if Raquel wins here and says she also wants to face Raquel? That would create a really compelling triple threat storyline at a time where WWE really needs some of these stories to start popping off.

It's also quite interesting that Iyo Sky is not in the Elimination Chamber. I thought we might get some kind of crazy moment between her and BFF Rhea Ripley that could lead to a WrestleMania match between the two of them. The fact that she's not here probably means WWE doesn't want to see them cross each other and create conflict.

So, does that make Rhea a possible winner? Rhea Ripley is a possible winner every time she walks into the ring. She's one of the biggest stars in the company. None of the creative we've gotten for the last year has pointed to her facing Jade Cargill at 'Mania. Her entire storyline has revolved around Iyo Sky. It would be bizarre for the two of them not to interact, but since Bianca seems to be injured and was likely the OG Jade plan, it's possible the writers could decide to change course and just have Rhea win.

I also think there's a small possibility we could see Alexa Bliss win. We need some forward progress in her storyline with Charlotte Flair. The Queen has pretended to be happy for her tag team partner and BFF since she secured her spot in the Chamber, but would she continue to be happy if she got a title shot at 'Mania while Charlotte was left out in the cold? That could be a compelling storyline.

I'd personally prefer the Raquel angle, but I'm going to go with Tiffany Stratton. Jade injured her and took the title to end her run as champion, and the easiest pivot away from Bianca without creating a domino effect that messes up other storylines would be to have Tiffany Stratton win. I'm not sure fans would be overly excited for that match, but they're both main eventers with a ready made backstory that need something to do at 'Mania.

Predicted Winner: Tiffany Stratton

Randy Orton vs LA Knight vs Cody Rhodes vs Je’Von Evans vs Trick Williams vs Jey Uso In The Men’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Who knows what’s going on with The WWE Championship? The current holder is Drew McIntyre, and he’s been calling Rhodes and Jacob Fatu both out in promos for weeks. He also attacked Randy Orton during the last episode of SmackDown. Many fans think WWE is trying to set up some kind of triple threat or fatal four way at WrestleMania. Maybe.

I think there are three possibilities here, one of which I want more than the others. The first is that the simplest solution is the one we’re going to get. Cody Rhodes has been the face of WWE for awhile, and it would be weird not to put him in a championship match at ‘Mania. He’s had an ongoing feud with Drew, and there’s a strong chance he’s just going to win and we’ll get the rematch we’ve all expected since Drew won the title.

The second possibility is that this multi-man match happens. Most likely, Cody still wins the Elimination Chamber, but thanks to some shenanigans, we end up with at least Jacob Fatu and maybe also Randy Orton all working together. That kind of sounds like a mess to me, but since WWE knows fans are down on Drew vs Cody, this may be the simplest pivot that allows Cody to still fight for a championship.

To me, the best answer is to go with someone random and unexpected, and while I love Trick Williams and see a ton of potential in Je'Von Evans, the answer is LA Knight. Fans have been dying to see him get his moment for three years now. He just keeps hanging around the main event scene, and despite losing every single big match, he’s remained incredibly over with the crowd. If WWE would give him some real momentum, fans would get behind him in a really big way.

I get Drew McIntyre and LA Knight isn’t a match for casuals who rarely watch the product, but right now, WWE needs storylines actual hardcore fans are invested in. They need to get anything hot, and we would all be hot for LA Knight finally getting his moment. This is the best way to inject some surprise and unexpected excitement into Mania season. Triple H and company can figure out something else to do with Cody Rhodes.

Is my preferred option actually going to happen? Probably not. I should pick Cody, but I feel so strongly that LA Knight is the right answer here that I'm picking LA Knight. YEAH!

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

WrestleMania 42 is rapidly approaching, and as the WWE allegedly scrambles to find a reason to get butts in seats and generate more hype around the event, lots of rumors are circling about big names. We've heard since the Super Bowl that Bad Bunny might be appearing, and we've been waiting for Bianca Belair to return, and now there are updates on both.

Bad Bunny last appeared in the WWE when Backlash was in Puerto Rico in 2023, and he had a street fight against Damian Priest. As for Bianca, she's been out with a broken knuckle since after WrestleMania 41. Now, it's looking like one may be showing up to Las Vegas for a big match, and it may not be the person readers expect.

Bianca Belair Posts Update On Injured Finger

I think once the Royal Rumble came and went and Bianca Belair still hadn't returned to the WWE, wrestling fans began to be really concerned. She's approaching close to the year mark for being out with a broken knuckle, which may not sound all that bad to the average person. Unfortunately, Belair revealed it's much more complicated than one might think, and she just had surgery that will keep her off television and PLE's for a while:

This doesn't seem like a work, because what could the WWE stand to gain from Bianca Belair unexpectedly returning at WrestleMania 42? This injury is legit, and apparently it's going to take a while for her to get right and back in the company. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, because she's too good and too much of an icon to be sidelined for this long.

A New Report Shares Update On Bad Bunny Returning To The WWE

Rumors about Bad Bunny returning to the WWE have gone on for weeks, with a lot of chatter and hope from other superstars that he'll be taking on Logan Paul. Now we have a meaningful update, courtesy of WrestleVotes radio on Fightful Select.

Word is that the WWE is talking with Bad Bunny's team about him appearing at WrestleMania 42, and that conversations are said to be "positive." I'm not too surprised to hear that, especially considering that the singer openly stated he wants to return.

Of course, even if Bad Bunny wants to return to the WWE, I'm sure there are a lot more factors at play than just his want. He has a whole team behind him, and is just on the heels of winning a Grammy and performing in one of the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history. As wild as it is to say, he'd be doing the wrestling company a huge favor by showing up to its event on such short notice, especially with little time to prepare. It has to make sense for both sides, so I can understand why it isn't immediately a done deal.

WrestleMania 42 streams live on ESPN Unlimited on April 18th and 19th. We'll see how the two nights play out and what other unexpected faces end up showing up for a match.

John Cena's retirement match was a mixed bag for wrestling fans, with some upset that the moment was used to further prop up Gunther as a "Legend Killer" in the WWE. For those who may be disappointed, let it be known there's a fun Easter egg that Cena put in the performance that will give any wrestling fan familiar with his early work reason to go back and watch.

Cena was a guest on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, and during the interview, revealed there were many Easter eggs baked into his match that people haven't picked up on. The one he mentioned came from well before he was "The Champ" or even the "Doctor of Thuganomics." He shared below:

For those who need a bit more context, The Prototype was John Cena's short-lived persona when he was in Ohio Valley Wrestling, the developmental federation for the WWE at the time. Readers can find Cena as The Prototype on YouTube, but be warned, it's a little hard to watch.

I can't wait to hear what other Easter eggs come out about this, and to see if people pick out nods to his past favorite matches, or iconic feuds with other wrestlers. Perhaps if there are enough of them, this retirement match will age like a fine wine compared to how some other wrestlers were sent off.

At the end of the day, though, the spectacle around John Cena's retirement is something we'll only see happen once or twice in a lifetime. Beyond a year-long celebration of one of the greatest performers in WWE history, others like CM Punk noted this was a rare exit where a legend of the business went out with his health, a lengthy goodbye, and a promising road ahead. Even if fans don't like how it ended, they can respect that it seems to be the vision he always had in mind.

While he may never perform in the ring again, I would be shocked if it's the last time we see John Cena show up in the WWE. I think he'll absolutely consider returning to host an event, or even sit in the front row and watch a PLE. I also am not fully convinced he'll never wrestle again, but that's mainly because other wrestlers have broken that promise time and time again. Cena is one of a kind, so maybe he'll be the one who actually keeps his word.

Much of John Cena's work on WWE is available to stream right now with a Netflix subscription. Check out some of his greatest matches, and of course, continue to watch WWE programming as we inch closer to WrestleMania 42.