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Thursday, February 27, 2025 Issue #7500
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Okay, here we go.

Over the past several years, and even decades now, people have changed the way they consumed news, from print, to e-mail, to websites, to user-generated forums, to social media and everything in between. Choice is certainly not an issue, but some formats have been dead in the water more than others.

The format that you're reading this particular newsletter on is certainly one that fits in the "dead in the water" category. It's outdated, it's ugly. No one waits for a particular time to read the day's, or previous day's news. Everyone gets real-time news on their mobile devices, watches, and social media feeds nowadays. What you read in the newsletter is usually published several hours before, and sometimes over a day before. Chances are, most of you won't even read this either.

That alone, in times we live in, makes the newsletter, well, somewhat irrelevant. Irrelevant in the sense that by the time this hits your mailbox, you've already probably read everything either on our website or most likely, somewhere else. I say most likely somewhere else because that's the reality of it. 99% of the time, I'm either at work or asleep when breaking news happens and that's partly because of the time difference of where I live. News travels fast, especially on social media. You switch on Facebook or X and boom, everything is there for you on one feed without the need of going to different websites.

With that said, I have decided to reach the very difficult decision that this newsletter, in its current format, has to stop. It wasn't easy, it's a decision that has been weighing on my mind for years. I was close on pulling the plug several times over the past few years, but it's really hard stopping something that you've been doing for 28 years and five months.

Yes, 28 years. Those who have been here long enough know we started back in September 1996. It started as a weekly, then bi-weekly, and then transitioned to daily during the Monday Night Wars era. 7,500 issues sent to thousands of subscribers. It's something I am very proud of, but I'm also realistic, and know that subscribers went down, engagement with readers went down and sometimes you just have to take the unfortunate decision.

Moving from Yahoo Groups to the current provider killed thousands of subs and then you have what I explained above: people changed the way they consume news. I've sent this newsletter from all corners of the globe, from different countries in Europe, North America, Asia, from the cold temperatures of Alaska to the hot and humidity of Hong Kong and Thailand, from cruise ships in the middle of the ocean, to 40,000 feet in the air on planes. Every time I hit "send" from a different location it's like ticking another box on an imaginary sheet.

This does not mean Wrestling-Online.com is ending, at least not for now. We will concentrate on bringing news every day through our website, our social media channels on Facebook (www.facebook.com/wrestlingonline), X (www.x.com/wrestlingonline), and Threads (), and of course on your iPhone and Android devices through our two free apps available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Our Facebook page has over 70,000 followers and continues to increase every month and it's a great way to interact with readers. A lot of different opinions for sure, but that's what makes it great...and a pain in the ass sometimes LOL!

This is certainly not a goodbye. I will still be using this list for breaking news and maybe announcing new stuff for those interested. For those who are not interested, you can unsubscribe by clicking on this link: mailto:[email protected]. And, I can still be reached every day at editor@... so feel free to reach out any time.

If you want to receive instant notifications of our news stories whenever they're posted, you can subscribe to our Instant News Alert service at . Once you confirm your account you can then change the frequency of the e-mails, like instant, daily recap, weekly, or whatever through the WordPress account.

I did not want to prolong this, so this issue, #7500, is the last one you'll get. It's also a "cool" round number. I feel like if I had announced this weeks before and there was a countdown, it would have been more tough for me. Like I said, it wasn't an easy decision but one I had to take.

It's been my pleasure and my honor to be allowed into your mailbox almost every single day. I don't take anything for granted in life and I'm proud of what I have built over the past 28 years. Getting here obviously took a lot of help, including the work of a lot of writers who along the years, someway, somehow, contributed to this newsletter with their words. Just like I never charged a single cent for this newsletter, they never asked for any money for their contributions either.

And last and certainly not least, thank you to all our readers, for keeping this going for so long. It would not have been possible without you. I know there are many of you who have been with us for over 20 years, and that's impressive.

Okay, I think I had enough to say for now. On with the news for the last time here, and hopefully, I'll see you on our social media.

THANK YOU.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

NUMBER 1 CONTENDER'S MATCH FOR AEW WORLD TITLE AT REVOLUTION

- The new number one contender for the AEW World title will be determined at Revolution with a new match on the card. Announced last night, Swerve Strickland will be taking on Ricochet in their second one-on-one in an AEW ring, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Ricochet has a win over Strickland from their first encounter in February. The AEW World title match at Revolution will feature Jon Moxley defending against Cope.

TAKESHITA VS OMEGA OFFICIAL FOR REVOLUTION

- The AEW International title match at Revolution was confirmed last night on Dynamite after Konosuke Takeshita successfully defended his title against Orange Cassidy in the main event of the show. Kenny Omega will now get to take on the champion in the last of the International Championship Series which started at the Dynamite in Phoenix two weeks ago between Cassidy and Roderick Strong. Cassidy got his title shot after he beat Strong in the main event of that Dynamite. Takeshita has been champion for 138 days, winning it from Will Ospreay at the WrestleDream pay-per-view last October. This match is the seventh on the card at Revolution so far.

NO CHANGES TO AEW ON MAX

- AEW will not see any change on Max after the streaming service announced that it is eliminating live sports from their ad tier. Warner Bros. Discovery announced yesterday that their $10 paywall plan for B/R Sports is not moving forward while sports and news from CNN will be going away from the ad tier starting March 30 and be made available only on the ad-free, more expensive tier. In all news articles from major outlets, AEW was not even mentioned as live weekly content but in a separate e-mail answering questions about AEW, Max said that the change does not affect AEW and both Dynamite and Collision will continue to be made available on all tiers of the streaming service. AEW started simulcasting on Max in early January, with nearly all of its video library made available on-demand on the service sometime this year.

TKO ANNOUNCES Q4 2024 AND FY 2024 FINANCIAL RESULTS

- TKO Group Holdings, Inc. announced financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. “TKO delivered record financial performance in 2024 at both UFC and WWE, reflecting the strength of our IP, the dynamic audiences we serve, and the industry-best team of people we’ve assembled,” said Ariel Emanuel, Executive Chair and CEO of TKO. “In the year ahead, we will be focused on securing long-term U.S. domestic media rights agreements for UFC as well as WWE’s Premium Live Events; integrating IMG, On Location and Professional Bull Riders into our portfolio; creating even more compelling live events; and executing our robust capital return program for shareholders.” The full press release can be found at .

WWE TO HOLD THREE SAUDI PLE'S IN 2026, BUT ONE IN 2025

- TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer revealed yesterday during the TKO earnings call with investors that WWE will be having three premium live events in Saudi Arabia in 2026. The plan for three events next year will differ from this year, with only one Saudi premium live event set on the 2025 calendar, with Schleimer saying that it will have a hit of approximately $55 million in company revenue. WWE has already announced that next year's Royal Rumble will take place from Riyadh, the first time that the Rumble will happen outside North America. During the same conference call, TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro said that the company is also close in negotiations with the Kingdom to launch a boxing league where TKO would operate and promote but it would be owned by Saudi Arabia.

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 799,000 viewers, up 110,000 viewers from last week's broadcast and the fourth most-watched episode this year so far. NXT featured the return of the Hardy Boyz and the in-ring debut of Ricky Saints. The show had a 0.19 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from the prior week. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

ROMAN REIGNS ADDED TO OVERSEAS SMACKDOWN EPISODES

- Roman Reigns has been added to two Smackdown episodes which will happen overseas next month on the road to WrestleMania. Reigns is now being advertised for the March 21 Smackdown from the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy, and the March 28 Smackdown from The O2 Arena in London, England. The Tribal Chief has not appeared on WWE television since the January 6 Raw debut on Netflix. CM Punk has also been added to these two Smackdown episodes as well as the March 17 episode of Raw at Forest National in Brussels, Belgium. Some locations have suffered in terms of ticket sales in this European tour, mainly because of high ticket prices.

TRAVIS SCOTT AT ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- Popular artist Travis Scott will be appearing at the Elimination Chamber this Saturday night live from the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The news came via a post on social media by Triple H, saying that he was with him at ComplexCon in Las Vegas, he helped usher the new Netflix era, and now, he's going to be at the Chamber. "I'll see you there, Travis Scott," Triple H said as he walked across the WWE headquarters. WWE is using the 10-time Grammy nominee's song FE!N as the theme song for WrestleMania 41.

RONDA ROUSEY ADDED TO WRESTLECON

- Former WWE Raw and Smackdown Women's champion "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey will be in Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41 weekend appearing at WrestleCon. Rousey has been added to the Friday WrestleCon session, with photo op or autograph selling for $80 each or $150 for a combo. WrestleCon will take place between April 17 and 20 from the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. A four-day pass of $41 is required to enter. For more information go to wrestlecon.com.


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Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Issue #7499
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

NXT cooked last night and the Roadblock show is gearing up to be incredible.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Over 3,000 fans are expected tonight for Dynamite at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. The show airs on TBS at 8PM ET and also live streams on Max. Scheduled for tonight are Konosuke Takeshita vs Orange Cassidy for the AEW International title with the winner facing Kenny Omega at the Revolution pay-per-view, Bryan Keith vs Will Ospreay in a bounty match, a trios match featuring Daniel Garcia and FTR vs Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong, and Deonna Purrazzo vs Harley Cameron. Plus, "Hangman" Adam Page will also be in action and we'll hear from MJF, Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision this past Saturday drew 421,000 viewers, down 81,000 viewers from last week's episode which had the big lead in from the NBA. This was the second most-watched episode of Collision of 2025 so far. The show had a 0.12 rating in 18-49, down 0.09 from last week and placed #9 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

GIULIA VS VAQUER, TITLE VS TITLE AT NXT ROADBLOCK

- Someone will be walking out with two NXT Women's titles at the Roadblock NXT event on Tuesday, March 11, as NXT Women's champion Giulia and NXT Women's North American champion Stephanie Vaquer are on a collision course. After Vaquer successfully defended her title against Karmen Petrovic on last night's episode, Giulia came out to say that she is the best women's champion. Vaquer begged to differ and then challenged her best friend to a double title match. Both women then held up their respective title above their shoulder and the match was later made official for the March 11 Roadblock show.

OBA FEMI VS MOOSE FOR NXT TITLE ANNOUNCED

- TNA X Division champion Moose will get a shot at the NXT title, currently held by Oba Femi, on the March 11 Roadblock event, live from The Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Moose defended his title on NXT last night against Lexis King and afterward, the NXT champion came out to confront Moose. "This is the match to make, and Ava made it official," Femi said. "So in two weeks at Roadblock at Madison Square Garden, it's going to be The Face of the Franchise versus The Ruler for the NXT title." Only Femi's NXT title will be on the line in this match. The two have been locked in a program for the past couple of weeks and Femi will team up with The Hardys against Moose, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards in a six-man tag match which will air tomorrow on Impact on AXS TV.

HARDY BOYZ TO DEFEND TNA TAG TEAM TITLES AT NXT ROADBLOCK

- The Hardy Boyz are returning for another match on NXT television and their TNA Tag Team titles will also be on the line. After Matt and Jeff beat No Quarter Catch Crew last night on the show, the NXT Tag Team champions Fraxiom came out to confront The Hardy Boyz. Frazer said they are the greatest tag team today and are standing face-to-face with the greatest tag team of all time. "Spare the small talk, let's make it happen, Fraxiom vs The Hardy Boyz, we'll find out who the best tag team in the world is, brother," Jeff said. Cue Santino Marella's music as the TNA Director of Authority came out to a huge ovation from the crowd. Marella said he talked with Ava and they had an announcement to make - Fraxiom vs Hardyz at Roadblock for the TNA Tag Team titles.

WWE ON A&E RATINGS

- Week two of WWE Superstar Sunday on A&E saw the second episode of LFG, Rivals, and Greatest Moments in a three-hour block from 8PM to 11PM. LFG kicked things off with 209,000 viewers, up 49,000 viewers from the previous week and a 0.04 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from episode one. Rivals with Roddy Piper vs Mr T followed at 9:30PM. 248,000 viewers tuned in, up 70,000 viewers from episode one. The show had a 0.04 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from last week. And WWE's Greatest Moments, focusing on the 80s and 90s Royal Rumble events, drew 232,000 viewers, up 63,000 viewers from episode one. It had a 0.03 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the prior week. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

RAW VIEWS FOR FEBRUARY 17

- The February 17 episode of Raw on Netflix was #10 on the top 10 chart with 2,800,000 global views and 5,500,000 hours consumed. This is the same number of last week, which ties the lowest viewership in seven weeks since moving to the streaming service. Raw was in the top 10 in eight different countries including Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and United States.

ELIMINATION CHAMBER SUPERSTORE OPENS TOMORROW

- The Elimination Chamber Superstore opens at the Rogers Centre Gate 5 tomorrow and will be open until Sunday. The store will have exclusive merchandise, replica titles, Superstar apparel, signed memorabilia, mini-titles, and the largest collection of Elimination Chamber apparel. Opening hours are tomorrow from Noon to 8PM, Friday from 10AM to 9PM, Saturday from 9AM until the gate closes, and Sunday from 10AM to 2PM. The Elimination Chamber Photo Experience will also be held at the same location but at Gate 1. A complete schedule of who's appearing and to purchase tickets go to .

HOT & SPICY FIRE WOK TO SERVE AS ELIMINATION CHAMBER PRESENTING PARTNER

- WWE and Nissin Foods today announced a new partnership that will see Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK, the company’s hottest ramen brand, serve as a presenting partner of Elimination Chamber, which takes place Saturday, March 1 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. As an Official Partner of WWE, Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK will receive prominent exposure within key WWE assets, including a match sponsorship at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, integrations within WWE’s flagship programming, Raw and SmackDown, and WWE’s popular e-gaming YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown, as well as sponsored episodes of WWE Playback, social integrations and more. Additionally, Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK will sponsor the iconic Men’s Elimination Chamber match, which will feature WWE Superstars Logan Paul, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk, Damian Priest and John Cena, who is appearing in the final Elimination Chamber match of his career. “Nissin Foods is home to a variety of classic brands, and we are excited for Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK to present Elimination Chamber to a worldwide audience,” said Grant Norris-Jones, Executive Vice President & Head of Global Partnerships for TKO. “WWE fans crave intensity and excitement, and we’re bringing that same fiery thrill to their taste buds with Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK,” said Priscila Stanton, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Nissin Foods USA. “Whether you’re a fan of WWE or someone who craves bold flavors, our Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK line delivers an unmatched spice experience that will pair perfectly with Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 41.” Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK recently launched limited edition packaging featuring WWE Superstars Seth Rollins and Liv Morgan. Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK bowls and packets are available online and in-store at retailers nationwide. WWE and Nissin Foods are partnering to give fans a chance to witness the grandeur of WrestleMania 41, live and in-person, with an all-expense paid trip through the "Can You Handle The Heat Sweepstakes.”

TKO ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

- TKO Group today announced that its board of directors has declared its inaugural quarterly cash dividend pursuant to the capital return program the Company announced on October 24, 2024. TKO’s Class A common stockholders will receive their pro rata share of an aggregate distribution of approximately $75 million from TKO Operating Company, LLC to its equity holders. The per share dividend to the holders of TKO’s Class A common stockholders will be $0.38 per share. The dividend will be paid on March 31, 2025 to Class A common stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 14, 2025. Future declarations of quarterly dividends are subject to the determination and discretion of TKO based on its consideration of various factors, such as its results of operations, financial condition, market conditions, earnings, cash flow requirements, restrictions in its debt agreements and legal requirements and other factors that TKO deems relevant.


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Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Issue #7498
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

That was a cool main event on Raw last night. Glad that the women's tag match headlined it because they deserved it. Right result too, I thought.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

LIV MORGAN AND RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ WIN WWE WOMEN'S TAG TEAM TITLES

- Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bianca Belair and Naomi last night in the main event of Monday Night Raw on Netflix to become the new WWE Women's Tag Team champions. This win marks the third time that the duo have won these titles, a record for the belts in this women's tag team division. Fellow Judgment Day member Dom Mysterio played an important role in the win for his stablemates, interfering in the match multiple times. This ends Belair and Naomi's 177-day reign as champions, although Naomi had only been champion for the past three months, replacing Jade Cargill. You can see the ending at .

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Last Friday's Smackdown on USA Network drew 1,736,000 viewers, up a whopping 314,000 viewers from the prior week thanks to a certain individual called The Rock. This was the most-watched Smackdown since the September 6, 2024 episode. In 18-49, Smackdown drew a 0.51, up 0.08 from last week and the highest since September 13 of last year. It ranked #1 on cable and in all of television for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

NXT PREVIEW

- Tonight's episode of NXT will be airing live from the Andrew J. Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it's a special show with some TNA presence. The show is highlighted by the return of Matt and Jeff Hardy as the TNA Tag Team champions take on Tavion Heights and Myles Borne of No Quarter Catch Crew. Speaking of TNA, X Division champion Moose will also be in the house as he defends the title against Lexis King. Plus, Ricky Saints makes his NXT in-ring debut teaming up with Je'Von Evans to battle Ethan Page and Wes Lee and NXT Women's North American champion Stephanie Vaquer defends her title against Karmen Petrovic. NXT airs at 8PM ET on The CW in the United States and on Netflix everywhere else.

THE HARDY BOYZ RETURN ON WWE TV TONIGHT

- The Hardy Boyz return on WWE television tonight live on NXT on The CW as the TNA Tag Team champions, taking on NXT's No Quarter Catch Crew in a tag match. It's been a long and winding road for both men since they were last seen on WWE TV. Matt's last appearance for the company came in March 2020 and then went on to wrestle for AEW before leaving for TNA Wrestling. His brother Jeff got himself fired in December 2021 and then joined Matt in AEW and eventually also in TNA Wrestling after both their contracts expired and they opted not to renew. The two appeared in a video message on last week's episode of NXT but tonight it's their first proper time in front of the WWE audience since their respective departures. Both men have expressed desire to end their careers under the WWE banner.

ELIMINATION CHAMBER TICKETS UPDATE

- WWE moved over 2,200 tickets to the Elimination Chamber since the announcement of The Rock according to ticket tracking service @WrestleTix. The show is now is close to 30,000 tickets, with the Rogers Centre in Toronto set up for just over 32,000 seats. The show is expected to "sell out" in the current setup. There will be one side of the former SkyDome closed off as the stadium holds over 40,000 seats. The stadium was not designed for a full house for this event as even floor seating goes up to a certain extent. The cheapest tickets available are CA $200 in Section 500 which is the very top of the stadium. A Me + 3 4-pack offer is also available on Ticketmaster but they're the more expensive seats at CA $392.90 per person. Last year's event saw 52,590 in attendance at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.

CARMELLA TO DISCUSS WWE DEPARTURE

- Now former WWE Superstar Carmella has posted a video on her Instagram Story acknowledging her departure from WWE and the plan to explain her side of the story later this week. "Some news broke last week and I just wanted to let you know that I've seen all your texts, and tweets, and messages, and DMs and like oh my God, you guys are the best and so grateful for you for everything," Carmella said. She added that she knows there are a lot of questions and uncertainty around everything but hopes to answer some of those questions when she appears on a podcast later this week. "I will be going on a podcast later this week and answer some of those questions and telling my side cause I have a lot to say about the situation, so yes stay tuned," she continued. Carmella did not give any details on when and on which podcast she is appearing on yet.


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ADVERTISING:
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/ _ \| \| | | |_ _| \| | __|
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_ _ _____ _____ _ ___ _____ _____ ___ ___
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| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


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Monday, February 24, 2025 Issue #7497
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Hope you all had a nice weekend. It was a bit quiet as far as news goes.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

FULL WRESTLEMANIA 42 PRESS RELEASE

- WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, in conjunction with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and ASM Global, today announced that New Orleans will host WrestleMania 42 at the Caesars Superdome on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2026. The news was first revealed this past Friday during WWE SmackDown at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Watch the full segment here. “Finally, WrestleMania is coming back to New Orleans,” said Johnson, TKO Board Member and 10-time WWE World Champion. “Next year, 2026, WrestleMania 42, live from the Superdome in one of the greatest cities on earth, New Orleans, Louisiana!” “WWE is another outstanding partner of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation – hosting for a third time is a testament to WWE’s trust in our staff and the strength of our local partnerships. WWE events continue to have tremendous growth, including adding what will be a second night of action at the Caesars Superdome for their biggest event, WrestleMania,” said Jay Cicero, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. “New Orleans is ready to welcome all of the fun that comes with hosting. On top of planning for Super Bowl LIX, the Sports Foundation team has been working behind the scenes with WWE, ASM Global, New Orleans & Co., and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on bringing WrestleMania back to the city for more than 2 years. It has incredible production value, a large national and international viewership and an outstanding economic impact. WrestleMania is one of the most unique events we have ever bid upon and managed in the 36-year history of the Sports Foundation.” “We are ecstatic to host WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans next year. Hosting this iconic event three times in the last 12 years is an honor we do not take lightly,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “I want to congratulate the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation for their successful efforts on this project. We look forward to showing WWE fans from around the world all our great state has to offer!” Caesars Superdome in New Orleans first played host to WrestleMania XXX in 2014, before WWE returned for WrestleMania 34 in 2018. The venue recently hosted its single stadium record 8th NFL Championship game, Super Bowl LIX, between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month. In addition to the two-night stadium event in 2026, WWE will bring Raw, SmackDown, NXT Stand & Deliver, WWE World and the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony to New Orleans as well as a variety of community outreach events. Additionally, official WrestleMania 42 Priority Passes will soon be available through exclusive partner On Location offering fans premium seating, hospitality events with Superstar appearances, exclusive photo opportunities, and more. Starting today fans can place a deposit to secure access ahead of the general public. To learn more about WrestleMania 42 Priority Passes or to place a deposit please visit: . Additional ticket details and event information will be announced in the coming months. To learn more about registering for pre-sale opportunities please visit: . This year, Las Vegas hosts WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20.

RHEA RIPLEY ASKS FANS NOT TO SEND FAN MAIL TO HER HOUSE

- After Asuka posted on social media that she is being stalked and feeling in danger, it was WWE Women's World champion Rhea Ripley who sounded the alarm this time around. Writing on her social media, Ripley said, "Shouldn't have to say this...Do not ever send fan mail to my house. That is by mail, or SELF DELIVERED! That is 100% not ok." Ripley's message suggests that someone actually visited her home, violating her privacy. Her post was met with support from many, but some still chose to be complete weirdos. "It's okay to mail her a letter. She may not like it, but it's okay," wrote an X user by the username @Zachsquatch86. "I don't like it when I get bills, but it's okay. She wanted to be a public figure, she's going to have learn to live with it."

WWE ID TALENT ZAYDA STEEL COLLAPSES AFTER MATCH

- WWE ID talent Zayda Steel wrote on social media that she collapsed after her last match and urged fellow wrestlers to listen to their body. Steel, one of the first indie talent signed to a WWE ID deal, collapsed after facing Zara Zakher in a WWE ID Showcase match on Saturday at the CZW event in New Jersey. "I collapsed after my match last night due to lack of sleep & eating so let this be your reminder to take care & listen to your body," Steel wrote. The 21-year-old did not wrestle the following day and missed her scheduled match at an indie show promoted by New Texas Pro Wrestling. She is set to face Kylie Rae this Thursday in another WWE ID Showcase match.

DYNASTY PPV TICKETS UPDATE

- The AEW Dynasty pay-per-view in Philadelphia is close to crossing 4,000 tickets although that is somewhat of a disappointment so far with this being the first AEW PPV in the city which is well known for professional wrestling. The show is being held at The Liacouras Center with a setup right now of just over 4,500 seats. While currently the ticket distribution stands at 3,900 according to @WrestleTix and less than 700 tickets remain, The Liacouras Center holds just over 10,000 seats and around 8,000 in a wrestling setup. A large portion of the arena remains closed off and more seats will open depending on ticket sales. The show will be held on Sunday, April 6, one month after Revolution. Last year's Dynasty, which was the inaugural show, drew 6,619 from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. Tickets are available starting from $38 plus taxes and fees on Ticketmaster.com. An AEW 5 Plus Pack is also available for $34.20 each.

RYAN NEMETH FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST AEW, KHAN, AND CM PUNK

- Former AEW star Ryan Nemeth has filed a lawsuit against AEW, its president Tony Khan, and Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk. The lawsuit was filed on February 14, alleging breach of contract and assault, with Nemeth seeking a trial by jury as well as punitive damages and compensation. It was revealed in December of last year that Nemeth filed a complaint with AEW claiming abuse and harassment from CM Punk while he was still working for the company. According to the document obtained by Fightful, Nemeth backed up his complaints with copies of e-mails, phone call logs, text messages, and other electronic records but AEW failed to address the situation and instead, he was “ordered to verbally antagonize” Punk on television in return. Nemeth’s complaint started in April 2023 and went on for a few months. He said that Punk threatened him in the locker room after Nemeth tweeted that Punk was the “softest wrestler alive.” His complaint went straight to Megha Parekh, who at the time was the AEW Chief Legal Officer. The lawsuit alleges that on June 21, 2023, Punk assaulted Nemeth in the locker room, yelling at him and asking, "Do we have a f*cking problem? Do we need to step outside and handle this like men?" Nemeth said in the lawsuit that nothing was done to Punk but he was benched for over two months and after Punk was fired from AEW, Tony Khan was "heartbroken" that "his idol that he adored in every way" was gone from the company, with Nemeth alleging that Khan was furious with him and blamed him for Punk leaving. Nemeth, the brother of former TNA champion Nic Nemeth, currently works for TNA Wrestling.

MARIAH MAY GETS TITLE REMATCH

- Mariah May will get a rematch for the AEW Women's title at the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view. The match was set up on Collision after May attacked the new champ Toni Storm during the opening minutes of the broadcast. With the two on the top of the stage and May holding a beat-down Storm in her arms, May issued the challenge, a match which was later made official. This will be the third match against each other between the two, each of them having a win. In Revolution related news, the cage match between Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher was also made official.

MIKE BAILEY COMING TO AEW

- "Speedball" Mike Bailey is coming to All Elite Wrestling. On Collision last night, a vignette aired hyping up Bailey's upcoming AEW debut. "Speedball is Coming to AEW," AEW President Tony Khan wrote on social media after the vignette aired. Reacting on social media as well, Bailey wrote, "I have been blessed for my whole career with unlimited support from all over the world. I can't thank you all enough. My biggest accomplishment in life has been making every year my best year yet, and I am extremely excited to keep that going in @AEW!" The 24-year-old was part of TNA Wrestling until November of last year and is a former three-time TNA X Division champion.

MIRO RETURNS TO THE RING

- Miro got back in the squared circle this past weekend, wrestling his first match in over 13 months at the Qatar Pro-Wrestling event Super Slam III in Doha. The former WWE United States and AEW TNT champion took on Alberta El Patron in one of the matches which were taped for a show that will air on Triller TV on March 2. He had not wrestled since December 20, 2023 at the AEW Worlds End pay-per-view, defeating Andrade. Miro received his release from AEW earlier this month after four and a half years with the company, with rumors suggesting that he is returning to WWE at some point.

SEVEN BUCKS PRODUCTIONS INKS DEAL WITH 20TH TELEVISION

- Deadline.com is running an exclusive story reporting that 20th Television has secured a first-look TV deal with Seven Bucks Productions, the production company co-founded by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia. The deal brings Seven Bucks under the Walt Disney Co. umbrella. Under the pact with 20th Television, Seven Bucks Productions will develop and executive produce comedy, drama, adult animation, limited and unscripted series for linear networks and streamers, with an emphasis on platforms across Disney Entertainment Television. "There are few producers more synonymous with franchise-building than Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. DJ is arguably the biggest star on the planet, whose unmatchable charisma, charm, and magical likeability is infused into the characters and stories that Seven Bucks brings to the screen. Seven Bucks has had an incredible run working with Disney on the film side and we are thrilled to continue this legacy at the television studio,” said Karey Burke, president of 20th Television. "Disney has been our trusted partner in storytelling and entertainment for years now, and we’re ecstatic to expand our partnership with them beyond film as we set out to work hard and achieve the same success in the television space,” Johnson and Garcia said. “In 20th Television we have a partner who matches our ambition, our passion, and our commitment to bring authentic, innovative content to audiences all over the world. Collaborating with Dana Walden, Eric Schrier, Karey Burke, Carolyn Cassidy, and the entire team at 20th Television feels like an unlimited opportunity for creative storytelling, and most importantly, entertaining a lot of folks out there."


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Saturday, February 22, 2025 Issue #7496
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I was left with more questions than answers following that very, very bizarre Rock promo.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

WRESTLEMANIA 42 OFFICIALLY GOING TO NEW ORLEANS

- The Rock, appearing live on Smackdown last night in New Orleans, announced that WrestleMania 42 will be coming from the Caesars Superdome in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana on April 11 and 12, 2026. The news was heavily expected and was rumored for the past several weeks within the wrestling industry. The Rock's announcement was welcomed by cheers from fans inside the Smoothie King Center and loud chants of "Holy shit." The Superdome has already hosted WrestleMania twice - once in 2014 for WrestleMania XXX and four years later in 2018 for WrestleMania 34. With WrestleMania 42, the Superdome becomes only the second location ever along with Madison Square Garden to host WrestleMania on three different occasions. The Caesars Superdome hosted this year's Super Bowl. Registration is available to receive exclusive pre-sale information at .

THE ROCK WANTS CODY RHODES' SOUL! TO APPEAR AT ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- The Rock will be at the Elimination Chamber on March 1 in Toronto, Canada, expecting an answer from WWE champion Cody Rhodes. After dropping the news that WrestleMania will be in New Orleans next year, The Rock called out Cody Rhodes to the ring. The Rock explained that he can make Cody and his family have everything as long as he becomes The Rock's champion. He said that the two have become friends since WrestleMania last year and even mama Rock and mama Rhodes are besties now. He described Cody as a great champion and reminded him that he's the most powerful man in WWE. Pointing to the crowd, Cody said that everyone knows that he's their champion and no one should know that more than The Rock, who calls himself The People's Champion. The Rock said that there's one thing he always wanted that he never had: a brother. Rock told Cody that when came back last year, he was supposed to take on Roman but Cody "f*cked it up" and slapped The Rock, something that nobody does. Rock called Cody special but he needs an answer at Elimination Chamber. Before leaving the ring, The Rock said that there is something he wants...and it's "that," while pointing at the WWE title. Cody asked Rock if all he wants is the WWE championship and Rock said no, he doesn't want the title...he wants his soul! You can see the segment at .

THE ROCK HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER SMACKDOWN

- Dwayne Johnson spent around 25 minutes talking to the press after Smackdown ended, fielding questions from local media about WrestleMania in New Orleans, Cody Rhodes, and other topics. Speaking about his promo with Rhodes, The Rock said certain angles don't need to culminate to a match, suggesting that this one will be one of those. “In the world of pro wrestling, as we all know, everything will culminate to a match. Whatever happens, it’ll end up in the ring," The Rock explained to the media. "What I really love about this rare air space that we’ve gotten to with the character of the Final Boss, it’s like this white whale unicorn in that with the Final Boss and Cody Rhodes, it’s not about the WWE title, it’s not about having a match...it never has to culminate to a match." Rock said he "loved every minute" of the in-ring segment with Cody, adding that it was special to have a storyline with two characters who are very popular but never have to get into the ring to resolve the issue. “To be able to have a storyline and two characters who are very popular, to never have to get into the ring for a match but yet still hold this really unique, compelling, off-putting, kind of weird...he wants his soul, what does that mean?" The Rock said. I love it and loved every minute of it." You can watch it at .

CARMELLA NO LONGER UNDER WWE DEAL

- Fightful is reporting that Carmella is no longer under a WWE deal as her contract recently expired without renewal. Carmella has not appeared on WWE television in two years, mainly because she got pregnant with her first child. She also dealt with a couple of injuries since then but always said that she wanted to return to wrestling. She and her husband, NXT commentator Corey Graves, got married in April 2022 and welcomed their first child together in November 2023. Carmella joined WWE in 2006. Her profile was also moved to the Alumni section on WWE.COM.

MIKE TYSON TO APPEAR AT WWE WORLD

- WWE today announced that Hall of Famer Mike Tyson will be appearing at WWE World on Sunday, April 20. Tickets for WWE World are being sold for $86.25 per day or $345 for a five-day entrance. Photo and autograph ops with most of the WWE Superstars and Legends on a particular day require additional payment although prices have not been released yet. Tyson will also be attending WrestleCon the day before on Saturday, April 19 starting at 11:30AM at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. That appearance will conflict with the NXT Stand & Deliver show which is set for an 11AM start time. Tickets for WWE World are available now through Fanatics Events.


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Friday, February 21, 2025 Issue #7495
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Interesting to see what The Rock's status for WrestleMania is, and after tonight, it should be much clearer. The Final Boss says he's 20 steps ahead of everyone...I just hope he's more prepared than his last NXT appearance!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

THE FINAL BOSS RETURNING TO SMACKDOWN TONIGHT

- WWE announced that The Rock will be on Smackdown tonight live from New Orleans on USA Network. In a short press release, Triple H told everyone to “strap in” because when The Final Boss shows up during this time of the year, everything could change in an instant. “Bold and disruptive. Unpredictable and dangerous,” The Rock wrote on X. “The Final Boss returns, LIVE.” It is rumored that Rock will be announcing that WrestleMania 42 will be returning to New Orleans next year although possible involvement in this year’s WrestleMania is not out of the question.

THE ROCK SAYS HE'S COMING TO DELIVER BIG GIFT TO NEW ORLEANS

- In a comment posted on social media, The Rock said that he was coming to New Orleans to "handle business" tonight live on Smackdown. The Final Boss also said that he will be there to "deliver a big beautiful gift to the city of New Orleans," rumored to be the announcement of WrestleMania 42 from the Caesars Superdome in downtown NOLA next year. But that's not all. The Rock said that after all that, he will "f*ck up a certain someone’s life with the Final Boss gospel," whatever that may mean. The Rock's participation in this year's WrestleMania remains up in the air, with wrestling insiders reporting that he will not be wrestling on the show. But as Triple H indicated in the press release, anything can happen when The Final Boss comes to town!

ELIJAH ARRIVES IN TNA WRESTLING

- Former WWE Superstar Elias made his TNA Wrestling debut last night on Impact, coming out to save TNA champion Joe Hendry from an attack from The Colons. Now known as Elijah, he came out just in time before Primo and Epico got in the ring to double-team Hendry, who was giving a concert. He said his name is Elijah as fans chanted "holy shit" and said that he joined TNA Wrestling. "If you wanna walk with me, or you believe in Joe Hendry...you’re in luck," he said, as fans started chanting "Oh, walk with Elijah," to the tune of White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. Elijah then started playing the tune with his guitar to an even bigger pop from the crowd who acknowledged with "This is awesome." Elijah eventually teamed with Hendry in the main event to beat The Colons. Elijah is said to have signed a deal with TNA Wrestling just weeks after there were reports that he was joining AEW/ROH. You can see the segment at .

OBA FEMI MAKES SURPRISE TNA APPEARANCE

- NXT champion Oba Femi made a surprise appearance at Impact last night which was held at Full Sail University, the former home of NXT. Femi came out to assist Leon Slater and Matt and Jeff Hardy from a beat down from The System. While Slater and Hardys were outnumbered, the lights went out and Femi's theme kicked in with the fans popping. Femi came out with his NXT title around his waist and single-handedly took out The System. TNA X Division champion Moose didn't want part of it and exited the ring before Femi got to him. Earlier this week, Moose appeared on NXT and challenged Femi. The NXT champion then celebrated in the ring with Matt and Jeff and Slater. The champ will appear on next week's episode of Impact as well and will be in action as he teams up with The Hardys versus Moose, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards in a six-man tag match. You can watch the segment at .

LIVE IMPACT ANNOUNCED FOR MAY

- TNA Wrestling announced its live Impact episode for the month of May. The May 1 episode of Impact will be coming to you from the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California, and a second night of tapings the following the day will also be taped from the same location. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 10 at 10AM PT. A pre-sale just for TNA+ subscribers will kick off two days earlier at 9AM PT at ucirvinetickets.com. The 5,000-seater arena is located on the campus of the University of California in Irvine.

NXT STARS AT TNA SACRIFICE

- NXT stars will be part of the TNA Sacrifice streaming event on March 14, airing exclusively on TNA+. Cora Jade, who just had an NXT Women's title opportunity at Vengeance Day last week, will get another title shot, this time at the TNA Knockouts title as she battles Masha Slamovich. Also, the trio of Wes Lee, Tyriek Igwe, and Tyson Dupont will team up to take on The Rascalz and Ace Austin. Lee was a member of The Rascalz during his time in TNA before he joined NXT. Sacrifice will be held at the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas.

DYNAMITE RATING

- Dynamite had its lowest viewership of the year this week with 563,000 viewers tuning in, down 16,000 from last week's episode. The show had a 0.17 rating, up 0.01 from the prior week. No cable ranking is available as of press time. The numbers do not factor in the viewers on Max. (Ratings credit: Wrestlenomics)

AEW PPV ARCHIVE COMING TO MAX NEXT MONTH

- PWInsider.com is reporting that the AEW pay-per-views from 2020 onwards will be added to the Max streaming service on March 1. A total of 30 pay-per-views are set to go online on that day and once those are live, Max will have the complete collection of every AEW PPV in existence available to watch. When AEW on Max launched on January 1, there were only pay-per-views from 2019 uploaded as well as some back catalog of the AEW weekly television series.


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Thursday, February 20, 2025??????????? Issue #7494

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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR



Nothing to say today, back tomorrow.



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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE

Web version at

ORANGE CASSIDY BECOMES #1 CONTENDER FOR INTERNATIONAL TITLE

- Orange Cassidy became the #1 contender for the AEW International title after he defeated Roderick Strong in last night's main event of Dynamite. This was match one of the International Championship Series, a mini tournament which will now see Cassidy take on Konosuke Takeshita for the title on next week's episode of Dynamite. The winner of Takeshita vs Cassidy will then move on to Revolution where whoever the champion might be will defend the International title against former AEW World champion Kenny Omega.

MOMO WATANABE CHALLENGES MERCEDES MONE FOR TBS TITLE

- Stardom's Momo Watanabe has challenged Mercedes Mone for the TBS title at next month's Revolution pay-per-view. Watanabe challenged Mone via a video which aired while Renee Paquette was interviewing the champion during Dynamite. Mone told Watanabe to appear on Dynamite live in person if she wants an answer. The 24-year-old former Wonder of Stardom champion was ringside at Grand Slam: Australia during the Mone vs Harley Cameron match for the TBS title last weekend and shown on camera. Watanabe won the International Women's Cup at the Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view last month, earning a title shot in a promotion of her choosing. She defeated ROH's Athena, CMLL's Persephone, and AEW's Willow Nightingale in the four-way match.

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA RATING

- Last Saturday's Grand Slam: Australia episode drew 502,000 viewers, up 115,000 viewers from the previous week's episode of Collision. The show was helped greatly by the NBA All-Star Weekend programming which served as the show's lead-in, getting the highest number since December 21, 2024 when Collision had a lead-in from the college football playoffs. In 18-49, Grand Slam drew 0.21, up 0.11 from last week. It was their best number since July 2023. The show was #8 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. Grand Slam aired from 10:52PM until 12:56AM. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA LOSES OVER 700,000 VIEWERS IN TWO HOURS

- AEW President Tony Khan has boasted about Grand Slam: Australia doing "one of the biggest #AEWCollision ratings ever on TNT," but quarter hour numbers paint a whole different picture. The show had the benefit of a big lead-in in the form of the NBA All-Star Weekend programming on TNT, and the first quarter hour of Grand Slam with Omega and Ospreay vs Takeshita and Fletcher drew 1,003,000 viewers. But it was a very slippery slope from there. The second quarter, which had the continuation of the opening match, dropped to 669,000 viewers according to data published by Wrestlenomics, representing a drop of 334,000 viewers after just 15 minutes. It got even worse from there as subsequent quarter hours had 567,000, 525,000, 453,000, 421,000, 401,000, and 351,000 viewers for the final quarter hour which was between 12:30AM and 12:45AM. The 11-minute overrun with the ending of Mariah May vs Toni Storm for the AEW Women's title registered just 294,000 viewers, meaning that the show lost a whopping 709,000 viewers in two hours.

TNA IMPACT LIVE TONIGHT FROM FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY

- TNA Wrestling's Impact will be live on AXS TV tonight with the show held at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, the former home of the black and gold NXT. TNA champion Joe Hendry will have an "encore championship concert" on the show and for the first time in four years, Tessa Blanchard will be in action on the broadcast. NXT will have a presence in the form of Tyson and Tyriek taking on The Rascalz. But with Moose appearing on NXT a few days ago to challenge Oba Femi, will the NXT champion also "cross the line?" Plus, Lei Ying Lee takes on Rosemary and JDC battles Leon Slater in a no disqualification match.

"HACKSAW" JIM DUGGAN SIGNS NEW WWE LEGENDS DEAL

- On his podcast The Hacksaw Hour, WWE Hall of Famer "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan revealed that he signed a new WWE Legends deal recently, his first one in several years. "Just recently signed the Legends deal. I haven’t signed it for a while...there was a little kind of discrepancy what was going on," Duggan told his listeners. "But we got it all worked out and was able to sign it. So hopefully the action figures and the games will be coming back out again." The WWE legends who are being invited to appear at shows have spoken highly of the new WWE regime in charge, all saying that they are treated with more respect now than when things were under the leadership of Vince McMahon. Duggan said that it looks like a "whole new day" in WWE and is now proud to be a part of it, although he said he never had a bad word to say against the company or its previous chief Vince McMahon. "I never blasted the WWE. I never blasted Vince. As bad as he was, I still wouldn’t be where I am without him. Wrestling wouldn’t be where it is without him," he said. Duggan was recently at ringside for the second episode of Saturday Night's Main Event.

WWE ON A&E RATINGS

- The ratings for the first week of the WWE Superstar Sunday three-hour block on A&E were published by Programming Insider. The first episode of WWE LFG had a total of 160,000 viewers and a 0.05 rating in 18-49. Following LFG, the first episode of the new season of Rivals featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker aired, with 178,000 viewers and the same 0.05 rating in 18-49. This was way down from the last episode of season three which had 338,000 viewers and a 0.12 rating. Rounding up the night at 10:30PM was the first episode of WWE's Greatest Moments featuring Raw in the 90s as the subject. This drew 169,000 viewers and a 0.04 rating in 18-49.

NXT RATING

- After topping 800,000 viewers last week, NXT had a hit in viewership this week, drawing 689,000 viewers, down 112,000 viewers from the prior episode. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from last week and ties the lowest of 2025 so far. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

LINDA MCMAHON ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

- Linda McMahon is one step closer to becoming the Secretary of Education after a Senate committee voted Thursday to advance her nomination. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12-11 to send her nomination to be considered by the full Senate according to the Associated Press. McMahon's hearing last week raised some eyebrows, mainly due to her answers on several hot topics related to education but the Republicans have toed the party line on her nomination so far. President Trump has ordered McMahon that once elected, she should work on shutting down the Department of Education, effectively working herself out of a job.

DWAYNE JOHNSON SET FOR NEW MARTIN SCORSESE MOVIE

- Deadline.com is reporting in an exclusive story that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Emily Blunt are being tipped to star in Martin Scorsese's new untitled drama. Deadline describes the movie as being based on the untold story focused on a turbulent time in Hawaii when an aspiring mob boss took on rival crime factions to seize control of the underworld of the Hawaiian islands. The film will be written by Nick Bilton and Johnson will also serve as a producer. The site also reveals that Johnson and Blunt, who will star together in the upcoming Smashing Machine movie, brought the idea to Scorsese and DiCaprio. The movie is currently in the bidding phase where Deadline reports that there are either bids already in place or "are fast mobilizing."





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Wednesday, February 19, 2025 Issue #7493
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I seriously thought they would let Ricky Starks keep his name but you know something was up when they didn't mention him by name on day one!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

RICKY STARKS IS NOW RICKY SAINTS!

- Ricky Starks signed his NXT contract last night on The CW, but the name is no longer Starks, but rather Saints. While quite a few have moved on from AEW or indies to WWE and kept their name, not everyone is that fortunate, and the former AEW Tag Team title holder is a casualty of a name change. The contract signing was headed by NXT General Manager Ava, who called Ricky the hottest free agent at the moment. During his in-ring promo, he was interrupted twice, once by Ethan Page and once by Wes Lee. Eventually, Je'Von Evans also showed his face, attacking Page. The new arrival challenged Wes Lee to a match for next week which will be his official in-ring debut for the company. He then signed the contract as the camera panned over the paper work which said Ricky Saints. WWE avoided mentioning Starks by name over the last several days since his surprise arrival on last week's episode. You can see the full segment at .

MOOSE MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE ON NXT

- The TNA X Division champion, Moose, made a surprise appearance on NXT last night, confronting NXT champion Oba Femi in the opening segment of the show. Moose told Femi that he is the one man that he can't rule over and pushed for a match between the two. "Oba, this has to happen, Oba Femi vs Moose," the TNA X Division champion said. "Don't worry, it will," responded Femi as both held their respective titles above their shoulders. This was Moose's first appearance on WWE television. You can see it at

RICKY SAINTS DISCUSSES NEW NAME

- Appearing on Busted Open Radio, the newly renamed Ricky Saints discussed the idea behind his new name. Now formerly known as Ricky Starks, he said that the new name is as close as you're going to get to Starks and he likes the name as it's pretty indicative of New Orleans. "I know a lot of people are going to be...it's going to take time for people to get used to it and I respect that they care so deeply about me, um, that they rebel against the name change but at the same time I am a product of New Orleans and I want to pay respect to that as well," Saints told Bubba Ray. The former AEW Tag Team champion signed his NXT contract on last night's episode and it was the first time that he was addressed by the name after WWE didn't mention it since his surprise appearance last week. He also tackled the issue of his AEW release and why he was never brought back to television after he got injured in March 2024 among other topics. “There are some people who stuck their nose in my creative business that shouldn’t have happened,” Saints said. “Veterans. And that’s it, I’ll leave it at that. And if they got a problem with me, they got my number. And text me about it."

HARDY BOYZ TO WRESTLE ON NXT NEXT WEEK

- Matt and Jeff Hardy are returning to WWE television as TNA Tag Team champions on next week's episode of NXT. The popular Hardy Boyz appeared via video on last night's episode of NXT to respond to No Quarter Catch Crew after they issued a challenge to the TNA tag champs. Matt and Jeff agreed to take on Tavion Heights and Myles Borne and promised a "Hardy party" at NXT. "Two men who have re-defined tag-team wrestling for over 25 years," wrote Triple H on X after the video aired. "The Hardy Boyz have reached the pinnacle of our industry (and often jumped off of it) to the amazement of fans worldwide… …and they return to a @WWE ring NEXT WEEK on #WWENXT in Cincinnati." Matt has not appeared on WWE television since March 2020 while Jeff got himself fired after he casually walked out during a tag match at a non-televised live event in December 2021. Next week's episode will take place from The Andrew J Brady Music Center and some tickets remain starting from $49.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Facing the NBA All-Star Weekend programming, Smackdown last Friday drew its lowest number since moving on USA Network, getting 1,384,000 viewers, down 123,000 viewers from the previous show. Smackdown had a 0.42 rating in 18-49, down 0.06 from the prior week and was #2 on the cable chart and on all of television behind the NBA, which beat it by a 0.01. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

RAW VIEWS ON NETFLIX FOR 02/10/2025

- Last week's episode of Raw had 2,800,000 views globally on Netflix, the lowest number since the show has moved to the streaming service. It was down 300,000 views from the post-Royal Rumble show and 100,000 less than the prior week which was until then the least-watched episode. Netflix listed a total of 5,500,000 hours consumed watching Raw which placed #8 on the top 10 chart for the week. The show was in the top 10 in four different countries, Bolivia, Canada, Nicaragua, and United States. It was the first time that it didn't crack the list in the United Kingdom.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING MOES TO ARIZONA

- Double or Nothing will be moving away from Las Vegas for the first time - apart from the COVID era - since its inception in 2019 and will be taking place from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. AEW announced the show for Sunday, May 25, with the pre-sale starting on Friday, February 21 while general on-sale is set for Monday, February 24. "The fans in the Phoenix area have been so incredible for AEW," Tony Khan told the Arizona Republic. "We’ve done several shows around Phoenix and we’ve had great support from the fans." Khan added that the great fans of Phoenix deserve a pay-per-view event after their last show in the area. Double or Nothing was AEW's first-ever pay-per-view and was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 2020 and 2021 shows went to Daily's Place due to the pandemic, and then in 2022 and 2023 it was held at the T-Mobile Arena before returning to the MGM Grand in 2024. The Desert Diamond Arena can hold up to 17,000 seats.

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Dynamite tonight will be at a new venue for the company as it debuts at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Collision will also be taped tonight in the same location. Set for tonight are Powerhouse Hobbs vs Big Bill in a street fight, a trios match between Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata vs Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Kip Sabian, Megan Bayne vs Kris Statlander, and Orange Cassidy vs Roderick Strong in an AEW International Championship Series match. Plus, MJF and Hangman Page will be coming face-to-face. AEW World champion Jon Moxley and TBS champion Mercedes Mone are also advertised for the show. Dynamite airs on TBS at 8PM ET and will also stream on Max.


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Tuesday, February 18, 2025 Issue #7492
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

FINAL TWO QUALIFY FOR ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- The final two entrants of the Elimination Chamber matches advanced last night on Raw after two more qualifying matches took place on the broadcast. In the first qualifier, former NXT Women's champion Roxanne Perez defeated fellow former NXT Women's champion Raquel Rodriguez to book her spot in the match. It had the interference of Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, and Naomi, with the distraction being enough for Perez to pin Rodriguez with the Pop Rocks. Then in the main event of the show, Seth Rollins defeated Finn Balor in another battle of former NXT champions. Rollins won a long, hard-fought match with the stomp. The two matches are now complete, with Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, and Perez in the women's match and John Cena, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Damian Priest, and Rollins in the men's match. The winner of the men's match faces Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania while the winner of the women's match faces Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.

ZAYN VS OWENS IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- The Elimination Chamber will feature an unsanctioned match between frenemies Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The match was set up last night after Zayn returned to challenge Owens in Toronto. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce informed Zayn that he is aware that he is not medically cleared to compete but Zayn said that he will not leave the ring until he got what he wanted. Pearce said that if he wanted a match, it would have to be an unsanctioned one with no rules. Pearce tried to persuade Zayn to let it go, explaining everything that could go wrong, but Zayn said he understood the consequences and wanted the match nonetheless. "In Toronto, at Elimination Chamber, it will be Kevin Owens one on one with Sami Zayn," Pearce said. "Sami, it's not official...it's unsanctioned!"

RICKY STARKS TO SIGN NXT CONTRACT TONIGHT

- Ricky Starks will be signing his NXT contract on tonight's episode of NXT on The CW. In a video which aired during Vengeance Day, Starks said that he would be at the WWE Performance Center today and sign his deal in the middle of the ring. Starks has not been mentioned by his name yet anywhere on WWE television or social media, leaving viewers somewhat confused and wondering if he's actually getting a different name. Also tonight on NXT, a #1 contender's match for the Women's North American title will be held between Kelani Jordan, Karmen Petrovic, and Jaida Parker, Shawn Spears takes on Stacks, and a tag match with Zaria and Sol Ruca vs Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend.

TRIPLE H UNVEILS WWE ID CHAMPIONSHIPS

- WWE is adding a men's and women's title belt for their ID project. "The top independent wrestling prospects have been ID’d… and now, we’re ready to spotlight the best of the best," Triple H said in a post on X. "Here’s your first look at the Men’s and Women’s @WWEID Championships." The WWE Independent Development program kicked off in late October of last year with the aim to develop and support the training of independent professional wrestlers. Several wrestling schools and other promotions received their WWE ID designation as well. WWE ID matches are promoted on the official WWE ID X account and take place at various indie promotions between WWE ID talent. Wins in these matches can lead to being featured on the upcoming WWE EVOLVE show.

WWE EVOLVE TO AIR ON YOUTUBE FOR INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS

- The WWE EVOLVE show which will air on Tubi in the United States starting from next month will also be available for international viewers on the WWE YouTube channel. WWE has been using YouTube more and more over the past year, adding more content for mainly international viewers. Announced two weeks ago, WWE EVOLVE will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they wrestle with the dream of making it to NXT and, perhaps, one day to Smackdown and Raw. The show will premiere on March 5 at 8PM ET and will be a weekly show every Wednesday on the FOX-owned streaming service Tubi. Several weeks worth of shows have already been taped at the WWE Performance Center. Former EVOLVE owner Gabe Sapolsky is heading up this project.

TNA SIGNS MCKENZIE MITCHELL

- TNA Wrestling today announced via Sports Illustrated that it has signed McKenzie Mitchell to a new deal which will see her become TNA's new ring announcer. This is the second stint for Mitchell with TNA Wrestling, having previously worked for the company for three years before signing with WWE in 2019. Mitchell returned to TNA at the Genesis pay-per-view last month. She heads back to her old stomping grounds of Orlando this week as TNA holds television tapings at Full Sail University, the former home of NXT.


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Monday, February 17, 2025 Issue #7491
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I enjoyed WWE LFG. I was a big fan of the Tough Enough series, and this is somewhat similar to it. Some interesting characters on it that's for sure!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

2K UNVEILS FULL WWE 2K25 ROSTER

- 2K today unveiled the full roster for the WWE 2K25 video game with a total of 250 playable characters and 17 non-playable characters. There are also different versions of certain WWE Superstars who will be part of the video game but are not listed separately in the official roster reveal due to spoilers. The roster includes stars from Raw, Smackdown, NXT, WWE Hall of Famers, Legends, and former Superstars. These are AJ Styles, Akam, Akira Tozawa, Alba Fyre, Alexa Bliss, Alundra Blayze, Andrade, Andre Chase, Andre The Giant, Angel, Angelo Dawkins, Apollo Crews, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Asuka, Austin Theory, Axiom, B-Fab, Baron Corbin, Batista, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Berto, Bianca Belair, Big E, Blair Davenport, Boogeyman, Booker T, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Bret Hart, British Bulldog, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Brooks Jensen, Bruno Sammartino, Brutus Creed, Bubba Ray Dudley, Cactus Jack, Candice LeRae, Carlito, Carmella, Carmelo Hayes, Cedric Alexander, Chad Gable, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Charlie Dempsey, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, Chyna, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Cora Jade, Cruz Del Toro, D-Von Dudley, Dakota Kai, Damian Priest, Dexter Lumis, Diamond Dallas Page, Diesel, Doink The Clown, Dominik Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Drew McIntyre, Dude Love, Duke Hudson, Dusty Rhodes, Eddie Guerrero, Eddy Thorpe, Elektra Lopez, Elton Prince, Eric Bischoff, Erik, Ethan Page, Eve Torres, Faarooq, Fallon Henley, Finn Balor, George “The Animal” Steele, Gigi Dolin, Giovanni Vinci, Grayson Waller, Gunther, Harley Race, Headshrinker Fatu, Headshrinker Samu, Honky Tonk Man, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Hulk Hogan, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Ilja Dragunov, Indi Hartwell, Isla Dawn, Islander Haku, Islander Tama, Ivar, Ivy Nile, IYO SKY, Jacob Fatu, Jacy Jayne, Jade Cargill, Jaida Parker, Jakara Jackson, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, JBL, JD McDonagh, Je’Von Evans, Jey Uso, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Jimmy Uso, Joaquin Wilde, Joe Coffey, Joe Gacy, John Cena, Johnny Gargano, Josh Briggs, Julius Creed, Kairi Sane, Kane, Karl Anderson, Karrion Kross, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Kelani Jordan, Ken Shamrock, Kevin Nash, Kevin Owens, Kiana James, Kit Wilson, Kofi Kingston, Kurt Angle, LA Knight, Lash Legend, Lex Luger, Lexis King, Lita, Liv Morgan, Logan Paul, Lola Vice, Ludwig Kaiser, Luke Gallows, Lyra Valkyria, Mark Coffey, Maryse, Mankind, Maxxine Dupri, Michelle McCool, Michin, Mick Foley, Mighty Molly, Molly Holly, Montez Ford, Mosh, Mr. Fuji, Mr. Perfect, Naomi, Natalya, Nathan Frazer, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross, Nikkita Lyons, Noam Dar, Oba Femi, Omos, Oro Mensah, Otis, Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Peter Maivia, Piper Niven, R-Truth, Randy Orton, Randy Savage, Razor Ramon, Raquel Rodriguez, Rey Mysterio, Rezar, Rhea Ripley, Rick Rude, Rick Steiner, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Ridge Holland, Rikishi, Rob Van Dam, Roddy Piper, Rocky Maivia, Roman Reigns, Rosey, Roxanne Perez, Sami Zayn, Santos Escobar, Scarlett, Scott Hall, Scott Steiner, Sensational Sherri, Seth Rollins, Shawn Michaels, Shawn Spears, Shayna Baszler, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Shotzi, Sol Ruca, Solo Sikoa, Sonya Deville, Stacy Keibler, Stardust, Stephanie McMahon, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Syxx, Tama Tonga, Tamina, Tatum Paxley, Tegan Nox, Terry Funk, The Fiend, The Great Muta, The Hurricane, The Iron Sheik, The Miz, The Rock, The Sandman, Thea Hail, Thrasher, Tiffany Stratton, Tommaso Ciampa, Tonga Loa, Tony D’Angelo, Trick Williams, Triple H, Trish Stratus, Tyler Bate, Tyler Breeze, Ultimate Warrior, Umaga, Undertaker, Vader, Valhalla, Wade Barrett, Wendy Choo, Wes Lee, Wild Samoan Afa, Wild Samoan Sika, William Regal, Wolfgang, X-Pac, Xavier Woods, Yokozuna, Zelina Vega, and Zoey Stark. The non-playable characters are Ava, Adam Pearce, Afa, Armando Alejandro Estrada, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Brother Love, Captain Lou Albano, Cathy Kelley, Jimmy Hart, Mick Foley, Miss Elizabeth, Nick Aldis, Paul Bearer, Paul Ellering, Paul Heyman, Stephanie McMahon, and Theodore Long. WWE 2K25 is available for pre-order now and it will be out in stores on March 14.

ELIMINATION CHAMBER PHOTO OPS INFO

- The Elimination Chamber photo ops are now available for purchase through Leap, the company tasked with doing the photo and autograph events at WWE premium live events. WWE Superstars will appear from Thursday to Sunday at the Rogers Centre Gate 1 Store to meet with fans. Scheduled so far are Chelsea Green, Damian Priest, Street Profits, and Tiffany Stratton on Thursday, Alexa Bliss and Drew McIntyre on Friday, Shinsuke Nakamura on Saturday, and Liv Morgan on Sunday. More are set to appear during the Elimination Chamber weekend and you can keep up with the schedule at .

JOHN CENA ADDED TO RAW TAPINGS IN EUROPE

- WWE today announced that John Cena will be at the March 17, March 24, and March 31 Monday Night Raw from Brussels, Glasgow, and London respectively. "In many ways, this Farewell tour started that July night in London. Some of the loudest (and latest) nights on tour have been in Glasgow. I haven’t seen the beauty of Brussels in over a decade," Cena wrote on X. "For all of these reasons and many, many more, I’m grateful I can to say 'Thank You' to these cities and have one FINAL night together as a family. It’s MY LAST Road to #WrestleMania! LETS GO!" The Glasgow Raw from the OVO Hydro is hurting when it comes to ticket sales due to the incredibly expensive prices. Cheapest tickets available in Scotland are ?172.95 each while the most expensive is ?897.70. There are also a lot of tickets available for Raw in London at The O2 Arena where the cheapest price is ?223 while the most expensive is ?752. The O2 Arena is also hosting Smackdown the Friday before and combo tickets are also available for those two shows. The addition of Cena to these European events will surely add some boost to ticket sales, with the crowd over this side of the world, at least for now, resisting to the insane ticket prices that WWE is putting out.

BUDDY MATTHEWS INJURED

- AEW star Buddy Matthews suffered an ankle injury at the Grand Slam: Australia show on Saturday. The freak incident happened when Matthews made his entrance, rolling his ankle as he came off the ropes. He wrestled the match as expected but was limping going to the back. Matthews lost against Kazuchika Okada during the show. In a post on Instagram, Matthews' wife Rhea Ripley wrote that "ain't no Roly-Poly ankles" gonna keep them down. "Let the honeymoon commence," she wrote, adding photos of the two together, with Matthews on a crutch and also without it.

AEW RETURNING TO BOSTON NEXT MONTH

- AEW will hold back-to-back television tapings in Boston next month, their first time back in the city since their Big Business event in March of last year. The April 16 Dynamite will be live from the MGM Music Hall while Collision tapings will be held the following night on April 17. If Collision airs on Saturday that week, it will go against WrestleMania night one. The arrival of Mercedes Mone at the TD Garden was the last time AEW visited Boston. The MGM Music Hall is a smaller venue with a max of 5,000 seats, slightly smaller than the Agganis Arena which is where AEW held TV tapings before. Tickets go on pre-sale this Thursday.

AEW/ROH GLOBAL WARS TO AIR TONIGHT

- The AEW/ROH Global Wars which was recorded prior to Grand Slam: Australia this past Saturday in Brisbane will be airing tonight on the ROH HonorClub streaming service at 7PM ET. A total of five matches were recorded for the broadcast including The Learning Tree vs Bandido and The Outrunners, Athena vs Alex Windsor for the ROH Women's title, Lee Moriarty vs Robbie Eagles for the ROH Pure title, The Sons of Texas vs MxM Collection for the ROH Tag Team titles, and Mark Davis vs Tommy Knight. Global Wars was an event held multiple times a year by ROH from 2012 until 2019. It was originally named Border Wars but underwent the name change two years after its inception when ROH and NJPW announced a partnership. ROH's HonorClub is $9.99 a month and a subscription is required to watch the show.


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Sunday, February 16, 2025 Issue #7490
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

A good night of rasslin' last night, don't you think?


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

VENGEANCE DAY RESULTS

- Here are the results from last night's NXT Vengeance Day which took place live from the CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC. Stephanie Vaquer defeated Fallon Henley to become the new NXT Women's North American title; Nathan Frazer and Axiom defeated Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura to retain the NXT Tag Team titles; Eddy Thorpe defeated Trick Williams; Ethan Page defeated Je'Von Evans; Oba Femi defeated Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in a triple threat match to retain the NXT title; Giulia defeated Bayley, Roxanne Perez, and Cora Jade in a fatal four-way to retain the NXT Women's title.

JORDYNNE GRACE ARRIVES IN NXT

- Jordynne Grace has officially arrived in NXT. Absent since her debut as a WWE Superstar at the Royal Rumble, the former TNA Knockouts champion made her presence felt at Vengeance Day last night and came to spoil the party at the end of the broadcast. After Giulia successfully defended her NXT Women's title against Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, and Bayley, the new NXT Women's North American champion Stephanie Vaquer came out to celebrate with her best friend. With The Beautiful Madness and The Dark Angel both in the middle of the ring with their titles up above their shoulders and credits rolling, the sirens hit the speakers to a monstrous pop from the crowd. "Oh my God guys, The Juggernaut is here," screamed Corey Graves on commentary. The crowd chanted "holy shit" as a smiling Grace stood in front of the new champions. "The Juggernaut has just sent shockwaves through NXT," said Vic Joseph as the show faded to black. You can see it at .

NEW FACTION DEBUTS

- A new faction made its debut on NXT last night at Vengeance Day consisting of under-contract athletes Dion Lennox, Saquon Shugars, Cutler James, and Osiris Griffin. The foursome attacked Frazer, Axiom, Briggs, and Inamura following their tag team title match with fans chanting "Who are you?" That was not their only appearance of the night though as later in the broadcast, the faction came out to attack NXT champion Oba Femi following his successful title defense. The four were wearing masks, giving bad vibes of Retribution, although it remains to be seen where this goes. Out of all four, Dion Lennox is the only one who appeared on NXT television before. Their debut came after several mystery vignettes aired on NXT leading up to last night's show. You can see their debut at .

STEPHANIE VAQUER WINS NXT WOMEN'S NORTH AMERICAN TITLE

- Stephanie Vaquer got her first taste of gold in WWE as she became the new NXT Women's North American champion last night at Vengeance Day. Despite interference from Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx of Fatal Influence, The Dark Angel overcame the odds and defeated Fallon Henley with the Spiral Tap in the opening match of the card with the Washington crowd solidly behind her. Vaquer, from Chile, becomes the first-ever South American-born champion in WWE. She made her NXT debut in September of last year. You can see her win at .

SANTINO MARELLA APPEARS AT VENGEANCE DAY

- TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella appeared on NXT Vengeance Day last night in a backstage segment with NXT General Manager Ava and his daughter, the NXTNA liaison Arianna Grace. Marella has not appeared on WWE television since early 2020 when he came out to enter the women's Royal Rumble with his Santina Marella gimmick. "Look who it is," wrote the WWE X account after his appearance. "Great to have you here, @milanmiracle!" The Canadian star has been working for TNA since 2017 after a long stint with WWE.

WWE SUPERSTAR SUNDAY RETURNS ON A&E

- The WWE Superstar Sunday returns on A&E tonight with three new shows - LFG, Rivals, and Greatest Moments - starting at 8PM ET. Kicking off the three-hour block is WWE's newest reality competition series LFG, with coaches Undertaker, Booker T, Mickie James, and Bubba Ray Dudley, along with Shawn Michaels and Triple H. At 9:30PM ET, WWE Rivals returns with Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias leading the roundtable discussions. Kevin Owens, Natalya, X-Pac and John "Bradshaw" Layfield will be discussing the Steve Austin vs Undertaker rivalry on tonight's episode. Immediately following Rivals WWE's Greatest Moments debuts hosted by the voice of WWE, Michael Cole. Tonight's topic is Raw in the 90s.

TONI STORM WINS THE AEW WOMEN'S TITLE

- "Timeless" Toni Storm became the AEW Women's champion for a record-breaking fourth time last night at Grand Slam: Australia, defeating her arch rival Mariah May in the main event of the show. This was their first match against each other since the All In: Wembley event in late August of last year where May beat Storm for the gold. The Kiwi star defeated May with a small package, ending May's 174-day reign as champion. She returned in December at the Winter is Coming episode of Dynamite pretending not to remember anything that happened over the past couple of years but later revealed she was just playing the part to get back to her former friend.

TWO MATCHES MADE FOR REVOLUTION

- Two matches for AEW's Revolution pay-per-view were made official after last night's Grand Slam: Australia broadcast. Former AEW World champion Kenny Omega issued a challenge to Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International title. The two already have a title match against each other under their belt, with Takeshita winning the match at All Out in 2023. But there's a roadblock for Takeshita first before he moves on to Revolution, as he has to defend the title against the winner of Orange Cassidy vs Roderick Strong first. Will Ospreay also challenged his former tag team partner Kyle Fletcher in a steel cage match. Fletcher has upended Ospreay twice lately, costing him the International title at WrestleDream and then beat him in a highly-praised one-on-one match at Full Gear. Ospreay beat Fletcher in the Continental Classic semi final last year. Omega and Ospreay beat Takeshita and Fletcher in a tag match at Grand Slam: Australia last night.


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Saturday, February 15, 2025 Issue #7489
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

NXT Vengeance Day looks good on paper so hopefully that translates well on TV. AEW Grand Slam tonight as well in front of a hot crowd, so wrestling fans are spoilt for choice today.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

NXT VENGEANCE DAY LIVE ON PEACOCK AND NETFLIX TONIGHT

- Live from the CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC, WWE presents NXT Vengeance Day live on Peacock in the United States and on Netflix everywhere else. The full card is as follows: Oba Femi vs Austin Theory vs Grayson Waller in a triple threat match for the NXT title; Giulia vs Bayley vs Roxanne Perez vs Cora Jade in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Women's title; Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura for the NXT Tag Team titles; Fallon Henley vs Stephanie Vaquer for the NXT Women's North American title; Je'Von Evans vs Ethan Page; and Trick Williams vs Eddy Thorpe. Vengeance Day will have a start time of 6PM ET, continuing the trend of WWE premium live events having an earlier start time much to the enjoyment of international viewers. The Countdown to Vengeance Day will air on WWE's social media properties an hour earlier starting at 5PM ET.

CHARLOTTE FLAIR PICS TIFFANY STRATTON FOR WRESTLEMANIA

- Charlotte Flair has picked Tiffany Stratton and her WWE Women's title for WrestleMania, with the match becoming the second one official on the card. Stratton was involved in a title defense last night against Nia Jax and won via disqualification when Candice LeRae interfered. After a brawl which also involved Trish Stratus, Stratton was left lying in the middle of the ring and that's when Flair entered. She got a chair and sat next to Stratton who was still recovering, telling her to wake up because it's still "Tiffy time." Flair then got serious and said, "The Queen chooses you. I'll see you at WrestleMania," before slamming the microphone. The 14-time women's champion also visited Raw and NXT before making up her mind and picking Stratton for her WrestleMania match. You can see the segment at .

TRISH STRATUS TO TEAM WITH TIFFANY STRATTON AT ELIMINATION CHAMVER

- Trish Stratus will be stepping back in the ring at the Elimination Chamber in her hometown of Toronto next month. Stratus was ringside at Smackdown last night and was involved in an angle after Nia Jax and Candice LeRae continued their attack on WWE Women's champion Tiffany Stratton. Stratus, celebrating her 25th year in the business, made the save for Stratton but the heels quickly overpowered the WWE Hall of Famer, leaving her and Stratton out. In a backstage segment a few minutes later, Tiffany and Trish agreed to team up to take on Nia Jax and Candice LaRae in a tag match at the Elimination Chamber which will take place from the Rogers Centre, the stadium formerly known as the SkyDome.

PRIEST AND NAOMI QUALIFY FOR ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- Two more WWE Superstars qualified for the Elimination Chamber last night on Smackdown, leaving just one more place in each match. Naomi was first with her win over United States Women's champion Chelsea Green, pinning her clean after a split-legged moonsault. Bianca Belair, who is also in the match, celebrated with her tag team partner following the match. Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also part of the match. Later in the evening, Damian Priest defeated Jacob Fatu and Braun Strowman in a triple threat match to book his place in the match. The match had interference from Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Cody Rhodes, with the Bloodline members not on the same wavelength for the night, allowing Priest to finish off Strowman with his South of Heaven chokeslam finisher. Priest now joins John Cena, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and Logan Paul in the match. The last qualifying matches will come on Raw with Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor and Roxanne Perez vs Raquel Rodriguez.

LAYLA COMMENTS ON MICHELLE MCCOOL JOINING THE HALL OF FAME

- Former co-Divas champion Layla El reacted to the news that Michelle McCool will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2025 with a message on social media. The now 47-year-old said that no one is more deserving of this recognition and accomplishment than her former bestie. "I’m truly so happy for you, Chelle! Everyone, please show your love to Michelle — she’s incredible and so dear to me," she wrote. The British star teamed up with Michelle McCool in 2009 to form LayCool and together won the WWE Women's and Divas titles. After two years working together, the duo fell apart and Layla later defeated McCool in a loser leaves WWE match. McCool received the news that she is going into the Hall of Fame during her appearance on ESPN's Get Up yesterday where Triple H surprised her and her husband The Undertaker with the announcement.

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA TO AIR AFTER NBA PROGRAMMING TONIGHT

- AEW will make its Australia debut with Grand Slam airing tonight on TNT and streaming on Max right after the NBA All-Star Weekend programming. Over 10,000 packed the Brisbane Entertainment Centre earlier today on the other side of the world with five matches taped for tonight's broadcast which replaces Collision. Scheduled for tonight are Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher vs Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone defends her TBS title against Harley Cameron, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli take on Jay White and Cop in a Brisbane Brawl, AEW Continental champion Kazuchika Okada defends his title against Buddy Matthews, and in the main event, Mariah May defends her AEW Women's title against Toni Storm.

AEW TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIA IN 2026

- Following today's very successful AEW Grand Slam: Australia event in Brisbane, AEW announced that it will be back Down Under in 2026. Grand Slam: Australia has moved to become the third highest-grossing AEW event ever behind the two All In shows at Wembley Stadium. While originally this show was set for the 50,000-seater SunCorp Stadium, expensive tickets at the much smaller Brisbane Entertainment Centre contributed to a large gate of over $1.25 million. Appearing in front of fans, AEW President Tony Khan was initially booed but then cheered when he said they will be coming back to the country. No date or location were announced for AEW's return but you can join the waitlist for tickets at . AEW Grand Slam: Australia will air later tonight on tape delay on TNT after the All-Star Weekend programming as well as on Max.


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Friday, February 14, 2025 Issue #7488
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Happy Greg "The Hammer" Valentine's Day!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

MICHELLE MCCOOL TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME

- It was confirmed this morning that Michelle McCool will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The announcement came during an appearance on ESPN's Get Up where McCool along with The Undertaker were guests to promote the new WWE and A&E series LFG. Triple H appeared via video in the studio and said that a couple of weeks ago, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels decided to surprise him and induct him in the Hall of Fame. He said being the boss is cool, because he gets the last laugh. "Michelle, WrestleMania season is upon us, which means the Hall of Fame season is upon us," he said, as McCool teared up at the hint. "And I would like to tell you right now that you're being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, congratulations!" Both McCool and The Undertaker were very emotional and Triple H said that it's about time that she goes in. "I'm speechless, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know, it's hard to believe that you can deserve that honor. It's just...an honor," McCool said. The hosts also asked The Undertaker what he thought about that. "Don't make me talk man, I've been 35 years building the mystique and persona...and I'm gonna be crying like a baby," Taker responded. You can see the video at .

TESSITORE TO MISS SMACKDOWN, REDMOND TO MISS RAW

- Joe Tessitore will not be doing Smackdown play-by-play tonight as ESPN announced that he will be calling the action for the Top Rank Strictly Business boxing event tonight live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The show will air live on ESPN starting at 9PM ET and according to the press release, Tessitore will call the action with Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna. In related news, WWE backstage interviewer Jackie Redmond will also miss Raw on Netflix next Monday due to NHL coverage. "You assume correctly. No RAW for me this week," Redmond wrote on X. "Got myself a #4Nations DOUBLE HEADER on @NHL_On_TNT."

JOSH ALEXANDER SAYS HIS GOODBYES TO TNA

- Josh Alexander said his goodbyes to TNA Wrestling in a long statement after his final TNA match aired last night on Impact. Alexander started with TNA in 2019 and won the TNA World title twice, the X Division title once, and the TNA Tag Team titles twice with Ethan Page as The North. The Canadian wrote that he made lifelong friends during the past six years and was able to travel the world with his wife Jade Chung. He noted how his six-year-old son only grew up watching his dad the TNA wrestler. "I am also eternally grateful for the mentoring and coaching that was so freely given to me over the years. I wouldn’t be half the wrestler I am today, without it," Alexander wrote. He thanked everyone from production to talent to fans for allowing him to live his dream. "Thank you for all the memories. If it all ended today I’d be more than satisfied and that’s because of all of you. I will be eternally grateful for TNA and carry TNA with me in my heart for the rest of my career," he added. You can read his full statement at . Alexander bowed out of TNA with a loss to Eric Young in his final match. Both AEW and WWE are reportedly interested in his services.

TNA UNBREAKABLE ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL 17 IN LAS VEGAS

- TNA Wrestling announced that the next TNA+ streaming event will be called Unbreakable and will take place on Thursday, April 17. The show will be held from the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, located on the campus of the University of Nevada. It's expected that this event will start immediately following the conclusion of that week's Impact Wrestling show. Unbreakable being in Las Vegas is not by a coincidence as thousands of wrestling fans will be in the area for WrestleMania week. Officially, there's no WWE events except for WWE World on that Thursday and considering that WWE and TNA have a working relationship, there might be some WWE stars popping up on the show.

DYNAMITE RATING

- Dynamite this week drew 579,000 viewers, down 26,000 viewers from the prior week and the lowest number of 2025 so far. The show had a 0.16 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the previous show and was #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. The night's main competition were the NBA and the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game. The numbers do not include the viewers on Max. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA DOES BIG BUSINESS FOR AEW

- AEW President Tony Khan revealed that tomorrow's AEW Grand Slam: Australia event will have one of the biggest gates in AEW history thanks to expensive tickets. "Outside of Wembley Stadium in London, this is going to be, I believe, our biggest international gate of all time. So it's a really very, very exciting event for us here in AEW," Khan said in an interview with DownUnderTheRing. The show is believed to be #3 as far as the gate is concerned behind the two All In: Wembley shows with over $1.25 million. All In: Texas will eventually surpass this show if it didn't already. The Forbidden Door 2023 pay-per-view from Toronto was the third highest-grossing event for the company up until now. Tickets for Grand Slam: Australia remain available for purchase starting from $94.85 at


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Thursday, February 13, 2025 Issue #7487
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, have a good one!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

NXT RATING

- This week's episode of NXT drew 801,000 viewers, up 35,000 viewers from the prior week and the third most-watched episode of 2025 so far. The show had a 0.18 rating, down 0.02 from the previous show, with the audience trending older than in previous weeks. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

DEMOLITION SIGN WWE LEGENDS DEAL

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Ax and Smash of Demolition have signed a Legends deal with the company, opening up the possibility of merchandise, inclusion in video games, and a potential Hall of Fame induction. Bill Eadie, who performed as Ax, had a long legal battle with WWE over the Demolition name in the mid 90s, a battle which he eventually lost. Barry Darsow, who wrestled as Smash and Repo Man, then joined Eadie and others in the CTE class action lawsuit against WWE. That lawsuit was also dismissed by a judge with the plaintiffs getting absolutely nothing from it. They wrestled for WWE from 1987 until 1991 and are former three-time WWF Tag Team champions. The team also had a third member, Crush, join them during their last tag team title reign.

REAL AMERICAN SUITE FOR WRESTLEMANIA 41!

- OnLocation is offering the Real American Suite as a WrestleMania experience with Hulk Hogan. The Real American Suite includes both nights of WrestleMania from the comfort of a reserved seat in a premium luxury suite at Allegiant Stadium, all-inclusive food and beverages as part of the suite, meet and greet with Hulk Hogan along with an authentic Hulk Hogan championship belt photo op, an exclusive Hulk Hogan themed souvenir, a Topgolf Event with The Miz, Priority Pass WWE World and Superstore access, and dedicated Entrance at Allegiant Stadium. The price is a cool $9,500 per person for both nights and with the On Location FlexPay Payment Plan, you can book with a low deposit and choose your preferred frequency of payments towards the total package price. For more information go to .

TRIPLE H, STEPHANIE, AND SHANE AT LINDA MCMAHON'S SENATE HEARING

- WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, his wife Stephanie McMahon, and her brother Shane McMahon along with his wife Marissa, were all in attendance this morning for Linda McMahon's Senate confirmation hearing as she works her way towards being the next Secretary of Education under the second Trump administration. "Thank you very much, Chairman Cassidy. I would like to introduce my daughter Stephanie McMahon, her husband Paul Levesque, and my son Shane McMahon," McMahon said at the start of her confirmation hearing as all three sat behind her. As soon as McMahon's hearing started, someone from the audience jumped in and caused some commotion in protest. She was eventually escorted out. The hearing, which involved Linda answering questions from the Senate members about a variety of subjects, including obviously education was streamed live at .

RITA CHATTERTON REVEALS SHE WAS UNDER AEW DEAL FOR A YEAR

- Rita Chatterton, the first WWE female referee who claims that she was raped by Vince McMahon in the back of a limo and recently reached a multi-million dollar agreement with McMahon, revealed in an interview on the Power & Glory The Podcast that she was signed to an AEW contract for a whole year and did absolutely nothing. The 68-year-old said that in 2021 when she received the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Trailblazer Award, its President, Seth Turner, informed her that there was a guy with the name of Tony Khan who wanted her phone number. Chatterton admitted that she had no idea who Khan was and was told that she should take his call if he rings. Khan rang, but she did not answer as she did not recognize the number but then she called back and it was indeed Khan. "So Tony and I had a nice long talk, and I was under contract with him for a year. Very nice man. Gentleman. Very, very nice man," she said. Chatterton revealed that she was listed as a talent scout for AEW but said that she didn't do one cent of work and the only thing she did was attend a couple of Jacksonville Jaguars games. “You know what, I was under contract for a year and I did absolutely nothing. I did absolutely nothing," she said laughing. "But he wanted me under contract, so I was under contract with him." Chatterton was back in the news in late 2022 when she and McMahon reached an agreement over the rape allegation, an allegation that McMahon continues to refuse to this day. He later said that he settled to avoid a costly litigation.

CHANGES AT TNA WRESTLING

- There were some changes behind-the-scenes at TNA Wrestling, spearheaded by the arrival of new TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva. Silva has replaced Anthony Cicione, who assumed the role in February of last year after Scott D'Amore was fired from the company. PWInsider.com also adds that John E. Bravo and Ingrid Isley have both been added to the Talent Relations department working under Gail Kim. Bravo and Isley have worked with TNA for a while, with Bravo being well-liked backstage while taking on different roles while Isley was the floor manager at events.

JOSH MATHEWS AND CHRISTY HEMME DEPART TNA

- Longtime TNA Wrestling employees Josh Mathews and Christy Hemme have departed the company. In a statement announcing the arrival of Carlos Silva as new TNA Wrestling President, TNA also said, "Josh Mathews and Christy Hemme are no longer with the Company. We appreciate their commitment to TNA throughout the years, and wish them well in their future endeavors." Mathews joined TNA in 2014 after he left WWE and served as Senior Producer and Senior Director of Digital Media. He also worked in the commentary booth for TNA until the 2021 Hard to Kill pay-per-view. Meanwhile, Hemme leaves after she returned to the company in 2022. She originally joined TNA in 2006 and stayed there for a decade before returning to the company to work on their social media properties. She also worked as a wrestler, ring announcer, and backstage interviewer during her first stint.

ROH GLOBAL WARS RETURNS

- Ring of Honor will be taping AEW/ROH Global Wars this weekend in Brisbane, Australia as part of the Grand Slam television broadcast on Saturday. Four matches are being taped for this future broadcast with Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith vs Bandido and The Outrunners in a six-man tag match, ROH Pure champion Lee Moriarty vs Robbie Eagles, ROH Tag Team champions Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara vs MxM Collection, and ROH Women’s champion Athena vs Alex Windsor. No date was announced as to when and where this will air but the ROH HonorClub streaming service seems to be the most logical place since that's where all ROH programming airs. Global Wars was an event held multiple times a year by ROH from 2012 until 2019. It was originally named Border Wars but underwent the name change two years after its inception when ROH and NJPW announced a partnership.


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Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Issue #7486
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I was expecting Ricky Starks to show up eventually on WWE TV…but damn, not that fast! LOL


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

RICKY STARKS MAKES SURPRISE NXT DEBUT

- WWE and Ricky Starks did not waste time to get into business as just 24 hours after he was officially released, Starks showed up unannounced on NXT. The former AEW star made his presence felt before the main event got underway and received a big pop from the WWE Performance Center crowd. "It's obvious you know who I am," Starks said as the crowd chanted his name. "If NXT is the future of professional wrestling, well guess what, you need an absolute superstar of the future," he continued. "If this is the hottest brand, you need the hottest free agent right now baby!" Starks warned the crowd not to let the handsome face and expensive fragrance fool them because he was there to turn the place upside down. "And everyone’s been begging the question, when will the revolution be televised again?,” Starks said. “I’m here, ain’t I?" He then his did usual pose among the crowd as they cheered even more for him. What's interesting is that nowhere online and not even last night on television he was referred to as Ricky Starks by WWE. You can see his arrival at .

WRESTLEMANIA WEEK EVENT TICKETS OUT ON PRE-SALE

- Tickets for the WrestleMania Week events went on pre-sale today at AXS.COM. Combo tickets are available using the pre-sale code WWEVIP from the WWE Presale option and the cheapest available are $196.50 plus taxes and fees, which add up around another $100 to your bill. The most expensive $1,816.50 and it adds another $165 in taxes and fees. Single tickets for all three events are available through the AXS Premium offer and require no passcode. The cheapest tickets are $128.25 each for Raw and Smackdown and $47.92 for Smackdown, with these prices also excluding taxes and fees. The whole T-Mobile Arena will be open for seats. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 14 at 10AM PST on AXS.COM.

RICKY STARKS PULLED FROM SATURDAY INDIE SHOW

- Ricky Starks has been pulled from an indie wrestling event on Saturday night following his arrival on NXT last night. NXT has the Vengeance Day premium live event on Saturday so it's highly likely that Starks will be in attendance for that. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, Ricky Starks will not be in attendance on Saturday, February 15th at the Tannery Row Ale House," Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling announced via post on social media. Starks made his NXT debut last night, coming out just before the main event to a shocked WWE PC audience. Starks had received his release from AEW just 24 hours before.

CORA JADE ADDED TO NXT WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH

- The triple threat match for the NXT Women's title at Vengeance Day has now been turned into a fatal four-way match with the addition of Cora Jade to the mix. Jade defeated Bayley yesterday on NXT and her win earned her a spot on the match as announced by NXT General Manager Ava. Jade and Bayley will join Roxanne Perez and NXT Women's champion Giulia in the match. Speaking of Perez, she did provide some assistance to Jade last night during the show, coming out to distract Bayley in Bayley's former NXT gimmick as the hugger.

JULIUS CREED JOINS DANIEL CORMIER'S COACHING TEAM ON THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER

- WWE Superstar Julius Creed has been announced as one of the coaches helping Daniel Cormier in the new season of The Ultimate Fighter. The former NCAA All-American wrestler joins Cormier's six-person backroom staff which also includes Bob Cook, Rosendo Sanchez, Michael Chiesa, Tiago Beowulf, and John Wood. The new season of The Ultimate Fighter starts on May 27 exclusively on ESPN+. Chael Sonnen will be coaching the other team.

RAW VIEWS FOR LAST WEEK

- For the first time since moving to Netflix, Raw viewership saw an uptick in views, with the post-Royal Rumble episode on February 3 having 3,100,000 global views, up from the prior week's 2,900,000. Netflix listed a total of 6,100,000 hours viewed, which was 500,000 less than the prior week. The number was enough to put Raw #7 globally on the chart for the week and the show was in the top 10 in Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, United States, and United Kingdom.

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Dynamite tonight was taped yesterday due to the AEW crew heading over to Australia for this weekend's Grand Slam broadcast. A total of seven matches were recorded for the broadcast which airs at 8PM ET on TBS and Max. Two title matches will headline the show, with The Death Riders defending the AEW Trios titles against The Undisputed Kingdom while AEW Tag Team champions The Hurt Syndicate defend against The Gunns. Also taking place are Dustin Rhodes vs MJF, Adam Page vs Max Caster, Penelope Ford vs Kris Statlander, Megan Bayne vs Maya World, and another trios match with Hook, Katsuyori Shibata, and Samoa Joe vs Aaron Solo, Jon Cruz and Rosario Grillo.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision last weekend recovered from the prior week in the viewership, with the show getting 387,000 viewers, up 190,000 from the prior week's record low. That was the best number since December 21. The show had a 0.10 rating in 18-49, up 0.06 and was #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)


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Tuesday, February 11, 2025 Issue #7485
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

FIRST WRESTLEMANIA 41 MATCH OFFICIAL

- The first match for WrestleMania 41 was made official last night after Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso picked Gunther as his opponent as he goes after the WWE World Heavyweight title. Gunther, who has promised to make Jey Uso's life a hell until WrestleMania, interrupted the popular star's entrance last night on Raw and laid the smackdown on Uso before being escorted out by referees. It was then when Uso informed Gunther that he will meet him at WrestleMania. Uso has not managed to beat Gunther yet, and his last title shot a week before the Royal Rumble was close, but Gunther found a way over the line. The Austrian star has been champion since SummerSlam. At last year's WrestleMania, Gunther lost the Intercontinental title to Sami Zayn.

NXT ROADBLOCK FROM THE THEATER AT MSG

- WWE announced that the special NXT Roadblock episode on The CW will be held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 11. This will be the second back-to-back WWE television taping from the world's most famous arena as Monday Night Raw on March 10 will be held from Madison Square Garden proper. While NXT held a show once at The Theater before, this is their first television taping from the location which can hold around 5,000 seats. Roadblock tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 14. A pre-sale will start tomorrow morning at 10AM with the code NXTLIVE on Ticketmaster.com.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Smackdown drew 1,507,000 viewers for the post-Royal Rumble broadcast, down 71,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.48 rating in 18-49, down 0.03 from last week and was #1 on cable and all of television, beating both college basketball and NBA on FOX and ESPN respectively. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

BAYLEY AND LOGAN PAUL ADVANCE TO ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- Bayley and Logan Paul advanced to the Elimination Chamber last night on Raw after winning their respective qualifying matches. Bayley qualified first after she beat WWE Women's Intercontinental champion Lyra Valkyria with a cradle and then in the main event of the broadcast, Logan Paul beat Rey Mysterio in the other qualifying with a new finisher. Bayley joins Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, and Bianca Belair so far while Paul joins John Cena, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre. Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor and Roxanne Perez vs Raquel Rodriguez are the last two qualifying matches from Raw which will take place next week.

AEW TAPING DYNAMITE TONIGHT

- AEW will be taping Dynamite tonight from the H-E-B Center in Austin, Texas as a big crew and staff will be heading to Brisbane, Australia to prepare for Grand Slam. The AEW contingent is expected to head Down Under after tonight's broadcast to give them enough time to recover after the long flight and also do some events in the community leading up to the big day on Saturday. Tickets for Grand Slam: Australia from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre remain available via Ticketek.com.au starting from $20.

THE YOUNG BUCKS LOSE THE IWGP TAG TEAM TITLES

- The Young Bucks lost their IWGP Tag Team titles to Los Ingobernables de Japon at The New Beginning in Osaka earlier today in Japan. The match ended after Tetsuya Naito hit several Destino's finisher on both Nicholas and Matthew, with Nicholas doing the job after one final Destino for good measure. The Young Bucks won the vacant titles during the Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view on January 5 in a three-way match which also involved United Empire apart from Naito and Takahashi. Their loss means that they held the titles for just 35 days, and this was their first title defense.

MIRO PART WAYS WITH AEW

- Miro and AEW have parted ways after the Bulgarian star was released from his contract after coming to a mutual agreement according to PWInsider.com. Miro was removed from the AEW roster page as well after news hit the Internet. Miro joined AEW in September 2020 and after a stint as TNT champion he wasn't used much on television in the following years. Injuries and outside projects kept him on the shelf for months at a time, wrestling only 11 times from 2022 onward. His last match came at the Worlds End pay-per-view in December 2023, defeating Andrade El Idolo. Miro's ex-wife, CJ "Lana" Perry, wrote on X, "A very happy Miro Day!!!" after it was announced that he has departed AEW.

RICKY STARKS FINALLY GONE FROM AEW

- Miro was not the only one who got his marching orders from AEW last night as after months and months of trying, Ricky Starks finally got his wish too. Starks has been vocal about wanting out of AEW and requested his release from the company last month, a request which was originally denied. Starks joined AEW in June 2020 and was part of the promotion up until he fell out of favor in March of last year. Starks was teaming with Big Bill when things went south for him and wrestled his last match for the company in late March 2024. The former AEW Tag Team champion has wrestled only five times since his last time in an AEW ring and recently won the DEFY World title from Kenta.

MCMAHON ATTORNEY WITHHELD DOCS FROM FEDERAL GRAND JURY

- The Associated Press is running a story where a former lawyer for Vince McMahon was found to have withheld documents from a federal grand jury as McMahon was investigated for his NDAs with two former employees. Three judges on the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court ruling, saying the documents in question were not protected by attorney-client privilege because of an exception for crime or fraud. In total, 208 pages were withheld illegally. The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment while McMahon's representatives said they had no immediate comment on the ruling. McMahon has previously claimed that he is no longer under investigation although the appeals court referred to the ruling which concerns proceedings currently before a grand jury.


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Monday, February 10, 2025 Issue #7484
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I'm ready for OUR Super Bowl - WrestleMania in Las Vegas! Though, I gotta admit, seeing the streets of New Orleans yesterday decked out made me kinda miss that city hosting WrestleMania. I think we're due for another one, NOLA!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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VINCE, SHANE, AND UNDERTAKER AT THE SUPER BOWL

- Vince McMahon, his son Shane, and WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker were all at the Super Bowl yesterday in New Orleans together. This marked a very rare Vince public appearance as he has largely stayed out of public eye ever since he was removed from his position as Executive Chairman of TKO and hit with a very damaging civil lawsuit alleging sexual trafficking. Both McMahons and especially The Undertaker are very familiar with the Superdome, the host of last night's NFL Super Bowl game, as it was the host of two WrestleManias - 30 and 34 - and it is the location of where Taker ended his WrestleMania streak against Brock Lesnar. You can see their photo at .

MALAKAI BLACK OFFICIALLY A FREE AGENT

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Malakai Black is now officially a free agent after his AEW deal expired yesterday. His profile from the AEW website has also been removed completely. The Dutch star arrived in AEW in 2021 after he was released from WWE but his time there was not as successful as originally thought it would be. Black was rumored to have asked for his release a year later and did spend some months away from in-ring competition. His two former team mates, Buddy Matthews and Brody King, are now known as the Hounds of Hell, moving away from the House of Black name which has since gone away. Black is rumored to be returning to WWE.

ELEKTRA LOPEZ RELEASED FROM WWE

- Elektra Lopez, who was part of Legado del Fantasma, was released this weekend along with the others. Her profile was quickly moved to the Alumni section on WWE.COM. The 32-year-old had a short stint with the company in 2018 but then joined in 2021 as part of NXT and eventually was moved to the main roster with Legado in early 2024. Lopez joins AOP, Paul Ellering, Blair Davenport, Cedric Alexander, Sonya Deville, Isla Dawn, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Giovanni Vinci who were all let go in an unpleasant weekend at WWE.

LINDA MCMAHON SENATE HEARING SET FOR THURSDAY

- Linda McMahon will have her Senate hearing to become Secretary of Education this coming Thursday at 10AM ET. Her role in the cabinet might be short-lived though as her boss, President Trump, has ordered McMahon to close the Department of Education. "I told Linda, 'Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job,'" Trump told reporters last week. "I want her to put herself out of a job." If confirmed, it will be McMahon's second stint on Trump's cabinet after she served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration during his first term.

TONY KHAN, MERCEDES MONE, SWERVE STRICKLAND AT THE SUPER BOWL

- AEW President Tony Khan, who also serves as the Jacksonville Jaguars Chief Football Strategy Officer, was obviously at the Super Bowl last night. Khan, along with his billionaire father, rolled into New Orleans onboard a $360 million yacht, a yacht they call home. TBS champion Mercedes Mone was also in attendance, writing, "Guess who I ran into at the #SuperBowlLIX" along with an emoji covering its face. Fellow AEW star Swerve Strickland was also in attendance. The Costco Guys were in town as well for the game and this time, they represented AEW well with Big Justice wearing AEW merchandise as they brought the "boom" to New Orleans!

TBS TITLE MATCH SET FOR GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA

- The TBS title will be defended next Saturday at the Grand Slam: Australia event as Mercedes Mone takes on Harley Cameron. Cameron has been trying to get a title shot for weeks but Mone kept shutting her down. Last night on Collision, Cameron got her way after she got under Mone's skin for telling her that the most entertaining she's been was when she was a puppet. The champ retaliated by slapping Cameron but the Australian star decked Mone after clocking her with the microphone. Mone then agreed to give Cameron her shot in her home country. This is the third title match on the five-match card so far.

HOLOGRAM RETURNS

- The popular Hologram returned to AEW at Collision, helping Komander from an attack by Rush, The Beast Mortos, and Dralisticio. LFI were trying to rip the mask off Komander when the lights went out and a video played of Hologram "loading." He came out and took out all three members of LFI one by one before he and Komander then teamed up and wiped out LFI with a double dive from the ring. The young Mexican luchador got injured in October and has been out of action ever since. He was written off TV following an attack by LFI.

SAMU ANOA'I UNDERGOING HEART SURGERY

- A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover the medical expenses for Samu Anoa'i who is undergoing open heart surgery today. Samu, the former WWF Tag Team champion as part of The Headshrinkers, has gone through a rough few years health-wise, including being diagnosed with liver cancer. His daughter Leila started the GoFundMe campaign after doctors advised them that he requires surgery, including a double bypass. A $60,000 goal has been set. You can help at

RIC FLAIR'S ENERGY DRINK NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

- The Ric Flair Wooooo! Energy drink is now available to purchase via Amazon. Available in packs of 12, Amazon is selling the "adaptogenic mushroom drink" for $38.99 with the lemon and dragon fruit flavor in stock. Wooooo! Energy was a sponsor on AEW television for several months before the relationship between Flair and the company ended abruptly.


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Saturday, February 8, 2025 Issue #7483
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It sucks when people lose their job. Thankfully, the wrestling business is healthy enough that there are other places everyone can work at and still make a living.

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SEVERAL WWE SUPERSTARS RELEASED

- Several WWE Superstars were given the axe yesterday including AOP, their manager Paul Ellering, Blair Davenport, Cedric Alexander, and Sonya Deville. Alexander, the former member of The Hurt Business, announced via social media he is no longer part of WWE and will be a free agent in 90 days. He was recently part of the NXT roster. "Thank you for the last 8 1/2 years! Being a professional wrestler has been a dream of mine since I could form memories and I will continue to do so till the good Lord says otherwise," Alexander wrote. AOP and Ellering were part of The Final Testament with Karrion Kross and Scarlett but that didn't go anywhere much. They were brought back to the company in 2023 and were sparsely used on television. Davenport has not been used on WWE television since November and lost her way in the pack after she was called up from NXT. The 28-year-old British star has been under a WWE deal since 2021. And the last, and somewhat surprising, departure is Sonya Deville. De
ville is part of the Pure Fusion Collective with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark and has been with the company since 2015. PWInsider reports that her situation is that the contract is not being renewed so she will become an instant free agent when her deal expires in a few weeks.

THE GOOD BROTHERS AND GIOVANNI VINCI GONE

- Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting that Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Giovanni Vinci have all been released from WWE as well. Gallows and Anderson returned to WWE in October 2022, two years after they were released the first time around. The duo joined AJ Styles and Michin as The O.C. but after not being used on TV much, they were moved to NXT last year. Their last televised match was in September of last year. Giovanni Vinci also had a rough time after being split from Imperium. The Italian star was moved to NXT again before being recalled to Smackdown last year, only to lose his first match in three seconds. His last match was a dark match against Luke Gallows in December 2024. He had been working for WWE since 2017.

ISLA DAWN ANNOUNCES HER DEPARTURE

- Isla Dawn announced her departure from WWE. In a post on social media, Dawn posted a photo backstage at a WWE show with the words, "Here for a good time not a long time. See you in 90." The 90 indicates the 90-day no-compete clause, where anyone released will still get paid for the next three months but they get to stay home. The 31-year-old Scottish star was one-half of The Unholy Union with Alba Fyre. She joined WWE in 2018 as part of NXT UK. She is a former WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team title holder.

THREE QUALIFY FOR THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER

- Three WWE Superstars qualified for the Elimination Chamber last night on Friday Night Smackdown. Bianca Belair was the first one to punch her ticket to Toronto after she went through Piper Niven in the first qualifying match of the night. Belair won after hitting her KOD finisher for the pin. Drew McIntyre also qualified after a triple threat match which involved Jimmy Uso and LA Knight. McIntyre won after a Claymore Kick to Knight who was ready to hit the BFT on Uso. The two played up their Royal Rumble bust-up which caused McIntyre to storm out of Lucas Oil Stadium after his elimination. And the third and last qualifying match of the night was another women's match where the returning Alexa Bliss defeated Candace LeRae with the Sister Abigail to move on to the EC. Next week, Chelsea Green will take on Naomi and Damian Priest vs Jacob Fatu vs Braun Strowman in the two qualifying matches on Smackdown.

TKO EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN ARI EMANUEL ON THE PAT MCAFEE SHOW

- TKO and Endeavor Executive Chairman Ari Emanuel was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show yesterday to discuss a variety of subjects, including of course, WWE. When it came time to discuss the Elimination Chamber, Emanuel let out a little hint. "I think there's some pretty good things gonna happen there," Emanuel said. Questioned by McAfee if he's now in the writers room or how much he's involved, Emanuel said he's involved to a certain extent. "I'm not in 'em like, I don't pick the fights and I don't pick what's going on in WWE, but in the business side, yeah, I hear things!" Emanuel also described Netflix as "incredible partners" and they're all happy that their Raw numbers are up. Emanuel said that originally, they gave Netflix a presentation on NXT but then they quickly shifted to Raw and a few months later they were signing their biggest television deal ever.

WRESTLEMANIA 41 TICKETS UPDATE

- Both WrestleMania 41 Saturday and Sunday are hovering around the 45,000 ticket count according to ticket tracking service @WrestleTix. WrestleMania Saturday is currently at 44,464 tickets distributed while WrestleMania Sunday is at 45,086. On both nights, the Allegiant Stadium is set for 51,481 seats. There are less than a thousand combo tickets available for both nights, but plenty of single day tickets to choose from. A bulk of the single day tickets are limited view due to the stage and part of the entrance won't be visible. That doesn't mean the prices are cheap either as this WrestleMania continues on track to being the most expensive WrestleMania ever. Due to the size of the stadium and excluding WrestleMania 37 during the COVID pandemic, this WrestleMania is tracking to have the smallest attendance since the show moved to stadiums yearly after WrestleMania 22. The sections behind the stage are all closed off at the moment so unless those are opened, it will not surpass Wrest
leMania XL in terms of attendance.


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Friday, February 7, 2025 Issue #7482
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It's the weekend already! Have a good one.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

TONY KHAN ARRIVES AT SUPER BOWL ON A $360 MILLION YACHT

- AEW President Tony Khan arrived at the Super Bowl along with his father Shad Khan on a $360 million yacht by the name of Kismet. In an interview with SportsGrid, the younger Khan said that he's living on the mega yacht with his father. "It's fantastic, that's where I'm living," Khan said of the 400-foot yacht. "My father is a spectacular person and a great captain of industry and entrepreneur and American dream who came here with nothing and everything he's been able to build up, it's a real success story." He continued, "Thanks to him we were able to do a lot of great things. I'm so blessed to be his son and he's a great man. I'm also living with him on a boat." The yacht has three pools, four fire places, a gym, basketball and pickleball courts, its own heliped, a sauna, a spa, and even a cryotherapy chamber across its six decks. Charter rates for the yacht start at a cool $3 million per week!

MERCEDES MONE ANNOUNCED FOR HOG WRESTLING

- Mercedes Mone has been announced for the House of Glory Wrestling event on Saturday, March 15 which will take place from the Amazura Concert Hall in Jamaica, New York. This will be Mone's first indy wrestling match since 2012 and Mone will bring all her four titles with her to the show. She is currently the TBS Women's champion, the NJPW Strong Women's champion, and the RevPro Undisputed British Women's champion. Tickets for this show are available from $30 for general admission and up to $200 for VIP stage seating at

DYNAMITE RATING

- Dynamite this week drew 605,000 viewers, up just 1,000 viewers from the previous week. This was the third least-watched Dynamite of 2025 so far. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49, the same as the prior week and was #5 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. These numbers do not include viewers on Max. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

MCINTYRE AND BLISS MOVE TO SMACKDOWN

- Both Drew McIntyre and Alexa Bliss will be moving to Smackdown effective tonight. McIntyre has been a staple on Raw for quite a while now but needed a change of scenery after long feuds with the likes of Sami Zayn, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins. McIntyre is rumored to enter in a feud against Cody Rhodes in the near future over the WWE championship. Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss is also moving to the blue brand as plans remain to have her involved somehow with the Wyatt Sicks faction. The Wyatts have been off TV for a bit due to an injury. Bliss returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble after a two-year absence and has signed a new five-year deal with the company.

KEVIN OWENS HINTS AT NEW WWE DEAL

- Kevin Owens has hinted on X that he signed a new five-year deal with WWE. In a creative way to announce it, Owens wrote, "If you guys help support my daughter’s Girl Scout troop by buying some cookies, I promise to keep wrestling for at least 4 years, 11 months and 22 days more." He also added the link to his daughter's Elodie cookies store at , which at time of this writing, has only 288 left to go before it reaches the goal of 1,500 sales. The social media post suggests that Owens signed the new WWE deal last week just before the Royal Rumble.

ALEXA BLISS SIGNS WITH PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY

- Deadline is reporting that the recently-returned Alexa Bliss as signed with Paradigm for representation. She's the latest WWE Superstar to sign with the agency, following the likes of CM Punk, Liv Morgan, Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton, Damian Priest, Jade Cargill, and others. She will continue to be repped by Michael Garnett at Leverage Management and Marc Cabrera and Dan Abrams at Polsinelli PC. Being represented by a talent agency allows WWE Superstars to be out there for more outside-wrestling work in films, TV, and other entertainment businesses.


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Thursday, February 6, 2025 Issue #7481
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, have a good one!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

TWO MATCHES ADDED TO GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA

- Two new matches for Grand Slam: Australia were set up on last night's episode of Dynamite. Cope and Jay White will team up to take on AEW World champion Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli in a Brisbane brawl. The match was made after a big brawl between FTR, Death Riders, White, and Cope opened the show. Also, Australia's own Buddy Matthews will be on the card and will challenge Continental champion Kazuchika Okada for the title. This now brings a total of four matches for the show which will take place on February 15. The show will air on TNT and Max after the NBA All-Star Weekend programming ends at approximately 10:30PM ET.

TONY KHAN SAYS GRAND SLAM: AUSTRALIA WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TV EVENT

- Speaking to TVInsider, AEW President Tony Khan claimed that Grand Slam: Australia was always planned as a television event. Khan, who announced Grand Slam: Australia from the Suncorp Stadium in August of last year, said that TNT "recently" brought to them the opportunity to follow the NBA All-Star weekend. "We saw it as a huge opportunity. It was a great vote of confidence for our partners at Warner Brothers Discovery," Khan said. "It will be one of the biggest nights of the year on TNT. It’s a great opportunity given the lead-in." Grand Slam: Australia is no longer taking place from the Suncorp Stadium and it has moved to the much smaller Brisbane Entertainment Centre, where the show is close to selling out with around 12,000 fans in attendance. "This will be one of the biggest TV events of the year. This will arguably be the biggest TV card of the year," Khan added. Grand Slam: Australia will air after the NBA All-Star Weekend programming on TNT, currently scheduled for a 10:30PM ET start time.

COLLISION RATING

- As expected, Collision on Saturday got killed in the ratings, drawing only 197,000 viewers on TNT in head-to-head with the Royal Rumble, down 53,000 viewers from the previous week. This was the lowest number the show has done in its usual time slot. In 18-49, Collision had a 0.04 rating, down 0.03 from the prior week. The Max viewership numbers are not part of this rating. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

CHRIS JERICHO: TV RATINGS AND TICKET SALES DON'T MEAN MUCH ANYMORE

- In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, ROH World champion Chris Jericho claimed that ratings and selling tickets don't mean as much anymore due to amount of money networks are throwing at wrestling companies. "I think probably from a financial standpoint, as a business, I think wrestling is the biggest it’s ever been," Jericho said. "Maybe not from a complete ratings standpoint, but things have changed. Ratings don’t mean as much as they used to and selling tickets in buildings don’t mean as much as they used to because there’s so much money in television alone, and that’s never been that way before." Up until a couple of years ago, Jericho said that AEW would overtake WWE in the ratings and labeled himself as the "Demo God" for the high ratings in the 18-49 demo his segments used to achieve. "It’s just ridiculous amounts of money towards the companies now, because of the popularity and because of the ratings that wrestling draws," Jericho added.

JOHN CENA'S TBS SERIES CANCELED

- TBS has cancelled John Cena's The Wipeout series. The news was delivered by Jason Sarlanis, President of TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID & HLN, Linear and Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, during a keynote session at the Realscreen Summit in Miami. "Wipeout is inherently comedic and a joy to watch. But I think what we’re what we’re looking at is being realistic in terms of the entire environment. We have to recalibrate," he said according to a story on Deadline. Wipeout was brought back in 2021 with Cena and Nicole Byer as hosts. There are a few more episodes left to air after the series took a year-long hiatus in 2024 and it returned on TBS in January.

NIKKI BELLA TEASES MORE WWE APPEARANCES SOON

- Nikki Bella confirmed on the Nikki & Brie Show podcast that her Royal Rumble appearance was not just a one-off and will be working with WWE more. "You will see another Fearless Nikki appearance sooner than later, that is for sure," Nikki said. "I'm definitely doing more than what I just did on Saturday." Nikki was #30 in the women's Royal Rumble, her first match in a WWE ring since the 2022 Royal Rumble match. The relationship between the twins and WWE went south at one point and both were released. But Nikki is hoping that her return will come with another Bella by her side. "Hopefully, Brie Mode will be by my side soon. More on that to come," she added.

JORDYNNE GRACE SIGNS FIVE-YEAR WWE DEAL

- Jordynne Grace has signed a five-year deal with WWE according a report from Fightful Select. The former TNA Knockouts champion made her debut as a WWE Superstar at the Royal Rumble last weekend and was eventually eliminated by NXT Women's champion Giulia. It's unclear on which brand Grace will end up on but she was not on Raw nor NXT following her Rumble performance. The 28-year-old comes to WWE after seven years with TNA Wrestling. She made a surprise appearance at last year's Royal Rumble, coming out with the TNA Knockouts title, and even appeared on a couple of NXT episodes.

NXT RATING

- NXT on CW this week drew 766,000 viewers, down 61,000 from last week's episode. The show had a 0.20 rating in 18-49, an increase of 0.01 from last week. The show had the NBA game on TNT as its main competition. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

APOLLO CREWS UNDERGOES SURGERY

- Apollo Crews is currently in Birmingham, Alabama and underwent surgery for a torn pec at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. "A few weeks ago on SmackDown, I tore my pec — an unfortunate situation. Sometimes, you do everything right, but there are just some things beyond your control," Crews wrote in a post on Instagram. "I’m looking forward to the road ahead, attacking it with a positive and unstoppable mindset." The injury took place on the January 24 episode of Smackdown in a match against Johnny Gargano. A torn pec can take up to eight months to heal properly after surgery.

JDC APPEARS ON NXT WITH FANDANGO THEME SONG

- TNA's JDC, the artist formerly known as Fandango in WWE, returned to NXT using his old Fandango theme song. JDC interrupted the Heritage Cup champion Lexis King and told King that he is here to represent The System and next week, he's getting a shot at the Heritage Cup on NXT. JDC got a humongous pop from the WWE Performance Center crowd who were clearly happy to see him. "That music right there means the world to me, so thank you guys," JDC told the crowd as chants of "Welcome back" rang through the building. The 41-year-old worked for WWE between 2006 and 2021 and joined TNA a year later.

RAW VIEWS FOR LAST WEEK

- Raw had a total of 2,900,000 global views for last week's episode, down 100,000 views from the previous show. A total of 6,600,000 hours were consumed watching the January 27 broadcast which had no competition from football. Raw placed #9 on the Netflix chart for the week and was in the top 10 in Bolivia, Canada, Mexico, United States, and United Kingdom.

ROYAL RUMBLE CRACKS TOP 10 LIST ON NETFLIX GLOBALLY

- The 2025 Royal Rumble had a total of 2,100,000 global views on Netflix after just a few days and those numbers do not count the viewers in the United States as the show aired on Peacock there. The Royal Rumble debuted in the #10 spot on the Netflix chart released yesterday, with the show being in the top 10 in 27 countries around the world. The four-and-a-half hour show had a total of 9,600,000 viewing hours consumed by Netflix users.


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