All articles tagged with #pro wrestling
On WWE Raw at Madison Square Garden, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi again squared off, but Raw GM Adam Pearce blocked their pre-WrestleMania clash; Triple H then stepped in to separate them, with Lesnar threatening to throw the steps and delivering an F-5 to a security guard as the crowd roars, keeping the WrestleMania 42 hype alive.
AEW Collision spoilers for the March 14 episode (taped March 12 in San Jose) outline several matches and angles: Kevin Knight defeated El Clon; Thekla, Julia Hart & Skye Blue beat Viva Van and two locals (with Hart action against Statlander); Mark Davis defeated Komander; The Demand defeated The Bang Bang Gang; Lena Kross defeated Mina Shirakawa; Andrade El Idolo defeated Mascara Dorada; Bandido confronted Andrade and was attacked by Rocky Romero, with Brody King making a save before being attacked by Swerve Strickland. Fightful will cover the show starting at 8 p.m. ET.
David Finlay reportedly turned down WWE’s offer to debut in NXT and instead joined AEW, making a surprise Dynamite appearance alongside Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors to form the new faction The Dogs, with Tony Khan confirming their status.
Danhausen's RAW debut included a soaked 'list of demands' that RAW GM Adam Pearce humorously warned him not to drop in the toilet. The moment kept the quirky act in play, with Danhausen interacting with The Judgment Day and cursing Dominik Mysterio, prompting questions about whether the over-the-top shtick is sharp enough for the main roster.
Danhausen’s Raw debut in Indianapolis leaned into his quirky persona, kicking off with a joke about Pearce’s disguise, then listing a comically grand set of demands (a blimp, Hall of Fame induction, personal assistant, personal camera person, and trucks) before cursing Dirty Dominik Mysterio after a Judgment Day interaction ahead of his Intercontinental title defense against Penta. An update notes Dominik later lost the match.
WWE advertises a go-home SmackDown segment in which all six men in the upcoming Elimination Chamber match—Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Trick Williams—will stand in the ring together, previewing the title clash as other matches fill the card.
Karl Anderson revealed on Talk’n Shop that AJ Styles decided to retire due to a hurting neck and general weariness, aiming to help the next generation. Anderson had previously resisted the retirement notion and has since apologized for spreading false hope that Styles would keep wrestling.
The IInspiration—Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee—are officially signed to AEW on multi-year deals, confirmed after their Brisbane House Rules debut; deals were reportedly in place for over a month, their TNA exit was amicable, and WWE insiders expected AEW-bound if they skipped the Royal Rumble. With the signing, AEW adds a high-profile women's tag team and must decide whether to thrust them into title contention or develop them gradually.
AEW officially signed The IInspiration (Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee) after their Brisbane House Rules debut, but fans reacted with skepticism online, debating roster size, the debut placement, and whether the former WWE team fits AEW’s branding, highlighting a broader discussion about the company’s talent strategy.
AEW's House Rules Brisbane show on Feb 15 featured the IInspiration making their AEW debut, plus a stacked lineup: Hangman Page, Robbie Eagles and Brody King defeated Kyle Fletcher, MJF and Mark Davis; The Outrunners defeated The Velocities; Konosuke Takeshita defeated Dalton Castle; Toni Storm and Orange Cassidy defeated Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir; Wheeler Yuta defeated Adam Brooks before Mark Briscoe defeated Yuta; The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor) defeated Kyla Knight and Charli Evans; Babes Of Wrath won the Women’s Tag Team Championship in a triple-threat; The IInspiration defeated Frankie P and Ayesha.
AEW reportedly anticipated the anti-ICE chants at Grand Slam Australia, with travel logistics delaying information about Brody King rumors; the chants aired on the taped U.S. broadcast, and the company is weighing whether to adjust future coverage as such chants recur.
A Las Vegas AEW crowd’s anti-ICE chants during a high-profile match illustrate a new trend: real-world politics are seeping into pro wrestling, with stars like Brody King and Hangman Page taking explicit political stances and promotions leveraging controversy to gain attention and differentiate themselves from WWE in a growing industry rivalry.
WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas has only one confirmed match (Roman Reigns vs CM Punk) with Fightful Select noting original plans haven’t been presented and most of the card is still being debated; Liv Morgan's Royal Rumble win sets up a Women’s Title scenario with Vaquer or Cargill, the women’s Elimination Chamber winner facing the survivor, and Drew McIntyre set to defend the WWE Championship against the men’s Elimination Chamber winner, while names like Rollins, Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Zayn, Logan Paul, and others may appear but nothing is finalized yet.
AJ Styles reportedly wrapped his WWE in-ring career after the Royal Rumble, but sources say he isn’t done with wrestling entirely. With WWE and AEW unsure of his next move, NJPW has shown interest, and Styles has kept the door open with a “Never say never” remark, suggesting he could compete again in some capacity beyond a full-time WWE run.
AEW owner Tony Khan praised Powerhouse Hobbs, saying the wrestler had a great run in AEW and highlighting Hobbs' contributions during his time with the company.