WWE Unreal Nominated For Multiple Sports Television AwardsRead

On Wednesday morning, WWE took to social media to share that "Unreal" is up for Outstanding Sports Documentary Series: Serialized, Outstanding Sports Editing: Long Form, and Outstanding Sports Graphic Design: Specialty.

Last year, the popular Netflix series "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" won Outstanding Sports Documentary Series: Serialized, "Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience" captured Outstanding Sports Editing: Long Form, while the event "Noche UFC" took home the gold for Outstanding Sports Graphic Design: Specialty. The only other Emmy nomination that WWE received prior to "Unreal" was for "Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair" for Outstanding Long Documentary.

With "Unreal" debuting in 2025, season 1 of the show wasn't eligible for the Sports Emmy Awards last year, making this May's ceremony the first time the show has been nominated. This year, "Unreal" will be up against productions such as Netflix's "Quarterback" and returning winner "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" for Outstanding Sports Documentary Series: Serialized. As for Outstanding Sports Editing: Long Form, "Unreal" is pitted against HBO Max's "Saquon" and "We Beat the Dream Team," while facing Nickelodeon and CBS for Outstanding Sports Graphic Design: Specialty.

Following the announcement, WWE CCO Triple H took to social media to comment on "Unreal" receiving three Emmy nominations. "WWE: Unreal's nomination for three Sports Emmys is a testament to the work and dedication of every single individual @WWE whose work makes us run. Also, a massive thank you to our partners who helped bring this show to life and congratulations to all involved in the show and its production."

The 47th Annual Sports Emmy Awards will stream live from the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Sid Justice to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026

From WWE.com:

Former WWE Champion “Sycho” Sid Eudy will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a legacy inductee and a member of the Class of 2026.

A former two-time WWE Champion, Sid was one of the most imposing and terrifying competitors of his generation whose natural charisma popped off the screen every Monday night.

After a successful stint in WCW, Sid debuted as Sid Justice in WWE and served as the Special Guest Referee at SummerSlam 1991 where WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior teamed up against The Triangle of Terror in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match.

Later that same night, Sid saved Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth from an attack at the evil hands of Jake Roberts and The Undertaker at the couple’s iconic newlywed reception.

After a few years away from WWE, Sid made his triumphant return to WWE as “Sycho Sid,” where he allied himself with Shawn Michaels and was in his corner at WrestleMania XI when The Heartbreak Kid challenged Diesel for the WWE Title.

That night would begin an iconic rivalry between the two with Sid winning the WWE Championship from The Showstopper at Survivor Series in 1996, joining the hallowed ranks of champions. After losing the title back to Michaels, Sid became a two-time champion by defeating Bret Hart on the Feb. 17, 1997 edition of Raw.

Established as one of the biggest and baddest wrestlers in the world, Sid returned to WCW in 1999 and immediately entered the main event scene, battling legends like Hulk Hogan, Sting, Goldberg, Booker T and many more.

An injury in 2001 threatened Sid’s career, but he refused to stay on the sidelines and returned to the independent wrestling scene with his return match even featuring current WWE Superstar Sami Zayn.

Sid passed away in 2024, but his influence is still seen in wrestling rings across the world.

Known as “The Master and Ruler of the World”, Sid’s reputation as one of the toughest and most visually captivating Superstars cemented his legacy in WWE, and he will now take his rightful place amongst his fellow legends in the WWE Hall of Fame.

NBA legend Dennis Rodman to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

Dennis Rodman will be the fifth member of the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class, Shams Charania reported on Friday morning.

Rodman, who was one of the NBA's most eccentric and imposing defensive figures during the Bulls' dynasty in the 1990s, became a key crossover component in World Championship Wrestling and the New World Order storyline during professional wrestling's heralded "Monday Night Wars."

Alongside the late Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Rodman joined the nWo faction in 1997, appearing several times that year and wresting in a tag-team match with Hogan against Lex Luger and The Giant at Bash at the Beach during the NBA's offseason.

Rodman's biggest — and most controversial — moment in WCW came the following year as he missed a practice while the Bulls were playing the Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals, the last championship for the Jordan Era dynasty. Ultimately, the on-court rivalry manifested in the ring as Rodman and Hogan defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone in a match at Bash at the Beach later that summer.

The final match of Rodman's WCW run came a year later as he took on Macho Man Randy Savage at the Road Wild event in August 1999.

Rodman's brief run in professional wrestling came during a time when the industry had truly broken into mainstream media and was referenced recently as NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson brought their on-court rivalry into WWE programming in 2024.

Along with Rodman, this year's WWE Hall of Fame class includes Stephanie McMahon, A.J. Styles and the tag team Demolition. The ceremony will take place on Friday, April 17 in Las Vegas, a night before WrestleMania 42.

Rodman, a five-time NBA champion, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. source: yahoo.com

LA Knight Admits He Was ‘Majorly Holding His Tongue’ During Backstage Talk With Triple H On WWE Unreal

On WWE Unreal season two, Triple H is seen talking to LA Knight over the ending of the Money in the Bank ladder match that didn’t go as planned.

The camera shows Knight sitting in Gorilla as Triple H explains what went wrong and how Knight missed his moment despite not winning the match.

Speaking to Bootleg Kev, Knight was asked about Unreal.

“I personally don’t think it’s super productive, but I understand why they’re doing it. I have definitely shifted the way I do some things, because you had mentioned my appearance on Unreal there. I was majorly holding my tongue in that scenario, if you could tell when I looked…because I had my own frustrations about that situation, that partially had to do with the finish, but more so it had to do with the overarching theme that I don’t need to get into the weeds about right here.

“Although they told us, ‘Unreal is going to be here filming stuff,’ I had no idea I was being filmed. I had no idea that I was on a microphone at that point in time. With that being the case, I don’t even stop there in Gorilla anymore. When my match is over, my segment is over, I go straight through and I go back to the locker room. If they want to talk to me about my match or whatever happened out there, sure, let’s talk about it when there’s not a microphone or camera around, because that’s how it’s always been. With that being the case, I’m not going to stop in there and leave myself susceptible to that.”

WWE Unreal will continue as season three is set to premiere later this year. Fans can stream both seasons on Netflix.

source: fightful

WWE & Front Office Sports Enter Partnership To Produce 'Behind-The-Scenes Content'

It's been a tumultuous road to WrestleMania 42 for WWE, one filled with reports of creative changes, frustration within certain departments, and concern over ticket sales for the event. But despite the bumpier road, WWE is still doing all it can to make their marquee event one to remember. And one way it'll be doing that is with a new partnership that may seem inconsequential to some, but could have major ramifications in how WWE is covered.

In a press release unveiled Tuesday morning, WWE announced a new agreement with Front Office Sports. The agreement will see the start of a "content partnership" between the wrestling promotion and multimedia/sports new organization, designed to "bring audiences closer to key WWE moments and tentpole events through access-driven, behind-the-scenes content." It was further suggested Office will be involved in certain creative elements with WWE, and that the deal will start officially at WrestleMania 42.

"Front Office Sports is known for its innovative approach to storytelling, and we look forward to partnering to produce new and dynamic content that underscores the evolving business of WWE," Co-Head of WWE Revenue Alex Varga said in a statement.

"Front Office Sports is the leader in the coverage of the business of sports, and we're excited to collaborate with the WWE," Front Office CEO Adam White said in an accompanying statement. "The sports media landscape is increasingly driven by off-the-field happenings, and this partnership will bring fans closer than ever to their favorite athletes, entertainers and moments in a unique way."

Front Office becomes the latest media company that WWE has entered a relationship with, having already established partnerships with Bill Simmons' The Ringer, Spotify, and ESPN through the promotion's PLE deal with the sports network. It also continues Front Office's trend of reaching content deals with sports organizations, having previously reached agreements with the National Football League and the National Women's Soccer League.

Road Dogg Brian James Gone From WWE Amid Major Creative Shake-Up

There's been a major creative reshuffle within WWE that's seen veteran Road Dogg leave the company.

With WWE's biggest show of the year just around the corner, the sports entertainment giant is undergoing some pretty big creative changes.

The folks over at Bodyslam were the first to report on Thursday after that the Road Dogg, Brian James, is out as co-lead writer of Friday Night SmackDown and has departed the company.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider has since corroborated BodySlam's report and added that it was Road Dogg who made the decision to leave the company. No specific reasoning for his decision was given.

The WWE Hall of Famer had been with the company in a creative capacity since 2014, aside from seven months away in 2022, and worked in a variety of roles backstage before being named co-lead writer for the Blue Brand last year.

Road Dogg's appointment to the positions garnered a significant amount of criticism from fans online, however, the recently retired AJ Styles went public in his defense and called on people to give him a chance. The former tag team champion had previously held the same position in the run-up to WrestleMania 35 back in 2019.

James was also heavily featured in season two of WWE Unreal on Netflix, where fans were given a behind-the-scenes look into creative meetings as Road Dogg made pitches for the likes of R-Truth and Chelsea Green.

source: si.com

Shareholder Plaintiffs In Merger Lawsuit Accuse Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, And Nick Khan Of Destroying Evidence

The latest update in the WWE shareholder lawsuit.

According to Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, the plaintiffs are accusing Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Brad Blum of destruction of relevant evidence, including Signal messages and McMahon’s handwritten notes, regarding the WWE merger that led to the formation of TKO.

They are asking the Delaware Chancery Court to sanction the defendants: Vince, Khan, and Triple H. Stephanie and Blum are not defendants in the lawsuit.

According to the filing, all five, “failed to preserve communications despite multiple notices from WWE’s legal team to do so.”

The filing alleges that Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Khan met with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and President Mark Shapiro on December 13, 2022, just weeks before McMahon exercised his controlling interest in WWE and returned to the company. Upon returning, Vince immediately pushed to explore a sale or merger.

Khan is characterized as “spearheading” communications on Signal, which allows users to auto-delete messages on a timer. It is also alleged that Khan deleted conventional text messages, which plaintiffs say, based on context, included merger discussions and the investigation of alleged misconduct by McMahon.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2023, alleges that McMahon predetermined the transaction with Endeavor to secure his continued role at the company in light of the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding him, rather than shopping WWE to maximize shareholder value.

Unsealed documents show that Vince and Emanuel were in communication throughout the summer of 2022

The lawsuit is currently scheduled to go to trial in June 2026.

source: fightful.com

Demolition to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026

From WWE.com:

Demolition to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026

One of the greatest tag teams of all-time will make history once again as Ax and Smash of Demolition enter the WWE Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2026, as announced by The Undertaker.

Two words described the ultimate goal of Demolition — pain and destruction.

Clad in black leather and spikes, Ax and Smash steamrolled into WWE from Parts Unknown in the late 1980s and made it painfully clear that they were going to demolish any team that stood in their path.

The pair bulldozed through the tag team division and captured the World Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania IV, starting one of the most iconic title runs in history.

Ax and Smash dominated WWE as champions for the next 478 days, a record that stood for 28 years until it was surpassed by The New Day’s 484-day tenure in 2015-16.

Synonymous with tag team greatness, Ax and Smash now enter the Hall of Fame where their legacy will live forever.

AJ Styles receives WWE Hall of Fame induction news from The Undertaker

From WWE.com:

As announced by WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker, AJ Styles will be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.

Styles bid the WWE Universe farewell in his home state of Georgia when The Deadman arrived on the scene and delivered the special news to Styles in front of his family.

As a former two-time WWE Champion, Grand Slam Champion and an iconic list of rivalries that includes the likes of John Cena, Roman Reigns, The Undertaker, and more, Styles takes his rightful place among WWE legends.

Congratulations to AJ Styles on an incredible career and an amazing accomplishment!

AJ Styles Retires

Paul 'Triple H' Levesque Reportedly Facing 'Internal Criticism' Over WrestleMania 42

There's still over two months to go before WrestleMania 42 emanates from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, but WWE's Chief Content Officer is reportedly facing some internal criticism over the build to the show.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer is reporting that advanced ticket sales for the 'Showcase of the Immortals' is down about 18 percent compared to WrestleMania 41, which was held in the same exact city and venue.

There is apparently a belief from some within the company, according to Meltzer, that Levesque's recent adjustments to the creative direction have contributed to the slump in sales. Meltzer himself noted that the correlation between the two doesn't really add up, and he's not wrong.

Unless you're among the portion of fans who keep up with constant updates over matches that were reportedly planned, but never officially announced, you very likely are out of the loop that Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes were initially supposed to face one another for the third time in four years. Or that Bron Breakker was a heavy favorite to win the Royal Rumble until Roman's plans were changed, and Cody Rhodes pushed to drop the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre.

All of those moves have a natural trickle-down effect, but some in WWE have been critical of the decision-making process. Meltzer even mentioned comparisons to the last minute, and oftentimes chaotic changes that Vince McMahon would make during the latter years of his creative control.

That said, the card for WrestleMania 42 is starting to come together. 2026 Men's Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns will face CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, while 2026 Women's Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan will challenge either Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer or WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill. The No. 1 Contenders for the other two world titles will be determined on Saturday, February 28 at WWE Elimination Chamber, with Randy Orton and Tiffany Stratton qualifying for their respective matches Friday night on SmackDown.

source: si.com

WWE 2K26 announced with an Attitude Era throwback

2K Games has announced WWE 2K26, the next game in its long-running professional wrestling video game series.

The new game was announced during Friday Night Smackdown with an Attitude Era Edition, featuring a cover adorned with stars from the Attitude Era of the WWE such as Triple H and The Rock. The Attitude Era was a period between 1997 and 2002 that saw an increase in edgier content and unpredictable storylines.

In addition to the Attitude Era Edition, WWE 2K26 will have at least two more specially themed editions -- a Monday Night War Edition, referencing an overlapping era of weekly events during the Attitude Era, as well as a King of Kings Edition, which prominently features Triple H.

No further details have been revealed for the game yet, including the details for what's included in each edition, new gameplay features, or platforms. Las year's entry was released on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch 2. WWE 2K25 was the first game in the series to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2. It was released to generally positive reviews, with critics praising the small but meaningful additions, including the addition of intergender matches and improved presentation and performance.

The full reveal of the standard cover of WWE 2K26, including its cover star and new features and details about the game, will take place on Jan. 30, 2026.