WWE-AAA Crossover Worlds Collide Becomes Company’s Most-Watched Live YouTube Broadcast Ever

WWE today announced that Worlds Collide, its first joint Premium Live Event (PLE) with the recently-acquired Mexican promotion AAA, set a record for the largest live audience in company history for a YouTube broadcast. The event peaked at 764,389 live concurrent viewers across the WWE and WWE Espańol YouTube channels during the main event between AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo and WWE superstar Chad Gable.

Still available to watch for free on YouTube, the show, which received rave reviews from fans of both companies as well as journalists from around the world, Saturday’s broadcast has been watched by more than 4.1 million viewers on YouTube in the first 24 hours. On X, #WorldsCollide was the No. 1 trending topic globally on Saturday, and WWE generated more than 32 million social views across all platforms in the first 24 hours.

Wrestlers from both companies mixed it up in several major matches, and some of the longtime veteran Mexican luchadors immediately got over with U.S. viewers who were seeing them for the first time. Chiefly among them, Mr. Iguana (seen above), who has become an overnight sensation with WWE fans and already has a shirt available on the WWE online shop. The evening’s main event between El Hijo del Vikingo and Chad Gable was another standout and for many ranks among the best matches WWE has produced this year.

In April, WWE announced its acquisition of AAA in partnership with Mexico-based sports and entertainment holding company, Fillip. The companies will continue to work together in the months and years to come, including at the upcoming Triplemanía Regia on June 15, where TNA, WWE and AAA wrestlers will appear in the same show for the first time ever.

R-Truth Returns At WWE MITB

The John Cena retirement tour has stopped at Money in the Bank, as the "Never Seen Seventeen" teamed up with Logan Paul to take on WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes in Saturday's main event. With world champions on both teams, it could have been anyone's match — that is, until a surprise return from the formerly-released R-Truth turned the tide.

From the beginning, Cena and Paul had their tag team dynamic to a science. Countless tag-ins made sure both men stayed relatively fresh throughout the fight amidst turnbuckle bumps and right hooks. Despite their immediate synergy, however, small flashes of ego between Paul and Cena eventually led to a tag team meltdown.

As Cena and Paul exploded into an argument, Uso, who had just survived an arduous tag match stint, crawled to make a hot tag to a bellowing Rhodes. Rhodes bulldozed through the competition, and after a near-fall from Cena's Attitude Adjustment, tricked Paul into hitting Cena with a Springboard Crossbody. Despite Rhodes' temporary revival, Paul and Cena continued to push forward against the team of Uso and Rhodes, with Paul putting Uso through an announce table with a top-rope Moonsault to the outside.

R-Truth Announces Departure From WWE

Just days removed from his match against his "childhood hero" John Cena at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, Ron "R-Truth" Killings announced his departure from WWE on X, writing "I'm sorry to inform you all. I just got released from WWE. I want to thank WWE for the ride, but MOSTLY I want to thank each and EVERYONE OF YOU who was along for the ride, Thank you for all the love, support, and appreciation you have given me over the years. Thank you."

Moments after, Fightful Select provided some clarification on Truth's situation, noting that the long-time roster member will exit the company when his existing deal expires. Like Shotzi and Sonya Deville previously, WWE reportedly opted not to renew Truth's deal, hence his imminent departure. There is no word on when Truth's current contract with WWE expires.

Truth's affiliation with WWE extends back to 1999 when he inked a deal with the company under the ring name K-Kwik. In this run, Truth notably teamed with WWE Hall of Famer Brian "Road Dogg" James before moving to the Hardcore Championship scene. Truth left WWE in the summer of 2001, then signed with TNA Wrestling (known as NWA: TNA at the time), where he later became a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

In 2008, Truth returned to WWE, now under the R-Truth name, for what would be a more extensive stint. Along the way, he enjoyed runs as United States and Tag Team Champion. Perhaps most famously, Truth solidified himself as the winningest 24/7 Champion in WWE history with 53 reigns on his resume.

Vince McMahon sex trafficking case co-defendant John Laurinaitis agrees to help accuser

The co-defendant in the bombshell lawsuit accusing former WWE boss Vince McMahon of sexual abuse and sex trafficking has agreed to cooperate with and give evidence to the woman suing the pro wrestling mogul and the company.

The co-defendant, John Laurinaitis, also reached a confidential settlement with McMahon’s accuser, Janel Grant, according to a statement issued by their representatives on Wednesday.

A filing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut shows that lawyers for Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss her lawsuit against as it applies to the former wrestler and WWE executive with prejudice, which means that it cannot be refiled.

“John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE,” the reps said in the statement obtained by NBC News.

“His agreement to a confidential settlement is a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking,” the reps said.

“Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.”

source: cnbc.com

Kane: Vince McMahon Was A Visionary, But Triple H Connects With Talent

Glenn Jacobs, better known as Kane in WWE, compares the leadership styles of Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and Triple H and how they've all shaped WWE's past, present, and future.

Glenn Jacobs was recently on the Freedom Pact podcast and discussed what it was like to work for Vince McMahon. Glenn started with WWE in 1995 and would become one of the company's longest tenured and most successful wrestlers before leaving the squared circle behind to pursue a political career decades later.

When discussing working for Vince McMahon, Jacobs said that he learned a lot about what to do as a leader and much about what not to do as a leader.

"As far as Vince, he was a great mind. I learned some good things from him. I also learned some things that I'm like, 'That's not how I would do things,' So you learn both. 'Okay, this is something to emulate, and this is something that I shouldn't do,' just leadership styles, when Vince and I are obviously very different in that. It certainly wouldn't work for me. I don't think that's how you do things," Jacobs explained. "One of the things that I've become really passionate about is learning about leadership, and I really do believe that organizations rise and fall on the quality of their leadership, and team building, and doing all those things that I think, if you often think, are cliche, right? But they're not. I mean, it's vitally important.

"I look at WWE now, under the leadership of Triple H, and it's just, wow. I'm so proud of everything that he's been able to do with his own style of leadership," he continued. "Just almost taking the company to another level altogether. Vince is one of the great entrepreneurs in history. I don't think he gets enough credit for that, and it's not just in the wrestling business, just in entertainment, you know? He was very visionary, and he could just see things that none of the rest of us could see at the same time."

When asked if he would describe Vince McMahon's leadership style as autocratic and Triple H's as transformational, Jacobs agreed and explained that Triple H can approach issues with a more wrestler-centric mindset because he is a wrestler.

"I would say that. I think the difference is Triple H was one of the guys and understands the locker room, understands the mentality of the locker room, you know? Vince, again, he was a great visionary, a very good business person, but he was always a promoter. He was always outside of the locker room. So, yes, you do have those two very different styles now, both successful in their own ways. I think now, especially with the trajectory that the company's on, because of Triple H is leadership, and it's going to go places it's never even been before. The company's."

TKO COO Mark Shapiro: Triple H Is Amazing On Creative Storylines

Triple H has been running WWE creative for the better part of three years as the company sets a new gate record seemingly every month.

In January, WWE Raw premiered on Netflix, marking a new era for the company as the flagship program was off cable TV for the first time ever.

Speaking at the JP Morgan Annual Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference, TKO COO Mark Shapiro highlighted Triple H and Netflix are growth factors for WWE.

"There are two x-factors when you look at WWE. Netflix, this is the greatest marketing platform you could ever ask for. Their pre-roll is one of the strongest tools. If you're clicking on that icon, you're getting a trailer. The (other) x-factor is the creative power we have behind the brand. Paul Levesque [Triple H] lives and breathes; his whole life has been spent in WWE. He's amazing on the creative storylines. Just when you think you know where he's going, he turns left, like the heel John Cena became and then the champion," said Shapiro. Cena turned heel at WWE Elimination Chamber and won the Undisputed WWE Title from Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.

Elsewhere during the conference, Shapiro commented on WWE: Unreal. You can find his full comments by clicking here.

credit JP Morgan Annual Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference Fightful for the transcription.

Hulk Hogan continues to ignore the real reason WWE fans are booing him

Hulk Hogan's return to "WWE Raw" for its Netflix debut in January was billed as a nostalgic celebration — a hero’s welcome for one of the most iconic figures in the history of professional wrestling. However, instead of an expected roaring ovation, the crowd at Inglewood's Intuit Dome met Hogan that night with a torrent of well-deserved boos.

In an interview Monday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Hogan was asked about the crowd’s reaction to his return, and he seemed to deflect any responsibility for it. Hogan speculated that the boos were due to his previous role as the villainous "Hollywood Hogan," and even attempted to tie the boos to his support for U.S. President Donald Trump.

"They're still nipping at my heels," Hogan said, referring to his critics. "I can go out there and get booed in L.A. I was Hollywood Hogan with the black beard and doing the bad guy thing. Or The Rock can get booed in L.A. or John Cena gets booed in L.A., but when I get booed, there’s a whole different reaction, media-wise."

This response is telling in its avoidance of the real issue. The boos weren’t about Hogan’s "bad guy" persona or his political leanings at all. In fact, this wasn't the first time Hogan faced public backlash. He was heavily booed when introducing Titus O’Neil at WrestleMania 37 in 2021, signaling that many fans hadn’t forgotten his past remarks.

Both reactions were about something much more serious: The fact that Hogan has failed to properly address the deeply hurtful and racist remarks he made back in 2015.

In July 2015, a leaked recording from a 2007 sex tape revealed Hogan making intensely offensive remarks. In the tape, Hogan expressed disgust over the possibility of his daughter dating a Black man and infamously admitted, "I am a racist, to a point," all while repeatedly and freely using the N-word.

Hogan spoke to ABC News about the incident later that year. “No, I’m not. I’m not a racist," he said. "I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I’m embarrassed by it. But a lot of people need to realize that you inherit things from your environment."

Despite that explanation, the incident resulted in Hogan’s firing from WWE and his removal from the Hall of Fame.

If, for some reason, you believe his use of the N-word was an isolated incident, a simple Google search will show you that Hogan's racist remarks span long before the 2015 leaked footage. In 2011, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T spoke on an interaction where Hogan used the N-word in front of him in response to a now-infamous Harlem Heat promo where Booker T mistakenly used the term after saying he was coming for Hogan.

“I thought I was going to be totally blackballed from that. And Hulk Hogan actually came to me and told me not to feel bad about it, but said, ‘You know what? I’m a good N-word,'” Booker T said.

This interview led to Hogan in 2012 questioning on a radio spot why Booker T could use the word and he could not. “Well, Booker T used to do that to me, and every time I pull up YouTube there’s that famous thing with Booker T and his brother is there and they’re all talking trash, and Booker T says, ‘I’m coming for ya Hogan, you n*****’ — and not ‘n***a,’ he goes ‘n*****,'” Hogan said.

While Hogan was eventually reinstated by WWE in 2018 after issuing an apology to the company's talent locker room, many wrestlers publicly criticized the apology as insincere. Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin and Kofi Kingston were among those who voiced their discontent, with Benjamin recently tweeting:

Message to Hulk Hogan: You lost me forever with your “don’t get caught” …or as you would call it “apology” speech.

Beyond racial controversy, Hogan’s reputation as a self-serving figure in the locker room further clouds his legacy. As more wrestlers from his generation speak openly over the years about their experiences, many have accused him of refusing to put younger talent over, leveraging his backstage influence to stay on top, and prioritizing his own brand over the industry he claimed to love. These actions paint the picture of a man more interested in protecting his image than in supporting the wrestling community.

This week's appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show" was yet another missed opportunity for meaningful self-reflection and growth. Instead of addressing the pain caused by his words, Hogan focused on superficial metrics, such as boasting about the "3.2 billion impressions" his WWE return garnered. He still seems to value publicity and numbers over a sincere reckoning with the gravity of his past mistakes.

Until Hogan takes full responsibility for his past actions and offers a heartfelt, unambiguous apology to the Black community, the boos and criticism will likely continue. His failure to confront the consequences of his words speaks volumes about his character — or rather, his lack of character. The time for Hogan to be held accountable is long overdue. Redemption, after all, is not a right — it’s earned. And in Hogan’s case, he has done nothing to deserve it.

source: sprots.yahoo.com

WWE & UFC Parent TKO Beats Q1 Forecasts And Ups Full-Year Guidance

TKO Group Holdings, parent of the WWE and UFC, said “strength and momentum” at both subsidiaries powered first-quarter financial results.

Revenue handily exceeded Wall Street forecasts, reaching $1.27 billion, while earnings per share hit 69 cents, also ahead of estimates. The profit figure compared with a loss of $1.26 per diluted share in the year-ago quarter.

The company also raised its full-year guidance for revenue and adjusted EBITDA. Excluding the impact of recently acquired businesses IMG, On Location and PBR, the company increased its targets for revenue to $3.005 billion to $3.075 billion, from $2.93 billion to $3 billion. It boosted adjusted EBITDA targets to $1.39 billion to $1.43 billion, from $1.35 billion to $1.39 billion.

Kevin Nash Weighs-In On Rumored Triple H and The Rock Backstage Drama

Hall-of-Famer and long-time Paul “Triple H” Levesque pal Kevin Nash weighed in on whether there is any fire to the smoke, claiming the head of WWE creative and The Rock have backstage issues.

Most assumed that WrestleMania 41 would close with The Rock making his rumored return to cost Cody Rhodes his WWE title and add another chapter to their ongoing feud. However, “The Final Boss” was nowhere to be found in April. His absence led to a lot of speculation, and former announcer Jonathan Coachman claimed the pair of legends are having backstage issues.

Kevin Nash knows Triple H more than the majority of the planet. That’s why he unsurprisingly offered up his thoughts on the rumors. And he believes there are no emerging creative issues between the WWE executive and the TKO Group Holdings board member.

“I don’t see the tension. Does anybody know what IMDb is? And then you go to their page, and you see the projects he has? Dwayne is pretty busy. You have to realize he still has skin in the game. He still has ring time left, and he wants certain things to align a certain way for him. Dwayne is not looking at what’s best for the company. He’s looking at what’s best for the character.”

source: ringsideintel.com

Levesque Family

Arn Anderson On Triple H Mentioning Him In WWE Hall Of Fame Speech

On the latest episode of The ARN Show, Arn Anderson talked about Triple H mentioning him in his WWE Hall of Fame speech and more. You can check out some highlights below:

Arn Anderson on Triple H mentioning him in his WWE Hall of Fame speech: “Well when he first started, he came to WCW and Ric knew him through Gold’s Gym up north when Ric owned his Gold’s Gym. So that’s how he met him, and he was training to be a wrestler and just a gentleman. Perfect gentlement from the first time you meet him, just really a quality guy. And we took him under our wing, let him travel with us, and figured out pretty quick he’s a non-drinker, so he was the designated driver. Yes, that is absolutely correct. We were renting Cadillacs back then, so I’m sure that was okay with him.

“And for him to mention me in his Hall of Fame speech was very generous. Very nice things to say. And you know, his speech was long, but when you had the kind of career he’s had, that really doesn’t seem like a long time to recap all the things he’s done for the business. And I think we owe him a debt of gratitude.”

On Triple H as a person and professional: “Yeah, just the way he handles his business and the way he wants to learn every single thing he can from everybody that he talks to that he can learn from. So he’s dedicated to being smart and business-like. And besides his ability to work and the fact that he looked like a million dollars too, he’s the whole entire package. He’s a smart, well spoken — you name it, he’s got no flaws…

“He knows his business like — like you said, he’s always looked like a million dollars. He’s learned the business side of it. He’s a great worker. Everybody that works with him is better the next morning for having worked with him. He’s — no holes, no flaws, nothing missing. He’s the guy to have as a figurehead of your company, that’s for sure.”

credit The ARN Show 411mania.com

WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium Shatters All-Time Gate, Viewership, Merchandise, Sponsorship & Social Records

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, today announced that WrestleMania 41, which emanated from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, became the most-successful and highest-grossing event in company history.

Highlights include:

GATE: WrestleMania 41 generated the largest gate for any event in WWE history. The Premium Live Event drew 124,693 fans across two nights at Allegiant Stadium.

VIEWERSHIP: WrestleMania 41 was the most-viewed WrestleMania of all time, up 114 percent from the record set last year at WrestleMania XL.

MERCHANDISE: In partnership with Fanatics, merchandise sales onsite were up more than 45 percent versus the previous all-time event record set by WrestleMania XL in 2024, making WrestleMania 41 the highest-grossing event of all-time. Additionally, ecommerce sales were up 86 percent versus last year’s record.

SPONSORSHIP: WrestleMania 41 featured a record 28 total partners and set an all-time event record for revenue.

ON LOCATION: On Location, the exclusive hospitality experiences partner for WWE, saw a 75 percent increase in hospitality sales and packages.

WWE WORLD: WWE World at WrestleMania 41, the five-day interactive fan experience in partnership with Fanatics Events, became the most-attended WWE fan convention of all time with more than 50,000 attendees – a 21 percent increase over last year’s event surrounding WrestleMania XL.

SOCIAL: WrestleMania 41 became the most socially viewed WWE event of all-time, generating 1.1 billion social views throughout the weekend. Additionally, WWE's YouTube channel saw its most-viewed day ever on WrestleMania Sunday.

The record-breaking event was highlighted by John Cena defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Seth Rollins winning the Triple Threat Match featuring Roman Reigns and CM Punk, IYO SKY retaining the Women’s World Championship, the return of Becky Lynch and more.

WWE Gives First-Ever Look Into Writers’ Room and ‘Calculated’ Process in Netflix Doc: ‘We’re Gonna Lift the Curtain’

Netflix is pulling back the curtain on the WWE.

“WWE: Unreal,” a new docuseries set to debut this summer, will give viewers an exclusive, closer look at the organization. Produced by Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports and WWE, the series will consist of 10 episodes, each 50 minutes long.

Here is the official logline: “For the first time ever, step into the WWE writer’s room and outside the ring with your favorite WWE Superstars, where the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight.”

WWE commentator Michael Cole first teased the doc on Sunday during the second night of WrestleMania. A premiere date has not yet been announced.

Chris Weaver directs and Erik Powers serves as showrunner. Executive producers include Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser and Marc Pomarico.

Netflix obtained WWE’s “Raw” at the top of 2025 for a massive $5 billion ($500 million per year for 10 years), beginning their cohesive relationship. Since the inception of “Raw” in 1993, it has lived on linear television, airing on USA or briefly, Spike TV. The first episode of “Raw” on Netflix, which debuted in January, pulled in 4.9 million views globally.

Netflix not only became the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Latin America and other territories, it also became the home for all WWE shows — including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble — outside the U.S.

source: variety.com

WWE Announces Acquisition Of Lucha Libre AAA, Worlds Collide Show Set For June

WWE has announced a shocking acquisition as they have purchased a major promotion in Mexico.

Earlier today, WrestleVotes announced that WWE was set to announce a NXT Worlds Collide premium live event in association with the Mexico promotion, Lucha Libre AAA.

On the WrestleMania 41 Kickoff Show, Michael Cole invited WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque and all of the Mexican and Latin American stars on the roster to the stage.

Cole then announced that WWE had officially purchased Lucha Libre AAA and the company will present a Worlds Collide premium live event on Saturday, June 7 from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.

After Cole's announcement, Triple H stated that WWE will take Lucha Libre to the another level with this acquisition.

Joining Triple H on stage was Marisela Pena & Dorian Roldan and several luchadors from the WWE roster including Rey Mysterio, Stephanie Vaquer, Rey Fenix, Penta, Andrade, Vikingo, Santos Escobar, and more.

This is an unprecedented announcement for the company as it has been several years since WWE officially purchased another promotion outright.

Several Mexican talent will be in action on this weekend's WrestleMania 41 event, including Penta who will challenge Bron Breakker in a Fatal Four-Way Match for the Intercontinental Championship with Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio.

source: si.com

Triple H Opens Up About Tensions With Vince McMahon During Creative Transition

Triple H has opened up about the ups and downs of working under Vince McMahon during his time rising through the ranks in WWE, revealing moments of personal frustration with the WWE Chairman's leadership style and creative approach.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, the WWE Chief Content Officer looked back on his journey from wrestler to executive, acknowledging the major influence McMahon had on his path. Triple H made it clear that despite any personal differences, he would not be where he is today without McMahon’s guidance.

“I got involved in creative early on,” he recalled, stressing how much of a mentor McMahon was in those earlier stages of his behind-the-scenes career. However, as he transitioned from performer to a creative figure, their differences in philosophy became increasingly clear.

“From when you learn, especially from mentors, you learn what to do and what not to do,” Triple H explained. “There were things that bothered me about the way he did things. Certain things with his personality. He would run things totally different than I would, and we’ve talked about that before. Even when I was running NXT he would be like, ‘Why do you do it like that?’ I’d be like ‘Because it’s working for me.’”

The tension between their methods became more apparent over time, especially as McMahon took a more hands-on approach to controlling WWE’s creative direction. Triple H recalled one particular shift that came as a shock—when performers, including himself and Shawn Michaels, were suddenly handed scripts for their promos after years of creative freedom.

“He was much more controlling, especially as he got older,” he said. “When I first came in, when we started DX, it was funny, we were just doing our own thing. Nobody was scripting anything, we were doing our own thing. Most times we were coming back and he was mad at us and screaming at us, ‘You’re gonna get us thrown off the air, God damn it, don’t do that again.’ We were just like, ‘Whatever,’ and we’d go do it again the following week.”

According to Triple H, this freewheeling, rebellious approach began to pay off in terms of ratings and business. But soon, the creative environment changed dramatically.

“Now all of a sudden we show up to TV one week and they hand us a script, ‘What is this?’ ‘It’s what Vince wants you to say tonight.’ ‘What? He doesn’t tell us what to say.’ Well now he wants to start. We’d go into his office, ‘What is this?’ ‘It’s a script. It’s what I want you to say.’ ‘This is terrible. It’s not funny. It’s not us.’”

Triple H then shared how Shawn Michaels, frustrated by the direction, stood his ground.

“We’re sitting in the meeting, we read it a couple of times, we had the argument with him and he said, ‘That’s what I want you guys to do. Just go do it.’ Shawn crumpled up the piece of paper and said, ‘I ain’t saying any of this sh*t.’ He threw it at Vince and we walked out of the office. I was like, Wow, we’re getting fired.”

While those tensions flared, Triple H recognized that McMahon’s controlling nature stemmed from a desire to protect and shape his product. There were moments where even McMahon’s most trusted lieutenants questioned the direction.

“We would all talk about it and would all be like it would be better if we did this. Even Pat Patterson would come to me, ‘Vince wants to do this thing and it’s so stupid. Let’s do this instead. It would be better, we should talk him into this…’ I’m like, ‘Pat, I talked to him until I was blue in the face. You go talk to him.’”

Despite the creative friction, Triple H emphasized that McMahon did some things exceptionally well, particularly in dealing with talent. Even now, as he oversees WWE’s creative direction following the Endeavor takeover and McMahon’s resignation in early 2024, Triple H acknowledges the legacy left behind.

“I would see how he dealt with talents and there are some things he would do way better than I do and some ways he handled talent where I think I wish I could handle talent that way but it’s not just how I am.”

Bret Hart & Stone Cold Steve Austin to receive inaugural WWE Immortal Moment Award at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame

WWE announced that WWE Hall of Famers Bret “The Hitman” Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will receive the inaugural “WWE Immortal Moment” award in-person at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony on Friday, April 18th at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

The first-of-its-kind recognition pays homage to their seminal moment at WrestleMania® 13 in 1997 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, where Austin became an unlikely hero thanks to a gutsy, albeit losing, effort against Hart in a “Submission Match” that featured Ken Shamrock as a special guest referee.

Leveraging Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art, 90,000 square-foot BleauLive Theater, the 2025 Hall of Fame Ceremony will give the WWE Universe an unforgettable experience, headlined by 2025 WWE Hall of Fame inductees WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger, Typhoon and Earthquake of The Natural Disasters, and other inductees to be announced in the coming weeks.

Triple H Receives Full Sail University Industry Icon Award for NXT Legacy

Triple H has earned yet another milestone in his illustrious career. The WWE Chief Content Officer was recently presented with the Full Sail University Industry Icon Award in Orlando, Florida, in recognition of his significant contributions to NXT during its time at Full Sail Arena.

For nearly ten years, Full Sail served as the backdrop for WWE NXT, hosting the brand from 2012 until the pandemic forced a shift to the WWE Performance Center. Under Triple H’s guidance, NXT emerged as a highly praised brand, serving as the launching pad for some of WWE’s biggest stars.

Reflecting on this honor, Triple H took to social media to express his gratitude, saying:

“Last week I was honored to receive the FullSail Industry Icon Award. Full Sail gave WWE NXT a home and helped us create industry-defining moments. Will always be proud of our connection. Thank you to President Garry Jones and congratulations to all this year’s honorees.”

The Undertaker Pushes Back On Criticism Of Triple H Going Into WWE Hall Of Fame

On the latest episode of Six Feet Under, The Undertaker talked about Triple H going into the Hall of Fame, criticism of the move and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On Triple H going into the Hall of Fame: “Regardless of what people think, he is not going to put himself in the Hall of Fame. And if there’s anybody that is up there that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame — now I know he’s there in DX, but that’s completely different, right? But his resume speaks for itself. Anybody that understands anything about wrestling, he’s a first ballot Hall of Fame guy, but he is not going to put himself in there. And it’s just — there’s just certain people, it’s not a Hall of Fame if they’re not in it. And it has to be done. It has to, it had to be done.”

On backlash to Triple H going in: “And you know, all the jagoffs that have nothing to do but to get on social media sites and — you know, what? Screw them. It had to be done.”

credit Six Feet Under 411mania.com

WWE Hall Of Fame Icon Package Includes Meeting Triple H And Lex Luger For $8500

WWE has revealed the ticket packages for the 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony, including exclusive tiers featuring private meet and greets with Triple H and Lex Luger – but at an eye-watering cost.

The ticket details were posted via On Location, an event management company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The lowest tier, the “Ultimate” package, is priced at $2,500 per person and includes premium balcony and lounge seating, all-inclusive beverages with dedicated servers, a priority pass entrance, and on-site support staff.

For those looking for a more exclusive experience, WWE is offering two higher tiers, the “Icon” and “Legend” packages, both of which include Hall of Fame stage access, upgraded seating, and a private meet and greet with the company’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Lex Luger, both of whom are to be inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame at the event. Fans purchasing these premium packages will also receive a professional photo opportunity with both stars. However, these experiences come with a steep price tag. The “Icon” package starts at $8,500 per person, while the top-tier “Legend” package is priced at an astonishing $9,950 per person.

The 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to take place on 18 April at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where the promotion will honour its latest class of inductees. The full lineup of honourees has yet to be confirmed, but currently announced to be inducted are Triple H, Lex Luger, and Michelle McCool.

ESPN Reveals Full List Of WWE Stars And Air Dates For Stephanie McMahon's 'Stephanie's Places'

The premiere date for the newest ESPN Original Series has now been set. Stephanie’s Places, produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions in partnership with ESPN and WWE, will debut Wednesday, March 26 on ESPN+.

The 10-episode series will follow Stephanie McMahon as she explores the pockets of America that helped shape the journeys of some of the most famous names in WWE history. Names like CM Punk, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Stone Cold Steve Austin and the reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

"WWE has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said Stephanie McMahon. “I’m looking forward to having viewers join me as we visit some of the most iconic stars of past and present, in places of meaning for them, and hear how they overcame adversity to become who they are today.”

“The world of WWE has never been more popular and exciting than it is right now,” said Peyton Manning. “There is no one better than Stephanie to tell the stories of WWE’s greatest stars and uncover the moments that shaped them.”

New episodes of Stephanie’s Places will premiere every Wednesday at 12 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and will also be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ for Disney Bundle subscribers.

April 2 - The Return of CM Punk

Stephanie McMahon visits her husband and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, at the new WWE Headquarters before she heads to Cleveland for SummerSlam, where she meets up with CM Punk who reflects on his shocking return to the WWE after nearly a decade away from the ring.

April 2 - Cody Rhodes Takes Center Stage

Stephanie meets with “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes at the historic Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, the former home of the WCW. Cody shares his unique path to WWE stardom and what he envisions as his legacy.

April 9 - Rhea Ripley’s Rise

Stephanie visits the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where she meets up with Rhea Ripley and the WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels to discuss how the next generation of stars are trained. Later, Rhea surprises Stephanie with a dramatic makeover to prepare for a wild entrance.

April 16 - Stone Cold Rides Again

Stephanie spends a day with Steve Austin at Broken Skull Ranch to learn about how he became ‘Stone Cold’ and life after the WWE. The two end their day with Stephanie experiencing Steve’s newest adventure: off-road racing.

April 23 - The Evolution of Charlotte Flair

Stephanie meets up with the “Queen”, Charlotte Flair at Nassau Coliseum to discuss the origins and evolution of women in the WWE, before they take a helicopter to MetLife to relive her epic WrestleMania 35 arrival.

April 30 - Roman Reigns and The Bloodline

Stephanie hits the open waters of Miami on a yacht with Roman Reigns and “The Bloodline” to discuss the Anoa'i family's wrestling legacy. Stephanie then enjoys some traditional Samoan cuisine alongside the family, including a unique delicacy.

May 7 - Pat McAfee Can’t Be Stopped

Stephanie sits down with Pat McAfee to find out how the art of a WWE “promo” helped him become one of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. A visit to Indianapolis allows Stephanie to pick Pat’s brain and hear his unlikely journey from NFL punter to podcaster and his dream job at WWE.

May 14 - Digging Deep with Undertaker

Stephanie heads to Madison Square Garden, the location of the first WrestleMania, and meets up with The Undertaker. They discuss his career and his own iconic moments at the Garden.

May 21 - Triple H’s Perfect Entrance

Stephanie and Triple H examine the power of an iconic WWE entrance, later they head to Las Vegas to get a first-hand look at the pageantry and spectacle that can only be found at WrestleMania.

May 28 - John Cena’s Final Round

Stephanie meets up with John Cena as he reflects on his incredible 20-plus year sports entertainment journey. She gets a tour of his personal gym and sees how one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time stays at the top of his game as he winds down his incredible career.