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.
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March 26, 2026
WWE Unreal Nominated For Multiple Sports Television AwardsRead
March 17, 2026
WWE & Front Office Sports Enter Partnership To Produce 'Behind-The-Scenes Content'
March 5, 2026
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
March 4, 2026
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
February 24, 2026
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!
February 23, 2026
February 12, 2026
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
December 29, 2025
Endeavor Executives Anticipated Vince McMahon’s 2023 WWE Return
The executives were plotting for McMahon’s return.
There’s an exclusive story up on POST Wrestling via Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics. It has to do with Vince McMahon’s return to WWE in January 2023 being anticipated by executives at Endeavor, which is the company that went on to acquire WWE in 2023. McMahon was a part of that transaction process.
When Vince McMahon announced his resignation/retirement from WWE in 2022 after sexual misconduct allegations emerged, a top executive at Endeavor had been relaying to colleagues on the same day that McMahon would only be gone temporarily.
After McMahon’s resignation, Endeavor President and TKO Chief Operating Officer, Mark Shapiro, sent the following message to Endeavor and TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and fellow Endeavor execs (POST Wrestling included photographic evidence of the text messages):
Nick and Stephanie are going to take over the WWE for the next nine months. Vince [will] be back with a new board or he will take the company private or he will sell it/coming to us. The race is on. The courtship is on.
Vince McMahon was back in the fold of WWE less than six months later. He was back on the Board of Directors after reinstating himself by using his superior voting power as the controlling shareholder.
The text message from Shapiro was disclosed in the WWE shareholder lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court. The plaintiffs in that case allege that McMahon violated his legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interests of the shareholders, but instead of doing that, he helped move along the sale process to keep his own power.
There was communication between McMahon and Ari Emanuel throughout the backend of 2022.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are presenting the stance that McMahon and Emanuel had a friendship that would make sure McMahon stayed with WWE after the sale to Endeavor. On the other side of the spectrum, other potential suitors would have required Vince to leave WWE immediately. Vince denied that.
WWE President Nick Khan, Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, and former executives/Board members George Barrios and Michelle Wilson are being represented by TKO’s outside counsel. They’re being accused of being on board with McMahon’s plan to preserve his power. McMahon has separate counsel.
POST/Thurston reached out to WWE, TKO, and Vince McMahon’s reps for a comment on this story, but the requests were not responded to.
As mentioned, while McMahon was publicly retired, he had been in communication with Ari Emanuel. While they were exchanging messages, Emanuel told McMahon, “I will be your greatest partner.”
It was also revealed that several days after that August 2022 exchange, Emanuel texted McMahon and said he knew that McMahon met with Jeff Sine the day prior. Sine is a senior banker at Raine Group, who served as WWE’s financial advisor in the sale to Endeavor. Included on Sine’s extensive advisory résumé is that he advised Vince McMahon on his XFL revival.
Sine chatted with McMahon and said if things were to move forward, he would like to work for McMahon and McMahon only — not Ari Emanuel or Endeavor. He told McMahon that Morgan Stanley was not prepared to represent him.
The iteration of the deal that left Endeavor with less equity was the one that would lock in McMahon’s future with the company. The shareholders are positioning the situation as other bidders would have insisted that McMahon leave WWE, but WWE’s stance is that they did not have to give up anything to assure McMahon’s future. Endeavor gave WWE more equity to keep McMahon, which asserted his importance.
The article write-up has a section about Vince McMahon texting Nick Khan about WWE creative, per the court filings. Below is a text exchange from McMahon that he copied and pasted and sent to Khan. In the copy and pasted texts was a conversation McMahon was having with Paul Levesque and Bruce Prichard about the creative for Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 39:
Text from me to Paul and Bruce: “Hey guys just double checking. Does Roman [Reigns] and Cody [Rhodes] know the new creative re [WrestleMania] and next year ?”
Bruce : “Not to my knowledge. I don’t know if Paul has had a conversation with either. Roman’s first appearance since we spoke is Friday in DC. Both will be there in person.”
Me to Paul: “ Paul have U “?
The shareholders in the lawsuit are not concerned with McMahon’s involvement in WWE creative, but are focused on these discussions amongst executives being relegated to the Signal chat app, which has an auto-delete function. The shareholders argue that key communications were not preserved on Signal, which would be a loophole of sorts to get around special preservation measures during mergers and acquisitions. If the messages weren’t properly maintained, it could factor into the outcome of the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs asked the court to order Nick Khan, Ari Emanuel, Paul Levesque, and Brad Blum (former WWE exec/McMahon aide) to sit down with attorneys and take screenshots of any relevant messages they have on the devices on which Signal was downloaded. The decision on that order is still pending.
The lawsuit is nearing the end of discovery.
After the TKO deal was finalized in September 2023, it secured multimillion-dollar bonuses for Nick Khan and Paul Levesque. The shareholders allege that those bonuses are what encouraged executives to go through with McMahon’s plan to keep his power.
The WWE and UFC merger under TKO guaranteed McMahon a lifetime role with TKO unless he resigned. He resigned in January 2024 after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a sex trafficking lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis. The former WWE exec, Laurinaitis, has since been dropped from the ongoing suit after agreeing to provide evidence for Grant’s case.
If the plaintiffs in the shareholders’ suit emerge victorious, they could recover financial damages on behalf of stockholders and financial institutions that held WWE shares during the specified period of time.
The merger lawsuit is going to trial in June 2026.
source: fightful.com
December 16, 2025
Mick Foley Cuts Ties With WWE Citing Continued Association With Donald Trump
December 14, 2025
Triple H Responds To Fan Backlash Over John Cena’s Loss And Teases The Dawning Of A New Era
Following Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque spoke to the media about John Cena’s final match, the reaction to the finish, and what comes next for WWE.
Levesque addressed the crowd response to Cena tapping out to Gunther and made it clear he had no regrets.
“I’m actually mildly disappointed. I thought it would be so much louder,” Levesque said. “There are time honored traditions in our business. There is a way that you handle your business agenda. John has said the right thing his entire career, that it is about leaving this place better than you found it. But you do what is right for the business, you do what is right for this industry. John has done that his entire career, and I’m going to do that my entire career. I will do what I believe is right for this business.”
He explained that the finish was exactly in line with who Cena has always been.
“If you were to say, ‘What will Cena do on his way out?’ Take the emotion out of it. He will put over somebody on the way out. He will leave this better than he found it. He will go into the ring and he will make somebody on his way out. That’s what John does. It’s what John has always done,” Levesque said. “I know people will criticize this. People will talk about this moment right here. I’ve got big shoulders. I’m good with it.”
Turning his attention to the rising stars on the show, Levesque had high praise for NXT Champion Oba Femi and Sol Ruca.
“Oba was just incredible. If there’s anybody with a presence that says star. He is a bona fide, charismatic X Factor star that will be on top of this business when he gets there, and will stay there for a long time,” he said. “Not long ago, a little over three years ago, he had never stepped into the ring in his life, came to a tryout with dreams and hopes coming out of college, and you see where he is today. I don’t know how anybody stops this kid.”
He also addressed the early Brock Lesnar comparisons.
“You’re talking about Brock Lesnar, the ultimate destroyer in the business, and already there’s a comparison to him walking in the door.”
On Sol Ruca, Levesque pointed to her game changing athleticism.
“The level of athleticism that you see in Sol is another, just a whole nother level. You see people that come into an industry, and in a moment when you see them, you think, ‘Wow, they just changed the business.’ Sol Ruca just changed the business.”
Levesque described the night as a clear turning point for WWE.
“What you saw tonight to me, was the dawning of a new era. This whole thing goes full circle. You see the end of the John Cena era, and the beginning of a whole new wave in this business that will carry everything over into the future,” he said. “January 5, we’re gonna sort of hit that one year mark on Netflix. We’re gonna have a big event coming up in Brooklyn, at the Barclays Center there that’ll be a whole other launch into a new generation.”
He closed by confirming Cena is not done with WWE, just done in the ring.
“John Cena’s passion for WWE didn’t end tonight. John Cena’s in ring career ended tonight,” Levesque said. “He had his sort of farewell run for this year on his terms, and got to do it here in a way tonight that just meant the world to him. One thing that I know about John is every time I’ve seen him go into that ring, he’s had a blast doing it. Tonight was no different.”
Reflecting on the atmosphere, Levesque said the respect for Cena was unmistakable.
“My takeaway is just respect, respect for a man that deserves all the respect he’s getting. The records that were set tonight, we crushed a record here for this building, not just for WWE, but also for this building. We didn’t have to make anybody want to be here tonight. They all wanted to be here. It’s respect for John. He is probably one of the most universally respected performers I’ve ever seen in this business.”
November 26, 2025
After a solid stretch of storytelling, WWE fans have begun to turn on Triple H and his booking strategy... which is mostly due to personal bias
November 6, 2025
Triple H Compares WWE's Booking Style To Marvel Cinematic Universe
Triple H has been the head of WWE creative since the summer of 2022, and his tenure as booker has had it' ups and downs.
The ups? The Bloodline saga, CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, and Cody Rhodes finishing his story. The bad? John Cena turning heel, the disappearance of The Rock, and more.
The stakes couldn't be higher for Triple H as TKO Group continues to load up the WWE calendar and tries to break company records year in and year out. Through all of that, Triple H says his focus is still on telling stories.
In an interview with All In, Triple H opened up on his booking strategy and compared it more to a Marvel movie than a UFC fight.
“I would say we’re much more akin to the Marvel Universe, where you’re planning out long term where the movies fit and how they go with all the characters, than we are direct MMA. At the end of the day, direct MMA is — you’re booking matches and the interest is, ‘That guy’s really good. He’s really good. I’m not sure who’s going to win."
The Chief Content Officer of WWE continued and confirmed what has been widely speculated — telling stories is the most important aspect of the job, not putting on great matches.
“We tell stories. People within our business sometimes take this wrong, but we don’t write the shows based on ‘That’ll be a great match.’ We write it on the stories that we can create, the protagonist, the antagonist, how does that work with each other, telling stories that can resonate with people that maybe they’ve experienced in their real life."
Triple H was a multiple-time world champion as an active wrestler in WWE. He spearheaded the popular NXT black and gold run and turned that promotion from being strictly a developmental territory to a true third brand for WWE.
In 2026, Triple H will need many strong stories for some huge events that TKO Group has planned for the business. The 2026 Royal Rumble will take place inside Saudi Arabia for the first time ever. The company will return to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Wrestlemania. And in 2027, WWE will produce WrestleMania from outside of North America for the first time in history.
source: si.com
October 9, 2025
WWE Reportedly Exploring Creative Changes After Recent Criticism
WWE and parent company TKO are experiencing another banner year when it comes to ticket sales, merchandising, and in particular, landing multi-billion dollar media rights agreements.
It is more than fair to say, however, that the honeymoon period with Paul 'Triple H' Levesque as WWE's Chief Content Officer has come to an end.
Fans have been more critical of the company's booking practices in 2025 than they ever were during Levesque's previous years in control. The headlining gripe, of course, has been the handling of John Cena's retirement tour.
His shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber was a very promising start, but despite a few glimmering moments — such as his pipebomb promo on CM Punk — many feel WWE has completely dropped the ball with Cena's final run.
That's not entirely on Levesque, as The Rock's abrupt departure from the story left Cena to carry the weight of the entire arc without the lead protagonist that finally talked him into abandoning his principles.
It wasn't working. WWE knew it. Cena knew it and the entire angle was dropped ahead of SummerSlam. However, just as Cena was catching fire with spectacular matches against Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn, the WWE creative team made the conscious decision to have Brock Lesnar squash him at WrestlePalooza.
He'll now face AJ Styles at Crown Jewel this Saturday, with absolutely zero build up on WWE programming. Outside of a few video packages highlighting their rivalry from 2016 and 2017, and Styles quite literally saying on Raw that they don't need a story for this match.
A lack of compelling storytelling overall, especially when it comes to many of WWE's female superstars, has been another cause of aggravation for fans this year.
Even some of the company's top champions have fallen victim to lackluster creative unbefitting of the talent involved. Tiffany Stratton's rivalry with Jade Cargill and the U.S. Title reigns of Zelina Vega and Giulia serving as prime examples.
Distraction finishes and post-match attacks have become heavily leaned on crutches. Almost as though WWE is overly concerned with protecting everyone, that as a result, no one ever truly goes over.
Pacing has been another major issue. Whether that's finding time to consistently feature the WWE World Tag Team Championships during a two and half hour Monday Night Raw, or on a grander scale, effectively moving from PLE to PLE with often just weeks in between shows.
No one is suggesting that the job of Levesque and his creative team is easy, and the product today is still miles ahead of where it was during the latter years of the Vince McMahon era, but WWE reportedly knows improvements need to be made.
The folks over at BodySlam say the company has taken notice of the audience's criticisms this year and meetings have been held recently to discuss how to best adjust the creative process.
"Sources indicate to Bodyslam that WWE is undergoing creative changes to their team to overall improve the product. Road Dogg will continue to be head of creative for SmackDown, but there will be additions to the team to make the show more enjoyable moving forward."
The general consensus is that Raw has consistently been the better of the two brands for some time now. Creative adjustments on the SmackDown side of things should be welcomed news to those who tune in every Friday night.
source: si.com
September 30, 2025
John Cena's final match to headline Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13 at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Following a year-long farewell tour, with stops at WrestleMania 41 and SummerSlam along the way, Cena will bring his decorated career – highlighted by 17 World Championships, five U.S. Championship title reigns and two Royal Rumble victories – to an emphatic close live from the nation’s capital.
“John’s contributions to WWE are immeasurable. There are no words that can truly relay how much he means to this business,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. “Together with our partners at Events DC and Capital One Arena, we look forward to honoring his legacy and delivering an unforgettable send-off for both John and the WWE Universe.”
“Washington, D.C. is the Sports Capital and the perfect place to honor John Cena’s remarkable legacy,” said Angie M. Gates, President and CEO of Events DC. “We are excited to welcome WWE fans from our city and around the globe to witness an unforgettable final showdown in our nation’s capital. We deeply value our partnership with WWE and look forward to providing fans with an experience they will cherish forever."
“It is our great privilege to host John Cena’s historic final match at Capital One Arena, a staple venue that has consistently witnessed dozens of marquee WWE events over the years,” said Jordan Silberman, President, Venues at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “There's no stage more fitting to celebrate the legacy of a true entertainment icon than our building, with a backdrop anchored in the heart of Downtown D.C."
Tickets for Saturday Night’s Main Event will go on sale starting Friday, October 17, at 10am ET/7am PT. Fans can purchase tickets during an exclusive presale by visiting Ticketmaster.com starting Wednesday, October 15, at 10am ET/7am PT. To register to be the first to hear about pre-sale opportunities for Saturday Night’s Main Event, please visit: http://wwe.com/crs.
WWE in partnership with Events DC will enhance the fan experience with a host of community-driven initiatives and ancillary events to commemorate Cena’s final match, including a live episode of “Six Feet Under with The Undertaker,” the critically acclaimed podcast hosted by WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker, at The Howard Theatre on Friday, December 12, the official WWE Superstore at the Gallery Space DC featuring the largest selection of John Cena Final Match merchandise, and more.
Additionally, official Saturday Night’s Main Event Passes are now available through WWE’s exclusive partner On Location. These passes offer fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment, including premium seating, all-inclusive pre-show hospitality featuring WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities and much more. To learn more or to purchase your package today, please visit: https://onlocationexp.com/cena.
September 20, 2025
The Undertaker Surprises Stephanie McMahon With 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Announcement At Wrestlepalooza
The former WWE Executive was in attendance at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday night, sitting ringside just before the main event match between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
A hush had fallen over the arena after thousands of members of the WWE Universe witnessed AJ Lee win her first match in over a decade when she forced Becky Lynch to tap out to the Black Widow, but then the iconic gong of The Undertaker put the gassed crowd back on their feet.
The American Badass road down the ramp on his motorcycle, but stopped short of doing his usual circling of the entire wrestling ring. He spotted McMahon sitting in the front row, hopped off his bike and took a seat next to her. The crowd new something was up, they just didn't know what.
The Deadman then surprised everyone, Stephanie included, by announcing that she would be the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Hall of Fame announcements are typically withheld until WrestleMania season rolls around, so this was truly an unexpected announcement. Stephanie, overcome with emotion, gave her longtime friend a hug as the audience cheered on in approval.
This is the second straight year that The Undertaker has taken part in a surprise Hall of Fame announcement. It was just a few months ago when Taker, Shawn Michaels and WWE President Nick Khan informed Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque that he would be headlining the class of 2025.
Next spring, presumably during WrestleMania weekend, Stephanie McMahon will receive her own Hall of Fame ring to match the one her husband wears.
September 17, 2025
Triple H And Shawn Michaels Kick Off WWE NXT Homecoming
Full Sail University served as the home base for WWE NXT from 2012 until 2020. During this period, NXT evolved from a developmental territory into a globally recognized brand. Full Sail allowed for close interaction between fans and performers, helping cultivate a passionate fan base. Many of WWE’s current top stars—including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss started their WWE career in this venue.
Triple H addressed the crowd, stating, “It feels good to come home.” He emphasized that NXT exists because of the passion of its fans and the dedication of its talent.
Shawn Michaels, who has served as a creative leader for NXT in recent years, said the current roster is ready to “steer the ship into the future.” In a tongue-in-cheek exchange, Triple H asked what would happen if he wanted to return. Michaels replied, “We would have a big problem,” referencing their long-standing friendship and professional rivalry.
Former NXT General Manager William Regal entered and simply declared, “War Games.” The phrase is a callback to Regal’s tenure, where he popularized the War Games match format in NXT starting in 2017.
The reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, came to the ring. Flair stated, “The women have always run NXT because this is where the women’s revolution started.” Bliss added that the women will always run NXT.
September 12, 2025
WrestleMania 43 heads to Saudi Arabia as WWE takes biggest event overseas in 2027
WWE WrestleMania is soon headed outside of North America.
WrestleMania 43 in 2027 will take place in Saudi Arabia, chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced on Friday, Sept. 12, in the city of Riyadh.
This means it will be the first time WrestleMania has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and only the third time it's been held outside of the United States. The only other instances are WrestleMania 6 in 1990 and WrestleMania 18 in 2002, both of which took place in Toronto.
The news comes after Saudi Arabia general entertainment authority Turki Alalshikh announced it in a Snapchat video on Sept. 10. Alalshikh was in attendance for the announcement.
WWE has had a partnership with Saudi Arabia for more than eight years, initially holding house shows in the country to now presenting major premium live events, typically in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. In 2019, WWE expanded its partnership with the General Entertainment Authority through 2027, which brings two "large-scale events" to the country each year.
The first premium live event to take place in Saudi Arabia was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, separate from the annual Royal Rumble event. Since then, WWE has held events like Crown Jewel and Night of Champions in the country.
Despite the frequency of shows in the country, Saudi officials have been seeking to host major WWE events, and the push has intensified in recent months. The 2026 Royal Rumble will be held in Riyadh, the first of WWE's "big five" events to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Still, Alalshikh had explicitly stated his desire to bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia – a move that has been met with pushback, given it is WWE's flagship event and the allegations of sportswashing that have occurred in the country. There was belief Saudi Arabia would hold an event similar to the Greatest Royal Rumble – in that it wouldn't exactly be WrestleMania – but, it appears it will in fact be the biggest event in WWE.
The 2025 edition, WrestleMania 41, took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and WrestleMania 42 will take place in the same venue in 2026.
September 3, 2025
Rumor Mill - Stephanie McMahon Reportedly Upsets ESPN With Podcast VPN Advice
Stephanie McMahon seems to be having a lot of fun with her spot in the pro wrestling world today.
Vince McMahon's return to WWE as chairman in January 2023 prompted Stephanie's immediate departure from the company, but since her reemergence in early 2024, McMahon has maintained a steady presence in and around WWE.
She spent months producing her "Stephanie's Places" interview show on ESPN+ which debuted in March. In the show, McMahon traveled the country and interviewed WWE superstars at locations that mean a lot to each guest.
McMahon also launched her podcast "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon," where she interviews "the most interesting people in sports, entertainment, business and of course WWE to find out their personal stories of hardship and success"
And it's there that the controversy started.
McMahon's most recent guest on the show was the longest-reigning world champion of the modern era, Roman Reigns. One of the sponsors of the episode was a VPN company was a company called Surfshark, which gives people access to the internet through different locations allowing them to unlock content that's not available in their own country.
While completing an ad read for Surfshark, McMahon gave a useful yet unethical tip to her viewers as to how they should go about maximizing the Surfshark VPN's capabilities.
"A lot of you are still watching WWE the old school way: on cable. Dealing with boring commercials while I'm enjoying uninterrupted action. Let's fix that with today's sponsor: Surfshark VPN!"
WWE fans all over the world reacted hilariously to the quotes considering the conflict of interest. McMahon is employed by WWE, but is encouraging fans to pirate their way into watching WWE programming for less or no money through a VPN.
WWE PLEs are only available on Netflix to international viewers and a VPN could give American users access to those same PLEs through Netflix as well instead of ESPN once the events move over to that platform.
ESPN will be hosting all WWE PLEs starting September 20 beginning with Wrestlepalooza inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The new direct-to-consumer app is likely bracing for potential VPN users looking to finesse their way into watching premium WWE programming, especially after McMahon's move.
A report by Fightful Select revealed that a source at ESPN did not appreciate the remarks by McMahon on her podcast. The source also did not expect the issue to become significant, but that they weren't thrilled to hear her promote the product that way.
ESPN has about three weeks until Wrestlepalooza when the surge of WWE fans looking to watch future PLEs will join the platform. How much damage McMahon's promotion of Surfshark has done to potential subscriber growth is unknown.
source: si.com
August 21, 2025
John Cena retirement: Date of final WWE match set for Saturday Night's Main event in December
John Cena has a date for his final match. Cena's farewell tour comes to an end on Dec. 13 as WWE Saturday Night's Main Event hosts his professional wrestling retirement.
NBC confirmed the news following an announcement that Saturday Night's Main Event will stream exclusively on Peacock. Last year, WWE struck a deal to air quarterly primetime specials on NBC and Peacock. The exclusive move to Peacock follows news that ESPN will become WWE's exclusive home for pay-per-views starting with the newly announced Wrestlepalooza event on Sept. 20.
"Peacock has had a wonderful relationship with the WWE and we're excited to see it continue far into the future," said NBC Sports president Rick Cordella. "Saturday Night's Main Event is some of the most premium content the WWE produces, including John Cena's upcoming retirement match, and it will be all live and exclusive on Peacock."
There are no further details about Cena's retirement match. There is speculation that the event will take place in or around Boston, but WWE has not confirmed it. Boston would be a fitting choice for Cena's swan song, an hour drive from his birthplace, New Westbury, Massachusetts.
Cena entered 2025 knowing it would be his last year as an in-ring performer. The farewell tour has featured numerous memorable moments: his shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, winning a record 17th world title at WrestleMania 41, and being victim to Brock Lesnar's surprise return at SummerSlam.
Cena's next major singles match is a high-profile collision with Logan Paul, set for Clash in Paris on Aug. 31.
source: cbssports.com
