All roads lead to Riyadh this Saturday as WWE Night of Champions looms large over the entire industry. The triple threat for the Undisputed WWE Championship β Gunther versus Cody Rhodes versus Sami Zayn β is the kind of match that gets thrown around in fantasy booking conversations for years before it actually happens, and here we are. But while Saudi Arabia gets the spotlight, the rest of the wrestling world has been anything but quiet heading into a stacked weekend that also includes TNA Slammiversary and AEW Forbidden Door on the horizon. Let’s get into it.
Mark Briscoe Sees Lio Rush Fitting Into The Conglomeration
Lio Rush winning the ROH TV Championship at Global Wars Cincinnati as the Blackheart character is one of the more quietly compelling stories in wrestling right now β the man is operating at an exceptionally high level and deserves every bit of shine he’s getting. Mark Briscoe vouching for him publicly is meaningful; Dem Boys don’t throw compliments around carelessly, and Briscoe’s seal of approval carries real weight in that locker room. The Conglomeration adding Rush would be a genuinely interesting creative move, and ROH could use a storyline with that much built-in heat.
Bayley’s WWE Contract Set to Expire Next Year β Multiple Companies Interested
Bayley is one of the most complete performers in the industry β she can do comedy, she can do menace, she can do main event drama, and she does all of it better than most. The fact that her contract is approaching expiration should be a non-issue because WWE should be treating this retention like a priority, but the advice to push for a no-cut clause is smart and speaks to a broader shift in how top women are negotiating their value. AEW, TNA, NJPW β everyone with a budget and a vision will have a call ready to make if WWE fumbles this.
TNA Adds Stipulation Match and New Tag Team Entry Ahead of Slammiversary
TNA doing last-minute card additions days before a PPV is as traditional as a ladder match at Money in the Bank, and somehow it still works for them. The Alisha Edwards and J.D.C. situation adds an extra layer of intrigue to a card that already has a chaotic TNA energy about it, which is not a criticism β it’s part of the charm. Slammiversary is always one of TNA’s strongest shows of the year, and with the roster they’ve been building, there’s genuine reason for optimism heading into this one.
Sami Zayn’s Potential WWE Championship Reign Already Being Mapped Out
The Last Real Good Guy in a triple threat for the top title in WWE β if you’d told someone that during the Sami Zayn Honorary Uce era, they’d have believed you and loved every second of it. The question isn’t really whether Sami *can* carry a championship reign; it’s whether WWE has the patience to actually let him. A short transitional reign would be a creative crime, so here’s hoping whoever wins in Riyadh, the booking team has a genuine plan and not just a feel-good moment followed by a quick drop.
Tony Khan Holds AEW Media Call Ahead of Forbidden Door
AEW Forbidden Door is one of the few events on the annual calendar that genuinely feels like a special occasion, and with NJPW’s roster crossing over, the in-ring ceiling tends to be through the roof. Tony Khan on a media call is always a mixed bag β part genuine passion, part PR management β but the questions around card direction and NJPW crossover matches should at least give us something to chew on before bell time. This show has the bones to be excellent; the execution is what we’re watching for.
Big E Opens Up About the Night of His Career-Ending Neck Injury
Big E talking about March 2022 is still difficult to read, because that evening felt like one of those moments where the entire industry collectively held its breath. C1 fractures are the kind of injury that reframe everything β not just a career, but a life β and the grace with which Ettore Ewen has carried himself since then is remarkable. Whatever the future holds for him in or out of a ring, he deserves every good thing.
Ludwig Kaiser’s El Grande Americano Mask Sells for Over $50,000 at Auction
Fifty thousand dollars for a mask from a lucha-adjacent WWE crossover event with AAA β that’s not nothing, and the fact that 100% of net proceeds go to charity makes it genuinely feel-good rather than just a corporate flex. The Ludwig Kaiser versus Chad Gable mask vs. mask match was a legitimate standout moment from Noche de Los Grandes, and apparently the fans agreed with their wallets. Kaiser continues to be criminally underutilized on the main roster, but at least his mask has a good home.
Trick Williams Reveals He and Lash Legend Got Married in Jamaica
Love is real, and apparently it got its receipt stamped in Jamaica β congratulations to Trick Williams and Lash Legend on the news, which Trick revealed during SmackDown tapings before Lash confirmed it herself. There’s something genuinely wholesome about two people carving out a private moment in a very public industry, and the fact that it came out organically rather than as a scripted segment makes it feel all the more real. Wishing them nothing but happiness, and hoping WWE doesn’t immediately make this a storyline.
WWE NXT Ratings Hit Four-Month High
NXT climbing back toward its February peak in viewership is a sign that the product is connecting, and credit where it’s due β the creative direction has felt more purposeful lately. Ratings aren’t the only metric that matters, but a consistent upward trend heading into summer is exactly what the brand needs to maintain its identity as wrestling’s best developmental-slash-main-roster pipeline. Keep building.
Teddy Long Recalls Terry Funk and WWE Hall of Famers Who Had His Back Early in His Career
Teddy Long’s career path through wrestling was not a smooth one, and hearing that legends like Terry Funk were among those who looked out for him speaks to the kind of locker room solidarity that the business doesn’t always get credit for. These stories matter β not just as history, but as context for understanding how the industry has changed and where it still has work to do. Teddy Long is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word, and his voice on these subjects carries real authority.
π€ The WAW Take
That’s your Friday wrapped β a wedding, a world title triple threat, a $50,000 mask, and Lio Rush quietly having one of the best years in wrestling. The weekend is stacked: Slammiversary, Night of Champions, Forbidden Door all within striking distance. Make sure your wrestling schedule is cleared, your snacks are prepped, and your takes are ready β we’ll see you on the other side.