Kenny Omega is AEW World Champion again, and if you felt a disturbance in the Force sometime this week — like a million indie wrestling fans suddenly crying out in joy — that explains it. The Best Bout Machine reclaiming AEW gold is the kind of moment that reminds you why this company exists. Whether it’s a short-term transitional reign or the beginning of a proper redemption arc after his lengthy injury odyssey, Omega with the belt changes the temperature of the entire roster. AEW needed a jolt heading into All In at Wembley, and brother, this is a defibrillator to the chest.
After Dark Radio: Bryan Alvarez and Jason Hewlitt on Bigfoot, Ghosts, and Lake Monsters
Bryan Alvarez’s After Dark Radio is back with Jason Hewlitt discussing Ogopogo, Bigfoot encounters, hauntings, and general cryptid chaos — which, honestly, sounds like essential listening for the commute. We cover it because F4W does, and because after a week of title changes and Russo takes, sometimes you just need someone talking about lake monsters. Priorities.
WWE Accused of Booking CM Punk Chicago Tease for a Cheap Pop
Look, Vince Russo calling out anyone’s creative direction is a bit like a guy who drove a car into a ditch critiquing your parallel parking, but the underlying point isn’t entirely wrong. Using Chicago as a backdrop for a Punk tease while Sami Zayn captures the title is clever stagecraft, but if it doesn’t lead anywhere substantive it’s just another baited hook left to rust. WWE’s creative is operating at a high level right now, so give them a chance to pay it off before lighting the pitchforks.
Penta Wants WWE to Bring Back the Six-Sided Ring for AAA Events
This is actually a fun idea and the kind of thing WWE’s expanded global partnership strategy could theoretically accommodate — imagine a special AAA crossover show with that hexagonal canvas front and center. Penta has the credibility to push for it having lived that world in both TNA and AAA, and as Intercontinental Champion he’s got enough political capital to at least get the conversation started. Whether WWE’s production machine would ever let a non-standard ring onto their programming is another matter entirely, but let the man dream.
Tag Team ‘The Dropouts’ Expected to Sign with WWE
The Dropouts — Scott Green and The Tuckman — are reportedly wrapping up their Australian indie commitments ahead of a WWE signing, per Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp and Ella Jay. Not a lot of name recognition for most Western fans yet, but the Australian scene has been quietly producing serious talent for years and WWE’s global scouting has gotten sharper. File this one under “watch their first vignette before forming an opinion.”
Paul Wight Confirms He’s Working Toward an In-Ring Return
Good news for The Big Show — Paul Wight, who’s been through the wringer physically over the past two-plus years with multiple serious surgeries, says he’s not done and is actively working toward a return. Nobody’s expecting five-star clinic work here, but Wight as a special attraction still has value in the right context, and clearly the man’s heart is still in it. AEW would be smart to have a meaningful send-off match ready if and when he’s cleared, because he deserves a proper moment.
WWE SmackDown Ratings Dip for July 3 Episode
SmackDown dropped from 1.206 million to 1.064 million viewers for the July 3 broadcast, which, given it was taped ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend, is basically expected turbulence rather than a structural alarm bell. The key demo number actually improved, which is the figure advertisers actually care about. Context matters with ratings — a holiday weekend dip is noise, not signal.
Kenny Omega Captures the AEW World Championship
The details are still filtering through, but the result is confirmed: Kenny Omega is your AEW World Champion. Given how long he’s been clawing his way back from serious injury — physical, personal, all of it — this one carries genuine emotional weight beyond just the title change. The question now is who stands across from him at Wembley, and whether AEW lets this breathe long enough to mean something.
WWE Reportedly Planning a Major Heel Turn
A vague report out of TJR suggests WWE is planning to turn a significant star heel, with the teaser framing of “he’s a hypocrite” doing the rounds. Without a name attached this is barely worth the pixels, but the fact that it’s being positioned as a surprise suggests it’s someone whose face run has had genuine traction. Whoever it is, a well-executed heel turn is still one of wrestling’s most reliable storytelling tools — just make sure there’s an actual plan behind it.
Andre Chase Says WWE Told Him He Was Never Supposed to Be on Television
Now going by Andre Chance, Chase’s NXT run is genuinely one of the better underdog stories the brand has produced in years — a guy who carved out a beloved character almost entirely through crowd connection and commitment to the bit. The fact that WWE brought him in with zero TV intentions and he ended up headlining NXT events with a full university stable behind him says everything about what organic character work can still accomplish. It also says something less flattering about how developmental evaluates talent on paper versus in practice.
AEW All In Wembley Championship Match Lineup Taking Shape
With Omega now holding the top prize, the All In card is starting to crystallize, and Wembley Stadium demands a main event worthy of the setting. AEW has a remarkable opportunity here — a returning babyface champion, a massive international crowd, and the goodwill built from the first two Wembley shows. Don’t waste it with a challenger nobody’s invested in; the stage is too big.
🎤 The WAW Take
That’s your Thursday sorted — Omega’s got the gold, Wembley has its main event, and somewhere Bryan Alvarez is convinced something is living in a Canadian lake. We’ll be back tomorrow with more news, more takes, and probably another Russo opinion nobody asked for but everyone read anyway. Stay sharp out there.