The FIFA World Cup is doing to WWE Smackdown’s ratings what a well-timed RKO does to an unsuspecting babyface β dropping it clean out of nowhere. Last Friday’s Smackdown tied its recent viewership low, with audience numbers hitting a five-month nadir as football fans (the round-ball kind) chose Mbappe over main events. This isn’t a panic-button moment for WWE β they’ve got Netflix money and a product that’s genuinely thriving β but it’s a useful reminder that even the most dominant force in sports entertainment isn’t immune to a packed international calendar. The World Cup will end, the ratings will recover, and Triple H’s machine will keep rolling. Still worth noting, though.
AEW Dynamite and Collision Taping Reports β Plus Minoru Suzuki
Wednesday night Dynamite is live and the Collision tapings are generating the usual post-show buzz from those who were in the building. Minoru Suzuki’s name appearing in the same breath as AEW programming is always worth a raised eyebrow and a raised glass β that man belongs in every wrestling company simultaneously, and Tony Khan clearly agrees.
WWE Smackdown Rating Ties Low Against FIFA World Cup, Audience Drops
As flagged in the lead, Friday’s Smackdown took a measurable hit from World Cup competition, with viewership sinking to a five-month low. Context matters here β competing with a global sporting event of that scale would dent anybody’s numbers β but it’s the second consecutive week of decline, which suggests some cumulative softness worth monitoring. When the tournament wraps, we’ll get a cleaner read on where Smackdown’s genuine audience baseline actually sits right now.
What You Didn’t See Before WWE NXT Went Live On June 16
Three non-televised dark matches kicked off the NXT taping before the CW and Netflix feeds went live, giving the live crowd a little extra value for their ticket price. It’s a nice tradition that WWE has maintained β keep the house warm, road-test some talent, and send nobody home feeling short-changed. Whether any of those dark match performers eventually show up on television is always the more interesting long-game question.
Update: What’s Next For Shawn Chan Following ‘Insanity’ Verdict In Liv Morgan Stalking Case
Following his not guilty by reason of insanity verdict, Shawn Chan has now been taken into custody by immigration authorities, which represents at least some measure of continued oversight in a case that’s been genuinely disturbing throughout. Liv Morgan has handled the public awareness of this situation with considerably more grace than most would manage while simultaneously carrying a championship. The legal and immigration processes will play out from here, but the priority has to be her safety and wellbeing β full stop.
Livestream Online For Special Tuesday Episode of ROH TV
ROH is running another special Tuesday episode this week with the livestream now available, which continues the company’s quietly consistent presence on the calendar. ROH in 2026 occupies an odd but not unpleasant space β it’s essentially AEW’s prestige developmental showcase, and for workrate fans it regularly delivers without the noise of a full flagship show. If you haven’t been keeping up, it’s worth a watch.
Layla El On Whether She Follows Current WWE Product & Her Favorite Female Star
Layla El has been making the media rounds and made a point of praising Chelsea Green, which is a choice with excellent taste behind it. Green has quietly become one of the most complete performers on the WWE roster β she can work, she can talk, she does the promotional heavy lifting with genuine charisma, and she’s massively over. Good to see a veteran from the Divas era recognising what the women’s division has grown into.
Booker T Often Wished He Was In WWE During Monday Night Wars
On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T admitted he often wished he’d been on the WWE side of the Monday Night Wars, while crediting the competition for forcing WWE to raise its game. It’s a fascinating admission from someone who was genuinely one of WCW’s best performers in that era β a five-time WCW champion who absolutely would have thrived under Vince’s spotlight. History worked out fine for Book in the end, but the alternate timeline booking discussion practically writes itself.
Tommy Dreamer Exits TNA Wrestling
Tommy Dreamer has parted ways with TNA, closing out what was a long and characteristically passionate run with the company for a man who treats professional wrestling like a calling rather than a job. Dreamer and TNA always felt like a natural fit β both have that scrappy, nothing-to-lose energy that hardcore fans respond to. We wish him well, and given his network and reputation, don’t expect him to stay off television for long.
Layla El: WWE Really Did Set Me Up For The Remainder Of My Life
In a separate and notably warmer interview, Layla spoke about how WWE provided her with global recognition and financial stability that has genuinely shaped her post-wrestling life. It’s a refreshingly honest and positive perspective in an era where it’s become fashionable to relitigate every grievance with the company β and Layla’s candour about the real-world benefits of a WWE run is something younger talent probably needs to hear more often.
Danhausen Addresses Whether He’s Bigger Than WWE, Believes He Has ‘The Backing Of The Machine’
Danhausen β very evil, very nice β is leaning into his recent mainstream momentum and suggesting he now has WWE’s full institutional backing, which is either the most delightful development in years or an elaborate curse-based con. Genuinely though, Danhausen’s crossover appeal is real and his fanbase is fiercely loyal in a way that goes beyond wrestling; if WWE is smart enough to deploy him correctly, there’s something genuinely unique there. Just don’t make him lose clean to a midcard nobody in his debut β we’ve seen that movie before.
π€ The WAW Take
That’s your Wednesday wrapped β ratings dips, stalker verdicts, Dreamer exits, and Danhausen possibly running the machine from inside. As always in this business, the weird and the wonderful arrive in equal measure. Stay safe out there, keep watching, and remember: if Minoru Suzuki shows up somewhere unexpected this week, nobody should be even slightly surprised.