WWE SmackDown got the night started with the Queen of the Ring Tournament, and tonight's matches would involve both of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Belair was up first, facing Tiffany Stratton, while Cargill would face Nia Jax later in the night. Belair battled through a knee injury to eventually get the win, but Cargill wouldn't join her, as she was disqualified after Jax got in Cargill's daughter's face. As you might imagine, that sent Cargill into another mode, but while she got some payback on Nia with a chair, it would also mean losing a chance to move on in the tournament.

Belair and Stratton locked up and Belair pushed Tiff back into the corner, but then they got into a shoving match before Stratton slapped Belair in the face. A little taunting led Stratton to pull the braid of Belair, but Belair didn't stay down for long, slapping Stratton and taking her down with two slams. Another exchange led to Stratton getting the better of The EST, but Belair halted her momentum with a slam on the knee. That left Belair a bit hobbled, as she tried to shake off the damage to the knee, and then Belair went up top with punches, only for Stratton to pull the braid. Belair countered though and sent Stratton rolling to the floor.

We witnessed a classic on #SmackDown@BiancaBelairWWE @TiffStrattonWWE #WWEKingAndQueen pic.twitter.com/ZK0id1sSTC

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 18, 2024

Stratton pulled the braid again though and that brought Belair out to the ring apron and caused her leg to tie up into the ropes. Stratton then threw Belair into the steel steps, and that clearly hurt Belair. Stratton stayed focused on the hurt knee of Belair, and then a submission hold focused on the leg once more. Belair got the bottom rope and then kicked Stratton to the floor to give herself a chance to regroup.

Belair couldn't put much weight on the knee at this point, and Stratton dragged her over to the ring post to do more damage, though Belair was able to pull Stratton into the ring post and break up the attack. Belair knocked Stratton down and then hit a slam, and then followed with another slam. Belair was hobbled at this point, and Stratton countered a slam.

They exchanged hits and then Belair got Stratton up for a KOD, but Stratton countered and slammed into Belair and hit the double stomp, going for the pin, but Belair kicked out. Stratton was caught by Belair and then slammed with a suplex into a pin attempt, but Stratton kicked out. Belair tried to drag Stratton away but she then poked Belair in the eyes. That led to a chop block on the bad knee and a running clothesline, but somehow Belair kicked out. Belair then broke up the prettiest moonsault ever, and a KOD followed on Stratton. That was enough to get the pin and the win for Belair. Now she will move on to face the winner of Cargill and Jax.

Next up was Jade Cargill's match against Nia Jax, and Jax got in the first hit. Jax kept coming but Cargill was able to evade her next attack and send her outside to the floor. The back and forth outside of the ring continued, and the two superstars would showcase their impressive power throughout the match.

Then things turned when Cargill ended up at ringside next to her daughter in the crowd. Cargill momentarily talked to her daughter before Jax came in and threw Cargill to the floor. Then Jax got in the face of Cargill's daughter, telling her "Your mom sucks." Cargill's daughter wasn't having any of it by the way, as she responded to Jax and told her where she could go with that comment. That led to Cargill hitting a kick to Jax's jaw.

Then Jax would involve a chair, swinging and trying to hit Cargill with it. Cargill was able to wrestle it away from Jax, and then she slammed it down on Jax's back, but the referee caught it and disqualified Cargill. That gave Jax the win, but the two would continue to brawl afterward by the barricades. That fight continued all the way around the ring, and eventually, security had to come out and get involved. Jax will now move on to face Belair in the next round, which will take place next week.

What did you think of SmackDown? You can talk all things wrestling and WWE with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

The SmackDown quarterfinals for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments took place on tonight's SmackDown. Opening the show was Bianca Belair and Tiffany Stratton. Going into the match, Belair was battling an injured knee and that came into play tonight. Stratton took full advantage and got a few close near falls but was unable to put the EST away. Tama Tonga and LA Knight followed and Knight was clearly the favored to win the match. As per usual with The Bloodline, shenanigans from Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa would prevent Knight from picking up a victory and advancing to the semi-finals.

Tama Tonga is RELENTLESS! ?

Will @RealLAKnight be able to pull through and pick up the W? ? pic.twitter.com/0Ih5MzpNin

-- WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024

The main event was recent NXT call-up Carmelo Hayes taking on "The Viper" Randy Orton. Melo comes out of the gate hot against Orton, clearly knowing the type of competitor he's up against ... or at least he thinks he does. Unfortunately for Melo, Orton takes advantage and gets him into the corner of the ring. As the fight continues outside of the ring, Orton's knee gives out on him as Melo showboats on the announce table. Orton trips him up and delivers two back suplexes. Orton's knee continues to be his downfall in the match as Melo focuses in on it and attacks it more, ripping the tape off. When Orton is in this condition in a match he goes to his special place to unlock "The Viper." So he does, setting up for the RKO and connecting, advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament.

.@RandyOrton ? Announcer's Table

Will @Carmelo_WWE be able to bounce back or will Randy Orton move one step closer to #WWEKingAndQueen?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/v7WQN18nqP

-- WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024

On next week's SmackDown Bianca Belair will go up against Nia Jax who got a huge divisive win over Jade Cargill. It remains to be seen how Belair's knee will effect her going into next week but Jax will surely be going after it as soon as the bell rings. On the red brand, Lyra Valkyria faces former WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY for a slot in the finals. Valkyria has won over fans early, just two matches into her main roster WWE career. She's clearly the favorite to go over SKY, but it should be a great match nonetheless. Jey Uso and Gunther will also go head-to-head once again, which many fans online were upset by. While they wanted to see Ilja Dragunov and Gunther battle it out again, they'll have to wait just a bit longer.

The King and Queen of the Ring finals take place on May 25 in Saudi Arabia.

Six years ago WWE held the first-ever all women's PLE, Evolution. The show featured women from almost every generation of WWE and included Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT U.K.. Over 10,000 people attended the event live to see the company and its female wrestlers make history as WWE continued to usher in a new era for the women.

At the event, Becky Lynch defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair while Nikki Bella went up against Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship. A 20-woman battle royal also took place with some of WWE's iconic women including Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly and Maria Kanellis.

Fans and wrestlers alike have rallied for a follow-up event since the success of the first but WWE has yet to pull the trigger. The current WWE Women's Champion Bayley has taken notice of the fan reception to the Queen of the Ring tournament that has taken place over Raw and SmackDown over the last few weeks. Top WWE female superstars like Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai and Nia Jax as well as new recruits like Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill and Lyra Valkyria have all competed in the competition. It's left fans incredibly enthused for the future of the women's division, especially one under all new management. "This #QueenOfTheRing tournament is calling for an Evolution 2," Bayley wrote on X, tagging WWE.

The Queen of the Ring tournament has made its grand return for the first time since 2021 and the finals will take place in Saudi Arabia on May 25. On the red brand, Valkyria and former Women's Champion IYO SKY will go head to head for a spot in the finals against the SmackDown winner. As of now, Belair will go up against Jax in the semi-finals for the blue brand next week. Belair injured her knee in an earlier match and has been favoring it throughout the tournament. In her match against Stratton, the knee was further attacked but she's determined to become the next Queen of the Ring. Jax defeated Cargill in a pretty decisive effort, as Cargill was Cleary the favorite to win and advance. Jax won via disqualification. Another women's match set to take place is Lynch defending the Women's World Championship against Morgan who is hellbent on taking everything away from an injured Rhea Ripley -- her title, her stable, and possibly her right hand, Dominik Mysterio.

Long-time professional wrestling fan and actor Paul Walter Hauser has been dipping his toes into the wrestling pool over the last few months with various independent appearances. His first official match took place last November at a Pro Wrestling REVOLVER show and it was clear that he got bit by the wrestling bug after that. His next match was against Matt Cardona in an "Emmy vs Slammy Winner Takes All" match. Hauser famously called out Cardona during his acceptance speech at the Emmys, which ended up going viral. Hauser has appeared in AEW as well as Ring of Honor but now it looks like he wants to take his wrestling abilities to either the big screen.

Paul Walter Hauser Wants To Play WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley

"I'm literally talking to Mick Foley right now about the potential of playing him in a movie or limited series," Hauser told The Wrap. "I don't know which and I don't know how, but he and I have become friendly. And I think he knows that that could be a really great stroke of genius in casting me to play him. A couple of people have approached me to potentially play different wrestlers in different projects, and for me, I just have to make sure that there's a real story there and I'm not just doing it because I'm a fan."

Since the release of The Iron Claw, there has been a lot of mainstream attraction to the world of professional wrestling with the potential for Hollywood crossover. Wrestlers acting in huge films is nothing new -- The Rock, John Cena and Batista have helped bridge the gap between worlds, allowing for an entirely new generation of wrestlers to get into acting. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Liv Morgan are among some of those names who have been involved in various projects, including Young Rock, Chucky, Psych: The Movie and Punky Brewster.

Hauser recently starred alongside Jacob Tremblay in Orion and the Dark but he can next be seen back in the squared circle on June 1. Hauser will participate in MLW's upcoming 40-man battle royal at Battle Riot VI. The winner will immediately earn a title shot against two-time World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima. Battle Riot VI will stream live on MLW's YouTube channel for free.

"I'm so excited to take part in Major League Wrestling's 6th Annual Battle Riot," Hauser said in a press release issued by MLW. "While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment - don't get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima's World Heavyweight Title."

On WWE NXT this week, Ivar of The Viking Raiders was blindsided by Gallus who attacked him backstage. WWE then announced that due to injury, he'd be out indefinitely. What remained unclear at the time, however, was if the injury was part of the storyline or if he is actually hurt. Several reports clarified that Ivar is in fact injured, but whether or not he needs surgery remains to be seen. To clear things up even further, Ivar confirmed his injury is legitimate on X, noting that he's still trying to figure out what all of his options are and what it means for his future.

"There has been alot of misinformation floating around about me. Let me clearify: Yes I am injured Yes it is very serious No I have not had surgery Still trying to figure out all options and what this means for my future," Ivar wrote on X. "That being said, I want to thank everyone for the out pouring of love and support, not only after finding out I was injured but thru out the last several months, I have heard you all! No matter what happens, I owe it to everyone who ever believed in me to do everything I can to get back in that ring, under those lights, and infront of the most amazing fans on the planet, see you as soon as I can!"

Ivar has been competing in singles competition for the last few months because his tag team partner, Erik, is also injured. Erik underwent neck fusion surgery on his C6 and C7 cervical spine back in November. He suffered the injury during September of last year. Ivar is the latest of unfortunate injuries plaguing the WWE locker room.

Just in the last few weeks, several WWE superstars, including Drew McIntyre for his fractured elbow suffered at WrestleMania 40. - Asuka, Xavier Woods, Bobby Lashley and Zelina Vega are out with undisclosed injuries and have been pulled from the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. That's on top of some of WWE's other top talent in Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk being out of action due to their injuries. WWE has done well in pivoting stories in the meantime, as McIntyre and Punk are still regularly featured on television while they recover.

Comicbook wishes Ivar the best in his recovery. Stay tuned as we will provide further updates on his condition and WWE as they become available.

WWE's royal tournaments continue. Immediately following WWE Backlash, WWE kicked off the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring brackets, resurrecting the concept for the first time since 2021. WWE supersized each bracket this year, having 16 competitors in each, a substantial increase from the usual eight-man tournaments of years past. The WWE Monday Night Raw sides of each tournament are reaching their climaxes, with Gunther vs. Jey Uso and Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky set for next week's red brand show. The winner of each of those matches will advance to the WWE King and Queen of the Ring premium live event to face the winners of the WWE SmackDown sides of the bracket, which will become clearer tonight.

King of the Ring Quarterfinals

The blue brand's King of the Ring finals will be decided on tonight's WWE SmackDown.

After defeating Angelo Dawkins in the first round, new WWE signing Tama Tonga looks to continue his momentum when he faces LA Knight in the quarterfinals. Knight is fresh off a victory over Santos Escobar in his first round contest.

Semifinal implications also exist in Carmelo Hayes vs. Randy Orton. Hayes took down 2019 King of the Ring Baron Corbin in the first round while Orton defeated longtime rival AJ Styles. Similar to Tonga, Hayes is a fresh face on the main roster, having only joined WWE SmackDown from WWE NXT just about one month ago.

Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals

The women's bracket will progress the same.

WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill faces Nia Jax in a quarterfinal Queen of the Ring contest. Cargill has only had 14 matches since joining WWE last September but remains undefeated. Only two of those matches have been one-on-one bouts.

Cargill's tag partner, WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair, also looks to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament when she battles Tiffany Stratton. If Belair and Cargill both win tonight, they will face each other in the semifinals.

Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul's Contract Signing

Is WWE unifying the WWE Championship and WWE United States Title at WWE King and Queen of the Ring? That question should be answered tonight.

WWE United States Champion Logan Paul is confirmed to be challenging WWE Champion Cody Rhodes for his prize at the upcoming premium live event, but it remains to be seen as to if his star-spangled gold will also be on the line. Both men have teased the WWE King and Queen of the Ring match being "for all the gold," but WWE has yet to make it official.

WWE SmackDown airs at 8 PM ET on FOX.

Every year WWE releases a documentary showcasing WrestleMania weekend. Seeing as this year was the 40th anniversary and the biggest WrestleMania ever, fans have been looking forward to it since it was announced. Of course, The Rock made his huge in-ring return after 11 years away, John Cena and The Undertaker both returned to help Cody Rhodes beat Roman Reigns, Damian Priest, Bayley, and Sami Zayn became champions and so much more. But since the announcement that the documentary would return, there's been little to no movement on when exactly it will release.

Ex-WWE writer Brian Herwitz who now works with Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions, gave some insight into what the hold up is, clarifying that it has nothing to do with Rock.

"Believe it or not, there is an awesome (documentary). The Rock isn't holding hostage until he has approval of every frame," Gerwitz said on The Masked Man Show. "I think there was an error in terms of promoting it so soon because it wasn't ready to come out. That was an error that was made. This is a doc that went from 11 minutes to 45 minutes and now it's over an hour. It's pretty awesome. It will be coming out, in some form, pretty soon, is my understanding" (h/t: Fightful).

WrestleMania 40 has been done and over with for over a month now, but it's an event that fans are still talking about, for better or for worse. The show blew previous WrestleMania's out of the water with its social and economical impacts. WWE WrestleMania 40's gate was up 78 percent compared to its predecessor, WWE WrestleMania 39, which itself was the company's previous gate record. Merchandise sales also had a significant increase, landing at 20 percent higher than last year. The event was touted as the first PLE under the "Paul Levesque Era" of WWE, the first full show that Vince McMahon didn't have his hand in booking.

The official trailer for the documentary, tracks the Road to WrestleMania where Rhodes showed up to SmackDown to confront Reigns and delivered one of the most memorable moments in recent WWE history. When he said he wouldn't be fighting Reigns for the title and The Rock's music hit instead, presumably doing the long-awaited singles match between The Head of the Table and Rock, fans were furious. Footage shows how impactful the "#WeWantCody" movement was. "When chaos happens, something magical will come out of it," WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque says.

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on WWE.

On WWE Raw the Uncle Howdy teases led fans to a very specific date and time, a floppy disk and the word "witch" that sounded awfully like "Twitch." Well, at 4 p.m. EST all was revealed when the WWE Twitch account was "hacked" by Uncle Howdy. The 55 minute video chronicled a therapy session with The Fiend's therapist. She asks a series of questions about how they've been feeling and how the social media perception has made them feel. While this is happening, the video glitches in and out, showing various symbols and videos that have aired over the last few weeks. There are also several QR codes littered throughout which we outlined below.

The first video leads to The New Colossus poem, albeit its been heavily redacted. What is shown, however, are the lines: "Give me your tired, you're poor/your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/the wretched refuse of your teeming shore." Throughout that are the same black and white videos of the figures outside of a home and driving on the road. "They were broken. I didn't fix them. I accepted them." Before it cuts off, the phrase "they opened the door" is repeated throughout the screen with "we can be family." displayed at the bottom. The song playing over the video is Marti Amado's "Nightbird" which has been featured on an episode of Raw, at the beginning of all the clues.

The next video starts out with a mysterious dark and abandoned room of what looks like a library. "Drink from his suffering" and "even now you doubt us" flash on the screen, followed by "but soon you will understand that all we ever wanted was a chance." Before it goes out, a figure glitches on the screen as it gets closer to the camera.

The other codes link back to ones shown over the last week, but as the video gets closer and closer to the end the glitches and flashes become more more frequent. Howdy scribbles, "do you want to meet them?" on a piece of paper to which the therapists questions who "them" is. The video cuts out shortly after. The video is the clear predecessor to what was on Raw this week with the random pieces of paper thrown on the floor of someone's home, which we now know to be the therapists. A news clipping showed that she had gone missing, and judging by the way the video cuts off and shows the same clipping it can be inferred that was her fate.

Comicbook will continue to provide updates and detailed analysis on the Uncle Howdy situation as it becomes available.

Last summer, AEW put on its most highly-anticipated event of the summer, AEW: All In London. It brought fans from all over the world to watch the spectacle live from Wembley Stadium, drawing over 80,000 fans. The week after, AEW headed back to Chicago for its annual All Out pay-per-view that acted almost like a second night of WrestleMania but for AEW. This year AEW appears to be making a whole event out of it with the Path To All In. Leading up to their big return to London, England, AEW will host a series of events live from the Esports Stadium in Arlington. The stadium is the largest dedicated esports stadium in North America, and it will see various AEW and ROH shows beginning Saturday, July 20.

The shows will mark AEW's return to Arlington for the first time since December when they hosted a double Winter is Coming special for Collision and Rampage. Similarly, it will be ROH's first time back in Arlington since ROH Final Battle 2022 which saw The Briscoes defeat FTR in a double dog collar match. Tickets for the Path To All In summer series will go on sale Thursday, June 6 at 10 A.M. CT via ETix.com and AEWTix.com.

"We are thrilled to partner with the City of Arlington for AEW's first-ever events at Esports Stadium. This AEW summer series will add to the rich legacy of major professional wrestling events held in the great state of Texas and serve as the ultimate springboard for AEW: All In London on August 25 at Wembley Stadium," said AEW CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan. "This partnership would not have been possible without the tireless support of Matt Wilson, Justin Grimsley, the Arlington Sports Commission and City of Arlington teams and of course, our incredibly passionate fanbase throughout Texas."

"We are honored to team with Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling for this incredible opportunity," said Arlington Sports Commission Executive Director Matt Wilson. "The ability to host TNT's wildly popular AEW: Collision program is another milestone achievement to bring worldwide events to Arlington and shine a global weekly spotlight on our beautiful city."

The dates are as follows:

• Saturday, July 20 - AEW: Collision

• Friday, July 26 - ROH: Death Before Dishonor

• Saturday, July 27 - AEW: Collision

• Thursday, August 1 - AEW: Collision (Taped to air Saturday, August 3)

• Saturday, August 10 - AEW: Collision

• Saturday, August 17 - AEW: Collision

Since he was called up to the main roster in 2022, fans have waited with baited breath for Gunther to square off with Brock Lesnar. The Ring General occupied himself as the top dog within WWE's midcard, reigning with the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a record 666 days, while the Beast Incarnate remained in and around the main event scene, regularly hunting then-Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Even though they existed in different places on the card, WWE was keen to tease what a Gunther vs. Lesnar showdown would look like, as the two men crossed paths within the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble Match. Gunther went on to face Sheamus and Drew McIntyre at that year's WWE WrestleMania 39 and Lesnar engaged in a heavyweight exhibition with Omos.

One year later, the stars aligned for WWE to finally run Gunther vs. Lesnar. Going into WWE Royal Rumble this past January, the rumor was that Gunther vs. Lesnar was earmarked for the WWE WrestleMania 40 card. Whatever Lesnar's plans were never materialized, as he was quietly dropped from television due to his connection to the Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit. WWE has since eased up on its stance with Lesnar, as rumors swirled back in March that there were conversations about working him back into storylines.

Gunther Remains Interested in Brock Lesnar Match

Whenever the Beast roars back to WWE, the Ring General wants a piece of him.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Gunther noted that he had "heard something" about his rumored WWE WrestleMania 40 clash with Brock Lesnar and remains eager to face him should the opportunity present itself.

"I always saw Brock as my final boss. I always get portrayed as that, as the NXT UK Champion, the Intercontinental Champion, I was like the final boss of that division, and Brock, for a long time, was the final boss of the whole company. I always saw myself in my future to be in a similar position to him, and to be that you've got to get in the ring with that guy," Gunther said. "We'll see if there's a chance for it to happen again. I'm more than up for it. How the situation is exactly right now, I'm really not that informed about it, to be honest."

Gunther is currently competing in the King of the Ring tournament. He will face Jey Uso in the semifinals this Monday on WWE Monday Night Raw.

Adam Copeland is in year five of his unprecedented professional wrestling comeback. After spending nine years retired due to a series of neck injuries, Copeland returned to the squared circle at WWE Royal Rumble 2020, competing under his long-time ring name of Edge. The following night on WWE Monday Night Raw, Copeland first explained how his comeback was made possible, noting that nearly a decade of no physicality allowed his neck to heal to a level that was good for wrestling again. Now with a new lease on wrestling life, Copeland then prophesied about what awaited him in his in-ring future.

"So I found myself in the Royal Rumble. I saw some familiar faces. I saw some new faces," Copeland said. "Randy Orton. Roman Reigns. AJ Styles. Seth Rollins. Kevin Owens. Aleister Black. Matt Riddle. The list goes on and on, and boys, hopefully I see you down the road."

As it would turn out, Copeland would meet nearly every name on that list in a WWE ring. He battled Randy Orton at WWE WrestleMania 36 and WWE Backlash 2020. He feuded with Roman Reigns throughout early 2021, eventually fighting him one-on-one at WWE Money in the Bank 2021. AJ Styles stood opposite Copeland at WWE WrestleMania 38 and WWE Backlash 2022. A trilogy of contests with Seth Rollins went down in Fall 2021. Kevin Owens was locked inside a steel cage with Copeland at a December 2021 WWE live event.

The final two names have escaped Copeland thus far. Black departed WWE in Summer 2021, joining AEW as Malakai Black within a month of his exit. Riddle was fired by WWE last fall and has spent his time competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling and across the independent circuit.

Later this month, Copeland will get the chance to mix it up with one of those two remaining names. Wednesday's AEW Dynamite confirmed that Copeland will defend his AEW TNT Championship against Black at AEW Double or Nothing in a barbed wire steel cage match. This will be the first singles bout between the two. Copeland has been feuding with Black over the past couple of weeks, successfully defeating the remaining members of the House of Black in Buddy Matthews and Brody King.

As for fully realizing that prophetic promo and wrestling Riddle, it's possible that that match could go down as soon as this June. Copeland currently holds AEW's television title while Riddle reigns as NJPW WORLD Television Champion. If AEW plans to pit champions of equal level against one another at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Copeland vs. Riddle is a natural fit.

WWE's three weekly televised broadcasts are all getting new homes within the next calendar year. Dating back to Fall 2023, WWE began shopping around the media rights for WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE SmackDown, and WWE NXT, seeking significant increases for its in-ring products upon their arrivals on the market. WWE SmackDown was the first to go, landing a deal to leave FOX and return to former home USA Network. WWE NXT followed shortly after, pivoting off USA Network to join The CW. The biggest was saved for last, as USA Network lost WWE Monday Night Raw to Netflix in a landmark deal that will see WWE's flagship show be live-streamed instead of being broadcast on cable.

While all three shows have their homes set for the foreseeable future, an undefined variable has been their airdates. WWE SmackDown is said to be likely to remain on Fridays, but WWE Raw and WWE NXT have been left up in the air.

NXT Will Remain on Tuesdays

The CW is keeping NXT on Tuesdays.

As shared in a press release, The CW confirmed that WWE NXT will remain on its longtime day of the week and will also stay in its primetime time slot.

"Get Ready to Rumble with the Broadcast Television Debut of WWE NXT on Tuesdays," the press release read. "The next generation of WWE Superstars take to the ring when WWE NXT airs live every Tuesday (8:00-10:00pm ET)."

The CW also touted how NXT is an essential piece to the larger WWE puzzle, spotlighting the brand's fingerprints on today's WWE main roster.

"Launched by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE NXT has aired weekly since 2012 and features the brightest young talent in sports entertainment. Nearly 90% of the participants in last year's WrestleMania were developed under the NXT banner," the press release continued. "Led by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, NXT is popular with younger audiences, ranking No. 1 in cable primetime on Tuesday nights among Adults 18-49 and 18-34. WWE Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have come up through NXT."

WWE NXT currently airs every Tuesday on USA Network at 8 PM ET. The white and gold brand will pivot to The CW in October and will remain on that channel for the next five years.

The TBS Championship will be on the line at AEW's anticipated Double or Nothing pay-per-view, and the rivalry between Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mone hit a whole new gear on tonight's Dynamite ahead of their match-up. Willow and Mercedes headed to the ring to sign the contract for the Double or Nothing showdown, and the war of words got heated rather quickly. Both had some great barbs, but Willow struck a nerve when she said the last time they faced each other Mone didn't walk out at all. Mone came back with a slap to the face, but Willow shook it off and put Mone through a table, setting the stage for what should be a thrilling battle at Double or Nothing.

Willow started out being cordial, telling Mone, "I do respect you. I respect everything you've done in your career. But I need to know, do you respect this? This is the TBS Championship. It's a Championship that celebrates the legacy of professional wrestling, a legacy that goes back 50 years on this very channel. A legacy built on fighting, on hard work and dedication, and defending. Making a name for yourself in the face of obstacles. That's what my friend Kris Statlander represents, and now I'm the face of TBS, and this smiling face, every time this smiling face walks to the ring, you see on my Titantron, nothing matters, smile anyway."

"The last time we fought, I walked out a champion and you didn't walk out AT ALL"

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@WillowWrestles | @MercedesVarnado pic.twitter.com/LoFrFkwWGP

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 16, 2024

"And to me, that means through all the doom and gloom, I look for something to smile for. My smile is my strength. Professional wrestling is just that, and this Title is what matters to me. So throughout all that, I am not going to let you walk into AEW and take that away. Not now, not at Double or Nothing, never," Nightingale said.

Willow signed the contract and gave it to Mone. Mone then said, "Now Willow, you want to talk about legacy to me? You know, money changes everything is not just a catchphrase, it's a fact. Back in 2015 in Brooklyn when you were still training, I was out here changing the game forever. You want to talk about dedication, scratching, and clawing your way to the top? What about breaking down the doors and breaking glass ceilings? That's what I did. You wouldn't be here without me Willow, and look, I respect you. I have so much respect for you. You are a great Champion. But there's a difference between being great and being the greatest of all time."

"Now let's talk about the face of TBS. I mean, you should be looking at the new face of TBS. That's right, I know you've seen me on the red carpets and sitting courtside, because that's what a CEO does. I know the best part of your career was beating me, but now that I am healthy, you losing will still be the best part that ever happened to you, because my legacy is all about winning," Mone said.

Nightingale fired right back, telling Mone, "You keep believing that, because the last time we wrestled, I walked away a Champion, and you didn't walk out at all." That clearly angered Mone, as the CEO took a second and then viciously slapped the Champion. Nightingale took it in stride though, and after dodging another attack from Mone, Nightingale picked up Mone and then slammed her through the table, smashing it in half. The two will now face each other at Double or Nothing, and you can find the updated card for the pay-per-view below.

AEW Double or Nothing Updated Card

• AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs. Christian Cage
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Timeless Toni Storm (C) vs. Serena Deeb
• TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (C) vs Mercedes Mone
• AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (C) vs Will Ospreay
• TNT Championship Match: Adam Copeland (C) vs. Malakai Black
• Anarchy In The Arena: The Elite vs FTR, Bryan Danielson, and TBD

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Sunday, May 26th.

Are you excited for Double or Nothing? You can talk all things wrestling and AEW with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Kazuchika Okada scored yet another victory in All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday night, but the match was also something of a precursor for the company's next pay-per-view event. Double or Nothing 2024 is set for Sunday, May 26th, and Okada is going to be taking part in the Anarchy in the Arena Match as part of the Elite. One of the men he'll be facing in that match, two-time AEW Tag Team Champion Dax Harwood, gave him a preview of the action in a one-on-one bout for the AEW International Championship.

Okada and Harwood were understandably the main event of Dynamite, and it was clear that the two would put on a memorable show. Both are heavy hitters and both have been known to surprise fans with how nimble they can be off the ropes. Dax had a couple of great runs of momentum and got Okada close to a pinfall, but it was the Rainmaker who ultimately won the match.

The biggest element of the match, however, took place after the bell. Eddie Kingston was injured over the weekend, and it was announced earlier in the episode that he would not be able to compete in the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing. He was set to join forces with Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Bryan Danielson to take on the Elite. This left "Team AEW" a man down.

After Okada pinned Harwood, Jack Perry and the Young Bucks joined the ring to attack Dax while he was down. Danielson and Wheeler came to help but that still left them at a disadvantage. That was until Darby Allin's music hit and he appeared in the ring. Despite the recent injuries, Allin is cleared to compete and will be the fourth member of Team AEW at Double or Nothing.

Okada Not Planning to Return to NJPW

Okada came to AEW after becoming one of the biggest free agents in professional wrestling. He and Mercedes Mone debuting with the company in the span of just a week signaled the start of a brand new chapter of AEW's history, one that fans hope lasts a lot longer than CM Punk's troubled tenure.

The deal that Okada signed with AEW covers multiple years and comes with a substantial payday, which is to be expected given his star power. It also appears that Okada has no intention of heading back to New Japan Pro Wrestling any time in the future, despite becoming a household name while wrestling for the promotion.

"I'm already looking ahead to what's next, and I'm going out with the intention of never coming back to New Japan," Okada told Tokyo Sports. "I'm sorry about that, but I don't think so. Of course, I want to treasure the feeling and the words I received."

Swerve Strickland will face his next test at Double or Nothing, where he will defend his AEW Championship against Christian Cage. Cage has proven to be a threat both in and out of the ring, and tonight he showcased that in spades. Cage, Nick Wayne, and Killswitch all showed up in the ring to deliver a message, which turned out to include a portrait of Swerve's family, and it ended up being smashed against Swerve's head. The hit left Swerve bleeding, but somehow Cage and company weren't done.

Swerve was clearly bleeding quite a bit from the glass breaking on the picture frame, and once he was hit Cage started making his way to the ring. Killswitch pinned Swerve's neck against the ropes as Cage approached, and Cage picked up the photo and taunted the Champ.

What more is Christian Cage going to take from Swerve Strickland before the clash at #AEWDoN?!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@SwerveConfident | @BrianCageGMSI | @Christian4Peeps | @TheNickWayne | @Luchasaurus pic.twitter.com/TsWZ8azmKr

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 16, 2024

Cage brought up Swerve's family and his daughter specifically, asking if she would approve of her absent father. Swerve tried to reach out and grab the picture, but Cage wasn't done. Cage took the photo and rubbed it in Swerve's face and around the gash on his head, and then he pulled the photo away showing it off to the camera.

To say the level of animosity has been raised between the two would be an understatement at this point, and the crowd is fully behind Swerve to take Cage down at Double or Nothing. It's been a huge year for Swerve, and it's funny to think that not crazy long ago he was one of AEW's biggest heels. Now he's the face of AEW, and during a previous conversation with ComicBook, Swerve spoke of leading the company into a new era and being the Patrick Mahomes of AEW.

"I really feel like this changes the perception of AEW," Swerve said when asked about recent acquisitions. "I feel like when you have an Ospreay, someone I've been wrestling since he was 19, Okada, Mercedes, this is the perfect time for the perception and just the momentum shift to happen."

"It's almost like I won the NBA Championship, now there's the new draft of guys coming in the next year that's about to alter the whole way the next year of the NBA is going to be. That's what it honestly feels like," Swerve continued. "It's almost like the new wave of quarterbacks in the NFL. It's Patrick Mahomes at the top. I want to be the Mahomes. I want to be the dynasty of what AEW is about to be. It's not like we're searching for the next guy, who's it going to be? No, he's here. We see it, we want it, we need it."

AEW Double or Nothing Updated Card

• AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs. Christian Cage
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Timeless Toni Storm (C) vs. Serena Deeb
• TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (C) vs Mercedes Mone
• AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (C) vs Will Ospreay
• TNT Championship Match: Adam Copeland (C) vs. Malakai Black
• Anarchy In The Arena: The Elite vs FTR, Bryan Danielson, and TBD

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Sunday, May 26th.

Are you excited for Double or Nothing? You can talk all things wrestling and AEW with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Eddie Kingston is no longer going to be taking part in AEW Double or Nothing this year, which is certainly a big blow to fans of All Elite Wrestling. Kingston delivered an instantly iconic moment during an Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing a couple of years ago, when he staggered down the ramp covered in blood, carrying a gas can and hoping to light an opponent on fire. He was poised for another Anarchy performance this year, competing alongside FTR and Bryan Danielson against The Elite. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen.

Kingston suffered an injury over the weekend during NJPW Resurgence. He lost his NJPW Strong Openweight Championship to Gabe Kidd and had a tough time getting off the mat after the count. Then the Elite arrived to attack him further. As it turns out, Kingston's injury wasn't part of the story, and he really will be out for a little while. It was series enough that he was pulled from the Double or Nothing card.

Early in Wednesday night's episode of AEW Dynamite, the Elite took the mic to talk about the Anarchy in the Arena match and showed the crowd videos from the match over the weekend. Everyone saw what happened to Eddie and the EVP duo of Matthew and Nicholas Jackson confirmed that he would be removed from the match.

This leaves FTR and Danielson without a fourth member, but they have time to find one before Double or Nothing at the end of the month. One potential contender could be Christopher Daniels, whom the Young Bucks "fired" from AEW later in Wednesday's episode of Dynamite.

What we don't know right now is just how series Kingston's injury could be. It's big enough to keep him out of Double or Nothing, but there has been no word as to just how long he might be sidelined. Hopefully AEW will have an update sooner, rather than later.

AEW Double or Nothing Card

• AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs. Christian Cage
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Toni Storm (C) vs. Serena Deeb
• AEW TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (C) vs. Mercedes Mon?
• AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (C) vs. Will Ospreay
• Anarchy in the Arena: The Elite vs. Team AEW's FTR, Bryan Danielson & TBD

AEW's TNT Champion Adam Copeland has been targeted by the House of Black over the past few weeks, and that led to a challenge from Copeland, throwing the gauntlet down to Malakai Black in a match at Double or Nothing. Black was supposed to give his answer during tonight's AEW Dynamite, but not before he made a clear statement by the end of the segment. House of Black delivered a brutal knockout to Copeland and his ally Kyle O'Reilly, but that wasn't even the worst of it, as Black also stole Copeland's wedding ring before they made their exit. Later in the night, Black upped the ante on the challenge, making the match a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match.

After getting in the ring, it didn't take long for House of Black to gang up on Copeland, and the numbers advantage was too much to overcome for the Champ. Black then played more mind games with Copeland, saying, "Adam I don't understand why you try and keep up with this facade of what you think you want." When the crowd told Black to shut up, he taunted back with, "Oh then you're going to love this. Mister Matthews, take his wedding ring."

With the match confirmed, Malakai Black just added his own stipulation to the Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match against Adam Copeland for the TNT Title at #AEWDoN

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS!@malakaiblxck pic.twitter.com/bPn17wZqGL

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 16, 2024

Copeland fought back to keep Matthews from removing his ring, but King locked in a hold and knocked the Champ out completely. Matthews removed the ring and gave it to Black, who held it up to inspect it before putting it in his pocket. House of Black started to place chairs around Copeland, but Kyle O'Reilly ran in for the save. While he managed to get Black and Matthews out of the ring, King viciously clotheslined him and threw him into Black, who knocked him out with a superkick to the head. They placed all three chairs around Copeland and then all kicked them at the same time, leaving both O'Reilly and Copeland knocked out cold.

Black finally answered Copeland's challenge later in the night, accepting the match at Double or Nothing. Black wanted to add another element of danger though, so he challenged Copeland to a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match at the pay-per-view, with the TNT Championship on the line.

This feud has been simmering for a bit now, and Black has raised the bad blood considerably by taking Copeland's wedding ring. Copeland will stop at nothing to get that back, but he's going to have to figure out a way to counteract House of Black's numbers advantage, as he can't overcome it even with O'Reilly in his corner. The good news is there is no shortage of people in AEW who have issues with House of Black, so Copeland should be able to find some additional help before the pay-per-view. You can find the full card rundown for Double or Nothing below.

• AEW World Championship Match: Swerve Strickland (C) vs. Christian Cage
• AEW Women's World Championship Match: Timeless Toni Storm (C) vs. Serena Deeb
• TBS Championship Match: Willow Nightingale (C) vs Mercedes Mone
• AEW International Championship Match: Roderick Strong (C) vs Will Ospreay
• TNT Championship Match: Adam Copeland (C) vs. Malakai Black
• Anarchy In The Arena: The Elite vs FTR, Bryan Danielson, and TBD

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Sunday, May 26th.

Are you excited for Double or Nothing? You can talk all things wrestling and AEW with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Angelo Dawkins has seen nothing but success since linking up with Montez Ford. The two began tagging together on the NXT live event circuit in 2016 and officially debuted on NXT TV the following year as the Street Profits. Together, Dawkins and Ford established themselves as one of the black and gold brand's most popular acts, eventually ascending to become NXT Tag Team Champions in 2019. That reign would only last a recognized 88 days as the Street Profits were main roster bound by that fall. Within the next calendar year, Dawkins and Ford had captured the top tag prize on both WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown.

While the duo seem to have everything figured out today, it was a long journey finding their identities. This was the case for Dawkins especially, as he cycled through gimmicks for four years before finding himself with the Street Profits.

One of those gimmicks was as a "hype man" for blossoming star Sasha Banks. Banks would make her way to NXT TV and cement herself as a cornerstone of the entire company's women's division, capturing every title within WWE before exiting in 2022.

"Yeah, a little bit," Dawkins told ComicBook when asked if he still sees traces of his and Banks's early selves into the Angelo Dawkins and Mercedes Mon? of 2024. "Obviously you still keep stuff that you've done when you first started, especially when you start to find yourself a little bit more. You go back to the well a little bit. 'Oh, I did this. I'm going to tweak it a little bit, but I'm going to still keep it like that in a way.' I see it a little bit."

Both Dawkins and Banks are largely different competitors today than who they were a decade prior. Banks, now wrestling as Mercedes Mon? for AEW, still retains much of "The Boss" from the developmental days but has evolved the character into being a "CEO."

"Dog, I keep forgetting about them days. I be seeing some of those promos pop up randomly on Twitter," Dawkins continued. "Now it's just like, 'Oh snap. Dang, I forgot. I definitely did do that (laughs).'"

Dawkins most recently competed on this past Friday's WWE SmackDown, falling to Tama Tonga in a first round King of the Ring match. Mon? is set to challenge for the AEW TBS Championship on Sunday, May 26th at AEW Double or Nothing.

Ricky Starks has not been seen on AEW programming since March. The Absolute One was in the middle of a tag team program alongside Big Bill, a run that surged the pairing to a reign with the AEW World Tag Team Championships, but their momentum came to a screeching halt after losing the gold to Sting and Darby Allin ahead of AEW Revolution. Prior to linking up with Big Bill, Starks was being positioned as a singles centerpiece of AEW Collision when AEW was enacting a soft brand split between its Saturday show and AEW Dynamite. Starks was a foil to top babyface CM Punk and was even set to headline AEW All Out 2023 before Punk was fired.

Ricky Starks Clarifies AEW Status

Starks current AEW absence has sparked injury rumors, but he has clarified that he has been healthy since his last match.

"I'm not hurt," Starks told WhatCulture. "Even that night [of my most recent match on March 30th], I specifically stated, 'Hey, I'm not hurt.' I was just being cautious about it because, at the moment, I didn't know what was happening, especially with this side of my body. I wasn't hurt. I was never put on an injury list or anything like that."

This situation has left Starks frustrated, as his AEW absence appears to boil down to a lack of storyline plans for him.

"I have no answers. People ask me all the time, 'Well, why aren't you...?' I don't know. I have no clue. That isn't up to me," Starks continued. "It does suck, obviously, to not be on TV, but the support in people online and people sending me messages is very, very sweet and endearing, and very encouraging, from that standpoint."

Starks has no shortage of fans across the wrestling world, including those within the industry. The 2023 Owen Hart Cup Tournament winner's friendship with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has long been documented, going back to Summer 2020 when Rhodes wrestled Starks in his AEW debut match. Starks was spotted at WWE WrestleMania 40 showing support for Rhodes in his crowning moment against Roman Reigns. All of these factors have sparked speculation that Starks could be WWE bound by the time his AEW contract expires.

"It's just a very interesting time, I feel like," Starks said of his current AEW predicament. "I wish that I was on Dynamite. I wish I was on Dynasty. I wish I was on these things. I think at a certain point, just for my own sanity, I can't go too crazy about it because the proof is in my work and my effort that I've constantly given. I've constantly given 1000 percent effort. At a certain point, it's not in my control. I think that's the biggest lesson I have. Things are just not in my control, but the things that are, I try the hardest."

The clock is ticking on All Elite Wrestling and Warner Bros. Discovery to come together on a new media rights deal. AEW officially linked up with the entertainment conglomerate in Fall 2019 on a five-year contract, premiering AEW Dynamite on WBD channel TNT. The deal between the two has significantly evolved over the years, as two new in-ring shows in the form of AEW Rampage and AEW Collision were launched alongside reality series AEW: All Access. This auxiliary in-ring programming also lives exclusively under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, as AEW shut down YouTube shows AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation as a result.

That restructuring has only added clauses to the current contract, not time. AEW's media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery is still set to expire at the end of 2024.

AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery's Announcement Window

The coming seasons could be kind to AEW.

As reported by Fightful Select, an announcement of a new deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery would come during either the summer or fall if the two sides reach an agreement. It was noted that if that agreement is reached, it is expected to be kept very close to the vest. Warner Bros. Discovery maintains an exclusive negotiating window with AEW throughout the summer.

Over the past year, AEW President Tony Khan has made his satisfaction with AEW's WBD partnership abundantly clear, regularly praising the media titan while also making it clear that he hopes to migrate AEW's tape library to the Max streaming service. AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery are still actively discussing that possibility, specifically in the form of AEW pay-per-views becoming exclusive to Max as premium live events.

"We'll have to see. We're actively negotiating right now, and at that point we'll be deep in the conversations," Khan told ComicBook when asked if AEW ALL IN: London 2024 edition will be on a streaming service. "It's hard to say this year. When we find a streaming home for AEW, that's going to be a long-term plan. Given that we're up at the end of this year, I think one of the reasons I've wanted to wait is I think when we get the streaming contract figured out, it should be a long-term solution for the fans."

It is believed across the industry that Warner Bros. Discovery is going to lose the rights to NBA basketball games to NBC. If that does come to fruition, Fightful noted that Warner Bros. Discovery will aim to reinvest into other properties in an effort to retain its position on cable television.

All Elite Wrestling is just under two weeks away from its signature show. Later this month, AEW returns to Las Vegas's MGM Grand Garden Arena for AEW Double or Nothing, the same venue that hosted the first edition of that pay-per-view back in 2019. The landscape is drastically different today than what it was five years ago, as AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks are the only current titleholders that competed on the company's pilot episode of pay-per-view programming. Before the land of All Elite makes it to Sin City, AEW Dynamite makes a stop in Everett, Washington.

New AEW Double or Nothing Matches

When AEW Dynamite goes off the air, two more matches for AEW Double or Nothing will likely be cemented.

AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mon? are set to sign the contract for their title clash at the pay-per-view. This bout has been a long time coming, as Mon?'s last in-ring contest came at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show nearly one year ago. That match was against Nightingale and ended in unfortunate fashion, as Mon? broke her ankle in the late stages. Mon? vs. Nightingale in an AEW ring represents a rematch that has been a year in the making as well as being Mon?'s first AEW match to date.

On the men's side of television titles, Malakai Black is set to answer AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland's challenge. Copeland has been entangled in a feud with the House of Black for a number of weeks now, having already beat Black's stablemates in Brody King and Buddy Matthews. The Rated-R Superstar has challenged Black to a barbed wire cage match at AEW Double or Nothing, which Black will respond to tonight.

Championship Implications

Three pieces of AEW gold are involved in matches tonight.

For starters, AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defends his prize against Dax Harwood in a straight-up title fight. Okada's stablemates in The Elite, AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks, face Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal in an eliminator match. This stipulates that if Daniels and Sydal pick up the win, they will receive an AEW World Tag Titles match down the line. The same situation goes down when AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland enters an eliminator match against former stablemate Brian Cage.

AEW Dynamite goes down at 8 PM ET on TBS. The full card can be seen below...

• AEW World Title Eliminator: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Brian Cage
• AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Mon? contract signing
• Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Cobb and Kyle Fletcher
• AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
• AEW Continental Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Dax Harwood
• HOOK returns
• Toni Storm vs. Harley Cameron
• Will Ospreay and AEW International Champion Roderick Strong meet face-to-face
• Malakai Black answers AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland's challenge

The NXT Heritage Cup was on the line in tonight's WWE NXT main event, and Charlie Dempsey was at an immediate disadvantage. The No Catch Clause was out the window, and Dempsey was facing someone who had the numbers advantage as well in The Don Tony D'Angelo. While Dempsey would get some reinforcements later in the match, The Family's plan worked to perfection, as not even the return of Damon Kemp and Myles Borne or a hurt arm could keep D'Angelo from accomplishing his final goal. D'Angelo was able to counter Dempsey's moves and final effort to get the pin and the win, making D'Angelo the new WWE NXT Heritage Cup Champion.

D'Angelo took Dempsey down quickly, visibly shocking the Champ a bit, but Dempsey came right back with a hold. D'Angelo knocked the Champ down again though, causing Dempsey to show some frustration, and that was before D'Angelo picked up Dempsey and slammed him down. The Champ was on his heels early, though he was able to almost pin D'Angelo soon after. D'Angelo threw Dempsey down again and went for a pin, but Dempsey got back to his feet and applied another hold. D'Angelo was able to counter a Full Nelson and score the first fall right before the first round ended.

He's done it!@TonyDangeloWWE is the NEW #WWENXT Heritage Cup Champion!!! pic.twitter.com/hip1P4VFhe

-- WWE (@WWE) May 15, 2024

The second round was more D'Angelo, who was throwing Dempsey around and into the turnbuckle. Dempsey got back into it with hard strikes, and the two exchanged kicks to the stomach before Dempsey hit a big suplex into an armbar. D'Angelo wouldn't tap, but Dempsey did some heavy damage to his arm in the process as the second round ended.

D'Angelo was up 1 - 0 to start the third round, and Dempsey focused his attacks on the hurt arm of D'Angelo. D'Angelo took down Dempsey again and went for another arm submission, but D'Angelo kept his hands locked and lifted the Champ. Dempsey reversed the hold and the two exchanged several near falls. D'Angelo slammed Dempsey down but collided with the ring post, and that allowed Dempsey to tie things up with a fall to close out the third round.

The fourth round started with Dempsey charging forward and going right after the arm once again, but that couldn't keep D'Angelo down. Dempsey stayed on the arm and stomped on the elbow before connecting with an uppercut. D'Angelo came back with heavy strikes but Dempsey took him down and attacked the arm once more with a submission. D'Angelo blocked it and then blocked it again, and then D'Angelo powerbombed Dempsey and broke the hold. D'Angelo hit big strikes and two belly-to-belly duplexes, followed by a spine buster, and that led to a pin that was broken up by the count.

D'Angelo hit Dempsey immediately in the fifth round and then hit a suplex, but then Damon Kemp and Myles Borne came out and attacked The Family. Dempsey and D'Angelo were back in the ring, and Dempsey got a knee strike to the jaw only to get hit with a vicious slam that gave D'Angelo the pin and the win, making D'Angelo the new NXT Heritage Cup Champion.

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling and NXT with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Sami Zayn is re-surging as a singles star. The fan-favorite defeated Gunther to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship this past April at WWE WrestleMania 40, ending the Ring General's record-shattering 666-day reign. Since then, Zayn has been put in the brightest singles spotlight of his career, headlining episodes of WWE Monday Night Raw and receiving cinematic-style entrances in the process. Zayn has flirted with this level of success before, most notably during his run with The Bloodline and eventual Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns, but he never broke through that glass ceiling.

Sami Zayn Details Triple H's Vision For His Character

Today, those glass ceilings are significantly less bulletproof.

When asked how he thinks his world championship chances fair under WWE's Triple H regime compared to the Vince McMahon era, WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn laid out his perspective.

"Here's how I see it: I think Vince saw me much more as a bad guy, for a number of reasons. He saw my irksome qualities, which he thought lent itself to being an irksome character," Zayn told Daily Mail. "Having said that, I think things were a lot more unpredictable because of the nature of Vince's week-to-week kind of approach, that sometimes the marble would just fall in the right hole, and now you're champion, whereas with Hunter, I think it's much more he has longer-term vision, and if you're not part of that vision, then the chances of breaking into that vision are much, much slimmer."

Based on his booking over the past two years, Zayn does appear to be a key figure of Triple H's longer-term vision. Zayn's alliance with The Bloodline, a move that catapulted him from midcard comedy act to bonafide main-event competitor, went into effect right around the time that Triple H assumed much of his creative power. Prior to Triple H taking over, there were rumors that Zayn working with The Bloodline was only going to be for a couple of weeks. Instead, that specific story went for well over one year, and Zayn parlayed that momentum into the Intercontinental Title run he's currently enjoying.

That said, Zayn is far from content with where he is right now.

"I'd like to win the world title once before I call it a day, there's no question," Zayn continued. "But I don't live and die by that. It'd be great, and I really appreciate people saying they'd love to see it. I'd love to see it too, and I hope it happens, but if it doesn't, thank you just the same, because it's been amazing."

WWE's developmental brand is getting a new home this fall. In November 2023, WWE announced that it had inked a deal with The CW to migrate NXT to the network in October 2024. The CW represents the third different network to air the white and gold show, as NXT first aired on SyFy during its time as a competition series in 2010 and returned to cable in 2019 on the USA Network in an effort to go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite. Over the past five years, NXT has cemented itself as a legitimate ratings draw, leading to The CW to fork over a nine-figure contract for five years of its programming.

The CW has been in the market for wrestling content for some time. It was reported in 2023 that The CW had pursued Ring of Honor programming prior to its talks with WWE for NXT, but owner Tony Khan passed on it in favor of shopping ROH with AEW as one big package in 2024. Weeks before the NXT deal materialized, reports circulated that the National Wrestling Alliance was set to bring NWA Powerrr to The CW. A controversial segment on a pay-per-view broadcast was said to have restructured the deal, which now has NWA Powerrr airing on The CW App.

When October comes around, both the NWA and NXT will be under The CW banner. Speaking to ComicBook while promoting Billy Corgan's Adventures in Carnyland, NWA owner Billy Corgan responded to the idea of an NWA and NXT crossover.

"I would love that. With NXT coming [to The CW], we respect that. WWE is a huge, huge company. We've seen recently where they are reaching out to some independents," Corgan said. "They worked recently, of course, with TNA. I would love to work with the WWE but we don't sort of thinking on it in the sense like we're waiting for the phone to ring, but I would love to work with them."

WWE has embraced the greater wrestling world since the Triple H regime took power. TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace wrestled at WWE Royal Rumble. Shinsuke Nakamura competed in a one-off match for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Karl Anderson was able to finish his NJPW commitments, including a match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, while on an active WWE contract.

"I've certainly interacted with them through the years, both before I was in wrestling and then of course, now being in wrestling," Corgan said of his relationship with WWE. "They've always treated me great. I have nothing bad to say about them. They're a class organization through and through as far as how they treat people like myself. My experience has been so positive. I have nothing but good feelings towards them."

Billy Corgan's Adventures in Carnyland is now streaming on The CW App.

WWE has made an added effort to retain its main event stars this year. Going into 2024, top talent like Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, and Damian Priest all had their contracts set to expire in and around WWE WrestleMania 40 season. All four men have since signed new deals. The past month alone saw Rollins, Balor, and McIntyre all ink renewals for big money while Priest's fresh contract was made public on the WWE Monday Night Raw after WWE WrestleMania 40. Priest was someone WWE was especially keen on keeping considering he had been directly connected to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the duration of his time as Mr. Money in the Bank.

Damian Priest's Last-Minute WWE Contract Extension

WWE nearly had its first instance of a Mr. Money in the Bank becoming a free agent.

As reported by Fightful Select, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest officially signed his new WWE contract "a few months ago," as his prior deal was set to expire in February. The report noted that Priest was "just a few days away" from becoming a free agent, but ultimately re-signed with WWE before that could happen.

Priest is currently a centerpiece of WWE Monday Night Raw as the brand's world champion. He remains intertwined with The Judgment Day, effectively serving as the group's leader while Rhea Ripley is out with injury. Priest has quietly been turning babyface, as he berated his stablemates during WWE Backlash for interfering in his title defense against Jey Uso, making it known that he wants to achieve his victories without outside help.

It's unclear as to if Priest will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WWE King and Queen of the Ring later this month. This past Monday on WWE Monday Night Raw, Priest promised a title shot to Drew McIntyre as soon as McIntyre is medically cleared for competition. That bout will likely go down at WWE Clash at the Castle, as that returning premium live event is set to emanate from McIntyre's home country of Scotland.

Priest's reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion is still in its infancy. He had only captured the title this past April at WWE WrestleMania 40, cashing in on McIntyre minutes after the Scottish Warrior defeated Seth Rollins to win the championship. Priest's win makes him a triple crown champion within WWE, as he had prior reigns with the WWE United States and WWE Tag Team Championships.

The King and Queen of the Ring matches continued on this week's Raw to see who will walk into WWE's King and Queen of the Ring PLE as a finalist. So far, Lyra Valkyria and IYO SKY have secured spots in the semi-final round which will take place on Raw next week. Later in the show Jey Uso, a clear favorite to win it all this year, got a huge shock win over Ilja Dragunov, the former NXT Champion who just moved to the main roster from NXT.

While many were looking forward to "The Ring General" and Dragunov going head-to-head for the first time since 2021, they'll have to wait just a little bit longer. And as fans have seen from both men, when it eventually takes place, neither will hold back in what is sure to be a brutal and bloody match. Meanwhile, Gunther defeated Kofi Kingston who stepped in for an injured Xavier Woods over the weekend. As you'll recall, Uso challenged Gunther many times for the Intercontinental Championship but fell short every time. He's certainly become an even bigger star than he was back in February in recent weeks, so it'll be interesting to see if he can ride that momentum to the finals against the winner of the SmackDown tournament.

SmackDown this week will feature Tama Tonga, Randy Orton, Carmelo Hayes and LA Knight who all advanced during last week's first round matches. As far as the women are concerned, Tiffany Stratton defeated Michin to advance to the quarterfinals at a live event where she will meet Bianca Belair this week. Nia Jax and Jade Cargill also advanced, rekindling their brief showdown from this year's Royal Rumble when Cargill lifted Jax and eliminated her.

WWE King and Queen of the Ring takes places from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 25, the first King and Queen of the Ring PLE since 2021. Originally, WWE were set to bring it back last year in Saudi, however plans quickly changed and that idea was scrapped in favor of Night of Champions instead. As for other matches on the card, Becky Lynch defends the Women's World Championship against Liv Morgan who she bested in a battle royal to win the title, Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul put all the gold on the line, and Sami Zayn looks to fend off both Bronson Reed and Chad Gable.

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on the King and Queen of the Ring as well as WWE.

On WWE Raw the new no. 1 contenders for the World Tag Team Championships currently held by The Miz and R-Truth. Awesome Truth obtained the titles at WrestleMania 40 in the largest ladder match that WWE has ever produced as both sets of titles were on the line. While they walked away with a set, so did Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, signifying an official split of the titles once again.

Awesome Truth's first challengers were decided in a fatal-four way match where the most dominating tag teams on the red brand -- the Creed Brothers, Judgment Day, New Catch Republic and Authors of Pain -- all competed for a shot at gold. Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne nearly walked out of the match as the victors but Carlito helped JD McDonagh and Finn Balor by interfering. This allowed Balor to hit the Coup De Grace on Dunne for the pinfall.

THIS. IS. AWESOME. ?? ???#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/LOKhCNofXd

-- WWE (@WWE) May 14, 2024

While Balor is a two-time WWE tag team champion as part of the Judgment Day stable, McDonagh has never held gold within the group of which he is the only one. Balor recently re-signed with WWE in what has been described as a "big money" deal. There was reported interest from outside companies if he would have become a free agent, so WWE was making him a high priority to sign, much like Seth Rollins.

There have been teases of descension within the Judgment Day for the past few weeks as WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest has had his fair share of words for the group. Though it appears they have smoothed things over, if they lose their tag team title opportunity, it'll be interesting to see if that continues to cause a rift within the group. Not to mention with Rhea Ripley injured, Liv Morgan is slowly creeping her way into the scenario.

It remains to be seen if she will become an official member of the group or if she's just going to side with Dominik Mysterio, but regardless there have been more than a few interesting coincidences between the two. On Raw last week, Morgan was pictured with Mysterio's purple bandana tucked neatly in her front pocket. Mysterio then appeared later in the show without it on his neck.

It's unclear when the Judgment Day will cash in their title opportunity, so stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on their cash-in and WWE.

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments kicked off on last week's episode of WWE Raw where six WWE superstars advanced to this week's quarterfinals. Jey Uso beat the Judgment Day's Finn Balor while Ilja Dragunov defeated Ricochet. Gunther and Sheamus put on a war in the ring which ultimately saw "The Ring General" advance to face Kofi Kingston. Kingston beat Rey Mysterio at a live event this past weekend.

On the women's front, Lyra Valkyria came out on top in her main roster debut over Dakota Kai who replaced an injured Asuka. The former WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY got a huge win for Damage CTRL when she advanced against Natalya. At the same live event from this weekend, "The Queen Of Spades" Shayna Baszler defeated Maxxine Dupri who filled in for an injured Zelina Vega. On tonight's Raw Baszler looked to advance in the semi-finals when she faced SKY, a rematch from their time in NXT.

SKY and Baszler kicked off the show where Baszler takes early control. She jams SKY's arm into the ring and kicks it. After SKY collects herself, Baszler attempts to put her away once again but this time she scouts it and avoids her.

Baszler puts her in an inverted face-lock backbreaker but is unable to get the pinfall. SKY then goes for a dragon screw followed by double knees in the corner, setting her up perfectly for a diving moonsault for the win. Valkyria and Stark were up next, facing off in singles competition for the first time. Valkyria advances with a Nightwing after countering the Z-360.

WWE King and Queen of the Ring takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 25. Not only will the finals of the tournament be taking place, but Becky Lynch will defend the Women's World Championship against Liv Morgan who is still very much on her revenge tour, looking to take everything away from an injured Rhea Ripley. Sami Zayn will take part in his first PLE defense of the Intercontinental Championship since winning it at WrestleMania 40 against Bronson Reed and Chad Gable. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will also be on hand as he goes up against United States Champion Logan Paul in a match that's described as "for all the gold."

On WWE Raw, Michael Cole officially acknowledged the QR codes that have been taking over every live WWE show over the last few weeks. The elaborate teases for the return of Uncle Howdy and his debuting stable have only increased in their frequency. While it's still unclear just who he is going to bring with him, the most recent tease may have just given some clues.

There have also been videos that reference a female figure similar to Sister Abigail and it appears that Alexa Bliss could be teasing her return to the ring. Bliss hasn't wrestled since last year's Royal Rumble where she was defeated by Bianca Belair. She and her husband have since extended their family, welcoming their first child late last year.

This week when scanned, an overwhelming amount of photos -- 20 to be exact -- pop up on the screen. Upon sifting through, there is a piece of paper with a smiley face. When the first one is opened it asks if you want to meet them, notes that "I set them free. "I reminded him of who he was. I showed him his lies. Now he shows me his vision, it is beautiful," another note reads. One of the final photos is a picture of Pluto drawn over and over again. Then, in the last image, there is a hard drive dated Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m. titled "Witch." Perhaps this could lead to the reveal of the first member of Uncle Howdy's faction?

Another image shows a news clipping of a woman that was reported missing. Although the name is redacted, the age is not. It also reveals that her "office" serves as her home and it's where she would often see her patients.

This is what tonight Uncle Howdy QR Code led to...

A series of pictures talking about setting them free including some of these interesting photos...

Also included in one, a date... 5.16.24 at 4 pm ?#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/V85FnI73gJ

-- CJ ??? (@CJTalksWWE_) May 14, 2024

So this is what you get with the latest QR code that flashed on the screen during #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/9saYNPkBjc

-- Tim Jarrell of PWUnlimited (@TimmyBuddy) May 14, 2024

Previously, Erick Rowan pulled out of his independent bookings due to "contractual obligations," often an excuse used by people signing to WWE but they can't state as such. but it lead many to wonder if he'd soon be returning to WWE and joining the faction. Rowan is a former member of the Wyatt Family, so if the Uncle Howdy faction is indeed picking up where the late Bray Wyatt left off with the "Wyatt 6" it seems like an incredibly natural fit.

It seems like only a matter of time before the group makes their presence known on television beyond a few glitches, sound effects, creepy videos and photos, so be sure to stay tuned to Comicbook for all the latest updates and decipherings.

Wheeler's case has been sitting idle since then but back in February it was announced that he was facing criminal charges for the incident that occurred. A trial was scheduled for May 20 but that will no longer take place. His case was deemed "Nolle Prosequi" this afternoon according the the prosecutor's filing. The Latin phrase is used in legal cases where the prosecution has opted to drop the case. A pre-trial hearing was scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon, May 14, but all of that was canceled after the decision was made.

Throughout the entire case, Wheeler has plead not guilty to his charges. Wheeler allegedly "flashed a gun" at the other party and as claimed by his attorney during his court proceedings, Wheeler did not know the other party involved. As the incident took place in Florida, if Wheeler had been found guilty during the trial, he would have faced up to five years in prison as well as five years probation and a $5,000 fine.

Florida's Orange County, where the incident occurred, released the following incident report from Cpl. Mitchell Bowhay:

WWE has resurrected the King of the Ring tournament. Immediately following WWE Backlash, WWE kicked off this year's bracket with eight first round matches. On the WWE Monday Night Raw side of the standings, Gunther defeated Sheamus, Ilja Dragunov bested Ricochet, Kofi Kingston took down Rey Mysterio, and Jey Uso pinned Finn Balor. The bouts continued later that week when the WWE SmackDown field saw Tama Tonga defeat Angelo Dawkins, Carmelo Hayes beat Baron Corbin, Randy Orton vanquish AJ Styles, and LA Knight conquer Santos Escobar. All eight victors advance to the quarterfinals, which will begin tonight on WWE Monday Night Raw.

Notable Match Headlining WWE Raw

The Mad Dragon is set to close the show.

As reported by Fightful, the quarterfinal King of the Ring matchup between Ilja Dragunov and Jey Uso is scheduled to main event tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw. Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston, another King of the Ring quarterfinal, will take place earlier in the broadcast.

Dragunov's placement on tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw represents one of the fastest accelerations up the card in recent WWE memory. Fellow former NXT Champion call-up Carmelo Hayes also experienced a recent televised main event honor, competing against WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in the main event of the April 26th edition of WWE SmackDown. Prior to that, would-be future world champions like Finn Balor saw similar surging trajectories, as The Prince defeated Roman Reigns in a headlining match on his first appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw.

Fans have been divided on the Dragunov vs. Jey match ever since it was solidified last week. Despite his years spent in NXT UK and NXT, Dragunov is considered a "rookie" within the WWE main roster, and he is competing against a talent that has multiple WWE premium live event main events under his belt. Beyond that, Jey is coming off a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Backlash where he was considered so over in his entrance that many pushed for WWE to "call an audible" and crown him in France.

On the contrary, Dragunov is cherished by the diehard WWE fans that have followed him since his NXT UK beginnings. He is one of only four people within WWE to have pinned Gunther. While he is starting anew on the main roster, Dragunov has a ton of momentum right now and is already receiving acclaim from the general WWE Monday Night Raw audience. Beyond that, a Dragunov victory would likely set the stage for a renewed rivalry with Gunther in the semifinal, something many fans are desperate to make a reality.

Then again, this match is taking place in the main event, which everyone knows gives "Main Event" Jey Uso a +5 overall.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for live coverage of WWE Monday Night Raw, which airs at 8 PM ET on USA Network.

Back in March AEW star Anthony Henry, part of the Workhorsemen tag team, revealed that he suffered a broken jaw during an independent match. It halted any imminent plans for himself and the tag team in AEW as they'd just begun getting their footing on television. Henry later revealed that he and JD Drake were supposed to take part in the tag team title tournament which was the Young Bucks defeat FTR in their fourth overall match to become three-time AEW World Tag Team Champions.

Henry has been documenting his recovery on social media, revealing that he is now cleared to compete. He also sent a cryptic message to fans, noting he "might" make his return this week. "Your boy is cleared and might be returning this week...keep your eyes open! #workhorsemen," Henry wrote on X.

During his recovery AEW had done something uncharacteristic when they decided to release several wrestlers. It came as a surprise because AEW President Tony Khan has explained in the past that he'd rather wrestlers run down their current contracts and he'd just opt to not renew them. Instead, Henry was among the released talent while his tag team partner Drake remained. AEW faced a lot of backlash online for his release in particular which caused Khan to later reverse the decision. Khan noted on a media call that he was having to make "tough decisions" in the restructuring of AEW as they aim to continue their expansion.

Upon his release, Henry wrote at the time: "The amount of support I am receiving during this very difficult time is amazing, and I appreciate all of it. I don't know what is next for me. I don't know if wrestling is something I still want to pursue. I am devastated. Regardless, I am always a workhorseman."

It remains unclear if Henry's return will be inside of an AEW ring or on the independents. He's been competing in the promotion since 2021 when the days of AEW Dark were still alive and well. During he and Drake's time wrestling for AEW prior to their signing, they faced stars like Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley, Darby Allin and Sting, Top Flight, the Lucha Bros, and FTR. They had been featured pretty regularly on Ring of Honor as well.

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on Anthony Henry and AEW.

WWE might as well be the Anoa'i family business. The global leader in sports-entertainment has employed four generations of this Samoan dynasty, beginning in the 1970s with The Wild Samoans and "High Chief" Peter Maivia and continuing into the Attitude Era in the form of Rikishi and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. While the Anoa'i heritage has always been mentioned on WWE programming, it has never received stronger representation than in the 2020s thanks to Roman Reigns's spearheading of The Bloodline, a faction comprised of family members The Usos and Solo Sikoa. Jimmy and Jey Uso have since left the group, and Reigns remains absent from WWE programming following his loss at WWE WrestleMania 40.

That has left the keys to The Bloodline in the hands of Solo Sikoa, who has recruited spiritual cousins Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa to the ranks. That brotherly duo, collectively known in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Guerrillas of Destiny, are the sons of WWE Hall of Famer Haku, a wrestler that has no direct blood affiliation to the Anoa'is but is referred to as "Uncle Tonga" by The Rock.

Zilla Fatu Aims For WWE Contract

As fans await the arrival of Jacob Fatu, another member of The Bloodline working on the independent circuit has his eyes on WWE.

Speaking to Joey Franchize, Zilla Fatu, son of Umaga and cousin to Solo Sikoa and The Usos, made it clear that he is aiming to land with WWE more than any other company.

"WWE, uce. That's the main one," Zilla said. "Like I said, back to what I was saying with my family, my family got a long history with WWE."

Zilla is less than one year into his wrestling career, having only wrestled his debut match back in July 2023. He has nine total contests under his belt, the majority of which have gone down in Game Changer Wrestling. He trains at Booker T's Reality of Wrestling, a school that has produced stars like WWE's Roxanne Perez and AEW's Bryan Keith.

Considering his family's deep roots within WWE, Zilla noted that he doesn't want to "break that cycle" by going to AEW.

"I don't want to be the first Fatu or Anoa?i to go to AEW. I don't want to break that cycle," Zilla continued. "It just gotta make sense because everybody's journey is different. My journey's different. My story's way different from Solo's, from The Usos', from Roman and Jacob [Fatu]. My story, I got a whole other chapter. I'm sitting on a whole other side of the table."

In the fall of 2023 WWE and the UFC officially merged to create the largest sports-entertainment powerhouse in the world, TKO. Under the Endeavor umbrella, fans have speculated whether or not the two brands would ever collaborate with one another. UFC President Dana White has commented on the matter in the past, noting that there wouldn't be much crossover at all. However, it appears that the tide is shifting. While WWE Superstars as well as UFC fighters have appeared at each other's events, there has yet to be any in-ring action.

Speaking at the press conference for UFC's Fight Night event on May 11, White discussed having his fighters step into the squared circle. Derrick Lewis recently revealed that he'd been in talks with WWE "for months" explaining he was supposed to head down to the Performance Center in Orlando. Lewis noted that while he wants to "dabble" in WWE, he doesn't want it to be at the expense of his MMA career. "It's probably going to be -- you remember Gold Dust? Probably something like that," Lewis said at the post-fight press conference in St. Louis. "As long as I get to paint my face so people don't really know it's me, I'm going to be a ho freak out there and be a little sassy with it."

"Yeah, I would do anything for Derrick Lewis. I really like Derrick Lewis a lot," White said. "Listen, some of the fighters who fight here have always dreamed about doing a WWE match or whatever it is. And yeah, I don't have a problem with that. I mean, I didn't have a problem with that when Vince was consistently f-king me for no reason. And now that that's not the case anymore, I obviously would absolutely do it." (h/t: POST Wrestling)

The crossover between MMA and WWE has been well documented over the years with fighters like Brock Lesnar, Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey and Bobby Lashley all crossing over at one point or another. However there are some in the company that are looking to do the opposite and try their hand at MMA. Baron Corbin for example has begun training jiu-jitsu again and has gotten the "itch" to try out MMA or boxing. The Street Profits' Montez Ford recently spoke to Comicbook's Liam Crowley about wanting to make an attempt as well noting that he's had conversations with WWE President Nick Khan about the subject.

"Bobby said I would do exceedingly well especially because he knows my training regimen and my drive," Ford continued. "He knows by getting some assistance in that area, I should do exceedingly well. I can throw hands with anybody here backstage, including this one (Angelo Dawkins). I don't get tired unlike some people. I'm very motivated to do so."

Alexa Bliss has been absent from WWE programming for over one year. The former multi-time WWE Women's Champion last competed on a January 2023 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw before taking time off to recover from skin cancer and give birth to her and husband Ryan Cabrera's first child, which came this past November. While Bliss has been relatively quiet about her WWE future during her time away, she has confirmed to fans that she will be back in a WWE ring at some point. If a recent cryptic tease is to be believed, that day could be sooner than later.

Alexa Bliss Teases WWE Return

The Fiend's right-hand girl could be on her way back to storylines.

Taking to Twitter, Alexa Bliss shared simple three-word cryptic sentence alongside a black heart emoji.

"Just you wait," Bliss wrote.

Just you wait. ?

-- Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) May 13, 2024

This brief tease has brewed speculation that Bliss could be involved in WWE programming soon, and there is an easy avenue for that to be made possible. Beginning after WWE WrestleMania 40, WWE began to feature QR code teasers in WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown broadcasts once again. These digital vignettes are building to the return of Uncle Howdy, the spooky sidekick of Bray Wyatt. Howdy is portrayed by Taylor Rotunda (WWE's Bo Dallas), Wyatt's real-life brother, and the reported plan is for Taylor to continue the on-screen legacy of his late sibling in the form of the Uncle Howdy character as well as a rumored WYATT 6 stable.

One recent QR code featured a code of assorted letters and numbers, reading UDENJ51A. This is believed to correspond to members of the rumored WYATT 6 stable, with U being Uncle Howdy, E being Erick Rowan, D being Dexter Lumis, N being Nikki Cross, J being Joe Gary, 5+1 being equal to the six total members of the group, and A being for the aforementioned Alexa Bliss.

Bliss's WWE absence came during a time that Uncle Howdy and Bray Wyatt were active on programming. During this time, Bliss was actively pursued by Howdy, as he would show up on WWE Monday Night Raw to mess with Bliss's head and seemingly remind her of her roots within Bray Wyatt's world.

Stay tuned to ComicBook for updates of Uncle Howdy's QR codes and Alexa Bliss's potential involvement in his return to programming.

Logan Paul is challenging for the richest prize in sports-entertainment once again. As revealed this past Friday on WWE SmackDown, Paul will face WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WWE King and Queen of the Ring later this month. Paul previously challenged for the WWE Championship against then-titleholder Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel 2022 when it was known as the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. This segment seemed to set the stage of Rhodes vs. Paul being just for the WWE Championship, but activity on social media in the hours that followed told a different story. Rhodes tweeted that the match would be "for all the gold."

WWE's History of Unifying United States Title With Other Titles

Before we dive into whether WWE will actually pull the trigger on a unification bout at WWE King and Queen of the Ring, it's important to revisit the history of when the United States Championship has been involved in "for all the gold" matches.

The United States Title was brought to WWF upon the company's purchase of WCW in 2001. This first stretch only lasted eight months, as the United States Championship was merged with the WWF Intercontinental Championship at WWF Survivor Series 2001 that November. Come July 2003, the star-spangled gold was reactivated, with Eddie Guerrero capturing it in a tournament that summer.

In terms of a United States Champion challenging for the WWE Championship, it first nearly happened at WWE WrestleMania 21 in 2005. Then-champion John Cena had already solidified that he was challenging for the WWE Championship at the Showcase of the Immortals but lost his United States Title just one month before WWE WrestleMania 21.

Ten years later, Cena would get the chance again. As WWE United States Champion, Cena challenged then-WWE Champion Seth Rollins at WWE SummerSlam 2015 in a bout that had both prizes on the line. Rollins would win the bout thanks to outside interference and leave the event with both titles. He defended each prize individually, leading to him eventually losing just the WWE United States Title to Cena the following month but keeping the WWE Championship in the process.

Will WWE Unify Rhodes and Paul's Titles?

While there is historical precedence for this move, it feels extremely unlikely that WWE will actually put both the WWE Championship and WWE United States Title on one man moving forward. That said, if Rhodes vs. Paul is set for all the gold when the bell rings, there are a couple of ways that WWE could conclude the contest without a unified champion emerging.

Rhodes and Paul could end in a double pin. Unlike a double count out, which makes both competitors just seem exhausted, a double pin would keep Rhodes looking strong while also propelling Paul to being a superstar that is on the WWE Champion's level. Considering WWE SummerSlam is in Paul's hometown of Cleveland this August, it's in WWE's best interest to keep rising the social media star's stock going into that event.

Other than that, outside forces could leave Rhodes vs. Paul without a decisive winner due to a disqualification. Both Rhodes and Paul have plenty of enemies in the WWE locker room, but the most optimal adversary to interfere would be the mystery man behind the recent QR code teases: Uncle Howdy.

WWE has been running teases for Bo Dallas's return to WWE programming for over one month now. When nothing happened at WWE Backlash, fans have expected that WWE King and Queen of the Ring will be the site that the hints culminate at.

Having Uncle Howdy and the rumored WYATT 6 stable crash the WWE King and Queen of the Ring main event is tricky, as it would indicate that the sinister force would then go on to feud with either Rhodes or Paul. Based on how Bray Wyatt's first run as The Fiend went, this spooky group should be kept far away from championships and instead pursue grudge feuds with title-less members of the WWE roster.

It is possible to pull this off, as Bray Wyatt's WWE return in October 2022 had him interrupt the end of Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins despite never going on to have a storyline with either, but it has to be pulled off with ultimate precision.

WWE King and Queen of the Ring goes down on Saturday, May 25th.

As revealed on both WWE Raw and SmackDown this week, four more superstars have advanced in the WWE King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.

On the red brand, Shayna Baszler was scheduled to take on Zelina Vega in a first round match up but the former Queen was pulled from the tournament due to injury and replaced by Maxxine Dupri. Rey Mysterio took on Kofi Kingston who stepped in for an injured Xavier Woods. Both Baszler and Kingston came out of their respective matches to advance to the next round as Kingston avoided three 619's from Mysterio. Baszler will face former Women's World Champion IYO SKY while Kingston will face to overcome "The Ring General" Gunther if he wants to become this year's King of the Ring.

Tiffany Stratton and LA Knight were also scheduled for first round matches this weekend, both advancing against Michin and Santos Escobar. Stratton, who deems herself the perfect fit for the title of Queen of the Ring, will face Bianca Belair on next week's SmackDown. Knight will reignite his feud with The Bloodline when he goes up against Tama Tonga.

Stratton recently spoke to Comicbook's Liam Crowley, revealing that she's already got her robes and crowns ready. "Of course I've got all the pink robes and the pink crowns lined up," Stratton said. "I feel like if I were to win, or rather when I win Queen of the Ring, I feel like I'm going to be the perfect embodiment of being a queen."

What's on the Card for WWE King and Queen of the Ring?

Aside from the finals of both tournaments which will crown the first King and Queen since 2021, WWE Women's World Champion Becky Lynch will put the title on the line against Liv Morgan. Lynch previously defeated Morgan in a battle royal on Raw to win the championship but Morgan isn't giving up on her revenge tour. As she leans into her heel persona, all signs point to her taking everything away from Rhea Ripley before she makes her return to WWE -- Including Dominik Mysterio.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will also defend his championship at his second PLE since winning the title in April. Rhodes will go up against the United States Champion, Logan Paul, in a match that's for all the gold. The last match announced is Sami Zayn defending the Intercontinental Championship against Bronson Reed and Chad Gable. It'll mark Zayn's first PLE title defense since getting a shocking win over Gunther at WrestleMania 40 night one which Gable helped him prepare for.

Last fall WWE officially merged with the UFC to create the biggest sports-entertainment powerhouse in the world -- TKO. Though the two companies continue to operate as their own separate entities and UFC President Dana White has made it clear in the past that there wouldn't be any crossover between the two brands, that appears to be shifting.

Following UFC Fight Night on May 11, White participated in a press conference where he explained that going forward fans will see the two entities teaming up for a weekend of events. While Power Slap would take place on Friday alongside SmackDown, UFC would host an event and then WWE would close out the festivities on Sunday. "We already have those dates set up right now where Power Slap goes Friday and UFC goes Saturday," White said. "You're going to see Friday, Power Slap, Saturday, UFC, and Sunday, WWE. You'll start seeing that stuff too." (h/t: Fightful)

Will WWE's Saturday PLE Schedule Soon Be Obsolete?

Prior to 2022, most of WWE's events were held on a Sunday. This obviously isn't as convenient for fans looking to attend the shows as most people have the full work week ahead. Not only that, fans oversees would likely be watching the shows into the early hours of Monday morning. WWE took notice of this and made the change that put them head to head with the UFC. Now that the two are under the Endeavor umbrella, it makes the most sense business wise to expand a whole weekend of events and make some sort of crossover between audiences. In 2022 Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that the decision to move to Saturdays was one made by WWE President Nick Khan as he felt big sporting events are better held on Saturday.

It's worth noting that as of now, WWE's current slate of major events announced through the summer -- King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, Clash at the Castle in Scotland, Money in the Bank in Toronto, SummerSlam in Cleveland and Bash in Berlin -- are all scheduled to take place on a Saturday. That does raise some questions for a two-day event like WrestleMania which has proven to be a great success for WWE since they began implementing it in 2020. It's unclear when the change would go into effect if at all as WWE has yet to comment on the matter.

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on the UFC and WWE.

The unfortunate news continues for this year's WWE King and Queen of the Ring. Thus far two WWE superstars have been pulled from the tournament -- Drew McIntyre, who fractured his elbow at WrestleMania 40; Bobby Lashley, pulled ahead of this week's SmackDown; Asuka, replaced by Dakota Kai; and Xavier Woods who was replaced by Kofi Kingston. It appears another name is now being added to the list.

Zelina Vega, former Queen, will no longer take part in the tournament. Vega, who just switched to Raw from SmackDown in the WWE Draft, was scheduled to wrestle Shayna Baszler at a live event this weekend in a first round tournament match. The winner would move onto the quarterfinals where Lyra Valkyria, IYO SKY and Zoey Stark previously advanced. The winner of Baszler vs Dupri will move on to face former Women's Champion SKY on tomorrow night's episode of Raw.

"I have a bit of unfortunate injury news. Zelina Vega will not be medically cleared to compete tonight and therefore will be stepping out of the Queen of the Ring tournament, which is unfortunate given her past history as a Queen of the Ring," WWE Raw general manager Adam Pearce stated in a video posted to X. "It would have been nice to see her try to regain that crown. But injury bug strikes again. Which opens the door of opportunity for one Maxxine Dupri, who will receive the biggest opportunity of her young career as she will step in tonight against Shayna Baszler. Once again, Zelina Vega out, Maxxine Dupri in. Anything can happen in WWE and it will tonight. Injuries happen, guys, it's just the way it is. Changes need to be made and this one is official."

Vega won the crown in 2021 when the first and only tournament took place to crown the inaugural Queen. Both the King and Queen tournaments haven't taken place since then but WWE announced that this year they'd be making a comeback when they return to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 25. Vega's last match took place back in April when she was quickly defeated by Elektra Lopez in the midst of a feud between the LWO and Legado Del Fantasma. It's unknown at this time what the nature of her injury is and how long she'll be away, but Comicbook will monitor the situation and provide updates when they become available.

Comicbook sends well wishes to Vega.

At last night's New Japan Pro Wrestling STRONG Resurgence show in Ontario, California, the Young Bucks returned to their hometown flanked by Jack Perry. They showed up to give Eddie Kingston a sneak attack following his NJPW STRONG Openweight title defense against Gabe Kidd. After Kingston's loss, Perry made his way down the aisle to distract him while the Young Bucks appeared through the crowd. They entered the ring to a chorus of boos from the audience as they kicked him and delivered an EVP Trigger to finish him off.

Just moments after losing a war over the #njpwSTRONG Openweight Championship, now he's being attacked by Matthew and Nicholas Jackson!

Order NOW!https://t.co/jh1PgQw9FM#njpw #njresurgence pic.twitter.com/aZ8WjB0o6A

-- NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) May 12, 2024

The Young Bucks haven't appeared in a NJPW ring since their match at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in 2019. Following their loss of the IWGP Tag Team Championships, they'd go on to form All Elite Wrestling which celebrates its five year anniversary this year. Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, Perry and AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada will take on "team AEW" -- Bryan Danielson, Kingston and FTR -- at this year's Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

"Surprise, Eddie. You threw your hat in with the wrong team on Wednesday night," Perry said during his backstage comments. "I was surprised because Eddie Kingston's a real one. Everyone knows that Eddie Kingston tells it how it is, right? But you sure didn't hesitate to jump in bed with a bunch of fakes who pretend to represent what AEW is about. You just paid for that right now and you're gonna pay again, next Wednesday night, and you're going to pay again at Double Or Nothing, and you are going to pay again and again and again and again, until The Elite decides that your debt is paid. Because we all have to sacrifice, Eddie, and you're about to lose everything."

Exclusive comments from #theElite, #AEW World Tag Team Champions, Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (@youngbucks) and Jack Perry (@boy_myth_legend) following @njpwglobal's Resurgence in Ontario, Ca pic.twitter.com/vogW5pKXZB

-- All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 12, 2024

What's on the AEW Double or Noting 2024 Card?

Aside from the eight-man Anarchy in the Arena match, there are several high-profile title matches set to take place. Firstly, Mercedes Mon? makes her AEW in-ring debut since she signed in March. Her in-ring return following her injury last May will be against the TBS Champion Willow Nightingale who was Mon?'s last match before she got hurt.

Will Ospreay will challenge Roderick Strong for the International Championship and he's clearly the favorite to win as his stock in AEW continues to rise as one of their top guys. Swerve Strickland defends the AEW World Championship at his first pay-per-view since winning it back at Dynasty against Christian Cage and Toni Storm will try to best Serena Deeb.

AEW Double or Nothing goes down May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Those watching from home can pre-order the pay-per-view on traditional pay-per-view, YouTube, TrillerTV and Bleacher Report in the United States. For a list of all buying options domestically and internationally, head to AEW's website.

In December, former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega suffered a severe case of diverticulitis that would send him to the emergency room following an AEW Dynamite taping. He was poised for a tag team title shot with Chris Jericho following their win against the Young Bucks at Full Gear but those plans were scrapped when he got injured.

He thought it was complications from his past health issues coming back but as Omega would reveal later on, he was very close to a serious situation that could have killed him had he waited to go to the hospital. Omega has spent time healing at home while streaming to fans on his Twitch channel. Though he hasn't been inside the ring, he has been furthering current storylines that are going down, namely The Elite story.

Omega returned to AEW on Dynamite two weeks ago which came as a surprise to himself as he wasn't promising he'd be there. He showed up and was confronted by The Elite who attacked him. He appeared again this week, exercising his EVP powers from a hospital bed to pick The Elite's opponents for Double or Nothing. Bryan Danielson, Eddie Kingston and FTR will go head-to-head with the Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Kazuchika Okada.

Omega has since revealed that he will be undergoing surgery "very very very soon" which is something he previously noted was a possibility. Prior to now, he had wanted to try to heal himself without it, explaining that he has good days ago bad days in his recovery.

"I did have to go back to the hospital," Omega said on his recent Twitch stream. "The good news is that I was able to get some pre-op stuff done. It's a double-edged sword, it's good news and bad news. The good news is, I have a wonderful doctor and he is someone who is the top of his field. He is very hard to get appointments and surgeries with. However, he's done me a solid. I will actually be getting surgery very, very, very soon. Unfortunately for me, it means I have to leave town again. However, again, this guy is the top in his field. Even though it's a major surgery, I do feel the most comfortable with this individual. So, even though there are always worries going into a major surgery, if there is one person I feel the most confident with, it's this dude."

Omega continued, "That's coming up right away. Right away, right away. A couple of days. I'm looking forward to it. A little bit of nerves, but to have such a capable doctor that I was able to have take care of this as quickly as he is, I do feel fortunate and that luck was on my side a little bit. There is good and bad. I'm feeling good about it and I'm optimistic. There was a moment when I was dealing with this stuff where I wasn't sure if I could come back. I was actually leaning towards, not leaning towards, but heavily considering the possibility that I might not ever (return)."

Comicbook continues to wish Omega the best in his recovery and will provide further updates on his AEW status as they are known.

This afternoon Fightful Select confirmed that Steve Rubin who served as WWE's Senior Director of TV Event Relations has been let go following a report from PWInsider that indicates Michael Levin, Vice President of International Events and General Manger of Emerging Markets, has also been released.

Rubin worked for WWE for over two decades beginning his career as a production assistant for several years before climbing the ladder as a Senior Associate Producer who helped with WWE's Fanatics series. He was then appointed to his former position where he worked for over a decade. Levin worked out of the company's London office for seven years, first joining in 2016 as the VP of International.

The releases follow WWE's move into the "Paul Levesque era" that they have been emphasizing since WrestleMania 40. Stephanie McMahon appeared during the weekend to help usher in the first major PLE under her husband's name. There have been more than a few production changes as well, including less augmented reality entrances which were a major part of Kevin Dunn's time with the company alongside the extensive camera cuts. The updated changes are credited to Lee Fitting who stepped into a new role as the lead of media and production in January. Dunn exited the company in December and was replaced by WWE's Vice President of Line Producing Brian Fadem who now helms NXT in his absence.

"We've made a conscious decision together Lee, Nick [Khan] and myself to slowly roll out some of those changes over time," Levesque said during the WrestleMania 40 press conference. "There's a lot more coming, but when I tell you Lee Fitting, that I love working with him. He has a passion for this just like we do. Might be new here, but he's all in."

Levesque added, "He's the kind of guy that I want to go to work for. I want to do stuff to make his job easier. I want to collaborate with him and I want to make things better with him. So I can't say enough good stuff about him. A lot of the change that you see a lot of the success that you're seeing comes from Lee Fitting."

In January WWE released lead SmackDown commentator Kevin Patrick who had been with the company since 2021. The news came very last minute and it took many WWE Superstars by surprise, including WWE Women's World Champion Becky Lynch who called it "heartbreaking" to see him go. Patrick joined the Raw announce team in 2022 but was moved to SmackDown thereafter with Cole and Corey Graves.

Following his release, he opened up about being let go from from WWE, explaining that he "knew it was coming" as he wasn't their "long-term guy."

"Football was always gonna win, if there was ever a collision, and there was one on the horizon, very clearly on the horizon," Patrick told The Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch. "If I'm in Boise, Idaho, on a Friday night, for example, doing SmackDown, how am I gonna be in the studio in New York at one o'clock on a Saturday? This was coming. I also wasn't their long-term guy. They need someone who's all in. Michael Cole has missed two shows in 27 years."

Patrick continued, complimenting Michael Cole for being the best boss he's ever had and that there's no ill will between himself or the company. "They deserve more. That chair deserves more. For me, it was time. I wanted to leave. It got to a place where I had a chat with Michael Cole weeks before and I said, look, if there's a thinking here that I move on, I'm good. Let's hug it out, let's be on our way. I still talk to Michael Cole. On the phone, when we went through with the release and everything else, I told him he's the best boss I ever had, and I stand by that. He's a tremendous guy. Everyone worked with was great. It's a chapter in your life. I wasn't overly upset about it at all. I don't think they were. I think it worked out for the best, for the product on TV and for me. I'm all in on what I'm doing now, and I love it. When WWE's in Atlanta, I'll pop down, I'll say hello to some friends." (h/t: Fightful)

Patrick's release the beginning of an ongoing company-wide shakeup that has seen many come and go in recent months. Several tenured employees in the talent relations department were let go as well as Sue Aitchison who had been with the company for decades. As WWE puts an emphasis on the "Paul Levesque era" it appears they're wiping themselves clean of any lingering Vince McMahon hires. Also released were several main roster superstars as well as some NXT talent who were fired following this year's WrestleMania 40. On the opposite side of things, a long-time NXT ring announcer was recently appointed to SmackDown, joining Samantha Irvin on the main roster.

In the summer of 2021 Bryan Danielson made the jump from WWE to AEW which came as a genuine surprise to fans. The moment took place at AEW All Out, one of wrestling's biggest events of the summer, where he, Adam Cole and Ruby Soho made back to back debuts that night. It has become known as one of the most unforgettable moments in AEW history, but as his contract winds down, Danielson has made it clear that he will soon put a halt on his full-time in-ring career. Though he plans on still wrestling thereafter, it won't be to the degree that he is now so that he can spend time with his growing family.

Though Danielson is an accomplished wrestler in his own right, wrestling in almost every major promotion in the world including WWE, NJPW, ROH, AEW and CMLL, there are still things he's checking off his list to this day. In a recent interview, Danielson was asked what huge moments and accomplishments are left as comes to the end of full-time competition. He noted that his big dream is to wrestle in Wembley then stating that his contract expires before the monumental show takes place.

"The big one is Wembley. I wanna make it to Wembley," Danielson said on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic. "My contract actually expires before Wembley, but I wanna make it to Wembley. I'm not sure if I'll make it, but one thing that would be a nice way to kind of close everything out for me is to do my last match as a full-time wrestler at WrestleDream at the Tacoma Dome because that's the first wrestling show I ever saw." (h/t: Fightful)

In March, Danielson traveled to Mexico for the first time with the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club to wrestle in CMLL. Though the AEW stars were defeated by Blue Panther, Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero and Volador Jr., Danielson returned just a few weeks later to wrestle his dream match against Blue Panther. Danielson walked out of that match victorious, something that's become a bit of a running joke as he pushes to lose a good portion of his matches to instead put the shine on his opponents.

After suffering an injury during his match with Will Ospreay at AEW Dynasty, Danielson returned to AEW on Dynamite this week, joining sides with team AEW against The Elite for Double or Nothing. He will return to the ring on tonight's AEW Collision, teaming with his fellow BCC member Claudio Castagnoli against Top Flight.

On tonight's WWE SmackDown the Queen of the Ring tournament kicked off with three first round matches between the Women's Tag Team Champions Jade Cargill against Piper Niven, Bianca Belair against Candice LeRae and Naomi against Nia Jax. Every woman was vying for an opportunity to head to the finals of the Queen of the Ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia set to take place on May 25. On WWE Raw, three women advanced to the quarterfinals -- Zoey Stark, Lyra Valkyria and former Women's Champion IYO SKY. The fourth woman will be determined in a live event this weekend when Shayna Baszler takes on former Queen Zelina Vega.

As far as the blue brand is concerned, Cargill was up against some stiff competition as she came face-to-face with another powerhouse in the women's division who also happens to be a former Women's Tag Team Champion. Niven was accompanied by her tag team partner Chelsea Green so the odds were stacked against Cargill from the beginning. However, Cargill put up a tremendous showing in the match lifting Niven off her feet and slamming her to the mat with a Blue Thunder Bomb, rocking her with a pump kick straight into the Jaded to advance. As Cargill ascended the ramp, she was met by Belair who shared a moment of celebration with her tag partner as Belair focused on taking down LeRae.

Lately LeRae has been showing a bit of a mean streak and it's not the first time they have wrestled each other so she's well aware of what Belair is capable of. She takes advantage of this from the bat, attacking her leg to try to take her out of the tournament early. Unfortunately for LeRae that still wasn't enough to put away Belair who lifted her up for the KOD and advanced to the next round. While Cargill will go on to face Nia Jax next week who advanced earlier in the night, Belair will face the winner of Tiffany Stratton vs. Michin.

WWE King and Queen of the Ring 2024 Card

WWE King and Queen of the Ring, Becky Lynch will put the Women's World Championship on the line against Liv Morgan who she previously beat in a battle royal on Raw to win the title. Elsewhere, Sami Zayn defends the Intercontinental Championship in a three-way match against Chad Gable and Bronson Reed. WWE King and Queen of the Ring takes place Saturday, May 25, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.

The Men's King and Queen of the Ring Tournament continued on SmackDown, and the first match of the night was between two new SmackDown additions Baron Corbin and Carmelo Hayes. The second match was between Angelo Dawkins and The Bloodline's Tama Tonga, while the third match was between AJ Styles and Randy Orton. Hayes would get a major win early in his SmackDown run, and The Bloodline would successfully get Tonga onto the next round. The main event was Styles vs Orton, and despite suffering damage to his knee, Orton would get the win against Styles, moving onto the next round.

Hayes stayed out of Corbin's reach and then dropkicked Corbin's legs and knocked him to the mat. Hayes celebrated a bit too long though and Corbin had enough, going on an offensive onslaught that ended with Hayes regrouping outside of the ring. Back in the ring Corbin stayed aggressive, but Melo refocused and was able to reverse a Deep 6 and roll up his opponent for the pin and the win, moving on to the next round of the tournament.

In the second match, Tonga went right after Dawkins, charging forward and getting him caught up in the corner. Then Tonga came right back and delivered even more strikes and punches to Dawkins, knocking him down in the opposite corner. Dawkins dodged a charge and went on a run, leaving Tonga dizzy after a dropkick and then sending him to the floor out of the ring.

Sikoa tried to get involved but Montez Ford came to his partner's aid and knocked Sikoa to the floor. Then Tonga kicked out of a pin, and that led to Sikoa and Loa delivering a spike to Ford outside of the ring. That set up Tonga for the slam and the win, moving Tonga to the next round, but Sikoa hit another spike to Dawkins before leaving the ring, sending a clear message that The Bloodline isn't going anywhere.

The third match of the night was Styles vs Orton, and these two wasted no time in going after each other. Orton had the edge early, knocking the Phenomenal One to the mat and celebrating a bit with the crowd. Orton continued to control the match, connecting with multiple punches in the corner and dropping Styles to the mat shortly afterwards.

Styles got back on track with a dropkick and then knocked Orton out of the ring, where he connected with a knee strike to the head of Orton. Orton slammed Styles down onto the top of the barricade and then followed it up with a DDT attempt, but Styles cut it off in time. Styles then went to jump off the table, only to get caught and slammed onto the ring apron before being thrown onto the announce table right after.

Orton slammed Styles down on the table a second time and even gave the crowd a bow. Styles ran around the ring and connected with a chop block on Orton, and he immediately grabbed his knee in pain. Styles used that to his advantage and kept targeting the knee in the ring, but Orton was able to push him away and knock him to the floor to get some much-needed time to breathe. Orton couldn't plant on his left leg but still had enough to slam Styles down with two lariats.

Styles countered Orton and then only caught a piece of an uppercut from the Viper. Styles was able to grab Orton's leg and pull it over the ropes as he hit the floor. Orton countered a Phenomenal Forearm attempt, knocking Styles down from the top rope. Styles was able to grab Orton's leg and lock in a submission, but Orton was able to break the hold.

Orton hit the power slam and went for the cover, but Styles quickly kicked out. Orton got Styles up top but Styles got away, only to end up being hit by a DDT. Styles countered an RKO and then hit the Phenomenal Forearm, but Orton grabbed the bottom rope to break the count. Orton then hit an RKO out of nowhere and got the pin and the win, moving on to the next round.

What have you thought of the tournament so far? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes got things started on tonight's SmackDown, and he was as shocked as the crowd was regarding his next Championship challenger. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis brought out Rhodes and then revealed that his next challenger for the Title would be none other than current United States Champion Logan Paul. Paul had plenty to say to Rhodes, calling himself the real superstar of WWE and accusing Rhodes of taking all the credit. Paul challenged Rhodes to a Champion vs Champion match at the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event in Saudi Arabia, and Rhodes accepted the challenge.

After heading to the ring, Paul made his goal clear, saying it was "Main eventing the King and Queen of the Ring PLE, kn a champion vs champion match against thee Cody Rhodes to truly kick off the Logan Paul Levesque era." Rhodes tried to respond but Paul cut him off, launching into a promo about facts.

Grand Slam Nightmare?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/SnCBW7l8t4

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 11, 2024

"Ah see facts don't care about your feelings and neither do I. I got some facts for ya Champ. I Logan Paul, not you, am the longest reigning Champion in WWE. I am the greatest attraction in this company. I had the greatest rookie year of all time. And I am a Superstar," Paul said. "Yeah, you won the 2023 Royal Rumble. But what does everyone remember from that night? Logan Paul's epic viral collision with Ricochet. The crash heard around the world."

"And yes Cody, you won WrestleMania, but what was everyone talking about that night? IShowSpeed and Prime. My brands, my ideas, my moments. And look who's taking all the credit," Paul said. Paul took umbrage with the insults at Prime and then continued. "3 years ago at WrestleMania Rhodes and I debuted on the same night and I have been the rocket fuel for the spaceship that is WWE," Paul said. "My question is how can you finish your story when it's not even your story?" Then Paul told Rhodes what to expect. "Me knocking you out and pinning you on top of my logo and walking out of Saudi Arabia as Undisputed Champion."

"I bet a lot of people stand across from you and assume that... just what a dumbass. As fun as that would be, I'm not gonna call you a podcaster, an influencer, a YouTuber, an outsider, I'm not going to pretend this is a fad for you. I've gotten a sense of you and so have they. And correct me if I'm wrong, fourth or fifth match, you won the United States Championship. Since we are going over facts, the fact is that if I was to win that United States Championship, that would make me a WWE Grand Slam Champion," Rhodes said.

Paul tried to start speaking but Rhodes held his arm down. "I'm not done, in addition to all the positive things, you are also disrespectful. You are self-centered. You are delusional, and you can't go a single match without grabbing those brass knucks. This right here is a team. And at the King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, you are going to find out where you stand on that team," Rhodes said.

What do you think of Rhodes vs Paul? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Following Matt Hardy's shocking TNA return at Rebellion, another former AEW star has popped up in TNA Wrestling!

Ryan Nemeth, the brother of Nic Nemeth, made his official TNA debut where he helped even the odds for Hardy during an attack by The System. Hardy has been feuding with the faction since his return as he attacked the TNA World Champion Moose in the ring following his title match with Nic. Ryan then teamed with Eric Young, Joe Hendry, Hardy, Sami Callihan, Spitfire (Dani Luna and Jody Threat) and Steph De Lander against Alisha Edwards, Eddie Edwards, Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, Digital Media Champion Laredo Kid, Knockouts Tag Team Champion Masha Slamovich and Moose.

THE HOLLYWOOD HUNK SAYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH https://t.co/qoRNLR3ZgP

-- Ryan Nemeth (@ryrynemnem) May 10, 2024

"The Hollywood Hunk" had been a part of AEW since 2021 when he began regularly appearing on AEW Dark. That was done away with completely in 2023 but he was still an active part of Being The Elite on YouTube with his own weekly skits and vlogs. His last match in AEW took place in November on Collision when The Wingmen (himself and Peter Avalon) reunited against Paul Wight. Aside from that, he had also competed on Ring of Honor and his last match was in November. In December, Ryan noted to Hollywood Stage Magazine that he was "open-minded and excited" about his future as the article noted his contract was set to expire in the spring. Following his TNA debut, fans noticed that he is now an official member of the roster alongside his brother.

Ryan Nemeth has been added to the TNA roster page

shoutout @jorgeagonz99 for pointing it out https://t.co/cMbZe280qw pic.twitter.com/KkJS5XcCav

-- ??yellowbone?? (@The_yellowbone) May 10, 2024

AEW Shakes Up Roster

Ryan's release comes at a time where several stars are beginning to see their AEW contracts not picked back up. Several AEW stars were recently let go from the company which is uncharacteristic for AEW as Tony Khan has previously stated he'd let their contracts expire without renewing them, but wouldn't fire anyone. He backtracked one of those releases shortly after, The Workhorsemen's Anthony Henry who was recovering an injured jaw. Mike Santana also opened up about his release in March, thanking AEW for the opportunity and the knowledge and Ortiz. Santana has since popped back up in TNA, the same night as Hardy. Most recently, AEW opted not to renew Ethan Page's contract, which came as a surprise to many fans as he had been with the promotion since 2021 and, prior to his release, was set for a title program with Kyle Fletcher in Ring of Honor.