AEW Confirms Next Round in Continental Cup

After eight grueling and exhilarating first-round matches, eight wrestlers remain in the inaugural AEW Continental Challenge Cup. And today, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan announced the matchups for the random draw on the AEW Continental Challenge Selection Special on YouTube. The four matches are set to take place on this week’s editions of Wednesday Night Dynamite and Saturday Night Collision.

The official Continental Cup Draw.

On Dynamite, Continental Champion Jon Moxley will breathe with the Switchblade as Jay White looks to end Moxley’s defense prematurely. This will be their third one-on-one meeting, following the 2019 G1 Climax and 2023 Continental Classic, as Moxley looks to avenge his 0-2 record with his championship reign on the line.

Meanwhile, part-time wrestler and AEW color analyst Nigel McGuinness dukes it out with the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, Hechicero. There had been speculation that McGuinness would exit the tournament due to an injury sustained in his first-round match against Katsuyori Shibata. Nigel, who has lost a significant portion of his career to injury, announced on the Selection Special that he’s staying in the tournament. He will not let another injury take him away from his opportunity.

“A different man, a smarter man, a prudent man, might say ‘Now is the time to bow out. No way you’re gonna be 100%,” McGuinnes said. “Clearly, I’m not that man.”

On Collision, long-time partners meet once more, as Eddie Kingston will face off against Claudio Castagnoli. The Mad King and The Swiss Superman are no strangers to each other, with a deep and personal history that has spanned 15+ years starting in the independent circuit.

And finally, it’s Conglomeration vs Conglomeration, as Kyle O’Reilly takes on stablemate Orange Cassidy. This will be the second time in a row O’Reilly faces off against a member of the Conglomeration in this tournament, as he defeated fellow member Roderick Strong on last week’s Collision to advance.

The finals will be held at All In on Aug. 30, where the winner will win the cup and become the AEW Continental Champion.

I Went to Arena Mexico for International Week, Now It's Your Turn.

I've been blessed with a career where I get to travel and have conversations with the artists and people who drive the art forms I dedicated my life to observing. I've been to Japan for Star Wars, I've crossed America for Comic Books and Pro Wrestling. Now I've traveled to Mexico for Lucha Libre.

Admittedly, my relationship with Lucha Libre is new and it started directly because of AEW’s international partnership with El Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, known as CMLL. The world's oldest operating wrestling promotion.

In early 2024, the stars of CMLL officially arrived in AEW after some preliminary crossovers in 2023. I was blown away, not just by the athleticism that we have come to expect from the world's finest luchadors. But, particularly, the technical wizardry of the master known as Hechicero.

Not long after his debut in AEW, Hechicero faced off against Bryan Danielson. Two of the World’s greatest technical wrestling masters. I thought I had seen it all but Hechicero was using moves and transitions I had never even imagined before.

I was completely taken. I needed more. I paid for CMLL’s YouTube subscription service at the Fan Leyenda tier and I never looked back. I have been watching weekly ever since. By the time CMLL announced they were doing a crossover event with THE POKEMON COMPANY of all places, I knew I had found a new home for my heart.

Fast forward two years. My Lucha Libre fever is at a peak. I’m not as knowledgeable as say, someone like the legendary Lucha fan Roy Lucier. But I have a collection of masks. I watch the shows and have rotated CMLL into Dirt Sheet Radio’s regular coverage.

I spread the word in American wrestling circles as best I can because I genuinely think CMLL is one of the most fun pro wrestling experiences you could have at home right now.

But it was time to take it one step further. It was time to visit the Cathedral in person and baptize myself in the religious experience that is an Arena Mexico Lucha Libre event.

Mexico is a beautiful country full of rich history, culture, hardworking people and gorgeous architecture. I wasn't prepared for how familiar everything would seem. I'm a New Yorker from the Bronx. As it turns out, that foundational multi-cultural experience was more useful than I ever could've imagined.

My Spanish is about 40% fluent but I understand it pretty perfectly so I never really had an issue with the language barrier. My experience may not be exactly the same as yours but Mexico City is VERY accommodating to Americans.

There is nothing in the world like Arena Mexico. But before I can even get into the building, we have to talk about the unbelievable vendor experience outside.

For starters Technically these are knock offs and technically you're not supporting the actual luchadors when you buy from these vendors. HOWEVER, the selection of masks, shirts, toys, posters, old magazines and assorted trinkets is absolutely incredible. You will be tempted to spend all of your money. I personally filled up my bag to the brim and spent more money than I'd like to admit.

You're fighting traffic and squeezing your way through a crowd of thousands but it is a MUST EXPERIENCE part of the trip when you're going to watch a Lucha Libre show at Arena Mexico

After you get passed security in the front of the building, you're treated to a culture rich tapestry of artwork in the lobby by the merchandise stands.

Beautiful Mexican artwork with mask designs of legends gone by. The stands themselves may not seem like much compared to the vendor experience outside but there are enough exclusive items with CMLL official patches that you won't be able to leave the arena without at least a Mask or T-shirt.

Of course, once you get down to the nitty gritty and get into the arena where the action takes places, it's off to the races. You are in for some of the greatest in ring action you will ever see in person.

You can expect this kind of high octane, top speed Lucha action on a weekly basis. But I was here for a special week in the year. Semana Internacional or International Week.

AEW is in town for their annual Grand Slam: Mexico event. The only American TV Wrestling company to ever run events in Arena Mexico, let alone broadcast live. CMLL, MLW and New Japan Pro Wrestling also send talent over for the CMLL Men’s Grand Prix, which is one of CMLL’s biggest events of the year. 11 men represent Mexico. 11 men represent the rest of the World. They face off in a Torneo Cybernetico style elimination match.

There is also a preliminary Tuesday show that features the best of each promotion facing off in interpromotional matches. I was allowed to attend all three events.

Watching from home, you can tell it's a great time to be in the audience at Arena Mexico. But you really don't know exactly how incredible the atmosphere is until you attend a Friday Night Viernes Spectacular event. The regulars in the building are UNBELIEVABLY loud and passionate.

The sound of thousands of women screaming when Soberano Jr comes down the steps will genuinely shake your core. As will the roar of the crowd when Hechicero wins the 2026 CMLL Grand Prix by defeating the evil European Foreigners, gaining revenge for Mexico’s loss to Europe during the World Cup.

Because I understand Spanish, I can hear the sometimes outrageous things said by hecklers and even supportors which would never get by in an American audience. The difference in live event culture is wonderful. I hope the continued interest in international expansion never gets in the way of the freedom these people feel to express themselves.

(There was a small period where another international promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling, made some changes to pacify western fans and that was not taken very well by the fanbase or wrestlers.)

Ultimately, I left Arena Mexico knowing two things.

1) Every wrestling fan needs to do this once in their life time.

2) But once was not enough for me. No matter what else happens in this life of mine. I need to come back.

Until then, gracias CMLL. Gracias, Arena Mexico. 🇲🇽

Square One Pro Announces Kenta Kobashi Fan Meeting in Taiwan

In April, Square One Pro, a Taiwan-based promotion that organizes professional wrestling fan meetings, autograph sessions, and talk events, officially announced that Japanese wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi will hold a fan meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 29.

Kenta Kobashi is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese professional wrestlers of all time. Best known for his legendary career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling NOAH, he was one of AJPW's famous "Four Pillars of Heaven," alongside Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue. During his career, Kobashi held major titles including the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and NOAH's GHC Heavyweight Championship. His hard-hitting style, famous chops, and memorable matches made him one of the most respected figures in Japanese wrestling.

At the event, fans will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with Kobashi. The event will also include an autograph session, a talk session, and a special opportunity for fans to experience one of Kobashi's famous chops. According to Square One Pro's official Facebook page, a limited number of additional spots for the fan meeting will be announced soon.

Square One Pro was officially established in January 2023 by its founder, Shane Liu. Before starting Square One Pro, Liu had experience working as a booker and promoter and had helped bring several major wrestling matches to Taiwan. One of the most well-known examples came in late 2018 at an NTW event in Taiwan, when Johnny Impact defended the Impact Wrestling World Championship against Matt Sydal. The match was made possible through Liu's efforts.

Since 2023, Square One Pro has invited internationally known professional wrestlers to Taiwan almost every year to meet and interact with local fans. Previous guests have included Japanese wrestler Yuki Kamifuku, former WWE wrestlers Mike Rallis and Tenille Dashwood, Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki, legendary women's wrestler Manami Toyota, and now Kobashi. With such an impressive list of guests, Square One Pro's events have become some of the most anticipated annual events for wrestling fans in Taiwan.

Liu previously told us that the idea for Square One Pro came from his own experience attending wrestling fan meetings. At the time, he was disappointed that, for various reasons, he wasn't able to interact more with the wrestlers. That experience inspired him to create something different. His goal was to give wrestling fans in Taiwan the opportunity to create memories and experiences worth more than what they paid for.

Today, with the efforts of Liu and the many people working alongside him, Square One Pro has gained support from wrestling fans in Taiwan and around the world. For many fans, its events have also become some of their most memorable experiences as professional wrestling fans.

DSR's Andy Chen will also attend the fan meeting in person. Afterward, he will bring readers a more detailed look at the fan meeting, as well as reactions from fans in attendance.

A-Yong-Go: The Man Carrying NTW Wrestling on His Shoulders

Photo credit: NTW.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1984, A-Yong-Go has loved sports since he was young. During junior high school, he trained in judo and amateur wrestling, and even finished second in a wrestling competition.

His connection with professional wrestling began when he was in the third or fourth grade of elementary school, first watching professional wrestling with his father. Although his father couldn't remember the wrestlers' names, he would identify them by the colors of their gear. Mitsuharu Misawa was ‘the guy in green,’ while Toshiaki Kawada was ‘the guy in yellow.’ Jumbo Tsuruta was given another nickname by his father because of his personality.

After some time, his father became busy with work, so they didn't watch wrestling together as often. However, A-Yong-Go had already fallen in love with professional wrestling, beginning the search for wrestling information online and renting wrestling tapes to watch on his own. During high school, he discovered an online forum for professional wrestling fans in Taiwan. That discovery slowly started a fire inside him and turned his passion into a dream…A-Yong-Go wanted to be a professional wrestling.

A-Yong-Go attended an exhibition show at Xinyi Elementary School held by Impact Wrestling Love, one of Taiwan's early professional wrestling promotions. After watching the show, he began to believe that he might have a chance to become a wrestler himself. Wanting to see what he was capable of, he decided to join IWL, making his professional wrestling debut in 2004. His performances eventually led him to win IWL's top title, the UWC Championship, in 2006. Three years later, an opportunity to learn from a legendary Japanese wrestler became another important moment in his life.

In 2009, Japanese wrestler Ikuto Hidaka came to Taiwan and helped improve the fundamentals and techniques of Taiwanese wrestlers at the time. Although Hidaka was only there for a few days, he shared as much of his knowledge as possible with his students.

Hidaka carefully wrote down what each wrestler needed to improve and gave them individual advice. His notebook was eventually filled with notes about his Taiwanese students. Seeing how seriously Hidaka treated them made an important impression on A-Yong-Go and strengthened his determination to continue pursuing his dream.

In 2011, A-Yong-Go wanted to build the kind of wrestling promotion he had always imagined. Together with several partners, he helped establish a new professional wrestling promotion in Taiwan: New Taiwan Entertainment Wrestling, better known as NTW. His longtime partner Super Da-Zhi provided the initial funding and invited A-Yong-Go to help organize the promotion in Taiwan, with A-Yong-Go becoming NTW's first president. From that moment, a new chapter in Taiwanese professional wrestling began.

After losing the match to crown NTW's inaugural Undifferentiated Champion, A-Yong-Go later decided to travel to Okinawa in 2014, where he trained and gained experience with Ryukyu Dragon Pro Wrestling. Returning to Taiwan toward the end of that same year, A-Yong-Go once again took on the role of NTW president. His career also began to take him outside Taiwan. He competed for CWF in China in 2016 and Hong Kong Wrestling Federation in 2017.

After receiving several invitations from The Joker, the leader of Moon Circus, a faction made up of NTW's younger generation of wrestlers at the time, A-Yong-Go officially joined the group. With a new group of partners around him, he went on to capture both the NTW Undifferentiated Championship and Tag Team Championship in 2017, becoming only the second wrestler in NTW history to hold both titles at the same time.

However, things changed in 2019. After losing the Tag Team Championship, A-Yong-Go was forced out of Moon Circus. Looking back at the regret and lack of understanding between the former partners, A-Yong-Go now speaks about it calmly. He doesn't have many feelings about what happened anymore. In his view, both sides simply got what they needed from each other. In 2020, A-Yong-Go established the babyface faction BIG WAVE. As the group's spiritual leader, he has continued to support and lead BIG WAVE.

Beginning in 2024, A-Yong-Go helped establish NTW's annual collaborative event with Big Japan Pro Wrestling. NTW has also worked with Japanese women's promotion DIANA for several years, as A-Yong-Go has continued using his connections to expand NTW's relationships across Asia. In recent years, he has also helped NTW wrestlers compete internationally for promotions including Dropkick, PPP TOKYO and FTO in Japan, GrappleMax in Singapore, and APAC Wrestling in Malaysia.

More than two decades after making his debut, A-Yong-Go is no longer simply a wrestler. As NTW's President, a veteran performer, and someone who continues creating opportunities for the next generation of Taiwanese wrestlers, he has become one of the most important figures behind the promotion.

From a young boy watching Japanese wrestling with his father to becoming one of the people leading NTW forward, professional wrestling has been part of A-Yong-Go's life for more than two decades. Today, he continues to help Taiwanese wrestlers find opportunities across Asia. He has carried NTW through its past and present, and now he is helping build its future. He is A-Yong-Go, the man carrying NTW on his shoulders.

Zilla Fatu Debuts | CMLL Grand Prix Live Experience | AEW | WWE | G1 Climax | Dirt Sheet Radio 241

Welcome back to a brand-new episode of Dirt Sheet Radio! Nick, Mack, Jon and Greg are breaking down the latest monumental week of wrestling news, featuring massive main roster call-ups, international tournament finals, and heated backstage controversies. Here is everything on the docket for today's show:

Airport Stalker Fans: Jon tears into a Facebook Group full of airport stalkers The "Pay Your Dues" Debate: Breaking down the heat between indie wrestler Arik Cannon and AJ Styles regarding Avery Styles and discussing GCW's official statement on the situation.

Kevin Owens vs. CM Punk: Analyzing the escalating feud after Kevin Owens confronted CM Punk on SmackDown, declaring he won't let the business turn him into a "miserable piece of sh*t" like Punk.

Zilla Fatu Debuts: The Bloodline family expands once again as the son of the late Umaga makes a massive surprise debut on NXT, immediately wiping out Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana.

The Jade Cargill vs. Charlotte Disaster: Examining the messy fallout and chaotic booking from their recent SmackDown clash. Tatum Paxley Gets Called Up: Discussing Paxley's jump to the main roster after she surprisingly interfered to help Charlotte Flair fend off Jade Cargill and B-Fab on SmackDown.

Arena México Experience: Jon shares his firsthand personal experience traveling to Arena México for the CMLL Grand Prix and how it compared to AEW Grand Slam.

CMLL 93rd Anniversario Matches: Breaking down the massive stakes for the September 18th card, including the huge breaking news that Andrade's return and Mistico's addition have officially been announced.

G1 Climax Comes to a Close This Weekend: Discussing the best G1 Climax Tournament New Japan has held in years.

Jon Moxley and the Jeans: Jon shares a hilarious personal story involving his son's jeans and the leader of the Death Riders, who just advanced in the Continental Challenge Cup.

Chelsea Green Confirms Orbital Bone Injury

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 02: Chelsea Green celebrates after winning the Interim WWE Women's Championship during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 2, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

Just days after capturing the interim WWE Women’s Championship in a ladder match during the second night of this years SummerSlam festivities, tragedy has struck Chelsea Green during the peak of her run in WWE. On the Aug. 7 edition of SmackDown, the ‘Hot Mess’ of WWE teamed up with the Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton to take on the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Fatal Attraction. Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid won after Jacy Jane interfered, hitting Green with the Rolling Encore, then downed Green with the Fatal Flaw for the win. After the match, Nia Jax and Lash Legend came out to attack Green and Stratton. Stratton was thrown out of the ring, but Green was not touched once as Jax and Legend stood tall.

Earlier today, Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Green was injured during the show. Green later confirmed it in an Instagram video, having suffered a broken orbital bone.

“I did get injured last night. I ended up in the emergency room and I have a broken orbital bone,” Green said in the video. “So I just need to take a little bit more time to like process and to heal from the head trauma that is going on right now. Then, we’ll see what happens.”

The fate of Green’s reign is currently up in the air, as it’s unknown if she’ll have to relinquish her title. For Green, the championship win had been the culmination of a run that had seen her popularity blossom. Dirt Sheet Radio wishes her a speedy recovery.

The Zodiac Guide to Independent Wrestling: A Guide to GCW, EVE, Primos, TJPW and More

Independent wrestling is enormous, gloriously messy, and not especially easy to navigate. There are promotions built around deathmatches and promotions that feel like a punk show. Others feel like hip-hop, fashion-forward VIP lounges. Some wrestling is deadly serious, and some will have wrestlers dressed like breakfast food. Many promotions will have a little bit of all of those. Where does one even get started if you're new to indies or even a new wrestling fan, in general?

Astrology, naturally. Whether you're an Aries who treats bad ideas as a challenge, a Virgo who just wants everyone to respect the rules, or a Pisces ready to become emotionally attached to 12 strangers in dreamy gear, I promise you there’s an indie promotion waiting for you.

To be clear, this is less an expert guide to astrology than another excuse to hype up independent wrestling and point you toward promotions you might not otherwise find. So consider this less a horoscope than a questionable viewing guide. The stars have spoken — fine, possibly incorrectly — but let's find you a wrestling promotion anyway.

Aries – Game Changer Wrestling (GCW)

People are wrong about you, Aries; you don’t always choose violence.  But when violence shows up at your door, you know it would be rude not to answer. GCW is your promotion. Stubborn, a touch unpredictable, and forever unwilling to back down from a dare, GCW has gorgeous technical wrestling, but it’s not afraid of introducing a spool of barbed wire into the discussion either. You're impulsive, competitive, and loud. You’re extremely confident that consequences are a reward or, at worst, a problem for future Aries. GCW understands.

Matt Cordona after defeating Nick Gage to claim the GCW Deathmatch Championship

Taurus – Limitless Wrestling

Taurus, you care about quality, consistency, and most importantly, knowing there will be snacks. Welcome to Maine's self-described “Pine Tree State Pro Wrestling Party.” At Limitless, a stubborn regional identity alchemizes with first-rate indie wrestling. There are plenty of familiar faces worth getting attached to. You may claim to hate change, but really, you need a few months to decide the change was your idea in the first place. Pick a favorite wrestler here and become emotionally unreasonable about them.

Gabby Forza, now signed with TNA, with Limitless.

Gemini – Freelance Wrestling

Gemini, you need options. Freelance gives you exactly that: punk rock partying Chicago weirdos, rising indie talent, and enough stylistic whiplash to keep you from getting bored and opening another tab. One match may be a hard, technical fight between wrestlers trying to prove they belong on a bigger stage; the next may be loud, funny, deeply Chicago and built around a character the crowd already treats like family. Perfect. You're curious, social, and adaptable and, famously, you are full of duality, much like Freelance. You're also absolutely going to leave with four new favorite wrestlers and no memory of the one you came to see.

Cancer – Primos Premier Pro Wrestling

Cancer, you came here looking for community, and that's why you ended up in Denver indie wrestling. Primos has a training school, deep local roots, a proudly LGBTQ-supportive community, and enough deathmatch street cred in its DNA to remind you that family occasionally requires someone to respond to a challenge with a sharp object a fan found at the hardware store. You'll care deeply about everyone involved and then immediately deny it when asked.

Leo – 4th Rope

You wanted wrestling, Leo. You wanted an event. Can’t do anything without some flourish, can you? Westside Gunn’s 4th Rope mixes wrestling with hip hop fashion and enough cultural swagger to make just walking to the ring feel insufficiently ambitious. Naturally, you approve: the upside of Leo is charisma, confidence, and excellent taste. Extraordinary exhibition. By match three, you’ll have opinions about everyone’s entrance and a detailed plan for your own.

“4th Rope is a Lifestyle” - Westside Gunn

Virgo – Deadlock Pro-Wrestling

DPW has time limits, defined match formats, contender systems, and a website that will actually explain the rules to you. Virgo, try to contain yourself. There are so many rules. This is wrestling for people who enjoy chaos significantly more whenever the chaos is properly organized. DPW calls itself “all killer no filler,” which is essentially what Virgo has been trying to put into the group project guidelines for years.

** Technically, DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling (DPW) announced an indefinite hiatus following their final US show on December 12, 2025, in Cary, North Carolina, with one final show scheduled in Japan. But they really are Virgo’s soulmate.

Libra  -- Pro-Wrestling: Eve

Of course, Libra found the wrestling promotion with punk rock, cabaret comedy, and extremely talented women beating the hell out of each other. Eve is glamorous, political, inclusive, and chaotic without ever losing the plot. Libra, you came for beauty, justice, and excellent outfits, but you stayed because apparently all three can include a pile driver. The only real problem is that eventually someone will expect you to choose a side.

RIOT GRRLS of Wrestling

Scorpio – Wrestling REVOLVER

Scorpio does not believe in letting things go. Wrestling REVOLVER is happy to indulge that instinct with blood feuds, bitter rivalries, and matches that feel personal long before the bell rings. You like intensity, loyalty, and the occasional spectacular overreaction. This is basically your emotional support promotion. Wrestling REVOLVER favors intense personalities, hard-hitting matches, and wrestlers like Mance Warner, Killer Kelly, Sammy Callahan, and John Moxley, who rarely suggest that everyone process their feelings safely. You wanted emotional risks, danger, and commitment. Congratulations, Scorpio, you have once again mistaken escalation for closure.

Wrestling REVOLVER World Champion - Mance Warner

Sagittarius – New Texas Pro Wrestling

Sagittarius needs room to roam, so we're giving you the big old state of Texas. New Texas Pro runs across Houston, Austin, and beyond with tournaments, a contender series, and wrestlers representing different corners of the state that treat nearby as a philosophical concept. It's a great promotion for discovering names before everybody else knows them. You'll love the exploration; you'll love the I was here 1st bragging rights. You'll also immediately begin explaining why everybody should take a wrestling road trip with you.

Capricorn – West Coast Pro Wrestling

Capricorn, we know you respect a five-year plan. West Coast Pro is all about building a new Bay Area wrestling legacy while developing the next generation through its Academy. The card brings top independent wrestlers together with new and developing talent. It tends to take the wrestling itself very seriously: competence, ambition, long-term development, stability. You're delighted; please resist the urge to ask the rest of where they see themselves professionally in 2031.

Aquarius – Hoodslam / Slamtown

Surprised Aquarius? You shouldn't be. Obviously, Aquarius gets Oakland’s glorious Hoodslam universe. Who else were we going to give the wrestling promotion in which conventional good taste has historically been treated more like a curse than a virtue? Now appearing under the Slamtown banner, it remains theatrical, irreverent, intense, and deeply committed to doing wrestling its own way. You'll call it visionary; your friends will call it the “wrestling thing you made us watch, which we sort of liked but was also confusing.” Both of those things will be true.

From the Bold Italic, “Oakland’s Hoodslam is Crazy; Go To It”

Pisces – Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling

You and your feelings, Pisces. You want feelings, friendship, and whimsy, preferably followed by Miyu Yamashita breaking into tears. TJPW gives you vivid characters, absurd comedy, and stories built around relationships and then casually reminds you that these women are exceptionally skilled athletes and wrestlers. It looks like the dreamiest assignment on this list until you realize you’ve developed sincere feelings about twelve different wrestlers and are now furious about something that happened three years ago. As usual, you came for whimsy and left with everyone else’s emotional baggage.

Does the time you were born on a Tuesday really affect whether you enjoy watching someone get hit with a door in GCW; if you’ll find yourself crying over a TJPW friendship; or if enlightenment comes with discovering that Oakland wrestling can involve a detective, a cereal-themed superhero, and sometimes maybe, a bear? 

Who am I to say?

Independent wrestling is much easier to explore and appreciate once you stop thinking of it as a monolith. Every promotion has its own crowd rhythms, obsessions, and particular flavor of athletics. Maybe your sign will predict your favorite. Maybe it sends you way outside your comfort zone, and you love it. Maybe you hate it and watch the rest of the promotions on the list to spite me specifically.

Sometimes a questionable system is still a decent way to find something unexpected. Both indie pro wrestling and astrology have survived worse methodology.

Jenny Catlin is an award-winning writer and pop culture enthusiast based in the square states. She’s a contributing writer to The Athletic, a Lighthouse Writers Book Project Fellow, and the co-editor of the upcoming anthology  Wrestling with Writing. She’s obsessed with obsession. You can find her on Instagram or Substack,

Lucha Libre de Elite: How Mexico and the Luchadores Have Been Instrumental in the Rise of AEW

Lucha Libre de Elite

The second-ever AEW Grand Slam: Mexico is just a few hours away, and it has quickly become one of AEW’s best events and, for many, one of the most important of the year. Grand Slam celebrates the unique and phenomenal partnership not only with CMLL but also with lucha libre culture in general. This didn’t start overnight. Since day one, Mexican wrestlers and luchadores have been part of All Elite Wrestling, woven into its fabric. From the Lucha Brothers to Thunder Rosa to more current Mexican wrestlers like Rush, Bandido, Andrade, and Persephone, along with countless others, these Hispanic wrestlers continue to carve out their own space within the promotion.

At Redemption, Andrade became the third Mexican to win gold in AEW, after defeating Mark Davis for the AEW National Championship. El Idolo joined Thunder Rosa and Rey Fenix as the only Mexican Wrestlers to win singles gold in the promotion, not including sister promotion Ring of Honor. However, I don't think this will be the last time this happens as Bandido, Komander and Rush continue to show their ability to get over with the fans.

Photo Credit: AEW.

It’s not only about integrating lucha culture into the promotion, but also about the relationships AEW has built with other lucha promotions. Whether it was its initial partnership with AAA or what we see now with CMLL, AEW embraces the wonder of Lucha Libre. Last year, the event was truly one of the most magical moments in wrestling history, as AEW showcased some of its best wrestlers in one of the best environments the promotion has ever been part of. In honor of the return to Arena Mexico in Mexico City, let’s revisit how the culture of Mexican wrestling and luchadores has impacted All Elite Wrestling since the very start.

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From the Beginning…

Luchadores have been in All Elite Wrestling's DNA since the beginning. The Lucha Brothers, Pentagon Jr (later Penta El Zero M), and Rey Fenix were on the day-one roster. Because of their ties to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Tony Khan could easily work with the promotion. During the initial Double or Nothing ticket announcement, AEW and AAA officially announced a partnership. During the pandemic, AEW needed to do things a bit differently to break up the monotony of empty arenas. While not a new idea, defending a belt from another promotion is novel in this generation of wrestling. For lapsed or new fans, especially those who only knew WWE, a belt from another promotion being defended on AEW television seemed alien.

​The AAA Mega Championship match between champion Kenny Omega and challenger Sammy Guevara was the first time many American wrestling fans received this sort of exposure outside U.S. wrestling norms. It was easy to highlight that promotion and title on national television during the pandemic. It gave some fans their first glimpse of things to come for AEW and other promotions. It was an added benefit not only for AEW but also for AAA.

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Necessity Is the Mother of Cooperation

​AAA wasn't the only wrestling promotion that AEW worked with during the pandemic. Even if not strictly Lucha promotions, luchadores were always the candy in Tony Khan’s eyes. When AEW worked with TNA, Black Taurus eventually made the jump over under the moniker Beast Mortos. Even wrestlers who never made the jump, like Laredo Kid, were prominently showcased. It wasn't just the men who were showcased in AEW. Thunder Rosa was introduced to a much larger audience during the pandemic because of the AEW/NWA partnership during her tenure as the NWA Women’s World Champion. While she eventually lost to then-AEW Women’s champion Hikaru Shida, her profile grew, leading to a permanent roster spot for Rosa in AEW.

​However, nothing lasts forever. AAA and AEW officially ended their partnership around the end of 2022, when Tony Khan felt AAA had double-crossed his company in an attempt to end the relationship. Fortunately, in October of 2023, AEW announced a partnership with the oldest professional wrestling promotion in the world, el Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, or CMLL. This partnership propelled both companies into a new stratosphere and to a reach not seen before in North America.

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Mexican Milestone Moments

The ability of Tony Khan and those in his ear has given AEW the ability to become a major platform for Luchadores and Mexicans to showcase their culture, give a curtain call of sorts, and reassure us that we have more in common than we do differences.

Photo Credit: AEW.

Thunder Rosa and Her Mariachi

I know that Thunder Rosa hasn't been on television as often as she used to be, as she has become more of an AEW ambassador, but La Mera Mera winning the title against Britt Baker in that Steel Cage match is not only one of the greatest moments in the women’s division; it is one of the greatest television moments in the young company's history. For me, the main reason is that Rosa proudly represented herself, her family, and her culture throughout the match. Her reign began the moment the mariachi kicked off her entrance, and the emotion was palpable as she won her way, representing her culture unabashedly.

Thunder Rosa has now won the Mexican National Women’s Championship, parlaying her hard work in AEW to a blossoming career in Mexico.

Photo Credit: AEW.

Mistico’s Redemption

One of the most important moments for luchadores in AEW came at last year's Grand Slam: Mexico, with Mistico’s appearance. AEW’s impact on luchadores is not fully understood without also examining its impact on Mistico. Before his reemergence in All Elite Wrestling, Mistico was still widely known as Sin Cara, the much-maligned luchador whose time in WWE is remembered as an epic failure. While this was not his first appearance for AEW, it marked the official end of his redemption arc for an American audience.

​Mistico is one of the biggest modern stars of Lucha Libre and does not need to seek validation. Even so, this appearance at Grand Slam almost entirely erased his tumultuous WWE run, which, for many American wrestling fans, was their only impression of the generational luchador. From the entrance, finally getting his song back, “Me Muero,” to grabbing the Mexican flag and waving it proudly, his legacy was set in stone. The outcome of the match didnt matter much as this was his moment, despite the fact that MJF got one over on him by removing his mask and almost causing an all-out riot).

Photo Credit: AEW.

El Vaquero y Su Pueblo

And of course, how can we forget about our Cowboy? His promo, all in Spanish, connected the Mexican people to Hangman’s upbringing and to how the culture has always been something to aspire to be a part of. It was an incredibly moving promo that not only hyped up his upcoming match against Moxley but also cemented the relationship between the Mexican community and AEW.

So, while not given by a Mexican wrestler or a luchador, the top babyface in the company and the No. 1 contender to the AEW World Championship used his platform for such a moment, which was exactly what Grand Slam is all about. 

A Launching Pad

Photo Credit: WWE.

Not all wrestlers from Latin America have stayed in AEW or even picked the promotion during free agency. It would be impossible to hoard all the talent in a single promotion. For others, like Stephanie Vaquer and the Lucha Brothers, AEW was never the endgame, and that's okay. Still, AEW’s continued showcasing of lucha and Hispanic talent has made other promotions feel they have to keep up and sign them. For the burgeoning promotion, those opportunities would not have been available for that transition.

​Who is to say that the AAAXWWE partnership is even a thing without the exposure from AEW. Triple H is more open to working with other promotions, as we have seen with AAA, TNA, and NOAH. Hunter’s philosophy is 180 degrees different from his predecessor, Vince McMahon, who was reluctant to do anything like that. With that being said, would that have happened if the Forbidden Door hadn’t been opened previously?

​To say that AEW has never influenced WWE, or vice versa, would be silly. You know they have. It would also be inaccurate to say that CMLL and AAA are not big or smart enough to make the crossover on their own. Even so, with AEW unafraid to cross the aisle, Luchadores from those promotions have benefited from a larger audience and a bigger paycheck.

​Speaking of paychecks, wrestlers can now get a couple of paychecks without leaving the other behind. Wrestlers like Persephone, Hechicero, and Thunder Rosa all have two-way contracts with the promotions and can still represent both. A great launching pad toward a more secure future post-wrestling.

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The Future is Bright

The partnership between the two promotions is alive and well. Earlier this week, we had Semana Internacional (International Week), presented by CMLL, right before Grand Slam. While major AEW wrestlers were not be present, several were still major players on the card. Kyle Fletcher, Kevin Knight, Bandido, Komander, and others were promoted for CMLL’s event, giving us a little taste before Grand Slam. This also highlights the give-and-take relationship between the two promotions.

​However, this has been much more than just a wrestling partnership. It's been a highway for cultural exchange for fans from both countries. In that sense, Mexican and Mexican-American wrestlers have always had an impact not only on the storylines but also on AEW's culture and presentation. AEW is the platform that allows many of these men and women to be seen by an American audience. At the same time, AEW has become a more prominent promotion in Mexico and across the rest of Latin America. It's a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic one, that has benefited both parties. More importantly, I think AEW has done a fantastic job of creating an outlet for Mexican and Mexican American fans to take pride in their culture.

Right now, AEW is chock-full of Mexican wrestlers who continue to make their push towards the top of the card. Persophone, Andrade, Bandido, Komander, and Rush are on television consistently and are winning and challenging for all of AEW’s championships. Pro wrestling has always been a funny and ego-filled business, but if these promotions can continue to see the good in working with each other, we can continue to see these wrestlers thrive.

Stephanie Vaquer, Big Cass and Becky Lynch Return | WWE RAW Results 08-03-2026

Roman Reigns says he has come to peace with his brother Seth Rollins and while he can only acknowledge so much, he will let Rollins hometown of Iowa acknowledge Seth instead.

Roman holds up the mic while they sign Rollins theme. And then LA Knight interrupted. Roman Reigns essentially tries to dismiss LA Knight as not on his level

Knight calls Roman a fraud. When Roman figures out where to buy a pair because he can't grow one, let LA Knight know so he can slap Roman back to factory settings.

LA Knight is the uncrown champion of this world.

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After getting a victory over Ethan Page, Je'Von Evans was attacked by the returning Big Cass!!!!!

Big Cass notably did not have Enzo Amore with him. It appears this will be a solo run.

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Becky Lynch is back and she wants the WWE Women's World Championship!!!!!

Stephanie Vaquer has returned to WWE and she also confronts and attacks Liv Morgan!!!

Vaquer walks up to Becky Lynch and tells Becky to stay out of her way, Becky says Or What? They stare down to end the segment

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WWE aired a new version of the Godsmack - I Stand Alone Brock Lesnar tribute video with clips of SummerSlam added onto the end. Paul Heyman is watching the video backstage.

Post match Oba Femi asks Paul Heyman to tell Brock Lesnar he says Thank you. They shake hands.

On the roster page, Brock Lesnar is in the Alumni section

Oba Femi says he can't put into words what SummerSlam meant to him. There was a battle and both men have come out with new respect.

Oba wondered why Brock Lesnar came back and made his life hell for weeks. In hindsight, Oba can see now that Brock Lesnar was testing him to make sure he chose right.

At WrestleMania, they asked if Oba Femi can swim. Then they had to ask if Oba Femi can hold his breath. Oba Femi came up from under the water and passed his test with flying colors. Now the Beast can rest. With the torch passed to him, Oba can now lead the new generation.

The old gods are dead.

After Oba Femi unquestionably declared himself the leader of the new generation, Bron Breakker came out. Breakker stares down Oba Femi and turns to leave for his match with Joe Hendry but Breakker goes back to Oba Femi.

Breakker seems to want this fight right now but Austin Theory pulls Breakker away

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Bron Breakker stares down the entrance ramp for the entire commercial break until his match with Joe Hendry begins. Hendry attacks Austin Theory and buys himself some time by dodging a spear on the outside but it's not long before Breakker takes out Joe Hendry for a quick win

Breakker rushed to the back and Akira Tozawa takes advantage to attack Austin Theory and get revenge for Otis

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Chad Gable celebrates his new Intercontinental Championship in front of Des Moines, Iowa

Dom Mysterio attempted to load his boots with a hammer for a 619 but Chad Gable catches the leg and tanks out the hammer. As the ref is looking at the hammer, Penta smacks Dom with the title and Chad Gable hits the Chaos Theory for the win

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Bron Breakker runs into Paul Heyman backstage and asks if Paul saw what happened. Paul did.

Breakker says Oba Femi tried to get him and Breakker is going to do something about it. Heyman says he should.

Now Breakker asks... Where is Oba Femi? Heyman says he doesn't know... Breakker says he thought Heyman and Oba were new best friends? Breakker walks off and Heyman looks furious

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Roman Reigns acknowledges Jacob Fatu after Jacob Fatu severs his ties with Royce Keys by attacking him over and over after winning their street fight.

Rey Mysterio approaches Roman Reigns backstage and asks if Roman is aware that he's the general manager of AAA.

Roman says yes. Rey says he wants to run something by him and the show draws to a close

A Cowboy’s Odyssey: How “Hangman” Adam Page Reestablishes Himself In AEW

Photo credit: AEW.

Adam Page is officially back in All Elite Wrestling after making the save and stopping The Demand from crushing The Conglomeration and Brody King. This was not his first appearance since losing to MJF; it came in his promo on the July 8th edition of Dynamite, where Hangman laid out the AEW World Championship-less roadmap for his return. However, this is the first time he has been woven back into the show and is officially part of weekly television again. It also looks like he is teaming up with Brodido to become The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, a trio name clearly tributed to one of the greatest westerns of all-time.This marks his official return to AEW and the start of a new chapter in his career.

Clearly, there is a lot of work to do before Hangman can compete for any AEW championship again, let alone the world championship. Page needs to rebuild his credibility with the locker room and the fans. That will be the foundation of Hangman’s story. How can Hangman redeem himself in his own eyes and come to terms with his new reality?

If he's not going to challenge for the World Championship, what will be his ultimate goal in his new era in All Elite Wrestling? Where does he start, and what titles should he try to win? Do we see partnerships with old friends and rivalries against some of his old Rogue’s Gallery? This new era of the Cowboy could be the most significant of his career, cementing his legacy even if he never wins again. However, let's look at how “Hangman” Adam Page can get back in the saddle and maybe, someday, get back to the mountaintop. 

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Photo credit: AEW.

Reckoning Day for the Cowboy

Hangman has been out of action since his loss to MJF at Revolution earlier this year. The match, at least how it finished, was one of the most shocking moments in AEW history. The Hangman being hung was jaw-dropping, and truly one of the most unexpected finishes to a match we've ever seen. It won't be an easy psychological bounce-back, so that will be the foundation of Hangman's story. Page has become the patron saint of resilience and perseverance, but at the same time, has been the personification of hate and struggle—the duality of a Cowboy. However, that story can only be told a certain number of times before the magic runs out.

So there needs to be an easy, simple jumping-in point not only for Hangman but also for the audience. Right now, teaming up with Brodido seems like an easy layup to get us started down his new journey. The Don Callis family is always a great punching bag, so it makes sense that Page is starting there. Maybe that is where we see his opponent for All In come in.

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Photo credit: AEW.

Where does Hangman Start?

A great way to kickstart his momentum again would be to revisit some of Hangman’s biggest rivalries, like Jon Moxley, Jay White, and Kazuda Okada; Kyle Fletcher would be a fantastic rival, with or without belts. Eventually, it would be nice if these were for some of the titles, but to start, I don't think that is essential.

Something I think would really catapult Hangman back into the spotlight is a reunion with his old tag team partner, Kenny Omega. Obviously, this depends on what happens with Omega post-All In, but if Will Ospreay is officially crowned, Omega could also use a landing spot. Either way, these are two great ways for Hangman to get his bearings and get back into the ring, from a storytelling perspective.

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Photo credit: AEW

Hangman Immediately Brings Legitimacy To Any Title

AEW has dozens of titles. Trust me, if you've been on the wrestling side of the internet for even  30 seconds, AEW naysayers will remind you about this. With so many titles in rotation for AEW, a hierarchy has developed regarding the importance of some belts over others. Having a legitimate former AEW World Champion compete for other titles, making them feel like the most important championship, can increase the value of any title in need of a push. Adam Page is a 2x AEW World Champion. The Cowboy winning and mid-card title would immediately bring prestige to any title.

​I think all titles are on the table for the Hangman, well, except for the World Championship, obviously. Whether he goes on a tear, winning titles left and right, or concentrates on just one, this will ultimately be up to Page and Tony Khan: which direction they want to go. However, I think it would be much smarter to make a concerted effort to determine which belts Page wins.​

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Photo credit: AEW.

What Title Makes Sense for Adam Page?

Out of all the singles titles that AEW boasts, I think the one title that could use the biggest boost in prestige and cache is the TNT title. The de facto AEW TV title has fallen behind other titles—the International and Continental—in prestige. Whether this was by design or not, the TNT title has fallen behind. Kevin Knight has been a worthy titleholder; however, he seems too busy trying to win the AEW World Title rather than defending his TNT Title. If Hangman concentrates just on the title, that would immediately prop up the title.​

A juicy story AEW can tell is Hangman for the Ring of Honor title. Whether that's his new partner Bandido or a new contender, Hangman winning the ROH World Championship could be a full-circle moment for the cowboy. Honestly, Page doesn't have to win a singles title right away. He can be a vagabond for a while, telling a meaty story.  Nobody tells a story like the Cowboy, so Page can hit the ground running to tell some laid-out stories, even without any of the AEW titles at stake. This can set a good foundation for this return and avoid having him challenge for a belt just for the sake of it.

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Photo credit: AEW.

A Cowboy’s Odyssey

This next chapter in the story of the Hangman will be twofold: 1) reckoning with the fact he can't compete for the AEW World Championship again and 2) finding a new purpose. Since day one, Adam Page has had one mission: to win the AEW World Championship. And that is exactly what he did, from battling Chris Jericho in the first-ever AEW World Championship match all the way to winning the title for the second time at All In: Texas. That has been basically his entire character arc in AEW: chase the biggest prize in the sport. It is time to add another layer to this character, one not in the World Championship picture. The Hangman has been broken down differently than when he turned heel.

When he turned heel, he at least had a direction. His direction was making sure his boot connected with Swerve’s ass. This time he is directionless and doesn't know where to start, or where the rest of his career will go. The Odyssey recently returned to the popular zeitgeist, and Tony Khan and Adam Page could tell the wrestling version of that story. Why not have Hangman go on his own odyssey to the World Title? I'm not saying Hangman should take 20 years to win the title. Still, making Page go through his own trials and tribulations, his own siren call and Island of Ogygia, could bring another sophisticated story to wrestling.

The suitors for his belt, which he lost so egregiously to Samoa Joe because of Hook, could be reunited with the king.

But he can't get there right away, obviously. He needs to get his sea legs again. Page already started with a new persona, establishing himself as a wise, grizzled veteran and savior for those in need. That is where his partnership with Brodido makes sense. For the immediate future, I think he will be presented as a savior, the guardian angel of AEW and those who need it, but throughout this journey, who is going to save the savior?

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Photo credit: AEW.

The Million-dollar Question Is: Does Hangman Ever Compete For The AEW World Championship Again?

Yes, I think he does—but this should be years from now, five to seven years plus. That is the real question: can the entire saga be worth the ride if they don't pull the trigger anytime soon? I know TK gets some criticism online for slow burning stories, but that is exactly the route he needs to take with Adam Page. The journey has to be the real story here and not necessarily the destination. I think Hangman's character and the crowd have to earn it. As fans, we have to live and die by the results, and that makes us care.

I think what will eventually set up Page for his title shot is this: like Odysseus breaking into Troy destroying Zeus’s Law to end the war, will keeping his word do more harm than good if he doesn't challenge for the World Championship again?

As always, the ‘Hangman’ Adam Page character has many layers that make him incredibly interesting, and I think his upcoming journey might be his most ambitious to date. There is so much for the cowboy to do outside the AEW World Championship scene that it will not only benefit the company but also build his legacy in wrestling. 

If done correctly, this era of the Hangman can be his magnum opus.

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What Do You Think?

Am I wrong, or what do you agree with? 

Where am I missing the point, or do you agree with any of my points?

Let me know in the comments below!

Kevin Owens Returns | Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins Close the Book on the Shield | WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 Results

In the name of "fairness", Nick Aldis has added Gunther to the number one contenders match between Finn Balor and Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens has returned to the WWE and he's been added to the number one contenders match!!!

Kevin Owens five seconds after returning from a broken neck

Kevin Owens defeats Sami Zayn, Gunther and Finn Balor to become the number one contender to CM Punk's WWE Championship!!!!

Fans in Minnesota let the tears flow as we once questioned if Kevin Owens would ever be able to return to professional wrestling

After 17 months, it's no longer a question ❤️

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🚨BREAKING🚨 Baron Corbin is the new WWE United States Champion

Trick shoved Corbin into Yachty which put him through a table and distracted the ref. Corbin hits Trick with the title and then hits the end of days for the win.

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CHELSEA GREEN wins the Interim WWE Women's Championship

Very good match!! Shove it, Michael Hayes!!!

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Danhausen successfully wins the Judgement Day's money via cursing Dominik Mysterio and making the pyro go off in the turnbuckle when he tried to grab the cash on the pole

Danhausen takes down the bag, wins the match and then gives all the money away. It was real $1 bills mixed with Danhausen Dollars

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Chad Gable is the new Intercontinental Champion. The first singles championship of his career.

Chad Gable originally lost his mind trying to learn Lucha Libre skills so he could take on Penta and the other WWE luchadors. Gabe mocks the Lucha culture at first.

This led Gable down the path that eventually leads him to El Grande Americano and eventually he learns to respect the culture

That has led him to this victory tonight.

Chad Gable wants to introduce us to his family who have stood by him through all this time

He celebrates. The pyro goes off and then Gable is approached by the Mug Root Beer mascot randomly comes over to get Chad Gable some root beer(?)

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The Shield theme song intro plays and graphics appear on the tron. Seth Rollins appears on the stage in Shield gear.

Burn it Down begins to play. Flames engulf Seth Rollins and the tron graphics change. Rollins is now in a new outfit that Michael Cole says represents Rollins' rebirth tonight

Michael Cole with some interesting choice of words as he's describing the Shield history of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins

Cole says the Shield lead to the birth of the two greatest singles competitors of the last decade. Two men who didn't leave WWE and helped get them where they are today

Seth Rollins with the rebound clothesline and Roman Reigns with the Paradigm Shift DDT in memory of their SHIELD brother Jon Moxley/Dean Ambrose

Absolutely fantastic piece of storytelling with this match tonight. References to their past and a nod towards the future. The Bloodline never interfered. The story needed to end.

The Shield chair comes into play one final time. Rollins attempts to hit Roman in the back the way he did all those years ago. Roman Reigns knows it's coming. He takes the chair and has the opportunity to do the same to Seth

He finally let's it go... They fight one on one until Roman Reigns gets the upper hand on Rollins and mercifully ends this 12 year long journey.

With one final bump of the fist and an acknowledgement of their brother long gone. The story of the Shield has finally and totally come to an end.

Sierra. Hotel. India. Echo. Lima. Delta.

Believe in the Shield.

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Randy Orton Returns | Oba Femi beats Brock Lesnar in The Cell | WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 1 Results

Vaughn Evelyn, the daughter of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon sang America the Beautiful to open the event

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SummerSlam kicks off with Liv Morgan retaining her WWE Women's World Championship over Iyo Sky in a pretty damn good match.

Judgement Day tried to get involved early and were fought off, leaving Iyo and Liv to have a fair competitive match for most of their time.

Liv wins clean after Iyo reverses an Oblivion and Liv hits a codebreaker into a successful Oblivion

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The Usos and Jacob Fatu get a really cool sponsorship entrance to promote Gears of War: E Day

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The anti-Bloodline crew gets a win over the Bloodline when Solo Sikoa hits a Samoan Spike on Jimmy Uso, preventing LA Knight from getting hit with a 1D and allowing Knight to win the match with the BFT

Post match Solo Sikoa calls for LA Knight to hug him. LA Knight refuses but then gives in.

Hugs all around.

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Nick Aldis officially returned to the ring after three years, making his entrance to Morning Glory by Oasis for his WWE in ring debut at SummerSlam

Nick Aldis received a standing ovation after tapping out to Gunther's sleeper hold in a very successful return to in-ring competition.

His wife Mickie James and his son enter the ring giving Aldis his childhood dream of a genuine WWE moment

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It's your favorite, objective wrestling show hosts, the Busted Open Radio crew

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The Bellas have turned on Paige after losing their match to Fatal Influence

The match was... A mess. The less said about it, the better. Post match, Nikki Bella drills Paige with a forearm and Brie Bella attempted to stomp Paige as well but she appears to have injured her shoulder and decided to stand still, rather than hurting herself further.

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Cody Rhodes made his entrance to Street Fighter menu music, wearing a Guile shaped Helmet

Cody plays Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter film.

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes really turned it up in the second half of this match that told the story of CM Punk's knee being attacked by Cody Rhodes over and over until Randy Orton attacked Cody Rhodes while Punk was gone outside of the ring and really made the whole knee story irrelevant

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The next big thing has arrived. Oba Femi just defeats Brock Lesnar inside the Cell after kicking out of everything including a Tombstone on Wood

Brock Lesnar gets back into the ring after the match. He hugs Oba Femi and asks for a mic. He tells Oba to come over.

Lesnar declares himself the past and Oba Femi the future

How to Watch: Regional and Indie Wrestling: August 2026

 Wrestling keeps moving platforms. MyAEW has spent the summer expanding its independent-wrestling footprint, while SiriusXM replaced Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 with the new WWE Radio channel on July 27. Access to wrestling is better than ever, but finding it and keeping up with it can still be a challenge. Dirt Sheet Radio’s monthly How to Watch cannot cover every indie and near-indie production; there are simply too many. Instead, this is a curated list of the best bets, largest cards, biggest-impact matches and some shows that are just plain fun.

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Best Bets

Best Regional: Primos Premier Pro Wrestling: Scorched Summer Aug 16.

Best free weekly shows: JCW Lunacy, Lucha Libre AAA and MLW Fusion.

Best service for regional wrestling: IWTV.

Best concentrated indie weekend: GCW’s Minneapolis events on Aug. 1 and 2.

Best lucha event: CMLL’s International Grand Prix on Aug. 7.

Biggest single event: TNA Lockdown on Aug. 23.

Primos Premier Pro Wrestling

Scorched Summer 2

When: Sunday, Aug. 16; doors at 8 p.m. ET, bell time at 9 p.m. ET

Where: The Roxy Theatre, 2549 Welton St., Denver

Where to watch: The Roxy Theatre or live on TrillerTV+

Cost: TrillerTV+ is $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year

Why Watch

Scorched Summer 2 is the easiest way for viewers outside Colorado to get a look at Primos. The Denver promotion mixes traditional wrestling, lucha libre, hardcore matches, and the occasional bit of absolute nonsense, all without sanding down the DIY character that makes the company distinctive. Primos has spent more than two decades building its own roster, training wrestlers through the Butcher Shop and maintaining deep ties to the American deathmatch scene. The full lineup has not yet been announced, but Scorched Summer 2 will stream live on TrillerTV+ on Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. ET.

Pro-Wrestling: EVE

EVE x The World 2

Links: EVE home |Watch EVE

When: Friday, Aug. 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Big Penny Social, London, England

Where to watch: Live and on demand through EVE’s Champion YouTube membership tier.

Cost: Paid YouTube membership for live and latest full shows; selected content is free

Why Watch

London-based Pro-Wrestling: EVE has been running since 2010, combining women’s wrestling with punk rock, comedy, cabaret and an intentionally rowdy live-show atmosphere. Its roster has included major names from British wrestling, joshi and the international scene, including Meiko Satomura, Toni Storm, Kay Lee Ray, Emi Sakura, Manami Toyota, Kris Statlander and Miyu Yamashita. EVE is currently produced by Emily and Dann Read alongside AEW’s Will Ospreay.

EVE offers something most wrestling streams do not: a promotion built specifically around women without simply recreating the structure and feel of a conventional wrestling company. Its roster moves easily between British indie wrestling, Japanese joshi, AEW and the wider international scene. At the same time, the punk-rock and cabaret presentation gives the promotion an identity beyond the matches themselves.

EVE x The World 2 lands during the major London wrestling weekend, giving EVE access to an unusually deep pool of international talent. The biggest announced match has EVE International champion Miyu Yamashita defending against Kay Lee Ray. AEW’s Marina Shafir will make her EVE debut against Swedish martial artist Aliss Ink, while Aubrey Edwards is scheduled as a special guest referee. Skye Blue is also advertised to return.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

Miyu Yamashita vs. Kay Lee Ray for the EVE International Championship, Marina Shafir vs. Aliss Ink, Skye Blue, Aubrey Edwards as special guest referee, EVE roster members, AEW talent, international guests, additional matches and mystery appearances to be announced.

PRODUCE

Volume 3 — Azúcar

Links: Official event page |MyAEW

When: Monday, Aug. 3; in-person bell time at 7:30 p.m. ET; MyAEW lists the broadcast for 8 p.m. ET

Where: Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, New York

Where to watch: MyAEW lists Volume 3 as a PPV; PRODUCE has also advertised the show as free and live on The Produce Network YouTube channel.

Cost: MyAEW’s established PRODUCE PPV price is $14.95, but PRODUCE’s July 17 announcement advertised the Aug. 3 YouTube stream as free; verify the listing before bell time

Why Watch

Launched in early 2026 by Adam Abdalla, creator of the wrestling and art glossy Orange Crush, PRODUCE operates like a curated performance series rather than a traditional wrestling promotion. Events are co-produced by Abdalla and a wrestler who not only competes on the card, but also helps assemble the lineup and shapes the show around their own artistic and wrestling influences. Original music, visual art, and film are shown alongside the matches, giving every volume a distinct identity.

Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty curated the first two editions. Volume 3 belongs to Rocky Romero, whose heavily international card draws from lucha libre, Japanese wrestling, shoot-style grappling, women’s wrestling, and several corners of the American indie scene. Romero faces CMLL star Místico; Minoru Suzuki meets Hechicero; former UFC Heavyweight champion Josh Barnett faces The Butcher, musician Andy Williams; and veteran shooter Carl Greco-Malenko faces Tim Bosby. The show closes with a 30-person Royal Ranbo to crown the King of New York.

PRODUCE doesn’t depend on fixed champions, divisions or weekly storylines. Its appeal is the curation: each wrestler-producer builds a card around personal taste, creative influences and individual stylistic connections. Romero’s edition resembles a wrestling mixtape assembled by someone with an exceptionally deep contact list.

Dirt Sheet Radio writer Robert Acosta said PRODUCE’s debut “restored the feeling” of New York’s 2010s indie scene, praising its technical wrestling, international lineup and unusual touches such as live music and soccer-style yellow and red cards.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

Rocky Romero vs. Místico, Minoru Suzuki vs. Hechicero, Josh Barnett vs. The Butcher, Fuwa-chan, Hazuki and Ranna Yagami vs. Janai Kai, Jordan Blade and Nixi XS, Violence Is Forever vs. Cowboy Way for the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship, Skadi vs. Persephone, Tim Bosby vs. Carl Greco-Malenko, Tiger Mask IV and Dynamite Kid Tommy Billington vs. Black Tiger IV and Black Tiger IX, 30-person Royal Ranbo for the title of King of New York.

Juggalo Championship Wrestling

JCW Lunacy

Links: JCW home |Psychopathic Records on YouTube

When: Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Recorded and live events from venues around the United States

Where to watch: Psychopathic Records’ YouTube channel and JCWLunacy.net

Cost: Free

Why Watch

Co-founded by Insane Clown Posse in 1999, Juggalo Championship Wrestling combines traditional indie wrestling with carnival spectacle, violent stipulations, backstage comedy and dramatic serialized stories. Its weekly flagship, JCW Lunacy, creates its own unstable world of clowns, monsters, criminal factions and corrupt authority figures, with recognizable veterans appearing alongside developing talent and a stable of wrestlers suited to JCW’s deliberately unruly style.

Specific cards are usually teased on social media leading up to airtime and announced shortly before the show, but episodic stories develop through JCW’s weekly programming and touring events. Recent angles have centered on Caleb Konley, Vince Russo’s ‘Chosen One,’ maneuvering within the company, Jasmin St. Claire’s surprise pregnancy and Dani Mo’s status as Barnabas the Bizarre’s estranged daughter. The larger fight over who controls JCW is never far away.

Lunacy is one of the easiest independent shows to sample because it streams free and rewards weekly viewing. JCW delivers low-budget serialized chaos that would be difficult to confuse with any other promotion.

In July, JCW launched JCWLunacy.net as a central home for weekly episodes, archives, roster information, and results. The current JCW Lunacy World champion is Caleb Konley. Read my write-up of JCW for more reasons to watch.

Also in August: Bloodymania 19

JCW’s biggest annual event, Bloodymania 19, is scheduled across two late-night cards at the Gathering of the Juggalos in Macks Creek, Missouri, on Aug. 20 and 21. JCW’s official site lists the event, but a dedicated livestream has not yet been announced; check JCWLunacy.net close to the show.

Game Changer Wrestling

Links: GCW Instagram |GCW on TrillerTV

Game Changer Wrestling is one of the country’s most visible touring independent promotions. Originally a New Jersey regional company, GCW has grown into a national and international brand by mixing deathmatches, technical wrestling, lucha libre, comedy and emerging talent on the same cards. Its events stream live and on demand through TrillerTV+.

GCW: Rude Awakening

When: Saturday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m. ET

Where: First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota

How to watch: Live and on demand through TrillerTV+; included with a subscription.

GCW’s first Minneapolis event takes place at one of the city’s best-known music venues during SummerSlam weekend. The card combines established GCW regulars, Minnesota talent and new arrivals, including the GCW debut of Avery Styles.

The appeal is GCW’s unpredictability. Technical wrestling, comedy and heavyweight violence can all appear on the same show, and Rude Awakening gives the promotion a chance to introduce that style to a new regional audience.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

Marcus Mathers vs. Avery Styles, Atticus Cogar vs. Devon Monroe, Bear Bronson vs. Shotzi Blackheart, additional matches to be announced.

GCW vs. F1RST Wrestling

Links:F1RST Wrestling |Watch on TrillerTV+

When: Sunday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. ET

Where: First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota

How to watch: Live and on demand through TrillerTV+; included with a subscription.

GCW returns to First Avenue for a crossover with Minnesota-based F1RST Wrestling. The card pairs GCW’s touring roster with wrestlers from the Upper Midwest scene, giving the second show a stronger regional identity.

GCW brings national exposure and a deliberately unpredictable roster. F1RST brings Minnesota history, local loyalties, and wrestlers who may be unfamiliar to viewers outside the region. The show should work as both an interpromotional event and an introduction to Upper Midwest wrestling.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

GCW and F1RST Wrestling representatives in interpromotional matches; full lineup to be announced.

All Caribbean Wrestling

Georgetown Smash

Links: ACW home |Georgetown Smash |Watch on TrillerTV

When: Saturday, Aug. 8, at 6:05 p.m. ET

Where: Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Georgetown, Guyana

How to watch: Live through TrillerTV as an individual pay-per-view purchase.

Why Watch

All Caribbean Wrestling is a young touring promotion focused on Caribbean wrestlers, audiences and identity. It is led by wrestler-promoter JB Cool, with Mark Henry billed as the company’s CEO and public face. ACW has expanded across Jamaica, the Bahamas and Guyana while pairing regional performers with recognizable names from WWE, TNA and ROH.

Its style is traditional, family-oriented sports entertainment built around championship stories, veteran personalities and a broad mix of wrestling styles. The weekly series Saturday Night VIBE debuted on Tempo Networks, while ACW also distributes events internationally through TrillerTV. The promotion is still building its homegrown roster and regional circuit, which makes it especially worth following for viewers interested in emerging Caribbean talent.

Georgetown Smash brings ACW to Guyana as the promotion continues expanding beyond the Caribbean islands. ACW is promoting Kenny King’s appearance as a Guyana homecoming tied to his family heritage. ACW champion Prince Agballah and Digital Media champion Leroy Jones are also advertised, along with Women’s champion Kaylia Capri.

The card may not have the depth or production polish of a larger promotion. What ACW offers instead is a globally streamed event that treats Guyana as the center of the story rather than an exotic backdrop, and a chance to follow a company trying to build a sustainable wrestling circuit around Caribbean talent and audiences.

Matches and Scheduled Appearances

Kenny King, Mark Henry, Elijah Burke, The Bollywood Boyz, Paola Mayfield, Kaylia Capri, Prince Agballah, Leroy Jones and El Diablo Maduro. Additional matches and appearances will be announced.

SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling

Under the Same Moon

Links: Official page |SETUP on YouTube

When: Saturday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. ICT

Where: The Circus Studio, Bangkok, Thailand

Where to watch: No live stream has been confirmed; SETUP regularly posts full events and matches on its official YouTube channel after release

Cost: Free on YouTube after release; in-person tickets begin at 550 Thai baht.

Why Watch

Founded in Bangkok in 2019, SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling has become a meeting point for Thailand’s developing wrestling scene and the wider Asian circuit. Its cards combine homegrown Thai wrestlers with performers from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Japan and India. The style varies accordingly, moving between Japanese junior-heavyweight wrestling, American sports entertainment, comedy and the faster pace common across Southeast Asia’s smaller promotions.

Under the Same Moon celebrates the 15th anniversary of Thai wrestler and promoter Pumi. SETUP is presenting the anniversary show as a reunion of wrestlers and partner promotions that have helped build professional wrestling across Southeast Asia.

SETUP offers a look at a wrestling culture that rarely reaches American streaming guides. The promotion is not simply importing Japanese or American stars into Bangkok; it is helping connect wrestlers from countries whose local scenes are still small, geographically scattered and often difficult to watch outside the region.

Scheduled to Appear

Pumi, SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling roster members, representatives from partner promotions across Southeast Asia, returning Thai wrestlers, additional matches and appearances to be announced.

---

TNA Wrestling

TNA Lockdown

Links:TNA home |Lockdown event page |TNA+

When: Sunday, Aug. 23; preshow at 5 p.m. ET and pay-per-view at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, Illinois

How to watch: Live through TNA+ and participating pay-per-view providers

Cost: $39.99 as an individual PPV; TNA+ annual plans that include PPVs also carry the event, while the $9.99 monthly tier does not include PPVs

Why Watch

Founded in 2002, TNA Wrestling occupies the space between the independent circuit and wrestling’s largest national companies. Its programming combines established television names with emerging talent, continuing storylines, the women’s Knockouts division and the fast-paced X Division. Crossovers with WWE’s NXT and wrestlers from the wider independent scene have also become a regular part of the company’s current identity.

First held in 2005, Lockdown returns for the first time since 2016. Every match takes place inside a steel cage, giving the event a built-in sense of escalation and making it a natural setting for rivalry conclusions, title matches and faction warfare. The complete card has not been announced.

Lockdown was once one of TNA’s defining events, alongside Slammiversary and Bound for Glory. Its return gives the company a chance to revive a concept strongly associated with its earlier identity while introducing it to a newer roster and audience.

Scheduled to Appear

Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Nic Nemeth, Mustafa Ali, Moose, AJ Francis, Brian Myers, Leon Slater, Ricky Sosa, Xia Brookside, Elayna Black, Indi Hartwell, Rosemary and Allie. Additional matches and appearances will be announced.

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide

Weekly Lucha Libre AAA

Links: AAA on WWE |WWE YouTube

When: Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Events recorded or broadcast from venues throughout Mexico

How to watch: FOX in Latin America; YouTube and Facebook in other markets through AAA/WWE distribution

Cost: Free on YouTube/Facebook where available

Why Watch

Founded in 1992, Lucha Libre AAA combines Mexican lucha libre with elaborate characters, faction warfare and American-style sports entertainment. Its cards are known for masked rivalries, fast multi-person matches and a willingness to favor spectacle over strict realism. AAA’s expanding relationship with WWE has also brought its wrestlers into regular crossover stories with WWE and NXT talent.

AAA’s August programming continues the aftermath of Verano de Escándalo. Dominik Mysterio betrayed El Grande Americano and aligned himself with Omos and Dorian Roldán. At the same time, La Hiedra and Laredo Kid defeated Lola Vice and Mr. Iguana to become AAA World Mixed Tag Team champions. General manager Rey Mysterio is also resisting attempts to place the vacant Latin American Championship directly onto Omos.

The weekly series is one of the easiest entry points for viewers curious about lucha libre. It streams free in many markets, the matches are colorful and fast, and the WWE crossovers provide recognizable names without completely displacing AAA’s own wrestlers and rivalries.

The month also leads toward AAA x NXT Heatwave on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, Texas. The full card is still being announced. Triplemanía 34 follows with events in Las Vegas on Sept. 11 and Mexico City on Sept. 13.

Wrestlers and Storylines to Watch

Rey Fénix vs. Mini-Vikingo, Dominik Mysterio, El Grande Americano, Rey Mysterio, Dorian Roldán, Omos, Daga, Angel, La Hiedra and Laredo Kid.

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL)

International Grand Prix

Links: CMLL home |CMLL YouTube

When: Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Arena México, Mexico City

Where to watch: CMLL’s paid YouTube membership in Spanish; MyAEW also offers the event with English commentary.

Cost: CMLL YouTube membership varies by tier; MyAEW lists the Grand Prix at $20, with a three-event CMLL bundle for $35

Why Watch

The men’s Grand Prix takes place Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Arena México, pitting 11 wrestlers from Team World against 11 from Team Mexico in an elimination field that ultimately produces one winner. Team World includes PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, Orange Cassidy, Bandido, Roderick Strong, DOUKI, Yujiro Takahashi, Austin Aries, Blake Christian, Leon Cage and Rohan Raja. Team Mexico includes Xelhua, Volador Jr., Titán, Último Guerrero, Máscara Dorada, Hechicero, Templario, Ángel de Oro, Bárbaro Cavernario, Soberano Jr. and Místico.

CMLL also runs throughout the week, generally presenting Monday cards from Arena Puebla, Tuesday and Friday cards from Arena México, Saturday events at Arena Coliseo and Sunday family shows at Arena México. Premium live programming is available through its official YouTube membership tiers, while selected matches, interviews and archival material are posted free.

Major League Wrestling

MLW Fusion

Links: MLW home |Where to watch |MLW YouTube

When: Saturdays at 6:05 p.m. ET on YouTube, 9 p.m. ET on VEEPS and 10 p.m. ET on beIN SPORTS

Where: Episodes taped at MLW events around the United States

How to watch: Free through MLW’s YouTube channel and VEEPS; also on beIN SPORTS, with a later NJPW World window in Japan

Why Watch

Major League Wrestling combines a sports-oriented presentation with faction stories, heavyweight wrestling, lucha libre and international talent. Partnerships with CMLL, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and STARDOM regularly bring Mexican and Japanese wrestlers into MLW’s weekly programming.

New episodes of Fusion continue throughout August, beginning with matches built around MLW’s FantasticaMania collaboration with CMLL and New Japan. The weekly series offers a more traditional television structure than many smaller indie shows, with commentary, continuing feuds and established championships.

Its international partnerships are the main attraction. A single episode can move from American heavyweight wrestling to Mexican lucha libre and Japanese junior-heavyweight action without requiring viewers to follow several promotions or streaming services.

Announced for Aug. 1

Místico, El Desperado and Diego Hill vs. Último Guerrero, DOUKI and Austin Aries, Big Damo vs. Mads Krule Krugger, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang vs. Okumura and Ikuro Kwon, appearances by Donovan Dijak, Bishop Dyer and Josh Bishop, additional matches to be announced.

Hoodslam

Hoodslam: Revelations 8:28

Links: Hoodslam on TrillerTV |Revelations 8:28 stream

When: Live event Friday, Aug. 28, at approximately 8 p.m. PT; TrillerTV+ currently lists the streaming broadcast for Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Continental Club, Oakland, California

How to watch: TrillerTV+ on Sept. 1; no live Aug. 28 stream is currently listed

Why Watch

Hoodslam is an adults-only Oakland promotion combining wrestling with performance art, comedy, fantasy and sprawling fictional mythology. Its setting, SlamTown, operates as a complete universe populated by supernatural creatures, detectives, corrupt officials and alternate versions of familiar wrestlers. Character and story frequently matter more than conventional sporting logic.

The story follows Wrestle Detective Contra Costa Cooper as he investigates a banned religious text written by Sheikah and evidence that several SlamTown residents may have lived in another universe. The mystery also draws in former mayor Mike Rayne, current mayor Christina Von Eerie, and wrestlers beginning to recover memories of identities outside SlamTown.

Hoodslam is deliberately theatrical, strange and difficult to understand completely without accepting some confusion. Viewers seeking rankings and clean athletic competition may struggle with it. Viewers interested in wrestling as camp, queer performance, community theater and living comic-book mythology will find little else like it.

Scheduled to Appear

Ricky Stoner, Scotty Stoner, Anton Voorhees, Contra Costa Cooper, Sheriff Boone, Deputy Regular Rob, Justice Jaguar, Justice Gonzo, Daniel T, Lara Frazier, Sheikah, Dave Reckoning and KEiTA.

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Streamable Regional Promotions to Keep on the August Radar

Keep in mind, many local promotions do not release complete monthly calendars in advance. Some broadcast every event live, while others upload complete shows after a delay or post only selected matches for free. Listings can change during the final week before an event, so viewers should check both the promotion’s official page and its streaming platform before bell time.

Pacific Northwest

DOA Pro Wrestling — Portland, Oregon

Links: Official |IWTV

DOA is one of Portland’s established local promotions, with recent complete events available through IWTV. Its cards tend to mix regional regulars with wrestlers moving through the broader West Coast circuit.

SOS Pro Wrestling — Washington

Links: Official |IWTV

SOS is a useful entry point into Washington’s scene beyond the better-known Seattle brands. Its official site links both IWTV and YouTube, while live dates are often added relatively close to showtime.

Northeast

Beyond Wrestling and Wrestling Open — Worcester, Massachusetts

Links: Official |IWTV

Beyond remains one of the most reliable weekly indie products in the country. Its Wrestling Open series provides regular matches rather than waiting for occasional supercards, while larger Beyond events also stream through IWTV.

Limitless Wrestling — Maine

Links: Official |IWTV

Limitless regularly brings national names into cards built around wrestlers from Maine and the wider New England circuit. Its on-demand home remains IWTV, and the promotion also posts selected material on YouTube.

Mid-Atlantic

MCW Pro Wrestling — Maryland and West Virginia

Links: Official |YouTube

MCW runs frequently throughout Maryland, with occasional West Virginia dates. Free matches are posted on YouTube, while channel members receive access to longer and complete-event videos.

H2O Wrestling — Williamstown, New Jersey

Links: Official |IWTV archive

H2O is best known for hardcore and deathmatch programming, although its cards also include conventional singles, tag-team and tournament wrestling. A large archive remains on IWTV; current live-stream availability should be checked event by event.

Appalachia

International Wrestling Cartel — Pittsburgh region

Links: Official |IWTV

IWC has promoted wrestling in Western Pennsylvania for more than two decades. In 2026, it began moving its video library to IWTV, and it also sells individual digital events. August live dates include Caged Fury on Aug. 8 and an Iron City Comedy Festival card on Aug. 19.

TWE Chattanooga — Chattanooga and Red Bank, Tennessee

Links: Official |IWTV

TWE is rooted in the Chattanooga-area scene but regularly draws wrestlers from Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and the wider Southeast. Complete recent events are available through IWTV.

South

ACTION Wrestling — Tyrone, Georgia

Links: Official |IWTV

ACTION is based outside Atlanta and consistently produces compact, wrestling-heavy cards. It is closely connected with the Scenic City Invitational weekend, one of the Southeast’s strongest showcases for emerging independent talent.

Southern Honor Wrestling — Canton, Georgia

Links: Official |IWTV

Southern Honor offers a more traditional, storyline-driven regional product with recurring characters, championships and longer local arcs. Its archive is available on IWTV, and an Aug. 7 event is advertised in Canton.

Deep South

New South Pro Wrestling — Alabama

Links: Official |IWTV

New South has built a substantial archive of events and continues to tour Alabama and nearby states. IWTV carries its library, while selected programming is also posted on YouTube.

WildKat Sports — New Orleans, Louisiana

Links: Official |YouTube

WildKat is one of Louisiana’s more durable promotions, operating live events and a wrestling school in the New Orleans area. Its current official video presence is easiest to follow through YouTube; do not assume every live card is streamed.

Plains and Rockies

New Texas Pro Wrestling — Houston, Texas

Links: Official |IWTV

New Texas Pro is one of IWTV’s more active regional promotions, presenting main cards alongside the recurring Texas Contenders Series. The Contenders shows are especially useful for following wrestlers before they move onto larger Texas and national bookings.

Wrestling for a Cause — Oklahoma

Links: Official |IWTV

Wrestling for a Cause presents community-centered events around Oklahoma and has built a substantial IWTV archive. Its cards emphasize accessible regional wrestling rather than nationally imported dream matches.

California

West Coast Pro Wrestling — Northern California

Links: Official |YouTube

West Coast Pro regularly brings together California talent, national indie names and wrestlers from Japan, Mexico and Europe. Its current official site directs viewers to YouTube for full matches and complete shows; IWTV is useful mainly for older archive material.

Desert Southwest

Future Stars of Wrestling — Las Vegas, Nevada

Links: Official |Title Match Network

FSW is Las Vegas’s primary developmental and regional promotion, with alums who later appeared for WWE, AEW, TNA and other national companies. Current events are available through Title Match Wrestling Network and FSW’s own network, with free material on YouTube.

Arizona Wrestling Federation — Phoenix, Arizona

Links: Official |YouTube

AWF tours across Arizona and releases episodes of High Voltage and other material free on its official YouTube channel, making it one of the simplest no-cost options for following local Southwestern wrestling.

Jenny Catlin is a sports and pop culture writer in the square states. She’s a contributing writer to The Athletic, a Lighthouse Writers Book Project Fellow, and an award-winning essayist obsessed with obsession. You can find her on Instagram or Substack.

Have a show you think should be listed?

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Not WWE Lite: Inside the Strange, Bloody World of Primos Premier Pro Wrestling

Primos Premier Pro Wrestling has spent decades building an expansive wrestling community with Juggalo roots, international talent, long-form storytelling, and very little interest in becoming WWE Lite.

The promotion's signature annual event, Slave to the Deathmatch, has well over a decade of success, and the bloody, gritty deathmatch style is the company’s trademark, but on any given night, a Primos card is likely to get eclectic well before anybody reaches for a fluorescent light tube.

Joan Jetson’s 2022 Big Queer Launch included a “Don’t Say Gay” match and a Pride Flag on a Pole match. Three years later, the opening night of Slave to the Deathmatch XVI put a one-on-one match, an Evo Lucha title bout, a women’s deathmatch, and a main event 5-Way No Canvas Lights Out Denver Deathmatch.

Primos Premier Pro streams beyond its home crowd through TrillerTV, and this is one for fans to add to their watchlist because, for wrestling fans scrolling through an absurd, although delightful, number of independent shows every week, Primos has a notable distinction: it actually feels like its own company.

Of course, no wrestler is an island (that’s part of why we love it, right?), and Primos is no exception. It’s the longest continuous-running promotion in Colorado, and it shares talent and history with the wider American deathmatch circuit. New Jack, Mickie Knuckles, Mad Man Pondo, John Wayne Murdoch and Neil Diamond Cutter have all passed through its orbit. Wrestlers developed at its Butcher Shop have gone on to AEW, New Japan and promotions around the world.

But make no mistake, this isn’t just another stop on the indie circuit.

These shows come with their own mythology, hometown characters and fans who have watched relationships develop for years. A wrestler can get a “you sick fuck” chant for eating a durian. A heel can spend three years building a cult that culminates in stealing a baby.[1]

“We’re not WWE light,” owner, trainer and wrestler Joe McDougal said. “We are our own thing.”

Before Primos Was a Wrestling Company

McDougal’s history in deathmatch and Midwest wrestling is long and storied. He began wrestling in the late 90’s and came up through the IWF[2], a Denver-area promotion whose branches eventually included traditional American wrestling, lucha libre and Primos Hardcore & Wrestling, all connected to the original Butcher Shop training school.

One of McDougal’s trainers was Alan “Beetlejuice” Carnill, an old-school lifer: a Navy veteran who had worked in the Pacific Northwest, refereed WWF dark matches and became a trainer and promoter. Carnill died in a 2004 vehicle accident coming home from a Kansas booking. McDougal and Larry “Bubba” Shelton were both in the vehicle. Afterward, he gradually assumed more of the work Carnill had carried. Shelton said McDougal “took over his spot without really trying.”

Alan “Beetlejuice” Carnill

Bubba aka “Boss Man Jr” Shelton, Technical Director

Shelton brought his own wonderfully strange wrestling résumé. In the 1990s, he worked as Big Boss Man Jr., an independent riff on the WWF star he naturally resembled, complete with the flat-top Shelton says he was “born with.” At one Kansas television taping, he was introduced as “the son of a legend,” despite having no connection to “real” Big Boss Man. Shelton called his actual father afterward to congratulate him on apparently becoming a wrestling legend.

Shelton later developed a Redneck character who became part of Primos’ early mythology. Shelton originally favored a more conventional style, while McDougal wanted to push harder toward hardcore wrestling. Instead of keeping that disagreement backstage, they turned it into heat: McDougal’s Violent Juggalos and Shelton’s Rednecks became opposing factions.

The Juggalo side was more than a gimmick, too. The Primos name came from a Denver tire shop that had already become a gathering place for Insane Clown Posse fans, selling Faygo and Hatchet Gear, promoting horrorcore acts and building a community around people who often felt unwelcome elsewhere. The wrestling promotion inherited that outsider culture along with the name.

Primos also remains aggressively and stubbornly DIY. McDougal owns and repairs rings (with Shelton acting as tech and ring manager), trains wrestlers, books shows, wrestles and works production. His fiancée and business partner, wrestler Tyra Russamee, shares much of the same workload. People around Primos still see both carrying equipment, setting up, tearing down and filling whatever job suddenly needs doing.

A Different Animal

Schyler Ashwood came to Colorado after spending years around New Jersey’s now defunct Monster Factory, where he worked primarily as a ring announcer.

When he landed at Primos, his assessment was simple. It was “a different animal.”

From an announcer’s point of view, Ashwood said, it kept him constantly alert. Cards could change at the last minute. Workers had to improvise.

Instead of alienating him, it made him better.

He’s since returned to the East Coast but stays in regular contact with McDougal and Russamee and comes back out west whenever he can for shows. He credits them as unique in the field for their willingness to get gritty and find space for everyone.

The same description surfaced repeatedly in interviews. More than one person described McDougal and Russamee as stepping up over and over to keep the scene safe for everyone. More than one person I spoke with credited McDougal, specifically, for his willingness to call out predatory or bigoted behavior in the wider Colorado wrestling community. Many spoke about McDougal’s willingness to work again with wrestlers who had left the company badly or damaged relationships on their way out.

I explicitly invited people to criticize him. There were no takers, although everyone was quick to assure me, "Oh, he has enemies out there.”

When I told the deathmatch champion how much his students and wrestlers seemed to admire him, he said, “Good. Then they’re appropriately afraid. My cult works.”

Everyone kept returning to the same idea, though, and having spent a week with them, I’m inclined to agree.

Primos survives because its owners keep finding room for people.

Russamee calls it an “Island of Misfit Toys.” As a card-carrying misfit myself, maybe that’s why I felt at home as soon as I walked into the gym they share with a few other combat sports organizations.

Grit Can Grow

I should note, this isn’t some quaint plucky Rocky Mountain promotion without goals. The Butcher Shop has also produced talent who eventually outgrow the boundaries of one promotion.

Royce Isaacs, for example, trained there under Lonnie Valdez before becoming a Primos champion in 2014. He’s gone on to become an NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion, tour Japan, and appear for AEW.

That matters because Primos doesn’t train wrestlers exclusively for Primos, nor do they try to limit how and where they appear while training.

Russamee and McDougal expect folks to communicate, know their current professional limits, and be safe, but overall, the system assumes they may end up somewhere else.

Murdoc Graves, the Box State Brawler, told me he trains in both American professional wrestling and lucha. He’s the current Primos Chopping Block Champion

David Vega Jr. lives four hours from the Butcher School but happily makes the drive to train with the company. Still early in his career, he trains as a wrestler under the moniker David Vega Jr, while using his Christopher Garcia identity for wrestling content. He recently broke his toe fighting off a ferocious bear (or maybe dropping a dumbbell on it); the promotion was quick to help try to raise funds to support his recovery.

Erza Menagerie Tinker works as a wrestler, referee, and a one-of-a-kind creative performer whose character draws on science fiction, theater, gender identity, and mental-health themes. She has wrestled in Canada and multiple U.S. states, worked for JCW and performed lucha libre.

These different styles, both as wrestlers and as people, aren’t cordoned off into novelty divisions. They’re part of what makes the company.

Primos runs Pride events and openly supports the queer community, but queer and trans talent appear on its regular roster without the company treating their existence as a special attraction.

“They always were,” McDougal said of the queer community and beyond. No one involved seems to want a pat on the back for inclusivity; it’s just what they’ve always been.

Erza Menagerie Tinker in the Ring

Tinker told me that was one of the things that drew her to Primos. She described the company as genuinely “pro-mentor” and “pro-community,” rather than one using inclusion as promotional language.

At Primos, she is a wrestler.

So is her partner (in tag-team and life), Azuka.

That sounds like a modest distinction until a company starts trying very hard to congratulate itself for allowing somebody into the room.

Deathmatch Is Wrestling

The deathmatch side of Primos can overwhelm everything else about the promotion, especially for viewers who see light tubes and assume they already understand what they’re watching. If you talk to anyone involved in deathmatch wrestling, you’re likely to hear, “it’s not for everyone.” But I think it’s for a broader audience than people assume.

Deathmatch wrestling has a lineage and a grammar, much of which is misunderstood.

Japan’s Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling made exploding-ring and barbed-wire deathmatches into major attractions under founder Atsushi Onita, who repeatedly headlined the company’s biggest shows in those stipulations. ECW helped popularize hardcore wrestling in the United States through its syndicated television program before reaching a national cable audience on TNN in 1999. IWA Mid-South launched its King of the Deathmatch tournament in 1997, and Combat Zone Wrestling followed with its Tournament of Death in 2002, helping establish the single-elimination deathmatch tournament as a durable American indie format. GCW eventually carried that tradition deep into the streaming era.

Primos’ Slave to the Deathmatch belongs to the same lineage.

The 2025 event was the tournament’s 16th edition, spread across three nights at the Roxy Theatre and Rickhouse in Denver and streamed on TrillerTV+. The shows included fans-bring-the-weapons, flaming-table, cinderblock, light-tube and no-canvas matches alongside lucha libre, championships and conventional wrestling.

Over the years, the tournament and promotion have brought Primos into contact with some of the most recognizable names in American hardcore wrestling. Primos wrestlers, meanwhile, have gone the other direction, working for JCW, AEW, New Japan, and other promotions around the world.

McDougal has traveled even farther. He’s wrestled in roughly 28 states, worked in Japan as recently as January, and made more than a dozen appearances connected to JCW and Bloodymania at the Gathering of the Juggalos. He also spent time living in Mexico while developing his lucha skills.

Pro Wrestler, Poet, Vocalist/Front man HARVEST THE MURDERED. Owner PRIMOS PRO WRESTLING, #IAMTHEPROVIDER, #TheCultAwaitsYOU CULT LEADER

That résumé supports one of the central rules he teaches at the Butcher Shop: somebody who specializes in deathmatches still needs to know how to wrestle and do it right.

Deathmatch wrestling, in McDougal’s system, is an extension of the fundamentals rather than a replacement for them.

He describes one of his calculations as the “pain-to-pop ratio.”

If somebody is going to hit a dangerous-looking object, the moment should generate enough anticipation and reaction to justify the physical cost. He argues that a well-built deathmatch will involve fewer repeated bumps than a conventional match because so much of the match is constructed around anticipation of one major collision.

Logan Ray Maes refuses to go quietly…

Nothing involving people throwing themselves backward onto wood and steel can be made safe in the ordinary meaning of the word, but the objective is to make the danger deliberate.

Russamee told me that across the company’s decades of operation, only one wrestler on its roster has suffered what she characterized as a serious permanent injury. It’s the kind of statistic that sounds almost impossible beside a highlight reel full of broken glass and barbed wire, but it also explains why people inside the form get irritated when deathmatch wrestling is dismissed as people hitting each other with garbage.

The best performers understand pacing, anticipation, illusion, and psychology. The words illusion and Houdini were mentioned more than once.

Primos champion Logan Ray Maes describes it as wrestling at its most “gritty” and “visceral.”

And Primos can get very strange with that principle.

Enter the Durian

Russamee is, well, a bad-ass, and she brings an entirely different wrestling lineage into the company.

Tyra Russamee

The Thai and Chinese American wrestler began her career in Singapore in 2015, years before she joined Primos.

While visiting family in Colorado, a friend suggested that she train with McDougal. She eventually moved to the state, joined Primos in 2019 and became one of its central wrestlers, a coach and eventually a co-owner.

Somewhere in there, she and McDougal also became a couple.

A true squared-circle love story.

Russamee jokes that professional wrestling saved her from spinsterhood and alcohol problems, which is probably not the standard wellness claim made on wrestling-school brochures.

Russamee wrestled former AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida on AEW Dark: Elevation following a December 2022 taping in Broomfield. In February 2026, she teamed with Gypsy Mac against Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor on AEW Collision in Denver.

She has simultaneously become one of Primos’ principal deathmatch wrestlers, working with barbed wire, light tubes, thumbtacks and fans-bring-the-weapons stipulations.

Which brings us to the durian.

During one match against Joan Jetson, Russamee used the notoriously pungent Southeast Asian fruit as a weapon.

Then she cracked it open and ate some.

Ashwood, who supplied the durian, remembers the crowd responding with a chant generally reserved for particularly deranged acts of professional wrestling:

“You sick fuck.”

It is difficult to imagine a cleaner encapsulation of Primos.

The spot is violent, weird, funny, culturally specific and completely dependent on a wrestler knowing exactly who she is and what part of that to exploit. I love it. The fans love it. You just might love it too.

Why Watch

There is little illusion that a massive corporate machine is hiding somewhere behind the curtain. Somebody had to transport the ring. Somebody is selling shirts. Somebody probably fixed something twenty minutes before bell time. Somebody wrestling later may have been setting up chairs.

That remains one of professional wrestling’s oldest pleasures: watching people build the thing they are about to perform inside.

Primos doesn’t try very hard to conceal that process.

None of that automatically makes a wrestling promotion good.

What makes Primos interesting is what it has built with it. FMW’s spectacle is in there. ECW’s defiance is in there. JCW’s Juggalo culture is certainly in there. So are lucha libre, the American wrestling school, the hardcore tournament, queer indie wrestling and the ancient local-wrestling tradition of one guy apparently being responsible for half the building.

Children learn promos in the same building where adults learn how to fall through weapons.

International veterans work beside beginners.

People who don’t fit neatly anywhere else find jobs as wrestlers, referees, announcers, camera operators, creatives or whatever somebody suddenly discovers needs doing.

And then the bell rings.

Primos isn’t gritty because it failed to become something slicker.

The grit is the product.

It’s why, after more than two decades of people carrying rings, losing buildings, surviving deaths, changing names, breaking glass and figuring out what comes next, Primos Premier Pro Wrestling still feels like Primos.

[1] Both parents are wrestlers with the company and were in on the gimmick.

[2] People always wanted to know what IWF stood for but the silly reason behind it was “Is Wrestling Fake (IWF), as it was the number one question we’d hear & it made us laugh

Logan Ray Maes is holding the youngest (known) deathmatch baby of all time. Probably.

HOW TO WATCH PRIMOS IN AUGUST

SummerSlam Watch Party
When: Sunday, Aug. 2; Primos meet-and-greet at 3 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET, watch party at 4 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. ET
Where: Tom’s Watch Bar – Coors Field, 1601 19th St., Denver
Where to watch: In person; this is a Primos-hosted WWE SummerSlam watch party, not a Primos wrestling card
Cost: No admission charge is currently listed; RSVP through Primos
RSVP: Primos event page

Scorched Summer 2
When: Sunday, Aug. 16; doors at 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET, bell time at 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET
Where: The Roxy Theatre, 2549 Welton St., Denver
Where to watch: The Roxy Theatre or live on TrillerTV+
Cost: $20 general admission or $25 VIP in person; TrillerTV+ is $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year
Tickets: Afton Tickets
Stream: TrillerTV+

Jenny Catlin is an award-winning writer and pop culture enthusiast based in the square states. She’s a contributing writer to The Athletic, a Lighthouse Writers Book Project Fellow, and the co-editor of the upcoming anthology Wrestling with Writing. She’s obsessed with obsession. You can find her on Instagram or Substack.

A Handy Guide To: WWE Summerslam 2026

Need to know when and where to watch an upcoming PPV/PLE? Need to know who’s fighting who? Need to know why you should care? Then, you’ve come to the right place!

A Handy Guide is a new series on Dirt Sheet Radio where we run down an upcoming pay-per-view match card, and discuss the competitors and stories coming into each match. For now, our focus is going to be on WWE and AEW, but if there’s interest, we may expand to companies like TNA, NJPW, and more.

Today’s edition is all about Summerslam 2026, taking place on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET from the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is WWE’s premier show of the summer and, arguably, their second biggest show of the year. The 39th iteration of the event, this is the first time Summerslam has taken place in Minnesota since 1999. 

The PLE will air on traditional pay-per-view and stream on the ESPN app in the United States. International viewers can stream it on Netflix; additionally, it will stream on SuperSport in Africa, and Abema in Japan. This article does not cover any of the kick-off (pre-show) matches, and as always the card is subject to change. For now, these are the matches and their stories:

Night One

Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky— Women’s World Championship Match

Wrestling is all about wins and losses, and few have embodied that spirit these past few months like Iyo Sky. In February, she lost the women’s tag titles and was left off the Wrestlemania 42 card. In April, her close friend, Kairi Sane was released from the WWE. In May, she bade farewell to Asuka after their match at Backlash. Then, in July, her close personal roommate— I mean friend— Rhea Ripley went down with an injury (more on that later). She has suffered loss after loss, yet through it all, she keeps fighting and flying. It’s that drive that pushed her all the way to win the Queen of the Ring tournament, earning her the crown and a shot at the Women’s World Championship at Summerslam. 

Her opponent in the QOTR Finals was none other than the women’s world champ herself, Liv Morgan. There was confusion and speculation as to why Liv entered the tournament (after all, the winner is supposed to face her for her title). The simple answer was she wanted to prove she was the most dominant woman in WWE, she “wanted it all”. That arrogance and greed propelled the leading lady of the Judgment Day to the finals, but she came up short against Iyo Sky. Let that be a lesson, readers: don’t get cursed by Danhausen. Uh, I mean, don’t be greedy. More on that Danhausen thing later, as well. 

Iyo’s win not only gives her a guaranteed shot at Liv’s championship, it also gives her the edge in their rematch. The Genius of the Sky has proven she can beat the champ, now she just has to do it one more time. 

Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar— Hell in a Cell

Oba Femi has become very over with the fans very quickly. In NXT, he established himself as a true conqueror, bulldozing his competition with inhumane power and speed on the way to two reigns with the NXT Championship and a record-setting 273-day reign with the NXT North American Championship. With no worlds left to conquer in WWE’s third brand, he vacated the NXT Championship and set his sights on the main roster. He made his official main roster debut by entering first in the 2026 Royal Rumble, and he was an absolute beast in the match. The only entrant that could give him pause was another beast. The Beast Incarnate: Brock Lesnar. 

Oba and Brock have become fast enemies. They are both used to imposing their will on people, backing up all talk of their dominance in quick, successful fashion. So, when they locked horns at Wrestlemania 42, people expected something akin to Godzilla vs. King Kong. Instead, they saw Oba beat Brock in five minutes and supposedly sent him into retirement. The retirement period lasted for about a month, and then Brock surprised Oba and the world by blindsiding him on Raw and hitting him with an F5. Brock won their rematch at Clash in Italy, setting the stage for a rubber match, but he would not heed Oba’s call for round three. 

So, while continuing to call out Lesnar, Oba multi-tasked and won the 2026 King of the Ring tournament. Brock would finally return to Raw after the tournament, letting Oba know that he heard his call-outs loud and clear. After once again dropping Oba with a kick to the groin and an F5, Brock finally accepted his challenge for Summerslam to settle this once and for all. However, he upped the ante by throwing out the ultimate grudge match stipulation: Hell in a Cell. This will be the first HIAC match since Punk and Mcintyre’s war at Bad Blood 2024. Ever since they phased out the Hell in a Cell PPV and started using this stipulation to settle increasingly violent feuds, it has made the cell feel so much more menacing. Oba and Brock will write the 54th chapter of hell, and it will be a miracle if either man walks out in one piece. 

Also, Oba relinquished his shot at the WWE title to face Brock despite Summerslam being two nights now. Which is…well, it’s a choice. 

Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

Before Nick Aldis was the general manager for Smackdown, he was a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and brought a renewed sense of relevancy to the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship. But even if you didn’t know anything about his time outside of WWE, there’s no denying that he carries himself like a big deal. Though he lets his brains and mic talent speak for him, he still has his imposing wrestler’s physique. He doesn’t need to throw down in the ring anymore, but he can if pushed to his limits. 

And, wow, has Gunther pushed him to his limits. 

Ever since the Ring General joined Smackdown, he has been a thorn in the side of the general manager. He constantly antagonizes and disrespects Aldis, questioning his decisions and authority, and believes he can keep doing this because what’s the GM going to do about it? Nick Aldis isn’t a wrestler anymore. At least, he wasn’t a wrestler anymore. But when Gunther lost his match at Night of Champions for the Undisputed Championship, he was irate and shoved the Smackdown GM, and Aldis retaliated by shoving Gunther. He was provoked, it was inevitable and understandable. What was less understandable was at Saturday Night’s Main Event, when Aldis pulled the referee out of the ring during Gunther’s tag match and hit Gunther with the Undisputed championship. 

As a consequence, Nick Aldis had to relinquish his title as Smackdown’s general manager. As a reward/punishment, he gets to face Gunther in a sanctioned match at Summerslam. This will be Nick Aldis’s first match in nearly three years, and Gunther is the best man to formally reintroduce him to the ring (he isn’t called the Ring General for nothing). He may also chop Aldis to death; it remains to be seen.

LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys vs. The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso)

It’s a story about trust, it’s a story about loyalty, it’s a story about The Bloodline…again…again…again. Over the past 6-7 years, this stable has been a staple of WWE programming, for better or for worse. For LA Knight and Solo Sikoa, it’s definitely for the worse. If you’ve been watching the WWE for the last few years, you know what to expect from a Bloodline storyline. Jacob, Jey, and Jimmy are all back as one big, happy family after Roman Reigns won the World Heavyweight Championship. The OTC got Jacob Fatu to fall in line after defeating him at Backlash, and now the Usos are trying to get one final piece to make The Bloodline whole: Solo Sikoa. The issue, though, is that Solo hates The Bloodline, and he has every right to hate the family. When Roman Reigns went MIA after Wrestlemania 40, Solo stepped up as leader of The Bloodline, he aimed to rebuild it and bring it back to relevancy. Though, in doing so, he also kicked out the Usos and denounced Roman, so maybe there isn’t a clear-cut “good guy” in this family. Not even Solo “Dolo” Sikoa. 

And then there are the other two people in this messy six-man tag: Royce Keys and LA Knight. Royce Keys (formerly AEW’s Powerhouse Hobbs) made his WWE debut at Royal Rumble 2026, he lasted around ten minutes and even eliminated a former World Heavyweight Champion in Damian Priest. He staked his claim on Smackdown and was actively being recruited by Solo Sikoa to join his MFT (Bloodline 2.0). When Solo’s family tree withered and he had to live up to his first name, he came to the aid of Royce while he was being beaten down by Jacob Fatu and the Usos, endearing him to the Powerhouse and getting him to join the fight against Bloodline 3.0. LA Knight has always been in this fight. The Megastar has hated every iteration of The Bloodline and has been their first and loudest opponent since they reformed. If The Bloodline has no haters, then LA Knight is dead. He’ll do anything to ensure they never regain power and relevancy, even teaming with Solo Sikoa. 

If anything, this is going to be an entertaining match. There’s family drama and soap opera intrigue, which is what WWE does best. The Bloodline Vortex will keep spinning no matter who wins, and at least it gives these six men something to do. Here’s to whichever team wins, and whichever team wins the rematch at War Games in November. 

Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid, Jacy Jayne) vs. Paige and The Bella Twins

It was a big surprise when Paige returned to the WWE at Wrestlemania 42, it was an even bigger surprise when she won the Women’s Tag Team Championships on that night with— of all people— Brie Bella. In her first run with the company, Paige never saw eye-to-eye with the Bella Twins, she was billed as the “Anti-Diva” and the Bellas are basically the Kardashians of wrestling. Apparently, time heals all wounds, and Paige and Brie have proven to be a formidable tag team. During their reign, they’ve fended off the former champs, Lash Legend and Nia Jax, taken the fight to Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguea and Roxanne Perez, and beat the soon-to-implode pairing of Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. No matter who has gotten in their way, the leading ladies of 2010s women’s wrestling have put them down. And then the future arrived.

Fatal Influence— the trio of Jacey Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid (who replaced Jazmyn Nyx in 2025)— has dominated NXT’s women’s division for the last two years. After winning every championship there is to win on NXT (and also TNA’s women’s championship because why not?), the group made their main roster debut on the Smackdown after Wrestlemania. They made their presence and intentions known by attacking the top female stars of the blue brand, including the women’s tag team champions. When Paige and Brie faced off against Fatal Influence at Saturday Night’s Main Event this month, it looked to be business as usual, but a timely assist by Jacy Jayne allowed her faction members to secure the titles and add more gold to Fatal Influence’s resume. 

The official challenge for Summerslam was made just a couple of weeks ago, when Nikki Bella returned from injury to help Paige and her sister fend off Fatal Influence. Six women, the past, present, and future of the WWE, and dominant in their respective eras. The titles will not be on the line in this match, but both teams will look to defend their honor, pride, and status as top women in the company. 

CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes— Undisputed WWE Championship Match

It would take more than a couple of paragraphs to go into Punk and Cody’s history, and if we included their AEW tenure, it would take pages. Cody returned to the WWE in 2022 and immediately set his sights on becoming the flagbearer, the standard, the face of the company. He prides himself on being a valiant fighter, taking on anyone and everyone to earn his keep and prove he belongs on top. Since returning, he has wrestled inside Hell in a Cell with a torn pec muscle, secured a rare victory against Brock Lesnar, and ended Roman Reign’s 1,316 day reign as world champion. He has won the tag team championship once, the WWE Championship four times, the Crown Jewel Championship, the 2023 and 2024 Royal Rumble, and the 2025 King of the Ring tournament. 

When hell froze over at Survivor Series 2024, CM Punk returned to the WWE, and immediately cemented himself as one of the top stars of the company. He has truly become a cult of personality— simply let that radio static ring and suddenly you forget all the controversies surrounding Punk. The fans want to see him kick ass and take names. After settling blood feuds with Drew Mcintyre and Seth Rollins, CM Punk finally became the World Heavyweight Champion again and carried Raw for the better part of 2025. He would lose the championship to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 42, and on the Raw after Wrestlemania, he and the newly crowned WWE Champion Cody Rhodes would face off in the ring. 

“Just say when,” Cody declared.

Three months later, Punk would say ‘when’, but the tables had very much turned. When Rhodes was taken out before his WWE Championship rematch, CM Punk made a surprise return to take his spot. Punk made the most of his opportunity and captured the WWE Championship for the first time in 13 years, and granted Cody Rhodes his championship rematch at Summerslam. 

This will not be the first time Punk and Rhodes have faced each other one-on-one. Their first encounter was back in 2008, when both men were young, hungry competitors with no personal animosity with each other. That’s not going to be the case this weekend. Over the past few weeks, things have gotten heated between them. Rhodes accused Punk of “intentionally” clipping him with the title after their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. At the Summerslam Kick-Off show, Punk pie-faced Rhodes and picked at his insecurities by calling him “little brother”. This is a match between two men who desperately cannot lose to the other, their pride won’t allow it. 

Night Two

Penta vs. Chad Gable— Intercontinental Championship Match

In 2025, one of the most charismatic and creative luchadors in the world, Pentagon Jr. (now known as Penta), made his WWE debut. His opponent? Chad Gable. 

Since then, Penta has been a mainstay on Monday Night Raw, winning the Intercontinental Championship and defending it for over 150 days. His most high-profile defense so far was a ladder match at Wrestlemania that featured Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Je’von Evans, Rey Mysterio, and Rusev. No matter who you put against him, Penta embodies his mantra of Cero Miedo and fearlessly holds onto his championship. 

Meanwhile, after failing to defeat Penta, Chad Gable developed a personal vendetta against all things lucha libre. He donned a mask and overtly patriotic gimmick, became El Grande Americano, and specifically targeted the luchadors in WWE. Had he not gotten injured, who knows where the original plans for El Grande Americano could have gone. The fact is that he did get injured and Ludwig Kaiser would take up the mantle and, against all odds, become one of the most celebrated luchadors in AAA. Gable returned at the Royal Rumble, confronting the new El Grande Americano and firing the first shot in a feud that would become bloody, personal, and profoundly cinematic. The two El Grande Americanos would face off in a Mask vs. Mask match that is being touted as a genuine Match of the Year contender. When Chad Gable lost that match, he relinquished his mask and returned to Monday Night Raw where he now seeks to redeem himself. He’s trying to make amends to the luchadors he has hurt, aiding guys like Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee when they need it. 

In mid-July, a seven-person gauntlet match was held to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Chad Gable would be the sixth entrant in that match, facing off against Rusev, who had just made short work of Je’Von Evans. Against the odds, Gable outlasted Rusev and then tapped out Ethan Page to become the number one contender for the IC title. 

His opponent? Penta. 

This match has been more than one year in the making. Winning the championship would mean redemption for Gable (in his home state of Minnesota, no less). Retaining the championship would mean vindication for Penta. Whoever wins, this is sure to be an amazing rematch. 

Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin — United States Championship Match

Baron Corbin was meant to be a WWE lifer. He wrestled the WWE style, fit the mold of a WWE heel, and was built from the ground up in WWE’s system. Everything about his presentation had the World Wrestling Entertainment sticker. Then, in November 2024, WWE peeled that sticker off and chose not to renew his contract. Rather than retire from wrestling and live off the residuals of his decade-long run in WWE (which I shamefully thought he would), Baron Corbin stayed in the wrestling scene. He worked the independents as sort of a nomad, using the name Bishop Dyer, and fighting for top indie promotions like GCW, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, and even a dark match for AEW. His biggest indie accolade was a run in Major League Wrestling as one half of their world tag team champions with another WWE cast-off, Donovan Dijak. 

It’s still unclear why WWE released Baron Corbin in the first place. Maybe to rebuild his brand or for budgetary reasons. Whatever it was, they decided to bring him back last July, making an emphatic return during a match between Carmelo Hayes and the United States Champion, Trick Williams. Corbin has stood tall over the champion a couple of times and has officially laid out the challenge for the United States title, and Trick has readily accepted. 

Trick Williams is having a hell of a rookie year. He was the once charismatic face of NXT, holding the main title twice, the North American Championship once, and even having a spell with the TNA World Championship. He’s currently managed by actual rapper Lil Yachty despite already being good on the mic and holds a custom, fur-lined version of the United States Championship. The phrase “Whoop that Trick” echoes across arenas, aided by one of the best theme songs in current-day WWE. If he defeats Baron Corbin this Sunday, it will help solidify his US title run as one of the best in years. But Baron Corbin is no stranger to being US Champion, and the big chip on his shoulder could be more than Trick Williams to handle.

Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio— Human Monies on a Pole Match

Danhausen shouldn’t work in the current WWE landscape. He’s a Nosferatu-esque gremlin with a cape, nasally voice, and a jar full of human teeth (allegedly). He also debuted by coming out of a box and coffin— neither of which had airholes— and often curses people by pointing at them and telling them they’ve been cursed. There is nothing about his gimmick that fits in the modern take-us-seriously-as-a-combat-sport version of the WWE. And yet, at the time of writing, he is the second best merch seller in the entire company. The force of nature that is Danhausen should not be ignored by any WWE wrestler, lest you find yourself in Dominik Mysterio’s shoes. 

After making his debut at last year’s Elimination Chamber, Danhausen introduced himself to The Judgment Day on Raw. Dominik made the mistake of telling Danhausen to beat it and that he would never become a champion, and so Danhausen cursed him. Later that night, the second-generation luchador would lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Since that day, Danhausen has been a very nice, very evil thorn in the side of The Judgment Day, and Dominik specifically. He cursed Dominik’s kayfabe girlfriend Liv Morgan and she lost the Queen of the Ring Finals. He stole $100,000 in “human monies” from the group after they tried to pay him to curse Oba Femi. Most recently, he employed the services of NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns to help him defeat JD McDonagh at Saturday Night’s Main Event. 

This feud is about bragging rights— wait, no, it’s about respect. Maybe it’s about who wants it more? Okay, whatever this feud is about, it’s going to come to a head at Summerslam. Tune in to see whether Dominik Mysterio gets his money back and restores dignity to the Judgment Day, or if Danhausen continues his unprecedented meteoric rise and goes on to win all the championships a la Sheamus in the WWE 12 video game. 

Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn — #1 Contender’s Match for the Undisputed WWE Championship 

It's difficult for me to remain unbiased about this match. The fact that Sami Zayn is in a number one contender's match instead of the WWE Championship match is a genuine injustice, but what's done is done so…big sigh. 

Anyway, how did we get here? Sami Zayn, made his displeasure over the WWE Championship scene loud and clear. And constant. He was vocal enough to get himself inserted into a WWE Championship match at Night of Champions which, against all odds, he won! Sami Zayn was the Undisputed WWE Champion, the gold standard, the face of the biggest wrestling company on the planet…for nine days. In a less cruel world, Sami wouldn’t have had to defend his championship so quickly after winning it. And maybe he wouldn’t have been unprepared to face a returning CM Punk instead of his scheduled opponent, Cody Rhodes. Maybe he would have beat Cody again instead of losing to Punk. Maybe he wouldn't have crashed out loud enough for Adam Pearce to grant him a chance to become the number one contender for the championship he believes he should still be holding. 

The fact is we are living in this world, and now he's facing another man who has also been criminally underutilized: Finn Balor. The former member of the Judgment Day recently joined Smackdown, a brand where he has more enemies than acquaintances, let alone friends. After fending off some old foes in the Tongas, he was inserted into a Fatal Four Way match between himself, Damian Priest, Royce Keys, and Trick Williams (all names that the WWE Champion CM Punk called out as people he wanted to face). This will be only the fourth time that Zayn and Balor have faced off in a televised singles match, the last time was in the 2021 King of the Ring Semifinals. Finn Balor has come out on top every single time. Will he continue his streak at Summerslam? Or will Sami finally, finally, finally come out on top?

Five-Way Ladder Match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship

The multi-person ladder match is the bay leaf for a pro wrestling match card. You don’t always need it, and you don’t know how it got in there, but man is it giving that stew the good spice. Except this time, we know why the bay leaf is here. At the Clash of Italy event in May, WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley suffered a torn meniscus while defending her title against Jade Cargill. Though she’s recovering well, the timetable for her return is hazy, and WWE is going for a “better safe than sorry” approach. Rhea Ripley will not fight at Summerslam, but she won’t be stripped of the title. Instead, an interim WWE Women’s Champion will be crowned in a five-way ladder match. The winner of the ladder match will face Ripley at a later date to unify the titles. 

This is only the second time that WWE has implemented an interim champion, typically they will vacate the championship instead. The last time was in 2020, when Santos Escobar became Interim Cruiserweight Champion because Jordan Devlin was having travel issues. Insane how badly that sentence has aged in 2026. 

Jade Cargill is the former women’s champion, and though she came up short in May, her undeniable strength and power can carry her past every woman in this match. She earned her spot via disqualification after Charlotte Flair attacked her in her match with Nia Jax. Tiffany Stratton is no stranger to winning ladder matches, the former Money in the Bank winner looks to repeat her success and regain the women’s championship and become a double champion (Tiffy Two-Belts does have a nice ring to it). Charlotte Flair earned her way into this match via disqualification after Jade Cargill attacked her during her match with, once again, Nia Jax. Chelsea Green didn’t need a disqualification win to secure her spot at Summerslam, she fought back to defeat Kiana James and now the leader of the Green Regime has a chance at becoming the women’s champion. The final entrant is one-half of the former Women’s Tag Team Champions, Lash Legend. No, not Nia Jax, who had been screwed out of two shots at this ladder match, but her tag team partner. That being said, Lash Legend is an imposing woman who showed off her power by defeating former Women’s United States Champion and NXT Women’s Champion, juggernaut of STARDOM, and all-around badass Giulia in mere minutes.

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins— World Heavyweight Championship Match

If Punk and Rhodes need pages to get into their entire backstory, then these two guys would need a whole book. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have been intertwined for their entire WWE careers. They had stereo stints in FCW and NXT, rising up the ranks and learning the WWE style of wrestling. From there, they received a call-up to WWE’s main roster, debuting as two-thirds of the influential trio known as The Shield. After running roughshod throughout the WWE for a couple of years, Seth Rollins shocked by putting a chair into Roman Reigns’s back and breaking up The Shield. 

Since that betrayal, Seth Rollins has become a 6-time world champion, held the Money in the Bank briefcase twice, won the 2019 Royal Rumble, won tag team championships with four different partners, once considered himself a “Monday Night Messiah” (and even had his own “Disciples”), founded and was later ousted from The Vision, poked a man’s eye out in a sanctioned match (it was a whole thing), got a very catchy theme song, and married and had a child with Becky Lynch. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns has become a 4-time world champion, holds the record for the longest world championship reign in modern WWE history, beat leukemia back into remission, got showered in dog food, and founded The Bloodline (WWE’s most influential stable in decades). Now, twelve years later, the two Shield brothers are running it back.

To borrow a phrase from the legendary Kevin Steen/El Generico feud, they seem “destined to do this forever”. Though, forever seems to have an expiration date. Per Seth Rollins himself, he and Reigns are “closer to the end” than they are from the beginning. They need to finally finish this chapter of their lives, get a clean break, and decide who is the better man once and for all. With Roman Reigns being on a part-time schedule and Seth Rollins’s injury list piling up, this might be the last chance to give them that high-profile send-off, the final, final hurrah of The Shield. This is going to be an emotion-fueled match, expect callbacks galore from their Shield days and false finishes aplenty as the two brothers dig deep to put the other in the ground. 

Other Things To

Look Out For: 

- Big Cass has been advertised to return on the Raw after Summerslam, but maybe he could return earlier (a la Big Show before the 2004 Royal Rumble). If he does appear at this pay-per-view, look for him to make an immediate splash against a main eventer.

- Also be on the lookout for a big return. Over the last few Summerslam PPVs, we’ve seen the return of Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch, and Roman Reigns. Some big names that have been out for a long period of time are Randy Orton, Drew Mcintyre, Kevin Owens, AJ Lee, and Stephanie Vaquer.

- A week before Summerslam, Raquel Rodriguez won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from Sol Ruca. Though she doesn’t have a match scheduled for Summerslam, be on the lookout for her and the rest of the Judgment Day this weekend. 

- Though Rhea Ripley is rehabbing her injury, she could still make an appearance on the weekend. Possibly to stare down the new Interim Women’s Champion? 

- This is a high-profile WWE event and they’ll look to attract celebrities of all kinds. Expect a lot of ringside cameos, and maybe a Jelly Roll-esque appearance in the ring to chokeslam The Miz or something. 

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Jhuvin P is a new writer for CBC/DSR. He has previous experience as a ghostwriter, has published several short stories, and is perpetually working on a novel. In addition to writing, he is also a comedian based out of Colorado Springs. He posts clips of his stand-up along with his other goofy antics on TikTok and Instagram. 

Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay Open Up | AEW Dynamite Results 07/29/2026

AEW shows us the immediate aftermath of Will Ospreay attacking Jon Moxley at AEW Revolution

Moxley and the Death Riders were watching the screen, when Ospreay was attacked by Kenny Omega. Moxley would've forgiven Ospreay right there and then if he would've found his killer instinct and attacked Kenny Omega before Kenny attacked him.

Moxley says he was right. Kenny Omega is the shark on top of the food chain and Ospreay couldn't see it but now Ospreay has nothing to lose.

We cut to the live feed and Will Ospreay arrives at the arena. He's immediately confronted by the Death Riders. Ospreay attacks Daniel Garcia. Moxley asks if he's sure he wants to do this? Ospreay gives back the Death Riders patch. Moxley says ok.. the death riders leave.

Ospreay walks off and HANGMAN IS HERE! Hangman wants Ospreay to know he has help, if he needs it. Ospreay says the United Empire is mad at him. The Death Riders are breathing down his neck now. Ospreay can't trust Kenny so Ospreay can't trust Hangman.

Hangman still believes in Will Ospreay.

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Andrade, Nick Wayne and Jack Perry just opened Dynamite with a full on banger. Andrade retains the AEW National Championship and then Tony Schiavone gets in the ring for an interview

It's announced that there will be an AEW Casino Gauntlet match at All In for the Number One Contendership to the AEW World Championship

Next week in Arena Mexico, Andrade will have a qualifying match. Tony asks if Andrade is happy with that? Andrade only has one question

HOW YOU KNOW??

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Kyle Fletcher is mocking Kevin Knight because Fletcher was able to retain the AEW International Championship without the help of the Don Callis Family while Kevin Knight lost his match.

Kyle Fletcher claims the AEW International Championship will stay in the Don Callis Family forever. Kazuchika walks out of the area where Tony Khan runs the show with a big smile on his face.

Okada then agrees that yes, the AEW International Championship will stay in the Don Callis Family forever

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Second match in a row on this week's AEW Dynamite that is absolutely fantastic 🔥

Ahead of his AEW International Championship match against Kyle Fletcher in Arena Mexico, Speedball and Brodido get the win over the Don Callis Family's Fletcher, Doyle and Davis

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Edge and Christian are in a face to face with the Young Bucks.

The Bucks want to thank Edge and Christian for revolutionizing tag team wrestling. Edge thanks the Young Bucks for doing the same thing.

Christian says they didn't come back to do a retirement tour. They came to be the best. And he's happy to know the Young Bucks will have their wives at the show.

The Bucks say Edge and Christian are in their second careers now. They've done it all, twice over. Last year the Young Bucks lost everything. They've fought their way back to this opportunity

The Young Bucks leave a warning to Edge and Christian. Nothing will stop them from rolling through them to become AEW World Tag Team Champions.

Christian says he and Edge need to defeat the Young Bucks to be the greatest.

The tension builds but it hasn't blown over yet.

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Kris Statlander has gotten her revenge on Persephone, costing her the TBS Championship after Perse cost Kris the TBS Championship in the Survival of the Fittest match.

Hikaru Shida tried to slide Persephone a kendo stick and distract Aubrey Edwards while Persephone used it. Unfortunately Kris Statlander was able to grab the Stick away from Persephone distracting her and allowing Maya World to retain her title

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Willow Nightingale is out to celebrate her AEW Women's Championship victory. She's in tears as the crowd tells her she deserves it.

She says she's had her doubters who just didnt give her a chance. Willow was on top of the world when it all came crashing down due to her injury. But she fought her way back to the AEW World Championship.

To the fans, if life knocks you down, get back up and keep fighting because sometimes the result of that is even better than the dream.

Mercedes Moné interrupts. She has the contract for the title match and she wants Willow to sign it right now. Willow places the contract on Mercedes chest to sign. Mercedes slaps it up into her face.

Willow wants Mercedes to remember who defeated her after 500plus days in the first place. Because Willow has the title that Mercedes just can't get.

Mercedes hates Willow Nightingale because Willow is always there. Her name always next to Mercedes. Even in the beginning, when Mercedes got injured in New Japan, they celebrated Willow winning HER championship. When Mercedes chose AEW, it was Willow standing in her way.

Mercedes needs Willow to know that Mercedes MADE her. At All In Mercedes will not just take the title, Mercedes is going to take Willow's smile.

The Divine Dominion surrounds the ring. They attack Willow Nightingale until the Brawling Birds run down for the save.

Great back and forth barbs from Mercedes and Willow

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Jon Moxley retains the AEW Continental Championship over Komander in a fun match

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The Demand have won the AEW Trios Championships thanks to Lethal Swirl's interference.

Post match, they jump the Conglomeration until Brody King and HANGMAN ADAM PAGE come out for the save.

Hangman has a barbed wire steel chair and he clears the ring, hitting Jay Lethal with a Buckshot lariat

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Jon Moxley says the entire locker room is buzzing about something called the "Continental Cup".

Jon Moxley doesn't know what it is or how it works. Send the best in the world after him. If he's going down. If this is the end of the line for his championship run, he's going out in a hail of bullets.

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Kenny Omega reveals the reason he attacked Will Ospreay was because he put their friendship over anything else for a long time and then Ospreay had the nerve to tell Kenny with a disappointed voice that it sucks Kenny gave up on himself.

Who was Will Ospreay to say those words to Kenny? Those words that cut him deep.

Ospreay says he came back to AEW too soon after his neck surgery. He looked around for guidance and found no one. Kyle Fletcher betrayed him. Kenny Omega was broken.

But Jon Moxley reached out for him. The only person who did. See the truth is, Will Ospreay liked being a Death Rider. He liked having a gang of killers behind him.

But he doesn't share their way of life. He doesn't share Jon Moxley's way of becoming World Champion. When he saw them put the chair on Kenny's neck and he couldn't let them do it.

Kenny tells his version of Sunday night. He was powerless and unable to help himself so he was going to accept his fate. And then he heard the people and their cheers, he felt the energy and knew Will Ospreay had come to save him.

Except Kenny had to take the chair off of his own neck and when he turned around he saw Will Ospreay holding HIS championship and a plastic bag.

Ospreay says he didn't set that trap and Kenny Omega slaps him across the face. He thought Ospreay was his friend. He slaps Ospreay two more times. Kenny Omega slaps and berates Ospreay until Ospreay has had enough and slaps him back

Ospreay says he put AEW on his back to remind everyone this is where the best Wrestle. He gave his neck to challenge for the title. Now the biggest mountain stands before him. The mountain he's wanted to climb for a decade.

The entire UK is waiting for Ospreay to bring him the title. Can he pull the trigger? Damn right he can but not from behind. He's not gonna injure Kenny like Moxley would

Ospreay wants Kenny at his best. The Best vs the Best. Ospreay is gonna pull the trigger when Kenny can see it.

Mystery Wrestling Stuns in Montreal Debut: Mystery Wrestling 27 Recap & Review

I’m going to tell you all a little secret: I planned my entire Redemption weekend in Montreal not around the pay-per-view itself, but around Mystery Wrestling 27. Why might you ask? Because, in my opinion, Evil Uno and the rest of the Mystery Wrestling crew have come together to secretly build one of the top independent promotions internationally in their own wacky and wonderful way. I mean where else would a wrestling ring in a renovated swimming pool instantly make sense?

I started keeping up with Mystery Wrestling back in March after their trip over to Japan to host joint shows with Baka Gaijin and ChocoPro, which are both excellent promotions in their own right. I soon found out that their home base of Gatineau, QC was only a couple hours north from where I grew up in New York. Growing up so close to the border, I’ve always had close ties to Canada, so to see a proudly Canadian, specifically Quebecois promotion, absolutely killing it warmed my heart. Overall, their Montreal debut felt like a culmination of all the work Mystery Wrestling had done for the past few years to make it to the point where they’re selling out practically every show whenever they venture outside of Gatineau. The overall love the crowd had for this promotion is the type of community that any promotion of any size would kill to have.

For the uninitiated, part of the allure of Mystery Wrestling is that none of the matches on the show are announced beforehand. This means that the crowd and everyone at home finds out the participants and stipulations in real time, leading to some fantastic moments, but also a plethora of surprises. 

Typically, Mystery loves to open the show with a fatal four-way match where participants are revealed one at a time. This show was no exception, with Cool Ref, James Stone, Surfer Mitch, and The Visible Man kicking off the show with special guest referee “Definitely Alive” Jason Exile. This match was a fun way to get the crowd ready for the show ahead and introduce people who are new to Mystery Wrestling to the fun, goofy style Mystery is known for.

Match two saw independent staple Joey Janela take on Mystery Wrestling regular Cecil Nyx in a 12 Minute Iron Man Falls Count Anyone match. The rules are simple: if Janela/Nyx pin anyone, they get a point, but if either man gets pinned by anyone, they lose a point. With a stipulation like this, there are bound to be some shenanigans. I’m not going to spoil who specifically cameos in this match, but some familiar faces from both sides of the border appear throughout the twelve minute match. Ultimately, the match ends with a reference to the famous Montreal Screwjob, even though the spot had little bearing on the final score of the match. I loved seeing the nod to the infamous event, but wished it would’ve had a bit more of an impact on the result of the match.

Match three featured our first bout featuring an AEW wrestler with a returning Orange Cassidy taking on Montreal native Beef Wellington. Now, I was prepared for some surprises on the show, but when I saw Orange Cassidy enter from across the venue, I turned into a complete fangirl. Like so many other new-ish wrestling fans, Orange Cassidy was one of my gateway wrestlers into this world. Needless to say, seeing him wrestle from about five feet away was an insane moment for me. Despite being completely pro-Orange, I found myself won over by Beef Wellington as well. For a guy who ‘doesn’t do this so much anymore,’ Beef Wellington held his own during his second attempt at Orange Cassidy. Who knows, maybe his unretirement will stick this time because I would definitely be interested in seeing some more of his work.

Le Tabarnak De Trio, the trio sporting the best faction name in wrestling, who have the best faction name in wrestling, squashed the team with the most apt name in wrestling, The Jobbers, in match four on the card. Afterwards, the three men called out the locker room to send out three people crazy enough to face them in a Street Fight. Out walks Dreya Mitchell, Kristara, and Layla Wilde to kick off what was my personal favorite match of the night. An intergender match like this, in my opinion, can be extremely difficult to pull off for obvious reasons. However, both teams put together stellar performances, trading violent blow after blow until the very end. It’s the type of match that I can see myself watching again and again and again because of how much I enjoyed it.

Although I have become fans of Kristara and Layla Wilde through my past few months of watching Mystery Wrestling, I specifically want to highlight TDT as stand-outs of the night. These three Quebec natives are the epitome of men you do not want to find yourselves across from in a bar fight. Their chemistry and charisma as a group instantly drew me in despite not knowing anything about them beforehand. They absolutely crushed it in both matches they had and I would 100% make the trip up north to watch any of these three men wrestle again because they were just that good.  

After the break, the show returned with a match between Interim MLP Heavyweight Champion Stu Grayson and a newly robotized Jason Exile. Even though Jason Exile was the one person announced for the show, the surprise of this new, fully restored version immediately won over the crowd in one of the largest pops of the night. Sadly, Stu Grayson was hellbent on committing muder that night. After Grayson becomes increasingly frustrated in his attempts to get one-up on the cyborg, he resorts to throwing Exile off of a balcony, electrocuting him, and ripping out his circuitry. I think after all of that, it’s safe to say Jason Exile might be definitely dead, or at minimum, have found himself in exile.

The penultimate match featured Fresh Air taking on the Death Riders Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta, both of whom were on specific instruction from Jon Moxley to NOT get their cheeks clapped by Junior Benito. Spoiler alert: they failed at Mox’s mission but were able to pick up the win regardless. This was a great match that proved just how good Macrae Martin and Junior Benito are as a duo, going toe to toe against the established team of Garcia and Yuta. However, Fresh Air could be heading into a rough patch soon after some post-match tensions between Martin and Benito. Hopefully, the two can put this loss behind them because they have a bright future together as a tag team.

Our main event of the night was for the Mystery Wrestling Championship AND all the marbles. On one side, the champion London Lightning with his brother Storm Ryder. The other, the challenger Johnny Mystery, of course referring to the former Johnny Nitro who has altered his name to fit the promotion for as long as anybody can remember.. This title match was back and forth throughout and had me on the edge of my seat seeing who would win. Ultimately, a disagreement between the two brothers surrounding Lightning’s injured knee gave Johnny Mystery enough of a window to get the upperhand. Not soon after, Johnny Mystery captures the win, becoming the new Mystery Wrestling Champion. Despite his loss, seeing London Lightning confirmed to me that this guy is someone to keep an eye on. He’s someone that fundamentally understands so much of pro-wrestling at such a young age. I wouldn’t be shocked if a larger company picks London Lightning up in the next couple of years. I seriously believe he has the potential to be a top Canadian star of the next generation of wrestlers.

Overall, I think Mystery Wrestling put forward a fantastic show. The unique environment of the Bain Mathieu made the show feel so close, intimate, and unlike anything I had experienced before. Now, did I have some gripes with the show? A little. It would’ve been nice if there was a bit more seating and I did unfortunately get stuck behind someone blocking my view by filming for part of the night, but by no means did this significantly impact the amazing time I had that night. I even got to brush up on some of my French too (spoiler: I’ve forgotten most of it). 

If you’re a fan of independent wrestling and Mystery Wrestling somehow isn’t in your rotation, I highly recommend changing that. Every show I’ve watched streaming and now live has been nothing but a great wrestling show. The dedication that every person in-ring and behind the scenes put into this show was palpable in the venue. In general, I feel like not enough promotions are scared to dip their toes into the goofy wrestling niche. Mystery Wrestling does the opposite, fully embracing all styles of wrestling, but particularly wrestling comedy. It’s the type of show you can take anyone to, regardless of their wrestling knowledge, and everyone will have a fantastic time. 

After Mystery Wrestling 27, I could see the company returning to Montreal in the future, if not frequently. In the meantime, I know I’ll be planning a trip to Gatineau to catch Mystery Wrestling again sometime soon. 

If you want to learn more about Mystery Wrestling, visit their website or support their shows through their Patreon.

Amanda Woods is an independent filmmaker and writer residing in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. She loves any medium that is able to tell a good story. Recently, she’s fallen in love with international pro-wrestling, having watched matches in three different countries and hopes to travel for more shows soon! Amanda really should have a website to view all of her work, but for now, her Instagram page will do.

Violent J and Desmond Ingram Team Up for Official JCW Lunacy Comic Book

As Juggalo Championship Wrestling is expands the world of JCW Lunacy, an official comic book featuring dozens of wrestlers from the company’s roster is now their latest project. JCW founder and one-half of Insane Clown Posse, Violent J, and comic book writer Desmond Ingram co-write the story, with artwork by Bryan SilverbaX, and colors by Damir Rosic. According to Ingram, the comic follows the persistent conflict between the Juggalo World Order and Big Vito LoGrasso’s crew.

Big Vito’s attempted takeover of JCW escalates into a full-fledged faction war when Violent J revives the Juggalo World Order to dismantle Vito’s Luciano Family. Big Vito’s crew is staunchly anti-Juggalo, while Violent J obviously represents a for Juggalos by Juggalos faction. This long-running attempted takeover is fruitful and ongoing territory but doesn’t require Lunacy loyalty to follow.

The project is headed by Ingram, a United States Marine Corps vet, musician, and founder of the independent comic company Henchman and Heroes, which has already released a series of single-page digital wrestling comics that will soon be available as a physical collection: SQUASH MATCH! CARNAGE VS DEATHKNELL.

In a July 27th post, Ingram said he was happy to announce the collaboration finally and that he thinks they cooked up an insane story. He went on to say that developing an official JCW comic in coordination with Violent J has been an honor. Expect appearances by a host of the eclectic JCW roster, including Willie Mack, EC3, 2 Tuff Tony, Nic Nemeth, Josh Bishop, and Caleb Konley, along with dozens of other JCW personalities.

The Don, Big Vito LoGrasso, is at the center of the story, and in his own announcement, he described it as another milestone in a career spanning more than three decades. “From the independent scene to WWE, ECW, WCW, TNA, and now JCW, it’s always been about entertaining the fans and leaving a legacy,” Vito wrote. “The Don has officially made comic book history.”

The comic is expected to be released around the time of the 26th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos, which will be held in Macks Creek, MO, August 19th-22nd. When I spoke with Ingram, he said physical copies of the comic are expected to be part of a larger bundle at this year's Gathering. Still, he cautioned that production delays are always possible.  Although a digital edition has not yet been officially announced, those involved in the project expect one to be available.

The announcement represents another step in JCW’s effort to build Lunacy into a larger fictional universe. The promotional episodic weekly is already blending wrestling matches with serialized plots that borrow from ICP culture and beyond with hyperbolic characters and comic-book-style storytelling. There’s been no indication that the initial release will expand to a series, but moving these wrestlers into an illustrated narrative makes natural sense and gives JCW another format in which to develop its rivalries, factions, and increasingly elaborate mythology. More release information will be announced through JCW, during future episodes of JCW Lunacy, and through Henchman & Heros.

First look at the cover of the upcoming JCW Legacy Comic

Jenny Catlin is a writer and pop culture enthusiast based in the square states. She’s a contributing writer to The Athletic, a Lighthouse Writers Book Project Fellow, and an award-winning essayist obsessed with obsession. You can find her on Instagram or Substack.

AEW Redemption Fall Out: The Road to All In Is Set

The brand-new AEW PPV Redemption just happened, and there is so much that happened that we need to break it down. Our eyes are squarely set on London, as this is the last stop-sans Grand Slam: Mexico-- before we get to the biggest pay-per-view of the year. Thus, in preparation for All In, here are the top eight moments from Redemption that will affect AEW heading into London.

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On Our Way to London

Three different title changes, major story angles, and cemented matches have changed the narrative for All In, and so far, it looks like it's going to be an all-time great AEW show. This was the first time there was a PPV the month prior to All In, and I think it was a success, allowing Tony Khan and crew a before-and-after event to get all the stories ready for the biggest PPV of the year in their return to Wembley.

There has been some early pushback on the quality of Redemption as a whole, and on whether the wrestling lived up to AEW's very high standard. I personally think that while maybe not all the matches hit that high, most did. But more importantly, a cohesive gathering of what all of the builds will be for All In was vastly more important, and I think that was successful. Not every show needs to be the biggest show of your year to supplement the product.

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Grand Slam: Mexico Is Next up for the International Title

AEW Grand Slam: Mexico might have found its main event after Speedball Mike Bailey won the No. 1 contender ladder match, and Kyle Fletcher successfully defended his title against Bandido. This build for the next couple of weeks should be fun, and the winner in Mexico undoubtedly goes to All In as the International champion. It could even be a rematch if the match lives up to what we know we can get from Fletcher and Bailey.

The odds probably point to Fletcher as the favorite to retain his title in Mexico; however, Tony Khan loves to do celebratory champ-chasing, and I think Bailey would be the next person in line to get his ceremonial win. At this point, Fletcher is Teflon and losing really won't stick to him. Since this match is taking place before All In, expect us to hit the ground running on this angle as soon as this week.

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Ospreay vs The Death Riders 

Welp. As quickly as we got Will Ospreay into the Death Riders, he is already out. In one night, Ospreay looked like he had been born to be a Death Rider, only to betray Jon Moxley for Kenny Omega’s neck. Moxley’s reaction tells one story—his face of complete disappointment was that of a father whose child did something unexpected. However, his actions will speak louder than whatever he might feel personally.

I will be very interested to see how Moxley reacts. Will he see this as a child acting out or as Judas who betrayed Jesus of Nazareth? Will the rest of the Death Riders feel any differently than Moxley, and will that create internal conflict within the faction? This will be fascinating to watch as we march towards All In.

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This is Maya’s World 

The first title change of Redemption saw Maya World continue her ascension to the top of the card, defeating Hikaru Shida for her first singles title in AEW. The rise we have seen from World is almost unprecedented, feeling almost as though her rise came at the blink of an eye, yet well deserved. While it is important to remember how she got here, I think the more important question to ask for her career is: Where does she go from here?

The length of a title reign isn't what's important; it's the impact it had—ask Darby—and I think Maya can have a major impact with the TBS title. World needs to ride this momentum to continue to push her, defend the title, and give the title a shot in the arm it's been needing for a while. The women’s locker room is filled with talent which should foster an opportunity for Maya to continue to prove herself against some of the best.

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How You Know What’s Next for Andrade?

Nobody this side of Channing Tatum gets a pop like that for taking their pants off like Andrade El Idolo. The new AEW National Champion, Andrade, is over with the crowd, and that connection he has with them—as we saw after the match—is something I don't think he could ever do. Andrade has gotten over a broken English catchphrase, and the only thing that will stop him is AEW’s creative. His immediate future, I think, needs to be to continue to climb for the ladder from belt to belt, until that rocketship ends with Andrade winning the AEW World Championship. Tony needs to make sure to keep the momentum going for Andrade.

Andrade is the perfect example of why burning bridges between companies is not smart. He was welcomed back with open arms for his second run in AEW, and now the goal is the AEW World Championship. How you know? Because I do. And that should be the start of his next climb.

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Nothing Is Stopping Willow

It was a long time coming, but we finally have what many AEW fans have been clamoring for: Willow Nightingale as the AEW Women’s World Champion. Willow is now the first-ever women's triple crown winner, having won all the titles in the women’s division. Willow will now head to London to defend her title against Mercedes Moné. Willow vs Mercedes was always the right call. Shout out to Thekla for a successful AEW Women’s Championship reign. She took the title and ran with it. Making herself one of the more popular women in the division.

There has been major pushback that the outcomes of the match did not live up to the moment of Willow's crowning. However, all I can go back and think about is Willow’s smile after she won. I think that should speak to how Willow felt about her moment where she finally reached the mountain top.

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No Big Debuts or Returns

According to reports, up to seven ex-WWE wrestlers want to sign with All Elite Wrestling, but they just had to wait for their non-compete clause to expire. However, there were no debuts or returns. No Motor City Machine Guns, no New Day, no Santos Escobar, no Kairi Sane, and no Sheamus, who was always a long shot. Even Buddy Matthews, who tweeted like he was coming back, did not. I think the majority of fans were expecting someone to make their appearance, but with All In just around the corner, that makes sense for them to do any major reveals then.

​One expectation. Dynamite is slated to be in Detroit this week. Where are the MOTOR CITY Machine Guns from? Take a wild guess.

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The Best Bout Machine Retained

Kenny Omega retained the title. No hijinks, no help, nothing. Just the Best Bout Machine doing what he does best: kicking ass. Obviously, the sequence most people will talk about is the post-match angle, where Ospreay betrayed Moxley, then Omega “betrayed” Ospreay. I don't see it that way. I see Omega as either misinformed or acting in the heat of the moment. Or maybe he wanted to get one over on Ospreay. We've seen him do it before to AJ Styles in NJPW as a member of the Bullet Club.

I personally think the closing sequence was spectacular and tactical. It adds a layer of storytelling it did not have before. Now, instead of two buddies holding hands into the biggest match of their lives, major tension has been created. I love that turn of events, especially since it leaves Ospreay immediately regretting not putting the finishing touches on Omega before.

That concludes our AEW Redemption fall out. Be sure to come back for future fall outs for future events, and you can watch All In: London in just over a month on August 30th.

Raquel Rodriguez is the New Intercontinental Champion | WWE RAW Results 07-27-2026

Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar's weigh in takes place inside of Hell in a Cell.

Femi weighs in at 302 pounds. When it's Lesnar's turn to weigh in, Lesnar refuses to get in the Cell.

Lesnar says he'll see Oba Femi at SummerSlam. Oba Femi calls Lesnar a coward and then attacks all the security guards inside of the Cell.

One of the guards sandbags Oba Femi and gets dropped onto his head by accident. After Oba Femi successfully powerbombs him, Oba kicks him again on the way out of the ring.

Oba hits his pose to end the segment.

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The Vision gets a quick pin over Tozawa and Otis. Post match, The Vision is going to beat down Tozawa until Otis saves him.

Otis is gonna splash Austin Theory but Maxxine Dupri seduces him, allowing Theory to get the advantage back. Theory and Breakker best down Otis. Austin Theory screams at Otis that Maxxine is with him.

They start to leave but Austin Theory goes back and smashes Otis head into the ringpost with a steel chair.

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Je'Von Evans gets revenge for his defeat in the gauntlet match on RAW last week with a pinfall over Rusev

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One of the most bizarre segments on WWE TV this year.

Danhausen and Joe Hendry are holding a full on concert, singing, dancing with Laker Girls and with the Minihausens

And the Boxer Ryan Garcia randomly gets involved and attacks Danhausen and Joe Hendry with the Judgement Day

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Ethan Page lifts up the ring skirt as Rey Mysterio attempts to hit a 619. This gives him the advantage before he can hit Rey with a brianbuster and take the win

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The Usos are out. They're telling the crowd the Bloodline is in their city. Solo Sikoa interrupted.

Solo says he didn't start this beef. The Usos did when they went back to the Bloodline. Jey Uso tries to threaten him.

Solo says what is he gonna do? Send a warning shot? Yeeet him to death for 30 minutes? Throw his hands up and down in the air all stupid?

Why would Solo ever go back to the family when he's so happy with where he is right now?

LA Knight comes out. He doesn't give a damn about their family drama. Maybe when this is all said and done, they can all patch things up and do a little Siva Tau Dance.

LA says he'll see them at SummerSlam... Then he thinks better and decided he wants to fight right now. The brawl begins and Jacob Fatu runs down to the ring. The Bloodline gets the upper hand until Royce Keys comes out to even the odds.

Fatu and Royce Keys get to brawling one on one until LA Knight and Solo Sikoa get back into the ring and help Royce clear Jacob Fatu out of there.

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LA RUDA MAS RUDA!!!!!

Raquel Rodriguez is the new WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion!

The Judgement Day runs down to help Raquel but Iyo tries to fight off the interference. Unfortunately it's too much for Iyo, as she's too busy dealing with Liv Morgan to see Roxanne Perez pull Sol Ruca down from her Sol Snatcher, allowing Raquel to get the win

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Roman Reigns is out for the face to face. Seth Rollins follows.

Roman Reigns calls Seth an asshole. Rollins says if Roman wants him to be the bad guy, he'll be the bad guy. That's how he gets his.

Seth isn't taking anything from Roman. He's got it on Seth in many departments. But he will NEVER EVER be better than Rollins at one thing... And that is PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

When it comes to what goes on in the ring, Rollins owns Roman's ass. When it comes to what goes on in Roman's head, Rollins owns his ass too. Roman can call Rollins an asshole all he wants but he can't call Rollins a liar.

SummerSlam won't be any different. What's Roman gonna do, get himself disqualified? Roman says he needs to beat Rollins. Need it all he wants. He can't get the job done..

Roman says Seth doesn't understand... Roman is the only SUPERSTAR left. He doesn't just need to beat Rollins. The INDUSTRY needs Roman to beat Rollins.

Rollins takes it back to WrestleMania 31, the Anoa'i family were pissed off that Rollins cashed in on Roman. Rollins wants to make Roman's family cry again.

Rollins wants Roman's kids to know that Roman has always been Rollins' little bitch.

Roman Reigns is gotten to. He attacks with punches and then a spear. He goes out and grabs a steel chair... THE SHIELD CHAIR.

But Rollins Curbstomps Roman into the chair and stands tall to end the show.