Former WWE NIL Signee AJ Ferrari Charged with Assault of a Pregnant Woman

Former WWE Next In Line signee and D1 College Wrestling National Champion, AJ Ferrari, has a warrant out for his arrest following allegations of assault of a pregnant woman.

Ferrari, soon to be 25, is facing multiple criminal charges in Lancaster County, Nebraska, including: assault by strangulation or suffocation of a pregnant woman, third-degree domestic assault, and first-degree false imprisonment.

On May 8th, per a police affidavit obtained by NTV News, the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) responded to a call from the mother of the alleged victim stating her daughter called her asking for help and was at Ferrari’s apartment. LPD arrived at the scene, knocked on the door for several minutes before leaving without a response. The affidavit stated that the alleged victim later appeared leaving the apartment and was “visibly upset.”

According to statements from the alleged victim, an argument with Ferrari had started the night before. It was during that argument that she hid in a closet and attempted to contact her mother via her iPad as her mother as Ferrari had confiscated her phone. Ferrari found her, shoved her onto a bed, and mounted her, stating he would not get off until she apologized to him. In the scuffle, the woman was said to have kicked Ferrari off, afraid she was going to hit the floor, and once she did, Ferrari got back on top of her and began to strangle her.

Medical reports reveal that the alleged victim had abrasions and bruises on her neck, indicating that she may have been strangled. After being released from the Bryan Medical Center West Campus, she was said to have gone to the Lincoln Airport and flown back home to California.

Ferrari — just arrested last week and released from jail after posting bond for a separate incident — has not yet been arrested on these charges. A restraining order has been filed by the alleged victim against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7th in Lancaster District Court.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, there are resources to help The national hotline is (800) 799-7233.

Julia Hart Reveals ARFID Diagnosis

On her personal TikTok page, AEW wrestler Julia Hart posted a video revealing that she had been diagnosed with ARFID back in November 2025, and that she has been going to therapy to understand her triggers and how the disorder has affected her mentally. 

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, ARFID stands for “Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder”. Those with ARFID are known to limit the quality and quantity of the food they eat, much like other eating disorders. However, unlike other eating disorders, selective eating from ARFID is not caused by distress over one’s own body image. It is caused by a lack of interest in eating, a problem with the food’s taste, texture, or smell, and/or a fear of choking or vomiting from the food. 

In her video, Julia mentions how a lot of people talk about eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, and there is less discussion around ARFID. Her concern is well-placed. 

There is limited research on ARFID, and it is difficult to even get diagnosed with it because it shares symptoms with other, more pervasive, eating disorders as well as autism. Not only that, but society is quick to wave off the sensory aversion and lack of appetite as someone just being a “picky eater”. The lack of knowledge about ARFID, and the societal instinct to dismiss problems they haven’t personally experienced, has created a space of confusion and shame for those with ARFID. 

When people believe you’re choosing to suffer, it’s more difficult to receive help. However, there is always hope. Julia ends her video wondering if anyone else is going through ARFID and wants to talk about it, creating a safe space for those with the disorder. We here at DSR applaud Julia Hart for her bravery, and we wish her and others with ARFID a healthy, strong recovery. 

And if you believe you may be suffering from ARFID or any other kind of eating disorder, consider talking to a mental health professional or a primary healthcare professional. You can also visit the National Eating Disorders Association website for more information on eating disorders. You can also call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Hotline at 1-866-662-1235. 

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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.

JCW Understands Something Much of Modern Wrestling Keeps Forgetting

More than 26 years in, Juggalo Championship Wrestling is still here, which means the joke has outlived a lot of people who thought they were above it.

That survival alone should make it worth taking seriously. The Faygo, clown paint, blood, and proudly deranged match stipulations all work in this particular squared circle once you give them a chance, but the survival is the point. JCW has spent most of its life being easy to dismiss. It has also lasted long enough to make the easy dismissal feel thin.

There’s an essential distinction between chaos and incoherence. JCW has survived because, beneath the mess, it knows the difference.

JCW launched in 1999 as Juggalo Championshit Wrestling, an Insane Clown Posse project that treated wrestling the way ICP treated music: as theater, provocation, inside joke, community ritual, and blood-splattered spectacle, but never as something easy. Beneath the clown paint was a real love for the craft, the timing, the talent, and the nerve it takes to make the whole beautiful mess work.

The first show ran at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit with The Iron Sheik, King Kong Bundy, and Abdullah the Butcher on the card. Clearly, subtlety was never the point, and maybe that’s why it’s outlasted so many promotions built to look respectable and not much else.

JCW isn’t patrician. This company isn’t dressing up for the balcony seats, which is exactly why I’ve come to love it. Propriety is easy enough to fake in wrestling. Put enough sanitary lighting on a show, book enough technically competent, good-looking talent, keep the creepiness and the sexiness at a homogenized and family-friendly distance, and you might build a serious-looking promotion.

But is wrestling supposed to be that serious? Or, at the very least, is it always supposed to be?

There are a lot of fantastic indie promotions in 2026, and we’re lucky to have companies that run the gamut. That’s exactly why JCW is worth looking at clearly. JCW’s gore, gross-out comedy, and blown-out carnival atmosphere aren’t arbitrary; they’re architecture. If the timing, craft, and internal logic are easy to miss, that’s because the promotion is good at making design look like combustion.

The same goes for the roster. JCW gets talked about like the gimmick is the whole product, but the gimmick only works because the people inside it can wrestle. The current Lunacy orbit includes technicians, bruisers, flyers, deathmatch veterans, TV names, and homegrown weirdos who can develop the bit rather than be swallowed by it. The joke lands harder because the work underneath it is real.

JCW taps into something old-school promotions understood in their bones: the match matters, but the heat needs to spread, the debts must come due, and the damage has to follow people out of the ring. World Class Championship Wrestling knew that. The Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds didn’t become one of wrestling’s defining rivalries because one cage match ended badly. They became one because that betrayal kept moving through the territory, turning a title match into a family war, and a family war into the kind of weekly obsession that made a territory feel alive.

Even today, when we’re all hip to kayfabe, maybe especially now, we’re still hungry to be under the spell.

JCW doesn’t look like WWE, AEW, TNA, MLW, or GCW. It doesn’t need to. It shouldn’t. What matters is that JCW has doubled down on one of episodic wrestling’s most foundational concepts: stories have to keep happening after the show ends.

Wrestling trains its audience one way or another. When angles vanish, fans learn not to invest too deeply. When betrayals burn hot for a week and then cool into background noise, the world starts to feel temporary. Sometimes that’s the right business decision. AEW’s Nightmare Collective, for example, was introduced with hair-cutting, recruitment, and women’s division interference before Brandi Rhodes later confirmed the story was over because it wasn’t working. That happens. Bits don’t always work for anyone, and good promotions course-correct.

But course correction still teaches the audience something.

JCW wants to haunt you. It lets the eccentricity that is its trademark rot, bloom, and crawl back into the room with teeth, unresolved business, and sometimes Barnabas the Bizarre’s zombies, trying to get clean because even the undead apparently have to work the program.

Take Matt Cardona’s title run, which didn’t just evaporate when his WWE return forced the belt loose. JCW turned the vacancy into another debt, sending James Storm and Mr. Anderson back toward each other after Anderson had already helped screw Storm out of the title. That’s the useful sickness of it. In JCW, the mess leaves fingerprints. The show keeps a ledger.

That doesn’t mean every idea lands or every segment is graceful. Nothing about JCW is elegant, and God help us if it ever tries to be. But the promotion understands that wrestling isn’t only about the match in front of you. It’s about accumulation. A grudge should leave residue. A title picture should bend when the real world elbows its way in. An authority figure should make problems that don’t vanish after one episode. We’re not always supposed to love the heel. A stipulation shouldn’t just decorate a card. It should open another trapdoor.

That kind of episodic buy-in gives a promotion more than one pulse. Indie wrestling can be dangerously dependent on a single booker, founder, draw, or myth-holder, and when that person leaves, the spell can leak out of the room fast. A lived-in wrestling world doesn’t make a promotion bulletproof, but it gives the audience more to hold onto: grudges, factions, title pictures, recurring weirdos, and unfinished business that can keep moving when reality kicks a hole in the card.

The current Lunacy era has made that commitment more visible. JCW isn’t just popping up once a year to run a wild card at the Gathering of the Juggalos or one-off tour stops for a very niche fan base. It’s built a weekly YouTube show around the idea that this world continues even when we’re not watching. Bloodymania is positioned as the place where a year’s worth of Lunacy storylines finally crash into each other, which is exactly how a major wrestling event should feel. Not just bigger or flashier. Consequential.

JCW is often described through the language of spectacle, and fairly so. This is a company where spectacle is the bloodstream. JCW’s trick is that the nonsense never just sits there. It builds, stains, mutates, and eventually comes due. A control-of-the-company angle with Violent J, Big Vito, and Vince Russo is absurd on paper. It’s also wrestling at its most legible. Who controls the promotion? Who gets humiliated? Who has power? Who gets to stay? Who has to pay for what they did?

Those are clean stakes. Wrestling can survive almost anything if the stakes are clean.

The Lunacy era gets over because it alchemizes incompatible wrestling histories under the same tent specifically because they are incompatible. Name acts arrive with baggage, underground fixtures bring credibility, and JCW’s own formidable stable keeps the place from feeling like a random booking experiment. The weirdos bring the atmosphere. The mismatch isn’t a problem to solve. That’s the draw. There’s some Juggalo-love logic in there, too, about the kind of loyalty that shifts misfit energy into an operating system, but that’s a separate story.

That’s another way of saying JCW feels like a wrestling promotion. Matt Riddle, Nic Nemeth, PCO, Vampiro, Rob Van Dam, KENTA, The Good Brothers, Willie Mack, Matt Cross, Kerry Morton, Mickie Knuckles, Caleb Konley, Big Vito, Vince Russo, Violent J. On another card, that lineup might feel like a bucket of names dumped onto a poster. In JCW, it feels like a traveling carnival where every tent is hiding something you probably shouldn’t want to see, but absolutely do. That’s not an insult. That’s the appeal.

The result feels less like prestige wrestling than folk wrestling in the old carnival sense: passed around, patched together, half ritual and half hustle, full of memory, inside jokes, grudges, borrowed monsters, cult loyalty, and the stubborn belief that the wrestling that lasts is usually the wrestling with dirt under its nails.

Professional wrestling has become very good at looking expensive and talking like it matters. It can produce a clip, a discourse cycle, and a ranking before the blood is dry. What it can’t always do is feel like a place. JCW does. A strange place, sure. A place where the dressing rooms might be haunted and the parking lot could probably cut its own promo.

But a place, nonetheless.

That’s the real comparison to golden-era wrestling. Not that JCW looks like Memphis, ECW, or late-’90s television. It doesn’t need to, and it’s not trying to. The connection is structural. JCW understands that audiences don’t only follow winners and losers. They follow unfinished business: the humiliation that demands revenge, the faction that keeps getting away with it, the boss they hate, the clown they trust, the monster they want turned loose, the old name they remember, and the new freak they didn’t expect to care about.

That’s wrestling. Not just athletic performance. Not just booking. Not just lore. A shared hallucination with rules.

JCW’s problem, if it has one, is the same thing as its strength. It isn’t trying to translate itself for people who need everything to be respectable before they can admit it works. That limits the ceiling. It also protects the soul. The promotion can be sloppy, excessive, crude, and occasionally impossible to explain without sounding like you’ve suffered a mild head injury. But the deeper truth is this: JCW isn’t confused about what it’s selling.

It’s selling escalation.

It’s selling follow-through.

It’s selling the idea that if you watch this week, you’ll understand more next week, and if you skip too much, you might miss the moment when the whole stupid, beautiful machine lurches forward.

That used to be the basic contract of wrestling television. JCW still honors it.

So no, JCW isn’t the cleanest promotion in the country. It isn’t subtle. It isn’t polite. It isn’t built to win over the kind of fan who thinks wrestling should apologize for being wrestling. It’s not here to prove it deserves to be in the room.

Good.

It’s here to lure the freaks under the tent flap, from inside and outside the fanbase.

Because what JCW does have is becoming rarer: a lived-in world, a loyal audience, an appetite for melodrama, and the nerve to make even its dumbest ideas matter. In a wrestling culture full of dropped threads and temporary heat, that counts for more than polish. Because we want to be lured and tricked, and, at the risk of waxing poetic, we want to belong.

JCW may still be lunacy. But right now, lunacy has continuity.

And continuity, in wrestling, is gold.

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.

AEW Dynamite Results 07/01/2026

AEW Dynamite Recap For July 1st, 2026

Will Ospreay says a few weeks ago Moxley said he was starting to see "IT" in Ospreay... What does that mean? Moxley says if he could say it in words, he would.

AEW is meant to be great and this business is the greatest sport in the world. But it's full of backstabbers and carnys that pull the business down. It's up to them to protect AEW. To protect the business.

Jon Moxley offers Will Ospreay a spot in the Death Riders. He's proud of him.

Kenny Omega witnesses the whole thing. Will says Kenny is not his father. Just because Kenny Omega has given up on himself doesn't mean Ospreay has given up. Kenny says given up???

MJF walks by. Kenny Omega tells him that he's got next for the title. MJF says he'll see Ospreay at Wembley and leaves. Kenny reminds Ospreay none of this is bigger than what they have. They will always be friends.

---

• AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: MJF DEF. MARK BRISCOE(18:21)

MJF retains the AEW World Championship in a very fun match and BLOODY match against Mark Briscoe. Briscoe took MJF to the limit but MJF was too much to overcome.

Post match MJF attacks Briscoe with the Dynamite Diamond Ring until Kenny Omega runs out

Kenny Omega runs out to save Mark Briscoe from MJF and then challenges MJF to a match tonight. MJF calls him stupid. But then he has an idea. He will fight Kenny Omega next week at Beach Break but only if Omega puts his right to challenge for the AEW World Championship on the line.

Kenny has until the end of the night to accept.

---

MJF is calling out Andrade when he's confronted by Will Ospreay. Ospreay asks MJF why did he place THAT stipulation on Kenny Omega next week?

It's because he's the champion and Ospreay is not. It's because MJF wants everyone to know that it's HIM that's going to see Will Ospreay at Wembley Stadium and nobody else.

---

Andrade is doing an interview with Tony Schiavone when he's attacked by the Don Callis Family

Don Callis grabs a mic and asks Andrade.. How you know? Then he calls to get rid of Andrade from the ring so Kevin Knight can defend the TNT Championship against Lio Rush

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• TNT CHAMPIONSHIP: KEVIN KNIGHT DEF. LIO RUSH(8:43)

Kevin Knight retains the TNT Championship against Lio Rush and is immediately confronted by Darby Allin

Kevin Knight is about to give Darby a TNT Championship opportunity but Don Callis says no. Darby used explosives against Knight at Forbidden Door so he crossed the line from wrestler to criminal.

He will never get a shot at the TNT Championship. Darby smiles. If that's the way Kevin wants it... That's cool with Darby.

Speedball Mike Bailey dressed in black, looks on from the crowd.

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Chris Jericho and Tomasso Ciampa brawl around the parking lot as Ciampa tried to drill Jericho on the head but Jericho fights it off and they get broken up.

Ciampa vs Jericho Next week!

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• THE DEATH RIDERS DEF. THE SWIRL(9:14)

Will Ospreay has accepted the Death Riders patch and wears it for his match with Jon Moxley against Blake Christian and Lee Johnson

Very fun match that ends with Ospreay pushing Mox out of the way of danger and taking out Blake Christian with an Oscutter. Mox hits Lee Johnson with a Death Rider into Ospreay's Hidden Blade

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Christian asks Edge what is up with Jay White? Edge says he owed him a favor and now they're even. Well Christian had beef with Jay White the last time they saw each other and he still doesn't like him

---

459 days since Jay White stood in an AEW ring. Last time he was here, they were desperate to get rid of the Death Riders. Now everyone likes them? Now they're hanging around with the biggest fraud in pro wrestling, Will Ospreay? But he's not here to talk to them.

Who let the Dogs out.

Jay White is here to deal with the Dogs. To deal with David Finlay, a nepo baby bitch boy but one of the most talented men he's ever seen. Jay White says Finlay took him out before he could say goodbye to the fans who raised him in Japan. Now the Dogs have only been in AEW for four months but their stench is already far too strong.

Jay White is here to rid AEW of them so everyone can BREATH with the Switchblade

EXCELLENT promo from Jay White

A video plays backstage of Shane Taylor Promotions dismissing the return of the Collision Cowboys and calling them out for a match

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• SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST FOR THE VACANT TBS CHAMPIONSHIP: HIKARU SHIDA DEF. KRIS STATLANDER, QUEEN AMINATA, PERSEPHONE, AND HARLEY CAMERON(17:27)

Persephone eliminated Harley Cameron after teaming with her to take out other women.

Hikaru Shida eliminated Maika with a surprise roll up.

Persephone eliminated Queen Aminata (Boo💔)

Kris Statlander eliminated Persephone. The crowd lost their favorite in this elimination and they are not happy.

Hikaru Shida eliminated Kris Statlander when Persephone attacks Stat giving the win and vacant TBS Championship to Shida.

---

Will Ospreay attempts to stop Kenny Omega from accepting MJF's deal. He wants to wrestle Kenny Omega at Wembley Stadium but thinks Kenny may not believe in himself enough.

Kenny says time is running out and if he's gonna go out then he's gonna go out guns blazing. Hopefully with Ospreay's support. Ospreay says of course.

Kenny walks out to the crowd and tells them he's been doing this for 30 years and they have always gotten the same Kenny. He's won titles and broken records. A career he can proudly hang his hat on.

But Kenny knows it's not enough. He needs to win the AEW World Championship, just one more time. Kenny wants to represent AEW on the biggest stage in Wembley.

All he has to do is put it all on the line. If he fails he will become just like Cody. Just like Hangman. A person who can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again.

Is the cost too high? No.

Kenny is still the Best Bout Machine, the Cleaner, the God of Pro Wrestling. Kenny Omega ACCEPTS MJF's offer.

Kenny bids us adieux but he's attacked by MJF. MJF tries to use the Ring but Kenny reversed and they fought until security came out.

Former TNA and All Japan Pro Wrestling Champion Joe Doering Dies at 44

The professional wrestling world is mourning the loss of a true heavyweight powerhouse today, as former All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Joe Doering has passed away at the age of 44.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed on the morning of June 26, 2026, by Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, which stated that Doering passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. His passing marks the end of a grueling, nearly decade-long battle with brain cancer, a fight he approached with the same unyielding toughness that defined his storied in-ring career.

Born Joseph Doering in Chicago, Illinois, on April 16, 1982, the towering 6-foot-8, 276-pound athlete built a legacy spanning the globe. He debuted in 2004 after training under Scott D’Amore at the Can-Am Wrestling School, but it was in Japan where he truly etched his name into professional wrestling history.

Earning a contract with All Japan Pro Wrestling in 2007, Doering quickly established himself as a dominant gaijin force. He captured the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship twice, joining the elite ranks of foreigners who have held the prestigious title. He was also a four-time AJPW World Tag Team Champion, securing the belts alongside Japanese legends like Keiji Mutoh and Suwama, and won the World's Tag League on three separate occasions.

Doering's hard-hitting, brawling style made him a natural successor to the legacy of legendary gaijins like Stan Hansen. His devastating lariat earned him profound respect from the notoriously demanding Japanese audience.

North American fans also remember Doering for his impactful tenure in TNA Wrestling. Returning to the promotion in 2020 as the enforcer of the Violent By Design faction alongside Eric Young, Deaner, and Rhino, Doering added two Impact World Tag Team Championships to his resume.

He also spent a brief period competing in WWE's developmental territory, FCW, as Drake Brewer, where he continued to hone his craft and gain valuable experience in the modern American television style of wrestling.

His medical battles began in February 2016 with his first brain tumor diagnosis. Following surgery, he triumphantly returned to the ring, proving his resilience. Tragically, the disease returned in August 2022, forcing a second surgery that left him with ataxia, severely impacting his mobility. In November 2025, his family shared the devastating news of a third brain tumor. After entering hospice care earlier this month, his courageous fight finally came to an end.

The statement released today by Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling read: 'Though his time on this earth lasted only 44 years, Joe packed a thousand years' worth of living into every one of them.' He leaves behind his beloved wife, Lindsay, his family, and a global fanbase that will forever remember his incredible strength as a competitor and as a man facing an insurmountable illness.

As we reflect on his immense contributions to the industry here at Dirt Sheet Radio, our deepest thoughts and condolences are with his loved ones during this profoundly difficult time. Rest in peace, Joe Doering. You will never be forgotten.

AEW, WWE, NXT, TNA PPV Weekend Preview | Bubba Ray Dummy | Avery Styles Debut | Dirt Sheet Radio

You're listening to Dirt Sheet Radio!

Jon, Nick and Greg are diving into a jam-packed week across the wrestling world. Here is everything on the card for today's show: Joe Doering Enters Hospice: We send our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes to the former TNA and AJPW star and his family following the heartbreaking update on his battle with brain cancer.

Bubba Ray Dummy: Reacting to Bully Ray's explosive podcast comments claiming he could beat up Jon Moxley and calling the Death Riders' run just Moxley playing out his "pro wrestling fantasies." 

Mega Pay-Per-View Weekend Preview: It is an unprecedented weekend for wrestling fans! We are breaking down the cards and giving our predictions for an absolutely loaded slate: WWE Night of Champions, NXT Great American Bash, TNA Slammiversary, and AEW Forbidden Door. 

The Hurt Syndicate's Shift: Analyzing the intriguing new creative direction for the faction in AEW as they seemingly step away from the championship hunt 

Avery Styles Debuts: Discussing the next generation stepping into the squared circle as AJ Styles' son, Avery, makes his official pro wrestling debut with the Hall of Fame father in his corner. 

Perros del Mal: Breaking down the debut and follow up to the return of the iconic AAA faction. 

Stardom Conversion: The latest updates and strategic shifts happening within the World Wonder Ring Stardom landscape. 

Tiger Mask's Mexican Farewell: Breaking down the legendary Tiger Mask IV 's retirement tour as it headed to Mexico and his involvement in Fantasticamania.

AEW Dynamite 6-25-2026 Recap: A full breakdown and review of all the action from this week's massive go-home edition of Dynamite ahead of Forbidden Door.

Martha Hart Named Calgarian of The Year

Congratulations to Martha Hart for being named Calgarian of the Year by the Calgary Awards for her philanthropy with the Owen Hart Foundation.

The Owen Hart Foundation has three main philanthropic programs. A scholarship program, a home ownership program and a global partnership program.

The scholarship program helps lower income high schoolers with access to otherwise unaffordable post-secondary education.

The home ownership Program has successfully helped hundreds of lower income families purchase their own homes.

And the global partnership program sees the Owen Hart Foundation partner with outside organizations both locally and internationally with philanthropic efforts. Including the Calgary Zoo and Alberta Children's Hospital.

Hart has also created special projects such as backpack giveaways, food drives and foreign aid.

TNA Implodes | Forbidden Door or Lack Thereof | WWE at the White House | Dirt Sheet Radio ep. 236

You're listening to Dirt Sheet Radio!!!

Jon and Greg are jumping into a wild week across the wrestling world. We are covering the shifting landscape of streaming platforms, rumored management conspiracies, Hollywood crossovers, and major tournament predictions.

Here is everything on the card for today's show:

• Is the Forbidden Door in the Room with Us?: Discussing the current state of AEW's cross-promotional partnerships and whether the magic of the Forbidden Door has started to fade.

• MyAEW Replaces Triller TV: Breaking down the massive shift as MyAEW becomes the new global streaming destination and pay-per-view home for independent promotions like PRODUCE, Limitless, and more.

• TNA's Implosion: Analyzing the ongoing management turmoil and talent walkouts. Is this seeming incompetence actually a calculated move to prepare the company for an imminent sale?

• King and Queen of the Ring Finals Predictions: Setting our picks for the climax of the prestigious WWE tournaments and who will take the crowns.

• Owen Hart Cup Finals: Looking ahead to the finals of the AEW tournament and predicting who will take home the ultimate prize.

• AEW: The Musical: Reacting to the bizarre leaked audio and rumors of a jukebox musical based on the rise of All Elite Wrestling.

• Drew McIntyre Goes Hollywood: The Scottish Warrior is making himself comfortable outside the ring, officially joining the cast of The Last Druid alongside Russell Crowe after wrapping up Highlander.

• Tiger Mask Sets Double Retirement Matches: Honoring the legendary career of Tiger Mask IV as he prepares for his final bouts against Black Tiger and "Dynamite Kid" Tommy Billington.

• WWE at the White House: Discussing the recent appearance and crossover of WWE superstars in the nation's capital.

• NJPW Dominion: Reviewing the massive card at Osaka-jo Hall and the championship implications for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

• AEW Dynamite 06-17-2026 Recap: A complete breakdown and review of all the action and storyline progression from this week's Wednesday night flagship

WWE/TKO Merger Lawsuit Suddenly Cancelled As Walls Close In on Vince McMahon, Nick Khan and Co.

Brandon Thurston is reporting the upcoming WWE/TKO merger lawsuit has suddenly been cancelled. He hasn't heard whether or not a settlement has been reached or if one is being drawn up.

The is a very sudden end to this interesting legal saga.

Now the lawsuit was not against WWE or TKO specifically, rather it was a suit against WWE executives who helped Vince McMahon facilitate a deal which would keep him in power, rather than a fair bidding process, predetermining the merger with UFC and undervaluing the company.

A move that shareholders claim costs them almost a billion dollars.

Recent losses in the preliminary hearings saw Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster sanction Vince McMahon and WWE President Nick Khan for reckless destruction of evidence. The prosecution proving that Khan and Co. used the encrypted messaging app Signal with auto-delete features turned on, destroying potentially relevant communications

Judge Travis Laster also ruled in favor of reporter Brandon Thurston challenging redacted items in the lawsuit. The defense argued that the disclosure would damage professional relationships within and outside of WWE, in addition to causing harm to the individuals identified, and it would erode confidence among stakeholders. Judge Laster did not agree.

On the night of this decision, citizens in Stamford, Connecticut posted a video of the US flag on top of WWE Headquarters flying off and crashing into a power pole where it caught fire.

INTERVIEW: AEW's Tony Schiavone on AEW/WCW Comparisons, Checking on Darby Allin, His Batman Collection and So Much More

In an exclusive joint interview, legendary professional wrestling broadcaster Tony Schiavone sat down with 101.9 Kiss FM’s Danny, Jon Escudero of Dirt Sheet Radio, and Matthew Malik Wilson of Blaccout Sports to discuss his historic 40-year career and the evolution of the business.

Ahead of AEW Dynamite at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia, the voice of generations opened up about the emotional weight of calling Sting's final match, the fundamental differences between the structural downfalls of WCW and the modern stability of AEW, and his profound appreciation for the high-risk athleticism of today's roster.

Shifting gears from the squared circle to personal passions, Schiavone also shared his candid, traditionalist take on the current state of superhero cinema, his sprawling Batman and sports memorabilia collections, and the unforgettable, electrifying atmosphere of broadcasting from the historic Arena Mexico.

Danny: It's 101.9 Kiss FM, your number one for hip hop and R&B. Ladies and gentlemen, I told you I had an amazing interview lined up for you guys today. I got an absolute legend on the phone right now. If you've watched pro wrestling in the last 40-plus years, you know exactly who this man is. People, I got AEW's Tony Schiavone on the line right now. Tony, how you doing today, man?

Tony Schiavone: Danny, what's up buddy? How you doing?

Danny: All is well. I am out of breath right now.

Tony: Really? Put some laps around the station, is that what you're doing?

Danny: I did, I took a full lap around the station! But it's all worth it talking to you, man. Listen, I've got my guys here with me today, Jon Escudero from Dirt Sheet Radio and Matthew Malik Wilson from Blackout Sports. We know you guys are coming through Richmond, Virginia at the Siegel Center for Dynamite tomorrow, right?

Tony: That's right, tomorrow night at the Siegel Center. It's Dynamite, which is live on TBS. We'll start at 7:30 with a couple of other matches to get you warmed up, and then we'll do our two-hour live show. Sometimes we go over two hours, sometimes two hours and 10 minutes—that's what we call the overrun. Sometimes you just never know with wrestling matches how long they're gonna go.

Danny: Absolutely. So we'll be there.

Tony: Yeah, we got a great crowd too, Danny. We got some great matches, and there are still tickets available at aewtix.com. It's our debut in Richmond. I've been looking forward to this since I'm a Virginia native; I've been looking forward to this for quite a while.

Danny: I actually didn't know you were a Virginia native. I know you have been up and down the road for decades, and the Carolinas and Virginia have been a huge part of your journey as far as pro wrestling goes. When you think about this region, does it hold a special place for you in your career or in your memories of the business in general?

Tony: Oh yeah, it does. I'm from western Virginia, Augusta County. I was born in Staunton, and I grew up in a small town called Craigsville. I went to James Madison, graduated from there. As a wrestling fan, I would go to Roanoke and the old Richmond Coliseum. I even went to an event at the Richmond Arena, which was next to The Diamond where the Richmond Braves played, and I went to matches there. I went all over, to the Lynchburg Armory as a fan, and Greensboro, North Carolina. Getting involved in wrestling was big for me because I was a big wrestling fan. Coming back here to Richmond, I know the Coliseum's not here anymore, but being able to come back to a place where I saw many, many matches is really a big deal.

Danny: It's like a full circle moment for you, huh?

Tony: Absolutely.

Danny: Now, you've been the voice for so many different eras of wrestling. When AEW first launched and you joined the company back in 2019, did it feel like the start of something special right away for you, or is that a feeling that grew over time?

Tony: No, it was special right away. We were in Washington D.C. at the Wizards' arena—I don't know what it's called now—but we sold out that venue. I knew we had something. I got to work with JR again for the first time. I got to work with Excalibur, who I still work with and is one of the best announcers I've ever worked with in my life. What a great announcer Excalibur is. I knew we had something great. The first match, I'll never forget it, was Cody Rhodes—who has now gone on to be the World Champion at WWE and become a big star—against Sammy Guevara. I went in the ring and held the microphone for Cody, and I just knew we were onto something big. We were signed by TBS and Time Warner/Warner Bros. Discovery, and it's been great. TBS and TNT are legendary wrestling channels, so for us to be on those two is really big for us and big for the industry too.

Danny: I totally agree. Speaking of TBS and TNT being big for wrestling, a lot of us remember you back in the day in WCW. In the beginning of AEW, there were a lot of comparisons between WCW and AEW, mainly because they're alternatives to WWE. From your perspective as someone who's been a part of the rise of both, what feels similar and what feels different?

Tony: What feels similar is that it's an alternative to WWE. What feels different, as far as I'm concerned—and I brought this up in an interview earlier—is that at WCW the wrestlers were my age, and at AEW they're the age of my kids. That's the biggest difference. There's a different dynamic I have now with these guys and girls. It is much more involved now than I've ever experienced. We have to promote a lot of stuff—venues, T-shirts. I get notes on each wrestler that I never had before. It's just a more involved TV show than I've ever been part of in my life. The wrestling's different, too. If you guys have been watching wrestling through the years, you know it's evolved. There are a lot of different styles now. We recently had Okada wrestle Takeshita—amazing match. Then you'll see Darby Allin and the crazy stuff he does, which is a different style. When I came back, I didn't think I would like this new style, but I really do. I really appreciate the things the guys and girls put themselves through. Sometimes I tell them, "In 30 years you won't be able to walk, but keep on bumping!" I'm being facetious, of course, but they do put their bodies on the line, which is amazing to me.

Danny: I agree, and I think that's what makes me appreciate wrestling so much more. I took a belly-to-belly suplex for the first time from an independent guy here, Trayvon Ali, and I hurt for days. To see these guys go night in and night out and do this stuff, I found a new appreciation for it. They put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertaining us. I don't know if you've seen the spot where Darby goes way up to the top of a ladder and tumbles off onto glass?

Tony: Oh yeah. I always check on Darby because of the crazy things he does. Afterwards, they're picking glass out of him, and I'm looking at him saying, "I guess next time we just have to take out a gun and shoot you, because we've done everything else we can do to you! We've set you on fire, we've thrown you down steps, you've thrown yourself off a ladder onto glass, you've climbed Mount Everest—what else can be done?" He's just an amazing guy, and he keeps bouncing back.

Danny: It blows my mind. Every single time he comes out there, I'm wondering what the hell he's gonna do next that's gonna have me biting my nails. Speaking of that spot, that was in Greensboro for Sting's last match. It was an amazing show, and thank you to AEW for inviting me to that event, I was able to see it live. You watched Sting become one of the biggest stars in wrestling, and then you got to call the final chapter of his career in AEW. What did that match and that night mean for you overall?

Tony: It's one of the highlights of my career. I can tell you the highlights of my career very quickly. Number one was my first time on TBS: April 6, 1985. The second highlight was my first show when I went to the WWE and did the Madison Square Garden Network—I did Hulk Hogan and the Big Boss Man in a cage. And then the next highlight is coming back to AEW and doing Sting's last match. I remember when the match was over, Sting waved at me and said, "Come on in the ring." I wouldn't do it. I just stood on the outside. I didn't want to go in the ring because that was his moment, not my moment. But it's gonna go down as one of the biggest moments of my career, being able to work with him and deliver that line. I don't know where it came from; Tony Khan kept saying, "Make sure you say, 'It's Sting!'" And when he would come out, Taz and Excalibur would look at me. I'd say, "It's Sting!" and then I would say, "Well, I've earned my check for the day, I'll go home." Being a part of his career means a lot to me. I'll tell you what else means a lot too: if you take a look at YouTube videos of the crazy interviews Ric Flair did, or some of the stuff Dusty Rhodes did, I'm there holding the microphone. That's top-flight stuff. I'm honored, it means so much to me to be able to say I stood there holding the microphone when Ric Flair made out with a mannequin. I'm thinking, "This guy's lost his mind." Now, 35 years later, I know Ric and I know I'm right—he *has* lost his mind! But he did some crazy stuff back then, and I am truly honored to have held the microphone for some of those things.

Danny: That's amazing. Just like Sting, you have seen several wrestlers become stars in real-time, from Sting and Goldberg back in WCW to MJF, Darby Allin, Swerve, and Toni Storm today in AEW. What do you feel separates someone who's talented from someone who is a true star, and is there anybody on the current AEW roster who you feel is on the brink of becoming one of those superstars?

Tony: I think what separates someone who's talented from someone who is a true star is the ability to talk on the microphone. You go back and look through history at who gave good promos: Flair, Dusty, Roddy Piper, Macho Man, Hulk Hogan. Now it's MJF, "Timeless" Toni Storm, Jon Moxley. The stuff Darby Allin says is gritty and real. When Magnum T.A. was wrestling, he would look right in the camera and bring you into him. I think that's what separates the great stars from the good stars. I'm not so sure all wrestlers get that now, that they have to be able to talk, engage the fans, and drive the fans' emotion. Some of them are great at doing it in the ring, but if you add the ability to talk, that makes it special.

Danny: I agree with that fully. Malik, what you got, brother?

Malik: Tony, what's going on man? Matthew Malik Wilson here from Blackout Sports, MLBbro.com. How you doing today? Pleasure to have you, man.

Tony: Good, man! How you doing, bud? Thanks for being here.

Malik: Couldn't miss a call with a legend! Now, I'm an underdog story type of guy, and you being in the business for 40 years doing live play-by-play, I believe you guys are the most intricate part to storytelling in wrestling as a whole. I'm a New York Knicks fan—sorry about what we did to the Hawks, by the way—and they've got Jalen Brunson. Everybody doubted him, and he's taking the Knicks to the NBA Finals as a guy that's only 6'2". Looking at AEW, who's the underdog you saw rise that maybe you didn't expect, but is an amazing story now that they're here?

Tony: Well, first of all, I'm not a Hawks fan. Thank God you drove the Hawks out of existence!

Malik: Who are you a fan of, if I may ask?

Tony: I'm a fan of the LA Lakers.

Malik: That's fair! I got my Kobe Air Force Ones on right now. Respect.

Tony: I've got nine pairs of Kobes, and I've got eight pairs of Lukas. I knew they kept Luka out because they knew they couldn't beat Oklahoma City. Anyway, I hope the Knicks win! Back to the underdog: I think Darby Allin is a great underdog story because he's undersized. There's another guy who, when I first saw him, I knew he'd be a big star. I talked for a moment about being able to do promos. To me, the guy that was kind of the underdog—he came in as a tag team wrestler and people didn't think much of him, but I knew he was a big star—is Kyle Fletcher. He came in as Aussie Open with Mark Davis, a tag team that had wrestled in Japan. He's from Australia, and now he's developed into this big singles star under the Don Callis Family. I think he's the underdog that can eventually be the biggest star in AEW by far.

Malik: I totally agree, man. When he came out, that pop he had was absolutely amazing, so salute to him. I've got another question for you. We talked about the differences between AEW and other companies. I believe a wise man not only learns from his mistakes but learns from the mistakes of others as well. When you look at AEW and the rise of this company so far, where has AEW gotten things right that WCW may have gotten wrong in your opinion?

Tony: I think the biggest thing, Matthew, is this: People have asked me why WCW failed. You can point to 100 things. People have said it was the Fingerpoke of Doom, or Schiavone saying Mick Foley will put butts in seats, or Vince Russo, or Hulk Hogan having final say on creative. The reason WCW failed was that TBS didn't want us. It was that simple. TBS went through many changes, and they just didn't want wrestling anymore. Once Ted Turner left, I knew the countdown clock was on for us. Now, instead of working for a television company where we were just another part—like CNN, Headline News, or the Braves—we are owned by a wrestling company. That makes all the difference in the world. Of course, a wrestling company has to get clearance, be put on TV, and have a network or streaming company that wants you, but that is the big difference between WCW and AEW. We're owned by a wrestling company, not by a TV company. Once the mergers of Time Warner and AOL happened, and Jamie Kellner got in there, we were done. I know we weren't doing things correctly, but wrestling goes in cycles. You have ups and you have downs. I've been through all of them, and if you can stick with it, you're gonna go back on the way up. They didn't want us—they gave away the library for a little bit of nothing! How much money has the WWE made on the old WCW or Jim Crockett library? Millions. It shows you that not only did they not want it back then, but the people in charge at that time didn't know what to do with it.

Malik: That was an amazing answer. You gave me everything I was looking for. Thank you, Tony. One more question: as a young sportscaster, when I go to events, cover the New York Knicks, and do my live shows, I get butterflies every single time I'm about to tell a story. Do you still get those butterflies every night before you go live, or are they gone after 40 years in this business?

Tony: I'll tell you a true story: no, they're not there. I've only had butterflies twice in my life. The first time was when I did a show at Madison Square Garden with Lord Alfred Hayes in 1989. I mentioned Hulk Hogan and the Big Boss Man on the main event. That day I flew to Boston to do an event on the New England Sports Network, so it was a big day, but doing Madison Square Garden gave me butterflies. The second time was just recently, going in the ring and honoring Ted Turner. I wrote that script and I studied my ass off, thinking, "This is a big deal. This is Ted Turner and Turner Broadcasting Systems that I'm talking on, and I'm gonna bring out Sting, and we're gonna talk about Ted." Those were the only two times I had butterflies. I can promise you that. Even my first time on TBS, I never got nervous. I don't get them, and maybe that's part of the longevity. I'm just calling wrestling, putting over a bunch of knuckleheads in the ring that I know really well and have a profound respect for. I've always thought I'm only as good as what's in the ring. But no, no butterflies. How about that?

Malik: I appreciate that. The next time, I promise you, I will not have butterflies. Just another day at the office! I'll lock in. Tony, trust me, appreciate your time, man. Looking forward to talking some basketball with you one day.

Tony: You got it, buddy. Go Lakers, go! I hope Luka gets it straight.

Danny: Jon, what you got, brother?

Jon Escudero: Jon Escudero, Dirt Sheet Radio. I just had a couple of questions for you, Tony. AEW has sort of built itself on partnerships with outside wrestling promotions and harmony within the industry. You guys have got Forbidden Door coming up, you just announced Grand Slam Mexico, and you're returning to Arena Mexico. I am obsessed with CMLL because of AEW. I just kind of want you to tell me about that incredible atmosphere at Arena Mexico.

Tony: Well, first of all, Jon, tell me about Dirt Sheet Radio. Am I talking to the dirt sheets here? I'm kidding. No, we can talk.

Jon:HA HA! We're trying to talk about, you know, the comic stuff, pop culture, wrestling...

Tony: I got you, I'm just giving you a hard time. Hey, I didn't know what to expect at Arena Mexico last year, but it was one of the highlights of me going and doing a wrestling show by far. The fans were tremendous. I remember because a good friend of mine that works in the office, and I work with QT Marshall—QT had a driver that he had met when he was in Mexico, and the driver picked us up, took us to the hotel and back. So we go outside after the show and our driver's going around the block, and it's, you know, it's kind of hectic in Mexico City to say the least. We're standing there on the curb, and of course we got security guys with us, and these fans come rushing out and I'm thinking, "Holy shit!"

But they were so nice, and they were so appreciative, and they were so informed about us and what we do. It truly was one of the greatest nights we had all of last year. We had gone to Australia—we've been in Australia twice now—we go to London every year, we go to Scotland. But going to Arena Mexico, for any wrestling fan... if you say you're a real wrestling fan, you need to go there. People go there because they're wrestling fans, but also people go there because it's kind of a tourist thing to do, right? You go to Mexico City, you want to see the home of lucha libre. So it's a great experience, and I'm really excited about us going back. And not only that, there's a statue of Jesus in the back in the locker room. Can you beat that?

Jon: No, you can't beat that. That's wild.

Tony: Yeah, and I took my picture with the two little guys. I can't remember their names right now—Excalibur would know them. But the two little... KeMonito! Yes, exactly.

Jon: I'll be there this summer for Grand Slam doing some press stuff. I can't wait to experience that for the first time. But for a second, if it's okay, I want to talk about superheroes.

Tony: Oh, you want to talk about superheroes? Damn straight, go ahead!

Jon: Basically, I was doing a little research, and I saw that you were very unhappy when Tony Stark died in Endgame. Now you've got Robert Downey Jr. coming back for Doomsday, but there's probably gonna be a lot more deaths going on. Are you excited at all?

Tony: My excitement's waning. I think I've had enough of superhero movies. I think they jumped the shark with this alternate universe thing, you know? Just battle people on Earth! I've always been a Batman guy. You know, I'm a company guy—DC. I've always been a Batman guy. My office is called the Batcave. I've got all these Batman toys and figures, I've got glass cases for them, and all these different things up on the wall. It's called the Batcave, and I'm really into that. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for the Batman movies because he's not gone into an alternate universe, right? He just fights the guys here in our world.

So this multiverse thing has blown me away. I just thought that Iron Man was so great, and Robert Downey Jr. was so great at Iron Man, why did they kill him off? And then I thought, "Hell, it's the movies, they can bring him back, right? They can do anything." They can write something crazy like, "Well, that was not really Iron Man, that was an alternate version of Iron Man from the multiverse, and it looked like him, but it really wasn't him." And now here he is!

Jon: That makes perfect sense. It's in line with what I've heard a lot of people say about these movies—they're kind of hoping they can get them back now with this next one. I don't think so, but yeah. I'm a big collector as well, and like you mentioned your Batman collection, I've seen it online, it's insane. But as a collector, I know we kind of love to show our favorite stuff off to people who we think could appreciate it. So I've got to know: what is your favorite collection piece?

Tony: My favorite collection piece? Yes, I can tell you exactly what it is. I'm gonna give a salute to Mike Dawkins, who is my agent and my lawyer. When he helped me sign my new deal with AEW—which was my second deal with AEW—he got me this Batman drawing that's been framed and matted with Bob Kane's original signature on it. It hangs in the Batcave. So that, by far, is my prized possession. It's a picture of Batman, then a little Kane drawing down at the bottom with Bob Kane's signature on it, so that's the deal.

Jon: That's awesome, that's unbelievable.

Tony: Yeah, and I know that Bill Finger was a part of Batman too. I get it, I understand the history now of Batman, but that's a big deal. So that's my prized possession. Hey, I also collect Nike tennis shoes—I'm up to 65 pairs now. And I also collect baseball cards. I'm trying to finish up the year 1963 now, and I'm five cards away from that, but I've got thousands of baseball cards that I collect. So I'm a collector's collector. I also collect a lot of nagging from my wife too, which I'd rather not collect, but I get a lot of that too!

Jon: The unspoken part of being a collector, this nagging that comes from the wife! But thank you for your time, Tony.

Tony: You know what I do? This is no lie. With my podcast and everything, I've got a mailbox where fans send me cards or whatever to sign. I'll gladly sign them and send them back. But I have this mailbox at the UPS store, and that's where I have my tennis shoes sent! That's where I have all my sneakers sent. So I go up there, I get them, and when my wife goes to bed, I sneak 'em right in the house!

Jon: That's how you do it man! Oh man, that's hilarious.

Danny: Tony man, I know you got a busy day, we know you gotta travel up to Virginia if you're not there already for Dynamite tomorrow. People, if you have not got your tickets to AEW Dynamite at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia yet, what are you waiting for? AEWtix.com, get those tickets, enjoy an amazing night of pro wrestling. Tony, I cannot thank you enough for taking some time out with us today, man.

Tony: Gentlemen, thank you very much, it was great talking to all three of you. Go Knicks! Hope everybody's happy with that one. Ring me up anytime, okay? Great talking to you guys.

Danny: I appreciate you, Tony. Take care, man.

Tony: Alright, see you.

Mick Foley: THE ENERGY BACKSTAGE [AT AEW] REMINDS ME OF THE WAY WWE FELT DURING THE ATTITUDE ERA WHEN WE WERE ALL ACTIVELY PULLING FOR EACH OTHER

Credit: Mick Foley Instagram

Mick Foley released a vlog detailing his time backstage at AEW Double or Nothing. Foley wants to thank the fans and AEW for helping him fall in love with pro wrestling again.

Foley says he is in NO WAY throwing stones at WWE but he never saw Me. McMahon do his job in WWE with as much joy and enthusiasm as Tony Khan outwardly shows.

The energy backstage at AEW reminds him of the WWF Attitude era the way everyone pulls for each other. The way they understand that to hit a monumental home run, you have to strike out a few times.

“Now there’s nothing wrong with getting a nostalgia pop. I’ve received plenty of those and they feel good. But the reaction I received in New York was different. It was a reaction that said we’re glad you’re here and that I could still make a difference.

In no way am I here to throw stones at WWE. I love the company. I always will. I will always be deeply appreciative for every opportunity they afforded me, but there’s something unique about seeing the owner of the company just so obviously happy and excited. Mr. McMahon had a different way of doing things, but it wasn’t that type of joy. And it just seems like to me, the AEW wrestlers are out there and they are playing to win because it is understood that failure is part of the process.

I’ve seen so many people over the years almost petrified to walk through that curtain because they didn’t know whether they’d get the thumbs up or the thumbs down figuratively speaking. Tony’s excited. Tony loves what he’s doing. He’s happy to be there and I think that type of enthusiasm makes me feel enthusiastic.

After I did my in-ring promo, a couple of the wrestlers on the card said, ‘Hey, so I guess you’ll be taking off?’ And I was like, ‘What am I gonna do? Watch Friends reruns in my hotel room? There’s a show.’ And it wasn’t just a show. It was an amazing show. People were so excited. The energy backstage reminds me of the way WWE felt during the Attitude Era when we were all actively pulling for each other, but we also understood that striking out was part of the process of hitting monumental home runs. So I am really glad to be in a place where wrestlers are encouraged to swing for the fences. Where it’s understood that not every hit’s gonna leave the park.

I’m excited about where this adventure’s going to take me. I consider myself like a Swiss Army knife and I can be used a lot of different ways, and I’m just excited about the future and I’m excited about wrestling in a way that I haven’t been in a few years. And I want to thank AEW fans, and the AEW product for helping me fall in love with professional wrestling all over again.”

Independent Luchador Tempo Killed In Hit and Run Incident

Independent Luchador Tempo has died after a hit and run incident in Mexico City.

According to local news reports, Tempo was riding his motorcycle when he was struck by a cargo truck. The force of the impact threw him into a pickup truck, causing a severe head injury. Witnesses say the driver fled the scene.

Tempo was on his way to a wrestling match in Coapa when the tragic accident occurred.

He was scheduled to participate in the main event of a card organized by Universal Lucha Company, held at the Deportivo del Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME) on Calzada del Hueso.

Jacob Fatu Suffers Back Injury At Live Event

Jacob Fatu was seen limping at the WWE Live Event in Great Britain. PWInsider reports that Fatu legitimately suffered an injury, revealed by the newer outlet False Finish to be a back injury.

Cory Hays, formerly the top WWE scooper at Bodyslam now at False Finish, reports WWE officials are assuming Fatu will be fine by The Clash in Italy Premium Live Event for his main event TRIBAL COMBAT match with Roman Reigns

But they are looking into alternative options in case Fatu is not medically cleared in time.

BUSHIROAD SELLS NJPW! SHARES GO TO TV ASAHI AND CYBERAGENT!

American Pro Wrestling fans will wake up Wednesday morning to the shocking news that BUSHIROAD has sold its shares in New Japan Pro Wrestling to TV ASAHI (here's where things get crazy) and CYBERAGENT.

CYBERAGENT will bring New Japan under the same umbrella as their CYBERFIGHT subsidiary which includes Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT, and Tokyo Joshi-Pro Wrestling.

BUSHIROAD’s Press Release stated the reason they feel selling their shares of NJPW is the right move. Essentially saying they believe with changes in the way the video distribution business works, they have grown New Japan Pro Wrestling as much as they can. BUSHIROAD believes TV ASAHI’s long established video platforms and CYBERAGENT’s digital expertise can take NJPW to the next level.

A line in the BUSHIROAD press release I thought was interesting says “The Company will, however, continue to maintain favorable relationships with each party”

Now, in preparation for this sale, New Japan Pro Wrestling had previously separated its business assets from STARDOM Wrestling. BUSHIROAD will remain sole owner of STARDOM, which currently holds a New Japan Pro Wrestling sanctioned Championship.

This line about the company maintaining favorable relationships may be good news for fans of the NJPW/STARDOM connection.

Credit: CYBERAGENT

But there's another partnership that American Fans might be worried about. That's the All Elite Wrestling/NJPW connection.

CYBERAGENT owns the ABEMA streaming service in Japan which currently holds exclusive rights to WWE TV and PLE events. This deal was signed in September in 2023. However Netflix Vice President of Sports Gabe Spitzer recently let it slip that WWE is coming to Netflix Japan “later in 2026”.

Now it would APPEAR that means the end of the WWE/CYBERAGENT connection, which would also mean the end of the NXT/NOAH partnership. Leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling to do business as usual. But there is no confirmation of that as of press time.

For now, AEW may be able to breath a sigh of relief but anything could happen in this wild world of Professional Wrestling.

My AEW Streaming Service Looking To Become Inter-Promotional Hub

During the AEW Double or Nothing Post Show Press Scrum, AEW CEO Tony Khan officially confirmed ambitious global expansion plans for the company's newly launched digital platform, MyAEW. The app will be looking to host content from outside wrestling promotions.

Khan’s vision is to establish a centralized hub akin offering global audiences streamlined access to diverse wrestling libraries.

This major pivot follows a highly publicized, contentious falling out between AEW and TrillerTV (formerly FITE TV). The relationship, which dates back to AEW's inception in 2019, completely collapsed after a severe financial dispute. Legal filings revealed that TrillerTV's parent company, Triller Group Inc. (TGI), repeatedly defaulted on millions of dollars in overdue pay-per-view and AEW Plus subscription revenues, diverting those funds to prop up its other struggling business ventures.

Faced with an alleged massive breach of trust and substantial annualized cash flow losses, AEW abruptly terminated its distribution agreement. In April 2026, TrillerTV officially discontinued the AEW Plus package and stripped all upcoming pay-per-views from its platform, leaving a massive void for international viewers that MyAEW was quickly fast-tracked to fill.

Demonstrating the proof of concept for this global hub model, QT Marshall’s 1 Fall Wrestling (1FW) has already been integrated into the platform.

Ludwig Kaiser Arrested | Baron Corbin, Enzo Amore and Big Cass Back to WWE | Brock Lesnar Returns | Dirt Sheet Radio Ep. 232

You're listening to Dirt Sheet Radio!
Welcome back to a massive new episode! Jon and Greg are breaking down a chaotic week in professional wrestling. 

Here is everything on the card for today's show:

• Ludwig Kaiser Arrested: Breaking down his recent battery charge in Florida and what it means, if anything, for his upcoming Mask vs. Mask match as El Grande Americano.

• Mick Foley is All Elite: The Hardcore Legend officially debuts for AEW at Double or Nothing in New York.

• Iyo Sky and EVIL Married: Congratulations to the new WWE power couple on their wedding!

• Injury Report: Willow Nightingale is forced to vacate the TBS Title and withdraw from the Owen Hart Tournament, Mistico is sidelined, and Randy Orton is off television with a back injury.

• Brock Lesnar Returns

• Tribal Combat Confirmed: Jacob Fatu has officially challenged Roman Reigns to a brutal Tribal Combat match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash in Italy.

• WWE Tag Team Rebuild: Analyzing the overall strategy and new direction for revamping the tag team division.

• MJF Unfiltered: Analyzing Maxwell Jacob Friedman's latest interview with Ariel Helwani.

• Superfan Vlad Hospitalized: Sending our best to the iconic WWE fan after his recent hard fall.

• WWE at the White House

• New Blood: A look at the incoming May 2026 WWE Performance Center signees.

Tune in, hit that subscribe button, and let us know your thoughts on the craziest stories of the week!

Matt Hardy Reveals 'Live For The Moment' Theme Song Was Originally For The Hardy Boyz

During a conversation with the Ropes and Riffs podcast, @MATTHARDYBRAND revealed his Iconic V1 theme song 'Live for the Moment' was originally created specifically to be used by both Hardy Boyz.

Hardy says the team had grown very fond of their classic "Loaded" theme song and declined. Hardy would eventually turn heel, take on the V1 gimmick and finally accept Live for the Moment as his theme song.

"In early 2002 they had made a song specifically for us and Monster Magnet did, which was 'Live for the Moment.' And they said, 'Hey, we wrote this specifically for the Hardy Boys, you guys are big stars now, this is specifically for you.' It's from a pretty notable band, Monster Magnet, at the time, and we would love for you to start using it.

Jeff and I both listen to it and we're like, 'It's okay, but we're gonna say no thanks for right now.' We really liked Loaded; it was associated with us and as soon as that hits, the crowd explodes and it really kind of sets the pace for what we're gonna do. We ended up saying no thanks because we just wanted to stick with Loaded and they allowed us to at that time. But later, as you know, I turned that around whenever I became a bad guy in pro wrestling as a heel and that became my song, 'Live for the Moment'."

Stephanie Vaquer Ex Boyfriend Sentenced In Attempted Femicide

Rogelio Reyes has been sentenced to 12 years and 8 months in prison following his conviction for attempted femicide and domestic violence against his former partner, the acclaimed professional wrestler Stephanie Vaquer.

The incident that led to these severe charges occurred in March 2023, when Vaquer filed a criminal complaint detailing a violent physical assault. She reported that Reyes had attacked and attempted to strangle her during an altercation at her residence in Mexico City.

Following the report and the circulation of evidence showing injuries to her neck, authorities acted swiftly, apprehending Reyes in Aguascalientes on March 10, 2023, shortly after he had performed at a Lucha Libre event. He was subsequently transferred to the Reclusorio Oriente in Mexico City, where he remained in preventive detention throughout the duration of the lengthy judicial process.

The charges were prosecuted forcefully due to the severity of the assault and the evidence presented regarding the life-threatening nature of the strangulation. Throughout the proceedings, Vaquer remained vocal about her pursuit of justice, receiving widespread support from fans and advocacy groups.

On May 5, 2026, the court officially found Reyes guilty, and the subsequent sentence of over 12 years reflects the gravity of the offense under Mexican law.

AEW Sues Triller TV and Parent Company Triller Group Inc

All Elite Wrestling has filed a lawsuit against TrillerTV and its parent company, Triller Group, Inc., seeking approximately $5 million in unpaid revenues from pay-per-view sales and the recently discontinued AEW Plus subscription service. Post Wrestling’s Brandon Thurston made the report Monday afternoon.

Filed on April 29 in Duval County Court in Florida, the complaint alleges that Triller Group diverted revenues generated by AEW content to fund other operational expenses, including a failed social media venture, rather than remitting the owed payments.

According to court documents, AEW was entitled to 75% of net revenues from domestic pay-per-view sales, 65% from international sales, and a 60% split for the AEW Plus service. The legal filing reveals that AEW content accounted for 24% of Triller Group’s total revenue in 2024.

This lawsuit arrives amidst broader financial turmoil for Triller, as Flipps Media Inc., the corporate entity behind TrillerTV, recently filed its own lawsuit against Triller Group. Flipps informed the Delaware Chancery Court that it is insolvent and abandoned by its parent company, lacking a board of directors to even file for bankruptcy.

While TrillerTV continues to operate under CEO Kostadin Jordanov and President Eric Winter, Chief Content Officer Adam Bigwood reportedly departed the company on April 30. Triller Group, which recently faced Nasdaq delisting issues and is currently trading at roughly 25 cents per share, declined to comment extensively, with CEO Wing-Fai Ng stating they are reviewing the legal matter.

AEW officially transitioned its international streaming to the newly launched MyAEW platform in March 2026. The wrestling promotion is now pursuing charges of breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and tortious interference, demanding the nearly $5 million owed plus accruing interest.

Latest on Aleister Black/AEW Rumors

Recently released WWE superstar Aleister Black, known as Malakai Black during his All Elite Wrestling tenure, is once again at the center of conflicting industry reports. A recent report from SEScoops indicated that Black was in active negotiations to return to AEW, a move that would mark his third direct jump between the two major promotions since 2021.

However, this claim was quickly disputed by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, who reported that AEW officially denied being in negotiations with the former House of Black leader.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, current morale backstage at AEW is considered the strongest it has been in years. Introducing Black back into that environment has the potential to cause unease among existing talent.

During his previous run with the company, several members of the roster were reportedly unhappy with Black's booking arrangements. Criticisms centered on his protective stance over his win-loss record and a perceived unwillingness to take pinfalls to elevate other wrestlers.

Furthermore, frustrations stemmed from the open secret that Black’s heart was elsewhere. Once Triple H assumed creative control of WWE, Black’s desire to return to his former employer became apparent, creating friction in an AEW locker room dedicated to the promotion’s success. While Black possesses undeniable in-ring talent and a captivating character, his prior departure left a lingering sour taste for many AEW originals.

With Fightful confirming AEW's denial of ongoing talks, it appears the company is prioritizing its current backstage harmony over a high-profile return.