Chelsea Green wasn't planned for WrestleMania as of earlier this week, but there were pitches made.
Fightful has spoken to numerous close to the creative process who elaborated on ideas that were floated for Green on WrestleMania. In the past, we'd mentioned the idea of Green hosting the show being pitched, as well as her feud with Zelina.
One WWE source told Fightful that in addition, there were numerous ideas pitched for United States Open Challenges. Among the names thrown out ...
2025-04-18 04:08:06 +0000 UTC
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WrestleMania week is consumed by WWE events, which was a concentrated effort.
This year’s WrestleMania week features WWE talent heavily featured on Bloodsport. A WWE ID tournament at other indie shows. The WWE Hall of Fame as its own event. WWE After Parties. The Roast of WrestleMania.
Fightful was told by WWE sources that the company looked to capitalize more off of WrestleMania week, and specifically looked at creating or participating in some already proven concepts alo...
2025-04-17 21:38:24 +0000 UTC
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AEW is no longer working with one of their producers.
Fightful Select has confirmed that Sarah Stock has been let go by AEW. We've not been given a reason as of yet.
Stock was known among talent to be stern with guidelines as a producer/agent/coach. She was also a producer for WWE for five years between 2015 and 2020. Stock had been with AEW for the last two years.
Stock hadn't wrestled after 2015 until a 2022 series of tag matches in Mexico. She's not wrestled since.
...
2025-04-17 21:19:03 +0000 UTC
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WWE is planning to heavily scout during this week's indie shows in Las Vegas.
A number of WWE talent are planning on attending Bloodsport today.
Last week, we reported that WWE would be announcing a number of brand deals this week. We're told that they did that to maximize attention on those deals during this week.
WWE worked with some Las Vegas entities on different ways to promote WrestleMania locally from a media perspective.
Tetsuya Naito is a free agent, but the market isn't looking robust for him.
The 42-year old has battled injuries in recent years, to the point that those that we spoke to in NJPW and WWE said that even if WWE were interested, they had concerns that Naito would be able to pass WWE physicals.
Sources in AEW said that they would "be surprised" if AEW offered Naito anything beyond occasional appearances when things fit.
Most that we spoke to in NJPW believed that he could still...
2025-04-17 18:26:55 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.
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How much of Cena's retirement tour plans were changed because of his heel turn? Was there planned creative laid out in advance that they had to alter because of the turn?
I hadn't heard of any specifics of his run being ...
2025-04-17 16:00:40 +0000 UTC
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Earlier this week, Fightful gave you WrestleMania stats tied to this year's show. Now, we've compiled some historical stats. Please let us know if there are any corrections!
Vince McMahon, Pat McAfee, Miz, Snoop Dogg, John Cena, Undertaker, Yokozuna, Hulk Hogan, Erick Rowan, The Rock, Shane McMahon all competed in impromptu, unadvertised matches at WrestleMania, not including cash-ins.
The Rock (2024), Snoop Dogg (2023), Shane McMahon (2023), Vince McMahon (2022),...
2025-04-16 21:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Tetsuya Naito is finishing up with New Japan, where he was expected to be for the rest of his career.
Fightful had confirmed Tokyo Sports' report on April 1 that Naito was working without a contract. With the news officially being revealed, there has been natural speculation to where he could end up.
We reported early this morning that Naito had been exploring his options. One place we've been told repeatedly that it would be a surprise if he ended up in AEW. It was reiterated tha...
2025-04-16 17:54:17 +0000 UTC
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The update on Omos is…that there isn’t much of an update.
Omos was on what is considered by many the best in-ring run of his career when he did a month long expedition to Japan to work for NOAH. At the end of January, NOAH announced that he was headed back to WWE. However, he’s not appeared on WWE TV at all since then.
When asking for an update on Omos, Fighful Select was told that Omos wasn’t injured, and is ready to work and perform. However, we were told that he hadn’...
2025-04-16 17:36:01 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.
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Hey, why are all the women’s belts not being defended at wrestlemania?
You wonder, I wonder, and they wonder too, based on what I've heard.
How many non-WWE events are taking place in Las Vegas around Wre...
2025-04-16 16:00:17 +0000 UTC
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Tetsuya Naito and Bushi are leaving NJPW.
On April 1, Tokyo Sport reported that Tesuya Naito was working without a NJPW contract. While some believed it was an April Fool's Joke, it was quickly established to Fightful that it was legitimate and that Naito and NJPW had been at an impasse regarding potential contract extensions.
We're told that the 42-year old Naito has been exploring his options over the last month. He's battled injuries over the past couple of years that have affe...
2025-04-16 05:44:53 +0000 UTC
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Fightful brings you some WrestleMania 41 facts and stats!! Please let us know of any corrections. We're human!
Bianca Belair goes into WrestleMania undefeated at the show.
Roman Reigns will headline his ninth different WrestleMania. It will be his tenth WrestleMania main event match. This will break Hulk Hogan's record of Main Eventing eight WrestleManias.
Each two-night WrestleMania over the last four years will have distributed 100,000 tickets tot...
2025-04-15 21:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Mariah May is in a contract year, and those around the wrestling world are expecting her to get paid.
Fightful Select had recently reported that May is in her contract year, and expected to get interest from virtually anywhere she could want to go. Wrestling Observer had noted that people close to her believe WWE has always been the goal, and people in AEW expected her to go to WWE. While there are some that believe that, Fightful has spoken to sources since the start of this bein...
2025-04-15 18:36:57 +0000 UTC
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This appears on our free tier, the remainder of this week's update will be on the Fightful Select paid tiers, including:
Today we'll have updates on Mariah May and another talent absent from WWE TV and WrestleMania.
Two additional SRS Live Q&A shows this weekend
The Weekender Podcast covering the Collective
WrestleMania and Raw after Mania SCOOPS threads
Sour Graps Mania and Raw after Mania reviews
W...
2025-04-15 17:35:26 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.
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SRS are you planning on attending Wrestlemania next year in NOLA?
I've actually never attended a WrestleMania. For what I do, trying to get news, contact people for stories, and doing a post-show, it's usually counterpro...
2025-04-15 16:00:12 +0000 UTC
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An utter waste of time ... On the ROAD, to WrestleMANIA!
None of any of this was good. Sorry, it just wasn't.
Some of the matches might be good on Saturday and Sunday, but it won't be because they were built well.
Because they weren't.
The Little Pig with the straw house is like "Damn, that's a very shoddy build."
Everything sucks. Let's talk about it how it could all be better.
Watch here: 2025-04-15 01:56:52 +0000 UTC
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Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has learned the following plans for tonight's WWE Raw, subject to change.
Please be cognizant of those who wish to avoid spoilers
SPOILER OPENING SEGMENT
Bayley vs. Liv Morgan
SPOILER MATCH
AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross
SPOILER PROMO
SPOILER MATCH 2
CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins
Backstage News
Your United States Champion is not currently planned for WrestleMania.
As the WWE WrestleMania cards were announced for Friday and Saturday, there were some notable omissions when the cards came together. Among them was the WWE Women’s United States Title, and champion Chelsea Green.
Fightful inquired with WWE sources regarding creative plans for the title or Green for Mania, and were told that as of late last week, she was not scheduled for the show. We’re told there had been...
2025-04-14 22:28:11 +0000 UTC
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Kevin Owens
AEW Dynasty finish
Charlotte-Tiffany update
TNA departure
Chris Jericho
Jordynne Grace isn't poor
Steph De Lander
David Finlay
Cody Rhodes
WrestleMania notes
14:00 Q&A: Tony Hinchcliffe comments, DDP/Sting/Luger, what TK and HHH do at shows, WrestleMania week, Jay White, Danhausen, much more!
2025-04-14 16:51:35 +0000 UTC
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STEPHEN JENSEN is back to preview GCW: The Collective 2025 on the WEEKENDER!
WWE ID Tournament
DEFY
WRESTLECON
JOSH BARNETT'S BLOODSPORT 13
PROGRESS
TJPW
DDT
JOEY JANELA'S SPRING BREAK 9
HEELS HAVE EYES: FOUR THE CULTURE
EFFY'S BIG GAY BRUNCH
TJPW vs. DDT vs. GCW
JJSB: CLUSTERF*CK FOREVER
2025-04-14 00:37:22 +0000 UTC
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The TNA and WWE relationship almost had a much different feud.
WWE and TNA have a relationship that features talent across brand. One surprising element to many was that the uber-popular Joe Hendry hadn't appeared on the WWE main roster outside of the Royal Rumble. There was a pitch for it to happen, though.
Fightful Select learned that earlier this year, there was an idea that would have seen Hendry appear on WWE Raw. However, we're told that Ariel Shnerner didn't agree with the ...
2025-04-14 00:18:23 +0000 UTC
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War Raiders, Bron Breakker, Ricky Saints, Stephanie Vaquer are all scheduled to do media this week for WrestleMania.
There are a number of talent who haven't been on TV or haven't been on much who are being brought into Vegas to do media obligations.
Numerous WWE talent have told us they'll be attending Bloodsport to watch their co-workers.
Alba Fyre and Piper Niven are officially "The Secret Hervice" internally in WWE.
We...
2025-04-13 19:39:09 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.
THESE ARE OPINIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE AGGREGATED
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What's your favorite Mick Foley match?
Against Edge at WrestleMania 22 is a favorite. Edge was one of my faces at that point. Hell in a Cell was so iconic it's hard t...
2025-04-13 16:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys! Big week ahead. Get those questions in. I'm also planning some more LIVE Q&A shows next weekend!!
2025-04-13 14:11:11 +0000 UTC
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Fightful is posting this on our FREE tier. Upgrade to our paid tier for a huge week! We will have WrestleMania week news every day, and SRS will be doing additional
Despite the Brock Lesnar name drop, we were told there had not been consideration or conversations regarding bringing him back.
PWinsider was that the Chelsea Green/Zelina countout wasn't planned. We're working to verify. It was only listed for one segment internally.
As revealed earlier...
2025-04-13 00:03:25 +0000 UTC
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A former TNA World Champion is a free agency, although it was largely already assumed.
Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp has learned that Rich Swann’s TNA contract expired and he is now a free agent. Swann signed a two-year extension with TNA in late 2022, and it expired at the end of 2024.
We’re told that there was an additional option year that didn’t get picked up. However, he was at the Orlando tapings both days.
Swann was last seen in TNA last Summer,...
2025-04-13 00:00:18 +0000 UTC
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There was a stark contrast in Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair's work from week to week.
Last week, there was a war of words between the two, that led to an unscripted, messy situation. Contrary to some other reporting, it was reiterated to us that much of that was absolutely not scripted, planned, or approved of, and there was heavy editing to digital segments.
Ahead of the April 11 Smackdown, WWE filmed an attack angle capitalizing off the controversy. We're told that WWE ...
2025-04-12 17:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Welcome to Select Answers, a short feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.
***
Sorry if this was asked before but what is going on with Alexa bliss/wyatt 6? The last time they were both mentioned on TV was the teaser with Alexa. Do they not have creative for either?
The information I was given is t...
2025-04-12 16:00:18 +0000 UTC
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A week out from WrestleMania and it feels like just another show on paper.
A two night, 18 hour, overblown spectacle of just another show.
On paper.
Rey Fenix got another match tonight, but he's not on the Mania card, as far as we can tell. Maybe on the SmackDown BEFORE Mania, which also has the SD Tag Title Match. No word yet if the inaugural Women's US Champion will have a match at all that weekend.
The Women's Intercontinental Champion has a match, but it has ...
2025-04-12 01:38:23 +0000 UTC
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Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has learned the following plans for WWE Smackdown, subject to change.
Please be cognizant of those who wish to avoid spoilers.
Randy Orton promo
Women's Tag Team Gauntlet match
Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest promo
Rey Fenix vs. Berto
Backstage segment
Zelina vs. Chelsea Green
Cody Rhodes promo
SPOILER MATCH
Backstage segment
2025-04-11 23:48:01 +0000 UTC
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