A major free agent appears to be AEW bound.
Josh Alexander's deal with TNA Wrestling has expired as of February 14, 2025. PWInsider has reported that Alexander is being repped by wrestling super agent Barry Bloom, of which Fightful can confirm, along with another member of Bloom's team. As of late in the day of February 14, it looked like Alexander's landing point was set.
Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp has learned that those within AEW, near Alexander and in the industry that J...
2025-02-14 20:21:02 +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.
Do you forsee WWE upgrading their cameras to 4k?
I'm not exactly an equipment wizard, but a lot of carriers don't reliably broadcast in 4K, so I doubt it.
Was Jey always the planned winner of the Rumble? What was the...
2025-02-14 17:00:07 +0000 UTC
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New Orleans is a likely host for WWE WrestleMania in 2026.
WrestleVotes has posted on Twitter that WWE is set to announce WrestleMania's host city before Mania this year, which Fightful Select has been led to believe is also New Orleans.
Those we've spoken to claim that New Orleans for 2026 has actually been the plan for years, with it being the idea internally dating to the last regime. However, with the 2025 location being in flux last year, many in the company thought there was...
2025-02-13 17:59:09 +0000 UTC
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Phil and Righteous Reg answer your questions!
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BOYvrxwJfg
2025-02-13 17:55:09 +0000 UTC
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Ricky Starks is in WWE.....as Ricky Starks for now.
Starks debuted on WWE TV on the February 11 NXT episode, with the company intentionally avoiding calling him by his name. On this week's episode of the Hump, Sean Ross Sapp noted that the deal came together very quick, but was official and he's a part of the WWE roster.
Internally, Starks is being referred to and listed as "Ricky Starks," but WWE didn't refer to him as such on screen. A source in WWE confirmed a tip that Fightful...
2025-02-13 17:20:58 +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.
Any updates on the WM 42 location? If it’s in Nola or elsewhere?
During the previous regime, New Orleans was heavily considered for 2026. I'm not sure if that has carried over in the last few years. But under the previous regime...
2025-02-13 17:00:06 +0000 UTC
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AEW is headed to Brisbane for AEW Grand Slam this weekend, and it appears to be a financial success for AEW.
Speaking with Fightful via Deej of DownUnderTheRing, Tony Khan said that as things stand, AEW Grand Slam looks to be the biggest international gate that AEW has ever done outside of the company's Wembley Stadium shows. He also called it one of AEW's highest gates of all time.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door took place in Toronto in 2023, and 20 other dates in Canada since the com...
2025-02-13 13:00:17 +0000 UTC
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Pro Wrestling EVE: Multiverse Rumble Notes
Fightful Select’s Corey Brennan has learned the following details from Pro Wrestling EVE’s Multiverse Rumble event.
- The attendance for the event came in at 518 people, making it the 3rd highest attended all women’s wrestling event in Europe, coming in behind EVE WrestleQueendom 1 and 2. Combined with WrestleQueendom last month, Multiverse Rumble marked the highest back to back attended shows in their history.
<...
2025-02-13 01:04:36 +0000 UTC
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Josh Mathews is gone from TNA, Fightful Select has learned.
We will work for more details, but we're told there's some restructuring in TNA, and a number of people will be in new roles.
Mathews had been with TNA for over a decade.
We're told that Christy Hemme is also gone from TNA. She'd been working behind the scenes.
George Veras is taking over as Executive Producer of Anthem Sports Group Leadership team. Andrea Pagnanelli as SVP of Marketing, effectively taking...
2025-02-12 20:56:19 +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.
Why was the Kamille & Mercedes paring so short? Was their heat between the 2?
I can't speak to whether or not there was heat. I heard that Mercedes was open to working with Kamille to blow off the feud, but it didn't end up ha...
2025-02-12 17:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Ricky Starks has debuted in NXT. At least that's who we THINK HE IS!
Starks debuted on the February 11 NXT, notably not actually saying his name. The crowd knew however, and chanted it repeatedly. We're told this was the expected reaction, and that not mentioning him by name wasn't an accident. However, we've not been told why specifically that is.
Fightful had heard word of AEW releases Friday, but they didn't end up becoming official until this week. We're told that these had l...
2025-02-12 03:51:18 +0000 UTC
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AEW is not walking with Elias.
It was recently reported elsewhere that the former Elias, now known as Elijah, was signed by AEW/ROH. The rumors stemmed from him appearing in a video with ROH team The Righteous. However, we're told that Elijah is actually not signed by the company.
Elijah appeared on the Jericho Cruise, taking on AEW talent Tommy Billington, but isn't under contract to AEW or ROH. During his two years away from WWE, he's wrestled in Australia, the UK, and the indi...
2025-02-11 22:55:31 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys, apologies. If you couldn't tell, Patreon has had some funky errors on here the last 24 hours that have caused incomplete posts, and some not going up at all. They claim it's been fixed
We're told Jordynne Grace is in Orlando and is available for NXT tonight.
Chelsea Green had been under the weather last week, but still made Smackdown.
For those asking, Jey Uso had been planned to win the Royal Rumble for quite a while, with Gunther being t...
2025-02-11 18:21:04 +0000 UTC
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Raw had four matches in 2.5 hours.
Two of them had a nonsense booking decision, another had a non-finish, and the fourth one featured Logan Paul.
So we'll talk about Raw, but we'll also talk about the recent releases from both WWE and AEW, and why this might be the best landscape for a future-endeavored talent EVER.
But we'll also talk about how both companies don't know what they've got till it's gone.
Everything sucks. Let's talk about it.
Watch here: 2025-02-11 03:20:37 +0000 UTC
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Three talent are now gone from AEW.
Malakai Black, Miro and Ricky Starks are all no longer under contract to AEW, Fightful Select has confirmed. All three had been looking to make their exits for quite some time and were removed from the AEW roster page on February 10.
Malakai Black's original deal could have seen him signed well into 2027, at least per Tony Khan's own words a couple of years back. Fightful had reported in December that Malakai Black would be leaving AEW in the co...
2025-02-10 22:24:30 +0000 UTC
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Topics for this week's show
WWE Releases
Trish Stratus
Drew McIntyre & LA Knight
Def Rebel/WWE, Jim Johnston
Alexa Bliss
Kevin Owens
Jordynne Grace
WWE Merch
Royal Rumble
AEW News
Q&A Portion at 15:00
Evolve, AJ Styles, Havok, transfer window, Cedric Alexander, WWE releases, Harley Cameron,
2025-02-10 12:00:22 +0000 UTC
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A top free agent hits the market this week.
Former TNA World Champion Josh Alexander sees his contract with TNA Wrestling expire this week. A potential exit has been one that TNA has known was a real probability for well over a year, dating back to when Alexander requested the company not pick up his 2024 option. However, the company did, and Alexander honored the deal.
The deal is set to expire February 14.
Those within TNA have long spoke highly of Josh Alexander. So far ...
2025-02-09 21:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Trish Stratus made a WWE return at the Royal Rumble, and there could be more on the horizon.
WWE sources spoke with Fightful around the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere and said that Trish Stratus had been discussed for upcoming appearances. When we followed up with additional sources in the company, we’re told that Trish will sometimes make pitches and that she’s constant piece of discussion for them.
Stratus is expected to be involved with WWE in some way headed into Elimination ...
2025-02-09 20:00:06 +0000 UTC
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STEPHEN JENSEN is back with a new edition of the WEEKENDER!
- Bear Boulder released by AEW
- WWE roster cuts
- MLW: "SuperFight 6" results
- DEFY: "Hundredth - 8th Year Anniversary" results
- DREAMWAVE: "Famous Last Words" results
- NWA: "Powerrr - Looks That Kill: Part 1" results
- GLORY PRO: "Ascend" (Ep. 65) results
- AEW: "Grand Slam Australia" predictions
- ROH HonorClub SPOILERS (58 min-end)
2025-02-09 19:23:17 +0000 UTC
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This week's Smackdown saw some short-lived heat be put to bed.
This past weekend, we'd reported on Drew McIntyre's frustration surrounding LA Knight at the WWE Royal Rumble. McIntyre was slated to be eliminated by Damian Priest before Logan Paul's entrance. However, McIntyre was eliminated after. He vocally expressed frustration towards LA Knight "getting his stuff in" as the reason backstage. This was referenced ahead of their Smackdown Elimination Chamber Qualifying match.
LA K...
2025-02-08 23:12:28 +0000 UTC
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A number of WWE releases were revealed, and Fightful Select has gained more information on them.
For those asking, Karl Anderson is still injured, and is looking at least at 3-6 months minimum before he'd be cleared. Releasing injured talent it very out of the ordinary for WWE, and we're looking to see if there's any additional context. We're told despite this he's in good spirits.
Blair Davenport was a topic of conversation after reports elsewhere months ago emerged that she wa...
2025-02-08 19:32:24 +0000 UTC
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Fightful Select has learned of additional releases.
Giovanni Vinci has been released, we've confirmed. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have also been let go
We've seen Isla Dawn's post, but haven't confirmed it as of yet.
We'll update as we learn more
2025-02-08 17:18:45 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys, get your questions in!
An easy guide for you guys, If we haven't mentioned someone's WrestleMania plans, we don't know what they are.
2025-02-08 17:00:08 +0000 UTC
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A number of WWE releases took place on February 27.
We're told the calls were made right around the start of Smackdown and have learned more on the cuts.
AOP came into WWE with a bit of heat throughout the industry due to some of their outside projects. One of which saw a few people in wrestling put money in, and were upset they didn't get back. One person in WWE said that could be a reason they were put with Karrion Kross who is generally well liked. AOP had been adamant that Pau...
2025-02-08 03:49:17 +0000 UTC
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Fightful Select can confirm the following WWE releases:
Cedric Alexander, Paul Ellering, Akam, Rezar.
We will keep you updated if there are more.
Sean Ross Sapp will be on the top of the WWE Smackdown post show to talk about them
UPDATE: Sonya Deville has been informed her contract will not be extended. Blair Davenport has been released
2025-02-08 03:12:38 +0000 UTC
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Hey guys a little late for a rundown. but here's what's left
Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte
Alexa Bliss vs. Candice LeRae
Braun Strowman segment
Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso vs. Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga
Backstage News
2025-02-08 03:10:40 +0000 UTC
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WWE should change all of their plans and hitch the entire company to Jacob Fatu. He should win the Elimination Chamber and squash Cody and set up challengers to chase him for at least year, maybe even two or three.
Everything else on the show sucks by comparison.
Let's watch Fatu hopefully murder the American Phony and The Yeet Man in a tag match main event, while we talk about the continued unjustified burial of Carmelo Hayes.
Watch the show on YouTube: 2025-02-08 03:04:20 +0000 UTC
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Bear Boulder has been fired by AEW. The company learned that he had been arrested for battery by strangulation in January and cut him from the company.
Boulder, real name Thomas Wansaw, was arrested on January 14. He had long competed in the Iron Savages tag team.
2025-02-07 23:21:45 +0000 UTC
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Kevin Owens has officially re-signed with WWE.
Owens saw his WWE deal set to expire at the end of 2024 or start of 2025, with many question marks whether his new deal had officially been nailed down. Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp has confirmed he did.
Owens posted on X today "If you guys help support my daughter’s Girl Scout troop by buying some cookies, I promise to keep wrestling for at least 4 years, 11 months and 22 days more," which heavily implied that he'd signed a new...
2025-02-07 20:13:56 +0000 UTC
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