AEW WrestleDream 2026 has lost one of its scheduled championship matches after Jamie Hayter was ruled medically unfit to compete.
AEW President Tony Khan announced that The Brawling Birds’ AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship defense against Wrathlander has been postponed due to Hayter’s ongoing injury. The match had been scheduled for this Saturday’s pay-per-view.
Khan shared the news on X, explaining that Hayter has yet to recover from injuries sustained during the Chicago Street Fight at AEW All Out 2026.
“I was hoping The Brawling Birds would be able to defend the tag team championships but Jamie Hayter, from that Chicago Street Fight [at AEW All Out 2026] is still out injured. Hopefully Jamie Hayter will be back in a couple of weeks,” Khan wrote.
Jamie Hayter Still Recovering From All Out Injury
Hayter suffered the injury during the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship defense she contested alongside Alex Windsor against Divine Dominion at All Out.
Although Hayter has appeared on AEW television since the event, including during Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, she has not competed in the ring since the injury.
Khan’s latest update suggests AEW is hopeful that Hayter could return within the next few weeks, although no definitive return date has been announced.
Wrathlander Match Postponed
Kris Statlander and Harley Cameron earned the opportunity to challenge The Brawling Birds after defeating Divine Dominion and The Sisters of Sin in a three-way match to determine the number one contenders.
However, with Hayter not medically cleared, the championship bout will now take place at a later date. AEW has not announced a rescheduled date for the match.
The postponement leaves WrestleDream without the planned women’s tag team title defense, while Hayter continues to recover from the injuries she sustained at All Out.
Adam Copeland has announced that 2027 will be his final year as an in-ring competitor. The AEW star revealed his retirement plans during Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite after defeating Josh Alexander to qualify for the Clockwork Carnage match at AEW WrestleDream.
Copeland’s announcement came as he reflected on the serious injuries suffered by his longtime friend and tag team partner, Christian Cage, during their recent match at All Out.
Christian Cage Suffered Collapsed Lung and Broken Ribs at All Out
During his promo, Copeland revealed that Cage suffered a collapsed lung and multiple broken ribs during the three-way ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at All Out.
According to Copeland, Cage sustained the injuries just five minutes into the match after being thrown into a ladder. Despite the severity of his condition, Cage continued competing, with Copeland crediting his partner’s work ethic and desire to perform for the fans.
Seeing his best friend push through such a serious situation prompted Copeland to take a step back and reflect on his own future in wrestling.
Copeland Plans to Retire After 2027
Copeland explained that the experience led him to do some soul-searching and reconsider how much time he has left in the ring. He confirmed that 2027 will be his final year as an active wrestler and revealed that winning the AEW World Championship is one of his remaining goals.
The soon-to-be 53-year-old acknowledged that he understands his place in the industry is changing as he gets older. Copeland admitted that he is no longer the wrestler whose posters adorn teenagers’ bedroom walls, but said he has come to terms with aging out of the business.
Despite his impending retirement, Copeland made it clear that he still has ambitions to pursue before stepping away from competition, with the AEW World Championship standing out as a major target.
Don Callis Family Attacks Copeland on Dynamite
Copeland’s emotional announcement was interrupted by Don Callis, who mocked the veteran’s speech as a “pity party” before turning his attention to the upcoming Dynamite main event and the Don Callis Family.
Callis questioned whether Copeland would even make it to 2027, adding that he might not survive long enough to compete at Saturday’s AEW WrestleDream.
The threat quickly turned physical when members of the Don Callis Family, including Kevin Knight and Lance Archer, attacked Copeland from behind.
Copeland had just returned to singles action for the first time since the All Out ladder match, defeating Josh Alexander to earn his place in the Clockwork Carnage match. However, the post-match confrontation left him with another challenge ahead of WrestleDream.
With his retirement now on the horizon, Copeland appears determined to make the most of his remaining time in the ring while pursuing the AEW World Championship.
Shotzi Blackheart has officially signed with TNA Wrestling following her surprise appearance at the company’s television tapings in Dothan, Alabama, on October 13.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Blackheart has put pen to paper with TNA after her contract with Major League Wrestling expired. Her appearance at the post-Bound For Glory tapings sparked speculation about her future, and the latest report confirms she will be joining the promotion.
“Shotzi has signed with TNA, myself and @FightfulSelect have confirmed,” Sapp reported.
Shotzi Returns to TNA After Previous IMPACT Run
Blackheart is no stranger to TNA, having previously competed for IMPACT Wrestling in 2019. During that run, she wrestled twice, including a match against Madison Rayne.
Her new deal marks another opportunity for Blackheart to establish herself in the promotion following her time with MLW. Further details about her role in TNA and when she will make her next appearance have not been provided in the supplied report.
Shotzi Withdraws From CMLL Women’s Grand Prix
Alongside the news of her TNA signing, Blackheart has also withdrawn from the CMLL Women’s Grand Prix tournament scheduled for next week following the death of her brother, Dean.
Blackheart shared the news publicly, explaining that although her family had encouraged her to fulfill her commitments this week, she needed to return home to be with them and honor her brother’s memory.
“Late Sunday night, I lost my brother Dean. Being away from my family these last few days has been hard, but they’ve been so supportive and encouraged me to fulfill my commitments this week.
“I will, however, need to withdraw from my CMLL tour next week to be with my family and honor my brother’s memory. It was a huge honor to be selected for the CMLL Grand Prix, and I don’t take that opportunity lightly. Thank you to everyone at CMLL and the fans for understanding how hard all this is for me.”
CMLL has not yet announced a replacement for Blackheart in the tournament.
Our condolences go out to Shotzi and her family during this difficult time.
Late Sunday night, I lost my brother Dean. Being away from my family these last few days has been hard, but they’ve been so supportive and encouraged me to fulfill my commitments this week.
I will, however, need to withdraw from my CMLL tour next week to be with my family and…
AEW Dynamite and Collision 3-hour special live tonight at 8 ET on TBS and HBO Max from the Wolstein Center at CSU in Cleveland, Ohio. Go-home show for Saturday’s WrestleDream pay-per-view.
AEW World Champion Will Ospreay and AEW National Champion Andrade El Idolo vs. Samoa Joe and Tommaso Ciampa
Mercedes Mone and Divine Dominion vs. Triangle of Madness (Skye Blue, Julia Hart and Thekla)
Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Gabe Kidd and Daniel Garcia) vs. Don Callis Family’s Mark Davis, Jake Doyle, and Wardlow
Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match and for the TNT Championship: Darby Allin (c) vs. Hechicero
Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match and for the AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Myron Reed
Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Adam Copeland vs. Josh Alexander
Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage
Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Ricochet vs. Ace Austin
TBS Champion Persephone and Dr. Britt Baker, DMD vs. Dani Luna and Hyan
Full seasons and individual episodes now available to purchase, bringing MLW’s hard-hitting flagship series to another major platform
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Oct. 13, 2026 — Major League Wrestling (MLW) today announced that MLW Fusion is now available on Amazon Prime Video, expanding the league’s reach and giving fans another way to experience and collect its championship fights, epic rivalries and hard-hitting action.
Purchased episodes can be streamed or downloaded through Prime Video, with viewing available on smart TVs, Fire TV, mobile devices, gaming consoles and the web.
The launch of MLW Fusion on Amazon Prime Video further expands MLW’s distribution across leading streaming platforms, bringing the league’s flagship series to a broader audience and strengthening its global media footprint.
“MLW belongs on the biggest platforms, and Amazon Prime Video is another significant step in that direction,” said MLW Founder and CEO Court Bauer. “We’re making it easier for fans to discover and experience Fusion, follow the rivalries and revisit the fights that get everyone talking. This gives our fans another way to watch and opens the door for a new audience to experience MLW.”
MLW Fusion premieres Thursdays at 8 PM ET, streaming free onTubi, with replays available on YouTube, VEEPS and NJPW WORLD.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Major League Wrestling is proud to announce that MLW Fusion is now available on Amazon Prime Video, expanding the league’s reach and giving fans another way to experience and collect its championship fights, epic rivalries and hard-hitting action.
TNA Wrestling has officially cut ties with Max Caster following controversy surrounding a line in his pre-match rap at Bound For Glory that referenced violence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Caster, formerly of AEW, made his surprise TNA debut at Sunday’s pay-per-view, facing Moose in a singles match. During his trademark rap entrance, Caster delivered the line, “This the firing squad, I drop bombs, you don’t even need to go to Riyadh.”
The remark drew backlash because it referenced recent violent attacks in Riyadh that reportedly killed and injured numerous people. According to reports from Fightful Select, the lyric was not scripted or approved by TNA officials.
TNA Issues Statement on Max Caster’s Departure
TNA President Carlos Silva and company management moved to address the situation following the controversy. Reports indicate that the match and rap segment were removed from TNA+ replays, the company’s official YouTube channel and its social media platforms.
TNA also released a statement condemning the comments and confirming that Caster would no longer compete for the promotion.
“During Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view, insensitive comments were made by Max Caster referencing attacks in Riyadh that killed and injured many people. Making light of violent attacks is wrong. This should never have made it into the show, and that responsibility is ours… Max Caster will no longer be wrestling for TNA.”
The company acknowledged its own responsibility for allowing the remark to make it onto the show while making clear that Caster’s time with TNA had come to an end.
Caster’s appearance at Bound For Glory was expected to introduce him to TNA audiences following his time with AEW. Instead, the controversial rap overshadowed his match against Moose and led to the promotion publicly confirming his departure.
Although Caster competed in the match, TNA’s statement leaves little ambiguity about his status with the company: he will no longer be wrestling for the promotion.
The situation also prompted TNA to remove the relevant footage from its official platforms, further distancing the company from the incident.
Max Caster Issues Statement on His TNA Firing, Apologizes to Carlos Silva & TNA Office
Max Caster has now issued a statement on his dismissal from TNA on his X account.
Caster was apologetic to TNA Wrestling staff and company president Carlos Silva, addressing that he spoke to him in person about the issue. He stated the following in the clip:
“Just to address all the TNA stuff, I want to say thank you to Carlos Silva. I talked to him in person. He was very generous, very professional, even after all this stuff happened. And I understand why he did what he did. It’s his show. He’s got to protect TNA, and I went too far for him.
So, I want to apologize to him and everybody else in the office. I want to apologize to anyone who vouched for me to get that spot. I feel like I let those people down.
Thank you to Moose for sharing your platform with me, and I wish things didn’t turn out the way they did, but I’m proud of that match, and I’m sorry for how things have ended up.
And then for anybody who’s offended, I just want everybody to know that when I do these raps, it’s never to offend people. It’s only to entertain. So in my mind, it’s entertainment value first. And then if you’re offended by it, that’s your right. So I can’t apologize for anyone being offended, but just know that it’s not my intention to make people upset. If it gets a reaction, I think I did my job. It was a very relevant part of the show and highly talked about, so I feel good about that. But the consequences of everything, I’m accepting that. I can accept the facts of that.
And then to anybody who is asking if I’m good, I’m good. I’m just embarrassed how all this happened. It’s, you know, you don’t want it to be one match and then that’s it, you get fired. But again, that’s the reality of the situation. I’m accepting it, and that’s life. And in life, sometimes you got to man up and just accept it and move on.
So whatever’s next, I don’t know, but we’ll see. Thank you, everybody who’s reaching out and supporting.”
WWE is reportedly preparing a contingency plan for Crown Jewel 2026 as ongoing conflict in the Middle East raises concerns about holding the premium live event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Despite the security concerns, Riyadh remains WWE’s publicly announced destination for the November event. However, a new report indicates the company has a backup location in the United States under consideration if circumstances force a change of plans.
According to F4WOnline‘s Bryan Alvarez, WWE continues to plan for Crown Jewel to take place in Saudi Arabia but has another option available.
“As of 10 AM ET today, Riyadh is still the plan for Crown Jewel, although there is a backup city in the US that is on the table,” Alvarez reported.
Security Concerns Raise Questions About Crown Jewel
The report comes amid escalating violence and security concerns across the Middle East. According to the supplied report, operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were recently suspended following an airstrike attributed to Houthi forces. The reported strikes left 12 people dead and approximately 300 injured.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia also issued a security alert advising American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. The warning highlighted the possibility of flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.
The U.S. State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for the region has added to concerns about travel and event logistics.
While these developments could complicate WWE’s plans, the company has not publicly announced a relocation or cancellation of Crown Jewel.
WWE Still Promoting Riyadh as Host City
WWE continues to promote Riyadh as the destination for Crown Jewel. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque recently shared a new poster advertising the event, with Saudi Arabia still listed as the host location.
For now, there has been no official announcement that WWE intends to move the show. The reported backup city would give the company another option if the security situation makes staging the event in Saudi Arabia unfeasible.
When Is WWE Crown Jewel 2026?
Crown Jewel 2026 is scheduled for November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at Riyadh Season Stadium in the King Abdullah Financial District.
For the time being, Riyadh remains the planned host city. Whether WWE ultimately needs to activate its reported U.S. contingency plan will depend on how the situation develops in the coming weeks.
