Unbound Company (Robbie X, Taiji Ishimori & Shingo Takagi) def. United Empire (Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira & Jake Lee)
Toru Yano, YOH, Tiger Mask & Aaron Wolf def. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, DOUKI & Don Fale)
United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Will Ospreay) def. El Desperado, Taichi & Yuya Uemura
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships: YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto & Oleg Boltin (c) def. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita)
NJPW World Television Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Shota Umino (15-minute Time Limit Draw)
IWGP Tag Team Championships: Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) def. T.M.D.K. (Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)
WWE finally pulled back the curtain on one of the more intriguing mysteries heading into WrestleMania 42, and the answer added a major twist to Randy Orton’s path to the Undisputed WWE Championship.
On this week’s episode of SmackDown from St. Louis, Orton’s hometown, it was revealed that Pat McAfee was the voice guiding “The Viper” during his recent backstage phone segments. But this wasn’t the same McAfee fans were used to—he returned with a noticeably more aggressive edge, aligning himself firmly with Orton and turning heel in the process.
The show kicked off with Orton addressing the crowd, making it clear he was fighting not just for himself, but for his family seated ringside. His attention quickly turned to Cody Rhodes, referencing Rhodes’ recent appearance on Raw. That confrontation didn’t take long to escalate, as Rhodes made his way to the ring and the two immediately came to blows.
That’s when things took a turn.
McAfee—sporting Orton merchandise—jumped into the fray and dropped Rhodes with a low blow, officially revealing himself as Orton’s backup. From there, McAfee unleashed a fiery promo, criticizing both Rhodes and the current state of WWE, while hyping Orton as the man destined to restore order. He even claimed responsibility for pushing Orton to “destroy everything” in his path.
The segment didn’t stop at just aligning with Orton. McAfee doubled down backstage, referring to Orton as the “GOAT” and reinforcing his belief that “The Legend Killer” is the one who can fix what he sees as a broken system under Rhodes’ leadership.
As if that wasn’t enough, McAfee took things a step further after the show by issuing a bold ultimatum on social media: if Orton fails to defeat Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, he’ll walk away from wrestling television entirely. The former commentator didn’t mince words, calling out fans while framing the match as one of the most important in wrestling history.
Interestingly, McAfee’s return comes after months of uncertainty regarding his WWE future. He previously cited burnout and suggested the industry might be better off without him. Now, he’s back in a major storyline with a completely different attitude—and a lot on the line.
Behind the scenes, reports indicate this pairing wasn’t a standard creative decision. Instead, the move reportedly came directly from TKO executive Ari Emanuel, who sees McAfee as a crossover star capable of boosting visibility for WWE’s biggest event of the year. There’s also hope that McAfee’s mainstream presence—especially through his ESPN platform—can help bring additional attention to WrestleMania weekend.
Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes isn’t backing down. After the attack, he returned later in the night with a chilling message of his own, hinting that he has “voices” guiding him as well—and suggesting Orton may not like what they’re telling him to do.
With Orton chasing his 15th world title, McAfee putting his career on the line, and Rhodes promising a darker side of himself, this WrestleMania clash is quickly becoming one of the most emotionally charged matchups on the card.
New and deeply disturbing allegations have emerged involving Vince McMahon, as part of the ongoing legal battle with former WWE employee Janel Grant. The latest filing paints a troubling picture of alleged misconduct, implicating not only McMahon but also referencing knowledge among high-level WWE executives.
According to Grant, the situation intensified around August 2020 when Nick Khan joined WWE as President. In her account, she claims McMahon informed her that Khan—and others in leadership—were aware of his relationship with her. Grant alleges that rather than questioning the nature of the situation, Khan was present in circumstances that raised serious concerns about awareness and inaction at the executive level.
Grant further claims she felt increasingly fearful after being told that discussions about her and McMahon’s relationship had taken place among top WWE officials. These revelations, she says, reinforced her belief that reporting the alleged abuse would not lead to protection or accountability.
The filing also contains graphic accusations of physical and sexual abuse by McMahon. Grant describes incidents in which she alleges she was subjected to violent and degrading treatment, leaving her with lasting physical and emotional trauma. She also claims McMahon shared disturbing fantasies involving another WWE-affiliated figure and pressured her into interactions she says were non-consensual.
Additionally, Grant alleges that she was coerced into explicit communication exchanges with a major WWE name, claiming McMahon directed and monitored those interactions. She states that she felt compelled to comply due to pressure and fear, and that McMahon provided feedback on her responses during those exchanges.
Grant maintains that she has retained text messages and other evidence, which she says will be presented as part of the court proceedings.
These allegations are part of an ongoing legal case, and as of now, they remain claims made in a civil filing. WWE and those named have not publicly responded to the latest round of accusations at the time of writing.
This continues to be a developing story, and its implications could have significant ramifications across the wrestling industry depending on how the case unfolds.
Hikaru Shida is officially back in All Elite Wrestling—and she didn’t waste any time stepping into a high-stakes situation.
On the special Thursday edition of AEW Collision, the former three-time AEW Women’s Champion made her long-awaited return by answering an open challenge issued by reigning TBS Champion Willow Nightingale. With Nightingale calling out the best competition AEW has to offer, Shida emerged as a fitting—and surprising—response after more than a year away from AEW action.
The match itself delivered down the stretch, with Shida nearly reclaiming championship gold in dramatic fashion. After avoiding Nightingale’s top-rope moonsault, Shida connected with a running knee that almost sealed the deal. She followed up with a second knee strike moments later, but Nightingale showed resilience by kicking out again. In a sudden twist, the champion caught Shida off guard with a backslide pin to retain her title.
Tensions teased boiling over after the match. Shida grabbed her signature kendo stick and appeared ready to attack Nightingale from behind, but ultimately thought better of it and dropped the weapon. Nightingale responded with a respectful thumbs-up, signaling mutual respect despite the heated battle.
This marked Shida’s first AEW match since November 2024, when she faced Kris Statlander on Dynamite. Her absence was largely due to visa complications, which were resolved in October 2025. Around that same time, Shida reportedly secured a new contract with AEW, setting the stage for her eventual return.
While away from AEW programming, Shida remained active in Japan, competing for several promotions including WAVE, ZERO1, and OZ Academy. One of her most recent appearances came in November 2025 at OZ Academy’s Sonoko Kato retirement event, where she competed in an eight-woman tag match.
With her return now in the books, the big question is what comes next. Whether this was a one-off appearance or the beginning of a more consistent run remains unclear—but if this performance was any indication, Shida is ready to make an impact once again.
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight at 8/7c on the USA Network in the United States and Netflix Internationally from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Randy Orton will reveal who is has been talking to on the phone
Cody Rhodes looks to spoil Randy Orton’s homecoming on The Road to WrestleMania
How will Rhea Ripley response to back-to-back attacks by Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab?
What carnage awaits en route to Jacob Fatu’s Unsanctioned Match against Drew McIntyre?
NXT Stand & Deliver – Saturday April 4 -The Factory at the District in St. Louis, MO – streaming live on YouTube at 7 ET/4 PT.
Main Card
NXT Championship: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints vs. Tony D’Angelo NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Kendal Grey vs. Lola Vice NXT North American Championship: Myles Borne (c) vs. Johnny Gargano NXT Tag Team Championship: The Vanity Project (c) vs. Los Americanos NXT Women’s North American Championship: Tatum Paxley (c) vs. Blake Monroe. Sol Ruca vs. Zaria
Pre-Show
Shiloh Hill, Wren Sinclair, Eli Knight and Hank & Tank vs. Birthright
After months of speculation linking Chris Jericho to a potential WWE comeback, Jericho has instead resurfaced in familiar territory—making his return on AEW Dynamite and putting an end, at least for now, to the ongoing rumors.
Leading up to this week, there had been growing belief within WWE circles that Jericho was on track to rejoin the company where he built much of his legendary career. That chatter only intensified as WrestleMania season approached, with fans and insiders alike expecting some kind of major development.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the situation took a turn very recently. Meltzer noted that he began hearing conflicting updates within a short window—initially getting wind of Jericho being tied to WrestleMania plans, only to then learn almost immediately that Jericho was headed to Winnipeg for AEW instead.
After checking in with WWE sources, Meltzer was told that Jericho is no longer expected to return to the company anytime soon—if at all. That response seemingly confirmed that Jericho had made his decision, paving the way for his AEW comeback.
While the exact reasoning behind Jericho’s choice remains unclear, Meltzer did shed some light on what WWE may have had in mind. The reported idea was to bring Jericho back for a retirement run, positioning his return as a farewell tour rather than a long-term program.
If that was indeed the pitch, it’s possible it didn’t align with Jericho’s vision for this stage of his career. Instead, he’s back in AEW, where he continues to be a central figure and has more creative flexibility moving forward.
For now, Jericho’s return to Dynamite puts an end to one of wrestling’s more intriguing “what if” scenarios—at least temporarily. As always in pro wrestling, though, never say never.
Seth Rollins vs. GUNTHER Set for WrestleMania 42 as WWE Delays Major Rollins/Breakker Feud
With WrestleMania 42 quickly approaching, WWE has started locking in key pieces for the two-night event—and one newly announced matchup has definitely raised some eyebrows.
During this week’s episode of Raw, Seth Rollins finally learned his WrestleMania opponent, and it’s not who many fans were expecting. Instead of squaring off with the rising Bron Breakker, Rollins is now set to collide with GUNTHER on the grand stage.
The setup came in chaotic fashion. Rollins, still entangled in his ongoing issues with Paul Heyman, took things to another level by attacking Heyman with a steel chair and finishing him off with a Curb Stomp. However, before Rollins could stand tall for long, GUNTHER stormed in, dragging him out of the ring and launching a brutal assault of his own—officially igniting their WrestleMania program.
The choice of GUNTHER as Rollins’ opponent comes as a surprise, especially given the limited time remaining to build the feud, with only a couple of Raw episodes left before WrestleMania. Many had assumed WWE was heading toward a high-profile clash between Rollins and Breakker, particularly given their recent tension.
Interestingly, Breakker’s absence from the WrestleMania match card isn’t due to injury concerns. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Live, Breakker has already been medically cleared after spending time rehabbing at the WWE Performance Center. Instead, WWE reportedly made a strategic call to hold off on the Rollins vs. Breakker showdown, viewing it as a marquee program worth saving for a bigger stage down the line—potentially SummerSlam.
Meltzer also noted that the decision to insert GUNTHER into this spot wasn’t a last-minute pivot. Plans for him to face Rollins were reportedly put in motion weeks ago, particularly after Bronson Reed suffered an injury that forced WWE to reshuffle creative plans. At that point, someone affiliated with The Vision faction was slated to face Rollins, and GUNTHER ultimately landed in that role.
For context, Rollins’ issues with The Vision date back to last October, when the group turned on him and cast him out. Around that same time, Rollins was sidelined with a legitimate shoulder injury. He made his return at the Elimination Chamber premium live event, revealing himself as the mysterious masked figure who had been disrupting matches in the weeks leading up to the show.
While some fans may have expected a different opponent, Rollins vs. GUNTHER promises to be a hard-hitting encounter between two of WWE’s most intense competitors. Meanwhile, the delayed Rollins vs. Breakker feud could end up being an even bigger payoff if WWE gives it the time and spotlight it clearly believes it deserves.
Wrestling News Blog 