AEW Dynamite: Fright Night live tonight on TBA and HBO Max from the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.
AEW TNT Championship Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. Josh Alexander
AEW TBS Championship Match: Persephone (c) vs. Queen Aminata
Best of Five Series Match Three: FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Series Tied 1 -1)
Bruce Prichard is reportedly expected to step away from his full-time role in WWE following WrestleMania 43, bringing a potential end to his current run as one of the company’s key creative executives.
According to PWInsider, multiple sources within WWE have indicated that Prichard is expected to retire from his position as Executive Director of Creative Writing and Talent sometime after WrestleMania 43. Fightful has also reportedly confirmed the news.
Although Prichard is expected to leave his current position, the report indicates that he will remain connected to WWE in a consulting capacity.
Prichard returned to WWE in 2019 and has worked in a major creative role full-time since then, becoming a significant figure behind the scenes during the company’s latest era.
Under the reported plans, Prichard would no longer live in Stamford, Connecticut, and would no longer carry out his current executive responsibilities. However, his expected consulting arrangement would allow him to maintain a connection with the company after stepping away from his day-to-day duties.
The reported timeline places his departure after WrestleMania 43, meaning he is expected to remain in his current position through WWE’s next major WrestleMania cycle.
Neither WWE nor Prichard has been reported as making an official public announcement regarding the potential change.
At this stage, there is no word on who might succeed Prichard in the role or how WWE could restructure its creative leadership following his departure.
Given his lengthy history with the company and his involvement in WWE’s creative process since returning in 2019, his eventual transition could mark a notable change behind the scenes.
For now, the reported plan is for Prichard to step away from his full-time executive position after WrestleMania 43 while continuing to work with WWE as a consultant. Further details about the timing and any potential changes to the company’s creative structure have yet to emerge.
WWE NXT tonight at 8/7c on the CW Network and internationally on Netflix:
WWE /raw live tonight on at 8 ET on Netflix from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
WWE’s upcoming Crown Jewel event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is facing renewed scrutiny amid growing security concerns in the Middle East.
With the premium live event less than a week away, a report from The New York Times has revealed that a recent U.S. intelligence memo warned of potential threats against American personnel in the Middle East and other regions.
The memo, reportedly sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, indicated that Iran was in the “advanced stages” of planning attacks against Americans in the area.
While the report does not mention WWE or any other entertainment events, the intelligence warning has added to questions about whether Crown Jewel should proceed as scheduled.
WWE’s Crown Jewel event is scheduled to take place at Riyadh Season Stadium, a temporary venue expected to accommodate a sizable audience.
The event will also involve a significant number of American personnel traveling to Saudi Arabia to help produce the show. With the region continuing to face security concerns and reports of attacks, the latest intelligence memo has prompted renewed discussion about the risks surrounding WWE’s plans.
Construction of the temporary stadium was reportedly underway as of late last week, suggesting preparations for the event remain in progress.
However, the intelligence warning has led some to question whether WWE should postpone Crown Jewel or relocate the event to a venue outside Saudi Arabia.
Despite the concerns, current indications suggest that WWE is still preparing to hold Crown Jewel in Riyadh.
TKO CEO Ari Emanuel addressed the situation last week, explaining that the company was monitoring developments in the region on a daily basis and would consider moving the event if necessary.
Emanuel indicated that, at the time, the signs pointed toward Crown Jewel and other TKO events in the Middle East proceeding as planned.
WWE also continued promoting the event during the most recent episode of SmackDown. The company announced that Cody Rhodes would face Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel, further reinforcing the expectation that the show will take place in Saudi Arabia.
At this time, WWE has not announced any changes to Crown Jewel’s location or schedule.
The intelligence memo does not specifically reference WWE, Crown Jewel, or the Riyadh event venue. However, its reported warning about potential attacks against Americans has intensified the broader security discussion surrounding the show.
With the event approaching, WWE and TKO are expected to continue assessing the situation. For now, the company’s public plans remain unchanged, though the developing security situation could still affect the final decision.
AEW President Tony Khan reportedly came away from a recent meeting with Skydance executives feeling more optimistic about the company’s future than ever before.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Khan met with Skydance representatives in Los Angeles on Friday. While Meltzer said he did not know the specific details discussed, he noted that Khan was particularly pleased with how the meetings went.
The update comes as AEW’s future under the Skydance merger continues to draw attention, with questions remaining about how the new corporate structure could affect the wrestling promotion.
Meltzer described Khan’s reaction to the meetings as especially positive, despite the fact that the AEW president has consistently expressed enthusiasm about the relationship.
“I don’t know any of the details yet, but I do know that he came out of the meetings extremely happy,” Meltzer said. “Much happier than he’s been about this relationship — he’s always been happy about this relationship, he’s always been beaming about it since Day One — but he definitely came out of these meetings the happiest he’s been.”
Meltzer also noted that Skydance had already made two moves involving wrestling, neither of which he viewed as positive. However, he indicated that the situation surrounding AEW itself did not appear to involve any cutbacks.
The merger has prompted speculation about how Skydance’s involvement could impact AEW, particularly as the company continues to operate under Khan’s leadership.
Khan has previously spoken favorably about Skydance CEO David Ellison, describing him as a supporter of AEW and expressing confidence that the company would benefit from the relationship.
Meltzer’s latest report suggests that Khan’s recent discussions with Skydance have reinforced that optimism. According to the report, there was no indication that AEW had been targeted for reductions following the meetings.
Meltzer also discussed other wrestling-related changes under the broader Skydance landscape.
According to his report, Women of Wrestling will receive another season, although the show will not be syndicated. Additionally, a Roku channel that carried Women of Wrestling and NWA 24/7 has reportedly been canceled.
Those developments were described as two of the wrestling-related moves made by Skydance that Meltzer viewed negatively.
For AEW, however, the reported outcome of Khan’s meetings appears encouraging. While the specific plans discussed remain unknown, Khan’s reportedly positive reaction offers a glimpse into how he views the company’s relationship with Skydance moving forward.
AEW Collision live tonight at 8 ET on TNT and HBO Max from the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Charlotte Flair has reassured fans that her father, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, is expected to be okay after he was hospitalized following a fall outside a restaurant in Orlando, Florida.
Ric reportedly suffered cuts to his head and eye in the incident and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Charlotte shared an update on social media Friday evening, adding a touch of humor while confirming that her father was doing alright.
“Not my dad telling the doctor he fell bc of warrior dropping him on his head…
(ps: he’s going to be ok)”
The comment referenced The Ultimate Warrior, Ric’s former wrestling rival, with Charlotte joking about her father’s explanation to medical staff.
The incident came shortly after Ric announced that he would be unable to attend Washington State Horror Con in Seattle.
The 16-time world champion explained that his doctors had limited his travel to around three or four hours due to a blood clot in his leg.
Flair’s fall and subsequent hospitalization raised concern among fans, but Charlotte’s message offered reassurance that he is expected to recover.
At this time, no further details regarding the extent of his injuries or his recovery timeline have been shared.
WWE may be considering bringing back the Sin Cara character, with PWInsider Elite reporting that the company has floated the idea of reviving the masked wrestler’s gimmick.
The character was last seen in WWE in 2019, but the reported early pitches could signal a new chapter for one of the promotion’s most recognizable masked personas.
Sin Cara made his WWE debut in 2011, originally portrayed by the Mexican wrestling star known as Mistico. The character was introduced with considerable attention, bringing a high-flying style and a distinctive presentation to WWE.
However, Mistico’s run as Sin Cara was interrupted when he received a 30-day suspension under WWE’s Talent Wellness Program. During his absence, the company had Hunico take over the character.
When the original Sin Cara returned, the two performers became involved in a storyline that saw them portrayed as Sin Cara Azul and Sin Cara Negro. Their rivalry culminated in a Mask vs. Mask match at the October 16, 2011, WWE SmackDown taping in Mexico City, with the Azul character winning.
The latest report indicates that WWE has discussed the possibility of bringing the character back, though no details have been provided regarding who might portray Sin Cara or when the gimmick could return.
At this stage, the idea appears to be in the early pitching process. There has been no official WWE announcement confirming a revival, and the report does not establish whether the company has settled on a performer for the character.
If WWE does move forward, the return would revive a gimmick that has been absent from the company’s programming since 2019.
WWE SmackDown live tonight, beginning at 8:00 pm ET on the USA Network in the United States and Netflix for international fans, from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Roxanne Perez
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Tatum Paxley & Alexa Bliss (c) vs. B-Fab and Michin
Street Fight: Giulia vs. Blake Monroe
Non-Title: WWE Tag Team Champions The MFT (Tama & Talla Tonga) vs. Bakusai (Shinsuke Nakamura & Kyoki)
