TNA Thursday Night iMPACT! tonight on AMC.
Watch on AMC, AMC+, & TNA+ (US), Sportsnet & Sportsnet 360 (Canada), TNA+ (internationally)
ROH TV tonight at 7/6c on #HonorClub at WatchROH.com 7/6c
Pat McAfee’s post-NFL career continues to evolve in a big way — and now the outspoken WWE commentator is officially stepping into Hollywood.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Ari Emanuel — co-founder of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC — is actively working to secure acting opportunities for McAfee. While Emanuel no longer serves as CEO of Endeavor following its rebrand to WME Group, he remains executive chairman and represents a wide range of high-profile talent. McAfee is reportedly among the latest names on Emanuel’s client list, and the wheels are already turning.
The first wave of projects is significant.
McAfee is set to appear in a four-episode arc in the upcoming fourth season of Tulsa King on Paramount+, the hit series led by Sylvester Stallone. That’s not his only acting credit on the horizon, either. He’s also attached to Peter Berg’s upcoming sports drama The Mosquito Bowl, a film inspired by Buzz Bissinger — the author behind Friday Night Lights. The project centers around a legendary World War II-era football game and fits squarely into McAfee’s sports-driven persona.
For someone who only retired from the NFL in 2017, McAfee’s media takeover has been impressive. He’s built The Pat McAfee Show into a powerhouse platform, secured a major deal with ESPN, and become a fixture in the college football world. On the WWE side, he’s spent the past four years as one of the company’s most energetic and polarizing commentators, in addition to competing in select in-ring matches.
However, McAfee hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since June. At the time, he stepped away to focus on his growing media commitments and college football coverage, openly acknowledging burnout from juggling too many responsibilities.
That said, McAfee has made it a tradition to pop up at WrestleMania in recent years, whether behind the desk or inside the ring. With WrestleMania season approaching once again, speculation is already building about whether he’ll make another cameo at WWE’s biggest event of the year.
Now, with major television and film roles lined up, McAfee’s schedule may only get busier. Still, if history tells us anything, it’s that he tends to find a way to show up when the spotlight is brightest.
Between sports media, WWE, and now Hollywood, McAfee’s second act is proving to be just as headline-worthy as his NFL career.
Roxanne Perez has finally shed light on her recent absence from WWE television — and it turns out it was more serious than fans initially believed.
Over the past few months, reports indicated that Perez had been working through various nagging injuries, especially during WWE’s busy Holiday Tour stretch in late December and early January. When she later missed an episode of WWE Raw, many assumed she was dealing with a short-term illness. However, Perez took to TikTok this week to clarify the real reason she stepped away.
According to the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, she recently underwent surgery to remove a benign mass from her back that had been causing significant pain for months.
Perez admitted she had been pushing through the discomfort because she didn’t want to miss any ring time. Wrestling, she explained, has been her dream since she was 10 years old, and stepping away — even temporarily — wasn’t something she wanted to do. Still, she emphasized that health has to come first, even for someone as passionate as she is about her craft.
The good news is that Perez is already on the mend. She shared that her recovery has been progressing well and that the majority of the pain has subsided, though it occasionally flares up. While she didn’t offer a specific timetable for her in-ring return, she made it clear that she expects to be back sooner rather than later.
And in true Roxanne fashion, she ended things on a confident note — promising she’ll be back to “Pop Rocksing” the roster in no time.
Perez has built a reputation as one of WWE’s toughest and most driven young stars, and this latest revelation only reinforces that image. Working through pain for months speaks to her dedication, but taking the necessary time to address the issue may ultimately ensure a stronger, healthier return.
For now, fans can take comfort in knowing the surgery was successful and that Perez is in good spirits. We’ll continue to provide updates as more details on her return timeline become available.
AEW Dynamite live tonight at 8/7c on TBS and HBO Max from the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.
WWE sent fans into theory mode on the February 16 episode of RAW thanks to a backstage tease that immediately got people talking.
A large crate marked “Deliver to WWE” with instructions not to open it until 2/28/26 was shown during the broadcast. With Elimination Chamber set for that exact date, speculation ran wild about what — or who — could be inside. Among the more popular guesses circulating online? A surprise return from Chris Jericho.
As intriguing as that idea might be, new reporting suggests fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
According to Fightful Select, Jericho is still under contract with All Elite Wrestling. Sean Ross Sapp reports that the general belief within AEW — as well as among those close to Jericho — is that his deal was effectively frozen when he stepped away in 2025.
Jericho’s original AEW agreement was believed to expire in 2025, but there are several potential reasons it may now extend beyond that point. Contract freezes due to time off, injury-related extensions, or even a quiet renewal could all be factors. Without access to the specifics of the deal, the exact situation remains unclear — but the key takeaway is that Jericho is not currently a free agent.
Adding to that, Jericho is still listed on AEW’s official roster page, which is typically a strong indicator that talent remains under contract. Fightful also noted that no internal communication has been distributed regarding his departure, something that usually occurs when a wrestler exits the company.
Interestingly, the report does mention that Jericho hasn’t completely closed the door on WWE. He has reportedly told people he would consider a return to the company at some point. However, there are outside projects and ventures he would have to weigh carefully if a WWE deal were on the table.
For now, the crate remains an unanswered question — but it likely doesn’t contain “The Learning Tree.”
While WWE clearly wants fans speculating ahead of Elimination Chamber, a Chris Jericho comeback on February 28 doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT airs at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST on The CW Network in the United States and on Netflix internationally, from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Two of the most influential names in women’s MMA are stepping back into the cage — and this time, the world will be watching on Netflix.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix have announced that former UFC Bantamweight Champion and former WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey will come out of retirement to face Gina Carano in a long-awaited dream fight. The bout is set for Saturday, May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.
The contest will take place at featherweight (145 pounds), contested over five five-minute rounds under the Unified Rules of MMA. The fight will be held inside a hexagon cage with 4oz gloves and streamed live globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers. The event marks Netflix’s first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP’s debut MMA promotion.
For longtime fight fans, this matchup feels surreal. Years ago, when Rousey was dominating the UFC and Carano had shifted her focus toward Hollywood, the UFC reportedly attempted to make the fight happen. Negotiations ultimately fell apart, with Carano previously pointing fingers at UFC President Dana White. Now, nearly two decades after Carano last fought and nearly ten years since Rousey’s final MMA appearance, the clash is finally becoming reality.
Rousey, 39, last competed in MMA at UFC 207 in December 2016, where she was defeated by Amanda Nunes. Following that loss, she pivoted to professional wrestling, signing with WWE and quickly becoming one of the company’s biggest attractions. She was part of the first-ever women’s main event at WrestleMania 35 in 2019 and remained a headline name before parting ways with WWE in 2023. Her most recent wrestling appearance came in November 2023, when she teamed with Marina Shafir in Ring of Honor.
Carano, now 43, hasn’t fought since 2009, when she was stopped by Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce. Despite the loss, Carano’s impact on women’s MMA is undeniable — widely regarded as the sport’s first true female crossover star, she helped lay the groundwork that allowed fighters like Rousey to break into the UFC spotlight.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Rousey didn’t hold back.
“Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history!” she said, adding that the partnership with MVP and Netflix will deliver something special for MMA fans past and present.
Carano echoed the sentiment, revealing that Rousey personally reached out to make the fight happen and thanked her for opening doors earlier in her career. Carano said she expects to win but anticipates a difficult battle, calling the moment an honor for both fighters and the MMA community.
MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian framed the bout as a historic step in expanding their combat sports footprint beyond boxing, while Netflix’s VP of Sports, Gabe Spitzer, described the fight as a defining moment for the streaming platform following its success in live boxing events.
Additional fights for the card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster, with pre-sale registration currently available.
For wrestling fans, this marks another fascinating chapter in Rousey’s unpredictable career. After conquering UFC, breaking barriers in WWE, and stepping away from the spotlight, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is heading back to the cage for one more massive spotlight moment — this time against the woman who helped start it all.
AJ Styles may have officially called it a career at the Royal Rumble, but WWE isn’t done celebrating “The Phenomenal One” just yet.
During this week’s episode of WWE Raw, the company announced that next Monday’s show in Atlanta, Georgia will feature a special “Tribute to AJ Styles.” While the on-screen graphic made it clear the night will honor the former WWE Champion, WWE did not confirm whether Styles himself will be in attendance.
Styles’ in-ring career came to a dramatic end at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he passed out in Gunther’s Rear Naked Choke. The finish left little room for ambiguity, and WWE quickly framed it as the final chapter in one of the most decorated careers of the modern era.
Still, the speed of his exit surprised many fans. Unlike John Cena, who is currently receiving a year-long farewell tour, Styles’ retirement felt abrupt. After debuting in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble to one of the loudest reactions of the decade, Styles went on to become a multi-time WWE Champion, United States Champion, and Tag Team Champion over a ten-year run with the company. Before that, he had already established himself as the face of TNA and a top star in NJPW, even holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
With so many of his longtime friends and rivals now working in AEW, speculation about Styles potentially following a similar path began almost immediately after his “retirement.” So far, however, there has been no concrete confirmation regarding his next move.
The announcement of a tribute on Raw adds another interesting wrinkle to the situation. Whether Styles appears live in Atlanta or not, WWE dedicating a full segment to honor him suggests the company still views him as an important part of its legacy. That alone may cool some of the immediate talk about a jump elsewhere — or at least delay it.
For now, fans will be watching closely to see how WWE handles the tribute and whether “The Phenomenal One” makes a surprise appearance in his home state. In wrestling, retirements are rarely permanent — and when it comes to AJ Styles, nothing feels entirely off the table.
Bianca Belair’s road back to the ring just hit another hurdle.
After weeks of speculation about her recovery and potential involvement in WrestleMania 42 season, “The EST of WWE” confirmed that she is undergoing surgery for the finger injury she suffered earlier this year. Belair shared the update via her Instagram Story on Sunday, writing, “Finger surgery tomorrow,” along with a praying hands emoji — indicating the procedure was scheduled for Monday.
Belair has been sidelined since WrestleMania 41, where she competed in a high-profile triple threat match against IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley. During the bout, Belair’s hand became trapped underneath Ripley in a spot that left her in immediate pain. At the time, Belair admitted she felt like she had “broken all of her fingers.” It was later confirmed that she fractured the joint in her left ring finger — a painful and tricky injury for any in-ring performer.
While Belair has remained visible on WWE programming in limited roles, she has not returned to active competition. She briefly appeared on stage during WWE’s announcement that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027. Prior to that, she served as special guest referee for the match between her former tag team partners Jade Cargill and Naomi at Evolution in July, though she avoided any physical involvement.
As for her in-ring return, reports have painted an uncertain picture. A November update from BodySlam+ suggested WWE officials were hopeful Belair could be back by early 2026. However, a separate report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that there was no firm timetable in place for her comeback.
With surgery now underway, it’s clear Belair is taking the necessary steps toward a full recovery — even if it means missing more time. Given her track record of resilience and elite athleticism, few would bet against “The EST” making a strong return when she’s fully healed.
For now, the WWE women’s division moves forward without one of its cornerstone stars, while fans wait for updates on when Belair will once again bring the glow back to the ring.
Wrestling News Blog 