TNA Thursday Night iMPACT! tonight at 9/8c on AMC.
Chris Jericho has offered a promising update on a planned television series based on his first autobiography, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex, revealing that the project is getting closer to the pilot stage.
The AEW star discussed the adaptation during an appearance on Skratch N’ Sniff, where he was promoting Fozzy’s new single, “I Know Evil.” During the conversation, Jericho explained that the project has been in development for some time and is now approaching a major milestone.
According to Jericho, the team behind the series is getting close to filming a pilot episode, with an actor from the Canadian comedy series Letterkenny reportedly being considered for the role of a younger version of the wrestling star.
Published in 2007, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex chronicles Jericho’s early journey through the professional wrestling business, covering his career before his 1999 WWE debut.
The book details his experiences working around the world as he developed into one of wrestling’s most recognizable performers. A television adaptation would give viewers an opportunity to revisit those formative years in a different format.
Jericho confirmed that the project has progressed beyond the early stages of development, explaining that it has moved further along the production process.
“We are actually working on something based on my first book, A Lion’s Tale, that we’ve been working on for a while, of doing a TV series based on that,” Jericho said. “And so we’ve kind of moved it up the food chain, and it’s getting pretty close to filming a pilot.”
He added that he believes a television series would allow the story to go beyond the autobiography itself, describing the possibility of bringing his early career to the screen as an exciting prospect.
One of the more intriguing details from Jericho’s comments concerned the actor who could portray him during his younger years.
Jericho revealed that the production has an actor in mind who resembles him from the beginning of his wrestling career. The performer is associated with Letterkenny, although Jericho stopped short of revealing the individual’s identity.
“I won’t say who it is in Letterkenny, but there is a real facial similarity,” Jericho explained.
No official casting announcement has been made, so the actor’s identity and involvement remain unconfirmed publicly.
Jericho indicated that the project could reach the pilot stage fairly soon, although he did not provide a specific filming date, network or streaming platform.
A pilot would represent an important step toward bringing the series to television, but it does not necessarily guarantee that a full season will be ordered.
For now, Jericho’s comments suggest that the adaptation of A Lion’s Tale is making progress after spending considerable time in development.
If the project moves forward, fans could eventually see the story of Jericho’s early wrestling journey brought to life, including the experiences that led to his arrival in WWE in 1999.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is reportedly expected to take over Bruce Prichard’s responsibilities following Prichard’s anticipated retirement after WrestleMania 43.
According to PWInsider, Michaels is expected to “essentially” step into Prichard’s role as Executive Director of Creative Writing and Talent. Prichard is reportedly planning to leave the full-time position while remaining connected to WWE in a consulting capacity.
The potential change would see WWE promote from within, with Michaels moving beyond his current responsibilities overseeing NXT and talent development.
Michaels has spent the past several years leading NXT as its head and serving as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Creative.
According to PWInsider, the plan for Michaels to succeed Prichard has “been in place for some time,” suggesting the transition has been under consideration well before the recent reports about Prichard’s retirement.
The exact timing of Michaels’ move remains unclear. However, the report indicates that he is expected to begin preparing for the expanded responsibilities in the coming months.
In the new role, Michaels would work closely with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, his longtime friend and fellow D-Generation X member. Their established relationship could help maintain continuity within WWE’s creative leadership as the company prepares for the post-Prichard era.
With Michaels potentially moving into a broader WWE creative position, attention has turned to who could take on more responsibility within NXT.
According to False Finish, AJ Styles is expected to become more hands-on with the developmental brand, with sources within the WWE Performance Center reportedly indicating that he could take on a larger role.
Styles retired from in-ring competition in February and has already been involved with NXT on a limited basis. Over the past few months, he has helped produce matches, giving him some experience working behind the scenes.
His potential increased involvement could provide NXT with another experienced wrestling mind as the brand continues developing its next generation of WWE talent.
However, no official announcement has been made regarding Styles taking over Michaels’ current responsibilities, and the precise structure of NXT’s leadership moving forward remains uncertain.
If the reported plans come to fruition, WWE could see significant changes to its creative leadership after WrestleMania 43.
Michaels would be positioned to assume Prichard’s responsibilities while potentially passing more of his NXT workload to Styles. For now, the timing and exact details of the transition remain unconfirmed by WWE.
With Prichard reportedly preparing to step away from his full-time executive position, the coming months could offer a clearer picture of how the company intends to organize its creative and developmental operations.
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
