Author: John Bass

WWE & Hulu Partnership Ends, Content Pulled

WWE’s partnership with Hulu for next-day VOD has come to an end.

The agreement between the two sides officially expired this week, and next-day replays of RAW, NXT and SmackDown are no longer on the platform unless you have a Hulu account with a live TV plan.

The company’s documentary content with A&E are still on the platform. This is due to A&E’s licensing agreement. The same goes for Love & WWE: Bianca and Montez, which is a Hulu original series.

It is said that the WWE NXT replays will be moving to The CW App on October 1st. The rest of the WWE NXT library will likely go with it.

WWE SmackDown and RAW are still on Peacock on a 30-day delay.

Source: eWn

The Latest Update On Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE Status

Fightful Select has shared an update on WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura.

According to the report, Nakamura is currently in a situation similar to AJ Styles’. The Japanese wrestler is reportedly in good health but is currently not showcased on WWE programming.

Nakamura recently participated in some of WWE’s international tour dates in Europe and Japan. He was involved in various matches, facing off against opponents such as Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, LA Knight, Ludwig Kaiser, Sheamus, and Ilja Dragunov.

At one of the Japan shows, Nakamura joined forces with Kevin Owens to take on The Bloodline.

However, since Nakamura is not being featured on WWE TV for undisclosed reasons, the creative team seems to have no plans for him currently.

Source: eWn

TNA Impact Wrestling Preview 9/26/2024

TNA Impact tonight on AXS TV as the build continues for TNA Bound For Glory 2024.

  • Winner Gets World Title Shot at Bound for Glory: Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry
  • Mike Bailey, KUSHIDA & Leon Slater vs. Zachary Wentz & ABC
  • Heather Reckless vs. Xia Brookside
  • Jordynne Grace & Mystery NXT Partner vs. Wendy Choo & Rosemary
  • Laredo Kid vs. Jonathan Gresham
  • Lei Ying Lee debuts
  • We’ll hear from Josh Alexander

ROH TV Preview 9/26/2024

Ring of Honor will present a new episode of ROH TV on Honorclub tonight, and several matches have already been announced.

  • ROH Pure Championship: Lee Moriarty (c) vs. Preston Vance
  • Tony Deppen vs. Action Andretti
  • Johnny TV vs. Komander
  • Abadon in action
  • Brian Cage in action
  • Athena & Billie Starkz in action

The Latest Update On Alexa Bliss’ WWE Return

Fans eager to see Alexa Bliss back on WWE TV may have to wait until 2025.

Bliss hinted at her return on social media yesterday, writing, “Don’t worry, Darling. I’ll see you soon enough.”

Pwinsider is reporting that according to sources, WWE creative does not expect Bliss to return immediately.

The source states that Bliss will likely not return until the holiday season, so fans may not see her until 2025 at the earliest.

Additionally, the current creative regime aims to “maximize” its decisions and is in no rush to bring anyone back on TV.

Notably, a Lily doll was spotted in the background during a backstage segment featuring The Judgment Day on Monday Night RAW.

You can check out Bliss’ post below:

Source: eWn

WWE Announces Date And Location For Two-Night SummerSlam In 2025

WWE, with some help from celebrity musician Cardi B, has announced the date and location for next year’s SummerSlam, almost a year in advance. WWE SummerSlam 2025 is set to take place Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Information for ticket sales will become available at a later date, though WWE is offering pre-sale access to those who sign up at their website.

SummerSlam 2025 is set to be the company’s first-ever two-night incarnation of it’s second-largest annual premium live event, dubbed the “Biggest Party of the Summer.” The company’s largest, WrestleMania, became a two-night affair in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with WrestleMania 36. After several years of that format, WWE announced earlier this year that WWE SummerSlam 2026 will take place over two nights, live from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last month, Paul “Triple H” Levesque hinted that SummerSlam could be expanding sooner than the previously-announced 2026, leading to today’s announcement.

“New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the entire NJSEA team have been phenomenal partners, hosting several major UFC events in recent years including the record-breaking UFC 302 in June,” said Peter Dropick, TKO Executive Vice President of Event Development and Operations, in a WWE press release. “We’re excited to bring WWE back to New Jersey in a major way with the first-ever two-night SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium.”

Rapper Cardi B made a simultaneous announcement on social media, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to say “Here’s to the Streets.. and to my girl @BiancaBelairWWE   SummerSlam. 2Nights. MetLife Stadium. August 2nd and 3rd.” Cardi B has long been public about her WWE fandom, and the announcement could indicate that the New York City native intends to involve herself with Bianca Belair in the lead-up to next year’s SummerSlam.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

HOOK Retires FTW Title Following Successful Defense On AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam

The FTW Championship is no more.

On Wednesday’s “AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam,” FTW Champion Hook retained the title in a hard-fought battle against Roderick Strong. Strong shared a moment of respect following, shaking Hook’s hand after submitting to the Red Rum hold. After the match, Hook stood up in front of the Queens, NY crowd and declared that the time had come to retire the title. After he did so, Hook hugged his father, AEW Broadcaster -and the belt’s originator- Taz in an emotional display.

AEW revived the title in 2020, initially won by Team Taz’s Brian Cage. Since then, Hook has gone on to be a three-time champion, feuding with the likes of Jack Perry and Chris Jericho over the title. Hook’s recent reign began on August 25, when he defeated Chris Jericho to regain the title in Wembley Stadium, thanks to help from his father. Taz had initially created the belt in the 1990s, while Taz was in ECW. The belt had been most famous for the brutal feud between Taz and Sabu, who had heavily-lauded matches for the vanity title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

MVP Makes AEW Debut On Dynamite: Grand Slam, Wants To ‘Talk Business’ With Top Star

Prince Nana appeared during “AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam” to provide an update on Swerve Strickland’s status, but the segment was more notable for the AEW debut of MVP, who has officially signed with the promotion according to Fightful Select.

Strickland was last seen in the viciously bloody Lights Out Cage Match against “Hangman” Adam Page, losing after taking a hypodermic needle through his cheek and all manner of extreme bumps prior. Nana confirmed that he was not in good condition after the match and was recovering, noting that he had lost his world championship, had his home burned down, and suffered his brutal loss to Page in a matter of weeks. He was then interrupted by the debuting MVP, lauding Strickland for his title reign throughout the year before lamenting Nana for allowing him to go through what he did. It became clear why he was disparaging Strickland’s manager when he handed his business card over, telling Nana to pass it on to his client so they can “talk business.” 

MVP’s AEW debut swiftly follows previous reporting that fellow Hurt Business members in WWE, Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley, had been in negotiations to join the promotion. MVP’s Totally Harmless Concept LLC has also filed to trademark “The Hurt Syndicate,” which only adds to the idea that they could be soon to follow.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Video Teases Reunion With AEW’s Kenny Omega At WrestleDynasty Crossover Show

Kenny Omega has faced some of the best wrestlers in NJPW history, and the promotion was where he firmly established himself as a major name in the business. On AEW television, Omega hasn’t been seen since May, when he was written off after an attack by former allies The Elite, but it seems like “The Best Bout Machine” is returning to the public eye.

The official NJPW X account recently shared a brief clip where Hiroshi Tanahashi looked back at his last match with Omega, and teased an upcoming reunion. “We wrestled in the main event in the Tokyo Dome in 2019. That match and what came out of it? It was a unique situation, so I think everyone’s curious as to how we’ve been. I’ve got a lot of mixed emotions, but I’m curious too. Excited to see him,” Tanahashi said. The two men then met in a room, and greeted one another, with the post’s hashtags teasing that their “reunion” is somehow tied to the multi-promotion Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view, which will take place on January 5, 2025.

The most recent update on Omega’s health was one month ago, in August. The star has been suffering from diverticulitis for quite some time, and had surgery recently. His good friend and AEW star, Michael Nakazawa, claimed that “The Cleaner” had 25 centimeters removed of his colon, and had lost abdominal strength as a result, making basic tasks difficult for him. However, Nakazawa added that Omega had steadily been recovering, and that he’d been training at the time. Considering that he’s seemingly planning to appear at Wrestle Dynasty in January, it appears like his recovery has gone quicker than many anticipated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Preview 9/25/2024

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam will air live tonight on TBS from Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.

  • AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (non-title match and if Danielson is cleared to wrestle)
  • Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin for Darby’s AEW World Championship opportunity
  • Prince Nana to provide an update on Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. International Champion Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher
  • FTW Championship Match: Hook (c) vs. Roderick Strong
  • AEW Women’s World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Yuka Sakazaki