Author: John Bass

Jim Ross Provides Health Update, Preparing for Upcoming Brain Surgery

AEW commentator and wrestling broadcasting legend Jim Ross has shared a new update on his health following a lengthy hospital stay, revealing that he is preparing to undergo brain surgery in the near future.

Speaking on a recent episode of Grilling JR, Ross said he continues to make progress after spending more than a month hospitalized, though he acknowledged that his recovery is still ongoing.

“I feel pretty good. I’m getting better every day, but still got a ways to go,” Ross explained, noting that he has not yet been cleared to drive and has begun reducing his public appearances while focusing on his health.

Ross is expected to make an appearance in Minneapolis in the coming weeks, but much of his attention is now centered on an upcoming medical procedure. According to the veteran announcer, doctors plan to perform brain surgery within the next week or two.

The 74-year-old revealed that the operation will involve the placement of a shunt designed to drain excess fluid from his brain and redirect it elsewhere in his body. The goal is to reduce pressure that has reportedly been affecting areas of the brain linked to memory and cognitive function.

Ross spoke candidly about the symptoms that led to the diagnosis, explaining that he had been struggling with memory issues and episodes of forgetfulness before suffering a medical incident at home that resulted in a lengthy hospitalization.

The Hall of Fame broadcaster described the nearly 40-day hospital stay as a difficult experience, but expressed confidence in his medical team and optimism about the procedure’s outcome.

The health issues follow a challenging period for Ross. After attending AEW’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view earlier this year, he reportedly suffered a fall that ultimately led to his extended hospitalization. Ross later disclosed that he experienced additional health complications during his trip to the event, including another fall and severe back problems after arriving at his hotel.

Despite those setbacks, Ross still fulfilled his commentary duties at the show, calling Jon Moxley’s successful Continental Championship defense against Kyle O’Reilly.

Looking ahead, Ross hopes the surgery will allow him to regain a better quality of life and continue his recovery at home.

“I’ll get it done, a short hospital stay, and limp back home and heal up,” Ross said regarding the upcoming procedure.

Earlier this year, Ross also underwent neurological testing to determine whether he might be dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. As of now, he has not publicly disclosed the results of those evaluations.

Ross has been a key figure in AEW since joining the company in 2019. With his current contract reportedly set to expire next month, questions remain about his future with the promotion. For now, however, the focus remains on his health and recovery as he prepares for the next step in his medical journey.

AEW Collision Preview 7/11/2026 – Hangman Page Returns

AEW Collision live tonight at 8/7c on TNT and HBO Max from the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia

  • AEW National Championship Match: Mark Davis (c) vs. Mike Bailey
  • ROH World Championship Match: Bandido (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
  • AEW TBS Championship Match: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Harley Cameron
  • Hangman Page returns and will kick off Collision

Hangman Page will kick off AEW Collision LIVE in Roanoke, VA!
We haven’t seen Hangman since Revolution in March, & he returns to AEW to open Collision LIVE in his home state Virginia TONIGHT!

Baron Corbin Makes Surprise WWE Return on SmackDown, Targets United States Championship

A familiar face made an unexpected return to WWE television during this week’s episode of SmackDown as Baron Corbin resurfaced for the first time in two years and immediately inserted himself into the United States Championship picture.

The surprise appearance came during a non-title matchup between reigning United States Champion Trick Williams and longtime rival Carmelo Hayes. With the two former NXT standouts renewing their rivalry, Hayes had an opportunity to earn a future championship match by defeating Williams.

After a competitive back-and-forth contest, Hayes appeared to be closing in on victory. He climbed to the top rope looking to connect with his signature Nothing But Net finisher, but the match took an unexpected turn when Corbin appeared on the ring apron.

Corbin locked eyes with Hayes before shoving him off the top rope, causing the referee to call for a disqualification. The interference abruptly ended the match and denied fans a definitive winner.

The former United States Champion wasn’t finished there. After the bell, Corbin attacked both Hayes and Williams, leaving the champion laid out in the ring. To punctuate his return, Corbin picked up the United States Championship and stood tall with the title as the segment came to a close.

Corbin’s actions strongly suggest that he has his sights set on the championship he once held. His lone singles title reign on WWE’s main roster came with the United States Championship in 2017, a run that lasted 70 days.

While Corbin’s career has included several notable accomplishments—including winning the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2017 and capturing the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Bron Breakker in 2024—he has yet to add another singles championship to his résumé.

Now back on SmackDown, Corbin has immediately made his intentions clear. With Trick Williams holding the gold and Carmelo Hayes still looking for his own title opportunity, Corbin’s return could shake up the United States Championship scene in a major way over the coming weeks.

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/10/2026

WWE SmackDown live tonight at 8/7c on USA Network and Netflix internationally.

  • New Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk returns to SmackDown
  • Non-Title Match: WWE US Champion Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes
  • Finn Bálor vs. Tama Tonga

TNA Thursday Night iMPACT Preview 7/9/2026

TNA Thursday Night iMPACT tonight at 9/8c on AMC.

  • TNA Knockouts World Championship No DQ Match: Xia Broo kside (c)vs. Lei Ying Lee
  • TNA World Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardys (c) vs. The Great Hands
  • Knockouts TV Championship Tournament First Round Match: Jada Stone vs. Alisha Edwards
  • Knockouts TV Championship Tournament First Round Match: Jody Threat vs. Gabby Forza
  • Knockouts TV Championship Tournament First Round Match: Indi Hartwell vs. Vicious Vicki Venuto
  • Leon Slater & Ricky Sosa vs. Brian Myers & Bear Bronson vs. The Righteous

Willow Nightingale Returns to AEW, Wins Women’s Casino Gauntlet for World Title Opportunity

Willow Nightingale made an immediate impact in her return to AEW, emerging victorious in the Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The win secures Nightingale a future shot at AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla at AEW Redemption.

The high-stakes gauntlet featured a loaded field of competitors and plenty of chaos from start to finish. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Maya World kicked off the match, trading offense until Skye Blue entered as the third participant. Blue wasted no time making her presence felt, bringing a kendo stick to the ring and using it to gain the upper hand.

Mina Shirakawa joined the action next, followed by Stardom’s Rina, adding an international flavor to the contest. Outside the ring, Athena delivered a brutal attack on Blue by driving her back-first into the ring steps.

The match continued to escalate when Julia Hart arrived carrying a trash can lid. Hart unleashed a flurry of offense on the field before she and Blue turned their attention to AEW officials, using chairs in a wild confrontation at ringside.

Thunder Rosa entered as the seventh competitor and immediately went after Hart and Blue. Rosa also exchanged hard-hitting strikes with Rina and scored a notable combination neck breaker and back breaker. Athena briefly regained momentum, but several competitors prevented her from capitalizing.

The biggest reaction of the match came when Nightingale entered as the eighth participant. Returning from injury, the former TBS Champion stormed into the ring and quickly changed the complexion of the bout. Nightingale ran through the competition, delivering a series of power moves that included a devastating powerbomb to Athena on the ring apron and a Death Valley Driver on the arena floor.

With the field cleared, Nightingale sealed the victory by planting Julia Hart with another powerbomb, earning the decisive pinfall and securing her championship opportunity.

The celebration was short-lived. AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla left the commentary desk and attacked Nightingale after the match, sending a clear message ahead of their upcoming title clash. Elsewhere, Lena Kross and Megan Bayne brawled with Skye Blue and Julia Hart near the entrance ramp, adding even more chaos to the post-match scene.

To close the segment, 2026 Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner Mercedes Moné made her way to the ring. With both Thekla and Nightingale present, Moné inserted herself into the situation by taking out both women, further complicating the AEW women’s championship picture.

With Nightingale back in action, Thekla holding the title, and Moné looming as a major threat, the road to AEW Redemption just became significantly more interesting.

AEW Dynamite Beach Break Preview 7/8/2026

AEW Dynamite Beach Break live tonight at 8/7c on TBS and HBO Max from The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park in Clearwater, Florida.

  • AEW World Championship Match: MJF (c) vs. Kenny Omega – (If Omega loses, he can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again)
  • AEW International Championship Match: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher
  • Women’s World Title Number 1 Contender Casino Gauntlet Match: Athena vs. Rina vs. Skye Blue vs. Maya World vs. TBA
  • Chris Jericho vs. Tommaso Ciampa
  • Paul Wight teased in-ring appearance

Paul Wight Teases In-Ring Appearance During AEW Dynamite Beach Break – ‘It’s A Big Secret’

AEW may have a surprise in store for fans during tonight’s special Dynamite: Beach Break event, and it could involve one of the company’s biggest stars stepping back into the spotlight.

Speaking with 10 Tampa News ahead of the show, AEW veteran Paul Wight teased that he will be involved during the broadcast and suggested that fans may see him inside the ring.

“I am going to be in the ring, doing something,” Wight said. “I can’t tell you what, because it’s a big secret. But if you come, you will see me maybe slap some people around.”

While Wight stopped short of revealing exactly what he has planned, his comments have sparked speculation that the former world champion could be preparing for a rare physical appearance on AEW television.

Wight has largely worked as a commentator, ambassador, and backstage mentor during his time with AEW. Injuries and health issues have limited his in-ring activity in recent years, with his last AEW match taking place in late 2023 and his most recent wrestling appearance coming in early 2024.

Despite that absence, Wight recently made it clear that retirement is not currently in his plans. During an interview earlier this year, he stated that he still hopes to compete again and even named Kenny Omega and Darby Allin among the AEW stars he would be interested in facing.

Interestingly, Omega is scheduled for one of the biggest matches of the night at Beach Break. The former AEW World Champion will challenge MJF for the AEW Men’s World Championship in a bout carrying major implications. If Omega comes up short, he will permanently lose the right to challenge for the AEW World Championship again, joining Cody Rhodes and Hangman Adam Page on that list.

Tonight’s card is also set to feature Konosuke Takeshita defending the AEW International Championship against Kyle Fletcher, Chris Jericho facing Tommaso Ciampa, and a Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match to determine the next challenger for AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla at AEW Redemption.

Whether Wight’s involvement is tied to one of those matches or something entirely different remains to be seen, but his comments have certainly added another layer of intrigue heading into one of AEW’s biggest television events of the summer.

WWE NXT Preview 7/7/2026

WWE NXT tonight at 8/7c on The CW and Netflix internationally.

NXT Women’s Championship: Kendal Grey (c) vs. Nattie
* NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match: OTM vs. Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux vs. BirthRight vs. DarkState
* Women’s North American Championship #1 Contenders Match: Lizzy Rain vs. Layla Diggs vs. Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame
* Niko Vance vs. Shiloh Hill

Backstage Update On CM Punk’s WWE Title Win, SummerSlam Plans Revealed

CM Punk’s shocking Undisputed WWE Championship victory on Monday’s episode of Raw was reportedly about much more than giving the Chicago crowd a memorable hometown moment.

Punk returned to WWE television for the first time since WrestleMania 42 and stepped into the main event after Cody Rhodes was ruled unable to compete. Earlier in the night, Rhodes was attacked by GUNTHER and later deemed medically unfit to challenge champion Sami Zayn. That opened the door for Punk, who capitalized on the opportunity and defeated Zayn to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.

While the title change came as a surprise to many fans, a new report from PWInsider Elite indicates that WWE’s creative team has been building toward a major summer program involving Punk for quite some time.

According to the report, the expectation backstage following Raw was that Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Rhodes at SummerSlam. The match is said to have been part of WWE’s long-term plans, with the company reportedly considering the showdown for months.

The seeds for the rivalry were planted shortly after WrestleMania 42 when Punk and Rhodes shared a tense face-to-face confrontation on the first episode of Raw following the event. At one point, there were reportedly discussions about saving the match for WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, WWE ultimately shifted direction and is now expected to present the highly anticipated clash at SummerSlam instead.

Punk’s championship victory also brings a quick end to Sami Zayn’s first world title reign in WWE. Zayn captured the championship just nine days earlier at Night of Champions, achieving one of the biggest milestones of his career before dropping the title to Punk in Chicago.

As SummerSlam approaches, several major matches appear to be taking shape. Along with the expected Punk vs. Rhodes championship bout, Roman Reigns is reportedly set to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins. Meanwhile, GUNTHER is rumored to be heading into a feud with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis.

With the WWE title picture rapidly changing, questions now turn to what’s next for Zayn after his brief reign came to an end and whether he’ll be able to work his way back into championship contention heading into one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.