Category: Wrestling News

MLW’s Jacob Fatu Is Now A Free Agent

Just as The Bloodline saga has taken yet another turn in WWE, another member of the fabled Anoa’i family has hit the free agent market, as former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu’s contract with the company has come to an end. A tweet from WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, Fatu’s uncle, raised eyebrows this week, calling Fatu “the baddest talented Indy worker on the scene” and wondering, “Who will sign him?” while tagging the official X accounts of both WWE and AEW.

Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net was then able to confirm Fatu’s contract status, citing independent sources, while also reporting he is still set to appear for MLW in Philadelphia during the company’s tapings tonight, where he will square off against Yuji Nagata. At this point, with The Rock now seemingly set to square off against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, to speculate on just about anyone getting involved in that story as they battle for the claim to “The Head of the Table” is fair, and it would make just as much sense for Fatu, son of Samuel Fatu (The Tonga Kid), to get involved as nearly any other available family member.

In fact, Fatu showed interest in just that as recently as last year. Of course, WWE shouldn’t be his only option, as interest is likely to be significant for “The Samoan Werewolf,” who held the MLW World Heavyweight Championship for more than two years between 2019 and 2021. Fatu is a 12-year pro who already in 2024 has appeared in MLW, GCW, NJPW, and elsewhere, and has been ranked in the PWI 500 each year since 2019, peaking at #20 in 2020 and finishing just outside the top-50 in 2023 at #53.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Marty Jannetty – ‘My Sister Passed Away & Doctors Want To Amputate My Leg’

Marty Jannetty took to Facebook on Wednesday to share some sad news – his sister has passed away and his leg issues have gotten worse.

The former WWE Superstar has revealed that doctors have advised him that they want to amputate his leg. Additionally, Marty’s brother called him on Tuesday night to give him the news that their sister had passed away. He wrote,

“I can’t hardly formulate a sentence right now, it’s a tough time in life, yesterday day they told me they want to cut my leg off.. struggling with that my brother called last night and, my sister died in his arms basically. I don’t even know what I’m saying right now. I don’t think I’m doing the podcast show tomorrow night, please forgive me, I do loves y’all..I just can’t. I’m so lost right now

PS- Many of y’all know both my sisters, Diane is still hanging in tough as a mo-fo, Diane STAY STAY STRONG, KEEP BELIEF, YOU TOO GENO!”

Condolences to Marty Jannetty during this difficult time.

Source: eWn

Dave Meltzer Provides WWE Backstage Update On The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns

Things are very up in the air for WWE right now, with the promotion capping off a “great week” by fielding just as many questions regarding a lawsuit, and accusations of sexual assault, against former chairman Vince McMahon as they did their new Netflix deal. They also found time to hold their Royal Rumble PLE, which saw Cody Rhodes win the Men’s Rumble, and immediately challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Rhodes’ victory led to more questions than answers, however, particularly whether this meant the long-rumored match between The Rock and Roman Reigns was off. As it turns out, it is and it isn’t. On the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Dave Meltzer confirmed that Rhodes vs. Reigns is the planned WrestleMania 40 main event this year, and will take place as a singles match, without any involvement from The Rock.

That being said, The Rock is still expected to come back to WWE, and a match between him and Reigns is in the cards. When and where the match will take place remains to be seen, as conversations between Rock, who was named to WWE/TKO’s board of directors last week, and WWE, regarding the match are said to be ongoing.

The delay in Rock vs. Reigns will give Rhodes a chance to finally “finish the story” and capture the Undisputed WWE Title, something he failed to do against Reigns last year at WrestleMania 39. Reigns meanwhile will look to continue his record-setting reign as champion, which has lasted for over 1,240 days, putting him only 234 days short of passing Hulk Hogan’s 1,470 day reign as WWE Champion in the 1980s.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon Resigns From WWE, TKO Group Holdings Amidst Sex Trafficking Allegations

Vince McMahon’s role in WWE and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings, has come to an end. During Friday night’s broadcast of “WWE SmackDown,” Sean Ross Sapp reported that WWE President Nick Khan had sent the following memo to some staff:

“I wanted to inform you that Vince McMahon has tendered his resignation from his positions as TKO Executive Chairman and on the TKO Board of Directors. He will no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE.”

Shortly after Sapp’s report, McMahon issued a statement to Deadline.

“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” McMahon said, echoing his initial denial. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”

“However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” he said.

The news comes one day after news broke that former WWE employee Janel Grant had filed civil suit against McMahon and another former employee, John Laurinitis, alleging “physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking at WWE.” The allegations, which a TKO spokesperson referred to as “horrific,” resulted in major WWE sponsor Slim Jim putting its deal with the company on pause one day before they were set to sponsor the Royal Rumble.

After McMahon resigned from TKO, Slim Jim agreed to the sponsorship again. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon Sued Over Sex Trafficking Claim By Former Employee Who Took Hush Money Payments

The following comes from a report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Janel Grant accuses the wrestling mogul of coercing her into sex with him and others at the company. She calls the company probe into sexual misconduct allegations a “sham.”

WWE founder Vince McMahon and a former executive have been sued for sex trafficking and battery by a ex-administrative employee, who questioned the extent of the company’s investigation into hush money payments after she wasn’t interviewed despite stating her cooperation.

Janel Grant, in a lawsuit filed in Connecticut federal court on Thursday, said she was coerced by McMahon into having sex with him and others at the company at his direction during his tenure as chief executive of the wrestling outfit. WWE was named in the complaint for attempting to “conceal the wrongdoing.”

The suit escalates growing legal troubles for the company tied to payments by McMahon to silence sexual misconduct allegations. He initially retired in 2022 amid the probe, only to return the next year by using his power as WWE’s controlling shareholder to appoint himself and two former executives to its board, which went on to name him executive chairman. McMahon in November was sued in a shareholder complaint over his corporate coup that paved that path for him to merge the sports entertainment powerhouse with Endeavor’s UFC. It accused him of accepting a sweetheart deal that allowed him to stay on as executive chairman of TKO Group and avoid scrutiny in connection with the probe that could’ve ousted him from the company.

In a statement, a spokesperson for McMahon said, “This lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth.”

WWE didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

According to the complaint, Grant in 2019 was directly hired by McMahon as an administrator-coordinator in WWE’s legal department. While McMahon was chief executive, she alleged he “recruited individuals to have sexual relations” with her and directed her to engage in sexual activity at WWE headquarters during working hours.

The suit details a June 2021 assault by McMahon and John Lauriantis, former head of talent relations who was also named in the complaint. 

“Behind a locked door, the two men cornered her and pulled her in between them, forcibly touched her, before ultimately putting her on top of a table in between them,” the complaint stated. “She begged them to stop, but they forced themselves on her, each taking turns restraining her for the other.”

According to the complaint, Grant was terminated when McMahon’s wife discovered the affair. She says she was coerced into signing a nondisclosure agreement under the threat of McMahon releasing pornographic content he captured and his vast legal resources.

“Ultimately, Ms. Grant succumbed to the pressure and signed the NDA in exchange for payments – which McMahon later stopped making,” the complaint stated.

Instead of intervening to address the alleged misconduct, Grant claims that WWE moved to “sweep the matter under the rug” with a payment of $3 million. She takes issue with the company’s board of directors touting the conclusion of the “sham” probe into sexual misconduct allegations by McMahon despite the special committee neglecting to interview or request documents from her.

Additionally, the suit calls into question WWE’s characterization of hush money payments from McMahon, which were initially footed by the company. In securities filings, WWE called the payouts  “immaterial accounting errors,” per the suit.

Grant claims suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation due to the alleged misconduct. She seeks unspecified damages and brings claims for battery and violations of federal laws related to sex trafficking, as well as negligence against WWE.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Kota Ibushi Set To Undergo Ankle Surgery

Pro Wrestling NOAH held its ‘The New Year’ 2024 show earlier this month with the main event singles match between Naomichi Marufuji and Kota Ibushi, where they wrestled for 30 minutes before Ibushi went over in the end.

Ibushi went for an outside moonsault, and when he landed, he grabbed his ankle. Kota was taken to the hospital after the bout, which was heavily criticized.

Kota confirmed today that he will have ankle surgery on Wednesday:

“Long time no see. It feels unusually long.

Things won’t go on as before.

I hope tomorrow’s surgery is successful.

As long as you can walk, that’s enough.

I don’t need anything else”

https://twitter.com/ibushi_kota/status/1747145518365741099

Source: eWn

Dark Side Of The Ring Renewed For Another Season

Vice TV’s Dark Side of the Ring series is returning for a new season after its debut in April 2019, where it initially aired six episodes.

Each episode explores scandalous, tragic, or controversial stories. The executive directors of the show are Evan Husney and Jason Eisener.

According to Pwinsider, the series has been renewed for a fifth season and is scheduled to premiere in March.

Source: eWn

Andrade El Idolo Pulled From Indie Event As Rumors Of WWE Return Continue

Rumors continue to swirl regarding Andrade El Idolo potentially returning to WWE, and they will intensify with the news he has now been pulled from this Friday’s GCW event. GCW released a statement on X to confirm it, stating, “Due to circumstances out of control, ANDRADE and MAKI ITOH will be unable to compete on Friday’s event in Chicago.” GCW revealed they have replacements for both wrestlers, with Masha Slamovich and Lio Rush set to step in, however, the news will certainly get people talking about the future of the former AEW star. El Idolo’s final match for AEW took place at Worlds End 2023, which saw him lose to Miro, and both he and Tony Khan confirmed that they would be parting ways after that point.

Ever since, there has been speculation that the former “WWE NXT” Champion is going to be returning to his former company, WWE — where his wife, Charlotte Flair also works. Of course, nothing is official regarding El Idolo and WWE, but people within the company are expecting him back at some stage. Wrestlers being pulled from independent dates has been a sign in the past that a wrestler is heading to WWE because, unlike AEW, the company doesn’t tend to allow its roster members to work for other promotions.

El Idolo is not under a non-compete clause, which means he is technically free to appear on WWE television at any point, should he sign with the company. He last worked for WWE in 2021 after spending seven years with them, and he does have a positive history working under the creative leadership of Triple H, who of course is now in charge of that department for WWE’s main roster.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Authors Of Pain (& Paul Ellering) Return On WWE SmackDown Alongside Karrion Kross & Scarlett

WWE’s tag team division can expect a bit more pain in the locker room.

Akam and Rezar, collectively known as the Authors of Pain (AOP), returned to WWE on Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown.” They, along with Karrion Kross and Scarlett, crashed Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits’ “All Mighty New Year” segment. After Lashley declared himself for the Royal Rumble, Kross and Scarlett appeared on the ramp, and stared devilishly on as AOP attacked Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins from behind. Their beatdown ended with a Super Collider from AOP, which cleared the path for Kross to deliver a gruesome slam to Lashley. The Authors of Pain, along with their manager WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering, accompanied Kross and Scarlet to the ramp following their destruction.

AOP’s WWE return had been speculated multiple times in 2023, with the most recent reports stating that Akam and Rezar were expected to return sooner rather than later. Their association with Kross was also teased on the December 22 episode of “SmackDown”, where three figures were referred to Kross as “authors”. The pair quietly resigned with WWE in August 2022, and there is no confirmed explanation for the year and a half-long gap between their signing and their reappearance.

The two are one-time “NXT” Tag Team Champions, one-time winners of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and one-time WWE Raw Tag Team Champions. Before Friday’s installment of “SmackDown”, AOP was last seen on the March 9, 2020 episode of “WWE Raw,” where they aided Buddy Matthews and Seth Rollins in a winning effort against The Viking Raiders and, interestingly enough, the Street Profits.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

RevPro Star ‘Mad Kurt’ Kurtis Chapman Dead At Age 26

Revolution Pro Wrestling delivered sad news Friday morning as they announced that Kurtis Chapman, known to wrestling fans as Mad Kurt, had died at the age of 26.

“We, at Revolution Pro Wrestling are absolutely heartbroken to report the loss of our dear friend Kurtis Chapman,” RevPro stated on X (formerly Twitter). “We watched Kurtis grow from a child to a young man who loved professional wrestling and continued to excel in all aspects of his life. One of the most gifted technical wrestlers, charismatic characters and magnetic personalities. He will never be forgotten.”

A nine-year veteran in the wrestling business, Chapman gradually built his name in the UK’s independent scene, where he later captured the RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship. Along his journey, Chapman competed in several other notable promotions, including PROGRESS, TNT Extreme Wrestling, IPW UK, and Game Changer Wrestling, the latter of which saw him challenge Matt Cardona for the Internet Championship in September 2022. Chapman wrestled his last match in June 2023, successfully defending the Resurgence Arthouse Championship in a four-way bout against Chocolate Thunder, Rayne Leverkusen, and Skye Smitson at the promotion’s The Day Resurgence Stood Still event.

Outside of the ring, Chapman also established himself as a prominent social media personality, providing his followers with many smiles and laughs over the years.

As of this writing, the circumstances surrounding Champan’s death remain unknown.

As the wrestling world continues to absorb the gravity of this news, many of Chapman’s friends and peers have chimed in on social media to share their condolences and memories of the young performer.

“I know Kurt would have loved the amount of love shown for him today,” former “WWE NXT UK” star Lizzy Evo wrote on X alongside a candid photograph of herself and Chapman. “Absolute gem of a human behind the keyboard and behind the cape. This one hit hard today. Please have the convos you wanna have and speak to the people you wanna speak to. Life truly is so short.”

ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher, who was a recurring opponent of Chapman’s, expressed similar sentiments, writing, “I don’t quite have the words for how I’m feeling right now. someone I always looked forward to seeing, never failed to make me laugh I’ll miss you Kurt, thanks for everything. rest easy.” Fletcher’s post was also accompanied by a flexing photo of himself, Chapman, and Mark Davis.

https://twitter.com/kylefletcherpro/status/1740695286161490090

Former NXT UK” star Nina Samuels touted Chapman as not only a “special and unique” character in the wrestling world but as a person in the real world as well. “My heart is broken that this isn’t just another Mad Kurt rib,” Samuels wrote. “Sending love to his family and everyone close to him.”

Recent Impact/TNA Wrestling signee Dani Luna offered up a happy memory of Chapman, in which the two can be seen laughing with each other while in attendance at a wrestling show. “The last time me and Kurt hung out is encapsulated perfectly in this photo. Talking s*** about wrestling, drinking beer, and him making me laugh until I couldn’t breathe. Miss you my friend,” Luna tweeted.

https://twitter.com/DaniLuna_pro/status/1740702772457340934

“GCW is saddened to learn of the passing of Kurtis Chapman, aka Mad Kurt. We were lucky to work with him during our first tour of the UK and we will remember him with great fondness. RIP Kurt,” Game Changer Wrestling wrote alongside a smiling image of Chapman and Matt Cardona.

Many of Chapman’s cohorts have also sent their condolences to his family and friends, including former Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry, Veda Scott, Faye Jackson, and Darius Lockhart, who praised Chapman for his sharp wit and comedic bits that Lockhart feels were often under-appreciated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.