More Wyatt-Related Breadcrumbs Drop On WWE WhatsApp, Tease Second Twitch Stream Video

WWE has continued to tease the introduction of a Wyatt storyline and dropped a few subtle hints regarding it on social media. 

A recent tease by WWE revealed that Uncle Howdy was posting on their WhatsApp, and a new clue of sorts would be released on Twitch on Thursday, 8 PM. The images had the phrases “I’m waiting for you” and “Remember who you are” inscribed on it.

Recent teases and reports have hinted that WWE could begin a storyline based on Bray Wyatt. WWE had recently posted a few bits on their Twitch of the time when The Wyatt Family debuted on WWE television, and the Twitch video also featured Rachel Bonnetta, a psychiatrist who was in a Bray Wyatt segment a few years ago. Over the last few weeks on “WWE Raw” and “WWE SmackDown,” there have been QR codes, puzzles, and glitches that indicate the ominous arrival of someone on WWE television. Last month’s Backlash show also featured a QR code that had an audio clip of Bray Wyatt’s doctor and a message from a woman, teasing a return.

A recent report revealed that WWE has earmarked a few names for a Wyatt-based faction, which includes the likes of Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, and Wyatt’s brother, Bo Dallas. Rowan reportedly pulled out of a few indie shows he was supposed to be a part of as he has seemingly re-signed with WWE.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Announces Host City For Two-Night SummerSlam 2026

Since 2020, WWE has begun to make WrestleMania an even bigger event, with the biggest show of the year being held across two nights. The move has worked out well so far, and it appears WWE is ready to apply the practice for their second biggest event on the calendar, starting two years from now.

On Thursday morning, WWE PR announced that the 2026 edition of SummerSlam would be a two night event, taking place on August 1 and August 2. Both shows will take place out of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.

“U.S. Bank Stadium is an absolutely world-class venue, situated in a city with rich wrestling history and an amazing fan base,” WWE Executive Chris Legentil said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring two nights of SummerSlam to Minneapolis in 2026.”

“U.S. Bank Stadium is honored to host WWE’s SummerSlam on Minnesota’s biggest stage in 2026,” Chairman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Michael Vekich said. “We look forward to providing a warm welcome and best-in-class experience at U.S. Bank Stadium for WWE Superstars, staff, fans, and guests.”

In addition to SummerSlam, both WWE and the Minnesota Sports and Events commission confirmed there will be a slew of “fan and community events” organized between the two sides leading into the big show. SummerSlam coming to Minnesota comes after the state had been rumored to be the host site for WrestleMania 41, before WWE instead opted to hold both nights of the event in Las Vegas, Nevada. The announcement is unusual in WWE announcing the dates and location for an event two years from now, while the date and location for SummerSlam 2025 has yet to be unveiled.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Brandi Rhodes Diagnosed With Stage 4 Endometriosis

Brandi Rhodes took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce that she’s been diagnosed with endometriosis.

In her statement, which you can see below, Rhodes revealed that she’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis after years of experiencing pain. She wrote,

“3 years of pain with no answers. @MaryseMizanin’s story encouraged me to press on. Many appts later, we found the answer. Stage 4 endometriosis. Successful surgery today. Ladies, listen to your bodies. We don’t have to live with pain. Advocate for yourself. Finally on the road to recovery we have to talk more about women’s health. Love you @CodyRhodes. I am so blessed with your love.”

Source: eWn

We send our best wishes to Brandi Rhodes on her journey in this battle.

WWE NXT Preview 5/21/2024

Here is the lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Performance Center on the USA Network: 

  • Men’s North American Championship number one contender’s match: Wes Lee vs. Joe Gallus vs. Josh Briggs
  • Women’s North American Championship six-pack ladder match qualifier: Jaida Parker vs. Brinley Reece
  • Women’s North American Championship six-pack ladder match qualifier: Thea Hail vs. Fallon Henley
  • Natalya & Karmen Petrovic vs. Shayna Baszler & Lola Vice

Sonya Deville Returns In WWE Raw Backstage Segment After 10-Month Injury Hiatus

WWE might have lost Rhea Ripley to the injury bug, but reinforcements for the women’s division arrived on “WWE Raw.” Rumors from Pro Wrestling Insider on Monday alluded to former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sonya Deville being backstage. The rumors turned out to be true during Monday’s episode, and Deville was seen backstage propositioning Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, introducing herself to the latter, with Baszler saying she wasn’t interested in what Deville had to say.

Deville tore her ACL in July 2023, in the midst of her tag title reign alongside Chelsea Green — she was replaced in the team by Piper Niven, who claimed one half of the championship without actually having won it. A late May/early June return would be about in line for the recovery time for an ACL tear. Deville has been a contracted WWE talent since 2015, but has never won a singles title in the promotion. Her former partner, Green, along with Niven, were recently drafted to “WWE SmackDown.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Newest Wyatt-Themed WWE Raw QR Code Unlocks Ominous Survey, Cryptic Series Of Puzzles

Another episode of WWE programming, another QR code leading to a lengthy trail of clues all seemingly pointing toward Uncle Howdy and, now more than ever, other members of his new faction. As the Chad Gable vs. Sami Zayn match that opened Monday’s “WWE Raw” went to a commercial break, the code quickly flashed on-screen, alongside the newspaper clipping that we’ve seen before about the missing therapist with a byline attributed to “Wendy Lucho,” an anagram for Uncle Howdy. Scanning the code takes viewers to the URL wwe.com/ecgpramstor, and deducing that the slug is an anagram for spectrogram will come in handy later down the path. The page itself says, “hello,” and then begins a survey featuring the following series of yes or no questions:

“Can you ever truly be free?”

“Have you ever lost your way?”

“Did you find your way back?”

“Do you want to be better?”

“Do you know that I’m proud of you?”

“Is love unconditional?”

“Have they been set free?”

“Do you believe?”

“Do you want to meet them?”

Once the questions are through (if you answer them correctly, that is) the page renders the message “soon.” Below that are 10 clickable, blank boxes that lead to even more content and clues, including a cipher that, when cracked, states, “A puppet is free as long as he loves his strings,” and three separate audio files that, when run through a spectrogram, reveal a file named “ICU2” that just shows the word “hello,” another named “North_Star” that contains the familiar Bray Wyatt/Wyatt 6 upside down moth logo, and another named “WITNESS” that very clearly shows Uncle Howdy’s face.

WhatsApp, Glassboro, and the Allegory of the Cave

From there, the links in the boxes only get more intriguing, bizarre, and downright creepy. One goes to a newspaper article, positioned adjacent to the “Wendy Lucho” piece, titled “STUDY SEES NEGATIVE RESULTS.” The story refers to a “cruel and evil experiment” that actually look place in 1965, when Josie Laures and Antoine Senni set new records for time spent alone in a cave. The text of the story includes lines such as “I saved them,” “Give me a little more time,” and “I must give them the opportunity to repent. I hope, for their sake, they do.” It also features an image that appears to refer to Plato’s famous Allegory of the Cave.

Elswhere, a sheet of notebook paper with “LIAR LIAR” scratched out in red and black marker contains the words “WhatsApp 5.22” scrawled in the corner, likely suggesting another clue dropping Wednesday. There’s also a quick video showing the veiled visage of a mysterious female figure, source code that contains an anchor link to the word “DOOR” within an H1 tag, a piece of paper with the glyph for Pluto all over it, the coordinates 39.7100 N and 75.1192 W, which points to Glassboro, New Jersey, which happens to be the location of Rowan University — likely a not-so-subtle reference to rumored returning superstar and former Wyatt Family member, Erick Rowan — and a piece of paper with “WENDY LUCHO” written on it, along with tick marks in each letter, perhaps showing its author working out the anagram before attributing it to the byline in the newspaper article.

WWE Shop recently released two shirts that fit right in with this mysterious journey, with one labeled as “Cavebird 1” and the other as “Cavebird 2.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 5/20/2024

Tonight’s WWE Raw live on the USA Network from the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina.

  • King of the Ring Semifinal Match: Gunther vs. Jey Uso
  • Queen of the Ring Semifinal Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. IYO SKY
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable in a non-title match

Backstage Details On Why Some WWE NXT Names Were Recently Cut

WWE released several “NXT” talents during its latest round of mass cuts, and Fightful Select has revealed why some of those performers were let go. 

Valentina Feroz and Boa were reportedly cut as they spent a lot of time on the sidelines through injury, which ultimately derailed their progress as they weren’t given enough opportunities to show what they could do. Meanwhile, Trey Bearhill was released due to his perceived similarities with Eddy Thorpe, but his departure came as a shock to many WWE employees behind the scenes.

Despite joining the promotion as an established celebrity who was touted for big things, WWE released the controversial Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson during the mass cuts. However, this didn’t come as a shock to many backstage, as he wasn’t progressing at a decent rate. Booker T echoed these views when he reacted to Steveson’s WWE departure, noting that the former Superstar didn’t have the hunger or drive as he still had the amateur wrestling bug in his system.

Some “WWE: Next Gen” talents, including Julian Baldi, were also released during the wave of cuts. According to Fightful, the performers weren’t allowed to announce their contract status until after the show had aired, though their deals technically began after the reality series debuted. The report also claims that Drew Gulak is still employed by WWE, but he’s been informed that his contract won’t be renewed. Gulak was reportedly released in the wake of Ronda Rousey accusing him of grabbing the drawstring on her sweatpants backstage at a WWE show.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Another Wyatt-Themed QR Code Flashes On WWE SmackDown, Commentary Addresses Storyline

The trail of clues and mystique via QR codes on WWE programming forged forward on “WWE SmackDown,” with simpler content behind it than “Raw’s” 20 pictures to sift through and a far shorter duration than Thursday’s 55-minute takeover of WWE’s Twitch stream.

On July 16, 2020, the WWE On FOX YouTube channel released a video of “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt attending a therapy session with a psychiatrist named Rachel Bonnetta, who attempted to provoke Wyatt into speaking. Unfortunately for Bonnetta, her efforts were interrupted by a brief electricity blackout that resulted in Wyatt taking her place in the nearby chair, while Bonnetta mysteriously disappeared. Four years later, Bonnetta has now been found (albeit under a different name) alongside a cinematic recap of the Wyatt-related clues recently supplied by WWE.

Thursday afternoon, a new 55-minute WWE Twitch video opened with snippets from the July 8, 2013 episode of “WWE Raw,” which notably served as the main roster debut of The Wyatt Family. About two minutes in, however, the stream began to dramatically glitch before revealing an empty chair. This seat was later occupied by the aforementioned psychiatrist, Rachel Bonnetta, who appeared under the name of Wendy Lucho — a “missing” woman — in a series of images linked to a QR code seen on this week’s episode of “WWE Raw.”

Throughout the Twitch video, Bonnetta can be seen conferring with an unidentified client that later indicates that they’ve finally found their true purpose and family. As the conversation between client and psychiatrist progresses, flashes of QR codes emerge, routing back to several previous clues and messages reportedly connected to a new Bray Wyatt-themed stable.

But Friday’s reveal may have contained the spookiest breadcrumbs dropped yet.

This time it was more straight to the point, at least in the propped up landing page content itself. There was no optical illusion to solve to get there; no step-by-step, one-little-clue-at-a-time journey upon which to embark. Instead, the QR code that flashed during the tag team match between DIY and Legado del Fantasma led straight to a video wrought with the glitches with which we’ve become so familiar, flickering on and off through an image of a picture of a child in a Halloween-style costume getup, laid upon several drawings of the glyph of Pluto we’ve seen time and again. The audio in the clip says first, in a robotic voice, “He is nobody. He is all of us,” over and over again as it zooms in on the picture until it gets so close it goes out of focus. At that point, with the screen black, the voice asks, “Do you want to meet him?” before the video cuts to a black-and-white, grainy image of a hooded and/or masked figure staring back us.

But in digging past just the video itself, as has become customary in this saga, there was more to decipher.

The slug in the landing page is 22423, which refers to February 24, 2023 — the date of Bray Wyatt’s last appearance on WWE television, in a Firefly Fun House episode that also featured Uncle Howdy as the weatherman in a broadcast of “Fun House News.” When Wyatt and Ramblin’ Rabbit cut to Howdy, all he says is, “I am all of us.” The segment then ends with Wyatt promoting a game show called, “Can You Keep a Secret?” before it cuts to Wyatt in a black mask, asking, “If I told you a story, could you keep a secret?”

Meanwhile, images that flickered ever-so-briefly during the glitches in Friday’s video itself included a wooded area, an old promo from Waylon Mercy (a character portrayed in WWE by Dan Spivey in 1995 from whom Windham Rotunda drew inspiration for his Wyatt character, and whose name Joe Gacy, another name rumored to be a part of this eventual faction reveal, has invoked in the past as well), a woman looking terrified and/or tortured, what fans have suggested was a figure that looked like Uncle Howdy in the crowd at Monday’s “Raw” during a commercial break, and what looked to be the door from which Wyatt emerged at his 2022 Extreme Rules return, slightly opened, with light shining through.

Once again, as was the case on Monday, the announce team acknowledged the interruption, with Corey Graves and Wade Barrett remarking on the recurrence of these instances, seemingly indicating that the ultimate reveal could very well be imminent.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 5/17/2024

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes
  • King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Tama Tonga vs. LA Knight
  • Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals Match: Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill
  • Queen of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Bianca Belair vs. Tiffany Stratton
  • Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul contract signing for their champion vs. champion match at King and Queen of the Ring on May 25