WWE SmackDown airs live tonight at 8pm ET on the USA Network in the United States and on Netflix for international fans from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler is once again facing health challenges. According to TMZ Sports, the legendary commentator and former wrestler recently suffered another stroke, forcing him to cancel an upcoming convention appearance.
Lawler’s ex-fiancée shared that the stroke occurred last week while he was in Florida. Thankfully, reports indicate that he has since recovered enough to leave medical care, with his daughter planning to bring him home so he can rest for the next several weeks before resuming his normal routine.
The 75-year-old icon has battled through serious health scares in the past. He suffered strokes in both 2018 and February 2023, the latter of which required an ICU stay after he was rushed from his home to the hospital. Fans also remember the frightening scene in 2012 when Lawler collapsed on live WWE television due to a heart attack during Raw. Remarkably, he recovered and even returned to the ring in the years that followed.
While Lawler had been scheduled to appear at the HorrorHound event on September 12, organizers later confirmed his withdrawal due to “personal matters.” His last WWE appearance came earlier this year in February at a SmackDown taping in Tennessee, while his most recent in-ring match took place in 2023 at an AML Wrestling event.
Despite his setbacks, Lawler has consistently shown resilience throughout his career. Wrestling fans everywhere will be wishing “The King” strength and a smooth recovery as he takes time away from the spotlight to focus on his health.
WWE x AAA World Collide – Friday September 12, 2025 – The Pavilion at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas
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WrestleMania may soon be heading to brand-new territory. According to a new report, WWE is preparing to stage its biggest annual event, WrestleMania 43, in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
PWInsider noted that a press release in Arabic briefly surfaced online this week, confirming the event before it was quickly pulled back. While it looks like the news went out ahead of schedule, the outlet has verified that the announcement is legitimate and should be made official in the near future.
Adding fuel to the speculation, a now-deleted X post from user @MajedM60 shared video of Turki Alalshikh—the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority—seemingly revealing the news on Snapchat. Translations of the clip referenced WrestleMania as “the biggest WWE wrestling festival,” lending further credibility to the report.
This wouldn’t be Saudi Arabia’s first step into the WWE spotlight. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the Kingdom will host the 2026 Royal Rumble, and rumors quickly followed that the country was pushing to land WrestleMania itself. Dave Meltzer previously reported that Saudi officials had long been interested in bringing the event overseas, with significant financial backing behind the effort.
WWE has been running premium live events in Saudi Arabia since striking a 10-year partnership with the nation back in 2018. Fans have seen shows like Crown Jewel and Night of Champions take place in Riyadh and Jeddah, though it remains unclear which city would land WrestleMania 43.
For now, the official word is still pending. The big question is whether WWE will announce it themselves or if Saudi officials will beat them to the punch once again.
If confirmed, WrestleMania 43 in 2027 would mark the first time “The Showcase of the Immortals” has taken place outside North America, making it a historic milestone in the event’s storied history.
WWE is pulling out all the stops for next week’s NXT Homecoming at Full Sail University, and the brand just got a huge blast from the past. Former NXT Tag Team Champion Tyler Breeze made a shocking return on Tuesday night’s episode of NXT, setting himself up for a high-stakes championship opportunity.
The surprise came right after a unique Flag Match between Tavion Heights and Ethan Page. Heights managed to grab his United States flag before Page could reclaim his Canadian banner, earning the win and draping the maple leaf over a fallen Page for added insult. While Heights celebrated with Old Glory from the stage, the Full Sail faithful erupted as Breeze emerged from the crowd, selfie stick in hand, for the first time in years.
In true “Prince Pretty” fashion, Breeze struck a pose in the middle of the ring, snapping a trademark selfie with Page still sprawled out behind him. Moments later, WWE confirmed that the return wasn’t just for nostalgia—Breeze will challenge Ethan Page for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Homecoming on September 16.
This marks Breeze’s first in-ring appearance for NXT since June 2021, when he and longtime partner Fandango defeated Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. Both men were released shortly after, with Breeze shifting into work on WWE’s UpUpDownDown channel before officially joining NXT’s creative team earlier this year.
Ethan Page, meanwhile, has been carving out an impressive run since capturing the North American Title in May, already turning back challenges from Sean Legacy, Santino Marella, and Ricky Saints. But now he faces a whole new kind of test—a returning NXT original with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
With NXT Homecoming designed to spotlight the past colliding with the present, Tyler Breeze’s comeback couldn’t be timed any better. The only question is whether “Prince Pretty” still has enough in the tank to walk out of Full Sail with championship gold.
AJ Styles made some waves on this week’s episode of WWE RAW—and not just for what aired on TV.
Before his match with El Grande Americano, “The Phenomenal One” grabbed a mic and let loose with a fiery promo that had more of a worked shoot flavor than the usual scripted WWE dialogue. Styles told the live crowd (and Netflix viewers tuning in internationally) that he feels someone inside WWE is actively working against him.
Styles pointed to the recent departures of his longtime allies, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, as well as the fact that Michin (Mia Yim) is tied up on SmackDown. He essentially claimed the deck has been stacked against him, leaving him without backup for the first time in years.
In one of the most eyebrow-raising moments, Styles broke from the usual “commercial break” routine and told fans:
“I’m gonna tell you something you’re not supposed to hear, but somebody doesn’t want me here. So tonight, you’re going to beat the piss out of Grande Americano for me, so that person feels some of this pain too.”
Styles went on to score a much-needed win over Americano, snapping a two-week skid and possibly putting management on notice in the process.
While AJ never dropped names, fans immediately began speculating that his words were aimed at Triple H, given The Game’s role in WWE’s creative direction. Whether this was a fully scripted moment or Styles venting some real frustrations remains to be seen—but it definitely added some intrigue to his current storyline.
One thing is clear: “The Phenomenal One” isn’t staying quiet, and if this leads to a bigger push or even a heel turn, we might be seeing AJ Styles entering a very interesting new chapter.
WWE NXT on The CW.
AJ Styles’ recent run in WWE has caught the attention of fans for all the wrong reasons, and now even his own son has spoken up about the situation.
Over the weekend, a fan on social media vented frustration about how Triple H has been using Styles, calling the booking “disrespectful.” That comment struck a chord with Styles’ son, who posts under the handle ajaayyss. He replied, “You ain’t the only one man,” signaling that he shares the disappointment.
The frustration stems from Styles’ string of high-profile losses in recent months. The former WWE Champion has come up short against Dominik Mysterio in an Intercontinental Title match and has been unable to get the better of El Grande Americano, who he faces once again tonight on WWE Raw live from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee—the first Raw broadcast since the brand’s big move to Netflix.
Adding more intrigue, Styles recently posted a cryptic image on social media: an hourglass featuring his iconic “P1” logo fading away into dust. Fans immediately speculated that the Phenomenal One could be hinting at retirement once his WWE contract runs out.
Back in July, reports indicated that Styles had quietly signed a one-year extension after missing time with an injury, which would keep him with the company into 2025. Still, the symbolism in his post has sparked plenty of conversation about how much longer fans will get to see AJ inside the squared circle.
Whether tonight’s clash with El Grande Americano is another setback or the start of a resurgence, one thing is clear—AJ Styles’ legacy in WWE is a hot topic, and even his family is voicing concern about how it’s being handled.
WWE Raw tonight live on Netflix at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
WWE fans in Chicago got the surprise they’d been waiting on for years last night—though most of them probably saw it coming. AJ Lee officially returned on SmackDown, stepping in to help her husband CM Punk when Becky Lynch tried to take him out in the main event segment.
From the second the show kicked off, chants of “AJ Lee” echoed through the arena, and it didn’t take long for those rumors to become reality. Between the Chicago setting and the Punk/Lynch confrontation being saved for the main event, all the signs were there that WWE had something big up their sleeve.
Adding to the excitement, Triple H took to social media after the show, posting a video of Lee signing her brand-new WWE contract just hours before walking back through the curtain. In the clip, AJ is dressed head-to-toe in black to keep her return under wraps, sharing a quick moment with The Game where she expressed how happy she was to be back in the fold.
Now that she’s officially on the roster, speculation is already heating up about her in-ring future. The leading rumor points toward a blockbuster mixed tag match: AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins at the upcoming WrestlePalooza, the first-ever ESPN and WWE crossover event. That would not only pit two of wrestling’s most prominent real-life couples against each other, but it would also mark AJ and Becky’s first-ever showdown—something fans never thought they’d see given how their WWE careers never overlapped.
Beyond the dream-match possibilities, AJ’s return carries plenty of emotional weight. The former Divas Champion was a trailblazer for WWE’s women’s division, inspiring a generation of wrestlers who now fill out today’s roster. Seeing her share the ring with those she helped influence will be a full-circle moment that could reshape the women’s scene moving forward.
One thing’s for sure—AJ Lee being back in WWE is a game-changer, and if last night’s reaction in Chicago is any indication, the fans couldn’t be more ready for it.
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