SmackDown just got a serious boost in its tag team division. Fraxiom — the dynamic duo of Nathan Frazer and Axiom — officially made their blue brand debut on this week’s episode, and they wasted no time making a statement.
Facing off against Los Garza (Angel & Berto), the former NXT Tag Team Champions looked right at home under the SmackDown lights. The match reached its climax when Axiom nailed Angel with a beautiful Spanish Fly, perfectly setting up Frazer to hit his signature Phoenix Splash for the three-count.
While this was their first official outing as a team on SmackDown, both Frazer and Axiom have been making solo appearances recently. Frazer battled Rey Fenix on the April 4 episode, while Axiom tested himself against the powerhouse GUNTHER back on March 14.
WWE has confirmed that Fraxiom will be sticking around on the SmackDown brand moving forward, adding some fresh energy — and high-flying fireworks — to the tag team scene. Get ready for more show-stealers from these two.
The wrestling world is still buzzing after WWE’s surprise announcement last week that it has acquired Lucha Libre AAA. While the company made headlines by confirming a crossover NXT Worlds Collide event with AAA this June, new details are surfacing about how this deal came together—and who else is involved behind the scenes.
According to the latest from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE isn’t going it alone in this deal. They’re partnered with Fillip, a Mexico-based sports and entertainment holding company that’s quietly been building a portfolio across international markets. While WWE holds the majority stake in the acquisition, Fillip is reportedly the minority partner.
So who is Fillip? The private capital firm may not be a household name to wrestling fans, but they’ve got ties to global ventures like Kings League Soccer—an innovative sports project operating in countries like Spain, Italy, and Brazil—and Tycoon Enterprises, which handles brand licensing in Latin America. With that kind of background, their involvement signals that WWE’s move into the Mexican wrestling scene might be part of a much bigger play.
Talks between WWE and AAA go way back—nearly two decades, in fact. WWE first showed interest in acquiring a piece of AAA as far back as 2007, following the passing of AAA founder Antonio Peña. While WWE wanted creative and operational control, the Roldán family, who have run AAA since Peña’s death, repeatedly turned down offers that would’ve meant giving up a majority stake.
What’s different this time? The addition of Fillip appears to have made the deal more palatable. Sources say negotiations have been ongoing for over a year, with WWE execs even attending recent AAA events—like the show at Juan de la Barrera Gym—to keep tabs on the product. The eventual announcement during WrestleMania weekend reportedly caught many in the industry off guard, even those who knew talks were happening.
While WWE has sealed the deal, the official takeover won’t go into effect until Q3 of this year. Until then, AAA will continue to operate as normal. Currently, the promotion has thirteen wrestlers signed under contract, though it’s unclear how WWE’s involvement will impact the roster long-term.
As for the financials? Official figures haven’t been disclosed, but a number floating around in Mexican media puts the acquisition price at a staggering $50 million.
With WWE now firmly planting its flag in the Mexican wrestling scene and the NXT Worlds Collide event on the horizon, fans can expect to see major changes in how AAA operates—and who gets the spotlight.
The wrestling and sports worlds are mourning the loss of a true warrior today, as Steve “Mongo” McMichael has passed away at the age of 67. The former Chicago Bears defensive standout, turned WCW star, died Wednesday following a four-year fight with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
McMichael’s legacy spans far beyond the gridiron. A cornerstone of the legendary 1985 Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears—famously dubbed the “Monsters of the Midway”—McMichael was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. But wrestling fans remember him just as fondly for his larger-than-life persona in the squared circle.
“Mongo” made a smooth transition from football to pro wrestling in the mid-90s, becoming a colorful figure in WCW. He initially joined the promotion as a commentator but quickly stepped into the ring, aligning himself with one of the most iconic factions in wrestling history: The Four Horsemen. During his in-ring tenure, McMichael captured the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship in 1997 by defeating Jeff Jarrett, a moment that cemented his place in wrestling lore.
McMichael’s later years were marked by a brave public battle with ALS, which he was diagnosed with in 2021. His health struggles became increasingly severe, and earlier this year he was hospitalized with MRSA and required a blood transfusion. On Wednesday, reports emerged that McMichael had entered hospice care after being taken off a ventilator. His passing was confirmed by WGN’s Jarrett Payton, who was with him during his final moments.
“With deep sorrow, I share that Steve McMichael passed at 5:28 PM after a brave fight with ALS surrounded by loved ones,” Payton posted on X (formerly Twitter). “I’m grateful to have been with him in his final moments. Please keep Steve and his family in your prayers.”
With deep sorrow, I share that Steve McMichael passed at 5:28 PM after a brave fight with #ALS, surrounded by loved ones. I’m grateful to have been with him in his final moments. Please keep Steve and his family your prayers. 🙏🏽 #Bears
From hard-hitting tackles to Horsemen beatdowns, Steve McMichael lived every moment with intensity and charisma. Whether you knew him from Soldier Field or the WCW ring, “Mongo” left a lasting impression. His resilience, both as an athlete and as a man fighting a devastating disease, will not be forgotten.
Just as Solo Sikoa’s new-look Bloodline seemed to be gaining serious momentum with Jacob Fatu’s big United States Championship win at WrestleMania 41, the faction has reportedly hit a major snag. Multiple sources, including BodySlam.net and Cody Whoades of PWN, have confirmed that Tama Tonga is taking a medical leave of absence due to an undisclosed injury—an issue that may require surgery.
Details on the injury are scarce, and as of now, neither WWE nor Tonga himself have issued a public statement. What’s clear, however, is that Tonga will be off WWE television for the foreseeable future, leaving a major hole in the faction’s lineup.
Tonga was last seen on the April 18 episode of SmackDown, where LA Knight launched a surprise backstage attack on The Bloodline to open the show. While the angle served to write Tonga off TV, reports indicate the injury wasn’t sustained during the brawl—it was simply a storyline device to explain his absence. Tonga was also notably absent from ringside during Jacob Fatu’s title match at WrestleMania, where faction leader Solo Sikoa accompanied the “Samoan Werewolf” instead.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Over the past year, Tonga has become a key figure in Sikoa’s Bloodline, bringing his hard-hitting New Japan Pro-Wrestling style to WWE and capturing Tag Team gold alongside both Jacob Fatu and his real-life brother Tonga Loa. Unfortunately, Loa has also been sidelined with an injury, leaving Sikoa and Fatu as the only active members of the once-deep faction.
With the group’s ranks now halved, all eyes are on how WWE plans to keep this iteration of The Bloodline strong. Will Sikoa and Fatu look to recruit fresh blood to maintain their dominance on SmackDown, or will they hold down the fort as a duo until Tonga and Loa return?
Whatever the plan, the faction’s future just got a little murkier—and with LA Knight still gunning for revenge, the pressure isn’t going anywhere.
The team-up between Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria was short-lived—and so was their reign as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Less than 24 hours after their surprise victory, the Irish duo dropped the titles to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on Monday Night Raw After Mania. But it was what happened after the match that truly sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe.
Following a hard-fought bout that opened the show, Lynch turned on her protégé with a vicious assault, signaling a heel turn that could reshape the women’s division moving forward.
A Match That Ended in Mayhem
The clash between Lynch & Valkyria and the newly-aligned Judgment Day duo of Morgan & Rodriguez began in chaos and ended in heartbreak. Things kicked off with a fiery exchange between Lynch and Morgan, with both women unleashing stiff strikes. Valkyria tagged in early and held her own, but momentum shifted quickly once the powerhouse Raquel Rodriguez entered the fray.
The bulk of the match saw Valkyria and Rodriguez battling it out in a physically intense showcase, while Lynch and Morgan intermittently rejoined the fight. The turning point came when Valkyria tweaked her knee coming off the top rope, leaving her vulnerable. Rodriguez capitalized with a big boot, and after missing earlier in the match, Morgan finally nailed Valkyria with the Oblivion for the win.
Lynch, who had been taken out briefly on the outside by a falling Rodriguez, could only watch from the floor as Morgan and Rodriguez celebrated their victory—marking Morgan’s fourth reign with the women’s tag titles.
Lynch Snaps
As Valkyria tried to regroup in the ring, Lynch joined her and offered what appeared to be a consoling embrace. But seconds after they parted, Lynch struck—flooring her fellow Irishwoman with a sudden clothesline. What followed was a calculated, unrelenting assault as Lynch unleashed a storm of fists and fury on her now-former partner.
The ambush lasted several rounds, with Valkyria left battered and broken by the former multi-time world champion. The crowd, stunned into silence, watched as Lynch reintroduced the ruthless side of her persona that hadn’t been seen in quite some time.
What’s Next?
Lynch’s heel turn adds a whole new layer to her character and throws immediate spotlight on Valkyria, who now stands as a sympathetic figure heading into what could be her breakout feud on the main roster. After months of being mentored by The Man, Valkyria now finds herself standing across from her in what’s shaping up to be a highly personal, high-stakes rivalry.
Meanwhile, Morgan and Rodriguez are wasting no time getting to work as champions. The duo is set to appear on NXT to defend the Women’s Tag Team Titles against the unlikely pair of Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley.
One chapter has closed in violent fashion, but for Lynch, Valkyria, and the women’s division as a whole, the story is only just getting started.
Just when fans thought the surprises were over after an epic WrestleMania weekend, WWE pulled out one more stunner on the post-Mania edition of Monday Night Raw. In one of the night’s most jaw-dropping moments, Rusev—formerly known in AEW as Miro—made his long-awaited return to WWE after a five-year absence.
The return came during a segment featuring the newly crowned World Tag Team Champions, The New Day, who had just captured the titles from the War Raiders on WrestleMania Saturday. As they basked in their Vegas celebration, they were cut off by Maxxine Dupri, flanked by Otis and Akira Tozawa of Alpha Academy. Dupri wasted no time throwing shade, reminding the champs of their previous, embarrassingly short loss to Alpha Academy. With a little verbal baiting—labeling them the “Minute Men”—Dupri goaded The New Day into an impromptu title defense.
But the match never got underway.
As the bell was about to ring, the arena lights cut out. Moments later, a thunderous new theme hit—and out stormed Rusev to a roaring crowd. Ditching his AEW persona and returning to his WWE roots, the Bulgarian Brute wasted no time making an impact. The New Day wisely bailed from the ring, leaving Otis and Tozawa to face the wrath of the returning powerhouse.
Tozawa was quickly dispatched, and fans were treated to a brief but intense staredown between Otis and Rusev. Just as Otis tore off his shirt to throw down, Rusev unleashed a brutal headkick, followed by a signature Machka Kick and the Accolade submission to put Otis out cold.
This surprise return comes just two months after reports confirmed Rusev’s quiet departure from AEW, where he had been competing as Miro since 2020. His last in-ring AEW appearance was back in December 2023, with a one-off match in Qatar earlier this year being the only other time he stepped into a ring post-AEW.
Now back in WWE—and clearly not wasting any time asserting dominance—Rusev looks poised to shake up the RAW roster in a big way. Whether he’s targeting The New Day, Alpha Academy, or has his sights set even higher, one thing is certain: Rusev Day is back, and the WWE landscape just got a lot more dangerous.
WWE legend and Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio has confirmed that he suffered a torn groin during last week’s episode of SmackDown, forcing him to miss his highly anticipated match at WrestleMania 41.
The injury occurred during Mysterio’s six-man tag team bout, where he teamed up with Dragon Lee and AEW’s Rey Fenix to take on American Made’s Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers. The trio picked up a win, but Mysterio was visibly in pain following the match and had to be assisted backstage during the commercial break.
Speaking during a Fanatics Live Signing on Sunday, the 50-year-old revealed the extent of the setback:
“It’s unfortunate that I suffered a torn groin on Friday night at SmackDown and I wasn’t able to perform. Live to fight another day.”
The injury came at a particularly rough time, as Mysterio was slated to face El Grande Americano on Night 1 of WrestleMania. The high-stakes bout was expected to be a standout moment, especially with El Grande Americano putting his mask on the line.
With Mysterio unable to compete, Rey Fenix stepped in as a replacement but came up short in his WrestleMania debut, allowing Grande to keep his mask and build further momentum.
There’s no official timetable yet on Mysterio’s return, but given the nature of groin tears and Mysterio’s age, WWE will likely take a cautious approach with his recovery. This marks another unfortunate speed bump for the Lucha icon, whose longevity and in-ring resilience have continued to defy expectations.
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