WWE NXT live tonight on The CW from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
WWE announced dates for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event and the return of WWE Evolution on July, along with NXT: The Great American Bash 2025. WWE has now confirmed a massive weekend takeover in Atlanta, Georgia with all three events.
The State Farm Arena will host Saturday Night’s Main Event on Saturday, July 12, followed by WWE Evolution on Sunday, July 13. Meanwhile, The Great American Bash will also be held in Atlanta at the Center Stage Theater on Saturday (July 12) afternoon before SNME. Tickets for the events go on sale tomorrow (May 28) at 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT. Ticket pre-sale access for the shows starts later today.
This means both The Great American Bash and Saturday Night’s Main Event will be running up against AEW All In Texas, which is also scheduled for Saturday, July 12 on pay-per-view. Here’s the full announcement for the massive weekend takeover in Atlanta for WWE:
WWE ANNOUNCES MASSIVE WEEKEND TAKEOVER IN ATLANTA JULY 12 & 13
State Farm Arena to Host Saturday Night’s Main Event® on Saturday, July 12 & Evolution® on Sunday, July 13
The Great American Bash® to Emanate from Center Stage Theater on Afternoon of Saturday, July 12
Two-Day Combo Ticket Packages for Saturday Night’s Main Event & Evolution On Sale Tomorrow, May 28 at 10am ET/7am PT
Presale Access Begins Today at 10am ET/7am PT
May 27, 2025 – As announced in Saturday’s broadcast, WWE will host a multi-event weekend takeover in Atlanta on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, featuring Saturday Night’s Main Event, Evolution and The Great American Bash.
As a part of the takeover, State Farm Arena will host the NBC primetime special Saturday Night’s Main Event on Saturday, July 12, and Evolution – the groundbreaking all-women’s Premium Live Event which originally debuted in 2018 – on Sunday, July 13. Additionally, The Great American Bash will emanate from Center Stage Theater – formerly the home of WCW Saturday Night – on Saturday, July 12, prior to Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Two-day combo ticket packages for Saturday Night’s Main Event and Evolution will go on sale starting tomorrow/Wednesday, May 28 at 10am ET/7am PT via https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E0062A8E1F8625B. An exclusive pre-sale is available starting today at 10am ET/7am PT until 11:59pm ET/8:59pm PT via Ticketmaster.com.
Additional information regarding individual tickets for Saturday Night’s Main Event, Evolution and The Great American Bash will be announced at a later date.
Official Saturday Night’s Main Event and Evolution Priority Passes are available now through exclusive partner On Location, giving fans the opportunity to purchase ticket packages before they go on sale to the general public. These passes offer fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment, including premium seating, all-inclusive pre-show hospitality featuring WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, and more. To learn more or purchase your package today, please visit https://onlocationexp.com/wweatlanta.
The city of Atlanta has a storied WWE history that spans decades, having hosted WrestleMania® XXVII (2011), Survivor Series® (2015), Royal Rumble® (2002, 2010), Day 1® (2022), and most recently Bad Blood® (2024).
Saturday Night’s Main Event will air live coast-to-coast on NBC at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Saturday, July 12, and simulcast on Peacock.
NXT lit up Battleground with championship clashes, and some serious statement-making performances. From Sol Ruca’s breathtaking title defense to Trick Williams’ historic TNA World Title win, here’s everything that went down on May 25, 2025.
Sol Ruca (c) def. Kelani Jordan
The high-octane opener between Ruca and Jordan was an all-out showcase of athleticism and innovative offense. Early exchanges saw both women dodge and flip their way into a stalemate that had fans on their feet. Jordan nearly captured gold off a Vader Bomb axe kick and a gorgeous Northern Lights suplex, but Ruca’s resilience held strong.
The champion weathered a wild Asai moonsault from Jordan and survived a breathtaking avalanche Frankensteiner. As the bout spiraled into chaos, Zaria attempted to interfere but was ejected, setting up the final sprint. After a missed moonsault from Jordan, Ruca struck with a Sol Snatcher from halfway across the ring, sealing the deal and retaining her title.
Backstage, Mike Santana spoke about finally debuting in WWE after a 16-year grind—and wasted no time aiming high, declaring he’s coming for the TNA World Title. But Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Catch Crew didn’t take kindly to another TNA name in NXT’s yard. Tension built until Tavion Heights diffused the situation and offered Santana a match on Tuesday—an offer he gladly accepted.
This trios clash was pure chaos. Briggs, Walker, and Ledger overwhelmed early with a triple dive spot, but The Culling turned things around with vicious offense, especially targeting Hank. Still, the babyfaces fought back, and Briggs nearly ended it with a moonsault.
A timely save from Hank kept the match alive, and after some underhanded help from Izzi Dame was countered, it was Hank & Tank’s assisted powerslam on Brooks Jensen that sealed the win. Post-match, The Culling tried to beat down the victors—until Yoshiki Inamura stormed in and wrecked house with a chair in hand. Big pop. Bigger moment.
“All Ego” Ethan Page made it clear he doesn’t respect Ricky Saints—claiming the NXT North American Champion is a poser masking insecurity. Page promised to take the title Tuesday night, and Ava Raine confirmed the match will open the show. Worlds Collide implications were teased, but Page didn’t care—he just wants gold.
What started as a gritty brawl between brothers-in-arms ended in heartbreak. The Don and his former right-hand man tore into each other, with D’Angelo controlling early before Stacks turned the tide with steel steps and calculated strikes.
The turning point came when Tony hesitated mid-match, clearly torn about hurting someone he still saw as family. That hesitation cost him—Stacks kicked low after Luca Crusifino’s ringside distraction and finished it with a Sick Kick to the back of the head. Post-match, Luca entered for a potential beatdown—but D’Angelo walked away, leaving questions in his wake.
Stephanie Vaquer (c) def. Jordynne Grace
This was a war of styles and wills. Vaquer’s technical precision met Grace’s brute power, and both pushed each other to the brink. Jordynne took control after electric-chairing Vaquer into the announce table, but Stephanie answered with rope-assisted submissions and a nasty Devil’s Kiss DDT.
In the closing stretch, both women emptied the tank, with Grace nearly stealing it with a backfist and power offense. But Vaquer rose again, hitting a Spiral Tap to retain her title. Dalys was spotted in the crowd post-match, clearly signaling her intentions—and things got heated quickly backstage when Chik Tormenta and Jacy Jayne confronted the champ, leading to a chaotic pull-apart brawl.
Ricky Saints hit the ring to cut an impassioned promo about pride, respect, and why Ethan Page can’t stop chasing him. He didn’t mince words—he’s ready to defend Tuesday, and he’s open to challenges from any brand. But before he could finish, Page ambushed him! A pull-apart brawl ensued, with Saints diving onto Page and security from the top rope in an exclamation point.
Oba Femi (c) def. Myles Borne
Myles Borne gave Oba Femi one of the toughest fights of his reign. The Ruler imposed his will early, with brutal power moves and targeted offense to the ribs and spine. But Borne fought back with high-risk dives, DDTs, and even a snap German suplex that brought the crowd to their feet.
As the match escalated, Borne came within inches of a miracle win—hitting a top-rope splash and a late-match rana. But Oba weathered the storm, nailed two consecutive Falls From Grace, and retained the NXT Title. Post-match, Femi showed respect with a subtle nod—Myles earned it.
Trick Williams def. Joe Hendry (c)
This was the show-closing statement win Trick Williams needed. From the start, it was hard-hitting and personal, with both men throwing bombs and brawling outside. Trick gained momentum after a Book End through the announce table, but Hendry fought back and nearly stole it with Standing Ovation.
Williams kicked out, fired up, and drilled Hendry with a Trickshot—after a sneaky title belt assist—and scored the three-count to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. The crowd exploded as Trick added another accolade to his resume in a landmark NXT moment.
Final Notes:
It looks like the end of the road is finally in sight for Goldberg — and WWE may be planning to send him off with a bang that also delivers a strategic shot across the bow of the competition.
In a recent interview, the WWE Hall of Famer confirmed that his long-anticipated retirement match will happen sometime this year, with a key detail revealed: it’ll take place “in the South.” Now, according to Fightful Select, multiple sources indicate that Atlanta, Georgia, is the current frontrunner to host the emotional finale.
For Goldberg, Atlanta isn’t just a convenient stop on the map — it’s where his athletic legacy began. Before he was delivering Jackhammers in WCW and WWE, he was charging down the gridiron at the University of Georgia and suiting up briefly for the Atlanta Falcons. The city has always been a part of his DNA, both personally and professionally, making it a fitting location for his swan song.
But the timing of Goldberg’s retirement match might be just as meaningful as the setting.
WWE is reportedly eyeing Saturday, July 12 for a special Saturday Night’s Main Event episode — just weeks after the brand makes its return to the schedule. Internally, that date is being floated as the ideal spot for Goldberg’s final in-ring appearance. If that lines up, it would place the WWE legend’s farewell head-to-head with AEW’s All In 2025, which is set to go down the same night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas — AEW’s biggest show of the year.
While WWE hasn’t confirmed anything officially, Goldberg’s name is reportedly a major point of discussion behind the scenes. If the plan comes together, it wouldn’t just be a send-off for one of wrestling’s most dominant and divisive figures — it’d be a savvy bit of counter-programming aimed at pulling some spotlight away from Tony Khan’s flagship event.
The question now becomes: who will be across the ring when Goldberg steps between the ropes one final time? And will WWE fans see the icon go out in victory, or on his back, as tradition often dictates?
More to come as this story develops — but for now, mark July 12 on your calendar. Wrestling fans could be in for a night where history, emotion, and competition all collide.
The eerie presence of The Wyatt Sicks returned to WWE in dramatic fashion during the closing moments of this week’s SmackDown, crashing the WWE Tag Team Championship main event between The Street Profits and Fraxiom—and leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Just as Montez Ford was scaling the ropes for what looked to be the final flourish in a high-octane showdown, the arena plunged into darkness. Moments later, under a haunting spotlight, the full force of The Wyatt Sicks—Uncle Howdy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, and Joe Gacy—stood in the ring.
Lumis wasted no time, yanking Ford from the top rope and kicking off a relentless beatdown. The chaos wasn’t limited to just the two teams competing—#DIY tried to intervene but were quickly overpowered, and even the Motor City Machine Guns, who raced out to back up Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, found themselves laid out. Candice LeRae, who had reunited with her husband and Ciampa earlier in the night, wasn’t spared either, as Nikki Cross zeroed in on her with feral intensity.
The segment closed with a chilling tribute: Uncle Howdy delivered a devastating Sister Abigail to Gargano before the group unveiled a birthday cake in the center of the ring—candles lit—to honor the late Bray Wyatt on what would have been his 38th birthday. It was a somber, surreal moment that blended storyline madness with real-world emotion, once again blurring the line between fiction and tribute in the most Wyatt-esque fashion possible.
This marks the faction’s first WWE appearance since a December 9 bout on Raw, where they suffered a loss to The Final Testament and The Miz. Although the group was drafted to SmackDown in January, their absence has been explained by behind-the-scenes reports of Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) being sidelined, effectively keeping the entire stable off TV—until now.
With their reemergence, The Wyatt Sicks have made it clear: they’re not just back—they’re looking to change the landscape of SmackDown in their own twisted image. What’s next for the enigmatic faction? One thing’s for sure: no one is safe.
WWE NXT Battleground – Sunday, May 25, 2025 – Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida
CARD
NXT Championship: Oba Femi (c) vs. Myles Borne
NXT Women’s Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
TNA World Championship: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Trick Williams
NXT Women’s North American Championship: Sol Ruca (c) vs. Kelani Jordan
Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. Tony D’Angelo
The Culling (Shawn Spears, Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance) vs. Josh Briggs and NXT Tag Team Champions Hank & Tank
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event – May 24, 2025 – Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida – airing live on NBC and Peacock
CARD
WWE SmackDown live tonight on USA Network from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia
In a twist worthy of a WrestleMania main event, WWE has officially swapped the host city for WrestleMania 42. Originally slated to return to the iconic Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, the company is now shifting its biggest annual spectacle to Las Vegas, Nevada—just one year after Sin City delivered a blockbuster WrestleMania 41.
The news broke via a statement from the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, which confirmed that New Orleans will instead host the 2026 Money in the Bank premium live event, along with a future WrestleMania down the line. WWE has yet to release an official announcement, but multiple outlets, including NOLA.com and Fightful Select, have backed the report. According to an industry source cited in the original report, the change came after WWE’s record-setting performance at WrestleMania 41, held at Allegiant Stadium this past April.
It’s easy to see why WWE made the call. WrestleMania 41, which featured a marquee triple threat between Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk on Night One, and John Cena’s historic 17th world title win over Cody Rhodes on Night Two, crushed expectations. From massive merchandise and sponsorship revenue to unprecedented social media traction, WWE hit new highs across the board.
Most notably, the two-night spectacle pulled in the biggest gate in company history, drawing a staggering 124,693 fans in total—cementing Las Vegas as a can’t-miss market for WWE’s flagship show.
Back in February, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made the high-profile announcement that New Orleans would host WrestleMania 42, making it the third time in 12 years the city would welcome the Show of Shows. That plan is now shelved—for now. While New Orleans may feel the sting of being bumped, officials were quick to note the city’s new assignment: hosting Money in the Bank in 2026 and a future WrestleMania yet to be named.
Behind the scenes, Fightful Select reported a mix of surprise and indifference among WWE staff and talent. Many weren’t even thinking that far ahead yet, and given WWE typically handles all travel logistics for WrestleMania week, the location shift isn’t expected to disrupt too many plans internally.
That said, not everyone is brushing it off. Independent wrestling promotions and fan-centric events like WrestleCon—which had already secured a New Orleans venue for April 2026—are now scrambling. With WrestleMania week often serving as the nucleus for a bustling calendar of indie shows and fan conventions, the move to Las Vegas could cause a ripple effect for those already deep into planning.
With WWE reportedly eyeing April 11 and 12, 2026 for WrestleMania 42, it’s unclear whether those dates will hold or shift with the location change. The current regime has shown flexibility when the potential for revenue spikes is on the table, so nothing is set in stone just yet.
Las Vegas may have just become the new home for WrestleMania 42, but for the wrestling world, the road to 2026 now comes with a whole new set of directions. One thing’s for sure—what happens in Vegas next WrestleMania weekend will definitely not stay there.
What was supposed to be a temporary experiment is now stretching beyond its expected expiration date. WWE SmackDown will remain a three-hour broadcast into early June, according to a new report from PWInsider Elite — a move that flies in the face of previous reports indicating a return to the two-hour format by the end of May.
The blue brand extended its runtime at the start of 2025 after jumping back to the USA Network in September of last year. Since then, SmackDown has aired from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST on Friday nights, but the response from fans has been a mixed bag.
While some viewers welcomed the extra hour of action, others have grown increasingly frustrated, pointing to a noticeable dip in the show’s pacing and quality. Critics argue the third hour has often felt like filler, lacking the energy and star power that once made SmackDown must-see TV.
The numbers appear to back that up. Since the conclusion of WrestleMania 41, SmackDown has struggled to hold viewers. Last Friday’s episode hit a new low for 2025, drawing just 1.29 million viewers and scoring a 0.36 rating in the coveted 18–49 demo — the second-worst rating since the move back to USA. That kind of drop-off is raising eyebrows, especially considering the initial plan to scale the show back to its original runtime this month.
WWE has yet to officially comment on the extension, but if this trend continues, the company may need to make a tough call: trim the fat, or risk further alienating the fanbase.
For now, SmackDown fans should brace for more three-hour marathons, at least through the first part of June. Whether WWE can recapture the momentum it once had with the blue brand remains to be seen.
![[Report] Goldberg’s Final Spear? Retirement Match Eyed for July in Atlanta Amid WWE-AEW Scheduling Showdown](https://wrestlingnewsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/goldberg.jpg?w=777&h=1&crop=1){kind=small}
Wrestling News Blog 