The Latest Update On Alexa Bliss’ WWE Return

Fans eager to see Alexa Bliss back on WWE TV may have to wait until 2025.

Bliss hinted at her return on social media yesterday, writing, “Don’t worry, Darling. I’ll see you soon enough.”

Pwinsider is reporting that according to sources, WWE creative does not expect Bliss to return immediately.

The source states that Bliss will likely not return until the holiday season, so fans may not see her until 2025 at the earliest.

Additionally, the current creative regime aims to “maximize” its decisions and is in no rush to bring anyone back on TV.

Notably, a Lily doll was spotted in the background during a backstage segment featuring The Judgment Day on Monday Night RAW.

You can check out Bliss’ post below:

Source: eWn

WWE Announces Date And Location For Two-Night SummerSlam In 2025

WWE, with some help from celebrity musician Cardi B, has announced the date and location for next year’s SummerSlam, almost a year in advance. WWE SummerSlam 2025 is set to take place Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Information for ticket sales will become available at a later date, though WWE is offering pre-sale access to those who sign up at their website.

SummerSlam 2025 is set to be the company’s first-ever two-night incarnation of it’s second-largest annual premium live event, dubbed the “Biggest Party of the Summer.” The company’s largest, WrestleMania, became a two-night affair in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with WrestleMania 36. After several years of that format, WWE announced earlier this year that WWE SummerSlam 2026 will take place over two nights, live from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last month, Paul “Triple H” Levesque hinted that SummerSlam could be expanding sooner than the previously-announced 2026, leading to today’s announcement.

“New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the entire NJSEA team have been phenomenal partners, hosting several major UFC events in recent years including the record-breaking UFC 302 in June,” said Peter Dropick, TKO Executive Vice President of Event Development and Operations, in a WWE press release. “We’re excited to bring WWE back to New Jersey in a major way with the first-ever two-night SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium.”

Rapper Cardi B made a simultaneous announcement on social media, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to say “Here’s to the Streets.. and to my girl @BiancaBelairWWE   SummerSlam. 2Nights. MetLife Stadium. August 2nd and 3rd.” Cardi B has long been public about her WWE fandom, and the announcement could indicate that the New York City native intends to involve herself with Bianca Belair in the lead-up to next year’s SummerSlam.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

HOOK Retires FTW Title Following Successful Defense On AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam

The FTW Championship is no more.

On Wednesday’s “AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam,” FTW Champion Hook retained the title in a hard-fought battle against Roderick Strong. Strong shared a moment of respect following, shaking Hook’s hand after submitting to the Red Rum hold. After the match, Hook stood up in front of the Queens, NY crowd and declared that the time had come to retire the title. After he did so, Hook hugged his father, AEW Broadcaster -and the belt’s originator- Taz in an emotional display.

AEW revived the title in 2020, initially won by Team Taz’s Brian Cage. Since then, Hook has gone on to be a three-time champion, feuding with the likes of Jack Perry and Chris Jericho over the title. Hook’s recent reign began on August 25, when he defeated Chris Jericho to regain the title in Wembley Stadium, thanks to help from his father. Taz had initially created the belt in the 1990s, while Taz was in ECW. The belt had been most famous for the brutal feud between Taz and Sabu, who had heavily-lauded matches for the vanity title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

MVP Makes AEW Debut On Dynamite: Grand Slam, Wants To ‘Talk Business’ With Top Star

Prince Nana appeared during “AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam” to provide an update on Swerve Strickland’s status, but the segment was more notable for the AEW debut of MVP, who has officially signed with the promotion according to Fightful Select.

Strickland was last seen in the viciously bloody Lights Out Cage Match against “Hangman” Adam Page, losing after taking a hypodermic needle through his cheek and all manner of extreme bumps prior. Nana confirmed that he was not in good condition after the match and was recovering, noting that he had lost his world championship, had his home burned down, and suffered his brutal loss to Page in a matter of weeks. He was then interrupted by the debuting MVP, lauding Strickland for his title reign throughout the year before lamenting Nana for allowing him to go through what he did. It became clear why he was disparaging Strickland’s manager when he handed his business card over, telling Nana to pass it on to his client so they can “talk business.” 

MVP’s AEW debut swiftly follows previous reporting that fellow Hurt Business members in WWE, Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley, had been in negotiations to join the promotion. MVP’s Totally Harmless Concept LLC has also filed to trademark “The Hurt Syndicate,” which only adds to the idea that they could be soon to follow.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Video Teases Reunion With AEW’s Kenny Omega At WrestleDynasty Crossover Show

Kenny Omega has faced some of the best wrestlers in NJPW history, and the promotion was where he firmly established himself as a major name in the business. On AEW television, Omega hasn’t been seen since May, when he was written off after an attack by former allies The Elite, but it seems like “The Best Bout Machine” is returning to the public eye.

The official NJPW X account recently shared a brief clip where Hiroshi Tanahashi looked back at his last match with Omega, and teased an upcoming reunion. “We wrestled in the main event in the Tokyo Dome in 2019. That match and what came out of it? It was a unique situation, so I think everyone’s curious as to how we’ve been. I’ve got a lot of mixed emotions, but I’m curious too. Excited to see him,” Tanahashi said. The two men then met in a room, and greeted one another, with the post’s hashtags teasing that their “reunion” is somehow tied to the multi-promotion Wrestle Dynasty pay-per-view, which will take place on January 5, 2025.

The most recent update on Omega’s health was one month ago, in August. The star has been suffering from diverticulitis for quite some time, and had surgery recently. His good friend and AEW star, Michael Nakazawa, claimed that “The Cleaner” had 25 centimeters removed of his colon, and had lost abdominal strength as a result, making basic tasks difficult for him. However, Nakazawa added that Omega had steadily been recovering, and that he’d been training at the time. Considering that he’s seemingly planning to appear at Wrestle Dynasty in January, it appears like his recovery has gone quicker than many anticipated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Preview 9/25/2024

AEW Dynamite Grand Slam will air live tonight on TBS from Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.

  • AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (non-title match and if Danielson is cleared to wrestle)
  • Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin for Darby’s AEW World Championship opportunity
  • Prince Nana to provide an update on Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. International Champion Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher
  • FTW Championship Match: Hook (c) vs. Roderick Strong
  • AEW Women’s World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Yuka Sakazaki

Nikki Garcia’s Husband Artem Chigvintsev Won’t Be Charged With Domestic Violence

Artem Chigvintsev will not be charged following his arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence.

On Tuesday, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced that her office has declined to file criminal charges after reviewing the investigation and evaluating all of the evidence.

Haley says her office feels it doesn’t have the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Artem committed a crime. With that being said, criminal charges could be filed in the future if new facts or evidence come to light.

Artem was arrested for felony domestic violence on August 29th. He was released on a $25,000 bond later that day.

Garcia has since filed for divorce and has hired a divorce attorney. She is currently living with their 4-year-old son, Matteo, in the family’s Napa Valley home. Chigvintsev is reportedly still living with a friend.

You can check out the official statement from the District Attorney’s Office below:

Napa County DA Declines to File Criminal Charges Against Artem Chigvintsev
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced today that her office has declined to file criminal charges against Artem Chigvintsev, age 42, in connection with his arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence. The decision to not file charges against Mr. Chigvintsev was made after a thorough review of the criminal investigation and careful evaluation of the evidence presented to the DA’s Office.

“While we take every arrest seriously and stand firmly against domestic violence, we have an ethical obligation to only file charges when supported by the evidence,” Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley said. “We are required to prove any and every criminal charge ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ which is the highest standard in the American criminal justice system. If the available evidence doesn’t rise to this level of proof, then we cannot ethically file charges.”

Domestic violence can either be filed as a felony or a misdemeanor and has a statute of limitations of three years or one year, respectively. At any time within the statute of limitations, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office may revisit the case if it learns of other incidents, or otherwise learns of facts or evidence not previously known.

The Napa County District Attorney’s Victim Services Division works closely with victims of domestic violence and other crimes and links them to available resources whether charges are filed or not DA Haley said.

The Napa County District Attorney’s Office does not typically issue press releases when it declines to file charges against any given individual; however, did so for this case due to the intense media interest it has received since Mr. Chigvintsev’s arrest.

The Napa County District Attorney’s Office will not be releasing any further information about this case, including the identity of the alleged victim, and any questions pertaining to this case may be directed to Public Affairs and Media Officer Carlos Villatoro.

Source: eWn

Stephanie Vaquer Makes WWE NXT Debut

Stephanie Vaquer made her on-screen debut during this week’s episode of WWE NXT.

In the main event segment on this week’s edition of NXT, Roxanne Perez and Giulia were involved in a “press conference” prior to their Women’s Title match on next week’s debut on The CW Network.

As the two women took shots at each other, Vaquer appeared on the big screen from Chile to interrupt Giulia. She revealed that she’ll be waiting for the winner of next week’s match.

Source: eWn

Report: Vince McMahon Attempted To Purchase Upcoming Series From Netflix

Netflix’s “Mr. McMahon” docuseries will become available to watch tomorrow, but according to a new report from Puck, the former WWE CEO attempted to stop its release in the most Vince McMahon way possible. After seeing some early footage from the series, McMahon allegedly reached out to Netflix to attempt to buy back the rights to the show. His attempt was unsuccessful, and Netflix declined to comment in the report. 

McMahon released a statement on the impending documentary, calling it a “deceptive narrative” and claiming that the series conflates his wrestling persona with his real personality. However, McMahon began his statement by saying he did not regret his involvement with the docuseries.

When it was first conceived, the project had the official involvement of both WWE and McMahon. However, things took a turn when McMahon was forced to step down from his role with the company in 2022 after allegations of sexual misconduct and trafficking first became public. Though it’s been awhile since there were any public updates, McMahon is under scrutiny from federal officials, and a civil lawsuit regarding those allegations is currently on hold pending that investigation.

Earlier this week, a report detailed initial reactions to “Mr. McMahon” from people backstage in WWE, with Dave Meltzer stating that there were some McMahon supporters in the company who were not happy. The timing of the documentary’s release is notable, as WWE and Netflix are set to enter a long-term partnership at the beginning of 2025 that will see “WWE Raw” stream live on the platform.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 9/24/2024

Tonight’s WWE NXT will be the last episode on the USA Network before moving next week to The CW Network.

Tonight’s show will feature a press conference on the upcoming debut for NXT on The CW Network scheduled for next week in Chicago.

  • NXT North American Women’s Championship: Kelani Jordan (c) vs. Wren Sinclair
  • Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
  • Wendy Choo & Rosemary vs. Karmen Petrovic & Brinley Reece
  • Ridge Holland vs. Riley Osborne
  • Oro Mensah vs. Lexis King
  • Grayson Waller Effect featuring WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Axiom and Nathan Frazer
  • NXT on CW Press Conference