Backstage Update On AJ Styles’ WWE Future

AJ Styles has done just about everything there is to do in WWE — multiple-time world champion, Royal Rumble winner, WrestleMania main-eventer — and come January 2026, he’ll be hitting a huge milestone: 10 years with the company. But as Styles approaches that anniversary, questions are already swirling about whether his run with WWE could be nearing its final chapter.

Earlier this year, reports surfaced that “The Phenomenal One’s” contract was originally set to expire in the summer. However, Styles ended up signing a one-year extension, which quietly pushed his timeline forward. Now, new details have emerged from Fightful Select, confirming that his current deal is set to expire in February 2026. That puts his potential exit right before WrestleMania 42 — something WWE would no doubt prefer to avoid.

While WWE reportedly hopes to keep Styles around, the decision may ultimately rest on how much longer he wants to perform at a high level. Styles has openly discussed the idea of retirement in recent years, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. In fact, a cryptic social media post earlier this week had some fans speculating that he might be leaning toward hanging up the boots. Still, those talks have cooled off for now, and Styles remains active on WWE Raw, currently feuding with Dominik Mysterio over the Intercontinental Championship.

If Styles does choose to test free agency in 2026, there’s little doubt that other promotions would line up to sign him. AEW in particular seems like a natural landing spot, given his long history with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, not to mention Will Ospreay, who has publicly called a showdown with Styles a “dream match.”

Whether AJ Styles decides to extend his legendary WWE run or close the book on his in-ring career, his next move will be one of the most closely watched stories of 2026.

AJ Lee Returns to WWE in Chicago, Aligns With Her Husband CM Punk Against Rollins & Lynch

WWE fans in Chicago witnessed a moment many thought they’d never see again — AJ Lee is back. After more than a decade away from the company, the former Divas Champion shocked the wrestling world with a surprise return on the September 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

The stage was set in the main event segment, where World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins introduced his wife, Becky Lynch. “The Man” wasted no time trashing CM Punk and his hometown, drawing the expected chorus of boos. The Chicago crowd, however, had other plans, drowning out Lynch with loud chants for AJ Lee.

That’s when business picked up. Punk came out to confront Lynch directly, branding Rollins a coward for “hiding behind his wife.” After a heated exchange, Lynch slapped Punk across the face, prompting him to fire back with a pointed line: while he’d never hit a woman, he knew someone who would.

Right on cue, the familiar music of AJ Lee hit to a massive ovation. Sprinting to the ring, Lee laid out Lynch with a spear and a rapid-fire flurry of offense before sending her retreating up the ramp. The emotional reunion of Punk and AJ in the ring closed out the show, as Rollins and Lynch fumed from the stage.

This shocking return all but solidifies WWE’s rumored plans for a blockbuster mixed tag team clash. AJ Lee & CM Punk are now on a collision course with Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch at WrestlePalooza on September 20. The feud stems back to Clash in Paris, where Lynch cost Punk the World Heavyweight Championship by interfering on Rollins’ behalf. AJ’s return evens the odds and injects major star power into one of WWE’s hottest storylines.

For fans who have been waiting years to see AJ Lee back inside a WWE ring, the moment finally came — and it couldn’t have happened in a more fitting city than Chicago.

John Cena’s Retirement Match Officially Set for Washington, D.C. — Boston & MSG Appearances Confirmed

The pieces are finally falling into place for John Cena’s farewell run in WWE. After weeks of speculation, it’s now confirmed that Cena’s retirement match will not be in his hometown of Boston, but instead will take place in Washington, D.C.

According to WrestleVotes and later confirmed by F4WOnline, the 16-time World Champion will wrestle his last match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13th inside the Capital One Arena.

While Boston won’t get the honor of hosting the retirement bout, the city will still play an important role in Cena’s sendoff. The Boston Herald reports that Cena’s final Boston appearance is scheduled for the November 10th episode of Monday Night Raw at TD Garden. Just one week later, he’ll make his last Madison Square Garden appearance on the November 17th Raw, according to the New York Post.

Interestingly, Boston had been heavily pushing to host Cena’s official farewell match. Jon Alba of The Takedown on Sports Illustrated noted that WWE asked the city to help cover event costs — something not typically requested in the past. Ultimately, it seems that hurdle kept the match from taking place in Cena’s backyard.

With his retirement match now locked in for D.C., and farewell stops in two of his most iconic wrestling cities, Cena’s final chapter is shaping up to be an emotional ride for fans who have followed his two-decade career.

WWE SmackDown Preview 9/5/2025

WWE SmackDown airs live tonight on the USA Network for fans in the United States and on Netflix internationally from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois just outside of Chicago.

  • John Cena’s final appearance in Chicago
  • CM Punk returns to smackdown in is hometown of Chicago
  • Rumors suggest that AJ Lee may return during tonight’s show or WWE may tease her potential return at Wrestlepalooza
  • The new United States Champion Sami Zayn to appear

TNA IMPACT Preview 9/4/2025

TNA iMPACT! is LIVE from Minneapolis, Minnesota as The Path to Bound For Glory continues tonight at 8/7c on TNA+ around the world, AXS TV in the US and Sportsnet 360 in Canada!

  • The Elegance Brand World Knockouts Title Celebration!
  • TNA Knockouts World Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat
  • Matt Cardona vs. Frankie Kazarian
  • The Great Hands & Tasha Steelz vs. TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardys & Mara Sadé
  • We’ll hear from Joe Hendry

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling to Stream Sacred Ground Free on YouTube

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is giving fans a big surprise ahead of its next major event. The promotion has announced that MLP Sacred Ground, which was originally set to be an untelevised house show, will now stream live and free on the company’s official YouTube channel.

The event is set for September 11 at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Centre in Ohsweken, Ontario. What was once meant to be a local showcase has quickly grown into something much bigger, thanks in large part to fan demand.

MLP CEO Scott D’Amore addressed the decision in an official statement:

“This was never intended to be a broadcast show, but the fans demanded it. The lineup we have assembled with the support of the Six Nations is pay-per-view quality, and we are thrilled to make it available free to fans around the world.”

While the full card has yet to be revealed, D’Amore’s comments suggest fans can expect a stacked lineup worthy of the company’s growing reputation. Offering the show for free on YouTube is also a bold move that could put Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling in front of its largest audience to date.

With buzz building and fan expectations high, Sacred Ground may end up being one of the most important shows in MLP’s young history.

You can check out the updated lineup for MLP Sacred Ground below:

  • Canadian Championship: Josh Alexander (c) vs. TJP
  • Title vs. Title: Destiny Women’s Champion Priscilla Kelly vs. MLP Women’s Canadian Champion Gisele Shaw
  • PWA Champion’s Grail: Rohan Raja (c) vs. Bishop Dyer
  • The Good Brothers vs. The Flatliners
  • Ace Austin vs. Stu Grayson vs. Taylor Rising
  • Shotzi Blackheart & PCO vs. Kris Chambers & Taylor Rising
  • Billy Gunn, Psycho Mike & Bupinder Gujjar vs. Sheldon Jean, Bryce Hansen & Brent Banks

AEW Honors Taz at 2300 Arena With Low-Key Tribute Before Dynamite

AEW was set to celebrate Taz on this week’s Dynamite in Philadelphia, but plans shifted just before showtime. Instead of an in-ring ceremony at the legendary 2300 Arena, Tony Khan opted to honor the ECW legend in a more personal way—with a live video posted to social media just an hour before the broadcast.

The eight-minute clip featured Khan sitting down with Taz to reflect on the surprise announcement of his induction into the 2300 Arena Hall of Fame. While AEW had intended to acknowledge the honor on TV, Taz revealed he personally asked for the tribute to be scaled back, explaining that he didn’t want to take the spotlight away from the current AEW roster.

Even with the toned-down approach, AEW still made sure the moment carried weight. Khan confirmed that Taz’s Hall of Fame banner had been officially raised inside the arena before Dynamite went live on TNT and HBO Max, giving fans in attendance a chance to see the recognition firsthand.

The rest of the video saw Taz and Khan breaking down that night’s Dynamite card, blending the tribute with AEW’s usual hype for the show. It wasn’t the big in-ring celebration fans may have expected, but it was a fitting nod to a man whose legacy is forever tied to the 2300 Arena and its hardcore history.

Matt Riddle Explodes on Social Media After No-Show Allegations, Insults Fans Over 2020 “Speaking Out” movement Accusations

Matt Riddle’s name has been making plenty of headlines yesterday, and not for the best of reasons. The former WWE star and current MLW World Heavyweight Champion was called out over the weekend for reportedly no-showing a charity wrestling event in the UK. On top of that, the organizers claimed he refused to return the deposit he had already been paid.

Riddle initially addressed the situation with a video on X, attempting to give his side of the story. But instead of cooling things down, the “Original Bro” poured gasoline on the fire with a second video that quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons.

In the profanity-laced clip, Riddle unloaded on critics and fans who have questioned him in recent years. Much of his anger was directed toward those who believed the accusations made against him during the 2020 “Speaking Out” movement. Riddle was accused at the time by independent wrestler Candy Cartwright, who later filed a lawsuit against him, WWE, EVOLVE, and Gabe Sapolsky. WWE, EVOLVE, and Sapolsky were dismissed from the case in 2021, and Cartwright voluntarily dropped the suit entirely soon after.

In his rant, Riddle dismissed those allegations as “bulls***” and took aim at fans who supported them. He bragged about continuing to get booked, teased a possible return to fighting, and even promoted his OnlyFans account, making sure to emphasize he wasn’t worried about backlash. His message was blunt: those who don’t like him should unfollow him, because he doesn’t care.

While Riddle insisted “the cream rises to the top,” this latest outburst has left many wondering if he’s doing more harm than good to his own career. MLW has not yet commented on the controversy, but it remains to be seen if Riddle’s unfiltered social media presence will impact his standing with the promotion—or future opportunities elsewhere.

AEW Announces Big Change For All Out 2025 Broadcast

AEW has shaken up the schedule for its annual All Out pay-per-view, ensuring it won’t go head-to-head in full against WWE’s recently announced Wrestlepalooza.

The company confirmed that All Out will now air live on Saturday, September 20, starting at 3 p.m. ET. The change means most of the card will wrap up just before WWE’s premium live event kicks off at 7 p.m. The earlier start time is said to be influenced by the success of last month’s Forbidden Door, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, which saw strong numbers with a similar approach.

But the scheduling tweak isn’t the only major development—All Out 2025 also marks the start of AEW’s new partnership with HBO Max. The show will be the first AEW PPV offered on the streaming platform, priced at $39.99 for subscribers (a $10 discount from the usual rate). AEW noted that HBO Max will now serve as its primary pay-per-view provider in the U.S., with upgraded HDR10 and Dolby Atmos support for the live broadcast. Fans who purchase the event on HBO Max will also keep on-demand access for six months before it moves into the standard AEW library.

AEW is loading up the week leading into All Out. On Wednesday, September 17, a three-hour special episode of Dynamite—billed as “September to Remember”—will air as the go-home show. Then on PPV day, a one-hour kickoff show called “Saturday Tailgate Brawl” will air on both TNT and HBO Max before the main card begins.

The PPV itself emanates from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, and while matches are still being finalized, expectations are high given the timing of WWE’s counter-programming. WWE’s Wrestlepalooza, airing later that same evening, is rumored to feature blockbuster attractions like John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar and the in-ring return of AJ Lee, making the weekend one of the most stacked in recent wrestling memory.

For AEW, the earlier start time and HBO Max deal could be a game-changer—offering fans an affordable option with streaming perks, while keeping eyes on its product before WWE takes the spotlight.

#DIY Make Shocking NXT Return, Celebrate 10 Years With WWE

The black-and-gold brand got a huge blast of nostalgia this week as #DIY — the beloved duo of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa — made a surprise return to NXT. The reunion wasn’t just a homecoming, though. It turned into a heated confrontation with none other than TNA World Champion Trick Williams.

Williams, who’s now held the TNA World Title for over 100 days, has been boasting nonstop about being the top star to ever set foot in NXT. Even after coming up short in a recent bid to earn a shot at Je’Von Evans’ NXT Championship, he continued to hype himself as “untouchable” in the brand’s history. During this week’s promo, he even admitted that he didn’t care much about NXT anymore, claiming he’ll have the same mindset once he gets to the main roster.

That’s when the music hit — and out came Gargano and Ciampa to mark their 10-year anniversary with WWE. The two reminded Williams of their own championship accolades, stacking up their resumes against his. Ciampa, a two-time NXT Champion, and Gargano, a record-setting three-time North American Champion, made it clear that Williams still has plenty to prove before he can lay claim to being the best NXT has ever seen.

The war of words quickly broke down into action, and fans got the payoff they were waiting for. #DIY stood tall to close the segment, dropping the TNA World Champion with their signature tandem superkick.

With #DIY back in the mix — at least for now — and Trick Williams continuing to stir the pot, NXT could be on the verge of one of its most intriguing cross-promotional feuds in years.