Tag: WWE

Backstage Shake-Up: WWE Reportedly Releases Key Creative Executive and Multiple Staff Members

The winds of change continue to blow through WWE as the company, now firmly under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella, has reportedly undergone another wave of internal staff cuts. According to PWInsider Elite, between 10 to 12 backstage employees were let go on Thursday—though the final number may ultimately be higher.

Among the most high-profile exits is Christine Lubrano, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Operations. Lubrano, who had held the position since early 2021, played a significant behind-the-scenes role in shaping WWE’s creative direction during her tenure. Her departure is being viewed as another major shift in the company’s evolving creative infrastructure post-TKO merger.

In addition to Lubrano, cuts also reportedly hit departments such as photography and creative services. At this time, there’s no indication that any on-screen talent or wrestlers were affected by this latest round of releases.

Lubrano’s background brought a unique flavor to WWE’s creative operations. Prior to her time with the company, she was involved in a variety of comedic television productions, including Baroness Von Sketch Show and Year of the Rabbit, and served as a top executive at IFC Films. She also founded her own production company, Lubrano Media, in 2019.

While there’s no confirmation yet on whether Lubrano’s exit was directly linked to creative decisions around WrestleMania or broader structural changes, her departure is being seen as another piece of the larger puzzle as WWE and TKO continue to streamline and redefine roles behind the curtain.

This marks the first significant round of corporate-level releases since February, when WWE parted ways with a dozen wrestlers, including Sonya Deville, Isla Dawn, and members of The O.C.

As WWE’s corporate reshaping continues, all eyes will be on how these backstage shifts influence what fans see on-screen in the coming months.

Dakota Kai Clears the Air on WWE Absence

Dakota Kai may have been off WWE TV for over a month, but fans worried about an injury can breathe a sigh of relief — she’s perfectly fine.

Kai hasn’t wrestled since the March 27th episode of WWE Main Event, sparking speculation about her status, especially given her history with injuries. However, the Damage CTRL member recently took to Twitter to squash the rumors and reassure her supporters. In a simple but heartfelt post, Kai said:

“I miss wrestling and I miss you guys. Not hurt btw!”

While she didn’t go into specifics about the reason for her absence, Kai’s message confirms that her time away from the ring isn’t medically related. Whether it’s storyline-driven or simply a creative reset, it seems the New Zealand native is just as eager to return as her fans are to see her back in action.

As of now, there’s no official word on when she’ll return to WWE programming. But given the ongoing shake-ups in the women’s division and Damage CTRL’s recent internal drama, her reappearance could come at a pivotal moment.

Could Dakota Kai be lying in wait for a major return angle?

WWE SmackDown Moving Back To A Two-Hour Format, When It’ll Happen

WWE’s bold attempt to extend SmackDown to three hours appears to be nearing its end. According to longtime insider Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the company is expected to return the blue brand to its traditional two-hour format by the end of May, wrapping up a trial run that kicked off back in January. Fellow observer Bryan Alvarez added that June 6th has been floated as a possible final date for the experiment.

The third hour was initially introduced as a way to provide more room for longer matches and expanded storytelling, giving WWE creative a chance to flesh out characters and feuds with more breathing room. However, the response has been a mixed bag. While some fans appreciated the added depth, others felt the pacing suffered, echoing long-standing criticisms of Monday Night Raw’s three-hour structure.

Internally, reactions within WWE have also been divided. While some saw the extended runtime as a valuable creative opportunity, others reportedly felt it diluted the show’s energy and made it harder to maintain consistent quality week to week.

If the return to two hours does happen as expected, it’ll be seen as a move to recapture SmackDown’s tighter, more focused pacing — something that had made it a fan-favorite brand in recent years. With key storylines heating up heading into summer, the timing may be ideal to sharpen the format once again.

Are you in favor of a shorter SmackDown, or were you enjoying the longer weekly shows?

WWE NXT Preview 4/29/2025

WWE NXT live tonight on The CW.

  • WWE NXT North American Championship: Ricky Saints (c) vs. Lexis King
  • WWE NXT Tag Team Championship: Hank & Tank (c) vs. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura
  • Tony D’Angelo and Stacks meet face-to-face
  • Women’s World Champion IYO SKY to appear
  • TNA world Champion Joe Hendry has open invitation to appear

WWE Raw Preview 4/28/2025

WWE Raw airs live globally tonight on Netflix from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

  • Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez
  • Becky Lynch will explain her attack on Lyra Valkyria
  • Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins to appear
  • Pat McAfee has requested time to address being attacked by Gunther
  • SmackDown General Manager Nick Adis will fill in for Adam Pearce this week only
  • Logan Paul to appear

TNA Rebellion 4/27/2025 (Results)

TNA Rebellion 2025 delivered plenty of chaos, title defenses, and a few major surprises. Here’s a full rundown of everything that went down:

Pre-Show Action

Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, & Jazmyn Nyx def. Rosemary, Xia Brookside, & Lei Ying Lee
In a high-energy six-woman tag, the TNA side looked strong early, especially after Rosemary speared Henley on the floor. Brookside and Lee kept the momentum going with tandem dives, but the tide turned when Rosemary slipped brass knuckles to Brookside, urging her to take the shortcut. Brookside refused, tossing the knucks away — but the distraction let Jayne shove her into Rosemary before landing a nasty discus punch to steal the win for the NXT trio.

Johnny Dango Curtis Out; Deaner Rejected by The System
Travel issues kept Johnny Dango Curtis off the card, leaving Moose to pull double duty. Deaner, whose contract is set to expire May 1, volunteered as a replacement — but Eddie Edwards quickly shut him down, mocking Deaner’s recent refusal to accept a “young boy” spot. No second chances here.

Walk with Elijah Open Challenge: Elijah def. Shane Haste
NJPW’s Shane Haste answered Elijah’s open challenge, but it didn’t end well for him. After shouting “I walk alone” and trying to rally, Haste ran right into a flying knee strike. Elijah sealed the deal moments later with a tombstone piledriver.

Main Card

TNA X-Division Championship – Ultimate X: Moose (c) def. Leon Slater, Matt Cardona, Hijo del Vikingo, KC Navarro, and Sidney Akeem
Despite his fear of heights, Moose retained his title in a wild Ultimate X match. Alisha Edwards even tried climbing for him at one point but lost her grip. Leon Slater stole the show with a daring Swanton 450 from the truss, but just when it seemed like he’d secured victory, Moose speared him out of mid-air to snatch the win.

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship: Ash & Heather by Elegance (c) def. Dani Luna & Jody Threat, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend, Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley
The champs found a way to survive a chaotic four-way. Tower of Doom suplexes erupted in opposite corners, but Elegance’s new recruit Maggie Lee held Ash’s legs down to avoid being tossed. That positioning let Ash hit a Swanton Bomb on Threat to retain.

Trey Miguel, Zachary Wentz, & Ace Austin (w/ Sean Waltman) def. Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers, & Moose (w/ Alisha Edwards)
With Curtis unavailable, Sean Waltman got involved to even the odds. Channeling D-Generation X energy, the faces hit classic moves before Waltman laid out Alisha Edwards with the X-Factor. The Rascalz and Ace followed up with Bronco Busters, and Wentz sealed the win with a UFO Cutter on Moose.

TNA International Championship: Steve Maclin (c) def. Eric Young
Maclin stood tall against Eric Young, rejecting offers to join the Northern Armory. Despite interference from Judas Icarus and Travis Williams, Maclin survived a gritty slugfest, countering a piledriver attempt into a roll-up for the win. Post-match, Northern Armory laid out Maclin, hanging him over the ropes in a brutal scene.

Falls Count Anywhere: Mike Santana def. Mustafa Ali
In a wild brawl packed with table spots and Cabinet interference, Santana overcame the odds. After handcuffing the Great Hands and powerbombing Tasha Steelz through a table, Santana fought off a barbed wire bat attack from Ali and ended it with a bloody, defiant Spin the Block discus lariat.

Breaking News: Indi Hartwell Signs with TNA
During the show, it was announced that former NXT standout Indi Hartwell has officially joined TNA.

TNA Knockouts Championship: Masha Slamovich (c) def. Tessa Blanchard
Slamovich wasted no time, launching a suicide dive before the bell. Blanchard focused on Masha’s injured knee and nearly stole the win with a cutter and Buzzsaw DDT, but the champion weathered the storm. A brutal avalanche Death Valley Driver set up Slamovich’s submission win via armbar, forcing Blanchard to tap out in a huge moment.

TNA World Tag Team Championship: Nic & Ryan Nemeth def. The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy) (c)
Matt’s focus on punishing Ryan backfired. After Ryan backdropped Matt onto a chair, Nic capitalized on the chaos, low-blowing Jeff and hitting the Danger Zone. Ryan tagged in to cover Jeff for the win — crowning the Nemeth brothers the new tag champs.

TNA World Championship: Joe Hendry (c) def. Frankie Kazarian & Ethan Page
In a frantic triple threat, Hendry survived Kazarian and Page’s assaults. He took Kaz out with an Attitude Adjustment off the apron through a table, then finished Page after a series of counters, hitting the Standing Ovation to retain.

The Aftermath: Trick Williams Arrives
As Hendry celebrated, NXT’s Trick Williams made a shocking appearance, dropping the champion with a spinning kick and the Trick Shot knee. Looks like Hendry has a new threat on the horizon!

Aleister Black Returns to WWE on SmackDown

After weeks of cryptic vignettes keeping fans on their toes, Aleister Black made his highly anticipated return to WWE Friday night on SmackDown — and he didn’t waste any time making an impact.

The Miz was in the ring, venting his frustrations over being left off the WrestleMania 41 card. A WrestleMania mainstay since 2007, Miz felt blindsided after not even getting a cameo at this year’s biggest show. Adding to his fury, Miz called out the recent surge of newcomers, specifically targeting El Grande Americano, who recently clashed with Rey Fenix, and TNA Champion Joe Hendry — revealed as Randy Orton’s surprise tag partner after Kevin Owens was sidelined with an injury. Miz didn’t hold back, mocking Hendry as nothing more than a “meme” who turned the ring into a musical theater stage.

But before Miz could get too deep into his rant, the arena lights dropped — signaling something big was about to happen.

Out came Aleister Black, making a chilling entrance that paid homage to his original WWE persona, complete with a remixed version of his first theme. The crowd erupted as Black stepped into the ring. Miz barely had time to react before Black leveled him with a devastating Black Mass, leaving the “A-Lister” laid out to a thunderous ovation.

Black’s return comes after finishing up his run with AEW earlier this year. While he wrapped things up there in January, it’s believed his free agency wasn’t finalized until late February or early March. Fans will remember Black’s initial WWE stint beginning in 2016, where he quickly became a standout star before his release in 2021 led him to AEW.

Now, Aleister Black is back on WWE soil — and if Friday night was any indication, the blue brand just got a whole lot darker.

Fraxiom Officially Joins WWE SmackDown Roster with Big Debut Win

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.

WWE SmackDown Preview 4/25/2025

WWE SmackDown live tonight on USA Network and Netflix International, beginning at 8:00 pm ET. from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX

  • Fallout from WrestleMania 41
  • WWE Tag Team Championship – TLC Match: Street Profits (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. D.I.Y.
  • Mystery person in the teaser vignette video to appear tonight (4/25/2025) – expected to be the return of Aleister Black
  • Also scheduled to appear: John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Tiffany Stratton, Bianca Belair, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa

WWE’s AAA Takeover: New Details Emerge, Including Role of Mexican Investment Firm Fillip

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.