MLW Kings of Colosseum arrives from a sold-out Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at the center of a night built around high stakes and escalating rivalries. Killer Kross puts the company’s top prize on the line against Josh Bishop in a No Holds Barred main event, removing the usual boundaries from a confrontation between the Blood King and one of The Skyscrapers’ most dangerous forces.
The full episode also includes the start of Templario’s MLW World Middleweight Championship reign, a women’s division match between Lady Frost and Corinne Joy, Big Damo’s showdown with Andrew Everett, and major announcements involving both the 2026 Opera Cup and MLW FIGHTLAND in Charleston.
With a sold-out crowd in Chattanooga providing the backdrop, Kings of Colosseum presents a card that balances championship competition with the kind of announcements that can shape the company’s next major events. The evening is headlined by a title fight specifically designed to leave no room for technical escapes, count-out strategies, or conventional expectations.
Killer Kross enters Kings of Colosseum as MLW World Heavyweight Champion, facing a daunting challenge from Josh Bishop. Bishop has emerged as a powerful new presence within The Skyscrapers, and the stipulation ensures that his collision with Kross will not be governed by the typical restrictions of a standard championship bout.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Freelance Bonesaw Results: Trevor Outlaw Retains World Title, The Syndicate Survives Three-Team Challenge.
The No Holds Barred format makes the heavyweight title match the most volatile contest on the card. There are no clean lanes to victory and no easy exits once the action breaks down. For Kross, the assignment is clear: retain the richest championship in MLW against an opponent whose size, strength, and physical intensity make him a major threat under any ruleset.
For Bishop, the stipulation creates an opportunity to force the champion into the type of fight where endurance and raw power can matter as much as championship experience. The challenger is not approaching a conventional wrestling match. He is stepping into an environment where every opening can become a weapon and where the champion cannot rely on standard officiating limitations to restore order.
The main event represents a major test for Kross’ reign. The Blood King has no safety net in Chattanooga, and Bishop has the chance to transform a title opportunity into a defining breakthrough. With the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at stake, the outcome has the potential to alter the balance of power at the top of the promotion.
Earlier in the night, Templario launches his reign as MLW World Middleweight Champion with a defense against Diego Hill. The matchup places a newly crowned champion opposite Blue Panther’s protégé, giving Hill a significant platform in his pursuit of championship success.
Templario’s first defense is an important moment because a championship reign is defined not only by winning the title, but by immediately proving the ability to keep it. The Middleweight division has long required competitors to blend speed, creativity, technical skill, and resilience. Templario’s challenge is to establish that his title victory was the beginning of a durable reign rather than simply a landmark achievement.
Hill arrives with the pedigree associated with Blue Panther’s guidance, and that background brings an added layer to the match. A protégé of one of lucha libre’s respected figures enters a title fight with a reputation to uphold as well as a championship to chase. The meeting with Templario gives Hill a chance to claim the biggest result of his MLW career.
The contrast between a champion making his first defense and a challenger looking to capitalize on a major opportunity should make this one of the pivotal matches on the Kings of Colosseum lineup. Templario has the burden of setting the tone for his reign, while Hill has every reason to press the action from the opening bell.
The women’s division is also featured in Chattanooga as Lady Frost goes one-on-one with Corinne Joy. The match brings together two athletes looking to make a statement in a division where every performance can create momentum toward larger opportunities.
Lady Frost has built her name around an athletic, high-impact style, while Joy enters the contest seeking to show that she belongs in a high-profile MLW setting. Their bout adds another competitive dimension to a card that includes two championship matches and a featured grudge encounter.
Neither competitor has the luxury of treating this as a routine contest. The women’s division clash gives both Lady Frost and Corinne Joy an opportunity to emerge from Kings of Colosseum with a result that strengthens their position moving forward. On a night full of announcements and title implications, a convincing victory can carry considerable value.
Big Damo is scheduled for action against Andrew Everett in a match with Josef Samael accompanying Damo. Samael’s presence connects the bout to CONTRA Unit, adding an unpredictable element to Everett’s challenge.
Everett has a difficult assignment in front of him. Big Damo’s size and force make him a formidable opponent on their own, and the possibility of Samael influencing the atmosphere around the match only increases the pressure. The contest is presented as a grudge match, suggesting that the conflict between the two has reached the stage where a decisive in-ring outcome is needed.
For Damo, a victory would reinforce his position as a destructive presence with CONTRA Unit connections at ringside. For Everett, overcoming an opponent of Damo’s stature would be a meaningful accomplishment and could provide a major boost in his MLW trajectory. This is a matchup where the physical mismatch and the external presence of Samael are central factors before the bell even rings.
Kings of Colosseum is not limited to the in-ring card. The 2026 Opera Cup brackets are officially revealed during the episode, providing a look at the field and tournament path for one of MLW’s most notable annual competitions.
The Opera Cup occupies a distinct place on the MLW calendar because tournament competition demands a different kind of preparation. Wrestlers must not only defeat a single opponent; they must navigate a bracket in which matchups, momentum, and survival become essential. The bracket reveal gives MLW Nation the first clear picture of who is in position to contend for the prestigious cup and what potential clashes could develop along the way.
Bracket announcements can immediately create new rivalries or renew existing ones. They also invite attention to the strategic side of the tournament: which competitors have favorable routes, which potential meetings stand out, and who may be forced to overcome a difficult road from the outset. The 2026 field will become a central talking point as MLW moves beyond Chattanooga.
Another key development on the Kings of Colosseum broadcast is the announcement of the main event for MLW FIGHTLAND in Charleston. While the Chattanooga show resolves its own battles, the FIGHTLAND announcement turns attention toward MLW’s upcoming stop in Charleston and the headline attraction planned for that event.
Major-event main events often define the direction of the weeks that follow. The reveal will establish the bout that anchors FIGHTLAND and can set the stage for the promotion’s next major chapter, particularly with the World Heavyweight Championship and the Opera Cup both carrying substantial importance after Kings of Colosseum.
The announcement also gives viewers another reason to follow the fallout from Chattanooga. Whether the Kings of Colosseum main event changes the championship landscape or simply intensifies existing tensions, the road to Charleston begins taking shape on this episode.
Beyond the scheduled matches and announcements, Kings of Colosseum includes appearances from The Good Brothers and Matt Riddle. The Good Brothers check in from the road, while Riddle is featured in a segment billed as “The Rude Dude Unfiltered.”
Those moments add to the broader sense that the event is designed to advance multiple corners of MLW at once. A championship defense, a new champion’s first test, a women’s division showcase, a grudge match involving CONTRA Unit, tournament news, and a future main-event reveal all fit into one packed presentation.
For Chattanooga, the sold-out setting gives Kings of Colosseum the atmosphere expected for a night carrying major championship implications. The defining question remains whether Killer Kross can survive Josh Bishop in a No Holds Barred fight and leave Tennessee with the MLW World Heavyweight Championship still in his possession.
Whatever happens in the main event, Kings of Colosseum is positioned as a consequential stop for MLW. Templario’s title reign begins under pressure, the Opera Cup picture comes into focus, and FIGHTLAND receives its headline direction. The road ahead starts with a night where there are no restrictions around the World Heavyweight Championship and no shortage of opportunities for the MLW landscape to change.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-5ba754f8f746ad071b6a87db.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-06 01:03:28","updated_at":"2026-09-06 01:03:28","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":10,"slug":"wrestling-news","name":"Wrestling News"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/mlw-kings-of-colosseum-killer-kross-defends-world-title-against-josh-bishop-in-no-holds-barred-main-event"},{"id":87,"slug":"matt-hardy-urges-tna-roster-to-protect-main-event-time-after-lockdown-cut","title":"Matt Hardy Urges TNA Roster To Protect Main Event Time After Lockdown Cut","dek":"After The Hardys’ Lockdown main event against The Nemeths had its allotted time reduced, Matt Hardy used a TNA locker-room address to stress the importance of pacing, professionalism and working for the larger show.","body_html":"Matt Hardy used his recent TNA MVP recognition as an opportunity to deliver a broader message to the locker room: performers should be prepared to make sacrifices when necessary to protect the main event and the overall flow of a television show.
Hardy discussed the moment during an appearance on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy with Jon Alba. The veteran explained that he had specific points he wanted to make to the roster, particularly after the TNA Lockdown main event involving The Hardys and The Nemeths had time removed from its planned allocation.
At Lockdown, Matt and Jeff Hardy faced Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth in the night’s main event. The Nemeths won the bout and captured the TNA Tag Team Titles. While the match remained a major spotlight for both teams, Hardy said the reduced time prompted him to address an issue that matters well beyond one match or one event.
“I had a couple of things I wanted to say to the crew and the roster, especially because our match had time cut from it at Lockdown,” Hardy said. “I definitely wanted to address a couple of things.”
\nFor more background on this topic, read Awesome Kong Details the Determination That Turned a WWE Rejection Into a Landmark Wrestling Career.
The message was not framed as a complaint about losing time. Instead, Hardy presented it as a professional standard for wrestlers working anywhere on a card. In his view, talent who recognize that a show is running long and can responsibly trim their own match should consider doing so in order to preserve the time intended for the closing attraction.
“I was just saying that if you see the show is over and you can save a minute in your match to make sure the main event gets all their time, step up,” Hardy said. “Step up and be a star. Do what you can do.”
Hardy’s comments speak to one of wrestling’s most fundamental live-production realities. A card may be carefully timed before the show begins, but live events are not always predictable. Entrances, interviews, crowd responses, production needs and the natural pace of a match can all affect the running order. When the clock becomes an issue, the decisions made by talent throughout the evening can have a direct impact on the match positioned to close the show.
For Hardy, recognizing that reality is part of what separates a wrestler simply performing their own assigned role from one who understands the needs of the full production. His argument was that saving even a small amount of time can matter. A minute taken out of one match may not seem significant on its own, but those small adjustments can help ensure that the final match has room to reach its intended conclusion without being rushed.
That concept is especially important when a main event carries a championship outcome. The Lockdown match between The Hardys and The Nemeths ended with Nic and Ryan Nemeth becoming TNA Tag Team Champions, making the allotted time for the bout significant not only for the teams involved but also for the presentation of the title change.
Hardy did not identify any particular wrestler or match as being responsible for the show’s timing situation. His remarks were directed toward the roster in general and centered on how talent can respond constructively when time pressures arise.
The former world champion also tied that awareness to advancement within a company. Hardy’s message was that coaches, producers and decision-makers notice when talent are dependable under live-show conditions. A wrestler’s performance is not limited to executing moves or receiving a crowd reaction; being able to communicate, adapt and make choices that benefit the program can build trust.
“That’s something that is important and that helps you rise up through the card,” Hardy said. “It makes people want to push you or promote you. If you’re a professional, they know you’re out there working for the greater good.”
Those comments underline a familiar principle in a promotion’s internal culture. Talent may be evaluated on their ability to deliver in the ring, but reliability is often just as valuable in a televised environment. A performer who knows when to shorten an exchange, streamline a sequence or move efficiently toward a finish can help a production recover from unexpected timing issues without making the adjustment apparent to viewers.
Hardy’s emphasis on the “greater good” is particularly notable because the immediate example involved his own match. Rather than focusing solely on The Hardys having less time in a main event, he used the experience to encourage a roster-wide mentality. The central point was not that any performer should sacrifice the quality of their work casually. It was that, if someone is in a position to save time without harming the match, doing so can serve the entire show.
That is a demanding standard. Wrestling matches are built around pacing, audience investment and planned narrative beats. Cutting time is not always as simple as removing a move or two, particularly when a match has a defined story, an established finish or a championship implication. Hardy’s comments nevertheless point to the importance of being prepared to adapt, rather than treating the originally assigned duration as immovable.
The Hardys entered Lockdown’s featured match opposite The Nemeths, with Matt and Jeff Hardy bringing their long-established partnership into a high-profile TNA setting. Across their careers, the brothers have been involved in numerous major tag team bouts, while Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth represented the opposing duo in a contest that ended with the championship changing hands.
The Nemeths’ victory made them the new TNA Tag Team Champions. That result ensured the bout had lasting consequences regardless of the time reduction Hardy referenced. Still, Hardy’s discussion offers a look at a side of the business fans do not always see when watching a finished broadcast: the balancing act required to keep an entire event moving while preserving major moments at the end of the card.
In that sense, the main event became an example rather than the sole subject of Hardy’s remarks. His focus was on the collective responsibility of performers to be attentive to the show around them. A wrestler may have a carefully laid-out segment, but Hardy believes there are moments when the best contribution is finding a way to tighten that material for the benefit of the match or segment that follows.
Hardy’s ability to speak on the issue comes from his extensive experience in major wrestling environments and in prominent match positions. His perspective is rooted in the understanding that a wrestling card functions as one complete presentation, not merely a collection of individual bouts. Every segment has its role, and every adjustment can affect what comes next.
His advice also puts value on selflessness. The desire to maximize time is understandable for any wrestler, particularly for talent trying to establish themselves or make the most of a televised appearance. Hardy’s point, however, is that the willingness to prioritize the entire show can ultimately make a performer more valuable. In his view, that kind of judgment is not invisible to the people responsible for assembling cards and making promotional decisions.
“That’s a very important aspect of pro wrestling,” Hardy said.
The statement is concise, but it captures the heart of his address. Hardy was not discussing a flashy in-ring technique or a particular match formula. He was talking about awareness: awareness of time, awareness of the card and awareness that the success of one segment can be connected to the choices made in another.
For TNA’s roster, the takeaway from Hardy’s speech was clear. When a show is running late and there is an opportunity to help preserve the time needed for the main event, he believes talent should be willing to take it. To Hardy, that is not a sign of losing importance. It is a sign of being a professional teammate and, potentially, of demonstrating the kind of value that leads to bigger opportunities.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-20e6afbb279bc1de77b4c77f.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 23:04:16","updated_at":"2026-09-05 23:04:16","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":5,"slug":"tna","name":"TNA"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/matt-hardy-urges-tna-roster-to-protect-main-event-time-after-lockdown-cut"},{"id":86,"slug":"jbl-and-ron-simmons-recalled-fearing-for-their-wwe-jobs-after-shane-mcmahon-clothesline","title":"JBL and Ron Simmons Recalled Fearing for Their WWE Jobs After Shane McMahon Clothesline","dek":"The APA partners remembered the moment JBL delivered an especially forceful Clothesline From Hell to Shane McMahon and why they immediately believed their WWE runs could be over.","body_html":"JBL and Ron Simmons built their reputations in WWE as two of the Attitude Era’s most physical performers. As Bradshaw and Faarooq, the men who would become the APA projected toughness in every part of their presentation, from their backstage card games to the hard-hitting offense they brought into the ring. That approach sometimes created moments that looked startlingly real, including one memorable encounter with Shane McMahon that left both men wondering whether they had just made a career-ending mistake.
\n\nDuring an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, JBL and Simmons revisited an occasion when JBL delivered a Clothesline From Hell to McMahon at ringside. JBL was not certain whether the segment took place at SummerSlam or another major WWE pay-per-view, but he had no trouble recalling the instruction McMahon gave him before the impact.
\n\n\n\n“Oh, yeah, I almost killed him!” JBL said on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. “Shane told me, he said: ‘You’ve got to hit me harder than you’ve ever hit anybody in your life.’”
That request put JBL in a difficult position. The Clothesline From Hell was already one of the most feared moves in WWE. JBL would charge forward and swing his arm with force across an opponent’s upper chest and neck area, creating a collision that frequently sent opponents spinning to the mat. It was designed to look devastating, and its success depended on precision as much as intensity. When McMahon asked for a harder-than-usual version, JBL understood exactly how risky that request could be.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Jacy Jayne Credits NXT Experience for Preparing Her for WWE Main Roster Success.
\n\nSimmons said he tried to discourage his partner from following through with the instruction. In the moment, however, McMahon came charging toward JBL at full speed. JBL said the sight of McMahon running at him made him question whether the boss’ son truly appreciated what he was asking for, but the move happened anyway.
\n\n\n\n“I’m like, ‘You got to be kidding me!’” JBL recalled. “I hit him so freaking hard, I never hit anybody like that in my life.”
The impact was so severe in their memories that neither APA member immediately focused on whether the segment had gone as planned. Instead, they were consumed by the possibility that they had hurt McMahon and, just as importantly, crossed a line with one of WWE’s most prominent on-screen figures and a member of the McMahon family.
\n\nJBL said Simmons’ instant reaction was simple: “We’re fired.” Simmons remembered reaching the same conclusion. Rather than expecting an explanation or a discussion after the segment, he believed they should prepare for the likelihood that their jobs were finished.
\n\n\n\n“I just told him, ‘Look, just go back there and start packing.’ I’m just going to go back there and start packing my s**t,” Simmons said on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
Simmons also recalled seeing McMahon’s neck move sharply on the impact and standing in disbelief afterward. For Simmons, the only positive sign was that McMahon was able to get up, walk, and speak after taking the clothesline. The fear did not last forever, however. JBL and Simmons said McMahon was pleased to be involved in the moment despite how hard the blow had appeared and felt.
\n\nThe anecdote speaks to McMahon’s long-established willingness to absorb punishing physicality during his WWE appearances. While never presented as a full-time wrestler in the traditional sense, McMahon regularly placed himself in high-risk situations throughout the Attitude Era and beyond. His television role often called for him to take major moves from WWE’s biggest stars, and he developed a reputation for approaching those spots with a level of fearlessness that earned the respect of many wrestlers.
\n\nFor JBL and Simmons, though, the story is also tied to the working philosophy that defined the APA. Both men acknowledged that fans and fellow wrestlers sometimes described their style as stiff. In wrestling terminology, that description generally refers to strikes, throws, and other moves that carry more visible or physical impact than a lighter approach. It does not automatically mean someone is being reckless, but it can make the line between convincing offense and excessive contact especially important.
\n\nSimmons traced his approach back to Hiro Matsuda, the renowned trainer who helped shape his early wrestling education. Matsuda was famous for demanding discipline, credibility, and toughness from the wrestlers who trained under him. Simmons said those lessons taught him that professional wrestling should look authentic to spectators, particularly to those seated close enough to notice whether a strike had missed its target.
\n\n\n\n“Hiro Matsuda, under his tutelage and his training, when you are in that ring, you are doing your best portrayal of realism, okay?” Simmons explained on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet.
According to Simmons, Matsuda emphasized making every opportunity count. If a wrestler had only one punch to throw during an exchange, that one punch needed to look believable. Simmons said that principle informed how he worked throughout his career. He understood that some people would label it stiff, but his own description was “as real as it can get.”
\n\nThat mentality aligned naturally with JBL’s in-ring style. Before becoming the beer-drinking, cigar-smoking enforcers known as the Acolytes and later the APA, both wrestlers had already established themselves as powerful brawlers. Their partnership amplified that image. They were not presented as flashy athletes relying on elaborate sequences. Their matches and segments were built around intimidation, blunt force, and the sense that anyone who challenged them could be in for a painful night.
\n\nAlthough the two men embraced a hard-hitting reputation, Simmons stressed that their objective was not to injure people. He said the pair took pride in understanding their craft well enough to make physical encounters look severe without deliberately causing harm. That distinction is fundamental in professional wrestling, where performers must balance audience expectations for realism with the responsibility to protect their opponents.
\n\n\n\n“We never injured anybody, never hurt nobody; that’s called: taking your time to learn what you’re doing, you know?” Simmons said.
The statement reflects a broader philosophy shared by many wrestlers from earlier generations: the work should appear violent enough that fans believe in the struggle, but those involved must possess the timing and awareness to keep one another safe. The more convincing the move appears, the more important that trust becomes. A clothesline, punch, or kick that appears simple on television can become dangerous when speed, positioning, and communication are not right.
\n\nSimmons further explained that Matsuda’s standard was rooted in what the audience could see. A fan sitting at ringside should have to look closely to determine whether a strike made full contact. That did not mean ignoring safety. Rather, it meant learning how to create an illusion strong enough to hold up from every angle, including the closest seats in the arena.
\n\nThat old-school approach helped make the APA distinctive. The duo’s credibility was central to the act. When they stood in a doorway offering “protection” for a fee, the humor worked because viewers accepted that they were genuinely dangerous. When they entered a match, their offense felt credible because their body language and contact suggested that they were not playing around.
\n\nThe McMahon clothesline remains remarkable because it combined that physical style with an unusually high-stakes participant. Shane McMahon was not merely another opponent or a fellow member of the roster. Even in WWE’s chaotic Attitude Era environment, delivering a particularly hard shot to a McMahon carried obvious professional consequences if something went wrong.
\n\nJBL and Simmons’ immediate assumption that they might be fired demonstrates how serious they believed the situation to be. In retrospect, the fact that McMahon was reportedly happy with the segment changed the outcome entirely. But their recollection captures the split-second uncertainty performers can face after a difficult physical spot: the audience may see a dramatic moment, while those involved are instantly assessing whether everyone is okay.
\n\nFor JBL, the incident is a striking example of the Clothesline From Hell living up to its name. For Simmons, it is another reminder of the realism-first values he carried from Matsuda’s training into WWE. And for the APA, it fits neatly into the legacy of a team remembered for being entertaining, intimidating, and exceptionally convincing whenever the action turned physical.
\n\nNeither man portrayed the moment as an example to be carelessly copied. Instead, their comments underscored the experience and mutual understanding required to execute a convincing wrestling spot. The result may have left them briefly preparing to pack their bags, but it ultimately became another unforgettable chapter in the hard-hitting history of JBL, Ron Simmons, and the APA.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-63868363f47cd72284338ed8.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 23:03:55","updated_at":"2026-09-05 23:03:55","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-74a0d46e31ba0a3f0a93c80c.webp","alt":"JBL and Ron Simmons reunited as the APA during the RAW 25th Anniversary episode.","caption":"Image related to this report."},{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-5f53742803db91f125c7e4ea.webp","alt":"Ron Simmons as \"Farooq\" during his WWE run.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/jbl-and-ron-simmons-recalled-fearing-for-their-wwe-jobs-after-shane-mcmahon-clothesline"},{"id":85,"slug":"jacy-jayne-credits-nxt-experience-for-preparing-her-for-wwe-main-roster-success","title":"Jacy Jayne Credits NXT Experience for Preparing Her for WWE Main Roster Success","dek":"The Women’s United States Champion says patience, repetition and learning from mistakes during her lengthy NXT stay gave her the tools to handle the pressure of WWE’s main roster.","body_html":"Jacy Jayne’s rise to the WWE main roster has already included a major championship milestone, with her Women’s United States Championship victory arriving in August. But Jayne does not view that success as the result of simply being called up at the right time. Instead, she believes the years she spent developing in NXT gave her the experience necessary to succeed when the opportunity finally came.
\n\nSpeaking on Notsam Wrestling, Jayne reflected on the impatience that can come with being part of WWE’s developmental system. For performers who believe they are ready to move forward, she offered a perspective shaped by her own time in NXT: being eager for the next level and actually being fully prepared for it are not always the same thing.
\n\n\n\n“You always think you’re ready for the next step, but in most cases, you’re really not,” Jayne said. “You think you are, but then you get thrown into the deep end, and it’s sink or swim, so if you’re not ready, you’re going to shoot yourself in the foot, essentially.”
The comments underline a reality of WWE’s structure that Jayne says became clearer with experience. A main-roster move can bring a bigger spotlight and bigger stakes, but it also removes some of the room a wrestler may have had to learn through trial and error. Jayne’s message is not that performers should avoid ambition. Rather, she sees value in using the NXT environment to become more comfortable with the many situations that can arise in front of a live audience.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Kevin Nash Details Grueling Quad Injury Recovery During WWE Return.
\n\nJayne acknowledged that she did not always find it easy to hear that she needed more time in NXT. Like many wrestlers hoping to take the next step, she was often told to keep developing. Looking back now, however, she feels the timing of her main-roster arrival worked out the way it needed to.
\n\n\n\n“If I had come up two years ago, or whatever the case was, there’s no way I would be in this kind of position,” Jayne said on Notsam Wrestling. “I wouldn’t have been ready, you know? I probably would’ve sunk!”
Jayne specifically thanked Shawn Michaels for keeping her in NXT and helping her improve, even when she admits she could be persistent about wanting more. Her reflection is especially notable given her current position as Women’s United States Champion. Rather than treating her NXT tenure as time spent waiting for a call-up, Jayne now frames it as the foundation for the role she has reached in WWE.
\n\nThat distinction matters in Jayne’s assessment of development. A wrestler can feel ready based on confidence, momentum or a desire for a larger platform. Yet Jayne’s experience suggests that readiness also comes from having worked through difficult crowd reactions, gained regular promo experience and learned how to adapt when something does not go as planned.
\n\nFor Jayne, those lessons were not theoretical. She said she made plenty of mistakes during her extended run in NXT. The difference, in her view, is whether a performer carries those mistakes forward or uses them to build better instincts for the next situation.
\n\n\n\n“I think there’s always mistakes to be had, but the key is like: when you make one mistake, you make sure you don’t do it again,” Jayne explained.
Jayne’s approach is rooted in repetition. The more situations a wrestler encounters, the more opportunities they have to understand what works, what does not and how to recover when a moment changes unexpectedly. She believes her long NXT run gave her that repetition, and with it, a greater ability to remain composed under pressure.
\n\n“I had a lot of mistakes in NXT because I was there for so long,” Jayne said. She added that the experience has helped her know how to react in certain situations, whereas someone called up immediately may be more likely to become “very frazzled.”
\n\nThe point is not that mistakes disappear after a performer reaches the main roster. Jayne was clear that errors can still happen. What changes is the ability to recognize them quickly and avoid repeating them. That is the kind of confidence that does not necessarily come from a single match, promo or standout moment. It is formed through a large number of appearances and through being tested in different ways.
\n\nIn Jayne’s case, NXT offered time to make those adjustments before she entered the main-roster environment. Her comments present developmental experience as more than a path toward getting noticed. It can also be a place where wrestlers learn to deal with unpredictability, whether that comes from their own performance, the atmosphere in an arena or the demands of a high-profile segment.
\n\nJayne said that background was immediately useful during Fatal Influence’s main-roster debut. The group made a major first impression by attacking Brie Bella, Paige, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss during a tag team match involving the four wrestlers. The segment put Jayne and Fatal Influence in front of a strongly engaged crowd and positioned the group as a disruptive presence from the outset.
\n\nFor Jayne, the audience response was intense enough that it tested her ability to stay in control of the moment. She said she did not expect the level of hostility that greeted her, to the point that she could not initially get a word out.
\n\n\n\n“Going out there, I did not anticipate to get that kind of hate, to the point where I could not even get a word in!” Jayne said. “If I hadn’t had so much promo time on NXT, I probably would have been freaking out.”
Instead, Jayne said she knew how to handle it because the experience was familiar. NXT had already provided her with plenty of occasions in which she had been loudly booed, and that prior exposure helped take the surprise out of the main-roster reaction. What could have been a disorienting experience became another situation she felt equipped to manage.
\n\nThat is where Jayne’s view of her NXT run connects directly to Fatal Influence’s arrival. Leading a stable on WWE’s main roster requires more than simply taking part in an angle. It calls for an ability to maintain a character, respond to the energy of the building and keep the segment moving even when the audience is louder or more disruptive than expected. Jayne believes her prior promo time gave her the confidence to do that.
\n\nHer response also illustrates why crowd reactions can be a crucial part of a performer’s growth. A hostile audience can be a sign that a character is provoking the intended reaction, but it can also create a practical challenge for anyone trying to deliver a promo. Jayne’s experience in NXT, particularly the occasions where she dealt with heavy boos, gave her a reference point for working through that obstacle rather than being overwhelmed by it.
\n\nJayne’s current championship status gives additional weight to her reflection on patience. She has reached a prominent place on the main roster, yet she says she likely would not have been prepared for that responsibility had her ascent happened earlier. Her comments are a reminder that a delayed opportunity is not automatically a missed opportunity.
\n\nThere is a natural desire to move quickly in professional wrestling, especially when a performer has confidence in their abilities and wants to test themselves on a bigger stage. Jayne understands that feeling because she experienced it herself. But she now sees her NXT tenure as a period that allowed her to make mistakes, learn from them and build the ability to perform when the pressure increased.
\n\nFrom handling difficult live promos to navigating the reaction to Fatal Influence’s debut, Jayne says the benefits of that preparation are already evident. Her advice to wrestlers frustrated by their own place in the system is therefore straightforward: do not assume that wanting the next step means all of the necessary preparation is finished.
\n\nAs Women’s United States Champion, Jayne has tangible proof of what that patience and development have helped her achieve. She may have wanted the main roster earlier, but she now believes staying in NXT longer made it possible for her to arrive in a far stronger position when the call finally came.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-512c1f1493b4abec0ed281ac.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:56","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:56","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-458aac8f8464c7a08b8fcb08.webp","alt":"Jacy Jayne wrestling Paige on WWE SmackDown","caption":"Image related to this report."},{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-2bd5812c5f0c71b8245a8524.webp","alt":"Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, and Lainey Reid during their clash against The Bella Twins and Paige at SummerSlam 2026.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/jacy-jayne-credits-nxt-experience-for-preparing-her-for-wwe-main-roster-success"},{"id":84,"slug":"will-ospreay-reflects-on-the-unusual-path-that-led-him-to-pro-wrestling","title":"Will Ospreay Reflects on the Unusual Path That Led Him to Pro Wrestling","dek":"Just days into his AEW Men’s World Championship reign, Will Ospreay has revisited the childhood influences, acting lessons and unconventional training stops that shaped the Aerial Assassin.","body_html":"Will Ospreay is enjoying one of the defining moments of his career after defeating Kenny Omega at AEW All In to become AEW Men’s World Champion. Three days into that title reign, Ospreay has looked back at a much earlier chapter of his life: the moment professional wrestling first caught his attention and the winding route that eventually brought him into the ring.
For a performer known worldwide as the Aerial Assassin, Ospreay’s journey was not simply a matter of deciding to become a wrestler and immediately enrolling at a wrestling school. Before formal training, before his high-flying reputation and before championship opportunities on major stages, Ospreay was a young fan watching television with his father. A chance encounter with wrestling programming became the starting point for an obsession that never went away.
“I think he was, like, flicking between a Chelsea game and maybe ‘Star Trek,’” Ospreay said of his father. “And, I just got fascinated by it, and just kept tuning in.”
It is a simple beginning, but it speaks to an experience familiar to many wrestlers and fans. Professional wrestling can enter a person’s life unexpectedly. A channel change, a memorable match or one visually striking move can provide the first connection. In Ospreay’s case, the initial fascination developed into a long-term goal, even if the road toward pursuing that goal did not begin with wrestling drills.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Kofi Says Tony Khan’s Energy at All In Has Made The New Level’s AEW Move Feel Validating.
Instead, Ospreay’s earliest preparation came through drama. His mother, Sue, operated a drama academy, and Ospreay took part in it. That experience exposed him to performance elements that would later carry obvious value in a wrestling environment. Wrestling demands athleticism, but it also asks performers to understand movement, pacing, reactions and the importance of making an audience feel what is happening in the ring.
Ospreay explained that the academy included dance teachers, giving him an early education in rhythm and timing. Those are qualities that have remained central to his wrestling style. Whether a wrestler is executing a fast-paced sequence, setting up a major aerial maneuver or responding to an opponent and the crowd in real time, timing can determine whether a moment looks smooth, dramatic and impactful.
“She would bring in dance teachers, so I got a sense of rhythm straight away,” Ospreay said. “I understood how to time things.”
That background does not mean Ospreay was consciously mapping out a future as a professional wrestler during those early lessons. But looking back, he can identify the connections. His eventual work became synonymous with speed, movement and precision, and his childhood exposure to performance helped develop instincts that could be applied once he did step into a ring.
Another formative influence came from watching WCW. Ospreay was particularly captivated by Billy Kidman, the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion whose aerial offense made a lasting impression on a young viewer. Kidman’s shooting star press stood out so strongly that Ospreay did not merely watch it; he studied it.
The shooting star press has long been regarded as one of wrestling’s most spectacular aerial maneuvers. It requires the performer to launch backward, rotate in the air and land chest-first across an opponent. For a child watching at home, its appeal is easy to understand. It looks impossible until the viewer sees it performed, and even then it retains an element of danger and wonder. For Ospreay, it became something worth examining frame by frame.
“Watching WCW, and seeing Billy Kidman do a shooting star press, I’d pause it, rewind it,” Ospreay said. “Where do his arms go? I broke down little bits about it, and then I would just go into my garden and try it on the trampoline.”
That recollection offers a revealing glimpse into Ospreay’s mindset well before he began legitimate wrestling training. He was not just excited by the move’s spectacle. He wanted to understand its mechanics. Pausing and rewinding footage to focus on arm placement and individual parts of the motion showed an analytical curiosity. The trampoline gave him a place to experiment with the movement, but the key detail is the effort he put into observing and breaking down what he saw.
Ospreay’s trampoline activity also caught the attention of his mother. She responded by enrolling him in a trampoline class, an understandable step for a young person spending time attempting aerial movements in the garden. However, Ospreay did not stay in the class for long. He ultimately felt it was redundant and quit soon after.
His interest in wrestling itself remained intact. Eventually, Ospreay began formal training at the Dropkixx Wrestling school. That first structured stop did not become a permanent home, though. Ospreay was kicked out after engaging in backyard wrestling. The setback could have ended the pursuit for many aspiring wrestlers, particularly at such an early stage. It instead became one part of a broader learning process.
Ospreay later found an opportunity with the London School of Lucha Libre. That was the environment where his path continued, setting the stage for the career that followed. The eventual rise of the Aerial Assassin is now well known to audiences who have watched him on major stages, but his recollection makes clear that there was no single straight line from childhood fandom to championship success.
Ospreay’s current position makes the story especially timely. Defeating Omega at AEW All In to win the AEW Men’s World Championship placed him at the center of AEW’s men’s division. A title victory of that scale naturally focuses attention on the match, the opponent and the significance of the championship itself. Yet stories from a wrestler’s early life add another dimension to the achievement.
In Ospreay’s case, that dimension includes a television remote moving between a Chelsea game and “Star Trek,” drama classes run by his mother, dance teachers who helped cultivate an understanding of rhythm, and old WCW footage repeatedly rewound to study Billy Kidman’s shooting star press. It also includes a garden trampoline, an abandoned trampoline class, an early dismissal from one wrestling school and a new beginning at another.
None of those moments alone guaranteed anything. They do, however, illustrate how a wrestler’s identity can take shape through a collection of experiences. The athletic side of Ospreay’s presentation is an obvious part of his appeal, but his comments underline that the performance side had deep roots as well. Learning rhythm and timing through drama and dance can sound far removed from a wrestling ring, yet both qualities are essential when a match depends on coordination between two performers and a live audience’s emotional response.
His fascination with Kidman’s shooting star press provides another useful lens. Wrestling’s visual language is often passed from generation to generation through fans who become performers. A move seen on television can inspire a child to start paying closer attention. A wrestler’s approach to timing, motion or presentation can become an influence long before that child has access to a professional training facility.
At the same time, Ospreay’s account does not romanticize every step. His first attempt at formal training ended with him being kicked out of Dropkixx Wrestling after backyard wrestling. The journey involved correction and change, not uninterrupted progress. Moving on to the London School of Lucha Libre gave him another chance to pursue the craft in a proper training setting.
Now, the fan who once paused WCW footage in order to inspect a shooting star press holds AEW’s top men’s prize. The distance between those two images is considerable, but Ospreay’s recollections connect them. His career was built from an early fascination with wrestling, a desire to understand the physical details behind what he watched, and performance skills developed in places that were not traditional wrestling schools.
Ospreay’s story is also a reminder that wrestling preparation can take many forms. Formal training remains essential, and his move from Dropkixx Wrestling to the London School of Lucha Libre marked an important part of that process. But performance awareness, rhythm and the instinct to study the work of previous wrestlers all contributed to the foundation he describes.
As Ospreay begins his AEW Men’s World Championship reign, his look back at those formative years puts the milestone in perspective. The championship win over Omega at AEW All In is the latest major moment in a career shaped by dedication, setbacks and influences that started at home. From a father’s channel surfing to Sue Ospreay’s drama academy and a young fan’s close study of Billy Kidman, the path to becoming the Aerial Assassin was anything but ordinary.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-b30995cf0ef3ac24ab37c445.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:31","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:31","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-9050fee6ececbe748c50dff6.webp","alt":"Will Ospreay holding a microphone","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/will-ospreay-reflects-on-the-unusual-path-that-led-him-to-pro-wrestling"},{"id":83,"slug":"kevin-nash-details-grueling-quad-injury-recovery-during-wwe-return","title":"Kevin Nash Details Grueling Quad Injury Recovery During WWE Return","dek":"Kevin Nash has reflected on the physical and emotional toll of the quad injury that derailed part of his 2000s WWE run, including a lengthy wheelchair stay and the perspective he gained from Triple H’s earlier recovery.","body_html":"Kevin Nash’s return to WWE in the 2000s was intended to reconnect one of wrestling’s most recognizable factions with the company where its members first became major stars. Following the New World Order’s enormous impact in WCW, Nash, Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall came back to WWE with considerable attention around their arrival. For Nash, however, the run became defined as much by serious physical setbacks as it was by the on-screen reunion.
Nash has now looked back on one of those setbacks in sobering detail: the quad injury that left him unable to bear weight on his leg, dependent on a wheelchair for weeks, and facing difficult questions about whether he could return to full strength at all.
Speaking on Kliq This, Nash described the moment his surgeon, Dr. Andrews, gave him an unvarnished assessment of what a quad tear could mean for a wrestler in his early 40s. Nash said Andrews had helped him through injuries before, but did not offer false reassurance when discussing the challenge in front of him.
“I just want to tell you,” Nash recalled Andrews saying, “I’ve never had a 42 year old athlete come back 100% from a quad tear.”
\nFor more background on this topic, read Alexa Bliss Reflects On Bray Wyatt’s Lasting Influence On Her WWE Creativity.
That warning hit particularly hard because Nash did not view the injured leg in isolation. He said the other leg had already endured major punishment, leaving him concerned that the injury had compromised the limb he had come to rely on most. Nash remembered immediately wondering whether his body would allow him to continue wrestling.
The concern was understandable. A quad tear is an especially daunting injury for any athlete, but the demands of professional wrestling create their own complications. Wrestlers need explosive movement, stability when taking falls, the ability to lift and be lifted safely, and confidence in both legs during every sequence. In Nash’s case, his size also made the recovery process more physically taxing. He recalled weighing around 340 pounds at the time.
Nash said the tendon had been sutured into place, meaning he could not put weight on the recovering quad while wearing an immobilizer. Crutches were not a practical long-term solution for him because of the strain they placed on his upper body. As a result, he spent approximately 40 days in a wheelchair.
“I ended up being in a wheelchair for like 40 days,” Nash said on Kliq This. “Because being on crutches with an immobilizer that I couldn’t put weight on was just so much weight on my shoulders.”
For Nash, that period may have had effects beyond the injured leg. He connected the physical load of maneuvering on crutches to what he believes was the beginning of his shoulder issues. The recovery was not simply a matter of waiting for one muscle and tendon to heal. Every adjustment required to protect the injured quad placed stress elsewhere, an all-too-common reality for athletes working through major lower-body injuries.
The situation was compounded by the way Nash had compensated before the injury. He recalled putting much of his bodyweight onto one leg after the other leg had been hurt. In retrospect, he felt that uneven burden played a role in how beaten down his body had become. Once the more dependable leg was compromised, the cumulative damage was impossible to ignore.
“Like, how did I get this beat up?” Nash remembered asking himself as he confronted the need to repair the other leg as well in order to become functional again.
That frustration captures the broader difficulty of an injury cycle in wrestling. A performer may be able to continue working through pain or compensate for one damaged body part for a period of time, particularly when major storylines and touring obligations are involved. But compensation can have consequences. The body often finds a way to distribute the workload, and eventually that altered movement can create new trouble. Nash’s recollection suggests that this was not one isolated medical event, but a period in which multiple accumulated issues had to be addressed.
Nash said he remained in the area for more than 90 days during the recovery and did not go home. The time away was difficult, but it also became a turning point in how he viewed his career and his health. He said the experience made him stop taking things for granted.
For someone who had spent years in the ring at the highest levels of the industry, that perspective carried weight. Nash had already been through different eras of professional wrestling, from his rise in WWE to his central role in WCW’s New World Order story. His WWE return came with the expectation that established names could again make a major impact. Instead, injuries restricted the consistency of his time in the ring.
His recollection also underlines how different the timeline looks in hindsight. Nash noted that he was 42 when he tore his quad and expressed disbelief at how long ago that now feels. At the time, though, the issue did not feel like a distant chapter in a long career. It was an immediate threat to his mobility, his work, and his confidence that he could resume performing at the level expected of him.
There is an important distinction between returning to activity and returning at 100 percent. Nash’s doctor specifically framed that challenge around complete recovery for a 42-year-old athlete. Nash ultimately continued his wrestling career, but his story is a reminder of the uncertainty that exists at the beginning of a rehabilitation process. A wrestler can have access to expert medical care, resources, and motivation while still facing no guarantees about the outcome.
One factor that helped Nash navigate his own situation was the experience of his longtime friend Triple H, Paul Levesque. Triple H had suffered his own quad tear a year earlier. Nash said that, in an unfortunate way, Levesque’s experience gave him a valuable example of what the recovery process involved.
“I was blessed, I guess, because Paul had done it first,” Nash said. “He was three and a half hours away, but he was sitting down there doing the same thing I did.”
That sense of shared experience mattered. Major injuries can be isolating, particularly for performers accustomed to a constant schedule, regular travel, and a locker-room environment. Knowing that someone close to him had recently endured the same injury gave Nash a reference point while he dealt with the uncertainty of rehabilitation.
At the same time, Nash offered a candid admission about his own response when Triple H was recovering. Looking back, he felt he had not been the friend he should have been during Levesque’s rehabilitation. Nash said he was too focused on his own career at that point and should have made more of an effort to visit Triple H.
It is a revealing note because it adds emotional perspective to a story primarily centered on physical hardship. Nash did not only come away from his own injury with a renewed appreciation for being able to work. He also recognized, after experiencing the same confinement and struggle, what his friend had gone through before him.
Nash’s WWE return was marred by more than the quad injury. He has referenced bicep issues, quad injuries and a neck injury from that period. The quad recovery nevertheless stands out because of the scale of the disruption: an immobilizer, no weight-bearing on the repaired tendon, weeks in a wheelchair, and more than three months spent away from home.
Those details put the phrase “injury-plagued run” into sharper focus. Wrestling injuries are often discussed in terms of missed appearances or altered creative plans. Nash’s account centers on the human side of that reality: the logistical limitations of daily life, the fear that a damaged leg may not fully recover, and the realization that age and previous wear can make a path back far more complicated.
Nash did return to the business after that difficult stretch, but his comments do not present the process as simple resilience or an effortless comeback. They present it as an ordeal. More than two decades later, he can look back at the injury with perspective, while still conveying how alarming it was to be 42, heavily reliant on an already battered body, and told that a complete recovery could not be assumed.
For Nash, the quad tear became a defining lesson in durability, gratitude and empathy. It forced him to reckon with the limits of his body, appreciate what he had previously taken for granted, and better understand the long rehabilitation his close friend had faced just a year before.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-85e6565b92c654e0ea830ca8.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:04","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:06:04","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-55a3598be5bd7bce087b2b4f.webp","alt":"Kevin Nash during his return run to WWE with the \"New World Order.\"","caption":"Image related to this report."},{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-86f90926c6025e464c8d29fb.webp","alt":"Triple H during his return to WWE following his quad injury.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/kevin-nash-details-grueling-quad-injury-recovery-during-wwe-return"},{"id":82,"slug":"alexa-bliss-reflects-on-bray-wyatt-s-lasting-influence-on-her-wwe-creativity","title":"Alexa Bliss Reflects On Bray Wyatt’s Lasting Influence On Her WWE Creativity","dek":"Alexa Bliss says her work with the late Bray Wyatt changed how she approaches character development, with that influence still visible in her presentation years later.","body_html":"Alexa Bliss’ WWE career has included several major reinventions, but few transformations were as dramatic as the shift she made during the pandemic-era alliance with Bray Wyatt. Once presented primarily as “The Goddess,” a confident and cutting heel who leaned on polished promos and championship swagger, Bliss moved into a far darker and more surreal world alongside Wyatt and the Fiend.
That on-screen evolution remains one of the defining chapters of Bliss’ career. It also became deeply personal. Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, died in 2023, but Bliss has consistently discussed the impact he had on her professionally and personally. In a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Bliss explained that working with Wyatt fundamentally altered the way she thinks about performing and building a WWE character.
The central lesson, as Bliss described it, was to look beyond simply delivering a promo, working a match, or playing a designated babyface or villainous role. Wyatt encouraged a more complete approach: a television character should have a world around them, internal logic guiding their behavior, and a story that reaches beyond whatever appears in a single segment.
Before the dark Alexa period, Bliss had already become one of WWE’s most accomplished women’s division stars. Her “Goddess” presentation established her as an effective antagonist, capable of combining arrogance, manipulation, and verbal confidence. It was a role that made her a multiple-time champion and a major fixture on WWE programming.
\nFor more background on this topic, read John Cena Explains Why Tapping Out Did Not Betray ‘Never Give Up’.
But the material involving Wyatt required something very different. Rather than relying only on the familiar rhythms of a heel character, Bliss was asked to inhabit an unsettling persona tied to the Fiend’s universe. The presentation included eerie imagery, altered mannerisms, supernatural themes, and the increasingly important presence of the Lilly doll. It was an unusual direction in WWE, one that demanded commitment to atmosphere and character continuity as much as traditional in-ring storytelling.
Bliss said Wyatt helped her recognize that a character could be treated as a living figure with a history and a future, rather than merely a collection of reactions for a given week’s television script. That perspective expanded her creativity and changed her preparation process.
The WWE star also noted that the research Wyatt introduced her to during the creation of dark Alexa remains part of her process. She still watches documentaries that Wyatt had recommended as she developed that incarnation of the character. The detail illustrates that the collaboration was not limited to costumes, entrances, or memorable visual moments. It involved studying how people behave, how stories build identities, and how performers can give fictional personalities emotional grounding.
Wyatt was widely associated with ambitious character work throughout his WWE run. From the original cult-leader-inspired Bray Wyatt persona to the Firefly Fun House and the Fiend, he regularly pursued presentations built around layers of symbolism, shifting tone, and distinct visual language. His work often invited audiences to interpret clues, revisit prior segments, and look for connections between different phases of his characters.
For Bliss, becoming part of that creative space represented a significant departure from her earlier WWE identity. Her connection with Wyatt did not merely place her beside an established act. It repositioned her within a broader fictional universe, giving her a role that could be mysterious, vulnerable, frightening, and unpredictable.
That kind of transformation can be difficult in wrestling because audiences are accustomed to quickly defined roles. A wrestler may be heroic or villainous, aligned with a group or standing alone, pursuing a title or settling a rivalry. The dark Alexa character operated with a more abstract framework. Her motivations were often filtered through the unsettling influence of Wyatt’s world, making the smallest visual or behavioral choices part of the overall presentation.
Bliss’ comments make clear that she came to appreciate the discipline behind that approach. The character was not simply dark for the sake of appearance. It was developed with a past, a point of view, and possibilities for where it could go next. That is the creative lesson Bliss has carried forward.
The connection between Bliss and Wyatt was visible again at WWE WrestleMania 42. Bliss wore moth wings bearing the words “always connected”, a deliberate tribute to Wyatt. She explained that the moment held special significance because her previous WrestleMania appearance had been alongside him.
The tribute allowed Bliss to honor Wyatt without needing to turn the moment into an extended on-screen explanation. The message and the imagery were enough for those familiar with their shared history, while the moth-wing design fit naturally within the visual language associated with the darker side of her WWE presentation.
It also demonstrated the lasting place Wyatt occupies in Bliss’ current creative identity. WWE performers frequently evolve as their careers progress, and Bliss has had to adapt to changing divisions, storylines, partnerships, and presentation styles. Even so, she said she tries to carry a piece of Wyatt’s influence with her wherever she goes.
That does not mean every appearance must directly revisit dark Alexa or the Fiend era. Instead, it means the philosophy behind the work remains present. Bliss now considers the larger world surrounding a character, the details that can make an entrance or piece of gear meaningful, and the emotional history that informs a performer’s choices.
Bliss’ recollections underline why the Wyatt partnership continues to resonate. The storyline was divisive at times, as supernatural and cinematic concepts often are in wrestling, but it gave Bliss a chance to demonstrate a different range as a performer. She had already proven she could excel as a conventional WWE antagonist. The alliance with Wyatt added another dimension to her body of work.
More importantly, Bliss’ own account frames the experience as a turning point in how she sees the profession. Wrestling involves athleticism, live crowd connection, and the ability to tell stories in the ring. It also involves character construction, especially in an environment like WWE where entrances, wardrobe, backstage scenes, facial expressions, and promotional material all contribute to the audience’s understanding of a personality.
Wyatt’s influence, as Bliss describes it, encouraged her to approach all of those elements with greater intention. A character’s past matters. Their future matters. Details that may look small on the surface can help turn a television persona into someone who feels consistent and real within WWE’s storytelling world.
That is why the WrestleMania 42 tribute was more than a visual callback. It represented a continuing creative connection to a friend and collaborator whose ideas reshaped Bliss’ outlook. As she continues her WWE career, the influence of Windham Rotunda remains part of the way she develops, presents, and understands the characters she brings to life on screen.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-5c02cadcaabe9e1c43377f4f.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:05:12","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:05:12","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-bd900404e33985bb11758ade.webp","alt":"Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss hold hands in the middle of the ring during a segment with Retribution on an October 2020 edition of WWE programming.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/alexa-bliss-reflects-on-bray-wyatt-s-lasting-influence-on-her-wwe-creativity"},{"id":81,"slug":"kofi-says-tony-khan-s-energy-at-all-in-has-made-the-new-level-s-aew-move-feel-validating","title":"Kofi Says Tony Khan’s Energy at All In Has Made The New Level’s AEW Move Feel Validating","dek":"Kofi reflected on Tony Khan’s passionate presence at All In, saying the AEW president’s belief in The New Level has added to the meaning of the team’s post-WWE chapter.","body_html":"Kofi has offered a strong endorsement of Tony Khan’s approach as AEW’s president, describing the company leader as consistently enthusiastic, deeply invested in the in-ring action and openly supportive of The New Level since the team arrived in the promotion.
Speaking following All In, Kofi discussed the experience of working under Khan after he and Austin Creed departed WWE. There had been widespread expectation that the pair could eventually land in AEW, but Kofi made clear that the opportunity ultimately depended on whether Khan wanted to bring them into the company’s plans.
Based on Kofi’s account, Khan did not merely approve the move from a distance. The New Level have found a promoter who is visibly engaged by the performances taking place in front of him and eager to make his appreciation known once the work is done.
“Tony has been amazing the entire time,” Kofi said. “So enthusiastic and so passionate.”
\nFor more background on this topic, read The New Level Detail Family-Like Reception Inside AEW Locker Room.
Those remarks carry particular weight because they are not limited to a general compliment about a new workplace. Kofi focused on the atmosphere Khan creates during a major event, arguing that the energy displayed by the person at the top can spread through the rest of a promotion.
For performers, that kind of response can matter in ways that extend beyond a simple post-match congratulations. Wrestling is built around presentation, timing and audience investment, but it also depends on the confidence that comes from knowing the people making decisions are emotionally connected to what is being presented. Kofi’s comments suggest he sees that connection in Khan’s behavior at ringside and behind the scenes during AEW’s biggest shows.
Kofi said Khan’s passion remains evident throughout an entire event rather than appearing only at isolated moments. He described Khan as someone who gets caught up in the matches, rises out of his seat and celebrates the action with obvious excitement.
“When they talk about the energy starts up at the top, he has so much energy and so much passion throughout the entire duration of the show,” Kofi said.
That description presents Khan as a hands-on and emotionally invested figure during the live product. Kofi also mentioned that Khan is generous with “big hugs,” a detail that reinforces the personal nature of the reaction. In Kofi’s telling, the response is not simply a corporate acknowledgement that a segment went well. It is the reaction of somebody who is actively enjoying the show and wants the talent to know it.
There is a practical side to that enthusiasm as well. A wrestler can perform in front of a large crowd and still wonder whether the people responsible for their opportunity share the same belief in their work. Kofi said it feels good to deliver for a person who has invested that belief in The New Level.
The comment frames All In as more than another date on the calendar. It was an opportunity for Kofi and Creed to perform on a major stage after a significant career transition, while also showing Khan that his decision to bring them in was justified.
The move from WWE to AEW was not presented as an automatic outcome, even if many had assumed the duo would head in that direction. Kofi’s comments underline an important point: any such move required Khan to see value in what the two could contribute to AEW.
That is why the validation Kofi described is central to his reaction. The New Level are not simply adjusting to a different logo, locker room or television environment. They are trying to establish that the belief placed in them was warranted. Kofi said being able to do that has been meaningful.
“For him to believe in us enough to bring us aboard and be a part of something special they built over here,” Kofi said, “to be able to let him know that he made the right decision, it’s good. It feels great.”
Kofi’s phrasing also recognizes AEW as something that was already built before The New Level arrived. Rather than claiming ownership of the company’s identity, he spoke about joining an existing project and contributing to it. That is a notable perspective for an established act entering a new promotion: the task is both to preserve what made the team successful and to find a role within a system that has developed its own audience expectations.
The name The New Level itself emphasizes that sense of transition. Kofi and Austin Creed are entering a fresh phase, and Kofi’s remarks show that he views the move as a chance to demonstrate their place in AEW rather than simply revisit the past.
Professional wrestling is a collaborative form of entertainment, but it is also an industry where talent often measure success through trust. Trust can come through featured opportunities, the freedom to execute a performance, long-term creative investment or the direct encouragement of a promoter. Kofi’s comments touch on the emotional importance of the last of those elements.
He did not claim that every aspect of the transition has been easy, nor did he offer specific details about AEW’s future plans for The New Level. What he did say was that the current experience feels affirming. That is a meaningful distinction. The conversation was about the satisfaction of delivering after receiving an opportunity, not a prediction about what comes next.
“It feels validating in a lot of different ways,” Kofi said. “And it feels like we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”
That final thought is perhaps the clearest indication of how Kofi currently views this stage of his career. He does not describe the move as merely a change of employer. He describes it as work that feels aligned with where he and Creed are meant to be at this point.
For AEW, that type of public confidence can be important. The company has positioned itself as a major destination for wrestlers looking to contribute in a high-profile environment, and Khan’s visible enthusiasm has long been part of the public image surrounding the promotion. Kofi’s firsthand description adds another perspective to that image: an incoming performer who feels the leader of the company is actively invested in the act’s success.
It should also be noted that Kofi’s praise is specifically rooted in his own experience. He was speaking about how Khan has treated The New Level and how the atmosphere at All In felt from his vantage point. He was not attempting to speak for every wrestler in AEW or define the company’s entire internal culture. Still, his account offers a clear picture of why the transition has resonated with him.
All In is the kind of setting where the stakes and emotions surrounding a performance are naturally heightened. For Kofi and Austin Creed, appearing at the event gave them an opportunity to compete in a major AEW environment while Khan watched and reacted alongside the crowd.
Kofi’s focus on Khan jumping out of his seat and becoming immersed in the matches is revealing in that context. A promoter’s excitement may not change the physical demands of a match, but it can reinforce that the effort is landing with the person who entrusted the performers with the platform.
That response appears to have helped Kofi view the experience as confirmation that The New Level made the right move and are delivering on the faith shown in them. The comments do not lay out a roadmap for the team, name future opponents or promise a particular destination within AEW. Instead, they capture a moment of appreciation and certainty following a major appearance.
For now, Kofi’s message is straightforward. He sees Khan as a passionate leader whose energy is impossible to miss, and he believes The New Level are rewarding the confidence that brought them to AEW. After leaving WWE and beginning this new chapter with Austin Creed, Kofi says the work feels not only satisfying, but validating.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-a1998e080a155cd73928bbed.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:04:46","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:04:46","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/kofi-says-tony-khan-s-energy-at-all-in-has-made-the-new-level-s-aew-move-feel-validating"},{"id":80,"slug":"john-cena-explains-why-tapping-out-did-not-betray-never-give-up","title":"John Cena Explains Why Tapping Out Did Not Betray ‘Never Give Up’","dek":"At Tampa Bay Comic Con, John Cena addressed the response to his final WWE match against Gunther and explained why his famous motto remains a philosophy for life rather than a promise to never end a chapter.","body_html":"John Cena’s final WWE match was designed to make a statement, and it did. When Cena voluntarily tapped out against Gunther, smiling as he brought his in-ring career to a close, the result gave the next generation’s standard-bearer a defining victory over one of WWE’s greatest icons. It also prompted an immediate question from fans who have spent two decades hearing Cena’s signature message: How could the man behind “Never Give Up” choose to submit?
Cena addressed that apparent contradiction during a fan Q&A at Tampa Bay Comic Con. His answer made clear that he does not see the phrase as a command to cling to every circumstance forever. To Cena, “Never Give Up” has always been about perseverance, engagement, and the willingness to bring one’s best effort to life’s next chapter—even when a current chapter needs to end.
The distinction is important, particularly in the context of the final match. Cena did not frame his loss to Gunther as abandoning the message that has defined his WWE identity. Instead, he viewed it as a conscious, fitting conclusion to a career and a moment of recognition that the time had come to move forward.
Cena’s words have been printed on shirts, wristbands, signs, and merchandise since the height of his WWE rise. The slogan became inseparable from his public image, especially as he became a hero to younger fans and a central figure in WWE’s work with Make-A-Wish. Its simplicity was always a major part of its power.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Charlotte Flair Says Embracing Flaws Has Helped Refresh Her WWE Character.
But Cena said the phrase should not be understood as refusing to see reality or pretending that nothing ever changes.
“I’m going to clear some things up about perseverance, right? Uh, the words ‘never give up’ to me equate to perseverance,” Cena said. “That doesn’t mean you should just be unaware of your surroundings or what’s going on. ‘Never give up’ for me is a philosophy about life.”
That philosophy, Cena explained, is broader than wrestling. He openly acknowledged that he gave up during his final match and gave up his WWE career, but he does not see either decision as giving up on life itself. For Cena, the message is about waking up each day prepared to make the most of it.
“That doesn’t mean I’m done with life,” Cena said. “Never giving up is the ability to wake up every day and say, ‘Man, I’m going to do the best I can today to have the best day.’”
It is a perspective that places the slogan in a more mature context than a catchphrase about simply refusing defeat. Cena’s point was not that every fight must continue indefinitely. It was that a person can accept an ending, endure a loss, or make a major change without surrendering their curiosity, ambition, or willingness to live fully.
For a performer whose entire WWE career was built around overcoming odds, it is also a natural evolution of the character and message fans have known. Cena was often portrayed as nearly impossible to keep down. His most famous matches centered on relentless comebacks, and his supporters embraced “Never Give Up” as a personal motto. His final act, however, asked fans to consider that perseverance can also include knowing when to step aside with dignity.
There was no shortage of expectation surrounding Cena’s final match. In professional wrestling, major stars traditionally help elevate the talent positioned to carry a promotion into its future. A veteran making their exit is often expected to leave in a way that gives a meaningful boost to an established or emerging successor.
Many fans anticipated that Cena would lose to Gunther for precisely that reason. Still, the method of defeat caught attention. Cena did not merely take a pinfall or suffer a sudden knockout. He chose to tap out, and the visual was made even more striking by the smile on his face.
Cena said he understood why the response centered on his motto.
“It was interesting to see the fan reaction with me voluntarily tapping out for the last match, cuz they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the never give up guy. Why’d you give up?’” Cena said.
In his view, the finish was the clearest way to communicate that this was truly his final match. He said the outcome was always going to be the conclusion of that in-ring chapter, regardless of whether he won, lost, or drew. A clean, voluntary submission made the farewell unmistakable while placing Gunther over in a way that fans could immediately understand.
“It was my last match, win, lose, or draw,” Cena said. “From a fan sentiment, I’m not sure if you guys expected me to win, because essentially in the pro wrestling uh cycle of life, that’s not what happens. So I wanted to gracefully bow out in a way that the fans understood that it was my time to go.”
The choice carries significance beyond a conventional retirement-match loss. Gunther’s presentation has centered on physical authority, discipline, and a punishing in-ring style. Having Cena submit gave his victory a decisive quality. It did not leave room for the argument that Cena was caught by surprise, narrowly escaped, or was simply beaten by a lucky opening. Cena visibly and willingly accepted the result.
At the same time, the smile changed the emotional tone. It was not presented as humiliation or desperation. Cena described it as a graceful bow out, one that allowed him to make the purpose of the match clear and leave with peace rather than bitterness.
Cena expanded on his thoughts by comparing life to a book made up of chapters. Each assignment, appearance, relationship, opportunity, and stage in life eventually concludes. That conclusion does not erase the value of what came before, nor does it mean a person has failed by moving on.
Using the convention appearance as an example, Cena said he wanted to be fully present for the questions in front of him. He knew the Q&A would end when it was time to leave the stage, after which he would take photos and sign autographs. Those sessions would end as well. In his view, those are not acts of defeat; they are transitions from one moment to the next.
“Now, the things that life deals us become, in my eyes, like chapters in our book,” Cena said. “I want to do the best I can here for this Q&A by answering your questions as genuine as I can. So, I’m putting my best forward to this.”
He then emphasized that even a successful and meaningful experience has a natural endpoint.
“They’re going to bring out the hook in like 15 minutes and I’m going to have to get off stage. We’re going to have to end this chapter,” Cena said. “So, essentially, I’m going to ‘give up’ the stage and then I’m going to go back and take some more pictures and do some more autographs, but each of those sessions is going to conclude and then I will give up.”
That explanation directly addresses the emotional challenge behind retirement, especially for an athlete or performer whose identity has been tied to a single pursuit for decades. There is a difference between walking away because one has no desire to continue living with purpose and choosing to complete a role in order to pursue the next responsibility. Cena sees the latter as an act of awareness.
Cena also rejected the idea that “Never Give Up” should trap someone in a situation that has run its course. He referred to necessary changes as “pivots,” a word that reflects movement rather than surrender. The core of the message, he said, lies in maintaining a high quality of life through active participation in it.
“Does ‘never give up’ sometimes box you into a rabbit hole when you know you got to move onward in life? No,” Cena said. “Awareness of what’s going on is certainly a good indicator of like, man, I got to pivot. I call them pivots. That way you’re not just giving up all the time.”
He concluded by returning to the central idea that has carried through both his wrestling career and his outlook away from the ring.
“But the never give up thing comes to the quality of life,” Cena said. “And as long as I’m alive, man, I want to stay curious and active about life.”
That is why Cena’s submission to Gunther does not need to be viewed as the undoing of his defining motto. It was an acknowledgment that his WWE career had reached its final page, coupled with a deliberate effort to give Gunther a career-shaping moment. Cena ended the match on his own terms, put over the man moving forward, and offered fans a reminder that perseverance is not about refusing every ending.
For Cena, “Never Give Up” remains intact because the message was never limited to winning a wrestling match. It is about what comes after the bell, after the farewell, and after one chapter closes: waking up ready to give the next one everything you have.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-1ba71b7d61108c99ae775b8a.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:04:20","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:04:20","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/john-cena-explains-why-tapping-out-did-not-betray-never-give-up"},{"id":79,"slug":"charlotte-flair-says-embracing-flaws-has-helped-refresh-her-wwe-character","title":"Charlotte Flair Says Embracing Flaws Has Helped Refresh Her WWE Character","dek":"Charlotte Flair reflected on the difficult path from being Ric Flair’s daughter to creating a more relatable on-screen connection with WWE fans.","body_html":"Charlotte Flair has never lacked confidence in her accomplishments, but she believes a willingness to show imperfection has opened a new chapter for her WWE character.
Speaking during an appearance on Power Hour With Ilona Maher, Flair discussed why audiences have often had a complicated reaction to her. The conversation went beyond ordinary villain-versus-hero crowd responses, with host Ilona Maher asking why some fans appeared resistant not only to the Charlotte Flair character but to Flair herself.
For Flair, part of the answer is that the performance side of professional wrestling did not come as naturally as her athletic abilities. She said learning to communicate charisma in the particular, larger-than-life language of WWE has been a long process.
“The entertainment-side charisma did not come natural at all, like at all, really,” Flair said.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Eric Bischoff Says The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak Should Have Remained Untouched.
That admission offers an important lens for understanding Flair’s career. She entered WWE carrying one of the most recognizable surnames in wrestling history as the daughter of Ric Flair, while also facing enormous expectations to establish herself as more than an extension of that legacy. Her presentation, ring work, championship success, and self-assured style made her an elite-level star, but those same traits could make it difficult for audiences to see her as vulnerable or easy to root for.
Flair acknowledged that being Ric Flair’s daughter created an obvious character avenue that she could have leaned into more heavily. She could have portrayed the spoiled beneficiary of a famous family name, openly embracing the perception that opportunities were handed to her.
“Now that I’m like what, 13 years in, being [Ric] Flair’s kid, I want the fans to like me cuz I work really hard,” Flair said. “But it could have been easier character-wise to be, like, ‘I’m Ric Flair’s daughter. I get everything handed to me. I don’t even do back exercises. I just have a great back.’”
The remark was delivered with the kind of humor and confidence that have long been central to her presentation. At the same time, it illustrated the balance Flair has been trying to strike. Her family connection cannot be separated from how fans first viewed her, but her body of work has been built through sustained performance, training, and a drive to stand at the top of the industry.
Flair did not dismiss her own standing or diminish what she has achieved. Instead, she identified a basic emotional truth in wrestling storytelling: fans frequently gravitate toward competitors fighting upward rather than those who appear impossible to beat.
“I’m not taking away how good I am and what I have done for the industry,” Flair said. “But I think what has helped my career so much in the last year is, like, you don’t want to cheer for someone who always wins. You know what I mean? You want the underdog to win.”
It is an especially significant observation from a performer whose identity has so often been tied to the title picture. Flair said that being away from the main championship scene, after becoming so synonymous with it, created a different perspective. When a wrestler is regularly positioned as the dominant champion or presumed favorite, the audience may respect that athlete while still reserving its deepest emotional investment for the person trying to overcome the odds.
That does not mean Flair is abandoning ambition. Quite the opposite: she made clear that her pursuit remains centered on being regarded as the greatest of all time, without drawing a distinction between men’s and women’s wrestling. But she sees more value now in allowing the audience to witness a fuller range of her character rather than presenting only an untouchable champion.
“Everything that I do right now, like every second, every minute, every hour, every day is I just want to be the greatest of all time,” Flair said. “Literally doesn’t matter, male or female.”
That is the central tension of the current Flair conversation. She is still motivated by supremacy and legacy, two ideas that have powered much of her WWE run. Yet she recognizes that constantly projecting perfection can leave limited room for a fan to identify with the person behind the accomplishments.
In WWE, a polished champion can be aspirational, but a flawless champion can also become emotionally distant. Flair’s comments suggest she has become more conscious of the difference. A superstar who always appears certain, victorious, and in control may generate admiration, but admiration does not automatically become support.
Flair said the ability to reveal flaws and acknowledge personal difficulties has helped give her character a renewed dimension. Rather than treating vulnerability as something that weakens her image, she sees it as a way to create a more honest and compelling connection with viewers.
“Me showing my flaws and like stuff that I’ve gone through in my personal life,” Flair said. “And actually being, like, it’s okay not to be that perfect champion of what you think is a champion has what has allowed me to have this fresh layer paint for the character.”
That “fresh layer” is not a rejection of everything Flair has represented. Her confidence, competitiveness, and high standards remain essential parts of who Charlotte Flair is on WWE television. The difference is in making room for setbacks, uncertainty, and humanity alongside the championship-level swagger.
For a star with Flair’s resume and public profile, that can be a difficult adjustment. Dominance has been a major part of her appeal. The expectation that she will excel, rise to major occasions, and chase the biggest prizes is deeply embedded in her identity. Moving outside of that familiar framework requires a different kind of performance skill than simply entering a match as the established favorite.
It also addresses the long-running audience perception that success came easily to her. Flair’s remarks did not deny the privilege of growing up in a wrestling family or the immediate scrutiny that came with it. Instead, she emphasized that the work behind her career has mattered to her, and that she wants fans to recognize more than the famous name.
Professional wrestling careers are often defined by reinvention, and Flair’s comments point to evolution rather than a wholesale reinvention. The competitive foundation is intact. So is her belief that she belongs in the greatest-of-all-time discussion. What appears to be changing is the manner in which she wants that greatness to be received.
There is a clear difference between demanding admiration and giving an audience a reason to invest emotionally. Flair’s perspective is that her recent growth has come from understanding that distinction. Fans do not always want the superstar who appears destined to win. They often want to see the person who has something to prove, who can fall short, and who must fight through adversity.
That can be a powerful shift for Flair because it does not require her to stop being Charlotte Flair. It asks her to reveal more of what exists beneath the image of the dominant, championship-focused athlete. Her remarks indicate she is increasingly comfortable with that process, even if entertainment charisma was once the part of wrestling that felt least instinctive to her.
Flair’s career has been built on the ability to perform at a rare level under intense pressure. Now, she is framing a new layer of that performance around openness rather than invincibility. Whether fans fully embrace that evolution will be determined over time, but Flair’s own goal is clear: maintain the confidence of an all-time great while showing that greatness does not have to look perfect every second of every day.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-9d62ef50084fd83c5db4383d.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:03:53","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:03:53","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/charlotte-flair-says-embracing-flaws-has-helped-refresh-her-wwe-character"},{"id":78,"slug":"the-new-level-detail-family-like-reception-inside-aew-locker-room","title":"The New Level Detail Family-Like Reception Inside AEW Locker Room","dek":"Kofi and Austin Creed say their early AEW experience has been marked by enthusiasm, familiar faces and a strong sense that they are wanted in their new surroundings.","body_html":"The New Level’s arrival in AEW has brought immediate attention to how Kofi and Austin Creed will settle into a different company environment, both in front of the cameras and behind them. For the duo, however, the initial answer appears clear: they have felt welcomed.
Speaking about their first experiences around the AEW locker room, Kofi and Creed described an atmosphere built around excitement, respect and the shared passion of wrestlers watching one another perform. Rather than entering a room where they felt isolated as newcomers, The New Level said they encountered familiar colleagues, performers they had long known from afar, and a group that was openly enthusiastic about having them there.
The response matters because any major arrival can create questions about how established talent and newly added names will coexist. AEW has a roster full of wrestlers who have helped shape the promotion’s identity, while Kofi and Creed come in with extensive experience, established reputations and a considerable level of fan interest. The pair said that the reception backstage helped remove the feeling that they were stepping into unfamiliar territory alone.
Kofi focused on the energy he and Creed feel while watching AEW programming, describing the experience as one that allows them to respond as fans rather than simply as fellow professionals studying the work. He said the athleticism and emotion displayed in AEW matches stand out, and that same feeling carries over once the performers are backstage.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Austin Creed Reflects On Landmark AEW Debut Week, 40th Birthday And Trios Title Win.
“We sit there, we watch AEW matches and we’re jumping out of our seats because we feel like fans again. You know what I mean? Like we feel like they’re they’re doing things that you shouldn’t be able to do. The passion just shines through and into all the work and all the matches and then being there backstage it was the same thing. It felt like a family vibe and it felt like we fit right in with the family. Everyone was super cool, super welcoming.”
That description of a “family vibe” is a notable one for any wrestler arriving in a new promotion. The locker-room culture of a company can influence far more than introductions on a first day. It shapes how talent communicate during match preparation, how quickly new arrivals can build creative chemistry, and whether performers feel comfortable contributing their own personalities to a new environment.
Kofi’s comments also emphasized that The New Level did not approach the move with the expectation that their history should automatically earn them special treatment. Instead, he pointed to a simple personal standard: treating people well regardless of where they work or what their position may be.
“We’ve just always treated people with respect, treated people with kindness, and that’s the way that life should be. Regardless of what you do, wherever you go, you should always be kind to people.”
That outlook has been central to the public perception of both members of The New Level over the years. Their comments suggest they see mutual respect as a practical foundation for adapting to AEW, especially while developing relationships with wrestlers whose careers have followed very different paths.
Creed gave a more detailed look at the group’s first days around AEW. He explained that The New Level arrived on a Saturday to look around and were keeping out of sight. In that setting, he recalled Jack Perry as the first person he believes he walked past.
The next day brought a fuller locker-room experience. Creed said security informed them that Claudio Castagnoli wanted to come speak with them. In retelling the moment, Creed initially referred to him by the name “Cesaro” before quickly correcting himself to Claudio, a reflection of the history and familiarity between the wrestlers.
“So, we were like in our in our own little area because we we were hiding. We got there Saturday to go and see some stuff, and I want to say I think the first person we walked by was Jack Perry. The first person that I walked by, I think. But then in the locker room, when we got there on Sunday we were told by security, ‘Cesaro wants to come and talk to you…’ or, sorry, ‘CLAUDIO wants to come and talk to you.’ I was like, yeah, yeah, we want to see him too.”
Claudio’s desire to speak with The New Level provided an early indication of the connections Kofi and Creed bring with them. A new locker room does not always mean a completely unfamiliar one. Wrestling careers frequently overlap through previous companies, independent events, training environments, travel and years spent crossing paths at major shows. Those relationships can make a significant transition feel less like starting from zero.
Creed also made clear that the experience was not limited to reconnecting with old acquaintances. He described entering a room full of wrestlers where there were people he already knew, people he had not seen in some time, and performers he had never personally met despite knowing exactly who they were.
“But it’s really cool because when we got in the room with with all the guys that are in the match, it’s like, man, this is a ton of people and I know some of them, and this is dope. Get to say hi to everybody and, you know, dap up with people I haven’t seen before. Get to shake hands with, and then meet, people that I’ve never met before, but I know who they are.”
Perhaps the clearest part of Creed’s account was his rejection of the idea that The New Level felt like outsiders on arrival. He compared the potential awkwardness of joining a new roster to being the new kid at school, then explained that AEW’s reaction made that concern disappear.
“So it just doesn’t it doesn’t seem like the new kid at school mentality as far as like, oh, I don’t know anybody or nobody wants to talk to me. Everybody was so pumped that we were there. And there’s something about that feeling of knowing you’re wanted, knowing people are excited that you’re there and being able to to bring that type of energy to the room. It’s awesome.”
For performers of The New Level’s profile, that sense of being wanted can be important on multiple levels. A high-profile addition to any roster naturally draws attention from fans, raises expectations for first matches and programs, and places new performers into an ecosystem that already has established alliances and rivalries. A positive backstage response does not determine every future creative decision, but it can provide a strong platform for the work that follows.
The New Level’s remarks also portray a roster environment where enthusiasm is reciprocal. Kofi described being energized by AEW matches and by the passion of the wrestlers producing them. Creed, meanwhile, said the room was energized by The New Level’s own arrival. That two-way excitement is an encouraging sign as they continue to establish their presence in the promotion.
Neither Kofi nor Creed offered sweeping predictions about their AEW future, and their comments were centered instead on the immediate human side of the transition. They spoke about watching matches, greeting colleagues, reconnecting with Claudio, encountering Jack Perry, and meeting wrestlers they knew by reputation but had not yet met personally.
Those details paint a picture of an adjustment period that has begun on positive terms. The New Level have found faces from their past, new colleagues to learn from and a locker room they believe has made space for them. Their message was not about entitlement or status. It was about being treated warmly and responding with the same respect.
As The New Level’s AEW run develops, the in-ring results and storylines will ultimately define the public chapter of their time with the company. But the first backstage impressions described by Kofi and Creed suggest that the transition has started with the kind of camaraderie wrestlers hope to find: a passionate room, an open welcome and the feeling that they are joining a family rather than simply entering a new workplace.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-86fd6aa4d8158f83a0d2b7c5.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 21:03:27","updated_at":"2026-09-05 21:03:27","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/the-new-level-detail-family-like-reception-inside-aew-locker-room"},{"id":77,"slug":"eric-bischoff-says-the-undertaker-s-wrestlemania-streak-should-have-remained-untouched","title":"Eric Bischoff Says The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak Should Have Remained Untouched","dek":"The former WCW executive believes WWE sacrificed a once-in-a-generation legacy when Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania run at WrestleMania 30.","body_html":"Eric Bischoff believes WWE made the wrong long-term call when it ended The Undertaker’s historic WrestleMania undefeated streak.
For more than two decades, The Undertaker’s run at WWE’s biggest annual event became one of professional wrestling’s most recognizable attractions. Every WrestleMania match involving the character carried the question of whether that year’s challenger could accomplish what no one else had managed: defeat The Deadman on the grandest stage. The answer remained no through 21 consecutive wins, before Brock Lesnar delivered one of the most startling outcomes in WrestleMania history at WrestleMania 30.
Lesnar defeated The Undertaker in New Orleans on April 6, 2014, ending the streak at 21-1. The result immediately became a defining moment for WWE audiences, marked by the stunned reaction inside the Superdome and the on-screen announcement confirming that the record was no longer perfect. The Undertaker continued wrestling periodically after that loss, ultimately having his final match against AJ Styles in the cinematic Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36 in 2020.
Bischoff, however, sees the decision through a different lens. Speaking on 83 Weeks, he argued that the undefeated record was more valuable as an enduring piece of mythology than as something to be used to elevate another performer in a single match.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Mickie James Recalls Nearly Leaving WWE Development Before Finding Her Breakthrough Character.
“I would’ve left the streak intact; I was disappointed,” Bischoff said on 83 Weeks. “It was a golden opportunity to create Babe Ruth, a character that lives forever.”
The Undertaker’s streak began with a victory over Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII in 1991. It was not initially framed as WWE’s central WrestleMania story, and the idea of an unbeaten run was built gradually over time. As The Undertaker’s victories accumulated, though, the streak shifted from an interesting statistic into an annual institution.
By the late 2000s and early 2010s, a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania was among the most prized positions on the card. The opponents attached to the streak included Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, CM Punk, Kane, Randy Orton, Batista, Edge and others. Several of those contests are widely viewed as defining matches of their respective WrestleManias, particularly the two encounters with Michaels and the pair of matches against Triple H.
The importance of the streak was not merely that The Undertaker kept winning. It was the way WWE made the possibility of defeat feel increasingly plausible as the level of opposition rose. Michaels came close in their WrestleMania 25 classic, then put his career on the line for a rematch the following year. Triple H took The Undertaker to a physically punishing conclusion at WrestleMania 27, then faced him again inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 28, with Michaels serving as special guest referee. Punk delivered another celebrated performance against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29.
Those matches reinforced the feeling that the streak was a championship-level achievement even though it was not represented by a physical title belt. The record had its own stakes, its own history and its own aura. A challenger did not need to win a championship to leave WrestleMania with a career-altering accomplishment; ending The Streak would have been enough.
One of wrestling’s oldest conventions is the idea that an established star should help make a younger talent on the way out. Bischoff pushed back strongly against applying that traditional thinking to The Undertaker’s WrestleMania record. In his view, preserving the unbeaten streak would have created a singular legacy that could have continued to distinguish The Undertaker long after he was finished competing.
“I don’t believe in that bulls***! That’s old school!” Bischoff said on 83 Weeks, rejecting the notion that an established performer must necessarily lose as part of their departure.
Bischoff’s comparison to Babe Ruth speaks to the broader cultural power of a record and a legend. Professional wrestling has no shortage of all-time greats whose influence is secure. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Steve Austin are all names whose contributions and star power will remain central to virtually any discussion of wrestling history. Bischoff acknowledged that level of permanence, but contended that The Undertaker had the opportunity to possess a distinction none of those peers could match.
His central point was that an undefeated WrestleMania career could have become inseparable from The Undertaker’s identity forever. The Undertaker was already a unique creation: a character who survived changing eras, evolving from a supernatural giant in the early 1990s into a layered veteran presence whose WrestleMania appearances were treated as major events. Retiring with the record intact, Bischoff argued, would have completed that story in a way that no future WWE booking decision could replicate.
“Only one could’ve been remembered for being undefeated,” Bischoff said on 83 Weeks. “I just wouldn’t have given it up for a match.”
Lesnar was an unusual choice to end the streak because he was not presented as an emerging prospect in need of an introduction to the main-event level. He had already been a WWE Champion, a major attraction during his first run with the company, an UFC Heavyweight Champion and one of the most legitimate combat-sports figures ever to work regularly in professional wrestling. When he returned to WWE in 2012, he was immediately positioned as a special attraction.
That profile is central to Bischoff’s criticism. He questioned what Lesnar gained from being the man to end the record, given that Lesnar had already established himself as an elite-level star. Bischoff argued that Lesnar was as popular and as important as he was going to be at that stage, making the result less useful than it might have been for a developing talent whose entire career could have been transformed by the victory.
“Brock didn’t need it. Why did Brock need to be the guy?” Bischoff said on 83 Weeks.
There is, of course, another side to that argument. WWE’s decision gave Lesnar an extraordinary credential and changed how viewers perceived him for the remainder of his run. Lesnar’s status after WrestleMania 30 was not simply that of a dominant former champion; he became the man who defeated The Undertaker when nobody else had done it at WrestleMania. That accomplishment fed directly into the aura of “The Beast Incarnate” and helped make his later championship reigns feel even more formidable.
The booking choice also created a moment that remains difficult to duplicate in an era when audiences are often accustomed to predicting major outcomes. The disbelief that followed the three-count was real because the streak had seemed close to indestructible. WWE had conditioned fans to believe that The Undertaker could survive nearly anything at WrestleMania, and Lesnar’s win overturned that expectation in an instant.
Bischoff’s position is less about denying the shock value of WrestleMania 30 and more about prioritizing a legacy that could never be recreated. Once the streak ended, it could not be restored, and The Undertaker went on to lose additional WrestleMania matches to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33 and to Styles at WrestleMania 36. The WrestleMania record that once stood at 21-0 ultimately finished at 25-2.
For Bischoff, that final number does not carry the same mythic force as an undefeated mark. He regards the preservation of a rare, career-spanning accomplishment as more meaningful than honoring what he characterized as an outdated rule of the business.
“If you’re going to operate in today’s world with the way business used to be? Good luck with that,” Bischoff said on 83 Weeks.
The debate around The Streak has endured because there is no neutral answer. Ending it gave WWE one of its most unforgettable modern moments and reinforced Lesnar’s position as a near-unbeatable force. Keeping it intact could have allowed The Undertaker to leave behind a perfect WrestleMania record that would stand as an untouchable piece of wrestling folklore.
Bischoff firmly favors the latter path. In his assessment, WWE had a chance to protect something greater than a single result: a legacy built around the idea that, no matter how many legends stood across the ring from The Undertaker at WrestleMania, one record would always remain beyond reach.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-cf08d6d66bf7152e4b7574e5.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:06:20","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:06:20","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-2d2a2e56b6c920bd6ffa193b.webp","alt":"The Undertaker ahead of his match at WrestleMania 23.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/eric-bischoff-says-the-undertaker-s-wrestlemania-streak-should-have-remained-untouched"},{"id":76,"slug":"austin-creed-reflects-on-landmark-aew-debut-week-40th-birthday-and-trios-title-win","title":"Austin Creed Reflects On Landmark AEW Debut Week, 40th Birthday And Trios Title Win","dek":"Fresh off signing with AEW, debuting at All In: London, winning the World Trios Championship and celebrating his 40th birthday, Austin Creed says it is time to get to work on a “New Level.”","body_html":"Austin Creed has experienced the kind of seven-day stretch that can reshape a wrestling career, and he made clear that he does not intend to let the moment become merely a celebration.
Less than a week after arriving in All Elite Wrestling alongside Kofi, Creed took to X to look back on a whirlwind period that included his AEW signing, his first appearance at All In: London, his Dynamite debut, a World Trios Championship victory, an appearance at Dragon Con’s 40th anniversary, and his own 40th birthday.
“This week has been one of the biggest weeks of my life. Saturday – Sign with @AEW, Sunday – Debut at All In, Wednesday – Debut on '[AEW] Dynamite,' Thursday – 1st night the 40th anniversary of @DragonCon, Today – My 40th birthday. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. And now in this new environment, its time to get to work. Im on a New Level... CHECK THE BODY.”
\nView the referenced post on X
The message captured why Creed’s arrival has immediately registered as more than a routine roster addition. His move, alongside longtime partner Kofi, brought an established tandem with almost two decades of WWE experience into a new setting. Their first major AEW weekend did not involve a slow build or a tentative introduction. Instead, Creed and Kofi arrived on one of the company’s biggest stages, claimed championships on their first night, and quickly found themselves positioned opposite some of AEW’s most recognizable names.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Rocky Romero Details the Demands of Coordinating AEW, NJPW and CMLL.
Creed also posted side-by-side photos highlighting his physical transformation. The images and his “CHECK THE BODY” signoff underlined the confidence surrounding this next stage of his career. It was a personal message, but it also fit the identity he and Kofi have begun presenting in AEW: a veteran team embracing a fresh environment while emphasizing that they are ready for high-level competition.
Creed and Kofi’s AEW debut came at All In: London, where they joined Swerve Strickland in the first-ever Trios Roulette Royale. The trio emerged from that match as the new AEW World Trios Champions, immediately creating one of the most notable alliances on the roster.
For Creed and Kofi, the result was a striking start after parting ways with WWE following nearly 20 years with the company. Their longstanding chemistry is not in question; they have spent years working together in a variety of high-profile situations. What has changed is the landscape around them. AEW gives the duo new opponents, a new locker room and a different audience dynamic, while their partnership with Strickland adds another layer to the presentation.
The connection with Strickland is particularly important. He brings a markedly different energy from Creed and Kofi, but that contrast is part of what makes the unit stand out. Creed and Kofi arrive with their familiar positivity and deep tag-team experience, while Strickland is an established force with his own intense presence. Their All In win made the pairing official in the most meaningful way possible: with the World Trios titles in hand.
Championship success on a debut appearance can create immediate pressure as well as momentum. A surprise can get a major reaction once; sustaining that reaction requires strong performances and compelling rivalries. Creed’s post suggested he understands that distinction. He thanked supporters for being with him through the years, but he framed AEW not as a finishing point, but as a place where the serious work is only beginning.
New Level did not wait long to begin that work. On the Dynamite following All In: London, Strickland, Creed and Kofi made their first successful AEW World Trios Championship defense against The Rascalz.
The victory gave the new champions a practical first step after the emotional impact of All In. Winning titles in a major multi-team environment establishes a team’s potential; defending those championships in a direct match begins to establish its credibility. By getting past The Rascalz on Dynamite, New Level put an early win in the record books and showed that their All In accomplishment would not simply be treated as a one-night attraction.
The title defense also placed Creed in front of the weekly AEW television audience almost immediately after his debut. There was no extended period of ambiguity about whether he would be featured. He signed on Saturday, debuted at All In on Sunday and competed on Dynamite that Wednesday. In the space of a few days, he went from a major free-agent acquisition to an active champion participating in AEW’s ongoing title picture.
That rapid schedule is central to the significance of the week Creed described. Signing with a new promotion can be a career milestone on its own. A debut at All In: London adds the scale of a landmark event. Winning championship gold and then successfully defending it on Dynamite takes the story beyond nostalgia or surprise value. It tells viewers that Creed, Kofi and Strickland are expected to matter in AEW’s present tense.
The closing moments after New Level’s victory over The Rascalz supplied the first major indication of a possible marquee program. Creed and Kofi locked eyes with The Young Bucks as the Bucks headed toward the ring.
Nothing further was settled in that moment, but the visual was difficult to miss. The Young Bucks have long been among the defining tag teams in AEW, and a meeting with Creed and Kofi would put two decorated, highly recognizable duos across from one another. The encounter would also carry trios implications because of New Level’s championship status and Strickland’s role in the group.
For Creed and Kofi, AEW offers a roster filled with potential first-time matches, and the Young Bucks sit prominently among those possibilities. The tease did not confirm a match, a date or a specific championship challenge. Still, it established a point of tension just days after New Level formed. That is an effective early signal for a team that has arrived with titles but still needs defining AEW rivalries.
A program involving the Bucks would be a significant test of how Creed and Kofi translate their established partnership into AEW’s tag and trios divisions. Their familiarity with each other is a major advantage, but the challenge is finding new ways to present that chemistry against teams whose styles and histories are rooted in AEW. The Young Bucks are an obvious measuring stick in that regard.
Outside the ring, Creed’s 40th birthday added another meaningful element to the week. Professional wrestling often emphasizes the next event, the next opponent and the next championship defense, leaving little time to reflect. Creed’s message paused long enough to recognize the personal weight of reaching that birthday while beginning a new chapter on national television.
His Dragon Con appearance also reflects a side of Creed that has remained important throughout his public career. The convention appearance came during the 40th anniversary of Dragon Con, placing his AEW launch alongside an engagement with the broader pop-culture community that has long been part of his identity. In a week already packed with wrestling milestones, it was another reminder that Creed’s interests and audience extend beyond the ring.
Yet the most revealing portion of his message was not the list of accomplishments. It was the statement that followed: “its time to get to work.” Creed has entered AEW at a moment when his name, his partnership with Kofi and his championship status have generated immediate interest. The next task is turning that interest into a sustained run.
New Level already has a successful defense over The Rascalz, the World Trios titles around its waists and a potential collision with The Young Bucks hanging in the air. Creed’s arrival has been fast, celebratory and eventful, but the early evidence suggests the goal is not to look back on one extraordinary week for very long.
At 40, with a new contract, a new promotion and new championship gold, Austin Creed has called this one of the biggest weeks of his life. AEW now becomes the place where he and Kofi will attempt to make the next one even bigger.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-98c465cc8074503bb96ba4e7.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:49","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:49","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-5ded3064ecbb3fb3a4e1a8a2.webp","alt":"Austin Creed feels the response from the London crowd after making his AEW debut at All In","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/austin-creed-reflects-on-landmark-aew-debut-week-40th-birthday-and-trios-title-win"},{"id":75,"slug":"mickie-james-recalls-nearly-leaving-wwe-development-before-finding-her-breakthrough-character","title":"Mickie James Recalls Nearly Leaving WWE Development Before Finding Her Breakthrough Character","dek":"Mickie James says uncertainty during her time in Ohio Valley Wrestling left her considering a departure from wrestling, before a family conversation and a new creative idea changed her course.","body_html":"Mickie James’ path to becoming one of WWE’s most memorable women’s division stars nearly ended before her main-roster debut ever happened.
James arrived on WWE television in October 2005 as the enthusiastic, seemingly devoted fan of Women’s Champion Trish Stratus. What began as an admiration angle quickly developed into a deeply personal and distinctive storyline, with James’ character becoming increasingly obsessed with Stratus. The program ultimately gave James a major platform, established her as a featured performer, and led to one of the defining rivalries of that era of WWE women’s wrestling.
Before that opportunity emerged, however, James says she was seriously questioning whether she belonged in WWE at all. While reflecting on her developmental years, James described a difficult stretch in Ohio Valley Wrestling in which she watched fellow talent lose their jobs while WWE’s approach to its women’s division appeared to be moving in a different direction.
James had already committed years to pursuing professional wrestling by that point. She began training and wrestling in 1998, then spent approximately two years in OVW after joining WWE’s developmental system. Yet the environment left her uncertain about whether the company was looking for a performer with her background and ambitions.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Sol Ruca Calls WWE Main Roster Transition a Major Adjustment After NXT Success.
James recalled feeling worn down as she observed wrestlers around her being released. At the same time, WWE’s Diva Search was underway, and several of the women involved were being brought to OVW for training before appearing on television. James said she was helping teach basic wrestling fundamentals, including headlocks, while trying to determine what WWE wanted from its female talent.
“I remember I was kind of over it. I was in a place where I’d watched a lot of people get fired at OVW. I’d been there for two years. They had started the Diva Search. All the divas were coming down, training and then going to TV. I was helping teaching them how to do headlocks and stuff. I had moment of like, ‘Maybe this isn’t the journey for me.’”
Her frustration was not simply about waiting for a call-up. James had chosen wrestling as her career, made the sacrifices required to pursue it, and earned a WWE developmental position. But she felt that the model being presented on television did not necessarily prioritize the kind of wrestler she had worked to become.
“Every female they’re bringing up to the show, they’re not wrestlers. They don’t want wrestlers,” James said while describing how she saw the situation at the time. “Maybe I’m in the wrong place. Maybe I’m doing the wrong thing. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
James had attempted to broaden her skill set in an effort to fit the mold. She took acting and modeling classes, hoping to become more versatile and better align with what was then expected of a WWE Diva. Still, the uncertainty remained. With friends being fired and no clear backup plan in place, she reached a point where quitting felt like a realistic option.
During that period, James spoke with Tommy Dreamer, who was her boss at the time. She told him directly that she was considering walking away, unsure how much longer she could continue in the same circumstances.
“I remember talking to Tommy Dreamer about it because he was my boss at the time. I’m like, ‘I think I’m gonna quit. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.’”
Dreamer did not dismiss her concerns. Instead, James said he encouraged her to take additional time before making a decision, believing it would be a shame for her to leave after coming so far.
“He’s like, ‘I’m gonna give you some extra time. I really want you to think about this because it would be a real shame.’”
That response gave James room to step back and consider what she wanted next. Rather than immediately ending her wrestling career, she went home for Christmas and spoke openly with her mother about the doubts she had been carrying.
James said she told her mother that she believed she was going to quit. Her mother urged her not to make a permanent decision out of a discouraging moment, especially after the years James had already invested in wrestling.
“She was the one who was like, ‘I think you’re making a terrible choice. You’ve dedicated a long time.’”
James placed the conversation around 2003 or 2004, several years after beginning her career in 1998. Her mother did not discourage other possible paths, including returning to school and pursuing a degree. But she emphasized that James should think carefully before abandoning a goal she had pursued for so long.
“Don’t give up,” James recalled her mother saying. “You’ve come too close.”
The message resonated. James chose to return rather than leave, but she also recognized that returning with the same approach might not be enough. Over Christmas break, she began thinking creatively about how she could differentiate herself from everyone else on WWE programming.
That process was crucial. James was not merely looking for a new outfit, a catchphrase, or a minor adjustment to her presentation. She was searching for a character concept that could give WWE a reason to see her differently and, more importantly, provide a story that had not been presented in the same way among the women on television.
“As I was going back and during that Christmas break, I’m really thinking, ‘Okay, so I need to just come up with something that’s different. What is different than what everyone else is doing on television right now?’”
The result was the superfan character that would introduce James to WWE audiences. Her original idea was pitched with Lita in mind, but it eventually evolved into a program with Stratus. That change proved enormously significant for all involved.
James debuted as Stratus’ biggest supporter, bringing an exaggerated enthusiasm that initially played as harmless fandom. As the angle unfolded, it revealed a more obsessive and manipulative side to James’ character. The gradual shift gave the story a dramatic foundation that went beyond a conventional championship feud, while James and Stratus had the opportunity to develop layers in both their characters and their interactions.
The rivalry culminated with James challenging Stratus for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 22 in 2006. James defeated Stratus to win the title, completing the rise from a developmental talent who had considered quitting to a WrestleMania winner and WWE Women’s Champion.
Looking back, James credited the collaborative nature of the creative process. She said the character was used, and the overall story came together through the work of the writers, herself, and Stratus. In James’ view, Stratus’ willingness to embrace an unusual concept was vital to the angle’s success.
“They used the character and then the story itself between the writers, myself and Trish, it just came together. It was awesome. It was fun, it was fresh and it was different.”
James added that Stratus’ openness made the difference between a fully developed rivalry and an idea that could have been cut short before reaching its potential.
“She was so open to the story and to the character as well, which is why it worked. Because if she had not been into it, not been open or receptive to this new story, this new character and this kind of different type of thing, it would not have gone the way it did. It would have been much shorter and probably not as cool.”
James’ recollection illustrates how precarious the developmental process can be, particularly for performers trying to find a place amid changing creative priorities. Her doubts were rooted in the circumstances she was seeing: releases around her, a division in transition, and the belief that the company might be seeking something other than an experienced wrestler.
Rather than walking away, James ultimately used that uncertainty as motivation to create something distinctive. The superfan concept gave her a clear identity, but it was the execution alongside Stratus that transformed it into a major WWE storyline.
James went on to become a multi-time women’s champion in WWE and built an accomplished career across several major promotions. Yet her account of nearly quitting before her debut underscores the importance of the decision she made during that Christmas break. A conversation with Dreamer, advice from her mother, and the determination to find a fresh creative direction helped keep her in wrestling long enough for her defining WWE opportunity to arrive.
For James, the breakthrough was not simply the result of being assigned a storyline. It came after she confronted the possibility that her wrestling dream might be ending, then returned with a more focused idea of how to make herself impossible to overlook.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-c4d31f4c38dfa08c27f9f645.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:22","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:22","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/mickie-james-recalls-nearly-leaving-wwe-development-before-finding-her-breakthrough-character"},{"id":74,"slug":"freelance-bonesaw-results-trevor-outlaw-retains-world-title-the-syndicate-survives-three-team-challenge","title":"Freelance Bonesaw Results: Trevor Outlaw Retains World Title, The Syndicate Survives Three-Team Challenge","dek":"Freelance Wrestling presented Bonesaw on September 4 in Chicago, with Trevor Outlaw and The Syndicate leaving Logan Square Auditorium still holding championship gold.","body_html":"Freelance Wrestling brought Bonesaw to Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois, on September 4, delivering a card built around championship defenses, a multi-person scramble, and a lineup featuring several familiar names from the independent wrestling scene. The event aired on IWTV.
At the top of the card, Trevor Outlaw successfully defended the Freelance World Championship against Devon Monroe. Outlaw entered the match with Frank The Clown at his side and ultimately retained his title, extending his reign in the promotion’s marquee singles division.
The Freelance Tag Team Championship was also on the line in a three-team bout. The Syndicate—Shane Mercer, Davey Bang, and August Matthews—retained the titles against Triple Dragon, represented by PUF and Ricky Willdy, as well as Ricks. James Russo accompanied the reigning champions for the contest.
With both championship matches ending in successful defenses, Bonesaw closed with the established titleholders maintaining their places at the center of Freelance Wrestling’s current competitive landscape. The show also featured EFFY, Kylie Rae, Sabin Gauge, Cole Radrick, and a collection of Chicago-area independent wrestling talent.
\nFor more background on this topic, read HOG Fall Out Results: Kyle Fletcher Beats Amazing Red, Joey Silver Retains.
The main-event championship result saw Trevor Outlaw defeat Devon Monroe to retain the Freelance World Championship. Monroe had the opportunity to take the promotion’s top prize from Outlaw, but the challenger was unable to unseat the champion.
Frank The Clown accompanied Outlaw for the title defense. That presence remained part of the champion’s presentation heading into a significant one-on-one match against Monroe, whose challenge represented the final obstacle between Outlaw and another successful defense.
There were no further details announced regarding a potential next challenger for Outlaw following Bonesaw. What is clear from the result is that the Freelance World Championship stays with Outlaw after September 4, and anyone looking to move into the title picture will now have to contend with a champion who once again turned back a direct challenge.
World-title matches often provide the clearest snapshot of a promotion’s direction on a given night. At Bonesaw, that picture was straightforward: Outlaw remains the champion, Monroe leaves without the title, and the division moves forward with the same man at its head.
The Freelance Tag Team Championship match put The Syndicate’s titles under pressure from two opposing teams. Shane Mercer, Davey Bang, and August Matthews entered as champions, with James Russo accompanying them, and emerged from the three-team encounter still in possession of the belts.
Opposing them were Triple Dragon’s PUF and Ricky Willdy, along with Ricks. The format ensured that The Syndicate did not simply have to overcome a single set of challengers. They had to navigate a match involving multiple opponents all pursuing the same championship goal.
Mercer, Bang, and Matthews retaining keeps The Syndicate firmly atop the tag division. The result also leaves Triple Dragon and Ricks short of a title change despite sharing the ring in one of the night’s featured bouts.
Freelance’s tag championship picture remains notable for the presence of a three-person champion unit. That structure continued at Bonesaw, as The Syndicate’s combination of Mercer, Bang, and Matthews successfully held off the challengers. Russo’s ringside accompaniment remained a factor in the champions’ overall presence, even as the official result records another defense for the titleholders.
Elsewhere on the card, EFFY defeated Darin Corbin. Corbin was accompanied by Sean Galway, CJ Martin, Davina Thorne, and Nathaniel for the match, giving him a sizable group at ringside.
Despite that collection of allies around Corbin, EFFY secured the victory. The result gives EFFY a notable singles win on a show that featured a crowded lineup and multiple matches involving groups, partners, and outside accompaniment.
Corbin’s corner was particularly notable because CJ Martin also competed earlier in the evening, while Galway, Thorne, and Nathaniel were listed alongside Corbin for his bout with EFFY. Nevertheless, the final outcome was EFFY standing as the winner.
In six-person tag team action, SMS—Shazza McKenzie, Mason Morgan, and Sean Login—defeated Chico Suave, Izzy Moreno, and Kylie Rae.
The match placed Kylie Rae in a team setting alongside Suave and Moreno, but their trio was unable to overcome McKenzie, Morgan, and Login. SMS earned the victory in one of the event’s larger non-title contests.
Trios matches can quickly shift in momentum as teams manage multiple legal competitors and changing combinations. At Bonesaw, SMS came away with the decisive result over the team of Suave, Moreno, and Rae. For McKenzie, Morgan, and Login, it was a collective victory over a lineup that included one of the more recognizable names on the card in Rae.
Sabin Gauge picked up a singles win over Cole Radrick at Bonesaw. The contest added another direct one-on-one result to a card otherwise filled with multi-person and multi-team matches.
Gauge’s victory over Radrick stands as an important result for both competitors on the night. No additional stipulation or championship was attached to the match, but a singles victory carries its own value on an independent card where competitors are seeking momentum and opportunities in future events.
Radrick was unable to secure the win, while Gauge left Chicago with the official decision in his favor.
The show’s scramble match featured six competitors: CJ Martin, Trent Wrigley, Darius Latrell, Hayden Backlund, Craig Mitchell, and Brian Gorta. CJ Martin emerged victorious from the multi-person opener.
Martin’s win came on a night when he was also listed among the people accompanying Darin Corbin for Corbin’s match against EFFY. The scramble result therefore gave Martin a personal in-ring success before his later ringside involvement.
Wrigley, Latrell, Backlund, Mitchell, and Gorta all fell short in the scramble, while Martin claimed the result over five opponents. Opening a wrestling event with a match of that size immediately puts a number of performers in front of the audience, and Martin was the competitor who capitalized.
White Meat, the team of Robbie Reeves and Stone Ambrose, defeated Lili Ruiz and Victor Iniestra via disqualification. The official decision gives Reeves and Ambrose the win, although it came through a disqualification rather than a standard pinfall or submission conclusion.
Ruiz and Iniestra were on the losing side of the ruling, while White Meat added a victory to the event’s final results. The disqualification finish provided a different outcome from the night’s other tag and trios bouts, several of which had clear winners determined through the standard conclusion of the match.
Bonesaw ultimately belonged to Freelance Wrestling’s champions. Trevor Outlaw retained the World Championship in the main event, while The Syndicate preserved its hold on the Tag Team Championship in a multi-team defense. Around those title outcomes, CJ Martin, EFFY, SMS, Sabin Gauge, and White Meat all recorded victories on the September 4 card in Chicago.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-7371fc6d766aa0b353663e94.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:02","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:05:02","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":10,"slug":"wrestling-news","name":"Wrestling News"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/freelance-bonesaw-results-trevor-outlaw-retains-world-title-the-syndicate-survives-three-team-challenge"},{"id":73,"slug":"sol-ruca-calls-wwe-main-roster-transition-a-major-adjustment-after-nxt-success","title":"Sol Ruca Calls WWE Main Roster Transition a Major Adjustment After NXT Success","dek":"The former WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion says the weekly reality of performing for unfamiliar audiences has been one of the biggest changes since her April call-up.","body_html":"Sol Ruca has already experienced significant highs and new challenges since moving from WWE NXT to the main roster in April 2026. The athletic standout arrived with momentum from her NXT run, went on to hold the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, and has remained focused on reclaiming the title after Raquel Rodriguez ended her reign.
That path has put Ruca in increasingly visible main-roster situations, including matches against established names such as Lyra Valkyria as she works toward getting back into the No. 1 contender picture. Yet, while championship opportunities and larger stages are central parts of the promotion, Ruca has identified a different aspect of the transition as the biggest adjustment: performing before a different live audience every week.
Speaking about the change from NXT to WWE’s main roster, Ruca explained that NXT gave her a valuable foundation. She believes the developmental brand prepared her for opportunities at the next level, particularly because she had chances to make main-roster appearances before her full-time move. At the same time, she said life on the road has created an entirely different rhythm for her career.
For an NXT performer, the consistent setting can provide a unique chance to build a connection with an audience over time. Wrestlers are able to learn how fans respond to their entrance, their offense, their personality, and the stories unfolding around them. That familiarity can be a major advantage for talent still establishing who they are in front of WWE cameras.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Carmella Clarifies Retirement Comments Again With ‘Allegedly’ Video.
Ruca’s main-roster experience has been different. Instead of regularly performing in front of much the same audience, she is entering new buildings in new cities and, at times, in different countries. Each crowd arrives with its own level of familiarity with her work, its own preferences, and its own reaction to the match or storyline placed in front of it.
Ruca acknowledged that those reactions can vary dramatically. Some towns have embraced her, some have been less receptive, and some audiences have appeared largely indifferent. That uncertainty is not necessarily a negative reflection on a performer. It is part of the challenge of becoming a recognizable act across a national and international touring schedule, where the audience is never exactly the same from one week to the next.
For Ruca, adapting to that unpredictability has been an important lesson. A main-roster wrestler cannot rely solely on the comfort of a familiar environment. They must quickly assess the atmosphere, establish a connection when possible, and perform with the confidence needed to win over viewers who may be seeing them live for the first time.
The adjustment also speaks to the difference between having potential and sustaining momentum. Ruca’s in-ring athleticism has helped make her a distinctive WWE performer, but a call-up requires more than executing spectacular moves. The transition asks talent to communicate their identity to a constantly changing audience while navigating television time, championship pursuits, and the expectations that come with being part of WWE’s broader roster.
Despite the differences, Ruca made clear that she sees her NXT tenure as useful preparation rather than a separate experience that no longer applies. Her time there allowed her to develop in front of live crowds and gave her opportunities to demonstrate that she could perform outside the NXT setting before April’s call-up.
That kind of exposure can be invaluable. Moving to the main roster is often one of the most scrutinized moments in a WWE career. The audience is larger, the travel schedule is more demanding, and the competition for prominent television space is intense. A wrestler who has already learned how to handle pressure in NXT, while also receiving occasional exposure on the main roster, enters that environment with a clearer understanding of what will be required.
Ruca’s first months suggest that WWE has continued to position her as a relevant figure in the Women’s Intercontinental Championship scene. Holding the championship after her call-up immediately placed her in an important division, and her continued efforts to return to contention following the loss to Rodriguez show that her role has not disappeared simply because the title changed hands.
Her matchups on the road back matter as well. Facing a competitor such as Valkyria gives Ruca another opportunity to show that she can operate at the level expected of a championship challenger. In a division where contenders must continually prove their value, every performance can influence how fans view a wrestler’s credibility and how strongly they respond when that wrestler is presented as a possible titleholder.
One of the more rewarding discoveries in Ruca’s transition has been realizing the scale of WWE’s audience. She said she had not fully appreciated that fans across the country and around the world would already know who she was. That recognition has made the experience exciting, even as the inconsistency of crowd responses remains something she is learning to manage.
For a wrestler coming out of NXT, the realization that an international audience has followed their work can be powerful. It confirms that television exposure, social media attention, and the WWE platform can extend well beyond the arena where a performer is currently standing. It can also raise the stakes. Once fans know a wrestler’s name, they have opinions, expectations, and emotional reactions that may differ sharply from market to market.
That is the reality Ruca is now navigating. Being recognized globally is an opportunity, but it also means every appearance is a new test of connection. A crowd that has watched her rise may react enthusiastically from the opening bell. Another may need more time to understand her character and invest in her pursuit of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Ruca’s perspective reflects an awareness that neither response should define her entire run. Positive reactions can build confidence and momentum, while quieter or more negative responses can become motivation to refine the presentation and make a stronger impression the next time. For a wrestler early in a main-roster tenure, that resilience is essential.
The immediate competitive goal remains clear for Ruca: return to the top of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship division. Rodriguez currently stands as the wrestler who took the title from her, making the championship chase a natural focus for Ruca’s next chapter on the roster.
Her previous reign ensures that she is not approaching the division as an untested newcomer. She has already carried the championship, meaning she knows the demands that come with representing it. That experience gives her a meaningful claim in the contender conversation, even if earning another opportunity requires victories over opponents such as Valkyria.
There is also a larger story in the way Ruca’s title pursuit aligns with her adjustment to the touring environment. Regaining championship position is not only about winning matches. It is also about turning the varying reactions of unfamiliar crowds into sustained support. If she can consistently establish herself in new markets, every appearance becomes another step toward strengthening her standing with the WWE audience.
Ruca has not presented the main-roster move as an impossible obstacle. Instead, she has described it as a substantial but exciting change. The road schedule, the changing crowds, and the wider reach of WWE have all required her to adapt. At the same time, those elements are evidence of the opportunity that comes with graduating from NXT to a full-time spot on the main roster.
As she continues seeking the No. 1 contender position, Ruca’s ability to embrace that adjustment will be worth watching. She has already held the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship and already learned that reactions can shift from city to city. The next phase is about using those lessons to create the kind of consistent connection that can carry a wrestler from a successful call-up to a durable main-roster presence.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-95fcc45ead38ec9d4016fe44.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:04:37","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:04:37","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-ae5793595133466128a372b8.webp","alt":"Sol Ruca posing in the ring ahead of her clash with Becky Lynch at Clash in Italy.","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/sol-ruca-calls-wwe-main-roster-transition-a-major-adjustment-after-nxt-success"},{"id":72,"slug":"rocky-romero-details-the-demands-of-coordinating-aew-njpw-and-cmll","title":"Rocky Romero Details the Demands of Coordinating AEW, NJPW and CMLL","dek":"Rocky Romero explained why his liaison work between AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and CMLL requires constant communication, regular international travel and careful planning across three full-time promotions.","body_html":"Rocky Romero’s role in All Elite Wrestling extends considerably beyond his on-screen association with the Don Callis Family. While Romero remains an active wrestler, his most significant responsibilities may be the work he performs away from the cameras, helping maintain the operational connection between AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre.
Those relationships have become an increasingly important part of the modern wrestling landscape. Talent moves between the three companies, championships appear outside their home promotions, and major events can feature representatives from multiple rosters. None of that happens smoothly without regular communication between the people responsible for talent coordination, schedules, travel and creative logistics. Romero, who has spent major portions of his career in both Japan and Mexico while also becoming an established AEW presence, is uniquely positioned to help bridge those worlds.
Speaking on What Happened When, Romero described the scope of a job that asks him to work with three promotions operating year-round schedules. He made clear that the role is demanding even if much of the daily communication can be handled remotely.
“I wear a lot of hats,” Romero said. “It’s a very demanding job on many ends, you know, not only for AEW but New Japan and CMLL as well. These are three companies that run full-time schedules. So coordinating between all three, it’s a lot. It’s a lot.”
\nFor more background on this topic, read Kris Statlander Reflects on AEW’s Pandemic Era and the ACL Injury That Halted Her Early Momentum.
Romero’s comments underline the scale of the balancing act. AEW’s national television schedule and pay-per-view calendar are substantial commitments on their own. NJPW operates a busy touring system in Japan while also presenting major events in the United States and elsewhere. CMLL, meanwhile, has one of the deepest and most active wrestling infrastructures in the world, with its historic Arena México operation and a packed rhythm of cards in Mexico.
Coordinating across those companies means working around more than just match announcements. Each promotion has different tour cycles, talent obligations, championship programs and travel demands. Wrestlers who are available on one weekend may be committed to a tour or major show in another country shortly thereafter. For an international partnership to function effectively, the people involved need a clear understanding of who can travel, when they can travel, and how a particular appearance fits within each company’s existing plans.
Romero is well suited to that responsibility because his career has been defined by international experience. He has been heavily associated with New Japan for years, both through his own in-ring work and his long-running RPG Vice partnership with Trent Beretta. He has also developed strong ties in Mexico, including extensive work connected to CMLL. That history gives Romero familiarity with the professional environment, communication styles and practical expectations that come with working in each territory.
His role also reflects the value of having people who understand the cultural and logistical differences among partner promotions. An international talent exchange is not simply a matter of identifying a wrestler for an event. It can require discussions about timing, passports, flights, lodging, promotional materials, title recognition and the presentation of talent once they arrive. It also requires a degree of trust between companies that may be collaborating while each continues to protect its own priorities.
AEW’s partnerships with NJPW and CMLL have created notable opportunities for performers and fans alike. The Forbidden Door concept, in particular, has helped establish a major annual platform for matches involving AEW and NJPW talent, with CMLL wrestlers also becoming a meaningful part of the wider crossover environment. Beyond the biggest shows, the working arrangements can lead to appearances that broaden a wrestler’s profile in front of audiences who might not otherwise see them regularly.
Romero’s behind-the-scenes role is therefore connected to a larger strategy of keeping those pathways open. The ability to send talent between companies and produce credible crossover matchups depends on reliable coordination. Romero did not lay out every aspect of his responsibilities, but he emphasized that the work is constant because all three organizations maintain active schedules.
Despite the international nature of the job, Romero said much of the process happens online. That is unsurprising in a role spanning the United States, Japan and Mexico, where schedules and time zones make in-person meetings impractical as the sole method of communication. Still, Romero is not limited to calls and messages. He remains a regular physical presence at AEW and CMLL events and makes recurring trips to Japan.
“A lot of it’s online,” Romero said on What Happened When. “But I’m in the flesh in a lot of these places.”
For NJPW, Romero explained that his current travel schedule is more manageable than it was when he was touring on a full-time basis. He said he now travels to Japan roughly once every quarter. That is a significant reduction from an earlier period in his career, when he was taking at least 12 trips a year and could be away for vastly different lengths of time depending on the tour.
“For Japan right now, it’s every quarter I’m going for, so it’s not as hectic as it was before when I was touring full-time with them, and on twelve trips a year at least,” Romero said. “And you know, they can vary from a couple of days, a few days, to a month.”
The distinction matters because touring as a wrestler and making periodic work trips as a liaison demand different kinds of preparation. A full-time tour can involve weeks away from home, repeated long-distance travel and the physical toll of performing multiple times per week. Romero remains active in the ring, but his present responsibilities require him to preserve time for AEW and CMLL while still maintaining direct contact with NJPW.
Romero admitted that the older schedule is not something he misses as much now that he is “getting older and busier.” It is a candid assessment from a veteran who has spent years navigating one of wrestling’s most travel-heavy career paths. The international circuit can be rewarding, particularly for a performer who enjoys different audiences and styles, but the practical strain becomes more pronounced when a person is also responsible for administrative and coordinating duties.
Mexico remains a particularly frequent stop for Romero. He said he is at CMLL regularly, estimating that he makes an appearance around once a month. Those visits give him the chance to check in directly with people in the company and continue coordinating the relationship in person.
“CMLL I’m there all the time, or at least once a month or so, I’m there making an appearance, and you know, kind of checking in on things and coordinating with everybody,” Romero said.
That consistency is especially useful given CMLL’s place in AEW’s wider international network. The promotion has an immense roster and a distinct lucha libre identity, meaning that even a short-term exchange can offer fresh match possibilities. The relationships also allow AEW fans to become more familiar with CMLL wrestlers while providing opportunities for AEW talent to work in Mexico.
At AEW, Romero said he is present for nearly every show unless an obligation with CMLL or NJPW prevents him from attending. That level of attendance illustrates that his work is not an occasional consulting position. He is deeply involved with AEW’s weekly ecosystem while serving as one of its key connectors to two major international partners.
“I’m pretty much at almost every AEW show, if I don’t have any commitments with CMLL or New Japan,” Romero said.
For viewers, Romero’s appearances on AEW programming may only reveal one part of what he contributes. His in-ring role can shift with storylines and alliances, but the organizational work he described has a longer-term impact. Maintaining communication among AEW, NJPW and CMLL supports the kind of cross-promotional activity that has become a defining feature of the current wrestling era.
Romero’s experience also shows why those partnerships depend on more than public goodwill. The biggest announcements and surprise appearances attract attention, but they are supported by detailed planning from people who understand the demands of each promotion. With AEW, NJPW and CMLL all running full-time, Romero’s workload is unlikely to become simple. As he put it, coordinating all three is “a lot” — and his travel schedule demonstrates exactly why.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-4610c7e76ba8ea29e767042e.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:04:11","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:04:11","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-61ce1c2b41f6498b9a16208a.webp","alt":"Rocky Romero looking sideways","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/rocky-romero-details-the-demands-of-coordinating-aew-njpw-and-cmll"},{"id":71,"slug":"carmella-clarifies-retirement-comments-again-with-allegedly-video","title":"Carmella Clarifies Retirement Comments Again With ‘Allegedly’ Video","dek":"Carmella has again pushed back on the idea that she has officially retired from professional wrestling after comments on her podcast appearance created confusion about her future.","body_html":"Carmella has offered another clarification on her professional wrestling future, using a new social media video to further distance herself from the retirement comments that quickly drew attention following a recent podcast appearance.
The former WWE Superstar and Women’s Champion, real name Leah Van Dale, posted a clip featuring the words “Retired? Allegedly…” Her accompanying caption was concise but pointed: “Hope this clears up any confusion…”
The post arrives after Carmella initially described herself as retired while discussing her life as a mother during an appearance on the Hot Mom S**t Podcast with Laura Clery. Those comments were widely interpreted as a definitive statement that her in-ring career was over. Carmella subsequently countered that interpretation on social media, saying that she is not retired and that her foot has healed.
Her latest video does not announce a WWE return, identify a future opponent, or establish a date for another match. It does, however, make clear that Carmella does not want her previous podcast comments treated as a firm declaration that she has left wrestling behind for good.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Adriana Rizzo Reflects on WWE Release, Injuries and Next Chapter.
The uncertainty began when Carmella spoke about the changes in her life and routines since stepping away from the ring. In the conversation, she said, “Luckily, I don’t — I’m retired now, so it’s definitely a little bit different.”
When Clery responded that she loved that Carmella was “retired,” Carmella expanded on the point by connecting it to motherhood and the physical reality of wrestling.
“I mean, it’s — I was a professional wrestler, so it’s like I can’t wrestle anymore. I’m not — I’m a mom. I have kids. So, that’s kind of like I’m retired.”
That phrasing understandably led to questions about whether Carmella was announcing a permanent retirement. For a wrestler who has been absent from WWE competition for a significant period, the statement appeared to many listeners to provide a final answer about her status.
Carmella soon addressed the reaction herself. In a previous social media response, she wrote, “You guys…. My foot is healed. And I’m in the best shape of my life….. definitely not retired 🤑”
The new “Retired? Allegedly…” video reinforces that response. The word “allegedly” adds a playful tone, but the overall message is consistent with her earlier clarification: retirement is not how Carmella currently defines her status.
While the clarification is significant, it should not be read as confirmation of an imminent return to WWE television or live events. Carmella has not announced that she has been medically cleared for a match, stated that she has signed up for a particular show, or named a timetable for competing again.
There is an important distinction between saying she is not retired and confirming that a return is scheduled. Her posts establish the former, while the latter remains unknown.
That distinction matters because the initial discussion was centered on the personal changes that have come with becoming a mother, rather than a formal wrestling-related announcement. Carmella’s comments suggested she was speaking broadly about no longer being actively involved in the same full-time in-ring lifestyle. Her follow-up messages, however, indicate that she does not view that period away from the ring as the end of her career.
For now, the clearest reading of Carmella’s public remarks is that she remains open to wrestling again, even though no next step has been announced.
Carmella’s most recent televised WWE match took place in February 2023, when she faced Bianca Belair on Monday Night Raw. Her last known match overall came at a WWE live event in March 2023.
Those dates underline just how long it has been since Carmella last competed. The absence has naturally made any comments about retirement particularly notable, especially given the demands associated with returning to the ring after an extended stretch away from active competition.
During her WWE career, Carmella established herself as one of the promotion’s most recognizable women’s division personalities. A former Women’s Champion, she worked across WWE programming and became known for a character presentation that blended confidence, comedic timing, and opportunistic in-ring strategy.
That history ensures that any potential comeback would generate interest, regardless of whether it occurred on television, at a live event, or through another WWE platform. Still, Carmella’s latest message is a clarification of intent rather than a return angle. There is no indication yet of how, where, or when she could resume competing.
Retirement has a specific weight in professional wrestling. Performers may use the term casually when discussing a break from regular competition, but fans often understand it as a permanent decision unless it is qualified. Carmella’s podcast wording was direct enough to trigger that reaction, particularly when she said she “can’t wrestle anymore.”
Her later posts have changed the picture. By saying her foot is healed and that she is in the best shape of her life, Carmella presented a notably different impression from the one created by the podcast discussion. The “definitely not retired” wording was already a strong correction. The new video appears designed to make that correction impossible to miss.
At the same time, Carmella has not explained every detail behind the difference between the two sets of remarks. She has not stated whether she was speaking figuratively on the podcast, whether her thinking changed afterward, or whether she simply felt her original comments were misunderstood in context. The public record currently consists of both the retirement language and her later denials that she is retired.
That leaves room for fans to continue speculating, but it does not support treating the podcast comments as a confirmed conclusion to her wrestling career.
Carmella’s video resolves the central question raised by her recent comments: she is saying she is not officially retired. It does not resolve the practical questions surrounding a possible return.
What is clear is that Carmella has now addressed the retirement discussion more than once. After describing herself as retired in the context of motherhood and life away from wrestling, she posted that her foot is healed and that she is “definitely not retired.” The new “Retired? Allegedly…” post continues that same message in an even more direct, if tongue-in-cheek, fashion.
Until Carmella provides a concrete update about wrestling again, her future remains open rather than scheduled. But based on her own latest statements, fans should not consider her career officially finished.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-33f1e981b71f2c493216ec0b.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:03:45","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:03:45","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/carmella-clarifies-retirement-comments-again-with-allegedly-video"},{"id":70,"slug":"adriana-rizzo-reflects-on-wwe-release-injuries-and-next-chapter","title":"Adriana Rizzo Reflects on WWE Release, Injuries and Next Chapter","dek":"The former NXT performer thanked The D’Angelo Family and detailed the difficult road back from Achilles, ACL and meniscus surgeries after her WWE departure.","body_html":"Adriana Rizzo has addressed her WWE release with a deeply personal statement reflecting on her four-year journey in the company, her role alongside Tony D’Angelo in The D’Angelo Family, and the serious injuries that interrupted much of her time in NXT.
\n\nRizzo was among the NXT talents released by WWE this week. In her message, she described the end of her WWE run as difficult while making it clear that she remains proud of the work she did and determined to continue pursuing what comes next.
\n\n“My journey with WWE has come to an end,” Rizzo wrote. She said the past four years included both major highs and some of the toughest stretches of her life, adding that she took pride in staying true to herself throughout the experience.
\nView the referenced post on X\n\n
The statement offered a candid look at a career path that featured momentum, a high-profile character presentation in NXT, and a long rehabilitation process that limited the amount of time she was able to spend actively performing.
\nFor more background on this topic, read Johnny Gargano Calls Cleveland SmackDown Return ‘The Beginning, Not The End’.
\n\nRizzo became a familiar face in NXT as a member of The D’Angelo Family, the group centered around Tony D’Angelo. She debuted in the Adriana Rizzo role in November 2023, joining the act with a character that fit the faction’s organized-crime-inspired presentation.
\n\nHer connection to the group was a central part of her message following her release. Rizzo said she was grateful for her time with The D’Angelo Family and emphasized that the people involved became more than simply on-screen colleagues to her.
\n\n“They truly became family to me,” she wrote.
\n\nRizzo also looked back fondly on being able to portray the Adriana Rizzo character, calling it a distinctive opportunity and saying she enjoyed bringing the persona to life. Beyond the role itself, she said the experience helped her recognize that she was capable of more than she had previously realized.
\n\nFor performers developing in NXT, a defined on-screen identity can be especially important. Rizzo’s place in The D’Angelo Family gave her a clear role within the brand’s television landscape and allowed her to contribute to a presentation built around alliances, loyalty and personality-driven storytelling. Her statement suggests that the creative opportunity and the relationships formed around it were among the most meaningful aspects of her WWE tenure.
\n\nThe most difficult part of Rizzo’s WWE run came away from the spotlight. She revealed that an Achilles rupture required surgery, and that she later underwent surgery for an ACL and meniscus injury. The combined setbacks kept her out of the ring for nearly half of her time in NXT.
\n\nThose injuries help explain why her departure carries particular emotional weight. Rizzo said she fought intensely to return after the lengthy absences, but felt she did not receive the chance to show the full extent of what she still had to offer once she made it back.
\n\n“But I fought like hell to come back. And I did,” Rizzo wrote.
\n\nAn Achilles rupture, ACL injury and meniscus damage each present substantial physical and mental hurdles for any athlete. For a professional wrestler, returning requires more than simply being medically cleared. It means regaining confidence in movement, conditioning, timing and the ability to perform safely in a demanding environment. Rizzo’s comments did not minimize those challenges. Instead, she focused on the pride she feels in having made it through the recovery process.
\n\nShe acknowledged the frustration of reaching the end of this chapter after putting so much effort into returning. At the same time, she said she would not regret the fight required to get back in the ring. That perspective shaped the larger message of her statement, which was directed not only at those who supported her in WWE but also at anyone dealing with setbacks of their own.
\n\nRizzo encouraged people who have been “knocked down, overlooked, injured, or told they were too far behind” to keep moving forward. She framed her own experience as proof that persistence matters even when the outcome does not unfold as hoped.
\n\nHer message was punctuated by a direct call to “STAY RESILIENT!”
\n\nThat theme fits the background Rizzo brought with her before entering WWE. Rizzo, whose real name is Anna Keefer, was a track standout at the University of North Carolina. Her athletic foundation preceded her professional wrestling career, and her statement connected naturally to the mindset required of an athlete who has had to navigate major injuries and extended time away from competition.
\n\nWhile Rizzo did not announce a specific wrestling destination or next in-ring commitment, she made clear that she does not view the release as the conclusion of her larger story. She said she does not yet know exactly where the road will lead, but believes there is much more ahead for her.
\n\n“Onto the next chapter,” Rizzo wrote.
\n\nShe also directed supporters toward Salt and Daughters, the project she has been building outside WWE. The mention indicates that Rizzo intends to continue developing her work beyond the ring while evaluating the opportunities in front of her.
\n\nThroughout the statement, Rizzo took time to thank the people who helped her during her developmental years. She specifically expressed appreciation for coaches, producers, teammates, friends and everyone who believed in her or assisted her along the way.
\n\nThat gratitude extended to fans who supported Adriana Rizzo. Although her time on NXT television was affected by injury-related absences, her character became part of an established faction and gave audiences a memorable personality to associate with The D’Angelo Family.
\n\nRizzo closed her statement with a line that reflected the attitude of the character she played: “Fool me once – I break ya face!” It was a fitting final note from a performer whose NXT identity was tied to the tough, family-first world of Tony D’Angelo’s group.
\n\nWWE releases are often professionally and personally challenging, particularly for talent who have spent years training, recovering and working toward a larger opportunity. Rizzo’s response did not hide the disappointment of seeing her run end after she had battled back from significant physical setbacks. But it also did not read as a farewell to wrestling or to the ambitions that led her into WWE.
\n\nInstead, Rizzo presented her departure as the closing of one demanding chapter. Her four years with WWE included the chance to create Adriana Rizzo, become part of The D’Angelo Family and return from injuries that could have easily derailed her path altogether. As she moves forward, the message she wants attached to that journey is clear: resilience, gratitude and the belief that her story still has more to offer.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-3d4e8fea70ef294f52050b0f.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 19:03:23","updated_at":"2026-09-05 19:03:23","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":1,"slug":"wwe","name":"WWE"},"sources":[],"gallery":[],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/adriana-rizzo-reflects-on-wwe-release-injuries-and-next-chapter"},{"id":69,"slug":"kris-statlander-reflects-on-aew-s-pandemic-era-and-the-acl-injury-that-halted-her-early-momentum","title":"Kris Statlander Reflects on AEW’s Pandemic Era and the ACL Injury That Halted Her Early Momentum","dek":"The former AEW Women’s World Champion discussed arriving in AEW with limited experience, suffering a torn ACL during the pandemic, and finding support within the company during a difficult recovery.","body_html":"Kris Statlander’s rise into one of AEW’s most accomplished women’s wrestlers was not a straightforward climb. Before becoming TBS Champion and later reaching the AEW Women’s World Championship, Statlander had to navigate an unusually difficult beginning to her time with the company: a global pandemic, an abrupt change to the wrestling industry’s normal routine, and a serious knee injury that left her unable to walk normally while much of the world was already confined at home.
\n\nSpeaking with 98 Rock Baltimore, Statlander looked back on entering AEW at a formative point in her career and explained why that stretch remains such a strange and challenging memory. She was still relatively new to professional wrestling when she signed with the promotion, with only three years of in-ring experience behind her.
\n\nThat made the adjustment to national television and a rapidly growing company significant on its own. Then the pandemic changed the environment around her. Wrestling continued in a limited form, but the usual travel, crowd energy, locker-room interaction and career-building rhythm were all altered. For a performer still learning how to establish herself at that level, the circumstances created an experience unlike the one she expected when she joined AEW.
\n\n\n\n“I was so new in my wrestling career, too,” Statlander said. “When I got signed, I was three years into wrestling, so I’m just still kinda like — I’m just doing what I need to do.”
\nFor more background on this topic, read The New Level Explain Why Their AEW Name Fit Kofi Kingston And Austin Creed’s Next Chapter.
Statlander’s comments underline how early she was in her development when AEW became her full-time platform. A wrestler can make rapid progress after signing with a major company, but that process often depends on repetition, regular matches, travel and the opportunity to learn from peers in a consistent live setting. The pandemic disrupted every part of that process across the wrestling industry.
\n\nFor Statlander, the interruption became more severe in June 2020, when she tore her ACL. The injury required knee surgery and kept her out of action for nine months. It was not merely a pause in ring time. The recovery left her dealing with the physical limitations of an ACL tear while also enduring the isolation that defined the early pandemic period for so many people.
\n\nShe described being at home for an extended period as difficult in ways that went beyond the ordinary frustrations of being sidelined from competition. Statlander was not only separated from the momentum and opportunities of an active wrestling career; she was also recovering from surgery and unable to walk.
\n\n\n\n“I had a weird experience where the world shut down, I was doing a couple of shows during the pandemic era and tore my ACL, so I had to get knee surgery,” Statlander said. “So I was kinda stuck at home for a good amount of time like everybody too. Not only was I stuck at home, I couldn’t walk. It was a bit of a rough time for me.”
That combination helps explain why Statlander views that phase of her AEW run through a different lens than a standard injury absence. Wrestlers are accustomed to adversity, but the normal support systems around an injured performer were affected by the wider shutdown. There were fewer conventional routines, fewer normal social outlets and less certainty about when the industry itself would return to something resembling its previous schedule.
\n\nAn ACL injury is among the most serious setbacks a wrestler can face. The demands of professional wrestling place enormous pressure on the knee through running, landing, lifting, jumping, sudden direction changes and repeated impact. Returning from that injury requires patience as much as toughness, particularly for an athlete whose style depends on explosive movement and confidence in the leg.
\n\nStatlander’s first ACL tear in June 2020 sidelined her for nine months. The length of that absence illustrates the scale of the rehabilitation required, especially for a wrestler attempting to return safely rather than rushing back before the knee was ready for the responsibilities of televised matches.
\n\nHer path was complicated further by the fact that she suffered two ACL injuries during her first several years with AEW. The first injury came during the pandemic-era period she discussed, and the broader history of repeat knee setbacks makes her eventual championship achievements even more notable. Statlander had to repeatedly rebuild physically and mentally before she could establish the sustained momentum that later defined her ascent in the women’s division.
\n\nRather than allowing those injuries to define her AEW tenure, Statlander ultimately moved beyond them. Her career developed from the uncertainty of a young wrestler signed only three years into the profession into one marked by major title success. She became TBS Champion before eventually capturing the AEW Women’s World Championship.
\n\nWhile Statlander did not minimize the difficulty of her recovery, she also identified the support she felt from within AEW as a key part of getting through it. She credited the company’s family-like environment and said the people around her made it clear that her return was wanted.
\n\n\n\n“Luckily, the family environment that we had at AEW, they were welcoming and excited to see me back,” Statlander said.
That sentiment speaks to an important element of a long injury recovery for any performer. Time away can create anxiety about lost position, missed opportunities and whether the audience or a promotion will move on without them. For a wrestler who was still establishing her identity on a major stage, reassurance from colleagues and the company could be especially meaningful.
\n\nStatlander’s eventual accomplishments suggest that the support was matched by a meaningful opportunity to resume her progression. Winning the TBS Championship placed her among the central figures in AEW’s women’s division, while winning the AEW Women’s World Championship represented the highest singles prize available to the division. Those outcomes were far from guaranteed when she was at home recovering in 2020.
\n\nHer story also offers a reminder that championship milestones often obscure the difficult stretches that come first. Fans may most readily associate Statlander with title victories, high-profile matches and her place near the top of the roster, but the route to those moments included a nine-month recovery from a torn ACL during a period when the entire wrestling world was operating under unusual pressure.
\n\nStatlander’s reflection is particularly revealing because she does not frame her early AEW experience as a simple comeback tale. She was learning the profession at a high level, adapting to a changing world, dealing with surgery and confronting the frustration of being physically limited all at once. The pandemic made the experience “weird,” in her words, but it was also plainly isolating and demanding.
\n\nAt the same time, her account emphasizes the value of having a supportive environment during that uncertainty. AEW’s welcome upon her return helped provide a bridge between a difficult rehabilitation period and the career accomplishments that followed.
\n\nStatlander’s journey from a wrestler with only three years of experience at signing to a former TBS Champion and former AEW Women’s World Champion is therefore inseparable from the setbacks she overcame. Two ACL injuries in her first years with the company could have stalled that trajectory permanently. Instead, she returned, rebuilt and eventually reached the top of AEW’s women’s division.
\n\nFor Statlander, the pandemic-era injury remains a rough chapter. But it is also part of the larger story behind the championships: a young performer confronting an unprecedented professional and personal challenge, receiving support when she needed it, and finding her way back to the ring.
","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-d88ee9ce23cb8a6f03eba944.webp","featured":false,"published_at":"2026-09-05 17:07:45","updated_at":"2026-09-05 17:07:45","author":{"type":"Person","slug":"darryl-polo","name":"Darryl Polo","url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/authors/darryl-polo","image_url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/assets/authors/darryl-polo-480.webp","short_bio":"Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell.","bio":["Darryl Polo loves the mix of athleticism, larger-than-life personalities and long-running rivalries that makes professional wrestling unlike anything else. A surprise return, a perfectly timed heel turn or a match that gets the whole crowd on its feet—that’s the kind of moment that keeps him coming back.","At SmackDownOnYou, Darryl brings that fan-first perspective to WWE, AEW, TNA and the wider wrestling world. He enjoys digging into the stories behind the spectacle, following rising talent and revisiting the matches and characters that give wrestling its lasting appeal."],"updated_at":"2026-09-05 06:05:12"},"category":{"id":2,"slug":"aew","name":"AEW"},"sources":[],"gallery":[{"path":"https://smackdownonyou.com/uploads/article-11748fd8119084c1ee032c38.webp","alt":"Kris Statlander making her entrance","caption":"Image related to this report."}],"url":"https://smackdownonyou.com/stories/kris-statlander-reflects-on-aew-s-pandemic-era-and-the-acl-injury-that-halted-her-early-momentum"}],"meta":{"page":1,"per_page":20,"total":88,"total_pages":5}}