Most wrestling fans only see the 15 minutes inside the ring. They do not see the 300-mile drive at 2:00 AM or the desperate search for a gym that is actually open. The reality is that for a wrestler, the match is the fun part. The real work is trying to keep the body from falling apart while living out of a rental car. So, how do wrestlers stay match-ready on the road?
Tech is a Lifesaver (Literally)
It is not just about “feeling good” anymore. It is about data. A lot of the talent in the locker room has become obsessed with tracking recovery. You will see them checking heart rate variability on their watches or reading up on things like a HumeHealth Body Pod review to see if a smart scale can actually track water retention after a long flight. It is a weird balance of using high-tech gear to manage a very old-school physical toll. And while security researchers like those at Cybernews warn about being careful with that data, most wrestlers are simply worried about whether their hydration levels are tanking.
Eating Clean in a Dirty World
The biggest myth is that wrestlers just eat whatever they want because they burn it off. If they relied on what was available at 1:00 AM in rural America, they would be powered entirely by gas station hot dogs and energy drinks.
The smart ones are basically walking Tupperware containers. They cook five pounds of chicken breast before leaving the house, shove it in a cooler bag, and drag it through TSA. If that runs out, it becomes about hacking the menu at Waffle House by ordering six eggs, holding the toast, and doubling the meat. It is not glamorous, but it is fuel.
The Gym Hunt
Consistency is everything, but consistency is impossible when waking up in a different time zone every day. The first thing a wrestler does upon landing is not check into the hotel. Instead, it is Googling “gyms near me.”
Sometimes they get lucky with a Gold’s Gym. Sometimes they are stuck in a rusted-out basement gym in a strip mall, paying $15 for a day pass. But they go anyway. It is common to see a carload of wrestlers piling into a local Planet Fitness just to get a pump in before the show. It is a weird kind of bonding experience to sweat it out together in a strange town before going to war later that night.
Sleep: The Impossible Goal
A wrestler can lift all the weights they want, but if they are not sleeping, they are going to get hurt. That is the hardest part. They finish a match, adrenaline is through the roof, they drive four hours to the next town, and try to sleep at 4:00 AM.
It is a constant battle to shut the brain off. Many rely on white noise apps, eye masks, or strict wind-down routines just to grab four hours of quality rest. If a performer is not mentally sharp in the ring, they risk dropping someone on their head. It is that simple.
This life is not for everyone. Staying “TV-ready” while living like a nomad is a grind that breaks a lot of people. It is a constant juggling act of diet, training, and just trying to stay sane. The fans cheer for the moves, but the real victory is just making it to the next town in one piece.
Former TNA President Dixie Carter appeared at the Impact debut episode on AMC last night.
Carter was walked out to the stage by current TNA President Carlos Silva, and received a mixed reaction by the Dallas crowd.
“I cannot believe 24 years ago. How many of you have watched TNA almost that long? I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Carter said. “Thank you all for being here tonight. What an incredible honor. This company is on AMC launching a brand new chapter. I couldn’t be more proud of the locker room, all of you fans, thank you for everything you’ve done. It’s a very sentimental night for me so thank you so much.”
After she finished her short speech, Bully Ray came out to join the commentary desk for the main event and had a stare down with his former boss, a boss who he famously put through a table several years ago. The two hugged on stage before Carter returned to the back.
Carter ran TNA for 14 years starting in late 2002 until late 2016, when she resigned after Anthem Sports & Entertainment took over the company.
TNA X Division champion Leon Slater will not be appearing at the Genesis pay-per-view tomorrow, with Santino Marella citing the same visa issues as Dani Luna.
Slater was set to defend the title against Cedric Alexander and Moose in a three-way match, but while Slater will not be in town, someone else will take his place.
Former TNA World champion Joe Hendry is returning to a TNA ring to fill the void and will be participating in this non-title three-way match instead. Hendry was announced to be appearing on the show several days ago but his exact involvement was not revealed.
Slater, who is a Brit, is rumored to be appearing on Smackdown tonight from London instead.
For wrestling fans, the thrill isn’t just the in-ring action. It is also predicting the next champ and maybe putting some money on the outcome. But if you are traveling, whether chasing a wrestling tour or just on vacation, keeping up with your bets can get tricky. Here is what you need to know to stay in the game while on the road.
Location Matters
The U.S. doesn’t have one set of rules for sports betting. Every state does its own thing. An app that works perfectly on your couch might lock you out the second you cross state lines. This fragmentation is a major hurdle for travelers who assume their accounts are universal.
Betting apps use sophisticated GPS technology to pinpoint exactly where you are. If you aren’t in a state where they are licensed, you can’t bet. Just having an account isn’t enough. For example, you might live in a state where online sportsbooks are fully legal, but if you travel just an hour away to a neighboring state with stricter regulations, your app becomes useless for placing wagers. Always check the laws at your destination before you leave so you aren’t left scrambling during a big pay-per-view event like WrestleMania or SummerSlam. Knowing the landscape ahead of time prevents the frustration of missing out on a prime opportunity simply because of geography.
Wi-Fi Risks
Hotel and airport Wi-Fi is convenient, but it is rarely secure. Logging into your betting account on these public networks can expose your banking info to hackers who prey on unsecured connections. When you are dealing with financial transactions and sensitive personal data, the risk is significantly higher than just checking your email.
Many people use a VPN to stay safe, but betting apps often block them to stop people from faking their location. This creates a difficult situation where you want security but also need access. If you need security without getting blocked, check out guides on the best Hard Rock Bet VPNs from experts like VPNoverview. They break down which services actually work without triggering app errors. Using the right tools ensures that your data remains encrypted while still allowing the sportsbook to verify that you are in a legal jurisdiction.
Managing Your Money
Even if betting is legal where you are visiting, your specific app might not work there. Sometimes you can log in and look at odds, but you can’t actually place a wager because that specific operator does not hold a license in that territory. This is a common point of confusion for bettors who see that sports betting is legal in a state but do not realize their specific brand of sportsbook is not authorized to operate there.
Also, handle your money before you leave. Some apps won’t let you deposit or withdraw funds if you are out of your home state. Load up your account beforehand so you don’t miss a bet because of a declined transaction. It is much easier to manage your bankroll from the comfort of your home network than to try and resolve banking issues while on hotel Wi-Fi or using roaming data. Being prepared financially ensures that when the main event starts, you are ready to participate.
Traveling shouldn’t ruin your fun. By knowing the local rules and keeping your connection secure, you can focus on the match instead of fighting with your phone. A little bit of preparation goes a long way. If you research the laws, secure your connection, and fund your account in advance, you can enjoy the wrestling action from anywhere in the country without missing a beat.
Jackie Redmond sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Washington, DC to discuss how a phone call from Michael Cole led to her joining WWE, the unique way she got into broadcasting, her dream job of reporting on the NHL, interviewing Triple H and The Rock after the wild WrestleMania 40 press conference, if she has any interest in getting in the ring, and more!
On CM Punk’s return:
“I crossed paths with CM Punk prior to joining WWE because he’s such a hockey fan. So I knew him through hockey. So when he came back, I instantly DM’d him. I was leaving the venue, and I was like, ‘You little sh*t! I didn’t know you were coming back.’ This is crazy, and I was still pretty new at that time. So for me, I was like, Oh my gosh. It’s an intimidating world. Everyone’s so nice and welcoming, but it’s a big world with big personalities. Everyone’s focused on what they have going on. So when I first started, I was very much in my shell, I was shy. So when Punk came back, I was like, Oh, my God, a friendly face. I know this person, which is so crazy because his reputation prior to coming back, it just amazes me some of the things that people say about him. Because for me, he’s always just been an absolute pleasure, so nice, so professional, just awesome.”
So how did WWE bring you in for this job originally?
“So I was in Montreal covering the Stanley Cup final between Montreal and Tampa. I mean, this business is funny, right? Because years prior to this, because that would have been 2021. Around 2016, 2017, again, Renee Paquette calls me and is like, ‘Hey, WWE might be interested in you. What do you think? I told them I’d call you first just to see kind of what you think.’ And she’s been such a great person to me. I know we talked about her earlier, but whenever I’ve reached out to her for any type of advice, she’s always been there, even as the years have passed. So she had called me and told me that my name had been brought up, and asked me what I thought. I said, ‘Well, what is the gig?’ I was still in Toronto at this time, and just like, it would be hosting. She goes, ‘I see everything you’re doing in Canada right now with misplays of the month, and you’re hosting our equivalent to SportsCenter on the weekends. You’re doing all this great stuff. I feel like they might put you in NXT, you might be in the middle of nowhere.’ Experience outside of WWE isn’t the same as experience inside of WWE. And she goes, ‘So I don’t know if you’d be into it.’ So I said, ‘You know what? Let me think about it.’ And at the same time, I got an opportunity at NHL Network, and so I ended up not doing the WWE thing, and it never went further than a convo with Renee on the phone. It was very much like early stages, like, ‘Hey, your name was mentioned by somebody.’ So I end up taking the hockey show. My dream job, right? I’m covering hockey two hours a day, live television. Best thing for me to ever happen as a broadcaster, because when you’re live for two hours straight, oh man, you make some mistakes, but you learn how to kind of roll with the punches. So years go by and I’m covering the final in Montreal, and I am not even joking, I get a phone call. I don’t know the number. I pick it up and it’s Michael Cole and he’s like, ‘Hey, I know your agent. I got your contact info from your agent. We are looking for someone to host our post-shows, our Raw Talk and our Talking Smack, and we’re kind of changing them a little bit. We want them to be a little bit more like a real sports post-show where you come into a studio, you talk about what happened. Maybe you go back to the venue, there’s an interview, yada yada yada.’ So I literally get a cold call from Michael Cole, which is so weird. I’m in Montreal, and I’m like, I can’t wait to text my sister after this and be like, ‘Michael Cole just called me. How weird is that?’ I guess my agent was supposed to give me a heads up, but didn’t get me the heads up in time that the call was coming. So I had been on their radar, and yeah, he called me, and I said, ‘Do I have to stop doing this hockey show that I’m doing?’ And he said, ‘Well, where’s the hockey show?’ And I said, it’s in New Jersey. He said, ‘Well, Connecticut’s 90-minute drive. It’s only twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. You do both. It’s fine with us if it’s fine with you.’ So I did the audition, and he called me pretty much after the audition, and said, ‘You got it, if you want it, it’s yours.’ Those were crazy days, because our show was four to six Eastern time. So on Monday, I’d be on the air four to six live, and then I would leave from NHL Network and drive right to Connecticut, get there basically, with the traffic and stuff right on time for Monday Night Raw to start, watch the show and then go live again.”
You were interviewing Triple H at the WrestleMania 40 press conference, then The Rock interrupted:
“The jaw drop, the most natural crazy jaw drop of my entire life. The crazy thing about that situation was I didn’t even know I was interviewing Triple H until eight minutes before that. So we’re getting close to the end of this presser, and a producer comes up to me and is like, ‘Hey, we weren’t planning for this, but some sh*t is about to go down, and I think we need to hear from Hunter after this. We need him to give us something to kind of put a cap on everything that’s going on.’ So okay, that’s no problem. ‘So just pay attention. As soon as it’s done, he’s gonna come out of Gorilla, and he knows he’s gonna chat with you to get this instant live reaction from the craziness that just happened.’ So I find that out late, and I’m like, oh. I’m still only a year into this job, maybe. So for me, Hunter is still a very intimidating presence. I’ve met him, I’ve talked to him. He’s lovely, but we’re not buds. I don’t know him that well. I’m like, Oh man, I’m interviewing Hunter, can’t blow this, this has to be good. And then I interview him, and I should know better at this point that basically 99% of the time when I’m interviewing someone, it will be interrupted, that’s pretty much a staple of what I do. But I had no idea that Dwayne The Rock motherf*cking Johnson was gonna come out, yell at Hunter and drop F bombs all on live television. People do not believe me to this day that I did not know The Rock was gonna do that. I did not know, hand to God did not know that that was gonna happen. So when it did, that was a very real reaction from me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I felt like I was teleported back to being 10 years old, it’s the Attitude Era and The Rock and Triple H are yelling at each other. What is going on? It was a very surreal, surreal moment for me. I don’t say that a lot, like that was one where I was like is this my life right now?”
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting through his select service that Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee, collectively known as The IInspiration, are departing TNA Wrestling.
The duo lost the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles last night on Impact to The Elegance Brand, ending their reign at 110 days.
McKay and Lee only returned to TNA in June of last year, three years after they announced that they would be stepping away from professional wrestling while they were still working for the company.
Sapp also adds that there is interest in the team formerly known as The IIconics so they could very well land somewhere else in the very near future.
The TNA World title match at tomorrow’s Genesis pay-per-view will be a rematch of Mike Santana vs Frankie Kazarian, but this time, with the stipulation of a Texas Death Match.
The stipulation was announced after Impact went off the air last night, when Nic Nemeth came out and was going to cash in his Call Your Shot Gauntlet contract for the title.
TNA’s Director of Authority Santino Marella appeared and said that Kazarian would get his rematch and announced the stipulation. Daria Rae joined the party as well, dropping a news of her own saying that Nemeth would be the special guest referee.
The show will take place from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, the same place where the Impact on AMC debut was held.
NXT this week drew 618,000 viewers, down 9,000 viewers from the previous episode which was the New Year’s Evil special. The show had a 0.09 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the prior show. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
Elayna Black, who wrestled as Cora Jade in NXT, has signed with TNA Wrestling and joined the Knockouts division yesterday on the AMC debut episode.
Black was introduced by fellow former WWE star Daria Rae during the same segment.
The 25-year-old wrestled a few times for TNA while she was still under a WWE deal as part of the TNA/NXT partnership but was released from her WWE contract in May of last year.
She continued wrestling on the indie scene for a few months but then took a break from her wrestling commitments, citing mental health issues.
Black has since become a millionaire with her popular OnlyFans page.
The artist formerly known as Sonya Deville in WWE made her TNA debut last night using the name Daria Rae.
Now using her real name, Daria was introduced to the audience by TNA’s Director of Authority Santino Marella, who said she would also hold an authority position within the company as Director of Operations.
While Rae first acted as a babyface, she quickly turned heel, berating Marella and the Dallas crowd.
She competed in WWE for 10 years, between 2015 and 2025 and left in early February of last year after she was informed that her contract would not be renewed.
Professional wrestling was once viewed as a strictly North American export that merely visited other countries for exhibition tours. That perspective is rapidly fading as major promotions now prioritize massive stadium shows in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. This strategic pivot signals a new era where the biggest moments in the industry are just as likely to happen in London as they are in New York.
Managing Regional Restrictions
Following the action from different time zones requires some adjustment for American audiences who are used to evening broadcasts. The logistical challenges increase significantly for fans who travel to these destination events but still want to engage with their usual online services. Regional broadcasting rights and internet regulations can often block access to specific streaming libraries or betting platforms that function perfectly within the United States.
This digital fragmentation can be frustrating for enthusiasts who want to place wagers on match outcomes while they are on the road. The cybersecurity specialists at VPNpro suggest that travelers often utilize VPNs for gambling and sports betting to securely access their legitimate accounts while connected to foreign networks. It remains essential for every user to verify that their activities comply with the local laws of the host country to avoid any legal complications during their trip.
The Unique Atmosphere of Foreign Crowds
The primary driver for this international expansion is the undeniable electricity that foreign audiences bring to the broadcast. American crowds can sometimes be reserved or cynical, but fans in places like France or Puerto Rico treat wrestling with the same raucous intensity seen at a championship soccer match. They sing songs throughout the bouts and create a deafening wall of sound that enhances the drama for viewers watching at home.
This energy forces the performers to elevate their physical efforts to match the environment. Wrestlers frequently mention that the adrenaline rush from a passionate international crowd is unlike anything else they experience during their domestic touring schedule. The visual spectacle of tens of thousands of fans filling a historic outdoor stadium provides a backdrop that a standard basketball arena simply cannot replicate.
Why Cities Are Fighting for Hosting Rights
It’s not just the fans who are winning here; cities are practically tripping over themselves to host these events, and for good reason. It’s become a lot like the bidding wars we see for the Super Bowl or the Olympics. When a major wrestling promotion rolls into town, they aren’t just bringing a ring and some lights; they are bringing an army of tourists who need places to sleep, eat, and party.
Hotels get booked solid, local pubs run out of beer, and small businesses see a massive spike in foot traffic that can last for nearly a week. Local governments have realized that cutting a few checks for tax breaks or helping with traffic logistics is a small price to pay for the millions of dollars that get pumped back into the local economy. As long as the cash keeps flowing like that, you can bet that mayors from Cardiff to Perth will keep rolling out the red carpet.
We have officially moved past the days when wrestling was just an American sideshow. It has grown into something truly borderless, where a random Saturday afternoon in Lyon or Jeddah can host the most talked-about match of the year. For the fans, this is the best-case scenario. We get to see different cultures put their own spin on the sport, creating a vibe that you just can’t manufacture in a studio. The world is watching, and finally, the wrestling world is traveling to meet them halfway.
A new TNA World champion was crowned on the Impact premiere episode on AMC last night, with Mike Santana regaining the title from Frankie Kazarian in the main event of the show.
The match was originally supposed to take place at the Genesis pay-per-view tomorrow but was moved two days up to maximize a potential new audience watching on AMC.
Santana beat Kazarian with his Spin The Block finisher after earlier in the match he also delivered his finisher, with the referee counting to three but Kazarian kicking out in the last milli second.
His first reign ended after just 32 days and months of chasing the title. Kazarian’s run with the title lasted only 63 days.
International fans will be able to watch Smackdown live at a decent hour for the second week in a row as the show will air from London, England as part of the Road to the Royal Rumble tour.
Fans outside the United States can catch the show at 8PM GMT in the United Kingdom or 9PM CET for those in Central Europe. In the U.S., it airs on tape delay in its usual time slot of 8PM ET on USA Network.
Four WWE title number one contender’s qualifying matches will take place, with each winner advancing to a fatal four-way at Saturday Night’s Main Event to determine who will face Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble.
The matches include Randy Orton vs The Miz, Damian Priest vs Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn vs Ilja Dragunov, and Matt Cardona vs Trick Williams.
Plus, Carmelo Hayes hosts the United States Title Open Challenge and Drew McIntyre returns to the UK as the new WWE champion!
USA Network has renewed Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman for a second season according to Deadline, giving the show a 12-episode order, an increase from the eight which made up season one.
The show, which launched in October 2025, was the ninth most popular new cable show of the year according to Nielsen and performed quite well in the ratings. It was filmed while Strowman was still under a WWE deal and WWE is a producing partner on the show.
“I’ve been so blessed to perform in front of massive crowds over the years, but getting the chance to travel the country, sit with people at their tables, hear their stories, and taste the meals that mean the most to them has been life changing,” said Scherr. “I know fans know me from the ring, the ‘Monster Among Men,’ but this experience has let me show the world who I really am, and I’m a big softie on the inside. I’m humbled and incredibly grateful that I get the chance to do what I love and hopefully put a bunch of smiles on peoples’ faces, and food in their belly, along the way.”
“Adam, aka Braun Strowman, has won the hearts and inspired the tastebuds of our audiences with Everything on the Menu,” said Val Boreland, President, Entertainment at Versant. “I’m hoping for a dinner invite in season two so I can experience his culinary genius firsthand.”
Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman features the former WWE Universal champion as he steps outside the ring and into kitchens across America. It is produced by WWE and Bright North Studios. Paul Levesque, Lee Fitting, Marc Pomarico and Ben Houser executive produce for WWE. Matthew J. Braley, Adam Scherr, Nick Antonicelli, Morgan Hertzan, Shawn Efran and Azadeh De Leon serve as executive producers for Bright North Studios.
The 2026 Royal Rumble will have a 10PM start time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is a record for the latest start time for a WWE premium live event ever.
The 10PM start time is to accommodate the rest of the western world, with the show starting at 2PM ET / 11AM PT in the United States, 5PM GMT in the United Kingdom, and 6PM CET in Central Europe.
“No staying up late this time,” the Netflix UK X account posted along with a video promoting the Rumble.
While U.S. and European fans will not be staying up late to watch it, the approximately 20,000 fans in Riyadh will have a harsher time, with the event expected to end by around 2AM local time.
BlastTV in the Philippines has secured the TNA media rights for the country.
The company was the home of WWE television in the Philippines but those expired at the end of 2025 and moved to Netflix, leaving a void which has now been filled with TNA programming.
The deal starts with tonight’s Impact, which airs live at 10AM local time tomorrow in the Philippines.
They will also air every single TNA pay-per-view live starting with this Saturday’s Genesis, which will be available for free on Tap Sports and the BlastTV app.
AEW President Tony Khan officially welcomed Persephone, Mascara Dorada, and Hechicero to AEW, announcing that the trio CMLL stars are now under dual contracts with both CMLL in Mexico and AEW.
All three have been part of AEW programming for a while but they did so under the working agreement that AEW has with CMLL.
Having dual contracts ensures that the talent are also being compensated fairly for their work with AEW.
Khan welcomed all three with the usual “All Elite” graphics.
Construction of the arena where the Royal Rumble will be held in Riyadh continues at a fast pace according to the latest videos posted.
The seats have all been installed after the structures to support the multi-tier seating stands were finalized last week.
The walls which will surround the outdoor arena are currently being built up around the stands, with the Royal Rumble and WWE logos already visible at the top.
Construction of the stage, on the side by the highway has also started although it’s currently only scaffolding.
The outdoor arena is being constructed just for the 2026 Royal Rumble, similar to what they did for WrestleMania IX at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
It is located in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, east of King Fahd Road.
Tickets for the show sold out quick, which at one point there were over 800,000 people in line on WeBook to purchase them.
It’s a big night for TNA Wrestling as Impact makes its debut on AMC and its streaming service AMC+, moving to a new home after over five years airing on AXS TV.
The show will start at 9PM ET, an hour later than usual, and it will be the new start time for future Impact shows on AMC. The event will be held live from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas.
Scheduled matches for tonight so far include Frankie Kazarian vs Mike Santana for the TNA World title, The Iinspiration vs The Elegance Brand for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles, and Elijah and The Hardys vs Order 4 in a six-man tag match.
Plus, former WWE and TNA champion AJ Styles will be on the show and Bully Ray will be part of the commentary team for the TNA World title match.
