WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque officially announced that John Cena vs AJ Styles will take place at the Crown Jewel: Perth premium live event next month.
The match came after Cena last night asked fans if they would like him to face Styles one final time. He said that while he never asks for opponents, he listens to fans, and questioned Styles if he wants it and Triple H if he’s listening.
Styles accepted the challenge today and Triple H said this is a match that everyone wants to see and at Crown Jewel, “we will.”
The two had some epic battles in 2016 and 2017 and Cena used the Styles Clash in Paris last month in his match against Logan Paul as a tribute to Styles.
Crown Jewel: Perth takes place from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on Saturday, October 11.
Deadline.com is reporting in an exclusive story that production company Artists for Artists is developing a feature biopic on WWE Hall of Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
The project, titled Macho, is spearheaded by Kenan Thompson and Johnny Ryan Jr., both of whom are big Savage fans who even worked with him on a Nickelodeon promo back in 1999.
The script was written by Lanny Poffo, who is Savage’s brother, and Eric Shapiro.
Thompson and Ryan Jr. will produce alongside Paul Coy Allen of Midas Entertainment Group, with Jonathon Davino of Immaculate, Cory Litwin, Boris Shvarts, and Monica Weber exec producing. Range Select will handle sales on the project.
Ryan Jr. told Deadline, “Macho Man Randy Savage was the greatest showman of all time and the OG bad boy of entertainment. His outfits were as electric as his personality and he’s so much more than an artist, he’s an icon. Lanny and Eric did a great job capturing this story and the crazy 80s wrestling era that turnt wrestling figures into life long pop culture icons.”
Thompson added, “Beyond excited for this one!! Macho Man is hands down one of the greatest of all time and can’t wait to bring his story to the screen!!!”
Coy Allen of Midas Entertainment Group said that some stories come once in a lifetime, not just to be told, but to ignite.
“Macho is one of those rare stories that electrifies across generations. We are honored to partner up with AFA and Range Media to share Randy’s story with the world.”
WWE champion Cody Rhodes topped the PWI Top 500 list for the second year in a row.
The rankings for the 35th annual, were revealed today.
Coming in second is former AEW World champion Jon Moxley, followed by former WWE World Heavyweight champion Gunther in third, current AEW World champion “Hangman” Adam Page in fourth, and former IWGP World Heavyweight champion Hirooki Goto in fifth.
Rounding up the top 10 chart were Jey Uso in sixth, Swerve Strickland in seventh, WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins in eighth, Mistico in ninth, and Will Ospreay in tenth.
WWE and AEW shared four spots each along with one from New Japan and one from CMLL.
Rhodes becomes only the fourth star to take the #1 spot in back-to-back years.
WrestleMania 42 tickets went on pre-sale earlier today on Ticketmaster.com using the code MANIA.
Unlike previous years, there was no queue at all to go in during the first hour and fans were able to swiftly go in and choose their tickets without any waiting as soon as the clock hit 11AM ET.
But there was another wait time just before Noon ET when the waiting room opened again. Compared to WrestleMania 41, the traffic seemed to be much less and tickets did not sell quick.
While there were some very expensive tickets, there were sections which were actually cheaper than this year’s WrestleMania, something which is very un-TKO-like.
The cheapest seat so far is $597.50 for two nights while the most expensive is $32,083 for ringside. Other ringside seats range from $8,000 to $12,000.
Not all of the Allegiant Stadium is open for the pre-sale, with most of the sections set to open tomorrow for the general on-sale.
WWE has vacated the WWE ID Women’s title just days after the inaugural champion, Kylie Rae, announced that she is pregnant with her second child.
“The WWE ID Women’s Championship is now vacant. WWE ID is proud that Kylie Rae will go in the record books as the first ever champion and sends congratulations on the addition to her family. Thank you, Kylie,” a post on X from the @WWEID account read.
Rae won the title during SummerSlam weekend in East Rutherford in a show promoted by GCW after she beat Zayda Steel and Zara Zakher in a triple threat match.
WWE did not say how they are going to crown a new champion yet.
The Wresltepalooza-go home episode of Smackdown drew 1,342,000 viewers last Friday up 26,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.37 rating in 18-49, the same number of last week, and was #1 in the cable chart for the night and #2 in all of television behind a college football game on FOX. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
Wrestling has always been more than just a sport. For many, it is a performance, a tradition, and a passion that brings them together. Fans have conveyed their happiness at everything from small neighborhood meetings to big online platforms. The proliferation of wrestling fan groups shows how much people’s affection for the sport has changed.
The Early Days of Wrestling Clubs
Fans used to join together at local gyms, clubs, or community centers to show how much they liked wrestling. These gatherings were small, but they were quite exciting. People didn’t just come together to watch the matches; they also talked about their favorite wrestlers and shared their ideas. For a lot of people, joining a club was the first step toward becoming part of a larger wrestling family.
People sometimes talked about wrestling and other kinds of fun at the same time. Fans compared the unpredictability of matches to Instant Play Turbo Games titles, which likewise keep people interested since they move quickly and have surprising endings. These casual conversations made clubs more fun and made supporters feel like they were part of something.
Clubs in the area also planned small events like meet-ups and watch parties. Fans would bring posters, share publications, and even trade old VHS tapes of matches. Everyone was welcome to come to these events, and everyone was kind and open.
Shared Traditions and Social Bonds
Fans established traditions as communities developed. They created songs, banners, and rituals to make every celebration spectacular. These rituals gave wrestling meaning and made supporters feel connected.
Natural friendships formed in these groups. Some met weekly, while others traveled far to attend live events. These bonds typically lasted years, showing that wrestling is about both athletes and fans.
Shared memories strengthened communities. Fans spoke about spectacular matches and legendary rivalries for months. These events formed their story, which they shared with newcomers.
Wrestling fan in a mask
The Shift to Digital Spaces
The internet changed everything when it came. Fans didn’t have to wait for a new magazine or a club gathering in their area anymore. They could talk about matches shortly after they were over, no matter where they lived. The group became stronger and more bonded because of how quickly they could talk to each other.
It was also easy to find people with comparable interests in digital venues. There was a space for everyone online, whether they liked historical wrestling styles or modern shows that focused on entertainment. Fans were able to be seen and heard in ways that weren’t always possible in small groups because of this diversity.
Some people said that the thrill of talking to people online was like doing other fast-paced things. The excitement came from not knowing what would happen next, just like in wrestling or fast online games. Fans talked about their thoughts, fought over the outcomes, and made predictions about future matches, all in real time.
Online Forums and Social Media Groups
Wrestling fans originally met in large groups on online forums. People wrote detailed posts about their favorite wrestlers, made predictions about matches, and talked about the history of the sport. These forums were like online clubs, with frequent members who knew each other well.
Later, these conversations grew on social media sites. Fans may now submit live reactions, exchange videos, and plan events for fans all across the world. Fans may talk to each other right away in groups on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.
Here are some of the common activities fans enjoy in these online spaces:
Live discussions during pay-per-view events
Sharing classic match highlights and rare footage
Creating memes and fan art about wrestlers
Organizing fantasy leagues or prediction games
Talking about responsible gambling when matches overlap with betting culture
The Globalization of Wrestling Fandom
Online platforms allowed global fan reach. North America and Europe fans might discuss the same game. This mix of voices connected wrestling communities worldwide.
Cultural exchange increased as wrestling became more popular worldwide. Mexican lucha libre and Japanese strong style were introduced to fans. These methods improved wrestling and influenced global discourse.
Global fan clubs recommended responsible entertainment consumption. Some games have betting markets, but communities emphasize safe gambling and game love. Fans care about more than excitement. They care about their health.
Bottom Line
Fan groups for wrestling have come a long way. They began with little clubs in their neighborhoods where people could get together to trade recordings and periodicals. Today, they are on worldwide platforms where fans can quickly share ideas with people from all over the world.
The trip shows how both old and new ways of doing things affect how fans feel. Wrestling fans are still devoted, imaginative, and passionate. People from many walks of life come together because they love the sport, whether they meet in person or online. There may be even more ways to interact in the future, but the heart of these groups will always be the same: the joy of wrestling and the friendships it makes.
The Empress of Tomorrow turned heel and beat up the Genius of the Sky at the end of Raw, which was headlined by a match between Asuka and Rhea Ripley.
After Ripley beat Asuka, Asuka spit mist in Ripley’s face, turning her into an Avatar! Iyo Sky came out to save Ripley from a further attack and at first, Asuka seemed like she was taking Sky’s advice, even hugging her, but then, wham…down went Sky.
Asuka hit Sky with a spinning back fist and then Asuka directed Kairi Sane to attack Sky. Reluctantly, Sane accepted and the two double-teamed her. Sane, again reluctantly, then delivered the Insane Elbow on Sky, leaving her laid out just like Ripley.
Tensions had been brewing in the group for the last several weeks and the breakup of Damage CTRL seemed inevitable.
With just a few hours to go, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced some matches for tonight’s Raw broadcast which will once again kick off at 7PM ET live on Netflix.
Two matches announced include The New Day and Grayson Waller vs War Raiders and Penta in a six-man no disqualification match and Bayley vs Roxanne Perez.
Plus, WWE champion Cody Rhodes will kick off the show as the road to Crown Jewel starts and brand new WWE Women’s World champion Stephanie Vaquer will also be in the house.
Tickets for AEW’s last pay-per-view of 2025, Worlds End, went on sale this morning on Ticketmaster.com.
The show will be held at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Tickets start from $37.95 and go up to $664.90.
Not the whole arena is open, in fact, the 200 Level seats are all closed off for the time being. There are also five 100 Level sections which are also closed off, four on the hardcam side and two on each side of the stage.
TNA Wrestling today announced that Mickie James will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame during the Bound For Glory pay-per-view.
James received the news during a live episode of Notsam Wrestling Live! on SiriusXM while she was being interviewed by Sam Roberts and Tommy Dreamer. TNA President Carlos Silva made a surprise appearance and broke the news to the former champion.
She is a former 11-time women’s champion between TNA and WWE and had multiple stints with the promotion. She held the TNA Knockouts title on five separate occasions.
She becomes the 17th inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame and the fourth-ever Knockout following Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, and Traci Brooks.
The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on Sunday, October 12 live from the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The John Cena farewell tour is down to just five more appearances following his match against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza.
His next appearance will be in Australia at the Crown Jewel: Perth premium live event on Saturday, October 11. With no appearances in between, the build for the match will be a one-way street.
After Crown Jewel, Cena has two appearances on the road to Survivor Series which will be his last PLE. Cena will be at the November 10 episode of Raw from the TD Garden in Boston and the November 17 episode of Raw from Madison Square Garden in New York. He then wrestles at the Survivor Series: WarGames from Petco Park in San Diego, California on Saturday, November 29.
The retirement match is set for Saturday, December 13 on Saturday Night’s Main Event live from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. His final opponent is yet to be revealed and there will be no build from his end towards this match after his Survivor Series appearance.
The two-day combo tickets for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas will range from $854.15 to $8,998 excluding taxes and fees according to PWInsider.com.
The pre-sale for the two-day combo tickets starts tomorrow at 11AM ET while tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 24 at 11AM ET on Ticketmaster.com.
Floor seats will cost from $3,868 to $8,998 while the raised section on the floor will be from $2,200.75.
100 Level seats will start from $1,174.80 and go up to $1,495. 200 Level seats are from $1,174.80 to $1,303.54. 300 Level seats start from $1,174.80 while 400 Level seats start from $854.15. All prices are excluding taxes and additional Ticketmaster fees.
That is not taking into account dynamic pricing, which will be applied depending on the popularity of the tickets.
The seating chart for WrestleMania 42 is exactly the same as this year’s WrestleMania and you can see it below.
One member of the Secret HERvice, Piper Niven, is injured and will be out for a while as Chelsea Green announced that she is looking for a new member while Niven is injured.
Green, referring to Niven as Slaygent P, said she was out on a “top secret special assignment” and in her absence, the faction will be “accepting dossiers and video submissions for a potential fill-in candidate.”
“Only those with a license to slay, investigative background of HERlock Holmes and an impeccable record of SHEcurity will be looked at,” Green wrote.
Niven last wrestled on the August 22 episode of Smackdown, defeating Charlotte Flair. It’s unclear what sort of injury the Scot is suffering from.
WWE ID Women’s champion Kylie Rae announced on social media that she is pregnant.
Rae won the inaugural title in August during SummerSlam weekend after defeating Zayda Steel and Zara Zakher in a triple threat match during a show promoted by GCW.
She only wrestled once since then, a week later on the August 8 episode of EVOLVE, defeating Masyn Holiday.
Asked by a fan on X why she vacated the Relentless Wrestling women’s title, Rae responded short and sweet with, “Because I’m pregnant.”
WWE has not announced the status of the ID title yet.
This will be Rae’s second child with fellow indie wrestler Isaias Velazquez.
AEW President Tony Khan is open to moving AEW pay-per-views to an afternoon start time after positive feedback from fans.
Notorious for running very late, fans had it good the last three PPV shows as they all started early and finished at a decent hour.
All In from Texas started early to avoid head-to-head with WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event and Goldberg’s retirement while Forbidden Door started early because it was live from London. All Out was supposed to start in its regular PPV time slot but Khan took the decision to move it to a 3PM start time to avoid head-to-head with WWE’s Wrestlepalooza.
“I think the point you’re making is definitely something I take into consideration,” Khan said during the post-show media scrum when asked if they would be in favor of permanently moving to afternoon start times.
“That’s absolutely one of the considerations we’ve thought about here. And whether it’s Saturday or Sunday, it’s definitely giving me something to think about,” Khan continued.
During the Wrestlepalooza post-show, Triple H said that Stephanie McMahon thought The Undertaker was going to do something for her birthday since it’s just around the corner and had absolutely no idea about the Hall of Fame induction announcement.
When Taker rolled up in front of her, you could see she was expecting something, but the moment he said the word “induct,” her head tilted and her facial expression changed.
After the long embrace, Steph told Taker that “he’s in trouble,” referring to her husband, who was watching backstage at Gorilla. A split screen video published by WWE showed Triple H’s reaction while Taker was delivering the news, and shed a tear as well.
When Stephanie reached Gorilla Position, Triple H put his hand up to cover his face and was met with an expletive from Stephanie before the two shared a big hug.
There was a hilarious moment on the Wrestlepalooza post-show last night which left the panel in an awkward position and required an apology on the air from Paul Heyman.
As the crowed booed Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, Breakker went off on the fans to shut up and targeted one particular person.
“Even that fat, disgusting guy out there who hasn’t seen his toes in five years,” Breakker said. Reed was seen telling something to Heyman immediately and Heyman took over.
With Big E, Joe Tessitore, and Peter Rosenberg looking all serious, Heyman said, “Bron…Mr. Breakker, you can’t say that. First of all, that’s a woman!”
Tessitore put his arms over his head and Big E looked rather unconformable.
“Ma’am, ma’am, as a full-figured gal myself, we apologize,” Heyman continued, as Tessitore shook his head and Rosenberg cracked a smile but quickly got serious again.
Reed and Breakker didn’t care and laughed anyway but Tessitore quickly changed subjects and got the train back on the track.
During the Wrestlepalooza post show, when Cody Rhodes joined the panel following his successful title defense against Drew McIntyre, he was rudely interrupted by the WWE World Heavyweight champion, Seth Rollins.
Rollins was coming off a loss along with his wife Becky Lynch against CM Punk and AJ Lee and was not in the best of moods. The two frenemies came face-to-face and Rollins held up his title and Rhodes did the same. After a few seconds, Rollins backed off and Rhodes concluded his work on the post show.
Triple H, also appearing on the post show, then confirmed that Rhodes vs Rollins will be the main event at Crown Jewel: Perth and will be for the Crown Jewel title. It’s a concept introduced last year where the two world champions, whoever they are at the time, face each other in a one-on-one match at the premium live event.
Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan won their respective Crown Jewel titles last year in Riyadh.
