Fatal Influence, the faction consisting of former NXT Women’s champion Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid, left a mark on Smackdown yesterday.
The trio first showed up by interfering in a WWE Women’s Tag Team title match between Paige and Brie Bella vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, attacking everyone.
Later in the broadcast, they also interrupted Rhea Ripley’s Smackdown arrival and Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis made an impromptu match between Ripley and Jayne.
The match also ended in a DQ after Henley and Reid attacked the new champion.
WWE fired a total of 21 Superstars from main roster and NXT in its yearly post-Mania massacre, including some surprising names.
Perhaps the biggest ones are Aleister Black and Kairi Sane, with Sane involved in an angle being bullied by Asuka for the past several months with now no apparent payoff.
Black just recently returned from AEW but failed to catch on. His wife, Zelina Vega, was also released.
The cuts started yesterday afternoon and it’s always a dicey time for Superstars after WrestleMania as the yearly layoffs comes and never misses.
The full list of those released in alphabetical order are:
The Smackdown After Mania takes place tonight live from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas and is the last broadcast to officially close WrestleMania.
As of this writing, there is just one match and several segments announced for the three-hour broadcast.
Giulia vs Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s United States title
New WWE Women’s champion Rhea Ripley moves to Smackdown
New WWE United States champion Trick Williams to celebrate with Lil Yachty
New WWE Women’s Tag Team champions Paige and Brie Bella to appear
Jacob Fatu to appear
Smackdown airs at 8PM ET on USA Network for viewers in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
WWE programming on A&E returns this Sunday, April 26 with all-new seasons of WWE LFG, Biography: WWE Legends, and WWE’s Greatest Moments.
Biography: WWE Legends returns with new specials offering an inside look at legendary WWE Superstars. Beginning April 26 at 8PM ET/PT, the two-part special “The Curse of the Von Erichs” delves into the history of the Von Erichs where Kevin Von Erich tells the powerful story behind his family’s wrestling dynasty and the tragedies faced in building their empire.
Following at 10PM ET/PT, in-ring competition series WWE LFG (Legends and Future Greats) returns for a new season with an all-new format, raising the stakes as rising talent battle for a shot at WWE stardom. Competitors face relentless pressure training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida where there are no limits and one defining moment could advance a Future Great to NXT or end their journey in the program altogether. Guided by iconic coaches and special guests including Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, Kevin Owens, Natalya and others, the series spotlights the next generation of hopefuls as they battle it out in front of packed crowds for a chance at greatness.
At 11PM ET/PT an all-new season of WWE’s Greatest Moments offers fans a chance to count down the most iconic events in WWE history. Hosted by legendary play-by-play announcer Michael Cole, each half-hour episode pays tribute to WWE Superstars and Legends such as Chyna, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Lex Luger, Seth Rollins and more. The series also delves into premium live events like Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber. The first two episodes celebrate WrestleMania and highlight some of the event’s most memorable moments from the 2000s and 2010s.
Billy Gunn sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Indianapolis, Indiana to discuss still being in amazing shape at 62 years old, if he wants one more singles title run, if he plans to wrestle into his 70s, working with his kids Austin and Colten, if DX was a greater faction than the nWo, his hidden gem match with Brock Lesnar on SmackDown, his friendship with Mike O’Hearn, who was the best person he has been in the ring with, and more!
Do you want to wrestle into your 70s?
“I don’t. So I want to do it while I still can, and while I’m still having fun. I mean, you can ask my wife, she hates watching me, because I’m just such a goof. I’m such a goof because I just don’t have any stress anymore. There’s no stress for me to go out there and have everybody go, Oh, watch, it’s going to be an unbelievable wrestling match. They’re going to go, we’re about to have so much fun and be interactive in what we do, because that’s what he does. So that’s what I’m doing. Do I want to? No, I don’t want to work until I’m 70. But is it possible? Sure, anything’s possible. But I’m getting to the point where I’m kind of slowing down a little. I think it’s because the gym is taking over my life.”
Do you want another run at a singles title?
“No, I’m not a singles guy. I know that, and I’ve always known that. Plus, I really don’t have the air for that anymore, just being older and stuff. I guess it’s because I don’t really put an effort into that, because it’s not something I want to do. I feed better off of more chaos, and I can work better like that than I can working on my own. Can I direct a little better? Yeah, I can direct a little bit, but I can also direct in tags or trios or whatever that looks like as well. I’ve always been a tag guy, because I love the structure of how to get all these pieces together and put it together so it makes something good. Yeah, singles negative.”
What do you think of this discussion that goes on in wrestling so often of what was the better all time faction, DX, or the nWo?
“It’s people’s opinion, and you can have one of those, right? Of course, I say DX is number one. Kevin [Nash] is going to say nWo. They were both super impactful that literally, I don’t think, even as today, there’s not one wrestling person that doesn’t know what each one of those are. Because it was so impactful and it was so good. I know the only thing that hurt the nWo is it was so good, and then everybody jumped on. Where DX was so good, and you couldn’t get on board with, I don’t care if you had a golden ticket from Willy Wonka, you weren’t getting on that ride.”
I don’t know if you know this or not, but WWE Vault just uploaded one of your matches from February 26, 2004. It was a SmackDown match with Brock Lesnar. Do you remember that?
“So I do a little bit, and somebody sent it to me, and it’s not bad. It’s pretty good. The people don’t realize that if he likes you, he would work with you, and me and him always got along. He is awesome. I’ve worked him a couple of times, I think that was one of the only times I really worked him on TV. But we would do some house shows together, and he was amazing. He really was, and he was good because he was one that would never take over either. It was kind of like he let me kind of put some stuff together, then we kind of just kind of went where he wanted to go. That’s how stuff happens. When lead guys, and I’m talking like the most experienced one of the one that thinks he’s got to control everything and call everything and not listen, is not how you have good things. It’s okay, this is the direction we’re going. It’s not working. If you have something, give it to me, let’s go. I’m super open to go there. What’s the worst? It doesn’t work either. We just go another direction. That’s the working part of what we do.”
Brooke Hogan, the daughter of the late WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, said that she did not attend WrestleMania weekend like her brother because she was never invited by WWE, and her invitation was later done through her brother, but her brother never told her to come.
“So when I said something on Instagram where I was like for everybody giving me crap for not being there, like I wasn’t invited, um and Nick Khan called me personally and said that he extended the invite through my brother and that was kind of it,” Brooke said during an appearance on the Bubba “The Love Sponge” show this week,
“So I mean I would imagine that if I were, I would probably have to be invited by Nick (her brother),” she continued.
Brooke added that she was really hurt to see Andre The Giant’s daughter at the Hall of Fame but there was no place for her.
“Because the thing is right now at the point in life I’m at…I could not be more disappointed and hurt and just, what’s the word for just out of gas, like, I’m just flabbergasted, I just, I have no more tears to cry, defeated, I have no more gusto in me and the truth is I fought so hard for my dad until I literally was about to lose myself,” Brooke continued.
WWE honored Hogan with a life-size bronze statue at WWE World and had the Hulkamania exhibit as well. On Friday night, Hogan and Andre were both honored with the Immortal Moment at the Hall of Fame for their WrestleMania III match, an honor which Jimmy Hart, Andre’s daughter, and Nick Hogan were involved in.
The pre-sale for the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door 2026 pay-per-view is now live on Ticketmaster.com using the code INS4FB.
The very affordable tickets start from $37.40 and go all the way up to $767.60 for ringside seats. All Elite VIP seats are also available for $1,109.20.
For now, only the 100 level of the SAP Center in San Jose is available for tickets, with the 200 level all closed off. That will obviously change depending on the amount of tickets moved throughout the next couple of months.
Forbidden Door will take place on Sunday, June 28.
PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE has signed former IWGP Heavyweight champion EVIL.
The former member of the Los Ingobernables de Japón faction departed the company in late January after he did not renew his contract.
Real name Takaaki Watanbe, the 39-year-old has worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling for 15 years and is a former IWGP Heavyweight, IWGP Intercontinental, IWGP Tag Team, NEVER Openweight, and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team champion.
In a post on social media, WrestleCon said that TNA President Carlos Silva reimbursed the company after he pulled Leon Slater from his WrestleCon match against Ricochet.
All TNA talent were pulled from wrestling AEW stars during WrestleMania weekend, in a move which many believe was WWE’s doing, protecting their partnership with TNA.
Others believe that Silva was not happy that AEW put Collision head-to-head with Impact on a Thursday a few weeks ago and decided to get revenge.
“He took a beating the last few weeks, so I want to give Carlos Silva his props today,” WrestleCon founder Michael Bochicchio wrote.
“A week ago, he called me personally to explain his reasoning for pulling the match. He then asked if there was anything he could do to make up for it. I simply asked that he reimburse me for Leon’s flights/hotel since he was no longer wrestling for us. Today, I was reimbursed for the flight/hotel as promised. Thank you Carlos,” the statement continued.
Silva pulling all his talent from matches did not go down well with fans and other promoters, with one particular promoter even going as far as saying that he will never work with TNA talent again in the future.
NXT Revenge week two drew 591,000 viewers, up 6,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.10 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 and the highest since February 10. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
The annual TKO proxy statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission revealed the salaries of the top brass of TKO Group for 2025.
WWE President Nick Khan had an annual salary of $24.29 million. Khan had a $2 million base salary for the year and $10,761,640 in bonuses for reaching certain targets throughout the year. $3.7 million from that total bonus sum was for his role in Zuffa Boxing. Khan also received $11,526,561 in TKO stock awards.
TKO President Mark Shapiro had a base salary of $4 million and an additional $12,500,000 in bonuses plus $25,846,781 in stock awards, sending his 2025 total to $42.65 million
TKO Chief Executive Officer Ari Emanuel had a $3 million base salary and $20 million in bonuses in addition to $43,982,672 in stock awards, with a final tally of $67.36 million for the year.
WrestleMania 42 Saturday did not chart in the Netflix global top 10 without United States viewership, but numbers released this week showed that the Saturday event cracked the top 10 chart in 33 different countries.
The countries include Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and United Kingdom.
The WrestleMania 42 Sunday numbers will be released next Tuesday.
So far, the only WWE premium live event to chart in the Netflix top 10 global chart since the international move is the 2025 Royal Rumble.
On today’s episode of SiriusXM’s The Nikki and Brie Show, Nikki and Brie Garcia continue to unpack WrestleMania 42.
During the episode, Nikki Garcia details her recovery plan, shares her goals for her last run and says she wants to return as a heel. Brie also shares her dream bucket list moments and matchups as she continues her run solo.
Nikki Garcia details her recovery plan & says she wants to return as a heel (16:34-19:25)
Nikki Garcia: So what I want is I want to, I’m going to take this time to really, one, mentally mindset wise regroup and know like, “Here’s the game plan, here’s your end date and these are the things that I want to achieve before that end date, so how do I get there?” That’s mindset, and as far as my body, I’m going to work with Katie, our trainer on keeping my arms and shoulders strong, my core strong. What can I do for my quads and my glutes to keep that strong while I’m rehabbing my ankle. To be with my therapist all the time on rehabbing my ankle and knowing my bones growing the strongest. What I’ve already done is I already have talked to a doctor and I’ve already gotten the peptides already at my house. The peptides, he told me all the vitamins to take that will help my ligaments and my bones grow as strong as possible so I’m just going to focus on that especially for the next six to eight weeks and I’m going to get an x-ray in eight weeks. If it’s not ready yet, I’m just going to keep doing all those things and, you know, but it might be ready yet and then I might be back but I’m going to take these next six to eight weeks to focus on that and I still want to achieve with you. I really have that dream with like our kids and we have those moments and the moments that you and I want like I really want the full circle moment with you of course and I really would love to do maybe one more solo run and I’m kind of excited for you because you’ve been crushing it in the ring. I think this is going to be a great time for you, Brie, to really showcase what you have, so I think people get focused on Nikki and Brie, Nikki and Brie and so I think right now will be Brie, and then I think people will be really excited for the comeback, but I want this comeback to be epic because it’s going to be my last one in the ring.
Brie Garcia: Yeah, well it was really funny because our life coach, Carrie, she came to WrestleMania and I was asking her, I’m like “What is it?” Why is it, you know, it was just Nikki’s solo and I just feel like a lot of it’s been like, I get pregnant, Nikki’s solo or before that, before I got pregnant it was your neck surgery and then all of a sudden I get pregnant. I don’t know. It just kept going back and forth, back and forth of these solo things and I go, “And here we are back at it again,” where it was like Nikki had her year, I come back, all of a sudden she’s injured and I’m just like, feels like a lot of solos.
Nikki Garcia: And I got to admit, I just want to do my last run as a heel. I don’t want to be a baby face. I don’t like being a baby face.
Brie Garcia: Well, it’s hard for you.
Nikki Garcia: It’s very hard. But I want character work. I want to be heel and if you and I are together, I want to be Team Bella. I want to do what we were doing then. That was fun. That was epic and we have the stuff that you can do that with. Do you know what I mean? We have the resources and it’s very easy to come at us with things to be a big baby face.
Brie Garcia: And we don’t care.
Nikki Garcia: And we don’t care, so I really want that.
The Nikki & Brie Show hosted by Nikki & Brie Garcia is available anytime on the SiriusXM app. New episodes every Monday and Thursday. Listen to the full episode here.
John Cena has teased something “epic” for the upcoming Backlash premium live event which takes place on May 9.
“Man if only it were 2023 again!! I might have different business at @WWE #Backlash. Alas, the years pass,” Cena said in a post on X.
“I am still gonna try to do something epic in Tampa for 5/9. I promised Club WWE something special… stay tuned.” he continued.
Cena is still settling in in his new role with WWE, although it’s not known what his official role with the company is. Cena signed a long-term deal with WWE to continue past his retirement and just recently hosted WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
Backlash takes place from the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster.com starting from $101.30.
Brandon Thurston for POSTWrestling.com revealed that public documents related to WrestleMania show that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority paid WWE a $6 million site fee to bring back WrestleMania to Sin City this year.
That is around $1 million more than the company received in 2025 for WrestleMania 41 and it’s the biggest site fee WWE has registered so far.
WWE is also set to receive almost $4.4 million in tax credits based on production costs from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development. WWE estimated to have spent $35 million in production during the week for all surrounding events.
The contract between WWE and the LVCVA also called for the authority’s logo to be placed on adverts for all WWE promotional material for WrestleMania and some free tickets to all the events plus a suite at the Allegiant Stadium.
Appearing on the latest episode of the What’s Your Story? podcast, WWE Superstar Paige recounted how she got in touch back with WWE and what the demands were for her to sign back.
Paige told Stephanie McMahon that it was Jelly Roll who kicked things into motion after she appeared on his wife’s podcast. The Rock’s agent, Brad Slater, also happened to be there and the Grammy Award winning artist asked why WWE didn’t bring her back yet. Slater promised to set up a meeting with Nick Khan.
Paige said that he called Khan and got her a meeting with him for the week after in Los Angeles.
She said that in the 10-minute meeting, Khan said that WWE has two things that need to be clear: her neck needs to be evaluated and cleared by WWE medical and she has to undergo a drug test.
“I was like, ‘Hey, I can control the drug test.’ I’m clean as a whistle,” she told McMahon. “And so I was like, ‘I don’t know how my neck’s been. It’s been a few years since I got it checked. The last time I got it checked…it was perfect. So I’m not really concerned about it!’ And so the next week I fly to Birmingham.”
Paige added that after she got the all clear, the two sides entered in contract negotiations and got it signed in time for WrestleMania.
In a vlog posted on his YouTube channel, Grammy Award winning artist Jelly Roll told Pat McAfee that both of them should go back to do what they best and leave the wrestling business for a while.
Riding in a golf cart following his involvement in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday, Roll said he had one goal for tonight and he succeeded.
Jelly Roll took Pat McAfee out with an elbow through the announce table, smashing it to pieces.
“Pat, I love you man. Neither one of us had any business here. I say we get back to what we’re good at,” Jelly Roll said looking at the camera. “Man…even though I’m not actually really good at anything, but you’re great at something, so go do it. I’ll keep searching for what I’m going to do when I grow up.”
The involvement of both McAfee and Jelly Roll in the main event storyline drew sharp criticism from wrestling fans and critics. The two are huge wrestling fans who are well liked by the WWE Superstars and admired for their dedication and time they put in training for their matches in the past.
War or no war, WWE is going to Saudi Arabia come June.
The company today officially announced that Night of Champions 2026 will take place from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 27 live from the Kingdom Arena.
Saudi Arabia was one of the countries hit by Iran during the war recently and there were doubts if the June show would take place in the region considering the unstable situation.
But those doubts were squashed today with the WWE announcement, marking the company’s second trip to the Kingdom for 2026 so far. A third show is expected to take place later in the year. Royal Rumble 2026 was also held there.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said.
Tickets will be sold via WeBook.com starting on Monday, April 27.
Wrestling games have always been about more than just what happens in the ring. They capture the drama, the personalities, and that over-the-top energy that makes the sport so entertaining. In 2026, there’s a huge mix of titles to explore, from classic console favorites that still hold up to newer releases and even wrestling-themed slot games that bring a different kind of action.
If you’re looking for something modern, the WWE 2K series continues to lead the charge. Games like WWE 2K26 build on recent improvements with smoother gameplay, bigger rosters, and more match types than ever before. With hundreds of playable characters and modes that let you control entire shows, it feels closer than ever to running your own wrestling universe. There’s a strong balance between realism and fun here, which keeps both casual players and long-time fans hooked.
Of course, not every great wrestling game is brand new. Some older titles still set the standard. WWF No Mercy remains one of the most respected games ever made, thanks to its deep mechanics and satisfying match flow. It rewards timing and strategy rather than button mashing, which gives each match a natural rhythm. Then there’s WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is a fan favourite that blends arcade-style chaos with technical gameplay. Its stacked roster and fluid mechanics make it just as enjoyable now as it was back in the day.
For players who prefer a more polished modern experience without jumping into the latest release, WWE 2K19 is often seen as a high point for the franchise. It refined the formula with smoother controls and a huge roster, while modes like MyCareer and Universe keep things interesting long after your first match. It’s one of those games you can keep coming back to without it ever feeling stale.
Beyond traditional console titles, wrestling has also made its way into online slots, and surprisingly, it works. Games like WWE Legends Link & Win helped kick off a wave of officially licensed slot titles, featuring iconic names like Steve Austin, Eddie Guerrero, and Randy Savage. With voice clips, archive footage, and multiple bonus features, it feels like a celebration of wrestling history packed into a completely different format. For fans who enjoy fast-paced, chance-based gameplay, this is the best online slots game for anyone looking to mix wrestling nostalgia with something a bit more unpredictable.
There are also more niche picks worth trying. Hulkmania offers a throwback experience with simple mechanics and an old-school feel, while Lucha Libre 2 brings a colourful, cartoon-inspired take on Mexican wrestling culture. These games might not have the same depth as major console releases, but they stand out for their style and creativity.
What makes wrestling games in 2026 so appealing is the variety. You can jump into a highly detailed simulation, relive classic eras with retro titles, or try something completely different with themed slots. Each option captures a different side of wrestling, from technical skill to pure spectacle.
No matter where you start, there’s no shortage of ways to step into the ring this year.
Copeland and Cage want another shot at the AEW Tag Team titles against FTR in what would be their third match against each other.
On Dynamite last night, Copeland said that to make things sweeter for FTR, he’s willing to add the stipulation that if they don’t win the titles, he and Cage would never tag team again in AEW.
The two teams are 1-1 in their matches, with Copeland and Cage winning their match at All Out and then FTR winning their match at Dynasty. The Dynasty match had the AEW Tag Team titles on the line.
The match for Double or Nothing is not official yet.
