Collision this past Saturday night saw its viewership go up to 384,000 viewers, up 42,000 viewers from the previous week despite competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs going head-to-head. The show drew a 0.06 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from the prior week. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
MJF softens stance on TNA President Carlos Silva: “He’s learning on the job”
Former AEW champion MJF has softened his stance on TNA President Carlos Silva, weeks after calling Silva a “dumb motherf*cker” for pulling all TNA talent from wrestling AEW stars during WrestleMania weekend.
MJF was one of the most vocal stars to bash Silva on social media after his match against Nic Nemeth was also canceled.
There were rumors that Silva was not happy that AEW moved Collision to Thursday in early April, head-to-head with their program on AMC.
“It’s called being preempted due to March madness,” MJF wrote on X at the time. “This guy is actively a dumb motherf*cker. Congrats. You pay your talents shit. Force them off shows where they can make money. #lolTna”
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF explained how AEW were pre-empted, as it is often the case during that time of the year, and the show was moved by WBD on Thursday.
“We get pushed to Thursdays. He thought that we intentionally asked Warner Bros. Discovery. We were pre-empted and he didn’t know that, so because he didn’t know that, he got offended and then he pulled a couple of matches off,” MJF said.
He noted that he was offended because he was looking forward to beat the shit out of Nic Nemeth and because he’s taking money out of people’s pockets.
“So, I was a little upset, but I have been informed that this guy’s getting smarter to the business, he’s fairly green, he’s fairly new, and he’s learning on the job,” MJF continued. “And I’ve been told that he’s a good guy, so I’ve pumped the brakes a little bit on ol’ Carlos Silva. He’s learning on the job.”
Silva admitted that it was his decision and took full responsibility for the actions.
Marty Jannetty’s family issue statement after leg amputation reports
The family of Marty Jannetty issued a statement on social media to address the “recent circulation of private medical information and photographs” involving the former WWE star.
The statement said that over the past year, they chose to keep Jannetty’s health condition private and the recent reveal that he underwent leg amputation came after unauthorized posts and news disseminated by one of his friends on a podcast.
“Marty recently underwent a below‑the‑knee amputation. The photograph currently being shared online is authentic. It is not AI‑generated, altered, or manipulated in any way,” Addie Jannetty, his wife wrote.
She said that the procedure was performed on April 1, 2026, by Dr. Leland McCluskey, who successfully removed all infected bone.
“The surgery went as expected, and Marty is now focusing on recovery, pain management, and long‑term healing,” she continued. “We respectfully request privacy during this time as Marty continues his rehabilitation.”
She added that when the family is ready to release updates, they will do so in due time.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has reached out with genuine concern, compassion, and support. Your kindness has been felt and deeply appreciated,” she wrote.
WrestleMania 42 and the release of WWE 2K26 bring back the feel of classic wrestling games
With WrestleMania 42 now in the rear-view mirror and WWE 2K26 from 2K Games on sale, the virtual ring is once again in the spotlight. Each year, the biggest event in pro wrestling is a reminder of how deeply the genre is woven into gaming culture. Below is a curated ranking of the ten best wrestling games from different eras.
How the top 10 was put together
When compiling the list, we considered the games’ influence on the genre, gameplay quality and clarity, historical significance, the range of modes and roster size, as well as the author’s personal impressions, which are noted separately within each entry.
Arcades and the Japanese tradition: a nostalgia-driven start
The lower spots in the ranking go to titles that laid the groundwork for the genre. The arcade energy and experiments of Japanese series are now viewed with the benefit of hindsight, yet they were the ones that set the direction every later generation of wrestling games would follow.
- Giant Gram 2000: All Japan Pro Wrestling 3 / Toukon Retsuden
Platforms: Dreamcast (Giant Gram), PlayStation (Toukon Retsuden). Late 1990s. Both projects come from the Japanese scene.
Toukon Retsuden, later released in the U.S. as Power Move Pro Wrestling, impressed with its graphics and smooth animations, which at the time felt “light-years ahead” of the competition. Giant Gram 2000, by contrast, won out on atmosphere: the live crowd roar and expressive commentary created a real sense of being there, even despite the fully Japanese-language text.
For the genre, both projects became a valuable time capsule of Japanese wrestling at the dawn of the 3D era. By the author’s own admission, today they hold up mostly on nostalgia and atmosphere.
- Saturday Night Slam Masters
Platform: arcade cabinet (1993), ports to SNES and Mega Drive
Capcom’s blend of wrestling and fighting games set a breakneck pace, and co-op made every session feel like an event. The characters were clearly reminiscent of the stars of the time: The Great Oni was a nod to Great Muta, while Alexander the Grater looked almost lifted straight from Big Van Vader.
According to the author, it was the Team Battle Royale run with a friend that stuck with him the most—and it remains a standout example of an arcade-style take on wrestling.
- Fire Pro Wrestling World
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (2017)
Its unique grappling mechanics are very much a “you either click with it or you don’t” kind of deal: the old-school pixel art and unusual timing windows can put off newcomers, but they open up incredible depth for those who get the hang of it. A powerful editor lets you recreate virtually any wrestler and stage “dream matches.”
DLC added storylines and Promoter Mode, but the full DLC bundle wasn’t cheap. The author specifically points out the high barrier to entry and the “steep” price tag for the complete set of add-ons.
’90s consoles and the THQ/AKI era: when the genre found its formula (7–5)
The era of arcade halls gave way to home consoles, where deeper rosters, a wider variety of modes, and more structured match systems became decisive.
- WWF WrestleFest
Platform: arcade cabinet (1991)
Improved graphics, an expanded roster, and tag-team moves made WrestleFest a noticeable step forward compared to its predecessor, WWF Superstars. The game became a showcase WWF-licensed arcade title. The author recalls that having the cabinet available at a nearby store greatly boosted its cult status.
- WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006
Platforms: PlayStation 2, PSP (2005)
Tight gameplay and well-executed match “gimmicks” (special match stipulations) were complemented by General Manager Mode, which let you run a show and compete for ratings. It was a step toward seeing wrestling as “the product,” not just a set of matches. According to the author, the show-management mode felt like a genuine breakthrough at the time.
- Virtual Pro Wrestling 2
Platform: Nintendo 64 (2000), Japan-only release
Essentially a Japanese version of WWF WrestleMania 2000, with differences in moves, roster, and character presentations adapted for the local market. The game reinforced the AKI formula, which for fans became synonymous with ideal 3D wrestling. The author admits he still “shudders” thinking about the hours spent with a cartridge adapter to get around the region lock.
The modern WWE 2K series: from reboot to fine-tuning
- WWE 2K23
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (2023)
Two MyRISE story paths and a strong John Cena-focused Showcase made this entry feel more polished after the series reboot in WWE 2K22. The gameplay foundation, reworked during the two-year hiatus after the failed WWE 2K20, received additional refinement. The author notes that recent entries have evolved more through targeted improvements than through revolutions.
Why the top 3 are in a league of their own
The top three spots are united by cult status, long-lasting mechanics, and their influence on fans’ idea of “benchmark” wrestling gameplay. The exact order is debatable depending on personal preference, but the set of leaders itself is a natural one.
- WWF WrestleMania 2000
Platform: Nintendo 64 (1999)
THQ’s debut with the WWF license delivered a solid match foundation and a recognizable presentation style. Historically, the rights shift from Acclaim to THQ was another blow in the WWF–WCW Monday Night Wars. The author places the game alongside No Mercy as a logical pairing, despite a general reluctance to double up on similar titles.
- WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
Platform: PlayStation 2 (2003)
Dynamic gameplay, a wealth of content, and an almost endless Season Mode turned HCTP into one of the peaks of the PS2 era. The author says the game brought back his interest in wrestling after WCW and ECW folded, and it stayed in heavy rotation on his console for a long time.
- WWF No Mercy
Platform: Nintendo 64 (2000)
Improved graphics, expanded character creation options, storylines, a large roster, Ladder matches, and an ally-and-rival system made for a package that outclassed everything that came before. AKI Corporation’s final entry in this line became the benchmark developers kept returning to decades later: All Elite Wrestling brought in the original director to help create AEW Fight Forever. The author carefully notes that the modern successors’ legend-inspired attempt, unfortunately, didn’t land as impressively.
Note: the near-miss
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth was considered a serious contender, but didn’t make the cut: the author sees it as a tier below the PS2-era leaders and aimed to avoid doubling up on games from the same era with a similar vibe.
What the best wrestling games have in common—and why they’re being talked about again in light of WWE 2K26
All standout titles in the genre share tight, no-frills gameplay, memorable modes, a sense of spectacle, and creative freedom. The release of WWE 2K26 fuels interest in where the genre came from and which games are still seen as benchmarks for developers and players.
Wrestling games beyond the usual markets
Interestingly, wrestling titles are increasingly showing up in PC café lineups well beyond the U.S., where the genre has traditionally been most in demand. In West Africa, and especially in Nigeria, PC cafés are actively expanding their libraries by adding wrestling games, fighters, and sports sims, drawing in an audience that previously stuck to FIFA and Counter-Strike. To lower the barrier to entry for new visitors, many venues offer no-deposit bonuses—free gaming hours upon registration. The website we reviewed, with an overview of such bonuses in Nigerian clubs, notes an increase in activations specifically during wrestling sessions.
Such statistics show that the culture of the virtual ring is no longer an exclusively Western phenomenon and is gradually winning over new regions. For the genre itself, this means a broader audience—and, in turn, an added incentive for developers like 2K Games to invest in the quality of future releases.
Smackdown rating for 05/15/2026
Smackdown last Friday night drew 1,184,000 viewers, down 95,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.23 rating, also down by 0.06 from the previous episode but still managed to be the #1 show on cable television for the night but was #5 in overall rankings also including network shows. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
WWE developmental star Nikki Blackheart wrestles first dark match at NXT tapings
Indie star Nikki Blackheart wrestled during a dark match before NXT on The CW last night, her first match in a WWE ring.
The 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic is under a developmental deal with WWE and was trained by Gangrel. She made her pro wrestling debut in 2024.
Blackheart had a new name, simply introduced as Martinez, and won the match against LFG season two winner Skylar Raye.
Two months ago she was signed by WWE after a tryout with the company and participating in Bayley’s Lodestone training camp and is now training at the WWE Performance Center.
Bianca Belair and Montez Ford throw baby shower
Bianca Belair and Montez Ford threw a baby shower with the theme “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & Over the Moon,” inviting several WWE Superstars to the party.
“We wanted it to be more of a party/celebration than a traditional baby shower because traditional baby showers can be a little low-key and monotonous,” Belair told People.com, who got the exclusive on the story and the photos. “We wanted all of our friends to just have fun, let loose and celebrate with us!”
Among those in attendance were Mia Yim, Shayna Baszler, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Maxxine Dupri, Liv Morgan, and Ivy Nile.
It was a blue and gold theme for the couple and their family, with Belair wearing a beautiful gold dress and Ford looking sharp in a blue suit.
Belair announced her pregnancy in the middle of the ring at WrestleMania 42.
Rico Constantino talks Billy and Chuck, American Gladiators, getting fired from WWE, and more
Rico Constantino sat down with Chris Van Vliet in Arizona to discuss the many jobs he’s had on top of being a pro wrestler, winning American Gladiators, starting wrestling in his late 30s, wrestling John Cena and Brock Lesnar in OVW, how he became Billy and Chuck’s manager and The Stylist, why he was released from WWE, his appearance in AEW, if he is open to one more match, and more!
We recently saw you in the ring with AEW. You look like you could go again.
“I could, and I wanted to. But I was a manager, and things didn’t happen. I told you off-camera what I thought of, and it was shot down.”
Because what a wonderful surprise. When people think of you, they think of Billy and Chuck. For you to be in a segment in a match with Billy Gunn in there, it just seemed perfect.
“Oh yeah. I just wish we could have told a story in the in a pre-tape, because people weren’t really getting it, because the crowd had changed over 20 years, and Billy just off the cuff, went down, and he cut a promo off top of his head, saying, ‘You’re the guy that almost made me marry Chuck.’ So then maybe brought some stuff back, and we did the match, and Billy got his revenge at the end. I interfered with the match and stuff like that. Then Billy snuck up behind me, and all of a sudden, you saw the match, and oh, I know this face. I know that ass. Turn around, ‘No Billy, No!’”
Do you consider yourself retired? I don’t just mean from the ring. Are you retired now?
“Well, right now, as I’m going through the blood clots and the blockage right now, I am retired. But if they can clear the blockage, either with a stent or remove it, and these go away, I’ll return to part-time work. I’ll go and work again. Maybe, you know, if somebody wants me to make a special appearance, I’ll get right back into ring shape.”
Would you wrestle another match?
“I would. As soon as I get into ring shape, I would, and it won’t take me long. I’d love to in one of the bigger promotions and stuff like that. I’d love to do a tag match. Not ready to do singles yet. I would love a tag match.”
So when you’re in OVW, did you ever think you’d get a call to go on the main roster?
“I was hoping for the call, but my age played something on it. I was too old. I’d get the reports, you know, they’re saying you’re too old. So here I am trying to do everything and just get a shot. It finally came down to you’re going to be cut in 90 days. [Well] there it goes. Well, Cornette was upset at it. So Cornette, Danny Davis, JR, because I was always in the JR report, and I got to do a spot with Stone Cold at Christmas Chaos in Louisville, they stood up for me. So when SmackDown and Raw came to Louisville, Cornette had a meeting with Stephanie and said, ‘You’re going to cut him anyway. Just call him up to be on the road, do dark matches, maybe you’ll think of something.’”
You had dark matches with some legends. There’s one where it’s you and John Cena versus Shelton Benjamin and Brock Lesnar.
“Benjamin and Brock were the Minnesota Stretching Crew. Cena and I were the Southern Tag Team Champions. I was the role model. He was my prototype. So we’re going to go out there and titles are going to switch. So we go out there and do this big bang match, really good match, and they win, and we go to the back and they say, Good job, good job. And then Kenny [Bolin] comes up. He goes, ‘We’re going to have to gonna have to go back out.’ I said, What? ‘We’re gonna have to go back out, do another match and switch titles again.’ And I go, why? He goes, because the first match isn’t ready. And I went, oh no. So we got together and start talking, and we were in gorilla 30 seconds ready to go out of the curtain and do a rematch, and then the first match pops up. This is in a WWE ring.”
So you debuted in WWE in March 2001, got released in November 2004.
“Well, I wasn’t going on any shows. My final release was 90 days later. So I was under contract until February 2005.”
Were you surprised when you got released?
“Yeah, and I went and asked Vince for a raise because I had already gulfilled my three-year rookie contract. I’ve held the tag titles twice, once with Rikishi, once with Haas. I was going to almost every show and on TV. I said I want $1,000 a week.”
What were you making before?
“Minimum, which was $75,000 a year.”
But $1,000 a week is less than that?
“No, I wanted a $52,000 raise on top of the $75k. A thousand a week [extra]. I thought I was worth it, and Charlie and I and Jackie were about to come out on the SmackDown magazine front cover, and he told me I wasn’t popular.”
So that’s what led to you being released?
“Yeah. Vince didn’t like me because of my age in the beginning, he was forced to put me there. And if anybody out there looks at my background, I’m an Action Man. I’m a straight to law enforcement. I’ve been to two police academies, graduated number one in both of them, I’ve got life-saving awards. I was voted one of the officers of the year by Crime Stoppers for catching a person who was escaping her parole, who led me to a person who was wanted for murder, and I caught a homicide suspect and shipped them back to LA. So I’m that type of guy. EMT, paramedic, people running this way, I’m running to trouble. I want to help people. So here Vince gives me this style in some feminine character, maybe hoping I fail. Well, I turned it around.”
Card now complete for this weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne
Two more matches were announced last night on Raw for this weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Former NXT Women’s North American champion Sol Ruca will be taking on Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Lynch interrupted Ruca’s backstage interview on Raw, reminding her that she had not won a match since she moved up from NXT. Ruca marched down to the ring and called out Lynch, challenging her for the Intercontinental title. Lynch agreed to the match, but not to put the IC title on the line.
Also, WWE Women’s Tag Team champions Paige and Brie Bella will be defending their gold against former champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend of The Irresistible Forces. The champs defeated The Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez last night on Raw.
The show now has five matches, with Penta vs Ethan Page for the WWE Intercontinental title as the main event.
It takes place live from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana and streams exclusively on Peacock in the United States and on YouTube for international viewers.
Eight WWE Superstars set for meet and greets at UFC Fan Fest at UFC Freedom 250
Eight WWE Superstars are scheduled to be part of the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest next month when the UFC takes over The White House for one of their biggest events of all time.
The Fan Fest will take place on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 at The Ellipse just in front of The White House.
Bron Breakker, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, The Miz, Tiffany Stratton, and Trick Williams are all scheduled to be there meeting fans.
UFC Freedom 250 will be headlined by Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje for the UFC Lightweight championship and the Octagon will be set up on the south lawn of The White House with President Donald Trump in attendance.
Free tickets can be requested at Ticketmaster.com.
Impact rating for 05/14/2026
Impact on AMC last week drew 196,000 viewers, up 32,000 viewers from the prior week but way down from previous weeks. The show had a 0.03 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from the last show. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)
TKO President Mark Shapiro admits blame and mistake for moving WrestleMania 42 to Las Vegas
Appearing on the Power Players With Brian Sozzi podcast on Yahoo! Finance, TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro admitted that WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas was a “mistake” which is his fault.
Shapiro said that due to the huge success of the previous year in Vegas, he went to WWE President Nick Khan and told him to make the 2026 WrestleMania in Las Vegas again.
“I said to Nick Khan, ‘We’ve gotta go back to Vegas next year. We have to move New Orleans down the road and we got to come back to Vegas,'” Shapiro said.
But Shapiro said he has no regrets on the gamble of going back-to-back in Las Vegas and said the only reason everyone kept hearing that it wasn’t like the prior year is because there was no “first mover experience.”
The interview was actually recorded around the time of WrestleMania 42 but released a month later.
WrestleMania 42 was originally announced to be taking place in New Orleans by The Rock himself during an appearance on Smackdown. Money In The Bank this year is taking place in New Orleans instead, with a future WrestleMania returning to the city somewhere down the line.
Tribal Combat rules match set for Clash in Italy premium live event
Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu are set to clash in Italy in a Tribal Combat match for the WWE World Heavyweight title.
The two opened Raw last night but Reigns got the upper hand this time around thanks to the help of his cousins Jimmy and Jey. In the ring, Fatu made the challenge to Reigns for the Italian premium live event, which was accepted.
There have been a couple of Tribal Combat matches in WWE, with Reigns vs Jey Uso at SummerSlam 2023 and Reigns vs Solo Sikoa on the Raw Netflix debut.
On both occasions, Reigns came out victorious.
Clash in Italy will take place on Sunday, May 31 live from the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy. A sold-out crowd is expected for the event.
Brock Lesnar makes surprise appearance on Raw, attacks Oba Femi
Well, here comes the pain… again!
It seems that Brock Lesnar’s retirement plan has been thrown out of the window as the Beast Incarnate made a surprise appearance on Raw last night and took out Oba Femi.
Femi was out for the weekly open challenge but this time around, while he was doing his in-ring pose with the lights dimmed, The Ruler was attacked from behind.
It was only when the lights came back on that fans saw it was Lesnar, who hit not one, not two, not three, but four consecutive F5’s on Femi.
Fans inside the arena completely lost their marbles and chanted “holy shit” with Lesnar looking rather proud of his attack.
After a commercial break, Paul Heyman handed Raw GM Adam Pearce a signed contract, saying Lesnar was ready to face Femi in a WrestleMania rematch at Clash in Italy.
Femi destroyed Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 and following the match, an emotial Lesnar removed his gloves and boots, leaving them in the ring as he said goodbye to the fans.
WWE Superstars to join UFC athletes for UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest at The White House
WWE Superstars will be joining UFC athletes at the Freedom 250 Fan Fest on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 for meet and greets.
The announcement, made on social media by the UFC, does not show who will be in town from WWE’s side so far.
The Fan Fest will be held at The Ellipse in front of The White House and will feature meet and greets, immersive experiences, live panels and Q&As, the ceremonial weigh-ons, a Zac Brown concert, he UFC Freedom 250 watch party, and more.
The event is sponsored by crypto.com and Ram, with Ram being a frequent sponsor on WWE programming.
TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC, will be eating a huge hit in terms of money to produce the event, with estimates hovering around $60 million. TKO will foot the bill for the cost of construction of the arena, fighter pay, and site restoration, which includes $700,000 to replace the grass on the South Lawn.
When all said and done, TKO expects to recover around $30 million through exclusive corporate sponsorships and other packages.
Free tickets can be requested at Ticketmaster.com.
Dynamite Beach Break heading to Clearwater Beach in July
AEW has announced that the Dynamite themed episode of Beach Break will be held on Wednesday, July 8 in Clearwater Beach, Florida.
The show is set to take place from The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park, a 4,000-seater waterfront boutique concert venue.
AEW is using Jon Moxley, Thekla, Darby Allin, and Willow Nightingale to advertise the broadcast.
Last year’s Beach Break was held over two nights including Collision tapings and had Jon Moxley defend the AEW World title against Samoa Joe in a steel cage match. The show was held at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois in May.
Road Warrior Animal’s widow bashes WWE and A&E for “bullshit” Biography episode
Kim Turman-Laurinaitis, the widow of Road Warrior Animal, ripped WWE and A&E a new one over the Road Warriors Biography episode which aired yesterday.
She said that she was never contacted to be part of the show despite being there the night he died. She said that the real story will eventually come out.
“This is disgusting, literally disgusting, at his expense, and I will not be quiet anymore. Shame on all involved. The TRUTH will always come out,” she wrote in a post on Facebook.
She also challenged the producers’ version of how her husband died, saying that he passed away on September 22 in a hotel and not at a hospital as it was alleged in the documentary.
“They never took him to a fcking hospital. They tried to save him in our hotel room,” she continued. “I was the ONLY one there with the paramedics… are you serious right now?!
She bashed the “fake-ass phony people” who pretended to be friends and pretended to tell the truth at her husband’s expense and wondered if they will be handing out Oscars for the acting.
“Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. No words. All of you know y’all just put on a fantastic performance. Standing ovation for that bullshit show,” she added.
Tiffany Stratton addresses rumor that Giovanni Vinci was fired because he flirted with her
During a livestream on Twitch, current WWE United States Women’s champion Tiffany Stratton was answering questions from fans and addressed a rumor that Giovanni Vinci was fired from WWE because he flirted with her.
“You guys! That may be the craziest one I’ve ever heard,” Stratton said. “That did not happen, that is not true. There is no truth to that.”
Stratton said that she heard he had just signed with TNA Wrestling and thinks he’s “gonna kill it” there and hopes he’s do amazing.
“So absolutely no truth to that. That’s a false accusation,” she continued.
Stratton also addressed her looks, where some fans accused her of being all plastic.
“I just got my boobs done,” Stratton said. “Got some lip filler. Got some botox. And that’s it. I’m not plastic from head to toe. It’s just the chest, the lips, and some botox, that’s it. Let’s move on!”
Heel turns and horse races: how storyline drama in wrestling mirrors the upsets at the racetrack
Professional wrestling and horse racing don’t belong in the same sentence. One is mostly scripted; one is totally unpredictable. One has dramatic entrances, and the other has dramatic finishes.
Very different worlds. But the emotional structure? Surprisingly close. Both wrestling and horse racing are built around the same logic: tension before the outcome. The buildup is also important in both sports; the crowd brings in the hype, and the favorite matters. And when something unexpected happens, people remember it for years.
Whether it’s a shocking title win or an 80-1 underdog horse winning the Kentucky Derby, the feeling is the same. This got us thinking: how does storyline drama in wrestling compare to the chaos of the horse racing industry?
Both Sports Need a Favorite
Every sport, not just wrestling or horse racing, needs someone the audience understands immediately and someone that the audience thinks is going to win. This is where the big stories are born.
We’re talking about the favorite. The champion, the unbeatable force. When you look at it, both wrestling and horse racing have that. In every wrestling match, there is one favorite, and although the crowd knows that they’re all secretly rooting for the underdog just because they placed a bet.
Horse racing works the same way. Before a big race, the public usually creates the favorite.
Every good wrestling story needs someone the audience understands immediately. If we look at the 2026 Belmont Stakes entries, there is already a clear favorite to win this year’s big race.
This favorite becomes the emotional anchor of every event. Without a favorite, sporting events would feel boring, and an upset wouldn’t feel like an upset. Basically, the favorite gives the audience something to measure against.
The Underdog Is Where the Story Lives
Now let’s talk about the underdog. Favorites are there to create a structure, but underdogs carry all the emotions.
That’s true in both wrestling and horse racing.
In wrestling, for example, the underdog is often a smaller wrestler, the overlooked challenger, and the person who keeps getting knocked down but somehow refuses to stay down. The whole audience starts leaning forward when the narrative flips, and the underdog makes a good move. They are all in shock, saying, “Wait, can they win?”
On top of that, underdogs make betting more exciting.
Rick Strike won the 2022 Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds, and it created an incredible story. We had a similar thing this year when Golden Tempo won the 2026 Kentucky Derby, although it wasn’t really an underdog with 23-1 odds.
The Build-Up Does Half the Work
This is where both worlds really connect. The actual match or race is fun, but that’s only a piece of the action. The build-up is usually more important and does the heavy lifting.
In wrestling, the audience watches weeks or months of promos, sneak attacks, stare-downs, and stats comparisons, and by the time the match happens, people are already sold on the story.
Horse racing works the same way, but much more naturally and with less hype. The build-up here happens through prep races, odds movement, and workouts.
The point is that once the build-up has hyped the audience, the event is ready to go live. This makes everyone experience the event in a much more tense way.
Wrestling Scripts the Drama; Racing Discovers It
This is the obvious difference, but it’s also what makes the comparison interesting.
Wrestling creates drama on purpose. Horse racing reveals drama as it happens.
A wrestling promotion can decide that an underdog wins, a champion cheats, or a betrayal happens at the perfect moment. The structure is designed.
At the racetrack, nobody can script the final turn. A favorite can stumble. A closer can find a gap. A pace meltdown can ruin the field. A horse nobody believed in can suddenly look like it has been saving all its life force for this exact stretch.
Shock Only Works If People Care First
This is where bad storytelling fails.
You can surprise people, but surprise alone is not enough.
If a random wrestler wins a random match with no build-up, nobody cares. If a random horse wins a race nobody was emotionally invested in, it’s interesting for about five seconds.
But when the stakes are clear, shock becomes powerful.
In wrestling, that means championship matches, streaks, grudge feuds, retirement threats, or characters people care about.
In racing, that means the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness, Breeders’ Cup races, famous rivalries, Triple Crown pressure, or a heavily backed favorite everyone expects to win.
Villains Exist in Both Worlds Too
Wrestling has heels.
Horse racing has villains, but they’re less theatrical.
Sometimes the “villain” is the heavy favorite everyone wants to see lose. Sometimes it’s a trainer people don’t trust. Sometimes it’s a rival horse blocking the fan favorite. Sometimes it’s just the odds board mocking your confidence.
And sometimes the villain is bad luck. Which is the worst villain because you can’t boo it properly?
Still, both sports need resistance. The hero’s win only matters if something is standing in the way.
So, even though horse racing and wrestling look completely different, they still create drama in many similar ways. This drives the story, making these events more desirable and enjoyable.
Randy Orton shoots down reports of back injury
In a post on X, Randy Orton shot down recent reports that he has been off WWE television due to a back injury.
“Lmao just milking it guys,” Orton wrote. “Leave me alone I’m trying to enjoy my summer before I come back and take that #15.”
Orton was reacting to the news, specifically by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, who said during the weekend that Orton was still suffering from a back injury that kept him out of action for over a year a few years ago.
The Viper has not been seen on WWE television since his WrestleMania 42 Saturday main event loss against Cody Rhodes.