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Tag: WWE

  • Triple H: I Don’t Know What The F*ck Lemon Pepper Steppers Are

    Triple H: I Don’t Know What The F*ck Lemon Pepper Steppers Are

    Triple H understands that sometimes, things won’t make any sense to him, and that’s the best way to look at it.

    During a conversation with Variety. Triple H and Shawn Michaels, both men who oversee WWE talent from the main roster with Paul Levesque to NXT with HBK’s input and advice to lead the next generation of superstars in the WWE spoke about the rise of SmackDown’s Trick Williams and Raw’s Je’Von Evans.

    Here is the full comment from the Variety interview from Triple H below.

    “I certainly can’t write for Trick (Williams). To address it directly, I saw Kev make a mention of Je’Von (Evans) and saying, ‘Well, I wish they treated his character differently. He’s a little too much of this for me.’ Somebody told me about it, I was like, ‘It’s just him…’ That’s just who he is. That’s how he acts, that’s how he talks to me backstage, that’s how he is in the afternoon, and then, we just kind of give him the gist of what he’s gonna say and then he goes and says it but, that’s just who he is, and similar thing for Trick, I don’t even know what the f*ck lemon pepper steppers are. It doesn’t make any sense to me. It shouldn’t. Yeah, it shouldn’t. I can feel it when he says it — the cool stuff — or for the most part because I can feel the crowd react to it or I can feel the things that are clicking for him… If he runs dry on cool sh*t to say, he ain’t getting it from me. The character that you put around it, the emotion that you put around it, your spin on it, all that stuff is really what makes it great.”

    You can see Triple H’s comments below.

    https://x.com/ShootOrWork/status/2044853739802997188?s=20

    Levesque also spoke on the comments made by his friend and Hall of Famer, Kevin Nash, who referred to Evans as being too ‘Mr. Bojangles’.

    Mr. Bonjangles, real name Bill Robinson, was a Black man who was a tap dancer during the segregated eras of Jim Crow and the Great Depression in the United States of America. Robinson had to take on roles that played on racist stereotypes about Black people for him to be accepted and find success in the mainstream.

    Williams is set to battle WWE United States Champion Sami Zayn and Evans is set to be involved in a Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, held by Penta, both matches will be held at WrestleMania 42 this weekend.

    You can watch the entire interview with Shawn Michaels and Triple H from Variety below.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Trick Williams And Lil Yachty Drop Diss Track On Sami Zayn

    Trick Williams And Lil Yachty Drop Diss Track On Sami Zayn

    Trick Williams decided to drop a little heat before his big United States Championship match against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 42.

    The ‘Anointed One’ has a massive match on the horizon as Trick Williams plans to walk out of his first WrestleMania with gold around his waist.

    But before he makes his way to the red carpet for the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday Night, he has dropped a diss track on his opponent with some help from his new friend, Lil Yachty.

    Trick Williams Ft. Lil Yachty – Gingerbread Man

    Sami Zayn won the WWE United States Championship recently from Carmelo Hayes during the build to WrestleMania 42.

    After successfully retaining the title two weeks ago, Williams officially set his sights on Zayn and their rivalry that has been building since his arrival on Friday Night SmackDown.

    The two will have one last confrontation on tonight’s episode of SmackDown, before Zayn is set to defend the gold against Williams on Sunday night at WrestleMania 42.

  • Triple H: I Thought I Killed Marty Garner When I Hit Him With The Spiked Pedigree

    Triple H: I Thought I Killed Marty Garner When I Hit Him With The Spiked Pedigree

    This incident happened 30 years ago.

    In a new interview with Variety, Triple H and Shawn Michaels spoke about a plethora of things, including the time Triple H thought he accidentally killed someone in the ring when he hit a spiked pedigree on an extra (Marty Garner AKA Cham Pain) and the reaction he got backstage following the match.

    “It’s funny, when I first came in here, I had started using a version of the Pedigree in WCW and they wanted me to do — I think they had seen (Diamond) Dallas (Page) do the Diamond Cutter or something and they wanted me to use that so I used it for a couple of matches on TV. I didn’t feel comfortable using it and I felt like somebody else is already doing it and I said, ‘Well, I have this other move that I did before’ and I did the Pedigree and I remember Chief (Jay Strongbow) coming to me like, ‘Well, why didn’t you do that the whole time?’ I was like, ‘Because you guys told me not to.’ But, that kid that took the — I think his name was Cham Pain — was a friend of The Hardys. He came in to do an extra, and he’s a good hand and all that stuff. We just talked about it beforehand — doing the Pedigree — and when I went to do it, he went straight up and down and I tried my hardest to hold ‘em up. Because I was like, oh, I can piledrive him and he landed–I thought I killed him. I was like, ‘Holy sh*t.’ I was like, ‘Are you okay?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’m okay.’ When I walked back through Gorilla (Position), everybody was staring at me like, ‘What’d you do?’ I was like, ‘He said he’s fine.’ It’s not like I threw him up there. He just jumped up there and he was totally fine with it so, we got lucky…”

    At the time, Levesque was wrestling under the name Jean-Paul Levesque, he would soon move on from that name before finally discovering himself as Triple H, with his variety of nicknames like the Game or the Cerebral Assassin.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Rhea Ripley: It’s Hard Going On Twitter, It’s Negative Towards Me Even Though They Don’t Know Who The Hell I Am

    Rhea Ripley: It’s Hard Going On Twitter, It’s Negative Towards Me Even Though They Don’t Know Who The Hell I Am

    Rhea Ripley comments on the online discourse she has faced throughout the course of her career.

    Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platform, the comments left by “fans” of pro wrestling have been targeted towards Rhea Ripley, whether it’s how she portrays her character on WWE TV or who she is off-screen when she is spending time with her husband, pets, and friends.

    Recently, Ripley made an appearance where she spoke to Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle on Pod Meets World and opened up more about how she developed an eating disorder because of the horrible things said about her.

    “It goes through waves where it’s really difficult and then sometimes really easy. This past year has been really difficult because I find that if my circle at home isn’t at peace, then that’s when I really struggle. That’s why I try to surround myself with people that I know are there for me and care for me. That’s my strong point. My husband [Buddy Matthews] is my strong point. My dogs are my strong point. My friend Tommy, who is always at our house every day, he’s my strong point. We work out together and it’s a positive environment. It’s really hard going onto Twitter. I need to delete that. It’s hard going on and trying to make it a work environment, but then, because it is a work environment, I get all these things coming up on my For You page. As soon as I click on the app, it’s negative towards me. I can’t even escape it or doomscroll like a normal human without seeing things about me, about my body, about my booking, about me as a human, even though they don’t know who the hell I am. It does get really tiring, but that’s also why I like to share what I’m going through.

    “I tried to keep the whole eating disorder quiet for a while because I’m still figuring it out. I try to be as vocal with my struggles as possible because if it’s going to help someone, then why not talk about it? I needed that when I was going through stuff as a kid. If I knew my idols were going through these struggles and they are powering through and being amazing, and I look up to them and think they are strong and larger than life, then I can get through it too. That’s why I’m vocal about what I’m going through. With this whole eating situation, it definitely stems from stress and not being in control. That’s my biggest thing. I’m a very in control person. I like being in control of a lot of things. When I can’t control work and my schedule, and at the time, my home life with one of my now ex-friends just terrorizing my life. Going to Australia and not being able to control how the crowd responds to my peers and pressuring them 24/7 and getting thrown into all this media for that, it was a lot all at once, and it kind of broke me for a little bit, but it wasn’t seen by everyone yet. Now, it’s being seen by everyone. I saw so many things. ‘She had to lose weight because of her back pain.’ ‘She’s off the roids.’ We get tested. I’m not on anything.”

    Ripley is set to challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 on Sunday night.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • WWE World At WrestleMania 42: Day 1 Results – April 16th, 2026

    WWE World At WrestleMania 42: Day 1 Results – April 16th, 2026

    World Wrestling Entertainment held Day 1 of their WWE World At WrestleMania 42 event on Thursday April 16th, 2026. The event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event aired LIVE on the WWE YouTube Channel.

    The day featured two matches, a WWE NXT Women’s North American Championship match between Tatum Paxley and Alba Fyre, as well as a WWE SmackDown tag team match between The Motor City Machine Guns and Fraxiom.

    Below are the quick results for Day 1 of Live Matches at WWE World at WrestleMania 42:

    • WWE NXT Women’s North American Championship Match: Tatum Paxley (c) defeated Alba Fyre to retain the WWE NXT Women’s North American Title – (8:00)
    • The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) defeated Fraxiom (Axiom & Nathan Frazer) – (11:10)

    You can watch Day 1 of Live Matches from WWE World at WrestleMania 42 below.

  • WWE vs. AEW in 2026: Who’s Winning the Monday Night Wars 2.0?

    WWE vs. AEW in 2026: Who’s Winning the Monday Night Wars 2.0?

    Professional wrestling has two major players again, and that’s genuinely good for fans. WWE and AEW are pushing each other in ways that neither would admit publicly. But sitting back and looking at the numbers in 2026, the gap between them is becoming harder to ignore.

    The Scoreboard: Viewers, Streams, and Cold Hard Math

    WWE moved Raw to Netflix at the start of 2025, and the bet has paid off. The April 6, 2026 episode of Raw generated 2.9 million global views and 5.5 million hours watched, finishing sixth on Netflix’s global top ten for the week. That’s not just a wrestling number. That’s competing against everything Netflix produces, globally, every single week. For context: year over year, the April 7, 2025 episode drew 2.8 million global views, meaning Raw grew modestly to 2.9 million in 2026 — consistency being the real story, not explosion.

    For fans who want to watch wrestling anywhere, anytime, WWE’s global footprint keeps expanding. Apps like 1xbet apk download reflect the broader shift in how modern audiences consume live entertainment on mobile — and WWE’s Netflix distribution taps directly into that on-the-go habit.

    AEW’s numbers tell a different story. AEW Dynamite is averaging a 0.114 demo rating and 637,000 viewers in 2026 compared to a 0.169 and 616,000 for the same period in 2025. Viewership is actually slightly up, but the demo rating — the metric advertisers care about most — has dropped significantly. That’s the kind of number that makes network executives nervous at contract renewal time.

    A few standout data points from the ratings picture:

    • WWE SmackDown on USA Network averaged around 990,000 viewers in early January 2026, still routinely finishing as cable’s second most-watched show on Friday nights.
    • WWE NXT on The CW averaged 618,000 viewers in January 2026 — which means WWE’s third brand alone nearly matches AEW’s flagship.
    • AEW Collision on TNT averaged just 271,000 viewers in January 2026, down 20% from the same month in 2025.

    The Roster Problem AEW Keeps Creating for Itself

    Here’s the thing about AEW: the in-ring quality is genuinely excellent. The matches deliver. The problem is that there are too many of them, featuring too many people nobody has time to care about.

    In January 2026 alone, AEW signed over 14 new names to the roster, including The Rascalz, Tommaso Ciampa, and several CMLL stars. That sounds impressive until you realize the promotion has only four hours of television per week. Established stars including Britt Baker, Keith Lee, Jay Lethal, and others were already struggling for regular TV time before the new wave of signings arrived.

    Wrestling analyst Dave Meltzer has suggested one reason Khan keeps signing talent: in some cases, AEW acquires new signings partly to prevent them from landing in WWE, which is a defensive strategy dressed up as an offensive one. Meanwhile, some of those signings are genuinely exciting.

    Tony Khan himself pointed to a few standout additions:

    • Women’s champion Thekla, who Khan called the “MVP” of AEW’s new arrivals, has delivered high-profile matches and won the world title after arriving in 2025.
    • Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey, known as Jet Speed, earned praise from Khan as “fantastic signings” who had an incredible run in their first year.
    • Tommaso Ciampa, a respected veteran, won the TNT Championship quickly after arriving in 2026.

    Good signings exist. The challenge is that every good signing also buries three people already on the roster.

    What WWE Gets Right That AEW Still Struggles With

    WWE operates like a machine: stories build toward WrestleMania, every angle has a destination, and the presentation is polished enough to survive Netflix autoplay. Raw has drawn 2.8 million global views or higher every week since mid-February 2026, a consistency that reflects a stable and loyal global audience.

    AEW’s best episodes spike nicely. The March 25 Dynamite headlined by Kenny Omega vs. Swerve drew 765,000 viewers, a strong number for the show. But those highs require star power. Without a top name in the main event, the floor drops fast.

    The comparison ultimately comes down to three things that WWE currently executes better:

    • Television distribution: Netflix gives Raw a global platform with built-in recommendation algorithms. AEW’s TBS home doesn’t offer the same discovery engine.
    • Story clarity: WWE builds months-long arcs to marquee events. AEW’s booking can feel reactive and crowded.
    • Brand discipline: WWE has Raw, SmackDown, and NXT as distinct shows with different identities. AEW Collision is still searching for its own reason to exist.

    None of this means AEW is failing. It means AEW is a strong number two in a world where being number two still pays the bills and produces excellent wrestling every week. The Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s ended with one company buying the other. This version seems set to end with two companies finding their permanent lanes — which, honestly, is the better outcome for everyone watching.

  • WWE Superstar Bayley is Molding the Future of Women’s Wrestling

    WWE Superstar Bayley is Molding the Future of Women’s Wrestling

    The future of women’s wrestling is in good hands. For most veterans of professional wrestling, it is easy to coast, collect a paycheck, soak in the fame, and live off past accomplishments while watching the new generation make its way. Not with WWE superstar Bayley. Bayley’s impact on women’s wrestling is best understood not just through championships or moments, but through evolution. From her early days in NXT to her current role as a mentor shaping the next generation, her career mirrors the growth of women’s wrestling itself.

    From NXT standout to cornerstone of a revolution

    Bayley emerged in NXT as a unique presence. At a time when women’s wrestling in WWE was still fighting for consistent respect, her underdog persona and emotional storytelling connected deeply with audiences. Alongside Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch she became part of the “Four Horsewomen,” a group widely credited with changing perceptions of what women’s wrestling could be.

    Their matches in NXT were not treated as sideshows but as main events. Bayley herself acknowledged during that era that the group was revolutionizing women’s wrestling. Rivalries, particularly her series with Banks, helped establish a standard built on athleticism, storytelling, and emotional investment.

    Championship success and sustained excellence

    Bayley’s transition to WWE’s main roster solidified her place among the most accomplished performers of her generation. A multiple-time women’s world champion, she became the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE women’s history and consistently delivered across different roles, from fan-favorite babyface “Hugger” to the calculating “Role Model.”

    Her success, however, has often been less about spotlight dominance and more about reliability. Bayley has been central to elevating others, contributing to a deeper and more competitive division. That consistency has made her a respected locker room leader, someone trusted to guide newer talent while maintaining high in-ring standards.

    Leadership beyond the spotlight

    In recent years, Bayley’s influence has expanded beyond television. Her Lodestone Women’s Wrestling seminar represents perhaps her most direct investment in the future of the industry. It is helping mold the future for women’s wrestling as we know it.

    Launched in late 2025, Lodestone is a free seminar designed for experienced women wrestlers, with Bayley covering expenses to remove financial barriers. Some performers have all the talent in the world, but like most in this economy, financial hardships are holding them back. Bayley is eliminating that road block. The camp blends in-ring training with mentorship, leadership development, and real-world insight. It has featured appearances from top names like John Cena, Bianca Belair, and Rhea Ripley giving attendees access to a wide range of perspectives. These attendees are able to pick the brains of some of the greatest performers of all time.

    Participants are selected from applicants and brought together for intensive sessions that include workouts, discussions, and hands-on coaching. More than just a training camp, Lodestone functions as a bridge between generations, reinforcing the collaborative culture that helped define the Four Horsewomen era.

    Bayley has described the project as a passion initiative, one rooted in her desire to give back and ensure women’s wrestling continues to grow beyond the foundation her generation built.

    Building the future while honoring the past

    What separates Bayley from many of her peers is how seamlessly she has transitioned from revolutionary figure to architect of the future. While still active at a high level, she has embraced a dual role, competing while actively preparing others to succeed.

    Her career reflects the broader arc of women’s wrestling in WWE. From fighting for time in NXT to headlining major events and now mentoring the next wave, Bayley has been present at every key stage of that transformation.

    In many ways, her legacy is still being written. Not just in title reigns or accolades, but in the wrestlers who will emerge from Lodestone and carry forward the standard she helped create, ensuring the division’s momentum never slows.

  • WWE EVOLVE Results – April 15th, 2026

    WWE EVOLVE Results – April 15th, 2026

    World Wrestling Entertainment taped this week’s episode of EVOLVE on March 20th from the WWE Performance Center and aired on Wednesday April 15th, 2026 on Tubi.

    Below are the quick results for WWE EVOLVE – 4/15/26:

    • Jacari Ball & Santi Rivera (w/It’s GAL) defeated Lince Dorado & Max Abrams – (9:00)
    • Dorian Van Dux defeated Kai Kavari – (1:41)
    • WWE EVOLVE Women’s Championship Eliminator Gauntlet Match (vacant): Wendy Choo defeated Kali Armstrong, Karmen Petrovic, Laynie Luck, Nikkita Lyons, PJ Vasa, Sloane Jacobs and Tyra Mae Steele to become the new WWE EVOLVE Women’s Champion – (21:05)
      • Tyra Mae Steele eliminated Karmen Petrovic – (7:45)
      • Sloane Jacobs eliminated Laynie Luck – (10:08)
      • Kali Armstrong eliminated Sloane Jacobs – (10:40)
      • Nikkita Lyons eliminated Tyra Mae Steele – (12:31)
      • Nikkita Lyons eliminated Kali Armstrong – (15:51)
      • Nikkita Lyons eliminated PJ Vasa – (18:14)
      • Wendy Choo eliminated Nikkita Lyons – (21:05)

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)

  • Main Event Hijack: Pat McAfee Disrupts WrestleMania Story

    Main Event Hijack: Pat McAfee Disrupts WrestleMania Story

    There is a difference between heat and rejection. Right now, what Pat McAfee is getting ahead of WrestleMania does not feel like the kind WWE is hoping for.

    McAfee is charismatic, recognizable and has proven he can deliver in big moments. But this is not just another segment or celebrity cameo. It is not even a vehicle to push a product. This is the main event scene of WrestleMania, and fans are pushing back, not quietly either. To them, this is not adding to the story. It is replacing it.

    The story fans were invested in

    For months, the emotional core of this build has centered on Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Twenty years of history does not require much setup. At its best, the feud felt layered, personal and rooted in that history. It felt like a WrestleMania main event should feel: earned.

    That is why the frustration is so loud.

    McAfee’s insertion does not feel like a twist that enhances the narrative. It feels like a pivot that interrupts it. Instead of deepening the conflict between Rhodes and Orton, the focus shifts outward to a personality who was not part of the journey fans were following. Once that shift happens, it is hard to ignore.

    When the reveal is not worth the build

    Mystery angles live and die by their payoff. They can elevate a story or derail it. Wrestling fans will buy in, speculate and debate for weeks if the reveal delivers.

    This one did not.

    The reaction was not explosive or satisfying. It was confusion, followed by disappointment. Not because McAfee is incapable, but because the role he stepped into felt larger than what fans believed he should occupy. Expectations matter, and WWE set them high.

    The “main character” problem

    There is an unspoken rule in wrestling: the biggest matches should belong to the wrestlers who carried the story.

    Rhodes and Orton.

    Right now, it does not feel that way. Instead of standing at the center, they are part of a story that increasingly revolves around McAfee’s motives, promos and presence. The gravity of the main event has shifted, and not in a way that elevates the people it is supposed to.

    For a fan base that has spent years asking for long-term storytelling and payoff, that is a tough pill to swallow.

    It feels too corporate, not organic

    Modern fans are more aware than ever. They understand media deals, cross-promotion and branding. That awareness is working against this angle.

    McAfee is more than a commentator who wrestles occasionally. He is a major media figure with ties outside WWE. When he becomes central to the biggest storyline of the year, it does not feel accidental. It feels strategic, and not in a storytelling sense.

    That perception breaks immersion. Instead of asking what happens next, fans start asking why this is happening at all.

    The promo that made it worse

    If there was a chance to win fans over, it likely depended on McAfee’s delivery.

    Instead, going off script, his tone criticizing the product, calling out the fan base and positioning himself above the current landscape had the opposite effect. The following week, WWE then proceeded to double down, and produce another promo where Pat’s “huge announcement” was that WrestleMania 42 tickets would be 25% off for that weekend. It’s also very hypocritical writing. Nothing says “we don’t care about your feelings” like a pathetic begging of “please buy our tickets, here’s a coupon!” 

    Wrestling fans will embrace a villain, but there is a line between playing a heel and sounding dismissive of the audience. Right now, that line feels blurred.

    WrestleMania is not the place for this experiment

    This might work elsewhere. A SummerSlam angle, a Royal Rumble twist or a long-term story could have potential.

    But WrestleMania is different.

    It is where stories are meant to pay off, not pivot. It is the culmination, where full-time stars carry the weight of the biggest matches and the audience expects resolution.

    That is why this feels off.

    It is not about McAfee, it is about timing

    This is not a rejection of McAfee as a performer. I have been a fan of his since his outlandish days as a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. I have followed his media path since his podcast was out of the back of a box truck. With Pat, he has proven he belongs in WWE in some capacity. He is entertaining, committed and understands the business. We get that.

    But this moment feels misplaced.

    Fans do not want to see this spot given to someone who was not part of the climb, especially when the people who were are still there.

    The bottom line

    Fans are rejecting this because it feels like a detour at the worst possible time.

    They wanted Rhodes vs. Orton to stand on its own. They wanted the story they invested in to reach a natural conclusion. They wanted WrestleMania’s main event to feel like the culmination of everything that came before it.

    Instead, they got something else.

    In wrestling, sometimes that says more than any reaction ever could.

  • GCW: Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV Full Card

    GCW: Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV Full Card

    GCW presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV live from the Horseshoe Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada as apart of The Collective. This show takes place on Friday, April 17 at 3PM local, 6PM ET.

    The event has a huge lineup, including some WWE superstars in matches such as Masashi Takeda versus Pete Dunne, Timothy Thatcher versus Charlie Dempsey and Shayna Baszler versus Nattie Neidhart. Plus, the man himself, Josh Barnett, will battle the legend, Yuji Nagata. You can see the full card below.

    • Matt Mako vs. Angel Verduczo
    • Ulka Sasaki vs. Joe Dashou
    • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ray Jaz
    • Erick Stevens vs. Fuminori Abe
    • Miyu Yamashita vs. Janai Kai
    • Shane Mercer vs. Royce Isaacs
    • Masashi Takeda vs. Pete Dunne
    • Timothy Thatcher vs. Charlie Dempsey
    • Nattie Neidhart vs. Shayna Baszler
    • Yuji Nagata vs. Josh Barnett

    The event kicks off at 3PM local, 6PM ET on Friday, April 17 and will be streamed on TrillerTV+. You can subscribe to TrillerTV+ to watch all of The Collective events.