-God damn. The Demand vs. Swerve Strickland and The New Level for the AEW World Trios Championships to start the show this week was just excellent. Tons of pace, unique spots, and a New Level team that is clearly hell bent on truly reaching a new level of in-ring prowess. Austin Creed and Kofi are able to show a more aggressive and violent side of themselves during their matches in AEW and it’s been very fun to watch on a weekly basis.

Lookout for the trios titles!

-Sidebar. Ok, don’t look now, but the AEW World Trios Championship match at All Out is one of the better built matches on the show. The Swerve Strickland and Adam Page dynamic heats everything up and both guys did a nice of job of tapping into their history during their promo this week. It was very compelling to see Page talk to The New Level about history they wouldn’t know about.

-Mike Bailey is in Will Ospreay’s US version of United Empire. That totally works. A great fit that will not only help Bailey, but Ospreay too. Bailey is a strong and sympathetic babyface. Heel Ospreay opponents working Bailey on the way to Ospreay is ideal for heat.

-Jon Moxley beat Desmond Xavier to the surprise of nobody. This was a good little match, though. Xavier really showed off his selling capability in taking the Moxley offense. Xavier understood his role in the match and played it well.

Phoning it in?

-Call me crazy, but it felt like FTR, The Young Bucks, and Cope/Cage were going through the motions during their final promo segment together before the big triple threat ladder match at All Out this weekend. I blame Cope and Cage. Look, The Bucks actually cut a serviceable babyface promo on this shot at the titles possibly being one of their last. FTR were annoying and awful heels. Cope and Cage? Just a lot of nothing. Cage did his usual schtick and Copeland played second fiddle to it. This unquestionably will be a good match once it’s in the ring on Saturday night, but it should mean more than it does.

-Thekla and Willow Nightingale didn’t get a ton of time to write the final chapter for their match at All Out, but they used the time they got wisely. Two backstage promos that were aligned with each of their characters, while also declaring victory. Simple stuff, but to the point and clear regarding what the stakes are on Saturday.

-Sidebar. Nightingale is finally finding her voice on promos. Just a little earlier this year, Nightingale was too over the top with the character when she spoke. She’s pulled back a bit and it plays much nicer and is easier to like. A smart pivot on her part.

-Ok, Kazuchika Okada and Tommaso Ciampa is a fun match for the PPV this weekend, but it’s not the dream match that AEW is trying to present it as. Can we agree? That said, Ciampa cut a nice promo on Okada this week after his win against Jake Doyle. Lots of attitude and intensity. Classic Ciampa, but he’s not winning the AEW International Championship at All Out.

It’s awkward with Britt Baker

-Persephone is getting a strong push at the moment. Not just because of the TBS Championship that she holds, but because Britt Baker is essentially her manager. Now, it’s still a little awkward to see Baker in AEW at the moment. She doesn’t appear to have the same comfort level as she had when she left. It’s as if she and everyone around her are walking on eggshells. Hard to see where this goes right now, but Baker on AEW television again in a prominent role would be my goal if I’m Tony Khan. It’ll take many steps and lots of time.

-An action-packed main event of Dynamite this week with Ospreay teaming up with Bailey to take on a couple Death Riders. The audience loved this match and Ospreay didn’t have to do much “Ospreay” stuff during it. That’s the sweet spot.

-Bottom line? I loved the final Ospreay and Moxley promo after the match. It didn’t have a lot of depth to it, but it didn’t need much. Moxley doubted Ospreay and Ospreay jammed that doubt down his throat. “God damn fucking right I feel like the champion?” Boom. That’s a line from a confident and over babyface. Thumbs way up.

-Ughhhhhhhhhh. Jack Perry hurts my brain. His promos rarely connect up with the momentum of his storylines. A livid Perry cut a promo on The Opps this week and why? It’s as if he just decided to be incredibly angry because that’s what wrestling promos are supposed to be? Another week and another miscalculation on his part.

Just a tease

-Effective final hype on Collision this week for Divine Dominion vs. Brawling Birds in a street fight for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships at All Out. Both teams got to be a little vicious with a few weapons and teased the street fight stipulation. Boxes checked. Well done.

-So, AEW might be out ahead of their skis a bit too much with Steven Borden. Look, the guy has been fine — better than fine. He’s still really green and doesn’t have a standalone character. At All Out, he and Darby Allin are working Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight. Those are two talents that have been positioned as next in line for top AEW spots and they’re playing behind Borden now? We’ll see how the match at All Out goes, but both Fletcher and Knight are too important to job out to Borden.

-Is the Nick Wayne and Chris Jericho promo still going on? Holy smokes that was long. Not bad, just long. This was Wayne’s best mic work yet. It’s the arrogant young heel against the aging veteran. Nothing special, but a tale as old as time and AEW is telling it with these guys.

-Queen Aminata vs. Skye Blue happened. Not a bad match, but near the end of hour three, it very much blended into to everything else on the show.

The final All Out pitch

-Same exact thing with PAC vs. Ace Austin. It was a match that happened. Look, the final hype for All Out forced a lot of the three hours this week to be focused. From that perspective, it was a good show. On the flip side, because of the length of the show, you didn’t have a product that came across as sizzling hot as things ended and the final pitch for All Out was made. If you’re a fan that already decided to buy the event, you likely still will. If you hadn’t, I don’t know that there was anything on this show that would lead to another look at that decision.

Are you buying the AEW All Out PPV event this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

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-The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is back and was framed up as tremendously important as soon as the show started this week. How did they do it? Cody Rhodes. Cody talking about his Dad and the wonder that is tag team wrestling did a nice job of conveying the legacy of the tournament. It set a strong tone for what should be an enjoyable run of matches throughout the next few weeks.

They Dusty Classic starts with a bang

-Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs. Los Americanos opened the show and the tournament and furthered the strong tone set by Cody Rhodes. The match had high-flying, near-falls, timely selling, and a really good pace. It was a match worthy of the intro that Rhodes gave it. That said, Dar and Moreno won, but I wouldn’t bet on them having a long run in the tournament. A Cinderella team, but the clock will strike midnight soon enough.

-One of the better Kendal Grey backstage segments this week. She was in the sports psychiatrist office and got to show some emotional range with how she talked about her vertigo and not being able to compete. This did a nice job of painting Grey as likable and relatable. At the same time, her obsession with competition was on display too and that’s right in line with her character.

-Good see Reina Volcan again. A strong debut was followed up with almost zero impact anywhere else on the show. Volcan getting involved here says that she is not going to be positioned as a top title challenger at this time. She’ll have every chance to get up there, though. She’s got an incredibly unique look and demeanor.

-As for Kali Armstrong and Skylar Raye? They had a fine little match while it lasted. Raye doesn’t really have a gimmick right now and she’ll need that if she’s going to make any noise in NXT or on the main roster eventually.

Silly Shiloh

-We got silly Shiloh Hill again this week. Booooooooooooo. C’mon. His material has to be better than yammering on about raccoons.

-And another clean win for Thea Hail over Zaria. This time in a tag match. Obviously, the move here was to give Hail a strong argument for an NXT Women’s North American title match. Hail vs. Zaria incoming.

-Kelani Jordan and La Catalina had some nice chemistry together this week during their Money in the Bank qualifying match on Raw. That continued in this tag match. Catalina vs. Jordan isn’t a PLE title match, but it’s certainly something that could air on NXT TV. Fingers crossed on that one. A secretly strong match just waiting in the wings.

-A very interesting promo segment this week between Dion Lennox and Cruz Montana. Montana is very much in tune with his character and personality. He speaks about his wrestling and life journey transparently and it’s easy for fans to attach to it. He shined out there as a babyface and had the audience with him. Lennox held his own nicely. Without DarkState around him, he was able to ditch the weirdness of that faction and just be himself with the volume turned up. This version of Lennox has some potential upside.

The dominant Creeds

-Hell yeah. Glad to see The Creed Brothers get a definitive Dusty Rhodes Classic victory and not simply have a great match because they could. Of course they can, but establishing them as a dominant team was more important. Mission accomplished. They’ll have plenty of time to show-off during matches later in tournament action.

-No. Just no. An unacceptable finish to the main event match featuring Birthright against team Zilla Fatu. Fatu can’t be on the losing side of much right now, but certainly not opposite a faction like Birthright. Fatu didn’t take the fall, so he’s protected there, but the booking still hurts his overall aura. For what? Birthright isn’t a priority right now and they won the match by obvious referee distraction. Nobody gained anything because of this match and it was mid-level from an in-ring perspective. Bad and a misunderstanding of what Zilla Fatu brings to the NXT table.

Rook’s got a voice

-There ya go, Mason Rook! Rook held his own in the main event promo segment opposite Grayson Waller. He had a bit of swagger to him and his delivery mirrored that body language. Waller was strong heel foil for Rook and sold nicely for the big lines that dug at him.

What was your favorite match on this week’s episode of WWE NXT? Let us know in the comments!

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-An absolute masterclass in presentation for Penta to start this week’s episode of Raw. A lot can and should be said about WWE creative as of late, but when they want to present someone as a star, nobody in the industry does it better. Penta got the giant recap video on his match with Roman Reigns last week, an epic entrance, and promo time to put out a babyface mission statement. Then, he cleared the ring of some pesky Judgment Day heels all on his own. It’s a presentation that tells the audience the guy matters. I wouldn’t say the big rocket is strapped on his back yet, but he’s clearly part of the plan moving forward.

Perez = MITB

-An excellent women’s triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match this week. And like, what did you expect when you have Roxanne Perez, Iyo Sky, and La Catalina in the same match. Good action and a smart finish. Perez is on my short list to win Money in the Bank this year. With the briefcase, she gives WWE a plethora of potential storylines that could position her as a heel or babyface. Lots on the table if they drive down that street.

-Ok, let’s get this on the record. Jacob Fatu is going to join The 946. Fatu pumping the brakes on The Usos going after revenge on Royce Keys continues to feel odd to me. Something is afoot. You heard it here first.

-I don’t know that LA Knight can really cut a bad promo these days because of how over he is, but this was one of his worst in a while. Knight just kinda said the same thing over and over again and all of it was stuff we’ve heard from him before regarding Roman Reigns. Knight played the “Reigns hasn’t beat him by himself” card, so we know where this is going. Reigns will finally do just that and Knight will continue running the show at the upper part of the mid-card.

-Get used to really good Bron Breakker vs. Je’Von Evans matches. Mark my words, that will be a PLE main event at some point in the next three years. These guys both worked really hard and while there wasn’t a payoff in terms of a winner, the action set a good enough hook to want to see more. Evans and Breakker are the perfect opposites for one another. Evans the fighting underdog and Breakker the brutish bully. A very good match and they showed that with limited time this week.

Selling matters

-Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans vs. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker is a Raw TV match to make right away. The table was set this week when Femi made the save for Evans. As usual, Femi looked like the biggest star on the show. Hat tip to Breakker and Reed for selling their asses off. They both bumped like maniacs for Femi and the segment popped because of it.

-Well, we’re finally there. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan vs. Becky Lynch in a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s World Heavyweight Championship. This has been in the works for weeks and it appears that’s the match if Adam Pearce agrees to Vaquer’s suggested title defense. The promo segment with the three women was fine, but nothing special. It’s bizarre to say, but Lynch feels like the odd-woman out right now and the third wheel. The story is mainly about Vaquer and Morgan. That’s a feud that will still feel unsettled even after this triple threat plays out.

-Lyra Valkyria defeated Bayley … fine. The match was ok, but they left third gear and fourth gear out there for whenever they have a blowoff match. Valkyria is better suited for this heel role than she was the babyface slot she occupied. Bayley needs to bring a little more fire to the dance. She has talked a big game about going to where she needs to go, but you don’t see it from her. She’s got to walk the walk.

An eye roll abduction

-An abudction angle? Really? I’ve been a fan of the 946 presentation because it’s got an entirely different look, feel, and vibe to it. The line gets drawn at kidnapping. Cops should be involved here … it’s too ridiculous.

-That being said, Solo Sikoa getting kidnapped by 946 opened the door for Penta to get in the Money in the Bank qualifying match. Then he won. A smart call. Ride the hot hand. Penta in the match will help generate audience investment. Like Perez, I’d put him on a short list to win the briefcase.

-Penta opening the show and then closing the show isn’t a detail to gloss over. He’s got momentum right now and WWE needs to continue feeding it.

What was your favorite part of this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!

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That’s it! 2026 vacations are in the books. Italy ruled. The wine very much tastes differently there than it does in Chicago. Beautiful country too.

Now, I’m back and had plenty of wrestling to catch up on. SmackDown, WWE Raw, NXT, AEW Dynamite … Exhale.

What the hell happened??

A PLE level Raw in Mexico City

-Raw this week had a fascinating and very entertaining opening segment. The crowd in Mexico City hand insane amounts of energy, which helped the angle, but each star involved did their part in making it great. Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio acted like the whiny heels they needed to be in order to get heat, Stephanie Vaquer came across as a star champion with her massive entrance, Rey Mysterio was the sympathetic legend, and then El Grande Americano was the fighting babyface ready to fight on the side of Vaquer because Rey couldn’t. Just a smooth segment with definitive sides and the audience bought it fully.

-As for the tag match between those four? A very good match with a very poor finish. The audience was white hot and the bout had the perfect amount of Judgment Day shenanigans, but it needed a conclusion. The fact that it simply ended because of interference gives the audience a reason not to get invested. They had the crowd here and it wasn’t rewarded in any way. Plus, interference happens all the time in WWE matches. Why does it matter in this one, but not in others? A have your cake and eat it too moment for the booking team.

-Je’Von Evans, welcome to the Money in the Bank ladder match. Like Sol Ruca getting in the match last week, Evans qualifying makes perfect sense. The guy was born for this match.

-Wow, Chad Gable vs. Dragon Lee for the WWE Intercontinental Championship is about as good of a WWE TV match that you are going to see. Incredible, but smooth action that all made sense and was well sold. Gable retaining was the right call, but because of the match quality and well executed babyface vs. babyface story, both guys came out of it stronger than they were going in.

-A bit of an odd debut for Lola Vice. She got a win and qualified for Money in the Bank, but there wasn’t much sizzle for her first appearance. After vignettes for weeks, Vice just got a regular entrance and that was that. Fine, but not a presentation that screamed the next big star.

-I continue to be a fan of the 946 promo videos. They look different than the rest of the show and that stands out in a positive way. Very Shield-esque.

Main event Penta

-Just a wonderful main event. Roman Reigns and Penta delivered a PPV-caliber match that had the audience hooked from minute one. Penta got a superstar entrance and was a more than viable Reigns opponent. The near falls with the Mexican Destroyers were beautifully done and kept the crowd on the edge of their seat. Penta winning here would have blown the roof off the place, but wouldn’t have made sense given all that Reigns has going on with LA Knight and the 946.

-Alright, let’s move to NXT. Lizzy Rain is an impressive developmental talent. Each time she’s out there her matches and character get over. I’ve said this before, but you can imagine a heavy metal Rain entrance at WrestleMania pretty easily. That said, she doesn’t have strong booking support right now and gets utilized as a gatekeeper babyface for heels. There is more there if NXT wants it.

-I can’t fathom how DarkState is still a thing. It’s like a fever dream that never ends. It’s a slightly better version of Retribution, but just as directionless. None of the guys involved can get over with the failed faction holding them down. Time to pull the plug and try something else.

-I don’t have very deep analysis regarding this, but I could watch Zilla Fatu destroy members of Birthright for two straight hours each week. Very entertaining. Still, Fatu vs. Birthright as a feud is far beneath Fatu and the upside he brings.

Truly shocking

-O.M.G. Myles Borne was lying about wanting to reunite with Tavion Heights? I mean, who could see it coming???! Shocking!! Listen, because it was so obvious that Borne wasn’t authentic, Heights looked really bad coming out of this. Gullible babyfaces aren’t fun to cheer for.

-As for Borne as a heel, well, it remains a questionable booking move. He’s as natural of a babyface that there is and now he’s going to move against the grain to try and get heat.

-The Kendal Grey medical situation is a bummer. She was a reason to watch the show each week. The segments of her working through the issues are fine to keep the audience looped in on her journey and her on the show each week, but the ring is where she shines. That element missing obviously hurts her presentation and the contributions she can make.

-Another win for Vanity Project. This time over a real duo of Cruz Montana and EK Prosper. The NXT booking needs to feed this group. Collectively, they are one of the best parts of the show. Matches like the one this week are why. Entertaining in-ring, but real heat-seeking work during the match in an attempt to actually get booed.

-Mason Rook is the new number one contender to the NXT Championship. Good move and a strong triple threat this week with Tony D’Angelo and Saquon Shugars as well. The match to build to is Waller vs. Zilla Fatu. To make that as enticing as possible, Waller needs a run of viable title defenses and Rook will provide that for him.

It’s Wednesday, you know what that means

-AEW Dynamite, here we come! It seems as if I’m the only one that finds Christian Cage obnoxious. The dead father gimmick was fine as a heel, but as a babyface trying to work it into promos is off-putting. Cage and Adam Copeland continue not to have chemistry as a reformed legendary tag team.

-The Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay dynamic was interesting to watch this week, but Moxley kind of buried the AEW World Championship during his promo backstage. ANY belt around anyone’s waist doesn’t mean they’re the best, but the belt that Ospreay has does. As the guy challenging for the top title on PPV, Moxley needs to act like that championship is the most important thing.

-Ouch. Chris Jericho took a nasty Destroyer bump on the outside of the ring. Don’t try that one again, Chris. A feud with Nick Wayne is the appropriate use of Jericho at this point. Nothing special between them this week, but their program continues on and Jericho is able to function as a nice foundation for Wayne to grow his heel character.

-After last week’s confrontation in the ring, it was pretty easy to see that Adam Page and Brodido would be getting an AEW World Trios Championship shot sooner than later. They earned one this week in a fine match against The Conglomeration. Page and Swerve Strickland now will stand across the ring from each other once again. Grab the popcorn. Strickland and New Level vs. Page and Brodido should be an All Out match and is the most marquee trios title match the company has had since The Elite vs. Death Triangle best of seven series.

Find a lane, Jack

-Jack Perry has been on a journey to face all of the best champions in AEW history? Since when?? Perry’s gimmick and storylines change every other week. Don’t get too invested in whatever this is.

-Glad to see the show give some time this week to build up the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship street fight for All Out. Brawling Birds vs. Divine Dominion has been an excellent feud in the AEW women’s tag division and though it got a very A to B chapter this week with the singles match between Lena Kross and Jaime Hayter, it was enough to further interest and get the heel challengers some momentum. A good match too.

-Poor Francesco Akira. He was a punching bag for The Death Riders during the main event and lost the match for his Will Ospreay-led United Empire team. I liked the show-closing angle with Moxley torturing poor Akira in a submission as Ospreay was forced to watch. It painted Moxley as ruthless and Ospreay as a sympathetic protector. A nice touch. Overall, the show this week added quite a bit of depth to the Moxley and Ospreay program at All Out. It needed it.

-And finally, a journey back to WWE and SmackDown. Sami Zayn? Chef’s kiss. Zayn regularly gets the tone right on his mic work and his championship victory promo to start the show this week was perfect. Zayn acted like the fighting champion that everybody clearly sees as the opposite. There’s your heat.

Money in the Bank qualifying rolls on

-Phew. WWE is telling a long-term story around Randy Orton winning his 15th world title. Bravo on that, but it’s good for that chase not to run through Money in the Bank. Trick Williams was the correct qualifier and is a perfect fit for the match given his trajectory so far on the main roster. A clear up and comer that’s in the biggest up and comer match of the year.

-It’s hard to really rag on Kyoki too much. The gimmick isn’t very good, but Hiromu Takahashi is certainly getting a decent sized check each week to do it. Not a fan of the disqualification finish this soon into the feud with the MFT’s. Paints the Bakusai team as weak.

-Dating back to his days in AEW, you never know how things like sit-down interviews will go for Cody Rhodes. Sometimes his instincts are off and he’s too self-indulgent. Other times, he finds the perfect lane and connects with the audience like nobody else in wrestling. This week’s interview with Michael Cole was an example of the latter. Rhodes came across as a real person with conflicting concerns. The current Rhodes path is a bit cloudy, but this was a nice outing for him.

Triple threat incoming

-I’ll never say “no” to a Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens match and they didn’t disappoint in the main event of SmackDown. That said, Zayn retaining the title because of CM Punk was an obvious chapter in what this story has been between the three guys. Triple threat incoming for Money in the Bank in New Orleans.

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Ummmmmm … Zack? Hello? Where you at?! Where’s all my stuff?!!

Apologies, apologies … it’s vacation time. Ciao! Hello from across the pond in Italy. Wine, pasta, the Colosseum, wine, pasta, more wine, and more pasta.

That’s why your show receipt columns from SmackDown, Raw, NXT, and Dynamite are delayed. Same thing with the podcasts, features, interviews, and editorial columns analyzing the “now” of wrestling.

I owe ya. So, I promise a sizable “I haven’t watched wrestling in a week” column when I get back on Monday. Regularly scheduled programming after that. Cool?

Cool. Cheers everyone!

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In January 2020, it looked like Keith Lee was positioned for superstardom. In a Royal Rumble in his home state, the same match that saw the return of the long-retired Edge, Keith Lee stood toe to toe with a then-unconquerable Brock Lesnar, being one of the few people to match his size and physicality.

Lee had graduated from NXT having been both NXT and North American Champion (the first and only person to hold them simultaneously) and looked to be WWE’s next prolific powerhouse. Things happened.

Whether it’s the very real COVID-19 related health issues, a loss of interest from management, or a combination of both, his run on the main roster amounted to very little. Fans of his unique grace paired with his massive frame were excited to see him pop up in AEW in 2022, finding early success with fellow WWE alum Swerve Strickland as the combo formed the tag team “Swerve in our Glory.” After winning and losing the tag team titles, he’d have a run in the revived ROH, where he’d be a mainstay for about a year before needing surgery.

After a long hiatus from both the ring and the internets (plural, word to Combat Jack and Dallas Penn) Lee would tweet a picture of himself in a large, soft chair throwing up a peace sign with a man next him, sitting on its arm, with one foot on the seat making a gesture of his own: his left hand gripping his right forearm, and his right hand seemingly reaching out to the photo’s viewer. Lee would caption the tweet with the man’s handle, and a link to his website, “dariusjwright.com.” Immediately, people who clicked on the link expressed confusion, anger and concern.

Here’s what’s been said, what’s been shared, and what’s been discovered about Darius J. Wright, and why social media seems to be up in arms.

Darius J. Wright

Wright’s oldest YouTube video on his channel with just over 134k subscribers is titled “The Construct.” It’s an early-AI mishmash of lakes, mountains, and some kind of globe-meets-vessel with two morphing figures standing outside of it. The caption reads, “You have been away far too long and have forgotten your home. This is why you fear.” It’s followed by a disclaimer saying comments were disabled due to people trying to impersonate him and/or mislead his followers. It’s amassed 91k views since its uploading.

The majority of the following videos are testimonials of people sharing their “out of body experiences” or OBEs. On his website, Wright states that “Since childhood, I have been able to step beyond the physical body and witness the realms that exist outside this construct. Through these experiences, I came to understand the spaces, movements, and living truth that the soul is not confined to form.” These testimonials are from people who have followed his methods, dubbed “The AYDA Method for leaving the body at will,” who claim to have come out of successful execution of the process to do miraculous things. A simple example is a 4 minute video in which a woman named Lisa Harrison, talks about an experiment where she was with Wright for four days, and she’d write a number on a board, erase it, and he’d come out of the process and let her know the number she had written each time. He’d even know the numbers she changed, how she’d written certain numbers, and would even describe people they were about to see on the following day.

Almost all of the videos feature some kind of vaguely religious, vaguely alien AI thumbnail, likely the result of asking an app to “draw something deep.” Disabled comments seem to exist on certain testimonial videos, but not all, which may be a result of the platform’s growth. While the view counts vary, one of his most recent videos, a live conversion titled “You Have the Power and Authority to Be Free”, boasts a whopping 213k views over an eight month period. In the comments of that video, along with the others that allow comments, there seems to be a strong mix of gender, ethnicity, and backgrounds, but the common connector is age, where people ranging from in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s talk about how his methods have lessened their inherent fear of death. There were also comments stating how taken aback views were at how good looking he is.

Wright is handsome in the way you’d have considered Jesus handsome. He’s got olive skin, a thick head of hair and a thick beard, and his look of work boots and Henley's give him the look of a modern day carpenter. In a YouTube video from 10 years ago he himself took down via copyright request, Wright was considered to be an expert yogi, praised for his incredible balancing. Littered between the lengthy podcasts and quick testimonials are videos suggesting you only eat once a day and exercise for ten minutes, when the world can expect alien visitors, and coming out of “The Simulation.” The channel touches on all the things that seem to give people fear, and how his methods of OBE and other teachings can help combat that.

The website itself is fairly detailed, laying out the steps of “The Mission.” In his own words, “The purpose and reason behind everything we do, our “Mission,” is to fulfill “The Great Work.” Understanding this is not only necessary when getting involved, but required to ensure everything is done to awaken as many people as possible to the other side, to accomplish this with integrity, truth, and love. This path is for those who feel called to remember all of who they are, where they come from and the truth of this reality. This is done through direct experience by awakening our dormant abilities, stepping beyond the confines of the physical body, and remembering your soul is not confined to form. To embrace “The Great Work” as your own personal mission is to pursue truth, the truth of who you really are, and your purpose in being here.“

While it does not list the names “God” or “Jesus” in its tenets, Heaven being a real space, your soul being eternal, and Earth being temporary are all core values. The testimonials from YouTube are there, as well as detailed breakdowns of who you are, and who you can be through these teachings. It comes across as … hopeful.

Cult, religion, or hobby?

Where things tend to veer off is when you get into the trainings, live sessions, and gatherings. The recently passed “Great Work Training Small Group Intensive” held in Australia, was a 33 person, invitation-only event for current or past members, built over the span of three days. Featuring a Black and white photo of someone achieving the out of body experience, the non-refundable three day session includes telepathy and telekinesis training, but does not include housing or dinner for the first two days. The training itself is a whopping $2,500, which may be a small price for becoming one of Xavier’s Children, but it seems… aggressive for people already in the know. The seven day ”Great Work Summit” coming up in Australia is a bit of a steal, costing $1,600, with five of the seven lunches provided, and a closing day social gathering with a buffet and open bar for an additional $150. Once more, you’ll need to provide your own lodging and flight to Australia, but this time you’ll be able to find something on-site, as opposed to a nearby cabin or bringing your RV. This event has the added perk of “Electromagnetic Development.” All attendees are asked to disconnect from things like technology, distractions and … food … for maximum effect. The online training of the general tenets of AYDA training, done over eight days in October, costs $500, and does not state if refunds are possible. All events state that attendance is limited, with “The Great Work” training having sold out. As of this writing, seven spots remain open in the Summit.

Across social media, primarily Reddit and Facebook, there’s a split on faith vs. finances when it comes to Wright’s teachings. On a Reddit post from three years ago titled “Thoughts on Guru’s financially exploiting people for Astral Projection”, the author seems to believe in the skill of projection, but not charging a fee for it. What follows, like most online interactions, is plenty of finger pointing, name-calling, and well … projecting, but there seems to be a lot of people who look at OBE/ projecting as a very real thing, and that no one can truly teach it for free.

One poster fairly asks “IS THERE A GUARANTEE I CAN AP?” to which, well, there can’t be, making cult claims seem more valid based on the exorbitant price you’ll pay for training. A facebook post in the Darius J. Wright forum from 2025 talks about finding a discrepancy in one of his videos, to which the first reply was “Petrified wood forms through mineral replacement, while sandstone forms through sedimentation and compaction. They’re entirely different geological processes.

That doesn’t mean Darius J. Wright is a liar. It just might mean that his interpretation of something he saw or understood led him to a conclusion that might not fit with the physical reality.

Keith Lee and the future

In my experience, once we go beyond 3D physical reality, things can get weird and many things can be true at the same time. It seems that even when there’s doubt, it’s difficult for people to get straight answers on exactly what it is they may be working towards.

Cult, club religion, or expensive hobby, there’s an unconventionality to Darius J. Wright’s teachings, which have produced a strong social media following. While that doesn’t lend to its credibility, it certainly says that people are listening. Keith Lee, an unconventional athlete and personality in his own right, seems confident enough to lend his time and celebrity to Wright, and it’s fair to question something so seemingly out of left field. As someone we’ve seen go through career and health issues right when success was at arm’s reach, here’s hoping he’s not leaning too far in the wrong direction.

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-Overall, this week’s Rebel Heart edition of AEW Dynamite was a touching show that was moving to watch. Tony Khan and company did a really nice job capturing the seriousness of ALS, while at the same time showcasing Rebel’s personality and working to raise money for her cause. Just a sweet tone around a very sad situation.

An emotional night

-The tribute to The Butcher by Excalibur was also very emotional and well-done. Just a terrible story. It was important for AEW to give a nod and hat tip to Andy Williams. Looks like they’ll do even more on this week’s episode of AEW Collision.

-Just a wild opening AEW World Trios Championship match. The New Level come across as kids in a candy store with how they’re approaching their newfound in-ring freedom. Not a ton of selling in this one, but the audience ate it up.

-If The New Level and Swerve Strickland are able to have a real feud with Brodido and Adam Page over the trios titles, you’re looking at one of the best trios programs in company history. Not only are Brodido and Page former champions, but there is the added intrigue of Page and Strickland squaring off again. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes and for the first time, it feels like the trios division in AEW exists for a reason.

-The women’s trios match between Britt Baker, Persephone, and Hikaru Shida against the team of Maya World, Hyan, and Thunder Rosa was a tribute to Rebel. A beautiful one. The finish saw Rebel head out to the ring in order to hand Baker her glove for the Lockjaw Submission. Big audience pop for that and the aftermath was even better. Rebel, Baker, and everyone involved was crying — including various folks in the crowd. Again, a touching moment that falls outside the boundaries of pro wrestling.

-Pay attention to the crowd reaction that Andrade El Idolo gets nowadays. It’s significant. Not the loudest each week, but substantially growing each week. He’s getting more and more over all the time. The weekly AEW National Championship title defenses that he’s promised not only paint him as a fighting champion, but they make sure he’s on television each week. Smart.

It’s Will Ospreay’s world

-Glad to see Will Ospreay not go out to the ring this week and have a “Will Ospreay” match just because he could. Don’t get me wrong, the battle with David Finlay was a fun match, but Ospreay clearly wasn’t going all out a la All In. It’s imperative he begin to find that balance. Ospreay needs to be able to deliver at the highest levels when the lights are brightest and the money is greenest. Those matches need to stand out as special, which means ones like these have to not be.

-Ospreay made his money this week in the backstage promo segment with Jon Moxley. Ospreay framed their upcoming All Out match up like a babyface should — his idea, while owning the fact that Moxley is the toughest challenge because he’s got a win over him this year. The tension between the two guys was palpable and Moxley showing frustration at the end was notable. Moxley’s history with Ospreay and general demeanor of being an edgy guy that can’t be figured out is going to lend itself well to the story. Each time Moxley has a chance to drop Ospreay or be “Moxley” to get ahead of the match, drama will seep into the audience.

-Ok, Steve Borden sounds just like his Dad. It’s crazy. Borden is being brought along slowly, but clearly has value to AEW alongside Darby Allin. Down the road, there is value with them as hated rivals too. Borden still comes across as “Sting’s son.” Finding his own voice, personality, and character is pivotal for him starting right now.

Triple threat incoming

-Annnnnnd now we all know why Thekla wasn’t a straight babyface the last couple times she’s verbally jousted with Mercedes Mone. Triple threat world title match incoming. Thekla vs. Mone vs. Willow Nightingale was unofficially set this week with Nightingale making her return and running Thekla out of the ring. It’s a fine match and all, but leaves Thekla undefined. Against Mone, she’s a babyface. Against Nightingale, a heel. The lines are much too blurred in that regard for a talent that’s a top star in the AEW women’s division.

-An exciting tag team tables match in this week’s main event. How could it not be? The Young Bucks, Kevin Knight, and Kyle Fletcher all in the same match? A recipe for action and both teams brought it. The finish was odd. Allin and Borden running out to make the save for The Bucks when FTR attacked them should have been Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, right? Like, that’s the story to tell with the big triple threat ladder match between Cope/Cage, FTR, and Young Bucks coming up at All Out. Allin and Borden felt like a last second choice and didn’t make sense inside of the story at hand. There is a Don Callis Family connection, but that’s really it.

What did you think of this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!

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-Was that a pig that just flew overhead? Do my eyes deceive me??? Kelani Jordan vs. Jaida Parker for the NXT Women’s Championship opened up the show this week and Jordan — a heel — won the match clean. This was a wonderful surprise. Jordan and Parker had a nice match together, but the clean win for Jordan was the story. As a newly crowned champion, building credibility is important and she was able to do that with the win. Parker isn’t ruined, but her journey to the title continues. Not everyone needs booking protection and this is a perfect example of how things work without it.

Not buying Wren

-As for the Wren Sinclair attack after the match? I’m not buying it. I get what they were going for and tried to present Sinclair as dangerous and serious, but there is a part of her character that doesn’t jive with that presentation. She very much comes across as Kendal Grey’s number two rather a standalone title contender. She’s out-kicking the coverage a bit when it comes to this kind of booking.

-Does anyone actually believe Myles Borne is going to apologize to Tavion Heights? That’s probably the right move, given the fact it would pull the plug on a silly heel turn, but it’s painfully obvious there is a swerve coming here and the heel turn double down for Borne will be on.

-Match of the night goes to the tag team match between The Creed Brothers and the team of Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar. Tons of action. More than that, it was nice to see The Creed Brothers back doing what they do best. They were called up to the main roster too soon and got lost in the shuffle up there. There is some tag team depth in NXT right now on the men’s side of the roster. The Creeds should be able to find themselves again in this environment.

U-Man-Ga

-Bravo, William Regal. A U-Man-Ga from him this week? Nostalgia in full force. Hell yeah.

-Man, I know it was a total heel attack with the entire Birthright faction needing to act together to take out Zilla Fatu, but huh??? Zilla Fatu is one of the most over guys that NXT has seen recently and the weakest faction in history takes him out? This most certainly ends with Fatu obliterating Birthright, but the questions around the booking remain. Why doesn’t a star like Fatu have something better ready to go?

-Real quick on Birthright — Charlie Dempsey cut a decent little promo this week. He rarely gets that type of spotlight and he was able to show a bit of personality and character.

-Jackson Drake successfully defended his NXT North American Championship this week against Tavion Heights. There’s that flying pig again! Clean finish. Good for Drake. He’s got infinite potential as a heel, but needs wins to keep momentum. Heights doesn’t lose much taking the clean pin in this one. His main feud is obviously with Myles Borne and he’ll continue to get strong television time within that.

-Zaria was more whiny than usual this week. Izzi Dame walked out and claimed a title shot and so did Thea Hail. Dame hovering around this doesn’t make any sense. Zaria vs. Hail is a traditional heel vs. babyface match that shines up both women. Dame’s involvement neutralizes the Zaria heat because everyone will want to see Zaria take out Dame.

Rematch incoming

-A decent main event, but one that was stocked with what used to be the top of the NXT men’s division. Cruz Montana stood out amongst everyone in the match and presents as a stronger star than anyone else involved. We now know Grayson Waller will defend his NXT Championship against either Tony D’Angelo, Saquon Shugars, and Mason Rook. Rematch incoming. Waller against D’Angelo is the match out of the options available that makes the most sense given the fact that D’Angelo is the former champion. Not exactly a needle-mover, though. Look for that title match to occupy a main event slot on NXT television rather than an NXT PLE.

What did you think of this week’s episode of NXT? Let us know in the comments!

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Is she staying or going?

It’s a question that has been on the minds of wrestling fans for much of 2026. What is Bayley going to do? Stay in WWE? Conquer AEW? Retire?

After weeks away from WWE television, Bayley returned to the company on this week’s episode of Raw and made her presence strongly felt when she pulled the Money in the Bank qualifying opportunity out of the hands of Lyra Valkyria. Valkyria and Bayley used to be tag team partners and friends, but Valkyria turned on her — sparking not only a match between the two, but an intense rivalry that still remains unsettled.

Nobody knows for sure what the future holds for Bayley, but reading between the lines indicates that she’s staying with your favorite pro wrestling corporate juggernaut. Cheers to that. It’s the right move.

Cha-Ching

For everyone that is screaming at their computers right now — yes, I agree, it’s about the money. Every pro wrestler only has one body, so it behooves them to make the most money as they can with it while they still can. It’s significant to point this out because, of course, Bayley should go where the money is. If Tony Khan tacks on a couple extra zeros to his offer, good for her, there isn’t a real bidding war to consider, and off to AEW she’ll go as The Hugger, Davina Rose.

Same thing the other way. If the Nick version of Khan tosses Bayley a wallop of paid time off. Boom. Decision made. Bayley stays with WWE. That’s all obvious.

The situation gets dicier when offers are similar — when WWE, AEW, or other potential suitors are ponying up the same cash and perks to Bayley to get her to join them. That’s the angle to explore here and it’s not a long expedition.

Read more

-As they say, if you’re going to do something, do it right. The Vision got a full-blown jolt of momentum this week when they took out Oba Femi for the second night in a row. The faction has been snake-bit since the beginning and framed all over the place on the WWE Raw hierarchy. Because of the start and stop pushes throughout the last 18 months, it’s reasonable to question whether or not they should be getting another one. WWE answered that question for you this week. Bron Breakker and company might as well have worn t-shirts that said “we’re important” on them. At least they went all the way. There wasn’t a hedge about the push. Breakker and The Vision took out the top guy on the show and then gloated about it afterward. WWE likes to go halfway with some of this type of framing. They didn’t here and it landed much better.

-The announce team came across as trying to sell the surprise return of Otis. For better or worse, it didn’t feel like he ever left.

Royce Keys, the 946, and a sweet spot

-The 946 had a few black and white vignettes this week and they each came across very strong. The vignettes present a genuine version of what Royce Keys and OTM are trying to portray as characters. These enhance the act and hopefully more are on the horizon.

-Ok, Matt Matthews. You win the award for worse celebrity Raw involvement of all-time. Like, ever. Matthews started in the crowd, made fun of The Miz a bit, got one move of offense on Miz in the ring, and then ate a Skull Crushing Finale. That was it. Usually, the celebs get some comeuppance with a babyface during stuff like this. Tough night if you’re a Matthews fan — if those people actually exist.

-Bron Breakker qualified for Money in the Bank — no surprise there. Look, if he’s going to lead a Vision comeback on Raw, then he’s got to be in matches like Money in the Bank. Again, this week was a reminder that Breakker is a huge part of WWE’s future plans. Wins like this help solidify achieving that goal. Breakker is on a short list of guys who could win the briefcase this year.

-Something tells me that Adam Pearce’s “word” is going to all of a sudden not be “good” in the coming weeks regarding an LA Knight world title shot. The more that the perception of Knight is that he is overlooked for title opportunities, the more it helps him get over. Knight clawing his way to a title match is a smart way to emphasize that point and make crowd reactions to him grow even bigger.

Sol Ruca? Meet the ladder match

-Like Breakker, Sol Ruca was an obvious choice to be in this year’s Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. She beat Lyra Valkyria and Maxxine Dupri — hat tip to Bayley on the help. Ruca was born to do this match. Sol Snatcher off a very high ladder. Pencil that in for the next five straight women’s Money in the Bank matches.

-As for Bayley, it appears she has re-signed with WWE? Maybe? While joining AEW was an exciting proposition, it makes all the sense in the world for her to continue on with WWE. That’s where her history is. I’m sure she got paid tremendously well. After all, that’s the point of all this.

-Ok, I think we’ve found somebody on WWE television that is less cool than Michael Cole. Joe Hendry? Come on down! Wow. The Hendry music video about the JD McDonagh funko pop head — if it can even be called that — was god awful. It wasn’t funny, clever, or effective. Babyfaces should very much stay away from bullying heels about their looks. More evidence that WWE has a hard time booking babyfaces as actual good guys. Do the powers at be even know what one looks like?

-Is WWE trying to sell Funko Pops or something? Poor Je’Von Evans stumbled around with a fake Funko Pop head this week to distract Judgment Day and allow Joe Hendry to pick up a victory. Not great for Evans if you want to be taken seriously as a contender to top titles and credible opposite guys like Big Cass.

Teleprompter Cass

-Speaking of Cass, where has he been? We got a little vignette for him this week, but that’s it. I guess the pre-tapes are better for Cass than cutting a bad promo live in the middle of the ring, but Cass sounded like he was reading off a teleprompter. Sure, he probably was, but the idea is to make it sound like you aren’t. Cass didn’t speak in a monotone voice during his time with TNA or AEW. He’s a lot stiffer with WWE. He was during his first run and so far, same thing now.

-Paul Heyman got to play the disappointed Dad to The Vision this week, but I’m not buying it. Mark my words, Heyman is pulling the strings on all of this Vision reuniting and Oba Femi destruction stuff. Just look at the hug he gave Bronson Reed.

-Reed had a great night. His part of the show-opening promo was well-delivered and he carried with him the gravitas of being a top guy. Femi vs. Reed is a cool match to go with, but one that will sacrifice Reed in favor of Femi. Not the wrong call, but a choice that was made.

-With it being a holiday show, I was expecting more from Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan for the WWE Women’s World Heavyweight Championship. The match was slow to start and the audience only ramped up near the end. It didn’t feel like a title crowning moment for Vaquer this week and it’s possible the audience sensed that and didn’t invest. At the same time, the action was slow and not all that crisp. Add in the obvious interference by Judgment Day and the result was a blah main event.

-Ok, I’m careful with this compliment, but bravo to Becky Lynch. She was able to actually help Stephanie Vaquer without any drama or will she/won’t she turn psychology. Now, WWE will most certainly extinguish this compliment by having Vaquer needlessly be upset with Lynch next week, but that’s next week. Babyfaces were babyfaces and in a WWE land where that is rare, gotta call it out.

Hot!

-A hot ending to Raw. LOL. Get it? The 946 setting The Bloodline’s van on fire looked cheesy, but it put an important focus on Royce Keys. If nothing else, he stood out during this angle and for the third week in a row was treated as a top guy on the show. Many in the audience were cheering for The Usos opposite Keys and his faction so that narrative still has to flush itself out.

What was your favorite segment from this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!

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Blahhhhhhhhh.

An average show at best. All of the matches went exactly as expected. Not always a bad thing, but when the expected outcomes aren’t all that compelling, the result is a flat event.

WWE oversold the Bron Breakker and Oba Femi match when there was no way for the company to go through with a real finish. In theory, this match was the biggest of the show, but didn’t feel like it due to the disqualification.

Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. One brass ring = bad. Five brass rings = epic, all-time greatness, and perfection.

Baron Corbin vs. Lil Yachty - If Yachty lasts five minutes, Trick Williams gets an immediate WWE Men’s United States Championship match

A five-star classic, this was not. The worst match on the AEW All In PPV event beat this by nearly two brass rings. Now, with that said, this did what it needed to do. Yachty hanging on captured the attention of the crowd. They seemed into the story and popped when Yachty made it — even if he did because he cheated. Why is a babyface winning that way? Gonna save my breath on that one, but it’s nonsensical.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O

Baron Corbin vs. Trick Williams - WWE Men’s United States Championship

Well, as soon as Yachty lasted the five minutes, it was obvious that a title change was on the way. Corbin and Williams did a halfway decent job of creating some drama around that finish with two different near-falls. In the end, Yachty helped Williams win the title annnnnnnnnd scene. This was better than the opening match, but not by as much as you’d think.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO

Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker

Not a bad match while it lasted. Actually a pretty good tease. And all of it a waste of time. Bronson Reed made his return and destroyed Femi with a chair to help Breakker. Breakker didn’t really get a win. Femi didn’t really get a loss. Reed is back and that’s about it. Femi and Breakker having a meaningful first match together was important. You can only do it the first time once and they sacrificed it here for an angle that could’ve happened on any random episode of Raw. We’ll see how Paul Heyman reacts to it this week on Raw, but if that’s the most intriguing story coming out of your “future of WWE” match, something went wrong. Sidebar — WWE has to do something about the crowd chanting “one more time” during what are supposed to be beatdown segments for heat. The babyface looks awfully silly getting obliterated as the shocked announcers sell it, but the audience cheers it on. They need to pick their spots better and be smarter. Femi didn’t feel as hot in this as he has at other points this year.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4

Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Tatum Paxley vs. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab

Oh, it was a fine little match. Cargill missed some spots again, but the rest gelled for the most part. The hot tag to Flair was well-worked, but it only served to build up a moment where the damn babyface team couldn’t co-exist. A yawner of a storyline. Paxley and Flair may get it over, but it’s a story we see everywhere on WWE television.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 3/4

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

I liked the steadiness of the match and the vicious nature of it with the blood, but the story didn’t land. By the end of the match, the audience was cheering and chanting for Orton as Rhodes stalked him. That reaction didn’t jive with the story the announce team was telling about Rhodes finally getting a victory over Orton after nearly 20 years. A lot was made by the announce team regarding Orton having quit the match prior to Rhodes losing. How about an “I Quit” Match for their trilogy fight?

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO

What as your favorite match of the show? Let us know in the comments!

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Just when you thought WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event couldn’t get any stranger, it’s takes place on a Sunday.

The special WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event is being sold as a major event with implications on the future of the company, but don’t be fooled. This show is booked into a corner.

The main event of the night should be Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker. I mean, this is a match to decide the future face of WWE, right? Not exactly. Just because this should be the main event, doesn’t mean it will be. Here’s the problem. WWE doesn’t have a finish available to them for this that is suitable for an ending to a major show.

No chance in hell

Oba Femi winning clean. Bron Breakker winning clean. Those are the only two viable finishes that would be worthy of the hype WWE has given this match and the main event slot of the evening. One of the two standing over the other crowned as “the man” is the picture that’s being painted — the expectation. There’s just no chance in hell of that actually happening.

Throughout the build of this match, Paul Heyman has said that this is a match that neither Femi or Breakker could afford to lose. It was a match that both had to win.

You know where I’m going with this. WWE is not going to be paying off this feud with a real finish on Sunday night. Don’t expect an actual victor to be crowned. If there ever was a kick-the-can down the road kinda moment, this is it.

Heyman hit the nail on the head, neither guy can lose this match right now. Yes, it begs the question of why the hell even trot it out there right now, but I’ve been there and covered that.

Femi vs. Breakker is a main event level match that won’t be the main event because it won’t have a real finish that delivers on the hype WWE has given it. This will leave fans disappointed and WWE won’t want ot send their fans out the doors and into the streets of Atlanta rolling their eyes, while grumpy.

Take this to the bank. Bron Breakker is going to win this match. Paul Heyman is going to help him. Bronson Reed is going to help him. Boom.

Now, none of that is going to mean much of anything. Breakker isn’t really getting put over because of all the help. Femi isn’t really losing because of the shenanigans. The Femi feud against Heyman continues on instead. Femi with both Breakker and Reed in front of him to get through on the road to 2027.

If Femi vs. Breakker isn’t going to main event the show, there’s only one match left that can do it. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton the right way

I hear that sigh of relief. Jelly Roll isn’t involved with this thing and neither is Pat McAfee. Re-god-damn-joice.

The build to this match has been a blast. It’s waded into the sea of meta a little too much for me, but hasn’t crossed a line of being totally ridiculous and obnoxious. Rhodes and Orton have gotten personal and they feel like real rivals because of it.

Randy Orton needs a victory here. If you’re WWE you want the Orton/Rhodes program to be tied at one, so the trilogy match stays on the table. Outside of that, Orton can’t just be the guy that RKO’s people, is menacing, and then loses all the time. He can take a lot of that, but SmackDown has been refreshed at the top of the card. Orton vs. CM Punk in a title program is a match WWE can do with the proper Orton framing. Orton vs. Zayn, Orton vs. Gunther, Orton vs. Owens? Those are all top matches that are open if WWE wants to feature Orton a bit as 2026 comes to a close. That all starts with Orton securing a victory on Sunday night.

Other announced matches for the show include a six-woman tag team match between Jade Cargill with her baddies and the oddball team of Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Tatum Paxley. The other is a sentence I wish I didn’t have to type out and that will lead to ripping some shots. Lil Yachty vs. Baron Corbin. Holy shit.

WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event airs live on Peacock on Sunday night. Full preview and predictions from The Takedown on SI and the full card is below.

WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event 9/6/26 Full Match Card

• Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker

• Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

• Lil Yachty vs. Baron Corbin - If Yachty wins, Trick Williams gets an immediate shot at Corbin’s WWE United States Championship

• Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Tatum Paxley vs. Jade Cargill, Mia Yim, and B-Fab

WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event 9/6/26 Preview

Ok, you have one vote. What is your match of the night prediction for SNME this weekend? Go!

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Madisyn Maxxwell joins Zack Heydorn on the Brass Ring Media Pro Wrestling Podcast to discuss her NEW pro wrestling gimmick, the grind of being an independent wrestler, opportunity, social media, her goals, and much more.

Read more

Madisyn Maxxwell sat at a signing table last November and watched the line for MJF’s table wrap around the room. Then she looked at her own table. That was the moment she decided to stop treating wrestling like a maybe.

Maxxwell has ten years in the pro wrestling business and 2026 is the year it clicked. She’s a WOW Tag Team Champion. She’s booked every weekend. She’s one the fastest growing wrestling stars on social media and she built a brand new gimmick on the independents — a news reporter who’s Dad bought her a news network. It’s an act that can be dropped in any era of wrestling and it’s ripe for indy notoriety and the bright lights of WrestleMania.

In an exclusive interview with Brass Ring Media, Maxxwell opened up about the roots of her new character, how she uses social media without giving her act away, the grind of being an independent pro wrestler, and why she’s glad WWE didn’t sign her at 18.

Momentum is everything

Zack Heydorn: It feels like in the last six months you’ve hit a new level of momentum. Your social media is growing, more people know your work, WOW is a real thing now. Do I have that right, or does it feel that way on your end too?

Madisyn Maxxwell: You don’t have the wrong sense at all. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve been in the wrestling business a long time — longer than people realize. But it wasn’t until this year that I really looked at myself in the mirror and said, you want to do this? Then do everything you can to do it. So, I’ve been pushing extremely hard all year.

I’ve been consistent on social media since January and I’ve grown. I don’t have a billion followers, but my numbers are great. I’m back in training. I’m taking bookings every weekend. I introduced a new character this year, the news reporter, and I love her, and people are receiving her really well. And with WOW, I’ve been there since season one of the revamp in 2022, but this past season we finally got storylines that go somewhere, and now we’re the tag team champions.

So this year has been the year of Madisyn Maxxwell taking off. I’ve done what I wanted to do, and I’m not done. My angle is a contract.

ZH: What made you take inventory and decide, if I’m going to do this, let’s do it? Was there a specific moment?

MM: Yeah. I was at WrestleCade, which is every November in North Carolina, and I’m from North Carolina. I was at a table, and across from me were MJF and Harley Cameron, and their lines were so long. I looked around and thought, I could do this. What have I been waiting for? I’ve been a wrestler for years, but I hadn’t pushed super hard. I did the college thing, I got the job thing. But I looked around at what were basically coworkers and thought, I do what you do. I feel it in my system that I can do this too.

I’d already started thinking about this character. I’d talked about the news reporter idea to a few people and got really positive feedback, but I didn’t know how to introduce her, or how to transition from who I was before. I was the rich daddy’s girl, and now I’m a news reporter. How does that happen? Then one day I was walking around, actual news crews were out, and I asked them to interview me. They did, and they used the clip. I said, this is perfect. I’ll put up a real news clip of me and now I’m the news character. It all happened fast.

And then I found training schools where I live now and landed on a really good one. I’ve had amazing coaches since January. I train at Dark Art. Our head trainer is Malakai Black, who you might know as Aleister Black or Tommy End, and my other trainer is Vincent from The Righteous. I’ve been with them since January and the change has been astronomical. My footwork, my character work, my social media, all of it has gotten so much better.

Madi Media

ZH: Talk about the new character. It’s such a good gimmick. When I think about independent wrestling, you need something you can take everywhere, to every promotion, and make it work. Every city, every town has news. So you can drop yourself in anywhere and fit. And I love that you talk about the character as “her,” because it’s an extension of you but it’s also not exactly you. What went into building it?

MM: It started naturally in my brain. In college I wanted to be a news reporter. My degree is in communications and I worked at Fox News. I really did want to do it in real life. I was this rich daddy’s girl from New York and I decided she needed to grow up. In my head it was, my dad told me to get a job. Then the story became: nobody talks about me, so I had my dad buy the news. That’s the origin. And “Madi Media,” Madison, it works out perfectly.

From there it came together. I have a custom theme song. I thought about “breaking news,” “news flash,” all these terms you can use in every single promo. You can name your finishers that. You can be the good guy or the bad guy with it. I designed my Madi Media logo, which was the first step, then I got the custom music, then I debuted as her and cut a promo as her.

One of my coaches wants people to genuinely wonder whether I’m a real news reporter or not. I take real news segments and twist them into parodies, “eyewitness” this and that, and I edit all the videos myself so they look like real news reports. There’s a website now, madimedia.net, real news, all about me.

Another inspiration was Jackie Burkhart from That ‘70s Show. My original character had a little of her in it and then Jackie literally becomes a news reporter. Wrestling is saturated right now. You have to ask, what are you doing to stand out? I know I can talk. So, now I talk a lot.

ZH: I can picture that character on a big stage.

MM: That’s why social media is so important too. I can show up at a show for the first time and people already know exactly who I am. And I get to run storylines through social media at indie shows, which is really cool. I’d love to be on TV, but I’m not there yet, so for now you can follow the story on social media depending on which indie show I’m at.

The importance of social media

ZH: Let me ask about social media, because this week you were number one on the list for growth. What’s your take on how a wrestler should use it? I ask because you’ve got this news character and you’re rolling with it. But some wrestlers have a big character and then their social media is just them, and it feels like they’re giving the act away by not harmonizing the two?

MM: In the past I kept separate accounts. I started wrestling in high school and I didn’t want strangers seeing my friends. In college I was in a sorority, same thing. It wasn’t until WrestleCade in November that I decided to go all in. I changed my Instagram name from my real name to Madisyn Maxxwell and since then I just post. I am her, so I post my life, but I’m very careful about what I share. If you look at my page, there aren’t a lot of pictures with my friends unless they’re wrestlers.

The best advice I got was, you’re a wrestler, so wrestling fans find you because you’re a wrestler, but they stay because of who you are as a person. So, I do share real life. That doesn’t mean my location or my day job. But, I’ll post that I’m out to dinner, or my dogs, or what I’m doing. Wrestling is a blend of you, but you don’t have to share everything.

ZH: Are you posting as the character, as yourself, or a mix?

MM: Both. Anything that’s a wrestling picture gets a very news-person type caption. If it’s just a picture of me, I try to relate the two. I posted one of me on a boat and captioned it something like “offshore reporting.” I still tie it back to her. I don’t want to be “breaking news, I’m the best” in one post and “I love flowers and daisies” in the next. I don’t want obvious cracks in the character.

ZH: It’s a whole other arm of the character you have to manage.

MM: The good news is I created her, so I know what she’d say about everything.

Managing the grind

ZH: So what’s the business like for you on the independents right now? Are you able to work where you want and land the bookings you want? Take me behind the scenes.

MM: I’m blessed to be booked every single weekend. There are dream promotions I’m working toward. I have momentum, but I’m not at the level where I can just message a promotion and they’ll bring me in. So, I use every booking to get reps in, get content, and have matches I can send to other places. I DM people all the time. I send emails all the time. I send my resume, my matches, and my promos to promotions I want to work, and then you hope they eventually have a spot for you.

I am getting more opportunity. I’m doing 1FW next month, which is a promotion with a lot of buzz and the right people watching. And in November I got a confirmed booking for ICW, so I’ll make my Arizona debut. I want to travel way more than just Florida. I love some Florida promotions, but I want to extend my name. So Georgia, Arizona, and I’m trying to get up to the Northeast and do a loop: New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, whatever I can get. A big goal of mine is international. I’m also trying to get to Reality of Wrestling.

So behind the scenes it’s a lot of reaching out, DMing, sending your stuff, using your connections. It’s a waiting game. You put yourself out there and hope.

ZH: And you have to do all that on top of the actual wrestling. How do you learn to manage and balance it?

MM: It’s a grind for sure, but I love to quote Taylor Swift here: I get tired, but I don’t get tired of it. It’s hard work. We’re throwing our bodies around and slamming each other down. Nobody said it would be easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Wrestling weeds people out.

When you have buzz, you have to go for it, because in wrestling the next day nobody might care. So keep pushing. I actually like DMing people. That sounds funny, but I’m proud of my resume. It looks good and it’s got real stuff on it. Making it reminded me, hey, I’ve done some things.

It’s part of the job. Maybe one day I’ll be big enough that people DM me asking me to come to their show. I’m not there yet. But everyone who’s there now did this too. They did the loop, slept in their cars, all of it. At least we have social media now, so I can message ahead instead of just showing up. It’s a lot of work, but it’s your dream, so pick your hard.

WOW Women of Wrestling

ZH: That’s a great mindset. A couple more questions. You mentioned WOW. I feel like that promotion can get lost in the shuffle sometimes, but a lot of talent came out of there. What’s it like working for a promotion with that history and how much are you able to spread your wings and do things your way?

MM: WOW is really cool because it’s a full production. It gives me a taste of the big leagues. We have ramps, we have trons, custom music, real backstage segments, custom outfits that a seamstress is still sewing on you right up until you walk out. You get your hair and makeup done. It’s so fun to experience that lifestyle. We only film two weeks a month at a time, so you go from that crazy lifestyle straight back to reality and that can be hard. But it’s a blast.

As for having a say in my storylines: as Sandy Shore, the beach girl, I had no say whatsoever. Now that Sandy has turned into “Best for Business,” which lines up more with my character on the indies, it’s the first time I’ve really gotten backstage segments, scripts, and promos, and they let us write our own. That was huge for me, because I’m creative and handing me a script is hard. I’d rather portray it the way I’d actually say it than memorize your exact words. It comes across better. I don’t write my promos word for word anyway. I do bullet points and then I flow. I know what I’m trying to say and where I’m going.

This past season they let us ad-lib and improv a lot. You may have seen the burn book bit, the “best for business” book. All of that was improv. We knew the gist of what we were going to say, then we just went out and flowed with it. And I have an amazing tag partner. We actually get along in real life and we room together, so we get really close when we film. This past season has been the most fun, and not that the others weren’t. I got to be more me, instead of some spring break character from Myrtle Beach. I’m not even from Myrtle Beach.

“It humbles you fast”

ZH: Last question. You’ve been in the game about 10 years and this year has been a real change. When you think about when you got in versus where you are now, is it like you expected?

MM: No. I kick myself sometimes for not pushing as hard as I could have at 18. When I first started, this sounds egotistical, but I thought WWE would just look at me, see a pretty 18-year-old, and sign me. I grew up in the diva era, and that had happened to people before, so I figured it would happen to me. Every time I did WWE or AEW, I thought all they had to do was look at me. It’s not like that at all. It’s a lot of hard work.

Now that I’m deeper in, I’m actually lucky to be a little older, because I have a better head on my shoulders. I’m not as naive or egotistical. My respect for the business is so much stronger than it was 10 years ago. My drive and passion have grown too.

And wrestling has changed tremendously in 10 years. AEW popped up, TNA is growing, the indie scene, social media. Even if I’d been signed at 18, it would be a completely different business now. I couldn’t have told you 10 years ago what it would look like today, and I don’t know what it’ll look like tomorrow, because it’s constantly changing. People are buying promotions. People are getting signed and released left and right. You could do one thing, go viral, and get a contract. You could be the best wrestler in the world and never get one. It’s a love-hate relationship.

ZH: It keeps you on your toes.

MM: And it humbles you fast … You have to remind yourself that timing is everything. If I’d gotten signed at 18, I’d have been an idiot. So naive. I believed everybody. Timing is everything.

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-The All In PPV event on Sunday was a massive success for AEW. A huge night for the company in more ways than one. Going into this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, it was important for the company to frame that story for the TV audience that may not have watched the show. After the opening Dynamite pyro, the announce team tossed the broadcast to a wonderful video package set to Machinehead by Bush and it captured the essence of All In. An excellent piece of production that made All In look even bigger and more extravagant than it was. Three years ago, AEW doesn’t have this as part of the formula. Important growth for the company to make.

A signature promo segment for AEW

-Was Will Ospreay’s show opening championship victory promo the most important segment in AEW history? I’d argue yes. The promo needed to carry the weight of being a launching point for a new era of the company. At the same time, it needed to present Ospreay as the top star and build a roadmap for what his title reign would look like. This promo did all of that. Plus, Ospreay kept his personality front and center. So, it checked all the right boxes. Ospreay isn’t a traditionally good promo guy, but you can feel his passion on the microphone. Calling himself “the standard” was an important line that placed him at the top of the AEW star power food chain.

-Gabe Kidd and Ricochet were the first two heels to confront Ospreay. Look, both of them are heel jobbers in AEW right now, but that was the point. Their interruption of Ospreay simply existed to create an angle for a main event — one that would feature Ospreay, but not lean directly on him to shoulder the load of delivering a strong match in the ring.

-Yeah, I’d call that a two thumbs up debut for The New Level on Dynamite this week. Like the match at All In, Kofi and Austin Creed seemed motivated during their match alongside Swerve Strickland and against The Rascalz this week. They took bumps and went out of their way to be a major physical part of the match. They continued to strike the right balance of doing enough of The New Day style to maintain recognition amongst wrestling fans, while at the same time freshening up their move sets and other presentation points that glow in the fresh paint of AEW.

Cheaters

-Glad to see The Young Bucks and Adam Copeland acknowledge that Christian Cage cheated to win their tag title match at All In. It was painfully glossed over on the actual show, so The Bucks asking them about it on Dynamite this week worked well to give at least a little nod to the obvious. Copeland too. The fact that he and Cage aren’t on the same page regarding how they won speaks to their lack of chemistry as a team right now. Copeland and Cage granting a title match to both FTR and The Bucks at All Out in a ladder match positions them as fighting champions and sets up a match years in the making. It’s smart of Tony Khan to go with this right now. Why wait? These guys aren’t getting younger.

-Nobody really thought Darby Allin was going to lose the TNT Championship to Mark Davis this week on Dynamite after winning it at All In. The match had issues because of that reality. Allin and Davis worked hard to get past them. The brawl to start the match was a nice touch and very Allin-esque. Per usual, Allin took a beating, but overcame and won the match. That’s his formula and it works.

-Alright, so I can’t exactly put a finger on a specific reason for this opinion, but the Steve Borden Jr. and Darby Allin pairing comes across as forced right now. I get it. Allin is doing for Sting’s son what Sting did for him. Fine. Makes total sense. The thing is, Borden is a nobody right now. When Sting picked up Allin, he was already a guy that was getting over in AEW. Two totally different situations. Borden Jr. has done fine out there to this point, but just doesn’t have the credibility to merge into this storyline without it feeling jarring.

Birds vs. Dominion is on

-And the Brawling Birds tag title feud with Divine Dominion continues on. Fantastic. These two teams have chemistry together. Week by week they are able to cultivate a feeling of true hatred of one another and that will help make the rematch memorable. This is the first true feud we’ve seen over the women’s tag titles. So far, so good.

-The Mercedes Mone world championship celebration promo wasn’t as good as Will Ospreay’s, but it didn’t need to be. Mone has already established herself as the standard in AEW. The company is currently smack-dab in the middle of her era. Mone maintained her obnoxiousness and very much outlined a historic vision for her first AEW world title run.

-What else can you say about Thekla at his point? There isn’t a talent in AEW right now that is as comfortable within their character as she is. She’s in flow out there and that makes for not only an entertaining performance, but a believable one. Thekla vs. Mone is a huge match. Thekla said words that a heel would say about Willow Nightingale this week, but a face turn is calling if the Mone match is on deck sooner than later.

-So, is Britt Baker the manager of Persephone now? Is she building a faction? Lots of unanswered questions there.

-Why was Jon Moxley vs. AR Fox a thing? The Dynamite overruns are getting out of hand. It would be one thing if they existed because the show was just full of top end material. But, for Moxley vs. Fox? It took nearly nine minutes for Moxley to defeat Fox. That’s just silly. Fox is and always has been leagues away from Moxley and it hurts Moxley to go 50/50 with the guy for as long as he did.

-Draaaaaaaaaaaammmmma. Are we seeing cracks in The Don Callis Family? They certainly aren’t a well-oiled machine right now. I’m not a fan of the heel on heel drama. It doesn’t create a rooting interest anywhere for fans.

Ospreay vs. Moxley

-A strong main event that you knew Team Ospreay was going to win. It’s the first night of his world title run, so that booking makes sense. Team Ospreay vs. Team Demand and Dogs was fast-paced and exciting. It showcased the Ospreay-era style, but without Ospreay shouldering the load for all the big spots. AEW has to do all they can to protect him and sell his big matches. That’s a big company draw right now.

-It’s Ospreay vs. Moxley for the AEW Men’s World Championship at All Out at the end of the month. The little reveal with both Ospreay and Mox’s jaws hitting the floor when the match graphic went up in the building was a little too cute for me. That said, this match has been building up for ages. Nearly a year now. It’s not a sexy choice, but it’s a logical one for Ospreay’s first PPV title defense.

Were you a fan of the show opening promo from Will Ospreay this week on AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments!

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-WWE did a nice job on the video package that recapped the NXT Heatwave PLE from over the weekend. The video was riveting. The show itself? Not so much. That’s the idea, though. Polish up a video that makes said event shine brighter than it actually did. Bravo. Mission accomplished.

It’s still Zilla’s show

-The fact that it was Zilla Fatu who started off the show and not Grayson Waller is telling. Fatu is becoming the face of NXT. He cut a confident promo that owned his Heatwave loss and at the same time, mapped out a direction back to the top. Fatu vs. Waller is the match NXT should be building toward long-term. Stand and Deliver next year? Tristan Angels did his thing as the annoying heel … more on these two guys in a second.

-I’m out on Myles Borne as a heel. Borne walked the line this week and played up the fact that he was conflicted about what went down at Heatwave with Tavion Heights. That’s even worse than a true heel turn. With promos like the one he cut on video from his car this week, he jumps into no-man’s land. Yet another character on WWE television that fans aren’t sure how to react to.

-From the G1 in New Japan to matches against Shiloh Hill in NXT. That’s Naraku’s range the last year. It’s a bit jarring watching him work the style he did against Hill this week, but you can understand why he chose it. Naraku looked like he could do the match in his sleep. Hill held up his end of the deal in the match and fired up nicely as a babyface. The mist victory for Naraku keeps the feud on the burner. It’s been a good one so far.

-As for the Shiloh Hill weekly tracker? A thumbs up this week. He showcased enough of his character, but not too much. The one-note stuff he left out of the action.

-Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs. Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux was a WWE Evolve match that somehow ended up on NXT. Dorian Van Dux got a “dvd” crowd chant? That’s the most notable thing that happened in this one.

A pair of serious Creed’s

-Wait! The notable thing award about the above match really belonged to two guys that weren’t in the match at all. The Creed Brothers returned and ditched all the silliness that they found on the main roster. They wore street clothes and came across as a serious act. It’s the right lane for them. This version of that team against Vanity Project for the tag titles is a match that could main event any NXT show.

-Am I dreaming???? Zaria chose to ditch the Speed Championship that she won at Heatwave in favor of holding onto the NXT Women’s North American Championship. Robert Stone’s answer? Get rid of it AND the men’s version. Hallelujah. These championships hurt my head. Truly. The 24/7 Championship was more entertaining than these. Good riddance.

-What you saw this week from Kelani Jordan was her best microphone work to date in NXT. Jordan dropped a championship victory promo and not only found the right words, but the right delivery as well. The right tone. She came across as supremely arrogant, yet confident, even in the face of having to use an exposed ring post to beat Kendal Grey to win the NXT Women’s Championship. As a heel, you want the audience to see and feel that you’re out of touch with reality. If that psychology plays right, it automatically creates a line in the sand with the heel on one side and the fans on the other. Jaida Parker was the babyface benefactor. Parker had a cold match with Natalya at Heatwave, but stood on the foundation Jordan built with her promo this week. Parker got some of her swagger back and the title shot between both is a suitable NXT television main event.

It’s a work

-As for Grey, she’s got vertigo? I mean, sure, it may be an actual thing. I smell and angle, though. Jordan worked over Grey’s injured ear for the entire match at Heatwave. Having her not appear for a couple weeks because of recovery helps give Jordan the perception that she’s dangerous and can take anyone out at anytime. It’s a good foundation for a heel to work on — especially one that’s solidifying a title run.

-Don’t sleep on Thea Hail. She’s got the underdog act down pat. That feature of her personality has been neutralized by Parker’s charisma ever since the two started to become friends on television. At this point, Hail is better off going out there alone, rather than fight for time and space with Parker. It’s hard to be the underdog, when someone like Parker has your back at any given moment. Plus, Hail and Parker continue to have weak chemistry.

-As for Tavion Heights, I guess he lost his friend and all, but c’mon! Show a little anger and a little fire. His backstage promo didn’t hit either of those emotions. Heights was upset, but left his emotions there and only there. He could have used some boosted volume or more intense words to pull the audience onto his side. Thank goodness for Vanity Project. When that group jumped into the shot, they got the heat for the segment that Heights couldn’t achieve on his own. Heights against Jackson Drake next week is an above average match, but I think you can guess where it’s going. Enter heel Myles Borne — gross.

-The main event match was Zilla Fatu against Tristan Angels. It was what it was. Fatu got a victory and showcased his charisma and energy. Angels worked as a classic heel out there to make sure the entire audience was on Fatu’s side. They were. Fatu is on the chase and seemingly has a date with Birthright in the near future. They will be another domino that falls at the hands of Fatu and why not. He’s on the chase and needs wins to maintain momentum.

Grayson Waller sets tone with shoot-style storyline promo

-Grayson Waller built an uphill mountain to climb when his return to NXT was marked by a meta shoot promo. As I wrote at the time, he can’t stay in that zone forever, so he needs to find a similar voice, but within the confines of the ecosystem that NXT plays in. Waller found that lane in his main event promo segment this week. Waller had the shoot tone on what he said, but every jab at other talents was related to something that took place on television and in storyline. Waller was really good and as a bad guy, established what his newly won NXT Championship meant to him and what his title run would look like.

-After Waller spoke, it was challenger parade time. This promo format doesn’t bother me as much as it does others because of how effective it can be. After one segment here with Waller as champion, the audience knows the hierarchy of the men’s division. Those that were out there are the top contenders with Fatu waiting in the wings. Defining stuff like this organizes the roster and helps with overall presentation of stars.

What did you think of Grayson Waller’s NXT promo this week? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Let us know in the comments!

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-First and foremost, I didn’t mind the blurred out blood during the opening angle on Raw this week. Blood and guts doesn’t bother me, but Netflix is going to be supremely careful when it comes to that kind of thing. As someone with kids who watch, I can appreciate it. Plus, it didn’t hinder the impact of the angle whatsoever.

Fresh and impactful

-The opening angle itself was excellent. WWE can’t start Raw every single week with something like this, but when they choose certain spots it freshens up the show and generates a big impact. Royce Keys and OTM came across as dangerous. They looked the part and it’s a nice follow-up for Keys who reached another gear with this re-debut last week. Here’s the thing, The Usos looked pretty darn sympathetic getting trounced the way they did. Between this reality and the material later in the show with Roman Reigns, this storyline is still suffering from a severe lack of definition. Who is the audience supposed to like?

-The opening contest between Sol Ruca and Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Intercontinental Championship was too short to be anything noteworthy or memorable. Ruca got her offense in, but the Lyra Valkyria interference cut everything short. Kind of a lame way to end a title match, but it’s Triple H booking 101. Ruca against Valkyria is a fine little feud for Raw television.

-High fives to Chad Gable, Dragon Lee, and Ethan Page. The promo segment between the three men and the following match between Lee and Page was extremely well-executed. Just straight-up pro wrestling. Clear babyfaces and clear heels, which led to a match where fans wanted to see the babyface get the victory. Boom. That’s all you need. Page was wonderful in getting some real heat out there and it set the table for Lee and Gable. The upcoming Gable vs. Lee match for the WWE Men’s Intercontinental Championship is going to be something special in the Mexico City environment.

Be better Roman Reigns

-Remember last week when I wrote about expectations for Roman Reigns now that he’s essentially lined up as a top heel act on Raw? You know, when I said that in the coming weeks we’ll see a lot about Reigns and just how much of a GOAT he truly is? This week was an awful start for him. If I was LA Knight, I’d be livid. Reigns does not work to get heat. He plays into and fans the big reaction to him. By the time the babyface — in this case Knight — comes out to confront him, Reigns already has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. It’s a selfish approach and it puts a ceiling on how entertaining his storylines can be.

-I get that Je’Von Evans didn’t get pinned in his tag match with Judgment Day, but this week dropped another loss on his record. Look, the bottom line is that the Evans and Hendry vs. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh match was a filler segment on a taped show. Don’t read too much into it, but it reinforces that Evans is a middle of the card guy and not even a secondary focus.

-Ya know, I thought we were seeing a true turning of the corner this week in the Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer feud — if you can even call it that. Vaquer approached Lynch backstage about the situation last week and tried to ask about why Lynch helped her out. Instead of a snide comment, Lynch just answered and said she wanted to help, she was a nice person at heart, and that she preferred to win the world title off a wrestler like Vaquer instead of Liv Morgan. Wonderful. Two babyfaces getting along — not. Vaquer could’ve been appreciative of Lynch, but no, she had to act stubborn, mean, and out of touch. Vaquer told Lynch she didn’t need her help, but obviously she did. More bickering and it continues to be unbecoming for both women.

A missing go-home promo

-It was a total surprise not to see Bron Breakker or Oba Femi at all this week ahead of their showdown at Sunday Night’s Main Event this weekend. The Paul Heyman backstage interview held down the fort for that storyline and while he did a nice job, a final encounter between Femi and Breakker was necessary. Heyman did well putting the match over, while not giving out a spoiler of any kind. He framed up the main point of intrigue in the match, which is the fact that neither guy can really take a loss right now. I still smell a Heyman pivot on Femi and a reuniting with Breakker that ushers in a Breakker win on Sunday. Nothing he said in the promo this week took that off the table.

-As expected, Penta vs. Rey Fenix was wonderful. An action-packed WWE style main event that was a fitting end to a pretty good tournament. Penta and Fenix have amazing chemistry and that was instantly on display. The Penta Driver through the announce table was wicked and a highlight of the night.

Penta vs. Reigns

-Penta needed this victory as a match between him and Roman Reigns is a much bigger draw for Raw in Mexico City than Fenix vs. Reigns would’ve been. Penta isn’t going to win the world title, but there are plenty of avenues out there for the match to travel on in order to generate some real drama. Good to see Reigns and Penta get time to face-off in the ring this week. The Penta “zero fear” pose opposite the Reigns “Bloodline put the one up” pose was a strong visual to not only close the show, but promote their upcoming title match.

What letter grade do you give Penta vs. Rey Fenix from WWE Raw this week? Let us know in the comments!

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Was Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega at AEW All In 2026 a perfect match? That question and more is answered on this week’s episode of the Brass Ring Media Pro Wrestling Podcast with Zack Heydorn. Full analysis on the match from Ospreay, Omega, and the future’s point of view. Plus, discussion on Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale, and the worst part of the…

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The 2026 NXT Heatwave event had the potential to be transformational for the brand due to an abundance of new stars in top spots and storylines ripe for definitive endings. Bad booking and under-achieving in-ring work led to a stagnant show that never clicked out of first gear.

If you watched this instead of an all-time edition of AEW All In, I’m sorry.

Every match on the card had the bones to potentially be the match of the night, but nothing really touched that level and we’ll hand out the award strictly out of habit. Heatwave lacked energy from the performers and the audience followed suit. Maybe they were tired from the AAA show that took place prior? Ok? If running back to back shows like this acts as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot, it’s time to stop doing it.

Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. One brass ring = bad. Five brass rings = epic, all-time greatness, and perfection.

Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair vs. Kali Armstrong - NXT Women’s North American Championship and Speed Championship Unification Match

A flat opener. The match wasn’t actively bad, just passively weak and slow. This will be the first time the booking gets blamed, but not the last. Why is this match in this spot? The match choice here was important due to the nature of the AAA show finishing up right before it. This needed to be a hot match with talent that were ready to deliver at that level in order to maintain crowd energy. This match with these women was never going to fill that role successfully. It was probably the least hyped match on the show and the audience figuratively leaned back in their chairs and took a deep breath as it went on. This made for a less than ideal environment for viewers. The match itself had it’s moments, but was forgettable for the most part. Zaria won, let’s hope the Speed Championship is now gone, and those were the two best things about this one.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 1/2

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The biggest AEW show of the year is in the books and per usual, jaws of wrestling fans all over the world are being scrapped up off the floor.

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW World Championship in the main event was a five-star classic. It more than delivered on the insane expectations the match had going in. Incredible action, but even better storytelling that made the audience feel something.

When the main event of a show is as much of a success as this one was, the issues around other portions of the card matter a lot less. There were some issues with the show, but those are for another time.

Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. One brass ring = bad. Five brass rings = epic, all-time greatness, and perfect.

AEW Roulette Royale - AEW World Trios Championships

This wasn’t a pristine in-ring classic or anything like that, but it was an exciting opener than kept the crowd hot from the Buy-In and into the main card. All of this was built around the debut of The New Level — formerly known as New Day in WWE. Once they appeared alongside Swerve Strickland, they were the focus and why would you go anywhere else? Kofi and Austin Creed hit their spots and came across like an upgraded version of New Day. Hence, the New Level, so the name plays. AEW hit a home run on the production of their debut entrance — not something that would’ve happened two years ago. The question now? Is Strickland with The New Level moving forward, or was this a one time thing?

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4

Divine Dominion vs. The Brawling Birds - AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships

Hard-hitting as advertised. This match was always going to need time in order to really land as a major match on the show and something to remember it by. It was a good match, but never got to that level. The time was there, but the action stalled out in third gear. Why are we doing double pins still? Get off my lawn, I know, but c’mon. That’s not legal and The Birds won the titles that way?

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4

Jon Moxley vs. Nigel McGuinness - AEW Continental Classic Cup Finals

Much better than anticipated. McGuinness hasn’t looked great throughout this tournament, but he and Moxley used that to their advantage. Moxley worked the injured McGuinness ankle for nearly the entire match and then it was that injury that forced the submission at the end. Keeping that as the focus, alleviated the need for McGuinness to have to do a lot on the bad foot. The audience played right into their hands. The hometown nature of the crowd for McGuinness gave a little extra juice to the near falls, but it was the relentlessness of Moxley and Nigel’s selling that put the entire story over.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO

Kyle Fletcher vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita - AEW International Championship

Incredible action as expected. The pace was wild and everyone had a moment or two with something really unique. They missed on the story. Going in, the narrative was about Fletcher and Okada working together in order to keep the title in the Don Callis Family. From the jump, they didn’t work together. Because they eliminated that tension right out of the gate, nothing else that was supposed to be dramatic between those guys throughout the match landed. Same thing with the finish. Had Okada and Fletcher kept it together only for Okada to sneak a pin on him, that would’ve articulated a better shock moment for the story. Instead, they did the spot after the audience was already conditioned to accept them fighting. Not a ton of consistency there, but it seems like we’re headed for a Kyle Fletcher babyface run. That doesn’t make much sense either, given you likely are crowning a new top babyface in the main event with Will Ospreay.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 3/4

Casino Gauntlet AEW World Championship Number One Contender Match

The first real come-down match of the show. A shame that it included such a big star like MJF, who came across a bit as a fish outta water. In a good way, because he presented as a much more important talent than everyone else. The action was fine, but less exciting than similar stuff that was featured in the opening battle royal. Andrade securing the victory and earning a world title match is a surprise. MJF against Kenny Omega or Will Ospreay is a layup main event, so going the other direction means there is something else at play here. Look for Andrade and MJF to have a singles match for the number one contendership on an upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks - AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championships

A really good match. A really awful finish. Cage cheated straight up to win. Not only that, he used a wrench to cheat and then nobody sold it. Not the announce team, not Adam Copeland, not The Young Bucks. That finish was immediately buried in favor of a post-match angle that saw all the top AEW tag teams get in the ring and confront one another. Big deal. What was billed as a dream match ended with a whimper and without solving anything. The tag team division is loaded with talent, but the titles are weakened severely when finishes like this one are deployed and then not followed up on in any meaningful way.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4

Kevin Knight vs. Darby Allin - Falls Count Anywhere TNT Championship

Slow to start, but scorching to finish. The audience came across as very tired at the beginning of this match and didn’t react to the early big bumps and violence — including Allin bleeding from the back of the head. They came alive when all the interference happened. The Don Callis Family running out was booed, but Steve Borden and Sting making the save popped them. Borden had a very nice showing and looked comfortable. Obviously, we are going to see more of him. Then, Darby went full Darby. He jumped off the damn staging set and onto Kevin Knight with a Coffin Drop. Pure insanity. The spot looked great. It was shot well and production captured the height successfully. Kinda feels like a been there done that with Allin as the TNT Champion, but if this was the match they were going to do, he had to win it.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Mone - AEW Women’s World Championship

Fantastic and exactly what I’d hoped it be. Vicious Mercedes Mone — only that viciousness was compounded because she was bleeding from the damn nose. Mone targeted Nightingale’s broken hand on more than one occasion and used weapons on it. That narrative was there for the taking and they ran with it. Nightingale and Mone beat one another to a pulp and the match felt like a title fight because of it. Mone as world champion opens up numerous opportunities moving forward in the women’s division. If Nightingale is taking time away to heal, hopefully she gets back soon because she’s become a top player.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO 1/2

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - AEW Men’s World Championship

Incredible. You won’t find a better pro wrestling match than that one. Setup, story, and execution were all perfect. That perfection cultivated a crowd reaction worthy of the moment that was Ospreay winning the world title in his home country.

The entrances were the tone-setter. Ospreay got his narrated by his mother and he walked past old haunts of his past as he got ready to walk to the ring. As for Omega, it was an entrance fitting of a world champion.

The start of the match was the key to it’s success. They hit early with a flurry of quick-paced action, but then slowed it down once Omega took over the offense. He was relentless in that effort. Omega’s slow and stalking approach forced the audience to feel with Ospreay and pulled in a loud negative response for Omega. At that time with every step Omega took, he ushered in intense anticipation for the eventual Ospreay comeback.

Ospreay was a damn menace. The way he was able to sell all of Omega’s striking and V-Trigger’s with his eyes glazed over was pivotal in building up the audience’s sympathy for him. When it came time to fire up, everyone was ready — including him.

In the end, Ospreay took the shot head on and crushed Omega with a Hidden Blade for the win. Poetic storytelling. All around, just wonderful work start to finish and a match that will help define the company’s future. Ospreay is the guy and there is plenty on deck for him to do now that he holds the top prize.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOOO

What was your favorite match on All In this year? Let us know in the comments!

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