One billion dollars is a lot of money. It’s an obscene amount of money. It’s the amount of money WWE will have received from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when their ten-year partnership wraps up in 2028.

There are hundreds of reasons for WWE not to do business with Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, there are a billion reasons for the company to turn a blind eye and ignore the gross underbelly of that relationship. Two different leadership regimes in WWE have green lit the Saudi Arabia partnership and despite blowback, bad PR, and low viewerships numbers, the relationship between those two money-hungry entities has only grown over the years.

The Saudi Arabia shows used to be glorified, offshoot, house shows that lived on the outskirts of real WWE programming. Now, the shows are premiere programming, ingrained into the fabric of the company with WrestleMania next year emanating from the country and outside of North America for the first time in history.

Last weekend, WWE ran their Crown Jewel event from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event was blistered with more drama than usual because of significant violence in the country that forced the US Embassy to issue security warnings that called for non-essential personnel in the country to leave. A Houthi missile hit the Riyadh international airport in the weeks prior to the event and killed 13 people, while injuring many more. As United States citizens were leaving the violence-stricken country, WWE planes filled with crew and talent were flying directly to the threat.

Odd circumstances

Since the Triple H creative regime took over WWE in 2022, WWE PLE’s have consistently been five matches deep. This year’s Crown Jewel had only four matches on it. The number was odd because of the card patterns over the years, but also because a match that appeared primed to secure the fifth slot on the card was ready, but not used. Finn Balor vs. Gunther.

Curious. Balor and Gunther had been in the middle of an intense feud. The week prior to Crown Jewel, Balor broke out his Demon character and attacked Gunther, which usually signals that a match is on the horizon. Instead, Crown Jewel stayed at four matches and the Balor vs. Gunther match was scheduled for this week’s episode of SmackDown.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Gunther turned down the trip to Saudi Arabia this year and therefore the Balor match was canceled. That’s a flex and I’m impressed.

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Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher are state of the art wrestlers and have consistently brought out the best in one another. They’ve wrestled six times and the matches have been brutal, violent, exciting, dramatic, and memorable. The question I have for Full Gear is, can they do it again? My answer? Hell yes and that’s why shelling out $50 for this event will be worth every penny.

Ospreay and Fletcher will lock horns for a seventh time on Saturday night at the AEW Full Gear 2026 PPV event from inside the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This time, the stakes are higher than ever before. The AEW Men’s World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line.

Another level because of story

When you hear Fletcher vs. Ospreay, the natural and instinctual reaction is to say, “god damn, that’ll be a great match.” It isn’t an incorrect assumption, but their seventh encounter at Full Gear will be more than just a strong in-ring clinic. Fletcher and Ospreay have a deep-rooted story underneath this battle and that will make it stand out tall above the rest.

Ospreay and Fletcher went to work on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite and jolted their rivalry to the next level. Not with cool moves or high-flying madness, but narrative, character work, and context. During their show-opening promo exchange, they captured and articulated that this match was a level above their past wars together. The world title being on the line added that depth, but so did the year that Ospreay had. He returned from neck surgery, wrestled in the main event inside the biggest stadium in his home country at All In, and won the world title. All while Fletcher watched. Of course there is jealousy there and it was called out into the open on Wednesday night. Underneath the jealousy? Ospreay says there is still love between the former friends.

You know the big turkey legs that you can get at a summer state festival or carnival? Obscene amounts of meat on the bone, right? Same thing with this match. In addition to having the in-ring lever to pull, Ospreay and Fletcher are going to pull on the heartstrings of one another and of the audience watching in Phoenix.

We’re in for an emotional classic between these two, but Ospreay will keep his strong record against Fletcher intact. Ospreay as a babyface world champion is the top draw in AEW right now. Why stunt that momentum without good reason? It’ll be Fletcher’s time soon enough, but the company isn’t primed up for him to hold the top prize right now. Ospreay retains and goes on to face Andrade El Idolo, Adam Copeland, and eventually MJF. If you take the belt off of him, each of those matches get less interesting.

Mercedes Mone, the artist

The other world title defense on the show should also be a classic. If not for the pesky Ospreay vs. Fletcher match, Mercedes Mone vs. Marina Shafir would be the match of the night. Mark my words on that.

Mone is an artist in the 20x20 wrestling ring. She doesn’t have bad matches ever, but regularly has some of her best against big, strong, and fierce opponents. Marina Shafir? Come on down.

Shafir isn’t going to win the world title in this match. She might win even more than that. With Mone standing on the opposite side of the ring, this is going to be Shafir’s coming out party. She’s elevated her game throughout the last month and with Mone’s creativity, will be able to elevate it even higher inside of this match.

Full Gear is also loaded with the potential of violence. The Cut will face The Death Riders and Conglomeration in Anarchy in the Arena and the AEW World Trios Championships will be on the line when Swerve Strickland and The New Level challenge Adam Page and Brodido in a Texas Death Match.

Separate the violence

Both of those matches are reasons to order the PPV, but they each have work to do because they have to stand out from one another. Generally, Anarchy in the Arena has been a confusing stipulation because it combines violence with comedy. Because of the dynamic of these two matches existing on the same show, the comedy in Anarchy in the Arena is actually important this time around. Texas Death needs to be the more violent of the two, because it’s a protected stipulation that matters. It’s become a tool that AEW can use to close out intense feuds properly. That shouldn’t be sacrificed even with another violent match on the docket. As far as winners go? Team Brodido and Page for the trios titles and then The Cut for Anarchy in the Arena. Brodido and Page retaining the belts generates storyline between Strickland and The New Level. The Cut just formed and needs booking behind them to stay relevant and strong. Two layups decisions.

AEW Full Gear 2026 airs live on PPV.com on Saturday night. The full match card and The Takedown On SI preview of the show is below.

AEW Full Gear 2026 Full Match Card

• Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher - AEW Men’s World Heavyweight Championship

• Mercedes Mone vs. Marina Shafir - AEW Women’s World Heavyweight Championship

• The Cut vs. The Death Riders and Conglomeration - Anarchy in the Arena

• Brodido and Adam Page vs. The New Level and Swerve Strickland - AEW World Trios Championships

• The Young Bucks vs. Davis and Doyle - AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championships

• The Brawling Birds vs. Wrathlander - AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships

• Adam Copeland vs. Kazuchika Okada - AEW International Championship

• Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ilja Dragunov - AEW National Championship

AEW Full Gear 2026 Preview

Predict the AEW Full Gear 2026 match of the night!! Let us know in the comments!

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-I know that AEW is known as the “in-ring” promotion, but they have talent on that roster that can cut a damn promo. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher did business out in the ring this week and neither one of them hit a cool move on the other. Ospreay and Fletcher wove their long history together into the current state of affairs in AEW around the world championship. They owned the results of their previous matches together and used that as a base for everything to build on. Ospreay was likable and confident like a champion should be. Fletcher was unlikable, cold, and worked hard to read the audience’s reaction to him and then acted on it while he spoke. This promo was a masterclass in not only setting the table storyline-wise, but setting it for the in-ring action too. I’d bet good money that you’ll see spots in the match where Fletcher questions his own violence because of the love that Will Ospreay claimed he still had for him. The hook for that narrative started inside of this promo. Wonderful work, intensity, and energy from both guys and it pushed the match into true main event status.

Such a tease

-We didn’t see enough action between Brodido and New Level to truly determine whether it was a good match or not. Regardless, it was effective. Effective because it helped build up their Texas Death Match at Full Gear. Adam Page and Swerve Strickland will also be involved, but this match served the purpose of teasing the violence all the guys want to inflict on one another, while not giving it away ahead of Saturday.

-The Adam Page promo about this match was important later in the show. Page actually made the case for why he decided to change his mind about Texas Death and related that back to the fact that his partners badly wanted the stipulation. That’s a storyline hoop AEW wouldn’t have jumped through two years ago.

-The Page promo wasn’t the only hoop AEW booking jumped through this week that it wouldn’t have bothered with two years ago. How about the backstage promo segment with The Brawling Birds and Wrathlander? The segment was 30 seconds long, but it perfectly laid out the story of why the two teams are fighting and why it’s important that they each win. When wrestling fans ask for storylines in pro wrestling, they all don’t have to be long, epic promos like Ospreay and Fletcher was. They need to give a reason for the matches to happen. Brawling Birds and Wrathlander have one now.

-Orange Cassidy lost to David Finlay and was also speared out of shoes by Clark Connors. A rough night at the office. Pretty much a nothing match, but it helped serve the purpose of adding another chapter into the Anarchy in the Arena storyline. I like Finlay in this current role. He’s a notable part of The Cut, but not the main attraction of it.

-Squash matches work! Tony Khan doesn’t do them too often and it was a three and half hour show that forced it out, but it worked. Persephone got a dominant win over Gypsy Mac and that’s that. Persephone looked strong and that was the goal.

Tag team greatness

-When tag team wrestling is great, it’s so so great. FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns in the final match of their best in five series was terrific. Tremendous action, but even better selling and build for the hot tags. The near falls all came with drama and the clock was played up perfectly. When the time limit of 20 minutes was revealed, my meta spidey sense starting tingling. They go the distance and then do the real deciding match at Full Gear. Instead, the match leveraged the audience thinking that way to it’s advantage and the finish was a surprise when it happened. Motor City Machine Guns won and they now have a date with the tag team champions on the horizon.

-Ouch. Mike Bailey and Tommaso Ciampa are going to be sore today. Especially Bailey. Ciampa beat the holy hell outta of him and even busted his face open with blood. Ciampa can have this type of match with anyone. He’s just that good. On Saturday at Full Gear, he’ll have it with Ilja Dragunov. When they stood across the ring from on another on the show this week, their chemistry shined. Just wait until they start wrestling. Dragunov and Ciampa are made for one another.

-Let’s just call the spade a spade. We need to see more tag matches with Jay White and Mercedes Mone on a team. Mone shouldn’t join The Cut or anything like that, but the dynamic those two had together was off the charts. They sucked up all the attention in that building. Their aura was captivating. More, more, more.

RIP Jay White’s soul

-I’m not a fan of inter-gender wrestling, but Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, Mone, and White pulled it off. They crossed paths physically enough for the match to be considered inter-gender, but didn’t take the man on woman violence across a line. The Moxley and Mone stuff was compelling because of their star power and the fact that they’ve never truly touched in the ring before. At one point in the match, Shafir slapped the absolute soul out of Jay White’s body. Just a wonderfully violent spot that showcased exactly who Shafir is. Shafir won the match for her team, which severely puts into doubt that she’ll walk away with AEW’s top prize at Full Gear.

-The rest of the Collision show was mostly filler matches with connections to the Full Gear card. The Young Bucks and Jack Perry defeated the jobber members of the Don Callis Family pretty easily. In classic Perry fashion, he turned interest off on his own promo when he shrieked out a strange yell at the beginning of it.

-A totally different story for The Young Bucks. This week on AEW Collision, they cut a top five promo of their career. Both Nick and Matt Jackson were likable, serious, and crystal clear on the story they were telling. They talked up Davis and Doyle and that built the mountain for them to climb at Full Gear when they square off against them in a rematch. Awesome work.

C’mon, Nick

-The rest of the show included the following: Wardlow squashing Nick Comoroto, a short Nick Wayne promo that we’ve heard before — but one in which he missed on by NOT calling the audience the “chat” — an ROH Tag Team Championship match, and then Queen Aminata defending her TBS Championship successfully against Hyan and Skye Blue. Not much drama in that one, but Aminata needed to get her first successful title defense out of the way. Blue had a good night — bumped around and sold effectively for everything and it helped make the match.

What letter grade do you give the Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher show-opening promo this week? Let us know in the comments!

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-In the year 2026, it’s rare that the fake entrance music for heat bit works, but it worked for Grayson Waller to start NXT this week. CM Punk’s entrance music blared to start the show, but Punk was nowhere to be found. Instead, Waller basked in the glory of the boos from the Orlando audience who were disappointed and frustrated for being duped. Because Waller beat Punk last week, this was effective. It served as a way to acknowledge the big match from last week, while also leaning into Waller’s victory. He wasn’t shy. There wasn’t an attempt to soften the impact of Waller pinning Punk. Waller went all the way with it and declared himself the best in the world. He then called out the locker room to give him a real challenge. Beating CM Punk should be a major moment and Waller was able to treat it as such during his promo.

Finding the right Shiloh Hill

-Well, well, well … Shiloh Hill is in the top championship picture. Go figure. Hill gets a mixed grade this week. If you just look at his promo, he’d get high marks. Hill was smooth and conveyed his passion for pro wrestling. There was a mission statement inside of the promo that fans can attach themselves to. On the flip side, it in no way highlighted the character he’s played up to this point. The silliness was gone. The rambling on a topic? Gone. The laugh? That was gone too. The crazy computer hacker tone? Gone. He has already had a couple different iterations of his act and none of them showed up for this promo. Hill and the creative team need to figure out what they want this poor guy to be.

-John Cena invited Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno to the John Cena Classic this week. I didn’t have that on my bingo card, but I supposed it’s sensible. Dar and Moreno have exemplified “hustle, loyalty, and respect” more than anyone on the NXT roster and were the winners of this year’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Here’s the thing … what is in the briefcase Cena handed them??

-For as good of a fit as Dar and Moreno are, Cena also invited Kelani Jordan to the John Cena Classic. That’s a terrible fit. The entire Jordan character is based on whining about not getting opportunities. Not only did she get this one, but she fawned over it like a child meeting their hero. Jordan dropped her entire personality in appreciation of the invite and it was off-putting. If John Cena cared about the future of WWE as much as he says he does, he should’ve insisted that Jordan openly disrespect him.

-In addition to hanging with Cena, Jordan got in-ring promo time and it was a better effort on her part than usual. Jordan has regularly gotten caught up reading the memorized lines from her brain out there. The promo this week involved the audience more and adjusted to their reaction to her. Strong growth. Kendal Grey confronted Jordan about a title shot and got one set for next week. That’s a big match. For most of 2026, Grey has been a reason to watch NXT each week.

-The Kam Hendrix character continues to be nauseating. It’s inauthentic and comes across as overly rehearsed and staged. Hendrix had a good match with EK Prosper this week. There is certainly some in-ring talent there, but he’s got to get the character part figured our or it won’t mean anything.

Sorry Wren

-Wow. Who did Wren Sinclair piss off? Sinclair was a pushed top babyface ahead of Halloween Havoc, lost her title match there, and then lost cleanly to Izzi Dame on the show this week. Not a great run and the match wasn’t anything to write home about either.

-Based on this week’s presentation, Izzi Dame has now officially dropped ties with The Culling faction. She’s “The Culling,” but the faction appears to be no more. I’ll drink to that. What’s next for her? After the run-in with Zaria this week, a Women’s North American Championship match is a good bet.

-Can Tony D’Angelo get more directionless? This week he stared into the abyss from the top of a bridge and then angrily rode into NXT and had a little brawl with Kam Hendrix. As usual with D’Angelo, there isn’t a way to tell what the booking is going for from a character perspective.

-Speaking of direction less … hi, Myles Borne. Borne got the big win over Tavion Heights at Halloween Havoc and now … nada. Borne was antagonizing D’Angelo on the bridge, but to no end.

-The main event match of the show was a tag team championship match between Vanity Project and Hank & Tank. The scheduled bout was Vanity Project defending their belts against Dar and Moreno, but VP took them out prior to the match. Vanity Project arrogantly taking credit for the attack and then assuming they wouldn’t still have some kind of championship match was peak heel — the bad guys living in their own reality. Their match with Hank and Tank was really good and the best match of the night. Vanity Project held onto the titles and the match with Dar and Moreno continues to grow in importance. Hopefully, that feud continues to simmer. The longer Vanity Project can avoid actually wrestling Dar and Moreno, the hotter the match will be.

Huh???

-The main event segment of the show was a Zilla Fatu promo, in which he was supposed to call out Grayson Waller. Instead, DarkState interrupted him. Dion Lennox talked a bunch crap and it missed on tapping into the effective mic work Lennox had started to develop inside his feud with Cruz Montana. Had this interruption been the end of the show — fine — Fatu gets another rival he can stomp easily. Instead, it twisted down a bizarre road that included DarkState, Birthright, and Perros Del Mal from AAA. Is Shawn Michaels trolling me? Not sure how you get an audience to care about those three factions.

What do you think of the NXT talent invited to the John Cena Classic? Let us know in the comments!

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-Glad to see Penta and Je’Von Evans get a big-star presentation to start the show this week as new tag team champions. Both guys have had momentum throughout the last few months and a little polish like top-tier presentation matters. Here’s hoping we get a long run with these two as friends and teammates.

Nice try

-On one hand, WWE deserves some applause for going with Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker in a surprise fashion. On the other, you just don’t need to do the match if an interference is the booking crutch you’re going to lean on for a finish. Based on what happened at Crown Jewel, it made sense for Breakker to want to get his hands on Femi as soon as possible. The issue is, why waste a Femi vs. Breakker one on one tease when there obviously wasn’t any real plan to put a guy over. That’s happened twice now with these two. A non-finish this week and the same thing at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event a handful of weeks ago. If you don’t want to have to book the match, then don’t book it. This middle ground hurts not only the aura of the Breakker vs. Femi feud, but it gives fans a reason not to trust what WWE puts on television. It’s safe to say we are in for a Vision vs. Femi, Penta, and Evans six-man tag. Again, they can’t be using massive singles matches like Breakker vs. Femi ahead of six-man tags. That order needs to be reversed.

-Ummmm … I told ya! How about that night for Ethan Page as new WWE Men’s Intercontinental Champion. Like Evans and Penta, he got a star presentation with the models on his arms. He delivered with that presentation behind him when he cut a wonderful championship victory promo in the middle of the ring. Page is the right guy to anchor this part of the Raw card. Now, get the babyfaces lined up for him and go.

-Speaking of lined up — this week we got the parade of challengers segment for Page. One by one, challengers walked out and pleaded their case for a title match. This happens a lot in WWE and it deservedly yields groans from fans. In this instance, I’ll let it slide. It felt like WWE was trying to showcase the men’s IC title division with this promo and the style of the parade directly told fans who was involved.

-As for Rey Fenix winning a triple threat to become number one contender for Page — it sounds good to me. Fenix is an over enough babyface that Page can beat and beat definitively.

The Royce Keys level-up

-Royce Keys was on one this week. I want one of whatever he had! The promo while sitting in the chair after 946 took out Fenix, Gable, and Big Cass was next level. The fluctuation in his voice and the attitude oozed charisma. Each and every week Keys proves he should be in future WWE plans for Raw. More on him in a minute …

-The Team USA vs. Team Mexico traditional Survivor Series tag team match is already one the best built matches on the Survivor Series PLE card. It’s going to have star power. Major star power and that’s important. When the Survivor Series traditional tag matches were running on fumes, they’d be stocked up with stars nobody cared all that much about. The result? Fans stopped caring about the match. With Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and now a side story about Penta and Je’Von Evans involved in this, they are going to have a lot to focus on and tell stories with it. The match is smart addition to the event.

-Bayley got a solid win in a nice little match with Michin. We know where this cross-faction feud in the women’s division is going. WarGames. That’s the play here, so everything that happens in the rivalry will be judged through that specific lens.

-Becky Lynch is back on Raw. Lynch was the surprise partner for Iyo Sky in a tag match this week against The Judgment Day and I have to admit, I was worried. I had “can they co-exist” PTSD. That’s the story I thought was coming. Could Lynch and Sky get along and would they cross one another on accident. Luckily, that silliness was left in the writers room. The tag match had some heat and the babyfaces went over strong, which led to … ?

-Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan for the WWE Women’s World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. Lynch called Morgan out for the match and then later in the show, Adam Pearce made it official. It’s not a fresh match, but it’s the right match to go with at this time. Lynch and Morgan have feuded on and off for a lot of 2026 to this point. The program was still without a proper conclusion and this match should bring one.

Bloodline. 946. WarGames.

-Well, everyone knew the 946 vs. Bloodline feud was heading toward WarGames, but the reveal was still dramatic and featured an angle worthy of the feud to this point. Jacob Fatu returning on the same night as the challenge was made for WarGames was smart and effective. It gave the moment a little extra gravity and allowed for the babyfaces — The Bloodline — to get a brief moment of comeuppance. Roman Reigns and the entire Bloodline were likable and 946 did their jobs as heels to run away when the going got tough, after talking tough themselves. This was the proper crescendo for the feud to have. Nothing felt forced.

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

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The Brass Ring Media Podcast is back and tackles a variety of topics this week. First, WWE Crown Jewel fallout. Why Cody Rhodes, Chelsea Green, and Sami Zayn are the important stars to follow coming out of the event.

Plus, analysis of Gunther opting out of Crown Jewel and a full rundown of the newly revealed John Cena Classic “tournaments.” All that and …

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-Sami Zayn cut a very strong promo to open this week’s show. Now, we know what happened at the Crown Jewel PLE on Saturday, so it didn’t have much staying power or relevancy. More of an indictment of the booking around the Crown Jewel finish — which saw Zayn lose clean to Roman Reigns — than it does Zayn’s mic work. Zayn and Jimmy Uso wove their history…

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When I think of WWE shows in Saudi Arabia, I think of the gaudy Crown Jewel Championship belts — overflowing with meaningless flash. I think of huge stages, bright lights, pyro, and production that only the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can afford.

With the move to an indoor venue for security reasons, the 2026 Crown Jewel event had none of that. It was flat and so was the booking for nearly all the matches.

WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Brass Ring Media Post-Show

WWE generated their “moment” when Tiffany Stratton cashed-in Money in the Bank, turned heel on Chelsea Green, and won the WWE Women’s Championship, but the rest of the show was marred with status quo storytelling that left opportunity on the table.

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.

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton - Last Man Standing Match

This was a good match and a strong opener that had the unfortunate task of working alongside a backwards story. Orton took a heavy part of the early going in the match, which would’ve made sense had Rhodes actually gotten a babyface reaction. Instead he was booed and Orton just shined himself up. That was the newsworthy part of the match — the Saudi Arabia crowd was fully behind Orton for everything and they let Rhodes know it. Bravo to the announce team. Michael Cole and Corey Graves worked very hard to thread the needle on why Rhodes was getting booed, while justifying him going to where he needed to go in order to get the win and move on with his career. That was the setup and the finish delivered a definitive end to that narrative. Rhodes finally hit Orton with a punt kick and Orton couldn’t answer the 10-count after taking it. Had the audience really invested in the actual story being told, they’d have cheered Rhodes finding a new depth for the vicious kick. Instead, the boos came out again, which would be meaningful if it all came across as a real heel turn, but all signs point to Rhodes just continuing on with his Rhodes bit next week on television.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2

Bron Breakker and Austin Theory vs. Penta and Je’Von Evans - WWE World Tag Team Championship Match

This was excellent. It’s amazing what happens when two sides of a wrestling match are defined correctly. So much was on the table for these guys to do, because the audience was reacting to babyfaces and heels as designed. Breakker and Theory got plenty of time throughout the match to get heat. They were relentless in beating down Penta and Evans, which set the hook for their comeback. The return of Oba Femi helped too. He looked great, which is why he has to be on TV more often. Evans and Penta are the new tag champions — the exact right culmination of the match story.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 3/4

Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green - WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship Match

This match certainly wasn’t as action-packed as some other women’s matches we’ve seen recently. A lot of it — especially near the end — was slow and overly choreographed. What this had in droves was story. The match had a clear story woven throughout the match from the moment entrances happened. Morgan overlooked Green and lost. Everything was built on that foundation and Morgan was tremendous in finding the camera and selling that with her facial expressions the entire way. As for the Tiffany Stratton heel Money in the Bank cash-in? A strong angle. Not a new one, but a strong one nonetheless. Green chasing Stratton is money.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4

Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn - WWE Men’s Crown Jewel Championship

This was a very good match with an awful finish. Reigns over Zayn clean? Total missed opportunity to boost Zayn as a champion AND 946 from a booking perspective. The action was strong, but the weak ending with Reigns standing tall without an angle won’t mean much of anything come Monday. Disappointing because of all that was left on the table. Zayn got his respect from Reigns at the end of the match — sure — but, that didn’t make much sense either. How do you go on continuing to hate Zayn with Reigns endorsing him the way he did. Scared booking.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO

What was your match of the night on WWE Crown Jewel? Let us know in the comments!

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If the COO of a publicly traded, billion dollar company has to — on multiple occasions — assure the safety of an upcoming company event, maybe that says all there is to know about said event? Just a thought.

Mark Shapiro has been the poor sap that’s been the face of TKO Group and WWE’s hypocrisy when it comes to Saturday’s Crown Jewel PLE in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Shapiro’s favorite line? “All systems go.” As if anyone thought they might actually not go. Ha!

The guy tried. He tried to pretend to care about the safety of his WWE talent and employees, but then coughed up hundred dollar bills and blurted out his truth. Shapiro said the safety of his employees is most important and the priority over financial success. He then reminded everyone that the Saudi Arabia shows are imperative in order for TKO Group to hit their annual revenue goals. In other words … safety is important, BUT …

The biggest Crown Jewel fight is outside the ring

This “should they go, or shouldn’t they go” battle has been the biggest story surrounding this year’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. It’s been the biggest story around these shows since WWE entered into a billion dollar partnership with the country in 2018. Should they go, or shouldn’t they? Take the money, or don’t?

A missile hit the Riyadh international airport less than a month ago, wiped out two entire gates, and killed 13 people. Violence has engulfed the country and the US Embassy has ordered non-essential people to take their families and leave. If threats like that don’t force TKO Group to rethink things, nothing will.

WWE is willingly entering a violent war zone, so the Crown Jewel matches better be damn good. The company hit the mark on that. Not only will the show feature the biggest stars in the company, but the Crown Jewel Championship matches have been well-built and the event is anchored by a grudge match with a special stipulation. That’s three of four matches with significant meaning.

The men’s world champion vs. world champion WWE Crown Jewel Championship match this year is between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. Former faction-mates in The Bloodline. This feud wrote itself. Reigns and Zayn tapped into their history together, but then used that history to explain the issues they have with one another now. Respect is the key. Zayn wants it. Reigns won’t give it. Fight.

Roman Reigns doesn’t do jobs to often, but that’s exactly what will happen during this match. Sami Zayn is going to pin him. What a visual that’ll be.

Zayn over Reigns thanks to 946

Zayn won’t get the clean win, but this is the perfect opportunity to get 946 added heat ahead of their inevitable showdown with The Bloodline inside WarGames at Survivor Series at the end of the month. It’s one thing for Royce Keys and company to continue attacking The Bloodline, but actually getting involved in Tribal Chief championship business? That’s an entirely different thing and ups the stakes considerably for the 946 vs. Bloodline story. On the Zayn side, he gets a talking point to use forever the moment he wins. Is it a little predictable? Sure, but sometimes wrestling needs to be. This is one of those times.

The women’s world champion vs. world champion match for the WWE Crown Jewel Championship is Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green. This outcome is clear.

Morgan pinned Green to the mat this week on Raw. We know what happens next. Green gets revenge. When Green wins the WWE Crown Jewel Championship this year, it’ll be a significant boost for her. Show to show she’s building credibility as a top champion and another win on a major stages adds to it. Morgan has been there. Another Crown Jewel ring for her won’t mean nearly as much as it will for Green.

As for the grudge match on the show, well, it’s Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton of course! Again. Though this time, I think we’re actually getting the blowoff match. Will Rhodes crack and do what he needs to do in order to beat his rival? Everyone knows the answer to that.

Cody Rhodes cracks then punts

Of course he will. If you’re looking for swerves and curveballs, don’t look anywhere near this match. This one will be as straightforward as anything. Rhodes punts Orton in the head, is tortured by the move, gets the win, and then Orton raises his hand because the older brother figure “didn’t think he had it in him.” The audience cheers both guys and that’s that. What was the point of the last nine months then? Good freaking question.

WWE Crown Jewel 2026 airs live on ESPN Unlimited and Netflix internationally on Saturday afternoon. The full match card and The Takedown On SI preview of the show is below.

WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Full Match Card

• Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn - WWE Men’s Crown Jewel Championship

• Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green - WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship

• Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton - Last Man Standing Match

• The Vision vs. Penta and Je’Von Evans - WWE World Tag Team Championships

WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Preview

Predict the WWE Crown Jewel 2026 match of the night!! Let us know in the comments!

Subscribe to the Brass Ring Media Newsletter HERE.

Follow Zack Heydorn on Bluesky @zackheydorn.bsky.social.

A little over three months ago, Brock Lesnar stood in the middle of the ring at SummerSlam in front of thousands in his hometown of Minneapolis and called Oba Femi the future of WWE. Femi had just defeated Lesnar inside of Hell in a Cell to win their epic trilogy rivalry that began at the beginning of the year.

It was a moment. Lesnar isn’t a guy who loses much, let alone a guy who talks on the microphone after the loss to put over a peer in the most impactful way possible. In fact, because of Lesnar’s stingy record of doing jobs over the years, when he decided Femi was the guy to push the chips in on, the level-up meant more.

Oba Femi — the future of WWE — The Ruler … hasn’t been on WWE television in weeks. Where are ya, Oba?!

Booking with fear

I’ll tell you where. WWE is hiding him. He’s the shiny new toy that the company won’t take out of the packaging because it’ll lose value. Lame.

WWE is booking scared with Femi. Instead of leaning into the success of their new star and making him the focus, they’re hiding him away, afraid that their own storytelling will do him a disservice on the road to a crowning championship win at WrestleMania.

Read more

-Did I call it or what? Last week. Right here in this column I said that Vanity Project against Rey Fenix, Chad Gable, and Dragon Lee would be a banger and it was. You’re welcome. What a fun match. Vanity Project acted like pinballs bouncing off sides of the machine as they bumped all over the ring. All six guys brought high energy and the audience invested fully. The babyfaces went over because they are main roster guys, but make no mistake about it — the ceiling is high for Vanity Project in WWE and it’s because of the type of work they do in matches like this one.

Shiloh???!

-Shiloh Hill got some screen time with CM Punk. That right there tells you what NXT brass thinks of Hill. They could’ve sent him packing after the match he had against Naraku at Halloween Havoc over the weekend. Instead? Time on national television with one of the top WWE stars.

-Paige was the special surprise opponent for Kelani Jordan and the NXT Women’s Championship this week. She’s not the best in-ring opponent WWE could’ve found for Jordan, but she certainly was a novelty surprise that has deep roots in NXT. It made for a moment and I think WWE likes those? Sarcasm.

-Sol Ruca returned to NXT this week and didn’t have any kind of angle with Zaria? Has Shawn Michaels lost his mind?! Seeing as Zaria is essentially a babyface now, it made sense to not remind fans of the blistering hatred that the two women have for one another. Instead we got an awkward exchange between Ruca and Izzi Dame. An awkward exchange involving Dame? I. Can’t. Be-lieve. It. At this point, the only hope is that Dame is so incredibly talented that this awkwardness is all a put-on. Part of the character? I certainly doubt it.

-Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno are the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners! Good for them. The tournament ended up being about their cinderella run and they completed that run by beating Hank and Tank in the tournament final. The match was good, but Dar and Moreno would’ve had a hotter match had they been up against a real heel team like Vanity Project or even The Creed Brothers. Next week, Dar and Moreno get a tag title match against Vanity Project. Does the clock strike midnight on their run? Let’s hope so. The tag division in NXT needs the best team at the top.

Was Cody Rhodes actually on NXT?

-Cody Rhodes presented Dar and Moreno with the Dusty Rhodes tournament trophy. If you decided to watch NXT instead of AEW because Rhodes was appearing, you were likely unhappy. He did almost nothing. WWE dropping big main roster stars down to NXT to boost numbers will only continue having impact if the audience is conditioned to know those stars do something of value when they appear. Rhodes didn’t clear that low bar.

-Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox went from the best feud in NXT to a total and epic disaster in just one week. Montana turned heel and joined 946 on the main roster. Good for him. Bad for NXT and this show. In NXT, he was a likable, fighting babyface. Those two character versions for him didn’t mesh well. The crowd didn’t know how to react to Montana when he started pounding on Lennox to start the match. You wanted to cheer because that was what the NXT story demanded. However, he’s linked up with Royce Keys in the hated 946 opposite The Bloodline and Roman Reigns. Not a good combination. Lennox got booed and the dastardly heel 946 was cheered when they got involved in the match on behalf of Montana. Honestly, the show, Montana, 946, and the 946 vs. Bloodline feud would all have been better off had this match been canceled.

-Zilla Fatu in the John Cena Classic is a smart play. He’s a main roster guy sooner than later and being connected to this thing — as undefined as it may be — will be a nice rub for him.

Waller with the win

-In the CM Punk vs. Grayson Waller NXT Championship main event, you knew that there would be some sort of shenanigans involving Kevin Owens. That was inevitable. The question was whether or not that would actually lead to a win for Waller or disqualification for the match. Thankfully Waller got the win. Sure, Punk was protected, but because of where Waller is right now, even this little boost helps him. The match was fine, but not a big step forward for Waller. He needs to get the in-ring portion of his game closer to the quality of the character and mic work he does.

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

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Follow Zack Heydorn on Bluesky @zackheydorn.bsky.social.

-Ok, out of the gate let’s get the cards on the table. Neither of the Blood and Guts matches that AEW presented this year were all that worthy of being Blood and Guts matches. The men’s match was more ready than the women’s, but in neither instance did it feel like I was watching two teams that hated each other enough to do the wild kind of violence we saw during the matches.

Story first

-That’s why it was important for AEW to start the show with the backstage interviews the way they did. When Renee Paquette talked with the Don Callis Family and Mick Foley with Team Ospreay, they were able to construct a mini story for the men’s match to stand on. More on this in a minute, but establishing the overconfidence of everyone in the match aside from Copeland did a nice job setting up the eventual match finish. The women’s match didn’t get the same promo time and the match lacked that through line connected story.

-The women’s Blood and Guts match had plenty of blood and guts action. The match certainly delivered from that perspective and lived up to the match name moniker. Most of it felt overly performative. This was a stunt show more than it was a fight. Don’t get me wrong, there were some strong performances inside of the stunt show. Megan Bayne was an absolute monster. She brought a dangerous vibe and super level of intensity that elevated the emotion of the match. She wore a crimson mask of blood that was outrageous, but also the perfect visual. Kris Statlander got the win for her team. Totally fine. She and Harley Cameron are getting a tag title match at Full Gear, so why not give them a big win as a jolt of added momentum. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but wasn’t memorable either. For a match that is sold as a career changer, it should have a longer lasting impact on those involved.

-Well, what do you know … Brodido and Adam Page WILL face Swerve Strickland and The New Level in a Texas Death Match for the AEW World Trios Championships at Full Gear after all. Look, we knew things would end this way, so the inevitability of the stipulation coming to fruition isn’t the problem. The problem is that the story behind getting to the stipulation had all the makings of something intriguing and now all of it is off the table. Strickland pushing his opponents, The New Level not fully understanding the gravity of Texas Death, and the Strickland/Page history alone gives various entry points into unique storytelling. None of those entry points were taken. Instead, one backstage attack and brawl moved things to Texas Death zone. A missed opportunity and money left on the table.

-It was nice seeing Mercedes Mone get a one-up physically on Marina Shafir. Smart booking. Shafir doesn’t really take much offense at all and that’s by design. Being a lethal killer is the gimmick and that gimmick doesn’t work if you’re constantly getting beat up. Mone is the world champion, though. She should be able to crack that armor a bit and she did. This booking allows for more drama in the match when it goes down at Full Gear.

Kyle Fletcher runs the show

-The men’s Blood and Guts match was equally as wild as the women’s one from an action and violence perspective. Nobody in this had the visual that Bayne did, though. Darby Allin took some crazy bumps, The Young Bucks kicked opponents in the face with tack filled shoes, and there was plenty of blood. The best part of the match wasn’t any of that. The best part of the match was the end. As Kazuchika Okada choked Adam Copeland with a chain, Kyle Fletcher got in his face and gave him a heelish ultimatum as his entire team was being overwhelmed with violence. Fletcher simply told him to give up or the violence would continue. Because AEW took the time to lay a foundation for Copeland to be worried about the futures of his teammates, this threat by Fletcher landed effectively. As Fletcher beat on Will Ospreay, the audience could feel Copeland’s begrudged sympathy. When he finally gave up, the audience groaned, but understood what had to be done. Now, Darby Allin getting launched off the top of the cages after the match was over was unnecessary, but I get the goal. Fletcher called for it and they wanted that for some heat on the world title challenger at Full Gear. Instead, the audience just reacted to the big stunt bump. Still, Fletcher stole the show in this match. In a lot of ways, the match was designed specifically to get him more over as a heel heading into Full Gear. He delivered.

Which Blood and Guts match did you like better? Men’s or women’s? Let us know in the comments!

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Follow Zack Heydorn on Bluesky @zackheydorn.bsky.social.

It’s cool outside, leaves are changing color, NFL football is in full swing, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballots are due. Ahh, a great time of year.

Here’s the thing — my ballot is STILL a little repetitive, which means other voters out there STILL aren’t getting it right.

My criteria for an “IN” vote has always been pretty darn simple. Stingy? Yeah, kinda, but simple nonetheless.

To get into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, you need to have the numbers, right? That’s a given. I treat match quality for the WON Hall of Fame like the MLB Hall of Fame treats numbers. You have to have it. It gets you into the conversation.

From there, the first thing I look at is impact on the business. Did the wrestler leave something behind with major historical significance? If more voters considered this analysis point, someone like Charlotte Flair would be in the Hall of Fame. She should be and it’s a shame she isn’t.

Then, I look at drawing power and business. Did the candidate put the butts in seats? Did they move the needle from a ratings perspective? That kind of analysis.

Finally, it’s a gut check. Do they pass the eye test of a Hall of Famer? Admittedly, that’s a subjective approach, but so be it. Pro wrestling is subjective a lot of the time, so it makes perfect sense to use that judgement as a means to drill down to a decision.

Alright, here it goes — my 2026 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot:

Archie “Mongolian Stomper” Gouldie

This was a 2023 IN vote, a 2024 IN vote, and a 2025 IN vote. Guess where we’re going this year? Here’s what I wrote:

2023: “I vote for this guy every single year. He’s a 14 time world champion in Stampede Wrestling and a big time for draw for that territory. Go watch the matches this guy had. He’s big time over. IN.”

2024: “And IN he stays. All of that still applies and he’ll continue getting my vote until I can vote for him no longer.”

2025: “Another year and another IN vote. What has to happen to change the narrative here? Banging my head against the wall isn’t working.”

2026: And the beating of the drum continues … someone argue against Archie being in. Please? Make me understand this slight.

Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat

A 2023, 2024, and 2025 YES. Here’s what I wrote:

2024: “You know that quick-paced tag team wrestling you love so much? Did you vote for The Young Bucks this year? These two helped birth that style. They have an indelible mark on the wrestling business and drew money too. IN.”

2025: “So, The Young Bucks are in, but Youngblood and Steamboat aren’t as a tag team? Make it make sense. The former doesn’t happen without the latter and as a Hall of Fame, this must be recognized.”

2026: Last month in AEW, The Young Bucks wrestled Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight in a tag team match on PPV. It had all the high-flying wildness that you’d expect from those four, but it had perfect babyface psychology too. The hot tag that was set reminded me of Youngblood and Steamboat. They’re influence on tag team wrestling remains today. This is a no-brainer — still.

Junkyard Dog

Another 2023, 2024, and 2025 YES vote. Here’s what I wrote:

2024: “We’re still doing this? Like Mongolian Stomper, Junkyard Dog gets my vote every year. He shouldn’t because he’s first ballot HOF talent, but alas, here we are. When you talk about the most over wrestlers in history, Junkyard Dog needs to be on the list. He had his demons and his career ended early because of them, but JYD always had the fans in the palm of his hand. People cared. IN.”

2025: “I just feel like this is an easy call that voters aren’t making. What’s missing? Longevity, I suppose and that’s a fair play. Stone Cold Steve Austin didn’t have a sizzling hot run for decades either, though.”

2026: Whyyyyyyyyyyy? Ok, go to YouTube and search “Junkyard Dog vs. The Freebirds.” Boom. That’s why this guy is a Hall of Famer.

June Byers

Byers was a first-time YES for me in 2024 and that was mainly do to an increased education. 2025? YES. 2026? Still yes.

2024: “Byers didn’t get a vote from me in 2023 and she should have. Thanks to the research of Jonathan Snowden, which you can read, it’s clear that Byers had the impact on wrestling AND the skill that delivers seats in the Hall. I took her skill for granted. The impact she made on the business was always there, but the skill part always had me doubting. Byers had the character and characters make stars. Characters draw money and characters earn Hall votes. IN.”

2025: “I still very much believe this analysis. Byers is mechanically sound and as said above, a character. Here’s more, though. She impacted the business in a positive way. When you talk about women’s wrestling, she’s in the first couple paragraphs.”

2026: Becky Lynch, Mercedes Mone, and Iyo Sky should all get in the Hall of Fame this year. There is a handful of top women pro wrestlers already in. They don’t get there without June Byers.

Kevin, Kerry, & David Von Erich

I’m surprised I have to make this case for a second year in a row. This is what I wrote in 2025.

2025: “It’s time. The Von Erich’s haven’t made my ballot until this year and it’s time to put them in. Like Byers, it took some added viewing and education to get there, but there is one constant when you watch these guys. An audience connection. These three set the table for everything in WCCW and just didn’t have matches that fans weren’t into. Promoters today would do some bad things to get their hands on babyfaces like this. IN.”

2026: All of the above remains true. They also did business. Huge business. Talk about putting asses in seats? Kevin, Kerry, and David could print money. Top tier audience connection, plus top tier business equals IN the Hall of Fame.

Becky Lynch

2023 IN. 2024 IN. 2025 IN. 2026. IN. Is any of this different now than in 2023, 2024, or 2025?

2023: “Becky Lynch had the hottest run a woman has had in the history of professional wrestling. From the summer of 2018 through her main event match at WrestleMania in 2019, Lynch was the most over star in WWE. She carried the company and that WrestleMania on her shoulders. The WWE audience being as invested in her as they were forced her match into the main event at WrestleMania 35 and was the first-ever all women’s main event in WrestleMania history. A no brainer here in terms of impact and business.” It isn’t. She needs to be in an it’s a no-brainer.”

2025: “It’s crazy that Lynch still needs votes. She added the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship to her resume and has had more than serviceable matches twice with Maxxine Dupri. C’mon, folks. This is an easy one.”

2026: Take a second and think about how much women’s wrestling we see on television right now. WWE, AEW, TNA, and elsewhere. Wherever. Women drive business as pro wrestling stars. In the modern era, Lynch was the was first to prove that point.

Kevin Nash & Scott Hall

These guys were IN votes from last year and 2024. Still IN.

2024: “As I mentioned last year, I debated whether or not they get a nod. They just have too much historical significance to be left out of the Hall of Fame. Simple as that. IN.”

2025: “Same rules apply.”

2026: If one of the pieces of criteria for entrance into the Hall of Fame is historical impact, then Nash and Hall have to be in. Slam dunk. They ushered in a massive shift in the way business is conducted in “the business.”

Randy Orton

This guy deserves to be in and did last year. Oh, and the year before and the year before that.

2024: “Grand slam champion, face of the company — kinda. Good matches. Long career. Orton was once called the prototypical pro wrestler and he’s kind of the prototypical Hall of Famer also. IN.”

2025: “This will ruffle some feathers, but Orton not in the Hall of Fame is like Randy Savage not being in the Hall of Fame. Savage was a tad under Hulk Hogan. Orton the same to John Cena. Top number twos, though. IN.”

2026: In re-reading my comments last year, I may been on Hall of Fame tilt. Randy Orton and Randy Savage may not be equals. Fine. They are damn close, though. Orton is trying to win a world title for the 15th time. He wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania this year. Adding to the resume.

Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks

Seriously? Mone IS a lock. Still. Stop the madness and get The Boss in. Here is what I wrote last year.

2025: “New to the ballot in 2025 and an absolute lock. Mone is a legendary pro wrestler at this point. She helped change and was at the forefront of the women’s wrestling narrative and then sustained herself as a top star outside of the biggest company in the world. Loads of world championships, a WrestleMania main eventer, and regular great matches against diverse opponents stylistically. Need I go on? IN.”

Samoa Joe

New to my ballot in 2026. Joe never wrestled in a WrestleMania main event and was never “the guy” on a major stage. He’s a unique case, though, when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Joe was the face of Ring of Honor in the early 2000s when that was the only promotion that truly provided an alternative to what WWE was feeding wrestling fans. Joe put that promotion on his back and ran with it. The matches were memorable and the style is what current-day AEW is built on. When I watched Joe early on, I couldn’t believe how big he was and how smooth he could move. He was special in that regard. Joe is a trailblazer. Also, go watch Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi in ROH. 2005. Thank me later.

Io Shirai/Iyo Sky

Another new addition to the ballot. When I think of Iyo Sky, I think of in-ring prowess. There isn’t anyone smoother than her. She’s helped establish women’s wrestling worldwide. In the ring, she’s worked across the globe and with top women’s talent. Other talents have their best matches with Sky. Super valuable, important to history, and a true babyface in an era when those were hard to find.

Larry Matysik

You know that popular GIF from Scrubs when Dr. Cox is slamming a door into his head? My sentiments exactly regarding Matysik.

2024: “Matysik remains on my list as he’s one of the greatest voices in the history of the business. He also was an influencer of the business at a high level. Announcing alone gets him in — the rest is icing on the cake. IN.”

2025: “I’ll say it again … “one of the greatest voices in the history of the business.” Get this done.”

2026: Door to head — THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

What did I get right? What did I get wrong? Let us know in the comments!

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-Am I crazy? Like, was Roman Reigns more of an actual babyface this week? First, Reigns didn’t do his usual “acknowledge me” bit at the front of his promo. That’s always been heelish and originated during his big heel run in the first Bloodline faction. Second, early in the promo, Reigns’ armor cracked a bit and he said that he cared about the audience. Not just in his head. He said it out loud for the world to hear. Man, he was better off for it because he was vulnerable. Reigns can still do a stronger job in that department, but even this slight tweak this week made for a better promo segment opposite Sami Zayn. You want fan support to load up on Roman’s side opposite Zayn and this week was a step in the right direction. Zayn and Reigns still bickered and that was annoying, but the overall promo landed better because Reigns had his guard down a bit.

Champ and a chase

-Yes. Yes, yes, a million times yes. Ethan Page is the new WWE Men’s Intercontinental Champion. Can’t believe it took this long to get here. Look, Chad Gable had a memorable run as the champion. His matches were appointment viewing on Raw for months. This title loss is the best thing that’s happened to him in a while. He’s chasing Page now. Page, a true heel. Gable will thrive in the chasing babyface role and Page will do the same as the running arrogant heel. Mark my words, a massive IC championship match will headline some type of WWE show in the next six months.

-A strong women’s six-person tag team match this week. Team Judgment Day vs. Team Chelsea Green was a sensible match to go with. The booking was even more sensible. Morgan beating Green gives Green something to try and win back at Crown Jewel. She’s now the underdog more than she even was before. Thumbs up. This match helped the Morgan and Green story going into Saturday.

The John Cena what?

-John Cena returned to Raw and revealed details about the first-ever John Cena Classic tournament. NOT. Cena gave the where, when, and part of the who regarding the tournament, but failed to address a key component. What is it?????!??!!??!?!? He revealed Club WWE members are going to vote on a winner? If that’s the case, how is it a tournament? Cena also revealed the John Cena Classic title belt. Great!!! What does it mean and what is it for?! Fans aren’t going to get excited about this tournament and certainly will not join Club WWE in order to vote unless they are told what the tournament is going to be about.

-Cody Rhodes is the first invitee to the John Cena Classic because of course he is. Cena and Rhodes have enough of a history together where this announcement makes sense, but it’s not going to help the perception that Rhodes has become WWE’s chosen one. I can see Rhodes getting a massive heel reaction if he somehow wins this tournament that nobody actually knows anything about.

-Rhodes didn’t do much on Raw this week, but Randy Orton sure did. Damn. He was spitting some fire on the microphone. It’s nice to see someone like Orton talk about wanting to just be a pro wrestler. Not a movie star — just a wrestling star. Everything he said was total babyface skewed, so he and Rhodes continue to adopt muddy roles in their feud. That said, the intensity of Orton’s promo gave their Last Man Standing Match at Crown Jewel a little sizzle.

Breakker needs to break The Vision

-The Vision won their six-man tag match this week ahead of Crown Jewel. Breakker got the victory and did so over Je’Von Evans. At least it wasn’t Penta. Going in I had my money on Dragon Lee doing the job, but behind all this tag team title drama is a solid feud between Evans and Breakker. This finish helped tell that story a little further.

-Breakker looks weak with The Vision. His character doesn’t jive with their goofiness and it’s jarring.

-I hope you didn’t expect the Royce Keys vs. Solo Sikoa main event to have a real finish to it. This match had to end the way that it did, which was in total chaos. That’s the story of this feud and the payoff match is going to be at WarGames. WWE was smart not to giveaway the visual of someone in The Bloodline beating 946 too early.

Welcome to the show, Cruz Montana

-Good for Cruz Montana. That guy has been through a lot and is now on one of the biggest wrestling shows in the world as part of the biggest storyline in WWE. He fits nicely alongside Royce Keys in 946. What does this mean for him in NXT? Well, he’s likely losing to Dion Lennox this week and after that, it doesn’t matter all that much. NXT is a breeding ground for main roster talent before it’s anything else. If Triple H sees a main roster resource down there that he can utilize, he’s going to without hesitation.

What do you think of Cruz Montana joining 946 on this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Let us know in the comments!

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Halloween Havoc was a scary night for NXT this year. Boo!

On this podcast, Zack Heydorn breaks down NXT Halloween Havoc 2026 with in-depth discussion on problems with WWE PLE’s on the CW Network, bad Halloween hi-jinx, and what — unfortunately — was the best part of the show.

Plus, discussion on Royal Rumble 2027 dates, Crown Jewel, and Cody Rhodes FINAL…

Read more

NXT Halloween Havoc 2026 had potential, but fell far short of reaching it. The matches were what they were and clocked in mostly at below average.

The worst part of the show was the Halloween nonsense and it was stocked with it. I get doing it. It’s Halloween Havoc — but it has to be worked in better than what we saw. Naraku and Shiloh Hill battling in a fake haunted house, the women’s division being scared in their locker room, and Tristan Angels trying to lead a group of women through a different haunted house? Just obnoxious stuff that brought down an overall show that was looking for anything to bring it up.

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.

Myles Borne vs. Tavion Heights - Weapons Wild Match

The match of the night and a better match than I expected. With this being Halloween Havoc and the match being “weapons wild,” this thing had annoying holiday street fight written all over it. Thankfully, it wasn’t that. It certainly was a watered down street fight, but the weapons used weren’t comedy bits and were presented as tools that could reasonably cause injury. Tables, chairs, garbage cans — this had all of that and the audience was interested throughout. Not on the edge of their seats, but interested. A little surprising to see Borne get a clean win, but I’ll always give a thumbs up to real finishes.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO

Zaria vs. Izzi Dame

Yikes. Not good. The story of this match is beyond ridiculous. Why is Zaria afraid of the fact that she acted in plays as a child? Why is that so triggering for her? The great thing about pro wrestling is that a good match can save a nonsense storyline. This leaned into it. I guess we’re supposed to believe that Dame had actors dress up as former parts Zaria has played over the years? In high school plays????? The actors stood around the arena and distracted Zaria from getting a win. Yeah, it was as bad as it sounds.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 1/4

Zilla Fatu vs. Charlie Dempsey - Very Nice, Very Evil Match

All Zilla. Fatu kicked Charlie Dempsey’s ass, but also the ass of the entire Birthright faction. Very satisfying. Fatu looked crisp throughout this match and has — by far — the most star power and charisma of anyone in the men’s division on NXT. Not special from an in-ring perspective, but strong for simply getting a top guy over.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2

Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair - NXT Women’s Championship

It took a while to get rolling, but once it did the action hooked the crowd. There were some loud chants for Wren Sinclair during this, so the investment was there. Sinclair locked in her “cattle mutilation” submission a lot. Double edged sword. She applies the move really well and the audience reacted to it, but because it didn’t net a win, the aura around it seemed to shrink throughout the match. Looking at you, Kelani Jordan. She’s got to be sharper with the sell if the entire match is going to be booked around the move. The finish was weak. Jordan retaining wasn’t a surprise, but she created leverage with her foot on the ropes. The thing is, Jordan was late getting it there and had it in place for less than half a second.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2

Shiloh Hill vs. Naraku

The best thing I can say about this match was that it certainly followed the story of the feud. Unfortunately, the story of the feud was built around different kinds of mists. Green mist, orange mist … bad. So, the match had a lot of mist and the initial mist blast sent both guys into an odd Halloween twilight zone where they beat up monsters. Yep, you’re exactly right. None of this made a lick of sense, was a shining example of what bad NXT looks like, and hurt both Hill and Naraku. They looked ridiculous.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O

Grayson Waller vs. Tony D’Angelo - NXT Championship

Just … average. Not great, but not awful? Grayson Waller is a strong champion from the perspective of presenting as a star. He works hard for a negative reaction too. The in-ring is lagging behind the character work. He doesn’t have the offense or the pace that’s worthy of a top tier main event match on the main roster. Plenty of time, but this was a moment for him to show elevation and he didn’t. Same thing with D’Angelo. The announce team worked hard to tell a story of intense hatred between Waller and D’Angelo, but D’Angelo didn’t really do his part for it. He’s got to convey that exact story with his body language and he didn’t. Waller retained by illegally using a crowbar — a heel doing heel things. Waller is now set for the biggest match of his career against CM Punk on Wednesday night as NXT goes head to head with AEW Dynamite.

Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/4

And the match of the night at NXT Halloween Havoc 2026 was? Let us know in the comments!

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Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone. May your day be filled with candy, costumes, and children gassed up with sugar. Oh, and NXT Halloween Havoc.

Halloween Havoc is not hitting the road in 2026, but staying cozy at home on a frightful night inside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Danhausen will be on hand to host the show and the card is stocked with potential — even if it’s missing a match for the hottest feud in the promotion at this moment — looking at you Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox.

NXT PLE’s regularly have potential. That’s what you want for a development brand. The feeling of potential means the talent was positioned correctly and the storylines were good enough to maintain interest. Actually living up to the potential is harder and requires hitting on the match. This and booking is where NXT shows slow.

Is Grayson Waller a main event talent?

The main event of the show is Grayson Waller vs. Tony D’Angelo for the NXT Championship. This is a big match for a couple reasons.

Read more

The two guys who were in this video are now going to be running around in suits and owning creative for a massive billion dollar corporation and content juggernaut.

The pro wrestling world sure is strange.

At the end of this video, Triple H and Shawn Michaels try to work a computer and just can’t seem to figure out how to do it. Hardy har har … isn’t that hilarious! It’s like your two 50-something year old uncles trying to figure out how to record a TikTok video. Sure, hand them the keys to a entertainment kingdom. Why the hell not?

Reports this week revealed that WWE Executive Director of Creative — Bruce Pritchard — was going to be leaving his post and retiring after WrestleMania 43 next year. Pritchard has seen a couple things in his day and has helped steward WWE from it’s first national expansion to it’s global dominance and worldwide content takeover of the current day.

After the news broke, the next story was exactly what you think it was. Who was in line to take Pritchard’s spot? It didn’t take long to get an answer.

Shawn Michaels gets called up the corporate ladder

PWInsider reported that Shawn Michaels would take the baton from Pritchard and join his fellow technologically challenged buddy, Triple H, in the main roster corporate offices. Yes, THAT Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid, Mr. WrestleMania, and the greatest in-ring performer in the history of WWE. DX brethren reunited! Two guys who booked their territory to pass the time in the back of vans while traversing the country on the road now hold the actual proverbial “book” for the biggest wrestling company in the world.

Triple H has been in the role for a while and learned it from Vince McMahon. He’s as suity as they come at this point. Admittedly, it’s funny to think of Shawn Michaels — the guy who can’t work a computer — in any corporate position, but Triple H made the right move in elevating Michaels to the corporate main roster.

If you think of WWE as an NFL team and Triple H as the head coach, Shawn Michaels is the new offensive coordinator. A former player that knows ball, can teach it, but may be a little rough around the edges at the weekly pressers with NFL media.

Michaels knows ball. He’s seen everything. Michaels can also teach. Some of the top main roster stars in today’s WWE are guys that Michaels carried along and educated. Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, Stephanie Vaquer, Blake Monroe. Those are all key future players that Shawn Michaels has worked with, developed, and coached. That experience alone makes him the right man for the job.

The creative part of WWE creative

What’s more important than that experience is his creativity. If this Michaels move works, it’ll be because he’s got a better creative head on his shoulders than Triple H does.

Since he took over WWE creative from Vince McMahon in 2022, Triple H has built up a poor record of writing interesting storylines across Raw and SmackDown. Creative? I’m not sure Triple H has it in him fully. We haven’t seen it yet.

The Triple H creative formula has been to take two stars, toss them in a ring, have them both run the other down and bicker about semi-meta nonsense, and then wrestle on big shows. It’s been fruitful. Very fruitful. And my tongue isn’t in my cheek.

For four years, Triple H has booked hours and hours of WWE programming across the globe using that pattern. It’s drawn money and it’s made for some good matches. The stories? Those have been weak and that formula is running out of steam. Just look at last week’s episode of SmackDown. It was a flat show because it’s guy, another guy, arguing, fans cheering the one line zingers, repeat. The show lacked audience investment and that was always the Shawn Michaels specialty.

Ahead of the curve

I don’t know if he still has it in him now that he’s wearing bifocals regularly, but Michaels was a cutting edge talent in the wrestling industry. He was ahead of the curve. Before Vince McMahon, it was Michaels that saw the need to lean into “attitude” and pushed the boundaries on television with DX. He was a match innovator and over the years, kept his character mostly fresh by working in front of the staleness that can come with legendary pro wrestling stars.

All of that is an asset to Triple H as he figures out how to book more and more hours of creative. Plus, they’re buddies. The Kliq. Remember?? Of course Triple H is going to elevate his bro — they’ve run that play for decades.

Michaels is a wrestling guy. Always has been. He wears a suit now, but you know he wants to throw on some boots and superkick someone in the damn face. This creative leadership position in the WWE has to have that. Regardless of what Nick Khan and others inside of TKO Group may think, WWE is a wrestling company and still needs people of influence that come directly from that side of the house.

I can hard believe it either, but that’s Shawn Michaels.

Now that Shawn Michaels is leaving NXT for main roster corporate glory, someone new will have to lead WWE developmental. Who should that be? Let us know in the comments!

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-Jay White is in his element as the leader of a big heel faction. He’s got The Cut now. I like the opening Dynamite match this week between The Cut and Death Riders. Not because it was a wild, five-star athletic feat or anything like that, but because The Cut was booked strong. They got the win. We know that it’ll be The Cut vs. Death Riders in Anarchy in the Arena at Full Gear. That should be a blast. Like this week, here’s to hoping they keep with the strong booking and get The Cut another big win on PPV. The upside is huge. White vs. Ospreay for the world title looms if this faction stays successful.

Kidd and The Cut

-On the Death Rider side of things, they’re full-fledged babyfaces now and Gabe Kidd sticks out like a sore thumb. If you were looking for a way to have The Cut win Anarchy in the Arena, while giving Death Riders some protection, a Kidd heel turn on Moxley would do it. Kidd fits better with The Cut anyway.

-Holy crap. Kyle Fletcher is the number one contender for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear and it took him over 16 minutes to beat Jack Perry. My stamp of approval is planted on Fletcher vs. Ospreay on PPV. Fletcher vs. Perry? Not good. The action was fine — hell, better than fine — but you shouldn’t have matches just to have them. With where Fletcher is going, having this kind of 50/50 match with the someone at the level of Perry is a mistake.

-Ok, when The New Level started their promo about death matches, I was rolling my eyes. Big time. Both Kofi and Creed were much to flippant about a stipulation that has been protected in AEW lore as something that’s life altering. Kofi and Creed kinda joked about it and hurt the tone around the match. By the end of the segment that also included Adam Page, Brody King, Swerve Strickland, and Bandido, you realize that flippancy is part of a broader storyline. Kofi and Creed are supposed to take the stipulation lightly right now. The story will be them learning what Texas Death really means. They are going to find the right perspective. Really cool stuff. It’s an angle that gets the match over, but also the stipulation even more over for future uses.

-Swerve Strickland is a menace. The maniacal attack on Bandido showed The New Level his true side. There is a great promo segment between Strickland and New Level brewing. A cards on the table segment for all three guys. AEW has plenty of time to get there.

One had to be the worst

-If you are going to have a five match series between two teams, one of those matches will be the best and one of them has to be the worst. This week’s battle between FTR and Motor City Machine Guns was the worst one yet. Not a bad match by any means, but also not on the level of their others. The best part of this match was the post-match angle. FTR stopped straddling the line and presented as firm heels. That will make the rest of this match series much more intriguing.

-I’m not a big fan of yelling in promos, but it fits with Ilja Dragunov. There’s a strange authenticity going on there. Dragunov would probably yell at you if you didn’t move up fast enough in line for the self checkout at the grocery store. He makes it work. Dragunov vs. Ciampa is on the horizon. That’s a treat of a match.

-My goodness Marina Shafir vs. Mercedes Mone is going to absolutely cook. I write it often — timing is everything with pro wrestling. The timing of this match is perfect. Shafir has as much momentum than ever. Mone is Mone. They have opposite, but complimentary styles that Mone will figure out how to magnify in the best way possible for the match itself.

-Darby Allin had a Darby Allin match with Josh Alexander. Allin got spiked with a piledriver off of the ring apron and to the floor. Oh, and through two chairs. The bump was insane and yes, it’s the type of bump that is synonymous with Allin matches, but how long can he keep it up? You can’t keep elevating the big bump like this and have them matter. Allin is over enough to tone it down.

Project over

-Huh. In the main event, Queen Aminata defeated Persephone to win the TBS Championship. A cool little match and an even better moment, but not great from a booking perspective. Persephone has been an act that Tony Khan has been building up. She’s gotten some nice heel momentum and now this loss pretty much squashes all of it. She was a project and now what? Time will tell.

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

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Follow Zack Heydorn on Bluesky @zackheydorn.bsky.social.

-Let’s discuss the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic right out of the gate. The matches in this tournament have been excellent and were a reason to tune into NXT on a weekly basis. The booking was maddening across the board. All of the top real teams are out! This week, Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno defeated Vanity Project to advance to the tournament finals. On the other side of the bracket, Hank and Tank beat El Hijo Del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno to advance. HUH? With Vanity Project, Creed Brothers, and Fraxiom in this tournament, it’s baffling to me how and why Dar, Moreno, Hank, and Tank are in the finals. I’m sure Shawn Michaels would tell me, “Zack, this tournament win is going to elevate one of those team.” To that I would say this — you’re backwards. Both of the teams in the finals have been jobber teams without much television time. They take the meaning of Dusty Cup down if they win it. It’s cold, but also true.

Bringing out the big guns

-What else is true? WWE is loading up next week’s episode of NXT. Cody Rhodes and John Cena will be on the show. Why? Well, it’s on Wednesday next week because of election coverage. What’s up, AEW?

-Cinematic promos aren’t high on the list of things I like in pro wrestling. Cruz Montana pulled one off this week. Montana was intense, but likable. He also acknowledged his shortcomings like a babyface should. Montana is one of the best on the brand right now. The audience connects with him.

-Chantel Monroe beat Lizzy Rain. Oh no. Are we getting a Chantel Monroe push? Monroe hasn’t shown nearly enough to warrant beating anyone on television, let alone Rain. That match itself was ok at best and very much felt like a choreographed dance on Dancing with the Stars. Monroe — and Rain — need to be able to better present their matches as fights.

-Let me ask you? Answer in the comments if you don’t mind. What is Izzi Dame’s gimmick currently? Her character? Dame is all over the place in terms of look, presentation, and ring style. Add in her social media personality and you get a star that is looking in too many directions to find herself.

Uh oh

-Well, Saquon Shugars, losing to Sean Legacy isn’t great news for you. The redemption arc is there for the taking on the part of Shugars, but he’s stagnated since leaving DarkState and ending the feud with Dion Lennox. Like Dame, Shugars needs time to find his personality.

-Do you want to know who else can hit a basketball shot? My soon to be eight year old daughter. Backwards shot? Same thing. Swish. She is not an elite athlete and neither is Kam Hendrix. If Hendrix is going to continue to do these top 1% athletic feat videos, they have be of him doing cool stuff — or at least pretending to. The promos he’s been cutting have just shined a bright on how not athletic he is. Harness the gimmick or drop it. Going halfway with it isn’t the answer.

-They did it again. The in-ring promo segments on NXT continue to get worse and worse. The one this week between Myles Borne and Tavion Heights felt like it should have taken place inside the ThunderDome without fans. Borne and Heights ignored the audience for the entirety of the time they talked to one another. What they said was fine and helped build story around their upcoming match, but they can’t leave the crowd hanging the way they did. Engage. Maintain story, but engage more in order to get the character and the story over. As for their match at Halloween Havoc, it will be a Weapons Wild Match, which was chosen by the wheel. This is where Heights attacks Borne with candy corn right? How about this instead — we don’t do any holiday theme attacking or use holiday themed weapons. Deal?

Trick or street fight? Crap.

-The wheel will be spun again. Zilla Fatu vs. Charlie Dempsey will take place at Halloween Havoc and will feature a stipulation that’s derived from the Halloween Havoc wheel. Whatever the stipulation is here, the same rule applies — stay reasonable with the Halloween integration. After all, the NFL isn’t tossing around pumpkins instead of footballs. There’s 100% nothing wrong with holiday integration, but it has to make sense for the story and characters involved.

-Thumbs up to Jackson Drake vs. EK Prosper. The match of the night. All action. Drake got the victory, but Prosper was very protected thanks to outside interference from Vanity Project. They were obnoxious and were supposed to be. That’s resonating and genuinely getting the group heat. Why are they not in the Dusty Finals again???

Did they sell it?

-The show this week featured an ongoing storyline thread between Grayson Waller and Tony D’Angelo. With D’Angelo the number one contender to Waller and the NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc, Waller took his time on the show this week to play mind games with his opponent. He delivered messages to D’Angelo that were threatening and showed up to D’Angelo’s house and restaurant without an invite. I guess it’s more than reasonable to think that D’Angelo would want to stop Waller from getting in his house. I get that. Gotta stand up for your home. The rest of the chase, though? D’Angelo looked gullible. The brawl to end things on the show worked for what it was, but just didn’t have the storyline depth to truly move the needle on people watching opposite college football and taking part in Halloween festivities on Saturday night. If you were going to watch, you’ll watch, but this closing segment didn’t put the full sell on.

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

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Follow Zack Heydorn on Bluesky @zackheydorn.bsky.social.