fightful

Note on Tanahashi's retirement

Hiroshi Tanahashi wraps up his career this weekend, and some special names will be in attendance.

In addition to those booked on the card, Fightful Select has learned that additional stars will be on hand to show their respect to Tanahashi as he retires. There is a ceremony planned that will likely integrate them

Based on what we've heard there will be legends, former opponents, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay will be there. We'll get more details as the show gets closer this week.

Chad Gable update

Chad Gable could be returning soon.

Chad Gable has been sidelined for months with a shoulder injury that affected a lot of creative for WWE's summer. However, sources claim he could be back very soon.

Gable has been at the WWE Performance Center training for a return. Sources indicated that he is planned back by the Royal Rumble, and hopefully before then.

WWE gave his El Grande Americano gimmick to Ludwig Kaiser, which is expected to be addresssed.

Dominik Mysterio injury update

The latest update on Dominik Mysterio appears to be a good one.

Dominik competed at AAA Guerra De Titanes where he appeared to sustain an injury. He's not wrestled since then, and we've awaited an update.

WWE sources at the time claimed to Fightful that Dominik sustained a shoulder injury. However, some good news in that WWE sources now claim it doesn't look like he will require surgery. The hope internally is that he will be cleared by Royal Rumble week.

This matches up with what Wrestling Observer has also been told.

We wish Dominik a speedy recovery.

List & Ya Boy Fightful Select Exclusive!!

Sean Ross Sapp and Jimmy Van reunite for the first time since August for a special List & Ya Boy episode looking at the lawsuit against Vince McMahon and TKO!

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/zNB_r4ny5ak

Select Answers: Referees, Brand Specific PLEs, Gaps between US shows

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

Why did they stop acknowledging the name of the referee, at least for main events/ big matches? Always seemed to add to that big match feel.

It's just a thing that comes and goes, like a lot of tendencies in wrestling. They'll decide that it's best to not acknowledge the referee whatsoever, then someone watches a big boxing or UFC PPV and they see the referee complimented, criticized or featured and change their minds. I haven't heard that refs are to be ignored on a personal level like in the late Vince McMahon era, though.

Is there any chance WWE brings back brand specific PLEs? There’s so much talent not getting used these days. In the age of streaming it seems like they could easily go back to “B level shows” between the bigger events.

There's always a chance, but here's a few reasons I don't expect it. The ESPN PLE deal mandates a certain number of PLEs per year. Unless WWE is paid extra for additional events, it doesn't serve them well to do it, unless the potential gate justifies it. Also, ESPN didn't pay for brand-specific PLE events. I would imagine they wouldn't be cool with WWE just arbitrarily making that change.

WWE certainly could do them much easier now than back in 2004. Let me tell ya, there were some STINKERS then. Kurt Angle vs. Santa was an actual PPV match. Miss Jackie vs. Dawn Marie. The Bashams vs. Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas. This was all on the same show. Just some brutal cards. But if they're doing 5 match PLE events these days, it would be easier. But it isn't happening.

With Rumble being in Saudi, is 11/30 - 2/28 the longest gap between US PPVs in WWE in a very long time??

Nope. Not even in a very long time. Since you're excluding Saturday Night's Main Event and NXT, I will too. That's about a 91 day gap. However, just last year, WWE had Bad Blood on October 5, then did Crown Jewel in Saudi, Survivor Series in Canada, and didn't have the Royal Rumble until February 1. That's over 115 days between United States PLE events. But even before that, earlier that year WWE did WrestleMania on April 7, and then went to France, Saudi, Scotland and Canada before coming back for Summerslam. That was a similar gap. It was also intentional. It helped drive up ticket demand for US PLEs because they were more rare.

Another NJPW star exploring their options

It’s contract season in New Japan Pro Wrestling. 

Among the contracts that are up soon are that of Drilla Moloney. Specifically, Fightful Select was told that Moloney’s deal is actually up ahead of Wrestle Kingdom. He’s been teaming with Shingo Takagi as the War Dragons throughout the year. 

Moloney has appeared in All Elite Wrestling in 2025, and appeared in WWE on the NXT UK brand from 2017 to 2021. 

Moloney, along with War Dogs members Clark Connors and David Finlay, all have their contracts coming up soon and are interested in exploring their options. NJPW is hopeful to retain all three. 

It is important that we note the natural “Aren’t ALL New Japan contracts up then?” They’re not. A number of NJPW talent actually worked without deals for a number of months in 2025 and re-signed along the way on one year deals. Others signed through the January period.

Wrestlevotes LIVE Q&A!

TC and Joey Votes are LIVE at 3 PM ET!

Get your questions in now!

Another NJPW star evaluating options

It’s that time of year for New Japan Pro Wrestling and their contracts.

Among them is Clark Connors of Bullet Club War Dogs, we’re told. Connors’ deal is set to expire towards the end of January 2026. Connors has not wrestled since November 2. 

It is important that we note the natural “Aren’t ALL New Japan contracts up then?” They’re not. A number of NJPW talent actually worked without deals for a number of months in 2025 and re-signed along the way on one year deals. Others signed through the January period. 

Fightful reported that David Finlay of Bullet Club War Dogs also sees his contract expire relatively soon. Much like him, we’re told he’s exploring his options amid U.S. interest. New Japan is also hopeful to retain him. 

SRS Q&A 12/28: Over 40 minutes of Q&A!!

Sean Ross Sapp answers a ton of questions!

• Brand specific PLE

• US WWE Shows

• WWE Studios

• Christmas memories

• Original WCW plans

• AJ Styles/Dragon Lee

• Dakota Kai's future

• LA Knight

• Austin Theory

• WWE HOF

• Wrestlers on creative team

• How things could have been different for Punk and AEW.

• Upcoming free agents

This and much more!

Select Answers: Mick Foley/WWE, MJF Title Run, Naomi

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

Given the departure of Mick Foley from his legends deal and the reasons around it, I’ve been curious. Does political discourse around TKO and WWEs affiliation with the current administration (I don’t even want to say that man’s name) cause issues between talent and creative heads like Triple H or is it kind of an issue that doesn’t really get talked about much backstage?

I've actually not heard it discussed a ton backstage. It's something that gets discussed more privately or personally than with management. There have been a few people that have made it clear they don't want to be associated with any of that participation. But honestly, it's not something that a lot of people feel comfortable really discussing. I've certainly pushed plenty of people on it, but you can't make them talk.

How long was the MJF Title run planned?

At least since Mid-November. That's as far back as I've also heard that he was set to be added to the match. But just because these title reigns have been short doesn't mean that they weren't planned out!

When can Naomi come back?

She's still got a lot of maternity leave time, and hasn't had the child. But most wrestling companies don't push for quick returns, and like to give them appropriate breathing room to be able to do what they need to do. I'd be surprised if we see her in 2026, but if Naomi decides she wants to, she certainly will.

Alex & Kate's SOUR GRAPS: AEW World's End 2025 | The End Of The World

AEW has brought another PPV to their old Chicagoan stomping grounds. This time it's World's End, featuring a 4 Way Main Event of Samoa Joe vs Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland vs MJF.

Elsewhere on the card, the winner of the Continental Classic will be decided, Kris Statlander will defend against Jamie Hayter, and the Men's Tag Titles will be up for grabs in a Chicago Street Fight. And that's just for starters.

But who won all of these matches, was it the right call, and what does it mean for the future of All Elite Wrestling?

Alex and Kate will give you all the answers to these questions and more, on tonight's episode of SOUR GRAPS.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnT6xWktTqs

AEW Worlds End SCOOPS THREAD!

Welcome to the AEW Worlds End SCOOPS thread. We'll be updating this as the show goes on.

• MJF being added to the AEW World's End main event has been in the cards since at least mid-November.

• A number of wrestlers on the show will be heading to Japan after the Wednesday episode of Dynamite.

• There was a segment on AEW this week where Kenny Omega mentioned that he had to take care of some things. We're told this specifically was to reference him possibly being in the world title scene soon.

• Wrestlevotes learned that Christian Cage is not at AEW Worlds End. He's in Bridgeport, CT at a hockey Game

• In regards to Tony Khan telling Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated that he's making more of the creative decisions than ever -- we're told by sources in the company that is absolutely true. It was stated that Tony Khan is more "in the weeds" than he's been in years, especially during football season. Khan has missed a few Jacksonville Jaguars games this year due to his AEW obligations, where he rarely ever missed any. Another source said that Tony Khan was very proud of the awards recognition the company got for 2025.

• A number of wrestlers set for Wrestle Kingdom are leaving the States late in the week for Japan.

• As revealed during our interview this week, Harley Cameron won "Funniest Wrestler of the Year" in the Fightful Awards for the second straight year. The full awards show will take place in January.

• When we've asked about Chris Jericho within the company, we've been told that he hasn't come up when discussing ongoing plans. Jericho usually discusses his creative directly with Tony Khan.

• A number of AEW sources pointed to Hyan and Maya World making it onto Zero Hour as an example of how working squash matches can benefit talent. Both are highly regarded in AEW.

• We're told that Hyan and Maya World's signings were finalized in the last couple of weeks.

• There were some close to Okada that told us they were a little surprised to see him already facing Konosuke Takeshita, and they were interested in how everything would pan out with Wrestle Kingdom looming.

• After the Okada/Takeshita match, a lot of the same sources reached out surprised that an actual finish happened in the match.

• Stokely Hathaway was okay after his spot.

Betting Odds

• Darby Allin is a big favorite over Gabe Kidd, and those odds have gotten wider this week.

• FTR are the biggest favorites on the show. Kris Statlander is also one of the biggest, after starting out with a very slim margin.

• Babes of Wrath are huge favorites. We have them as heavy favorites.

• We have MJF as our very safe bet to win the AEW World Championship. MJF is the favorite, followed by Samoa Joe, Hangman Page and then Swerve Strickland.

• Okada is a slight favorite over Takeshita, with Fletcher a slight favorite over Moxley. Both of these are too close to call.

• Death Riders are a slight favorite over the Conglomeration.

NJPW star looking to explore their options

Another major New Japan Pro Wrestling contract is coming to an end. 

Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp has learned that David Finlay’s New Japan contract is set to expire "in the near future." Based on what we’ve heard, Finlay is looking to explore his options, especially in America, as there is interest from companies.  He is still expected to work some additional dates after Wrestle Kingdom.

Finlay has been with New Japan Pro Wrestling for nearly 11 years, to the tune of over 800 matches. He became a Global Heavyweight Champion, IWGP Tag Champion, NEVER Openweight Champion and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. 

It is important that we note the natural “Aren’t ALL New Japan contracts up then?” They’re not. A number of NJPW talent actually worked without deals for a number of months in 2025 and re-signed along the way on one year deals. Others signed through the January period.

Finlay's father has ties to WWE, and his brother Brogan is under contract in NXT.

UPDATED: With more accurate specifics.

Select Answers: Women's IC/US Titles, AJ Styles Rumble, Women's Free Agents

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

Hey SRS, Same question I asked the Wrestlevote Guys, Would you consolidate the Womens Intercontinental and US Titles and have the champ appear on both shows for a while? They don't seem to do anything with the US Title except parade it around with Chelsea Green.

Yes. One hundred percent yes. At no point ever has the company given care to the United States Title. It exists just for a temporary title change with no creative put behind it. It's abysmally booked. Michin and Chelsea Green had a great feud and they felt it was necessary to add two mid card titles. I'd absolutely unify them and make it the golden ticket between Raw and Smackdown. Make that be why that title is special and why the champion views themselves as on par with the world champion.

Do you see AJ Styles winning the Rumble simply because its his last one?

No. I don't think that would be a good move for the future of WWE. I don't believe that they have plans for him in a World Championship match at WrestleMania anyway. He's near the end of his road and doesn't seem to be too sentimental about it. He's been eyeing an exit for years, and I don't think that he would see the upside in winning a Royal Rumble, either. I just don't see the path there.

Dakota Kai, Priscilla Kelly, Scarlett Bordeaux, Shotzi. Which one do you think has the best chance of signing with AEW?

Dakota Kai. All of them are contractually eligible, but Dakota Kai is the one that I think is the most likely. If Scarlett comes in, it will be with Killer Kross. I could definitely see Shotzi, Dakota or Priscilla brought in as a part of a tag team, but I don't think that any of them are imminent. Shotzi is staying crazy busy on the indies. Priscilla Kelly has worked 40 matches in the half-year she's been out of WWE, so she's really busy too. Dakota is finally taking bookings, but is being more measured.

SRS AEW Worlds End Predictions, Previews, Betting Tips!

A new Fightful Select exclusive -- the SRS prediction and preview show! Sean Ross Sapp will go through each of the matches, give betting tips and what he's heard about the show!

Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita

• World Title 4 Way

• Moxley vs. Fletcher

• Gabe Kidd vs. Darby Allin

• FTR vs. Bang Bang Gang

• Women's Tag Title match

• Hyan and Maya World vs. Sisters of Sin

• Continental Classic Finals!!

Danhausen-WWE news

Danhausen's AEW contract will be up in the coming months, and his future is being discussed.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has reported in recent weeks that Danhausen's AEW contract is up around February, and Wrestlevotes Radio has some more news.

Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select spoke to sources in WWE that claim that he will have interest from WWE when his deal is up. A source also outlined that they believe he would thrive in the NXT setting.

Danhausen has not appeared on AEW TV at all in 2025, but has continued to work the indies regularly. He requested that injury time not be added to his AEW deal when it was supposed to expire this summer.

When aggregating this article, please credit Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, and link/tag.

NXT Road Schedule For TV Could Be Changing

NXT could be stepping up their travel schedule.

Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select has reported that NXT is considering increasing their road schedule for TV in 2026. The emphasis is to get more reps on the road for a lot of their talent on the show.

CW Network is said to be fully on board with this, as it would benefit the show.

NXT primarily films from the WWE Performance Center, which often has many of the same fans each week. There are no plans to completely abandon the WWE Performance Center for NXT shows, Sean Ross Sapp confirmed.

When aggregating this article, please credit Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, and link/tag.

Update on Joe Hendry's future in WWE

Say his name and he'll appear....on Smackdown more soon.

There have been preparations in order for some fresh faces to appear on WWE Smackdown once the show moves to three hours in January, and one of them looks to be Joe Hendry.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reports that there have been internal discussions about Joe Hendry getting a main roster call-up, with Smackdown being his permanent home. They noted that USA Network was keen on getting Joe Hendry.

When Hendry was officially signed, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported he was already on a main roster level deal.

When aggregating this article, please credit Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, and link/tag.

Wrestlevotes Radio 12/26: Danhausen, Joe Hendry, NXT, Worlds End, WWE's year end list

• Danhausen's future

• Joe Hendry update

• NXT's 2026

• AEW Worlds End

• WWE/Stranger Things

• Looking at WWE's list

Fightful will post stories individually from this show shortly after the conclusion. We ask that aggregators wait until those stories are released and credit Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select.

Select Answers: WBD/AEW, Syuri and Sareee, Mick Foley

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

WBD looking to sell its Cable Networks in the near future, do you expect it’s next owners will look to continue a partnership with AEW?

Anyone pretending to factually know this answer is being disingenuous. But since you ask what I expect, I do expect they'll continue that partnership. I don't expect this to actually all be resolved until late in the year anyway. By then, AEW will have one year guaranteed left on their deal, with a one year option. It's an easy decision to continue that and just move on by not picking up the option if there's not interest. Pro Wrestling is low cost and delivers solid numbers, and AEW takes care of their own production costs.

Does AEW plan on using Syuri or Sareee again or were those appearances one offs?

I know AEW was hopeful that they would be using Syuri more. She wasn't able to immediately after AEW All In like AEW was hoping. Her top priority is Stardom, and that's where her bread is buttered, but I didn't hear anything to indicate she wouldn't be there in the future. Sareee was much of the same when I asked about her, but a little more spread out. I wouldn't be surprised to see her appear on AEW/ROH in 2026 in some capacity.

Hi Sean. Do you know if AEW have any strong legitimate interest in working with Mick Foley in any capacity now he is no longer tied to WWE or if that is even something Mick would be interested in?

Under most circumstances, I would say yes, absolutely. Foley is adored by that roster, and MJF wanted to do stuff with him years ago. I think there's definitely a possibility, depending on the situation around Foley's Legends Deal. However, AEW's action figure division seems in question, they don't actively have a video game to put him in. A few years ago when they were nailing down legends to merchandising deals there were things like that made a lot of sense. I think eventually we see him there.

SRS Q&A Questions: Open until sunday!!

HEY GUYS! SRS Here. Get your questions in! I'm gonna leave this open until Sunday so you can get post-Worlds End questions in!!

Select Answers: Profiles, Favorite Movies With Wrestlers, Mania Card

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

I really enjoyed the recent content relating to Charles Wright and how he was originally intended for the Vincent role in WCW and going over the timeline his role in WWF over the years. Have you considered similar "character" profiles as additional content option? I would think someone like Barry Darsow would be great. Repo Man!

That used to be a specialty. I was able to get Muhammad Hassan's first interview in years in 2016, then did ones on Anthony Bowens, Tim Storm, and some across MMA as well. I can tell you some that I planned to do and why they didn't happen.

I wanted to do one on Elix Skipper, but he just is completely out of wrestling and I couldn't make the connection. Similarly, I wanted to do a feature on Rick Martel's 1998 WCW run, but he is almost completely out of the public eye. I still actually have quotes saved somewhere for that one and a Sean O'Haire one I was working on. Another was Chris Warren of the DX Band. Unfortunately, he passed away right after I made contact.

What is your favorite movie that had a wrestler in it and why?

My favorite wrestler appearance in a movie is Randy Savage as Bonesaw in Spider-Man. I think that was a great spot for him, and although Randy Savage is one of the most famous wrestlers ever, he's still somehow underappreciated.

If The Rock counts, then it's probably The Rundown. I love a good buddy-action comedy, and Seann William Scott is hilarious. I had the privilege of speaking with him about the movie itself, and he says he believes it still holds up.

The Longest Yard is very corny, but just the sheer number of wrestlers it features in prominent roles is impressive, and it's a movie you can turn your brain off to.

If you wanna get technical, The Rock appeared in The Other Guys, and Billy Gunn was an extra in it, so that. It's my favorite comedy ever.

Which match do you think is going to end up happening at WrestleMania next year?

I think it will be Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns and CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker because I don't have a ton of confidence in Triple H's direction.

It should be CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi vs. Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns vs. Bron Breakker. Those are the best courses of action. Stop wasting big WrestleMania matches on things we've seen. move forward.

Killer Kross Speaks With Fightful About WWE Departure, Future, AAA, Steve Borden Jr., More

Sean Ross Sapp spoke to MLW star Killer Kross for their first interview together since Kross left WWE.

Sapp asked Kross a number of questions about his WWE departure. Kross made it clear that he and WWE have not had contact since that departure, even though they helped with his book release. Kross actually referenced Fightful's reporting in his viral WrestleMania promo and he said "when information gets out there, tough shit," and said you have to do your best to react to it and decided to tie it in.

Kross said a lot of his colleagues thought the situation was a work, or even what his hope was because the waters had been muddied. There were promoters hesitant to reach out because they thought it was a work as well, and Kross had to make it clear to them that it wasn't. He said eventually Hunter knew his desires because they had the conversation. He said Triple H has a lot more that Triple H has to manage than people think, and they can't expect the booking to be the same as it was in NXT. He was surprised more wrestlers don't take their metrics to the table when negotiating their future deals.

He was very proud of his gimmick, and likened it to a general troll. He felt that was a good way to garner attention without having to be on television much. He said that he would see people online just arguing for the sake of it, not really believing what they were saying and he wanted a character that incorporated that. He wanted to do the most with what he was given.

He's felt refreshed working longer matches and wants to show people that he can work in the ring. He said that he worked the style, pace and way he was asked to work in WWE because that was the job.

Paul Walter Hauser recommended he come to MLW. After that, Kross ended up speaking with Court Bauer about coming in. The two sides have had a very positive relationship for a number of years, and they have big plans for him in 2026.

Kross was very proud of how his Youtube documentaries performed in 2025, and that the numbers actually grew as the year went on and that he ended up with more traffic after leaving WWE than he did while there. He's had conversations with Konnan about AAA, but considering it's owned by WWE there's a new chain of command there.

He has a lot of angry balds that feel upset by him being able to grow hair.

He had an opportunity to meet Danny McBride at a recent MLW event, but it didn't happen. He's hopeful it will in the future.

Kross wrestled Steve Borden Jr in his first match ever, and said that he wants to develop his own identity. He says Borden takes it seriously, trains hard, and looks great. He was very impressed by Borden.

We ask that aggregators wait until the interview drops to get the context of Kross' words.

More on Thea Hail/Blake Monroe

We've been around the world and back on this story.

After the shock and unplanned title change with Thea Hail and Blake Monroe recently, Fightful Select has originally reported that NXT referee Felix Fernandez got praise from those in WWE. However, there were others in NXT who reached out and said that there was heat on Felix for not checking on Blake Monroe while she was hurt.

There is more back and forth on this.

A number of sources have claimed that Blake Monroe said she was injured after the spot, and specifically was unhappy about how things unfolded. It was also claimed that people who directly work on Blake Monroe's creative weren't happy. A decision was quickly made to have Blake Monroe face Hail in a rematch, though Monroe had told some she was injured on the spot in the first Hail match. We aren't sure of the severity.

Matt Bloom, Shawn Michaels, and other refs were said to have told Fernandez he handled things the right way, and claim that there wasn't anything he didn't check on or didn't listen to.

DEBUNKATHON: Mike Santana Talks TNA Title Controversy, Fightful Speaks To Harley Cameron, MORE!

Welcome to a special CHRISTMAS DEBUNKATHON! With Christmas today, the Debunkathon and WrestleVotes Radio are trading spots and they will air Friday! In today's update:

• Fightful speaks to Mike Santana about TNA booking

• Fightful speaks to Harley Cameron

• Hardy Boys contracts

• NJPW

• Jimmy Hart

• Omos-AAA

• Jerry Lawler

• WWE Commentary

• Cody Rhodes

• Make a Wish

• DEBUNKATHON

• We reached out to WWE about Omos appearing on AAA, and were told they've been happy with the reception to him making those appearances, and to expect more. We were not given a reason why he hasn't been on WWE TV, despite asking.

• There are a number of NJPW contracts that are up soon. Not all dates are the same, as many often suspect. We'll have more on those soon.

• Regarding Matt Hardy claiming that the Hardys signed new contracts a "long time ago," TNA sources are adamant they're working out a new deal to be signed soon.

• There were readers asking about the practical nature of filming at the WWE PC due to the changes last week. The PC is actually shut down for the holidays.

• Jimmy Hart had his stolen megaphone returned. From what we learned, the Wrestlecade promoters caught the culprit on security cameras and were able to track him down. He opted to send it back instead of facing charges.

• Jerry Lawler mentioned the possibility of having another match in him. A WWE source who worked with Lawler for years said there is "zero percent chance WWE clears him," so it would be elsewhere.

• It was noted that there could be commentary changes due to Joe Tessitore finishing up college football obligations. We're told by WWE sources that Tessitore will continue to have additional obligations, and commentary teams will naturally adjust when needed.

• Fightful revealed in our interview this week that Harley Cameron won Funniest Wrestler of the Year in the Fightful Awards for the second straight year. Tune in next month as we reveal all of the winners. This includes the "Big Bossman Memorial Hater Of The Year" Award, a Fightful original. That one is coming down to the wire, and there's still time to vote.

• Fightful spoke to WWE sources that indicated Cody Rhodes fulfilled the most Make-A-Wishes of any WWE Superstar in 2025.

• We are of the belief that TNA is actively nailing down a number of the short term contracts that they've been working on of late.

• Steve Maclin was backstage at AEW in this past week.

Mike Santana

Sean Ross Sapp spoke to Mike Santana for a new interview.

Santana and SRS spoke about the decision to not put the TNA Title on him in New York at Slammiversary, and the decision to take it off of him recently. He said that he certainly wasn’t happy about the choice to end his title reign early, but he is hopeful he’ll have another moment on the TNA debut on AMC. The support from the fans uplifted him and he tried to take the positivity of that away from the situation as a whole.

He says the AMC deal with TNA has been a sign of hard work paying off. There had been rumblings about things he'd heard about, but everything was talk until it happened. He was really excited when it was confirmed.

Santana said that retiring Sami Callihan was very meaningful to him and they've known each other for almost 15 years.

It was very important for him to be able to prove what he could do as a singles wrestler, and didn't expect it to happen so soon. He said he knew it could take two years or ten years, but wanted the work to speak for himself.

He says there is no score to settle with Sue after the Parking Lot Brawl because she brought him cookies, and they were very good.

We ask that aggregators wait until the interview releases to get the full context of his words.

Harley Cameron

Sean Ross Sapp spoke to Harley Cameron ahead of AEW Worlds End this weekend.

Harley spoke about how Willow Nightingale was the second match of her life, and her first in AEW, and there are a lot of full circle moments with them. They're constantly pitching new moves and ideas as a tag team together.

We asked about the possibility of marketing and selling the Mercedes muppet. She said they are certainly not cheap to produce, but said to stay tuned because there's always the possibility. She's very proud that some people are getting into ventriloquism again. She has considered introducing a puppet of herself as well.

She said she still has some talents up her sleeve that people doesn't know about and will unveil them in the time is right.

Harley credits QT Marshall for opening a lot of doors for her. She also did the IIconics theme, a song for DaParty, and produced the QTV theme. She also spoke about teaming with Cassie Lee in Australia years ago.

Harley was honored to be a part of the Blood and Guts, match and said she was definitely hurting late in the match, and the belt shots were brutal. She called the Mercedes feud eye opening and said that going back to Australia was very important to her and showed some of her family how far she's come.

We ask that aggregators wait until the interview releases to get the full context of her words.

DEBUNKATHON

• This video of Randy Orton going off on an interviewer resurfaced. It was completely a work.

• One Stop Wrestling has absolutely no clue about the creative plans for the Street Profits, and nobody has reported anything about it. This is one of the worst non-AI pages on Facebook.

• Cody Rhodes is not being stripped of the WWE Championship

• No, Jake Paul was not "paid to lose" his fight against Anthony Joshua, and he didn't tweet that. That would result in a huge FBI investigation, and he would go to jail.

• Likewise, Andrew Tate didn't "bet on himself to lose," as that is illegal. He's just not a good fighter. His claim of being 40 and out of fighting for 10 years also isn't true. He just turned 39 and had a number of fights five years ago.

• Logan Paul did not confront Anthony Joshua.

• One Stop Wrestling sucks ass. Kaitlyn isn't rumored for the Royal Rumble.

• We reported all the Danhausen contract news, and never reported anything about WWE.

• Street Profits also aren't leaving WWE.

• Roman Reigns is not retiring. Neither is Randy Orton.

Select Answers: Lena Kross, AEW international, MJF Creative

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

When can we expect to see Lena Kross make her full-time debut for AEW?

The last I'd heard, she was set to relocate to Florida in the coming months. I'm not sure if she's done that, as she's not wrestled in the area recently. This is another one of my primary criticisms of AEW -- they sign a lot of people and then just stash them for months. There are at least three people that I know of that have been signed and just parked and haven't debuted yet. The short answer is I don't know and I doubt they do either.

Do you know if AEW is looking at some international shows in 2026 and beyond? Seems like they could easily pull a show off in Japan for a weekend.

I don't think they'll do Japan without NJPW co-promoting any time soon. However, they're definitely aiming to go back to the UK and Mexico. Both of those were deemed huge successes for AEW. I spoke to someone with knowledge of how they go about booking the buildings, and they said that they feel AEW has found a nice groove of being able to go to a different country and sell the show out, then do familiar, famous venues like Hammerstein, and mixing in WNBA arenas. I would personally expect at least one new country to host TV in 2026.

Was their a recent creative shift for MJF? Seems odd there was a Diamond Ring Battle Royale and hes not part of the angle or match.

Myself and Wrestlevotes have reported for weeks that MJF was factored into the AEW Worlds End Plans. The word around the company was that MJF could have been back a little earlier, but that's not confirmed. However, the plan for a four way at AEW Worlds End has been the working plan for well over a month.

Anna Jay Contract Update

Anna Jay’s contract is coming up soon, but not as soon as originally thought.

Fightful reported in late November that sources in AEW believed Anna Jay’s contract was to expire relatively soon. Soon seemed to be within the next six months, as we’ve confirmed that the deal is set to expire in Spring 2026.

We’re told that people became aware of her upcoming contract situation after Anna Jay was hopeful she’d be involved in the Blood and Guts match, which didn’t happen. She and partner Tay Guevara have not been on AEW TV since. We've not heard that the two are connected.

Those we spoke to originally believed the deal would be up by 2026, but that isn’t the case. We have spoken to sources who indicate she’s open to exploring her options. She does have connections within WWE and NXT, we're told.

Select Answers: Rick Martel, Okada/Takeshita, Thea Hail

Welcome to Select Answers, a feature that provides some of the answers to questions that were posed to Sean Ross Sapp in the most recent Fightful Weekly Q&A Podcast. The show drops every week on Fightful Select for subscribers.

When aggregating these posts please refer to it as "Fightful Select Answers Q&A" and tag Fightful, noting that it was in the Q&A format to avoid confusion.

***

Hey SRS! With Rick Martel now hitting the convention scene, do you think it might be easier now for WWE to get him into the HOF? Happy holidays!

I hope so. He's been one of the most elusive guys in general. He's seemed to really like being out of the spotlight. I think he absolutely deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. A lot of people have done the pretty boy gimmick, but he did it as well as anyone. He was a three time WWF tag team champion, WCW World Television Champion, and was an AWA World Champion. He was the first man to ever spend more than 45 minutes in a single Royal Rumble. He was in WWE for over a decade total, and was effectively on the national or global TV scene for over 15 years straight.

Hey Sean. First off, happy holidays to you and your family both blood and otherwise. Second, have you heard if there's any backstage discussion of an actual blowoff to Okada & Takeshita, or is it in perpetual "Can they coexist" right now?

Yes, there is a plan for a match. I can't speak to when exactly that is, but I've long been told that is plan in motion. This is going to be a big one for AEW. They've been building for it for a long time and it's going to be a big time payoff for them.

Hey Sean. With Thea accidentally winning the NXT Women's North American championship. Do you see her having a decent reign or do you see her dropping back to Blake?

I think that Thea Hail drops the title back to Blake Monroe. It will be a feather in Blake's cap, as she will be the first two-time champion. They could pull a SUPER SWERVE and have Thea Hail retain, which I actually think could be fun. But I expect Blake Monroe to win that title, as there were plans for her as champion.

Alex & Kate's SOUR GRAPS: Raw 12/22 | The Under Taker

So Austin Theory wants to join The Vision, and he's wearing pants that make it look like he peed himself.

Je'Von Evans has been called up. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's too early.

The Judgment Day is breaking down, and Gunther keeps getting blamed for Trips's blunder.

Christmas is in three days. AND KATE'S BACK ON THE RAW REVIEW!

So I guess not EVERYTHING sucks. Let's talk about it.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHqQp02k3Hw

Update on Andrade-AEW

Andrade has made a splash in the last week, appearing for both House of Glory, and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

He might not be done yet.

Fightful confirmed with those familiar with the situation he is also eligible to sign with AEW, TNA, AAA, CMLL -- any company he wishes to. It was stated that his deal with WWE officially came to an end around December 12.

We're told that Rush introduced Andrade to an attorney and rep that has worked closely with WWE for years, and helped get the year-long non compete waived. Those that we spoke to over a month ago didn't expect it to stand, but claimed that the situation was handled very professionally in the end. WWE had not paid him since his departure, and an agreement was reached for Andrade to be eligible to sign elsewhere.

When Andrade was terminated, his visa effectively was as well, as the sponsorship that WWE provided was over. However, we're told that Andrade is back in the United States for the time being and the visa situation is being handled.

Tony Khan and AEW have remained positive about Andrade's future in the company, and believed he would he back sooner than later. We are told that when the legal situation with WWE happened, they wanted to make the transition for him as smooth as possible as to not cause any more issues.