• Andrade Becomes Champion In First Post-WWE Match (Photo)
Following his second WWE departure last month, Andrade returned to AEW on this week’s 6-Year Anniversary special episode of Dynamite. He took out Kenny Omega and joined The Don Callis Family.
According to the Wrestling Observer, AEW brought back Andrade because of his popularity in Mexico. The company sees him as a key figure in growing its presence in the country and on FOX Sports Mexico.
Andrade was released by WWE after multiple violations of the company’s Wellness Policy. He did not have a non-compete clause in his contract, which is why he was able to show up in Tony Khan’s promotion just a couple of weeks after being fired from WWE.
Speaking of Andrade, he has already become champion in his first post-WWE match. He defeated DMT Azul to win the Crash Lucha Libre Heavyweight Championship:
• Update On Oba Femi’s Main Roster Status Following NXT Title Loss
Oba Femi’s 263-day long run as NXT Champion came to an end at the No Mercy Premium Live Event last Saturday after he lost to Ricky Saints in the main event.
After being on top of the developmental brand for the majority of 2025, fans are now expecting to see him on RAW or SmackDown. However, it looks like they may have to wait a little longer.
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that The Ruler is still in future plans for NXT, which suggests a main roster call-up may not be happening just yet.
The report also mentioned that WWE often surprises people with call-ups and usually tells very few in advance, so even those who expect to know are sometimes left in the dark.
• Many Wrestlers Confused By Booker T’s Criticism Of Jade Cargill’s AEW Run
The main event of last week’s SmackDown did not go down as planned. Jade Cargill was busted open after Nia Jax drove her into the steel steps, and miscommunication between WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax and Cargill led to a botched pinfall.
NXT commentator Booker T criticized the match on his Hall of Fame podcast, calling the performance from all three women “unacceptable.” He also stated that Jade Cargill’s showing suggested that she “did not learn a lot in AEW.”
As per Fightful Select, wrestlers across the wrestling industry were baffled by Booker T’s remarks because she has been with WWE for two years and has already wrestled more matches there than during her time in Tony Khan’s promotion.
Jade Cargill is not expected to be pulled from the road and should be back in action soon.
• Update On Tony D’Angelo After He Disappeared From WWE Programming
Tony D’Angelo has not appeared on WWE programming since the July 29th edition of NXT, where he was featured in a vignette showing him sitting alone at his family restaurant. A shadowy figure approached him after which the screen immediately faded to black.
According to the Wrestling Observer, The Don Of NXT is not injured. He had requested time off from WWE, which is why he has not appeared on TV lately.
WrestleVotes previously reported that D’Angelo is expected to receive the main roster call-up before the end of 2025. His most recent vignette may have hinted that his time in NXT has ended, so he could show up on RAW or SmackDown following his hiatus.
• Matt Riddle Accuses Brock Lesnar Of Going Into Business For Himself In Major WWE Title Match
Matt Riddle and Brock Lesnar have a complicated history. Before joining the main roster, The Original Bro had been constantly tagging The Beast Incarnate on social media and publicly saying that he wanted to retire him. Their first backstage encounter came at Royal Rumble 2020, where Lesnar grabbed Riddle by the neck during a heated exchange.
Two years later, they crossed paths during the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble Match and in the 2022 Men’s Elimination Chamber Match in Saudi Arabia. Riddle believes Lesnar went into business for himself during that bout.
He claimed during an interview with TMZ’s Inside The Ring that The Beast broke out of his pod early after then-WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was removed due to a storyline injury. Lesnar quickly eliminated the remaining participants, cutting the match short.
“I’ve worked with Brock a couple of times at Elimination Chamber in Saudi. He literally forgot what number he was supposed to come out, punched the plexiglass door – which isn’t like super strong. Like, I can kick through it, but you’re not supposed to. And then he just bum rushed. He cut the match by 15 minutes. He’s like, ‘Oh, sell! F5!’
Paul Heyman pretended like it didn’t happen, or he was like, ‘Oh, that was my mistake.’ And it’s like, no, it wasn’t. It’s f**king him, dude. He just went into business for himself.”
Brock Lesnar defeated Riddle, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory in that match to become the new WWE Champion. He went on to have a Winner Takes All Match against Roman Reigns for the WWE and Universal Titles in the main event of WrestleMania 38 that year.
Also Read: WWE/WCW Veteran Debuts In AEW-ROH
