• AEW Star Reacts To John Cena’s Tribute To Him On SmackDown
John Cena made his final SmackDown appearance in Chicago earlier this month. He wrestled United States Champion Sami Zayn there. During the match, the 17-time World Champion paid tribute to a lot of his opponents from the past.
One of the names Cena referenced was Edge (Adam Copeland aka Cope in AEW), hitting a Spear on Zayn in the style of The Rated-R Superstar.
In an interview with The Score, Copeland reacted to Cena’s tribute and talked about their memorable rivalry.
Here’s what he said:
“I saw a clip where he did the whole set up and everything. It’s super fun. For John and I, we’re two guys that met each other at the right time. He needed a bad guy. I needed a good guy. It just clicked. You never know when something is going to click. With John and I, from day one, it just clicked.
Our characters were polar opposites. I knew what the assignment was, and so did he. You had two guys who were very willing to do what we had to do to get us both over.
John was very well on his way, but I feel like our angle is what really put the stamp on him being the top guy, and it put the stamp on me being the main event guy.
I’ll always look back on that fondly and what we were able to do and the fun we had.”
John Cena had many memorable matches and moments with Edge during their rivalry in the mid to late 2000s.
• Hogan Has Left AEW
After weeks of speculation, AEW sources have confirmed to Fightful Select that Kiera Hogan is no longer with the company. Her profile was recently pulled from the official roster page, signaling the end of her tenure that began back in August 2021.
Hogan initially made her mark in AEW through multiple appearances on Dark, but her television exposure dwindled quickly. She hasn’t wrestled on AEW programming in more than 18 months, and her last ROH match dates back almost as far. A brief return came earlier this year when she worked a one-off bout in Las Vegas, but since then she has remained inactive in the ring.
During her time away from wrestling, Hogan shifted into other projects, most notably appearing on season six of Joseline’s Cabaret. That opportunity is expected to take her on tour this fall. While filming the reality show, she sustained a shoulder injury that also contributed to her absence from wrestling.
Interestingly, AEW still acknowledged her birthday just days before her exit became clear, and Hogan publicly responded. Those within the company stress there was no bad blood – she had rarely been backstage over the past year, and at least one source framed her departure as a straightforward contract expiration.
Despite the quiet conclusion to her AEW run, Hogan hasn’t closed the door on wrestling. She trained with Cezar Bononi last year with hopes of a comeback, and people close to her still expect her to resume an in-ring career once the timing is right.
• The Rock & Logan Paul Squash Beef After 8 Years
The Rock and Logan Paul were once on good terms, having collaborated early in the YouTuber’s career. Their friendship came to an end in 2017 after Paul’s infamous incident in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, where he filmed a deceased person’s body. The controversy drew global outrage, and The Rock cut all ties with the former United States Champion soon after.
It seems like the two men have now reconciled. The Final Boss recently sent Logan Paul a heartfelt video message, signaling that their 8-year rift has finally come to an end.
Below is what he said to Paul:
“Yo, my brother, I know I look super cool right now. Uh… Bjorn, say hello to Logan Paul. Yo, brother, I know you’re doing Benny Safdie today. Uh… I’m so happy, man, that you’re going to meet him. That is my guy. That’s my brother and and he changed my life, and I just want you to know that. And you guys are going to have an amazing talk. I told Benny how much man I just loved you, and you guys are going to have a great talk.”
The Rock is on good terms with Logan Paul nowpic.twitter.com/NX4zS7Ln3R
— WrestleFeed (@WrestleFeedApp) September 18, 2025
The Rock now has a professional connection to Logan Paul as well, as the YouTuber is under contract with WWE, which is owned by TKO, where The Great One serves on the Board of Directors.
• Another Return Taking Place At Wrestlepalooza
At WWE Clash In Paris, Wade Barrett stirred controversy when he questioned whether Nikki Bella fit in with today’s generation of female stars, pointing out how much women’s wrestling had evolved since the Divas era. Nikki Bella publicly responded to his remarks, and soon after, Barrett was noticeably absent from the SmackDown commentary desk.
Barrett’s absence led to speculation that WWE had taken him off TV as punishment for his comments about Nikki. He later clarified that his time off had been planned months in advance and said he had already cleared the air with the WWE Hall of Famer.
It seems like the former Intercontinental Champion is set to return to WWE programming this weekend. According to PWInsider, Wade Barrett is listed internally for the WWE broadcast team in Indianapolis. This marks another return for Wrestlepalooza, as Triple H previously stated that Pat McAfee will return to WWE programming at this PLE as well.
WWE is heading to Indianapolis for Wrestlepalooza on Saturday. It is possible that Michael Cole, Wade Barrett, and Pat McAfee will be the commentary team for the show.
Five matches are currently set for this PLE. Cody Rhodes will put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Drew McIntyre, while CM Punk and AJ Lee will battle World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch in a Mixed Tag Team Match. Moreover, Stephanie Vaquer and IYO SKY will lock horns for the vacant Women’s World Championship.
The event will also feature The Usos vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. John Cena and Brock Lesnar’s final encounter will kick off the show.
According to PWInsider, the WWE store in Indianapolis is advertising a sixth bout for the show, which is a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Championship between Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill and Nia Jax.
Stratton retained her title against Cargill on SmackDown last week, as the match ended in a Double Count Out. After the match, Jax attacked both Cargill and Stratton
However, it’s possible that the planned match may have been scrapped after Stratton took a bad landing on SmackDown last week. NXT General Manager Ava announced earlier this week that Stratton is not medically cleared to compete, and she was replaced by Lyra Valkyria in the main event of NXT Homecoming.
