• Former WWE Champion Supports Las Vegas As Permanent WrestleMania Location
On a recent episode of his 1 Of A Kind podcast, Rob Van Dam spoke about WWE returning to Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42. The Hall of Famer sees potential in the city becoming a permanent home for the event. “That kind of felt like it was a good possibility anyway,” Van Dam said. “I could see them wanting to do it regularly here, because it has everything and you don’t need to go anywhere else.” RVD praised Vegas for its sports history and rapid growth. “Just like it being the boxing capital, and (Mike) Tyson’s biggest fights… We’re the f***ing sports capital of the West Coast now,” he added. “We’re getting a baseball team and men’s basketball team, from what I understand.”
Van Dam also shared ideas he’d hoped to bring to WrestleMania 41, but injury limited his involvement. “We had some ideas, but I had my broken feet… Anyway, my thoughts are ‘Awesome, super cool.’”
Looking ahead to next year, RVD said he’s not fully up to speed on all of WWE’s plans, but is excited by the growing fan experience. “They’re going to be finding crevices to just stuff that growth into,” he said. “I wasn’t aware of what the fan access thing was until I went to it this year, and then I only got to see part of it.”
• WWE Hall Of Famer Reveals Potential AEW Return Date
Jim Ross has given fans an encouraging update following his recent cancer surgery — and says he’s hopeful to be back at work for AEW next month. The legendary pro wrestling commentator, 73, recently spoke about his recovery from colon cancer surgery on his ‘Grilling JR’ podcast. Ross originally announced the diagnosis in May on social media and confirmed he would be having an operation. “Just healing, man, just trying to heal and get better. And that’s kind of my goal right now,” Jim said during the podcast.
JR revealed he met with his surgeon and got good news. “I had a meeting with my surgeon earlier this week. He’s very happy, which makes me very happy… I believe they got all the cancer, which is great,” he said. “So, you know, I’m very blessed in that regard. I was scared to death for a while, to be honest with you, because it’s just it’s that mysterious thing that you don’t know.”
Despite his past health challenges — including skin cancer and other issues — Ross has remained determined. Now, JR has his eyes set on AEW’s All In: Texas event, set to take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington on July 12.
“I’m hopeful that that’s what happens. I’d love to be a part of that event and see the fans and see the talents. I miss the talents a lot… My plan is to be there, so we’ll have to kind of wait and see… I want to get back in the game somehow, some way, and contribute to the success of AEW and your big event.”
• John Cena Forgives Michael Cole For Recent Acts On WWE TV
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena made an appearance at the SummerSlam Kickoff press conference at Fanatics Fest, where he briefly addressed his heel turn — and even managed to extend an olive branch to longtime commentator Michael Cole. While Cena didn’t dive deep into the reasons behind his shocking character shift, he did take a moment to directly acknowledge Cole, who’s been vocally critical of Cena on WWE programming since Elimination Chamber: Toronto. That’s when Cena blindsided Cody Rhodes in a brutal attack after selling his soul to The Rock. But at the kickoff panel, Cena defused the tension with a short and unexpected message: “I know you’ve been saying some nasty things about me on TV, but I just wanted to say that I forgive you, man. I love you.”
The moment stood out, especially considering the recent chain of events that have reshaped Cena’s image. Whether Cena’s remarks were genuine or just another part of his heel game remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: the new John Cena has everyone guessing. Cena is now heading to Saudi Arabia to defend the Undisputed WWE Title against CM Punk.
• Alexa Bliss Drops A Big Tease About Her WWE Future
At Fanatics Fest, Alexa Bliss caught up with Big E and Tyler Breeze for a conversation about her WWE future, her Royal Rumble return, and her thoughts on the Wyatt Sicks faction. Reflecting on her in-ring comeback earlier this year at the Royal Rumble, Bliss admitted it was a wake-up call. Watching the current women’s roster in action reignited her competitive spirit. She acknowledged how impressive the talent pool is now, noting that stepping away gave her a fresh mindset and a renewed drive to keep evolving. As for the mysterious Wyatt Sicks, Bliss didn’t hold back her excitement. She shared that the connection she had with Bray Wyatt will always remain special. While she didn’t confirm any involvement with the group, she said being part of it in the future would be “awesome,” especially given the shared legacy they all have with Bray.
Bliss also praised Nikki Cross’ haunting transformation, calling it a perfect addition to the Wyatt Sicks. She feels Nikki’s eerie persona fills a creative gap in the group’s presentation, tying together the puppet-inspired characters in a chillingly fitting way.
Alexa is keeping all doors open and fans may not have seen the last of her in the dark corners of the WWE universe, and one day she might join the Wyatt Sicks. A report from a few months back stated that there was a pitch for her to be the new leader of this faction. Bliss competed in the Queen of the Ring tournament and lost to Asuka in the Semi-Final on SmackDown.
• “Something Special” Will Happen At Night Of Champions
In the main event of Night of Champions 2025 in Saudi Arabia this coming Saturday, John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against CM Punk. This will be their first one-on-one match against each other after 12 years. During the SummerSlam Kickoff press conference at Fanatics Fest, Cena told fans to not miss this upcoming PLE: “If you’re enjoying what we’re doing on TV right now, then you have to watch Night of Champions – it’s going to be effing great. If you liked SmackDown, I promise you’ll like the next one even more. We’re cooking up something special. Don’t miss it.”
Below is the match-card for Night of Champions:
– Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk
– King Of The Ring Tournament Final: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes OR Jey Uso
– Queen Of The Ring Tournament Final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill OR Roxanne Perez
– United States Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
– Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
The SmackDown before Night of Champions will also take place in Saudi Arabia. Below are the advertised matches:
– Last Woman Standing Match For The WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Nia Jax
– Women’s United States Championship: Zelina Vega (c) vs. Giulia
– WWE Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits (c) vs. Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy)
• SmackDown Wrestler Is Injured
Elton Prince has been sidelined with an injury. Pretty Deadly — the duo of Prince and Kit Wilson — last appeared together on the May 2nd edition of SmackDown. Since then, Prince has not competed, and WWE has not released any specifics about the nature of his injury or a projected timeline for his return to the ring. In Prince’s absence, Wilson has been competing in singles matches as of late. Wilson recently faced Hikuleo in a match on WWE Main Event. This was Hikuleo’s debut. On Friday’s SmackDown, Wilson was scheduled to face Aleister Black, but got assaulted by R-Truth.
• Goldberg’s Role For Monday’s RAW Revealed
Adam Pearce announced the updated card for this Monday’s RAW:
– Goldberg will have a sit-down interview about his upcoming match with Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship
– Adam Pearce will be back to handle some “other business”
– We’ll hear from Mr. Money In The Bank Seth Rollins
– Bron Breakker vs. Penta
– Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez in the Queen of the Ring semi-final
– Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso in the King of the Ring semi-final
– Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship
• Goldberg Not Retiring On Saturday Night’s Main Event?
WWE recently announced in a press release that Goldberg’s match against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta on July 12th will be his final match. However, during yesterday’s SummerSlam Kickoff press conference at Fanatics Fest, Michael Cole said this match “could be” Goldberg’s final bout. Cole made it sound like that wasn’t confirmed. Now, AEW star Jeff Jarrett is saying that Goldberg’s won’t be retiring next month, and that he’s back for one last run, and not just one last match. Here’s what Double J said on his My World podcast:
“I don’t think it’s gonna be his last match in Atlanta. I think he’s coming back for a run, if you will. Timing, as we’ve said so many times in this business, Bill entered at the right time with the right streak, with the right company like WCW, he would have never had that kind of run of undefeated streak somewhere else. And Hogan was at the right position and felt that the ticket sales… just timing, timing, timing, timing. Timing really lined up for him. In a lot of ways getting over during that time frame is still paying big dividends.”
RELATED: Goldberg Comments On Fans’ Reaction To Him Limping To The Ring On RAW
• U.K. Issues Urgent Warning About Saudi Arabia – WWE Night of Champions in Jeopardy?
Tensions in the Middle East have cast a shadow over WWE’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions, but those involved with the event insist it’s still moving forward. Following recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran issued a warning of “everlasting consequences.” Iranian state television responded with a stark warning, declaring that “every American citizen or military personnel in the region is now a target,” sparking international concern – including among WWE fans aware of the company’s upcoming shows in Riyadh. Given the already delicate history of WWE events in the region, the timing has raised questions about whether the planned programming will be affected.
WWE has yet to issue an official statement on the situation. While Fightful Select reached out to company representatives, no public comment was provided. However, one WWE higher-up privately stated that the situation is “being monitored accordingly.”
Stamford, we have a problem….. https://t.co/mXbNX6kG9t
— Jim Cornette (@TheJimCornette) June 22, 2025
As of now, the plan remains for WWE talent to fly out mid-week on a chartered flight to Riyadh. The current schedule includes both Night of Champions, which reportedly features only 10 wrestlers, and a special three-hour SmackDown broadcast.
Locally, production is ramping up as usual. According to a source working the show, it’s “full steam ahead” with no signs of postponement or cancellation. The source emphasized that WWE is expected to receive assurances regarding safety, noting that “Saudi is one of the safest places in the world” in this context.
In an update on this situation, the U.K. government has issued a warning advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East at this time.
