• Tommaso Ciampa Explains Why He Left WWE For AEW
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Tommaso Ciampa explained why he decided to leave WWE for AEW:
“It’s something I’ve been leaning towards for quite some time. I don’t know that I can say there’s one sole factor that led to it or caused it. I think it’s one of those things when your contract is coming to an end, you naturally have discussions.
If I wrestled in the 90s, I’d wanna be a part of ECW. Early 2000s, you wanna be a part of Ring of Honor. I was lucky I got to do that a little bit. 2010s, I think for me at least, I wanted to be part of NXT Black and Gold.
When I looked at the landscape of professional wrestling in the 2020s, the answer was AEW, man. That’s what I want to be a part of.”
In his debut match in All Elite Wrestling on Collision this past Saturday, Ciampa defeated Mark Briscoe to win the TNT Championship.
• Why Royal Rumble 2026 Stadium Looked Half Empty
If you watched the Royal Rumble and thought the stadium looked half-empty, WWE says your eyes were playing tricks on you. Despite the hollow look on the broadcast, internal sources confirmed that 25,000 tickets were moved for the Riyadh event, making it a legitimate sell-out for the custom-built venue.
The culprit behind the ghostly atmosphere was a failed experiment with LED seating lights, according to PWInsider. WWE tried a new production element where lights were integrated into the stadium seats to create a vibrant, colored-coded crowd effect.
While it looked impressive to the fans in person, the high-intensity glow completely washed out the audience on camera. Instead of seeing a packed house, viewers at home saw what looked like rows of empty chairs reflecting the stage lights.
One production source noted that while they are always looking to innovate, this particular lighting setup will not be returning for future Saudi Arabia shows. WWE officials were reportedly frustrated that the 25,000-person atmosphere they worked to build was lost in translation due to a technical oversight in the camera shots.
• Backstage Confusion In WWE Over Royce Keys’ Debut
The man formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs didn’t just debut at the Royal Rumble; he made an immediate statement to the entire WWE roster. Under his new moniker, Royce Keys, the super-heavyweight standout earned “very positive” reviews from both peers and management during his first night on the job, according to Fightful Select.
Keys’ introduction to the WWE staff was described as a massive success, with many backstage noting his professionalism and undeniable presence. While his physical performance in the ring met high expectations, the chatter behind the curtain centered on how well he integrated into the WWE system in such a short time.
However, the transition wasn’t without its questions. Some within the company were “confused” by how WWE was able to use the “Powerhouse Hobbs” name on the entrance screen and even on commentary, as that name is owned by AEW.
Also Read: Tony Khan Made An Insane Offer To Powerhouse Hobbs To Stay In AEW
• Spoiler On Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania 42 Opponent
Roman Reigns eliminated Gunther in the end to win the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble match and The OTC is going to main event WrestleMania 42. During the Royal Rumble post show, Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre was asked about the possibility of facing The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 42. Here’s what The Scottish Psychopath said:
“Roman Reigns? Ohh, there’s a big enemy of Drew McIntyre. His Bloodline made my life a living hell for so long. So if he wants to pick Drew McIntyre, I know he’s on his own now. On his own, I would destroy Roman Reigns. Go for it, Roman. Pick me. Let’s main event WrestleMania and I will drop your ar$e. I’m unbeatable right now.”
While McIntyre might have teased a match with The Head of the Table, that’s not WWE’s current plan.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Roman Reigns is scheduled to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42. Reigns and Punk starred together as zebra buddy-cops called “Zebros” in Zootopia 2.
• Fans Troll Shane McMahon Over AJ Styles Tribute Post
The wrestling world is paying tribute to AJ Styles after The Phenomenal One retired at Royal Rumble 2026. Shane McMahon paid tribute to Styles. AJ defeated Shane at WrestleMania 33 in 2017. Here’s what Shane O’Mac wrote on Instagram:
“AJ Styles will go down in history as one of the greatest in ring performers ever! Thank you for your friendship and giving it your absolute best to entertain us all every single time you stepped through the ropes. You set the bar for current and future talent, let’s see if they can reach it. Congratulations on a Phenomenal career.”
Along with this text, Shane used a very pixelated, low quality photo of Styles:
This led to fans trolling Shane in the comments section. You can read some of the comments below:
“Got any more pixels?”
“AJStyles.png”
“This is the best picture you could find?”
“Was this pic taken on a Nokia 3210?”
“Shane obviously still has beef with AJ from years ago, hence the low quality pic 😂”
“Bro still using 2003 Internet Explorer”
“C’mon Shano, could have shown a better picture for a tribute post 🤣”
