Below are some WWE news stories of the day.
• Gunther Has Been Suspended By WWE
On RAW after WrestleMania 41, former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther attacked Michael Cole. Pat McAfee tried to make the save, but Gunther choked out McAfee with the sleeper hold.
GUNTHER JUST CHOKED OUT PAT MCAFEE! 😲#RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/B1LePRliTy
— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2025
RAW General Manager Adam Pearce has announced that The Ring General has been fined an undisclosed amount and suspended indefinitely.
BREAKING: After his attack on @MichaelCole and @PatMcAfeeShow on #WWERaw, @Gunther_AUT has been fined an undisclosed amount and suspended indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/MlXoryvhLJ
— WWE (@WWE) April 25, 2025
• Update On Rumors About Solo Sikoa Being Planned For The WrestleMania 41 Main Event
Solo Sikoa didn’t do much at this year’s WrestleMania. On Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, Solo came out on the stage during Jacob Fatu’s entrance, hyped him up and left. Fatu went on to defeat LA Knight for the United States Championship.
Chris Featherstone claimed that at one point, there were plans for Sikoa to serve as the special guest referee for the WrestleMania 41 – Night 2 main event between Cody Rhodes and John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. However, Featherstone noted that those plans were ultimately dropped.
Contradicting that report, PWN later reported that “Solo was never planned to be the special guest referee for Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena.” They also reported that Sikoa was not at any point considered for Randy Orton’s WrestleMania open challenge opponent — a role that ultimately went to TNA World Champion Joe Hendry in a surprise crossover appearance.
This year’s event marked the first WrestleMania since 2022 in which Sikoa did not participate in the main event in any capacity.
Instead, it was rapper Travis Scott who made the biggest splash at ringside, helping John Cena defeat Cody Rhodes to become a record-breaking 17-time World Champion.
Also Read: WWE Roster’s Reaction To The Rock’s WrestleMania 41 Absence
• Major Spoiler For Tonight’s SmackDown After WrestleMania 41
After months of speculation and mounting clues, Aleister Black — known in AEW as Malakai Black — is reportedly set to make his return to WWE during tonight’s post-WrestleMania 41 episode of SmackDown.
According to a report from PWInsider, Black was seen at WWE Headquarters several weeks ago, signaling that a return had been in motion for some time. The report also noted that WWE made a strategic decision to delay his reappearance until the first SmackDown following WrestleMania 41.
Black’s comeback has been heavily teased through cryptic vignettes aired on recent WWE programming, which many fans believed pointed toward a mysterious new arrival. Those suspicions appear to be confirmed, as PWInsider stated that the vignettes are indeed building toward Black’s return to WWE.
One particular teaser further stoked fan theories when it aired just before Zelina Vega — Black’s real-life wife — appeared on-screen smiling. Vega’s recent move to the SmackDown roster has only fueled belief that Black is not only returning but doing so as a member of the blue brand.
Black, who was released from AEW earlier this year, has remained silent on his wrestling future, but the buildup suggests WWE has major plans in store.
