Recently, John Cena spoke to The Guardian and his relationship with Vince McMahon was mentioned. Cena noted, “I have no guilt nor shame about my friendship and my relationship with Vince McMahon. It’s okay to love somebody when they’re not perfect.” Like many of Cena’s comments they are basic answers, as we search for more complex reasons behind his statements.

To me, Cena is the greatest employee ever to sign with WWE. In fact, if I was building a pro wrestling company, Cena would be the first person called. Not to wrestle because he is retired. Instead, he is the dream of any Public Relations Department. He never gets into trouble and spends all his time either wrestling non-stop; and, somehow, in-between that packed schedule, he always makes time for the fans. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is one of the great organizations out there, and, Cena has easily granted more wishes than anyone else. That right there is a great employee and even better human.

Then, we have Vince McMahon. Even before all the scandal, I always figured he wasn’t a good person. Not too many billionaires are looking out for everyone else. Plus, they act like they don’t need rules to follow.

The entire Janel Grant sex-trafficking case was a dark period for Vince McMahon and WWE. Enough so, that TKO convinced Vince he should re-sign from the company. Vince owned and ran WWE after buying it from his dad in 1982. He had close to 40 years before his past finally caught-up with him.

Vince is lucky since the public court case is permanently closed in July 2026. A Voluntary Dismissal with Prejudice was signed by the WWE, Vince McMahon and Janel Grant to close the federal case. By signing, the federal case cannot be refiled. This was done as all parties agreed and signed to have the dispute resolved in confidential private arbitration. Hence, the details from any settlement will never be made public.

Whenever someone NDAs or agrees to Voluntary Dismissal with Prejudice, it screams something fishy. Either Vince and TKO didn’t want more details made public, so they settled to avoid any further embattling. At the same time, Janel Grant will never be allowed to tell her story to the public. If Vince McMahon is a monster, we should know and as he needs to be punished.

That quickly brings me back to John Cena. Hustle, loyalty and respect are the perfect words to describe Cena. I know he sees Vince as a father-figure for turning him from a complete unknown into one of the most marketable stars ever in WWE. I sort of get the 17 time champion’s mindset, but it’s still wrong. The only thing I don’t like about John Cena is how he’s still friends with Vince McMahon, but that’s his choice and I can’t let one decision change how I see the greatest role model in WWE history.

Should the universe judge those who still maintain a positive relationship with Vince McMahon, like John Cena and The Undertaker, or should WWE staff get far away from the former boss?

Sunday evening AEW announced how PAC, real name Benjamin Satterley, passed away. He turned 40 in August. Right now, the only information made public was how emergency responders found him unresponsive in a car outside of a restaurant. They are reporting no foul play.

After I saw the news last night, I remembered PAC for what he brought to pro wrestling. By now, I thought there would be more news to report, but that’s not happening. I’m not here to speculate what happened. It’s not the time nor place.

Before joining WWE and later AEW, PAC wrestled heavily in Europe. WWE brought him in as they tried to redevelop the cruiserweight division and to make NXT something special. That’s when I first saw PAC (going as Neville) and what he brought to the business. Truly, he seemed to defy gravity at times.

After WWE, PAC would be one of the first names to sign with AEW. There, we saw a more vicious side as he collected a bunch of gold. That attitude caught the eye of the Death Riders.

It doesn’t feel real. We just watched PAC compete at All Out and even get involved in the main event. Less than 24 hours later, he is gone and now we sit. The cause of death doesn’t matter right now.

AEW is known to deliver some of the best tributes ever and the same will probably happen on Wednesday’s Dynamite. We need a time and place for fans to reflect because I don’t think many have grasped what happened.

Deaths in pro wrestling are sadly nothing new. For some reason, PAC’s end is getting lots of attention. I’ve been looking all day for updates and there are few out there. AEW Dynamite will be dedicated to PAC and that is where we grieve, while also remembering who many have called one of the nicest people in pro wrestling.

Thank you, PAC.

UFC 331 was a great show from start to finish. The biggest takeaway might be the outcome of Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf. It was designed as an easy win for Steveson, but then one punch ended the fight in 12 seconds. That’s how MMA works. How Steveson responded is rather telling. Instead of standing, or sitting, in the octagon as the results were announced, he left the cage. Fans and athletes were outraged.

Now, we are hearing his time at WWE’s Performance Center was anything but ideal. He was a slow learner and his attitude apparently didn’t help. WWE did make a fuss about signing him, as the UFC, NFL, Hollywood and some other gigs showed interest. He even got to appear at WrestleMania, but he never got a match of value. And, WWE might have avoided a disaster.

Steveson already has baggage. He was accused of rape several years ago and he avoided any major issues by luck and stupidity from Minnesota. Still, WWE tried to give him the benefit and they weren’t alone. It seems like most people or organizations were happy to look the other way.

WWE certainly does not want that kind of coverage. They were able to get past the allegations made against Vince McMahon and seemed to be done with that chapter. I feel if Gable was still in WWE and those rape claims were made public during the Vince drama, the results could have been much worse for the company.

People make mistakes and one moment shouldn’t define a person. I understand that concept. The dilemma is the accusations were huge. This wasn’t a public intoxication charge or disorderly conduct. If Steveson went to court and was found guilty of rape and/or assault, that should automatically disqualify him from combat sports.

From here, I don’t think Steveson can recover. In the biggest moment of his MMA career, he took the loss like a child throwing a temper tantrum. The moment Steveson didn’t like what was happening, he ran away. Gable Steveson was a beast in freestyle wrestling, but a monster as a real person and not someone who should represent the WWE.

Do you think Gable Steveson will try to head back to the WWE if his UFC career is over?

Eventually, Rey healed and WWE was still interested. So was AEW, but WWE made the better deal. If I was Rey, end on a promising note. Dominik had the skills to be a major player for decades and it’s too early to tell about his daughter. Rey should pitch a few matches as part of his retirement tour. Let him team with his children, while also working against them.

The endgame should be Rey taking the loss from Dominik. Every wrestler needs to lose on their way out. Putting “Dirty Dom” over would be a solid reason if he was debating on hanging-up the mask. Considering how much the father and son duo have been going at it in AAA, and now RAW, I’m starting to wonder if Rey Mysterio actually has his WWE retirement date, opponent and location already decided. There rest https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/rey-mysterio-should-retire-now-end

Bayley found herself in an interesting spot. Her WWE contract was set to expire and she didn’t sign a new deal. Maybe she wanted to see what AEW could offer. In the end, Bayley re-signed with WWE and she is right back in the mix opposite Lyra Valkyria. Now, people will debate if she made the right call.

Granted, AEW could, and likely would, match WWE when it pertains to money. However, the belief is WWE also offered Bayley a backstage role. If that is the case, then Bayley likely retires with WWE and slowly transitions into a new position.

For most wrestlers, you can safely predict if they would do better in WWE or AEW. Bayley is sort of an anomaly, I’m having trouble picturing her not thriving. She seems like the type of wrestler you can leave in a ring and she will handle the work. That’s what a professional does.

The biggest reason Bayley would have joined AEW would be to team or fight Mercedes Mone. Those two have history going back to the early NXT Takeover shows and they carried that program to the main roster. They were great together and one of the few highlights from the ThunderDome. Together, they brought credibility to the women’s tag team division and their personal feud hit all the marks. That Hell in a Cell Match is one of the best ever produced, from the male and female superstars.

While we will never know if Bayley would have been a hit in AEW, there is still a chance she works with Mone. Of course, Mone would need to leave AEW and return to WWE. It’s not unheard of for wrestlers to burn their bridge to WWE, only for both sides to eventually find a middle ground.

Bayley is staying put and I’m not sold on her decision. I would have tested the market to see what AEW offered. Maybe, she could have signed a short deal. That would have allowed her to work with unfamiliar names and also her best friend. If anything, I hope Bayley makes the most of her time in WWE, as she will prove in the ring why she is so valuable.

Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME) was a staple for WWE from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s. WWE tried to bring the event back before dropping the idea. Then, to go with all the sudden WWE changes, SNME was resurrected and it wasn’t being passed off like a B-rated show. The last year alone saw CM Punk win the vacated World Heavyweight Championship from Jey Uso, while Gunther retired Goldberg and John Cena. Therefore, the card for a special Sunday Night’s Main Event looked like great action was heading our way.

Instead, WWE failed the fans on almost every level. I’ll give the United States Championship angle credit, but the rest was a disappointment. Dominik Mysterio defeated Joe Hendry, with nobody caring. Hendry wasn’t able to carry his TNA Wrestling star power over in WWE and has mostly been fed to The Judgment Day.

Now, almost all fans dislike celebrities involved in WWE angles. There are exceptions like Bad Bunny and Pat McAfee, even if fans hate him over WrestleMania 42. Lil Yachty gets some props. You could tell he was training and he did enough in five minutes to not embarrass himself or WWE.

Lil Yachty lasting five minutes seemed like an obvious choice. Now, if Trick Williams could regain the United States Championship was a totally different story. I had no clue Trick would get the title match right then and there. To me, Trick makes for a great US Champion as it’s a major test if he’s ready for more gold. The surprise win and match got me going, and it was the best moment of the entire night. It might have been the only highlight.

Rhea Ripley being injured caused WWE to change several upcoming storylines. Hence, the women’s division still seems like a mess full of talented women without any really personal feuds. I wasn’t sure if Tatum Paxley mixed well with Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, yet it’s working for now. Those three have a little chemistry, but I think someone’s turning heel. As for the winners, I wasn’t impressed or embarrassed by Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab. If this match was in the middle of RAW, great call. It didn’t belong on SNME.

There was so much hype and questions heading into Oba Femi vs Bron Breakker. The biggest question was if Paul Heyman would turn and we got nothing. Even the match, which could headline WrestleMania in near the future, felt flat. Bronson Reed returning, with his new look, was the only takeaway from what should have been an epic encounter. And, most figured he would be there; so, no real surprise.

It’s tough to believe, but we have been waiting for the rematch between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton since WrestleMania 42. Considering how Orton left the champion bloodied and out-cold months ago, the long gap hurt this feud. Plus, considering how much they hated each other and couldn’t touch one-another until the bell rang, I was expecting pure violence. WWE should have turned this into a Hardcore or Unsanctioned Match.

Big miss by WWE and they ended their summer on a negative note. Trick Williams saved the show, but he shouldn’t have such a responsibility considering the wrestlers involved and the high-profile matches booked.

Pro wrestling is not different from life, as even the larger than life wrestlers are simply people; like each and every one of us. The business is about the highs and lows, but those are storylines and they only last for so long. Unfortunately, we are experiencing one the lowest moments possible as a person is gone. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed The Butcher, whose real name is Andy Williams, has passed away at only 48 years old.

Details of what happened are scarce at the moment and it might take the medical team a few months to find out what happened. We know The Butcher was teaming with his longtime partner The Blade on Friday for Enjoy Wrestling in Pennsylvania. At the end of the match, The Butcher collapsed. Doctors rushed into the ring to perform CPR and the show was immediately canceled.

Enjoy Wrestling added how he was transported to the hospital. At this point, there seems to be some miscommunication as reports were published about his passing. Enjoy Wrestling denied those reports, but later deleted the message.

In the early days of AEW, The Butcher, The Blade and The Bunny joined as a stable. Their first feud was against Cody Rhodes, which showed AEW saw big things for the duo. While unable to win any belts, they often were in the title hunt. The Bunny left AEW a few years ago, with The Butcher and The Blade parted ways after their contracts weren’t renewed in June of this year.

Besides pro wrestling, Andy Williams was known as the guitarist for Every Time I Die. The metalcore band had been together from 1998 until 2022. Williams was a member the entire time on rhythm guitar, while briefly playing bass. He loved being able to wrestle and still play music.

Before AEW, I wasn’t familiar with The Butcher. I saw his work in AEW and was always impressed by how the big man moved inside the squared circle. He seemed well liked by his peers as he enjoyed sharing his passions of wrestling and music. This is terrible news that nobody wants to hear. At least we can always go back to watch his matches and listen to his music. To The Butcher (Andy Williams): Thank you for entertaining the fans and we will see you down the road.

From everyone at Pro Wrestling HQ, we send our deepest condolences to the friends and family of The Butcher (Andy Williams).

Enjoy Wrestling added how he was transported to the hospital. At this point, there seems to be some miscommunication as reports were published about his passing. Enjoy Wrestling denied those reports, but later deleted the message.

In the early days of AEW, The Butcher, The Blade and The Bunny joined as a stable. Their first feud was against Cody Rhodes, which showed AEW saw big things for the duo. While unable to win any belts, they often were in the title hunt. The Bunny left AEW a few years ago, with The Butcher and The Blade parted ways after their contracts weren’t renewed in June of this year.

Besides pro wrestling, Andy Williams was known as the guitarist for Every Time I Die. The metalcore band had been together from 1998 until 2022. Williams was a member the entire time on rhythm guitar, while briefly playing bass. He loved being able to wrestle and still play music. Details here https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/former-aew-wrestler-the-butcher-andy

This week, the NXT tag team division was put on notice. In an unannounced moment, the Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) returned to NXT, where they took out several wrestlers. While we don’t know what’s exactly going on, it at least appears the real-life brothers will remain in NXT for the foreseeable future.

Some would call this a demotion. However, I think the move has saved their WWE careers. There is no doubt we are living in a new version of WWE. Vince McMahon has zero say and Triple H answers to the head of TKO. Under TKO, we have witnessed some overdone storylines and the involvement of celebrities. Overall, fans are not happy with the TV presentation and same goes for the high priced tickets.

I’m not sure what went wrong with Brutus Creed and Julius Creed. They are reminiscent of the World’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin), as both teams sure can wrestle with the best. The brothers are natural athletes and pro wrestling felt like a smooth transition. Give them a mic and they can get the job done, but it’s their weakest area. Let them wrestle inside a ring, and be prepared to watch some of the best wrestlers across all of WWE.

Perhaps, WWE’s disdain for the tag team division is why the Creed Brothers struggled to even get TV time. They got their most exposure by being part of American Made with Chad Gable. My only gripe is it’s hard to push them as heels. When a wrestler is so naturally gifted, like Kurt Angle, fans don’t want to boo the person. Rather, they are looking to see the ability of these rising stars.

WWE was rumored to be redoing the tag division after letting go of several duos this year. So, the Creed Brothers could be back on RAW or SmackDown in six months; which is a fair estimate on how long it will take the company to rebuild their weakest division. For now, we are likely to see the brothers on a regular basis and not once every few months to drop a squash match.

NXT is going through a growing period after many of their top names were promoted to RAW or SmackDown. At the same time, WWE has sent the Creed Brothers and Grayson Waller back to the yellow and black brand. For Waller, returning to NXT helped save his career as I believe he was on the chopping block to be cut or take a massive pay-cut. NXT just became a bit more unpredictable, in a positive way, as the Creed Brothers look to get back on everyone’s radar after doing very little the past three years on the main roster.

In less than a month, one of the most unpredictable nights in WWE history goes. Money In The Bank (MITB) is October 10 from New Orleans, where one male and one female superstar will emerge with a briefcase that guarantees them a title match any time and place for a year.

This type of match is dangerous because of the ladders, but the prize is worth it. MITB has changed so many careers, as many of the winners have never won the top prize before in WWE.

In the coming weeks, WWE will host a bunch of qualifying matches to see who moves-on to the PLE. For now, these are the top 5 male WWE wrestlers with the best odds of leaving MITB with the briefcase.

Penta

Now, Penta might not need the briefcase if he defeats Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship from Mexico. Honestly, their match will be fun to watch as the live crowd goes nuts for every close call. However, Penta isn’t the one to pin Reigns cleanly and end his title run. I’m not saying we don’t get Reigns vs Penta again down the road. All the masked superstar needs to accomplish is grabbing the briefcase.

Logan Paul

Logan Paul is out of action and his original return date was closer to next year. Although, he seems to be healing rather quickly. There is no denying, at some point, Logan will be world champion in WWE. He entered pro wrestling, already an established name, through the entertainment business and a little bit of boxing. I know people do not like Logan Paul and they will need to get over it. I see multiple title runs coming his way and first could come courtesy of MITB.

Trick Williams

Lots of wrestlers were promoted from NXT to the main roster this year. Like always, some excel and the rest feel lost. Yes, Trick Williams was way over in NXT and that momentum has at least carried onto SmackDown. If anything, I think he’s exceeded expectations as he is no longer the counterpart to Carmelo Hayes. Instead, we are looking at a wrestler who has the potential to headline WrestleMania in less than 5 years. That is how over Trick has become and he didn’t need the United States Championship to connect with fans.

Finn Balor

Over a decade ago, Finn Balor debuted on the main roster and won the Universal Championship opposite Seth Rollins. He never got a proper reign as he was injured in their SummerSlam title match and had to relinquish the belt. Recently, he re-signed with WWE and was sent to SmackDown to get rid of any lingering relations to The Judgment Day. I feel Balor is slowly getting back to where he was before joining the stable and winning the MITB briefcase is calling him.

Dominik Mysterio

Speaking of The Judgment Day, don’t forget about Dominik Mysterio. WWE might have stopped caring what he does on RAW, but the son of Rey Mysterio continues to cause a stir in AAA. Come MITB, Dom won’t have any gold as he sits and sulks. Still, when someone is at their lowest point, this is typically who wins the briefcase and later the title. If WWE hasn’t lost all hope in Dominik, it could turn an awful year into his biggest with a single win.

All wrestling promotions usually have too many belts. It’s a problem that goes well past WWE, AEW and TNA Wrestling. Even the local federations have an abundance of gold. So, WWE simply dropped the Women and Men’s Speed Championship and I really don’t like it.

If you recall, the belts were created for Twitter. In the beginning, almost all of the matches took place before RAW or SmackDown. Then, they slowly brought the belts to NXT. In all honesty, the original concept sounds foolish. Some entrances take five minutes alone, which is longer than most 3 minute Speed matches on NXT.

The belts felt like they were in an awkward position on NXT. We were getting 10-15 minute matches and then WWE would add in these Speed contests. High-paced matches are fun to watch in a row. Watching one of these matches every few weeks sent the flow of everything out the window. The Speed Championships would have been better suited for the early days of TNA Wrestling. Such titles fit when TNA first introduced the X-Division.

Maybe, the biggest concern with the belts was they lacked legit champions or challengers. There were never storylines that focused on these particular titles. WWE seemed to pick superstars who had little going in terms of storylines. Still, it allowed for some of the underutilized talent to get a crack on TV.

The biggest disappointment is how WWE showed little care in removing the titles. We got a short storyline where Wren Sinclair was unable to stop Zaria from unifying the Speed Championship with the Women’s North American Championship. The men got even less respect as Lexis King was stripped of the belt after a backstage segment with Roger Stone. WWE couldn’t even bother to unify the belt.

Eventually, WWE will bring other titles to all their brands- RAW, SmackDown, NXT and Evolve. It’s just how they operate. We’ll always have the Intercontinental Championship with its prestige and history. Some of the new belt concepts will be junk, like the 24/7 Championship. I don’t think the WWE Speed Championships were as bad as the 24/7 Championship, but nobody (outside of me) is complaining about the recent loss.

The belts felt like they were in an awkward position on NXT. We were getting 10-15 minute matches and then WWE would add in these Speed contests. High-paced matches are fun to watch in a row. Watching one of these matches every few weeks sent the flow of everything out the window. The Speed Championships would have been better suited for the early days of TNA Wrestling. Such titles fit when TNA first introduced the X-Division.

Maybe, the biggest concern with the belts was they lacked legit champions or challengers. There were never storylines that focused on these particular titles. WWE seemed to pick superstars who had little going in terms of storylines. Still, it allowed for some of the underutilized talent to get a crack on TV.

The biggest disappointment is how WWE showed little care in removing the titles. We got a short storyline where Wren Sinclair was unable to stop Zaria from unifying the Speed Championship with the Women’s North American Championship. The men got even less respect as Lexis King was stripped of the belt after a backstage segment with Roger Stone. WWE couldn’t even bother to unify the belt. Details https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/rip-to-wwe-speed-championships

All wrestling promotions usually have too many belts. It’s a problem that goes well past WWE, AEW and TNA Wrestling. Even the local federations have an abundance of gold. So, WWE simply dropped the Women and Men’s Speed Championship and I really don’t like it.

If you recall, the belts were created for Twitter. In the beginning, almost all of the matches took place before RAW or SmackDown. Then, they slowly brought the belts to NXT. In all honesty, the original concept sounds foolish. Some entrances take five minutes alone, which is longer than most 3 minute Speed matches on NXT. More https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/rip-to-wwe-speed-championships

Yes, the pre-show matches were nothing special as AEW tried to squeeze a bloated roster onto the show. Still, they weren’t too bad for those watching at home. I’d imagine the wrestlers who traveled for 12 plus hours were not thrilled to only be featured on YouTube. However, you would know by the way everyone is acting.

A ton of new champions were crowned at All In, with debuts from Austin Creed and Kofi. Plus, Britt Baker is back after a long hiatus. We all knew the New Level (formerly the New Day in WWE) were going to be there. And, that made us want to watch the event even more. Baker was a legit shock and I’m glad she’s back in the mix. The ending was perfect considering how much AEW has invested in Will Ospreay. He overcame a major injury and returned to the promotion, where he defeated one of the best in the world, Kenny Omega. More https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/aew-all-in-was-exactly-what-the-promotion

There was lots of focus on AEW and All In from London, but WWE was not going to let them have the entire weekend. NXT Heatwave overlapped All In and WWE came forth with six matches.

It was not a good day for most of the champions. There were several title changes and even a heel turn during the three hour show. The PLE was not the best ever produced and some matches were better than others.

Because the weekend is full of pro wrestling and you can’t watch multi shows at once, we have NXT Heatwave covered. We looked at every match and besides the typical write-up, we also attached some grades. Be sure to let us know how you scored NXT Heatwave.

Women’s North American Championship And Speed Championship Unification Match: Wren Sinclair vs. Zaria vs. Kali Armstrong

Initially, Wren Sinclair vs. Zaria was the match before Kali Armstrong scored a surprise win to enter the title unification bout. Zaria entered as the veteran of the trio and it showed. Valiant effort by Wren Sinclair and Kali Armstrong. You’d think Sinclair, being the local, would get a massive crowd pop, but they were silent the entire time. The Speed Championship is no more and I’m not sure where the champion goes next. Armstrong recently joined NXT, so she has plenty of time left on the brand. As for Wren, I see her feuding with her current friend, Kendal Grey. Grade: B

NXT Tag Team Championships: Myles Borne and Tavion Heights vs. Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes)

For Myles Borne, NXT Heatwave did start great. Along with Tavion Heights, they dropped the tag titles to the Vanity Project’s Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. You have question the reasoning for putting the tiles on Borne and Heights. The now two-time NXT Tag Team Champions were not the stars of the match. I was focused on Heights, who I figured would turn on Borne about six different times between the finish and post-match actions. We didn’t get a heel turn in the tag contest, leading to more speculation on the long-awaited heel turn by Heights would happen later in the card. Grade: B

Submission Match: Nattie vs. Jaida Parker

Talk about a feud that should have ended six weeks ago. I understand the purpose of the feud, but WWE kept failing to pull the trigger on Jaida Parker. A Submission Match is perfect for Nattie. Outside of maybe Charlotte Flair, no other female on the WWE roster is so talented on the canvas. Parker doesn’t shine in a technical match and the company should have focused on more of Street Fight type gimmick. Having Nattie tap is nothing original or special. Also, you gotta love how Karmen Petrovic walked away from ringside to hang with her AAA friends and that’s how WWE removed her from the group. That felt lazy by WWE. Grade: B-

NXT Women’s Championship: Kendal Grey vs. Kelani Jordan

Finally, a match to remember and worthy of being on a named NXT card. I figured these two would mesh well, but they outdid themselves. Lots of counters, strikes and most of the spots came across smoothly. I wish Kelani Jordan would have focused more on the ear, especially considering how Kendal Grey has kept it taped. I want to see more wrestling between them on NXT as you have to imagine they won’t get a 20 minute match on RAW or SmackDown. Definitely, an awesome match from start to finish. And, the final sequence of spots got the live crowd to even make some noise. Grade: A-

NXT North American Championship: Myles Borne vs. Jackson Drake

Considering how the tag title match ended and Tavion Heights’ comments in the back, the heel turn needs to happen right now. Before we get to what occurred after the bell, let’s talk about the match. Jackson Drake looked great out there and Myles Borne needed to sell his defeat, from earlier in the show, a bit more. Myka Lockwood played the biggest factor, allowing Drake to gain his first singles title in NXT. I don’t think Myka was needed as the odds were already stacked against Borne. In the end, we got a new champion and a heel turn; it just came from Myles Borne and not Tavion Heights. Grade: B

NXT Championship Fatal Four-Way: Tony D’Angelo vs. Cruz Montana vs. Grayson Waller vs. Zilla Fatu

WWE might have been running behind as there were no official introductions and Grayson Waller started before the bell sounded. The action was fast paced as a former TNA Champion, main roster superstar, the son of Umaga and the NXT Champion battled. Another great match and this is how you close a PLE. Pure pandemonium as everyone wanted to scuffle with Zilla Fatu and throw shade at Grayson Waller. Cruz Montana should be the next NXT Champion as the Tony D’Angelo reign hasn’t delivered much. Waller hit a huge elbow drop on the outside to Fatu and then stole the title from Cruz. I would have rather seen someone else win the gold, but there is excitement to see what Waller does and says on Tuesday nights.

Overall, NXT Heatwave started somewhat sluggish. However, the second half of the card got the fans lit.

The NXT brand will look to end August on a high note with Heatwave. Instead of the typical five bouts, WWE squeezed an extra match in there. Two main roster superstars will compete in separate matches as Grayson Waller looks to become the NXT Champion in a Fatal Four-Way Match, while Nattie attempts to finish Jaida Parker in a Submission Match.

Lately, seeing a main roster superstar in NXT is not out of this world. They mostly head there to help the upcoming generation. I’m too not sure if Waller is back in NXT permanently, or until WWE finds him a program. As for Nattie, she is known to assist in NXT and is always open to competing outside of the WWE.

For months, Nattie has been working with Jaide Parker. For the most part, Nattie has Parker beat almost every time. The feud should have ended, but here we are. A stack of NXT wrestlers were sent to RAW or SmackDown, where they are now superstars. The main roster gained a ton of NXT talent right after WrestleMania 42. However, Jaide did not make the cut.

There is no denying how Parker is still green. She’s only been in the pro wrestling game for a few years. Although, her personality (with the attitude) is over with fans. Hence, I’m having trouble understanding why she remains in NXT.

All I can conclude is WWE is not sold. The promotion does have an abundance of female wrestlers and they could be cautious about bringing too much to RAW or SmackDown. At least in NXT, Parker is featured weekly.

I think WWE has so much faith in Nattie, maybe they want her feedback. If Nattie says you are not ready, then she’s right. She doesn’t seem like the person to take one’s spot or to hold a pointless grudge. If Jaide Parker fails to impress at NXT Heatwave, WWE could easily move-on to another wrestler.

For months, Nattie has been working with Jaide Parker. For the most part, Nattie has Parker beat almost every time. The feud should have ended, but here we are. A stack of NXT wrestlers were sent to RAW or SmackDown, where they are now superstars. The main roster gained a ton of NXT talent right after WrestleMania 42. However, Jaide did not make the cut.

There is no denying how Parker is still green. She’s only been in the pro wrestling game for a few years. Although, her personality (with the attitude) is over with fans. Hence, I’m having trouble understanding why she remains in NXT.

All I can conclude is WWE is not sold. The promotion does have an abundance of female wrestlers and they could be cautious about bringing too much to RAW or SmackDown. At least in NXT, Parker is featured weekly. Details https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/jaida-parker-make-or-break-moment

Summer will be over in less than a month, meaning WWE will be preparing for some major events. They have the Royal Rumble in January and then WrestleMania 43 follows. During this time, NXT will host Stand & Deliver; which serves as their version of WrestleMania.

We still have like half the calendar to get through, but you could envision where the yellow and black brand is headed. For right now, we are focused on the women’s division, with a particular eye on Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey. To me, Sinclair vs Grey is the match to book at Stand & Deliver. I’m not saying it’s the best match out there, but the storyline will go far.

At NXT Heatwave, both superstars are competing. I have Grey keeping the NXT Women’s Championship against Kelani Jordan. WWE could give the belt to Jordan, but I think she is main roster bound come early 2027. More https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/wwe-should-began-wren-sinclair-and

Way back at WrestleMania 31, there was a total of one match on the card featuring female wrestlers. That was very common back then. However, going forward, WWE changed their direction. Still, on that show, The Bella Twins (Brie Bella & Nikki Bella) lost to AJ Lee and Paige. It’s a bit wild to think a card over a decade ago still has the same female wrestlers competing. Yes, all four went their separate ways before returning to WWE.

This year, The Bella Twins entered WrestleMania 42 with an issue. Nikki was hurt and would not be able to compete. Therefore, WWE rehired Paige and she joined Brie at WrestleMania 42. Together, they won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship before dropping the gold. What followed, to no surprise, was The Bella Twins turning on Paige.

Now, this would be the perfect time to call AJ Lee. We haven’t seen her since losing at WrestleMania to Becky Lynch. Bring AJ back to team with Paige against The Bella Twins.

For those who forgot, AJ departed WWE right after WrestleMania 31. Some saw it coming as her future husband, CM Punk, walked away from the company only a few months prior. At some point, WWE was going to have Lee vs Paige. And, they can still have that match in 2026. First, the former best friends need to topple the twins.

With all these wrestlers, especially AJ Lee, I don’t think they have the longest shelf-life in pro wrestling. There are a ton of hungry females on the main roster and NXT looking for their spots. Time has simply passed the veterans away. Hence, WWE needs to make this tag team feud happen and then singles action.

Otherwise, I’m not really sure what to do with AJ. Of course, anything with Punk would work. Whoever is working with Punk, toss in a female name and we have a mixed tag match. 

Personally, I don’t think AJ teaming with Punk is helping anyone. I’d much rather see her take on a younger name looking to establish themselves. Or, even let a veteran like Bayley or Charlotte Flair get a win to add more value to their name. Just allow AJ Lee and Paige to team together one more time before everyone calls it a career.

For those who forgot, AJ departed WWE right after WrestleMania 31. Some saw it coming as her future husband, CM Punk, walked away from the company only a few months prior. At some point, WWE was going to have Lee vs Paige. And, they can still have that match in 2026. First, the former best friends need to topple the twins.

With all these wrestlers, especially AJ Lee, I don’t think they have the longest shelf-life in pro wrestling. There are a ton of hungry females on the main roster and NXT looking for their spots. Time has simply passed the veterans away. Hence, WWE needs to make this tag team feud happen and then singles action. Details https://yourprowrestlinghq.substack.com/p/aj-lee-should-team-with-paige-upon