In this interview Kenny Omega says Yota Tsuji doesn’t have what it takes to represent NJPW: “I put Tsuji in an unwinnable position. I knew that I would win in a three-way, and I knew that then you would accept my challenge. To become a champion, you have to represent on a worldwide stage, and you don’t have what it takes to do that… to get someone to bet a billion dollars to create a promotion on your name. It’s just not gonna happen. And why is that? It’s just because you lack the experience. I’m doing everybody here a favor. I’m gonna be the champion that you need. Maybe not the one that you want, but the one that you need.”
For his part Yota Tsuji says he told Kenny Omega he’d beat him in Tokyo two years ago.
Speaking of which here’s the updated card for Wrestle Kingdom 21. (NJPW)
- Three-way Match for the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Mistico & TBA vs. Unbound Co. (Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori) vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: YOH (c) vs. SHO. (If YOH loses, he must leave NJPW. If SHO loses, he must exit the HOUSE OF TORTURE and unite with YOH and re-form Roppongi 3K.)
- Will Ospreay vs. Callum Newman
- MJF vs. Ryohei Oiwa
- IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match: Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Yuya Uemura
- Unbound Deathmatch: Jon Moxley vs. Shingo Takagi
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Kenny Omega
Via social media Taya Valkyrie revealed that she’s left AEW. “I am incredibly grateful for my time with AEW and the opportunity to be part of the organization. While there, I wrestled and worked alongside exceptional talent, and built lasting relationships within the AEW family and deepened my relationships in the wrestling community. I am beyond thankful to the fans for their continued support of me, not only in my time with AEW but also as I step into this new chapter as a free agent. I can’t wait for what’s to come and have a lot more to leave in the ring. With my contract now concluded, I’m excited to explore new opportunities and possibilities as a wrestler, TV personality, and creative.”
Just to prove TKO really doesn’t need that Crown Jewel payoff, they raked in an astonishing $1.360 billion (with a B) in revenue for the third quarter of 2026. After operating expenses UFC earned $519.2 million and WWE earned $399.3 million in net income. Despite that Mark Shapiro is going balls to the wall ahead with live events in Saudi Arabia.
WWE’s application to trademark Randy Orton’s “RKO” finisher was declined by the USPTO. They cited it as being too similar to the existing mark for RKO Pictures (now owned by BMG) — which of course was the point of naming his finishing move that in the first place.
That’s not stopping them from filing applications though – they filed one for Kato Sykes, the ring name for Conan Lycan. They also filed one for Serena Thorn.
A health update from Sunil Singh: “It’s a big thumbs up. I’m happy to report I officially got cleared by my trauma Doctor today from my pneumothorax injury. Thank you to everyone, both far and near, that has reached out with well wishes, prayers and positive vibes. It’s been a strange 2.5 months with some uncertainties, however, anything is possible when you keep a positive mindset & keep the faith.”
CM Punk lost his title match to Grayson Waller on NXT thanks to interference by Kevin Owens,
Zilla Fatu was invited to join the John Cena Classic.
Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno emerged victorious in the Dusty Rhodes Cup.
The last SmackDown did a 0.26 18-49 and 1.162 million viewers. (Wrestlenomics)
