Let’s get right to it, because the wrestling business never runs out of drama, denial and damage control.
The talk making the rounds is that WWE only wanted Chris Jericho for one thing: a retirement tour. That’s it. A farewell lap. One last nostalgic cash-in before the curtain drops. At one point, the word was that 2026 was shaping up to be a full-blown retirement year, with AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar and, presumably, Jericho all part of the send-off parade. Because apparently that’s where the business is now — less about building killers, more about staging goodbye parties.
Road Dogg also said the company was moving too fast for him. And honestly, that tells you everything. WWE is a machine, and if you can’t keep up, you get left behind. That’s not cruelty — that’s the industry.
Meanwhile, over in AEW, Chris Jericho’s return didn’t exactly light the world on fire. Dynamite pulled a 0.15 rating, which is the kind of number that doesn’t scream “must-see television.” They finally got back to Winnipeg for the first time in years and reportedly only drew around 4,000 fans in a 16,000-seat building. That’s not a triumphant return. That’s an echo.
And can somebody explain why modern wrestlers feel the need to issue public apology statements every time somebody gets banged up? It’s become a whole genre at this point. After Sacrifice, Mike Santana released a statement praising Alice Lane and saying Steve Maclin is safe and doing well. Good. Fine. Great. But the constant online repentance tour is getting old. At some point, fans either buy into the violence or they don’t. More and more, you have to wonder why they’re still tuning in for a product that keeps needing to reassure everybody after the fact.
Thunder Rosa is reportedly being offered dual contracts with CMLL and AEW, which is a major vote of confidence. But it also comes after a rough moment earlier this year when she had a very public stumble in MMA and froze under pressure. That doesn’t erase what she’s done in wrestling, but it does remind everyone that reputation can turn fast when the lights get hot.
There was also sad news in the wrestling world, as Flying Fred Curry passed away at age 82. The son of Wild Bull Curry, he was a major star through the 1960s and 1970s and part of a generation that helped define pro wrestling before flashy entrances and social media clapbacks took over the business.
On the development side, WWE announced its latest signing to the WWE ID program. On Friday, WWE ID social accounts posted video of Shawn Spears presenting Valentina Rossi with a contract. Rossi trains with Spears, so clearly somebody in that camp has impressed the right people. Whether she becomes a real player or just another name in the pipeline remains to be seen.
So that’s the state of wrestling right now: retirement whispers, weak ratings, apology statements, contract talk and another prospect getting the corporate stamp of approval. Same circus, different week.
