The Pro Wrestling Rant

2026 has started off with a major bang. New champions crowned, major stars returned, a lot of free agents and some starting their farewell tour, and it is only two weeks in. What will the wrestling world look like come mid-year? Anyways, time to rant, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Oba Femi vacates NXT Championship, headed to main roster, rumored for Raw brand along with a major push including WrestleMania

I must say, I really liked how Femi ended his NXT run by laying the NXT Championship on the mat and walking away. It was creatively perfect because, in typical fashion, one would drop the title and move up. This added an extra layer of excitement for his impending main roster debut.

The big man is a legit beast. He busted his butt, going from the Next In Line (NIL) program to being positioned as a major draw for WWE. He is literally everything you need in a main event talent.

With Raw being potentially his landing spot and him being heavily planned into the WrestleMania season, it is pretty obvious WWE is doing something it doesn’t do too often, and that is strapping the rocket to a newcomer’s back and shooting them to the moon. With Oba, he is the type of athlete that you have to go all in on. He is too good for anything less than being a major deal on any card.

If Brock Lesnar is truly on his way out via a retirement tour, with rumors of it ending at SummerSlam, it would be majorly smart to have Lesnar put Femi over. This is up there as being one of the greatest attraction matches WWE could have in a very long time. I know GUNTHER is the choice everyone would want, but I think a young beast like Oba would be the wisest choice.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where he ends up; Creative just needs to be ready to push him properly. It would be such a shame if WWE dropped the ball here. I know he is young, but they need to pull the trigger right away.

Look, I am not saying put the WWE Championship on him right away, I am saying showcase him like the talent he is. No inconsistent, start-stop pushes. However you showcase him, that’s how much the audience will become invested in him. WWE is well known to start with someone, then they disappear for a while, then come back for a little bit before fading away. Look at Giulia for instance. She enters the building and you can hear crickets. Why? Because WWE made us believe she isn’t worthy enough for us to get behind. It is sad but so very true and happens way too much.

I do think Oba Femi will be WWE Champion within the next two years; WWE just needs to time it right and strike while the iron is hot. Until then, I am excited to watch his journey unfold and really start making an impact inside the WWE ring.

Zilla Fatu chants during Ricky Saints promo on NXT

I had to watch it twice to make sure I was hearing things properly, especially since my hearing is pretty haggard, but hearing the NXT audience chant the name of someone on the independent scene spoke volumes to either how knowledgeable the NXT audience is when it comes to the indies or how popular Zilla Fatu is.

Thanks to social media, the world was able to witness current NXT star Ricky Saints reveal himself as the masked man who just attacked current indie darling Zilla Fatu at the ROW Sub Zero event.

As we all know, fans are dying for WWE to sign the uber-popular Samoan. Having a contracted WWE star attack him laid the foundation for not only a future match between them but for a WWE contract heading Zilla’s way.

The next episode of NXT, Saints is in the middle of the ring cutting a promo and, to my surprise, a big chant for Zilla breaks out. At that very moment, I realized that the WWE Universe is 100% ready for Fatu to make his way to the company.

Ricky is the perfect opponent to use as a launching pad for Zilla and his WWE career. Fatu needs to make a name for himself by going toe-to-toe with the top guys in NXT, not facing the typical jobbers WWE likes to use for newcomers. He needs to be fed high-level talent, as he has shown he is fully capable of being showcased on the high end of the card.

I believe Zilla shouldn’t end up with MFT or any of the Bloodline members, as he has shown thus far in his early career that he is a big name on his own. He can easily debut tomorrow on his own and fit in perfectly within the WWE roster. He has the story of honoring his late father’s legacy while accomplishing everything Umaga couldn’t. He has the story of someone who had made some bad choices in life and had to work his ass off to get everything he wants in life without having a father figure there to help guide him. You can’t help but be drawn into his story just off that alone; add in his wrestling ability and he is an extremely marketable superstar.

I don’t know when we will see Saints vs. Fatu on NXT television, but with WrestleMania season right around the corner, I’d say this marquee matchup is happening soon, with the buildup happening as we speak. When the match happens, all eyes will be on this event to witness Zilla make his WWE debut and usher the era of Zilla Fatu into the WWE world.

Andrade El Idolo returns to AEW

This has to be one of the wildest stories I’ve seen in a very long time. Andrade is the first wrestler to go from WWE to AEW, back to WWE, then back to AEW. He left WWE in 2021, signed with AEW in 2021, left AEW at the end of 2023, re-signed with WWE in January 2024, and was then released by WWE in 2025 to go back to AEW in 2025, officially making his All Elite return in 2026. Phew, that was a lot.

Do I blame him? Heck no. Should he regret all of these jumps? Nope. These are the two biggest wrestling companies in the world where he can be on television and make an incredible amount of money. Even if that looks like you are unsure of where to land.

He left AEW originally to be with his then-wife Charlotte Flair and to work again with Triple H, whom he has a great relationship with. Obviously, his marriage ended, and while he still wanted to be a part of the WWE family, it seemed like his heart wasn’t into it. Plus, he ended up having numerous Wellness Policy violations, which could have been his way to get out of the company.

I get it. I wouldn’t want to work where my ex-wife works, so truthfully a change of scenery is needed for the mental health aspect.

After that little hiccup with his non-compete clause, Andrade was finally able to return to AEW at the beginning of the new year.

He has been vocal about his love for Triple H and for WWE, and also his love for Tony Khan and AEW. Plus, Tony has shown his love for Andrade by being so open about how excited he was to have him back on the team.

I do think Khan will showcase him more frequently than HHH would, and I do think Khan will treat him better as a talent, which in turn equals better performances from Andrade.

Not everyone can be world champion; it is the opportunities to showcase their skills in meaningful ways that matter. Being involved in storylines that draw in an audience is what the wrestlers want. They want to tell their story inside that ring and have it mean something. WWE tends to focus on a select few stories and the rest are just kind of thrown together.

I 100% think Andrade made the best choice for his career and for his legacy, and I am beyond looking forward to some incredible storylines and matchups that he will be a part of. Good on you, Tony Khan, for not even batting an eye to bring him back into the All Elite family.

WWE views Matt Cardona and Ethan Page only as mid-card level talent

Matt Cardona made his triumphant return to WWE while Ethan Page has been a major player down in NXT. Both seem poised to really make a major splash within WWE.

Cardona has mentioned in a promo that he is back to win the WWE Championship, while the pairing of Ethan Page and Chelsea Green, who are the current AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champions, has paved the way for an almost instant storyline upon Page’s main roster arrival.

Both are a spot-on take of what it takes to be a WWE Superstar. Cardona is a merch-selling machine while Page is absolute perfection in his current role; both stars truthfully deserve main event level pushes.

Recent reports state that WWE higher-ups only view these two as mid-level talent. While that is not a bad thing at all, I disagree. Page is exactly what the company wants in a top heel, while the former Zack Ryder has everything a top babyface has, so I am not sure what they are missing for the top brass to come to this conclusion.

I know WWE is still very “you’re not a superstar unless we make you one,” but these two are handing you all of the work that is needed to elevate someone. These guys have it all and you still have this mindset? Triple H, show me your work, show me how you came to that conclusion about Ethan Page and Matt Cardona.

The thing is, this isn’t the first time the company did this. They do this a lot. Gosh knows how many wrestlers could have been major players only for WWE to be ignorant to their work. It’s a horrible business model that they use. The metrics needed should be a combination of chance, drawing power, and work ethic. WWE needs to let the audience help guide who gets what a lot more than they do. Look at Jey Uso; he had gotten over so much that it forced WWE to put the World Championship around his waist.

Again, Ethan Page and Matt Cardona have what it takes to be in the higher portion of the card. WWE needs to allow that or they will miss out on some great work and for some great television.

CJ Perry, FKA Lana, returning to indies as manager

Um, what… Truthfully, she needs to land back in WWE and be alongside her husband Rusev. I am not knocking Rusev nor his work. I actually think WWE dropped the ball with the whole Rusev Day schtick, as that was beyond over with the fans.

Rusev has transformed not only his physique but also his confidence. He looks like a million bucks and carries himself like one. I think adding Lana back into the fold would be the icing on the cake for WWE to push Rusev further up the card.

Since Aiden English (Matt Rehwoldt) is in TNA as their color commentator, he is out of the question, so Lana is just as good. Plus, given their wrestling history together, it’s a story already there that is ready to add more chapters to its growing book.

I am surprised Lana wasn’t brought back with Rusev when he returned, and I am even more surprised that she is hitting the independent road, as WWE would be silly to let another company swoop in and sign her up.

Let’s face it, Lana is money. Always was. Rusev and Lana are major money, so why would a company whose sole purpose is to make money entertaining an audience not jump at the chance to make more money without having to do anything other than what they are doing now with Rusev? If they added Lana tomorrow, I’d almost guarantee Rusev would have a match at this year’s WrestleMania. Why? Because they would be one of the most over acts on the roster.

Now let’s see if WWE does bring her back. My gut says they won’t because they would have already, but boy-oh-boy are they missing out on elevating Rusev into the upper level of the card, right where he belongs.

Come on WWE, sign Lana right away, pair her and hubby together, and sit back and listen to that reaction from the audience when the pair breaks through that curtain and hits the top of the ramp. Money…

WWE interested in AEW’s Powerhouse Hobbs and NJPW’s Gabe Kidd

I find it funny when I saw reports of WWE being extremely interested in Powerhouse Hobbs, as he is currently still under contract to AEW. You don’t think now that it was leaked that Tony Khan will up the ante when it comes contract time? He will make sure Hobbs is positioned correctly on the card so that he won’t want to leave.

Powerhouse Hobbs has the look that fits the typical WWE mold. He is a big massive beefcake who draws you in just by his sheer muscular physique. If WWE was asked to push either Hobbs or Je’Von Evans, they would without hesitation grab Hobbs. Even though Evans’ in-ring work is his drawing power, Triple H and his horniness for big muscular wrestlers needing to be the main stars is a little outdated. No offense to Powerhouse Hobbs here, as I view him as a major star.

Hobbs would make for a great fit within WWE and would no doubt be a big draw. WWE would no doubt get behind him; it just sucks that WWE pretends AEW doesn’t exist instead of accepting it and letting the audience, who might not be aware of him, know all that he has done and all of his accolades leading him to land a WWE contract.

Update: Hobbs’ AEW contract ended January 14th; he is now a free agent and expected to sign with WWE.

WWE is also heavily interested in signing NJPW star Gabe Kidd when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Kidd, in my opinion, might be too good for WWE. He is an absolute brute inside that ring and can cut an off-the-wall promo aiming for the jugular, where WWE is much more on the tame side. He thrives in New Japan due to its Strong Style type of wrestling. I understand he would have to dial it back a bit, but would that damage who he truly is as a wrestler?

He has history with All Elite Wrestling, whom I’d think would also be interested in acquiring him, and has been featured on AEW television and Pay-Per-View events quite a bit. That would seem the more comfortable route.

If he does want to be seen by a larger audience and add more layers to his body of work, WWE all the way. While he would have to march to the WWE beat, Gabe could be a megastar for the company for years to come. The potential dream matches involving Kidd are just too good to ignore.

His resume speaks for itself, but it is missing that one final piece. With WWE being less intense inside the ring than AEW, Kidd would be able to still be who he is, just learning more about the storytelling side of things. You can sell a match much more when it isn’t going 1000 miles an hour (I am Canadian so 1000 kilometers an hour as I’d say), giving it time to breathe so the audience can soak it in and let it digest before moving on to the next sequence.

He’s a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, has mixed it up with some of the absolute best in the business including Kenny Omega, Yota Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito. The potential WWE opponents to add to his list could easily solidify him as a megastar in the wrestling world with one of the most incredible resumes out there.

At the end of the day, Gabe Kidd will choose the option that best suits him and his career, but being so young he can join WWE for a few years and still have loads of gas left in the tank to continue wrestling. This would just add more value to his name in the long run.

Either way, I am excited to see where he lands—heck, he could stay put in Japan. All I know is he is still going to kick whoever’s ass is inside that ring with him.

The Rascalz sign with AEW

Shocked? No, but I didn’t think it would happen so quick.

AEW released a “coming soon” vignette for the newly acquired group just 1 day after becoming free agents. Zachary Wentz, Dezmond Xavier, Trey Miguel and Myron Reed AKA The Rascalz are one of the most well-rounded, high-energy, fast-paced groups out there. These four gel so well that it boils over into the audience as they have the fans in the palms of their hands from the very start of their music right on through to the final three count. Their style is loved by all demographics and with the right platform, I.E. AEW, these guys are going to be launched into superstardom.

When Dez and Wentz signed with NXT as MSK, I figured it would be a matter of time before the others followed suit. As we all know, things didn’t pan out so well.

While I have high hopes for the group and think they can really make a name for themselves in AEW, I am worried they will get lost in the shuffle. AEW has a massive roster with many factions inside it, so it will be tough to get quality match/TV time.

I did think with the NXT-TNA relationship, especially with them being used a fair number of times, that WWE would be a better landing spot for them. They made quite a few appearances on NXT television and PLEs, so it seemed like it would be a guarantee that they’d make the jump.

I do think they will do great with whatever opportunities they get in AEW; I just see them starting out strong then ending up with scattered appearances.

Truthfully, I thought they’d sign a TNA extension to help get the company’s soon-to-be new weekly television series on AMC off the ground. Their presence brings a tremendous amount of excitement on the screen, so losing them this close to their AMC debut is a major blow. I figured contract extension then WWE. I was wrong on all fronts.

Either way, I am happy for Dez, Wentz, Miguel and Reed. They bring a different energy with them that no other faction has. They have all the potential in the world to really make their mark in AEW, I just hope Tony Khan delivers for longer than a few weeks before having them fade off into the unknown.

Well, that’s all she wrote. Another crazy week in the wrestling world, so much so that one of my topics needed an update and the news changed while just writing this piece. The wrestling world is exciting right now and it’s a great time to be a fan. I love it.

Nick Whitworth