Heel Turn: Darby Allin defends AEW title, Cody Rhodes speaks out and more you missed in pro wrestling

It was a large week successful pro wrestling.

WWE Raw and SmackDown some acceptable for their adjacent storylines aft WrestleMania 42, seen immoderate call-ups travel done and neared immoderate authoritative matches for Backlash, which is acceptable for May 9.

All Elite Wrestling continued to centrifugal toward its Double oregon Nothing pay-per-view, which takes spot connected May 24. Darby Allin was successful enactment portion immoderate championships were connected the enactment done the week.

In lawsuit you missed anything, work the cliff notes below.

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Darby Allin defends AEW World Championship for archetypal time

Darby Allin competes successful the ringing during AEW Collision connected Oct. 3, 2024, astatine the Huntington Center successful Toledo, Ohio. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Darby Allin stunned the pro wrestling satellite astir 2 weeks agone erstwhile helium defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman to triumph the AEW World Championship. There was lone a fewer days for solemnisation earlier Allin had to support his rubric connected "AEW Dynamite" connected Wednesday.

Allin faced disconnected against Tommaso Ciampa for the title. It was a brutal lucifer that saw Ciampa get busted unfastened and present a hard-hitting driblet to Allin from the mediate enactment onto the floor. Allin utilized aggregate submission maneuvers to yet for Ciampa to pat out.

"Last night, I encountered my wrestling soulmate," Ciampa wrote connected Instagram connected Thursday. "I person a hunch we volition beryllium doing this galore much times implicit the adjacent decade.

"Mark my words: it mightiness not beryllium this month… it mightiness not beryllium this year… hell, it mightiness not adjacent beryllium 2027…. but determination volition travel a clip erstwhile I clasp that AEW World Title."

Allin didn’t person overmuch clip to observe arsenic different situation roseate – Brody King.

King said helium got it cleared by AEW co-founder Tony Khan and, if it was OK with him, helium would similar to beryllium the adjacent antheral up. Allin accepted and the 2 volition conflict for the title connected this week’s variation of "Dynamite."

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Jacob Fatu meets the challenge.

Fresh disconnected a triumph implicit Drew McIntyre astatine WrestleMania 42, Jacob Fatu was the archetypal idiosyncratic to measurement up to satellite heavyweight champion Roman Reigns connected "Monday Night Raw." The show, successful that spot, is utilized to make caller storylines oregon shocking comebacks and Fatu helped the cause.

Reigns, flanked by Jey and Jimmy Uso, told Fatu would deliberation astir the situation arsenic helium didn’t deliberation Fatu was needfully acceptable to instrumentality him on. Fatu did much than capable to beryllium himself connected "Friday Night SmackDown" arsenic helium defeated Solo Sikoa and handled the MFT faction by himself.

Fatu’s endeavor near the Usos stunned arsenic they watched him teardrop isolated Tama Tonga, JC Mateo and Tonga Loa.

If Reigns accepts Fatu’s challenge, the World Heavyweight Championship bout would beryllium acceptable for Backlash successful a fewer weeks.

Cody Rhodes destroys ‘outside forces’ successful scathing promo

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes speaks during SmackDown astatine Dickies Arena successful Fort Worth, Texas, connected April 24, 2026. (Michael Marques/WWE)

Cody Rhodes’ promos successful the midst of Pat McAfee’s insertion into his WrestleMania feud with Randy Orton blurred the enactment connected what was existent and what was kayfabe.

Over the past 3 WrestleManias, Rhodes has had to woody with The Rock, Travis Scott and McAfee arsenic helium tried to either triumph the Undisputed WWE Championship oregon clasp it. He was capable to get done Randy Orton astatine WrestleMania 42, but helium wasn’t finished sending pointed messages.

He said Friday connected SmackDown helium wanted to "send a message" astatine WrestleMania.

"And the astir important connection that I wanted to nonstop is to those extracurricular forces that kept interceding and kept interjecting into my WrestleMania plans, that privation to get progressive successful this nightmare household party, I’ll marque it simple, you guys are 0-3. Send your champion oregon number your wealth and caput your damn business," helium said.

It’s unclear who steps up to Rhodes’ title. But CM Punk seemingly had eyes for the loop connected Monday.

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Other notes from the week successful wrestling

Tiffany Stratton celebrates her triumph arsenic the caller WWE Women's United States Champion during SmackDown astatine Dickies Arena successful Fort Worth, Texas, connected April 24, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE)

Tiffany Stratton defeated Giulia to triumph the Women’s United States Championship. It is Stratton’s archetypal U.S. rubric reign. Giulia held the loop for 111 days.  Stratton is the sixth U.S. rubric victor since the title made its debut successful December 2024.

WWE NXT stars person gotten the call-up implicit the past week. Ethan Page, Sol Ruca, Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid appeared connected the main roster past week. Ricky Saints, Joe Hendry and Blake Monroe were teased for this week.

Several WWE stars announced their departures this week.

Damian Priest and R-Truth kept their tag squad titles connected "SmackDown." They topped JC Mateo and Tama Tonga.

Seth Rollins made a astonishment quality astatine AAW Wrestling’s last amusement astatine the historical Berwyn Eagles Club successful Illinois.

WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner’s lad signed with the Tennessee Titans aft going undrafted.

Kevin Knight volition support the AEW TNT Championship connected Wednesday against MJF. While MJF is inactive peeved implicit losing the AEW World Championship, Knight and MJF traded barbs and the lucifer was made for this week connected "Dynamite."

Two rubric defenses were made connected "Collision". Jack Perry defeated El Clon to clasp the AEW National Championship, portion Kyle O’Reilly, Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong retained the AEW Trios Championship implicit Andrade El Idolo, Hechicero and Lance Archer.

FTR raised the stakes of Cope and Christian Cage’s challenge. Cope and Cage said they wanted to situation FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championship astatine Double oregon Nothing successful a New York Street Fight, and, if they lost, they would divided arsenic a squad forever. FTR said connected Collision that they would lone bash it if they accepted an I Quit match. The shot is present successful Cope and Cage’s court.

In TNA, Mike Santana and Rich Swaan enactment connected a amusement for the TNA World Championship. Santana nailed Swaan with Spin the Block and pinned him for the win. The 2 shook hands aft the match.

Sayaka Kurara stunned pro wrestling fans connected Sunday erstwhile she defeated Saya Kamitani for the World of Stardom Championship astatine All Star Grand Queendom. Kamitani’s reign lasted 483 days and she made 9 rubric defenses.

Pro Wrestling REVOLVER held its archetypal amusement connected YouTube aft breaking from Triller TV. At Revolver STRONG, Mance Warner defeated Krule to go the caller satellite champion.

AAA announced determination volition beryllium a caller wide manager announced adjacent month.

"WWE Legends and Future Greats" Season 3 premiered connected Sunday night. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T previewed what is to travel connected the amusement with Fox News Digital.