Heel Turn: New Day leave WWE, Death Riders' influence on Will Ospreay grows, hottest storyline and more

It’s a New Day successful WWE.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods departed the institution connected Saturday aft etching their names into the tag squad past books successful WWE for respective years. The duo were four-time tag squad champions arsenic a squad and 8 times erstwhile Big E is included successful the group.

The New Day were instrumentality favorites and held the tag squad title for a grounds 483 days.

But Woods’ wounded threw a wrench successful the New Day storyline aft the squad turned bottommost pursuing their tag rubric triumph astatine WrestleMania 41. Kingston had teamed up with Grayson Waller, but the 2 hadn’t earned gold.

The quality of their departure sent shockwaves passim the pro wrestling satellite with stars from companies crossed the athletics reacting. It’s unclear wherever Kingston and Woods volition onshore next, but determination volition decidedly beryllium 2 of the hottest escaped agents connected the unfastened market.

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston be Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event astatine The Kia Forum successful Inglewood, Calif., connected May 31, 2025. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

WWE besides parted ways with Tonga Loa and JC Mateo successful the company’s caller departures.

LEGENDARY WWE TAG TEAM DUO DEPARTS COMPANY IN LATEST WAVE OF CUTS

Hottest storyline successful pro wrestling

El Grande Americano faces disconnected against El Grande Americano during WWE's Royal Rumble astatine Riyadh Season Stadium successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected Jan. 31, 2026. (Joe Maher/WWE)

WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) person been blistery implicit the past month, but the astir absorbing storyline going implicit the past fewer weeks has been astatine Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) wherever El Grande Americano and Original El Grande Americano are a fewer weeks distant from an epic disguise vs. disguise clash.

On Saturday night, the 2 wrestlers had a declaration signing but determination was an adjacent bigger twist successful which El Grande Americano’s girlfriend, Andrea Bazarte, had her declaration suspended successful bid for her to beryllium sidelined from the upcoming match.

Original El Grande Americano received enactment from the Creed Brothers. Brutus and Julius Creed enactment El Grande American done a array and celebrated arsenic they seemed to person fixed Original El Grande Americano immoderate support.

Their rivalry volition travel to a caput astatine Rey de Reyes connected May 30. It volition beryllium a nary disqualification lucifer and the loser has to region their mask. Both competitors person battled it retired wherever they person been showcased.

The Original El Grande Americano returned to WWE astatine the Royal Rumble successful January with El Grande Americano already successful the men’s Royal Rumble match. Original El Grande Americano eliminated El Grande Americano earlier being eliminated himself. The rivalry has been scorching blistery ever since.

Darby Allin makes rubric defense, gets caller challenge

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

It was 1 of the champion matches of the week arsenic Darby Allin defeated Brody King for the AEW World Championship. The 2 ripped each different isolated arsenic King sent himself done the obstruction looking to bash maximum harm to Allin.

Allin avoided the colossal attack, threw King backmost into the ringing and deed him with 2 Coffin Drops and pinned King for the win. Allin is 2-0 aft winning the AEW rubric from Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) past month. He dispatched Tomasso Ciampa the week prior.

Allin whitethorn person his hands afloat with his adjacent challenger.

Kevin Knight climbed to the apical of the satellite rubric ladder aft helium defended the TNT Championship against MJF. Allin and King some said that Knight would beryllium adjacent successful enactment for the AEW rubric if either of them won the match. So, Knight gets Allin connected Wednesday.

Knight was watching precise intimately successful the stands arsenic Allin pulled retired the win.

WWE NXT STARS TALK STAND & DELIVER STANDING ON ITS OWN AWAY FROM WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND

Interesting changes travel to NXT

Blake Monroe enters the ringing during NXT astatine the WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected Jan. 13, 2026. (Mike Marques/WWE)

Blake Monroe, Ethan Page, Fallon Henley, Je’Von Evans, Joe Hendry, Lainey Reid, Oba Femi, Ricky Saints, Sol Ruca, Trick Williams person each been promoted to the main roster since the commencement of the caller year.

As the caller question of endowment hits WWE’s main roster, the CW Network and WWE announced a fewer caller changes coming to the brand. The institution said that NXT’s premium unrecorded events, similar Stand & Deliver, The Great American Bash and Deadline, would beryllium featured connected the CW.

"The CW has played an integral relation successful raising the illustration of our up-and-coming Superstars, and we are excited to bring NXT Premium Live Events to broadcast tv for the archetypal clip ever," WWE’s elder vice president of endowment improvement and originative Shawn Michaels said successful a quality release.

ESPN aboriginal announced that it volition beryllium teaming up with the CW Network to watercourse NXT events done its ESPN Unlimited App.

"Joining forces with ESPN is simply a monumental adjacent measurement successful the improvement of CW Sports," CW President Brad Schwartz said successful a quality release. "The CW present offers much than 800 hours of premium unrecorded sports per year. This statement extends the scope of CW Sports and enables america to seizure audiences crossed the champion of broadcast and the champion of streaming, ensuring fans tin entree unrecorded CW Sports wherever they are and connected immoderate instrumentality they prefer.

"This caller concern volition let america to link seamlessly with our audiences everywhere—from shot and hoops to motorsports, nonrecreational wrestling, bowling, bull riding, and overmuch much to travel arsenic CW Sports continues its breathtaking march forward."

Will Ospreay’s Death Riders space takes caller twist

Will Ospreay speaks during a New Japan Pro-Wrestling lawsuit astatine Ota-City General Gymnasium successful Tokyo, Japan, connected Jan. 5, 2026. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Will Ospreay entered the Death Riders’ dojo aft Jon Moxley gave him the accidental to smash him successful the caput with a chair. Ospreay entered Moxley’s country of the beingness and began grooming with the faction that has been trying to adhd harm to his injured neck.

Ospreay made it wide to the Death Riders person that helium needed to enactment his brothers successful arms, the United Empire, arsenic they were featured successful New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Dontaku lawsuit implicit the weekend. Ospreay was determination to squad with Henare and Great-O-Khan arsenic they picked up the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship successful a triumph implicit Bishamon-in (Botlin Oleg, Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi).

Callum Newman challenged Ospreay to onslaught Shingo Takagi pursuing Newman’s triumph to clasp the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, calling him "Death Rider Billy." Ospreay obliged and deed Takahi with a Hidden Blade.

The fallout is definite to beryllium palpable erstwhile Ospreay returns to "Dynamite" aboriginal successful the week.

WWE STAR DANHAUSEN REFLECTS ON FIRST MONTHS WITH COMPANY, GIVES UPDATE ON DANHAUSENETTES

Other notes from a week successful pro wrestling

• Becky Lynch defeated Iyo Sky to clasp the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship arsenic Asuka interfered successful the lucifer connected "Monday Night Raw."
• Damian Priest and R-Truth defeated Axiom and Nathan Frazer to clasp the WWE Tag Team Championship connected "Friday Night SmackDown."
• Brie Bella and Paige defeated Lash Legend and Nia Jax to clasp the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship connected "Friday Night SmackDown."
• Four matches are acceptable for WWE Backlash, including a lucifer betwixt Danhausen and a enigma spouse against The Miz and Kit Wilson. The Miz and Wilson levied an battle connected Danhausen connected "Friday Night SmackDown."
• Myles Borne defeated Shaquon Shugars to clasp the NXT North American Championship.

Lizzy Rain celebrates her triumph during NXT astatine the WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Florida, connected April 28, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

• Lizzie Rain, the niece of Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, made her NXT debut.
• Kazuchika Okada defeated Ace Austin to clasp the AEW International Championship connected "Dynamite."
• Megan Bayne and Lena Kross defeated Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida to clasp the Women’s World Tag Team Championship connected "Dynamite."
• Jack Perry defeated Mascara Dorada to clasp the AEW National Championship connected "Collision."
• Willow Nightingale defeated a returning Anna Jay to clasp the AEW TBS Championship connected "Collision."
• Kevin Knight defeated Hook to clasp the AEW TNT Championship connected "Collision."
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. congratulated his niece Zoe Hines connected joining WWE.

• "Broken" Matt Hardy returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and attacked Vincent of The Righteous. Vincent was astir to decorativeness disconnected Jeff Hardy earlier Matt Hardy returned. It had been a fewer weeks since The Righteous brutalized Matt Hardy.
• AEW’s Rebel revealed she was diagnosed with "terminal ALS" astatine conscionable 47 years old. "Please proceed to commune for a peaceful travel and a peaceful passing. I emotion you," she said successful a video posted to her Instagram account.
• JBL vowed to marque immoderate changes should helium go the caller AAA wide manager. He wrote connected X, "When I go GM of Triple A I’m going to marque the satellite better, I volition 1. Build a wall, to support Okies out. 2. Make it ineligible to deed leprechauns with trash cans oregon thing other you tin drawback and throw. 3. Make Ron Simmons caput of the treasury. 4. Make cerveza free."

• Trevor Murdoch announced his status from pro wrestling connected the latest occurrence of the National Wrestling Alliance’s (NWA) "Powerrr." The three-time NWA worlds champion and erstwhile WWE prima thanked fans for their support.
• Meanwhile, connected the aforesaid NWA show, Gisele Shaw defeated Tiffany Nieveas to go the women’s TV champion.
• Andrade El Idolo defeated Yota Tsuji to go the caller IWGP planetary heavyweight champion astatine New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestling Dontaku successful Japan.
• Templario defeated Kushida astatine CMLL vs MLW to triumph the Major League Wrestling World Middleweight Championship.
• Zamaya signed a woody with Major League Wrestling.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

• CMLL women’s champion Persephone is retired of enactment indefinitely, according to AEW co-founder Tony Khan. Persephone received achromatic mist to the look from Julia Hart during a tag squad lucifer past week. Persephone was acceptable to vie successful Ring of Honor’s Survival of the Fittest tourney for a changeable astatine the Ring of Honor Women’s Championship astatine Supercard of Honor.
• Miu Watanabe and Riku Tatsumi defeated The IInspiration to go Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling’s caller Princess tag squad champions.