Excalibur was missing from the March 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, prompting plenty of questions from viewers who noticed the familiar voice was not behind the commentary desk.

The longtime lead announcer for AEW programming did not appear on the broadcast, leaving fans wondering what led to his absence. According to PWInsider, the reason was simple. Excalibur was dealing with an illness and was unable to attend the taping for the show.

“For the many of you who emailed asking where Excalibur was and why he missed tonight’s AEW Dynamite, we are told he was sick and unable to work the taping.”

With Excalibur unable to be part of the broadcast, AEW adjusted the commentary team for the evening. Bryan Danielson stepped in to help call the action alongside Ian Riccaboni and Tony Schiavone, forming a different booth lineup for the night’s show.

The change was only for that episode, and AEW has not indicated that Excalibur’s absence is expected to extend beyond the illness that kept him away from the March 11 taping.

A rising name from the independent wrestling scene may soon be stepping into WWE’s developmental pipeline.

A new report from BodySlam.net on March 12, 2026 indicates that indie standout Nikki Blackheart has signed with WWE following her appearance at the company’s February tryouts in Orlando. According to the report, officials were impressed with Blackheart’s performance during the evaluation process, prompting WWE to move quickly to bring her into the organization.

Blackheart is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in the near future as she begins training within WWE’s developmental system.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Blackheart was trained through Florida’s Coastal Championship Wrestling program. Since making her professional debut in 2024, she has steadily built momentum across the independent circuit and currently holds the CCW Women’s Championship.

Her résumé on the independents has already included championship success. Blackheart previously captured the MPX Women’s Championship before dropping the title to Priscilla Kelly on March 7.

Throughout her short but rapidly growing career, she has also competed against several recognizable names on the scene, including Harley Cameron, Abadon, and Aleah James.

The reported signing comes shortly after WWE confirmed multiple new additions to its developmental system earlier this week, revealing that Ahmed Essam, Delia Schweizer, Ellen B. Akesson, and Rayne Leverkusen had also joined the company.

If the report proves accurate, Blackheart could soon begin the next phase of her career inside WWE as part of the company’s growing roster of international prospects.

Tony Chimel is setting the record straight about his status with All Elite Wrestling after rumors spread that he had been fired from the company.

While appearing on the HUGE POP! podcast on March 12, 2026, the longtime ring announcer explained that the confusion began after comments he made months earlier during another interview. Chimel said his wording at the time made it sound like he no longer worked with AEW, which was not accurate.

“I would like to clarify something I said on some other podcast about six months ago about AEW. I made the mistake of saying I don’t work for them anymore, which is not true.”

Those comments quickly led some fans to believe he had quietly been released. Chimel made it clear that was never the case.

“I’ve been told that people were assuming that I got fired, which I never did get fired.”

Chimel explained that he was never under a full time contract with AEW. Instead, his role was based on appearances whenever the company needed him, meaning the arrangement technically still stands today.

“Technically, I still would work for AEW if they called or wanted me to do anything.”

However, he admitted it has been quite a while since AEW last brought him in, which likely fueled speculation about his status. He also revealed that someone within the company contacted him after the original interview to point out how his comments had unintentionally created the narrative that he had been fired.

“But right now, that hasn’t happened in a while so I just wanna clear that up, that I wasn’t fired from AEW. Well, it actually wasn’t the internet. It was a fellow coworker which I don’t wanna say but they were a little upset that, ‘You never got fired!’”

Chimel also suggested AEW’s move toward running smaller arenas may have contributed to why his role has not been needed recently.

“They downsized to smaller arenas and I think that what I was doing really wasn’t that big of a deal there.”

Despite the speculation, Chimel said there is no bad blood and he remains in contact with people in the company. If AEW ever calls again, he would be open to returning.

“But I’m still in contact with some people there and I had a great time working there and would think about coming back if they ever asked.”

Several talents have recently left TNA for All Elite Wrestling, and according to a new report, the reason behind the move is fairly simple.

Even with TNA securing a television deal with AMC and maintaining a working relationship with WWE, some wrestlers have still opted to move on once their contracts expired. The Rascalz and The IInspiration are among the names who have recently made the switch to AEW, prompting fans to question why talent would leave while TNA appears to be gaining momentum.

During the March 11, 2026 episode of Fightful’s The Hump, wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp addressed the topic directly and didn’t hesitate when explaining why AEW has become an attractive destination.

“I can tell you why money, money, exposure. That’s the long and the short of it. People get paid a lot more money in AEW than they do in TNA.”

Sapp explained that the structure of many TNA contracts also factors into the decision making. Unlike deals in larger promotions, many TNA agreements are per appearance arrangements without guaranteed money.

“And the majority of the TNA deals are per-appearance deals with no minimum guarantee. That’s the main reason so many people made that jump. It’s about money. Now, what I will say is that I never try to understand the motivations and inspirations of artists and rich people. The majority of these people are not rich.”

He also pointed to The Rascalz as an example of why stability can play a major role in these choices.

“The Rascalz were not rich. They had spent some time in WWE, but they still had to earn a living.”

While partnerships and television deals may signal positive momentum for TNA, the realities of the wrestling industry often come down to financial security and exposure. If AEW continues offering higher pay and a larger platform, the flow of talent between the promotions could continue.

WWE has confirmed the next installment of Saturday Night’s Main Event and revealed the location for the upcoming broadcast.

The company announced on March 12, 2026 that the special will air live on Saturday, May 23 from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The event continues WWE’s revived partnership with NBC style network specials that sit between weekly television and major premium live events.

The May broadcast will mark WWE’s first televised show in Fort Wayne since 2014. The event also carries historical significance for the long running special as it will be the first time Saturday Night’s Main Event has been staged in the state of Indiana since 1992.

Ticket details were also confirmed as part of the announcement.

• Tickets go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster

• A presale opportunity will begin Thursday, March 19 at 10 a.m. local time

• The event will stream live in the United States exclusively on Peacock

Saturday Night’s Main Event returned to the WWE schedule as part of the company’s broader push to expand its lineup of televised specials. The shows are designed to deliver bigger matches and appearances while maintaining the feel of a major television event without being positioned as a full premium live event.