Backstage News On Planned Dates For 2026 WWE NXT PLEs Vengeance Day, Stand & Deliver

“WWE NXT” will crown its newest champion on Tuesday when seven men compete for the NXT Championship in a ladder match, and new reports have revealed more about the future of premium live events for the developmental brand. According to PWInsider Elite, there are plans for both Vengeance Day and Stand & Deliver.

PWIE reported that the next “NXT” PLE will be Vengeance Day, though it won’t be happening around Valentine’s Day like in previous years. The outlet reported that the show will take place from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, March 7. Last year’s event took place in the CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC on February 15, and saw Stephanie Vaquer capture the Women’s North American Championship.

The outlet also reported that WWE sources confirmed that Stand & Deliver will take place during WrestleMania 42 weekend. PWIE was told that the current plan is to run the show as a matinee event on Saturday, April 19, before night one of WrestleMania in Las Vegas. A venue for the show was not reported. Last year’s event took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, a suburb of Vegas.

Stand & Deliver 2025 also took place Saturday afternoon ahead of the first night of ‘Mania. Vaquer and Oba Femi retained their NXT Women’s Championship and NXT Championship, respectively, and Sol Ruca captured the then-vacant Women’s North American title in a ladder match. WWE holding a developmental brand premium live event the afternoon ahead of WrestleMania officially kicking off is becoming a tradition, as PWIE noted in its reports.

WWE’s Sol Ruca Documents How She Made Her Gear For The 2026 Royal Rumble

Due to Saudi Arabia’s laws, WWE women have to make a few changes to their ring gear, and while they’ve been jokingly compared to the Power Rangers because of their suits, it’s given talent like Sol Ruca the chance to get really creative with their gear.

In a video on TikTok account, Sol Ruca shared her journey in how she personally put her gear together, admitting that everything was a last-minute rush. 

“Had some miscommunication with the whole gear situation, so I had to make this in a rush,” she explained. “But I ended up getting, basically, everything from Amazon, except I got the pants from Fashion Nova. I was gonna try and make my own pants from scratch when I started, but I, A: don’t have the time to do that and, B: have no idea what I’m doing.”

Sol Ruca then explained the complicated steps of putting lettering onto her gear, noting that she wasn’t allowed to use certain regular elements, like skulls or the phrase ‘sol snatcher’, due to the local restrictions. Ruca opted to sew zippers onto the pants to add some extra flair to her gear. 

“I did what I could. I was excited to do some mixed-matched VANS, since I had trigger print and my normal black ones,” she added about her shoes, further showing off how she used glitter and other fabrics to further diversify her look.

“I think everything came together pretty well,” she concluded in the final shot of her video, showing her full gear off and again listing how most of her gear came from Amazon, followed by some pictures of her in action at the Royal Rumble.

Shane Haste Clarifies Career Status Following Cryptic Social Media Post

Shane Haste Clarifies Career Status Following Cryptic Social Media Post

A former WWE talent has confirmed that he is officially back on the free agent market following his recent departure from NJPW. Shane Haste, who previously worked in WWE under the names Shane Thorne and Slapjack, addressed his current status through social media after sparking speculation with a cryptic post.

Haste initially shared a video referencing TMDK Ronin, accompanied by a reflective message about the different paths wrestlers can take throughout their careers. In the video, Haste stated, “You must understand that there is not just one single way to reach the top of the mountain,” a line that quickly led fans to question whether a major career move was imminent.

After the post generated confusion, Haste followed up to clarify his situation, admitting that his wording may have been too vague. He confirmed that he is no longer under contract and is open to new opportunities, while also poking fun at the language typically used to describe wrestlers between deals.

“I was prolly a little too cryptic with this post but ‘free agent’ sounded too fancy pants for me,” Haste wrote. “Maybe I should have gone with ‘funemployed’.”

Haste first signed with WWE in 2016 and remained with the company until his release in November 2021. His main roster run began in March 2020, when he was reintroduced to audiences as Slapjack, a member of the Retribution faction. The group struggled to gain momentum and was eventually disbanded, leaving Haste without a clear direction on television.

In April 2021, he was moved to SmackDown but only appeared in dark matches before being released later that year. After leaving WWE, Haste rebuilt his career in NJPW, where he found significant success as part of a tag team. Alongside Mikey Nicholls, he captured the IWGP Tag Team Championship and also held the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship on two occasions.

With Haste now confirming his free agent status, speculation is likely to grow regarding his next move and whether another major promotion could be in his future.

Nick Hogan Makes Surprise Visit To WWE Training Facility

Nick Hogan Makes Surprise Visit To WWE Training Facility

Nick Bollea has been spotted at the WWE Performance Center, sparking fresh curiosity about whether the son of Hulk Hogan could be reconsidering a future in professional wrestling.

Bollea was seen this week at the Orlando training facility used by WWE to develop new talent and prepare existing performers. There has been no confirmation on the reason for the visit, leaving open the possibility that it was either a casual stop or something more exploratory behind the scenes.

Known to many fans from the reality series Hogan Knows Best, Nick Bollea has flirted with the idea of wrestling before but has never committed to the business on a full time basis. His presence at the Performance Center has naturally led to renewed discussion about whether he may be testing the waters once again or simply visiting without any long term intentions.

Speculation around Nick Hogan’s wrestling future largely cooled after Hulk Hogan previously suggested that his son would compete at WrestleMania 39 against Shane McMahon, a match that ultimately never took place. Following that claim, there were no further signs that Nick was preparing to enter WWE in any official capacity.

Nick has trained in wrestling before, including time spent working with Rikishi more than a decade ago. Despite that early exposure, he chose not to follow his father into the ring and instead stepped away from pursuing a wrestling career.

More recently, Nick shared a photo on Instagram last year showing himself training with National Wrestling Alliance talent Bryan Idol, showing that his interest in physical training and wrestling has not completely disappeared.

Whether this latest visit to the WWE Performance Center signals a serious change of direction or was simply a one off appearance remains to be seen.

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Another Name Expected to Join AEW Following NJPW Run

Another Name Expected to Join AEW Following NJPW Run

Another Name Expected to Join AEW Following NJPW Run – AEW could soon add another name from New Japan Pro-Wrestling to its roster, as Fightful Select reports that Clark Connors is expected to sign with All Elite Wrestling in the near future. According to the report, AEW has already made Connors an offer, and the contract is believed to be close to completion.

Connors is no stranger to AEW audiences. He has made occasional appearances for the company dating back to 2022, most recently returning on the January 31 episode of Collision. During that match, Connors controlled much of the action against Darby Allin before eventually suffering a loss. After the bell, Connors remained involved, assisting his Unbound Co. stablemate Gabe Kidd in a post-match attack on Allin, further fueling speculation about a deeper AEW role.

The 31-year-old has been part of NJPW since 2018, entering the promotion through the Young Lion system. Over the years, he developed into a key junior heavyweight performer before joining Bullet Club in 2023. Alongside Drilla Moloney, Connors captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships twice, establishing himself as one of the division’s more physical and aggressive competitors.

Connors’ NJPW contract was believed to be expiring in January, which aligns with the timing of AEW’s reported interest. Fightful also noted that Connors’ expected signing may point to AEW keeping a close eye on David Finlay, the former Bullet Club leader whose NJPW deal is said to expire in January 2026. While no deal involving Finlay has been confirmed, AEW sources reportedly see Connors’ situation as part of broader talent monitoring.

If Connors finalizes a deal, he would become the 12th wrestler to sign with AEW in 2026. Recent additions to the roster include Jake Doyle, Andrade El Idolo, The Rascalz, Mascara Dorada, Persephone, Alec Price and Jordan Oliver, Zayda Steel, and Tommaso Ciampa.

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