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Ronda Rousey Says Women Are Headlining WWE Because of Her

Posted by admin on May 16th, 2026

Ronda Rousey has credited herself as a major reason women now headline WWE shows, pointing to her influence across combat sports and professional wrestling.

Speaking to The Takedown on SI as she prepares for a return to mixed martial arts for one final fight, Rousey said she is proud of the impact she has made on women’s opportunities in multiple fighting disciplines, including WWE. She believes her success helped prove the commercial value of women’s combat sports athletes.

Ronda Rousey – “Women Are Headlining WWE Because of Me”

“I’m very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me,” Rousey said. “That women are headlining and making big paydays in boxing because of me. In bare-knuckle boxing, in full-contact karate, in everything that’s a contact sport. I’m very, very proud of seeing all the success the women are having, because I was able to prove their commercial viability, and everyone’s trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle.”

“I’m so happy to see it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand the scope of those ripple effects — nor anybody else — but that’s not why you do it. I’m very, very proud, and it’s very cool to see. I’m glad it’s got to the point that things are so different that people forget how it used to be. I’m not mad at that. I’m proud.”

Rousey first made history in WWE when she competed in the first women’s WrestleMania main event in 2019, against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match. That bout marked the end of her initial WWE run before she returned for a second stint from 2022 to 2023.

Outside of WWE, Rousey built her reputation as one of the biggest stars in UFC history before transitioning into professional wrestling. Her crossover appeal helped elevate mainstream attention on women’s combat sports.

She is now preparing for one final MMA appearance against Gina Carano in Netflix’s first live MMA special. Rousey has stated that the matchup will serve as the final fight of her career.

The event will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and will stream live at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Ronda Rousey Says Women Are Headlining WWE Because of Her

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Jeff Cobb Spotted Backstage At NJPW Event Following WWE Release

Posted by admin on May 16th, 2026

Jeff Cobb has already resurfaced in familiar territory following his recent WWE release, and new details suggest he remains closely connected to NJPW.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cobb was seen backstage at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku at the beginning of May. His presence has fueled talk about a possible return to the promotion, where he previously found significant success. It is also believed that Cobb still maintains a residence in Japan, though there is no confirmation yet on whether he plans to officially rejoin NJPW once he is free to compete again.

Dave Meltzer noted that timing could be a factor in any potential return, particularly due to WWE’s standard non-compete clause.

“Jeff Cobb was backstage at Dontaku. I believe he still has a place in Japan. Unless WWE gives his special dispensation, he would not be able to return in time for G-1 if he does end up here, as the non-compete ends on 7/24. We don’t know if that is what he’ll do. New Japan has its own financial issues. It wouldn’t surprise me if AEW picked up Cobb, but the reality is his chances of going to AEW as a star were much higher one year ago. WWE often enhances someone’s value, but Cobb would not be one of those people.”

Cobb’s WWE run lasted about a year after he debuted in May 2025. He was introduced under the name JC Mateo and was placed into the Bloodline storyline as part of Solo Sikoa’s group. Despite the high-profile angle, his time in WWE did not meet expectations and was widely viewed as underwhelming compared to his prior work.

He was among the names released during WWE’s roster cuts that followed WrestleMania 42.

Before joining WWE, Cobb built a strong reputation in NJPW. He held multiple championships there, including the NEVER Openweight Championship, the IWGP Tag Team Titles, and the NJPW World Television Championship. His performances made him one of the promotion’s top international stars.

Cobb has also appeared in AEW during his NJPW tenure and brings experience from several promotions, including ROH, PWG, and Lucha Underground. Outside of pro wrestling, he represented Guam in amateur wrestling at the 2004 Olympic Games.

For now, Cobb’s next move remains uncertain, but his NJPW ties and free agent status leave several options open once his non-compete clause expires.

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R-Truth Pulled From WWE SmackDown Match, Updated Lineup

Posted by admin on May 16th, 2026

WWE has made a late change to tonight’s SmackDown lineup, confirming that R-Truth is not medically cleared to compete. As a result, a previously announced tag team match has been altered.

Earlier in the day, WWE had promoted a non-title match featuring WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth taking on Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga. That bout is no longer taking place as scheduled. Instead, Priest will now compete in a singles match against Tama Tonga.

The adjustment comes shortly after the company confirmed Truth’s status, removing him from in-ring action for the show. No further details were provided regarding the reason he is not cleared.

Despite the change, several other matches and segments remain in place for the event. WWE also announced that Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will face Michin and B-Fab in tag team action. This match follows developments from last week’s episode, where Flair and Bliss joined forces with Rhea Ripley against the group known as Fatal Influence.

During that match, the babyface team came up short after Jade Cargill made her return and got involved. The show closed with Cargill aligning with Michin and B-Fab, as the trio attacked Ripley, Flair, and Bliss.

There is also continued fallout from last Friday’s matches involving Priest and the Tongas. Talla Tonga picked up a singles victory over Priest after outside interference created a distraction. Priest had been attempting to assist R-Truth, who was under attack by Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa at ringside.

Later in the show, Royce Keys evened things up by defeating Tama Tonga in a separate match, giving Priest and Truth some backup against the group. Tonight, Priest and Tonga will face in a one-on-one match.

A Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints match has also been added.

Tonight’s SmackDown takes place at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The updated lineup reflects the late medical change involving Truth, with Priest now set for singles competition instead of tag team action.

5/15 WWE SmackDown Lineup

Gunther decides whether to join SmackDown roster to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
United States Champion Trick Williams returns to the University of South Carolina for a homecoming celebration
Jade Cargill addresses her attack on WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley
Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Michin & B-Fab
Damian Priest vs. Tama Tonga
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

R-Truth Pulled From WWE SmackDown Match, Updated Lineup

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Nia Jax, Lash Legend Apparently Set For WWE Women’s Title Match At Upcoming SNME

Posted by admin on May 16th, 2026

Nia Jax and Lash Legend head down the ramp to the ring before a match on "WWE SmackDown."

WWE

Former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, the Irresistible Forces, Lash Legend and Nia Jax, appear to have a match set for Saturday Night’s Main Event. The team appeared in a backstage segment on “WWE SmackDown” alongside current champions, Brie Bella and Paige, where the Irresistible Forces said they wanted another match for the gold at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Bella and Paige went on to defeat Giulia and Kiana James in non-title action, but have an official title defense against Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez on Monday’s edition of “WWE Raw.” With that title match yet to happen, it’s unclear if the Saturday Night’s Main Event bout is officially set for that card, or if Jax and Legend will be challenging whoever emerges with the gold after Monday. The Peacock special is set to take place from Fort Wayne, Indiana on May 23.

Paige and Bella won the titles at WWE WrestleMania 42, with Paige returning to the company to fill in for an injured Nikki Bella. The current champions’ first and only defense came on the May 1 edition of “SmackDown” when they defeated Jax and Legend.

Jacob Fatu Recalls Booker T Helping Him Get Into WWE Despite ROW No-Show Incident

Posted by admin on May 16th, 2026

Jacob Fatu makes his entrance ahead of his WWE Backlash 2026 match against Roman Reigns.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Fatu said that a year or two after no-showing Booker T’s event, he met up with him at his home promotion, PCW Ultra in Los Angeles. Fatu said that he saw Booker T and was scared to go into the building, but ended up running in to him and Sharmell when they were leaving. He described Booker T as being warm and pleasant to him, even after what had happened.

“I walked up to him and he’s like, ‘Hey, man. My door never closed,'” Fatu explained. “‘Yeah, you messed up… Man, my door is never closed. You’re more than welcome to come back. How’s your wife? How are you? You okay? You’re doing good, but I just want to let you know I still love you, uce. I know what you’re going through.'”

“The Samoan Werewolf” said that Sharmell also asked how he was, and they didn’t harp on him about anything. Fatu said they both said how much they’d like to have him back, and eventually, his cousin, Zilla Fatu, asked Booker if Fatu could also be part of a show.

“Went to the show, once again, when it’s off the love, off the rip, you don’t talk about money,” he said. “You don’t talk about who’s winning. You don’t talk about none of that, none of that matters. I was just happy that Book actually let me back in to be there to witness my cousin Isiah’s very first much, but not only that, to be a part of the show. We did our thing. Book gave Bruce [Prichard] a call and was like, ‘Hey man, I just had Jacob. Y’all might want to check him out again.'”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.