WWE’s Nikki Bella has been out of action since March after suffering an ankle injury, causing her to miss WrestleMania 42, where she was booked to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships with Brie Bella. Before reuniting with her sister, Nikki Bella turned heel in the pursuit of the Women’s World Championship, and during a recent interview with “Casino Guru,” she expressed wanting to play the villain again while being inserted into a noteworthy storyline before her contract expires in January 2028.

“I want a meaningful story. I’d love to be a heel. I just want to have that type of creative, that story that we used to have. I need that,” she explained. “I don’t want to show up every week and not know what’s going on, and let’s just get through TV … I want passion there, and I want something creatively that’s like, ‘Oh s***, she’s back.’ I really want to push myself outside the box. I would love to win a championship. It would be great to win a championship if it matches the story.”

Bella also labelled her injury status as “TBD,” but is hoping that she’ll be given the green light this month. “Until we get a look inside again through X-rays and MRIs, you just don’t know. I’m hoping in June at some point, and that’s why I’m working really hard on getting my strength back.”

Above all, Bella reiterated that she wants to be placed in an “epic story” before officially retiring from professional wrestling, but it remains to be seen if most of her final run will be alongside her sister, or if she will be chasing the goals she’s listed as a singles star. 

Despite not being on “WWE Raw” since April, CM Punk is again the talk of the town after rumors circulated on Tuesday night that there was a conflict between him and WWE. And while several outlets indicated those rumors were false Wednesday afternoon, it hasn’t stopped those rumors, or others, from being speculated on. Fightful Select reports that, in addition to earlier rumors suggesting Punk and WWE had a dispute over something Punk “politicked” for at WrestleMania 42, Punk is also rumored to be upset over the “booking and treatment” of his wife, AJ Lee. It was also noted that there exist “vague rumors” over a WrestleMania incident involving Punk, though it was unclear if those rumors were related to Punk’s two altercations with fans that weekend.

Regarding the truthfulness of these rumors, it was noted that none of these claims had been verified, with at least dozens of WWE sources claiming they had heard nothing regarding Punk wanting out of his WWE contract, nor anything regarding him being asked to take a pay cut. It was also confirmed that plans did call for Punk to return to television, and that merchandise, dates, and a storyline were in place. However, there was no confirmation regarding why Punk had been kept off TV since the post-WrestleMania “Raw,” other than it was unrelated to disciplinary reasons. 

As for Lee, WWE sources scoffed at the idea that Punk would be upset with her direction, which was said to have been planned out and completed with no changes. Those who worked with Lee were also unaware of any issues Punk would’ve had with Lee’s creative. Finally, sources within WWE that were not friendly with Punk, nor keen on Punk’s return to WWE three years ago, also claimed they had yet to hear anything regarding a rift between WWE and Punk, or that Punk was looking to get out of the company.

Following her historic reign as WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion, Kay Lee Ray’s in-ring name would be changed to Alba Fyre shortly after making her debut for “WWE NXT” in Orlando, Florida. Once she was called up to WWE’s main roster, she continued to wrestle under Fyre despite many knowing her from the success she had in “WWE NXT UK,” and during a recent interview with the “Daily Star,” she explained how the name Alba Fyre was born.

“It was WWE’s idea. I pitched some names, but ultimately it was one that they suggested that we went with. And again, Alba Fyre, it’s Scottish Fire. That is what I am. They know what they’re doing. They’re WWE, and I always feel differently from independents. WWE, I’m an actor on their TV show. If they present a character to me, I’m going to play that character. But on the independents, I’m going to play the character that I want to play.” Ray also revealed the name she pitched to WWE before being given Alba Fyre. “Paisley was actually one that I suggested. I was born in Paisley, so some sort of like Paisley Ray or something like that, so it kind of went with the Kay Lee, but they were like, ‘No, you’re a badass. We need something fire.'”

This past April, Ray was part of WWE’s post-WrestleMania cuts, but the Scottish star recently shared an update on her release, revealing that her contract was expiring and that she made the decision not to re-sign with the company. Additionally, the 33-year-old just made her return to the independent wrestling scene last week when she defeated Molly Spartan at EVE 150: History Makers / Rule Breakers as Kay Lee Ray.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Daily Star” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

It was just a little more than two months ago when EC3 made his return to TNA at Rebellion. But since losing a No Disqualification match to Eric Young on the May 7 edition of “Impact,” EC3 has been nowhere to be found, leading some TNA fans to wonder what happened to him. Fortunately, PWInsider has gotten some answers, reporting that after receiving fan questions regarding EC3, writer Mike Johnson reached out to the former TNA and NWA World Heavyweight Champion directly for an update. EC3 responded in kind.

“Michael, I was piledriven through both a table and spiked on an open chair,” EC3 said. “That was after Eric Young stomped on my d**k 17 times. Those are wounds that require some time and solitude to regroup and strategize.”

While EC3 provided no timetable for his return, PWInsider did note that the expectation is he will return to TNA television following TNA Slammiversary, and the conclusion of storylines heading into that show. With Slammiversary still several weeks away on June 28, it will mean fans will still have a bit of a wait before they see EC3 again, though it will offer him more time to plan his next move.

Based on his response, it would appear EC3 will be continuing his feud with Young, whom he had also wrestled to a no contest on April 16 prior to their No DQ match. Since disposing of EC3, Young has been on a hot streak, including winning a #1 contendership battle royal for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the May 14 edition of “Impact.” His upcoming title match against Mike Santana was taped during TNA’s recent tapings in Colorado.