Pat McAfee Says Wrestling Is In His ‘Rearview Mirror’ After WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted by admin on April 20th, 2026

Pat McAfee’s days of “Yeeting” at ringside are forever done. Despite being bull-headed on tearing down Cody Rhodes on behalf of Randy Orton, the concept did not work in either McAfee or Orton’s favor, as “The Legend Killer” lost the big one in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 42. With that, came McAfee’s stipulation, where he announced that should Orton not save the business and win the title, he would leave wrestling TV for good. Well, he kept his promise. Earlier today (Monday, April 20), McAfee noted that his unbelievable run in the squared circle is officially over, confirming the post his wife made this past weekend.

“I went through developmental, ‘[WWE] NXT, commentated, and wrestled down there. [One of his co-hosts mentioned former WWE star Adam Cole] Bingo. Had that happened. Get WWE commentated. Lucky to do that. Did pre-shows. Lucky to do that. Wrestled. Lucky to do that. Reffed. Lucky to do that. Managed. Lucky to do that. It’s been a hell of a run. Thank you, wrestling,” he concluded on his talk show.

The outspoken yet brazen McAfee wore several hats throughout his tenure with WWE. Before officially signing with them in 2019, in 2018, he appeared as a guest commentator and analyst at several “NXT” TakeOver events. From there, he would participate in in-ring action with his first arch-rival in the business, Cole. After his widely acclaimed success took off, he joined the “WWE SmackDown” and “WWE Raw” commentary booths, working alongside Michael Cole. In between calling the matches, he’d return to the ring and face men like Austin Theory, The Miz, Happy Corbin (the former Baron Corbin), GUNTHER, and former CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon. 

After spending nearly four years on commentary, McAfee announced he was going to put his headset down and take an indefinite hiatus following reports of mental exhaustion. When asked what his status would be after he left in June of 2025, he mentioned, “never say never,” but felt at peace with his decision of walking away, as he thought the business had “passed him by.” He’d return to the commentary table three months later at Wrestlepalooza this past September. 

Revealed as the man whom Orton was speaking with ahead of WrestleMania, McAfee left an unfavorable impression in his last stint with the Stamford-based promotion. It was TKO’s Executive Chairman Ari Emanuel who requested McAfee’s services, as he felt the former NFL star would add more depth and eyes towards Rhodes and Orton’s match. Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE Championship in their highly personal contest, crimson mask and all.

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Ex-WWE & AEW Star Jake Hager Wins Power Slap Debut

Posted by admin on April 20th, 2026
Jake Hager on AEW Dynamite AEW

Jake Hager has had a long career in professional wrestling, working for the likes of WWE under the name Jack Swagger, AEW under his real name, and even places like Lucha Underground where he was that company’s final world champion. However, he has traded the world of wrestling for the world of slap fighting as the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion was victorious in his Power Slap debut over the weekend.

Hager defeated Devin “Big Jinxx” Jenkins at Power Slap 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 17, knocking Jenkins out in the third round. With one win under his belt, Hager will be looking to move up the Power Slap rankings to eventually challenge Damien Dibbell for the Power Slap Heavyweight Championship, with Dibbell also picking up a win on the same card.

After his victory, Hager proceeded to call out one of his old employers, that being AEW President Tony Khan who Hager has been at odds with ever since leaving All Elite Wrestling in 2024. Hager was reportedly unhappy with a contract negotiation that took place in 2022 where Hager believed he was lowballed by Khan despite being one of the company’s biggest names for the first three years of its existence. Since leaving the company, Hager has called Khan unprofessional, made claims about Khan being a communist, and stated that Khan doesn’t handle criticism well, which has led to him having the daily ritual of trying to say “F*** Tony Khan” at least once per day.

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Damian Priest Helped WWE Talent Avoid Fans Ahead Of CM Punk Hotel Incident

Posted by admin on April 20th, 2026

Posted By: Ben Kerin on Apr 20, 2026 Damian Priest Helped WWE Talent Avoid Fans Ahead Of CM Punk Hotel Incident

The viral footage of CM Punk swatting a fan’s phone may have only been the tip of a much larger iceberg during the chaotic WrestleMania 42 weekend. New eyewitness accounts provided to PWInsider suggest that the hotel atmosphere was a powder keg of fan entitlement and insufficient security measures long before the cameras started rolling on the now-infamous confrontation.


If you reference any quotes from this piece, please attribute them to the original source, and kindly credit WrestlingNewsSource.com (h/t) for the transcription.
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Josh Barnett Explains Real Reason Behind Bloodsport Shutdown

Posted by admin on April 20th, 2026

Josh Barnett has now fully opened up on why he decided to bring Bloodsport to an end, removing any mystery around the promotion’s future.

Following his victory over Yuji Nagata at Bloodsport XV, Barnett confirmed the concept would be shut down. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on April 20, 2026, he stressed the move had nothing to do with controversy or backstage issues.

“Well, I wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it. I didn’t want to come off as a gimmick, or I didn’t want people to think, ‘Oh, they’re just doing this for the purpose of drumming up interest,’ or that it’s insincere.”

Barnett made it clear there was no negative situation forcing his hand. Instead, the decision was rooted in the long term direction he always had in mind for Bloodsport and the reality that it had not yet reached that level.

“Essentially, what I said was it wasn’t for anything negative, it wasn’t a bad thing, there wasn’t a tragedy or any major overarching issue or problem in that sense. For me, Bloodsport had an evolution of where it was trying to get to.”

He expanded on how the concept was never designed to operate like a typical independent wrestling promotion, pointing to its unique presentation and talent requirements.

“That wasn’t going to be a traditional indie wrestling path, especially because I don’t think Bloodsport is really made for indie wrestling in the way that a lot of indie wrestling is done.”

Scheduling also became a major hurdle. Barnett explained that the frequency of events, particularly under Game Changer Wrestling, did not align with what Bloodsport needed to preserve its identity. The specialised talent pool required for the format made it difficult to sustain that pace.

“Brett’s on the road day in and day out, every weekend, and this show is not for that. We wouldn’t have the talent to keep up with it because we can’t just book anybody on this show.”

Barnett believes the project still had more to achieve creatively, but continuing under the current structure risked diluting what made it special. That concern ultimately led to the decision to end it now rather than see it decline.

“And we’re just not there, we’re not close. So, for me, it was better to end it now than to keep going and quite possibly diminish what the product is or run it down before we had a chance to really get to where I felt like it would’ve been at its best.”

He also addressed the financial and operational side of things, noting that building Bloodsport into his full vision would require significant expansion behind the scenes. While outside investment was explored, it did not lead to a workable outcome.

“Well, we need more capacity, we need more office, we need more employees, and a lot of things. This isn’t the indie wrestling way, we’re not trying to be AEW, NJPW, or WWE.

We don’t have that kind of money. Yes, I did. I had a great-looking pitch deck, it didn’t lead to where I needed it to.”

Even with funding, Barnett made it clear there were compromises he was not willing to make, particularly when it came to creative control. He firmly rejected the idea of anyone else continuing Bloodsport without him.

“It’s not as simple as having money either, because if someone is going to put money into something, there’s always going to be some want on it. For one, if I’m doing Bloodsport, it’s 100% full creative control, final cut, no ifs or buts. There’s no one else. I’ve seen some people like, ‘Oh, how about someone else’s Bloodsport?’ I’m like, no. This is my show, my concept. I know how it started, but from day one, what it’s been, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, it’s not the same thing. It’s got a different ethos behind it.”

He reinforced that stance by making it clear the concept cannot simply be passed on or replicated under a different vision.

“This is my baby, and no, I’m not giving it to someone else. I’m not transferring it. It doesn’t work like that. If it can’t be what it needs to be, and how I know it needs to be to get to where I want it to go, it’s just better to call it done.”

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National Wrestling Alliance Sets May Debut for Landmark Return to Broadcast Television

Posted by admin on April 20th, 2026

Posted By: Ben Kerin on Apr 20, 2026 National Wrestling Alliance Sets May Debut for Landmark Return to Broadcast Television

The landscape of professional wrestling is shifting back to its roots as Sinclair Incorporated officially confirmed that Billy Corgan’s National Wrestling Alliance will debut on Comet TV starting May 1. This historic move marks the first time in over thirty years that National Wrestling Alliance programming will be available on over-the-air television, ending a long era of streaming-exclusive content for the storied promotion.


If you reference any quotes from this piece, please attribute them to the original source, and kindly credit WrestlingNewsSource.com (h/t) for the transcription.

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