Four years into her WWE career, Lola Vice finally got her first taste of singles championship gold when she dethroned Jacy Jayne as NXT Women’s Champion at “WWE NXT” Stand & Deliver. According to her boyfriend and fellow WWE star Damian Priest, the crowning moment served as validation of Vice’s hard work, especially in her journey to shed her MMA persona for that of a WWE Superstar. Now in her NXT Women’s Title reign, Priest encourages Vice to push herself even more.
“Now she’s a double champ in WWE. She’s one of the faces of AAA, one of the faces of NXT, which are both basically meaning she’s one of the faces of WWE. It’s awesome,” Priest said on “Gabby AF.” “Right now, I told her the real work starts … Now you’re going to get busier and now is when you really have to prove yourself because now all eyes are on you.
“But she’s going to knock it out of the park because she just has this crazy drive that is wild to see and very encouraging, and inspires you to do more. No matter what I’ve achieved, I see what she does and I’m like, ‘Oh, I need to work a little harder.’ It’s pretty cool. She earned it. She deserves it and I hope she really enjoys it.”
So far in her reign, Vice has successfully defended the NXT Women’s Championship against her predecessor on the “NXT” Revenge TV special. Looking ahead, all eyes are now on her, as evidenced by the likes of Kali Armstrong, Kendal Grey, Izzi Dame, Zaria, and Sol Ruca staring her down afterward.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Gabby AF” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
All Elite Wrestling saw a huge episode of its Wednesday night show with the April 15 edition of “AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru.” Darby Allin defeated MJF for the AEW World Championship in a main event match that left fans shocked after the champ was dethroned by four coffin drops and a side headlock takeover. The match was teased after Allin defeated Andrade El Idolo at AEW Dynasty, leading to a bump in viewership for the April 15 show.
According to Wrestlenomics, with data from Programming Insider, “Dynamite” was fourth on cable for the night in the ever-important ages 18-49 demographic. The show drew 710,000 viewers, a nine percent increase from 654,000 viewers the week before. The show earned a 0.12 rating in the demographic, which was down 14 percent from the previous week’s 0.14.
Compared to April 2025, “Dynamite’s” viewership was up 15 percent from the average 605,000 viewers. Viewership was down just one percent from the trailing four weeks average of 720,000. The rating was down 12 percent from the April 2025 average of 0.61, and down 14 percent from the trailing four weeks average of 0.14.
In addition to Allin becoming the new AEW World Champion, and an appearance from his mentor, Sting, the show also saw Willow Nightingale retain her TBS Championship over a newly-returned Kamille. Will Ospreay defeated Hechicero, and Renee Paquette interviewed Chris Jericho, and the segment broke down into a brawl with Ricochet and the Gates of Agony after Ricochet deemed Jericho’s new character “”The Guy Who Get Hos A** Beat Every Week By The Demand.”
The wrestling world is mourning the loss of WCW talent “Heavy Metal” Van Hammer, real name Mark Hildreth, who has passed away at the age of 66.
The news was shared by his longtime friend Marc Mero, who took to social media to reflect on Hildreth’s life and legacy while noting that further details are still to come.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of our dear friend, Mark Hildreth, known to so many as Van Hammer. At this time, we are still awaiting answers regarding the cause, pending an autopsy. Mark was a fighter in every sense of the word. Life threw its share of challenges his way, but he had a resilience about him… he always found a way to rise, to push forward, to keep going. I have so many incredible memories with him that I’ll carry forever,” wrote Mero.
He went on to share a personal story that highlighted their bond, both inside and outside of wrestling.
“We first met while he was vacationing in Venice, Florida, working out at a local gym. Not long after, I got the call from Dusty Rhodes to come to his office the next day. Mark didn’t hesitate, he drove me eight hours so I could sign my very first contract with World Championship Wrestling. That’s the kind of person he was loyal, selfless, and always there when it mattered most. We went through wrestling school together, chased the same dream, and before long, he earned his own contract. We even lived together in Atlanta, training, grinding, and building a life around the passion we both shared. We were also chosen to help promote WCW for the United Kingdom Tour, doing countless personal appearances, television spots, and even promotional work alongside Gladys Knight. Those were unforgettable moments… times I’ll never forget. My heart goes out to his family, his friends, and the fans who supported him throughout his journey. Rest easy, my friend. You will always be remembered,” he continued.
Van Hammer’s run in World Championship Wrestling began in 1991 when he debuted with a rock star persona and quickly gained attention through a dominant early push. He racked up an impressive undefeated streak, scoring wins over names like Cactus Jack, Oz, and even a non title victory over Steve Austin before his momentum stalled. By late 1991 and into 1992, he was featured across television and house shows, including pay per view appearances at events like Halloween Havoc and Starrcade. While he challenged for titles such as the WCW World Television Championship and later the United States Championship, he was unable to capture gold. Despite that, he remained a regular presence, putting together solid winning runs and even gaining notoriety for his toughness, famously wrestling through a broken nose. Injuries and inconsistent booking eventually slowed his rise, and by 1993 his appearances became more sporadic before he exited the company.
Hammer briefly resurfaced in WCW in 1994 and 1995, mostly in lower profile segments, including arm wrestling challenges tied to his earlier “Strongest Arm” tournament win. His role during this period was limited, and he soon stepped away again. He returned once more in 1997 as part of Raven’s faction, The Flock, taking on a darker, more subdued character. While this version of Hammer remained largely in the undercard, he did receive opportunities, including a United States Title match against Diamond Dallas Page on Nitro in 1998, though he came up short. His time with The Flock marked the final stretch of his WCW career, which concluded without him reaching the same level of prominence he initially showed during his early 1990s run.
On January 26, 2020, Hildreth was arrested in Palm Beach County, Florida and charged with DUI and first degree felony hit and run following a serious incident. Authorities reported he was driving at 58 mph in a 35 mph zone when he struck a 5 year old child riding a bicycle. The impact threw the child onto the hood of the vehicle, causing internal injuries, though the child ultimately survived.
In May 2020, Hildreth pleaded guilty to both charges. He was sentenced to one year of probation, had his driver’s license revoked for a year, and was required to install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle.
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of our dear friend, Mark Hildreth, known to so many as Van Hammer. At this time, we are still awaiting answers regarding the cause, pending an autopsy.
Mark was a fighter in every sense of the word. Life threw its share of… pic.twitter.com/Tb7d0zQtJr
2027 will mark 30 years since CM Punk entered the professional wrestling industry, and at 47 years of age, he’s not only been able to still perform at a high level, but represent WWE as the current World Heavyweight Champion. Despite his recent success, now that Punk has wrestled some dream opponents, captured gold, and lived out his dream of being in the main event of WrestleMania, many fans have started to question if he will be hanging up his boots soon. However, “The Best In The World” recently shut down any speculation that he will be leaving professional wrestling soon earlier this week.
When speaking about being the cover star for WWE 2K26, Punk reassured fans that he’s not retiring in the near future, but admits that he’s inching closer to the end of his time as an in-ring competitor during a recent interview with “SHAK Wrestling.”
“I think it encompasses my entire career. The beginning and the middle and obviously we’re creeping towards the end. Not anytime soon. Everybody stop asking me. Stop freaking out, but to me it just solidifies the consistency I’ve had over my career.”
Tonight, Punk looks to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in his first-ever singles match in the main event of WrestleMania. If Punk can emerge victorious, he will eclipse 170 days as champion, but if Reigns claims the gold, it will be seventh time he’s held a world title in WWE.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “SHAK Wrestling” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Cody Rhodes. Seth Rollins. Roman Reigns. Brock Lesnar. Drew McIntyre. What do all these Superstars have in common? Well, for starters, all five have had a hand in skyrocketing the landscape of WWE that we see now. Yet, for some, retirement may be on the horizon soon. While there is still some juice left to squeeze in their careers, the future of this business is now. However, the rate in which these young prospects are coming up through the pipeline of “WWE NXT” to the main roster are slower than in years past. WWE President Nick Khan weighs in on what he and other head figures are trying to do to mold today’s wrestlers into immortal named stars of the future, and when the gears for these decisions started grinding.
“So, right after WrestleMania last year, Triple H, and I got together and we said, ‘Okay, let’s take a look at the future,'” Khan said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “We went down to our Performance Center to see Shawn Michaels and Matt Bloom…[we asked] ‘Why is it taking longer?’ And Shawn said, ‘There’s one thing we could really use the company’s help on. We need to be able to tour ‘NXT’ because doing from the studio every week, you don’t get the authentic fan response that young wrestlers need to know if their work is working or not…’ He said, ‘We need to be able to take ‘NXT’ on the road.’ Great. No problem…Let’s take it on the road starting in a month or whatever it was. And then you saw the quick acceleration of Oba Femi, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, soon to be others coming from ‘NXT.'”
Not only are they scouting for future in-ring greats, Khan mentioned that he has asked Triple H, Michaels, and Bloom to keep their eyes and ears open on managers and announcers too. Speaking of accelerating stars, Femi, Williams, and Evans will make their WrestleMania debuts tonight. As for other “NXT” talents, there’s backstage discussion that several highly esteemed wrestlers from that brand will make their main roster call-ups post-‘Mania, such as Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, Blake Monroe, Jacy Jayne, Sol Ruca, and Joe Hendry.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The Bill Simmons Podcast” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
