TKO Announces Multi-Promotion International Fight Week Including UFC 329

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2026
UFC President Dana White Mat Hayward/Getty Images

International Fight Week returns in July with events from TKO’s UFC and Zuffa Boxing as well as Dana White’s Power Slap. 

International Fight Week was introduced as an annual staple in UFC’s calendar in 2012, with the UFC turning its annual July pay-per-view into its own spectacle with an entire week of build. 

The announced slate of events for this year will begin with the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony on July 9, followed by a Power Slap event the following day, UFC 329 on July 11, and rounded out by a Zuffa Boxing card on July 12. 

This will mark the fourth time a Power Slap event has been hosted as part of the spectacle, while it is the first to feature Zuffa Boxing having held its first event in September last year – the Undisputed World title bout between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez, won by Crawford and streaming on Netflix.

Already announced to be inducted into the Hall of Fame’s Modern and Fight wings are Demetrious Johnson and the 2020 bout between Joanna Jedrzejcyk and Zhang Weili, with the Pioneer and Contributors Wing inductees yet to be determined. The Forest Griffin Community Award is also yet to find a new holder. 

The ceremony and UFC 329 will emanate from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with it being believed that Conor McGregor will make his return at the latter event. Power Slap will be hosted by The Chelsea in Vegas, and Zuffa Boxing is due to be held at the Meta Apex also in Vegas.

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Trick Williams Comments On Not Facing Carmelo Hayes At WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2026

Trick Williams has spoken about not facing off against his long-time WWE rival and former tag team partner, Carmelo Hayes, at this month’s WrestleMania.

Williams has booked his spot at this year’s WrestleMania 42, where he will face Sami Zayn for the WWE United States Championship. Some expected Williams to go head-to-head with Hayes at “The Show of Shows,” which he joked he doesn’t want to do. However, he also complimented his former friend and said that he will get his chance to shine.

“You know, we got a lot of history back in the day, but honestly, you know, I’m glad I don’t have to beat down a black man on WrestleMania [laughs]. I don’t care who’s in front of me. Everybody got to get it,” he joked. “Me and Melo, we go way back, of course, and I would love to see him get his moment, and he deserves that. And you never know, he probably still will. He carried that US title, you know, great, so he deserves his moment. I’m sure he’s going to get his moment.”

Williams rose to prominence on “WWE NXT” after featuring alongside Hayes, before the two formed a tag team and later feuded with each other. Williams, though, may not be in Hayes’ good books at the moment, after Williams cost him his US title in his match with Zayn. 

There’s no indication yet whether Hayes will also be included in the match between Williams and Zayn. Williams has clarified that he has no issues with Hayes and that, despite them no longer being friends, they share mutual respect. He also praised his former tag team partner, calling him a generational talent. As of this writing, Hayes and Williams are not set to face each other at WrestleMania 42, but given their history, it’s likely they will run it back in the future and recreate the magic.

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Pat McAfee Initially Turned Down WWE WrestleMania 42 Role Before Last Minute Deal

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2026
Pat McAfee Initially Turned Down WWE WrestleMania 42 Role Before Last Minute Deal

More insight has surfaced regarding how Pat McAfee ultimately found his way back into WWE programming, with new details shedding light on the behind the scenes process that led to his involvement in the WrestleMania 42 storyline.

During a recent discussion on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that McAfee was originally handpicked by TKO executive Ari Emanuel as the preferred celebrity to be part of the main event build between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. However, the situation was not as straightforward as it may have seemed on television.

According to Meltzer, McAfee initially passed on the opportunity, forcing WWE to quickly explore alternative options before eventually circling back and finalizing a deal that brought him into the fold just in time for his shocking appearance.

“Pat McAfee was the first choice, and it was from Ari Emanuel, that’s where it came from,” Meltzer said. “They wanted celebrity involvement……Originally, Pat McAfee was the choice, and he turned it down, and then they were scrambling to get somebody else in the spot. And then obviously, they were able to make a deal with him, so he did it, and he was there.”

McAfee’s return played out on the April 3 episode of SmackDown, where he made an immediate impact by attacking Cody Rhodes and aligning himself with Randy Orton. The segment added a major twist to the WrestleMania main event build, with McAfee boldly claiming that he and Orton were there to “save the business.”

The report also reinforces that the push to include a celebrity figure in the storyline came from the corporate side under TKO, rather than WWE’s creative leadership. That decision reportedly caught some within the company off guard, with internal reactions said to be mixed regarding the direction.

Adding further intrigue, McAfee has already put his own future on the line. He has stated publicly that if Randy Orton fails to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship, he will walk away from wrestling television entirely. That stipulation has fueled speculation that Orton could be poised to leave WrestleMania 42 with another world title reign added to his legacy.

The championship clash between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton is set to headline Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 on April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Amazing Red Set For Brooklyn Return At PRODUCE Volume 1 Event

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2026
Amazing Red Set For Brooklyn Return At PRODUCE Volume 1 Event

A new matchup has been confirmed for PRODUCE’s debut event this summer, adding even more buzz to the promotion’s first outing.

It was revealed on Monday that Amazing Red will make a special return to his hometown of Brooklyn on June 29, stepping into the ring at Pioneer Works to face off against Fancy Ryan Clancy. The appearance marks a notable homecoming for Red as he joins a growing lineup for the inaugural show.

PRODUCE Volume 1, The Octopus, serves as the launch event for the new promotion and is being presented in partnership with Orange Crush. The show will be co-produced by Jonathan Gresham, who recently made his return to the ring after battling back from two strokes last year. Gresham is also set to headline the event, where he will go one on one with Fuminori Abe in a featured bout.

The card continues to take shape with several well-known names already announced. Joey Janela, Effy, Labron Kozone, Mance Warner, Steph De Lander, Man Like Dereiss, ROH Women’s Pure Champion Deonna Purrazzo, Tracy Williams, and Mad Dog Connelly are all scheduled to appear, giving the show a mix of established talent and rising names.

The official description for the event highlights the concept behind PRODUCE and what fans can expect from the experience.

“PRODUCE celebrates the minds, bodies, and creative spirit of professional wrestlers. It’s wrestling that celebrates the talent, curated for fans who know ball, and those who’d like to learn, or learn to love it. Each edition is co-produced (booked and curated) by an active professional wrestler, who co-headlines and helps construct the undercard to introduce new talent to a broader audience. Every show features a musical act or DJ chosen with the input of that edition’s co-producer.”

In addition to this appearance, Amazing Red is also scheduled to compete during WrestleMania week, where he will face Bandido for House of Glory, adding another high-profile match to his calendar.

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JBL Believes Steve Austin Would Not Have Reached Same Level In WCW

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2026

WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield recently shared his thoughts on the career trajectory of Stone Cold Steve Austin during an episode of the Something To Wrestle With podcast, offering insight into whether Austin could have reached the same iconic level had he remained in World Championship Wrestling instead of breaking out in WWE.

JBL made it clear he does not believe the outcome would have been the same, pointing to a mix of timing, opportunity, and unpredictable moments that helped define Austin’s rise.

“No, I don’t think there’s a chance in the world. And not because of not the creativity of WCW; Steve did that pretty much on his own. That was just , I mean, things just happened. Though sometimes the universal lines , you know, obviously people tell the story a million times. Hunter was supposed to go over and King of the Ring. Getting punished for the Curtain Call, Steve steps in. It just happens that he’s going to Jake Roberts, a religious gimmick, comes up with Austin 3:16 on the fly. I just don’t think that the stars align for him in WCW.”

JBL expanded further, reflecting on Austin’s in ring ability during his earlier years, particularly alongside Brian Pillman, while also noting how injuries later shaped his working style.

“He was such a good hand. I mean, he was a great worker, him and Pillman. What a great team. You know, Steve was probably better worker then before some of the injuries than he was later. Not a better worker, better wrestler because he could do so much more, and he was more healthy. But I just don’t think , I think they would have used him and he’d have been a great he’d have been a great hand. Probably would have been champion, but I don’t think he had ever risen that level.”

The discussion also shifted to Austin’s time in Extreme Championship Wrestling, which JBL credited as a turning point in shaping the character that would later explode during WWE’s Attitude Era. He highlighted the creative freedom Austin received under Paul Heyman as a key factor.

“I think what happened to Steve was ECW. I think we got to ECW, and Paul Heyman just gave him carte blanche. And maybe maybe helped him a little bit, I don’t know what all went on there. Steve really came into his own about how to cut promos and how to be himself.”

JBL also drew comparisons between Austin and Hulk Hogan, framing the debate around their respective impacts on the wrestling industry and how they elevated business in different ways.

“And I thought about one other thing, Conrad. Between him and Hogan , and again, you’re comparing great and maybe greater. It’s a little difference in making a hot territory mega hot, and making a territory or helping it rise from cold to mega hot. I think that might be the difference in Steve. You’re arguing about who was One and who is One-A. So a lot of things could go back and forth there.”

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